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
Fletcher Vandegrift

Fletcher Vandegrift, sports editor

Junior Fletcher Vandegrift is going into his second year on staff and first year as a sports editor. This year, Vandegrift looks forward to taking photos and writing stories for school sports. Outside of being an editor, Vandegrift plays football and ultimate frisbee, and spends his free time playing disc golf and the piano. He also works at Amy’s Ice Cream on Burnet. Vandegrift hopes to travel the world as a journalist in the future.

All content by Fletcher Vandegrift
Sophomore Lucinda McCollum performs during a group performance of "Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight" by ABBA on Sunday night's closing performance. Due to some pieces being mixed with other classes within the choir program, McCollum explained it was a challenge to find time to rehearse, but the show still ended up being a success. "We only had a few rehearsals where we learned choreo and practiced with the other choirs, but I feel like we had good energy and did well on stage," McCollum said. McCollum said one of the best parts of the show was the audience's reactions to the pieces. "It was really fun watching the audience’s reactions to some of the small groups and hanging out with my friends backstage," McCollum said. Caption by Carlo Hinsdale. Photo by Josie Mullan.

A throwback Saturday and Sunday

JoJo Barnard, Daniela Di-Capua, Carlo Hinsdale, Tallulah McAuliffe, Josie Mullan, Piper Norfolk, Riley Pita, Arwen Pelletier, Adele Seeboth, and Fletcher Vandegrift
May 6, 2025
ONE LAST TIME: Senior Zalie Mann and junior Ronan Henson dance at prom, the last McCallum dance both of them will ever attend. Despite not being a senior, Henson was able to attend with the invitation from his senior friend Gabrielle Rodriquez. Attending Zach Academy for theater next year, this is Henson’s last year at McCallum, and so in that sense, attending prom for him felt like a senior experience. Henson enjoyed how the night went, and felt that it was a big improvement from the prom he had attended at the same venue a week before. “I went to Bowie prom, and it was really boring,” he said. “This one was much more fun, everyone was dancing, and it had a much better vibe. I think the environment was super nice, like how it was set up with the lights and music, but everyone dancing and having a good time together made it really fun. We definitely utilized the space much better.” One thing Henson won’t forget about prom was getting to enjoy being around his senior friends for one of the last times and making memories with them. “Dancing and getting to reconnect with friends I've been making throughout the past three years in one spot was just amazing,” he said. “It felt like a super good ending to the year, and a nice sign off for sure.” Caption by Priya Thoppil.

Prom provides seniors a moment to savor, celebrate

Josie Linton, Beatrix Lozach, Sophia Manos, Sienna Martens, Josie Mullan, Riley Pita, Maya Tackett, Priya Thoppil, and Fletcher Vandegrift
May 1, 2025
While baseball is a family pasttime for McIntyre, he started playing football for its social benefits then fell in love with the sport.

For the love of the game

Fletcher Vandegrift, staff reporter
April 28, 2025
Quinceañeras Alexis Jimenez, Yami Salas, Sofia Arredondo, Valeria Barrientos, Sadie Mason and Evelyn Martinez Mercado pose for a photo outside the school. The image captures their grand entrance to their collective quinceañera. This Saturday, McCallum held the quinceañera in the cafeteria allowing students to partake in the traditional Hispanic coming of age celebration without the expenses associated. Señora Altamirano-Cancino and the Ballet Folklorico Club came together to organize the event and with help from the local community were able to cover all aspects of the celebration from the lowrider cars for the students to arrive in to the DJ and dresses and suits that students were able to rent out or have donated. Caption by Josie Mullan.

Agradecida por la oportunidad

Shila Gill, Lillian Gray, Evelyn Jenkins, Beatrix Lozach, Sophia Manos, Maggie Mass, Josie Mullan, Adele Seeboth, and Fletcher Vandegrift
April 9, 2025
Sophomore Paityn Jones sings "Lift Every Voice and Sing" for the Black History Month assembly on Feb. 10. Written in 1900 by James Weldon Johnson, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was originally a poem but became the official song of the NAACP in 1919 and became even more prominent during the Civil Rights Movement. In the wake of George Floyd's murder in 2020, the NFL made the song a fixture at its championship game. Caption by Wren Vanderford. Photo by Jasmine Aung.

