Editor’s Note: We welcome Pooja Kulkarni as our Parkland Press high school student columnist. She is a senior at Parkland High School and is involved in many activities both in and out of school. She is the online editor for the high school newspaper, The Trumpet, as well as a member of the concert choir, Festival of the Arts Club, National Honor Society and National Social Studies Honor Society.

Additionally, she is the student representative for the Parkland School Board.

Outside of school, she has been a dancer for 14 years and is currently in her fourth season on a competitive dance team.

In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music and spending time with her friends. Look for Pooja’s column every two weeks in the Parkland Press.

Fundraising is an essential part of running any club, but a particular club at Parkland High School has truly brought fundraising to a new level.

The PHS Festival of the Arts Club, more commonly known as FOTA, has turned a fundraiser into a beloved weekly event for students and teachers alike. Every Wednesday morning, FOTA hosts coffeehouse, where students and teachers can purchase coffee and other breakfast goods at school before their first period classes.

Over the years, coffeehouse has become a famous spot for students and faculty to relax on Wednesday mornings amid a busy week. The menu has something for everyone, including both hot/iced coffee, a variety of tea, hot chocolate, waffles and hash browns. These items are made fresh by members of the Festival of the Arts Club and all proceeds go toward putting together the Festival of the Arts in May.

In addition to supplying PHS with fresh morning pick-me-ups, each coffeehouse features a live musical performance! The performers range from student musicians to faculty bands, making coffeehouse feel like an authentic café experience.

If that wasn’t impressive enough, the entirety of coffeehouse is student-run and coordinated. Officers of the club are responsible for arranging schedules, managing the register, counting money, coordinating with musical performers and setting up the auditorium lobby to host the event each week.

The efforts of these students doesn’t go unnoticed; the line to place an order at coffeehouse stretches outside of the auditorium lobby and into the main hallway each week.

Beyond being a relaxing and fun way to start Wednesday mornings, coffeehouse is more than a fundraiser – it’s a chance for student musicians to show their hard work and talent. Although past performers have included faculty, the performers are generally PHS students who are involved in various branches of the Parkland music department including band, orchestra and our many chorus ensembles.

Coffeehouse provides these aspiring musicians with an opportunity to perform live in a safe, supportive environment surrounded by their friends and fellow arts students.

This week, the Festival of the Arts Club geared up to open its first coffeehouse of the year Oct. 1. This event was highly anticipated as students looked forward to the return of fresh coffee every Wednesday morning.

This coffeehouse featured a performance from Tiramisu, a band featuring PHS seniors Ainsley Quay, Eden Sendef and Harry Schairer.

“I loved doing coffeehouse. It’s cool to have a performance opportunity right at school where we’re already comfortable,” lead guitarist Sendef said.

The first coffeehouse proved to be a success for both Tiramisu and FOTA club members – paving the way for a successful year of fundraising and musical performances.

While coffeehouse is only open to PHS students and faculty, many members of FOTA and performers at coffeehouse are cast members in the high school’s upcoming fall play, “The Outsiders.” If you’re looking for a way to encourage these young artists and support the Parkland Arts program, consider attending the show 7 p.m. Oct. 17 and 18 and 3 p.m. Oct. 19. Tickets are now on sale at www.cur8.com.