THEY SAID IT
"A writer is a person for whom writing is more'
difficult than it is for other people."
THOMAS MANN
WRITER
USC’s Writing Center looks
to help instruct students
outside English department
By MARIA CHARLES
FOR THE GAMECOCK
The Writing Center isn’t just for English
students.
In an effort to expand its services, the
Writing Center is reaching out to students in
different disciplines.
“The Writing Center is involved in a lot of
outreach activities to let people outside of
English know we are available. We can help
you if you are writing an English paper, or we
can help you if you are working on something
else,” Writing Center Director Elisabeth
Alford said. ,
Last fall, 46 percent of the Writing Center s
clients were from the College of Liberal Arts,
but Alford said she hopes with more
encouragement that students from other
colleges will frequent the Writing Center as
well.
In order to promote the Writing Center,
the staff of English graduate students put
posters in the computer labs in residence halls
and created an advertisement for the campus
cable channel.
“We are looking at every avenue to
encourage more people to use our services,
Alford said.
Recently, staff members attended Biology
102 lab sessions, helping students use peer
feedback about papers they wrote about
_ _ ____ evolution. >
While the consultations weren t
mandatory, at least half the students opted to
stay, demonstrating the need for improved
writing doesn’t just apply to English
students.
Other measures of outreach include a
survey. Students in a graduate education
course are conducting research to find out if
faculty in other colleges besides the College of
Arts and Sciences are aware of what the
Writing Center offers.
Located on the ground floor of the Welsh
Humanities Classroom building, the Writing
Center advises students through one-on-one
consultations.
“The Writing Center method is
collaboration. Simply by talking about youi
writing to an informed listener, you j^et *
better understanding of what your topic is,
Alford said.
Bevin Roue, left, a Writing Center instructor, goes over a paper with Ryan Khandan-Barani,
a first-year nursing student. The Writing Center offers feedback in addition to finding errors.
Students set the agenda by indicating what
they would like to work on. Students are asked
to read their papers aloud, while a consultant
looks on and asks questions. n
“It’s a conversation about your writing,
Alford said.
The 50-minute consultations start with the
big picture and assess whether the draft clearly
addresses the assigned topic. The consultant
points out errors and suggests tips and
strategies for proofreading. *
Alford said the consultants are not critical.
“We are empathetic because we’ve been
there and know (writing) is hard work,” Alford
said.
Students are encouraged to bring their work
in at any stage of the writing process, whether
it is brainstorming, organizing or revising a
draft.
While walk-ins are welcome, students are
asked to make an appointment by calling the
main office at 777-2078 to ensure a
consultation time.
For students who can’t get to the Writing
Center, there are also satellite locations in four
residence halls: Sims, Bates, the Towers and
Columbia Hall, all providing the same
services.
The Writing Center is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Friday. The satellite locations are open 4-7
p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Students can also call the Writing
Center’s Writer’s Hotline at 777-7020 or e
mail the Writing Center at grammar@sc.edu
to get quick feedback about a specific
concern.
Alford said she hopes by next tall the
Writing Center will provide online
consultation as well. The format has not been
decided, but Alford is exploring different
options and said that it would start on a pilot
basis.
Christina Clodfelter, a second-year
political science student, has taken her
political science and English papers to the
Writing Center.
“The people they-have working there are
really knowledgeable. It s more than a spell
check. They pay attention to the things that
are going to help you move up a letter grade,
Clodfelter said.
The consultants don’t even have to know
about the topic of the paper to help.
“Whether or not they were familiar with
what I was writing about surprisingly didn t
make a difference,” Clodfelter said.
The 10 times Clodfelter has gone for help
proved beneficial.
“Going to the Writing Center made a
significant difference in my papers,” Clodfelter
said.
Comments on this story? E-mail
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.mi..in.......
Sibling inspires student
to help autistic children
By JULIA SELLERS
FOR THE GAMECOCK
After seeing her brother live
with a diagnosed disability for four
years, Jennifer Logan, a first-year
psychology student, has decided to
turn a learning experience into her
career.
Logan’s bother, Andrew, was
diagnosed with autism at the age of
3.
“He was actually kind of older
(when he was diagnosed),” Logan
said. “They like to get it diagnosed
at 1 or 2.”
Autism is a complex
developmental disability that
typically appears during the first
three years of life. The result of a
neurological disorder that affects
the functioning of the brain,
autism impacts the normal
development of the brain in the
areas of social interaction and
communication skills.
