Macjournalism, 5600 Sunshine Drive, Austin, TX (2025)

09/30/2025

On Friday, September 19th, the freshman B volleyball team took on the Anderson Trojans at home. The team started off by winning their first set 26-24 , but despite the early lead, the team lost their second set 25-22. In the end, the Trojans walked away with the win, taking home the third set and beating the Knights 2 sets to 1. Despite the loss, members of the team have still taken pride in the work they did. Sofia Rodriguez, an all-around player for the team, felt the team really showed an effort throughout the game.

“We really pushed through, especially on the third set. We kept going on, getting one point, and one point, you know, back to back.” Rodriguez said. “I think we really played good. Honestly, I think this is the best game we’ve played.”

When asked about what caused this game well-played, Rodriguez credits the team's apparent synergy and work ethic. She finds that the teams’ growth in communication and maintaining a positive attitude aided their skills within the game, adding that they all gave their 100%.

“I think that we played well because we were communicating and talking more than we usually would. Honestly, we were all in a good mood so no one was bringing anyone down.” Rodriguez said. “Everyone was playing their very best, so I think we did very good.

The growth that volleyball has brought for the team doesn’t start and end at their communication, though. Rodriguez believes that being on the team has helped her and the other girls grow as individuals, as well.

“I think it really made me grow as a person, too. It got me out of my comfort zone and I think it's just been really fun, overall.” Rodriguez said.

When asked for her final thoughts, Rodriguez gave a final piece of advice to students looking for a hobby.

“If you want to try out for something, do volleyball. It's really fun, and you get to grow with a lot of people. It's really, really just a great experience.” Rodriguez said.

Caption and photos by Sam Nash.

09/29/2025

Afghanistan is a very beautiful country with tall mountains, green valleys, and clear rivers. In spring, the land is full of colorful flowers, and in winter the mountains are covered with white snow. Even though the country has been through hard times, its people stay strong and proud of their culture.

Afghan culture is warm and friendly. People love to welcome guests and share food with them. Traditional Afghan foods like kabuli pulao, fresh bread, and kebabs are common. Afghanistan is also known for its handmade carpets and colorful clothes. It has many old cities, like Herat and Balkh, that show its long and rich history. Music and dancing are a big part of weddings and parties.

—

‎افغانستان کشوری بسیار زیبا است که دارای کوه‌های بلند، دره‌های سبز و رودخانه‌های صاف و زلال می‌باشد. در بهار زمین با گل‌های رنگارنگ پر می‌شود و در زمستان کوه‌ها با برف
‎سفید پوشیده می‌شوند. هرچند کشور روزگارهای دشوار را پشت سر گذاشته است، مردمش همچنان استوار مانده و به فرهنگ خود افتخار می‌کنند.

‎فرهنگ افغانی گرم و مهمان‌نواز است. مردم دوست دارند مهمانان را خوش‌آمدید بگویند و با آنان غذا شریک سازند. غذاهای سنتی افغانستان مانند قابلی پلو، نان تازه و کباب بسیار رایج‌اند. افغانستان همچنان به قالین‌های دست‌باف و لباس‌های رنگین خود مشهور است. شهرهای قدیمی زیادی مانند هرات و بلخ دارد که تاریخ طولانی و غنی کشور را نشان می‌دهند. موسیقی و رقص بخش بزرگی از عروسی‌ها و محافل به شمار می‌رود.

To read Zura Lashkari’s full piece on Afghani culture in English and Persian, visit macshieldonline.com or visit the link in our bio.

09/29/2025

My name is Daniel Sena. I was born in Monterrey, Mexico, on December 24, 1973.
Since I was a child, the United States fascinated me. I watched T.V. shows from the United States; I sometimes watched shows from Disney World. And I would say to myself, “I don’t think I’ll ever go to Disney World.”

—

Me llamo Daniel Sena. Nací en Monterrey, México, el 24 de diciembre de 1973.
Desde niño me fascinaban mucho los Estados Unidos. Yo miraba programas de los Estados Unidos; miraba a veces algo de Disney World. Y yo me decía, “Yo creo que nunca voy a ir a Disney World.”

To read the full profile on McCallum’s head custodian in English and Spanish, visit macshieldonline.com or visit the link in our bio.

09/29/2025

AISD STRONG Earlier this month, on September 13th, an AISD Town Hall meeting was held at the John Gillum Branch Library, organized by Education Austin; an ATX labor union designed for all educators under AISD. The meeting covered multiple issues currently prevalent within AISD and Texas education, including: School Consolidations, AISD’s Tips and Taps programs, and the numerous Texas bills that are or have taken effect this school year.

Taylor Cavin, a sixth grade science teacher within AISD, member of the organizing committee for Education Austin described the meeting as a community event looking for diverse perspectives on important topics, as well as a place to be educated on such topics.

