Cedar Springs — Some talked about family, relationships and stress; others focused on sports, academics and the pressure to perform. But everyone who picked up the mic during the Cedar Springs High School poetry slam last month found themselves in a safe space to sound off and make their voices heard.
The event, organized by English teacher Kelly Haut, brings together students from all four grades for an intimate evening of reflection and expression.
A panel of judges, composed of students and staff, rated each student’s performance to determine a winner at the end of the night. This year’s first-place winner was ninth-grader Karla Burch. But, as Haut told the roughly 100 students in attendance: “The point is not the points, the point is the poetry!”
‘It’s very freeing’
For junior Leo Roberts, the poetry slam was a chance to talk about some hard truths with classmates and the school community at large.
Leo — who is transgender and uses he/him pronouns — read a poem, titled “A Letter to Many of the People in the School,” addressing his feelings about the way trans people are often treated.
‘A lot of the students performing really have meaningful poems that relate to their life. It’s very touching and relatable to hear some of them, and the poems are very heartfelt.’
— junior Leo Roberts
Since studying Edgar Allen Poe as a sophomore, Leo has been interested in poetry, and he’s found it to be a powerful tool.
“It kinda gives me a space to talk about what I want to talk about in front of people, and to just spread awareness and be free in front of people,” Leo said. “It’s very freeing.”
He added that poetry emboldens him to speak up and speak out with his true, authentic voice.
“It’s like taking down the wall,” Leo told SNN prior to reading his poem. “Showing people who I really am and how I feel when I get treated certain ways.”
Leo didn’t mince words as he recited his poem:
“You make me have this overwhelming fear, deeper than a weed, growing in my soul / You fill me with worry for my safety and mentality / I don’t choose to be transgender, but if I have to act as someone I’m not, I’ll never feel whole.”
In his poem, Leo admitted that bullying has taken a toll on him, but said he’s learned to value his own sense of self over the opinions of others:
“Nowadays, I’d rather live every day in spite of your impression / by being true to my identity and self-expression.”
A Shared Vulnerability
Leo said he loved the fact that many of his classmates had similarly personal messages and stories to tell.
“A lot of the students performing really have meaningful poems that relate to their life,” he said. “It’s very touching and relatable to hear some of them, and the poems are very heartfelt.”
One such student was sophomore Claire Hambelton, who read a piece titled “Mature,” about some of the pitfalls of being considered “mature for your age.”
“So here you are, all center stage / pressure and stress wrecking your brain / Maturity is not a concept but a cage / No end in sight and no real gain,” Claire read.
She continued:
“So go ahead and be mature / But what you’re in for, you’re never quite sure / And hey, why bother enjoying your childhood? / Be mature for your age, like all good kids should.”
Claire said there’s a shared vulnerability among poetry slam participants that she finds empowering.
“It makes me kind of uncomfortable to be the only one to do something, so I like that it’s me and all these other people, and I like that other people also get a chance to do this,” Claire said backstage before performing.
She added that she wants her poetry to tap into universal feelings and experiences that people don’t have to strain to relate to.
“When people share things, sometimes you have to put yourself in their shoes. But I’ve never felt like I can really do that, for a number of reasons,” Claire said. “When it’s more of a broad subject, that people can more see themselves in or remember themselves in, it hits harder and it feels like they’re seen in my own piece.”
Encouraging Students to Write, Share
The poetry slam is now in its fourth year at Cedar Springs.
Haut said she learned about the potential of poetry slam events in educational settings years ago, while teaching in Oregon. Her school at the time tied in the documentary “Louder Than A Bomb” — about an annual youth poetry slam in Chicago — into its curriculum, and Haut has implemented something similar at Cedar Springs.
“At Cedar, we have worked in the last four years to incorporate the timing of poetry units to fit with the slam so we can encourage students to write and … to share,” Haut said.
The poetry slam, she said, offers an opportunity for “uncensored student voice” at Cedar Springs.
“This is especially important in a world inundated with social media and sports,” Haut said. “It gives students who may not otherwise have a platform a chance to share their art and their voice alongside others in a community instead of merely online.”
She added: “Self-expression and belonging are incredibly necessary for student success. It allows us to know each other more authentically.”
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