SARATOGA SPRINGS — A team of researchers at Skidmore College is studying what factors might impact the believability of fake news stories posted to social media sites.

Participants in the study are both younger and older adults who are shown news story headlines posted to Facebook and similar sites. Some of the stories are true, others are false (as determined by the fact-checking website Snopes). The participants have a limited amount of time to determine whether or not they believe the headline to be true.

All of the stories used in the study are actual stories published online, but the social endorsement cue is manipulated by the Skidmore researchers. In this case, the social endorsement cue is the number of “likes” each story receives. The Skidmore research team is hoping to discover whether or not the number of likes impacts the believability of a story in the eyes of a participant. 

“If I’m evaluating whether or not a headline is true or false, the number of likes associated with it shouldn’t impact my decision at all, but we know from tons of research that those kinds of things can and do impact that,” said Daniel Peterson, a professor of Psychology at Skidmore College and the principal investigator of the project. “We’re looking at whether there are age differences associated with that.”

Peterson said that preliminary data seems to indicate that people struggle with determining whether a story is true or false. Most of the time they get it right, but “it’s not as strong as one might hope,” Peterson said. “Particularly in this political season, [fake news stories] have real consequences.”

Peterson said he and his researchers are measuring and controlling for education level, gender, self-identified race, and political affiliation. The team has just completed the data collection part of the study. Peterson hopes that the results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal by the spring of 2025.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Three Saratoga Springs High School students have been named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists: Ava Agati, Kaitlyn Munro, and Carol Wang.

National Merit Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, entered the scholarship program by taking the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship qualifying test. These seniors have an opportunity to earn National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Dennis M. Ostrowski, a former Saratoga Central Catholic School (SCC) faculty member, died on August 30 at the age of 70.

Ostrowski “touched the lives of countless students,” the school said in a statement last week. “His memory will forever remain a part of SCC.”

Tributes to Ostrowski written by former students and colleagues described him as an “icon of the school,” a “fantastic teacher,” and a “kind, thoughtful, generous man.”

Ostrowski was born in 1953 in Middletown, New York. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1971 to 1975, obtaining the rank of Sergeant. He retired from SCC in 2019 after a long career as an assistant principal, IT administrator, and teacher of History and Forensic Science.

He is survived by his son, Joshua Latour-Ostrowski.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at the St. Clements Church in Saratoga Springs on September 13. A burial with military honors was bestowed the same day at the Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville.

BURNT HILLS — High school seniors from across the Capital Region recently competed in the 27th annual Vocal Scholarship Competition at Saint Clement’s Church in Saratoga Springs. Sophia Styles from Schoharie High School took first place, while Patrick Driscoll from Shenendehowa High School secured second place. They were awarded scholarships of $1,500 and $1,000, respectively.

Styles plans to study music education at Buffalo State University, while Driscoll will attend Fordham University to study journalism and music.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Skidmore College welcomed its Class of 2028 to campus on Tuesday during New Student Convocation.

The freshmen students, drawn from the most selective applicant pool in Skidmore history (with a 21% admit rate), hail from 34 states and the District of Columbia. They are citizens of 22 countries in addition to the United States. 30% are domestic students of color, 15% are the first in their family to go to college, and more than a fifth are from homes where a language other than English is spoken.

Classes on Skidmore’s campus began Wednesday.

KINGS POINT — Frank Leavenworth Connard IV of Saratoga Springs recently graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point, New York. Connard earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission in the U.S. armed forces. He also earned a Merchant Marine officer license, qualifying him to serve as an officer on any ship in the U.S. flag merchant marine.

The USMMA is one of five U.S. federal service academies. It educates and graduates licensed Merchant Marine officers to serve the nation during peace and war. In addition to the rigorous academic and physical requirements for admission, applicants must be nominated by their Congressman or Senator. Connard was nominated by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

The majority of “Kings Pointers” serve for eight years as Navy reservists in the Strategic Sealift Officer Program while working aboard U.S. flag vessels; others will serve on active duty in the armed forces.