The jazz ensemble was silenced as senior telecommunications major Raphiael Chester walked onstage, took the microphone and started reading W.E.B. Dubois' essay "Double Consciousness."
His own composition, "Dou Consciousness," brought the audience to its feet.
Thursday night was this year's first open microphone poetry recital held by Poetic Summit, a student-run organization with the purpose of sharing poetry. An audience of more than 100 students had the chance to witness a jazz band perform as background while students read poems written by black poets as well as original compositions to celebrate Black History Month.
Steven Lizarme, a sophomore accounting major, read his own poem, "All I Think About is You." He said he had spent some time writing his composition and had recited his work to some friends before. Thursday was the first time he read it to a large audience.
"I like anything that has to do with arts," he said. "It is true that I like numbers, but I keep an open mind to things like [poetry]."
Senior psychology major Tim Ryan is the co-founder of Poetic Summit. Poetic Summit was created to gather people and express personal thoughts through the art of poetry, Ryan said.
"I hope people enjoy the event and find a deeper meaning, especially since it's Black History Month," he said.
Poetic Summit had been planning the event since December and was co-sponsored by the Black Student Association and the Multicultural Center, director of the Multicultural Center and Poetic Summit's adviser Patricia Lovett said.
"I thought it would be nice to organize something that had to do with black history month." she said. "to have students bring their own poetry, but also honor famous black poets by reading something from them."
Sophomore telecommunications major Jonathan McCants is a Poetic Summit member. He also participated with an original composition, although Thursday was not the first time he stood onstage to recite. He said the event's theme, Black History Month, was very significant.
"It just makes me proud of my heritage," McCants said. "I'm proud that other people, other African Americans before me, wrote good poetry."
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