Imani Lucas, a third grader from Holden Elementary School, reads a poem titled “Cherry Tree, In my Front Yard” last night in the Student Center Ballroom as a part of “Giving Voice,” a night for elementary and high school students and teachers to share poe

Credit: DKS Editors

Students in grades three through 12 performed original poetry, dances and songs in the seventh annual “Giving Voice” performance last night.

“Every year it happens because of the energy of the students and teachers,” said David Hassler, Wick program and outreach director.

Guest musician Hal Walker accompanied performances.

“These kids have guts,” said Courtney Ridenour, sophomore special education major. “I can’t imagine getting up in front of this many people and reading something I wrote.”

Shayna Glenn, junior English major, taught Christi Bates’ third grade class at Holden Elementary School and Marcia Skidmore’s seventh grade class at Miller South School for Visual and Performing Arts. Glenn appreciates the students’ hard work.

“We went through so much to get here, it’s a challenge but it’s great to see the kids so excited,” Glenn said.

Fourteen Kent State students, enrolled in the Teaching Poetry in the Schools course, visited 16 different classes from six area schools one day a week for six weeks. They read the students’ ‘model poems’ and helped coach students through their own creative process.

“It benefits all the students,” Glenn said. “Even the ones who didn’t want to participate get really into it when they read their stuff. Their creativity is great.”

Ridenour noticed every participant on stage had a roll.

“It seems like a good way to involve all the students in the class,” Ridenour said. “We never had anything like this at my school.”

Alyssa Bowen, junior integrated language arts major, taught Marcia Skidmore’s seventh grade class and Scott Parsons’ eleventh and twelve grade classes at Maplewood Career Center.

“We wrote model poems and shared them with the class so students could see it was OK to put themselves out there and open up,” Bowen said.

Miller South School for Visual and Performing Arts has participated in Giving Voice every year.

“Poetry is so wonderful to integrate because it invites (students) in,” said Marcia Skidmore, Miller South School for Visual and Performing Arts seventh grade teacher.

“Students will say I know what that poem looks like, and they will choreograph a dance to it, or they will say ‘I know what that poem sounds like,’ and they will play it on their violin.”

The students composed all their own work. They wrote their poetry and choreographed their dances.

“The students feel poetry,” Skidmore said as she recalls students emotions depicted in their writings.

“It builds students self-esteem to work with college students,” Skidmore said.

She wants to see the program extend beyond the classroom. Skidmore wants her students to continue their poetry journal and open it in 20 years and remember what they loved.

Glenn and Bowen would also like to see the program expand with more Kent State students enrolling in the class so more school districts can partake in these readings.

Contact College of Architecture and Environmental Design reporter Kelsey Henninger at [email protected].