Student Takes on the 2024 Election
By Jordan Dashevsky ‘25 and Grisel De Silva ‘25
Edited by Andrea Palma ‘28
It is almost Election Day, which falls on November 5th. Election Day is a huge day for our country. Everyone at Chaminade is sure that the 2024 election especially will go down in history. Our team for this article compiled responses from different students on their views about the Republican candidate, Former President Donald Trump, and the Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris. We are eager to share the responses with respect to keeping everyone’s names anonymous.
We sent this survey to over 100 students in Mrs. Stewart’s AP GOPO classes and Mr. Phillip’s AP United States History classes. We received 22 responses. #Non-response bias, right, Dr. Brazeal?
In Unit 1 of our AP GOPO class, we had deep discussions about policies and the policy agenda, so we asked what policies would be most important for the candidates to focus on. The four most prevalent answers were: easier access to healthcare, stronger gun laws, women’s rights, and immigration. Our survey states that many students align themselves with Kamala Harris’s ideology, and a few align with Donald Trump’s ideology.
Most students think Harris should be president because “she is not a convicted criminal, fights for reproductive rights, she is not racist or homophobic, while defending the needs of the middle-class.” They feel that Kamala is someone “who [we would] want to wake up at 3 am and go to the situation room if there is a crisis. Kamala [is] more selfless and has the best interests of the people in mind. [People] don't trust a convicted felon who lies about everything and claims every loss of his is a ‘rigged’ election.” They agree that “all politicians are dishonest, but Kamala’s policies are relatively attainable to implement.” The women who have answered this survey believe that “Kamala will work to get women's rights back.”
However, others think Trump “will stop mass migration into America, he will not [lead our country into another] civil war, and he will fulfill the best economy for our country. Trump leads with courage, discipline, achievement, accountability, and dependability. He will fulfill the promise for better immigration, which at the moment is the country's crisis.”
Students get their information from sources like Tik Tok, NBC, Fox News, CNN, New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and The Late Show with Trevor Noah.
How satisfied are you with the current state of the U.S.? The answers our 22 respondents gave resulted in a mean of 4.5/10, and the highest rating is 7/10. There is a consensus that “we are better off than most other countries,” but that “there is a lot of hatred and violence towards certain groups of people.” Most people who answered the survey agreed that “the government is failing [in] numerous policies [and those policies in the election] should be the most important."
By Jordan Dashevsky ‘25 and Grisel De Silva ‘25
Edited by Andrea Palma ‘28
It is almost Election Day, which falls on November 5th. Election Day is a huge day for our country. Everyone at Chaminade is sure that the 2024 election especially will go down in history. Our team for this article compiled responses from different students on their views about the Republican candidate, Former President Donald Trump, and the Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris. We are eager to share the responses with respect to keeping everyone’s names anonymous.
We sent this survey to over 100 students in Mrs. Stewart’s AP GOPO classes and Mr. Phillip’s AP United States History classes. We received 22 responses. #Non-response bias, right, Dr. Brazeal?
In Unit 1 of our AP GOPO class, we had deep discussions about policies and the policy agenda, so we asked what policies would be most important for the candidates to focus on. The four most prevalent answers were: easier access to healthcare, stronger gun laws, women’s rights, and immigration. Our survey states that many students align themselves with Kamala Harris’s ideology, and a few align with Donald Trump’s ideology.
Most students think Harris should be president because “she is not a convicted criminal, fights for reproductive rights, she is not racist or homophobic, while defending the needs of the middle-class.” They feel that Kamala is someone “who [we would] want to wake up at 3 am and go to the situation room if there is a crisis. Kamala [is] more selfless and has the best interests of the people in mind. [People] don't trust a convicted felon who lies about everything and claims every loss of his is a ‘rigged’ election.” They agree that “all politicians are dishonest, but Kamala’s policies are relatively attainable to implement.” The women who have answered this survey believe that “Kamala will work to get women's rights back.”
However, others think Trump “will stop mass migration into America, he will not [lead our country into another] civil war, and he will fulfill the best economy for our country. Trump leads with courage, discipline, achievement, accountability, and dependability. He will fulfill the promise for better immigration, which at the moment is the country's crisis.”
Students get their information from sources like Tik Tok, NBC, Fox News, CNN, New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and The Late Show with Trevor Noah.
How satisfied are you with the current state of the U.S.? The answers our 22 respondents gave resulted in a mean of 4.5/10, and the highest rating is 7/10. There is a consensus that “we are better off than most other countries,” but that “there is a lot of hatred and violence towards certain groups of people.” Most people who answered the survey agreed that “the government is failing [in] numerous policies [and those policies in the election] should be the most important."
This election is a big deal. People who may not regularly focus on politics are definitely looking now. Chaminade students have great insight into the election and we would love to hear more. If you are 18 or older reading this, make sure you vote!
