Leaning against a tree and holding a sign,juniorZephan Mayeda participatesinthe walkout to protest against the lack of gunprotectioninthe United Statesand to draw attention to the statewide protest While he felt the walkout could have been more substantive,he said he appreciated the symbolic message that the walkout conveyed
Sophomore EdenAcosta lieswithfriendsduring the walkout Acosta thinksone actionthat needsto be takenintermsof guncontrol isto take awayassault rifles ?That thing,assault rifles,it?snot a bullet,?Acosta said.?It destroyswhateverit?s hitting That?smeant forkilling Whydo you need that inyour house?What are you hunting withthat?There?sno reasonto have it?PhotosbyGerg? Major
At least 100 students participate in campus walkout for gun control
Last-minute protest met withmixed reaction,calls formore substantive action
KATE BOYLE
co-news editor & co-print managing editor
At noononMay11at least 100students walkedout aspart of astatewidewalkout organizedbyStudentsDemandAction The McCallum-specificwalkout wasorganizedby junior TeddyIbsen
?It waskindof last-minute,?Ibsentoldthe Shieldthedaythewalkout tookplace ?I had onlydecidedtodothisyesterday,and thismorningI put upflyers.?
Ibsensaidthepurposeof the walkout wastodemandaction andshowsolidarity
?We?reinthestate capital,?Ibsensaid ?We can't just let this opportunitytohelpand demandactionslipaway It wastoshowsolidarityinthe fight for guncontrol and regulation It wasimportant to
TeddyIbsendisplaystheirprotest signat the May11walkout.Photo byGerg? Major
may 31, 2023
demandactionfromour staterepresentative,especiallybecause of theHouseBill 2744,which[wouldraise]theageof buyinga semiautomaticweapon?
Advocatesfor HB2744wereelatedwhenit advancedout of committeethankstotwoRepublicanvotesinitsfavor,but hopefor it passingendedwhenthebill wasnot addedtothe agendaintimefor it tobeconsideredbytheHouse SophomoreEdenAcostaremembersIbsensaying,?we couldbenext ?
?Not that longagoI wasinclassandI got arandom waveof anxiety,?Acostasaid ?I thought someonecould comeright now I wasfreakingout ThenI waslike,?Oh, let'scalmdown It'sfine?I wassittingthereandI was thinkingabout how,I thinkI waslikethe23rddayof 2023 Therewerealreadylike,40massshootings? Twicethenumber of days That'sinsane?
Manystudentsfelt calledtoparticipateafter seeing postersaroundtheschool
?I didn'tknowhowmanypeoplewere goinginandhowmanypeopleweregoing totakeit seriously,?Acostasaid ?I had just comefromaschool wheretheywere not onthat sideI wasinart classThe girl nexttomewaslike?Areyougoing towalkout??andI waslike?Yeah??
FreshmanNayeli Azul joinedthe walkout after seeingaposter This wasAzul?sfirst walkout.
?I wantedtosupportstudent organizers,especiallybecausethiswas aTexas-widewalkoutandingeneral peopleacrossTexasdon?talwaysagree politically,?Azul said ?It wasimportant tosupportinordertomakechange? Althoughsomestudentssawtheposters,
manydidn? t andsotheyweren? t abletoparticipate
?I don't thinkit waseffectiveat all,?sophomoreScarlet Logue said ?I thinkthereweremanyflawsintheplanningmainly becauseit waslast-minute Somanypeoplewhowould've participatedcouldn't becauseof theAPtestingsoit wasn't nearly asimpactful asit could'vebeen.Not manypeopleknewabout it, soit?ll beswept beneaththerug?
Studentspushedthewalkout tobesilent duetoAPtesting,but despiteitslackof volume,manyfoundit powerful Azul saidthat oneof themost impactful momentsduringthewalkout occurred wheneveryonewasaskedtoliedowninmemoryof everyonelost toschool shootings
?I felt empowered,likeweasyouthcanmakeactual changein our community,?Ibsensaid ?That our voicesmatter,evenwith thesemi quiet protestingwedid?
