McCallum HS The Shield (Volume 64, Number 6) May 19, 2017

the

shield

McCallum High School / 5600 Sunshine / Austin, TX 78756 /May 19, 2017 Issue 6 / Volume 64

Counselors retire after 20-plus years of service page 05

WHAT’S INSIDE Senate Bill 4 stirs up controversy downtown page 03 Special four-page pull-out sections honors the Class of 2017 page 17 Baseball cruises to 7th straight district title; Ultimate Frisbee team ties for 2nd at state page 25

03 04 09 12

May/June

save

the date

22 BRO-BALL Battle of the Classes in gym @ 5 p.m.

24 Finals begin; 3rd and 4h period final 25 7th and 8th period final 26 No school; bad weather make-up day

29 No school; Memorial Day 30 5th and 6th period finals 31 1st and 2nd period finals 31 Fine Arts Academy Convocation @ MAC, 7 p.m.

31 Last day of school

01 Graduation @ Frank Erwin Center, 10 a.m.

01 GradKnight @ Main Event

ABOVE: The Knights baseball team huddles one last time as they try to rally during their Game 2 playoff loss to Medina Valley on May 6. The Knights lost Game 1 at Medina Valley on May 5, 3-0. In the second game at Northwest Park, Medina Valley won the game, 2-1. and the series, 2-0, knocking the Knights out of the state 5-A tournament. Photo by Adrian Peña.

RIGHT: The cast of “Animal Farm” performs a scene from the spring play during the final dress rehearsal on May 10. According to the show’s director, Joshua Denning, the show was unlike anything anyone has ever seen at McCallum. Cast member Cal Hurd agreed.

“It’s been different in that we have these masks that make it difficult to try to act with as opposed to natural movement.” Hurd said. The play was the last production of the year. Photo by Dave Winter.

Cover photo by Dave Winter.

inside

news

the issue

The governor signed SB4, and it will become law in September, but that hasn’t stopped people from fighting against it.

It’s the end of an era at McCallum as two of the longest tenured faculty members are retiring at the end of the school year.

people Learn how security guard Georgia Gonzales came to Mac and why she has become an essential part of our campus community.

Junior Jack Switzer has always wanted to become an Eagle Scout.

Why not make the Mac campus more beautiful at the same time?

a&e

15 23 24 26

What’s the best assignment a reporter can have? How about a quest to find the best donuts, ice cream and burgers on wheels?

Take our quiz to see what kind of procrastinator you are. Take it now. Or if you’d rather wait until tomorrow, that’s OK, too.

sports

Baseball season may have ended with a playoff loss to Medina Valley, but that didn’t dull the shine of a dominant district season.

Meet head trainer for the 2017-2018 class, Elena Henderson and find out it takes to be a trainer, on and off the field.

opinion

28 30

House Bill 1692, which would allow teachers to store handguns in their parked cars, is both impractical and counterproductive.

Get tips on how to navigate the college-application process and the college visit odyssey from two Knights who have done it.

the

Standing up by sitting O down

shield

KIEN JOHNSON-DYE & LIAM WILSON

Gov. Abbott’s signature makes SB4 the law in Texas

guest reporters

n May 1, inside the Texas State Insurance Building, 24 immigration activists were arrested after staging a sit-in next to Gov. Abbott’s office. Among the 24 arrested were Rev. Jim Rigby of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and council member Gregorio Casar of District 4. The sit-in was staged in response to Abbott’s signing of Senate Bill 4, which would cut off funding to sanctuary cities and require punishments such as steep fines or even jail time for Texas officials who failed to follow state and federal immigration laws.

All throughout the state of Texas, both liberal and conservative activists have fought for the immigration policies they believe to be correct. When the Texas government introduced SB4, it sparked outrage between immigration activists and Democrats in the Texas legislature.

The bill would not only directly affect immigration policies within the state of Texas, but it could establish a national standard on undocumented immigration.

Like Gov. Abbott, President Trump has pledged to be harder on undocumented immigration.

Rev. Rigby, a pastor at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and one of the 24 arrested during the May 1 sitin, had a clear message to the targets of SB 4.

“We have a message for our undocumented neighbors here in Austin: we love you and want you here,” Rigby said. “We would rather suffer by your side than be guilty bystanders to the cruel and undemocratic tyranny of this administration. ... We cannot stop them from gerrymandering and abusing our city, but we will not let them divide us spiritually.”

In the past, Rigby has stated that he has feared the

potential role of law enforcement in immigration policy.

“Especially in Austin, all these different cultures unite together in this small city and try to fight a governor who doesn’t want to listen to them,” said Matthew Salgado, a McCallum freshman. “They gather here because Austin is one of the only spots in Texas that welcomes [progressive] culture and ideals. We [Austin] see a lot of Hispanic migrants, and some of them are not here legally.”

Critics of SB4 contend that the bill is too strict and that it authorizes immigration enforcement to split apart innocent families and infringes on the privacy of otherwise law-abiding undocumented persons who contribute to the state and national economy.

Supporters of the bill point out that undocumented persons have already broken one of the most basic U.S. laws by crossing our border without permission; the punishment they say should fit the crime.

While McCallum social studies teacher Greg Anderson did not express a stance on SB4, he did have an opinion on the importance of following existing laws.

“We, as a nation, have laws for a reason,” Anderson said. “I’m not saying that there are not discriminatory or morally wrong laws, but that doesn’t change the fact that we still have laws. If somebody finds a law unfair, they should change that law by voting those who support that law out of office. Austin will lose this battle against the governor. This does not necessarily mean that he [Abbott] is right, but if the majority of Texas’ citizens voted for him to enact the policies he ran on, he is going to enact those policies. The [current] political minority will have to work to elect someone else if they want to enact their agenda.”

The fight over the issues contained in the bill is far from over, and the Texas officials will still face controversial decisions regarding this issue.

SB 4 goes into law in September.

TOP LEFT: A child protests SB4 during the International Worker’s Day protest outside Gov. Abbott’s office. Photo by Diego Guttierrez. BOTTOM LEFT: May Day activists cheer Rev. Jim Rigby of St. Andrews Church after state troopers released him. Photo by Diego Guttierrez. BELOW: UT students make signs at the Capitol on April 26. SB4 was passed the next morning. Photo by J. R. Cardenas.

19 may 2017

news 03

the

shield

END OF AN After 57 combined years of counseling and teaching, counselors Mindy Croom and Lucia Facundo will be retiring at the end of the 2016-2017 school year. “My favorite part of my job is the connection with the people,” Croom said.

“Whether it’s the students, the parents or the staff members, that’s absolutely what makes me happy to brush my teeth and come to school.”

Counselors Mindy Croom and Lucia Facundo.

Photo by Dave Winter.

ERA

story by Sophie Ryland

the 57 years: that’s the combined experience of counselors Lucia Facundo and Mindy Croom at McCallum, a school that has been around for 64 years. At the end of this semester McCallum is saying goodbye to two people, who have spent those years helping countless McCallum students with graduation plans, the stressful college-selection process and any emergency situations that arise.

Facundo first began working at McCallum in 1977, not as a counselor, but as a science teacher. After 40 years, she remembers McCallum having a much different environment back then than the one she works in now.

“When I started working here, boys had to have their shirts tucked in and wear a belt; girls, if they seemed like they were wearing too short of a skirt, they were asked to kneel and the back of the skirt had to be long enough to touch their calf,” Facundo said. “There was always a, ‘Yes ma’am, no ma’am’.’

It was just a different tone. When I got to McCallum, it was already at the beginning of getting more diverse. We used to have a group called the Human Relations Committee: almost every clique you could think of [was represented]; they all sat around and talked about issues and come up with solutions because there was a little bit of racial tension.”

Four years into her job as a teacher, she learned of a counseling position that had opened up. She already had her master’s in counseling, so she decided to apply and has held the position since then. After experiencing both jobs, she described the skills needed to be a counselor as much different than those of a teacher.

“As a teacher, although that was really, really, difficult, at least I had lesson plans, and I kind of knew what my day was going to be like day to day, but as a counselor, you plan a day, but it doesn’t always work out that way,” Facundo said. “Any time you have a slow day as a counselor, you’re like, ‘OK … why? This should not be happening.”

Tearing up a little, Facundo said that she will miss working with the students most of all, and that she doesn’t plan on fully leaving McCallum any time soon.

“I promised Coach Nitardy I’d be coming back and helping her in the Gear Up Room, and I promised Ms. Bonet, with AVID, that I’d be helping her with that, so I’m not really going away,” Facundo said. “I don’t live that far from here, so I anticipate coming back. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.”

Meanwhile, Ms. Croom first began her McCallum experience as a student at the school, and her three children are also MHS alumni.

Croom, who has worked here for 17 years, said she believes that McCallum is the best school in Austin, praising its unique and accepting atmosphere.

“I’m always happy I’m here at McCallum,” Croom said. “I think we have a vibe that’s kind of like Austin, with diversity, community. I love the fact that for the most part, everyone allows everyone else to be who they want to be, and I embrace that. I love that we have that friendly Texas spirit.”

Croom’s favorite part of the job has been working with other people, particularly in seeing the development of the students she has helped over their high school career.

“What I really enjoy the most is seeing the growth between a ninth-grader who is kind of timid, seeing them blossom into a senior who’s ready to embrace the world,” Croom said. “I love graduation; everybody has made it through that journey. I do

19 may 2017

shield

Left: Lucia Facundo, who came to Mac in 1977, holds up her staff photo from the 1982-83 school year. Right: Mindy Croom, with her Class of 1969 senior portraits. Croom and her three kids graduated from Mac. Photos by Dave Winter. enjoy working with students who have stumbled, everything hasn’t been as easy, just kind of letting them know that there’s always hope and a way to get them to where they want to be.”

Both Facundo and Croom are retiring after many years to spend more time with their grandchildren, and look forward to pursuing new hobbies and activities.

“I used to teach drama, middle school drama at Eanes, and I used to always say to my students, ‘You want to leave your audience wishing they’d heard more’” Croom said. “I want people not to be saying, ‘Oh, goodness, I’ve heard enough of Ms. Croom’. There are things I want to do outside; I want to do some consulting, and I’m a singer, so I may write some songs, and I want to have an antique booth to sell some things, and I want to travel more, and just enjoy being with my family, my two little grandchildren.”

Counselor Shelley Goldstein, who’s worked at McCallum for two years, says that Facundo and Croom provided her with invaluable knowledge and assistance as she began her first counseling job.

“She and Ms. Croom, along with Mrs. Josephson, they’ve taught me literally everything I know about counseling,” counselor Shelley Goldstein said. “They’ve taught every little thing: how to do schedules, how to work with kids who have issues, how to plan for kids who are having trouble graduating and how to help them, how to write letters of recommendations, how to have a great spirit on the job.”

Goldstein also fondly remembers lunches and staff

meetings where she bonded with both counselors, attesting to their lovable personalities and continually reaffirming her admiration of them.

“I just think they’re wonderful, and I’m so sad they’re leaving,” Goldstein said. “I aspire to be more like them as counselor. They’re my heroes, and I love them.”

Students of both counselors said that they value their seasoned advice and helpful, positive attitudes. Senior Amy McInnes described Facundo’s help as indispensable when she was navigating the college process.

“She was diligent and professional but still caring,” McInnes said. “She was also incredibly resourceful and calmed my nerves when the stress of senior year was too much to handle. After a lot of deliberation, she’s helped me decide where I’m going to college.”

Senior Quinn Kennedy said the same of Croom. “She was really reassuring and made me feel like I would have a lot of options for college,” Kennedy said. “She was really helpful with writing my recommendations.”

Principal Mike Garrison also said that he will miss both their valuable experience and their positive engagement in the McCallum community.

“Along with their charm and personalities, we’re going to miss their knowledge and expertise gained from their many years of working in education,” Garrison said. “We look forward to hopefully finding someone who can come in and pick up their responsibilities and duties and learn along the way and become as competent as they are.”

news 05

the

shield

Well Aware of water usage PALS and friends go showerless to collect more than $4,000 for clean water in Africa MIA ORRICK guest writer If there’s a foul stench in the air, blame it on the PALS. The McCallum Peer Accepting Learning and Sharing program participated in a fundraiser called the Shower Strike during the week of April 22. During the fundraiser, the PALS and their sponsor Richard Cowles went without showering to raise money for Well Aware.

Well Aware is a nonprofit based in Austin, whose goal is to provide accessible, clean water sources to communities in Africa, mainly in Kenya and Uganda. On average, Well Aware can provide lasting clean water to one person for $10. Since its founding, Well Aware has funded more than 27 water projects and provided clean water to more than 100,000 people.

Senior PAL Adrian Zabka said the strike was an eye-opening experience to how much water people waste every day.

“It really helps you realize just how much water you waste,” Zabka said. “There are millions of people around the world who don’t have easy access to clean water, and with our

PALS members, Cristain Miranda, Atley Brown, Alana Raper, Charlie Holden, Noah Savage, Eric LaWare and Sam Stone, pose outside Mr. Cowles’ room with the five-gallon buckets they used to collect donations during the shower strike. Photo by Gregory James. infinite privilege, we waste so infinitely.”

The PALS were not the only ones participating in the shower strike.

MacJournalism adviser Dave Winter participated in a full shower strike, setting up his own donation page on the Well Aware website. He originally set his goal at $500, but by the end of the week Winter collected more than $700. Geography teacher Katie Carrasco also participated in the week long strike.

“We talk a lot about water shortage and conservation in my Pre-AP geography classes,” Carrasco said, “and it’s important to me to continue to raise awareness.”

Zabka said that doing the strike brought all of the PALS closer together.

“It’s pretty uniting to go without showering and minimal bathing with a group of students for an entire week,” Zabka said.

Students were given five-gallon buckets

for this project for bathing and collecting donations. Throughout the week, PALS carried their buckets around and collected $4,061.

“This makes us so much more aware,” said senior PAL Atley Brown. “It makes our community more aware, too.”

Cowles says he thinks this was a great year, as PALS incorporated the entire McCallum community. He looks forward to next year’s strike.

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!

austincc.edu/startnow

06 news

19 may 2017

the

shield

News in a FLASH VASE gives students an opportunity to showcase their art work The annual state Visual Arts Scholastic Event, or VASE, competition took place on Feb. 25 in San Antonio. VASE is a competition that showcases the talents of students who create individual art pieces, whether that be sculpture, drawing, painting, ceramics, photography, fibers, jewelry prints or animation. Outstanding pieces picked by judges can be awarded a scholarship of as much as $1,500.

“If you do really well [in the first round], you then advance to state VASE, and depending on the place you make, have the opportunity to win scholarships and attend award ceremonies,” freshman Sabri Amrani-Khaldi said. “I entered one painting. I didn’t medal, but I went to State VASE and won a scholarship for a workshop there.”

Artists can medal (receive a top score of a four on their piece) as well as receive the highest award at VASE: a gold seal. Pieces begin at the regional level, where they critiqued by a judge. The piece will receive a score of either a one, two, three or four. If the piece receives a top rating it will have a chance to go to the state level. Each year at State VASE students attend workshops that cover everything from fashion design to printmaking to brainstorming methods. There are also three annual workshops that give students the opportunity to win scholarships: 3D, 2D and sketchbook review. Amrani-Khaldi was one of several McCallum students who brought home scholarships.

If selected for a gold seal, which is the farthest a piece can go, it will be showcased at educational conferences.

“The piece I entered was a double matte of a linoleum carving,” sophomore Jules Holden said. “I received a Gold Seal on my piece, and it will tour around the state for the summer, which is a really cool thing to be able to say has happened. It’s cool to see my work being recognized.”

150 AISD students attended this year, 75 coming from McCallum. 34 of those 75 participants medaled at State VASE, and three received Gold Seals.

“VASE is a really good way for students to be able to speak about their art and to make art more than just something that’s beautiful, but something that’s meaningful and something that can connect with other people,” drawing and painting teacher Jeff SeckarMartinez said.

—Elena Henderson

19 may 2017

Student brings gun on campus, is arrested without incident A student on the McCallum campus was arrested on Wednesday by the AISD police for having a handgun at school, according to a letter sent out by principal Mike Garrison.

“At no time were our students or staff in any danger,” the letter said.

