The 38th Poetry Slam took place at The Max in Wayne on Nov. 16.

The event was five dollars to compete and free to the public. Every year, the slam starts off with a sacrificial goat, an unofficial first reader, who allows the judges to get organized. This year the goat was Sean Dunn. The slam started at 7 p.m. and lasted until 10:45 p.m.

“As a judge, we look more for how they deliver their poetry,” Liz Ziska, grad assistant in language and literature and judge of the poetry slam said. “I haven’t (judged) before, but I have been to many slams.”

Ziska said that the poetry topics can be any and everything. The poems just have to be delivered smoothly and with confidence.

“We try to have 30 contestants the first round,” Ziska said. “That gets knocked down to eight, then we go down to four, to divide them into third and fourth and first and second. Then those four go again to see who won out of the two pairs.”

About 20 to 30 people sign up to compete in the slam, said Ezra Jude who helped with the slam because of the editing and publishing class putting on the performance.

“Registration money is usually divided up and split between (the top four),” Jude said.

Jude said that the prizes are usually whatever the class can find.

“The class goes around and asks businesses around town if they want to donate for the slam,” Jude said.

The first round had 34 people, the second round had nine because of a tie for the eighth spot, and the third round had four people, as well as the final round.

Both Jude and Ziska said that they competed in a poetry slam competition helping them to know how the event is ran.

They also encouraged students to come out and read for both the poetry and fictional slam each semester.

Donors this year were Palmer’s Candies, Jolly-Time, South Sioux City Walmart, The T-Shirt Shoppe, Game King, F.Y.E., Hot Topic, Barnes & Noble, Yankee Candle, Bath & Body Works, Journey’s, Gypsies, Staples-Sioux City, Summit Dental S. Sioux City, AutoZone and Sioux Bee Honey.

Out of 34 competitors, the top four were Elijah Herrington – 4, Nathaniel Ferry – 3, Vito Cole – 2, and Sharon Cole – 1. Prizes for the top four were money, goodie baskets and duct tape bags.

Each semester performances for a poetry slam and a fiction slam are done, both once a semester.