McCallum HS Shield -- Volume 67, No. 2

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McCallum High School / 5600 Sunshine / Austin, TX 78756 / Nov. 18, 2016 Issue 2 / Volume 64

A LITERAL TRIAL BY FIRE page 16

Photo by Bella Russo

Drum majors reflect upon the key Capital Area victory that set the stage for the run to state page 11

Photo by Steven Tibbetts

Senior’s fashion show, “Influenced” raises more than $4,000 for Girls Empowerment Network page 12

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by Stella Shenkman

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AISD feeds 80,000 students every day. Meet the team that works to provide them with delicious, healthy food.

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the issue

Mac students who vape respond to a recent CDC report which linked 33 deaths in the United States to vaping.

a&e

The global phenomenon that is TikTok has a local angle, too.

The Shield catches up with three Mac Knight TikTok stars.

The cellphone version MarioKart has Mac students racing to download the app, but not all of Mac games are impressed.

people

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Gilbert Harros, the newest addition to the security team, shares the amazing journey that led him to our hallways.

For four Mac students, working a regular job is more about meeting interesting people than earning a huge paycheck.

sports

Standout sophomore runner and recent state qualifier Chris Riley is enjoying a historic season for Mac cross country.

Senior Alexa Fannin reflects on the volleyball team’s 30-win season and their hopes to make a deep state playoff run.

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Senior Kate Davern smiles at the Pink Week pep rally before the annual PALS tradition of pieing teachers in the face. The PALS put a lot of work into preparing for Pink Week. “We bought all the pink decorations we could find and stayed after school on the Friday before Pink Week to decorate the hallways,” Davern said.

“Other committees tie-dyed and screen-printed shirts to sell in the main hall, made dozens of baked goods, and bought hair dye, nail polish, face paint, scrunchies, bracelets and water balloons to sell in the main hall.” The PALS raised more than $1,500 for the Breast Cancer Resource Center. Photo by Gabby Sherwood.

Fake news is here and not leaving, so what can future journalists do to combat the stigmas?

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I-35 isn’t just an annoying eyesore that adds stress to our commutes; it’s a reminder of how divided Austin is and was.

The AISD School Change initiative is supposed to be ensuring equity across the district, but it’s off to a rocky start.

Drum majors Dexter Canning and Jonah Brown celebrate after learning that McCallum had received straight first divisions at the UIL region marching competition. “The band had an amazing performance,” Brown said. “I had a feeling in my gut that we were on the road to state.” Photo by Madelynn Niles.

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Girls basketball vs. Hutto/Anderson 8 a.m. @ MAC

Football vs. Travis @ House Park 7:30 p.m. (Camo) Girls basketball vs. Copperas Cove 7 p.m. @ MAC Varsity basketball vs. New Braunfels 10 a.m.

State Cross-Country Meet @ Old Settlers Park 6 a.m.

Bob Stallings Swim Invitational @ A&M (time TBD)

Varsity basketball @ Elgin 6 p.m.

Girls basketball @ Eastside Memorial 7 p.m.

Girls basketball sub-varsity Toutnament @ MAC AISD Swim Invitational @ UT

Varsity/sub-varsity B-Ball @ Concordia/Georgetown Basketball @ Hays 5-8 p.m.

Girls basketball @ St. Michael’s 5:30-7 p.m.

Girls basketball varsity tournament @ Crockett Freshman/JV b-ball tournament @ Buda Johnson Basketball @ St. Andrews 1:30-3 p.m. (Thanksgiving) Girls basketball vs. Lago Vista @ MAC 12-1:30 p.m.

Basketball vs. Bastrop @ MAC 12-3 p.m.

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Behind the lunch line

Serving delectable food that is also part of a healthy diet requires a delicate balancing act LUCY MARCO staff reporter

Everyday, the Austin Independent School District feeds around 80,000 students. The process of feeding that many people is more complicated than Julia Child’s recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon and involves many food-service players from cafeteria workers and cooks to lunch planners and even a district dietitian.

How do they do it?

AISD cafeterias have the unique task of keeping lunches healthy, nutritious and also appealing to students.

Ryan Cengel, the AISD dietitian, is responsible for the task of planning menus for 130 schools, making sure to meet the United States Department of Agriculture nutrition guidelines while keeping in mind allergies and the special diets of some students. Cengel states that providing a wide variety of fresh and nutritionpacked foods can improve the foundation of health and academic performance.

“Balance, variety and moderation are the keys to a healthy diet,” Cengel said. “A diet filled with a variety of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean protein and low fat dairy products is the key to lifelong health.”

Cengel believes that Austin ISD has some of the most nutritious menus in the nation.

“We far exceed the nutrition regulations set forth by the USDA, which are the most stringent regulations in American history,” he said. “We offer plant-based options each day, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.”

AISD also pays close attention to where the food they serves comes from.

“We are a clean-label district, meaning that we don’t purchase ingredients or products that contain harmful substances,” Cengel said, “and [we] offer lots of local and organic options each day.”

But no matter what the ingredients are, the priority in AISD is making the food appetizing to students.

“We have to balance a lot of factors when planning our menus and make sure that we are offering food that the students like to eat,” Cengel said. “It doesn’t matter how healthy our menus are if the food ends up on the compost pile.”

Avoiding that outcome, Cengel said, comes down to preparation.

“Our cafeteria staff are some of the hardest working people in this city,” Cengel said. “They have a lot of tasks to accomplish each and every day in a short period of time to make sure that they are serving our students healthy and tasty meals in a safe manner.”

Cengel says that he hopes to see more school districts adopt the practices that Austin ISD has been using, such as scratch cooking, global flavors, sustainable purchasing and innovative service models like food trucks.

“I also hope that Congress passes a Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act that maintains or strengthens current nutrition standards and provides more funding for child nutrition

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HOT LUNCH HERO: Ruth Villarreal serves warm bread to students. Villarreal takes pride in her work and is well-known for her kindness in the lunch line. “My favorite part of my job is serving to the future,” Villarreal said. “You are my future.” Photo and reporting by Lucy Marco.

CARE FOR A PEAR: Ruth Villarreal hands junior Julian Smith a pear while he goes through the lunch line. “I don’t use the lunch line very often, but I’m thankful for their services and how they help every student in the school,” Smith said. Photo by Lucy Marco.

“We far exceed the nutrition regulations set forth by the USDA, which are the most stringent regulations in American history.”

— Ryan Cengel, AISD dietitian

programs,” he said.

The front line of preparing food for hundreds of AISD students falls to the cafeteria workers.

Their challenge is made more difficult by the age of the kitchens in which they work.

“If I could change one thing about the cafeteria, I would want new equipment,” one cafeteria worker told The Shield.

They overcome this challenge by working well as a team. When asked to identify a favorite

part of their job, all agreed that spending time and working together as friends makes their job much more enjoyable.

While the community of the cafeteria is important, the cafeteria works also said they take very seriously the responsibility of feeding children who depend on school lunches for their primary meal of the day.

“We just expanded the Community Eligibility Program in the district to be able to offer

free meals to all students in 82 schools in the district,” Cengel said. “This is a great opportunity for families in an increasingly expensive city like Austin to make sure that their children are fed healthy meals each day so they can learn in the classroom and grow and develop properly.”

Although American school lunches have traditionally had a bad reputation, here at McCallum, a lot of thought, attention, and care go into each and every meal.

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CDC links vaping to 33 deaths in U.S. McCallum student: ‘I just heard people were dying so I was like, “I don’t wanna die,” so I quit.’

ANNA McCLELLAN AND EVELYN GRIFFIN staff reporters

Butyl hydroxytoluene. Crotonaldehyde.

Diethylene Glycol.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon. Propylene glycol. Valeraldehyde.

These chemicals are just a few of the thousands that go into e-liquid, which is heated up and inhaled using what most people refer to as vapes. All of these chemicals have an effect on users. Some of them can cause serious lung diseases like popcorn lung, which is caused by the chemical diacetyl, according to the United States Department of Labor. Some of them are carcinogens, such as formaldehyde, which can promote the spread of cancers.

Earlier this month, the CDC confirmed 1,479 vaping-related injuries and 33 deaths in the United States over the past six months. These deaths are linked to a new respiratory illness that can lead to trouble inhaling, vomiting, headaches, dizziness and many other symptoms that vary depending on the user. These problems are similar to the symptoms of being “nic-sick,” a term that describes the occasional side effects of vaping that occur within the first 15 minutes of exposure to nicotine.

“I think one major factor [of teens vaping] is obviously the fun flavors, and a lot of people do it as an alternative to cigarettes, which I guess makes sense, but I think it’s, in the same way that big tobacco companies glamorize smoking cigarettes, it’s very glamorous,” a Mac student who used to vape told The Shield. The student requested anonymity to avoid possible punishment for having vaped.

At McCallum, students are starting to realize the effects of vaping. “I just heard people were dying so I was like, ‘I don’t wanna die’ so I quit,” one student told The Shield. The student requested anonymity because they did not wish to get their friends in trouble.

Interim principal Brandi Hosack is concerned as well. “Stop vaping!” She pleaded. “It’s not about breaking school rules. It can kill you, and that’s what I’m scared of.”

Scientists are not yet sure what is causing this new disease, and there may not be one answer.

One theory is THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical in marijuana that causes the feeling of being “high.” Because it is only legal for recreational purposes in 11 states, users in other states rely on the black market for it.

This means there is a greater risk of dangerous substances ending up in it. In fact, the majority of the people who reported developing injuries or illnesses to the CDC had used THC devices.

This correlation is also reflected in a report described in an article published by The Wall Street Journal in September, in which 76.9 percent of the 514 patients monitored claimed to have used vapes containing THC. However, the remaining 23.1 percent did not, while still experiencing similar symptoms.

“What I think is going on is a guy wants to make some money, and he buys the packages, which you can buy on Amazon or eBay, then they just whip up their own formula and put

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whatever they want in it,” an anonymous source told The Shield. “It’s dangerous because that’s what is going around [and] that’s what’s causing all these problems.”

The student requested anonymity because they did not wish for their peers to know of their experience with vaping.

Those who vape at Mac have reacted to the CDC report in different ways. To some, the CDC findings are a big deal; to others, the report hasn’t changed their habits at all.

“It’s sort of like on the cusp of being not-sohorrible and being really horrible,” the student explained. “You can get a nicotine buzz, and it’s over within less than five minutes and you can go on with your day.”

As students become more addicted to these devices, however, they become less willing to

The wide variety of e-juice flavors on the market is one of the many attractions of vaping, especially to teenagers. The brand JUUL has had to pull its variety of flavored “pods” from the market until more information about the new diseases is uncovered. JUUL is still producing mint and menthol flavors, as well as tobacco flavor.

Photo by Evelyn Griffin.

The first documented idea of an e-cigarette was by Joseph Robinson in the 1930s. Later on in the 1960s, Herbert A. Gilbert was credited with the invention of the first modern e-cig. The prototypes are said not to have contained nicotine, unlike vapes today. The first commercially successful vape was created by pharmacist Hon Lik In Beijing, China, in the early 2000s. Later in the decade, they were introduced to European and American markets. They are now more popular than ever. Although they were originally marketed toward adults attempting to quit smoking, their increasing variety of colorful brands and unique e-juice flavors has led to them ending up in the hands (and lungs) of teenagers.

— Anna McClellan

acknowledge their addiction.

“Before I quit, I kept telling myself, ‘This is the criteria for having an addiction, and I don’t fit that criteria, so I’m not addicted,’ Even though it was like an everyday thing, and it wasn’t good,” the student to The Shield.

The student is not the only one who feels this way, and this is partly because of how easy it is for people to bring vapes everywhere they go. Although there is a plethora of vapes on the market, the brand JUUL has gained popularity because JUUL products can be concealed in sweatshirt pockets, socks and even the palm of one’s hand, since it is only about 3.5 inches in length. This makes it difficult to discourage students from bringing them to school with them, and enables users the opportunity to vape frequently throughout the day.

The THC devices are even worse, causing more harm and deaths, but that doesn’t mean that regular vapes are not also causing issues.

The McCallum administration is looking for ways to help prevent kids from vaping, but Hosack stressed that ultimately, it’s up to the kids to make the choices themselves.

“You still make your own decisions when it comes to when you show up to school, what you bring to school with you, [and] what you choose to engage with at school,” Hosack said. “Those still have to be your decisions. All I can do is to hope to educate you enough that you make good decisions.”

Though there is still much to learn about the health effects of vaping, scientists agree that it has a significant effect on users. It’s addictive quality makes it difficult for people, especially teenagers, to quit.

A SHORT HISTORY OF VAPING

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AP PHYSICS, A WEIGHTY SUBJECT: Juniors Hannah Zuniga, Lindsey Plotkin, Darian Dieterich and Tres Tanner complete a hands-on lab, in which the task was to use the skills they’d learned in trigonometry to solve for the mass of the car. “The lab was really interesting,” Tanner said. “Physics is a fun class; I will be taking the AP test.” Photo by Bella Kisler.

Analyzing risks, rewards of AP classes GRACE VAN GORDER

“The purpose of an AP class is not only to provide more rigor but to get you ready to take that test.”

— English teacher James Hutchenson

staff reporter

JANSSEN TRANSIER co-editor in chief

If you’ve ever walked into Thunderbird or Monkeys Nest on a weekday in late April, chances are you’ve seen groups of McCallum students huddled around textbooks, frantically memorizing keywords and definitions, or slaving away over practice tests. This is because every year around this time, students begin gearing up for the annual round of AP tests.

With so many McCallum students dedicating their lives to doing well on this test, it begs the question ... why?

“The nice thing about the AP program is it allows you to deal with more rigorous content in the subjects that you want to pursue,” said James Hutcheson, a first-year English teacher at McCallum. “Sometimes its like ‘I’m really not that interested in English. I’ll take an academic level English class,’ Or ‘I’m not really that interested in history or math or science. I’ll just take an academic level class in that subject, so I can save myself a little work, so I can go pursue music or other things.’”

In addition to allowing students to pick and choose what they want to focus on, the AP program offers three major benefits to the students who choose to take them.

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PURPLE AND GOLD: Seniors Jazz Aguilar and Krystal Castor check out LSU’s table at a college fair hosted by McCallum in the library.

Photo by Javier Vela.

First, if you score highly on an AP test, it could mean that you won’t have to take the class in college, which could save you a lot of money farther down the line.

Second, AP classes can help increase your GPA. AP classes are graded on a five-point scale, as opposed to on-level courses, which are graded on a four-point scale. This means that while AP classes are much more rigorous, if you do well in them academically, it can do wonders for your GPA. Your GPA determines your class rank and can help you figure out how you compare to the standards of the colleges that you are looking into.

Finally, you can get used to the college level courses before you go to college. This can help your chances of successfully adapting to a college setting.

But these benefits come with disadvantages as well. You won’t get any credit if you don’t pass the class. A failing grade won’t help your GPA, AP or

not. If you don’t end up passing the AP test, you don’t get any college credit.

“You’ve got to think [of] the purpose of an AP class is not only to provide more rigor but to get you ready to take that test,” Hutcheson said.

“There’s going to be a lot more responsibility put on an AP student.”

The benefits of AP classes also have the potential to change why a student takes the class.

“They don’t take it because they want to engage content on a deeper level or challenge themselves, for the most part. They take it because they want those extra points, and they want those advantages,” Hutcheson said. “The main disadvantage is that the students that are taking AP classes, not all of them but some of them, are taking them for the wrong reasons. They’re taking them to essentially get an advantage. Since they’re approaching it from a standpoint of ‘I’m

doing this to get extra points’ or ‘I’m doing this to save money in college,’ they are less interested in engaging the subject matter on a deeper level and more interested in getting those points.”

Hutcheson says that the pressure put on AP kids because of the added bonuses can have serious repercussions on their mental health.

“You guys are always freaking out about ‘Why did I get an 87?’ Hutcheson said. “An 87 is a good score on an assignment, but I can’t tell you how many times I see a kiddo come in with an 87 or 92, and they’re like freaking out when that’s a good score. When I was in school, 70 was considered average; 80 was considered above average; 90 was considered excellent. Now, people’s parents have their phones going off when someone drops below a 90 in a class. What is that going to do to a student’s brain when they are just thinking about that all the time?”

At least for now, AP tests will be a part of the high school experience for many students, so come May, be prepared to see plenty of familiar faces at coffee shops around McCallum.

