Tag Archives: politics

Editorials/Student Voice, National, News

Blue tsunami: Midterm election results

Leave a comment

By: Louise Wallraff

Photo by Edmond Dantu00e8s on Pexels.com

Last Tuesday night was an unprecedented win for democrats, with both the Senate and House of Representatives comfortably winning the majority. Even long-time republican strongholds like Kansas, South Carolina, and Texas “turned blue”.

In a time of hyper partisanship, Americans came together to vote against an administration driving up the cost of living, funding an unwanted war, and supporting reckless ICE agents. Although President Trump wasn’t on the ballot, this is a direct rebuke against what his administration has, and hasn’t done, in the past two years.

As of now, the senate is secured 54-44, with democrats winning in many states President Trump won by double digits in 2024. The Mississippi and Alaska senate races still remain too close to call. Wins in states like Kansas where a democrat hasn’t been elected in 94 years, or in Texas where James Talarico won despite Elon Musk spending half a billion speak loud. 

The house is currently 254-165, a majority not seen since the Obama era in 2008, with 16 undecided races. Democrats improved their performance in 99% of the roughly 2,100 counties nationwide compared to 2024, especially in counties with Hispanic voters, as well as young voters. Angie Nixon, a democratic socialist running in Florida with minimal support from her party only lost by two points.

There are many other notable achievements. Georgia elected the United States’s first black woman as Governor, Keisha Lance Bottoms. Michigan elected the first Muslim U.S. Senator, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. Minnesota elected the first Native American Female Senator, Peggy Flanagan. New Mexico elected the first Native American Female Governor, Deb Haaland. New Hampshire elected the first openly gay male Senator, Chris Papaas. Lastly, there was a record number of women running for congress.

What’s next? Right after democrats started their sweep, news anchors were already discussing the 2028 presidential election and what this means for both parties. This is mainly speculation, as no noteworthy presidential campaigns have been announced.

As for what our nation’s Senators and Representatives plan on doing when they get sworn into office in January, there remains some conflict. While more moderate democrats are arguing for bipartisanship and working with the Trump regime, progressives and anti-establishment democrats support immediately investigating the current administration and passing the policies American voters are asking for.

There is a last minute attempt to elect Chris Van Hollen over Chuck Schumer for Senate Majority leader, as some senators argue Chuck Schumer is far too aligned with the status-quo. Hakeem Jefferies is on track to be the first Black House majority leader, although he is being criticized for the same reasons.

Overall, the record 124 million voters shows that right now people have hope for better futures and want to make their voices heard, we can only hope democrats are able to deliver their promises when they step into office in January.

Editorials/Student Voice, Local, National, News

Midterms

Leave a comment

By: Louise Wallraff

Midterm elections are TOMORROW! (Tuesday, November 3rd) The best way to make change in Minnesota and in your community is to VOTE. Midterm elections take place two years after presidential ones, and serve the purpose of electing new senators, representatives, governors, and more, who all work to represent and lead Minnesota.  Because Midterms have less voting turnout, your voice matters that much more. Even if you are not 18, you can still remind your family and friends to drive to the polls.

It is important to research what the candidates are running for. Make sure to look at a variety of sources to prevent bias: there are many ads targeted at candidates that focus on getting an emotional reaction rather than informing you. There is a list of sources at the end of the article further detailing who is running, and you can do research on your own time as well.

These midterms are especially important as CBS News states: “Whether the Democrats or the Republicans win will determine whether Congress acts as a check or an enabler on presidential power for the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency.” Essentially, if the house and senate get more democratic leaders, President Trump will have less control over the country than he does now with a republican house and senate.

These midterms are also the most expensive elections that have ever happened in the US, with billions of dollars spent by megadonors like Elon Musk and super PACs (U.S. political committees that can raise and spend unlimited money for or against candidates).

There have also been attempts at undermining people’s voices with misleading voters, redrawing voting maps (redistricting), and making people scared to go out and vote. This shows just how crucial winning the election is for the people running, but what do average Americans care about? Bringing down food and gas prices, ending the war in Iran, and cheaper healthcare are all priorities.

