The Student News Site of Van Nuys High School

The Mirror

vnhsMIRROR.com

The student website of Van Nuys High School
Van Nuys, California
The Student News Site of Van Nuys High School

The Mirror

The Student News Site of Van Nuys High School

The Mirror

WINNERS CIRCLE: Executive Editor Angelina Gevorgyan holds the two first place trophies awarded to The Mirror by the L.A. Press Club (center), posing for a publicity shot flanked by incoming Co-Editors-in-Chief Madison Thacker (L) nad Olamide Olumide (R). The awards gala was held June 23, 2024 at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
"For a high school newspaper website, I'd put this up against any professional newspaper site in the country"
L.A. Press Club recognizes student journalists with two first place awards for outstanding work. Writers place in three individual categories
By The Mirror Staff Jun 24, 2024
STOP THE CLOCK Teachers acknowledge and accommodate for students decline in attention span.
Gen Z’s shrinking attention span
By Mia Ramirez, Staff
The rise of short-form content on social media has led to irreversible changes in the classroom.
ROCKY ROAD A collage of pamphlets for colleges across the state. For many students, going to a prestigious university is a dream of theirs. However, the path to college can be overwhelming.
Back to reality: Your dream college might not be the right fit for you
By Olamide Olumide, News/Features Editor
Attending a prestigious school like Harvard is the dream of many high schoolers, but for most, it may be better to set sights on a community college instead.
The new cell phone ban would force students to lock up phones in lockers at the start of the day, retrieving them back in the afternoon.
Strict Laws Make for Sneaky Students: LAUSD needs to revoke the cell phone ban
By Madison Thacker, Arts/Entertainment Editor
While LAUSD board members push for a complete cell phone ban in classrooms, students fight back, understanding the mass changes that will need to happen, in order for the ban to be effective.
A SAD REALITY The American civilian population possesses around 433 million firearms, putting innocent people at risk of being involved in a mass shooting.
Gun violence ricochets in America
By Joel Nam, Opinion Editor
In America, hundreds die as a result of gun violence. In order to save lives, we must take decisive action to address broad societal and administrative issues.
Cursive kerfuffle
Cursive kerfuffle
By Brianna I. Alvarado, Design/Layout Editor
How schools have shifted away from teaching cursive over the last century.
NOT SO GOOD FOR THE PLANET A lack of charging infrastructure and the hard-to-recycle lithium batteries can deter customers.
Plugging in, powering down: The costs and benefits of operating electric vehicles
By Delmis Vaquerano, Staff
While EVs emit less waste than their gas-powered predecessors, they still offer a host of other problems that have yet to be solved.
Lost on the map: The state of geography in America
Lost on the map: The state of geography in America
By Skylie Molina and Delmis Vaquerano
The United States is lacking in geography education in comparison to other more developed countries, as mocked by online videos.
From late April to early June, juniors will be facing a barrage of standardized testing, including the SBAC and i-Ready.
Nonstop standardized testing from April to June
By Baron Kim, Staff
Students, especially juniors, face constant mandatory standardized testing from late April through early June.
Devin Tanner Brown (#3) spikes the ball over the net for a kill.
Devin Tanner Brown: Volleyball athlete of the week
By Rogers Levitt, Staff
A peek into the life of our volleyball player of the week, Devin Tanner Brown.
Senior Team Captain Kirk Uytiepo and freshman Cliff Favis giving it their all and having fun despite facing their most challenging opponents that day.
Kirk Uytiepo: Tennis athlete of the week
By Jaden Gervacio, Staff
Showcasing Kirk Uytiepo, tennis athlete of the week
KICKED TO THE CURB Players’ skills are often literally sidelined when they’re benched, leading to frustration, dissatisfaction and, in some cases, outright quitting the team.
Stuck on the sidelines
By Chioma Chiawa, Staff
The story of a basketball player struggling to stay off the bench.
Stephen Curry was destined for legacy, coming from a family of athletes and growing up with the dream of sucess.
Cooking up a legacy
By Alyson Cerna
With a bigger-than-life childhood, NBA star Stephen Curry grows to navigate a modest yet eventful career in professional basketball. In doing so, he earns the hearts of millions around the world with his humane persona and undeniable skill on the court.
Scoreboard
Mr. McCluskeys students celebrate after two nights of a successful and fun-filled showcase.
Excelling in the art of digital media: A Showcase of creativity and innovation
By Lilit Aprahamian, Marketing Manager
The ideas of aspiring student filmmakers in video production classes were brought to life on the big screen during the VNHS Digital Media Showcase.
President Sharlene Kaur looks over all cards made by the Golden Hearts club before giving them to Kaiser Permanente.
Touching the hearts of cancer patients one card at a time
By Mia Ramirez, Staff
The Golden Hearts club allows its members to earn volunteer hours for making cards to bring a smile to cancer patients at Kaiser Permanente.
Magnet Valedictorian Sean Kim stands and greets the crowd as he gets recognized by Admin for his hard work.
Goodbye seniors: Graduation 2024
By Madison Thacker and Kayla Balikyan-Davis
Held on the football field on June 11, 2024, the Class of 2024's graduation ceremony proudly celebrated 548 students and their accomplishments over their high school careers.
How are seniors feeling about leaving high school?
How are seniors feeling about leaving high school?
By Jalyn Bautista and Daimler Koch
Graduation is just around the corner. We asked seniors about their plans for the future and wrapped up this year's final episode of Real Humans.
MYTH VERSUS FACT Misconceptions swirl around ADHD, reducing it to a harmful stereotype. The condition often results in hyperactivity, inattention and anxiety.
Focusing attention on the reality of ADHD
By Olamide Olumide, News/Features Editor
Millions of people in the United States struggle with ADHD, spreading awareness and better understanding its symptoms can go a long way in helping those who suffer as a result.
This illustration depicts the weight on those with fears and expectations that come from perfectionism.
Perfectionism is far from perfect
By Abigail Kim, Staff
Perfectionism has proven to be a pervasive issue among students that has deleterious effects on their mental health.
At its most fundamental level, religion is composed of beliefs that constitute values and standards necessary for the healthy functioning of society.
Rethinking Christian values
By Joel Nam, Opinion Editor
Joel Nam shares his understanding of Christianity and how it's beliefs can benefit society by teaching us to exercise patience, compassion and empathy.
As a Muslim, Adiba Rysa feels that Western society has made her personally accountable for the conflict raging between Israel and Palestine.
Untold stories: The other side of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict
By Skylie Molina, Staff
Insight to the ongoing war or, as Senior Adiba Raya comments, “genocide” in Palestine.
ATURDIDOS Y CONFUNDIDOS El i-Ready ha sido criticado por ajustar los planes de lecciones de los estudiantes basándose en su rendimiento en la prueba diagnóstico. Muchos estudiantes nunca vuelven a la sitio web para tomar los cursos proporcionados.
Listo o no, aquí viene: El nuevo examen estandarizado de LAUSD incita controversia
By Baron Kim and Delmis Vaquerano

