On Thursday, April 24th, the Art and Literature Club held their annual Coffee House in the high school cafeteria. The event celebrated the creativity of high school students and created a welcoming stage for music performances. Performers signed up to sing, dance, and play instruments.
The Art and Lit Club is a club where students with a passion for writing, drawing, and creating can share their ideas through their annual magazine. The Coffee House gives members the opportunity to dabble in live performances in addition to publishing their work. Club members and club co-presidents, juniors Evon Kamel and Sydney Young, took on the challenge of organizing the coffee house event this year.
“There were a lot of details to work through—lining up performers, organizing the space, and creating that cozy, welcoming vibe,” said Kamel.
The SLHS cafeteria was transformed into a cozy coffee house with drinks and snacks. Club members worked together to create a café-style space with decorations, seating, and a stage.
The night kicked off with a dance performance from Mrs. Howsare and other teachers. There were a total of 15 performances at the Coffee House, including group and individual performances. Some people also performed with instruments. There was even a magic performance from members of the Magic Club. The coffee house was some participants’ first time performing onstage
“I signed up to perform so I could experience performing in front of other people for the first time,” said freshman Arianna Fogerty, who sang a cover of “Promise” by Laufey. “I was nervous, but I really enjoyed singing on the stage.”
In between acts, the audience helped themselves to food sold to raise funds for Mini-THON, while laughing and talking with fellow community members.
The event ran very smoothly, and everyone in the audience seemed to love the students’ performances. The turnout was great, and this opportunity gave so many talented students a chance to showcase their work.
The night ended with closing remarks from the student club co-presidents and the club adviser Mrs. Kelly Howsare. They expressed their gratitude for everyone who came to support the students and the club. Mrs. Howsare also expressed her love for the club and students, as she is going to retire at the end of this year.
The Art and Lit club is excited to continue holding coffee houses to give students a space to express themselves.
“We absolutely hope to have another coffee house next year!” said Kamel. “It’s something that brings people together in such a special way, and we’d love to keep that tradition going.”