Junior Kaia Mawhinney will be hosting this year’s winter talent show.
“It ties into my advanced seminars and investigations class, which just helps me run it. It gives me a sponsor guarantee but other than that, it’s not technically for a class. This isn’t like “Hey, we’re doing projects and you have the talent show”, I chose to make a talent show during my freshman year and my friend Adrianna Lue helped me with it. So me and her worked on it a bunch sophomore year and this year I’ve mainly started taking over, but Adrianna is still there and helps me with it.”
She states that she thought it would be a good way to bring awareness to the Spay Neuter Project, as well as bring Battle’s students together.
“The Spay Neuter Project is an animal rescue center that spays and neuters cats and dogs.”
According to their website, the Spay Neuter Project was established in April of 2015. Aside from being a spay and neuter rescue clinic for animals, they also provide microchips, dewormers, and tests for heartworms, rabies, FIV (Feline immunodeficiency virus), and more, which they claim to be at affordable prices for Columbia pet owners.
Mawhinney hosted last year’s talent show and says that she raised over $200 selling tickets at the door of the event.
“This year I’m gonna just have a “pass around a hat” for donations type of deal, and more of a donation drive. Like everyone can bring a can of food or cleaning supplies like bleach or laundry detergent. It’s gonna happen during the school day so there’s not gonna be a way to charge tickets at the door.”
As for means, Mawhinney has had thoughts of having a PayPal or Venmo that guests at the talent show can donate to.
Auditions for the talent show took place in Battles Library at 4:15 PM. During this Mawhinney says that there were seven auditions and she is still waiting for 2-4 video auditions that she says will be submitted by November 8.
So far the auditions she has seen are two bands, two solo singers, Seniah Kemp, and Claire Holmes, and one dancer, Kaitlin Hicks. Lyla Brite, junior, and member in one of the bands that will be performing said:
“We performed last year and we won a trophy and it was super fun. We’ve been together as a band for a little over a year now and we just like to get as many gigs as we can because it’s fun.”
The band is called Dusk N Dawn and the members consist of AJ Schwarz and Noah Megil, who attend Rock Bridge, Lyla Brite and Elena Ireland, who attend Battle, and Lee Parzych who attends Hickman.
Brite describes their style of music as “alternative experimental rock” and takes inspiration from bands like The Cranberries, bits of Nirvana, and the artist Stevie Nicks. Other than last year’s talent show, they have performed in places such as Cafe Berlin and Blue Note.
“I like performing for people and having them unite towards our music, you know? And there have been times when we are performing and everyone pulls out their phone flashlights. It’s really cool.”
Brite states that the band hasn’t had that much time to practice because of the members’ extracurriculars, but adds that they are working on a song to perform at the talent show. She also adds that the band is hoping to win the talent show again, as well as get more gigs in the future that could be profitable for them.
Mawhinney hopes that “talent shows become a foundational part of Battles culture, or at least something that can continue on to try and bring the school together a little.”
The show will be taking place during third block on December 4. Mawhinney’s goal is to raise just as much money as she did last year, and additionally have supplies and necessities donated to the Spay and Neuter Project.
