The sights, sounds and celebrations of Taco Shack 2021

Morgan Eye, staff reporter|September 15, 2021

First-year Shield staffer Morgan Eye takes us back to the sights, sounds and celebrations that make up 2021 Taco Shack.

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FROM PLAYGROUNDS TO PLAYWRIGHTS: In room 103, one can find a bustling classroom of students lively chatting and working. The new English teacher, Abigail Pfeiffer, said she feels quite at home here.

“I love the students here,” Pfeiffer said. “It’s been such a pleasure to teach them.”

This is Pfeiffer’s second year of teaching. Her previous teaching experience was for a fourth grade classroom. Some might say fourth grade to 10th is a huge jump, but Pfeifer has been facing it with great enthusiasm. She majored in English in college and finds that a high school setting gives her more room to explore her passion.

“There’s much more freedom when teaching high schoolers,” Pfeifer said. “I really get to put my skills to work.”

Pfeiffer was drawn to McCallum because of its commitment to Fine Arts and its welcoming community. So far, her experience at Mac has not let her down.

“It’s clear how passionate students are, and it’s very inspiring to see,” Pfeiffer said.

Ultimately, Pfeiffer’s hope for this year is for her students to feel accomplished and for her to feel as if she taught them something worthwhile.

Caption by Zanna Allen.

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ONE LAST BATTLE CRY: Senior Valeria Villafuerte-Perez celebrates with her friends after the senior class won the spirit competition. At each pep rally, a different game is played with volunteers from the crowd. Villafuerte-Perez was nominated by her friends to play a game in which the goal was to snatch a pom-pom from an opponent.

“Before school started, my friends and I had talked about going all out for senior year, so I told them to nominate me for a game since it was our last [Shoal Creek Showdown] pep rally,” Villafuerte-Perez said. “I wasn’t really scared to go down to the floor in front of the whole school, all I was focused on was getting the crowd hyped for the game.”

Villafuerte-Perez entered the game determined to win. After several rounds, as there were just two people left, she managed to snatch the last pom just in time, in order to secure a victory for the senior class.

“I was really happy I won the game for the class of 2026,” Villafuerte-Perez said. “Honestly, I just wanted to win because seniors rule.”

As this was her first pep rally as a senior, the event carried extra meaning to Villafuerte-Perez.

“Being in the stands as a senior feels very surreal,” Villafuerte-Perez said. “I still remember my first pep rally, and now I’m a senior having my last pep rally, I think in that moment it really set in that I’m a senior, and that I’m going to graduate soon.”

Caption by Sophia Manos. Photo by Julia Copas.

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GRAND REVEAL: Sophomore Cruz Gonzales performs alongside the other baritone saxophone players during Bandapalooza on Aug 22. Bandapalooza allowed the band to perform what they’ve been practicing during the summer to an audience full of friends and family.

While this wasn’t the band’s first full run through, it was their first in front of an audience.

“I feel like we’ve done better in rehearsals, and due to the pressure and other things, it hindered our performance a little bit, but I was still proud,” Gonzales said.

One thing that Gonzales pointed out that the band needs to work on in the future is making sure everybody knows exactly where they’re supposed to be and knows the repetition.

This performance also allowed the band to introduce their new theme of Gothic Renaissance to their audience.

“This year’s costumes are totally different,” Gonzales said. “We have hip capes and shako hats, which is a big change from last year.”

Looking towards the future and big pictures, Gonzales wants the band to have a successful season and make state.

“Considering how close it was last year, we were pretty bummed,” he said. “So this year, I think everybody is really trying to work harder to get there and make state again.”

Caption by Maya Tackett. Photo by Wren Vanderford.

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Cielito • Sep 16, 2021 at 10:29 am

Great job! What a great game and great memories. Thank you for this.

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The sights, sounds and celebrations of Taco Shack 2021