For most people, Tuesday is probably the most boring day of the week. It is only the day after Monday and the weekend seems to be so far away.
However, the folks at Gannon University’s Knight Club, 162 W. Fourth St., are trying to change that and bring excitement to campus by hosting an open mic night every Tuesday.
According to Sam Hyman, technical director of campus events and The Knight Club, he and Max Seng, a sophomore journalism communication major and work study at The Knight Club in charge of advertising and promoting, are both aware of the significant number of student artists and performers amongst the student population at Gannon.
It’s their feeling that an open mic night would provide an opportunity for students to really showcase their talents.
Open Mic Night has currently run for three consecutive weeks.
Hyman said that an event like this might benefit from greater frequency. He said that because of the academic holiday schedule, it has proven difficult for open mic nights that were less frequent to gather momentum.
“Although past open mic nights have been somewhat successful, I felt they lacked that essential spontaneous quality that can make an open mic experience very compelling,” Hyman said. “During discussions with Max, we decided to experiment with a more frequent, less formal event.”
Open mic nights are open to all kinds of performers, including musicians, singers, comedians, poets, performance artists and more.
Seng said The Knight Club will provide four microphones, two direct inputs and an iPod auxiliary cable and performers can bring any additional equipment their show needs.
Seng said that they wanted to create an enjoyable way for students to spend their Tuesday nights.
“We wanted to provide another fun thing to do on Tuesday nights, something students could count on and didn’t need a poster to remember that Tuesdays are open mic nights,” Seng said. “We figured Tuesdays are pretty light on a college campus for things to do and we’re excited to offer this, along with great food, pool tables, air hockey, HDTVs, etc. that we have always featured.”
Hyman said it’s vital for students to realize the importance of the arts and embrace their talents.
“The arts help us define who we are and our place in the universe,” Hyman said. “Performance art needs a public venue to facilitate expression. Through The Knight Club, Gannon University offers students a unique, on-campus venue for that expression in a small comedy club-style environment with great food and beverages, pool, darts, air hockey, cards, board games and more.
“We hope students come away from the Tuesday open mics refreshed and rejuvenated, with a renewed sense of intellectual and spiritual adventure.”
Seng said open mic night is a way to bring people together.
“I’ve been at Gannon long enough now to know that people respect when you put yourself out there,” he said. “There truly is a sense of community here, one that earns you immediate respect if you’re a fellow student.
“There’s something admirable about having the courage to do something like that and people pay attention when you do. So if you have a passion for any of the performing arts, I’d encourage you to not only attend but perform if you feel comfortable enough.”
SAMMIE JANIK
