Summit: The UAS Writing Center's Collection of Exceptional Academic Works for 2019/2020

Abstract

It is with great enthusiasm that the UAS Writing Center launches our inaugural edition of Summit: The UAS Writing Center’s Collection of Exceptional Academic Works for 2019/2020. In the Writing Center, we have the privilege of seeing the wide range of talents and interests of our UAS students and the exceptional way that they communicate their research, analysis, and philosophical ruminations through essays, speeches, and written reports. The tutors in the Writing Center engage with their peers in fascinating discussions of historical events, political debates, scientific discoveries, teaching pedagogy, and business theory (to name a few). We celebrate when students receive stellar grades on their assignments, but we also recognize that good writing should be shared beyond the classroom. Summit emerged from a desire to highlight and publish the extraordinary writing that we get the honor to see in the Writing Center every day. This journal, however, is more than just a showcase of undergraduate writing. It has also been an opportunity for the undergraduate student tutors to engage in a collaborative project that required time management, careful communication, attention to detail and leadership skills. The editors and contributors have persevered through unimaginable (until now) challenges including unprecedented budget cuts at the university and a global pandemic that forced us to move our work online. At a time when the present feels chaotic and worrying, the undergraduate students at UAS remind me that our future is in good hands. I am confident in our new generation of leaders as I’ve watched our students think critically, engage in the community, and work tirelessly for projects they believe in. It is joy to present our first edition of Summit! Allison Neeland UAS Writing Center Specialist