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So-called useless college classes and how they might not be so useless.  Image c/o Saint Mary's College By Madison Sciba Editor-in-Chief A common complaint heard around college campuses across the country is “ugh why do I have to take this class? It doesn’t even have anything to do with my major.” STEM students complain about having to take English and History classes while liberal arts students complain about being forced to take science labs and math classes. A great deal of people major in something that they are interested and/or good at, which is why a lot of students dislike having to take classes that are on a widely different topic than the one they are studying. What most students fail to realize is how essential these “other” classes are to creating a well rounded education.
When first starting Saint Mary’s I was infuriated that I had to take a math class. As a communications major and history minor, who has always had a great disdain for mathematics, I wanted to cry at the thought of having to use algebra or even think about the quadratic formula. After a semester of tears and crying out, “I just don’t get it,” I eventually realized that taking the class was actually beneficial to me. Sure I don’t use high level math in my everyday life, but the basic statistics and data that I learned has remained helpful when navigating the real world. In discussing these so called “useless classes” the conversation is usually liberal arts students having to take math and science classes. Interestingly, STEM majors complain almost as much, if not more, about having to take English and history class. My brother is a cyber intelligence and security major at an aerospace and engineering school. When he had to take his required English class it became apparent to me why it was necessary for people to take classes outside of their subject. People like my brother, those who are more geared towards science and technology, are not as skilled at English and language arts as liberal arts majors. Liberal arts requires a lot of writing so those majors get a lot of practice, STEM major’s don’t so they need that required extra English class to get those much needed skills that come with essay writing and reading important novels. Look, we all don’t want to take classes on topics we find difficult/uninteresting, but they are necessary. The goal of most universities is to create well rounded individuals who will be productive in the outside world. An essential part to being well rounded is taking a variety of classes on a range of topics. What good is a person who only knows one subject? An engineer who cannot write a legible paper on their research won’t be an effective one. Being able to quote a Shakespeare play in old English is great but won’t help you when doing math to manage your finances. Our society needs us to study and have a basic understanding of all areas so we can be productive, successful members of society.
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 Image c/o Mt Diablo Unified School District By Lizeth De La Cruz Visiting Columnist In this country, we all legally have to be enrolled in school from Kinder to 12th grade, therefore this research is meant to serve as a call to action appealing to all human beings. Public high schools are specifically meant to prepare their students for a life post-graduation as they see their students come in as teenagers and leave as young adults. Yet, only the students who attend high schools located in expensive cities have the privilege of receiving this. But how, exactly, does a public high school’s location impact a student’s access and preparation for a higher education?
Schools with higher amounts of lower-income students are given fewer resources to prepare for higher education and I first handily saw the lack of resources within my school district, Mount Diablo Unified. I compared the demographics of two schools in this district, Northgate High School which is located in Walnut Creek, a much more expensive zipcode to live in compared to Mount Diablo High School, located in Concord. According to the US News World Report, it stated that “64% of students” at Northgate took an AP exam and in their entire school only “20%” of students are of lower income”. While at Mount Diablo High School only “18% of students took an AP exam” and “75% of their students are of lower income”. These statistics clearly show the correlation between economic status and exam enrollment but what exactly does it mean for students to be considered of lower income? As specified by the National Center for Education Statistics, Mount Diablo had “433 students” who qualified for free lunch while at Northgate only “141 students qualified”. This means that students who are categorized as lower income have to have families who are annually making under what is federally considered as poverty in California. Students who are at an economic advantage have higher enrollment because of districts like Mount Diablo Unified which only provide the most funding to schools with higher-income students. Advanced Placement exams are meant to prepare students for the rigors of college while also allowing them to earn college credits to lower the cost of their education. Sadly, without having access to proper resources like college and career centers this information is almost impossible for students to learn about. This is a call to action for humanity as a whole as we must fight for the proper resources amongst all schools, not just those in wealthy neighborhoods. This matters because the minds being educated in high school are all the future workers of America. By helping fight we are ensuring that all future generations will have the equal opportunity to break through generational poverty and obtain a bachelor's degree while securing a high-paying job. But, the only way this is achievable is if districts like Mount Diablo Unified promise to have a college and career center with at least two counselors across all high schools. Students, I urge you to fight for your peers while advocating for them by sharing this information with others including your parents as having a proper education is a right, not a privilege.  Image C/O by Dimitrios Kambouris / The MET Museum / Vogue / GETTY Images By Isabella Wynn Visiting Columnist The MET Gala never fails to pump out fashion flops, celebrity drama, and memes. I am not usually very invested in the MET Gala, however this year I took a look at Vogue’s live streaming and their lengthy list of all attendees and their red carpet looks.
