Almost three months ago, I attended the very first session of the Brandeis Open Mic Series (B.O.M.S.), held in the Castle Commons. The performers and attendees then were both eager and hesitant-no one really knew what to expect from the newfangled poetry slam fest, but the opportunity to both harness the freedom of spoken word and get the chance to be part of Brandeis' very first poetry slam team had us all curious and optimistic. The first session, which featured performances by Brandeis Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele "Harlym 125" Adams and participating student slammers, was captivating and impressive to say the least. Now, one semester and several B.O.M.S. sessions later, the final slam face-off has determined the members of the official team that will head off to nationals and compete against other colleges in an official slam-off. A B.O.M.S. event always starts off with an open mic and then a featured artist, and finishes with a three-round slam with students performing original works on any topic of their choosing. Each slammer gets three minutes plus a 10-second grace period to read one poem, and if the poem goes over time, points are deducted from his or her total score. Judges are chosen from the audience to give an unbiased rating out of 10 for each individual poem. The lowest and highest scores are dropped and the remaining three are added, so each participant gets a total score of zero to 30.

Featured slammer April Ranger opened the night with several selections of original and compelling poetry. Her language was both powerful and artistic, infused with vivid imagery that was brought forth by wavering volumes in a very strong yet smooth, feminine voice. Telling movements and fluid hand gestures kept the audience captivated and riled them up for the slammers performing next.

Each slammer had a unique style and the range of topics spoken about was very broad. After an hour of slamming, the final decision was made, and out of six original competitors four were chosen to be part of the final team, plus one alternate. The team members are as follows, in order of scores from highest to lowest:

Sara Kass Levy '12

Of the five team members selected, Kass' style is perhaps the most literary; two of the poems she performed were inspired by original versions of classic fairy tales and told in the first person. She crafts beautifully disturbing tales that all hint at deep and serious meanings, thereby making powerful statements through very imaginative characterization.

Usman Hameedi'12

Usman's performance style is aggressive and infused with political commentary. Though one of his pieces was a love poem, the other two touched upon important issues of culture and identity. The poems are passionate and personal and draw in the audience on an intimate level.

Nicole Izbicky '11

Nicole's presence onstage is bubbly and upbeat. Her poetry incorporated several pop culture references and also a little bit of humor. Her style is inspirational and seems that it would resound well among a young audience that appreciates a more fun-loving take on the art of slam.

Jason Henry Simon-Bierenbaum '11

Perhaps the most experienced member of the team, Jason is also the host and founder of B.O.M.S. His performance style is particularly unique, with a very interesting, fluid manner of vocalization along with full-bodied motions to accompany his introspective, reality-inspired pieces.

David Wayne '12

David's style has a heavy rap influence, as he mentioned in one of his pieces which referred to Biggie Smalls. His poems were personal in that they provided autobiographical insight and also distinct political commentary. His poetry, following the style of rap, was all rhymed and rhythmic.

So there you have it, the monumental members of Brandeis' first ever poetry slam team. They are all unique and extremely talented in their own ways, making for a strong and immensely diverse group. It was a pleasure listening to the different ways they all exhibited profound skill at the art of spoken word. I urge all Brandeis students to take advantage of the opportunity to listen to these master crafters of verbal art by going to future B.O.M.S. sessions-it is surely something you won't regret.