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

Risa Darlington-Horta

All content by Risa Darlington-Horta
Assosciate band director Jeffrey Rudy poses with members of the 2018-2019 color guard at the color guard awards ceremony. Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta, caption by Riley Pita.

[Photo] ‘He just wants what’s best for us’ 

Riley Pita, staff reporter
November 17, 2024
ALL THAT SHE CAN BEE: Gomez scored a school-record 130 career goals in her McCallum soccer career, but her development as a digital artist has been just as outstanding.

[Photo] Artistry on the pitch, hard work in the studio

Caroline Owen, staff reporter
June 12, 2022
By returning to Austin Fire Department Station No. 2, Dasher gave the firefighters there a precious gift: living, breathing proof of the impact of their heroic work.

[Photo] Fire Station No. 2 will always be with her

Lanie Sepehri, staff reporter
May 18, 2022
Beginner Environmental Portrait Ellie Collard McCallum Fine Arts Academy Austin, Texas Andrew Cooke, instructor

Mac photographers win 9 awards in ATPI photo contest

Sophi Beardslee, Ellie Collard, Risa Darlington-Horta, Mia Gomez, Meredith Grotevant, Silvio Guzman, Emma Hagood, Charlie Partheymuller, and Kennedy Weatherby
December 14, 2021
MASSIVE NIGHT OF MICRO-MUSIC: Sporting his festival tee, junior Jay Mathias dances on stage at the Micro-Moon concert held this fall at the Austin Film School. The festival showcased featured Mathias as well as a variety of other musicians at Mac including Marlee Foster, Will Dooley, and The Point. “ I had always wanted to perform music, sort of a pipe dream type of thing, and we threw our first concert and it just felt so great to do that, even if it was a little rough,” Mathias recalled. “That’s when I realized: I have to do this.” Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

Massive night of micro-music (November 2019) by Risa Darlington-Horta

Risa Darlington-Horta
August 19, 2021
Congrats to junior @macfinearts commercial photography student Risa Darlington-Horta, her models Weatherly Giblin and Kate Reuter and her photography teacher Andrew Cooke. On Monday, it was announced that Darlington-Horta won honorable mention among advanced photographers in the fashion category of the Association of Texas Photography Instructors Fall Photo Contest.

Space girl (July 2020) by Risa Darlington-Horta

Risa Darlington-Horta
August 19, 2021
The varsity infield meets at the mound during the Knights' loss to Anderson on March 2. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the Knights earned a 5A state playoff spot by finishing fourth behind Lockhart, Anderson and LASA.

[Photo] Pandemic season brings softball team closer

Tallulah Wilson, staff reporter
May 17, 2021
MAY -- PROTESTORS ADVOCATE JUSTICE FOR GEORGE FLOYD, MIKE RAMOS: A woman is forced over a wall as state troopers force protesters off of the Capitol grounds. Hundreds of protesters met at the Austin Police Department headquarters downtown on the afternoon of May 30 to demand justice for African-American victims of police brutality. The protests filled the streets surrounding the Police Department headquarters and at times blocked traffic on I-35, and eventually protests spread to Austin City Hall and the Texas Capitol. Some protesters were met with pepper spray and rubber bullets as APD officers tried to control the crowd and clear the highway. This protest comes as part of a national spread of protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of a police officer. Austin protesters are also calling for justice for Mike Ramos, an Austinite who reportedly was unarmed and shot by the police in late April.

2020: A Year in Review in Photos

Kate Boyle, Risa Darlington-Horta, Anna Garcia, Madelynn Niles, Lindsey Plotkin, Samantha Powers, Bella Russo, Hannah South, Bela Tapperson, and Dave Winter
December 30, 2020
Sophomore J.D. Jordan catches his first varsity touchdown and Mac's only trip to the end zone against the Anderson Trojans in the third quarter of the 19th annual Taco Shack Bowl.

[Photo] Trojans withstand Knight comeback to claim COVID-19th Taco Shack, all-time series lead

Grace Nugent, sports editor
October 3, 2020
Shaine Rozman (center) accepts flowers from Byron Kingsley (left) and hugs fellow designer Julia Kay Smith (right) after being announced the second place winner of 2020’s annual McCallum Fashion Show, Scrapbook. Rozman and Smith also debuted lines earlier in the year at their own benefit fashion show that raised $4,300 for the Girls Empowerment Network. Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

[Photo] Rozman does it all in style

Bella Russo, visuals editor
May 27, 2020
EXPLOSIONS OF NEW MUSIC: Shortly into the early days of quarantine, Senior Jazz Aguilar released her debut single: "Kamikaze." The energetic tune was recorded with the help of her bandmates Riley Edwards and Isabella Demoss, along with drummer Ian Clennan. Keep your eyes (and ears) open for more releases from Aguilar, as she is using quarantine to write her new album, as well as work on a music video for her already-released song. Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

