Music, raffles, free food and comedians — you’d think you were at a carnival with all the fun and games. But that’s how University student Sam Klotz@@http://uoregon.edu/findpeople/person/Sam%2AKlotz@@ plans to promote awareness on campus.
Klotz will host the third “Open Mic Night” on Feb. 17 in the Ben Linder Room.@@http://emu.uoregon.edu/schedule_main.php@@ Sponsored by the Cultural Forum, the event is free but donations of $3 are accepted. All donations will go to help victims of human trafficking and child slavery.
But how do comedians and free food promote student awareness of human trafficking?
Klotz said they bring people together under one roof.
“What I’m trying to do is bring people together to encourage them to think about human trafficking,” she said. “That way they’ll actually care about it and hopefully become advocates like myself.”
She held the first “Open Mic Night” two years ago in The Buzz to raise awareness and money about human trafficking. Last fall term, she held the second. Each time, she funded the event out of her own pocket. But the second “Open Mic Night” caught the attention of the Cultural Forum, and they told Klotz that they would sponsor the next event.
As the event progressed through the years, it got better and better. Organizations that offer shelter to human trafficking survivors like Transitions Global@@http://jamespond006.blogspot.com/@@ and Hope Ranch Ministries@@http://hope-ranch-ministries.com/@@ will be at the event. Speakers will discuss their goals for their shelters and talk about why they became involved with this crisis.
Aside from the educational aspect of the night, there will be a musical performance from local Eugene band Greenlander@@http://www.greenlanderband.com/@@ and the Duck Street Dance Club.@@http://www.facebook.com/events/216451785115772@@ Guests are also encouraged to purchase $1 raffle tickets to enter for homemade baked goods like banana bread, cookies and pie.
Those guests who prefer something other than baked goods can enter to win a charcoal painting by Muhs, an international student from Iraq. Some students will be reading poetry in English, French and German. Others will even put on comedic performances.
Besides promoting awareness of human trafficking, “Open Mic Night” is also for international students.
“I lived in Spain for a year and really connected with people musically,” Klotz said. “That is something I want to bring back here and allow international students here to connect through music, art and social awareness.”
She encourages everyone from faculty to students to Eugene residents to attend the event because human trafficking has become a major problem in the world.
“This is our chance. It’s our turn to play a part in the big picture,” she said. “We have to help people who are enslaved. We have to be their voice.”