Art has the power to inspire and educate. North Atlanta students throughout the years have taken advantage of these capabilities to lift their peers and bring a sense of school spirit into our beloved campus. The newest example of this effort is the work of seniors Anna Rohn and Ella McCabe, displayed proudly in the cafeteria. The striking image of a warrior now stands on the lunchroom wall to remind us of our school mascot and our shared values of perseverance and dignity.

Art teacher Allison Shepard enlisted art students Rohn and McCabe to create the mural, who together recognize the importance and power of art throughout the school. Shepard advanced plans through discussion with Athletic Director Andre Regan and Principal Curtis Douglass to discuss the implementation of further projects. “The group decided the work should depict the school’s mascot in a central space that all students would have access to daily, the cafeteria,” said Shepard.

Luckily, Shepherd had a leading student in mind for the task. Having recently been named “School Mural Manager” for her painting a Koi Fish mural near the gym, Rohn was the obvious candidate for the job. Her first project came about at Shepard and Douglass’s request after hearing of her plans to paint a mural at the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta (CHOA). Although Covid restrictions prevented these plans from coming to fruition, she could translate them to North. “I wanted the Koi to inspire a feeling of peace and healing at CHOA,” said Rohn, “but once I started painting it at North Atlanta, I realized how much the fish soaring out of the water resembled the Dubs’ spirit of resilience.”

Painting a mural is no small task, but Rohn was fortunate enough to reap the benefit of the hours of experience she poured into her first project. She began the task by creating a mock-up of our mighty warrior on her iPad. The image was then projected onto the wall to be traced. This trick saved Rohn and McCabe hours and allowed them to complete their painting over a three-day weekend, a feat compared to the 120 hours devoted to the koi. Fortunately for us, he won’t be our last, as Rohn is leading up a project to bring in local artists to continue to add life to our school walls. “art contributes a lot to live around the school, and we must continue to encourage it,” said Rohn.

Strong and vigilant, the warrior inspires Dubs during their school routine. He is the symbol of the strength of the warriors, derived from our work ethic and determination. “The mural helps to inspire me throughout my day,” said junior Chloe Espiritu-Walker. “It reminds me always to keep fighting.”