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The best stories being published on the SNO Sites network

Best of SNO

The best stories being published on the SNO Sites network

Best of SNO

The best stories being published on the SNO Sites network

Best of SNO

All content by Ingrid Smith
BACKGROUND IN THE BUSINESS: Dressed by junior designer Kaitlyn Gerrie, senior Chamila Muñoz took to the “Dreamland” runway this past weekend. While it was her first time participating in the McCallum fashion show, Muñoz isn’t new to the modeling world. 

I modeled here and there when I was a lot younger, maybe five or six [years old] for some jewelry brands and small businesses, but not much in recent years,” Muñoz said. 

Muñoz had hoped to participate in last year’s show but couldn’t due to scheduling conflicts. For her senior year, though, she couldn’t let the opportunity pass her by. 

“It’s [modeling] something I haven’t done in a while so I was excited to step out of my comfort zone in a way,” Muñoz said. “I always love trying new things and being able to show off designs of my schoolmates is such an honor.” 

The preparation process for the show was hectic, leaving the final reveal of Gerrie’s design until days before the show, but the moment Muñoz tried on the outfit, all the stress for both designer and model melted away. 

“I didn’t get to try on my outfit until the day before, but the look on Kaitlyn’s face when she saw what she had worked so hard to make actually on a model was just so special,” Muñoz said. “I know it meant so much to her. But then she handed me a blindfold and told me I’d be walking with it on, so that was pretty wild.” 

Caption by Francie Wilhelm.

Mac fashion show brings ‘Dreamland’ to reality

By JoJo Barnard, Chloe Lewcock, Callen Romell, Ingrid Smith, Maya Tackett, Priya Thoppil, and Francie Wilhelm
May 21, 2024

Hendrix: ‘Music is my life’

By Ingrid Smith, McCallum High School
January 16, 2024
Campbell plays viola for their senior portrait. This fall, Campbell will attend Oberlin Conservatory where they will study viola. With classes on everything from chamber music to music theory available, Campbell believes that Oberlin will allow them to grow as a musician and person.

From A to Z

By Ingrid Smith, McCallum High School
May 24, 2023
‘ONE TWO’ THREE GO: Seniors Nia Wayman, Sophia Kramer and Olivia Falcon lead the team’s formation in hip hop number ‘One Two Step,’ choreographed by Caroline Cullers. Wayman enjoyed conveying the intensity of the number to the audience. 

“My favorite part would have to be the headspring whackpack kip-up,” Wayman said.

Overall, though, Wayman found this year’s spring show to be bittersweet as she said goodbye to the people and program that had been a part of her life for so many years. 

“I was excited throughout but I was also sad that it was the last time I would dancing as part of Blue Brigade,” she said. 

Caption by Francie Wilhelm.

A Knight of glitz and ‘glamour’

By Kate Boyle, Naomi Di-Capua, Chloe Lewcock, Caroline Owen, Charlie Partheymuller, Ingrid Smith, Priya Thoppil, Francie Wilhelm, and Dave Winter
May 18, 2023
PINK FOR PROM: Seniors Vaughn Vandegrift, Peter Wiseman, Max Yehaskel and Alex Gold sing and dance their hearts out at Saturday’s “Under the Knight Sky” prom. Yehaskel and Wiseman stood out in the sea of black and navy suits as the pair opted for bright pink with contrasting, yet coordinating, shirts and ties. While the style decision seemed big to onlookers, for Yehaskel it was a simple choice.

“I like pink, it’s a solid color,” he said. “It almost melted when I ironed it actually. It’s 100% polyester, and I got it from Kohl’s.”

Yehaskel enjoyed prom overall, except when it came to the royalty announcement.

“Someone stole prom queen from me,” he joked. “It was very tragic. But other than that, it was fun.”

As prom marks another milestone at the end of senior year, Yehaskel is ready to sit back, relax and enjoy his last few weeks as a Knight.

“My grades don’t matter anymore [and] after AP tests I’m done,” Yehaskel said. “I’m going to go nuts, and I’m going to start cooking more.”

Caption by Francie Wilhelm.

