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Hello, everyone! Since today is the last day that the Writing Center will be open for the Spring 2025 semester, I wanted to make one last post to wish you all a relaxing summer break!! Hopefully final exams have been going well, we’re almost there! 🙂

The Writing Center will reopen for Fall 2025 a few weeks into the semester. We can’t wait to see and work with you all again!!! Feel free to stop in anytime you need us 🙂 Our hours will remain the same: Monday-Thursday 12-8 pm and Friday from 12-4 pm.

That’s all for now!!! We’ll see you soon.

~Devin 🙂

Hey, everyone! So, breaking news…the Writing Center will be having some hours during May 5th-7th of finals week!!!

Just in case you need a last-minute review of your paper, we’ll be here for you!

Here are our adjusted Finals Week hours:

• Monday, May 5th: 12 pm-8 pm
• Tuesday, May 6th: 12 pm-8 pm
• Wednesday, May 7th: 12 pm-4 pm

Remember to get plenty of rest, eat nutritious meals as much as possible, and make sure to study! However, breaks are important, so make sure not to overwork yourself. We’re here for you if you need us!

I personally will be working a few hours on Monday and Tuesday, so stop in and see me if you want to/are able to! 🙂

Thank you,

Devin 🙂

Hello, everyone! I am just writing to remind you that Finals Week is rapidly approaching, and for many of you, that most likely means papers. If you feel stuck at any point during the writing process, feel free to stop into the Writing Center so that we can help you out!

We can help with papers for:

• Any major/subject area
• Any format — APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.
• All parts of the process!
  • Drafting
  • Editing
  • Revising
  • Final draft proofing

Don’t hesitate to stop by! You can schedule an appointment or just walk in at any point! As a reminder, we are located in Room 106 on the first floor of the McNairy Library, right across from the Starbucks.

To schedule an appointment in advance:

1. Navigate to the official Millersville University Writing Center page at: https://www.millersville.edu/enwl/writing-center/
2. From there, you will indicate what you specifically need help with at: https://millersville.starfishsolutions.com/starfish-ops/instructor/serviceCatalog.html?tenantId=9440#/service/4203/schedule
3. Next, you will choose a tutor, time, and appointment form that works for you! We have the following types of appointments available to you:

• • In-person
  • Zoom
  • Online (via MU email)

We strongly encourage our students to make an appointment in-person or on zoom, as these are much more effective than 100% online communication! Please take this into consideration when scheduling an appointment with us.

As a final reminder, the Spring 2025 Writing Center Hours are:

• • Monday-Thursday 12:00-8:00 pm
  • Friday 12:00-4:00 pm

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you’ll consider dropping by the Writing Center to ease some stress about final papers as the Spring 2025 semester comes to a close! We wish all the best for everyone as the semester ends, hopefully with a strong finish.

~ Devin

Crack into the Egg Hunt hosted by the McNairy Library Learning Forum and the Writing Center here at Millersville University! Return them to their “nest” in these locations for some egg-cellent prizes!

When: April 14th-April 19th, 2025

Where: McNairy Library — Ask for Help Desk, The Writing Center (across from Starbucks!)

What: You’ll have to bring the egg you find to hatch your prize!

Hippity hoppity, the hunt is on, but beware–the campus mascot, Skully, has been spotted with the Marauder’s Map, so he knows the secret locations of the eggs. It’s up to you to find them first! Happy hunting!!!

~Devin

“The Danger of a Single Story” ~Adichie:

• Limited representation → appearance, cultures, food/drink preferences
  • Children = impressionable and vulnerable to stories 

• Availability in literature 
  • Foreign books (majority) vs African books

• Stereotypes/Defining qualities → incomplete 
  • Patronizing pity 
    • Ex. African → poverty 
    • Ex. Mexicans → illegally crossing border
  • “Authentically African” 
  • “What if my roommate knew about…?” 
    • Thriving individuals from Nigeria 

• Power – the ability to make one story the definitive story of another person
  • America’s culture and economic power → many stories of America
  • “Normalized political fear”  

• Consequences of the single story: 
  • Robs people of dignity
  • Emphasizes differences, not similarities

I hope you enjoyed my post about the importance of telling the full story, not just its parts. This was fully inspired by Adichie’s speech known as “The Danger of a Single Story.” This exists in the form of a TED Talk as well, so feel free to check it out! I will leave the link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg

Thank you for reading!

~ Devin

Hello, everyone! I just wanted to put it out there that the Writing Center and McNairy Library will soon work in collaboration to host Easter egg hunting events! Eggs will be hidden in various spots around campus! Find an egg and bring it to either the Writing Center (writing) or the Ask A Librarian desk (research), depending on which type of challenge you’ve received!

As an advance reminder, here are the hours and locations for each:

Ask a Librarian: 

Located to next to the main entrance desk!

Monday-Thursday: 9 am-8 pm

Friday: 9 am-12 pm

The Writing Center:

Room 106 – Across from the Starbucks!

Monday-Thursday: 12 pm-8 pm

Friday: 12 pm-4 pm

Get ready to find those eggs, because you’ll receive some great prizes after you turn them in! (Trust me, I know what they are, and you won’t want to miss out!) To name just a few, water bottles, highlighters, squishies, and more! Just remember…each person gets only one egg, so choose wisely!

Good luck, and now that I’ve given you an advance warning, you should be even more prepared and quick to find your egg! 🙂

~ Devin

Hi, all! Today, I want to provide an overview of some suggestions for revising your writing. I know that the revision process can feel tedious and unrelenting at times, but I want to provide a starting point!

