Twice every semester, the Associated Students of Yuba College (ASYC), holds an open mic night. Anyone who has the courage to perform in front of a crowd is encouraged to do so and on November 20, several did just that.
The first person to come on stage was day-custodian Jim Fleenor. His urban poetry deals with issues such as bullying, racism, and child abuse. The two poems for that day dealt with bullying and child abuse. He relayed the message that child abuse get carried on through generations, and that bully is contagious. His poetry is very poignant in a predominantly working-class region like Yuba-Sutter.
The first music act was by Jose Hernandez, who did an acoustic rendition of both the Foo Fighters “Everlong” and the Killers “Mr. Brightside”, which happen to be two favorites of mine. His cover versions of both songs had feet tapping as well a people singing along.
My friend sitting next to me, Leonel Castillo, got inspired and signed up to perform. He did an acoustic rendition of the Beatles “Strawberry Fields Forever.”
The day was closed out with a story about a dragon, and damsel in distress, and a knight. The story, written by Ramiro Hernandez, added some finality to the show.
I definitely enjoyed this open mic night, poetry with a message, a few nice stories, and some good rocking numbers. I might even sign up for the next open mic night…if i can gather enough courage.
I was born in Roseville. I moved to Olivehurst in 2007, and graduated from Lindhurst High School in 2011. I enjoy playing synthesizers and drums, as well as computer programming.
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