The Shield (McCallum HS) Volume 71, Number 5

the shield

Knights look toward future

Senior relies on singing, acting talent to star in ZACH Theatre production page 7

Social studies teacher, wrestling coach to make move to Minnesota page 10

Junior columnist finds her old self, leisure time by deleting social media accounts page 32

MOVING ON

for summer

June 6

June 7

June 19

June 24

July 1-5

July 18

Board information session

Campus, district closed (on Fridays) Juneteenth Holiday (staff holiday)

Girls basketball week-long summer camp begins.

Austin ISD closed for summer break.

MAC Band percussion camps begins.

Sims bring style, skateboarding to art City of Austin withdraws from planned homeless service review

center sports

Class of 2024 future plans

This year’s graduating class will be spread far and wide in their career, education, military plans

Diving into purpose

High school lifeguard spills secret about his summer job: it’s not just about saving lives but inspiring them

FAFSA not moving fast enough

Nationwide glitches in new software roll out forces students to delay their final commitment decisions

ROBOTICS TEAM CRASHES WORLDS PARTY: Thanks to

third-place finish in the

competition at state, the senior robotics team advanced to Worlds, which was in (hold the applause) ... Dallas. At Worlds, the team did not place, but it did achieve its primary goals: to compete well against the world’s best and to have fun doing it.. Photo by Audrea Moyers.

24 CARAT GOLD: The Class of 2024 accomplished impressive feats in their time at McCallum and are taking their experience

post-high school plans. From

to trade school participants, these Knights are taking the world by storm in the senior Issue pullout. Graphic by Mira Patel.

Cover photo by Francie Wilhelm and Sophie Leung-Lieu

Addressing the root cause

AISD to fix GPA and rank issues dating back to the COVID pandemic classes

Chloe Lewcock people editor

As AISD seniors finish applying to college and receiving decisions for their futures, an issue surrounding GPA and class rank has arisen. During the COVID-19 pandemic, AISD moved all classes to being completed on a pass or fail grading system instead of the regular 0-100 scale. When students’ GPA and rank is calculated, all their high school level courses and weight are considered, and the pass/fail action made it so the calculations were off. While pass/fail practice was only used during the spring semester of the 2020 school year, the issue was only detected this spring and has caused ripples for current seniors’ GPAs and ranks.

Chief of governmental relations and board services Jacob Reach has had a significant role in addressing the issue for high school students.

“I support our Board of Trustees, legal services, policy and other programs in AISD,” Reach said. “As part of this [role], I review policy for the district and ensure alignment with our processes. In addition, I served as a senior staff member when the original COVID change to GPA was made, so I had institutional knowledge of the intent and reasoning.”

The recalculation process is in progress for these seniors to have the correct GPA and rank to send to colleges as well as the correct and updated numbers for graduation.

“The issue occurred when classes that should have replaced lower grades in certain circumstances [did not replace them],” Reach said. “The system did not correctly consider these pass or fail [courses] when determining if a student should be able to replace grades for rank GPA, which caused some students to not have their highest rank GPA courses considered.”

Due

and

replace the course.”

According to Reach, while the issue affects seniors almost exclusively, it in some rare cases affects juniors as well. Juniors who took high-school level courses during their middle school 2020 year also could face GPA and rank repercussions, something AISD is working to address.

“It is unlikely to have affected students early as the system issue was mostly due to when students took high school courses during the 2020 COVID year in middle school,” Reach said.

“ Our staff including our registrar had to hand calculate the GPA’s for the top 15%.

—Principal Andy Baxa ”

The problem affects students who took high school courses in their middle school years, or took pass/fail courses during the pandemic in high school.

“This would only affect a small portion of students,” Reach said. “If a student took a high school level core course in middle school during the COVID closure semester and took more courses than required for a core course in the same discipline, it is possible that the system did not properly

The issue itself is AISD wide. McCallum, under the leadership of Andy Baxa, is working to assist students during the recalculation process in hopes of resolving the issue with minimal disruption.

“Our staff, which included our registrar and counseling team, had to hand calculate the GPAs for the top 15% [of the senior class],” Baxa said. “This resulted in movement in both directions, with the largest increase being 10 spots and the largest decrease being six spots.”

As of March 8, seniors of the top 15% at McCallum have newly updated GPAs and ranks, but on that date the issue still existed for other parts of the McCallum classes including the rest of the senior class beyond the top 15% and any juniors who took high school classes

in middle school throughout the district.

“The impact to the rest of the school will be minimal,” Baxa said in March. “AISD is working on a process that will recalculate the GPAs for the rest of the class of 2024 and for subsequent classes.”

Students and parents raised concerns that the GPA and rank adjustments might affect automatic admission to Texas Schools.

“University of Texas accepts students in the summer prior to senior year based on GPA,” Reach said. “We have confirmation from UT that they would not rescind any acceptance.”

Although students already accepted into University of Texas and other Texas schools are in the clear for GPA and rank changes, any students who move into that range are in a different situation. According to Reach and Baxa, while the school itself doesn’t reconsider a new group of students, those who move up into the top 6% are able to appeal to schools.

“Those who already were accepted [will not be affected], but it could factor in if a student appeals their initial decision,” Baxa said. “[College counselor]Ms. Nix has been working with a couple of students to develop their appeal including the recalculated GPA.”

According to Baxa, the changes at McCallum were relatively mild.

“We only saw two students move into or out of the top 6%,” Baxa said.

While for the top 15% of the senior class the issue is resolved, the rest of the class and any affected juniors has had to wait longer for their rank and GPA adjustments.

“The district is working on a new formula which will correct the rest of the class of 2024 and future classes,” Baxa said. “We

hope the new formula will take care of the recalculation, and we will not have to hand calculate the rest of the students.”

Baxa confirmed with the Shield on May 17 that the school had not recalculated the GPAs for seniors outside the top 15 percent and that the plan was still for the district to provide a formula to complete the GPA and rank adjustments.

For students of the top 15% of the senior class, the anticipation of how this error would affect the college process was an added stressor during application season. For senior Sadie Roselle, not knowing what her GPA and rank would look like coming out of the recalculation left her feeling unsure.

“It was definitely a stressful situation for everyone that had the possibility of being affected by the change,” Roselle said. “Especially for seniors, rank and GPA are extremely important, and we all work really hard to maintain them.”

According to Roselle, the feeling of uncertainty was the worst part of the process. Not knowing what AISD was doing to fix the situation left seniors in a period of wait.

“Finding out that my stats could change negatively just based on a technical error made me feel almost helpless,” Roselle said. “There was nothing I could do to change it. Even if I were to work harder than ever in all my classes, my GPA could still drop.”

Roselle took comfort that some of her classmates was experiencing the same thing. “It wasn’t a change that only affected one of two students; we were all kind of in the same boat,” Roselle said. “I noticed that there was a lot of support going around as the changes were coming out.”

While the issue seemingly wasn’t preventable, Baxa said district and campus personnel are working to make the changes as quickly and efficiently as possible and will continue to work to make sure the issue is resolved fully.

“I think we can always look back at a situation and find errors and ways to avoid the issues brought on by a decision,” Baxa said. “With this situation, the solution came from the district. My role was to ensure the process was followed and help communicate the changes to the community.”

to rank

GPA discrepancies, some students saw significant changes to their stats. College and career counselor Camille Nix has worked with students to appeal their college decisions if they got rejected from schools because their GPA or class rank was lower than it should have been due to a district calculation error. Photo by Chloe Lewcock.

Austin withdraws from homeless services review

Concerns over ethics, efficacy leads city to seek alternative support systems

Priya Thoppil staff reporter

While homelessness in Austin has been a prevalent challenge for decades, Travis County commissioners voted on Feb. 5 not to participate in a review of services for people experiencing homelessness. The plan was to hire McKinsey & Company for a $2 million review of homeless services in Austin. The city would pay $1 million while Travis County, Integral Care and Central Health would pay the rest.

The City of Austin said it would not continue with the contract with the thirdparty global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, because it has “concluded that the conditions for the assessment have changed such that we cannot achieve the communitywide impact originally envisioned.” Two issues arose, that led to the cancellation of the review: Travis County commissioners felt the money could be better spent, so they elected not to participate in the study, and there were ethical concerns of moving forward with the consulting firm due to an investigation by The New York Times, which investigated McKinsey’s role in providing sales advice to drug-makers who manufacture Oxycontin.

“It’s their pattern and their history of unethical behavior,” Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea told KVUE. “I could not in good conscience pay to have them do an important analysis of the city and the county and other operations.”

The review of services provided to the homeless is a vital step for both people and nonprofits to ensure adequate resources are being provided.

One nonprofit based here in Austin, called The Other Ones Foundation, offers emergency shelter, work opportunities and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness in Austin.

Austin’s homeless neighbors into an engaged community through shelter, opportunity and support.”

“

[The homeless] are just people who are struggling, and we need to have more compassion for them.

According to the foundation’s director of communications Max Moscoe, the organization focuses on “transitioning

The nonprofit’s aim is to advocate for the voices of the homeless.

“We are consistently asking people experiencing homelessness what they want, and what they need,” Moscoe said. “These people are the real experts on homelessness and thus should be equal partners within the

—sophomore Alexis Fredine ”

homeless response system.”

Travis County, as well as the State of Texas, have both supported the work of the foundation, providing it with a major investment to continue the growth of shelter capacity in Austin. While the county and the state are taking steps to support nonprofits, Moscoe believes that there is more to be done.

“While a robust homelessness response including emergency shelter, outreach and diversion is important, it is ultimately ineffective if there are no places to house the people we are supporting,” he said. “We must continue to hear marginalized voices by inviting them to the table and working on a response to homelessness in our community.”

With a similar mindset as Moscoe, sophomore Alexis Fredine, who lives in a neighborhood close to a major road and therefore regularly sees homeless people in

nearby areas, believes the focus should be on long-term solutions.

“We need to focus more on affordable housing and job readiness instead of only temporary things like food,” they said. “There needs to be so much more infrastructure to not only help the homeless but get and keep people out of homelessness.”

Fredine noted that homeless people experience a lot of judgment and criticism.

“I think the homeless are portrayed as scary, dangerous, addicts, or like its their fault,” Fredine said. “However, they are just people who are struggling, and we need to have more compassion for them.”

In addition to facing criticism, the homeless population in Austin, and all over the world, are harmed by an inadequate distribution of services. The canceled review would have surveyed what was available, and Commissioner Brigid Shea told KUT that the county agrees that there needs to be a review of how each entity is serving the homeless population, but felt this was not the right approach.

In 2021 the county dedicated $110 million to build affordable housing with half of its American Rescue Plan Act funding, and most of the contracts are still being negotiated. Shea felt that since very little had been set into motion, the review might not have had its intended effect.

“We don’t see where it makes any sense for McKinsey to evaluate the effectiveness of this because there is nothing there yet,” she told KVUE.

Shea said the city is apprehensive of moving forward with this particular consulting firm but said that review is much needed.

“We certainly don’t have any disagreement with the idea of working with our governmental partners to really look at how we can improve our homeless services,” Shea told KUT, “but I don’t think there is an appetite for joining this [agreement] with this consultant.”

During a Feb. 7 Public Health Committee meeting, interim city manager Jesus Garza spoke about the homeless in Austin.

“It is our intent to be able to serve the poor and vulnerable in a more effective way,” he said. “I think the current system and the way we approached it has not met those objectives.”

Board of Managers chair Ann Kitchen told KUT while the contract isn’t moving forward, their commitment to align and coordinate its efforts has not changed.

The memo to the mayor and city council from Interim City Manager Jesus Garza details his update on the status of going through the review with McKinsey & Company.

news briefs

Adame to return to McCallum as an assistant principal

S

tudent

One year after departing from Mac for UT’s Texas Principal Leadership Academy, former science teacher Gabe Adame will return to Mac in the role of an assistant principal, Principal Andy Baxa said.

Baxa said he was thrilled to facilitate Adame’s return to Sunshine Drive.

“Mr. Adame’s experience as an instructional leader, community builder and a champion for inclusivity will greatly benefit the McCallum community. Welcome home, Mr. Adame!”

For his part, Adame at first offered a more sinister take on the big news.

“It’s been part of my evil plan all along,” Adame joked before offering a more substantive answer.

Adame said he felt a strong desire to return to McCallum.

“I’d say it comes down to three things: the

students, the staff and the community,” he said. “I owe it to all of them for the growth and drive they’ve fostered in me. There isn’t a better place to be, and I’m ready to serve them for years to come.”

Adame credited his mentors, namely fellow science teacher turned Brentwood Elementary administrator Elise Baughman, for encouraging him to pursue leadership opportunities. After the Maculty voted him the 2023 Mac Teacher of the Year, he left at the end of the 2022-2023 school year in order to return to UT to study administrative leadership.

“Since June last year, I’ve worked hard on completing my M. Ed in a year in hopes that I could someday serve the community that had given so much to me.”

That day has arrived.

To honor retiring Pew, Becker creates mural about Euler’s Identity

—Dave Winter

of Color Alliance sells snacks to share Asian culture

Freshmen from the Students Of Color Alliance sold Asian snacks during lunch on Thursday May 16. May is Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. To celebrate and teach others about the culture, SOCA students sold some of their favorite Asian foods.

In addition to the candy sales, SOCA members also invited students to express interest in SOCA by filling out an interest form that made students eligible for a drawing to win a big basket of Asian snacks.

Freshman Tegan Hahn said “Instead of just selling stuff, we wanted to make an event out of it and have fun doing it.”

The SOCA contingent working the table was diverse. Earlier in the month SOCA adviser Tonya Moore made a point of encouraging all McCallum students to join SOCA, not just students of color.

