The Shield (Volume 65, Issue 3) by The Shield

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McCallum High School / 5600 Sunshine / Austin, TX 78756 / Feb. 03, 2017 Issue 3 / Volume 65

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INSIDE Hundreds of students walk out of class to protest Trump page 5 Bonus pullout section: The Benefit Fashion Show through the eyes of one of the senior directors page 15 Senior female wrestler aims to make state for 4th time in storied career page 22

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McCallum choir performance “The Mozart Requiem” 7 p.m. in the PAC

Battle of the Bands showcase @ Stubbs BBQ 7:30 p.m.

End of fourth six weeks

Basketball vs. Austin High 8 p.m. @ MAC

Coffee House performances during fourth period in library

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Boys soccer vs. Lanier 7:45 p.m. House Park

Me and My Girl opening night @ 7 p.m. MAC

No school; President’s Day

ABOVE: Senior Emily Goulet kicks the ball in the championship game of the Copa Akins Tournament at Burger Stadium on Jan. 7. To learn more about Emily’s soccer career and her journey to playing college ball, please see page 20. Photo by Adrian Peña. RIGHT: After an eventful evening, Mitchell Wright (‘17) is crowned the 2017 Mr. McCallum. The annual Mr. McCallum event raises money for the senior prom generated more than $3,000 this year. Along with the traditional interview, talent, swimsuit, and evening wear portions, the fire alarm went off causing an evacuation. After the 15 minute delay, the event continued as planned and culminated with the crowning of Wright (see page 8). Photo by Rachel Wolleben. Cover design by Charlie Holden, Cover photo by Dave Winter.

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Texas bathroom bill SB6 has been submitted to the Senate and has spurred criticism from LGBTQ groups and their allies. The annual Mr. McCallum was filled with surprises. We relive some of the highlights from this year’s crop of contestants.

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Take our completely scientific quiz to determine which McCallum stereotype best describes you. We asked the pillars of the English department to tell us about their all-time favorite book. The answers were enlightening. In a special pull-out section, we relive the Benefit Fashion Show through the eyes of senior director Grace Bonilla.

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Meet Alex Lynch, a freshman swimmer who has a chance to qualify for the state swim meet in his very first try. Wrestler Maya Shimizu has a chance to do something no wrestler has ever done: qualify for state all four years at Mac.

opinion Delve into the best albums of 2016, ranging from rap to rock. Travel to Vietnam with columnist and editor-in-chief Julie Robertson and learn the life lessons that the country teaches.

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State Senate to consider bathroom bill

Lieutenant governor says it promotes public safety; critics see its as discriminatory MADISON OLSEN

A Mac student shares their bathroom bullying incident

Introduced into the Texas Senate on Jan. 5, Senate Bill 6, known by its opponents as “the bathroom bill,” would require everyone to use the bathroom of the sex specified on their birth certificate. The provision aims to prevent transgender and gender neutral citizens from using the bathroom of their choice. Transgender persons identify with a gender other than the one specified on their birth certificate while gender neutral persons do not identify with either gender. SB 6 is modeled after a similar bill in North Carolina known as House Bill 2, which was initially a response to the city of Charlotte’s LGBTQ protection ordinance. International outrage and mass boycotting in North Carolina in response to the law caused many political figures to consider repealing it. Now Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a frequent critic of LGBTQ rights, has pushed the bathroom bill into the Texas legislature. “This legislation codifies what has been common practice in Texas and everywhere else forever—that men and women should use separate, designated bathrooms,” Patrick said in a statement released on the lieutenant governor’s website. “It is supported by an overwhelming majority of Texans including both Democrats and Republicans, Hispanics, African-Americans and Anglos, men and women.” While there are Texans who support the bill, there is also widespread disdain for it throughout Texas and in Austin in particular. “I should be able to use whatever bathroom I want without being inspected or invaded to see if I’m allowed to be there,” senior Lee Donie said. The bill was filed by its author, Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, and is awaiting a vote in the Senate and then in the House. The Austin city code, which requires all single-stall public bathrooms to be gender neutral, would be made illegal by this bill. Opponents and advocates disagree vehemently on both the need for and the merits of the bill. Many McCallum students went to the Capitol to protest the proposed bill specifically as well as many issues related to Donald Trump’s presidency during week of his inauguration. In the state of Texas, which has voted red in

Junior Marley Bell, who opposes SB6, shares their story of bullying in a public restroom. “I went to go use a public restroom, and there was a mom in there. She didn’t say anything directly to me, but she had her toddler with her and told them to ‘stay away from that person.’ She started ranting to her kid, who obviously wasn’t old enough to understand the difference between separate bathrooms. I just ignored them because I made them feel uncomfortable. It surprised me to a certain extent, because being transgender I know what kind of situations I can get into to. I know that me using that bathroom could be a problem for people.”

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A protester at the Women’s March on Jan. 21 holds a sign rejecting Texas SB 6, which is very similar to the North Carolina bathroom bill. Photo by Sophie Ryland. presidential elections since 1976, adversaries of the bill are doing everything in their power to keep this bill from reaching a vote. “Hopefully, we can prevent this bill from ever being voted on, which is really necessary because our state Senate and House are very Republican,” Lee Donie said, “So is our governor, so if the bill does get voted on, it’s probably going to pass.” Donie added that opponents of the bill are taking action in the hopes that the vote never takes place. “One way citizens are voicing their criticism,” Donie said, “is by calling Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to publicize their opinions on the bill.” The opinion of trans students at Mac is clear. Republicans and other advocates of the bill, however, argue that it protects the safety of women and children from sexual harassment. “This issue is not about discrimination,” Patrick said on his website. “It’s about public safety, protecting businesses and common sense.” Observers in North Carolina might question whether the Texas bill would protect either. Forbes magazine reported in November of

last year that the bathroom bill in North Carolina has cost the state “at least $630 million in [lost] business.” But it’s not lost revenue that frightens the trans students who would be targeted by the bill. Rather, they question Patrick’s contention that the bill promotes safety. They fear the opposite is true. “Right wing extremism will lead to more frequent and extreme acts of violence and harassment,” junior Nico Leuba Jones said. “I think it’s hard because our culture is so set in the gender binary,” Donie said, “From birth, we’re using colors to distinguish if a 1-month-old is going to be a ‘ladies’ man’ or a ‘daddy’s little girl,’ and the idea of that not being applicable in the same way to everyone is confusing and scary.” Some trans students believe that Republican desire for the bill is stimulated by the fear of the unknown. Because they believe that people who don’t know or see transgender students fear them, they believe the way to defeat the bill is to educate people how the bill will hurt transgender people. “It’s a huge issue now, but the experiences of actual trans people are rarely represented in the mainstream.,” Donie said.

Current events and legislation involving the persecution and harming of trans and nonbinary members of the community caused people to call into question the tactics of fighting the bill. “If it’s positive, realistic representation, it can make trans people feel more safe and comfortable with themselves,” Donie said. “However, hypervisibility is a huge problem for trans people, and it’s the reason there has already been a trans woman murdered this year,” Donie said in reference to the transgender woman, Mesha Caldwell, who was murdered in Mississippi in early January. McCallum is an open and accepting school to LGBTQ students, and many students believe the liberal island in a red Texas sea is safe for the time being. “We’re a very accepting school,” Donie said, “And I hope that the majority of students will continue to let people use whatever bathroom they want to.” However, the bill may put the efforts to establish gender-neutral bathrooms at McCallum, temporarily on hold. “The issue of trans people using bathrooms was created by people who want to legislate against them, in a form of identity politics to get votes,” Donie said.

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Northcutt named teacher of the year ZOË HOCKER staff reporter

Sophomore English teacher Nikki Northcutt was named teacher of the year at an after-school ceremony on Jan. 23. Northcutt said was not expecting to win because she still feels new despite her six years at MAC. “I feel like everybody else is a veteran teacher, so I don’t assume I’m going to win because I still feel like the new kid on the block.” Northcutt said. Some of Northcutt’s past students, such as junior Tristan Tierney, said that Northcutt definitely deserved the title. “My favorite thing about Ms. Northcutt is her immense level of kindness and love that she has for all of her students,” Tierney said. “She believes in and cares about every single kid, whether you’re a straight ‘A’ student or just barely scraping by.” Junior Aydan Urias enjoys how Northcutt pushes her students to think on higher levels about the curriculum. ‘You can tell she actually cares about opening up your levels of thinking,” Urias said. “She also has never failed to help me with something I needed assistance with, from recommendation letters to editing to help in the Writing Center.” Sophomore Claire Caudill said that Ms. Northcutt is a great role model. “I feel that I can go to her for anything whether it be advice or just a good conversation.” Northcutt can be serious, but her students also praised her fun side. “She’s one of a kind,” junior Charliee

Northcutt learns she has been voted Teacher of the Year. Photo by Dave Winter. Arnold said. “No one else can juju on that beat like her.” Senior Andrea Janss remembered acting out a part of Macbeth with an airsoft gun in Northcutt’s class. “I remember her always making every class memorable and every lesson creative; she was a kind teacher and relatable to us,” Janss said. The other finalists math teacher Scott Pass and Latin teacher Nick Martin. Northcutt feels that both of those teachers deserve recognition even though they did not win. “I love Mr. Martin,” Northcutt said. “He is always coming into my room giving me curriculum that matches because he’s into

the classics, and we read Oedipus and we reference some ancient Greek and Rome and stuff,” Northcutt said. “So, he’s always sending me articles, and he’s always in a constant state of learning which is really honorable especially for how busy he is. Mr. Pass just seems like he’s here for kids, and I know he does after-school clubs and stuff, and I’ve heard really good things.” The announcement was accompanied by cake and a reception in the library on Jan. 23. “I am incredibly honored to be nominated by my colleagues.” Northcutt said. “I love working here,” Northcutt told her peers on Jan. 23. “I want to be here until I am 80.”

Downtown art exhibit to feature work of 3 students

MacTheatre department partners with Paramount

Knight wins 10 Gold Keys, plus a Blue and Gold Award

Three of McCallum’s art students are going to have a piece of their artwork featured in The People’s Gallery Exhibition. Ashley Boyd, Emma Bleu Daghlian and Zoë Tormollen submitted their work after a call for artists was sent out and ended up being selected. The exhibit will be held from Feb. 24 to Jan. 4, 2018 at Austin City Hall. The People's Gallery exhibition features over 125 artworks from Austin area artists and is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

The McCallum Fine Arts Academy has established a new partnership in education with the Paramount Theater. The theater puts on a production called Story Wranglers, where actors use stories created by third graders at different elementary schools to create a theatrical production that gets preformed at the elementary school that came up with the idea. Students in the Fine Arts Academy who are theatre majors can apply to participate in Story Wranglers.

The 2016 Knight learned last week that it had earned an inaugural Blue and Gold Comprehensive Visuals Award from the Quill and Scroll International Journalism Honor Society. It is the first year for the award, which recognizes schools that excelled in the Yearbook Excellence Contest. Only 10 high schools nationwide earned this honor. MAC yearbook students earned a total of 10 Gold Keys in the contest. Class of 2016 graduate Hannah Ilan won a Sweepstakes Award in the Academic Photo category.

