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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

Ridgetop Elementary School first-grader Sebastian Celio sits outside the George Washington Carver branch of the Austin Public Library where his mother cast her early vote in the 2024 Travis County election.
Voters approve Austin ISD’s Prop A
Priya Thoppil, news editor • November 18, 2024
For Margaret Dismukes Massad, the owner of Peter Pan Mini Golf and a McCallum graduate, the importance of Peter Pan Mini Golf goes beyond saving the business. As a child, some of her happiest memories are of observing her father, Glenn Dismukes, create the sculptures that still stand today at Peter Pan Mini-Golf in her backyard. “My favorite memories are just of my dad carving the figures,” Massad said. “We were the only kids with a dinosaur in the backyard.”
Keep Austin putting!
November 13, 2024
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
October 26, 2024
Students wait in long lines during lunch on Oct. 18. Photos by Carlo Hinsdale.
A recipe for student stress
Carlo Hinsdale, staff reporter • November 15, 2024

After four hours of hard work, McCallum students are rewarded with 40 or so minutes of free time to eat and relax. But those who buy school lunches don’t get this luxury,...

A 'Brat' election
A ‘Brat’ election
October 25, 2024
Senior Avi Zeifman flies during Taco Shack pep rally on Aug. 29.
Final year of cheer
Carson Duncan, staff reporter • November 20, 2024

As the year begins, seniors Mary Mae Forsyth and Avi Zeifman have to start their goodbyes, one of the hardest being to Cheer. From football games to hours on end of practice,...

Senior captain Greta Carlson celebrates point with her team after scoring a kill against the LASA Raptors on Oct. 11.
Raptors down, Knights up
November 14, 2024
Fleischer (No. 80) huddles up with his teammates as they took on Pflugerville at Pflugerville High School on Oct. 12.
From Germany to game day
October 29, 2024
In modern telecommunications, the use of satellites to bounce signals to receiving dishes all over the world is an inexpensive way to send sion signals over a great distance.
What’s a satellite?
Mike Wilhite, staff reporter • November 14, 2024

A mere two years ago, if anyone on the street was asked what a satellite dish was, he would probably stare blankly or lie that it was some sort of Chinese food. But in actuality,...

Jeffrey Rudy plays at fall choir concert, “Of Earth and Sky,” in October 2023. Photo and caption by Riley Pita.
‘He just wants what’s best for us’ 
Riley Pita, staff reporter • November 17, 2024

For Jeffrey Rudy, each day of teaching or coaching is a new surprise. He has been teaching for 41 years, 21 of which have been dedicated to McCallum. Being an AP teacher,...

Director Nathan Thompson conducts the McCallum choir program at last year’s Masterworks concert. The masterworks concert this year on Dec. 12 will feature Kreek’s Requiem in C minor performed by the chamber orchestra, whole choir program, and brass band. Thompson recalls that last year, his favorite part was bringing all the elements together. “Last year, that standing ovation that everyone got after afterwards, and the silence that we were able to hold in the concert hall was a really, really cool moment, and it was one of the highlights of the year for me."
Making old traditions new
Riley Pita, staff reporter • November 19, 2024

Over the lats year, new choir director Nathan Thompson has resurrected the tradition of Masterworks. The Masterworks concert will feature the whole choir program, some band...

Sixth-period guitar class practices in its new studio in the Black Box Theater on Oct. 10.
New spaces, new sound
November 11, 2024
Junior Lili Escamilla performs at Bandapalooza on Aug. 25 (left) and with the Blue Brigade during the Pink Week pep rally on Oct. 10 (right).
High kicks and high notes
November 1, 2024
Kevin Abstract preforming his ACL set on Sunday during ACL's first weekend
ACL setlist disappoints
October 9, 2024
AN ABUNDANCE OF OPPORTUNITIES: Senior Harper Freach, a cello player in the chamber orchestra, plays the first movement of “Triptyque” by Yasushi Akutagawa, which they began practicing in August. Freach said she was nervous going into the concert, having recently focused on other pieces.

“I was feeling pretty nervous because we hadn't played it for a while because we had been focused on pieces for another concert, so everyone was a little rusty,” Freach said.

After the performances, the fine arts majors separated into smaller groups so that the audience could interact with whatever fine arts they were most interested in learning about. Freach’s younger sister is interested in the dance department, so they went into that group. 

“We went to the dance building and got to watch a bunch of different types of solos of all different dance types to show what you could audition with for your audition and got to talk to the dance teachers,” Freach said.

Freach said she had a very different experience with orchestra before high school.

“I went to a private school, and we had a very different way of playing, we would have to audition for actual seatings and chairs,” Freach said. “It's different because now you walk into orchestra, and you don't know what to expect. Pringle will either have you play for the class or play with a different section; it's just a very broad range, and you never know what you're going to get. I like it because it tests my abilities and tells me what I need to work on and sometimes shows that I can pick up on things faster than I thought I would be able to.”

Freach’s advice for any new Knights is to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible.

“Any opportunity that you are presented with you should take it,” Freach said. “I couldn't do that my freshman year because we were still pretty shut down due to COVID. I was scared to try other things besides orchestra, but I regret not involving myself in other areas at McCallum where I could have possibly found my passion.”

Caption by Shila Gill.
Inspiring aspiring artists
JoJo Barnard, Tristen Diaz, Daniela Di-Capua, Carson Duncan, Shila Gill, Delaney Lavelle, Josie Mullan, Riley Pita, Chloe Seckar-Martinez, Adele Seeboth, Priya Thoppil, and Fletcher Vandegrift November 19, 2024

McCallum hosted the Fine Arts Showcase on Nov. 7 in the MAC theater for prospective students and their parents to demonstrate the variety of interests and majors new students...

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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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