The Black Student Union kicked off Welcome Back Week Tuesday evening at the 7th St. Underground with an open mic poetry session.

With candle-lit tables and background music playing, the event served as an open forum for individuals to recite a poem, sing a song or tell a joke. The evening drew more than 50 students that cheered and supported their peers.

Seven performers took to the stage with a personal message to share.

Keith Wise, vice president of BSU said the session had a higher number of performers than the year before.

“A lot of people have talent that typically keep quiet about it,” Wise said. “Our events give them an open forum to say whatever they want. This year we had more people with something to say.”

Charrell Barksdale, president of BSU, said the events are intended to unite people and strengthen the community. Barksdale, also a poet, went on stage to share a poem.

In one line of her poem she said: “The sticker on the cars talks about supporting the troops, but what happens isn’t supporting the truth.”

Barksdale’s politically motivated poetry was met with support from the audience.

Freshman accounting major Nicole Billadeau writes poems about the struggles she has experienced and in return it helps her to live a more positive life, she said.

“Every day is a struggle and the white man wonders why we hustle. Hunger happens every day,” Billadeau said.

While the evening was filled mostly with poems, it ended on a high note.

The final performance of the night came from Freshman Essence Allen, who captivated the house and received the most applause with the song “Still I Rise” by Yolanda Adams. Allen, who made the house roar with cheer, said she finds her inspiration in her parents, family and God.

“I love how performing makes me feel,” Allen said. “The audience was great.”

The BSU will be hosting events every day this week as part of its Welcome Back Week, as well as holding meetings every Monday at 6 p.m. in the Charleston/Mattoon Room in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

-For more information on the Black Student Union, click here.