On Feb. 14 and 15, the annual North Street Coffeehouse will return. While artwork is showcased, students will also perform a variety of acts in front of their peers, celebrating both the written and spoken word, giving performers the opportunity to express themselves in different ways than other students.

“It’s a good avenue for students who do perform regularly to show a different side of themselves to their classmates in an informal setting,” media specialist Tara Willen said. “I always love getting to see the pictures of them on the performance board and watch them as they transition throughout the day. First hour, they’re so nervous and the other performers help encourage them, and by the end of the day, it’s like they’ve been doing it forever.”

From first to seventh hour, non-performing students will attend the performances during their english classes and receive both coffee and cookies. Students then will have the chance to see the performance events, ranging from poetry to music to skits to art.

“It’s a different atmosphere rather than just sitting in the classroom,” junior  performer Austin Shariff said. “People can observe other talents and rather than just the normal conversation throughout the day. People can express themselves in other ways than they can normally just sitting in a class.”

Whether to express themselves or just to perform, each student will get the spotlight for their performance, giving them the chance to entertain, persuade or even inspire those around them.

“There are a lot of things and a lot of people that go unnoticed because either they’re shy or just not a lot of people know of what they’re doing, so I think it’s a really good opportunity for everyone to showcase what they’re made of and what they can do,” junior performer Essence Green said.

(Photos by Savannah Wandzel, Juliet Borgshulte, Mackenzi Durrett)