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

Alysa Bijl-Spiro

All content by Alysa Bijl-Spiro
Co-editors in chief Alysa Bijl-Spiro and Madelynn Niles hit the hallways to distribute the April 2022 edition of the Shield, their penultimate edition as editors.

Alysa Bijl-Spiro: NSPA Writer of the Year Portfolio

Alysa Bijl-Spiro, co-editor in chief
June 23, 2022
Lucas shares that they find it more difficult to be on stage as a musician as opposed to a thespian because they are sharing their own story. The worst fear of all, Lucas admits, is being fake in any way in their music.

Jessie Lucas stays true to themself through their lyrics

Alysa Bijl-Spiro, Evelyn Griffin, Theo Roe, and Francie Wilhelm
April 4, 2022
Sabine Collins victoriously high fives an enthusiastic crowd at the 2018 Special Olympics.

Looks like chocolate, tastes like gold

Alysa Bijl-Spiro and Lucy Marco
April 2, 2022
President Biden's policies have been more of a continuation of existing policies than a departure. His State of the Union address comments about policing are the clearest indication yet that he won't fight for the agenda of the progressives who voted for him.

The lighter of two evils

Alysa Bijl-Spiro, co-editor in chief
March 27, 2022
English teacher Daniel Mayers places his hand over his heart to thank the crowd for making him feel special and appreciated. He said that much of his concert experience was a blur. “I thought, 'Wow this is really happening,' and then my wife showed up, which was weird but also really cool.” When asked to identify a memorable moment, Myers pointed to Z Campbell’s viola solo to close the show. “The kids were all watching Z, the way they held Z up was amazing. It was really cool that I wasn’t the focus the whole time,” Myers said. “The focus was on them and on the music and on each other.”

Students stage benefit concert to honor Myers’ impact

Alysa Bijl-Spiro, Lucy Marco, Xel-Ha Montejano, Madelynn Niles, and Grace Vitale
March 22, 2022
GEOMETRIC GLAM: Sophomore Lucy Praxmarer-Holloway poses on the fashion show runway in an outfit of her own design. Inspired by the techno beat of 17 Going Under by Sam Fender, the album that played as she and sophomore model Chloe Marco showed off the designs, first-time designer Praxmarer-Holloway’s collection explores geometric shapes and the feelings they evoke. “I felt pretty nervous at first, but when I was on stage I felt confident and proud of what I had accomplished,” Praxmarer-Holloway said. “When my model walked in my design it was amazing to see the idea in my head come together.” According to Praxmarer-Holloway, the design modeled by Marco used triangles, the strongest shape, to convey power. The design Praxmarer-Holloway chose to model herself incorporated cardboard panels to allow rectangular pieces to shoot out from the skirt, her favorite detail from the collection. “I would love to do it again because I got to meet a bunch of amazing people and also just see different styles of fashion which was very inspiring,” Praxmarer-Holloway said. Caption by Ingrid Smith.

Lines from a favorite song

Kiki Baker, Alysa Bijl-Spiro, Evelyn Griffin, Lucy Marco, Madelynn Niles, Charlie Partheymuller, Samantha Powers, Alice Scott, Lanie Sepehri, and Ingrid Smith
March 8, 2022
Lucas has to admit they're getting better all the time

Lucas has to admit they’re getting better all the time

Francie Wilhelm, Theo Roe, Alysa Bijl-Spiro, and Evelyn Griffin
March 5, 2022
CORE MEMORY: Following senior Ocean Reilley’s performance of an impromptu Irish drinking song, he and senior Eden Goodman embrace. “I was overwhelmed with happiness,” Goodman said. “It was like, ‘Core memory: unlocked.’” Photo by Madelynn Niles. Reporting by Alysa Spiro.

Coffee and cupid

Alysa Bijl-Spiro, Amaya Collier, Logan Davis, Morgan Eye, Cassidy Levin, Caroline Owens, Samantha Powers, Alice Scott, Lanie Sepehri, Francie Wilhelm, and Madelynn Niles
February 15, 2022
Robin Kulhanek's most recent release, “Siren,” was inspired by a toxic friendship: “The only way they could get me to stay friends with them was by talking and talking and making me believe.”

For Kulhanek, music a way to cope and to connect

Cassidy Levin, Theo Roe, Evelyn Griffin, and Alysa Bijl-Spiro
February 4, 2022
Dancers in the Pre-Professional dance class perform the piece "SHEEN," choreographed by Mac and Texas Christian University dance alumnus Terrance L. Carson, Jr., during the winter dance concert on Friday at the AISD Performing Arts Center. The McCallum dance  directors brought in professional dancers to teach the choreography to the majors and the result was a beautifully crafted performance. “The show went amazingly well, especially because of the challenges of the current COVID situation,” said McCallum’s dance director Natalie Uehara. “The dancers overcame many obstacles and together with the technical staff of the AISD PAC, put on a beautiful performance.” Caption by Grace Vitale.

This time the ‘Breaking’ news is good news

Alysa Bijl-Spiro, Naomi Di-Capua, Julia Husted, Cassidy Levin, Sophie Leung-Lieu, Lucy Marco, Madelynn Niles, Grace Nugent, Samantha Powers, Alice Scott, and Grace Vitale
January 11, 2022
Hundreds of students walked out of their third-period classes on Monday Nov. 15 in a show of support for students who have been victims of sexual abuse or sexual assault. The group met in the band parking lot and then marched around the perimeter of the school, stopping often to hear personal stories of assault and survival. Each story elicited embraces and statements of support from members of the crowd.

The year in review in photos

Alysa Bijl-Spiro, Morgan Eye, Evelyn Griffin, Meredith Grotevant, Anna McClellan, Madelynn Niles, Grace Nugent, Lindsey Plotkin, Lexi Ramos, Bella Russo, Elisha Scott, Kennedy Weatherby, Francie Wilhelm, and Dave Winter
December 28, 2021

Coffeehouse enjoys triumphant return to Mac campus

Evie Barnard, Alysa Bijl-Spiro, Amaya Collier, Carter Eason, Evelyn Griffin, Cassidy Levin, Madelynn Niles, Caroline Owen, Samantha Powers, Sofia Ramon, Alice Scott, and Grace Vitale
November 9, 2021
Section 4 of Senate Bill 3 requires that teachers explore all viewpoints and perspectives equally and give no preference to one particular viewpoint. Under this new requirement, student murals depicting certain social movements in a strictly positive light, such as those facing Sunshine Drive that appear on the brick wall across from the outdoor stage, could be considered unlawful. Photo by Alysa Spiro.

[Photo] ‘Critical race theory’ bill spurs discussion, criticism

Alysa Spiro and Amaya Collier
October 9, 2021
A crowded scene from Austin City Limits in 2019. This year's ACL will most likely look different. Senior Lila Plummer is relieved that mask and vaccine mandates are in place. "I got [the tickets] before, but I had the idea that it wasn’t 100% that I would be able to go, especially with the Delta cases being so bad right when I bought them,” Plummer said. “But now with the precautions and cases seeming to get a little bit better, I do feel more comfortable and happy about that, because I worried I was gonna have to sell them.”

The limits of Austin City Limits

Julian Magee, Caroline Owen, and Alysa Bijl-Spiro
October 1, 2021
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[Photo] They can be heroes … or villains

Anna Bausman, Alysa Spiro, Madelynn Niles, and Kennedy Weatherby
November 19, 2019
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Alysa Bijl-Spiro