The arts and more: what you’re missing at GFS.
By Amelia Swedloff ’26
Art by Joey Szpilczak ’27
Every weekday, GFS students wake up, maybe eat breakfast, go to school, engage in extracurriculars, and go home for dinner. Most students come home from school every day to piles of homework, video games, television, and endless scrolling. But what if students are missing out on something? From inboxes flooded with emails from student groups advertising events to events advertised in the schedule section of the “What’s Happening Today” document, what events are you missing out on?
THEATER!
Who? YOUR CLASSMATES
What? FULL-SCALE PRODUCTIONS
When? SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR
Where? LOEB, YARNALL, or VENICE ISLAND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER IN MANAYUNK
Every upper schooler is required to take a theater class. The ninth-grade theater class consists of play reading, storytelling, and video watching, with some students counting the days until PE starts, and they can lift weights with Matt Sheehan. Looking outside of the required theater courses, however, there is a vast department of students and teachers who work tirelessly to create theater for the GFS community. The Theatre Department puts on two full-scale productions every year: a straight play (no singing), typically in the fall, and a musical, typically in the winter. Additionally, there is the Ninth Grade Musical in the spring, along with Poley Fest, a showcase of student work from theater classes.
Students prepare for these productions for months, rehearsing for hours after school, memorizing lines, and more. Yet, the productions are often attended only by close friends and the performers' families. Leader of the Drama Club, Chelsea Silver ’24, says, “People who want to support their friends and people who enjoy art support it”—but that does not account for the whole student body. Some students do not attend productions because they are too tired from sports or have too much homework, but they are missing out! Silver insists that theater “can really…make an impact” and “it is a really fun time.” Next time, take a few hours out of your evening to support the hard work of your friends and classmates!
CHOIR!
Who? YOUR CLASSMATES
What? CONCERTS FULL OF CHORAL MUSIC
When? SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR
Where? LOEB, the MEETINGHOUSE, or ST. LUKE’S
One of the longest-standing and most renowned groups on campus is the Choir. In the past, members have performed on different continents, and they will be touring Estonia next spring break. Students in Choir commit to a full five-period major in the eight-day rotation, as well as a weekend before school starts for “Choir Camp,” two full days of learning music. They sacrifice many a Sunday afternoon to three-hour rehearsals to prepare for their concerts. This hard work culminates in three major concerts each year: the Fall Choir Concert in November, the Winter Concert alongside Jazz, Orchestra, Chorus, and World Percussion, and the Spring Choral Concert performed in May during Alumni Weekend, joined by Middle School Choir and Lower School Chorus.
However, despite the dedication of these ensembles to learn and prepare their music, the concerts are mostly attended by parents and teachers, not students supporting their peers. Now, Choir is no Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, or Drake; however, there is something truly special about the intricate harmonies created in the style of choral music. You can always stand to diversify your music taste, and where better to start than a choir concert?
QUACKATHON!
Who? YOUR CLASSMATES and STUDENTS FROM AREA SCHOOLS
What? CODING TO SOLVE A PROBLEM
When? MARCH
Where? POLEY or HARGROVES
The Quackathon is an annual event where students create small teams of two or three and use their programming skills to write code that solves a problem. The all-day event, which also includes workshops to help teach students new coding languages, is hosted by GFS and open to high school students across the Philadelphia area.
Claire Yu ’26, leader of the Coding Club, says that the event’s attendance is “a lot less” compared to other school events, partially, she guesses, because it is seen as an “academic thing.” Yu insists that it is “a lot of fun” and that if people attended the event, they would “actually really enjoy it.” Unlike a graded computer science class, the Quackathon is a low-stakes environment for students to learn, have fun with, and improve their coding skills. In today’s technological society, skills like these are important. Why wouldn’t you take a day to improve them in a fun way, working with your friends and beating kids from other schools?
JAZZ NIGHT!
Who? YOUR CLASSMATES
What? JAZZ MUSIC
When? APRIL
Where? YARNALL
Often overlooked, the Jazz program is one of the hardest-working in the school. Starting in sixth grade, students in Jazz can follow the program through the Middle School Jazz Ensemble and into one of the two Upper School Jazz ensembles. These groups rehearse throughout the year, playing at assemblies and the Winter Concert, but it is not until after spring break that they get their own time. Jazz Night, typically held in April, is a culmination of all of these ensembles’ work. Each of the Jazz groups performs the pieces they worked hard on all year, including some student-selected pieces and some with guest performers who are not even in the Jazz program.
