Living for the jive of Java Live

Julia Jardon, Reporter|January 11, 2018

Photo by Julia Jardon

At the last Java Live, students swayed to the live performance and waved LED candles to the strum of the guitar.

The Mirrors Literary Magazine hosts a few open mic nights on Fridays throughout the school year. This student hosted open mic night, called Java Live, is available to anyone looking to perform or watch a great show or to support friends. It’s a terrific way to showcase your skills to your peers and feel the rush of performing that you wouldn’t typically get due to the stress of perfecting presentations and projects for class.

Though some people attend Java Live to watch the show and socialize, performers put their emotions out for the audience to witness. Some student performers have to overcome some obstacles in order to get on stage.

“I think it’s okay to be nervous but don’t not come because you’re nervous,” sophomore Eleanor Hainey said.

Photo by Julia Jardon
Sophomore Eleanor Hainey and friend draw and color while enjoying the performances at Java Live, Nov. 10, 2017.

The nervous adrenaline of performing is the big rush for some people; others don’t care for the spotlight and enjoy just watching the Java Live performances from the audience.

“My favorite part of Java Live was getting to watch all of these talented people go up on stage and be themselves in front of everyone,” sophomore Catherine Evans said. “It is a great experience to witness people put their emotions out for everyone to see and have fun drinking coffee or coloring.”

Photo by Julia Jardon
Sophomore Lex Lesniak practices her set before she performs. “I started [writing and playing] in eighth grade,” Lesniak said. “It became therapeutic and Java Live definitely makes it a lot more fun.”
At the first Java Live of the 2017-2018 school year, students who performed brought tears to the crowd, both of laughter and of sorrow. Sophomore Lex Lesniak  performed “Private Fears in Private Places,” by Front Porch Step and an original piece after Georgina Tierney performed original poetry about her life on the cross country team. Whether the theme surrounded a serious topic in their life or something they enjoy and wanted to share, each performance came from the heart. Students came with a variety of talents in order to show off their skills, and each performance was phenomenal, no matter if it was an original poetic piece or a cover of a favorite rock song.

“[Java Live] is a really great place for kids to foster creativity without the stress of things like the talent show or fine arts week,” senior Hannah Orr said.

Photo by Julia Jardon
Mirrors member and senior Hannah Orr performs an original poem, moving the audience to tears at Java Live, Friday Nov. 10.

The admission cost is only a $4 fee, but the experiences that come along with being apart of the celebration of creativity and self expression don’t have a price tag.

Photo by Julia Jardon
Sophomore Hanna Homan cheers on Ben Pavlik during his performance at Java Live, using a lighter app to sway to the music.

There will be a variety of snacks and beverages; come and enjoy some hot chocolate or coffee while munching on donuts or pizza and watching the performances (food only costs $1). There will also be board games available to play with friends and coloring pages that will satisfy your inner child.

Throughout the rest of the school year, Mirrors will be hosting more Java Live’s, hunting down submissions for the spring issue of the literary magazine and the website, along with hosting some writing seminars and workshops where anyone can come and work on their writing.