The first University Programs-sponsored poetry slam of the season wowed the crowd at RZ’s Wednesday night with performances and contests.

\”This One\’s For The Locals\” – Ozark Slam Poets

Coffeehouse Committee chair for University Programs, senior Kaytee Stephens, was pleasantly surprised at the turnout for the event.

“At the height of the evening, we counted more than sixty people,” Stephens said.

The atmosphere in RZ’s Wednesday night was relaxed, with the diverse crowd alternately sipping tea, reading over notes, or applauding the poets.

The Ozark Slam Poetry Team performed cover pieces of famous spoken-word poets in conjunction with some of their own work, spewing passionate phrases about everything from suicide and drug abuse, cosmically fantastic sex, the differences between hard rock and acoustic hippie tunes, September 11th and everything in between.

\”My Father Thinks I\’m A Lesbian\” – Ozark Slam Poets

The Slam Team meets weekly at Rogue Pizza Company on Dickson for an audience-judged slam. Based on performances and audience input, a team is selected each year to attend and compete at national gatherings. The next event (a combination slam/dance party) will be at Rogue Sept. 14 from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., open to the 18 and over crowd for a $5 cover charge.

After the professionals warmed up the crowd, four student contestants performed their own work and were judged by the crowd. The first prize, a $25 gift certificate to the Dickson St. Bookstore, went to “Anonymous,” a slammer who impressed the judges with his smooth, socially conscious poems peppered with literary references.

The next Coffeehouse Committee UP event will be Sept. 24 at Red Eye FNL, and will feature a one-man play by J.W. Baz .