The gun was not loaded, but it is against the law to have a weapon on any high school campus. The student has been charged with ‘Places Weapons Prohibited.’ According to

Garrison’s letter, the administration became aware of the weapon when another student reported it to them. The AISD police were immediately notified and handled the situation.

The student was taken into custody. Garrison wrote that no threats were made to anyone and no one was injured.

Garrison urged parents to call him (512) 414-7505 with concerns or questions.

—Zoe Hocker

Sutton Ballard becomes first McCallum student to attend LBJ fire academy The teachers at the LBJ Fire Academy surprised sophomore Sutton Ballard on May 10 with the good news that she is the first McCallum student to be accepted into the LBJ Fire Academy. Ballard became interested in the academy after finding out about it from a friend. That friend’s father—Fire Chief Palmer Buck— influenced her to consider the profession.

Ballard is committed to the academy for the next two years, which means that she will take morning classes there every day.

She will study fire fighting for about a year and a half and undergo EMT training for about a semester. After she graduates, Ballard will be fully certified to become a firefighter at any fire department in the state of Texas.

Sophomore Sutton Ballard poses with a firefighter helmet with McCallum’s logo on the side with LBJ Fire Academy teacher Matt Holmes and assistant principal Gabe Reyes. Photo by Dave Winter.

EF tours gives students a chance to visit Europe this summer Social studies teacher Katie Carrasco along with other McCallum faculty will again be attending another Education First (EF) Tour Trip this summer. In years past, McCallum students have taken trips to the Dominican Republic and to various countries in Europe. This year, students will visit France, Germany and Spain from June 29-July 10.

EF’s goal is to help students transform the way they see the world. The company started more than 50 years ago and helps students experience cultural immersion as well as authentic connections. They have more than 500 schools and offices in more than 50 countries.

In the past, Carrasco has done service learning tours in the Dominican Republic, and a global summit trip in Germany. This year’s trip will be another global summit trip.

Junior Evalyn McCusker attended the Dominican Republic trip in the summer of 2015, where she experienced the local culture, did a service project in a nearby village and learned about ways in which the locals conserved their energy.

“Going to the Dominican Republic was one of the best experiences of my life,” McCusker said. “I really appreciated the change of culture, and it made me see the

world in a new way.”

McCusker enjoyed the last EF Tours trip so much that she has decided to attend the 2017 summer trip as well.

“This trip is going to be a lot different than the one to the Dominican,” McCusker said. “This trip is all about food and ways we can develop ways to conserve food more and distribute it equally across the world. I’m most looking forward to the cooking class we get to do in Barcelona.”

McCusker and six of her closest friends will be attending the trip and that she feels lucky to be able to go.

“Ms. Carrasco started doing these trips at McCallum because she sees the importance of traveling and interacting with other cultures,” McCusker said. “I think it’s a really valuable program and I wish everyone could go on trips like these.”

To find out more information about future trips, ask Ms. Carrasco or visit the EF Tours website at www. eftours.com.

—Molly Blankenship

news 07

the

shield

Proposed cuts endanger local programs Arts organizations in Austin among those affected by Trump’s new budget plan SOPHIE RYLAND staff reporter

As a fine arts academy, McCallum has a unique perspective when it comes to the importance of the arts, which are being called into question in President Trump’s “America First” budget proposal for 2018.

President Trump’s plan calls to completely eliminate the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) among other organizations supporting the humanities. The NEA is the only source of arts funding in the country, public or private, that serves all 50 states, Washington D.C., and every U.S. territory.

President Lyndon B. Johnson established both the NEA and the NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) 50 years ago. Until now, no president has attempted to dismantle the organizations.

Defenders of the NEA point out that arts contribute to the local and national economy.

According to the Texas Culture Trust, the arts industry brings in $5.5 billion to the state annually. Meanwhile, on a national level, it constitutes 4.2 percent of the U.S. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of around $742 billion.

Carlotta Stankiewicz, director of Marketing & Communications at the Blanton, said that she believes that arts not only contribute to the economy, they also enhance society.

The Blanton does not currently receive NEA funding, but as a major arts institution in Austin they are familiar with the agency and those who receive aid from it.

“I believe the arts inspire us to wonder and explore and think, ‘What if?’” said Stankiewicz, whose daughter Ella is a junior at McCallum. “Through art and music and theater and the like, we’re encouraged and even forced to open our minds to different perspectives.

As our world grows ever more interconnected, it’s important to develop an understanding of people and ideas and experiences that may differ dramatically from ours.”

Trump is concerned that NEA funding is an unnecessary drain on the federal budget. In 2016, NEA funding only made up about 0.004 percent of that budget.

Trump’s proposed “America First Budget Plan” also plans to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting,

08 news

Junior Andrea Barrera-Castro performs with Creative Action, a local organization that could lose funding if Trump’s budget plan for 2018 goes through. Photo courtesy of Barrera-Castro.

affecting institutions like NPR and the Smithsonian museums. The budget also calls for increased defense spending, placing a down payment on the border wall and expanding school voucher programs.

Austin has received nearly $11 million in NEA grants since 2010. One such recipient, Creative Action, which frequently partners with AISD, aims to foster social and emotional growth through arts enrichment programs.

Corinna Archer Kinsman, associate director of development at Creative Action, believes in the impact that arts organizations like hers have on students.

“Not only are we giving young people access to the arts that they wouldn’t have otherwise; we go into a lot of lower-income schools and make things affordable through fundraising,” Kinsman said. “We [also] help young people in terms of growing social and emotional skills. More than 90 percent of students after participating in Creative Action say they’re more confident, they’re able to express themselves better; they know how to work with their peers better.”

The NEA aims to provide access to the arts for those who usually are overlooked: 36 percent of grants go to organizations that reach disadvantaged populations like veterans or those with disabilities, and 33 percent of grants serve low-income audiences. Kinsman, whose programs serve disabled and lowerincome populations, among others, expressed

her conviction that NEA grants are critical to reaching these underserved groups.

“We really feel like everyone should have access to these opportunities, so we’re totally supportive of putting our tax dollars towards these opportunities for all,” Kinsman said.

“We know that sometimes when we just rely on private sources that means some people get left out. So the great thing about the NEA is that it helps organizations like us provide access to all of these programs for schools that can’t pay for it, or families that can’t pay to send their kids to summer camp.”

Junior Andrea Barrera-Castro, who has been working with Creative Action since she was in kindergarten and is now a member of its Changing Lives Youth Theatre Ensemble, which partners with local women’s shelter Safe Place, also strongly believes that work like that of Creative Action has an undeniably positive effect on those who participate.

“Creative Action makes an effort to make art into social justice—we’ve used several pertinent societal issues such as gentrification, institutionalized racism, etc.” BarreraCastro said. “Along with that, we also work on nurturing the growing part of a student’s mind. Creative Action and organizations like it are the backbone of raising a new generation of informed activists and artists who know how to take action in a difficult political climate.”

AISD would also be affected by the proposed cuts; it’s one of 24 recipients of NEA funding in

Austin this year alone for its role in the Creative Learning Initiative, which aims to provide quality arts education for every student in AISD and professional support for teachers through art-based instruction strategies.

“The Creative Learning Initiative started six years ago,” said John Green-Otero, the Creative Learning Initiative coordinator. “We asked ourselves: considering the overwhelming positive research of the impact of the arts on students success, what is the state of the arts and arts-education in Austin? From this question we learned that there was a serious issue of equity of access to quality arts-rich education in our city, so the Creative Learning Initiative was born.”

The CLI has three goals in providing for AISD schools: training teachers in creative education strategies, providing resources for arts education for all students and addressing gaps in the system, like adding fine arts theatre and dance classes at the elementary level.

McCallum’s was one of the first two vertical teams that the CLI began work with in 2013.

They now serve 58 campuses, and their goal is to reach every vertical team by 2022, providing higher-quality arts education to 86,000 students.

The CLI has seen a high level of success in its efforts; in addition to increased attendance, 92 percent of teachers reported increased student engagement in learning, and 85 percent reported a positive impact on student behavior.

Green-Otero asserts that the program’s rapid success would have been much more difficult to achieve without assistance from the NEA. “[The funding] is critical because it supports many programs like ours and provide not only the resources but the experience and collaboration to overcome issues that inevitably arise when engaging in such a complex and large venture,” Green-Otero said. “I don’t think we would have made the progress we have without them.”

Above all, members of the Austin art community say the government plays a critical role in providing support for the arts community.

“The arts are an expression of the human experience and are so vital to it,” Stankiewicz said. “A government that cares about the welfare of its people supports programs that enrich our minds and lives and society— and the arts do just that.”

19 may 2017

the

shield

An officer and an ambassador Security monitor Georgia Gonzalez thrives by immersing herself in campus life

GREG JAMES staff reporter

The bell rings. Students crowd the main hallway as they make their way to their next class. A din fills the hallway as students talk to each other about their last class, or how some sports team is doing, but one voice rises above the general murmur. Security monitor Georgia Gonzalez can be heard saying, “Get to class!” or “Hats off please.”

Gonzalez has done this job every school day for the last 10 years. She is, however, not just a hall monitor. Her job can entail many different jobs “You don’t know what the day will bring,” Gonzalez said. “You can be helping someone who is sick, or be a substitute teacher in a classroom. It all depends on what we need help with that day.”

Gonzalez indentified her dream job early in her life.

“Ever since I was little I knew I wanted to be some type of officer.” Gonzalez said. “I didn’t know what type of officer, but I knew I wanted to have a job in that line of work.”

Gonzalez originally worked with the parole board, but when her office at the parole board flooded from rain, her supervisor told her she could go home for the day. That’s when she decided to apply to be a correctional officer.

“I just decided to act then to realize my childhood dream,” Gonzalez said.

She passed the test for becoming a correctional officer and was sent off to Gatesville for six weeks of training.

“My life changed pace really quickly,” Gonzalez said. “Going from a desk job to field training right away.”

In 2007 Gonzalez was looking for a new job.

She applied to be a security monitor at Lanier High School, but then McCallum called her to notify her of a job opening. She interviewed and got the McCallum job.

“It was something different, and that’s what I liked about it. I would get to spend time with my family because I would have the summers off, compared to my job as a correctional officer,” Gonzalez said. “I also didn’t have to worry as much about my son Jonathan, because if something were to happen him at school, I’d be here. I like working with him.”

She made a strong positive initial impression on principal Mike Garrison. Garrison, who has

19 may 2017

LEFT: Officer Georgia Gonzalez watches as students pass through the main hallway during passing period. “I really like interacting with the students as they go to class.” Gonzalez said. Photo by Gregory James. TOP RIGHT: Georgia Gonzalez wears her ugly sweater for the ugly sweater contest before winter break. Somehow Ms. Georgia did not place in the top three in the annual contest. Photo by David Winter. BOTTOM RIGHT. Georgia Gonzalez being crowned the Teacher in Tiara at the annual contest. Photo by Charlie Holden.

Georgia’s favorite MAC EVENTS 1. Pink Week Pieing:

“I find it exhilirating the moment before the pie hits your face.

It’s always fun to do it every year.”

2. Graduation:

“It’s sad to see students you’ve gotten to know leave, but it’s also great to see them do great things.”

worked at McCallum 14 years, remembers being particularly impressed by Georgia’s resume.

“Her personality was great, her disposition was good for this job, she had a lot of past work experience, and really what sold me on hiring her was her references all spoke highly of her,” Garrison said. “We’re glad to have Georgia all the time; she has good judgment, she is great

3. Teachers & Tiaras:

“In 2015, Ms. Gun dressed up as a chicken and did the chicken dance; it was really awesome.”

with the students and staff, and she is above all else, dependable.”

Garrison also boasted about how well Georgia interacts with all of the students.

“I think the students have a great relationship with her because she takes the time to involve herself in so many school activities like Teachers & Tiaras and pep

rallies,” Garrison said “The faculty and students at MAC love her for being so involved and I do as well,” Garrison said.

Second-year journalism teacher Dave Winter remembered being sold on McCallum after Gonzalez took his family on a campus tour before he and his family even moved to Texas.

“She was so friendly,” Winter said, “and it seemed like every student we encountered went out of their way to say hello to her as we toured the building.”

Garrison believes the key to this rapport is pretty simple.

“I believe she enjoys her job, she loves being around people, and contributing to McCallum in any way she can,” Garrison said. “Ms. Georgia is committed to making McCallum a better place for all the students and staff.”

people 09

the

shield

Like a rolling stone

Digital interactive media teacher Tim Bjerke to retire after 11 years at Mac MADISON OLSEN staff reporter

At the end of this school year, media teacher and Spectrum adviser Tim Bjerke will retire from teaching and leave McCallum. Bjerke will still be involved in education, however, as he plans to go to graduate school to study social work, potentially at the Youth, Education and Society program at Utrecht University, which is located in the Netherlands.

“I’ll study the social programs put in schools and communities to support kids in the way kids need, rather than the ways they think kids need, which is really important,” Bjerke said.

While Bjerke’s future plans are clear, his departure has caused concern among the students he has mentored in the Gender Identity Club, or GI, and Spectrum, the two support groups for LGBTQ+ students (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning) at McCallum. First-year social studies teacher Lucy Griswold has accepted the role as the new Spectrum adviser, Bjerke said.

He also said that Out Youth, a central Texas program that provides mental and emotional support to sexual and gender minority youth, will take over much of the club’s operation.

Out Youth will hold meetings two to three times a week. These groups will be administered by a licensed therapist. Because the program is grant-funded, the meetings will be monitored to ensure they provide a safe place for students and encourage them to explore their identities.

“I think that that’ll be really helpful, and it will give people support that they don’t even have now,” Bjerke said. “That’ll do a lot for people who aren’t even comfortable coming to GI group, and they’ll be comfortable sharing in that smaller setting.”

Although Bjerke believes that future support from Out Youth certainly improves the support groups, he also expressed certainty that student leaders will continue to empower both Spectrum and GI students and continue to make McCallum a safe and accepting community.

“Student leaders are the ones that made [Spectrum] happen,” Bjerke said. “They’re the ones that got people to attend the meetings. .”

Although his students are happy for Bjerke, they also are extremely sad to say goodbye.

“I think we’re all going to really miss him because we all really think of Mr. Bjerke more as a friend than a teacher,” junior Ash Etheredge said.

“People that aren’t even necessarily his students have gotten to know him as a friend because he’s a really accepting, comforting person to be around. Right now we’re hoping we can find a teacher to host [Spectrum and GI] that’s just as accepting and loving as Mr. Bjerke.”

Bjerke’s students say that he is much more than a friend: he’s a mentor who provides a safe environment for students struggling to find themselves.

“When I started to get confused about my sexuality and gender identity, I didn’t know where to go or who to go to,” Etheredge said. “I started talking to him: he was automatically so accepting of me. Just knowing that he’s there and is willing to listen is very comforting because sometimes there’s not always someone there to listen to you. I don’t feel like I’ve had that relationship with any other teacher. I have gone to talk to him about things going on in my family life that are really hard, or things going on with my friends that are really hard, and he will sit there and listen and try his best to understand. If I’m really upset about something, and I’m struggling with all this stuff in my life, and I don’t know what to do and it feels like everything is going wrong, he’ll provide a sense of comfort.”

Looking back on his years at McCallum, Bjerke is thankful for all the support he has gotten from the administration.

“There’s a lot of really positive people here, who are invested in the McCallum community,” Bjerke said. “We have a relatively small campus and a relatively small faculty and yet look at what we do. We don’t have the money LASA has or the facilities a lot of places have, but so much happens at McCallum that doesn’t happen anywhere else.”

According to Bjerke, principal Mike Garrison deserves most of the credit for supporting the

“We’ve got some good strong youth leaders, and I think they’re going to do a good job of carrying on what’s already happening.”

—Tim Bjerke

19 may 2017

Bjerke explains instructions for a notecard activity at an McCallum Christian Community and Spectrum joint meeting on May 4 in his classroom. Students wrote a time they had been discriminated against on one side of the card and a time the had acted in a hateful way on the other side of the card before sharing with their peers. Photo by Madison Olsen.

LGBTQ+ community at McCallum, including allowing the GI Group and Spectrum.

