Issue 1
Contributing Illustrator, Katie Small
Are you taking the digital SAT? See what students and tutors have to say
Francesca Lesinski, News
January 5th, 2024
The new year often marks new beginnings—as such, some high school students will kick off 2024 preparing for the worldwide launch of the digital SAT on March 9th. In early 2022, following preliminary trials, the College Board announced its transition to online standardized testing in replacement of the traditional paper-and-pencil format that has been an integral part of many colleges’s admission processes.
Along with digitizing the SAT, the College Board has also integrated the online calculator Desmos, which students can access on both math sections, reduced the duration of the test, shortened reading comprehension passages, and implemented adaptive questions that increase or decrease in difficulty depending on a student’s performance in previous modules.
The College Board justifies its digitization of the SAT as “adapting to meet the changing needs of students and educators alike,” primarily emphasizing the security and equity allegedly ensured by the online format. By utilizing multistage adaptive testing, The College Board claims that a digital SAT will offer students individualized questions to enhance security, expedite results through online scoring, and accurately measure students’ capabilities. In contrast with this favorable view of the changes, a prominent SAT tutor in the greater Los Angeles area argues that moving the test to a digital format will not promote equity; instead, he says, it will exacerbate the existing inequities among student minorities.
“I don’t think the shift will significantly improve equity in testing. The underlying causes of disparities—limited access to preparation resources, cultural biases in test content, and subpar pre-secondary education, for instance—are not solved through digitization. If anything, the change will widen the effects of the digital divide by disadvantaging students who don’t have reliable access to computers and the internet.”
Students also expressed some hesitation in regard to the digital SAT. Based on interviews with multiple test-takers, attitudes are divided: some are optimistic about the change, while others question the fairness and complexity of online standardized testing.
An 11th-grade student attending a private girls’ school in Los Angeles, Jenna, recognized the value of the new digitized test, especially its changes to the English modules. “I find the online English section of the SAT less stressful because the passages are shorter and the questions are displayed directly next to each passage, which makes it easier to navigate,” Jenna stated. “I think that this version of the English section on the SAT will benefit students who have shorter attention spans and struggle reading long passages.”
On the other hand, an 11th-grader attending another private school in Los Angeles, Savannah, raised a potential debate about the security of the digital SAT, as it uses learning software to generate different sets of questions for each student.
“I think that although it does decrease cheating…it seems a little unfair to me that people are taking different tests,” Savannah stated. “For example, if a student doesn’t do as well on the second section as they would have on an original test because it was made harder, is that really fair for everyone?”
In considering both the advantages and disadvantages posed by the online SAT, Savannah questioned the College Board’s decision to eliminate paper tests entirely and suggested offering students both online and pencil-and-paper testing options.
“Students should still have the choice whether to take it online or on paper, depending on which works best for their focus or learning style…I feel like for me it could go either way,” Savannah stated. “On the one hand, I work better with physical copies, but on the other, I do a lot of practice with online tests already, and having a digital SAT will definitely reduce any scantron mistakes.”
Although the shift to digital testing was perhaps unavoidable, given society's growing reliance on technology, its consequences for student scores and the application process remain to be seen.
As Election Season Approaches, First-Time Voters Must Self-Educate
Caroline Blake, Opinion
January 5th, 2024
After walking away once again from my family’s politics-infused dinner table discussion, using the excuse of being eaten alive by mosquitoes—which wasn’t untrue—I ran upstairs to our hotel bedroom. Sick of feeling excluded and uneducated, I opened my phone to download all of the news, media, and vocabulary apps I could find.
My family’s annual summer trips to Ireland demanded preparations to discuss American politics with my Irish relatives and eliminate the apparently common notion that “Americans are ill-informed on their own country’s politics.”
For years, I’d relied heavily on my parents and sister’s political insights and views, justifying my behavior with the excuse that I was simply the youngest and didn’t know any better. In reality, though, my silence arose from a feeling of helplessness.
Every political conversation I heard voiced skepticism and despair at the state of our nation and especially its politicians, an attitude that I took on passively. I didn’t feel motivated to educate myself when, from what I heard, it didn’t seem like I could make a difference. Still, at family dinners like these, my ignorance humbled and disappointed me, feelings that compelled me to do something about it.
While this moment of so-called atonement happened over five months ago, I’m ashamed to admit that my political knowledge hasn’t improved a lot since. That’s not to say that I haven’t cared deeply about specific issues at stake, but that I haven’t taken the time to research and consider the politicians tasked with handling such matters. This disconnect has produced many more moments of personal shame in recent months, especially since next November, I’ll be old enough to vote.
As much as I am at fault for my ignorance, I’m not alone in feeling skeptical or hopeless when it comes to the state of America’s politics and fulfilling our civic duty to self-educate and vote. According to a poll by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, many young voters doubt the 2024 presidential candidates’ ability to handle key issues. This lack of confidence is a great concern, considering that most young people are motivated by the issues rather than the candidates themselves, a notion seen most prevalently in recent ballots on abortion rights.
It’s this divide between young people’s passion for issues, not candidates, that might explain why less than 50 percent of 18-29-year-olds "definitely" plan on voting in the 2024 presidential election, a drop of nearly ten percent since the last election. In fact, a report exclusively obtained by NPR found that young people between the ages of 18 and 34 express the most concern about their futures pertaining to the political system’s effect on their lives.
While feelings of helplessness are understandable in a country where disinformation and partisan polarization persist, we must put our misgivings aside and fulfill our civic duty, a responsibility that includes not only voting but also preparation. If we’re to stand any chance at fixing the issues we’re passionate about, we must do our part to bridge the disconnect between issues and candidates—through our own education.
