Some high school students were totally stressed out by an essay question on last weekend's SAT. It didn't prompt test takers to write about D-Day or Dickens, but rather, reality television. "Do people benefit from forms of entertainment that show so-called reality, or are such forms of entertainment harmful?" certain students were asked. Fair question? Or a culturally insensitive one that assumes all students have a television and watch it regularly?
You don't have to watch reality TV to answer the question: The reality TV show prompt isn't unfair to students who don't watch trash TV, says Angela Garcia, executive director of the SAT program, as quoted in The New York Times. "The primary goal of the essay prompt is to give students an opportunity to demonstrate their writing skills." They won't be judged on their knowledge of "Jersey Shore," only their ability to clearly and coherently craft a compelling written argument.
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