![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)
North Cobb (NC) magnet sophomore Jasmine Robinson competed at the state championships alongside teammate and sprinting prodigy, sophomore Keira Beaumont. After the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) championship, Robinson holds two NC records. She broke the long jump record set nearly a decade ago and shattered the record for 300-meter hurdles by over 1.5 seconds.
Keeping her grades high and run times low, she boasts a 4.0 GPA and a 14.05 second 100-meter hurdle time. Robinson runs as one of the top female track stars in the nation, ranking as the best 9th-grade 100-meter hurdler in the country and second in her class for the 400-meter hurdles. She also won gold at the USA Track and Field (USATF) Junior Olympics, racking 4,381 points in the heptathlon.
She values her coaches at The Heat and NC for guiding her to reach her future success. She plans to continue striving for the next level and aspires to compete once again as a Junior Olympian in the heptathlon next year.
“I’ve trained the whole summer to go up there [Oregon]. I went through region and sectionals to get to Oregon, I went there five days a week and I was putting in the work. I plan on going there next year,” Robinson said.
Robinson respects her coaches for taking the time out of their day to train her and make her a better athlete and a tough competitor for her peers. During the summer, she trained five days a week with The Heat to reach the Junior Olympics. Robinson heads to the track every day after school preparing for the upcoming season with the help of NC coaches who inspired her to run hurdles. With no plans on slowing down, she still strives toward goals that she wishes to meet.
“My head coach [Chad Talley], he sees potential in me and so he’s really making it come out of me. And all the coaches in general cause they put their time out there for us and they don’t get paid for it… People just see potential and they see me as an influence and I’m just like dang it’s really nice cause I didn’t expect all this,” Robinson said
Robinson aims to lessen her hurdle time and increase her speed for the upcoming track season. Robinson not only receives attention from her school but also from colleges who search for track athletes and from other coaches.
Despite barely entering her sophomore year, Robinson inches closer to a status equal to the likes of Darren Waller and Harry Ford, two former Warriors who gained recognition for making it to the highest level in their respective sports. Already a five-time All-American and school record holder, NC students, parents and spectators can prepare for possibly the most dominant career in Warrior Nation’s history.
This story was originally published on The Chant on August 25, 2023.
