Today at Writer's Week I saw a few student presenters, Bill McClellan, and Antony John. It was inspiring to see so many students this year sign up to read for Writers Week. I remember Mr. Joye using his "teacher voice" so Bill McClellan could hear him. My favorite speaker of the day was Antony John. I thought his presentation was easy to follow and it kept me interested.
*As far as student presenters go, Victoria Courtney stood out to me the most. Her piece was so true for all of us in High School. We wait for, long for, the day where we can be the top of the school, but it's a vicious cycle. We'll just keep starting over. Her presentation made me realize that. *I appreciate our teachers who read so much. Today Mr. Pecka and Mr. Schmittle (sorry if that's wrong) stood out to me. They have a skill in making serious things funny. I love that they are comfortable enough to write about their lives like that. The way Mr. Pecka was talking about how he still makes fun of his friend for killing the birds reminded me of my friends. We give each other such a hard time. *Last but not least I'd like to talk about Eugene Redman. His presentation isn't something you see every day. One thing really stood out to me though. I was shocked when he said that it took fifty years for him to give that poem to his friends. It just proves that writing is never complete.
-I have two reasons to pick up a newspaper now: The Funnies and Bill McClellan's column, I liked how he said he tries to put song lyrics in his articles. ^_^
-I'll always remember how I was seated in the front row directly in front of Anthony John and even I couldn't hear his first words because of the incredible reaction of the entire auditorium to his English accent.
-And yes, I got Anthony John's autograph and also asked him to do an American accent :D
Whew! Another day one of Writer's Week at Hazelwood West has come and gone! Every year I try to prepare myself for the hecti-crazy-wildness that is day one and every year it sneaks up and knocks me off of my feet.
Today was a phenomenal Day One! Our guest writers, Bill McClellan, Eugene B. Redmond, and Antony John were each phenomenal in their own rights. Our student and faculty presenters were poised and powerful. And the audience asked fantastic, thoughtful questions, especially 7th hour!
Great job, everyone! The best part of this is that we have four more days of Writers Week awesomeness!
Yesterday was the first say of WW '11. I was lucky enough to see the first and third hour sessions. Darcie's piece was a little depressing, but it was meaningful and well written. Marcus Keane was awesome. He definitely went through some hard times in middle school. Marcus went to my elementary school and I remember hearing about his behavioral issues through my sister. It's amazing how three dedicated teachers have made such a difference in his life. Arianna's presentation style was really unique. I wish she would've talked to the audience about what the painting beforehand, though Corey was... Corey. Haha. He was great. He should start a blog and write down his opinions daily.
Bill McClellan was really entertainging too. He is humorous without even trying, but also serious when he needs to be. He is a great asset to the Post-Dispatch. I'm going to start reading his columns. Afterwards, I asked him what particular column has gotten the most reader response. He didn't give a specific example but said columns about religion or politics usually rile people up the most. He also said negative response is better than no response.
In third hour, I saw faculty and some more students. Tori Courtney went first. She did a great job, but I didn't connect with her piece on a personal level because I don't really see high school as a vicious jungle. Corey Benson did even better his second time around; He chose to leave out a few unnecessary sentences/ words or change them. His comedic timing also improved. Arianna also spoke more effectively in 3rd hour. Kayla's piece took listeners on a very emotional ride. I totally conected with 'Peyton;' Kayla's vivid description made her completely real. I'm pretty sure I let a few tears loose! That's a sign of good writing.
Ok, now for the teachers. Mr. Smittle embraced his quirky, strange personality and used it to write a hilarious account of his fight with melanoma. He had the whole auditorium lol-ing. Mr. Pecka also hit a home run in the funny department. Thanks to him, everyone present can imagine the carnage of two dozen innocent ducks being annihilated by a speeding vehicle. Ms. Douglas shared a very interesting point of view. I can't imagine going to a high school where kids get two days excused absence for hunting. In his first piece, Mr. Jameson took on an ..interesting.. topic. He's observed how various aspects of his life are interconnected by feces. You'd think he would be desensitized to poop by now, but it seems that each time he encounters it it's just as shocking as the first. It's always hilarious to hear about parents messing up/ messing with their kids, which is what his second piece was about. I'm curious how his son's belief in the under-the-table monster will emerge later in life.
I feel like I've written a book.. and I could still say a lot more. I don't hink I'll write this much every day but the first two sessions of WW'11 were definitely worth recording.
Today was my first day in Writer’s Week this year and I was super impressed. It is so neat to see fellow students so courageous enough to stand before the auditorium and share their work. I was especially touched my Jessica’s story about her Grandfather. It flowed so well and the metaphors she used regarding water truly captured emotions. There were people sitting near me who were literally in tears. I think it could stand for any death in anyone’s lives. I am currently losing my grandma to cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and I try to prepare myself for inevitable, but I don’t think I will ever be prepared. Another Poem that really touched me was that of Andrea Sherod. Her poem just spoke to me and helped me realize that it doesn’t matter what others think. Stay true to yourself and your beliefs. Even when there is drama and you feel like you want to fit in, don’t go with the flow. Lastly, poor Chris Crutcher had deal with all the fire alarms and announcements but it was pretty funny when he made his telephone man face and then the alarms went off. I really enjoyed what he said about leaving some things to the writer’s imagination. It is okay not to describe every element of a work because then the reader will be bored and know what actually happens. Also it is pretty ironic like he said, after your book gets banned, it becomes more popular. He was very comical and I enjoyed him presenting. I am looking forward to going back down to Writer’s Week Thursday.
Monday: -I must say thank you to everyone who has presented so far. I would never have the courage to that :) -I loved Tori's piece about high school. I totally agree with what she said. Our whole lives to get to the top and only select few get there. It all begins in kindergarten. We dream of the day that we finally are fifth graders and rule the elementary school, but once we get there we only have the top for about ten months. At that point we return to the bottom when we start middle school and become sixth graders. This cycle repeats in eighth grade, then twelfth grade, then again when we reach your last year of college. It NEVER ends! -I enjoyed Kayla’s piece because it brought me to the realization that there are people with bigger problems who keep going like they have none, while I sit and mope over one trivial thing. The only thing I had a problem with was that “Peyton” wasn’t real. -I also enjoyed Mr. Pecka’s piece. The thing that stood out to me was that he still teases his friend about running over the ducks, which is exactly what my friend’s and I do. I also enjoyed the look on Jessica W’s face when he was telling the story, it was priceless… -And of course I loved both of Mr. Jameson’s pieces. I just love hearing about the crazy things his kids do :)
Wednesday: -I really liked Cindy’s poems about her life. I was touched by her poem called “The Mom That’s Never Been”. Having a similar situation in my own life, I can relate to what she said. It’s not my mom who is gone, it’s my dad, and I still see him, but he might as well be absent from my life. -I also liked Tamar’s piece. It was cool to see what it’s like in a different country. -Finally I enjoyed Dave Cullen. He seemed to be a bit scatterbrained and hard to follow, but I am excited to read his book. The story of Columbine fascinates me. I read Rachel’s Tears last year for a project and since then I have wanted to know more. -I just wanted to give a shout out to Jessica Wilke for reading her piece yesterday! I am so proud of her! Even though I didn’t get to hear it, I know it was fabulous. I am just happy she had the courage and the strength to get up there and share about her loss, because I know I wouldn’t have been able to!
Thursday was my second day at Writer’s Week and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Buddy Wakefield was really great and was especially funny when he called out a girl for popping her gum. He was so energetic and got into his poems. I didn’t have the opportunity to see him last year, but now I know what all of the rave was about. At first I got lost in some of his poems, couldn’t quite understand what he was talking about. Then I realized that is just the form of poetry. It doesn’t have to make complete since. The student writer’s once again wowed me. Especially Dena, her letter to her grandma really touched me. My grandma was recently diagnosed with kidney cancer. The sad part is, is that she has Alzheimer’s so therefore they cannot do treatment and she can’t remember anything. It inspired me to write about all the good times I had with my grandma even though I really can’t remember her very well as she used to be. Props to Kelly as well for writing about something so tough, I know it was an observation paper, but at the same time it was a statement to realize that a lot of times people cover things up and don’t want people to know who they really are on the inside. Good Job Writer’s Week Presenters!!!!
Today all of the writers were excellent, especially Buddy Wakefield. I did not know what to expect from him because this was my first time seeing him. He definitely has a unique style that is impossible to lose someones attention. When he first came on stage all quiet I was thinking to myself oh boy what is going to come of this. But then out of no where he switched gears and was cracking joke after joke and reciting his poetry in a way I have never heard. In a way he reminds me of Eminem, I was listening to Eminem earlier this morning and when I heard Buddy he reminded me of him. I think Buddy would be an excellent artist/rapper. When the guitar and harmonica was added to his pieces it just topped his performance off perfectly. One thing I do have to say that I found awkward was when Buddy called people out in the crowd for various reasons. I did not know what to think, but he quickly diverted the nervous tension to something else. My favorite student writer today would have to be Dena and her quote "Cancer is so limited it can't cripple love." I think I will always remember this quote. Another line that stuck with me was from Buddy Wakefield. "You give live in order to get love." This quote is so true in countless ways. I really enjoyed writer's week and am disappointed this is my last year for it.
I thought overall today was entertaining.There were several zingers that really stuck with me. The first one was from Andrea S. poem called Indifferent. It read "Your a taser without the shock." This really just stuck to me. I liked it because it was so simple and made perfect sense. I feel like her poem was easily relate-able to students my age, because at one point and time we have all felt that way. The other poem This Sky I Dream of Mine was good, but I felt the author did not use good body language as she read her work. I was distracted by her extreme head movements as she read. The person who I believe was the best today was Jessica Wilke. I feel like she had so much courage to get up on stage in front of all her peers and read such a meaningful poem. I for sure can relate to her as well and the way she explained grief was exceptional. The line that really got me was "Pretending he was asleep," as she referred to her grandfather in the casket. I myself have thought that before of loved ones as they were being laid to rest and shown for the last time. Her story brought tears to my eyes and was very touching. I give her props for having the courage to read her story. Christ Crutcher was the last presenter today. I was surprised at how in touch he is with our generation. It was as if he was a teenager in an adults body. He had a great sense of humor and I liked that because he grabbed my attention and kept it. "All my initials are C. that's poetic," When he said this quote as he was explaining his grade point average and attitude in his high school years I had to laugh. I also got a chuckle when he told his telephone man stories. I felt bad that the fire alarms went off during his presentation, but I do have to admit that what he was talking about which was telephone man was perfect timing as he was doing a big bad impression of him when the alarm sounded. Some things I did not like were how rude and disrespectful some people in the audience were, and the fact that it was interrupted several times throughout the hour. But other than that I thought the hour was enjoyable and inspiring.
The next few days at WW '11 were equally as awesome as the first. We're all so lucky to have this at our school. I think it brings the student body closer together, which is important.
Wednesday: I saw many talented student and faculty presenters in both 1st & 3rd hour. Endia bravely talked about her younger sister, Ivana. Her having autism is clearly something that's affected her life's plotline. She said she often wonders what it would be like if Ivana were normal, but that she would never have learned to love unconditionally or adapt to tough situations.
I thought Dave Cullen was sooooo cool. He was inspring, because he turned what could've been an incomplete dust collecter turned into a New York Times bestseller. Through only one person, I learned about Columbine through multiple points view. I have a much clearer picture of the killers' motives. Talking about a school shooting in an audtiorium with hundreds of other highschoolers did make me nervous, though. I hate thinking about what would happen if a similar tragedy occured at West.
Tamar & Holmes rocked third hour. I wish they'd put all of their Q&As on a blog so I could read them! The audience seemed particularly interested in Georgian dating.
When Mr. Holmes told me he was writing a poem, I was definitely skeptical. Within the first ten seconds, however, he blew me away like a shed in Katrina. I always knew he had a deep/thoughtful view of the world. It should've been no surprise that he can put words together in such a poignant, passionate way.
Thursday:
Sierra Demulder was aweeesomeee. I've never heard a female slam poet before. I love how slammers use their inuque/weird personalities to frame their performances. She tackled a lot of social issues, but it seemed she was equally passionate about all of them. I wonder if people ever commission her to write poetry about certain topics.
Students were also awweesomeee this hour. Daniel Sanders definitely has a talent for putting what his mind's eye sees on paper. Brent made me so proud. He rock-solid sure of himself, but not in a conceited way. I hope any other kids struggling with the same issues heard him/ hear about him and are inspired.
I heard Buddy Wakefield again this year. He was just as fantastic. Sometimes though, I like his actions better than his words. It's not that I don't like them, I just feel like I don't have the advanced metaphorical mind to understand what they mean.
Friday:
Saw some more awesome students. I wish more kids would do musical acts, like Brandon Swanson. One of the teachers, the 7-foot tall one, read a poem that realllllly made no sense to me until he finished. Then, I realized it was about abortion. I wish he would've said that beforehand b/c I'm sure a lot of kids didn't catch that.
---- My last Writers Week is over and done, but the words spoken in that auditorium still hang in the air and have infected every listener with insight into their fellow students' p.o.v. I'll miss WW very much next year.
Tuesday: Today in writer's week i was able to see several students perform poems and Chris Crutcher. I really enjoyed Andrea Sherod's poem that she read called Indifferent. It was very powerful and inspiring to hear about how you have to let things go and not worry about those people who are trying to tear you down. Letting go of the "haters" are a great way to live life in that you keep those that truly matter close to you. I also enjoyed Chris Crutcher's performance (as well as the fire alarm) because I felt like his stories come from another place than most authors. His background of being a pyschiatrist really opened the doors for him to create characters that speak to you. I know this because I have read his book Deadline before.
Thursday: the instant I saw/heard Buddy Wakefeild, I was in love. His style is completely different than anything i have ever head before and even though it was still poetry it kept my attention the entire time. Probabally my new favorite quote that he said was, "Hearts don't break, they bruise and get better." Being a teenager its obviously hard to go through tough relationships and losing people that used to mean so much to you but this quote really opened my eyes to show that in the end it all works out.
Monday: I really enjoyed the students that performed during 1st hour. Darcie, Marcus, and Ariana shared their personal stories. Darcie and Ariana both shared their experiences when it came to coping with the death of their loved ones. While it may be a tradgedy, both girls found a way to find something good in such a terrible situation. I've been fortunate and have not lossed anybody close to me, but its nice to know that these girls have grown a lot from the experience. I was inspired by Marcus King's story. Despite being thrown into school programs that he didn't think he needed to be in he still held his head up high. Although he feels like teachers in the past thought he would never suceed, he is determined to proove them wrong. I'm glad that we got to see Corey's performance, after hearing about serious subjects it was nice to hear something that definately lightened the mood. Corey's performace made my day and was one of the most memorable performances from writer's week.
Wednesday: I really enjoyed Michelle Shorley and Endia Lumpkin's performance. I really like how Endia started out her work by saying her little sister inspires her. In most cases it is the younger sibling that looks up to the older. However, by the end of Endia's story, it becomes clear how inspirational Endia's little sister is. While it hurts Endia to see her sister go through pain, in some ways it has had a huge impact on Endia's life. Michelle's story was also a memorable highlight from the week. Many great points were made throughout her performace. While she came from a past she would like to forget, she made the point that our past is who we are and it shouldn't be ignored. Through her difficulties in the past, Michelle shows how it helped her grow as a person.
After Dave Cullen's performance, I realized how much research goes into writting a book. I was amazed that it took him 10 years to write "Columbine". I learned a lot about the Columbine incident that I did not know until Writer's Week. I haven't read the book but I definately plan on reading it. I think it is neat how he tells the story from 10 different perspecitves. The incident affectected many people, but each person involved has their own story to tell.
Friday: Having Sylvester Chison and Arthur Shives perform on Friday was a great way to end the week. Of all the guest speakers that we had, Sylvester and Arthur were my favorite. In the short time that they spoke, I learned so much from them. I think their book is definately worth reading. Sylvester and Arthur have been through the process of becoming a sucessful entrepeneur and their advice can be beneficial to others. They made me realize that you really can do anything you want in life if you work hard for it. Sylvester and Arthur came from humble beginings and they are now very sucessful indiviuduals. They started off with a water hose and bucket, and look where they are now.
First of all, I want to say that every writer I got the opportunity to see performed incredibly. Their courage showed clearly, and their writing was inspiring. Secondly, I wanted to thank each writer for teaching me something of some sort, or bringing about something that wasn’t quite clear to me before. And lastly, I am disappointed that I never got up to read something that I have written. It’s probably the lack of confidence I have in my writing, but I wish I would have overcame that during Writers Week. When I think about poetry, I think about simple rhyming words sitting on a few short lines, not making any sense at all. But once students and professionals got up on stage and read their pieces, I realized that not all of poetry is traditional. I realized that interpretation is the key to comprehending it. I also learned that writing about major issues would catch more attention than a typical poem about love or heartbreak, or at least, that’s how I interpreted it. A couple writers said things that I will never forget. On Tuesday, Coach Wright expressed his confusion about the latest fashion. “When did it be come OK to just wear tights?” I laughed so hard at that, because that’s the one thing my friends, sisters, and I refuse to do. Mr. Boelter also had something to say about how the styles are changing. He told us that “Barefoot was the old ‘sagging pants.’” Towards the end of Mr. Boelter’s piece, when he started to get serious, he had me tearing up when he said “The man I hated all my life was in a deep struggle.” When Leslie Sanazaro performed her song “For You” it made me think about how lucky we are to have our God. My favorite line was “You move mountains in a day’s worth, so tell me, what can I do for You?” On Thursday, everyone did fantastic. Brent’s piece put me in shock. All I could think about was “Really? People spat on you as you got off the bus?” It made me sick, but also proud to see him stand up and let everyone know what’s up. Sierra DeMulder was the most interesting person to watch. I loved everything about her! I liked how her arms moved as she spoke, or how her voice changed when her character did, or how she used repetition and counting and rewinding. She had me so teary-eyed in a couple poems. I think she might have made me like poetry. It’s safe to say that Writers Week 2011 was a success and a lot of fun.
Monday: *Student presenters. The two that really stood out to me were Tori Courtney and Corey Benson. They talked about high school and brought out the things we never really notice. But I think all of the presenters did a great job. I know how nerve wrecking it is to get up there and read. *Faculty presenters. Mr. Smittle was one of my favorites. I know how hard melanoma is to beat and the way he was joking about it was pretty shocking. Some of my favorite lines had to be: "I looked like a sad turtle." and "Oh... You weren't supposed to feel that." Mr. Pecka's piece reminded me of Greasy Lake. Those poor birds. I learned from Ms. Douglas that DFS used to mean Dead For Sure. And Mr. Jameson... well... poop.
Wednesday: *Student presenters. I really liked Cindy's presentation. I liked the way she described the population of her old town. "A little town with a population less than the people in here." Tamara and Mr. Holmes' presentation was interesting. I learned a lot though.
*Dave Cullen. He is probably my favorite presenter of the week. I love learning about things like Columbine and I learned so much during his presentation. Although he did get off track a lot he was very descriptive. The question "Why did they do it?" bothered him for 10 years and now it's bugging me. So I'm reading his book to figure it out.
Friday: *Student presenters. Brandon Swanson is an awesome singer. Plain and simple. And I really like what he did with his guitar. Amber and Molly's performance was great. They included everyone in there poem and at the end brought everyone together as one. "But the truth is, I'm scared."
*Faculty presenter. I really didn't get Mr. Ellerman's poem until the end. At the end I finally had to ask my friend if it was about abortion. But the line that stuck out to me the most was "After today, I'll never know pain."
Overall, Writer's Week was amazing. I'm really sad that my last Writer's Week is over. I really wish I had participated all three years that it has gone on.
First of all writers week was amazing! I loved it and to me it was very inspiring. Sometimes I forget all the talent West has to offer. However, there was one studnt that stuck out the most to me and that Is Brent Doering. I thought the way he came out to everybody about him being gay was inspiring. His words I know touched my heart as well as others. I know it definatly made me think more about treating everyone with respect reguardless of who they are and what they do. I also loved Sierra DeMulder her words were amazing! How she spoke and carried herself, the words she used, her stories people could relate to, and how she presented it all was just wonderful! It takes alot of talent to put together such strong emotions into a poem and be able to recite it like she did. Sonya's poem i liked as well. I like how at first it started out really sad and emotional and in the end it was replaced by determination. It really spoke out to me being a girl because it was about being a strong woman and I liked how she related it to a piece of art work. Overall Writers Week in one word was amazing! I swear each year it just keeps getting better and better. This year to me was the best we had so far and I enjoyed every minute of it!
As far as teachers go i really like both Mr. Pecka and Mr. Smittles stories. I thought that they were really enjoyable. I could just picture smittle with a bandage wrapped around his head and how miserable he must have felt. He called himself a "sad turtle" and I found that pretty amusing. I also thought how he referred to one of his doctors Dr. Super Model because she was so pretty...good choice of words. As far as Pecka I could literatly picture him and his friend plwong through a gathering of ducks. I thought it was funny how it happened to his friend and not him and how he was able to amuse himself of reminding his friend what he had just done. Picturing them running over them at 115 miles an hour is sad but also funny as well...I'm sorry but I have to be honest. His story I could relate to most because since I am a teenager I have done some pretty stupid things as well. So his story made it funny to know that us teens are not the only people who do stupid things.
This year writer’s week was filled with a boat load of emotional up and downs. It started off slow because John and Courtney’s pieces weren’t really of any interest to me. Elliot’s poem about school and detention was what woke me up. It was actually quite funny and really got me into it. “They really think they own us but they don’t have enough money to pay for a bus” wasn’t necessarily funny for its content, but they way he went about saying it made me laugh. I’d also like to point out that although Elliot has Asperger syndrome (a type of autism), he went up there and did a great job. It was really nice to see that everyone was getting into the mood of writing! The jokes continued when it was Mr. Wrights turn to read his poem. I remembered his writing from last year and really enjoyed what he had to say. This year was no different. His comments about Lady Gaga and Justin Beiber were comical but the lines that were the reason for my sore abs were his comments about Facebook. He told us about his time at the mall where he somehow had managed to wander into the girls restroom. Dumbfounded on what to do, he turned to Facebook. He made a post telling everyone about his situation. Seconds later he got a response from one of his friends saying, “I just alerted mall security that there’s a big fat creepy guy in the women’s restroom”. This was hysterical and I could only imagine what happened if he had actually followed through with it. Mr. Wright had done it again. After Mr. Wright, the mood changed from a laughable funny atmosphere to more of a sad and serious one. One of the older faculty members told a story that couldn’t help but grab my attention. He was very emotional during his story and one line really got my attention. “The man I hated all my life was in a coma…I loved him with all my heart”, was a line that really got me thinking and had me feeling a little emotional myself. The first day was over and the next was soon to come. The second session I attended was very impression. Not only were there some great content but it was another roller coaster ride of emotions. The first speaker (whose name I didn’t catch) had two very good poems. I loved how they rhymed and flowed together. My favorite of the two was his poem discussing the constant fight between his emotions and intellect. The next piece of writing (and writer) really caught me off guard. Brent’s poem “I was Born This Way” really took some courage to get up there and say it. At first I started to laugh because he was basically giving a speech about how he was gay. But further into the writing it wasn’t so funny. He faced ridicule and was even “spit on when [he] got off the bus” or called a “faggot”. It’s just wrong and knowing that someone could do that to another person just makes you wonder. Nobody deserves that, no matter what. The amount of respect I have for Brent is indescribable and I don’t even know him. This one of the writers I would have liked to talk to after he read what he wrote. There’s no way I would get up there and read something like that. My hat is off to him.
