I have always struggled to fall asleep earlier than midnight. I’m a natural night owl. However, my schedule this semester requires me to wake up at 5:30 am five days a week. I constantly feel tired.

I am not alone in this, though. 1 in 3 adults do not get enough sleep. Poor sleep can be the result of everything from blue light to noise pollution to our very biology. Changing the United States work schedule could help adults achieve healthy sleep.

Everyone’s body has a natural schedule based on genetics. That schedule, or chronotype, affects when our bodies produce certain hormones, when our hours of highest productivity are and our natural sleep schedules.

Chronobiology can also vary dramatically from person to person. 30-50% of people fall in the middle of the chronotype bell curve, sleeping between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Forty percent rise a little earlier or sleep a little later.

Compare this to the start of the average workday and you’ll find that many Americans begin work when their body’s natural clock wants them to be asleep. We often sleep at whatever times work best for our work, school and social schedules, but this doesn’t allow us to get our best sleep.

Every college student knows the main symptoms that follow a poor night’s sleep. I’ve arrived at work or class with half a brain because I spent all night doing schoolwork.

Chronic poor sleep, from trying to sleep outside of our natural sleep schedule, can result in health consequences more severe than brain fog. Chronic poor sleep has actually been linked to a higher risk of depression, diabetes, obesity and infertility. Disruptions in our biological clock can even raise the likelihood of various cancers.

Poor sleep, and its resulting health problems, also unfairly affect BIPOC individuals. Research has shown that Black Americans are twice as likely to get insufficient sleep when compared to white Americans.

This sleep disparity exists within other communities as well, with research showing that white Americans get better sleep than American Indians and Latinx Americans as well.

Data also shows that BIPOC individuals are most likely to work shifts that align poorly with average chronobiology. Black and Latinx people are overrepresented among those who begin work during the evening, late-night and midnight/early morning hours. They are most likely to start work when their bodies want to be asleep based on average chronotype distribution.

One town in Germany lets people sleep when their body needs to. The town of Bad Kissingen has committed to implementing chronobiology into the way that it runs. They’ve investigated ideas like starting school later, getting rid of daylight savings time and even changing when students take tests and exercise to better fit their natural schedule for productivity.

In the U.S., we don’t prioritize our chronobiology. We’ve all heard phrases like “the early bird gets the worm.” Our society rewards people who wake up early, but honestly, that isn’t most of us. People with later chronotypes are forced to adopt earlier schedules and suffer health consequences or miss work and educational opportunities.

BIPOC people are excluded from healthy sleep entirely because they often work jobs that do not align with healthy sleep patterns. Realistically, though, this makes most people less productive and less healthy.

The solution is simple. We should adjust U.S. work schedules to be more accepting of employee chronobiology to give Americans better sleep, health and productivity. We can allow workers to have more choices regarding their schedules to allow for healthy sleep.

Industries that lack consistent schedules can commit to not having employees work consecutive shifts that require workers to sleep inconsistently. Employers can change their attitude toward sleep. More broadly, we can shift the start of most workdays to be an hour or two later so they better align with average chronobiology. These changes might be big, but they will create better rested, more productive and healthy employees.

Our economy doesn’t schedule in a way that works for many people but can make changes to help more people get healthier sleep. Some places around the world, like Bad Kissingen, already have. It’s a matter of changing our attitudes about the importance of sleep and creating a workplace environment that is flexible to what is best for our health.

k.cushman@dailyutahchronicle.com

@kcellenc

The post Cushman: Changing U.S. Work Schedules Allows for Sleep Acceptance appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

The Daily Trojan features Classified advertising in each day’s edition.  Here you can read, search, and even print out each day’s edition of the Classifieds.

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The post Classifieds – September 15, 2021 appeared first on Daily Trojan.

The No. 11 Gophers’ volleyball team made huge strides over the weekend and got back on track following a 4-set win over then-No. 14 Stanford and a 5-set win over then-No. 11 Oregon. Minnesota is back to .500 and finally saw its rank rise following two straight weeks of it dropping.

The challenge in Eugene, Ore., marked the end to a difficult start for the Gophers. In their first six matches, five teams ranked inside the top-25. Minnesota found itself 2-3 against ranked opponents.

