The final Coffeehouse of the year, held on May 6, was a major hit. It featured an array of performances including singing, drawing, poetry, and a special appearance from a teacher. This was a perfect way to end the year and say farewell to some of Coffeehouse’s greatest performers, as well as hear new voices that will shape Poly’s future events.
The types of performances varied from singing to speaking. This year there were a variety of songs. Specifically, two performances of Noah Kahan songs, one from Juliet Michaelis ’25 and one from Ryan Geisler ’25 and Stavi Gabriel ’25 which were both amazing. There was a very entertaining performance from Makiyah Turner-Hicks ’24, where the dance breaks in the song were him drawing himself dancing on the whiteboard. Hank Ford ’25 shared some of his beautiful poetry which he wrote in his English class. There were also the staple performances from the band Ok Silence, and Zeke Wise ’24, Jasmine Donald ’24, and Lulu McDonald ’24. Dylan Klett, a computer science teacher at Poly, also shared a piece of writing that was very inspirational. Lastly, along the back wall of the library, you could view and enjoy Felipe Santiago’s ’26 incredible writings.
The environment at Coffeehouse is always thrilling with many people excited to perform and a multitude of audience members who show up to support their friends, peers, teachers, and students. There are always snacks and hot chocolate that set the mood for everyone to get comfortable. “The best thing about [Coffeehouse] is that it is optional, so only the people who want to be there are there,” said Juliet Michaelis ’25. This creates an extremely supportive environment with students but also teachers, as you know everyone is taking time out of their day and choosing to be there.
This year Michaelis performed twice, one with Turner-Hicks and one solo. She has been participating in Coffeehouse since her freshman year, and plans on continuing her participation next year. For her solo, she performed a song by Noah Kahan on her guitar, saying that she had taught herself the song and practiced for a few nights leading to the performance. In contrast, there was not as much preparation for her song with Turner-Hicks, as the only time they practiced it was earlier that day, during the fire drill out in the oval. However, since Turner-Hicks is graduating this year and they are good friends, they wanted to ensure they had a final performance together. Michaelis was also involved with the behind-the-scenes work, getting decorations and assisting Lulu McDonald in organizing the event. She really enjoys being a part of this and hopes to have a bigger part in leading it next year.
Soleil Peña ’27 had her debut at this past Coffeehouse. She decided to sing a song called “Times are Hard for Dreamers” from the musical “Amélie,” and because she already knew the song, there was not much preparation that had to go into the performance. “[The environment was very casual and very low pressure,” she said, which she appreciated.
This was a lovely Coffeehouse to finish off the year and bid goodbye to our seniors, who will be truly missed. It is always such a blast, so next year make sure to come support or even perform in the next one.
