![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)
The pandemic: Reflections of a year gone by
The Jefferson community shares the standout moments and the biggest changes over these challenging past 12 months
Lily Walters
A mask lies on the floor in an empty Nobel Commons. After FCPS announced the closure of all schools, Jefferson remained empty for nearly a year before students began to return.
March 15, 2021
3:55 p.m. March 12, 2020.
Jefferson principal Dr. Ann Bonitatibus holds her cell phone in one hand as she speaks with the assistant superintendent for Region 2 of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), Dr. Fabio Zuluaga.
In her other hand, Bonitatibus holds the microphone connected to the school’s PA system as she relays what Zuluaga just told her: FCPS will be open on Friday, March 13.
The statement didn’t hold true for long.
A few hours later, during the intermission of the first performance of Jefferson’s spring musical, Newsies, a notification from FCPS announced that all schools would now be closed on Friday, March 13, and all activity must cease immediately.
While the show was allowed to finish, the Jefferson building would then remain closed to students for nearly a year. For members of the Jefferson community, March 12 and the days afterward represented the beginning of a year-long period like no other. To reflect on the one-year anniversary of this day, tjTODAY spoke with Jefferson students and teachers to find out the moment they realized COVID-19 would significantly change their life.
This story continues on tjTODAY and was originally published on March 12, 2021.