In the teams’ first match of the weekend redshirt senior Stephanie Samedy shined for the Gophers. Samedy tallied a match-high 20 kills to go alongside 14 digs and three blocks to lead Minnesota to a 3-1 win.

Outside sophomore Jenna Wenaas and outside redshirt senior Airi Miyabe both contributed big kills for Minnesota in its route to victory. Wenaas was second on the team in kills with 17 and Miyabe was close behind with 14 of her own.

The combination of the three alongside an attack that hit .329 was too much for the Cardinals to handle. Stanford was able to grab their only set win in the second frame, but a strong finish by Minnesota overpowered the Cardinals.

The second match of the weekend gave the Gophers more of a challenge and featured a come-from-behind victory over the Ducks. Minnesota was able to take an early 1-0 lead over Oregon, but back-to-back set wins from the Ducks put the Gophers in a hole.

With their backs against the wall, Wenaas, Samedy and Miyabe had excellent performances in the fourth set to force a fifth set. It was the first time this season Minnesota had a match go five sets. Fortunately, the Gophers were on the right side to give them two straight wins for the first time this season, both coming against top-15 ranked teams.

On top of another strong performance from Samedy, Wenaas and Miyabe, redshirt senior Katie Myers played a huge part in the come-from-behind win. She totalled nine kills to go along with a team-high eight blocks. On the defensive side, senior CC Mcgraw registered a match-best 30 digs.

Minnesota returns home following a successful weekend and will get ready to host St. Thomas on Thursday, Sept. 16 in the Diet Coke Classic.

Juana Garcia/The Cougar

Apple’s new privacy update for iOS 15 is very worrying and a stain to the company’s reputation as protectors of user privacy.

Many people are awaiting the new Apple iPhone that will have a one terabyte option for internal storage on the pro models. However, Apple’s new iOS 15 system update is controversial for their change in privacy. 

The new system update is set to be released this fall which will involve comparing hashes to combat child exploitation. Apple will compare numerical data to a list of data provided by child safety organizations. Apple has been known for their privacy in the past, so this system update has caused some people to speak out against it, especially privacy advocates. 

The reason privacy advocates are concerned is because of how this system can be used in the future. The exploitation of children is terrible and any method that is used to help stop it is good. However, this system can be very dangerous in the wrong hands. 

People tend to take a lot of photos with their phone of what they are eating or their daily errands. Apple will be taking away the consumer’s choice to have what they want on their phone. Now Apple users will have to choose between allowing Apple to sift through their pictures and not purchasing an Apple product. 

Many Apple users also own multiple products by Apple like iPads and MacBooks, so they will have to rethink their entire technological setup if they don’t want their privacy invaded. 

Previously Apple stored consumer’s photos for access, but now they will be storing data from them. 

Apple claims that this new system will provide security for their users and that the system cannot be adapted for another use in the future, but have no way of guaranteeing it. 

While other photo gathering companies such as Google use technology to flag illegal or harmful images, Apple is the first one to collect the data from images before they are uploaded to their iCloud software.

It is not concerning how this system will be helping stop child exploitation. Rather it is concerning how in the future a government or a third party organization can use this system to flag certain religious, political, or other beliefs it deems as “dangerous.” 

It is concerning how a big technological company is obstructing people’s privacy. Apple could be like other companies and flag images without collecting data. 

It is very disappointing how Apple is taking a step back from providing security for their consumers. People should not have to choose between buying an Apple product and protecting their privacy. 

This is the kind of technology that cannot be taken back after it is released. In 2018, Cambridge Analytica stole people’s information to target them with certain political ads to sway how they vote. This shows that it is possible for a third party company to obtain information without user’s consent or knowledge. 

Apple should not go forward with this update as it will put the privacy of its customers at risk. 

Megan Biasiolli is a Journalism senior who can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

—
“Apple’s new privacy update is concerning” was originally posted on The Cougar

USC students seem to hold a shared hostility toward the administration. As the students’ common enemy, the administration has been on the defensive for many issues, including pass/no pass policy, tuition cost and coronavirus regulations. Since the school has not listened to complaints in the past, students have resorted to taking big actions to voice their concerns to the administration — publicizing large petitions, writing articles and speaking to the media to pressure the school into hearing their voices. 