Instead of writing about what I saw when I went down to Writers Week during my english class period, I have decided that I will post my reactions to the presenters who left the greatest impact on me. - On Wednesday I got the pleasure of seeing the poet David Clewell. He was he first person that I got to experience during writers week who was much more to me than just another presentation. He was very clever and taught me about writing in way that was enjoyable and even fun. When Mr Clewell stepped on the stage, I never would have expected that a poet who prides himself on his sense of sarcasm would have taught me anything useful. At first, when he started reading his poems, I was understanding the words themselves, and then I started to process the meanings of the words, and picked up on allusions to events in history, and other literary works. This caught my interest and I found myself analyzing everything that he said in every piece that he read to us. The hour after Writers Week, I realized that I had done this and had actually enjoyed t. He had taught me that analyzing poetry can actually be entertaining, and that there is no reason for anyone to stress over doing so. he also taught me that poetry is "more than just feelings". I loved the idea of this quote in particular because it showed me that he could not only say this and expect us to believe him, but he could prove that poetry really is much more than just the expression of every day emotions; poetry is about anything you want it to be. - On Thursday, I actually started to cry during Writers Week because I was so moved by the piece done by Brent Doering. His courage and passion were so overwhelming. I am at a loss for words for how powerful this was and how to write my reaction in any words other than "wow". Another amazing student speaker was Daniel Sanders. He brought the flaws of society as we know it to our attention and just by simply doing that, he made me want to help right some of the wrongs in the world. The most memorable line from the pieces he read was "We put more value on the sole of a shoe than the soul of a person." This line really sticks in my head because he didn't say "they" as in the rest of society, he chose to use the work "we". Part of me is horribly bothered by this simple word change because he is right. At some point in their lives, everyone thinks that it is acceptable to ignore the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of another person, just simply because we want something that is easier to get when the other person is out of the equation. Thursday must have just been a day for the memorable speakers, because that was also the day that I was introduced to the art of slam poetry by Sierra DeMulder. When she was introduced by the staff, I'm not exactly sure what I expected, but it was not what Sierra DeMulder appeared to be. But after her first poem, I realized that inside that small woman standing on the stage, was a wonderfully powerful, independent, and intellectual person. She has the courage and the determination that are necessary for anyone to make others listen not only to the words that she says and the stories that she tells in her poems, but also the messages, which are sometimes obvious yet other times require the audience to actually think about what she has just said. Overall she was an amazing performer, and I will look forward to hearing more from her in the future.
I was very excited for my final Writers Week experience and I have to say the student and faculty presenters did not fail to interest me. I will admit that I was originally somewhat disappointed that my class hour was not seeing a guest speaker, but the student and faculty presenters were excellent. Each presenter had their own style, tone, and message which kept my full attention. I was amazed at all of their calm and composed attitudes, as none seemed to be nervous or unsure of themselves. I know it must have taken a lot of courage and bravery for the presenters to share their work in front of all their fellow peers. Although all of the presenters were great some of them stood out to me.
One student presenter that was very impressive to me was Elliot. Elliot opened his presentation by informing the audience about his aspergers disorder. He wanted to show everyone that this disorder does not make him any different than anyone else and that it doesn’t limit his abilities. I thought it was very neat to see that Elliot does not let the disorder hold him back. Elliot’s poem about detention was very humors and kept me laughing. Referring to teachers, one of my favorite quotes from him was, “They really think they own all of us but they don’t have enough money to pay for a bus.” Elliot did a great job all around. I believe he opened people eyes and showed that he can do anything he wants. Not to mention, his writing was awesome.
Once again, Mr. Wright had me laughing from the beginning to the end of his presentation. I have seen Mr. Wright perform in previous years, and it is never a disappointment. Through his piece, “What I Don’t Understand,” he used very smart and witty humor while making fun of things going on in the world today. From a kid in tight pants, to Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, Mr. Wright made fun of it all. According to him, “Justin Bieber might be the anti-Christ.” This quote stuck with me and had me laughing all day. He was one of my favorite speakers to listen to.
Paul had a very heat-touching story that was very sad. The story really meant a lot to Paul as he stopped a couple times to wipe away tears. It was sad to hear that Paul had not had a close relationship with his parents, but regretted it in the end as his dad was near his death. “Fighting tears I could not help but love him deeply.” This quote was very powerful and showed that even though they may not have gotten along Paul did love his dad. One thing I didn’t like during this was the rude snickers in the audience as a result of Paul’s sincerity.
At the end of the hour I found myself to be very disappointed because I wanted to stay longer. I was very pleased with the first day and looked forward to my next opportunity to attend Writers Week again. I never take the time to realize the power of words until I hear these speakers.
Writers Week does not disappoint. Once again I was very fortunate to see wonderful speakers. The student speakers were amazing and the slam poet, Sierra DeMulder was unlike anything I have seen before. As Mr. Holmes said, she really does give you chills while listening to her. All of the presenters had such a powerful message through their writing that really made me think.
Daniel Sanders poem titled “Greed” was so cool and very true. “Money is the root of all evil.” Some may hear this and think that Daniel is crazy, but I believe this to be very true. They always say that money can’t buy happiness, and he showed that throughout his poem. Daniels poem contained so many powerful words that all rhymed and flowed together so well. This was by far my favorite poem I heard.
One speaker that really taught me a lot was Brent. Brent had a very personal issue that he shared with many of his peers. He taught me that even though I may not agree with his personal choices, it doesn’t make him any different than anyone else. He is still a human that deserves the same amount of respect that anyone else gets. “I was raised to love everyone for who they are.” This quote will probably stick with me forever. It showed me that he doesn’t judge anyone for what they do so why should he be judged any differently. This was a real eye opener and taught me a lot. I will no longer judge someone for what they do.
I really don’t know what I can say about Sierra DeMulder without going on and on. I have never seen a slam poet with such passion and energy. Her poems were all based on real life issues that people have to face. Although very few pertained to me I was still intrigued by all of them. I could have sat in the auditorium listening to her all day and not been bored. Each poem was different in its own way and kept me very interested. I am sure she will continue to have success in her slam poetry competitions.
Unfortunately this was my last Writers Week ever. It was very exciting and made me realize all the different ways to present writing. It seems as though writing is one of the best ways to express an individual’s thoughts and feelings. Looking back on it, I wish I would have presented. I guess you could say stage fright held me back. Although I didn’t present I am still happy I was able to attend it. I was only able to make it for two sessions but I wish I would have seen more. I heard about so many other great presenters from my friends. Writers Week is awesome and I encourage everyone to participate in it.
I wish that I could write about every single person and say how much I loved their stories or poems, but that would take up to much space. I was so inspired by everyone that went up on that stage because I know that I would never have the courage to do so. Even though I liked listening to everyone there were a few that stood out to me the most. -Monday, when Torie shared her poem about high school there was not a single thing that was not true, everything she said explained how high school is perfectly, a quote that stood out to me most was “he uses his clothing as a shield to how small he feels” that is a very powerful quote with so much meaning I really liked it. Also I loved the quote by Corey, “ this is a school not a night club” it made me laugh because not only me, but everyone else in the auditorium knew that that statement was so true and more people need to listen to it. -Wednesday, I liked all of Cindy’s poems but the one that stood out the most to me is The mom that has never been, when she read it I could relate to her and she is who inspired me to write my short story for English . When listening to Dave Cullen I was immediately interested as soon as he started talking. He had my attention from beginning to end. When he said that one of his main concerns was to find out what happened to the students after the shooting, if they were okay, how they recovered, etc. when the bell rang and he was cut short I was disappointed. -Friday, I absolutely loved Molly and Amber’s presentation it was different but very interesting. They successfully accomplished to include everyone in the school and their different personalities. I really liked Brandon Swanson’s song also he was very talented. Everybody did a great job and I would say that Writers Week 2011 was a success and am sad it is my last year seeing it.
Tuesday: My first day in Writer’s Week was definitely a good one. The mix of student and faculty writers was a great combination. All of the writers did a good job and they were only a select few that I found to be somewhat boring.
John Dubois’ short story was definitely unique and interesting. It made a lot more sense once he made it known that he was werewolf in the story. I don’t know if he wrote this based on a past personal experience, but that’s what it seemed like to me. Overall, his writing caught my attention and kept me interested.
The funniest presentation of the hour was definitely Elliot Littlejohn’s. His catchy poems about teachers were really entertaining. His poems were short, catchy, true, and funny. His introduction also got everyone’s attention when he said, “My name is Elliot Littllejohn, and I am in no way related to the rapper Little Jon.” This was a great ice breaker and mood setter. He was one of my favorites of the hour.
After the students, the hour transitioned to faculty presenters. Mr. Wright’s “What I don’t understand, I’m Just Saying” spiel was really funny. I got the chance to hear him last year, and I’m glad I was able to again. Throughout his presentation he mocked and made fun of many things, including: Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Eminem, Blacked Eyed Peas and their super bowl performance, emo and goth kids, the excuse me clause, facebook, and some of the ridiculous student habits at West. A lot of the stuff he talked about was easy to relate to, and a lot of it was very true. I found myself agreeing with him for the most part. I thought one of the funnier things he said was “emo kids are the ones that are too scared to go goth.” I also thought his opinion on guys wearing kapri pants was pretty funny, too. Overall, he met my expectations from last year and gave everyone in the audience a good laugh. He was definitely my favorite writer of the week.
In Denise Enmen’s “The Man with Many Hats,” a hat is used as a metaphor for the different roles her father took on. I found this to be very creative. Paul’s life story was also very good, and Mr. Kuenert’s songs were really enjoyable. Having music instead of strictly spoken writing was a nice twist.
Overall, this was a good start to Writer’s Week, and all the writers did a great job. It made me appreciate poetry more, too.
Thursday: Thursday proved to be another good day of Writer’s Week, with plenty of great writers. I really liked Daniel Sander’s poems. They were well spoken, had strong messages, and made a lot of sense. He had great words and rhymes. I would have never guessed he could write like that. He was probably my favorite writer of the hour.
I don’t know Brent, but he definitely had a lot of courage to stand up there and say what he said. It surely opened up many students’ eyes. It’s hard to believe how people treat others just because they are different than them. His speech provided a realization that many needed. The audience also reacted more maturely than I expected.
Sierra Demulder seemed like a big hit to everyone, especially girls. Mainly because a lot of the stuff she talked about was more relatable to girls. For the most part, I enjoyed her slam poetry. I wasn’t amazed, though. I found her hard to understand at times due to the speed she was speaking at. I was amazed at how many poems she had memorized. Her poems were good, though, and some of them definitely had meaning to them. I think I would have enjoyed Buddy Wakefield more.
Overall, my second day at Writer’s Week was good, but found the first day to much more interesting and entertaining. This year definitely topped last year, though.
I don’t remember what days I saw all of these, so im just going to review the ones who stood out the most to me. ~Chris Crutcher. He is a real trooper. He was interrupted by a fire alarm, Mr. Dobrinic’s booming voice, and the afternoon announcements. He wasn’t fazed at all. I enjoyed his story about Telephone man, although it was a bit long for the segue it was meant to be. It was also interesting to find out that he had a movie made from one of his books and has a bunch of scripts floating around. ~Dave Cullen. 10 years to write a book, now that is dedication. You could tell how passionate he was about Columbine and all of its victims. I could have listened to him talk about it all day, I wish we would have had more time for him. I’m currently reading his book. ~Eugene Redmen. Unintentionally hilarious. I appreciated his poetry but it was hard to take him seriously with his outfit and his overly excited tone. I’m glad people responded though when he asked everyone to repeat after him…I still don’t know what he was saying. ~Leslie Sona-something. Great voice, she could go really far. I like that she uses her status as a singer/songwriter to help benefit worth causes such as climate change and human trafficking. ~Brandon Swanson. Another great voice. If he pursues music, I can see him going really far. I really loved his song and the music. He was very good on stage. ~Tori Courtney. Excellent observations about the high school hierarchy. You never really think about it as a vicious cycle that starts over and over. Her paper was really well-written. ~Jessica Wilke. I’m sure that it took a lot of courage to stand up in front of a bunch of people and wear your heart on your sleeve. Her paper about her grandfather and grief was amazing. I loved the metaphor of grief being a hand holding you under water, it captured the emotion very well. ~Mr. Jameson. Hilarious. I don’t usually appreciate hearing about bodily functions, but your paper about your pets and kids was very funny. I was laughing the whole way through. ~Mr. Pecka. Wow, if he hadn’t written this in such a light tone, I may have cried for the gaggle of geese that he and his friend were responsible for killing. It is a very humorous situation although very tragic…115 mph down a hill. Just the mental image that popped into my head was enough to keep me laughing. ~Mr. Smittle. I commend him for turning what could possibly be the darkest time of his life into a light and humorous story. I mean “Dr. Supermodel”? That’s pretty funny. Major kudos to him for having a whole room of people laughing at cancer. ~Mr. Holmes and Tamara. Loved this! It was very interesting to see the differences/comparisons that they came up with for life in two very different countries. ~Mr. Holmes. His poem was probably my favorite of the entire week. I wish I could get my hands on a copy of it so I could remember all of it. I was bit scared for him when he said he never really wrote a poem before, but I’m not sure what he was afraid of because it was excellent. ~I’m very sad that this is the last writer’s week I will get to enjoy. I wish I could have had the courage that all of these presenters have to get up and read, but alas, I’m too scared :) I really love writer’s week, it is very inspirational and informative, and it helps you see your classmates/teachers ect. In a whole new light.
I think that Writers Week 2011 was very successful. All of the student writers I saw were confident, and it was obvious that they all had a story to tell. All of the guest speakers were very talented, and were excellent performers. Each day, there were different things that stood out to me. On Monday, I liked Marcus’ paper about his learning disorder. What he said that really stood out to me was “Never give up.” I also liked Darcy’s performance, and what I got out of it was “Live like your dying,” which is really the best way to live because you never know what’s going to happen. Out of the whole class period, the thing that stood out to me the most was when Arianna said “Never take love for granted.” It really meant a lot to me in a few different ways, because there are different interpretations of that quote. On Wednesday, I liked Michelle’s writing about her background and past, and how she said “Never fear where we came from.” I also thought it was inspiring when India said “Stay positive when it seems that every odd is against you,” because it’s really difficult to actually do that. The thing that stuck with me most though was when Robert said “I’m not who I appear to be.” To me, that meant that people shouldn’t be judged by how they look and where they came from. On Friday, the people I saw were Arthur Shivers and Sylvester Chisom. I wasn’t really that interested in what they were talking about, but they did say a few things that were really good advice. One thing was “It starts with you,” which means to find your passion, and then pursue it. Another strong thing they said was “Build relationships, don’t burn bridges.” That’s good advice for anyone, not just entrepreneurs. One more thing that stood out to me was “Start small, finish big,” because that’s the best way to become successful. Overall, I was very impressed with all the presenters at Writers Week, and I think they all deserve recognition for doing a very good job.
If there is one word I cannot stand, it is inspirational. The word has been used so many times that it makes me want to puke when I hear it. I’m pretty sure that’s called a cliché. So even though many will call this Writer’s Week inspirational, I will not. I refuse to use a clichéd word to describe a week that has utterly transformed my perspective on writing. Instead, I will say that I was syntactically stunned.
Day one of Writer’s Week I would label as the “humorous day,” at least from what I saw. The first presenter I saw was a boy ranting about pointless things. He had me shaking from head to toe, laughing. I truly lost it when he was referencing people wearing leggings as pants. He said, “There’s a time and a place for those leggings and it’s not here.” I think all the time about how I’m going to describe this generation’s style to future generations and this will definitely enter the conversation. One of the boy’s ending remarks was, “There’s something that will always be true. My Grandpa will never figure out iTunes.” I love humor so much and this presenter reminded me that you don’t have to have something profound to say just to write. Mr. Schmittle’s story about his cancer was one of those, “I really shouldn’t be laughing at this, but I am,” kind of things. He told it in such a lighthearted way that I couldn’t help myself. I was looking forward to Eugene Redmond and unfortunately was disappointed. The man’s poems were phenomenal, but he talked about them too much for my liking. It was quite funny when he made all of us repeat “Louder!” though. I wouldn’t say he put me to sleep, but I certainly wasn’t fully engaged.
Wednesday was my second day of Writer’s Week and this one might be my favorite simply because of a man named Dave Cullen. Oh my goodness! His words were so intriguing and not one part of his presentation bored me. It may be just because Columbine particularly fascinates me, but my ears were alert and ready from the moment he started talking. I got a chance to talk to him after the session and I felt like I was in holy presence or something. It just amazes me that he has spent over ten years of his life devoted to this story. His dedication to Columbine dumbfounds me and encourages me. Dave Cullen taught me that if I’m going to be passionate about something, stop at nothing to get my point across. David Clewell surprised me. No offense to him, but he doesn’t exactly cross me as the “poet laureate type,” but as soon as he read his poems I thought differently. I was cracking up when he said, “Write down your feelings on paper and it will be a poem.” He said it in such a condescending way and sure enough I thought of a teacher I had who said that. His poems were appealing to me because they weren’t super gushy. They were funny. His poem about Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stood out the most to me. I never noticed that Armstrong misspoke on the moon. I lost it when he said, “I can be the first to walk on the moon and talk in grammatical sentences.” Clewell made it a point that everyone has written a poem and that we all can be amazing writers if we are determined. I enjoyed his perspective.
thankful. If he had shown up then I wouldn’t have gotten the amazing opportunity to hear Mr. Jameson’s blog about bullying. He broke my heart hearing about that kind of stuff even though there was a humorous spin on it. I can completely relate to Mr. Jameson in that way and to be honest I never would have thought him to get picked on. I’m excited that he was able to write about it now so we all could hear it. I loved the way he wrote it as well. It was like a flashback. And I can still picture him saying, “Bye Logan, bye Logan, bye Logan!” That man writes a very fascinating blog that I would honestly read every day. On Friday I also got the amazing opportunity to hear a poem from the perspective of an aborted baby. This one brought me to tears and I commend the teacher so much for making a stand about his beliefs. One line that was repeated over and over again in the poem was “She took your hand and led me to the promise land.” I will have the images of that poem forever stuck in my mind. That’s honestly how much it affected me. That man’s poem moved me so much that I actually told him in the hallway how thankful I was for him reading.
Writer’s Week is one of those things that you don’t realize how grateful you are for them until you know you’re going to lose them. When I thought about leaving West before, losing Writer’s Week didn’t cross my mind. Now it has. I am pretty angry at myself for never working up the courage to present, but most of all I’m angry that I’ll never experience this again. Nothing compares to Writer’s Week a West. I’m truly going to miss the unity that it brings to the student body and faculty. It’s impossible to express my full gratitude to those who have made Writer’s Week possible. But I’ll just have them know that they have changed the way I look at writing in an amazing way.
Wednesday - The students that performed today were all very good writers with excellent pieces, and their own stories to tell. My favorite writer of the day was Michelle. Her story was easy for me to relate to. I agree that you shouldn't avoid the bad things in life. They, more than the good things, define who you are as a person. The professional writer that I saw today was David Cullen. His presentation definitely made me want to go out and read his book. It was really interesting to hear about Columbine from someone who had spent 10 years writing and researching the book. One quote from him really stuck in my mind, "Anger is like drinking a poison hoping you kill the other person."
Friday - Today Slyvester Chisom and Arthur Shivers were the people I saw at Writer's Week. "When you ambitiously pursue your passion nothing can stop you from being great" Their presentation was about the book the wrote about being a young entrepreneur. I really found this interesting. It's amazing to see what happens when you "start small, and finish big."
Amidst all the dark or depressing poems I heard in WW ‘11 a few pieces really stuck out to me. I was very impressed with Dena Badran’s courage to go in front of a full auditorium and read her personal letter to her grandmother. She talked about things that many people think but never say to close friends or family and the fact she realized she missed the opportunity to say it in person didn’t just forget about it was very cool. Another captivating speaker was Buddy Wakefield. Some people talk with their hands a lot, but I’ve never seen someone that uses every inch of their body. It seems Buddy would almost needs a choreographer for such a presentation. The most impressive thing about him is the ability to start a poem without me even realizing it. He would tell a story, weave in a bigger lesson, and at some point he began a very expressive poem but he talks so poetically anyway no one knew exactly when that was. Even answering student questions he had something very interesting and unique to say with no planned story to lead into it. He is clearly a gifted speaker who can really think on his feet. Sierra DeMulder was one of the most passionate poets I have ever seen. I was obvious that she got very deep into her pieces and knew how to connect to the audience. I couldn’t help but think how sorry I feel for anyone that has gotten into an argument with her. DeMulden’s poems were about serious topics, some controversial, and she sure knew how to argue her side of things. After seeing so many talented writers this year, it is almost a shame I won’t be here next year to see it. Except not at all.
Day on: The student writters were phenomenal. I was shocked that the students were open with their feelings. I admir them for getting up one the stage and reading infront of hundreds of people. The student writters made me think about alot of things that has happened through my life. One student writter wrote about their friends death and how it could have been prevented. when she read that poem it just made me think about the friend that i lost my junior year. The student's poem brought up alot of the memmories that i didnt think i would forget, but i did. So after hearing her writting it, it made me want to write about all the memories that i had with that friend. I wanted to do this because i did not want to forget them. Eugene B. Redmond made me laugh a little. I liked the fact that he let the audience participate with the poem reading. Great Job West Writters and Speakers!
Second day of writters week the student writter were amazing. I loved Sherods poem about how she is going to let all the drama go and just enjoy her senior year to the fullest. The quote that stuck with me the most was You don't phase me" Sherod's poem made me realize that i am only going to be a high school senior once and i am not about to have all the pettie drama ruin my senior year. I am going to let them go and just go about my day. Another poem that stuck with me was Jessica Wilke. Oh my god her poem was sad and brought up some memories about my grandma, may friends, and family members that have died in my family. Her poem brough alot of sorrow to me and I thought I was about to cry. I admire her for having the courage to bring the memory back and sharing it with the rest of us. The poem was very moving and i thought it was sweet that she read it in front of her family. The necklace that she was wearing on her neck reminds me of the ring that my grandma gave me for my sixteenth birthday. i enjoyed the writters and the speaker of this period
-I really enjoyed Brandon's song. At times the volume hurt my ears and I couldn't really understand the words. I thought it was really cool that he could record things and then play them while he was playing something else. He was like a one man band. -The "skit" that Mollie and Amber did was great. I thought they did a great job with the discriptions and they really captured the stereotypes we put on people. -The poem Mr. Ellermann wrote about the baby who was aborted really touched me. I personally believe that abortion is wrong on so many levels. I really liked that the poem was written from the babys point of view.
Overall, I am really going to miss Writers Week once I graduate! I love it so much!!!
To be honest, I wasn’t too thrilled with this year Writers Week. The two hours I was able to attend was filled with student presenters, which truthfully I find to be boring. I mean I applaud them for going up there and reading in front of an audience, I know I couldn’t do it, but it’s not the most attention grabbing of work. After last years writers week I kind of fell in love with the whole slam poetry thing so I was very excited to see Sierra Demulder perform. I was worried that she wouldn’t live up to the hype of Buddy Wakefield, but she proved me wrong. I thought she did awesome! One of the lines that hit close to home for me was when she said, “ my arms are in a constant position of pushing.” I love when I can relate to a piece of work like this. The way she was so honest and personal in her poems was admirable. Another line of Sierra’s that I liked was “ I will meet you more than half way if you promise to meet me there one day.” I like this line in contrast with the first one I talked about. In the first line I got the feeling that she puts up a guard with a lot of people. That she’s afraid to form relationships in fear of getting hurt. In the second line she seems more vulnerable. Like all she wants is to actually have a good relationship with this person. Seeing the two sides made her more real and down to earth in my opinion. Another great slam poet is George Watsky. And even though he wasn’t at writer’s week, I think he should be checked out for next year’s writer’s week. I recommend looking him up. Overall I enjoy what writers week has become. Yeah, some of the stories might bore me to death, but I think its awesome that kids step out of their comfort zone and express themselves in front their peers.
sorry its on here twice. i forgot to include my name on the first one.
Monday The first day of writers week was full of really brave students and teachers. I really enjoyed the poem by Tory. I thought it was a good depiction of how high school can be and how it's a cycle of life. The idea of the "kings" giving up their crown was really funny to me. I also thought Mr. Pecka's story about the tragic massacre of birds was hysterical.
Wednesday This day started with a great performance by Cindy. I really enjoyed her acting out her poems and actually putting emotions into it. The main event was Dave Cullen. At times I got a little lost, but for the most part I really enjoyed his presentation. The idea of Columbine fascinates me for the same reason it fascinated Cullen. I wanted to know why the killers did it and what happened to everyone after the incident. I look forward to reading his book and discovering more.
Friday I enjoyed everyone who went this day. I really liked the music by Brandan Swanson and I agree that one of the best bands ever is Thrice. I also liked the affects he used with the guitar. My favorite of this day was Mr. Elmer(I think that's his name). His poem was really emotional and it must have taken a lot of courage to share. I want to thank everyone that shared during writer's week. It is a pleasure listening to individual stories and different forms of writing. Pretty much, I will miss writer's week.
Very day the writers were great and they were open with their poems. The week was full of sorrow so i was kind of happy that the mood was lighter. The second studennt writer was interesting. I felt alot of pain because he spoke the truth about how he felt. When he was reading it i though i felt his sadness through my body. I wanted to like literaly jump on the stage and tell him that everything was going to be alright. The best part of the writers week I have to say is Buddy Wakefield. There was never a dull moment when he was up on the stage. I will be honest i have never heard of slam poetry until i heard Wakefield. I like the fact that he put some feelings and emotions into his writing. He was bold and he was not afraid to tell some one to leave. I loved that he was funny and always knew how to keep the crowd laughing. i enjoyed writers week.
