Written by Mateo Biggs
On Sutton Terrace on Sept. 28, Roanoke College got loud. Students came together outside Cavern and perched on chairs and benches – as well as surfaces not meant to be chairs – as they eagerly waited for Open Mic Night to begin.
At 7:39 that night, the event kicked off. The first to come up to the microphone was El Spangler, as she warmed the crowd up with introductions and witty comments that left many laughing in their seats — one memorable line being the encouraging, “Don’t be shy, we are all here at a D3 school with food problems and stomach problems!” This line, in true RC fashion, was broken up by feedback from the microphone.
RC’s own Joe Boucher was in attendance at the event, laughing along with students while music such as “Numb” by Linkin Park, “Uma Thurman” by Fall Out Boy and “Replay” by Iyaz played to relax the queue of students who had signed up to give the mic a shot.
At the front of the queue was Spangler and two other student staff members, singing Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” and adoringly butchering the lyrics as they screamed their heads off into the microphone. Their performance segued into three other students singing High School Musical’s beloved “Breaking Free.”
The event was jam-packed with memorable moments: students singing their hearts out and waking up dazed residents of New Hall; students getting the crowd to dance along with songs like Hannah Montana’s “Hoedown Throwdown”; heartwarming musical pieces played on the provided piano like “Just the Way You Are” by Billy Joel and “American Dream”; and a group of freshmen bringing a blown-up friend named Chum Bucket to sing “Stacy’s Mom” by Fountains of Wayne. A special gift left by Chum Bucket was the fact that Spangler had used it to jokingly roast another student in the crowd.
After many musical moments, as well as stand-up comedy dished out by RC sophomore Sydney Wagner and freshman Sam, the night began to come to a close, even as students still had energy to spare. It was a great night, filled with laughter and food provided by Dining Services. This Open Mic Night was definitely one to remember.
