Student member of the club (now a full-time teacher) runs a great workshop on getting past"writers block."
As many of you know, I've organized a poetry club at Buffalo State for the past several years. No doubt about it--our most successful programming has come from the members themselves. Student and faculty members have taught everything from reading poetry aloud to writing poems about food. As educators, we know that career planning and preparation sometimes fall through the cracks for many college students. Experience in leading workshops, and the evidence of transferable skills which this represents, is a worthy addition to any professional resume (no matter the career). When students ask me for letters of recommendation for graduate school or employment, it’s easy to comment on their enthusiasm and abilities when I’ve experienced it first-hand myself.
Poetry club members show handmade journals created in a workshop led by a fellow student.
Go Green In the Library poster design by Dennis Reed, Jr.
It's easy to arrange innovative programming events when you want to be involved yourself! What are current topics that you'd like to learn more about, and what events are already happening on campus? What are folks talking about in your community, and what are the student organizations doing on campus? You don't have to be “the expert” to lead a program or club; you just need to be motivated. Start with a genuine curiosity on the subject, and then do what you do best—gathering and presenting relevant materials! Contact university and local authorities on the subject, check out books from your own library, and then take the time to explore and learn from these freely available resources. Most of the time, local organizations are looking for venues to get the word out about their mission, and will jump at the opportunity to present to an interested audience. For example, our “Green Team” has hosted Green Talks by local experts on earth friendly cleaning (leading to the making of cleaning solutions to use in the library!), city gardening, campus recycling, and reusing old building materials. Green programming also included an Earth Day poetry contest, paper art display, and the creation of an environmental subject guide.
