By Gabriella Ciaccio
Rudy Francisco is a spoken-word artist and activist who gives a voice to the experiences of those around him. He will perform and host the third annual KU poetry competition on Wednesday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m. in MSU 183. The contest will be judged by English faculty 
and prizes will be awarded to the top three poets.
Francisco was born and raised in San Diego, California. At the age of 21, he completed his B.A. in psychology and continued his education by pursuing a M.A. in organizational leadership.
As an artist, Francisco uses activism and poetry to enlighten the minds of those around him. He listens and absorbs the experiences of the people around him to convert their stories into poetry.
Francisco has made it a priority to cultivate young poets and expose the youth to the genre of spoken word poetry through workshops and performances at schools and community centers. He has conducted guest lectures and performances at numerous colleges and universities around the nation.
In addition to his contributions to education, Francisco is also the co-host of the largest poetry venue in San Diego. He has been featured at many venues and has won the hearts of many with the honesty of his words.
Francisco’s ultimate goal is to assist others in harnessing their creativity while cultivating his own. Francisco is the 2009 National Underground Poetry Slam champion, the 2010 San Diego Grand Slam champion, the 2010 San Francisco Grand Slam champion and the 2010 Individual World Poetry Slam champion.
“I think this event is going to be great.” said junior Becca Smith. “Listening to poetry and spoken word is always so calming and peaceful. I’m sure everyone will enjoy Rudy Francisco’s work.”
For more information on Rudy Francisco, visit his Facebook page (Facebook.com/RudyFranciscopoetry/), his Twitter account (@RudyFrancisco) or view his work and blog posts at rudyfrancisco.tumblr.com.