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Cottonwood Creek Elementary School Principal Dr. Andra Penn has a collection of vintage items in her office given to her by students and staff over the years. Dr. Penny has held her position since the school’s opening in 1996.
Penny coining a lasting legacy
April 22, 2025
A solitary sign held aloft with the Capitol rotunda in the background expresses the central theme of those who gathered to oppose Senate Bill 2 and the voucher system it will create.
Abbott and his allies finally earn voucher victory
April 22, 2025
Transitioning out of Conifer High School (CHS), the Conifer Jefferson County Public Library will be giving CHS around 5,000 books for its own library. Karen McIntosh, the Digital Teacher Librarian at CHS, is working with school and JCPL staff members and communities to expand the collection for the upcoming school year. The school has and will accept donations of books that are suitable for high school audiences. “We've already accepted book donations from families. We also had other schools, Chatfield has donated books to our library,” McIntosh said. “I will gladly accept donations.”
Boutique of Books
April 22, 2025
Officer Will Stearns helped to free a skunk from a Chick-fil-A cup in the parking lot on April 2.
School Resource Officer Helps to Free a Troubled Skunk
April 17, 2025
Plans for school-wide testing were dropped last week after hundreds of students experienced problems logging on.
ACTing Up: Testing Mishap at LFHS
April 17, 2025
Kombucha is a fizzy and tangy fermented tea drink made from just a few simple ingredients: tea, water, sugar and a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.
Brewing the truth behind kombucha
April 22, 2025
Junior Gianna Gonzalez prepares the puff pastry batter to be squeezed out onto a pan. Gonzalez started her baking business Made With Love by Gianna in 2023, making her hobby into a paying job.
Baking Business is bringing in the bucks for Gonzalez
April 22, 2025
Families are all about having special bonds, no matter the curveballs they experience. This image showcases the joyful connection between a family.
Entering parenthood: balancing challenges and changes
April 22, 2025
Catalina Baraya (11) visits the Mikasa Shopping Plaza in Yokosuka, Japan. Baraya, who attended an American international school in Japan, moved back to the United States last August. Photo courtesy of Catalina Baraya.
Curriculum across cultures
April 17, 2025
Mary Collier teaches her ASL students about directional verbs on April 9, 2025. As can be seen on the slide, grammatical structure in ASL is quite different from that of English. Photo used with permission from Wendy Webster.
The world behind the signs
April 17, 2025
Strongly swinging student Jil Schwe leans in for a powerful hit hoping to score points for her team.
Serving from across the globe
April 22, 2025
On March 6, athletes from various schools competed in the Coppell Relays at Buddy Echols Field. Recent incidents have increased the need for vigilance at school sporting events. Photo by Isabella Callegaro Santos
Teenage belligerence causes real harm
April 22, 2025
Before throwing the ball to a teammate, senior goalkeeper Beck Henderson holds the ball to slow the pace of the game. Henderson has signed a letter of intent to play collegiate soccer for i2i Academy at Leeds Beckett University in England.
Kickin’ it in England
April 22, 2025
Freshman Carson Bagley Takes on Trails with Mountain Biking
Freshman Carson Bagley Takes on Trails with Mountain Biking
April 22, 2025
How women’s wrestling found a home in Iowa City
How women’s wrestling found a home in Iowa City
April 17, 2025
Mike Wang and Stephen Curry, a NBA basketball player, posing for a picture
Mike Wang: NBA 2K Developer and PCHS Alumnus
April 22, 2025
Original composition by senior Freya Girard.
Student Composers
April 22, 2025
Seniors Aditya Parikh and Pranith Surapaneni practice playing the violin and the guitar for the Melodies for Memories club they founded. Parikh said he has been able to make connections through music and hopes to inspire the same in nursing homes. “Everyone has listened to some sort of music in their life and can connect to a live performance,” Parikh said, “That is a big part of why we created the organization because we wanted to share what we found with others.”
A timeless connection
April 22, 2025
Junior Cyrus Froozan practices guitar with his local church band. Froozan plays in his free time and during church gatherings. Oftentimes, the church sees audiences of up to 200 people.
Music and medals: Cyrus Froozan shoots for the stars
April 22, 2025
Michelle Peng sketches a dollar bill in her notebook, a symbolic reflection of the financial struggles artists face. For many, low wages and economic uncertainty cast a shadow over creative careers. Yet, with each confident stroke of her pencil, Peng confronts these challenges head-on, transforming her worries into art. Above her, images of her past creations float like a constellation of inspiration, each piece reflecting the drive and creativity that propel her forward, proving her passion can overcome any obstacle in her path.
Doodles to dollars
April 17, 2025
FREEDOM'S FIST. The op-ed is a living symbol of the freedom of the press—like one finger on the hand of the First Amendment, which itself forms the strong fist of American democracy. What could be more American than that?
Hands off the Op-ed
April 22, 2025
Korea’s top delivery giant feasts on bankrupt kitchens and inflated menus.
The Hunger Games of Korean delivery
April 22, 2025
Assistant Opinion Editor Arjun Mukherjee writes that Trump's stifling of the press is a threat to democracy.