[Photo] A musical response to COVID-19

Scarlett Houser and Olivia Capochiano
May 26, 2020
TRUE COLORS: Austin resident and climate activist Woodstock James stands above the crowd at the Austin Climate Strike holding a sign that reads, “Climate change is real.” Disappointed by the lack of action from the Texas legislature in the face of the impending climate crisis, James hoped to spur lawmakers to action by joining the strike. “It’s a huge issue that we should all be paying attention to right now,” he said. “The people who need to listen to us are being paid not to, and it’s very unfortunate.” Reporting by Samantha Powers. Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

[Photo] Macjournalism receives triple Star Awards, including two Gold, with five Tops in Texas winners

Kristen Tibbetts, co-editor in chief
May 2, 2020
ZOOM TIME! For a kindergartner, it’s very difficult to find ways to learn while practicing social distancing and having two working parents. The solution to this? Well, obviously a Zoom class. Here my little brother joined his first Zoom on a Tuesday morning. He waves to his fellow classmates through the screen after not seeing them for weeks. Photo by Anna Garcia.

An inside look at distance learning

Anna Bausman, Daniela Bodoh, Josie Bradsby, Zazie Bryant, Risa Darlington-Horta, Reagan Dias, Olivia Escalante, Anna Garcia, Ava Medina, Madelynn Niles, Liliana Rodriguez, and Dave Winter
April 23, 2020
SPEEDY SPREAD: On March 24, city and county officials issued a stay-home order to blunt the spread of the coronavirus. Local stores have also taken action to keep customers safe and stop the spread of COVID-19, At H-E-B, only about 10 customers were allowed in a store at one time, and the store placed foot marks outside the story to help customers maintain social distance (six feet away) from the next person in line. Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

Capturing images of Austin in the COVID-19 era

Risa Darlington-Horta, staff photographer
April 9, 2020
An unidentified masked shopper rings up her own groceries at the self-checkout line at the Mueller HEB on the afternoon of March 18. Many health experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci of President Trump’s Coronavirus Task Force, are encouraging that people wear cloth masks that cover the mouth, nose and face, in public areas. Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

[Photo] A coronavirus crash course

Scarlett Houser, staff reporter
April 4, 2020
An unidentified Walgreen's customer wears a mask for protection, but the shelves where hand cleaners and sanitizers would be has been picked clean. City officials urged Austin residents to avoid hording groceries and buy only what they need. Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

[Photo] Austin restaurants brace for COVID-19 economy

Samantha Powers, staff reporter
March 17, 2020
STRINGS ATTACHED: At the Micro-Moon Festival held last November, junior Will Dooley takes center stage as he performs on his electric guitar. As a part of the musical duo Phonie, Dooley not only plays his guitar, but also records music, produces it, and more — experiencing the full process of creating a song, from the very early stages all the way to the releasement. “Music is a really accessible art form,” he said. “It’s just something I can sit down and do and can connect with.” Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

[Photo] Music to Mac’s ears

Madelynn Niles, staff reporter
February 20, 2020
Senior Alicia Scott helped her team win by drawing the offensive foul that gave her team what ended up being the game-winning possession. She also set up the game-winner by attracting the defense to the corner and away from clutch shooter, Natalie Suri. Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

[Photo] Some victories are sweeter than others

Macjournalism sports team
January 20, 2020
FOSSE FOREVER: Though American dancer and choreographer Bob Fosse, whose ideas and creativity shook the dance world, passed away Dec. 10, 1987, the McCallum Dance Company felt his presence through Valerie Pettiford, a guest artist who was a colleague and alumni of Fosse, and her assistant, Gabriela Garcia. Pettiford and Garcia lead MAC dancers through a series of warm-ups and exercises that practiced Fosse technique. Following these exercises, Pettiford and Garcia taught each class a different combination of choreography from a Bob Fosse show. Despite the amount of material learned throughout the class, the class energy was supportive and uplifting. "Ms. Pettiford's teaching made it feel like we were actually in New York," said Lilly Brown, a dance major and member of the Pre-Professional Company. "It was super fun and created an environment of motivation and inspiration." McCallum dance instructors Natalie Uehara and Rachal Murray also participated in the masterclass. "I felt the spirit of Mr. Fosse in the black box today," said Natalie Uehara. "It was so intense and inspirational at the same time." Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

[Photo] Photos of the week

November 11, 2014
Junior Marlee Foster, who performs with the stage name Merlin, sings a song for her opening set at the Micro-Moon Festival. The festival was held on Nov. 1 at the Austin Film School. For Foster, the live show was her first real gig and originally there was no opening act for the festival. Later on, however, Foster was asked to be the first performer. “I was very shocked,” Foster said, “because I'd heard about the Micro-Moon Festival and was going to attend, but then during Coffeehouse one of the performers, Jay Mathias, asked me if I wanted to open, and I was so happy.” Foster released her own song, "Red Eyes Pt. 2," about a week before the show and was excited to sing it live. "Performing at Micro-Moon was honestly so fun because everyone in the audience was so supportive,” Foster said. "They sang along to my song and started moshing at one point. It was awesome.” Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

[Photo] Micro-Moon prime movers transform Austin Film School into concert venue

Lily Prather, McCallum photojournalism
January 10, 2020
Several times during his keynote session, NBC broadcast journalist Chuck Todd challenged young journalists not to cover the presidential election but rather to cover city council and school board meetings because local matters have a more immediate and profound impact on people's lives.

