university writing center

Hello everyone, welcome to another blog post written by yours truly, Jake Long. Today we will talking about the elusive perfect thesis statement because now is the time when we get our first speeches of the year. According to UNC Writing Center, a thesis statement is a roadmap for the paper that tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper. At times, it is appropriate to write your thesis statement after writing the body sections of your paper because you may not be ready to refine your main ideas until after exploring what you have to say. A thesis statement should give a reader a one sentence synopsis that they can refer to if questions arise as to how certain points relate to your topic. Let’s say you’re writing a paper on the effectiveness of the University bus system and your thesis reads, “The University bus system offers a beneficial service for students who need to get from one end of campus to the other in a short amount of time.” If later in the paper you wrote, the bus drivers are reckless and put students walking calmly to class at risk of getting hit in order to deliver their passengers on time, then a reader can reflect back on the goal of your paper and recognize your dedication to staying on theme is lacking. A better secondary topic would be a personal anecdote of a time when the bus system got you to class on time. This idea would be both clarify and support your thesis statement, and your reader will appreciate being prepped for what is to come in your writing.

Howdy readers,

This is Lauryn, your brand new blog writer speaking. With October coming up swiftly, this is an excellent time to start discussing the spookiest thing of all: the comma splice.

The comma splice is an age-old horror–but do not fret; the comma splice is completely avoidable, as long as you have the right information.

So… what is a comma splice, you ask? A comma splice is the joining of two independent clauses with a comma. Independent clauses can stand on their own, and commas should only be used to join an independent clause with a phrase that cannot stand on its own.

For example, take into account the following statement:

I went to the store, they didn’t have apples.

“I went to the store” and “They didn’t have apples” are both complete thoughts. They can stand alone and function without more information, therefore making them independent clauses. These two clauses cannot be separated by a comma. The above statement is an example of a comma splice.

How can we fix this? I’m glad you ask. It’s nothing too complex! With practice, you too can avoid comma splices. Let’s take a look at two foolproof methods for taking down those pesky comma splices.

1. A Period

Using a period to separate two independent thoughts can sometimes be a solid move.

I went to the store. They didn’t have apples.

The example from before is now grammatically correct. However, this kind of writing can end up looking choppy and having a funky, stop-and-go flow that doesn’t always read very well. In college writing, we should look to have more complex, robust sentences.

So, here’s what I suggest:

2. A Semicolon

A semicolon is the perfect way to combine two independent clauses in a professional, smooth manner. A semicolon can and should be a frequently used resource in every writer’s toolbox.

The semicolon can replace your pesky comma splice in a jiffy. See below:

I went to the store; they didn’t have apples.

Good as new. The semicolon functions just the same as a period, but provides you with a smooth flow and look that mirrors the comma.

Don’t put up with terrifying comma splices any longer.

Use a semicolon today; it might just save your grade.

This is your blog writer speaking, Jacob Long, in my second year as a writing tutor and second year as a blog writer. We have a new blog writer on board with us this year, Lauryn Everly, who has ample experience as both a writer and a blogger. In the past, she blogged the progress of her pumpkin patch back in 2018, a particularly good year for the harvest. She was aiming to grow the largest pumpkin in the tri-state area for the Tri-State Tractor and Trade Festival. She spent months caring for her puny pumpkins, only to see them stay at typical pumpkin size, about the mass of a full fishbowl. So, one day, she made the decision to add plant food to her fertilizer, an illegal move in the contest, and from that moment on her pumpkins grew to the size of boulders. Sadly, an investigation was launched into her pumpkin procedures, as their size far exceeded natural limits, and she was disqualified from the contest. Her embarrassment was palpable, but she has since learned that cheating, especially in an academic context, is unacceptable and now lives a life dedicated to teaching others the same thing.

This story is totally fictitious, Lauryn never grew pumpkins, no less participated in the fictional Tri-State Tractor and Trade Festival, but the moral of the story is important: cheaters never prosper. So let’s make a commitment to each other to practice absolute academic integrity this year, and if we can succeed in that venture you’ll hear the story of my own run in with the Tri-State Tractor and Trade Festival law.

In English classes across the board, the outline is considered a vital part of the writing process. Teachers preach that without an outline, a student has nothing, there is no other way for a paper to get off the ground than by outline. The tedious process of writing out, step by step, you will say in draft number one, which leads then to draft number two, hinders creative energy necessary to progress a paper beyond its beginning stages. The outline is a plague that convinces students that their ideas are held within black and white boxes, that their ideas once written remain constant, and that their ideas are valued for their presence on paper rather than on their creation.

What is done in an outline can be done in the mind. The step-by-step approach a student takes to writing a paper can be formulated without expulsion from the mind. The ideas have the right marinate in the head where connections from one concept, to the next, to one previously unrecognized, to an overarching concept that directs the student and writer to an outcome that they initially had no conception of. When writing is put on paper, it is seen as absolute, that it is the very definition of what the writer wanted from the begging. But if we look at writing as the pursuit of defining life, the pursuit of discovering how oneself fits into the world around them, how the world around them fits in them, and how the world itself fits into the worlds of everyone else, then there is little room for absolutes besides the answer to the one question that truly matters that has yet to be solved.