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Driven to drive or just driven around?

There are many paths to get a driver’s license, but some students opt not to take any of them MAX RHODES

assistant editor For many high-schoolers, getting a driver’s license is very high on their priority list. The freedom of being able to drive a car is something many are willing to work for. For the longest time, the process of getting a license was done in a classroom, followed by behind-the-wheel instruction. But in the modern era, things are beginning to shift. Online driver’s ed courses are growing in popularity, and traditional classroom courses are finding it hard to compete.

The actual material covered in both online and classroom driver’s ed courses is fundamentally the same. They both follow the same driver’s ed process. First, one must get their learner’s permit. This can be done in a few days in the classroom or in eight hours online.

Once the student completes the instruction requirements, they can go to the Department of Public Safety to take their permit photo and receive their card. While permitted, students are only allowed to drive while in the company of a licensed adult. They then must wait at least six months, during which they take more lessons.

The required instruction courses can be taken either in a few weeks in the classroom or on their own time online.

They must also complete some behind-thewheel practice, either with an instructor, taught by their parents or a combination of both. After this is all completed, the last step is the driver’s test itself, which can be administered by the DPS or a third party organization. If the student driver is under 18, passing the test gives the driver a provisional license. While they are still a minor, teenagers are only allowed to travel with one other passenger under the age of 18 and are not allowed to drive between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m.

With such a lengthy process, it is important for students to choose a method that suits their learning process and prepares them for the open road. Two of the most popular courses are the Austin Driving School, a more traditional classroom option, and Aceable, which is completed online.

Before deciding which course to take, students have to determine that they want a license in the first place. Many McCallum students are opting to wait until they turn 18, when the driver’s ed process becomes easier. Once they are legal adults, classroom instruction time is no longer required, making the process less expensive.

Some students are simply choosing not to pursue a license, a trend that has been on the rise in recent years. There are a variety of reasons for putting this process off, such as a lack of free time or the high cost of insurance for teenage drivers. With the increase of ride services such as Uber and Lyft, some students are finding it unnecessary to drive a car at all.

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The Austin Driving School (above) was founded in 1977 and has several locations around Austin as well across Texas. This location, up north on Burnet, offers to pick students up from various high schools around the city, and bring them to the classroom for lessons. Photo by Max Rhodes.

Like the Austin Driving school, Aceable (left) requires students to complete behind-thewheel instruction with a parent or guardian, but it provides accessable classroom instuction for students to complte on their own time.

“As soon as I get my license, I’ll be on my parents’ insurance, and I’m going to have to pay for at least a portion of that insurance money, which is expensive,” senior Gage Bausman said.

“I’d much rather pay like $15-20 to take Ubers with my friends each month.”

This trend is not just among high-schoolers and young adults. Across the board, there are fewer people choosing to get a drivers license than there were only 10 years ago.

“It’s not too big of a hassle [to not have my license],” Bausman said. “I have friends that live in my neighborhood, and we typically go to the same events. I can typically just find rides [with them] or Uber wherever I need to go.”

For those who do wish to earn their license, however, the two main options employ slightly different methods. The Austin Driving School takes place after school for four weeks.

For convenience, a driving instructor picks students up from multiple high schools around the city. The class lasts for two hours, and goes from Monday through Thursday.

Each day includes instructor lessons, informational videos and short quizzes at the end of each lesson.

After the class portion is completed, the student must take several hours of behind-thewheel instruction. During this time, the student drives around Austin with an instructor on increasingly difficult routes in a specially modified car that has a brake pedal on the passenger side for the instructor to use if needed. After an hour, they sit in the back seat while another student drives for an hour of “observation.” A student must have eight hours of both driving and observing to complete the course. At home, the student needs to log 30 hours of driving with their parents

and fill out a list with several objectives, such as parallel parking and highway driving, both during the day and at night. If they wish, they could take their driver’s test for free at the DPS or for $65 at the Austin Driving School.

Aceable covers much of the same information and practice, just in a different fashion. All work is done on the student’s own time, with no set deadline when it must be completed. The information is presented in a series of videos and informational slides, with questions sprinkled throughout the lesson. As for actual driving, the teaching is done by the parents, and while they are given a rough outline of objectives, it is largely up to the adults to decide the pace of the lessons.

After the student has completed the online course and the behind-the-wheel practice, they may take the driver’s test with the DPS or the Austin Driving School, but for a slightly higher rate of $75.

Even though most students get their license sometime in their teens, there are many different times and ways to go about it. To combat the hassle, some are deciding that the the easiest method is just to wait.

“I’ll probably get it before I head to college just to make things easier,” Bausman said “But I’m not really planning on driving anytime soon.”

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Band wins first at area, headed to state From start to finish on Saturday, Oct. 26, the McCallum band had about as good a competitive day as it possibly could have had at the area competition at the Pfield in Pflugerville. The band finished first in the preliminary round in the afternoon and headed into the evening finals with the top rating among the seven bands vying for three spots to advance to state. In the final round, the band again finished in sole first place, beating the other six bands in the finals, including highly touted band programs at Dripping Springs and Weiss.

The Mac band, therefore, is the top-rated band in all of central Texas and will head into the state competition starting Monday at the Alamodome in San Antonio among the favorites for a state championship (along with the other eight area champions). This is an improvement from their historic run to state two years ago where the band finished fifth at area under a system where six bands from the area competition advanced.

The band’s performance, “Forever in Stone,” is based on Greek mythology and dedicated to the memory of Henry Stone, a beloved band parent who passed away last January.

To get ready for Saturday’s competition, the band performed their entire set during the halftime of Friday’s football game against Northeast.

FLASH Senior Maryanna Tollemache and another, smaller Princess Elsa sing “Let it Go” for a crowd of other princesses and their parents.“You [have to] change your tactic to singing to [the kids] instead of singing like in rehearsal,” Duval Bingham said. “You just have to have fun with them.”

Photo by Kristen Tibbetts.

Freshman Maddie Hello, playing the role of Medusa, freezes junior trombone soloist Jacob Martinez in the climax of the band’s competition show. Photo by Steven Tibbetts.

The practice clearly paid off. Sophomore flautist Madelynn Niles said on Saturday night that even the morning rehearsal before the area competition was stellar.

“We had a really strong rehearsal this morning, probably one of our strongest all season, which definitely translated on the field,” Niles said. “We were just so focused and hit every form extremely well, even ones that we sometimes struggle with. We all felt the energy.”

Evidently, the judges did too.

Moms in Prayer Meet at Covenant Presbyterian Church Library Fellowship Education Building First Floor

Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.

November 5 & 19 February 4 & 18 December 3 & 17 March 3 & 24 January 7 & 21 April 14 & 21 May 5 & 19 Contact Krista Sherwood for more information ksherwood7604@gmail.com 1 Nov. 2019

News in a

The princesses, princes and the tea McCallum theatre students held their fifth annual Princess Tea Party fundraiser last Saturday afternoon in the cafeteria where children from all over Austin were able to meet their favorite princes and princesses. The crowd was even more packed than in previous years, with the coordinators having to pull out and decorate extra tables upon seeing the crowd.

“It’s just gotten bigger every year,” said senior Duval Bingham, who played the role of Flynn Rider.

Bingham has participated in the tea party all of his four years at McCallum.

“The reaction from the little kids [is the best part],” he said. “They rush the stage and scream and go crazy.”

Since the show revolves around a lot of audience participation, the actors not only prepared their songs, but their royal autographs and crisis management skills as well.

“Most of my practice was ‘What do you do if a kid does this?’” Bingham said. “We had kids try to follow us out the doors where [the other actors] were waiting to go on stage because they were so excited to see the princesses.”

—Kristen Tibbetts

Two chambers, one opening concert The Chamber Guitar and Chamber Orchestra ensembles performed in the MAC theatre on Oct. 24 in the annual guitar-orchestra concert. The evening opened with six guitar pieces followed by four songs by the orchestra.

Members of McCallum percussion E.J. Leach, Muriel Taylor-Adair, Chloe Andrews and Carter Torn took the stage alongside the orchestra ensemble for the third piece, “La Cascara” by Jeremy Woolstenhulme.

“The first time I heard [La Cascara] with everyone, it was amazing, [it made me] so much more into the piece,” senior cellist David Foradori said. “Overall, it was a great experience to listen to other departments in our academy. I’m glad we played together.”

—Kristen Tibbetts

Senior cellists David Foradori and Byron Kinard play “Serenade for String Orchestra” by Tchaikovsky.

Photo by Kristen Tibbetts.

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For junior, sewing soothes the soul Designer Pearl Heinley continues to focus on the technical, striving for ‘ultimate perfection’ The Shield: How would you describe your interest in fashion?

Pearl Heinley: I focus on the technical aspects a lot, so how things are made and how well I can make them. I try to make everything to my standard, which is ultimate perfection, which isn’t very artistic ... so my goal is to just improve my skills and work until I make the perfect article of clothing, the perfect technical piece.

TS: What would be something perfect?

PH: The closest I’ve gotten was last spring, I made a prom dress for one of the girls on my swim team, and it turned out really well. It had boning, and bra cups and all this different fabric, and it was really nice. But it wasn’t perfect, I had to resew a couple things, and there were some pleats that didn’t quite fit right, and it pulled, and I was just like, ‘It’s OK, but it’s not perfect.’ I think that’s the closest I’ve gotten, but it’s just the little things like that that I want to avoid. ... It’s a goal that is not attainable, which is why I can always strive for it. If I’m striving for it, I’ll always produce my best work.

TS: Does that inspire a lot of your work ethic?

PH: It does. I start with a technical look, like let’s say I wanted to make a suit jacket. Then I go through and think about ‘OK, Do I want buttons? And how would those buttons fit onto the cuff, and if I was going to add the buttons at what step of the process would I do that?’ so that I don’t have to undo it all and then do it again.

TS: What inspired you to start designing?

PH: Well I’ve been sewing since I was 7 with a machine: I still sew on the machine; it’s really small and has Hello Kitty on it. I love it so much. But I guess it started when I was making a costume for myself for Cinderella. I wanted to be her for Halloween, and then later I wanted to make a costume corset, because I was going to the Ren Fest. So I used that same pattern from the bodice of the dress, and I started modifying the pattern. I would just follow the directions the same and pretend like it didn’t have straps. It turned out pretty OK; it’s not a bad piece, I still have it. But that’s kind of where it all started, with modifying really simple patterns by taking the straps off or raising the hem or adding pockets and then gradually I changed to wanting to change the neckline or adding a third panel and then eventually it gets to ‘Oh, I’m just drafting my own pattern.’

TS: Do you ever wear pieces you make to school or in your everyday life?

PH: I made this black skirt; it’s just a black miniskirt, and I wear it all the time because, you know, it’s a black miniskirt, so it goes with everything.

TS: How do you feel when you make a piece yourself and it turns out well?

PH: It’s a sense of pride, heavy pride. I have another miniskirt: it’s orange, and I would wear it to all these family events, so my aunt or something would come up to me and tell me she liked it, so I could tell her I made it myself. And with me I start with the technical and work at it until I’m proud of it, and I want it to be recognized.

TS: Let’s talk a little bit about the fashion

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SOMETHING OLD Heinley redesigns her mother’s old prom dress to make it into something new and something that is her own. She works during her second-period textiles class of one, in a class that is blended with a Printmaking I class. “My goal is just to improve my kills and work until I make the perfect article of clothing, the perfect technical piece,” Heinley said. Photo

by Ellen Fox. GRAND OL’ TIME As a sophomore designer, Heinley presents her line, the Grand Dame, to an applauding audience at Paradigm, the 2019 Benefit Fashion Show, in the MAC on Jan. 12. Her line won second place. “It was called the Grand Dame because it was about this idea of excessive extravagance,” Heinley said. “She’s just kickass and doesn’t care what anybody thinks: ‘I’m going to wear whatever I want all the time.’” Photo by Gregory James.

ARTISTICALLY SPEAKING show. So last year as a sophomore you got second place, can you talk a little bit about your line?

PH: It was called the Grand Dame because it was about this idea of excessive extravagance. She is this older woman, maybe in her ’70s, and she’s just kick-ass and doesn’t care what anybody thinks:“I’m going to wear whatever I want all the time.” She wears green and glitter, and it’s big, and she has big glasses and hats just some of that cooky grandma that is ridiculously wealthy. That was the woman

I ran with, and I was really happy with that line.

I think it was some of the most cohesive clothing I’ve ever produced. It came down to large jackets and satins and detail work, and I’m very proud of that and where I got to, second place, although sometimes I think that it maybe didn’t deserve that.

Looking at my line now, I flipped the hem and I was like “this is so ugly.” I saw it and I practically vomited in my mouth a little but because I was in shock, but hopefully this year it won’t be like that.

TS: It’s really cool that you can look at your past work that was obviously so successful and still see areas to make improvements on it.

PH: Yeah, I’ve had to fight the urge to rip apart this one dress: it’s green, it’s got tassels on it, and it looks nice on the outside, but underneath it’s just so ugly. I don’t like looking at it sometimes because it’s just not there yet. And I know I have to just let it be a moment in time.

TS: So what’s your goal for this year?

PH: This year, I’ve got a collection of little ceramic teapots that I want to make a print out of, and use that as an anchor for the line. I’ll be working with, of course, construction, and modifying classic silhouettes to be more modern, like the suit jacket, and playing with not really gender roles, but pieces that anybody can wear, not really one-size-fits-all but more one-style-fitsa-lot. That’s what I’m going with because I’m trying to sell this line. I’m going to show it hopefully in February at Fashion x Austin, which is another fashion show for local designers. I hope to sell that

by March or May, to start producing some of that and then add it to my portfolio, so that I can show people that I can not only sell it but that people want to buy it. So that’s the ultimate goal, but the goal for this year for the fashion show it to have a good time and to produce good materials.

TS: Why teapots?

PH: Both of my grandmothers collect small things, and I love tea and my own tiny teacup collection. I see it as my own little collection of “art.”

TS: How does fashion impact your life or other aspects of your life?

PH: It’s a neat fascination for me because it reflects exactly what’s going on in the culture. Right now we’re seeing a big revival in vintage fashion, and a little bit in sustainable fashion, which is a win-lose because thrifting is great, but it doesn’t mean that bigger companies stop producing all this crazy wastewater. Sustainability is such an important goal, and I’m very glad that a lot of fashion is moving towards it, but there are fads with everything. Sustainability may be a fad, body inclusivity and gender inclusivity could be a fad; in 10 years we may not see that in fashion anymore because of the climate. It’s just that fashion is such a good reflection and parallel of society because you can see exactly what the consumer wants. I think at the GUCCI show they were playing with mental health visibility, and it didn’t really go well.

There was a duality in the response, but the line still reflects what people are thinking and starting a conversation which is what art does.

TS: In the future, what is your biggest fashion dream or goal?

PH: I want to say it’s to produce or to have my own business, but it’s really not. It’s more that I would want to work for a larger company, maybe like in marketing or textile design. My goal is very broad. I want to survive in the fashion world for as long as possible and sustain myself for as long as possible. I just love that world, I like being around the people. And I know that I can always still sew stuff for myself even if it’s not part of my job, I can still do that myself and take that as my hobby and make myself happy. That’s why I started sewing, because it was such a soothing thing, It’s just so nice, you run it and it’s so meditative because you don’t have to think all the way about it, and you can check out a part of your brain and do some manual labor.

So even if I don’t end up as the designer for Dior or anything like that, I can still be happy.

—interview by Ellen Fox

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TikTok on the clock

Over 3.1m likes >

The app that is sweeping the nation and the Mac stars who support it

BYTE-SIZED CONTENT: TikTok’s content is limited to short videos, but unlike Vine, the clips can be up to 15 seconds long and can be linked together to create a video up to 60 seconds long. The screenshots above are from Tik Tok videos by Campbell Clark, Seoul Whitehead, Allison Vanderslice (with her father) and Seoul Whitehead (with Kaden Noack).

ALEX DOWD copy editor

In 2009, “TikTok” was known solely as Ke$ha’s first hit single that launched her into early 2000s fame, but things have changed in the past 10 years. TikTok is no longer the song you listened to in the back of your mom’s car when you wanted to feel rebellious, it’s a platform to share short videos with your followers and, according to the App Store, it’s also 2019’s most downloaded, with over 33 million new users.

Created in September of 2016, TikTok started off as an app akin to Musical.ly, populated by kids lip syncing with their faces pressed far too close to the camera. But after the death of Vine, a 6-second video-making app, in December 2016, a new audience of teenagers was on the search for content to satisfy their short attention spans. They found a home in TikTok and now make up 41 percent of the user population according to Globalwebindex.

Inevitably, with an app as popular as TikTok, some users have gained more notoriety than others, creating people dubbed as “TikTok famous.” Unlike fame gained through more traditional mediums, TikTok fame is confined to the app. The stars live average lives with few benefits from their fame, and there are even three girls with TikTok fame here at McCallum: junior Campbell Clark (@campbellclarkr) has 15,700 followers, junior Allison Vanderslice (@ allisonvanderslice) has 36,100, and senior Seoul

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Whitehead (@seoull) has 106,200.

All three girls made their accounts in the late spring/early summer of this year, after 2018’s December user boom when TikTok experienced a 275 percent user growth rate from Dec. 17 to Dec. 18, according to Mediakix. Like many current users, the girls said they didn’t immediately take to TikTok. “I hated TikTok at first.” Vanderslice said, “I just created [an account] to watch the videos. I didn’t make them for a couple months at first. I wasn’t going to actually make anything, then, I got like one idea and just started making them from there.”

Whitehead reports a similar lukewarm origin story with the app. “Now,” she says, “I’m so addicted.”

Multiple users have found themselves in the same situation. A Business of Apps 2019 study shows that the average teenage user spends 52 minutes on the app every day. This daily dose of nearly an hour of TikTok is spent on comedy skits, trending dances or art videos.

Vanderslice says that the video that caused her online fame was about colored straws, and Campbell Clark’s first viral TikTok was a video of her and her friends in a car. Without promoting dangerous ideals, these videos still captured the attention of the public.

Similar to most social media platforms though, some users do misuse the app with malicious intent. Many TikTok stars must deal with creepy or even disturbing comments under seemingly innocent videos. Clark

reported that she had someone direct message her saying they were at her house watching her. Whitehead says that she has gotten many vulgar comments on her live streams.

“Guys will comment on my lives saying ‘take off your clothes,’” she said. “It makes me uncomfortable, and I always have to end [the live streams] because I don’t know what to do.”

TikTok now has rules in place to prevent dangerous content and interactions. They’ve cracked down on graphic content, nudity, spam, and child endangerment.

“People can’t see my videos because I restricted community guidelines,” she said, “Once I made a Criminal Minds TikTok, and there was a knife in that. They didn’t like that. Then, I made a public school check TikTok that had public school things in it, and they don’t allow that either. They got mad at me.”

A public school check is a TikTok video that presents public school stereotypes.

TikTok has been derided by onlookers and users alike, with even prominent users stating that they have not gotten anything positive out of the app and urging people not to follow them.

Defenders of the app, however, say it can have a positive effect.

“It’s helping my ego,” Whitehead said. “I feel like it made me funnier.”

Online validation can not only be a huge confidence booster for many teenagers, but some users are able to make money off of their videos. Some TikTok stars can score deals with

brands and donations from prominent fans.

Vanderslice is one of these users. The card game What Do You Meme sends her their games, and about two times a month, she’s posts about them on TikTok. If the video gets more than 100,000 likes, Vanderslice gets paid by the company.

Though Vanderslice is a TikTok star with a brand deal, Whitehead has made money off of TikTok’s “stickers.” The app has a feature where creators with more than 1,000 followers can livestream and have their followers tune in to see them in real time.

While watching the live stream, viewers are offered the opportunity to send “stickers” to the star. These stickers are bought with TikTok coins, purchased in the app with real money and act as currency in the app. TikTok then passes on 80 percent of the sticker’s price to the sticker recipient. Whitehead has live streamed twice and received stickers both times, but she was not aware that she could get money off of them until recently. As of yet, she has not received a payment.

“Where does it go?” Whitehead asked the TikTok creators. “Where’s my money?”

In the end, love it or hate it, TikTok has risen to the top of social media charts, and according to Mediakix, its popularity is trending upward.

From 2017 to 2018, the app has gained 530 million users, a 407 percent increase. TikTok seems unstoppable, but, like many apps that came before it, the ride might not last forever.

When will it inevitably join apps like Vine and Flappy Bird in the App Store graveyard?

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Mario strikes at MAC

New Mario Kart Tour app for mobile devices makes its way into student culture MADELYNN NILES staff reporter Everything is tense. The stillness seems to last an eternity. It is the moment you have been preparing for for far too long. All that surrounds you now is the sound of your engine rumbling and the serene clouds of Cheep Cheep Lagoon, and for a moment, you forget to breathe, but there’s no time to think about any of this because the looming yellow countdown of the clock begins. 3… 2… 1… your next Mario Kart Tour race has started.

On Friday, Sept. 25, the Mario Kart Tour app was released worldwide for mobile devices, prompting an immediate and overwhelming 90 million downloads of the game within the first week of its availability, 20 million of which occurred in the first day alone, according to Apptopia, an online data source about mobile apps.

This response was not only groundbreaking for the history of Nintendo mobile applications, but for all mobile apps on the internet, breaking the previous record of 6.7 million first day downloads held by Pokémon Go. Since then, the sweet and distant memories of blue shells and banana peels have once again become a reality for millions of people worldwide, and have found their way into the McCallum culture.

“It’s a lot more accessible that normal, because Mario Kart is usually on console,” sophomore Marios Petropoulos stated. “It’s just opened up a new world for Nintendo users at MAC.” Although, like many students, he is a general fan of the game, he does feel that there are some drawbacks of the mobile version.

“The steering’s a little difficult, but you get used to it the more you play it. Usually people play on their phones during free time at school, and Mario Kart is just really fun… because it’s such a good way to pass time. Overall, a solid eight (out of 10).”

This difference in steering, along with other aspects of the game such as the $4.99 monthly fee for a Gold Pass, has brought controversy

“It’s just opened up a new world for Nintendo users at MAC. ... It’s such a good way to pass time.”

—sophomore Marios Petropoulus

upon the otherwise successful game.

For Petropoulos, it is not a major concern, but for other racers, these are important downfalls to note when considering playing the game. For these people, the app seems to feel more like a not-so ”Cheap-Cheap” lagoon, and for this reason, sticking with the console seems more logical. Others feel simply that it’s just not the same as the original.

“I grew up playing Mario Kart on my Wii,” sophomore Scarlet Frese said when asked about the app, “and honestly the new one is just not the same. It’s convenient and all, and I guess that’s kind of the point, but I don’t really understand the hype around it. … The excitement of the app lasted a couple days, but then I was over it.”

Chemistry teacher Robert Ely, whose classroom has been host to countless Smash Bros matches, also feels otherwise about this new obsession amongst the campus.

“It was alright” he stated. “It wasn’t as fun as other Mario Karts I’ve played. It’s neat to see that it was on a mobile platform, but it just ain’t the same.”

This opinion seems to be prominent among the users of the app at McCallum, with gamers appreciating the mobile edition but missing that classic Mario magic.

Ely feels, however, that Nintendo games in general are a good source of unity, bringing together different groups of people and allowing them to share a common passion.

“It’s great to see all these different groups of kids with different interests, but they’re coming together to play this game,” he said, referring to the typical crowd in his room at lunch for games.

“But I mean, come on. (The new Mario Kart App) doesn’t even hold a candle to Smash Brothers.”

With all factors considered, the consensus at McCallum seems to be approval of the app, despite the lack of the console features and feel. An online poll done through the Macjournalism Instagram account on Oct. 8 revealed that 70 percent of the 349 survey respondents have the game installed on their phone, and when asked who the “pro racers” at McCallum were, 75 percent responded with themselves, an indication of confidence that also suggests that many students regularly use and enjoy playing the app, despite professing mixed feelings. With the a n no u ncement that Nintendo will soon release an update allowing multiplayer usage of the game, it seems that the new Mario Kart Tour mobile app is here to stay, its popularity among students will spike as new additions are made and drawbacks are considered, and you’ll still have to beware of red shells.

RAPID RACERS: Sophomores Bridget Cole and Anna Schlett complete a quick race before class begins. “I just love the competitive nature of (the app),” Cole said. “It’s also super fun to add your friends and keep track of eachother’s scores.” Photo by Madelynn Niles.

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Mac band ‘caps’ Capital City

Drum majors reflect upon key victory that made band members realize they could go all the way MADELYNN NILES staff reporter 7 a.m. It is a cold and rainy Saturday morning, gray enough to require a light rain jacket, but not gray enough to dampen the spirits of McCallum drum majors Dexter Canning and Jonah Brown.

“I remember waking up, and I wasn’t even tired,” Brown said. “I knew I had a long day ahead, and I was going to save my tiredness for later.”

It is the moment the band had been training for on those hot and hazy summer band camp days out on the blacktop, way back in late July, through all of August, and every day since then —the day of the marching band’s first and biggest competition, Capital City Marching Festival.

“I just woke up and I was like, ‘Alright, let’s go!’” Brown said.

The weather, however, had other plans.

9 a.m. Just half an hour into their preparatory rehearsal, a cool rain begins to fall across the pavement of the parking lot, drenching instruments, band members and a chance at one last run before the competition.

“Guess I didn’t have to take a shower this morning,” Canning recalled thinking.

This obstacle, however, did not phase head marching director Zackary Travis in his determination. “We hit the spots that we needed to hit, so I was OK with it,” he stated afterwards.

“It had been really hot up until that point, so it was actually nice to watch it cool down for a little bit.”

Towels were swiftly thrown atop everything in sight, and the buses were loaded.

It really was go time.

2 p.m. According to Travis, the preliminary round of the competition was an “OK” run. Rough due to the suddenly hot weather, which emerged courtesy of Texas Octobers, which would soon turn again to storms, delaying the retreat portion of the competition by an hour. While judges record their final comments on their ballots and the trophies get a final polish, all the band members can do is wait for the announcement of who will move on to the finals.

Canning and Brown catch up on their sleep in the doorway of the facility. “Just a nice little nap before finals,” as Canning described it. The boys laughed as they reminisced upon the moment.

“Quality bonding time,” they agreed, is a good way to characterize this part of the day.

6 p.m. Band members burst up from the stands cheering as loud as they can as they hear the words they longed to hear—first place in the 4A division, best percussion, best music, best visual and highest overall score. As a result of their seeding, they will be last to perform in the final round later that night. “I knew we were gonna make finals, I felt it in my gut,” Brown stated.

“But first? That was really a big surprise.” Canning agreed that this result represented a turning point in the band’s mentality. “I found out we got first after prelims, and I was like… ‘We did it? Oh hell yes.’” With just several hours left before the final round, the pressure among the remaining 10 bands percolated. “Whatever we did before isn’t good enough anymore,” Travis said. “The previous rep, the previous day, the previous week, whatever it may be. That’s just how I live my life.”

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BAND BACKSTAGE: Members of the clarinet section smile and pose pre-show, enjoying their last few moments before the all-day competition at Toney Burger Stadium kicks off. A day full of of music, marching, and. although they didn’t know it yet, victory, lay ahead of them. Photo by Madelynn Niles.

SWEET, SWEET SWEEPSTAKES: Drum majors Dexter Canning and Jonah Brown celebrate after learning that McCallum had received straight first divisions, or sweepstakes, at the UIL marching competition shortly after Cap City, qualifying them for the area competition. Photo by Madelynn Niles.

Graphic by Madelynn Niles.

9:30 p.m. Canning and Brown look over the crowd, the field, and finally to each other. They exchange a quick glance, determination in their eyes. “At that moment, it felt like everybody wanted to push to make first in finals,” Canning said. Brown agreed. “It was like, ‘We’re here, it’s late — we might as well make first.’” Canning nodded. “We might as well show the other schools what we’re made of.”

And just like that, the crowd was on its feet; the roar of applause and shouts drowning out any doubt the band had prior to the performance.

“I remember I thought, ‘That was such a good run,’ but then my thoughts immediately went to ‘Oh my gosh my arms are on fire,’” Brown said with a light laugh. “I just had to get off the podium and shake it all out. I was super tense the entire run because, ya know, it’s your final performance, and you’re the last one going at like 10 o’clock at night, pitch black and everyone’s

High School!” “Right when they said that,” Brown said, thinking back to that moment. “It was so crazy. I was like, ‘Oh, we didn’t make it?

But then I was like… wait. It’s finals, and it’s dark outside. And we made first.” Before the victor could even be announced, the stands erupted with screams, stomps and laughter. “I remember being like, ‘Oh crap, we did this,’” Canning added. “‘We really did this.’”

Looking forward, the MAC band will compete in the UIL area competition, with hopes of placing in the top three bands—the requirement for moving on to the state competition. “If we just clean up very small things,” Canning stated, “we can go far. It’s up to us now to fix that everything… it’s our choice.” “I’m gonna say something, but I don’t want it to come off as cocky…” Brown added with a smile. “ I’m really looking forward to state.” The two looked at each other once again with that fierce determination, this time with a glimmer of hope in their eyes.

staring right at you — all the other bands, all the parents.” Both drum majors agreed that this was the strongest performance the band had experienced yet this season. “We had a great run that night,” Travis said afterward, also smiling. “I was excited, because it felt like the first time the band legitimately performed. You could feel that emotion and that energy in the show for the first time the whole season.”

Out of breath, the band members walk off the field and, still in their full uniforms, head to the stands for the announcements of results. Rushed and anxious whispers fill every corner of the stadium.

10 p.m. The announcement ceremony is coming to a close, and a hush falls over the crowd. “Second place goes to…” booms the voice over the speakers. Hearts pounding, the two drum majors look at each other. A moment passes where everyone holds their breath. A moment frozen in stone. “... Dripping Springs

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Right: Seniors Connie Pierce and Miles Perkins pose during a photo shoot before ‘Influenced.’

Pierce and Perkins are wearing Julia Kay Smith’s line, inspired by Andy Warhol. “With a colorful and urban twist on an iconic, western trope,” Smith said, “I made a line that celebrates the combination of my southern background and the more urban aspect of my world view.” Below: McCallum seniors Grace Milligan, Louisa Najar and Ruby Henson pose for a picture behind their art booths in the main gallery. All proceeds from the sold student art work went to benefit the Girls Empowerment Network of Austin. Photos by Stella Shenkman.

Senior makes a huge ‘Influence’ Jk Smith stages benefit fashion show, which raises $4,300 for Girls Empowerment Network MIA TERMINELLA design editor “I just remember sitting there, watching the show, listening to [senior] Shaine [Rozman] talk before her line went out and thinking I’ve never been more happy than right at this moment,” Smith said, “and that was so cool.”

The show, “Influenced,” which took place on Oct. 15 at the Pershing, had been a dream of Smith’s ever since she first took an interest in the world of fashion. The idea began to take shape the summer before Smith’s junior year. The combination of her passion for management and for design culminated in the perfect opportunity to throw a large scale fashion event.

“I told my parents this is what I want to do, and they were immediately like, ‘Are you sure you can do that?’” Smith said, “and I said, ‘Yes, I’m going to do this.’”

Smith then began her search for a venue.

“Spring break junior year, I got the Pershing for free,” Smith said, “and I was like, ‘Wow, this is actually going to happen,’ and from there everything else started to happen.”

Whether it was reading Vogue or watching the haute couture shows of New York Fashion Week, Smith has always been into fashion.

“I remember when I bought my first Vogue in the seventh grade, the one with Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid,” Smith said. “I just remember looking through the ads and being like, ‘Wow, this is it.’”

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McCallum seniors and ‘Influenced’ fashion show designers Sydney Buford, Shaine Rozman, Julia Kay Smith, and Anna Nasi pose for a picture after the fashion show. Photo by Kate Davern.

Over the span of a year and a half, Smith transformed her ideas into the multimedia student-produced show, “Influenced.” Her original vision grew from planning a benefit fashion show to much more. Smith aimed to celebrate artistic youth around Austin.

Smith’s show was entirely run by students, featuring designs from McCallum seniors Sydney Buford, Shaine Rozman, and Smith in addition to Saint Stephen’s senior Anna Nasi. Student artwork was also featured and available for purchase from Mac seniors Louisa Najar, Sara Milliken, Ruby Henson and Grace Milligan.

As its title suggests, Smith’s show was ‘influenced’ by art.

The lines the designers created were inspired by individual artists. Buford drew inspiration from Mark Rothko. Buford used specific pieces Rothko created as models for her pieces of clothing.

“One of Rothko’s purposes in creating art work was to stimulate deep emotions and bring communication through color,” Buford said “I wanted to do the same.”

Rozman’s inspiration was Helen Frankenkeller, an abstract expressionist painter from the 1950s to the 2010s.

“She is from New York,’’ Rozman said, “so in my line I tried to incorporate fashion trends from the ’50s-’70s in New York.”

The event took place the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 15 at The Pershing. All proceeds went to benefit the Girls Empowerment Network. The nonprofit organization works to provide young women with the skills needed to be successful in life by teaching them the meaning of self love and self care.

Smith became involved with the Girls Empowerment Network her junior year. She fell in love with their mission and staff.

The organization leads seminars on topics ranging from goalsetting to college readiness and healthy habits in the workplace.

Through a combination of ticket, food and drink sales, plus a raffle sponsored by local businesses in the Austin area, Smith raised a total of $4,300 for the Girls Empowerment Network.

The money Smith raised will allow approximately 150 girls to go to a We Are Girls Conference for free, where they can learn ways to be politically active, skills for school and much more.

For Smith, the fashion show was more than a beneficial event; it created a connection.

“So many different people from Austin were there, and so many different people from Austin were involved,” Smith said, “I finally felt like an addition to my city.”

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Here are some of the designs and models who appeared in the benefit fashion show, “Influenced.�

Designer: Anna Nasi Model: Mary Roe Inspired by Frida Khalo Photo by Kate Davern

Designer : Sydney Buford Model: Rey Bernacki Inspired by Mark Rothko Photo by Kate Davern

Designer: Shaine Rozman Model: Loretta Bickley Inspired by Helen Frankenthaler Photo by Kate Davern

Designer: Julia Kay Smith Model: Connie Pierce Inspired by Andy Warhol Photo by Kate Davern

Designer: Julia Kay Smith Model: Jane Bilby Inspired by Andy Warhol Photo by Kate Davern

Designer: Anna Nasi Model: Janssen Transier Inspired by Frida Khalo Photo by Kate Davern

Designer: Sydney Buford Model: Olivia Navarro Inspired by Mark Rothko Photo by Kate Davern

Designer: Shaine Rozman Model: Amelia Paul Inspired by Helen Frankenthaler Photo by Kate Davern

Designer: Julia Kay Smith Model: Ava Barrett Inspired by Andy Warhol Photo by Kate Davern

Designer: Julia Kay Smith Model: Miles Perkins Inspired by Andy Warhol Photo by Kate Davern

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This month: November

Cold Cookie Company WITH A CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE ON TOP: On the left is a mint chocolate chip milkshake with whip cream and a chocolate chip cookie, both mixed in and on top.

Next to it is a vanilla ice cream sandwich between two Snickerdoodle cookies covered with chocolate sprinkles.

Photo by Alex Dowd.

S O M E T H I N G Houndstooth When I walked into Houndstooth cafe, it felt different than any other coffeeshop I’ve ever been to. Something about it is classier than your average morning stop; it almost makes your cup of Joe into a cup of Joseph. Maybe it’s the clean tables encrusted with bits of turquoise, the elegant music you hear upon entering or the way that most of the patrons are dressed in business-casual attire, but when I went to Houndstooth, it made my day just a touch classier.

They serve an array of classic coffee, as well as unique drinks like the pictured cascara tea.

What’s more, the classy drinks come at a classy price—espressos, americanos, macchiatos and hot chocolate come in around $4 with tax, less than your average Starbucks drink.

Located on North Lamar opening at 6:30 a.m. and closing at 7 p.m., it’s a great place to go for a beforeschool study group or a relaxing break with friends.

—Ellen Fox

A NEW KIND OF COFFEE (top): The Cascara latte is a staple of the Houndstooth menu. The store takes the fruit of the coffee and steeps it in hot water to make a tea. The end result is a tasty drink that reminds drinkers of raisins.

Photo by Ellen Fox. BRIGHT AT NIGHT (bottom): The Houndstooth sign at night. The store is located at 4200 North Lamar Boulevard. Photo by Ellen Fox.

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Have you ever found yourself wandering the University of Texas campus, way past your bedtime, searching for a midnight snack?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. We’ve all been there, scouring the streets for something sweet to eat when everything seems to be closed. Luckily, The Shield has found you a solution that’s open until 3 a.m. on the weekends.

On Rio Grande, there is a small food truck park with a pastel-colored, vintage truck covered in painted cartoon snowflakes with Cold Cookie Co. written in cursive above the window. What’s inside the Cold Cookie Co. is even sweeter than the outside paint job. There are five consistent flavors of freshly baked cookies, nine different flavors of ice cream (including a vegan option) and over seven toppings ranging from cookie crumbles to Reese’s Pieces. The choices don’t end there. Before deciding what combo of cookies, ice cream and toppings you want, you get to decide how you want to consume them.

The Cold Cookie Co. offers bowls, floats, shakes, ice cream sandwiches, waffle cones and their specialty Unshakes, which are essentially layered, deconstructed milkshakes. Want to try these treats, but can’t make the trip to West Campus?

Cold Cookie Co. has another location on Ranch Road 620 N with the same menu.

—Alex Dowd

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S O M E T H I N G

S A S S Y

Austin International Drag Festival Do you often find yourself exclaiming “not today, Satan?” Or referring to conversations as “kikis?” Have you ever found yourself walking into a room “purse first?” Are you “perfect, beautiful, and look like Eva Evangelista?”

If so, then you might just be a qualified fan of the alluring drag culture.

While you’re waiting for RuPaul’s Drag Race season 12 to air, you need to get your fix, but however will you do that in this small Texas town? You’ll be happy to hear that Austin, Texas is host to an annual Austin International Drag Festival. Put on by the Austin International Drag Foundation, a foundation dedicated to supporting, promoting, and educating others on the drag community, the festival is held from Nov. 11-17 with performances, meet and greets, food vendors and merch.

This year, the headliners are Camp Wannakiki stars Miss Kitty Litter ATX, Diana Fire and Alexis Bevels; RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Soju and Ariel Versace; and Miss International Queen of 2019, Jazzel Barbie Royale. Along with watching multiple Queens’ sets, the festival offers meet and greets with some of the performers.

There is no age restriction for the festival, but those 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult. All of the acts are advised to be PG-13, but they aren’t reviewed prior to their performance.

—Alex Dowd

SASHAY THIS WAY: The poster above features Art Simone, former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant. To buy tickets to the event, head over to the website or Eventbrite. Ticket prices range from $19 for a general-admission one-day pass, and up to $125 for a VIP pass. Photo provided by Austin International Drag Foundation.

SOMETHING SEASONAL Boggy Creek Farm Located on 3414 Lyon Road, just an hour and a half outside of northeast Austin, Boggy Creek Farms prides itself on its balance between urban farms ands country farms.

Springdale Farm For somewhere a bit closer to home, Springdale Farm is a nearly 5 acre haven located just 3 miles from the Capitol in downtown Austin.

Alexander Family Farm

local farms

S O M E T H I N G

With the mission of creating the freshest produce possible, Alexander Family Farms tries to keep 20 minutes the city while being as close to nature as

Dewberry Hill Farms If you’re looking for a road trip, travel about 50 miles towards Bastrop to visit Dewberry Hill Farms. They prioritize the well being of all living things by going chemical free.

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shield BLACK AND WHITE: Physics teacher Nicholas Koslan draws a free body diagram for juniors Lily Prather and Lily Wilson on his class whiteboard. Koslan, a Physics I and II teacher, previously worked with researchers studying the affects of certain chemicals on brain tumors. Photo by Tomas Marrero.

Proust Questionnaire: Nicholas Koslan Koslan spills about teaching, personal life, efforts to kill tumors

The Proust Questionnaire, named after French writer Marcel Proust, is a series of 35 questions meant to gage the personality and values of the answerer. Tomas Marrero caught up with physics teacher Nicholas Koslan, the latest Maculty member to sit for our version of the Proust Questionnaire.

The Shield: What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Nicholas Koslan: Perfect happiness? I guess it would be playing jazz, I like to play jazz.

TS: What is your greatest fear?

NK: Honestly, it would be dying before I get my kids set up for college.

TS: What is your current state of mind?

NK: Probably anxious. It’s just always like that, teaching is tough.

TS: On what occasions do you lie?

NK: All the time. I tell kids, “You’re gonna do fine, everything’s gonna be OK.” Yeah, all the time.

I can’t really pinpoint one area where I lie the most, it mostly has to do with teaching and comforting folks. Keeping everyone nice and calm.

TS: Which living person do you most despise?

NK: I don’t really despise anyone I know.

There’s a lot of people I don’t like, but I wouldn’t say despise. It’s a very strong word. We don’t have a Pol Pot or a Stalin of today, do we?

TS: Well, there’s the dictator of Venezuela.

NK: Yeah, he is a pretty awful person isn’t he.

A lot of Venezuelan politicians are really bad.

Yeah, like I don’t like Trump, but I don’t really despise him.

TS: What is the quality you most like in another person?

NK: There’s a lot people I do like for sure.

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And there’s a lot of good qualities out there.

I’m trying to pinpoint the one I really like.

It’s tough. Top 3? I really liked Obama in how he handled everything. He was always … composed and never really went negative. I also liked his predecessor, George W. Bush. I know a lot of people didn’t, but I liked him. I think he had a lot of integrity. And history’s actually been fairly kind to him. He did have a lot of integrity. He did things very opposite of the Republican Party like during the recession. So I liked his integrity for things, always doing what mattered. And then the third is, I’d actually say Ronald Reagan. His ability to retract things that didn’t work. If he had a policy that didn’t work, they would stop doing it. Results driven, I guess. When you see the results, don’t say “Oh, we didn’t go far enough.” Look at the results, and let them speak for themselves.

TS: Which words or phrases do you overuse the most?

NK: “Absolutely.” I use that a lot. Lots of superlatives, yeah. “Great job,” I do that a lot when kids get it. I say “Good answer” a lot, especially for wrong answers I usually say, “Good answer.” And “That’s fair.” I use that one when I disagree.

TS: When and where are you most happy?

NK: I am happy with my family all the time.

TS: Which talent would you most like to have?

NK: I’d like to speak better. Like speech. Like articulating, it’s hard.

TS: What is your greatest achievement?

NK: I’d have to say my work with ofibolen and calmodulin. Calmodulin is inside highly conservative cross-species. We studied ofibolen, which is a fungo-metabolite; it kills glioblastoma, brain cancer, in nano molar concentrations, really small amounts. So I worked with a team where we analyzed the magnetism of ophiobolin A; there’s lots of ofibolens. Ofibolen A completely inhibits calmodulin. We found two

CIRCLE OF QUESTIONS: Nicholas Koslan fields questions from Junior Fiona Wyrtzen (left) as well as other students in his second period Physics I class. Photo by Tomas Marrero.

“I don’t think I’d want to be someone famous either; they all seem miserable. I guess just me, I wouldn’t want to be anything else.”

—Nicholas Koslan

lysine residues, which is inhibiting. It kills brain cancer, but it’s highly toxic. We don’t know if shutting down calmodulin is a mechanism to killing brain cancer; we just know that it does it.

TS: If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

NK: It would probably be a person, I don’t think I’d want to be a thing. I’ve never considered

that. I don’t think I’d want to be someone famous either; they all seem miserable. I guess just me, I wouldn’t want to be anything else.

As a matter of fact we were talking about that the other day: if you could do photosynthesis would you, and I would not.

TS: Where would you most like to live?

NK: That’s a good one. There’s lots of places I would like to live. First, anywhere with better weather. I hate the heat, and I’ve lived here all my life. I absolutely hate the heat, so anywhere with better weather. I’d like the Northwest, or in Germany, somewhere near the mountains.

TS: What is your most treasured possession?

NK: Well, the obvious answer would be my daughter, but that’s not all that interesting.

Second to that, I have a 1939 Gibson J35. It’s highly sought after. They made them from ‘37’42, or something like that, or ‘35-’42. I’ve had it up a couple times, I know Riley, Sam and Liam have seen it.

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Thanks to a live propane fire exercise, Mac students in LBJ’s Fire Academy program undergo a ....

FUTURE FIGHTERS (left): Attacking the fire from the side, the Fire Academy seniors inch their way closer and closer to the propane tank with the hopes of turning off the gas nozzle feeding the flames. “My favorite part was being in the very front on the nozzle and advancing it to about six inches from the fire so that we could turn off the propane tank,” McCallum senior Zach King said. “You could see the flames jumping at you and getting blocked by the water, which looked really cool.

Overall it was a great experience, and I am very excited to hopefully one day serve on a fire department.”

TRIAL BY FIRE

P H O T O S

A N D

R E P O R T I N G

SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIREFIGHTING (above): McCallum seniors Ena Nolan and Zach King joined the rest of their LBJ Fire Academy crew in a live propane fire exercise on Oct. 12 at the Austin Fire Academy. The goal of the practice was for the group of seniors to control the fire enough for a member to get close enough to turn off the tank’s gas valve, which would extinguish the flame. “I don’t even know how to describe it,” said Nolan, who is in her second year in the program.

“Watching it [last year] was an ethereal experience; it was insane, and doing it myself was absolutely amazing.

Definitely one of the most epic things I’m gonna do in the next couple of years.” Earlier in the day, the juniors in the program, including McCallum students Molly Odland, John Hughes, Thomas Lucey, Tex Mitchell and Will Russo, underwent an obstacle course in full gear while trying to conserve air. “I really enjoyed working on exercises with the SCBA, which is a [self-contained] breathing apparatus used in situations in which you need air,” Odland said. “It helped me understand how [the masks] work, and ways I can control my breathing.”

In the evening, the juniors helped out on the sidelines of the live fire by replacing the seniors’ air cylinders that fed their air supplies. “We didn’t do the fire exercise, but I would say the coolest part for me was watching all of [the seniors] work together to suppress the fire in a short time,” Odland said.

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B Y

B E L L A

R U S S O

FIRELIT FACES (above): Faces tinted by the light of the propane fire, McCallum junior Will Russo and Austin High junior Archer Brookes watch the academy’s seniors battle the live fire. LBJ’s fire academy is a two-year program open to all junior and senior AISD students as a school sharing program. “At the end of the day, it’s not really all that different going to LBJ. “ Russo said. “The people aren’t that different, but getting to see people from different schools and their different mentalities towards things and taking a class at a different campus is an interesting experience.” Photo by Bella Russo.

FANNING THE FLAMES (above): LBJ’s student firefighters use water hoses to control the propane fires. Since the flames were gas fed, the goal of the exercise was to get close enough to the propane tank to theoretically turn off the gas, as illustrated by the frontmen waving a hand once they could touch the gas nozzle. The live fire marked a turning point in the academy’s senior curriculum, “The goal of the propane fire was more practice on live fire, and it was symbolic of us graduating from the fire academy and moving into EMS,” Zach King said.

COLUMN OF FIRE (above): Positioned on standby across from the live fire, a group of firefighters act as safeties while the rest of their crew prepares to begin spraying down the flames. “We were all in different stations at different points,” senior Ena Noble said, “but on the last rotation I was on safety, so basically my role was—if one of the people getting closest to the fire catches on fire—I put them out.”

CHIEF IN CHARGE (left): LBJ Fire Academy chief Matt Orta crosses the perimeter of the drill as his crew beats back the propane fire behind him. Under Orta and the rest of the academy’s teachers, many of whom are active firefighters, the Fire Academy students learn leadership, fire science and emergency medical training. The academy’s students are then able to apply their classroom learning to real drills, such as the live propane fire exercise. “We went through practicing each step for the fire earlier in the day,” King said, ‘but we had also been putting out building, car, and dumpster fires the weekend before.”

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Thanks to a live propane fire exercise, Mac students in LBJ’s Fire Academy program undergo a ....

FUTURE FIGHTERS (left): Attacking the fire from the side, the Fire Academy seniors inch their way closer and closer to the propane tank with the hopes of turning off the gas nozzle feeding the flames. “My favorite part was being in the very front on the nozzle and advancing it to about six inches from the fire so that we could turn off the propane tank,” McCallum senior Zach King said. “You could see the flames jumping at you and getting blocked by the water, which looked really cool.

Overall it was a great experience, and I am very excited to hopefully one day serve on a fire department.”

