What is the CWC?

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There is a secret society brewing within the depths of MLHS, hidden from the public eye, yet churning out fantastical short stories, poems, and more every few weeks from the depths of MLHS’s unpredictably heated rooms. This relatively unknown little hub of literary lovers is the Creative Writing Club.

Founded by current sophomores Mika Bickford and Maya Kalapatapu, late in the 17-18 school year, the CWC was designed as a safe haven for amateur writers, so that they could improve their craft, and crowdsource fresh ideas and perspectives on & for their work in a, “safe, welcoming and accepting,” troop of students (Alia Mclaughlin, ’21). As one of its current presidents points out, “ordinarily, high school students today lack opportunities inside the classroom to fine tune and explore their creative writing capabilities, so we’ve built a space for them to do so outside of school.” The CWC wants to bring back the passion and joy in creative writing for all students, one haiku at a time.

Plus, this club is perfect for all the eccentric little critters of MLHS because, as Patipat Luangwirun (’20) puts it: “the club is perfect for you no matter how crazy you are because you can contribute your bizarre creativity with someone else’s nuance [and] if there really was an American melting pot of ideas [within MLHS], it lies within this [group of amateur writers].”

All sorts of writers, poets, short-story enthusiasts, future novelists, and just plain venters (we all gotta let off steam somehow, ya know?) join this club, contributing to the diversity of the pieces its members produce. And according to Alia Mclaughlin,”one of [her] favorite parts, besides hanging out with friends, and enjoying the delectable treats…[is that] everyone…express[es] their creativity through different ways, [and may] pour out their thoughts, [without] there [being any set] right or wrong,” way to produce their writing. Just like how everyone’s handwriting is a wee bit different, the thoughts that they put down on paper are too, allowing everyone to benefit from being exposed to the work of others.

Also, with many students fearing that with a school system so hyper focused on certain (STEM) subjects, and dismissive to others (English, History, Foreign Languages, and the list goes on…) devoting time to creative writing, instead of other (possibly STEM -related) subjects, may damage their prospects for the future (and testing). One amateur writer says that the most vital part about the CWC is that she can, “write about anything [she’d like] (such as her wonderfully adorable dog, Taffy) without sacrificing [her] grades.” Imagine if she tried to write a DBQ in sonnet form! Farewell to her GPA…

So…interested in joining the CWC?

Coming up soon, on Monday the 29th, to conclude National Poetry Month with a bang, the CWC will be hosting its very first “Celebrating Spring Poetry Slam,” after school that day. So, for those who would like to spend an afternoon performing/listening to poetry and munching on treats, this is the place for you!

Remember: Monday April 29th, after school, in room 220 🙂

For more details on National Poetry Month, and what it means to MLHS, check out this article by Elizabeth Hirschfeld.