Alfred State College holds virtual poetry reading

Around 80 Alfred State College (ASC) Pioneers came together online recently to share, listen, and learn during a virtual poetry reading held on Microsoft Teams.

The event was presented by the English and Humanities Department and Ergo, the college’s literary and artistic publication, which is advised by SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Dr. Aniko Constantine. Roughly 70 students and around 11 faculty and administrators attended.

Preceding the poetry reading was a virtual gallery of student artwork from Ergo, which was accompanied by music from student Aaron Kruk, an undeclared major from New City.

The event began with a welcome from Professor Calista McBride, chair of the English and Humanities Department. President Dr. Skip Sullivan then read a poem called, “Memories of Bygone Days,” encouraging students to cherish their time at Alfred State. Dr. Daniel Katz, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, followed with poems about hope and humanity, in translation from Yiddish and Persian.

Students then shared favorite and original poems about love, survival, pride, and self-expression. Natalie Burns, a graphic and media design major from Wellsville, treated attendees to a work of visual poetry titled, “Kawaakari.” Assistant Professor Dr. Travis Matteson closed the event with a reading of Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall,” a poem that references the value of working together toward a common goal.

ASC poetry readings, which are held once every semester, consistently feature multicultural and multilingual poetry, Matteson noted. This semester, students shared poems in Russian, Spanish, and Jamaican Patios. 

“It is encouraging how many students are eager to participate and share favorite poems and poems they have written,” Matteson said. “This is a restorative event for participants, as we hear students use the language of poetry to process and communicate their experiences and forge their own identities.”