A Taylor Swift costume made an appearance performing “All Too Well.”
BARBARA VASQUEZ / THE QUADRANGLE
By Barbara Vasquez, Asst. Production Editor
This past Thursday, MU hosted a Coffee House with a haunting theme: Halloween!
Due to the event falling on the holiday, Coffee House was held with a Halloween theme for the open mic. Promotional flyers encouraged attendees to come in their Halloween costumes, and the show featured performances from students dressed as Taylor Swift, Jesse Pinkman, a number of cowboys and more.
Senior William Reed, dressed up as a construction worker, delivered an off-holiday performance and performed a piece from the Pipes and Drums repertoire, usually associated with the later holiday, St. Patrick’s Day. Reed shared his thoughts on the night’s theme.
“It was nice to see some interesting costumes,” Reed said. “It definitely was a great way to add a little bit of spice to a semi-regular occurrence. I mean, every Coffee House is themed in some way, but the Halloween costumes were a nice little touch.”
Reed, a civil engineering major at Manhattan University, appreciates the opportunity that Coffee House provides for him to express himself more creatively despite his major in the STEM field.
“It definitely brings out a way to still practice performing arts and art while also hitting the books and doing work 24/7,” Reed said. “It’s a good distraction from the worst nights when things get tough, and a good way to enjoy all aspects that the university has to offer.”
“There’s this whole idea that you do arts or you do STEM,” Vanessa Goncalves, a junior computer science major said. “I think it’s more like you have to have a little bit of each in your life in order for it to be good.”
Goncalves later took to the open mic herself, wearing a shark costume.
Co-host of the event Matt Regalado, dressed as “the guy from Whiplash,” shared his belief in the importance of Coffee House providing this opportunity for students.
“I think it’s one of the most important things,” Regalado said. “I think it’s what college is all about. You would be surprised how many engineering students and physics majors– I mean, I’m a biochemistry major– how many of these people have a musical, or very artistic side. Liberal arts majors are very lucky that they get to wear that on their sleeve, but when it comes to us STEM majors sometimes we get type casted in a box. Every now and then it’s good to let that [artistic] side out.”
In his fourth year of studying biochemistry, Regalado shows equal interest and appreciation for his studies and performances.
“It’s really interesting how science and music are very intertwined,” he said. “Being a biochemistry student, you’re surrounded by all of these things in the field of chemistry where things just make sense and happen for a reason. When you’re surrounding yourself with things that just make sense, when you put that down and go out into your life, you find that a lot of things tend to just make sense. Music is that way too.”
As an open event for all students at the university, Coffee House strives to be a source of potential comfort for all students.
“The important thing to know is that every single show is different, and still when the objective is getting people comfortable, it’s a success every time,” Regalado said. “The point is to put people in a space where they’re comfortable to enjoy themselves, and if there’s only two people in the room, and I get them both to feel comfortable, I feel like I’ve done it.”
Regalado and co-host Jill Tuthill are successful in this part of their mission and have acquired several regular audience members.
Michael Freeman, a sophomore chemical engineering student, donned an elaborate Joker costume and shared that attending Coffee House events is common for him.
“I’ve been going to these for a while, since my freshman year,” Freeman said. “When I first watched it, I had a good time and just kept going.”
Reed commented on how the event can positively affect his mood.
“The thing with all of these Coffee Houses is they put you in a good mood,” Reed said. “You’re able to see a lot of local talent from a lot of unrealized potential on campus.”
Regalado told The Quadrangle the reason behind his love of performing, which he discovered after his first-ever performance in front of others during a Coffee House.
“Even if the song’s not yours, the performance is,” Regalado said. “I have something that I’ve worked on and it’s mine, and no one can take that away.”
Despite the attendance of male strippers, carnivorous animals and pirates, Coffee House allowed all students an opportunity to have their voices heard on an open mic. To stay updated on when future Coffee Houses are being held, follow their Instagram page @mucoffeehouse.