Foothills, the student-lead annual literary journal and website, hosted the first Open Mic Night at Beans Coffee on Wednesday Oct. 18. Warmly lit, the scene quickly filled with students, the smell of coffee and warm chocolate cookies. The air was light with a giddy buzz from friends and students.
Welcoming singer-songwriters, comedians, musicians and poets, the night drew creatives from all corners of campus to share their artistic projects. Students chatted quietly, waiting to cheer on their best friends, approach the mic, or to merely enjoy the night and a glass of chardonnay.
Open Mic Nights recall sweaty palms, gingerly writing names on sign-up sheets and gut-wrenching nervousness as readers wait to hear their name. The nights are for those few moments when someone’s reading is deeply affecting, moments in which someone has made meaning out of our human lives, channeling an incommunicable feeling through their raw performance.
One student bravely shared the story of her mother’s own mental illness. It was an act of braveness that was both heart-wrenching and inspiring. Her story is not easily told but is nonetheless important for the sparsely mentioned subject affects one in five Americans.
Foothills’ Open Mic Nights are a space for students to be vulnerable in a way that is not often afforded in their daily life. Others shared poems about first loves, heartbreak, meandering thoughts about college life, general and dramatic wonderings. The results are not only entertaining, but a necessary catharsis for both spectators and performers alike.
Among the twenty contributors were Aristotle Johns, Sherlock Crockett and Ryan Ninesling who read a series of hilarious and absurd poems ranging from a traditional sestina to free-verse.
Foothills was born in 1946, after it was proposed by the DU English department. The organization aims to publish student writing and to support the literary arts. Foothills is currently accepting submissions for their annual magazine to be released in the spring of 2018. Foothills looks to publish a wide range of music, writing, art, film and photography.
The journals are freely distributed, and publication is always a great addition to the resume of a budding writer. Regardless, they make a great present for family members who would like to show others their loved one’s writing
The next Open Mic Night will be hosted at Beans on Wednesday, Nov. 8. If you’d like to contribute, all you need to do is show up at 6:30 p.m. with your material to share.
Foothills continues to inspire students by providing a platform to share their creative work in a safe and inclusive environment, and the experience is highly rewarding for both the individuals who choose to participate and the DU community at large. To submit your work for publication in the journal, or to be featured online on the Foothills website, simply email your submissions to du.foothillsmagazine@gmail.com.
