Optimist
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Features
    • Book Review
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Podcasts
    • Optimist Overtime
    • Top of the Key
  • Police Log
  • Print Edition
  • Projects
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
You are here: Home / News / Annual Slam Poetry Night

Annual Slam Poetry Night

September 25, 2014 by Callie Oliver

Last Tuesday, Al Haley, writer in residence and professor, hosted ACU’s annual Slam Poetry Night.

Students from Haley’s Poetry Workshop class and guest speakers from Abilene performed poetry for the event in The Inkwell of Chambers.

“It’s an evening of wow and wonder and words,” Haley said.

Every year since 2007, Haley has conducted a yearly poetry slam event for his ENG 323 Poetry Workshop class.

Haley started the tradition of Slam Poetry Night when he realized he wanted to bring something new to his poetry class. Although slam poetry doesn’t get much recognition from academia, Haley thinks it’s a special form of art that should be recognized.

“It feels like it comes out of their whole being, I guess you could say,” Haley said. “It’s more emotional and there’s a lot of rhythm, and sometimes you’ll see people move around a lot and you’ll feel like it’s almost like music.”

Ten students and four guest poets performed during the event. The audience was encouraged to comment and interact with the poets as they performed their pieces.

Haley’s students were required to perform one poem and bring at least two people with them. The Inkwell was packed and the audience overflow went out to the hallway.

Unlike a traditional poetry slam, this event was not a competition. Haley wanted a friendly atmosphere for his students to share their work in. Students were not given a certain theme to structure their work around.

“Professor Haley mentioned a call to action,” said Stephanie Whitlow, graduate creative writing major from Academy. “He wanted something to where we would need to engage the audience, get them to want to move on with that idea that we had or something that is bringing up truth.”

There was great variety in topics of what students and guest poets performed.

Sheila Haines, sophomore nursing major from Dallas, performed a heartfelt poem about an experience with an ex-boyfriend that invoked several shouts of agreement from the audience.

“I just really like the way that people get passionate,” she said. “Because when you read poetry, you can’t always feel the passion in it but when you see it performed, it’s right there in your face.”

Brandy Rains, former art major from Fort Worth, performed two poems. One was about the problems with way people think of God as a father figure and her other poem was about overcoming a diagnosis.

“I like that it’s a conversation between the poet and the audience,” Rains said.

Several students memorized their poems and worked for weeks so they could perform them the way they felt they should be heard.

“It’s really working with the words and seeing how it’s going to best impact the audience,” Whitlow said.

The students and guest speakers that participated in the event are very passionate about their work.

“I want my poetry to serve God in the way that it might give people a voice who feel like they don’t have a voice,” said Gabriel Prado, graduate creative writing major from Los Angeles.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Slam Poetry

Other News:

  • Gallery: Spring commencement honors 2021-22 graduates

  • New IM Fields location confirmed

  • At $250 million, Higher Ground aims to make impacts across campus

About Callie Oliver

You are here: Home / News / Annual Slam Poetry Night

Other News:

  • Gallery: Spring commencement honors 2021-22 graduates

  • New IM Fields location confirmed

  • At $250 million, Higher Ground aims to make impacts across campus

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

acuoptimistThe Optimist@acuoptimist·
4 May

"Maybe we just don’t care enough. But if we do start caring, and if we become the loudest fans in the WAC, let’s stick to supportive cheering." Read more from Guest Columnist Londyn Gray:
https://acuoptimist.com/2022/04/not-so-friendly-competition/

Reply on Twitter 1521918832738144257Retweet on Twitter 15219188327381442571Like on Twitter 15219188327381442578Twitter 1521918832738144257
acuoptimistThe Optimist@acuoptimist·
3 May

Royce Clough and Jael Morel have been named as Mr. and Miss ACU for the class of 2022, a traditional honor voted on by the student body and awarded to two members of each graduating class.

Reply on Twitter 1521607087553458178Retweet on Twitter 1521607087553458178Like on Twitter 152160708755345817819Twitter 1521607087553458178

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

2 months ago

The Optimist
"Maybe we just don’t care enough. But if we do start caring, and if we become the loudest fans in the WAC, let’s stick to supportive cheering." Read more from Guest Columnist Londyn Gray: ... See MoreSee Less

Not-so-friendly competition - Optimist

acuoptimist.com

BY: LONDYN GRAY “Number 18, you look like you don’t shower!” I chuckled and shrugged it off. “Londyn!” They had looked up the roster. “Do you even brush your teeth?” I laughed again, rol...
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

2 months ago

The Optimist
Cullen Auditorium is expected to be handed over to the university in June 2022, alongside a name change that coupled with the renovation will create new future for the Cornerstone class, Chapel and the Department of Theatre. ... See MoreSee Less

Cullen Auditorium still set for a name change alongside renovations - Optimist

acuoptimist.com

Cullen Auditorium is expected to be handed over to the university in June 2022, alongside a name change that coupled with the renovation will create new future for the Cornerstone class, Chapel and th...
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Women’s tournament run ended by first-round exit against UTRGV

The Wildcats’ Western Athletic Conference tournament run and season came to a ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 22. 2022
  • Optimist Newscast 2.16.2022
  • Optimist Newscast 2.9.2022

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • Weekly Ads
  • Classifieds

© 2022 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved

Posting....