The Geneseo Spoken Word Poets have been in existence and attending the National Poetry Invitational since 2008. During the Fall of 2012, the group achieved school recognition by SUNY Geneseo. Since then, the student poets have created programs and events collaborating with both student groups and college departments, such as Invisible Children, Women’s Action Coalition, Multicultural Programs & Services, College Union & Activities, and LLB Galleries.

The Geneseo Poets’ Society serves to:

Foster a dynamic spoken word poetry community on the Geneseo campus and beyond, exploring issues of social justice, personal growth, and myriad other subjects through the composition and performance of written work.  Providing a gathering place for like-spirited individuals, the Geneseo Spoken Word Poets perform at venues on and around campus autonomously and with various other organizations.

• Students will compete at the same level as Private and Ivy League universities (Brown, Yale, NYU, Dartmouth, UPenn, Middlebury, Wesleyan, Clark, etc.)

• Students will be able to express ideas, identify behaviors, and actualize practices that promote social justice and equity.

• Students will be able to demonstrate techniques and utilize tools from workshops to interrupt micro-aggressions and bias behaviors that adversely impact under-represented communities.

• Students will support campus cultural groups and programming, allowing other students to maintain cultural practices, but also introduce them to the student populous witch allows for co curricular learning out side of the classroom.

Events Cultivated by Group:

1. Invisible Children (2/2/2012)

2. Sigma Tau Delta Book Drive in the Knightspot

3. WAC dinner in the Ballroom (3/1/2012)

4. Lederer Gallery Biannual Faculty Fhow (2/28/2012)

5. Fuzzy Panda Hit Squad Experience On March 22nd @ Knightspot (3/22/2012)

6. Dorm Storm – Performances and Workshops held in residence halls during the month of April 9th- April 17th

7. WLPSI – Wade Lewis Poetry Slam Invitational at SUNY New Paltz (3/2/2012 – 3/4/2012)

• Just to name a few...

We have attended the National Poets Invitational for the last four years and hope to continue to represent the college in the literary art form that has become “Slam Poetry”.

National Poets Invitational

• Slam poetry is a form of performance poetry that occurs with in a competitive poetry event, called a “slam”, at which poets perform their own poems that are judged on a numeric scale by randomly picked members of the audience.

• Each year ACUI produces the college unions poetry slam invitations (CUPSI) offering an opportunity for campuses with new existing programs to compete for top honors and to share their artistry and voices. And everyone is enriched by sharing poetry, embracing the value of inclusivity, and supporting a program in which “everyone’s voice is welcomed.”

The conference will be hosted from April 18th- April 21st at the University of La Verne. We are currently fundraising in order to cover the cost of our flights, as well as lodging which comes to a total of $2,500 not including the generous donation of The Office of Multicultural Programs & Services who have committed to cover our registration fee of $500.

Below is a logistical breakdown of the expenses, as well as details about CUPSI and some of the benefits we, as students, can gain from an experience such as this.

Keep in mind that we attend this invitational with the intention to not only learn from others and the experience, but also bring the tools we will learn back with us to share with the Geneseo Community. We hope to improve our programing on the campus and strategies to better introduce the literary art form that is spoken word through workshop events and open mics.

Because of the large distance to travel between SUNY Geneseo, New York and University of La Verne, California, taking flights would be the best medium of transportation. To further explain our reasoning,

Car:

The distance from Geneseo to La Verne by car is 2,562 mile coming to a total of 1 day 17 hours of travel with out calculation of car problems. This would mean we would have to leave a day earlier which could be conflicting with scheduled classes. We would also have acquire a vehicle capable of handling the ride, but also seating five students. 

Bus:

A bus ride would address the issue of the vehicle. Though the bus would be traveling the same distance as the car it would increase our travel time on the road to a total of 2 Days and 13 Hours even further increasing the constraint of our college schedule.

Flights & Hotel Transportation:

Flying seems to become our only viable option. After intensive research online and multiple calls to travel agents, we selected two of the cheapest flight packages we could put together. Travel agents could not explain the large difference between both packages and simply surmised it as the change of airlines; in addition, the CUPSI 2012 website clearly state that shuttles will be provided from the hotel to the campus for the events. Students will be responsible for their own transportation to and from the airport.

Shuttle Services:

Students will be responsible for their own transportation to and from the airport to the hotel/campus. Shuttles will be provided from the hotel to the campus for the events.  If you need transportation from the airport to the hotel/campus, feel free to use any of the following shuttles:

 Prime Time Shuttle Rate: $50 dollar average cost to and from the airport.

 The University of LaVerne is located near two airports:

1. Los Angeles (LAX) is approximately 45 miles away

2. Ontario (ONT) is approximately 15 miles away

For more information feel free to contact the shuttle service at 1800.733.8267

 Tickets:

Both flights:

Depart- April 18th

Depart- April 22nd 

Note: These are the rates were tracking, current price as of April 4th 2012*

 Using United Airlines: Cost of four flights would total $1,652.80. (MAIN CHOICE)

Summary:

Depart (ROC)- 6:00 AM April 18th                    Depart (LAX)- 9:00 PM April 22

Arrives (LAX)- 1:03 PM April 18th                Arrives (ROC)- 10:50 AM April 23

Using Jet Blue: Cost of four flights would total $2,592.80

Summary:

Depart (ROC)- 6:00 AM April 18th                    Depart (LAX)- 9:00 PM April 22

Arrives (LAX)- 1:03 PM April 18th                Arrives (ROC)- 10:50 AM April 23

Itinerary:

Weds, April 18th

1-5 PM: Registration/ Check in

3-4 PM: New Coaches Meeting

4-5PM: Coaches Meeting 

6:30 PM ~ Preliminary Bout 1A

8:00 PM ~ Preliminary Bout 1B

10- 11 PM ~ Opening Reception

Thursday, April 19

11- 12 Noon: Workshop 1

1-2 PM: Workshop 2

1-2 PM: Coaches Check in meeting

2:30 - 3:30 PM: Workshop 3

6 PM ~ Preliminary Bout 2A

8 PM ~ Preliminary Bout 2B

Friday, April 20th

1-3 PM: Community Service

6 PM: Coaches Slam

7 PM ~ Semi Finals

Saturday, April 21st

10 AM: Coaches meeting

Noon: Finalist Meeting 

6 PM: Best of the rest

7:30 PM ~ FINALS

10 PM ~ CLOSING RECEPTION 

Contact-

Group Email: SUNYGPS@gmail.com

Student Name: Donat De La Cruz

Student Email: Dad10@geneseo.edu

Phone Number: 646.286.9932

Association of College Unions International

Name: Brian Magee

Email: brimagee@acui.org

Phone Number: 812.245.8088

KICK STARTER CAMPAIGN

Please Help us get to California by donating online to our campaign. We have also began the sale of our fist published Chapbook "Scribbles". Please follow the link and let us know your thoughts. Thank you for supporting our family.

"The Geneseo Poets’ Society have a lot to be grateful for and so we have

dedicated our chapbook to all of the influences who have formed us into the

group we are today. to the ever-generous Ms. Fatima Johnson, without whom we would be lost.

To the students on campus for your snaps and claps.To Geneseo for bringing us all together.

and to you, for helping us on our journey.Your support means more than even poets can put into words.”