Collins celebrates poetry, improv performance

Oral self-expression reigned supreme this weekend at Collins Living Learning Center. The center hosted an open mic night Thursday and a poetry slam Saturday in conjunction with Arts Week -- a city-wide effort to promote diverse arts in the area. Collins is known for its open mic events, but this year proved to be different. Not only were the events open to non-residents of Collins, but it was Collins' first ever judged poetry slam. \n"I think both events went really well. We had a decent number of people," said senior Erik Gibson, an RA at Collins and one of the series' coordinators. "Both events had a variety of different talent, but each venue had its own flavor."\nThursday Open Mic night \nOpen mic night at Collins had a group of performers ranging from poets to musicians. With a relaxed environment and dim lights, the scene resembled an underground poetry club, accompanied with a coffee shop. It was a packed house with people sitting on the floors and drinking Chai tea. The audience saw performers who came fully prepared with sheets of paper and guitars in hand. \n"We are expecting a big crowd. We have a variety of different performers, everything ranging from poetry, readings, musical performances and drama monologues," said sophomore Thom Kudla, before the show. \nAlong with Gibson, Kudla helped coordinate the event. \nMost performers were veterans to performing live and enjoyed taking advantage of open mic night at Collins.\n"It's hard to get into good clubs if you don't have a whole band. (Open mic) gives people the opportunity to explore their own art form," said senior English major Joe Spurling.\nThroughout the night audience members were in line to sign up for impromptu performances. The coordinators encouraged improvised performances. \n"It's really nice to have the crowd perform and wanting to perform," Kudla said. "It adds flavor and spontaneity to the event." \nAmong the crowd-pleasers was the piece "Domesticate Me," about the frustration of women, who are being domesticated by men. The audience also enjoyed performances by senior Jordan Webb and junior (Elizabeth) Lacey Gillotte. Both performers sang about relationship problems they had faced in the past. "Yelps" and "whoas" rang from the crowd as Webb performed "Free."\nWebb received a standing ovation, but didn't have much to say to the applause. \n"I really like ("Free"), but when other people like it, it's even better," he said.\nAs Gillotte performed "Adamant Eve," tears rolled down audience members' cheeks. She said her song about standing your ground against mistreatment in a relationship was inspired by life experiences. \n"If I had to catergorize it, I would call it calming, but my mom calls it new age folk," she said.\nThe open mic night satisfied the performers as well as the audience members.\nSaturday's Poetry Slam\nSaturday's poetry had a different vibe, but was just as expressive. The poetry slam had more of a hip-hop feel, without the music. It was the first judged poetry slam at Collins, and the competition was fierce. The performers were judged on content, performance, poetics, and overall presence. There were eight contestants overall, and by the second round it was narrowed down to four. \n"It was difficult, especially with the better performers," said sophomore Charles Benson, a judge of the contest.\nWilliam Ryder Timberlake and Daniel Moss especially captured the hearts of the judges. \n"We choose it because it's our artform and in it, we don't have to conform," Timberlake said.\nTimberlake and Moss made it hard for judges to decide, outdoing their competition -- Laura Cooper and Kudla in the second round, where all material performed was completely spontaneous. The third and final round was a challenge because both contestants got one minute and 30 seconds to freestyle about Scooby Doo. \nMoss was named the winner of the poetry slam, with Timberlake taking second runner up. \n"I am up there to express myself and get through to people," Timberlake said.