Writer’s week this year was very awesome. I got to see Sierra Demulder and Buddy Wakefield. Both slam poets did a fantastic job capturing your attention and holding it. Which is quite impressive when you consider a lot of people (if not all of them) were there against their will. I think that the student writers did a great job in 6th hour. Dena Badran did a fantastic job talking about her letter to a grandma. That was very brave of her to come to the podium and share that with a room full of strangers. I was also very pleased with how fast Sierra Demulder grabbed your attention with her poem about the school shooting. That’s what stuck with me the most is how dramatically she told the story and the red flower sprouting from a chest. I also liked her story Mrs. Domor. I enjoyed Buddy Wakefields entire act. He came on stage and he was alive with energy. I appreciated how he included some of our teachers into his poems. Overall it was a great performance and an awesome week. Thank you to all the writers both student and professionals that shared.
Writer’s week 2011 left me wanting more poetry than ever before in my life. I saw to major poets, Sierra DeMulder and Buddy Wakefield. Along with poetry I got to see St.Louis’ own talented singer/song writer Leslie Sanazaro. First performance I saw Sanazaro and she seemed a bit different. Her music wasn’t the normal type that I would listen to but her song she wrote about American idol was good. ‘Dreams aren’t everything.’ She said that was her motivation to write the song and I think that it had to be one the best things she could have said because like American idol people live their lives hoping for dreams to come true when in reality dreams really aren’t everything. On my second day I saw two amazing poets. I had seen Buddy the year before so I already knew what to expect. “Forgiveness is the release of all hope for a better past.” That line has stuck with me every since seeing him last year and watching him perform the poem again this year just made it even better, like when they say it’s better the second time around, that how I felt with Buddy. The story about the bear and plum tree probably was a good one and I wish he would have finished. I’m still wondering about that. Buddy had a feel good happy vibe with his performance and Sierra had a deeper feel to her work. She writes about the dark things because that’s what makes up a person. Her poems dealt with depressing topics but they where deep and carried strong meaning. “Sober is just another word for thirsty,” shows how she puts words together for a catchy deeper meaning. I felt her writing impact me the most because it was what inspired me to write the poem for the class assignment. Sierra influenced me to write about a topic that had been bothering me for a long time; it was how a teacher talked about a student suicide. She was my favorite this year and when I went up to talk to her, she asked me add her on facebook. I thought that was pretty cool. The professional acts were my favorite part of writer’s week but I must say some students caught me completely off guard and in a good way. I never would have guess that my peers wrote poetry, well at least not Sherod. Her poem You Don’t Phase Me really caught my attention and I could relate to it because it is true what she said about senior year bringing more drama than peace to some people. One line that stood out to me from her performance was ‘living this life were in only the weak are hopelessly wandering.” I don’t know why but that line just sounded like it had a real deep though in it to me and it stayed in my mind. Writes week I think inspires a lot of people to go out and write something because you see professionals and students just like yourself write amazing things. I’m kind of sad this is my last writers week ever, but it won’t be the last time listening to slam poetry.
Last week i was supposed to present at writers week and unfortunately suffered from the flu that my family had all weekend. But i did get to enjoy one session of writers week on thursday! :) I really enjoyed hearing the student presenters especially since alot of them talked about being judged and how it isnt right. no one has the right to judge others that they do not personally know. I loved how Brent had the courage to share his story with the school and he did so in a creative way. My favorite line from him was "Who are you to judge me?" I was very proud of him for all the comments and such that he had to take just by sharing his piece. I wish all of us had the courage like he did to share our lives with others and i wish that people would listen to everyone like they did to him. Because then maybe they wouldnt judge everyone else. They would be able to understand everyone and know why they are the way they are. I just wish people would take the time to get to know others so that there would be less judgement. I really enjoyed hearing the Slam Poetry from Sierra DeMulder. Man i have never been so inspired before to write..but her pieces( well some of them ) came from her own life stories, and the one that stuck out to me the most was the one about her and her mothers relationship. That was almost to a tee on how my mothers and i relationship is. So that night i went home and ended up writing a few pieces and one was about mine and my mothers relationship. I liked how she would get everyones attention in the beginning before she would start sharing. I also enjoyed hearing from her about the killer and the paper dolls poem too! :) Over all i loved writers week, as i always do but this year it has got me in the mood to write more creative pieces. And now the writing is just flowing out from me. :)
Writer’s Week Reactions: Tuesday and Thursday Tuesday was a great day to attend Writer’s Week. The first presenter, Andrea, wrote a great poem reflecting her feelings toward senior year. While I may not be engaged in so much drama as she may be involved in, I definitely feel myself slowly becoming more and more apathetic towards school like how she described in her poem. Definitely by a long shot, Jessica was my favorite student presenter of the day. I admired how brave she was to share something that was she is still going through. I can’t even think about losing two important figures in my life in a matter of weeks. One of my favorite lines of the day, maybe even of the week, was said by Jessica. It was, “I decided that I would end that day not only alive but living”. This line spoke to me because it reminds me of all those days I wasted lying around and doing nothing instead of actually living my life to the fullest. The other two student presenters did a great job however I didn’t relate to their poems enough to really make an impact on me. I felt so bad for Chris Crutcher because he kept on getting interrupted, either by Dobrinics’ booming voice or fire alarms. I love how he said that he was inspired by Harper Lee so much to start writing. I related to this because I’m a huge reader and I’m always so inspired of the authors of the books I have read. I absolutely adored his telephone man story and how Chris Crutcher explained Telephone man’s facial expression to be as though he was saying, “Mess with me and I’ll dial you up”. I found this to be amusing and witty. Overall I liked Chris Crutcher as a presenter and I felt disappointed that his time was cut short because of the unexpected delays. Thursday was also another fabulous day for Writer’s Week. The first presenter, whom I believe is named Demarcus, was a surprise. I definitely would have not pegged him to be a poet and I loved how Writer’s Week enabled students to see another side of their fellow peers which they haven’t be able to see before. Dena's letter was touching based on the fact that it was so personal and intimate. I loved her line, “Cancer is limited. It can’t cripple love”. I could also relate to her letter by how she described the relationship between her and her brother. Although I’m younger, I’m viewed as the more responsible one but in desperate times, my brother is always ready to step to the plate and back me up. The third presenter, Kelly, did a great job; I just didn’t connect to her piece. I’m beyond a doubt that she got a great grade for the assignment but I just wasn’t emotionally invested in the piece so my interest wasn’t there. How to describe Buddy Wakefield’s performance is beyond words. I swear I sat there the whole time just dumbfounded, trying to take in everything he was saying. My favorite poem was “Information Man”. My two favorite zingers from Buddy were "Stop inviting wall into wide-open spaces” and "I know everything is out there. It’s why they call it everything”. The only word to describe how I felt after Buddy Wakefield’s performance was ‘whoa’. I definitely thought that the Buddy Wakefield was the perfect way to end Writer’s Week and I’m extremely grateful that I got to see him.
I was SO excited for Writers Week this year. The past two years have been amazing so I knew I was in for something good. I went on Tuesday & Thursday. On Tuesday, the presenter that stood out to me the most was Elliot. It had to take a lot for him to get up there and be so open about what is going on in his life. He was also very funny and kept my attention the whole time. He inspired me to be more personal in my writing. “My name is Elliot LittleJohn, and I am in no way related to the rapper Little John.” this quote made me laugh and got a lot of people around my seats attention. It was a good way to introduce himself. And also a very good way to lighten the mood of his piece. He did such a good job and I really enjoyed listening to it!
On Thursday the presenter that stood out the most was deffinately Sierra DeMulder. "Let him kiss you on the forehead; settle for target practice." Her slam poetry inspired me to go home and write, write, write! I did not actually go home and do that but at the time I felt like I was going to. She kept me wide awake even though I was dozing off the rest of the time. She was such a powerful young woman who got her point across. I wish I couldve talked to her afterwards but I had to get to class before I was late and everyone was surrounding her. This writers week topped the past two years! All the student presenters, teachers, and guest presenters did a great job! I wish I could have gone to more. But for what I did see it was amazing!
The first presenter wasnt really clear.I felt as though he was on a different level then we were.And we were not on the same page.The student presenter Sana Platner was awesome! I really liked the metaphors she used.I painted a vivid picture of just about everything she used to describe her mother.
Wednesday
I enjoyed Seirra Demolder her poems were amazing.I could relate to some situations.I understood just about everything.I liked how she wasnt afraid to be honest and kept things on a level we could connect to.The poem I liked the most was the one about her best friend.It was cold and harsh but at the same time what more could you do if he wasnt in love with you?
Thursday
I congradulate the student who came out to everyone about his sexuality.It was abrave thing to do.Hopefully the message he was trying to get across helps others as well. Buddy was hilarious! This wasmy first time seeing his performance.He kept it real and straight forward. And didnt sugarcoat anything. It was more actuality than reality.
On Monday, I presented. I was nervous to begin with, but as soon as I started reading I felt much better. My mom and dad were in the audience and so were many of my friends which is always a comfort. All the student presenters had very interesting works, but being behind them made it difficult to understand them. Corey made me laugh though! I completely agree with him about leggings and facebook and just about everything else he said. Corey is a great writer, and I think that he wrote his humorous piece wonderfully. Then, there was the great Bill McClellan. I loved when he said, “Sometimes you get sued.” He seems like such a down to earth guy and he just genuinely likes his job. I was so impressed that he never finished college and that he is still so successful. After first period, a few of us were standing talking and Bill McClellan came up to me and Corey. He complimented both of us on our performances and said many nice things. I like to think I’m a decent writer, but to have a professional tell me so really meant a lot.
On Tuesday, I came to watch during 2nd period and academic seminar. The teachers during second period were the one that made the biggest impression on me. It was nice to hear what my teachers thought about things that didn’t have to do with the subject they teach. They shared personal stories and I truly felt for them. In academic seminar I was blown away by Leslie Sanazaro. Her voice is so compelling and beautiful. She asked the audience how they wrote songs and when everyone gave her different answers she just said, “ Whatever works for you.” She was inspiring and I don’t even have any musical talents. My favorite song she sang was “America” because it brought up a topic that I had recently been discussing with my sister and cousin. To me her song was about how the American dream is changing and that although dreams are always good to have, they are not everything. I didn’t get to speak with her afterward, but I have already told plenty of people to look her up on youtube. She was a presenter I will never forget.
On Wednesday, I saw Dave Cullen. He showed so much passion about his book. I can’t imagine working ten years on a body of work, let alone work five years and scrap it to start over. I was impressed that he truly cared so much about his “characters”. He said that he thought of the book as a story, but he realized that these are real people and real events. His presentation was by far my favorite of the week. He is a reporter and because of that he is very charismatic. He knew so much about the subject of Columbine that I felt like we, the audience, could ask him anything about it and he’d know the answer. I bought a copy of his book and I got it signed by him. I got to talk to him for a little while and he was very nice. I’m a book nerd and I was ecstatic about the signed copy, although I had to have Jameson translate the writing for me later. I learned from Dave Cullen that dedication can take you far. He dedicated so much time to this book because he wanted to do justice to the people involve. I believe that this concept can be used in many types of writing as well as other parts of my life. It was truly a pleasure to meet Mr. Dave Cullen.
On Friday, I saw Arthur Shivers and Sylvester Chism. Perseverance is the main word to describe these two men. They began their business with “just a water hose and a bucket”. I loved that their degrees had nothing to do with their jobs now, one with a degree in criminal justice and the other with a biology degree. They were fun guys to watch and I can really admire what they have made for themselves. They taught me what hard work really is. After listening to them I wanted to start my own lemonade stand. Haha. I’m not much for self help books and how to books but I have to say I think that there guide to help young people would be interesting. I just enjoyed listening to them.
All week was fun and worthwhile. I’m so pleased that I got to present myself and also listen to so many talented people. I was inspired so much that I actually thought about writing poetry, and I hate poetry, so that’s saying something. Great job everyone.
One of the most anticipated weeks of the school year at Hazelwood West keeps getting better and better every year. Needless to say, WW’11 was more than amazing this year. I was fortunate enough to attend a session everyday of the week. I saw the really good, the good, the bad, and the ugly. The really good was Mr. Buddy Wakefield. I heard rave reviews about his performance and slam poetry last year, but didn’t get the chance to experience it. His performance this year blew me away. Yes, some of his poetry was hard to understand. However, there were lines that stuck out and spoke to me. “Hearts don’t break. They bruise and get better.” Writing certainly has a way of getting to you at the right time in your life. As he went on to answer questions from the students I became even more inspired by him. Hearing his life story added more power to his poetic pieces. Poetry became exciting to me unlike never before. Bravo for Buddy Wakefield! Let me skip the good and fill you in on the bad… Mrs. Mono-tone Poet lady. I am unable to share her name due to the fact that I was not tuned into her presentation at all. If it narrows it down, her performance was 7th of Thursday. I honestly can’t provide and information about her time on the WW’11 stage. After her first poem, I became more enthralled with the spiral of my notebook. I guess you can say her performance was uninspiring. Just plain bad. When I say ugly, I am not talking about appearance. I am referring to the graphic nature of some of the poems. One word to describe some of the work presented from Jon and Girl-in-the-blue-shirt is demented. Bravo to getting up on stage and presenting, but I get a little nervous when revenge and killing is what comes out on paper. “Teeth sank into his neck” was one of the many phrases that made my jaw hit the floor. My eyes must have displayed a sense of fear. I guess there is a positive point to hearing these pieces: I now know who not to make mad. Overall though, student presenters were good. Hearing you peers express their emotions through writing is exciting and touching. The pieces that told a story of secrets that touched the heart were among my favorite. One in particular, Brent Doering. First of all, I would like to applaud Brent on his tremendous courage. When the words “I don’t ask you why you’re straight, do I?” left his mouth, I saw several eyes open wider. Get ‘em, Brent. Kelly Johnson’s performance was also touching. A simple assignment for English became amazing with her background. Job well done. It all made me believe things were easier to say through writing. One thing I wish were slightly different about the student performers was the amount of poetry. I feel as if all 500 of them I saw had the same message: be yourself. Thanks for sharing, but I’ve heard that one since I was 5. However, this did not make me change my view about writer’s week at all. It was still simply amazing to me.
From the get go, I knew this was going to be an awesome writers week. The opening day was almost definitely one of my favorite days. I got to see Mr. Pecka and Mr. Smittle, two of my mentors from the theater department. They were absolutely hilarious. I’ve always known they were funny, but man, they brought out some good material for writers week. Another man I found to be very funny was Antony John. He really gave me the impression that anybody could write, both with his attitude and his advice. His British accent brought extra flavor to his presentation, especially when he said the word “Laugh.” Not all of the people I saw present were what could be considered happy. Sierra DeMulder’s slam poetry, though very dark, was quite inspiring and insightful. Her piece on being in love with someone who was already with someone was especially moving to me, having been in a similar situation before. Her line, “This is not important,” really stuck with me. However, the most emotional performance I saw during Writers Week came from my friend Brent Doring. I am so incredibly proud of him, and I truly admire the bravery he showed telling everybody “My name is Brent Doring, but I wouldn’t expect you to know that.” Overall, I t was certainly a Writers Week that will stick in my mind. All the writers I saw were so incredibly inspiring. It really makes me wish that I could just sit down and write they way they do. Maybe I still can.
Writer's week this year was very enjoyable and entertaining at the same time. I love to hear other people put their thoughts and emotions on a piece of paper and get on their creative side. I learned a lot about the student presenters that I probably would have not guessed.
On Tuesday the first presenter I saw was Andrea Sherod's poem about senior year and the drama occurring and her not caring much for it. I have to say that I can relate to it in a way. One of the quote she said in her poem was " The truth will set you free" we all must have heard that from somewhere sometime in our lives. Another memorable quote of hers was "my vision is a rock, you do not phase me and by the power of God you do not phase me." I love that line of the poem because I feel the same way when it comes to the "haters" in life that pops in and out of my life just to remind me of how important I must be for them to take time out their day just to "hate". I enjoyed her whole presentation. There was another presenter name Tori who's poem "This Sky High Dream of Mine" sounded like something I would write just to show my dedication and commitment to my own dreams. Somewhere along the lines of her presentation I was sort of lost because I couldn't clearly connect her words to make sense in my head. I feel she could have slowed down a little it would of made her poem a bit more understandable but some aspects of her poem were quite strong just wished she could of presented it a little better but I applaud her for going up there to present her poem in the first place because I know how nerve wrecking it can be being up there presenting something personal or not not really knowing people's reaction to it. I was there last year. Another presenter was Jessica who talked about her grandfather. It was a very emotional piece. I applaud her because I know I wouldn't be able to go up there to talk about something that personal. a memorable quote from her presentation was when she was talking about the pain she was enduring "grief, the only thing I can describe that is similar is a wave of water" I don't think I felt the pain she was dealing with but when I lost my grandmother on my birthday it sort of it hit me that hard and I felt I was just drowning in an ocean with deep waves, being chocked and breathless. So her poem kind of reminded me of that and sadly tears did drop. Lastly, Chris Crutcher presentation was well understandable at first when he talked about his background and his brother's achievements and all, but I was lost when he started talking about the telephone man. The facial expression he made when the fire alarms went off was quite funny though. Overall I enjoyed the first day and was looking forward to coming back on Thursday.
Sadly on the first half of Thursday I missed the student presenters but I came back just in time to see Buddy Wakefield. I was excited to see him because the man is hilarious. I saw him on Writer's week last year and sort of inspired me to write more even though most of my writing is very personal and I'm not comfortable sharing it with the public. I love when Coach Wright played the harmonica while he was reading one of his poems, it was like a compliment to his already wonderful poem. I one of his pieces he said "Hearts don't break, they bruise and get better." I absolutely love that quote that when I came home and I wrote it on my bedroom wall. His overall presentation was phenomenal from the way he talks, his movements, and how he just put his whole being into his work. I absolutely enjoyed Writer's Week 2011 , I'm almost sad that I won't be here to see it next year but happy that I'm graduating =]
I was privileged enough to visit Writer’s Week at least once every day last week, with the exception of Friday. My absence was for a sad occasion, yes, but it was made more sad by the fact that I missed out on what I’m sure were more memorable writers and presenters. However, my reactions to the brave people that bared their most vulnerable secrets and even those that lightened the dark, heavy mood with comical pieces were not weakened by missing Friday. So. Onto the beginning of the week… Monday: The first presenter during first hour was Darcie, who happens to be a fellow Jameson classmate. When she stepped up to the podium, I expected her writing to be thoughtful and handled well; what I didn’t expect was for it to strike me as severely as it did. It turned out that Darcie and I were discussing similar topics: the death of a very important loved one. The most unexpected thing in her presentation was learning of her father’s struggle with cancer. Luckily for Darcie, he is still here to support her, and was even in the front row to cheer her on. This realization was a bit painful for me, considering the recent loss of my own father. However, as I stated in the letter I wrote to Darcie, her courage inspired me and I’m incredibly grateful that she is still privileged enough to see her father every day. The Tim McGraw inspired theme to “live like she was dying” was the resounding tone of what she wrote and she often repeated it. Coincidentally enough, I got an eerily similar vibe when Corey stepped up to read his piece. I had a feeling that whatever he wrote would have a dominantly humorous tone and I was correct. Among the many things he talked (okay, more like ranted) about, his prediction of walking into school with “a Justin Bieber shirt, leggings, and size 12 flats”, along with his quips about facebook and allergy medication, were the most memorable. My reactions to what he had to say were obviously quite different than the tears that came accompanied with listening to Darcie; I’m actually not even sure if there was a moment in all of what Corey said that didn’t see me chuckling or smiling or just full blast choking on my laughter. One thing I learned between the two of them is that I’m in the presence of pretty skilled writers every other day in Jameson’s class and I will no longer look at them without remembering that. As far as Bill McClellan goes…come on? Do I even have to say anything?......alright, fine Jameson. I’ll say one word about him. Brilliant. Okay, I changed my mind. I have more than one word. I’m going to copy this down completely ver batim from my notes: -used a Gatsby quote…incredible -puts song quotes in his writing…aka my twin -“connections exist between all kinds of people” -he has horrible hearing…why, then, is he still so impressive? -“I do best if I’m telling someone else’s story”…Amen.
Wednesday: First hour saw some pretty memorable presenters, but this is where I give major kudos to Endia. Her story about her struggles with her sister was not only well-written, (she’s an ace journalist, so I expected no less) but it grabbed me as a member of the audience. There were quite a few pieces about death and loss and tragedy this week, including my own. But, the writer that is able to separate their emotions about their tragedies from the writing they do is the person that will sustain the interest of a reader. That doesn’t mean there is no emotion in that writer’s story; it’s actually a lot more to the contrary. A writer wants to stimulate the emotions of their audience. That’s exactly what Endia did. She did not complain, whine, or weigh her audience down with her struggles. She simply informed us and taught us a lesson in the process. It is a rare person that can accomplish that. Now, onto Dave Cullen. Unlike a majority of the people in the auditorium with me that day, I’d actually read his book about Columbine prior to hearing him speak. About a month and a half of my life last year was dedicated to researching Columbine for my own personal curiosity. When Jameson told me he was going to be at Writer’s Week, I had a mini fit of excitement and nerves. I was anxious to hear how he would explain all of the knowledge he’s acquired about that very dark subject. It turned out that worry was merely my own, and most likely didn’t even pass his mind. Dave Cullen is not only a journalist, or a writer…he is a public speaker. He engaged his audience and I really appreciated that. He didn’t just recite his book to us (which I also appreciated) but he provided new information. He also was one of the rare professional writers that shared his experiences with writing and what he realized it meant to him. I think the audience had a lot to gain from seeing him, as did I.
What’s my favorite week of the school year? The last one. But, Writer’s Week comes pretty close. An entire week dedicated to the many things that the term “writing” applies to. Poets. Songwriters. Authors. Oh my! Well this year happened to be bursting at the seams with talent. This year is probably tied with last year for being the most entertaining. It was bustling with humor, which I really appreciate in writing. A lot of what I saw had me cracking up…whether the humor was intentional or not. Eugene Redmen was one of the few who were unintentionally hilarious. I think it was his vivacious attitude that had me smiling…along with his bright blue getup. Unfortunately, his performance got a bit a distracting and I can’t recall anything he wrote, but I do remember enjoying it. I enjoyed both of the authors I was able to see: Chris Crutcher and Dave Cullen. Crutcher really stood out, mostly because he was interrupted by the fire alarm, Dobrinic, and the PM announcements. He was a real trooper and he didn’t seem fazed by it all, he just picked up right where left off which was a very very long story about the one he calls “telephone man”. I get why he told the story, it was to segue into him explaining how to draw inspiration from your everyday life, but it was just way too long in my opinion. I would have liked to gotten to hear more of his short stories. I think I could have listened to Dave Cullen talk about Columbine all day. He has such a passion for it and it really comes out in his presentation and in his writing how much he cares. 10 years to write a book takes real dedication and a lot of time researching and evaluating every second of what happened. I actually bought the book that day and he was able to sign it for me. It took me a while to decipher what he wrote to me, but it was very nice. I didn’t get much time to talk to him though, there was a line and everyone was rushing to get the next presenter up, but that’s obviously understandable. One thing that I appreciate more and more every year is all of the student presenters. I could never muster the courage that they all had to get in front of everyone and share something they created. Jessica Wilke stood up in front of everyone wearing her heart on her sleeves and talking about the grief she felt after losing her grandfather and more recently her dad. I’m glad that she was able to share it, because I thought it was beautiful. I could go on for days about all of the student presenters, but I really don’t want to. Let’s just I really was inspired, encouraged, and grateful that I got to hear them speak.
I think the teachers stood out the most to me this year though. Smittle was able to make an auditorium full of people laugh at cancer, which takes real skill and stage presence. Pecka was able to make everyone laugh about the murder of several geese…which had me both smiling and shedding a slight tear…I can’t help it, I just pictured the baby ducks following the mommy ducks to the pond, and not making it to the other side. Thank gosh he kept talking and carried such a light tone throughout it. And of course, Jameson. No one has ever made bodily functions so hilarious to me before, your story about poop and me and Samantha Noel cracking up, I just thought you should know that. And then there is Mr. Holmes. I swear I couldn’t tell you one quote from his poem, but I do remember being amazed by it…the fact that is intro was something along the lines of “I never write poetry, I’m terrible etc.” I was not expecting what came out of his mouth. I also enjoyed his reading with Tamara, which I found very intriguing. Last, but not least, our singer/songwriters. I was able to see Leslie Sanazaro and Brandon Swanson. Their voices were amazing, and I think if Brandon pursues music, he will have a very bright future. Leslie has a great voice and is very talented when it comes to playing piano. I like how she alternated between playing and talking about the process of writing music and being a musician. That is something I wish I would have heard more from with Brandon Swanson, but really enjoyed his performance nonetheless.
