Re: Bon Voyage, Twila, and Thanks!

[mcarroll@GROG.RIC.EDU]

Jon,

Thank you for bringing Twila's retirement as a writing center director to
our attention. This has to be a bittersweet leave-taking. I'd just like to
add my thanks to Twila as well. She may not remmeber it, but our writitng
centers shared the same panel at the NCPT at Indiana University of
Pennsylvania. My tutors and i not only thoroughly enjoyed the Rollins
presentation, but Twila was kind enough to send us a video of our
presentations. She's also my hero in terms of making sure I get tutors to
conferences every year -- But 8 in one year???

Meg Carroll
mcarroll@grog.ric.edu

On Mon, 4 May 1998, Jon Olson wrote:

> It just occurred to me (while reading a message from Twila Yates Papay to
> the board about planning the National Conference on Peer Tutoring in
> Writing in November) that Twila's last year directing a writing center is
> about to end.  Soon after the semester ends and the decision of Twila's
> dean to dissolve the writing center at Rollins goes into effect, Twila will
> head off to Africa on a well-deserved sabbatical.  When she returns to
> Winter Park, FL, she won't be a writing center director any longer.
> 
> Twila, I feel deep gratitude to you for your example in writing center
> work.  I especially admire the ways you've found to dignify and
> professionalize the work of your peer tutors.  I know you've brought these
> students to speak at numerous writing center conferences, including the
> NCPTW and NWCA; as I remember it, you found a way to take tutors to eight
> conferences one year. You embody what Betty Garrison Shiffman calls an
> ethic of caring in writing center instruction (June '95 _WLN_).  Your ethic
> of caring is rigorous and intelligent, evidenced by the quality of your
> work.  I know your work has inspired other writing center directors as well
> during the 15-or-so years you've been in the writing center biz since you
> established the Rollins Writing Center.  
> 
> Bon voyage, Twila.  And thank you.  --Jon, Penn State, jeo3@psu.edu
>