On the night of November 6, students gathered in the Noyes Courtyard for one of PCDS’s most anticipated high school events: Coffee House. This annual fall event brings together music, art, and community in a cozy, creative atmosphere where students can share their talents. With acoustic performances and delicious food, Coffee House captures the essence of the tight-knit community at PCDS.
Bringing this year’s Coffee House to life was a collaboration between the Art Club and the student Senate leaders. Planning began weeks in advance. While the Senate brainstormed ideas for decorations and logistics, the Art Club leaders (Darian Tedesco ‘26, Kongkasem Suchart ‘26, and Tara Ghafouri ‘27) worked on choosing a date, setting a theme, coordinating performances, and deciding smaller details like food. The goal was for Coffee House to feel cozy, relaxed, and creative, a comfortable space where students would feel welcome to share their art.
On the day of the event, members of both the Senate and Art Club arrived an hour early to set up the space, working to transform the Noyes Courtyard, adding tables and chairs, lanterns, candles, and fall leaf garlands, complete with a bonfire and pumpkins on each table for guests to paint during the event. While Art Club leaders arranged decorations, several faculty members also played key roles in bringing the evening together. Upper School Visual and Media Arts teacher Mr. Lewis displayed a variety of student artwork and sculptures around the courtyard, adding an immersive visual element to the space, while Band Director Dr. Botts helped with the sound system, bringing a piano and assisting with the microphone so every performer could be heard clearly. Upper School Technical Director Mr. Nichols managed lighting and tech by adjusting audio levels for each performance and making sure the event ran smoothly behind the scenes.
All of the effort and coordination paid off once the performances began and students filled the courtyard. As the sun set, the space came alive with music, laughter, and conversation. Watching students and faculty paint pumpkins, sing karaoke, and enjoy food together was a rewarding reminder that all of the planning had resulted in another meaningful and special PCDS tradition.
Coffee House provided an intimate scene, with captivating performances ranging from original songwriting, impressive piano playing, group acts, and even an impromptu guitar solo. Boys on the Block, a jazz band consisting of seniors Siddharth Vadnerkar and Eliza Meltzer, juniors Caden Huckelbridge, Niyam Patel, and Turner Ashby, sophomore Sam Meltzer, and freshman Bennet Ashby, was the final performance of the evening. They played a range of jazz music, including “Watermelon Man” by Herbie Hancock and “Work Song” by Nat Adderley. Sam Meltzer, the band’s guitarist, commented that “for this year’s performance, Turner put together an amazing setlist.” With a wide array of instruments, including piano, saxophone, and bass, it was the most prominent of the performances. The lights overhead blinked on and off in colorful patterns, truly completing the musical experience.
Art and food rounded out the evening. Impressive paintings and art projects –– namely, the Sculpture I class’s cardboard animal heads –– were displayed around the courtyard, and many attendees walked around admiring the art. Also included was delicious Thanksgiving-style food that everybody loved. Junior Wesley Tarbell stated that “the turkey was primo.”Overall, Coffee House was a fantastic showcase of what the student body can put together and perform, from setting the perfect fall scene to strumming a guitar.
