The embodiment of Georgia Tech generally seems to revolve around academic and professional development. While these are important, time away from school cannot be discounted.

Finding balance with social, personal, and professional growth can really benefit your future, dare I say even more than just participating in clubs as resume boosters.

As a second-year student, the emphasis of academic and professional development, as well as the pressures that come along with that, has become increasingly prevalent.

Several of my peers have been churning out internship and job applications, finding themselves behind in coursework. On top of that, exams and homework loom over students’ heads regardless of externalities.

As a Tech student, I have been guilty of overlooking the stresses of school, hiding emotions until I am unable to contain them any longer. I understand how important academics may be for my future, but this way of life is not sustainable. The importance of physical and mental health cannot be overstated.

There are numerous solutions to balance out the pressures of school. Believe it or not, having a life outside of the classroom is possible!

Despite the challenge of meeting new people during my freshmen year, I still found a way to join several organizations.

These organizations have developed me into a very well-rounded student, requiring extensive time management skills.

But more importantly, they have been loads of fun, allowing me to take myself away from schoolwork and enjoy new experiences while meeting new people.

Unfortunately, I have witnessed students joining organizations solely to build their resume. This is not only unfair to others who take time out of their day to participate, but also defeats the entire purpose of joining.

Perhaps the best part of clubs is the sense of community. I have met many of my good friends through extracurriculars, all of whom understand and share similar experiences at Tech.

They are here for an education as well, and learning from others’ struggles might just save you in the future.

Taking your mind off of coursework can be very beneficial to your health in addition to personal growth. Finding activities and hobbies that you like, and gathering with people that share similar interests could be the difference between looking forward to an event that motivates you to get through the week, or burning out in a hell week.

It does not have to be so much as joining an organization either. All it takes to work towards a more balanced lifestyle is prioritizing yourself along with your studies.

Simple daily activities such as working out or reading a book or taking a walk can serve as a break from studying, allowing your mind time to recover. Find something that interests you; an activity that you can look forward to doing.

One piece of advice I will leave you with is to never take your opportunities for granted. Sure, academia is important, but school truly is not everything. College is supposed to be among the best experiences in life, so take every opportunity to make this a reality. As Ferris Bueller once said: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

How to avoid money stealing traps at casinos 

Casinos are buildings that are designed to keep you inside them spending money. 

There is no natural light so you don’t notice the time passing. They have bars and restaurants inside them so you don’t have to leave to eat. They even spend thousands of dollars on psychologists to make their games as addictive as possible. 

In today’s article, we are going to point out 5 pitfalls in casinos that you should avoid if you want to keep your money. 

 #1 – Avoid the brightly lit areas and big jackpots 

If something looks exciting in a casino then it’s best to avoid it. 

There is a fact that has been shared amongst poker players for years – you should never play on the brightly lit tables. 

Casinos want to make the tables, slots, and game boards where the house has the biggest edge look attractive to players. The bigger the house’s edge, the more likely you are to lose money. So, if the table is brightly lit or the shot machine is playing exciting music and covered in lights – stay well away. 

The same goes for those tables and slots offering big jackpots or big buy-ins. You are more likely to win playing on a machine that offers a smaller jackpot.   

#2 – Avoid games you haven’t played much before 

Going to the casino can be really fun, especially if you go with friends and have a few drinks while you are there. It is easy to go in with a game plan but forget it once you arrive. 

We understand that having a strict plan can ruin the fun a bit, however, if you are looking to leave the casino with a profit then you have to be sensible. 

If you have never played a game before, or know you are not very good at it, then you should avoid playing it for money at a casino. You will want to make sure that you have practiced games like poker and blackjack before you try and win money playing them. 

#3 – Avoid placing single number bets in Roulette 

Picking a single number when playing roulette seems like a good idea because the jackpot that you will get when you win is enormous. 

This payout is how the casino lures you in and takes your money. 

The chances of winning on a single number bet are 31/1, which is 3.1%. Would you put money on any other type of bet with those odds? We certainly wouldn’t. 

While the payout isn’t as good, placing money on an outer bet in roulette (odds or evens, black or red, highs or lows) will earn you more money in the long run. You are 18 times more likely to win on one of these bets. 

When your choices are 50% chance of victory or 3.1% – you should be picking 50% no matter what the jackpot looks like. 

#4 – Avoid wasting an 11 in Blackjack 

Many people don’t realize that 11 is one of the best hands you can get in Blackjack. 21, 20, and 11 are the top three first hands.

