Words from Paige's Pages: 'Pandemic,' 'Ethos' and 'Embed'

 By Paige Hendrickson

Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

            SMYRNA -- Our vocabulary expert, Smyrna Branch Librarian Paige Hendrickson, knows a thing or two about words. This issue, she provides definitions and usage examples for the words Pandemic, Ethos, and Embed. 

 

pandemic
pan·dem·ic
/panˈdemik/
adjective: 1. (of a disease) prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world; epidemic over a large area. 2. general; universal.
noun: a pandemic disease.
 
Synonyms: widespread, prevalent, pervasive, rife, rampant, epidemic, universal, global
 
Example: Many colleges and universities are offering only online classes for Fall 2020 semester due to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has affected nearly every country in the world.
 
ethos
e·thos
/ˈēTHäs/
noun: the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations.
 
Synonyms: spirit, character, atmosphere, climate, prevailing tendency, mood, feeling
 
Example: When students transition from high school to college, the ethos shifts and places the responsibility of assignments and studying on the individual student outside the classroom.
 
embed
em·bed
/əmˈbed/
verb (used with object): 1. to fix into a surrounding mass; 2. to surround tightly or firmly; envelop or enclose; 3. to incorporate or contain as an essential part or characteristic.
verb (used without object) to be or become fixed or incorporated, as into a surrounding mass.
 
Synonyms: implant, plant, set, fix, lodge, root, insert, place, sink, submerge, immerse
 
Example: Especially when taking online college classes, students should look for important links that are embedded to guide them to the online course assignments and other resources to help them be more successful in their classes.

Got the Grammar Blues? Writing Center to the Rescue!

             Do you remember the classic hit, “I Got the Grammar Blues?” It sounded great up until Comma Jack hit that sour note on his trombone. 

            If your writing is a bit hit-or-miss these days, don’t despair. The Writing Center’s team of coaches is standing by to help.

 

            In fact, the Writing Center will continue to operate entirely online through the Fall 2020 semester. 

 

            “We miss seeing you on campus, but we've worked hard all summer to make sure we are ready to provide excellent support from a distance,” said Jenna Caviezel, the center’s director and an associate professor of English. 

 

            Tutors are available for two types of appointments:

            *Live Online appointments allow students to have real-time video conferences or text chats with a tutor. This is ideal for those who miss the face-to-face, on-campus tutoring experience!

            * eTutoring appointments allow students to upload their writing assignments and receive written tutor feedback. There is no need to be logged in at the same time as the tutor, which can be ideal for students with very busy schedules or internet accessibility issues.

            Students and faculty can also take advantage of the information and handout bank available on the Writing Center’s Lib Guide: https://mscc.libguides.com/c.php?g=1004878

Home - Writing Center - Motlow Library at Motlow State Community College - Home - Home What is the Writing Center? The Writing Center is a free service available to the entire Motlow community. We support a dedicated team of tutors who are attentive and knowledgeable so they can provide exceptional guidance with any project at any stage of the writing process including brainstorming for an English essay, revising a lab report, or polishing a cover letter for a job application. mscc.libguides.com

 

 

            Here's what some students who’ve used the Writing Center had to say last year (on the center’s anonymous survey form):

            “The Writing Center has been my biggest support system during this Fall semester,” raved one student.

            “The Writing Center has been a lifesaver for me,” exclaimed another.

            “I would recommend EVERYONE use this resource,” praised a third.

 

            So, if you have the grammar blues (or any kind of writing woes), you know who to call. Rest assured that talented Writing Center coaches are ready, willing or able (or able, willing and ready).

 

            Happy editing!

Writing Center Helps Students Become Better Writers

By Abby Mire
Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

                SMYRNA -- The Writing Center here at Motlow Smyrna  is a great place to come and get help in becoming a better writer.

                Dedicated tutors help students better understand the writing process and better themselves as writers. We don’t just take papers; we take stories and resumes! We also take the occasional love letter. So for those of you who want help in figuring out a story, or if you want to surprise special someone, come on down to our location in Smyrna in the Student Success Center in the Mary Lou Apple Building!

 English student Mariah Haley stands by to tutor fellow students in the Writing Center 

(Photo by Charles Whiting)

                All of our tutors want to help you and hope that you come and visit us. We do take walk-ins, but we prefer appointments (as we sometimes get very busy). We also understand that sometimes people get busy, so there is no penalty for canceling.

                We have online tutoring! If you are busy and you can’t meet face to face; we have options available. Our e-tutoring is a great resource to use if you can’t meet with our face-to-face or live online options. Live online is another amazing option for those who have the ability to go online with a webcam but are too busy for face-to-face.

                We also have a waitlist! If you have forgotten about an assignment, and you need an appointment now but we don’t have any available, you can join our waitlist. Our waitlist allows students to be notified in case of a cancellation or a no-show, so they can grab that appointment themselves. We love having people with different papers, stories and other works. One thing that makes our job great is when people come in and are ready to work hard! So please come and join us at the Motlow Writing Center.

                To set up an appointment, visit www.mscc.edu/writingcenter.

(Editor’s note: Abby Mire serves as a writing tutor for the Writing Center.)

Writing Center Opens To Students

By Anthony Czelusniak

Motlow Buzz Reporter

                SMYRNA, Tenn. – The Writing Center opened in the Student Success Center off the STAH lobby in early September, allowing students to get help with any writing project.

                The Writing Center, which encourages appointments, is open from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-6 p.m. Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesdays, 9-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. Thursdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays.

“This is the first time we have offered weekend hours, giving busy students a chance to get help,” said Assistant Professor of English Jenna Caviezel, who oversees the Writing Center on all four Motlow campuses.

Assistant Professor of English Jenna Caviezel encourages students to visit The Writing Center.

                If an on-campus meeting is not possible, students can now call on the Writing Center’s tutors for live online tutoring. The sessions take place using a microphone and a webcam and can be done from home. A non-live online option called etutoring, where the student sends in the assignment online and receives a commented version back, is also available.

Inside the Writing Center, students can meet with a tutor who has been handpicked by Caviezel from a list of applicants. The center’s tutors are typically sophomores who have already taken the courses their fellow students might be struggling with. Students may bring in any type of assignment to tutors for feedback. Whether it is a paper for a class, a PowerPoint presentation, or a short story by an aspiring author, all works are accepted in the Writing Center.

“We’re here to help with any project at any stage of the writing process,” Caviezel added.

  Each session lasts 50 minutes, and students are advised to bring all the drafts they have worked on, as well as the rubric or assignment prompt if applicable. After each session, students are sent a link to an anonymous survey about their experiences at the Writing Center. These surveys are used to improve the Writing Center, most notably helping tutors adjust to the ever-changing availability of students.

Caviezel says she and her staff are very pleased with the response they are getting from Motlow students. “We had over 1,000 appointments last year, and 98 percent of students who completed the survey stated they would recommend the Writing Center.”

For instructions on how to make an appointment and to receive more detailed information about the Writing Center, visit http://www.mscc.edu/writingcenter/ or email your questions to writingcenter@mscc.edu.