In Fall 2020, Professor Greg Patton was placed on leave for saying a Chinese word that sounded similar to an English racial slur during a lecture. At first, USC sided with the students’ complaints about Patton’s inappropriate use of language. 

However, in less than two weeks, the story took the media by storm, with many stating USC’s decision was inappropriate. Stories appeared on well-known news websites including CNN, NPR and the Los Angeles Times. More than 25,000 people signed a petition that demanded Patton be reinstated as a professor of business communications. Only after extremely negative coverage did USC address students’ concerns, admitting that Patton’s use of the Chinese word was valid. 

This example is only one of many situations where the USC administration would not listen to students until the issue was covered by the media, which, consequently, made it into a bigger issue. For example, students have had problems with SJACS for years, but USC did not take any action until articles, memoirs and petitions circulated. Students should not need to take such large actions to communicate their concerns to their own school. 

The reason USC is so plagued by sensational news stories is not because the students are causing the problems, but because the administration refuses to listen to concerns until they become big media stories. By taking student interests seriously, the school can not only better assist students, but also nip these issues in the bud before they gain negative coverage. 

There needs to be a way for people to communicate with the administration directly instead of relying on USC’s public relations team to find their stories online. Students should be able to directly express their concerns to USC, who in turn should prioritize listening to them. 

A more transparent and honest communication channel would resolve many of the current conflicts today. The school should provide a feedback form where students can express their opinions freely, and USC should read and consider each one. With recent concerns over the school’s handling of coronavirus, students feel more nervous than ever. Many are worried about the long testing lines, USC’s contradictory regulations and hybrid classes. 

Students shouldn’t need to talk to media stations to be heard by their own school; the complaint’s validity shouldn’t be dependent on whether it comes from one student or all the country’s news outlets. Student complaints are real and shouldn’t be devalued just because the school isn’t receiving public backlash for those issues. The University needs to depart from optical promises and actually commit to properly addressing students’ concerns. 

USC needs to take students’ concerns seriously because they care about students, not because the media pressures the school to do so. The administration needs to evaluate these issues based on how they affect students, not how the issues affect their public image. 

The post USC administration must be transparent with its students appeared first on Daily Trojan.

Professors returned to campus for day two of protests Tuesday, calling for the University System of Georgia to bring a mask mandate back to classrooms.

“As cases right before school started increasing, we expected the USG would just come through and keep our workplaces safe, but they didn’t,” said Michelle Haberland president of Georgia Southern’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). “[This] is something they could do with a stroke of a pen.”

19 other schools in Georgia planned similar week-long protests calling for more robust COVID-19 protocols and flexibility in teaching their classes.

“Last Friday a student reached out to me to say she had to miss to help her family pull the plug on her father,” said Michael Nielsen. “We can do better than this. Taking small steps makes a big difference.”

The power to mandate masks and vaccines on campuses all across Georgia lies in the hands of the USG which has echoed decisions made by Gov. Brian Kemp and the State of Georgia.

“We continue to be in alignment with the governor’s expectations and requirements for state agencies through this pandemic,” said USG Chancellor Theresa McCartney in a Board of Regents meeting Thursday. “Expectations have been made clear since before the semester started. It should be no surprise. There are consequences for those not following through and doing their jobs.”

Meanwhile, Statesboro’s hospital has more people on ventilators than ever before and intensive care units chock-full of patients, according to the Statesboro Herald.

“ICU beds continue to be at capacity at EGRMC, as is the case for our entire region,” Stephen Pennington, CEO for East Georgia Regional told the Statesboro Herald. “We anticipate the demand for ICU beds to continue to be a challenge through at least the rest of September.”

The George-Anne sent requests for university comment to Jennifer Wise director of communications on Friday, Monday and Tuesday and has not yet received a response.

As for a counter-protest like seen on UGA’s campus, Haberland doesn’t anticipate any, “If so, we welcome the dialogue.”

The post Protests for mask mandate continue appeared first on The George-Anne Media Group.