Why is 11 such a good hand? 

Well, if you are dealt an 11, then you know that you can take a third card and you won’t go bust no matter what that card is. As there is no card higher than 10 in the pack. 

If you get given an 11, don’t fold, there are 12 different cards that could give you the 21 points total that you need to win. 

#5 – Avoid playing in physical casinos 

Our final piece of advice is to stop regularly playing in physical casinos. 

If you’re on holiday and want to spend a night in a local casino then go for it, but we recommend playing your regular games of poker in an online casino like this online casino. 

Why are online casinos better for regular casino visitors than physical ones? 

Well, online casinos offer many perks that physical casinos can’t compete with. Online casinos will offer you joining bonuses and they will even reward you for your loyalty. 

Some casinos will offer you daily free spins and will even offer you bonuses on your anniversary with the casino. Many online casinos also have bookkeeping companies attached to them and will offer you free bets and better odds if you bet and gamble with them. 

A physical casino would never offer you perks like this. 

The post 5 Online Casino Pitfalls You Should Avoid appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

The podcast “Call Her Daddy” has been controversial since its beginning — its hosts, Alexandra Cooper and Sofia Franklyn, frequently use raunchy and explicit language. The podcast discusses sex and relationships in the 21st century and attempts to flip the roles of women and men by putting women in the “daddy” power position.

Cooper said the podcast is “a women’s locker-room conversation that we should be able to have.” While this podcast did start new sex-positive conversations around women discussing their experiences, it continues to appeal to old, misogynistic standards that are anti-feminist.

The Start of “Call Her Daddy”

“Call Her Daddy” started in 2018 as a relationship and sex advice podcast. The hosts used their experiences, such as Cooper’s lack of sexual education, to reduce the stigma around sex.

Cooper struggled with a relationship with a power imbalance, so she gave advice to women to gain control in a similar situation. Franklyn spoke to Time Magazine about the show, saying that their podcast’s advice to “dump him” was often carried out by their fans.

The podcast had 2 million downloads in two months. Barstool Sports bought the podcast, and it became a shining star in the company’s podcast sphere.

However, the podcast broke up after a contract disagreement between Barstool Sports, Franklyn and Cooper, and Cooper acquired a 60 million dollar deal with Spotify to host the podcast by herself.

Troubling Comments

 Franklyn and Cooper, while attempting to make a sex-positive space, advised women to use sex as a weapon to control and manipulate men. They suggested gaslighting partners if you were caught cheating, being conscious of your 1-10 “rank” as a woman and using your “rank” to determine how you act around men to get their attention at the right time.

Their conversations around sex don’t talk about women’s pleasure, but rather how to pleasure your male partner to gain control. They constantly discuss how to remain “on top” in a relationship — using sex to “play the game” that men have played for years. They promote the idea that relationships are a constant power struggle, and women need to manipulate, lie and cheat to become powerful like men.

It’s difficult to understand how women can be misogynistic. How could a woman possibly speak against herself? However, our patriarchal society creates internalized misogyny.

It can be as simple as rating yourself from 1-10 or telling other women they need to practice pleasing men if they aren’t conventionally attractive.

The idea that women must be a 10 to be important is sexist. These are misogynistic standards that no empowered woman should hold other women to.

“Call Her Daddy” is filled with internalized misogyny, and it is very clear that these two women are not empowered or free from misogyny at all. It could be a reason why Franklyn and Cooper felt perfectly fine working with Barstool Sports, whose founder Dave Portnoy is notorious for his sexist and racist comments.

Most notably, in 2010 Portnoy posted online, “if you’re a size 6 and you’re wearing skinny jeans you kind of deserve to be raped right.” Franklyn defended her job at Barstool, repeating points that Portnoy said that having women work at Barstool means they aren’t sexist. Just like the podcast, even if women are in a space, it doesn’t mean it’s free from misogyny.

The advice on “Call Her Daddy” is unhealthy and unhelpful. It creates an environment that tells women that their worth is in their sexual abilities, not their minds and souls. Replicating toxic behavior from men is not healthy behavior in life and should not be taught to women seeking advice.

A “New” Vision for “Call Her Daddy”

Today, Cooper has stressed that her new show is pure comedy. She has added guests from different backgrounds that acknowledge other women’s experiences, rather than those of just cisgender white women.

However, Cooper continues to give advice to women on how to be appealing to men. She tries to help women with confidence issues and mental health, but the end goal is always about being attractive or worthy of a man’s attention.