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Myers to publish book of poetry Being an English teacher involves teaching students every day how to write, analyze and understand major literary works. English teacher Daniel Myers isn’t just teaching poetry, he’s writing it. Myers will publish his first book of poetry, Bulls Bard, Volume 1: The Final Chapter to the public on Valentine’s Day. The book is a collection of poems that Myers wrote inspired by the Chicago Bulls basketball games last season. “I mean it’s poems, but I guess it’s about me more than anyone, but the way that it’s sort of structured is that I watch each Chicago Bulls basketball game and then the next morning I write a poem inspired by the game, but they’re not usually about basketball; they’re about me,” Myers said. “I’ll see things within the game. Things that sort of show the humanity of the players or those very human things that come out in competition, and I relate those things to outside of the game, to the world which is, you know, I am the window to the world that I know best.” Myers came up with the idea during the 2014-15 season when he decided he wanted to explore a hidden truth within each of the games. “I just got to a point where I started wanting to relate and connect to the games in sort of a fresh different way,” Myers said. Myers is not new to writing poems and wanted to be a rapper when he was a child but has never published his work. After sticking with his writing throughout the season, he felt it was necessary to publish his work. “I committed to the project in a way that I had never committed to another project before,” Myers said. ‘I actually got all the way through it so at that point [getting it published] felt like the next logical step. It helped me feel that it was a legitimate project.” The book will available for sale on Amazon as soon as Myers signs off on the final proof of the book.

-Zoë Hocker

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Hundreds walk out to join protests Students accept excused absences as cost of having voices heard

The school bell rings, and as the last period of the day begins, a group of almost two dozen students files out of the main school building and makes its way to the band lot in the afternoon sunshine. They hold up custom-made signs and chant catchy phrases condemning the newly inaugurated president Donald Trump, as assistant principals and counselors quietly escort them to the edge of campus. Pickup trucks flying “TRUMP” flags ride past them on the street, but the group doesn’t stop chanting until it reaches its destination, and members are shocked to see an eager crowd of more than 150 student-protesters. “I didn’t even have words to describe how it felt seeing that [crowd],” senior Ta’Tyana Jammer said. “I was at the point of tears honestly because seeing all my peers and other students around me, just hundreds of students walking for the same purpose, is what the McCallum Justice Coalition has been wanting to do, and it’s amazing to see that action.” On Jan. 20, the day of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, students walked out of their fourth-period classes to protest the event as well as the president’s policies, cabinet picks and behavior throughout the presidential campaign. After meeting in the band lot, the student-protesters walked to a bus stop on Lamar and Koenig to ride downtown and join a larger protest march at Auditorium Shores. “I personally chose to walk out because I knew it would send a message,” senior Gabe Erwin said. “It showed my friends, my teachers and my family among others that I was unhappy with Donald Tr ump becoming our president.

I believe in having a president who not only knows how to do his job but also has good moral ethics, and I don’t believe he has either. I also went because this was the beginning of many protests and fights I will be participating in in order to push for a better country.” The walkout was organized by a club not yet officially recognized by the school, the McCallum Justice Coalition, led by seniors Grace Schmidhauser, Ta’Tyana Jammer, Henry Epperson, Matthew Weinberg and sophomore Elizabeth Epperson. They held several meetings on campus for members and people interested in the walkout when they established their plan, determined how they expected students to conduct themselves at the protest, and discussed their views on Trump’s inauguration. “We all [the leaders of the McCallum Justice Coalition] just contributed in so many different ways, and it was awesome,” senior Henry Epperson said. “We knew this inauguration went against everything we valued, and we couldn’t sit back and just let Donald Trump be president. We had to be active. We know there’s going to be dark times ahead, but we’re willing to keep fighting for as long as it takes.” District officials from AISD were made aware of the McCallum walkout through social media and the circulation of flyers made by the McCallum Justice Coalition, and sent out an automated call to all families of current AISD students the day before the inauguration, discouraging students from leaving campus and informing them that all absences marked because of this event would not be excused.

“I think showing people that we’re willing to come together and unify made everything worth it,” Henry Epperson said, “especially because I’m a student and I’m going to college soon. I don’t know what it’s going to be like for the future generations of students, and that worries me. I think it’s awesome that we’re trying to represent them, and it’s worth getting an unexcused absence.” As unified as the opinions on President Trump of those who participated in the walkout appeared, however, not all of the participants shared the same beliefs about his inauguration. “I didn’t do much chanting or sign holding. I merely went to examine the optics of the event,” senior Sam Carrillo said. “Hearing my community chant ‘not my president’ makes some sense, yet hearing an alternative fact such as that is heartbreaking. We are so divided that the attitude is ‘oppose Trump always’ and that is not where I’m at all. ... I’m not an apologist for President Trump, and I don’t endorse his rhetoric. ..., [but] Donald J. Trump is my president, and I will let him lead this country. I want him to succeed if this country benefits from his leadership.” Yet for many of the student marchers, President Trump’s track record of leadership in the past is evidence enough of how he will govern the country in the future. “I am against everything Trump stands for,” Jammer said. “I am for the people, not dividing them. I hope that people continue to come together in these large groups to work for change. I think this will be an interesting next four years, but I want to stay positive and hope that it’ll be OK.”

Story and photo by Rachel Wolleben.

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Spilling the tea about facilities Citizen commitee hopes to solve AISD facilities woes SOPHIE RYLAND staff reporter

The uneven quality of the facilities across the Austin Independent School District is no secret. Some campuses are woefully outdated while others are shining examples of modernity. While McCallum certainly isn’t most modern of campuses, it is also far from the most antiquated. For the past two years, a committee of concerned citizens has worked to resolve this vast disparity and bring all AISD facilities into the 21st century so that they will serve the needs of the students who attend now and in the future. This committee, made up of 18 citizens called the Facilities and Bond Planning Advisory Committee, or the FABPAC, has been tasked with creating a Facility Master Plan, or FMP, that will develop a bond package to meet the needs of facilities within the district. “AISD is doing a remarkable job in addressing an overwhelmingly difficult situation,” FABPAC member and McCallum parent Jodi Leach said. “They have high expectations for our schools, and the time, manpower and support that they have given this process reinforces that. I’m particularly impressed with the fact that, by using educational programming as the driving force behind the process, the students’ are consistently the priority of AISD.” SOME CAMPUSES ARE CENTURIES OLD AISD is seeing a problem with aging buildings, as the average age of the buildings in the district is 40 years old, and some have been around for over a century. McCallum is the oldest AISD school still operating in its original building. “McCallum’s facilities are in much better shape since the last two bond packages, which included the new theater, three new art classrooms, three new science classrooms...two renovated life skills rooms, [and a] new weight

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An AISD official moderates a Facilities Master Plan discussion between McCallum teachers and parents. Photo by Sophie Ryland. room,” principal Mike Garrison said. “We still have HVAC (air conditioning/heating) issues throughout the school...we have leaks in our roof in many places, [and] we have water fountains that are broken and don’t work.” In 2013, voters passed a bond worth $500 million to address renovation issues like replacing old air-condition, plumbing and fixing leaks, but the FABPAC asserts that it was not enough to address to complete needs of the district. The same year that the bond allocating $500 million for renovation issues was passed, voters also rejected a $234 million proposal calling for new schools and campus expansions to relieve overcrowding. “You can well imagine that much has changed in technology and the methods of teaching over the last 40-50 years that could be improved upon with renovated or brand new buildings,” trustee Julie Cowan said. “Routine maintenance of our 130 buildings is always a challenge … because past AISD school boards have been cautious with asking Austin voters for additional tax dollars through bonds, some of the largest projects seem to have been set aside. The results that FABPAC is finding from its summer study of all 130 buildings is that

storage is sadly lacking, HVAC systems and plumbing are in great need, and some schools are too small to serve the number of kids in their surrounding neighborhoods. Additionally, individual campuses have a bigger vision for academic programs and AISD’s older facilities were not created to meet those expectations.” A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS LEADS TO PROPOSED SOLUTIONS AISD and the FABPAC have worked with several consultants, including from the firm Brailsford & Dunlavey, in order to gather data and create recommendations. One of their contributions consisted of the Facility Conditions Assessment and Educational Suitability Assessments, which analyzed every facility in the district based on the conditions of the physical buildings and the ability of each school to provide an excellent learning environment. “I think we have the best students and teachers in the nation, and they deserve more than what we are providing them,” AISD CFO Nicole Conley said. “We should lead the nation in providing modernized classrooms that inspire both our teachers and our students. Our

community deserves nothing less. However, we do face challenges. As I mentioned, the average age of our schools is 40 years old. Their ages are showing, and they are becoming more costly to maintain. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have schools … that feature modern architectural elements that provide lots of natural light, common areas where students gather, and new classroom technology. These schools are excellent learning environments and build pride within the communities they serve.” Included in the recommendations is a plan to consolidate and/or close eight pre-K or elementary schools because of under use, dangerous structural issues or unsuitability for proper education. Last November, T.A. Brown Elementary School was unexpectedly shut down after critical problems with the building’s foundation, adding to AISD’s $2 billion in deferred maintenance. These closures are controversial among parents; immediately after Dobie prekindergarten was announced as one of the potential closures, a group of parents showed up at the school to protest the recommendation with chants and signs.

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RELOCATIONS, CLOSURES AND MODERNIZATION In addition to proposing closures, the board is considering relocations and potentially adding six new buildings; notable examples include building a new high school in southeast Austin and LASA potentially moving completely out of LBJ, to either one dedicated location or splitting up the program at different schools. In addition to renovation, replacements and consolidations, the FMP plans to address modernization: utilizing technology and design to create an enhanced 21st century education. “I’m sure that there will be different feelings about the plans,” said Paul Turner, Executive Director of AISD’s Office of Facilities. “Most people are not opposed to modernizing or renovations being done, although it’s sometimes inconvenient. We also have in this plan the possibility of consolidation of schools. Those tend to be hard conversations. I’m sure there will be community members who have questions and concerns that will come out during this community engagement process.” On Jan. 24, the FABPAC held the first of its third series of community engagement meetings in McCallum’s cafeteria, where they talked to a crowd of

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nearly 200 about the newly outlined recommendations and organized attendees into moderated discussions to offer their opinions on the plans. When it comes to funding, the district is relying on the money they’d save from closures/ consolidations and the fact that better facilities may attract students that could potentially be lost to charter or private schools. While the scope of the FMP is intended to be from 20-30 years, it’s also encouraged to be a living document that is continually revised as often as every two years. Throughout the process of this major FMP overhaul, the FABPAC members say that they are relying on AISD community members to attend the meetings to learn more about their efforts and to offer their own unique insight in order to create the best plan possible. “The FABPAC’s intention is to present a long range plan to address all of this large urban district’s needs while not overwhelming taxpayers,” Conley said. “I believe the Austin community supports public education and our schools and will support the work of FABPAC after they learn how much time, effort, and data collection has been taken.”

FABPAC member Mark Grayson addresses those in attendance at a community engagement meeting in the McCallum cafeteria on Jan. 24. Photo by Sophie Ryland.

