Rea and Laughlin RHC host open mic

January 24, 2015March 7, 2016 chathamcommunique

On Friday, January 9, Rea and Laughlin’s Residence Hall Council (RHC) opened their doors once again for their Open Mic Night.

The Rea Coffeehouse served as the designated venue for this special event. Students filled the main room and food and drinks were served throughout. Laced with graffiti stained walls, the location added to the sense of intimacy and “realness,” one student stated, while also creating a cool background for the performers.

As a returning RHC member, and co–organizer for the event, Abigail Beckwith was excited for the announcement of the Open Mic Night once again.

Courtesy of Chatham Student Affairs

“We came up with the idea for the event last semester and it was a hit,” Beckwith said.

Beckwith went on to explain the importance of the event as a place where, “expression is valued,” and, “students aren’t pressured to perform [the way they are] in similar events such as the talent show where judges are present.”

Beckwith also stated that while there was a mic and a stage, students were, “welcomed to share their experience,” through any medium and were, “encouraged to take advantage of the safe space.”

The atmosphere was warm and inviting, with many students claiming a sense of ease as they supported their fellow classmates. The mix was diverse with performances by many different Chatham women. While students took to the stage they were met with a promising applause that was calming for the nerves. Many who attended had never gone to an open mic and were excited to be a part of a new experience.

Courtesy of Chatham Student Affairs

Encouraged by the crowd, sophomore Tahmina Tursonzadah showed her support for the event by performing an act of her own. Tursonzadah wowed the crowd with her rendition of “Fine By Me” by Andy Grammer.

She later stated how participating in an open mic, “gives students a chance to express themselves in an unique environment that they may not find somewhere else.” Tursonzadah also went on to say how proud she was as a former RHC member to be able to, “come back and share the stage with such wonderful women.”

As the night went on the performances ranged from poetry to spoken word as students told their stories to an eager crowd. Many told tales of personal triumph along with affirmations of their worth that brought the audience to a grand applause.

As the night dwindled down, sophomore Suzi Nanthavong, another member of Rea and Laughlin’s RHC was content with the evenings turnout.

“The event seemed like a success, lots of people showed up and had a really good time,” she said.

Sophomore Megan A. Cooper, also a member of the RHC, was, “pleasantly surprised,” stating that the, “first week back can be hard, but I was thoroughly impressed with the support from the Chatham community.”

Cooper further explained how the committee was concerned with the turnout due to short notice, but nevertheless was, “highly entertained.”

Rea hosts Homemade Bird Feeders and Make Your Own Trail Mix

September 19, 2014March 7, 2016 chathamcommunique

On Monday, September 8, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., students were invited to Julia and James Rea House for a night of making bird feeders and build-your-own trail mix.

The room was set up very simply, without decorations, allowing the focus of the small event to be on the subjects: bird feeders and trail mix, which were scattered about the large table.

Everything that students were invited to make was very simple, allowing virtually anyone to make the bird feeders or trail mix, regardless of previous knowledge of either.

Most attendees were initially most interested in making the bird feeders, which were extremely easy to make. Students first took a cardboard cylinder (these came from either toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls), and covered them in peanut butter. They then rolled these peanut-butter-covered rolls in birdseed (which was set out in a large tray so multiple people could make the feeders at once) and threaded a string through the roll as a hanger.

Photo Credit: Allison Albitz
Students make trail mix and bird feeders

Equally simple, if not more simple, was the making of the trail mix. Each attendee was given a small Ziploc bag in which they were to put whatever foods they wanted. There was a variety of options for students, everything from peanuts to granola to chocolate chips were available for addition to the bags of mix.

The event had a very casual, come-and-go atmosphere, so most people did not stay the full duration of the event, but left once they felt they had completed everything they wanted to. They were then encouraged to hang their birdfeeders about campus.

The event produced more people than even the organizers planned for, with around thirty people making their way over to Rea. As a result, the bird feeders can be seen hanging all over campus—nearly every tree around Rea, Laughlin, and Fickes residence halls can boast a hand made bird feeder as a result of the evening.

The event was created for fun, of course, but it also helped to raise environmental awareness. Students were reminded of the number of birds that enjoy Chatham’s campus, and the ability each student has to make the world a better place for all living creatures.

Sophomore Maraena Testa said, “I really enjoyed the event because it gave me the opportunity to connect with other people as well as the wildlife on campus. I feel better knowing that the birds of Chatham University have something good to eat.”

The event was certainly a success and achieved the goal of allowing students to meet new people and raise environmental awareness.

Rea Coffeehouse goes back in time to the 1920s

March 4, 2014 Admin

With the Rea Coffeehouse cleanup occurring on Saturday, March 1, the Rea and Laughlin Residence Hall Council (RHC) decided to increase interest in the space by using it to host the event “Roaring 20s in Rea Coffeehouse” on Friday, February 21.

The space–which was decorated with string lights, fake alcohol bottles, and tall round tables covered in blue and white table clothes–was filled with people milling about as jazz music played from the speakers on the stage. In keeping with the theme, first year Abby Beckwith stood behind the bar making mocktails with inventive names like the “Bees Knees” (lemon, honey, and orange juice), “Beer with Root” (root beer), and even “Hard Cider” (regular apple cider).

In the main room, people–dressed to the nines in sparkling shirts, flapper dresses, and headbands–stood around socializing and enjoying the atmosphere. When asked where she got her 1920’s themed outfit, First Year Margaret McGovney enthusiastically praised the usefulness of thrift stores for finding such clothing items.

Among all of the socializing, some students chose to take advantage of the music and danced–showing off their talents for swing dancing in the process. In explaining why the event appealed to her, First Year Sarah Bangley explained that she used to go to a swing dancing club, where she learned some moves, and that this event “seemed like a good excuse to go swing dancing.” “Also”, she said, “it just sounded like fun.”

Senior Birtie Yarroll echoed her sentiments, and went on to explain that she would take “any excuse to come down here and look at the angry feminist graffiti.”

Both were glad that the Rea and Laughlin RHC was making use of the Rea Coffeehouse, and they agreed that there should definitely be more events like this one in the future.

Tahmina Tursonzadah, First Year Rea and Laughlin RHC member, and one of the people in charge of the event, later explained that the point of the event was to get people interested in the Rea Coffeehouse in preparation for its official opening. As she said, they were trying to “get the juices flowing in this place.” In addition to that, though, it was also just a normal RHC event to allow Chatham students to get together and socialize, explained Junior Emily Kocian.

Kocian, who also helped to plan the event, explained that she did so because she, “really like[s] being part of the community and being part of the planning process.” She also emphasized that the planning was really a collaborative effort among the entire RHC.

One of the ideas that Kocian and the RHC came up with was a makeshift photo booth consisting of a white sheet strung up against the wall. First Year Alice Shy stood near it to take people’s photos, either with or without the fake lips and mustaches.

Other activities included a station for making headbands, with materials including sparkling elastic bands and feathers, as well as hot glue to hold everything together.

The participation and enthusiasm at the event made it clear that McGovney was not alone in her opinion when she enthusiastically exclaimed, “the 20s are awesome!”