With midterms well underway, it’s been a stressful week for everyone, but this week was especially taxing for members of the Occidental Spoken Word Team, as they are leaving next Tuesday to attend an invitational competition in Virginia.
The poets will be traveling to compete in CUPSI (College Union Poetry Slam Invitational), an event where College Spoken Word Teams from around the country go head to head with poems they’ve been working on for months. The Oxy Spoken Word Team, led by Henry Dickmeyer, spent almost every night this week in rehearsals, sometimes working until midnight, perfecting their pieces.
When they’re not working on poetry, the team can be found fundraising to cover travel and registration fees. Although it’s been a challenging process for the team, their hard work is paying off. The team is less than $100 away from their goal on their Kickstarter campaign, and they are hosting a showcase this coming Monday (the 23rd) in Morrison Lounge at 9:00pm, where they will perform the pieces they are taking to CUPSI.
The team features a wide range of age and experience, with veteran competitors like Henry and Daphne Auza (winner of Apollo Night), and first time contenders, like Margaux Ziss (a first year!) and Griffin Wynne. Despite their different experiences, the poets are very much a team, and are looking forward to sharing their work with fellow Oxy students Monday, and with poets from around the country later next week.
Support Oxy’s Spoken Word Team here.