National Slam Poet Champion recites at Wahoo High School
Denver native Suzi "Q" Smith appears on Wahoo stage, along with Nebraskan slam poets Matt Mason and Sam Lee
Launch the media gallery 1 playerSuzi “Q” Smith, the National Poetry Slam Champion from Denver, Colorado, recited some of her poetry in the Wahoo Performance-Learning Center on Friday, November 4.
Matt Mason and Sam Lee, Nebraskans who have also competed in slam poetry on the national stage, shared the Wahoo stage with Ms. Smith.
After Mason and Lee performed one poem each, Suzi “Q” recited three poems for the students. The performers ended their appearance at Wahoo by doing an improv performance based upon the word pineapple.
After performing their poems, the three slam poets answered students’ questions about slam poetry.
This is the second year Wahoo has sponsored a slam poetry team at the middle and high school levels. Team members compete at competitions in Lincoln and Omaha. The Wahoo Slam Poetry team meets from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Monday nights in Mr. Fangman’s room.
Team members write their own poems that they then perform individually and in groups at competitions. WHS Language Arts Instructor Larry Fangman and WMS Language Arts Instructor Kjirsten Abkes sponsor the Wahoo Louder Than a Bomb slam poetry teams. Slam poets Reagan Myers and Sam Lee work with the students each Monday. Sam and Reagan give the students writing prompts so they can write original poems that they will then perform at Louder Than a Bomb Competitions in March and April.
High school students in Louder Than a Bomb are Kylee Edmonds, Korena Edmonds, Lily Ellis, Grace Wirka, and Payton Carstens. Middle school students participating are Olivia Boehmer, Jessa Witte-Townsend, Chloe Donohue, and Haley Galloway. Students are still welcome to join by showing up with pen and paper on Monday nights!