On Thursday Oct. 25 night between the hours of 9 p.m. and 12 a.m., the West Chester University Radio Station, WCUR, hosted an open mic night in Sykes Common Grounds in Sykes Student UnionThe event was open to the public with no fee for entry. Anyone who wanted to could perform; they did not have to be WCU students.
At the open mic night, performers could do anything they fely like doing. They could sing, read poetry, act out their favorite scene or do anything else to express themselves creatively.
The common grounds was decorated with Halloween decorations for the holiday, and some students were even dressed up in their costumes. There was also a stage for performers to stand on while everyone sat in the audience and watched.
While the audience sat and watched each performance, they were able to snack on food such as pizza and candy. Soda was given out as a beverage, and the pizza was supplied by Pizza University, along with a discount for the radio station.
Randy Oxman and Kevin Zarelli had a lot to say about the open mic night their radio station was hosting. While there, Oxman also performed some impressions for the audience.
Being that there was a small crowd of mostly members of the radio station, Zarelli commented on what could be improved to bulk the crowd up for the next time.
“People need to rehearse more and that performers should have to sign up in advance to give them time to practice,” Zarelli said.
He explained that although it was a little unorganized with the performances, it was a lesson learned and now they know what to do for the next open mic night.
Oxman and Zarelli said that they advertised on the radio and on their website. After realizing that many people on campus may not visit their website or tune in to the radio station, 91.7 “The Curve,” they will be posting fliers up around campus next time in hopes to receive a larger crowd.
Although the crowd may have been mostly students who work at the station, many people performed and everyone had a good time. No matter what the performance was, everyone was respected and was given a heartfelt applause.
The students from WCUR said that it was a great event to hold, and everyone enjoyed themselves. The radio station would like to thank everyone who came out to support the event and also the rest of the listeners on campus who could not make it out to the open mic night.
Since there was no charge to enter the event, all food and beverages were supplied by the radio station itself. Besides thanking those who showed up, they would like to pull in more listeners. A person can visit their website at www.wcur/fm.com, tune in to 91.7 , “The Curve,” which has a five mile radius around campus and lastly, one can call the radio station request line at 610-436-2478 to request a song or add input to the topic on hand.
Lindsay Fischer is a fourth-year student majoring in professional studies with a minor in journalism. She can be reached at LF597031@wcupa.edu.