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
All content by Madison Olsen
ALL IN THIS TOGETHER: The cast performs in “Something’s Coming.” “We bickered like siblings and annoyed each other to no end, but we also have such a tight bond that allows us to pull off these massive shows,” senior Meg Willimont said. “I am constantly astounded by the talented people I work with every day, and I know I will see them on TV one day.”

Denning: ‘Sondheim is one of the greats. It’s like Shakespeare dying.’

Samantha Powers, Meena Anderson, Ashley Chamberlain, Josephine Clarke, Emily Goulet, Zoe Hocker, and Madison Olsen
November 30, 2021
Actor and activist Matthew McConaughey was among the speakers at the #MarchForOurLives in downtown Austin on March 24, 2018, which attracted more than 10,000 to the Capitol today. “This is an American issue," McConaughey said of gun control. "It’s a Texan issue. It’s a legal and law-abiding gun owner issue. It’s a mother issue. It’s a father issue. And, quite literally, this is our children’s issue." McConaughey also said that consensus leading to action should be above politics. “My hope here is that we can find a common ground on what I see as a very much a common-sense issue. This is an issue anchored in purpose for all of us. It’s not anchored in politics." Photo by Madison Olsen.

[Photo] Banning guns is not a panacea

Julia Kay Smith, staff reporter
October 22, 2019
Crockett students Najai Mckenzie Robinson and Robert Spong drop to their knees at Wooldridge Park raising their arms and screaming, “Don’t Shoot!” before marching to the Capitol at the National Student Walkout to protest gun violence on April 20. To read more about student walkout in Austin, please see page 14. Photo by Madison Olsen.

[Photo] Shield repeats as national Blue and Gold champion

Caley Griebenow, Quill and Scroll
March 15, 2019
Jack Switzer was one of three 2018 seniors named as Who's Who torchbearers.

[Photo] It’s time for Who’s Who yearbook applications

2019 Knight yearbook staff
February 17, 2019
Scales with Mia Terminella in "West Side Story."

[Photo] For Scales, on-stage joy outweighs rehearsal pain

Macjournalism fine arts team
February 15, 2019
HAPPY HEE: Junior Rally Telano and senior Leah Cantu find each others “true laugh” before the Crockett game at House Park. To find your true laugh you lay on your back and put pressure on your chest to force out the true laugh. “All the trainerswere playing a game to have fun before the actual game,” Cantu said. In that actual game, the Knights caged the Cougars, 55-0, for their eight victory on the season. Senior Max Perez ran for 116 yards andthree touchdowns and passed for another 103 yards and a score. Senior Alexander Julian led all Knight rushers with 117 yards and two touchdowns. Photo by Madison Olsen.

[Photo] Dynamic Knight duo strikes again

MacJournalism news team
February 9, 2019
After McCallum beat Calallen, 20-7, to make it to the fifth round of playoffs, senior Max Perez and Coach Thomas Gammerdinger celebrate the historic win. “The feeling of winning this game is indescribable,” Perez said. “Calallen is a really good team and that win just proved to us we were just as good and better. It really showed how much our hard work paid off, and I couldn’t be happier.” This image was part of Madison's yearbook photo portfolio that won a First Place 2019 CSPA Gold Circle Award. Gregory James' online story about the game also won a first place Gold Circle Award. Photo by Madison Olsen.

[Photo] CSPA awards MacJournalism 17 Gold Circle Awards

MacJournalism news team
February 2, 2019
NO. 7 -- NEVER AGAIN: Actor and activist Matthew McConaughey was among the speakers at the MarchForOurLives on March 24. The march and rally attracted more than 10,000 to the Capitol. “This is an American issue," McConaughey said of gun control. "It’s a Texan issue. It’s a legal and law-abiding gun owner issue. It’s a mother issue. It’s a father issue. And, quite literally, this is our children’s issue." McConaughey also said that consensus leading to action should be above politics. “My hope here is that we can find a common ground on what I see as a very much a common-sense issue. This is an issue anchored in purpose for all of us. It’s not anchored in politics." Photo by Madison Olsen.

[Photo] A Best of 2018 #TuesdayTop10

MacJournalism photo team
December 31, 2018
pizza

[Photo] True Foods Kitchen- Butternut Squash Pizza

Townes Hobratschk, food reviewer
December 22, 2018
Madison Olsen, Excellent, Student Life Photo. MAKING IT RAIN ON THE RAIDERS: At the homecoming pep rally on Nov. 10, the senior section generates the defeaning volume that would soon win the coveted Spirit Stick for their class. At the conclusion of the pep rally, students showered the class of 2018 with cups of glitter and confetti. “I support my school in everything that I can,” senior Charliee Arnold said. “It was so much fun to get to throw confetti and show school spirit with my senior class, until we had to clean it all up.”

[Photo] 2018 Knight staff captures 42 Best of Texas awards

December 21, 2018
WEST SIDE SOPHIE: Lewis dances with junior Owen Scales during “A Dance at the Gym” in the Mac Theatre Production of West Side Story. “I loved being partnered with Sophie,” Scales said. “We became better friends as the show went on.” Photo by Madison Olsen.

[Photo] Artistically Speaking: Sophie Lewis

Mia Terminella, staff reporter
November 24, 2018
Ian Clennan sprints through the Decker Lake course slightly ahead of teammates Finn Corbett and Wyeth Purkiss at the district cross-country meet. The varsity boys placed third overall, allowing the team to advance to regionals last fall. Photo by Madison Olsen.

