DiscussionDIVAS

Into college, no testing

As graduation bells ring across the country, high school seniors may be cheering, but so may juniors after learning that two more colleges dropped SAT and ACT testing requirements for admission this week.

 

About 750 schools are now “test optional.” The latest schools to drop the tests as necessary for admission are Smith College and Wake Forest University. U.S. News & World Report ranks Wake Forest as the 30^th best university in the country, and Smith as the 17^th best liberal arts college, so we’re not talking obscure institutions here. So far, though, most schools that have dropped SAT and ACT have been smaller outfits. The University of California schools considered dropping the tests in 2001 but in the end did not.

 

Why are schools dropping the tests?

In 2006 American students posted the lowest average score on the SAT in 31 years.

 

The scores dropped again in 2007. The College Board, which administers the test, says the drop in scores was due to changes in test-taking habits, but there has been much debate through the years over whether these tests truly predict academic success – and hence if colleges and universities should use them as a benchmark for admission.

 

Others question the fairness of the test, saying that some students are at an inherent disadvantage because of their background—income level, parents’ education, quality of high school, etc. Wake Forest says they hope to attract a broader pool of applicants by eliminating the tests.

 

U.S. college graduate statistics

• Just 30% of U.S. adults over the age of 25 say they have a bachelor’s degree
• College graduates make about $25,000 more annually than those with high school diplomas
• 33% of women 25-29 years old had earned a BA in 2007 vs 26% of men

See the January press release and data here.

The big picture

We don’t know yet whether this is the start of a trend. While some students may opt not to take the SAT, others are agonizing over whether to take both it and the ACT, to give them a leg up. Interestingly, another education issue came under scrutiny this week—President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act, which imposes sanctions on schools that fail to meet certain performance standards. In a speech in Colorado, Barack Obama outlined plans to revamp the program while McCain sees its Merits (read about their stances here). Bottom line, test or no test, getting more kids into college is important, and so is improving their education along the way.

 

BBQ Zingers for the long weekend

If the long weekend finds you at a barbeque or just lounging with friends, here are a few news zingers to keep the conversation rolling.

Where are you going?
For the first time since 9/11, Americans are sticking closer to home for Memorial Day. With the average cost for a gallon of gasoline at $3.83, up 20% over this time last year, who can blame them? Interestingly, those companies that refine oil, turning it into gas for your car, aren’t making quite as much money despite the record-high prices. Why? Because the cost of oil—hitting a record $135 per barrel—is pushing up their raw materials costs and cutting into profit. But those that find the oil and harvest it are rolling in cash. Congress grilled them about it this week, in fact. If you’re flying, good luck. Thanks to high oil prices, American Airlines announced this week they’re cutting flights, the number of planes, oh, and charging $15 for the first checked bag. At least United is only charging for the second ($25)! Can we say bike, anyone?

Oil and polar bears
Speaking of oil, one week after polar bears were placed on the endangered species list, Alaska announced plans to challenge the ruling. State Gov., Sarah Palin, and other elected officials believe the listing may impede oil exploration and drilling in areas where the bears live along the Alaskan coast. The challenge came anyway, despite an added provision in the act that offers oil and gas industries flexibility in the management of a threatened species. Polar bear numbers are currently considered healthy, but scientific evidence indicates that retreating sea ice, a vital element to polar bear's survival, will continue to rapidly decrease. Some studies indicate that the loss of the mammal's hunting grounds will contribute to extinction by 2050. See an interactive graph of retreating sea ice over the past four years.

Give peace a chance
As we head into the long holiday weekend that marks the beginning of summer, there is some hopeful news coming out of the Middle East (for once!). On Wednesday, the Israelis confirmed they have entered into indirect peace talks with neighbor and long-time enemy Syria. There is plenty of bad blood; they have fought each other in three wars and have not had real peace talks since 2000.

Syria is seeking the return of the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in their 1967 war, while Israel wants Syria to end its support for militant groups such as Hezbollah, and also to drag Syria away from its ties to Iran, whose leader has called for the destruction of Israel. A peace treaty would elevate Syria’s standing in the Western world, while providing Israel with much-needed regional security.

The negotiations won’t be quick or easy, and the outcome is far from certain. The Israeli prime minister, dogged by a corruption scandal, is on shaky ground politically, while the U.S. is said to be cool to the talks, seeking to keep Syria isolated. Keep your eye on this one …

Have a great weekend!

Political fires ignite

In the midst of two horrible natural disasters whose human tolls keep climbing, two political firestorms ignited this week, ripping open two divisive issues that will be front and center as we move full steam to the election. Let’s take a quick look.

First, California made gay marriage legal
The news: On Thursday the California State Supreme Court overturned a ban on same-sex marriage, saying gays and lesbians have equal rights to marry, and likening bias against it to racial and gender discrimination. 

Here’s the back story: In 1977, California passed a law (reaffirmed by voters in 2000) recognizing marriage as one between a man and a woman. In 2004, San Francisco’s mayor ignored that law, allowing gays marriages. About 4,000 couples married in March that year, in some cases waiting in line overnight for the opportunity, before the court halted the unions and later annulled them. Court cases have since challenged that ruling.

