The Reflector, Shippensburg University’s on-campus literary journal, held its annual Post-Love Open Mic on Thursday, Feb. 16, in Stewart Hall. Attendees were encouraged to share their work about love, heartbreak and everything in between.

Upon entry, I was greeted by members of The Reflector — some of them wearing red clothing and heart-shaped accessories. The main area was decorated with rose petals, candles and streamers. You could feel the loving energy even before the event began.

The Reflector’s Editor-In-Chief, Megan Gardenhour, welcomed the audience and prefaced that the event was specifically anti-Valentine’s Day. However, the audience was encouraged to share anything that was in their hearts.

Members of The Reflector and the audience shared their work in a variety of different art forms, such as acoustic performances, acapella, poetry and prose.

Shippensburg students Cameron Conroy and Tomi May each gave acoustic performances. Conroy sang The Beatles’ “Rocky Raccoon,” and May sang The Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris.”

Treasurer Hannah Cornell shared two of her poems with the audience. The first poem was “Butterflies and Hornets,” which was inspired by the song “We’ll Never Have Sex” by Leith Ross. The second poem was “How To,” in which she described the many different Google searches she makes as a woman in her 20s.

SU sophomore Madi Shively gave a compelling performance of prose titled “Cold Pasta.”

“It was my first time writing prose, and my first time reading it aloud in front of an audience. I love public speaking, so it was an exhilarating experience to get the chance to do that,” Shively said.

Each performance of the night was captivating and full of vulnerability. It was comforting to be able to relate to some of their experiences.

“You could tell everyone was so passionate about what they created; it was so much fun to witness,” Shively said.

If you are interested in submitting your work to The Reflector, they are taking submissions of art, poetry, and prose for their Spawning Pool. You can send any work to spawningpool@ship.edu by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 19.

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