Spoken word ignites Mocha Room in Union
By FALLON HAMILTON
“Spoken word gives people a chance to release their emotions without caring about the judgments of others,” said Antoine Mitchell, also known as G.H.O.S.T. (God Holds Our Souls Together), a junior majoring in fine arts from Norwood.
On Wednesday, January 28 around 6:30 p.m. a small group of students gathered in the Mocha Room of the Smith-Brown Memorial Union to share and enjoy the magic of spoken word.
From the smoky nightclubs to the sophisticated cafés, spoken word, a type of poetic expression, is rapidly spreading across the country.
“Every time I look around, spoken word nightclubs are opening and the clubs that are already In existence are giving at least one night a week to allow spoken word to go forth,” said Danny Kennell, a junior majoring in computer science from Westwego.
During spoken word feelings, thoughts and life stories are told at a rhythmic pace sometimes with or without the accompaniment of music.
“I think spoken word is a lot like rap music. You get caught up in the story that the artist is telling and usually everyone can relate to the different situation that is being told,” said Natalie D’Auvergne, a freshman english major from St. Lucia.
Students and members of the Baton Rouge community who share the love of poetry and spoken word have been meeting in the Mocha Room on Wednesday nights for the past few years.
Antoine Mitchell is one of the co-hosts of the weekly poetry night. “I have been performing spoken word for two to three years, but I have been writing poetry for the past ten,” Mitchell said. The atmosphere in the Mocha Room was very energetic and refreshing for the attendees.
“This is my first time attending poetry night. I am a big fan of spoken word because it gives people a chance to express how they feel about life without caring about negative judgments,” said Johnisha Westbrook, a freshman criminal justice major from Los Angeles.
Poetry night is held every Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Mocha Room of the Union. All poets are invited to present their pieces.