Two important elections happening in Minnesota are:

Peggy Flanagan VS Michele Tafoya for US Senate

Peggy Flanagan is our current lieutenant Governor, she is campaigning on a progressive platform for Medicare for All, universal child care, and economic affordability. Michelle Tafoya is a broadcast journalist endorsed by Donald Trump who describes herself as a pragmatic, pro-choice conservative. She is running on strict law and order policies in MN, and mainly shares President Trump’s policies.

Amy Klobuchar VS Lisa Demuth for Governor

Amy Klobuchar is our current U.S. Senator. She is running on eliminating state fraud, lowering healthcare costs, expanding housing development, and protecting abortion rights. Lisa Demuth is the speaker for the Minnesota house of representatives, she is running on tax relief, less state budget spending, and targeting fraud.

On top of that, Steve Simon and Tad Jude are competing for Secretary of State, and Keith Ellison and Ronald Schutz for Attorney General.

On the national level, races like Abdul El Sayed VS Mike Rogers in Michigan, Josh Turek VS Ashley Hinson in Iowa, James Talarico VS Ken Paxton in Texas, and Mary Peltola VS Dan S Sullivan VS Daniel J Sullivan Jr. in Alaska are all getting plenty of media attention.

They are all races that determine which senators will be elected, because although media outlets are confident democrats will win the house, whether or not the senate will be red or blue is still somewhat uncertain.

For more information, please visit:

Editorials/Student Voice

The wrong ice is melting

Leave a comment

By: Dahlia Man and Brayden Marsh

In elementary, I remember when I was introduced to the issue of climate change at school for the first time. This was one of those rare, significant issues that revealed to me how small I was in comparison to the size of the world. I remember the various educational materials used to educate us about climate change: things like the video of a glacier melting, a large number of polar bears being unable to find enough food, and how gases were creating a “greenhouse” of sorts to keep the earth warm. I understood what was explained to me and knew it was vital information even when I was a child. While it wasn’t a thought consistently I had with me every hour, I did carry it in my mind and considered the lesson it was teaching me. 

Climate change stayed an important topic within my next years of school. In middle school and high school, the subject found its way back to me every single year. My awareness of it had never disappeared. As I grew older, the issue didn’t just pop up in lessons at school, it also showed up on my social media feed and news articles. Each time I read/saw more, the more urgent it felt. I began to realize that it wasn’t just ice simply melting, it will affect our food systems, extreme weather change, ecosystem failure, etc. But as big as it was, I had never felt a firm grasp onto how extreme the matter truly was globally. It felt as if it was a distant problem, a concern I had no immediate solution to. 

Parallel to my time growing up, I had never felt a concern of worrying about immigration enforcement affecting my own family because I was in a household of US citizens, long before I had even been born. It never had truly felt like something that could have impacted me directly, even if I had parents who were born in a foreign country. It was another topic brought up in the news, but I felt as if it wasn’t a personal one. Or I had at least thought in my young ages. Every school day I left in the morning and returned home in the afternoon, never questioning whether my family would still be there. That familiar perception had made it so much easier for me not to be my concern. 

But as I grew older, this began to change drastically. Around me I would hear various stories of families being ripped apart from each other or stories of living in fear. Something that had felt so far, suddenly felt so real and present. I was concerned about the Earth becoming warmer over time, to abruptly worrying if my parents would be waiting at home for me just as they do everyday. This time, it was a different fear. It felt immediate – it was heavy. When I came across a social media post with the words; “The Wrong ICE is Melting”, I felt moved. It stuck with me for days. The double entendre felt so raw, as it addressed not just one issue, but two. It connected climate change and immigration enforcement in a way I hadn’t thought of before. I understand now as I’ve grown, that it is important to care about all issues and matters even if it does not affect me. 

We believe the importance of keeping our planet cold is absolutely vital, because it doesn’t just affect us humans, it affects every single part of our Earth. With rising temperatures, we have rising sea levels. This can cause major displacement within our people and even disrupt ecosystems that animals highly depend on. Even beyond this, weather events will become severely extreme, with critical droughts, harsh hurricanes, drastic wildfires, etc. And these aren’t even dire ideas, these are issues some may already face. This is what makes it so crucial for our communities, individuals, and government to take action into fixing our planet before it becomes irreversible. 

