The Writing and Research Center at Penrose Library celebrated its grand opening Friday with Chancellor Robert Coombe and Provost Greg Kvistad discussing the Writing Center’s main objective of improving students’ writing skills under the Marsico Academic Initiative.

The grand opening ceremony consisted of games, prizes and contests which were organized by various graduate students and faculty members of the Writing and Research Center staff.

The ceremony was held over a period of two days. The opening day was dedicated to students and gave them a chance to meet and converse with future staff members.

Saturday was set aside for faculty interaction and informal remarks from Coombe and Kvistad.

Doug Hesse, director of the Writing Program, introduced Coombe, stating, “It has been a privilege to be able to facilitate the program” with Coombe’s support.

Learning how to be a successful writer is a significant aspect of every single profession, and will become one of the particular attributes of this university, Coombe said.

“I can’t imagine a more important academic initiative, or one that has been quite so successful in the planning and implementation phases,” Coombe said.

Kvistad stated that the university showed a genuine concern for students’ writing skills, making the writing program the principle component of the Marsico Initiative’s $4.5 million budget.

With funds from the Marsico Initiative, the Writing and Research Center staff will have a specific room in Penrose Library dedicated to assisting students with a wide array of academic projects, including essay writing, resume writing, and business letter writing.

Kvistad also stated that the university’s writing program is “an amazing achievement” that all students, and faculty, can benefit from.

The implementation of the Writing and Research Center will provide an opportunity for students to obtain assistance from graduate students and professors who specialize in writing, said Eliana Schonberg, director of the Writing and Research Center.

The Writing and Research Center offers free one-on-one appointment consultations, and has had over 400 consultations since the beginning of the quarter, according to Schonberg.

Schonberg stated her enthusiasm about the future success of the Writing and Research Center.

“It’s so nice to see so many people supporting this initiative and it has been really wonderful to get things started,” Schonberg said.