To give voice to the voiceless and defy social norms is what Tammy Gomez, award-winning poet, imparted to students at a recent visit to the university. Gomez has visited the university a series of times, each time influencing students to develop their own voice.
Gomez is an activist working to inspire people through her literary work. She is a Chicana performance artist who writes about first-hand experiences.
Gomez was able to share some of her work on Monday, April 22, in the Blue Room in Sam Fore Hall. She recited poems to the students like “Give him my shoulder,” “Labeled-misread,” amongst other works.
Sponsoring Gomez’s recent event was the department of Language and Literature and Sigma Delta Pi.
Each year, the department invites an author to act as the Lucille Kruse Reader and host a workshop.
“Sometimes it takes a poet, to open up your mind and to help you connect ideas that are based on your experience or are from information that you have absorbed in your classes,” said Dr. Marco O. Iniguez-Alba, professor in the department of Language and Literature and adviser of Sigma Delta Pi.
Her poems struck many people in numerous ways, there was laughter, awes and some students even were motivated by the readings.
“I realized when I was very young to be a very respectful, acquiescent and rule-abiding little girl,” Gomez said. She discussed what it is like being brought up like any Mexican-American girl, having to be respectful and silent. “Then when I realized that it didn’t get me anywhere and the ones that are talking louder and crowding the rest of us out… they’re not saying what I want to say,” Gomez continued.
Having the power to speak up was something that Gomez worked for immensely. Her goal was to be the speaker, not the spoken to. Gomez manage to inspire many students and establish a connection throughout her presentations.
Her work is the voice of the voiceless and she encourages readers to stand out and do something other than what they are expected to do.
“Everybody expects you to, by the end of college, to get married,” said Diana Luna, a Criminology major. She resonated with the fact that Gomez was also someone who is struggling to break the norms being set within the Hispanic culture. Luna is working to be the voice for those who are being oppressed and mistreated.
The following day, Tuesday, April 23, Gomez held a workshop for students in the Blue Room.
The students were able to have breakfast with the poet and enjoy a creative morning designing Zines. Zines are little pieces of art work, with which students had the opportunity to express themselves and their thoughts. At the end of the workshop Gomez collected the Zines and placed them in a folder as a memento.
