Students will have an opportunity to show off their talents and enjoy the talents of their peers today at the Campus Perk open mic night. The event will go from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. in the 7th Street Underground of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

All types of acts are welcome at the open mic night, sponsored by Sonor, an advertising, marketing and public relations student organization for social norm marketing, said Steve Baran, public relations and entertainment director of Sonor.

Many of the acts at open mic nights of the past were people playing acoustic guitars, Baran said. “We’ve also seen a guy play bongo drums and a girl who did what would be best classified as poetry,” Baran said.

Robb Henry, a senior zoology major, has attended open mic nights in the past and said he enjoyed the experience. “I got to see a guy play the ukulele,” Henry said.

Baran said that Sonor’s purpose in having the open mic night is to provide a substance-free alternative for students. “At least 50% of the campus is under 21,” Baran said. “People need to have somewhere to go.”

Everyone from the Eastern community is welcome to go, and there will be some giveaways, Baran said. “We’ve got coffee mugs, T-shirts and frisbees,” Baran said. Refreshments will also be available. “Every week we’ve been offering a snack, coffee, pops and water,” Baran said. “And it is absolutely all free.”

Shane Reichart, a junior chemical engineering major, has both attended and participated in open mic nights in the past. Reichart said that because he is in a band, the open mic night was a good opportunity for him to play and sing his own songs himself. “I also got to play and sing songs that we don’t do as a band,” Reichart said.

Reichart also appreciated the chance to meet other people who were in the music scene. “It was cool in both aspects,” Reichart said, “both being on the stage and being a member of the audience.”