Honors Story Slam Event

Last week the Honors Program held its first Story Slam Event. The genesis of this remarkable opportunity came earlier this semester, in one of the Unexpected Connections courses.

In the small theatre-seating room, everything was dark except for a spotlight on the woman at the front. The camera focused on her. The audience listened with bated breath. There was the barest trembling of her voice as she paused… Silence.

“One day,” she said, “I will be able to sit down at a table, and I will feel like I belong there. I will find friends, and I will be able to pick up a fork and eat.”

Then, cheers and applause erupted (and one or two tears were shed) as Kalisi Loveridge took her seat and the next storyteller rose to begin.

Earlier this semester, students in Honors 226: Transformative Storytelling traded off roles as storytellers and listeners in the class story slam. Over several weeks, they learned the elements of a quality story—a narrative that leaves listeners thinking. But it wasn’t enough to learn about storytelling. Every student learned that they had a story to tell.

From hair gel to “alien” interactions to a car crash, each story was “concentrated on relaying a central need [that we] still grapple with today,” said student Jacob Sy. Another student, Emma Osguthorpe, featured in the video below, spoke about overcoming the push to be perfect.

Of the experience, student Adah Shippen said, “Being part of the story slam, even just as a listener, built bridges and unity, creating what can only be described as a sacred place.” Caleb Christensen added that without vulnerable storytelling and listening, “it’s easy to be stuck in an echo chamber in our own circles.”

Seemingly opposing stories were shared with acceptance and appreciation. For example, one female student in the story slam spoke about feeling pressured into motherhood and realizing she could choose a career. The very next student shared how she decided to move away from a career to fulfill her dreams of motherhood. Both women sat down and shared a fist bump at the end of their stories.

The story slam was breathtaking… and when it ended, class professors Mat Duerden and Jamie Rowan knew that it couldn’t be over.

Dr. Duerden said, “After the story slam in class this time, we independently felt compelled to figure out how to bring this to a broader audience… [so] we started brainstorming.” Together, he and Dr. Rowan created the idea of an Honors/BYU story slam—and their students cheered when they heard the news.

Eventually, Drs. Duerden and Rowan envision the Story Slam reaching a broader BYU audience and invite all to attend. Why?

Because according to Dr. Rowan, storytelling is a problem-solving skill, helping people to reconstruct narratives and think beyond what they’ve previously considered. “Everybody has some kind of challenge that they're working through, and we just want to give as many people the tools to address those as possible,” he said.

Dr. Duerden added that storytelling and story-listening are also tools that can deescalate polarization during disagreements. “Even though we all have our unique experiences, the act of hearing somebody be vulnerable creates community and connection,” he said.

At the story slam, the audience heard from these featured storytellers:

· Ilse Eskelsen
· Jaycelin Eyre
· James Hamilton
· Kennedy Kleinman
· Kalisi Loveridge
· Chloe Mastny
· Brooke Smith
· Jacob Sy

Whether the presenters are familiar or total strangers, audience members come to listen, laugh, and think again. “It’s entertaining, and in a really deeply meaningful way,” Dr. Rowan said. “I mean, it's just hard to imagine spending your evening in a better way!”

He added, “We hope you'll come to listen to stories, but we also hope you'll start thinking about what story you might tell at the next BYU stories event.”