By Elizabeth Seward

In the Middle School, English teacher Christine Waldron is spearheading a new digital publication, Creative Voices, as a central place for students to read about what’s going on in the Middle School.

Before the creation of Creative Voices, there were two publications: Ember, where literary articles were published, and Match in the Middle, for Middle School news and feature articles. By merging the two, Waldron has created a space for writers with diverse interests and a common digital spot for students to read Middle Schoolers’ writing. 

In an interview for The Match, Waldron, the driving force behind Creative Voices, emphasized how different this publication is from traditional classroom writing assignments. “This activity is not for a grade,” Waldron said, “However, it is a great opportunity for students to find a passion, be published, and grow their portfolio.” At the beginning of the year, Waldron teaches the staff the basics: “They learn how to write a lede, they learn how to write a caption, they learn how to cite their sources.” After that, the students are free to write about whatever interests them. She explained that while the lack of a formal grading system can sometimes result in late or less polished work, the freedom students experience by writing without the pressure of grades outweighs any challenges that may emerge. 

Students on the staff of Creative Voices sacrifice their precious study hall time to attend the weekly Wednesday meetings. The staff consists of 12 dedicated students from 5th to 7th Grade, many of which previously wrote for Ember or Match in the Middle. Despite the small staff size, they publish bimonthly issues, each one covering a wide range of topics. Waldron said, “Students are allowed to write about their interests, but each issue usually features school news, fashion, food, and entertainment. We also have writing and art contests.”

One of the most popular sections in Creative Voices is the relationship advice column. This Middle School journalist, writing under the pseudonym “Dr. Love,” responds to real relationship questions anonymously sent to her via Google Forms. Although the staff at Creative Voices made it abundantly clear that the true identity of Dr. Love must remain anonymous, they graciously allowed me to ask Dr. Love a few questions about her writing process.

The Creative Voices staff finalizing Issue 4.

“I love writing as Dr. Love,” she explained, “I never get the chance to share my opinion like this in my language arts classes.” She also elaborated on her desire to help her fellow students through the ebbs and flows of Middle School friendships. One anonymous Middle Schooler wrote, “How do I get a girl to like me?” Dr. Love expertly responded, “Don’t be too clingy, or it might get weird fast. Getting to know her is the best way to grow closer,” followed by a heart-eyes emoji. Dr. Love’s approach is empathetic and thoughtful, as she tries to put herself in the advice-seeking students’ shoes: “I think about if it were me in their place,” she shared, “and I try to relate to them on a personal level.” 

Just as Dr. Love writes for the advice column, each student has a specific niche in which they publish articles. A former writer for Ember, Lucy M. (‘31), typically writes for the entertainment section. “I usually write about everything related to music and fashion,” Lucy said, “I like writing about my favorite celebrities, like Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter.” She noted that for her last article, she “wrote about the songs on the Billboard Top 100.” Lucy appreciates the freedom that comes with writing for Creative Voices. “We get to choose what we write about, which makes the writing more fun,” Lucy explained. “In my language arts class, we usually write about fictional books. For me, it’s more exciting to write about real people, which is why I like writing non-fictional articles in Creative Voices.” 

Other staff members feel a similar sense of freedom when writing for Creative Voices. Caris B. (‘30), who wrote for Match in the Middle for two years, explained how “there is a lot less pressure in Creative Voices than in my English classes. I don’t feel like I have to be perfect.” She went on to say that she has more creative freedom when writing her articles for Creative Voices, “which makes writing more enjoyable.” Anna R. (‘32) echoed this sentiment. She said, “I feel a little more free in Creative Voices. I get to write about whatever I want—I love it.” Waldron added, “I have returning students year after year.”

Creative Voices offers these young students a place to be adventurous with their writing. Nikki Young, a children’s author and creative writing tutor, writes that free writing is crucial for adolescent student development. Furthermore, she believes that free writing without an attachment to a grade is the best way for a student to improve their writing skills. By providing these young journalists with a place to experiment and be curious, Creative Voices fosters both the development of their writing skills and their passions for the craft.

All photos by Christine Waldron.