New Man in Charge

Vicky Lam
Staff Writer

As another individual steps up to take his place as President of the United States, an inauguration ceremony will enact the transfer of power between presidencies. After the lengthy campaign period, President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States on Jan. 20.

An inauguration commences a new four-year term of a president as well as celebrate American democracy. The traditional ceremony is always attended by many Americans including governmental officials and the outgoing president.

Once the celebration is over, Trump will officially take the office as President of the United States.
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Jessica Yee
Copy Editor

President-elect Donald Trump told voters as a part of his campaign promise that he would “drain the swamp” at Washington, D.C. However, many of the President-elect’s cabinet picks have shown otherwise. So far, Donald Trump has made selections that would appease the wealthy donors that contributed to his campaign.

For Secretary of Education, Donald Trump selected Betsy DeVos, an opposer of funding public schools. According to New York times, his E.P.A. Administrator will be Scott Pruitt, the Oklahoma Attorney General who is a beneficiary of fossil fuel companies. Other picks have seemed to satisfy the Republican base, such as Elaine Chao for Transportation Secretary and Reince Priebus for White House Chief of Staff. Chao is the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and had been the Labor Secretary during former President George W. Bush’s term. Reince Priebus serves as the Chairman of the Republican National Committee.

The most inflammatory of his picks, though, are Stephen Bannon for Chief Strategist and Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State. Bannon is known for his alternative right news website, Breitbart News, where he has shown his extreme and controversial views. Bannon has never held public office, which could be Trump’s way of thanking the voters seeking anti-establishment politicians. Rex Tillerson, on the other hand, is the President and Chief Executive of Exxonmobil who is rumored to have held close ties with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Furthermore, Donald Trump selected his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to be his senior aide. This pick is just one of many of his nominations with potential conflicts-of-interest.

Compared to the Obama administration, whose cabinet was mostly consisted of graduates from MIT, UC Berkeley and Harvard Law, Donald Trump has formed a cabinet of donors and establishment politicians—many of whom do not have experience in their respective positions. Donald Trump’s choices for his cabinet forecast a series of drastically different policies from the previous administration.
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Traditions of Inauguration
James Reyna
Staff Writer

he U.S. presidential inauguration is an American tradition that dates back to 1739. Many people are familiar with the events as the oath and the procession to the capital, but there is also some very obscure history behind it that many people do not know.

One of the most important traditions of the presidential inauguration is the presidential speech, or most properly known as the inaugural address. Every president knows of the importance of his or her inaugural speech and they should be working meticulously on making it a very memorable speech for the rest of the country.

Another inauguration ritual is the Inaugural parade. It is custom that the president and vice president, as well as their families, view the parade from an enclosed area on the North Lawn. The parade itself goes on for one and a half miles down Pennsylvania Avenue. The parade includes many civilian and military floats and acts from all 50 states. The tradition itself dates back to the Jefferson inauguration where musicians rode with Jefferson to the White House.

Every presidential inauguration is a historic event and the traditions that go with it are a huge part of American culture.
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A-List Artists Refuse to Perform
Jason Zhu
Editor in Chief

In light of the inauguration, Trump’s management team has sought out some of the world’s greatest musicians and artists. However, almost all of them refused to perform for fear of backlash or to stand against him politically.

Dozens of artists have declined the offer to be a part of the inauguration. This group includes the likes of Elton John, Celine Dion, Justin Timberlake and Kanye West. Most of the artists have seen an improvement in their net favorability among the public for their decision.
Among the first ones who rejected to attend is Sir Elton John. The British Pinball Wizard, in an interview with The Guardian, claims that he “[does not] want [his] music to be involved in anything to do with an American election campaign.” He also adds that he differs in political views with the new President-elect and assures the public the issue is not personal. John received one of highest approval from the public as his net favorability has increased by 11 percent based on a poll by Morning Consult/Politico. More importantly, John was invited to the inauguration by Trump’s event manager, hoping that a homosexual artist may improve the President-elect’s public image regarding LGBTQ issues.
As an overall trend, most of the artists and musicians who decided not to perform at the inauguration are approved by Democrats while the Republicans generally criticized. The rest of the artists who refused the invitation include famed Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, DJ duo the Chainsmokers, pop artists Bruno Mars and Katy Perry, country singer Garth Brooks, producer and songwriter David Foster and hard rock band KISS.
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Fun Facts: The White House
Samantha Lanzo
Staff Writer

1) George Washington never lived inside of the White House.
2) It takes about 570 gallons of paint to cover the entire exterior of the White House.
3) It was not always known as the White House, originally it was known as the Executive Mansion.
4) John Adams was the first to live inside of the White House in November 1800.
5) The White House receives approximately 6,000 visitors a day.
6) The White House has six floors, two basements, two public floors and two floors for the First Family to use.