Althoughsomestudentsfelt empowered,junior Zephan Mayedafelt underwhelmed
?I wouldhavelovedtoseemarching,chants,speeches,listsof phonenumberstocall senators,namespicturesandbirthdaysof the victims,flyerspromotingtheprotestdaysweeksormonthsevenin advance,massabsences,anactual walkoutforthosewhocan?tnot go toschoolthat isn? t just 20minutesof sitting,?Mayedasaid
Despitethesereservations,Mayedasaidhestill felt drawnto participatetoprotest thelackof gunprotectioninthecountry andthestate
?Childrenaredyingduetothegovernment'sapathyand corporatelobbyingagainst anyactionof anykind,?Mayedasaid
Tocontinuetheir activism,Ibsenwantstostart aclubthat focusesoncurrent issuesandcivil disobedience Theysawthe walkout asacall toactionfor many
?I wouldliketosaythat youthvoicescanbeheard,?Ibsensaid ?Youcanlookupwhat statedistrict you?rein,andemail or call your official andurgethemtovotethewayyouwant Youcan alsojoinprotestsat thecapital,demandingaction Novoiceistoo small tobeheard?
3
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shieldt h e
Raccoon saga continues
Sealing entrypointsprovesineffective;two raccoonincidentsoccurweek before finals
NOAH BRAUN staff reporter
Despiteeffortsbythedistrict toprevent the ongoingrodent incidentsat McCallum,the raccooninfestationcontinues Tworaccoons werereportedoncampusduringthelast weekof classesbeforefinals
Followingathree-daystreakof raccoon sightingsandcapturesfromApril 26to28,AISD contractedwithapest control companytoseal upentrypointstotheschool Theseefforts provedeffectivefor aroundtwoandahalf weeksuntil araccoon caught inatrapinthe ceilingabovethelibrary doorsonTuesday,May16
put anendtothat streak ?[Theraccoons]were gettinginthroughontop of thebuilding,or what we call penthouses,whichhas alot of our mechanical units,?associateprincipal AndyBaxasaid ?Oneof thosedoorswasnot being securedproperly,andtheywereabletoget in throughthereandanynumber of theholes aroundour perimeter ?
Suspectednoisesfromaraccoonwereheard fromthewall of room106onthemorningof May17andcontinuedthemorningof May18
Animal Control searchedfor theraccoonlater that daybut didnot findone Hetoldthe animal control expert that acustodian reportedseeingtheraccoonTuesdayevening andit wasnot atrappedraccoon,but rather a mother caringfor her babies
Thelibraryhasconsistentlybeena high-activityareafor raccoon-relatedincidents, leadingtovarioustrapsbeingplacedinthe ceilingandelsewhere Thispreventative measurehasseensuccessinthecaptureson April 27andMay16,but additional measures arestill beingtakentoprevent further incidents
?[Theraccoons]arepartly whywe?rereallystrict about foodanddrink,?Orr said ?I startedthinking,?There?sa reasonwhythecafeteria doesn? t havecarpet ?That wouldbeabadidea.So,no foodinthelibrary,because we?retryingtokeepthem out of thispart of the building?
Orr supportedher theory of foodbeingtheprimary attractor of theseanimals whenrememberinghowafter leavingout a food-riddengarbagebaginfront of thelibrary onenight beforeleavingfor work,she returnedthenext morningtoseeaholeinthe ceilingdirectlyaboveit,complementedby clawmarksandurinestainsonanearbywall
almost threedecadesandhashad innumerableexperienceswithpest infiltrationsandother animal situations, mainlyraccoons Throughhisexperience,he?s growntoviewthecreaturesasanissuethat can? t bepermanentlysolved ?They?reverysmart animals,?Senasaid ?Theyusuallydon? t get caught intraps Now, AISDhashiredanoutsidecompany, andtheytrieddifferentthings,? but theseraccoonsdon? t get scared?
fromacrossthestreet andtheywent intothe stormdrain?
