For most of us, the coronavirus quarantine means a shuttered school, incredibly limited human interaction, and staying locked inside all day. But for junior Kenta Asazu, this pandemic meant crossing the…

Richard Salazar and Elise Baughman practice an appropriate more than six feet of social distancing as they await their appointment time of 11 a.m. to come into the campus today. Prior to the city’s…

In the 13th edition of The S-Word, senior co-hosts Stella Shenkman and Jk Smith reconnect with principal Brandi Hosack regarding the resumption of classes online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following…

Primaries postponed. Events eliminated. Rallies a thing of the past. COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, has been making a slow progression around the world, spreading to almost every continent, and more…

The city of Austin, Travis and Williamson counties will begin acting under a shelter in place order effective on Tuesday at 11:59 p.m . The order, called Stay Home/Work Safe, was introduced by Mayor Steve…

In pre-COVID-19 times, the Drag just west of campus would have been teeming with UT students returning from spring break, but on the Sunday that would have brought the regularly scheduled spring break…

Remembering back to March 6 when South by Southwest, which would be wrapping up on Sunday, was canceled, it’s hard to believe how much has changed in just a few weeks. Now, every restaurant, supermarket,…



In a very special edition of our podcast, co-hosts Stella Shenkman and JK Smith share a phone conversation with Principal Brandi Hosack today, in which they discussed how the current school year…

We’ve all seen it: grocery store lines are getting longer as restaurants begin to look like they belong on the set of a ghost town movie. 

The impact of the global coronavirus pandemic is already…

If it weren’t for a global pandemic that caused today’s school news, it might have seemed like a utopia for McCallum students.

In a three-hour span today, students learned that the governor was…

The coronavirus pandemic has left sports fans around the world without the NBA, the NHL, March Madness, MLB spring training, professional golf, tennis and international soccer.

The disruption to spring…

This morning, shortly after 6 a.m., city health officials confirmed the first two “presumptive positive” cases of Coronavirus in Austin.

“This is concerning but not surprising and we have…

Within the past three days, the recent whirlwind of cautions, community impacts and cancellations regarding the recent COVID-19 pandemic have gone from a topic of conversations in classrooms to national…

In this week’s #TuesdayTop10, we take a virtual flight to Brenham’s Southern Flying Diner with pilot John Blossom-Boyd on a quest to find the famous Hundred-Dollar Burger. Along the way, we’ll learned…

Even though coronavirus diagnoses haven’t hit McCallum, the effects of the virus are still being felt by many students. Especially with the cancellation of South by Southwest and UT’s extension of…

On Friday, seven days before the scheduled start of South By Southwest, the City of Austin officials announced that the popular festival would be cancelled.

The cancellation of SXSW came as a shock…

The commonly used “OK” hand symbol can be defined as many things, depending on who you ask. It is used to check one’s scuba gear after entering the water and in yoga to symbolize inner perfection….

At a Jan. 21 meeting, the boys and girls basketball teams, their parents, school officials and associate superintendent Dr. Craig Shapiro met to discuss the district’s decision to remove and ultimately…

High school has always been a time for teens to experiment, test limits and break boundaries. However, some poor decisions are much more serious than sneaking out late or cutting a class or two. Even though…

Teenagers these days, so lazy, not a care in the world.

Well, senior Sabri Armani-Khaldi proves that stereotype to be doubly false. He sure isn’t lazy, and he cares a great deal about the world. He’s…

Last week’s Democratic presidential debate from the Paris Theater in Las Vegas smashed the previous records, becoming the most watched Democratic debate in American history at 19.7 million viewers; national…

March 2, also known as next Tuesday, which is also known as Super Tuesday, is one of the biggest days in the election year. Fifteen of the 50 states, including Texas, are holding their primaries next Tuesday,…

It’s 7:30 on a Thursday evening. The fluorescent lights of the McCallum Arts Center Theater dim into a foggy combination of reds and purples. A sudden hush falls over the crowd: whispers replaced with…

Have you ever noticed that at school, students tend to retreat to the safety of their phones rather than socializing? Or that everyone sits with the same people at lunch? Or that teachers have to spend…

Slow jazz spilling softly from the record store down the street. A violinist, case open for tips, pouring melodies onto the sidewalk. That monthly summertime magic of Blues on the Green on the cool grass…

This new law changing the smoking age to 21 isn’t going to be as effective as the government hopes it will be.
I’m a senior in high school. I’m 17, one year away from becoming an adult. In under…

UT professor Leonard Moore speaks on history of race in United States
For the sixth straight year, Dr. Leonard Moore, a U.S. history professor at the University of Texas, spoke at the Black History Month…

Email to Michelle Heustess from Paul Laws:

Subject: Cry from smoky, smoggy Melbourne

Hello Michelle,
The last few days, it’s like fog here, 24 hrs a day. Except it’s smoke from the bush fires…

“Scrapbook.” To many, images of heart stickers and seasonal stamps may flash by. Thoughts of double sided tape galore and zig-zag-cutting scissors may flood in. But, in this case, what we are talking…

The 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show featuring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira was extravagant, to say the least. Audiences were on their feet for an energetic performance by two strong, talented women that celebrated…

Have you ever noticed that every year it seems Valentine’s Day season starts earlier and earlier? Or how there’s a seemingly endless stream of commercials claiming the only way you can truly express…

With a new decade comes political history being made. Until Dec. 18, 2019, there had only been two presidents in U.S. history who had been formally impeached. On Dec. 18, president Donald Trump became…

Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, Texas in August of 2017, leaving the proud metropolitan city flooded with over 40 inches of rain in less than four days. Grocery store shelves were stripped, and the once…

Marlee Foster peaked out at her soon to be captivated crowd. The space was big, and it was pretty dark, except for a couple of dull purple-and-orange lights. Seeing the crowd, Foster felt a sense of anticipation,…

With the final dress rehearsal set for tomorrow and opening night for Thursday, it seems to us a perfect time to use our #TuesdayTop10 to take you behind the scenes of Grand Hotel for a sneak peak of…

When talking about basketball, or just sports in general, everyone knows the name Kobe Bryant. Bryant, a five time NBA champion, 18 time All-Star, two-time NBA Finals MVP and 2008 NBA MVP for the Los Angeles…

The purple and pink-tinted LED lights are set. The handheld DSLR camera rig is rolling. The boom pole is propped over the awaiting actors, and the sound is recording. The director of photography, Bella…

During an election, politicians find wisdom and inspiration in many places. Congressman Chris Bell shared that he found his political guidance in an usual place: a cartoon.

In his conversation with…

As a high school student in the United States, I know it’s out of the question to strip citizens of their Second Amendment right to own firearms. Prying military style assault rifles from the cold and…

What’s pink, clean, and currently on South Congress? You guessed it! The Glossier pop up store is here, and it’s everything you could ever imagine. The interior design, lighting and people combine make…

As more and more McCallum students get their driver’s licenses as the year goes on, the likelihood of you or a friend getting pulled over by the police increases with it. There seems to be a general…

The Austin ISD board of trustees unanimously approved a new sex-ed curriculum on Tuesday, Oct. 22, but this did not happen overnight. The new curriculum is something that the school district has been working…

My fondest Christmas memory is my fourth-grade “holiday” concert.

After months of practicing Christmas songs, ranging from the lighthearted “Jingle Bell Rock” to the heavily religious “Oh!…

JINGLE BELL JAZZ: As finals and winter break rapidly approach, band celebrated the festive season with its annual holiday concert on the of Monday Dec. 9. Many band members even dressed up in red and…

The historical marker outside Pease Elementary School, celebrating the campus as the oldest continuously operating public school in Texas, has been sharing the spotlight with frantic handmade fliers and…

Jimmy Fallon brought The Tonight Show to Austin on Nov. 7 and filmed an episode centered around UT, highlighting both its students and campus. Fallon also included actor Matthew McConaughey, rapper Gucci…

On the 14th anniversary of her own father passing away from cancer, McCallum teacher Deirdre McGahon sat at the front of room 138 A and checked her email. She read a note from guidance counselor Mickey…

It was a sweltering summer day in Rome and the emotions ran high in the 1960 Summer Olympics games. After the U.S men’s basketball team dominated previous opponents by an average of 42.2 points per…

The McCallum choir performed its most widely anticipated concert of the year: Cabaret, in the MAC, Thursday through Sunday. This year’s theme was “Heroes and Villains of Broadway.” The choir performed…

In inaugural episode of Feedback Loop, The Shield’s new music podcast series, host Tomas Marrero and producer Stella Shenkman speak with the The Point, a musical duo consisting of senior Jack Montesinos…