During the annual Poetry Slam hosted by Creative Writing, students compete with original poems and read them to everyone in the program. This year there were 20 individual participants, as well as two instructors. Prizes were awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. The 1st place winner was also awarded the coveted Cherry Coke Crown. The final award, the Yukon, was given to the funniest poem.
Aspyn Chapin
"Her Silent Voice"
When will it stop?
When will their flesh stop being uncomfortable to live in?
The crimes against women, justified.
Over, and over again,
just because your son has such a promising career in Football.
Or the women themselves are dressed a certain way.
When will it stop?
When will girls stop being raised to protect themselves from men?
Their mothers weep when they finally understand it will never be enough.
Nothing will be enough to stop what the world has come too.
How girls will never feel safe walking alone at night,
or how their accusations will never be taken seriously.
When will it stop?
When will people stop saying, “Well, what was she wearing?”.
She was wearing a bikini with sunglasses.
She was wearing a crop top with shorts.
She was wearing a dress with heels.
She was wearing a hoodie with sweatpants.
When will it stop?
When will innocent women stop being the victim of crimes,
justified, because “It’s fine, He’s my husband.”
When it’s not fine if your husband forced you, it’s not okay.
Rape is still rape.
Whether your sweet son with a college scholarship was drunk or not.
So, I ask, when will it stop?
When will girls stop having a silent voice?
When it’s no longer traumatic for her? When it no longer makes her self-conscious or ashamed? Or hate herself for how stupid her mistakes were?
Or when her skin doesn’t feel itchy anymore?
Tell me, when will we get justice?
Lydia Sikes
"Voice"
Irmina Cramer
"Rose Petals"
Tristan Berg
"Love Poem"