Despiteall theraccoonsdo,though,Senastill doesnot feel threatenedbytheir presence ?I?venever felt likeI?mindanger becauseof theraccoons,?Senasaid ?They?rereal smart andtheyget more scaredof methanI amof them Most of thetimes,theytendtogobackup? theyfeel safethere? Whiletheraccoonsmight not seemthreateningto humans,theraccoonsandthe humansbothmightagree thatthesamecan'tbesaid forthepossumcaughtin araccoontrapthat reportedlyledtoaflea infestationand subsequentfumigation of theEnglishhall after twoEnglishteacherson thathallwayreportedfleas intheirclassroomsthe weekof final exams
Theendof the2022-2023 school year hasnot brought an endtotheongoingsagaof campus encounterswithrodents Perhapsit will beadifferent storythissummer
Whenthreeraccoons infiltratedcampusonApril26, OfficerMikeReillyusedthese trashcanstotrapandremove oneof theinvasivecritters.
Senahasbeenworkingat AISDschoolsfor
After recallingtheincident onMarch27inwhichathe smell of adeadraccoon, trappedandleft torot after injury,filledabout half theschool,Senaexpressed great concernregarding raccoonsafety ?Theone thing [outside companies] don? t know about raccoonsis that theytend tocomeback towherethey wereborn,?Sena said ?Wehadafamily here,sowebelievethat someof themhavecome back Just thismorning,I sawtworaccoonsrunning
AccordingtoheadcustodianDaniel Sena,AISD may 31, 2023
PhotobyMorganEye
4 news shield t h e
Acontracted pest control company employee apprehended and released a raccoononthe morning of May16 during fifthperiod afterthe raccoon was caught ina trap inthe ceiling infront of the library overnight.Photo byDave Winter.
AISD
an outside company and theytried different
?
" "
hashired
things?but these raccoons don? t get scared.
head custodian Daniel Sena
'Cows:' a graze show with mooving performances
Led bycreatorAndersonZoll,Mac?sfinest artistsmake most of chance to be scene,herd
BELOW:JuniorEllieLoudermilk(pig) poseswithher?herd,?seniorEmma Johnston(sheep)andseniorKathryn Dooley(calf)Inthemusical,thetrio foughttosavetheirfarmfriend: Betsy-May?Beinginthetriowassomuch fun,?Loudermilksaid ?Insomeparts, [AndersonZoll]wouldgiveusa random beat,andwewouldriffoffofeachother We?devenmakeuphar- monies?She saidCows:the Moosicalwasspecial becauseit wasthefirststudent-ledplay shehasbeenin.?Thebestpartwasthat wewereallsuperexcited,?Loudermilk said."Weputtheshowtogetherwithno supervision?CaptionbyJoJoBarnard
PhotobyLanieSepehri
ABOVE: Junior Olive Greene made her acting debut in Cows the Moosical ? I usually do technical theater, but I have a lot of respect for Anderson [Zoll] asan artist, and it was clear that this isa project that he really cared about,?Greene said. Greene found this production more approachable than a typical McCallum production Although she enjoyed the experience, she isplanning on returning behind the scenes ? I don? t know if I?ll do it again,? Greene said. ? I think I?m better suited for hands-on stuff and just kind of prefer that kind of work I think we all brought a lot of energy and were able to actually commit and make it happen.?Caption by Kate
Boyle
Photo byLucas Walker
ABOVE: SeniorAndersonZoll hugsfreshmanMaggie Brownafterthe closing night of Cows:The Moosical The real storytellerthoughwas Zoll,who transformed Cows from an idea to a full-scale production. The show wasmade possible onlythroughhard work and effort not onlyfrom Zollbut also from the manystudentswho helped him bring hisvisionto fruition.?Some of myfavorite momentswere the late nights I spent inpractice roomswithmyfriendsbuilding harmonies, accompaniment and lyrics.?Zoll said.? I had so muchfunduring the writing processof thisshow,and I am reallyhappywithhow it turned out?Captionand photo byJulia Copas
Scanthe QRcode to view ourfull Cows:the Moosical TuesdayTop 10 photo essay at macshieldonlinecom
LEFT:JuniorAddie Knight (Betsy-May)performs?Beefing withmyDestiny?duringthe opening-nightperformanceof Cows:the Moosical The opening night wasthe first fullrunof the play,asit wasdiscoveredthat the programmingof the stage lightshad beendeleted,forcing lightingdesignerjuniorLilli Gonzalesto reprogramthem only hoursbefore the performance Thisunforeseenchallenge preventedthe ensemblefrom rehearsingonstage the dayof the premiere,makingKnight nervous Despitethisdisruption, Knightremainedoptimistic. ?Personally,I knowI couldn? t havewished fora betteropening night,especiallyconsideringthe circumstances?CaptionbyLucas
Walker PhotobyLanie Sepehri
ABOVE: SeniorAtticusAdair(Samuel) standsnext to juniorHenryMayes (CowboyClyde)ashe decides betweenhisdutyand hisdesire to help Betsy-May Inadditionto playing a lead role inthe show,Adairalso helped write the music forthe show. "We had sucha big task to pull everybody[together]fora full musical, a full two acts,songs,orchestration, whatever,"Adairsaid "It wasstressful, especiallythe last week leading up to it because we were kind of scrambling to make sure everything wasready."
