Students gathered in the SUN Dining Hall on Thursday for an open mic night to share their creative work.
The event, hosted by AACC’s student journal for the arts, Amaranth, featured a coffeehouse setting where audience members could take center stage to perform in front of their peers. Performances ranged from singing and poetry to comedic skits.
“I think it creates a creative space for a lot of the students on campus,” said Claudia McCandless, a second-year creative writing student and editor-in-chief of Amaranth. “It helps with a lot of people’s confidence in terms of performing or getting up in front of a group of people because a coffeehouse is a very casual, fun event.”
Students continued to arrive throughout the event, registering to perform, laughing with new friends and sharing snacks. Performers were allowed to take the mic up to three times each.
“It is a space where I can perform my music,” said Freya Lakis, a first-year creative writing student and member of Amaranth. “My local area doesn’t really have a lot of opportunities for me to play my own music like this.”
Students expressed their gratitude toward Amaranth’s commitment to open mic night.
“I want everyone who suffers with mental illness, who suffers with that dreadful feeling of not knowing how to be cared for to find your source, to find that place or thing that makes you happy,” said Makaya Stevenson, a first-year fine arts student. “I’ve always loved poetry and [this event] gave me a chance to talk about something without having to force myself to describe it.”
Stevenson shared two original poems inspired by her battle with bipolar disorder.
McCandless said the event, which Amaranth hosts monthly, is a place where “we can all foster our own creative environment. … I think that stuff [like open mic nights] at a college level for students is good for branching out. These events are really important and we need them for people to have a creative outlet.”
The next Amaranth coffeehouse will be Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. in the dining hall. The theme is Halloween, and Amaranth staff is encouraging performers to wear costumes.