Poll: What’s the Hardest Subject?
By Andrea Palma '28
Edited by Viren Sharma '26
By now, at the middle of the semester, we have our preferred classes. Some classes, however, we may not like so much. You should never stop liking something because it is challenging. So, after interviewing students from all grades, the stats are in: here are the subjects that students enjoy but struggle with the most.
The freshmen class overwhelmingly chose Honors Literature and Composition. A few chose Spanish II. Interestingly, no one mentioned Honors Spanish II as the most difficult course.
The sophomore class think that AP World and Chemistry are the two hardest subjects. They both contain large amounts of work, and while that comes with some stress and extra responsibility, they are handling the transition very well.
The juniors chose AP Bio as the hands-down hardest subject, but the runners-up would be Honors Pre Calculus, AP Lang, and Honors British Literature. They have the most variety when it comes to the hardest subjects, and while speculating about that is beyond me, they’ve kept a positive attitude throughout the semester.
The seniors agree that AP Physics is the hardest subject. Government is also hard. But the seniors are pretty chill, and stressing over hard classes is the last thing on their minds, because they have a lot of other things going on.
Even though these classes aren’t easy, they’re still enjoyable. One of the most amazing things is how the work can be managed with all of the other crazy things going on in everyone’s lives. But that just proves how determined everyone is to accomplish their dreams.
By Andrea Palma '28
Edited by Viren Sharma '26
By now, at the middle of the semester, we have our preferred classes. Some classes, however, we may not like so much. You should never stop liking something because it is challenging. So, after interviewing students from all grades, the stats are in: here are the subjects that students enjoy but struggle with the most.
The freshmen class overwhelmingly chose Honors Literature and Composition. A few chose Spanish II. Interestingly, no one mentioned Honors Spanish II as the most difficult course.
The sophomore class think that AP World and Chemistry are the two hardest subjects. They both contain large amounts of work, and while that comes with some stress and extra responsibility, they are handling the transition very well.
The juniors chose AP Bio as the hands-down hardest subject, but the runners-up would be Honors Pre Calculus, AP Lang, and Honors British Literature. They have the most variety when it comes to the hardest subjects, and while speculating about that is beyond me, they’ve kept a positive attitude throughout the semester.
The seniors agree that AP Physics is the hardest subject. Government is also hard. But the seniors are pretty chill, and stressing over hard classes is the last thing on their minds, because they have a lot of other things going on.
Even though these classes aren’t easy, they’re still enjoyable. One of the most amazing things is how the work can be managed with all of the other crazy things going on in everyone’s lives. But that just proves how determined everyone is to accomplish their dreams.
"Let's Eat!" - Cafeteria Food Reviews
By Kiana Duldulao ‘26
Edited by Charlize Aranas ‘26
For most Chaminade students, lunch is the highlight of a school day. However, more often than not, students may find themselves stuck analyzing the menu while narrowing down their selections of what to eat for the day. Though the vast selection of items can be challenging to navigate, we’ve compiled a list of student cafeteria food favorites to shine light on some beloved items.
Red Velvet Cookie: The cafeteria’s newest item! Eliana Elmorr ’26 expresses her love for the yummy delight stating, “Sometimes I just want a little sweet treat before class and this cookie is exactly that.” We are so glad that this yummy treat will not only be enjoyed at Chaminade Middle School, but at Chaminade High School as well!
Chicken Sandwich (special): The classic chicken sandwich has become a student favorite this year, especially when paired with potato chips! The crispy chicken sandwich can also be paired with sides of pickles and sauce. Some may even say that the Chicken Sandwich is a replica of Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich.
Steak Tacos (special): Tacos are the perfect way to liven up the week. This delicious special comes with rice and beans, and a new side topping when served.
Potstickers: Potstickers are the ideal bite-sized food. Lily Haitaian ’26 shares her love for the item saying, “It’s my all-time favorite!”
Veggie Rolls: Similar to the potstickers, veggie rolls are quick to eat and paired with delicious sauce. The veggie rolls are a fan favorite!
Chicken Piccata (special): The chicken piccata offers a variety of flavors. We definitely suggest this dish if you enjoy lemony and savory foods!
French Fries: This yummy snack is often paired with an abundance of savory seasoning. There are often people lining up after school just to get this delicacy! Though it was previously sold at lunch, it is still a popular choice for an after-school snack.
The cafeteria has a variety of scrumptious delicacies for everyone to enjoy. Whether it be something sweet or savory, the cafeteria never fails to satisfy your needs! After a long day of classes, the cafeteria can serve as our sanctuary of relief. We hope that you experiment and try some new items out!
By Kiana Duldulao ‘26
Edited by Charlize Aranas ‘26
For most Chaminade students, lunch is the highlight of a school day. However, more often than not, students may find themselves stuck analyzing the menu while narrowing down their selections of what to eat for the day. Though the vast selection of items can be challenging to navigate, we’ve compiled a list of student cafeteria food favorites to shine light on some beloved items.
