Dickinson students love a good music session. Combine this with dim lighting, great friends, supportive smiles and snacks and you’ve got the perfect event. The eXiled Poetry Collective and Treehouse hosted a wonderful Poetry Open Mic Night event on the cool fall evening of October 11.
The open mic took place on the ground floor of Treehouse (or the Center for Sustanable Living), where rows of couches were arranged facing the center ‘stage’ area. With little, hanging lightbulbs lining the walls and hung artwork all over the walls, the room held this beautiful hominess to it that was overly inviting and warm.
As this was a community event, all Dickinson students were invited to participate in whichever way they liked, all for free. Even before stepping into the house, one can feel the excitement and genuineness of the invitation through the event description alone, as they encouraged students to “come listen to students read their poetry, share your own, and chow down on some delicious snacks in the cozy living room of Treehouse.”
Although the event was co-hosted by the eXiled Poetry Society, whose members were sharing poetry during the event, other attendees were encouraged to join the club and share poetry of their own as well. Students performed self-authored spoken poetry and the poetry of other inspirational figures, personally written short stories and even songs.
This year’s open mic was different from last year’s, as it didn’t feature campus bands performing their songs to the crowd. Reflecting on this change, senior Kiersten Kahn ’26 described this year’s open mic as “more intimate,” though still appreciating the bands’ contribution to the event as a whole. In addition to this unique feel, students learned more about each other and the many artists that exist on campus. Several students in attendance make their own music and publish it on Spotify, revealing the importance of events like this on campus to publicize and support the creativity of Dickinson’s students in all capacities.
Emphasizing the supportive nature of the event, performer Hannah Alansky ’27 who played “8” by Billie Eilish on her ukelele, said that Treehouse “felt like a safe, supportive and comforting environment to face [her] fear” of performing to an audience. Her decision to play was last-minute, as she described running back to her dorm to retrieve her uke. But in her reflection of the event as a whole, she charcterized it as “super sweet and supportive,” full of people who were “there because they really wanted to support their friends.”
Kahn’s sentiments are in full agreement with Alansky, speaking of it being a “safe environment [where] people were vulnerable in their poems and music.”
All in all, feedback from the event are positive. With a great turnout, lots of smiles, laughs and hugs given, this event seems to be a favorite for many students.
As for the possibility of some students having their own successful music careers in the future, time can only tell. One student, Kaitlyn Trogner ’28 appears to have her mind set on one thing, “there are definitely a few future stars within that crowd.”
