If you didn’t notice, the Yam Slam occurred at lunch on the Green this Thursday. The event, a Lisa Otsuka AP English Literature tradition, features the best improvised Invisible Man-themed songs from each her classes. According to Otsuka, the Yam Slam began eight years ago. “It started after one of my classes read the novel the Invisible Man. Because music, especially jazz, is so central in the novel, and this form of music is all about improvisation, students rewrote songs to be about the invisible man. It’s called the Yam Slam because there’s this one scene in the novel where the Invisible Man goes back to his cultural roots after eating a cooked yam with relish, when he says ‘I yam what I am.’”
This year, seven teams competed in the finals. Check back for updates on who is determined the winner!
Rollin’ in the Yams (“Rolling in the Deep” by Adele) – Madeleine Baier, Jaya Blanchard, and Lexi Lobdell
The Ten Black Commandments (“Ten Crack Commandments” by Biggie Smalls)- Ben Stanley, Kailen Kershner, Kyle Bryan, Steven, Carhart, and Bret Rodrigues
Who Says (“Who Says” by John Mayer) – Matt Johnston, Kevin Conrad, Dimitri Alfono, and Jordan Payne
7 Years (“7 Years” by Lukas Graham) – Jeffrey Propp, Ethan Oro, and James Calhoon
Waitin’ on the World to Change (“Waitin’ on the World to Change” by John Mayer) – Ethan Tasch, Gabe Schacter-Brodie, Lucas Fioretti, Christian Fioretti, and Jack Maxwell
The Sight of Blindness (“The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel) – Chloé Mauvais, Miranda Simes, Nishant Relan, Molly Kearnan
The Times They are A-Changin’ (“The Times They are A-Changin’” by Bob Dylan) – Mostyn Fero, Spencer Gran, Bastian Schuele, James Calhoon
