![It was definitely out of my comfort zone to get [the dress] and decide I loved it enough not to wait and risk not having something that memorable.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Precious_20180902_JRS_00008_ed1.jpg)
![Sophomore Sahasra Mandalapu practices bharatanatyam choreography in class. These new dances will be performed in an annual show in February. Mandalapu found that practicing in class helped her overcome stage fright during her performances. “When [I] get on stage, Im nervous Im going to forget, even though Ive done it for so long,” Mandalapu said. “Theres still that little bit of stage fright [when] I second-guess myself that I dont know it enough, but I do because Ive been practicing for a whole year.”](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Sahasra-6-Large-1200x844.jpeg)
![In their full runway outfits, (from left) Audrey Lee 25, Olivia Lucy Teets, 25, Fashion Design teacher Ms. Judy Chance, and Xueying Lili Yang pose for a photo. All three girls made it to Austin Fashion Week by getting in the top 10 in a previous runway show held by Shop LC.
[I like my students] creativity and how they can look at a fabric and make it their own, Ms. Chance said.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_9686-e1714088765730-1129x1200.jpeg)
![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)
Taking a deep breath at the center of the football field, Sydney Moroney, junior, prepares herself to perform her favorite trick: the “Bruiser.”
The motion involves spinning a baton horizontally and then kicking it into the air. This move is just one component of her minute-long routine.
“Whenever I finish a routine without any mistakes, I feel a great sense of accomplishment, as well as relief,” Moroney said. “If I am able to avoid mistakes even while having the pressure of being in front of a crowd, I feel very proud.”
Moroney performs at junior varsity football games during halftime and varsity football games on the sidelines. The two other twirlers that performed during Moroney’s freshman and sophomore years have graduated, leaving her as the sole twirler.
Sydney isn’t typically one who likes to bring attention to herself, but when she twirls, she can really bring it,
— Kim Moroney
“Now that I am the only twirler at Marquette, I feel more of a pressure to do well and present an accurate representation of baton twirling to the school,” Moroney said. “However, it’s also nice because I have more opportunities to perform.”
A baton twirler is not a designated role at MHS so twirlers have to advocate for themselves in order to perform at school. When Moroney was a freshman, she spoke to the activities director, the cheer coach and the dance coach to convince them to let her perform.
Moroney is part of the more than 25-year-old SugarBabies team led by Lisa Bartfeld, twirling coach.
Moroney started twirling when she was 8 years old in a Parkway-Rockwood Community Ed class taught by Bartfeld who is a registered judge for the National Baton Twirling Association.
“We love our unique sport,” Bartfeld said, “It requires stamina, coordination, grace, timing, accuracy, courage and so much more. Just to make it more challenging, you’re implementing all of those skills with a steel rod spinning just inches above your head.”
We love our unique sport, It requires stamina, coordination, grace, timing, accuracy, courage and so much more.
— Lisa Bartfeld
Bartfeld attends Moroney’s school performances, along with Kim Moroney, Sydney’s mother. Kim has supported Moroney’s twirling since she started, when she was inspired to start twirling after attending a Purdue football game in the fall of 2015.
“Sydney was mesmerized by the twirlers’ halftime performance and immediately said that she was going to learn how to twirl and was going to become a Purdue Feature Twirler,” Kim said.
Since that moment, Moroney has learned to perform well under pressure, Kim said.
“Sydney isn’t typically one who likes to bring attention to herself, but when she twirls, she can really bring it,” Kim said.
This story was originally published on Marquette Messenger on September 21, 2023.
