SOFIA TORRES
Investigation(lasted longer than a few weeks)
As a sophomore student enrolled in the Innovation Academy program, I became influenced as well as inspired by my teacher, her writing, and the the texts we read as part of the course. Literature has always been an important part of who I am, because it helps me understand others and myself better. As a junior I remained in contact with my teacher, Ms. Bridge, who later told me about her idea of starting a poetry club at school. The initial idea was to meet afterschool on Friday as friends and writers in her classroom, share our poems, and give feedback to each other. Ms. Bridge created a safe space in her classroom with a few other students and soon we were all coming up with a new poem each week and sharing them following a protocol.
Due to the COVD19, we continued meeting via Zoom weekly from 3:00-4:30 but when Ms. Bridge left school, I, along with my friend, Nicole Williams, decided we wanted to continue meeting with our knit tight community. During the summer break, Nicole and I led the meetings and everyone continued attending and sharing poetry. Amazed by the participation and passion of the other younger members, Nicole and I decided to make the club an official part of FDR. I contacted the Club Activities Commissioner and soon we were officially the "Poetry Club" of FDR.
With all of the poems written and polished during this pandemic, we thought it would be cool idea to publish a poetry book. I don't think I've admitted this to people before, but when I'm older, wiser, and hopefully a better writer, one of my aspirations is to professionally publish a book (or several books). For now, working with the poetry club members to make a poetry book is a step that will prepare me for my future as well as something I know I will be proud of during these difficult times that feel dull and monotonous.
Due to the COVD19, we continued meeting via Zoom weekly from 3:00-4:30 but when Ms. Bridge left school, I, along with my friend, Nicole Williams, decided we wanted to continue meeting with our knit tight community. During the summer break, Nicole and I led the meetings and everyone continued attending and sharing poetry. Amazed by the participation and passion of the other younger members, Nicole and I decided to make the club an official part of FDR. I contacted the Club Activities Commissioner and soon we were officially the "Poetry Club" of FDR.
With all of the poems written and polished during this pandemic, we thought it would be cool idea to publish a poetry book. I don't think I've admitted this to people before, but when I'm older, wiser, and hopefully a better writer, one of my aspirations is to professionally publish a book (or several books). For now, working with the poetry club members to make a poetry book is a step that will prepare me for my future as well as something I know I will be proud of during these difficult times that feel dull and monotonous.
Planning(lasted longer than 12 weeks)
Our first step was to make Poetry Club an official club at FDR, with the purpose of incentivizing writing, listening, and sharing poetry in our high school. A few members joined, and the old members remained too. Following the guidelines for club initiatives, we conformed a cabinet (President: Me, Vice: Nicole Williams, Secretary: Ana Andrade, Treasurer: Liling Tang, and Social Media Manager: Daniella Mires), an attendance sheet, specified our rules and expectations, and created a presentation for our Ms. Smith and Mr. Buck to approve our club at school. Once our club was approved, we continued meeting as always, encouraging writers to create new poems consistently as well as to invite new members into the club. I also created google slides for the Daily Bulletin to announce the new club at FDR and was asked by my English teacher to personally email a few potential members who showed interest in writing.
Brainstorming:
For a few months, we have been meeting to share our poems, do a writing activity, and give feedback. However, as we wanted to make a poetry book, we started dedicating meetings specifically for the brainstorming of the book. Through these meeting, we are able to discuss and agree on certain standards and expectations we had on the book:
- It was going to include books in Spanish and English.
- We were going to share a maximum of 2 poems each.
- It was going to include photos taken by us in a film camera, doodles.
- It was going to be a digital book.
Some decisions were also taken via surveys and our Whatsapp group, in which we maintained contact during the weekends too.
Polishing poems:
For months, poetry club members produced poems each week, leading to an average total of more than 40 poems. However, not all of these poems ended up in the book, as each poet only selected two poems they wanted to share. During weekends, outside of our meetings, we re-read and commented on each other's poems, giving feedback for our selected poems' final drafts.
