First and foremost, thank you for choosing to pick up and read this issue. From frantic late night messages to weekend meetings at Philz, our sta has worked tirelessly to ensure this issue ended up in your hands. We also only publish twice a year so you’re basically holding a collector’s item—congratulations.
The Chariot ’s mission is simple: to provide insightful and accessible commentary on important issues to all students. Even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we posted frequent news updates on our Instagram and uploaded articles online. As we transitioned back to in-person learning, The Chariot published its first full color issue, decked out with thought-provoking infographics and eye-catching photos.
Gunn community.
As Editor-in-Chief, my goal has been to take The Chariot beyond our designation as a “social and political magazine”— after all, saying that we write long articles about complex issues isn’t exactly a compelling club fair pitch. Thus, while we spend a portion of our meetings checking in with writers and ensuring that our issue is on schedule, most of our time is spent discussing current events from around the world. If this—or eating lots of snacks—sounds fun to you, we’d love for you to join us on Mondays during lunch in N-106. Of course, if the “writing articles about issues you’re passionate about” pitch is appealing to you, you’re a perfect fit for our sta as well. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us at gunnchariot@gmail.com.
This project has been supported by Think Fund. For more information about grants for teens, visit mitchellparkteenservices. org/ThinkFund
In this issue and in the future, expect The Chariot to continue delivering on its mission. Along with our usual semester news recap, opinion inbox, and dedication to showcasing a spectrum of opinions, you’ll find articles that hit closer to home, featuring familiar faces of the
With all of this in mind, I now proudly present our first issue of the 2022-23 school year. Thank you once again and happy reading.
Sincerely, Chris Lee, Editor-in-Chief
After reigning over the United Kingdom for 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022 at Balmoral Castle in Ballater, Scotland. After her death, a 10 day mourning period commenced, with many ceremonies and events held to pay respects to the late monarch. During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II oversaw the United Kingdom’s transition from empire to common-
wealth, held weekly audiences with 15 prime ministers, and reformed the monarchy through greater public engagement. Following the queen’s passing, her eldest son—Prince Charles— was proclaimed King Charles III in an accession ceremony on September 10, 2022. Due to royal succession formalities, his o cial coronation will not take place until next May.
On September 16, 2022, Mahsa Amini died after being arrested by the morality police for failing to wear her hijab correctly. While her family and several Iranian physicians have attributed her death to Amini being beaten and struck in the head, the government and police have denied the accusations—they claim that her death was caused by a heart attack.
Amini’s death sparked mass protests against the harassment and detainment of women who don’t follow hijab laws. More than 300 people have been killed as a result of these protests. Although the Iranian attorney general noted the disbandment of the morality police on December 3, 2022, there has been no regime-wide confirmation.
The United States (U.S) Supreme Court began to hear arguments in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina (UNC) on October 31, 2022. Both cases seek to overturn the Grutter v. Bollinger precedent set in 2003, which allows colleges to consider applicants’ races to help cre-
Republicans reclaimed control of the U.S. House of Representatives by a narrow margin after this year’s midterm elections. Although Democrats will no longer have a government trifecta, the party successfully fended o the “red wave” that many pollsters predicted. Through successes in key swing states, Democrats remained in control of the Senate with 51 seats.
ate diverse campuses.
Students for Fair Admissions argued how applicants are evaluated di erently based on their race, leading to racial discrimination. On the other hand, Harvard and UNC countered by noting how race was just one of the many factors used to guide their holistic admissions processes.
A decision is expected in late June or early July next year.
Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup sparked controversy between FIFA and seven European soccer captains who planned to wear “One Love” armbands in support of LGBTQ inclusivity. Although same-sex marriage is legal in most of the western world, the Qatari government does not recognize these civil unions.