Freshman Bea Billig answered that call and said that the club is a great place to learn about other cultures and to support

students of color on campus. The club spreads awareness about different issues and hosts fun events for people to learn about different cultures like Thursday’s candy sale

and drawing. “The most memorable part (of being in the club) is the people you’re in there with,” Billig said.

—Raquel Reichler-Cantero

PALS raise $8,470 to combat world water crisis

The PALS raised more money during the Well Aware Shower Strike—$8,470—than any other school group. As a result, representatives from Well Aware visited the PALS class during sixth period on Tuesday May 21, throwing them a pizza party celebration as a thank you for their fundraising effort.

The Shower Strike is the single biggest fundraiser annually for Well Aware, a non-profit organization based in Austin and in Kenya, which focuses on

implementing sustainable clean water systems in communities that need them. The money they raised will help about 450 people in Africa get clean, easy-to-access water.

“I didn’t expect us to raise as much money as we did so it’s very impressive,” senior PAL senior Ellaiden Margrave said. “As a class, it makes us feel like we are able to make a change.”

CEO Sarah Evans and marketing manager Dani Daspit represented Well Aware and brought a pizza party to the PALS. Evans spoke to the PALS students, thanking them for participating in the shower strike.

—Shayla Allen and Lucia Chapman

Mr. Pew, a beloved math teacher and pianist, is retiring after 33 years of teaching. On Wednesday May 22 in the library after school, sophomore Chim Becker unveiled their mural dedicated to honor Pew’s 17 years as an influential teacher at McCallum.

“He made math really fun for me this year,” Becker said. “I have struggled with math in the past, but I finally started to understand it and have fun with it.”

Becker also stated that the mural, which they revealed to Pew after the fourth-period final on May 22, was a visual representation of what they were thinking when taught the mathematical statement known as Euler’s Identity.

“After he [Mr. Pew] taught me about Euler’s, it kind of blew my mind, so I guess in a way this mural represents what happened in my head at that moment. It’s this super cool statement in math that involves the most important figures in math, like zero, one, pi—I don’t remember exactly—but it kinda blew my mind.”

When asked what they would want to say to Mr. Pew as a final goodbye, sophomore Chim Becker— who created a library mural to honor Pew’s impact at Mac—said,

“I just hope he knows that he changed so many lives, like on hard days, I look forward to seeing him.” Becker added that Pew’s talents extend beyond mathematics. “He’s a great pianist, he’s a great artist, I feel like there needs to be more people like him in the world.”

Two days later, on Friday May 24, he addressed his colleagues at the year-end faculty meeting. He told them the before becoming a teacher, he was branch manager at a bank.

“It was a good job, I was good at it, and I just didn’t feel like I mattered, and I wanted to do something that mattered, so I think we [teachers] matter.”

He joked that he only had five dress shirts and they were getting old, so I was time for him to go.

“I have loved working with you,” he said. “You are the luckiest people in the world to work at McCallum. This is a great, great school, so be happy you’re here.”

—Katie Martin

The faculty voted Adame its 2023 Teacher of the Year. He will return in the fall as an assistant principal. Photo courtesy of Andy Baxa.

SOCA freshmen Bea Billig, Tegan Hahn, Paityn Jones and Jasmine Aung. Photo by Beatrix Lozach.

In his Peace Corps era shirt, adviser Richard Cowles distributes pizza to his PALS. Photo by Shayla Allen.

Sophomore Chim Becker and retiring math teacher Paul Pew pose in front of the library mural Becker created in Pew’s honor.

Photo by Sophia Manos.

a&e

may 31, 2024

Sims brings style and skateboarding to art

Junior’s diverse portfolio reflects identity, interest in multiple mediums

Josie Mullan staff reporter

Junior Will Sims’ interest in art began in fifth grade and has continued throughout high school. During his freshman year, Sims discovered his favorite artist, skateboarding photographer Ed Templeton, who became a big inspiration and a reference point for his drawings.

“Templeton’s art does a lot of skateboard photography and injuries,” Simms said. “I love to draw a bruise. I want people to feel the way I feel about my favorite artists.”

In his particular style, Sims focuses on individuality and uniqueness. He often gains inspiration for his artwork from the people he meets.

“When I look at people, I’m looking for art, and I notice the little things about them,” Sims said. “Like I have a friend who has weird ears, and I’m always like ‘I like your ears’ because I want to draw them.”

Sims also uses art to express affection for his friends and family.

“Any of my close friends [that] I really love, I appreciate them in my art,” Sims said. Throughout the years, art has greatly influenced Sims’ identity. He said the experience of drawing a wide range of people over and over has made him a more openminded person.

“I’ve looked at people with a less judgmental eye because I’ve always been able to find something I like,” Sims said. “I don’t think ugly people exist.”

His participation in the annual fashion show as a junior director also challenged him to create art in different contexts. Through designing posters and social media posts, Sims said the fashion show has given his artwork valuable exposure.

“I have to make it where parents can look at it, and teachers can look at it, and kids can look at it, so I have to work really hard to make it where it’s applied to everyone,” Sims said. “People have to look at it, and they’re going to have to send it to their parents, and eventually it gets to the right person.”

Senior director Cecilia Passos said Sims’ contributions to the fashion show improved the quality of their posters and graphic design compared to previous years.

“He has such a good sense of art [and] has made the posters a lot more interesting,” Passos said. “I like that he draws his

passions because you can tell when flipping through a Will Sims sketchbook what he’s into.”

Despite drawing being his main focus, Sims has delved into many different art forms by taking painting and printmaking classes at McCallum.

“I got into printmaking because you can make prints really fast, so it’s sellable,” Sims said. “But the thing with printmaking is I always end up liking my plates better than the print, so I might get into woodcarving.”

Art teacher Sara Massey believes that Sims finding his own style at such a young age will provide him a leg up in the art world.

“I think [Sims’ style] is very fluid and fast,” Massey said. “Will has a style that is unique, which is very difficult to find as an artist.

Right then and there, you know that’s

always kind of a one-up on a situation.”

This summer, Sims is participating in the prestigious pre-college program at Pratt Art Institute in New York. Sims said he is very grateful to his parents for nurturing his future in art.

“My mom has only ever encouraged me.” Sims said, “My parents helped me get into [the pre-college program at Pratt] and go do it, and it’s so cool that I had that opportunity.”

In the future, Sims wants to mesh his

passion for skateboarding and art into designing skateboards; however, he still wants to continue to create different types of media and not be restricted to one art form.

“I want to have my own company where I just work with everything and artists all the time,” Sims said. “I want to make posters, I want to make videos, I want to do animations, I want to create skateboards. I want to just do everything and get better all the time.”

Sims with his sketchbook, surrounded by several of the drawings from inside it.

Photo illustration by Josie Mullan.

A new queen of ‘The Prom’

Senior actor lands lead role in professional production at ZACH Theater

Chloe Seckar-Martinez staff reporter

Senior Ellie Loudermilk never saw herself playing a lead role at ZACH Theatre, but when she saw that there was an audition for the part of Emma in the musical The Prom, she decided to give it a shot.

“I actually auditioned on a whim because I love this show,” Loudermilk said. “The further I got into the audition the more I fell in love with the idea of playing Emma.”

Loudermilk has been a part of the ZACH PreProfessional Company since the end of August, but Loudermilk started with the company earlier to prepare for her college auditions.

When Loudermilk found out that she got the role of Emma, she felt multiple emotions all at once.

“When I first got the role I was filled with pure excitement,” Loudermilk said. “And then shock and fear after seeing the tedious schedule.”

In order to be ready to play Emma, Loudermilk had to come up with a way to balance schoolwork and production work. Loudermilk had rehearsals starting at 2 p.m., which ended at 11 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and on the weekends her rehearsals went from 11 a.m- 11 p.m.

“I have absolutely no idea how I am going to manage it all,” Loudermilk said before the rehearsals began. “Since I have Mondays off, I am going to try to do everything for the week, but it’s going to be really hard considering that I am taking four AP classes.”

Loudermilk felt a personal connection to Emma because the character is the only lesbian at her school fighting for the opportunity to get a prom where she is welcomed. Loudermilk sees Emma as resilient and powerful, able to face adversity alone.

”As a lesbian myself this story means a lot to me that she is able to fight for what she deserves even if everyones says she doesn’t deserve it,” Loudermilk said. “Even if anyone in the audience isn’t a lesbian, I think this story is very important because it shows that no one is alone, no matter how much it seems like it.”

Loudermilk credited MacTheatre with helping her learn what it means to be a good ensemble member, a skill which helped her create a character that is different than anyone who has ever performed that role.

“Being in the ensemble at MAC taught me to figure out my relationship to every person in the cast and how to show that without making it steal focus from the main action,” Loudermilk said.

Loudermilk said that starring in The Prom taught her what it is like in a professional acting setting, and that she can learn about the business side of acting from her adult castmates.

“The director is incredible and highly regarded, so I already know that I will learn so much from her,” Loudermilk said before

production started. “I will also learn how to handle a ton of responsibility on my back and hopefully make myself proud.”

Loudermilk believes that this experience helped her gain confidence as she braces for the world of professional theatre in college.

“I think it will help my confidence knowing that it is possible for me to hold this much responsibility,” Loudermilk said. “It keeps giving me the ‘Why not me?’ mentality, which has gotten me through the college process.”

Her younger MacTheatre peers see Loudermilk as an inspiration. Sophomore Maggie Brown said that Loudermilk has taught her how to stay true to herself and her talent even through the harsh opinions and criticism that are often a part of the theater industry.

“She is always confident in her abilities and knows her worth, which is an incredible and valuable quality in theater,” Brown said. “Ellie is a great example of trusting in your own hard work.”

Observing Loudermilk in the Mac productions they have been in together, Brown has learned from Loudermilk’s ability to adapt and play any character.

”Ellie is always willing to play new roles that challenge the characters she’s played before,” Brown said. “I think that’s a reminder to me about how

important versatility is.”

Last year Loudermilk performed in a production, Cows the Moosical, which was composed and music-directed by Brown. During this production, Loudermilk really showed how to adapt to daily changes and still put on an authentic performance.

“The process took a lot of willingness from the performers since they would be given notes and new material up until the night of the first performance,” Brown said.

“[Ellie]

became friends freshman year after house managing the spring play. From that moment, they have become inseparable.

Greene said that Loudermilk is one of the smartest people she has ever met.

is always confident in her abilities and knows her worth, which is an incredible and valuable quality in theater

—sophomore Maggie Brown ”

Brown believes that Loudermilk’s confidence is exceptional and contagious, making her an exemplary performer and castmate.

“Ellie’s confidence is a great quality and a great example for younger performers,” Brown said. “Also her ability to commit to each character she plays really helps her transform into her roles and give the audience a dedicated performance [that is] cleverly shown.”

Senior Olive Green has witnessed Loudermilk’s positive impact on the whole theater program from the beginning.

Green and Loudermilk

“She’s got this academic and problem solver kind of smarts, which is how she manages all the millions of things she does: school, rehearsals, et cetera, but then on top of that she’s one of the most emotionally intelligent people I know,” Greene said. “She manages to exude energy, joy and fun while juggling a crazy schedule.”

Greene also admires Loudermilk for her talent and, most of all, her creativity.

“She’s the definition of ‘read between the lines,’” Greene said. “She loves to put her own spin on any character she plays, and it’s really natural for her to come up with different interpretations of scenes that make them so much funnier and more compelling.”

Over the past four years Greene has watched Loudermilk grow into a mature and seasoned performer. She says that Loudermilk is very self-assured, which is demonstrated in her performances.

“I’ve really watched her develop her sense of self,” Greene said. “Since freshman year, she’s grown into such a strong personal identity that she doesn’t compromise on any circumstance, which has given her a lot of ambition and drive for things she cares about.”

Loudermilk as Fastrada during the dress rehearsal of “Spread a Little Sunshine” from the musical Pippin. Photo by Gergo Major.

fine arts briefs

‘Live’ Blue Brigade spring show blends energy, emotion

Junior lieutenant Gaby Alvarado performs the team’s contemporary

On Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27, the Blue Brigade held its annual spring show, this year entitled “BB Live.” The show contained traditional performances

Beyoncé were complemented by tender emotions. During their senior speeches and introductions, the Class of 2024 dancers shared what Blue Brigade means to them. A common answer was family. To channel this close sense of community, the team had a seat reserved in the MAC auditorium for senior Sofia Orton’s late mother with a poster and flowers that each team member delivered during the second act of the show.

This year, Jami Friedman joined the Blue Brigade family as the assistant director. Friedman took her experience as a Kilgore College Rangerette to clean and choreograph dances for the team’s contest season, some of which were showcased at the spring show.

Family also included Blue Brigade members from the past. During the last number of the Friday show, senior co-captain Kylie Reeves injured her knee and was unable to dance the next night. While she lost the opportunity to perform her senior solo and the group numbers, Reeves joined class of 2023 Blue Brigade officer alumni Nia Wayman and Sophia Kramer as an emcee.

—Francie Wilhelm

Cinco de Mayo show features wide range of performances

With a wide range of performers from current students to alums to professionals and even to a few guest performers from other Austin ISD campuses, McCallum’s Cinco de Mayo celebration united the past and the present and students from all over the city all for the purpose of celebrating the contribution of Mexican culture to the world. The event was organized and produced by Ballet Folklórico. Retired teacher Juana Gun, McCallum’s longtime expert on Cinco de Mayo and all things Latine, returned to campus to help Señora Telvi Altamirano Cancino emcee the show.

Leading up to the performance on Friday May 3, Ballet Folklórico students manned a ticket sales table at lunch in the main hallway. The $2 ticket price did not dissuade math teacher and PALS adviser Richard Cowles from stepping up to the booth on Wednesday May 1 and buying a class set of tickets so his entire eighth-period class could take in the show.

