2008 Woodie Awards
Awareness Week begins at MU
Spectrum brings politically charged spoken word artists, poets to campus
Katie Booher
Issue date: 4/10/07 Section: Campus
"A week of sex and gender positive talk that engages students on campus" - this is how Spectrum President Tim Yaczo described the group's ninth annual Awareness Week, which takes place through Friday. Spectrum is Miami University's queer/straight alliance.
The week opened Monday night with a performance by Tim'm West, a self-described black, queer, feminist, slam poet and hip-hop artist currently living in Washington D.C.
Instead of talking about what he does, West painted his picture of what society should be in his poetry set to music.
"We've got to refine and redesign lines to include more people because we're all equal," West said during his presentation. "We know we deserve better and we won't settle for less than that."
During his performance, West called for people to stop judging others and focus on creating a positive revolution in society.
"Stop trying to sing my blues when it's your song that's outta tune," West said. "It's been a long time comin' but I know change gonna come."
West also said it was up to each individual person to take charge of his or her own destiny.
"Gotta spread your wings and fly away so free, whoever, whenever, whoever you want to be," West said.
During a question and answer session at the end, West said he felt it was especially important for him to come to Miami's campus.
"I attended a very non- (queer) supportive campus and I was among the few gays and lesbians trying to organize," West said. "It's been a personal dedication of mine to reach out to campuses like mine and give students the inspiration they need to create more inclusive settings."
West also said he enjoys performing his own brand of hip-hop music.
"I like doing queer hip-hop because there's a lot of topics that haven't been explored," West said. "There's a boundary that people police around hip-hop that you have to be a certain 'authentic' way and I'm glad I can push those boundaries."
The week opened Monday night with a performance by Tim'm West, a self-described black, queer, feminist, slam poet and hip-hop artist currently living in Washington D.C.
Instead of talking about what he does, West painted his picture of what society should be in his poetry set to music.
"We've got to refine and redesign lines to include more people because we're all equal," West said during his presentation. "We know we deserve better and we won't settle for less than that."
During his performance, West called for people to stop judging others and focus on creating a positive revolution in society.
"Stop trying to sing my blues when it's your song that's outta tune," West said. "It's been a long time comin' but I know change gonna come."
West also said it was up to each individual person to take charge of his or her own destiny.
"Gotta spread your wings and fly away so free, whoever, whenever, whoever you want to be," West said.
During a question and answer session at the end, West said he felt it was especially important for him to come to Miami's campus.
"I attended a very non- (queer) supportive campus and I was among the few gays and lesbians trying to organize," West said. "It's been a personal dedication of mine to reach out to campuses like mine and give students the inspiration they need to create more inclusive settings."
West also said he enjoys performing his own brand of hip-hop music.
"I like doing queer hip-hop because there's a lot of topics that haven't been explored," West said. "There's a boundary that people police around hip-hop that you have to be a certain 'authentic' way and I'm glad I can push those boundaries."
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Monifa Porter (Class of '96)
posted 4/10/07 @ 1:00 PM EST
Ninth Annual Awareness Week?
I graduated from Miami in 1996 and lead the GLBA (a predecessor to Spectrum) my junior and senior years. We hosted an Awareness Week every year, as had gay and lesbian students in the years prior to my arrival. (Continued…)
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