On Fri., Jan. 13 CUI LEAD hosted an Open Mic Night in Sigma General where students had the opportunity to show off their talents. 

LEAD decorated Sigma General with lights and streamers and set up a make your own trail mix station where attendees could customize their own trail mix to snack on while they watched the performances. 

The first student to perform was freshman Allie Bourne. Bourne performed an original song that she wrote called Puppy Love. Bourne comes from a very musical family and said, “I first started singing when I was two,” adding that she began writing songs when she was ten years old. Other students began to file into Sigma General with curiosity as they could hear Bourne’s voice echoing throughout Sigma. 

Bourne said that the songwriting process “can be very different for everyone but for me writing is not based on structure, but just venting on paper from my thoughts/feelings/real-life experiences.” She added, “Eventually, I add structure and format to the song to make it not only lyrically pleasing but also melodically pleasing to the listeners.”

Senior Sarah Ibrahim was one of the LEAD members that was in charge of organizing and setting up the event and said, “I would love for more students to go to smaller events like open mic night. I think it's a great way to build community and expand your experiences outside of the classroom.” 

Other students shared their original poems and songs and there was a good mix of exciting and thought provoking performances. One student performed a few different magic tricks and shocked the audience with his illusions. 

One of the great things about Open Mic Night is seeing the hidden talents and hobbies that many students have. Senior, and LEAD coordinator, Elise Schult, said she “loved seeing everyone’s talents and to see the wide variety of skills that everyone has.” 

You might not know that the person you sit next to in class is a talented singer, writer or performer, but when you attend events like the Open Mic Night you get to see those talents. Schult said, “I loved hearing people sing their original songs! Multiple people sang some songs that they had written themselves, which was really cool to see students expressing themselves through songs.”

After all of the planned performances were finished the event transitioned into karaoke which provided more opportunities for students to connect and have fun. If you are looking to get more involved in student activities and connecting with the people around you, consider going to smaller events like Open Mic Night. 

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