Ball State University junior Nate Shell said he was scrambling Thursday afternoon to get more performers for 'Open Mic: A Night of Expressions.'
"A lot of people we had on first got sick with colds," he said. "It was like three or four acts."
Shell said he went through a list of friends and acquaintances in the hopes of filling the slots for the event, sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Kappa Delta sorority at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center Tally.
"Through connections I tried to get people I wasn't affiliated with, that m y fraternity wasn't affiliated with," he said.
Alpha Phi Alpha president Kenny Daniels said many people were willing to get on stage.
"A lot of people like to express themselves in different ways but don't get the opportunity to," he said. "We always want to give people that opportunity and the aspect of just gathering and not having to worry about class. Just kick back and relax."
Daniels said anyone could perform at the event, but he wanted to make sure there would be a mixture of spoken word, singing, and other types of acts.
"Whatever came, we accepted, but we did want a variety," he said. "Most people don't get the opportunity to hear monologues. Most people get poetry and monologues mixed up when they have two different meanings."
Ball State junior Ennis Adams performed a monologue, a lengthy speech by one person, from the 1996's "A Time to Kill," a movie about the trial following the rape and murder of a black girl in a southern town.
Dressed in a suit, Adams took on the role of the prosecuting attorney in the film. He described the girl's brutal final moments and questioned whether the all-white jury could deliver justice.
"Can you see her?" he said. "Can you see her?"
Adams said he has seen "A Time to Kill" on many occasions and thought it would be fitting for "Expressions."
"[The monologue] isn't just words," he said. "Every time I see it, it's like bringing it to life."
Adams said the story told in the movie might be a little over the top, but it still serves as a symbol of a more disturbing time.
"A lot of times, you can look back on the past and be ashamed of it, but you should never forget," Adams said.
Earlier in the evening, Ball State junior Janea Mackins performed "Poem Wife," a piece about a jilted lover who chooses to place God over relationships with men.
"Us as females, we go through things with men," she said. "This poem was meant to enlighten them - let them know there's something better for them."
Shell said the first "Expressions" in September 2005 was a big hit.
"A lot of people wanted us to bring it back," he said. "So we thought we'd go ahead and try it."
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