The Goshen Student Women’s Association’s (GSWA) annual Chocolate House took place on Sunday and was, once again, an enriching experience for men and women alike. Along with the talents of the women of the Goshen College community was a chocolate feast for all.

Chocolate House is one of the many events hosted by GSWA throughout the school year, but what makes this event unique is that both males and females are invited.

One of GSWA’s leaders this year, Eva Lapp, a senior, said that the talent show is “a time and place for women to share songs, poems, dance, stories and art that might illustrate their experience as a sister, a daughter, a mother or a woman.”

A variety of acts were presented, from first-years to seniors, performing everything from songs to poetry. To start off the evening, Lapp and the club’s other leader, Dominique Chew, a senior, had students laughing very quickly with the reading of an excerpt of a poem from Tina Fey’s book “Bossypants.”

Anika Baumgartner and Sam Weaver, seniors who have been roommates for three years, performed their version of Ingrid Michaelson’s “The Way I Am” with rewritten lyrics, and Dona Park and Helena Neufeld, both sophomores, followed with a rendition of “Three Wishes” by The Pierces.

Anya Slabaugh, a sophomore, read a story from a book of Greek mythology about respecting and recognizing the beauty in creation.

Kaci Diener, a senior, performed Gabrielle Aplin’s “Please Don’t Say You Love Me” with guitar.

“The talent at Goshen never ceases to amaze me. It’s just so cool to get up in front of people and share that,” Diener said.

Annie Agutu, a first-year, performed an original poem entitled “Nubian Coils” in appreciation of everyone’s natural beauty. Gloria Showalter, a senior, and Mimi Salvador Lucero, a sophomore, sang two songs from Ecuador about one woman’s grief over the mangroves being destroyed.

Anna van der Zwaag, a senior, read an excerpt from “The Red Tent” celebrating women and their bodies, and Prashansa Dickson and Halle Steingass, both juniors, sang “Sort Of” by Ingrid Michaelson. Molly Zook, a sophomore, recited “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou.

To end the evening, a group of senior women, Ida Short, Ellie Shertz, Kelly Miller, Mandy Schlabach, Eva Lapp, Hillary Harder, and Mia Engle, performed a piece entitled “Diva Cup,” which was an ode to diva cups inspired by a YouTube video.

Chocolate House gives all women a space to showcase their talents and gifts in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The space in Newcomer was full of people from the Goshen College community, showing their support and watching their classmates shine.

As Lapp put it, “And really, who can resist a chocolate feast?”