I never thought of Brooklyn College as a school for the arts. In fact, I didn’t know much about its students at all. Open Mic showed a side of Brooklyn College that I wouldn’t normally see while walking around the campus – that these students were so rich in the humanities – so poetic, so profound, and so talented!

I enjoyed all of the singing performances because each one showcased a different genre, with the singer putting their own touch and spin on the song. Some were familiar, while others were refreshing and introduced me to new songs. I was even more impressed by the original songs. One of the singers was rocking his long hair, and a few others put their whole body into the song too. It sometimes worries me when people shake their head too much while singing (like Taylor Swift does) because I heard it makes you lose brain cells. It does, however, make the song more interesting… Is that a reasonable trade-off?

Two performances were my favorite. The first was the girl who had a very smoky voice, who played on the guitar while she sang. Her voice was angelic and it matched her genre so well. Even though the song and style was characteristic of that genre, I enjoyed it nonetheless. I really enjoy that soft, mellow music sometimes. It sounds very calming, innocent, and sympathetic. Also, I really liked her outfit.

The second was the young man who performed his original poem using a dance. It was called “Robocop.” Especially with the recent protests about police and racism, it was scary to see that police can be programmed to harm certain people. He compared the government to a conspiracy who was out to kill people with dark skin color, which is extreme, but I can definitely see why some people would relate to that perspective.

Thank you, Professor Natov, for organizing this event and showcasing a different side of Brooklyn College.