shieldt h e may 31, 2023 arts & entertainment shield t h e 6
CaptionbyLanie Sepehri Photo by Julia Copas
shield
Sage Edw ar ds
EdwardstoenterIvyLeagueas'architectof hereducation'
Theopencurriculum,andchancetoexploreher educationis what first drewSageEdwardstoBrown After beingdeferredin thefall semester,EdwardspushedBrownoff totheside She carriedonwithher other applications,pickedschoolstoapply tothat shethought suitedher anddidn? t thinkabout Brown tooseriouslybecauseof thepreviousdeferral
?Because I got deferred, I put theideaof actually getting in to theside?Edwards said ?I thought I had gotten asfar asI could and wasproud to just not be rejected in thefirst round?
Thennot expectingmuchof it,Edwardsopenedthedecision letter,whichmuchtoher surprisecontainedtheacceptancefor whichshehadbeenhoping
?I openedthefinal decisionletter withmymomoutsideof whereI workandwhenwesawthe?WelcometoBrown!? banner webothstartedscreamingandfell totheground,? Edwardssaid ?I wasdefinitelyinshock whenI got accepted regular decision?
Thisacceptancemarkedthebeginningof Edwards' pathfor thenext four years
?Brown wasalwaysmy topchoicebecauseyou can bethe architect of your own education,?Edwardssaid ?The environment isvery collaborativeand thereisjust such a bigculture?
Throughout highschool,Edwards?twofocuseswereart and math,twothingswhichshehopestotakewithher toBrown Sheisgoingwithanundecidedmajor likeall studentswho attendBrowndotheir first twoyears Brownalsooffersitsnew
Ty ler M ankinen
Multifaceted
seniorpursuesentertainment management
Senior Tyler MankinenplanstoattendOklahomaCity Universitytomajor inentertainment management andminor in theater productiondesign
Sincehisfreshmanyear,Mankinenhaswantedtopursuea career inperformance Hehasdiscoveredthat production management istheperfect balanceof hispassions.
?Inmyjunior year,I triedstagemanagingfor thefirst time, andI lovedit becauseit wastheperfect blendof beingabletofeel likepart of thecast,withmuchmoreresponsibilityof making sureeverythingis runningsmoothly,?
Mankinensaid ?I discoveredthat?s what I likedtodo andit?swhat I want todofor therest of mylife?
Fromthesizeof theschool tothe programsand opportunities, OklahomaCity Universitychecksall of Mankinen'sboxes Mankinenislooking forwardtocontinuinghisjourneyasafineartsstudent
?It?sareallygoodenvironment for meinperformingartsand reallyanyaspect,?Mankinensaid ?It?sanicecampusthat is reallysmall,someof mymajor-specificclassescanbeuptothree people,whichiscrazy,but youget toreallyknowyour professors whichissuper valuable?
Asadancemajor of threeyears,theatrestudent of four years,
andafrenchhornandmellophoneplayer inmarchingbandfor four years,Mankinenhaslearnedvaluablelessonsfromeachof his extracurriculars
TheatrehasallowedMankinentoperform,tobuildrelationships andtofindhiscalling
?Beingintheater hasdefinitelychangedme,?Mankinen said ?It wasachancetotrynewthings,andit really helpedmediscover what I want tospecializein?
DancehasalsoaffordedMankinenthechanceto performandtoworkbehindthescenes
?MacDancehastaught mealot of lifeskillslike cooperationandcommunication,?Mankinensaid ?Gettingtoworkwithdifferent choreographersand gettingtodirect our ownshowhasreallygivenme theopportunitytotakealeadershiproleandtest out what I want todo?
