Gimme the Mic is a performance based class where students study vocal and performance techniques of various styles of contemporary music; self expression is heavily focused on in this course. Students also get the opportunity to showcase their talents in several concerts in school and public venues, the most highly attended by the student body being the ones located in the library and auditorium. But, there is a catch. One can only watch a GTM auditorium concert if their teacher brings the whole class. This raises the questions: why can’t students watch these auditorium concerts on their free periods without a teacher?

As a student of OHS, there are limited amount of places to go during free periods. Those places include: the library, cafeteria and off campus (if you’re an upperclassman). After a while, doing the same thing gets boring. So, when a student hears news there will be a GTM concert, he/she jumps at the opportunity to go, but unfortunately they cannot go alone if it is in the auditorium; which is strange because it’s the only place where a big group of people can actually fit to watch a concert. On the other hand, only a certain amount of people are allowed at library concerts, which are accessible to everyone, due to the size; so why prohibit students from going to a ridiculously more convenient location to watch their classmates perform? Why give someone the chance to perform if they can’t have a real audience to watch them?

It’s understood that by the student body that space is limited in the auditorium and the library, but what is 40 minutes of breaking safety regulations for a good cause really going to do? Gimme the Mic concerts are worthwhile. Seeing students perform is a nice way to spend an off period, especially since it’s not everyday you get to hear your friends sing. You get to witness the joy of a performer fully engaged in their song. Why is it the schools decision to decide where we should spend our time? If anything Gimme the Mic is one of the best places to spend it, so why prohibit us from watching the concerts?