At the centennial Southern Interscholastic Press Association convention in Columbia, S.C. on March 3, SIPA officials announced that the Shield had won the Scroggins Award (Best of the South) as the association’s top print newspaper for the third year in a row. Counting the Shield’s Scroggins Award win for its online newspaper in 2021, and the Shield has a four-year streak of being named the single best SIPA publication in one of the association’s awarded categories.
SIPA also announced the winners of its 2024 Best Visuals competition. The Shield newspaper staff and contributing digital media students combined to win 57 awards across seven categories: advertising (2), art/graphic/illustration (4), broadcast (2), newsmagazine (17), online (16), photography (10) and social media (6).
To celebrate our success, we’d like to present our photo winners (although some we are not sure about) as this week’s special Spring Break edition Tuesday Top 10.
2024 SIPA Spring Convention Awards
Announced Sunday, March 3 at the SIPA Spring Convention.
FRIENDLY FIRE FOR A GOOD CAUSE: Senior Peer Assistance and Leadership program member Jude Masoni holds up his fellow PAL, senior David Herring, as a human shield to protect himself from the path of an incoming water balloon. Students paid $1 to throw a balloon at the PALS on Tuesday as part of the shooting PAL-ery, one of the Pink Week fundraisers intended to raise money for the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Central Texas, an Austin-based non-profit that provides personalized support to those affected by breast cancer. Year after year the PALS put on Pink Week in order to raise funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. The PALS put on a variety of different events the whole week at lunch in hopes of both bringing in profits and bringing an exciting week of fun to the McCallum community. Herring was made a target of the water balloon by his cross-country teammates. “I enjoyed seeing my teammates coming out to donate as I was telling them about it the week prior,” Herring said. “I was also just having fun on that nice day with my fellow PALS. Some of them that did the PAL-lery that day, like Jude, I’ve known since elementary school.” Photo by Beatrix Lozach.
BUFFALO SOLDIERS: As part of a quintet of reenacting Buffalo Soldiers, two men sit on their truck taking in sights from the Central Texas Juneteenth parade while the other three reenactors observe from the sidewalk. The Buffalo Soldiers were regiments of African-American men who served in the western frontier with distinction following the American Civil War. Caption and photo by Naomi Di-Capua.
KNIGHTS 3, HIGHLANDERS 0: The varsity volleyball team beat the St. Andrews Highlanders 3-0 on Tuesday Aug. 22 in its last preseason tune-up match before district play started this Tuesday. The Knights won the first set, 25-18. The Highlanders edged closer in the second set but the Knights prevailed in overtime, 26-24. The third set played out similarly as the teams battled evenly until the Knights made the key plays to win the set, 26-24, and the match in straight sets. The Knights performed well by finding open spots, getting extra points and finding a balance as a team. “I was happy with our performance because there was a big crowd for St. Andrews, and we didn’t let them get to us,” sophomore E’Mirrah Harris said. “We kept pushing points and we stayed together as a team.” As the season continues the Knights are looking forward to developing as a team and hopefully winning district. The Knights got off to a good start toward that goal with a district-opening win at Northeast on Tuesday. Our coverage of that match is coming to this feed soon. “I’m looking forward to winning district and hopefully going to bi-district,” Harris said. “I’m also looking forward to growing as a team.” (Josie Linton)
END THE SIEGE OF GAZA: Protesters participate in a pro-Palestine rally in downtown Austin on Oct. 15 just a week and a day after the militant group Hamas launched a terrorist attack on Israel. In the week following the attack and prior to the rally, Israel conducted Operation Phoenix, in which Israeli forces deluged the Gaza Strip with 6,000 bombs in six days, depriving the Gaza region of accessible, clean water and resulting in the deaths of 4,600 Gazans. The attacks that first week also left 14,200 injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Photo by Beatrix Lozach.STANDING WITH ISRAEL: Protesters participate in a pro-Isreal rally in downtown Austin on Oct 15, just eight days after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched 5,000 rockets into Israeli territory. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, stating it was retaliation for generations of Palestinian subjugation under Israel. Photo by Beatrix Lozach.
RAIN ON THEIR PARADE: The afternoon of the seventh day of school was sharply interrupted as the hate group known as ‘Official Street Preachers’ gathered on the sidewalk just inches off of school property and shouted anti-trans and anti-abortion rhetoric towards the students getting out of school. Trying to keep the students away from hearing the hate speech, school resource officers formed a human barricade around the agitators. Photo by Julia Copas.
