Student Activities Holds Open Mic February 4

Student Activities hosted the fourth Open Mic event of the spring semester Feb. 4 at the Montview Starbucks, where students heard from a variety of emerging musicians and bands. 

This Liberty event allowed aspiring musicians to perform their songs to an energetic nighttime crowd of peers. 

Chloe Rinaldi, the event supervisor for Student Activities, said Open Mic events help promote student engagement because they stand out from other campus activities with a relaxing, casual atmosphere.  

“It’s an event that doesn’t have many boundaries so most of the time, students can be free with their creative direction, and everyone just loves to be there,” Rinaldi said.  

Rinaldi also said the Starbucks location in the Montview Student Union is the ideal place to hold the event. 

“Starbucks is always full of good vibes and chill energy, so it’s a great foundation to bounce off when putting on an Open Mic,” Rinaldi said. “Plus, students love the cozy feeling of Open Mic in Starbucks better than outside most of the time.” 

As students entered the building, they grabbed treats such as chocolate covered blueberries, pretzels and raisins provided by Student Activities event workers.  

 Kylee Cowart opened the event by singing “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” by Whitney Houston. Cowart said Open Mic is a great opportunity for students to unwind with a homework break. 

Following the opener, Isabella Mancini and Kenyon Howards sang a cover of “Sick of Love Songs” by John Michael Howell. Sarah Tate also took the stage singing “Part of Your World” from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” 

Leah Lewis performed the Miley Cyrus classic “Just Like You” and noted her lifelong admiration of Hannah Montana.  

“Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana has been one of my inspirations,” Lewis said.  

Solomon Rivers also sang his original song, “Take This Slow,” which will officially release on Valentine’s Day and was inspired by his own experiences. 

Soon after, Tanner Simoneaux took the stage with some standup comedy, his jokes sparking laughter from the audience.  

Simoneaux started off strong with: “What did one hat say to the other? … I’ll go on ahead!” 

Another joke was, “Fries weren’t originally cooked in France, they were cooked in Greece!”  

Simoneaux enjoyed having a chance to make students laugh with his routine for the Open Mic event. 

“I love comedy,” he said. 

 Toward the end of the event, Tyne Glen and Stone Clark performed Johnny Cash’s well known folk song “Wayfaring Stranger,” with Glen singing and Clark playing guitar. 

Before the spring semester ends, Student Activities will host three more Open Mics on March 4, April 1 and April 15. The March 4 Open Mic will take place in the Montview Starbucks, while the April Open Mics will be held on the Academic Lawn. 

“On average, we hold about five to seven Open Mics each semester,” Rinaldi said. “They’re more frequent during the beginning of them because we are scouting people for the upcoming Coffeehouse tryouts.”  

For anyone interested in participating in one of the next Open Mic events, visit liberty.edu/student-activities/open-mic/. 

Sanford is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion.