Some 25 audience members, most of them student writers and poets, joined In the Ords and LitMatch Feminist Literature Club for their fourth Take Up Space open mic night in the Library’s Makerspace.
Featured poet, author and professor Alie Jones led the group in a breathing exercise that grounded the event and everyone in the space. Fourth year Humanities and Communications student and In the Ords president Hayley Matto hosted the night.
With a video of a fireplace in the background, students signed-up to share, in many cases, their deeply personal work in a low-stakes environment. The mic was open for any and all types of recitation from poetry to Shakespearean sonnets.
“Spaces like these are where connections are formed,” said second year Humanities and Communications student and poet Adeline Voegels. “People have the ability to gain confidence in their voices and the fact that they have something of value to say.”
After the list of performers finished, Matto invited Jones to take the microphone.
Jones read poems from her book “Saltwater Moonshine” as well as recent work. Her poems highlighted both her Creole heritage and periods of grief.
Jones shares that open mic nights are important because they bring people together and allow for community to build.
“I think that there needs to be more spaces to actually share and not just look, then walk away from each other when a lot of people are struggling,” said Jones. “I think it’s really powerful to have that.”
Matto, who is also a staff member of the Lutrinae, originally created Take Up Space in order to have a welcoming environment on campus to have vulnerability and share personal writings.
“I will be graduated by the time they do the next open mic, but I hope that I am leaving behind a tradition,” said Matto. “I want this space to continue to thrive, for more guest speakers to come through, and hesitant on campus creatives to find community in the safe space.”