COMBINING POETRY, COFFEE, AND THE PRESENCE OF BELOVED ENGLISH DEPARTMENT PROFESSORS, BLUE MONDAY IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR STUDENTS TO CONNECT WITH THEIR PEERS.
As the academic year swings into full gear, the Undergraduate English Students’ Association (UESA) has kicked off one of its beloved traditions, Blue Monday, a poetry reading event to be held once every semester. The event was set in the cozy ambiance of Happy Goat Coffee Co. on Monday, Oct. 28. Blue Monday offers more than spoken word; it’s a welcoming space where students, poets, and literature lovers gather to share their voices in a supportive community. With poetry, coffee, and familiar English Department professors, it’s an ideal setting for students to connect with peers.
Following the revival of the UESA, the president, Samaira Ahmed, explains their mission is to “revive the connection and opportunities in the English department and to create a community between the students.” Blue Monday plays a vital role in the UESA’s mission to foster a supportive literary community, offering students from the Department of English and beyond a platform to showcase their creativity. The event brings together invited readers—from established poets to emerging voices—and provides open-mic opportunities for students. It’s an intimate space where every poem resonates and each voice is amplified. Originally a grassroots initiative to help students find a sense of belonging within the university’s vast environment, the event has become a centrepiece of the community.
“It’s important to foster the community of English, because we are a small faculty,” says UESA’s VP Literary, Leah Campbell. “It’s really important for all of us to get together and talk with our professors and each other, to further our connections.”
This year’s first Blue Monday featured a variety of performances, from classical poetry recitations to original spoken word pieces and even a song accompanied by a ukelele. The open-mic format allows students to test new material, explore different voices, and find encouragement in a community of their peers.
This Blue Monday featured an exclusive poetry reading by professor Robert Stacey, chair of the department of English. Professor Stacey states that “UESA is always looking for ways to make their students feel like they belong … while also kind of alleviating some of whatever hesitancy or anxieties they might have about getting involved or about going to see the professor.” He believes that holding events like Blue Monday, where students and professors can connect informally, will foster “more friendliness around and make it more likely for [students] to step outside their comfort zone.”
During the event, the Fulcrum had the opportunity to discuss the UESA’s activities with several students in attendance. Amna Saeed, an English major, attended her first event hosted by the association after discovering it online. Saeed’s interest in the organization was piqued by the anticipation of a large turnout, stating, “I decided to go because I have not gotten the chance to meet other English majors.”
Another student, Ella Saltsman, learned about the organization through a presentation in one of their classes and was drawn in by the prospect of attending one of the UESA’s events. The enthusiasm and connections cultivated at the event highlight the association’s important role in bringing together students who share a passion for literature.
The UESA also holds an annual Spring Fling, a semi-formal banquet that is open to all so long as they are accompanied by an English major. To keep the English tradition alive, UESA will be hosting monthly book club meetings for its members. UESA president Samaira Ahmed explains that the goal of the book club is to “broaden that reading agenda and really talk to their peers about different types of genres.”
An event like Blue Monday is essential for students to share an intimate experience where connections could blossom in ways lectures and seminars can’t always provide. As one student recited Sylvia Plath’s “fig tree” excerpt from The Bell Jar, the room fell completely quiet with each line evoking the decisions, pressures, and dreams many of us grapple with during our university years. As each poem resonated through the room, it became clear that Blue Monday offers more than a platform for self-expression; it’s a reminder of the supportive network that students can lean on throughout their university journey.
