Naomi Girson | opinions editor

An ode to a shower and a criticism of the phrase “I’m just a girl,” were just two pieces of prose heard from the Social Justice Poetry Slam Night on Tuesday in the Duquesne Student Union Nitetspot.

Sigma Tau Delta — a chapter of a national honors English honors fraternity, Sociology Club and Ebony Women for Social Change came together to run the event.

Sophie Perrino, president of Sociology Club, Damaria Wedderburn president of Ebony Women for Social Change and Allison Frazer, president of Sigma Tau Delta, were introduced at the first presidents meeting of the year and planned to collaborate on an event this semester.

They thought a social justice poetry slam would be a great way to unite their groups at a unique center point and allow a safe and comfortable place to read their poetry and meet new people.

“If we respond positively and create that environment, maybe it’ll create a counterculture of positive dialogue in return and maybe people will feel more comfortable to do that in the future,” Perrino said.

Though they did not limit any of the poets to only think and write about social justice, Frazer found anything could be tied back to the topic, even her poem about her shower.

“I have the privilege of taking a shower everyday,” Frazer said. “I think in terms of social justice, it’s important to function in that way. Because, at a time like now where you can hear the same rhetoric being said over and over again, the same ideas over and over again, people aren’t listening.”

They wanted to establish a safe space to perform vulnerable, sometimes daunting acts. The tables had stacks of paper and pens to give the writers space to write. They kept morale up with pizza and drinks set up next to the microphone.

Some read straight from their phone, while others sat and wrote during a quiet moment, to get up and bare their soul as their words still dried on the page.

The cohort of presidents at the event took turns introducing speakers during set blocks of reading time.

Time was allocated in between the blocks for the poets to work on new material and let the inspiration flow.

There were the quintessential poetry snaps after each reading, and some received whoops throughout, if it was a more dignified or angrier reading.

There was a juxtaposition from poem to poem, and only the one holding the mic knew what was to come.

The surprisingly dramatic poem “6 7” started with suppressed giggles and ended with a profound question of “will I ever feel whole?”

Meanwhile, “You can never trust a rat” by Graham Kelly, a member of Sigma Tau Delta had the audience amused from start to finish. A poem about politicians that tied in Chuck E. Cheese with Bill Clinton.

The group was small, and attendance was around 15 people, but it only made the poetry better heard, spoken for a quaint and attentive audience. Wedderburn was glad to welcome anyone but wanted to make sure the space felt safe.

“If more people do end up coming, just like letting the space grow intimately and respectfully,” Wedderburn said.

Students across the room playing pool came to speak into the mic by the end of the night. They sat and snapped with everyone else as Frazer read her emotional customer service call prose: “Seeking Assistance” that was published in :Lexicon, student-led-literary journal at Duquesne, last spring.

“This could give people a more or less calm and safe space to express what’s been on their mind, maybe what’s stressing them, what they’re passionate about. And in doing that is extremely vulnerable. So to be in a supportive environment is going to be really great for people to feel empowered to share what they’re passionate about,” Perrino said.

The poems varied from emotional prose about the idea of one losing a sibling, to a dramatic reading of “hear me outs” Perrino wrote at a late hour on Independence Day.

By the end, with a few people loosened up, some approached the mic to do impromptu karaoke, and the presidents selected three especially impactful poets to each take home a $15 Target gift card.

Frazer said the presidents have started to talk about running another poetry slam in the spring, next time maybe outside with blankets and pillows.

Johann Cantellops, a member of Sigma Tau Delta, read multiple poems throughout the night, varying from tragic and tear-jerking to comedic and light-hearted, but found the tone changes refreshing.

“People have this idea that poetry is like either 18th century stuck up nonsense that requires three degrees to read, or it’s like ‘Milk and Honey’ cringe, but like we’re having fun, and like we’re cringe on purpose, and we’re also serious on purpose,” Cantellops said.

Naomi Girson can be reached at girsonn@duq.edu