Acknowledging and celebrating Black history, culture and expression

Daniela Di-Capua, Tegan Hahn, Beatrix Lozach, Josie Mullan, Piper Norfolk, Riley Pita, Callen Romell, Maya Tackett, Wren Vanderford, Fletcher Vandegrift, and Nate Williams
March 11, 2025

Touching down for college

Fletcher Vandegrift, staff reporter
February 20, 2025
THE FINAL SHOT: For senior Jaiden Booe Senior Knight was the single best moment of the entire district season. After nearly finishing undefeated the win against LASA, and the secured spot in the first round of UIL playoffs summed up Booe’s love for basketball all in one game. “[My favorite thing about playing] is making memories with the team because we are all about to graduate,” Booe said. “Just playing, having fun with the guys knowing it's the last home game at McCallum.” For Booe the pre-game ritual to the teams' basketball games was another highlight during his years on the team. “My favorite thing about playing is the pre-game shooting with my teammates in the back gym,” Booe said. “We practiced hard and made sure to have fun.” For Booe basketball ends in high school, however he plans on continuing his athletic endeavors at Kilgore College for football. Caption by Chloe Lewcock. Photo by Julia Copas

Senior Knights get royal sendoff

Shila Gill, Chloe Lewcock, Beatrix Lozach, Arwen Pelletier, Maya Tackett, Callen Romell, Fletcher Vandegrift, Nate Williams, and Josie Mullan
February 19, 2025
UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: Senior Sasha Grapko is highlighted on stage by a spotlight during the McCallum Youth Dance Company show this past Thursday and Friday at the AISD PAC. The company put in tireless efforts to make the show a reality with late rehearsals and all-day preparations at the PAC in the days leading up to the show. The show was unique with multiple ensembles performing throughout the night. Since the company consists of students ranging from their freshmen to senior years, the dances vary in complexity which created a balance throughout the program over the two days. Overall, the efforts of the dancers and choreographers paid off, and the show was a success. As Grapko is shining above, every McCallum dancer was able to highlight their commitment to the program with their performances. Caption by Arwen Petellier. Photo by Adele Seeboth

McCallum Youth Dance Company delivers ‘moving’ showcase

Daniela Di-Capua, Carson Duncan, Chloe Lewcock, Beatrix Lozach, Josie Mullan, Piper Norfolk, Arwen Pelletier, Callen Romell, Chloe Seckar-Martinez, Maya Tackett, Fletcher Vandegrift, and Nate Williams
January 29, 2025
OFF TO THE COUNTRY'S CAPITOL: Sophmore Fletcher Vandegrift visits the Washington Monument in DC. Over Thanksgiving break, Vandegrift travelled with his family to DC on the way to see his extended family in Charlottesville, exploring many of the nation's infamous monuments. Vandegrift said he enjoyed seeing all the famous national museums. "It was legendary," Vandegrift said. "We went to all three Smithsonian museums, we saw the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial. We didn't see the Jefferson Memorial although I wish I would have." However, Vandegrift's favorite part of the trip was visiting the Arlington Cemetery. "I saw the Tomb of the Undead Soldier and the JFK Memorial," Vandegrift said. Although this wasn't Vandegrift's first ever time in DC, it was his first time spending a lot of time touring the city. "I happened to be in Washington DC before but it was just for Vaughn's volleyball tournament," Vandegrift said. "It was my first time actually visiting to go see things." Caption by Josie Mullan

[Photo] All over for autumn

Noah Braun, Carlo Hinsdale, Delaney Lavelle, Beatrix Lozach, Chloe Lewcock, Riley Pita, Maya Tackett, Priya Thoppil, Nate Williams, and Josie Mullan
December 4, 2024
AN ABUNDANCE OF OPPORTUNITIES: Senior Harper Freach, a cello player in the chamber orchestra, plays the first movement of “Triptyque” by Yasushi Akutagawa, which they began practicing in August. Freach said she was nervous going into the concert, having recently focused on other pieces. “I was feeling pretty nervous because we hadn't played it for a while because we had been focused on pieces for another concert, so everyone was a little rusty,” Freach said. After the performances, the fine arts majors separated into smaller groups so that the audience could interact with whatever fine arts they were most interested in learning about. Freach’s younger sister is interested in the dance department, so they went into that group. “We went to the dance building and got to watch a bunch of different types of solos of all different dance types to show what you could audition with for your audition and got to talk to the dance teachers,” Freach said. Freach said she had a very different experience with orchestra before high school. “I went to a private school, and we had a very different way of playing, we would have to audition for actual seatings and chairs,” Freach said. “It's different because now you walk into orchestra, and you don't know what to expect. Pringle will either have you play for the class or play with a different section; it's just a very broad range, and you never know what you're going to get. I like it because it tests my abilities and tells me what I need to work on and sometimes shows that I can pick up on things faster than I thought I would be able to.” Freach’s advice for any new Knights is to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible. “Any opportunity that you are presented with you should take it,” Freach said. “I couldn't do that my freshman year because we were still pretty shut down due to COVID. I was scared to try other things besides orchestra, but I regret not involving myself in other areas at McCallum where I could have possibly found my passion.” Caption by Shila Gill.