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Mr. Mc-Highlights Talent:

Rylie Bennett Talent:

Recreated the New Year’s dance routine from “Friends” with Riley Bennett

Talent:

Choice of Swimsuit:

Award:

Black trunks with skull print and a black blazer

Mr. McSpicy

“My spirit animal would be a duck because what I usually do is chill in the park and eat bread.”

Memorable Quote:

Choice of Swimsuit:

Award:

Coral green swim trunks and a Hawaiian shirt

Mr. McSweetie

Memorable Quote:

Choice of Swimsuit:

“I’m definitely more of a hunter than a gatherer. I think gatherers are disgusting.”

Talent:

Miles Hansen

Memorable Quote:

Recreated the New Year’s dance routine from “Friends” with Sacco Fernandez

Recreated the float scene from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”

Memorable Quote:

Performed a dance rou- “My favorite Taylor Swift tine to “Careless Whisper” song is‘Love Story’. Beby George Michael with cause we were both young when we first started...” Jackson Vanderslice

Talent:

“My favorite Power Ranger is the pink one, because I love women.”

Texas flag print swim trunks and scuba gear (including fins)

Choice of Swimsuit:

Award:

American flag print swim trunks

Mr. McJock

Memorable Quote:

Choice of Swimsuit:

“I could be a type of cereal, I would be Apple Jacks.”

White swim trunks and a Hawaiian shirt

Ignacio Morones

Lip-synched to “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton with Matteo Sarmiento

Talent:

Memorable Quote:

Choice of Swimsuit:

Award:

“My favorite song to sing in the car is ‘Gold on the Ceiling’ by The Black Keys.”

Red lifeguard swim trunks and a baseball cap

Mr. McTalent

Talent:

Memorable Quote:

Choice of Swimsuit:

Performed “When I Have Sung My Songs” by Ernest Charles

Matteo Sarmiento Talent:

Jumped over boxes on a treadmill, sliced flying fruit with a machete, and fought with a chicken

Mitchell Wright

Lip-synched to “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton with Ignacio Morones

“I currently own 10 fish. If you ever wanna talk about fish, I’m your guy.””

Blue swim trunks with a floral pattern

Memorable Quote:

Choice of Swimsuit:

Award:

“My favorite Rom Com is Iron Man.”

Blue and green swim trunks and a neon hat

Mr. McSpeedy

Talent:

Memorable Quote:

Choice of Swimsuit:

Played “Julie-O” by Mark Summer on the cello

“I think beauty’s definitely on the outside because, well, I’m pretty.”

Classic red swim trunks

Sacco Fernandez Award: Mr. McJoker

Tyler Page Award: Mr. McCuddles

Nick Ryland Award:

Mr. McCaring

Noah Savage Award: Mr. McCutie &

Mr. McCallum Chart by Rachel Wolleben

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Beyond hunger Four students share what it was like to suffer from an eating disorder ANNA ADDISON staff reporter An estimated half a million adolescents aged 13-18 suffer from an eating disorder, but according to The National Eating Disorders Association, less than a third seek professional help. Coming to terms and coping with eating disorders can sometimes seem impossible, but four students have agreed to anonymously share their battles with eating disorders in the hopes of letting other students know that they are not alone.

Anonymous #1: Male, 17 “It’s just a very intense type of suffering because you can’t escape from your own body, you can’t isolate yourself from your triggers or restructure your life, and it’s just very circular. I would be doing certain things or eating a certain way or be on a certain diet or whatever until I thought I would see the results that I wanted. I would tell myself that if I ran a huge deficit or ate very little that I would have the body that I wanted or that I would feel comfortable with myself. I would think that ‘Oh, it will just take a couple weeks,’ but the thing is that you never get there. The image of yourself that you’re seeing isn’t true. It’s very hard to know what you’re body actually looks like when you have an eating disorder because the image of yourself that you see is very different from reality, so you never really get those results. There’s no end to it. You just keep on going and maybe adding on even more, self destructing and eating less until it gets so drastic that either someone intervenes or you die.”

Anonymous #2: Female, 18 “I felt like I was trapped. I didn’t know how to get out of it, but I also didn’t necessarily want to get out of it. I loved the feeling of waking up and having nothing in my stomach, not even water, and just being so empty. That was my favorite thing. I would also feel tired all the time and get really dizzy in PE class. I couldn’t do anything really physical. I also felt like no one was paying attention to me because no one was realizing that something was wrong. I wasn’t really thinking ‘I’m going to keep going until someone realizes,’ but that was pretty much what I was doing. I had never self-harmed in like the way people normally think is self-harm, but restricting was definitely my way of hurting myself.”

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Anonymous #3: Female, 16 “When I was in the throes of my anorexia, I would skip lunch. I would still pack it, so my parents would think I was eating it, but I would throw it away. It was all a very secretive thing. I was afraid that someone would see me throw away my sandwich and think I had an eating disorder. Then I would just chew gum all day and lie to my friends about eating. I felt really out of control because, even though I was so controlling over what I put in my body and what I did with my body, once I started losing weight, nothing was ever enough, and it got to the point where I felt like I would never be satisfied. No matter what I did, I could never make myself into the person I wanted to be.”

Anonymous #4: Female, 18 “My parents eventually noticed that I wasn’t eating enough ... or really at all. It’s not like they’re bad or neglectful or anything. It’s just that like, I was so good at covering it up. I was never really stubborn or noncompliant when it came to recovery either. It’s just that, like, after about a year of battling my natural impulses every day and lying constantly, I was so tired. I was just tired of it all. My whole life had become a lie sort of, just one big mess of lies I had told people so that I could keep destroying myself, and I had to uphold those lies every single day. Of course it still affects me, I have to deal with dysmorphia and all that, and I’ve relapsed a couple times, but it feels really good to not lie anymore.”

If you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, please seek help immediately. This is a serious medical condition that left untreated could be fatal. National Eating Disorder Association Helpline: 1-800-931-2237 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Facts & Statistics Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. 20%-30% of the people suffering from eating disorders are men. 16 percent of transgender college students reported having an eating disorder. Every 62 minutes, at least one person dies as a direct result of an eating disorder. Substance abuse is four times more common in people with eating disorders than in the general population. Those with bulimia have weights that fluctuate within normal ranges. People suffering from eating disorders are more likely to also suffer from depression, obsessivecompulsive disorder, anxiety and social phobia. One out of every five anorexia deaths is by suicide. Consequences of anorexia include muscle atrophy, reduction of bone density, dehydration, hair loss, fatigue, low heart rate and seizures. Consequences of bulimia may include irregular heartbeat, heart failure, ulcers, ruptured or torn esophagus, dizziness and vitamin deficiencies. Statistics courtesy of The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders and The National Eating Disorders Association.

Warning Signs Warning signs of anorexia may include preoccupation with calories and dieting, denial of hunger, sudden and dramatic weight loss, intense exercise regimens, intense fear of gaining weight and social withdrawal. Warning signs of bulimia may include scarred or calloused knuckles, red eyes, swollen or puffy cheeks, discolored teeth, going to the rest room immediately after meals and intense fear of becoming overweight.

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Which McCallum stereotype best indicates who you are? Take our highly scientific and extensively researched quiz to find out! ANNA ADDISON staff reporter

!. Pick a breakfast food A. Avocado toast B. Pancakes C. Oatmeal D. Poptarts™ E. Bacon and eggs F. Hotdogs 2. Pick a Fine Arts Academy major. A. Art B. Dance C. Band/Orchestra D. Classical Guitar

F. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

E. Theatre F. Tech Theatre

5. Pick a shoe

3. Pick a Dog.

A. Nike Air Force Ones B. Adidas Stan Smiths C. White Converse High Tops D. Doc Martens E. Character Shoes F. Whatever kind of shoes Mr. Anderson wears in his off time

A. Corgi B. A golden retriever C. German shepherd D. A mutt E. French poodle F. Jack Russell terrier 4. Pick a favorite movie. A. Heathers B. Mean Girls C. The Breakfast Club D. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas E. High School Musical 2 (AKA the best one)

MOSTLY A’S

6. Pick an item to take with you to a desert island. A. My mom jeans, I gotta stay fitted. B. My phone, I have to keep up my Snapchat streaks. C. My copy of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

MOSTLY B’S

It’s my favorite book. D. My skateboard E. My music. I have to rehearse for my upcoming show. F. Mr. Anderson 7. What do you typically do on a Friday night? A. Go to a punk show downtown. I love Residual Kid! B. Invite my friends over to hang out C. Homework D. Go to a co-op party on campus that I wasn’t invited to E. I have rehearsal. F. Doing the prep work for the next meeting for model U.N. of which I am the president.

MOSTLY C’S

THE ART STUDENT

THE PR EP

THE ONE WHO ACTUALLY TRIES

You’re a McCallum art student! You’re most often found either in the art room working on your most recent piece or at Epoch Coffee. Your catchphrase is “Ugh, American Apparel is life.” People can tell just by looking at you that you have a Tumblr. You don’t go out much but that doesn’t mean you’re not cool! You totally went to go see Mac Demarco during SXSW last year!

You’re not like other preps, you’re a cool prep! You consider yourself to be pretty woke (like, you totally went to Young Democrats Club once), you listen to “good rap” like Kendrick Lamar and Migos, and you wouldn’t be caught dead wearing Sperry’s or Vineyard Vines. Much like the Art Student, you’re really into ‘90s style, meaning you love to wear flannels, stiff medium wash high-waisted jeans, “dad hats,” and either white Converse high tops or some sort of Adidas sneaker (and that’s regardless of gender).

God, you should’ve gone to LASA. You’re that person who doesn’t regret going to Kealing. You’re that person who didn’t drop Mr. Bisbee’s AP physics class. You will be McCallum’s token Ivy student of your graduating class. While most of us are barely getting by, you’re getting into Yale! Or Columbia! Or Brown! And the worst part is that you’re actually a really nice person so we can’t hate you. Ugh!

MOSTLY D’S

MOSTLY E’S

MOSTLY F’S

THE FUTURE GARZA STUDENT

THE THEATRE KID

THE MR. ANDERSON WORSHIPPER

Let’s be honest, you’re a bit of a slacker….but it’s because you have the tortured soul of an artist, man! People are always super surprised to find out that you’re still enrolled at McCallum. Your favorite article of clothing is your pair of scuffed up Docs, and you are probably very familiar with the work of Hunter S. Thompson. Your go-to lunch spot is either the Texas Truancy Court or behind the Dart Bowl.

You’re in theatre and you love to make sure that everyone knows it. Every opportunity you get, you talk about theatre. You can never hang out because you always have rehearsal. You’ll never admit it but you were inspired to apply to McCallum by Nickelodeon’s Victorious. Your go-to lunch spot is the picnic table by the choir room where you sing songs from Heathers: the Musical with your friends who are also in theatre.

You are the most common McCallum student: the Mr. Anderson worshipper. You don’t even have to have had Mr. Anderson as a teacher to know that he is The Man! There are levels to this stereotype. You could be the casual fan, appreciative of Mr. Anderson’s zany nature and love for bad punk music. The most extreme form went on the Germany trip with him and actively participate in Model U.N. just because he’s the sponsor for it.

