UAB Digital Commons (Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham)

Griffiths, Rachel Eliza

PoemMemoirStory (literary 
magazine) 
Volume 08 Article 41 
2008 
Pecola Breedlove Gives Geraldine a Piece of Her Mind 
Rachel Eliza Griffiths 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/pms 
 Part of the Creative Writing Commons, and the English Language and Literature Commons 
Recommended Citation 
Griffiths, Rachel Eliza (2008) "Pecola Breedlove Gives Geraldine a Piece of Her Mind," PoemMemoirStory 
(literary magazine): Vol. 08, Article 41. 
Available at: https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/pms/vol08/iss2008/41 
This content has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of the UAB Digital Commons, and is 
provided as a free open access item. All inquiries regarding this item or the UAB Digital Commons should be 
directed to the UAB Libraries Office of Scholarly Communication. 
Rachel Eliza Griffiths 
PECOLA BREEDLOVE GIVES GERALDINE 
A PIECE OF HER MIND 
1. 
Sometimes I have dreams about women 
like you. All the Geraldines of Ohio gather 
in a parlor and serve me 
macaroons, root beer with vanilla, part 
my hair in eight sections and lick 
my bald shame. 
When the cat hit the wall I was sure it had enough 
lives to keep its nature intact. What keeps you 
hating the black you groom, what deems 
you decent, I'm not sure. Sometimes 
at night when the cats along the fence 
shriek dirges and fuck the soft 
bones that make their spines roll 
like water, do you get wet 
between the lids of your eyes? 
2. 
This small black thing, your son 
wants to kill-that face of fur 
slipping behind the radiator, that is 
the beast of your home. If I turned 
your Bible over where you've clawed 
and petted leather, the white eyes 
of dolls would attack me. Day after day, I pushed 
hunger out between the alley of my legs. 
84 
We all waited for the baby. It couldn't live. I prayed 
for a god to come down and give me blue eyes, dreams 
of Shirley Temple girls dancing like sheep with old Bo'Jangles. 
When my stomach got so swole it made plain 
vision double, the women walked down sidewalks 
with hands over their mouths, trapping 
the words and puke away from their good 
dresses. Could anything live like that? 
3. 
I wouldlikeyoutohavethisplate, Doyoulikemytooblue-to-sing 
eyes, Doyouthinkmychildwilllooklike her father 
acrackedplatesecondhandonawhitewindowsill 
nearblueberrypie, Doyouthinkyourhusbandandyourson 
willwantmysightoftheworldaftertheygetoff 
myskinlessbaldthighs? A chinaplateedgedwithyellowtrim 
and sky-eyed cherubim - oh god 
( when Cholly doesn't -
stop being 
Daddy) 
ontheplatelwashed, iridescent suds and silence 
whilehecrawled on his knees, yourChristian 
womenvoicesbusywarmingyourowntombs, 
ontheplate a fleck of my skin, driedbrownandblue fell 
soundlesslyinto oldwater, takethesethoughtsthatmeannothing 
toanybodywithoutthecolor blue Takethisplateandfeedtheeyesyoucan'tstand 
tosee Iwouldcallyou aBitch butyou'vealreadynamed 
yourself Take thisplate wheremymindspoilslikemeat Please 
don'tletthecatbeanything but soft 
85 


