Virginia Beach City Public School’s seniors do service learning projects. This year, seniors Olivia Mcgee, Kayden Roundtree and Kamryn Archuleta’s passion project was organizing a spring showcase to highlight the talents of our friends and classmates.
Q& A with Olivia McGee-
Why did you want to do your project on the Spring Showcase?
“I got my inspiration from watching the Holiday Showcase. I noticed that almost all the performances involved dancing and singing. When students with other unique talents tried to audition, it was much harder to get in. Since our school is home to the Visual and Performing Arts Academy, most of the academy students have frequent opportunities to perform, while the talents of zoned students are hidden. That is why I came up with the idea of the Spring Showcase, to allow anyone to showcase their passions without staying in the confines of holiday music or music at all. Also, during the middle of spring, stress is high with exams, and I just wanted to give students a break and have some fun. This is a good way to boost school spirit and give others a reason to look forward to something other than an exam.”
What was the spring showcase?
“On April 10th, we hosted a show in the auditorium that was free to all students, family, and friends who wanted to support talented Sundevils. It was almost like an organized talent show. I created this showcase for my senior passion project along with my partners, Kayden Roundtree and Kamryn Archuleta. It is sponsored by the Tri-M Music Honor Society, of which I am conveniently the president. I was really excited to MC and wear some wings on stage as the Spring Showcase Fairy. We also sold concessions as well as flowers for the performers.”
How was the process?
“I knew that this idea was a far reach when I came up with it, but I was able to convince teachers and administrators to let me try to make the show happen. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my partners or Mrs. Pinto, our sponsor. We watched dozens of auditions both in person and online, so I was glad to know that students wanted the opportunity to perform as much as I had predicted. During the first rehearsal, it was raining really hard, and the auditorium roof actually started leaking heavily. We had to use a huge trash can to catch all of it, but I honestly found it fun to solve issues that arose in the preparation process. I was nervous about the show, but it was really rewarding to see so many students having fun while performing and it turned out great.”