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Artistically speaking: Ellie Zambarano Senior gains confidence as a singer, performer through college audition process

CHARLIE HOLDEN assistant editor

The Shield: Why did you decide to become a theatre major? Ellie Zambarano: McCallum is not my home school. When I was in the eighth grade, I applied for a transfer, but I also applied to the theatre program. I got the transfer, but I still wanted to be a theatre major. TS: So how long have you been acting? EZ: I started at Zach Theater when I was in fourth grade and then I did theatre there until seventh grade, and I was at Austin’s Children’s Theater for a few years before I went back to Zach, and then I was at McCallum. TS: And you also sing as well; you’ve been in several musicals. EZ: Yeah, I mostly do musicals, I’ve actually only been in one play; that’s just how it’s worked out. So, yeah. Mostly musicals. TS: Do you prefer musicals? EZ: Probably. I feel like singing is the thing that I enjoy the most out of the three disciplines, and I’m constantly listening to musicals. I just like musicals more than I like plays. I’m more drawn to musicals. TS: Would you like to pursue the arts as a career? EZ: Yeah! That would be awesome, and that is what I’m planning on doing. I’m currently applying and auditioning for schools for musical theatre so hopefully I’ll be doing that for the next four years and then, we’ll see what happens after that.

Carnegie Mellon, Ithaca, Penn State and lots more. But just like, lots of schools. TS: Wow. So do you have a top choice? EZ: I don’t know, I feel like what a lot of people say are the top three musical theatre schools are University of Michigan, Carnegie Mellon and The College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. So a lot of people have one of those as their top school, but I feel like because [musical theatre] is such a specific program with such specific program heads that I’m going to have to visit them to see what my top choice is. I don’t want to have one that I’m connected with and get torn up if I don’t get in. TS: So have you started the audition process? EZ: Yeah, I started already. I went to OCU for my first audition last semester, and then I had a series of auditions in Dallas that were all in one hotel, so I had like 13 auditions then. Some of them are just preliminary auditions and then I have some callbacks this semester. My next audition is this weekend at Texas State, so that’ll be fun. And then there’s this thing called Unified, which is in Chicago, and it’s just a bunch of auditions for musical theatre schools and acting schools. A lot of them are in the same hotel or around the same area so you don’t have to go to all the different schools. TS: How has being a theatre major affected your time at McCallum? EZ: I think it’s just definitely given me a little niche to fit into and given me connections to different people. It’s just such a community to be in,

TS: So what schools have you applied to so far? EZ: So many. I’ve applied to about 20 schools because it’s just so competitive, especially for girls, because lots of girls are in musical theatre. Some of them that I applied to were OCU, TCU, Texas State, University of Michigan,

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Zambarano plays Roxane in the fall musical, Cyrano. Cyrano was Zambarano’s seventh McCallum production in four years. Photo by Greg James.

and everybody is constantly with each other, and we’re constantly in the same musicals together and constantly going towards the same goal, and you definitely have to form a strong community because you’re all compet-

ing against each other, especially with the girls, so you have to like each other. And we’re all interested in the same things and have the same passions, so it’s just an awesome community. TS: What do you feel has been your biggest accomplishment in your four years of high school theatre? EZ: I think this year has been a pretty big accomplishment for me, like just the [college audition] process, because it’s so tiring and hard, and auditioning was always like this really scary thing for me. I would go in to audition and come out and be like, “I don’t remember anything that happened.” Like I just don’t know what happened, which is a scary thing because for theatre you’re constantly auditioning. So I think just like gaining that confidence in myself and losing my fear for auditioning has been a big thing for me this year, and has been an exciting accomplishment for me. TS: What will you miss the least about McCallum theatre? EZ: It can be tiring, especially when you are with the same people all the time. A lot of people are like, “You have to do every show!” And when I was a freshman I was like, “You’re right! I have to do every show!” But by the end I was like, there’s no way. So I won’t miss people being like, “You’re doing this show, right?” I just want to take time for myself. TS: So what will you miss the most about McCallum theatre? EZ: Honestly I probably will miss Denning. I do love him. He’s such a weird, specific dude. He’s so funny. But I’ll miss him a lot. And just the people in McCallum theatre that I’m not super close with, so I probably won’t keep in touch with them. I’m just so used to seeing them all the time, so yeah. I’ll miss the little things. For the complete interview visit www.macshieldonline.com

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My favorite book is...

Three McCallum English teachers share their favorite reads For Whom the Bell Tolls

The Once and Future King

The Sound and the Fury

Mr. Wydeven

Mrs. Adamson

Mr. Watterson

“I just reread this one recently, and it’s still right on top of my list. I like Hemingway’s view of what constitutes a worthwhile human being, but beyond that, it’s a very life-affirming book. It’s a big book, 471 pages, but that 471 pages spans three days. It’s three days in which these characters live their lives, knowing at the end of the book they’re probably going to die. When I finish reading it, I want to be a better person. I want to go out there and be better, experience more, do more. Robert Jordan meets this woman, and he falls in love with her. But he always has going in the back of his mind that whatever he’s going to do, he’s got three days to do it because the bad guys are coming for him, and he doesn’t know what the outcome is going to be. He wants to reach out and do everything he can and be everything he can. I recommend it to high school students because it’s a pretty easy read. Hemingway is noted for his scarcity and economy of language, but beyond that, it has a deep philosophy to it, and it makes you want to reach out and grab things and be better. Hemingway reflects a world that is full of adventure and goodness.”

“I’ve always been really interested in the Arthurian legend, and I think it would be a fun book at any grade level. The first time I read this I was in seventh grade, and I just loved it. I think I was ripe at that time in my life. One of the reasons I’m so drawn to the Arthurian legend is because of how Arthur is always portrayed as seeing things so differently from the world around him. He’s given flaws because he’s human, but he is still seen as so idealistic and is supposed to come back in England’s greatest time of need, so he gives us hope. One of the reasons I like teaching and reading this book is there’s so much depth to it. When you are able to read something more than one time and still are able to take something different away from it, then I think that’s the mark of a good book. [As a bookmark I use] a receipt from when I was admitted to the emergency room, in January of 1997, when I went into labor two months early. I was making lesson plans for this book in the emergency room to give to my department chair.”

Like all of Faulkner’s stuff, it’s creepy and has a morbid curiosity about it. When I read it in college, it was the most confusing thing I’d ever encountered, but when I cracked the code and figured out how it was constructed, it became this delicious puzzle to solve. Most of the difficulty lies in the first portion of the text, which is narrated by a narrator who is probably autistic and has no sense of time. In pieces, he describes 19 events of his life, which are merged together without any real indication that he’s changing the subject. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle, and you’re looking for this little piece in this little yellow corner. One of the reasons why I was so interested in taking on the senior AP Lit and Comp course is because I knew this book was on the list. I loved it before I taught it, and teaching your favorite book in the whole world, is the high point of my school year. In spite of the difficulty, and to some degree because of the difficulty, students end up really liking the challenge of it. When I ask students what [their favorite] book was, most say the Sound and the Fury, and some say it’s the best book they read in high school.

Interviews and photos by Madison Olsen. To read more teacher favorites, please see macshieldonline.com.

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03 Feb. 2017

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This month: February Story by Julie Robertson

COOKING

If one of your New Year’s goals is to become more creative with cooking and baking, Make it Sweet cooking classes should be something on your calendar for the weekend. These classes can be booked in advance and usually contain about 30 people; however, the classes are easy to follow and the actual baking is easy as well. Make it Sweet offers classes on how to bake certain foods or how to decorate them. The decorating classes are fun because all of the cupcakes, cookies or cakes are already pre-made for you, so the class is focused on decorating with cool designs. The instructor, Jennifer, has been on Cooking Network shows such as Cupcake Wars. These cooking classes are super fun for parties or with a friend.

The signature chicken sandwich (below), and the chicken tenders (bottom right) are just two of many food options at Flyrite. Photo courtesy of Flyrite Chicken Restaurant.

Despite being near downtown, Butler Park (above) is a great place to relax and go for a peaceful picnic. Head there now before it gets too hot to be outside in Austin. Photo by Julie Robertson.

AUSTIN SPOT

This is the perfect time in Austin to go for a walk or run outside. Some of the best parks and trails are downtown, so Austin’s Butler Park is one of my favorite places to hang out during these few months before the weather becomes too warm to bear being outside. Butler Park is nestled next to the Palmer Events Center and The Long Center, so its proximity to downtown is great, plus it has excellent skyline views, and usually stays quiet because of its location near Zilker Park, where more people go. Even though Butler Park it smaller, it is still very beautiful and has several ponds and boardwalks. It is also dog friendly, making it the perfect place to go for a walk or run over the weekend.

EATERY

Final cupcakes after taking the cupcake decorating class. Photo by Julie Robertson.

03 Feb. 2017

Flyrite Chicken Sandwiches is the best chicken sandwich you can get in Austin, hands down. This east Austin joint has a simple, inexpensive menu that you can’t make a wrong decision on, no matter what you order. Usually, I go for the spicy chicken sandwich, which has never let me down. The sandwich is simple. The restaurant has a wide variety of sauces that you can purchase along with your sandwich for 50 cents a cup. I always go for the sriracha mayo; it pairs excellently with the sandwich. The sides are simple, mostly consisting of fries and shakes. The shakes are delicious, and the fries are salty and scrumptious. Another great thing about this east Austin gem, is that it is never crowded, and it has a drive thru.

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Teachers in AV Club hosts fifth annual fundraiser CHARLIE HOLDEN assistant editor

Tiaras

1. Math teacher Richard Cowles adjusts the microphone before beginning the talent portion of the show. Cowles read nursery rhymes in pig Latin. 2. Emcee William Magnuson reacts to an answer given by teacher Dierdre McGohan during the interview portion of the show. When asked how she would survive the zombie apocalypse, McGahon replied, “I would bring out my pretty sword and be like Michonne [from The Walking Dead]. She’s my hero.” 3. Economics teacher Lucy Griswold passionately responds to the question, “If you could change anything in history, what would it be?” Griswold answered, “What if the Big Bang had never happened? Or what if it was just the small bang? Or a medium bang, I don’t know. Physics. The Iraq war. World peace. Thank you.” Griswold was voted second runner-up behind second-place winner Nikki Northcutt. 4. AV teacher Ken Rogers, dressed in drag as Ms. Roxy, hugs Teachers in Tiaras winner Georgia Gonzalez. Gonzalez said that if she had any super power she would so she could “get all the skippers.”

