The James White Library hosted its annual Poetry Reading on April 16. Taking place at the JWL Commons, the event drew an audience of around 30 and had six presenters, including two AU students. Nestled in the heart of National Poetry Month, the event offered a quiet, expressive reprieve from the often chaotic end-of-semester period, giving Andrews community members the opportunity to share their creative works.
After a brief opening prayer by Terry Robertson, Dionne Robinson, guidance counselor at Andrews Academy, shared three poems of her own composition. Titled “Tears with a Name,” “A Sliver of Hope” and “When it Hurts,” the pieces touched on themes of sorrow, uncertainty, and perseverance. Robinson was followed by Rosa Joanna Gonzales, an Andrews Academy student, and her poem “The Track God Chose in the Storm.”
Seminary student Brennan James presented next, sharing another original poem titled “The Final Judgment of the Living and Dead.” The single longest poem shared at the event, “The Final Judgment,” presented a dramatic and powerful retelling of the biblical account of the second coming and final judgment.
Commenting on the inspiration for his poem, James said, “I feel like it’s a very solemn subject, and maybe a lot of people wouldn’t write a poem on it. But I thought, ‘You know, this is a subject that’s solemn, but it’s something we should think about and reflect on as Christians.”
Coming after James was Angelica Gomide, JWL’s acquisition and periodical librarian, who shared a poem originally published in the Youth’s Instructor in 1853 titled “Little Children, Love One Another.” She was followed by Margaret Adeogun, the head of patron services and marketing for JWL. Adeogun shared two poems of her own, “My Grandmother’s House: The Home of Love” and “The Beautiful Bunny.” Together, these poems presented a thoughtful reflection on the beauty of life in the past, present, and future.
The final poem shared at the event was Georgia Schulze’s “Grandmother’s Poetry.” Schulze, a junior, described the poem as a reflection of her grandmother’s character as shown through her goals, travels and connections.
“It’s a nod to who she was as a person really—the things she loved and especially her hopes and what made her the individual that she was,” she explained.
Despite the small number of students who participated in the event this year, students have played an integral role in making Poetry Reading what it is today. Adeogun, who also served as the primary organizer of the event, described the origins of the event as beginning in the mind of Christopher Mwashinga, at the time a seminary student himself, in 2023. Mwashinga wished to share some of his poetry, an idea that interested other students as well, and soon the event had grown to involve students from all over campus.
“We have been progressing since then,” Adeogun explained. “Every year we have experienced more of our patrons and some community members coming in here to read poems during the poetry month.”
Both student presenters reflected positively on the experience. When asked what she thought of the other poems she heard, Schulze said, “I enjoyed them. They gave me a little glimpse of other people’s perspectives and lives.”
James shared a similar view, saying, “I like events like this where you hear different poetries from different perspectives. It’s all good.”
The works shared at the Poetry Reading are posted in the JWL Commons and will remain there throughout April. In addition, the poets who shared have the opportunity to have their pieces featured in the Benton Spirit as part of the local paper’s own National Poetry Month festivities. While this year’s event may not have seen a huge student turnout, it still provided a unique opportunity for Andrews to share its creative spirit.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.