Lost Shoes in the Writing Center!

Did Dorothy lose another pair of shoes?  Today, tutors found an unexpected guest in the Writing Center: a sad, lonely pair of abandoned dress shoes.  If somehow during the course of the day your feet have found themselves without shoes, stop on by and pick up your fabulous footwear.  Please be swift, because the unnerving position of the shoes makes it seem like a ghost has been sitting in the Writing Center all day...

The Force Is Strong at the "Star Wars" Eat 'N Speak

On Friday, November 20th, students and teachers alike piled into the packed Jean Ann Cone Library to watch the diverse performances that are typical of any Eat 'N Speak.  However, this particular Eat 'N Speak was different - it was "Star Wars" themed!  In honor of the upcoming new installment of the blockbuster franchise, the library was decked out in themed decorations, including character cut-outs of Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and Yoda; a tiny yet extremely intricate Ewok village; and even a life-sized Jabba the Hutt!

Jabba the Hutt made an appearance at the Eat 'N Speak! (photo courtesy of The Berkeley Fanfare)

Students and teachers alike had a great time, thanks to the delicious food, creative decorations, and amazing acts!  Check out some photos of the acts below, and thanks to everyone who performed!

Seniors Julia Peacock and Jack Eppink kicked off the Eat 'N Speak with a moving performance of "Imagine."

Sophomore Natalie Belluccia sang a wonderful original song.

Junior Anjali Shah read a poem about Thanksgiving - aptly chosen for this time of year!

Senior Grace Roman sang "Tongue Tied."

This Eat 'N Speak was a clear success and got students excited about the upcoming movie.  Stay tuned for more information about the Writing Center's first Eat 'N Speak of 2016!

Multidivisional Midterm Mash-up!

The Berkeley Writing Center is venturing into some new territory - the Sixth Grade Science classrooms!  The Center will need all hands on deck for the first week of December when all tutors will get together to help Berkeley’s sixth graders with research papers for their science midterm exams. Tutors are excited to help in every stage of the process from planning to perfecting and can't wait to spend some time with students from another division! Clear your schedules and get ready for some pre-midterm fun!

Upcoming Star Wars Eat 'N Speak!

Experience a taste of Star Wars at this Eat 'N Speak ahead of the movie's December 18th release date! (starwars.wikia.com)

On Friday, November 20th, the Writing Center will host another Eat 'N Speak!  This time, the theme is Star Wars in honor of the upcoming release of the newest movie in the blockbuster franchise, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Come out at lunchtime to see all of the Star Wars-themed acts and eat some delicious snacks inspired by the movies!  Rumor has it that there will even be "Wookie Cookies" and pretzel lightsabers...

If this exciting Eat 'N Speak doesn't fulfill your all your Star Wars needs, the Student Library Proctors are hosting a movie night that will show Episodes IV, V, and VI.

Get excited for such a Star Wars-filled day, and may the force be with you!

The Ideal Tutor

When asked who they would most like to tutor them, our Writing Center interns and directors had some diverse responses!  Here are their "ideal tutors."

John Green (wsj.com)

Madeline Katsarelis '16 said her ideal tutor is John Green, a prominent young adult novelist whose works include The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns.  "He writes plot twists that tie together," she says. Plus, she also likes Green's YouTube channel, where he posts videos about a variety of different topics.

George R.R. Martin (winteriscoming.net)

Zach Diamandis '16 would most like to be tutored by George R.R. Martin, the famed scientific fiction novelist whose works led to the acclaimed Game of Thrones television series.  "His books are very good," he says.  "They go beyond visual imagery to sensory and auditory imagery. He creates plot tension without physical conflict."  Lance Esposito '16 chimed in as well, saying that "the dialogue is amazing!"

J.K. Rowling (plus.google.com)

Mira Rajani '17 said that she would love to be tutored by J.K. Rowling, the beloved author of the bestselling Harry Potter series.  "She seems really cool  because of the way she interacts with her fans," Mira says. "She builds cool worlds, too!"

Emma Watson (businessinsider.com)

After Mira mentioned J.K. Rowling, Madeline chimed back in and said she would also like to be tutored by Emma Watson, who played Hermione in the Harry Potter movies and is now a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador. "She went to Brown, she's a U.N. Ambassador, and she's a strong feminist!" Madeline says.

Morgan Freeman (monstersandcritics.com)

Annie Phifer '16 said that she would like to be tutored by actor Morgan Freeman. "Anything he reads sounds nice, so my writing would automatically sound better!" She says. "Plus, he seems very perceptive."

Kermit the Frog (characters.wikia.com)

Finally, Mr. Brandt said that he would enjoy a tutorial with Kermit the Frog!  "He just gets me," Mr. Brandt says.

Academy Prep Tutorials: A Beloved Writing Center Tradition

Every year, Writing Center tutors eagerly await their favorite event of the school year: the week of Academy Prep tutorials!  After members of the Academy Prep outlook group travel to Academy Prep to teach mini lessons on writing skills, the students then travel to Berkeley Prep to work one-on-one with a tutor on what they learned.

Before their tutorials begin, students and tutors chat over a delicious lunch.

Before meeting with tutors, Academy Prep students take a tour around Berkeley's campus.  Then, armed with the writing they've been working on since the mini lessons, the students pile into the Jean Ann Cone Library.  Over a lunch of warm pizza, cool drinks, and delicious cookies, Academy Prep students and Writing Center tutors chat and bond before their tutorials start.

Writing Center tutors work one-on-one with Academy Prep students, creating a fun time for all!

Once the one-on-one tutorials begin, the library takes on a special air: every student and every tutor is engaged and fully engrossed in his or her writing, and the passion and enthusiasm is infectious!  This amazing event truly helps spread the love of writing, and Academy Prep students and Writing Center tutors alike are sure to be eagerly awaiting the next lunchtime tutorial session!

Lessons at Academy Prep

In keeping with yearly tradition, members of the Writing Center's Academy Prep outreach group traveled to Academy Prep to teach the students mini lessons on writing skills and styles.

Tutors teach engaging lessons to Academy Prep students.

As always, both the tutors and the students had a great time.  The students really enjoyed having people close to their own age visiting their classrooms.  Mira Rajani, a junior, said that "working with the kids was an amazing experience! Every student really wanted to learn and had an incredible amount of determination."

Mira Rajani smiles as she works with a group of students.

Mira liked the change of routine that comes with working with the students at Academy Prep.  "By teaching a lesson rather than tutoring an individual paper, we were able to see the kids really improve certain writing skills and put them into action," she said.

Janae Noah teaches a mini lesson to a class.

Madeline Katsarelis, a Berkeley senior, taught a lesson on "showing not telling" and writing personal narratives to 6th grade boys.  "I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with the boys because they were so kind, respectful, intelligent, and creative.  It was so fun to play teacher, especially for such a great group of kids," she said.

Teaching mini-lessons to Academy Prep students has become a beloved Berkeley tradition for many reasons, but Madeline sums it up best: "The students' enthusiasm was infectious!"  All of the members of the Academy Prep outreach group eagerly await their next trip to Academy Prep!