The Blazer
John Muir Early College Magnet High School
December 18, 2022
Muir player Hakim Kent and Pasadena player Jasun Riddley face off at the Turkey Tussle
John Muir Football Wins First CIF Championship Title in Decades
John Muir High School (JMHS) had an exhilarating football season in 2022, filled with ups and downs and energy that captivated the city. The beginning of the season started off rough and hit a low for the Mustangs when they lost the bell to Pasadena High School (PHS) midway through the season.
JMHS and PHS continued with their 75th annual Turkey Tussle and fight for infamous bell. The rivalry has been between the two school's varsity football teams since 1947.
This year's Turkey Tussle was played in the Rose Bowl on October 26, 2022 back in front an excited crowd. The standout players of the game were Cornerback Kenneth Williams, with a fumble recovery and touchdown along with Linebacker Adrian Ramirez, with an interception.
“Going into this game we have a lot of our players back and we’re excited to see what it is like with most of our guys on the field.” said Head Coach Lance Mitchell.
The turkey tussle game started off with a fumble recovery and touchdown made by Pasadena High. At the start of halftime, PHS was up 0-21. The game ended with a final score of 0–47.
Quarterback Brandon Valencia said, “the Turkey Tussle got us used to adversity and made us tougher in a way.”
Despite not scoring, players never gave up and kept fighting through all four quarters.
“Even though we didn’t win, it was a great experience playing in the bowl,” said Wide Receiver Mahki Clark.
Even though the team did not come out on top, it is still an experience they will never forget.
“It was a good game, I had fun playing with my friend for the last time,” said Adrain Ramirez.
The Turkey Tussle might not have gone in the Mustang's favor, but because of how they performed for the rest of the season the Mustangs advanced to California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) playoffs.
Running Back Jachai Pulley said “the tussle was a learning lesson. We made a lot of mistakes” but they worked hard to put it behind them.
Offensive Coordinator Marquis Ross said, “This season was a roller coaster with a lot of ups and downs. Early on in the season we had a lot of injuries and it was looking like it was going to be a terrible season.”
But the playoffs started in the beginning of November, and the Mustangs turned a corner and proved to be unstoppable.
Their first game was November 4, 2022, against Tustin High School where they pulled out a victory of 28-1. The team went on to dominate their next two opponents Norwalk High School by a score of 21-0 where Running Back Jachai Pulley scored a touchdown and intercepted a pass, and Baldwin High School by a score of 28-7 where running back Jachai Pulley, Wide Receiver Alex Miller both contributed to the winning points.
The team consistently worked hard and focused on just facing the current team and making it to the next round.
Valencia said, “playoffs are a different mindset. Knowing you could lose next week and that will be the end of your season and you will have to wait a whole year, you practice harder because it could be your last.
Salesian High School fell 21-0 to the Mustangs on November 26, 2022 in front of 3000 plus fans at home. Pulley scored a touchdown in the first few minutes of the game and the Mustangs never looked back. Offensively, Miller and Pulley combined for 21 points.
When asked about what it was like to make history Pulley said, “It felt good to put on for the city.”
The defense worked together to shut out Salesian. Clark intercepted a pass and Safety Turran Williams blocked a punt. In the end the Mustangs were victorious in bringing home the first CIF title since 1989.
Ramirez reflected on the win, “I’m blessed, happy, thankful for our coaches and we couldn’t have done it without them.”
The team worked hard on the field and put in many hours prepping for each game both mentally and physically.
“We just came out after watching film and we were the most physical team and came out on top,” said Pulley.
Palo Verde Valle High School was the next team the Mustangs rolled over on their way to the championship game with a 33-7 victory.
The Mustangs advanced to the Division Ten State Championship Game and suffered a hard-fought loss to Hughson High School by a score of 9-6. Hughson scored a touchdown and a safety in the first quarter and led for the rest of the game.
At halftime, the score was 9-0. In the second half Clark stepped in as quarterback for some plays and scored a rushing touchdown to make the score 9-6 which became the final score of the game.
This game was especially difficult for the Mustangs as it was raining and the field was muddy which hindered their play.
Ramirez said, “That was the first time we played in the mud. We played well, but we didn’t expect to play in that condition. The field was horrible.”
The players were covered in mud and slipping on every play which caused lots of issues for the team.
Linebacker Immanuel Meachum said, “It was like playing in mud and it was difficult snapping the ball, throwing the ball and just getting a grip on the ball. We were slipping on a lot of plays that could have gone for 80 yards.”
In the end, the Mustangs had a bittersweet season. They made it further than any team in decades and had quite a historic season that captivated the whole Mustang community.
“It was an up and down season with many, many hardships but it was a fun ride,” said Meechum.
Ramirez added, “It was the last time we suited up and didn't go like it was supposed to so it felt bad, but at the same time we are CIF champs.”
Overall, this season was better than expected. It was a year that broke a thirty year drought of CIF championship titles. The team, the coaches, the students, alumni, and the community all took the ride together and loved every minute of this extraordinary season.
According to coach Ross, “The best was winning CIF and seeing all the fans and alumni come back and all the love the school got.”
Bryan Sanchez passes the ball in CIF championship game
Boys Water Polo Dominate and Bring Home CIF Championship to Muir
On November 12 2022, at the Woolley Aquatics Center in Irvine, the John Muir High School (JMHS) varsity boys water polo team won the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division 6 championship water polo game. The final score was 17-16, by a razor-thin difference of one point.
A large crowd gathered to cheer on the Muir team. Staff, fellow students, and several former Muir water polo players joined them, as did the program's initial coach, Walt Culbertson.
Muir hasn't had a boys' water polo team in 16 years until Coach Micol Issa helped restore the team to its former glory. Coach Issa and the team deserve a lot of appreciation for all of their hard work that finally paid off.
After the title win, Coach Issa, JMHS Principal Dr Lawton Gray, Assistant Principal Doctor Ricardo Robles, and Athletic Director Alfredo Resendiz jumped in the pool to celebrate the CIF title with the team.
Muir's pep squad, basketball players, baseball players, and a few football players went to show their support. And the final game did not disappoint the crowd.
