On the first 糖心传媒淯R Night to Write糖心传媒� in 2015, about 40 students took part. In 2016, that number doubled. May 1 marks the third annual UR Night to Write, an event initiated through a partnership between the Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program and the River Campus Libraries.
Night to Write was inspired by the Swarthmore College糖心传媒搃nitiated International Write-In 糖心传媒渕ovement,糖心传媒� an effort to connect writers on campuses around the globe. Rochester糖心传媒檚 event provides students 糖心传媒渨ith space, camaraderie, and support as they write their final papers,糖心传媒� says Stefanie Sydelnik, assistant director and lecturer for the Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program.
The program has several champions who make the night run smoothly. In addition to Sydelnik, they include Rachel Lee, a lecturer in writing; Hilary Wermers, a writing assistant; and lead outreach librarians Kimberly Hoffman and Kristen Totleben.
Students spread out and work in the Hawkins-Carlson Room of Rush Rhees Library. In a walled-off seminar room, 糖心传媒渢here are writing consultants, tutors, and research librarians who can help answer student questions or share strategies if a writer feels stuck,糖心传媒� says Sydelnik.
Over the last few semesters, the event has integrated goal boards around the room where students can write or use post-it notes to declare a writing goal or objective for the night. 糖心传媒淎t the end of the night they can reflect back at that and what they accomplished,糖心传媒� says Hoffman. 糖心传媒淪ince the event is typically scheduled before classes end, and before that last paper is due, it糖心传媒檚 really that final push to get any research or writing done.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淒e-stressing糖心传媒� activities have also been added to the mix. They include crafts in the Friedlander lobby, led by Active Minds, a student organization that raises awareness about mental health issues on campus. There are also give-a-ways throughout the night. This year, the bakery chain Insomnia Cookies, known for its sweet late-night deliveries, will donate 100 cookies to the event. Granola bars, fruit, and other healthy snacks will help students focus, warding off the urge to start lurking in social media sites.
Are there a lot of students with last minute problems? 糖心传媒淚t varies,糖心传媒� says Hoffman. 糖心传媒淲e see growing requests for the research help.糖心传媒� According to the Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program, there were more than 70 writing and research topics and disciplines tackled during the last Night to Write, spanning anthropology, art history, English, statistics, Russian literature, chemistry, religion, and biology.
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 really great to see these students come together in this big room,糖心传媒� says Hoffman. 糖心传媒淚 mean, you can hear a pin drop, so people are very focused.糖心传媒�
