Creative Connections at Black Students United Open Mic

The atmosphere of Grace’s Place was calm and welcoming, with soft music playing as a small crowd of students gathered for an open mic night hosted by Black Students United (BSU). It was a fantastic environment for creativity and self-expression, and many of the students present participated. The energy shifted from beautiful words of poetry underscored by quiet snaps to laughter, dancing, and karaoke performances interrupted by a lack of on-screen lyrics. 

Most numerous were students’ performances of original poetry and spoken word. This opened up the stage for candid conversations and remarks about identity and community, and highlighting BSU’s commitment to being a welcoming and communal space on campus. In the words of Mare Richardson’26, “Beloit is not a very communal place,” and BSU will continue to host these events in order to help students build connections with one another.

At one point, the mic was passed around to every student in the crowd to share what the best part of February has been for them. Many people mentioned other events or members of BSU, personal milestones or achievements, or celebrations of Black Heritage Month. This really captures the energy the event had overall—the concept of an “open mic” seems centered around the talking, but listening was equally emphasized and engaged with. It was not a high energy event, but in a deliberate way.

BSU’s next event at the time of printing is the Black Gala on Friday, February 27 at 6:30 p.m. in The Stack. Information about future events will be posted to BSU’s Instagram page, @beloitbsu.

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