From a Millennials Perspective

On Friday, October 13th our group made the trip out to 916 Ink, and we explored the imaginarium along with interviewing some of the staff members. My initial reaction of the imaginaruim was simply WOW! It was such a beautiful space that was carefully crafted with so many details. I absolutely loved all of the details such as little boxes filled with starfish and other knick-nacks, typewriters, and a huge amount of books. Creativity definitely fills the room, and I can see how students might be influenced to think and write creatively in such an amazing space. The vision behind 916 Ink and their desire to help youth through literacy is amazing, and I truly want more youth to get involved! Our group is currently working on helping 916 Ink get more youth involved in the workshops. While interviewing Henry, he explained how participation at workshops has been lacking. For the new media plan, our group is proposing a revamp in the social media area; we think 916 Ink can be more active on ...

Chapter 3 of "From Voice to Influence" by Allen and Light caught my attention for various reasons, mainly due to the discussion of impure dissent. Never in my life have I heard of such a term, but immediately it sounds pretty negative. I honestly hate that the word "impure" is even attached, especially seeing as it is in relation to oppressed individuals. From what I can gather, political dissent refers to any "negative" expression that is in response to disagreement from politics. What makes something "impure" is a message that encourages the oppressed to act transgressively. According to Allen and Light, hip hop and rap is usually classified as being morally and politically impure because of its similarity to civil disobedience that may be displayed (Allen and Light 67). Immediately, I went to google and typed "rap songs with political messages"to see for myself what types of messages were being conveyed. I came across the song ...

Honestly, I believe 916 Ink is an amazing organization. I absolutely love how they are reaching out to the youth in order to help them express themselves through writing, while also helping kids grow as individuals. I am confident that writing and art can have such a huge impact on people of all ages, especially kids who struggle to find a creative outlet. As a teen, I too struggled with finding my voice and I did not have a creative outlet. It wasn't until I began diving into the world of literature and writing that I found my voice. I think that's why I am so excited to know that an organization like 916 Ink exists, because I know first hand the positive influence that can result from being creatively express. The many positive stories Henry shared with our class were also heart warming and motivating. 916 Ink is surely helping better the lives of the kids they are helping, and I am beyond happy that they are granting kids the opportunity to grow as both writers, and as indi...