Center Grove Publications

After 17 years of training, senior Claire Lollar ends her high school journey not only as a lead in the senior musical SIX, but also as the show’s choreographer. This role presented Lollar with the opportunity to shape the production she once saw on Broadway to her own liking.

“It feels really fulfilling to step into such a big role,” Lollar said. “I’ve always looked up to the choreographers that have done our show choir shows and our musicals, so getting to be that person feels like a big accomplishment.”

Lollar makes a variety of stylistic choices with her choreography to convey the meaning of each song while also finding a way to stay true to the original choreography.

“I’ve been using similar blocking as well as some similar moves here and there,” Lollar said. “This allows us to keep the same feel of the show and helps us not stray too far from what it originally was.”

Using the different emotions of each queen is an approach Lollar uses to blend storytelling with movement in this show. By expressing each queen’s individuality through her choreography, Lollar hopes to provide her audience with an enjoyable experience.

“I hope the audience not only gets to have a lot of fun while watching the show, but also feels a sense of empowerment through the queens breaking away from the stereotypes they’ve been fitted to,” Lollar said.

While being the choreographer for SIX, Lollar also plays the part of Catherine Parr in the show. Choreographing a show while having a part in it has its challenges but Lollar’s commitment to her two roles keeps her going.

“Choreographing this show while also being a lead has definitely been a great learning experience,” Lollar said. “I feel as if it has taught me a lot about myself and how to balance being a leader and being a part of the overall ensemble of the show.”

🖊️ Sannidhi Pulla

What used to be the setting of everyday practices and weekend competitions has become a part of junior Kylie Perry’s weekly routine again, this time as a coach. Perry now coaches and guides younger gymnasts at The Flip Zone just as others once did for her.

“People think kids are really hard to deal with, but I personally love to get to know my girls and become someone that they can look up to,” Perry said. “One minute they could be doing a skill and next they’ll randomly talk about the most hilarious thing.”

Having been a gymnast once, Perry sees herself in her athletes as they share a passion for the sport. She connects with her athletes and finds the most efficient way for them to grow.

“Whenever my gymnasts are nervous or frustrated, I tell them they can do it and make sure to watch them so they feel supported,” Perry said. “I try to take their mind off of what’s making them nervous or frustrated by creating games or challenges for them.”

Trying to navigate through this new and different journey of coaching at her old gym and being close in age with her athletes has come with its challenges for Perry.

”I try to make sure that my girls see me as a coach and not just a friend since I’m someone closer to their age,” Perry said. “I want to be able to be the coach that pushes them, but I also want them to feel seen and recognized.”

🖊️ Sannidhi Pulla

It started with a baseball team. Not a chant or a championship. A TikTok cooking show.

“What inspired me to start the account was the people I was around,” sophomore Bryce Ballard said. “I had been cooking for about two years at that point and the encouragement from my other teammates on the baseball team at the time was what ultimately led to the creation of the account.”

Baseball doesn’t have shortcuts, and Ballard doesn’t take them in the kitchen either. Rather than looking for easy meals, he finds the harder cooking challenges more interesting. 

“The main thing I enjoy about the hobby is the challenge that comes with it,” Ballard said. “You have these said-to-be difficult dishes to make and then I like trying it for myself,” Ballard said. “Sometimes it is hard and I get help but typically following a recipe makes a lot of the difficult dishes a lot easier.”

The more extravagant dishes require more skill and effort from Ballard. 

“I make a variety of foods, typically it’s fancier stuff as it’s simply more of a challenge to make,” Ballard said. “My personal favorite foods are Italian and Mexican.” 

While the account was made for fun, Ballard has ideas.
 
“The account is simply for fun as I do it just to keep busy in my free time,” Ballard said. “I’ve joked with my buddies about eventually starting a restaurant after I retire, like a mom-and-pop shop type of thing but I have no clue if I will go through with it.”

Whether on the field or in the kitchen, Ballard is ready to keep taking on challenges.

🖊️Caroline Hoffman

This or That: Finals Week Edition

Growing up with art always in her life from her dad, senior Aliza Martin decided to teach herself how to graffiti all on her own three years ago.

“My dad is a tattoo artist so that made me want to find my own creative way of drawing,” Martin said. “I just got into graffiti because of the bright colors, the different fonts you can do and the style; it’s a very expressive art style. I love to draw cartoon characters and I make them look more silly and goofy. I will put really cool words behind it like the name of the characters or my signature.”

When thinking of graffiti people always assume it is big murals painted outside somewhere, but for Martin that is not the case. While she normally draws little sketches in her notebook, she also goes to an art studio to draw out bigger versions of her characters on canvas boards.

“I like going there because it was very quiet and I had my own space and no one bothered me,” Martin said. “My grandpa also comes with me sometimes and we work on painting trees or landscapes which is fun.”

Since she has been involved with art since she was little, she has always had an interest in a future in art. She just recently chose to go to college for creativity so she can do more art related things there. 

“The path that I am taking is called creativity; you can do graphic design and design adds for brands,” Martin said. “I could go into art studios and draw stuff there and sell my paintings. It also helps to get into animations and cartoons to really help with graffiti.”

🖊️Alana Miller

Tuesday, the orchestra had its annual spring concert but with a twist. The varsity concert choir, CG Singers, collaborated with the full symphony, performing “Finlandia” by Sibelius. This was a new experience for some performers such as sophomore Claire McBride.