“Mr. Garrison has given me a lot of support,” Bjerke said. “He has given me a lot and has put up with a lot. This school is where it is today because of him, and he won’t take credit for it. 11 years ago, just using the word queer was shocking, especially in Texas. Today if you’re queer nobody cares. We have a GI group, and a lot of people don’t even know what that is or what it’s about, but it happens here.”

Although Bjerke seems eager to leave McCallum, he says that there are many reasons, specifically his students, that will make him miss McCallum “When I talk to my friends, I talk about

my kids,” Bjerke said as tears welled up in his eyes. “I have hundreds of kids. These are my kids and I would do anything for them.

I care about every single one of them, even the most annoying ones. They mean so much to me, and they’re so good to me. Through my back surgery, my kids treated me like part of their family.

They do wonderful things for me, support me, and put up with me.”

Although goodbyes are often painful, Bjerke is certain this is the right choice.

“I've been in Texas for 20 years now and that’s by far the longest I've ever been anywhere in my life,” Bjerke said. “I’ve always moved around every couple of years because of my family, but it’s time to move on. My stone has gathered some moss and it must roll on.”

“My stone has gathered some moss, and it must roll on.”

—Tim Bjerke

people 10

the

shield

Inked under 19

Students with tattoos speak on decisons, regrets and self-expression that last a lifetime CHARLIE HOLDEN assistant editor Most parents don’t approve of their kids skipping classes for pretty much any reason.

Skipping is a universal don’t-tell-my-mom activity, but it’s what you do, or don’t do, during your time away from campus that can really get you into hot water.

“I skipped English class [on my 18th birthday] to go get a tattoo, and when I got home my brother was at the house,” senior Oona Moorhead said. “When he saw the bandage on my arm he was like, “What’s that?” And I just sat there smiling and he was like, ‘No. Dad’s gonna kill you!’”

Moorhead was not killed by either of her parents; in fact, her new ink went unnoticed for several days.

“My mom didn’t know [I got a tattoo] until three days after the one on my birthday, which was my third tattoo,” Moorhead said.

“So that was the first one she saw.”

Since her birthday in February, Moorhead has received two more tattoos, upping her total to five. The three newest, a devil face on her shoulder, a cactus flower on her forearm, and the words ‘wild thing’ on her thigh were done professionally. Moorhead did the other two herself during freshman and senior year using a method called stick and poke, where a needle dipped in ink is repeatedly poked into the skin to form a design.

“My first [tattoo] is a little stick and poke on my wrist that I did freshman year, by myself, which was a horrible idea,” Moorhead said. “I’m just bad at [stick and pokes]; that’s just a fact of life, I’m bad at it. Freshman year I wasn’t any good at it; I don’t know why I thought senior year I’d be any better, having no practice in between.”

Moorhead hasn’t had much practice with stick and pokes, but junior Scout Yu, who is currently finishing up her seventh tattoo, certainly has. Having so many tattoos, all of which are in the stick and poke style, hasn’t made Yu any less cautious, though.

“A lot of people believe stick and pokes are so easy and the materials are easy to get— it’s just a needle and India Ink— but it can get so unsafe,” Yu said. “It can be dangerous, and you might regret it. You need to know

19 may 2017

Senior Oona Moorhead shows her tattoo of a devil on her left shoulder. The devil was her fourth tattoo. “My aunt is an artist, and when she was in grad school she used to draw all these devils all the time, so when I was a little kid I just had all these devils everywhere,” Moorhead said. “I really liked it, so I got one of those.” Photo by Charlie Holden. which precautions you need to take and which ink you need to get; you need to know what’s inside your ink...it can be toxic.”

Despite the dangers, Yu continues to tattoo herself in an informal setting, sticking with what she knows best.

“In the beginning I got stick and pokes because [I wasn’t old enough] to get a real tattoo, but now I’ve gotten used to that pain, and I know what it feels like,” Yu said. “If I know what it feels like, then I would rather go with that tattoo than one that I have no idea what it’s going to feel like. But I definitely want to get a legit tattoo.”

Moorhead went from getting stick and pokes to getting professional tattoos, and Yu also hopes to one day make that transition, but others, like junior Jimmy Reyes, have taken a more direct route to the tattoo shop, bypassing DIY tattoos entirely—often because they don’t think the risks of stick and pokes are worth the reward.

“Don’t get stick and pokes from your friends,” Reyes said. “Half of the time they might be able to do it, but it can get infected, the ink will probably get washed away soon,

and it’s really just hard to do a good job with that kind of thing. Go to a professional.”

Reyes got his first and (so far) only tattoo by a professional, even though he is underage. When it comes to tattooed minors, stick and pokes are more popular than professional tattoos. This is because these tattoos require a willing artist and because tattoo shops can’t legally accept business from minors without parental consent.

“My dad was the one who took me to go get [my tattoo], so he was pretty thrilled about the idea,” Reyes said. “But my mom, well, I didn’t tell my mom. So when I came home from my dad’s house she yanked my arm and she was like, ‘What is this?’ She said, ‘I’m not going to forget this!’ And I was like, I mean, me neither. Because I paid for it, and I got it, and I’m going to see it every day.”

Reyes’ mother wasn’t his only family member quick to criticize his new ink, which is of a ram’s head.

“Some of my family is more conservative,” Reyes said. “They kind of frown upon [tattoos]; they’re kind of like, ‘What are you doing with your life?’ or, ‘Gosh, I can’t believe

you ruined your body like that,’ but I really don’t care what other people think about it because it’s for me.”

Yu has also faced a few critics of her tattoos, and many of them tend to be from an older generation.

“I don’t want to be stereotypical but [how people react] depends on the age,” Yu said.

“So if it’s a person around my age, they’ll be like, ‘Oh, that’s cool,’ but if it’s someone older they lecture me on the dangers of tattooing. For example, I could get ink poisoning, or I’m too young. And then somehow they bring what I want to do and my way of life into my small little tattoos and just tell me what I’m doing wrong.”

Judgement from peers and family can be disheartening, but the worst result of a tattoo is regret.

“I want to get a few of [my tattoos] covered up,” Yu said. “The thing you should never do is get a tattoo based on a feeling, because that feeling will go away. Even [getting a tattoo] of a memory or a person [can be bad], because if things change then you’re screwed and you have that forever. I also messed up on my star [tattoo], so it scarred and [the ink] somehow bled into the rest of my skin so it doesn’t look like a star, it just kind of looks like a blob.”

Yu is not the only student who has had tattoo plans go awry.

“My stick and poke is supposed to be a pine tree,” Moorhead said. “It’s supposed to be a pine tree, but it’s so blown out that you can’t tell. I did it because I really liked the Pacific Northwest, and of course I don’t care about the Pacific Northwest anymore, that’s just so stupid. But I still like [the tattoo]. I feel like my tattoo will always reflect how I felt at one time. So I’m never mad, I’m never going to regret it, because it was true at one point. It may not be true now because this is the next version of who I am. But it was true at one point.”

Moorhead may be seem casual when it comes to tattoos, but don’t let that fool you.

“Just because I am so blasé about the importance of tattoos and how easy it is and how fun it is does not mean that you should immediately go out and get a tattoo all over your arm,” Moorhead said. “It’s just the more you think about it now, the less you have to think about it later, and pay for it later.”

people 11

the

shield Thirty-five friends answered Jack Switzer’s call to update the courtyard near Room 110 Lab on Saturday, April 22 for Switzer’s Eagle Scout project.

Photo by Switzer.

Junior Jack Switzer poses in front of the courtyard. “ I am very happy with the amount of people that helped me with my project and am happy I did what I did,” Switzer said. Photo by Anna Compton.

From Knight to Eagle

Junior Jack Switzer leads effort to renovate courtyard between math, history hallways ANNA COMPTON staff reporter

Jack Switzer’s career as a Boy Scout began 11 years ago when a recruiting committee came into his first-grade class.

Switzer signed up and has stuck with it ever since. From the very beginning, Switzer aspired to one day rise through the ranks and earn the title of Eagle Scout.

Now in his junior year, Switzer is about to do just that. All he has to do is complete his Eagle Scout project: to restore the courtyard between the math and history hallways. “[The project] has to have at least 24 total man-made hours, and it has to benefit an organization that does not benefit the Scouts,” Switzer said.

Fixing up a neglected courtyard not only met the requirements, Switzer said, but it seemed like a worthwhile thing to do.

“I had always walked past [the courtyard] during passing periods, and it just seemed very unkempt,” Switzer said. “I saw an opportunity for a good project to be done

12 people

there, so I took advantage of that.”

Switzer had to get authorization before he could start his project.

“I had to talk to a lot of people,” Switzer said. “I had to talk to Mr. Garrison and then I had to talk to the Head Eagle Coordinator to get approval for it, and I had to get a lot of paperwork signed.”

Once Switzer was approved to do his project, he took the steps to make it happen. Switzer recruited a group of students to help him with his project. On Saturday morning, April 22, they assembled at the courtyard and updated the weed barriers and put all the excess dirt in the center to make a flower garden.

“I am very happy with the outcome,” Switzer said. “I think it looks very nice. I’m glad I was able to do it.”

Junior JB Faught was among the 35 students who helped Switzer with his project. After the McCallum Christian Community, or MCC, had their service day, Faught saw an opportunity to help Switzer with his project and thought it was a good opportunity for them to go out and serve.

“I love working hard jobs and improving

our school,” Faught said. “It was a lot of fun. Lots of hands were needed, and I was happy to loan mine for the Saturday.”

Junior Sarah Kay Stephens also contributed to Switzer’s project. Stephens said that because Switzer is such a dedicated, hardworking person that she wanted to help him in any way that she could.

“I really like yard work and manual labor, and just getting to see a physical outcome of all the hard work that you put in,” Stephens said. “I think [the courtyard] is gorgeous, and I really hope that the administration will let it open up so we can start using it as a gathering space.”

Switzer was able to fulfill his Eagle Scout Project with the help from his peers, and once Switzer finishes filling out all of his reflection paper work, he will be able to attain the rank of an Eagle Scout.

Though this may be the end of his project, Switzer hopes to continue to work on the courtyard next year.

“I plan on starting a club next year that’s dedicated to the maintenance of the courtyard,” Switzer said. “And any other outdoor areas around the school.”

Jack Switzer poses with his dad, Mark Switzer. Mark came out to help and support Jack with his project. Photo by Laura Featherston.

19 may 2017

the

shield

Assignment floors student engineers Students put their knowledge, patience to the test with design assignment

Rion Saldaña bangs his fists on the table then pounds on the Ctrl-Z keys with both index fingers. The roof of his room disappears.

He’s been trying to construct his roof all class period, but the L shape of his floor plan is proving to be an insurmountable challenge.

“I love this project,” Saldaña said, “but this program is killing me.” The project Saldaña is talking about the Specialized Room Project, and the program that’s giving him grief is AutoCAD (Computer-Aided Drafting). The assignment is for Audrea Moyers’ architecture and engineering class. Moyers has been using the assignment for more than six years. Students are required to design, draw and create a floorplan for a room with one specific function or purpose. Moyers has a reason for asking her students to make a one-function room: “When a room has to be created with only one purpose, it leaves no room for compromise, and makes the designer focus on what really is essential to that function.”

The aspiring architects in Room 151 start with a written plan for the room and its specialized features. They then sketch it out on

13 people

grid paper and calculate the project’s only guideline: the square footage must be less than 900 square feet. After the students complete their paper sketch, they must create a digital floor plan in AutoCAD, where each component is designed on its own layer and then the layers are combined to create a computer version of the sketch that is exact and to scale. Students then import the AutoCAD design into Google SketchUp, which renders the design in 3D. The students are able to see the walls rise up, add furniture models from the online warehouse, and even paint the walls or work on the landscaping around it.

As if prepping for a client, the students must prepare snapshots of the design and a video tour of the room.

Freshman Stephen Shearer, another architecture and engineering student, has designed his room to be a photography studio. He designed it with lots of windows, for optimal lighting, backdrops for clean backgrounds, and even little details like equipment storage and a balcony for outside shots. If you saw his finished project, you would never guessed

Freshman Stephen Shearer works on his floor plan. Photo by Mira MacLaurin. that it was the product of hundreds of drafts before it.

“Everything seems so perfect when you first make your design on paper, but when you add furniture, and look at the actual scale, and foot path, and make everything realistic, it gets really, really messy,” Shearer said.

Because of all this messiness, Shearer’s original plan ended up looking nothing like the fully rendered photo workshop on his computer screen.

“I had to take out the study area because the desks took up way too much of the space, and I even altered the roof plan to make the light much more optimal.”

When the Shield asked Saldaña and Shearer what one thing they would change about the project, they answered in unison: “the programs.”

“It was just so frustrating using the 3D program because before you can start working you have to get it in the perfect view, and it takes so much patience,” Saldaña said.

When she learned of their frustration, Moyers said it was not unusual.

“I get a lot of complaints about the programs, but the truth is, this is the one they use in the industry,” Moyers said. “Yeah, it can have problems, but if you have a profession in this field, you will definitely be put in a position to use them.”

The whole purpose of this project is much broader than merely having students create a room. It’s about students having a sample of what a future in architecture could be like and what challenges a career in this field could pose.

—Mira MacLaurin

19 may 2017

the

shield

Six strings closer to college

Trip to Berklee College of Music sheds light on careers in music for guitar students KAREL TINKLER guest writer

Going to a high school that focuses on the fine arts allows students to become more culturally aware, gives them greater opportunities to perform and even gives them the chance to walk past kids playing guitar in the hallway. More than all of these things, however, fine arts academies such as McCallum provide students with a chance to immerse themselves in their field of study. One example of this was the classical guitar program’s field trip to The Berklee School of Music.

The program traveled to Boston on April 6 to perform at and tour the Berklee School of Music. They also attended an informational session about the prestigious school.

This is not the first time guitar students have ventured outside the state to perform.

The guitar program holds annual fundraisers such as its annual Battle of the Bands in order to raise money for the program’s trips to perform at and tour colleges. Last year, the program traveled to the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Though the program has had experience touring schools, visiting a school that focuses entirely on music offered a new perspective for the guitar students.

“I never really imagined what a music school would be,” sophomore Ethan Blanton said. “[I didn’t understand] how you would cope with [both] school work and music, but it sounds like you play music all day [at Berklee].”

During the trip the chamber (which is the highest level ensemble), intermediate, advanced and beginner ensembles attended the trip and performed a modern piece called “Fantasy of Echos” by Leo Brower. Students not only performed in front of Berklee professors but also sat in on one of the labs for slide guitar and heard about the programs that Berklee offers.

“I think it was really good for everyone in guitar to see Berklee,” senior Travis Bryant said. “You can see what it’s like to be at the collegiate level and learn what the classes are like from Berklee teachers, so if anyone wants to pursue music, now they at least have insight,

14 people

Senior Ta’Tyana Jammer poses at The Boston Public Library during the guitar program’s trip to the Berklee College of Music in April. “I have learned a lot of skills [in the program] that I wouldn’t have known otherwise,” Jammer said. Photo by Brynach Hogan. which some people are probably dying for, but just don’t know how to get.”

Although the main purpose for the Boston trip was to visit Berklee School of Music, the guitar students were also able to see the sights around Boston. These places included Fenway Park, the Freedom Trail, the Skywalk Observatory in the Prudential Tower, a comedy show at the Wilbur Theater, The Isabella Gardner Museum and the Boston Library.

“My favorite part was visiting Fenway Park because we got a private tour of the park and we got to see different parts of the field that we wouldn’t normally have seen if we weren’t on the tour,” sophomore Rylie Jones said. “We got to sit on the Green Monster seats, which was super cool because most people don’t sit there during normal games.”

After visiting Boston and Berklee College of Music, many guitar students said their perspectives on college and their future plans changed.

“I have never been to Boston, and I loved

it,” sophomore Matilda Krell said. “So I definitely want to look at going to school there.

The trip made me think about maybe living there in the future.”

Some of the students had never been to Boston and had other ideas of where they would like to begin looking at colleges, “My heart was really set on California for college,” junior Lily Ponce said. “But now that I have seen the East coast, I have kind of changed my view of that and may consider wanting to go to college in Boston.”

