Writing Center to have monthy Scrabble tournaments
Andrea Silva, Senior Reporter
For years, the Writing Center has been Regis' number one spot for getting help with developing thesis statements, smoothing out grammatical errors, and organizing ideas. Starting this month, Scrabble tournaments will also be added to the Center's normal repertoire.
Writing Center secretary Bridget Biller says that the idea for Scrabble tournaments came about when she noticed writing consultants playing the game in their free time. She and Director Carol Rossini thought that opening up the Writing Center for Scrabble games would be a way to incorporate a playful approach to language. Biller says, "We want people to know that this isn't just work, this isn't just a quiet place. People can come in and have fun yet stimulate themselves, challenge themselves."
According to Rossini, Scrabble is unique because "it goes back to working with language, the love of words, and being proficient in words." She noted that there has been evidence of a decline in Americans' vocabulary. Rossini believes that "the more words that you're exposed to, the more connection there is in your brain between concepts."
By encouraging players to think of words to make out of letters, Scrabble exercises vocabulary skills. As the director of the Writing Center as well as a professor, Rossini upholds that having a larger vocabulary can help students write better papers. "You have to have the language to explain certain concepts. If you don't have the vocabulary, you can't make those explanations." Watching students play Scrabble, "I've seen the dictionary pulled out more in the last month than it has been in the last few years," says Biller.
Of course, not all of the words that one uses in Scrabble are necessarily ones that would be found in typical college writing. Rossini admits that "some of the expansion is really quirky, words you would never use in a paper or an ordinary conversation." He continues, "You do come across them in reading, so it is important to know them. It's beneficial. If for no other reason, it just expands your whole concept of the world."
"We want people to know that this isn't just work, this isn't just a quiet place. People can come in and have fun yet stimulate themselves, challenge themselves."
With increased usage of electronic communication as a means for social interaction, Rossini thinks that returning to an "old fashioned board game, not a computerized one" is important because it goes back to enjoying the company of other people. "Think about all the isolation with students walking around with their Ipods, cell phones, off in their own little worlds. Something like scrabble requires interaction with that person right then and there, at that particular point and time."
The first of the Writing Center Scrabble Tournaments will be held on Tuesday, March 14, from 12-1:30 p.m., while next month's tournament is TBA. Snacks and beverages will be provided, and certificates will be awarded to the winners. All are welcome to participate, and there will be no tutoring occurring in the Center during the tournaments.