By Amelia Parry
Introducing Lola Bosa, the Grade 12 student with a talent for creative writing and art. Lola loves to write. Whether it be creative writing or journaling, she enjoys expressing her thoughts in words. With summer approaching, she has had more time to read, which is another thing she loves to do. Lola has invariably loved reading mystery novels, one of her favourites being We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, although she has been branching out recently and exploring new genres. Some of Lola’s recent reads have been Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath -- “all excellent novels in different ways,” as Lola claims. Her current read is Educated by Tara Westover.
Lola hopes to eventually major in English. That said, her course load was heavily English-based this past year. She took AP Literature & Composition, AP Language & Composition, and Creative Writing in the second term, with AP Literature being her favourite. Before this course, Lola was never particularly interested in poetry and other forms of literature. Due to Dr. Schlemm’s teaching methods, Lola grew to love learning about literature and even began to write poetry herself. As a class, they read both A Mercy by Toni Morrison and Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, demonstrating the wide variety of prose they explored this year. Lola especially enjoyed the seminar-style of this class, where they delved into fascinating conversations, including topics ranging from Beowulf to Paradise Lost to dark matter.
Regarding Lola’s visual art, she has a specific list of her inspirations. She primarily uses Pinterest or discusses ideas with Ms. Geddes to find inspiration for her visual art. Concerning writing, she finds inspiration everywhere. “Sometimes an idea can come from an interaction with someone, or maybe a fleeting thought from within.”
An author that Lola is inspired by is Chanel Miller, who wrote the novel, Know My Name: A Memoir. Chanel is a powerful woman. Bravely, she reclaims her voice by telling her story of sexual assault in the hopes of helping others. Lola thinks about Chanel and the lasting impression her memoir left on her every day. Chanel not only inspires Lola in terms of storytelling, as her novel is incredibly well written, but also how Lola expresses herself as a woman in our society.
Additionally, this book made Lola realize the route to justice is far more complex than one is led to believe. Lola states that “we live in a culture where we often place the blame on assault victims for either dressing inappropriately or having too much to drink. Women who have been sexually assaulted choose not to report their experience because there’s no guarantee they’ll be heard. Chanel’s story has inspired me to pursue a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies at university. This knowledge will provide me with the necessary tools to combat acts of inequality, to help to elevate women’s status in our society.”
Lola loves many different types of art; whether it be oil painting or creative writing, she finds expressing herself and transferring her feelings into a particular medium compelling. When Lola is writing, she is in control and able to tame her emotions onto a page. Often, the pieces or paintings she creates embody elements of her own life. For example, in Grade 10, Lola studied creative writing and channelled newly acquired skills into short stories that modified the endings of events in her life.
Lola loves all styles of writing, including creative and academic writing. For a while, she was only interested in writing creative pieces, particularly short stories, and would hardly ever branch out. Then, in Grade 11, Lola took AP Seminar, where you have to research and write two papers; needless to say, she loved it! There are endless ways to tell a story and share information with the world, and Lola doesn’t wish to limit herself to a particular method of communication. Lola believes it’s essential to explore all writing styles, as there are unique skills to ascertain from different mediums.
Lola is attending New York University in the fall, pursuing herself into the world of English! All the best luck to Lola in the future.
Introducing Lola Bosa, the Grade 12 student with a talent for creative writing and art. Lola loves to write. Whether it be creative writing or journaling, she enjoys expressing her thoughts in words. With summer approaching, she has had more time to read, which is another thing she loves to do. Lola has invariably loved reading mystery novels, one of her favourites being We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, although she has been branching out recently and exploring new genres. Some of Lola’s recent reads have been Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath -- “all excellent novels in different ways,” as Lola claims. Her current read is Educated by Tara Westover.
Lola hopes to eventually major in English. That said, her course load was heavily English-based this past year. She took AP Literature & Composition, AP Language & Composition, and Creative Writing in the second term, with AP Literature being her favourite. Before this course, Lola was never particularly interested in poetry and other forms of literature. Due to Dr. Schlemm’s teaching methods, Lola grew to love learning about literature and even began to write poetry herself. As a class, they read both A Mercy by Toni Morrison and Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, demonstrating the wide variety of prose they explored this year. Lola especially enjoyed the seminar-style of this class, where they delved into fascinating conversations, including topics ranging from Beowulf to Paradise Lost to dark matter.
Regarding Lola’s visual art, she has a specific list of her inspirations. She primarily uses Pinterest or discusses ideas with Ms. Geddes to find inspiration for her visual art. Concerning writing, she finds inspiration everywhere. “Sometimes an idea can come from an interaction with someone, or maybe a fleeting thought from within.”
An author that Lola is inspired by is Chanel Miller, who wrote the novel, Know My Name: A Memoir. Chanel is a powerful woman. Bravely, she reclaims her voice by telling her story of sexual assault in the hopes of helping others. Lola thinks about Chanel and the lasting impression her memoir left on her every day. Chanel not only inspires Lola in terms of storytelling, as her novel is incredibly well written, but also how Lola expresses herself as a woman in our society.
Additionally, this book made Lola realize the route to justice is far more complex than one is led to believe. Lola states that “we live in a culture where we often place the blame on assault victims for either dressing inappropriately or having too much to drink. Women who have been sexually assaulted choose not to report their experience because there’s no guarantee they’ll be heard. Chanel’s story has inspired me to pursue a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies at university. This knowledge will provide me with the necessary tools to combat acts of inequality, to help to elevate women’s status in our society.”
