The Black Student Alliance (BSA) hosted an open mic night last Wednesday in the basement of the Student Union, where singers, musicians, comedians, speakers and performers were welcome to participate. 

The goal of the night was to create a “safe space to share,” said BSA Public Relations/Marketing Officer Livia McFadden. BSA wanted to give students an opportunity to destress, spread the word about BSA and most importantly, “have fun.”

Students attended for a variety of reasons. Leah Irlbeck, a student at SDSU, “came to see what sort of talent is associated with SDSU.” Others came for a good laugh, to meet new people or to support their friends. 

Performers Chloe Nickolisen and MaKayla Seifert said they met freshman year and started playing music together in the Matthews Hall stairwell. The duo played guitar and sang Leave the Pieces by The Wreckers during last week’s event. 

McFadden shared a piece that held meaning to her. In honor of Black History Month, she sang and rapped to a fun, upbeat song called Scenario by A Tribe Called Quest. This song makes her feel close to her dad, she said. 

“We would always sing together,” McFadden said. Before pressing play, McFadden said, “I’m going to bump this like I’m with my dad.”

The audience showed its appreciation to each performer by clapping, snapping and even waving flashlights. The dim lighting and location with close seating made the event feel more personable and gives off a “homey vibe,” McFadden said.

This event has been organized in the past by a student who has since graduated. Because students enjoyed this event, BSA took on the task of hosting the mic night event for the first time this year.

“I really love the support and the community that came along to the mic night,” Amelia Thoennes, a first-year student, said. “It was a great way to get out of the dorms and see what people are hiding.”

McFadden hopes students from a variety of backgrounds attend future BSA meetings to expand their knowledge. She emphasizes the importance of education and openly sharing diverse opinions. 

“The community that we have is my favorite community on campus,” McFadden said.

To make this event a success BSA did its best to spread the message. Members did this by opening it up to the public, hanging posters and posting on social media. Although registration was not necessary to perform, members encouraged students to sign up during the tabling event held in the Student Union.

“We worked hard for this, and we are excited to get to know more people,” McFadden said.