This week, Type One sat down with senior Rachel Bell who will be attending NYU in the fall. Bell has always had strong opinions about social justice and human rights. One way Bell expresses her passion for equality is using poetry as a medium for change. Looking back upon her Pine Crest years, Bell recalled first becoming interested in poetry during her Sophomore year in Ms. Dailey’s class. The students had to recreate an Emily Dickinson’s poem, and after that assignment, Bell knew poetry was something she wanted to pursue.

Bell has taken action to try to spread her love for poetry to the other PC students. She said, “Last summer at an NYU program I did, I organized and ran a poetry slam and then at the beginning of this year, Genue Wilkins and I organized a poetry slam here at The Pine.”

Although Bell loves writing and sharing her inspirational poems, she is interested in a wide range of topics. Regarding her future, Bell said, “I do not plan to formally study English in college, but I plan to keep writing and aspire to write a book of poetry one day. I plan to study Sociology at NYU, so I can incorporate law and gender studies into my curriculum. I also plan on minoring in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.”

Reflecting on her experience at Pine Crest, Bell has learned how to research effectively and put her thoughts into cohesive paragraphs, along with forming important bonds with teachers and others in her life. When asked about what advice she would give to underclassmen, she said, “Take time for yourself. High school is so overwhelming and you need to cut out time for self-care so you don’t get burnt out.”  

Because Bell is extremely involved in politics and activism, she has learned how to cope with others who do not think in the same manner as she does. She said, “Every day I try to work on hearing other people’s opinions without getting angry. It can be difficult when you have so much passion and are so personally affected by political decisions. It’s sometimes hard for me to remember that some people do not realize that they are–or, in fact, are not–personally affected by political decisions.”

As she moves on from this chapter in her life, Bell looks forward to being in a diverse environment with so much knowledge to obtain. She wants to learn and hear ideas from people all over the world. Type One wishes Rachel Bell the best of luck with her poetry and activism in college and beyond. Below is one of Bell’s poems showing her passion through her writing.

Girl

with a heart

like a tarmac

constantly trampled

but that’s

what she was made for

she loved being

close to airplanes

and people

escaping

she was fascinated

by the thought of peanuts

suspended in the air

they know

what being trapped

is like.

who relies

on skin

to protect her,

has clearly never

seen war drums

skin stretched and

beaten

ready for battle

she is not ready

she longs for

the soft sounds

of the womb.

unaware that

she can move

mountains with

her breath

trap flies

with her tongue

and souls with

her body

that she too

can beat war drums

and fly.