Poetry Slam Competition
On March 24, seventh grade students participated in the first annual Poetry Slam Competition.
The 7th grade English teachers decided to enhance their poetry unit by encouraging all of the students to write original pieces. Some worked individually and others in groups. The students then voted on the poet(s) who would represent their class in the competition which was held in the Roca Theater.
“I was inspired to create my poem to commemorate black history month and my ancestors,” said Ian Johnson. “I wanted people to know from my perspective what I think about the unfair punishments my ancestors felt for hundreds of years.”
The winners were as follows:
- 3rd place-Manuel Dominguez "Man Vs. Nature",
- 2nd place- Daniel Marsh "Brown"
- 1st place- Ian Johnson "Slavery: A Slave's Perspective"
“I wanted to write about myself so that my classmates could get to know me and understand me better,” said Daniel Marsh. “I wanted to tell them about being bi-racial, black and white, because I love being both. I will never let the world force me into being just one or the other. And, I wanted to say that no matter the differences between us, we are all brothers and the same in God’s eyes.”
“Through my poem, “Man vs Nature” I was able to express how nature is being treated by humans and we are taking it for granted,” said Manuel Dominguez. “I feel like I have a role in protecting nature and how she is being treated!”
The artwork displayed in the background during the competition was provided by senior Carlos Machado. He was asked to provide work which resembles "Street Art" in keeping with the theme.
Click here to view the photo album. Click here to read the winning poems.
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba, by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the school's property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit is situated on a 34-acre site in western Dade County, just minutes away from downtown Miami.