Yesterday, English teacher Fred Cheng held the annual Poetry Slam in the DECAfé during second and third hour for his Creative Writing class. Each student prepared a poem or two to share with the class. The poems’ tones varied from the funny to the nonsensical to the deeply serious.

Cheng has been hosting the Slam since 2010 or 2011. The event covers state Language Arts standards and, Cheng says, is a good learning experience for the students. However, he believes that its value lies mostly as a great way for his students to express themselves. “The students – and I – get a lot out of it. The kids share a lot of really powerful stuff in their poetry,” said Cheng.

Though the students were graded on their performances, most enjoyed the experience. Senior Emma Westbrook focused on feminism in her poem. She found inspiration in an Urban Dictionary definition of “the average teenaged girl.” “I am a really big feminist and I think it’s something really important, especially for teenagers,” said Westbrook.