By 9 p.m. on most nights, IC Square is a quiet place — only a few students pass through the room or meet in small groups to study. Last night, the room was alive with chatter, laughter, and music as bands, comedians and solo- singers amused the crowd.
Open mic night, organized and produced by the Student Activities Board, was a success Thursday night with over 25 acts performing for a crowd full of students.
Music chair of SAB, junior Sonya Klinger, said the group decided to have an open mic night this year because of its popularity in the past.
“They are always a huge hit,” she said. “Everyone wants to get involved. It’s one of our most successful events.”
To expand on the interest in the show, this year SAB decided to include dramatic performances and comedians, instead of only musical acts.
Senior Matt Rakow, SAB executive director, said adding other acts to the program was to help bring more diverse groups of students to the event.
“We’re making it about more than just acoustic guitar, bands and things like that,” he said. “We really think it’s a cool way for students to express themselves. There really aren’t outlets like that on campus, besides through us.”
Branching out into a different style of performance, the show included a one-act play co-written and co-directed by junior Dan Licata and senior Joe Pera called “A Captain’s Desire: Yours Truly from Across the Sea.” The room came alive with excited laughter as the pair walked off stage.
Licata said they signed up for the event because they wanted to try their play out on an audience for the first time.
“We are talking to some off-Broadway producers right now, and they haven’t gotten back to us yet, so we figured we would test it out first,” he said.
The SAB open mic night is different from other shows on campus because it offers an opportunity for students to perform and bond with their peers.
Senior Rob Dietz, a part of the acoustic guitar duo “Passing Through,” said the all-student audience made the event more fun than other open mic nights they have performed at.
“It’s great to connect with peers musically, always,” he said. “It’s great to see all these other groups too. Most of the time, you have no idea of what other bands there are on campus.”
Freshman Silvan Carlson-Goodman stumbled upon the event when he heard music coming from Campus Center. He said he liked the variety of acts at a single show.
“It’s the exact epitome of what you would expect from a college open mic — all these amateur musicians playing and having fun,” he said.
Rakow said events like the open mic night are the ideal type of entertainment for SAB.
“Student events where students are the talent — that’s what Student Activities Board is really all about, because ‘something for everyone’ doesn’t just mean you’re someone in the audience,” he said. “It could mean you’re somebody on stage.”
