Music, poetry, debates, skits, impersonations, heartfelt speeches, rants, you name it. All of these were found at the National English Honor Society (NEHS) Open Mic Night. On Monday, Nov. 7, everyone interested was invited to perform and entertain the student body. However, there were varying opinions on the anticipated outcome of this event, as nobody knew what to expect.

“I’m hoping we have a lot of members and non-members show up and that a lot of people will share their original work, have fun with their friends, and celebrate written word,” senior Alexandra Krasilovsky said. As vice president of NEHS, she played a big role in planning and preparing for the event. “In the past month we’ve been planning logistics and hour recommendations and how we’re gonna set it up,” Krasilovsky said.

Others saw this event as an opportunity. “I’ve been waiting for this for so long,” junior Adrian Mata said. The Open Mic provided a platform for the poet to perform two of Mata’s completed pieces, ‘Suit, Tie, and Shoes’ and ‘Worriless.’ “One describes the monotony of everyday, stereotypical nine to five cubicle jobs,” Mata said.” “The other one is worriless, which is the complete opposite. People have no monotony and don’t care what happens. They just go with the flow.”

Fortunately, the effort put into creating this event was certainly worthwhile, as many were satisfied with the variety of performances, especially the debates. “It was funny to hear the goofy opinions, like Marvel vs. DC,” senior Dzifa Melomey said. “It was like a stand up comedy of sorts.” For her own heartfelt oration, she felt that “everyone was engaged and everyone was very willing to [listen].”

Krasilovsky also found great appreciation for the diversity of entertainment. “I love that people brought original works, songs, music, poetry, prose, impressions, rants, improv,” Krasilovsky said. “ I liked that there were lots of things for people to pay attention to, it wasn’t dry or anything.”

The assortment of performances and the impartiality of the stage is what intrigued non-members to participate. “Anybody can go up, whether you signed up or not,” Mata said. “There were people I’ve talked to throughout the event who were like ‘ah should I go up, should I choose one of the impromptu cards,’ and I was like why not, there’s no reason not to.” Due to the high reception of creativity, many are interested in applying for NEHS next school year.

Krasilovsky found herself exhausted after hosting a triumphant Open Mic. “I’m very excited about the way that it went,” Krasilovsky said. “I think people enjoyed themselves and I definitely had a nice time hosting.”

Gallery • 7 Photos

Zahria Ford

Junior Adith Pashya points at the crowd after concluding an engaging debate. “We have a rant jar, where we have topics that people can go on and on about,” senior Alexandra Krasilovsky said. “We’ve got some stuff in case no one came prepared, we’re totally prepared to have people come and [perform] on the fly.”