Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Perkinston Campus will celebrate National Poem in Your Pocket Day on Thursday, April 28, with poetry reading in the campus cafeteria from 12:30 -1:30 p.m. Students and employees are invited to register a poem to be read.

“Poem in your Pocket Day is the largest literary celebration in the world, with schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers and poets honoring poetry’s vital place in our culture,” said Stacey Payton, event organizer and Perkinston Campus language arts instructor. “We want our students to be fully informed in terms of their personal, cultural and educational experiences.

“This year, for the first time, the Perkinston Campus Language Arts Department, Willis H. Lott Learning Resources Center, and Student Life, Wellness, and Recreation will sponsor an event where administration, faculty, staff and students will read a poem from their pocket,” Payton adds. “Two boards filled with poems are located at the entranceway of the library (LRC) and the Language Arts building (Denson Hall) where students can POCKET, READ AND SHARE a poem. If instructors are motivating students to participate by rewarding them extra credit, there will be a sign-in sheet documenting their attendance, which will be provided to their instructors following the program.”

Administration, faculty, staff and students can read either an original poem or one by a professionally published poet.

The deadline to register is Wednesday, April 27, by 5:00 p.m. For more information or to register a poem, call Stacey Payton, (601) 928-6221, or email her at stacey.payton@mgccc.edu.

The event is free and open to the public.

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