By Maiy Al Nakoua
UNIVERSITY CITY, SHARJAH – American University of Sharjah students and professors sang, played instruments, and read poetry during Wednesday’s Open Mic Night, organized by the English Fellows and the Creative Writing Club.
The 5-7 p.m. event, in front of the Language Arts building, ultimately drew a crowd that surpassed the 40 chairs provided.
A faculty advisor for the English Fellows, Dr. Una Tanovic, introduced the session and said she hoped the evening left everyone feeling empowered.
Some performers offered context to their presentations.
Student Vighnesh Prasad, who sang a Korean song and read an excerpt from Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence, a 2022 novel by R. F. Kuang, told the crowd he had seen a similar Open Mic Night several years ago while walking around campus. The experience led him to become an English major, he said.
Huda Imran, the president of the Creative Writing Club, said the purpose of the Open Mic Nights is to build confidence, share thoughts, engage in enlightening conversations, and have a good time.