CUPSI 2018 at Temple University showcases young voices for a better world

If you’re still vibing on the leadership shown by young people at the recent March for Our Lives, you might crave another chance to hear what’s coming out of the mouths of babes. If so, you won’t want to miss the College Union Poetry Slam Invitational (CUPSI), hosted this year by Temple University April 4 through 7.

This annual slam happens under the umbrella of the Association of College Unions International (ACUI), a Bloomington, Indiana, nonprofit educational organization that collaborates nationally and internationally with college student-union and student-activities professionals.

CUPSI started in 2001 at the University of Michigan and has become a major inter-college event. Participants from across the country enter the competition as members of a slam team. Its popularity has in part been fueled by social media, where the students’ work can be shared far beyond the CUPSI stage, with performances getting millions of views online.

“The point isn’t points”

CUPSI is a competition, but the spirit is one of community, where young poets come together to share their words and worldviews and to cheer each other on. A CUPSI motto is “the point isn’t points — it’s poetry.” CUPSI participants agree to a code of conduct which asks that participants “revel in an environment in which freedom of speech, self-determination, and pursuit of creative excellence are inalienable rights.”

Community doesn’t mean cohesion, however. CUPSI is famously a place where ideas are heard, exchanged, and refuted. When audiences find work to be hurtful, they respond vocally by refuting a poem’s message or physically by turning their backs on the speaker. Queer and trans poets, especially queer and trans poets of color, have been particularly vocal in advocating against homophobic or transphobic poetry at CUPSI, and their pushback has resulted in a cultural shift in the competitions.

How to coach a poet

Team coach Nayo Alexandria-Jones credits student advocates with keeping CUPSI self-reflective and inclusive, noting that CUPSI is special because participants will not listen to harmful work onstage. “The moment that a poet begins to say oppressive things on the microphone, CUPSI participants let them know how and why their work is harmful,” she says. “The conversations that come out of those moments are always hard, but the effects can always be seen in the next year's competition because CUPSI poets demand accountability and change.”

This model of reveling in free speech while answering injustice is baked into the work that CUPSI poets do from the time they begin training. According to Alexandria-Jones, “The most important element of coaching young poets is empathy. Poets are most successful when they feel passionate about the work they are doing and when they feel safe to write and perform their stories.”

Ideas, justice, and accountability

At a time when Americans may feel that finding a workable balance between sharing ideas freely and being held accountable is impossible, the students and coaches at CUPSI are creating a working model where speaking out and pushing back builds community instead of creating division. “The most beneficial part of competing and attending is getting to form bonds with young adult poets from across the nation,” Alexandria-Jones adds. “Being able to take this journey with people I can call family and friends is exciting.” It's yet another venue where young people are taking the lead and showing the way.

Besides workshops and other events, poets will compete in successive slam competitions beginning April 4, alongside special forums including a Head-to-Head Haiku Slam on April 4 and a Nerd Slam on April 5, “an epic duel of nerd expertise.” The Finals performance and award ceremony, on Saturday, April 7, at 7pm (doors at 6:30) at Temple Performing Arts Center (1837 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia), is free and open to the public. No tickets required; first come, first served until the event reaches capacity.

Above: A 2017 CUPSI finals competitor. (Image courtesy of CUPSI and ACUI.)