Democracy dies in silence
April 22, 2025
Trump is destroying our democracy
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Freedom
April 22, 2025
Location sharing encourages safety, connection, and digital intimacy, but at what cost?
The Death of Privacy
April 22, 2025
Spring Break Trip to Belize
April 22, 2025
Scrambling for eggs? Not here: A looking inside the Masters Dining Hall
April 17, 2025
Theater Students Dress Up for Annual Special Olympics
Theater Students Dress Up for Annual Special Olympics
April 17, 2025
Junior Dakoda Dement competes in the shot put at the Caney Creek meet. He screamed toward his teammates when he realized he had thrown a personal record.
Dakoda Dement sets new record, chases bigger goals
April 15, 2025
VIDEO South Asia Club hosts South Asia Night
VIDEO South Asia Club hosts South Asia Night
April 10, 2025
Junior Dakoda Dement competes in the shot put at the Caney Creek meet. He screamed toward his teammates when he realized he had thrown a personal record.
Dakoda Dement sets new record, chases bigger goals
April 15, 2025
PODCAST Luca Akin cogitates on long-term finance internship
PODCAST Luca Akin cogitates on long-term finance internship
April 2, 2025
Shepherd Perkins: A Peek Into a Budding Artist’s Album
March 27, 2025
JJ Buzz logo
Jacket Journal Reporters Kassidy Eggert and Cameron Carlson Explore High School Book Censorship with Assistant Principal Ben Richards
March 21, 2025
Listen to some of our favorite snacks and decide which you enjoy most!
Top 5 Best Snacks Podcast
March 21, 2025
REACHING FOR THE STARS: Junior Zane Shieh sings an original song while playing the guitar with his band, Spiral Maze, at the Battle of the Bands last Thursday. He sings the long note of his band’s original song entitled “Reach,” a part of a new album coming soon. “This is my second year doing Battle of the Bands and with Spiral Maze,” Shieh said. “We had a pretty tight set, but I think it went really well, and the crowd liked us a good bit.” Shieh said his excitement toward playing at the Battle of the Bands this year was being able to showcase his band’s new music. “My favorite part was performing our new song, and playing for a bunch of my friends was super sick,” Shieh said. “It was stressful at first—like a little nervous—but it all cleared up right after the first song, and the atmosphere was very chill.” While it was not his band’s first time performing in front of a crowd, Shieh said he loves playing music at his own school and performing original music. “We’ve played at the Austin Rodeo two times and a few restaurants like Tamale House and Freddo’s ATX,” Shieh said. Shieh and his band will be back performing at school at the upcoming first annual McCallum Art Party fundraiser on Feb. 22. Caption by Nate Williams.
Battle of the Bands brings Mac musicians together
April 10, 2025
Junior Paige Mitchell leaps during group performance for Blue Brigade's annual show-off held last Wednesday commencing the contest season.
Twirl, leap and spin into contest season
April 4, 2025
UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: Senior Sasha Grapko is highlighted on stage by a spotlight during the McCallum Youth Dance Company show this past Thursday and Friday at the AISD PAC. The company put in tireless efforts to make the show a reality with late rehearsals and all-day preparations at the PAC in the days leading up to the show. The show was unique with multiple ensembles performing throughout the night. Since the company consists of students ranging from their freshmen to senior years, the dances vary in complexity which created a balance throughout the program over the two days. Overall, the efforts of the dancers and choreographers paid off, and the show was a success. As Grapko is shining above, every McCallum dancer was able to highlight their commitment to the program with their performances. Caption by Arwen Petellier. Photo by Adele Seeboth
McCallum Youth Dance Company delivers ‘moving’ showcase
March 27, 2025
Cassidy Vallin (Left) and Bryan Connolly (Right) from Circus Foundry dance as a part of their show during the opening ceremony of Conifer High School’s 9th annual Peace Day. Circus Foundry is a Denver-based contemporary circus that formed to share their art, help others in the process, and support local under-represented demographics in community gatherings. “Our main goal with your show was to be able to share the excitement of what the circus brings to people throughout the world,” Vallin said.
Kaleidoscope of Perspective
March 12, 2025
Can Ugur (’27) lunges to tackle a TASIS player as Arthur Lamond (’26) runs to help. Coach Ryan Erickson said the team will refer to their game against TASIS to see how they can improve in the future. “Monday, we’ll kind of review the game tape that we have, find some highlights of things we did well, applaud those and then look at things that we need to continue to work on and think about how we need to get better at,” Erickson said.
GALLERY Boys varsity rugby competes against TASIS
March 6, 2025
Spring Break Trip to Belize
April 22, 2025
Scrambling for eggs? Not here: A looking inside the Masters Dining Hall
April 17, 2025
Theater Students Dress Up for Annual Special Olympics
Theater Students Dress Up for Annual Special Olympics
April 17, 2025
VIDEO South Asia Club hosts South Asia Night
VIDEO South Asia Club hosts South Asia Night
April 10, 2025
AP Art and Design Host Art Show
AP Art and Design Host Art Show
April 8, 2025
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 Lillian Gray
A solitary sign held aloft with the Capitol rotunda in the background expresses the central theme of those who gathered to oppose Senate Bill 2 and the voucher system it will create.

