The annual Coffee House is an event for students and families of ACE to come together, enjoy a meal, and read their poems, sing songs, or display artwork they have made throughout their school year. The event brings students and teachers together, allowing students to step out of their comfort zone and perform in front of an audience. This year’s event was on Thursday, May 29th, at Hatters Park.
The theme was, Spring Garden, “Where your spirit will bloom with the colors and joy of spring! The pavilion at Hatters’ Park was decorated with flowers and featured an art display that incorporated the theme as well. Randy Espinal and D’zhiya Pacheco MC’d the event, and after starting with some ground rules, they introduced each performance and kept it running smoothly.
Former ACE English Teacher and founder of the ACE Coffee House event got things started with her poem, “One Hundred and Thirty Years Later,” about the creaky wood floors at ACE. Kyle Trocolla, Randy Espinal and Jamie Vargas rocked out by performing Nirvana’s “Come as You Are” which followed with a mixture of poetry and musical acts. In addition to our current students, former student Kyle LeDoux performed two songs, Serenity Som performed a translated version of Reselia’s “Firebird,” and ACE volunteer, Jacqueline Astor Herbest performed two poems. Danbury’s Poet Laureat, Cheryl Panosian read two poems, and the night concluded with a group sing-a-long of ACE’s unofficial anthem, Bill Withers’ Lean on Me.
Many students expressed that the Coffee House event is beneficial and an overall good time. Some students were anxious but had their mind set on their performances, and in the end, it was a nice event to be a part of as the year comes to a close.
