April 28, 2017
Communication studies student to perform at presidential inauguration
Submitted by Catherine Caffera
On Friday, April 28, Logan Stacer, junior in communication studies, will perform his original poem "What Makes Family" at the inauguration of Richard B. Myers as Kansas State University's 14th president.
The Kansas City native began writing and performing poetry more than six years ago. Written specifically for the inauguration, Stacer said the inauguration poem includes portions about family, leadership and the "homework" President Myers will have to do to make K-State better for everyone.
Stacer recently won a national championship in informative speaking at the American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament and was one of two national student representatives of the tournament. Stacer's accomplishment, which is the first Kansas State University Forensics Team national title since 2011, capped off a successful season for the team, which finished 14th in the country.
He spoke about the black national anthem and how understanding the anthem challenges contemporary views of patriotism.
"I started writing poetry when I realized I couldn't be a rapper and fell in love with performance poetry videos that I had seen on YouTube or in forensics," Stacer said.
In November, he will speak on behalf of all students in the American Forensics Association at the National Communication Association's convention in Dallas. Stacer said his dream is to continue performing or writing professionally. He also plans to open a writing workshop for comedy, poetry or playwriting to provide a space for youths to engage with political or social topics in a way that's both educational and creative.
In addition to forensics and poetry, Stacer recently began performing stand-up comedy in campus comedy shows, UPC open-mic events and in comedy clubs around Kansas City and Omaha.
He writes about a wide variety of topics in his comedy, but said he tries to focus on social issues like race, gender, sexuality and equality. Samples of his comedy work are available from his comedy mixtape on Soundcloud.