I have thoroughly enjoyed the place where we all began this journey into writing center studies. After being surrounded by my own
cohort members either returning as veterans or new to Boise State’s writing center for
the past year, I have been itching to follow in their wonderful footsteps.
Before I begin to reflect more on the texts we have responded to thus far I
want to clarify a few things:
1. I named my blog Writing Center Feels-ings because, for
some reason, I have felt more things emotionally now than any other semester of
any level of schooling. I don’t know why this is, but have chosen to embrace
this phenomenon and try to incorporate feels in every journal (also because
what else would be included in a journal besides feels?).
2. I understand that my reflections, feelings, opinions,
insights, and so on are colored by my own lenses. One lens comes from being
extremely close to the Rebel Rhetoricians (a.k.a. Emery, Ali, and Madison) and
Skyler and, thus, being familiar with certain conversations because of them as well as knowing their research interests and plans. Another lens I bring is my own
skepticism and occasional distrust of academia and universities because of the
ways I feel rhetoric and composition (and therefore writing centers, too) are
marginalized and undervalued. I don’t mean to sound like North when I say this,
but I feel strongly that people are generally unaware of the awesomeness that
comes from English friends. There are more lenses, but these felt like the most
immediate.
3. After re-reading the journals section of the syllabus I
am a bit worried about being too casual. I know how to write in rigid
academic format (and this I do well), but after Ali went on for so long last
year about fluidity and trust in blog spaces I know I am fighting an internal
battle for how to write in this getting centered journal. I want to continue
trying to incorporate never-ending humor into my words, but then the battle
becomes leaving the rest of the inappropriate (read: non-academic) habits that
want to work their way in out. I know I can be focused and tidy in crude
ridiculousness, and I also know I can be untidy and unfocused in drab academic
writing...and any other number of combinations are also possible. Where are my boundaries? How
much of me—true me—can be included?
And how do I reconcile hyper-awareness of rhetorical situation with all of the
Ali rants about being free?
Now that the previous tangent is complete, I can reflect. I
believe that North was absolutely shady in both of his articles, but I liked
them (not the second so much). I liked them because he is doing writing I wish
I could do—being bold, shedding light on often under-represented or generally
un-discussed conversations, and questioning the structure that higher education
works in. His writing was angry, yes, but also impassioned in ways that most
photo-copied articles typically aren’t. In the moments while I was reading the piece it I wondered
about backlash… but was more preoccupied with rooting him on from a time long
past that exigence in years, but maybe not in attitude. His claims were
sometimes off, misguided, idealistic, or bizarre, but sometimes they were
goosebump-enducing. And this is why I know you placed this
text in our hands first. North is a point of ignition—of entering the
Bahktinian parlor and sitting down wondering, “what’s eating this guy?” then finding out why and most likely agreeing. This
was not the best of anything, but it was raw and human and breathed passion for
writing centers as well as passion for protecting them against un- or
mis-informed audiences.
Reflecting on this first week and the two meetings I am
thankful for the readings, their order, and the beginning you have laid out.
A beginning that, to me, feels like it comes from a place of a little bit of rebel and
a little bit of rhetorician…and since I belong to a group with a name so
similar, I am ready. I feel centered in knowing that there is more information,
published material, and ongoing research than I could ever get my hands on or
understand, but that we will be given the chance to feel strongly about what we
do encounter.
Additionally, I want to talk about Lunsford because she is
lovely, but due to my numbered digressions above I am over word count and worry
about making you read more than your fair share of my abstract feels and
thoughts. Thank you for the opportunity to enter into yet another complex and
specialized place, and for this expressive space.
Until seven days from now,
Nicole