“The town hall was a community meeting organized by Education Austin to gather feedback, answer questions, and build collective understanding about AISD’s consolidation plan.” Cavin said. “Its purpose was to ensure that educators, parents, and community members had a direct voice in shaping the district’s future. We want to utilize ideas from the community to present to AISD and TEA as potential solutions to the many crises we are facing.”

From Cavin's perspective, the meeting (and others similar to it) went well. The groups were focused and productive, allowing for a strong flow of ideas.

“Overall, each town hall went well — it was well-attended, energetic, and focused. We presented information about AISD’s plan, then opened the floor for discussion.” Cavin said. “Attendees shared concerns about equity, school closures, staffing, and student impact.”

Clearly, the meetings were a success, and it seems there are no signs of slowing down momentum according to Cavin, who has even more planned for the future along with her colleagues at Education Austin.

Caption continues in comments.

09/27/2025

SAZÓN Y SABOR: On Thursday, Sep. 25, the Students of Color Alliance hosted the third annual Salsa Contest in the center most hallway of the academic building. Sophomore Paloma Ramon and senior Brigida Perez were both involved in setting up the contest, along with SOCA’s sponsor, Tonya Moore. 5 salsas were created by both SOCA members and McCallum teachers. Perez, who made salsa #3, which won the spiciest salsa, said that the intention behind hosting the contest is to venerate Latino traditions and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

“We wanted to show more of our culture,” Perez said. “You know how you buy store-bought salsa and it doesn’t have any flavor or spice? We wanted to show that our salsa had more flavor and spice to it.”

Perez added that her family makes salsa pretty frequently: around twice a week. For her family, it’s a longstanding tradition that carries cultural, historical and emotional significance.

“It’s something we do together,” Perez said. “When we make salsa, we make a lot, so we usually buy the ingredients in bulk. We buy the garlic in bulk and peel it, then we blend it, transfer it to a jar and use it continuously throughout the week.”

For Perez, McCallum’s dedication to celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month is not just clear- it’s consistent.

“It’s really nice that they do all of this, because I don’t see other schools going out of their way to celebrate all the heritage months- Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, Asian American Heritage Month,” Perez said. “We go out of our way to put on activities to celebrate various cultures.”

Caption by Beatrix Lozach. Photos by Evan Solís.

09/27/2025

Heading into the fourth set, the Knights were coming off of a high from dominating the third set. Even though the energy was up in the Stars gym, the Knights made mistakes that gave the Stars the lead 13-8 by the first timeout.

After being down at the break, Kafia Jackson Woods decided it was time to lock in. Hitting kill after kill, Jackson Woods was able to bring the score to 14-14, and tie up the game.

After a few more kills, the Knights found themselves on the wrong end of a 3-point serving streak, as well as some spot-specific tips from the Stars setter, bringing the score to 22-19 Ann Richards.

After subbing in some fresh legs, Martens, Jackson Woods, and Rosenblatt brought the Knights back to life, and shortened the score gap, and eventually tying the game up at 22. With an intense game atmosphere on both sides of the net, the Knights only needed three more points to take home the win. After the Knights making it to match point, the Stars tied up the game at 24-24, needing to win the game by 2, the Knights turned on the heat, and bagged the last two points after two out of bounds hits from the Stars, and ending out the game with a McCallum win 26-24 for the set, and 3-1 set win.

Caption by Sofia Saucedo. Photos by Maya Tackett.

09/27/2025

heading into the third set off of a tough second set loss, the Knights brought the energy, hungry for revenge. Tips from seniors Lexi Rosenblatt and Aces from Aaniya Thornton got the bench especially hype for the rally ahead. The Stars, wanting to get some more points on the board, poured everything they had into hard hitting kills. Their kills however, were no match for Thornton, who dug up dig after dig, leading to more Knight points, and bringing the score to 10-7.

Looking to get some kills of her own, junior Sienna Martens cooked up something especially made for the Stars scrappy defense, hitting the ball directly down, too fast for the Stars libero.

After a timeout taken with the Knights up 15-9, the Stars overhit a ball putting the Knights up by seven. The Knights continued their scoring run all the up to 19 points, when a mish*t ball gifted the Stars a point.

Aces and blocks by Martens brought the score to 22-11 when senior Kafia Jackson-Woods killed the ball cross court putting the Knights up by 12.

The final point of the set was won by the Knights after tip from Rosenblatt left the Stars scrambling to find a kill, ultimately leading to the ball falling out, and the Knights winning the set.

Caption and photos by Sofia Saucedo and Maya Tackett.