“I thought we were gonna lose, and I wasn't expecting Luke to make that final score. The game was just back and forth, back and forth goals but at the very last second Luke just shot in the goal,” said Hannah Gutierrez, a member of JMHS's pep squad who traveled to support the team.
Isaac Rishwain, a JMHS varsity baseball player commented, “The game itself was very exciting. The score went back and forth, as Muir kept answering to Hemet. After Muir won the game on a buzzer beater, Dr Gray, Dr Robles, and Mr Resendiz jumped into the pool fully clothed. Some students were in tears, from the joy. And Many of Muir's other athletes were thrilled by the victory.”
This was a great way to end the season and not only JMHS took notice of the accomplishment. Coach Issa was named CIF Division 6 Coach of the Year, and captain Brian Sanchez was named CIF Division 6 Player of the Year.
Muir students, teachers, and alumni are ecstatic about our Boys Water Polo championship. If you want to play water polo, please contact Ms. Issa or Ms. Cheng.
PUSD teachers protest in front of city hall
PUSD Teachers Protest Low Wages
On Saturday November 5, 2022 John Muir High School (JMHS) teachers joined teachers from all over the district and went to Pasadena City Hall protesting that they receive a fair working wage. This event was organized by United Teachers of Pasadena (UTP). The UTP is an organization with 325,000 -member California Teachers. But it's not just for teachers it also includes counselors, librarians, nurses, psychologists etc. They serve communities of Atadena, and Sierra Madre, not just pasadena. You can find all their information and learn more about them on their website utofp.net. Mr. Daniel Harris, a chemistry teacher here at JMHS and Area 2 director for the UTP, participated in this teacher rally. What made him participate in this rally was “for them to know we are serious about receiving fair pay and competitive wages” said Harris. This organization has been planning this rally since July-August. All teachers and staff supported this event, but some argue saying they're not doing enough and should do something that will catch their attention. The message they wanted to get across was for Special Education teachers and Nurses with nursing licenses to get fair payment and for all teachers to get appropriate pay, especially when they are covering for teachers because of a lack of subs. They were also asking for a shorter work year, teachers right now are working 185 days throughout the year. This event was peaceful. There was music playing, people taking pictures enjoying the moment. “peaceful forceful but positive” added Mr.Harris The event didn't take long, it was short but the point got across. Not every teacher here at JMHS showed up at the event, some had another event or something personal. Pasadena Unified school teachers get paid 12% less than other districts, roughly less than $6000 a year. The workload teachers have here it's a lot. Approximately every teacher here in JMHS has 200 students, usually they should have around 160. Classes here have over 35+ students and it's difficult for teachers to reach every student and be able to make sure they understood the lesson. “The school, the students, alumni and the community of John Muir has more heart than I have seen in the 4-5 districts I have worked at. It is challenging work but accomplishing this for teachers and staff is rewarding,¨ said Harris. For the time, they got an offer from the district higher than cost of living. This is better than any previous offer from the last 10 years, slighting close the gaps between other local school districts and PUSD. In conclusion, it's important to appreciate our teachers and staff, every member of John Muir. The district and UTP came to an agreement and settled on a 10% raise that will be retroactive to July of 2022. The board needs to ratify the agreement and the teachers can expect to see the raise in their paychecks in February 2023, but not their back pay until possibly April 2023.
Eighth Grade Shadow Day Returns in 2022
Every school year John Muir High School (JMHS) has an 8th-grade shadow day to show incoming freshmen what our campus is like in hopes they become future Mustangs. With this being the first year where everything is back to normal, it's also the first 8th-grade shadow day since the 2019-2020 school year.
“It's important to have a shadow day so that students see all the amazing programs and opportunities that John Muir has to offer. They also have the chance to meet current students and hear their experiences and hopefully get excited about coming to Muir” said Alejandra Diaz, one of the PCC counselors on campus and the person in charge of this event.
A few weeks before the event, Diaz sent out a form to all Muir students to see if they would like to participate in the event, whether it be a tour guide, in the planning committee, with clubs, or in the sports panel.
If students chose to be tour guides, Diaz paired them up with another tour guide and assigned them around 25 8th graders in their group.
Valeria Molina, a tour guide for the event, expressed that she wanted to become a tour guide to show the incoming freshmen how the past three years of her experience at Muir has been a great experience. She also wanted to showcase all the great things our campus has to offer.
Molina said, “I felt excited knowing there were going to be 8th graders on campus because I remember how I was once an 8th grader excited to start high school.”
“We invite all in-district middle schools with the exceptions of Marshall and Blair. The reason we don't invite Marshall and Blair is that they're 6-12 and we don't want to “step on anyone's toes” so we invited McKinley, Sierra Madre, Eliot and Octavia Butler,” said Diaz. She continued,“There were about 580 middle school students total with all 4 middle schools but they didn't bring all their students, however, we still had about 400.”
“In my group, there were quite a few students interested in attending Muir,” said Valeria, “they were mostly interested in our sports, more specifically boys' basketball”.
Incoming freshmen interested in sports might consider Muir as their future highschool since both our football and boys water polo team won CIF.
When asked how we can make our school stand out from the rest, Mrs. Diaz said, “I think that we have a lot of amazing things going on at Muir and we for whatever reason are really humble about it and we don't brag enough. One of the things I made sure that we talked about with the students who led the tours was that they really need to talk about their experience and what the things that make us unique are because we don't talk about that enough. I think the conversations our tour guides had with students about what they're involved in, helped the 8th graders realize that it's a really good school.”
John Muir High School vs Monrovia High School
Photo Courtesy of Joseph Scales
Girls Water Polo Hopes to Continue the Program's Success
It is winter time and that means winter sports are starting up. One of those sports is Girl's water polo. With the fantastic coaching staff of Muir Water Polo as a whole, many are hoping John Muir High School (JMHS) will get a Girls Water Polo California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Championship to match the boys.
It’ll be a long road but with a record of 4-0 early in the season with a 23-0 win over Alhambra high, a 23-7 win over Westridge high, a 17-9 win over The Webb Schools, and a 20-5 win over Monrovia high the girls are off to a great start and hopes are high.