Past winners of Teachers in Tiaras 2013- Nikki Northcutt (English teacher) 2014- Juana Gun (Spanish teacher) 2015- Nikki Northcutt (English teacher) 2016- Juana Gun (Spanish teacher) 2017- Georgia Gonzalez (security officer)

Photos by Charlie Holden

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Model: Mithcell Stanford Designer: Alex Vuy

Model: Perry Hutchens Designer: Blue Elephant

story by:

GRACE SCHMIDHOUSER

staff reporter

photos and design by:

JULIA ROBERTSON editor in-chief

Model: Nellie Johnson Designer: Sally Deshanu

Model: Brittne Miller Designer: Victor Mata

Making waves

he 14th annual Fashion Show this past January In 2017, the annual benefit was an affair to remember. The newly built AISD fashion show, was bigger Performing Arts Center was packed with McCallum and bolder than ever. But behind the scenes students, alumni, and friends witnessing a glitzy lies an entirely different show of student designs modeled by classmates in experience. Just ask senior addition to professional local designersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lines. designer Grace Bonilla. Please continue to the next page. 3 Feb. 2017

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The show was complete with a full backdrop, an on-stage VIP section, and music and lights that could practically convince one they’re at New York Fashion Week instead of a school district’s arts center. While the fashion show is an iconic McCallum event, eagerly anticipated by much of the McCallum population every year, there’s another hidden side to the show that most people never see. This unseen component includes the behind-the-scenes running of the show as well as the countless hours of planning and practice that makes the show possible and successful. This work behind the scenes isn’t just essential; it’s where senior Grace Bonilla is at her best. Over the past three years, Bonilla has mastered the inner workings of the fashion show. From interviewing to become an intern for the show on a whim at the beginning of sophomore year to graduating to head director her senior year, Bonilla has witnessed firsthand the evolution of the fashion shows as well as gaining new and growing responsibilities each year in the running of the show. Bonilla and her fellow senior head directors, Quinn Bingham and Ariella Dos Santos, who run the conceptual and production aspects of the show, felt that 2017 was the year that the fashion show should get a facelift. “(This year), we wanted to amp it up and scale it up”, Bonilla said of the decision to switch the venue of the show from the McCallum Arts Center to the PAC in order to accommodate the usually large fashion show crowd. Though the change of location made it harder to rehearse, Bonilla feels the payoff was worth the extra effort. “I think the show went really well”, Bonilla said with a smile. “It’s hard to look at it with an objective view because I’ve seen it a bajillion times, ... but it was awesome.” Even with its 1,200 seats (700 more than the MAC), the PAC was nearly filled the night of the show. But it wasn’t just the size of the audience that was bigger. The head directors and their sponsor, art teacher Mary Ghazi, wanted the show’s concept to be bigger. While past year’s shows have had more specific themes for the designers such as “Avant-Garde” in 2015 and last year’s “STRADA,”which asked

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designers to create their lines based off of streetwear from around the world, the directors this year aimed to have a less structured theme with WAVES. Designers were asked to create a line inspired by their favorite music genre, and a compilation of those songs was played as their lines went down the runway. “Everyone is so different stylistically that trying to make everyone fit into one thing doesn’t really work,” Bonilla said of the change. “We just wanted to give them enough freedom to do their best.” The theme for the show was inspired by a UT fashion show attended by a group of past directors, current directors and this year’s head designer Victor Mata. The show, “Elements,” inspired the MAC team to adopt a more open-ended theme. They all immediately agreed that the change would better allow the designers to fulfill their creative visions. Additionally, Bonilla and the directors felt it was necessary for the models of the show to better represent the school’s diverse student population. Bonilla reflected that they aimed to present McCallum is in a more accurate way, saying that “McCallum isn’t just skinny white girls.” Bonilla based a lot of her decisions for this year’s show on things she’s picked up from previous directors. Observation and experience as an intern her sophomore year and an assistant director her junior year allowed her to compile a long list of do’s and don’ts. “We had to realize that the only way that we’re going to be successful is if (the designers and models) are,” Bonilla said, “[and that only] happens when they’re really clear with what’s happening and if they’re on track with everything. ... If you do it for your own benefit, it’s not going to work out very well.” The directors this year have emphasized an inclusive and friendly environment for all of the models and designers. The planning of the fashion show starts at the beginning of the school year and gradually picks ups speed until the show in January. The long and increasingly intense process creates a strong bond between participants that makes the process more fun for everyone, Bonilla said. Please continue to the next page.

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Model: Weatherly Giblin Designer: Sally Daneshjou

Model: Ana Marceau. Designer: Mitchell Stanford

Models: Jack Switzer and Brittne Miller. Designer: Sally Deshanu

Model: Daejga Taylor Designer: Blue Elephant

Model: Lilly Ponce Designer: Genevieve Temple

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Model: Cal Hurd Designer: Vicor Mata

Model: Bella Cude. Designer: Alex Vuy

Model: Bella Cude Designer: Gaby Fagelman

Model: Nellie Johnson. Designer: Caitlin Rodriquez

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Model: Weatherly Giblin Designer: Sally Daneshjou

Model: Ana Marceau. Designer: Mitchell Stanford

Models: Jack Switzer and Brittne Miller. Designer: Sally Deshanu

Model: Daejga Taylor Designer: Blue Elephant

Model: Lilly Ponce Designer: Genevieve Temple

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Model: Cal Hurd Designer: Victor Mata

Model: Bella Cude. Designer: Alex Vuy

Model: Bella Cude Designer: Gaby Fagelman

Model: Nellie Johnson. Designer: Caitlin Rodriquez

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Model: Keanna Haynes Designer: Victor Mata

Model: Ayana Rucker Designer: Blue Elephant

Model: Henry Pitre Designer: Kit Corney continued from previous page “The community of all of the directors and all of the models is really fun because you can tell you all like the same thing and we all have the same goal, and we all want the show to be a success,” she said. Bonilla added that she enjoys the different viewpoints of the many people working on the fashion show, perspectives that she wouldn’t have otherwise been be exposed to. “It definitely makes me interact with people who I wouldn’t have normally interacted with,” she said. “So many different people are involved in fashion, and there are so many different aspects of it that go into making the show, so it brings together a bunch of different people. Seeing everyone work together is really fun.” Bonilla and her fellow head directors, Bingham and Dos Santos, have been a tightknit trio throughout this year, all playing off of each other’s strengths through the extensive planning that’s required, from model calls to keeping designers on deadlines to navigating the gauntlet of show rehearsals. “I could not imagine doing it by myself, because Ariella and Quinn are so talented and they brought so many differ-

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Model: Tess McMillan. Designer: Blue Elephant ent perspectives to it,” Bonilla said. “That was probably my favorite part. If it was any other combination of us three, I don’t think it would’ve gone as well.” In addition to depending on each other, they’ve also received extensive guidance from Ms. Ghazi, who Bonilla described as treating the show “like her child.” Considering that Ghazi first conceptualized the show 14 years ago, one might say that her child is now a teenager. Bonilla feels that one of the most valuable parts of working on the fashion show is the communication and organization skills she’s learned as a result. “You have to collaborate so much and have really good communication with whomever you’re working with,” she said. “That really taught me to always ask people things because they’ll always show you something that you never would have seen if it was just by yourself.” She had never before considered herself a connoisseur of the arts, but Bonilla immediately discovered a passion for the backstage workings of the fashion show, so much so that she now hopes to have a career as a fashion show producer after getting a marketing degree in college. She’s found that producing a fashion show plays to her strengths and allows her to directly

Model: Daeja Taylor Designer: Gaby Fagleman interact with the arts without necessarily making art herself. “I never thought of myself as wanting to do something in the arts,” Bonilla said.“I can’t draw for my life, I can’t paint, I can’t sing. ... I just never really thought about the directing and producing side of it.” But now that she has, it seems unlikely she’ll be stopping here. “My mom has a really good friend who’s the fashion show producer at Neiman Marcus, and I met with her and she was fabulous. She drank tea and everything, it was awesome,” Bonilla said. Meeting a bona fide fashion show producer further inspired her to see her possible future and validated her interest in fashion show production. “[Fashion show directing] is what I want to do, but I need to get out of Austin first.” Though she wants to go to a U.S. school, she’d also like to do a program that would allow her to study abroad and explore fashion in other countries. She’s become especially interested in Latin American fashion as a result of her trip to the Dominican Republic a few years ago. Though Bonilla’s time may be up in working on the McCallum fashion show, her experiences have left a permanent mark on her. It’s likely that the fashion world will be graced with Bonilla’s organization and creative skills for some time to come.

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Successful season on hold

Sophomore soccer player suffers collarbone injury before district season begins GREGORY JAMES staff reporter

At school, Adrian Martinez is like any normal kid, but on the soccer pitch he is a highly competitive athlete. His love of soccer started from a young age, in part because soccer is a passion for his entire family. “I started playing soccer in the second grade.” Martinez said. “I was interested in playing because my brother played, and I really looked up to him.” Martinez started playing soccer for a YMCA team when he was 8 years old. He continued to get better until he joined Lonestar Soccer Club at age 13. Lonestar is a select soccer team out of Austin that bases its roster off of tryouts. There are cuts, and it is a very selective program. Martinez started playing McCallum soccer last year as a freshman. Not only is he a great soccer player, Martinez is also a great teammate, Coach Nicholas Martin said “Adrian is a source of energy for the team, because he never gives up and is always positive,” Martin said. “If I had one word to describe him, I would say that he is fun.” Unfortunately Martinez suffered a fracture to his collarbone in M c C a l l u m ’s game against Akins in the Sophomore Akins Tournament on striker Adrian Jan. 14. The Martinez injury will have him out for most of the season.

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Martinez was not the only Knight to suffer an injury so far in the young season. Senior Jose Lopez-Turro tore his ACL, senior Kirby Steckel strained his quad muscles, junior Edgar Zatarain suffered from a concussion, senior Nikhil Joyce severely sprained his ankle, and junior Eric LaWare suffered from calcium deposits in his ankle joints. Despite the injuries to Martinez and several other players, McCallum has been having a really strong season so far, Coach Martin said “We are doing our best, and I believe everybody is doing what I put into practice.” Martinez enjoyed a lot of good moments prior to his injury, but his favorite he says is when he scored a goal in the first five minutes of McCallum’s game against Leander. He said that he looks up to a lot of the professional soccer players, particularly Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona. He respects Messi not just for his supreme skill but also for his character. “He is so humble and plays the game so well,” he said. Martinez plays right midfielder, also known as the striker position. While the team has enjoyed success, his teammates say they will definitely miss Martinez on the pitch. “I really like how the whole team works together, and Adrian really helps with that teamwork,” team captain Sacco Fernandez (‘17) said. “ I believe he is one of the best players at McCallum. He and I have a lot of chemistry. Between the two of us we have seven goals where we assisted each other. The great thing about Adrian is he not only scores, but also sets up others to score. He

Sophomore Adrian Martinez dribbles the ball in McCallum’s season opening scrimmage win over Anderson on Jan. 3. Photo by Dave Winter. leads by example and that is great, especially since he’s a sophomore.” The rapport between the two players may come because they have similar soccer beginnings. Like Martinez, soccer is a family affair for Fernandez. His uncle played for a Mexican Soccer Club called Atlante FC in Ascenso, Mexico. He also played for the Mexican National Soccer team. Fernandez says he wears the No. 12 because his uncle wore that number. Martinez and Fernandez demonstrated their chemistry in the first goal of the season, a second-half Fernandez goal that broke a scoreless tie in their season-opening scrimmage versus Anderson. “The most iconic moment of the season

had to be when we beat Anderson for the first time since my freshman year,” Fernandez said. “Even better was that I scored off an assist by Adrian.” Martinez’ value to the team became clear immediately after the injury. Fernandez said that the team tried to honor their fallen teammate through inspired play on the field. “We all rallied around that and tried to win the game for Adrian,” Fernandez said. “The team scored one goal after Adrian went to the hospital, but could not pull out a win.” When asked to define Martinez in word, Fernandez said, “I would say he is amazing. I know he is going to be a great player in the future for McCallum.”

