With the school year starting to ramp up, one of the most favored traditions of the Flint Hill community makes its grand comeback: Open Mic has officially begun for the 2022-23 school year! Open Mic is truly a magical and immersive experience for the entire Husky community. It gives students and staff the opportunity to showcase their unique talents while also entertaining and inspiring their peers and coworkers. This year’s return was incredibly special, as the school’s return to normalcy after COVID-19 has finally become somewhat of a reality. On Friday September 16th, the first Open Mic for the school year was hosted.

In anticipation for this event, one of the Open Mic emcees, senior Mariella Silvia, shared her thoughts about what she was excitedly awaiting for this year’s open mic performances. Silvia was especially ready for the sense of joy Open Mic brings to everyone who views it, saying: “When we all gather in the commons, there is a strong sense of enthusiasm and excitement. It is a time where everyone can ease their stress and worry, even if it is only for a thirty-minute period.” 

Silvia also addressed the success of the first show, what her favorite acts are, and the new Open Mic emcee. “Our five performers did an incredible job, and our new emcee, Gideon (Bobb-Semple), was fantastic. Most of our performers sign up for Open Mic to sing, which is amazing, but I especially enjoy acts that are somewhat unique like dancing, comedy, or juggling.”

September 16th’s Open Mic showcased a lot of singing talent, with senior Abby Lyons performing A Change Gonna Come by Sam Cooke, senior Brigit Cook performing When We Were Young by Adele, junior Shanyar Ghaderi singing Don’t Rain on My Parade from the musical Funny Girl, and freshman Athena Burns performing We Are Never Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift. There was also a pianist who performed and composed her very own classical piece for the community, freshman Amber Li. All in all, Open Mic truly is one of Flint Hill’s best traditions and it would not be as special without the great work SCA students and performing community members put toward making it a great experience time and time again.