Cooper’s “new” vision is not new at all. It repeats the same message that women need to center every action in their life, down to the perfume they wear, around what men want.

“Call Her Daddy” is clearly not just comedy. The creators know viewers take Cooper’s advice into practice. It is branded as a podcast about women’s empowerment while doing the exact opposite. Cooper is taking advantage of her position as a trustworthy woman to purposely give women toxic, sexist advice.

As a woman, it’s important to be able to feel safe and speak freely and gain perspective on your sex life, just like men.

While I applaud Cooper and Franklyn’s accomplishments in the entertainment world, their success is based on misogynistic culture. This isn’t a show about women taking a stand against men — it’s about appeasing them.

For me, the conversations in “Call Her Daddy” are littered with sexist and misogynistic standards that aren’t funny. Women shouldn’t aim to take the “daddy” position, but instead, should work to eliminate unfair patriarchal power structures.

Even if this podcast is all jokes, comedy can be criticized. Using raunchy language doesn’t equate to a safe space if misogynistic language is still being used.

a.hibben@dailyutahchronicle.com

@aya61987269

The post Hibben: ‘Call Her Daddy’ is the Opposite of Empowerment appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

The back-to-school buzz has wrapped up, the leaves are changing color and despite the 70-degree temperatures, there is a familiar chill in the air — October is here, and spooky season has begun.

Instead of waiting until the end of the month for Halloween fun, why not celebrate all month long? Here are some haunts, horrors and other frightening festivities to take advantage of throughout October.

Ghost Walks

If you’re into all things paranormal, check out American Ghost Walks. They have walking tours through both Minneapolis and Saint Paul, where you can hear the haunted history and chilling ghost stories of the Twin Cities. Explore the spooky side of your favorite Twin Cities sites, and one of the ghosts themselves might even pay you a visit.

Scary Movies in the Parks

Classic horror movies are essential viewing during this time of year. Luckily enough, a few of them will be playing in Saint Paul parks throughout October. Grab a bite from the food trucks before the show, and curl up to watch “The Shining,” “Get Out” and other great horror flicks under the stars.

Twin Cities Horror Festival

If you like on-screen horror, chances are you’ll like it on the stage. The Twin Cities Horror Festival (TCHF) is an 11 day event centered around horror-themed performances. This year, there will be online shows available Oct. 21-24, as well as in-person productions Oct. 27-31 at the Crane Theater in Minneapolis. Tickets are on sale now, and you won’t want to miss all of the frightening fun these shows have to offer.

Halloween Party at First Avenue

If you’re still finalizing your plans for Halloween night, you should stop in at First Avenue for their annual Halloween party. There will be live DJ performances, as well as a costume contest with over $1,000 in cash prizes on the line, so show up in your most extravagant outfits for the night of dancing and fun.

UH running back Alton McCaskill is tied for the most touchdowns in the country by true freshman with eight. | Courtesy of UH athletics

Houston looks to extend its winning streak to five as the Cougars travel to New Orleans to take on Tulane in an American Athletic Conference showdown.

Follow along with our live scoring updates throughout the game:

First Quarter (8:04): Houston 7, Tulane 0

After forcing a three and out on the first drive for the Green Wave, the Cougars marched down field and scored on their opening drive from junior quarterback Clayton Tune’s 11-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Christian Trahan.

sports@thedailycougar.com

—
“Live Score: UH takes on Tulane in an AAC showdown” was originally posted on The Cougar

Hot dogs, homers and a whole lot of hope: MLB postseason shootaround

Ken Lund/Creative Commons

Photo by Ken Lund under CC BY-SA 2.0

How can one not be romantic about baseball? In the spring, the ice that covers Midwestern outfields melts and liberates the grass beneath. It’s symbolic of a new season filled with unknowns; in April, hope has a home under every Major League baseball cap. As the heat of summer arrives, teams begin to learn whether those high expectations can be realized. And as the leaves begin to change colors, those that pursue greatness in October can find their hope stripped away in one decisive moment. Baseball is a serial heartbreaker, but, as fans, we always find ourselves coming back for more. Who will be the Fall Classic’s lucky suitor in 2021? 

ALDS: Tampa Bay Rays (1) vs. AL Wild Card (4) 

Noah Parker: The Rays are the great enigma of baseball — their moneyball-esque style of management and plethora of seemingly random, but incredibly effective platoon players make for a confusing, underrated powerhouse. Tampa defeated both Boston and New York 11-8 in their representative series this year, and the Rays have especially had the Yankees’ number in recent years. It should be an intriguing divisional matchup regardless of the winner of the wild card, but Tampa feels too good to beat three times. Rays in five.

