A place where silence isn’t scary but simply means the people around you are taking the time to see you, hear you and learn all about what you have to say.
A community where you are safe to share those writings you have kept to yourself but always were itching to share judgment-free.
This is the type of environment Aubrey Amila, the newly inaugurated president of In The Ords, is working to cultivate in this club here at Cal State Monterey Bay.
Amila shared how she first became a member of In The Ords, “I wanted to join during my freshman year, but I was too shy and was adjusting to the new environment and culture,” Amilia said. “I was barely breaking out of my shell, which meant breaking out of the typical Filipino cultural standards and realizing that I am my own person; I do not need to conform to belong. It took me until my sophomore year to join In The Ords, change my major from biology to humanities and communication, and pursue creative writing.”
The club is open to all interested in the writing and editing world. Typical meetings consist of writing prompts, shared readings and collaborative critiques, all in what Amila describes as “a safe haven for emerging creative writers who need a space to express themselves.” Not only is this space welcoming to all students interested in sharing their work, but it can also lead to numerous opportunities, particularly the chance to get published — every writer’s dream.
In The Ords strives to provide a connecting space for all types of writers, no matter one’s experience; everyone in this club is aiming to grow as writers, receive input and broaden their skill set in a way that the classroom can’t always provide, but instead as an avenue for your hobby to take off as a passion. Sean Tubo, vice president of In The Ords, encourages new nervous members; “We all took an hour out of our lives to go to poetry club, no one here hates writing or hates poetry.” Putting to ease anyones nerves about sharing their work, or worrying their work wasn’t worth the time to workshop with the group.
The club isn’t just for writers, the latter half of the semester will be filled with editing days full of submission reviews and revisions for the club’s Student Collection. The Student Collection is open to all students, even students who don’t belong to the club are invited to submit their work.
The collection is broken into two parts, Fall and Spring, and each portion will have a different theme attached to it. This year’s fall theme is “Linger;” intending to inspire those to tap into themselves and identify any lingering feelings, mourning the summer’s end, nostalgic memories or a past relationship, the options are endless.
“Sometimes it is difficult to reach those creative people because they are often shy and hesitate to submit their work because of their fear of rejection,” Amila said. “Sometimes they don’t think of themselves as writers or artists yet. I know it because I’ve been there.”
Amila recalled her first experience getting published In The Ords, saying, “It feels amazing to be published. It’s like you’re a flower growing out of a cement crack, unstoppable – like you’re prophesied to rise above all odds, especially when you want to be a published writer, poet or artist.”
Submissions are open now for anyone interested in a chance to be published in this year’s edition of the Student Collection. For anyone interested in joining, In The Ords hosts their meetings every Tuesday from 1 to 2 p.m. in the library, room 1167. “Bring a pencil, a notebook, your thoughts and yourself.”
One can also find out more information on MyRaft, or follow only on Instagram @intheords for all the latest updates, submission deadlines and so much more. For those interested in just submitting their work, please go to https://intheords.weebly.com/.