Slam Poet Presentation

Sorry that this is a bit late, I haven't had a chance to post it earlier.

Topic 1: What did you think of Zack’s performance at Fraser Heights?

I ended up watching Zack’s performance twice, once in English and once in Drama. I can firmly say that both times I was completely surprised by his thoroughly entertaining demeanour, and I also found his poems very thought-provoking and meaningful, especially to himself as the author.

Oftentimes I find that presenters at our school don’t really manage to connect with the audience well, and tend to sugar-coat life outside of high school. Many do not actually open up to us, which leaves a sense of disconnect between the audience and presenter. This was definitely not the case with Zack. He really told us a lot about himself as a person, and also his personal experiences with some things that are tougher to deal with, such as drug abuse, jail time and family issues. While there was a definite realness to his subject matter, he didn't make it seem as if he was there for an anti-drug presentation. He just talked to us like friends about how he did struggle with things, but that he was able to get out of it once he started to do things like poetry.

He also told a lot of stories, which let us get to know him before he told us about problems that he has faced in the past. They were really entertaining and funny, and I thought that his movements. Gestures, and little improved jokes thrown in really kept our attentions. They were for the most part relatable stories that just made me more interested in who he was.

As for his poems, they were so well-written! I really felt that “realness” that came to mind when he was also talking about his struggles. The emotions that he felt during those times were evident through his words and phrasing, and they really hit me. I loved that they were narrative, so they themselves were very similar to stories. They were dark, but presented in a way that made them not as depressing as the subjects actually were. The way he presented them was also fantastic, as the way that he sped up during more intense parts of the poems really created a more lasting effect. His variation is dynamics was engaging and I found it interesting to see some of his choices with those dynamics.

Overall, I think that it may have been one of the best school presentations that I have ever seen, and I hope that he may come back to our school later on for more presentations!