Inspiring aspiring artists

JoJo Barnard, Tristen Diaz, Daniela Di-Capua, Carson Duncan, Shila Gill, Delaney Lavelle, Josie Mullan, Riley Pita, Chloe Seckar-Martinez, Adele Seeboth, Priya Thoppil, and Fletcher Vandegrift
November 19, 2024
Fleischer (No. 80) huddles up with his teammates as they took on Pflugerville at Pflugerville High School on Oct. 12.

[Photo] From Germany to game day

Josie Mullan, co-web managing editor
October 29, 2024
Setting a new Pink Week precedent, puppies were introduced into the Pink Week festivities this year. Two 6-week-old puppies-Mae and Millie were brought from Austin Pets Alive, and students, including Mariana Silva shown here, were able to pay to cuddle and play with the puppies. The event turned out to be extremely popular at McCallum with a huge line twisting around the courtyard, and the PALS program reported that just on Tuesday alone, the group raised $700 dollars for the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Texas. Not only did the puppies help to raise money for the BCRC, but the event also served as an adoption event for Austin Pets Alive, as students and their families were given the puppies' information about how to adopt puppies in the future. Caption by Josie Mullan.

PALS work to fight breast cancer, bring campus together

JoJo Barnard, Daniela Di-Capua, Carson Duncan, Josie Mullan, Elizabeth Nation, Chloe Seckar-Martinez, Adele Seeboth, and Fletcher Vandegrift
October 15, 2024
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. Photo by TC Brosnan.

Old rivalry creates crowd fun at 2024 Taco Shack

Chloe Lewcock, Fletcher Vandegrift, Tristen Diaz, Carson Duncan, Chloe Seckar-Martinez, Beatrix Lozach, Josie Mullan, Mira Patel, Lillian Gray, Daniela Di-Capua, Camilla Vandegrift, Maya Tackett, and Shila Gill
September 3, 2024
AN EARLY HOMECOMING: Newly appointed assistant principal Gabriel Adame returned to McCallum this year after spending a year obtaining his master’s of education with the UT Texas Principals Leadership Academy. During his studies, Adame acted as an assistant principal at a middle school and an elementary school in order to gain more experience. Nevertheless, Adame felt compelled to return to Mac. “There are three main reasons I came back to McCallum,” Adame said. “Besides the students, who have been incredibly kind, supportive and funny, my colleagues and the friendships I developed here have been a huge part of the reason I came back.” Adame also said the community within the faculty was one of the main reasons he chose to return. “I felt so supported as an AP Biology teacher and coach,” Adame said. “And I can never repay them for the help I received, whether it was in the form of an email that made me feel good about what I was doing as a teacher or whether it was a kind remark as we were cheering on a kiddo in the stands.” Moving forward, Adame plans to take his role as an assistant principal seriously. He’s committed to leading by example when it comes to establishing a work ethic and a positive mindset. “The biggest value I want to embody is integrity,” Adame said. “I really hope that by the time I’m done here, people can really see me for the work that I did and the people I helped. Because really, this job is not about me. This job is about how I can get students to the place they want to be and how can I get teachers to be the best versions of themselves.” Fellow assistant principal Larry Featherstone believes that Adame continuously embodies that integrity. “I feel great about him being back here at McCallum,” Featherstone said. “He’s doing a phenomenal job. He’s training teachers, supporting students, and the best part is that he does it all with a smile on his face. He has a great spirit about him.” No matter how beloved he is on campus, however, Adame takes a humble approach to his work. “I’m a servant of the public, and it’s something I take great pride in, helping people accomplish the goals, the aspirations, the endeavors they set out for themselves,” Adame said. “If I can be a guide for them to navigate that, that’s what I want to do. Those are things I really try to live by, integrity and servitude.”

Fresh faces across the faculty

Daniela Di-Capua, Carson Duncan, Nellie Eschberger, Delaney Lavelle, Josie Linton, Beatrix Lozach, Katie Martin, Sophia Manos, Aubrey Macedo, Harper Binfield Maxwell, Tallulah McAuliffe, Elizabeth Nation, Maddie O’Connor, Arwen Pelletier, Riley Pita, Eva Sanchez, Adele Seeboth, Fletcher Vandegrift, and Nico Williamson
August 27, 2024
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