Last Thursday, Sept. 20, the University Activities Board hosted their biannual Slam Poetry event in the Student Involvement suite at Talley Student Union. The event was planned and directed by the Speakers and Professional Development committee in a two-pronged effort to give students a chance to practice public speaking and inspire them through the art of the spoken word.
Emily Klawitter, the UAB Speakers and Professional Development vice chair and second-year studying animal science, said the Slam was all about freedom of expression for students.
“We want everybody to be able to say who they are and let it out,” Klawitter said. “Because not everybody will have the same opinions on this campus, but we want everyone to know everyone’s opinions. And in this environment, you’re supposed to be respected, so it makes it easier for people to let their opinions out without being judged.”
Freedom without being judged seemed to be a key part of the event. Toni Contini, a fourth-year studying communication and the committee chair, made this clear from the get-go.
“Rule number one: This is a safe space,” Contini said during the presentation.
As an open-mic event, poets were invited to sign up beforehand, but a whiteboard was also provided where students could write in their names if they made the decision to present during the event. As the event went on, the number of names on the board continued to increase.
“Once people started to understand what exactly slam poetry is,” Contini said. “… I think a lot of people started to appreciate the art that it is, and the form of expression that people can get from it and how relatable it can be to just hear somebody raw, going up and expressing their feelings or experiences that they’ve gone through.”
Claudia Pollex, a third-year studying communication and psychology, said she found the experience particularly impactful, despite having never presented her poetry before. Pollex ended up presenting three poems: “Picasso of Breakups,” “Why I Kiss Girls” and “Moving On.”
“I think once I started and like, it was so warming and welcoming when I got up there,” Pollex said. “So I wasn’t even nervous when I started speaking, but then to hear everyone have a positive reaction as I was speaking was just even better.”
Jugo Alexander, founder and CEO of Stand on Your Own Throne or SOYOT, a mass media networking company, was the guest speaker for the event. He said that slam poetry is not only an art, but a practical exercise.
“In entrepreneurship itself, you have to have a business conversation,” Alexander said. “You have to have business confidence and business rhythm…. Having access to freedom of expression for you puts you in a place where you’re clearing your mind to be able to get used to vocalizing what you want and how you feel.”
As it developed, the Slam really took on a life of its own. All kinds of topics were explored in the students’ poetry, from racial dynamics to romance to discovering gender and sexuality, and all were received with enthusiastic snaps from the crowd. Contini said that the incredible amount of diversity represented wasn’t planned.
“That’s what is so beautiful about bringing together an art community, because there’s so many different people that diversify that group,” Contini said. “And that’s why I think it was such a success, because when you start focusing too much on structuring something, you take away the authenticity of it…. And I think that we had a good game plan going into it, but being able to watch it organically unfold was the most rewarding part of the event.”
The University Activities Board hosts two Poetry Slams a year, one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester. However, Contini says that because this one was such a hit, she may try to make it into a monthly event.
“Every time, there will be some form of growth,” Contini said. “We’ll be switching it up, like incorporating different things, making sure we reach out, even partnering with other organizations on campus and really bringing in that diversity.”
For those who are interested in the event, keep an eye out for UAB’s next poetry slam, as it is sure to be as good as the last one.
