Arts and Activities

FCCLA is a nation-wide organization that is focused on youth leadership and the future leaders of America. The FCCLA participates in clubs and events, as well as fundraising around our town. 

By: Karise Smith  

1. Q : What is FCCLA?

•   a leadership club where we build a stronger communication with one another and we help our community and have fun doing it; as well as getting opportunities for our future

2. Q : What are the club’s main goals?

•   We want to give back to the community

•   Developing leadership skills for our future through things such as communication, character development and practical knowledge. 

3. Q : Why are these goals important to you?

•   It helps impact your future and builds the communication skills

•   It also helps being involved in things so you’re more collaborative with others 

4. Q : What are some things you do to maintain your goal?

•   For example we had a culver’s night that was able to give money to our clubs and we were able to show up and show out for our community. 

5. Q : Why are you drawn to this Club?

•   Just to be apart of something that is able to help people

•   Having a sense of community within our club

6. Q : Where do you get the ideas of your club's activities?

•   We all come up with it together during our meetings and collaborate our ideas with one another

7. Q : What is the biggest challenge when it comes to this Club?

•   Anxiety over the national competitions

8. Q : What would you say to anybody interested in joining?

•   They should definitely come in and join because it’s a good environment

9. Q : What does your Club say about the image of JM?

•   It’s an inclusive, diverse and different that emphasizes our school

10. Q : What motivates you as a Club?

•   The kids.

•   The national competitions that we're able to attend.

Black Student Union (BSU)

1. Q : What does Black Student Union do with Fundraising?

• We put it towards our club to fund for next year and Black History month, also visiting historically Black Colleges. 

2. Q : What are the goals you have for this year?

• To earn enough money to help fund the club and showing how important it is connecting to people of the same ethnic background

• Visiting historically black colleges 

• Give more representation to our school

• Eliminate racial borders to all black staff and students 

3. Q : How does fundraising help you achieve this goal?

• Make the money and profit to apply to our future

• Also giving back to our community and youth 

• And helping promote our black community at JM

4. Q : What are other ways you have done fundraising?

• Selling merchandise like popcorn for a lower price to get profit for both the club and community 

5. Q : Do you feel that fundraising helps your organization?

• Yes, I feel very strongly about it because it’s doing something serious for our club and fun as well

• Always feeling loved and together while doing important things for our club

JM Culture Week

As you may have heard, JM culture week is upon us! But why do we do this? What makes celebrating our cultures as a school so important? Read more down below!

Did you know that there is more cultural diversity in the school aged population of Rochester than there is in Rochester as a whole? Yes it's true! According to a Rochester, MN Intercultural Profile done in 2020, 43% of students are non-white compared to the 19.3% of the whole population. So why is it important? Culture week celebrates JM’s culture through things like food, music, and performances. It can educate people about cultures they are interested in or don't know much about. “Not only have I enjoyed learning more about other cultures while working on pulling it all together and watching how other students get excited at learning about other cultures, but I also have felt so much happiness watching other students feel represented.” Reflects Solaf Rezeq, a student here at JM. “JM students - their identity especially - is what makes culture week special and makes it even happen in the first place.” She explains how important it is to celebrate our differences to connect us all deeper. After all, JM isn't just a school, it's a community. 

By: Karise Smith

1. Q : What is the Environmental Club?

•   This club is a great way for high school students to get involved in doing things for our  environment and being able to apply them to our future. 

2. Q : What are the club’s main goals?

•   Getting more students involved, especially underclassmen

•   More local events that are smaller

•   Getting the actual community involved with what we’re doing

•   Creating a cleaner environment for our community and ourselves

3. Q : Why are these goals important to you?

•   It is very important for our future and for our children

•   Protecting them from long-term effects like climate change and pollution

4. Q : What are some things you do to maintain your goal?

•   Group activities such as cleaning drains, cleaning up the parking lot

•   We also create presentations about different climate topics to educate people

•   We’re getting a beehive at JM so that we can foster a healthy bee in our area and maintain it by ourselves

5. Q : Why are you drawn to this Club?

•   Creating impacts for our community, even if they are just small

•   All of the members are amazing people and fun to be around

6. Q : Where do you get the ideas of your clubs activities?

•   Past experiences with community and prior members

•   Other environmental clubs and ideas that are out there

7. Q : What is the biggest challenge when it comes to this Club?

•   At the beginning of the year it’s usually getting members to participate, and then when winter comes its harder to be physically doing things 

•   The task of making a real impact onto the environment 

8. Q : What would you say to anybody interested in joining?

•   Everyone is welcome

•   It helps amplify the voice of the student body of change

•   We really value each member of the club

•   There’s gerbils and snacks

9. Q : What does your Club say about the image of JM?

•   It’s pretty cool that there’s a club that is actively doing stuff to prevent climate change

