The Student News Site of McCallum High School

The Shield Online
The Student News Site of McCallum High School

The Shield Online
The Student News Site of McCallum High School

The Shield Online
News
Sixteen of the AP exams will be fully digital in 2025. These exams fall into the arts and humanities category, with exceptions being AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles and AP Environmental Science. Twelve will be hybrid exams—virtually all math or science—ranging from AP Calculus classes to AP Biology. For arts, language and music AP tests, the audio components of the tests will remain unchanged.
AP goes digital
Beatrix Lozach, staff reporter • October 26, 2024
Students fill hallways after the lunch bell rings. The hallways become crowded immediately once passing period begins.
Population rise impacts Mac
October 23, 2024
The eldest members of the class of ‘25 will vote in their first presidential election on Nov. 5.
A new class of ballots
October 22, 2024
The change in the auto admit threshold looms over potential Class of 2026 UT applicants who meet the current threshold (top 6%) but not the new one (top 5%).
UT to limit automatic admissions rate to Top 5%
October 15, 2024
Opinion
A 'Brat' election
A 'Brat' election
Shila Gill, opinion editor • October 25, 2024

Can being a brat help win an election? Democratic candidate for President Kamala Harris’ use of social media will provide a clear answer come Nov. 5. Her social media presence...

TAKING ACTION: The photo above was from the 2023 statewide gun control walkout. Now alumni, Zephan Mayeda leans against a tree during the walkout holding a sign reading “Bullets aren’t school supplies.” He participated in the walkout to protest against the lack of gun protection in the U.S. and to draw attention to the statewide protest. “Children are dying due to government’s apathy and corporate lobbying against any action of any kind,” Mayeda said. Mayeda was disappointed in the lack of organization that came with the protest but still participated. “Better something than nothing,” he said. Mayeda offered what he would love to see at the walkout. “I would have loved to see marching, chants, speeches, lists of phone numbers to call senators, names pictures and birthdays of the victims, flyers promoting the protest days weeks or months even in advance, mass absences, an actual walkout for those who can’t not go to school that isn’t just 20 minutes of sitting,” Mayeda said. Although he was underwhelmed, Mayeda appreciated the symbolism. “I think it held some importance in regards to symbolic gestures,” Mayeda said. Reporting by Kate Boyle.
Gun violence ravages American youth
September 27, 2024
According to the National Institute of Health, the human brain is not fully developed until the late 20s; therefore, the younger the age the more social media will have lasting effects on the brain. The teen brain is already more vulnerable to mental illness and factors such as social media can only increase the possibility.
Just for the health of it
July 14, 2024
The case for vegetarianism
The case for vegetarianism
July 8, 2024
Like drugs or gambling, social media can be addictive soaking up time that could be used on more meaningful pursuits. On May 23, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a health advisory which concluded that "while social media may offer some benefits, there are ample indicators that social media can also pose a risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents." Among the many harms cited in the advisory are lower self image, particularly body image; exposure to hate speech; and sleep deprivation.
Breaking free of a social media addiction
July 6, 2024
Buying multiple Stanley water bottles defeats the environmental purpose of buying a water bottle in the first place.
Cost of consumption
June 28, 2024
Sports
Junior Julia Lentz races the five-kilometer course at the UIL District 24-5A Championship, Oct. 11.
Season almost complete
Nate Williams, co-editor in chief • October 11, 2024

The boys and girls cross-country team competed at the UIL 5A District 24 Championships Thursday morning at Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park. Junior Julia Lentz was the only...

