Poetry and Beverage will return Saturday
PoBev, short for Poetry and a Beverage, will be held for the third time this semester at 9 p.m. Saturday in the Taggart Student Center International Lounge. Students will gather for poetry, free beverages and refreshments like sparkling cider, pumpkin pie and other pumpkin-flavored treats.
Keala Baucom is in charge of making sure everything is set up for PoBev and running smoothly, and that includes ordering the food. She said she tries to correlate the refreshments with the month.
Students come to PoBev to enjoy three hours of live performances put on by talented students just like themselves, Baucom said. Anyone can step up to the open mic with either a poem to recite or a bit of music to perform to the audience. Many even perform music and poetry they have written themselves, she said.
Jessica DeGraw, an undeclared freshman at USU, is a frequent patron of monthly event. She said she is eager to see what talent shows up on Saturday.
“I love PoBev. I’m always blown away by the talent of everyone who performs,” she said. “I definitely want to go to every single one.”
Baucom said there are always a lot of musicians and poets who want to perform.
“We used to allow each performer to do two songs or poems, but we’ve had to limit that down to one,” she said. “People took up too much time and not everyone would be able to get through. Now they can just do one song, and that way more performers get a chance to go up on stage.”
There is no need to schedule ahead of time if a student wants to perform, Baucom said, but individuals are advised to come 15 minutes before the event starts to ensure their name is added to the list before PoBev begins.
There will be more than just performances, Baucom said. Contests and activities put on by the PoBev hosts will also be featured Saturday night. This month’s contest in particular will be held in honor of No-Shave November, or Movember. Girls and guys alike can come to show off their accumulated leg or facial hair, she said, and the people with the most impressive display will be crowned the winners.
PoBev has been around for a while, but Kaela says it has only been officially held under the title “Poetry and a Beverage” for a few years.
“PoBev used to just be known as an open mic night where students could come listen to music and enjoy free treats, but it wasn’t ever ‘PoBev’ until a few years ago,” Baucom said. “Ever since we gave it this official name, it has just become more and more popular.”
Baucom said the event has a lot to offer to just about any student.
“The reason why I love doing PoBev is because it’s a great social event for all students to come out to,” she said. “There’s no other event like it. It’s different from the usual things going on around campus. Plus, it’s the best of both worlds; it’s good for people to come and sit and listen, but also for people who want to socialize.”