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bookstore a favorite on-campus gathering place.

“Ram Shack manager Kathy Weathersby and others have also

done a great job over the past couple semesters in turning

the Ram Shack into a place students want to hang out, and we

wanted to take advantage of that,” McIntosh said.

Open Mic Night also featured graduate student Jack Lewis on

the fiddle, and freshman Michael Lanier plucking out tunes on a

banjo and a chorded zither.

“The banjo started us off, followed by poetry, rap, the violin,

piano, guitar, and vocals,” McIntosh said. “The night wasn’t

about measuring the talent, it was about enjoying it.”

Other students performed a combination of guitar and

vocal music, and sophomore Mitch Gebell had the audience

laughing with a comedic magic trick.

“We were most excited about the turnout of students and

the constant lineup of talent,” McIntosh said at the end of the

night.

Open Mic Night at the Ram Shack

By Melissa McCutchan, CIU Student Writer

Standing off-stage at CIU’s coffee house, the Ram Shack, senior

Jonathan Shuffler tapped on a microphone. Known around

CIU’s campus for his creative writing and knack for video

games, he decided to surprise his audience with a hidden

talent: he took the stage and rapped a song he had written.

Shuffler was participating in February’s Open Mic Night hosted

by the senior class. Students performed guitar solos, read

poetry, and sang, displaying their creative talents for their peers

who squeezed onto couches and sipped coffee.

“I performed because I liked the open opportunity it provided

for creative expression,” Shuffler said. “I enjoyed the company,

the way it was organized, and the reception of the crowd.”

The senior class hosted the event as a way for students to

display their talents and enjoy their classmates’ performances.

“Our goal was to provide an opportunity for students to

take some time off on a Friday night and enjoy good coffee,

a variety of talents, and a casual atmosphere,” senior class

president Niki McIntosh said.

The coffee house feel of the Ram Shack has made the former

25

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