Challenging writing and art skills, stretching imaginations, and encouraging collaboration, the new literacy magazine for Seven Hills introduces these concepts and more. The Palette and the Pen is a club that invites students to showcase their abilities, helps them find passion, and gives everyone the opportunity to be recognized for their unique pieces. They meet monthly in the Upper School to work with new ideas and with different people.
The Palette and the Pen has three leaders and is advised by English teacher Mark Beyreis. Kennedy is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Junior Noor Arif is the Marketing and Communications Director, and Senior Lily Plum Gartenlaub is the Peer Editor. A lot of collaboration is involved in this team, and the student representatives are determined to be available to anyone who has questions and needs help.
When asked why the team started, Senior Grace Kennedy said she created the club to “give kids more of an identity outside of straight academics.” Since there were no activities directly promoting art and writing before Grace’s freshman year, she decided to make a new environment where students were able to present their ideas. She said, “I saw that as a chance to create something new, [to] speak to an area of kids who want to focus on the creative outlooks.”
In club meetings, students participate in a variety of writing workshops and are often given time to free-write. Exercises are given during the meetings to explore multiple forms of writing and hopefully get others to submit their work to the website. The leaders also plan to arrange times for guest teachers to come in and lead activities. Outside of school, students are encouraged to turn in their art or literature projects that they created in their free time or during school hours.
By giving artists and writers the option to display various items, the literacy magazine encourages students to develop both skills. Plum said, “That’s the great thing about our themes: we can have both personal narratives, analytical essays, poems, drawing, paintings, sculptures, all of that.” All of the organizers have creative thoughts on how to merge art and literature for future meetings.
So far, the organizers of this magazine are trying to spread the word about this recent opportunity through Instagram, emails, and posters. Everyone is also motivated to submit their work with incentives of extra credit offered by certain teachers or points for their swarm.
This club focuses on creative aspects outside of academics and combines talents involving writing and art. The Palette and the Pen is a great way for everyone to promote their hard work, discover interests, and collaborate with new faces.
