MacJ ties for second in NSPA Clips and Clicks contest
In the first-ever, first-semester nationwide individual entry contest, Knight, Shield staffers combine to win seven awards for excellence in writing, photography, design
Senior Blue Brigade co-captain Matthew Vargas leaps during the Dec. 11 halftime show, a field pom dance to “Edge of Glory.” The game turned out to be the end of the Knights’ season, and the last time the Blue Brigade seniors would perform at halftime of a high school football game. “I was really excited and optimistic,” Vargas said of his feelings before Friday’s game. “The sunset was so pretty and it just set the mood and I was happy.” By halftime, the Knights’ trailed by 21 points and the future looked bleak for the season, but Blue Brigade was still excited for its performance. “I knew it would be the last performance, so I just wanted to give it my all, and honestly I have never felt so happy during a performance. Hitting that ending pose gave me the chills, and I had such a big smile under my mask.”
MacJ tied for second with Carlmont High School (Belmont, Calif.) and trails only Christopher Columbus High School (Miami) in the nationwide competition, which elicited 483 fall semester submissions from the nation’s top journalism programs.
MacJournalism earned 55 points because it won seven individual awards: three second-place, one third-place, two fourth-place and one fifth-place.
After 14 years of teaching, 12 in Austin ISD and less than two at Mac, Cassandra Troy (shown here in 2019) is leaving Mac and Texas to move to Colorado, citing health concerns over COVID and the district’s response to it. (Angus Sewell McCann)
Senior Caleb Melville won a second-place photojournalism award in the feature category for a photo entitled, “Masked super hero,” which captured senior Matthew Vargas at the height of his leap during the Dec. 11 Blue Brigade show at halftime of the Knights’ playoff game against Georgetown East View.
Senior Blue Brigade co-captain Matthew Vargas leaps during the Dec. 11 halftime show, a field pom dance to “Edge of Glory.” The game turned out to be the end of the Knights’ season, and the last time the Blue Brigade seniors would perform at halftime of a high school football game. “I was really excited and optimistic,” Vargas said of his feelings before Friday’s game. “The sunset was so pretty and it just set the mood and I was happy.” By halftime, the Knights’ trailed by 21 points and the future looked bleak for the season, but Blue Brigade was still excited for its performance. “I knew it would be the last performance, so I just wanted to give it my all, and honestly I have never felt so happy during a performance. Hitting that ending pose gave me the chills, and I had such a big smile under my mask.” (Caleb Melville)
Junior Kennedy Weatherby also earned a second-place photojournalism award. She won in the sports category for a photo entitled, “Soaring higher than the Highlanders,” which captured another leaper, senior Rob Wade, driving to the basket for a shot attempt during the boys varsity victory over St. Andrew’s on Dec. 11.
SOARING HIGHER THAN THE HIGHLANDERS: Senior captain Rob Wade shields a St. Andrew’s defender with his body to create space for a left-handed shot attempt during the Knights’ 59-51 home victory over the Highlanders on Friday night. Wade led the Knights to victory with 22 points. The Highlanders brought their A game, but the Knights answered with the same high level of play. The home team went into halftime up by one, 26-25. In the second half, the Knights picked up speed and pulled ahead for an eight-point final margin of victory. “We fought well through adversity. St. Andrews never went away or quit and we did a good job of answering them both defensively and offensively.” Wade said. “We’re just going to continue to work hard and make each other better.” (Kennedy Weatherby)
Students from the LBJ Fire Academy work their way towards a propane fire on Oct. 3, using fire hoses to control the blaze. The purpose of the drill wasn’t to put out the fire, but to use the spray to get close enough to the propane tank to turn off its fuel source. Five McCallum seniors, John Hughes, Thomas Lucy, Tex Mitchell, Molly Odland and Will Russo, participated in the live fire skill day, where they put into practice what they’ve learned during the two year student-sharing program at LBJ High School. “Being in the live fire gave me really intense adrenaline,” senior Molly Odland said. “I was the head of my group, meaning I was in charge of directing the hose line at the fire while my group supported me from behind.” Senior Will Russo, who also had the chance to lead the group, said that the drill felt like being in a hot car. “It wasn’t all that scary since you were with a bunch of people, but it was kind of intimidating because there was nothing in between you and the fire but water,” Russo said, before adding that “the propane smelled kind of like pumpkin spice.” The next live fire the students will tackle will be a class A structure fire later in the month, before beginning EMT certification training in the spring. (Bella Russo)
Russo, Shield co-editor in chief, won a fourth-place photojournalism award of her own in the sport category for “Gella, Yes!” an image of freshman middle hitter Gella Andrew spiking the ball past two Pflugerville Connally blockers during the Knights’ playoff match against the Cougars on Nov. 20.
GELLA, YES! Freshman middle hitter Gella Andrew spikes the ball into the Cougar block for one of her six kills during the second set of the Knights’ 3-1 bi-district playoff loss on Friday night. The Knights lost the set, 25-23, in heart-breaking fashion to fall behind, 2-0. The Knights rebounded to win the third set, 25-17, before losing the fourth set, 25-20, and the match, 3-1. Andrew was solid in the middle in the final game of her breakout freshman season. Her kill percentage was a team best 37.5 percent, and she had one of the Knights’ four solo blocks for the match. (Bella Russo)
Athletic teams such as the football team shown here are following safety protocols such as wearing facial masks and practicing social distancing during weight training and team exercises, but sports, especially football, volleyball and basketball, require contact and close proximity between athletes, which increases risk of exposure to COVID-19. (Caleb Melville)
THE LAST ENCHILADA: As pins knock to the polished wood floor and the cafe kitchen bustles with business, the cafe line beside the arcade games grows longer and longer. Although the wait for food was long, the legacy of this old school bowling alley will surely be longer. (Madelynn Niles)
The sweepstakes competition is essentially at halftime as there will be a second competition round of spring-semester entries to determine the national sweepstakes winner.
Points were awarded on a sliding scale. A first-place winner earned 10 points, a second-place winner, nine; a third-place winner, eight; a fourth-place, seven; and a fifth-place, six. Honorable mention winners earned five points.
Christopher Columbus HS must have one heck of a broadcast program. It compiled all 79 points in the broadcast categories, including a perfect sweep of first, second and third in the commentary category.