Coach Micol Issa said, “You always have something to work on, we took a big hit with losing all of our seniors from last year, but the girls that we have this year are dedicated to learning and progressing throughout the season”
Every sport has its challenges and losing seniors is one of the biggest challenges. Which is the challenge that the Muirmaids are facing.
According to Coach Issa, “We are a small team. We lost six seniors last year so we have a team of eight or nine students on varsity and seven play, it doesn't leave us a lot of subs. In water polo you can get ejected from the game it’s normal that's part of it, that puts us in a scenario where if someone is ejected we are playing iron man”
Iron man in the water polo world means that you have no subs left and the whole team is playing in the game, at once. In an iron man situation, communication is key to having a great game.
The communication between the team members is one of the most important skills that the small team has to master especially with new players that haven’t played together before this season.
“The girls are great, we are seeing a lot of girls with a little more experience step up and take leadership and help their teammates, communicate positively and effectively what we should be doing. Helping each other in the pool running plays, calling for help, etc. That's all going well,” said Issa.
The way to get a team going and get them to CIFs, Regionals, States, etc. is through teamwork and communication. JMHS’s aquatics revamp has been very successful over the last two years. We are seeing more and more students join aquatics.
Even 8th graders coming to John Muir next year are excited to join aquatics when they enter the 9th grade.
Coach Issa led our Boy's water polo team to be CIF Southern Section Division VI Champions, and was named CIF Division 6 Coach of the Year.
When asked what it would take for our girl's team to make it to CIFs and Regionals, she said, “We are Division 5” “Our league is really tough, so they have to get mentally prepared to play through really hard games. So far the games that we’ve had have not challenged us in the same way that we know our league will, so we’re looking forward to the tournaments to get that next-level challenge. Also, the girls need to clean up their passing. Passing is what is going to make this happen for us, also shooting we have to work on shooting accurately.”
Overall it sounds like, with everything they have been doing and cleaning up the things that they need, we will have a very successful John Muir Girls water polo season.
girls basketball team photo
Girls Basketball Makes a Strong Start to the 2022-2023 Season
John Muir High School Girl's 2022-2023 basketball team has started the season off strong. The girl's basketball team has a new program and coach this year. The staff this year is made up of three assistant coaches and one head coach all of who have attended Muir or have a connection to the school. The coaching staff consists of Assistant coaches Vince Bryant, Staci Mitchell, Horace Wormely, and head coach Adam Conover. Coach Adam previously coached at Arcadia High School when he decided to step down and take the position of head coach at Muir. Shooting Guard Truth Evans when questioned about how they felt about the mention of a new coach running the program stated, “Honestly I was very frustrated and nervous because having to get to know another coach wasn't something I wanted to do but I was praying that the new coach we would have really would work with us and give us the type of coaching experience we needed, also didn't think that the new cache would be as nice and younger and understanding but I´m happy we have the whole coaching staff that we do.¨ With a twelve-girl team, the girls have a pre-session record of 7-1. In game one, the girls played San Gabriel Academy and came out on top with a score of 45-38. The following games would just prove that the girl's team had really improved a lot over past years. The team had only one loss during pre-session to Roosevelt by a score of 41-43. The girls have now started their league game and are currently 1-2 with two losses against Burbank High School and Burroughs High School, and a win against Hoover. Naj Harding, Captain and Center of the team, has high expectations for this season. Harding said, “I think we have a good chance of making the playoffs, which Muir hasn’t done in a while.” When Point Guard Amari Wilson was asked about how she is feeling going into league games she said, “I’m feeling pretty good about the season. We still have work to do but we are getting better day by day.” The school and the community have all gathered together and have come out to support the girls and are extremely impressed with their improvement and can’t wait to see their journey continue.
Muir dance team the Mystics perform at half time at the Turkey Tussle
Muir Forms New Dance Team
Towards the end of the 2021 - 2022 School year John Muir High School (JMHS) Mystics dance team was formed. They made their first official appearance and amazed The crowd at the Hello-Goodbye Assembly May 19, 2022. They only had three members Micheal Mendoza, Hali Williams (AEM) and Jada at the time but they still did an amazing job. After that performance there were a lot of people that wanted to join the dance team.
Now they are up running with a ton of students and they have been killing it at all of their performances. They have practiced all summer with Dance intensive and wowed the crowd once again at the first few pep rallies and Home Football Games.
Talking to dancer Da’Mia Culpepper, 11th grader in the Arts, Entertainment and Media Academy (AEM), her favorite part of being on the dance team is “bonding with the other dancers, making mistakes and learning from them”.
Coach Angie had this to say about coaching the dancers “My favorite part about coaching these students would be seeing the growth in the students”
Coach Angelica used to teach Orchesis, Which is the name of the dance team at Pasadena High School (PHS). Therefore, she has a lot of experience and what she is doing with the JMHS students is pretty amazing. All of the dancers are hooked and look forward to practice, some even show their friends a little bit of their routines that they learn in some classes when the class isn't doing anything.
“We’ve definitely been getting better at catching on to routines faster,” said Culpepper. Addressing that catching on to routines fast was a little challenging.
When asked about challenges that they have faced Coach Angie said, “Getting the team together, being one unit and being committed to dance is the biggest challenge”
Being consistent with practice with not just dance but all sports and teams can be really tough, because you want to do a lot of things but you have to maintain the grades and try not to fall behind. Both the dancers and Coach Angie talked about the future of the Mystics and the likelihood of future performances.
Culpepper said, “Yes definitely Because the sophomores on the team are really passionate about dance and we have many people that want to join dance from upperclassmen to lower classmen. We have the potential to get at least twenty members in the coming years.”
Coach Angie said, “Absolutely one million percent, that's more of a question for the students.”
Coach Angie stated that “So far we've done football season, for the future we are working towards basketball season, and then competition season. Hopefully we can put a show together by the end of the year but we have more in store for next year. That's gonna be the exciting part.”
Now of course dance is great but what does it add to the sporting events? Talking to Coach Angie she thinks “Dance gets the crowd hyped. Just like band is there to get the crowd hyped, dance adds that extra element to the crowd being excited for a sporting event.”
