The first Glyphs coffeehouse of the school year, held on Saturday, January 26th, was the perfect way to unwind after a painful week of midterms. Over seventy people crowded in the Madison Public Library Chase Room from 7:30 to 10 p.m. and witnessed a series of impressive musical performances and poetry recitations.
The event was primarily run and organized by Lisa Jenkins, the magazine’s editor-in-chief. Jenkins explained that she was “amazed by the number of people who showed up.” The coffeehouse, generally a small gathering attended mostly by Glyphs members, attracted a more diverse crowd this time. Jenkins acknowledged “a new batch of talent” on stage, especially during the spontaneous “open mic” session from 9:30 to 10 p.m.
Jenkins was only one of many coffeehouse attendees who were impressed by the open-mic readings and musical performances. “It was an honor to share some of my poems, all of which are very special to me, and even better to have such a wonderful response from the audience in return,” said Shira Buschbaum, a sophomore. Jenkins has definitely taken into account the positive feedback from the open mic session. She has considered changing the formal structure of the event with organized performances to one which is solely open mic performances. “I was hesitant about open mic at first,” expressed Jenkins, “but when I saw how many people were willing to jump on stage and share their talents, I thought that it would be a great way to run a coffeehouse.”
The open mic session was not the only highlight of the night. At 8:30, Jenkins announced the winner of the Short Story Contest. Winner Grace Johnson-Debaufre is not only a member of Glyphs, but also the Op-Ed Editor of our very own Dodger Online. Johnson-Debaufre may have been “really shocked” that she won the contest, but the editors of Glyphs, who selected the winning piece, felt that she truly deserved the award. Keep your eye out for her story “The Fall,” which will be featured in the 2013 version of Glyphs magazine.
After the success of this coffeehouse, everyone is wondering: what’s next? “I hope even more students come to the next coffeehouse,” stated Glyphs adviser Mrs. Bergen. Jenkins plans to host two more coffeehouses before the end of the school year approaches in June. The next coffeehouse will announce the winner of the Poetry Contest in April, and the last will celebrate the publication of the Glyphs 2013. There is a possibility that April’s scheduled coffeehouse may be held sooner by popular demand.