Etymology of You Poetry Slam: A Celebration of Student Voice and Creativity

The Etymology of You Poetry Slam, created by E’vah Mitchell-Ross ‘28 along with the All Voices Family Alliance, was started to inspire AFS poets to share their work in front of an audience. 

While the poetry slam highlights student voices, it also helps students find confidence within themselves, as stated by Julian Umile ‘28. Umile said that he hopes to gain more confidence by sharing his work in front of an audience, as well as expressing his feelings and emotions through presentation. 

Nevertheless, Umile feels confident to be sharing his skills in a topic which he believes “does not get much spotlight to be presented as [more than] an assignment.”

Adding onto his statement, Umile said that “there’s a lot of focus on poetry being assignment or antholog[ies] that you submit to teachers, rather than showing an audience,” which he believes provides a better avenue for poets to present and share their work.

However, Umile said that so far, Abington Friends School has done “a really good job” in encouraging student poets to share and hone their skills. Through encouragement by faculty members, namely, Upper School Director Brendon Jobs, Umile and many other students feel as though their voices are becoming heard. 

 Other students, including Samara Cohen ‘26, used this poetry slam as an opportunity for exposure. She agreed that performing poetry in front of an audience has a different and more powerful impact than simply turning them in as assignments. 

Cohen added that she is grateful to have a chance to “showcase [her poetry] at school,” and that the Slam is the “perfect opportunity.” Along with Umile, Cohen aims to get over her stage fright as well as get herself in the poetry scene, both through submitting her poetry to various contests and performing on stage. 

And of course, it can be very difficult for students to feel confident enough to share their work in front of an audience, however the poetry slam gives them the opportunity to be in a judgement-free zone. Or, a zone judged only by a panel of judges. 

The poetry slam takes the participants through two rounds, where everyone gets a chance to share one poem per round. This set up not only encourages each writer to put forth their best work, but also ignites some friendly competitive spirit that this school knows and loves. The judges were Sunshine O’Donnell, Middle School English Teacher; Mikael Yisrael, director of Equity, Justice, and Engagement; Nicole Hood, Head of School; and Cydney Brown ‘22, the 2020-2021 Youth Poet Laureate of Philadelphia. 

Many poets in the Slam drew moments from their personal lives in order to write compelling poetry. Umile said that he often targets “sharp emotion[s]” that he uses to carry himself through the writing process. Samara Cohen wrote her poem “To Ponder or Not to Ponder” based on an assignment she received in her AP Literature class, taught by Andrew Bickford. 

Through this assignment, she was tasked to write an imitation poem of Shakespeare’s famous “To Be or Not To Be” soliloquy, though she continued editing the assignment long after it was due. Cohen also explored other avenues of sharing her work, such as entering poetry competitions with the aspiration of one day getting her work published. 

But, how did the Etymology of You Poetry Slam begin? It all began with one student voice. Well, for E’vah Mitchell-Ross, it was 6th grade leadership day when she met Sunshine O’Donnell.

 O’Donnell, her biggest inspiration, encouraged her to continue writing as she dubbed her a “writer,” planting seeds of inspiration and confidence that continue to grow. A series of obstacles prompted her to look for “external sources of comfort,” which materialized in her love for writing.

Mitchell-Ross said, “AFS is a small school, though it is still hard to find a niche,” which led her to seek our resources in our own community. Through finding support through her teachers, Mitchell-Ross is now committed to finding her story and helping other students find theirs. 

It was true that the poetry slam helped many students “find their voice[s],” as Cohen previously stated. The energy and passion was nearly palpable in the auditorium, as the performer’s confidences seemed to grow each round. 

While there were ultimately three winners, with the honorable mention going to Julian Umile ‘28, third place to Tiye Abange ‘27, second place to Ariana Ellis-Clarke ‘25, and first place to Nalani James ‘28, every participant did a stellar job, as noted by the judges

Each and every participant shared valuable poems about their lives, emotions, and heritage, including Ellis-Clarke’s “Amalgamate,” Cohen’s “Treasure Chest,” Abange’s “Passed Away Pudding and Souse,” Umile’s “Her Letter,” and Lily Jerner’s “A Name We Go By.”

Each and every poem reflected the courage and individuality that every participant brought to the stage. The Etymology of You poetry slam has solidified its position in Abington Friends School as an important event to show the talent and uniqueness of student participants. It has proved itself to be a celebration of student self expression and authenticity, a space for every student to show their skills!