Course requirements make elective selection challenging

Mia Muzzi Managing Editor @TheNDBCatalyst

Throughout January, course request forms have been sent out to the freshmen, sophomores and juniors in preparation for next school year. After opting for the classes they are interested in, students are required to schedule an appointment with their guidance counselors to confirm that they are meeting the long list of necessary graduation requirements.

As a part of the NDB curriculum, students are required to take the following courses: Becoming NDB during first semester of ninth grade, a year of Physical Education and Health, a year of computer science and a year of a Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) elective. In addition, all students must complete four years of a Spiritual Life course and two to three years of a foreign language.

Although the requirements are set in an effort to ensure NDB students graduate with perspective from several academic ar- eas, it has become increasingly difficult for students to enroll in a class of their choice, one they are truly interested in. It seems that the goals being set for NDB students are too high, and there is simply not enough time in the four years to meet them while incorporating additional classes of interest.

For most students, it is not until senior year when they are able to have freedom in their schedules to choose an elective that administration does not require them to take. However, many already know what subject areas they are drawn to long before senior year, but cannot demonstrate their interest in it because of the excessive course requirements. For example, a student may be certain that they want to pursue a career in STEM after high school, but would be unable to take an elective like Forensic Science or Environmental Science because of the art or physical education requirement. Therefore, the requirements can be more limiting than anything.

In general, elective courses are intended for students to elect a class they care about. They should be chosen for the student’s enjoyment and a way for them to express their individuality. With the current laundry list of requirements, students are being robbed of the opportunity to show interest in a specific subject. Aside from student preference, the elective requirements also have a negative effect on class enrollment. It is difficult for some elective classes to have enough students enrolled since students who may be interested have to instead take required electives. The more unique electives such as Video Production and Journalism have a higher concentration of seniors, which is not necessarily ideal since electives are usually supposed to combine grade levels to make for a dynamic classroom environment. Although it is important for students to be encouraged to challenge themselves and try new classes, the requirements are unrealistic and should be reduced. And if not this, then requiring them to only take a semester long course as opposed to a year long one would allow for more freedom earlier in their high school experience.

NDB offers so many amazing elective courses, and it is unfortunate that students are unable to take full advantage of them. Reducing the list of required electives will allow more time for students to take classes they are passionate about, which will prepare Tigers to graduate confident in the next steps in their education.

TikTok influencers should be more aware of the effect of their content

Molly Phan Editor in Chief @TheNDBCatalyst

In 2018, a Chinese company called ByteDance took over the popular 2014 lip syncing app, Musically, rebranding it as TikTok. Today, TikTok has over a billion users and is available for download in over 150 countries. A great deal of these TikTokers are members of Generation Z, so content has especially impacted teenagers and young adults all over the world.

According to the Screen Time report on my iPhone, I spend around 7 hours a week on TikTok, so I would consider myself very familiar with the effects of the platform. In my opinion, TikTok’s greatest strengths are also its greatest weakness, and those include its rapid spread of information and vast influence on trends.

The first area that TikTok’s influence has completely altered is the beauty industry. The app has given young women a platform to share their skincare and makeup routines and their favorite products, tools and techniques. At first, these recommendations were incredibly helpful. When debating which lip gloss shade to buy, we could search it up on TikTok and find a hundred videos evaluating the product. However, these product reviews have recently driven consumers crazy, and all of a sudden, beauty supply stores like Sephora and Ulta, and even their online sites, are completely sold out of everyone’s favorite items.

Cosmetic companies have also seized this opportunity to partner with influencers and expand their brand. Now, when scrolling through recommended videos on the TikTok “For You page,” viewers can feel ambushed by brand deal after brand deal, which interferes with the authenticity that many influencers strive for. Although this is a clever marketing strategy, it has become increasingly difficult to tell which reviews are genuine and which are for the influencer’s benefit, and viewers end up wasting money on biased reviews.

In addition to its effect on the beauty industry, TikTok has had a notable impact on the process of college admissions this year. TikTok’s audience consists of many high school seniors who are waiting to hear back from colleges, juniors who are preparing their college applications, and underclassmen who may be drafting lists of schools they are interested in. Among college students, “Day in the Life” videos have been especially popular, so when interested in a specific college, a quick search on the app will reveal a student describing the academic and social environment at their school. Although these videos are helpful for students when researching colleges, when applying, they can backfire. Colleges being promoted on TikTok are receiving more and more applications, causing their acceptance rates to decrease and leaving hopeful applicants disappointed when they are not accepted.

Like all other social media platforms, the most significant effect of TikTok is related to mental health. The app’s one to three minute videos allow influencers to “vlog” their days or post “Get Ready With Me” videos that are meant to capture their casual, day-to-day life, but are truly just a highlight reel. With each video, these influencers create unrealistic beauty and lifestyle standards that can be detrimental to viewers and their understanding of the world around them.

Despite TikTok’s negative effects on its users, there have been significant efforts made by some of the biggest influencers to be more authentic in order to break the stigma surrounding social media. TikTok’s newest “It Girl,” Alix Earle, is a prime example as she is completely transparent about her experience with Accutane, plastic surgery and her dating life. In addition, “de-influencing” has become a viral trend, which is when beauty experts take the most viral products and explain why they are not worth the hype or the money.

In order to im- prove the experience of TikTok viewers, influencers and users in general should be aware of the speed at which their content can spread on the app. TikTok has the potential to serve as a great source of news, entertainment and social interaction, so influencers should ensure that messages remain positive and beneficial in order to combat the negativity surrounding the app and social media in general.