Clap for the Poet. Not the Score.
Houston, 2019 — The University of Houston successfully hosted the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational (CUPSI) for the second consecutive year, affirming its status as the nation’s largest collegiate poetry slam event. The competition featured exceptional poets from universities across the country, including the renowned CoogSlam team representing the university.
CUPSI was founded by the Association of College Unions International (ACUI)
Notably, ACUI is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, taking pride in nurturing an environment of shared purpose, mutual respect, and strong community bonds.
In an effort to promote inclusivity, CUPSI staff actively prioritize accommodating everyone’s needs. As part of their initiatives, they advocated for the establishment of all-gender restrooms upstairs in the Student Center South. This move ensures that individuals can freely utilize any restroom regardless of their gender identity, fostering a more welcoming and accepting environment for all attendees.
CUPSI organizers also made provisions for a designated “mental health break room” recognizing the emotionally charged nature of many presented poems. Poets often share deeply personal and meaningful verses, which can significantly impact their mental well-being, particularly in front of a sizable audience.
“I am incredibly excited to witness all the other poems,” said Muhammad Yunus, Co-captain of the UH Coog Slam team. According to him, this was his first time participating in CUPSI, and he was excited about the overall experience.
Co-Captain Jazib added, “We’ve been prepping for a while now so yeah we’re very excited.”
At the end of the first day, the UH Coog Slam team received the news that their team had advanced to the Semi-finals and secured the top spot in their preliminary round.
Yunus took to Twitter to share the news of his victory
The semi-final rounds proved to be the most challenging to judge, as emphasized by Judge Fatimah Abidogun, given that only four teams could advance to the finals. “It’s a lot of pressure,” stated Abidogun, who found it difficult to rate any team lower than 7 out of 10.
The scores were incredibly close during these rounds, with differences of less than a point determining which teams advanced to the finals and which did not.
The top four teams standing at the conclusion of day two were as follows:
- Pennsylvania State University
- Barnard College
- Stanford University
- University of Houston
The resounding phrase, “Clap for the poet. Not the score,” filled the room as poets cheered wholeheartedly for each and every school, disregarding the judges’ scores.
In the end, Penn State emerged victorious, and all participating schools showed them immense appreciation and love.
