The Writing Center has introduced something new — writing groups designed to give students a quiet, focused space to work, connect and stay accountable.
The groups meet on Tuesdays and Sundays from 7–9 p.m. in Zondervan Library 142 and are open to anyone looking for a dedicated time to write.
Unlike a typical Writing Center appointment, where students meet one-on-one with a consultant to discuss their papers, these writing groups are more like study sessions. Students can bring any assignment, find a seat and get work done alongside others.
“The writing groups are an offshoot of regular Writing Center programming,” Kelli Cummings, director of the Writing Center, said. “It’s an accountability group more than anything. There’s a writing consultant there if you have a question, but it’s really just a place where you can sit, focus and stay motivated.”
Cummings said the idea came from a common challenge students face: finding a place to work without distractions.
“We live in a very distracted environment,” she said. “Our phones are always on. We’re constantly getting notifications from our friends on social media. If you work in your dorm or the Stu, there’s always someone walking by or talking to you. So this is a place where if you’re struggling with distractions or motivation, you could just walk in and get the work done.”
Alyssa Grant, a sophomore writing consultant who leads the groups, said the goal is to make writing less of a solo task and more of a shared experience.
“It’s supposed to be almost like a study table, but for writing,” Grant said. “It’s less of a ‘where does this comma go?’ kind of thing and it’s more of like, ‘Let’s build a community of people writing together.’”
So far, attendance has been low, but the Writing Center staff hopes it will increase as more students hear about the program.
“We love to have even one person show up,” Cummings said. “Come with friends! Make it a wing night or suite night — it doesn’t have to be intimidating.”
Grant echoed the encouragement, saying she wishes something like this had existed when she took College Composition her freshman year.
“It would’ve been great to have a space where you could workshop ideas with others or just get feedback,” she said.
David Franklin, a junior and lead tutor at the Writing Center, compared the new groups to study tables in other departments.
“Every other department has study tables,” Franklin said. “I’m a computer science major, so I could go to the comp-sci study tables. Or if you have math, you can go there, but there was nothing like that for writing.”
But now there is. It’s a productive space to hold yourself accountable for getting homework done, as well as having someone there to help with any writing questions.
Grant encouraged students not to overthink it: just show up.
“If you have nothing or if you have everything, it’s just like a designated time where you can be like, ‘I’m gonna meet with other people and write,’” she said. “Let’s foster a sense of community around writing and show that writing is fun.”