The theme for the 2024 MET Gala was “Garden of Time.” As you would expect, the red carpet saw lots of flowers and light colors. Of course there were also looks that were a little out of the box; some abstractly fit the theme and some definitely flopped (right down that giant MET staircase). As someone who knows absolutely nothing about high fashion, I will be giving my honest reviews on the 2024 MET Gala looks. I am simply a thrifting connoisseur and a consumer of the media; don't take these opinions to heart. Starting off strong, Zendaya gifted us with two stunning looks. Her designers definitely fit the theme dressing her in gowns and floral decor. Some may think that the black gown doesn't fit “Garden of Time,” but I think the color black is timeless and the floral headpiece ties it all together. Others who had strong looks were Emma Chamberlain and Lana Del Rey. Both of these women had designers who took similar approaches to the theme. They went for more of a roots and thorns look rather than a floral look. I appreciated the unique and darker take on the theme in these two looks. I always love a brown look. Lizzo’s designer also took on more neutral colors paired with subtle florals. I especially liked the shape of her dress. Sydney Sweeney’s look was another one that dipped its toe into a darker theme, mixing florals and pastel blue with black accents and a black wig. I liked it. My standing ovation critique goes to Tyla in her Balmain gown made out of sand. This was my favorite look as it was so unique and so creative. Playing off the theme of time, her designer made her look like an actual hourglass. The details in accessorizing were beautiful as she wore simple jewelry and carried around a “purse” hourglass. For a bit of a hot take, I really liked Doja Cat’s look. She showed up in a giant, white, soaking wet t-shirt dress. I didn't like it and didn't get it until she explained it in an interview. She chose to represent the cotton flower with a timeless white t-shirt. She felt it was very poetic and I agreed. In wanting to stand out, she succeeded. Another look that stood out, possibly for what I think are the wrong reasons, was Da ‘Vine Joy Randolph’s denim dress. Denim wins the timeless competition and I think her gown was very flattering on her. She looked like a denim flower. Now unfortunately there are quite a few looks that I have brutal opinions on. I saw looks representing (I’m assuming unintentional) themes of wedding cakes, tin foil, 2000s disney red carpet looks, and mermaids. And of course, most of the men disappointed this year wearing simple black and/or white suits with maybe a subtle floral detail. Wedding Cake looks: Gigi Hadid, Lil Nas X, Ayo Edebiri, Taylor Russell, and Madelyn Cline. All of these looks reminded me of a wedding cake. A lot of these looks are gorgeous but I cannot look at them without thinking “wedding cake.” Lil Nas X gets points for consistently stepping out of the black and white suit stereotype. I also love my girl Ayo Edebiri, but the flowers on her dress look tacky to me and I don't think the dress fits her well. Gigi Hadid and Madelyn Cline’s looks simply give “wedding cake”, I cannot focus on anything else. Lastly, I may get some heat for this, but Taylor Russell looks like she is wearing fondue. Tin foil: Michelle Yeoh, Amanda Seyfried, and Kim Kardashian. These are just some of the looks that reminded me of tinfoil. Michelle Yeoh and Amanda Seyfried most of all. These two women were dressed in almost the same wrinkled tin foil looking dresses. The only difference was that Amanda’s had little pink tin foil flowers on the skirt of the dress. I did not like these looks and did not think they were pleasant to look at. Kim Kardashian’s designer took a different approach but still falls into the tinfoil category. There are some beautiful details on Kim’s look however it is ultimately shadowed by the fact that Kim looked like she couldn't breathe, the inclusion of the random, gray sweater, and the looks resemblance to tin foil. Disney Red Carpet: One of my least favorite looks was Zoë Saldaña’s. I did not see how it fit the 2024 theme whatsoever. I feel like the look speaks for itself when you see it. Mermaid: Gabrielle Union’s designer got lazy. They put her in a shiny scaled mermaid dress. It doesn't fit the theme, looks tacky, and isn't anything new. It looks like a bad, ocean themed prom dress. Her husband, Dwyane Wade wore a purple suit, which was a nice color but paired poorly with a plain, v-neck t-shirt. Other: Barry Keoghan and Nicole Kidman. Barry Keoghan’s suit looked like the love child of Willy Wonka and the Mad Hatter. Perhaps he was channeling Timothée Chalamet after the release of his Wonka movie and poking fun at the rumors that Chalamet was the original choice to play Oliver in Saltburn. Again, I appreciate Barry and his designer not going with a black suit, but I did not like what they chose. Another one of my least favorite looks was Nicole Kidman’s. Her dress looked like a black, baby bird emerging from the crotch of her dress. I didn’t get it and didn’t like it. Ultimately, fashion is up for interpretation and in reality, none of us know anything about fashion because it is all made up. Wear what you want and like what you like. I am looking forward to the looks presented in next year’s Hunger Games. Whoops, I mean the MET Gala. How the state is failing to prepare students  Image c/o GVWire By Edith Cuevas Opinion Columnist California is paving the way for other states in many aspects, including green energy, having a strong economy, and human rights. The state of California is failing in one sphere, and that is ensuring that all California students have access to economic literacy courses in high school. Financial literacy is important because it empowers students to make informed decisions, and allows them to build safety nets for themselves.
California is one of the most diverse states in the country, and making financial literacy a requirement for high school graduation would ensure that there is equitable access to these courses, even in marginalized communities. I believe that this is a necessary change because it gives students the opportunity to learn about budgeting, saving, investing, understanding credit, and managing debt. This will eventually lead to a generation of students that are better equipped to make important financial decisions after their high school careers. Another benefit is the ability to navigate financial challenges by reducing the susceptibility of individuals to predatory lending or even scams. Individuals may also be able to be less likely to accumulate high levels of debt and even be less likely to declare bankruptcy. Here at Saint Mary’s, I have been working on an advocacy project with four other individuals from my public policy course. We are attempting to raise awareness on this core curriculum change as we believe that this issue has the potential to have a positive impact on many Californias through empowerment. During our project, we surveyed a group of about 30 students. Over 96% of students surveyed believe that financial literacy is important. About 70% of those interviewed did not have access to financial literacy courses. Only 30% of students did have access to financial literacy courses but it was only a requirement to graduate for 7% of those students. Financial literacy is important for students to understand things such as tax forms, interest rates, credit cards, loans, etc. Why should you care? Well, only less than 20% of students surveyed indicated that they do not struggle with filling out tax forms. The other 80% of students struggle with them and some do not understand how to file or fill out the proper forms. Nearly 70% of students surveyed did not feel prepared to manage personal finances upon graduating from high school. The consensus among those surveyed is that it is important for schools in California to offer financial literacy classes, with 85% of the responses noting that it is very important. Most importantly, there is overwhelming support for a core curriculum change across the state. 77% of those surveyed would support such a change. What can we do? Look out for any petitions supporting the cause, including one created by students here at Saint Mary’s, write to your local senators or assembly members, and look out for legislation supporting this matter during the upcoming November elections. Raising awareness and having conversations can make a bigger difference than you might think.  Image c/o Disney+ By Madison Sciba Editor-in-Chief ABC’s Emmy award winning show, Abbott Elementary, portrays the struggles of the teachers and staff at a financially struggling public school in Philadelphia. The mockumentary-style sitcom gives audiences a comedic view of what they could assume is what it is like to work at and/or go to a low income public school.
