Opinion

Is TikTok Beneficial to Brands?

Is TikTok Beneficial to Brands?

BY: Alecia Hicks From the consumers’ perspective, it may look like there isn’t much effort put into evaluating how a viewer reacts to ads on their social media feed. However, TikTok is on a mission to thoroughly evaluate how its users are reacting to the ads between their videos.  TikTok started off as an app that offers short-clip videos. Its videos ranged from 15-30 seconds. Once the app received a lot of attention, quickly becoming a worldwide sensational app, it began to incorporate ads into its feed. Over the years, social media has been known to make creators and/or brands…
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Spaying and Neutering— Is It Really That Important?

Spaying and Neutering— Is It Really That Important?

BY: Savanna Pruitt Did you know that, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), approximately 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized each year? A large portion of those cats and dogs are euthanized because shelters simply don’t have room for the influx of homeless animals they’re receiving. Spaying and neutering your pet can help eliminate this problem, and it will also benefit your pet and their overall well-being in a number of ways.  Health The ASPCA reports that female cats and dogs who are spayed at the proper age live longer and healthier lives overall…
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Have You Heard About This New Business Opportunity?

Have You Heard About This New Business Opportunity?

BY: Savanna Pruitt We’ve all had an old friend from high school contact us on Facebook about an “exciting business opportunity” selling a product and working from home, right? Chances are, most of those friends are parts of MLMs, also known as multi-level marketing organizations or direct sales businesses. What exactly is an MLM, and are these kinds of business models ethical? What is an MLM? As previously stated, an MLM is a multi-level marketing organization. According to Investopedia, MLMs “encourage existing members to promote and sell their offerings to other individuals and bring on new recruits into the business.”…
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The Future of the Workforce

The Future of the Workforce

BY: Alecia Hicks With life being so uncertain and the constant fears and changes of life during a pandemic, what does this mean for the workforce? Pre-pandemic people who worked had their regular schedules of waking up, going to their 9-5 jobs, and enjoying what little free time was left over. Due to the pandemic, people have found a new kind of freedom that allows them to continue to do their jobs from the comfort of their own homes while still maintaining a quality of life.  So what does this mean for the conventional corporate business owner that, at one…
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What Happened to Home Ec?

What Happened to Home Ec?

BY: Savanna Pruitt If you ask the average college student how to file taxes, write a professional cover letter, or open an investment account, you will likely be met with a panicked stare or a nervous laugh. Many young adults have no idea how to do these things on their own, and it’s not necessarily their fault. Teens and young adults today lack many of the skills needed to succeed financially and professionally, and it’s due in part to a simple lack of education.  In 1909, MIT Sanitary Engineer Mary Richards founded the American Home Economics Association (AHEA), now known…
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The Incredible Rise of Influencer Marketing

The Incredible Rise of Influencer Marketing

BY: Savanna Pruitt Have you ever purchased a product because your favorite YouTuber posted an entire vlog series all about how it changed their life? If so, your favorite YouTuber is an influencer, and your purchase was driven by influencer marketing.  According to CommPRO, an influencer is “someone who has influence over others’ buying decisions.” Today, the term is most commonly applied to social media personalities who work with companies to generate revenue and increase brand awareness. The average influencer works to build their reputation and forge a genuine connection with their audience. In turn, the audience trusts or admires…
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5 Tips for Entertaining at Home This Summer

5 Tips for Entertaining at Home This Summer

BY: Savanna Pruitt Just because many of us are still sticking close to home right now doesn’t mean this upcoming summer has to be dull and boring! There are lots of things you can do to make hanging out at home much more enjoyable for your close friends and family members. Here are a few great tips for entertaining safely at your home this summer.  Keep it outdoors. It’s generally a lot easier to maintain a healthy social distance outside than it is indoors. This is the perfect opportunity to get your people together and have a nice meal outdoors!…
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6 Easy Ways to Prevent and Treat Mask-Related Skin Issues

6 Easy Ways to Prevent and Treat Mask-Related Skin Issues

BY: Savanna Pruitt We’ve been wearing masks to try and cut down on the spread of COVID-19 for well over a year now, and many of us have new or more noticeable skin issues to prove it. Whether your skin is naturally oily and acne-prone or dry, wearing a face mask could really be harming your face.  Unfortunately, masks tend to trap heat, oils and sweat on the surface of your skin. Since there isn’t much airflow happening under the mask, those oils and sweat droplets have nowhere to go but inside your pores. This is what causes acne. When…
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“It’s Not Easy Being Green”: Understanding and Recognizing Corporate Greenwashing

“It’s Not Easy Being Green”: Understanding and Recognizing Corporate Greenwashing

BY: Savanna Pruitt Given the state of our global environment and growing concerns about Earth’s future, it makes sense that modern companies are doing everything they can to ease consumers’ minds and persuade them to keep buying. According to a recent survey conducted by Nielsen IQ,  66% of consumers are actually willing to pay more for sustainable products, and over half of those willing are “influenced by key sustainability factors, such as a product being made from fresh, natural and/or organic ingredients (69%), a company being environmentally friendly (58%), and company being known for its commitment to social value (56%).”…
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Morning Classes Vs Afternoon Classes

Morning Classes Vs Afternoon Classes

BY: Lashundra Daniels Students should consider scheduling morning classes when making class schedules for the semester. Imagine waking up super early and fighting through morning traffic just to arrive at an 8 a.m. Theatre Appreciation class. It sounds stressful, but I promise you it is not all that bad. I have lived it and can attest to the fact that I made it through that semester without dropping the class. No two students are the same, and some of us are not morning people. That is okay. If you know your limits and what works best for you, I encourage…
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Advice to 2021 Graduates: To Walk or Not to Walk?