Sustituyendo la evaluación STAR de la plataforma educativa, Renaissance , los estudiantes de LAUSD han estado tomando este examen de forma rutinaria desde 1998. La evaluación i-Ready se administró a...

A pesar de la gravedad del conflicto, la guerra entre Israel y Hamás ha sido vista por las redes sociales como una moda más. Muchos publican información inexacta en un esfuerzo por seguir la moda.
Tendencias: la guerra Israel y Hamás
By Mia Ramirez, Maya Diaz, and Delmis Vaquerano
La presencia de la guerra de Gaza en las redes sociales se ha convertido en otra tendencia que muchos desechan a pesar de su gravedad.
Donna Hubbard fue la primera directora femenina del preparatoria de Van Nuys High School. Se unió a la facultad como profesora de español en 1920 y  continuó trabajando su camino hasta convertirse en la vicedirectora de las estudiantes femeninas en 1924, antes de ser la directora de toda la escuela en 1935. Aquí es la vicedirectora de las chicas en 1929.
LA HISTORIA DE ELLA: El legado de Donna Hubbard en el instituto Van Nuys
By Abigail Kim and Maya Diaz
En este Mes de la Historia de la Mujer, Donna Hubbard destaca como la antigua directora del colegio, madura, sabia y compasiva.
DIVERSIÓN AL SOL Amelia Probst (izquierda) y Emily Chavez muestran su rueda de premios del stand de Womens Make Change en el acto del Día Internacional de la Mujer. El objetivo de WMC es empoderar a las mujeres, animándolas a defenderse por sí mismas y dándoles las oportunidades para hacerlo.
Del pasado al presente: Mes de la Historia de la Mujer
By Olamide Olumide and Maya Diaz
El club Women Make Change (WMC) ayuda a las mujeres a encontrar su confianza interior y les enseña sobre importantes figuras femeninas. Los miembros del club participaron en el acto del Día Internacional de la Mujer el 7 de marzo.
Blockbuster burnout
Blockbuster burnout
By Madison Thacker, Arts/Entertainment Editor
The dominance of adapted screenplays and sequels makes us question what truly counts as original in cinema, challenging the idea of a golden age of unmatched creativity.
Quinn Hutchison: The youngest history teacher you’ve ever had
Quinn Hutchison: The youngest history teacher you’ve ever had
By Madison Thacker, Arts/Entertainment Editor
Just by looking at the picture, you already know him. This kid doesn’t just explain, but makes, history.
For decades, Black actors have fought to be paid the same wages as their white counterparts. Viola Davis, Angela Bassset, and Taraij P. Henderson are just some of the few actors of color that have recieved unequal compensation.
Wake up Hollywood: The racial wage gap is real
By Max Sandoval, Staff

Walking into UCLA’s Royce Hall and looking around at his coworkers, it became apparent to technical theatre professional and now teacher Ron Greene that he was one of the only two Black people there.  He...

 Hard-hitting lyrics and soft melodies: Billie Eilishs new studio album
Hard-hitting lyrics and soft melodies: Billie Eilish's new studio album
By Mia Rodriguez and Roxana Vasquez
In Billie Eilish’s new album, “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT”, she gives a quality, cohesive and immersive listening experience to her audience.
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