'15 S.A. Chronicles:

Poetry Club

Snapshots of students writing
and reciting poetry over the summer.

HEC prides itself on providing a rich, rigorous, rewarding academic experience in the classroom. To balance that out over the summer, we provided students to with the opportunity to flex their creative muscles in extra-curricular activities held after classes. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors found and expressed their voices in the poetry club. 

Some students leaped at the chance to write and share their original poetry while some others were reluctant for various reasons. One student felt, "I'm not really a writer." Still another admitted, "All the poetry I've read is hard to understand; I just don't get it." Regardless of their preconceived notions and experiences with the art form, poetry instructor Ms. Lyles urged students to simply try, and the results were well worth the effort. 

Each week, students were given a poetic challenge to conquer, and each week, they rose to the challenge. Their memorable verse included poems that ranged in topics from life as a high school student to social justice. Students even practiced writing in the poetic form called haiku. 

Students poetry was so creative, thoughtful, and captivating select burgeoning poets were invited to share a poem at the closing ceremony at Harris Stowe State University in front of HEC staff, family, and friends. Job well done to all our teen poets!