Two senior members of McCallum Chamber Ensemble who went on the Boston trip in April, Ta’tyana Jammer and Travis Bryant, will be attending Berklee School of Music this fall. Jammer will be studying music therapy and songwriting, and Bryant will be studying electronic production and design. Attending the trip provided Jammer and Bryant with anticipation for next year.

“I went to Boston a lot as a kid and going there again and recognizing that I’m going to be living here in a few months just made me

really excited and very happy,” Jammer said.

Both guitar students agreed that because of the McCallum guitar program they have felt more prepared for college and pursuing guitar in the future.

“Mr. Clark is pretty good about keeping us on our toes,” Bryant said.

Although Jammer taught herself how to play guitar at age 12, she started her first professional lessons with McCallum’s guitar program as a sophomore.

“I wouldn’t have even known about Berklee if it wasn’t for me being in the guitar ensemble, because Mr. Clark was like, ‘Hey, they are having this songwriting workshop,’ and he told me that I should go.”

Jammer ended up attending the weeklong summer camp for guitar and as a result was offered a $30,000 a year scholarship. “[After receiving the scholarship] that was kind of like an, ‘OK, I guess I’m going here,’” Jammer said. “It was kind of just set in stone like that.”

Jammer says she not only gained confidence and technique from the guitar program, but she also established connections with the directors of the guitar department at Berklee.

“Going [to Boston] this past month really made it real for me like, ‘Oh, I’m going here next year.’ It was really cool.”

Bryant, who will be joining Jammer at Berklee, started playing guitar when he was a little kid but became more serious about it halfway through sophomore year. He then transferred to McCallum his junior year, so he could enroll in the guitar program. Although Bryant has only been attending McCallum for two years, he said he has benefitted greatly from the program.

“We play at a pretty high level, so it’s really nice to be surrounded by people who are just as motivated,” Bryant said.

During the trip when the class toured the campus, Bryant was excited about and moving to Boston for college in only a matter of months.

“It didn’t really seem real,” Bryant said. “I figured out that I wanted to go to Berklee four years ago, and I haven’t really been worried about it, but to know that it’s going to actually happen now is really cool.”

19 may 2017

the

shield

A quest for the best meals on wheels Four friends embark on a healthy food-truck diet of doughnuts, ice cream, greasy burgers ne thing that makes Austin weird and wonderful is the city’s variety of food trucks. From giant donuts to fancyJewBoy Burgers pants ice cream, there’s something for every taste, if you

O

know where to look. Four friends embarked on a quest to find the best mobile cuisine in the ATX.

Holla Mode What we ordered: The Bhumi Bhowl: ice cream, banana, Nutella and coconut. It was named after Thailand’s King Bhumibol.

Customer Service: ★★★★ “For the amount of preparation it looks like this took, they were very quick about it and efficient with time,” junior Jimmy Reyes said.

Presentation: ★★★★★ “Imagine curled wood shavings, but ice cream,” sophomore Brynach Hogan said. “It turns food into art, and I almost didn’t want to eat it to keep it the way it looks.”

Food: ★★★★ “They’re like very sweet little rolled tacos,” Reyes said.

“Sometimes when I get coffee or ice cream or anything that has multiple flavors, there’s one flavor that completely overpowers the others,” Hogan said, “but this was really well balanced.”

Unique Experience: ★★★★★ “The idea is that it’s laid out on a frozen slab and the cream freezes, and the way they pull it off is in rolls,” junior Maribel Alverson said. “You have to watch them make it because it’s part of the experience because it’s not something that you necessarily see a lot.

Overall: ★★★★ “It tastes good and that’s the important part,” Alverson said, “The toppings are mixed in really well and it’s smooth ice cream.”

What we ordered: The Goyim, which is a one-third of a pound patty with bacon, grilled pastrami and melted swiss, and the Yenta, which is a Jew Boy pattie with a latke.

Customer Service: ★★★★★ “The owner came out of the food truck to be engaging and at eye level with us,” Hogan said. “He got off of his literal high horse just to compliment the customer.”

Presentation: ★★★★ “The burger place incorporated Jewish culture, like the latkes, into the an American staple,” Hogan said. “The presentation was gorgeous.”

Food: ★★★★★ “There are no words to describe these burgers,” Alverson said, “They were so different but so good. We unanimously decided that these were the best burgers we’ve ever had ever. The cheese was melted right, it was steamed so it was so good.”

Unique Experience: ★★★★★ “It wasn’t just your average meat and cheese burger,” Reyes said, “It had so different foods incorporated.

The burger itself was full of so many amazing flavors that you wouldn’t get anywhere else.”

Overall: ★★★★★ “[The owner] came out of the truck

to greet us and started the conversation with scar stories,” Alverson said, “He was super friendly, on our level, and trying to engage. You could tell we weren’t just another customer because he treats people like they’re special.”

Gourdough’s Donuts What we ordered: The Dirty Berry: a donut with fudge icing and grilled strawberries.

Customer Service: ★★ “We were asking him what his favorites were, and he gave us off-hand, one word responses because he wasn’t super into it,” Alverson said, “He wasn’t blatantly rude, but he wasn’t very interactive. He just didn’t really seem to care about the food.”

Presentation: ★★ “It’s kind of a messy presentation because the chocolate is oozed over it so much we couldn’t actually see the donut,” Alverson said, “Sloppy presentation but really rich, really warm, really fluffy food.”

Food: ★★★★ “The donuts are super fluffy,” Alverson said, “The strawberries are good grilled so it’s not a cold berry with a hot donut.”

19 May 2017

Unique Experience: ★★★ “The flavor is so intense that as soon as you bite into it, it smacks you in the face,” Reyes said.

Overall: ★★★ “It’s what I would imagine as a gourmet donut,” Hogan said.

—Photos and reporting by Madison Olsen.

a&e 15

the

shield

THIS MONTH: MAY Austinites watch the bats emerge from under the Second Street bridge as the sun goes down on Lady Bird Lake. Photo by Maddie Doran.

NEW JAMS

STUDY DATE

“EVERYBODY” –LOGIC

Jo’s Coffee Shop on Second Street is a great place to go with some friends while cramming for a final. With its downtown location and outdoor seating, Jo’s has to be considered one of the best places to get a bite to eat and a killer cup of coffee. They serve all three meals and have all sorts of coffee drinks for whatever you might be craving while under lots of stress. From cheeseburgers to breakfast tacos, the shop offers a wide range of comfort food.

The coffee shop also has multiple events throughout the week including “Puppy Pick Me Up,” which is an event every Wednesday where a local adoption center brings puppies to the patio where families can come and adopt their newest family member. There is also an event every last Thursday of the month called “Drag Bingo” and also a two burgers for the price of one deal every Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of Jo’s Coffee.

“THIS OLD DOG” –MAC DEMARCO

QUICK TRIP ‘HARRY STYLES” –HARRY STYLES

16 a&e

Are you looking for a long weekend getaway this Memorial Day? Try Palmetto State Park! This state park only has nine riverside camping sites, which limits the amount of visitors allowed in. The state park is named for its dwarf palmettos, and there are a lot of them.

Check them out on any of the myriad hiking trails filled with greenery and wildflowers. You can fish near your campsite or in the pond in the center of the park. After a morning of hiking, rent paddle boats for the pond: a great activity for the warm afternoons. Each campsite has a grill and picnic table, great for grilling and s’mores.

The downside of this park however, is that the bathroom The hiking trails in Palmetto State Park that features a is a bit of a walk from some of the campsites. scenery full of lush greenery. Photo by Amanda Biscoe.

19 may 2017

CLASS OF 2017

PAGES 17 & 20: It’s time for a battle of the years. For the last issue of The Shield, newspaper staff seniors are putting everything that was relevant freshman year and senior year head to head for you to decide which era of high school truly is king.

PAGES 18-19: Here is a list of all graduating seniors and their post graduation plans.

FRESHMAN YEAR (2013-2014) 19 may 2017

seniors 17

the

shield

Aimee Acosta: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Anna Addison: Lewis & Clark College Jackson Akin: Colorado State University Christian Alfaro: Unknown Natalia Alvarado: ACC Enrique Alvarez: ACC Stephanie Alvarez: ACC Hanan Alwan: UT - Austin Kiarra Anderson: Southern University and A&M Eric Arevalo: Texas Tech University Jeremiah Arias: Gap Year Myla Arnold-Perry: Texas Southern University Niku Asgari: Unknown Scott Avant: Unknown Marah Aylor: Unknown Avery Baldwin: UT - Austin Matthew Ball: Texas State University Sayra Ballesteros: Unknown Casey Barron: Unknown Isabella Bass: University of Houston Sadie Bliss Beall-Keith: ACC Joshua Bell: ACC Victor Benitez: ACC Emma Bennett: Minneapolis College of Art and Design Reilley Bennett: UT - Austin Lily Best: University of North Texas Kaitlin Billiot: St. Edward’s University Tamirra Bills: ACC Quinn Bingham: Lawrence University Seth Birrell: Manhattan School of Music Andre Blakemore: Unknown Anne Bodenschatz: Texas State University Grace Bonilla: Southwestern University Adriana Boortz: Texas A&M- Corpus Christi Preshus Bowser: ACC Talina Briceno: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Wil Brookhart: University of North Texas Atley Brown: Florida Southern College Jordan Brown: ACC Margeaux Brown: Trinity University Sarah Brownson: UT - Austin Sidda Christiane Bruno: UT - Austin Courtney Bryant: UT - San Antonio Caroline Bryant: Unknown Travis Bryant: Berklee College of Music Caroline Bunce: University of North Texas Day’Lon Byrd: Blinn College Noemi Calderon: ACC Jesus Cano Fuentes: Unknown Samuel Carrillo: ACC Lauren Carroll: Unknown Guadalupe Castelan: Unknown

Bruno Castelo Rodriguez: Unknown Francisco Castillo: Concordia University Dawson Catalano: Gap Year Eanna Cavazos: Unknown Rowan Caughey: Texas Tech University Eidan Cervantes: Unknown Victoria Cherico: ACC Reid Childs: Texas State University Olivia Clark: UT - Austin Thoren Claytor: Working Ambrya Clemons: Angelo State University Christof Oliver Cline: ACC Ransom Cloke: University of Houston Jonathan Cole: Texas Tech University Greta Colombo: Southwestern University Ray Cornell: Goodwill Culinary Arts Program Max Corney: Boston University Carson Coronado: UT - Austin Callier Creedle Reynolds: Austin College Vanessa Crist: Unknown Holden Crocker: Columbia College Chicago Anabelle Crofts Patterson: ACC Elisha Cruz: ACC Giselle Cruz: Unknown Bella Cude: Gap Year Emma Cunningham: Unknown Cyrus Cutter: Rice University Temarius Dailey: ACC Terin Dailey: Drake University John Davern: University of Colorado Boulder Benjamin Davis: Blinn College Radian Davishines: Northwestern University Palona Del Valle: ACC Kiana Dixon: Unknown Lee Donie: Unknown Ronald Dotson: Lamar University Louie Doughtery: ACC Sam Dubin: College-Conservatory of Music Ellery Duncan: ACC Griffin Dunn: ACC Alberto Edwards: Earlham College Erin Elliot: Texas State University Alexandria Ellis: North Carolina State University Henry Epperson: Gap Year Nick Erichson: Vassar College Gabriel Erwin: ACC Maria Esparza: Unknown Terranice Estep: Clifton Career Development School Issac Estrada: Unknown Claudia Ezeani: Unknown Santiago Fernandez: Southwestern University Kayla Fields: Undecided Darian Fisher: Unknown Juan Flores Tavera: Unknown

Olivia Foletta: Rochester Institute of Technology Amber Ford: ACC Quincy French: Borough of Manhattan Community College and Makeup Designatory NYC Lauren Freng: Texas State University Jackson Fulbright: Texas State University Calla Gambrel: Unknown Griffin Garbutt: University of Kansas Matthew H Garcia: UT Austin Guadalupe Garcia-Martinez: Unknown Max Genet: Trinity University Jody Gray: ACC Nardos Ghebregiorgis: Unknown Haley Gipson: Unknown Isabella Giunta: Eckerd College Christian Gonzalez: ACC Crystal Gonzalez: ACC Guadalupe Gonzalez: Unknown Emily Goulet: Abilene Christian University Anaiah Green: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Natalie Greenberg: St. Edward’s University Chris Hall: Unknown Miles Hansen: Texas Tech University David Haros: Blinn College Monica Hart: ACC George Hartle: Unknown Samantha Harwood: California Poly San Luis Obispo Madeline Hatch: ACC Jackson Haynes: Texas A&M University Zaderak Haynes: ACC Delaney Hawn: Boston University Samuel Hearne: Clark University Izzy Heffington: Trinity University Parinaz Hemmat: Working Emery Henry: UT - Arlington Austin Hernandez: Unknown Lillian Herrera: Unknown Lilliam Herrera-Geronimo: Unknown Leticia Hissa: Unknown Tai Hoang: Loyola University New Orleans Teague Holley: Santa Barbara City College Annika Holm: Unknown Samuel Hook: Unknown Kathleen Hoover: Erasmus University Rotterdam Sophia Hughes: London College of Fashion Lauren Hunteman: Southwestern University Perry Hutchens: Texas State University Emma Irvin: Texas Tech University Helen Irvin: Louisiana State University Fabiola Isimbi: ACC Caroline Ellen Jacaman: Gap year, Harvard Nicanor Jaimes: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Ty’Tyana Jammer: Berklee College of Music Andrea Janss: Texas Tech University Jada Jasper: Unknown

Desiree Jerrells: ACC Miles Johnson: Texas State University Nellie Johnson: Occidental College Serenah Johnson: Concordia University Texas Smith Johnson: ACC Jacob Keeler: ACC Sidney Kelley: Unknown Quinn Kennedy: University of Oklahoma Zachary Kightlinger: Unknown Benjamin King: Sam Houston University Cameron Knetig: Stephen F. Austin State University Kevin Mario Korman: Unknown Charlotte Kretzler: ACC Oliver Kuhns: Hendrix College Jordan Langmore: Gap Year Anthony Lavorgna: Gap Year Maya Lawrence: Maryland Institute College of Art Louis Lednicky: University of North Texas Molly Leman: UT - Arlington Lucas Lindley: Unknown Rachel Lo Biondo: Texas State University Austin Loessin: Unknown Jose Lopez Turro: ACC Albertano Lopez: UT - San Antonio Jason Lopez: ACC Annie Lott: Baylor University Mary Lucey: Unknown Joanna Lucena: Unknown Ahtziri Macias: ACC Alyx Madera: Tufts University Devyn Maki: CityYear, ACC Jonathan Maldonado: Unknown Isabel Manulik: ACC Robert Martindale: UT - Austin Braedon Martinets: ACC Arthur Martinez: Unknown Brayan Martinez Venegas: ACC Cristian Martinez: Unknown David Isaac Martinez: ACC Jesus Martinez: Unknown Marisa Martinez: LeTourneau University Victor Mata: Gap Year Cassidy McCombs: ACC Gillian McDonald: Texas State University Stella McGriffy: ACC Amy McInnes: St. Edward’s University Kaitlyn McWilliams: ACC Riley Meacham: Working Emma Melina Raab: Trinity University April Mendoza: Texas State University Guadalupe Mercado: ACC Anjali Meunier: Unknown Monica Miles-Wicks: ACC Brittne Miller: American Musical and Dramatic Academy Theodore Miller: ACC

