Last Thursday at the Titan Student Union Pub, Cal State Fullerton public health graduate student Isabella Nardo took the stage under glowing red lights and read an original poetry stanza.
Nardo has been writing poetry since childhood, but has had few opportunities to share his work with others. But that changed on Poetic Justice Open Mic night.
The event was hosted by Associate Students Social Justice and Equity Committee It provided a safe space for students to share their artistry and express their opinions with their peers. The poets were given three minutes of his time on stage and were instructed to follow his three questions: social injustice, non-traditional love, and the mental health of people who identify as men.
Many poets drew inspiration from their own lives and created artistic works of self-expression to connect with their peers.
“It's one thing to write a poem, it's one thing to keep it to yourself, but it's another to say it out loud to others who might relate to what you're saying. ,” Nardo said.
Nardo draws inspiration from rap music and famous poets when writing poetry. They usually turn to writing to release suppressed emotions.
“I think spoken word is a beautiful way to connect with emotions that you might not even realize you're feeling until you hear someone describe it and say it out loud,” Nardo said. Told. “It was a great opportunity to listen and learn from others, and also learn a little bit about myself.”
Students from all artistic backgrounds were able to participate in this event and were also encouraged to improvise during an open mic segment at the end. This made it possible to cover poems on any subject.
Mark Zavalkov, a fifth-year molecular biology major and ASI vice president, decided to hold an open mic night after learning that CSUF had hosted similar events in the past, but not in recent years. He said he proposed holding the event.
“We thought, why not revitalize it and bring it back,” Zavalkov said. “If this is successful, we hope to be able to continue this event.”
Zavalkov believes that poetry can be an effective medium for students to open their minds, but that it is often overlooked as a resource. He hoped the event would allow students to express ideas that are not always easy to share.
Jared Brown, a third-year public health and kinesiology double major and ASI's Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer, performed his own poems about topics surrounding humans and plants in general. Brown believes poetry is a powerful medium and said this event could help students in their college careers.
In addition to encouraging student expression, Poetic Justice Open Mic also aimed to bring student life back into the pub.
Mr Brown believes pubs are underused as community spaces and wants students to see pubs as more than just places to study.
Following the success of the open mic night, Brown aims to have ASI host more opportunities to present student poetry on a larger scale.
“Taking the time to listen to others creates common ground, builds trust, and really helps build the parasocial relationships you need in college,” Brown said.
