![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)
Community Rallies to ‘Adopt’ TAHS Seniors
The TAHS Adopt a Senior Facebook Page has over 500 members and has featured over 40 Tyrone seniors
March 11, 2021
Tyrone alumni and members of the community are coming together to support Tyrone Area High School’s senior class through an “Adopt a Senior” page on Facebook.
The goal of the 2021 Adopt a Senior Facebook page is to provide a way for members of the community to support TAHS seniors by sending them cards, snacks, tokens of encouragement, and gifts to celebrate their graduation.
The group wants to showcase the accomplishments of all the seniors who lost much of their senior to the global pandemic.
Terri Howell, a 1986 Tyrone Alum, founded the page last year to support the Tyrone High School Class of 2020. The idea for the Tyrone page came to Howell last year after being invited to a friend’s Facebook page for another school.
“When COVID problems started last year I don’t think anyone thought it was going to get this bad for this long. Kids are missing out on so much. That’s why I decided to do the adopt a senior for my alma mater. I figured anything, even a small gesture, can brighten another’s day,” said Howell.
The 2020 Adopt a Senior Facebook page has now transitioned to support the next group of students affected by the pandemic. The page already has over five hundred members.
The first 2021 Tyrone senior was posted on Sunday, March 7th and within two days the group grew to more than forty current seniors posted.
Tyrone High School business teacher Amanda Burega joined the page last year and decided to help support the effort by volunteering as a page moderator.
“I participated in the Adopt a Senior page last year and enjoyed seeing the appreciation on all the senior faces. The 2021 class has experienced a similar situation and I want them to experience the same support and encouragement. This year is also personal for me since my son is a senior. Plus, I watched these seniors grow over the past three years as a new teacher at Tyrone,” said Burega.
The class of 2021 lost much of their junior year due to school closings throughout the state after the coronavirus outbreak and are now missing out on most of their senior year.
At the beginning of the year, most seniors were not even able to attend their “last first day” with their classmates as Tyrone School District started the school year out on the hybrid system.
The seniors this year missed out on their last year of pep rallies, assemblies, dances, and field trips.
The process of adopting seniors is very simple and easy for members of the community to do.
“You just have to find a kid you may have something in common with or whose story may hit you…you comment “I would like to adopt” and contact the parent for their address, and info on stuff they may like if the post doesn’t have enough information….then follow thru by surprising them before or shortly after graduation,” explained Howell.
In order to spread the word of the Tyrone Adopt a Senior page, Howell asks for families to share the Facebook page with family and friends. The goal of the page is to get as many Tyrone seniors adopted as possible.
“I share the adopt a senior page on my Facebook wall and others within the community. I ask them to please share it as well. Last year we had 77 students/parents participating, and I really hope we surpass that this year. I would love to have 100% participate but I am not sure if that will happen,” said Howell.
To adopt a senior and support their achievements during these hard times click HERE.
This story was originally published on Tyrone Eagle Eye News on March 10, 2021.