As this election year begins with U.S. presidential, congressional, state, and local elections being held, it's essential that we, first-time voters, educate ourselves on each candidate regardless of our preconceived notions. If you search up almost any issue and type “2024 candidates,” you’ll find an abundance of articles with each candidate's take and action plan. While this flood of resources can seem overwhelming at first, prioritizing the issues you care most about can make the difference between an all-consuming Google deep dive and a timely read. Once you’ve categorized these issues, document your research and keep track of whose views align closest with yours. It’s inevitable that no candidate will match your views perfectly, a discrepancy that can feel disheartening, but remember that demanding perfection may impede progress.
To that point, I must acknowledge that we aren’t entirely responsible for this issue-candidate discord; it’s a two-way street. While we must educate ourselves on candidates, similarly politicians should do the same for us. As Molly O'Rourke, the senior adviser with the Sine Institute of Policy and Politics at American University, argues, politicians also “have an opportunity to fill gaps in confidence and trust among young voters ahead of the next election by honing in on issues [young voters] care about.” Whether these candidates take on such opportunities or not, we must uphold our end of the bargain and, by extension, hold them accountable.
Bowing out of this election out of discouragement or passivity will not get us anywhere. Even if your research leads to disappointment, sorting through the candidates who undeniably oppose your views will help you realize what’s at stake. Whether we like it or not, next year, one of these candidates will be seated in office, and we have the chance to decide who will assume that position. Millennial and Gen Z voters will make up almost half of the electorate this year, an influence that, while exciting, also comes with a great deal of accountability. Make an effort to sit uncomfortably in your ignorance and strive to learn, not just for one night’s worth of phone storage space but consistently, so that come next November, you’ll be ready to make your vote count.
Microtrends: What's on your TikTok Shop Today will be in the Ocean Tomorrow
Delaney Leigh, Opinion
January 5th, 2024
1.92 million tons, or roughly 4,232,875,434 pounds, of textile waste are manufactured each year.
Why? Microtrends: the styles that dominate the fashion market before inevitably ending up in a landfill a month later. A microtrend is a short-lived style, often popularized on social media.
As a recent example, after the release of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” which grossed over 1.4 billion dollars in the summer of 2023, the microtrend commonly referred to as “Barbiecore” emerged. The trend focused on vibrant shades of pink in a variety of different clothing styles from “preppy” to “grunge,” appealing to my peers of various personal styles.
Shein, a brand that has been involved in many alleged labor and mass production controversies, embraced Barbiecore, likely due to their involvement in fast fashion.
Fast fashion allows brands to quickly produce garments, often at lower prices than sustainable competitors, though production is often through corrupt means. Fast fashion is associated with labor abuse and harmful environmental impacts. It’s no surprise that this industry of fast fashion takes advantage of producing what’s trendy at the moment as microtrends are powered by fast fashion.
Microtrends are popular, and a phenomenon my peers and I are often tempted to participate in. Yet, while scrolling through my TikTok “For You” page, I cannot help but roll my eyes whenever a trend emerges such as Barbiecore because it seems that once a trend is around long enough to gain attention, it slips into oblivion never to be seen again. At their current short life spans, microtrends are economically unsustainable for the average consumer to consistently take part in, particularly when the old fads are often thrown out or never worn again. Apart from the economically unsustainable issues that come along with microtrends, the brands that mass produce many of the styles shown online benefit from the short-lived trends, whilst their workers and the environment suffer. However, there are ways to participate in microtrends without contributing to unsustainable fast fashion brands.
As mentioned before, Shein has been alleged to have taken part in many labor controversies. One controversy claims that in some Chinese factories, some employees work 18-hour days with few breaks. The compensation for the long days of work are poor as well. When wages are converted to USD, some workers earn as little as two cents per item. These low wages are likely not unique to the realm of fast fashion, as the rough estimate for fast fashion workers making livable wages is 2 percent. Only 2 percent make the amount of money they need to live comfortably.
Along with the inequitable labor difficulties, the environmental impact of fast fashion and microtrends is equally as unacceptable. Every year, of the 80 billion garments purchased by consumers, 85 percent end up in landfills. The excessive waste is only one of the environmental issues caused by microtrends; the effects on the world's oceans are severe as well. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the clothing industry, a large part of which is fast fashion, has “led to an estimated 1.4 million trillion plastic fibres in the ocean.” The microplastics of microtrends often contain toxic substances for marine life, with adverse effects, ranging from stunted growth to death. The attraction to fast fashion brands is often popularized through social media, leaving frequent social media users, many of whom are teens like me, quite vulnerable to the marketing attempts of fast fashion brands.
Buying trendy clothing at affordable prices may seem like a tempting offer to our generation. Fashion is frequently used as a form of expression, so buying trendy, affordable, fast-fashion clothing can seem appealing to those who like to closely follow fashion trends or experiment with different styles. Fast fashion, however, is not the only way to get reasonably priced, trendy clothing. As most teens don't have a large amount of money to spend on clothing, second-hand shopping can be a more sustainable option both economically and environmentally. With the increase in online second-hand stores, it has become easier to find exactly what you are looking for while shopping sustainably.
While switching up your style once in a while isn’t an issue, when excessive, your guilty pleasure “it’s cheap!” purchases can further disastrous, often irreversible effects of micro-trends. It is important for our generation to remain conscious of our consumption, learn about the brands we are supporting, and attempt to fight against some of the most pressing issues today, including climate change and unjust labor practices. So the next time a new style quickly arises on TikTok, think twice before buying that trendy piece.