The Poetry Club had its first Ubuntu Poetry Slam on November 15th in Douglass basement. The word “Ubuntu” is an African Proverb that means, “I am what I am because of who we all are” and last week 8 of Wooster’s finest poets wowed the audience, “you didn’t really hear what they were saying but you felt it because it was so powerful, it was absolutely beautiful to be there and really inspiring”, Brittany House, a Wooster student explains.
Guest host, Austin Benn Bronx used his sense of humor to relax the audience and even showed them his creativity by playing his guitar and speaking in a poetic fashion,“ He made the atmosphere really welcoming to people who went to a poetry slam for the first time”, Juan Wynn Jr, another college student stated. In the end, the judges titled Ciara Lee as the winner of the competition and she won a prize of $50 after beating all three rounds of the competition.
During our interview, she gave a few words of wisdom, “You compete to have fun and you compete to tell the truth. And be a beacon of wherever you’re coming from”, she was also excited about the opportunities Wooster was giving students on campus, “ I’m glad that Wooster got to see the environment that I flourish in which is an environment where art is being made live”. Like Ciara, other students enjoyed the Poetry Slam and are waiting for the Spring fest coming up next. Transcripts: Caira Lee
Tiffany: What inspired you to become a poet? Caira: It was not that I was inspired to become a poet, I was always a poet and people inspired me to keep going. I aspired to go an International Youth Poetry Slam Festival called Brand New Voices and I knew that in order to get there I would have to be on a slam poetry team, and in order to get on the poetry slam team I knew that I had to write poems and memorize them if______ So that was motivation but I knew that I was going to be a poet regardless.
Tiffany: So what did you love about the Poetry Slam Fest that happened this past Friday? Caira: I like that there was so many people in there, that we retained people and that they didn’t leave in the middle or after the first round, that people stayed to the very end and that most of the people were poets themselves, that they enjoyed themselves and I’m glad that Wooster go to see the environment that I flourish in and that my other friends like Ashley Jones and Chantel Massey flourish in which is an environment where art is being made live.
I’m glad that we still go to see that. Tiffany: What were some thoughts that were running through your mind when you were winning the prize, did you have a rush of anticipation Caira: When I go in to compete I think that you should prepare yourself the best you can but when you get there you don’t compete to win. That’s like taboo. You compete to have fun and you compete to tell the truth. And be a beacon of whatever you’re coming from.
And that’s a win because if you’re having a mindset of “How do you I win”, then you’re most likely going to lose because you’re so focused on winning that you won’t be doing the things that actually cause you to win like being yourself or being in the moment or being emotional or making the right choice about which poem to do, you know. You’re thinking, what will really impress people you probably won’t impress them because you’ll be so disconnected from the atmosphere and what’s going on that you missed what could actually be impressive.
Because you were thinking of what trick I could pull out the hat. The only time I was doing real thinking was in between doing the poems. I was trying to pay as much attention as I could to the other poets but say like…. to compete means that you know your audience and that you know your atmosphere of the situation, you hear the poem by what you …and you say what can I insert here that will give me better skills.
That decisions isn’t supposed to dictate your experience at the slam…it’s supposed to be a quick decision and I feel like…when I won the prize, I was very thankful…I didn’t go in there thinking I was going to win, I just went in there hoping that I did my best and I’m just very thankful to the judges for showing their appreciation to this experience. Tiffany: Do you see yourself doing anything in the future for Ubuntu or a Poetry Slam Concert. Caira: As far as poetry on this campus, I and a few other students are planning to register Wooster to be a Cupsi team.
To register the Cupsi team is to say that we will be doing a team of six students from the College of Wooster. Tiffany: Thank you so much Caira Lee! Brittany House Tiffany: I’m speaking with Brittany House right now and we’re talking about the Ubuntu Poetry Slam Fest. So, what did you think about the Ubuntu Poetry Slam? Brittany House: I really liked it a lot. I’m really into poetry…I think it went really well. Tiffany: Okay. That’s good. What were some thoughts that you had while you were watching different people speak poetry, speak art?
Brittany House: Well I think thoughts really depended on the piece that was being recited, I saw it like the biggest thing that came across was that you didn’t really hear what they were saying but you felt it because it was just so much power and the words that they were saying, it was absolutely beautiful to be there and really inspiring and I really enjoyed it a lot. Tiffany: Okay! Thank you Brittany House. Juan Wynn Jr. Tiffany: What did you love about the Ubuntu Poetry Slam Fest or what were some thoughts that came to mind when you participated in the concert?
Juan: I thought the event was planned in a really great way. I felt like it was really coordinated. Especially with how our Host speak, poet. He was really good in being prepared with his material delivery and making the atmosphere really welcoming to people who went to a poetry slam for the first time and as a poet and being in that environment makes me feel welcomed and more confident.. allowing my energy to be as contagious as his. Tiffany: Okay! Thanks!
