• 1/7 - First Day Back / Start of Second Semester
  • 12/13 - Print Paper Issue #2 Released
  • 12/20 - Winter Break
  • 12/16-12/19 - December Midterm Exams
The student news site of McNeil High School

The Trailblazer
The student news site of McNeil High School

The Trailblazer
The student news site of McNeil High School

The Trailblazer
All content by Amrin Madhani

CERT for the Rescue

Amrin Madhani, Editor in Chief
June 21, 2016

How to Teach a Teacher

Amrin Madhani, Editor-in-chief
June 20, 2016

Mavs Hit Home Run with District Title

Amrin Madhani, Editor-in-Chief
April 26, 2016
HOSA juniors take it upon themselves to raise awareness about childhood diabetes

Sorry Diabetes, But You’re So Not My Type

Amrin Madhani, Editor in Chief
January 22, 2016
House passes new bill restricting Syrian refugees.

Trojan Horse In The Making

Amrin Madhani, Editor In Chief
December 3, 2015
Under grey skies and cold weather, sophomores Walta Haile and Kanwal Ahemad plant native trees in the campus courtyard.

DECA, Green Club Dig Up Some Dirt in Campus Courtyard

Amrin Madhani, Editor In Chief
November 18, 2015
McNeil ACT Rescheduled Due to Severe Weather

McNeil ACT Rescheduled Due to Severe Weather

Amrin Madhani, Editor In Chief
October 27, 2015
"Kiss me Quick" Is the new single for Nathan Sykes's upcoming album.

Kill Me Quick, I Hate This Song

Amrin Madhani, Editor in Chief
October 19, 2015
The second installment to the Maze Runner hits theaters.

Scorch Trials’ deviates from the book and into a scene-stealing movie

Amrin Madhani, Editor-In-Cheif
September 29, 2015
After fleeing the splintered remains of their town, Syrian children have nothing to do. At Camp "Hands of Cooperation," these children have been robbed of schools, playgrounds, and standard quality of life. This Syrian Crisis has now been labeled as "the world's biggest humanity crisis."

Refugees’ Fight for Survival Leaves Countries Resourceless

Amrin Madhani, Editor-In-Cheif
September 15, 2015

Books, Books, and More Books

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
June 18, 2015

Basketball Coach Wins ‘All Central Texas Coach of the Year’ Award

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
June 17, 2015
Dive deep into Shusterman's latest, most heartbreaking novel "Challenger Deep."

‘Challenger Deep’

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
June 6, 2015
Classic Starter

The Starter Pack to Korean Drama

Amrin Madhani, Copy Editor
April 2, 2015
Mavs defend their court against Round Rock.

Mavs Crush Dragons, Gain Coach 500th Career Win

Amrin Madhani, Copy Editor
February 23, 2015
Mavs lead a victory and advance into Playoffs.

Boys’ Basketball Win Against Stony Point

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
February 20, 2015
Senior Kailan Bray scores after an intense battle for the ball.

Working For Results

Amrin Madhani, Editor
February 4, 2015

Playing for Success

Amrin Madhani, Copy Editor
December 18, 2014

Help Raise Awareness for Breast Cancer: Wear Pink

Amrin Madhani, Entertainment Editor
October 16, 2014
Book of the month for October brings a chilling read for mystery lovers.

A Chilling Read: ‘And Then There Were None’

Amrin Madhani, Copy Editor
October 15, 2014
McNeil High renamed the library in memorial of a beloved counselor Lacey Jinx.

Library Renamed in Honor of Beloved Crisis Counselor

Amrin Madhani, Copy Editor
October 4, 2014
McNeil Academies have greatly changed after the passing of House Bill 5. Gloria Evans talks about the changes implemented at McNeil and how it effects the incoming student body.

House Bill 5 Changes Academies Offered at RRISD Schools

Amrin Madhani, Copy Editor
September 10, 2014

Goodbye to a Past, and Hello to a Future

Amrin Madhani, Editor
May 13, 2014

Baseball Hits A Home Run Into Playoffs 3rd Year in a Row

Amrin Madhani, Entertainment Editor
April 30, 2014
The Fault in Our Stars

‘The Fault in Our Stars’ Has No Faults

Amrin Madhani, Editor
April 29, 2014
‘Heaven is for Real’ Entices Audience

‘Heaven is for Real’ Entices Audience

Amrin Madhani, Editor
April 24, 2014

Students Compete at TFA State

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
March 24, 2014
‘Anatomy’ of a Great Book

‘Anatomy’ of a Great Book

Amrin Madhani, Entertainment Editor
March 9, 2014

Boys’ Basketball Makes 18th Playoff Appearance

Amrin Madhani, Entertainment Editor
February 18, 2014
British culture seems to be dominating the 21st century through music, books, and pop culture.

The Next British Invasion

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
February 18, 2014
Everybody battles with boredom, how far are you willing?

A Not so Boring Article about Boredom

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
February 4, 2014
Boys’ Basketball Takes a Loss Head On

Boys’ Basketball Takes a Loss Head On

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
November 28, 2013
Smoothly directed, Catching Fire turns out to be a thrilling sequel to The Hunger Games

‘Catching Fire:’ The Odds are Always In Your Favor

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
November 27, 2013

Library Hosts Event for Writers

Amrin Madhani, Entertainment Editor
November 15, 2013

Speed Date Writing: Students Timed on Fun Writing Prompts

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
November 15, 2013
FFA members bring the new Superintendent, Dr. Steve Flores, a welcome gift.

