In a night of powerful live performances, Mount Tamalpais College students, alumni, and faculty showcased their unique talents at the College’s annual Open Mic Night on December 20th, 2024. Held in one of San Quentin’s chapels, the lineup included fiction and spoken word poetry readings, comedy, and musical performances across genres. MTC student Henok Rufael and MTC Development & Community Outreach Manager Denisse Manrique teamed up to emcee the night, adding a dose of levity and humor. 

Alumnus Angel Alvarez opened the evening with a resounding chant of community togetherness, a theme echoed in performances throughout the night: “MTC, MTC, I am you! You are me!” the crowd shouted. James Snider echoed this idea, dedicating his guitar performance of “Standing Atop Mount Tamalpais” to a friend and MTC alumnus who had recently passed away. Matthew Shepard then united the crowd in laughter with his comedy routine about math classes at the college.

“It’s inspiring,” MTC student Jose Moises Ramirez said about the show. “It takes us away from this place for two hours. I love seeing all the staff watch everyone be in our world.” 

Music was a highlight of the evening, with acts as varied as bluegrass, hip-hop, Latin, a cappella, and jazz. “We’re in a renaissance of music,” commented Brian Conroy, who performed with a number of different bands on stage. “It was really cool to perform for all my people.” 

Henok Rufael also revealed his versatility as a performer, stepping away from his role as emcee to play violin in several acts, including “Elk River Blues” with longtime English faculty member Susan Hirsch on banjo. 

The literary talents of the MTC community were also on display. Among them were Stu Ross, who contributed the night’s only satirical piece, and Mesro Dhu Rafa’a, who captivated the crowd with “I Am Broken,” a spoken word performance about mental health, his words echoing through the chapel: “It’s ok to not be ok.” 

“One of the responsibilities of poetry is to tell the truth. To honor the humanity of everyone” said Douglas Dawkins, closing out the night with his poem, “Dreamers.” 

The evening was what MTC Chief Academic Officer Amy Jamgochian described as “a bright light” during a holiday season that can carry mixed emotions for the incarcerated community. Sam Nichols, a San Quentin resident who was seeing the show for the first time, summed up the show in one word: “Resilience,” he said.