For all of the planning that we did to make this trip happen, for everything I envisioned it to be, I never imagined it would work out as well as it did. We had such a great trip on a thousand different levels, and the unique personalities of each young person mixed with the personalities of the chaperones was an accidental alchemy that made for an incredibly exciting week.
Here's a preview of one of our many hilarious moments. The kids had been singing this one particular, explicit R & B song the entire trip and this video was what happened when we asked them to sing something, anything else. Enjoy Mary!
As you can see, we had mad fun. Check out more of our photos and videos on http://livepoetssocietybx.ning.com. From the 12-hour sing-along on the way there, to the surprise U.S. Muziq performance at the D-Tension open mic, to being celebrities of the conference due to their zeal, to all the inside jokes and belly laughs, impromptu performances, nail night, push-up contests, bball games and flame-wars, to the more serious work we did (conferencing with the MAC students via video and conference call, our spectacular workshop at the AMC, and the US vs. South Africa freestyle we participated in)... I will never forget this trip, and no one who went will, either. The students were begging to stay longer, and I watched them network with other youth like pros. It was so overwhelmingly successful that they were immediately trying to think about fundraising ideas and ways to improve for next year. We WILL be back at the AMC, you already snow!
I'm so proud of my students. They really went above and beyond my expectations, whether they were speaking to someone at the conference, graciously thanking the person responsible for our housing accommodations, or chatting with my grandmother. They got to meet practically my entire family, and see my city, which was so special to me. I am so grateful to everyone who had a hand in supporting this project and bringing one of my dreams to fruition. The Live Poets Society is taking off and I'm so excited to see where it will take us!
Much love,
Lo
