Savannah Stinson L'25 took home the top prize for students on October 22, 2024, with her original work, "Black Like Me," which won praise from judges and the audience alike in the 6th Annual “High Rhymes & Misdemeanors” Poetry Slam.
Law students and staff broke free of legal jargon this month when they turned to prose to offer fresh perspectives on justice and equity during an annual poetry competition.
Elon University School of Law’s 6th Annual “High Rhymes & Misdemeanors” Poetry Slam on October 22, 2024, welcomed dozens of audience members to the Cemala Foundation Commons for performances of original work by students, faculty, and staff.
Serving on the five-judge panel was Greensboro Poet Laureate Josephus Thompson III, who returned to Elon Law for the second consecutive year to perform an original work before evaluating the competitors alongside four members of the Elon Law faculty and staff.
Savannah Stinson L’25 took home the top award from judges and the People’s Choice Award for “Black Like Me.” This fall marked the second year in which Stinson joined the poetry slam.
“I had a lot of requests from professors who wanted to make sure I entered again!” she said. “It was hard to stand in front of a bunch of people with a poem that not many in the audience could relate to, and everyone who read a poem? They were all unique and they were all wonderful. It was an honor for me to be recognized with the award.”
Hosted by Elon Law’s Legal Method & Communication Program with support from Elon University’s Center for Writing Excellence, the poetry slam commemorated the National Day on Writing established by the National Council of Teachers of English.
“The best thing about today is to see that law students can go outside of the box and not talk law and not be so analytical that it sounds boring,” said Assistant Professor Bob Minarcin, a member of the Legal Method and Communication Program faculty who emceed the poetry slam. “They showed creativity!”
Student Awards
1st Place & People’s Choice Award (Selected by Audience Vote)
“Black Like Me”
Savannah Stinson L’25
2nd Place
“Tick”
Adriana M. Demercurio L’26
3rd Place
“the lightkeepers”
Dmitri McKinney L’25
Staff Performances
Faculty/Staff Award
“Commonly Used Words Redefined”
Danny Little
Elon Law Environmental Services
“To All the First Years”
Krista Contino Saumby
Associate Director of Career Development
“You’ve Chosen the Right Path!”
Mitchel Sommers
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Theatre
“Professor Ross’s Law School Citation”
Susan Ross
Visiting Professor of Law
2024 Judges
- Josephus Thompson III, Greensboro Poet Laureate
- Kristopher Caudle, Visiting Professor of Law
- Susan Ross, Visiting Professor of Law
- Janet Keefer, Writing Specialist at Elon University School of Law
- Mitchel Sommers, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Theatre
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Susan Ross
Visiting Professor of Law
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Mitchel Sommers
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Theatre
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Bob Minarcin
Assistant Professor of Law
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Danny Little
Custodian
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Krista Contino Saumby
Associate Director of Career Development
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Kristopher Caudle
Visiting Professor of Law
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Janet Keefer
Writing Specialist at the Elon University School of Law