Every seat is filled to the brim, each squad yelling chants “Everyone in the 515 put your hands up high, we’re about to get live!” Hands swinging along with the “ Hey’s and Ho’s” .Hyping everyone up, the empty stage looks like a black box, the anticipation of wondering who’s going to spit hotness next, you hear the footsteps but can’t see who they belong to. You jump out of your seat as the spotlight hits who’s on stage. The poet on stage is getting ready to be free takes a deep breath and then spits some hot fire.

“Movement 515 is a second family,” Movement 515’s East’s squad, member Kiara Warner said.

515 is filled with great people, who will always be ready to listen to what you got to say and value your thoughts/opinions.   Kiara performs to share her story and tell her truth. Performing helps her with expressing her feelings and opinions.

Movement 515 is a poetry group spread all over Des Moines Public Schools. They have finally spread to Scavo Alternative School.  Their mission for the poetry group is to support and empower students on their journey to becoming community- based activists, providing them a platform to be heard. As well their vision is to shift the perception of youth by fighting illiteracy, discrimination, and silence, allowing them a greater part in the conversation for change.  School movement started September 5 2017 this year. Movement gives people a platform to have their voices heard and to express their opinions.

“To me, 515 is like a second family you can always count on”, Warner said.

At East, teachers Kayla O’Connor and Kourtny Williamson are the poet mentors for the group. The group ranges from freshmen to seniors. Your color doesn’t matter, the only thing that does is your pieces that you spit. Nine poets take the stage in O’Connor’s room with a loving boyfriend in the audience. Every Tuesday they get down to whatever they have been working on to make it ready for a show or just to make it better.  Wednesday are even better by a long shot every school squad comes and gets down at the social club downtown. At the Social Club the Co-founders Kristopher Rollins and his wife Emily Lang gets down with us along with Words Taylor.  You walk into the room they have booked for 515 a filled room full of nothing but love.

“O’Connor and I don’t really have a say”, Williamson said.

The squad members get the say of what poet gets to take the stage, they only intervene when they feel like a poet isn’t ready to spit yet.  The 515 gives students the voice and stage to express themselves over things they may not control.

“Empowered because I can give my message to other people”. Poet Tiembra Dantzler said.

Practicing a lot and doing many breathing exercises is how Dantzler prepares herself for performing. IIf there is a theme to the performance then Dantzler writes about them. But if there is tone she creates a piece about something that’s weighing heavy on her mind