While I do believe that it is necessary to bring attention to the struggles of teachers, especially those at low income schools, I do not appreciate how Abbott Elementary seemingly sugar coats what it is actually like to work at one of these schools. While the show portrays the teachers having to deal with broken equipment, low budgets, and unsupportive administrators, it uses these as points of comedy rather than addressing the seriousness of the situation. In a time where our country is facing a detrimental teacher shortage, idealizing the battles of teachers is not helping. Abbott Elementary is centered around the kind of teachers who struggle the most in the teaching profession: those who do not have the necessary support from their administration, students’ parents, and community. All the teachers in Abbott, however, are portrayed as being dedicated educators who will do whatever it takes to be a good teacher to their students. That is, unfortunately, not the truth when it comes to the experiences of teachers at low income public schools. The teaching profession can break those who entered the field to change the lives of our children. They barely make a livable wage and yet they do one of the most difficult jobs in the world. We expect teachers to be the best no matter the circumstances and common misconceptions, like the one Abbott Elementary is portraying, is damaging. How else can we as a society change our perception and support of educators if our media is not showing the truth? Instead of making jokes about lacking funds or battling with the school district, why doesn’t Abbott Elementary show the parental neglect, the horrific conditions, and the real toll that teaching at a low income school can have on a teacher. Most teachers take what very little money they earn and put it back into their classrooms, buying the necessities that the schools and districts cannot provide them. For my whole life, my mom worked at a Title I elementary school in San Jose, CA. For those who don’t know, a Title I school is, “provides financial assistance to local educational agencies for children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.” (National Center for Educational Statistics). Growing up, I witnessed the struggle of someone who, although extremely dedicated to the field of education, lost their love and passion for the job. She and the other teachers would spend their own money on snacks, supplies, and sometimes even appropriate clothing, for students who couldn’t afford to bring in their own. Cockroaches were such a common issue that they would just put a cup over the bug and wait until the next lunch or break to deal with it. Barely anything was fully functioning and getting anything new was a rarity. I started off my educational journey at this school. After one year my parents decided that I had to be sent to a different school. My mother, someone who taught at a low income school for almost fifteen years, knew that students at that school were being done a grave disservice. Lucky for me, my parents had the means of sending me to a local Catholic school for a better, healthier environment, however, my former classmates were not as lucky. To this day, that school is operating even worse off than before. The buildings are practically falling apart and the students at this school are getting a significantly worse educational experience than a student at the wealthier public elementary school just a mile up the street. What this society needs is not for these kinds of low income schools to be the center of jokes, but to be the catalyst for great changes to the educational system. There needs to be more awareness of the struggles of teachers at low income public schools and how that struggle directly affects the ability for those students to learn.  Image c/o Getty Images By Isabella Wynn Visiting Columnist In adjusting to losing an hour of sleep on March 10th, we may be enjoying more daylight, but our internal clocks are not having as good of a time. Daylight savings time (DST) has become something most people in the U.S. have grown accustomed to. With the exception of Arizona and Hawaii, the U.S. is a part of the 70 countries that observe DST. Most Californians may be aware that absolving daylight savings has been on the ballots for years. I am personally on the side that believes we should join Arizona and Hawaii in not participating in daylight savings, and I’ll tell you why.