A DUEL AT DUSK: After receiving a pass from a teammate, freshman defender Maya Garwood tries to bring the ball under control about 30 yards from the Nederland goal. Garwood told MacJ afterward that she felt she was fouled on the play. The Knights defeated the Bulldogs, 4-1, thanks to four goals scored by Garwood’s teammate, senior Sarah Hauck. “The team we played was aggressive, so it was a good win,” Garwood said. “We worked well to get the ball forward and communicated.” The win was part of the Knights’ participation in the Blue Bell tournament in Brenham in early January. The Knights lost their other two games in the tournament, which was more about preparation for the district season than worrying about the scoreboard. “It was an adjustment,” Garwood said of the tournament. “We hadn’t practiced a lot before [the tournament] and didn’t know everyone well, but it definitely made us better.” (Julia Copas)EYES ON THE PRIZE: Every Knight in this image, the ones on the court, the ones on the bench and even Coach Brodbeck in the far left corner all stare intently at the ball with laser focus as a Cedar Creek middle blocker turns and tips the ball just over the net to the Knights’ side of the court during the fourth and final set of the Knights’ 3-1 bi-district playoff win at Cedar Creek on Oct. 30. “It was a really close game, and we were kind of going point for point,” sophomore setter Lexi Rosenblatt said. “Cedar Creek’s blocking had been strong so we were all trying to cover really well.” Neither Rosenblatt or middle hitter Greta Carlson could remember for sure who won this point, but Rosenblatt said it probably was a point for the Knights: “I’d like to think we won on a kill to end a long rally.” We would like that too as it would make the photo even more epic, but what we can say for sure is that it was late in a match that the Knights would win to advance to the area playoffs. The Knights played poorly in dropping the first set but rallied from there. “We woke up,” Rosenblatt said. “It was such a fun competitive game. Everyone was going 100 percent the whole time, and I remember Greta being just unstoppable that match. It was such a great feeling to get that [bi-district] title for the second year in a row after working so hard the whole season.” It was doubly satisfying for Rosenblatt who missed the end of her freshman season due to injury and watched her team finish an undefeated district season and advance in the playoff from the bench. “It was an unfortunate end to my freshman season,” Rosenblatt said, “but I do think that made winning it again this year all the more special, especially getting to be a leader on this team this year.” (Julia Copas)Sports reaction
A QUEEN AND HER COURT: After executing a textbook 10-foot line overpass kill to make the score 20-17 in the fourth and final set of the Knights’ 3-1 win over host Cedar Creek in the bi-district round of the 5A state playoffs, junior hitter Greta Carlson unleashes a scream as her teammates around her leap to the rafters in celebration. “I was feeling really happy and confident in that moment because I knew we were about to be bi-district champions,” Carlson said. Carlson played one of the best games of her Knight career in the Oct. 30 playoff match. Teammate Lexi Rosenblatt called her “unstoppable,” and she set a career-high for kills in a match with 25. If you are wondering what a 10-foot line overpass kills is, don’t feel too bad. We wondered too. An overpass is when a player spikes the ball on the first touch after the other team plays the ball over the net. A 10-foot line kill is when the kill lands inside her opponents’ 10-foot line. You have to sky pretty high to do it because you are basically hitting the ball directly down just beyond the net. It’s like the volleyball version of a slam dunk and Carlson and her teammates acted accordingly. Getting tantalizing close to the team’s second straight bi-district title might also have had something to do with the jubilant celebration. (Julia Copas)A WIN FOR THE BOOKS: By coming from one set down to defeat the Ann Richards Stars 3-1 on the road Tuesday night, the varsity volleyball team finished the 2023 District 24-5A season as repeat sole district champions. For sophomore Lexi Rosenblatt, the win was a shining moment for the team, one that she will always remember. “I was just immensely proud of everyone,” Rosenblatt said. “It was such a hard-earned win.” Receiving the district trophy and knowing it was coming home with the team made the win surreal. “It’s a great feeling to be handed that trophy two years in a row knowing that we worked so hard,” Rosenblatt said. While the Knights ultimately came away with the win, losing the first set provided the team with an opportunity to regroup and improve its strategy. “We overcame a lot of personal errors,” Rosenblatt said. “Slowly throughout the game, we started giving them fewer points and being more intentional with our playing.” While the regular season has come to an end for the Knights, Rosenblatt looks forward to the playoffs and beyond. “I look forward to continuing to improve the program and having fun and being competitive,” Rosenblatt said. “Our strategy helps us be efficient and intentional with our wins, whether we play competitive teams or less competitive teams.” The Knight extended their season this evening with another 3-1 road win after a first set loss, this time at Cedar Creek High School. The face Brenham in the area playoffs site and date to be determined. (Julia Copas)ROLES REVERSED: Late in the second half of a 61-34 home win over Crockett on Jan. 2, the Knight bench and coaching staff cheers with abandon because reserve player Carter Chick converted an offensive rebound into a layup for his first points of the season. For starter Henry Mayes, No.10, cheering for Chick was a reversal of roles that he relished. “Carter is, in the best way, the loudest player on the bench and starts team chants every single time,” Mayes said. “He is without a doubt the best team player and genuinely always happy to be with the rest of the guys. His energy is very contagious on the court. I always feel a lot more confident when I can hear my teammates cheering for me, but Carter’s is definitely the voice you’ll hear screaming from the bench.” Mayes was quick to credit the coaching staff for creating a culture where the team plays with high energy and consistent effort. “The Knights have a great mentality to play until the final buzzer no matter what the scoreboard reads,” Mayes said. The scoreboard has been a pretty good read for McCallum this season. The Knights remain undefeated in district play at 13-0 and need only to secure a win against 3-8 Northeast next Tuesday to complete a perfect district season and claim their first district title in 13 years. (Julia Copas)
MAJOR POM TO GROUND CONTROL: Blue Brigade wrapped up its annual Kiddie Clinic with a performance in the cafeteria on Friday July 28. Split into age groups from kindergarten to eighth grade, campers performed the choreography they learned from their Blue Brigade counselors throughout the week. According to junior lieutenant and former camper Smith Bohls, Kiddie Clinic allows kids of all ages to learn about drill teams, make new friends and learn fun dances. “Watching all of the kids do the dances they learned all week brings me so much happiness because they are all so excited and nervous,” Bohls said. “Their love for dancing is so energizing, and all of the kids look up to us and tell us how much they want to be like us in the future.” While Bohls said Kiddie Clinic was an exercise of patience, she found it rewarding to watch campers fall in love with dancing and make new friends. “The best part of Kiddie Clinic is watching the kids love the dances and tell you that they practiced at home the night before,” Bohls said. “It makes me happy when kids love to dance so much and are so excited to perform for all their parents.” Blue Brigade finished the Friday show with its first performance of “Blue Gray” as the 2023-2024 team. Watching her campers perform with confidence and smiles, Bohls felt inspired to bring all of her energy into the “Blue Gray” performance. “I look forward to it every year and so do the kids,” Bohls said. “Watching them look up to us gives me the motivation to do better on the team.” Caption and photo by Ingrid Smith.
