Sigma Nu attracted over 100 people at its Arts and Poetry Slam (SNAPS) on Wednesday evening, where nine arts acts ranging from spoken word poets to a six-part brass cover band performed in the warmly lit corner of the fraternity’s living room.

The event was organized by Sigma Nu brothers Eli Briody-Pavlik ’18 and Daily staffer Josh Fagel ’18, and it showcased talent from within the fraternity and broader Stanford community.

Briody-Pavlik described SNAPS as a Sigma Nu tradition started in the early 2000s thatbegan as an intra-fraternity showing.

“Historically, it’s been friends of the house,” Fagel said. “And now Eli and I have made it more about getting really talented people on campus to put on a show.”

Of the many performances, only three featured Sigma Nu members. According to the organizers, the goal was to expand the event to the the rest of campus.

“We want to allow people in the house to shine, but we also want people in the broader community of Stanford to come to our house and experience what Sigma Nu is like and experience art with us and with each other,” Briody-Pavlik said.

A three-member band kicked off the night, using a Wu-Tang Clan name generator to announce themselves as the “Wacko Bastards,” followed by spoken word artist Emma Coleman ’17. Coleman’s lighthearted poem followed her difficult experience at a Catholic middle school.

Musical acts featured guitar, piano, violin and other instruments. One such act successfully mashed together all 14 songs in Chance the Rapper’s album, “Coloring Book.” Stand-up comedy acts were another popular performance category.

After an engaging reading of short fiction, Fagel’s six-part brass band wrapped up the night with a loud, brassy original and a cover of “Valerie.”

SNAPS was deemed a successful night for Fagel and Briody-Pavlik, a fresh break from what the fraternity “does on a typical Friday evening,” according to Fagel.

Fagel explained that some part of the goal of SNAPS was “to convince the campus that Sigma Nu is more than just a frat… [It is] about getting people who might not be in [Sigma Nu’s] community to really meet us and get to know what we’re about.”

The two Sigma Nu brothers encourage Stanford community members with a talent they would like to share to contact them about signing up for a rendition of SNAPS held during winter quarter.

 

Contact Edan Armas at edaarmas ‘at’ stanford.edu.