Open mic night uncovers talent

A lone microphone stands in the middle of the stage. Musicians, poets, comedians and the like stand in front of the microphone and perform, one after the other, entertaining over 100 persons gathered in the SUB. Coffee is served as student’s watch their peers pour out their creative juices on stage. This is Open Mic Nite.

Open Mic Nite is a new event on campus designed to showcase the talent of the student body. Fifteen acts christened the university’s first Open Mic Nite, Jan. 31, ranging from stand-up comedians to beat poets to a cappella and instrumentally accompanied singers. Each performer was given three to five minutes on stage.

“This is something we need on campus,” Campus Activities Director Mike McCarthy said. “And the coolest thing is that this is not a CAB thing; it’s not a BSM thing; it’s totally student led.”

Ben Rhudy, senior mass communication major, and his brother Jordan Rhudy were the first ones to take the stage.
“I loved it,” Ben Rhudy said. “My brother and I were grateful for the opportunity to play at Open Mic Nite. It also gave us a chance to promote our soon-to-be-released CD.”

Among the other performers were Chris Newby—a student from the University of North Texas, senior philosophy/theology major Andy Wayland, sophomore chemistry major Mike Kroll, and English/foreign language department secretary, Sandra Rodriguez.

“Venues like this are very important to me,” Newby said. “So when I heard that my friend was hosting an Open Mic Nite, I cleared my schedule and drove down to Belton to support the event.”

Newby has opened up for several bands with his slam poetry in the Denton area, and has performed at numerous venues and other “open mic” events.

“Even though I’ve had a lot experience performing in front of audiences, I still get nervous getting up and doing something that I love in front of people that I’ve never met before.” Newby said.

Slightly less experienced students described the act of performing in front of such a large audience as quite terrifying.
“When I first walked onto the stage and saw more than a hundred faces staring back at me, my first reaction was nervousness—yet excitement,” senior mass communication major, Stuart Platt said. “It was definitely a rush.”

Hours of preparation went into creating and organizing the event. Students performed, practiced their pieces with precision, each giving unique and stand-out performances. Some members of the audience went so far as to verbally express their appreciation of the event and its performers.

“It takes guts to get up in front of so many people with the sole purpose of entertaining. Hats off to all the folks who participated in Open Mic Nite,” freshman Amanda Kae Clemmons said. “It was utterly fabulous!”

Designed specifically to be sprinkled periodically throughout the semester, the event has the vision of giving students the opportunity to grow as performers as well as watch others step into the spotlight.

With such positive feedback and a strong turn out, Open Mic Nite has a legitimate shot at becoming a new tradition on campus.

“Tonight was a huge success for the event,” Campus Activities Assistant Director, Jeff Sutton said. “When I walked in, I was pleasantly surprise at the number of students who came out. You can definitely expect to see several more Open Mic Nite’s throughout the year.”

The next date has not yet been determined, but there is a possibility of moving to Shelton Theater or somewhere off campus. There is currently a Facebook group for Open Mic Nite (keyword: open mic nite) and students interested in updates are encouraged to join.

For some, Open Mic Nite is the chance to broadcast an artistic message through a microphone, for others it is a free form of entertainment when classes and responsibilities become too stressful, but many find it to be an event that they are eager to experience again.