”I first found out that the orchestra, band and choir were performing together when my friends in choir told me that they were rehearsing one of our songs,” McBride said.

While the three groups were different individually and had a limited amount of rehearsals together, McBride felt adjusting to each other and syncing together was a surprisingly easy process.

“It sounded really good when the choir was added because it made such a full sound,” McBride said. “It did sound different than when it did with just the band and orchestra, because instead of being the melody we were the instrumental.”

Despite the change, McBride didn’t feel any different from the usual concerts. Instead, she went into the concert excited and looking forward to playing the whole set with the other groups.

“Everything went exactly as planned because we had a pretty set routine for knowing the timing and what we should be doing,” McBride said. “It was interesting to talk to people before and after the concert and hear their opinions on the combined performance.”

🖊️Sannidhi Pulla

Sound off: Senior Week Spirit Days

Being compared to an artist is a huge compliment, but for Freshman Saul Stits, it was everything he needed to hear to start his eight-year journey. 

“I started drawing from a young age, and in elementary school I remember my teacher telling me my art looked like a certain artist,” Stits said. “And though I do not remember what piece she said that to and what artist she compared me to, it really stuck with me and made me want to improve my artistic ability to match different artists.”

Over his years practicing, Stits found that portraits that show the complexity of the human body are the most interesting to him. 

“I enjoy painting portraits most since the human body is very complex, and it can share a story with a single face. I believe that art should have a story or attempt to make someone feel something, and portraits, for me, are easiest to do that with,” Stits said.

Stits’s enjoyment of art comes from his love of conveying both his emotions and his subject’s emotions.  

“I enjoy the feeling of putting down ideas without words and being able to convey something’s emotions. Also, I enjoy being able to unfocus and just draw to pass time or unwind,” Stits said.

Stits displayed his talent for acrylics by entering into different artistic competitions. His most notable competition was the Scholastic Art Awards, where his piece called “The Woman With the Oyster Earrings” won a gold key. 

“I was ecstatic when I found out I won a gold key, but I later learned that they gave the wrong list of winners and had to wait three more days to learn that my piece winning gold was not a mistake,” Sits said. “I felt relief that my secret hopes of victory were not in vain, and my insecurities in my work were simply my harsh self criticism.”
🖊️Caroline Hoffman

As the warmer weather begins to arrive, junior Mason Brandon-Roof is going to car meets to search for rare, exotic cars. His interest in cars didn’t start in a garage, but instead it began with a controller in his hands. What started as a way to pass time quickly evolved into a hobby outside of video games.
“I played a lot of racing games growing up, and from that I got really interested in looking at cars,” he said. “I always played Need for Speed and this game called Forza Horizon.”
As his interest began to grow, he began finding himself at different car meets and shows.
“The first car meet I ever went to was a Cars and Coffee meet up in Carmel,” he said. “What I love about these meets is being able to see all of the cars there, especially the ones that are millions of dollars or more.”
Over time, these events introduced Brandon-Roof to some of the rarest cars on the road.
“The coolest car I have seen is a Ferrari La Ferrari at a meet in Miami a couple years ago,” he said. “There are only about 700 of them in the world and they cost millions. I also haven't seen a Bugatti yet, but I really want to see one.”
Although these cars are rare, Brandon-Roof keeps an eye out for the hidden gems. He says the unpredictability is part of what keeps it interesting.
”Usually there is just a parking lot full of random cars that people bring,” he said. “Most of them aren't super expensive, but, from time to time, there will be some of the exotic ones, and those are the cars that keep me coming back.”
As Brandon-Roof travels around, the exotic car scene gets more and more vibrant.
“Carmel has some pretty good car meets, but Miami is where I have found the best ones,” he said. “Really anywhere in Florida is where most of the really good car meets are, and they have a certain vibe that is just different from anywhere else.”
Looking ahead, the cars he hopes to see or own one day reflect the same excitement that started years ago.
“I have a lot of dream cars but an Audi R8 or a Lamborghini Revuelto are two of my dream cars," he said. “A Ferrari Laferrari has also been one of my favorite cars for a long time, and it would be a dream to own one someday.”

🖊️Brody Goff

What started as a required art class with photography teacher Jacquelyn Fowler, junior LillyAnn Payne grew passionate for taking photos by starting an Instagram account for her photography.

“I first got into photography through my teacher, and also by seeing all the new ways to create art through photography on my Instagram feed,” Payne said. “I started getting into it because it allows my mind to visualize moments in time.”

Taking pictures of everything possible from sports to personal projects to portraits of her friends, Payne started to take her new hobby more seriously. She decided that putting her work on Instagram would be the best way to grow her hobby into a side hustle.

“I decided to start sharing my work online because I want to pursue phototherapy as a side hustle,” Payne said. “I’ve always loved taking photos of my life, and I thought why not capture those special moments in other people's lives.”

In deciding to share her photography, Payne hopes to be able to use it as a learning opportunity to grow her skills.

“The hardest part of my photography journey was sharing photos,” Payne said. “I’ve always thought of myself as a decent photographer, but I was scared of judgement until I realized you can never grow without help to better your product.”

Keeping with this new side hustle has pushed Payne mentally, yet maintaining inspiration has continued to keep her motivated.

“I stay consistent without burning out by always being ready to take photos,” Payne said. “I see art everywhere I go, so photography doesn’t feel forced, but instead it feels natural. I capture moments as they happen and save them for future projects, which keeps me inspired and prevents creative exhaustion.”

🖊️Ava Wright