Lucas Walker, staff reporter
Lucas Walker is a senior in his second year on staff. This year he is excited to contribute as much as possible as a photographer, and use the newly installed darkroom for developing and printing film. Outside of newspaper Lucas is the first chair bass clarinet player, a low reed section leader for the marching band, a member of PALS and a fine arts ambassador.
![DANCING WITH FRIENDS: Juniors Riley Poole and Boris Lingo dance during this year’s homecoming dance. Lingo and Poole spent the night dancing and talking to friends at the dance. Although Lingo did not attend the dance’s entirety, she enjoyed being able to hang out with friends.
“The social aspect was definitely the best,” Lingo said. “The location of the venue was [also] lovely, I really like being downtown and the weather was pretty great too.”
Lingo also participated in the football game aspect of homecoming with the color guard. Lingo believes that performances in general this year have gone well. As a member of the on-campus group PALS, Lingo found a few challenges with regard to purchasing tickets to the dance. As a junior, Lingo struggled to get to the ticket line during lunch since Pink Week was at the same time.
“It was really frustrating to have pink week be the same as ticket sales,” Lingo said. “What I think would’ve solved this would’ve been online ticket sales. It would’ve fixed every issue I had with the tickets.”
Despite this early challenge, Lingo was still able to get tickets in time and attend the dance. According to Lingo, she had a great experience with the dance and would attend again next year.
Caption by Riley Pita.](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/54885203475_b27388cf83_o-1200x798.jpg)
![CLOSE-KNIT: Senior Alabaster Lippert twirls a prop gun during Color Guard’s routine at Bandapalooza Friday evening outside of the MAC. The performance gave Color Guard and Band an opportunity to debut their “Gothic Renaissance” themed show for the 2025-2026 season.
Junior Aubrey Macedo, the flag leader of color guard, believes there were some environmental and timing challenges regarding choreography during the show. Despite the challenges, Macedo believes they will be able to improve this season.
“We can have a great season, that we can improve our counting,” Macedo said. “And that we are able to walk off at our last show and be proud of the product that we have made.”
What makes this year extra special for Macedo is that it will be the last year with her senior friends.
“One of my favorite things about this show is that it’s going to be my last one of my favorite people,” Macedo said. “I don’t think there’s anything more particularly special than that.”
Marching Band and Color Guard members attend many all-day competitions and football games throughout the year. The large amount of time spent together forged a bond according to Macedo.
“[The color guard] built a strong community,” Macedo said. “It’s more like a family because we’re always together.”](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/54742739263_38914664be_o-1-1200x798.jpg)
![MAKING MOO-VES IN THE ENSEMBLE: Sophomores Zoe Maxwell and Robin Kulhanek, senior Atticus Adair, juniors Addie Knight and Henry Mayes and sophomore Zalie Mann perform "Notice Me" on the opening night of Cows: the Moosical.
Maxwell, who was a member of the three-person ensemble, found dancing on Cows to be an especially intimate experience compared to their past experiences with MacTheater.
“I had worked with everyone in the cast before, and it was really refreshing to have fun with something that was so homemade,” Maxwell said.
Not only was Cows a smaller-scale production but also a faster-paced one. According to Maxwell, rehearsals were hectic but still fun.
“There were probably only a few rehearsals where everybody in the cast was there,” Maxwell said. “[Mann] and I spent the week before and of the show running back and forth between Cows rehearsal and Mac Dance rehearsals. It was very much ‘down to the last minute’ kind of rehearsal, but once the adrenaline kicked in, everything came together.”
During this frenzied pre-show period, Maxwell worked closely with director, choreographer and writer senior Anderson Zoll to perfect her performances of the many dance numbers throughout the show.
“I had some prior experience working with Anderson as the choreographer for both Pippin and Descendants, but it was really incredible seeing him work not just for choreo, but writing, staging and managing all together,” Maxwell said. “I think he’s a great choreographer, and he’s super open to suggestions and collaboration.”
Once the lights were on and the stage was set, Maxwell saw the fruits of their, and the rest of cast and crew’s, labor reflected in the audience’s reactions.
“[I loved] watching the cast from the sides and hearing the crowd laugh at all the parts I love in the show,” Maxwell said. “I think also getting to perform in the FABT for the first time was a great experience.”
Caption by Francie Wilhelm.](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/09_MAKING-MOO-VES-IN-THE-ENSEMBLE-e1683085502678-900x618.jpg)
