By David Lim

Students performed music, poetry and comedy at the latest Coffee House Monday Feb 13. in a jam-packed Chalmers lounge. The Prefect Council hosted this year’s second Coffee House and provided candy and blended drinks in line with the event’s “Valentine’s Edition” theme. 

For the first time, the event ran its full length from 3:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. without any performers returning to the stage for a second time as there were enough signups for the event.

“It’s great when people want to perform multiple times but it was really exciting to see we had enough people who really wanted to be doing stuff so we could go all the way to five,” Prefect Sam Wolk ’13 said. 

Wolk, who emceed the event, organized the show with Prefect Henry Hahn ’14, although other prefects were present to staff the refreshments table and distribute candy to packed tables upfront.

Despite the theme of the show, only a few students performed Valentine-day acts and mostly stuck to their renditions of pop songs and some of their own self-written music. 

The afternoon’s only faculty performer, Dean Coordinator Ryan Wilson, teamed up with Evan Stanley ’12 in a duet of Sam Cooke’s “That’s Where It’s At.” Wilson and Stanley were the first acoustic act in a show dominated by similar performances as evidenced by guitar cases that were strewn throughout the lounge.

The Scene Monkeys stormed onto stage at the midpoint of the show and improvised “Dear Valentine’s” cards to objects randomly chosen from pieces of paper in a basket. 

Sanah Ebrahim ’13 performed  ”Back Off You Can Live Better” by G.NA, a Korean K-Pop group. 

Ebrahim, who recently competed in a K-Pop competition and said that friends have since called her “K-Pop Girl”, said that Coffee House was important to her as the the only venue in school where she could express herself and show off her talent. 

In a booming voice that certainly reached standing-room only back wall of the lounge, Tom Thorne ’12 recited Tennyson’s “The Charge of the Light Brigade” in the show’s only poetry reading. Wolk said there have been more readers in past Coffee House’s and hoped for the return of more poetry in future Coffee houses. 

Wolk said that at least that there will be at least one more Coffee House this year, although he hopes to schedule an extra one, bringing the total number to 4 this year. 

Sarah Shelby ’13, who sang Adele’s “Crazy for You” in her second Coffee House performance, noted the supportive environment that reminded her of the Peer Support that she along with many audience members headed to afterwards on the Monday. 

“I think Coffee House is a really great thing because lots of people have talent and just haven’t shared it,” Shelby said. “There are certain performances that you would just never expect and it’s a great way to express yourself. Regardless of what you do, everyone is appreciative, supportive and nice about it.”