North Central’s literary journal, “30 N.,” is a student-run publication that focuses on poetry, fiction, non-fiction and other forms of artwork. This publication is one of the few undergraduate literary journals in the country, and it has recently gone worldwide. In addition to their literary journal, they also host the annual NCC Underground.
Hosted in the basement of the Boilerhouse, NCC Underground is an event where students gather to sing, dance, read poetry, tell stories, be a standup comedian and share whatever other talent they want to display to others.
Their most recent event for winter term was held on Feb. 10. About 20 people attended, but only eight performed. There was singing–including opera–comedy, storytelling, musicians playing instruments and spoken poetry.
Katie Draves, co-editor for “30 N.,” states, “We know this campus is full of very creative people who don’t really get the chance to show people how creative they are. This is a good way for people to truly express themselves.”
Draves points out that this turnout was much smaller than usual, and believes it to be the weather. Grace Morris, a performer and attendee of many NCC Underground events, also makes the point that the usual attendees might be in “jumbo” classes at this time. Perhaps it is a mixture of both.
Morris’ talent is the story-telling of myths and legends. She said, “There aren’t really a lot of ways to just sit down and tell a story. That’s just not something people do these days. You can read stories or listen to them, but there is not a tradition of troubadour anymore. Underground is one of the few places you can just do a performance like this and it actually is kind of normal.”
Ibrahim Mahamane, a performer at the event, said, “I think more people should come here. It’s just so chill and relaxed, not like the Union where there’s pressure. If you aren’t comfortable speaking in front of a lot of people, this is a great place to start.”
The comedian of the group, Mario Galli, is a sophomore here at North Central. He is new to stand-up comedy and is currently taking classes at Second City for improv as something he wants to just “try out.” This was his first time performing at NCC Underground and he plans to spread the word about it and return for the next one, saying, “It was fun performing in front of a small and welcoming crowd.”
Draves also mentioned the possibility of taking NCC Underground to a new location, explaining that the ventilation system in the basement of the Boilerhouse can be loud, which is not ideal for the performers.
“30 N.” wants to take NCC Underground to either Meiley-Swallow Hall or to the Union, where there is enough space for the usual demographic and even room for expansion. This, however, may change how the current performers feel. Some of the performers prefer the closely-knit group, and explained that is what makes them comfortable.
