Have you heard of SPARC Club, founded by junior, Kayla Bernstein? You might remember Kayla by her fantastic performance of Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” at the No Place For Hate/Witness Inspire Act Talent Show this past December. Inspired by her love for slam poetry and rap, Kayla teamed up with co-officers Andrea Salas, Sarah Alfred-Levow, and Victoria Alfred-Levow to create one of Harriton’s new clubs!

HB: What is SPARC?

KB: Well, it stands for Slam Poetry and Rap Club

HB: Why did you decide to create the club?

KB: I knew that other people in the school were interested in slam poetry and rap, and I wanted to create an outlet for people to share and learn from each other. It’s nice to feel like there are other people with similar interests and it’s fun to come together.

HB: What is the typical meeting like?

KB: We often write and play writing games — we’ll watch a video for inspiration, so we can base our thinking on it and spark ideas.

AS: At the end of the year (and following years) we plan to create a book of everyone’s writing.

HB: How long have you been writing Slam Poetry?

KB: I have been writing raps, or what I would consider raps, since about two years ago. I was mad, and I decided to write about it and make it rhyme. I didn’t know what to do with my raps so I thought it would be cool to have everyone who didn’t know what to do with them come together and share them. Also, the club could make people more interested in rap and slam poetry. They are both a great way to get your emotions out; it’s satisfying just to write it all down.

HB: What are the goals of the club?

KB: We’re working towards a performance at the end of this year, where people share their raps and poems. We also want to go on field trips and see other Slam Poetry performances – there is [a performance] at Penn, I’d like to watch them and see how they do their slam poetry performances.

HB: How often do you meet and when?

KB: Once a week on Wednesday during RAM in Mrs. Caine’s room.

HB: What do you enjoy the most about the club?

KB: Seeing other people’s raps and poems since they are inspiring and it’s cool to see other peoples’ ideas and stuff – it makes me happy.

HB: Do you guys perform anywhere—how does that work?

KB: We need help getting it off the ground (since it’s a new club), but people who want to share could perform in a café eventually.

HB: Anything else you think readers should know?

KB: It’s a great club, we want more membership, and you can contact us with our student Gmail accounts if you have more questions! Look up Kayla Bernstein, Andrea Salas, Victoria Alfred-Levow, or Sarah Alfred-Levow.

Whether you are new to slam poetry and rap, have been writing for years, or just want a place where you can express yourself and speak your mind, come check out SPARC Club!