Student Organization Spotlight: Rising Voices Poetry Project

The Rising Voices Poetry Project’s mission is to provide a fun, safe environment for UWSP students. 

The club meets weekly to discuss selected poetry and free write. 

Last week on Nov. 13, the club’s focus was on a poet named Mai Der Vang, the daughter of Hmong refugees who aims to tell the story of her family’s culture. 

“They didn’t have a written form of language until the 1950s. There has not been an established literary written tradition of Hmong writers and she grapples with that in her writing,” said Kyra Hagen, secretary of the club. 

“Usually we’ll have a focus form or a focus literary device that we’re working on. Then we’ll have free write time, as well as time to share,” Hagen said. 

The club has had a complicated history since its founding in 1997. 

“Originally, we started as Lincoln Hills Poetry Project, which was a project where UWSP students went to Lincoln Hills juvenile detention center to run an hour-long monthly workshop with the students there. It was a very successful program that helped a lot of the students,” said Elyse Edens, president of the project. 

“They also published an anthology titled rising voices, which is where our name comes from. Our club has had a lot of names,” Edens said. 

The members also stressed the aspects of the club that set them apart from other clubs, specifically their focus on creating a welcoming environment. 

“The one word I would use to describe poetry is community. It is a very nurturing space, a very creative space. One of the beautiful things about poetry club is you don’t need to know anything about poetry or writing,” said Connor Mckenzie, a member of the club. 

“I view poetry club very much as a safe space. Poetry club has always felt like a place where I can engage in conversations without negative consequences,” said Katlyn Pray, the club’s treasurer. 

“I think that poetry club is very good at helping people figure out how they feel on the inside,” said Ari Gronholm, a member of the club. “There’s no wrong way to express how you feel in poetry, and I think that’s really beautiful.” 

The sentiment of community was echoed by all the members, who all found value in the sense of family and community the club provides. 

For more information, find the Rising Voice Poetry Project on SPIN. 

The organization meets Wednesdays in CPS 230 from 7 to 8 p.m. 

Andrew Knoff 

News Reporter 

[email protected]