LBCC students express themselves through poetry and storytelling at Open Mic Night

Stories of hope, grandeur and distant lands were shared at Open Mic Night, hosted by LBCC’s Creative Writing Department on Sept. 19 at LAC’s P104 room.

_{Long Beach City College student Justin Castro recites a poem for the audience during an open mic night hosted by the English Department’s creative writing program at the Liberal Arts Campus in Long Beach, California on Sept. 19, 2025. (Isaiah Ryan)}

Fifteen poets stood at a podium and read to the small gathering, each given a chance to express themselves in whatever ways they desired.

Freshman Maddox “Future Star” Harris drew wows from the crowd with the line, “Fear is what the world uses to steal your freedom, but don’t let that light be dimmed.” 

Harris utilized wordplay and nontraditional rhyme schemes in his delivery, while still focusing on heavier topics that mattered to him to push messages of hope and perseverance.

Many students chose to write about their past and the hardships they’ve faced or have yet to overcome. 

“From a young age, I just wanted to write about the injustices in the world that I’ve seen,” Harris said.

Emma Boucher’s “Turn of Phrase” spoke about her experiences of overthinking and how people often make things harder than they need to be.

Others wrote of loss and remembrance, and the changes that losing those close to them has had on their lives. 

_{Marie Beccue recites a poem for the audience during an open mic night hosted by the English Department’s creative writing program at the Liberal Arts Campus at Long Beach City College in Long Beach, California, on Sept. 19, 2025. (Isaiah Ryan)}

Students embraced that while change is scary, emphasizing the idea that loss is neither all good nor all bad as an experience.

Not every student chose to stay grounded, such as James Greene’s “The Beacon You Built,” a telling of a letter sent in a fantasy world that dove deep into how mental health affects everyone.

Greene hosts a World of Warcraft server with his friends and uses these stories as a way to flesh out the lore of that world. 

“We can’t really cover all this deep stuff all the time, so stories like this help make it more like, immersive you know,” Greene said.

Some students wrote stories that gave in to the appeal of writing letters to past lovers filled with yearning for different outcomes of the pasts they left behind.

_{Long Beach City College student Robert Almarez recites a poem for the audience during an open mic night hosted by the English Department’s creative writing program at the Liberal Arts Campus at Long Beach City College in Long Beach, California on Sept. 19, 2025. (Isaiah Ryan)}

Nandini Reddy, an English major, wanted to create a judgment-free zone for aspiring writers and called for anyone to come up, even if they haven’t written anything themselves.

“Even if you haven’t read anything, share something. Poems from your favorite writers or anything you want us to hear,” Nandini said.

_{Long Beach City College student Nandini Reddy recites a poem for the audience during an open mic night hosted by the English Department’s creative writing program at the Liberal Arts Campus in Long Beach, California on Sept. 19, 2025. (Isaiah Ryan)}

Any student willing to tell their stories can sign up for Open Mic Night, no matter how long or short the poem.

The Creative Writing Department hosts at least three Open Mic Nights a semester, with the next one scheduled for 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 17 in LAC’s P-104 room.