MySpace: A Space for Everyone, and Everyone in its Space

By Elise C., '06

I was in the bathroom at a concert with my friend Diane. There were a group of girls standing off to one side of the bathroom, all with short black hair and bleached bangs, when a short dark-haired girl walked into the bathroom. “Are you Alyssa?” one of the girls said to her. She nodded.
“Yeah! I thought it was you!” said the girl, “I thought I recognized you, but I wasn’t sure it was you.”
The short girl laughed, and said to the first girl, “Oh wow, hey! You’re so much taller in real life!”
I realized that I had just witnessed two people meeting from the Internet.
A few years ago, this story would have seemed like something that would happen only to nerds who sign up for dating sites or go to forum meets or other “geek” Internet activities. But those days are over. The Internet has drastically changed. The Internet is no longer just for people traditionally though of as Internet geeks. Our entire generation is online, whether we put ourselves there or not.
For example, if you meet someone at a show or a party, instead of never seeing him or her again, they can easily find you on MySpace. And before long, a friendship is underway. MySpace is a social phenomenon. It’s a new level of social interaction on a scale never before seen. It’s not just a dating site. Its appeal is far greater than that. And with it gaining more and more popularity, a few questions begin to raise themselves. Is it weird to meet someone and then later recognize them on MySpace? Or is it weirder to find someone on MySpace and then later recognize them in real life? The truth is, occurrences like these are becoming quite common. Everyone is on MySpace. And what, exactly, are the implications of that?
According to Allison D., a junior at Magnet, “It re-acquainted me with old friends! I found my friend from like kindergarten I hadn’t seen in like 10 years.” Kristen S. and Meagan S., also juniors, both agree that “It’s really addicting.” But what exactly is its appeal? According to Meagan, it’s “to judge other people by how many "friends" they have.” Cassie M., from Rahway, agrees. “You pretend to have friends you really don’t. It’s not genuine. You get to find out how fake people are from the comments they leave on the pages of people they love to talk crap about.” Rebecca B., a freshman, has a more optimistic opinion. “I think it’s kind of cool how with all these new Internet community things, people can get to know each other more easily. And you can make friends (literally) with the click of a button.” Ally, Meagan, and Kristen all said that they joined because “all their friends did” and they didn’t want to be left out. According to Meagan, “It’s like a little cult.” Says Kristen, “Since I joined, I feel like I started talking to more kids in other grades. It’s nice because I don’t always get the chance to talk to them in school. But it’s a lot easier to drop a little comment and say hello.” Says Rachel M., a junior at Magnet, “I like MySpace because it’s my own personal place – I can decorate it and use it however I want.”
Val M., '06, is one of the few who has not succumbed to the trend. “It seems like a good way to meet new people,” he says, “But at times it's just petty. Like one of those online dating services for helpless dudes where they just pair you up with a picture. People aren't really true on those things anyway. You post your best picture. You make up an alter ego. I’d rather just meet people as they are.”
Meryl C., one of the first to join MySpace over a year ago when it first emerged, says that MySpace has been a great asset to her social life. “It’s good for planning things.” Also, she says, “It’s nice to just drop in and leave your friends comments. It’s a good way to keep in touch with friends you don’t see on a regular basis. It also definitely is a good way to meet new people.”
Whether for better or for worse, MySpace is here and it’s big. What will this web of connectedness mean to us in a few years? Only time will tell.

The Class of 2006 Ushers in the New SAT

By Josh F., '06

After its long anticipated arrival, the new SAT is finally here. What is the difference between the old and new versions do you ask? Well here are the major changes: the test is no longer comprised of a math and a verbal section, instead it has a critical reading, a math and a writing section. Therefore, the highest score possible is now a 2400 (3 sections of 800) instead a 1600. Obviously with this increase in sections comes an increase in the amount of time as well; the test is about 1 hour and 15 minutes longer bringing the total testing time to 3 hours and 45 minutes. The writing section contains grammar in the form of sentence completions, identifying sentence errors and proofreading/editing in addition to the infamous written essay. There are also a few minor changes to the math and verbal sections. For the math section, quantitative comparisons have been eliminated; it is all multiple choice and fill-ins with the addition of more in depth geometry and algebra II topics. The new critical reading section is comparable to the old verbal section. The only major change is the replacement of analogies with short reading comprehension passages. Magnet Junior Alexander M., who took both the old and new versions of the SATs discusses his experiences.

Magnet Attraction: Would you say that the new SAT is harder or easier than the old one?

Alex M.: I would go with "a little easier".

Magnet Attraction: Any reason for that?

Alex M.: For me, I think it was because I took the old ones in December, so I knew what to look out for.

MA: Even with the new writing sections?

AM: It was a little harder. The essay was fine, but I’m just not so hot with the grammar.

MA: Would you say that with the addition of the extra three sections you were any more "drained" by the end of the test then at the end of the old version?

AM: I think I was. Thoroughly fed up and way hungrier.

MA: Are there any test taking skills/strategies that you want to share with the readers?

AM: Pray, pray to your deity of choice that you get a room with a competent proctor.

MA: Thanks for your time.

There you have it: an insider’s opinion the tests. One important part of SATs is preparation. Kaplan and the Princeton Review are two services that offer classes that prepare students for the SAT. In addition, many students use personal tutors provided by private companies or by Kaplan or Princeton Review. Junior Rachel M. who took a Kaplan course and had a private tutor notes, “The course that I took was not very helpful because the teacher did not really know that much about the test. Having a tutor helped me a lot because it forced me to stay on schedule with practice tests and vocabulary. If you are motivated enough to take practice tests and learn the material yourself, then a tutor really isn’t necessary.”

Luckily for us Magnet students, we have our very own teacher instructed SAT prep-class. This year, they met for one hour per section (critical reading, math and writing) each week for two months. But how helpful are these classes? The opinion was split in a poll of students who took the course. One student stated “the writing [class] helped with grammar and told what the essay would be like.” On the other hand, another student complained that while the essay tips where informative, the course lacked individual feedback from the teacher on their essays. A third student said that the classes were “used mostly for practice.”

Whatever form of preparation you choose, taking the SATs is inevitable for most Magnet students. However, there’s always the ACTs!