Hours before Monday’s England vs. Iran game, FIFA warned
After assuming o ce in January, House Republicans are not expected to continue investigating the January 6 Capitol Riots or former President Trump’s tax returns. Instead, GOP leaders have expressed interest in pursuing other issues, such as the United States’ exit from Afghanistan, COVID-19-related mandates, and border security.
that players wearing the armbands would receive a yellow card, endangering teams’ statuses in the tournament. In response, the German team briefly covered their mouths before their match against Japan, in protest of FIFA’s censorship on an important issue.
Yoonseo Lee PUBLICITY DIRECTOR
Thousands of employees nervously await one email from their employer: They either encounter a congratulating note of continued employment or a disappointing end to their career. At large technology companies, a trend of mass layo s is in full swing, potentially signaling the end of a tech boom era.
Recent reports from Layo s.fyi, an organization that tracks tech job cuts, revealed that more than 120,000 jobs in the industry have been lost globally this year. Furthermore, companies are
continuing to announce future layo s. According to Times Magazine, Meta is planning to lay o 11,000 of its workers—equivalent to 13% of its sta , Twitter is planning to dismiss 3,700 employees—roughly half of its workforce, and Amazon is preparing to cut 10,000 jobs. Other large companies, such as Microsoft, Lyft, and Stripe, have announced similar plans. This year’s layo season represents more than a temporary recession: massive company downsizings not only result in mass unemployment but also foreshadow lost profits and tarnished reputations.
Michelle KooThe COVID-19 pandemic introduced us to a new “normal,” with more consumers opting to shift their in-person activities online. In response, tech companies went on a hiring spree, handing out high salaries and benefits for more employees. They also rapidly expanded and created teams to adapt to consumers’ increased web reliance. In 2021, Google recorded a profit of $257 billion, which was the company’s largest revenue increase in over a decade and 40% greater than 2020. While these record hitting profits seemed continuous, the end of the pandemic ultimately drove many companies to
downsize. Columbia Business School associate professor Dan Wang described the situation as “coming o a period of outsized growth, spurred on by the pandemic,” with the present acting as a time of “correction” for the tech industry. As consumers recover from their pandemic lifestyles, online demand has significantly decreased. In order for companies to compensate for their less-than-stellar performances, experts have predicted cuts to companies’ labor, advertising, and marketing districts.
Recent layo s represent the irresponsible amount of employees companies hired during the pandemic and have sparked discourse regarding labor rights. Workforce reduction laws are highly dependent on individual companies and the contracts they propose during employment. Consequently, many of the tech companies who announced layo s were targeted for legal action by former employees. For example, a former Twitter employee sued the company in November 2022 for
violations of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which requires companies with greater than 100 employees to give a 60 day notice before conducting mass
which companies tech workers prefer, as they are no longer simply looking for name recognition on their resumes. According to a survey conducted by Dice, a career site for tech workers, almost 90% of respondents said that an employer’s brand is important when they are considering a new job, but roughly 80% said that they wouldn’t apply for a higher-paying job at a company with a bad reputation.
layo s. To compensate for the abrupt announcement at Twitter, Musk—the current owner and chief executive officer—o ered three months of severance with a slight twist: fired workers would only be able to receive their pay if they agreed not to file legal action against the company.
As a result, layo s are a ecting the reputations of once highly regarded companies. Throughout the past decade, companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon were considered to be in the top tier of the tech industry for those seeking employment. This ideal, however, has drastically changed
COVID-19 provided a key opportunity for the tech industry to experience a massive spike in performance. As we transition out of the pandemic, tech companies will continue to experience slower growth, necessitating di cult decisions like continued layo s. Furthermore, individuals on the job market are now looking for companies that can ensure long term stability and adherence to labor laws. Ultimately, the current layo season will determine the future for many tech companies as employees reevaluate their priorities, potentially changing the fabric of Silicon Valley.
“We had a cheating scandal a few years ago,” computer science teacher Joshua Paley recalled, “where we caught 13 students submitting extra credit by copying something o the Internet. One of my students tried to cover his tracks by renaming variables. It was hilarious and horrifying because the parents defended him.”
