On Friday, Jan. 22, while the girls Varsity Basketball team held a home game against Lovejoy, the chorus leadership team was behind the scenes, working in the concession stands and selling different foods and snacks, like hotdogs and nachos.
Students and the community see chorus in the auditorium, performing their Spring Gala and the two concerts they host during the school year. But where most people don’t expect to see chorus is in the gym, working the concession stands, wearing their McIntosh Chorus shirts and gloves, during home basketball games.
“I cook hot dogs, make sure the cheese is warm for nachos, and I make sure the drinks are in place,” freshman Noah Cannon, a member of the chorus leadership team, said.
The choral program benefits from running the concession stands. They use the money they earn to help fund events like Gala and their Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE). Richard Prouty, the director of chorus, is in charge of the leadership team and the profits from the stands.
“Our profit margin this year is better, because we are selling for JV and for varsity games, but [how much money we make] depends on the game and on the season,” Prouty said.
There are also other people that ensure that things at the concession stands can run without any issues. The presidents and vice presidents of the leadership team send out reminders to volunteer for the games. Jessica Felker, a junior, also works in the stands during these games and is one of two vice presidents for the chorus leadership team.
“I help with the organization of some of the schoolwide events like McIntosh Got Talent. My co-vice president and I also helped take pictures and auditions (for the talent show) and just try to make sure things run smoothly,” Felker said.
An average basketball concessions shift lasts a game and a half, which can be around three hours. The chorus first started doing shifts for games six years ago.
“The [chorus] director prior to me was approached by the basketball boosters. They didn’t have enough parents to volunteer to run the concession stands, so they asked the choral department if they would take it on as a fundraiser,” Prouty said.
And running the concession stands is more than what happens at a game. Someone has to buy all of the food to sell and students on the leadership team have to volunteer for dates that they are available to work. Kristy Reese is the parent volunteer in charge of choral concessions. She is responsible for buying and restocking the food, which she usually gets from Sam’s Club.
“We pretty much have to restock the perishable items every home game, but the non-perishable things last a month or two. So today [Feb. 10], because there is a home game, she [Reese] will bring hot dog and hot dog buns and those only,” Prouty said.
Reese’s daughter, sophomore Ari Reese, is also a part of the chorus leadership team and has worked the concession stands five times before.
“Some of the games I did because I wanted to do it with my friends, [but] I also did it because my mom was working. My mom of course gets the food, but then she will also come in during the games and check in and she makes sure that everybody knows what they are doing,” Reese said.
Chorus is already in preparations for Spring Gala, which will take place April 30 through May 2.
“The theme [of Gala] is ‘Rags to Riches.’ Every song has something to do with money, rise to fame or how working hard has paid off. There’s lots of incredible group numbers and thanks to the choirs for being invested in those. We are opening the show with ‘Thrift Shop’ then we close the entire show with ‘Don’t Stop Believing,’” Prouty said.
