This April, Emory University was represented by four talented individuals in the 2012 CUPSI (College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational). All members of the Emory Slam Team are integral parts of Emory spoken word collective, Minds on Mic. Lead by their coach, Karen Garrabrant, the team competed against 48 colleges and universities around the United States to bring home 5th place! Her Campus Emory salutes Minds on Mic and the Emory Slam Team for all of their hard work.
Name: Ashley Bernard
Year: Junior (Oxford Continuee)
Major: International Studies, Pre-Law
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
How long have you been both writing and performing? I started writing when I was in 6th grade. Started performing freshman year of college.
Inspirations for your poetry: Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire. Past, present, and future experiences. Social, judicial, and economic issues. Michelangelo, Nas, Tupac, Maya Angelou, (hip hop and RnB artists, poets, urban word poets), nature, and the idea of what could be.
Hobbies: Writing, policy debate coach, reading, listening to music, Photography, cooking, coin collecting
Extra-Curriculars: High school policy, Lincoln Douglas, and Parliamentary debate coach, Peer Review Board, Pre-Law Society Executive Board, Minds on Mic
Interesting Facts: I will be interning at a corporate law firm in Shanghai, China this summer, followed by a two week excursion throughout Southeast Asia.
Future plans: Paying my mother back for all that she has given me is my ultimate plan. I want to continue to travel, probably put out a chap book, continue writing and performing, and work my way into the legal field. Also, I’d really like to be an educator of some sort.
Name: Elliot Levy
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
How long have you been both writing and performing? 3 years
Inspirations for your poetry: My inspiration is having stories I love to tell and ones I love to hear
Hobbies: Poetry, Wrestling, Music, photography
Extra-Curriculars: Minds on Mics, Emory wrestling club, Beta fraternity
Interesting Facts: I have a cat named after a British prime minister (Winston Churchill), 99 career win club in PA wrestling, I love to freestlye rap
Future plans: I plan to pursue business but still keep my artistic side with poetry
I have a Facebook Page for Poetry called: Elliot Levy’s Poetry.
Also: Like it or not, the Emory Slam team is a force to be reckoned with!
Name: Nabila Lovelace
Year: Junior (Oxford continuee)
Major(s): History Major; African American Studies minor
Hometown: Queens, NY
How long have you been both writing and performing? I have been seriously writing since senior year of high school and been performing since around the same time.
Inspirations for your poetry: life experiences, other poets, and everyday activities
Hobbies: listening to music, reading, learning the guitar and updating my tumblr
Extra-Curriculars: Minds on Mic Treasurer and mentoring with Emerge
Interesting Facts: I consider myself a Jay-Z enthusiast and a chai latte connoisseur.
Future plans: Not sure. Artistically the plan is to keep writing and hopefully eventually spread the art of spoken word in the classroom to youth who feel as though their voice is marginalized.
Name: Daniel Weingarten
Year: Junior
Major: English/Creative Writing
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
How long have you been both writing and performing? since the age of 16
Inspirations for your poetry: Everything that I encounter and/or read. The most absurd moments in my life, as well as the one that I might usually ignore, or not even notice. Mostly though, it’s competitions like CUPSI where hundreds of poets from across the country come together, and you realize that you are surrounded by people who are passionate about the same things that you are.
Hobbies: Getting on Ashley Bernard’s nerves.
Extra-Curriculars: Saying foolish things.