When Friday finally arrived, students left eighth period and headed to the MAC to enjoy the show, which featured a wide range of performers including the Ballet Folklórico troupe and live guest musical performances including a mariachi band. Members of Ballet Folklórico, sophomore Mailyn Gil and senior Keegan Sarwate danced the Mazatlan together during the Cinco De Mayo show on Friday. The Mazatlan dance comes from the region of Sinaloa.

During the show, various dances, songs, and beats were performed to celebrate Cinco De Mayo, a holiday which celebrates the Mexican victory over France on May 5, 1862. This is Gil’s second year being a part of Ballet Folklórico and also her second year

show “Perennial.” Photo by Chloe Seckar-Martinez.

July 18-July 26

MAC Band Percussion camp, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

July 22-July 26

MAC Band Color Guard Camp, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Aug. 3

MAC Band Everything Day in the MAC, 9 a.m.-noon

Aug. 23

MAC Band Bandapalooza, Band parking lot, 6:30 p.m.

to perform in the Cinco De Mayo show. With Altamirano-Cancino taking over as the new sponsor after Gun, the former sponsor of Ballet Folklórico, retired, new performances were introduced into this year’s show.

One new performance was a performance by the Knights of Steel. Watching the performance was Gil’s favorite part of this year’s show.

“All of the club members were dancing and having fun backstage,” she said.

In addition to enjoying the drum performance, Gil also said that performing “The Torito” was a highlight because of the costume elements.

“Women wore the traditional Chiapas dress, which has colorful flowers embroidered in it,” Gil said. “The men wore Torito masks, which are handmade masks that look like bulls.”

—Jojo Barnard and Maya Tackett

Spring show includes grand opening of new dance building

The Mac Youth Dance Company performed in their spring dance concert, “Perennial”, in the MAC on Friday May 10 and Saturday May 11. The showcase was directed by seniors Ana Mejia, Olivia Hexsel, Spirit Smith, Gabriella Smith, Lucy Kuhn and Leyla Molina. The student directors picked the theme because of its relation to nostalgic feelings and meaning: lasting for an infinite time. Saturday was additionally the grand opening of the new Dance Academy Building, marking a celebration before the show itself. The grand opening consisted of community dance classes for Mother’s Day, a ribbon cutting by the dance directors, as well

as a commemorative performance from the Samba Knights.

All the events led up to the second and final performance of the show. Afterwards, there was a celebratory reception in the DAB with drinks, snacks and a DJ.

Sophomore Elliana Rocap said the show highlighted the work of seniors throughout their four years with the company.

“The theme represents the legacy that the seniors want to leave,” Rocap said. “As a sophomore, I know how much this show meant to them as their last show with McCallum and how hard they worked to leave the school with the best show they could.”

The showcase displayed dances from beginner to advanced classes. On Friday, dancers from Lamar Middle School did an encore performance from their spring show. Rocap said the new dance building will allow for more space in which to choreograph and rehearse. The building will become the hub for all things dance at Mac.

“The dance building took a long time to get here, but I am very excited that we finally have it,” Rocap said. “The grand opening was very special especially because we went to have one of our old directors on the phone to witness all of her hard work paying off.”

Scan the QR Codes or visit macshieldonline.com to view our Tuesday Top 10 photo galleries for ‘BB LIVE’ (left), Cinco de Mayo (center) and ‘Perennial’ (right).

Junior Zoe Maxwell’s choreographed the dance, “Flames,” set to “MOVE” by Beyoncé, for the spring student-directed

—Nate Williams

Sophomore Mailyn Gil and senior Keegan Sarwate performing at the Cinco de Mayo show. Photo by Henry McDaniel.

may 31, 2024

Conquering cosmetology

To pursue their passion, alumni forgo four-year college for beauty school

Emerson Merritt staff reporter

From doing makeup and skincare to hair and nails, many McCallum students are passionate about cosmetology and use that passion in their future studies beyond high school Class of 2023 alum Maddie Hello chose to attend Baldwin Beauty School after graduating, instead of a traditional four-year college.

“My aunt owns a salon, so the summer before my junior year, she let me help out at the salon, and I really just fell in love with the environment,” Hello said. “She is best friends with all of her clients, and seeing her spend the day with people she loves is important to me as a future career. It really inspired me to pursue doing hair.”

Texas has a variety of beauty schools such as Paul Mitchell School, Baldwin Beauty School The Franklin School and many more.

“I ended up choosing Baldwin Beauty School since it’s the one my aunt went to,” Hello said. “It’s been around for a long time, which definitely gives it more credibility, and it’s honestly one of the most affordable beauty schools.”

Hello chose the hair route rather than makeup or nails since that’s where her interests lies the most.

“Haircuts are my favorite thing,” Hello said. “I love some fun layers or bobs. They’re so fun to do. I think the whole point of doing hair is making people feel beautiful and comfortable in their skin, and it’s special and heartwarming when you see a reaction like that from someone.”

According to Hello, interacting with her classmates is an essential at cosmetology school and integral to the learning process.

“The other students there are my favorite part of going to Baldwin,” Hello said. “Everyone comes from different backgrounds or are at very different points in their life, but we all come together to support each other and help one another.”

Hello said interacting with new clients is the highlight that makes the career worth it.

“I love giving people fresh cuts or dye and seeing their face light up with joy when it’s done,” Hello said.

Hello hopes in the future to open her own

salon but plans to start her career under the guidance of more experienced stylists.

“I first really want to find a salon that is a good fit for me,” Hello said. “Later I might decide to get my own space, either a studio space or my own salon.”

Gia Ruedas also graduated from McCallum in the Class of 2023. She also ended up going to Baldwin Beauty school to get her cosmetology license in hair.

“I chose Baldwin because of its ‘homey’ environment,” Ruedas said. “When I went on the tour to visit the school last year, everyone was so welcoming and sweet.”

Ruedas grew up doing cheer and playing softball. Both sports required her to do her and her teammates’ hair.

“I fell in love with doing hair because of the sports I did,” Ruedas said. “I always knew it was something I wanted to do.”

Baldwin students learn to cut, dye and style hair.

“My favorite thing to do is giving someone a whole transformation,” Ruedas said. “I love highlights, colors and balayage, whatever they want. I then do a cut and a nice blow out to finish it out. I love seeing the whole transformation.”

As Ruedas continues school, she sees more and more clients each day.

“I love connecting with my clients in the little amount of time I have with them,” Ruedas said. “Even though appointments are only up to two hours, we finish like I’ve known them for years.”

Ruedas plans to take her hair license to the teaching route.

“I want to take my knowledge in different directions,” Ruedas said. “I want to be able to educate others like me who are scared to come out of their shell and influence others to do what they love.”

Along with seeing clients every day, Ruedas also sees classmates and instructors.

“I love seeing everyone in the environment,” Ruedas said. “I have grown so much, and all the instructors make me feel really comfortable about myself and the work that I do. They push me to be the best, and I couldn’t thank them enough.”

Bucher bids farewell

History and wrestling coach to teach in Minneapolis next school year

Nate Williams opinion editor

As a mob of former President Donald Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Robert Bucher was teaching his very first government class over Zoom. Four years later, Bucher is teaching in his final semester at Mac and is branching out to new opportunities up north.

“When the insurrectionists went and some were breaking into the Capitol, I said, ‘There is nothing I’m going to teach you about government today that is more important than this,’” Bucher said.

Bucher led his class through watching live news coverage online, creating a lasting memory of his time at McCallum and connecting a prominent current issue to his class.

After joining Mac in August of 2019, Bucher was finishing his first year when the pandemic arrived. Now an AP Psychology and history teacher and a wrestling coach, Bucher has made a lasting impact on academics and athletics at McCallum.

“I helped grow the wrestling team and had a great time doing that,” Bucher said. “I brought in the AP Psych class, so I’ve been doing that for the last four years.”

Junior Tegan Rutherford, an AP Psychology graduate and a teacher assistant for Bucher, said being in his class has made her a better thinker and a better student overall.

“When he’s teaching about the parasympathetic nervous system, he will pick a kid and bang on their desk, so he’s really just an engaging teacher,” Rutherford said. “I’ll remember how loud he talks, it is just so iconic really.”

Bucher not only makes an impact on his students, but they also learn from each other and have been able to grow in the classroom environment he creates. In turn, Bucher learns from his students. They impact him both in the classroom and also through their art and interests outside of history or psychology.

“Running into my students at really cool shows at Mohawk and Stubbs, seeing all their great artwork and seeing some great growth and victories from wrestlers to seeing all the great kids study for and pass the AP Psych exam is memorable,” Bucher said.

Bucher’s portable mate, English teacher James Hutcheson, said he will greatly miss his next-door school neighbor.

“He’s always there to help anytime you need it, and it’s been reciprocal,”

Hutcheson said.

“Teachers learn from each other and I’ve learned a lot from him.”

Hutcheson and Bucher

have not just been door-to-door partners, but also friends.

“He rode his motorcycle out to my house in Elgin one time with his then-fiancée,” Hutcheson said. “And we all played disc golf, which was very fun.”

Bucher will leave Mac at the end of this semester. He and his wife will move north to Minneapolis, where he will continue teaching and possibly continue coaching.

Bucher said that

“so they’re concerned with climate change and they have built their city around bike lanes and spent tax dollars on things that benefit the people.”

Teachers learn from each other and I’ve learned a lot from him.

—teacher

James Hutcheson

”Minneapolis “is perfect” and can not wait to be in the frigid state.

“[Minnesota is] a perfect storm of it being a unionized state, so teachers have more protections and more privileges, they get paid better and have schools that reflect that,”

Bucher said. “It’s a very progressive city and state,

The winter temperatures do not scare Bucher, who grew up in Indiana. The move allows him to move back to his roots and pursue new career opportunities.

“It’s super cold, but I grew up in the cold, and my wife is actually the one who really wants to get away from the Texas heat,” Bucher said.

While this may be Bucher’s last semester at Mac, his contributions to the school will continue long after he departs. The AP Psychology class will be taken up in a new year-long format by fellow history teacher Clifford Stanchos, and the wrestling team will continue to compete.

“I love McCallum, I love the community here, I love the school, I love the wrestling team, I love the students, I love the teachers and administration,” Bucher said. “We are heading off to greener pastures.”

Robert Bucher in Portable City, near his classroom of the past four years. Photo by Nate Williams.

Bucher, standing in Portable City, is teaching his last semester at Mac before leaving Texas and moving to Minnesota in the fall. Photo by Nate Williams.

McCallum High School / 5600 Sunshine Drive / Austin, TX 78756 May 31, 2024 / Volume 71 / Special section for the Class of 2024

AN ENCHANTED PROM KNIGHT

Seniors celebrate close of high school years with a final dance together

Sofia Orton dances with Luka Alvarez. ”I did try and coordinate my outfit with the theme,” Orton said. “My shoes were these sparkly high heels that wrapped up my leg a bit, and I felt like a little forest fairy.”

Photo by J. Frank Webster.

The senior class voted Olivia Hexsel and Lucas Leone as its prom queen and king. Hexsel said that the night was “truly a blessing. Dancing and taking pictures with everyone was unforgettable.” Photo by Sophia Manos. every moment I have with my friends.”

Photo by Tristen Diaz.

Senior Jude Masoni (third from left): “It was awesome that all the seniors got to have a little event to enjoy together as a send off,” Masoni said. “My favorite memory from prom was just dancing; it was pretty fun.” Photo by J. Frank Webster.

Seniors Santiago Delgado-Morrison, Fidel Sanchez Rosas and Henry Zabal pose for a photo at their senior prom. “It was not like anthing I expected,” Zabal said. “I’m going to remember that night for a long time.” Photo by Tristen Diaz.

Senior Marshall Clifton dances as a circle surrounds him, and all he wanted to do was dance and have the time of his life. “I was kind of going with the music and with the vibes and just groovin,” Clifton said. Photo by J. Frank Webster.

ANSWER KEY

BABY 6 ABOVE: This senior is very social and plays the guitar. He also loves Ms. Summerville.

BABY 3 TO THE LEFT: This senior can be found in the dance studio as she has been dancing outside of school for 14 years.

BABY 7 TO THE

This senior has been playing club soccer for 10 years and violin for seven years. She is also apart of NHS, Environmental Knights and Key Club.

Baby 1- Manuel Perez

Baby 2- Clara McFadden

Baby 3- Isabella Scott

Baby 4- Meredith Grotevant

Baby 5- Teddy Ibsen

Baby 6- Ayden Lee

Baby 7- Angelina Rowley

RIGHT:

may 31, 2024

JUDE MASONI

Masoni plans to attend Liberty University to study commercial aeronautics

Jude Masoni will attend Liberty University in Virginia in the fall. Liberty boasts one of the largest faith-based collegiate aviation programs in North America. Masoni plans to earn a bachelor of science in commercial aeronautics, with hopes to become a pilot. Masoni’s mom attended Liberty for graduate school, making him a legacy. While Masoni was drawn to Liberty for many reasons, the main one was the strength they had in his major.

“They had a really good program for the major I was looking at,” Masoni said. “They put a lot of money into the program, so it’s pretty nice and there are a lot of planes.”

to rolling admissions, he got accepted early in the year and early in the morning on that fateful day,

“I woke up,” Masoni said, “and I was in bed half asleep and I saw the email pop up, and I was like ‘Wait, no way,’ so I opened it and ran up to my mom and I was like ‘I got in!’ It was a pretty fun moment.”

“ They put a lot of money into the program, ... and there are a lot of planes. —Jude Masoni

”

Becoming a pilot popped up on Masoni’s radar late into his junior year.

“A family friend planted the idea,” he said. “But we lost contact with him, so I had to figure out how to do it on my own, and I thought that

There is much that Masoni is looking forward to on campus and soaring above it.

“There is just a lot to do,” he said, “and I will also be flying out of a local airport.”

While he is excited about Liberty, he also knows it will be a big change.

“I have been in Texas a long time, so it is going to be a little bit weird being on the East Coast,” he said.

And while he has made many memories at Mac, the highlight of his high school years has involved the people around him.

“Honestly just meeting a lot of new people and being able to hang out with friends has been the highlight [of McCallum],” Masoni said.

—Shila Gill

SINCLAIR KELLER

Keller to pursue passion for fashion film by studying at Trinity in San Antonio

Sinclair Keller dreamed of leaving Texas until her older brother convinced her that curriculum was more important than location when choosing a school. Following that advice, she selected Trinity University in San Antonio, where her brother also attends, so she could study fashion.

Her McCallum experience influenced Keller’s pursuit of a higher fashion education. The art classes Keller took at McCallum have shaped her views on fashion; she applies the principles she learned in ceramics to her fashion, describing them both as sculptural.

As a visual arts major, Keller soaked up extensive experience and knowledge about her subject area and hopes to extend her expertise even further to fashion film. Keller said she also drew daily inspiration from her peers.

“I mean how can you not be inspired by the people around you?” Keller said. “Everyone has a different style; it’s so cool.”

She found particular inspiration as a model and designer in McCallum’s annual fashion show, and last summer Keller spent two weeks learning about fashion in New York City through

the Sotheby Institutes program, where she was explored museums and the fashion industry.

“It was the coolest experience of my life,” Keller said. “I met so many important people in the fashion industry. There were people from around the world, so there were so many different views and accounts of fashion. This summer, I don’t have plans set yet, but I’m hoping to go to Italy or France to experience some international fashion.”

Keller discovered a passion for fashion film through watching big names like Chanel and Dior but is heavily inspired by a 2008 origami-inspired look from Hong Kong Fashion Week. Since seeing the film, Keller has been influenced to start creating her own films.

“I have filmed some small things for friends,” Keller said. “They aren’t necessarily fashion films, but it’s been a good experience.”

With a passion for fashion and film, Keller is entering college with an undecided degree, but after touring a studio space at Trinity and meeting a film professor, Keller was blown away by the possibilities that await her in college.

—Magnolia Mass

Graphic and photo by Nate Williams.

Graphic and photo by Nate Williams.

Cypher Rosonnette

Rosonnette to study welding at ACC after he receives good advice from unexpected source

Cypher Ronsonnette has recently discovered their love for arts, specifically the beauty of welding. This all sparked when Ronsonette was skating in the park and came across unexpected inspirations.

“I was skating one day, and I found these older skaters,” Rosenette said. “So I started talking to them, hoping they could give me some advice because I still didn’t know what I was going to do after high school. Then they recommended that I should try welding. I was like, ‘Oh I never thought about that,’ but it sounded interesting, and one thing led to another, and now I’m studying [welding] at ACC next semester.”

Ronsonette was able to find their liking to welding via their connections with family and construction workers. While testing out this new medium, Ronsonette found that it was similar to their pre-existing passion for sewing and crafts.

“My uncle works in construction and has welding materials,” they said. “So I visited him and tried it out, and I just really liked it. I like to sew and just make things in general, so when I tried welding it was just like sewing but with metal.”

Ronsonette says that their interests in welding sparked their commitment to study at ACC, as well as a possible career choice for the future.

“I’m taking a bunch of art classes at ACC, other than just welding, and I’m taking sewing, printmaking and maybe even ASL,” Ronsonette said. “I’m taking a twoyear-long welding course at ACC, and then after I kind of experiment with welding and the arts there, I might go into the field of shop welding, if I enjoy it of course, but continue sewing on the side, kind of as a hobby.”

Even though welding is a possible career choice for Ronsonette, they know that they will always have their options open to other careers, if welding doesn’t work out.

“Welding is my main plan right now, because I don’t know exactly what I want to do for my life at this time, so I want to do something I know I can make money off of, that I also enjoy and learn a new skill, but if I figure out other plans I’m more interested in, I know I can pursue them.”

Rononette thinks the most interesting thing about welding is its commonality. While there are many types of welding, they know that the art form is much more valuable than people give it credit for.

“Most things that you see are welded in some way,” Ronsonette said. “The school [McCallum] is welded, your car is welded. I guess it’s just interesting to see how a passion can become such an important part of our lives, and most people don’t even realize it.”

—Sofia Saucedo

Sebastian Banks

Hooked on forensics since middle school, Banks to study subject at St. Edward’s

Senior Sebastian Banks’ interest in forensic science blossomed in middle school when he latched onto his father’s love for watching CSI videos. At home, the two would watch 48 Hours and the like together; at school, Banks took a criminal law course that first showed him the exciting potential of the subject. His interest in forensic science has only grown since then.

Banks intends to study it for the next four years at St.Edward’s University in Austin.

Banks was primarily attracted to St. Ed’s because of its forensics program, which he felt could provide him with career opportunities down the road. He’s not exactly sure what he intends to become, but he’s drawn to forensic science because it is limitless.

“I like it because there are a lot of different avenues,” Banks said. “One of them is toxicology and doing blood work, and I thought that was really cool. I’m not completely sure what I want to do post-college, but I just know l’d like to do something in that field.”

In his time at Mac, Banks has built his interest in his chosen field by taking science teacher Sydney Schriever’s forensics class. But the activity he’s proudest of being part of, and will miss most when he graduates, is the guitar program. As a freshman, Banks was an advanced student and has been in Chamber since 10th grade.

“I played guitar all through middle school, but in high

school, I feel like I really found my passion for it,” he said. “So I got more serious about playing and practicing. [I got] a little bit more competitive, trying to get into competitions and do as best as I can.”

While it has been difficult to balance guitar and a busy schedule, Banks will miss the daily influence of his chosen instrument.

“I’m gonna miss playing so much because I didn’t realize until this year how much music plays a role in my life and how much I play throughout the week, aside from practicing in school,” Banks said. “I think last year and this year, I have three classes devoted just to music, so it’s a lot.”

Without specific time in his day blocked off for music, Banks will have to work hard to keep it in his life.

“I want to keep playing, but I’m not sure how,” Banks said. “I’m going to keep practicing on my own. But l’d like to join some kind of music group [at St. Ed’s] because I think that’d be really fun. They don’t have classical guitar specifically, which is what I play, but I’ll just have to see. And there’s a big classical guitar scene in Austin.”

While Banks has enjoyed high school, he is looking forward to the freedom of college life.

But he won’t forget his four years as a Knight.

“I hope to come back and visit for guitar concerts and see how the program develops,” Banks said.

—Lanie Sepehri

Graphic by Nate Williams. Photo provided by Rosonnette.

Graphic by Nate Williams. Photo provided by Banks.

senior editors bid

The nine senior editors share highlights, memories and learning

Chloe Lewcock people editor

Three years, 540 days, countless weekends, and persevering through the challenges.

These were the essential elements that brought the nine senior McCallum Journalism editors together. From coming into the program as staff reporters and using every day to navigate the ropes of the school newspaper, to being the leaders of the staff, the senior editors worked collectively to find achievement and bring the brightest success they could to the program.

Their story, however, started three years ago. The collection of the nine senior editors of the Shield is made up of Morgan Eye, Eliza Jensen, Caroline Owen, Sophie Leung-Lieu and Naomi Di-Capua. Additionally, Francie Wilhelm, Alice Scott, Lanie Sepehri and Ingrid Smith make up the four editors-in-chief.

Wilhelm, Sepehri, and Smith joined the newspaper their sophomore year looking for a way to use their love of writing and search for a unique and beneficial connection to the community.

“All the social aspects of journalism have been very transformative for me,” Wilhelm said. “I’m a much more confident person. I like talking to people and as a leader, all this stuff I’ve done junior and senior year would not have been possible if I wasn’t a journalist.”

Scott joined The Shield her freshman year coming in with a background knowledge of journalism from middle school, knowing it was something she wanted to pursue all four years of high school.

“When I first joined, I didn’t see the bigger picture of what we were doing,” Scott said.

“As I’ve come throughout the program these past four years, I started to find the benefits in thinking big picture and being a leader and an editor, and all of the value in that aspect of journalism.”

The editors came in on their separate paths, but come senior year and the commitment of being co-editor in chiefs, the group of four found friendship, resilience, and a myriad of skills going into their futures, according to Wilhelm.

“Even when it’s hard or it’s tiring or overwhelming, being involved in McCallum Journalism, opened up to so many new experiences,” Wilhelm said. “Like as EICs, we’re in charge, and it’s nice when it can be all four of us together. It’s a united front.”

This united front is largely how the editorsin-chief found their rhythm, routine and schedule in the daily newspaper class, as

“One of the things I love most about newspaper is the people who do it,” Sepheri said. “I was friends with a lot of these girls before we did newspaper, but being in it together has made our friendship so much stronger and gotten us to be closer.”

For the past three years, Room 134 has become the home base for all things newspaper and has provided a haven for learning and communication according to Smith.

“I’m going to miss being in a room where people are committed to raising the voices of people in our community here at school,” Smith said. “I’m glad that it’s been my anchor. It’s led me to so many different things that I never thought I would do.”

we’ve done and feel good about the work.”

The role has additionally allowed the editors to learn more about the responsibilities of journalists, Di-Capua said.

“If you mess up, it’s on you,” Di-Capua said. “So really learning how to balance what you need and learning to be accountable when you mess up is something I’ve learned on staff.”

While the shift from staffer to editor was reportedly rocky, Owen said that once she found her proper footing, she better understood the connection between editor and staff member.

“ All the social aspects of journalism have been very transformative for me.

Whether a section editor, managing editor, or editor-in-chief, the seniors all had different roles in ensuring the paper would come out seamlessly and that came with always providing a helping hand. For design and visuals editor Sophie Leung Lieu, this part of the job was essential to success.

“If I’m ever stuck on something I know who to talk to, and I’m going to miss that,” Leung-Lieu said. “I think we’ve gotten to a really good rhythm of helping each other out when we need it and have that solid foundation of help.”

While the staff consists of a multitude of different editors ranging in positions, social media managing editor Naomi Di-Capua notes that the person that keeps everyone steady, and has been responsible for a lot of the success in the newsroom, is adviser Dave Winter.

“A pretty big majority of us walk into the program with absolutely little to no journalistic experience,” Di-Capua said. “To be blessed with a sturdy adviser who is consistently there and is as amazing and patient and as talented of a journalist as Mr. Winter is the best gift a student could ask for.”

Despite the senior editors having a wide variety of roles within the staff, each learned valuable lessons from their time as staffers, editors and leaders. For print managing editor Caroline Owen, one lesson was efficiency.

“I learned that you should try to manage your time wisely,” Owen said. “Every year at the end of the year we can look back at all the issues

—editor in chief Francie Wilhelm

”

“When you try to teach a younger staffer, level with them and talk to them as equals,” Owen said. “Not editor to staffer but person to person.” In addition to the daily learning opportunities, the senior co-editors-in-chief note the moments that brought them together on the job.

“The editors-in-chiefs are connected,” Wilhelm said. “I think we are all just brought together by this very unique extracurricular.”

From the Texas Association of Journalism Advisers Fall Fiesta annual convention to UIL competitions to coverage of sporting events, the moments the editors shared formed their close bond.

“There were intense moments when we were trying to finish the issue [at Fall Fiesta],” Scott said. “But I think it was also really nice because that was our first issue this year and we all got to be together to work on it and that hasn’t necessarily been how it’s gone for every issue.”

For news editor Morgan Eye, experiences like these conventions allowed staff bonding moments alongside improving skills in the journalism world.

“Some of my greatest memories are traveling with the journalism team to different conventions like SXSW EDU or when we did the ILPC summer workshop at the University of Texas and did courses together there,” Eye said. “It [allowed me] to work with my team outside of the classroom and has built us our connection and made us a better staff, and I feel more motivated to pursue journalism when I’m with my fellow editors.”

Then juniors Lanie Sepehri, Sophie Leung Lieu and Naomi Di-Capua view the second issue of volume 70 produced during the 20222023 school year. Photo by Dave Winter.

Senior Eliza Jensen prepares MacJ Tattoo’s and QR codes to pass out in hopes of gathering donations for the 2024 Newspaper fundraiser. Photo by Dave Winter.

Then juniors Naomi Di-Capua, Francie Wilhelm, Lanie Sepehri, Alice Scott and Ingrid Smith wear arm bands in support for Student Press Freedom Week. Photo by Dave Winter.

macjournalism adieu

after their years on staff and talk friendship growth through the program

For Eye, the community was a big part of what pushed them to become a better writer and journalist.

“Being an editor has taught me how to talk to people I normally wouldn’t work with.” Eye said. “I have met people that I embrace now as my journalism family and leadership skills, which have shown through and teaching, which I have come to love the most.”

The editors-in-chief are responsible for a large part of the final editing process. Producing a full paper takes multiple sets of eyes, several rounds of edits and revision. The EICs are responsible for the final rounds of revision, as well as picking the stories that will fit in each issue.

“I think a lot of the work I do is a lot more big-picture work,” Scott said. “And does that mean I write fewer stories sometimes? Sure. But I think it’s, there’s a lot to be said for leading a program and trying to leave it better than you found it.”

The section editors are responsible for the edits on stories, and preparation of them for further edits, design, and eventually publication. For A&E editor Eliza Jensen, this process of being an editor for the past two years has been a learning experience.

“I have to reach out to a lot of people to make sure they’re getting their work done and also just be patient,” Jensen said.

The senior managing editors each take roles within different realms of newspapers and provide the outreach of news and information from different platforms.

For Di-Capua, managing social media allowed her to translate a part of journalism she connected with into her managing role.

“It wasn’t a position until my junior year,” Di-Capua said. “I walked into my editor interview my junior year and was like, ‘This is what I want. I know it’s not a thing, but let’s make it a thing,’ which also meant that I had to take a lot of time to like, learn how to define that role.”

reason I want to go on and do journalism in college and beyond,” Scott said. “There are so many different ways that you can tell stories and ways you can engage an audience.”

Scott, Smith, and Eye plan on continuing to study journalism in college.

“The social media aspect set me up with some good skills that I am going to take with me into the future,” Eye said. “How to check engagement, see what works and doesn’t work in terms of your audience and that’s a really good life skill I can take into the workforce.”

“

Being an editor taught me how to work with people I normally wouldn’t work with.

While for some of the senior editors, their experience in journalism ends in high school, others, such as Scott, will take the lessons they have learned in the newspaper room and apply them at the next level of their education.

“I learned about design, and I learned about podcasts, and so I think that is really what has sparked my love for journalism, and it’s the

For Eye who plans to major in journalism, getting to work in both print and social media platforms allowed her to develop different skills.

“From news editing, I am a few steps ahead of the game than other people are for college,” Eye said. “I know AP style, I know how to integrate quotes correctly and skills you gain from writing carry over a lot and have set me up well.”

—news editor Morgan Eye

”

Not all the senior editors plan to pursue journalism as a professional career. Jensen, for example, plans to major in environmental science; but even if her future study won’t include journalism, she says her time with

MacJ has equipped her for the future.

“I have learned patience and communicating with people I’m not used to talking to,” Jensen said. “I still remember the first review I wrote for my section, and I was proud of that and my work ethic with it.”

The diversity of experience that the newspaper has offered seniors has allowed these editors to find their places to shine.

“Newspaper is such a diverse field because you have people who take photos, you have people who write, you have people who use video, you have people who edit and design, and I think that’s what drew me there,” DiCapua said.

For the editors, each moment, small or large, has been an important part of the MacJournalism journey.

“I have memories that I’ll just really like treasure for so long, that I would not have been able to make if I wasn’t in journalism,” Wilhelm said. “So it does make me a little sad to know that even if I continue student journalism in college, it will not be the same that it has been for so many years.”

In the end, the friendships formed through the Shield allowed the senior editors to come together for one final year and do their part to make the Shield the best it could be.

“I’m grateful that I got to experience McCallum through the world of Mac Journalism,” Scott said. “I think this program consumes your life in a good way, and it’ll be weird not to have that.”

—with reporting by Kyan Adams, Tristen Diaz and Callen Romell

Senior editors surround adviser Dave Winter on “Dress Like Your Favorite Teacher Day” one of McCallum’s spirt days. Each editor took on a different Winter persona to celebrate their favorite teacher. Photo by Chloe Lewcock.

Seniors Naomi Di-Capua, Lanie Sepehri and Sophie Leung Lieu hug senior Alice Scott in celebration of Scott winning 2024 Texas Journalist of the Year. The four gather after Scott is surprised with a party for her award. Photo by Dave Winter.

Then junior Caroline Owen converses with then senior Charlie Partheymuller at the 2022 Taco Shack Bowl, while working on posting the live game coverage for the MacJournalism Instagram. Photo by Dave Winter.

senior sports stars sign off Graduating athletes take talents to collegiate level

Priya Thoppil staff reporter

As seniors prepare to attend colleges, a few seniors’ decisions looked different because of the added component of collegiate sports. For high school seniors dedicated to pursuing their chosen sport at a higher level, the process can begin as early as freshman year. Students reach out, attend college camps and are in constant contact with college coaches, establishing a line of communication. For high schoolers, the earliest a college can start formally communicating with a student is June 15 after their sophomore year or Sept. 1 of their junior year.

tournaments and becoming more involved in the college process.

“I began emailing coaches pretty frequently at least once every three weeks with information about myself, my academic resume and my results in fencing,” Alfarache said. “Additionally, I would make an effort to introduce myself to coaches when I saw them at national tournaments.”

“ Make sure you like the school behind the sport, it’s a very important part of your future senior

Ohad Klein

Senior Gabi Alfarache committed to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in part because it has a D1 fencing program which will allow her to continue her fencing career.

While she didn’t formally commit until her senior year, her college recruitment process began when she was 15. She began compiling the statistics of her wins, losses and points, competing in more

For most collegiate sports, athletes are encouraged to take the first steps by reaching out and expressing interest in colleges. College coaches will then respond and invite athletes to camps and potentially watch them play at their school or club games.

”

That was how the process began for senior Sarah Hauck, who is committed to Tufts University to play soccer, a Division III program. Hauck knew all along she wanted to focus on a school with a top academic program while also pursuing her passion for soccer.

“It just depends on your priorities,” Hauck

said. “For me it was academics.”

Like Hauck, senior Ohad Klein has spent his high school career playing soccer while preparing to continue playing in college. He played soccer at McCallum all four years of high school, the first two years on JV and the last two on varsity. Klein plans to walk on to the soccer team at Trinity University in San Antonio.

“A lot of people around my age stop playing and go a different route, but I love playing,” Klein said. “I play every day, and I wanted to keep it going,”

Playing a sport during the school year, all three seniors noted, can take mental, physical, and time commitments. But, for Hauck playing sports helped keep structure in life.

“You have to schedule a time during the day or after practice when you want to do your homework, you don’t just go home and have the whole afternoon off,” Hauck said. “In order for me to hang out with my friends, I had to get my homework out of the way but also had to deal with going to practice and other things.”

Klein also worked to organize his routine so that he had enough time for soccer and for school into his daily life.

“It was never an issue for me,” Klein said. “It can sometimes be stressful at times like when finals are happening.”

Alfarache feels that her social life was more impacted by her rigorous practice schedule than her academic life. This tradeoff is the necessary consequence of

spending so much time contacting and working with colleges as well as working on self-improvement.

“There are countless hangouts, parties and other social events that I missed out on,” Alfarache said. “Additionally, after years of this kind of schedule, people begin to assume I’m always busy and tend not to reach out as often because of it.”

All three seniors used their role in sports throughout high school as a pathway for the future, and have a word of advice for other students navigating the collegecommitment process.

“Be Bold!” Alfarache said. “I heard the quote ‘If you don’t believe you can do it, how will anyone else?’ and I think for scenarios like this, it’s a great concept to live by.”

Klein believes in truly loving your college and not just going because of the sports program.

“Make sure you like the school behind the sport,” Klein said, “It is a very important part of your future, and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and ask questions.”

Finally, Hauck’s message is to be openminded in the end.

“Don’t shut down a college just because of its division level,” she said. “There are schools with very good programs and people. Don’t put yourself down when you call one college or another, and a coach doesn’t like you. Try to look through a positive note, and find a program best fit for you.”

graphics by Julia Copas

AN open Letter to the

class of 2024

Counselor Camille Nix praises seniors for their empathy, early start, achievement

Dear Class of ‘24,

I am in disbelief that the year is over and you are moving on to the next chapter of your lives. I know you are ready; I’ve watched you grow immensely over the course of the last year and it is time for you to move on. I tell you what, though, it is not easy for me to say goodbye to you.

Class of ‘24, you swooped in ready to conquer the college application process. You started contacting me in late spring and during the summer for help, which is well before any group ever has, so we began our work together a little early. To say you are ambitious is an understatement. During what is the most stressful time of your lives and also the most stressful part of the school year for me, I suffered the biggest loss of my life. My dad lost his battle to Alzheimer’s Disease on Sept. 18 during the heart of college application season. It happened very quickly, and I had very little time to prepare. Instead of shying away from my tears and pain, you carried me through it. You showed up huge for me with cards, flowers, origami, chocolate, hugs and love. You let me right into your hearts. So, you, Class of ‘24, will forever carry a very special place in mine. You have changed me. Each year, I fall in love with the group of kids I’m working with which is both a blessing and a curse. But Class of ‘24, I will miss you differently because, whether you know it or not, you took care of me, and you allowed me sincere and true happiness during a personally very sad time.

It is my honor as an educator to have a front seat to witness your accomplishments, to love you through rejections and disappointments, and then to watch you move on confidently ready to embrace what is ahead for you. After all, you’ve spent 18 years dreaming of what’s next for yourselves. I get to be a tiny part of it, and that is truly a gift. It has been amazing to witness your ambition, watch you embrace your dreams, and I know it will be wonderful to then keep up with you and what you do next.

Class of ‘24, you are loving and kind; compassionate and empathetic; brilliant and ambitious, and you allowed me into your lives freely and

without reservation. You are a gift to me, and I truly believe you were hand-selected by the powers that be to be the group here for me during my deepest sorrow. While I know many of you experienced the awkwardness of my tears during that time and throughout the year, you did not shy away. Sophi Beardslee, Sage Allison, Owen Price, Charlie Cox, Morgan Eye, Chamila Munoz, Jude Masoni, Griffin Kentrup, Luka AlvarezScarborough, Ohad Klein, Lou Schavrda, Madi Briggs, Hannah Herrera, Larsen Stewart, Hannah Van Houten, Lanie Sepehri, Sophie Leung-Lieu, Maggie Coulbourne, Ana Mejia, Azul Cepero and so many more of you, thank you! You allowed me to tell countless stories and share memories, and you participated and shared some of your own. So from the deepest part of my heart and soul, thank you. Your compassion saved me and allowed me to show up and do my job for you each day. And please know that I love each of you so much. It was important to me to acknowledge how you lifted me up. And to my amazing nephews, Chris and Charlie Ferina. We started at McCallum together. Can you believe that? I can’t put to words how much I will miss seeing you both every day. Both of you are such good people ready to take on the world. This year was a tough one for us, but you did just what Pops taught us to do—pulled up your boot straps and forged forward. There are no words for me to tell you how proud I am of both of you. You are authentic and kind young men. I love you so very much. Arkansas and Texas State are very lucky to have you. So, Class of ‘24, I simply could not directly address you as a class without addressing your beautiful hearts. Now, enough about me, let’s celebrate! Let’s reflect on this past year and all that you’ve accomplished collectively. Did you know you earned 40 million dollars in scholarships and grants and that number keeps growing?! Last I checked, you’d been accepted to 309 universities?!

Unbelievable. You are truly an incredibly talented group of people.

In sports, we won district or advanced to at least the first round of the playoffs in every single sport. We have the amazing Gabi Alfarache, our Division 1 fencer, who is going on to compete at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Sarah Hauck has a scholarship to play soccer at Tufts University, Josie Blackwell is going to run cross country and track at the University of Portland, Adrian Shiguango Holtz will run at Roanoke College, David Herring will run cross country at Texas State University, Ohad Klein is headed to Trinity University to play soccer, Daisy Wiseman will be fencing at Wellesley College and Sam Stevens is off to Xavier University to play baseball. This is amazing! Alice Scott earned National Journalist of the Year (that means the BEST in the country?!). Our very own Ellie Loudermilk scored the lead role in a professional musical downtown, The Prom, at the Zachary Scott Theatre Center. And boy, she was PHENOMENAL! I got to witness her brilliance. We have a Dell Scholar this year, Fatima Trejo Rios, and she will attend the University of Texas—Go Horns!

Putting accomplishments and awards aside, you all show that character counts. Your class is full of resilience and grit: you spent the first year of your high school life at home learning virtually and then many more months living behind masks. How weird and isolating was that time of our lives? Yet, you rose above and continued to live and learn and grow. I hope you’ll carry that with you, that life is full of triumphs and struggles. People will let you down. Life will let you down. You will let yourselves down, and sometimes you will fail. But, you will learn from each of these moments and grow. You will come out of failure, heartache, and heartbreak better and stronger and more able to take on the next challenge, to do better, and to achieve. You will accomplish your goals and fulfill your dreams. You will travel and fall in love and experience life’s greatest pleasures in work, college and life. Your friendships are special, some of them lifelong, and the memories you’ve created will certainly last forever. Each of you leaves your own unique mark at McCallum. I will never forget the strong, unforgettable college essays written by John Dietz/Alice Scott/Meredith Grotevant/Nico Sanchez/Helen Martin/Ingrid Smith to name a few, my daily hugs from Terron Hall and Nate Barnes, my mornings with Adele Boerner and Killian Oppel, the incessant tennis ball bouncing in my room and around the halls from Matthew Naumann, lunch chats with my regular crew Ohad Klein, Luka Alvarez-Scarborough, Jay Schlett, Griffin Kentrup and Cash Thompson, solving Wordle and the rest of the New York Times games with Nathan Nagy and Owen Price, deep talks with Francesca Dietz, Anabel Tellez, Edie Birkholz and Lucy Kuhn, and let’s not forget Marshall Clifton’s breakout moves at prom—

THE BEST. If I didn’t mention your name, it’s not because I don’t have amazing memories to hold on to, it is simply because I was asked to keep the speech around five minutes. Ha!