On May 27, 2021, Utah Athletics Director Mark Harlan announced Hideki Nakada as the newest head coach of Utah’s women’s soccer program. It is Nakada’s first head coaching position after spending the last seven seasons at Stanford, including three of them as associate head coach under Paul Ratcliffe.

Nakada is just Utah’s third head coach in program history, replacing former head coach Rich Manning. Manning served 19 years with the Utes, producing 27 NSCAA All-Region players, 54 all-conference selections, and 24 first-team selections. Nakada looks to build on Manning’s legacy throughout the future of the program.

Associate head coach Scott Halasz will retain his position and enter his ninth overall season with the Utes. Nakada also brings assistant coach Christine McBeath and director of operations Joe Jackson along with him from Stanford.

Stanford went 132-15-10 during Nakada’s time with the program. They also went 66-6-4 in the Conference of Champions and tallied four College Cup appearances. The program dominated the Pac-12, winning five consecutive Pac-12 Championships from 2015-2019 and two National Championships in 2017 and 2019.

“Paul Ratcliffe has given me a lot of responsibilities,” Nakada said. “He allowed me to be prepared for this position. I certainly wasn’t exactly sure what it would feel like to be in this position, but it’s been a seamless transition.”

Before his success in the Pac-12, Nakada’s career started with three seasons at Idaho State from 2006-2008. The Bengals went to the Big Sky regular-season and tournament championships in 2006, as well as an NCAA Tournament appearance.

He then spent the next four seasons with Marquette from 2009-2012, guiding them to the NCAA Tournament each year. In his final year with the Golden Eagles they claimed their fourth consecutive Big East American Division Championship, as well as their first-ever Big East Tournament Championship.

After Marquette, Nakada made his way to the Pac-12 during the 2013 season as an assistant at Oregon. He would serve as their defensive coach and recruiting coordinator before going to Stanford.

During his time at Stanford, the program was highly successful, being regarded as a top contender for many years. Nakada can certainly see the success translating over to Utah in the near future.

“The talent can only take you so far. You need certain qualities to be able to be successful, but we don’t need to be the most talented group to be successful,” said Nakada. “It’s going to take a lot of work, but for me it isn’t a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.”

As Nakada and his coaching staff look towards the future, they are trying to bring top recruits across the nation to Salt Lake City. Utah is a very special environment that can naturally attract people, and Nakada hopes that it will help the program out when trying to recruit new players.

“If you ask any of the players from Stanford, they would tell you that this is their favorite place to play,” Nakada said. “This is a very unique place — it’s a beautiful place. It’s one of those places that’s hard to say ‘no’ to. As a department there’s a lot of exciting things going on here.”

Utah has had a rough couple of years recently, with their last winning season coming in 2018. Nakada looks to change that this season, but the team has a tough schedule ahead. The majority of Utah’s remaining games will be Pac-12 games that are full of competition.

Nadaka and the rest of the team certainly have their work cut out for them, but the future of the program certainly looks bright with him at the helm.

s.overton@dailyutahchronicle.com

@SeanOverton3

The post Hideki Nakada Looks To Create a Winning Atmosphere as Utah Soccer’s Newest Head Coach appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

To say it has been quite a year for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream would be an understatement. With changes have come challenges, and it’s difficult to decide if the Dream is simply in transition or free fall.

Ownership change

Among the offseason hubbub this winter, a huge change happened down South: former co-owner and former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) sold the Dream. 

The sale came after years of conflict between ownership and players, boiling over when the league wore “VOTE WARNOCK” shirts during pregame warmups throughout the WNBA’s bubble 2020 season, the “Wubble.” As explained in the documentary “144” — which chronicled the Wubble season dedicated to Breonna Taylor, Say Her Name and the fight for Black lives — wearing the shirts was a decision to act in direct opposition to Loeffler’s campaign, standing in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and voting accessibility: two themes of the season.

The Dream was even named the 2021 Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year at the Sports Humanitarian Awards presented by ESPN for their work.

For a league that has dedicated its 25 years to unprecedented social justice action and is comprised of over 75% Black women, Loeffler’s constant trail of anti-BLM and bigoted positions did not stand.

