“When I think about abuse I think about you.  I think the stuff you put yourself through.  So many terms used to control a mind of a person to me its all the same cause at the end we’re all hurting.  From a Political, Domestic, Community prospect.  To the point where you’re left with an uncontrolled substance.” (Abuse, PACHS Group piece)

Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School is back on the scene with the Louder Than a Bomb Poetry team.  2007-08 was the first year PACHS was not a part of the Louder than a Bomb competition.  Awilda Gonzalez and Cassandra Figueroa, bring the students back on the scene.

PACHS Poetry Slam 2007

Jesse Fuentes has been part of the team for three months now.  She is a senior this year and is looking forward to graduating in June. “[This] is a really good experience for me becasue it is helping me work with others.  I have played on basketball and softball teams, but this is different.”  Jesse talked about how difficult it is to write a poem with a group.

Jesse has 3 solo pieces, including a poem she has performed for the school, “My Life.”  It is a composition talking about a horrible life… nothing can compare to it… It is a special story with an interesting point of view, and a twist at the end.

She has seen how important it is to be around others and how great it is to learn from others.  She really looks up to Yamil Grajeda.  “He has great talent and focus, and he is always participating and speaking his mind.”  Jesse loves the way he coordinates his writing.

Yamil has been with the team for almost one month now.  “This so exciting, it is like a dream to be on this team,” says Yamil.  “Poetry has always meant a lot to me.  I have been writing and reading about poetry since I was 12 years old.”

Jesse has a very specific spoken wird style of reading poetry, but Yamil has a different style.  He is an MC in a group called Flatline Vendetta (FV), so he brings a style he calls MC/Rap.  Spoken word does not always rhyme his style does.  Spoken word also does not have the consistent rhythm like his style.

Yamil’s solo piece is called “Dear, Higher Power”.  It is a hurricane of words and concepts that will hit you so hard at every angle you won’t know what do do when it is over… much like a hurricane.  He thinks this group is very similar to his group FV, because it forces him to work together with others to combine styles.

Both Jesse and Yamil feel like the team needs to work more with memorization, consistency and attendence.  However they feel the team has a unique confidence.  They think the team is well educated academically, politically and socially.

They look forward to the first bouts where they will compete against other schools.  This will happen at the end of February.  They will be performing again at Unity on 2/20/09.