Slam Nahuatl makes its semester debut at The Nile

Margaret Karles
Contributing Writer

Slam Nahuatl hosted its first slam poetry event night of the season this past Monday, Sept. 3.

The group began with a poetry showcase and then a Rookie Open Mic.

Lakesha Conway, who was a VCU student for two years and is now a nursing student at Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing, said she’s been supporting the Slam Nahuatl group for five years.

“They are great, and are helping the community. [They are] a positive group, that’s what draws me to them,” Conway said.

Nahuatl was started in 2007 by Daniel José Custódio and Vlad Vitamin V Rodriguez who wanted to help support the Richmond community and raise money for people in need. There is a Slam Nahuatl and Slam Richmond. Both teams finished in the top 20 of 72 teams at the National Poetry Slam in Charlotte, N.C. on Aug. 7-11.

In between the performers, Chris Johnson, the announcer, entertained with poems of his own, one of which was, “When you’re at his house, why is his cell phone always face down? Suspicious.”

Rob Gibson, president of the VCU branch of Slam Nahuatl, recited poetry Monday night. One of his selections, “Take Care,”  was written using only Drake song titles.

Miracle Allums, a VCU student who has attended slam poetry before, said that she loved it.

“The energy always vibrates, and is very powerful throughout the place,” she said. “It is something that’s always real for me.”

“The atmosphere was amazing,”Akan Umo, a spectator at Slam Nahuatl, said. “Coming from a writer, it was inspiring.”

Slam Nahuatl will be hosting their next event on Sept. 17, featuring Andrea Hope, who is a poet and activist based in Seattle, Wash. at The Nile. CT

For more information, follow Slam Nahuatl on Twitter at @slamnahuatl