The Writing Center on the third floor of Coleman Hall works with all faculty and students who wish to become better writers and thinkers, said Tim Taylor, an English professor and director of the Writing Center.

Writing consultants are available to work with both student and faculty writers to create documents like essays, lab reports, résumés, term papers, cover letters and other professional documents that need help in revising stronger, developed pieces of writing, he said.

“Our system of one-to-one consulting sessions demonstrates our value and respect for individual writers, all of whom can benefit from feedback about their works in progress,” Taylor said.

Ninety-eight percent of students who use the Writing Center are likely to return, said Scott May, public relations coordinator of the Writing Center.

He said the Writing Center is one of the most underused tool on campus.

“I completed my undergrad here, and I never once took advantage of the Writing Center, even as a literature major,” May said. “I know looking back at some of the junk I turned in over the years, I wouldn’t be so ashamed of that work had I used the writing consultants for their talents.”

May said he would highly recommend freshmen use the Writing Center, but wouldn’t limit its use to any particular year of students or major.

“I am confident that any writing consultant on our staff will help any student feel better about the work they are planning to turn in,” he said.

Margaret Langevin, a junior communication studies major, said she did not feel the Writing Center was very helpful her first semester at Eastern.

“I didn’t really seem to get much out of it, so I didn’t go back that semester,” she said.

Despite her first experience, Langevin went back to the Writing Center for her second semester English class and said the consultants helped her get a 100 percent on her English paper.

“I did find it beneficial for me the second time I went, and I do recommend it to students if they need help writing a paper or aren’t confident in their grammar,” she said.

Langevin does not consider the Writing Center to be a necessity on campus, but does feel that more teachers should push their students to go at some point in their college careers.

Jeff Mantlo, a senior English major, said he is very confident in the Writing Center and its writing consultants.

“My experience at the Writing Center has always been a good one,” Mantlo said. “The people that work there are smart and helpful and always point you in the right direction in your writing.”

Mantlo said he believes the Writing Center can help those who want to become stronger writers.

“I know many students who don’t care how good or bad of a writer they are,” he said. “Writing is just like everything else, it takes time and practice. The Writing Center offers both, and that’s why I like it.”

Cristina Medina can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].