McCallum seniors, you are so much fun! You have so much personality and so much pizazz. But let’s not give you too much of a big head. You win the award in all of my 22 years in education for the worst case of senioritis I’ve ever experienced professionally with any group. So parents, let me give you the perfect example— there’s this weird nook in a wall in my classroom where seniors typically set up a little spot for themselves about late April or early May. I knew we were in big trouble when this group set up a nap nook in my room in ... January. Then, after Spring Break, we decided to have a “coming to Jesus” meeting with you because we were worried about your stamina to the finish line. Rather than listening intently, nodding and agreeing to finish strong, you cheered for yourselves. I mean ... All that being said, I wouldn’t trade you for the world. I could list memories and moments that stand out of every single one of you. You all are so special. What I sincerely hope you take into the world is both the ambition and compassion you’ve shown me. You embody the people I truly hope, as an educator, we send out into the world. Whatever your path is—a four-year university, two-year community college, trade school, gap year, straight to work, military, IT IS ALL so important. I hope I always made you feel that way—that your path, whatever it is, has deep meaning. I often tell you (and I hope you’ll always remember) when you come to me afraid and wanting to sift through decisions to take a chance on yourself, a leap of faith and know that you have what it takes to succeed. We have talked about thinking beyond today or tomorrow and try to think about 20-30 years down the road and picture what you want for yourself. You are worth the investment, so, take chances—safe ones, of course, but take them. That is how you grow.

The high school chapter in your life is soon closed. I know that for some of you, that is exciting and that you can’t wait, and for others of you, it is scary and daunting. Or, it might be a mix of both. The best part is that the next chapter is bigger and better, and it is YOURS to create. Class of 2024, I hope you know how proud I am of each and every one of you AND how much I love you. I am so hopeful that YOU will do wonderful things in this world. I can’t wait to bear witness. Keep in touch. You know where to find me. Room 130 will always be open to you. And if room 130 is not where you want to catch up, I love a great conversation over a cup of coffee.

Love you all and miss you already, Mrs. Nix

Nix delivered this speech to the Class of 2024 at its baccalaureate on May 28 at Covenant

Photo by Dave Winter

Ms. Nix cheers for her nephew Chris Ferina as he heads to the Burger Center podium after being announced as the senior with the biggest GPA improvement from freshman to senior year.. Photo by Dave Winter.

CLASS OF 2024 TAKES

Before family, friends, teachers and district officials, seniors become graduates during joyous Burger Center ceremony

Hannah Van Houten

Principal Andy Baxa

Guthrie Jones

Chris Ferina

Charles Kerr, King Perez Cude, Henry Jewesson, Paikea Ruch

Richard Cowles

Fidel Sanchez

Will and William Cauthern

Fatima Trejo with her godfather Angel C., her brother and Mac alum

Walter Trejo, her father Bernardo Trejo, her mom Patricia Rios and her godmother Angelica C.

Photos by Julia Copas and Dave Winter

TAKES CENTER STAGE

Principal Andy Baxa

Shania Nixon

Owen Johns

Finn Corrigan, Jack Scag, Daniel Fuentes, Lemuel Wineslett, Henry Mays, Cash Kershner, Cash Thompson

Ana Mejia

WHAT’S NEXT

FOR THE CLASS OF ’24

UNIV. OF CALIF., RIVERSIDE Addison Wagoner

Cal Poly—Pomona

Nicolas Colimon

Cal Poly—San Luis Obispo

Alexander Moses

Case Western Reserve Univ.

Sadie Roselle

Chicago State University

Kylie Reeves

CLI Conservatory

JT Ofuatey-Kodjoe

UNIV. OF COLO., BOULDER

Quinn Fazio

Owen Lucente

UNIversity of arizona

Samantha Cowles

Lance Velazquez

Miranda Vidrio

Isai Villarreal-Pacheco

Oliver Von Thies

Zuniga

ACC/A&M CHEVRON ACADEMY

Audrey McClellan

Thomason

Auto Zone/Trade School

Fidel Sanchez-Rosas

Aveda Institute/Cosmetology

Oliver Bennett

BALDWIN BEAUTY SCHOOL

Atlas Henschel

Alicia Lopez-Pena

Isabella Monteon

Lilyanna Ramirez-Arriaga

Arianna Vega-Mireles

Edie Birkholz

Boston Conservatory at Berklee

Jackson Stahlman

Buckinghamshire New UNIV.

Hensley

UNIV. OF CALIF., Los Angeles

Cecilia Passos

Thurston Roberts

U. OF COLO., COLO. SPRINGS

William Cauthern

Nico Sanchez

Colo. School of Mines

Henry Snyder colorado state univ.

Avery Atkinson

Cash Kershner

Dash Levy

Isabella Rankin

Jay Schlett

university of delaware

Jesse Silverman

university of denver

Henry Chaouat

Gabriella Crooks

Anderson Friday

Katarina Klein

Olivia Smith

Owen Trafton

Tessa Davern

Charles McBride

Phin Miller

Erasmus Univ. Rotterdam

Ana Linan Hernandez

Willem Zuniga

Fairleigh Dickinson Univ.

Lilli Gonzales

FORDHAM university

Wilson Corbitt

fort lewis college

Sara Molnar

gap semester

Spirit Smith gap year

Demitrius Golden

Genevieve Gomez

Coco Gravois (then Ithaca College)

Lindy Green

Kit Grimsley-Ridenour (to travel)

Autry Guequierre (in Israel)

Seth Hoovestol

Malachi Jaquith

Jazmin Kittle

Freja Ljungqvist (in Sweden to study ceramics)

Clara McFadden (in Seattle)

King Perez Cude

Berkley Todd

Elena Ulack (in Italy)

Amelie Wolcott

GARY JOB CORPS

Isaih Jaimes

university of georgia

Nathan Nagy

georgia TECH UNIVERSITY

The Go Project!

Orlando Castellanos-Martinez

Sydney Piper Goucher College

Margaret Coulbourn

Hawaii Pacific University

Sophie Kessler

Kamiyah Williams Mckinley

The College of Health Care Professions

Miguel Jimenez

hendrix college

Charlotte Vouvray

The Hong Kong Univ. of Science and Technology

Griffin Kentrup

indiana univ. bloomington

Finn Corrigan

Benjamin Zacharias

University of Kansas

Theo Raiskin

Samantha Shreves

Laguna College of Art & Design

Emmett Lin

Carter

WHAT’S NEXT after

Joey Guerrero

Nick and Helen Martin Terron Hall

Cooper Reid

Alice Scott, Olive Greene, Ellie Loudermilk

Tessa Davern

Gigi Kahlor

Sadie Roselle

sports

Chasing Cheezey

Sophomore brings spirit, skill, support to track and softball teams

Camilla Vandegrift sports editor

Some students may fear an absence or missing work, but sophomore Caroline “Cheezey” Bell would gladly miss school any day, as long as she gets to go to a track meet.

“Track meet naps are the best anyway,” Bell said.

While she was at Kealing Middle School, Bell’s twin brother Luke started running track at Lamar Middle School, which inspired Bell to do the same.

“My parents were like, ‘Hey, you should do track,’ and I was like, ‘That’s the plan,’” Bell said. “I was planning on joining in seventh [grade], but then that was my COVID year, so I was in complete lockdown.”

Following the delay brought by COVID, Bell joined the Kealing track team when she was in eighth grade.

Compared to this team, which she described as “iffy,” Bell said she loves the Mac team and that track has become her favorite sport.

“The community is so great and I’ve always really enjoyed running,” she said.

Joshua Amy, head coach of the track team, was the girls’ sprinters coach last year. Bell was coached by Amy when she first started running with Mac as a freshman.

“The first thing I noticed was that she was short,” Amy said. “She reminded me of a previous track runner, Major [Faught].”

Faught, a 2022 graduate, had been a runner for the distance medley relay team that broke the second place time record in the nation for their event. Though she also runs the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, Bell continues Faught’s shortrunner legacy by running relays, including the 4-by-200-meter and the 4-by-100-meter. This year, she started running the 4-by-400-meter, which wasn’t her favorite.

“Honestly, it kind of sucked,” Bell said. “But if I can help the team, that’s great. And we ended up being the district champions in the 4-by-4.”

Amy put Bell in this event because he knew her versatility.

“She’ll do anything,” Amy said. “She’s one of those girls who, whatever you ask, if it’s for the betterment of the team, she’ll do it regardless. If I asked her to run the 3200 she’d probably do it. She’d hate it, she’d be angry, but if it gave us an opportunity to score points or win a meet, she would do it.”

Even after sustaining an injury last year, Bell is no less committed to the team.

“She was hurt for a little bit, so she was down for a couple of meets,” Amy said. “This year, she kind of devoted a little bit more energy and effort into the program. She wasn’t hurt, so she was practicing every day. She put in extra work, and she kind of developed into a leader.”

As a team leader, Bell wants to put in the most work to show her team that she cares.

“She’s one of the leaders of the team as a sophomore,” Amy said.

“It’s impressive that the other girls kind of look at her as one of the vocal pieces of the team, and when they go out there and work, she’s going to be the one putting forth the most effort.”

Amy said that Bell puts in the work to lead the team by example.

“She kind of did so as a freshman, but being hurt kind of impeded that,” Amy said. “But as a sophomore, she bought into the whole thing. She really wants to be the captain of the

Bell stands on the podium at the District track meet after placing third in the 100-meter dash. Photo by Joshua Amy.

team and have people look at her as someone who has her teammates’ best interests in her heart.”

One such teammate is junior Isley Cameron, who met Bell when she first joined track and when Cameron was a sophomore.

“My first thought was ‘intimidated,’” Cameron said. “She was so fast, it was kind of humbling.”

Cameron is an example of Bell’s commitent to her teammates that Amy referenced, as the two worked together on a relay this season.

“I love being in the relay with Cheezey,” Cameron said. “And she’s still the fastest on the team.”

Not only did the sport of track call to Bell during quarantine, but she decided to join softball at this time too, through a rec league called Northwest.

“When I came to McCallum last year, I joined softball and it’s been really fun,” Bell said. “I have a lot of friends on the team. We weren’t district champions this year, but we’ve been getting better.”

lot into it,” Cameron said. “She does track outside of school, like pole vaulting at Anderson High. She has a lot on her plate with softball, but she always makes track a priority.”

With academics, Bell said she has been a bad procrastinator in the past.

“I’ve been trying to get all my schoolwork done during the school day,” she said. “I try to get everything in on time because I feel like once something is late, it just kind of piles up, and I don’t want that to happen.”

Bell also tutors other students and helps them with their schoolwork, which she said helped her to understand material better.

“ She’s one of those girls who, whatever you ask, if it’s for the betterment of the team, she’ll do it regardless.

Since track and softball have overlapping seasons, Bell has a lot to juggle in terms of her athletics, while also tossing a double-major in Performance Theater and Tech Theater, the debate team and UIL Academics into the mix.

“I have a lot of conflicts,” Bell said. “I think it’s really just a matter of communicating with your coaches and letting them know what can happen.”

An average long day for Bell could be from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

“It’s just like, time management skills,” Bell said. “I think it’s hard sometimes, but as long as I enjoy what I’m doing, it’s never that hard. I can always get through.”

Though it might seem like a struggle, Bell said it has never been too difficult for her to balance her sports and other extracurriculars because she always knows which one is most important for her.

“It might be harder for other people, but for me track has always been my priority,” Bell said. “As part of the softball team, they have people to replace me, but sometimes in track, that just can’t happen.”

Bell’s balancing act does not go unnoticed. Cameron knows how many activities Bell is involved in, but she agrees that track holds the biggest importance to Bell.

“She’s really talented at it, so she puts a

“In that sense, I do less studying, which makes my life easier,” she said. “I try to make sure I understand all the concepts and pay attention in class so that if I have questions I can ask them in class and understand.”

—track coach Joshua Amy

Outside of the classroom, the track and the diamond, Bell is known for her energy and enthusiastic character.

”

“I just like sports,” she said. “I don’t fully understand the rules of some other sports, but I love showing support. So I showed up to a lot of basketball games, volleyball games this year because I have a lot of friends on all the teams and I think it’s important to support the school.”

Bell doesn’t hold back this energy for her own sports either.

“I love cheering for people during track,” she said. “I’m just like the girl on the sideline, in the middle of the field, that’s just screaming at you. I think a lot of people have told me they like it, and I don’t know. I think it’s fun to support people.”

Those around Bell have noticed this,

“Cheezey cares,” Amy said. “I wouldn’t say she cares more than everybody, but she cares more than most. She cares about the programs, she cares about her teammates.

Scan the QR code to read the full version of this story, or visit macshieldonline.

Landen’s calling: lacrosse

Junior develops potential despite lack of opportunity in Texas, lack of team at McCallum

Callen Romell staff reporter

From kindergarten to now, junior Landen Fazio has grown a love for lacrosse, stemming from his dad’s experience playing in both high school and college. Despite the small lacrosse scene in Austin, Fazio has found a way to play through club teams and the few school teams throughout the city.

“In kindergarten, there was this summer camp that my dad’s friend was hosting, so I did that camp and that kinda got me into it,” Fazio said. “Then my dad started doing this training stuff because he noticed that I liked lacrosse to get me really into it, and it kinda just grew from there.”

For Fazio, part of the appeal of lacrosse was its similarity to football from a physicality standpoint. He felt he had natural talent.

Currently, Fazio plays lacrosse for Anderson since McCallum’s team disbanded in 2022. Because of the sport’s lack of popularity in the area, he also plays for a club to get more experience. Between both teams, Fazio practices four or five times a week to ensure he is playing at his highest level.

With his teammates at Anderson, Fazio feels like he has another friend group. He said he has been able to connect his friends there and at McCallum to form greater bonds. He feels a sense of community and sees them as more than just his teammates.

“It’s people that I connect with; any team you play for, you build a bond with those guys,” Fazio said. “They’re like your brothers, and you know everything about them; they know everything about you.”

As far as his club team, he travels to tournaments all around the country and loves being able to see new things at every place he visits. According to Fazio, those trips help with his recruiting process and getting noticed by coaches.

“There are a lot of challenges recruiting wise like all of my events I have to travel for,” Fazio said. “This summer I’ll be going to Maryland twice, Florida, California; there’s not many in-state opportunities to get recruited.”

