Sierra Gage, the second to last performer of the night, closed her poem with a question.

“How can I be whole when I can only be myself in pieces?” the freshman asked.

After a pause, the audience clapped for the performance. But Gage had one more thing to say.

“That’s the poem, and I finally want to be whole,” Gage said. “So this is me coming out.”

The crowd — a crowd of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, asexual/aromantic, allies and advocates — erupted into clapping, hooting and cheers.

Poetry slam emcee Lilli Hime joked, “We got another one!”

This sense of community was what event creator Magaly Arredondo Lopez envisioned for her peer health educator “passion project” of the semester. The result was Catharsis: An LGBTQIA + Art Slam.

What the Lopez said she didn’t expect, however, was that a freshman would use Thursday night as an opportunity to come out, a term referring to the process by which an LGBT person shares their identity with others.

“Even if you didn’t go and talk about your experience, I wanted you to feel safe and welcome. That was my main goal,” Lopez said. “Anything that came after that, any artistic expression and any people who felt like they could come out — like that one girl — that was a cherry on top.”

In their art, student contributors explored themes of personal history, catharsis and the meaning of LGBTQIA — an acronym that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, asexual/aromantic, allies and advocates. Art and performance submissions were open to any student interested in contributing, with open mic performances slotted into the night’s schedule as well. Student art was showcased around the perimeter of the coffee shop.

One of about 13 performers, junior Daniel Matteson sang and played guitar for his original song “Time to Kill.” The psychology major said he’d never been to an event like this, but his new year’s resolution was the final push to get him on stage.

“I decided this year 2017, I’m going to start taking more risks and do more things that I want to do. This is part of that. I’m a little nervous,” Matteson said. “A ship in the harbor is safer as the expression goes, but nothing ever happens if you don’t put yourself out there.”

One of several baristas working on Thursday night, J.P. Gutierrez said he didn’t know there would be an art slam, but “it was chill to watch and kind of get vulnerable with everyone else” during his shift.

“A lot of things the poets said I could relate to,” Gutierrez said. “It was just cool to get that voice that no one really hears.”

Next to the coffee bar, Jo’s provided a table with free hot coffee, a bucket of crushed ice and a pitcher of the franchise’s Turbo drink.

Wellness and outreach coordinator Jenna Parro works for the university’s Health and Counseling Center and helped Lopez bring Catharsis: An LGBTQIA + Art Slam to fruition.

 “I like to tie everything I do back to the mission of St. Edward’s,” Parro said. “We are recognizing the dignity of the whole human person. We’re recognizing that people have different identities and we are celebrating that.”

Spider House Cafe and Ballroom’s slam poet Jomar Valentin performed three pieces on identity. Drawing from his experience as a gay Asian American, the visiting poet spoke on finding acceptance from society and himself.

“There my Asian side will cook you a delicious meal. My gay side will be the most gracious host,” Valentin said. “My straight side will hold the door wide open. And my American side will remember that we the people, we belong here.”

After the event ended, a crowd of both strangers and friends encircled Gage, hugging her and telling her that they were proud of her.

“I felt very loved,” Gage said. “It was a really good experience to be able to see that you survive after you come out, you continue to create, and you can keep going no matter what.”