Thursday, May 11 marked a very special day for the Hume Center for Writing and Speaking: the celebration of its 15th anniversary. Friends of Hume from PWR and across the university marked the occasion with two events: “Growing Up and Out,” a panel discussion featuring Hume directors, past and present, and an anniversary celebration – complete with food and performances – in the Hume lounge.
The panel, “Growing Up and Out: Hume Center Directors Past and Present Tell the Story of Hume,” set the tone for the anniversary events by inviting past Hume leadership to reflect on their own experiences and contributions to the Hume mission over the years. PWR and Hume welcomed back a well-loved panel of Hume-ians: Andrea Lunsford, former director of the Program in Writing and Rhetoric; Clyde Moneyhun, who directed Hume from 2004-2010; Sohui Lee, who served as Assistant Director from 2007-2009 and Associate Director from 2010-2011; Julia Bleakney, director of Hume from 2012-2016; and, Doree Allen, current director of the Oral Communications Program and interim director of Hume.
Among the audience were members of the Hume family, Hume Associate Director Sarah Pittock, former Hume Assistant Director Patti Hanlon-Baker, and future Hume Director, Zandra Jordan.
The panel was moderated by former Assistant Director of Hume, Wendy Goldberg, who invited each participant to share their reflections. Among some of the most powerful moments:
- Andrea reminiscing about arriving at Stanford to discover that “Wendy Goldberg’s Writing Center” – an informal writing clinic Wendy ran out of her PWR office – was the only writing center on campus.
- Clyde invoking Andrea’s mantra to always say “Yes” to exciting student ideas
- Sohui recalling how she realized the unique position of writing center work through her work with at Hume
- Julia and Doree recalling how the architect for the new Hume Center really was a good listener, a highly valued characteristic in writing centers
- Numerous panelists remarking on the power not just of growing “out,” but moving “up” – from the basement of Margaret Jacks Hall to the present location in Building 250
- A moment dedicated to the memory of former PWR lecturer and Hume Assistant Director, John Tinker
However, one of the true treats of the panel was the unveiling and sampling of the new Hume digital archive, housed in Stanford Library's digital special exhibit collections. Carefully assembled and curated by Hume Assistant Director Erica Cirillo-McCarthy through months of labor and collection, the archive contains an abundance of Hume memorabilia, from photographs of tutors, administrators, and students; slideshows designed for various events, including Parent’s Weekend; recordings of performances and award ceremonies; outreach materials; and even testimonials by tutors. In all, the archive collects almost 10 hours of interviews, over 300 artifacts, and tutoring observations. Projecting selections from this vast repository, Erica led the audience carefully through the history of Hume, underscoring just how far the Writing & Speaking Center has come since its earliest days in Wendy’s office.
After the panel, the celebration moved to the Hume Center, where attendees were treated to a beautiful buffet of appetizers and a gorgeous commemorative cake created by Ella Savelson. The main event, however, was a set of performances from friends of Hume from across campus and beyond, punctuated by remarks by PWR Faculty Director, Adam Banks, former PWR Faculty Director and Professor Emerita, Andrea Lunsford, and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Vice President of the Arts, Harry Elam. The acapella group, Everyday People, started the performances featuring the amazing vocals of PWR/Hume Outreach Coordinator Justine DeSilva. Other performances included Spoken Word pieces by Mark Otuteye and Edan Armas, as well as brief reflections by two current peer tutors, Emma Hutchinson and Julia Martins. The celebration came to a rousing conclusion with a performance by the Composition Blues Band – key members Marvin Diogenes, Clyde Moneyhun, and Tom Freeland being joined by former PWR Associate Director Jonathan Hunt on guitar and Justine DeSilva on percussion. Playing some of their classics (including "Writing Tutor," "Three to Five Sources," "Cuantas Palabras," and "La Comma"), the CBB performance turned into a sing-a-long, as the audience raised their own voices and applause to pay tribute to the mission of Hume and the culture of writing at Stanford.
Sohui Lee captured the thoughts of many present in some reflections she shared after the event:
Although I knew the general history of Hume, I learned so much from hearing details of stories from past Directors and viewing archived footage that Erica collected. The combination of past with present student performances demonstrates how far Hume has really come in becoming Stanford's cultural hub for writing. I feel very lucky and fortunate in being part of [that] history.
Looking back on its history as we celebrate the 15th anniversary of Hume only makes us even more excited for what the future holds in its next 15 years.
Video recordings of the panel and the celebration performances coming soon!
Enjoy the complete Hume Archive curated by Erica Cirillo-McCarthy now.