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
Amaya Collier

Amaya Collier, co-opinion editor

All content by Amaya Collier
JULY 28—Blue Brigade wrapped up its annual Kiddie Clinic with a performance in the cafeteria on Friday July 28. Split into age groups from kindergarten to eighth grade, campers performed the choreography they learned from their Blue Brigade counselors throughout the week. According to junior lieutenant and former camper Smith Bohls, Kiddie Clinic allows kids of all ages to learn about drill teams, make new friends and learn fun dances. “Watching all of the kids do the dances they learned all week brings me so much happiness because they are all so excited and nervous,” Bohls said. “Their love for dancing is so energizing, and all of the kids look up to us and tell us how much they want to be like us in the future.” While Bohls said Kiddie Clinic was an exercise of patience, she found it rewarding to watch campers fall in love with dancing and make new friends. “The best part of Kiddie Clinic is watching the kids love the dances and tell you that they practiced at home the night before,” Bohls said. “It makes me happy when kids love to dance so much and are so excited to perform for all their parents.” Blue Brigade finished the Friday show with its first performance of “Blue Gray” as the 2023-2024 team. Watching her campers perform with confidence and smiles, Bohls felt inspired to bring all of her energy into the “Blue Gray” performance. “I look forward to it every year and so do the kids,” Bohls said. “Watching them look up to us gives me the motivation to do better on the team.” Caption by Ingrid Smith.

2023: A year in review in photos

JoJo Barnard, Noah Braun, Amaya Collier, Chloe Lewcock, Gergő Major, Maggie Mass, Alice Scott, Lanie Sepehri, Ingrid Smith, Francie Wilhelm, and Dave Winter
January 9, 2024
Lydia Reedy and Josie Bradsby did not have to dress up as twins during Homecoming Week to be kindred spirits as they had done that long ago, but the visual representation of their connection to each other was accurate as anyone who knows them can attest.

From crossing-guard buddies to East Coast collegians

Amaya Collier, co-opinion editor
June 9, 2023
Sherry Cleckler (Krysten Ritter) and Candy Montgomery (Elizabeth Olsen) in the church choir, where Candy meets her friend's husband, Allan, with whom she has an affair.

[Photo] What’s not to love about ‘Love & Death’

Eliza Jensen, co-a&e and co-online managing editor
May 18, 2023

Pride of Mexico shines in the MAC

Sofia Arredondo, JoJo Barnard, Kate Boyle, Isley Cameron, Amaya Collier, Chloe Lewcock, Gergő Major, Caroline Owen, Alice Scott, Ingrid Smith, Tóth Tamás Vitold, and Dave Winter
May 9, 2023
Rhett Shields

Rhett Shields

Amaya Collier and Francie Wilhelm
May 1, 2023
In his introduction of the Black History Month assembly on March 3, assistant principal Larry Featherstone said that the assembly intended to address the truth that “we need to learn more about people who do not look like us.” To move the conversation in that direction before turning the program over to a teen panel of Black students, Students of Color Alliance sponsor Tonya Moore answered “three questions you've always wanted to ask a Black friend.” To the question “Can I touch your hair?” Moore said she answered yes to a close friend but felt the question was strange and inappropriate when coming from strangers. She responded to the second question—“Do black people get sunburn?”—with an emphatic “Yes.” The answer to the third question—“Do you prefer to be called Black or African American?”—Moore said, “It’s a preference. I prefer to be called Black. and I don’t like African-American, but my daughters would give different answers to the question.” Caption by Gergő Major.

Student, faculty organizers overcome obstacles to observe Black History Month in its entirety

Ava Bernitz, Amaya Collier, Charlotte Cross, Logan Davis, Gaby Esquivel, Morgan Eye, Stella Little, Ellie Loudermilk, Gergő Major, Merrill Price, Ingrid Smith, and Tristen Wright
March 21, 2023
The Title X program long enabled teens to access free contraception confidentially regardless of age, income and citizenship through such clinics since 1970. However, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled in late December that Title X violates parental rights, preventing teens from obtaining birth control without explicit parental consent.

Texas teens face barriers following court ruling requiring parental consent to obtain birth control

Amaya Collier, co-opinion editor
February 23, 2023
In this quintessential holiday film, young Kevin McCallister is left home alone for Christmas when his boisterous family accidentally forgets him in the holiday travel rush. While Kevin is at first glad to be rid of his many relatives, by the end of the movie he values family and the spirit of Christmas.

