Right away I sensed an open, welcoming environment at the open mic. When the performers presented, one could tell that experience varied and was certainly not required. I loved the idea of one having the opportunity to openly show what they enjoy doing in their spare time, something they genuinely put effort into that is not simply done for the sake of a class assignment. The judgment-free zone consisted of an open audience, which I believe is encouraging and comforting for performers and shows that their work is valued and appreciated by others.

As for the performances, one of the most memorable one for me was the poem about Tarzan and Jane. When the poet went on stage, I noticed that she seemed uncomfortable and stumbled upon her words at first. Nonetheless, as she progressed, she naturally picked up her pace and rhythm, going about with ease, and the whole work just flowed and moved the audience with it. Her relationship with her boyfriend, running in parallel with that of Tarzan and Jane, was depicted and I personally felt like she had just told me a story that had years worth of value in a span of a few minutes. I felt her emotions, her plea, and her commitment. On a side note, I’m usually not a fan of pubic display of affection, but I actually fell for this story, surprising myself. She was so passionate and as a special bonus, her boyfriend was actually in the audience. I couldn’t help but keep looking back and forth between the two and empathizing for them.