Aaron Mindieta: ACC Avery Mitchell: ACC Jazmin Mitchell: Unknown Nathan Mitchell: Unknown Jade Moncivais: Unknown Allison Moore: ACC Alyssa Moore: Sam Houston State University Oona Moorhead: Working Mina Mora: Texas State University Mariana Morales: ACC Ignacio Morones: City Year program- New York City Adina Morquecho: Unknown Lucas Motley: ACC Claren Moyers: UT - Austin Cameron Muir: Texas State University Bianca Muniz-Chavez: Texas State University Nestor Munoz Benitez: Unknown Nathalie Munoz: Undecided Tito Munoz: Unknown Nicholas Murchison: Texas State University Mya Najomo: Unknown Claire Nelson: American University Johan Nieto: Texas State University Fabrice Ntalindwa: UT San Antonio Aziza O’Bryant: Texas State University Solana Mae Oliver: DePaul University Karimah Prince: Prarie View A&M University Keara Overbay: ACC Elliana Oyuela: ACC Tyler Page: Concordia University Texas Rajvi Patel: ACC Corney Payne: Colorado Mesa University Alexander Pena: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Martha Pena: ACC Gabriel Perez Granados: Unknown Rafael Perez Velasquez: Herbalite Anne Marie Perry: Perny Hollins University Alex Phillips: UT - Austin Leroy Phillips: ACC Henry Pitre: Gap Year Paul Plath: Pratt Institute Norma Pompa: St. Edward’s University Autumn Potter: St. Edward’s University Grace Protzmann: Working Olivia Rabone: Texas State University Ariel Ramirez: ACC Priscilla Ramirez: Unknown Alana Raper: Washington University in St. Louis Amy Reed: Texas Tech University Jesse Reed: Temple College Omar Resendiz: UT - Dallas Rachel Rhodes: Unknown Jared Rice: ACC Uma Riddle: Gap Year Maximino Rios: Texas State University

Jennifer Rivera: Unknown Se’Noire Robinson: ACC Amy Rodriguez: ACC Ilse Rodriguez: Gap Year Maya Rodriguez: ACC Pilar Rodriguez: Texas A&M University Alex Roebuck: ACC Allison Roeder: ACC Reed Rogers: Gap Year Zion Rogers: Texas A&M - Galveston Daisy Romero: ACC Ciana Rosenblad: University of North Texas Emma Ryan: University of California, Berkeley Nick Ryland: UT - Austin Erica Salmeron Flores: ACC Marleny Salmeron: ACC Joshua Sanchez: University of North Texas Jose Santiago Solis: Unknown Alexis Santillana Cruz: Navarro College Paulo Santos: UT - Austin Tristin Sapp: Baylor University Matteo Sarmiento: UT - Dallas Nathan Sauls: Unknown Noah Savage: Gap Year- City Year program, Boston Sara Scarborough: ACC Jay Schriber: Maryland Institute College of Art Grace Schmidhauser: New York University Henry Selis: Gap Year Maya Shimizu: Lindenwood University Palvisha Shoaib: Texas State University Jacqueline Shurtleff: Unknown Damien Silva: Unknown Kevin Silva: Unknown Kayla Simpson: Louisiana State University at Eunice Riley Simpson: ACC Ariella Skloss Dos Santos: American Musical and Dramatic Academy Aaron Soliz: Gap Year Rowan Smoot: Unknown Diana Sotelo: ACC Ella Speer: ACC Emerson Spradling: Trinity University Alexis Staes: Pasadena City College Mitchell Stanford: Parsons School of Design Grace Staples: University of Arkansas Jess Staveley: Unknown Kirby Steckel: Portland State University Adrian Stedmen: Texas Tech University Angus Morrow Stone: Unknown Samuel Stroup: Unknown Samuel Swafford: UT - Austin Tripp Swiderski: Oklahoma State University Tiara Tate: Unknown Reese Taylor: Unknown Colin Taylor-Adair: Trinity University

Mary Teasdale: ACC Carter Tims: ACC Jose Torres Aquino: Unknown Adrian Torres: Gap Year Luna Trevino: Texas A&M- Corpus Christi Nazayah Turner: ACC Alex Tzaperas: University of Houston Charles Umphress: Texas State University Lauren Upchurch: Southern New Hampshire & Clifton Career Development Miranda Vandenberg: Western Michigan University Jackson Vanderslice: University of Mississippi William Van Dyl: Unknown Adam Vasquez: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Jorge Vasquez: ACC Jose Vazquez Granados: ACC Francisco Vazquez Rico: Unknown Anton von Sehrwald: Indiana University Narith Vuy: Parsons The New School Ramon Walker: Working Benjamin Wangrin: Brookhaven College Mason Ward: ACC Dalynn Watson: UT - Austin Joseph Weathersby: Unknown Matthew Weinberg: Roosevelt University Daniel Wheat: Unknown Summer Wheless: Total Transformation Institute Abby Whipple: Warren Wilson College Ella Whitaker: UT - Austin Anterria White: Blinn College Ethan White: Unknown Luke Whitefield: UT - Austin Timothy Williams: Unknown Nora Windham-Waite: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Olivia Winkleman: Unknown Rachel Wolleben: UT - Austin Jacob Woodcock: ACC Fire Academy Brandon Wooley: Huston-Tillotson University Miracle Wright: University of Houston Victoria William Wright: University of Houston Jacob Ybarra: Unknown Martin Scott Young: Unknown Olivia Young: Kansas City Art Institute Adrian Zabka: University of Warsaw Ellie Zambarano: University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music Roman Zamora: Unknown Adoni Zarwea-Sanders: Stephen F. Austin University Lorenzo Zarzosa: ACC

2017

18 seniors

19 may 2017

seniors 19

the

shield

Aimee Acosta: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Anna Addison: Lewis & Clark College Jackson Akin: Colorado State University Christian Alfaro: Unknown Natalia Alvarado: ACC Enrique Alvarez: ACC Stephanie Alvarez: ACC Hanan Alwan: UT - Austin Kiarra Anderson: Southern University and A&M Eric Arevalo: Texas Tech University Jeremiah Arias: Gap Year Myla Arnold-Perry: Texas Southern University Niku Asgari: Unknown Scott Avant: Unknown Marah Aylor: Unknown Avery Baldwin: UT - Austin Matthew Ball: Texas State University Sayra Ballesteros: Unknown Casey Barron: Unknown Isabella Bass: University of Houston Sadie Bliss Beall-Keith: ACC Joshua Bell: ACC Victor Benitez: ACC Emma Bennett: Minneapolis College of Art and Design Reilley Bennett: UT - Austin Lily Best: University of North Texas Kaitlin Billiot: St. Edward’s University Tamirra Bills: ACC Quinn Bingham: Lawrence University Seth Birrell: Manhattan School of Music Andre Blakemore: Unknown Anne Bodenschatz: Texas State University Grace Bonilla: Southwestern University Adriana Boortz: Texas A&M- Corpus Christi Preshus Bowser: ACC Talina Briceno: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Wil Brookhart: University of North Texas Atley Brown: Florida Southern College Jordan Brown: ACC Margeaux Brown: Trinity University Sarah Brownson: UT - Austin Sidda Christiane Bruno: UT - Austin Courtney Bryant: UT - San Antonio Caroline Bryant: Unknown Travis Bryant: Berklee College of Music Caroline Bunce: University of North Texas Day’Lon Byrd: Blinn College Noemi Calderon: ACC Jesus Cano Fuentes: Unknown Samuel Carrillo: ACC Lauren Carroll: Unknown Guadalupe Castelan: Unknown

Bruno Castelo Rodriguez: Unknown Francisco Castillo: Concordia University Dawson Catalano: Gap Year Eanna Cavazos: Unknown Rowan Caughey: Texas Tech University Eidan Cervantes: Unknown Victoria Cherico: ACC Reid Childs: Texas State University Olivia Clark: UT - Austin Thoren Claytor: Working Ambrya Clemons: Angelo State University Christof Oliver Cline: ACC Ransom Cloke: University of Houston Jonathan Cole: Texas Tech University Greta Colombo: Southwestern University Ray Cornell: Goodwill Culinary Arts Program Max Corney: Boston University Carson Coronado: UT - Austin Callier Creedle Reynolds: Austin College Vanessa Crist: Unknown Holden Crocker: Columbia College Chicago Anabelle Crofts Patterson: ACC Elisha Cruz: ACC Giselle Cruz: Unknown Bella Cude: Gap Year Emma Cunningham: Unknown Cyrus Cutter: Rice University Temarius Dailey: ACC Terin Dailey: Drake University John Davern: University of Colorado Boulder Benjamin Davis: Blinn College Radian Davishines: Northwestern University Palona Del Valle: ACC Kiana Dixon: Unknown Lee Donie: Unknown Ronald Dotson: Lamar University Louie Doughtery: ACC Sam Dubin: College-Conservatory of Music Ellery Duncan: ACC Griffin Dunn: ACC Alberto Edwards: Earlham College Erin Elliot: Texas State University Alexandria Ellis: North Carolina State University Henry Epperson: Gap Year Nick Erichson: Vassar College Gabriel Erwin: ACC Maria Esparza: Unknown Terranice Estep: Clifton Career Development School Issac Estrada: Unknown Claudia Ezeani: Unknown Santiago Fernandez: Southwestern University Kayla Fields: Undecided Darian Fisher: Unknown Juan Flores Tavera: Unknown

Olivia Foletta: Rochester Institute of Technology Amber Ford: ACC Quincy French: Borough of Manhattan Community College and Makeup Designatory NYC Lauren Freng: Texas State University Jackson Fulbright: Texas State University Calla Gambrel: Unknown Griffin Garbutt: University of Kansas Matthew H Garcia: UT Austin Guadalupe Garcia-Martinez: Unknown Max Genet: Trinity University Jody Gray: ACC Nardos Ghebregiorgis: Unknown Haley Gipson: Unknown Isabella Giunta: Eckerd College Christian Gonzalez: ACC Crystal Gonzalez: ACC Guadalupe Gonzalez: Unknown Emily Goulet: Abilene Christian University Anaiah Green: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Natalie Greenberg: St. Edward’s University Chris Hall: Unknown Miles Hansen: Texas Tech University David Haros: Blinn College Monica Hart: ACC George Hartle: Unknown Samantha Harwood: California Poly San Luis Obispo Madeline Hatch: ACC Jackson Haynes: Texas A&M University Zaderak Haynes: ACC Delaney Hawn: Boston University Samuel Hearne: Clark University Izzy Heffington: Trinity University Parinaz Hemmat: Working Emery Henry: UT - Arlington Austin Hernandez: Unknown Lillian Herrera: Unknown Lilliam Herrera-Geronimo: Unknown Leticia Hissa: Unknown Tai Hoang: Loyola University New Orleans Teague Holley: Santa Barbara City College Annika Holm: Unknown Samuel Hook: Unknown Kathleen Hoover: Erasmus University Rotterdam Sophia Hughes: London College of Fashion Lauren Hunteman: Southwestern University Perry Hutchens: Texas State University Emma Irvin: Texas Tech University Helen Irvin: Louisiana State University Fabiola Isimbi: ACC Caroline Ellen Jacaman: Gap year, Harvard Nicanor Jaimes: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Ty’Tyana Jammer: Berklee College of Music Andrea Janss: Texas Tech University Jada Jasper: Unknown

Desiree Jerrells: ACC Miles Johnson: Texas State University Nellie Johnson: Occidental College Serenah Johnson: Concordia University Texas Smith Johnson: ACC Jacob Keeler: ACC Sidney Kelley: Unknown Quinn Kennedy: University of Oklahoma Zachary Kightlinger: Unknown Benjamin King: Sam Houston University Cameron Knetig: Stephen F. Austin State University Kevin Mario Korman: Unknown Charlotte Kretzler: ACC Oliver Kuhns: Hendrix College Jordan Langmore: Gap Year Anthony Lavorgna: Gap Year Maya Lawrence: Maryland Institute College of Art Louis Lednicky: University of North Texas Molly Leman: UT - Arlington Lucas Lindley: Unknown Rachel Lo Biondo: Texas State University Austin Loessin: Unknown Jose Lopez Turro: ACC Albertano Lopez: UT - San Antonio Jason Lopez: ACC Annie Lott: Baylor University Mary Lucey: Unknown Joanna Lucena: Unknown Ahtziri Macias: ACC Alyx Madera: Tufts University Devyn Maki: CityYear, ACC Jonathan Maldonado: Unknown Isabel Manulik: ACC Robert Martindale: UT - Austin Braedon Martinets: ACC Arthur Martinez: Unknown Brayan Martinez Venegas: ACC Cristian Martinez: Unknown David Isaac Martinez: ACC Jesus Martinez: Unknown Marisa Martinez: LeTourneau University Victor Mata: Gap Year Cassidy McCombs: ACC Gillian McDonald: Texas State University Stella McGriffy: ACC Amy McInnes: St. Edward’s University Kaitlyn McWilliams: ACC Riley Meacham: Working Emma Melina Raab: Trinity University April Mendoza: Texas State University Guadalupe Mercado: ACC Anjali Meunier: Unknown Monica Miles-Wicks: ACC Brittne Miller: American Musical and Dramatic Academy Theodore Miller: ACC

Aaron Mindieta: ACC Avery Mitchell: ACC Jazmin Mitchell: Unknown Nathan Mitchell: Unknown Jade Moncivais: Unknown Allison Moore: ACC Alyssa Moore: Sam Houston State University Oona Moorhead: Working Mina Mora: Texas State University Mariana Morales: ACC Ignacio Morones: City Year program- New York City Adina Morquecho: Unknown Lucas Motley: ACC Claren Moyers: UT - Austin Cameron Muir: Texas State University Bianca Muniz-Chavez: Texas State University Nestor Munoz Benitez: Unknown Nathalie Munoz: Undecided Tito Munoz: Unknown Nicholas Murchison: Texas State University Mya Najomo: Unknown Claire Nelson: American University Johan Nieto: Texas State University Fabrice Ntalindwa: UT San Antonio Aziza O’Bryant: Texas State University Solana Mae Oliver: DePaul University Karimah Prince: Prarie View A&M University Keara Overbay: ACC Elliana Oyuela: ACC Tyler Page: Concordia University Texas Rajvi Patel: ACC Corney Payne: Colorado Mesa University Alexander Pena: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Martha Pena: ACC Gabriel Perez Granados: Unknown Rafael Perez Velasquez: Herbalite Anne Marie Perry: Perny Hollins University Alex Phillips: UT - Austin Leroy Phillips: ACC Henry Pitre: Gap Year Paul Plath: Pratt Institute Norma Pompa: St. Edward’s University Autumn Potter: St. Edward’s University Grace Protzmann: Working Olivia Rabone: Texas State University Ariel Ramirez: ACC Priscilla Ramirez: Unknown Alana Raper: Washington University in St. Louis Amy Reed: Texas Tech University Jesse Reed: Temple College Omar Resendiz: UT - Dallas Rachel Rhodes: Unknown Jared Rice: ACC Uma Riddle: Gap Year Maximino Rios: Texas State University

Jennifer Rivera: Unknown Se’Noire Robinson: ACC Amy Rodriguez: ACC Ilse Rodriguez: Gap Year Maya Rodriguez: ACC Pilar Rodriguez: Texas A&M University Alex Roebuck: ACC Allison Roeder: ACC Reed Rogers: Gap Year Zion Rogers: Texas A&M - Galveston Daisy Romero: ACC Ciana Rosenblad: University of North Texas Emma Ryan: University of California, Berkeley Nick Ryland: UT - Austin Erica Salmeron Flores: ACC Marleny Salmeron: ACC Joshua Sanchez: University of North Texas Jose Santiago Solis: Unknown Alexis Santillana Cruz: Navarro College Paulo Santos: UT - Austin Tristin Sapp: Baylor University Matteo Sarmiento: UT - Dallas Nathan Sauls: Unknown Noah Savage: Gap Year- City Year program, Boston Sara Scarborough: ACC Jay Schriber: Maryland Institute College of Art Grace Schmidhauser: New York University Henry Selis: Gap Year Maya Shimizu: Lindenwood University Palvisha Shoaib: Texas State University Jacqueline Shurtleff: Unknown Damien Silva: Unknown Kevin Silva: Unknown Kayla Simpson: Louisiana State University at Eunice Riley Simpson: ACC Ariella Skloss Dos Santos: American Musical and Dramatic Academy Aaron Soliz: Gap Year Rowan Smoot: Unknown Diana Sotelo: ACC Ella Speer: ACC Emerson Spradling: Trinity University Alexis Staes: Pasadena City College Mitchell Stanford: Parsons School of Design Grace Staples: University of Arkansas Jess Staveley: Unknown Kirby Steckel: Portland State University Adrian Stedmen: Texas Tech University Angus Morrow Stone: Unknown Samuel Stroup: Unknown Samuel Swafford: UT - Austin Tripp Swiderski: Oklahoma State University Tiara Tate: Unknown Reese Taylor: Unknown Colin Taylor-Adair: Trinity University

Mary Teasdale: ACC Carter Tims: ACC Jose Torres Aquino: Unknown Adrian Torres: Gap Year Luna Trevino: Texas A&M- Corpus Christi Nazayah Turner: ACC Alex Tzaperas: University of Houston Charles Umphress: Texas State University Lauren Upchurch: Southern New Hampshire & Clifton Career Development Miranda Vandenberg: Western Michigan University Jackson Vanderslice: University of Mississippi William Van Dyl: Unknown Adam Vasquez: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Jorge Vasquez: ACC Jose Vazquez Granados: ACC Francisco Vazquez Rico: Unknown Anton von Sehrwald: Indiana University Narith Vuy: Parsons The New School Ramon Walker: Working Benjamin Wangrin: Brookhaven College Mason Ward: ACC Dalynn Watson: UT - Austin Joseph Weathersby: Unknown Matthew Weinberg: Roosevelt University Daniel Wheat: Unknown Summer Wheless: Total Transformation Institute Abby Whipple: Warren Wilson College Ella Whitaker: UT - Austin Anterria White: Blinn College Ethan White: Unknown Luke Whitefield: UT - Austin Timothy Williams: Unknown Nora Windham-Waite: Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Olivia Winkleman: Unknown Rachel Wolleben: UT - Austin Jacob Woodcock: ACC Fire Academy Brandon Wooley: Huston-Tillotson University Miracle Wright: University of Houston Victoria William Wright: University of Houston Jacob Ybarra: Unknown Martin Scott Young: Unknown Olivia Young: Kansas City Art Institute Adrian Zabka: University of Warsaw Ellie Zambarano: University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music Roman Zamora: Unknown Adoni Zarwea-Sanders: Stephen F. Austin University Lorenzo Zarzosa: ACC

2017

18 seniors

19 may 2017

seniors 19

CLASS OF 2017

As many members of the class of 2017 will know, a lot can happen over the course of eight semesters. From political issues, to Internet trends, to the hottest albums and more, the world around McCallum has changed a great deal since this year’s seniors first started. And as they move on to hopefully bigger and better things, they will know to enjoy this change.