Holiday movie marathon must include ‘Home Alone’

Amaya Collier and Julia Husted
December 24, 2022
Incumbent Greg Abbott won his third term as Texas Governor, defeating challenger Beto O'Rourke. Photo accessed on the Flickr account of Gage Skidmore. Reposted here with permission under a creative commons license.

Abbott defeats O’Rourke in Texas gubernatorial race

Amaya Collier, co-opinion editor
December 19, 2022
Gilmore girls Rory and Lorelai Gilmore are the central mother-daughter duo to the iconic early 2000s TV show.

Thoughts upon returning to Stars Hollow this autumn

Amaya Collier and Lydia Reedy
November 14, 2022
O'Rourke and Abbott faced off in the gubernatorial debate in preparation for the November election.

A post-debate fact check of Abbott, O’Rourke

Amaya Collier, co-opinion editor
November 3, 2022
A student receiving a tampon from the newly installed period product dispensers.

AISD provides free period products in all schools

Amaya Collier, co-opinion editor
September 19, 2022
Home to greater immigrant diversity than any other place in New York, Jackson Heights often shares that diversity through food. One example is the Diwali Festival, a five-day long celebration of Hinduism and the "victory of light over darkness." The Diwali Festival made a big in-person comeback in 2021 after the pandemic made it a virtual event in 2020. The street vendors in Jackson Heights offer another example. These vendors value the cultural exchange made possible through their cuisine but find it hard to negotiate the legal barriers to entry. Photo accessed on the Caitlin Regan Flickr account. Reposted here with permission under a creative commons license.

Jackson Heights street food vendors provide cultural exchange, struggle to survive amid city restrictions

Amaya Collier, opinion co-editor
July 25, 2022
Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) and Dash McMahon (Channing Tatum) venture the jungle stranded.

‘The Lost City’ a classic rom-com success

Grace Vitale and Amaya Collier
June 1, 2022
Junior Callan Spence working on a sculpture of the University of Texas Longhorn mascot. Spence sees the UT fine arts program as one of many possibilities for his future as an artist. Photo courtesy of Chas Spence.

Cancer can’t stop Callan

Francie Wilhelm and Amaya Collier
May 26, 2022
Juniors are tasked with a precarious act of balancing honors/AP classes as well as college readiness, leading to excessive burnout.

Overlooking the obstacle … junioritis

Amaya Collier and Julia Husted
May 3, 2022
Starting in 2024 in the States and 2023 internationally, the SAT will be shorter, digitally administered and allow testers to use a calculator throughout the entire math section.

SAT adaptations aim to benefit students, lessen stress

Amaya Collier and Grace Vitale
April 17, 2022
ONLINE SPORTS ACTION PHOTO: The varsity girls basketball team went on the road on Tuesday to play its second game against the LASA Raptors. The Knights were on top of their game, securing a season sweep against the Raptors with a 51-32 victory. Playing before only a few spectators on an unfamiliar court, the team played stifling defense, preventing the Raptors from getting into their offensive rhythm. Several JV players moved up to bolster the varsity bench that has been decimated by injuries and illness. According to sophomore guard Esme Barraz who returned to the lineup herself on Tuesday, having more roster depth made a big difference after Friday’s tough home loss to Crockett, which left the Knights with three eligible players at game’s end. “I think our intensity needs to go up for the rest of the games and playoffs,” Barraz said. “We need to learn to play without some of our key players.” The varsity and the JV-A teams play against Anderson Friday at home. The JV game tips off at 6 p.m., followed by the varsity at 7:30. Caption by Francie Wilhelm. Reporting by Grace Nugent.

This is literally a SUPERIOR photo and art gallery

Evie Barnard, Amaya Collier, Meredith Grotevant, Sophie Kessler, Kai Kirkham Macias, Anna McClellan, Madelynn Niles, Grace Nugent, Lexi Ramos, Kennedy Weatherby, and Nate Williams
April 12, 2022
Available on Naviance, admissions Scattergrams offer McCallum students a resource to compare their GPA and standardized test scores with those of other students previously accepted or denied to universities—red X's indicating denials, and green check marks, acceptances. The Scattergrams are coupled with a scale indicating where one's GPA falls among the national average for each school, providing another basis for admissions comparison. "Depending on the school it's either very disheartening or a confidence boost," senior Braeden Roeder said. "It's an added layer of stress for sure."

[Photo] It’s not all about that GPA

Sophie Leung-Lieu, staff reporter
March 23, 2022
Senior Ashley Nicely and Fine Arts Academy clerk Tonya Moore pose in the Black Girl Magic contest T-shirts in front of the Black Girl Magic poster in the main hallway. The poster featured artwork created by students about what the Black Girl Magic movement means to them. On Feb. 17, junior Regan Sims and sophomore Jendayi Innocent were named the winner and the runner up in the contest. "Black girl magic is so important because we have to teach our kids that they're beautiful no matter what skin tone they are," Moore said.