The JMHS Mystics Dance team performed at the 2022 Turkey Tussle, and they did an amazing job with their halftime performance, and in the stands they connected with the Mighty Mustangs Marching Band and danced to the songs the band played.
When asked about the collaboration and will that be something we will see in the long run, Coach Angie said, “Absolutely, I want in the future for band and dance to be connected, They are very much intertwined with each other. We need a band and the band should need us again. It goes back to making sure the crowd has the best experience at the sporting event. So yes, I absolutely want them to do something together.”
So it seems now that football is slowly coming to an end. Dance will now be focusing on the basketball season and who knows what they have in store.
Muir Expands Athletic Program to Include Tennis
John Muir High School (JMHS) has not had a tennis team in recent years so it was exciting to learn that there will be a new full team starting in the 2023 school year. JMHS currently has a small practice group of four girls and they are excited to recruit a full team which will be coached by Veronica Badon. Coach Badon brings a wealth of experience and has been coaching tennis for over 23 years. Badon is also certified with the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Team as a Tennis Coach. According to Alfredo Resendiz, JMHS Athletic Director, the last time he remembers JMHS having a tennis team was years ago. Resendiz said, “I would estimate sometime in the early 2000s, approximately twenty years ago.” So with all the exciting changes taking place on the JMHS campus, tennis was an area that they thought could add to the athletic program that is getting an overhaul this year. According to Resendiz, “I would love to have a robust offering of athletic programs at our school. Having a variety of athletic programs offers more students the opportunity to participate in sports, enjoy playing for their school, and experiencing the value of playing on a team. As an alumnus, I also want to see many of the sports that we used to have in years past return to Muir.” With the decision to start a new team, Athletic Director Resendiz also had thoughts about his choice for the new coach. Resendiz said “Our new coach is an alumna named Veronica Badon, and she is fantastic. As an alumnus, she really wanted to bring back tennis to Muir and last year started more of an intramural program. This year she decided to have a small JV team, and moving forward she would like to grow the program to what it used to be.” Lailah Foster, a competitive and current JMHS tennis player, thinks that coach Veronica Badon is a great coach because she focuses heavily on technique and she is good at pointing out the weak spots in one's game and she helps you build those skills. Foster said, “she has improved my game and it shows in my matches”. Since the current program is small, there were no formal tryouts for the new tennis team. Instead girls can show up to practice and be evaluated. Foster said “Since our team is small, girls need to reach out to Coach Veronica Badon and come to a practice and she can observe and find out if they like it themselves.” Badon and Resendiz hope to grow the team in the future. They are focused on making the team a competitive one for the school. Foster said “I do feel like it will grow. It is only the beginning and I just feel more people need to come out of their shells and see other people doing it which would encourage everyone else.” With the start up of the 2023 school year, the addition of a sport like tennis, brings a unique opportunity to the school for students to consider a team that has not been on campus for many years, so it may be the first time some students experience learning more about this sport. Also with the expert coaching of Veronica Badon, we wish the new tennis team a successful 2023-24 school year.
Pep squad cheers for the football team as they take the field
Pep Squad Carries on Tradition and Lifts Spirit at Muir
Maya Bailey
One thing that keeps Muir spirit alive at John Muir High School (JMHS) is the Pep Squad. You’ve most likely seen them at pep rallies, football, and basketball games. They bring good energy and spirit to every football game and have been doing so since 1964. According to the John Muir High School Pep Squad Coach Rhonda Graves, “The spirit and the history of the pep squad on this campus runs really deep.”
It is in fact true that the JMHS pep squad has a legacy to fulfill from former classes. Often times at Turkey Tussle, homecoming football game that takes place at the Rosebowl in order to settle a school rivalry between John Muir High School and Pasadena High School (PHS), pep alumni come back to participate, which goes back to the legacy here at Muir, “That’s because we’re rich in history and everybody’s committed to it,” Graves stated.
Pep Squad greatly impacts JMHS sports. They are expected to be cheerful and bring spirit at every event they participate in, most of all games. Pep Squad plays the role of spirit leaders.
“Their purpose is to try to lead the spectators and cheer and support our teams.” Graves explained. This shows that the pep squad is not only supporting players but also relying upon the people watching the game to keep the energy and spirit high. Regardless of it’s related to sports, Pep Squad is expected to participate and show an example of being spirit leaders.
Off the field or court members of the Pep Squad support players by participating in Cheer Sisters which has been a tradition at both JMHS and rival school PHS. Cheer Sisters are assigned for football and basketball players and it allows them to encourage the players and wish them good luck by gifting them with something to wish players good luck.
This tradition has met with some controversy of late with some questioning the message it sends to both the girls and boys at JMHS.
Graves expressed that it’s nothing more than a way for pep squad members to support football and basketball players. “It is not being submissive, it is not bowing down to guys, It’s just simply a tradition not only at JMHS but on all the campuses. And the intent is just to say good luck.”
Graves also inquired that there’s a pep appreciation day where boys give back in appreciation of the pep squad, but this has not occurred yet.
According to Kevin Hernandez, a Junior at John Muir High School on the football team,”I know that they’re supposed to get us snacks and we can’t be ungrateful.” He also believes that they are respected and they are a vital part of the games.
Mahki Clark, a senior football player said, ”Pep is like our crowd and a crowd is important for sports.”
The Pep Squad contributes a lot to the school and has a major impact on energy at the games as well as spirit. They are expected to be present, prepared, and enthusiastic at all Muir events regardless of how good or bad the game is going.
They greatly affect the atmosphere of the crowd and that plays a role in the players overall performance.
2022 homecoming queen Reyna Rodriguez and homecoming king Jai Watkins
Homecoming 2022 Carries on Traditions and Fun for Students
The most memorable month here at John Muir High School (JMHS) is October because it is filled with many fun activities. One of those activities is Homecoming, the night when everyone gets all dressed up and hangs out with friends.
What makes homecoming so unique is the week leading up to it; the hall decorations, rock the halls, and most importantly, the Turkey Tussle. Homecoming was on October 28th this year.. The theme this year was Haunted Masquerade, and it was held at Pasadena Masonic Temple.
