Poets & Writers Club Hosts Poetry Slam

The Gonzaga Poets & Writers Club hosted its first poetry slam of the 2017-2018 school year on October 12. During the event, 12 students read their original poems, which touched on many topics including love, anxiety, race, the student-led slavery research project, faith, and spirituality.

In its sixth year, the Gonzaga Poets & Writers Club is moderated by English teacher Joe Ross and includes about 20 students. During the group’s weekly Thursday meetings, students have the chance to “workshop” their poems, getting helpful feedback from their peers. Over the years, the club has also developed several regular activities, including reading their work at the Freshman Retreat, participating in several poetry contests, and doing service projects. Last year, the students conducted a poetry workshop for 5th graders at Malcolm X Elementary School in DC’s Congress Heights neighborhood.

Ross says that for many of the students who participated in the poetry slam on October 12, it was the first time they’d ever read their work in public. “I’m really inspired by them,” he says. “They are so committed and generous with their time, and their poems are incredibly brave and well-crafted.”
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