Students relate to popular tumblr website: Saratoga problems

Those of you who dedicate hours scrolling through Tumblr have probably already seen the posts by “Saratoga Problems” and “Toga Troubles.” These two anonymous, submission-based Tumblr sites chronicle idiosyncrasies of our beloved school and have generated much attention on the widely used blogging forum.

Both sites have existed since mid-November and have created more than 100 posts in total. They poke fun at topics ranging from the new school schedule to difficult class assignments.

“I like the Tumblr sites because the posts are funny and relatable,” senior Brian Leung said. “There was one about Mr. Yim and how he walks behind the projector-screen in the middle of his lectures.”
Both Tumblr pages take submissions from students and craft them into “problems” and “troubles” or “sweets” and “treats.”

Toga Troubles appears to have been the first to start putting up the more positive posts about the school, after receiving criticism for being seemingly negative, hyper-critical and at times somewhat unpleasant to others. These sweets and treats include references to the Senior Quad Day and the nearly undefeated girls’ tennis team.

Through this online outlet, students feel they can bond over shared frustrations and successes. A “Saratoga Problem” noted that SHS is the “only school with a bouncer for the library” and generated a good 30 notes, which includes “likes” and “reblogs” by other Tumblr users.

“The posts are relevant since we encounter these topics every day,” Leung said.
The Tumblr blogs have even reached the attention of alumni.

“When I first heard about Saratoga Problems and Toga Troubles, I laughed pretty hard,” 2011 alumnus Nick Renda said. “Some of my favorite posts were about Aeries being the top visited website and students staying up late for SAT scores.”

But who are the creators of such social magnets?

“It’s most likely a group of upperclassmen,” said Leung. “But who knows?”

On Saratoga Problems, people submitted guesses as to who owned the Tumblr page, and some names included juniors Joanne Sturge and Shireen Kaul and seniors Izzy Albert and Zara Sheikh, who deny ownership of the blog. The site claims to be run by multiple seniors, who promise to reveal their identities at the end of the school year.

“I think the blogs are a great way to make jokes about how unique Saratoga is, but it’s important not to be cocky about it.” Renda said. “As long as it remains a joke, I’ll be a fan.”

To check out the two blogs, go to saratogaproblems.tumblr.com and togatroubles.tumblr.com.