On Tuesday, Robert Morris University held a Black Out Poetry Night in the Wheatley Cafe.

“Sigma Tau Delta has been holding Blackout poetry events for several years, although we were interrupted by Covid. We started holding them again during the spring semester last year and want to continue in the future,” Dr. Sylvia Pamboukian, one of the hosts of the event, said

The event was hosted by Sigma Tau Delta and the English Department. It offered the chance to win two $25 gift cards, food, refreshments, and SET credit.

Students were given newspapers and sharpies and circled words in newspapers and magazines to create a poem from the article.

“Blackout poetry is a fun kind word game, like Wordle or crosswords,” Pamboukian said. “It involves finding new meanings in already printed texts by crossing out certain words and leaving other words still readable.”

Poems were created from crossword puzzles, sports articles, news articles, and even an obituary.

Students were laughing, creating, sharing their poems, and clapping (or snapping) after students read their poems aloud at their tables.

Participants were able to gain an additional SET credit by showing their poem to Dr. Pamboukian.

For more information about events happening on campus, visit rmu.revolution.com.