English

Pecola Breedlove Gives Geraldine a Piece of Her Mind

Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/930337091/2f4bb3cbe

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Fall/Winter 2023 Spring 2023 Fall/Winter 2022 Previous Stories Subscribe
10 Years of Arts in Medicine:
Creative, Comprehensive Healing
Story by Julie Keith | Photos by Steve Wood, Andrea Mabry, Lexi Coon and courtesy of
Arts in Medicine
It seems obvious today, but in 2013, the idea of a multi-disciplinary arts in medicine program
that was designed to improve patient experiences and outcomes was pretty unusual.
Although UAB Hospital had been running a music therapy program for 15 years, in which
trained health professionals worked with patients to achieve specific therapeutic goals, the
AIM concept was more comprehensive, focusing on a patient’s entire healing process and
embracing a holistic approach to their wellbeing.
One person who helped catalyze the idea was Jordan DeMoss, then-senior associate vice
president for UAB Hospital. DeMoss had been interested in implementing an arts in
medicine program at UAB, so he reached out to UAB’s Alys Stephens Center, which had
cultivated a community of local artists eager to share their talents through its ArtPlay
education and outreach program, including at Children’s of Alabama. His goal was to “bring
to UAB Medicine the side of healing that isn’t science,” he said in 2015.
Kimberly Kirklin, then-director of ArtPlay, was interested in the same thing. After seeing how
kids in the ArtPlay program were transformed by the arts experience, she started
wondering what other communities could be similarly impacted, particularly hospital
patients. So she helped create a pilot program to coach professional artists on navigating
the clinical environment, focusing on patients facing long-term, in-patient stays, like
transplant patients.
Fortunately, some of the ASC’s artists already had conducted performances and workshops
in local hospitals and assisted-living centers through the ASC’s ArtCare initiative. With
enthusiasm from the artistic community and with financial support and confidence in AIM’s
vision—fueled by a pilot grant from UAB Medicine’s Innovation Board—the program
launched in 2013, making UAB’s AIM program the first of its kind in Alabama, with Kirklin as
the director of programming.
Bringing the soul back to medicine
What was becoming apparent at UAB and at a few select medical centers across the
country was that the fine line separating physicians and artists began to widen only a few
centuries ago, when scientific discoveries about germs led to hospitals becoming more
sterile, separate environments. As leading hospitals began to shift to a “whole person”
approach to treatment, “it’s become very clear that the arts do have a place,” Kirklin said. “It
brings the soul back to medicine.”
In AIM’s early days, the focus was on storytelling, music, dance, painting, performance, and
textile art. Elizabeth Vander Kamp, Lillis Taylor, and David Roby were among the six initial
artists in the AIM program, and their impact was felt immediately in the clinical space.
Terri Middlebrooks, clinical care coordinator for the nationally renowned Acute Care for
Elders unit, said soon after working with AIM that the program “is one of the greatest things
to happen to our unit.” ACE provides care for patients ages 65 and older with a focus on
mobility and cognitive stimulation, many of whom have dementia and stay on the unit for
extended periods. For these patients, AIM was a perfect fit.
“Our patients need people to talk with them; they want to tell their stories,” Middlebrooks
shared in 2015. AIM actor and playwright David Roby helped patients write mini-memoirs to
preserve those precious words for their families. And by getting to know each patient,
Roby, Vander Kamp and the other artists provided clinical staff with valuable observations
and insights that can enhance care.
It was a strong start, but there was much more to come.
Threads of healing
Today, the AIM program has expanded to eight Artists in residence, four creative arts
therapists, and one yoga therapist and provides 115 hours of services per week to a large,
and growing, number of clinical units at UAB Hospital, Children’s of Alabama, at Aging
Creatively facilities, and at other community partners including St. Vincent’s East and the
Birmingham VA Whole Health Initiative.
Now reaching those receiving in-patient treatment and their family members of all ages and
abilities, AIM can connect individuals with artists-in-residence for specific activities or
deliver art supplies if preferred. Bedside or group workshop activities include storytelling,
painting, hand-sewing and embroidery, relaxation and meditation, movement and dance,
and expressive writing and poetry. AIM artists can also personalize projects for patients
based on their skills, interests, and abilities.
And AIM also brings in visiting artists for temporary residencies, infusing new approaches,
creativity, and talent into the AIM team and the larger community served by the program.
Most recently, Kirklin and her team invited a few members of the renowned Quilters of
Gee’s Bend to teach workshops, develop special projects for UAB, and sew in the common
areas of the UAB Women’s and Infants Center, Kirklin Clinic, and UAB Hospital-Highlands.
One of their iconic quilts will be added to the hospital’s permanent art collection and hang
in a main area for patients, visitors, and health care staff to enjoy.
Funded by the UAB Hospital auxiliary and supported by the Arts in Medicine Kirklin Family
Endowment, the quilters’ residency was a tremendous success, bringing hundreds of
patients, families, UAB community members and Birmingham residents together to watch
the Gee’s Bend women work and sing. And like UAB itself, their patchwork designs—in all
their colors and shapes—combined to form something beautiful and meaningful.
In recent years AIM has expanded into developing research partnerships across campus,
including working with Hon K. Yuen, Ph.D., professor and director of research in the
Department of Occupational Therapy in the School of Health professions. AIM has also
recently collaborated on a project with the UAB Bone Marrow Transplant Program and
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine to determine the impact of arts-based interactions on
patient satisfaction.
Jordan DeMoss, now executive vice president, was prescient 10 years ago when he said,
“We know that AIM is the right thing to do for our patients. The arts have thrived for
thousands of years, which is proof enough that they are beneficial and therapeutic.”
At their 10-year anniversary, AIM has proven that continues to be the case.
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2 - Creative, Comprehensive Healing