Mankinen?sexperiencesinmarchingbandhave alsobeenvital
?I?vealwaysknownthat I don? t want togointo music,but beinginbandhashelpedmewithlifeskills liketimemanagement andbeingabletopersevereand tobeprepared,?Mankinensaid
Whenreflectingonhistimeat McCallum,Mankinen appreciatedtheopportunitytoparticipateinsomany different activities
?Beingintheatre,bandanddancehaveall helpedme improveineverything,?Mankinensaid ?That?swhat I?m goingtomissthemost:howI canpursueavarietyof uniqueopportunitiesindepth?
?SophieLeung-Lieu
studentsatwoandahalf weekshoppingperiodtodiscover what classestheywant topursue
?For twoandahalf weeks,youcanwander oncampusandsit inonanyclassesnomatter what theyare,?Edwardssaid ?And thenafter that,you candecidewhat coursestotake, whichI'mvery excitedfor because I'msurethere'salot of fieldsthat I'mnot evenawareof ?
Not onlydid Brownappeal to Edwardswiththe freedomof the curriculum,but shealsofell inlovewiththecampus
?I went onEast Coast,andWest Coast collegetourslast summer,andBrownwassobeautiful ?Edwardssaid ?I really wantedtogotoschool withaprettycampus,andtheyjust have reallybeautiful oldacademicarchitecture?
Whilesheisexcitedfor thenewchapter of her life,Edwardsis alsosadtoleaveher communityof friendsandfamilyinschool andout
?I'mreallyexcitedtomeet all thereally,reallyinterestingand multifacetedpeople?Edwardssaid ?I'msureeverybodycandoa lot of different things?
?ChloeLewcock
Iloved[stage managing].Itwasthe perfectblendofbeing abletofeellikepartof thecast,withmuch moreresponsibility.
? Tyler Mankinen
"
Whenwesawthe 'Welcometo Brown!' banner,weboth startedscreamingand felltotheground.
? Sage Edwards "
Photo courtesy of Mankinen
senior issue 13 may 31, 2023
Photo of Edwardsand college couneslor Camille Nix courtesyof Edwards..
t o t he gr aduat ion st a
The OFFICIALguide to the Classof 2023'spost-highschool plans
ALABAMA
Auburn University
Sasha Pittman
ARIZONA
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Atticus Adair
University of Arizona
Hana Diamond
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Kate Bachmann
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Kate Boyle
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Elon University
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Kenyon College
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Z Campbell
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Sage Edwards
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Joaquin Godines
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Belmont University
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Ella Stovall
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Zane Alexander
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Eli Benitez
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Patrick Blakely
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Ximena De La Garza
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shi t h e 14 senior issue may
ge and bey ond
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Ava Tom
Mateo Wells
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Jackson Whipple
Andrew Wilson
NoahWyrtzen
eld senior issue 15 y 31, 2023
z Cam pbell
Seniorviolist inspires,breaksbarriers
Everyoneinorchestraknows:if you?relost duringaconcert,just watchsenior ZCampbell Accordingtoorchestradirector RickyPringle, Campbell isoneof thebest musicianstoever comethroughMcCallum Fromsixthgradeto senior year,Campbell wasviolasectionleader for All-RegionOrchestra Theymadethetop All-StateOrchestra?afeat accomplishedbyonly twoviolistsinMcCallumhistory?all four years Thissummer,Campbell will jointheNational YouthOrchestraasa touringperformer
?I thinksomekidscan lookat aZandsay,'I want todothat,I want tobelike that or I want toworkto havethis,??Pringlesaid
?Probablytheother violas wouldnot bewherethey are,or asgoodastheyare, hadZnot beenhere?
