Whitworth students gathered in the Mind and Hearth, occupying all of the available chairs and floor space to listen to their peers as they shared poems of the unrealized beauty within the natural world.
ASWU’s sustainability coordinator and senior, Morgan Bucher, organized the nature-based open mic night on March 7 after a month and a half of planning and preparation.
Bucher participated as well, reading passages written by author Henry David Thoreau and a variety of other works of literature that tell of the subtle beauty of moss, bugs and death.
“Appreciating nature is a good way to bring people together” said Bucher.
To encourage full participation and expression, Bucher brought people up to the mic with the potential of winning a raffle containing an elaborate and nature-based picture book, decomposition notebooks and succulents to whoever took the stage.
Experienced poets and nature lovers alike freely participated in the open mic, with several students presenting their own original work.
Senior Ralani Padilla joined in on the poetry reading by reciting several pieces of work, including two poems she had written in about two close friends who also attended the event.
Padilla commented on the way she portrayed her friends in the poem, stating that she was “writing from personas and individual experiences”.
Other’s spending time in the Mind and Hearth also joined in on the open mic, including a performance of an impromptu slam poem by Senior and ASWU President Tersa Almaw and Director of Student Activities Jason Chapman.
Together, Almaw and Chapman recited a poem detailing the complex relationship between Whitworth Students and the local squirrels.
“It’s about life”, said Chapman, who took on the role of the average Whitworth student.
“We tried to capture the Whitworth experience” said Almaw, who played a squirrel.
“We had to ask: Why does the squirrel run away?”
Almaw continued, saying “We were watching and thought that we should write something. It took about 10 minutes.”
Almaw and Chapman were not the only ones drawn in by the voices of Whitworth students as more and more people joined in on the recital of poetry and short stories.
“This is a good way to find new authors and new writers in the community” said Padilla.
For more community events like this one, keep a lookout for activities hosted by ASWU sustainability for more events that embody the beauty of nature.
