![BACKGROUND IN THE BUSINESS: Dressed by junior designer Kaitlyn Gerrie, senior Chamila Muñoz took to the “Dreamland” runway this past weekend. While it was her first time participating in the McCallum fashion show, Muñoz isn’t new to the modeling world.
I modeled here and there when I was a lot younger, maybe five or six [years old] for some jewelry brands and small businesses, but not much in recent years,” Muñoz said.
Muñoz had hoped to participate in last year’s show but couldn’t due to scheduling conflicts. For her senior year, though, she couldn’t let the opportunity pass her by.
“It’s [modeling] something I haven’t done in a while so I was excited to step out of my comfort zone in a way,” Muñoz said. “I always love trying new things and being able to show off designs of my schoolmates is such an honor.”
The preparation process for the show was hectic, leaving the final reveal of Gerrie’s design until days before the show, but the moment Muñoz tried on the outfit, all the stress for both designer and model melted away.
“I didn’t get to try on my outfit until the day before, but the look on Kaitlyn’s face when she saw what she had worked so hard to make actually on a model was just so special,” Muñoz said. “I know it meant so much to her. But then she handed me a blindfold and told me I’d be walking with it on, so that was pretty wild.”
Caption by Francie Wilhelm.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/53535098892_130167352f_o-1200x800.jpg)
In the searing 90-degree heat, sophomore Nadia Buer, with a megaphone in one hand and a sign in the other, demanded the return of her teachers.
“The displacement is completely unfair because we deserve to learn,” Buer said. “We students must band together in a peaceful protest and we are willing to do what it takes to get them back.”
About 150 protesters, led by juniors Delilah Trujillo and Sebastian Olfatmanesh, walked out of Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS) at 3 p.m. on Sept. 23. Students left their period six classes and walked to Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) Region North offices on Balboa Boulevard. Students protested for the reinstatement of the recently displaced music teacher Wes Hambright and Spanish teacher Glenda Hurtado. Due to this year’s low enrollment, the school’s budget was cut, affecting staffing positions.
“I absolutely love Hambright and he’s the reason I came to this school,” Olfatmanesh said. “I don’t see DPMHS existing without Hurtado or Hambright here. I feel so devastated and upset because they meant the world to me.”
Since Sept. 18, the day students learned of the displacement, students like Trujillo, Olfatmanesh and other coordinators planned and arranged the walkout by hosting meetings in Room 14. Students made armbands and wore red and white, signifying peace and education, to silently protest. They also designed signs and chants for the walkout.
Today, during lunch, Principal Armen Petrossian offered the multi-purpose room as an outlet for student voices and to serve as a safe space for discussion. No one attended.
“I was the person who suggested armbands,” senior Lilli Miscione said. “I’ve been trying to do everything I can. I want to go into a music career and I have a deep passion for it. Finding out that they had displaced Hambright meant that my future was in jeopardy. Not having a teacher to help me learn what I need to learn is bad if I want to pursue that career.”
The protest called for more funding, no online school, to save the closed departments and to reinstate the teachers. United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) joined the protest after school and supplied megaphones. Parents also attended the protest, bringing water and their own signs.
“I think it’s a huge blow to our little school to not have music or language arts,” Havah Jaffe, a parent, said. “It would deprive the students that come here of a well-rounded education and it’s going to lead to lower and lower attendance.”
To show their support, former teachers and alumni of the school showed up to join the protest. Former student Alejandra Iniguez joined the rally to express her gratitude for both teachers from the past.
“I had Ms. Hurtado for Spanish speakers,” Iniguez said. “She actually inspired me to become a Spanish teacher. Her way of teaching and being passionate about what she does made me want to pursue a career in Spanish. I feel like it’s unfair that the district displaced them because they’re such good teachers.”
Today, during period 4, students were notified that Hambright was reinstated as the music department teacher.
“The first concert of the year is going to be extra special because of this,” Hambright said. “I think the students are extra-fired up so the plans are to get the show going and make the best show we’ve ever done. Hopefully we can make some differences in (Hurtado’s) position.”
However, with Hurtado still being displaced, students have called for the reinstatement of both teachers.
“I’m so overwhelmed by the amount of support being given to me and Hambright,” Hurtado said. “The decisions of the district are based on the students and I’m so proud of the students for their efforts and for their support.”
To avoid conflict of interest, our advisor Adriana Chavira is not reviewing or editing any of the stories before they are published.
This story was originally published on The Pearl Post on September 23, 2024.