NEWS
The Tide
May 2018
3
Hogan backs flexible calendar Tadikonda wins race by Ayesha Khawaja Governor Larry Hogan has signaled his support for a bill that would allow Maryland’s public schools to extend the school year up to five days after June 15 without applying for a waiver with the Maryland State Board of Education. The bill comes after Hogan angered parents and students across the state with an executive order in 2017 that instructed Maryland public schools to begin every subsequent school year after Labor Day and end by June 15. “I think our school calendar is really stupid,” junior Lydia Cowles said. “The governor has, for some reason, decided to bookend the calendar so we have to start from a certain time, at a certain day, and end before a certain date.” “But the first date moves around, so you go from maybe having enough time for a proper school year to not having enough time for a proper school year,” Cowles added.
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Many claim that Hogan issued the executive order because he wanted to increase the state’s revenue. That idea has not sat well with disgruntled constituents, who do not like the prospect of business interests interfering with education. “[The executive order] is to get more money to the beach towns,” junior Kenneth Baird explained. “I’ve heard that a lot of [Hogan’s] campaign funding comes from places like Ocean City; at least, those are the places that make lots of money for the government based
on taxes. If the government can maximize the amount of time that Marylanders spend on vacation and money, then it’ll mean more income for them.” Maryland State Senator Nancy King addressed the backlash by crafting the bill to afford Maryland public schools more flexibility with the school calendar. If passed, it is scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2018. The opportunity to lengthen the school year would reduce the risk of Montgomery County Public Schools cutting into winter or spring Break, or having instruction on allotted professional days in order to fulfill the state requirement of 180 days of instruction. This year, Prince George’s County had to cut their 10-day Spring Break down to five days in order to meet the requirement, and MCPS was dangerously close to having to do something similar. The bill has been met with widespread support from students, parents, and teachers alike. It was passed by the Maryland House of Delegates on March 28 and was also approved by the State Senate, but the addition of an amendment clarifying that the bill is only to be used as an emergency measure, requires the approval of the House of Delegates once more. “We’re delighted that the General Assembly agrees with us that local districts should have the flexibility to adopt their own annual school calendars beyond the tight confines of the governor’s executive order,” John Woolums, the director of government relations for the Maryland Association of Boards of Education, said. However, schools must still open after Labor Day, and while the bill would relieve some of
the stress of fitting the required amount of instructional days into a tight window, five days may not be enough. Weather patterns and other emergencies are unpredictable, so it is impossible to know for sure how they will affect the calendar. “I feel like it’s kind of a stopgap solution. Yes, it would help, it would give us days that would make it less likely for us to use Spring Break days,”Cowles said. “On the other hand,” Cowles continued, “I feel like they’re really trying to address the end problem, not the cause of the problem, so sure, five days are great, but I feel like they need to focus on why we are having this problem, and the law that makes us start after Labor Day is the biggest problem here.”
“They’re really trying to address the end problem, not the cause of the problem.” - Lydia Cowles “The problem here is that we have a solid end date but a moveable start date, because Labor Day isn’t a set day,” she continued. “If you’re going to have a solid date at the end of the year, they need to choose a solid date at the beginning.” Despite some students’ concerns, the bill ultimately gives local schools more leeway in determining the school calendar. If the bill is passed, students and teachers may no longer have to worry about having fewer breaks during the long, taxing school year.
by Emily Chen On April 25, MCPS announced RM junior Ananya Tadikonda as the next Student Member of the Board for the 2018-2019 school year edging out RM junior Nimah Nayel in a close race of 51 to 49 percent of the votes. Tadikonda has been involved in student advocacy groups and student government for the past five years, and sees her win as both a product of her work and an opportunity to expand her goals.
RM student since Alan Xie served in 2010-2012. While others might have expected a rivalry between the two, their friendship has allowed them to support each other throughout the race. “We’re both friends and we both knew that regardless of what happened, someone we believed in would be representing us,” Tadikonda said. In fact, both candidates ran on similar platforms. Although the specific school election statistics have not yet been released, it is clear that the race was close based on the nearly
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANANYA TADIKONDA
Tadikonda discusses her platform for SMOB at Richard Montgomery. Nayel, although disappointed equal division of votes. Tadikonda about her loss, is excited for and earned 51% of the votes, while supportive of fellow classmate Nayel earned 49%, similar to Tadikonda. what happened in 2015 in the race “To lose to such an amazing between Eric Guerci and former candidate by such a small margin RM student Rachit Argawal. is an accomplishment in itself,” Tadikonda, an RM and IB Nayel said on an Instagram post student, plans to focus on making following the results. “I’d also the education system accessible like to send a big congratulations and equal for all. to Ananya on her victory...She’s “I really want to empower every going to do amazing, and we’re all student with an education system going to support her—because at that works for all.” she said. the end of the day, we’re fighting “I think education is the only the same fight,” she continued. asset that we have in this country This year’s race has been that is something that is a right monumental for Richard for everyone. I think it’s really Montgomery High School, as both important to ensure that the system candidates are RM students. In works for all students and that we fact, Tadikonda’s term will be the continue pursuing initiatives that first time the SMOB has been an really promote equity.”
