On March 22, Point Loma Nazarene University students gathered in the lower lounge of Goodwin Residence Hall to enjoy food and refreshments and hear fellow students sing at Closed Mic Night. This was an event open to all of Loma’s student body.
Closed Mic Night has become a tradition in the Goodwin community; it took place last semester and over 50 students have made an appearance. It is called Closed Mic Night as it is specifically a night to show the talent of Point Loma’s transfer students who are living in Goodwin.
The Resident Director (RD) and the Resident Assistants (RAs) of Goodwin do what they can to make this evening memorable for all by using their own time and efforts to make this possible.
One of the RAs involved in arranging the event was third-year global business management major Riley Jackson.
“We start by asking people in the Goodwin community to come play and showcase their talents,” Jackson said. “Other tasks were planning and picking up food, organizing the set, getting work orders in for equipment and setting up on the day of the event.”
While much work went into putting Closed Mic Night together, Jackson said that Goodwin’s RD and RAs gladly do it as they saw this night as a space for students to connect with each other.
“Our hope in this event is that people will feel welcomed and invited in,” Jackson said.
At around 7:15 p.m., groups of friends and campus residents began to make their way into Goodwin. As soon as they walked into the lower lounge of Goodwin, cozy blankets covered the ground for students to sit on and fresh pizza, hot cocoa and Crumbl cookies were offered in the kitchen.
Once everyone got their food and drinks, students made their way to the floor where they would soon listen to six of their fellow PLNU students sing personally-selected songs for the following hour. The singers included Josh Urich, Kevin Kim, Sori Shin, Madelyn Marie, Joe Vincent, Sierra Hill and Raesheille Sosas.
Not only is great effort and time put into this evening by the RD and RAs, but by the singers as well.
Fourth-year business administration major Kevin Kim shared his perspective on the event as a performer.
“Some things that go into preparing are definitely being thoughtful with what song and what order. I feel like the contrast between songs should be smooth and flow,” Kim said.
As the audience knew almost every song, students sang along, danced and cheered enthusiastically for the performers up on the stage.
Fourth-year music and global business management double major, Sori Shin, was one of the students in the audience.
“The most memorable part of the night was listening to Josh Urich’s acoustic version of ‘Tracks,’” Shin said. “A lot of people on campus are familiar with that song so it was fun to dance and sing along to our friend!”
Not only was it an enjoyable night for the students who came and listened, but it was also an inspirational experience for the singers.
“Something that inspired me to perform was the thought that I may never get another opportunity to perform out of Point Loma! These performances are a great way for me to make the most of my season here!” Kim said.
If you are interested in attending the next Closed Mic Night make sure to check out your dorm hall’s bulletin boards or follow @plnu_asb and @goodwinvibez on Instagram for updates.
Written By: Gracie Heffington
Steve Anderson