Through technology, students share poetry
The lights were low and the ambient sounds included snaps, typing keyboards and microphone feedback. A shirt reading ‘Poet’ faced a crowd of students halfway across the country.
On Sept. 22, Imagining America, a nationwide program which supports the arts and humanities in colleges and universities, Syracuse University’s Verbal Blend and the University of Minnesota’s Voices Merging teamed up for the second year of ‘Ayo Technology.’ Students from both schools used Skype to exhibit their spoken word poetry skills.
Six cameras and three screens were set up in the Stolkin Auditorium in the Physics Building. The center screen displayed a constant stream of Twitter users using the hashtag #ayotechnology. Attendees tweeted comments such as ‘E.P. just let it flow with her passion’ and ‘everyone is doing very well.’
The audience, who filled about seven rows of the auditorium’s seats, was captivated as Syracuse poets Flosie, Huey Calhoun, Kyzr Sozey, Logik, Rae Sunshine, Crissey Chris, E.P., Dijah Pickle and Janel Sullivan graced the stage with poems.
Stories of love lost, race in America, religion and family were openly shared and streamed across the Internet. Attendees slipped in and out of the auditorium as they saw fit, excusing themselves from performances they didn’t completely enjoy.
One performer from U of M was not well received by the SU audience. His deep southern accent amused the SU crowd so much that they began laughing during his performance.
On the contrary, Huey Calhoun completely engaged the crowd. His poem explored the struggles of the British revolutionaries who established this country and the woes of African-Americans in the 21st century. After numerous interruptions in the form of snaps and claps as he was performing, the poet received a standing ovation from both the SU crowd and the crowd at U of M.
The open mic performance progressed with minimal technical difficulties on SU’s end. U of M was not as fortunate. Voices Merging had to hang up their Skype call and call back due to a poor connection that resulted in a frozen stream.
After several poets read, Janel Sullivan, senior Verbal Blend poet and the master of ceremonies for the event, facilitated a brief discussion between the poets about the motivation behind their poems. One of the questions that the participants were asked was, ‘Why do you write poetry?’
One poet responded: ‘I write to perform.’ Another answered: ‘I write because it feels good.’
The program concluded with a poem by Sullivan.
‘What sustains us?’ was the theme of this year’s event. Sullivan believes that it is the very art that the poets produce that sustains them.
‘Art reflects and impacts society so heavily,’ she said. ‘I believe that art is the only place where truth really exists. I express my truth through poetry and that is what sustains me.’
The founder of Voices Merging and Verbal Blend is Cedric Bolton, coordinator of student engagement in the Office of Multicultural Affairs at SU. Bolton co-founded Verbal Blend in 2007 and co-founded Voices Merging in 2002.
Voices Merging started with only a few poets. Tierra Howard, president of Voices Merging, said the program began with about six to seven students hosting open mics around U of M’s campus.
About five years later, Verbal Blend was established on the SU campus.
‘When Verbal Blend started, it provided a space for multicultural students to discover voice and express themselves through poetry,’ Sullivan said.
When the two programs came together for Ayo Technology they had a common vision. Howard said she found the use of technology to be beneficial.
‘If I were to sit and read someone from Syracuse’s poetry, I might get something from it. But when I can see them or hear them perform it,’ Howard said, ‘there is a bigger and stronger connection between me and their voice. I can just relate more to what they are saying.’
Published on September 25, 2011 at 12:00 pm
