Dinner and a Show

Seeds Party Combines Great Food and Fantastic Writing

Uma Raja, Arts Editor

May 1, 2015

The Seeds staff takes a picture after the eventful celebration.

Aspiring artists and their families bustle around the cafeteria with plates full of food. A student approaches the microphone, clears her throat and begins to captivate the audience with her poetry.

On April 22, Dreyfoos’ literary arts magazine, Seeds, held their Around the World Publication Party. It was a celebration for students whose works were published in the magazine. Students arrived with their families in formal attire, but they were ready for an exciting event. Despite setbacks like the party getting moved from the Media Center to the cafeteria, the celebration was a success.

Seeds staff brought food from their ethnic backgrounds for a multicultural potluck. Cultures such as India, Cuba, Greece and Japan were represented. Foods like curry, quiche and mochi mingled together on one buffet table. After everyone ate their fill, students presented their writing to the audience.

“The best part was probably hearing the students read their pieces,” communications sophomore and Seeds staffer Samantha Marshall said. “It was amazing to hear the art we’d been working with all year come to life. It’s such a supportive environment, and it’s such a gift to see everyone so happy to share their work.”

A highlight of the night was the awards ceremony. Winning students received prize baskets for their outstanding work. Communications sophomore Stella Vasilopoulos won the award for best prose, visual junior Isamar Jaquez won best art piece and communications freshman Hannah Butcher won best poetry.

“When I got my award basket I felt really satisfied with myself as a writer,” Vasilopoulos said. “I’ve already started using the journal they gave me.”

Items in the basket included candy, pencils, stickers and other useful writing supplies. As winners rejoiced over their gifts, people bought Seeds books and helped themselves to more dessert.

“Overall I think the party went really well,” Marshall said. “Everyone seemed to enjoy the different foods and hearing the pieces read. It took a lot of time and effort to plan but it paid off, it was so great to see everything come together.”

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About the Contributor

Uma Raja, Assistant Managing Editor

Communications senior Uma Raja, Assistant Managing Editor and third-year staffer, was born in Manhattan, New York City. She loves animals and enjoys traveling the world to see different aspects of nature and various cultures. Raja's passion has been writing ever since kindergarten, and she has been published several times. She received an Excellent in review writing at the National High School Journalism Convention, third place for news writing in the Palm Beach Post Journalism Awards two years in a row, a Scholastic Silver Key for journalism, and three Editor’s Choice awards for journalism pieces in the literary magazine Teen Ink. She spent her summer at the Washington Journalism and Media Conference, where she participated in writing workshops and received instruction from seasoned journalists. She looks forward to creating intriguing articles and putting in a full effort. Raja has worked with esteemed writers like James Patterson and National Geographic Editor-in-Chief Susan Goldberg, and she hopes that her writing will one day inspire others.