TRIAL BY FIRE

P H O T O S

A N D

R E P O R T I N G

SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIREFIGHTING (above): McCallum seniors Ena Nolan and Zach King joined the rest of their LBJ Fire Academy crew in a live propane fire exercise on Oct. 12 at the Austin Fire Academy. The goal of the practice was for the group of seniors to control the fire enough for a member to get close enough to turn off the tank’s gas valve, which would extinguish the flame. “I don’t even know how to describe it,” said Nolan, who is in her second year in the program.

“Watching it [last year] was an ethereal experience; it was insane, and doing it myself was absolutely amazing.

Definitely one of the most epic things I’m gonna do in the next couple of years.” Earlier in the day, the juniors in the program, including McCallum students Molly Odland, John Hughes, Thomas Lucey, Tex Mitchell and Will Russo, underwent an obstacle course in full gear while trying to conserve air. “I really enjoyed working on exercises with the SCBA, which is a [self-contained] breathing apparatus used in situations in which you need air,” Odland said. “It helped me understand how [the masks] work, and ways I can control my breathing.”

In the evening, the juniors helped out on the sidelines of the live fire by replacing the seniors’ air cylinders that fed their air supplies. “We didn’t do the fire exercise, but I would say the coolest part for me was watching all of [the seniors] work together to suppress the fire in a short time,” Odland said.

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B Y

B E L L A

R U S S O

FIRELIT FACES (above): Faces tinted by the light of the propane fire, McCallum junior Will Russo and Austin High junior Archer Brookes watch the academy’s seniors battle the live fire. LBJ’s fire academy is a two-year program open to all junior and senior AISD students as a school sharing program. “At the end of the day, it’s not really all that different going to LBJ. “ Russo said. “The people aren’t that different, but getting to see people from different schools and their different mentalities towards things and taking a class at a different campus is an interesting experience.” Photo by Bella Russo.

FANNING THE FLAMES (above): LBJ’s student firefighters use water hoses to control the propane fires. Since the flames were gas fed, the goal of the exercise was to get close enough to the propane tank to theoretically turn off the gas, as illustrated by the frontmen waving a hand once they could touch the gas nozzle. The live fire marked a turning point in the academy’s senior curriculum, “The goal of the propane fire was more practice on live fire, and it was symbolic of us graduating from the fire academy and moving into EMS,” Zach King said.

COLUMN OF FIRE (above): Positioned on standby across from the live fire, a group of firefighters act as safeties while the rest of their crew prepares to begin spraying down the flames. “We were all in different stations at different points,” senior Ena Noble said, “but on the last rotation I was on safety, so basically my role was—if one of the people getting closest to the fire catches on fire—I put them out.”

CHIEF IN CHARGE (left): LBJ Fire Academy chief Matt Orta crosses the perimeter of the drill as his crew beats back the propane fire behind him. Under Orta and the rest of the academy’s teachers, many of whom are active firefighters, the Fire Academy students learn leadership, fire science and emergency medical training. The academy’s students are then able to apply their classroom learning to real drills, such as the live propane fire exercise. “We went through practicing each step for the fire earlier in the day,” King said, ‘but we had also been putting out building, car, and dumpster fires the weekend before.”

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Blue and gray take back seat to pink

PALS set new record by raising more than $1,500 for the Breast Cancer Research Center in Austin DO IT FOR THE CAUSE (left): Senior Ryon Saldana and junior Charlotte Odland celebrate after pieing Mr. Anderson during the pep rally on Friday. Teachers Mrs. Seckar, Mr. Wydeven, Officer Reilly, Mr. Winter, Mr. Reyes, Mr. Baxa, Ms. Marquez, Coach Gammerdinger, Ms. Bachman and principal Hosack were all among those pied along with Anderson. Although Anderson’s expression is imperceptible through the glob of whipped cream on his face, Saldana and Odland share a smile.

[PALS] is a very fun experience,” Saldana said. “It’s like a family, pretty much. We’re really close.” Photo by David Winter.

MADE WITH LOVE (below): After preparing their own baked goods, senior PAL Rose Dotson sells the goodies during a PAL lunch. Last year, the PALS had sold out of their treats, so this year they made sure to make a lot to satisfy Mac’s cravings and raise as much as possible, their goal being $300. “It turned out really, really well, and it was just so fun to make the desserts,” Dotson said. “It was a long night... but it was all worth it and we ended up reaching our goal.” Photo by David Winter.

WATER GREAT WAY TO RAISE FUNDS: As she is drenched with the cooler water, senior Mira MacLaurin laughs in surprise. PALS sold three water balloons for a dollar, but they also upped the ante with buckets and coolers full of water. “We raised more this year than any other, which I think is probably because of all the hype we had this year,” MacLaurin said.

The activities and decorations raised awareness more than ever, and we were able to include the entire school in our fundraiser.” Photo by Anna Nagle.

SNO-COOL (above): Junior PAL Meg Rowan scoops snow cones for the lunch festivities.

The machine was a popular attraction during the lunch activities taking place in both the courtyard and the peace garden.

“We didn’t know we were going to get the machine until the Friday or Thursday before Pink Week, and so we all just kind of signed up and ended up having the machine,” Rowan recalled. “It was really fun, and I thought it brought a lot of people out.” Photo by David Winter.

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SETTING THE STAGE FOR PINK WEEK (left): Assembling after school on the Friday afternoon before Pink Week, the PALS, along with their pals from Key Club, National Honor Society and AVID, wasted no time getting the hallways ready for next week’s observation of Pink Week, an annual week-long project to raise awareness and funds in support of breast-cancer research. “I loved really getting invested into decorations,” said senior Zachary Steiner.

“I’m hyped about how driven the students are this year.” Photos by Frances Arellano.

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At Mac, Gilbert finds a second family A series of adventures, misadventures have brought him here, but he’s not done living, learning OLIVIA CAPOCHIANO staff reporter

Catch Gilbert Harros patrolling the hallways or conversing in the police booth, and he’s quick to tell you about high school romance turned sour, dancing the cumbia, or how well he can dunk a basketball. Don’t let his laid-back nature fool you though: he may refer to himself by his first name, “Gilbert,” but McCallum’s trusty new campus security guard has already found the perfect balance of seriousness and fun. This is his first year, and yet he never seems awkward or out of place, often shouting greetings to regular hallway wanderers. You might recognize him as the man flaunting rectangular glasses, a wrestling team polo and a phone full of photos of his three dogs.

Harros, oops sorry, Gilbert graduated from Crockett High School with a dream of playing college basketball. He played varsity all four years and describes the sport as “the love of his life.” Being one of the best players at Crockett got him sent to the Great American Shootout, which is just about what it sounds like, a huge tournament where players hope to get signed.

“I went and found out how bad I really was,” Gilbert said. “We lost all of our games.” He thought his dream was out the window until a Colorado college offered him a roster spot. “Boom! My chance was in front of me,” he exclaims, “but I didn’t have the grades.”

Next, he tried the military. The first time he took the ASVAB, he failed. “I got such a low score that I cried,” he said. “I had to get my life together.”

Gilbert enrolled at ACC and started to get more serious about his coursework. In a moment of redemption, he returned to retake the ASVAB, and made a 99, the highest score possible. Still unsatisfied, he revisited the test to make a 110 general technical score, qualifying him for advanced positions.

But misfortune struck when he neglected to announce his heart murmur to the medic, who assumed he was attempting to hide the condition and stamped him unfit for duty.

At just 19, he took a job bartending downtown. “I met a lot of cool people.

The world is so big. I met 50 Cent, Fat Joe, Johnny Manziel .…” he trails off, thinking, then says, “It was a good time. So don’t bartend ever.”

Gilbert continued taking classes at ACC while waiting for the Austin Police Department to open up job applications. He describes the length of the 40-page entry form with an exaggerated gesture. He passed the

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Gilbert Harros (top) smiles as students pass him in the hall. “I always say, ‘High school is the best nightmare ever,” Gilbert said. Harros (left) patrols the main hall during first period. As security guard and hall monitor, he watches for both internal and external threats. “I’m aware, but I know to pick my fights here. Some kids are having really bad days and don’t need to be in class at that moment,” Gilbert said.

Photos by Olivia Capochiano.

written exam with an 82, sharing that he’s “smart now and studies for tests.”

After painstakingly making it through the background check and board interview, for which he even bought a suit, Gilbert was accepted into the police academy. He did amazingly well until he broke his rib.

“I’ll never forget these words from my corporal, he said, ‘Son, I don’t

know where you’re going, but good luck.’ Those words live with me.

That’s horrible to say to someone who was dedicating their life to become something bigger than themselves.”

When asked if he would go back to the police academy, he retorts, “Have you ever been pepper-sprayed?”

As for his current job as campus security, he considers his biggest

responsibility safety. “It looks like I don’t much, but I do a lot.”

He stresses the importance of community and education and understands the struggles of a high school student.

“You have to build rapport because you have to realize who’s having a bad day, and bad days lead to bad events.”

Gilbert values family the most and says McCallum is his second family.

He says family, including his dogs, is his greatest joy in life.

Community is everything at McCallum, and he knows it. “I don’t know everyone, but I know the students who need to be known,” he comments, “and I respect the students that care. I know who I can leave alone

and who needs to be talked to. A lot of students who I redirect are good about it, but if you don’t give a damn, those are the kids who get sent to the APs all the time.”

The security guard says he “values education and despises ignorance in a person.” He aims to become more educated and plans to go to ACC again to get a degree. “If I had just listened and paid attention in school, life could be a lot better,” Gilbert ruminates. “I was so stupid.”

Gilbert can offer you many stories of the importance of education that he’s learned from his days at Crockett.

He thinks that home life is extremely influential in a student’s performance.

“It has a lot to do with family. A good home life means you’ll do good in the world,” he says.

Gilbert feels sorry for his childhood friends who didn’t have the positive role models he had.

Gilbert aims to bring that knowledge to McCallum by being understanding and empathetic.

Although Gilbert enjoys being a security guard, he dreams of bigger things, specifically, being a firefighter. “Hell yeah I love this job,” Gilbert says, “but I don’t wanna be in high school forever.”

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Meeting people outweighs paycheck From downtown candy shop to Wimberley summer camp, students find jobs that offer fun, funds SAMANTHA POWERS staff reporter

High school students need money, whether it’s to pay for something as small as gas or as big as college tuition. For working McCallum students, however, their jobs are about more than just a paycheck. four students have found a way to make work fun by finding a job that is unique and presents exciting opportunities to meet a lot of interesting people.

“I didn’t just want a basic job like working at HEB and bagging stuff or doing something that everybody does,” senior Abby Lerma said. “I wanted something that was a little more unique and cool and flexible.

Lerma has found her unique, cool job with Big Top Candy Shop on South Congress. Alongside a fellow Mac student, Grayson Garza, she sells candy, makes sodas and scoops ice cream in this wonderland of a store. Deep in the heart of the city, these students get to meet people from all around. Even people from out of the country come to the store because of the tourist action in downtown Austin.

“I’ve had people that have come from London and all over the place because Austin’s such a cool place to visit and they’ll stop by for candy,” Lerma said. “So you get to talk with customers and hear their stories sometimes.”

One of Lerma’s favorite things about her job is the kids that come through the store, toting brown bags waiting to be filled with candy and wearing wonder-struck expressions. She likes how many kids find their paradise in this oldfashioned shop.

“Their eyes just brighten up when they walk in,” Lerma said. “I’ve had kids yell, ‘Oh, my goodness, it’s like I’m in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!’ They get so excited.”

Lerma and Garza aren’t the only ones who have the pleasure of meeting and interacting with young kids at their job. Senior Catie Mendivil works as a counselor at a summer camp in Wimberley every year. She herself is a veteran camper, and she has the pleasure of returning to her childhood getaway every summer and getting paid for it. Mendivil was inspired to come back and work as a leader by her counselors from her camping days.

“I’ve been going forever and my counselors were always super amazing,” Mendivil said. “So when I was old enough to become one, I said, ‘Yes, please.’ It’s been really fun.”

Mendivil meets a lot of kids on the job and works with a lot of age groups, too. She has learned a lot about children from this experience.

“Working with children is so humbling,” Mendivil said. “It’s really fun, I think kids are hilarious. I think people may not realize that kids can be so diverse and interesting, especially working with different age groups.”

Mendivil faces challenges that come with working with kids: the job requires hard work, and the kids need constant attention.

“It’s definitely a 24/7 job,” Mendivil said. “So it’s pretty tough, but it’s also really rewarding.”

Similar to Mendivil, Olson grew up in her

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HAPPY CAMPERS: Catie Mendivil poses with a fellow counselor and her troupe of campers at a girls summer camp in Wimberley. Mendivil enjoys spending her summers with kids. “I never was a person who thought I’d love spending time with kids, but I think it’s fun,” Mendivil confesses. “I would encourage people who want to like babysit, or get involved with kids, to do it. It’s really fun, and kids are hilarious.”

Photo courtesy of Mendivil.

STEP RIGHT UP: Grayson Garza pours a soda at the circus-inspired Big Top Candy Shop alongside her coworker, Abby Lerma. Garza and Lerma had their hands full all afternoon with a long line at the popular store. “[Big Top is] a little retro-style store, and we have a soda bar there called Soda Jerks,” Lerma describes. “Basically, you make your own soda.” Lerma enjoys going to her job every weekend and seeing coworkers like Garza.

“I genuinely love going into work and seeing those people and the little new family and community that I found.” Photo by Samantha Powers.

place of work, the Texas Rowing Center, learning how the job is done.

“My mom is the manager there, so I grew up volunteering there,” Olson said. “I’ve been volunteering since I was 7, and after seven years, I was finally able to actually get paid.”

She assists customers with getting in and out of their watercrafts, and she also is a cashier.

Like her fellow students Lerma and Garza, Olson works downtown where the Texas Rowing Center is located. And like Lerma and Garza, Olson has found that working downtown at a popular location in Austin is guaranteed to bring some interesting customers in.

Olson gets to meet people from all over the world, which is part of what makes the job appealing to her.

“A lot of times we have people come from out of the country because they want the experience and paddleboarding is our most popular form of

boards,” Olson said. “People are really attracted to that, so you see a lot of people from Europe and China and their accents are so fun.”

Lerma, Garza and Olson do get to meet a lot of diverse people from all over the world, but they also get to interact with many Austin locals and even Mac students they know. Their popular workplaces attract all kinds of people.

“I see a lot of students at McCallum because some people go there for fun, but a lot of people row that I know,” Olson said. “I see a lot of people around McCallum wearing Texas Rowing T-shirts.”

Mendivil sees a lot of fellow Mac students working as leaders at the camp. She spends weeks meeting people from all over Texas as well as bonding with fellow students that she already knows.

“There are a lot of McCallum students who are campers or who are going through the leadership

program,” Mendivil said. “There are kids from all over the area, I see a lot of people from Austin, and we get people from Houston and Dallas, so that’s really cool.”

The girls concede that working as a teenager has its challenges, but the rewards make it worth it in the end. Each job will take a unique skill set and present its own challenges, but they agree that if the worker is willing to overcome these challenges, a lot of doors will be opened for them in the future.

When asked what advice these girls would give to Mac students looking for jobs, their answer was unanimous: go out there and find something you are passionate about.

“Just keep looking. There’s a lot of cool opportunities you can find around Austin,” Olson advised. “I think there’s a lot of cool opportunities to be found if you just ask. Look around, keep your eyes open.”

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KNIGHTS BEFORE NINE. The varsity football teams practices before school and then again during the double-blocked first and fifth periods. Only junior varsity and varsity practice on the big field, but the freshmen practice on the auxiliary field. Photo by Grace Nugent.

TIGER TIME. Dripping Springs multi-million dollar stadium seats 8,000 people; 5,000 on the home side and 3,000 on the away side. This turf field is utilized for soccer, football and other sports. Image from Dripping Springs High School website. Photo reprinted with permission.

Is Mac football a ‘have’ or a ‘have not’?

Do resources, amenities determine a team’s level of success in high school football?

GRACE NUGENT staff reporter

Ant bites. That’s an injury the McCallum football players are worried about, ant bites.

The field is full of the eusoucial insects, the little things squirming around the mounds and piles of dirt that are scattered sporadically on the multipurpose field that the team utilizes for practice.

“It’s a crap shoot if we can practice when it rains,” senior wide receiver Griffin Kelly said.

“Most of the time the gym and the mat room are being used by basketball, volleyball or cheer”.