The homecoming court was also an exciting moment, JMHS has a special tradition for the court winners. They were walked down onto the Rose Bowl field where they were announced in front of friends and family.
The Homecoming Court always has representatives that run for positions in each grade and then one female and one male senior who are voted on by the entire school and are crowned king and queen for the year. This year’s king was Jai Walkins, a senior in the Art and Entertainment Academy (AEM) and the queen was Reyna Rodriguez, a senior in the Business and Entrepreneurship Academy (BE).
Wednesday, October 26, 2022, Students started the day off by wearing blue and gold to show their school pride. Later that day Muir Marching's band led the “Rock the halls” which led the students to the auditorium for the annual homecoming assembly. This is where the winners of the 2022/2023 homecoming court for king and queen were finally announced.
When asked why he wanted to run for the king Jai replied, “I wanted to run for the king because I wanted to be a court member that gets to represent my school.”
The Homecoming assembly is something that students and staff look forward to each year, and it has not occurred for the past two years due to the pandemic. This year it returned but was missing the Drum Corp, which has always been a tradition.
Its absence was not missed too much though as the students managed to put on a great assembly that showcased a lot of school spirit and support for the football team that took on rival Pasadena High School (PHS) that night in the annual Turkey Tussle.
Friday, October 28, 2022, was the night of homecoming, and students came all dressed up and had the time of their lives. There was a food station that served tacos and had all kinds of deserts that the students enjoyed.
When asked what his favorite memory from homecoming Lukas Placencia said, “my favorite memory was when we got to go to the actual homecoming because it was fun and there was a lot of good food to eat. I also got to go with my friends which made it even better.”
Homecoming this year was one to remember. It was a whole week that students got to participate in by helping to decorate the hallways to participate in the spirit week. Despite the devastating loss at the Turkey Tussle, students still had fun and made many memories with their friends.
Academic Pressure Impacts Students
Students are constantly pushing themselves more and more, especially now that Muir has Pasadena City College (PCC) on campus. This constant push for excellence can leave a harmful impact on students and has devalued the purpose of education.
High school students are constantly trying to build themselves up to become competitive college applicants. This can include packing on more AP or PCC courses and pushing students to believe that achieving A’s in their classes is the only way to be successful in higher education.
Dr. G, an academic counselor for Puente students, believes that this is something that colleges are pushing.
“I think the colleges encourage high GPAs, and this drives those beliefs that the only way a student can be successful is by achieving those grades in their classes,” said Dr.G
This harmful narrative can lead to students falling into a bad habit that can prioritize a grade in their classes over their own well-being and get in the way of their learning.
Mireyah Hernandez, a senior in the Arts, Entertainment, and Media Academy (AEM), expressed that there have been countless times when she felt that her grades have negatively affected her self-esteem.
Hernandez said, “If I don't get a good grade on an exam or assignment, It makes me feel bad. I start to question myself and my abilities, and I start to wonder if I'm good enough to be in the classes I’m in”.
Students shouldn’t feel as if a certain GPA determines their worth. This high emphasis on academic excellence has devalued the true purpose of education. It has shifted the focus from learning to achieving, ignoring the importance of acquiring valuable knowledge and skills from their classes. This raises the question of what can be done to make Muir an equitable place to help limit this academic pressure.
Ms. Consuelo Martinez from the College and Career Center believes that removing the class rank system is the first step to making Muir an equitable place.
“The class rank is there for valedictorian and salutatorian, but I don't think those are equitable things to have. When you graduate, no one is going to care what your class rank is. It doesn't give you a boost.”
It’s essential to ensure students that their self-worth does not depend on their grades. Grades aren’t the only measure of success, and it is essential to emphasize that a student's worth is not based on their academic performance, and their grades do not define who they are.
muir design lab in the library
Muir Design Lab Creates Costumes for Shows
by Alexandria Solache
John Muir High School (JMHS) has a design lab located in the library. The primary purpose of the lab is to support the production of plays (costumes, sets, props, etc.)
It was created and run by Ms.Courtney Scrabeck from the Parent Teacher Student Association and Ms. Micol Issa.
Ms. Courtney is a parent/volunteer for the JMHS Design Lab. The Mustang Design Lab is a maker space. They make sets and costumes for the plays that Choir Director Ms.Cassandra Franklin directs on campus.
When Scrabeck was asked how this project helps students and how the lab is beneficial, she stated that “It is beneficial due to the fact that everyone is welcome and the creativity is endless. It also teaches lost skills, for example, hand sewing, painting, screw guns, building, sewing machines, and plenty more.”
The Mustang Lab is currently working with the Pasadena Playhouse to make costumes for “Into the Woods" which will be in January, all the high school students are cast in the play throughout the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD).
They got the opportunity by having the production of “Once on this island” in 2021 and some attendees from the Pasadena Playhouse saw it and loved it.
Soon, they found out that JMHS makes all their costumes and sets by hand. They were so fascinated with the production and ideas that they wanted to incorporate that in one of their professional productions.
In the future they will work on the sets and costumes for “Little Shop of Horrors” at JMHS. The Mustang Lab is a club and they meet every third Wednesday of the month in the library.
The Design Lab is funded by grants from the PUSD, otherwise they sell and fund-raise most of the money by presently selling oven mitts and tote bags.
Scrabeck said, “I want everyone to know that anyone is welcome especially if you're artistic and want to draw or learn how to sew, we are open everyday at lunch in the library.”
RISE Program Partners Muir with Harvard Westlake in Search of Common Ground
In recent months, the John Muir High School (JMHS) baseball team has partnered with Harvard Westlake, a private high school in Studio City, California. The Harvard Westlake baseball team JMHS baseball team have visited each other’s campuses, have trained together and participated in social justice activities together all in an effort to bring people of different backgrounds together to understand the world a bit better.
It's all a part of the RISE program’s efforts to connect kids from different backgrounds and find common ground.
JMHS Athletic Director Alfredo Resendiz said, “The program is a social empowerment program. The program is something Rise does throughout the country, they basically find two high schools on opposite sides of the tracks and try to bring them together to break down barriers and stuff like that.”
