By Dom LoVallo
Managing Editor
Tonight, two clubs on campus will come together and present an Open Mic Night in Café La Verna. Chattertons, St. Bonaventure’s poetry club, and The Laurel, the university’s literary magazine organized the event.
Michael O’Malley, co-editor of The Laurel, enjoys how the magazine promotes student expression and that will also be the case on Friday night.
“In times like these, where there’s a lot of uncertainty and an undeniable amount of emotion on any college campus, I’m proud to be involved in providing ways for students to channel their feelings into inspired, creative work, and each publication that The Laurel puts out is another reminder of the importance of the work we do,” said O’Malley, a junior English major.
The open mic also allows students to release some tension or relax by sharing their feelings through their creative work, said Jacob Przesiek, a sophomore physics major.
“It’s a good way to manifest one’s emotions and energy,” said Przesiek. “Writing poetry for me is a good way to ease my mind when I’m sad or angry. It’s also an interesting way of describing things. Through the lens of poetry, even something as mundane as a clogged sink drain can be intriguing.”
Joe Giglio, vice president of Chattertons, said he is looking forward to hearing pieces by people not a part of the club.
“I am incredibly excited for Friday,” said Giglio, a sophomore history major. “I love being able to perform and here other people’s work and the Open Mic Nights always have people who aren’t in Chattertons perform and its always really cool to hear their work.”
Przesiek echoed Giglio’s statements about how people don’t need to be in a club to perform on Open Mic Night. Anyone who wants can give it a shot, said Przesiek.
“It’s an open mic,” said Przesiek. “If you have a piece of original writing you vaguely consider to be poetry that you have even a remote desire to share with people, then you should totally come. If you kind of had a thing for those poetry units in high school lit classes but haven’t had that particular craving satisfied since, you should totally come. If you have nothing better to do and want to bide your time before going out with your friends for the evening, then you should come.”
For people who are not sure if they would enjoy spending part of their Friday night listening to performers, Giglio and O’Malley both said it is an enjoyable, relaxing way to end your week.
“Support your fellow students. The bigger the audience, the better it feels for people to deliver their own personal material,” said O’Malley. “Additionally, if you’re a fan of poetry, it’s a great opportunity for people to engage with other creative voices on campus. You might find inspiration of your own there, but if not, you’re sure to find some incredible, dynamic talent.”
lovalldv15@bonaventure.edu