It came as no surprise that just a month after Loeffler lost her election to now-Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), she decided to lose the Dream. The group of buyers included Northland chairman of real estate Larry Gottesdiener, Northland president Suzanne Abair and former Dream star Renee Montgomery.

Montgomery retired after sitting out the 2020 season and her involvement in the purchase makes her the first former player to become both an owner and executive of a WNBA franchise. Her ownership also illustrates a new wave of influence focused on the league. 

The Dream’s roster, WNBA fans and Loeffler’s supporters embraced the transition of power, but the new management has endured a rocky start.

Revolving door of personnel turnover 

During the offseason, the roster underwent some major adjustments. Many Dream fans rejoiced when guard Aari McDonald was drafted third overall in the 2021 WNBA Draft. McDonald skyrocketed to fame after leading the University of Arizona in an unprecedented March Madness run. The Dream also added forward Cheyenne Parker, power forward Tianna Hawkins and guard Odyssey Sims. 

Their 2020 offseason was equally monumental, illustrated by the fact that their 2021 and 2019 rosters only share three players — center Elizabeth Williams, forward Monique Billings and guard Tiffany Hayes. But beyond the roster evolution, off-court changes have not been isolated to ownership. 

In April, the Dream fired former President and General Manager (GM) Chris Sienko. Abair assumed the role of president, and Montgomery became vice president. The GM position, though, has remained vacant ever since. This begins a bad start to the year — an organization without a GM is inevitably in for an uphill battle.

Soon after, Head Coach Nicki Collen left the Dream to lead the ever-dominant Baylor University (Texas) women’s basketball program. Losing Collen was a huge blow to the organization; Collen won both Coach of the Year and helped lead the team to the Conference Finals in 2018.

Assistant Coach Mike Petersen was named interim head coach in May and made it almost three months before stepping down. Now, Assistant Coach Darius Taylor holds the interim head coach role.

On Sept. 8, the Dream announced another new hire — NFL Executive Morgan Shaw Parker will assume the role of president and chief operating officer. But with no GM, two presidents and three coaches over four months, chaos is an understatement.

Unfortunately for the Dream and their fans, the changes didn’t end there. In a shocking turn of events, the organization indefinitely suspended second-year standout guard and future of the franchise Chennedy Carter on July 5 for allegedly instigating a fight in the locker room with Dream star guard Courtney Williams after an on-court scuffle.

The argument prompted a subsequent tweetstorm. Teammates tweeted in support of C. Williams after she publicly defended herself, whereas Carter liked and tweeted in her own defense.

Rather than solely issuing an official statement, the new owners decided to weigh in. 

Building a winning culture means holding ourselves accountable as a team. As we grow through situations, we will work towards helping our players in all aspects. No need to panic, it’s part of the grind #DoItForTheDream https://t.co/SFVNlijZ8G

— Renee Montgomery (@ReneeMontgomery) July 6, 2021

It’s apparent that there’s conflict among the organization and the roster. The few consistencies the Dream do have are personnel changes and losing.

A losing team

The most important part of the Dream’s journey is what’s happening on the court. As much as the payroll drama is interesting, the WNBA’s product often gets overlooked for a Twitter moment. 

The Dream have only won seven games and lost 21 this season. They currently sit at 11th place in the league out of 12 teams, boasting a .250 win percentage. 

From a simple sight-test, it seems that the Dream are playing the worst basketball in the WNBA. Since the Olympic break and Carter’s departure, the Dream only won a single game, deeming a playoff run impossible.

On top of the roster issues, the coaching decisions are confusing. McDonald is averaging under 15 minutes per game, and coupled with a playoff disqualifying record, the coaching staff is doing the team a disservice by not developing her on-court potential. The only way she is getting playing time is consolation after teammate injuries.

The team has lacked energy from the jump and offensively pays for it. They hold the league’s second-worst three point shooting percentage, the worst free throw shooting percentage and are below average in points per game.

Unfortunately, their defense is no better. They currently maintain the second-worst defensive rating in the league, and they especially struggle with defensive rebounding. 

