Jazz music filtered through the air and cinnamon apple candles provided illumination as Ball State University students hid behind a veil of darkness while listening to those bold enough to take the stage and recite poetry. Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity played host to Nupe Nitekap Kappacino & Karikatures Poetry Nite on Wednesday at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center Forum Room.
Kappa Alpha Psi has been on hiatus from the Ball State campus for six years, president Sam Woodfin said. Three Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity members, who were initiated at a national convention, are attempting to bring the chapter back to Ball State. The students share executive duties.
According to the members, the graduation of a large class and subsequent dwindling numbers contributed to the chapter's hiatus status for the past six years.
"We're about bringing a new perspective to greek life," he said. "We're very classy gentlemen and we strive to uphold the standards of our older members, even if they have been off campus for six years."
A week of events has been planned by the three members to get the name of Kappa Alpha Psi to the student body and gauge the level of interest students have in bringing the chapter back to campus, Informational tables will be held Sunday at 4:30 p.m. in Cardinal Hall A, but before recruitment plans can begin the group needs to get permission from the national headquarters, Woodfin said.
Poetry was not the only lure that brought students and faculty to the program. Members of Kappa Alpha Psi added another artistic element to the evening by having senior Bryan Williamson create artistic interpretations of the poems as they were read.
The varying lengths of poems proved the most prevalent obstacle for Williamson to overcome, he said. While the poet recited his or her piece Williamson was trying to anticipate what the poem's message would be in order to create a design to accurately reflect what he felt the message of the poem was.
"I wish it could be a huge event," Williamson said about the poetry night. "I wish more artists and poets were involved."
Attendees were pleased overall with the concept of pairing artistic representations with poems. Senior Olisha Smith said she had not attended a poetry reading until Wednesday but found it to be a great experience that college students should take advantage of.
"It's really neat for someone to interpret something spoken and create a drawing that fast," she said.
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