Emceed by senior Scout Lynch, the Chrysalis hosted a Halloween Open Mic Night in the Panther’s Den on Oct. 30.
Starting at 8 p.m., the event started off with a light crowd, with attendees trickling in throughout the night to enjoy warm coffee, cookies, and campus talents.
English Professor Kathrine Grimes, adviser for Chrysalis, was ecstatic with the night’s turnout.
“I thought we had some really, really great stories, some great poems, some great music, and a lot of enthusiastic folks,” explained Grimes.
From music to literature, to Lynch’s well-known singing and painting act, the night passed with performances from students, staff, and even guests.
Sophomore Daniel Jackson read two horror-fiction stories aloud to the crowd. His second Open Mic Night, Jackson debuted his first works in the genre.
“This is actually my second open mic night,” Jackson said, pointing it at his themed costume. “I have DIY-ed a couple things, I am enjoying it, for sure.”
For Jackson, the event served as an opportunity to share his love for writing–a love that he just recently discovered.
“Quite frankly, what started it was the Spring of 2025,” he said. “It was the first class I had with Dr. Grimes. And like, for a lot of my life, I had not been a fan on English for a lot of my school time, but Dr. Grimes actually made me like it. I enjoy it now. It’s about the details in the writing and being able to write what I want now.”
Open Mic Nights offer a great sense of campus community for students like Jackson, according to Lynch. Lynch was left feeling emotional as the night ended signified the end of Lynch’s run as the Emcee of the event.
“I am really emotional about it,” Lynch said. “I am going to miss painting portraits and singing. And the community, too.”
Although considering the night one of success, Lynch hopes that it will become far greater in the future.
“I think tonight went great,” offered Lynch. “We had a pretty good turnout, which was pretty good. Open Mics of the past have been a lot better attended, but student turnout is lowering for a lot of events, sadly. Hopefully in the future, we can boost that up a little!”
The night ended with a costume contest and prizes.
Chrysalis will hold its next event on Nov. 20, releasing the Fall 2025 edition of the magazine.