You may be familiar with the term “Circadian Rhythm.” Our circadian rhythms become wildly affected when DST begins or ends. The National Institute of General Medicinal Sciences (NIGMS) states that “circadian rhythms are the physical, mental, and behavioral changes an organism experiences over a 24-hour cycle.” While our circadian rhythms can be affected by things like food intake, social environments, and temperature, light and dark have the biggest influence. Light and dark does not only refer to the daylight or lackthereof outside, our circadian rhythms can also be affected by things like the light from our technological devices or the use of blackout curtains. I’m no woman in STEM, but I generally understand our circadian rhythms and how important it is to try to keep them regularly controlled. With so many aspects of our daily lives that could disrupt our rhythm, adding DST into the mix can cause not only short term risks but long term risks. Our social jet lag and sleep deprivation caused by DST can “result in a continued misalignment in your body's internal clock” (Business Insider) which is linked to causing serious problems. Short-term problems such as an increase in car accidents and workplace injuries are accompanied by “24% more people [having] heart attacks than on other Mondays throughout the year” (Business Insider) when DST begins. DST is also linked to an increase in poor mental health and suicide. In terms of long-term risks, we already have a society that has become addicted to our technology and microplastics in our food and water; if we have the opportunity to eliminate something that causes problems, we should take it. The NIGMS stresses that “long-term sleep loss and continually shifting circadian rhythms can increase the risks of obesity, diabetes, mood disorders, heart and blood pressure problems, and cancer, and can also worsen existing health issues.” DST was first temporarily implemented during World War I in efforts to save energy. Nowadays, DST does the opposite. It has been found that DST causes us to consume more energy than we conserve. DST also increases the “demand for heat and air conditioning.” And perhaps part of the reason the government hasn’t put an emphasis on the importance of abolishing DST is that we are more likely to spend more money after work in the spring and summer due to extra daylight. Don’t get me wrong, I love the switch when daylight savings ends and we get more sunlight later in the day. However, I do not love the process of resetting my internal clock. In wanting to get up early and have a productive start to my day, I find myself hitting snooze for an hour. I used to think Arizona and Hawaii were strange for not joining the rest of the states in observing DST. However, in learning about these major risks and acknowledging how I am personally affected by it, I found myself on the side of agreeing with the abolishing of daylight savings. Hopefully in reading this, you may reconsider how you feel about DST. Even if it means I’ll be spending more money later in the day, I’d love to have more sunlight later in the day year round. And, more importantly, I’d love for my circadian rhythm to not be extra affected twice a year. Telling you which books are worth the read and which books aren’t.  Image c/o Tali Arbel/AP Photo By Madison Sciba Editor-in-Chief Like most avid book readers now-a-days, I get the majority of my book recommendations from BookTok. For those of you who are unaware of what BookTok is, it's a subcommunity of TikTok creators who make content based on books they recommend their followers read. This list was constructed based off of some articles describing BookTok as well as books advertised as BookTok picks by booksellers. I have read my share of BookTok recommendations so here are my yay or nays on some of the most popular ones. I also give my ratings for each book. I do not rate books lightly, and I am not afraid to give a one star rating to a bad book. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything.
