Blaq Art Nouveau, an organization for art expression at WKU, held a spoken word night in conjunction with the Campus Activities Board on Wednesday, Nov. 3 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in DSU room 3023.

The event had four prepared speakers and ended with an open mic opportunity. Unlike the last Blaq Art Nouveau performance, this event focused primarily on poetry and spoken word. The event also offered refreshments and opportunities to get to know other members of these organizations.

“We just wanted to give students an organization that allows them to express themselves through art,” Sidonia Brown, junior child studies major and the president of BAN said. “This one is mostly to showcase students into poetry and spoken word, but we do other art forms as well.”

The spoken word event was a collaboration with the Campus Activities Board, which sponsors many different student activities and events throughout the year alongside other organizations.

“It’s so important for college students to have this chance to express themselves,” Ashley Hatcher, a senior elementary education major and president of CAB said. “We have this to be a free space for creative expression. It’s somewhere where they won’t be judged and they’ll feel good and interact and feel like they’re heard. It’s something where students can truly feel like themselves on campus.”

The goal of this event was to give students a platform to speak on topics important to them, and the goal of BAN overall is to continue as a creative expression organization that provides performance opportunities to students. Some of the performers spoke on why it was important that WKU supports events like this one.

“I think it’s important because it allows an escape, it allows me to take on another persona,” Danielle Williams, a freshman psychological sciences major who performed a poem said. “It’s been challenging with the changes and things we’ve had to do to get used to college, but I think being able to let loose and speak your mind is why I’m here. It’s really liberating.”

Tylia Standard, another performer at the show, also spoke on why she values experiences like this one.

“It gives people a voice,” Standard said. “It allows students to express themselves, and also express things that they don’t usually get to say.”

News reporter Alexandria Anderson can be reached at [email protected]