ROSEMARIE RAPISARDA
Special to The Leader
Do you have a special talent that you want to showcase?
Stop by the Williams Center’s Blue Lounge any Friday between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
All students are welcome to come up on stage and show off any talent they might have ranging from playing an instrument, singing karaoke, stand-up comedy, slam poetry and many more.
Do you have a little stage fright?
No worries!
Even if you’re not performing, it’s a perfect opportunity to come and support your fellow students who are.
Campus Life is conducting these weekly Open Mic Nights, “To provide some regular Friday night fun for students … [The goal is to] connect students to peers and clubs, as well as foster a sense of belonging on campus,” said Rachel Martin, the associate director of Campus Life.
Martin also mentioned how this idea came about.
“After talking with students and other campus departments, we felt like students would enjoy regular and consistent programming, something they could participate in,” she said. “Karaoke and Open Mic Nights have been very popular in the past and are a great way for students to connect and have fun.”
Student-run clubs and organizations are also able to host a night.
“We are hoping that clubs are interested in partnering with each other and with the Campus Life office on these events,” Martin said. “Many clubs are saying that they need more club members and this is an opportunity to promote those clubs. These events are a great way for students to join in on the fun even if they haven’t decided to join a club yet.”
To host a Friday night event, clubs can contact Martin at rachel.martin@fredonia.edu.
This past Friday, the Student Association hosted an Open Mic Night in hopes of spreading the word that other clubs could do so as well.
Bethany Anderson, the Chief Justice of the Student Association, shared her thoughts on why clubs should be interested in hosting a night.
“Having other clubs host a night allows the event to be switched up weekly and have a different spin on it … It is also a good way to get your club out there since it’s a fun and easy event,” she said. “It gives you the floor to speak about your club since you could get a lot of engagement and interest from guests who aren’t a part of it.”
As for spreading the word about the event, Anderson said, “Reposting on social media is where most students are active, it’s a great way to gain more attention and have a big turnout.”
Anderson also shared some tips on how to keep the crowd going when hosting.
“I think it was a good idea to have one or two people as a consistent MC … it encourages people to come up on stage and entertain the crowd between performers. So if you have one or two energetic people in your club, it would be amazing to have them come up and lead hosting,” she said.
Sangai Keita, a senior public relations and political science double major, was one of the many students who participated in Open Mic Night.
“My favorite part of Open Mic Night was meeting and speaking to people that I normally have seen but have never gotten the chance to speak with,” Keita said. “Open Mic Night gave a platform for people to just talk about anything random and everyone is still enjoying it.”
Keita also shared her thoughts on advice for future students who are interested in hosting.
“In terms of the host [Student Association Comptroller Brian Lyght Jr.], I think it was nice seeing how uncut and real he was. I think most of the time students or people who come to Open Mic Night are just looking for reliability and inclusivity and that is exactly what the host did … I would like to see these same qualities in future hosts!”
Keita said for spreading the word about the event, people should “Reach out to people you may not typically reach out to. A lot of students love to get involved and be included and you wouldn’t know until you reach out to them.”
It’s that point of the semester where many are feeling stressed, so an Open Mic Night may allow students to relax, have fun and unwind.
Rosmarie Rapisarda, the author of this article, is the president of the Student Association and was involved in planning their Open Mic Night.