•   Being a community-driven club that's very dedicated to a cause

•   No environmental class so this club is a way to highlight opportunities and students expressing what they believe in

10. Q : What motivates you as a Club?

•   The fact that a lot of people are actually getting things done and finally having an impact and motivating you to come

•   Being successful in wanting to make things happen and being able to continue it on in the future

•   Making an actual impact as a club

•   Getting more younger voices and underclassmen involved and having their voices heard

By: Karise Smith

Did you know that JM used to have multiple different dances throughout the school year? It's true! Based on a few excerpts from the first yearbook at JM, in 1959 there were a total of 4 dances open to the school. This“While elaborate decorations are designed, music is selected, and programs are organized, girls are contending with the problems which invariably arise with an invitation to any one of the events, whether it is the Sophomore Mixer, the initial dance of the school; The Homecoming Dance, an annual tradition; or the Junior-Senior Prom, the only formal dance.” And the Father-Daughter dance, hosted by the Girls’ Club.

Since then, the Homecoming Parade has been an iconic event for the school. Noted as ‘An exciting way to bring our community together.” by a majority of the school. The parade, which highlights many different clubs and activities involved with JM, happens the school day before the dance. It lasts for about half an hour and has nearly 30 floats, all created by students.

“One of the most fun parts of my week!” Says a Sophomore lacrosse player, who will be joined by her team on the Girls' Lacrosse Float. She, along with her team, spent hours creating the decorations and posters that were exhibited on Friday afternoon. 

Leading the parade, JM’s Marching Band, began in the distance. To many people and children, this is the sign that the parade is beginning. But before the band can get everyone hyped, several things are done in preparation.

For starters, as you see multiple different extracurriculars at JM heading down to Goose Egg Park, you also see multiple families setting up. Using blankets and foldable chairs, parents, grandparents, and people from all over the city of Rochester set up to watch the parade. Many of these viewers are young children; excited to fill their bags with candy. 

Speaking to some families, I asked a number of people what their favorite part of the parade was. The number one answer and the most popular, was candy (obviously). The second question, however, led directly into the next sections of the parade that followed after the Marching Band. The creativity and creations that come from the sports and clubs are highlighted in the parade. A few themes, such as Taylor Swift’s Era’s Tour, Jurassic Park, and The Lorax, were amusing to the audience.

With members of the respective clubs dressed up to contribute to the themes, the people in the crowd cheer loudly. If you want to get candy during the parade, you should be cheering loudly for each float that passes by. Some small children especially enjoy it when the people in the parade wave back at them. The community unites over this event while candy is thrown around the streets and given to small children. 

Another thing that leaves many parents and children pleased is how interactive the students are with the children. For children in elementary school, being able to get candy from high schoolers and be waved back at is a very exciting experience that leaves many people happy. 

Although it’s John Marshall’s Parade, people from all over town and other schools come to see the event and participate. It’s a clear example of uniting our community together, through candy and being able to showcase our diverse clubs and activities at the school. 

Between exciting themes and tasty candy, another unique part of our parade is highlighting our Homecoming Royalty. This year, Ava Adams, Mowha Altayeb, Brianna Brehm, Kiera Derr, Nolen Helgeson, Jacob Hess, Tucker Holmes, Luke Liedl, Lilian Nhan, and Noah Stanslaski all strutted down the road on classic convertibles. The winners of this year, Ava Adams and Mowha Altayeb, lead the rest of the royalty, proudly wearing their crowns and holding bouquets. 

As the parade comes to a close, the final float is the football program at JM. There, dozens of young boys that are playing for John Marshall walk around with buckets of candy and throw them to the crowd. They play music and are proud to show off their pride for the school. 

By: Elizabeth Seavey

Spirit week is always a fun time. Students love dressing up and seeing what other kids wear. This week for example, we saw both Patrick Star and some ghillie suits on Wednesday’s pink vs camo day.

“I think spirit week is a great way to get some people to get out of their shells and do something fun with their friends and school,” said freshman Rachel Lemaster. “It is also a great way to show your school sport and how much you care for your school.”

Grace Dewitz said, “I think it’s a very fun activity we’re we can dress ridiculously and get away with it.”

Two of the freshmen we interviewed said they dressed up all five days, while the other two dressed up four of the five. 

“They are a lot higher than what middle school was,” said Ashton Krenke, when asked about the numbers of people participating in spirit week. “They are a lot more fun (in Highschool) because more people will do them.”

On the other hand, Liam Condos said that the participation still “could be better,” and that the amount of participation didn’t surprise him.

If you are looking for a fun thing to do at school, dress up during spirit week!