By: Elizabeth Paniagua, Staff Writer
Now that we have entered fall, the presidential elections are coming up very soon, and we wanted to see what some students and staff here at Mills High School had to say about it.
When asked about the situation, Biology and Biotechnology teacher Mr. Huang thinks students are too immature to vote yet.
Mr. Huang strongly believes that students should not be able to vote at 18 because they still act extremely immaturely, and he believes that social media plays a big part in this. He thinks that students will be more capable of voting in their first or second year of college instead of their last year of high school. When I asked Mr. Huang if he thought they should change the age to vote, he said the legal age to vote, in his opinion, should be at least 19 or 20 years old. He encourages students to learn about voting because in this country, voting is everywhere, and politics are everywhere so it is important for someone to be well educated on this topic as it will be with you for the rest of your life.
Maricela Ramos (12) believes that as long as a student is educated about what they’re voting for, they should have the right to vote and a right to have their own opinions on voting. Although, she says she herself isn’t into voting and will not be voting this year. Ramos thinks that the voting age,18 and up, is appropriate because they have a much better understanding than younger students and a better sense of what’s going on with the election. Ramos believes that it is important for students to be informed about voting and their choices when it comes to voting.
Lastly, I interviewed Julie Martinez Mora (12). Julie believes that it is good to practice your voting rights even if you are a student. By 18 students should already have developed their preferences in politics so they should be able to vote for what they believe in. She believes that 18 is also a good age since that is also when you legally become an adult so it lines up pretty well. Earlier than that students can get very easily influenced by others to vote for someone specific.
In conclusion, the debate about students voting has many different perspectives on maturity and responsibility. But regardless of the idea that students aren’t fit to vote, some seniors still believe that they should be able to participate in elections.
