Students sang, joked and DJ’d during Open Mic Night at the University of Northern Colorado on Oct. 1 for homecoming week.
Organized by the University Program Council, various students showed off their skills in vocal, instrumental, stand-up comedy and even slam poetry performances.
Damara Goodloe, a junior UNC student, is the arts and entertainment coordinator for the UPC and organized the Open Mic Night.
“I think it went well,” Goodloe said. “Our attendance was pretty high partly because it’s homecoming week. They were all great acts. There were some people I haven’t seen before and we’re hoping they’ll come back.”
Highlights of the night included stand-up comedians that made jokes about going to college in Greeley, their personal experiences and a tutorial on dance moves for bad dancers.
The event also showcased diverse musical performances including a live mix by a student DJ. Students sang acapella, brought their own musical accompaniment and played instruments live.
A cover of “Creep” by Radiohead brought a standing ovation. Freshman Maddy Carpenter sang the classic 1993 song and freshman Sammi Kluber accompanied her on the ukulele. They were elated after the performance.
“We signed up for this 20 minutes before it started,” Kluber said. “We had just woken up from a nap, it was great.”
The two have been to a few Open Mic Nights before, but this was their first time on stage.
“It was fun,” Carpenter said. “The crowd was very responsive and supportive, even when I forgot the words. It was nice.”
Many students in the crowd came to support friends and organizations. There was lots of laughter and cheering from the audience, supporting both the nervous first-timers and veterans of the stage used to the limelight.
Open Mic Nights are the first Monday of every month and this year the UPC aims for bigger events, including a featured performer for next month.
“We’re vamping up the UPC,” Goodloe said. “We’re trying to increase student involvement, getting out as many students as possible to our events.”
The next Open Mic Night is set for 8 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 5 in the University Center.