I really enjoyed writer’s week this year. It was a week full of exciting and different presenters. I think the event gets better every year. This year I went every day but I missed the section I really wanted to see which was buddy. There were some presenters which were very memorable like Elliot little-john “The teachers think they own all of us, but really they don’t have enough money to pay for a bus” He was really funny. From the beginning he caught my attention, and I liked the fact that after he announced his name he said he is not related to the rapper lil john. That was just funny. Then there was Sonna, her poem was really good. It rhymed and it had good word flow. Also I liked the fact she poured her emotion out on that poem. ‘’Blood may be thicker than water but blood is 82% water and you’re that water that weaves oxygen through my blood” As she was reading that line really jumped at me and really showed how much she loves her mother. Everyone in that room connected with her. She did a great job. John Dubois presentation was really dark. His voice just amplified the darkness of the story. “I needed revenge like bread and water” “My thirst for his death was unquenchable” Coach Wright piece was really funny. It was good to hear what teacher think about the students. “what I don’t understand, am just saying” it was a good presentation, it made fun of pop star icons such as lady gaga, Kanye, Bieber, black eye peas, Eminem and other famous people who aren’t even talented in his view. Lastly I really liked Mr. J stories. Even thought the guest speaker couldn’t make it Mr. J did a great job to close this amazing week. “We have been bamboozled” That’s just a fun word to say. I also liked the story about the bullies. It’s always a good story when Mr. J talks about his past. It was a good way to end writers’ week.
This year’s Writer’s Week went by in a blur to me. I don’t ever really remember going to Writer’s Week any other year here at West, but I’m glad I had Jameson’s class. It sort of “forced” me to participate. Although I missed a great deal of my peers presentations and many of my friends writings and arts, this year I got the chance to be exposed to an abundance of talented and hopefully aspiring writers. From the simple reading of one’s eventful observation paper, to the heartfelt creations of the new girl to our school this year; Writer’s Week was chock full o’ great works! One performance that really stood out to me was the poem/skit from Molly and Amber. I loved how they found a way to include everyone in the school with their descriptions of the average teenage “archetype”. I kept trying to think to myself which one I would be. Which one fit me best? I remember them ending their poem with, “But I’m scared”. I can totally relate to that statement. All my high school life I’ve wanted to get out of the house. I’ve always wanted to be on my own, be independent, learn on my own, make mistakes on my own, being just completely alone. But I’d be a real fool if I didn’t admit that I’m scared to move on with my life. It’ll be hard and Molly and Amber’s poem brought that to the light for me, but it also convinced me that I’ll get through it. Dave Cullen was another writer that stood out to me. I so desperately wanted to get his book on Columbine. Unfortunately I was a tad low on funds during Writer’s Week. Before Mr. Cullen’s visit, I never really knew much about Columbine to be honest. I guess I just knew the basics. Two guy’s, probably with slight mental disorders, ran up in a school shooting at people; possibly trying as a revenge tactic. Dave Cullen’s presentation made me think of the tragic event in so many different ways. I remember him asking us was Columbine a school shooting or a school bombing. I looked at him like what the what? What is this guy talking about? Then he went on to say, “Columbine wasn’t a school shooting, it was a bombing. The shooting was just the fun part”. I didn’t even know they had bombs! Or maybe I just forgot...who knows. Dave Cullen definitely brought about understanding regarding Columbine; at least in my case. Although those two were probably my favorite, I still enjoyed other writers and presenters such as Brandon Swanson, Sydney Buckner, Mr. Ellerman, Cindy Allen, and Tamar and Mr. Holmes. Swanson’s creative guitar techniques were intriguing and very captivating. Out of all the musical presenters I saw I think he was my favorite. Sydney’s reading of her observation paper was, well, umm, I was there! It was cool to able to actually place myself into her paper, seeing as I was probably one of those people she was talking about; snoring their butt off on the back of the charter bus. Mr. Ellerman’s poem was…interesting. Cindy Allen’s pieces were probably the most personal and uplifting. Usually the writings people produce that describe their lives and they way they feel tend to be sort of dark and depressing. I actually felt for Cindy and her predicament. I may not have ever felt as strong for a female as she did for her special guy, but she sure had her ways of making me understand what she was going through. Tamar and Mr. Holmes compilation was great! I would love to play a game like that with a person from another country. I don’t know either one of them very well, matter fact nearly none at all, but I felt like I learned a lot from them both and especially from Tamar’s culture and her life back in Georgia (at least I believe it was Georgia). All in all, Writer’s Week went extremely well. I’m sad this is my last and I also regret not being able to see as many people or hardly any of my friends as I wanted, but I think the ones I did see made an everlasting impact on me. I hope in future years there’s a larger student writer representation and I hope more teachers take their classes to visit.
Hazelwood West Writer’s Week has always been a thing that I have never looked forward to. It has been, for my entire high school career, an entity that would eventually come, for which I would inevitably end up sitting bored and sleepy in the theatre until the speakers had stopped speaking. Oh, it was always very well put together. There were a slew of student and faculty writers, as well as a guest speaker/singer/poet almost every day. Although it was well put together I just never really cared because I insisted inside of myself that I was simply put: Not a writer. This last year however was different. I don’t know what happened but it just… “clicked”. I finally understood why others loved this week because I started appreciating the writings of others more and was being inspired. Their feelings, their emotions, their souls that they lay bare on the stage awaiting your company, your audience. There were three people that I particularly noted during the three days I went there was someone that inspired me during writer’s week. Monday’s writer’s week was all student and faculty speakers. In the past I didn’t like this part so I approached it apprehensively. The first speaker was the first person to inspire me, Corey (I forget his last name). His writing was about all of the things that he, “loves to hate”. This list ranged from girls clothing to electronics to Facebook. During this tirade he mentioned the fact that, “My father would kill me if I walked out of the house dressed like that”, in accordance to girls thinking skin tight spandex pants were okay substitutes to real pants. Corey inspired me simply because I agree with him. He spoke for around ten minutes, and in those ten minutes he spoke to the choir the entire time. It also helped that his presentation was the only funny presentation of all of the student presenters the entire week. The second person to inspire me happened to come on the same day as Corey during the teacher presenters. Mr. Smittle. He got up and told us all the story of why he had a do rag. I, like most everyone in the entire audience, found his story to be very entertaining. Although it was on such a sad subject, his manner of delivery and the fact that he was in fact, safe, eased the possible tension of the subject and gave way to roars of laughter. I remember his funniest line, “So the doctor suggested to me a dermatologist. So I go into her office and find out that I am visiting Dr. Supermodel”. This was only out beat by him saying next, “If the other doctor was Dr. Supermodel, then this was Dr. Super-duper-model”. I found his speaking very inspiring to me by how he had such a good time sharing a hard life story. This act has been hard for me all throughout my life. The final person was on the second day I went. She was Victoria Courtney. She wrote a rather long poem about the high school hierarchy of life. I really enjoyed the poem because it was yet another thing, like what Corey wrote, that really went to my beliefs. I always believed that freshman, “use tough looks to hide fear beneath”. I always knew, from my past underclassmen years, that seniors acted pompously because, “They are the kings of the school”. It also put something into great perspective for me: Just how soon I will not be part of the Hazelwood school system any longer. Just how soon I will be that anxious freshman hiding in the corner again. It fills me with fear and dread, but also hope. Hope of a life outside of high school that I really crave. It gives me the craving of a life that is filled with freedom. Of all, her presentation was one of the best to grace the stage at writer’s week. After two years of hating writer’s week it is hard to imagine how far I have come. To start of finding it to be a detriment to the school, only to find it to be a great pleasure and relief from normal school. I found this year’s writer’s week to be by far, better than all of the rest.
I think Writer's Week is a great program to let students express themselves and show that they have a voice. Not only that, but to motivate us to write and it's a way to inspire us. I didn't see a whole lot of presenters as I would've wanted too and I am very disappointed I missed Buddy Wakefield. I'm glad that we have this program at our school and sad that this is going to be my last year to be a part of it. I really liked Corey Benson's story I could completely relate to what he was saying. I loved Leslie Sanazaro I thought her music was amazing and I could tell she was really passionate about it, which I think is an amazing and important quality in music. She performed her song "Get over your Dreams, America." She told us that some people have had a misinterpretation of the song and she told us that the song was about how there are artists that just go into the music industry for the fame and the wrong reasons. Music is an art and it should be treated as one, and I'm glad she wrote a song basically saying get over yourself and it's not about the money or the fame. I thought it was interesting how she moved her feet so much as she performed her songs. Cindy Allen did a great job in her poems I felt that she really grabbed the audience's attention and did a great job at showing her emotions. "You'll never love me, the way I do you." I felt was very powerful the way she said it and emphasized it. I'm glad that she shared the poem The Moment that's Never been, but I couldn't really relate to that because I've had both my parents in my life breathing down my neck basically. I thought Mr.Holmes and Tamar's performance was very different and I had never seen something like that during Writer's Week. I thought it was funny when Mr. Holmes said "I have no freaking clue what dating is in America." According to him nowadays there's "talking, texting, and hooking up" Sierra DeMulder...wow..she left me speechless. I can't even put into words how amazing I think she is. Her poems were really deep and about controversial subjects and were just so real. My eyes started tearing up and I think it's crazy how the poems aren't all about her but she builds the character in her head and they come out very passionate. She has gotten me really into slam poetry and has inspired me. Her Mrs. Dahmer poem was just..wow. "Did you put your own heart in the freezer as you thought of me" Brandon Swanson's performance was very different. He used his foot pedal to keep different sounds going and it was very interesting I think he did an amazing job and was very glad that he went up there and did it. I could tell he was very nervous at the beginning of the song, but he gained confidence throughout. I thought Mr. Jameson's story about the monster under the table was very funny. It made me think of my childhood and I remembered my mom told me so many different stories to scare me as a child to keep me on my good behavior. I thought it was funny how Mr. Jameson's plan backfired on him and I don't think I've heard someone say the word poop so much in such a short period of time. Writer's Week has had an impact on me and I am going to deeply miss it. I thought some of the people in the audience acted really immaturely and it just proves their ignorance to literature.
On Monday, I got to see both Bill McClellan and Eugene B. Redmond. I thought that Mr. McClellan was good…he had interesting things to say and said things in a way that didn’t make me want to go to sleep so overall he was good. I also like how he used a lot of quotes and song lyrics into his columns. Mr. Redmond on the other hand, was very boring to me. His call & response poems might have been more fun if everyone participated but they didn’t so oh well on that. Everything else he did was boring I felt like all his poems had the same exact rhythms and the same kind of shape to them which made all the poems seem repetitive. I think that he was the only presenter that I actually almost feel asleep to. On Wednesday, I saw Dave Cullen and David Clewell. I thought that Mr. Cullen was ok; I’ve never really been interested on the Columbine subject so that made me think that he was kind of boring. But I guess if you like hearing about Columbine then he would have been great. I thought that Mr. Clewell was pretty cool, he used simple language and phrases that everyone could understand and he talked in a way that didn’t might people fall asleep. Even though I thought that he was a pretty strange man he was also a pretty decent poet. On Friday, I saw Sylvester Chisom and Arthur Shivers who I thought were great guys. They had a story that was relatable and set an example for people to follow but when they started to explain every chapter of their book I got a little bored. I was also supposed to see Meru Maud’Dib on Friday but he didn’t show up so lets just say that my reaction wasn’t very good but Mr. Jameson made a good substitute. I didn’t actually get to listen to Antony John and Buddy Wakefield but I did get to talk to them after school and they both seemed like very good writers and Antony John especially seemed like he wanted to help young people who wanted to become writers start their writing process. I thought that all the student writers that I saw were great.
This week I saw so many great writers. From best-selling authors to West’s very own students and faculty. Each presentation brought something different to the table, and I enjoyed nearly all of it. As each session took place, I took a few notes to help me remember some of the great lines and points that each speaker brought to my attention. Overall, I am pleased with everything that took place this week. Each year keeps getting better and better! Great job to all who presented!
Monday:
Talk about starting the week off right. I got to hear some excellent students and faculty, and a guy with an accent. Three of my favorite things. The session started off with just a few of the many students that spoke throughout the week. Tori’s poem about freshmen was extremely comedic, and also very relatable to the freshmen that walk our hallways every day. However, Kayla had to be my favorite. Right away she started with a bang as she related her life to that of nearly every other teenager. It was a great away to attract the attention of the students who were in the audience. However, her piece continuously got better as she opened the eyes of a lot of people. Even though Peyton was a fictional character, she did exactly what Kayla intended to happen. I know I am not alone when I say that Peyton’s character hit my heart. I came to the realization that somewhere out there, someone has bigger problems. The faculty did not fail to amaze me. Mr. Smittle did fantastic. It is hard to believe that a piece about cancer could be told in such a positive manner. I loved that he used a personal aspect of his life and made it into an amusing story for others. His natural comedy made it impossible not to be entertained. Mr. Pecka was the exact same way. How could you not laugh when you hear of a teacher’s crazy younger years? Despite being an animal lover, I had to crack up when I heard of the poor ducks that he unintentionally killed while attempting to have some “harmless” fun. His piece made me realize that teachers have also had their fair share of fun when they were our age. Lastly, was Mr. Jameson. It’s no surprise that he was also highly amusing. It must be true that kids say the funniest things. At least that is what Mr. Jameson made me believe through his comedic personal stories. Great job staff! Honestly, I don’t have much to say about Antony John. My favorite part about him was his accent. It is not that I didn’t enjoy him, but I was just overwhelmed with how well the first half of the session went. My attention span was cut too short. I do regret not paying as much attention to him because I know all of the other students enjoyed him. Like I said before, Monday was a great way to kick off one of my favorite weeks of the school year.
As far as students and faculty, I am going to focus on Tamar and Mr. Holmes. WOW. Together they created one awesome presentation. It was so interesting to see two very different people talk about their views on the same topics. Tamar, being from a different country, made it seem also like a learning experience. Maybe it’s because I am a teenage girl, but their question about dating interested me the most. Dating in Georgia is SO different than in America, or than Hazelwood West at least. I can’t imagine how she feels about teenagers here.
To top off their fantastic presentation, Mr. Holmes ended the first half of the session with a bang. He created the coolest poem and read it in a way that really got the audience to listen. Again, all I have to say is WOW.
Next up was Dave Cullen. He was excellent. Listening to him speak made me want to read his book. Like him, I am also very interested in the topic of the Columbine shooting. The amount of time he put into this book is both unreal and inspiring. Ten years of researching, conducting interviews, and putting his findings in words. Everyone can agree that this had to take an amazing amount of effort and dedication. I sincerely wish that he had more time at the end to answer questions. While he was a great speaker, there were so many things that I feel could have been said. However, I cannot complain. He did a fantastic job and I’m sure his book is no different.
Thursday:
I have to start off by being completely honest. I skipped the first part of my second hour class just so that I could see Brent speak. While it may have been wrong on my part, it was more than worth it. Out of the entire week, nothing hit me harder than the words he spoke. Unfortunately, it sometimes takes a piece like his to make people open their eyes. I could never imagine being in his shoes and dealing with the harsh thoughts and comments of our fellow students. While I often think of prejudice as only dealing with race, Brent’s presentation made me realize that this is not the case. People treat him differently because of his sexual orientation. I am so impressed with the amount of courage that it had to take for him to get up and speak in front of some of these people. Brent filled the audience with a mass of inspiring words. I honestly believe that he also hit the minds of the people who may have put him down in the past. I am so proud of Brent, and hope that others who are in a position like his have the same amount of bravery as him.
A half-day and a great ending to Writers Week. What more could you ask for?
If I haven’t made it clear already, the student and faculty presenters are my absolute favorite. I think it has to do with the fact that I personally know them, or at least know of them. Amber and Mollie did a great job, and presented in a very different way. Their alternating poem made me regret not writing something with my twin, even if it were not a poem. (Are you happy, Mr. Jameson?) Sidney’s presentation was also very entertaining. It was cool to hear her observation paper. She went about it in a very different way than what I did. However, this was not at all a bad thing. It was interesting, and I loved the amount of commentary that she included. I love to see kids my own age speak. They are so brave, as well as unbelievably talented.
Lastly, was Mr. Ellerman. I thought it was great that he was so inspired by last years’ Writers Week, However, I was kind of disturbed by his poem. While I am neither for, or against abortion, I know there are many people who lean strongly towards one way. I cannot imagine how someone who is strongly pro abortion felt hearing this. I think I was just more surprised than anything. It is extremely rare to hear a topic such as this spoken in school. Despite being a little taken aback, he did do a really nice job presenting. He was well spoken, and had a powerful concept behind his poem.
I want to thank everyone who played a part in Writers Week 2011. It was a relaxing and enjoyable week outside of the classroom!
This year was the third time I attended Writer’s Week and Writer’s Week for the past two years for me weren’t really inspiring…
I remember the first year containing a performance with a guy singing on a guitar and his guitar strap fell while playing and somebody (Mr. Jameson I think) had to help him by holding up his guitar while he finished the song. Also there was that band (played the year after too) that played a song where they had the lyrics playing on a slideshow. There was an eagle I remember… and their band name had something to do with water?The second year was just horrid to me and it actually had nothing to do with the readers because I had a fever that whole week and was absent the next. I do remember Mr. Kuhnert…and his 50 (felt like 50) songs he played and sang…
What I’m trying to say is that I was just really happy that this year’s Writer’s Week was inspiring and very educational for my senior year.
Faculty and Speakers:
Bill McClellan: So is it weird for me to say that this guy reminded me of my grandpa? And it wasn’t because of the fact that they both were old and had hearing problems but the way he spoke and present his stories just brought me back. His story on Kelly’s corner and the seven year old I reference to now whenever somebody mentions bars… or beer… or underage drinking… or Bill McClellan…
Antony John: I love accents. I was awake the whole time and the rest of the audience I’m sure when they heard his voice. His presentation was interesting and quite useful if you ever thought of writing a book. I managed to talk to him, get his autograph, and take a quick picture with him afterwards.
Mr. Wright: His was pretty funny. Listening to a teacher rant about students and things they didn’t understand is just hilarious. I liked how he mentioned in the beginning how you’ll laugh and point at the person he’s referring to but a minute later have that finger pointed at you because he’ll make fun of you too. Which is what I saw happen exactly to a student in front of me who was the type that sagged skinny jeans and he was laughing when Mr. Wright made fun of emos but shut up when his own attire was made fun of. Mr. Belter: The only presenter where I got teary eyed. His story was light hearted in the beginning when he poked fun at his old age but got serious at the end. When he mentioned how he watched his father die on a hospital bed made me think of my own father and what would happen if I ever found myself on the same end.
Mr. Kuhnert: I liked how he mixed it up this year with an electric banjo. He only got to play three songs because time was running out but he did keep playing as we left.
Dave Cullen: The thing I remembered the most was when he mentioned the people who forgave the students who caused it and the people who couldn’t give forgiveness till years later. The fact that the man who was almost paralyzed and fell out of a two story window forgave the students so quickly had me baffled. It made me think on that subject and how the student’s response to Dave Cullen’s question of why actually he forgave them was simply because he had better things to think about made me realize how much I’ve spent on grudges and how idiotic I felt at that moment for holding onto them.
Mr. Jameson: His stories of his kids and pets I could really connect to since I have two younger brothers and pets myself. Especially on the issue of when he told his story of how his son had trouble with bullies and friends. I always worried for my brothers ever since they were considered “above average” and when I would hear about how instead of recess sometimes for them they would go to “special classes” and get extra work to “keep them ahead.” They’re quiet too so I would worry about them being targets for bullies. When Mr. Jameson mentioned bullies and his kids I was really able to connect with that.
John G.: His story was VERY descriptive. The feelings of revenge seemed almost real and how he presented it made me wonder if he was in theatre. The fact that he was practically shredding the guy to pieces in the end gave me the hint that he was a werewolf.
Elliot LittleJohn: I think this poem was one of the most honest ones. Not a poem that someone just wrote because it was an assignment. It was simple and direct and reminded me of how people talked before they learned to lie.
Nick Oswalt: I knew Nick so I was actually expecting a funny and happy story when he came up but it ended up being a tragedy of a guy’s love that got killed when the guy finally had the courage to confess his feelings. Seeing a non-comical side gave me the opportunity to get to know him better and to be reminded once again that life doesn’t wait for you so take your chances.
That week had me feeling all kinds of emotions. People made me laugh, get teary-eyed, feel inspired, wonder about the world and simply nod my head in agreement. I only wish I was able to attend the Thursday performances because the slam poet, Buddy Wakefield, that everybody always talked about performed and I missed that. Also Brent Doering, I heard his was pretty inspiring too. Lastly, I’d like to thank and applaud all the writers and speakers who read and performed. The courage and talent I saw is something I’ll always envy.
Well, I managed to make it to 2 days of writers week, I got to go on Wednesday and Friday. I believe the only part I found disappointing was the fact that I didn't get to go see Buddy Wakefield. I had really been looking forward to that and didn't know if it was on Thursday or not. Now for the things I did get to see, I can't complain. Of course I always enjoy your tales about your kids Mr. Jameson, the Poop story was probably one of my favorites, but my absolute favorite was the one about bullying. Sometimes you forget that your teachers used to be students too, they had to go through what we went through, and they aren't so uninformed when it comes down to how a highschoolers life may work. I personally like the topic of bullying because I've seen the effects of bullying, and it's not a pretty thing. I also liked getting to see Mr. Ellerman present, because I never would have thought of him as a man of poetry. In addition to seeing teacher's presents, I liked seeing my peers presenting and it ended up making me wish I would have presented. I've got a few things I've written here and there, and I think with a little touching up, I think some of it could have been presentable. The only thing I don't like about Writers Week is when I end up going to one of the sessions that don't exactly peak my interest and then end up hearing that there were some that just got the crowds going crazy. I heard that about Mr. Holmes and Tamar, and Buddy Wakefield had such an amazing reaction that people were just nonstop posting quotes onto Facebook. I wish I would have been able to get to go in more of my classes, but I guess I just got unlucky with the days that I missed. I'm pretty sure I'm coming next year to watch, just like I saw people's parents showing up to see them speak. Overall, I'm glad we do Writers Week and I think it's a nice little boost for Hazelwood West because I didn't hear about anything like this going on at Central. West 1 Central 0.
I'm glad I found the spot for posting the reaction paper.
Writer's week has continued to get better and better each year. I grow more and more fascinated with the idea of everyone expressing themselves in such unique ways that we wouldn't get to see if it were not for writer's week. It must take a pretty big deal of courage to step up in front of so many peers. Just seeing everyone up there telling their own personal stories made me want to relieve some thoughts onto a piece of paper. I could see a sense of relief in most of the student presenters as they conquered the spot light and expressed their feelings in the most public way possible. I learned from most of the participants that some people just want to be heard. They might not want any feed back, but if someone can just listen to what they have to say, It'll make there day. And after I sat down and thought about it, I came to the conclusion that I'm one of those people. This week made me realize that I'm too conservative with my thoughts. I have so many things I want to share with others, but I still stay silent. I want to build off the inspiration that my peers have given me and become more open with my thoughts and become a better public presenter. I want to tell people how I feel and worry less about what they might think of it. If theres one main idea that i took away from this week it's that words hold a great power in that there are unlimited interpretations and meanings of them and therefore, there are an unlimited amount of ways for anyone to express themselves using the power of these words.
Today at Writer's Week I saw a few student presenters, Bill McClellan, and Antony John. It was inspiring to see so many students this year sign up to read for Writers Week. I remember Mr. Joye using his "teacher voice" so Bill McClellan could hear him. My favorite speaker of the day was Antony John. I thought his presentation was easy to follow and it kept me interested.
ReplyDelete*As far as student presenters go, Victoria Courtney stood out to me the most. Her piece was so true for all of us in High School. We wait for, long for, the day where we can be the top of the school, but it's a vicious cycle. We'll just keep starting over. Her presentation made me realize that.
ReplyDelete*I appreciate our teachers who read so much. Today Mr. Pecka and Mr. Schmittle (sorry if that's wrong) stood out to me. They have a skill in making serious things funny. I love that they are comfortable enough to write about their lives like that. The way Mr. Pecka was talking about how he still makes fun of his friend for killing the birds reminded me of my friends. We give each other such a hard time.
