The Chi Omega chapter of Phi Sigma Iota hosted their Foreign Language Poetry Slam, commonly known as FLAM, on Wednesday, Nov. 15, in the Honors College Bethel. The 11th annual FLAM invited students and faculty to present pieces of poetry and the personal meanings they held.

Phi Sigma Iota is the most prestigious honor society for students in the field of foreign languages and literature. Dr. Zoya Khan, the society’s faculty advisor, explained that these evenings are meant to achieve two key objectives.

“There are two things. Include everyone, and create an atmosphere where everyone can share…and poetry is something that you share, right? It is supposed to be shared, the joy, the rhythm, the sounds of it,” Khan explained.

As the night of poetry continued, attendees heard poems in Persian, Spanish, Dutch, Hebrew, and even reconstructed Archaic Chinese. Each speaker’s piece carried a variety of tones, ranging from romance to revolution.

Jia He, an associate librarian at the Marx Library, performed “Returning to Hometown” in Chinese. At the conclusion of the poem, she shared that she chose the poem because, in two weeks, she would be returning home. She explained that she had not been able to see her parents in five years.

The president of Phi Sigma Iota, Olga Reyes, shared a piece from Luis Palés Matos, “Majestad Negra.” The poem conveyed Afro-Antillean culture, specifically the movement and dances of an African woman on a Caribbean street. Reyes explained that she was introduced to Matos’ work during her first poetry competition in her home country, Puerto Rico.

Phi Sigma Iota invites all students, regardless of their foreign language background, to participate in next year’s FLAM and share a piece of literature they hold dear.