Photo Credit: University of St. Michael’s College
Come participate in St. Mike’s very own open mic event!
Vanessa Choi, Contributor
As a longstanding tradition within the St. Michael’s College community, Kelly’s Korner, the college’s open mic event, is guaranteed to be a fun time! When I signed up for Kelly’s Korner for the first time, I remember nervously practicing the week before because I didn’t want to embarrass myself. I even got there fifteen minutes before the event began because I wanted to be prepared. Luckily, there were a lot of familiar faces from Orientation; one of them approached me and said, “Vanessa! Come get some food and chill.” So, with my guitar strapped to my back and a plate of food in my hand, I did indeed chill and watched as the master of ceremonies came on stage. Soon after that, the Coop erupted into musical chaos.
Everyone in the audience joined the performers in singing “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus, as well as most songs after that. That is pretty much how Kelly’s Korner is. You can play the Attack on Titan theme on the keyboard because your friends pushed you on stage and the crowd was too encouraging for you to turn it down, do stand-up comedy, or watch your residence dons sing an Elvis classic. One of my favourite moments happened during Kelly’s Korner: International Version. A student was studying in the Coop when she heard some performers singing songs from her home country, so she signed up on the spot. Her performance was hauntingly beautiful!
Now, you might have noticed how “Korner” is spelled with a “K.” It is not a typo, of course. So, let me tell you about the Lore of St. Mike’s. Father John M. Kelly, who served as president of the college from 1958 to 1978, was very involved in student life at St. Mike’s. He created Kelly Library and had been supporting the education and development of students during his time at the college. Apart from his passion for books, he loved spending time with students. He would get together with a group of students in a corner of the student common room — the equivalent of the Coop then — to vibe and jam with them, in modern lingo. After Fr. Kelly passed away, students carried on this tradition. To this day, the St. Michael’s College Student Union’s VP Arts hosts at least two Kelly’s Korner events per academic year, not only to honor Kelly’s legacy, but also to provide a platform for St Mike’s students to share their artistic side with friends, or just to unwind and have fun.
To continue this tradition, please join us on the fourth day of Orientation — Wednesday September 6 — at 7pm in the Coop for Kelly’s Korner: Orientation Version. It’s a fun open mic night, and it might get competitive because O-Cup points are involved in this one!