*Last but not least I'd like to talk about Eugene Redman. His presentation isn't something you see every day. One thing really stood out to me though. I was shocked when he said that it took fifty years for him to give that poem to his friends. It just proves that writing is never complete.
-I have two reasons to pick up a newspaper now: The Funnies and Bill McClellan's column, I liked how he said he tries to put song lyrics in his articles. ^_^
ReplyDelete-I'll always remember how I was seated in the front row directly in front of Anthony John and even I couldn't hear his first words because of the incredible reaction of the entire auditorium to his English accent.
-And yes, I got Anthony John's autograph and also asked him to do an American accent :D
Whew! Another day one of Writer's Week at Hazelwood West has come and gone! Every year I try to prepare myself for the hecti-crazy-wildness that is day one and every year it sneaks up and knocks me off of my feet.
ReplyDeleteToday was a phenomenal Day One! Our guest writers, Bill McClellan, Eugene B. Redmond, and Antony John were each phenomenal in their own rights. Our student and faculty presenters were poised and powerful. And the audience asked fantastic, thoughtful questions, especially 7th hour!
Great job, everyone! The best part of this is that we have four more days of Writers Week awesomeness!
Yesterday was the first say of WW '11. I was lucky enough to see the first and third hour sessions. Darcie's piece was a little depressing, but it was meaningful and well written. Marcus Keane was awesome. He definitely went through some hard times in middle school. Marcus went to my elementary school and I remember hearing about his behavioral issues through my sister. It's amazing how three dedicated teachers have made such a difference in his life. Arianna's presentation style was really unique. I wish she would've talked to the audience about what the painting beforehand, though Corey was... Corey. Haha. He was great. He should start a blog and write down his opinions daily.
ReplyDeleteBill McClellan was really entertainging too. He is humorous without even trying, but also serious when he needs to be. He is a great asset to the Post-Dispatch. I'm going to start reading his columns. Afterwards, I asked him what particular column has gotten the most reader response. He didn't give a specific example but said columns about religion or politics usually rile people up the most. He also said negative response is better than no response.
In third hour, I saw faculty and some more students. Tori Courtney went first. She did a great job, but I didn't connect with her piece on a personal level because I don't really see high school as a vicious jungle. Corey Benson did even better his second time around; He chose to leave out a few unnecessary sentences/ words or change them. His comedic timing also improved. Arianna also spoke more effectively in 3rd hour. Kayla's piece took listeners on a very emotional ride. I totally conected with 'Peyton;' Kayla's vivid description made her completely real. I'm pretty sure I let a few tears loose! That's a sign of good writing.
Ok, now for the teachers. Mr. Smittle embraced his quirky, strange personality and used it to write a hilarious account of his fight with melanoma. He had the whole auditorium lol-ing. Mr. Pecka also hit a home run in the funny department. Thanks to him, everyone present can imagine the carnage of two dozen innocent ducks being annihilated by a speeding vehicle. Ms. Douglas shared a very interesting point of view. I can't imagine going to a high school where kids get two days excused absence for hunting. In his first piece, Mr. Jameson took on an ..interesting.. topic. He's observed how various aspects of his life are interconnected by feces. You'd think he would be desensitized to poop by now, but it seems that each time he encounters it it's just as shocking as the first. It's always hilarious to hear about parents messing up/ messing with their kids, which is what his second piece was about. I'm curious how his son's belief in the under-the-table monster will emerge later in life.
I feel like I've written a book.. and I could still say a lot more. I don't hink I'll write this much every day but the first two sessions of WW'11 were definitely worth recording.
Today was my first day in Writer’s Week this year and I was super impressed. It is so neat to see fellow students so courageous enough to stand before the auditorium and share their work. I was especially touched my Jessica’s story about her Grandfather. It flowed so well and the metaphors she used regarding water truly captured emotions. There were people sitting near me who were literally in tears. I think it could stand for any death in anyone’s lives. I am currently losing my grandma to cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and I try to prepare myself for inevitable, but I don’t think I will ever be prepared. Another Poem that really touched me was that of Andrea Sherod. Her poem just spoke to me and helped me realize that it doesn’t matter what others think. Stay true to yourself and your beliefs. Even when there is drama and you feel like you want to fit in, don’t go with the flow. Lastly, poor Chris Crutcher had deal with all the fire alarms and announcements but it was pretty funny when he made his telephone man face and then the alarms went off. I really enjoyed what he said about leaving some things to the writer’s imagination. It is okay not to describe every element of a work because then the reader will be bored and know what actually happens. Also it is pretty ironic like he said, after your book gets banned, it becomes more popular. He was very comical and I enjoyed him presenting. I am looking forward to going back down to Writer’s Week Thursday.
ReplyDeleteMonday:
ReplyDelete-I must say thank you to everyone who has presented so far. I would never have the courage to that :)
-I loved Tori's piece about high school. I totally agree with what she said. Our whole lives to get to the top and only select few get there. It all begins in kindergarten. We dream of the day that we finally are fifth graders and rule the elementary school, but once we get there we only have the top for about ten months. At that point we return to the bottom when we start middle school and become sixth graders. This cycle repeats in eighth grade, then twelfth grade, then again when we reach your last year of college. It NEVER ends!
-I enjoyed Kayla’s piece because it brought me to the realization that there are people with bigger problems who keep going like they have none, while I sit and mope over one trivial thing. The only thing I had a problem with was that “Peyton” wasn’t real.
-I also enjoyed Mr. Pecka’s piece. The thing that stood out to me was that he still teases his friend about running over the ducks, which is exactly what my friend’s and I do. I also enjoyed the look on
Jessica W’s face when he was telling the story, it was priceless…
-And of course I loved both of Mr. Jameson’s pieces. I just love hearing about the crazy things his kids do :)
Wednesday:
-I really liked Cindy’s poems about her life. I was touched by her poem called “The Mom That’s Never Been”. Having a similar situation in my own life, I can relate to what she said. It’s not my mom who is gone, it’s my dad, and I still see him, but he might as well be absent from my life.
-I also liked Tamar’s piece. It was cool to see what it’s like in a different country.
-Finally I enjoyed Dave Cullen. He seemed to be a bit scatterbrained and hard to follow, but I am excited to read his book. The story of Columbine fascinates me. I read Rachel’s Tears last year for a project and since then I have wanted to know more.
-I just wanted to give a shout out to Jessica Wilke for reading her piece yesterday! I am so proud of her! Even though I didn’t get to hear it, I know it was fabulous. I am just happy she had the courage and the strength to get up there and share about her loss, because I know I wouldn’t have been able to!
Thursday was my second day at Writer’s Week and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Buddy Wakefield was really great and was especially funny when he called out a girl for popping her gum. He was so energetic and got into his poems. I didn’t have the opportunity to see him last year, but now I know what all of the rave was about. At first I got lost in some of his poems, couldn’t quite understand what he was talking about. Then I realized that is just the form of poetry. It doesn’t have to make complete since. The student writer’s once again wowed me. Especially Dena, her letter to her grandma really touched me. My grandma was recently diagnosed with kidney cancer. The sad part is, is that she has Alzheimer’s so therefore they cannot do treatment and she can’t remember anything. It inspired me to write about all the good times I had with my grandma even though I really can’t remember her very well as she used to be. Props to Kelly as well for writing about something so tough, I know it was an observation paper, but at the same time it was a statement to realize that a lot of times people cover things up and don’t want people to know who they really are on the inside. Good Job Writer’s Week Presenters!!!!
ReplyDeleteToday all of the writers were excellent, especially Buddy Wakefield. I did not know what to expect from him because this was my first time seeing him. He definitely has a unique style that is impossible to lose someones attention. When he first came on stage all quiet I was thinking to myself oh boy what is going to come of this. But then out of no where he switched gears and was cracking joke after joke and reciting his poetry in a way I have never heard. In a way he reminds me of Eminem, I was listening to Eminem earlier this morning and when I heard Buddy he reminded me of him. I think Buddy would be an excellent artist/rapper. When the guitar and harmonica was added to his pieces it just topped his performance off perfectly. One thing I do have to say that I found awkward was when Buddy called people out in the crowd for various reasons. I did not know what to think, but he quickly diverted the nervous tension to something else. My favorite student writer today would have to be Dena and her quote "Cancer is so limited it can't cripple love." I think I will always remember this quote. Another line that stuck with me was from Buddy Wakefield. "You give live in order to get love." This quote is so true in countless ways. I really enjoyed writer's week and am disappointed this is my last year for it.
ReplyDeleteI thought overall today was entertaining.There were several zingers that really stuck with me. The first one was from Andrea S. poem called Indifferent. It read "Your a taser without the shock." This really just stuck to me. I liked it because it was so simple and made perfect sense. I feel like her poem was easily relate-able to students my age, because at one point and time we have all felt that way. The other poem This Sky I Dream of Mine was good, but I felt the author did not use good body language as she read her work. I was distracted by her extreme head movements as she read. The person who I believe was the best today was Jessica Wilke. I feel like she had so much courage to get up on stage in front of all her peers and read such a meaningful poem. I for sure can relate to her as well and the way she explained grief was exceptional. The line that really got me was "Pretending he was asleep," as she referred to her grandfather in the casket. I myself have thought that before of loved ones as they were being laid to rest and shown for the last time. Her story brought tears to my eyes and was very touching. I give her props for having the courage to read her story. Christ Crutcher was the last presenter today. I was surprised at how in touch he is with our generation. It was as if he was a teenager in an adults body. He had a great sense of humor and I liked that because he grabbed my attention and kept it. "All my initials are C. that's poetic," When he said this quote as he was explaining his grade point average and attitude in his high school years I had to laugh. I also got a chuckle when he told his telephone man stories. I felt bad that the fire alarms went off during his presentation, but I do have to admit that what he was talking about which was telephone man was perfect timing as he was doing a big bad impression of him when the alarm sounded. Some things I did not like were how rude and disrespectful some people in the audience were, and the fact that it was interrupted several times throughout the hour. But other than that I thought the hour was enjoyable and inspiring.
ReplyDeleteThe next few days at WW '11 were equally as awesome as the first. We're all so lucky to have this at our school. I think it brings the student body closer together, which is important.
ReplyDeleteWednesday:
I saw many talented student and faculty presenters in both 1st & 3rd hour. Endia bravely talked about her younger sister, Ivana. Her having autism is clearly something that's affected her life's plotline. She said she often wonders what it would be like if Ivana were normal, but that she would never have learned to love unconditionally or adapt to tough situations.
I thought Dave Cullen was sooooo cool. He was inspring, because he turned what could've been an incomplete dust collecter turned into a New York Times bestseller. Through only one person, I learned about Columbine through multiple points view. I have a much clearer picture of the killers' motives. Talking about a school shooting in an audtiorium with hundreds of other highschoolers did make me nervous, though. I hate thinking about what would happen if a similar tragedy occured at West.
Tamar & Holmes rocked third hour. I wish they'd put all of their Q&As on a blog so I could read them! The audience seemed particularly interested in Georgian dating.
When Mr. Holmes told me he was writing a poem, I was definitely skeptical. Within the first ten seconds, however, he blew me away like a shed in Katrina. I always knew he had a deep/thoughtful view of the world. It should've been no surprise that he can put words together in such a poignant, passionate way.
Thursday:
Sierra Demulder was aweeesomeee. I've never heard a female slam poet before. I love how slammers use their inuque/weird personalities to frame their performances. She tackled a lot of social issues, but it seemed she was equally passionate about all of them. I wonder if people ever commission her to write poetry about certain topics.
Students were also awweesomeee this hour. Daniel Sanders definitely has a talent for putting what his mind's eye sees on paper. Brent made me so proud. He rock-solid sure of himself, but not in a conceited way. I hope any other kids struggling with the same issues heard him/ hear about him and are inspired.
I heard Buddy Wakefield again this year. He was just as fantastic. Sometimes though, I like his actions better than his words. It's not that I don't like them, I just feel like I don't have the advanced metaphorical mind to understand what they mean.
Friday:
Saw some more awesome students. I wish more kids would do musical acts, like Brandon Swanson. One of the teachers, the 7-foot tall one, read a poem that realllllly made no sense to me until he finished. Then, I realized it was about abortion. I wish he would've said that beforehand b/c I'm sure a lot of kids didn't catch that.
----
My last Writers Week is over and done, but the words spoken in that auditorium still hang in the air and have infected every listener with insight into their fellow students' p.o.v. I'll miss WW very much next year.
Tuesday: Today in writer's week i was able to see several students perform poems and Chris Crutcher. I really enjoyed Andrea Sherod's poem that she read called Indifferent. It was very powerful and inspiring to hear about how you have to let things go and not worry about those people who are trying to tear you down. Letting go of the "haters" are a great way to live life in that you keep those that truly matter close to you. I also enjoyed Chris Crutcher's performance (as well as the fire alarm) because I felt like his stories come from another place than most authors. His background of being a pyschiatrist really opened the doors for him to create characters that speak to you. I know this because I have read his book Deadline before.
ReplyDeleteThursday: the instant I saw/heard Buddy Wakefeild, I was in love. His style is completely different than anything i have ever head before and even though it was still poetry it kept my attention the entire time. Probabally my new favorite quote that he said was, "Hearts don't break, they bruise and get better." Being a teenager its obviously hard to go through tough relationships and losing people that used to mean so much to you but this quote really opened my eyes to show that in the end it all works out.
Monday: I really enjoyed the students that performed during 1st hour. Darcie, Marcus, and Ariana shared their personal stories. Darcie and Ariana both shared their experiences when it came to coping with the death of their loved ones. While it may be a tradgedy, both girls found a way to find something good in such a terrible situation. I've been fortunate and have not lossed anybody close to me, but its nice to know that these girls have grown a lot from the experience. I was inspired by Marcus King's story. Despite being thrown into school programs that he didn't think he needed to be in he still held his head up high. Although he feels like teachers in the past thought he would never suceed, he is determined to proove them wrong. I'm glad that we got to see Corey's performance, after hearing about serious subjects it was nice to hear something that definately lightened the mood. Corey's performace made my day and was one of the most memorable performances from writer's week.
ReplyDeleteWednesday: I really enjoyed Michelle Shorley and Endia Lumpkin's performance. I really like how Endia started out her work by saying her little sister inspires her. In most cases it is the younger sibling that looks up to the older. However, by the end of Endia's story, it becomes clear how inspirational Endia's little sister is. While it hurts Endia to see her sister go through pain, in some ways it has had a huge impact on Endia's life. Michelle's story was also a memorable highlight from the week. Many great points were made throughout her performace. While she came from a past she would like to forget, she made the point that our past is who we are and it shouldn't be ignored. Through her difficulties in the past, Michelle shows how it helped her grow as a person.
After Dave Cullen's performance, I realized how much research goes into writting a book. I was amazed that it took him 10 years to write "Columbine". I learned a lot about the Columbine incident that I did not know until Writer's Week. I haven't read the book but I definately plan on reading it. I think it is neat how he tells the story from 10 different perspecitves. The incident affectected many people, but each person involved has their own story to tell.
Friday: Having Sylvester Chison and Arthur Shives perform on Friday was a great way to end the week. Of all the guest speakers that we had, Sylvester and Arthur were my favorite. In the short time that they spoke, I learned so much from them. I think their book is definately worth reading. Sylvester and Arthur have been through the process of becoming a sucessful entrepeneur and their advice can be beneficial to others. They made me realize that you really can do anything you want in life if you work hard for it. Sylvester and Arthur came from humble beginings and they are now very sucessful indiviuduals. They started off with a water hose and bucket, and look where they are now.
First of all, I want to say that every writer I got the opportunity to see performed incredibly. Their courage showed clearly, and their writing was inspiring. Secondly, I wanted to thank each writer for teaching me something of some sort, or bringing about something that wasn’t quite clear to me before. And lastly, I am disappointed that I never got up to read something that I have written. It’s probably the lack of confidence I have in my writing, but I wish I would have overcame that during Writers Week.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about poetry, I think about simple rhyming words sitting on a few short lines, not making any sense at all. But once students and professionals got up on stage and read their pieces, I realized that not all of poetry is traditional. I realized that interpretation is the key to comprehending it. I also learned that writing about major issues would catch more attention than a typical poem about love or heartbreak, or at least, that’s how I interpreted it.
A couple writers said things that I will never forget. On Tuesday, Coach Wright expressed his confusion about the latest fashion. “When did it be come OK to just wear tights?” I laughed so hard at that, because that’s the one thing my friends, sisters, and I refuse to do. Mr. Boelter also had something to say about how the styles are changing. He told us that “Barefoot was the old ‘sagging pants.’” Towards the end of Mr. Boelter’s piece, when he started to get serious, he had me tearing up when he said “The man I hated all my life was in a deep struggle.” When Leslie Sanazaro performed her song “For You” it made me think about how lucky we are to have our God. My favorite line was “You move mountains in a day’s worth, so tell me, what can I do for You?”
On Thursday, everyone did fantastic. Brent’s piece put me in shock. All I could think about was “Really? People spat on you as you got off the bus?” It made me sick, but also proud to see him stand up and let everyone know what’s up.
Sierra DeMulder was the most interesting person to watch. I loved everything about her! I liked how her arms moved as she spoke, or how her voice changed when her character did, or how she used repetition and counting and rewinding. She had me so teary-eyed in a couple poems. I think she might have made me like poetry.
It’s safe to say that Writers Week 2011 was a success and a lot of fun.
Monday:
ReplyDelete*Student presenters. The two that really stood out to me were Tori Courtney and Corey Benson. They talked about high school and brought out the things we never really notice. But I think all of the presenters did a great job. I know how nerve wrecking it is to get up there and read.
*Faculty presenters. Mr. Smittle was one of my favorites. I know how hard melanoma is to beat and the way he was joking about it was pretty shocking. Some of my favorite lines had to be: "I looked like a sad turtle." and "Oh... You weren't supposed to feel that." Mr. Pecka's piece reminded me of Greasy Lake. Those poor birds. I learned from Ms. Douglas that DFS used to mean Dead For Sure. And Mr. Jameson... well... poop.
Wednesday:
*Student presenters. I really liked Cindy's presentation. I liked the way she described the population of her old town. "A little town with a population less than the people in here." Tamara and Mr. Holmes' presentation was interesting. I learned a lot though.
*Dave Cullen. He is probably my favorite presenter of the week. I love learning about things like Columbine and I learned so much during his presentation. Although he did get off track a lot he was very descriptive. The question "Why did they do it?" bothered him for 10 years and now it's bugging me. So I'm reading his book to figure it out.
Friday:
*Student presenters. Brandon Swanson is an awesome singer. Plain and simple. And I really like what he did with his guitar. Amber and Molly's performance was great. They included everyone in there poem and at the end brought everyone together as one. "But the truth is, I'm scared."
*Faculty presenter. I really didn't get Mr. Ellerman's poem until the end. At the end I finally had to ask my friend if it was about abortion. But the line that stuck out to me the most was "After today, I'll never know pain."
Overall, Writer's Week was amazing. I'm really sad that my last Writer's Week is over. I really wish I had participated all three years that it has gone on.
First of all writers week was amazing! I loved it and to me it was very inspiring. Sometimes I forget all the talent West has to offer.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there was one studnt that stuck out the most to me and that Is Brent Doering. I thought the way he came out to everybody about him being gay was inspiring. His words I know touched my heart as well as others. I know it definatly made me think more about treating everyone with respect reguardless of who they are and what they do.
I also loved Sierra DeMulder her words were amazing! How she spoke and carried herself, the words she used, her stories people could relate to, and how she presented it all was just wonderful! It takes alot of talent to put together such strong emotions into a poem and be able to recite it like she did.
Sonya's poem i liked as well. I like how at first it started out really sad and emotional and in the end it was replaced by determination. It really spoke out to me being a girl because it was about being a strong woman and I liked how she related it to a piece of art work.
Overall Writers Week in one word was amazing! I swear each year it just keeps getting better and better. This year to me was the best we had so far and I enjoyed every minute of it!
As far as teachers go i really like both Mr. Pecka and Mr. Smittles stories. I thought that they were really enjoyable. I could just picture smittle with a bandage wrapped around his head and how miserable he must have felt. He called himself a "sad turtle" and I found that pretty amusing. I also thought how he referred to one of his doctors Dr. Super Model because she was so pretty...good choice of words.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Pecka I could literatly picture him and his friend plwong through a gathering of ducks. I thought it was funny how it happened to his friend and not him and how he was able to amuse himself of reminding his friend what he had just done. Picturing them running over them at 115 miles an hour is sad but also funny as well...I'm sorry but I have to be honest. His story I could relate to most because since I am a teenager I have done some pretty stupid things as well. So his story made it funny to know that us teens are not the only people who do stupid things.
This year writer’s week was filled with a boat load of emotional up and downs. It started off slow because John and Courtney’s pieces weren’t really of any interest to me. Elliot’s poem about school and detention was what woke me up. It was actually quite funny and really got me into it. “They really think they own us but they don’t have enough money to pay for a bus” wasn’t necessarily funny for its content, but they way he went about saying it made me laugh. I’d also like to point out that although Elliot has Asperger syndrome (a type of autism), he went up there and did a great job. It was really nice to see that everyone was getting into the mood of writing!
ReplyDeleteThe jokes continued when it was Mr. Wrights turn to read his poem. I remembered his writing from last year and really enjoyed what he had to say. This year was no different. His comments about Lady Gaga and Justin Beiber were comical but the lines that were the reason for my sore abs were his comments about Facebook. He told us about his time at the mall where he somehow had managed to wander into the girls restroom. Dumbfounded on what to do, he turned to Facebook. He made a post telling everyone about his situation. Seconds later he got a response from one of his friends saying, “I just alerted mall security that there’s a big fat creepy guy in the women’s restroom”. This was hysterical and I could only imagine what happened if he had actually followed through with it. Mr. Wright had done it again.
After Mr. Wright, the mood changed from a laughable funny atmosphere to more of a sad and serious one. One of the older faculty members told a story that couldn’t help but grab my attention. He was very emotional during his story and one line really got my attention. “The man I hated all my life was in a coma…I loved him with all my heart”, was a line that really got me thinking and had me feeling a little emotional myself. The first day was over and the next was soon to come.
The second session I attended was very impression. Not only were there some great content but it was another roller coaster ride of emotions. The first speaker (whose name I didn’t catch) had two very good poems. I loved how they rhymed and flowed together. My favorite of the two was his poem discussing the constant fight between his emotions and intellect.
The next piece of writing (and writer) really caught me off guard. Brent’s poem “I was Born This Way” really took some courage to get up there and say it. At first I started to laugh because he was basically giving a speech about how he was gay. But further into the writing it wasn’t so funny. He faced ridicule and was even “spit on when [he] got off the bus” or called a “faggot”. It’s just wrong and knowing that someone could do that to another person just makes you wonder. Nobody deserves that, no matter what. The amount of respect I have for Brent is indescribable and I don’t even know him. This one of the writers I would have liked to talk to after he read what he wrote. There’s no way I would get up there and read something like that. My hat is off to him.
Instead of writing about what I saw when I went down to Writers Week during my english class period, I have decided that I will post my reactions to the presenters who left the greatest impact on me.
ReplyDelete- On Wednesday I got the pleasure of seeing the poet David Clewell. He was he first person that I got to experience during writers week who was much more to me than just another presentation. He was very clever and taught me about writing in way that was enjoyable and even fun. When Mr Clewell stepped on the stage, I never would have expected that a poet who prides himself on his sense of sarcasm would have taught me anything useful. At first, when he started reading his poems, I was understanding the words themselves, and then I started to process the meanings of the words, and picked up on allusions to events in history, and other literary works. This caught my interest and I found myself analyzing everything that he said in every piece that he read to us. The hour after Writers Week, I realized that I had done this and had actually enjoyed t. He had taught me that analyzing poetry can actually be entertaining, and that there is no reason for anyone to stress over doing so. he also taught me that poetry is "more than just feelings". I loved the idea of this quote in particular because it showed me that he could not only say this and expect us to believe him, but he could prove that poetry really is much more than just the expression of every day emotions; poetry is about anything you want it to be.
- On Thursday, I actually started to cry during Writers Week because I was so moved by the piece done by Brent Doering. His courage and passion were so overwhelming. I am at a loss for words for how powerful this was and how to write my reaction in any words other than "wow".