Less experienced writers gravitate towards the outline for its formulaic benefits. Writing is no easy task, so to be given a structure as advised by the “supreme writer” in the room, the teacher, puts students at ease. I’ll put this idea in the form of metaphor. When moving to a new town, one considers first and foremost where they can acquire life essentials such as food, water, gas, and so on and so forth. This task is very overwhelming and requires a few days’ worth of exploration and discovery and rediscovery. By rediscovery, I mean that there may be better deals offered in one supermarket as compared to the first supermarket the person bought groceries from, or the pharmacy first chosen is located next to a ruckus inducing canning factory and the second is neighbored by a park filled with potential friends.

There is more than meets the eye, and it is up to teachers to guide their students to a place where they see writing as a reflection of the self rather than a tedious pursuit of empty endeavor.

Hello, Marauders! Welcome back to another day, another post. Today I will be advertising two upcoming writing workshops that the Engage for Change Journal is hosting. Both workshops are located in McNairy Library, Room 104, and will be held from 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM.

What is the Engage for Change Journal, you may be wondering? It is a fairly new journal on campus that seeks to identify relevant political, social, or economic issues. Who can write for the Journal? The Journal takes submissions from MU students, faculty, staff, and Lancaster community members! What kinds of articles does the Journal accept? They accept research, impact, perspective, creative pieces, reviews, and more! The deadline for submissions for the upcoming issue of the Journal isn’t until September 9th, 2024, so you’ve still got plenty of time to write about something that you’re passionate about! Check out https://blogs.millersville.edu/engageforchangejournal/ for more information!

The theme for the Journal’s 2024-2025 issue is Equity and Justice in Education. Are you interested in sharing your thoughts, opinions, informed perspectives, research findings, or creative commentaries about a topic in equity and justice in education? This coming Tuesday, 3/26, the Journal is hosting a writing workshop for interested or current authors to come meet the Journal team and work with them to help you find partners to co-author with if you’re interested in collaborating, generate ideas focused on equity and justice in education, and determine what type of article you want to write! The event is FREE and light refreshments will be provided! You can register through this link: http://tinyurl.com/march14forum. If you have more questions about the Journal or the workshops, please email engageforchangejournal@millersville.edu or follow the Journal’s Instagram (@engageforchangejournal) for more updates.

Now, where does the Writing Center come into this? Well, the Center is a perfect place for you to bring your articles for us to look at if you have any specific questions or concerns! We help at any stage of the writing process, whether that be brainstorming, drafting, revising, or working on citations. We’d love to help! Visit us any time from 1-9 PM on Monday-Thursday, and from 1-4 on Fridays. As always, happy writing!

Hey all you Writing Center Blog enthusiasts, we’re coming back at you with yet another installment. Today we will be diving deep into the history of the Carson vs. Lauryn battle for MPT, Most Prolific Tutor. This semester started with a challenge for the ages, one of a magnitude yet unseen and yet repeated, between the Chiefs of the Carson and Lauryn factions, Carson and Lauryn respectively. Tensions were high during the first tutor meeting, with straws being drawn and glares being fired, luckily, the group remained cordial, and the moment passed without conflict, at least none that could be seen. But let me tell you, as someone who was in that room, at that table, the competitive hostility was as sharp as their two minds. What started out as a friendly bet, had turned into an event, that when concluded, deserves the erection of commemorative statues.

Based on current numbers, such a statue has Lauryn planting her flag into the leatherbound spine of literary stardom while Carson desperately clings to the fraying bookmark ribbon limply hanging off the edge of the highest shelf. The leaderboard shows Lauryn with a whopping twenty-two total tutor sessions. How she was able to pull off such a feat is unknown, her critics call foul play, but her followers, who will remain unnamed for fear of collateral damage, insist upon her tutoring prowess. On the short side of the ribbon is Carson, slipping slowly but surely out of the picture, balancing upon his meager ten sessions, grasping for a second semester surge to supersede Lauryn in her quest to become the first MPT. At this point in time, the winds of change of gone still, and Carson’s futile hope for a last second push is what storm chasers would call blowing out a candle during a tornado. And this tornado, in the form of Lauryn, is not one to be trifled with.

Hello all you Writing Center Blog readers, we are coming at you with another genre bending, time warping, phase shifting blog post. Today we’ll be looking into the not-so-distant future, Spring Break. Some call it the promised land others call it a week away; I personally call it a week to sit around and do nothing. This leads me to my next point, when there’s nothing to do, there’s something to write, so why don’t we go over a few ways to gain inspiration for that long-awaited short story or patchwork poem that has been nagging at the back of your mind. As cheesy as it is, go for a walk, there’s plenty to write about out there, surprising right. Who knows you may cross paths with another walker looking for inspiration and next thing you know you are swapping stories with your new best friend, or at least that’s how it seems, and then next thing you know you see a news report on a recent serial cereal thief on the loose and, low-and-behold, the forensic sketch even got their mole the shape of Fruit Loop right. What am I saying, the wildest thing you’ll see is a dog off the leash being tailed by their owner furious with their pup when they were the one who didn’t latch the leash properly. Even then, instant inspiration. Ask yourself, what does this remind me of, get fantastical, get realistic, get anecdotal, who cares it’s only words on a page.