Casey Gray: All season, the sole flaw with the Tampa Bay Rays was their lack of a superstar. They no longer have that problem. Wander Franco is a switch-hitting shortstop with elite plate vision, fantastic defensive skills and an uncanny ability to get on base. While it may seem premature to anoint him as one of baseball’s elite, his production is undeniable. In his past 30 games, he’s put up a ludicrous .355/.409/.545 slash line. He also got on base 43 times in the last 30 games, which seems like a perfect microcosm of Tampa Bay’s consistency as a team. The Rays should win this series in six games.

ALDS: Houston Astros (2) vs. Chicago White Sox (3)

NP: The White Sox quietly put together one of the most consistently good seasons in the MLB this year, though the team did benefit from playing in the weakest division in baseball. Chicago has a top tier rotation highlighted by Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito and Carlos Rodón and some MVP-caliber players in its lineup, but the window for reaching the ALCS still doesn’t appear to be open. Houston will counter with the best 1-5 lineup in baseball (when healthy, of course) and a chip on its shoulder as it pries to prove it can win in October without cheating. The Astros’ experience and raw hitting talent will be too much for Chicago this postseason, but the White Sox will be back for years to come.

CG: As much as I’d love for the Astros to lose, I don’t think it will happen this early in the postseason. Across the 2021 season, they have been the best team in the league while playing other playoff-caliber teams. Their conga-line offense has been as consistent as a metronome all season, and their pitching has been pretty underrated by most fans. They have the experience over Chicago, and they have superior talent on paper. While Chicago’s starting pitching will make the job difficult, I think the Astros will advance in six or seven games.

NLDS: San Francisco Giants (1) vs. NL Wild Card (4) 

Chanun Ong: This year’s Giants set a franchise record for wins in a year, where many struggled to believe that they would break .500. There are unquestionable similarities to the torturous 2010 campaign that ended in an unlikely championship, with contributors such as LaMonte Wade Jr. emerging from the woodwork and veterans such as Buster Posey experiencing a career renaissance. They will have a difficult test against the Dodgers and a slightly more favorable matchup with the Cardinals; regardless of how it goes, they’ve already made it further than anyone thought possible.

Jasper Kenzo Sundeen: I would love to count out the Giants (hint: I’m from Los Angeles). I would love to tell you that San Francisco’s luck has worn off, the flukes of a regular season are meaningless in the playoffs and the magic ends here. But it’s not just luck, and it’s not a fluke, and though there may be some baseball magic involved, it certainly isn’t the only thing that has the Giants rolling. San Francisco has platooned like a champion and produced runs from every corner of its roster. The Giants’ ability to keep games close and win them late with their bullpen are legitimate October ingredients, and with home field advantage, they should feel confident against the Dodgers and Cardinals.

NLDS: Milwaukee Brewers (2) vs. Atlanta Braves (3)

CO: It was already hard to trust an Atlanta offense missing the dynamic Ronald Acuña Jr. They’ve proved doubters wrong to close out the regular season, but I expect the Braves’ bats to struggle against the Brewers’ three-man shutdown crew of Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta. I can see the Braves making a deep run with a completely healthy lineup and a fortified rotation behind Max Fried, but their time has not yet come. For now, Brewers in four.

JKS: This matchup is a real offense against defense. Outside of Los Angeles and San Francisco, Milwaukee allowed the least runs in the NL, and Atlanta scored the most runs in the NL. The Brewers will miss one of their top relievers, Devin Williams, after he broke his hand punching a wall, but their pitching is still dominant. Burnes, Woodruff and Peralta have each registered sub-3.00 ERAs this season. If defense wins championships, it should be more than enough in the NLDS — Brew Crew in five. One fun fact? Both Atlanta and Milwaukee were better on the road than at home in 2021.

Premature World Series matchup and winner?

NP: Rays over Giants, 4-3. The Giants have been able to maintain a few steps lead over the Dodgers and the rest of the NL for the entire year, and I don’t see that ending in October. Meanwhile, the Rays showed they have the talent to make a World Series last year and now have the experience to finish the job in 2021. 

CG: Dodgers over Rays, 4-2. Sound familiar? The Dodgers have suffered two key injuries in the past week to Clayton Kershaw and Max Muncy, but I still believe they are the best team in baseball. I expect a World Series rematch from last year with a similar result because I trust the Dodgers starting pitching and overall experience more than Tampa.