Red Velvet Cookie: The cafeteria’s newest item! Eliana Elmorr ’26 expresses her love for the yummy delight stating, “Sometimes I just want a little sweet treat before class and this cookie is exactly that.” We are so glad that this yummy treat will not only be enjoyed at Chaminade Middle School, but at Chaminade High School as well!
Chicken Sandwich (special): The classic chicken sandwich has become a student favorite this year, especially when paired with potato chips! The crispy chicken sandwich can also be paired with sides of pickles and sauce. Some may even say that the Chicken Sandwich is a replica of Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich.
Steak Tacos (special): Tacos are the perfect way to liven up the week. This delicious special comes with rice and beans, and a new side topping when served.
Potstickers: Potstickers are the ideal bite-sized food. Lily Haitaian ’26 shares her love for the item saying, “It’s my all-time favorite!”
Veggie Rolls: Similar to the potstickers, veggie rolls are quick to eat and paired with delicious sauce. The veggie rolls are a fan favorite!
Chicken Piccata (special): The chicken piccata offers a variety of flavors. We definitely suggest this dish if you enjoy lemony and savory foods!
French Fries: This yummy snack is often paired with an abundance of savory seasoning. There are often people lining up after school just to get this delicacy! Though it was previously sold at lunch, it is still a popular choice for an after-school snack.
The cafeteria has a variety of scrumptious delicacies for everyone to enjoy. Whether it be something sweet or savory, the cafeteria never fails to satisfy your needs! After a long day of classes, the cafeteria can serve as our sanctuary of relief. We hope that you experiment and try some new items out!
An Interview with Ms. Howard
By Dylan Moen '25
Edited by Alexander Chen '27
Ms. Howard’s counseling journey:
Ms. Howard is the Chaminade school therapist and has been a practicing therapist and
registered school counselor since 2003 – almost 20 years. She says that her favorite and most rewarding part about being a therapist is providing emotional support to someone when they are really struggling.
Ms. Howard’s journey started in 1994 when she was working in a school for children with
severe developmental and physical deformities. She enjoyed working there with a team of people to
help support the students. Her favorite part about working at the school was getting to know the
students one-on-one, and to this day, misses understanding them on a deeper level. Ms. Howard
reflected on this experience, saying: “I felt that I could make a strong impact in their lives because I
got to see them more than just once a week for therapy".
After working there, Ms. Howard started looking into graduate programs that combined both
school and family counseling. She eventually discovered a Cal State LA combined program that
offered a school-based family counseling degree. Ms. Howard noted that “no other school” outside
of Cal State LA offered this degree; the skills she gained while completing this program were
invaluable to her success as a counselor.
Following her many years spent counseling at public schools, Ms. Howard decided to try
her hand at being a private school counselor. She chose to continue her good work at Chaminade,
her reason for doing so being a desire to experience something different.
And experience something different Ms. Howard does - every day, in fact. Ms. Howard says
that there is no such thing as a typical day for her, because each and every student she interacts
with is unique and all express themselves differently. On a day-to-day basis, she devotes much of
her time addressing individual student needs, communicating with students and focusing on
supporting students' families.
One way that students often cope with stress and anxiety is heading right over to the
Wellness center. Ms. Howard first came up with the idea of having a Wellness center after COVID,
when a lot of students - cooped up in their houses all day - began struggling more and more with
anxiety. Establishing this Wellness center at Chaminade fulfilled a belief Ms. Howard always had
that students need a place where they can relax and self-regulate.
Getting to know Ms. Howard:
Besides being an excellent therapist, Ms. Howard is a remarkably interesting person! Fun
fact: Ms. Howard is a vegetarian and doesn't even have a favorite food. In terms of beverages, she
enjoys fountain coke with lots of ice in it, as well as water - a classic. Her favorite type of music is
jazz and hip hop and would describe her life in the song "What a Wonderful World" by Louis
Armstrong - also a classic.
For recreation, Ms. Howard enjoys paddle boarding, rollerblading and hiking. She is a
connoisseur of fine art, and often visits local galleries to see art. On the weekends she typically
doesn't have a lot of downtime as she has teenagers, describing her Saturdays and Sundays as
chaotic. However, when she does get free time, Ms. Howard enjoys going to the beach, binging
movies and shows, as well as engaging in her various hobbies.
When Ms. Howard retires, her dream vacation would be to do a cross-Europe architecture and art tour,
as she adores both topics.
Finally, when asked about what her dream job was, she exclaimed "this is my dream job!",
elaborating by saying that she loves the teachers, students, parents as well as any other people
involved in her occupation. Ms. Howard takes pride in her work as she cares about people, and
dedicating her professional life in service of others is reflective of that.
