In the basement level of Overman hall from 9 to 11 p.m., the outside world was put aside for spoken poetry, song, rap and the purpose of creative expression.
Last Thursday, Sigma Lambda Beta united with the Creative Minds Movement to host “The Remix,” an open mic event where students were encouraged to express themselves in front of a room with artists and students alike.
“The Remix” and performances held were in remembrance of the recent death of singer and songwriter Prince Robert Nelson, with a memorial picture hung at the front of the room behind each performer.
“Celebrate life. Celebrate each other. Celebrate the true love of artistic expression” Derrick Jones, advisor of Creative Minds and Sigma Lambda Beta, said.
The event was opened by Matthew Murray, who welcomed attendees before introducing each performer.
“We are here to give students a platform to display their talent, show off their skills, express themselves and develop their craft” Murray said. “Next time anyone says that an artist can’t be a scholar, that’s like putting rope around his collar.”
There were 13 artistic performances ranging from spoken poetry about what its like being the “short guy,” to life being raised by an abusive father and to self-written songs about love.
“There is no such thing as inappropriate art, because your art is about expressing yourself,” Murray said.
A few minutes of time were also dedicated to watching Jones’s original video, titled “Drift,” an emotional display of hiphop and intense photos.
Vice President of Creative Minds DaJaniere Rice said, “The Creative Minds Movement Org is an open, creative environment that allows musicians, poets, dancers and anyone to express themselves and be comfortable doing it!”
“The goal of Sigma Lambda Beta is “to bring all men together to solve the needs and wants of all people,” Jones said. “It is a Latino-based fraternity with multi-cultural membership, and the largest in the world.”
“I love surrounding myself with like-minded artists,” said audience member Nyia Bentley after the conclusion of the performances.
At the end of the event, any further performers were invited to share their talent in front of the audience, and everyone was given the chance to sign up for performance times for the next gathering. Not only was “The Remix” hosted for the purpose of self-expression, but also to promote change and create a sense of voice for those who may be underrepresented.
“The purpose of our movement is to provide a platform for creative expression,” said Jones. “We focus on bringing creative minds together in an event of creativity, expression and progression. We want people to feel like they can come out and express themselves.”
