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RIANNA SEELIG
Staff Writer
The third annual Fredonia Poetry Slam was held this past Thursday in McEwen 209. The event was put on by Pride Alliance and Writers’ Ring.
The event lasted three hours, yet many would argue it was not nearly long enough.
This year’s slam focused on transgender youth and the violence many of these young people are forced to face. Poetry covered lofty topics such as sexual assault, rape, domestic abuse, eating disorders and general discrimination faced by youth.
The event occurred in three rounds and was judged by a panel of three Fredonia alumni: Pete Mason, Jeff Wilkinson and Izzy Cross. Anyone was welcome to sign up to compete, and an open mic was provided during intermission for those uninterested in competing but wanting to perform.
Those competing were instructed to bring three poems. Should the poets advance a round, they then read their next poem to be scored by the judges.
The event, hosted by senior music industry and women’s and gender studies double major Deanna Buley, began by introducing the judges. As names were given, proper pronouns were addressed to ensure correctness and comfort. As performers stood to read, proper pronouns were also included in their introductions.
Buley, at the offset, stressed the importance of challenging the judges. Should the audience disagree with the scores given to the performers, they were free to boo the judge panel. Wilkinson was dubbed the “Simon Cowell” of the night and received a fair share of boos, all in good fun.
After every performer’s scores were revealed, Buley returned to introduce the next performer. After each set of scores were given, Buley would repeat the mantra of “fuck the scores, applaud the poet!”
Junior James Lillin started off the evening. He read a poem titled “Dear Sir” discussing abuse and its repercussions. The audience snapped — the norm of how one applauds at a poetry slam — and cheered for quite some time.
Lillin was not scored, as he simply demonstrated the manner in which scores were conducted — this is the “sacrificial poem” in a slam. However, his poem was raw and passionate, and perfectly set the tone for the remainder of the performances.
First up for the scored performances was Jazzmine X, performing a stunning poem about gender, sexuality and racial binaries. X’s poem was shocking, surreal and gritty. Fervent snapping filled the lecture hall.
The night continued with readings from unique and eclectic artists. After three rounds of competition, the judges deliberated. X, Anna Gilmore and Vico Vecchiotti were announced as the winners. Halloween-themed gifts were distributed.
The event was free, however, Buley briefly discussed an ongoing fundraiser audience members could donate to at their convenience. The fundraiser is titled Breaking Binaries, and proceeds will go to a transgender or gender nonconforming student on campus to help with transition costs, legal fees and any other financial assistance needed.
When asked to comment on her experience with the poetry slam, Buley had nothing but kind words to say.
“The atmosphere of the slam was really incredible. We had some really talented poets and knowing that it was to bring awareness to an important issue made it that much more powerful.” She continued, “I’m always taken aback by the amount of talent on this campus and it affects me differently, emotionally, every time.”
Lillin was blown away by the success of the event.
“The great crowd we got was wonderfully supportive,” she said, “and it was all together SUNY Fredonia’s best slam yet.”
The poetry slam was an eye-opening and cathartic experience for both the performers and audience members. At the conclusion of the performance, a quote given by Lillin at the beginning of the slam became all the more relevant: “poetry can save your life.”