He paused, then continued.
“But Mr. Bautista had [one of the] students, and that was a fascinating case study because that student, as far as I recall, had not missed a point all year. This was probably one of the best students in terms of talent. And he decided to do that. He’s
getting an A+, and then decided to cheat by submitting extra credit work that was not his own. How did we get to that point?”
Perhaps, quantitative grades started innocuously: a simple mechanism used to give and receive straightforward feedback. In return for scalability and convenience, a simplification of an individual’s achievements could be represented in numerical data. But the grading system has far metastasized beyond its original mechanism, becoming deeply malignant.
you think the grading system leads to more cheating?”
He looked at me, an eyebrow halfcocked. “You tell me,” he said. He went on.
Yet, instinctively, any proposition along the lines of “remove quantitative grading” feels wrong. A quick gut check would ask, “If quantitative grading was removed, how would one be able to quickly and easily judge a student’s academic performance?”
By placing a student’s worth in a series of numbers, however, a priority shift occurs, and so a shift in strategies must also ensue. How do students get ahead in the war of quantitative grades? They do wrong to get ahead.
I asked Mr. Paley, “Do
“You want to get into the University of California?”
“Right.”
“Okay, maybe you get a test, and you have an A/B borderline grade in the class. Maybe you were sick for a day. Maybe you were just spaced out during a lecture. Maybe you’re helping out at home to bring in money. There are lots of things that could be going on in your life that are beyond your control. Okay?”
“Right.”
“And now you get a test question and you just have no idea what to do. Do you go and copy someone else? Well, the University of California tells you that you need grades and recommendations. This won’t help with recommendations, but it can certainly help with the grades. And your parents have told you that a better future lies in going to college—and there’s more than a kernel of truth to that. So you
tell me, do you cheat?”
It’s questionable whether we want to brute force our students through curricula using the extrinsic stimuli of grades. Extrinsic motivation is powerful, but relying solely upon it leads to burnout in all but the most extreme situations. In whatever profession, there has to be some sort of internal enjoyment if the job is to be long-term. After all, there isn’t a soul who enjoys laboring in a craft they don’t appreciate.
Any skeptic can point out that society is flooded with numerical metrics, and somehow lead us to the conclusion that “we might as well get our children used to grades early.” The motivation to produce functional adults is admirable, but it’s doubtful whether this approach would work.
I queried, “Some would argue that qualitative measurements are pretty abundant in society, right? You’ll see them everywhere in business, in classrooms—they’re used everywhere.”
“Right,” Mr. Paley replied.
“So why don’t we start early?”
“Let me put it this way. Name me a profession as an adult where you take a test every two weeks.”
Mr. Paley continued. “If we want to get to a place where we talk about training people to be functional adults, why are we using a system that they’re
never going to see whatsoever when they’re adults, as a method of performance evaluation? There’s got to be a better way. I’m not o ering all the solutions, but what we’re doing right now is horrible. Some teachers have talked about standards-based grading. It’s good to understand what you’re measuring. Why give a test if you’re
ferent subjects. Teachers and colleges have a limited amount of time and would find themselves mired in work if they had to navigate complex, essay-like feedback for every student they encountered.
“Do you think removing quantitative grading is feasible with the number of resources we have?”
not going to understand what you’re measuring? But at the end of the day, it’s still grading. You should be measuring the right stu . You should be giving appropriate feedback. You should be doing it in a way that doesn’t punish people.”
Ultimately, grades act as a crutch, a way to cope with the education system’s inability to handle complex information or adequately engage students.
Admittedly, the inadequacy can in part be attributed to a lack of resources. In order to wipe numerical grades from the educational system, it would have to be able to deal with a far more complicated feedback mechanism and enrapture students in a variety of dif-
Mr. Paley hesitated. “Well, we’ve got this large systemic problem, and unless society does better, we’re going to continue to have this large systemic problem. So how do I put this? I hear people who have way too much money and political biases say that the problem with education is not money, and that there’s plenty of money going in. Oh yeah, there are a lot of jobs that probably don’t need to be happening, and there are a lot of middlemen that are taking money out.”