1. If He Had Been with Me and If Only I Had Told Her by Laura Nowlin Yay, a thousand times yay. It is extremely rare that I drop whatever I am doing to go buy a sequel from Barnes and Nobles, but I just had to get my hands on If Only I Had Told Her. Both books were absolutely amazing and gripping, I could not put them down. I highly recommend them to anyone who needs a good cry or just wants a good read. I do have to warn you, however, both books will crush your heart, and you will be reading them with tears running down your face. I gave If He Had Been with Me a 4.8/5 and If Only I Had Told Her a 4.6/5. 2. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Yay, such a yay that I am already counting down the days until the next book. I sped through this series and already have the 5th one pre ordered. I recommend The Inheritance Games to anyone who will listen to me. A great book filled with twists and turns that you will never see coming. I cannot emphasize enough how good of a book The Inheritance Games is and how you will be running to Barnes and Noble to buy The Hawthorne Legacy as soon as you finish reading the first book. I gave The Inheritance Games a rating of 4.9/5. 3. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black Yay, a great intro to fantasy for those who are new to the genre. Fantasy can be difficult to read as the reader has to learn of a whole new world and magic rules. The Cruel Prince is a great book to ease non-fantasy readers into the genre. A classic enemies-to-lovers storyline helps to make this a fun read. If you are interested in trying out the fantasy genre or are a fantasy lover who just wants another magic-filled adventure, then I recommend giving this book a chance. I gave The Cruel Prince a rating of 4/5. 4. Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter Yay, as a fan of rom coms it is hard to dislike a book in which the entire premise is a giant mix of rom com references. While this isn’t a life changing I have a new opinion on love kind of book, it was cute and I very much enjoyed the read. It has a very low spice level but a lot of flirting which can sometimes be even better than spicy scenes. I recommend this book for fans of movies like Pride and Prejudice, 10 Things I Hate About You, Clueless, and The Princess Bride. I gave Better Than the Movies a rating of 4/5. 5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Yay, but no surprise there. I was hesitant to label The Hunger Games as a BookTok book, but it appeared on all the lists I found online so I included it on this one. I was a huge fan of the Hunger Games books when they were at the height of their popularity circa 2013/2014. After rereading the trilogy recently in preparation for the new film, I found that there was so much that I missed when I first read the books in middle school. There is so much depth and meaning in The Hunger Games that I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a modern American classic. I highly recommend that anyone who has not read the books or hasn’t read them since 2013 to read The Hunger Games. I can promise that it will really make you think and ponder the realities of our world. I gave The Hunger Games a rating of 4.9/5. 6. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover Nay, please don’t believe people when they say this is a great book. I cannot emphasize this enough, but It Ends with Us is not a romance novel. Although advertised as one, this is a story about domestic violence and abuse. I went into reading it thinking that it was a romance novel. Instead of a happily ever after, I was left emotionally traumatized and threw the book against the wall. If this was not advertised as a romance novel and more as contemporary fiction then I probably would have gone in with a different mindset and different expectations. I went in with the romance mindset of a love story, happily ever after. If I had known it was not a romance novel then I would have entered the book with a more critical mindset and would probably have enjoyed it more. As a result of its incorrect marketing as a romance I gave It Ends With Us a rating of 2/5. 7. A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas Ehhh, while the books in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series get better as they go on, they are not nearly as good as other fantasy books that are viral on BookTok. While I mildly enjoyed the books, I do not think that they live up to all the hype that people are giving them. I find the main character annoying, and it is difficult to read 5 several hundred page books on a heroine that I sometimes wish I could slap and shout at her “stop being so dramatic!” Sure I enjoyed the books but I have still yet to read the most recent book (A Court of Silver Flames) even though it has been sitting on my shelf for the past 8 months. I gave the A Court of Thorns and Roses series a rating of 3.8/5. 8. Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros Yay, I have to admit, it really does live up to the hype. I went into Fourth Wing skeptical after my high hopes for A Court of Thorns and Roses was misplaced. The main character of Fourth Wing is actually quite relatable and this is a great example of a well executed enemies-to-lovers trope. The second novel, Iron Flame, was even better than the first. I stayed awake until 1 am trying to finish Iron Flame and ended up screaming when I read the final pages of the book. I simply cannot wait for the next book to come out, you will find me waiting in line at Barnes and Noble the day it is released. I gave Fourth Wing a rating of 4/5 and Iron Flame a rating of 4.6/5. 9. Beach Read by Emily Henry Yay, so much a yay that I would classify Beach Read as one of my favorite books of all time. Very rarely has one book caused me to immediately buy any book released by a specific author, but now anytime I see a book by Emily Henry, I buy it. I am super picky and critical when it comes to romance novels, and I was not disappointed by Beach Read. If there is any book that can make a pessimist like me believe in love then it is this book. Instead of the stereotypical insta-love seen in a lot of the romance genre, Beach Read follows the slow evolution of two people from classmates to strangers to friends to lovers. You will put down this book knowing that the two main characters will truly live happily ever after. I gave Beach Read a rating of 4.5/5. 10. Icebreaker by Hannah Grace Nay, I honestly just don’t get the hype surrounding this book. This book felt as though it was written by someone who has no idea: a. what it is like to be a college athlete, b. what it is like to be a college student, and c. anything about hockey. As a college athlete who is a big fan of hockey, I spent the majority of the book cringing and rolling my eyes. If all you care about when reading a romance novel is the spice level then you will love this book. If you want a book with some substance and plot, then I would suggest looking elsewhere. I gave Icebreaker a rating of 2.6/5. On Taylor Swift’s growing cult-like following.  Image c/o Terence Rushin/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management By Madison Sciba Editor-in-Chief Does anyone else feel like the topic of Taylor Swift is being shoved down their throat? TikTok, instagram, snapchat, even the local news, no matter where I look it's all about Taylor Swift. Everywhere I turn it's Taylor this, Taylor that. What is the deal?