Lola loves many different types of art; whether it be oil painting or creative writing, she finds expressing herself and transferring her feelings into a particular medium compelling. When Lola is writing, she is in control and able to tame her emotions onto a page. Often, the pieces or paintings she creates embody elements of her own life. For example, in Grade 10, Lola studied creative writing and channelled newly acquired skills into short stories that modified the endings of events in her life.
Lola loves all styles of writing, including creative and academic writing. For a while, she was only interested in writing creative pieces, particularly short stories, and would hardly ever branch out. Then, in Grade 11, Lola took AP Seminar, where you have to research and write two papers; needless to say, she loved it! There are endless ways to tell a story and share information with the world, and Lola doesn’t wish to limit herself to a particular method of communication. Lola believes it’s essential to explore all writing styles, as there are unique skills to ascertain from different mediums.
Lola is attending New York University in the fall, pursuing herself into the world of English! All the best luck to Lola in the future.
This year, Lola also created a unique project in support of the Yemen Civil War. Since 2014, a civil war involving the government and a religious minority group in Yemen has ravaged the country. With the conflict acting as a proxy war between the two powers in the region, Iran and Saudi Arabia, the war has been perpetuated into the long-term fighting we see today. The UN estimates more than 24 million people are at risk and require aid, making this the world’s worst humanitarian crisis in history. Lola partnered with Ash Alguneh, another Grade 12 student, where they decided to purchase coffee in bulk from a family in Yemen. The proceeds from selling the coffee were dedicated to the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation in hopes of alleviating some of the dire problems faced by our fellow humans.
Ash Alguneh, the other co-founder of the Yemen Fund, has been passionate about the crisis in Yemen for many years. Ash and Lola have been a part of the Model UN club at Collingwood for several years, delving into many global problems, including the plight in Yemen. Through discussion and debate, the duo furthered their knowledge on the topic and eventually conducted their own research.
Ash Alguneh, the other co-founder of the Yemen Fund, has been passionate about the crisis in Yemen for many years. Ash and Lola have been a part of the Model UN club at Collingwood for several years, delving into many global problems, including the plight in Yemen. Through discussion and debate, the duo furthered their knowledge on the topic and eventually conducted their own research.
While in lockdown, Ash and Lola were compelled to reach out and aid the country. Thus, the Yemen Fund was born. They decided to purchase coffee in bulk from a family in Yemen and dedicate the proceeds from selling the coffee to the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation (YRRF). In doing so, their longer-term goal is to encourage people to think beyond their immediate concerns and aid those in other countries who don’t even have access to clean drinking water or medical care.
During the project, many students, parents, and other community members have approached Lola and stated how they had never even heard of the situation in Yemen. The project has and continues to enlighten individuals about the ongoing humanitarian crisis, making Lola very proud of their organization.
Another initiative they were involved in was selling the coffee during Women’s Day: according to Amnesty International, Yemen is one of the worst places in the world to be a woman due to gender stereotypes, archaic attitudes, a discriminatory legal system, economic inequality, and violence. As a feminist, Lola was delighted to be aiding girls and women, similar in age to her, who don’t have access to the opportunities she is fortunate to have.
Through bringing this project from vision to reality, Lola has learned that she cannot let obstacles in her mind prevent her from accomplishing her goals. Furthermore, she has realized that solutions present themselves when she shares her ideas. Given the extent of the humanitarian crisis, the Yemeni people will need support for years to come; thus, Lola hopes to continue this project by raising awareness among her peers, widening the impact of this charitable project. Even though Lola dedicates most of her time to academic pursuits, she is compelled to maintain a global outlook and attempt to alleviate some of the dire problems faced by our fellow humans.
WASTED TIMES
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“The meaning of life, simply put, is to fulfill one’s purpose. Everyone has a reason, something that enables them to carry on and continue living. Without a goal, none of us would be here. A large portion of my generation, including myself, have yet to realize their purpose. Subsequently, every day becomes groundhog day, and it can be difficult to find enjoyment in previously amusing tasks.
The top of the hourglass — a device for measuring time — holds my younger self. Contrarily, the bottom is my older self. Usually, hourglasses contain sand, but instead, it keeps my youth. As the years of my life slide through the neck of the glass, time is stolen from me. My childhood is ousted with years of experience that cling to my face in the form of wrinkles. In the drawing, my younger self is smiling, whereas my older self is distressed. Her face is plagued by age, reminding her of all the time she wasted. While creating this artwork, I had to step outside of my comfort zone. Usually, I challenge myself in terms of mediums, exploring the world of oil painting, collaging, and much more. Graphite pencils are a relatively simple medium, but when using them to shade and add depth to an artwork, it can be challenging. Overall, I’m pleased with the final product and proud of my efforts and perseverance through this project. This drawing serves as a reminder to myself and the audience. We mustn’t spend our days wishing we did things differently — instead, we must seize the opportunities presented to us now. I refuse to continue waiting in the hopes that one day I will realize life’s potential. I choose to live now, embracing life’s uncertainties and fears of what my future may hold.” |
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“By researching Pinterest, I found inspiration for my project and created a planning page of ideas. The art style used by the artists on Pinterest is called representational art — artwork, mainly paintings derived from real object sources — made using an impressionistic style. For these paintings, I used oil paints and a small canvas. For the painting on the left, I drew inspiration from a photo I took on vacation in Honolulu. The one on the right is of my friend Jessie. The paintings were a compilation of memories, mostly from Summer. The technique and colours used reflect the fact that they’re indeed memories and are fading into my fast.”
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“I don’t have an artist statement for this piece. It was just a fun sketchbook assignment we did, and I like the outcome.”
We at the Arts Mag team wish Lola all the best as she moves on to university in September!