SENIOR YEAR (2016-2017) 20 seniors

19 may 2017

the The pigs and humans unite in the final scene of the show.

Photo by Dave Winter.

shield

No humans allowed

MAC Theatre stages George Orwell’s Animal Farm for its spring show ZOË HOCKER

assistant editor McCallum’s spring straight (non-musical) play featured geometric animal heads, cardboard boxes and wooden poles for front legs. The unusual props all served to help MacTheatre bring George Orwell’s 1945 novel to the stage. The novel and the play is an allegory that also represents Stalin-era Russia, where animals overthrow a farm and establish a communist community. The pigs run the farm in a way eerily similar to the way Stalinist leaders ran Russia. “[This show] was definitely done for the purpose of telling a powerful story and sending an important message rather than simply to entertain the audience,” sophomore Jazzabelle Davishines said. “It was meant to raise questions but not necessarily answer them.”

Davishines played a horse named Boxer in the show who is one of the hardest workers on the farm.

“Her character represents the working class and their ability to overlook blatant lies, have blind faith in their leaders, and continue working hard no matter the circumstances,” Davishines said.

Although Animal Farm is a pretty complex show, the cast and crew had only a few weeks to put the whole thing together.

“Time management was difficult but [stage manager Zora MooreThoms] was amazing and super helpful,” Davishines said. “We also had to work hard on our physicality in order to behave like animals every moment we were on stage.”

Junior Cal Hurd said that the show was challenging because the actors must hunch over and lean on two wooden poles which imitate the animal’s front legs.

“It’s been different because we’ve had to be in animal positions the whole time where we are hunched over or holding the sticks, which is really hard and kinda hurts but also really fun,” Hurd said. “Also, we have these masks that are the animal heads, and it’s different trying to act with that face and moving with that animal as opposed to your own movements.”

The show opened May 11 and went until May 14.

“The whole show is sort of a prolonged acting exercise because you have to physicalize your animal the whole time,” junior Marielle Glasse said. “It’s completely different from the sort of straight plays we usually put on at Mac.” To read a feature story on Animal Farm’s stage manager, Zora Moore-Thoms, please see macshieldonline.com.

19 may 2017

Junior Cal Hurd as Mollie performs the number, “27 Ribbons,” to show how his character craves individual recognition and is therefore happier away from the farm. Photo by Dave Winter.

Junior Marielle Glasse speaks to the other animals on the farm about animalism. Her character Snowball is an ambitious pig that gets chased away for challenging Napoleon’s power. Photo by Dave Winter.

a&e 21

the The Shield: What made you start dancing?

Brittne Miller: I started taking classes in kindergarten when I told my mom I wanted to dance. Ever since I started taking classes, I fell in love with it and wanted to keep going.

shield

Artistically Speaking: Brittne Miller Talented senior to reach for the stars in L.A.

TS: Why do you like dancing?

BM: I love that I get to express myself through the music and just all my body to speak for itself.

TS: Why did you decide to join the Fine Arts Academy?

BM: I knew it would expand my dance background and open me to new opportunities in different dance styles.

TS: What do these new opportunities include?

BM: I’ve learned gaga, flamenco, tango and a bunch of really interesting dances that have been cool but have also really opened me up to moving in new ways.

TS: How has the Fine Arts Academy prepared you for your future?

BM: It’s allowed me to be flexible in learning different dance styles and to be open to new things. It’s also helped me preparing for shows in very little time and has given me a chance to learn about dance history.

TS: What are you going to miss most about the academy?

BM: I’m definitely going to miss the relationships I’ve made with different people the most and the family I’ve developed. As you can imagine, spending every other day with each other for the past four years has definitely led to some close friendships. These friendships I’ve made have made each experience I’ve gone through in the academy easier because we went through it together. They’ve also made every experience memorable because I’ve had them right by my side.

T S : What’s your favorite memory at the academy?

BM: My favorite memory is probably when we did the mannequin challenge. So first, we ordered pizza as a class and we went outside and we all dressed up in crazy outfits, and Ms. Murray was killing it and got so into it. After that we posted it on Twitter and Instagram and stuff and then ate pizza. It was fun we all got to be together as a family and laugh non-stop. Another one of my favorite memories is when Ms. Murray told us the story about when she ran into the window at P. Terry’s and then she proceeded to put herself on concussion watch. Unlike most students, I’ve had Ms. Murray for all four years, which has provided me with a lot of laughs and crazy memories.

TS: What college are you going to?

BM: I’m going to AMDA (American Musical and Dramatic Academy) in L.A., I kept going back and forth between New York and L.A. but I’ve decided on L.A. I also auditioned for Marymount Manhattan and the Relativity School.

TS: Why choose AMDA? BM: I feel like it’s the best place for what I want to do, which is commercial dance, but also in contemporary. I feel like this is the place for me to get good training, especially since it’s in the places that it’s at. I also attended their summer intensive last summer, which really gave me a feel for the school ,and I thought I really fit in. I think this school will provide me with the right opportunities and challenges to push me to do what I want for my future.

TS: What was the audition process like?

BM: I went in and did my solo, and they asked me to do ballet, that was basically it, but before all of that I had to do an interview. I was really nervous at first, but it was nice because they were really laid-back and easy.

TS: What are you going to miss the least?

TS: What are you most excited about for your future?

BM: The craziness that tech week can be, when you add the craziness of our teachers during show week with the stress everyone has in the academy. ... It can be a lot, but tech week always ends up being fun because we just laugh it off.

BM: I’m most excited about the new experiences I’ll have in L.A. because I’ve never been there before, and I’m also excited about the dance training I’m going to get when I go there.

—interview by Kennedy Schuelke, photo by Dave Winter

22 a&e

19 may 2017

the

shield

What kind of procrastinator are you?

1. Which class are you most excited for next year?

3. What are you most excited for about summer?

a. Film Analysis b. English c. Physics II, or AP Bio, or BC calculus ...

a. Catching up on all my shows! b. Starting a new hobby, like scrapbooking

I just can’t decide! d. Astronomy e. Uhh... none of them

2. Which final are you most nervous to take? a. I’m just not going to think about that right now. b. All of them! It’s really not OK. c. I’m not really nervous, but I’m still going to study. Better safe than sorry! d. All of them! But it’s OK. e. I’m beyond being nervous, I just want to get it over with.

MOSTLY A’S

THE NETFLIX WATCHER

Your first final is 10 hours away, but surely one more episode of Gilmore Girls won’t hurt your grade that much. You really get the most out of the $8 a month you pay for Netflix, even though you may not always get the most out of your public school education. Oh well, the next episode is starting!

MOSTLY D’S

or coin collecting. c. I’ll have all the time I need to start planning for next year. d. Sleeping. e. The fact that I’m not going to be in school.

4. What are you least excited for about summer? a. I’ll start to miss my friends. b. I’ll get bored. c. I’ll start to miss my classes. d. I won’t be able to sleep as much as I want to. e. Summer school

19 may 2017

next great chemist! d. Anything that lets me work from home e. How do you expect me to choose?

6. How do you clean your room? a. I put on my favorite show in the

background and clean ... but I might get distracted. b. I clean my room, and vacuum the house, and scrub the toilet. Everything must be clean. c. I put on some music and just start tidying! d. I clean bit by bit, in between naps. e. I don’t

MOSTLY C’S

THE ONE WHO AVOIDS STUDYING WITH BUSY WORK Why study for finals when there’s so much more to be done? You would rather do anything else than study, including clean the litter box, mop the floors, file your parent’s taxes or write a textbook on worms. Anything but study.

When you’re consumed by stress, sometimes the only thing you can do is wrap yourself up in a cocoon of blankets and forget about your worries with a nice, long nap. Once you wake up, you might be hit with the terrible realization that you’re totally unprepared for the tests ahead of you, but don’t worry! You’re living in the present.

Sweet dreams!

a. Movie critic b. High school teacher c. A doctor, or a lawyer, or maybe even the

-Charlie Holden

MOSTLY B’S

THE STRESS-SLEEPER

5. Choose a career.

MOSTLY E’S

YOU DON’T PROCRASTINATE When there’s work to be done, you do it.

Whether it’s an essay, a chore or a 10-page algebra review, you can be counted on to see it through. You’re the person who makes the quizlets, who color-codes the notes, and who goes in for that early morning extra credit.

THE ONE WHO WASN’T PLANNING ON STUDYING IN THE FIRST PLACE

You don’t really feel like studying (I mean, who does?) but you do what only a few students are brave enough to do: you follow your heart. Pass or fail, the sun will shine tomorrow, and most of the answers are going to be C, anyways... right?

23 opinion

the

shield

Seventh Heaven

Baseball team completes perfect disrict season, extends title streak Above: Knights clinched the district title when they defeated Reagan on April 25 with a final score of 20-0. Below: Junior Koehler Vandament runs to first during the first ReaganMcCallum game. Photos by Dave Winter.

BASEBALL RE-CAP

1. Win, loss, and tie at the Fredericksburg tournament in February.

2. Junior Eric Worden pitches no hitter against Austin High on March 25, then Jesse Reed does the same against Travis on March 28.

3. Jesse Reed announces he will play baseball at Temple College.

4. Junior Mason Bryant hits grand slam on April 18.

5. Head coach Russell Houston unanimously named 25-5A 6. Senior Coach of the Jesse Reed Year. named District 255A MVP. 7. Ben Wangrin leads team in hits, batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.

8. Koehler Vandament makes diving catch in center field against Anderson.

24 sports

T

he McCallum varsity baseball team went undefeated in district this season for the first time since 2014.

This was the team’s seventh consecutive district championship win. This season highlights included Eric Worden and Jesse Reed’s back-to-back no-hitters and Mason Bryant’s grand slam.

“Senior night was really fun,” senior Jesse Reed said.

“Having my parents come out onto the field and hugging them before our last district championship trophy was an awesome feeling because we knew we had to keep the tradition going of winning district every year.”

McCallum ran the table going a perfect 12-0 in district despite some tough competition this year, including Austin High and LBJ, beating both in two-game sweeps. The second game against Austin High proved to be one of the best games all season with junior Eric Worden throwing a perfect no-hitter against the Maroons.

“Beating Austin High when Eric Worden threw a no hitter was pretty exciting and pitching against LBJ was memorable,” said Reed who no-hit the Jags through 7.2 innings before they finally hit a single.

Worden was the team’s No. 2 starter and player shortstop when he didn’t pitch. In the second game of the two game series against Austin High, Worden pitched a nearly flawless game.

“Going into the game we knew it was gonna be tough,” Worden said. “When I started pitching I felt locked in, plus I knew I had a great defense behind me. It was just unreal at the end of the game when we got the no-hitter, everyone went crazy and my team dumped the cooler on me. In games like that you just have to stay calm and play your game.”

In the very next game against Travis, Reed pitched another no-hitter.

“I love being pitcher,” Reed said. “Every day I pitch I know my team is depending on me to give us a chance to win that game.” Reed said.

On April 28 the baseball team was crowned district champs at their home win against Reagan. Senior Luke Whitefield was excited about the win, but he had also anticipated it.

“Being district champs feels great,” Whitefield said. “But at the same time winning district is more of a standard for McCallum baseball than an accomplishment.”

There were nine seniors on the varsity roster this season; only senior catcher Tyler Page played varsity every year of high school.

“It doesn’t feel any different than the last four years,” Page said. “The team works hard every day at practice to get better.”

The baseball team took on Medina Valley at Medina Valley on Friday, May 5 for game one of the three game series. The Knights lost 3-1 and then played again the following day and lost again, which ended their season.

“I feel that the baseball season went well overall, it could have been better,” junior Koehler Vandament said, “but I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys to play ball with. We had a really strong team this year.”

The series against Medina Valley was a tense one.

“I will remember the playoff series as two evenly matched teams facing off,” Vandament said. “The games were close, low scoring games. It was down to who was going to be able to score when runners were on base. Medina Valley was able to find ways to score runs, and we were not. We both played well, it was just not are series. It was a series with a lot of momentum swaps and energy.”

—Story by Delaney Carter and Zoë Hocker

19 may 2017

the

shield

Spring Sports Round-Up Selis named junior cheer captain After nine years of training, sophomore Camille Selis’ hard work has finally paid off. Selis did gymnastics at WAYA for seven years and has been cheering at for McCallum for two years. Now, she’s become the junior captain of the McCallum cheer team. As a junior captain, Selis will be faced with new tasks and challenges, including teaching and choreographing dances and cheers. Her duty is to make sure everything stays organized and productive but still stays enjoyable.

“I just really like helping out the team and all of my teammates,” Selis said. “Being captain gives me more authority to fix problems and try to make things

work better and look better.”

Selis won Cheerleader of the Year at the cheer banquet, an award voted on by fellow cheerleaders and the coach. This award represents staying positive and showing determination even when things get hard and being a leader on the team and stepping up when no one else wants to.

“Camille is just super outgoing,” sophomore Sylvia Stefani said. “She’s really good at expressing what we need to do to get better and look better as individuals and as a team, so I thought she really deserved to be the cheerleader of the year this year.”

—Ella Jane Larrimer

The McCallum Blue Brigade is one team known for their traditions. From glitter and red lipstick, to Christmas caroling, to the last dance at spring show, the Blue Brigade carries much of what they do from year to year. But, for the 2017-2018, school year they are mixing it up. Every year the Blue Brigade selects three senior officers, a captain, a 1st lieutenant and senior lieutenant and 2-3 junior officers. Next year, the team will be guided by all junior officers.

Current sophomores Karel Tinkler and Chanyn James will take on this role.

“With only junior officers next year, I think it will be a hard but fun challenge,” James said. “The new officers work well together, and I can already tell that will be able to benefit the team greatly.”

James wants to be someone the team can look up to and help get them through any struggles they face throughout the year. Each of the officers have their own squads that they split off into and each

officer comes up with dances that they teach.

“But, overall the captains have the end say on the final performance,” Tinkler said.

Despite having big shoes to fill, Tinkler has no doubts that the class of 2019 officers will do an outstanding job.

“Even this year with our conditioning practices and stuff we don’t really know what to expect, and we’re a little more enthusiastic,” Tinkler said. “We are ready to work and push all the members hard.”

