Poetry ‘lands’ at student union

Poetry+%E2%80%98lands%E2%80%99+at+student+union

Abigail Stevens, Staff writer

The evening of Sept. 30 saw a few loyal patrons of the arts kicking off the first Lumen Poetry Reading of the fall semester.

Students and professors alike gathered at Luke’s Landing on the lower floor of the Student Unionat 5:30 p.m. to read, listen and just talk to one another.

The event had a very open atmosphere, free-form to the needs of readers and listeners alike.

The unobtrusive daylight pouring in from the big windows imbued the scene with a relaxed, lowkey vibe.

“We don’t judge the work, it’s an open space filled with encouragement and positivity,” said one of the three chief editors for this year’s edition of Lumen, Catherine Messina.

People could read from wherever they were comfortable, the table serving as a podium or even from their seats on the couch.

The poems that were shared came from a variety of sources.

Some read their own work straight from their phones and laptops, and some shared their favorites from last year’s edition of Lumen.

Listeners snapped and clapped encouragingly at the end of each reading.

Writing on any topic and any style was welcomed, from creative free verse about fireworks and humorous jibes about port-a-potty horrors, to more serious works about the perils of alcoholism and an artistic callout on systemic racism.

No topic was too serious or trivial for a good poetry reading.

Everyone is welcome at these poetry readings.

You do not have to be a member of Lumen or even an English major to participate.

Enthusiasts and beginners from all disciplines are welcome to join in on the fun.

Reading in front of the group is not a requirement, and people are welcome to stop by to listen to those reading and talk to other poetry-lovers.

This was just the first of many poetry readings that the Lumen team plans to host this year up through the magazine’s release this spring.

Lumen is the annual Mercyhurst fine arts magazine that includes undergraduate poetry and short stories as well as art, photography and even other mediums such as music and dance.

Submissions for this year’s magazine will be collected in the fall semester, so keep an eye on your email for the annual call for submissions.

Keep an eye out on campus too for flyers advertising the next poetry reading and other Lumen-hosted events.

The next poetry reading is projected to happen the week following fall break.