University at Buffalo.
UB was given a thorough introduction into the heartfelt, emotional world of slam poetry on Friday night. The sound of snapping fingers echoed throughout the Student Union Theater as the audience showed their respect and appreciation for poet after poet pouring their hearts out onstage, attempting to show off their poetry and stand out in a poetry competition full of talent.
Campus Living, UB Late Night and the Pure Ink Poetry Slam hosted the competition, drawing competitors and participants from local colleges and universities all over Buffalo.
Slam poetry is a form of artistic competition created by American poet Mark Smith around the mid-1980s. Slam poetry is a method of combining spoken word and performance in a competitive setting where five random audience members judge each poet.
UB, Saint Bonaventure and Buffalo State College were three of the four university teams scheduled to participate. The Daemen College team could not make the event.
Each team chose one or two poets to go on stage and represent their school.
Brandon Williamson, a slam poet from the collective The Pure Ink Poetry Slam, hosted the event. Williamson said he has always loved writing poetry, but did not get into the slam scene until 2009.
He originally found out about slam poetry through TV programs like Def Poetry Jam.
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