Neville hall sits on the outskirts of the University of Maine campus, with its defining curving architecture and graffetied walls. Many know the building for the much-too-large lecture hall host of many introductory classes and guest speakers, or perhaps for the home of the English department on the third floor. It is a place many come and go from without much thought. Yet, Neville’s story does not end there.
Room 402 is a space for events, workshops and hanging out (productively). The room is large, with a high ceiling and big table in the center. At the far wall is a divider, behind which is a cozy little nook to the right and a thrift store to the left. This is the home of the Writing Center, a space open to all students. In this room, is where events are held, including workshops for writing, publishing and even chapbook making. When there is no workshop, there are tutoring hours held every day until 4 p.m.
This also extends beyond Neville 402 with additional tutoring hours being held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Fogler Library in the study room behind the info desk. To get access to said tutoring, you can visit their website to book an appointment. This allows students to select a timeslot and their desired tutor if they happen to have one.
The Writing Center was started in 1978 by Pat Burns, associate professor of English, as an empty room with hopes and dreams. In 1979, Harvey Kail took over, officially establishing the center as what it is today. The current director, Paige Mitchell, was a mentee of Burns and ever since has been invested in the program.
“I used to be a writing center tutor way back in the day, and then I was the ELL tutor when I was an adjunct here. And now I’m the full director of the Writing Center,” said Mitchell. She is also a Principal Lecturer of English, teaching classes including Business and Technical Writing and the internship program required for undergraduates to become tutors.
One service the tutors offer is ‘Study Buddies,’ which provides “body doubling, a research-supported strategy where you work alongside a peer tutor in real time to stay focused and motivated,” according to their website. This is specifically tailored to neurodivergent students, but is there for anybody who would benefit from having a warm body to keep them accountable. Grace Wallinga, a fourth-year pre-medical and English student and sole STEM tutor for the Writing Center, spends a lot of her time as a body double. She has found that just quietly working alongside students helps them stay focused. Of course, with a tutor sitting right there, this also opens the door to questions about the subject the student is studying.
“I can kind of use that opening to turn it into an engaging conversation and help them understand their concepts and topics a lot better. So most of them have walked out seemingly a lot less stressed than when they walked in,” Wallinga explained.
Despite currently being the only STEM tutor, this does not mean those in science cannot seek help from other tutors. “Even if a tutor based more in education and writing and literacy didn’t know about BIO 100, they’re trained to say ‘I don’t know, but let’s figure it out. Let’s research.’ And so, like boots on the ground, you have somebody to pursue scholarly work together,” explained Paige Mitchell, director of the Writing Center and Principal Lecturer at UMaine.
The issue the center faces, however, is that not many students outside of the English department have heard of it, let alone take advantage of it.
“I never heard of this class or even the space, and I’ve had a lot of classes in Neville throughout my entire undergrad. And I never knew about the writing center. I think it’s hard to get the word out to other disciplines that might not be as aware of it or interested. So, trying to curate an interest and just showing up even to use this space as a quiet room for yourself, I think, is helpful, because I don’t ever really go to the library anymore. I go to Neville,” said Wallinga.
The big takeaway? UMaine’s Writing Center is a space for anyone. From tutoring to workshops to a space for quiet and collaborative work, the center offers a plethora of opportunities, and every bit of it is completely free. Except, of course, the thrift store, with proceeds going directly back into the center, providing snacks and other amenities for visitors. So stop by Neville 402, get some help, buy clothes and make some friends. Students would have nothing to lose and possibly much to gain.