First place – JoJo Barnard, Julia Copas, Gaby Esquivel, Shila Gill, Evelyn Jenkins, Chloe Lewcock, Helen Martin, Maggie Mass, Caroline Owen, Alice Scott, and Lanie Sepehri, “Battle of the Bands offers mosh to be proud of”
Second place – JoJo Barnard, Shila Gill, Evelyn Jenkins, Chloe Lewcock, Beatrix Lozach, Josie Mullan, and Alice Scott, “Mac celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month”
Third place – JoJo Barnard, Morgan Eye, August Gleason, Evelyn Jenkins, Chloe Lewcock, Helen Martin, Sofia Saucedo, Chloe Seckar-Martinez, Maya Tackett, Priya Thoppil, and Camilla Vandegrift, “Win, lose or draw (actually all three)”
![HIGH KICKS, HIGH SPIRITS: On Friday, Oct. 18, McCallum culminated a festive spirit week with the homecoming pep rally. During the pep rally, the class winner of the hallway decorating contest was announced as well as the usual spirit stick award.
Sophomore and Blue Brigade member, Peyton Robenhorst noted how festive the student section was.
"It felt good to perform for the homecoming game," Robenhorst said. "I knew a lot of people were going to [cheer for us]."](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/homecoming-blue-brigade-pep-rally-1200x675.jpg)
![APPRECIATING TRADITION: For senior Kai Talebi’s last teacher appreciation volleyball game on Friday night, she stuck with tradition, and chose to ask English teacher Amy Smith to walk the court with her before the game.
“I took her last year too, so it’s kind of like tradition,” Talebi said. “Now I was like, ‘Of course I have to take her.’”
Talebi is happy to have had Smith twice in the past four years, first for her sophomore year and again this year. Noting that Smith was an integral part of her high school experience, Talebi said the English teacher had a very positive impact on her.
“Senior year, it’s been really fun to have her as a teacher again because I already know her super well, and we have a good relationship,” Talebi said.
Having a teacher twice is not very common, but for Talebi, it was a blessing in disguise.
“Sophomore year she definitely helped me get out of my shell a lot, and encouraged me a lot throughout the year,” Talebi said.
The pair have been close ever since the first class Talebi had with Smith, Advanced English 2. Talebi is also a tutor in the Writing Center, so they see each other very often.
“She [Smith] is the sweetest,” Talebi said. “And we have definitely grown closer because of me being her student multiple times.”
Caption by Priya Thoppil](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/54014867104_a0b4958cb6_o-1200x733.jpg)
![READY FOR THE CHALLENGE: Junior defensive end Nehemiah Trejo listens intently to head coach Thomas Gammerdinger's instructions for the team's next offensive possession against Anderson. Trejo praised the coaching staff for its work leading up to game.
“Our coaches did an excellent job preparing us for this game,” Trejo said. “They spent a lot of time game planning and reviewing our strategies. We saw many of the things we expected, and we came into the game focused and ready to give it our all.”
Trejo praised Coach Gammerdinger for his role in adapting during the game.
“Coach G was great at addressing what was working for us, correcting mistakes and improving communication,” Trejo said. “He reminded us that our defense had the capability to hold them back and make crucial stops.”
As for the game’s outcome, Trejo noted it was an intense fight but did not come as a surprise.
“It went exactly as we anticipated,” Trejo said. “Anderson came out with a strong offense, and it turned into a shootout between who could score more and who could get the most stops. We showed in the third quarter that we weren’t giving up and fought hard throughout [the game].”
Caption by Tristen Diaz.](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/53969271626_31e4eaaa3f_o-1200x800.jpg)