Outside of the city, it’s 4:30 p.m; the bell rang 15 minutes ago, and the sky is blanketed with clouds. It’s drizzling lightly in Dripping Springs and, the Tiger football team is starting their warm-up on a slightly wet turf field. Right next to the field they are occupying sits Tiger Stadium, a multi-million dollar, 8,000-seat stadium that on Friday nights is the No. 1 place people in Dripping Springs want to be.

Growing up in Austin you hear about the big schools, Lake Travis, Westlake, Austin High, Dripping Springs, programs with team merchandise stores, tailgating parties and indoor practice facilities that don’t ever have to worry if their helmets are up to code or if their field can be practiced on. These big-ticket schools boast athletes that have gone on to play D1 in college and eventually to the NFL. The most legendary of their players even hold the record for the most pass yards of all time.

With an Oct. 4 in-depth investigative piece entitled, “Why High Poverty Schools Lose More Football Games,” The Austin American-Statesman raised the question of whether high school football teams in central Texas play on a level playing field or whether teams win or lose entirely based on socioeconomic status of the student population and the resources available to the football program

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as a result. The story prompted The Shield to ask the question at our own school: do the resources available to Mac football affect the outcome of the team’s games and if so, how?

Senior Darius Lewis attends Del Valle, but he spent his junior year at McCallum playing football and basketball. Lewis said he switched schools because it was cheaper for his family to move out of the city, but he is in a unique position to compare McCallum’s resources to those of another school.

“At McCallum, the weight room and the facility are much smaller than at Del Valle,” Lewis said.

When Lewis went to McCallum he spent morning and afternoon practices on a dirt, mud and potholed field. At Del Valle, Lewis now practices in a turf field indoor practice area and a state-of-the-art weight room. In the ubercompetitive UIL District 25-6A, Del Valle is 3-4 with an overall record of 5-4.

It’s not just practice spaces and equipment that distinguish the haves from the have-nots.

The size of the coaching staffs also make up a big part. Dripping Springs High school has 13 football coaches; in comparison, McCallum has nine.

More coaches means that the athletes get more one-on-one instruction; there are specific coaches just in charge of freshmen or only in charge of safeties. Along with football obligations and teaching classes, lots of coaches are in charge of all equipment and field care. At understaffed programs, the coaches must work overtime in order to provide the same services to the team. And it’s not just the coaching staff that’s smaller.

McCallum has an smaller-than-regulation size grass auxiliary field, two gymnasiums, and one grass field. Dripping Springs has three gymnasiums, an 8,000-seat capacity turf field stadium, and two turf multi-purpose fields. Last year while the McCallum girls and boys soccer teams were in the heat of the playoffs, the two

“It’s a crapshoot if we can practice when it rains; most of the time the gym and the mat room are being used.”

—Griffin Kelly

GUNTHER’S GAINS. During morning workouts, sophomore Ez Gunther deadlifts in the weight room that was re-done three years ago. “It’s a lot nicer now”, senior Griffin Kelly said. “We got some new equipment, but they just remodeled the room. We still have the old stuff.” Kelly was accustomed to the old weight room he used during his freshman year. Photo by Grace Nugent.

fields at McCallum were being reseeded barring all sports from practicing or even walking on them.

Booster clubs are a big part of the high school football experience. Coaches communicate to the booster clubs what their wants and needs are and the booster clubs try to make those wants a reality.

“The booster money could go to a nutrition plan, different programs like that,” said McCallum Football Booster Club president Michelle Rosales. “We aren’t there yet because we are still trying to get some of the basics.”

The booster club has three fundraisers that they use to raise money: selling signs to businesses, the McCallum merchandise sold at games and ads in the football program.

Booster club memberships range from $25 to $1,000, with business sponsorships at $1,000. By comparison, at Dripping Springs, business sponsorships are anywhere from $1,500 to $6,500.

“Our next goal is gonna be knee braces for the linemen,” Rosales said. “Well, those are $700 a

set, and they need about 10 of them, so now it’s our job to try to fund raise for something that is vital for the player’s safety.”

While the booster club is trying to get knee braces of the linemen, Seguin High School is remodeling its stadium that already houses a $1.35 million dollar video board. Players say they are grateful for AISD fields like House Park and Nelson and they may notice that the non-AISD schools have more bells and whistles surrounding their program, but Kelly says in the end the will to win has to come from inside a player not from external resources.

“It helps to have the practice rain or shine idea, but I think it really comes down to the players you have and the effort they put in,” Kelly said.

Better facilities do contribute to game outcomes and the level of play, but many players contend that effort and attitude are more important factors.

“The work that gets done at McCallum is unmatched,” Lewis said. “The productivity level in a day’s work is different than all of the schools I’ve been to. That’s pretty much a thumbs up to Coach G honestly.”

Some things money just can’t buy.

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Riley rides personal best to UIL state Standout sophomore extends strong season by qualifying for State JULIA KAY SMITH staff reporter Even though the cross-country season is mostly over, there is one runner who is going where no McCallum man, or student for that matter, has gone before: sophomore Chris Riley. Riley has had a landmark cross-country season, beating his best time from last year by a minute and getting an opportunity to race at State, thanks to his 11th place finish at Regionals on Monday.

One of the major milestones for Riley was his success at the McNeil Cross Country Invitational on Sept. 28. He placed first among 2,000 other 5A runners with a time of 16:43. Leading up to the race, Riley and his teammates had been training hard.

“This was one of the most important meets of the season, so I’ve been running twice a day most days for the past two weeks,” Riley said.

“I was pretty nervous because I knew that I was going to place well, but I had no clue I was going to be first. It’s been reassuring knowing that all the work I put in over the summer paid off.”

Riley wasn’t the only one excited that he crossed the finish line first; his teammates were thrilled when they heard the news. Senior Cash Robinson was especially excited when he realized that Riley had crossed the finish line first.

“I finished 89th out of 209,” Robinson said.

“When I crossed the finish line, I noticed my own time and was a little disappointed, but when I saw that Chris got first I was so proud of him and happy to be a Knight!”

But Riley’s top finish at the McNeil Invite hasn’t been his only success. After the McNeil Invite, Riley spent his time continuing the strenuous training he was already doing. Thanks to his training, Riley ran an amazing race at the 25-5A District Championship where he qualified for regionals after placing ninth with a time of 16:34.6.

Just qualifying for regionals, is an amazing feat, much less placing ninth. The last time the McCallum cross-country team made it to regionals, Cash Robinson was a sophomore.

“It was a lot of fun, and I had a great season leading up to the meet,” Robinson said. “It was our second year at regionals, and I wish I would’ve known that we wouldn’t be going back.

It was an awesome experience getting to see some of the best runners in the state.”

Riley is quickly becoming one of those top runners, but, on the McCallum team, he isn’t just loved for his athletic ability. His teammates appreciate him because of his innate ability to be a great teammate and cheer on his fellow runners.

All of his teammates had only nice things to say.

“Chris is a very gifted athlete who takes running very seriously,” Robinson said. “He has a very strong work ethic and is also very humble, so he never talks about how he did in a race or brags about himself.”

Robinson believes that Riley fits in very well with the feeling of the team, and attributes some of Riley’s success to that.

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READY TO RACE: Sophomore Chris Riley (center) lines up with seniors Ian Clennan, Wyeth Purkiss, Josh Betton, Cash Robinson and junior Bodhi Tripathi to compete in the 25-5A District Championship in Lockhart. Riley finished ninth to qualifying for regionals on Oct. 28. Photo by Thomas Melina Raab.

“I had no clue I was going to be first. It’s been reassuring knowing that all the work I put in over the summer paid off.”

–Chris Riley “As a team we are all very hard workers who are motivated by our own goals to get better. We also have a strong focus and on race days we are all very locked in waiting to run.”

Leading up to Regionals, Riley was excited but also characteristically humble about his aspirations.

“I’m excited about running a course I’ve never seen before and seeing how much faster I’ll have to get before I’m able to qualify for the state meet,” Riley said. “I’m not expecting too qualify for state but I am looking forward to seeing how I’ll place with a lot of other fast runners.”

Riley’s humility may have been noble but it proved inaccurate. At the meet, Riley qualified for States, with the fastest sophomore time at 16:31.17. After falling in the first mile, he made a huge comeback in the second and third miles to place 11th and achieve a personal best.

“I am so proud of Chris and what he has achieved this season,” Coach Susan Ashton said.

“He is my first cross-country runner to qualify for state since I have been coaching.”

COMING IN HOT: Chris Riley runs to the finish line at the McNeil Cross Country Invite on Sept.

28th. Riley finished the race in first place with a time of 16:43. Photo by Gabby Sherwood.

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Volleyball, football eye 5A playoffs Varsity Knights sweep Navarro to win 30th game, end district season on a high note On Tuesday, Oct. 29, the Girls varsity volleyball team reached a major milestone -- a 30-win season. By sweeping the host Navarro Vikings, 3-0, the Knights reached 30 wins for the season, something that both the players and the coach say is a major accomplishment.

“It’s definitely a big deal,” junior setter Sophia Henderson said. “We’ve worked really hard, and we can see the progress we’ve made through all 30 of the wins.”

Junior libero Brienna Martinez agreed. “We’re happy to reach that goal, and it’s just a good feeling.”

Varsity head coach Amy Brodbeck said the team usually ends up with 20-something wins in a season, and then she said what’s really on the volleyball program’s mind: the playoffs.

“If a team can hit the 30-win mark or higher with fewer losses, they most likely will be in playoffs beyond the first round,” Brodbeck said. “I am proud of the girls for reaching this mark.”

Though the game against the Vikings wasn’t the most competitive one, the Knights were able to make it a productive day in the gym.

“It’s a good chance to practice and run plays,” Henderson said,

“and get ready for playoffs.”

Henderson and Martinez both said that it’s been awhile since the Knights advanced past the first round of the state playoffs.

“Our goal this year is to make it way past the first round,” Martinez said. Like their head coach, both players expressed confidence that the team can advance past the first round of the state playoffs.

Prior to Tuesday’s win at Navarro, the Knights lost in straight sets at home on Friday to district champion Dripping Springs. If it weren’t for the pesky Tigers, the Knights would have had an undefeated district season. The Tigers won first with a perfect 14-0 district mark; the Knights were second at 12-2. ”We knew it was going to be a really tough game, but we still played up to their level,” Henderson said. ”If we can play like that in playoffs then we are going a lot farther for sure.”

The varsity team expects to begin their playoff season on Nov. 4, where they will be playing against the No. 3 seed from District 265A. According to MaxPreps.com, the third place team in District 26-5A is San Antonio McCollom with an 11-5 district record.

—MacJournalism Sports Team

CAN YOU DIG IT? Junior Bridget Russo answers with an emphatic, “Yes!” The Knights may have come up short on the scoreboard Oct. 25 in their home finale against Dripping Springs, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Photo by Olive Embry.

Knight defense comes up big in 10-6 win over Northeast The Varsity Knight’s victory over the Northeast Raiders last week was important for many reasons. It propelled the Knights into a playoff spot, should they defeat Crockett and Travis to end the regular season. It was also a very impressive game for the defense, which stifled the Raiders except for two big plays in the second half.

The defense created multiple turnovers in the game as well. The Raiders hung tough, however, scoring on a 74-yard run in the third quarter and threatening to score the winning tough down after a 40-yard pass play put them in scoring position in the fourth. After reaching the 11-yard line and throwing an incomplete pass near the end zone during the same drive, the Raiders had time for one more try at the end zone, and that’s when senior lineman Alvino Carbajal made what has to be one of the most significant sacks of his high school career to stifle the drive and preserve the 10-6 win.

On Oct. 19 the Knights traveled to Seguin to battle the Matadors. Trailing 28-0 in the second half, the Knights mounted as second half comeback with touchdowns by Daniel Duenas and Caleb Brown. Brown’s touchdown, which brought the Knights to within two scores, was set up by a highlight-reel pass completion from Jaxon Rosales to Takai Satberry. Unfortunately, the

Injured senior quarterback Cole Davis hugs junior lineman Connor Boggs after the defense created a turnover in the second half of the Knights’ 10-6 win over the Northeast Raiders last Friday.

Photo by Anna McClellan.

Matadors pulled away from the Knights in the fourth quarter to win, 40-14.

The Knights played Crockett on Thursday night, but the result was not known at press time.

—MacJournalism Sport Team

Basketball ends fall league by beating Crockett

KING OF THE COURT: At the varsity game against Crockett on Oct. 23, senior Sam Werkenthin drives to the basket, helping the Knights conquer Crockett, 5950. Photo by Kennedy Weatherby.

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On Oct. 24, the varsity basketball team played their final game in the Hays Fall League. The Varsity Knights led Crockett the entire game, and ended with a 59-50 over the Cougars. Including the Crockett win, the team finished out its fall season with 2 wins and 4 losses.

The team will resume playing on Nov. 16 against Georgetown, which will officially start their season off.

—Kennedy Weatherby

The waterpolo team scrimmages against each other at UT. “The scrimmage went really well,” Kershner said. “We communicated and were able to score some points.” Photo by Gabby Sherwood.

Waterpolo starts off season

The McCallum waterpolo team had its first official practice of the season on Oct. 10. Practice for the team normally starts up in January, but senior co-captain Cole Kershner wanted to get an earlier start this year. “Starting practice early will really get us back into the sport,” Kershner said. “Once January hits, we will practice 2-3 times a week and really work together to get the basics of the sport laid down.”

—Gabby Sherwood

RILEY RACES TO REGIONALS: At the Lockhart 25-5A District Championships, sophomore Chris Riley qualified for regionals on Oct. 18, placing ninth with a time of 16:34.6, the only McCallum runner to qualify. Photo by Thomas Melina Rabb.

Riley qualifies for regionals then makes it to state Sophomore Chris Riley punched his ticket to the UIL State 5A cross-country meet on Oct. 18, with an 11th-place finish at regionals. Riley was the fastest sophomore in the race at 16:31.17. “I am so proud of Chris and what he has achieved this season,” Coach Susan Ashton said. “He is my first cross-country runner to qualify for state since I have been coaching.” Ashton started coaching at Mac in 2004. The state meet is Nov. 9 at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, the same site where Riley finished first at the McNeil Invitational on Sept. 28.

On Oct. 18, when Riley qualified for Regionals, the entire cross-country team competed. The varsity boys placed fourth as a team, just missing qualifying for area. Five boys varsity runners finished in the top 25. Riley finished ninth with a time of 16:34.6. Ian Clellan finished 14th, Cash Robinson finished 17th, Josh Betton finished 23rd and Bodhi Tripathi finished right after him at 24th. The varsity girls had two runners finish in the top 25. Helena Finos finished 21st and Catalina Herring finished 23rd. The JV boys had four runners place in the top 36. Thomas Melina Raab finished 17th, Zach Davis finished 32nd, Colby Jones finished 35th and Gage Bausman finished 36th. The JV girls also had one runner finish in the top 20. Margherita Bezzi finished 16th.

—MacJournalism Sport Team

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shield FIVE WITH THE DRIVE: During the second week of the football season, first-time varsity starting QB sophomore Jaxon Rosales led the Knights to 17 points, including two touchdown passes to senior Takai Satberry. “It was all about keeping the drive alive,” Rosales said. “I knew I had to prove myself, and this is the first game I could prepare for.” Rosales passed for 128 yards in the game, and the Knights enjoyed 100 percent fourth down efficiency. Photo by Grace Nugent.

PUTTING THE LABOR IN LABOR DAY: After the Knights lost to the Anderson Trojans in the annual Taco Shack Bowl, Coach G rallied his toops by conducting a Labor Day practice. The extra work paid dividends as the team defeated Lehman, 17-0, at the end of week. Photo by Caleb Melville.

Rosales grows into starting QB role Sophomore making most of opportunity he never saw coming The Shield: How has football made an impact in your life?

Jaxon Rosales: well I have played since I was little and every weekend every day of the week I have something to do with football. I’m doing something with a football I’m throwing it around or working out, just something.

TS: Did you expect to play QB at all this season? At Taco Shack?

JR: I did not expect to play QB at all because I was supposed to play receiver and corner and especially at Taco Shack. When I went in it was a shocker, but I got over my nerves, and it was fun.

TS: What was your reaction or what was going through your mind when [senior quarterback] Cole [Davis] went down on the House Park field [with a knee injury]?

JR: As soon as I saw Cole go down, my first thought was “Oh crap, he is hurt.” I wasn’t at all thinking that I would have to go in, but then I realized I needed to get ready and warm up because I [had] to go in. As soon as I saw him holding his knee, I knew that this was going to last awhile. I’m the quarterback for a long time.