Fazio feels that his effort to get recruited is worth it in order to have opportunities, know coaches and gain a chance at playing in college. He thinks the recruiting process is going well because he has already been invited to a couple of prospect camps for Division I schools and has heard back from some of the coaches he’s reached out to.

“You really have to put in extra work, go practice the stuff that you need to do, listen to your coaches,” Fazio said. “Lacrosse right now is full of networking and getting connections with coaches. My coaches who went to certain universities are reaching out to their coaches and trying to get me opportunities.”

Brian Donovan is the head coach of the

Anderson lacrosse team. Donovan said lacrosse is much more prevalent in New York, where he grew up, and even though it is not seen as much in Texas, he believes that the sport has grown significantly in the last decade. Donovan met Fazio about a year ago and immediately realized his potential.

“Just right away, [I realized that he’s] a very athletic kid; [he’s] one of those guys who over time [you] come to realize he’s a guy who’s a game changer,” Donovan said.

“He does everything on the field in terms of offense, defense, scoring goals, making clears, picking up ground balls. He’ll take faceoffs if he has to. He’s just one of those guys who can do everything. And because of that, he’s a weapon when he’s out there.”

There is an interesting dynamic to the team for Donovan because even though it is mostly comprised of Anderson students, there are kids from McCallum, as well as a homeschooled kid and at one point kids from LASA. He thinks that despite this variety, they work well together because they all

share the same passion.

From what Donovan has seen, Fazio is a hard worker. He said Fazio recognizes that to play at a high level, you can’t just be the best on your team. You have to improve because there is competition from all around the country.

“He’s going to have to raise the bar for himself, personally, to be able to reach [the next level],” Donovan said. “He’s always been a very well-rounded player, and I think his speed and his lower body strength have gotten better over the last year. I think that’s just him turning from a 15-year-old to a 16-year-old to a 17-year-old and just naturally growing as a human being.”

Although Donovan hasn’t started the recruiting process for Fazio yet, when the

time comes he will be writing letters of recommendation and calling college coaches to help Fazio reach the highest level at which he can play. Donovan sees the next few months as being the most important to getting noticed and will use his network and knowledge to help find Fazio the best fit.

One of the players on the Anderson team with Fazio is junior Hank Holland, a fellow McCallum student. The two have played since they first started high school, and when Holland first saw Fazio play, he knew that Fazio was one of the biggest assets on the team.

“He’s always out there working, and

Fazio first found his love of lacrosse from his dad, and the sport has since become a family affair with his younger brother starting to play and the whole family watching and talking lacrosse all the time. Photo courtesy of Landen Fazio.

Dive into purpose

Lifeguarding sparks passion, fulfillment beyond saving swimmers’ lives

Augie Gleason staff reporter

The city of Austin offers free training and outstanding pay for new employees. Starting at $20.80 an hour this is one of the highestpaying temp jobs that even 15-year-olds can be a part of. Choosing your hours, your pool, and even the people you work with are some of the benefits of being a lifeguard with the city of Austin.

Becoming a lifeguard isn’t just about getting a job, it’s about taking on a vital role in your community. It’s about making a promise to keep people safe whenever they’re near the water. From toddlers to seniors, everyone counts on the lifeguard to be there for them when they need help.

Think about it like this: when someone gets into trouble in the water, the lifeguard is the one who jumps into action. They’re the ones who know how to swim like a pro, who can perform CPR and who stay calm under pressure. In those moments of chaos,

OPINION

they’re the heroes who make all the difference between a tragic accident and a happy ending. But being a lifeguard is so much more than just rescuing people. It’s about being a teacher, too. Every day, lifeguards help kids learn how to swim and be safe around water. It’s like giving them a superpower, the ability to enjoy the water without fear. And being a lifeguard isn’t just good for others, it’s good for you too. It’s a chance to learn and grow in ways you never imagined. You’ll gain confidence, leadership skills and the ability to stay calm in any situation; you’ll make lifelong friends and be part of a tight-knit community of lifeguards who have each other’s backs. So, if you’re looking for a way to be a hero, to make a real difference in the world, consider becoming a lifeguard. You’ll be the one who keeps the good times rolling, the smiles shining, and the water safe for everyone to enjoy.

For Gleason, shown here lifeguarding at Shipe Pool. lifeguarding has been a good way to earn competitive pay, help others and develop leadership skills. Photo courtesy of Gleason.

sports briefs

District MVP Sam Stevens signs with Xavier University

Before an audience of his teammates, coaches, friends, teachers and fans, senior pitcher Sam Stevens signed his letter of intent on May 22 to attend Xavier University and play Division 1 baseball for the Musketeers.

His coaches and his parents took the opportunity to speak about Sam’s journey to this opportunity and how he created it. Athletic director Thomas Gammerdinger kicked off the commentary by saying the signing ceremony represented the culmination of 14 years of hard work on the diamond and in the classroom. Head coach Trey Honeycutt called the 2024 District MVP and 2023 District Co-MVP one of the best players he has ever coached and praised him for “doing the right thing” consistently on and off the field. Varsity assistant coach Steve Searle praised Stevens for being a pitcher and not just a thrower, able to throw any of his pitches at any count during an at bat. Sam’s parents thanked all of the coaches present and all of the booster parents for all playing a significant role in Sam’s achievement.

After the ceremony, MacJ caught up with the accomplished pitcher, and he shared his thoughts about his big day.

“First off I would like to thank my parents for all the sacrifices they’ve made for me throughout my life,” Stevens said. “They’ve always been with me through the countless hours of practice and games. I couldn’t have done it without them and will always love them and be grateful for everything.”

“Secondly I would like to thank my coaches. My high school coaches include Coach Grant, Coach Searle, Coach Honeycutt and Coach Collins. I’m thankful to them for making the past four years extremely memorable. My travel ball Coach Nick DeSantiago has been with me since I was 9 years old and has taught me how to really be a baseball player. He has not only been a great coach but a great friend to my family and me.”

“Lastly, I would like to thank my friends who have been with me throughout my journey. Some of them have played with me since Little League, and some just met me this year, but they have all played a significant part in my career, and I will always cherish the memories we made together.”

“This is just the beginning and I hope I represent McCallum well.”

—Dave Winter

Softball vs LBJ @ Noack 3

Fazio

shines in playoff loss

The Anderson lacrosse team, including McCallum juniors Landen Fazio and Hank Holland, competed at the Texas High School Lacrosse League Class B state playoffs May 4 at Lovejoy’s Willow Springs Middle School. Seeded 16th, Anderson faced the No. 1-seeded Highland Park Gold squad, losing 13-4. Appearing in the playoffs represented a marked improvement over the team’s showing a year ago when the team lost all of its games.

The Scots led 5-0 with five minutes left in the first quarter before the Trojans rallied. Challenging Scot possession at midfield, Fazio created a turnover then spun to create a breakaway. The Scot defense regrouped but not before Alex Langolia passed to Hudson Casey to make it 5-1.

Fazio scored the first goal of the second quarter from about 15 yards out on a laser of a shot that bounced once and skipped past the Scot goalie to make it 5-2, but that was as close as the Trojans got. After four HP goals made it 9-2 heading into the fourth quarter, Reese McDavid scored from point blank range on an assist from Sebastian Marlowe to make in 9-3. Fazio scored his second goal of the game with three seconds left to play from six yards out.

Fazio, Holland and their Trojan teammates can take solace in the fact that they lost to a team that advanced all the way to the Class B state title game. The day after beating Anderson, the Scots beat Alamo Heights 8-4 in the quarterfinals, then on May 11 at Magnolia West High School, the Scots advanced to the championship by beating Lovejoy 9-8 in overtime. The Highland Park Gold team fell to TMI in the state Class B state title game on May 12, 9-7. Fazio is the Anderson team captain. To read more about him, please check out our profile on him on page 24.

—Dave Winter

After undefeated run, Knights

earn state 7-on-7 tourney bid

Varsity players from the McCallum football program went undefeated at the 7-on-7 qualifying tournament held Saturday May 18 at Lake Travis High School. The Knights went 3-0 in pool play, defeating Akins 34-7, Lake Travis 20-19 and Cedar Park 28-26. After winning its pool, McCallum defeated future district opponent Bastrop 35-13 in a qualifying round to earn a berth in the State 7-on-7 Tournament, which will be held June 28-29 in College Station.

In the signature win against Lake Travis, the Knights fell behind 12-0 then roared back to upset the two-time 7-on-7 state champions.

“The defense came up huge to keep us in the game, and the offense got it done it clutch time,” Dunham said.

Key interceptions from junior Devon Robinson as well as long offensive plays from Dunham to junior Jaiden Booe allowed the Knights to turn the tide. Dunham says that part of what made the Knights confident was winning 10 of 11 games at a Pflugerville Football Academy 7-on-7 tournament.

“When we play bigger teams we don’t really think about it,” Dunham said. “In Pflugerville we got used to beating big schools with high rated athletes, so we had confidence coming in.”

To read more about the Knights’ undefeated run in 7-on-7, click the link in our bio or visit macshieldonline.com.

Ronan Lee, a rising junior at Anderson, is literally rising high off the turf to attempt a catch during McAnderson’s games against Austin High on Aug. 19 at Northeast Metro Park.

June 24-27

Girls basketball summer camp, 9 a.m.-noon each day

June 28-29

State 7-on-7 tournament

Veterans Park & Athletic Complex, College Station

Aug. 5-6

2024 volleyball tryouts, 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. one hour break for lunch

group

qualifying

Ultimate places fourth at State

The McAnderson ultimate Frisbee reached the semifinals of the 2024 Texas HS Boys DI State Championship on May 18-19 at Cedar Park High School. The team of combined McCallum and Anderson students came out hot. After not playing in the early morning game on May 18, the team scored back-to-back wins in Group C play, beating the LASA Vertikills C team 15-4 and Bowie 14-7 to win the group.

That result earned the team a bye in the Round of 16 and a quarterfinal match-up with Westlake, which needed a 15-3 victory over the Austin High C team to reach the quarterfinals. McAnderson dispatched the Chaps 9-6 to reach the semifinals where they lost to Lake Travis, 13-6. The team lost the third place game to Austin High, 7-2.

The fourth-place finish was a good result for the program. With the youngest roster at state and only one player graduating, McAnderson ultimate anticipates an even stronger season next year.

—Dave Winter

—Julia Copas

Photo by Nate Williams

Junior Landen Fazio scored twice playing for Anderson lacrosse in a 13-4 round-of-16 playoff loss to Highland Park Gold on May 4 in Lovejoy. Photo by Lillian Holland.

Rising senior Devon Robinson catches a touchdown pass from rising senior Luke Dunham during the Knights’ 34-7 win over Akins to start

play at the Lake Travis 7-on-7 state

tournament, that the Knights went on to win.

Photo by Julia Copas.

FAFSA not moving fast enough

Nationwide issue limits financial aid offers and information, frustrates students

Gaby Esquivel staff reporter

FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, made new changes to their form this year including moving their release date and replacing the Expected Family Contribution with a Student Aid Index. The biggest change, however, is the date when universities receive FAFSA information. The universities anticipated receiving financial aid information by January, but FAFSA announced that they wouldn’t receive it until mid-March. These new changes aren’t helping the class of 2024; it only puts more stress on students and further delays their final college decisions.

On Jan. 31, the FAFSA organization announced that universities will now receive students’ financial information during the month of March. This is due to a $1.8 billion mistake that would have given lower-income families less financial aid than they are entitled to. This mishap has been extremely frustrating because students won’t find out how much aid universities will give until April, leaving only one month to decide where to commit. This is not a huge issue for me because I only applied to four universities, but the time is limited for people who have applied to more schools; however, some universities like Texas State and Southwestern have taken notice of all these delays and extended their commitment and scholarship offer deadlines.

The biggest issue for me personally was the removal of the option of putting zeros in the social security number field. I was stuck for more than a month, and I began to feel worried I would never be able to turn my form in. My mom recently became a resident, so inviting her to my FAFSA was an easy task, but putting my dad’s information in became a nightmare. My mom was required to put his information: his name, date of birth and SSN. My dad immigrated here, and he still has not received an SSN, so I could not put any number in the section. My mom tried moving ahead, but the form told us not to leave the section blank. My brother told me to put zeros in the blank, but that feature

“Students won’t find out how much aid universities will give until April, leaving only one month to decide where to commit.

”was removed, and there was no option to say he doesn’t have an SSN. When I called the FAFSA help line, they said it was a “glitch.” I felt extremely discriminated against because of my parents and my background. There was a chance I might not receive the aid I am entitled to receive due to a “glitch.” I was unable to submit my FAFSA form, and I missed out on renewable scholarships that required proof of FAFSA completion. I come from a lowincome family, so I need to apply to as many opportunities as I see, and this mishap made me very stressed. The issue was fixed towards the end of February when they added a button that said “My spouse does not have an SSN,” so I did end up meeting the March 1 deadline; however, there was nothing I could do for the

scholarships I had already missed out on. They may have fixed the issue for people like me who have at least one parent who is a resident or citizen, but for students who have two parents with no SSNs, an issue remains. When you create an FSA ID for your parent, it does have the option to say they have no SSN, but after the ID is created it says that they need to call the FAFSA number to “verify their identity.” Not only does this create an unnecessary step, but during the entire month of January when someone tried to call their line a bot would say “No one is available to take your call; call again at another time, goodbye.” If they are going to make you call, the least they could do is have the decency to have someone pick up and help through the issue. When someone did pick up, they made the parent fill out an attestation and validation of identity form that certifies that

“they are a parent with no SSN and put in their personal information. Next, parents and students have to wait an absurd amount of time to get this verification. Why should parents even have to do this to verify that they exist? Immigrant parents may not have an SSN, but there is no reason to verify that they have worked hard to give their kids the best they can.

