BY C. ABES

The lovely setup.

On Thursday, January 26, Ms Gleeson and her Writer’s Craft class hosted MDHS’ first ever poetry slam in the cafeteria.  

With Christmas lights surrounding the performance corner in the cafeteria and lanterns hanging from the ceiling, the atmosphere was truly tranquil– it felt like a real poetry slam. Talented Grade 12 EWC Students performed their own original slam poems, which they crafted and perfected in the weeks leading up to the slam as a part of their performance task.

The performance was not, however, exclusive to the EWC class. MDHS alumni and experienced poet Sydney Crowe not only hosted the event but performed an original poem about her younger brother. Daniel Pearce, another graduate who also took Writer’s Craft in his time at MDHS, performed an animated rendition of “Wile E. Coyote” by Shane Hawley.

Performers in action!

There was also an open mic segment for any students wishing to share their own work. Flora a grade 9 student, wrote a heartfelt poem about a mother’s love just as she was waiting for the event to start, and bravely performed it to an encouraging crowd. The event also featured Trevor Abes, a member of the Toronto Poetry Slam team, as a special guest.

Two of the snack ladies. 

Snacks and refreshments were sold at the event, all proceeds going to The Dale Ministries to support their community outreach projects. In total, Ms Gleeson’s class raised $200, enough to sponsor a full meal at The Dale’s Monday lunch drop in. For more information on the The Dale’s initiatives, please visit thedale.org.

In case you missed this wonderful night, videos from the event are now on YouTube.