Mission Magazine: “All About Mission High”

By Sammy Tran, Educational Programs Intern

On Wednesday, February 7, the latest issue of the Mission Magazine was released and was met with nervous thrill and excitement. The writers, students from Mr. Velez’s twelfth-grade class, were encouraged by their teacher to sniff the magazine’s hot-off-the-press smell, and even though all of them laughed at the idea, many sneakily smelled their hard work while Mr. Velez wasn’t looking. As part of the celebration (we had cake and whipped cream!), students shared a few lines from their articles with their peers and tutors, taking pride in their writing.

826VALENCIA_MissionMag-Fall17-COVEROver the course of eight weeks, students worked hard with the aid of many dedicated tutors and persevered in writing the magazine. Each student conducted their own brainstorm, research, and interviews, and then drafted and revised their articles. Their passion sprouted from the topic of this issue of Mission Magazine: “All About Mission High,” a testament to and an evocation of their pride in and love for their school.

Mission Magazine has always been about what is important to the students. From brainstorming the theme to deciding on articles, students can decide what they want to write about. This semester, topics ranged from the benefits and disadvantages of their AP program to explorations of DACA and its impact on students, to the importance and vitality of sports for their school. Marcel M. interlaces the complex dynamics of stereotypes and sports in his article “Society and Sports: Discrimination Through Stereotypes” and provides a strong counter-narrative to the stereotypes regarding both Mission High School and the basketball team: “They look down on us. Go prove to them why they shouldn’t.” Each article reveals another facet of the intricate and deeply complex meaning of what Mission High means to them.

826 Valencia is proud of every student who worked on this Mission Magazine. Honest and thought-provoking, we can only thank the students for allowing us to be a part of their journey. Pick up an issue, peruse, and get to know our students’ struggles and personalities. And maybe get excited about the next issue of Mission Magazine as the writers delve into their next theme: womyn!