[Photo] First a mile then a marathon

Ian Clennan, Knight staff
August 3, 2018
seniorportraits_MO_02-01

[Photo] Senior summer portrait day set for Tuesday, Aug. 7

2019 Knight staff
June 24, 2018
COMPANY'S COMING: Members of the McCallum Youth Dance Company perform both student choreographed and faculty choreographed pieces during the dress rehearsal for their show “TRADITIONS, innovating.” Senior Aubrey Brown rises from the underworld in “Jus de Grenade” choreographed by Rachael Murray. “Getting to play Mother Earth coming from the underground is unreal, and I never thought I would get to play a graceful yet sinister character,” fellow senior and company member Keanna Haynes said. “This piece is very beautiful, and it has different stories imbedded into one.” Photo by Annabel Winter.

Artistically Speaking: Aubrey Brown

Madison Olsen
May 10, 2018
Choir member Emma Wallace is front and center as the entire cast takes the stage to perform the ensemble song, "The Rhythm is Going to Get You." This afternoon marked the choir's closing show of its annual Cabaret performance, which this year had the theme, "A Star is Born." Photo by Madison Olsen.

[Photo] The Ayes of Texas are upon us

May 8, 2018
Redundant at best

Redundant at best

Madison Olsen
May 7, 2018

Students storm Capitol to ask for safer schools

Madison Olsen
April 22, 2018
Senior Madison Olsen won a Sweepstakes Award in sports photography for her Oct. 30 photo “Point Taken,” which depicted 2017 volleyball players celebrating after scoring a point in their bi-district playoff match against Kerrville Tivy in Wimberley. “This photo captures the moment perfectly,” the judges said. “Volleyball players are so expressive after every point. That makes the sport so fun to photograph. This point seems even more consequential than normal ones because of the emotions on the players’ faces. Congratulations to the photographer for not just sticking with the action of the individual plays, but watching what happens afterward.”

[Photo] Shield awarded Blue and Gold honors

April 4, 2018
Zilker Love specialty pizza from Austin Terrier. Photo by Madison Olsen.

Page of the Month: April

Madison Olsen
April 4, 2018
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High senior Jack Haimowitz shares an embrace after his emotional speech at today's #marchforourlives at the Texas Capitol in downtown Austin. Haimowitz spoke of the awful Feb. 14 shooting on his campus. "What took place on Valentine's Day not only stripped the students of Douglas of their innocence, but it brutally ripped 17 lives from their homes." He also spoke of the resolve he and his classmates and have found since the shooting. "We are the change we never knew we needed, and we have found the strength that we never knew we were looking for. ... Every day I see people not only wishing for change but refusing to accept anything else." He also pleaded with the audience for unity. "If we ever wish to fully overcome the hatred and fear of a scale such as this, we must unite as Americans regardless of the societal, racial and physical constructs put in place to hinder our unification." Photo by Madison Olsen.

[Photo] ‘Never again,’ protesters tell lawmakers

Sophie Ryland
March 24, 2018
Coach G instructs his defense early in the game during McCallum's 55-0 victory over Crockett on Oct. 20 at House Park. Photo by Madison Olsen.

[Photo] Coach G named head coach, AD

MacJournalism Sports Team
March 11, 2018
Julie Robertson's online story about these 1966 Knights captured two first-place awards in the 2018 SIPA Best Writing Contest. Madison Olsen, the photographer who took this picture, won two first-place writing awards as well.

[Photo] Coyote Beautiful!

Gregory James, MacJournalism Sports Team
December 8, 2017
A Passion for Fashion

A Passion for Fashion

Madison Olsen
October 30, 2017
The emptied computer cart in the photography studio. Photo by Madison Olsen

Computers stolen from photo classroom

Madison Olsen
September 12, 2017
Tim Bjerke gives instructions for a notecard activity at a McCallum Christian Community and Spectrum joint meeting on May 4 in his classroom. Students wrote a time they had been discriminated against on one side of the card and a time they had acted in a hateful way on the other side of the card before sharing with their peers. Photo by Madison Olsen.

Like a Rolling Stone

Madison Olsen
May 21, 2017
Matthew Cain and Louis Handy of Bonehead performing "Tension." Photo by Madison Olsen.

Excalibur’s Second Coffee House Photo Essay

Madison Olsen
April 19, 2017
Junior Marley Bell displays a sign quoting Nelson Mandela at the Inauguration Day protest on January 20 at Auditorium shores. Bell was one of the estimate 150 students from McCallum that chose to participate in anti-Trump rallies on the day he was sworn into office. “I think that it’s going to be a long time before we can get completely gender neutral bathrooms, but I know for certain that it’s a matter if these individuals taking it upon themselves to be aware of the problems and to fix them as well as committing to educate people about gender neutral bathrooms, because the more educated people are the more comfortable people are.” Photo by Madison Olsen.

[Photo] Hundreds walk out to join protests

Rachel Wolleben
February 16, 2017
Madison Olsen "Think Pink" National Gold Key Winner Organizations Photo

Photo by Dave Winter.

How Texas are You?

Madison Olsen
December 16, 2016

The Making of Moana

Madison Olsen
October 7, 2016
Photo by: Madison Olsen

A classroom of her own

Madison Olsen
September 7, 2016
"Bamboleo" Gypsy Kings, preformed by students from Brentwood Elementary. Photo by Madison Olsen.

In Perfect CINCO-pation

Madison Olsen
May 17, 2016
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