A few minutes after 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 29, the Matthews Library went dark. A string of white Christmas lights on the back bookshelf barely illuminated the spines they were hanging on, and cast a dim light on the rest of the library.

Most of the 20 people talked with one another, many while standing around librarian Joanne Melinson’s desk, which was covered in food.

“Mmm. Now, that is some good cheese,” teachers and students said after trying the Australian cheddar.

“Should we get started?” Melinson said to junior Seth Katz, emcee of the last Glass Knife Speakeasy of the year.

When everybody had taken a seat—most sat at the tables, but some flopped down on beanbag chairs—Katz casually walked up to the center of the cleared area that would serve as the stage for the night and began.

He started by telling the audience of teachers, parents and students the night’s agenda. Katz and senior Jeremy Tempkin would begin with a performance of two favorite jazz pieces. Then, there would be an open “voice box” session, as there was no microphone.

At center stage was a chair for the performers, a desk that held the reading light that would serve as the spotlight and a lava lamp to set the mood. Stage left had another chair that held various pieces of art, including a headless body, a bodyless head and a painting of a lock (with no key).

The soothing music, muted lights and stomachs full of croissants, cheese and cookies made for a very relaxing environment.

While Tempkin, saxophone, and Katz, guitar, were playing “Tenderly,” by Waler Lloyd Gross, a tranquil vibe filled the room and set the tone for the evening.

Following the opening performance, individuals or groups came up and read their favorite poems, short stories, passages and book dedications. Some were humorous and some sad; some were sophisticated and some nonsense; some were read in English and some not.

Nearly everybody attending read one or more pieces.

An hour in, Katz came back on stage to announce the intermission.

During this break, students talked nonchalantly with their teachers and each other about favorite authors and musicians. Sophomore Jamie Johnson read a humorous excerpt of politically correct bedtime stories. Others ate more cheese, bread and sweets.

The second half began like the first, with a guitar solo of “Echoes of Spain” by Django Reinhardt. This was not Katz last musical performance for the night. He later sang a Brazilian song in Portuguese, accompanied by Tempkin on drums.

Later, Katz, Tempkin, senior Lana Preszler and Johnson performed a skit from the radio show “A Prairie Home Companion,” teacher Brooke Wells performed the lengthy poem “The Cremation of Sam McGee” by Robert W. Service from memory, and freshman Parul Guliani read an original poem in Spanish that was inspired by Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Victorian poem “The Lady of Shalott.”

Everyone treated the performers with respect, although friendly jests were common.

When Tempkin gave a jazz quiz to the audience and Preszler answered nearly all of the questions before Katz, everybody was surprised by her knowledge of the subject, especially Katz.

But when the quiz was over, and Katz red-faced, Preszler revealed the cheat-sheet that Tempkin had given her before the quiz. Everybody laughed at the ruse that Tempkin and Preszler had pulled off.

The night concluded with Katz performing a free-verse poem by Saul Williams.

It’s a shame there weren’t more people there to appreciate the arts. The few who were there were regulars to Speakeasies.

As I was leaving, I realized that, as a senior, I will most likely not see another Speakeasy as personal or comfortable in the future. I only hope that younger students don’t make the same mistake, and overlook the sophisticated fun right beneath their noses.