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Captain Emily Goulet fights for possession during a match against Pflugerville in the championship game of the Copa Akins Tournament. Photo by Adrian Peña.

Emily Goulet: Going after her goals

interview by Maddie Doran

From pee wee little league to Abilene Christian, soccer has always been her passion The Shield: When did you start playing soccer and why? Emily Goulet: I started playing soccer when I was 4 mostly because my sister played; it was pee wee little league. I was pretty much always interested after she started playing, and I’ve played ever since. TS: What is your favorite part of playing soccer for McCallum? EG: I really like the school spirit aspect of it and playing against people I know from other schools. I also like it because it is all of the grades, so I get to know younger people. I think that the rivalries are really fun. TS: What is the biggest difference between club soccer and school soccer? EG: There is a lot of differences between the two. It’s a completely different group of people who play club soccer vs. high school soccer. I’ve been playing with my club team for years, so we are really tight knit, and for each year there is a new team for high school soccer, so you have to bring everyone together quicker. I play a lot of my club teammates during high school season, so that’s really fun. TS: Can you explain the process of committing to a college for a sport? EG: I started talking to coaches a few years back; you just go to different camps and showcases and talk to the coaches more, then I went on an official visit, then I committed to [Abilene Christian University] in September. I was also already accepted there, so it feels good to know where I’m going to be going. TS: Was deciding what college you wanted to play at stressful? Why? EG: I was pretty stressed just because when you are playing you don’t know what that coach is thinking, and there are multiple schools so you don’t know what to do. It was definitely all worth it, I’m so excited.

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TS: What is involved with being the captain of the soccer team? EG: We lead stretches and warm-up and we kinda just try to keep everyone in check the best we can. Everyone has a big role, it’s not just the captains or anything. TS: Describe what you think would be a successful soccer season for your team? EG: I think beating LBJ, we would like to beat Anderson, and the biggest one is to make it to playoffs and win a playoff game. TS: What does a captain do to help those goals along. EG: I think it’s definitely a team effort, and everyone really cares a lot, and I just try to set an example of caring and showing that it matters a lot to me. Our team is awesome, and we are all really supportive of everyone. TS: How do you think being a captain will help you while playing college soccer? EG: I think it is a good leadership role, and I have always liked helping other people along, but I don’t think that it really influenced me playing college soccer. It’s a honor to be a captain, but I don’t think it was necessary for colleges. TS: How do you balance school and soccer? EG: I actually think it is easier to balance school during soccer because you have to do your homework whenever you have time. I get home from practice, and I can’t just chill out; I have to do my homework, then I can go to bed. I’m also usually more tired and want to go to bed. My grades are usually better during soccer season just because of that, which is kinda weird, but I guess everything is more scheduled. TS: What is your biggest accomplishment in soccer? EG: Last year we beat Ann Richards 4-0 in our zone playoff game. That was awesome because they are one of Photo by Julie our big rivals.

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This fish can swim! Freshman Alex Lynch qualifies for region in 100M breaststroke

The Shield: How old were you when you started swimming? Alex Lynch: I started swimming club when I was in fourth grade, but I swam since I was about 2. TS: What made you want to swim? AL: Well, my dad was a swimmer in college, so I was influenced by him just because he was always having me get in the pool. TS: What is the biggest difference between club swimming and swimming? AL: For me, club swimming is a lot harder because there is a lot more competition; you swim with people who go to Olympic trials. It’s hard because people are extremely fast so you have to try to keep up with everyone who is increasing in speed and dropping times. High school swimming is more fun for me because I get to go out there and race some people from club swimming but also race people who just swim for school. It’s nice to swim against different people.

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TS: What is your biggest accomplishment in high school swimming? AL: I think setting two team records for our relays and making it to regionals. Also in our 200 free relays we lost to the second-place state team by four-tenths of a second. I think it encouraged us to go faster because we realized how close we were to being able to beat them, and we think that we can do it at regionals. TS: What was it like coming onto swim team as a freshman? AL: I think it was really interesting because I was kind of nervous was entering a new swim team. I’ve been swimming club for so many years, so it was kind of weird to swim with different people. I was also kind of excited because I get to race new people and do different types of practices. TS: How is the camaraderie on the swim team? AL: It’s really good because we spend a lot of time together and everyone’s friends. Everyone is so encouraging, especially at

Freshman Alex Lynch swims the boys 200 medley relay at the Circle C Swim Center on Dec. 2. Lynch and his teammates swam in 62-degree rainy weather. Photo by Mia Orrick. district. Everyone was cheering for each other, especially if someone made it to regionals, we would all be really happy. It made us really excited. TS: Can you describe how it felt to finish second in district? AL: It felt really nice, and I was kind of surprised

that I got second. I was really happy when I saw my time on the board. TS: What is your outlook for regionals this weekend? AL: I think there’s going to be some tough competition, and I’m going to have to go really fast in order to stay in front.

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One more run at state Senior Shimizu aims to become first Mac wrestler to qualify for 4 state tourneys ANNA COMPTON staff reporter

Before her passion for wrestling was discovered, Maya Shimizu was interested in the arts. It wasn’t until someone threatened to fight her in seventh grade at Kealing Middle School that she became interested in wrestling. “This girl threatened to fight me, and I told her that she better watch herself because I’m on the wrestling team,” Maya said. “But at my middle school, there was no wrestling team, so I was lying then, but it made me think that I should join a wrestling team.” And during her freshman year at McCallum that is exactly what she did. Now, four years later, she is poised to make a run at qualifying for her fourth state wrestling tournament, something Coach Ray Amaro said no McCallum wrestler has ever done. Looking back at her first couple of times wrestling, she thinks that she’s a lot better now than when she started. “Now I’m actually more aware about what I do on the mat and am able to get in more moves. I’m a lot better now than when I started,” Maya said. Her teammate Adriana Boortz joined the wrestling team at the same time that Maya did. Both came into wrestling without having any experience. “We’ve been on the team for four years together and have gone through everything together,” Adriana said. “When we were freshmen, we didn’t know anything, so we just grew up together on the team.” The two seniors are the reigning district champions in their respective weight classes, and both hope to return to both the region and state wrestling tourna-

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Top 5 Career Moments

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At regions in 2013, Shimizu surprises all by qualifying for state as a freshman. Shimizu has won district the past 3 years, leading her team to 3 straight district titles. In the spring of her junior year, Shimizu won the Region 4 title at the Delco Center. As a senior, Shimizu captured the 148 super champ title at Doc Hess tourney in Bryan. At state last year, Shimizu placed 8th. She is ranked No. 3 in her weight class currently.

ments for one last crack at a state title. Adriana gives her teammate of four years a fighting chance. “She’s super strong, and she’s very humble,” Adriana said. “She’s a lot better than she thinks she is, and she’s very humble about it, and that’s why I love her.” Her beginnings were certainly humble. As a freshman who had never wrestled before, Maya struggled to pick up the sport. “People were trying to teach me the

moves, and I just didn’t get it, it wouldn’t click,” Maya said. “It was especially hard because I was watching all my other teammates getting it, but I was still struggling.” But it wasn’t long after that Maya started to improve her technique. Her coaches were impressed when she won district her freshman year, but they had no expectations that she would advance past the region meet because freshmen don’t usually

At the dual meet against Reagan in the Mac gym on Jan. 25, Shimizu and the boys team watch Ransom Cloke wins his match by pin. Photo by Amurri Davis. go to state. But then Maya shocked everyone, including her coaches, by qualifying for state on her first try. She’s has enjoyed much success since. One of Maya’s favorite moments as a McCallum wrestler came a year ago when she went to state as a junior for the third year in a row. After placing in the top five at regionals, Maya went on to state. She said her gradual improvement over time has also been a highlight. Adriana has watched her teammate’s maturation and understands why Maya is so tough to beat. “Her aggressiveness, her stance, the way she moves, all make Maya a good wrestler,” Adriana said. “We make fun of her on the team because the way she moves looks like she’s dancing and it looks funny, but it throws off her opponents, so it works.” Maya has compiled an incredible record thus far in her career, but her past success also increases the pressure for her to be the best.

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shield Not just Luckie, she’s good Freshman wins varsity tournament, learns discipline D’Azhane Yancey staff reporter

Maya Shimizu wrestles against her Clemens High opponent at the Centex Invitational on Jan. 7. She went 4-1 at the meet to place third overall. Shimizu will attempt to defend her distric title next Wednesday. Photo by D’Azhane Yancey. “My toughest moments for sure have been losing this year,” Maya said. “Your fourth year, everyone thinks you’re going to be the best, and are going to be undefeated. So taking loses has been real hard.” Through the high and low moments of her wrestling career, Maya has not taken any moments for granted, and has learned many things from her experiences. She’s learned self-control and patience. “You have to discipline yourself a lot as a wrestler,” Maya said. “You have to watch your weight, your food, and you have to be constantly working out in order to maintain your weight. It’s just like a lot of selfcontrol.” Coach Amaro agrees that discipline has been a major component of her success. “I think she’s learned a lot of discipline,” Coach Amaro said. “She’s learned how to wrestle, and what to do. She’s loyal to the school and to wrestling, and that’s the type of athlete we want here at McCallum.” Adriana added that Maya has helped her to become a better wrestler and vice versa.

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“She’ll be my drill partner every now and then and whenever I’m upset about a match she’s always there to comfort me,” Adriana said. “Physically, she’ll help me with strength and I’ll help her with speed because the smaller you are as a wrestler, the faster on your feet you can be.” The bond between the two seniors is typical of the camaraderie of the whole team. Maya has also grown very close with her teammates and coaches. There has been a lot of support from her teammates and coaches. “”What I like about wrestling is it’s a very individual sport, so there’s not any sort of competition between us,” Maya said. “We’re all hoping for each other to win, and we all support each other.”

While Maya Shimizu is nearing the end of her storied girls wrestling career, freshman Amirica Luckie is at the beginning of hers. Although she is in her first year on the wrestling team, she has set her mind to wrestling throughout her high school career at Mac. Luckie discovered wrestling only recently at a career fair at Eastside Memorial, but she’s already won first place at a varsity tournament—the 2016 AISD Girls Invitational Tournament—at the Delco Center on Dec. 2. Her fastest time pinning someone was 15 seconds; her favorite move, she said, was the “reverse curl” move. Luckie said she considers football to her favorite sport, but she appreciates the individual aspect of wrestling. “If you lose ... it’s because of you; it’s not because of the team,” Luckie said. “You can’t blame the team for what you did or the team can’t make you mess up, so it’s all on you; it’s more of a personal thing.” It is the individual nature of girls varsity wrestling that makes it challenging. “I’m wrestling girls that are bigger, stronger and more experienced than me,” Luckie said. She says when she first started wrestling her biggest fear was that she might

get hurt and not be able to wrestle. But she also said that wrestling has taught her how to overcome those fears. “You have to be strong [and] patient,” Luckie said. “You have to have strength in your life because if you’re not strong enough you won’t make it because other people won’t care about you when you’re on the mat.” She also said that in those situations she draws strength from the people she cares about the most: her mom and friends. She also said that the regimen of wrestling—the rules, the work, and the sport itself—has made her a better person. “I eat healthier, I’m skinner, and I’m [just] better,” Luckie said. In addition to building her strength and character, Luckie says that wrestling has other benefits. She joked that the pre-match food was one of the things she liked best about the sport. But even more than that, she likes her teammates because they encourage each other to do better. While she has found a passion and a sense of community through wrestling, she also has other interests When she isn’t wrestling, she spends her time on homework, school and studying. She plans to attend college, but not for wrestling, She wants to go to Howard University and study acting.

