The spirit of spoken word and poetry was definitely present in Jarman Hall Auditorium at this past Thursday's second annual Lancer Poetry Slam. This event, organized by Lancer Productions, the Black Student Association, B.A.S.I.C. Gospel Choir, the Student Diversity & Inclusion Council and the Hispanic Heritage Club, turned out to be an enjoyable gathering for everyone in attendance. The night consisted of various poets performing their selected pieces. Among the four guest speakers who volunteered their time (Gemineye, E-Baby, Shihan the Poet, & Cuban) were the top three winners from the BSA Poetry Slam, which was held in the Student Union a few weeks ago.
Christa Brown, the third place winner and senior theater major from Connecticut, kicked things off with a poem she wrote pertaining to the so-called "bliss" that comes with being ignorant. Following was a lovely musical number from B.A.S.I.C. Afterwards, it jumped right into the guest poets of the night who performed three times altogether, again after second place winner and senior English/creative writing major from Colo¬rado, Chloe and once more after Samantha Drake, the first place winner and senior English major from Gloucester, Va.
The guest performers began with Gemineye, who has appeared on HBO's Def Poetry Jam. Last year, he started a letter-writing campaign and read a few addressed to famous celebrities, such as Chris Brown, Trey Songz and Jay-Z. The audience was close to tears from laughing so hard. One of Gemineye's actual poems, titled "Penny for Your Thoughts," really caught the ladies' attention, for it talked about getting to know the mental and emotional aspects of a female rather than just the physical.
Next up was Eric "E-Baby" Smith, who in the past has opened up for various music art¬ists such as Musiq Soulchild, Lyfe Jennings and Heather Headley. His poem "Jealous Woman" added onto the laughter of the evening, talking about a woman that would do anything to make sure her man wasn't cheating on her. Another one of his poems was more sentimental and heartbreaking, as it spoke of a father losing his daughter to a stray bullet. The tears he showed as he read emphasized the pain within the words. Following Smith was Matthew "Cuban" Hernandez, who is also a teacher and motivational speaker. Other than his many comedic haiku poems, his readings were just that, inspiring and offering hope to those who are faced with problems of their own. His poem "Amplifier" expresses the power of speaking from the heart, which "amplifies" what is being said rather than the microphone. Another one of Cuban's poems speaks on giving up on life, but having an obligation to support the youth.
The final guest performer was Shihan the Poet, who has also appeared on Def Poetry Jam and was the winner of the 2004 National Poetry Slam. His words have been described as "thoughtful and unpretentious, creating a verbal landscape that drips with sincerity" as stated by "Pop Matters Magazine." That much was definitely visible as he recited poems about his grandmother, wife and two kids. One of Shihan's poems regarding a letter he sent to his mother in college about financial aid was hilarious, in which he just ranted about everything that was wrong with his school.
Overall, the event was extremely entertaining and worth the time. Poetry and spoken word are some of the most creative ways to express oneself emotionally. The organizations that helped put it together should be proud, as well as the performers for the night. The Lancer Poetry Slam was without a doubt a success and will be around for quite awhile.
The Lancer Poetry Slam was held Thursday, Feb. 23.
