No Fear Friday

This year’s first No Fear Friday Middle School open mic had it all, from Chopin and Taylor Swift to original comedy.

These spectacular evenings are entirely student-produced, with the eighth graders of the arts council emceeing and handling all the tech.

The tone is irreverent, joyful, and earnestly supportive.

The crowd is full of friends, family, faculty, and Lower School students who are already looking forward to fifth grade, and their first chance at the open mic.

Last night, newcomers were stunned to see twelve-, thirteen- and fourteen-year-olds sharing their ideas and talents so freely, often a cappella, without a script or sheet music, alone or in pairs.

It seemed like a dare to the grownups, but for the Middle Schoolers, it felt more like a privilege.