Each school has met with the others taking turns at each other’s campus to have meetings about social justice issues.
Resendiz said that the program is “It’s more social than athletic, they have sessions where they talk about BLM, equity vs equality”
JMHS assistant baseball coach Bernabe Camargo Ruiz, when asked about what it's like in these conversations, said, “I was confused in the beginning because you know I'm coming from a different country, and everything they were talking about makes sense now but, it was all new to me.”
Working to help affluent students and lower socio-economic students see each other without all of the stereotypes or assumptions is a difficult thing to take on.
Ruiz said he noticed that when the students were first put together it was a bit awkward with the players sitting in their own groups and not interacting. He noticed the Harvard Westlake players during these conversations about social justice issues did not necessarily understand the gravity of the issues. “They didn’t seem to be taking it serious, like their body language. You could tell. They started laughing.”
This program seems like a wonderful opportunity for Muir’s baseball boys, but concerns about the effect of bringing these very different schools together were shared with people at JMHS. Resendiz said, “Before we agreed to it, [JMHS principal] Dr. Gray and I, here at Muir, are approached about things like this all the time ‘oh we wanna help’ sometimes we feel like the sisters of the poor.”
This same feeling is shared by some of the Muir baseball players, and when asked if the program feels like charity or like showing the richer kids what it's like to not be as privileged, Ruiz said, “It does somewhat feel like it’s showing the rich kids the poor kids, but the program comes with perks, so it's hard to say no.”
Coaches and Administration chose to participate in this program despite the apprehension because of the opportunity for JMHS boys to play with the Harvard Westlake team.
“Harvard Westlake's baseball program is nationally ranked; they are at the top every year, they have literally sent, in the last ten years, probably ten people to the league,” said Resendiz.
It is important to note that Harvard Westlake is not your typical private school; they have worked with the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Dodgers through the RISE program before. It costs $44,000 a year to attend Harvard Westlake, with only 8.5% Hispanic or Latino students and 7.2% Black and African American, while Muir has a minority percentage of 91.6% and is a Title I school.
Even with good intentions, a program like this can appear as a way to show those who are more privileged what it is like to “slum it” for a day. The intentions of all parties are pure but it is difficult to try in such a short time to close the gap between these two very different schools.
Seniors Stress Over Preparations for Graduation and College or Career
The Senior Reflection & College Applications This time of year is hectic for seniors as they start working on completing the senior reflection in their English class and applying to college, with many college applications opening this month. This can seem like a very stressful time for seniors. The senior reflection is meant to have students reflect on their four years of high school, think about the experiences that have benefited their learning and growth, and communicate that in a three to five-page essay. Mr. Vines, an Arts Entertainment and Media (AEM) English teacher, was responsible for writing many of the model paragraphs and prompt for the senior reflection to help students generate ideas and have something to compare their work to. When asked what specifically is being looked for in student's reflections, Vines said, “Student growth over the course of their high school career and the senior reflection is also looking for students to explain not only how they used graduate profile skills to complete specific assignments but also what they will do with those skills when they leave high school and continue on with life, career or college.” Since the senior reflection is a graduation requirement, many seniors have attached a sense of fear and stress to the reflection. Gerardo George, a senior, has expressed that he doesn't understand the importance of the senior reflection, and the thought of completing it stresses him out. George said, “I don’t understand what the point of passing my classes was when this single assignment determines if I graduate or not. It just makes me really nervous. It's not a hard assignment, but I know I need it to graduate, so I think that's what changes how I look at it.” Students shouldn’t necessarily worry about the senior reflection. Instead, they should take it seriously. It is an important assignment; however, ensuring students follow their English teacher's instructions and spend enough time on the essay is a key step to completing it. Vines even suggest students give the senior reflection their full attention. Vines said, “When you worry about something, that means you unnecessarily fret over what you can't control. When you take something seriously, that means you understand that it's important, and you give it your full attention.” Although the senior reflection can build some worry, working on it can also be beneficial when brainstorming for personal statements. The senior reflection is good at helping seniors prepare for college applications, and the personal statements are attached to these applications. However, feeling overwhelmed with the college application process is normal. During this process, seniors should start reaching out to their academic counselors and other resources on campus to make sure they're getting the help they need. Ms. Connie Martinez from the College and Career center advises students to seek out support in the Career Center and through other programs. College Financial Counselor Ms. Consuelo Martinez said, “Students should drop in for support in the College and Career Center as well as tapping into other resources for college preparation like College Access Plan (CAP) which is on campus Tuesdays and Thursdays (Room A136). There is also always a college advisor from other programs that are willing to help students that drop in.” Taking the initiative to reach out for support during this time period is the first step to ensuring seniors get the help they need during this overwhelming process.
Finals Week is Here as Semester One Comes to an End
As the end of the semester approaches John Muir High School (JMHS) students will be greeted with finals. This year's 2022 finals will be from December 19th- 22nd. Students have started to feel the pressure of their teachers wanting to prepare them for their finals.
Mr. Flores, JMHS calculus and advanced math teacher, definitely feels the pressure of students with their upcoming final for his class.
At John Muir, teachers are taking all the steps needed to make sure all students have a successful week during finals and making sure they have passing grades.
Flores and Ms. Miriam Meehan, a Spanish teacher, are both preparing their students with study guides “if they've been reviewing and practicing throughout the semester, it shouldn’t feel brand new,” said Meehan.
Many seniors in the month of November were faced with college applications right before Thanksgiving break, and now finals week.
“As a senior who is retaking some classes, I definitely feel stressed,” said Dalia Rivera.
Finals week is very stressful for everyone. Meehan stated, “I have taken many exams, but I didn’t procrastinate. I was prepared, and I always reviewed. I never taken an exam without reviewing”
Today students have a lot on their plate with work, sports, family and school. In recent years, especially since the pandemic and all the disruptions to education, many students do not have the study skills they once had.
“Many students haven’t grasped that they have to prepare if they want to pass, especially when taking a foreign language,” said Ms. Meehan
Students should take the time to follow all steps instructed by their teachers to have the best results on their exams.
Students have been advised that reviewing and focusing on their study guides will be the best solution to having a passing grade on their finals.