Look, I am all for a person making the most of their success, but I am sick and tired of seeing Taylor Swift’s face and name everywhere. It's not as though I hate her music, I am just sick and tired of hearing about her. Who cares who her current boyfriend of the month is or what she is wearing to different events? What we should care about is how she has 14 times the carbon emissions as the average American as a result of her frequent private jetting around. Her fans don’t seem to care as in their eyes, “mother” can do no wrong. Even when her Eras tour tickets cost fans thousands of dollars per ticket, Taylor was innocent in everything. The 2023 Time Person of the year is reported to be worth around $1 billion and this is thanks to her almost cult-like following. A new album is released? Those so-called “swifties” go running to buy it on vinyl records, CD, and downloads. Anytime new merchandise is released “swifties” will spend hundreds of dollars on sweatshirts and other items that might not be worth their steep price tag. Recently, fans have reported that their $45 t-shirts (that they purchased from the official Era’s tour merchandise booths and sellers) were Look, I have nothing against Taylor Swift personally, but can we all agree that she is just a person. These swifties need to stop treating her like she is a goddess walking among us. Yes she is a talented singer/songwriter, but that doesn’t mean they need to worship her. Not everything she does is incredible and wonderful. Swifties, stop looking at her through the rose colored glasses and accept the fact that she is just a person, not really any different from you or me.  Image c/o Suzette Leg Anthony/ Shutterstock By Edith Cuevas Visiting Opinion Columnist The commute from the East Bay to San Francisco is one no one enjoys. Idling in hours of traffic, paying for expensive gas every week, and on top of that an expensive toll. Thanks to Senate Bill 1, $5.4 billion of our tax dollars are invested in infrastructure projects such as road repair, bridges, reducing traffic delays (freeway expansions), freeway repairs each year. Expanding the freeways is not going to aid congestion at all if that was true I-680 and Highway 4 would be clear commutes. Only $350 million of the funding from Senate Bill 1 goes to additional funding for public transit fleet improvements.