Children and adults with autism
typically have difficulties in verbal
at'd non-verbal communication,
social interactions, and leisure or
play activities, according to the
Autism Society of America’s Web
site, www.autism-society.org.
“(Andrew) had chronic ear
infections and my mom noticed
that his speech was really delayed
and lagging, so she took him to
different doctors and specialists.
They kept saying, ‘His speech will
come, his speech will come,’ but it
never did,” Logan said.
When Andrew was 3, Logan’s
mom took him to be evaluated.
Andrew saw neurologists and other
specialists. Andrew was diagnosed
with Pervasive Developmental
Disorders (PDD), a category of
neurological disorders
characterized by “severe and
pervasive impairment in several
areas of development, including
social interaction and
communications skills.” Andrew
was said to be severely autistic.
Logan said Andrew’s diagnosis
of being severely autistic meant he
would probably be four years
behind his peers socially and in
- some cognitive learning skills.
“When my mom first found out,
like most autistic families, my mom
went through a month or two of
mourning his disease,” Logan said.
“She was thinking, ‘He is not like
other kids. He won’t go to prom,
he won’t tie his shoe.’ What she
had to realize is she can’t fix all her
problems, but she can definitely
work towards a better goal.”
Logan’s family enrolled Andrew
in a program with the South
Carolina Early Autism Project in
Charleston. SCEAP is a privately
owned home-based business that
provides one-on-one therapy with
patients. Because Logan’s family is
located in Cheraw, SCEAP comes
to their house to work with Andrew.
In Logan’s home, SCEAP set up
a therapy room where the
therapists and family members
could work with Andrew.
SCEAP Director Ann Eldridge
sets up workshops for families and
therapists.
“They are four hour-long
workshops, and you have to go to
two or three. I ended up doing it,”
t
♦ Please see AUTISM, page 11
CD REVIEW
Morrissey delivers carefree panache
“Live at Earl's Court”
Morrissey
★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆
By JENNIFER FREEMAN
THE MIX EDITOR
The intriguing, sexually
ambiguous Morrissey is still at it.
The lead singer of The Smiths has
released a live album with a
' formula reminiscent of The
Smith’s style — a mish-mash of
singles and other favorites.
“Live at Earl’s Court” was
recorded at the tail end of the tour
promoting his latest album in
front of an audience of 17,183 last
December. This album includes
never performed b-iides and rarely
performed Smiths tunes along
with the popular singles from h
latest album and Smiths’ favorit
like “How Soon is Now? an
“Shoplifters of the World Unite
Known to his fans as Moz, th
melancholy crooner just can t I
go, and with good reason. His la
studio album, “You Are T1
Quarry” turned out to be his mo
successful album to date — wii
The Smiths or solo.
Four singles reached the to
10 in the UK, his homeland, an
U.S. radio stations granted hii
major airtime. Seven of the son;
on “Live at Earl’s Court” wei
first releases on “You Are T1
Quarry.” Moz doesn’t disappoii
with his new material. He sti
writes the same brutally hone
lyrics, sung with tongue-in-chee
humor reflected in his voice.
Morrissey introduces one of h
more controversial songs by tellir
the audience, “I know it isn
mutual, but ‘I Have Forgive
Jesus.’” The sins which Moz h
forgiven Jesus are, “for all the desi
he placed in me / When there
nothing 1 can do with this desire
Later in the song, he recites tl
week’s humiliations from h
diary. This song is class
is Morrissey — comedic and
s painfully moving at the same time,
d With all old songs, the lure of
this album is Moz. He is being
is himself and sharing that with his
‘t audience. That is why Morrissey
it has lasted the test of time through
e the popular ’80s Brit-pop band
it onward to his solo work. He sings
h his life honestly, in his own
words, and his audience relates to
p that.
d Another newer Morrissey song,
n released only on “You Are The
;s Quarry” is “Irish Blood, English
e Heart.” This hard-hitting track
e aims a blow right at “The Man” on ,,
it die other side of the pond. The
11 two-and-a-half minute song
;t manages to scorn every politician
k out there from Oliver Cromwell to
the Labour and Tory parties. While
is insulting politics, he still makes
g clear that he is proud of his country
’t saying, “Irish blood, English heart /
n This I’m made of / There is no one
is on earth / I’m afraid of,” while he is
e “dreaming of a time when / To be
’s English / Is not to be baneful.”
” Fans of The Smiths and
le Morrissey would no doubt enjoy
is i
ic ♦ Please see MORRISSEY, page 11