![IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Junior Zalie Mann performs “I Love to Cry at Weddings,” an ensemble piece from the fall musical Sweet Charity, to prospective students during the Fine Arts Showcase on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The showcase is a compilation of performances and demonstrations from each fine arts strand offered at McCallum. This show is put on so that prospective students can see if they are interested in joining an academy or major.
Sweet Charity originally ran the weekends of Sept. 28 and Oct. 8, but made a comeback for the Fine Arts Showcase.
“[Being at the front in the spotlight] is my favorite part of the whole dance, so I was super happy to be on stage performing and smiling at the audience,” Mann said.
Mann performed in both the musical theatre performance and dance excerpt “Ethereal,” a contemporary piece choreographed by the new dance director Terrance Carson, in the showcase. With also being a dance ambassador, Mann got to talk about what MAC dance is, her experience and answer any questions the aspiring arts majors and their parents may have.
Caption by Maya Tackett.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/53321803427_47cd17fe70_o-1-1200x800.jpg)
![SPREADING THE JOY: Sophomore Chim Becker poses with sophomores Cozbi Sims and Lou Davidson while manning a table at the Hispanic Heritage treat day during lunch of Sept 28. Becker is a part of the students of color alliance, who put together the activity to raise money for their club.
“It [the stand] was really fun because McCallum has a lot of latino kids,” Becker said. “And I think it was nice that I could share the stuff that I usually just have at home with people who have never tried it before.”
Becker recognizes the importance of celebrating Hispanic heritage at Mac.
“I think its important to celebrate,” Becker said. “Because our culture is awesome and super cool, and everybody should be able to learn about other cultures of the world.”
Caption by JoJo Barnard.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/53221601352_4127a81c41_o-1200x675.jpg)
Social Butterflies Club forming bonds with senior citizens
Sneha Sash
Coppell High School senior Social Butterflies Club president Jillian Richter writes a letter to the senior citizens of Coppell at Andy Brown Park on Thursday. Letters and other ongoing projects from the club provide the elderly an outlet to avoid loneliness during this pandemic.
December 9, 2020
Elderly people in the community usually have warm-hearted, comforting smiles across their faces whenever young people greet them. They portray generosity and kindness through wisdom they share with youth.
However, COVID-19 has drastically changed the way Coppell students interact with senior citizens.
Coppell High School senior Jillian Richter created a club at Coppell High School, the Social Butterflies Club, to form relationships with elderly people in Coppell. One of the goals of this club is to prevent senior citizens from feeling lonely during COVID-19.
Inspired by phone calls she has with her grandmother, who is a widow and experiences minimal social interaction, Richter felt the need to start a club centered on outreach and the Social Butterflies Club came to be.
“I felt kind of helpless because I wish I could have done something to help her, even if it meant I was stuck in the house with her too,” Richter said. “I just wish I could have been there for her.”
One of Richter’s goals for this club is to learn more about the elderly in her community.
“[The purpose is] to make connections with senior citizens. You are really learning something from these people,” Richter said. “They have so many stories to tell. It is really important, something that we really want to focus on.”
The Social Butterflies Club utilizes letters and a pen pal format to communicate with senior citizens, preserving traditional methods of interaction.
“Communicating through letters is a good idea because [it] is a safe method that older people are comfortable with,” CHS senior Manjual Raj said.
According to CHS senior Hailey Wilkins, the Social Butterflies Club was a creative way to stay involved in the community despite the majority of virtual events.
“Most people are focused on how they are affected by it and not how other people are affected by it,” Wilkins said. “People in [orphanages], people in retirement homes, people who are homeless, those kinds of people are greatly affected by the pandemic. It was a really good idea to reach out to and help others who are negatively affected by the pandemic.”
Furthermore, Wilkins emphasizes the importance of forming bonds with elderly people.
“If [elderly people contract COVID-19], they are more susceptible to dying or their symptoms may be a lot harsher,” Wilkins said. “They have to stay inside and can’t go out. They have no one to talk to. It’s really important that we keep that in mind and that we’re there to talk to them.”
COVID-19 has hampered elderly people physically and mentally. CHS forensic science teacher Sandy Kirkpatrick thinks that minimal social interaction can be harmful.
“Senior citizens that are in retirement homes are not allowed to go anywhere because they are in the high risk population,” Kirkpatrick said. “When you are alone and older, [minimal social interaction] can dampen your mental health.”
Social Butterflies Club letters to local retirement homes introduced members of the club to senior residents so they can pick a student that captures their attention or shares similar interests.
Richter and other club members hope that they can create a positive impact in Coppell by spreading joy, making memories and sharing experiences through letters to elderly people.
This story was originally published on Coppell Student Media on December 7, 2020.