Black History Month revisited and remembered

Terra Balentine, Kate Boyle, Noah Braun, Amaya Collier, Gaby Esquivel, Evelyn Griffin, Emma Hagood, Cassidy Levin, Helen Martin, Madelynn Niles, Samantha Powers, Ingrid Smith, and Francie Wilhelm
March 1, 2022
League of Women Voters volunteer Stephanie Land waits to assist Class of 2021 senior Jonah Brown as he registers to vote. Brown said that he planned to vote because he felt a sense of urgency about the 2020 election. "I think it is always important to vote because this is a presidential election and no matter what comes out of the election, it is important to exercise your right to vote and not just sit back thinking someone else will do it for you," Brown said.

Current seniors eager to vote in gubernatorial race

Evie Barnard and Amaya Collier
February 28, 2022
No Way Out? AISD's quest for a balanced budget is beset with dead ends because of an ever-present, seldom mentioned villain: recapture.

[Photo] ‘Robin Hood’ is robbing us

Shield editorial board
February 28, 2022
CORE MEMORY: Following senior Ocean Reilley’s performance of an impromptu Irish drinking song, he and senior Eden Goodman embrace. “I was overwhelmed with happiness,” Goodman said. “It was like, ‘Core memory: unlocked.’” Photo by Madelynn Niles. Reporting by Alysa Spiro.

Coffee and cupid

Alysa Bijl-Spiro, Amaya Collier, Logan Davis, Morgan Eye, Cassidy Levin, Caroline Owens, Samantha Powers, Alice Scott, Lanie Sepehri, Francie Wilhelm, and Madelynn Niles
February 15, 2022

MacJ wins big in NSPA ‘Clips & Clicks’

Alice Scott, Evelyn Griffin, Lucy Marco, Alysa Spiro, Amaya Collier, Samantha Powers, Grace Nugent, Logan Davis, Francie Wilhelm, Morgan Eye, Emma Hagood, Sophie Kessler, Lanie Sepehri, Lexi Ramos, Meredith Grotevant, and Mia Gomez
January 27, 2022
Will Sims studies for finals in the cafeteria on the Monday before finals, which was a C day. Many teachers gave their classes time to study during the shorter class periods. Fellow Knight Piper Hicks told MacJ that she “usually prefers the project finals for my main classes and then the test finals for my electives.” Both columnists for this article, however, said it is far more likely that they will have difficult tests for their core Advanced Placement classes and doable projects for the elective classes, which are the only finals they can consider exempting.

The Knightmare before Christmas

Amaya Collier and Francie Wilhelm
December 22, 2021
Hundreds of students walked out of their third-period classes on Monday Nov. 15 in a show of support for students who have been victims of sexual abuse or sexual assault. The group met in the band parking lot and then marched around the perimeter of the school, stopping often to hear personal stories of assault and survival. Each story elicited embraces and statements of support from members of the crowd.

Standing up and walking out

Evie Barnard, Amaya Collier, Naomi Di-Capua, Emma Hagood, Julia Husted, Eliza Jensen, Cassidy Levin, Lucy Marco, Helen Martin, Kaela Martin, Lexi Ramos, Elisha Scott, Lanie Sepehri, Alysa Spiro, Francie Wilhelm, Nate Williams, and Bo Witzel
December 7, 2021
Class rank hurts everyone. Those at the bottom are made to feel hopeless, and those at the top put their rank above their learning, their mental health and even their physical wellbeing.

[Photo] A chance to level the field

Lucy Marco, online co-editor in chief
November 26, 2021

Coffeehouse enjoys triumphant return to Mac campus

Evie Barnard, Alysa Bijl-Spiro, Amaya Collier, Carter Eason, Evelyn Griffin, Cassidy Levin, Madelynn Niles, Caroline Owen, Samantha Powers, Sofia Ramon, Alice Scott, and Grace Vitale
November 9, 2021
Homework keeps teens up late at night, preventing them from getting enough rest, which leaves students exhausted and susceptible to depression and a defeatist attitude.

All work and no play makes Mac a dull school

Amaya Collier, staff reporter
October 31, 2021
Junior Nico Martinez rehearses with the other marching band saxophonists on Sept. 16. Martinez believes the overall talent of the band pushes him to work hard. “Everyone is so good, and there’s so much interest in band,” he said.

