This Spring we took a deep dive into music and lyrics. In this volume, you will see writing inspired by BESSIE SMITH, the “Empress of the Blues;” KENDRICK LAMAR, the West Coast rap icon; and BAD BUNNY, the Reggaeton artist bringing Puerto Rican folk music forms to the mainstream. Students also had the privilege of taking a workshop centered around gratitude with hip hop educator David Spellmon, Jr. Please enjoy the work by these young leaders, ranging from silly to serious and everything in between.