{"id":8021,"date":"2023-05-31T04:13:19","date_gmt":"2023-05-30T21:13:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/?p=8021"},"modified":"2023-06-07T08:45:57","modified_gmt":"2023-06-07T01:45:57","slug":"visionvoice-makes-a-comeback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/visionvoice-makes-a-comeback\/","title":{"rendered":"Vision+Voice Makes a Comeback\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By Angelica Ruzanova<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humans are storytelling creatures. From cave drawings of star clusters to our fast-paced appetite to connect in the digital terrain today, we discover the world and ourselves through waves of proliferating knowledge. Our curiosity makes us human, and Austin Community College aims to facilitate a space to embrace that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Friday, April 28, the liberal arts: humanities and communications department hosted the annual Vision+Voice<\/a> Literary Festival at the Highland Campus showcasing poetry and creative writing from K-12 and ACC students. The event included an open mic and an award ceremony for winners of the League of Innovation<\/a> and Cacciatore<\/a> projects where each poem was read aloud by their author in the main presentation hall. Winners were individually invited to record their narration of the poems in the PBS studio across the building prior.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ACC Mascot, R.B, struts his stuff at the presentation hall for the Vision+Voice Literary Festival. Photo taken by Angelica Ruzanova in Austin Texas on Friday, April 28th, 2023.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Moderated by Dean of Arts & Digital Media Perry Crafton, the event introduced special guests from the board of trustees, English and creative writing programs involved in judging the submissions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Divided into grade levels, the winners received posters designed by ACC Digital Media students who visualized their own versions of each poem with chosen artwork, internally competing amongst themselves as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are witnesses to your answer. Your work is published, your voice is heard,\u201d said Board of Trustees member Nora Comstock in her opening speech. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The festival was at the crossroads of all life paths. Poems from elementary grade poets exhibited raw imagery of the world as students shared experiences from school playgrounds to their thanksgiving dinner tables. Fifth-grader Mateo from Boone Elementary wrote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>
\n
\n

\u201cI am the green of the trees
The grass is as still as space
The shining sun with little gold lace<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wonder why the moon and sun are never together<\/em>
<\/em>Why the little small voice is always whispering hush<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hear the small breeze<\/em>
<\/em>and my breath being released<\/em>
<\/em>and the swings in a sea of rust<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I see the green mixed with the night sky<\/em>
<\/em>of the chairs, the sky blue as a ripe blueberry<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want the yellow roses with rocks and sticks of all colors and the grass to brush my feet as I walk<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am the sky, the clouds, the sun, and moon<\/em>
<\/em>I am me\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u2026while Lyric, a first-grader from Maplewood Elementary, shared: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>
\n
\n

\u201cI hit my head<\/em>
<\/em>I hit my head<\/em>
<\/em>I hit my head<\/em>
<\/em>I hit my head<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I bit my bed<\/em>
<\/em>I bit my bed<\/em>
<\/em>I bit my bed<\/em>
<\/em>I bit my bed.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The first through fifth grade category was met with ACC poetry and creative writing winners Shannon Williams and Seth Moloney. Both students read their respective poem and short story to the live audience of faculty and students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The middle school arrangement explored friendships, maturity and coming of age in this big, complicated world. The faces of these readers had wide eyes as they touched on themes of identity, expectations and losing those around you in the midst of adolescent angst that permeated their words. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cToday, we are reminded of what the world was like when we were young, feeling experiences with new eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Eighth-grader Stella from Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders read: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>
\n
\n

\u201c…It is easy<\/em>
<\/em>To get lost here<\/em>
<\/em>In this maze of identical streets<\/em>
<\/em>The same house<\/em>
<\/em>The same yard<\/em>
<\/em>Over and over again<\/em>
<\/em>Blue and gray<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our world is fading<\/em>
<\/em>We are fading into the carpet<\/em>
<\/em>That covers old hotel rooms<\/em>
<\/em>The random dots on the carpet describe our whole universe<\/em>
<\/em>Everything we have ever known<\/em>
<\/em>Will be walked over<\/em>
<\/em>The carpet<\/em>
<\/em>Is the color of soldiers uniforms<\/em>
<\/em>The carpet<\/em>
<\/em>Is the color of the houses<\/em>
<\/em>The carpet<\/em>
<\/em>Is blue and gray.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Then, for dessert, the existential contemplation of high school contestants and their physical and spiritual realities. These poems dealt with the pains and dreams of young adults unafraid to shed their vulnerability as 11th grader Claire from Stephen F. Austin High School expressed: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>
\n
\n

\u201cThe busy streets filled with cheer<\/em>
<\/em>Deep breathes, not a fear<\/em>
<\/em>Take a step, unlock the door<\/em>
<\/em>Dark sky with waves ashore<\/em>
<\/em>The feeling of unreality, it makes me feel fake<\/em>
<\/em>Take time for the value<\/em>
<\/em>No mistakes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flying sheeps, counting stars<\/em>
<\/em>I want to stay forever where you can\u2019t get scars<\/em>
<\/em>Peace and closure, feeling free<\/em>
<\/em>Close the door, use the key<\/em>
<\/em>Step out into the world where people feel pain<\/em>
<\/em>If only dreams were real where there are no complaints.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The poetry was not solely limited to English work; Jhoselin from Austin Achieve Public High School was one of the winners for the 10th grade category with her work titled \u201cSentimentos No encontrados.\u201d Part of the goal at Vision+Voice was to celebrate ESOL students through the Transpositions<\/a> project for those taking English classes at ACC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n
A piece by Katheryn Pharr featured in the first edition of Curiositas which debuted at the Vision+Voice Festival on Friday. Photo taken by Angelica Ruzanova at ACC’s Highland Campus on April 28th, 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Outside of the presentation hall, the festival featured the first edition of a student academic journal Curiositas designed by Professor Watkins, showcasing composition, research and literary essays from current ACC students.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Vision+Voice program began in 2013 but was halted during the last three years due to the pandemic. The festival is a revived opportunity for young poets to become published as they experience an authentic audience alongside writers both younger and older than themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to hear, listen, and connect,\u201d said Creative Writing Department Chair Prudence Arceneaux in her introductory speech. \u201cToday, we are reminded of what the world was like when we were young, feeling experiences with new eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Students share their thoughts at ACC\u2019s revived literary festival.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4103,"featured_media":8083,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[53,1232,100,1721,1725,1720,1718,1723,1722,1724,1719,1726],"class_list":["post-8021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-accent-news","tag-angelica-ruzanova","tag-austin-community-college","tag-cacciatore","tag-k-12-students","tag-league-of-innovation","tag-literary-festival","tag-nora-comstock","tag-perry-crafton","tag-poetry","tag-student-event","tag-visionvoice"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4103"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8021"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8021\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}