Ithaca College

Join Ithaca College as we celebrate Focus Asia Month during the month of April, starting with a performance by The Asia Project! The performance will take on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 7pm in the Klingenstein Lounge, Campus Center.

As an aspiring novelist/astronaut/oil painter/brain surgeon/ninja, Asia never thought spoken word poetry would be his calling.  But as with everything else we encounter in life while dealing with the elusive astrological joke we've come to know as destiny, here Asia stands: a spoken word artist fortunate enough to make poetry a lucrative career.

In the early months of 2006, Asia faced a battle with cancer. With his poetry at a standstill around that time, Asia had spent the few months prior considering retiring from poetry­ convinced that his voice wasn't unique enough to stand out amongst the multitude of poets already blazing a trail ahead of him.  So persistent was this conviction that Asia slowly began taking small steps away from poetry and towards an active search for a stable full time job in graphic design.

He didn't know it then...but it would be cancer that would save his life.

While recuperating from surgery,Asia made a vow to God that if he became healed, he would no longer take life for granted- that there is an insurmountable amount of truth in the cliche, "Get busy living or get busy dying."

Now, in the post-cancer years, Asia has been featured on Russell Simmons' HBO Def Poetry and Black Family Channel's Spoken, was named 2006 Performer of the Year by the Association of the Promotion of Campus Activities, was named 2011 College Poet of the Year by the Association of the Promotion of Campus Activities, took 1st Place at the 2008 Southern Fried Poetry Slam Championships with his team MinoriTEAM and many more. Asia has had the privilege to perform with great musical artists such as Mos Def, Jill Scott, DMX, KRS-One and Dead Prez and currently hosts Mello Mondays, an open mic venue, whenever he's in town. Continuing to elevate his craft, he now tours with his guitarist and brother-in-law Jollan Aurelio and together they bring poetry to an experience that is both inspirational and moving.  And what of his attempt to find that stable job?   It no longer holds any relevance, as Asia is proud to be considered one of only a handful of poets who can claim they perform poetry for a living­ gracing one college after another with his one-man show.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact John W. Rawlins, III at jrawlins@ithaca.edu or (607) 274-1692. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.