Julia Kauffman
What does it mean to be a StudioLab Consultant?
My favorite part of listening to an orchestra perform is the first thirty seconds. The curtain is still down when the cacophony begins: a loud wave of sounds as the instruments clear their throats. The deep notes of the cello and bass groan while the singsong hums of the strings section chime in to tune. Suddenly a pause, a deep breath, and the orchestra begins to sing. This is what working at the StudioLab is like. Like orchestra instruments, each person has a unique perspective and gives his or her own sound. Alone, a consultant or a student might fall a little flat, but when we work together a symphonic harmony emerges and we do our best work.
The StudioLab is a center for teaching and learning for both multimedia and writing resources. The added benefit of working in a place with modern technologies is being able to see the ways in which technology affects those from different generations. Some students come in knowing more about a program than I can teach them, and simply want help with the design factor. Others have brushed up against technology, but need a confidence boost to be able to pursue it in the ways they would like. Then there are the professors who have not had ample time to understand the technology through tactile learning, so when they sit down at the computer they feel completely lost. Over the three years of working here, I have learned so much about the disconnect in generational tools and the new media, and how to bridge the gap.
As for the writing aspect of the StudioLab, the consulting process is something I believe to be unique to Furman’s campus. As a rule, a consultant is not simply available to fix the grammar of your paper and send you on your way. Instead, we address higher-order concerns so that when you leave the Lab you can feel confident in the fact that you have bettered your writing skills. For example, we aim to help identify personalized writing concerns and repair from the inside to remedy your writing confidence and your paper. From there, we work to give the student the tools to take ownership and control of their paper by helping adequately express their ideas. The technical name for what we do might be peer-editing, but in reality it is much more involved than a simple edit. I like to think of it as a transformation of student and writing, an individualized conversation with a common goal.
As a StudioLab consultant, we are given a great amount of responsibility. Because our mission consists of both teaching and learning, we must actively be student and teacher. This is the most rewarding part of being a student consultant because the work I do in the StudioLab is easily transferable to my personal schoolwork. The collaborative effect of the consulting process allows for growth as both a consultant and a student. Because students from all concentrations are welcome and take advantage of our resources, every consultation teaches me a little about a new background. For example, one day I might have a writing consultation with a history paper, and the next a multimedia consultation from the education department. As part of a liberal arts college, this cross-curricular peer resource is integral in involving all students and consultants fully in the advantages of our campus.
Like in a symphony, every instrument of the StudioLab is an indispensable component to making the music work. The conductor is just as important as the second-seat violinist in making sure the performance is everything the audience and orchestra expects. Here in the StudioLab we want to work with you to meet your goals, because it is just as important for the consultant as it is to the student.