Carson Lackey – Freshman

Carson Lackey is a freshman that has participated in the Alley Cat Player’s production of Into the Woods. With an interest in historical fashion, Carson takes a liking for thrifting. With her ability to sew, she can alter clothes to fit properly.  

Mars: Are you doing tech theater for Into the Woods or is that something you want to continue at LASA?

Carson: I’m the costume co-crew chief for Into the Woods.

Mars: What does that role entail?

Carson: Finding or creating all the costumes for the characters then fitting them if they don’t fit. Then it’s either altering them by sewing or back to the drawing board. Then it’s organizing all the costumes while they are transported to the PAC, and managing quick changes during the show.

Mars: That’s cool! I imagine your interest for historical fashion helps with your role, what about it interests you?

Carson: I’m not quite sure what about it interests me. It feels like a portal into our past that is relatively untouched by a lot of society. I also just find the effort and craftsmanship in historical garments just gorgeous, and I could look at them forever. I really appreciate how detail oriented they are.

Mars: Do you often make clothing pieces in your free time, if so, what are some of your favorite pieces you’ve done?

Carson: I wish I had the time to make clothing pieces outside of school. I don’t really do that but I will buy things that don’t fit me and alter them to fit me so I’m not limited by size at thrift stores.

Mars: Fun! Can you talk about some of your thrift store experiences?

Carson: I love finding vintage clothing at thrift stores. I think one of my favorite things I’ve ever found was this vintage Dior coat for only 20 dollars. It was a few sizes too big for me but because I know how to sew, I was able to make it fit me. I love it so much.

Mars: What do you wish people did differently when it comes to fashion?

Carson: I wish people wouldn’t stick to one aesthetic all the time when they dress. I think that exploring different styles and being creative is so much fun and looks cool.

Tiffany Pham – Junior

Tiffany Pham is a junior with an interest in fine arts and singing. She enjoys spinning for the colorguard, is a member of this year’s winter guard, and participates in LASA’s Lowkey Acapella club. Tiffany hopes to be a pharmacist in the future.

Mars: What are your hobbies and extracurriculars?

Tiffany: I am a person of the fine arts, dabbling in visual art, singing, and dancing. Because LASA doesn’t grant as much time to pursue all that I enjoy, my main focus is color guard. I was put in the class accidentally last year and decided not to leave as schedule changes would be a hassle, and that’s a choice I’ve come to cherish. Because I decided to stay, I met the greatest community, learned to be in touch with my body through dance, and my experiences in guard, good and bad, have taught me lessons in leadership, perseverance, and friendship I never knew I would need.

Mars: Wow! Was it hard feeling like you belonged, and what are some experiences that you’ve had that are important to you?

Tiffany: Oh yeah absolutely. In the beginning I didn’t really feel like I was a part of the guard since I had joined a month or two late and everyone already had or made their connections. I remember one late practice, everyone’s costumes had arrived. I knew mine had been ordered since our director had taken my measurements and such already, but as they called the names of the people the costumes belonged to so they could grab theirs, I held out hope for mine, but it never came. That year’s homecoming football game, I was the only person on the field not in uniform. I knew people noticed in the stands and it harbored a feeling of resentment inside of me. After the event, it took time to truly know everyone in guard and make my own connections. I’m glad I stayed because those people are some of the most important to me.

Tiffany: This year, also, we began with a new director who we looked up to with hope as the last one, although with a great personality, was disorganized and still had a lot to learn about being a teacher. This one however, pushed us, challenged us to be our best. It’s impossible to say we didn’t improve, but it was also quickly learned that the roles of our past and new directors had been switched. This one pushed perhaps way too hard, making the sport more competitive than it should have been. Color guard at its core is about the people you’re with and at the end of the day creating a story through dance and props. This feeling of stress from the pressure put on us was amounting but not in comparison to when he left. The captains were put in charge, and this created a hard time for the entire team. The four of us choreographed, planned, and led the color guard, and being teenagers with little experience with this much leadership or power, it was difficult. At one point I snapped under the weight and unconsciously added to the already hostile environment. It’s a time that I look back on with regret but also with great learning. We all made it through and became an even stronger team because of this.

Mars: I heard you recently joined LASA’s a capella group, what role does singing have in your life?

Tiffany: Singing was always something that I did, spanning all of my emotions. When I’d feel a little lonely, I would sing. Whenever I was overwhelmed, I would sing to drown out whatever was bothering me. It doesn’t come only at negative occasions, but works as something soothing. I didn’t really begin sharing my voice until eighth grade when I took the plunge and joined my schools’ choir. Though I didn’t love the people in that class, I really found my love for music there. I could sing, but not get singled out. Choir worked as a good stepping stone for my voice to slowly shine on its own.

Mars: Awesome! How do you see your hobbies and passions being involved in your future?

Tiffany: My current plan for a career doesn’t make room for my hobbies unfortunately. Although I am very fine arts oriented, I plan on taking the STEM route and become a pharmacist. This doesn’t mean I’ll give up my passions at all, I’ve just come to the fact that I won’t have as much time for them which is why I try to make the most of it now. That was my reasoning for auditioning and joining the a capella group in the first place. Not only do I get to apply my hobbies but be part of something bigger than myself at the same time. As for color guard, I’ll continue it going into university, but after that, other than blasts to the past every now and then, I think I might be done. Who knows, maybe after I’ve retired from my pharmacy career, I can be the grandma on the professional color guard team. Plans can also change, that’d be okay too. I used to be scared of the future because I knew there were crucial decisions for me to make, some regarding my hobbies, but reflecting now, I’m optimistic that the future will bring for me what it will, but that time might change my plans, and that’s okay. I know nothing’s set in stone. I’ve come to terms with that.

Mars: Thank you so much!

Erin Kelly – Sophomore

Erin Kelly is a sophomore who enjoys drawing, painting, and soccer. Her artwork portfolio was put on display in the cafeteria foyer. She prefers drawing and painting, and her recent artwork focuses on people and crowds. She’s interested in pursuing a job in engineering.

Mars: What hobbies do you have in/out of school?

Erin: Soccer and art.

Mars: Yeah, I saw your display walking to class today, can you tell me about that and your art style?

Erin: For the display itself, my AP art class is using those boards to put up individual students’ sustained investigation portfolios up for a few weeks at a time. I’m in the AP drawing class, and in the class we work on a portfolio throughout the year and submit it to College Board for the AP exam. For my sustained investigation topic, I chose to explore the relationships between people through crowds and individuals. I would describe my personal art as loose and I mainly work in acrylic or oil paint so I tend to focus on having bold brushstrokes.

Mars: That’s super cool! What messages and feelings do you want to convey through your art?

Erin: I don’t know about feelings, I make stuff for my own enjoyment. Portfolio focuses on connections between people a lot but I don’t like planning my work out because I think it conveys feelings better when it’s spontaneous, so at least for me in-depth planning with my work makes it less enjoyable and I think it makes it harder to convey feelings with it.

Mars: Where do you hope your art takes you, like college or career wise if you’ve figured that out?

Erin: I don’t really want to go to art school. I’d like to major in engineering in college but I might apply to an art school as a backup. I guess if I graduate with an engineering degree and hate my career I have a plan b to fall back on.