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Printer-Friendly ModeSVSU hosts third annual art and writing workshop with SHS
February 25, 2008 —
Imagine being a junior or senior in high school and were given the opportunity to visit a local university to create art, workshop your writing and get an overview of the university's campus, and you get to do all of this with the guidance of and interaction with university students and instructors. Last week, 10 Saginaw High School students had this opportunity here at SVSU.
It was part of the third annual SHS/SVSU art and writing workshop, this year with the theme, "Write it, draw it, do it!"
The SHS students visited SVSU on Monday and Wednesday with a slightly different agenda each day. On Monday morning, the students discussed an essay they wrote with Writing Center mentors and got a tour of the campus. They then had a free lunch at the RFoC, and in the afternoon, they workshopped poetry they had written with professor Tim Kenyon's Intro to Creative Writing class.
Wednesday morning, the SHS students worked with Mike Mosher and his Community Mural Art class (a new class this semester) and learned about different types of art and discussed the creation of a new mural to put up in Saginaw High's cafeteria. After lunch, they went back to Kenyon's class again to workshop a short story they had written with the University students.
SHS junior TaNia Beaseley had been to SVSU a few times, but after the workshop experience, she said it made her want to come to SVSU when she graduates.
English professor and Writing Center Coordinator Helen Raica-Klotz was the one to create and coordinate the workshop two years ago, and again ran the program this year, working with SHS teacher Shannon Ramler.
"It's a unique program because it brings kids from the community directly to SVSU to work with college students in various ways," Raica-Klotz said.
"It's wonderful for my students to see what's available to them post high school," Ramler said. "I have great students that just need some encouragement."
The workshop was funded through a grant from Michigan Campus Compact and got a lot of support from the admission's office, the English department and the art department. Two murals were created from the previous workshops, which are on display at SHS.
This year, two SVSU professional technical majors, seniors Courtney Farmer and Allison Abrams, took part in the workshop. They are putting together a booklet of the SHS students' writing and artwork with photos and profiles.
"I like seeing some of the students' work," Farmer said. "I kept thinking, 'I couldn't do that.'"
Kenyon made sure he had some discussion with his class prior to their workshop with the SHS students.
"One quality my students noticed in the high school students' poetry is the level of their openness of emotions," Kenyon said. "A lot of them have a willingness to share."
"I was really impressed with their poetry," special education sophomore Rachell Busch said, referring to the SHS creative writing and yearbook class. "I wish I had an opportunity like that."
Ramler is responsible for teaching the creative writing and yearbook class.
"Every marking period we write a story or some poetry," SHS junior Lashawnta Anderson said.
This was SVSU art education senior Ben Robinson's second time working on the workshop; he did an independent study two years ago, working in the workshop and on the mural. This year, he designed the t-shirts and was also involved through the Community Mural Art class.
"The students this year were exposed to better activities then the first year," Robinson said. "We had a lot of help, and the [SHS] had a lot of energy."
Graphic design senior David Rivet had similar feelings.
"It's been a learning experience for me as well," Rivet said. "The teaching and learning was happening from both sides."
"My favorite part was the overall college experience," said SHS senior Fredrick Crawford.
Crawford has already applied to SVSU, and hopes to attend classes here next fall.
"Many students here are pre-service students and haven't worked with minority students," Raica-Klotz said, noting this as a primary reason for her creation of the workshop. "These [SHS] students have a lot of knowledge and experience to offer."
