The Death of the Great American Buffet
Nothing screams “America” quite like a good old fashioned buffet. A glorious smorgasbord of culinary delights, as much food as one could possibly want, all for one typically affordable price, and a true memorial to the distinctly American brand of gluttonous consumerism. Many immigrants to the United States gravitated to buffets like the late Souplantation and Sizzler for this very reason: they provide a little taste of the quintessential American experience in every overflowing plate, a taste of that ever elusive ‘American Dream.’Continue Reading
Lending Circles as a Means of Improving Credit
To say that my AP Economics teacher had a credit card dedicated to burritos when he was in college is slightly misleading. While it’s true that he solely bought burritos on that credit card, the object of his purchase was arbitrary. Whether he bought burritos or tacos, either way my AP Economics teacher would have learned good borrowing practices and bolstered his credit score through the process of borrowing money and paying it back.Continue Reading
Investing in the Startup Nation
Imagine a country the size of New Jersey leading the world in the total number of startups and value of venture capital investments per capita. With a population of only 9 million, there is 1 startup for every 1,500 people. Sounds crazy, right? Well this is Israel.Continue Reading
COVID-19: How Has It Changed Spending Habits of Young Consumers?
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many changes in the daily lives of people from all around the world. Video streaming on social media platforms has shown people rushing into grocery stores and stocking up on canned food and toilet paper. Colleges have abruptly transferred to online education via Zoom and other video conferencing tools. About 16 million Americans have lost their jobs since the start of lockdowns across the country. Small businesses and local stores still struggle to keep their businesses afloat.Continue Reading
CSR for Thought
When asked to name a company dedicated to corporate social responsibility, almost everyone will immediately mention Patagonia. Patagonia, an upscale apparel retailer, for years was viewed as an anomaly by both investors and industry experts. The company preaches against consumerism with their “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign, where they actively exposed the environmental harm of one of their products. A company that discourages people from shopping could not possibly be successful in the long run. However, over the past decade, Patagonia has defied all odds by quadrupling in profit and reaching a valuation of $1 billion dollars. Continue Reading
Beyond Filling Wallets: ESG Investing and its Future
There has long been interest in responsible investing. In 1985, students at Columbia University protested because the university invested in several companies that had businesses in apartheid South Africa. Through months of action, the university eventually divested from its holdings.Continue Reading
Black Lives Matter…What About Black Businesses?
With the recent (as of the writing of this article) nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, the issues of police brutality and systemic racism against African Americans has re-emerged in the media. This resurgence has highlighted the double standard and prevalent societal inequalities which African Americans face, and has revealed the deterioration of race relations in America. According to a recent Gallup poll, “nearly 60 percent of those surveyed said that they were somewhat dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the state of race relations in America.”Continue Reading
How the Coronavirus Is Infecting College Budgets
Higher education is a lucrative industry. Millions of students funnel billions of dollars into universities to not only attain an undergraduate degree but to also live the so-called “college experience.” But just like every other industry, it has been hit hard by the coronavirus, and students are rethinking whether the virtual, online college experience is worth the high price tag.Continue Reading
Why Silicon Valley Will Keep Going
Enrico Moretti, Professor of Economics, here at UC Berkeley, starts off his book ‘The New Geography of Jobs’ contrasting California’s two cities, Menlo Park and Visalia. Back in 1969, they had comparable income levels and high-paying jobs. But since then, these cities have diverged. Visalia has one of the lowest average salaries in America, while Menlo Park, and the broader Silicon Valley, has the second-highest average salary in the US with its high paying tech employers. Continue Reading
A Discussion of Lecturers
As Berkeley students, we’ve had our fair share of instructors. There are those that assign easy write-ups, or notoriously hard papers. Some remember the thought-provoking discussions or the fascinating science demonstrations they saw in class. But a large proportion of these instructors are lecturers, not professors. Every year, they struggle with low pay, a demanding workload and the possibility of not getting a job the following semester.Continue Reading