P
Second family
Winter wonderland
Abroad columnist Katelyn Faubel spends her Thanksgiving break traveling with her host family. See page 10
PULP
Look fashionable this winter season, without sacrificing practicality by accessorizing. See page 11
Kung fu fighting Martial arts has a thriving culture in Syracuse, and it’s sparked after-school programs. See Wednesday’s paper
dailyorange.com @dailyorange nov. 29, 2016
•
PAG E 9
ANIBAL GIRON performs a slam poetry piece in front of his peers at the Ayo Technology event, a collaboration with Verbal Blends Poetry and a slam poetry group in Shanghai, China. This event is one of the many hosted by Verbal Blends throughout the semester. codie yan contributing photographer
adrianna cummings
haywood mcduffie
deynaba farah
Thinking out loud Verbal Blends Poetry provides outlet for poetic expression By Hanna Horvath asst. feature editor
F
or Cedric Bolton, spoken word poetry is more than lines on a paper written to be performed in front of an audience. It’s a way of life. “Spoken word poetry saves lives,” he said. “It’s inspiring, it’s engaging and it’s in everything that we do. It’s in the songs that we listen to, in the books that we read, in the quotes that we say.” Bolton hopes other students at Syracuse University will adopt his way of life. As the program coordinator for SU’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, he leads a spoken word program called Verbal Blend Poetry. The group is heading into its 10th year, and consists of poetry workshops — skype events with spoken word
poetry groups around the country and world. Their annual Slam Poetry competition will take place Dec. 8. The idea behind the poetry group didn’t begin at Syracuse, but at the University of Minnesota, in 2001. Bolton was working there as an educational specialist, in addition to leading a black poetry group for members of the community called Poetic Black Fusion. The university asked Bolton if he would be interested in trying something similar on campus, after seeing the popularity of Poetic Black Fusion. “Minneapolis is this hub of arts, overflowing everywhere, the perfect place for something like this,” he said. He began meeting with some students he was mentoring, and after being met with positive feedback, began the formation of what is now Voices Merging, the University of Minnesota’s first
see poetry page 10
humor
Things you can do instead of writing that paper due next week
Y
ou mutter to yourself as you check your iCal for the seventh time: “The semester can’t be over in a couple weeks.” It absolutely can be, and when that day comes, you will be all done with your assignments. Right now, though, you most definitely
IAN MCCOURT
A REAL STAND-UP GUY are not. Far from it, actually. You’re on the couch watching your fourth episode of Planet
Earth, eating your fifth slice of pepper jack cheese, because that’s all you had in the fridge. While a few days ago you scarfed down turkey drumsticks and cranberry sauce as if they were about to be criminalized, you’re back in your dinky little dorm room with only last week’s groceries to comfort you.
That would be pretty sad in itself if it weren’t for the current pathetic state of your final paper. In fact, that’s much more sad, because while you can’t take your fingers off that pepper jack cheese, there’s no way that paper is getting touched this week. You know you need to do it. You’ve needed to do
it for three weeks. But let’s face it, not studying for those finals you’ve got coming up is a much more pressing issue. “How can I possibly explain the ethical implications of Wolf Blitzer’s body language when these hand towels need to be laundered?” see mccourt page 10