Senior wide receiver CJ Forbes hydrates while his coach addresses the team during a break in the varsity football team's game against Elgin on Friday, Sept 20.
Heat causes changes in athletics
October 10, 2024
The freshman A players who were on the court celebrate the last point of the Knights victory over Connally to start the Knight Freshman Tournament. After winning the first set, the Knights fell behind by 11 points in the second set before roaring back to complete the sweep of the Cougars. The Knights would go on to run the table defeating Manor Tech, St. Andrew's, LASA and Bowie to win the freshman tournament that McCallum Volleyball hosts for the first time ever.
Freshman A wins campus tournament, makes history
October 5, 2024
Devon Robinson gathers his thoughts before the team run-through prior to kickoff at the Battle of the Bell on Sept. 6. Robinson suffered a season-ending injury on his first offensive touch of the game. Photo by Dave Winter.
Robinson talks about his past, present, future
October 4, 2024
Surrounded by her teammates on the court and serenaded by the cheers of her teammates on the bench, junior setter Lexi Rosenblatt soaks in the moment immediately after senior outside hitter Greta Carlson's kill sealed the deal on Roseblatt's 1,000th assist as a McCallum Knight.
Rosenblatt sets milestone, then stuff blocks for the win
August 31, 2024
Throwback Thursday
Knight and Shield editors, Karen Behrens and Cathy Croft prepare to guard the victory bell.
Spirit high for homecoming
Mary Gonzalez, staff reporter • October 24, 2024

Tonight the McCallum Knights will clash for that traditional clangor, the Victory Bell, in the annual rivalry against the Travis Rebels. The bell represents the eighteenth...

Photo of CDs from the late 1980's.
THROWBACK THURSDAY: COMPACT DISKS
September 26, 2024
Richards would go on to win the 1990 election, and served as Texas governor until 1995, where she was succeeded by future president George W. Bush.
Richards obvious choice for governor's race in fall
September 19, 2024
Josh Hinsdale poses with his "roommate" and fellow stylish hat enthusiast, Willie Nelson.
On the phone again
July 11, 2024
Natalie Seeboth, 5, stands in her Mardi Gras mask and costume, prepared with a plastic bag to hold all the throws that she catches. Photo courtesy of Seeboth.
Home and perfectly complete
July 3, 2024
People
ATX Sweet Serendipity was started and created by senior America Franken. Graphic courtesy of Franken.
Starting ATX Sweet Serendipity
Maya Tackett, people editor • October 16, 2024

Ever since senior America Franken was little, she’s always wanted to run her own business. Franken remembers sitting down with her mom and brainstorming business ideas such...

Paul Pew beams with students next to mural dedicated to him. At the end of the school year last year, students and faculty decided that they needed to dedicate something to him for his career at McCallum. According to Pew, the thing he will miss most about teaching here is the students, and teachers. “I worked with amazing, kind, and talented people at both ends of the building, math and music,” Pew said. “I was lucky enough to have Ms. Seckar as a department head and all the math teachers as friends.
At Mac, Pew found perfect mix of math, music
October 16, 2024
Cowles poses for a selfie with Alumni Band members Kirsten Davenport (left) and Anne Hochfelder (right) before their halftime performance with current members of the Longhorn Band.
Cowles marches back to college
September 26, 2024
Josh Eyler presents at SXSW Education Conference last spring on the harm of the grading system and culture in the US education system.
Josh Eyler gives an F to grades in education
August 27, 2024
Senior Sebastian Banks performs a solo and his final chamber guitar concert on May 16 in the MAC. "l’d like to join some kind of music group [at St. Ed’s] because I think that’d be really fun," Banks said of his plans to play guitar while in college. "They don’t have classical guitar specifically, which is what I play, but I’ll just have to see."
'48 Hours' leads to a four-year plan
August 8, 2024
Cypher Rosonnette smiles as they joins their classmates during the processional at the Class of 2024 commencement ceremony at the Burger Center on May 30.
All's weld than ends weld
August 8, 2024
Entertainment
Kevin Abstract preforming his ACL set on Sunday during ACL's first weekend
ACL setlist disappoints
Sophia Manos and Adele Seeboth • October 10, 2024

This year's Austin City Limits lineup falls short and fails to reach its target audience. ACL has been a staple in Austin’s vibrant music scene for more than 49 years, and...

