Omoisele "Oz" Okoawo can only be described as a "slam warrior." You'd never guess it if you met him outside the open mic - he's incredibly kind, friendly, a little reserved. Most people go through a transformation when they step on stage, but Oz turns from "quiet man sitting in the back" to "the Goliath of spoken word" in under three seconds flat.
Oz commands attention like no one I've ever seen. His poems have a kind of ancient resonance to them, soemthing that reverberates within you long after he's stepped away from the microphone. He's got a talent for writing something that sticks with you. "Scary" is the word I'm looking for - when his name is called, I'm filled simultaneously with fear and eager apprehension. When he begins to read, I may feel disturbed, I may not want to keep listening, but I'm compelled to. Because it's Oz. And when Oz reads, you pay attention, whether you mean to or not.
We saved Oz for the end of the year for a good reason - because he's the kind of guy that makes people want to come back for more. I've been watching Oz perform at the Cantab Lounge for over a year now, and I've never seen someone "condition a room for good poetry" more skillfully than him. Now, you may be asking, why would we want to condition the room?
Because this coming Tuesday is the first of our NPS FINAL QUALIFYING SLAMS.
After the feature, Cassandra de Alba, Kevin Devaney, Andy Locke, Sean Conlon, Katie Frank, Sophia Holtz, Charley Pope, Georgie Delgado, AJ Krebs, and Emily O'Neill will each perform two poems before a panel of judges. They'll do the same thing next week. The top cumulative scorers from both slams will make up the Hampshire College 2009 NPS Team, scheduled to compete in Palm Beach, Florida, this August.
This is a huge event, folks, and a great opportunity to come out and cheer on your favorite poets. We'll be needing impartial judges, so if you're feeling particularly judgmental, come talk to one of the Slam Collective signers (Charley Pope, Sophia Holtz, or AJ Krebs), or e-mail us at hampshireslam@gmail.com, and we'll put you down on the list.
APRIL 21ST: OZ FEATURES @ HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE, followed by NPS TEAM FINAL SLAM!
