On January 15, Student Media hosted their quarterly Open Mic Night at the Activities & Recreation Center (ARC) from 6 to 8 PM. Students were able to be on stage to perform anything from singing, playing an instrument, reciting slam poetry, stand-up comedy, and more. UWave Radio, the official radio station on campus, was the host of this magical event. Their vision and mission is to “explore creative pathways in the media atmosphere” as well as to be a “center for community engagement” according to their website uwaveradio.org. Volunteering for this event was also an option, allowing students to get hands-on experience in event planning, setup, audio assistance, and visual technology. Students can also volunteer to meet new people and make connections on campus.
This quarter’s Open Mic Night theme was “Winter Wonderland Vibes,” with decorations including Christmas trees, snowflakes, and blue dimmed lights to enhance the vibe. Refreshments were from Cafe Ladro and Hillcrest Bakery, who catered for the event during intermission. From Hillcrest Bakery, there were donuts, including maple bars, sprinkled donuts, gluten-free bars, and even glazed donuts. Meanwhile, Cafe Ladro provided coffee, giving students the opportunity of both regular and decaf. Both locations are local to Bothell.
There was also a wide range of talents for the performances. Students sang covers of their favorite songs in karaoke style and even sang original songs to promote their music. One crowd favorite was the PNW indie band Waxling. During their performance, attendees waved their phone flashlights to the beat of a cultural song and then a pop hit. After the performance ended, the entire crowd stood and chanted “one more song, one more song!”.
Another highlight of the night was a stand-up comedy routine done by Grace Wang. This performance was a satire script about the current reality we live in. She mentioned how technology has turned people into ‘iPad kids’ which ruined people’s attention spans, along with the fact that artificial intelligence has become more widespread to the public. Her speech also showed some vulnerability with her routine, as the comedian was self-aware about making mistakes on stage.
Overall, Open Mic Night is an event that students look forward to. Unfortunately, there will not be another Open Mic Night next Spring quarter. It will instead return in the Fall next school year. Keep an eye out for what events UWave will be holding in the near future through following their Instagram page and visiting their website. UWave is also hosting a fundraiser with a goal to raise $10,000 by July 2026 for new equipment, studio setup, training resources, and more. You can donate to the fundraiser here: https://together.uw.edu/i/uw/campaign/support-uwave-radio-at-uw-bothell
Leave a Reply