For Campbell,highschool hasbeenall about discoveringtheir identity,bothasapersonand asamusician Evenasa6-year-oldexperiencing theclassical musicworldfor thefirst time, Campbell foundit hardtobreathe They watchedtheAustinSymphonysurroundedby oldwhitemenasfar astheeyecouldsee In middleschool,Campbell realizedorchestras weredictatedbycenturies-oldtraditions And whenit cametoconcert black,therewasnogray area Girlsworelongdressesandboysworesuits Dyedhair wasunacceptable That?sjust howit alwayswas,but Campbell?smindscreamedit didn? t havetobe
?Another bigpieceof mymusical journey that'simportant tomegoing forwardisthat wemake [classical music] accessible,and part of that is being acceptingof all different typesof people,? Campbell said ?Who theyare really doesn't matter So manydifferent peoplecanenjoy thesamemusic regardlessof their differences?
WhenCOVIDhit andviolawent virtual, Campbell felt freedfromtheclutchesof classical musicconformity Sotheybeganexperimenting withtheir appearance First,theyshavedtheir
head,arockstar ritual tosymbolizenew beginnings Theydyedit everycolor they couldn? t before:neongreen,bright red,electric blue Theypiercedtheir nose,piercedtheir eyebrow,piercedtheir lip Campbell adopted they/thempronounsandthename?Z?
?BeingabletolookthewayI want tolook andnot careabout what other peoplethink hasdefinitelytransferredintomyplayingand just beingmoreconfident ingeneral,being abletoget uponstageandfeel goodinwhat I'mwearingandwhoI am,?Campbell said ?It hasdefinitelymadememoreexpressive,more connectedtomyemotionsandmyexperiences inawaythat'shelpedme channel that intomy music?
Tosenior violinist TheaKrische,Campbell is aninspiration
Throughout their four yearsinaquartet together,Krischehas watchedCampbell play withpassion Campbell stompsall over stereotypesandupliftseveryensemblein whichtheyplay
?SeeingZcomeout,it just reallyshowsyou, ?Hey,thereisaspacefor peoplelike usintheclassical world,??Krische said ?Wedon't havetofit one mold I thinkalot of people havethisideaof orchestrathat we'resomestuffygroupof peoplewhoonlyever play Mozart,andI think Zreally defiesthosenorms They'll show upwithacroppedheadof bright redhair,andthey'll playatango, they'll playsomeTexasfiddle They?rearockstar?
?KeepAustinWeird? ringstrue at
McCallum,withitsvast arrayof fashion choicesandopen-mindedculture,makingit hardtopinpoint the"norm"But onstage, Campbell knowstheystickout Twoyearsago, Campbell heardtheywerelikelythefirst nonbinarypersontoearnatop-fiveviola chair inthetopAll-State orchestra
?I walkintoaroom, andI definitelydon't fit in,?Campbell said ?It canbealittle intimidating,andI feel likeI reallytrynot tolet it get tome But it is weirdtobethat person, especiallywhen interactingwitholder peopleandadultsthat areintheclassical music world There'snot alot of spacefor somebody whoisjust wildlyself-expressive?
Campbell spent last summer at theGreen MountainChamber MusicFestival in Vermont,masteringquartet repertoireunder theguidanceof world-classinstructors Surroundedbyother passionatestringplayers, includingafewnonbinarygraduatestudents, Campbell felt trulyseenfor thefirst time Emotionstraveledthroughstrings,and musical storiespassedfromonequeer musiciantoanother
?Just gettingtoseethemonthestage, performingat suchahighlevel,it waslike, ?Wow,youcandoit,evenif you'redifferent, evenif peoplehavetheir opinionsabout you, youcanget upthereandblow everyoneaway,??Campbell said ?It wasreallyemotional tohavethat moment of watchingsomebodyup therewhoI canrelatetointheir experiencewithgender and not fittingin,just beingable toperformexactlyhowI hopetointhefuture? But for Krische,
everyperformancewithCampbell isalready monumental Onesectionleader toanother, Campbell hastaught her tobededicatedtoher art ?Zisoneof thepeoplewho'sreally inspired metobemorepassionateabout my music,? Krischesaid ?Beingin aquartet with them, they'realwaysbringingthe groupup,and I don't want tobetheonetobringthe groupdown Wherever they goafter this,they'll succeed; I knowthey will becauseI don't think Zis stoppable It'san unstoppableforceversus immovableobject typeof deal And they'reboth?
