Williston’s resource centers are helpful and convenient, and a language and history center would be even more beneficial for students looking for some extra help.
Williston has a writing center, math center, and science center; however, it does not have one for language classes or history classes. Having these additional resource centers could prove to be very helpful.
There is Arete tutoring, but only around assessment weeks. If students struggling with language and history are unable to meet with teachers for extra help for any number of reasons, they are left with fewer resources.
Sophomore Zora Elkin feels as though more resource centers, specifically a language center, could prove useful, but that there could be major issues with them as well.
“I feel like language is part of student understanding. Yes, the student may need help, but it’s part of the class for them to have their own understanding,” she said, “I would want one, but then again, I’m not going to be able to comprehend it by myself in class.”
Zora raises an interesting dilemma in that having a language resource center available to students may create an unhealthy reliance, and ultimately result in students being less able to comprehend language on their own. There is, however, still potential benefit in something like a language resource center.
Perhaps the largest issue for a language resource center is staffing. Teachers on duty during study hall would run into the same issue.
Latin teacher and Language Department Head, Beatrice Cody, echoed these concerns.
“Unfortunately, this appealing idea has always run aground on the logistical problem of staffing: it seems impossible to provide faculty support for three different languages five to six days a week,” she said. “Staffing a language resource center with student tutor is an excellent [idea], however, and would certainly alleviate this problem.”
With student tutors, however, the same issue of three different languages arises. Students generally take a single language course and thus would be unable to help in some areas.
As for a history center, junior Will Lee, a student taking AP U.S. Government, feels it would be beneficial, particularly for students taking classes such as AP History.
“I think it [a history resource center] would be very useful for kids in more difficult history classes,” Will said.
Williston’s History and Global Studies Department offers courses such as AP World History, Standard/AP United States History, AP United States Government and Politics, Native American History, Economics, Philosophy, and many others, which can be found on Williston’s website, under the departments and courses tab.
A history resource center could provide students with a space to get help on any number of topics, whether they need to understand concepts or study events. It could have student tutors, similar to the writing, science, and math centers as well. History tutors could be selected in a similar process to the other resource centers, that being nomination by teachers.
The other primary issue for two new resource centers is finding a space to put them in. The writing center already occupies a large space on the second floor of the library and the math and science centers reside in opposite corners on the first floor. The basement currently houses the Center for Academic Success (CAS). It would be a challenge, Cody believes, for another resource center to fit.
“It’s hard to imagine squeezing another resource center or two into that highly populated space,” she said.
