Elijah Clarke, Staff Writer

Valentine’s Day decorations surrounded attendees of 2016’s first open mic night. A rainbow disco ball bathed the crowd in a multicolored glow. Tables were covered with candles, while packs of Sour Patch Kids decorated every seat.

The event, hosted by the Student Government Association (SGA) and Campus Union Board (CUB), was emceed by Dequon Fryer.

Senior cell and molecular biology major Travoires Griffin said, “It was admirable to see my fellow students confidently perform for an audience of their peers.”

Performances varied across the board, with a notable showcase of vocal talent coming from Larie Francis, who delivered a stunning rendition of “One Night Only” by Jennifer Hudson.

Fryer went on to introduce a series of games that required teamwork and solid communication from each player, such as charades. This somehow led to the next segment:  R&B Diss Battle.

Both Diss Battle teams were given a song to sing, and a word to use to diss the other team in their song. The girl’s team was given “Scrubs” by TLC, and the word was “thot.” On the other side, the guy’s team was given “Hello” by Adele, and their word was “weave.”

The two teams were sent out to separate rooms for five minutes to come up with lyrics, and practice them. The audience voted on who did a better job, declaring victory to the guy’s team.

The night ended shortly after with the last performer, Auntie, who sang a beautiful rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Her notes echoed throughout the hall as people filed out the door.

Sophomore Justin Cash was happy he chose to attend the Open Mic, stating, “If I have good company with me, this event always ends up being a blast.”

Sad that you weren’t able to attend the Open Mic? Don’t worry! Another is just around the corner in late April. Check out upcoming Inkwell issues for more information.