University of Arkansas Fayetteville - Razorback Yearbook (Fayetteville, AR)

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ne P° em entitled “Blue Comedy,” presented a umorous spin on the struggles of trying to be a stand-up comedian. the second round, the judges narrowed it down to th j naUsts - ome °f the finalists were unaware that had Were mu 1 P e roun ds of the competition and to resort to finding older examples of their work 0n their phones. and ° ne n a tt en d an ce was served hot chocolate The r ° Ce Ve h a mu g courtesy of University Programs. e audience was encouraged to participate by tQ C PP ln g their fingers when they felt a connection cl Poem. Audience members were also told to lze their opinions about each performance between rounds. SLAM POETRY COMPETITION 17

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On April 12, UA student-poets battled with their words in a slam poetry competition sponsored by University Programs’ Coffeehouse. The Coffeehouse puts on poetry, spoken word and dramatic performances once a month that are open to the public. The event was held at the Anne Kittrell Art Gallery in the Arkansas Union. The technical winner of the competition was Houston Haus. However, due to the University Programs’ policy, Haus was not eligible to win because he was not a student. Instead, first place was deferred to the second-place winner, junior biology major Audrey LeBer. Her winnings included a notebook and pens, a lava lamp and a book on meditation and incense. Her poems centered around domestic violence and the negative aftereffects that war can have on soldiers. A veteran of slam poetry, LeBert said she got started competing in slam poetry after Haus saw her perform at an open mic night. Haus encouraged her to check out the Big World Battle, a slam poetry competition on Dickson Street that takes place the last Saturday of every month. LeBert now helps with the monthly competition. Eight poets competed in the first round of the competition. Contestant order was randomly decided by drawing a name out of a cup. Each poet had three minutes to read their original piece to the audience. No props or music were allowed. Seven judges were chosen from the audience, giving ead 1 poem a score out of ten. For each poem, the highest and lowest scores were thrown out. The poems were diverse in content, covering topics ranging from autism to the bias that claims ad majors have the “easy major.” Some of the poem 5 were even funny. 16 AUTUMN

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BOTTOM LEFT UA students join together in prayer for those who have experienced any sort of prejudice, in honor of individuals affected by the racism at the University of Missouri. BOTTOM RIGHT Students circle around the Union Fountain and encourage each other to share experiences and thoughts. PHOTOS | Anna Davis DESIGN | Taylor Little STORY | William Duncan 18 AUTUMN