Department of Language and Literature
News: Department stages successful Open Mic Night/Poetry Slam event

11/5/07 | With readings by students, faculty, and professional Chicago-area poets, Benedictine’s fall 2007 Open Mic Night/Poetry Slam event drew more attendees and included more varied kinds of performance than ever before.

The Krasa Lounge Fireside was transformed into a coffeehouse atmosphere for the event, held on Thursday, November 1. Over 90 Benedictine students and staff gathered in an intimate, darkened setting with fall décor to watch their peers read and perform poetry.

“We have so much poetic talent on our campus, and this includes students, faculty and staff,” said Wilson Chen, assistant professor in the Department of Language and Literature and organizer of the slam. “I’m always impressed by the diversity and originality of our poets. There
is such a wonderful, creative energy at these events.”

The event started at 7 p.m. with an open-mic session. Thirteen students and staff members performed their own pieces of poetry or chose to read poems from their favorite poet. After the poems had been read, guest speaker Molly Meacham, a professional poet turned teacher from Tennessee, read several of her own creations and also a cover of
another poet. The seven poems she performed reflected her life growing
up in the South as well as her career in teaching.

The slam began around 8 p.m. with nine people competing for a
spot in the top three. Each poet read a piece of their own work and was
judged by fellow students who were sitting in the audience.

Three students read their poems in the final round. Senior English Language and Literature major Pamela Lundberg read “Missing Angels,” Jessica Love Jordan read an untitled poem, and Hamza Abdul Majeed finished the round by reading “My Mother’s Paradise.” Jordan was chosen as the winner of the poetry slam and received a $40 Barnes and Noble gift card. Majeed came in second, winning a $30 gift card, followed by Lundberg in third, who received a $20 gift card.

“It was good to have judges as part of the crowd,” said junior English Language and Literature major and judge for the contest, Lindsey Mills. “We got the full effect of the poetry. It wasn’t as intimidating for them.”

As the judges were deciding the top three contestants, and once again at the conclusion of the evening, the Chicago-based spoken word/hip hop group The V.E.N.T. (verbally empowering through natural talent) Movement performed their work, free-style poetry that dealt with problems in politics, society and their own families.

excerpted and adapted from an article by Kit Alvear
photo by Katie Buell
courtesy of The Candor (11/5/07 issue)