VCU hosts College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational

VCU’s ‘Good Clear Sound’ team among 68 competitors

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Virginia Commonwealth University will host the largest collegiate poetry slam competition in the nation when the 2015 College Union Poetry Slam Invitational is held at the University Student Commons and the Altria Theater next week.

This is the 15th CUPSI competition, which is sponsored by the Association of College Unions International and will draw 500 participants from 68 colleges and universities across the country and, for the first time, Canada, with the participation of Ryerson University in Toronto.

Slam poetry is performed, allowing writers to read their original poems on stage in front of crowds of people, while being judged based on their writing and presentation.

It’s a creative form of art that ties in well with who we are at VCU and what we celebrate on campus.

“It’s a creative form of art that ties in well with who we are at VCU and what we celebrate on campus,” said Jeremy M. Schenk, director of the University Student Commons and Activities.

VCU’s “Good Clear Sound” poetry slam team, formerly known as “Slam Nahuatl,” is one of the competitors and should be able to feed off the energy of a large hometown crowd — not that the team needs any added advantages. The VCU team is no stranger to success at CUPSI competitions, taking second place last year while also winning the “Spirit of the Slam” coaches award for having the most positive and supportive attitude. In 2013, the team placed third in the national competition.

“Having that home crowd support will bolster our ability to get free on stage and remember why we wrote and who we wrote for,” said Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr., team captain.

The five VCU competitors earned the right to represent the team in this year’s competition after successfully competing in a slam competition on campus last fall. The team consists of Tejan-Thomas, Marvin Hodges, Em Allison, Shavontae Patrick and Joshua Braunstein. The team coaches are Rob Gibson, Chris Johnson and Phen Bowman.

Preliminary bouts will be held on Wednesday, March 25, and Thursday, March 26, from 5 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. On Friday, March 27, semifinals will be held from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. and a “coaches slam” will be held from 10:30 p.m. until midnight. The preliminary bouts, semifinals and coaches slam are free and open to the public and will take place in the University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave.  

“I think the audience is going to see poems that really allow individuals to share experiences they’ve wrestled with and share how an issue or challenge has impacted their lives,” Schenk said. “Those who experience slam poetry will find a little bit of themselves in each of the poems.”

Judges for the preliminaries and semifinals will be selected from the audience and volunteers are still needed to assist with the scoring and tabulation. Those interested should contact Beverly Walker at bwalker@vcu.edu.

The finals, which are also open to the public, will take place on Saturday, March 28, at 7 p.m. at the Altria Theater, 6 N. Laurel St. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased with credit cards only. Cash transactions will not be accepted. Tickets may be purchased in Break Point in the University Student Commons or by phone at 804-828-9502. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at the Altria Theater.  

The VCU Residence Hall Association will provide tickets at no charge to up to 500 VCU residence hall students. Interested students should contact their RA for more information.    

I want the audience to come away with permission to be themselves unapologetically and be who they are every day of their lives. When people see slam poetry for the first time, they are really affected by it.

“I want the audience to come away with permission to be themselves unapologetically and be who they are every day of their lives,” Tejan-Thomas said. “When people see slam poetry for the first time, they are really affected by it.”

Saturday’s finals will also feature a performance by Aja Monet, an American poet, writer and activist of Cuban-Jamaican descent. “Podium,” a local nonprofit that focuses on literacy and improving writing skills among Richmond-area high school students, will present performances from a group and an individual.

“We’re excited to engage with local high school students and feature some good work that is taking place in the Richmond area,” Schenk said. “And being part of this gets the high school students excited about VCU.”

There are also educational and social components for the participants to share that extend beyond the competition.  

On Friday, participants will attend a variety of workshops focusing on creative writing, social justice and cultural competence. And a basketball tournament is being coordinated for Saturday. Participants will also help to create a painting to commemorate the competition.

Despite the organized activities to keep participants busy, some of the most powerful connections are made through spontaneous gatherings.

“It’s amazing. You all meet in a random spot and you do poems and you hear where other people come from and you hear their stories,” Tejan-Thomas said. “It’s family.”

 

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