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The Voice

BUVoice.com

The Voice

BUVoice.com

The Voice

Not just for a better paper Bloomsburg University’s Writing Center rebrands as WALES

    This past summer, the Bloomsburg University Writing Center decided to rename themselves “WALES.” The acronym stands for Writing and Literacy Engagement Studio. This organization decided it was time for their name to match their mission. Lily Louie, a junior ITM major and the new Assistant Director of WALES, who has been a consultant there for four semesters, stated that it was time to change the name because, “we wanted to show the university that we deal with all things literacy, not just papers. The rebranding was to show that WALES is here for everyone: ACE students, ESL students, full and part time students, nontraditional students and graduate students across any major. We are not here for a better paper, we are here to help better the writer.”

     Along with a name change, WALES created a new logo. Across campus, you will find posters of the WALES acronym shaped like a whale, with a textbook for a tail. They also redid the Bakeless 206 location, which aims to be a more organized and inviting atmosphere. The space was opened up by moving the online session room into the far side of the studio, while session tables were spaced out to give students more space to work one-on-one with their consultant. Art, made and donated by the friends of WALES and the WALES’ staff throughout the years, hangs on the walls, adding personality, color and a light-hearted feel to the atmosphere. Taylor McDonald, a senior Psychology major, who has worked at WALES for three years, states, “the best part of the renovated room is the space. Now that sessions are not happening so close to one another, students seem to feel like they have more privacy, allowing them to open up more during the sessions. It’s exciting because this allows me to do a better job of bringing out the best writer in them, because they are more open to sharing their ideas and questions without feeling like people outside of the session are listening in.”  WALES also launched an improved reading program equipped with exercises that aim to strengthen not only a student’s writing, but their reading as well.

     In addition to Bakeless 206, WALES will also continue to operate night hours in the Schweiker Room, located in the Andruss Library and in Elwell, room N219. They will continue to offer ePortflio workshops which aim to teach students how to efficiently operate and take full advantage of everything an ePortfolio has to offer. They will also provide Writing with Sources workshops which teach students how to write credibly and avoid plagiarism.
Louie believes students should come to WALES because, “No matter how strong of a writer you are, getting an outside perspective can improve your writing. When you are personally involved with your paper, it is hard to look at it objectively. Getting a second set of eyes on your paper opens you up to new perspectives for your writing.”

 

 

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