Junior Lucas Walker, plays the bass clarinet during the finals performance Saturday night at the USBands Austin Regional Competition at the Bob Shelton Stadium in Kyle. This performance led to a third place finish and the band to be awarded best overall music.
Band takes third in finals, plus Best Overall Music
September 29, 2024
ALL ABOUT ALTOS: In the midst of the prelims performance of “Fury Road,” movement captain and alto section leader junior Liliana Escamilla, makes her way through the music and choreography with other members of the alto section by her side. This being her third year as a member of the band, Escamilla has played in the Bands of America Regional competition before and knew what to expect. “It went pretty well and most people were pretty proud of how they performed,” she said. “The competition has always been an extremely hard one as most of the bands are 6A, so we do it as more of an experience to improve, but I feel like it definitely benefited us to see what we can do better for the next competition next Saturday.”
Band sharpens its craft at first competition of season
September 22, 2024
Assistant director Dillon Junkin, along with other members of the band community, stand on top of the directors podium in the band parking lot. Using a microphone, Junkin instructed the band from above and explained many of the different aspects of the show to the crowd of spectators.
Bandapalooza crowd braves bad weather to see sneak peek of 2024 halftime show
August 27, 2024
Class of 2024 graduate Julie Kizer and artist Tasha Johnson draw red roses on paper on Aug. 8. Johnson has been with Imagine Art for more than 10 years. The next day, both Kizer and Scout Goldsmith's AmeriCorps terms came to an end.
Where summer service is a work of art
August 18, 2024
Photo Galleries
A CELEBRATION OF HISPANIC HERITAGE: Ballet Folklórico dancers Valeria Alcauter Robles (red), Carley Castro-Seiler (turquoise), Abi Peacock (black), Shirel Behar (green) and Mailyn Gil (periwinkle) perform this past weekend at the AISD Performing Arts Center, competing in AISD’s Fiesta for Hispanic Heritage Month. Gil has been a part of the club since her freshman year. Upon joining the group she had no idea what it was, but was inclined to join due to influences of her grandfather. “I joined because my grandfather loved the traditional dances and that it showcased all regions,” Gil said. “I wanted to honor him in a way, as well as learn more about my culture.” Competing in a small group ensemble during the Fiesta, Gil felt that the members as well as herself were very composed and performed their routine smoothly. “We were very comfortable in our pieces, enough to just get on stage and do what we did, and have fun,” Gil said. “The only difference between this performance and the past was that we had judges this time, so it was a little nerve wrecking since it was a competition.” Groups from different schools competed in a variety of categories, some being soloists, music groups, and bands. The groups each performed their pieces, and then the judges took 15 minutes at the end to go over scoring before they announced the winners. Gil said that even though the club did not win, they felt proud of their performance. “We were very positive and respectful, and even though we didn’t win we felt proud of our accomplishments,” Gil said. “I was proud of our newcomers because they learned everything so quickly and got the hang of it.” Caption by Priya Thoppil.
From the 15th to the 15th, nothing but food, festivities, fun, family, fellowship
Noah Braun, Carlo Hinsdale, Evelyn Jenkins, Sophia Manos, Maggie Mass, Tallulah McAuliffe, Piper Norfolk, Sofia Saucedo, Priya Thoppil, and Camilla Vandegrift • October 22, 2024

From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, McCallum celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month, a month dedicated to honoring Latino and Spanish-speaking cultures. It commenced with a salsa...

Setting a new Pink Week precedent, puppies were introduced into the Pink Week festivities this year. Two 6-week-old puppies-Mae and Millie were brought from Austin Pets Alive, and students, including Mariana Silva shown here, were able to pay to cuddle and play with the puppies. The event turned out to be extremely popular at McCallum with a huge line twisting around the courtyard, and the PALS program reported that just on Tuesday alone, the group raised $700 dollars for the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Texas. Not only did the puppies help to raise money for the BCRC, but the event also served as an adoption event for Austin Pets Alive, as students and their families were given the puppies' information about how to adopt puppies in the future. Caption by Josie Mullan.
PALS work to fight breast cancer, bring campus together
October 15, 2024
Ballet Folklórico troupe members Jose Miguel Yemez Montaner and Valeria Elizondo dance the traditional Jarabe Tapatío during the 11 a.m. showcase at the Day of Dance last Saturday at the Austin ISD PAC. The troupe close the showcase with three routines, and this dance was the middle one.
Day of Dance debuts at Austin ISD PAC
October 8, 2024
FRIENDS, FUN AND TUCK: For junior Zane Shieh (second from the left), being a part of Tuck Everlasting has not only brought him closer to his castmates and crew, but has also brought up some mixed emotions seeing that this was the last performance together for many senior classmates.  “I did have to do Tuck because of my major, but I also knew lots of friends that were auditioning and I wanted to work with the seniors that will not be here for long,” Shieh said.  Because it's the last performance for a lot of seniors, Shieh says it is a bittersweet feeling when experiencing someone's last show at McCallum.  “I feel very sad because all the seniors are so cool, and kind and funny and I think I'm gonna miss them,” Shieh said. Caption by Sofia Saucedo.
'You don’t need to live forever; you need to just live'
October 1, 2024
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2005 animated cartoon gets second live-action adaptation, this time as a series. Starring young actors Gordon Cormier (Aang), Kiawentiio (Katara), Ian Ousley (Sokka), and Dallas Liu (Zuko).