Students shine like stars ‘Under the Knight Sky’

By Kate Boyle, Morgan Eye, Meredith Grotevant, Chloe Lewcock, Sophie Kessler, Gergő Major, Helen Martin, Caroline Owen, Alice Scott, Ingrid Smith, Grace Vitale, J. Frank Webster, Francie Wilhelm, and Dave Winter
May 17, 2023
LOVE AND JOY: As she dances in her beautiful dress, sophomore Amy Love reflects on the joy it brings to see her father so happy during the McCallum Quinceañera. "I think that this event was really beautiful and fun to experience especially for my dad, seeing him so happy and having my family experience this," Love said. "My family isn’t big on doing huge celebrations so me and my sister weren’t able to have a quinceañera, but we loved being able to share this day with all the other quinceañeras and their families." Despite the stress of daily meetings and practices leading up to the event, Love found it all worth it for the fun and memories made on the quinceañera day. "It was really stressful doing the whole entire meetings and practice because it was every single day, but whenever it was the actual day of it, it was actually really fun," Love said. Overall, Love found the quinceañera event to be a very meaningful experience, which could not have happened without the hard work of Spanish teacher Juana Gun. "I want to give a huge thank you to Ms. Gun for making it all possible and being such a sweet person to all of us," Love said. Caption by Gergő Major.

McCallum Quinceañera celebrates comeback

By Kate Boyle, Tristen Diaz, Chloe Lewcock, Gergő Major, Lanie Sepehri, Ingrid Smith, Priya Thoppil, Camilla Vandegrift, Grace Vitale, Francie Wilhelm, and Dave Winter
April 18, 2023
FIREFIGHTERS FEEL THE HEAT: Kessler performs another car extraction while the sun beats down and reflects off exposed metal car pieces. As the skill day, which started at 7:30 a.m., progressed into the afternoon, the temperatures rose.

“Once we were like six hours in, holding tools got really hard because the ‘Jaws of Life’ are super heavy,” Kessler said. “I got calluses on my hands even though I was wearing gloves. By the end of it, I could feel my arms and I thought they were going to fall off.”

As tough as the work was, Kessler felt accomplished at the end of the long skill day.

“Getting physical confirmation that you did it right from the actual firefighters, and they congratulate you and say you did a good job, it feels good because it's a hard skill,” Kessler said.

Caption by Maggie Mass.

Fire Academy gets heated with ‘Jaws of Life’ exercise

By Gergő Major, Maggie Mass, and Ingrid Smith
March 10, 2023
SETTING THE STAGE: Senior Lauren Ryan-Holt (Leading Player) welcomes the audience in the show’s opening number, 'Magic to Do.'  As a play within a play, Pippin has many layers to it, including the opening number which is performed as if the cast members were arriving at rehearsal and setting up for the top of the show

“It’s the cast's musical bait to the audience,” Ryan-Holt said. “We’re luring them into the production we’re about to put on. We describe the journey and all the magical, fantastic things that will take place along the way. We literally set the stage for both the show and the audience’s expectations.”

Ryan-Holt opens the number and leads the other ensemble members until the song turns into a fully choreographed number. However, for Ryan-Holt, the opening seductive chords are her favorite part.

“There’s just something so mystical and enticing about how it sounds,” Ryan-Holt said. “It’s the one part where you can feel the full focus of the audience.”

Reporting by Alice Scott. Photo by Gergo Major.  

Like its title character, ‘Pippin’ evolving with each act

By JoJo Barnard, Chloe Lewcock, Gergő Major, Alice Scott, Ingrid Smith, and Francie Wilhelm
February 17, 2023
A worker for Asplundh Tree Expert Co., a private tree service company that works with Austin Energy, cuts branches away from power lines moments before Austin Energy  restored power to about 20 homes in the Northwest Hills neighborhood late Sunday afternoon. The homes had been without power since Wednesday afternoon. A walk around the block on Monday morning revealed that two home were still completely dark, and one of them had a generator running in the driveway, a indicator that some homes in the neighborhood are likely still without power.

Ice storm leaves students, teachers in dark

By Ingrid Smith, McCallum High School
February 7, 2023
LAST TIME FOR THE TRIO: Seniors and chamber choir members Cate Thomason, Georgiana Murray and Stella Pitts perform “Landslide” in the style of The Chicks during a performance of the annual choir cabaret. This year’s cabaret production, themed “This is the Moment… Be a Light,” featured songs about the choice humans face to build someone up or break them down. Thomason said after four years of performing together, the trio’s personalities blend as well as their voices. For the trio, this Cabaret was bittersweet.