Corrupt Facebook data collection stirs controversy by Rose Kelly Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared before Congress for two days of marathon hearings. He sat for ten hours of testimony in front of nearly 100 legislators from April 10 to April 11. The hearing was a rare joint session held between 44 members of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees. The direct subject of the hearings was not targeted advertising, though many of the legislators questions addressed that topic. Instead, the hearings regarded Facebook’s supposed influence in the 2016 election. Beginning in 2014, London-based data firm Cambridge Analytica began collecting Facebook user data to predict and influence voters. The company was led by well known names, including top Republican donor and hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer, and Steve Bannon, a former Trump aide. In exchange for a small payment, users could take a personality test and have data collected for academic use through a Facebook app called This Is Your Digital Life. Once submitted, the app could also access the data of friends as well. The data collected from This is Your Digital Life was then sold to Cambridge Analytica. Allegedly, the data of at least 87 million of Facebook’s 2 billion
users was corrupted. On April 17, a former employee of the firm gave written testimony to Britain’s Parliament that more users were impacted than had been previously thought. High school students though, seem to make up only a small portion of that number.
“I think the real question is what is the right regulation, not whether there should be or not.” - Mark Zuckerberg Facebook has generally fallen out of favor with Generation Z—research firm eMarketer found in 2016 that only 65% of teens used Facebook daily. A meager 13% of teens said that Facebook was their favorite social media platform, with a majority preferring Instagram and Snapchat. Indeed, RM students seem to be using Facebook much less. When asked how often they used the site: “Rarely, once or twice a month,” junior Russell Corbin said. “Probably like 10 to 15
minutes per day and I hate every second of it,” senior Melvin Lewis said. Nevertheless, once on Facebook, teens are more likely to engage with ads, whether that be in the form of liking, commenting, or tagging. The kinds of ads that 44% of 1217 year olds say they have interacted with are emblematic of recent controversy surrounding Facebook: data collection and processing. In terms of advertising, Facebook mines user data to create a tailored and personalized experience, meaning that content relevant to what a user has already liked is displayed. Generally, the public has been aware of the practice of targeted advertising. Cambridge Analytica used the data to focus campaign ads based on traits users exhibited and they may have been very effective. The personality of a user with 300 likes can allegedly be more accurately predicted by Cambridge Analytica than a partner. Beyond likes, a user’s comments, photos, and check-ins could be potential personality indicators. The reputation of Cambridge Analytica has rapidly soured. The efficacy of their ability to sway the election in favor of Steve Bannon and patron President Donald Trump is being questioned, and a British
reporter who went undercover for News Channel 4 under the guise of seeking Cambridge Analytica’s services wound up exposing one of the firm’s business models. Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix appears on video and seems to be supporting the use of bribery and launching smear campaigns. “These sorts of tactics can be very effective, instantly having video evidence,” Nix said, in reference
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to setting up politicians in order to capture evidence of indiscretion. Nix was later suspended. Facebook has been marred by mistrust since the use of user data in the 2016 campaign became known. Although the initial collection of user data was allowed by Facebook’s terms, the data was not authorized to be shared with third parties. On Capitol Hill, Zuckerberg maintained a patient demeanor in front of Congress members that were not familiar with the mechanisms of Facebook. He had hired teams of communications
specialists in advance of the testimony to help grow a favorable public opinion. Zuckerberg was clear in his belief that Facebook should not be restricted, as user experience might be hindered. “My position is not that there should be no regulation,” he testified. “I think the real question, as the internet becomes more important in people’s lives, is what is the right regulation, not whether there should be or not.” In the face of criticism, Zuckerberg expressed remorse: “I started Facebook, I run it, and I’m responsible for what happens here. It’s clear now that we didn’t do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm.” Despite having taken the initiative to hold major hearings, Congress is not likely to take steps towards regulating Facebook soon, as lawmakers are wary of regulating big tech, especially where the First Amendment is involved. Regulation could become an issue of free speech. Instead, Facebook may simply face a fine of $40,000 per user per day, racking up over $1 trillion if the company is found in violation of a 2011 agreement with the Federal Trade Commission. Another option could be the Honest Ads Act which would force more disclosure on advertising. Facebook hopes that their own promise to self-regulate will be enough.