Third Annual Wham Bam Poetry Slam!

2009 Poetry Slam
sponsored by
The CSU Writing Center

All you need to know:

When is the slam?
Friday, April 3 at 6:00

Where is the slam?
The Carson McCuller's House

1519 Stark Avenue

What is a poetry slam anyway?

A poetry slam is pretty much the best thing you can do to bump up your cool points. If you think you're the greatest poet EVER and you're just waiting on everyone else to know it too, then this is the event for you! In a nutshell, poetry slam is the competitive art of performance poetry that focuses on the way a poem is spoken and heard, as opposed to the way poetry is viewed on the page. If you're still staring blankly at your computer screen with one eyebrow raised and a quizzical thought-bubble suspended above your head, then check out the video below.

What are the rules?

Though rules vary from slam to slam, the basic rules are:

• Poems can be on any subject and in any style.
• Each poem must be of the poet's own construction.
• The poet may not use props, costumes, or musical instruments.

How does a poetry slam work?
All registered poets (see below for registration information) will have their name placed in a bucket. MCs will randomly draw names to determine the order in which poets are to perform. Poets will have three minutes (plus a ten-second grace period) to perform one poem. If a poet goes over this time limit, points will be deducted from their total score (-.5 point for every ten seconds beyond the time limit). After each performance, poems will be judged, on a scale of 0 to 10, by a panel of five randomly selected judges. From these five scores, the high and low scores will be dropped and the middle three will be added together, giving the poet a total score of 0-30. Depending upon the level of participation, it is likely we will have a second round of poems. Therefore, it is recommended that all poets come prepared to perform two poems. In the second round, the top five poets will perform their second poem, which must be a different poem than the one performed in the first round. In the second round, poems will be judged in the same manner as the first round, although scores from the second round will stand alone. The poets with the top three scores from the second round will win the top three prizes, respectively.

Who can participate?
All CSU students, regardless of major, are invited to participate. In fact, enough interdisciplinary interest may spark a little healthy competition between the colleges. We like to think of it as a battle-of-the-majors of-sorts. Can you beat the English-Lit. kid? :)

How do I participate?
ALL POETS MUST REGISTER BY FRIDAY, March 27, 2009. NO EXCEPTIONS!
Register quickly, as space is limited and places will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
To register, send an email to koch_kelly@colstate.edu with "Poetry Slam Registration" as the subject line and include ALL of the following information:

• Your name
• Your major
• A short sentence or two about yourself, just so the MCs can give you a little introduction
• The title of your first poem
• State that you have read and agree to the official poetry slam rules as posted above.

Why should I participate?
Besides the opportunity to share your poetry with others and the sheer fun we will have, there are some great prizes to be won. Some professors may even be willing to give extra credit to students who participate in and/or attend the slam. Rumor has it that the students who organized this event and sponsoring professors will appear in funny hats, so miss out on the fun at your own risk.

A special word of thanks goes to our sponsors:

Carabba's Italian Restaurant

Chef Lee's

Columbus Coffee Company

CSU Bookstore

CSU Student Affairs

Starbucks