He paused, then continued.
“But there is no substitute, in my point of view, for having a smaller class where I get to know all the students to find out what their personal needs are. But society doesn’t want to listen to me and other teachers on this. I don’t know what to do about it, and it’s a systemic problem.”
“But the way we’re doing grading right now, it just feels like punishment.”
THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE, IN MY POINT OF VIEW, FOR HAVING A SMALLER CLASS WHERE I GET TO KNOW ALL THE STUDENTS TO FIND OUT WHAT THEIR PERSONAL NEEDS ARE. BUT SOCIETY DOESN’T WANT TO LISTEN TO ME AND OTHER TEACHERS ON THIS.
Claire Xu SECRETARY
“Like really clean diesel”—in 2009, Volkswagen (VW) launched a marketing campaign that claimed their diesel vehicles reduced nitrogen oxide emissions by 90%. According to Kelley Blue Book analyst Rebecca Lindland, these “environmentally conscious” cars appealed to consumer pathos. “You felt like you were a good human being,” she said. In reality, VW vehicles released up to 40 times the permitted nitrogen oxide pollutant levels. To circumvent engine testing, VW had installed software that allowed diesel engines to detect when they were being tested and alter performance to meet emission regulations.
Volkswagen, along with H&M and IKEA, are just some of the many companies under scrutiny for greenwashing—presenting a company or
its products as more environmentally friendly than actual—in the last few decades. Greenwashing has become more prevalent as the world has begun to focus on global sustainability. In 2019, H&M launched Conscious, a supposedly “sustainable” and “environmentally friendly” clothing line, despite having no legal definitions for either claim. A 2020 investigation by London-based nonprofit Earthsight also found that IKEA was linked to sourcing wood through illegal logging in protected Siberian forests.
Greenwashing can have lasting consequences like a tarnished brand image, which has led some companies to turn to green hushing: deliberately underreporting green goals and prac-
tices to customers and investors. The concept isn’t new: a 2014 report found that among 31 United Kingdom tourism businesses awarded the Environmental Quality Mark, only 30% of sustainable practices were communicated to customers. Similarly, in Greenview’s 2018 Green Lodging Trends Report, of the 4,544 hotels surveyed, just 55.3% communicated their green practices on their website.
More recently, in South Pole’s 2022 Net Zero and Beyond report, where around 1200 global sustainability executives were surveyed, 23% decided not to publicize their progress toward net zero emissions. Why do companies set science-based targets (SBTs) but do not report beyond what is mandatory?
THE REASON FOR THIS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO GREENWASHING: MANY COMPANIES ARE AFRAID OF BEING ACCUSED OF SUCH OR OF NOT DOING ENOUGH.
The answer can be traced back to greenwashing: Many companies are afraid of being accused of falsely marketing themselves as environmentally conscious, or of not doing enough to be sustainable. By keeping quiet, they can go unnoticed by journalists, activists, and academia. Moreover, some businesses worry customers may see sustainable products as of lower quality than normal ones. They also do not want to lose specific types of customers: For instance, the Harvard Business Review noted that some men associate being eco-friendly with femininity. Furthermore, those who are more politically conservative may view sustainability as a liberal political ideal.
As climate change pushes the world to strive for sustainability, the withholding of green goals and practices is problematic. For one, customers cannot make informed decisions when purchasing products. Moreover, businesses lose the chance to attract investors interested in sustainable companies, lead the way in their industries towards greener practices, and encourage each other to reach their targets. Greenwashing also hinders accurate assessments of a business’s progress toward its green goals.
