The Rosette Newspaper

The Student News Site of Horn High School
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A stitch of change

Students’ feelings about jeans being allowed at school.
Vanessa Munoz Rojas, Reporter
October 31, 2025

Chatter roamed the halls of the school, students gossiping about the new rule of being able to wear what they wanted most. Being able to spread creativity throughout the building and show off their sense of style to others around them. For a moment, students walk around in confidence and comfort. Being given the freedom of self-expression, one outfit at a time, students found a new way to show who they are. Expression isn’t always through words but more of what we wear. Students don’t only share their style but opinions too.  

Jeans are allowed in the Mesquite ISD dress code for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond. Students talk about how they feel on the expression of being able to show off who they are through their clothing.

“The excitement of not having to wear a uniform is a big part of it,” sophomore Matthew Coronado said. “I know it’s not just me who loves dressing up for school. I know it’s other people as well. If it brings joy to me then it will to others too.”

Freedom in jeans brings back a spark of individuality that the old dress code couldn’t match with the new pride.

“It lets me truly be myself more, being able to work comfortably in my own clothes,” junior Ryan Bastidas said. “It gives me a lot more freedom with what I want to wear, and helps me express myself by being able to truly show my sense of style and express my mood that day. Being able to wear dress pants all the time didn’t let me express my full potential on what I can do.’’

Honoring the past while loving the freedom of the present is a blessing.

“I love seeing people being different and creative,” sophomore Aileen Puentes said. “Wearing jeans truly makes me feel more like myself. I can pair them with almost anything. Jeans make kids be able to be creative with their style. It’s not about just wearing jeans but about being comfortable in what you wear and who you are as a person.”

Students are finding small ways to honor themself within the school walls while letting their individuality shine through style.

“I was so happy when I saw the dresscode,” senior Olatomiwa Adekoya said. “I was finally able to express myself, and it sparked creativity in my mind. I love seeing others’ individual types of styles. I know some people like skinny, baggy, and flared jeans. It’s cool seeing different types of people wear different styles of clothes.’’

Students show the diversity and creativity of comfort, and each one thrives together equally but differently.

“What I love most is getting inspiration from others,” junior Brianna Drew said. “There’s something about really getting to see people in their own individual creative mind that impacts me a lot. You get inspiration from them but little do you know that others get it from you. It means everything to me, getting to be people’s creative minds and being looked up to for my personality shown through my outfits.

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About the Contributor
Vanessa Munoz Rojas
Vanessa Munoz Rojas, Reporter
Sophomore Vanessa Munoz Rojas has started her first year in “The Rosette” Media excited to start the journey off with meeting new people and making friends. She is like a lily flower, loving pink but a little like the ocean, loving blue. She started her journey by finding out she loved writing at the age of ten. She loved to draw in her journal but not as much as she loved to write. She wrote about what she loved most, which is her family, princesses, and most of all food. Vanessa is like a marshmallow: she can get roasted on the outside but on the inside she can be soft. One thing about her is she can do anything she sets her mind to. One thing she can’t do is math, but other than that she can be strong, even when she feels like giving up, she never does. She just pushes harder to get where she really wants to. On the other hand, something she will not deal with is when her little nephews ganging up on her, ANYWAYS. She will always put family first and slowly but surely, “The Rosette Media”. Getting to know people she never knew she could connect with. Now she has amazing, kind-hearted new friends she can confidently talk to even if it’s not about writing. She knows she can count on them for anything just as much as she can on food too (IGNORE HER BEING A BIG BACK). She is definitely a person you could go to no matter what and talk to when you have no one else because she’s a person who listens and cares about everyone. She looks forward to being able to truly express herself through writing and being able to meet new people and get their opinions on topics most people can’t talk about. She can’t wait for an amazing year with “The Rosette Media”!  
More Than Just a Sport: Sophomore Vanessa Munoz-Rojas’ love for volleyball began in childhood. Reported by: Emma Ibarra   From her very first moments on the court, volleyball has led her on a journey filled with challenges and victories. Whenever she steps onto the court, she gives it her all. Volleyball has not only given her a sport to love, but also the determination to keep moving forward.  Sophomore Vanessa Munoz-Rojas discovered a true passion in volleyball.  “When I was younger a friend of mine was playing volleyball and I wanted to give it a shot,” Munoz-Rojas said. “One time when we went to the beach, we brought a ball and started playing together. I realized how much fun it was; not only did I find it fun, but I also love the competitive side of it. Whenever I’m in a competition I get defensive, but only because I really like competing. From there I joined the team, and that’s when I truly found my passion.” That first game on the beach sparked more than just a hobby, it became the beginning of her journey into volleyball. “It’s always best to give sports a chance,” Munoz-Rojas said. “You don’t know about the fact that you can communicate with others, make new friends and go to tournaments. You can meet new people and see new things that you have never seen before, or just in general, go to places you’ve never been to.” It shows how volleyball pushes her to grow not by only building her strengths but also by challenging her to work through the weaknesses and setbacks. “I feel like my strength in volleyball is definitely communication and the fact that I’m really good with my teammates,” Munoz-Rojas said. “So if something ever happens with my teammates, I know how to handle it. I think the bad thing is probably the fact that sometimes when I don’t practice things too much, I relapse, and I don’t do as well. But even if I don’t do as well, it pushes me more to accomplish what I’m not good at.” Through the wins and losses, her family has stood by her side, and the sport has helped her grow more confident. “I’m also the only child in my family that does sports,” Munoz-Rojas said. “My family and friends are really supportive about it. If there’s a loss, they make sure our team is feeling good about our place and ourselves, even our coaches and stuff. They just make sure that we feel confident, really confident for our next game.” She believes enjoying the sport isn’t just about playing, but it’s about finding your passion and building connections that change who you are.  “If I had to recommend someone to play volleyball, I would say just make sure that it’s a passion of yours,” Munoz-Rojas said. “And make sure that you really like it, and that you’ll be able to feel a connection with your teammates as well as communicate with them. Because I know I used to be an introvert, but now that I had to communicate with my teammates, it made me more of an extrovert, since I can’t really stay quiet during the games.” Her journey proves that volleyball has become more than just a sport, it’s a passion that continues to inspire her and shape who she is today. “It’s not only just the game,” Munoz-Rojas said. “At the same time, while you’re competing, you’re still having fun.  You meet new people every day, and  some of them might not be at their best but either way,  you don’t really know what a person is going through or how they are until you actually speak to them. My team is loving and caring. They feel like a second family to me, mostly because I’ve been through a lot with them.  Once someone got hurt, we all immediately huddled up around them, making sure they were okay to still play or letting them get the time to rest. But still letting them know they were worthy of what they have accomplished, and no matter what we were all there for them.”