Student Poets Shine at 5th Annual Westwood High School Teen Poetry Slam

The library at Westwood High School didn’t feel like a library on April 30. It pulsed with snaps, applause, and the rising confidence of student poets, who stepped forward to share pieces that were deeply personal and strikingly honest.

One by one, students took the podium at the fifth annual Teen Poetry Slam, their words filling the room with stories of family, identity, politics, and climate anxiety. Some spoke softly at first, then grew louder. Others commanded the space from their opening line. Each performance carried its own rhythm, but all shared the same urgency: to be heard.

Poets included Liyann Alrayashi, Cara Collins, Elizabeth Lowney, Hank Murray, Aarthi Movva, Avery Place and Hannah Slotnick, who presented original spoken word pieces in a two-round competition. Their poems reflected not only their individual experiences but also the broader concerns shaping their generation.

Three slam judges listened closely, scoring each performance moments after the round ended. This year’s panel included teen librarian Frazier Arets, local poet and prose author Kathleen Latham, and retired Massachusetts Housing Court judge Wilbur P. Edwards.

By the final round, the energy in the room had shifted from supportive to electric. When the scores were tallied, Hank Murray, class of 2026, earned first place, followed by Liyann Alrayashi, class of 2029, in second, and Hannah Slotnick, class of 2029, in third. The winners received gift cards, in recognition not only of their writing but also the power of their performances.

The event was organized through a collaboration between librarian Theresa Fisher, English /creative writing teacher Kieran Moriarty and Westwood’s inaugural Poet Laureate, Lynne Viti. Supported in part by Viti’s grant from the Westwood and Massachusetts Cultural Council, the slam has become more than a competition—it’s a space where students can speak openly through their art and be heard, especially by their peers.

As the morning came to a close, what lingered wasn’t just who won the slam, but the poets’ voices—honest, unfiltered, and impossible to ignore.