By Connie Nolen/Community Columnist

Write Night, Pelham High School’s annual creativity celebration, rivaled the exterior downpour as amazing performers flooded Pelham’s auditorium with artistry on February 21^st.  Write Night planning begins in fall Literary Magazine class. Lit Mag staffers serve as event planners, volunteer coordinators, community liaisons, PR and social media specialists, sound and lighting techs, and t-shirt designers. As Literary Magazine adviser, I’m the taskmaster insisting that this laundry list of tasks happens—along with the senior staffers—who are a major, multi-talented, fearless force.

To provide food and souvenirs, we call on parents and local businesses. I provide an official letter to businesses. Upperclassmen teach younger staffers to visit local businesses in groups or send emails to established supporters attaching the business letter. Students ask managers from their part-time jobs to contribute. We practice shaking hands, maintaining eye contact, and following through. Dealing daily with the financial realities of printing the magazine, students know that the best fundraisers are those that parallel their mission statement—providing a venue for PHS artists and writers.

Write Night provides that venue for the performing arts. From the art our amazing art teachers display in the lobby, to the musical performances and spoken word, Write Night conjures that reverent venue creativity demands.  Performances compel the audience to sit in astounded silence, to squeal with delight, to sing along, to clap, to raise their lighted phones and to cry tears of laughter, joy or empathy.

The day after Write Night, students are talking.

“I loved the skit,” Nate Rottier said, speaking of freshman Amya Peterson’s work. Others agreed.

“Wait, the juniors loved my work?” Peterson asked in Creative Writing class. She fell speechless. Amya Peterson is rarely speechless.

“I loved Elise Hansen’s song, Dylan Kirk’s poem and the songs that the crowd sang along to,” said Sean Erwin.

“Who won Write Night?” David Aldrich asked.

“Everyone wins at Write Night—that’s why Write Night rocks,” Crystill Crockett said.

Write Night showcases creative students revealing them as champions.

Providing classes where creative kids find purpose, community and confidence matters.