![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)
For cancer patients, some daily tasks become much more challenging or uncomfortable.
One of those can be driving.
When chemotherapy is administered, it’s done via a port on the upper chest.
So for many patients, the task of wearing a seatbelt can be uncomfortable as the belt presses against the port leading some people unable to wear their seatbelt properly.
The solution: a seatbelt pillow, that patients can strap onto the seatbelt leading to a more comfortable drive.
“So after dealing with that this summer, I was given a pillow to go through mine,” SPED Evaluation Clerk Regina Booth said. “Oh, this pillow was such a blessing.”
That blessing ignited a spark which led to a class project.
“I thought I’m going to come to school and I’m going to talk to a Kristi Swinnea who does fashion design because we always, she always is doing a project,” Booth said. “And so I always go to her with something new. So I went to her and I said, hey, I have an idea. So I showed her the pillow and I said it has a zipper and she was like my class doesn’t even know how to sew yet.”
But that didn’t stop Fashion Design teacher Kristi Swinnea who quickly put the project into motion.
“I’ve had students cutting out fabric. I’ve had other students putting in zippers,” Swinnea said. “The pillows have a zipper and then we’ve stuffed them with bamboo stuffing because it’s supposed to be cooler. Also the zipper allows for them to put an ice pack in there if needed. And then, and they can take some of the stuffing out to put an ice pack in, whatever they need to do.”
The project began in October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but after some discussion it was decided to make it a year-long project.
It says from our heart to yours, Liberty High School, Frisco, Texas,
— SPED Evaluation Clerk Regina Booth
“It’s important that it’s a year-long project because breast cancer doesn’t last for one month,” senior Michelle Monohan said. “It lasts for years and possibly decades, and possibly even after the cancer itself because you still have the memories of having the sickness. Also just show support towards the community”
Making the pillows has become more than a class project, with the work coming from the heart and stitched into the fabric.
“It says from our heart to yours, Liberty High School, Frisco, Texas,” Booth said. “I wanted to do two hearts on it because it’s from Liberty High School, whoever’s making the pillow, they’re putting their heart into this and whoever’s receiving the pillow it affects them and it touches their heart.”
This story was originally published on Wingspan on November 3, 2023.
