Every story starts somewhere — but at La Salle, that ‘somewhere’ disappeared when the Creative Writing class did.

Last taught almost a decade ago, the class, which offered a structured creative outlet to students, was discontinued due to a consistent lack of enrollment.

It’s time we bring it back — not just for the writers, but for everyone who believes their words matter.

The class was a space for poetry, short stories, and personal narratives. Students were offered the benefits of community and expression, learning more about the written word through a class that was taught on a slightly different structure than average writing classes.

English classes primarily focus on analysis, with assignments like the “Many Voices, Many Rooms” essay from freshman year and our poetry booklets that are about self-expression. But those projects are few and far between. Creative writing would fill that gap by allowing space for those things and by building empathy because hearing other students’ stories helps everyone understand one another better.

In the age of AI, where creativity is being willingly handed over, we need creative writing now more than ever.

Writing is an outlet that allows anyone to process stress, anxiety, and identity through articulation. I’ve been writing since I was eight years old, if not younger, driven to create the characters that I didn’t often find in stories I read — characters that shared my identity, my struggles. The ones I did find were at best romanticized and at worst ostracized. 

It became my goal to create a book people could relate to but also find enjoyable to read, even if my book only resonates with one person, that person is still a person who deserves a space to feel recognized. 

That’s my job as a writer.

Creative writing gives permission to feel and reflect and try to understand things outside of ourselves. It helps us develop a world view beyond the black and white — a vital skill in today’s high-pressure society, where we learn to stifle creativity in order to conform to the social norm that is considered success.

Writing creatively improves all forms of self-expression like the spoken word, poetry, song, essays, speeches or emails. 

Creativity is one of the most valued skills in employees in modern jobs, whether it be design, marketing or business, which makes it an even more important skill to be taught at schools such as La Salle to prepare students for the future. We learn editing, storytelling, and communication — all of which are practical, transferable skills even if you don’t specifically want to pursue a degree in creative writing.

Some might say creative writing isn’t “essential” — that it’s an elective luxury or something that should be simply a “fun class.” But creativity isn’t a luxury. It can be fun, but it’s also how we process the world, how we innovate, and how we connect. 

In a school that values faith, thought, and compassion, how could we not make room for that?

Every story deserves a space to begin. 

I hope our administration will consider giving creative writing a home again — not just as another elective or club, but as a cornerstone of La Salle’s creative spirit that reignites a part of who we are as a community of young thinkers, dreamers, and storytellers.

We need the Creative Writing class back.