Another amazing student speaker was Daniel Sanders. He brought the flaws of society as we know it to our attention and just by simply doing that, he made me want to help right some of the wrongs in the world. The most memorable line from the pieces he read was "We put more value on the sole of a shoe than the soul of a person." This line really sticks in my head because he didn't say "they" as in the rest of society, he chose to use the work "we". Part of me is horribly bothered by this simple word change because he is right. At some point in their lives, everyone thinks that it is acceptable to ignore the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of another person, just simply because we want something that is easier to get when the other person is out of the equation.
Thursday must have just been a day for the memorable speakers, because that was also the day that I was introduced to the art of slam poetry by Sierra DeMulder. When she was introduced by the staff, I'm not exactly sure what I expected, but it was not what Sierra DeMulder appeared to be. But after her first poem, I realized that inside that small woman standing on the stage, was a wonderfully powerful, independent, and intellectual person. She has the courage and the determination that are necessary for anyone to make others listen not only to the words that she says and the stories that she tells in her poems, but also the messages, which are sometimes obvious yet other times require the audience to actually think about what she has just said. Overall she was an amazing performer, and I will look forward to hearing more from her in the future.
Tuesday:
ReplyDeleteI was very excited for my final Writers Week experience and I have to say the student and faculty presenters did not fail to interest me. I will admit that I was originally somewhat disappointed that my class hour was not seeing a guest speaker, but the student and faculty presenters were excellent. Each presenter had their own style, tone, and message which kept my full attention. I was amazed at all of their calm and composed attitudes, as none seemed to be nervous or unsure of themselves. I know it must have taken a lot of courage and bravery for the presenters to share their work in front of all their fellow peers. Although all of the presenters were great some of them stood out to me.
One student presenter that was very impressive to me was Elliot. Elliot opened his presentation by informing the audience about his aspergers disorder. He wanted to show everyone that this disorder does not make him any different than anyone else and that it doesn’t limit his abilities. I thought it was very neat to see that Elliot does not let the disorder hold him back. Elliot’s poem about detention was very humors and kept me laughing. Referring to teachers, one of my favorite quotes from him was, “They really think they own all of us but they don’t have enough money to pay for a bus.” Elliot did a great job all around. I believe he opened people eyes and showed that he can do anything he wants. Not to mention, his writing was awesome.
Once again, Mr. Wright had me laughing from the beginning to the end of his presentation. I have seen Mr. Wright perform in previous years, and it is never a disappointment. Through his piece, “What I Don’t Understand,” he used very smart and witty humor while making fun of things going on in the world today. From a kid in tight pants, to Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, Mr. Wright made fun of it all. According to him, “Justin Bieber might be the anti-Christ.” This quote stuck with me and had me laughing all day. He was one of my favorite speakers to listen to.
Paul had a very heat-touching story that was very sad. The story really meant a lot to Paul as he stopped a couple times to wipe away tears. It was sad to hear that Paul had not had a close relationship with his parents, but regretted it in the end as his dad was near his death. “Fighting tears I could not help but love him deeply.” This quote was very powerful and showed that even though they may not have gotten along Paul did love his dad. One thing I didn’t like during this was the rude snickers in the audience as a result of Paul’s sincerity.
At the end of the hour I found myself to be very disappointed because I wanted to stay longer. I was very pleased with the first day and looked forward to my next opportunity to attend Writers Week again. I never take the time to realize the power of words until I hear these speakers.
Thursday:
ReplyDeleteWriters Week does not disappoint. Once again I was very fortunate to see wonderful speakers. The student speakers were amazing and the slam poet, Sierra DeMulder was unlike anything I have seen before. As Mr. Holmes said, she really does give you chills while listening to her. All of the presenters had such a powerful message through their writing that really made me think.
Daniel Sanders poem titled “Greed” was so cool and very true. “Money is the root of all evil.” Some may hear this and think that Daniel is crazy, but I believe this to be very true. They always say that money can’t buy happiness, and he showed that throughout his poem. Daniels poem contained so many powerful words that all rhymed and flowed together so well. This was by far my favorite poem I heard.
One speaker that really taught me a lot was Brent. Brent had a very personal issue that he shared with many of his peers. He taught me that even though I may not agree with his personal choices, it doesn’t make him any different than anyone else. He is still a human that deserves the same amount of respect that anyone else gets. “I was raised to love everyone for who they are.” This quote will probably stick with me forever. It showed me that he doesn’t judge anyone for what they do so why should he be judged any differently. This was a real eye opener and taught me a lot. I will no longer judge someone for what they do.
I really don’t know what I can say about Sierra DeMulder without going on and on. I have never seen a slam poet with such passion and energy. Her poems were all based on real life issues that people have to face. Although very few pertained to me I was still intrigued by all of them. I could have sat in the auditorium listening to her all day and not been bored. Each poem was different in its own way and kept me very interested. I am sure she will continue to have success in her slam poetry competitions.
Unfortunately this was my last Writers Week ever. It was very exciting and made me realize all the different ways to present writing. It seems as though writing is one of the best ways to express an individual’s thoughts and feelings. Looking back on it, I wish I would have presented. I guess you could say stage fright held me back. Although I didn’t present I am still happy I was able to attend it. I was only able to make it for two sessions but I wish I would have seen more. I heard about so many other great presenters from my friends. Writers Week is awesome and I encourage everyone to participate in it.
I wish that I could write about every single person and say how much I loved their stories or poems, but that would take up to much space. I was so inspired by everyone that went up on that stage because I know that I would never have the courage to do so. Even though I liked listening to everyone there were a few that stood out to me the most.
ReplyDelete-Monday, when Torie shared her poem about high school there was not a single thing that was not true, everything she said explained how high school is perfectly, a quote that stood out to me most was “he uses his clothing as a shield to how small he feels” that is a very powerful quote with so much meaning I really liked it. Also I loved the quote by Corey, “ this is a school not a night club” it made me laugh because not only me, but everyone else in the auditorium knew that that statement was so true and more people need to listen to it.
-Wednesday, I liked all of Cindy’s poems but the one that stood out the most to me is The mom that has never been, when she read it I could relate to her and she is who inspired me to write my short story for English . When listening to Dave Cullen I was immediately interested as soon as he started talking. He had my attention from beginning to end. When he said that one of his main concerns was to find out what happened to the students after the shooting, if they were okay, how they recovered, etc. when the bell rang and he was cut short I was disappointed.
-Friday, I absolutely loved Molly and Amber’s presentation it was different but very interesting. They successfully accomplished to include everyone in the school and their different personalities. I really liked Brandon Swanson’s song also he was very talented.
Everybody did a great job and I would say that Writers Week 2011 was a success and am sad it is my last year seeing it.
Tuesday:
ReplyDeleteMy first day in Writer’s Week was definitely a good one. The mix of student and faculty writers was a great combination. All of the writers did a good job and they were only a select few that I found to be somewhat boring.
John Dubois’ short story was definitely unique and interesting. It made a lot more sense once he made it known that he was werewolf in the story. I don’t know if he wrote this based on a past personal experience, but that’s what it seemed like to me. Overall, his writing caught my attention and kept me interested.
The funniest presentation of the hour was definitely Elliot Littlejohn’s. His catchy poems about teachers were really entertaining. His poems were short, catchy, true, and funny. His introduction also got everyone’s attention when he said, “My name is Elliot Littllejohn, and I am in no way related to the rapper Little Jon.” This was a great ice breaker and mood setter. He was one of my favorites of the hour.
After the students, the hour transitioned to faculty presenters. Mr. Wright’s “What I don’t understand, I’m Just Saying” spiel was really funny. I got the chance to hear him last year, and I’m glad I was able to again. Throughout his presentation he mocked and made fun of many things, including: Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Eminem, Blacked Eyed Peas and their super bowl performance, emo and goth kids, the excuse me clause, facebook, and some of the ridiculous student habits at West. A lot of the stuff he talked about was easy to relate to, and a lot of it was very true. I found myself agreeing with him for the most part. I thought one of the funnier things he said was “emo kids are the ones that are too scared to go goth.” I also thought his opinion on guys wearing kapri pants was pretty funny, too. Overall, he met my expectations from last year and gave everyone in the audience a good laugh. He was definitely my favorite writer of the week.
In Denise Enmen’s “The Man with Many Hats,” a hat is used as a metaphor for the different roles her father took on. I found this to be very creative. Paul’s life story was also very good, and Mr. Kuenert’s songs were really enjoyable. Having music instead of strictly spoken writing was a nice twist.
Overall, this was a good start to Writer’s Week, and all the writers did a great job. It made me appreciate poetry more, too.
Thursday:
Thursday proved to be another good day of Writer’s Week, with plenty of great writers.
I really liked Daniel Sander’s poems. They were well spoken, had strong messages, and made a lot of sense. He had great words and rhymes. I would have never guessed he could write like that. He was probably my favorite writer of the hour.
I don’t know Brent, but he definitely had a lot of courage to stand up there and say what he said. It surely opened up many students’ eyes. It’s hard to believe how people treat others just because they are different than them. His speech provided a realization that many needed. The audience also reacted more maturely than I expected.
Sierra Demulder seemed like a big hit to everyone, especially girls. Mainly because a lot of the stuff she talked about was more relatable to girls. For the most part, I enjoyed her slam poetry. I wasn’t amazed, though. I found her hard to understand at times due to the speed she was speaking at. I was amazed at how many poems she had memorized. Her poems were good, though, and some of them definitely had meaning to them. I think I would have enjoyed Buddy Wakefield more.
Overall, my second day at Writer’s Week was good, but found the first day to much more interesting and entertaining. This year definitely topped last year, though.
I don’t remember what days I saw all of these, so im just going to review the ones who stood out the most to me.
ReplyDelete~Chris Crutcher. He is a real trooper. He was interrupted by a fire alarm, Mr. Dobrinic’s booming voice, and the afternoon announcements. He wasn’t fazed at all. I enjoyed his story about Telephone man, although it was a bit long for the segue it was meant to be. It was also interesting to find out that he had a movie made from one of his books and has a bunch of scripts floating around.
~Dave Cullen. 10 years to write a book, now that is dedication. You could tell how passionate he was about Columbine and all of its victims. I could have listened to him talk about it all day, I wish we would have had more time for him. I’m currently reading his book.
~Eugene Redmen. Unintentionally hilarious. I appreciated his poetry but it was hard to take him seriously with his outfit and his overly excited tone. I’m glad people responded though when he asked everyone to repeat after him…I still don’t know what he was saying.
~Leslie Sona-something. Great voice, she could go really far. I like that she uses her status as a singer/songwriter to help benefit worth causes such as climate change and human trafficking.
~Brandon Swanson. Another great voice. If he pursues music, I can see him going really far. I really loved his song and the music. He was very good on stage.
~Tori Courtney. Excellent observations about the high school hierarchy. You never really think about it as a vicious cycle that starts over and over. Her paper was really well-written.
~Jessica Wilke. I’m sure that it took a lot of courage to stand up in front of a bunch of people and wear your heart on your sleeve. Her paper about her grandfather and grief was amazing. I loved the metaphor of grief being a hand holding you under water, it captured the emotion very well.
~Mr. Jameson. Hilarious. I don’t usually appreciate hearing about bodily functions, but your paper about your pets and kids was very funny. I was laughing the whole way through.
~Mr. Pecka. Wow, if he hadn’t written this in such a light tone, I may have cried for the gaggle of geese that he and his friend were responsible for killing. It is a very humorous situation although very tragic…115 mph down a hill. Just the mental image that popped into my head was enough to keep me laughing.
~Mr. Smittle. I commend him for turning what could possibly be the darkest time of his life into a light and humorous story. I mean “Dr. Supermodel”? That’s pretty funny. Major kudos to him for having a whole room of people laughing at cancer.
~Mr. Holmes and Tamara. Loved this! It was very interesting to see the differences/comparisons that they came up with for life in two very different countries.
~Mr. Holmes. His poem was probably my favorite of the entire week. I wish I could get my hands on a copy of it so I could remember all of it. I was bit scared for him when he said he never really wrote a poem before, but I’m not sure what he was afraid of because it was excellent.
~I’m very sad that this is the last writer’s week I will get to enjoy. I wish I could have had the courage that all of these presenters have to get up and read, but alas, I’m too scared :) I really love writer’s week, it is very inspirational and informative, and it helps you see your classmates/teachers ect. In a whole new light.
I think that Writers Week 2011 was very successful. All of the student writers I saw were confident, and it was obvious that they all had a story to tell. All of the guest speakers were very talented, and were excellent performers. Each day, there were different things that stood out to me.
ReplyDeleteOn Monday, I liked Marcus’ paper about his learning disorder. What he said that really stood out to me was “Never give up.” I also liked Darcy’s performance, and what I got out of it was “Live like your dying,” which is really the best way to live because you never know what’s going to happen. Out of the whole class period, the thing that stood out to me the most was when Arianna said “Never take love for granted.” It really meant a lot to me in a few different ways, because there are different interpretations of that quote.
On Wednesday, I liked Michelle’s writing about her background and past, and how she said “Never fear where we came from.” I also thought it was inspiring when India said “Stay positive when it seems that every odd is against you,” because it’s really difficult to actually do that. The thing that stuck with me most though was when Robert said “I’m not who I appear to be.” To me, that meant that people shouldn’t be judged by how they look and where they came from.
On Friday, the people I saw were Arthur Shivers and Sylvester Chisom. I wasn’t really that interested in what they were talking about, but they did say a few things that were really good advice. One thing was “It starts with you,” which means to find your passion, and then pursue it. Another strong thing they said was “Build relationships, don’t burn bridges.” That’s good advice for anyone, not just entrepreneurs. One more thing that stood out to me was “Start small, finish big,” because that’s the best way to become successful.
Overall, I was very impressed with all the presenters at Writers Week, and I think they all deserve recognition for doing a very good job.
If there is one word I cannot stand, it is inspirational. The word has been used so many times that it makes me want to puke when I hear it. I’m pretty sure that’s called a cliché. So even though many will call this Writer’s Week inspirational, I will not. I refuse to use a clichéd word to describe a week that has utterly transformed my perspective on writing. Instead, I will say that I was syntactically stunned.
ReplyDeleteDay one of Writer’s Week I would label as the “humorous day,” at least from what I saw. The first presenter I saw was a boy ranting about pointless things. He had me shaking from head to toe, laughing. I truly lost it when he was referencing people wearing leggings as pants. He said, “There’s a time and a place for those leggings and it’s not here.” I think all the time about how I’m going to describe this generation’s style to future generations and this will definitely enter the conversation. One of the boy’s ending remarks was, “There’s something that will always be true. My Grandpa will never figure out iTunes.” I love humor so much and this presenter reminded me that you don’t have to have something profound to say just to write. Mr. Schmittle’s story about his cancer was one of those, “I really shouldn’t be laughing at this, but I am,” kind of things. He told it in such a lighthearted way that I couldn’t help myself. I was looking forward to Eugene Redmond and unfortunately was disappointed. The man’s poems were phenomenal, but he talked about them too much for my liking. It was quite funny when he made all of us repeat “Louder!” though. I wouldn’t say he put me to sleep, but I certainly wasn’t fully engaged.
Wednesday was my second day of Writer’s Week and this one might be my favorite simply because of a man named Dave Cullen. Oh my goodness! His words were so intriguing and not one part of his presentation bored me. It may be just because Columbine particularly fascinates me, but my ears were alert and ready from the moment he started talking. I got a chance to talk to him after the session and I felt like I was in holy presence or something. It just amazes me that he has spent over ten years of his life devoted to this story. His dedication to Columbine dumbfounds me and encourages me. Dave Cullen taught me that if I’m going to be passionate about something, stop at nothing to get my point across. David Clewell surprised me. No offense to him, but he doesn’t exactly cross me as the “poet laureate type,” but as soon as he read his poems I thought differently. I was cracking up when he said, “Write down your feelings on paper and it will be a poem.” He said it in such a condescending way and sure enough I thought of a teacher I had who said that. His poems were appealing to me because they weren’t super gushy. They were funny. His poem about Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stood out the most to me. I never noticed that Armstrong misspoke on the moon. I lost it when he said, “I can be the first to walk on the moon and talk in grammatical sentences.” Clewell made it a point that everyone has written a poem and that we all can be amazing writers if we are determined. I enjoyed his perspective.
thankful. If he had shown up then I wouldn’t have gotten the amazing opportunity to hear Mr. Jameson’s blog about bullying. He broke my heart hearing about that kind of stuff even though there was a humorous spin on it. I can completely relate to Mr. Jameson in that way and to be honest I never would have thought him to get picked on. I’m excited that he was able to write about it now so we all could hear it. I loved the way he wrote it as well. It was like a flashback. And I can still picture him saying, “Bye Logan, bye Logan, bye Logan!” That man writes a very fascinating blog that I would honestly read every day. On Friday I also got the amazing opportunity to hear a poem from the perspective of an aborted baby. This one brought me to tears and I commend the teacher so much for making a stand about his beliefs. One line that was repeated over and over again in the poem was “She took your hand and led me to the promise land.” I will have the images of that poem forever stuck in my mind. That’s honestly how much it affected me. That man’s poem moved me so much that I actually told him in the hallway how thankful I was for him reading.
ReplyDeleteWriter’s Week is one of those things that you don’t realize how grateful you are for them until you know you’re going to lose them. When I thought about leaving West before, losing Writer’s Week didn’t cross my mind. Now it has. I am pretty angry at myself for never working up the courage to present, but most of all I’m angry that I’ll never experience this again. Nothing compares to Writer’s Week a West. I’m truly going to miss the unity that it brings to the student body and faculty. It’s impossible to express my full gratitude to those who have made Writer’s Week possible. But I’ll just have them know that they have changed the way I look at writing in an amazing way.
Wednesday - The students that performed today were all very good writers with excellent pieces, and their own stories to tell. My favorite writer of the day was Michelle. Her story was easy for me to relate to. I agree that you shouldn't avoid the bad things in life. They, more than the good things, define who you are as a person.
ReplyDeleteThe professional writer that I saw today was David Cullen. His presentation definitely made me want to go out and read his book. It was really interesting to hear about Columbine from someone who had spent 10 years writing and researching the book. One quote from him really stuck in my mind, "Anger is like drinking a poison hoping you kill the other person."
Friday - Today Slyvester Chisom and Arthur Shivers were the people I saw at Writer's Week. "When you ambitiously pursue your passion nothing can stop you from being great" Their presentation was about the book the wrote about being a young entrepreneur. I really found this interesting. It's amazing to see what happens when you "start small, and finish big."
Amidst all the dark or depressing poems I heard in WW ‘11 a few pieces really stuck out to me. I was very impressed with Dena Badran’s courage to go in front of a full auditorium and read her personal letter to her grandmother. She talked about things that many people think but never say to close friends or family and the fact she realized she missed the opportunity to say it in person didn’t just forget about it was very cool.
ReplyDeleteAnother captivating speaker was Buddy Wakefield. Some people talk with their hands a lot, but I’ve never seen someone that uses every inch of their body. It seems Buddy would almost needs a choreographer for such a presentation. The most impressive thing about him is the ability to start a poem without me even realizing it. He would tell a story, weave in a bigger lesson, and at some point he began a very expressive poem but he talks so poetically anyway no one knew exactly when that was. Even answering student questions he had something very interesting and unique to say with no planned story to lead into it. He is clearly a gifted speaker who can really think on his feet.
Sierra DeMulder was one of the most passionate poets I have ever seen. I was obvious that she got very deep into her pieces and knew how to connect to the audience. I couldn’t help but think how sorry I feel for anyone that has gotten into an argument with her. DeMulden’s poems were about serious topics, some controversial, and she sure knew how to argue her side of things. After seeing so many talented writers this year, it is almost a shame I won’t be here next year to see it. Except not at all.
Day on:
ReplyDeleteThe student writters were phenomenal. I was shocked that the students were open with their feelings. I admir them for getting up one the stage and reading infront of hundreds of people. The student writters made me think about alot of things that has happened through my life. One student writter wrote about their friends death and how it could have been prevented. when she read that poem it just made me think about the friend that i lost my junior year. The student's poem brought up alot of the memmories that i didnt think i would forget, but i did. So after hearing her writting it, it made me want to write about all the memories that i had with that friend. I wanted to do this because i did not want to forget them. Eugene B. Redmond made me laugh a little. I liked the fact that he let the audience participate with the poem reading. Great Job West Writters and Speakers!
Dy two:
ReplyDeleteSecond day of writters week the student writter were amazing. I loved Sherods poem about how she is going to let all the drama go and just enjoy her senior year to the fullest. The quote that stuck with me the most was You don't phase me" Sherod's poem made me realize that i am only going to be a high school senior once and i am not about to have all the pettie drama ruin my senior year. I am going to let them go and just go about my day. Another poem that stuck with me was Jessica Wilke. Oh my god her poem was sad and brought up some memories about my grandma, may friends, and family members that have died in my family. Her poem brough alot of sorrow to me and I thought I was about to cry. I admire her for having the courage to bring the memory back and sharing it with the rest of us. The poem was very moving and i thought it was sweet that she read it in front of her family. The necklace that she was wearing on her neck reminds me of the ring that my grandma gave me for my sixteenth birthday. i enjoyed the writters and the speaker of this period
Friday
ReplyDelete-I really enjoyed Brandon's song. At times the volume hurt my ears and I couldn't really understand the words. I thought it was really cool that he could record things and then play them while he was playing something else. He was like a one man band.
-The "skit" that Mollie and Amber did was great. I thought they did a great job with the discriptions and they really captured the stereotypes we put on people.
-The poem Mr. Ellermann wrote about the baby who was aborted really touched me. I personally believe that abortion is wrong on so many levels. I really liked that the poem was written from the babys point of view.
Overall, I am really going to miss Writers Week once I graduate! I love it so much!!!
To be honest, I wasn’t too thrilled with this year Writers Week. The two hours I was able to attend was filled with student presenters, which truthfully I find to be boring. I mean I applaud them for going up there and reading in front of an audience, I know I couldn’t do it, but it’s not the most attention grabbing of work.
ReplyDeleteAfter last years writers week I kind of fell in love with the whole slam poetry thing so I was very excited to see Sierra Demulder perform. I was worried that she wouldn’t live up to the hype of Buddy Wakefield, but she proved me wrong. I thought she did awesome! One of the lines that hit close to home for me was when she said, “ my arms are in a constant position of pushing.” I love when I can relate to a piece of work like this. The way she was so honest and personal in her poems was admirable.
Another line of Sierra’s that I liked was “ I will meet you more than half way if you promise to meet me there one day.” I like this line in contrast with the first one I talked about. In the first line I got the feeling that she puts up a guard with a lot of people. That she’s afraid to form relationships in fear of getting hurt. In the second line she seems more vulnerable. Like all she wants is to actually have a good relationship with this person. Seeing the two sides made her more real and down to earth in my opinion.
Another great slam poet is George Watsky. And even though he wasn’t at writer’s week, I think he should be checked out for next year’s writer’s week. I recommend looking him up.
Overall I enjoy what writers week has become. Yeah, some of the stories might bore me to death, but I think its awesome that kids step out of their comfort zone and express themselves in front their peers.
sorry its on here twice. i forgot to include my name on the first one.
Monday
ReplyDeleteThe first day of writers week was full of really brave students and teachers. I really enjoyed the poem by Tory. I thought it was a good depiction of how high school can be and how it's a cycle of life. The idea of the "kings" giving up their crown was really funny to me. I also thought Mr. Pecka's story about the tragic massacre of birds was hysterical.
Wednesday
This day started with a great performance by Cindy. I really enjoyed her acting out her poems and actually putting emotions into it. The main event was Dave Cullen. At times I got a little lost, but for the most part I really enjoyed his presentation. The idea of Columbine fascinates me for the same reason it fascinated Cullen. I wanted to know why the killers did it and what happened to everyone after the incident. I look forward to reading his book and discovering more.
Friday
I enjoyed everyone who went this day. I really liked the music by Brandan Swanson and I agree that one of the best bands ever is Thrice. I also liked the affects he used with the guitar. My favorite of this day was Mr. Elmer(I think that's his name). His poem was really emotional and it must have taken a lot of courage to share. I want to thank everyone that shared during writer's week. It is a pleasure listening to individual stories and different forms of writing. Pretty much, I will miss writer's week.
day three
ReplyDeleteVery day the writers were great and they were open with their poems. The week was full of sorrow so i was kind of happy that the mood was lighter. The second studennt writer was interesting. I felt alot of pain because he spoke the truth about how he felt. When he was reading it i though i felt his sadness through my body. I wanted to like literaly jump on the stage and tell him that everything was going to be alright. The best part of the writers week I have to say is Buddy Wakefield. There was never a dull moment when he was up on the stage. I will be honest i have never heard of slam poetry until i heard Wakefield. I like the fact that he put some feelings and emotions into his writing. He was bold and he was not afraid to tell some one to leave. I loved that he was funny and always knew how to keep the crowd laughing. i enjoyed writers week.
