jalen daniels
Hello, my name is Jalen Daniels. I was born on November 7th, 2001. I’ve lived in oak park my whole life, i have gone to Holmes elementary, brooks middle, and oak park and river forest high school. I am an only child and always have been. I live with my mom in the same house I have always lived in. I enjoy spending time with my friends, skateboarding, listening to music, and making music. Sometimes I may write poetry and put a beat behind and sometimes I just write to get things off of my mind and leave it as the words they are. I grew pretty well off, I would say. I got almost all that I wanted (except retro Jordans). I was an only child so my needs were put first for a long time. For the longest time, I would say I was a follower. In elementary school, I was more interested in giving attention to the class clowns instead of the teacher. I didn’t really do my own thing, I did what I thought the people that were cool would do. I’d say it took until 8th grade for me to truly be myself. I always had problems completing homework since middle school and for that reason, was put in a homework program. When I actually started to get my grades and gpa up, I felt good about myself and so did the people around me. I felt better spending my time doing what I was supposed to do rather than trying to fit in with crowds. When I stopped focusing on that, I made friends a lot more naturally. In highschool I met people I wouldn't trade for a winning lottery ticket. I learned how to think for myself, work with others efficiently, and value people for what they have taught me. I am currently a student at triton college and plan on transferring to a university next year in the fall and my major is in psychology. I took interest in psychology because of the fact that I find myself thinking too much as well as wanting to help people.
The impact of poetry and the spoken word club
I would say Spoken word and poetry have done so much for me that I initially didn’t expect it to do. First and foremost, going into high school, the last thing I expected was to be a part of any club, in all honesty. The teachers encouraged students to join clubs for many reasons: it would look good on college resumes, you’d make friends, or you could come to enjoy the club so much you would want to pursue some kind of passion surrounding the club. I occasionally wrote raps on my own time so when I was asked to join spoken word I was a little hesitant because I was only accustomed to making things rhyme and not the stereotypical image of poetry I expected the club to live up to. I ended up joining to become a better writer and I got more than I asked for. I met many people that I learned so much from, people I look up to because of what they taught me. I gained a new taste in music because of the writing styles I was being taught. Rappers like MF DOOM are lyricists I learned about and heard about through spoken word and hip hop club that had a big impact on who I became through those 4 years of high school. Spoken word also taught me to take accountability. All the homework I was too lazy to do brought my grade so low that I couldn’t participate in the club sometimes. I had to come to the realization that I have no one to blame but myself in situations like this, and to use these moments as lessons to overcome bad habits. Another thing spoken word has done for me is help me analyze. I’ve always been the one to analyze my surroundings but when it came to analyzing my own work, it was a different story. When it came to papers or work where you needed to answer a question thoroughly, I was just trying to get the work done. In spoken word, they have you make drafts of your work. The poem would be read by somebody such as Mr. Kahn, and then they would make comments and suggestions. Now, I tend to proofread my work and make drafts in papers and raps. The last thing I learned from spoken word, was to respect the mic. Many people that join have been through so much that they wouldn’t have told if they didn’t join the club. I’ve heard stories about abuse, assault, grief, addiction and much more from the same classmates that carry themselves as if they aren’t struggling. That's why, when people have a story to tell, I know that I will listen and attempt to be sympathetic to their situation. I know if I told a personal story that I haven’t told anyone or only have told people very close to me, that I would want people to listen and respect the time I'm taking to do something challenging.
Top favorite poets or lyricists
Poets: Kyla Pereles, Peter Kahn, and Nicholas Berry
Lyricist: MF DOOM, Earl Sweatshirt, and Capital Steez
Writing Prompts
Write about a time you didn’t take something seriously when you should have
If you could make a living doing something you’re passionate about, what would it be? Write a poem dedicated to that passion
Write about a time you were the “responsible” one
Write about a time you were a rebel