Poster for Dune Exhibit at Libraryhttps://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/dune-sp/1004/thumbnail.jp

Driggars, Emily

Poster for Dune Exhibit at Library

Made using Photoshop and Adobe Illustratorhttps://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/dune-sp/1018/thumbnail.jp

Michaelis, Grace

PAUL

With my Dune poster series I took inspiration from a graphic design style “Brutalism” that features big, heavy modern fonts, stark color palettes, and striking images. Knowing this, I use multiple striking images from the 1984 Dune with the threshold effect for a tough futuristic feel. To tie this series together, I use an image of a worm entering from the left poster and exiting out of the right poster. I also feature quotes and symbols from the movie to push the idea of Dune in my series.https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/dune-sp/1023/thumbnail.jp

Poe, Drennon

1984 Dune Poster Series 3

Staff, Memorandum

 MEMORANDUM
P W
R C
Professional
R
he
to
ric
Composition
W
riting
Meet Dr. Christopher Minnix
Dr. Christopher Minnix is the 
Director of Freshmen Composi-
tion and an Assistant Professor in 
UAB’s English Department. He 
came to Birmingham from Tuc-
son, AZ in 2012. Dr. Minnix served 
five of six years with the Univer-
sity of Arizona as the Assistant 
Director of the writing program. 
Dr. Minnix started his academic 
career at Grace College, a four-
year liberal arts school in Indiana. 
He earned his undergraduate 
degree in Biblical Studies, now 
referred to as Theological Studies. His interest for language 
and literature blossomed when he started at Radford Uni-
versity in Virginia. He met his mentor, Dr. Linda Bensel-My-
ers, when he took EH 505, a required teaching practicum 
course for graduate students. It was here he was able to fuse 
his interest for language, philosophy, and history into a 
master’s degree in Rhetoric and Composition.  
Upon completing the graduate program at Radford, Dr. 
Minnix moved to Knoxville to attend the University of Ten-
nessee. While there he continued teaching while working on 
his Ph. D. in Rhetoric, Writing, and Linguistics. 
As the Director of Freshmen Composition in UAB’s En-
glish Department Dr. Minnix hopes to develop the writing 
program through collaboration with his fellow colleagues. 
He feels the art of teaching writing goes beyond a focus on 
grammar and style, but should be geared towards critical 
thinking and showing students how to develop a relation-
ship with their writing. Dr. Minnix’s goals include providing 
sufficient resources for other English Composition profes-
sors that will open up the discussion for innovation in the 
classroom. So far, the department has started using new 
website resources like First Year Composition Resource (FY-
CRES). The site offers professors a place to share ideas on 
materials used for first year composition classes. Dr. Minnix 
encourages a more multi-modal approach to help students 
develop their writing. 
When asked to offer students a single piece of advice, 
Dr. Minnix responded by advising students to think of their 
time in college as more than a list of requirements to be 
met for a degree. He hopes students can see the opportuni-
ties college presents for them to collaborate and innovate 
the future of their program.  
Dr. Minnix also teaches graduate students in the Rhetoric 
and Composition program. In his free time he enjoys play-
ing with his dog, Stanley, and watching Newsroom. 


