Students can now discover a new, fairly obscure medium for self-expression at the Spoken Word Poetry Club which meets every Wednesday in room 2301.

Sage Creek is a home of many talents; artists, musicians, and writers, to name a few. While there are classes for art, writing, and music, there’s never really been a place for the niche market of “spoken word poetry.” Grace McGuire, senior and president, has changed that with her new club.

“Spoken word is a very distinct medium in that it incorporates several skills–specifically writing and performing,” McGuire said. “I wanted to provide a judgement-free place for poets to get feedback and test out new ideas.

Spoken word poetry has been a huge help for McGuire. It can be used as a way to write distinctly or as a medium for self-expression. This has proved helpful for McGuire, as classes and plans for the future can become a huge source of stress for seniors. Since she first began, McGuire has seen an improvement in her mood and creativity.

“It’s a useful tool for expressing emotions…but poetry gives a lot more room for creativity,” McGuire said.

She hopes to take this club to new heights and plans on using this club as a vehicle for creativity. Currently, the club is planning to host an open mic night some time in mid-January. Along with this, the club hopes to have some of their original poetry in San Diego Youth Poetry Collective’s magazine.

McGuire also hopes that others join the club in the future, as they meet every Wednesday in room 2301. The current average number of attendees is five, but they make up for their lack of numbers with passion.

“I’ve been looking for a group of people that I can share my poetry with, and I’m glad I found a group for that,” freshman Atiana Novikoff said.

The club was formed with the intent of helping students express themselves freely and creatively. McGuire aims to be able to help others improve their writing, as writing can be therapeutic or cathartic. Many students may be hesitant, of course, as it may be strange opening up to a group of strangers like that.

“Write your dang heart out, write everything that comes to mind and get it all out on paper,” McGuire said, “Writing that comes from a place of strong emotion and conviction often yields the best and most captivating performances. Eloquence isn’t necessarily the first step of writing a good poem.”