It was Essence Green’s senior year, and her last time ever performing at North Street Coffee House. The plan was to go out the way she went into it the first time she performed there, with fellow choir member Austin Shariff by her side. Her plans changed, though, when Green got a call from Shariff that he is sick and wouldn’t be able to make it.

“When I first found out he wasn’t going to make it I thought ‘Darn,’ but he was really sick and he had a trip to New York coming up so I knew that was more important,“ Green said.

It was Shariff who first convinced Green to perform at Coffee House their sophomore year. After letting her nerves keep her from performing the year before, she agreed to sing with him thinking it would be easier having a friend by her side. Enjoying it, the two performed together again their junior year with “Best Part” by H.E.R.

“I was used to singing in front of crowds, because of choir, but it was nerve-racking performing in front of a group of my peers the first time I did it at Coffee House,” Green said. “I actually cared what they thought so I was super scared. It was super fun though. I got to get out of class and do what I love for seven hours.”

This year they planned on doing a duet of “Someday” by Michael Bublé, but when Green got the call that Shariff wasn’t going to make it she had to quickly change her plans. She chose to perform Fugee’s “Killing Me Softly,” a song that is sentimental to her, because she used to sing it with her mom. Green also performed an impromptu duet of “Someone Like You” by Adele with fellow choir member sophomore Zoe Meier.

“I’ve been in choir since my freshman year, so just knowing music in general and being able to match pitch and harmonize and stuff made it really easy for us to put something together in the last minute,” Green said.

Although she missed her friends that she performed with last year who graduated, like Drew Kilmer and Grant Argent, and despite all of the last minute changes, Green still had a great time performing at Coffee House for the last time.

“The seventh-hour performance was great,” Green said. “I feel like the day went out with a bang, so I’m pretty content with how it all ended. It’s kind of sad, but I know I’m moving onto bigger and better things.”