Meet Dr. Christopher Minnex

Morris, Shelby

Memorandum (student 
professional writing magazine) 
Volume 1 Number 2 Article 4 
2013 
The Blazer Express: Your New Ride 
Shelby Morris 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/memorandum 
 Part of the Technical and Professional Writing Commons 
Recommended Citation 
Morris, Shelby (2013) "The Blazer Express: Your New Ride," Memorandum (student professional writing 
magazine): Vol. 1: No. 2, Article 4. 
Available at: https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/memorandum/vol1/iss2/4 
This content has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of the UAB Digital Commons, and is 
provided as a free open access item. All inquiries regarding this item or the UAB Digital Commons should be 
directed to the UAB Libraries Office of Scholarly Communication. 
4
MEMORANDUM
The Blazer Express: Your New Ride
By Shelby Morris
One of the most upsetting aspects about UAB is trying to find parking. Each day, commuter students and residential students have 
problems trying to find parking on and near campus. 
The fact of the matter is there are more students 
than there are spots. Taking a car off campus in the 
middle of the day is undesirable and impracticable. 
UAB has helped rectify this problem by providing 
the UAB Blazer Express Transit System. This is a 
series of buses that provide transportation throughout 
the campus. Students, faculty, and approved visitors 
are among the riders of this system. All that is 
needed to access this system is a UAB ID badge. 
All the buses can seat 35 riders and come equipped with 
railings on the top for other riders to stand and hold on to. 
These buses are handicapped accessible with wheel chair 
lifts. There are 6 different routes that go different directions 
and to different places. Although, some stops do overlap.
GREEN ROUTE: 7:00 A.M.-7:00 P.M.
The green route is most useful for an English major. 
It has a stop at the Chemistry building, which is 
only a few steps away from Sterne Library and 
the Education Building. It deposits at Lot 15D 
as well, which is not too far from the Humanities 
Building and Snoozys. It also will drop off and 
pick up at the Barnes and Noble bookstore, the 
perfect place to get much needed school supplies.
BLUE ROUTE: 5:30 A.M.-7:30 P.M.
The blue route stops near many parking lots to pick 
up employees and students and deposit them on 
campus and near the hospitals. It goes to Lister 
Hill Library and many other medical buildings.
SILVER ROUTE: 2:30 P.M.-9:00 P.M.
The silver route visits some of the same lots as the blue 
route, but also stops near different hospitals around 
campus. This route is beneficial for most employees.
GOLD ROUTE: 7:00 A.M.-7:00 P.M.
The gold route travels near Denman Hall and goes 
to Five Points and other parking lots near that side 
of campus. This route is very useful if a student 
wants to go to Starbucks off campus, but does 
not want to hunt for parking at Five Points.
PURPLE ROUTE: 7:00 P.M.-12:00 A.M.
The purple route is a night route and takes over 
many of the green route stops. It goes by most of the 
dorms and off campus. However, due to a low amount 
of passengers on this bus, the purple route will be 
discontinued after the 2016 Spring Semester Break. 
This route will be split up between the orange and silver 
route. See more information about route changes here.
ORANGE ROUTE: 7:00 P.M.-12:00 A.M.
The orange route is the other night route and this stops 
at some dorms, Five Points, and near the Hulsey Center, 
which is right across from Sterne Library and right next to 
the Humanities building. This route is useful to get around 
campus to the library and other neighboring buildings 
at night without being afraid for your own safety.  
A detailed map showing the routes 
can be found here. Virtually a student 
could travel to anywhere on and off 
campus just by using the Blazer 
Express system. This new 
bus system is helping 
UAB students and 
faculty get around 
without wasting 
gas and destroying 
the environment. 
It also takes the 
pressure of finding 
parking off the 
student and 
faculty member. 
Hopefully, more 
students will start 
using this bus 
system and UAB 
will extend bus 
hours to work 
weekends and 
to travel further 
distances 
if there is 
enough student 
participation. 