Many teachers are back to their “normal teaching styles” since the interruptions to daily lives and education from the pandemic is pretty much over. Teachers aren’t being as lenient with late work nor grading as they were before.
Many students this year have the advantage of being able to find tutorials, powerpoints, and lessons on Canvas that have been provided by their teachers in order for them to review and prepare for their finals. So students have all of the tools to be successful on their finals, which will be so beneficial to those students actually taking the time of day to follow those procedures.
Teacher and Student Frustration Over Getting Back to Buisiness
With only the first semester coming to close many teachers are baffled by what they feel to be an extremely rapid loss of motivation in their students. During and after COVID-19 many teachers loosened up their grading scales to account for the incredibly heavy weight on students' minds that the pandemic caused. But that sympathy is quickly thawing out, and teachers feel that their hospitality is being taken advantage of. Specifically at Muir, English teacher Charles Vines has had a specific problem with his grading scale being too generous and has even decided that starting next semester, he will not be as charitable with the grading curve. Vines has changed his grading scale and he had this to say: “I think that during at-home school, many teachers loosened things up a bit - the large majority, in fact. I know that several teachers went back to traditional grading but I'm not sure how many are still using a modified scale or approach.” Students are obviously not taking school as seriously currently, maybe it's because of how drastically different school feels after the pandemic. I asked a few students at John Muir how they felt about teachers becoming more agitated by the overall lack of motivation students have. John Muir senior Marcos Villareal said, “I don't blame them, I would get upset about it too. I think that kids are just having a difficult time coming back to normal life” When asked if they think teachers are being too harsh with grading repercussions Muir Junior Lauren Gray said “it depends on the teacher honestly. I think it's completely fair to change their grading if kids aren't doing their work but some teachers are just being petty.” The difference in student engagement from pre-Covid to post-Covid is very obviously apparent to both teachers and students. Most people are sick of the conversations surrounding COVID-19 and its effects on mental health, saying it's overdone and outdated. But the ripples that the pandemic caused in schools is very real, and the difference in how seriously students take their school work is becoming more apparent to Muir teachers every day. When asked if the difference between students' engagement has changed since the pandemic I asked Muir students Janiya Collins and Jada Degan who, because they are seniors, got to experience both sides of high school with and without COVID. They were both in agreement that students have had an obvious loss of interest in school since being remote for almost two years. Janiya Collins said, “I mean it's pretty obvious that kids just really don't care anymore. And it happened to me too. I'm about to leave so I just don't have the energy to be so worried about it.” Even though Covid made students care less about school because they had so many other worries on their minds, it should not stop them from becoming motivated by a bad grade or a conversation with a caring teacher. Mr. Vines has particularly tried to get his students to understand the severity of not caring, and after a few stern talks with his whole class he has still seen little improvement, but why? It appears that it is more difficult to motivate students this year compared to last and many teachers have seen a significant difference in the way students are engaging in school. “Yes. If my grade book is any indication, student motivation is at an all-time low. It's pretty sad. I don't lay the blame on the students, as COVID was a massive issue in a very important part of their lives, but at some point - like with all challenges in life - you have to figure out how to bounce back. I'm hoping that more of our students can get to that mental space soon. We're all cheering for them and here to help,” said Vines. Senior Jada Degen has observed similar apathy with her peers. Degen said, “it's pretty obvious that people just don't care anymore, like Janiya said I’m about to leave so I don't think there's anything they can do to make people that don't care, care.” Hopefully as the pandemic becomes more of a distant past, students will find a way to get back to their pre-pandemic mindsets and study habits.
students at Pali Mountain
Noni Johnson shooting archery at Pali Mountain
student climbs a tree at Pali Mountain
Pali Mountain Trip Gets Students Out of Their Comfort Zones
Pali Mountain Institute AEM Trip: Pali Mountain Institute is an outdoor education center in Running Springs, California. From October 3rd to 5th, 2022, some students from John Muir High School (JMHS) who wanted to volunteer to attend the trip based on their desire to earn community service hours and participate as a leader. All Arts Entertainment and Media (AEM) academy students were eligible to attend Pali Mountain Institute. AEM students have participated in leadership trips off and on since 2009. The trip was about $400.00 for each of the 25 spots. Ms. Isabel Cheng and Mr. Cuauhtemoc Mauricio were the AEM chaperones for the 3-day trip this year. JMHS is able to use the California Partnership Academy (CPA) funds to pay for student experiences. Each Academy is autonomous and can select from many locations to create meaningful educational and fun experiences for their students. Each academy's work-based learning coordinator is responsible for booking field studies and experiences for the students. Students gain self-confidence and increase their leadership abilities while away from the safe and predictable home and school sites. Students who participate in the program focus on soft skills such as communication and teamwork while on the trip. “They had to forgo using phones for three days so they wouldn't fall off of a cliff due to phone distractions. Safety was our first concern. That was the authentic test of fortitude and leadership,” said Ms. Cynthia Lake who is the work based learning coordinator of the AEM academy who is responsible for booking field studies and experiences for the students. Students participated in activities that required teamwork and developed leadership skills. They had to test their mental and physical strength during ropes courses, archery, team building, orienteering, hiking, skit preparation, karaoke, and other activities, with education incorporated into those activities. Hannah Skidmore, a junior in AEM said, “I learned a lot of stuff like critical techniques, compasses, and rock climbing. Overall it was really cool with lots of team building and fun activities.” Team building was one of the main focuses of this trip when having different students from JMHS joining them from different grade levels. Team building activities prepares and develops students for future success in their careers when having to work with all different people knowing how to communicate and appreciate all kinds of people with different backgrounds. The AEM advocates for students to develop leadership skills. Critical thinking techniques, but most importantly, the main focus is team building and bonding. For the AEM academy it’s important for students to develop their teamwork skills. This year's Pali Mountain trip was very exciting and JMHS felt very welcomed there, the experience was so great that Mauricio had to say, “I would definitely go again for sure.” Skidmore said, “totally I would, I loved it there it was cool, I had so much fun”
artwork depicts a student on cell phone
Internet Addiction: Teens, or Internet Addicted Zombies?
