R2: The Rice Review showcases student talent at open mic night

By Angelica Hernandez     10/8/24 11:34pm

Students filled the air with poetry, music and conversation at R2: The Rice Review’s open mic night Oct. 3, where the spotlight shone on student talent, from soulful singers to stand-up comics. This year’s open mic night celebrated the release of the literary journal’s 20th edition.

Open mic night is R2’s annual kick-off event. The event highlights artists who have contributed to the previous year’s journal and encourages student interest in submissions, which will open up later this fall, according to editor-in-chief Katherine Jeng. The open mic also provides a space for students to express their creative talents in front of an audience. 

“Rice is such a STEM-heavy school, so it’s a nice reminder there are spaces for creative people on campus,” said Jeng, a Hanszen College senior. Jeng is one of three editors-in-chief of R2, alongside Riley Combs and Amelia Tsai, Brown and Lovett College seniors, respectively.

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Audiences were met with deep sea aesthetics and twinkling lights, signaling the event’s theme of bioluminescence — inspired by the underwater portrait on the journal’s cover, Combs said.

Throughout the night, student organizations and individual performers took the stage, showcasing a range of artistic abilities. 

“I’m really impressed at the variety of things that students have decided to do, from poetry to singing as a group, [or] singing solo,” said Sandy Parsons, a resident associate at Will Rice College.

The event also featured a capella performances from The Philharmonics, Basmati Beats, The Low Keys, the Nocturnals and Chimacapella.

“The Phils’ performance was our first time performing as a full ensemble including our new [members] … It was great to share what we had been working hard on with the Rice community,” said Ella Martinez, a Lovett freshman and member of the Phils.

Other students used spoken-word to showcase their talents and express their feelings. Poetic themes ranged from love and grief to frustration with parts of modern life. Some performers said the open mic allowed them to express their hidden talents, or discover their peers’..  

“It meant a lot to me to be able to perform my poetry for the first time,” said Isabella Regan Beltran, a Brown College sophomore. 

“I felt inspired by the other people who were performing … and the atmosphere of people being able to share things that they [wrote] and created,” said Amy Suo, a Hanzen junior who performed a poem.

Audience members said they appreciated seeing art on campus.

“I would love to create art that I am proud of and want others to see,” said Katherine Citino, a Lovett College freshman and audience member. “And so, it’s definitely motivating to see that there is a collective effort to dispense our art forms.”

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