The Blazer Express: Your New Ride

Sheikh, Shan

Memorandum (student 
professional writing magazine) 
Volume 1 Number 2 Article 16 
2013 
Digital Word Processing 
Shan Sheikh 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/memorandum 
 Part of the Technical and Professional Writing Commons 
Recommended Citation 
Sheikh, Shan (2013) "Digital Word Processing," Memorandum (student professional writing magazine): 
Vol. 1: No. 2, Article 16. 
Available at: https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/memorandum/vol1/iss2/16 
This content has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of the UAB Digital Commons, and is 
provided as a free open access item. All inquiries regarding this item or the UAB Digital Commons should be 
directed to the UAB Libraries Office of Scholarly Communication. 
16
MEMORANDUM
Digital Word Processing
By Shan Sheikh
Choosing a word processor is perhaps the most important 
task for any writer. UAB students are required to use 
computer word processing throughout their academic 
careers, but requirements for academic writers are 
usually centered around a black and white document 
of a certain file type. Commercial, nonprofit, and 
government entities require professional writers to 
compose documents in a number of styles and formats. 
Professional writers with knowledge of the differences 
in word processors can be confident that the documents 
they compose will look and function as intended.
ETHICAL SOFTWARE USAGE
Like many universities, UAB offers a discounted student 
version of Microsoft Office, which comes with the market’s 
leading word processor, Microsoft Word. Student versions 
of many word processors, including Microsoft Office, are 
not appropriate for use in any setting outside of academia.
The Microsoft Office 365 University product offered 
by UAB is not licensed for any work outside of the 
university. The only versions of Microsoft Office licensed 
for commercial, nonprofit, or government use contain the 
words Business or Professional in their product names. 
For professional writers, staying aware of software licensing 
restrictions is a matter of conducting ethical business 
practices. A word processor licensed for business use is 
a vital component of every professional writer’s toolkit. 
Submitting a document composed on an unlicensed word 
processor can damage a professional writer’s reputation.
SELECTING A WORD PROCESSOR
Word processors come in two main categories: Open 
Source and Proprietary. Open Source word processors are 
free since they are developed with publicly available source 
code. Proprietary word processors are developed using 
confidential source code, and they usually have a purchase 
price ranging from a few dollars to nearly one-hundred 
dollars. Some proprietary word processors such as Google 
Docs and a number of mobile apps are free. Limitations 
in the earliest open source word processors often kept 
them from being viable for professional writing work, but 
today’s major open source offerings, such as OpenOffice 
Writer and LibreOffice Writer, include many of the same 
features available in expensive proprietary programs. 
All Open Source word processors are licensed for 
commercial, nonprofit, government, and academic use. 
Wikipedia holds a comprehensive list of open source 
and proprietary word processors. To find word 
processing apps and reviews for iOS devices, search for 
“word processor” in the iTunes Store. Android users 
can find the same information through the Google 
Play app or by visiting the Google Play store.
DOCUMENT TRANSFER BETWEEN 
WORD PROCESSORS
There’s really no guarantee that a document created in 
one word processor will transfer accurately to another 
if it includes even the most basic formatting changes. 
Professional writers can maximize their time and effort 
by finding out what file types and word processors a client 
uses before beginning a writing project. Even simple 
documents can be disrupted by the hurdles users must 
go through to open and edit documents in multiple word 
processors. For this reason, clients usually ask for final 
documents in the PDF file format. Every major open 
source and proprietary digital word processor has the 
ability to export a document as a PDF, and PDF files 
can be viewed on almost every current computing device 
available. Professional writers submitting PDF files have 
the assurance that the formatting in the document they 
submit will be rendered accurately on most devices.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE PDF
Content and formatting in a PDF file can be difficult 
to revise with precision. Clients who want to edit 
the documents they receive from professional writers 
often ask for the original word processor file in 
addition to a PDF copy. Because of this, and because 
of the ubiquity of Microsoft Office in the professional 
world, professional writers should seriously consider 
spending time learning how the word processor they 
chose interacts with Word if they are not planning on 
purchasing a copy of Word licensed for commercial use.


Digital Word Processing

Tamburello, Veronica

Memorandum (student 
professional writing magazine) 
Volume 2 Number 2 Article 6 
2014 
Philanthropy Through Writing 
Veronica Tamburello 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/memorandum 
 Part of the Technical and Professional Writing Commons 
Recommended Citation 
Tamburello, Veronica (2014) "Philanthropy Through Writing," Memorandum (student professional writing 
magazine): Vol. 2: No. 2, Article 6. 
Available at: https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/memorandum/vol2/iss2/6 
This content has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of the UAB Digital Commons, and is 
provided as a free open access item. All inquiries regarding this item or the UAB Digital Commons should be 
directed to the UAB Libraries Office of Scholarly Communication. 
6
MEMORANDUM
Philanthropy Through Writing 
By Veronica Tamburello 
Philanthropy is not just for the elites. Donations and voluntary contributions are intrinsic to the American tradition of charity. Professional Writing Majors who desire to 
make the world a little bit better can attain this goal 
through the written word as a grant writer. A writer’s 
ability to persuade through a convincing argument 
and developed research can secure the funding that 
is necessary to support a philanthropic cause.  
There are a variety of programs in every community that 
lack on-going funding, such as teen pregnancy programs 
and youthful offender programs. There are also countless 
other nonprofit organizations (NPO) that range from 
environmental advocacy to gender equality and women’s 
human rights in a global aspect. The nonprofit hub has 
more information on NPOs and grant writing tips.  
Nonprofits are sustained through the invaluable skills 
of grant writing. A good grant writer must exhibit all 
of the skills that the Professional Writing Major gains 
through the course of completing his or her education. 
While a grant proposal must persuade the reader to 
fund the particular program, it is just as important to 
develop a concise and organized proposal. Additionally, 
each and every word choice is crucial and there must 
be a clear and specific message about the ongoing 
monetary growth of the project as well as the reach 
of the organization itself. Consequently, for the grant 
writer’s task in developing the project’s budget, research 
is yet another essential strength in the process.  
After submission of the grant proposal, the 
decision-making process can take a few 
weeks or a few months. As any professional 
should know, a thank you letter is a proper 
follow up if a patron should choose to 
support. On the other hand, if a rejection 
occurs, do not give up! At the request of 
the declined grant writer, a potential funder 
may be willing to disclose their issues with 
the proposal, while others may be willing 
to review the proposal at a future date.  
There are countless catalogs of information 
to give more detailed insight into the 
process of grant writing. The following link 
for the Philanthropy News Digest is a great 
resource for all things philanthropical and 
current events in the fundraising world.   


