By Kevyn Price
Bellarmine University Pen and Sword Open Mic Club held its second open mic on Jan. 21 through Microsoft Teams.
Eight people joined the event, many of whom were already Pen and Sword members. While most of the people at the event are already Pen and Sword members, they welcome non-members. The club is not exclusive to writers, but it is for anyone who may wish to join and just listen.
“I always found it just wonderful to be immersed in an environment where you have that openness and acceptance and inclusivity where everyone is welcome to really delve into those personal experiences though their writing,” club co-president Nicola Peck said.
Co-president Ariana Alvarado opened the event with a poem by Alberto Rios called “A House Called Tomorrow.”
“I like to open with some piece, and I usually choose poems just because that is what I am familiar with. I do that to get people comfortable with hearing work and make it less scary to be the first person to go,” Alvarado said.
After Alvarado’s reading, the floor opened for participants to perform their selected pieces. Three members shared pieces during the event, two of which were original poems from Pen and Sword members.
“I think open mics can be an amazing way for people to share their stories and their writing and to find some emotional connection with other writers and reach that emotional catharsis that can be found in sharing your writing about personal things,” Peck said.
Pen and Sword public relations director Sophie Wesseler used Engage and Instagram to get the event public exposure. Wesseler said that although she doesn’t write much, she loves open mic because she enjoys hearing what other people write.
“We are trying to get it off its feet, and it’s really helpful if people know that you don’t have to be a writer, because obviously I am not,” Wesseler said. “You can take poetry that you just really like or written works that you really like and bring that. It doesn’t have to be your own work.”
Wesseler said that readers, writers and listeners are welcome and anyone who falls just into one of those categories can join.
Pen and Sword Open Mic Club had its first meeting last semester and is a new club founded by Alvarado and Peck. Their goal is to have two meetings per month, one of which will be an open mic. To receive more updates about upcoming open mic events to attend, visit the club’s Instagram at www.instagram/pen and sword_bu/