Giving and receiving feedback can be a difficult task, as you have to accept others' opinions and use them to improve your work. Due to repetitive practice, I believe our members have become increasingly good at giving and receiving feedback.
For months, poetry club members produced poems each week, leading to an average total of more than 40 poems. However, not all of these poems ended up in the book, as each poet only selected two poems they wanted to share. During weekends, outside of our meetings, we re-read and commented on each other's poems, giving feedback for our selected poems' final drafts.
Giving and receiving feedback can be a difficult task, as you have to accept others' opinions and use them to improve your work. Due to repetitive practice, I believe our members have become increasingly good at giving and receiving feedback.
Groupwork:
After editing and revising our poems, the members were divided into a sub-group called the "layout group." We created a Pinterest board collaboratively to collect and organize photos that we could use as inspiration. Members added the images they liked into the Pinterest board, and we ended up dividing the boards into two different styles, one called "hand-made concept" and another called "graphic concept." We also created a group chat for the 'layout group' in which we remained in contact and came with more ideas for the aesthetics of the book.
After editing and revising our poems, the members were divided into a sub-group called the "layout group." We created a Pinterest board collaboratively to collect and organize photos that we could use as inspiration. Members added the images they liked into the Pinterest board, and we ended up dividing the boards into two different styles, one called "hand-made concept" and another called "graphic concept." We also created a group chat for the 'layout group' in which we remained in contact and came with more ideas for the aesthetics of the book.
Demonstration(1 week)
As we received feedback from our friends and even some teachers for our book, the digital poetry book's assembling was not very complicated. We used Indesign to design the text and our tables on Pinterest for inspiration. We all agreed that we wanted a simplistic yet artistic style. A hand-made concept was what we were looking for. We believed this would make our poetry book more personal and intimate.
This process could only be done on one laptop, for which we sent the person who downloaded Indesign (a software for digital desgning) in their laptop all of our ideas, and that person just put everything together.
For now, we have decided that our poetry book will remain as a digital copy that we can send to friends, family members, and even post on our social media. However, we have also discussed the possibility of printing the book and giving copies to the school library or selling copies once (and if) we go back to campus.
This process could only be done on one laptop, for which we sent the person who downloaded Indesign (a software for digital desgning) in their laptop all of our ideas, and that person just put everything together.
For now, we have decided that our poetry book will remain as a digital copy that we can send to friends, family members, and even post on our social media. However, we have also discussed the possibility of printing the book and giving copies to the school library or selling copies once (and if) we go back to campus.
Final result
Link to book: indd.adobe.com/view/d3bdd298-fae1-40e5-920c-ce5a75c52e83
Overall reflection
During this time in Poetry club, I have made great friends and with Junior students. Nicole and I have learned to work as teammates to lead these younger students and mentor them as friends. Poetry Club has become my favorite club at school because I feel like we can share our deep thoughts and emotions without being judged but instead listened to.
I have noticed my improvements in writing poetry, which I believe is the result of practice and the exposure of excellent poems from the other members. I am genuinely astonished by some of my younger friends' writing, and their ability to do this persistently inspires me to write every week.
In total, I've written about 20 poems this year, some of which I have kept to myself, and some of which I've shared and received helpful feedback. Poetry Club has given me new experiences such as pushing me to write poems in Spanish for the first time, being a leader of a group of talented people and learning to trust my voice in my writing.
As I mentioned earlier, this poetry book is a digital book that hopefully one day will be printed so that other people have access to read it and so that I can keep it on my nightstand as a reminder of our club.
I have noticed my improvements in writing poetry, which I believe is the result of practice and the exposure of excellent poems from the other members. I am genuinely astonished by some of my younger friends' writing, and their ability to do this persistently inspires me to write every week.
In total, I've written about 20 poems this year, some of which I have kept to myself, and some of which I've shared and received helpful feedback. Poetry Club has given me new experiences such as pushing me to write poems in Spanish for the first time, being a leader of a group of talented people and learning to trust my voice in my writing.
As I mentioned earlier, this poetry book is a digital book that hopefully one day will be printed so that other people have access to read it and so that I can keep it on my nightstand as a reminder of our club.