09/27/2025

ROSENBLATT ON THE ATTACK keeping their first-set momentum going, the Knights started out the second set with two consecutive aces from Elinger. The Stars were able to see the Knights aces, and raise them some kills of their own. Even though the Stars fought back, the Knights still had some more kills up their sleeves with kills of our own from junior Annabelle Johnson, bringing the score to 8-7 with the Knights in the lead.

After a quick Knight substitution, Cooks came back on the court, bringing nothing but trouble for the Stars. Even though Cooks was able to provide some steady passes to senior setter Lexi Rosenblatt, the Knights were unable to combat some of the Stars powerful hits. To gain back some more energy from the court and the bench, Rosenblatt dumped the ball into the cracks of the Stars formation, gaining some points back for the Knights. However, one dump was not able to win the Knights the lead, with a score of 15-12 by the first time out.

After the break, the Knights came back to a harsh start. After repeated out-of-bounds hits, net balls, and serve receive errors, the Knights were down 20-14. A few Knight mistakes, senior Aaniya Thornton made a huddle play involving her running into the stands and digging the ball up for Adair to hit, leading to a point for the Knights. This brought the score back up to 23-21, with the Stars ahead by just a few points. This however was not enough to win the set, leaving the final score to 25-22 Ann Richard’s.

Caption by Sofia Saucedo. Photos by Maya Tackett.

09/27/2025

During the first half, the Knights started out with high energy from not only the court, but the bench as well. With aces from junior defensive specialist Tiara Cooks, and freshman Anika Elinger, the Knights quickly found their momentum, and were up by 8 points in the first few minutes of the game.

As the game progressed, kills from sophomore outside hitter Piper Adair, and senior outside hitter Kafia Jackson-Woods, the Knights were able to retain their lead, However, the the Starts hype squad heckling the Knights, the Stars were able to capitalize on some Mac mistakes. Even though the Knights let some points slip through the cracks, the score was still in our favor 13-7.

After a while of back and forth serve receive, kills from Adair, Jackson-Woods, and a few tips from senior Dillon Harper, the Knights found themselves dominating, leading by double the Stars points at 22-11, and finishing out the set 25-11.

09/27/2025

FRESHMAN FIGHT
The freshman girls volleyball A team batted hard in their match up against Anne Richards this Friday night. Falling in two close sets 25-19, then 25-21.

Despite the loss, Mia Kelley, an outside hitter for the freshman A team, was encouraged by the team’s progress this season.

“I really wish I passed better, but I wish that my whole team used more of our power and functioned better as a team,” Kelley said. “That game was a perfect example of how far we’ve come from the beginning of the year.”
Although they had lost this game, their improvements since the beginning of the year are outstanding. Kelley praised the team’s improvements, especially their communication and defense.

Setter, Fara Perez, agreed that there were both highs and lows but was proud of the teams perseverance.

“I think we did pretty good. We had a lot of ups and downs, but we got through it. Our hitting was pretty good, and I’m most proud of how we didn’t give up,” said Perez. “ But we still need to work on things.. Probably our passes. Yeah, definitely passes.”

Looking ahead, both players said they are focused on improving passing and continuing to build chemistry on the court.

“I love my team and I’m so excited to beat Anne Richards in the match next time,” said Kelley.

Caption by Isa Truan. Photos by Truan and Maya Tackett.

09/27/2025

STAR STRUCK
Tonight the JV Knights lost to the Ann Richards Stars, taking the game all the way to the third set, otherwise known as the tie breaker set. The knights were able to take home the first set, but fell short in the last two.

More to come shortly.
Photos by Maya Tackett.

09/27/2025

FRESHMAN FIGHT
The freshman A girls volleyball team batted hard in their match up against Ann Richards earlier tonight. Falling in two close sets 25-19, then 25-21.

Despite the loss, Mia Kelley, outside hitter for the Knights, was encouraged by the team’s progress this season.

“I really wish I passed better, but I wish that my whole team used more of our power and functioned better as a team,” Kelley said. “That game was a perfect example of how far we’ve come from the beginning of the year.”

Although they had lost this game, their
improvements since the beginning of the year are outstanding, said Kelley. She praised the team’s improvements, especially their communication and defense.

Knights Setter, Fara Perez, agreed that there were both highs and lows from tonight's matchup but was proud of the teams perseverance.

“I think we did pretty good. We had a lot of ups and downs, but we got through it. Our hitting was pretty good, and I’m most proud of how we didn’t give up,” said Perez. “ But we still need to work on things.. Probably our passes. Yeah, definitely passes.”

Looking ahead, both players said they are focused on improving passing and continuing to build chemistry on the court.

“I love my team and I’m so excited to beat Ann Richards in the match next time,” said Kelley.

Caption by Isa Truan. Photos by Truan and Maya Tackett.

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