Writer’s week this year was very awesome. I got to see Sierra Demulder and Buddy Wakefield. Both slam poets did a fantastic job capturing your attention and holding it. Which is quite impressive when you consider a lot of people (if not all of them) were there against their will. I think that the student writers did a great job in 6th hour. Dena Badran did a fantastic job talking about her letter to a grandma. That was very brave of her to come to the podium and share that with a room full of strangers. I was also very pleased with how fast Sierra Demulder grabbed your attention with her poem about the school shooting. That’s what stuck with me the most is how dramatically she told the story and the red flower sprouting from a chest. I also liked her story Mrs. Domor. I enjoyed Buddy Wakefields entire act. He came on stage and he was alive with energy. I appreciated how he included some of our teachers into his poems. Overall it was a great performance and an awesome week. Thank you to all the writers both student and professionals that shared.
ReplyDeleteWriter’s week 2011 left me wanting more poetry than ever before in my life. I saw to major poets, Sierra DeMulder and Buddy Wakefield. Along with poetry I got to see St.Louis’ own talented singer/song writer Leslie Sanazaro. First performance I saw Sanazaro and she seemed a bit different. Her music wasn’t the normal type that I would listen to but her song she wrote about American idol was good. ‘Dreams aren’t everything.’ She said that was her motivation to write the song and I think that it had to be one the best things she could have said because like American idol people live their lives hoping for dreams to come true when in reality dreams really aren’t everything. On my second day I saw two amazing poets. I had seen Buddy the year before so I already knew what to expect. “Forgiveness is the release of all hope for a better past.” That line has stuck with me every since seeing him last year and watching him perform the poem again this year just made it even better, like when they say it’s better the second time around, that how I felt with Buddy. The story about the bear and plum tree probably was a good one and I wish he would have finished. I’m still wondering about that. Buddy had a feel good happy vibe with his performance and Sierra had a deeper feel to her work. She writes about the dark things because that’s what makes up a person. Her poems dealt with depressing topics but they where deep and carried strong meaning. “Sober is just another word for thirsty,” shows how she puts words together for a catchy deeper meaning. I felt her writing impact me the most because it was what inspired me to write the poem for the class assignment. Sierra influenced me to write about a topic that had been bothering me for a long time; it was how a teacher talked about a student suicide. She was my favorite this year and when I went up to talk to her, she asked me add her on facebook. I thought that was pretty cool. The professional acts were my favorite part of writer’s week but I must say some students caught me completely off guard and in a good way. I never would have guess that my peers wrote poetry, well at least not Sherod. Her poem You Don’t Phase Me really caught my attention and I could relate to it because it is true what she said about senior year bringing more drama than peace to some people. One line that stood out to me from her performance was ‘living this life were in only the weak are hopelessly wandering.” I don’t know why but that line just sounded like it had a real deep though in it to me and it stayed in my mind. Writes week I think inspires a lot of people to go out and write something because you see professionals and students just like yourself write amazing things. I’m kind of sad this is my last writers week ever, but it won’t be the last time listening to slam poetry.
ReplyDeleteLast week i was supposed to present at writers week and unfortunately suffered from the flu that my family had all weekend. But i did get to enjoy one session of writers week on thursday! :)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed hearing the student presenters especially since alot of them talked about being judged and how it isnt right. no one has the right to judge others that they do not personally know.
I loved how Brent had the courage to share his story with the school and he did so in a creative way. My favorite line from him was "Who are you to judge me?" I was very proud of him for all the comments and such that he had to take just by sharing his piece. I wish all of us had the courage like he did to share our lives with others and i wish that people would listen to everyone like they did to him. Because then maybe they wouldnt judge everyone else. They would be able to understand everyone and know why they are the way they are. I just wish people would take the time to get to know others so that there would be less judgement.
I really enjoyed hearing the Slam Poetry from Sierra DeMulder. Man i have never been so inspired before to write..but her pieces( well some of them ) came from her own life stories, and the one that stuck out to me the most was the one about her and her mothers relationship. That was almost to a tee on how my mothers and i relationship is. So that night i went home and ended up writing a few pieces and one was about mine and my mothers relationship. I liked how she would get everyones attention in the beginning before she would start sharing. I also enjoyed hearing from her about the killer and the paper dolls poem too! :) Over all i loved writers week, as i always do but this year it has got me in the mood to write more creative pieces. And now the writing is just flowing out from me. :)
Writer’s Week Reactions:
ReplyDeleteTuesday and Thursday
Tuesday was a great day to attend Writer’s Week. The first presenter, Andrea, wrote a great poem reflecting her feelings toward senior year. While I may not be engaged in so much drama as she may be involved in, I definitely feel myself slowly becoming more and more apathetic towards school like how she described in her poem. Definitely by a long shot, Jessica was my favorite student presenter of the day. I admired how brave she was to share something that was she is still going through. I can’t even think about losing two important figures in my life in a matter of weeks. One of my favorite lines of the day, maybe even of the week, was said by Jessica. It was, “I decided that I would end that day not only alive but living”. This line spoke to me because it reminds me of all those days I wasted lying around and doing nothing instead of actually living my life to the fullest. The other two student presenters did a great job however I didn’t relate to their poems enough to really make an impact on me. I felt so bad for Chris Crutcher because he kept on getting interrupted, either by Dobrinics’ booming voice or fire alarms. I love how he said that he was inspired by Harper Lee so much to start writing. I related to this because I’m a huge reader and I’m always so inspired of the authors of the books I have read. I absolutely adored his telephone man story and how Chris Crutcher explained Telephone man’s facial expression to be as though he was saying, “Mess with me and I’ll dial you up”. I found this to be amusing and witty. Overall I liked Chris Crutcher as a presenter and I felt disappointed that his time was cut short because of the unexpected delays.
Thursday was also another fabulous day for Writer’s Week. The first presenter, whom I believe is named Demarcus, was a surprise. I definitely would have not pegged him to be a poet and I loved how Writer’s Week enabled students to see another side of their fellow peers which they haven’t be able to see before. Dena's letter was touching based on the fact that it was so personal and intimate. I loved her line, “Cancer is limited. It can’t cripple love”. I could also relate to her letter by how she described the relationship between her and her brother. Although I’m younger, I’m viewed as the more responsible one but in desperate times, my brother is always ready to step to the plate and back me up. The third presenter, Kelly, did a great job; I just didn’t connect to her piece. I’m beyond a doubt that she got a great grade for the assignment but I just wasn’t emotionally invested in the piece so my interest wasn’t there. How to describe Buddy Wakefield’s performance is beyond words. I swear I sat there the whole time just dumbfounded, trying to take in everything he was saying. My favorite poem was “Information Man”. My two favorite zingers from Buddy were "Stop inviting wall into wide-open spaces” and "I know everything is out there. It’s why they call it everything”. The only word to describe how I felt after Buddy Wakefield’s performance was ‘whoa’. I definitely thought that the Buddy Wakefield was the perfect way to end Writer’s Week and I’m extremely grateful that I got to see him.
I was SO excited for Writers Week this year. The past two years have been amazing so I knew I was in for something good. I went on Tuesday & Thursday. On Tuesday, the presenter that stood out to me the most was Elliot. It had to take a lot for him to get up there and be so open about what is going on in his life. He was also very funny and kept my attention the whole time. He inspired me to be more personal in my writing. “My name is Elliot LittleJohn, and I am in no way related to the rapper Little John.” this quote made me laugh and got a lot of people around my seats attention. It was a good way to introduce himself. And also a very good way to lighten the mood of his piece. He did such a good job and I really enjoyed listening to it!
ReplyDeleteOn Thursday the presenter that stood out the most was deffinately Sierra DeMulder. "Let him kiss you on the forehead; settle for target practice." Her slam poetry inspired me to go home and write, write, write! I did not actually go home and do that but at the time I felt like I was going to. She kept me wide awake even though I was dozing off the rest of the time. She was such a powerful young woman who got her point across. I wish I couldve talked to her afterwards but I had to get to class before I was late and everyone was surrounding her. This writers week topped the past two years! All the student presenters, teachers, and guest presenters did a great job! I wish I could have gone to more. But for what I did see it was amazing!
Monday
ReplyDeleteThe first presenter wasnt really clear.I felt as though he was on a different level then we were.And we were not on the same page.The student presenter Sana Platner was awesome! I really liked the metaphors she used.I painted a vivid picture of just about everything she used to describe her mother.
Wednesday
I enjoyed Seirra Demolder her poems were amazing.I could relate to some situations.I understood just about everything.I liked how she wasnt afraid to be honest and kept things on a level we could connect to.The poem I liked the most was the one about her best friend.It was cold and harsh but at the same time what more could you do if he wasnt in love with you?
Thursday
I congradulate the student who came out to everyone about his sexuality.It was abrave thing to do.Hopefully the message he was trying to get across helps others as well.
Buddy was hilarious! This wasmy first time seeing his performance.He kept it real and straight forward. And didnt sugarcoat anything. It was more actuality than reality.
On Monday, I presented. I was nervous to begin with, but as soon as I started reading I felt much better. My mom and dad were in the audience and so were many of my friends which is always a comfort. All the student presenters had very interesting works, but being behind them made it difficult to understand them. Corey made me laugh though! I completely agree with him about leggings and facebook and just about everything else he said. Corey is a great writer, and I think that he wrote his humorous piece wonderfully. Then, there was the great Bill McClellan. I loved when he said, “Sometimes you get sued.” He seems like such a down to earth guy and he just genuinely likes his job. I was so impressed that he never finished college and that he is still so successful. After first period, a few of us were standing talking and Bill McClellan came up to me and Corey. He complimented both of us on our performances and said many nice things. I like to think I’m a decent writer, but to have a professional tell me so really meant a lot.
ReplyDeleteOn Tuesday, I came to watch during 2nd period and academic seminar. The teachers during second period were the one that made the biggest impression on me. It was nice to hear what my teachers thought about things that didn’t have to do with the subject they teach. They shared personal stories and I truly felt for them. In academic seminar I was blown away by Leslie Sanazaro. Her voice is so compelling and beautiful. She asked the audience how they wrote songs and when everyone gave her different answers she just said, “ Whatever works for you.” She was inspiring and I don’t even have any musical talents. My favorite song she sang was “America” because it brought up a topic that I had recently been discussing with my sister and cousin. To me her song was about how the American dream is changing and that although dreams are always good to have, they are not everything. I didn’t get to speak with her afterward, but I have already told plenty of people to look her up on youtube. She was a presenter I will never forget.
ReplyDeleteOn Wednesday, I saw Dave Cullen. He showed so much passion about his book. I can’t imagine working ten years on a body of work, let alone work five years and scrap it to start over. I was impressed that he truly cared so much about his “characters”. He said that he thought of the book as a story, but he realized that these are real people and real events. His presentation was by far my favorite of the week. He is a reporter and because of that he is very charismatic. He knew so much about the subject of Columbine that I felt like we, the audience, could ask him anything about it and he’d know the answer. I bought a copy of his book and I got it signed by him. I got to talk to him for a little while and he was very nice. I’m a book nerd and I was ecstatic about the signed copy, although I had to have Jameson translate the writing for me later. I learned from Dave Cullen that dedication can take you far. He dedicated so much time to this book because he wanted to do justice to the people involve. I believe that this concept can be used in many types of writing as well as other parts of my life. It was truly a pleasure to meet Mr. Dave Cullen.
ReplyDeleteOn Friday, I saw Arthur Shivers and Sylvester Chism. Perseverance is the main word to describe these two men. They began their business with “just a water hose and a bucket”. I loved that their degrees had nothing to do with their jobs now, one with a degree in criminal justice and the other with a biology degree. They were fun guys to watch and I can really admire what they have made for themselves. They taught me what hard work really is. After listening to them I wanted to start my own lemonade stand. Haha. I’m not much for self help books and how to books but I have to say I think that there guide to help young people would be interesting. I just enjoyed listening to them.
ReplyDeleteAll week was fun and worthwhile. I’m so pleased that I got to present myself and also listen to so many talented people. I was inspired so much that I actually thought about writing poetry, and I hate poetry, so that’s saying something.
Great job everyone.
One of the most anticipated weeks of the school year at Hazelwood West keeps getting better and better every year. Needless to say, WW’11 was more than amazing this year. I was fortunate enough to attend a session everyday of the week. I saw the really good, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
ReplyDeleteThe really good was Mr. Buddy Wakefield. I heard rave reviews about his performance and slam poetry last year, but didn’t get the chance to experience it. His performance this year blew me away. Yes, some of his poetry was hard to understand. However, there were lines that stuck out and spoke to me. “Hearts don’t break. They bruise and get better.” Writing certainly has a way of getting to you at the right time in your life. As he went on to answer questions from the students I became even more inspired by him. Hearing his life story added more power to his poetic pieces. Poetry became exciting to me unlike never before. Bravo for Buddy Wakefield!
Let me skip the good and fill you in on the bad… Mrs. Mono-tone Poet lady. I am unable to share her name due to the fact that I was not tuned into her presentation at all. If it narrows it down, her performance was 7th of Thursday. I honestly can’t provide and information about her time on the WW’11 stage. After her first poem, I became more enthralled with the spiral of my notebook. I guess you can say her performance was uninspiring. Just plain bad.
When I say ugly, I am not talking about appearance. I am referring to the graphic nature of some of the poems. One word to describe some of the work presented from Jon and Girl-in-the-blue-shirt is demented. Bravo to getting up on stage and presenting, but I get a little nervous when revenge and killing is what comes out on paper. “Teeth sank into his neck” was one of the many phrases that made my jaw hit the floor. My eyes must have displayed a sense of fear. I guess there is a positive point to hearing these pieces: I now know who not to make mad.
Overall though, student presenters were good. Hearing you peers express their emotions through writing is exciting and touching. The pieces that told a story of secrets that touched the heart were among my favorite. One in particular, Brent Doering. First of all, I would like to applaud Brent on his tremendous courage. When the words “I don’t ask you why you’re straight, do I?” left his mouth, I saw several eyes open wider. Get ‘em, Brent. Kelly Johnson’s performance was also touching. A simple assignment for English became amazing with her background. Job well done. It all made me believe things were easier to say through writing.
One thing I wish were slightly different about the student performers was the amount of poetry. I feel as if all 500 of them I saw had the same message: be yourself. Thanks for sharing, but I’ve heard that one since I was 5. However, this did not make me change my view about writer’s week at all. It was still simply amazing to me.
From the get go, I knew this was going to be an awesome writers week. The opening day was almost definitely one of my favorite days. I got to see Mr. Pecka and Mr. Smittle, two of my mentors from the theater department. They were absolutely hilarious. I’ve always known they were funny, but man, they brought out some good material for writers week. Another man I found to be very funny was Antony John. He really gave me the impression that anybody could write, both with his attitude and his advice. His British accent brought extra flavor to his presentation, especially when he said the word “Laugh.”
ReplyDeleteNot all of the people I saw present were what could be considered happy. Sierra DeMulder’s slam poetry, though very dark, was quite inspiring and insightful. Her piece on being in love with someone who was already with someone was especially moving to me, having been in a similar situation before. Her line, “This is not important,” really stuck with me. However, the most emotional performance I saw during Writers Week came from my friend Brent Doring. I am so incredibly proud of him, and I truly admire the bravery he showed telling everybody “My name is Brent Doring, but I wouldn’t expect you to know that.” Overall, I t was certainly a Writers Week that will stick in my mind. All the writers I saw were so incredibly inspiring. It really makes me wish that I could just sit down and write they way they do. Maybe I still can.
Writer's week this year was very enjoyable and entertaining at the same time. I love to hear other people put their thoughts and emotions on a piece of paper and get on their creative side. I learned a lot about the student presenters that I probably would have not guessed.
ReplyDeleteOn Tuesday the first presenter I saw was Andrea Sherod's poem about senior year and the drama occurring and her not caring much for it. I have to say that I can relate to it in a way. One of the quote she said in her poem was " The truth will set you free" we all must have heard that from somewhere sometime in our lives. Another memorable quote of hers was "my vision is a rock, you do not phase me and by the power of God you do not phase me." I love that line of the poem because I feel the same way when it comes to the "haters" in life that pops in and out of my life just to remind me of how important I must be for them to take time out their day just to "hate". I enjoyed her whole presentation.
There was another presenter name Tori who's poem "This Sky High Dream of Mine" sounded like something I would write just to show my dedication and commitment to my own dreams. Somewhere along the lines of her presentation I was sort of lost because I couldn't clearly connect her words to make sense in my head. I feel she could have slowed down a little it would of made her poem a bit more understandable but some aspects of her poem were quite strong just wished she could of presented it a little better but I applaud her for going up there to present her poem in the first place because I know how nerve wrecking it can be being up there presenting something personal or not not really knowing people's reaction to it. I was there last year.
Another presenter was Jessica who talked about her grandfather. It was a very emotional piece. I applaud her because I know I wouldn't be able to go up there to talk about something that personal. a memorable quote from her presentation was when she was talking about the pain she was enduring "grief, the only thing I can describe that is similar is a wave of water" I don't think I felt the pain she was dealing with but when I lost my grandmother on my birthday it sort of it hit me that hard and I felt I was just drowning in an ocean with deep waves, being chocked and breathless. So her poem kind of reminded me of that and sadly tears did drop.
Lastly, Chris Crutcher presentation was well understandable at first when he talked about his background and his brother's achievements and all, but I was lost when he started talking about the telephone man. The facial expression he made when the fire alarms went off was quite funny though.
Overall I enjoyed the first day and was looking forward to coming back on Thursday.
Sadly on the first half of Thursday I missed the student presenters but I came back just in time to see Buddy Wakefield. I was excited to see him because the man is hilarious. I saw him on Writer's week last year and sort of inspired me to write more even though most of my writing is very personal and I'm not comfortable sharing it with the public. I love when Coach Wright played the harmonica while he was reading one of his poems, it was like a compliment to his already wonderful poem. I one of his pieces he said "Hearts don't break, they bruise and get better." I absolutely love that quote that when I came home and I wrote it on my bedroom wall. His overall presentation was phenomenal from the way he talks, his movements, and how he just put his whole being into his work.
I absolutely enjoyed Writer's Week 2011 , I'm almost sad that I won't be here to see it next year but happy that I'm graduating =]
I was privileged enough to visit Writer’s Week at least once every day last week, with the exception of Friday. My absence was for a sad occasion, yes, but it was made more sad by the fact that I missed out on what I’m sure were more memorable writers and presenters. However, my reactions to the brave people that bared their most vulnerable secrets and even those that lightened the dark, heavy mood with comical pieces were not weakened by missing Friday. So. Onto the beginning of the week…
ReplyDeleteMonday: The first presenter during first hour was Darcie, who happens to be a fellow Jameson classmate. When she stepped up to the podium, I expected her writing to be thoughtful and handled well; what I didn’t expect was for it to strike me as severely as it did. It turned out that Darcie and I were discussing similar topics: the death of a very important loved one. The most unexpected thing in her presentation was learning of her father’s struggle with cancer. Luckily for Darcie, he is still here to support her, and was even in the front row to cheer her on. This realization was a bit painful for me, considering the recent loss of my own father. However, as I stated in the letter I wrote to Darcie, her courage inspired me and I’m incredibly grateful that she is still privileged enough to see her father every day. The Tim McGraw inspired theme to “live like she was dying” was the resounding tone of what she wrote and she often repeated it. Coincidentally enough, I got an eerily similar vibe when Corey stepped up to read his piece. I had a feeling that whatever he wrote would have a dominantly humorous tone and I was correct. Among the many things he talked (okay, more like ranted) about, his prediction of walking into school with “a Justin Bieber shirt, leggings, and size 12 flats”, along with his quips about facebook and allergy medication, were the most memorable. My reactions to what he had to say were obviously quite different than the tears that came accompanied with listening to Darcie; I’m actually not even sure if there was a moment in all of what Corey said that didn’t see me chuckling or smiling or just full blast choking on my laughter. One thing I learned between the two of them is that I’m in the presence of pretty skilled writers every other day in Jameson’s class and I will no longer look at them without remembering that. As far as Bill McClellan goes…come on? Do I even have to say anything?......alright, fine Jameson. I’ll say one word about him.
Brilliant.
Okay, I changed my mind. I have more than one word. I’m going to copy this down completely ver batim from my notes:
-used a Gatsby quote…incredible
-puts song quotes in his writing…aka my twin
-“connections exist between all kinds of people”
-he has horrible hearing…why, then, is he still so impressive?
-“I do best if I’m telling someone else’s story”…Amen.
Wednesday: First hour saw some pretty memorable presenters, but this is where I give major kudos to Endia. Her story about her struggles with her sister was not only well-written, (she’s an ace journalist, so I expected no less) but it grabbed me as a member of the audience. There were quite a few pieces about death and loss and tragedy this week, including my own. But, the writer that is able to separate their emotions about their tragedies from the writing they do is the person that will sustain the interest of a reader. That doesn’t mean there is no emotion in that writer’s story; it’s actually a lot more to the contrary. A writer wants to stimulate the emotions of their audience. That’s exactly what Endia did. She did not complain, whine, or weigh her audience down with her struggles. She simply informed us and taught us a lesson in the process. It is a rare person that can accomplish that. Now, onto Dave Cullen. Unlike a majority of the people in the auditorium with me that day, I’d actually read his book about Columbine prior to hearing him speak. About a month and a half of my life last year was dedicated to researching Columbine for my own personal curiosity. When Jameson told me he was going to be at Writer’s Week, I had a mini fit of excitement and nerves. I was anxious to hear how he would explain all of the knowledge he’s acquired about that very dark subject. It turned out that worry was merely my own, and most likely didn’t even pass his mind. Dave Cullen is not only a journalist, or a writer…he is a public speaker. He engaged his audience and I really appreciated that. He didn’t just recite his book to us (which I also appreciated) but he provided new information. He also was one of the rare professional writers that shared his experiences with writing and what he realized it meant to him. I think the audience had a lot to gain from seeing him, as did I.
ReplyDeleteWhat’s my favorite week of the school year? The last one. But, Writer’s Week comes pretty close. An entire week dedicated to the many things that the term “writing” applies to. Poets. Songwriters. Authors. Oh my! Well this year happened to be bursting at the seams with talent. This year is probably tied with last year for being the most entertaining. It was bustling with humor, which I really appreciate in writing. A lot of what I saw had me cracking up…whether the humor was intentional or not.
ReplyDeleteEugene Redmen was one of the few who were unintentionally hilarious. I think it was his vivacious attitude that had me smiling…along with his bright blue getup. Unfortunately, his performance got a bit a distracting and I can’t recall anything he wrote, but I do remember enjoying it.
I enjoyed both of the authors I was able to see: Chris Crutcher and Dave Cullen. Crutcher really stood out, mostly because he was interrupted by the fire alarm, Dobrinic, and the PM announcements. He was a real trooper and he didn’t seem fazed by it all, he just picked up right where left off which was a very very long story about the one he calls “telephone man”. I get why he told the story, it was to segue into him explaining how to draw inspiration from your everyday life, but it was just way too long in my opinion. I would have liked to gotten to hear more of his short stories. I think I could have listened to Dave Cullen talk about Columbine all day. He has such a passion for it and it really comes out in his presentation and in his writing how much he cares. 10 years to write a book takes real dedication and a lot of time researching and evaluating every second of what happened. I actually bought the book that day and he was able to sign it for me. It took me a while to decipher what he wrote to me, but it was very nice. I didn’t get much time to talk to him though, there was a line and everyone was rushing to get the next presenter up, but that’s obviously understandable.
One thing that I appreciate more and more every year is all of the student presenters. I could never muster the courage that they all had to get in front of everyone and share something they created. Jessica Wilke stood up in front of everyone wearing her heart on her sleeves and talking about the grief she felt after losing her grandfather and more recently her dad. I’m glad that she was able to share it, because I thought it was beautiful. I could go on for days about all of the student presenters, but I really don’t want to. Let’s just I really was inspired, encouraged, and grateful that I got to hear them speak.
I think the teachers stood out the most to me this year though. Smittle was able to make an auditorium full of people laugh at cancer, which takes real skill and stage presence. Pecka was able to make everyone laugh about the murder of several geese…which had me both smiling and shedding a slight tear…I can’t help it, I just pictured the baby ducks following the mommy ducks to the pond, and not making it to the other side. Thank gosh he kept talking and carried such a light tone throughout it. And of course, Jameson. No one has ever made bodily functions so hilarious to me before, your story about poop and me and Samantha Noel cracking up, I just thought you should know that. And then there is Mr. Holmes. I swear I couldn’t tell you one quote from his poem, but I do remember being amazed by it…the fact that is intro was something along the lines of “I never write poetry, I’m terrible etc.” I was not expecting what came out of his mouth. I also enjoyed his reading with Tamara, which I found very intriguing.
