By Lily Papendick, Assistant A&E Editor; Photo Credits to SU Slam and the Black Student Union
With the spring semester now well underway, classes, sports and extracurricular activities have returned in full swing. For some, this semester may be a time of hunkering down in the library or delving deep into a research project, but for others who are searching for a way to become more involved within the campus community, many clubs and organizations have begun to advertise for their upcoming events, Community Poetry Night being one of them.
An annual collaboration between SU Slam Poetry Club and the Black Student Union (BSU), Community Poetry Night provides Black and Brown poets with a space to share their poetry in front of an audience who are more than eager to hear their work. The event currently falls on Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. in Isaac’s Auditorium, located within Seibert Hall.
This year’s theme is Afrofuturism, which emphasizes themes of liberation, technology and history while taking a closer look at the overlapping experiences of the Africa diaspora.
Alex Vidal Perez, who holds positions in both clubs as the vice president of SU Slam and BSU’s secretary, expressed their enthusiasm over the approaching event happening this Thursday. “I’m really excited to share the stage with so many incredible poets, and to share the beauty [of] spoken word with the rest of the SU Community,” they said. “Both the Black Student Union and the SU Slam Poetry Club have worked really hard to put this all together, and we are stoked!”
Along with student poets sharing their work, there will also be the appearance of several renowned spoken word artists, including Ebony Stewart, an author and interdisciplinary artivist; Porsha Olayiwola, a writer, performer and educator who uses the lenses of afro-futurism and surrealism to examine the Black, woman and queer diasporas; and SU alumna Nala Washington ‘24, a former member of both clubs who is currently pursuing her MFA in poetry from Texas State University.
Community Poetry Night represents a beautiful engagement between two clubs full of passionate, dedicated and creative members, and it is certainly not an event you want to miss out on.
If you’re interested in joining either club, SU Slam meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Fisher 223, and BSU meets every Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the DEN.