TS: The week after Taco Shack, what did the coaches have you doing to prepare going into the Lehman game?

JR: I had to watch a lot more film about actually being a quarterback because during the off-season I was watching film about their secondary and how they were going to play receivers. So I had to

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SPORTS PROFILE watch what their defensive line does, what their safeties do, how the cornerbacks are positioned.

TS: Did the film you watched in the offseason as a receiver help you as you assumed the quarterback role? Did you know better what the opposing defense was going to do and how your receivers would move?

JR: Oh totally. As a receiver I was watching the cornerbacks, the ones that were going to guard me and their techniques, what they were going to do and all of their tendencies. Once I switched to quarterback, it was pretty simple because I knew exactly what my receivers were going to do and what the opposing cornerbacks were going to do.

TS: How did the Lehman game feel like your first game as QB? JR: The game felt really good because you know Lehman is actually a pretty good team despite their record, just like us. It felt really good to win because I felt like I got to prove myself. I had a whole week to prepare and that was my first game to really show that I can play football.

TS: How has Cole been supporting and helping you throughout the season?

JR: After every touchdown, he is usually right there on the sideline, and I go run up to him, and he picks me up. He’s always at practice telling me how I am doing, being supportive—never at all negative—always there and helps with the film.

TS: There are a lot of sophomores on varsity.

How do you fit in with the upperclassmen?

JR: Well, lucky for us the upperclassmen are really nice unlike some years past so they invite us to go hang out with them. They always tell us what to do during practice, how to act even though

the issue this year is seniors skipping practice. The majority of them show up and help us like Zach Napier, Simon Royder: they tell us how to act, and they show us how to actually be McCallum Knights.

TS: How is the team’s dynamic different from your freshman year?

JR: We pass the ball way more. There is really an emphasis on passing the ball and defense.

Last year, we had about 20 plays and this year we have over 60. The playbook is way bigger and completely different.

TS: Your brother played football last year.

Do you feel pressure to follow in his footsteps?

JR: Not really. I have been playing football all of my life, and my brother played football kind of just to do it, to have the experience. But it was kind of good to be around that because it prepared me and

let me know what I was going to have to do.

TS: What was your hardest moment on varsity?

JR: I would say it would be the LBJ game. That whole week leading up to it you knew they were going to be good. Then finally having to play against D1 players was hard and they were really good.

TS: What was your best moment on varsity?

JR: My best moment had to be after the Lehman game, the feeling you get that we won. I had helped lead my team to that victory and we won.

TS: What have you learned playing varsity?

JR: i learned that no matter what happens the quarterback is either going to get blamed for everything or he is going to get praised. You have to be able to handle it.

—interview by Grace Nugent

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TOP: Fannin (fourth from left) and her senior teammates receive flowers at the Senior Night game against Dripping Springs. Photo by Gabby Sherwood. TOP RIGHT: Fannin is introduced onto the court at the varsity’s home game against Crockett on Oct. 15. Photo by Anna Bausman.

BOTTOM RIGHT: At the teacher appreciation volleyball game against LBJ on Oct. 8, Fannin encourages her fellow teammates. Photo by Dave Winter.

Fannin: Team bond leads to success

The Shield: What would you say is your favorite part of playing volleyball?

Alexa Fannin: My favorite part is those moments when I execute a good play, and we just all celebrate as one.

TS: Would you say that is also a part of why you like the McCallum team?

AF: I like the McCallum team because of that and because everyone has a really good talent within them.

TS: It seems like you’re really close with your team. How would you say you guys have gotten so close?

AF: This year I’ve branched out in my confidence. The overnight Kerrville tournament got me really close with everyone, as well as starting team dinners.

TS: What has been your favorite memory on the team so far?

AF: In Kerrville, we rode a busty van down there, and everyone called it “da van,” so now it’s like an inside joke.

TS: Why has this year been so much fun?

AF: There’s just no cliquey behavior this year.

It’s everyone talking to everyone and friendly with everyone.

TS: Do you think that’s part of the reason your team is doing so well this year?

AF: For sure. It takes more than just practice to form a good team.

TS: That makes perfect sense. What else do you think has helped you guys be successful?

AF: Support and encouragement off and on the court. As well as mostly all of us play outside of school, so we are skilled on our own coming into the season.

TS: What has been the most challenging

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SPORTS PROFILE part about this year?

AF: I think balancing schoolwork and college recruiting, training and practice every day of the week. It’s been challenging, but worth it.

TS: It’s very impressive that you’re able to balance all of that and stay successful with volleyball. What do you think has motivated you this year to keep pushing yourself?

AF: It is my senior year, and I really would like to play on a scholarship at the next level.

TS: Do you have any colleges in mind?

AF: I’ve been communicating with a couple of different ones, so I’m really open to most colleges. I’d like to stay at the D1 or D2 level.

TS: It’s good that you’re keeping your options open! As it’s your last year at McCallum, how has your experience been as a senior on the team?

AF: It’s been really empowering actually. It’s given me a sense of confidence and leadership.

TS: Do you think it’s helped you improve as a player as well?

AF: Yes. Volleyball is all about constant communication and collaboration, and it has given me a lot of that.

TS: You guys are approaching a landmark soon right? 30 wins? How does that feel?

AF: Yes we are. With tomorrow’s game I’m 100 percent confident we’re going to reach the 30-win landmark. It feels amazing because volleyball gets nowhere near the recognition that it deserves and even without our home crowd support, we can still be amazing.

TS: Are you excited for the rest of the year?

AF: For the school year, I’m excited for it

DIGGING FOR IT: During the Oct. 25 volleyball game against Dripping Springs, Fannin digs the ball.

The Tigers swept the Knights, but Fannin led the Knights in kills with nine. Photo by Olive Embry. because I’m a senior! I’ve made it! I’m super pumped for the rest of the season because it’s playoff time, and we have a big chance of making it past first round.

TS: What are you most proud of this season?

AF: Competing for first place in blocks with Dripping Springs middle and being top 12 percent in the region.

TS: How long have you been playing volleyball?

AF: Six years.

TS: Is there anything else you would like to add?

AF: I appreciate all of my coaches’ support throughout my four years, especially Coach Brodbeck for seeing my potential from ninth grade. And I love my teammates with all my heart. I’m excited for the next step in my volleyball career.

—interview by Sarah Slaten

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On Sept. 20, the Texas State Capitol was on fire with the grit and determination of local students fighting for action against climate change. The rally, organized by the Austin Climate Coalition, was one of hundreds across the globe and was well-attended by McCallum students. These rallies, inspired by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, are part of a global effort to raise awareness about the issue of climate change.

Though the illustrated posters from the rally are now recycled and the stairs to the Capitol are no longer lined with protesting students, the fight for climate change is far from over. The opportunities available to students who want to fight against climate change are abundant. For students asking “What’s next?”, here’s possible ways MAC students can get involved with perpetuating ...

... the fight against climate change.

What’s next for student environmentalists ALYSA SPIRO staff reporter

Driving may be a right of passage for teens, but all those cars contribute to carbon emissions. Senior Riley Edwards does his part by riding his bicycle and carpooling when possible. Edwards stressed the importance of buying sustainable, fuel-efficient cars. ““Don’t buy a car that gets nine miles per gallon,” Edwards said.

Alongside reducing use of fossil fuels, environmentalists have also adopted vegetarianism and veganism because meat production has environmental costs. Sophomore Mollie King has been a vegan for almost a year.

“All of the waste produced by cows ends up in bodies of water,” King explained. Besides polluting natural resources, livestock at dairy and cattle farms produces substantial carbon emissions.

Sophomore Alba Perez is also trying to do her part for the environment. Perez reuses clothes and buys from thrift stores and sustainable clothing companies whenever possible. Perez points out that thrift shopping has a variety of positive impacts on the environment, including reduction of landfill waste.

Perez also stated that donating to reputable funds and organizations is always a great way for budding environmentalists to help the cause.

“People are intimidated by how huge the problem is,” Perez said, “but the tiny things, like donating a dollar, it matters. It makes an impact.”

PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT ON CAMPUS McCallum is jam packed with more than 1,800 students. With a number that large, creating a sustainable, environmentally friendly school is an incredible challenge, one that principal Brandi Hosack is prepared to take head-on.

“We’re really cognizant of how we use resources here,” Principal Brandi Hosack said in an interview with The Shield. “It’s the small things that reduce your footprint.” These “small things” that Hosack is referencing are present in student’s everyday lives, if they know where to look.

One of the biggest opportunities for the McCallum to reduce its carbon footprint is for the school to dramatically reduce its paper usage. Switching from paper-assignments to BLEND has a sizable impact on the amount of paper McCallum uses. Hosack calls this switch a “paper diet” because of the awareness she wants to draw to the amount of paper resources being used in the classroom.

According to Hosack, it’s not just teachers who can help McCallum reduce its paper usage. Students should pay attention to what they use and how they use it, such as paper towels in the restrooms and napkins in the cafeteria.

“Having students be aware of the resources they’re using is half the battle,” Hosack said.

But awareness is only a step in the process.

The building itself needs major updates in order for it to be environmentally friendly.

“We’re dealing with an older building, which can be really hard when you’re trying to be cost and energy efficient,” Hosack said.

Things are looking up, however, because of the bond money McCallum has been granted to replace its old, unsustainable air conditioner with a more energy efficient one.

Hosack plans on being more transparent with students and teachers about the efforts school is making. She also plans on getting a teacher

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A climate change protester (top) holds aloft one of the many signs protesters brought to the climate rally. A young girl from Trinity Episcopal School (left) participates in the climate strike rally. Her sign, decorated with rainbows and stars, read “Save the Rain.” Photos by Risa Darlington-Horta.

“Your voice is powerful. Look at Greta.

There’s millions of people marching because of her. Take the first step.”

—Susan Adams Citizens’ Climate Lobby

to sponsor an Environmental Action club to centralize school-wide efforts towards sustainability in the near future, so keep an eye out.

GOING GREEN IN YOUR COMMUNITY McCallum students have many opportunities to get involved in local, national and even global groups organizations fighting against climate change.

The Austin Climate Coalition, or ACC, recently gained recognition for its key role in the Austin climate strike. Sophomore Lucy Marco, one of the McCallum representatives in the coalition, describes the ACC as “a group of high school communities in Austin who are worried about the climate and want to do something to change it.”

The purpose of the ACC is far larger, however, than organizing a single climate rally. The ACC attends meetings with members of Congress, participates in panels with environmental organizations and encourages students to call and write letters to their elected representatives.

“My mom, who works for the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, told me that writing a letter to your representatives is the most effective way of getting a message across,” Marco explained.

The Citizens Climate Lobbyists, or CCL, is a global organization that

welcomes student participation.

Susan Adams, the regional coordinator of the CCL in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. She described the CCL to The Shield as a “global organization focused on enacting federal policies to address climate change.”

Adams explained how all students have the right to talk to their elected officials, adding that the CCL would be more than happy to help students set up a meeting with their representative and help them prepare and learn skills to effectively get their points across.

“Youth voices are always the most impactful,” Adams said.

The CCL is working to create more opportunities for young activists to get involved, such as monthly student discussions. Through the CCL, students can participate in regional conferences in Houston and lobby days in Washington D.C. Adams hopes to bring more students to these events and is working with other members of the CCL to create discounts for students who want to participate.

“Don’t be afraid to take the first step and ask for help,” Adams said.

“Call me, call anybody. There’s so many people working on stuff. Your voice is powerful. Look at Greta. There’s millions of people marching because of her. Take the first step.”

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A journalist’s take on fake news Media bias has always been a part of the American story, but it doesn’t have to be that way KRISTEN TIBBETTS co-editor-in-chief

Trump revokes press credentials of multiple news outlets!

McDonalds employee sneaks mixtape in Happy Meals!

Former first daughter Malia Obama expelled from Harvard!

What do all of these shocking reveals have in common? They’re completely made up, but all of them were published online in recent years.

While it may sometimes be easy for the trained eye to spot fake news, its frequency has very clearly eroded public faith in journalism.

Distrust in the accuracy of news reporting is definitely not a new concept. Historically, Americans lost faith in the media during and after significant political events, such as during the World Wars or the Great Depression.

More recently, however, a Gallup Poll reported that confidence in the media hit an all-time low in September of 2016 when only 32 percent of Americans stated that they had at least “a fair amount” of trust in the press. Even though this number has increased to 41 percent since then, the majority of Americans still do not have faith in the news. For student journalists and aspiring reporters like me, this comes as a devastating blow.

When I was first old enough to access the internet, I was too lazy to read any news articles, but I loved to look through headlines. Whenever I came across anything particularly interesting, I would run to my mom and proudly announce that I knew a cool new fact.

“Not everything you read online is true,” she would remind me, suggesting that I look up the

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article’s sources before believing a word of it.

More often than not, I met her response with an eye roll. Even before I made up my mind about pursuing a career in journalism, I desperately wanted to trust the media. If it was their job to provide the public with facts, why is unreliability so common?

Even though modern technology plays a significant role, a pattern of media bias and even inaccuracy can be seen throughout U.S. history.

For example, The New York Gazetteer, a pre-independence newspaper run by known Loyalist James Rivington, was notorious for its unapologetic pro-Britain bias. The bias was so upsetting to the public that in response, an angry mob hung an effigy of Rivington and in 1775, the Sons of Liberty attacked his home and office. In light of such attacks on the press, it is no wonder that freedom of the press was adopted in 1791 with the ratification of the Bill of Rights, allowing reporters to publish information and opinions with protection of the law.

While bias is historically common in U.S. media and becoming more acceptable (as long as the venue does not try to hide it), inaccuracy in the media is dangerous and should never be tolerated. In 1917, attempting to rally support for the Allied Powers in World War I, multiple British newspapers reported that Germany had a “corpse factory” for processing their deceased soldiers.

Aside from being untruthful, this propaganda led many to mistrust early media reporting of the Holocaust a few decades later. More recently, in 1981, Janet Cooke, a writer for The Washington Post, admitted to completely fabricating her Pulitzer Prize-winning story about an 8-year-old heroin addict. She was immediately stripped of

her award, lost her job and has not been able to find another in the field.

If it is obvious that journalistic integrity is essential, why is fake news spread so easily? I believe it is a combination of modernization and the sheer size of the current journalism field. It can be argued that a lot of the media today is focused more on entertainment than on information, especially with the rise of technology and “click-bait” headlines.

Many publications play into a sort of shock factor, trying to amaze their audience with headlines just outlandish enough to merit a click. As a result, many people treat the media as a source of entertainment rather than news, ignoring stories they don’t agree with and quickly accepting ones that support an opinion they already hold.

While I wouldn’t go as far as to say that many people choose to only believe the news they want to hear, I know that I, for one, am guilty of listening to what is most convenient for me to hear. I often catch myself scrutinizing the credibility of a news report from an opposing viewpoint while quickly accepting political stories that my friends share on social media.

As a future journalist, I take this as a challenge.

Especially now, when the media is seen as an unreliable source, it imperative for the next generation of reporters to be committed to the truth. Journalism will never stop being important. No matter how turbulent the political climate gets, freedom of the press is written into our constitution for a reason. Even though many reporters and publications have taken this right too far by publishing false information or presenting a biased report as straight fact, demand for the truth will never die out.

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Austin’s Berlin Wall: a look at I-35

Highway represents today’s congestions, yesteday’s segregation TOMAS MARRERO staff reporter

It doesn’t take a genius to see that the interstate system in Austin has completely and utterly failed. Interstate Highway 35, known as I-35 or “the Berlin Wall” locally, is a shining example of how a road can completely kill one’s Monday morning. Not only is this concrete abomination riddled with sections of poor road, aging infrastructure and terrible traffic, but it was used to racially divide the city in the 1920s.

It not only induces skin crawling rage on its bad days but stands for a time when the city was completely segregated, even when traffic was more manageable.

First, let’s discuss the traffic. Ask just about anyone who goes to McCallum, or really anyone who lives in Austin, about traffic on I-35 and you’ll get a response clear as day: it sucks. I live just east of the beast, and I have to drive on the access road or the highway itself nearly every day. I have summarized my few years of driving and being driven on the highway into one word: agony. From around 8-10 in the morning and 4-6 in the afternoon, I would recommend keeping a 100-yard radius of the highway unless absolutely necessary. Traffic is backed up for miles at a time, and essentially turns into a parking lot. According to KVUE News, “the portion of Interstate 35 that runs through downtown Austin is the third-most congested highway in Texas.”

