Treetops passes the mic

By Shannon Curley
Collegian Staff
January 31, 2007

Besides the occasional loudly cranked hip-hop jam on the loudspeakers, entertainment was never a large part of the Treetops Café dining experience—until now.

Two student workers at Treetops, Jim Feighan, a senior English major, and Nate Adams, a junior, decided to spice up the monotony of a Wednesday night at La Salle by organizing an open mic night. When they approached manager John Williamson about sponsoring the event, he agreed.

“We have the space, and there was a need,” Williamson said.

Now, Treetops will showcase campus bands, performers and others when its first open mic night takes place Feb. 7 from 9 p.m.-midnight.

The stage will be open to any La Salle student who is willing to perform. Musical and comedy acts as well as poetry readings are encouraged to attend. The number of acts signed up for a given night will determine the time allotted for each individual performance.

There are already several bands and one poet signed up for Wednesday’s event. Participants do not have to be La Salle students, but non-affiliates must be signed in with a student just as they would have to in the residence halls.

Treetops delivery service will be running during the event, and there will be a coffee bar set up so food and refreshments will be available for students who attend.

“It’s cool they’re doing something different this year. It’s something I would go to,” sophomore psychology major Elizabeth Provenzano said.

The event aims to serve as a midweek “tension breaker,” says Williamson, who checked with Late Night La Salle before agreeing to the date to ensure that there were no conflicts in scheduling. If the night goes well, according to Williamson, it is possible that open mic night could become a standard monthly event.

“The thought of it being in one of the dining halls sounded a little strange to me at first, but now that I’ve heard a little bit more about it, it sounds like it could be a lot of fun,” sophomore psychology major Amy Gotthardt said. “It sounds like it could be a good opportunity for students here at La Salle to showcase their musical talent.”

curleys1@lasalle.edu