Accordingtojunior violist HarrisonKnight, playingwithCampbell is likeplayingwithaprofessional musician ?They'resomeonetolook uptobecause they'redoingthingscorrectly,"Knight said "They'realsoaninspiration,onanindividual level They'reencouragingverbally,likethey'll helpyoudothingsandexplainprocessesthat areimportant ?
Knight saysthat Campbell?spresenceisahuge part of what makesorchestraspecial AsKnight preparestomoveintoaleadershiprolewithin theviolasection,heisgrateful tohavewatched Campbell leadbyexample
?I'mkindof terrifiedbecauseI?mgoingto havetotakeover what they'redoing,andit's verybigshoestofill,?Knight said ThedaybeforeCampbell?s18th birthday,theywereacceptedtoThe JuilliardSchool,themost prestigious conservatoryintheworld
?I remember inmiddleschool andeven elementaryschool beinglike,?Wow,it would besocool toget intoJuilliard;that wouldreally meanyou'vemadeit,??Campbell said
But whenCampbell openedtheir acceptance letter fromOberlinConservatory,their heart grewafewsizes Ever sincetheir audition,they knewOberlinwasaplacewheretheycouldgrow alongsidelike-mindedstudents
?I hopethat wherever I amisexactlywhereI needtobe,?Campbell said ?I hopeI'll growso muchandjust become20milliontimesbetter thanI amnowinall aspectsof mylife?
AsCampbell movesontoOberlinandbeyond, theyhopetospreadmorethanjust beautiful music wherever their violatakes them
They hopeto tour the worldina quartet of other queer musicians, fulfillingtheir dreamof makingclassical musicaccessibletoall
?Whether youknowit or not,somebodyout thereisgoingtoseeyousucceedingandbeing whoyouare Andit'sgoingtohaveanimpact on them,?Campbell said
?It'ssoimportant for anyone,transgender, nonconformingor gaytojust reallystickwith musicnomatter what anyonesays,becausewe arecreative,andweareunique.Andthat'swhat musicneeds?
may 31, 2023 shield t h e
INGRID SMITH co-online managing editor & co-news editor
So manydifferent people canenjoythe same music regardless of their differences.
Wherevertheygo after this, they'll succeed; I know theywill because I don't think Z is stoppable.
Photo courtesy of Campbell
? senior Z Campbell
16 senior issue " " " "
? senior Thea Krische
shield
olivia falcon
wantedtojust keepgoingup
Blue Brigade 1st Lieutenant to continue academicsat Belmont,dance at Vanderbilt
Milwaukeeprovidedgoodschools,Falcon knewshebelongedinNashville
placewhereshe?ll beabletofindher footing andthenforgeapathof her own
Asthefirst BlueBrigademember tojoina collegedanceteaminthreeyears,OliviaFalcon knewshehadtoexceedexpectations Falconwas unsureof her plansuntil theendof her junior year,whenshewasfirst introducedtothe prospect of continuingher dancecareer followinggraduationbyjoining college-sponsoreddanceteams
?I didn't knowthat therewasanopportunity after highschool todosomethingthat wasn? t drill team,?Falconsaid After four yearsof Blue Brigadeandprevious trainingat variousdance studiosandFulmore MiddleSchool,Falconwas readyfor achange Unsure of wheretolookfirst,she enlistedthehelpof former BlueBrigadeco-captain MatthewVargas
?WhenI startedgoingto clinicshostedbyvarious collegedanceteams,I talkedtohimbecauseI knewthat wassomethinghe wasinterestedin,?shesaid
?I startedgoingtohisclassesover thesummer andstartedpushingmyself andtoldhim?Hey, don't let megoeasy??
Thisdedicationwasinspiringtobest friend andteammateMalakhi Washington ?She?sanamazingperson,oneof themost talenteddancersI know,?Washingtonsaid ?She isaninspiration?
MuchlikeWashington,BlueBrigadedirector NancySearleapplaudsFalcon?sabilitytowork nomatter her circumstances Searlecitesthisas thereasonFalconwasabletobecome anofficer,andhowshe
?Shealwayspushedherself Beinganofficer wasn? t enough,shealwayswantedbethebest shecould,?Searlesaid ?It wasn't ?I?man officer,I?mhere,I?mjust goingtohang?She wouldalwayspushherself tostill improve,still dobetter ?