As the world continues to develop and evolve, so will its technology. It's a daily occurrence that students are on their cell phones, but is it becoming a major problem here at John Muir High School (JMHS)? Internet addiction is an increasing problem with today’s students. Due to the internet being so new, it is not yet classified as an addictive substance and is now called IAD: impulse-control disorder. Although this isn’t a typical addiction, teachers and staff are noticing tendencies in students to constantly be on their phones and distracted in class. For example, when talking to Ms. Consuelo Martinez, JMHS college and career financial advisor, she had this to say,“They're mindlessly scrolling on their feed, because it's truly an addiction at this point.” Quite typically teens and young adults are affected most often which seems to lead to a drastic change in behaviors. This can be compared to addictions to drugs and alcohol. Like drug abuse it could affect your financial wealth and judgment as well as your social life. When talking to students about how the internet affects social outings, Celeste Sharpe states: “I feel like some people I want to hang out with make going out boring when all they do is look at their phones.” Some students have such an acute addiction they have trouble being in the present, enjoying life as it truly happens and prefer being on their phones all day. A vast sea of people have screen times of over 6 hours a day when asked how often they use their phones. There are various reasons why people cannot seem to break away from their devices and some have a stronger pull than others. “We have to make a conscious effort to not do this, you know, so that's really the reason why. We are so used to being overstimulated on our phones constantly that we feel we need it,” When asked what her thoughts were on why kids stay on their phones even while in class, Martinez said. As I spoke to Martinez I asked her about how different it is about how college teachers handle the phone issue as opposed to highschool teachers. She claimed that phones are not truly an issue in college as opposed to laptops. I believe this is due to the more open WIFI so laptops are more common as opposed to cellular phones. As the conversation progressed I asked about how we could stop or change the issue. Martinez mentioned how some teachers put phones in envelopes or boxes at the beginning of class, however one solution is to work with students regarding phones. “We should adapt to it now, like teachers have assignments where they use social media.” This can be seen last year in some classes where making a Tik-Tok for an assignment or how ASB posts on Instagram etc. Hearing Martinez speak about possible solutions and pro’s on phones show that although phones are addictive we can work past and a better way to adapt and overcome.
artwork depicts person pushing a cart up steep incline
Inflation Causes Everyday Necessities to Become Luxuries
Inflation is a tricky thing. It can make your life harder and it can make your life easier, depending on the situation. Let's talk about some of the ways inflation affects people in their everyday lives. Gas prices are a big deal, especially if you drive a lot. When gas prices go up, it makes going out to eat or going to the movies a lot more expensive. However, cars are getting more fuel efficient, so they're lasting longer on each fill-up and they're using less gas overall. So while gas prices might seem like they're going up all the time, they actually aren't as bad as they used to be. Food costs are also affected by inflation. If food prices increase in general, then it makes eating out more expensive because everything costs more money per day than it did before high inflation hit. Mostly everyone lives to go out and eat so it will affect them more. Homeownership isn't immune from inflation either, especially if you own your own home instead of renting one. If the price of your home goes up, then it will cost more money every year to keep it in good repair and pay your property taxes. But if you're a renter and don't own anything at all, then inflation shouldn't affect you too much unless you're paying an exorbitant amount of rent each month! Residents of California are experiencing severe inflation as a result of Covid-19 and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The cost of gas has doubled. Even while the age of constantly growing prices may be finished, there will probably still be high inflation for some time to come. Americans are having to pay more for food, gas price, and housing, and some are searching for explanations as to why this is happening, how long it might persist, and what can be done so things can go back to their regular prices. This increase in the cost of everything is forcing people to make decisions on how they spend their money, and what they can do with the little money they have left over after paying their monthly bills. Fausto De La Torre, a junior in the Arts Entertainment and Media (AEM) academy, said, “people can't go out as much as they used to. People have to be more rational with their cars. We're all used to the idea that a lot of things can go wrong with our homes, but one thing we might not have considered is how much it costs to replace a broken lamp. According to a new study conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, Americans spend an average of $2.50 per day on household items like paper towels and toilet paper. That's more than double what they spent on those same items in 1969. Fausto De La Tore said, “buying a hoodie, or a sweatshirt nowadays costs $60.00.” The days of having extra money to buy non-essential items is, for now, something that many people have seen become obsolete. Although inflation won't end, prices need to come down because there are families that are suffering because they are struggling to afford necessities. Some families can't afford clothes or food to put on the table to provide for their family.
Muir Will Host a Sadie Hawkins Dance
John Muir High School (JMHS) is having a Sadie Hawkins Dance this school year (2022-2023). The Sadie Hawkins dance, ¨In the United States is a usually informal dance sponsored by a high school, middle school or college, to which the women invite the men.¨ JMHS has put on the dance event before but it wasn't so consistent. The last time they had the Sadie Hawkins dance was about 11 years ago. JMHS decided to bring back the old tradition to give more school spirit and to give more opportunities for the students to engage with one another. There will even be a Sadie Hawkins court. The court will consist of seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, everybody will be eligible to vote. While people enjoy this dance, some believe that the event is a form of sexism. ¨Because it suggests that a female taking dominance in terms of a social dance is atypical, the idea of Sadies emphasizes outdated gender norms and has insufficient backing to be included in a modern, egalitarian society.¨ Ms. Moore, the assistant principal at JMHS, when being asked about the event said, ¨formally the girls are supposed to ask the boys to the dance but now that our gender roles are so fluid and undefined, anybody is welcomed. We just wanna have a good time.¨ The 2023 Senior class will be organizing the celebration that will take place some time in February. Moore concluded that, ¨at homecoming we noticed that the students were having such a good time and enjoying themselves so were looking forward to this dance and we hope everyone comes out. You don't have to come in a formal outfit at all, you can come however you please and just party with us all.¨
Contributing Writers
Liberty Alderton
Joshua AndrewsMaya Baily
Audio Bass
Vincent Bugarin
Celeste Gutierrez
Ashley Nicolas
Isabel Ramirez Quintero
Jennifer Rodriguez
Reyna Rodriguez
Joseph Scales
Alexandria Solache
Taylor Williams