On Dec. 19, the Yeshiva University Poetry Club hosted its first open mic poetry night and poetry slam. The event began with an open mic portion where anyone was able to sign up and share a piece of poetry they had written. Following the open mic, five students signed up to compete in an official two-round poetry slam. The first round was free verse with the theme of identity, and the second round had an open-ended theme but with a format of comedic free verse.
Elianna Sharvit, one of the club’s presidents, performed in the slam
“Planning the event felt like we were bringing something new and exciting to the student body,” said Sarah Ben-Nun, one of the board members of the poetry club. Ben-Nun shared one of her own poems during the open mic portion of the night. “Walking up to the mic to perform my own poem felt nervous in the familiar way, yet exhilarating. In that moment, I felt so present and so very grateful that we succeeded in creating an environment of sharing personal, creative work that was both accepting and respectful.”
“The turnout exceeded all of our expectations,” said Avi Hirsch, one of the club’s presidents. “It was exciting to see how many students wanted to participate in the event, each bringing their own unique voice. We hope our events continue to be successful next semester.”
