Fair Grove High School’s Poetry Club is not like the typical clubs offered to students. But yet, this club offers a fun, relaxed, judgement-free environment for kids who love poetry. 

Mr. Joseph Florez, an English teacher at Fair Grove, is the sponsor for Poetry Club. Florez states “In Poetry Club, we usually allow anyone who wants to read a poem to read one. Then we normally watch one or two videos from Button Poetry or something similar, and discuss them.” He believes this club would be great for anyone to join who likes to write, read or listen to creative pieces. The goals set for the members are “…to try to write at least one new poem (to read) every two weeks…” As he explains further, Florez says “…but there are some who don’t read or write anything, they just listen and hang out”

Mitch Van Cleave, a junior at Fair Grove High School, is a member of Poetry Club. Personally, he finds this club to be important because it forces him to write so he has something to share with his peers. For Van Cleave, poetry goes deeper than sharing with his classmates, “Poetry is a great way to deal with emotions, and sometimes the writing can force me to face things I wouldn’t otherwise.” He describes club meetings as “generally a good time,” as members share their poems on a weekly basis, and others listen to further discuss. Van Cleave says “Anybody with any interest should come to our next meeting…If you come, you don’t have to read. You can just quietly sit and listen. I promise that we won’t bite. I mean, Helen will probably give you a cookie.” This is an example of the welcoming environment Poetry Club offers to all students.

Nate Brigman, a junior at Fair Grove High School, enjoys poetry club because of the environment. “It gives me a place to share my poetry with my peers and listen to theirs, it drives me to write more than I normally would…” He concurs with Van Cleave on the laid-back club setting of the club meetings, and would recommend anyone to come to them. He says “…anyone who wants to read is welcome to and we’ll discuss the poem afterwards, and then we typically watch a couple poems from YouTube poets.” Brigman adds that it is not difficult to join, if any students are interested.

Poetry Club meets on every other Wednesday, after school, in Florez’s classroom.