All together, it is also foremost that we all reconsider how we as a country have treated people within our own borders. It is almost “safe” to say that Immigration and Customs Enforcement instill fear and precariousness instead of actual safety within our communities. With more humane approaches, everything will properly be resolved with dignity and respect. This will help protect families and ensure everyone is treated with integrity. Just like climate change, they are both long-term issues that focus on what we can do for our planet and our future. It builds a strong bond within the people and the vision to the world we want to create. 

National, News

The great Jesse Jackson 

Leave a comment

By: Sema’Jae Tate

Image by: Brianmcmillen via Wikimedia Commons

Jesse Jackson was an African American male born in Greenville, South Carolina on October 8th, 1941. He went to a racially segregated school, Sterling High School and Jesse said growing up with the Jim Crow segregation law he was taught/told to go to the back of the bus and use a  separate water fountain. He had to accept it and it was rough.

Jesse Jackson was also bullied growing up because of his out- of-wedlock birth. He said “Being bullied growing up motivated me to succeed.” 

After he graduated high school in 1959, he rejected a contract from a minor professional baseball team so he could attend the University of Illinois on a football scholarship, but after his second  semester at the predominantly white college, Jesse Jackson transferred to North  Carolina A&T, a historically black university. He said the reason he transferred was  because “Racial prejudice prevented me from playing quarterback and limited my playing.”   

At A&T Jackson played quarterback and was elected student president. He became active in local civil rights protests against segregated libraries, theaters and restaurants. During that time, he graduated with a B.S. Degree in 1964.

He then attended the Chicago Theological Seminary on a scholarship. He left the seminary in 1966, three classes short of earning his master’s degree, to focus full-time on the civil rights movement.

He was ordained a minister in 1968 and was awarded a Master of Divinity degree by  Chicago Theological Seminary in 2000, based on his previously earned credits and  his subsequent work and life experience. 

In 1965, Jesse Jackson participated in the Selma to Montgomery march, where he met and worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He subsequently joined the SCLC and despite everything that was going on  Jesse still wanted to push harder to make a difference.

After King was assassinated, it was a tragedy, but things couldn’t just stop there so Jesse Jackson started his own organization People United to Save Humanity (PUSH),  focusing on economic empowerment and, later, political advocacy.

Jesse Jackson died on February 17, 2026.

Editorials/Student Voice

ICE Effects in Minnesota

By: Siri David

ICE has been showing up in the Twin Cities more than ever, and there are a lot of things to know and keep in mind during these hard times.

Trump has sent at least 2000 ICE agents to Minnesota to detain undocumented immigrants, but that is not what they have been doing. These agents have been racially profiling people all over Minnesota. They target specific neighborhoods, restaurants, and schools just based off of the diversity in each area.

There have been two fatal shootings in the month of January. The first shooting was of a 37-year-old white woman named Renee Good. Renee was shot on January 7th as she was trying to drive away from officers and help protect her neighbors. An officer shot her through her window while she was driving and she accelerated on the gas and crashed and died almost immediately after being shot. The most recent shooting was of Alex Pretti. He was a 37-year-old white man who was shot by an ICE agent while he was protecting his neighbors from ICE.

These horrific killings have led to Minnesotans taking a stand. The largest strike in the last 70 years happened in Minnesota last Friday. Over 10,000 Minnesotans marched in downtown Minneapolis in -20 degree weather. Schools, restaurants, and many small businesses were closed.

There are so many steps you can take to help during these hard times- whether it’s protesting, collecting food and money, or just helping protect your neighborhood. A lot of organizations and non profits in the Twin Cities are finding ways to help families who are struggling because they can’t leave their houses, so donating money, food, or household needs can be really helpful. At Highland, some of the club leaders came together and made a plan to help raise money and get necessities out to students and their families that go to Highland. There are so many ways to help during these times and anything is better than staying quiet.

During these difficult times it can be hard to find the good, but take the time to look around you and see the strong community that has come together to fight back. Minnesota is a strong example of what resisting and fighting back looks like. It is so inspiring to see and don’tbe afraid to strive to make a difference. Everyone’s voice matters and can make a change.

Editorials/Student Voice, Getting To Know/History

The Trabi

Leave a comment

By: Charlotte Aver

Trabant at 12. Internationales Maritimes Fahrzeugtreffen, 18 August 2018, by Matti Blume via Wikimedia Commons

The Trabi is a car from the Soviet Union. They were produced from 1957 to 1991 and they were made quickly and were not solid at all.

