The day of Sept. 5 crept up on me when I looked over my responsibilities this week, but in a good way. The day I had been waiting for since the end of last semester has finally arrived. A chance to let my creative side shine and express appreciation when others do the same.
Open Mic Night is a fantastic event hosted by the Creative Writing Club twice a semester. This event is not only a great way for Bucknell students to share any pieces of writing they may be working on, but it’s also a great way for Creative Writing majors to meet each other and connect with professors in a low-stress environment. Since this was the first open mic of the year, and I signed up to share two recently finished poems, I wanted to get to the Creative Writing social as quickly as possible. Once I arrived, I immediately started chatting with a Creative Writing professor I hadn’t seen since my first year and caught up with other professors I hadn’t seen in a while either as well as a few friends. It was nice to see some of my friends who aren’t Creative Writing majors attend Open Mic Night to support me and my peers who were sharing their written work. Being at Open Mic Night reminds me of why I made the right choice to become a Creative Writing major. By documenting our experiences through writing, everyone can find common ground and connect with one another.
The transition from the Creative Writing Social to Open Mic Night was quick. I was assigned to read my poems in the middle of the event, which was what I was hoping for! Something interesting that I noticed about this year’s first Open Mic Night is that there were more readings of short stories than usual, instead of just poems and shorter pieces of writing. Towards the end of the night, when the audience was asked if there were any volunteers to share their work, someone read a rough draft of a screenplay they had been working on involving aliens. Listening to a variety of writing styles and structures kept me a little more engaged and brought a whole new meaning to Open Mic Night.
The two poems I chose to read had been in the works for a bit. The first poem I read, which I started in 2023, is about how time is seen as a delicate creature that can run out on us at any minute. I really wanted to read this poem first because, as a junior, part of me feels like I’m running out of time to make the most of my college experience. The second poem I chose to share was titled “The Games We Play.” It’s about being in a relationship where the other person is toxic and playing games with your head. I added some loose references to board games throughout the poem, including chess, Monopoly and Chutes & Ladders, to name a few.
The Creative Writing Club president’s message at the end of the night shared my views on creative writing exactly. No matter your skill level or writing style, it’s good for your health to express yourself through writing. Even a couple of sentences a day is a good enough start to get a person interested in creative writing. I hope that by the next Open Mic night, there will be even more diverse pieces of writing to listen to and process.