The Slam Poetry Club kicked-off to an excellent start by hosting its first ever open reading session on Friday in Mr. McGovern’s re-enactment center, drawing an audience of over 40 attendees and performers.

While mainly a venue for students to share their work, the slam was carried out in a contest-like format, in which four randomly selected members of the audience served as judges. After each performance, a judge would hold up a scorecard and the reader would receive an overall score for each of his or her works. However, students who did not want their work to be judged were allowed to perform between rounds.

“I was in the competition, but it was really nice and laid back,” junior Isaac Shaker said. “There was no pressure to have an amazing poem or anything. You could just go up and read what you had.”

The Slam Poetry Club was founded by juniors Dan Schwartz and Gloria Yu, who felt that a slam could help spread the word of poetry. After receiving a profusion of positive feedback, Schwartz and Yu are hoping that more members will join in future slams.

“There are no requirements for joining,” Yu said. “Anyone who is interested or even just wants to listen to poetry can join. It is really for anyone and everyone who likes writing, hearing, enjoying, and feeling poetry.”

McGovern’s re-enactment room only had the capacity to accommodate 30 people, but a consistent flow of people entered as chairs and space opened. Sitting in the audience were parents, teachers, and friends of the writers. After each piece of writing was presented, the performer was met with raucous snapping as Paly Humanities teacher Kevin Sharp proclaimed “Clap for other things, and snap for poetry.” Among the attendees was Paly junior Vicki Morton.

“It was more interesting than I thought it would be,” Morton said after the performance. “I got to see a lot of different people from a lot of different backgrounds.”

The top three finishers of the multiple round competition received Borders gift cards, with first place receiving $25, second place $15, and third place $10. Top finishers included junior Caitlin Watson in first place, freshman Kevin Ward in second, and sophomore Evan Hahn in third. The pressure of the competition was not felt because of the relaxed environment of the slam.

As the night progressed and the contest became more intense, students and other audience members presented spontaneous and humorous works, many of which were prepared on the spot. Performances included short stories, limericks, haikus, free-verse poems and even a short song accompanied by an air guitar.

“It was a fun experience,” Shaker said, despite missing out on a top three finish. “I got to express myself.”

In the future, club presidents Schwartz and Yu are looking to expand the already solid foundation of poetry followers.

“Future club events would consist of more slams,” Yu said. “Perhaps some themed slams. We also look forward to slamming against Gunn’s team. If we follow through, it’ll be intense. But first we need more members and poets. That should be exciting.”

While there is not a definite date for an upcoming slam, Schwartz and Yu are looking into possibilities.

“We hope to have one in preferably the next month but the next two months looks busy for everyone,” Yu said. “We will definitely have another one before the year ends, my personal goal is two.”

The Slam Poetry Club meets every Friday in Room 218. For more information on the club, contact either Schwartz at [email protected] or Yu at [email protected].