RIT Story Slam

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A promotional banner for "Story Slam! A Live Storytelling Competition" with a bold design featuring an orange and blue color scheme. The words "STORY SLAM!" are displayed in large, white, distressed text on an orange background. Below, "A LIVE STORYTELLING COMPETITION" and "$700 IN PRIZES" are written in white capital letters on a blue background. On the left side, there is a black circular graphic containing a stylized white illustration of a vintage microphone. The background also features faint chemical

A Live Storytelling Competition

Students are invited to participate in a live storytelling competition where they tell a personal, true story inspired by the theme CHEMISTRY.

Share a story about chemistry in all its forms, from the sparks of human connection to the bubbling beakers of science. We're looking for true tales about those magical moments when elements collide and transform: the crackling electricity of love at first sight, the careful titration of a growing friendship, or the explosive reaction of personalities in conflict. Maybe it's about that fateful day in the lab when everything went gloriously right (or spectacularly wrong), the secret ingredient that turned a recipe into a family legacy, or the catalyst that turned strangers into collaborators. Whether your story involves actual molecules or the metaphorical chemistry that binds us all, come share your experience of transformation, reaction, and connection.

RULES

  • Open to full-time RIT undergrad & grad students
  • Stories must be told, not read
  • No notes, props, multimedia, costumes, or instruments
  • 4–6 minute time limit
  • Personal, true, first-person narratives only
  • Must fit the theme; no stand-up, essays, or rants
  • Stories may be recorded for ECC website & YouTube
  • No discrimination, bullying, or harassment

 

SCORING CRITERIA

  • Clear structure
  • Poise, stage presence, and expressive delivery
  • Strong voice and enunciation (not applicable to ASL)
  • Adherence to time limit
  • Memorization, pace, and flow
  • Connection to the theme
  • Impact, uniqueness, and appeal

 

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Friday, April 11 at 5 p.m.
PRELIMINARY ROUND: Week of April 14
JUDGING: Preliminary rounds will be recorded and scored by a panel of faculty and student judges The top three scorers advance to the final round. Finalists will be announced no later than Sunday, April 20.

View past finalists on the RIT ECC YouTube Channel: For inspiration, check out last year's Story Slam finalists: https://youtu.be/jW8CJBBTZzM?si=zssXFVa4yjsjfeFY, and these examples from The Moth: https://www.youtube.com/c/themoth

FINAL ROUND: Saturday, April 26 During Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival (Time/Location TBD)
PRIZES: $500 for first place; $100 for each runner-up

Contact
Elizabeth Reeves O'Connor
eargpt@rit.edu
Event Snapshot
When and Where
April 15, 2025
Times TBA
Room/Location: See registration link
April 16, 2025
Times TBA
Room/Location: See registration link
April 17, 2025
Times TBA
Room/Location: See registration link
Who

This is an RIT Only Event

Interpreter Requested?

No

Topics
experiential learning
student experience

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