On May 30th, 2023, The Edison Spark Magazine hosted a poetry slam in the school auditorium to share their thoughts and showcase their talent. This was an evening of poetic artistry, word wall, personalized cards, and music. This was Thomas Edison High School’s first poetry slam!
This year’s poetry slam was heartfelt and had fulfilled its goal to “bring to the rest of the Edison community, our talented poets who showcased their poetry, stories, and even lyrics,” said the Edison Spark Magazine.
They did just that, but they also showcased their emotions, thoughts, and own experiences. Let’s get into some of the poetry from the event!
First off, Tiffany Contreras talked about the “Male Gaze” and spoke up about the body shaming that women deal with. “I don’t want to be defined by my body, feeling restricted by my shape. So I dress less to impress the male gaze”, she said. This helped the crowd become emotionally aware of what a women feels and how it affects their daily life. During this performance, she took off her jacket to make a statement that there needs to be an end to this.
Next, Asiyah Baksh performed “All These Questions,” where she addresses women suffrage that is still going on today. She reached the audience, stating “how can I tell my mother that I have eleven years of schooling and I will have so much more…” then continues by saying “but it won’t matter because I will always be paid less and be the second choice in the face of a male colleague.”
Another participant, Nikolle Vizcaya, expressed her feelings about men being praised more than women and how “fathers can do the bare minimum and still get applauded, when mothers do the same thing,” in her performance, “We Applaud.” Through her performance she used the clapping of her hands as an expression of how men get applauded for doing things that women never get applauded for. Though, the applaud of the audience was louder as they felt and understood her words.
This poetry slam was emotional and successful. Many students will look forward to more poetry slams in the following years and even participate, as it had an inner connection to the students.
