On May 26, eager participants slammed the door to enter Dalton Hall for the first annual Slam Poetry Competition. Ms. Maguire , Ms. Laders, Mr. Burton and Ms. Cate planned this competition for rappers who wanted to show their talents through rapping a poem.
Competitors could choose to perform individually or in pairs. There was the total number of five participants in four groups. There were two teams of winners selected based on their uses of poetic devices, authentic expression, showmanship, and ideas. Poetic devices such as alliteration, metaphor, and imagery should be planted consistently throughout the poem. Authentic expression includes how much the poem convinces the judges that the poet really cares about his or her topic. The competitor had to make eye contact, rap fluently, and use body gestures to express the nature of the poem. Also, the competitor had to stay on his or her topic. The first place won 100,000 won and the second place got 75,000 won.
A participant Mark Park shared his experience of participating in the competition. He performed a poem about his recent breakup with his current ex-boyfriend. He said that he could express his feelings very well about this topic. He thought the overall competition went very well and showed his satisfaction of participating. Mark wanted to advise future competitors to "make sure they actually know their poem before performing it, otherwise it will be nothing different from cold-reasoning." Mark has learned that with a little practice, any naive rapper or poet can rock slam poetry.
Ms. Maguire advises the future participants to choose a topic they really care about. The amount of passion the competitor has can be fully expressed if he or she really likes the topic. Emphasis on having a topic that the participant has interest in by both the participant and the judge shows how important choosing a topic is. Ms. Maguire and Ms. Laders said they are more than happy to continue the Slam Poetry Competition next year although the competition might be held at a different time of the school year.
Diana Seo (10)
Competitors could choose to perform individually or in pairs. There was the total number of five participants in four groups. There were two teams of winners selected based on their uses of poetic devices, authentic expression, showmanship, and ideas. Poetic devices such as alliteration, metaphor, and imagery should be planted consistently throughout the poem. Authentic expression includes how much the poem convinces the judges that the poet really cares about his or her topic. The competitor had to make eye contact, rap fluently, and use body gestures to express the nature of the poem. Also, the competitor had to stay on his or her topic. The first place won 100,000 won and the second place got 75,000 won.
A participant Mark Park shared his experience of participating in the competition. He performed a poem about his recent breakup with his current ex-boyfriend. He said that he could express his feelings very well about this topic. He thought the overall competition went very well and showed his satisfaction of participating. Mark wanted to advise future competitors to "make sure they actually know their poem before performing it, otherwise it will be nothing different from cold-reasoning." Mark has learned that with a little practice, any naive rapper or poet can rock slam poetry.
Ms. Maguire advises the future participants to choose a topic they really care about. The amount of passion the competitor has can be fully expressed if he or she really likes the topic. Emphasis on having a topic that the participant has interest in by both the participant and the judge shows how important choosing a topic is. Ms. Maguire and Ms. Laders said they are more than happy to continue the Slam Poetry Competition next year although the competition might be held at a different time of the school year.
Diana Seo (10)