A large crowd gathered around the corner of the Auburn Keimyung Korea Center in Foy on March 21, filling the hallways with dialects and languages from different cultures. One might have been surprised to find a gathering so diverse in rural Alabama, but on International Poetry Night, cultures came together.
Hosted by the Auburn University Peace Corps, the International Buddy Program and Auburn Global for You, International Poetry night was an open mic poetry competition to celebrate World Poetry Day.
With more than 30 people attending in such a small place, the crowd was lively, not what one might have expected in a poetry reading. There were no bongos or beanies, only an array of contestants presenting poetry to a panel of four judges, faculty at Auburn University.
Amanda Denney, campus recruiter for the Peace Corps and 2008 Auburn University alumnus, was one of the coordinators for the intergroup event.
“The Peace Corps is about spreading cultural diversity and representing American culture across the world,” Denney said.
She was surprised and excited by the turn out at the event.
According to Denney, the event tumbled easily together at a meeting between organizers of the three groups.
“We wanted to do an event around World Poetry Day, and we thought it would be cool if you could present a poem in your original language, or an original, and maybe make a competition out of it,” Denney said.
“It just sort of came together,” said Ali Taylor, sophomore in biochemistry. “There could have been more people here, but it was still a great turn out.”
Students enjoyed the chance to fraternize around a shared appreciation of literature.
“I wasn’t even going to come to this,” said Tyler Beard, senior in economics. “I was passing through and just stopped to listen. I am glad I did.”
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