With this in mind, it is crucial to note that small businesses often do not have the time or funds to obtain certificates
a rming that their practices are sustainable. Since scrutiny and backlash toward failed sustainability attempts can be severe, some companies may also be scared to even try due to the associated risks. Changes do not happen overnight. We must hold companies responsible for their actions while simultaneously understanding that their progress will likely be gradual. For Volkswagen: since paying over $30 billion in fines and settlements in the diesel scandal, the company has moved away from the diesel market and turned toward electric vehicles under a new chief executive officer. Businesses can take steps to communicate their sustainability without turning away consumers by highlighting their product’s positive attributes to counterbalance negative associations with eco-friendly products. A study has also found that providing green electricity as the default instead of normal, “gray” electricity made more people choose the sustainable option—meaning that companies can encourage pro-environmental behavior by giving consumers small nudges in the right direction. Getting businesses to join the fight against climate change may be di cult, but it is imperative and doable.
Calculus is one of the most highly regarded subjects within K–12 education, with those wanting to enter fields of STEM often expected to have a strong foundation in the subject. With this pressure in mind, it is important to ensure that these classes are taught e ectively.
In 1986, mathematics professors gathered at Tulane University in response to the growing concern over a failure rate of nearly 50% in many college calculus courses. Professors eventually agreed that the courses were teaching a limited selection of techniques that did not foster deep mathematical reasoning. This was due to a recent shift toward finite mathematics, which disincentivized faculty to make improvements to their calculus courses.
During the five day conference, professors discussed new approaches to teaching calculus that would primarily benefit students. The educators ultimately produced a set of principles to help improve their calculus courses, which were recorded in a book, “Toward a Lean and Lively Calculus” by the Mathematical Association of America. The movement to integrate these new principles into calculus courses would come to be known as Calculus Reform, which aimed to center instruction around four main aspects: verbal, graphical, analytical, and numerical. Implementation of these fundamentals into calculus courses led to higher reliance on visual aids, technology, written explanations of answers, and projects.
Based on a survey sent to students taking Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus AB up to multivariable calculus, all respondents indicated seeing aspects of Calculus Reform in their classes and having to utilize verbal explanations. Nearly all of the students said that while teaching, their teacher utilized visual aids and intuition based explanations. Furthermore, 67% reported that their teacher presented varying approaches to solving problems and had their students talk in groups.
According to AP Calculus BC teacher Dave Deggeller, the focus of the curriculum has shifted away from being highly procedural when he took the exam in 1989, to being more visually and verbally based. For instance, he noted how slope fields—a graphical representation of solutions—are now used while teaching di erential equations.
He also mentioned how technologies like graphing calculators have become an essential part of the course. With the release of the TI-82 calculator in 1993, the 1994 AP exam was the first that allowed students to use this technology, leading toward a more conceptual curriculum.
To some, increasing reliance on technology and visual aids to teach calculus may sound like an attempt to avoid the rigor that comes with learning di cult concepts. In reality, however, this is rarely a problem. Think back to early elementary school when you were first learning how to add and subtract numbers. You may recall your teacher using groups of physical objects to demonstrate the mechanics of these operations, or maybe you used your fingers to do something
similar. For a moment, imagine that these visual demonstrations were not available to you, and that you were forced to learn by only looking at the numbers and symbols in an equation—the task would become significantly harder.
While most people can now add and subtract easily without any supplementary tools, they were essential in getting to this point of mastery.
The use of technology and visual aids to teach calculus is no di erent: While students may rely on them as a crutch in the beginning, concepts become clearer through continued practice.
The calculus reform movement has been successful in implementing its fundamental ideas in the curricula, as seen through College Board’s course descriptions of AP Calculus AB and BC. They note how students are expected to “cultivate their understanding of di erential and integral calculus through engaging with real-world problems represented graphically, numerically, analytically, and verbally.”
Descriptions of college calculus courses are similar. For instance, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology describes their Calculus 1 o ering as teaching “the mathematical notation, physical meaning, and geometric
interpretation of a variety of calculus concepts” and giving students “insight into real-world applications of these mathematical ideas.” Calculus 1 at Carnegie Mellon University also places emphasis on real-world applications, specifically in regards to finance and economics.
