By Sam DeLeon, Photographer, Perspective Photography Vice President
Lone Star College-Kingwood’s Poetry and Songwriting club hosted an open Open Mic event for students and faculty to share an original poem, song, and/or cover song on Thursday, February 23.
Poetry and Songwriting club President Amber Barfield, third year, commences the Open Mic event, Feb. 23 at the Classroom Building A courtyard. Photo by Sam DeLeon.
Poetry and Songwriting club Vice President Zachary Cueller, third year, (left) performs his original song titled “Star” at Open Mic, Feb. 23, Classroom Building A courtyard. “Star” is a personal story about working on a relationship that was long distance, and for Cueller, still had a lot of “hope” in it. Through “Star”, and another piece he performed titled “Sympathy,” he had “[hoped] to see some smiles” in the crowd. The quote and nude model on Cueller’s guitar case (right) expresses how he feels performing, how he “feels vulnerable and exposed to the world.” Photos by Sam DeLeon.
English Professor Peter Feldman prepares to read his poem “The Imposter,” with two others to follow, at Open Mic, Feb. 23, Classroom Building A courtyard. “As humans, we are driven to share experiences because doing so helps us feel less isolated, less like we’re living only in our own heads,” Feldman said. “A shared experience is a validated experience.” Photo by Sam DeLeon.
Garrett Kneown-Keyes (left) performs an original song at Open Mic. Jacob Peterson, first year, (right) plays an instrumental song for the crowd. Peterson has a love for poetry, both writing and reading it, and decided to share one of his own titled “Suicidal Tendencies,” Feb. 23, Classroom Building A courtyard. Photos by Sam DeLeon.
Poetry and Songwriting club President Amber Barfield, third year, shares “what I believe life is” through her poem titled “Life’s Dear Message” at Open Mic, Feb. 23, Classroom Building A courtyard. Barfield often finds inspiration from church and every day life; “Sometimes I just go on nature walks and I get my inspiration from there,” Barfield says. Photo by Sam DeLeon.
English Professor and Poetry and Songwriting club sponsor Darlene Beaman speaks with student Fabio Canales about performing in Open Mic, Feb. 23, Classroom Building A courtyard. “It’s a joy to me to hear them and see them light up,” Beaman says. “I think that students need a voice, whether it is a poetic voice, a voice on the newspaper, a voice in a song, and this gives them a chance to share their work.” Photo by Sam DeLeon.
Fabio Canales performs an original poem for the first time on campus at Open Mic, Feb. 23, Classroom Building A courtyard. The one thing that Canales hope the audience got from his performance is “that they know that other people feel something just like them.” “Not everybody has all the answers, but we’re definitely here to listen to each other,” Canales says. Photo by Sam DeLeon.
