Photo by Pauline Park
The College Planning Board took to the stage this Tuesday, hosting their second Open Mic Night of the semester in the Linden Hall Lounge. Nearly 20 different acts performed to a packed house. Poetry, acoustic guitars and even an ocarina filled the lounge with a friendly vibe, while the spotlights on stage helped fill the dark room with a rainbow of colors. For more than half the crowd, it was their first Open Mic of the fall. Sophomore Hadar Baron, an Open Mic Night regular, sat back and watched the performances with a few her friends.
“I’m really excited to see this year’s new talent. When I came in last year, everyone was so accepting, it’s an awesome feeling to be on stage, I hope this year’s new talent is even better,” she said.
Not all of the new talents on stage were freshmen, however. Senior Julian Cruz made his Open Mic debut with senior Brady Caudle, as Caudle and Cruz did a cover of “Clairvoyant” by the band, The Story So Far. When asked about why he waited so long to perform, he said,
“Honestly, I’ve always wanted to perform, but was worried what the reception would be like. I play music as a stress reliever, but it was amazing, I loved the positive feedback.”
The performances on Tuesday were very diverse, ranging from freshman Paige Taylor performing a medley from “The Legend of Zelda” on the Ocarina, to the sick rhymes of The Polo Poltergeist and Mr. Maze, to Ramapo’s “famous” Glam Metal band, “Roshambo.”
“Open Mic Night is a great way to make new friends, hang out and step out of your comfort zone,” said sophomore Kate Klingler.
The audience was captivated by the performances, and attendance grew throughout the night.
Sophomore Carlie Viemann helped run the event with sophomore Jacob Fishman, as well as the other members of the CPB. They were amazed by the turn out, and just how many performers there were.
“Wow,” exclaimed Viemann, “This was one of the best Open Mic’s I’ve seen so far! The audience was so into it, the whole time. The smell of the food, the talent – I cannot wait for the next one!”
Fishman was equally ecstatic: “I think it went well, there was a lot of good vibes and high energy. We had a ton of great performers and everyone was totally vibing off each other, the night just flew right by because we were having such a good time.”
The next CPB Open Mic Night will be held on Tuesday, September 27th. A special Thursday Night Live will occur on September 29th, in Friends Hall.
kferlita@ramapo.edu