“We weren’t that nervous this year because we’ve been singing together for so long,” Thomason said.  “We were mainly just excited and sad that it was our last year singing together.”

Former choir directors Malcolm Nelson and Cheryl Lindquist returned to Mac to put on Cabaret this year. Thomason said Nelson and Lindquist’s fun taste in music made the experience even better.

“Cabaret is a lot of work but it’s a lot of fun music and an exciting experience,” Thomason said. “We are really fortunate to have Mr. Nelson and Dr. Lindquist coach and help us with everything. I think they’re really good at picking fun songs and putting so much together in such a short amount of time.”

Photo by Francesca Dietz. Reporting by Ingrid Smith.

Cabaret 2022 succeeds in bringing the ‘Light’

By JoJo Barnard, Francesca Dietz, Chloe Lewcock, Alice Scott, Ingrid Smith, Camilla Vandegrift, and Francie Wilhelm
December 13, 2022
FUN WITH FRIENDS: Sophomores Hazel Trominski, Julia Rasp and Zalie Mann pose for the camera during Pink Week’s lunch festivities. Students in the science courtyard throughout the week enjoyed the activities while spending time with friends and sporting their best pink wear. Rasp went all-out during Pink Week, pink being her favorite color. “I think it’s awesome that they’re raising money for breast cancer awareness and doing fun stuff and that a lot of it is student-organized,” Rasp said.
Caption by Camilla Vandegrift.

Pink Week 2022 sets standard for fun, fundraising

By Evie Barnard, JoJo Bernard, Isley Cameron, Jolie Gabriel, Chloe Lewcock, Gergo Major, Helen Martin, Emerson Merritt, Lanie Sepehri, Ingrid Smith, Rio Sotelo, Sofia Thatcher, Elena Ulack, Camilla Vandegrift, Francie Wilhelm, and Dave Winter
November 7, 2022
Senior Maya Cidale (Mal) alongside senior Kathryn Dooley (Evie), junior Henry Mayes (Carlos) and senior Anderson Zoll (Jay) perform "Ways to be Wicked," a number in which the four evils reunite to take over Auradon. For Cidale, developing her character was a significant aspect of her rehearsal process. “It was actually a very interesting process finding my version of Mal,” Cidale said.  “I started off by pretending to be Regina George if she had magic on her side, but then I took a closer look at how all of the iconic mean girls achieved that status. I realized it was all about making people second guess themselves. From that realization, I stemmed every tactic from wanting people to question what they know is right.” Reporting by Alice Scott.

‘Descendants’ brings Disney magic to life

By Jojo Barnard, Chloe Lewcock, Helen Martin, Alice Scott, Lanie Sepehri, Ingrid Smith, and Francie Wilhelm
October 26, 2022
Levin speaks at an abortion rights protest they planned with TX4Abortion on Sept. 4.

Levin finds their voice in the fight for abortion rights

By Ingrid Smith, McCallum High School
October 6, 2022
UNDER THE UMBRELLA: Junior Wilson Corbitt heads toward his dad’s car near the portables during Monday afternoon’s rainstorm. Corbitt faired better than some students, having the forethought to bring an umbrella to school. “In that moment I thought ‘I bet you all thought I was crazy for bringing an umbrella on a sunny day,’” Corbitt said. His intuition proved right, but Corbitt connects this occurrence to a larger issue facing Austin and the planet. “Every year the weather in Texas gets more and more unpredictable and severe due to climate change,” Corbitt said. “And that’s coming off the back of one of the hottest summers on record where today was the first day since May under 90 degrees, which is making it progressively difficult to tell what might happen.” Reporting by Alice Scott.

Flash flood strikes Austin as school dismisses Monday

By Isley Cameron, Naomi Di-Capua, Meredith Grotevant, Sophie Leung-Lieu, Oliver Harrington, Helen Martin, Caroline Owen, Alice Scott, Ingrid Smith, Francie Wilhelm, and Dave Winter
September 19, 2022

Abbott edict threatens trans children, their families

By Ingrid Smith, McCallum High School
March 2, 2022
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