New Superintendent Expresses Vision for District

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
November 7, 2013
During school lunch students went outside to watch "drunk drivers" in action. Watching this demonstration students were enlightened about the dangers of unsafe driving. "I'd always been the kind of person that thinks, 'wow this has nothing to do with me', while that may be true it affects the people around me, people I may know, or people I may have once said hello to," freshman Jason Crunos said. Vote for McNeil at WWW.CelebrateMyDrive.com and help the community become aware of the danger.

Cons of Driving Unsafe … Without Pros

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
October 23, 2013
Color, as we know it, doesn’t exist in the outside world such as gravity or atoms. Instead, color is created inside our minds.

Is Your Red the Same as My Red? Color Provides Arbitrary Attributes

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
October 19, 2013

Junior Takes Tour of Europe for Her Birthdays

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
October 18, 2013

StuCo Promotes Safe Driving With Activities, Chance to Win Clarkson Concert

Amrin Madhani, Entertainment Editor
October 17, 2013

1st Day Highlights Range of Emotions

Amrin Madhani, Editor
October 4, 2013
This is Us storms into the theater and captures the hearts of millions. Girls everywhere are going crazy of the new release of One Direction's This Is Us.

One Direction’s ‘This is Us’ Takes Over Theaters

Amrin Madhani, Editor
September 4, 2013
Texas A&M brings inspiration for McNeil Staffers. A Frame of Mind is this years winner of the multi-media project.

Newspaper Staff Wins Award at A&M Workshop

Amrin Madhani, Editor
September 4, 2013
Wattpad, a site millions of readers and writers go to, is popular for it's fan fiction. This website engages the user and is easy to navigate,

Harry Potter and the Writers of Wattpad

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
June 9, 2013
Keep Calm and Carry On is more than just a poster on the wall. Its history reveals that it was an underground campaign for the British Government to control the citizens after a mass massacre.

Keep Calm and Read This Article

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
June 4, 2013

StuCo Hosts Talent Show Friday

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
May 7, 2013
"42" will keep viewers at the edge of their seats. It's a heart-warming tale of a man who didn't let racism stop him from achieving his dreams. This man suffered through the pain, and lived through the joy; this man is no other than Major League Baseball player, Jackie Robinson.

‘42’ Hits Home Run

Amrin Madhani, reporter
April 15, 2013
Old Classics disguise themselves in modern literature. "Classic Books are like the sun," Amelia Bligh, said, "It maybe, but it still shines today."

More Than Just Inked Pages: Classic Literature Revamped for Modern Times

Amrin Madhani, reporter
April 1, 2013
At last years Math Relay, student compete in teams of different math levels for a chance to win free ice cream. "It's always fun to see kids show up and participate. This event gives kids a new outlook on math and something more than just equations in a textbook," Brian Youn said. Sign up by March first and compete at this year's annual math relay.

Mathletes Calculate on at Annual Relay

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
February 26, 2013
Lay Mav and Lady Warrior reach for the ball and begin the game. "Westwood was a tough game," said Coach Moore, "No one knew what direction it would go." End of Season Recap: Lady Mavs did not make it to playoffs and train harder for next year.

Mavs Lose Against The Heat Of the Warriors and Panthers: End Of Season Recap

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
February 20, 2013
Lady Mav, blocks the ball against Lady Raiders in the last quarter. "It was intense, not knowing if the other girl was going to take the ball or not. But in the end we pulled threw," said Coach Moore.

Lady Mavs Win Against Stony Point In Close Game.

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
January 30, 2013
Last of the game is over and the Mavs have lost the game. "Well, next game there will be things to work on but even though this was a loss we stilled learned more," said coach Moore.

Lady Mavs Slide During Second Half of District Play

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
January 29, 2013
After a tough game against Round Rock the Lady Mavs celebrate and enjoy their victory together. "They played so well," said Coach Moore, "They went up against the team and won." The Lady Mavs will be playing Cedar Ridge at McNeil High School on January 18th.

Lady Mavs Take 66-65 Win Against Round Rock

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
January 25, 2013
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Lady Mavs Rock the Court

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
January 17, 2013
Sophomore Sharky Alvarado draws a mythical figure representing the idea of uniqueness and freedom of expression. Sharky aims to spread awareness and uses her art to functionally do so. "I think the most affective way to get through people,"Alvarado said, "Is to show them the reality. Make them see what they're doing and then it's their choice, do they want to continue what they are doing or put a stop to it."

Art Provides Sophomore a Creative Outlet

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
December 24, 2012
'Breaking Dawn' Part 2: The Epic Conclusion to the Fight for Love

‘Breaking Dawn’ Part 2: The Epic Conclusion to the Fight for Love

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
November 21, 2012
Sapphire Dancer Megan Whittaker shows off the limited popcorn bags that are now on sale. The dancers are selling many varieties of popcorn for competitions and to pay for the costumes. “It’s been really fun selling popcorn,” Whittaker said. “They’re good, fresh and something to buy.”

Fundraiser Gives Groups Financial Boost

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
November 16, 2012
In Your Face At the Diversity Club pie-throwing booth during the homecoming carnival, students line up to throw pies at chemistry teacher Jay Krishnan. The Carnival had booths ranging from pillow fighting to the car bash. "At the time i was like 'I shouldn't have done it' but, it was worth helping out the Diversity Club kids," Krishnan said.

Homecoming Carnival: The Place To Be

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
October 24, 2012
Homecoming Dance: A Night To Remember

Homecoming Dance: A Night To Remember

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
October 24, 2012
Welcome to ‘Hotel Transylvania’: A Monsters’ Sanctuary

Welcome to ‘Hotel Transylvania’: A Monsters’ Sanctuary

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
October 10, 2012

McNeil Around the World

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
October 5, 2012

A Parents Day at School

Amrin Madhani, Reporter
October 3, 2012
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