Yet, this year, the Yarnall auditorium was filled mostly with performers, not audience members. Elijah Ames ’24, a member of Upper School Jazz, says the performers and music teacher, Chris Coyle, “work really hard, but the school does not give [them] enough time and support.” There are very few opportunities to see the Jazz program in all of its glory, so why would you skip Jazz Night?
COFFEEHOUSE!
Who? YOUR CLASSMATES
What? STUDENT PERFORMANCES
When? TRI-ANNUALLY
Where? HARGROVES
While by day Hargroves is a chaotic home for ping pong, lunchtime gossip, and café lines, three times a year, it is transformed into a magical space for students to share their art. Coffeehouse is a student-led showcase of student work that supports Polyphony, a literary publication run by students. Once in the fall, once in the winter, and once in the spring, students gather under the glow of string lights to witness their fellow peers perform songs, poems, and more.
Lily Jensen ’24, co-leader of Coffeehouse, says, “It is a space in which people are able to be vulnerable,” adding, “We can appreciate people …who are not our friends or who we do not know and their talents.” Her brother and co-leader, Tate Jensen ’24, says, “I feel like often you are going to set your standards lower for a student-run, student-attended, student-performed event. But I think people pretty much always end up having a great time.” Coffeehouse is a place where students come together to support one another and the art they create. As Lily says, “It is not primarily an event about art. It is primarily an event about community.” Why not be a part of the supportive Coffeehouse community?
A CAPPELLA FEST!
Who? YOUR CLASSMATES and OUTSIDE PERFORMERS
What? A CAPPELLA MUSIC
When? EARLY FEBRUARY
Where? LOEB or ST. LUKE’S
For those not inspired by choral music, there is A Cappella. Members of this ensemble spend two class periods, a hook, and a lunch each week rehearsing for their various performances. They attend other festivals, perform at other events, and end the year in a recording session. However, they are most known for A Cappella Fest, which was held on campus in early February.
While GFS A Cappella hosts this annual festival, they are not the only group performing. The Fest hosts groups from local high schools like Penn Charter and SCH Academy, local colleges like the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University, and even college groups from the likes of Vassar and Brown, featuring GFS alums. A Cappella music is for the Beyoncés, Taylor Swifts, and Drakes of the world, where your favorite pop tunes are sung by your favorite classmates. It is a unique opportunity to hear songs you know and love like you have never heard them before.
NIGHT OF NOISE!
Who? YOUR CLASSMATES and OTHERS FROM THE GFS COMMUNITY
What? DRAG, PARADES, and STUDENT PERFORMANCES
When? NATIONAL DAY OF SILENCE
Where? COMMONS
National Day of Silence is a day where individuals can choose to participate in silence to recognize and commemorate the struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community. It is a beautiful tradition, in which many in our school community participate. For GFS, Day of Silence lasts from 8:00 in the morning to 3:15 in the afternoon. But after school ends, the focus shifts completely. Night of Noise is a community-wide event hosted by SAGA (Sexuality and Gender Alliance) to celebrate the joy of queer life.
After spending the day in silence, Night of Noise is an opportunity for people to be loud and express their identity without any shame or restrictions. The event features a parade of lower school students celebrating queerness, drag performances from professional drag queens, games, student performances, and a dance party. This year, A Cappella, Jam Session and individual student performers graced the Commons with their musical talent. Night of Noise is not only an event for the queer community but an event for everyone at GFS to enjoy. Support the community, enjoy a good party, and see your friends and classmates perform!
PHYFF
Who? YOUR CLASSMATES and STUDENTS FROM AREA SCHOOLS
What? STUDENT FILMS and FILM WORKSHOPS
When? LATE FEBRUARY
Where? YARNALL
The film community is one of the most unique aspects of the school—the average high school does not have such an in-depth film curriculum that ranges from scriptwriting to media studies to the production of full-length feature films, much less a full-scale film festival! PHYFF, or the Philadelphia Youth Film Festival, is an annual event planned and hosted by GFS students. The Festival features films from high school students across the world who have submitted their films for consideration. The event includes viewings of student films, a keynote speaker, workshops from film professionals, and free pizza.
It is an amazing opportunity for film people and non-film people alike; however, not many GFS students attend the event. Tilda Stace ’24, this year’s director of PHYFF, says, “There is not a lot of enthusiasm, which is a little discouraging,” and that in comparison to something like the theater performances, the film community is often overlooked. GFS students have such a distinct and special opportunity to learn, grow, and see the next generation of filmmakers in action. You watch movies on your own, so why not spend a day watching the next big hits?
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