As more schools have implemented reforms, various studies have compared student retention between traditional and reformed courses. For instance, when Boise State University’s Calculus 1 course was redesigned to have students spend more time solving problems in the contexts of other disciplines, retention rates improved by 3.4%, which—while modest—is still a statistically significant result.
Since the emergence of calculus reform in 1986, the world has dramatically changed. Technology is more advanced and widely available than ever before, making calculus education accessible to nearly everyone. As advancements continue, the necessity for a well-constructed calculus curriculum will become increasingly important. While Calculus Reform has made notable progress, it is important to continue seeking further development using the decades of new research and technology available.
Whether we’ve read it in a Tiktok comments section or heard it in history class, we’ve all stumbled upon the term “cultural appropriation” at one point or another.
Although the term was first coined in the 1980s as a means of discussing colonialism in academic settings, it eventually grew to be used in more informal contexts. Because of its widespread use today, many of us encounter the phrase without knowing what it truly means. The Oxford English Dictionary defines cultural appropriation as “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.” With a definition in mind, we can now iden-
and April 2021, Bieber wore dreadlocks, a hairstyle associated with African American culture. Historically, Black people have faced discrimination and judgment for their dreadlocks, such as being denied jobs due to the fact that the hairstyle is associated with recreational drug use.
shows. In 2012, the company held a holiday-themed show, where Karlie Kloss, an American model of Eastern
tify why cultural appropriation can be harmful, exploitative, and disrespectful through various case studies.
Singer-songwriter Justin Bieber has been accused of cultural appropriation on several occasions. In January 2016
Many on social media were outraged by the cruel hypocrisy of the situation, since as a white man, Justin Bieber would not face the same discrimination for the hairstyle as a Black man would, according to Black Beauty and Hair Editor Irene Shelley. “People still face hair discrimination and stigma for their hair choice,” she said. “[Bieber] is seen as a dilettante, a person who’s dipping his toe in the culture, without any real commitment or knowledge of the style’s history.” As an example, when half African American actress Zendaya wore dreadlocks to the 2015 Academy Awards, Fashion Police co-host Giuliana Rancic commented that the look “[smelled] like patchouli oil or weed.” This situation illustrates a lack of thoughtfulness and an inability to engage with another culture in a respectful manner. What is most damaging, however, is the fact that Justin Bieber had—and still has— millions of followers, illustrating a lack of accountability.
Cultural appropriation is also evident in the fashion and design industry. Clothing and beauty retailer Victoria’s Secret has repeatedly been accused of cultural appropriation at its runway
European descent, walked the runway in a feather and bead headdress, turquoise jewelry, and leopard print accents. While the outfit was designed to
THIS SITUATION ILLUSTRATES A LACK OF THOUGHTFULNESS AND AN INABILITY TO ENGAGE WITH ANOTHER CULTURE IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER.
reflect Thanksgiving, it glorified the traumas and tortures indigenous people experienced when Europeans first
be trendy or creative—appropriated a people’s traditional clothing without taking into account the history of the culture.
In August 2020, popular English singer-songwriter Adele posted a photograph on Instagram of her sporting Bantu knots, a Jamaican flag bikini top, and feathered accessories. Bantu knots are a traditional protective hairstyle that have existed for over a century, originating from the Zulu people of southern Africa. According to an interview with Vogue, her outfit was in preparation for London’s annual Notting Hill Carnival, which celebrates Caribbean culture. “If you don’t go dressed to celebrate the Jamaican culture—and in so many ways we’re so entwined in that part of London—then it’s a little bit like, ‘What you coming for, then?’” she said. “I didn’t read the f------ room.”
