Slam! poet hits campus this Wednesday
By Megan Frounfelter
Staff Writer

Looking for a fresh new act to come to campus?

Look no further. The Umbrella Group and the Coffee House will be cosponsoring slam poet Staceyann Chin Wednesday night.

Chin moved to New York from Jamaica in 1997. Soon after, she discovered performance poetry.

Chin will be performing poetry in a different way than one might expect. "Slam poetry is the fresh, innovative way to present and express ideas in an artistic fashion without succumbing to the stiff, somber atmosphere of traditional poetry readings," said David DiVincenzo, Fraser sophomore and coffee house member.

Chin has appeared at the Apollo Theater in New York City and on CBS's "60 Minutes." She was also the winner of the 1999 Chicago People of Color Slam. Her work has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Pittsburgh Daily, and she has performed at universities across the country.

The Umbrella Group and Coffee House first saw Chin perform at the National Association for Campus Activities last month in Louisville, Kentucky. Members thought that this act would tie in well with black history month as well as women's history month.

"Students will be exposed to a fresh means of self expression as well as being exposed to the writing of a talented African American female poet," DiVincenzo said.

According to DiVincenzo, the two groups decided to collaborate this event because it would combine the efforts of the Umbrella Group with the focus of the Coffee House.

"In this process, the campus would be exposed to slam poetry in a coffee house setting," DiVincenzo said.

Students can expect a night of fresh and exciting entertainment. "Chin is an in your face poet who talks about real issues," said Latrina Denson, associate director for student organizations. "She is different that any other poet that students may have seen in the past."

Chin will be performing at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the S.E.E in the Kellogg Center.