On Dec. 3, The Poetry Club hosted its first inaugural Poetry Show event in the Healey Library. The show was divided into three components: an open mic where anyone could sign up and read a poem, a special guest speaker Kemi Alabi, and finally, the poetry slam.
Co-hosts of the open mic portion of the show, Christian Arthur and Allister Quilon, opened the night by welcoming everyone to the first event the group has hosted all year and gave the audience some background on their organization.
Arthur says, “We do not have legitimate club status, which is something we are working towards. We are hoping to achieve legitimate club status by next semester. Right now, we are a group of passionate students with the blessing of the English department.”
The open mic portion ranged from season poetry readers to people who were reading their works for the first time, and the audience was just as eager and supportive for everyone who got the courage to read their works out loud.
While the event had a clear schedule, there was some spontaneity in the night. Because it was the first time this event was put on, the hosts found they had extra time to fill. They looked to the audience for any last-minute volunteers, and a few people in the audience were inspired to grab the mic on a whim and recite a poem.
The feature of the night, however, was guest speaker Kemi Alabi. Kemi graduated from Boston University this previous summer and has always had a passion for spoken word. She commanded the room for the span of three poems she recited from memory ranging from an ode to the green line to a funny anecdote of a failed marriage proposal.
The hosts couldn’t be happier with how the event went. “We didn’t totally know what to expect with this first show,” Christian admits. “It was great to see the majority of the chairs occupied, and the responses from all the attendees I talked to were positive.”
So, what’s next for the club? They hope to gain legitimate club status and continue to spread their love for poetry while recruiting more members.
“We want to create a platform for performance poets of the community to do their thing, and for fans of the art form to see it. As for future events, there is nothing definite set right now, but I suspect that topic will be one of the first things we address in the upcoming meeting.” Arthur confidently says.
Want to get involved? These students meet every Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at the tables in the Upper Level of the Campus Center by the entrance to the One Stop. While their numbers are currently small, the hosts hope that the numbers will swell based on the success of the poetry slam.
Find them on Facebook as The Poetry Show at UMass Boston, or send them an email address at [email protected].