Poetry slams SBU
Meaghan O'Rourke
Issue date: 3/12/10 Section: Features
"A new page.
I squint to find the words
but it is already clear to me
that I deceived God
by skipping some chapters."
-Alexandra Henry
Original poems like this one can be heard in room 123 in De La Roche Hall every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m. when St. Bonaventure's Slam Poetry Club meets.
The Slam Poetry Club, formed last spring, has 10 to 15 fairly regular members; however, its door is always open to new members.
"It's open for everybody," faculty adviser Matt Lundgren said. "I think a lot of people sort of get scared that they aren't a professional or crazy writer, but it's not about that. It's about putting yourself out there and writing."
Students see the club as a form of self-expression.
"The club is a place where we can express our thoughts and feelings in an easier way without feeling embarrassed of our work," freshman Alexandra Henry said. "Everyone is engaged in reading someone else's poem, writing it or even just listening to it. Nobody is an outcast, and we welcome newcomers."
Henry joined the club because she has always enjoyed writing poetry and thought it would strengthen her talent. She also said that it's a nice break from the ongoing stress of schoolwork and tests.
"There is never a dull moment in poetry slam," she said.
Slam poetry combines traditional poetry with a theatrical aspect, Lundgren said.
"Poetry slam is a little bit different from poetry," Lundgren said. "It puts a dual emphasis on the content of your poem and your performance. It's like comedy and creativity meets poetry."
When Lundgren started work as a counselor at St. Bonaventure, he wanted to open the avenue of expression slam poetry provides to students. Last spring, he was able to do just that.
"I was totally determined. I didn't care if there were two people that showed up or 15 people that showed up. I like to write, and if somebody wanted to share their writing with me in a meeting, it was going to happen," Lundgren said.
The mission of Slam Poetry Club is to help individuals get better and more comfortable with writing and performing their original poetry, said Flores. This is achieved through dedication, writing prompts and positive critique of each other's works. It also creates a safe haven for students to share their words in an open and nonjudgmental format in front of their peers.
"We usually work toward really building that poem and performing it. That's what slam poetry is all about: the performance, execution and way it's delivered," said club president junior Erica Flores.
Last semester, eight club members had the opportunity to see prominent slam poets Buddy Wakefield, Anis Mojgani and Derrick Brown perform at SUNY Geneseo as part of the Elephant Engine High Dive Revival.
"The performance they put together is just electrifying. It's crazy. It brings you to tears. It makes you laugh; it makes you shout. It's brilliant," Lundgren said.
The club would love to bring these slam poets on campus so others can experience their performances. However, they still need to garner the proper support from other groups on campus to do so.
"I think a lot of people think of poetry as William Faulkner, like these people where they use this language where you're like, 'what does this mean? I don't understand.' But this is a modern kind of edge to it all, and you certainly know what's going on," Lundgren said, "It makes sense, and that's why our club is trying to bring this tour to our campus."
In order to bring this talent to St. Bonaventure's campus, the group needs support.
"We're seeking support from all different departments, the community, and Bonaventure to get people involved in slam poetry and realize it's an art form. It's an expression; it's just … amazing," Flores said.
Lundgren encourages everyone to check Slam Poetry Club out. "It's a way, as a writer, to be involved and meet people with the same interests as you," he said.
e-mail: orourkmm09@sbu.edu
I squint to find the words
but it is already clear to me
that I deceived God
by skipping some chapters."
-Alexandra Henry
Original poems like this one can be heard in room 123 in De La Roche Hall every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m. when St. Bonaventure's Slam Poetry Club meets.
The Slam Poetry Club, formed last spring, has 10 to 15 fairly regular members; however, its door is always open to new members.
"It's open for everybody," faculty adviser Matt Lundgren said. "I think a lot of people sort of get scared that they aren't a professional or crazy writer, but it's not about that. It's about putting yourself out there and writing."
Students see the club as a form of self-expression.
"The club is a place where we can express our thoughts and feelings in an easier way without feeling embarrassed of our work," freshman Alexandra Henry said. "Everyone is engaged in reading someone else's poem, writing it or even just listening to it. Nobody is an outcast, and we welcome newcomers."
Henry joined the club because she has always enjoyed writing poetry and thought it would strengthen her talent. She also said that it's a nice break from the ongoing stress of schoolwork and tests.
"There is never a dull moment in poetry slam," she said.
Slam poetry combines traditional poetry with a theatrical aspect, Lundgren said.
"Poetry slam is a little bit different from poetry," Lundgren said. "It puts a dual emphasis on the content of your poem and your performance. It's like comedy and creativity meets poetry."
When Lundgren started work as a counselor at St. Bonaventure, he wanted to open the avenue of expression slam poetry provides to students. Last spring, he was able to do just that.
"I was totally determined. I didn't care if there were two people that showed up or 15 people that showed up. I like to write, and if somebody wanted to share their writing with me in a meeting, it was going to happen," Lundgren said.
The mission of Slam Poetry Club is to help individuals get better and more comfortable with writing and performing their original poetry, said Flores. This is achieved through dedication, writing prompts and positive critique of each other's works. It also creates a safe haven for students to share their words in an open and nonjudgmental format in front of their peers.
"We usually work toward really building that poem and performing it. That's what slam poetry is all about: the performance, execution and way it's delivered," said club president junior Erica Flores.
Last semester, eight club members had the opportunity to see prominent slam poets Buddy Wakefield, Anis Mojgani and Derrick Brown perform at SUNY Geneseo as part of the Elephant Engine High Dive Revival.
"The performance they put together is just electrifying. It's crazy. It brings you to tears. It makes you laugh; it makes you shout. It's brilliant," Lundgren said.
The club would love to bring these slam poets on campus so others can experience their performances. However, they still need to garner the proper support from other groups on campus to do so.
"I think a lot of people think of poetry as William Faulkner, like these people where they use this language where you're like, 'what does this mean? I don't understand.' But this is a modern kind of edge to it all, and you certainly know what's going on," Lundgren said, "It makes sense, and that's why our club is trying to bring this tour to our campus."
In order to bring this talent to St. Bonaventure's campus, the group needs support.
"We're seeking support from all different departments, the community, and Bonaventure to get people involved in slam poetry and realize it's an art form. It's an expression; it's just … amazing," Flores said.
Lundgren encourages everyone to check Slam Poetry Club out. "It's a way, as a writer, to be involved and meet people with the same interests as you," he said.
e-mail: orourkmm09@sbu.edu
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