In the back of the basement of Dorchester Hall, a woman sits pretzel-style on a maroon chair and sips from her cow-patterned coffee mug. She’s staring at the unattended microphone as her friend absentmindedly plays his guitar, waiting for the first performer to begin.
The atmosphere of the room is informal and cozy, with low lights and rap music playing in the background between performances. Students perch themselves on chairs, talking and nibbling on chips, pretzels and black-and-white cookies.
Every other Tuesday, the student group Terpoets creates a atmosphere for students to share their poetry and prose with their peers at an open mic night. Tonight, the open mic session will be followed by a performance from author and poet E. Ethelbert Miller, who wrote the memoir Fathering Words: The Making of an African American Writer and is the founder and director of the Ascension Poetry Reading Series in Washington.
“We always have music and food, so it’s more than a show — it’s kind of a community gathering and get-together, party-like atmosphere,” said Kim Sterin, Terpoets president and a senior English and Spanish major.
The moment a performer comes on stage, however, the chatting stops and everyone’s attention is directed toward the speaker.
Each open mic showcases 15 performers who are on stage for three to five minutes to share their pieces.
“One of the reasons I decided to found Terpoets was because I knew there were a lot of people [writing poetry] individually and they weren’t getting the community support musicians or other artists get,” said Jonathon Tucker, who began the club as a senior six years ago and majored in government and politics and sociology. “I knew there were people who were writing poetry in their dorms or writing poetry during class, and they’re not sharing those poems with anyone — they don’t call themselves poets.”
Since then, the club has nurtured students’ appreciation for poetry. The shows typically attract about 40 to 50 people.
“The rhythm, the beats, the sound — it’s just very personal,” said Mark Stubenberg, a junior English major. “People give themselves through the microphone.”
The open mic nights also include a featured performer who is typically a poet or author from Washington.
However, sometimes the featured performer is a student.
Ben Polson may be a mathematics and theater major, but he is also a storyteller. His long, straight black hair was pushed back by a yellow bandana, and he was wearing a red University Book Center shirt as he explained his theory about relationships at Feb. 15’s open mic night. His only preparation was a basic outline in his head. For him, Terpoets is a way to continue his craft now that he is in college.
“When I was in high school, I helped organize youth conferences for people in the area, and at every conference there was an open mic,” Polson said. “I would always perform ‘Who’s on First?’ by Abbot and Costello.”
For performers and their audience peers, the poet community created by the club provides valued the opportunity to perform.
“One of the moments that I really like is when either someone new or one of our regulars that seems to be a favorite gets up there and everyone cheers for them, and then there’s this silent moment before they start their poem,” Kim said. “They say, ‘This is the title of my poem’ … and then there’s like this silence and everyone is just so engaged and in that moment.”
kbulav@umdbk.com
