On Wednesday Feb. 8, The Black Student Center hosted an open mic night to kick off a string of events celebrating Black History Month here at UMass Boston. Advertised as “an event for spoken word, poetry, positive rap and singing. The profanity and negativity should be left at home as we come together and exert our creative and positive vibes.”
A good number of students performed; an even better number came to enjoy the show. Chris Lomax, co-host of the event, is a junior studying information technology at . When asked about the event, he said, “It’s a collaboration with people in and around Boston in order to showcase their abilities and speak their minds.” He also added, “I would have an open mic every night if I could.”
A veteran of open mics regularly held on campus (this was the first one he’s not performing in), junior biology major Phil Laguerre spoke highly of ‘Respect the Mic’. “It’s much needed,” said Laguerre when asked about the progress of the event. “Because of the campus we have, the absence of dorms creates this need for some type of nightlife. Without dorms, people yearn to stay on campus and hang out.”
Micqueen Clerger, a first year double major in sociology and women’s studies, loved the diversity of the event. “The performances made me think.”
Open mic nights on campus are always a must-see. The performances are raw, real, meaningful and true. These students are able to put aside schoolwork, employment, extracurricular activities and their personal lives to come up to the stage and perform in honor of Black History Month.
A round of applause to all those who performed at the event.
