As Harrisites begin to wind down after the Festival of Nations showcase, returning FON leaders and members shared their reflections of the show and some possible improvements for next year, with The Classic.
This year, there were 19 different FON groups, which led to a variety of issues involving scheduling between gourds whose leaders needed to ensure that they were able to fit their performances into their allocated time slots. This however, posed a great challenge to new FON leaders, who needed to learn to adapt to several situations and still put on a successful show.
Despite the challenges faced by both performers and leaders, the show was still a success, with the Saturday night performance selling out of tickets.
Founder and leader of Latinx FON, Junior, Alexa Herrera reflected on her experience leading her first FON group.
“As a new FON leader, I have learned the responsibility of having the role to guide others. I’ve tried to be more understanding and put myself in [the performer’s] shoes, but I’ve also grasped that I must have a stronger backbone to accomplish excellence,” she said, expressing her joy for being able to “represent a multitude of subcultures from Latin America” as well as her own.
With FON being one of the biggest student-run productions, at THHS, gaging participation from across all grades, some students are also hoping to see organizational and leadership improvements for next year.
Sophomore Margaret Garamendi said, “What I want to see implemented next year is of course more FONs, but also more organization entirely throughout those two show days. It can provide for a smoother and less chaotic show, but overall, I enjoyed how it went this year.”
Similarly, Freshman Mahalia Hyppolite said, “I want the leaders for each FON to be more harsh. I feel like they were acting more like friends towards us rather than leaders, and people can take advantage of that. The most important thing I’ve learned as a performer is that you have to show up to practice, so that the entire [FON] group can work cohesively and dance as best they can, which requires some level of strictness.”
As the year comes to a close, new leaders are called upon as the graduating senior class begins to depart, who will be learning how to navigate their roles and collaborate alongside one another.
Junior Natoya Murray, an upcoming African American FON leader said, “I hope to put together a show that everyone is excited about alongside my fellow leaders. Life around FON season can get very stressful with academics and extracurriculars, so I hope that whatever I contribute is worth the extra stress.”
“I was really proud of everyone’s ability to come together when things really mattered, allowing us to put on a show we all felt proud of in the end, and I hope I can say the same next year,” she added.
Although the end of FON 2024 is a sad farewell for all participants, upcoming and returning leaders are excited to raise the bar even higher for FON 2025. As next year rolls around, many of the leaders of FON are determined to improve its organization and its team for our next showcase.