The politics: In 30 days gays and lesbians can begin marrying in California, unless opposition groups find a way to get the court’s decision put on hold. Conservative groups have already gathered over a million signatures to put an initiative on the November ballot that would ban gay marriage under the state constitution.

Second, doubts voiced over Obama
The news: Across the globe at Israel’s 60 birthday celebrations, President Bush told Parliament there that those willing to negotiate with “terrorists and radicals” were appeasing to the likes of Hitler and the Nazis. Democrats hit the roof, believing this was an attack on Barack Obama.

The background: In the past Obama has said he would consider meeting with the leaders of countries that the United States currently refuses to speak with—such as Iran.

The politics: The White House says these comments were not aimed at Obama but Republican contender John McCain told reporters on his “Straight Talk Express” bus that the remarks show Obama’s naiveté. Democrats rushed in to defend Obama, including rival Hillary Clinton. Obama called the comments “sad.”

The big picture
Circumstances dished up two controversial issues this week, one domestic and one foreign policy driven. Both are difficult and complex. Only Massachusetts has legalized gay marriage and about 20 states have passed constitutional amendments banning it. Meeting with Iran means meeting with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is under international scrutiny for refusing to be transparent about his nuclear plans, and often makes inflammatory comments, this week saying Israel is a “dying nation.” He has previously said there are “no gays in Iran.” Of course any presidential candidate will have to deal with both. How they do, is crucial.

Running with the boys

Last weekend Eight Belles, the lone filly to run in the Kentucky Derby, took on 19 boys and came in second. Minutes later she broke two ankles and was euthanized on the track.

 

Days before the race, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the only female in her own contest, fittingly, encouraged people to bet on the only filly.

 

And while horse racing and politics are two completely different sports, Clinton finds herself trailing Senator Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination. After a year of solid campaigning and 47 primaries and contests, question is, is her journey coming to a close?

 

Still short of 2025

To win the nomination, a democratic candidate needs 2,025 delegates, made up of pledged delegates (based on wins in primaries and caucuses) and superdelegates (high-ranking Democrats who vote in the primary). Neither candidate is there yet but Obama is closer. He's also winning the popular vote:

 

Delegate count (different groups report different numbers):

Obama: 1,846

Clinton: 1,685

 

Popular vote count:

Obama: 15,926,271 (49.6%)

Clinton: 15,215,907 (47.3%)

 

What’s next?

At this point it all comes down to the math, and most analysis says it's not in her favor. Having said that, there are 12 primaries and caucuses between now and June 3, and about 200 delegates at stake. Of the 800 superdelegates out there, several hundred have yet to commit to one candidate.

 

There’s also the question of what to do with Michigan and Florida and the 366 delegates between them. So far they don't count because the Democratic Party punished them for holding primaries too early. The Clinton camp wants those delegates. Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, a Clinton supporter, reportedly has pressured House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to allow a revote in both states or lose his financial contributions to the party.

The big picture

So far Clinton doesn't seem to be budging despite intensifying calls for her to drop out. “Elections can turn in a day," she says, but the math just isn't in her favor. Even if they split all the remaining delegates, she would have to win the majority of all the remaining superdelegates. And many that had committed to her are shifting support to Obama, a steam engine that seems unstoppable.

 

On the road again

One thing rang loud and clear this week when the major car makers reported U.S. April sales numbers: Consumers want hybrids and smaller cars.

Sales of General Motors’ Hummers fell 50% while demand for Toyota’s Prius increased 53% over this time last year. Sales of the Mini Cooper jumped 35%. The Ford Focus saw its sales rise 45%. Meanwhile, most truck and SUV sales got hammered across the board.

Uh, it costs more to fill up
Filling up costs on average $3.62 a gallon, and could hit $3.75 by the summer driving season. We’re already paying $4 a gallon in San Francisco. Bottom line: The bigger the car, the more it costs to fill up.

Give the consumer a break
At the moment the presidential candidates are going back and forth about what to do about high gas prices, and how to help consumers. Hillary Clinton and John McCain want a gas tax holiday, meaning they want the 18.4 cents per gallon excise tax suspended during the summer driving season. On a 20-gallon tank of gas, that’s a savings of $3.60.

Barack Obama says this is just a political move to garner votes, and one that doesn’t solve the nation’s reliance on oil, and opposes the “holiday.” Critics say it would cost the federal government about $10 billion it’s suspended.

What’s an excise tax anyway?
Apparently there’s an invisible “excise tax” on gasoline, simply wrapped into the cost, at 18.4 cents a gallon. The IRS says excise taxes can be found on various products (think alcohol) and activities (think gambling and highway usage), with one “major component” being motor fuel. It was introduced in 1932 at one cent per gallon and has held steady at its current rate since 1993.

The big picture
One of the most-read items on the New York Times Web site this week was an opinion piece by Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat, called “Dumb as We Wanna Be.” Friedman has his critics, but he raises the point that when Congress passed the energy bill at the end of last year, they did not extend tax credits to wind and solar programs, meant to encourage investment in these areas, which expire this year. His point is that the United States needs to formulate a focused policy on finding viable alternative energy sources.