Philanthropy Through Writing

Love, Michelle

Memorandum 
Volume 3 Issue 2 Article 12 
2015 
Providing Peace of Mind 
Michelle Love 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/memorandum 
 Part of the Technical and Professional Writing Commons 
Recommended Citation 
Love, Michelle (2015) "Providing Peace of Mind," Memorandum: Vol. 3: Iss. 2, Article 12. 
Available at: https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/memorandum/vol3/iss2/12 
This content has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of the UAB Digital Commons, and is 
provided as a free open access item. All inquiries regarding this item or the UAB Digital Commons should be 
directed to the UAB Libraries Office of Scholarly Communication. 
1 2
MEMORANDUM
Providing Peace of Mind
By Michelle Love
As a student’s academic career progresses, the amount 
of research papers and related stress follows suit. 
It does not help that the list of rules when writing 
research papers seems to always be changing.
Thanks to UAB’s University Writing Center, 
students no longer have to feel alone.
HOW WE HELP YOU
By using face to face and online counseling, the 
University Writing Center helps students create 
polished papers to get the best grade possible and 
in the process teaches students helpful writing tips 
that will improve their overall performance.
UAB professor Jaclyn Wells is the Director of the 
writing center and also one of the many tutors offering 
guidance. “We have three types of folks [offering 
services]. We have adjunct instructors from the English 
department, we have grad students from the English 
department, and we have undergraduate students that 
serve as friendly greeters when people come in.”
NO ONE LEFT BEHIND
While some students may believe they don’t qualify for 
the center’s resources, Dr. Wells wants them to know that’s 
simply not true. She said the center is open to students 
of all levels, whether freshmen or graduate students, 
and all majors. Students are also encouraged to bring in 
their papers no matter what stage the assignment is in.
“Some people have this idea that they can’t come to the 
writing center until their paper is finished, and that’s 
not true. We encourage people to come to the writing 
center during any stage of their paper writing. They can 
come in with an idea or they can come in in the middle. 
It really does not matter. We just want to help you.”
PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES
Recently, the UWC has started offering an internship 
program in coordination with UAB’s internship 
director Cynthia Ryan. “If students want to intern 
here they have to take the Tutoring Writing class 
and then they can follow up with Dr. Ryan.”
Consultations are available by appointment and Dr. Wells 
wants any students skeptical of visiting the writing center 
to know that there’s nothing to be ashamed or afraid of.
“Everybody needs feedback on writing,” she said. “It’s not 
just a beginner thing. Good writers get feedback, good 
writers revise. So 
when you come here 
you’re already doing 
what a good writer 
does just by virtue 
of coming here.”
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
As a Professional Writing major, I feel that the University 
Writing Center is more than just a valuable asset to a young 
writer’s career: it should be considered a requirement.
It’s easy for students to feel safe with their writing 
style while they’re still enrolled in school and believe 
they don’t need help polishing their composition. 
But as someone who has taken the plunge into the 
professional writing world outside of an academic 
setting, I can say that going to the writing center is 
vital to creating a more sophisticated writing style.
The UWC staff will teach you the do’s and don’t’s of being 
a writer, and can help you grow thicker skin when it comes 
to taking constructive criticism. Everyone should visit the 
writing center, if not for the sake of your college writing, 
then for job prospects you may have after graduation.


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