Point Park University's Student-Run Newspaper

Point Park Globe

Point Park University's Student-Run Newspaper

Point Park Globe

Point Park University's Student-Run Newspaper

Point Park Globe

Open Mic Night welcomes talent performances

Ciera Onley’s role in the Black Student Union’s (BSU) Open Mic Night is not just organizing it. She will also be one of the many Point Park University students performing.”I performed last year, poetry, and I will do so again this year,” said Onley, the BSU president.Onley will be of many at BSU’s second Open Mic Night, titled “Tones of the Point.” It will be held on Oct. 19 at Starbucks at Conestoga Hall. It runs from 6 to 9 p.m. and there is no charge for admission. All types of performances are welcome, and there is no theme to the event.Other Point Park students may perform as well, including BSU’s vice president, Joelisa McDonald, who will likely be active in a similar role.”I plan [to perform] but I haven’t decided what yet,” senior broadcasting major McDonald said. “I wrote a couple poems, but I’m a little on the shy side.”Larry Howard, another BSU member and freshman cinema and digital arts major, will likely do something within the spoken word realm as well, if he decides to perform.”I might possibly [perform],” Howard said. “Either a monologue or poetry.”If last year is any indication, the event might not even be limited to performances by Point Park students. This is the case because it is open to everyone to perform.”[Last year] it was a lot of Pittsburgh residents as opposed to Point Park students,” Onley said. “We want to get more students involved this year.”Still, Onley said, the outside performers did make for a better experience for students.”The Point Park students really enjoyed the poets that came because of their professional way of speaking,” sophomore journalism major Onley said. “And the singers had CDs.””A lot of people enjoyed it last year,” said McDonald in a phone interview.There was a lot of variety at last year’s event as well, according to Onley.”We had a couple of singers,” Onley said. “We had a lot of poets also, and one person did a monologue.”At this early stage, what exactly attendees may see is not known yet, but there will be chances for interested students to sign up by contacting BSU via email. There is still, however, some idea as to what to expect.”We will have a singer, rapper and there will be poetry,” Onley said. “Nothing’s set in stone yet, but a lot of people have expressed interest. Some people might go back up again and perform more than once.”McDonald also expressed there is some possibility for variety.”There may be some singers but I’m not sure,” McDonald said. “There won’t be just poetry, though. There might be some monologues.”One thing that the president and vice president of BSU are sure of is that there will be a good crowd for this event.”I definitely think there will be a good turnout,” McDonald said. “I feel confident it will be successful.””BSU will be going and we’re all excited,” Onley said.Onley and McDonald will both be working to recruit performers through the use of a table outside of the Point Cafe.There were no issues in regards to using Starbucks as the venue, according to Onley. The event ran at the same time last year, when the building also closed at 9 p.m. The change in their hours resulted in the only minor complication.”Starbucks closes at 8:30 so we had to sign a contract to stay open,” Onley said. “It’s not that much extra money. There might be drink specials too.”For Howard, who is a first year BSU member and a freshman cinema production major, he knows what he wants to see at this event.”I want to hear some new perceptions and concepts that affect everyone, people as a whole,” Howard said. “People on one group of people, but I want something that can go global.”

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