On the first day of school, one specific thing stood out to me most. An old mural started in 2023 was finally finished over the summer, after being worked on for two years. The mural depicts a large, happy group gathering, with people dancing, playing music, and selling goods from stands. It was created by the Latin Student Union, AKA Aguilas Unidas (United Eagles).

“One of the conversations that we had was around how we wanted the Latino culture to be presented and in what light,” said Grahm Hannah, former club-leader for the Aguilas Unidas. “And so we thought that joy would be the best way moving forward. And so we see a lot of artifacts and cultural products and things like that that are intermixed within the mural itself, but it was all meant to be a colorful representation of Latino pride.”

The club worked on the mural every Thursday after school, while listening to music and sharing snacks. Because it was the club’s first time creating a mural, the team had to make a system to ensure they were using the right colors and drawing with the right proportions. 

But it’s safe to say that all that time paid off. “It’s a little window to what Hispanic culture is.” Said Diego Hurtado-Cardenas (’26), a member of the same club. “It has food, clothes, and colors that are familiar to us and we wanted for everyone to share it with us.”

“I think it is important to just make sure that we have a space for students coming from different backgrounds to be able to come together, spend time together, and accomplish projects that they want to accomplish,” Hannah continues. “Or simply [to] spend time together and be social.”