However, the Dream is not entirely lost. They just came off a significant win against the Dallas Wings and almost squashed Phoenix Mercury’s 10-game win streak, although they ended up losing by just one point after being ahead all game. It seems that leadership understands they’re lacking veteran insight and has aimed to remedy that by signing the WNBA’s fourth all-time leading scorer Candice Dupree, a forward, and hiring President Shaw Parker.

And even with all their personnel turnover, they have a foundational lethal weapon — shining star Courtney Williams. As their only all-star product of the year, she averages over 16 points a game and improves season after season.

C. Williams leads her teammates in almost every single statistic possible and is a born and raised Georgian. She is a force to be reckoned with and just as charming off the court.

The future of the franchise

When thinking about C. Williams and her impact on the team, it’s difficult not to worry about the future of the franchise. GM and coach-less, Carter in suspension and an unwillingness to take a chance on rookies makes you wonder if C. Williams should stay with the Dream.

William’s future is bright, but if the Dream don’t show that they’re willing to build around her, the team may be in impenetrable decline. Dream fans, myself included, can only hope that the offseason brings permanent hires, harmonious locker room restoration and for this promising new ownership to find their footing. 

This team seems worth fighting for, and whether it be because of their joyful pre-game dance circles or Emory Healthcare sponsorship, I’m sure rooting for them.

Atlanta Dream star Courtney Williams shoots a three in Sep 8 home game against the Phoenix Mercury. (Gabriella Lewis/Podcast Editor)

The post What’s happening with the Atlanta Dream? appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

Students in the United States face financial hurdles that make it almost impossible to get ahead in life. Mos.com just launched a banking app to help.

Sobering stats about students right now:

• In 2020 the average student graduated with $37,500 in debt—cumulating a total of $1.6T in student debt across the U.S. 

• Nearly half of college students say they don’t feel prepared to manage their money, and only 11% of Gen Z students say they have the information they need to repay their college loans. (Source)

• 83% of Gen Z-ers have turned down activities they would like to participate in because of financial reasons. (Source) 

What is Mos?

• Mos was founded by Amira Yahyaoui, an SF-based human rights activist from Tunisia. It is a Sequoia-backed series A company. Steph Curry and Jay Z are among the investors.

• Since 2018, Mos has been a service to help students get scholarships and financial aid.

• The Mos team built a banking app after it became clear from their student community that traditional banking options weren’t supporting them. Overdraft and late fees trapped students into even more unnecessary debt, and there was no individual guidance on how to manage this new stage of their financial lives.

• On Sept 1. 2021, Mos launched a banking app and debit card for students to help them find financial aid, avoid debt, and get personalized help managing their money.

• Mos also launched a learning center. (Inspired by Mos’s popular educational TikTok account.)

Mos debit card features:

• Zero-fees: There are no overdrafts, minimum balances, or maintenance fees. Students can save up to $350 in fees per year by banking with Mos.

• The largest scholarship pool in America: Mos guarantees students maximize their financial aid, and saves time in the application process.

• Access 50,000 free ATMs: Students can easily access their cash for free at 50,000 Allpoint ATMs around the country.

• Real human experts at every step: Financial aid is confusing. When needed, students can chat with their personal Mos Coach for advice or get help with the application process.

• Hassle-free banking app: Students can quickly set up direct deposit, send money to a friend, or set up their digital wallet.

• Bonus cash: Students can refer friends and earn extra spending money.

Further reading: 

• Time Magazine: “This Startup Sees a New Business Opportunity: Teaching Gen Z About Money”

• Teen Vogue: “In conversation with Amira Yahyaoui”

Visit Mos.com or reach out press@mos.com for any inquiries. If you’re a student and want to speak to an advisor, email: advisor@mos.com. Twitter, IG, TikTok: @mosdotcom

“We should be all covered here for close, does anyone want to clock out early?”

I learned to remain quiet longer than others when my manager asked this question at the end of slow days with a full staff. Eventually, around the point that protracted courtesy turns to awkwardness, some other student worker would chime in, “Yeah, if no one else wants to, I can go. I have to get to my other job.” The volunteer would pack up their stuff to head out, and I would stay the extra 30 minutes to close up before retreating home to my homework or some social outing.

