VIDEO: Magnet Arts Night

TRANSCRIPT:

John Kaluta, Principles of Engineering Magnet Teacher:

Magnet Arts Night (MAN) is a showcase for magnet students to show of their non academic achievements. It was started 22 years ago.

The nice thing about it is that it's not as hard as the play, it doesn't take that much time. It's individual acts. It's really just strictly a talent show. And they do audition and they get judged and they do turn people down. We try to present the most talented acts.

Other people are allowed to perform, of course, but only as part of a magnet dominated group. So if there are five people then three of them would have to be magnets, or half and half would be okay. Which keeps my band out of it because I would have to have extra people to shake tambourines or something to make up the list, to make up enough to have half magnet. And it's a good rule. It just keeps magnet kids into it, but also allows people who aren't necessarily in the magnet to still perform if for instance they are in a band together.

Magnet Arts Night is free, always has been free. We do take donations to a special scholarship fund, named after Dr. Vaccaro who helped set up the magnet program.

In the past it's always been a full house, even at the old Blair, which is a much bigger auditorium. I think this year there were some empty seats. That might have been because last year there was delay, after delay, after delay, after delay because of the snow. So it might take a year to get the word back out again, to build back up and become a little more popular.

John Kaluta was the sponsor and producer of Magnet Arts Night, which was held on Friday in the auditorium.