Music and laughter erupted from the Ferguson Center on Aug. 18, marking the first Xpress Night of the fall semester.
A bi-monthly open mic night for UA students at the Ferguson Center Starbucks, Xpress Night was birthed last year by graduate student Ryan Davis, founding director of the Honors College Assembly’s Arts Awareness branch, and junior Colby Leopard, its current director.
Davis, tasked with creating and furthering an artistic culture within the Honors College, aimed to create a space in which art could not only be shared but could also foster an environment in which creative conversation could flow.
This idea was passed on to Leopard, who put together what he expected to be a small open mic night hosted twice a semester. However, according to Leopard, after an outpouring of participation and attendance the night grew into a bi-monthly staple in the Ferguson Center, featuring acts that ranged from acoustic music and stand-up comedy to spoken word and juggling.
“In college, there’s a large drop off in arts participation and expression because of the lack of opportunities,” said Leopard. “[Xpress Night] is to provide opportunity for students which they don’t typically have.”
Leopard said the Thursday night event now “flows organically” and is intended to expand the culture of the campus arts scene, while also networking other artistic outlets and student organizations around the University. In this spirit, Xpress Night will again combine efforts with the Black Student Union’s “Common Ground” event, which provides similar opportunity for student expression, to create a shared open mic night, “Xpress Night on Common Ground,” later this semester.
“[This collaboration] says a lot about today from where we were forty years ago,” Leopard said. “And it says a lot about the appreciation of the arts and its importance.”
Davis said Xpress Night has provided avenues for student expression on and off campus beyond his expectations, and its consistent attendance, averaging 50-75 students but at times stretching over 100, has branded it an unqualified success.
“The arts aren’t always at the forefront [of discussion] but creative thinking is the glue of a community,” said Davis. “And Xpress Night’s opened that avenue of conversation.”
Freshman Jack Blankenship had experience performing open mic nights and talent shows around Tuscaloosa, but until arriving on campus, he found that his expressive opportunities had all but dried up.
Arriving at the University early, he jumped at the announcement of August’s Xpress Night and showcased his “one-man band” act. Blankenship, rapping and electronically synchronizing pieces of Kanye West’s “Power” with some of his own verses, brought his act to an event he said was a great source of both artistic appreciation and opportunity.
“A lot of students are majoring in things that aren’t allowing them to fully express their creativity,” said Blankenship. “[Xpress Night] gives them an outlet. I’m a big fan.”
The next Xpress Night will take place Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. in the Ferguson Center Starbucks. Students can sign up to perform by contacting [email protected].
