Dusk is falling on a Thursday night, and life on Eastern Michigan University’s campus is beginning to slow down. With most students’ classes done for the week, many are leaving for a relaxing weekend back home. But in one room in the Student Center, things are just starting to heat up.
Brittany Floyd takes the stage. Standing vulnerable before the mic, she begins to recite one of her most recent works. Within a matter of seconds, the entire room is captivated by her words. Some stand up and yell excitedly, particularly moved by her piece. Others sit quietly, absorbing her verses and letting them pour into their souls.
This is Lyric Lounge.
Co-sponsored by Eastern’s own Poetry Society, the Lyric Lounge serves as
an outlet for the artistic and outspoken souls on campus. The microphone is open to any who attend, but even those who choose not to perform will no doubt leave both entertained and stirred.
The charismatic and talented Ivory Harris, president of the Poetry Society, served as emcee for the event. The atmosphere was lively and the spirits high. Acts were punctuated by hot new music and with the lights down low, one could enjoy a healthy serving of candid thoughts
and witty rhymes while overlooking the illuminated campus.
The purpose of the Lyric Lounge, as articulated by vice-president of the Poetry Society, Ami Mansaray, is to provide a forum for students to voice opinions through their poems. There is to be no judgment or criticism. Instead, the poets are given a safe environment to share their thoughts and emotions with their peers.
Bily Simmons, a student program coordinator who helped put together the event, works for Campus Life, the same organization behind the Laugh Lounge, Sky Lounge and Storytellers. His experiences at the lounge have been extremely pleasant. He noted how supportive and non-hostile the audience members are.
“You don’t get off the stage without getting clapped for,” he said when describing the attitude of the event’s attendees.
Sometimes the material performed delved into difficult subjects, issues ranging from heartbreak to parental abandonment to finding faith. The poets who spilled their hearts to the enthusiastic onlookers were met with hearty support and cheers. Even when the mood took a turn for the somber, the energy was still light and free.
Mansaray spoke of “getting free” while being at the lounge. She tells future attendees to expect people with strong opinions and controversial subjects.
Natasha Lane, a student who came to watch for the second time, enjoys how laid-back and different the Lyric Lounge is. She would quickly recommend it to anyone because it is “fun to watch.”
Poets were not the only performers who enjoyed a spot in the limelight, as two vocalists graced the stage that night. Audiences were treated to a soulful rendition of an Amy Winehouse tune, in addition to a show-stopping performance of Chrisette Michele’s “If I Have My Way.”
As the night began to wear down to a close and nearly all of the participants had performed their pieces, the words flowing from the mic to the hearts of the audience resonated with the weight of the collective struggles of the poets. It served as a subtle reminder that even in difficulty and hardship, something beautiful and admirable can be crafted.
A young man recited a poem on how his relationships with his godchild, baby sister and mother crafted him into a better man, and rarely an eye was left without welling with tears. The pain and joy he and the other artistic young souls felt were left on the stage for the listeners to share.
The Lyric Lounge takes place one Thursday a month from 7-10 p.m. in room 300 in the Student Center.
