Jack Abbot- General Reporter
Students gathered in the fireside lounge on April 12 to share their literary work in the monthly Folio open mic night
This event acts as an opportunity for students to share the work they are proud of with their colleagues and to hear the work of others and learn from them. Works presented include poems, short stories, excerpts from essays and even song performances.
“Everyone wants to be heard,” Fiction Editor for Folio and English major Christopher Durand, a senior, said.
Durand chose to present three separate pieces at this event, including a short story he had written for a class, a personal story and an excerpt from “A Grimace Shake in Fortnite” by Sam Temple.
Folio is a campus organization that acts as a platform for students to present their creative works. According to French and Spanish Major, Ethan Sabetta, a junior, Folio is the largest organization dedicated to art and literature on campus. On top of their monthly open mic night, they also publish a literary magazine every year that features the creative works of students on campus.
“It is an opportunity for students to be published in an actual magazine, which they can put on resumes for free,” Sabetta said. “There’s a lot of hostility towards the arts and towards creativity, so I think it’s important that there is a group on campus who gives students a creative voice.”
Sabetta is the current Editor-in-Chief of Folio. He noted that this can be an opportunity for students who are interested in the arts but unable to take classes on the subject.
“It’s like a safe space where everyone can come and share their thoughts, opinions, feelings, and it’s really fun to hear from everyone,” marketing major Anna Vilenski, a sophomore, said. “It broadens your perspective. You learn a lot more about different students.”
Vilenski was one of many who chose to attend the event to listen to the literary work of others without presenting anything themselves.
“A lot of people, when they write something, it feels very close to the bone and very personal for them and setting that work free takes that weight off of their shoulders,” English major Lydia Sekscenski, a senior, said.
Sekscenski chose to read a poem called “Funeral” which was inspired by a bad breakup. She also read a sonnet about eating cheeseballs and a poem about a middle school crush that she had written for a class. Sekscenski believes that Folio is important because it provides a space for students to freely express themselves in literature.
“The easiest way you can improve in anything is to hear others and to see their perspective,” Sabetta said. “It’s very difficult to improve your creativity in a void.”
The members of Folio expressed gratitude towards the university for providing them with the opportunity to publish their magazine every year at no cost. However, several members noted that there has been some uncertainty in terms of resources, as they had their office taken away some time ago and have been operating out of a temporary office available to them during production season. They also lack consistent storage space.
“They have repurposed our former office into- I believe it is a Zen Den currently,” Sabetta said. “We are effectively nomads.”
The next edition of Folio is set to come out soon, and they will be hosting a release party open to all on May 3.
