![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)
Superheroes, princesses, and magical creatures are standard on children’s backpacks, but this year the Class of ’24 decided they would rock these prints too. As seniors entered school last Thursday for their “last first day,” they carried the one thing that allowed them to reminisce about their first days of school: character backpacks.
“Picking out my senior backpack was so much fun! I ended up choosing a princess backpack which was honestly a throwback since my first school backpack was princess themed too,” senior EllaRose Delgado said. “It was truly a full circle moment.”
Senior Student-Government officers proposed the idea on the senior class group chat, as a way to unify the senior class on the first day of school.
“Spotting these backpacks around the school is a constant reminder that we are all in this together,” Student Body Liaison Victoria Figueroa said.
Other members of the Student Government, including the Senior Social Media Director Ella Barras, also recognized the positive results of the trend.
“It is such a creative way to show off our seniority to the student body! It is also a fun way to welcome the new school year and set a precedent for an exciting year,” Barras said.
Gulliver students are not the only ones participating in this trend. Nationwide, seniors have decided that they too would like to welcome the year with a throwback to the past, as reported recently in an article on USA Today. This was the case for Vanessa Aguay, a senior at Wyomissing Area Junior-Senior High School in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Aguay felt that the display of fun prints and designs added some lighthearted fun to the start of the school year, which could be tough for some.
“Although some people dread the first day of school, others are really excited to see what kind of backpacks the seniors will bring,” Auguay said. “It always makes walking in the halls interesting, we’ll have everything from groups with Power Ranger backpacks to taco-shaped lunch boxes.”
Back on campus, not only did seniors enjoy the thought of colorful backpacks lining the halls, but so did younger students who looked forward to carrying the tradition during their senior year.
“Seeing all the little kid backpacks is making me excited for my senior year; I can’t wait to pick out my own next year,” junior Isabella Antorcha said.
This story was originally published on The Raider Voice on August 25, 2023.
