The Open Mic Night originated from Kevin's love of acoustic guitar and his familiarity with other residents with a similar passion and no place to play. After talking with several residents it became apparent that there was much undiscovered talent residing in Cary Quad and that an Open Mic Night would be a great way to showcase it. Kevin worked with the Knight Spot Grill to use their facility to emulate the atmosphere of a blues club and to add some authenticity to the program. Additionally, Kevin solicited the help of WCCR, Cary Quad's in house radio station to supply the audio equipment required. A $40 prize was purchased to help market the event and the date was set.

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A signup sheet for the Open Mic Night was placed in the main office of Cary Quad for residents to announce their participation and choose a performance time - though walk-ins were also welcome. Residents were allowed 5 minutes to perform as a group or solo to be eligible for the grand prize and the winner was chosen democratically by the audience. As each person entered the Knight Spot they were handed one ballot and instructed to hold on to it until each act performed at which point the voting would ensue. In the first hour of the program, Roughly 10 acts played, from solo electric riffs to harmonic acoustic melodies and a winner was chosen and given the opportunity for an encore. At the conclusion of the contest a karaoke machine was wired into one of the TV's at the Knight Spot behind the stage and members of the audience were allowed a chance to entertain the crowd to their favorite songs. For the next two hours residents sang and laughed as the microphone was passed from person to person as music from all genre's flowed through the karaoke machine.

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The goal of the Open Mic Night was to provide a stepping stone for residents to perform in front of a small audience and to share the experience with friends. The audience was extremely encouraging and cheered all performers to entice the best performance out of everyone. Additionally, this program provided a means for the musically inclined at Cary to network with others of similar interests and tastes. The addition of karaoke to the end of the program provided a vehicle for everyone in the audience to confront their stage fright head in front of the critics that matter most - their friends.

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The experience acquired by participating in this program, whether with instrument or karaoke, will increase the confidence of the participants. Most people shy away from centralized attention and this program was able to help residents get over their nerves as they took stage. Furthermore, the residents that feed off of this type of attention were give a chance to take the spot light and showcase their abilities in front of an audience. Additionally, this program ultimately connected several resident musicians to each other to grow their talents and to become life long friends.

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The program exceeded expectations with attendance and and lasted longer then planned due to popular demand by the audience. The performers were eager to participate and a few played additional songs and jammed with other performers in a coaboration efforts. The voting system worked well by employing one simple ballot to each in attendance and by avoiding possible misinterpretation of hanging chads. Many RA's were quick to lend a helping hand by spreading the word and assisting WCCR in the set up and tear down of equipment. Everyone in attendance left with a smile on their face and asked when the next event would be so that they could participate again.

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An Open Mic Night is an easy program to employ at other campuses with a small PA system and an open location to serve as a stage. Since most residence halls have a central meeting location this would work well if a grill like location is not available. The voting system was simple with each attendee given an official ballot to place in the box of their favorite performer. A prize in value of $40 was used to entice residents to participate, however this is not necessary and could possible be substituted with snacks and beverages for the audience and participants. In warmer climates this event could be held outside or n conjunction with a series of events to enhance attendance. Karaoke provided an additional element of fun but it was not critical to the success of the program and could be left out if others halls don’t have this ability.

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