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Ram Slam ( pOETRY jAM ) 2005

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Ms. Driscoll and Ms. White-Frey brought the Ram Slam to LCHS again this year. Students wrote and read their own poetry in practice for two days .

Members of the Boston Poetry Slam Troupe came to help, critique and judge the students' performances. These poets also excited us with some of their own strong and meaningful poetry readings. The Troupe was led by Su Millerz, Adam Stone, and bryonn bain.

Classical High Students Compete in Ninth Annual Poetry Slam
By Jill Ricker, The Daily Item of Lynn, Saturday, April 16, 2005

LYNN -- Students at Classical High School on Friday rapped and rhymed with the hopes of being named top poet at the school's ninth annual Poetry Slam.
RamSlamNine, a poetry match in which students performed original works for a panel of judges, had a strong showing again this year, with a standing-room-only crowd, who cheered, jeered and did the wave.
Tijia Belmar was named winner of the morning session of the all-day event. Her poem, like many others in the morning session, was about breaking up and getting back together with a boyfriend.
"I hate the way you treated me, misleading and deceiving me," she said. "Did you think I'd forget all the things you said you regret? I thought the essence of our love would be beauty, but when I look at you I see a grudge and animosity."
Belmar's poem continued to describe how her feelings came to change.
"Your love is like a drug and, boy, I'm addicted."
Joe Potenza described the fear of losing love.
"It only takes a chance to lose everything," he said. "Something always finds its way in to crush you, tear you into 20,000 pieces. I quiver and I shriek in fear of a broken heart."
Danielle Doucette also talked about having a broken heart.
"Go ahead, walk away because you know what? I don't need you," she said. "Your words mean nothing to me. I love you? How can three words that are supposed to mean so much, mean so little? Wanna know my three words? I hate you."
Gia Dimitrakopoulos showed her dislike for the immaturity of high school students in her poem entitled "Life is Pathetic in High School."
"The dropping of a pencil that can be heard during an important presentation; the disturbing crumple of a paper during a test; the intercom announcements describing how badly we behaved at an assembly; about to answer a question you finally understand, but the fire alarm goes off; the smell of cigarettes pouring out of bathroom stalls. I can't wait for college."
Andor Belog encouraged others to break the mold.
"Be different and don't follow the crowd," he said. "Tomorrow you'll look back and be proud."
RamSlamNine also welcomed three guest poets - Su Millerz, Adam Stone and bryonn bain.
Millerz is an active member of the Boston/Cambridge poetry scene and has won the Cambridge Poetry Award for Best Female Humorist Poet. Stone has been voted Cape Cod Spoken Word Poet Laureate for six years and is a member of six national poetry slam teams. Bain is a 2000 Grand Slam Poetry Champion and founder the Blackout Arts Collective and Harvard Law School Graduate Lectures. He performs internationally and has been featured on albums and in movies.
Poetry slamming started roughly 15 years ago in a Chicago nightclub. Former Boston Globe columnist Patricia Smith is credited with bringing it to the Boston area. Slam poets often gather in places like Cambridge to try out their poems and some compete nationally.

Slammers

Gia Dimitrakopoulos

Danielle Doset

Ashley Burgeois w / Tara Jones

James Carter Alex Dupuis

Tiffany Clarke Becky Duyon

Jen Cleary Rocio Funez

Janey David Brian Freidman

Jimmy Devine Sarah Gillis

Marie Hight Kallie Haligan

Larry Kennett Mara Lopez

Tiffany Morong Miguel Lugo