Roundtable features spoken word

An end-of-semester tradition for many faculty and staff members is attending the December session of University Roundtable. Attendees join colleagues and friends for lunch, listening and learning throughout the year, but in December, the audience is treated to a performance by students, faculty or staff.

On Wednesday, Dec. 12, students in the First Wave Spoken Word and Urban Arts Learning Community will present a poetry showcase at Roundtable. New to campus this semester, the learning community is a cutting-edge multicultural group of young artists and leaders from across the United States. The First Wave Learning Community is the first university program in the country centered on spoken word and hip-hop culture. The program has already made its mark in higher education circles for attracting and engaging prospective students.

The First Wave students are adding to the literary canon by redefining our notions of poetry with their forward-thinking, energetic and passionate writing. First Wave performances are lively, heartfelt, provocative and joyous.

The buffet lunch for the Dec. 12 Roundtable begins at 11:45 a.m. in Great Hall in the Memorial Union. The cost is $9 per person. Reservations are required, and the deadline to reserve is today (Dec. 5). To register, visit http://www.union.wisc.edu/roundtable, or contact Colleen McCabe at 263-2985 or cmccabe@wisc.edu.