These tips work especially well for:

• Argumentative essays
• Critical Reviews
• Fictional story
• Literary Analyses
• Narratives
• Persuasive essays
• And more!

1. To begin revising, write several different leads for your introduction paragraph. As a writer, it is important and beneficial to make sure you have the reader hooked with an exemplary beginning! The introduction is the strength of a writing piece, and it sets the stage for what the story will be about. 
2. Blend the beginning of your piece into the next section, making sure it flows smoothly. For example, in a narrative, you can blend into your exposition by revealing a memory of the past  connecting it to the present and possible future.
3. When revising the middle, focus on the language to accompanies details. This can include figurative language (similies, metaphors, personification, etc), diction (word choice), and syntax (sentence structure).
4. Incorporate a variety of techniques to give the reader a better understanding of your point and its significance! To exemplify this statement, in a fictional story, including sensory details can portray a character more accurately to the reader.
5. As you revise the ending/conclusion, make sure to reflect on your thoughts and pull everything together in a way that makes sense. Re-state all of your main ideas!
6. I always use this trick when writing anything: if you can imagine a mic drop after reading your last sentence, then you have strong ending! Take pride in your work and finish it feeling like you’ve done your best.

Thank you for reading! That’s all for today, and I hope this helps you navigate revising in a more enjoyable way 🙂

~ Devin

Hello, everyone! Now, I know that poetry is not always the most enjoyable subject for a lot of people. It can be difficult to comprehend at times, and being tasked with writing a poem can feel really stressful! I know felt this way when I was first introduced to poetry. However, I want to make it clear that poetry can be fun!

From years of writing poetry, I have learned that the style of a poem is completely up to the author. You can follow a certain format, like iambic pentameter (like William Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets), a traditional ABAB rhyme scheme, or variations of your own, such as ABCBAD etc!

I would like to share one of the first poems I ever remember writing in school. In my sixth grade reading class, we were tasked with writing a poem on the spot. I felt completely lost and out of my comfort zone, but I realized that I could make it simple and do what I wanted with this!

With that said, I give you my poem “Silent Ripples.”

Silent Ripples

By: Devin Sparwasser 

The water swirls round’ at my touch, 

Spinning and spiraling as it must

As clear as a crystal, that it may be,

But how does this water truly possess reality? 

It’s a symbol of nature, holds its own silent place,

It cares for our world, it retains special grace.

The water grants beauty in its own special way,

Silent, supple ripples, splashing away. 

 

That’s all for today! I hope you enjoyed reading one of my first poems, and I hope that you feel inspired to step out of your comfort zone as a writer and experience the freedom and flexibility of a genre like poetry 🙂

~Devin

Often, writing serves as a good representation of the experiences and opportunities individuals have had as writers, in addition to any academic achievements that have been made up to a certain point in time. From my own experiences in courses like WRIT 311 (Advanced Composition), Explorations in World Literature, and general English Composition, I have learned to recognize that room for improvement always exists, and consistent perfection remains unrealistic.

I would like to provide some tips for embracing your abilities as a human being and writer:

• By relaxing into your work without feeling so much pressure to excel, you will have a better chance to discover or rediscover genuine enjoyment in writing
• Find your unique voice and style and incorporate them into your writing! Do not over-fixate on making it sound exactly right in your first draft
• It is possible to maintain the proper tone throughout a writing piece AND tailor the writing process to meet your needs and interests at the same time!
• During the peer review process, be respectful and open to both giving and receiving criticism, but know that it remains up to you whether or not you apply that feedback to your writing

These are just a few tips/suggestions for embracing imperfection as you write, and I hope you find this helpful! Thank you for reading 🙂

~ Devin Sparwasser

Hello, all! Welcome to the Spring 2025 Semester at Millersville University!

My name is Devin Sparwasser, and I am a new tutor and blog writer at the Writing Center! I hope you all had a restful Winter Break and are starting off the semester with some academic ambition.

I want to make you all aware of a couple campus resources you can utilize to help you succeed this semester, specifically those pertaining to reading and writing!

1. The Writing Center Adjusted Hours

Monday-Thursday: 12:00-8:00 pm

Friday: 12:00-4:00 pm

Schedule an appointment with one of our tutors through Starfish! We prefer in-person or Zoom appointments, but online appointments through email are welcome as long as you provide the information we need. This includes your Name, M#, Class Name, Professor, and what type of assistance you are looking for.

Walk-ins are always welcome, too! Never hesitate to stop by 🙂

2. Kurzweil Online Software

Kurzweil is a learning software provided to all students through Learning Services. It can be downloaded onto your computer, or you can use the online version! If reading, taking notes, and/or making outlines is challenging for you, Kurzweil can help. The software includes features like translations in at least 12 different languages, multiple voices to choose from that can read to you, organizer templates to map out writing assignments, vocabulary definitions, and highlighter breakdowns of specific concepts!

If you have any further questions about using Kurzweil, feel free to contact Learning Services!

Kurzweil 3000

Kurzweil 3000 is a web-based learning solution built on the technology of Kurzweil Education, Inc., a comprehensive reading, writing and learning solution for reading disabilities.

3. Learning Services Workshops

In Lyle Hall, Learning Services offers a variety of workshops that target specific academic skills throughout the semester. These topics include critical thinking, note-taking, study skills, time management and organization, strategies to boost memory, and understanding students with disabilities/disorders, among others. I have attached a list of the Spring 2025 workshops being offered below for anyone interested!

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Thank you all for reading! I hope you have a wonderful semester, and remember that these resources are always accessible to you if and when you need them.