1. Poems must be your own original work.  

2. You have 3 minutes to deliver your poem with a 10 second grace period. After 3 minutes and 10 seconds, 0.5 points is deducted every 10 seconds over time.  

3. No costumes or props: An object that all performers can access is not considered a prop (ie. the mic stand). It is a prop if only you have access to the object (ie., the poem mentions glasses and the poet points to their own glasses). 

4. No musical accompaniment (other than your voice)

5. No hate speech: No sexism, racism, homophobia, or transphobia - basically, don't be a jerk. 

6. Memorization is not required. Poets can bring paper, book, or a phone to read from. 

7. You will be scored on a scale from 1-10. The poets with the highest scores make it into round two. In the event of a tie in round two, there will be a sudden death round with the tied poets. Please come with at least two poems prepared.