lnspiration and Mystery from Hallway Posters
By Gavin Bourgoin
“Distracting, but a good distraction from the usual unconscious walking through the halls.”
Intriguing words from senior Bailee Kinney at Poland Regional High School. She is among many students and teachers who find themselves stopping for the mystery posters placed around PRHS in early 2018. They aren’t the most ordinary posters. Each notice has an inspirational quote that connect to everyone differently. No quote is the same or duplicated. Some have unknown authors, which adds to the mystery.
And it’s not just the message. The words present themselves in an elegant font that looks like calligraphy.
For students throughout PRHS, many see the signs as an interesting way to engage another student. Walking through the halls, they catch your eye, which, let’s face it, is usually looking at your phone. After interviewing many students and staff throughout the high school, almost everyone has positive expressions to share about the posters. Here are a few comments from students and staff I interviewed:
“BE the type of person that no matter where you go or where you are, you always add value to the lives of others around you.”
-Unknown
“The posters are inspirational, it’s what teens need to hear. Compared to other flyers that you usually see, these make you think. It’s intriguing, not disturbing. Brings light to our world.”
-Elizabeth Howe, Math Teacher
“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives you the test first and the lesson later.”
-Vernon Law
“Love them. They are in good spots for students to see and are very neat to see around the school.”
-Jayne Ray, Attendance Secretary
“If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.”
-Zig Ziglar
“Students are able to connect to the wide variety of quotes. They have the potential to add confidence in students. They also give hope to those struggling with certain situations.”
-Courtney Emond, 11th grade student
It only takes a few steps into Poland Regional High School to realize the amount of character the school has. These posters just add a positive vibe to the school and add a sense of community here at Poland. Who is behind these signs, you may ask? The person would like to remain anonymous but was willing to sit down and answer a few questions for me.
“It first started out as a small project for students I was working with. We would take Sticki notes and write different things on them for each other and post them around the school. It grew to a bulletin board idea. We began putting full sheets of paper on the bulletin board with quotes of all kinds. It got even bigger when we started the posters. It just kept going and I liked doing them.
“The original idea was influenced by social media. On my Facebook and Instagram I would see these quotes and wanted to do something with them. If they connected well to me personally, I shared them, word for word. I would show personal connections with each quote by using different fonts and details on the actual poster. I like making them and hope to continue. It gives people something to look at, read, and connect to.”
“I SURVIVED because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me.”
-Josh Graham
By Gavin Bourgoin
“Distracting, but a good distraction from the usual unconscious walking through the halls.”
Intriguing words from senior Bailee Kinney at Poland Regional High School. She is among many students and teachers who find themselves stopping for the mystery posters placed around PRHS in early 2018. They aren’t the most ordinary posters. Each notice has an inspirational quote that connect to everyone differently. No quote is the same or duplicated. Some have unknown authors, which adds to the mystery.
And it’s not just the message. The words present themselves in an elegant font that looks like calligraphy.
For students throughout PRHS, many see the signs as an interesting way to engage another student. Walking through the halls, they catch your eye, which, let’s face it, is usually looking at your phone. After interviewing many students and staff throughout the high school, almost everyone has positive expressions to share about the posters. Here are a few comments from students and staff I interviewed:
“BE the type of person that no matter where you go or where you are, you always add value to the lives of others around you.”
-Unknown
“The posters are inspirational, it’s what teens need to hear. Compared to other flyers that you usually see, these make you think. It’s intriguing, not disturbing. Brings light to our world.”
-Elizabeth Howe, Math Teacher
“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives you the test first and the lesson later.”
-Vernon Law
“Love them. They are in good spots for students to see and are very neat to see around the school.”
-Jayne Ray, Attendance Secretary
“If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.”
-Zig Ziglar
“Students are able to connect to the wide variety of quotes. They have the potential to add confidence in students. They also give hope to those struggling with certain situations.”
-Courtney Emond, 11th grade student
It only takes a few steps into Poland Regional High School to realize the amount of character the school has. These posters just add a positive vibe to the school and add a sense of community here at Poland. Who is behind these signs, you may ask? The person would like to remain anonymous but was willing to sit down and answer a few questions for me.
“It first started out as a small project for students I was working with. We would take Sticki notes and write different things on them for each other and post them around the school. It grew to a bulletin board idea. We began putting full sheets of paper on the bulletin board with quotes of all kinds. It got even bigger when we started the posters. It just kept going and I liked doing them.
“The original idea was influenced by social media. On my Facebook and Instagram I would see these quotes and wanted to do something with them. If they connected well to me personally, I shared them, word for word. I would show personal connections with each quote by using different fonts and details on the actual poster. I like making them and hope to continue. It gives people something to look at, read, and connect to.”
“I SURVIVED because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me.”
-Josh Graham