During my year and half tenure at the University of Minnesota bookstore, I came to be intimately acquainted with the difficulty faced by students with less financial support than myself, the intense workload they endure, and the resourcefulness they display in spite of what seemed to me to be few opportunities for assistance. In sharp contrast to the experience of myself and most in my personal friend group, who have comparably few commitments, many of the students with whom I worked were in constant states of movement, shifting attention from one occupation to another in a manner that would have seemed desultory had it not been, for them, necessary. When I went home at the end of the day to take care of chores or school work, some of my fellow coworkers were out working somewhere else.

I remember one occasion during which — not without some ignorance — I expressed surprise that the kid I was talking to worked three jobs that semester along with his course load. As the conversation proceeded, he told me about being a first generation college student, and that his parents and the scholarships he had applied for and received could only do so much. He told me about handling his own expenses while balancing course work. When I asked him about how he manages to complete school work and pay his way through college, he told me that he did his best, but that academic excellence came second to the necessity of paying for the opportunity to study at all.

There are many benefits to a University job, including a healthy work environment and flexible hours, but I would not recommend them to someone looking for a lucrative position or even, for that matter, to make a decent buck. As of April 7 of this year, the University of Minnesota Office of Human Resources reports that the minimum wage for student jobs was $10.08, and the average wages (depending on job family) range from $11.03-$12.18. Critically, this data reflects student wages systemwide, i.e. the averages of wages across all campuses.

The University’s system-wide minimum wage is in accordance with Minnesota law, which has set the state-wide minimum at $10.08. Because the University system is technically owned and operated by the Minnesota State Government, it is exempt from the Minneapolis Minimum Wage Ordinance. As a result, despite the historic ordinance that is set to incrementally raise the city’s minimum wage to $15/hr by July 1, 2024 (July 1, 2022 for businesses employing over 100 workers), student workers on the Twin Cities campus are paid less than what their own city has deemed equitable.

The current city-wide minimum wage in Minneapolis is $12.50 for small businesses and $14.50 for larger ones. Though it is acknowledged as a state-run public institution, the University functions as a large business in many capacities. Even if it follows Minnesota rules for paying full-time students that work part time (a case which allows businesses to pay 85% of the minimum wage), the Minneapolis students would be deserving of $12.36/hr according to their city, and students in other municipalities would earn as little as $8.57/hr.

The issue, then, is technically not a legal one. The University is allowed to pay students a minimum wage that reflects the state law rather than the city’s law. But the view from the ground is incongruous with the legal justification. The choice to apply the same wage rules broadly like this misses the fact that the populations of different cities and counties have very different experiences. The very fact that both Minneapolis and St. Paul have taken minimum wage into their own hands reflects a need that is specific to their constituency, and that will likewise have specific effects on the economy of their city, further differentiating the experiences of their population from those in another municipality.

Raising this campus’ minimum wage is not going to completely eliminate all of the difficulties faced by some of my former coworkers, but it could certainly help. More pay may mean fewer hours, which in turn means more time freed up for studying, which, as we shouldn’t forget, is supposed to be the reason we come to higher education in the first place.

Of course, more assistance may be needed by certain students in the form of scholarships, financial aid, etc., but asking a campus to comply with the minimum wage ordinance of the city it occupies (even if not legally obligated to do so) seems like a relatively easy decision that acknowledges the lived experiences of the students that not only study here, but who offer their time and effort to the University through work.

I took the job at the bookstore because I wanted to find a kind community and to have some extra spending money in my pocket. I enjoyed my time there quite a bit; the atmosphere is forgiving, generally upbeat and the employees and managers are always friendly. However, when my life got busy, I decided to go on call. I could afford to work by picking up shifts that others had to drop if it meant making sure my academics did not suffer. And this is a crucial difference between myself and many other student workers. Sometimes, academic success is contingent on whether or not your pockets can manage a dropped shift here and there. When you are paid less than your city’s minimum wage, the chances that you can manage this are certainly lower. The Twin Cities campus is not legally bound to follow the Minneapolis Minimum Wage Ordinance, but nor is it bound by law to stay down at the state-wide minimum. It is in the interest of the mental and financial health of the student workers that they are paid what their city has deemed a livable wage, and it should be, in turn, in the interest of the University.