To raise money for their annual publication, Calliope held the very first Luck Fest at JJ Java café in Evanston. Admission was only ten dollars, and the event was a night of slam poetry and good music.
Calliope is one of the many art clubs at New Trier; however, they do more than just share paintings and listen to music. Every year, the club produces a publication showcasing submitted artwork and poems, and it also includes a link that allows students to listen to submitted music.
“The Calliope book is a really great way for other students to see the talent their classmates have,” said junior Elizabeth Leavey, who has been a club member since sophomore year.
To raise the funds necessary to produce the book, Calliope has bake sales and other types of fund-raisers, like selling customized buttons, which are common around New Trier.
Two years ago, the club held an event called Love Fest around Valentines Day, during which students performed original songs and poems.
The two co-editors-in-chief this year, Rose Al Abosy and Olivia Madsen, decided to have a similar event this year. “Olivia and I both loved Love Fest, so we wanted to have at least one show this year,” said Al Abosy. Since this one would be closer to St. Patrick’s Day, the club decided to change the name to Luck Fest.
The focus of Luck Fest was centered more on performances as opposed to having a gallery-like feeling. Calliope hosted the night at a comfy coffee shop in Evanston, JJ Java, which added to the sophisticated and artistic feel of the night.
For just ten dollars, students and staff enjoyed the poetic works of some of New Trier’s Slam Poetry Team, including solo performances by junior Jackson Polston and senior Claire Rosen.
Besides the slam team, the club also hosted a variety of bands and musicians. Senior Caroline Gray, who is the literary editor of Calliope, explained that, “we had tons of musicians play solo shows, which were fantastic, and bands who played 25 minute sets.” The bands included Bone Soap (seniors Matthew Later and Owen Deutsch), Red Willow (sophomores Karl Lungmus, Robby Hauldren and Maddy Sacks) and Macauley Sulken (junior Logan Mounts).
In a school as big as New Trier, it is sometimes hard to be aware of all the talent students have. Sophomore Jeffrey McHugh thought that the Luck Fest did a really good job of broadcasting this. “Luck fest was a great representation of the variety and diversity that is in New Trier, because of the variety of bands, singers, and poets that performed,” McHugh explains. “We had loud rock bands, singer/songwriters, and even slam poets, different kinds of people getting along together.”
The Luck Fest was deemed a success by everyone involved in the club, and by those who were just there to watch.
“We should have enough money to make the publication rock some socks and frankly, I’m very excited,” explained Al Abosy. Madsen agreed, adding, “people had lots of fun, made memories, and for a lot of the seniors it felt like one of those ‘Wow I’m a senior now and I’m actually going to miss these kids so much’ moments.” The book comes out at the same time as yearbooks, and is it available for fifteen dollars.
Though the drive for Luck Fest mainly came from the editors, putting it together was a group effort and the co-heads were happy with the group’s ability to make it happen. “Rose and I are just so incredibly proud of the Calliope kids,” said Madsen. “Just how into it they are, and how happy we are with having the chance to get to know them before we graduate.”