Students showcased ‘Live from the Rider Rock’
By Stacie Hueter and Jasmine White
A make-shift stage, a DJ booth and two lone microphones were placed near the Rider Rock on Sept. 11 in preparation for the Student Entertainment Council’s open-mic night, “Live from the Rider Rock.”
While the theme advertised by the council was “Song of the Summer,” students were encouraged to center their performances around any subject.
Madeleine Gilson, junior production major, live music chair of the SEC and creator of “Live from the Rider Rock,” said “I just love being surrounded by people and seeing people when they get up here just light up, regardless of the nerves.”
Gil Bitsimis, another junior music production major, expressed her initial worries about the turnout, “I was so worried that there wasn’t gonna be a lot of people, so I was trying to prepare for the worst.”
Particularly eager students, crowded around Gilson and Bitsimis’ stand to sign up once the event kicked off, while curious passersbys leaving class or getting a bite to eat at Cranberry’s gathered near the rock.
“That’s when different people came and sat down to watch, which I thought was amazing,” said Gilson.
President John Loyack made a brief appearance near the rock while walking his corgi, Princess Di, quietly observing Rider’s talented students on stage.
The evening featured performances of various Rider students from different grades, ranging from karaoke and acoustic, to poetry and stand-up comedy that entranced the gawking audience.
The first of the evening was freshman music production major Mars Springsteel who sang a pleasing rendition of “Good Luck Babe,” by Chappell Roan.
“I love singing and I want to make it a full-time career when I get out of college,” Springsteel said. “I do love performing in front of people and I have performed in the past.”
Lorinda Laube, a graduate student in the clinical mental health counseling program, recited the first poem of the night after Springsteel.
“It was a really old poem that I wrote when I was in high school,” Laube said smiling. “I think they only had [an open-mic] once during my undergrad.”
Following Laube, more students signed up to take the stage. Some other performances included Najee Davis, senior music production major, singing an original piece and Zach Laudor, a freshman music production major, singing “We Fell in Love in October,” by Girl in Red.
This event was an occasion for creatives who wanted a low-stake experience of projecting their voices to the student body. Particularly so for shyer students to build confidence.
One individual who embodies this is Phoebe Watanabe, an international transfer student from Tokyo, who performed “Blue Bird,” a song from the soundtrack of the anime, “Naruto.” Watanabe was the last act of the night, but her performance captivated much of the audience that remained.
“[This is] the first time in my entire life that I’ve sung outside and in front of these people,” Watanabe said. She was encouraged by a friend to step out of her comfort zone and sing in front of a crowd, earning her roaring cheers from her peers.
Gilson and Bitsimis reflected on their open mic night’s success after reviving the event from years of its hiatus.
“[Music production majors] just wanted more live music events, or just live events in general,” Gilson said. “I could provide Rider students with live music … they could enjoy.”
Similar to other Rider traditions, like R Factor and Cranberry Fest, Gilson explained open-mic night is a good opportunity to meet new faces and form friendships that may lead to something greater. She is hoping to host them every other Thursday.
“[I started the event back up] just so it feels a bit more lively on campus, you know,” Gilson said. “Just so we could have a place where everyone could perform what they want to perform.”
