![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)
After a long morning of classes, everybody needs a quick and easy pick-me-up. Luckily, senior Eva Spak has you covered with her cookie business, “Eva’s Cookies,” available daily in the student bookstore.
At age 13, peers encouraged Spak to begin selling her baked goods.
“I used to bring cookie cakes to school and people always told me that they were good and that I should sell them,” Spak said. “Then my mom helped me research Texas cottage food laws and figure out how to get a food handlers license so that I could start my business.”
After receiving her food handler license, Spak explored more ways to sell her sweet treats, including an online business via Instagram. In the spring of her eighth-grade year, her mother was selling jewelry in the bookstore, which inspired Spak to expand her business into the bookstore as well.
“I just asked [Miss Dara] if I could sell my cookies, and my cookies were in the bookstore for one week in 2020 and then COVID happened,” Spak said. “I couldn’t get them in again until sophomore year because the bookstore had certain rules about what food they could sell in there.”
After hitting the shelves, the cookies sold out within the first few hours. Dara Williams, the student bookstore manager, collaborated with Spak to create a schedule regarding cookie restocks.
“She brings cookies in on Mondays and Wednesdays,” Williams said. “She brings a big bundle on Monday of about six dozen and then around two or three dozen on Wednesday or Thursday.”
This new restock schedule meant Spak needed to find time in her busy schedule to bake more cookies.
“I do most of my planning on the weekends, but during the week I try to do some baking on Tuesday or Wednesday to refill the bookstore,” Spak said.
The constant availability of cookies has brought a plethora of new and returning customers, and her most sold flavor is chocolate chip.
“They’re always in the bookstore, so when I’m hungry I can just grab one,” senior cookie lover Charlotte Lauten said. “It’s easy and convenient.”
Spak said that she enjoys baking since it gives her a way to take a step back from schoolwork and that she will always find time in her schedule to do so.
“I enjoy [baking] and it feels like a break from homework,” Spak said. “It’s a really good way for me to destress.”
Spak said that the future of “Eva’s Cookies” is bright. She wants to bring her business to college and sell cookies there as well.
Since she is a senior, Spak will not be available to stock the bookstore every week next year but said that she wants to keep her cookies in the bookstore after she graduates.
“My mom has offered to bake and drop off so that’s my backup plan,” Spak said. “I’m also currently talking with some underclassmen who are interested in helping.”
This story was originally published on The Fourcast on December 11, 2023.
