The last Poetry Slam and Open Mic Night of the 2015-2016 school year was hosted on Wed., May 4, 2016 in the Black Box Theater. The event was marketed with a Star Wars theme for International Star Wars Day, with some students bringing Lightsabers and advisor Mr. Taylor even wearing his Han Solo jacket atop a Star Wars t-shirt. Featuring ample musical performances by student (and teacher!) bands, and a passionate performance by all of the slammers.

Opening the night was alumni Quinn Baumeister, who filled in for host Julie Stuck. After going over the rules for the event, she welcomed Mo Tacka, who sang Ruth B’s “Lost Boy,” a guitar-toting Alex Folmer, and Morgan Nikol, who performed “Burn,” a number from the acclaimed Hamilton musical. The Average, a pop-punk band that has been a regular performer in the open mics for over a year, performed covers of both Matchbox 20’s “How Far We’ve Come” and Green Day’s “Brain Stew” with their signature explosion of energy. Following The Average was a jazz piece by five members of the Bel Air High School Jazz Ensemble, and then Canvas rocked the stage with an original song.

Before the slam portion began, Baumeister welcomed Mr. Doyle, Mr. McIntyre, Mr. Schuler, and Mr. Schoppert to the stage. The four teachers revived their supergroup, The Heighe Street Avengers, who first blew the audience away at last year’s grand finale slam. After their first song, they welcomed the slam’s special musical guest for a cover of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside,” none other than Mr. Taylor himself. He ripped the microphone off of the stand and gave it his all, even pointing it out to the crowd at one point, who sang along in a frenzy.

When the open mic was over, Mr. Taylor sent the crowd away for an intermission, and rallied up the slammers. Praise Flowers, August Napolitano, and Mary Talbard all put their heart into their readings, with Quinn Baumeister acting as the “sacrificial goat,” an example poet to calibrate the judges.

“The last slam was surprising and beautiful,” says Junior Logan Burnett. “Seeing the seniors perform for the last time was bittersweet.”

After their strong performances, Mr. Taylor worked his magic tallying up the scores for each poet. In the end, Mary Talbard was in third place, August Napolitano in second, and Praise Flowers took home the honor of first place. The poets were each given prizes for their performance, and Napolitano gave a speech thanking Mr. Taylor and the audience for their support, as well as honoring their cousin, Bel Air graduate Arielle Napolitano, who passed away.

Altogether, the night was a great success, with the Black Box theater at full capacity. Don’t forget to congratulate everyone who performed, and to wish the seniors good luck with their endeavors after high school.