The Gunnison Arts Center hosted Word Horde’s first poetry slam of the school year on Nov. 13, 2019. The theater where the event was hosted was packed to the brim with only standing room remaining. Word Horde President Leif Townsend managed the slam. Before the event, Townsend laid out the rules of the event; contestants had three minutes to perform (any longer resulted in a penalty). They were then given one to five points for the quality of the poem and an additional one to five points for the quality of the reading. The top five poets with the highest scores advanced to the second and final round. Townsend then asked the audience if this was anyone’s first poetry slam. He selected a group from those who identified themselves and then elected them to be judges for the slam. As a final disclaimer, Townsend encouraged the audience to snap if they heard anything that really resonated with them or to rub their hands together if a poet got stuck while performing. To allow the judges a chance to warm up, Townsend offered a “sacrificial poem” he titled “A Door Called Duty.” Nine poets presented in the first round. The top five poets that advanced to the second round were Christine Marie with 30 points, Wilson Elder and Isaiah Archuleta tied with 29 points, Amelia Campbell with 28 points, and Ethan Maxwell-Sanchez with 27.5 points. In the second round, the poems presented were “Dear Word Horde From Panic Attack” by Campbell, “Supernova” by Elder, “Now I Love” by Marie, “Mom” by Maxwell-Sanchez, and “Unconventional Outsider” by Archuleta. While the points were totaled for the final round, the floor was opened up to non-competitors who wanted to share their poems. When the group reconvened, it was revealed that 3rd place went to Maxwell-Sanchez, 2nd place went to Elder, and Marie was named the Gunnison Slam Champion. The victors then had their choice of a journal and pen as a prize. Townsend remarked how poetry allows you to “share something deeply personal and everyone hears it as something universal.” He said, “Poetry is such an incredible union of the individualism and the collectivism.”