Tinkler is excited and already feeling the pressure. Next year, the captains want to spend more time bonding the team and maintaining a positive attitude so they will dance better as a whole.

“We just all want the team to improve a lot,” Tinkler said. “We have pretty high expectations, and we want to change our ways to make everything a little more positive throughout the entire team.”

—Jaqueline McClellan

Blue Brigade to be led in 2017-18 by a pair of junior officers

19 may 2017

Junior Hayden Stone waits for junior Jack Switzer to complete a high five on Sunday, Day 2 at the 2017 Texas Ultimate Championships in Round Rock. Photo by Conrad Stoll/UltiPhotos.com.

The World is Flat(ball) Ultimate Frisbee ties for second at state

Mac Flatball headed for an early morning showdown last Sundy morning with Rouse High School. After splitting four games the day before, the Mac attack faced a simple proposition: win or go home. Three straight wins, and the team would finish tied for second place at the 2017 Texas Ultimate Championships in Round Rock. In that first game, Mac dispatched Rouse, 13-2, to advance to the semifinals in its bracket. Awaiting Mac in the semis was Coppell High, the team that eliminated Mac the year before. This year, however, it would be different, as Mac avenged last year’s loss, 13-6, to advance to the final match. In the final, the team faced an old friend and foe, Austin High, the team Stone identified as Mac Flatball’s No. 1 rival in the last issue of the Shield. SFA had the early momentum, and then Calvin Moore threw the disc, and freshman Bryn Lewis made an unbelievable catch after the disc caromed after a Maroon defender’s leg. The reception led to a Mac Flatball score; junior

Will Loewen called it the play of the tournament.

“Everyone was so hype after [Lewis’s catch], and that’s when things got rolling,” Loewen said.

Mac defeated SFA, 11-7, to clinch a secondplace finish in a tie with Lake Travis, who defeated Mac by a mere point the day before. The only other team to beat Mac Flatball in seven games was Marcus, the team that won the tournament.

“We wanted to win state,” Stone said, “but Marcus had a really good team this year, and we played well all weekend, so finishing second out of 20plus teams was a victory for us.”

According to Stone, he was very proud of the team for overcoming adversity on Saturday and bouncing back with some wins on Sunday.

“We improved on our seed coming into the tournament, seventh to second, and we showed a lot of promise for next season,” Stone said. “Also, we finished highest out of all Austin teams in the tournament.”

sports 25

the

shield

A leg up on the competition

Junior Elena Henderson reflects on how the training program has helped her The Shield: How did you find out about the athletic trainer program at McCallum?

Elena Henderson: My freshman year, which was 2015, I had seen a girl’s Instagram post, and she was a trainer, and I thought it was cool.

Then, I heard it in the announcements, and I went to go get an application from the field house.

TS: What is involved with being a trainer?

EH: When you first start, you apply for the program, which is just simple questions, just to get a feel for who you are. Then you go to spring football for four weeks every day after school to get used to the program. You basically just hold the water bottles and help. From there, if you decide to do it, you come to school during the last two weeks of summer from 8 until noon and help with the practices then. Once the school year starts, you go to the practices during the day during your sports training period. You stay after on the days you are assigned to help at practice. Then, you go to games. Then there is the whole aspect of the class, where you learn how to deal with athletes’ injuries.

TS: Does every trainer train for football?

EH: Every trainer trains for football, then one to two other sports. It just depends on what they want to do, and where trainers are needed. I do football and girls soccer.

TS: Why did you pick to train for girls soccer?

EH: I wanted to do a different sport, but there was already trainers for it.

Then Matt, the school’s hired athletic trainer, just kind of put me on girls soccer, and I really enjoyed it, so I stuck with it. It also helps because now I know all the players and have good relationships with the coaches.

TS: What is the most important thing involved with being a trainer?

EH: It’s really important to pay attention to the game and know what you are doing so that you don’t fall behind in school or the game. If you aren’t paying attention during a game and there is an injury, it is hard to figure out what happened sometimes. You are also after school a lot for practices, and that’s why it is important to stay on top of your school work. You also need to be close

with your fellow trainers, so that there is a good atmosphere.

TS: What kinds of injuries do you help athletes with?

EH: The most common injury for football is covering blood during games with Powerflex because they just have to keep going. I tape a lot of ankles for soccer, but we aren’t allowed to for football; Matt always does them. I also do wrists, but I can do any joints that need stabilization.

TS: How do you learn about how to train?

EH: Matt really shows us how to do everything, and he teaches us a lot by showing us and letting us observe. My sophomore year, an athlete dislocated his finger, and Matt let us all watch him pop it back into place. When I was learning how to tape an ankle, for a whole class period, all the athletic trainers taped each others ankles to get the techniques down.

TS: What did you learn from watching Matt pop a finger back into place?

EH: Watching Matt treat injuries has showed me an example of how athletes are treated outside of what I’m allowed to do. It also makes me excited to possibly pursue this career.

TS: How do you think the program at McCallum will help you pursue a career, if you so choose?

EH: This program has given me experience that many other high schoolers don’t have the experience to do. Many of the other high schools don’t have an athletic training program; they are just involved in the football program, so they don’t receive the training experience that I do. I want to use athletic training as a foundation in college to continue onto medical school and the program gives me more opportunities and knowledge that most high schoolers don’t have, which gives me a head start.

TS: What is the worst injury you have experienced while helping an athlete?

EH: I wasn’t there when this happened, but one of the football players broke his femur during a game. Even though I didn’t see the actual injury, I got to see his recovery.

TS: What kinds of things did you help him with regarding recovery?

EH: I wasn’t really too involved; it was just cool to see a player coming from a wheelchair being able to walk normally again.

—interview by Maddie Doran

TTRAINER TOOLS A veteran trainer tells the tale of the tape.

26 sports

Photo by Julie Robertson.

Infographic by Maddie Doran.

19 may 2017

the

shield

For the love of the game(s) Washington follows stellar football season by qualifying for track regions in 100 meters The Shield: What is the purpose of spring football?

Tyrell Washington: Because we have seniors leaving that played football, we have to find people to put in those spots and see who can do it the best. We also just fix up little things that might not look good in film.

TS: Are you someone that is filling a spot or did you already have a spot?

TW: Nobody really has a spot, but I have been getting reps on first defense.

TS: What kinds of things do you guys do to prepare for the fall season in spring football?

TW: We lift weights and just practice. We also watch our film and see where we messed up and fix it the next time we practice.

TS: What is an average week look like for you during the spring football season?

TW: We watch film on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday in the morning at 7:30 and film in third period on Wednesday. Then we practice after school Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and practice during the period too.

TS: How do you think next season will change for you considering you will be a senior?

TW: I think that I just have to play extremely hard for my team knowing that I am senior and just enjoy the season because it

is my last year playing high school football.

TS: What has been your favorite football memory while at Mac? TW: My pick against Kerrville Tivy in the playoff game was probably my favorite because they had beat me on a play just like that earlier in the game and my defensive back coach and coach Gammerdinger said to just keep playing hard.

TS: How does watching film help you?

TW: We watch the film to see what we messed up on and fix what we messed up and we watch it to game plan for teams?

TS: What valuable lessons have you learned from watching yourself on film?

TW: When I watch myself on film, I have to pay attention on my footwork and things I have to work on to be a better player.

TS: What is the biggest difference between the spring season and the fall season?

TW: In the spring, we try to get everybody reps and see who can get it done. We are also just fixing and cleaning up things.

In the fall, we just work with the people who have starting jobs.

TS: What are you looking forward to for this coming season?

TW: I’m looking forward to just play with my brothers and see what we can do.

TS: What are you hoping for this coming season?

TW: To just accomplish our goals because we put a lot of hard work into it TS: What are some of your goals?

TW: I really don’t have goals. I just play the game that I love and if I do everything that I am supposed to do, then I can make plays if they come my way.

TS: After such a successful football season, how did it feel to make it to the region track meet?

TW: It felt great to make it to the regional track meet because this was my first year that I took track really seriously.

TS: What races did you run at the meet?

T W: I ran the 100-meter, the 200-meter and the 4x100-meter relay.

TS: How does track help you with football, and how does football help you with track?

TW: Track helps me with my speed for football and football helps me condition for track.

TS: What have been some of your other

track accomplishments?

TW: I got to run in the Texas Relays, which was a really cool experience.

TS: How did you get chosen to run at the longhorn relay?

TW: My track coach submitted my time on my 100 time and I guess I had one of the fastest times.

—Maddie Doran

Photo by Maddie Doran.

TRACK HIGHLIGHTS

Above: Junior Tyrell Washington runs the 100-meter dash at district. He finished fourth at area in Marble Falls and qualified for regions in San Antonio. Photo by Maddy Stine.

Right: Brandon Wooley and Tyrell Washington watch their competition at the district meet.

Photo by Amurri Davis.

19 may 2017

FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS Top Left and Top Right: Tyrell Washington intercepts the ball to seal the Knights’ win at the Kerville Tivy playoff game. Photos by Greg James and Dave Winter.

Bottom Right: Washington and his temmates raise their helmets in an expression of solidarity after beating Tivy, 17-14, to win the bi-district title. Photo by Greg James.

sports 27

the

shield

Gun free M-A-C

Proposed bill to allow guns in school parking lots is impractical, counterproductive CHARLIE HOLDEN assistant editor In the first four months of 2017, there have been 14 school shootings, resulting in nine injuries and four deaths, according to the nonprofit research organization Everytown for Gun Safety. Four of these shootings were unintentional, meaning the shooters accidentally discharged their firearms.

The other 10 shootings, including one suicide, were intentional. Texas state representative Cole Hefner (R-Mount Pleasant) wants to reduce these numbers by passing House Bill 1692, which would allow “licensed individuals to store a firearm in a locked car that is parked in a school parking lot.”

The idea for this bill came from a high school teacher from Mount Pleasant Independent School District, who contacted Hefner with concerns that after working late, he had no way to defend himself in his school’s parking lot. In 2011 Senate Bill 321 was passed, “prohibiting employers from restricting their employees from storing lawfully possessed firearms in their vehicles parked in their employers’ parking lots.” Senate Bill 321 made an exception for school employees, however, so teachers currently do not have any legal right to store their guns anywhere on campus. House Bill 1692, which would eliminate this exception, would increase instances of gun violence on school campuses, defeating the intended purpose of the bill: to keep employees safe.

As assistant editor of The Shield, it is my job to help see the newspaper through from conception to print. With a staff of just over a dozen students who double-dip as writers and designers, there’s a lot for each person to do. This means that on the final production days for each issue of The Shield, I routinely stay at school up to eight hours after the final bell rings (for those of you who are wondering, that’s 12:30 a.m.). McCallum tends to be an inviting place most days of the week, but once the sun goes down and the parking lots empty out, the story changes. Walking past the baseball fields or down the main hallway so late at night makes me feel eyes on my back, so I understand what that unnamed Mount Pleasant teacher feels whenever he makes the long walk from his classroom to his car. I understand, but I also know that having a gun waiting for me in my car would not make me feel any safer.

House Bill 1692 would require school employees to lock their cars with guns stored in them, but breaking into cars isn’t as hard as it looks; in fact, it is a fairly easy to do. During his 25 years as a teacher, newspaper adviser Dave Winter has had his car broken into three times—twice in Georgia and once in California—while it was parked on campus. It’s not unheard of, and the last thing you want is for the tool you use to protect yourself to be turned against you. Even the most responsible gun owner cannot control the actions of irrespon-

28 opinion

sible members of the public.

Legalizing guns in school parking lots also opens the door for guns to be permitted anywhere else on campus. Why not the cafeteria? Why not the gym? Why not the office, or the classrooms or the courtyards? In almost every school, the teacher parking lot is the one closest to the school building, meaning that live ammunition could be only yards away from students sitting in class. Six of the school shootings so far in 2017 occurred in a parking lot, and three of those six occurred after fights broke out after school basketball games. Unfortunately, the possibilities of situations escalating beyond the control of school officials are limitless, and it only takes one shot fired to make a campus unravel into chaos. Many of these shootings occur in densely crowded areas, such as packed classrooms or hallways. Fighting guns with more guns is an option, but a bullet from the gun of someone who is licensed and trying to help can just as easily go astray and hit an innocent student or faculty member.

There is no doubt that owning and carrying a gun gives many people comfort, and comfort is a very valuable thing, but that is not sufficient reason to support an impractical

Cartoon by Charlie Holden bill. Imagine walking to your car after dark. From the moment you step from the safety of your school until the second you clip your seat belt, you are without comfort because you are unarmed. If you were to be attacked, if the unimaginable were to happen, how would you defend yourself? You could use the gun you’ve stashed in your glove compartment or your trunk, just like HB 1692 says you can, but only if your attacker allows you enough time to access your weapon. The presence of a gun at your final destination does not make the journey any safer.

The personal safety of teachers, students and school administration should be valued above the privileges of a few licensed gun owners. We cannot afford to consciously contribute to the growing gun violence crisis. If you’re afraid to be in your school parking lot at night, petition the school board for streetlights or cameras, or even do something as simple as move your car closer to the building before the sun goes down. Do whatever you need to do, but don’t put your community in danger. Keep your guns at home.

19 may 2017

the

shield

Living the ‘right way,’ voting the wrong way Junior expresses anger, dismay over changing healthcare policies KEANE SAMMON guest columnist

Most of you might know that the House just approved the repeal of many parts of Obamacare, which includes the obstruction for many protections for those with preexisting conditions. To make matters even more angering, Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., was asked to speak about it, and he said, “It will allow insurance companies to require people who have higher health-care costs to contribute more to the insurance pool, reducing the cost to those people who lead good lives, they’re healthy, they’ve done the things to keep their bodies healthy... those are the people who have done things the right way.”

A pretty well-known fact about me is that at age 14, I was diagnosed with epilepsy. It’s already unfortunate that my family has to pay money for the medicine I take to keep me healthy and seizure-free, but to add even more is just insulting, especially when I am one of four children, who could benefit that money for college and other things. But I can’t just speak about me being the only one with a preexisting condition in my family, because last year at age 11 my younger brother Rowan was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, which is not a preventable condition, unlike Type 2, which is largely preventable.

Hearing about these rollbacks on protections for preexisting conditions and the comments made on it by Rep. Brooks just shook my family and I to our core. I’ve achieved a lot in the fields of academia and music, winning lots of awards and gaining praise by many teachers (I’m not trying to toot my own horn; this actually has a purpose). I’ve always been in good health, rarely ever getting sick and eating well. Rowan’s almost the same. He’s constantly being commended by teachers for his intelligence. For God’s sake, he can code a computer and he’s barely 12. So according to Rep. Brooks, even though we’re good people, we’ve lived our lives the wrong way because we have preexisting conditions? We don’t deserve to get the same kind of health care because our organs don’t function the same way “those who’ve lived their lives right” have? So people like Joe Biden’s son, Beau, who died of brain cancer, died because they led their lives the wrong way?

To finish this up, I would like to provide a quote from Jimmy Kimmel from his May 1 monologue, in which he discussed the nature of his newborn son’s heart condition: “If your baby (or really just any person) is going to die, and they don’t have to, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make.”

I hope you understand the severity of what is happening. I implore you to speak out about it, call whoever you need to and voice your opinion about it, just do whatever is needed to bring attention to this issue.

To inform your state Senator about your stance on

repealing and replacing ObamaCare,

call Senator Ted Cruz at (202)224-5922 or Senator John Cornyn at (202)224-2934

19 may 2017

Information via CNBC. Infographic by Julie Robertson.

29 opinion

the

shield

College tours not bores How to tour colleges like a pro MADISON OLSEN staff reporter

So you’re thinking about colleges, but don’t know where to start. I’ll admit, it can be a scary process. Personally, Texas isn’t my jam, so I’m looking at a lot of out of state schools. One thing I’ve found helpful are the virtual tours, which can help you decide if you care enough about the school to travel and make the real deal visit. Here’s a list of things to research ahead of time and what to look out for on your visit.

Public or Private?

Stated most simply: it’s up to you. Look at both before you rule one or the other out, and keep your mind open to the possibility that you won’t know which way you lean until you get acceptance letters. Public schools, generally speaking, have lower tuitions and more resources because they have more students.