Advice to 2021 Graduates: To Walk or Not to Walk?

BY: Lashundra Daniels Walking the stage for graduation after dedicating yourself to four-plus years of course work is a badge of honor. As college students, we spend countless hours studying, completing assignments and reading textbooks. Why? I assure you that the reason is not merely boredom. All of us have different reasons that inspire our relentless efforts, but our end goal is the same. That goal is to receive a degree at the end For some of us, walking across a stage and receiving applause means everything, while it means absolutely nothing to others. The standing ovation does not excite them…
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A Change Is on the Horizon

A Change Is on the Horizon

BY: Lashundra Daniels It is no secret that an unexpected disease known as COVID-19 caused a pandemic around the entire world at the beginning of 2020. It disrupted life as we knew it. Everything changed, and we were forced to stay home or risk catching a disease that unfortunately had no cure. However, all that is surely coming to an end. Recently, three variations of vaccines have become available to the citizens of the U.S. The vaccines are produced by Pfizer-BioNtech, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna. Although no vaccine has been proved to be completely combative against COVID-19, they all…
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4 COVID-Friendly Day Trips From Montgomery

4 COVID-Friendly Day Trips From Montgomery

BY: Savanna Pruitt It’s warming up outside, and we’re all itching to get out and start having fun again. Although vaccinations are rolling out and COVID-19 safety mandates are being relaxed across the country, the general consensus is that we should continue to wear face masks where appropriate, practice social distancing and avoid unnecessary travel, especially outside of our respective states and countries.  Fortunately, there are tons of exciting things you can do within a one-hour radius of Montgomery while still staying safe and healthy. Here’s a list of four COVID-friendly day trips.  1. Alabama Nature Center- Millbrook, Ala. Distance…
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Inked in the Office

Inked in the Office

BY: Savanna Pruitt According to History of Tattoos, 36% of Americans between the age of 18 and 29 have at least one tattoo, and 30% of all college graduates in the United States. have tattoos. Of those who have tattoos, 70% have more than one tattoo and 20% have more than five. These numbers make it clear that tattoos are fairly popular overall among Americans. Does having a tattoo impact your ability to get a good job, though? As time goes on and our society becomes more progressive, tattoos are actually becoming more acceptable in the workplace. According to the…
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The Consumer Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility

The Consumer Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility

BY: Savanna Pruitt Over the course of the past few years, it seems that companies and corporations have become more focused on sharing their values and commenting on current events. Countless CEOs and public relations representatives have made statements clarifying their positions on movements and events such as: Black Lives Matter (BLM), COVID-19, and Stop Asian American Pacific (AAPI) Hate. Why are these companies and corporations concerned with publicizing their stances on social and political issues, and how is it impacting consumers?  According to Investopedia, “Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a self-regulating business model that helps a company be socially…
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Do the Pros Outweigh the Cons?

Do the Pros Outweigh the Cons?

BY: Lashundra Daniels There are several pros and cons to working while in college. The choice lies in the hands of students when it comes to deciding if working is beneficial to them and their school schedule.   No one wants to admit it, but I guess I will be the first to say it: College is expensive, and it is extremely difficult to get the bare necessities without some form of funds coming in. There are only so many meals you can get from the café before you either get tired of eating the same foods or either run out…
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Try Being a Little More Considerate

Try Being a Little More Considerate

BY: Lashundra M. Daniels When it comes to effectively communicating with professors, certain boundaries are to be respected  As students, we want stuff when we want it and not a minute later. Just think about it for a second: If you have an assignment due at 11:59 p.m. and you have questions about that assignment at 9:30 p.m., then you might feel as if you should email your professor at that time and get an automatic response. Is that fair? Is it fair that as students we sometimes forget to respect boundaries when it comes to our professors having lives…
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Shop Small

Shop Small

BY: Hannah Long Imagine starting your own business and spending your hard earned money to make it perfect. Then, a pandemic hits, causing you to have to shut your store down. Thousands of small businesses have had to close permanently because they cannot afford to stay open.  According to wsfa.com, “Small businesses account for 99.4% of all businesses in Alabama.” This is a struggle for not only business owners but also their employees. As a result of these small businesses closing many owners had to lay off their employees.  Small business owners had to get creative when they realized opening…
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Midterm Blues

Midterm Blues

BY: Hannah Long It is that time of year again where college students are stressed out while studying for midterms. Whether a student is taking three classes or six, the stress is real.  Everyone handles their stress differently, and everyone studies differently. I know all too well about the stress of midterms and trying to figure out how to study for them all. Taking multiple classes and having a midterm in every single one can be very overwhelming.  For freshmen, this is their first time taking midterms, so of course they’re going to be extremely overwhelmed. For the seniors, this…
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Should You Get Your Master’s Degree?

Should You Get Your Master’s Degree?

BY: Savanna Pruitt May is quickly approaching and many college seniors are getting ready to graduate. Though most are excited and relieved to be receiving their bachelor’s degree, the inevitable question still goes through almost everyone’s mind: Should I get my master’s degree?  Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that “between 2000–01 and 2017–18, the number of master’s degrees conferred increased by 73 percent, from 474,000 to 820,000 degrees.” As the numbers reflect, more people than ever are earning master’s degrees. Additionally, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that master’s degree holders do earn…
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