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Evea Raye
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Brooke Delp, a graduate student and assistant for the English Department, is the current managing editor of the university’s literary magazine, Soundings East. On top of all her other responsibilities, this spring Brooke also managed to host a screenwriting workshop at the North Country Young Writer’s Festival.
The event, which took place May 14-15, 2021, was organized in partnership with the White Mountains Community College. The free event was designed for seventh to 12th graders with an interest in creative writing.
The festival was organized by New Hampshire Poet Laureate and Salem State University Professor Alexandria Peary, as a way to make sure that young people in the northern part of New Hampshire were afforded the same writing opportunities as students elsewhere in the state.
Delp first heard of the project in an email from Professor Peary. She applied for the position, was interviewed, and subsequently hired for the role in early 2021. Initially there was some debate whether the event would take place virtually or in-person, but in the end, the decision to keep it online was made. Delp says the notion of the even being virtual was daunting, and she felt nervous leading up to the event because she wasn’t sure how she was going to translate the very specific formatting that screenwriting requires, virtually.
However, Delp did not need to worry. She was amazed by the wealth of creativity the students possessed. Delp said watching how quickly these students came up with the most interesting ideas made her heart so full, and claims the experience inspired her to want to do more.
Delp chose to teach screenwriting because she thought it might be something different for the students and she had also taken two screenwriting courses at Salem State and written two screenplays herself. The goal of the 75-minute workshop was to write the beginnings of a coming-of-age film.
Delp says the festival would not have been possible without Peary’s vision and commitment. “It is so wonderful of Alex to do this for these students.”
This is just another example of the incredible opportunities that are available to students during their time at SSU. Congratulations Brooke on all your accomplishments!
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Learn more about the Center for Research and Creative Activities. All Salem State University students, faculty, and staff are invited to email their research to be featured by the CRCA: ssu-research@salemstate.edu.