Then there’s the matter of infrastructure, or should I say, lack thereof. Just last month in August, there were reports of pieces of the upper deck of I-35 falling down. It was literally raining concrete. APD officials later claimed that this was not the upper deck, but even if it wasn’t, where is the concrete coming from? The sky? I digress.

Stretches of the road vary from being decent to absolutely terrifying to drive on. The highway seemingly narrows near the Caesar Chavez exit, paired with a relatively sharp turn, which creates a bottleneck right before the bridge. This is one of many ground zeroes, where the highway’s design flaws are abundantly apparent. This problem is compounded by the poor driving habits of many people in Austin. Many people tend to not let anyone into their lane at all costs, perhaps a Neanderthalic instinct left over from our ancestors. Not only will many drivers not let you in, but I have been almost rear ended by drivers who are so focused on not “losing their spot” that they speed up as you change lanes to try and stop you from merging in front of them. If you happen to be one of these drivers, I have a very basic question to ask: why would you want to not let others in if you’ve already allowed for enough space for one, two or in some cases, three cars?

The present traffic nightmare that is I-35 pails when compared to its history as a population stratifier. Some would be surprised to learn it has a disturbing and divisive past. The highway, once called East Avenue, was at one point a very

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GOOD NIGHT, NOT A CAR IN SIGHT: A rare look at an uncongested and ree-moving I-35 from the 51st Street overpass. This area has seen relative improvement, with the addition of a roundabout on the intersection of the access road and 51st street, as well as modifying the exits to hopefully improve traffic flow. Although these improvements seem to help a bit., nothing can stop the onslaught of rush-hour traffic. Photo by Tomas Marerro.

OLD AUSTIN: A view of East Avenue (left), the street that preceded I-35 taken in 1957. In the 1928 city plan, this street was the dividing line between the white and black part of town. IT BEGINS: Construction of I-35 (right) on what was East Avenue, c. 1959. Construction of the upper deck did not start until the early 1970s, finishing in 1975. Images originally appeared in texashighways. Republished under fair use policy. clear wall, separating the historically poorer black and brown communities from the wealthier and more affluent white ones. East Avenue, according to KVUE News, was designated by the city plan in 1928 to segregate these communities. Work on the highway began in the mid 1950s, and was finished in 1962. As someone who lives just east of the highway, this dichotomy for the most part still holds true, although with skyrocketing housing prices and gentrification, it has become less of a home for these communities. It is

increasingly the case now when longstanding Austinites must move to the suburbs in order to accommodate exorbitantly priced condominiums or modern houses, which could not stand out more from the area’s historic architecture. I contend that even though the city’s segregationist policies have long since been disbanded, I-35 still represents further disenfranchisement of an already deprived community.

It is no longer, however, an explicit town policy or spelled out in any affidavit but instead

disguised in development companies’ contracts and the city’s laissez-faire approach to regulation.

Although Austin has been a blue dot in a red sea politically and socially, the massive concrete structure serves as a reminder of the mistakes made by the generations before us. The highway should remind us to understand how much influence one structure can have on the community around it.

In these ways, I-35 can be a positive thing but only until you have to drive on it.

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How much is too much?

Excessive homework, lack of student input has lead to a broken system, poor student health ELISHA SCOTT people editor

At a large table inside Thunderbird Coffee, not knowing how we would ever complete the everlasting list of assignments we had due that week, my friends and I sat studying for an exam which had most of the sophomore class anxious and on the edge of their seats the entire week: the first World History AP test.

This would be our first AP exam ever, so the nerves were expected. My friends and I were gathered for a study group at the coffee shop, preparing ourselves for a practice AP test, which replicates the real test, which we’ll take in the fall. As I copied words and definitions to help remember information, a friend of mine, Jewel New, who sat across from me said something that sparked my interest.

She asked “why do we go to school for seven and a half hours a day just to go home and do hours more of work?” I’ve heard time and time again on social media and from classmates that as a student, they don’t hate school, and they don’t mind the workload they’re given while there, but what makes them dread the education system is the work they bring home with them at the end of the day.

Some teachers would argue, however, that homework is necessary, but is it really? How do you determine what homework is necessary and what’s excessive? And why are students not more involved in these types of decisions regarding their education?

Now, I will agree that certain types of homework are definitely necessary, but it depends a lot on the actions of the students in class. If a student is given a reasonable amount of time to work on an assignment in class and has been informed that this is the last or only class time they will be given to work on it, it’s practical for the teacher to ask a student to complete the assignment at home if it’s not completed in class. Certain electives also require homework for assignments not finished in class, many of which would be impossible to complete during just class time.

For example, we at The Shield have to work outside of class and come in after school to work on our stories and pages in order to compose a well-developed online and print issue. Other classes, like art, choir, or band, might require you to do some work outside of class as well. In these cases, this work is fair as long as time is given in class to help reduce the amount of time a student needs to spend each night on homework. Some teachers might argue that students won’t take advantage of this time and just mess around, but I think this should be a student’s choice. If they feel that they are already prepared or would rather be in a different environment to study, then they should be allowed to work on something else as long as they don’t disrupt the class.

The biggest issue with studying and completing important work, however, is having loads of other homework piled on top of it which leads to poor study habits and not enough time to complete the assigned work; therefore, we must eliminate this extra work, which can be done in class or simply isn’t necessary.

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Sophomores Jewel New and Lily Christie work on their numerous homework assignments after school. New points out that it’s unfair and counterproductive to assign an extraneous amount of homework following a seven-hour school day.

According to the Stanford University Office of Communications, 56 percent of students reported homework to be their primary source of stress. Photos by Elisha Scott.

For example, worksheets over math problems or an English book every day, or notes over a reading assigned every class period are excessive and add unnecessary stress to a student’s day, negatively affecting their well-being. With eight classes total, how is it fair for a student to be expected to do a hour’s worth of homework for each class? This leaves no time for a student’s social life, family time or relaxation.

It can also lead to sleep deprivation and mental health issues. According to the Stanford University Office of Communications, 56 percent of students reported homework to be their primary source of stress.

“The results offer empirical evidence that many students struggle to find balance between homework, extracurricular activities and social time,” the report goes on to say. “Many students felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.”

Teachers, however, aren’t the sole factor, in this excessive amount of outside work. A change in the classroom isn’t exactly realistic without a change in the school system, starting with the amount of

curriculum that is crammed into each school year.

While they do have the right motives, intending to teach kids as much as possible during their 13 years (give or take) in the education system, school system officials don’t take into account how much information a student can really retain before reaching their breaking point and tuning it out.

I often find myself only remembering what I need to remember for the test and then forgetting the information at the start of the following unit until finals. I have several friends and acquaintances who are in the same English, science and math classes that I took last year, but when they ask me questions pertaining to the material I learned, I can’t remember it because I was learning so much that I wasn’t able to retain all of it.

Thus, something must change.

During that same conversation with my friends, an idea sparked my interest as we bounced around solutions to this stressful issue. What if we had longer school days, meaning more time in each class, to reduce the hours of homework each night.

Getting up an hour earlier and leaving an hour later could make all the difference to the amount

of homework taken home. And it wouldn’t be as hard to get up an hour earlier if you’re not staying up as long for homework. Classroom time could be structured to include both instructional and work time so a student can do more work in class to help remember it rather than taking it home to hurriedly do it the night (or even morning) before it’s due. Our class periods are already pretty long with block schedule, so adding on more time and a break so that students aren’t expected to do worksheets and extraneous notes at home could be extremely beneficial and wouldn’t be a drastic change. Students could also be supplied with optional work to do on their own time if they wish to practice and remember for times when there are multiple days between two class periods.

There is no clear solution to the problem of excessive work and the stress it creates. In order to find a solution which fits everyone’s best interest, you need the insight of not only the school district and faculty, but the students as well. The main issue is the lack of student opinion and involvement in their education which are exemplified by the high stress levels we see in today’s schools. We can’t define excessive when it comes to homework and schoolwork in general; however, it is evident that a change must be made to prevent further destruction of the school system and student health.

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AISD unity act has opposite effect District must explain details of school changes plan clearly; East Austin bears brunt of closures Austin is known far and wide for its funky small businesses, hippie residents and enviable live music scene. It’s why we all love Austin so much, but unfortunately, it’s also why the city is expanding so rapidly and putting the city’s original residents at risk. As economically advantaged, predominantly white residents move to the more affluent parts of Austin, subsequently raising property taxes in the area, socioeconomically disadvantaged families, mostly from minority ethnic groups, are forced out of urban areas. This migration further enforces the already intense segregation in Austin at the I-35 line. According to a dot map provided by The Austin American-Statesman, there is a stark divide between the white population and the black/ Hispanic populations on either side of I-35. This is due to the City of Austin Plan of 1928, which deliberately segregated the Austin population by pushing black families east of I-35.

Segregation in Austin housing leads to segregation in Austin schools. The kids who are zoned to schools in east Austin have historically received a lower-quality education than kids who are zoned to schools in west Austin due to the economic imbalance between families in the two regions. The best teachers, the best parent booster organizations, and the best facilities are designated to west Austin while the schools on the east side are forced to fend for themselves, thus perpetuating the cycle of poorer kids staying poor because they don’t receive the education they need.

In an attempt to remedy the cycle that has plagued our city for so long, AISD has launched a new initiative called School Changes.

“These school changes will include a variety of updates to accommodate more equitable programming and learning environments that will support students across the district to be successful in college, career and life,” reads the initiative announcement on the AISD website.

This AISD initiative is well-meaning, but

Cartoon by Bella Russo. it has not been executed effectively to this point. Granted, it is difficult to launch such a huge initiative that will ameliorate the entrenched problems that have plagued our city and our district for generations.

The lack of a clear explanation from the district about the roots of this initiative, however, makes it appear as if the district lacks empathy. Some community members were not even aware until recently that their neighborhood schools were closing. Since the initial shock, the board has realized that their first attempts at unveiling the plan were lacking.

KUT reported that at a campus community meeting at Webb Elementary School on Sept.

25, district leaders conveyed that exact message to the community members who had come to learn about the School Changes plan.

“We did not do a good job of communicating

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

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this to the communities,” AISD Operations Officer Matias Segura told Webb parents when they shared that they found out about the proposed school closures from local news reports.

“We are very, very sorry for the hurt we caused. We are committed to improving. We are listening so we can improve.”

The frustrating experience of the Webb parents can be replicated by anybody who visits the AISD website trying to learn about the plan. The information currently available on the AISD website is more about public relations than it is about conveying specific, helpful information about important topics in the district. The online description of this process is difficult to read and understand, even for a student who has spent all their years of education in AISD. People want to know what exactly this process will look like for themselves and for their schools, but the information provided to the general public is

very vague.

One part of the plan that is not vague is the plan to shut down 12 schools and relocate the students over a span of multiple years. The list of schools includes 10 elementary schools and two middle schools, seven of which are on the east side of I-35 and three of which are close to I-35.

By closing down so many elementary schools on the east side of Austin, the district is not setting up young children in those neighborhoods for success.

Education will become harder to access, and that weak start in life will impede those children’s potential to succeed. Education should be equitable and accessible across the district, and we believe that the shuttering of six elementary schools on the east side overlooks this principle and disadvantages an entire socioeconomic group in Austin.

None of the schools AISD has selected to close are in the northwest area of Austin. In the face of this situation, many parents at the schools that are deriding the new plan “racist.” On the other hand, some parents at higher-performing schools are concerned that their students will be sent to lower-performing schools under the rezoning of the district. Many of these parents voiced their concerns at the first meeting about School Changes at Bedichek Middle School.

These comments have received much backlash from AISD parents at the so-called “underperforming” schools. An east Austin education advocacy group called PRIDE of the Eastside held a mock game show called “Who wants to be an antiracist?” prior to an AISD board meeting.

“How we judge a school to be failing or not is quite flawed given the inherent inequities based in testing, school discipline, PTA fundraising, teacher experience and turnover, etc.,” Emily Sawyer, a Martin Middle School parent, told the Statesman.

“If all of these parts of the system put your black and brown and socioeconomically disadvantaged kids at a disadvantage, then there is something wrong with the system, not the kids.”

editors-in-chief KRISTEN TIBBETTS AND JANSSEN TRANSIER

ALEX DOWD, ELLEN FOX, MAX RHODES, BELLA RUSSO, ELISHA SCOTT, STELLA SHENKMAN, SARAH SLATEN, MIA TERMINELLA reporters

adviser DAVE WINTER

ALYSA BIJL-SPIRO, OLIVIA CAPOCHIANO, KATHRYN CHILSTROM, GRAYSON CRUISE, EVELYN GRIFFIN, COHEN JOHNSON-DYE, LASZLO KING-HOVIS, LUCY MARCO, TOMAS MARRERO, ANNA MCCLELLAN, CALEB MELVILLE, ASLY MENDEZ RUIZ, JESSICA MONTOYA-MORENO, MADELYNN NILES, GRACE NUGENT, SAMANTHA POWERS, JULIA KAY SMITH, KAYCEE STROTHER, ISABELA TAPPERSON, GRACE VAN GORDER, JAVIER VELA, KENNEDY WEATHERBY, LOKI WILSON The Shield is published by journalism students in the newspaper production class.

Although students work under the guidance of a professional faculty member, the student staff ultimately determines the content.

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

30 opinion

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

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.

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First-time high school teacher Vandenberg is all about the fundamentals Photo by Elisha Scott

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Mac’s roller derby girls eye national prize online preview 31

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‘Elemental’ health COLLABORATIVE CONCERT (right): The Intermediate Dance Ensemble performs their piece entitled “Basic Space” at the Sunday matinée show. The dance was a joint project between the students in the ensemble and dance teacher Natalie Uehara. First, the dancers grouped together based on the style of choreography they believed best fit the music. Once all three groups finished their choreography, Uehara joined the groups together and added her own touches to complete the dance. “Seeing the end result was extremely rewarding since we all helped choreograph the dance,” said sophomore Charlize Cevallos (front center in white). Photo by Dave Winter.

Fall dance concert offers students, directors opportunity to collaborate on choreography LEANING IN (below): Senior Lilly Brown performs “Contaminated”, choreographed

by Anna Marceau, McCallum Class of 2019. Marceau said the dance is meant to “make the viewer feel uneasy” and “embrace the strange.” All the dancers in “Contaminated” were seniors, which Brown believes intensified the experience.

“The connection between the seniors definitely contributed to the high energy level throughout the dance,” Brown said.

“We all danced off of each other, and it was really amazing to perform.” Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

NOT SLOWING DOWN (below): At the dress rehearsal the Wednesday before the show, senior Amelia Paul performs “Slow Up,” choreographed by senior Lilly Brown. Brown said the piece is centered around “remembering your roots in humanity” despite being “surrounded by an enveloping, corrupt society”.

Photo by Annabel Winter.

EXPLORING DISTRACTIONS (right): Sophomore Faith Bicknell, senior Connie Pierce, senior Mary Roe and the rest of the pre-professional dance troupe perform the contemporary piece,“Reconcile” during the Thursday dress rehearsal. The piece explored ways young people are distracted from their purpose in life and was choreographed to a medley of four songs. “I really enjoyed getting to choreograph part of the dance,” Bicknell said. ‘We got to have a lot of input on the piece as a whole.”

Photo by Risa Darlington-Horta.

FEAR AND FROLIC (right): During the Sunday show, seniors Trinity McCourt and Valentina Guzman and sophomore Jessenia Shiguango Holtz perform “Puppies v.s Godzilla,” choreographed by seniors Tosh Aurora and Blair Kinsey to Billie Eilish’s “Bury a Friend.” Aurora and Kinsey describe the dance as an “exploration of fear.” Photo by Dave Winter.

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DANCE FIGHT (left): Junior Terrell Hall presents his self-choreographed dance, “The Fight”. “I’m thankful for this show because it’s allowed me to find my love for Alvin Ailey,” he said. Ailey, an African-American choreographer and activist, first came to Hall’s attention last year as part of his final project in dance class.

Students were asked to create a solo inspired by a certain choreographer and Hall’s solo, among others, was chosen to be performed in this year’s concert. “This is my first show as a dance major,” Hall said. “It definitely means a lot to me.” Photo by Lydia Reedy.

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