Martinez marches to Mac Band

Amaya Collier and Ingrid Smith
October 23, 2021
Section 4 of Senate Bill 3 requires that teachers explore all viewpoints and perspectives equally and give no preference to one particular viewpoint. Under this new requirement, student murals depicting certain social movements in a strictly positive light, such as those facing Sunshine Drive that appear on the brick wall across from the outdoor stage, could be considered unlawful. Photo by Alysa Spiro.

‘Critical race theory’ bill spurs discussion, criticism

Alysa Spiro and Amaya Collier
October 9, 2021
A group of abortion rights activists raise their signs as they gather and listen to the speakers at the women’s rally on Saturday at the Texas Capitol. Some cheer to agree with the proclamations made. “I wanted to show my support for organizations [at the rally] who are working to overturn Senate Bill 8,” junior Edith Holmsten said. “It is important for me to go to rallies because it is a way for me, as someone who can not vote yet, to show my support for issues that I care about. I learned about many different organizations that worked on women’s rights who had tables set up at the march.”

Women’s rally delivers an unmistakable message: repeal Senate Bill 8, vote its creators out of office

Katherine Boyle, Amaya Collier, Meredith Grotevant, Bo Witzel, and Josie Bradsby
October 5, 2021
DEFENSE WINS TACO SHACKS. After a McCallum offsides call on a missed field goal forced the Trojans into going for it on fourth and two, the McCallum defense made the game-saving stop at the goal line. After senior lineman Johan Holmes made the initial hit, senior safety Ez Guenther and senior linebacker Tino Rodriguez made sure the play would go no farther than the line of scrimmage. “I could see that they were in wildcat formation, and their best player was going to get the ball, and it was all going to come down to who wanted it more,” Guenther said. The play thwarted the Trojans' chance at a game-winning score. The Knights then proceeded to trudge 70 yards towards the Anderson end zone and run out the clock. “This photo just shows we wanted the Taco Shack Bowl more,” Guenther said.

Taco Shack Bowl returns to normal, Taco Shack trophy returns to Mac

Evie Barnard, Amaya Collier, Lucy Marco, Helen Martin, Madelynn Niles, Grace Nugent, Charlie Partheymuller, Samantha Powers, Alysa Spiro, Kennedy Weatherby, and Dave Winter
August 31, 2021
Hands down, the best photo essay we've published

Hands down, the best photo essay we’ve published

Jaella Brush, Amaya Collier, Francesca Dietz, ElizaBess Estrada, Meredith Grotevant, Reese Hudson, Eliza Jensen, Sophie Leung-Lieu, Julian Magee, Ariana Mendez, Will Myren, Hadlee Varela, Grace Vitale, Francie Wilhelm, Annabel Winter, and Ben Zacharias
May 25, 2021
FESTIVE FACETIME- After reciting the Hanukkah prayers and lighting her menorah the first night of Hanukkah, Carolyn Schwarz talks with her parents, John and Rhoda Schwarz over Facetime. Usually the Schwarzes would gather in-person to celebrate Hanukkah, but due to the safety concerns of coronavirus they decided to take part in the festivities virtually this year. “Having older parents and knowing the health risks the virus could have on them made our holiday plans very clear” Carolyn said. “We knew that physically getting together would not be a safe option this year.” Carolyn celebrated the holiday at home with her husband and children while her parents celebrated with their dog, Winston. “So much is different this year,” Rhoda said. “It is a blessing that we can still celebrate with each other in some way.”

Celebrating the season despite COVID-19

Sophi Beardslee, Josie Bradsby, Lissa Castro, Amaya Collier, Maggie Coulbourn, Naomi Di-Capua, Meredith Grotevant, Ari Miller-Fortman, Madelynn Niles, Lanie Sepehri, and Dave Winter
December 22, 2020
Amaya Collier

Amaya Collier

Amaya Collier
October 20, 2020
LISTENING IN: Freshman Sophie Leung-Lieu and her shaggy dog, Sun Tzu lay on the floor with their headphones in. Moments after this photo was taken, Sun Tzu rolled over and was not in the mood to be posing. “It was difficult to get a good photo where he was sitting up straight,” Leung-Lieu said. “He looked grumpy in every other picture we took.” In the end, Sophie and her pet companion got the right shot.

A Tuesday Top 10 throwback to the first week of school

Frances Arellano, Peyton Casey, Amaya Collier, Francesca Dietz, Autry Guequierre, Sophie Leung-Lieu, Sully Madres, Lucy Marco, Helen Martin, Sarah Mbaya, Liliana Rodriguez, Lanie Sepehri, Fatima Trejo, Javier Vela, Grace Vitale, and Francie Wilhelm
September 29, 2020
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