CO: Giants over Rays, 4-2. Torture 2.0, baby.

JKS: There are so many good playoff matchups, so it feels almost criminal to look ahead to the World Series. Still, we do what we have to. The Brewers have the easiest path to the World Series in the National League, and 2021 has already been a championship year for the city of Milwaukee. It will be a battle of curses in firsts in the Fall Classic. Rays over Brewers, 4-1.

Contact Daily Cal Sports at sports@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

Annissa Essaibi George and Michelle Wu are vying for the support of those in the Black community

 Just a film student doing their film student thing. Ansley Hamilton loves to think about the small, and sometimes strange, parts of campus, and wants to encourage other students to do the same.

The post The Little Things appeared first on The George-Anne Media Group.

C.A.N.S. Around the Oval is a roughly month-long food and fund drive organized by Colorado State University’s Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement (S.L.I.C.E.) office and the Food Bank for Larimer County.

Now in its 35th year, the drive represents one of CSU’s best homecoming traditions, and it reflects our University’s commitment to transformative community action.

Because of ridiculously high tuition rates, I work at a café to support myself financially. I can’t complain too much. I get free food, meet some great people and make money all at once. But since COVID-19 vaccinations became available and the shop reopened indoor seating, a new problem has taken center stage.

Suddenly, there has been a noticeable influx of business, which should mean an influx of workers. But, as hard as we tried to hire, we still closed the shop early more often than not because of a lack of workers. Despite management raising wages and posting flyers to encourage applications, the fish won’t bite.

The small staff left has worked overtime leading to burnout and an even smaller staff. But this problem is not unique to this business. Businesses all over the state and the country have seen an increase in business but a lack of workers, even as wages go up.

Forbes magazine reported that “the average hourly wage for private non-farm workers rose $0.20 in April, $0.13 in May and $0.10 in June.” This influx in hourly wages shows that employers raised wages as a way to encourage employment, but even still, the labor shortage persists. You might have heard of this problem referred to as the 2021 labor crisis. But it’s not a crisis — it’s an opportunity for happiness in the U.S.

The Washington Post recently reported that there are 8.4 million unemployed Americans despite 10 million job openings nationwide. The obvious blame for this statistic falls on the COVID-19 pandemic, but which part? Many claim this “crisis” resulted from the pandemic, but this theory is far from the truth.

As the country reopened and unemployment benefits went down, the labor shortage raged on. In Utah, pandemic-specific unemployment programs ended on June 26, 2021. And as of August 2021, Utah saw a 2.6% unemployment rate. Unsurprisingly, 21 other states besides Utah also cut unemployment benefits early. They, too, saw the labor shortage continue. Furthermore, other countries such as Great Britain never raised their unemployment benefits during the pandemic but still experience a labor shortage today.

We should also consider that the pandemic hasn’t ended yet. Case counts continue to surge, hospitals still reach full capacity and the death toll remains high. People may not feel comfortable going back to work yet, or can’t because of COVID-19 restrictions within their workplace. The workforce has completely transformed because of the pandemic. Some of the people who loved going to work can’t go back, and the people who hated in-person work now realize it’s not mandatory.

Since March 2021 the reservation wage, the lowest wage at which a worker will accept a job, for those without a college degree rose by 26%. Nationwide, resignation rates are higher than ever at a jaw-dropping 13% more than rates before the pandemic. Entrepreneurship and early retirement have surged, and finding educators and healthcare workers has become nearly impossible.

Pew Research reported that 66% of unemployed Americans did confess to having the thought of switching fields or careers since the pandemic took hold and their unemployment began.

Essentially, the pandemic has changed all industries in the workforce and because of this many have started choosing different lifestyles. So, the real reason that unemployment rates remain so high is that people want to be happy. The pandemic showed the world just how fleeting life really is. The labor shortage remains because people refuse to go back to jobs that make them miserable. Instead, they’ve chosen to follow their passions to live a life that gives them joy — and the numbers prove it.

People have chosen to start that bakery they’ve always dreamed of, make their hobbies into businesses and actually use their life savings. They no longer want to accept the mediocre work that lacks joy. They’re ready for better. So the current labor crisis is not a crisis at all, but instead, it’s a blessing in disguise.

t.soter@dailyutahchronicle.com

@SoterTheadora

The post Soter: The Labor Shortage is a Good Thing appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.