Several sessions at the International Writing Center Association Conference focused on rhetorically establishing the physical space of the Writing Center as welcoming and open. It's a main reason that it's common practice to use circle tables just like ours in Writing Centers across the country.
In one of the sessions I attended, the speaker talked about the Ancient Greek tradition of hospitality, and how Writing Centers can use this time-honored tradition and bend it into creating a welcoming space. There are three essential roles in Ancient Greek hospitality:
1. Guest
2. Preparer: This person sets up the home to welcome the guest. Traditionally, this was the wife who cooked, cleaned, and made sure there was plenty of wine to go around.
3. Host: He was the man of the household (this is patriarchal Ancient Greece after all). He welcomed the guest in, made sure their needs were met during their stay, and entertained them.
In Writing Center practice, here's how we could transform those same roles into Writing Center staff and visitors:
1. Guest: The tutee.
1. Preparer: The Writing Center director. They have the most say in how the Center is decorated, be it by adding a couch, painting a couple of walls green, or both. They can also control how private each session will feel by how close the tables are to each other, or if they want to add dividers.
2. Host: This is where us tutors come in. We are the bright, shining faces that our guests, the tutees, will see and associate with during their time in the Writing Center. It is up to us to be sure their writing needs are met, and that they walk away feeling more confident and comfortable about their writing process.
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