Students and faculty presented their passion for the performing arts during the Yapalooza 2015 showcase.

ULM’s communication program and the ULM Speech and Debate Forum hosted the semi-annual event on Thursday.

“Yap” means a love of talk and “palooza” means a “freakin’ good time,” according to emcee professor Catherine Wilson.

The event allows students and faculty to express themselves through different forms such as speeches, poems and monologues.

Some students even choose to tell stories. The stories may be fictional or personal.

This semester, six students participated.

They tackled heavy topics such as racial strife, violence and sexual abuse.

Performances included Abby Turnbow’s personal narrative titled “Division” which was a stirring reminder of racial tensions.

She shared a story about the unconscious drift between her and her best friend due to the cultural strain their interracial friendship faced in high school. Turnbow urged the audience for action.

“I think the way to bridge the gap between people, between cultures, between old friends, between us and them is to make conscious decisions to unite so we don’t unconsciously divide,” Turnbow said.

Brea Joyner performed “Delaila,” a dramatic one-act play by Meghan C. Hakes.

Delaila, battling multiple personality disorder, was sexually abused by her father as a child and during the performance morphs back into a small little girl.

The audience sat in chilled silence and tears as the play ended with Delaila screaming and pleading for her father to stop.

“Some of the performances really got to me…That hit a completely different level than I thought it would,” Conner Fiasco, a communications advocacy major said.

Professor Wilson said that’s what the Yapalooza is about; a safe place to discuss topics that move others in a powerful way.

“People…are very surprised by this aspect of communication and  advocacy potential that’s in storytelling and theatrical performance,” Wilson said.