Abbott and his allies finally earn voucher victory

By Lillian Gray, McCallum High School
April 22, 2025
Texas State Representative Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, speaks in the rotunda on April 16 in protest of vouchers. “Our public schools are the great equalizer that no matter what your zip code, every child should have a great public education so that they can compete in a global economy,” he said. “Nelson Mandela was right. Education is the most powerful weapon to use to change the world.”

House debate underway for voucher bill, public school funding

By Lillian Gray, McCallum High School
April 17, 2025
REACHING FOR THE STARS: Junior Zane Shieh sings an original song while playing the guitar with his band, Spiral Maze, at the Battle of the Bands last Thursday. He sings the long note of his band’s original song entitled “Reach,” a part of a new album coming soon. “This is my second year doing Battle of the Bands and with Spiral Maze,” Shieh said. “We had a pretty tight set, but I think it went really well, and the crowd liked us a good bit.” Shieh said his excitement toward playing at the Battle of the Bands this year was being able to showcase his band’s new music. “My favorite part was performing our new song, and playing for a bunch of my friends was super sick,” Shieh said. “It was stressful at first—like a little nervous—but it all cleared up right after the first song, and the atmosphere was very chill.” While it was not his band’s first time performing in front of a crowd, Shieh said he loves playing music at his own school and performing original music. “We’ve played at the Austin Rodeo two times and a few restaurants like Tamale House and Freddo’s ATX,” Shieh said. Shieh and his band will be back performing at school at the upcoming first annual McCallum Art Party fundraiser on Feb. 22. Caption by Nate Williams.

Battle of the Bands brings Mac musicians together

By Shila Gill, Lillian Gray, Maggie Mass, Sophia Manos, Josie Mullan, Callen Romell, Sofia Saucedo, Priya Thoppil, Camilla Vandegrift, Wren Vanderford, and Nate Williams
April 10, 2025
Charlie Bates, a sixth-grade reading and language arts teacher at Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, speaks in front of the crowd at today's rally at the Texas Capitol. “Without our public schools, our communities will not survive,” she said.

Educators rally against vouchers at Capitol rally

By Lillian Gray, McCallum High School
March 11, 2025
A memorial in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine honoring the Ukrainian soldiers who have died during the war. When a soldier dies, relatives and friends add a flag to the memorial. Over 40,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died since the war began in February 2022. Photo courtesy of Anastasiia Musiiaka's.

Left behind

By Lillian Gray, McCallum High School
February 20, 2025
While parents and teachers formed a marching line with rainbow umbrellas to insulate students from the hateful messaging coming from the sidewalk, students wrote supportive messages with sidewalk chalk to express support for the same groups that the agitators were villifying.

