The freedom to tell their story but the apprehension they feel when faced with telling the truth is what poets and Ithaca College students alike revealed during the “In Your Own Words!” poetry slam on Wednesday.

Roderick “Odd?Rod” Borisade, a spoken-word poet, has starred in commercials and published three poetic biographies about his life struggles. Though he was raised in poverty with a drug-addicted mother and absent father, he attended North Florida University and graduated in 2005.