16 | BALANCE OF EXCELLENCE
“I
will never pass up a moment to step on a stage and just feel that rush of adrenaline,” Mary Evelyn King said. “It’s like a breath of relief because I get to be someone that I’m not for like an hour and a half.”
After seeing her brother on stage in his fifth grade production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, King knew that she was meant to shine. “I turned to my mom and I said, ‘Mommy, I’m going to be the star of my fifth grade play,’” King said. Evidently, her predictions were spot on, as King went on to star in every play and musical that HIES had to offer. While theatre gives King an opportunity to showcase her talents to the world, it has also become a place for her to be her true self without any judgment. “I definitely laugh the most when I’m in the fine arts building,” King said. “And I think that speaks volumes that that is like a place where I feel safe, a place where I feel at home.”
MARY EVELYN KING
In sixth grade, King formed a special bond with her scene partner, Julia Durst ‘16. “She was so kind to me when she just didn’t need to be kind to me. And I think that I kind of learned a lot about what it means to be a friend through her and her friends,” King said. As King closes the curtain on her theatre career at HIES, she leaves the program with a few words of wisdom: “Don’t give up. Once you are done you’ll kind of be able to look back and be proud of what you’ve created during your time here.”
ARTS D
rew Herman, a senior who’s been at HIES since the 6th grade, expressed his love for 70s classic rock and music altogether.
“I’m definitely a classic rock type of guy. I love the Eagles, my favorite band ever. It’s just that I love good guitar,” Herman said. “And that’s where it mainly was back in the 70s.” Herman, a guitarist, discovered his passion for music surprisingly on Instagram. “When I was in 10th grade, I was on Instagram and saw some dude playing guitar,” Herman said, “And I was like, I can do that.” Ever since Herman came across the guitar video his enjoyment for guitar elevated. Herman started a band with a group of friends. “We call our band Strawberry Hill. It’s definitely been the most fun part of this year, just being able to play in front of all our friends at school,” Herman said. “It’s definitely made this year so more tolerable and fun.” Although Herman discusses the joy of having a band with his friends, there are some challenges that come with it. Strawberry Hill’s first time playing officially at HIES was a complete disaster. “The first time we played our microphone system exploded. So, we couldn’t sing. I mean, it broke like 10 seconds into while we were playing,” Herman said. “It’s just really tough to get all the technical aspects right. And that stuff is the hardest part.” Herman is attending the University of Georgia and plans to continue his hobby with a minor towards music.
DREW HERMAN
