Voices in Progress: Untold Truths, is a new RSO that says it will help students express themselves through writing or any other creative format.

The Student Government approved the RSO March 31 with an emergency bill. The organization will focus mainly on hosting open mic nights and other similar events where students can share their poetry or other creative works.

One of the goals of the organization is to help students work on their confidence performing or reading in front of a crowd. Voices in Progress will also help students work on their writing skills.

Charity Abner, a junior psychology student, is the president of Voices in Progress. She said she wanted to form this RSO because during her time at Eastern, she has seen RSOs such as Black Student Union host open mic nights.

During the Student Government meeting Abner said she sees the organization helping in many ways.

“This event can help us become more involved with each other. We can encourage each other. We can work on our writing skills,” said Abner on March 31. “I plan to make this a safe space. A lot of students want to be in a safe space when they express their selves. Especially in times when we’re going through a lot.”

She thought that an RSO specifically focused on poetry could bring more opportunities for students to participate in open mic nights.

“Hosting more poetry club events can help students express themselves and become more connected socially,” Abner said.

The organization will be a very social one, focusing on getting students involved and helping them find a community where students can encourage one another.

“We want our fellow students to have opportunities to express themselves and encourage other students to do the same,” Abner said. “We believe this will help create unity among the students and help bring out our creativity as well.”

Antonise Myles, a freshman psychology student, is the organization’s vice-president. This being her first year at Eastern, she was looking for RSOs that she would be interested in.

When she heard that Eastern would potentially be having a poetry club, she knew she wanted to be involved in the creation of it.

“Since I have years of experience with writing poetry, I knew I could benefit from this RSO while also helping others,” Myles said.

She said that she wants Voices in Progress to be a safe space for all students, and that reflects in the name chosen for the organization.

“We want students who join to feel they are in a safe space and feel that their voices can be heard, which is why I came up with the name,” Myles said. “We believe this will help create unity among the students and help bring out our creativity as well.”

They believe that a safe space for students is especially important during these tough times when students are going through a lot of struggles.

Myles and Abner came up with the idea for the organization in the beginning of the Spring 2021 semester and had been working toward getting it approved since then.

“We got together and decided that as a team we could create events that can help students become more creative and social,” Abner said.

The organization plans to meet every other Wednesday from 5 to 6 p.m. in the upcoming semester.

The organization also plans to host both in-person and online events to help students with their poetry.

“We have a lot of things in store and we can’t wait to share them with the campus!” Myles said.

Kyara Morales-Rodriguez can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].