” I felt extremely discriminated against because of my parents and my background.

Despite FAFSA’s attempt to change things around and to help people, it has only stressed the class of 2024 more since it gives us a limited amount of time to decide where to go. The new changes are discriminatory to us who have immigrant parents. What could help in the future, so issues like this don’t happen again, is to be open to hearing our points of view and what changes we’d like to see to the FAFSA form. Even though it sounds simple, it can help a lot because after all, we are the ones filling out the form.

A major glitch in the FAFSA form caused a problem for students with parents who do not have a social secutiry number. Illustration by Nate Williams.

The case for vegetarianism

A simple dietary switch can make you healthier, wealthier and help save the planet

Mira Patel staff reporter

Did you know that the average American eats about 225 pounds of meat every year?

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American eats over 40% more meat than what is recommended by dietary guidelines. Meat consumption in the United States has significantly risen since the 1970s. This alarming increase is becoming dangerous to people’s health, wreaking havoc on the environment and becoming a habit too expensive to maintain. Although some would argue that meat has high nutritional value and is part of the “natural order,” research supports that a plant-based diet can provide adequate nutrition, improve overall health and be more environmentally and economically sustainable.

Because of the environmental effects and mistreatment of animals, eating meat is not ethically justifiable. It is known that harmful emissions lead to irreversible damage to our planet, and the meat industry is certainly doing more than its fair share. Globally, the United Nations estimates that livestock emissions make up more than 14% of all man-made greenhouse gases, including methane. As if this were not eye-opening enough, we can break it down even further. In an article published in The Guardian in 2021, author Oliver Milman cited a study that profiled the emissions of 171 crops and 16 animal products from more than 200 countries. In that study, researchers found a stark difference between meat and

plant production—to produce 1 kilogram of wheat, 2.5 kilograms of greenhouse gases are emitted, compared to 70 kilograms of emission for 1 kilogram of beef. There is a limit to what our planet can sustain, and we are already at a breaking point. It’s clear that if we continue on this trajectory, our planet will no longer be able to support our existence. How can we justify raising animals for our selfish desires? If these statistics don’t make you rethink your meat consumption, can you truthfully say you care about our planet?

Plant-based diets are also more economically sustainable. For most people, saving money is a priority. Many people don’t realize how much of their money goes towards the meat they eat. In a 2016 survey of nearly 25,000 respondents who self-reported their food expenditures, researchers Jayson

Lusk and F. Bailey Norwood found that vegetarians spent on average $20 less per week compared to their omnivorous counterparts. Plant-based diets can not only save money in the short term but also in the long term. There is even evidence that being vegetarian can reduce longterm health costs. In a study done by the Tzu Chi Foundation in Taiwan, where 12,000 volunteers were observed for five years, those

“

If we all do our part to reduce meat consumption, we could make a substantial difference in the future of our world.

”

who followed a vegetarian diet spent 15% less on medical expenditures compared to omnivores in the study, even after adjusting for age, sex, education, smoking, alcohol use and exercise. This study shows that being vegetarian is less costly across all segments of the population. Not only does being vegetarian keep more money in your pocket now, but it also can prevent medical costs later in life, such as hospital bills. From a financial standpoint, being vegetarian simply makes a whole lot of “cents.”

It is clear that for most people, being vegetarian is the most ethical, sustainable, and nutritious dietary choice. People who are vegetarian live longer, healthier lives, have more money in their pockets and do considerably less damage to the environment. We take many of our precious resources for granted: our health, our environment and our prosperity. Unless we as a society make a conscious effort to shift towards a plantbased diet, we are setting ourselves up for serious consequences. Individually, it may seem like a drop in the bucket; however, if we all do our part to reduce our meat consumption, we could make a substantial difference in the future of our world. We owe it to ourselves and to our planet.

Illustration by Mira Patel.

We didn’t make the problems

Gen Z’s mental-health crisis is an adaptive response to a deeply broken world

Lillian Gray staff reporter

Social media is a way to connect with friends, family and share your life online, but if not managed correctly, it can ruin your life. In just less than two decades, social media has completely changed the way people live their lives. In its early days some of the biggest platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, seemed like harmless apps that had a lot of positive effects on users. Although they did, and still can, in recent years, consumption of online content has gotten so out of control to the point that people are completely wasting their time.

Up until a few weeks ago, I fell into this trap. I would spend hours on Instagram, just scrolling through Reels, knowing it was bad for me but being so manipulated that quitting seemed too hard to do. The night I quit and totally deleted all of my social media apps, I had spent over six hours on social media, mindlessly scrolling and taking in posts and videos that I would forget in just a few minutes. That night, I found that I was irritated and really disappointed in myself for spending my time like that. I realized that I needed to stop this unhealthy habit, so I completely deleted the apps off of my phone. I was clearly not able to have a healthy relationship with them.

“Many people have compared social media consumption to gambling since both so addictive.

”For years I have known the terrible impact that social media has had on my life, but it’s so addicting that it’s incredibly hard to delete. Many of my peers I have talked to about their relationship with social media have had the same experience and continue to consume this content even though they know it is negatively interfering with all aspects of their life. The issue with social media is that it is so easy to get addicted. Most social media, like TikTok and Instagram, give you an endless stream of content to the point that even if the video or post you are viewing at the moment isn’t very good, you continue to scroll since you are hoping that the next video is going to be the good one. These apps take so much of your information to create a perfect “for you page.” Many people have compared social media consumption to gambling since both so addictive and because in both activities you are hoping for the next “win” that gives you a quick boost of dopamine.

Dopamine is released in your brain by anything that gives you happiness. Dopamine

activates the reward pathway in your brain which leads you to continue the activity you are doing because your brain associates that activity with happiness. In this case, social media releases dopamine when you find a video funny or amusing. This is why you pick up your phone when you’re bored or are in a situation where you need a distraction from what’s going on, since you are hoping to get a quick burst of dopamine. The dopamine boosts create a shorter attention span and is why so many teenagers struggle with longer lessons, videos, conversations, etc. Since your brain is addicted to the dopamine gained from social media, it makes everyday activities that you should find relatively entertaining, boring. Social media algorithms that pull you in can be incredibly hard to escape. One of the most difficult things about deleting these apps is having to rethink your time and how to spend moments where your first thought is to pick up your phone. For me, I realized that I was able to have more conversations with people around me, like my parents. I would normally go away from them after school since I used to sit on my phone all the time after long school days. Now, I talk to my parents instead. Along with stronger connections with others, deleting social media helps you feel like a kid again. Personally, as a kid I would always think of random things to do since I didn’t have a phone to waste my time. I would find myself reading, building random things, playing with my pets, etc. With my time back now, I think just like this again. One thing I have found myself getting back into that I used to do before I had social media was learning about history. I’ve read a lot of books or watched movies about historical events that I wouldn’t have learned about before. Besides being interested in history like I used to be, I also feel as though I am having to think of things I don’t usually do to spend my time; for example, I’ve started bringing my dog to my neighborhood park, which I never did before. The most important thing about deleting social media is being mindful. If you still have it on your phone, try to be more mindful when you open the app, if you don’t want to delete it completely for whatever reason. Ask yourself “why am I opening the app right now?” because most of the time you will notice you’re just doing it out of complete boredom, which isn’t a good reason to go on there. If you find social media is taking over your life and you don’t have control over your decision to be on it or not, I strongly urge you to delete social media. It doesn’t have to be for good, but I suggest you give it a try.

Josie Mullan staff reporter

Older generations think Gen Z is messed up. And it’s true, the mental-health crisis is escalating. According to the American Psychology Association, more than half of teens have reported symptoms of anxiety or depression. But contrary to popular opinion, the root cause of this crisis is not because of COVID or TikTok. It’s the world around us.

Previous generations were successfully able to achieve the “American Dream” where if you work hard, do well in school and climb the corporate ladder, you are guaranteed to become successful and be able to sustain yourself and your family. Although that idea has continued to be passed down to Gen Z, it doesn’t work anymore. And we know it.

Public schools are failing majority of students that they are supposed to be cultivating for adulthood. According to CBS in a report from public school leaders, half of students started the 2023 school year a whole grade level behind in at least one subject. Students are actively experiencing the mass exodus of teachers, leaving them neglected in their education.

Most young Americans can not afford college and are saddled with enormous student loans that make it near impossible for wealth mobility in their professional lives. Coming out of college, Gen Z are often unable to gain employment due to difficult recruiting systems, which often are interviewing up to several thousand candidates for one job. Many are unable to afford housing, especially with high costs of living. According to CBS News, almost half of young Americans still live with their parents.

Young adults are no longer able to smoothly transition into adulthood and grow in their

professional lives. So, is it any wonder that Gen Z is depressed as if they are doomed to be unsuccessful in a broken system?

Our federal government and the laws it passes are failing young Americans. Aggressive polarization in the government and hostility toward minority groups are now the norm of politics. Government institutions are also failing to provide physical safety for citizens, reflected in the police brutality and mass shootings that are routinely dismissed. Therefore, Gen Z’s rising anxiety rates are a completely appropriate response to an authority full of mistrust and instability. The role of social media today is simply a broadcaster for all the negative news around us. Social media platforms make young people constantly aware of how they are being failed and ignored by leaders. So to be clear, social media isn’t creating the problem, it’s just amplifying it.

The government needs to start making decisions to fix our broken institutions, and indicate that they care about young people’s lives.

Only then, will the root cause of the mental health crisis truly be solved.

Just for the health of it

All responsible parties

Shield staff

In today’s digital age, social media and early access to phones are damaging young adults’ social, mental and physical health causing a spike in mental illness. Because of this harm, we think social media platforms should be more rigorous with their age restrictions and younger children should have limited access to cell phones.

Social media is addictive. Studies have shown that scrolling through social media and being on your phone can create certain stimulating effects that are addictive, causing you to spend more time on these apps. Teenagers are especially susceptible to this addiction. The more time you spend scrolling, the more your health is negatively impacted. It has been shown that the blue light produced by cell phones can disrupt your melatonin production, causing you to get less sleep. According to the CDC, teenagers should be getting 8-10 hours of sleep so anything less than that will cause a decrease

should limit how much social media young people consume

in physical activity and attention spans at school.

Social media has been shown to promote dangerous activities and harmful behaviors through “trends.” Teenagers participate in these trends to look cooler or more interesting to other people on the internet, causing more damage to their health. A popular trend that teenagers participate in is the Rice Purity Test, an online survey you take that shows how “pure” you are, making you check boxes for things you have done. The lower the score, the more cool you appear on the internet. This type of social media activity can cause teens to perform unsafe activities in order to check boxes including shoplifting, getting arrested, smoking, etc. Then of course there is the ongoing fad of editing pictures and dieting that promotes unhealthy eating habits and disorders, leading to a decline in mental health.

Finally, according to the National Institute of Health, the human brain is not fully developed until the late 20s; therefore, the younger the age the more social media

the shield staff

print managing editor

Caroline Owen

web managing editor

JoJo Barnard

social media managing editor

Naomi Di-Capua design editor

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a&e editor

Eliza Jensen

people editor

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opinion editor

Nate Williams

staff reporters

Kyan Adams

Shayla Allen

Noah Braun

Dylan Bryl

Lucia Chapman

The Shield is published by journalism students in the newspaper production class. Although students work under the guidance of a professional faculty member, the student staff ultimately determines the content.

Students may not publish material that is obscene, libelous or that which will cause a “substantial disruption to the educational process.”

Content that may stimulate heated debate is not included in this definition.

cartoon by Elli Grace Hodges

will have lasting effects on the brain. The teen brain is already more vulnerable to mental illness and factors such as social media can only increase the possibility. There can be a loss of social and cognitive skills and unnecessary

stress in relationships and school. Some of the things we have observed happening to teenagers who regularly participate in social media are negative self-talk, increased anxiety, risk of self-harm and loneliness. These things are

becoming a regularity in more teenagers since the popularity of social media has increased. Although some argue that not allowing social media to teenagers could cause them to get bullied or feel left out, this is not a valid reason since this could happen even with social media. A child could see a post of their friends together without them or a stranger posting their luxurious life causing them to feel jealous. While it is unlikely that all social media apps will disappear, we believe that students should take steps to curb their social media use and in the absence of that self-policing, parents should limit their kids’ access to social media platforms. Since most kids are already addicted it will be hard to abandon social media completely, but all parties—teenagers, parents and the social media sites themselves—should start limiting the time that teenagers are able to spend on the apps. The sites should also closely monitor the content being shared on their apps to prevent access to dangerous and harmful posts.

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Julia Copas

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The Shield operates as an open forum for exchange of ideas. Opinions expressed in editorials are the ideas of the staff. Opinions expressed in the columns are that of the writer’s alone.

Letters to the editor are encouraged and must be signed. Positive identification may be required when a letter is submitted. Letters may be edited. Letters that are critical of the newspaper staff’s coverage of events or that present information that

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may stimulate heated debate will be published. Letters that contain malicious attacks on individual reporters, the adviser or the principal will be rejected.

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Advertisements published in The Shield do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the staff.

editors-in-chief

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Across

3.The _____ de Mayo celebration took place on Friday May 3 (pg. 8).

6.McCallum Youth Dance Company’s student directed show was titled “________” (pg. 8).

7.The Class of 2024 will walk across the stage for _________ on May 30.

8.This year’s prom theme was “_________ Garden” (pg. 12).

9.The yearbook theme this year is “__ Sunshine.”

1.Staff reporter Augie Gleason’s column is about the benefits of ______ (pg. 27).

2.On page 9, two Mac alumna share their experience working in _________.

4.The national delay in _____ processing has college decisions more difficult for the class of 2024. (pg. 30).

5.24k _____!