The Minority Rights Coalition is currently soliciting submissions for a public open mic event focused on belonging at the University.
Unlike a traditional open mic night, the event will occur in three different locations on Grounds. The Amphitheatre, South Lawn, and Newcomb Terrace will provide open spaces for students to give speeches to a broad range of students.
The MRC is the umbrella organization which includes the Asian Student Union, Black Student Alliance, Feminism is for Everyone, Latino Student Alliance, Middle Eastern Leadership Council, Native American Student Union, Queer Student Union and United for Undergraduate Socioeconomic Diversity. The organization aims to support and advocate for the minority community at the University.
This is the first open mic event organized by the MRC, although other minority groups within the coalition — such as MELC and FIFE — have hosted successful open mic nights in the past.
MRC partnered with the Office of the Dean of Students to access central locations on Grounds for the event, MRC member Kaitlyn Rountree said.
“[The locations aim to] attract students who may not hear about the event or attended an event like this in the past,” the third-year College student said.
Students are invited to sign up to deliver a monologue related to this year’s theme, “Belonging at the University.” The theme hits close to home for many speaking at the event, MRC Advocacy Committee Member Alexander Adames said.
“I think one of the important things about advocacy is having the voices of the groups that often go unheard reach the ears of those often not involved,” the fourth-year College student said.
In the spirit of inclusion, the MRC is considering hosting the event over the course of three days to feature more student speakers, Adames said. The organization has reached out to the groups under the MRC banner, as well as other minority and multicultural groups on Grounds.
“We want to illuminate the stories, hardships, and triumphs of members of particular groups, and we want to hopefully challenge any misconceptions [people] may have previously held,” Adames said.
Students walking to class and around Grounds can hear the monologues, and hopefully change the way they think about the University, MRC President Parisa Sadeghi said.
“Our main goal here is for people who might not necessarily have tendency to go to these events will hopefully stop by and hear someone’s monologue and have their perspective a little bit changed,” the fourth-year College student said.
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