Astrongleader but alsoatalenteddancer andareliablefriend,Falconisasocial chameleon,abletofit inwithanyone Since sixthgrade,sheandWashingtonhavebeen inseparable,partlyduetowhat Washington describesas?cordstiedbetweenus?Ms Searle agrees,notingthat Falconeasilymadefriends withwhomever shewasaround
?Shealwaysmadeit a point toreachout to thosethat shedidn't hangout with,?Searle said ?I feel likewith somekidsyoucan pictureexactlywhothey hangout with,but Olivia isn't likethat Shehas closefriendsbut she makesfriendswith whoever?saround?
Despiteher confidence indanceat McCallum, Falconwasnervousabout beingabletofinda collegedanceteamthat wasagoodfit Tofind her newhome,shetookextrastepstosecure her spot indifferent coaches ' minds,readytobe thefirst ontheir list nomatter what ?Meetingcoachesisreallyimportant," Falconssaid "Younever knowif you'dlikeit until you'reintheir shoes,intheir facilities, seeinghowtheyrun,?shesaid.?Put yourself out therebecauseyou'renot goingtoget exposureif youdon? t ?
Betweenmore performance-basedschoolslike UTandcompetition-heavyoneslike WesternKentucky,alongwithmany othersover thecountry,includingher future homeat Belmont andVanderbilt,Falconhad bigdecisionstomake Thefinal choicerested onlocation Sheknewshewantedtobeina citysheloved,andwhileAustinand
?WhenI foundBelmont,I lovedtheschool;I lovedthearea,I lovedeverythinghavingtodo withit,?shesaid ?It wasoverall alot more compellingtometogo there,evenif I can? t dance whileI?mhere,heyI?min NashvilleI?msomewhere whereI?mhappy?
Falcon?ssituation is unique,however Sheis headingtoBelmont University,planningto studyjournalism to pursueacareer in broadcastingand joiningtheVanderbilt danceteam
?I knewthat I wantedtogotoschool in Tennessee,but I wasn? t sureI wouldfinda placethat wouldwork,?Falconsaid ?Whenever I visitedBelmont,I talkedtosome girlsinthebookstoreandfoundout theyhad apartnershipwithVanderbilt ?
Throughacollaborationbetweenthe universities,shewill studyat Belmontwhile simultaneouslydancingwithfellowBruins alongwithVanderbiltandLipscombstudents
Not only wasFalcon thefirst BlueBrigade member topursuecollegiatedanceafter high school sinceSophiaSalojoined the TexasStateStruttersin 2019,but shewas thefirst BlueBrigadedancer tohost a signingday ceremony
Falcon,accompaniedbyBlueBrigade membersandclosefriends,hostedher signing dayonMay15inthelibrary There,her father Robert Falconalsoannouncedthat theFalcon familywill beestablishinga$1,000 scholarshipthat will beawardedtoaBlue Brigadesenior everyyear
TheceremonywasorchestratedbySearle whothinksBelmont isthe right placefor Falcontoo SearlesaysBelmont isa
?I caneasilyseeher fittinginandnot acting likeanewmember,"Searlesaid,?It?sexciting toseewhereshe?ll gowiththat ?
Thetransitionfrom TexastoTennesseewill beadifficult one, though,evenif she?s readyfor thechange
After growingupin Austin,leavingbehind thesamethingsshe?s seenfor thepast 18years isprovingtobea struggle
?I?mjust goingto missthefamiliarity,?
Falcon said ?It?sreally hardtoknowthat next year I?mgoingtobesomewhere completely different ?
Falconwill beleavingher friends,family, andeverythingsherecognizesfor anentirely newlife Despitethisdrasticchange, Washingtonbelievesshe?ll thrive ?[She?s]goingtodoamazingthings,andI can? t wait tosee[her]continueandget better,? hesaid
Falconon May 15th,where she signed forthe Vanderbilt Dance Team
Photo byDave Winter.
"
She'sanamazing person,oneofthe most talented dancersIknow.Sheis an inspiration.
" may 31, 2023 senior issue 17
HELEN MARTIN staff reporter WhenIfound Belmont Ilovedthe school,Ilovedthe area,Iloved everythinghavingto do withit.
? senior Olivia Falcon
? senior Khi Washington
