Last night I had a dream
Back to when I was a little girl
With bone skinny legs and long curls
Lost and confused in this grown up world
Not knowing what to believe
Being preached different beliefs
Learned to seek more than to teach
Taught to fight for those who couldn’t speak
Last night I had a dream
Filled with heart ache and sorrow
One where you’re told there might not be a tomorrow
Threatening our students who prayed just to see a tomorrow
And yes, I prayed for Mizzou
Last night I had a dream
Filled with love and joy
Umoja has been spread to little girls and little boys
We came together to fight back
To prove we have a voice
We are strong
To our young kings and young queens
Know your worth and what you truly mean
Keep imani through it all
Never back down and always stand tall
Last night I had a dream
That dreams are worth more

T’was the week before exams and all through Roy C

The Christmas joy was lost t’was not even found in me

There was no singing in the halls, not a carol to be sung

And on the sad tree in the courtyard, not an ornament to be hung

Maybe it’s the exams that put stress on their heads

As they sit in school wishing they were asleep in their beds

Or maybe it’s the fact that there has been no snow

And since school started, they are constantly on the go

They school all day and work by night

Their eyes droop like zombies’ as they give people a fright

They groan as they walk through the halls and stumble into each class

When all they want is to spend some time sitting on their couch

They sit on Santa’s lap as they beg and plead

“What is wrong?” He asks hoping of this burden he would be freed

They say, “I only have one single wish this year

It’s to go a day without shedding a measly tear”

“I can’t do that” he said “there is nothing I can do

Whether you cry or not is completely up to you

I will tell you what, I noticed something uncool

It has been brought to my attention that you have zero Christmas spirit at your school”

“It’s the exams” they said,” they are too much to handle

The stress builds up and makes them want to burst like a roman candle”

Santa then says with a great big smile

“I’ll let you focus on Christmas for a little while

I know that exams make you want to cry and are very hard

So in place of exams, there will be an A on your report card

There will be no exam week, so enjoy your Christmas spirit

Yell it at the top of your lungs for all to hear it

And when your mom asks you why you’re still in bed

Just simply say because Santa said”

BY Meghan Vogt
LifeAtStart.com Reporter

As a thespian, I would like to think that Start’s theatrical performances are seen by community members as impressively wonderful examples of the great achievements that can be reached by just a little cooperation, hard work and dedication. However, this is probably not the view most of our audience members have. This is understandable because live shows are so captivating and entertaining that those watching are completely engulfed in the story plot and characters, truly believing that they exist and, therefore, have no thought of how the production came to be. For those few show-goers who do wish to obtain such knowledge, however, I have written this article.

Each of Start’s plays and musicals is the result of over two months of rehearsal. The cast and crew members stay after school four days a week blocking scenes, building sets, perfecting music and learning choreography. Day in and day out, the young students dedicate their time to perfecting lines and mastering their roles’ personalities. They build chemistry, making the characters more believable and make many mistakes and jokes, which make the hours of work fun and tolerable. Each aspect of the show, from harmonies to prop usage, must be thought out and practiced well before the pieces can be put together. The last week before the performances is the most vigorous because it is during this week that all of those aspects finally come together.

It is called tech week, and it is the week when the actors, set, costumes, props, sound equipment and pit members are thrown together and everyone prepares for the worst. Monday is often a disaster. The students stay in the auditorium until nearly midnight. Many of the dance numbers must be retaught, harmonies need to be reviewed, and the energy throughout the show is usually odd and inconsistent. The cast, crew and production staff are quite stressed and many lose hope, temporarily, of course. But still, the process repeats the following days, each rehearsal going a bit more smoothly and letting out a bit earlier.

Hope is regained on Tuesday. The veterans know that the chaos somehow always ends up working out in the end. Three pages of notes from Monday are usually cut down to just one by Wednesday. Thursday is dress rehearsal. All costumes are worn, makeup is applied and hair is done. This is the day when there are several missed cues, and the pit is left vamping for over a minute because actors misjudged quick changes as not-so-quick changes. Sometimes the improvisation done to cover these missed cues is quite amusing.

Friday is the first show. The student matinee is the first time the cast has a true audience, although the rude and loud behavior of this audience is often discouraging for the first-timers. That night the students have a house full of respectful spectators that actually want the show to be successful. This first evening show is the most exciting.

The next night, Saturday, is the last show. This is the emotional one. The cast, crew and pit members are now running their show for the seventh time straight, and they know what to do. All focus is on having fun backstage, singing along and making memories, and enjoying the last performance of the season. This last show is the moment everyone who helped with the production had been both looking forward to and dreading since auditions were held. They are sad that it’s over, but extremely glad that it happened and had such an impact on everyone involved.

It really is a marvelous concept: the fact that this life-changing experience began with just a script and some open-minded students. And what’s even more miraculous is that it happens every year, twice a year. It’s a crazy and exciting experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world.