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Company Earns Top Honors at Nationals

According to Charger Chatter, Pin Oak Company delivered an outstanding performance at the Crowd Pleasers National Competition on March 28, with both the Company and Crew teams earning top honors. The Company team placed first in Small Ensemble, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, and Pom, and was named National Champion in the Small Middle School Team Division.

Eighth grader Caroline Walton, a first year member of Company, took on seven routines as a new member.

“I did have to audition for every routine,” Walton said. “And I was really excited about that.”

The team performed a range of styles, including jazz, contemporary, and lyrical, each requiring different techniques and levels of expression. Walton said lyrical stood out to her because of its emotional depth and connection to ballet.

“The emotions in that song are so raw in a way,” Walton said. It’s just so much fun to dance to, and I hope I can embody that emotion.”

Walton also noted that the team has focused on improving performance quality, particularly through expression and stage presence.

“Something I’ve been working on,” Walton said. ”Is embodying emotions in my dancing, and I think we’ve all improved a lot.”

Following their results at nationals, Caroline Walton emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive mindset.

LOTE Spotlight: Spaghettieis in German Class

Lucas Quebodeaux was in German class and paused at the name of a dessert he has never tried, spaghettieis. Although he had not eaten it, the unusual word captured his attention and became one of the most memorable parts of his class experience.

Quebodeaux is learning about language and culture through topics like food and everyday phrases. In the classroom, students study both vocabulary and cultural traditions, giving them a broader understanding of Germany and its customs.

In his class with German teacher Mark Johnson, Lucas has learned words connected to food, including the unique term spaghettieis. The dessert, designed to look like a plate of pasta, is made entirely out of ice cream.

“It’s basically where you have ice cream, and then you press it into a pasta mold, and then it makes long pasta strings,” Quebodeaux said. “Then you add a strawberry or raspberry sauce, so it looks like pasta.”

Lucas noted that while he has not tried the dessert, learning about it has helped him connect language with cultural ideas. He also explained that his interest in German comes from his sister’s positive experience taking the class four years ago.

In addition to learning food-related vocabulary, Quebodeaux has also practiced useful phrases for real life situations, such as successfully ordering a drink at a café in Germany. 

Möchtest du spaghettieis essen?