![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)
Note: For a better viewing experience, please access this photo essay on web (not mobile).
Pyramids of cheerleaders have become masked groups doing planks in the quad, and football players who once huddled tightly together now warm up six feet away from each other. The COVID-19 pandemic may have stopped in-person school, but school sports have yet to be shut down.
Season one sports have been able to continue practicing while following strict rules and protocol, such as wearing masks before and after practice and social distancing with other athletes. For most sports, a cohort system, which limits each practice group to 14 athletes, has been put in place to reduce the chances of athletes catching COVID-19.
So far, no sports have been able to participate in any games or scrimmages against other teams. A statement released by the California Interscholastic Federation stated that there will not be competition as per a decision made by Governor Gavin Newsom.
To illustrate the stark differences between pre-COVID-19 sports and the current environment, photographers from The Talon documented some of these sports cohorts during their practices. Keep scrolling to explore the interactive photo essay.
Cheer
Prior to the pandemic, the cheer team performed at rallies, football games and competitions, jumping and twisting as they supported each other in tight pyramid formations. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and their current lack of a coach, the team currently works on conditioning and strengthening exercises led by Athletic Director Michelle Noeth.
Cross Country
As a non-contact sport, the cross country team has been able to adapt practices to account for social distancing. However, traditional cross country races packed with hundreds of runners are unable to occur right now, so the team is limited to small training groups.
Field Hockey
The field hockey team grew accustomed to frequent games and intense competition between offense and defense. Now, with scrimmages and games shut down due to the pandemic, the team works on passing, shooting and strengthening drills at a distance.
Football
Tackling and blocking are key parts of football, which is one of the highest-contact sports at Los Altos. To abide by COVID-19 guidelines, the team’s practices currently consist of non-contact drills such as passing and receiving, as well as strength training.
Tennis
Although tennis is a socially-distant sport on its own, competitions and certain drills are affected by the pandemic. Currently, the team modifies drills for both singles and doubles players to ensure social distance between athletes.
This story was originally published on The Talon on November 22, 2020.