Because they have more students, however, it’s likely that you will be in large auditorium classes your freshman year, and are less likely to get a research grant if you’re into that kind of thing. Private schools, however, are not state-funded, which means their tuition is pricier. They do, however, have more money to give students scholarships, so if you apply and get those scholarships, it might actually make tuition cheaper than a public school.

Money, Money, Money.

Hate to be the realist that includes this factor, but college is pricey. There’s no denying. Before you tour, it’s worth looking to see if the tuition is manageable, if you are eligible for scholarships, or if the school has a good student-loan program. Keep in mind that FAFSA and other programs can make an overwhelming tuition manageable, but money a factor to keep in the back of your mind.

Where do the students go after college?

I don’t know about you, but I’m mentally and emotionally done with school and want to get my degree ASAP. I don’t want to go to a school where only 20 percent of the students

30 opinion

graduate in four years. I want to go to a school that has the resources to place most students in an excellent internship straight out of college or in their senior year. Look at where the students go after college— like grad school,

internships, corporate jobs, and so on.

Oh! The places they go Studying abroad has numerous benefits besides getting to see the world. It’s the kind of thing employers look for on résumés because it gives you life experience and opportunities for cultural immersion distinguish you as a great employee. Developing language skills and pursuing an educational pathway abroad is an experience everyone should consider, so look out for schools with good connections abroad.

Make a list of questions I promise you, when you’re on your college tour, you will not remember every single thing you want to know (trust me, I know).

Make a list of questions about things you want to know, but make sure they aren’t questions you could easily find on the university’s site. Ask about what life’s like on campus, not about tuition or majors they offer.

Grab every pamphlet you can carry Maybe not the ones on neuroscience if you’re an art major, but take some on scholarships, applications, your major, and so on.

And don’t take them home and dump them at the bottom of your closet, never to be seen again, which let’s be real, happens to most college mail you get (if it doesn’t go straight to the recycling). Actually read them! Another thing students don’t think about— pick up a student newspaper. This doesn’t just apply to journalism kids; looking at the paper will give you a big

idea of the social environment, the student life and the political environment at the school.

Ask about funding This is an important thing to know that many students forget. Every school distributes funding to its departments differently, which could mean the difference between a school with research opportunities for undergrads and a school with no opportunities for independent study. A school with a well-funded program will likely have better equipment, teachers and be a better learning experience—whether it’s an observatory or a brand new dark room.

Ask about student life No smiley admissions officer will be able to give the same perspective as talking to current students, who aren’t getting paid to convince you of the university’s greatness, meaning they will give you their honest opinions. Ask them about course load, extracurricular and what they think about the school (the good and the bad). One of the best ways to see what students on the campus are like is to stand in the middle of the courtyard with a map and pretend you’re totally lost. See how bystanders react. It’s a good test to determine how friendly students on campus are. Another good test is to think about how you usually spend your weekends and look at schools that fit your personality. If you play a sport at McCallum but don’t want to continue with it in college, see if they have it as a club sport to participate in. Also, pay attention to the posters around campus. Maybe you want a school that has a big bonfire party before a football game, or maybe you just want a school

that has a huge Star Wars Day celebration.

Don’t forget the academics!

Imagine your first college class. Do you see

a big auditorium, filled to the max with 100 students, and a teacher’s aide lecturing the business basics as half the class snores? Or do you see a small round table, headed by the professor who knows your name and filled with 20 students excited to debate last night’s reading?

A small, discussion-based class will give you more opportunities to get to know your professors, articulate your thoughts and opinions about the subjects you’re studying and learn in a more hands on environment. It means, however, you are held accountable for the material, meaning if you slack, your professor will know. Also, sometimes the admissions officer giving the tour might not know all the information on specific departments, so it would be worthwhile to set up an appointment with the department head for the degree(s) you’re interested in. Meet the professors whose classes you’ll be skipping for the next four years. Ask about curriculum, and find out as much as you can about what life will be like in your classes.

Personally, I don’t want to spend another four years staring at a textbook, so I always ask how book heavy classes are. You might even want to attend a class while you’re there!

Don’t leave without contact info Follow up after your tour and say thank you to the admissions officer that gave you your tour, I guarantee it will leave a lasting impression come application time! In the future you will more than likely have questions about everything from admissions to orientation, so having a familiar face to chat with

might not be such a bad idea.

Have fun Now quit worrying about all the stuff I just told you to worry about and enjoy the experience. Look around, find a tree where you can spend days studying for exams, eat in the dining hall, take selfies. Taking college tours are like taking test drives before you buy a car, and while it’s important to do your research, it’s more important to take a moment to see how it feels to drive.

19 may 2017

the

shield

So long, summer

Jumping into the pool of college applications before the rush ALANA RAPER guest reporter

Hey juniors, who’s ready to start college applications right now? Rarely anyone is at this time of the year. The last semester of junior year is winding down, and all anyone can think about is ditching the pencils, paper and inquisitive essay prompts for sun, friends and memory-making, just as I did last summer. But, as the summer continues, one of the best things an incoming senior can do is start college applications. Although the summer after my junior year was busy, looking back on it, I wish I would’ve taken the time I spent binge-watching Criminal Minds on Netflix and actually worked on something that had a large impact on my future, and would’ve made the first semester of my senior year less stressful.

The Common Application is an undergraduate application accepted by 693 colleges and universities both throughout and outside of the United States. The application for fall 2018 (which is what most juniors will be applying for, unless they are taking a gap year) opens on Aug. 1. This start date is the same for ApplyTexas, a service that allows you to apply to any public Texas school or participating private Texas universities. The prompts for the Common App and ApplyTexas are already available online, and can be found on Naviance.

For the main essay, the summer is the best time to figure out what prompt best fits you, and get at least a rough draft of your essay done. Try on different prompts, spending time brainstorming what you would write for each. For the class of 2018, there are seven prompts for the Common App, and increase from just five this past year.

The word limit is still 650 words, which you’ll realize, once you start writing, is not a lot. But still, over the summer, start writing, get a rough draft, and then get a trusted peer or adult to take a look at the essay.

“Writing these [essays] in isolation, to me, that vacuum cuts you off from really valuable input,” senior English teacher Mr. Watterson said. “As long as you trust the people reading it with the subject matter, I think it’s really valuable to get as much in-

19 may 2017

put as possible, whether it be from parents, other students or teachers.”

Then, once school starts, take this essay to the Writing Center, who can help you look for grammatical errors. Another great resource to take advantage of is Mr. Watterson’s essay editing in his fall English classes. For a three-week period in the fall, Mr. Watterson will help students edit their essays. The best use for this is to target specific aspects of your essay. Most commonly, Mr. Watterson said, he helps students cut down their essays to meet the word limit—cutting to the chase. But he can also help students avoid one of the biggest mistakes made when writing these essays.

“There’s a generic quality that’s hard to avoid,” Watterson said. “Students often don’t write with enough specificity...so [the essays] all start to sound sort of the same. I also feel like students feel they need to adopt an inauthentic voice that is sometimes overly sophisticated or scholarly sounding. What we really want to hear is the student’s voice, which is often a hard thing to find in writing.”

But once you find your voice, be careful in how far down that road you go.

“There’s a fine line between a personal response and T.M.I,” Watterson continued.

“This doesn’t have to be your therapy session, we don’t necessarily need all of the trauma divulged in a confessional way. With what I said earlier about specificity, that’s that tightrope you have to walk. I would also say to be cautious of the use of humor not because students aren’t funny, but because humor in writing is often difficult to achieve, the desired effect is sometimes difficult.”

Lastly, when you think your essay is ready to submit, read it out loud. Although it may sound cliche, reading the essay out loud will help you to make sure that the essay sounds like you. It may not be helpful, but when it’s right, it’ll feel right.

“I always make the correlation between [essay-writing] and oil painting,” Watterson said. “Oil never dries, so you can fuss with it until you’ve just taken all the life out of a painting...which is why I think it is helpful to get many eyes on it.”

Illustration by Rachel Wolleben.

Once you get the main essay done, tackle those mini essays, which often prove to be the hardest challenge. These essays have a low word count for a reason. They want you to be succinct, concise, and show that you can get your point across. As soon as you know these prompts, start brainstorming, and then just write, and cut down from there. Again, getting a peer or teacher to look and edit these essays will help as they can be objective and help cut out the frills that may be holding up your word count.

The next greatest tool of your high school career, Naviance. This service will become your best friend next year, whether you like it or not. So the best advice I can give you is to get to know it. This is how you will request transcripts next year once you apply to school, how you request recommendation letters from teachers, and how you get on the “College Acceptances” wall in the main hall.

Naviance is also how you can find out about scholarships. The “Scholarships & Money” section has many resources for finding scholarships. The most useful of these is the scholarship match, which takes your profile on Naviance and matches you with

the scholarships that you qualify for. Even if there is a scholarship that you don’t qualify for, there’s still a chance you could get it.

“There’s a scholarship out there for being left-handed,” Coach Nitardy, the college and career counselor, said. “I had someone who was right-handed apply for the scholarship, and she won it. She won it more than once because nobody else applied.”

If this whole process seems daunting, it’s because it is. College applications are not something to be taken lightly, and this hasn’t even considered gap years and differing college application processes, such as those for arts students. But the best thing you can do for yourself and to make your senior year less stressful is to get a head start over the summer, and get as much done as possible. If you’re being ambitious, you could even have all your applications done before school starts next fall, and then get to enjoy football games, rather than stressing about the work you could be doing. You’ll thank yourself come next October that you thought ahead.

opinion 31

the

shield

Rethink the answer bank

The way exams are structured puts undue stress on students, enforces negative habits Finals are approaching and students are headed to coffee shops and closing their bedroom doors to hunker down to study for hours on end for final exams encompassing all the material that they’ve been learning throughout the entire semester, or the entire year if their teachers so choose. It seems like the older we get, the more we’re looking towards our final exams with dread. Students spend long hours full of fear, confusion and stress to take up to eight tests that will be counted as an entire six weeks grade. It’s not worth it, for teacher or student.

Yes, finals may be one way to test students’ knowledge of material that was taught throughout the year, but it also teaches study habits that are unhealthy, both in the short and long term.

Students have learned how to perfect the “brain dump” system: they cram the material in the days before the test, staying up each night until some ungodly hour, then regurgitate the facts come exam day. In the weeks to follow, each piece of information will fade from each student’s brain, leaving them right back where they started, but with less sleep, less sanity and with a self-defeating cycle stuck in their psyche.

they aren’t coping by taking a walk around the block or a of couple deep breaths like so many parents and doctors preach about doing. Some are having panic attacks, some are cutting themselves off socially, and others are smoking, drinking, and partying. We aren’t coping well, and try as we might, we can’t forget that come Monday morning, the fate of their future lies on a desk in their most dreaded class.

shield staff editors-in-chief

reporters

You can talk all you want about making a plan, making a list, taking everything one step at a time, but studying is still a long daunting task that most students are terrified of. The 100-question multiple-choice finals needs to be reconsidered. It’s time to free students from tests that are mentally draining, emotionally impairing and educationally insignificant.

JULIE ROBERTSON and rachel wolleben

assistant editors MADDIE DORAN

Cartoon by Charlie Holden

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

the

+

This should not be how it is. Instead, students should have a final grade in the class based off of participation, work ethic, and the quality of their work throughout the school year. Teachers could assign, as some already do, projects for final exams, which are constructive ways for students to exhibit what they’ve learned in the class.

If you do poorly on a final, not even good grades for the previous six weeks can save you. If you have been consistently making an average grade of 80 in the class throughout the year and then take the exam with a case of test anxiety (which, according to The American Test Anxieties Association, seriously affects 16 to 20 percent of students), you’ll most likely end up with a low grade. If you score a 60 percent on the final, your average for the year would be pulled down by 10 points. Your teacher may be sympathetic, but they won’t be able to do anything about it. Grades are due only days or even hours after each final is taken, giving teachers and students no room for compromise.

So much is riding on these finals that students begin turning to ways of coping, and

adviser zoë hocker

charlie holden

DAVE WINTER

ANNA ADDISON, JOSEPH CARDENAS, ANNA COMPTON, MILES HANSEN, GREGORY JAMES, MADISON OLSEN, SOPHIE RYLAND, GRACE SCHMIDHAUSER, D’AZHANE YANCEY and LORENZO ZARZOZA

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

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

32 opinion

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

and must be signed. Positive identification may be required when a letter is submitted. Letters may be edited. Letters that are critical of the newspaper staff’s coverage of events or that present information that may stimulate heated debate will be published.

Letters that contain malicious attacks on individual reporters, the adviser or the

principal will be rejected.

Anyone interested in purchasing an ad should contact adviser Dave Winter at (512) 414-7539. The Shield is a member of the Interscholastic League Press Conference, the National Scholastic Press Association the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Southern Interscholastic Press Association.

19 may 2017

the

shield

share the shield Like us on facebook.com/ MacJournalism Follow: @macstudentmedia on Twitter

mac shield online .com

Follow: @macjournalism on Instagram

19 may 2017

preview 33

the

shield

CINCO Senior Nick Ryland shakes the tambourine enthusiastically as the students file into the MAC for the Cinco de Mayo celebration, put on by the Ballet Folklorico club. Photo

by Greg James.

Karla Nunez Solis dances for the Ritimos de Panama company from Panama. Solis and Sulipsa Luque danced the “Viene De Panama” and “La Coneja” to finish the celebration. Photo by Greg James.

34 photo essay

Elena Rangel from Lamar Middle School performs the dance “Las Alazanas,” which originates from the Jalisco Region of Mexico. The dance included a tapping routing. Photo by Madison Olsen.

de

MAYO

19 may 2017

the

shield FAR LEFT: Junior Carlos Rivas dances the “Mexicapan,” which comes from the state of Zacatecas, Mexico. Photo by Greg James.

MIDDLE: Junior piano students Jessica Wheless and Aubrey Rowan performed “Nanigo.” Photo by Madison Olsen.

LEFT: Juan Diaz performed at the beginning of the celebration. Diaz is a MAC alumnus, who plays for Mariachi Cocula and the Brew. Photo By Madison Olsen.

BELOW: Members of the audience dance with the McCallum Youth Dance Company.

Photo by Kien Johnson-Dye.

LEFT: Students from Brentwood Elementary School perform “Vivir mi Vida.” Photo by Diego Gutierrez.

ABOVE: Mia Gonzalez from Lockhart, Texas sings “Mexico Lindo.” Photo by Diego Gutierrez.

19 may 2017

ABOVE: Duke and Duchess of Cinco de Mayo were freshmen Gabe Laxton and Ruby De Valle, pictured here receiving flowers. The Prince and Princess were junior J.R. Cardenas and freshman Jewel Torres-Amaya. The King and Queen were junior Hayden Stone and freshman Larissa Rodriguez. Photo by Madison Olsen.

photo essay 35

the

shield

This prom is museum quality

Mac’s prom went down May 6 at the Blanton Museum of Art

Scout Bennett and Alex Huestess

Emma Ervin and Ryan Sullivan

Allison Moore, Alyssa Moore, Helen Irvin and Alana Raper

PROM PERSPECTIVES

“My favorite part was seeing all my friends and looking fly as hell,” Matteo Sarmiento said, “It was all about being with friends for a final time, so having fun, hanging out and dancing all night.”

“Winning prom king [means] my McCallum family loves me,” Brandon Wooley said. “I am respected, but I must keep a humble heart. At this school, we do not discriminate or be hateful towards each Brandon Wooley other; we learn to accept others for who they are, despite our differences.”

“Everyone was really energetic and going all out and dancing with my friends was fun,” Helen Ervin said.

“I loved walking around and seeing all the art at the Blanton,” Alana Raper said. “I loved seeing all the different really go dresses because it’s really different from seeing everyone in the hallway at school.”

“I was in the car with Kayla Fields and we had fun taking videos and listening to music before and Lauren Upchurch after prom,” Marisa Martinez said.

36 photo essay

Hanaan Alwan and Matteo Sarmiento

Erin Elliot

Anaiah Green, Charlie Arnold, Kayla Fields, Marisa Martinez

19 May 2017