Community responds to agitators’ return with show of support

By Lillian Gray, McCallum High School
November 13, 2024
ALL ABOUT ALTOS: In the midst of the prelims performance of “Fury Road,” movement captain and alto section leader junior Liliana Escamilla, makes her way through the music and choreography with other members of the alto section by her side. This being her third year as a member of the band, Escamilla has played in the Bands of America Regional competition before and knew what to expect. “It went pretty well and most people were pretty proud of how they performed,” she said. “The competition has always been an extremely hard one as most of the bands are 6A, so we do it as more of an experience to improve, but I feel like it definitely benefited us to see what we can do better for the next competition next Saturday.”

Band sharpens its craft at first competition of season

By Lillian Gray and Wren Vanderford
October 16, 2024
GRETCHEN WHITMER: At Thursday night’s opening keynote, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Texas Tribune co-founder Evan Smith kicked off the Texas Tribune Festival with a discussion about Whitmer’s new memoir and her time as governor. Whitmer, the second woman to become governor in Michigan, has held office since 2019 and talked about her experience running for that position and the progress she has made during her time in that position. “In Michigan we got on the right side of civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community,” she said. “We were able to get the Crown Act signed into law and feed all 1.4 million Michigan public school students breakfast and lunch every single day. We were able to get background checks and red flag laws and secure storages. We have been delivering on the agenda on which we ran, always mindful though, that it’s a one-seat majority. So where we can find bipartisan support we strive always to do that. Because in order to sustain this work we’ve got to make sure that this is what’s good not just for the Michigan economy but for all of the people that call Michigan home.” As Whitmer covered much of her accomplishments, she talked about her experience running for governor. She described challenges she faced but also advice she got from others like one piece of advice said to her prior to one of her debates for governor that still sticks with her today “The happy warrior always wins the debate,” she said. “If you can turn off the volume and just watch and see who looks like they’re having the most fun, they’re almost always the one who wins the debate, so try to remember to be a happy warrior.” With a range of different topics covered in the opening keynote, a large portion was about Whitmer’s governor race and her experience in politics. Along with that though, the conversation pivoted toward the end to cover the upcoming presidential election and what Whitmer hopes to see from Harris. “Let Kamala be Kamala,” she said. “I think so many politicians get all tied up in knots because they’re trying to be this for that audience and this for that audience, and they lose themselves. I think just showing up just as she is is incredibly powerful.”

Texas Tribune Festival offers buffet of political ideas

By Lillian Gray, McCallum High School
October 8, 2024
Cowles poses for a selfie with Alumni Band members Kirsten Davenport (left) and Anne Hochfelder (right) before their halftime performance with current members of the Longhorn Band.

Cowles marches back to college

By Lillian Gray, McCallum High School
October 1, 2024
Beyond commemorating the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Biden directed much of his speech to looking forward. He spoke about the importance of understanding that past accomplishments are not the stopping point but rather the foundation from which to keep building. “President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 just two days before the Fourth of July,” Biden said. “He said in that bill signing, and I quote, ‘This is a proud triumph. Yet those who founded our country knew that freedom would be secure only if each generation fought to renew and enlarge its meaning.’” Biden called for a constitutional amendment that would prohibit immunity for crimes a former president committed while in office. “I share our founders’ belief that a president must answer to the law and the president is accountable in the exercise of the great power of the presidency,” he said. “We’re a nation of laws, not kings and dictators.” He also focused his attention on flawed aspects of the Supreme Court, which just granted presidential immunity in Trump v. The United States earlier this summer. Biden stated that term limits and a mandatory code of ethics would create a more balanced power over time. He said that these reforms are needed “to restore trust in the courts and preserve the system of checks and balances that are vital to our democracy.” During his remarks Biden talked directly about his decision to step aside from the 2024 presidential election, as President Johnson did in 1968. Following this decision, Biden endorsed Vice President Harris’ campaign for President and spoke on her ability to continue the work. “She has been an incredible partner to me, a champion of civil rights throughout her career, and she’ll continue to be an inspiring leader and project this very idea of America: the very idea that we’re all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives,” he said. “We’ve never fully lived up to that, but we’ve never walked away from it.” Caption by Lillian Gray.

Biden, LBJ Library commemorate 60th anniversary of Civil Rights Act passage

By Lillian Gray and Noah Braun
September 19, 2024
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