Newbury Schools
On April 26 and 28, students from Newbury Junior-Senior High School attended the 39th annual Youngstown State University English Festival...
YSU English Festival
On April 26 and 28, students from Newbury Junior-Senior High School attended the 39th annual Youngstown State University English Festival. Newbury was the only school in Geauga County to be invited to the event.
Prior to the festival days, students were required to read seven books to prepare for the activities at the festival. Of the seven novels, two authors were featured at the festival: E. Lockhart and Gene Luen Yang. Many students not only heard these authors speak, but the students met the authors, asked one-to-one questions and got books signed.
Throughout the days of the festival, Newbury students participated in writing games, poetry workshops, insight activities and lectures, impromptu essay writing and many other fun activities. The students also were able to meet the featured authors, get autographs and ask questions.
After the festival, students were asked to reflect on their experience. Here are some of their thoughts:
Senior Hannah Lewandoski
“This was my first year attending the English Festival …what I experienced completely blew me away. I had the opportunity to sit in on a mock press conference with E. Lockhart, a keynote speaker and one of the authors showcased during the festival. If I hadn’t already chosen a major for college, talking with her alone would have convinced me to go into a journalism field. She was honest and charismatic, even for just talking to a group of teenagers. It was interesting to talk to other students and see what went through their heads during the writing process. As a result of going to the festival, I have learned techniques to improve both my writing and thinking processes.”
Seventh-grader Riley Day
“My experience at YSU’s English Festival was good because everything they had us do was related to the books we read and I thought it was cool. I would definitely recommend this to other students because all you had to do to participate was read all the books.”
Eighth-grader Alexander Harrison
“I enjoyed my time at the English Festival. My favorite part was listening to Gene Luen Yang and meeting him. I would recommend this for other students because it was a great experience, and it was very educational.”
Junior Brittany Whelchel
“The English Festival was a great experience for us to learn and have fun. The activities were fun and we got to meet new people. It gave us a greater insight on the author’s perspective about the books.”
Eighth-grader Gregory Bullis
“The YSU English Festival was a great experience for a lover of books like me. Hearing what some authors like E. Lockhart and Gene Luen Yang do to write their books and how they grew up to loving and writing books was very inspiring for me because it showed how different people told their stories and how young adults like me and my peers can tell ours. There was a sense of excitement and teamwork in the experience by working with other people you have never met before and coming up with your own ideas. I would recommend this to other students because it would be a good way for students to expand their minds when it comes to books and writing their own stories.”
