The ESA, one of the best resources for Brock students who write papers, is looking for input and interest for the 2024-2025 school year.
English can be a very complicated language, and with stress and burnout, writing papers can be messy and difficult without the proper resources. Luckily, the Brock English Students’ Association (ESA) can help.
Despite its name, the ESA has resources for students in nearly every field of study. Current President Mia Smith, a fourth-year English student, has assisted with papers in English, Music, History, Child and Youth Studies, Visual Arts, Psychology and Business in the last two terms alone. She’s even assisted with assigned creative projects.
“If it is an assignment that requires writing, we can help,” said Smith.
Completely student-led, the ESA works “one-on-one with students and their essays to identify problems and give [them] the tools and confidence necessary for writing an academic essay.”
Writing assistance is always directed by what incoming students feel they need to work on, whether that be honing a thesis or reviewing the basics for students who lack confidence in their writing skills.
“If a student is concerned because English is not their first language, we go over a paragraph or two for stylistic errors to help the student see where their mistakes are being made,” said Smith.
The ESA always makes sure instructions are followed, reviewed papers are formatted correctly, no matter the required style, and glaring grammatical or structural issues are remedied. While Smith does not pretend to be an expert in every field – thus recommending that students go directly to their TAs or professors for assistance with essay content – she and the ESA are masters of syntax, grammar and structure.
“I never want students to leave feeling ashamed of their hard work,” said Smith. “Essay writing is a skill; it can be acquired, exercised and mastered regardless of the student’s starting point… In some cases, the student really just needs someone to quickly read over their assignment and give them confidence in their own abilities. Just being encouraged can completely turn some students’ outlooks around.”
Similar to many other Brock clubs, Smith’s responsibilities over the past two years as President have primarily revolved around resurrecting the club after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fortunately, the professors from the English Department at Brock have made the process easier. Alongside ESA workshops being advertised in lecture halls across campus, “the ESA is typically invited to and present for open house events in the department, faculty are often consulted for certain events” and they have provided “unwavering support” for the ESA, said Smith.
“My experiences with the professors of the English department have been entirely wonderful; they are, by and large, always eager to support students in any way possible and without their support, running the ESA would not be possible.”
Workshops are held every Tuesday from 3 to 5 p.m in MCD404, with April 2 marking their final workshop of the term – correlating with the last day of lectures being April 5.
April 2 also marks the final ESA event Smith will be executively involved in, as she and the VP of Finances, Sierra Nishimura, are graduating in the spring. Despite having “a rough year… after hitting multiple unexpected roadblocks,” Smith is hopeful that “next school year will be very exciting for the ESA, [albeit] largely be left in the hands of those taking over.”
Already, Smith said, there is student interest in holding a Poetry Reading next year. “There has also been interest in hosting a board game night, focused study session days and new social events for English and English-adjacent students to foster a sense of community. Importantly, the essay workshops will remain a core function of the ESA.”
With a large shift inevitable for the ESA, they are hosting the Future Directions Meeting on March 25 in MCD301 from 3 to 4 p.m “to drum up fresh faces, lay out what we’ve done to re-establish a solid foundation for the ESA and discuss what we think will work and would be best for the students moving forward,” said Smith.
Executive positions are open, and the ESA will post a form on their Instagram page for anyone studying English at Brock – as a minor or double major, in Concurrent Education or Creative Writing stream, et cetera – to fill out.
“There is nothing more rewarding than helping your fellow students, meeting like-minded people and knowing that you are part of something good,” said Smith.
The sun may be setting on Smith’s time as the ESA President, but the Future Directions Meeting is an opportunity for English students to have their voices heard. Furthermore, it’s not too late for students to get the ESA’s help on their final papers. The club is an invaluable resource for any student struggling with essay composition.