Creative Writing Class Hosts Poetry Slam
March 18, 2019
English teacher Ray Chapin’s Creative Writing class hosted a Poetry Slam last Friday, with more than 15 students, faculty, and staff competing for the top prize. Each contestant wrote and performed an original poem for the audience and four student judges.
The Slam was a culmination of a week-long poetry workshop led by Vermont’s reigning poetry slam champion, writer, teacher, and poet Geof Hewitt. Hewitt’s visit was his third stint as TA’s poet-in-residence and poetry slam-master.
The competition was fierce and fun, and the audience was encouraged to cheer or “boo” the judges scoring. Junior JJ Thurber was the slam favorite, taking first place with her powerful poem, “Darkness.” Junior Reinhardt Kuang also scored high with the judges and earned second place overall with his poem “The Brightest Stars in the Sky.”
Student judges getting “sworn in” by slam-master Geof Hewitt.