Only the light footsteps of the performers taking the stage are audible in the vast auditorium. Overhead lights illuminate their costumes, bright hues reflecting on the floor. The steady rhythm of the show band serves as a metronome for the well-rehearsed routine. The music crescendos as the last step is performed, a smattering of applause following suit.

Held on Mar. 8th and 9th, the Galaxy of the Stars competition is the annual fundraiser for the show choir program, welcoming both middle and high schoolers, respectively

“We don’t want to overcharge our students, so we have events like this where we are really looking at our community, looking at the greater scope of show choir, and seeing how we can help each other,” head show choir director Megan Swain said.

Swain started the competition with a few parent volunteers in 2015 after seeing the success of fundraisers in her experience at Westside and UNL.

“I knew how much it benefited them, so when I came to North I knew we needed to have some type of community outreach, but also something that would help fund our show choir,” Swain said.

Expenses such as clinicians, choreographers, and equipment are all funded by the proceeds from Galaxy of the Stars, which can total from $35,000 to $50,000.

“While it does seem like a crazy amount, it ends up being what gets us back to zero just to make ends meet,” Swain said.

The competition is organized by three event co-chairs, Stephanie Herr, Kendra McIvor, and Lindsay Whelan.

“When we go to competitions we kind of know the behind the scenes of what it takes to run a competition,” Herr said. “You kind of go to a competition at a different school and get ideas, you takeaway things that you want to do at your competition.”

There are also 24 sub-committees overseen by the event chairs that help make the competition run smoothly.

“We’re there to keep the competition moving and help the judges with anything that they might need,” co-committee chair Stacy Jolley said.

Interaction between schools allows for a support system to be instituted to fund various show choir programs.

“We will bring our students to different competitions, support them, help them earn their fundraiser, and in turn they come to us,” Swain said.

The show choir directors, committee chairs, and volunteers all help to make the event a success, bolstering a sense of community.

“I’m really excited to just meet new groups because these are people I would never have met because they go to different schools and they live far away, so this is a great opportunity to meet new people,” sophomore Harmony Banwo said.

Banwo has participated in show choir since 7th grade and is a part of the mixed varsity group, Infinity.

“With show choir it’s all about the bond, and I feel like participating with different people and singing new songs and dances helps me as a singer and dancer,” Banwo said.

The competition is structured in three divisions, a preparatory show choir, a treble or bass choir, and a varsity show choir. MN’s studentsperform a variety of exhibitions throughout the day. Last year’s performances were especially memorable to Swain after being absent on maternity leave.

“It was neat to walk in, having not seen my students in three months, and then be a part of this really special community event that we all put on together where everyone comes together and pulls their weight to make sure that it’s successful,” Swain said.

These moments are also special for parents like Herr and Jolley, who each have kids involved in the program.

“It’s just been a great experience being a parent and watching your kid perform and then be able to put time and effort and energy back into her program and just help make it better for all the kids,” Herr said

The execution of the competition takes copious amounts of work and dedication, but makes a difference in the future of the show choir program.

“It’s an exhausting two days, you get there very early, you leave there very late, you’re not getting out of there before midnight either night,” Jolley said. “When you’re done you think ‘Okay, I just left this place better than I found it, I just raised a lot of money for a program that means so much to my kid, and I did something to help it continue on for the next group of kids.’”