Voices of Youth was the largest poetry reading in ARC’s history on Wednesday night. A virtual audience of over 250 people watched the 2020 ARC participants perform poems. The students shared powerful stories of loss, love, and hardship.
The team has been crafting their poems since the first week of the course in Yosemite’s high country. They gained inspiration from their surroundings in crafting evocative metaphors: a sequoia grove, an ant colony, a vibrant blue wildflower, and more. Zuriel Rios-Ruiz said of the writing process: “I was excited to resolve the emotions that were trapped within me and release them onto paper.” Iran Pacheco said, “The writing was emotional because, as I wrote, I was re-living the memories.” For Iran, the writing of the poem and capturing her feelings on the page “felt like taking in a breath of fresh air.”
The team chose their name using the gender neutral form of the Spanish word guerrero, meaning warrior.
During the performances, students demonstrated tremendous courage in front of the virtual audience, showing their vulnerability and sharing their personal stories. They all spoke with confidence and poise. Zuriel says he had no experience public speaking, but his ARC teammates gave him the confidence to perform his poem. “I knew [my teammates] were there for me and they would support me no matter how I did.” Iran had been instrumental in helping Zuriel with his performance: “Iran helped me express my emotions more. I had to dig really deep to get the feeling out and make the poem better.”
The audience didn’t see the students after their performances, but the feeling in the room was one of incredible pride and accomplishment. Iran says, “I felt really proud to share something so personal and so raw. It was euphoric. Pouring out my emotions gave me a tremendous feeling of happiness. I just felt so powerful.”
Voices of Youth provides a platform for ARC students’ to share their stories and display their growth, their confidence, and their power. This event and the students’ experiences would not be possible without the support of our generous donors. Thank you!