By Petal Samuel
“So…I date black girls.”
Justin Reilly, senior in the Wharton School of Business, member of Penn’s basketball team, and veteran poet of The Excelano Project, Penn’s spoken word collective, had hardly completed the first sentence of one of his most recognizable pieces before the entire room erupted in recognition, excitement, and scattered affirmations. If this alone isn’t testament to the devotion of the multi-campus fanbase of The Excelano Project, and the packed room of students standing and sitting on the floor, stairs, and sidetables of the LGBT center still does little to convince you—then we’re assuming you’re either blind, or just haters.
Foregoing chairs in order to make as much room as possible for their fans, the Excelano project’s second underground show last Thursday evening garnered a strong turnout of students and as per usual, boded well for the group’s success this year. However, Excelano (or “EP”, a nickname given to it by its members and echoed by the group’s fans) has always shown a vigorous commitment to not only its own success, but to the craft in a wider sense—often paying particular attention to the voices of non-EP members. The group opened their Thursday night show, as is custom, with an open mic, for people who had signed up to perform prior to the show as well as anyone else in the crowd who felt moved to perform. The open mic this time ranged from non-EP spoken word artists to musicians, all of whom received the room’s vigorous support. It’s an understatement to say that the love in the room was palpable. The welcoming, familial environment where everyone in the room is invited to be moved, to be honest, and particularly to be inspired may be part of what makes the Excelano movement on campus so powerful. “Excelano”, the latin word for “march forth” signifies EP’s dedication to this sort of free-thinking, free-feeling atmosphere.
Having recently lost funding from the Penn Student Activities Council (hence the term “underground”), student support this year has become especially important for the group. Regardless of this fact, The Excelano Project has managed to continue to fund its own shows—in part through donations given during their underground performances—and have continued to hold two shows per semester, with seemingly an even better turnout now than before they lost funding. Student interest in the group also remains strong: at the underground performance, the new recruits to the group made their debut to the community of EP fans. However, don’t confuse their status as newbies with their poetic prowess—all four of the newbies (Ilana Millner, Lauren Yates, Marion Smallwood, and Miles Hodges) performed brave, heartfelt poems that touched and awed the fans. I even heard a girl behind me exclaim in shock: “These newbies are good!” A sure sign that despite whatever struggles the group has endured, their standards for excellence surely haven’t changed.
Interested in knowing more about The Excelano Project? Don’t forget to visit their website, www.excelanoproject.com and keep yourself up to date with their newest work and upcoming events. If you haven’t had an opportunity to go out and see an EP show, waste no time—join the movement.
“I am the voice of self-doubt masked as the voice of reason.” – EP newbie Lauren Yates
Chloe Wayne (right) and Garret Carey (left), EP’s director and associate director respectively.
