Baring your soul and innermost feelings is no easy task, but the students and staff of NKCHS worked towards making the poetry slam an outlet. On April 12, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium, students will be able to perform their own work.

English teachers Kerry Durrill, Michelle Heyer, and Darin Martinez helped sponsor and organize the event.

All the sponsors had their own goals and hopes for this event.

“Hopefully the audience will experience a wide range of poetry. Usually we have something to please everyone. Loud, obnoxious, funny poetry. Quiet, introspective, confessional poetry. Theatrical poetry. Hip-Hop influenced rap poetry. All of the poetry is original and that is the coolest thing,” said Martinez.

The only thing required of each participant is that they come ready to perform with two poems. The first is a guaranteed performance, and the second one is in case they make it to the finals.

Junior Emily Anthony is participating for her second year.

“It’s a creative way to express feelings. Getting on that stage and preforming is a place to be heard,” said Anthony.

The poems must be performed in order to engage the audience because that will later turn into a rating given by the judges. The poem can be no longer than three minutes and participants can perform as a team. No background music is allowed – the only noise you can include is what you can personally do.

“We want to celebrate student voice and artistry. Everyone has something to say that will prompt an audience to feel, to think. We just want to provide a fun, linguistic platform for that,” said Durrill.

The event had 20 members signed up to perform.

Expressing your feelings, potentially conquering a fear, and performing one of your own original works is no small feat. Audience members as well as the performers will see that no small task goes unrewarded.