ReplyDeleteLast, but not least, our singer/songwriters. I was able to see Leslie Sanazaro and Brandon Swanson. Their voices were amazing, and I think if Brandon pursues music, he will have a very bright future. Leslie has a great voice and is very talented when it comes to playing piano. I like how she alternated between playing and talking about the process of writing music and being a musician. That is something I wish I would have heard more from with Brandon Swanson, but really enjoyed his performance nonetheless.
I really enjoyed writer’s week this year. It was a week full of exciting and different presenters. I think the event gets better every year. This year I went every day but I missed the section I really wanted to see which was buddy. There were some presenters which were very memorable like Elliot little-john
ReplyDelete“The teachers think they own all of us, but really they don’t have enough money to pay for a bus”
He was really funny. From the beginning he caught my attention, and I liked the fact that after he announced his name he said he is not related to the rapper lil john. That was just funny.
Then there was Sonna, her poem was really good. It rhymed and it had good word flow. Also I liked the fact she poured her emotion out on that poem.
‘’Blood may be thicker than water but blood is 82% water and you’re that water that weaves oxygen through my blood”
As she was reading that line really jumped at me and really showed how much she loves her mother. Everyone in that room connected with her. She did a great job.
John Dubois presentation was really dark. His voice just amplified the darkness of the story.
“I needed revenge like bread and water”
“My thirst for his death was unquenchable”
Coach Wright piece was really funny. It was good to hear what teacher think about the students.
“what I don’t understand, am just saying” it was a good presentation, it made fun of pop star icons such as lady gaga, Kanye, Bieber, black eye peas, Eminem and other famous people who aren’t even talented in his view.
Lastly I really liked Mr. J stories. Even thought the guest speaker couldn’t make it Mr. J did a great job to close this amazing week.
“We have been bamboozled”
That’s just a fun word to say. I also liked the story about the bullies. It’s always a good story when Mr. J talks about his past. It was a good way to end writers’ week.
This year’s Writer’s Week went by in a blur to me. I don’t ever really remember going to Writer’s Week any other year here at West, but I’m glad I had Jameson’s class. It sort of “forced” me to participate. Although I missed a great deal of my peers presentations and many of my friends writings and arts, this year I got the chance to be exposed to an abundance of talented and hopefully aspiring writers. From the simple reading of one’s eventful observation paper, to the heartfelt creations of the new girl to our school this year; Writer’s Week was chock full o’ great works!
ReplyDeleteOne performance that really stood out to me was the poem/skit from Molly and Amber. I loved how they found a way to include everyone in the school with their descriptions of the average teenage “archetype”. I kept trying to think to myself which one I would be. Which one fit me best? I remember them ending their poem with, “But I’m scared”. I can totally relate to that statement. All my high school life I’ve wanted to get out of the house. I’ve always wanted to be on my own, be independent, learn on my own, make mistakes on my own, being just completely alone. But I’d be a real fool if I didn’t admit that I’m scared to move on with my life. It’ll be hard and Molly and Amber’s poem brought that to the light for me, but it also convinced me that I’ll get through it.
Dave Cullen was another writer that stood out to me. I so desperately wanted to get his book on Columbine. Unfortunately I was a tad low on funds during Writer’s Week. Before Mr. Cullen’s visit, I never really knew much about Columbine to be honest. I guess I just knew the basics. Two guy’s, probably with slight mental disorders, ran up in a school shooting at people; possibly trying as a revenge tactic. Dave Cullen’s presentation made me think of the tragic event in so many different ways. I remember him asking us was Columbine a school shooting or a school bombing. I looked at him like what the what? What is this guy talking about? Then he went on to say, “Columbine wasn’t a school shooting, it was a bombing. The shooting was just the fun part”. I didn’t even know they had bombs! Or maybe I just forgot...who knows. Dave Cullen definitely brought about understanding regarding Columbine; at least in my case.
Although those two were probably my favorite, I still enjoyed other writers and presenters such as Brandon Swanson, Sydney Buckner, Mr. Ellerman, Cindy Allen, and Tamar and Mr. Holmes.
Swanson’s creative guitar techniques were intriguing and very captivating. Out of all the musical presenters I saw I think he was my favorite.
Sydney’s reading of her observation paper was, well, umm, I was there! It was cool to able to actually place myself into her paper, seeing as I was probably one of those people she was talking about; snoring their butt off on the back of the charter bus.
Mr. Ellerman’s poem was…interesting.
Cindy Allen’s pieces were probably the most personal and uplifting. Usually the writings people produce that describe their lives and they way they feel tend to be sort of dark and depressing. I actually felt for Cindy and her predicament. I may not have ever felt as strong for a female as she did for her special guy, but she sure had her ways of making me understand what she was going through.
Tamar and Mr. Holmes compilation was great! I would love to play a game like that with a person from another country. I don’t know either one of them very well, matter fact nearly none at all, but I felt like I learned a lot from them both and especially from Tamar’s culture and her life back in Georgia (at least I believe it was Georgia).
All in all, Writer’s Week went extremely well. I’m sad this is my last and I also regret not being able to see as many people or hardly any of my friends as I wanted, but I think the ones I did see made an everlasting impact on me. I hope in future years there’s a larger student writer representation and I hope more teachers take their classes to visit.
Hazelwood West Writer’s Week has always been a thing that I have never looked forward to. It has been, for my entire high school career, an entity that would eventually come, for which I would inevitably end up sitting bored and sleepy in the theatre until the speakers had stopped speaking. Oh, it was always very well put together. There were a slew of student and faculty writers, as well as a guest speaker/singer/poet almost every day. Although it was well put together I just never really cared because I insisted inside of myself that I was simply put: Not a writer.
ReplyDeleteThis last year however was different. I don’t know what happened but it just… “clicked”. I finally understood why others loved this week because I started appreciating the writings of others more and was being inspired. Their feelings, their emotions, their souls that they lay bare on the stage awaiting your company, your audience. There were three people that I particularly noted during the three days I went there was someone that inspired me during writer’s week.
Monday’s writer’s week was all student and faculty speakers. In the past I didn’t like this part so I approached it apprehensively. The first speaker was the first person to inspire me, Corey (I forget his last name). His writing was about all of the things that he, “loves to hate”. This list ranged from girls clothing to electronics to Facebook. During this tirade he mentioned the fact that, “My father would kill me if I walked out of the house dressed like that”, in accordance to girls thinking skin tight spandex pants were okay substitutes to real pants. Corey inspired me simply because I agree with him. He spoke for around ten minutes, and in those ten minutes he spoke to the choir the entire time. It also helped that his presentation was the only funny presentation of all of the student presenters the entire week.
The second person to inspire me happened to come on the same day as Corey during the teacher presenters. Mr. Smittle. He got up and told us all the story of why he had a do rag. I, like most everyone in the entire audience, found his story to be very entertaining. Although it was on such a sad subject, his manner of delivery and the fact that he was in fact, safe, eased the possible tension of the subject and gave way to roars of laughter. I remember his funniest line, “So the doctor suggested to me a dermatologist. So I go into her office and find out that I am visiting Dr. Supermodel”. This was only out beat by him saying next, “If the other doctor was Dr. Supermodel, then this was Dr. Super-duper-model”. I found his speaking very inspiring to me by how he had such a good time sharing a hard life story. This act has been hard for me all throughout my life.
The final person was on the second day I went. She was Victoria Courtney. She wrote a rather long poem about the high school hierarchy of life. I really enjoyed the poem because it was yet another thing, like what Corey wrote, that really went to my beliefs. I always believed that freshman, “use tough looks to hide fear beneath”. I always knew, from my past underclassmen years, that seniors acted pompously because, “They are the kings of the school”. It also put something into great perspective for me: Just how soon I will not be part of the Hazelwood school system any longer. Just how soon I will be that anxious freshman hiding in the corner again. It fills me with fear and dread, but also hope. Hope of a life outside of high school that I really crave. It gives me the craving of a life that is filled with freedom. Of all, her presentation was one of the best to grace the stage at writer’s week.
After two years of hating writer’s week it is hard to imagine how far I have come. To start of finding it to be a detriment to the school, only to find it to be a great pleasure and relief from normal school. I found this year’s writer’s week to be by far, better than all of the rest.
I think Writer's Week is a great program to let students express themselves and show that they have a voice. Not only that, but to motivate us to write and it's a way to inspire us. I didn't see a whole lot of presenters as I would've wanted too and I am very disappointed I missed Buddy Wakefield. I'm glad that we have this program at our school and sad that this is going to be my last year to be a part of it. I really liked Corey Benson's story I could completely relate to what he was saying. I loved Leslie Sanazaro I thought her music was amazing and I could tell she was really passionate about it, which I think is an amazing and important quality in music. She performed her song "Get over your Dreams, America." She told us that some people have had a misinterpretation of the song and she told us that the song was about how there are artists that just go into the music industry for the fame and the wrong reasons. Music is an art and it should be treated as one, and I'm glad she wrote a song basically saying get over yourself and it's not about the money or the fame. I thought it was interesting how she moved her feet so much as she performed her songs. Cindy Allen did a great job in her poems I felt that she really grabbed the audience's attention and did a great job at showing her emotions. "You'll never love me, the way I do you." I felt was very powerful the way she said it and emphasized it. I'm glad that she shared the poem The Moment that's Never been, but I couldn't really relate to that because I've had both my parents in my life breathing down my neck basically. I thought Mr.Holmes and Tamar's performance was very different and I had never seen something like that during Writer's Week. I thought it was funny when Mr. Holmes said "I have no freaking clue what dating is in America." According to him nowadays there's "talking, texting, and hooking up" Sierra DeMulder...wow..she left me speechless. I can't even put into words how amazing I think she is. Her poems were really deep and about controversial subjects and were just so real. My eyes started tearing up and I think it's crazy how the poems aren't all about her but she builds the character in her head and they come out very passionate. She has gotten me really into slam poetry and has inspired me. Her Mrs. Dahmer poem was just..wow. "Did you put your own heart in the freezer as you thought of me" Brandon Swanson's performance was very different. He used his foot pedal to keep different sounds going and it was very interesting I think he did an amazing job and was very glad that he went up there and did it. I could tell he was very nervous at the beginning of the song, but he gained confidence throughout. I thought Mr. Jameson's story about the monster under the table was very funny. It made me think of my childhood and I remembered my mom told me so many different stories to scare me as a child to keep me on my good behavior. I thought it was funny how Mr. Jameson's plan backfired on him and I don't think I've heard someone say the word poop so much in such a short period of time. Writer's Week has had an impact on me and I am going to deeply miss it. I thought some of the people in the audience acted really immaturely and it just proves their ignorance to literature.
ReplyDeleteOn Monday, I got to see both Bill McClellan and Eugene B. Redmond. I thought that Mr. McClellan was good…he had interesting things to say and said things in a way that didn’t make me want to go to sleep so overall he was good. I also like how he used a lot of quotes and song lyrics into his columns. Mr. Redmond on the other hand, was very boring to me. His call & response poems might have been more fun if everyone participated but they didn’t so oh well on that. Everything else he did was boring I felt like all his poems had the same exact rhythms and the same kind of shape to them which made all the poems seem repetitive. I think that he was the only presenter that I actually almost feel asleep to.
ReplyDeleteOn Wednesday, I saw Dave Cullen and David Clewell. I thought that Mr. Cullen was ok; I’ve never really been interested on the Columbine subject so that made me think that he was kind of boring. But I guess if you like hearing about Columbine then he would have been great. I thought that Mr. Clewell was pretty cool, he used simple language and phrases that everyone could understand and he talked in a way that didn’t might people fall asleep. Even though I thought that he was a pretty strange man he was also a pretty decent poet.
On Friday, I saw Sylvester Chisom and Arthur Shivers who I thought were great guys. They had a story that was relatable and set an example for people to follow but when they started to explain every chapter of their book I got a little bored. I was also supposed to see Meru Maud’Dib on Friday but he didn’t show up so lets just say that my reaction wasn’t very good but Mr. Jameson made a good substitute. I didn’t actually get to listen to Antony John and Buddy Wakefield but I did get to talk to them after school and they both seemed like very good writers and Antony John especially seemed like he wanted to help young people who wanted to become writers start their writing process.
I thought that all the student writers that I saw were great.
This week I saw so many great writers. From best-selling authors to West’s very own students and faculty. Each presentation brought something different to the table, and I enjoyed nearly all of it. As each session took place, I took a few notes to help me remember some of the great lines and points that each speaker brought to my attention. Overall, I am pleased with everything that took place this week. Each year keeps getting better and better! Great job to all who presented!
ReplyDeleteMonday:
Talk about starting the week off right. I got to hear some excellent students and faculty, and a guy with an accent. Three of my favorite things.
The session started off with just a few of the many students that spoke throughout the week. Tori’s poem about freshmen was extremely comedic, and also very relatable to the freshmen that walk our hallways every day. However, Kayla had to be my favorite. Right away she started with a bang as she related her life to that of nearly every other teenager. It was a great away to attract the attention of the students who were in the audience. However, her piece continuously got better as she opened the eyes of a lot of people. Even though Peyton was a fictional character, she did exactly what Kayla intended to happen. I know I am not alone when I say that Peyton’s character hit my heart. I came to the realization that somewhere out there, someone has bigger problems.
The faculty did not fail to amaze me. Mr. Smittle did fantastic. It is hard to believe that a piece about cancer could be told in such a positive manner. I loved that he used a personal aspect of his life and made it into an amusing story for others. His natural comedy made it impossible not to be entertained. Mr. Pecka was the exact same way. How could you not laugh when you hear of a teacher’s crazy younger years? Despite being an animal lover, I had to crack up when I heard of the poor ducks that he unintentionally killed while attempting to have some “harmless” fun. His piece made me realize that teachers have also had their fair share of fun when they were our age. Lastly, was Mr. Jameson. It’s no surprise that he was also highly amusing. It must be true that kids say the funniest things. At least that is what Mr. Jameson made me believe through his comedic personal stories. Great job staff!
Honestly, I don’t have much to say about Antony John. My favorite part about him was his accent. It is not that I didn’t enjoy him, but I was just overwhelmed with how well the first half of the session went. My attention span was cut too short. I do regret not paying as much attention to him because I know all of the other students enjoyed him.
Like I said before, Monday was a great way to kick off one of my favorite weeks of the school year.
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Wednesday:
ReplyDeleteAs far as students and faculty, I am going to focus on Tamar and Mr. Holmes. WOW. Together they created one awesome presentation. It was so interesting to see two very different people talk about their views on the same topics. Tamar, being from a different country, made it seem also like a learning experience. Maybe it’s because I am a teenage girl, but their question about dating interested me the most. Dating in Georgia is SO different than in America, or than Hazelwood West at least. I can’t imagine how she feels about teenagers here.
To top off their fantastic presentation, Mr. Holmes ended the first half of the session with a bang. He created the coolest poem and read it in a way that really got the audience to listen. Again, all I have to say is WOW.
Next up was Dave Cullen. He was excellent. Listening to him speak made me want to read his book. Like him, I am also very interested in the topic of the Columbine shooting. The amount of time he put into this book is both unreal and inspiring. Ten years of researching, conducting interviews, and putting his findings in words. Everyone can agree that this had to take an amazing amount of effort and dedication. I sincerely wish that he had more time at the end to answer questions. While he was a great speaker, there were so many things that I feel could have been said. However, I cannot complain. He did a fantastic job and I’m sure his book is no different.
Thursday:
I have to start off by being completely honest. I skipped the first part of my second hour class just so that I could see Brent speak. While it may have been wrong on my part, it was more than worth it. Out of the entire week, nothing hit me harder than the words he spoke. Unfortunately, it sometimes takes a piece like his to make people open their eyes. I could never imagine being in his shoes and dealing with the harsh thoughts and comments of our fellow students. While I often think of prejudice as only dealing with race, Brent’s presentation made me realize that this is not the case. People treat him differently because of his sexual orientation. I am so impressed with the amount of courage that it had to take for him to get up and speak in front of some of these people. Brent filled the audience with a mass of inspiring words. I honestly believe that he also hit the minds of the people who may have put him down in the past. I am so proud of Brent, and hope that others who are in a position like his have the same amount of bravery as him.
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Friday:
ReplyDeleteA half-day and a great ending to Writers Week. What more could you ask for?
If I haven’t made it clear already, the student and faculty presenters are my absolute favorite. I think it has to do with the fact that I personally know them, or at least know of them. Amber and Mollie did a great job, and presented in a very different way. Their alternating poem made me regret not writing something with my twin, even if it were not a poem. (Are you happy, Mr. Jameson?) Sidney’s presentation was also very entertaining. It was cool to hear her observation paper. She went about it in a very different way than what I did. However, this was not at all a bad thing. It was interesting, and I loved the amount of commentary that she included. I love to see kids my own age speak. They are so brave, as well as unbelievably talented.
Lastly, was Mr. Ellerman. I thought it was great that he was so inspired by last years’ Writers Week, However, I was kind of disturbed by his poem. While I am neither for, or against abortion, I know there are many people who lean strongly towards one way. I cannot imagine how someone who is strongly pro abortion felt hearing this. I think I was just more surprised than anything. It is extremely rare to hear a topic such as this spoken in school. Despite being a little taken aback, he did do a really nice job presenting. He was well spoken, and had a powerful concept behind his poem.
I want to thank everyone who played a part in Writers Week 2011. It was a relaxing and enjoyable week outside of the classroom!
Writer’s Week Reaction Paper:
ReplyDeleteThis year was the third time I attended Writer’s Week and Writer’s Week for the past two years for me weren’t really inspiring…
I remember the first year containing a performance with a guy singing on a guitar and his guitar strap fell while playing and somebody (Mr. Jameson I think) had to help him by holding up his guitar while he finished the song. Also there was that band (played the year after too) that played a song where they had the lyrics playing on a slideshow. There was an eagle I remember… and their band name had something to do with water?The second year was just horrid to me and it actually had nothing to do with the readers because I had a fever that whole week and was absent the next. I do remember Mr. Kuhnert…and his 50 (felt like 50) songs he played and sang…
What I’m trying to say is that I was just really happy that this year’s Writer’s Week was inspiring and very educational for my senior year.
Faculty and Speakers:
Bill McClellan: So is it weird for me to say that this guy reminded me of my grandpa? And it wasn’t because of the fact that they both were old and had hearing problems but the way he spoke and present his stories just brought me back. His story on Kelly’s corner and the seven year old I reference to now whenever somebody mentions bars… or beer… or underage drinking… or Bill McClellan…
Antony John: I love accents. I was awake the whole time and the rest of the audience I’m sure when they heard his voice. His presentation was interesting and quite useful if you ever thought of writing a book. I managed to talk to him, get his autograph, and take a quick picture with him afterwards.
Mr. Wright: His was pretty funny. Listening to a teacher rant about students and things they didn’t understand is just hilarious. I liked how he mentioned in the beginning how you’ll laugh and point at the person he’s referring to but a minute later have that finger pointed at you because he’ll make fun of you too. Which is what I saw happen exactly to a student in front of me who was the type that sagged skinny jeans and he was laughing when Mr. Wright made fun of emos but shut up when his own attire was made fun of.
Mr. Belter: The only presenter where I got teary eyed. His story was light hearted in the beginning when he poked fun at his old age but got serious at the end. When he mentioned how he watched his father die on a hospital bed made me think of my own father and what would happen if I ever found myself on the same end.
Mr. Kuhnert: I liked how he mixed it up this year with an electric banjo. He only got to play three songs because time was running out but he did keep playing as we left.
Dave Cullen: The thing I remembered the most was when he mentioned the people who forgave the students who caused it and the people who couldn’t give forgiveness till years later. The fact that the man who was almost paralyzed and fell out of a two story window forgave the students so quickly had me baffled. It made me think on that subject and how the student’s response to Dave Cullen’s question of why actually he forgave them was simply because he had better things to think about made me realize how much I’ve spent on grudges and how idiotic I felt at that moment for holding onto them.
Mr. Jameson: His stories of his kids and pets I could really connect to since I have two younger brothers and pets myself. Especially on the issue of when he told his story of how his son had trouble with bullies and friends. I always worried for my brothers ever since they were considered “above average” and when I would hear about how instead of recess sometimes for them they would go to “special classes” and get extra work to “keep them ahead.” They’re quiet too so I would worry about them being targets for bullies. When Mr. Jameson mentioned bullies and his kids I was really able to connect with that.
Writer's Week Reaction Paper:
ReplyDeleteStudent Presenters:
John G.: His story was VERY descriptive. The feelings of revenge seemed almost real and how he presented it made me wonder if he was in theatre. The fact that he was practically shredding the guy to pieces in the end gave me the hint that he was a werewolf.
Elliot LittleJohn: I think this poem was one of the most honest ones. Not a poem that someone just wrote because it was an assignment. It was simple and direct and reminded me of how people talked before they learned to lie.
Nick Oswalt: I knew Nick so I was actually expecting a funny and happy story when he came up but it ended up being a tragedy of a guy’s love that got killed when the guy finally had the courage to confess his feelings. Seeing a non-comical side gave me the opportunity to get to know him better and to be reminded once again that life doesn’t wait for you so take your chances.
That week had me feeling all kinds of emotions. People made me laugh, get teary-eyed, feel inspired, wonder about the world and simply nod my head in agreement. I only wish I was able to attend the Thursday performances because the slam poet, Buddy Wakefield, that everybody always talked about performed and I missed that. Also Brent Doering, I heard his was pretty inspiring too. Lastly, I’d like to thank and applaud all the writers and speakers who read and performed. The courage and talent I saw is something I’ll always envy.
Well, I managed to make it to 2 days of writers week, I got to go on Wednesday and Friday. I believe the only part I found disappointing was the fact that I didn't get to go see Buddy Wakefield. I had really been looking forward to that and didn't know if it was on Thursday or not. Now for the things I did get to see, I can't complain. Of course I always enjoy your tales about your kids Mr. Jameson, the Poop story was probably one of my favorites, but my absolute favorite was the one about bullying. Sometimes you forget that your teachers used to be students too, they had to go through what we went through, and they aren't so uninformed when it comes down to how a highschoolers life may work. I personally like the topic of bullying because I've seen the effects of bullying, and it's not a pretty thing. I also liked getting to see Mr. Ellerman present, because I never would have thought of him as a man of poetry. In addition to seeing teacher's presents, I liked seeing my peers presenting and it ended up making me wish I would have presented. I've got a few things I've written here and there, and I think with a little touching up, I think some of it could have been presentable. The only thing I don't like about Writers Week is when I end up going to one of the sessions that don't exactly peak my interest and then end up hearing that there were some that just got the crowds going crazy. I heard that about Mr. Holmes and Tamar, and Buddy Wakefield had such an amazing reaction that people were just nonstop posting quotes onto Facebook. I wish I would have been able to get to go in more of my classes, but I guess I just got unlucky with the days that I missed. I'm pretty sure I'm coming next year to watch, just like I saw people's parents showing up to see them speak. Overall, I'm glad we do Writers Week and I think it's a nice little boost for Hazelwood West because I didn't hear about anything like this going on at Central. West 1 Central 0.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I found the spot for posting the reaction paper.
ReplyDeleteWriter's week has continued to get better and better each year. I grow more and more fascinated with the idea of everyone expressing themselves in such unique ways that we wouldn't get to see if it were not for writer's week. It must take a pretty big deal of courage to step up in front of so many peers. Just seeing everyone up there telling their own personal stories made me want to relieve some thoughts onto a piece of paper. I could see a sense of relief in most of the student presenters as they conquered the spot light and expressed their feelings in the most public way possible. I learned from most of the participants that some people just want to be heard. They might not want any feed back, but if someone can just listen to what they have to say, It'll make there day. And after I sat down and thought about it, I came to the conclusion that I'm one of those people.
This week made me realize that I'm too conservative with my thoughts. I have so many things I want to share with others, but I still stay silent. I want to build off the inspiration that my peers have given me and become more open with my thoughts and become a better public presenter. I want to tell people how I feel and worry less about what they might think of it. If theres one main idea that i took away from this week it's that words hold a great power in that there are unlimited interpretations and meanings of them and therefore, there are an unlimited amount of ways for anyone to express themselves using the power of these words.