Public transit then becomes the solution. Instead of investing in expansions, we should be investing in the purchase of more trains and in the funding of more staff across all BART stations. We should make it more accessible by building more stations. Expanding the freeways is something we have tried to do, but has not worked, so it is time to move onto a solution that will work. In cities such as London, the underground is accessible all throughout the city, is relatively cheap and very safe to use. There is no excuse as to why California can’t do the same. Being the 4th largest economy in the world, the Bay Area has the highest GDP output of the entire state. Our infrastructure should reflect that. A better public transit system would also ease the amount of emissions being emitted into our atmosphere. The typical person in the United States emits about 16,000 tons of emissions into the atmosphere per year. Riding in an electric train would cut this average significantly. Another issue that must be addressed to attract more riders is the issue of safety. BART has been implementing a new policy that would bring in community ambassadors and officers to BART trains, and they should keep implementing this policy so that it is widespread to all stations. Of course, that would require more funding, which would be possible if we revert some of the infrastructure budget directly to public transit. Contra Costa County has been a big advocate for commuting on BART. The county offers a program called 511 Contra Costa for students attending a school within county borders (St. Mary’s included), residents, and anyone who works in the county to receive a free $20 clipper card or a free $20 bikelink card. The county also offers a reimbursement on e-bikes for residents, ranging from $150-500, depending on the city of residence. So no, we don’t need any more freeway expansions, what we need is a better public transit system that is accessible to all and is efficient and enticing for riders. Convenience is important for Californians; our public transit system must be able to keep up with this need. How influencer culture is leading to overconsumption and becoming a major issue in the US.  Image c/o Your Stuff Made By Madison Sciba Editor-in-Chief First it was Hydro Flask, then it was Yeti, then it was Stanley, and now it is Owala. What is the point of reusable water bottles when society is going through them so quickly?
Personally, I am going to the grave with my emotional support Hydro Flask that I have had since 2020. One of my friends cycles through using a Hydro Flask, two Stanleys, and an Owala. That is roughly $173 worth of reusable water bottles. She is just another example of how people are being easily influenced to purchase items to keep up with trends. The problem with these trends is that they are quickly leading to overconsumption. Perhaps you have seen the TikToks of people showing off their collections of Stanley tumblers, Drunk Elephant skin care products, Amazon “finds,” and Shein “hauls.” The whole point of influencers is to convince audiences to spend money on things they don't really need. Brands pay these TikTokers and Instagrammers to influence followers to buy their products. Mega Corporations and brands which are notorious for profiting off this influencer culture and promotion of overconsumption are Amazon and Shein. Organization, home, and cooking influencers will promote Amazon “finds,” some random gadgets that have a niche use. An easily influenced person, will run to Amazon and purchase an item that will probably be used once and will take up space for a while before it eventually gets thrown out. Fashion influencers will show off their Shein “hauls,” showing off the dozens of cheaply and arguably unethically made products that they received. They convince followers to go purchase the same items off the site because they are so affordable, ignoring the impact that fast fashion has on our environment and the ethics surrounding the production of fast fashion. People who are against this trend of overconsumption and influencers are being called de-influencers. These people will stitch and duet the videos of influencers and give reasons as to why the watcher does not need the product. They will tell the audience that they do not need a special plastic egg container off Amazon for their fridge, since the cardboard carton from the store works just as well. Companies trying to convince consumers to buy products they do not need is not a new occurrence. Advertisements have been around for over 100 years and celebrity endorsements going all the way back to Victorian England when Queen Victoria herself endorsed Cadbury chocolate. What has changed in recent years is the accessibility of consumers to companies. Instead of relying on people watching TV ads or reading the newspaper, the internet gives companies the opportunity to have advertisements in the consumer’s hand. With TikTok, you may follow someone because they make cute videos of their golden retriever. Next thing you know, all their videos are no longer centered around the lovable dog but are trying to convince you to spend your money on some expensive kind of dog food. Nowadays it seems as though every other video on my for you page contains some kind of ad or sponsorship. It's virtually impossible to go on TikTok or even the internet in general without someone trying to sell you a product. This is a dangerous trend as it has been made obvious that some people cannot help but be influenced. No one needs a $10 Touchland hand sanitizer, but people buy them because they see so many of their favorite influencers using it online. It is clear that the only way to prevent overconsumption is to stop being so influenced. Take some advice from de-influencers. Think before you buy, do you really need that? Will you actually use that? Is it worth the cost? Is it actually a good product or are influencers just talking about it because they are being paid? Don’t be an easily influenced consumer, make smart decisions, and don’t let strangers on the internet convince you how to spend your money. |
STAFFMadison Sciba '24, Archives
May 2024
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