As the semester begins, NDSU provides a plethora of resources and tools to students of every school and major. A key resource provided by the university is housed in the basement level of the library, the NDSU Center for Writers. Center for Writers is a no-cost program provided by the university to graduate and undergraduate students, faculty and staff. The Center for Writers offers their support in a multitude of modes anywhere from scheduling an appointment with Center staff, to joining a writing group designed to hold students accountable not only for themselves but others as well. 

Sam Schotzko, an English education major working at the Center for Writers, provided his take on the functionality and convenience of seeking help from the center, and the process which they use to get each individual’s writing to the fullest of their potential. “At the center for writers what we really like doing is taking a shovel and going at your paper. So if we start digging and we find a lot of loose dirt, we’ll work on forming a nice and solid base, but sometime when we hit a paper we hit rock solid stone so what we want to do is we want to clean up the top and get it prepared to be a nice solid paper overall. We really work at any level of paper and we work at any stage in the writing process, whether that be brainstorming, research or the final clean-ups of a draft,” he stated when asked about the main role for the Center for Writers. Extending the utility of this resource, Schotzko highlights the center not only assisting individuals, but highly encourages being sought out for assistance in group projects as well. 

Whether the need be for assistance in starting the writing process itself, or a simple query pertaining to commas, past and present tenses or readability the NDSU Center for Writers and its staff have a passion for what they do. 

Kristina Caton, a senior graduate writing consultant for Center for Writers, was asked to speak on what aspects bring her a sense of passion and fulfillment within her position. In a number of examples from different individuals she’s worked with and assisted, Caton always brings her point back to keeping faith in the capabilities of the student or individual. “Let’s say a student comes in and they have just thought for years and years that they hate writing, they’re no good at it, that it’s really something they didn’t think they even had to do for their major and to be able to say well, actually, you probably are much better at this than what you think you are,” states Caton. A running theme in Caton’s interview was her firm belief that “If you can tell me about it, you can write it.”

With a passion and skill for what they do, the NDSU Center for Writers is extending their outreach this semester, going out and speaking to not only composition classes anymore, but communications, history and agriculture courses to encourage use of this resource. NDSU Center for Writers can be found at contact tables throughout the semester, as well as their home location, lower level suite 16 in the main library, open from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.