The Soviet Union made it so that it was the only car that a person could own. The Trabi’s were free to the public if you got on the waitlist. However, it could take up to fifteen years to actually get your car after being put on the waitlist, even though it was free it still had a cost. The Trabi’s were made quickly and by hand and therefore were not sound. They were thin and fragile: the windows were hard to roll up or down, the bottoms of the cars were thin enough to break, the seats had no cushion to them and they broke down all the time. Though it was free it was bad quality and would take years to get to you.

An oversight that was made while the Trabi’s were being made was that there were no spare parts, so when they broke down there was nothing to fix them with, making the fifteen years you waited for the car useless.

The people that drove Trabi’s were everyday people where as the leaders all drove Mercedes. This goes to show that communism, which was the Soviet Union’s goal, is impossible to achieve with humans because humans are incredibly susceptible to corruption and selfish desire.

During the 1980’s there was a huge push to tear down the Berlin Wall, which happened in October of 1989. During this time there were many slogans and sayings that were used about freeing East Berlin, one of them was “free the Trabi” because it was a car that only existed on the east side of the Berlin Wall. After the Berlin Wall fell there was a section left up and artists from around the world were invited to come and paint murals on the wall; this section of wall is now known as the East Side Gallery. One artist painted the Trabi breaking through the wall and by painting this immortalized the saying “free the Trabi”.

The Trabi is a true symbol of the people of the Soviet Union and East Germany, how they lived and what little they were given by their government.

Getting To Know/History

The history single combat

Leave a comment

By: Treshawn Ross

Peresvet’s duel with Chelubey: Viktor Vasnetsov

Single combat explained

The history of single combat is a very long one, this phenomenon became popular during ancient warfare. When people think about ancient battles the image that pops up is lines of men in a large formation, clashing until one side breaks. But often before the clash there would be single combat, often called “champion warfare”. One champion would go into the space between the two armies and meet his counterpart. Then they would fight, usually to the death, without interference from either army, as the men would watch in astonishment as the champions battled. If their side’s champion won they would feel confident in the upcoming battle, and their adversaries would feel disheartened or vengeful as a result.

Common myths

One major myth about single combat in the ancient era is that these skirmishes decided entire battles; this was rarely recorded and only popular in mythology. Another myth is that single combat was unique to one culture in the ancient world or in future eras. This is not true; single combat was popular in Rome, Greece, England, Brazil and New Zealand.

Famous instances of single combat in history

The Battle of the Champions between Sparta and Argos is the largest instance of this, each army brought 300 of their best warriors and they fought a brutal battle which left minimal survivors. Another example is the Battle of Kulikovo where Alexander Peresvet and Chelubey fought in single combat and both died. Also in 222 BC the Roman consul Marcellus killed the Gallic king Viridomarus in single combat. The Vikings had a system for duels known as the Hólmgang which was heavily regulated.

Decline in single combat

As armies became more modernized and disciplined, dueling became less popular or in some cases it became outlawed. The risk of ruining the moral of an entire army before the main clash of a battle was too great to bear for many kings and generals. Although, during the 1700’s and 1800’s another form of single combat became popular. Dueling with pistols became a way to settle scores and fight for honor in a more “gentlemanly” way. This was mostly indulged in by nobility or upper classes. But this eventually became banned as well during the mid 19th century.

For more information, please visit:

National, News

What is a government shutdown?

Leave a comment

By: Alayanna Bouwens

Photo by Tom Fisk on Pexels.com

A government shutdown happens when Congress doesn’t pass funding bills in time; funding bills or “appropriation bills” act like a budget plan and are  designed to fund the government until the end of each government year or “fiscal year” which ends on September 30. During a government shutdown, essential services related to national security and public safety, like emergency medical care, air traffic security and control, law enforcement, and border security, continue to function, though they may face disruptions. 

During this time government workers like air traffic control workers, senators, military employees, FBI workers, border control, etc. are paid something called “back pay” which is a pay check they receive of money that has been stored in case of a shutdown. Workers that are essential to the functioning of our government are required to work without pay while workers that are deemed not essential like department of education workers, NASA employees, national park services staff, etc. are sent home for the remainder of the shutdown. 

