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| Author Elaanie Jackson |
Some in the college game never know how
to “use the tools in their toolbox” (KP). When it comes to freshmen especially,
it seems they are not always aware of the many blessings and opportunities bestowed
upon them. I know this because I am one of those freshmen. Although there are
so many services provided at Hofstra, all helpful in one way or another, one
all too misunderstood and overlooked by me had been the Writing Center. I would
not have gone had it not been required, yet I found out that this is the place
to be. It became my go-to zone to discuss topical ideas and develop persuasion
strategies, not just in any single essay but in how I approach writing as a
whole.
Seeing how my first impression was a bit
of a burn, one would think I would list all the reasons one’s feet should never
touch the Writing Center floor, but first impressions are like heating up a bag
of popcorn. Sometimes one puts the bag in the microwave and gets perfect
popcorn back. At other times, one puts that popcorn in for too long or too
short and it comes out burned or unpopped. This was true of my first ever
experience with the Writing Center, that is, I managed to both burn some popcorn
while other kernels remained unpopped. Although I brought an essay I had
already written, I had not really considered its strengths or weaknesses nor in
what ways it wasn’t what I really wanted to say. Not knowing what I wanted set
the stage for an unproductive session, a distracted tutor and my own
disgruntled mood. However, word spread in class the next day about a certain
tutor at the Writing Center who was really manifesting the heart of the service
and who could “help you connect your writing voice with your actual voice”
(Seay). Since this is my goal in writing, I made an appointment with this
tutor, and this time I had a most life-changing experience.
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| Crystal "Candy" Gayle |
Every kernel popped and not a single one
burned when I sat down with Crystal Gayle! For openers, she was so intrigued
with what I brought to the essay. While talking at length about the strengths
my draft already possessed and then analyzing specifics that could improve it
even more, the hour flew right by. It was a complete three-sixty from my first
encounter. It turns out that who she is and what she represents has helped me
turn in to who I am at my best as a writer and as a human being. Adopting the
nickname “Candy” from her sister, Crystal comes straight from one of New York
City’s finest boroughs: Brooklyn. She has so many different sides to her that
greatly contribute to the amazing woman she is today: a driven, passionate,
dedicated, sweet but tough cookie. Daughter to an immigrant mother, she
understands what it means to be fearless. “That’s me: throw anything at me and
I’ll survive” (Gayle). When interviewing her, I thought of the line from The Way of the Sword: “True strength is
keeping everything together when everyone expects you to fall apart”
(Bradford). Crystal is the definition of keeping it together. From John Jay
College of Criminal Justice for her Bachelors in Political Science, to Queens
College for her Masters, to right here at Hofstra University for her Juris
Doctorate, she has pushed through any and all obstacles. She told me, “I’ve
always been about law. Everything I’ve done, all of the schooling, it’s all
just a means to an end” (Gayle). Her passion to help others adds something
truly amazing to the Writing Center that is its real heart: someone whose only
game is to get others to be the best player they can be.
That’s when I realized Crystal’s middle
name ought to be clear as in Crystal Clear. The range of knowledge she has
gained from life as well as her three degrees really helps a young writer like
myself when siting face-to-face with her. Her intelligence not only reassures;
she brings focus, candor, confidence, empathy, advocacy. She told me, “I want
people to come and relax and not be scared. I’m in school, I know the game” (Gayle).
Students do not do well when ruled by the fear of the written assignment, and one
symptom of this fear is to treat the Writing Center as a grammar correction
service. Crystal said, “Students are conditioned into thinking that their only
problem is grammar when that isn’t the only thing” (Gayle). Fortunately, for
the misinformed Crystal’s Socratic method can help students see the larger
picture by first owning their own voice and their own ideas. Her
client-centered approach is true skillful means; she doesn’t give me the answer
to my problem so much as challenge me into solving it with her help. According
to my peer in class, “Crystal is very sweet, and made me feel comfortable. She
genuinely wants to help and proved to be supportive in helping me brainstorm
ways to journal on the blog posts” (Boretsky). The epitome of a service provider,
“Candy” exemplifies why one should give the Writing Center a chance.
On subsequent visits there, I discovered
that her colleagues share the same end goal: to help us achieve maximum
success. My own increased empowerment as a writer has caused me to stop being
afraid to use the services one’s “pay-rents” (KP) are putting their money towards.
It is ludicrous to have so many advantages and go all four years without employing
a single one. I also realized that it is up to me to direct the tutoring
session, to seek out the tutors who can help me the most and to not fold up my
tent at the first sign of discouragement. One might have a bad experience today
and a remarkable one tomorrow. First impressions are a lot, but it is salient
for one to remember that things may at times go wrong. Often wrong is merely
the prelude to the kind of metamorphic session that Crystal offered me for she
opened my eyes to a whole new world of composing an essay. The Writing Center
is the place where words and ideas become a picture, and where pictures become
a thousand words. If one never explores the opportunities one possesses, one
will never fully know or better oneself. Like Crystal, I am prepared to take a
chance, live on the edge and try something I would never have thought to do
before. Now, when approaching professionals for help---whether a professor, tutor
or administrator---I ask: What kind of Candy are we talking about?
Works Cited
Borestsky, Monica, WSC, class discussion (September 15, 2016)
Bradford,
Chris, The Way of the Sword, (August
7, 2008)
Gayle,
Crystal, WC Interview, (October 31, 2016)
Gordon,
Kirpal, WSC, class discussion (September 15, 2016)
Seay,
Charlotte, WSC, class discussion (September 15, 2016)
