During your high school years there are multiple different activities and things to join based on your interests. Sports and clubs are a great way to spend free time as a high schooler especially when it involves something that you like to do. Here at Hawthorne High School there is a perfect club for you, especially if you enjoy writing.

That would be he HHS Creative Writing Club. 

The creative writing club is a place where you can write and let your creativity and imagination run free. During school sometimes you have to write essays and it’s not that fun because you have to do it based on the assignment, in creative writing you’re allowed to make your own rules. No judgment and no stress about needing it to be perfect. The most important thing is whether you like it  or not . 

The Clarion was lucky enough to get an interview with the HHS Creative Writing Club advisor, Ms. Cristina Redmerski, English teacher. 

The Clarion: Tell us a little bit about yourself. 

Ms. Redmerski: My name is Cristina Redmerski. This is my tenth year teaching high school English. First, I taught for two years in Louisiana, while my husband was in the military. We were stationed at Fort Polk, LA. Then, we moved back to NJ and I taught for four years in the Northern Valley Regional High School District. This is my fourth year teaching at HHS! My husband’s name is Robert and we have been married for nine years. We have two beautiful children, Robert (Robbie) who is four and a half years old and Carly, who is six months old. I am the Creative Writing Club advisor and I am one of the advisors for the Class of 2023.

The Clarion: Why did you start the creative writing program? 

Ms. Redmerski: This is the third year that I have been working with the HHS Creative Writing Club. I wanted to get involved in the school outside of the classroom. I wanted to help make the Empyrean, the literary magazine, great! And, I wanted to be able to provide students the opportunity to have an outlet to write and draw outside of the classroom. As an English teacher and an educator, I see the importance of writing in various forms and motivating students to get out of their comfort zone by trying something new! 

The Clarion: What skills and strengths do you think you bring to this club? 

Ms. Redmerski: I have an English degree from Montclair State University. I am well-versed in literature and writing. Also, my teaching experience has allowed me to help students create and construct ideas to format their writing. I also help with editing and revising!

The Clarion: What type of things do you do in the club?

Ms. Redmerski: We write based on prompts and visuals. We practice different types of writing like sensory poetry and writing from different points of view. We share our work with the group and provide constructive feedback. We enter contests, in which many of our students become published writers! We work on the literary magazine, which is called the Empyrean. We also host Poetry Day each year. Some students draw during our meetings, as well.

The Clarion: Why do you think people should join? 

Ms. Redmerski: If you are interested in writing in any form, then this is the place for you! We meet every Tuesday directly after school in the library. 

The HHS Creative Writing Club seems like a fun way to learn new things…maybe you should try it out and open yourselves up to new possibilities!