Slam poets ready, eager to bring home gold

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Isaiah Stowers
Isaiah Stowers

Two Delta students will represent Stockton at a global slam poetry event this summer.

Youth poetry organization With Our Words recently held a competition at the Podesto Impact Teen Center in Stockton, and the top six participants were named to the city’s poetry team.

Lavell Jackson
Lavell Jackson

This July, the team will compete against other  cities’ at the Brave New Voices Poetry Festival in Philadelphia, Pa.

Delta student Lavell Jackson was one of the six finalists. He and the rest of the team will practice throughout summer to prepare for the competition.

“I feel really good and blessed to have an opportunity like this, I just can’t wait. I’m excited and nervous but I’m ready,” said Jackson. “I’m getting myself ready for this by praying and writing a lot, I also been watching and listening to different poets.”

Jackson hopes to get better in his writing and branch off to getting his poems published in the future.

“I just want to be successful and have a great time, it’s all about the fun,” added Jackson.

Delta student Isaiah Stowers will coach the Stockton poetry team.

“This year compared to the other years seems more challenging. Getting everyone together is a little more stressful since the team lives in all different parts of Stockton,” said Stowers.

Despite this challenge, Stowers still feels confident that the team will be ready. “Every person on the team has strengths that I can already see and now I’m just eager to get it all started,” said Stowers.

Stowers is a two-time All City Poetry Grand Slam Champion, the only person so far to do so. He participated in the Brave New Voices event in 2008, 2009 and 2010. In 2013 he was brought back to coach for the second time.

He’s been on stages in Hollywood, Chicago and Washington, so his experience is a great asset to the team. He has also opened up for music artists such as Talib Kweli and Common.

These two Delta students hope to bring poetry gold back home.