It was a dark Monday night on Nov. 24, as people gathered in room 100 of the Academic Building in anticipation for the annual poetry night hosted by the Literature!!! Club. Of those gathered, some already knew what was to come, having participated in the event last year, but they still welcomed new faces from the freshman class, study away students, GAFs and professors. Before the event, people had a chance to mingle, prepare their poem, or just enjoy the delicious nachos provided. Poem lists were given out, as were token souvenirs, including notebooks and postcards quoting, “Reading is the new sexy”. But then the announcement commencing the event was heard, and people sat down and prepared themselves for the epic performances that lay ahead.

Nachos with salsa and guacamole were a deadly combination

Students sat in chairs and formed semi-circle around the makeshift open-mic stage, which was highlighted by a single lamp. Individuals came up one at a time to recite their poem or poems. Beside the audience, the judges (legendary GPS and GPC professors Jennifer Tomscha, Chidelia Edochie, Dan Keane and Sam Meekings) sat in front to analyze and listen to each poem. Later, they would choose the best poems based on both originality and performance.

A student reciting her poem

Each student’s performance was unique and provocative. Not only was it was a great opportunity for students to paint their emotions and express their thoughts, but also to perform in front of such a receptive audience. The poems varied in substance, ranging from heartfelt poem on the intensity of love to a descriptive adventure revolving around explosive crap (yes, poop). All performers came from different backgrounds, many growing up with different native languages, but their emotions created a sort of universal language that the whole audience could connect with.

Passion of Love

Language barriers also did not seem to be a problem, as some Chinese students decided to recite their poem in both Chinese and English.

Watcher reciting in Chinese and English, alternating languages sentence by sentence

One reader read in Chinese, and the other in English, alternating each sentence

This was the first poetry night I have attended, and it was a great experience for me to listen to the unique voices of NYU Shanghai. I highly recommend every student to attend next year’s poetry night, whether you want to show off your poetry skills or just sit, relax and appreciate a combination of good refreshments and amazing poetry. If you missed this event but are interested and would like to tune into their future events, check out Literature!!!’s OrgSync page: https://orgsync.com/86535/chapter and also join their group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nyush.bookfriends.

This article was written by Kinsa Durst. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Kinsa Durst