For some, it’s the thrill of the competition. For others, it’s the chance to share their views and words with a crowd.

Whatever brings them to compete, teen poets from around the Bay Area will gather at the ODC Theater on March 19 and 20 to compete in the 8th Annual Teen Poetry Slam Semi-Finals, sponsored by Youth Speaks, an organization whose main goal is to give voice to aspiring teen poets.

James Kass, founder and executive director of Youth Speaks, created the organization and the poetry competition back in 1996 to give teenagers a voice. “I was in graduate school at SF State at the time, in Creative Writing, when I came up with the idea," Kass said. "I want to give more young people an opportunity to really explore true cultural participation and give teenagers, particularly urban teenagers, an opportunity to define themselves against media representation and stereotypes.”

One of the contestants in the slam happens to be a SF State student. Kirya Traber, a 19-year-old psychology major and Mendocino County Poetry Slam Jam contest winner in 2001 and 2002, was first attracted to slam poetry at age 7. “I didn’t even know what it was at the time. As I grew, I came to like it,” she explained.

After graduating high school, Traber came to SF State for a variety of reasons. “I was attracted to the activist roots of the school, and the multicultural environment. Heck, I even like the campus food here,” she said.

What also attracted her was the chance to flourish in her poems. Describing it as urban and slightly political, Traber said her poetry was also loose. “When I’m flowing, I let it all out. It comes out as it comes.”

As for what inspires her, Traber said that it mostly comes from her own life. “My experiences, friends, family – they all inspire me. My poetry tends to be more personal than political for that reason,” she said.

Traber explained that other poets inspire her work as well. “I love the poetry of Marc Bamuthi Joseph. I can relate to him politically,” she said. “My fellow Youth Speaks poets are an inspiration to me as well.”

She gave examples of things she has discussed through her poetry, such as “what it’s like to be ostracized by my peers for being bi-racial, or being self-destructive at a certain age.”

Traber herself is an inspiration to other poets as well. Danielle Peters, a 19-year-old undeclared SF State student, said that listening to Traber read gave her courage with her own poetry. “Her poetry is amazing,” Peters declared. “It strikes me how truthful and honest it is, how she talks about her own personal things. It’s encouraged me to write more personal things in my poetry as well.

Kass praised Traber’s poetry as well. “I think that Kirya is a great poet,” he said. “I think that she very much aware of identity issues, cultural politics. The thing I like most about Kirya’s writing is that she continues to want to learn, she knows she has a lot to learn, a lot of growing to do. She does some interesting stuff about sexuality and ethnicity that I think is very interesting and very inspirational.”

In the end, Traber doesn’t even care is she wins or loses. “I care that I get to share my poetry, this moment, with people. That’s what I care about.”

For those who attend, expect to hear some stirring, rousing poetry from the contestants. Also expect to hear a two new pieces of poetry by Traber. “I recently wrote a piece that’s very personal to me. It’s about someone very close to me, who is going through a tough time. I also wrote about a medical condition I have that is really affecting me. I hope people like it.”

The Youth Poetry Slam is at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $4 for students 20 and younger. The ODC Theater is located at 3153 17th St. at Shotwell Street in San Francisco.

For more information on the slam, check out Youth Speaks. For ticket information, call the theater box office at (415) 863-9834.