Freshman Amirica Luckie helps clean up the gym after the dual meet against Reagan High School on Jan. 25. Photo by Amurri Davis.

Maya and her teammates take to the mat for the district meet next Wednesday at the Delco Center. The region meet is also at Delco on Feb. 17-18. The state meet is the following weekend at the Berry Center in Cypress.

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Winter sports round-up KNIGHTS BOWLING The Knights won their second match in a row with a 26-3 victory over the Hutto Hippos. With the win, they now have a good chance to qualify for the regional tournament. After a sweep in the first match (7-0) and a close win (4-3) in the second match, the Knights had one of their best nights of the season in the Baker games. After shooting a 147 in the first game, the team shot a season high 179 in game 2 and continued to ride the momentum to a clean sweep (15-0). Catch the next meet on Feb. 10 vs. Round Rock at Mel’s Lone Star Lanes in Georgetown. Photo courtesy of Noah Powell.

GIRLS BASKETBALL CLOSES SEASON TUESDAY NIGHT AT HOME Sophomore guard Destiny Williams dribbles down the court last Friday in an attempt to score, but the Lady Cougars prevailed in the end, 47-35. The Knights travel to Lanier tonight before hosting Reagan in their season finale at home on Tuesday. Photo by Tony Lavorgna.

BOYS BASKETBALL School

Wins

Reagan LBJ Lanier McCallum Crockett Travis Austin

8 7 7 3 2 2 1

Losses 1 1 2 5 6 7 8

BOWLING School BOYS BASKETBALL GUNS FOR STATE BERTH The Knights (3-5) trailed at halftime and after three quarters in their most recent game against Crockett, but were clutch when it counted down the stretch. The Knights’ 61-59 victory over the Cougars (2-5), coupled with Travis’ 82-73 loss to Lanier, puts the Knights in sole possession of fourth place and the final state tournament bid in 25-5A. The Knights host Lanier (7-2) tonight before road games at Reagan (8-1) on Tuesday and at LBJ (7-1) next Friday. The Knights finish the season on Tuesday Feb. 14 at home against Austin High (1-8). The JV and freshman teams also won at Crockett. Photo by Sylvia Zamora.

Stony Point CO-OP Round Rock East View McCallum Georgetown Leander

Wins 5 4 3 3 3 1 1

Losses 0 1 2 2 2 4 4

Questions about College? Go 1-on-1 with ACC today! ACC advisors are here to help with your college and career planning. 1-on-1 assistance is just a visit, call, or click away!

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MADDIE DORAN & ZOË HOCKER assistant editors

1. 1. The McCallum baseball won its sixth straight district title, then beat Cedar Park in the bidistrict playoffs on May 5. The Knights advanced to the area playoffs, but lost to Alamo Heights, 1-0. Photo by Adrian Peña. 2. This summer, the MAC Band traveled to New York to preform at Carnegie Hall. Photo provided by Aubrey Rowan. 3. The McCallum ultimate Frisbee team, competing in the boys division with two girls on its roster, captured fifth place in the state at the 2016 Texas High School State Championship. Photo provided by Hayden Stone.

BEST MAC MOMENTS OF 2016

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4. The McCallum Knights football team (10-2) became bi-district champs on Nov. 11. The Knights defeated the Kerrville Tivy Antlers,17-14, at House Park. Photo by Dave Winter. 5 Andrea Janss (‘17) signed a letter of intent on Nov. 9 to play volleyball at Texas Tech University, becoming the first Division 1 volleyball player in McCallum history. Photo by Julie Robertson.

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6. McCallum wrestlers— junior Jasmine Davis, senior Maya Shimizu, senior Adriana Boortz and junior Makenna Mabon— all qualified for state after placing at the Region 4-5A wrestling tournament. Photo courtesy of Josie Rodriquez. 7. MAC theatre won an award for Best Ensemble in Titanic at the Greater Austin High School Musical Theatre Awards. Photo by Dave Winter.

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A recap of accomplishments in 2016

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The times they are a changin’ 2016 was a year marked by drastic change and the world of music was no different

GRACE SCHMIDHAUSER staff reporter 2016 certainly offered its fair share of surprises, to say the least. The weirdness of 2016 wasn’t limited to the political and social sphere, as it also made for a lively year in the music world. The year got off to quite a solemn start, beginning with the rattling death of legend David Bowie, only a day after releasing his prophetic and profound final album, Blackstar. Shortly thereafter, the King of Pop, Prince, was taken from the world, further validating the theory that David Bowie somehow spent 2016 collecting all of the amazing people in existence to all live in their own universe free of the chaos of the modern world. Though the year in music had its solemn moments, 2016 also produced some historical moments in music. Old-school artists came back from long hiatuses with masterful albums that picked up right where they left off, perhaps most notably ‘90s hip-hop connoisseurs A Tribe Called Quest with their release, We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service after 20 years of ghosting the world. On a smaller scale, the aggressively awaited Frank Ocean release Blonde was released after four years, making a splash on the list of most acclaimed albums of the year. Additionally, 2016 represented a year of innovation and changes in the world of music, especially in the rise of self-sufficiency. This year proved that the “do it yourself ” notion that has been often adopted by indie artists isn’t limited to any specific genre. The word “soundcloud rapper” took on a whole new meaning, with now mainstream rappers like Lil Yachty proving that independently released, goofy rap music is not limited to such a niche market. Music also took a more real turn this year. From Beyonce’s politically charged Super Bowl halftime performance, in which she symbolically spoke out against police brutality to Kanye West’s very public mental breakdown, the year proved to humanize many musicians in the public eye in a somewhat surreal manner and created a discourse about a lot of hot topics. Overall, 2016 validated that the music world has no shortage of innovations to offer to listeners. When change is erupting in the world, music has a tendency to follow suit. Though it was nearly impossible to cover all of the important moments in 2016 music, some of my personal favorite albums are highlighted here.

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Local indie darlings Tele Novella perform live in at Resident L.A. in August 2016. Photo by Martin Santacruz Jr.

LOCAL: Female fronted Austin bands excel Tele Novella is an Austin band made up of members of Agent Ribbons and Voxtrot, fronted by Natalie Gordon. Their new release, House of Souls, has a slightly sinister indie rock sound intersected with a sweet innocence and colorfulness that makes them sound as if they’re straight out of a Wes Anderson movie. DescribHouse of Souls ing their sound as ‘macabreTele Novella pop,’ they incorporate a mix of psychedelic music and ‘60s pop into their music, all with a modern twist. Gordon’s haunting vocals drive the entire record, carrying her melodies with a quiet confidence.

Dana Falconberry has long been a staple in the Austin indie music scene. Her intimate, folk roots for which she’s longbeen known are still prevalent as the basis of the album, but her sound truly expanded and blossomed in From the Forest Came the Fire. The album has a theme of nature, and the production choices reflect the themes in such a way to make listeners feel as if they’re being ensconced in the wilderness with Falconberry’s voice as the soundtrack.

From the Forest Came the Fire Dana Falconberry & Medicine Bow

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ICONIC MOMENTS: Surprises of the year Almost exactly a year after dropping the politically charged and critically acclaimed To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar came out with its counterpart: the raw and unfiltered compilation album, Untitled Unmastered. As indicated by its title, the track list is simply a numbered untitled unmastered list of songs all called “unKendrick Lamar titled,” which reflects its overall minimalistic tone. The album is similar to Lamar’s 2015 release in its jazz roots and candidly emotional verses but is more sparse and relaxed production-wise. The album represents a new age in rap music of defying the conventional. Perhaps the most awaited album of 2016, Frank Ocean’s Blonde was one of the most talked about albums of the year. Though it came after a long four years of torturous waiting since Ocean’s highly acclaimed debut, Channel Orange, Blonde did not disappoint. The album represented a Blonde dramatic maturation as an Frank Ocean artist for Ocean and proved his growth as a storyteller, evoking emotion in every song. The album feels very candidly human.

A list of iconic albums of 2016 would be glaringly incomplete without Lemonade. The unbelievably striking, honest, poetic and innovative visual album didn’t just feature Beyonce’s obviously killer voice. It revealed a whole new layer of vulnerability of the 21st century queen of pop Lemonade to the world. The impresBeyonce sive collection of features and collaborations on the album, from Kendrick Lamar to Jack White, created an extremely diverse array of genres and influences throughout the work, and represented a new era of Beyonce’s career, in which she’s established that she’s unafraid to explore musically. Perhaps even more dramatically, Beyonce took a plunge into the world of spoken word and poetry in the emotional interludes that drew the album together. Beyond the musical brilliance of the album, she also took on a far more political stance than ever before and proved that she’s unafraid to be unapologetically bold and opinionated, even as a woman who’s so prevalent in the public eye. The album is important because it presents a powerful and talented woman being so candidly vulnerable in her art, showing the wide spectrum of emotions that exist within relationships and a woman’s inner dialogue. She proved that relationships in the public eye are no less complicated than “ordinary” people’s. Beyonce used her power and respected position in the world to create a vitally important discourse in the public on racism, womanhood and intimacy, all through the lense of music and film. Lemonade is a masterpiece, plain and simple.

Your 2016 Nostalgia Playlist “Lazarus”- David Bowie “No More Parties in LA”- Kanye West “Sinister”- Frankie Cosmos “Controlla”- Drake “Cranes in the Sky”- Solange “We the People”- A Tribe Called Quest “Best to You”- Blood Orange “Norf Norf”- Vince Staples “Diddy Bop”- Noname “Fill in the Blank”- Carseat Headrest “Bright Boy”- Alex G “Call Me Up”- Homeshake “Close To You”- Rihanna

INDIE: Newcomers make a splash and expand on new stylings Mitski is a force of nature. The songstress from New York came out with her fourth release, Puberty 2, last summer. Her songs have a way of tugging at heart strings, but she never veers on the edge of cheesiness. Alternating between intimate sentimentality and cathartic aggression in her songs, Puberty 2 Mitski’s distinct vocals alMitski ways lead the way. Her poignant social commentary coupled with poetic vulnerability in her songwriting makes her one to watch out for.

