BSU's 5th Annual Poetry Slam

Kicking off the long weekend last Thursday, BSU's fifth annual Poetry Slam drew a packed house and fantastic energy! It felt like a multi-generational family reunion, as recent alum Tiara Jenkins '20 shared headlining duty with alum and current faculty member Frank Jackson '14. The spirit of the night was pushed even higher by contributions from SCH faculty, SCH students (shout out to all those who braved the stage!), and members of The Haverford School's BSU. 

This reflection, written by an SCH 9th grader, captures the magic of the evening so beautifully.

“I went to the Poetry Slam with the intention of just going, taking notes, writing my paragraph there, and calling it done. But as soon as I walked through the doors and there were bubbles, flashing lights, and an abundance of delicious snacks, I knew that my plan wasn’t going to happen. I was pleasantly surprised with how the Slam went. I am not a big fan of poetry, but, I have to say, this Slam changed my mind. With the crowd's energy and the excellent poetry, I enjoyed my time there. I found the first poem of the night to be the most profound. It was by Tiara and titled “Shattered Diamonds.” It was about feeling like you have to be perfect and acting as a different, happy person to the point where you are just tired. The part that stuck out to me the most was that it was so truthful and relatable. I felt that she was almost speaking to me, and I think everyone else felt the same way by the crowd's reaction. The poem reminded me of teenagers as a whole. I notice that people my age often feel like they aren't pretty enough and aren't good enough. But the cheerful ending of the poem reminded us all that we are good enough. There is no reason to feel that we aren’t because “God made me perfect.” The poem was reassuring because it seems other people all deal with these same feelings. Seeing someone else express their feelings in such an open way made me feel that I wasn’t alone, and this is a comforting feeling to have. After listening to all these creative poets share their work, my mind was changed about poetry. It isn’t just some English class unit that I had in Middle School, but it is an art. It is a creative outlet for those who want to share.”