Getting community service hours for expressing themselves

Wantagh students celebrate National Poetry Month through Blackout Poetry

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The old, discarded books of the Wantagh Public Library may tell a story, but using those books ripped out pages, Wantagh students on April 9 were able to tell their very own story.

Just in time for National Poetry Month, the Wantagh Public Library held a Black Out Poetry, which highlights words on a page by coloring around it to make a poem, for students in grades fifth through 12th. The event was a success, bringing a handful of students to the library on a Friday month to take part in the project.

“I knew it was poetry month in April and I wanted to do something, so I figured this was an easy way because they weren’t starting with a blank page,” said young adult librarian Jennifer McHugh. “They were starting with something that was already there and were changing it to make it their own and then adding the art element where they can design it.”

Because the pages they made will go on display at the library, the students were able to earn an hour of community service, something that has been rather difficult during the pandemic.

“We can’t have our volunteers come in like they normally do,” said McHugh. “So we do have some things online. They can do a book review with an online Google form or they can do an act of kindness and fill out a Google form and they just send it back and we email them a certificate.”

Crafty nights like this have been popular, McHugh said, with participants often being put on wait lists. Only a certain amount of people can come to ensure social distance.

To see the Wantagh Public Library’s listing of events, visit www.wantaghlibrary.org.