What they got? Words, and a lot of them.

Penn State W.O.R.D.S. (Writers Organized to Represent Diverse Stories) will host its Grand Slam poetry competition of the 2019 Slam Series season at 7 p.m. Friday, November 15 in the Westgate building’s Cybertorium.

Every year, 12 student-poets compete for one of four spots on Penn State’s CUPSI (College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational) team. The CUPSI team will compete in a competition held by the Association of College Unions International (ACUI). This year marks the fifth year that Penn State W.O.R.D.S. will enter a team in the competition.

The goal of Penn State W.O.R.D.S. is to embrace this art form and educate the general public on current social issues. They strive to generate an open dialogue on such subjects, in which the group as a whole can cathartically voice their opinions.

Slam poetry serves as an outlet for these opinions. After all, the slams help to foster creative discourse and fight ignorance.

The Grand Slam competition marks the fourth and final installment in a series of three poetry slams where competitors have vied for spots on the team. Being selected as a member of the team is a great accomplishment for poets as Penn State’s CUPSI team consistently ranks among the best in the country.

For more information on the event, see the group’s Facebook page or Twitter page.