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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
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From the 15th to the 15th, nothing but food, festivities, fun, family, fellowship

Students of Color Alliance, Ballet Folklórico bring awareness, entertainment during Hispanic Heritage Month
Noah Braun, Carlo Hinsdale, Evelyn Jenkins, Sophia Manos, Maggie Mass, Tallulah McAuliffe, Piper Norfolk, Sofia Saucedo, Priya Thoppil, and Camilla Vandegrift • October 22, 2024
Andy Baxa
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 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 tasting contest run by the Students of Color Alliance on Sept. 27 during lunch where students could enter salsa in the contest to be tasted by fellow students. The Students of Color Alliance also held a lunch and learn on Oct. 1 with some of McCallum’s Latinx students to discuss both the intracultural and intercultural issues they face at McCallum and in the world generally. On Oct. 11, Ballet Folklórico performed traditional Mexican regional dances in the cafeteria for students and faculty. In addition, Ballet Folklórico visited the AISD Performing Arts Center on Oct. 12 for the Hispanic Heritage Talent Show alongside freshman Sofía Moreno, who was a finalist in the event. The month culminated with Hispanic Heritage Treat Day on Oct. 15, which gave McCallum students exposure to snacks and candy from Hispanic countries.

We are proud to present our coverage of Hispanic Heritage Month for this week’s Tuesday Top 10.

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Piper Norfolk
A SECOND HOME: On Oct. 11 during lunch, the Ballet Folklórico dance troupe performed in the cafeteria, allowing students to watch them perform live, and learn about their cultures and traditions. This club has existed for 21 years and has continued to foster a sense of community and connect students through their passion for dance. Sophomore Natalee Ibarra (left) performed a duet from the region of Sinaloa, Mexico with her friend, sophomore Carley Castro-Seiler (right). “The dances we did were from different parts of Mexico, and the dance we performed was really fun, it has really good energy,” Ibarra said. “I think it’s important for people to understand culture, especially when we need more awareness of how history came to develop.” Ibarra said an upperclassman inspired her to join Ballet Folklórico. “I’m in 10th grade, I just started last year,” Ibarra said. “When I was a freshman, one of my friend’s senior sisters talked to me about Ballet Folklórico, and told me that if I liked to dance then this was a good option for me to pursue.” Even though this is only Ibarra’s second year in the club, It already feels like she has found a second home in Ballet Folklórico within the community at McCallum. “The community and environment is so fun, and I feel like everyone has their own welcoming vibe, everyone loves to interact with each other,” Ibarra said. Caption by Sophia Manos.
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