Open mic winner, Colby Taylor won with his untitled piece that was performed for the first time in front of an audience. Kim Calhoun, Manchac Review editor congratulated Taylor with a prize.
Imari Simmons/The Lion's Roar

The English department and Writing Center celebrated the release of the student creative journal, “Manchac Review.”

The release party was held on Oct. 4 in D. Vickers Hall. This is the third volume of the “Manchac Review” and is compiled of creative works from students, faculty and administration. Editor of the “Manchac Review” and English graduate student Kim Calhoun helped plan the event.

“It’s fun,” said Calhoun. “I’m an English major. I’m a graduate student so this is kind of complimentary to it. I enjoy working with students.”

The “Manchac Review” is the creative journal on campus. The journal is online as “Manchac Review Online” and is updated continuously. It features fiction, poetry, drama, art, music/lyrics and video.

The release party featured an open mic in which students and faculty could sign up to perform their original work. For a few students, this was their first time performing original work in front of an audience.

“I have serious stage fright,” said Janeva Morris, a freshman new media and animation major. “I nearly dropped my phone when I was up there but it was okay.”

The open mic featured different styles of writing such as memoir, spoken word poetry and short story. Most of the performers work talked about deep, personal experiences.

“Mine was about the relationship between me and my mother cause we were distant this summer because a lot of things happened and certain situations, and I finally started thinking for myself,” said Morris. “I started to talk to her about my thoughts and she didn’t like my thoughts because it wasn’t what she wanted.”

Colby Taylor, a sophomore accounting major and winner of the open mic, performing for the first time was a personal achievement.

“I felt like I got a lot of weight off my shoulders,” said Taylor. “I accomplished something for the first time.”

Taylor performed his original piece that he left untitled. His spoken word poem described a dark time in his life and how that prompted him to start writing.

“My cousin passed away so it kind of motivated me too,” said Taylor. “It was a hobby of mine and then as he passed away, I realized life is short. I wanted to put all my time in something, make it worth well.”

To read the “Manchac Review,” visit english.selu.edu/manchacreview. 

The "Manchac Review" held an open mic at their release of the magazine.
Imari Simmons/The Lion's Roar