By Jennifer Bussey | Staff Reporter

Spoken word poet Ashlee Haze performed at a poetry slam hosted by the Campus Activities Board (CAB) Sept. 27.

Haze has been writing poetry since she was ten and is a two-time “Woman of the World Poetry Slam” finalist. She is known as “Big 30” for her consistent perfect scores at contests and is currently on her second 100-city tour.

During the event, Haze entertained the audience with stories about her encounters with celebrities such as Missy Elliot, and shared the inspiration of her poetry.

One poem titled “Hexes for my Exes” caused many students in the audience to clap instead of snap due to the relevancy of the piece.

Another that wasn’t named but was about the struggles of having natural curly and/or kinky hair had an audience member laughing with tears in her eyes.

Her poem entitled “Ode to F#@%boys” had to have permission in order to be recited for the title and the content.

Half-way through the show, Haze recited some poems from her new book “The Land of the Living,” which was available for sale after the show.

She got the crowd involved by asking questions such as people’s areas of study and whether or not people were in relationships. She recited haikus by chanting “575,” then having the crowd chant back at her “575,” followed by the poem.

Haze showcased her feminist views with poems like “Hymn” that talked about the glory of women, and “Self-Reclamation in Three Parts” that focused on the beauty of women’s bodies.

Toward the end of the show two male students recited their own poetry about their life struggles.

For more information about Ashlee Haze and her new book, visit www.ashleehaze.com.