The Skyliner

Issue date: 4/12/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Holly Stahl/The Skyliner

Eden Bacher
Guest Writer


The talents of North Greenville University students were showcased on Poetry night, Thursday, April 6. Students expressed themselves through the diverse forms of poetry, music, dance, cinematography, as well as paintings and photography.

Kicking off an evening that Levi Linville, junior Christian studies, described as "tingling with excitement, a java kind of excitement," was Leonardo Buscemi, junior interdisciplinary studies. Buscemi was one of the core contributors who performed several times with poetry and music.

Dr. Greg Bruce, chair of the interdisciplinary studies department, has instigated this event nearly every semester since he arrived in the fall of 2003. Bruce believes that Poetry Night is a way for students to "'commandeer' the arts for Jesus, not aggressively but lovingly."

The crowd this year was considerably smaller than the max of 200 that have attended other semesters. The evening also had a change of venues, moving from the band room to Hayes Ministry center where the students from Bruce's World Literature II class set up a wonderland of twinkling lights and bamboo branches with blankets on the floor and Starbucks coffee on the balcony.

The evening carried a theme of love in its poetry and songs, which was picked up by Brandy Cannon, senior media broadcasting, who did an impromptu poem. When she asked the audience if they wanted a poem about love or God, the verdict came back love and God. Through spontaneous verse, she shared a personal testimony of redemption from human love gone wrong. One line said, "this is not an expression, this is my hurt."

Coming back from intermission, Nathan Willis, sophomore broadcast media, treated the audience to cinematographic art. Willis has been doing movies for three years. The movie was a comic, Christmas love story starring NGU students. Willis commented on his appreciation for poetry night because it gave him an opportunity to share his art "with a big group of people and see how people react to it."

Brandon Nelson, senior youth ministry, shared his passion for ministering to youth through his poetry and unique skateboard art (paintings on skateboards). His paintings and poetry captured the troubled essence of youth who, as one of his poems said, "desire to be loved by people like me and you."

"Poetry Night is becoming a tradition," said Daniel Cannone, senior biology, who signed the performers in as they arrived. It is a place that "is free and open, and students feel like they can express themselves."
"It was more dignified and homey. It was like being with family," said Betsy Forsyth, sophomore intercultural studies. No one seemed to want to leave this "family" time, and it ended around 11:30 before everyone could share. The last performance was from "Flowers by Gert," a band led by Stephanie Fagan, sophomore print media.

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