IT IS CRUCIAL TO ATTRIBUTE THE TRADITION TO THE CULTURE IT BELONGS TO, SUPPORT AND ADVOCATE FOR THOSE IN THE CULTURE, AND CONSIDER THE PRIVILEGE ONE HOLDS, ESPECIALLY IF THOSE WHO BELONG TO THE CULTURE BEING APPRECIATED FACE DISCRIMINATION FOR PARTAKING IN THE SAME TRADITION.
is defined by the University of British Columbia as “appreciating another culture in an e ort to broaden one’s perspective and connect with others cross-culturally.” The critical di erence between appropriation and appreciation often comes down to humility, curiosity, and overall respect. It is crucial to attribute the tradition to the culture it belongs to, support and advocate for those in the culture, and consider the privilege one holds, especially if those who belong to the culture being appreciated face discrimination for partaking in the same tradition.
colonized America. Kloss’ look was cut from the television broadcast as a result of widespread outrage, and shows how a brand—in an attempt to
Although Adele’s look elicited backlash, she did intend to appreciate Jamaican and Caribbean culture; in order words, she may have been trying to practice cultural appreciation, which
Ultimately, cultural di erences are not something to be afraid of. Rather, they are an opportunity for us to acknowledge and respect other communities’ customs, and dissipate the misconceptions and hatred of the status quo. It is crucial that we know how to identify cultural appropriation to battle against discrimination and create a more just world.
Donnelly CONTRIBUTOR
According to engineering and IT company Apollo Technical, Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 change jobs an average of 5.7 times, almost once per year. Furthermore, most people living in the U.S. will have 12 jobs during their working lifetime. These statistics can be attributed to the culture of schooling in America, and the pressure of making first-year college students choose what their future careers will be. Frequent job changes, however, are not necessarily bad, and can even be good for some individuals.
For instance, science teacher Mark Brassey encourages those interested
in an education career to first pursue a job other than teaching. “Teaching is an awesome career, but it’s made better if you have [outside] experience,” he said. “Having experience where you actually have to work really helps hone the importance of teamwork, and understanding how teams work. If you want to teach psychology, go be a research assistant for a psychology project for a couple years, and then go teach.
If you want to teach economics, go work for the Federal Reserve for a couple years, and then go teach economics. If you want to teach science, go get on a science research vessel.” Brassey noted his own experience with a job making a data center more environmentally friendly as a career that gave him real-world perspective. Contrary to Brassey’s experience, math teacher Rachel Congress always knew that she
wanted to become a teacher. She was unsure, however, of the path she could take to get into the career.
Congress initially started out as an art major, with plans to either become an artist or teach art. Despite this, after taking an introductory psychology class, she found that she really enjoyed the topic, and eventually changed her major to psychology.
Congress pointed out how making young students choose their major so early could lead to burnout if not managed carefully. “I also decided not to go in the art direction because I felt like it was making me a bit burnt out on art,” she said. “[The subject] was really important to me, and I didn’t want to completely lose my passion for it.”
Lastly, history teacher Benjamin Beresford was interested in becoming a historian and possibly going into biblical studies as a student. This dream continued into college, with the idea of teaching never crossing his mind. While attending graduate school, he discovered that his school’s program required him to complete a year of
student teaching in order to graduate. This requirement not only functioned as training for a possible future career but also acted as a source of income, since the graduate students were paid a small stipend. Ultimately, this job was how Beresford got into teaching. “I was definitely really nervous about it, and I thought I wanted to do research or be a writer,” he said. “This was just one of those things that you had to do.”
When Beresford began his program, he realized that teaching was vastly di erent from what he had initially expected. “As the months went by, I found that my favorite part was being in the class and talking to students,” he said. Beresford continued to explain how his love for the profes-
sion slowly grew, as he worked with low-income communities in Arizona. Overall, his attitude toward the career completely changed, due to a program he had initially been unaware of.
