The Alumni Magazine for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. (WPI)
Issue link: http://wpialumnimag.epubxp.com/i/65892
ou wouldn't expect to hear the words improv and mathematics in the same sentence (unless an audience member shouts them in order to challenge a comedy troupe). But it turns out that the two disciplines have something in common. They're both anchored by formulas and patterns, which, once mastered, can guide you safely into new territo- ries. Math might help you navigate through engineering or computer science; improv could launch you into slam poetry. Which is what happened to Jesse Parent '96, improv master and second-place winner of the prestigious Individual World Poetry Slam (IWPS) competition in 2010, and again 2011. "Improv is about pattern recognition and understanding how things are supposed to come back to you," explains Parent in a calm voice that belies his commanding stage presence. "You know where you're going because you've seen this pat- tern before." Since earning his degree from WPI, Parent's life looks a bit like improv: grounded in the formulaic (marriage, two kids, technology career) with side trips into the exotic and creative (Ultimate Fighting, Jiu Jitsu, improv, slam poetry, tattoo artistry). 50 Spring 2012 Y