![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)
Upper School Science Teacher Nate Cardin published a crossword in the New York Times on Oct. 10. Cardin previously had one other puzzle run in the paper.
Cardin submitted the crossword in January, and received confirmation in April that it would be published. He said his favorite part of having the puzzle posted in the New York Times was being able to share his passion with those around him.
“Much more exciting than the puzzle being in the paper was having all of my friends and family solving the puzzle, especially people who don’t normally solve crossword puzzles,” Cardin said. “It was a nice little moment that way, both in terms of them supporting me, [and] I kind of feel like I’m a siren, beckoning people with the crosswords. The more people that get into it, the more excited I am.”
Cardin said he started writing crosswords around 10 years ago, learning from Former Middle School Mathematics Teacher Mike Grier who wrote crosswords. He said he enjoys creating themes and unexpected clues.
“When I can come up with a good theme that feels interesting and unique, that feels good,” Cardin said. “I also like when I can fit things into crosswords that you don’t always see in crosswords, [like] modern slang and things that feel like they are relevant to my life.”
In the New York Times’s crossword column, writer Sam Corbin said she appreciated Cardin’s puzzle’s theme. The theme of the crossword was double letters, which was revealed by the last clue: “Affectionate sign-off… or a pattern hinting at the starts of the answers to the six starred clues.”
“I think [the crossword is] a wonderfully timed reminder of how to let people know you’re thinking of them,” Corbin said. “This puzzle’s deft theme set had me smiling all the way through, and there’s a final reveal that I can promise you doesn’t feel like a kiss-off.”
Aidan Deshong ’24, a crossword writer and aficionado, said he enjoyed solving Cardin’s latest puzzle.
“I thought it was good,” Deshong said. “He basically put a lot of themed stuff in a very tight grid, and he pulled it off pretty well. I’m impressed.”
This story was originally published on The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle on October 18, 2023.
