Black Expo Poetry Night: a total slam
Performers make Spectrum's Black Expo event a big success
Jessica Silver
Issue date: 2/13/08 Section: Entertainment
No claps, just snaps. Breath, relax and express yourself through words. On February 7, students at The College of Saint Rose did just that during Poetry Night.
Throughout the event, which was hosted by Spectrum, several students showed off their feelings. It was held in the Main Lounge of the Campus Activities Center. Students had a poem that showed off their personal experiences, personal tragedies or their growth in life. Some included current issues in regards to American culture and stereotypes of all backgrounds. In honor of Black History month, some students read poems that were by black poets.
The featured poet was Mary Panza. Panza's poems all came from personal experiences. She writes because she feels "it's cheaper than therapy."
Panza is the vice president of Albany Poets. She and her fellow poets are not based in any particular area. Rather, they take their craft with them in their shoes. Albany Poets have been performed during Lark Fest and at other local hot spots, such as The Muddy Cup.
Panza began public poetry in 1988 at QE2, a punk club in Albany. Ever since then, she's been performing her craft. She's never attended a professional writing course and doesn't believe in them. She feels that doubts cannot influence the words and that sometimes people need to "just write. Writers write do not question, just write," Panza said.
Emceed by Omar Lopez, the event brought out a mixture of the student body. Lopez even spun out poems in between readings. Lopez tried to capture the essence of the poems he read. With each poem having a certain theme, he hoped to become the poem in his reading.
Kristen Stiles, a sophomore and a graphic design major, also read an untitled piece at the event. Stiles read a poem she wrote during her high school years.
"It is about respecting every race," Stiles said.
She writes often and her poems reflect her current feelings in life.
Jarred Haynes, a senior at the college and the president of Spectrum, was overjoyed with the 60 people who came out for the event. He felt this was the best one yet. Haynes said it took over two months to get everything organized. Earlier this week, members of Spectrum held a workshop on writing poetry.
Throughout the event, which was hosted by Spectrum, several students showed off their feelings. It was held in the Main Lounge of the Campus Activities Center. Students had a poem that showed off their personal experiences, personal tragedies or their growth in life. Some included current issues in regards to American culture and stereotypes of all backgrounds. In honor of Black History month, some students read poems that were by black poets.
The featured poet was Mary Panza. Panza's poems all came from personal experiences. She writes because she feels "it's cheaper than therapy."
Panza is the vice president of Albany Poets. She and her fellow poets are not based in any particular area. Rather, they take their craft with them in their shoes. Albany Poets have been performed during Lark Fest and at other local hot spots, such as The Muddy Cup.
Panza began public poetry in 1988 at QE2, a punk club in Albany. Ever since then, she's been performing her craft. She's never attended a professional writing course and doesn't believe in them. She feels that doubts cannot influence the words and that sometimes people need to "just write. Writers write do not question, just write," Panza said.
Emceed by Omar Lopez, the event brought out a mixture of the student body. Lopez even spun out poems in between readings. Lopez tried to capture the essence of the poems he read. With each poem having a certain theme, he hoped to become the poem in his reading.
Kristen Stiles, a sophomore and a graphic design major, also read an untitled piece at the event. Stiles read a poem she wrote during her high school years.
"It is about respecting every race," Stiles said.
She writes often and her poems reflect her current feelings in life.
Jarred Haynes, a senior at the college and the president of Spectrum, was overjoyed with the 60 people who came out for the event. He felt this was the best one yet. Haynes said it took over two months to get everything organized. Earlier this week, members of Spectrum held a workshop on writing poetry.
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