Live-action ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ fails for the second time • 11920 Views

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The debate over gun control

The debate over gun control • 6535 Views

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Defending the rights of gun owners at the McCallum walkout in support of stronger gun control legislation on April 20, 2018, three McCallum seniors (two of them pictured here) sit silently counter-protesting at the rally in the parking lot. “I believe in the Second Amendment since it was instituted in the beginning of this country," one of them said. "I obviously don’t believe in fully automatic weapons. They aren’t legal anyways. I’m pro-rifle, pro-gun and I’m pro Constitution.” One of the students asked to remain anonymous to protect future opportunities. Photo by Kien Johnson.

Banning guns is not the way to go • 361 Views

4
UT booklets on display during college showcase at McCallum last spring. In the wake of the Supreme Court decision effectively ending affirmative action and a state law banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives on campus, the University has pledged to make its campus welcome to all, but it has also made changes to comply with the new, more restrictive laws.

Class of 2024 adjusts college applications in wake of Supreme Court ruling eliminating affirmative action • 291 Views

5
A search on Wikipedia reveals that the “OK symbol” has multiple other ascribed meanings. It is the ambiguity of the symbol that has prompted groups like the Antidefamation League to urge people to use caution when evaluating the symbol.

Context is everything • 289 Views

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Like all things, the year of Orwell's dystopian tale of the future came to pass, prompting social and cultural introspection. Credit to unknown artist on theoriginalunderground.com.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: 'Big Brother is watching you' • 265 Views

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Ms. Wood speaking to parents at Back To School Knight on Monday, August 26th. Wood had been teaching in her classroom all day with no AC. This was her fifth school day with no AC.

Lack of AC becoming a more heated issue • 240 Views

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Este mapa de banderas de América Latina que representa a cada nación por su bandera revela la diversidad de culturas presentes en la región. Ilustración de Presjuri. Consultado en Wikimedia Commons. Publicado nuevamente aquí bajo una licencia creative commons.

Latino no siempre significa Mexicano • 216 Views

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This flag map of Latin America representing each nation by its flag reveals the diversity of cultures present in the region. Illustration by Presjuri. Accessed on Wikimedia Commons. Reposted here under a creative commons license.

Latino doesn’t always mean Mexican • 212 Views

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Stereotypical Barbie played by actress Margot Robbie looks at herself in a toy "mirror". The fact that there was no reflection is one of the ways director Greta Gerwig used the aspects of the toys in the film. Warner Bros. image reposted here under the doctrine of fair use.

Barbie movie exceeds its high expectations • 210 Views

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At the Texas Tribune Festival this September, three Deans of journalism schools in universities around the U.S. sat down to discuss how their schools are addressing current issues in journalism, and how they are training future journalists. Rachel Davis Mersey serves as Interim Provost at the University of Texas at Austin and Chair of the School of Journalism and Media and is an expert on the influence of digital media on community-building and understanding the information needs of different audiences. Graciela Mochkofsky is Dean of the City University of New York’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a contributing writer for The New Yorker, authoring seven nonfiction books. Jelani Cobb is Dean of the Columbia Journalism School, a staff writer at The New Yorker and received a Peabody Award for his 2020 PBS “Frontline” film “Whose Vote Counts?” In their discussion, Mersey, Mochkofsky and Cobb focused on three salient issues in journalism: the safety of student journalists, the role of social media in journalism and the relevance of journalism in today’s society. Video by Mira Patel.
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