Julia Copas, online editor-in-chief
Julia Copas is a senior and is the online editor-in-chief of The Shield. Now in her third year on staff, she previously was the photo editor and a staff reporter. She is proud to be a two-time ATPI Texas Imagemaker and has made UIL All-State Journalism Staff three years in a row. She is excited to revitalize macshieldonline.com and bring more multimedia content to the website. Outside of The Shield, she is a member of Link Crew. When she’s not busy working on newspaper, she likes to keep up with college and professional football and research her family’s ancestry.
![ONE LAST BATTLE CRY: Senior Valeria Villafuerte-Perez celebrates with her friends after the senior class won the spirit competition. At each pep rally, a different game is played with volunteers from the crowd. Villafuerte-Perez was nominated by her friends to play a game in which the goal was to snatch a pom-pom from an opponent.
“Before school started, my friends and I had talked about going all out for senior year, so I told them to nominate me for a game since it was our last [Shoal Creek Showdown] pep rally,” Villafuerte-Perez said. “I wasn’t really scared to go down to the floor in front of the whole school, all I was focused on was getting the crowd hyped for the game.”
Villafuerte-Perez entered the game determined to win. After several rounds, as there were just two people left, she managed to snatch the last pom just in time, in order to secure a victory for the senior class.
“I was really happy I won the game for the class of 2026,” Villafuerte-Perez said. “Honestly, I just wanted to win because seniors rule.”
As this was her first pep rally as a senior, the event carried extra meaning to Villafuerte-Perez.
“Being in the stands as a senior feels very surreal,” Villafuerte-Perez said. “I still remember my first pep rally, and now I’m a senior having my last pep rally, I think in that moment it really set in that I’m a senior, and that I’m going to graduate soon.”
Caption by Sophia Manos. Photo by Julia Copas.](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/54750679693_5f7d007e27_o-1200x675.jpg)
![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](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/54323212454_26626336b8_o_54325974869_o-1200x675.jpg)
![HIGH KICKS, HIGH SPIRITS: On Friday, Oct. 18, McCallum culminated a festive spirit week with the homecoming pep rally. During the pep rally, the class winner of the hallway decorating contest was announced as well as the usual spirit stick award.
Sophomore and Blue Brigade member, Peyton Robenhorst noted how festive the student section was.
"It felt good to perform for the homecoming game," Robenhorst said. "I knew a lot of people were going to [cheer for us]."](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/homecoming-blue-brigade-pep-rally-1200x675.jpg)
