For months we’ve been walking past a new addition to our hallways: A mural. While we’ve known that it looks amazing, does anyone really know who made it or why? The Rampage caught up with the creators and asked a few questions to shed some light on such a beautiful project.

Who contributed?

Kevin Narciso, Yolanda Feliz, Edwin Alvarez, Kristin Barbarona, Noor Mehyo, Dibran Cadraku, Sadaquat Ali, Brooklyn Davis, Christian Sotto, Cesar Mejia, Wilneris Santana, Amanda Najbar, and many others.

What gave you the idea of creating this mural?

Mrs. Cusimano: “Mr. Damico wanted a school mural. It became a Mural Project for my Art 1 students. They all submitted designs to me, and then we all chose one as a group. Brooklyn Davis’s design was chosen. We altered it a bit and added more details.”

Mrs. Cusimano drew it out on the wall, while everyone helped with the background colors. According to Mrs. Cusimano, the student who dedicated the most time was Noor Mehyo. She used all her time in her study hall, everyday.

How long did it take you to finish it?

Mrs. Cusimano: “They started it at the end of last year. Since I was out for two months, it delayed the process. In the end, there was a lot of detailing and shadowing to be done, so it made it a little more difficult. We finished it during the PARCC testing scheduling.”

What does the mural mean to you?

Kevin: “Equality.”

Yolanda: “It’s basically everything that LHS represents.”

Sadaquat: “It explains the diversity of LHS.”

Brooklyn: “When I drew this I didn’t even know it’d be chosen. I was very proud. It means a lot to me that it’s on the wall and that it’ll go down in history. It’s like a legacy.”

May 6 was Mrs. Cusimano’s last day at Lodi High School. She has to get surgery and she is also retiring this year. In case you missed her, she will be at graduation! Thank you Mrs. Cusimano for inspiring students every day and giving them a medium for which they can express themselves. You’re hard work and dedication is much appreciated! Happy retirement.