Mocha Madness Offers Poems, Songs, Pyrotechnics and More

Candi Marshall-Daniels
Arts and Entertainment Editor

   The University of Arkansas at Monticello's Creative Society held its once a semester Mocha Madness event in the Patio Cafe' on April 15.

   This year's theme, "Wandering the Enchanted Forest,"  featured Caleb Burger, Creative Society Choragus, as the "Enchanted MC" and the "Forest Gnome Bouncer." Burger said he planned to wear a gnome outfit, but it did not turn out as planned.

   Students, faculty, alumni and more participated showcasing their creativity through a variety of poems, prose, songs and pyrotechnics.

   Mark Englerth performed at the first Mocha Madness 15 years ago. This semester he performed original haiku pieces. One day while driving, Englerth said he was inspired to write about pollen.

   "Pollen on the road, floating like smog in the sky, my haiku achoo," Englerth said. He ignited laughter from the audience.

   Ronald Sitton, assistant professor of journalism, opened the show with original songs and his harmonica. During a song he wrote entitled "20 percent," he invited Eric Carolina Davis to join him on the guitar. He wrote the song for some waitresses he used to work with. Sitton got the audience involved having them say 20 percent when he signaled. The lyrics encouraged customers to tip their waitress real good.

   Martin Marusich, foreign language teaching assistant, took the audience out of the country singing to them in Spanish. He performed "Nostalgias," a Tango song about love.

   Some audience members gave Kay Walter and Sarah Bloom a standing ovation when they completed their "Triad of Poems in Duet." They  read a poem from William Blake, Robert Frost's  "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" and Edwin Arlington Robinson's "The Children of the Night" from memory. They presented the first poem verse by verse and the second line by line. Walter, assistant professor of English, and Bloom, associate professor of English, expressed their love of words.

"When we find something that we connect with we memorize it," Walter said. They did just that.

   In their last poem, the two recited the poem alternating who spoke with every word. Robert Moore, professor of English who also writes under the alias of Red Hawk, laughed boisterously obviously tickled at their performance. He expressed his love afterwards by joining Sitton and others in a standing ovation.

   With several performers on the list and the overflow of audience members last semester, Mocha Madness adviser Gary Marshall along with Burger and Sarah Pasterniak, who also serves as Creative Society's Choragus with Burger, prepared by providing more seating.

Others who performed at Mocha Madness include:

• Rose McVane
• Nicholas Bennett
• "Linwood"
• John Ragsdale Jr.
• Brad Hodges
• Emilianne Slamons
• Jasmine Bolen
• Chris Albritton
• Gary Marshall (Mars Hall)
• Martin Marusich
• Special Sanders
• Vincent Jackson
  

   Open Mic did not dissatisfy in attendance either. It brought first-time Mocha Madness performer Christean Bell. She read a poem call "My Dirty Little Secret." 

"That's an awesome first time if you ask me," Burger said.

   Jason Higgins, who also performed with "Linwood" and David Yates during intermission, played the first song he ever wrote during Open Mic.

Other Open Mic Performers include:

• Penny Thorton
• Steven Porter
• Eric Bell
• McVane
• Erica Williams
• Jerica Hubbard
• Yvonne Hinshaw
• Charollete Wells
• Khristafer Sheffield
• Kyle Cooper 

    The night of "Enchantment" ended with Pasterniak twirling her light-up hula hoop accompanied with Ryan Weisner on the drums and Daniel Cimon on the guitar.

   The Creative Society meets on Mondays at noon upstairs in Java City. All are welcome to join.

   Burger said, "We need you to make this event possible and possibly add new events."

©The Voice 2010