By Nicolette DiMura
Contributing Writer
In honor of Franciscan Week, the Chattertons organized a poetry reading that focused on Franciscan beliefs, figures and values.
The event was well attended by mostly the freshmen class and some upper classmen.
“It’s a great week to just remember St. Francis,” Fr. Francis, one of the friars at the event, said. “This week is a wonderful opportunity to recall not only a historical man, but to recognize how [his] spirit is still alive and present.
Many of the attendees enjoyed the night.
“I thought it was amazing,” Brianna Roberts, a senior classical languages major, and member of the Slam Poetry Club, said. “We have a lot of first time readers, and they all did really well. I know they did a lot better than I did at my first reading, and all the new poets we have this year are absolutely phenomenal. It was amazing to see such a huge turnout, and it really ups the energy to have such a great crowd that was here tonight.”
Members from the club composed Franciscan poetry and throughout each reading, other members would snap their fingers to indicate the distinct rhythm of each piece. Snapping, as opposed to clapping, is an appropriate way of showing appreciation at a poetry event.
“I was so pleased by the level and the quality of, well, the level of depth and thought,” Fr. Francis said. “I was just really blown away, and I don’t know why I’m so surprised. They were excellent.”
Slam Poetry is a club for those who enjoy expressing their opinions and ideas through writing and are willing to be open about their emotions. The opportunity to present one’s writing in front of an enthusiastic audience is an additional perk of joining Slam Poetry.
“I think it’s the place that a lot of disenfranchised and disempowered people go to express themselves,” Roberts said. “Through a club, we get to hear a really diverse group of perspectives. People are interested in spoken word because it lets them express themselves. I know the reason why I’m drawn to poetry is because it gives me a place where I can be myself.”