This government shutdown affects us because it interrupts government services, delays things like loans, makes longer lines and more delays at airports, national parks and museums close as they have a lack of funding. Lots of small business struggle as loans come to a halt, and causes financial uncertainty for government employees. Overall, it doesn’t affect our day to day lives (if you don’t work for a government agency) but it is still an important subject to know about as a shutdown is a big thing and affects government functions and staff heavily.

For more information, please visit: 

Getting To Know/History, News

Who is Nobel Laureate María Corina Machado?

Leave a comment

By: Karl Salkowski

Photo courtesy of Adobe stock

Maria Corina Machado is a Venezuelan politician and activist. She was born on October 7th, 1967, in Caracas, Venezuela, and served as a member of the National Assembly of Venezuela from 2011 to 2014. Maria directly opposed the governments of previous Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez and current president Nicolás Maduro. Maria has advocated heavily over the last two decades for democratic reforms and human rights across Venezuela.

Nicolás Maduro took office in 2013 and has been serving Venezuela since. The 2024 election is widely believed to have been fraudulent in order to extend Maduro’s regime, as he had already become widely unpopular among the common people. Political scientist Steven Levitsky called the official results “[O]ne of the most egregious electoral frauds in modern Latin American history.”

Maria had been an outspoken critic of Maduro since the beginning of his presidency, and due to this, she was banned from competing in the 2024 presidential election. Despite facing persecution and having to go into hiding, she decided to stay within Venezuela to organize opposition efforts and continue rallying for what she believed in.

Maria believes in classical liberalism. She focuses on individual freedoms, free markets, and limited government, which directly oppose the views of the previous presidents. Maduro created a more authoritarian government, attempting to take away individual freedoms in order to extend government power.

She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize due to her consistent effort towards creating a safer and freer Venezuela. She resisted authoritarianism and fought to build a more democratic and fair government. She has made a commitment to non-violent resistance and strived to restore freedom and democracy in Venezuela.

Maria gained international recognition and support for her action in Venezuela. She has won many other awards, including the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought and the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. These awards are given to people who defend human and civil rights and lead and mobilize nonviolent resistance.

Overall, María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize due to her unwavering support of democracy and her dedication to providing human and civil rights to all.

Editorials/Student Voice

History of the Alien Enemies Act

By: Maggie Hong

United States Alien Enemies Act notice issued on April 18, 2025; obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union and filed in A.A.R.P. v. Trump. Via Wikimedia Commons and the United States Department of Homeland Security

Over the past few months, the Trump administration claims to have deported over 100,000 illegal immigrants from the United States. Among them are 130 Venezuelan men, accused of membership with a Venezuelan gang, designated by the US government as a terrorist organization. However, the men were given no chance to dispute these accusations, and many of them live and work legally in the US. So, what gives Trump the power to deport them with no evidence of gang affiliation?

In 1798, a law called the Alien Enemies Act was passed by Congress. It was intended to protect the United States in the event of a war with France, a possibility which seemed likely at the time. It granted the President the power to detain or deport any citizen of an enemy nation without evidence of a crime or a hearing in their defense. It was created as a wartime authority; something only to be used when the US is in a state of war or enemy invasion. However, only Congress, not the President, has the authority to declare war on another nation.

Since its creation, the Alien Enemies Act has only been used three times: during the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II. Notably, it was used to intern Japanese Americans in prison camps during World War II. Many of them were native born American citizens, making them not considered alien enemies under the law. However, they were still interned along with the rest of the Japanese American population.

Trump has invoked this act for the fourth time in US history, the first time not during a major conflict or state of war. This is backed by the opinion that the US is being invaded by illegal immigrants, largely from Mexico and other Latin American countries. This could justify a use of the Alien Enemies Act, as it does provide for enemy invasion. However, this opinion is not backed by any evidence of ill intent or antagonism against the US. And, as Congress has not declared a state of war, this invocation is highly questionable.

The Supreme Court has ordered that one of the immigrants, here legally, be returned to the US. When Trump met with the president of El Salvador, though, he refused to return him, saying the US has no jurisdiction over his prison. As this case continues to develop, it sets precedent as to the power of our executive branch and the other branches’ power to check it.