[Photo] Meet the student press

November 22, 2019
Sophomore Risa Darlington-Horta may have been playing hookey when she walked to the zoo and away from the journalism conference, but her diversion ultimately became a mane event.

A virtual visit to the National Zoo

Risa Darlington-Horta, staff photographer
December 3, 2019

Calling out for change

Samantha Powers, Stella Shenkman, Alysa Spiro, Risa Darlington-Horta, and Elisha Scott
October 1, 2019
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[Photo] Pom poms and pep tunes

Madelynn Niles, staff reporter
October 1, 2019
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Kids run the length of the field near the end of halftime ceremonies at the 2019 Taco Shack Bowl at House Park last Thursday.

[Photo] A Taco Shack Tuesday Top 10

the MacJournalism Sports Team
September 3, 2019
Mia Gomez lines up with her coaches and teammates after defeating the 6A Bowie Bulldogs, 3-1, in a tune-up game played after the district season ended and before the playoffs began. Gomez scored all three goals for the Knights in the March 26 victory at House Park. Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

[Photo] Gomez named Centex Newcomer of the Year

MacJournalism sports team
May 8, 2019
LIGHTEN UP: Seniors Elesia Zarzoza, Crystal Suarez-Vasquez and Melany Reese dance together to the “Wobble” as it got closer to prom king and queen being announced. “I really liked how everyone was so glammed out and open to having fun,” Reese said. “It was a good mood and feeling to be around.” Reporting by Celeste Montes de Oca. Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

Prom was a senior ‘Soiree’

Risa Darlington-Horta, guest photographer
May 1, 2019
ON POINT: Captain Chanyn James and the Blue Brigade officers perform in the shows opening number “Let’s Go To The Movies”. The shows opener was one large dance that contained different small dances within it, showcasing different groups such as the team officers and different grade levels. Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

[Photo] A Knight at the MAC

April 16, 2019
Maddy pump fakes and LBJ defender during the Jag's victory over the Knights on Dec. 11. Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

[Photo] Lucky No. 13 is McCallum’s kind-hearted warrior

Selena De Jesus, guest reporter
April 5, 2019
Senior Deron Gage strides out the last stretch of the 100 meter dash, just milliseconds behind his opponents on the track. The qualifications for the Texas Relays are far more competitive, making it a big deal to get to compete at such an event, "the difference from running here than back at Burger Stadium was the speed" Gage said, "the competition level is a lot higher, but that made it more fun for me".

[Photo] Mac track does the Texas Relays

Risa Darlington-Horta, Grace Nugent and Gabby Sherwood, MacJournalism sports team
April 2, 2019
Suri fights for possession during the Knights' 32-28 home loss to LBJ on Dec. 11 in the Don Caldwell Gymnasium. Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

[Photo] Bond around the ball

Grace Nugent and Anna Schlett
March 19, 2019
Mia Terminella, Tosh Arora and Lilly Brown take their final bow after the Friday night performance of Momentum, the McCallum Youth Dance Company spring concert, at the MAC.

Momentum Spring Dance Concert Act 2 -- Idiosyncratic Perfections choreography -- Jesse Quezada music -- "Putty Boy Strut" by BADBADNOTGOOD performed by Terrel Hall, Liliette Rodrigues-Aguero, Jessenia Shiguango, Mariana Torres DeLine and Wynter Winston

[Photo] Momentum a debut for some, a farewell for others

Stella Shenkman, staff reporter
March 12, 2019
Stites launches the ball down the field to prevent an LBJ scoring threat in their game on Jan. 26 at House Park. With two goals apiece by freshmen Avery Miller and Mia Gomez, the Knight’s swept the Jags 4-0. Stites confirmed that beating LBJ was her favorite victory every year, and this year did not disappoint with the win being the peak of the Knight’s shutout streak with three clean sweeps. Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

[Photo] Stites shuts down the competition

Kristen Tibbetts, staff reporter
March 9, 2019
As dad puts on the breaks slightly, as son accelerates to the basket hoping to shoot before the block attempt he is anticipating can get to him.

[Photo] A generational battle for the ages

Risa Darlington-Horta, Stella Shenkman and Dave Winter, MacJournalism Sports Team
February 26, 2019
Models: Mariko Deloach, Sara Milliken, Eugenio Pavon, Sophie Lewis. Designer: Shaine Rozman. Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

[Photo] A Paradigm postscript in 400-plus photos

Stella Shenkman, staff reporter
January 23, 2019
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