Equality. Freedom. Oppression.

These common topics were found in many of the poems heard in room 129C of the HUB-Robeson Center yesterday afternoon at a poetry reading for Martin Luther King Jr. Day organized by the Undergraduate Student Government and supported by Kalliope and Problem Child literary magazines.

"A lot of times, days like these are about service, and creativity can add a lot to that," said Jamie Rounds, publicity director for Kalliope. "The idea is about creativity, about expression," he added.

Rounds (freshman-political science and philosophy) opened the reading with two poems by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, "Slow Lament" and "Tyranny."

"I think it's kind of fitting because it talks about oppression and some of the raw feelings that come from it," Rounds said of "Tyranny."

Three other staff members of Kalliope and Problem Child also read poems before a small group of students.

Kalliope co-editor Katelyn Belyus (junior-English) told her listeners, "I promise I won't make you cry," before she read several poems, some that she had written herself and some by other poets.

"To me, Martin Luther King Jr. has been less of a symbol of community service and more of a symbol of equality," she said of how she decided on the poems that she read.

Andy Veres (freshman-English and comparative literature) read a poem that he had wrote early yesterday morning aptly titled, "Poem for Martin Luther King Jr. Day."

Veres said he decided to write the poem because "I didn't have any poems about peace and equality so I just decided to write about how far we have to go."

"Did you really want me to write a poem based on two or three pages of my eighth grade history book?" he asked in the poem.

Jessica Scott (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) read a poem she wrote called "American Pantoum to the Flag."

"I don't know anything about being persecuted for my skin color, but I do know about being persecuted for my ethnic background," Scott said before reading her poem.

The reading got underway about 15 minutes late due to the band playing in Alumni Hall which is separated from 129C by a thin retractable wall.

"I wonder who came up with the idea of putting a live band next to a poetry reading?" asked Rounds.

Although the turnout for the reading was low, the participants were enthusiastic about the event.

"Poetry is normally under-attended," said Scott. "It's part of its charm."