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Pool is only Porches’ second official release, but they’ve already proven that they’re not afraid to experiment musically. Pool features frontman Aaron Maine’s smooth vocals and thoughtful songwriting but in place of their previous guitarheavy organic sound, Porches relies more on layering ‘80s-esque drum machines Pool with a multitude of synth Porches sounds. Though it was quite a shift from their previous release The Cosmos, Pool seemed to be a very natural progression for Porches.

Indie rocker Angel Olsen’s fourth release, My Woman, satisfied critics and fans alike and proved itself to be one of the most cohesive and stylistically interesting albums of the year. Olsen expanded on her signature old-school indie-folk sound and took a bolder approach on this release than ever before. She solidified herself as a true craftswoman of songs, with all 10 songs being written with care and intimacy, and she truly fleshed out her sound musically in this release.

My Woman Angel Olsen

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Good morning Vietnam 1

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JULIE ROBERTSON editor in chief

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1: The beach just around the cove in Bai Xep, where fisherman fish during the night when the fish are much more active. Photo by Sinclair Temple. 2. California-like waves crash against the rocks near our bamboo shack on the beach in Bai Xep, Vietnam. Photo by Julie Robertson. 3. Sitting on the edge of the Lying Dragon Mountain in Ninh Binh, Vietnam. Photo by Genevieve Temple. 4. Looking down the alleyway in the fishing village we stayed in at the beach. Photo by Julie Robertson. 5. The busy streets and roundabouts in Ho Chi Minh. Photo by Julie Robertson. 6. One of most common things you can find in Vietnam throughout the country is coffee shops. Every shop boasts amazing tea and drinks. Photo by Julie Robertson. 7. The boat ride through rice patties and massive limestone rock in Ninh Binh showed me a view of nature that I had never experienced before. Photo by Julie Robertson. 8. As the afternoon went on, the light became more and more magnificent, showing beautiful beams and highlighting the curves of the limestone. Photo by Julie Robertson. 9. The central river walk in Hoi An was one of my favorite parts of the city. It had great restaurants and boats that you could walk onto for drinks. Photo by Sinclair Temple. 10. My favorite exploration in Hanoi was the Lotte Tower Observation Deck, where my friend and I walked around in the glass box. Photo by Julie Robertson.

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his past winter break, I was lucky enough to travel across the globe to Vietnam, where I backpacked for two weeks with my best friend and her family. This trip was not a long time coming, as I really only found out I was going back in November, then I left on Christmas Day for a journey that would forever change my perspective on how I view my life back in the States. I had to pack all my belongings for two weeks in a 32-liter backpack, which presented my first challenge of the trip (and not a small one). I had to repack my pack three times before leaving my house at 3 p.m. on Christmas Day in order to drive to Houston to catch my midnight flight to Taipei, Taiwan. While the 32 liters of my backpack seemed small, the 32 hours it took me to get from my house to my final destination of Ho Chi Minh City in south Vietnam did not. The flight lasted 16 and a half hours. We landed in Taipei, Taiwan, at about 6:30 a.m., all very disoriented. Although we had slept during the flight, an airplane is extremely an uncomfortable place to sleep, so our sleep was neither deep nor restful. After arriving in Taiwan, we went through customs and then went to our next gate where we would board our next flight to Hanoi, Vietnam, in the northern part of the country. That flight lasted about three hours and 45 minutes, so it was enough to sleep some more. Our final flight, from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh lasted about two hours, and by the time we landed, it was 6:30 p.m., and we were greeted by warm humid air and smells unlike anything we had ever experienced back in the States. Driving in the big cities throughout Vietnam is an adventure in itself. Hundreds upon thousands of mopeds dart at you from each direction, making driving a task for locals only. Our first Uber ride through downtown Ho Chi Minh to our Airbnb was an eye-opening experience for all of us. We thought--multiple times--that we were going to get in a car accident, but by the time we finally reached [our destination], we understood that was just the way people drove in Vietnam. We stayed in Ho Chi Minh for three days at an Airbnb apartment tucked into what we initially thought was a sketchy back alleyway. After a day of being there, however, we realized that it was a typical residence in the city. What we thought was a dodgy place to live, was really just a friendly, normal place for them. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure the apartments were not very expensive, and this was just the way that they lived. What they lacked in commodity, they made up for with community. Most people open their front doors in the evening cooking dinner, watching TV and socializing with their neighbors. As people from the United States, we were not at all used to this interaction because often back at home, we shut ourselves away from the rest of the world by just doing the smallest things like putting headphones on or closing our doors at night. The Vietnamese do not need very large houses or many possessions to feel like they had worth, something I observed so often it become somewhat of a theme throughout the trip. After our stay in HCMC, we took the night train to our next stop in Vietnam: Bai Xep (Bi Zep). It is a coastal fishing village that is unlike any place you would ever visit back in the States. We were staying in a lodge that had a few houses on the beach, just along the edge of the fishing village. Although our lodge was owned by Westerners, the people who ran it lived and grew up in the fishing village, so the menu consisted only of local dishes.

For the first three nights, we stayed in what was quite literally a shack. The two-story house was made up of bamboo with no insulation or AC. Considering the heat and humidity that I mentioned earlier, this absence of air-conditioning was remarkable to us. But most of the people I encountered do not have all the amenities that we are so accustomed to in the States. It was fine, because instead of air-conditioning we had mosquito nets and fans, plus the sound of the waves crashing 24 hours a day was also a huge bonus. I loved being able to hear all the conversations in different languages just outside our shack, plus the laughter that came with it. Here, there were absolutely no bad vibes, and everyone was in a good mood pretty much 24/7. A persistent rain during our trip couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even dampen our mood. In fact, on our last day at the beach, the sun came out, and we were actually able to swim in the ocean. I definitely was not going to pass up this opportunity while I was at the beach, to be able to swim in the South China Sea, something I may never get to do again. As we took the train to the next town and then onto the next, I started to notice a theme throughout my trip. The people in Vietnam live on nothing. Some would label it as poverty, but to them it was just a way of life. These people live in one-bedroom houses with families of five. And they seemed healthier and happier than many Americans do. As Americans, we are so set on reaching a certain status and having the perfect image of what our lives should be like, instead of being happy with what we have. The people in Vietnam were able to go to nearby markets and buy fresh fruit and vegetables and create amazing phu and other Vietnamese dishes. Simplicity was key, and in America most things are not simple, yet Americans never feel like they have enough. As a U.S. citizen, I definitely take for granted all of the privileges I enjoy. I have a three-bedroom house, where I get my own room, iPhone and computer. I also get three meals a day, without even having to think twice about it. I have 24/7 access to a nice car, just to name a few of the luxuries I consider a part of my normal lifestyle. As I mentioned earlier, a lot of places that I stayed in Vietnam did not have air-conditioning something we expect as a basic living standard. Yet we still complain all the time during the summer that it is not cool enough in our own houses. Everything during my trip left me with an understanding that it is possible to live with less. I get so caught up at home about the all of my petty problems, that I forget to see the bigger picture. I can truly say that everyday I was in Vietnam, I was fully living in the moment. If I get so caught up in the little things back in the States, I will fail to live out these last couple of high school years at home to the fullest. Things are changing so fast. I am thinking about college, my friends create drama, and I worry way too much about school. I only have a year and a half left until I am done with high school, and the things I worry about now will seem so trivial later. I need to focus on seeing the big picture and enjoying the limited amount of time left until school gets more serious and I have to make fundamental life decisions. Vietnam truly taught me a great deal through both observation and experience: I need to enjoy where I am, and be present in the moment, rather than wishing I was somewhere else.

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Dissent is a right, no matter your age Adults who condemn students for ‘truant’ behavior need to look at the bigger picture It’s a dangerous thing, reading the comment section. On Jan. 20, a myriad of news crews circled our high school, hunting a story which had been spreading across various social-media platforms for several weeks, and when the fourth-period bell rang at 3 p.m., they got what they were looking for. As a couple hundred students marched from the halls to the streets, a Facebook livestream brought the action straight to 84,000 viewers—and more than 800 commenters. Many of these commenters were livid about the event, prompting students and teachers to respond, defending the students’ actions. “All they want to do is get out of school early,” Scott Mitzel said. “Clueless.” “And thus starts the self-entitled brats,” Ashley Witt said. “Half of them probably don’t even know what they’re protesting about. GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND LEARN SOMETHING!!!”

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“They are just kids having fun out of school.” Ana Isabel Estrada said. “They have no clue about anything. Just imitating others. Think for yourself!!!” There’s a record that needs to be set straight here. Consider each of the 150-plus students who walked out. Consider them as concerned, albeit underaged, citizens of the United States. To gather and to speak are inalienable rights guaranteed and protected by the Constitution. We cannot agree with every protest and every petition, but we must as Americans respect the rights of our neighbors and allow democracy to take its course. This protest was not violent, nor was it a riot or a gesture against the education system or the government employees, with whom we students spend 35 hours a week. The majority of those who walked out were not able to vote. If we as American teenagers can’t make our voices heard through the ballot, then we must find other ways to participate in democracy:

like chanting our views outside the doors of the Capitol. To tell us to get back into school is to tell us to be silent; to allow forces beyond our control to choose what life we will live until the day we graduate. Because of our unwillingness to be silent, students at McCallum and all across the country have been called thinskinned or ungrateful by older generations, and this is where things get tricky: when attacks become personal, intelligent debate turns into thoughtless insult. It’s hard to read comments such as these, comments that disparage your classmates and attempt to discredit your intelligence. It’s hard because we know that most efforts to defend ourselves will be met with only more responses about the underdevelopment of our brains or the fragility of our generation. When we make the decision to venture into the comment section, one message is clear: arguing through a screen only deepens the gulf of an already divided America.

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On Jan. 20 KVUE posted this Facebook livestream, which elicited 831 comments, some of which were less than favorable.

A.N. McCallum High School 5600 Sunshine Drive Austin, TX 78756 (512) 414-7539 fax (512) 453-2599 contact.macshield@gmail.com

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

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03 Feb. 2017

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what’s new Austin women’s march draws up to 50,000

Senior profile: Riding the Great Divide Austin pro-life march photo essay Teacher profile: Mr. Nishida’s surprising former career Senior profile: Practice hard, play hard 03 Feb. 2017

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Students join Inauguration Day rally Wielding signs, chanting slogans, protestors express solidarity, criticize President Trump An estimated 150-200 students walked out of school fourth period on Jan. 20 to join the inauguration protests at Auditorium Shores and the Capitol. (1) Students wait at the bus station at Lamar and Koenig. (2) A group of upperclassmen cheer as they meet up in the band parking lot with a larger group that had already walked out. Many students elected to wear dark clothing on this day of “mourning.” (3) As they marched to the bus stop, the students chanted “Love Trumps Hate” and “This is What Democracy Looks Like.” (4) Junior Emma Baumgardner poses with her protest sign. “Participating in the march wasn’t about refusing to accept Trump’s presidency,” Baumgardner said. “The march was about a community of different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities and sexual orientations coming together to show solidarity in our belief that America is meant to be a country of love not hate.” (5) A estimated 4,000 people converged at the Capitol to protest Trump’s inauguration. Photos by Greg James (2) (4), David Winter (1) (3), and Rachel Wolleben (5).

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03 Feb. 2017