The opening of the curtains. The umpire yelling “play ball!” and the applause of a joyous crowd. Fleeting moments in time that bring passion and joy to freshman Mary Bates.

Bates has been involved in choir for four years and gained a love for the art.

“I always loved the choir teacher at LMS so I did it for the teacher at first,” Bates said. “Slowly, I began to have a love for singing and choral arts.”

As Bates spent more and more time singing, her appreciation for choral music grew.

“I enjoy the singing and also the music theory part,” Bates said. “I love to find out why different musicians conduct their songs the way they do and I like the meaning behind songs.”

Bates has been involved in theatre for five years. She started out in crew and developed a love for acting.

“I first started out as crew but then I slowly had an attraction to cast,” Bates said. “When I first did ‘Seussical’ as cast I had a lot of fun and kept doing it from there.”

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Photo by Charlene Nguyen

Bates continued to perform in theatre productions throughout middle school, making many memories and friends.

“My favorite memory of theatre is probably the last show I was in, which was ‘Newsies’,” Bates said. “Opening night everyone was so excited and happy to be performing. Everyone just enjoyed being in the moment.”

Softball has also been a big part of Bates’ life for seven years. She enjoys the family aspect as well as the competitive side of it all. Bates plays the catcher position for LHS.

“I feel exhilarated when I play, I feel like I’m at the top of the world,” Bates said. “I love fielding, baserunning and hitting.”

Bates’s fondness for softball grew as she continued playing.

“I like to catch because during the game I’m the one that knows what’s going on,” Bates said. “I know where to go with the ball, what to do if they bunt. It also is a challenge and when I’m behind the plate, every single pitch something changes. It’s a challenging position that requires me to think and stay focused.

Freshman Andrew Hand and Bates have been friends for four years. They are involved in competitive theatre and choir together.

“Mary is an unapologetically fearless and hard-working friend,” Hand said.

The curtains of Bates’ story are sure to close with a happy ending.

“Mary exhibits many strong leadership qualities,” assistant choir teacher Danaya Roller said. “She’s often the first to help one of her team members in need and does it with joy and enthusiasm.”