JAB: An Evening of Pottery & Poetry

Something different occurred on the Bluff last Thursday. Tables lined Fisher lawn full of pottery tools as soothing music filled the students’ ears. The Jaguar Activities Board arranged a relaxing evening for students to unwind from the stresses of classes by using their hands to form and share their own unique creations.
Allen Marti, the owner of Riverside Studio, gathered Baton Rouge Community College art students and some studio workers to volunteer at the event. The volunteers instructed students on how to use clay, explained pottery objects they could create, and provided tips for the best outcomes. The volunteers stood at each table ready to assist. Gabby Norris, a five-year pottery instructor, explained her experience. “This is the first time I’ve done an event this large to get the fundamentals down and expose everyone to this medium. I think everyone has a good start. I really enjoyed connecting with the people at my table and hearing them do poetry. I feel that I really connected with the student body here.”
The event hosted by the Jaguar Activities Board (JAB) was called “Pottery and Poetry,” a name created by Tamiyah Thomas, the JAB’S Voices Chair. The Novelty Co-Chairs and Dynamic Voices Chair began the event with a poem written by them to warm up the crowd. Next, Arielle Williams, the host for the evening, welcomed each poet to the stage. There was an assortment of forceful poets. Each poet voiced various topics ranging from love to overcoming stigmas. Students reacted to the poets with snaps, interaction, and love. Poet Bailie Boyd’s poem was titled “Love Letter.” “It’s about a guy I fell so deep in love with … I finally felt a true connection. Things went left, and I got my heart broke. But, that doesn’t stop me from being able to show I love and care for him. It brought back the memories, but it felt good to get it out because I held it in for so long,” explained Bailie Boyd a senior mass communications major from Antioch, California.
This is JAB’s first semester initiating events and only their second event of the semester. Destenee Woodard and Isaiah Clay, Novelty Co-Chairs, came up with the idea. “The event went great. Everyone said they never saw something like this on campus before. We’re trying to bring more relaxing events like this on campus,” explained Destenee Woodard the JAB’s Novelty Co-Chair and sophomore social work major from Minden, Louisiana. Ahlayna Calhoun, a sophomore agriculture science major from Monroe, Louisiana, who attended the event happily expressed her feelings about the event. Calhoun said, “It was very calming and therapeutic. I loved the music and poetry. It was very interesting to hear. Playing with the clay was fun. I had never actually done that before.”
Pottery and Poetry was definitely a relaxing and artsy new experience for the students. Be on the lookout for more events by the JAB. They’re programming events with a punch!