The implications of having young students decide what they want to do for careers are not black and white. Some say that if the school system better prepared students for the process of choosing a major and career path, it would be easier for them to make a decision earlier. Others say that the system works as it is. Many people not only have di erent opinions on the matter, but have had extremely di erent experiences with it. Perhaps this points to a more fluid solution—letting those who feel ready to choose their careers early do it, and letting those who don’t wait a few years. While this idea is simply one out of many options, we cannot simply ignore the current college and career system. There should be more attention toward this matter in order for society to decide whether improvements need to be made, and if so, how to go about them.
“Even though many Democrats in competitive states campaigned by distancing themselves from Biden, I don’t see it impacting his ability to pass legislation, since Democrats will want to pass as much of their agenda before Republicans get power again.”
“Democrats already had a pretty good chance of winning the presidency in 2024 if Biden ran again. Incumbency is a huge advantage and turnout for a presidential election should benefit the Democrats. A lot of it depends on how much commotion there is within the Republican party and whether they can stay united behind Trump or someone else.”
“ROE V. WADE GOT WOMEN TO VOTE. IN CONTRAST, MAGA ISN’T, AND NEVER REALLY WAS, NATIONALLY POPULAR.”
“ALONG WITH HAVING A MORE UNIFIED AND NATIONALLY POPULAR POSITION ON ABORTION, DOWNPLAYING INFLATION, RELEASING OIL FROM RESERVES TO DRIVE DOWN GAS PRICES, AND COLLEGE LOAN RELIEF HELPED DEMOCRATS WIN.”
GIVEN THIS YEAR’S ELECTION RESULTS, DO DEMOCRATS HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF WINNING THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION THAN BEFORE?
40.0% said “Yes” 33.3% said “No” 26.7% said “Maybe”
“Many Republicans—especially in swing states like Nevada and Arizona—were election deniers and endorsed by Trump. e electorate showed their disapproval with Trump’s various scandals by voting for Democrats even with favorable conditions for the GOP.”
“The red wave became a red trickle because Republicans were too egotistical and nominated less-than-ideal candidates. Despite the Democrats being at a big disadvantage, the public showed they cared a lot about candidate quality.”
“THE MOST LIKELY GOP CANDIDATE FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION AS OF RIGHT NOW IS RON DESANTIS, WHO, ALTHOUGH LESS PUBLICLY CONTROVERSIAL THAN TRUMP, DOESN’T REALLY COUNT AS ‘MORE MODERATE’ IF LOOKING AT HIS POLICIES. TRUMP DOESN’T REALLY HAVE A ‘LARGE AND ENERGIZED SUPPORTER BASE’ ANYMORE, AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE STRONG SUPPORT FOR DESANTIS IN FLORIDA, THE STATE THAT CONTRIBUTED MOST TO ADDED REPUBLICAN SEATS IN CONGRESS. IF DESANTIS RUNS, THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY WILL DEFINITELY BE A VERY CLOSE RACE BETWEEN HIM AND TRUMP. THIS WOULD ALSO CERTAINLY DIVIDE TRUMP’S CURRENT SUPPORTERS.”
“Abortion was a huge issue for this year’s midterms. Although Republicans in swing states tried to paint themselves as moderates, national gures like Lindsay Graham proposing a federal ban on abortion certainly didn’t help them. Furthermore, Democrats in both the House and Senate were able to push through a lot of meaningful legislation leading up to November. us, instead of having to rely on vague narratives like ‘increasing accountability,’ Democratic incumbents could point to things like the CHIPS Act and In ation Reduction Act, and how these pieces of legislation were going to impact average Americans.”
“It’s funny to me that Kari Lake said that election fraud was happening in Arizona, since—by her logic—her winning the election would have been fraud.”
“IN TERMS OF SOCIAL ISSUES, REPUBLICANS SHOULD PROBABLY CONCEDE AND FOCUS ON THEIR ECONOMIC PLATFORM, WHICH WOULD RID THE DEMOCRATS OF THEIR MORAL HIGH GROUND.”
Quotes and data compiled from a form sent out to all Gunn students.
