Sticky Notes: Unveiling Creativity through Poetry Workshops
By Gianna Maltbie, Around-the-Horn Editor (2024)
Image Courtesy of Angela Xu, Junior
Over ninety students gathered together to share their love for poetry, songwriting, and monologue writing. From “Movie Magic” and “Photo Roulette” to “Mathemagical Rhymes” and “Mastering the Melody”, students collaborated to create beautifully written poetry, coming together for the end of day open-mic to share their work. Students dove into the vibrant world of poetry and writing, inspiring creativity and connection among all.
On the 20th Anniversary of Sticky Notes, over ninety students came together in order to celebrate their love for writing. Students ran the entire event, acting as emcees, workshop leaders, and participants in the end-of-day open mic.
Check out some featured workshops.
At the Photo Roulette workshop, led by Remy Adler and Alec Burstein, students scrolled through their camera roll, blindly picked a picture, and wrote about the picture. Students wrote about their friends, family, sports, and childhood memories, reflecting on their photographs and treasured experiences.
At the Musical Madness workshop, led by Ava Brigando and Amulya Mandapaka, students used lyrics from their favorite playlists and friends’ favorite playlists to create beautifully written song-inspired poems. From Lana Del Ray to Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen, students could appreciate and listen to music while creating their own original works.
At the Produced and Performed workshop, led by Gianna Stedjan and Lily Kaplan, students were given scenarios to create scenes in groups of four. Students created scenes on detectives, the four elements, fighting friends, and different fun prompts to boost creativity and performing skills.
Student Workshop
Image Courtesy of Angela Xu, Junior
Ammar Shaadab, Morgan Grant, Bella Blanco (L-R)
Image Courtesy of Lily Kaplan, Junior
Lily Kaplan, Gianna Stedjan (L-R)
Image Courtesy of Lily Kaplan, Junior
Check out some featured workshops.
Untitled by Leah Siegel
Long story short
Everything has changed
Stuck in exile
Day after day
The invisible string
Was cut in half
Throw into the lakes
Regarded as trash
There's nothing new
No more to say
I was the foolish one
That new year's day
But the afterglow gleams
A gold rush somehow
This is me trying
Is it over now?
Call it what you want
But I say that soon
Daylight will begin again
The sun will rise over the moon
Student Workshop
Image Courtesy of Angela Xu, Junior
Elkin Frank, Gianna Maltbie, Haseeb Haider (L-R)
Image Courtesy of Angela Xu, Junior
seashells by Gianna Maltbie
i collect seashells every summer, relics of good times past,
scouring and raking, seeking hard ridges and bright colors,
keeping them in a drawer within my nightstand,
they are not items for the world to see, but rather,
vessels for every laugh, every tear shed, and every misadventure.
i keep them hidden away as my secret treasures,
knowing that one day, when all else is lost, and life falls away,
the shells will paint a beautiful canvas with the colors of my dreams,
releasing my life out into the world, drawing my image,
and showing all others the true person i am.
i resort to these shells to illustrate the most hidden aspects,
each word that escapes my lips, each scar, each imperfection,
each unique shell representing something more than appearance,
for i am much more than the weight my bones carry,
hoping to be seen in smiles made on others’ faces.
i want to be radiant, like sunlight on the beach,
warming the sand and glinting against fragments and shells,
smiling down on those below, and holding memories close,
and all the while, a little girl collects seashells on the beach,
in a small black bag, holding her memories close.
Untitled by Samantha Helman
last night
billy stayed awhile
appreciated the smaller acts
began to feel spotless
it was beautiful, crazy
diving into a world so unknown
she felt free
understood everyone was in the same boat
as she began to remember everything
and her outlook shifted
she felt free
We are so happy to have been able to celebrate these students’ hard work and creativity. A huge shout out to the English Department for making this event possible and can’t wait for more events next year.