16 | FALL 2023
the MIRROR
| OPINION |
Editorial The age of the political dinosaur FOR THE MIRROR | ILLUSTRATION BY ISABELA ARCA
theMIRRoR VOLUME 109 | ISSUE 1 EXECUTIVE EDITOR Angelina Gevorgyan LAYOUT & DESIGN EDITOR
Brianna Alvarado PHOTO EDITOR
Gianna Iovino ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Daimler Koch ASSOCIATE ONLINE EDITOR
Cristian Mejia NEWS & FEATURES EDITOR
Olamide Olumide ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Madison Thacker ATHLETICS EDITOR
Isabel Valles OPINION EDITOR
Joel Nam MARKETING MANAGER
ON LIFE SUPPORT 80-year-old Sleepy Joe Biden is a very prominent example of an aging politician, constantly
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Lindsay Han
fumbling everyday tasks. The younger generation needs to step up to replace the older fossils in office.
s a leading global power, the United States is governed by experienced and well-qualified elected officials. At least, it’s supposed to be. A rising chorus believes that our presentday political leadership is stuck in a bygone era, increasingly detached from those they govern. Congress sees the re-election of the same politicians every other year, and the Supreme Court slowly devolves into the most prestigious nursing home on the planet. Meanwhile, the archaic fossil at the head of the executive branch struggles to stay awake in the midst of national crises. Does this sound concerning or feel disturbing? Congratulations, that’s a sign that we’re on the right path. One step closer towards awareness and one step further from ignorance is a victory worth celebrating. As a society that rightfully values performance, we aren’t slow to criticize groups and individuals for being unable to effectively do their jobs. The ongoing aging issue plaguing the government has to be addressed immediately. On Jan. 20, 2021, the world saw the inauguration of 80-year-old Sleepy Joe, a bona fide presidential potato. Between stumbling over his own words mid-speech and tripping up the stairs of Air Force One, the poor guy looks like he’s on life support. Occasionally he appears to have basic cognitive function and motor skills, but that’s not exactly a standard fit for the commander-in-chief of the nation.
Skepticism about his qualifications are backed by what he’s accomplished in his time in office, or rather, everything he’s managed to screw up. Only two-and-a-half years into his term, his administration is marked with failures and blunders through and through. For instance, illegal immigration into the U.S. hit an all-time high by the end of 2022. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, there were 251,487 illegal immigrant encounters in December of 2022 alone, with an estimated 5.5 million illegal border crossings since Biden was sworn into office. Another failure of our current president is the crippling state of the economy. A report by the House Committee on Ways and Means reveals that inflation has increased by a staggering 500 percent during Biden’s term. In other words, inflation rates under President Biden are more than twice as high compared to the second-highest recorded inflation rates in U.S. history: those under the Jimmy Carter administration of the 1970s. At this point, the line between utter incompetence and intentional ignorance is hard to distinguish in our executive branch. The median ages in the Senate and the House of Representatives are 65 and 58 respectively. 40 years ago, politicians in both those congressional chambers were roughly 10 years younger. Evidently, today’s lineup of lawmakers are older than ever before. Currently 81-years-old — a year older than our beloved Sleepy Joe — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell sparked calls to step aside in the aftermath of a news conference gone wrong. McConnell visibly
froze in the middle of answering questions, and had to be escorted to his office. Or in the case of 90-year-old California Senator Dianne Feinstein, who faced similar calls for retirement after a string of health complications that left her in a wheelchair. She insisted on serving out the rest of her term until the end of 2024, but passed away on Sept. 29, 2023. While the experience that comes with seniority is definitely a valuable resource, aging politicians have to be responsible for knowing when their time in office is up. Stubbornly overstaying their welcome poses serious risks to themselves and to the country. Younger politicians, such as Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, aged 51 years old, have advocated for routine competency tests for candidates older than 75. The 2020 census revealed that baby boomers, adults born in the years 1946-64, make up about 20 percent of the population. However, nearly half the senators and representatives today are baby boomers. The number of baby boomers in Congress compared to any other generation threatens the urgency at which issues more relevant to younger Americans are addressed. Climate change, housing and student debt are just a few of many concerns. What we need to see is a steady flow of older governmental leaders replaced by younger politicians. If members of our government don’t have to worry about being put out of commission by a tumble down some stairs and are better attuned to the rest of the population, America will function more efficiently.
OUR TAKE ON THE IMPORTANT ISSUES...
Limits on suspensions
Israeli-Palestine conflict
SUSPENSIONS FOR DEFIANCE ARE BANNED STATEWIDE
ANOTHER WAR RAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST The latest
Punishing wrong is right. This idea has long been a core component of both instructional institutions and society itself. It’s common sense that bad behavior needs to be held accountable. In the context of K-12 schooling, however, this practice will soon be limited in California. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill, banning some suspensions for middle and high school students that exhibit willful defiance. Starting in the 2024-25 school year, students can no longer be suspended for tardiness, truancy, dress code violations or use of aggressive language. While the idea of this bill is to lower dropout rates and curb the loss of learning, what were lawmakers thinking with this open promotion of acting out in school?
DEAN SIGN: THE MIRROR | STAFF; FLAG: CREATIVE COMMONS | YELLOWBLOOD
chapter of the Israel-Palestine conflict has begun in a horrific fashion, instigated by the militant and terrorist group Hamas. Hamas launched a surprise invasion against Israel during its celebration of a Jewish holiday on Saturday, Oct. 7. Aerial missile attacks were accompanied by hordes of Hamas forces on the ground, resulting in hundreds of Jewish civilians being blown up in their homes or shot in the streets. Such barbaric acts of violence reveal the nature of the group that commanded them. Hamas is a group of cowardly terrorists, and they need to be stopped immediately, no matter what it might take. Until a middle ground can be established, Israel remains adamant on striking back.
STAFF
Diana Akopian Ivan Alcala Farah Alsibai Lilit Aprahamian Val Arias Michael Arredondo Adrianna Bean Kristina Charshavdzhyan Marcello Chester Chioma Chiawa Jerald Choondakaran Jaden Gervacio Viktoriya Khanliyan Abigail Kim Baron Kim Rogers Levitt Skylie Molina Christopher Monterrosa Natalia Navarro Kimberly Perez Danielle Quesada Mia Ramirez Mia Rodriguez Kimberly Salazar Delmis Vaquerano Roxana Vasquez David Vazquez JOURNALISM ADVISER
Mr. Ron Goins ABOUT US The Mirror is the student newspaper of Van Nuys Senior High School in Van Nuys, California, a district of Los Angeles, published six times per year. Opinions expressed in bylined commentary articles and columns represent the views of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Mirror or the Editorial Board. DISTRIBUTION Copies are free to students, faculty and staff and are available in Room 112, Second Floor, Main Building. Digital issues are available at vnhsmirror.com or issuu.com. CORRECTIONS We strive to be accurate and factual. Please report errors via email to ronald.goins@lausd.net. READER PARTICIPATION Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Editorial Board. Letters to the Editor may be delivered to Room 112 or mailed to The Mirror, Van Nuys High School, 6535 Cedros Ave, Van Nuys, CA 91411. Letters must be signed and may be edited for space and style. ADVERTISING Advertising questions may be directed to Lindsey Han at lhan0006@ mymail.lausd.net, or by telephoning (818) 788-4618. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or the school. MEMBERSHIPS National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), Southern California Journalism Educators Association (SCJEA), Los Angeles Journalism Teachers Association (LAJTA) and Los Angeles Press Club.
