Poetry Slam @ Wifi Java Cyber Cafe

What: Poetry Slam at Odessa College’s Wi-Fi Java Cyber Cafe

When: July 11, 2009, Sign up, 6:30, Open mic and Slam, 7:00 pm

Where: Wi-fi Java Cyber Cafe, 201 West University, Odessa, (432) 335-6891

Contact: Mike Haynie: mhaynie@odessa.edu, (432) 335-6891
Kat Copeland: kopykat@grandecom.net (432) 697-4205
Daniel C. Ramos: majin_lestat@yahoo.com (432) 661-0569

Poetry Slam at Odessa College’s Wi-Fi Java Cyber Cafe

On Saturday July 11th the Wi-fi Java Cyber Cafe located on Odessa College's campus will be hosting a Poetry Slam emceed by Daniel C. Ramos. A Poetry Slam is a competition amongst poets were each poem is read or recited out loud and scored by a panel of five judges which have been chosen from the audience. The high and low scores are dropped and the middle three scores are added together, giving the poet his or her score. Poet's scores will be added for a cumulative total for three rounds. Poet with highest score at the end of the night wins. All styles of writing are accepted and the competition is open to anyone who wants to join. Sign up will be limited.

Emcee for the Poetry Slam, Daniel C. Ramos, is hoping to expand the art scene for the Permian Basin. Ramos, 22, started writing and performing poetry during his senior year at Caprock High School in Amarillo, TX in 2004. In late 2005 Ramos would start Poetry Slam for Amarillo now called SLAMarillo. Since then, SLAMarillo has sent two teams to compete in the National competition, Austin, TX 2007, Madison, WI 2008, and a third team going this year to West Palm Beach, FL. Ramos, now a member of the Permian Basin Poetry Society, build a poetry community and help the art scene as a whole, grow and expand. He also wishes to establish a team/teams to represent Midland and Odessa in the National Poetry Slam.

In 1984, construction worker and poet Marc Smith started a poetry reading at a Chicago jazz club, the Get Me High lounge, looking for a way to breathe life into the open mike format. The series, and its emphasis on performance, laid the groundwork for the brand of poetry that would eventually be exhibited in slam. Now a official non-profit organization, Poetry Slam Inc or PSI, host the National Poetry Slam once a a year. About 80 Teams from all across the country come together for the sake of poetry and hopes of NPS Gold. Branching off of that is Youth Speaks organization which host The Brave New Voices competition which has recently been featured on HBO's: Russel Simmons Presents.

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