LHS organized its first-ever Poetry Slam on Thursday, May 23. Following the theme: “Importance of Diversity,” the event took place from 3-5 p.m., and was DJ’ed by sophomore Luke Trupia. Many students and teachers took to the floor to narrate original work or recite a beloved composition by a renowned poet.
Spearheaded by Assistant Principal Brian Garcia and a small cohort of students–senior Kerry Cullen, and juniors Cooper Schorr, Cassandra Levinson, Justin Williams, and Miranda Mangru–the Poetry Slam was brought to life. The group first met with Garcia prior to Spring Break to discuss themes and rules for the Poetry Slam. It was essential to the success of the afternoon event that students’ works remained respectful, while still being allowed the freedom to express themselves through whatever medium they wished. Poems presented over the course of the event included:
“I am Diversity” by Cooper Schorr, junior
“Here We Go Again” by Errol Dusman, technology teacher
“100%” by Brian Garcia, assistant principal
“Every Flower” by Shawn Sealey Jr., sophomore
“September 9, 1944 – November 15, 1990” by Cassandra Levinson, junior
“Bathe in Light” by Karen Smith, ENL and English teacher
“My Haiti” by Carol-Anne Pierre, sophomore
“Human Family” (original work of Maya Angelou) by Mary Kirby, English teacher
“My Golden Road” by Elizabeth Ortiz, senior
“Tapestry” by Skylar Wolkoff, freshman
“Sadness is a Gift” by Gabriella Jarama, sophomore
“For My Parents” and “Diversity” by Giovanni Bello, junior
“The Hand of Diversity” by Tal Moskowitz, sophomore
“Kings & Queens” by Justin Williams, junior
LHS’s Key Club was also present at the event and sold snacks; later into the Poetry Slam, they would begin to give away any leftover pretzels, water bottles, and cupcakes to the audience. Amongst the audience were faculty members, students cheering on their performing peers, and some parents. Garcia introduced the “One Line at a Time” poem, an interactive activity in which guests were encouraged to add a line to the one he already wrote down on a pad, eventually creating a full poem. This was meant to bring the audience together and was read at the close of the event.
English and ENL teacher Karen Smith performed her multilingual poem, “Bathe in Light,” with her students: junior Catherine Christakos (speaking English), freshman Juanita Martinez (Spanish), sophomore Carol-Anne Pierre (French), freshman Danaia Omuralieva (Russian), and freshman Aruuke Omuralieva (Kyrgyz). Smith shared, “When I invited my ENL students to participate, they told me that they would do it if I would. So we promised each other that we would participate together. The theme absolutely influenced my writing process. I am very fortunate to work with students from all around the world, so it made sense to me to write a poem about them.” Smith went on to express her fondness for the event and the students and teachers who were brave enough to take to the stage. She added that she would even like to see future Poetry Slams potentially held in the later evening.
“Mr. Garcia was talking about it in the halls one day and asked if I would be interested in participating. I had written poetry previously for assignments in high school and college, so I had some experience with the different styles, and the theme of diversity was something that I felt could be a great topic for a poem. I always try to include wood or themes of technology in my previous poems, so this was a fun challenge,” technology teacher Errol Dusman shared. He also proposed that providing a handout with the different styles of poems and short explanations would encourage students to tackle a type of poem they may have not seen before. “[In all,] I found it a very enjoyable experience, and I would love to see it return every year,” he added.
“I enjoyed the Poetry Slam a lot. I thought it was really cool how it wasn’t just poems being read. There were raps, acts, [and] singing; it was a really cool event, and we definitely need more events like these in the future,” junior Cooper Schorr explained. “I was excited to be a part of the first Poetry Slam but did not realize how overwhelmed I would feel with emotion. It was a wonderful way to share an afternoon, and I believe we should have four a year,” English teacher Mary Kirby excitedly shared.
Putting together the Poetry Slam was a worthwhile experience that further exposed the talent that LHS has to offer. The turnout was more than anticipated and talks of how to plan for next year are already in circulation.
