All Posts

Nov
01
2022
By Sebastian Marrero
Expanding H-1B: The necessity of skilled foreign labor

Expanding H-1B: The necessity of skilled foreign labor

All Posts, Economy and Government
By Sebastian Marrero Featured image: iStock  In this article, I will discuss a few of the many economic benefits that H-1B workers provide in strengthening the U.S. economy, additionally talking over past efforts that have been made to weaken or remove the program altogether. Finally, I will argue that increasing visa caps and changing the way the program chooses its recipients will form a safer, stronger, and more equitable visa program for skilled foreign workers. What is H-1B? Foreign workers form an integral part of the American economy. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, they comprise 17.4 percent of…
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Oct
30
2022
By Edward Ding
Leveraged Finance: Where We Are and How We Got Here

Leveraged Finance: Where We Are and How We Got Here

All Posts, Finance and Business Insight
By Edward Ding (Featured image: creative common license) It would be an understatement to say that corporate debt is important. From Coca-Cola toTwitter, corporations are frequent borrowers that use bonds and loans to fund a wide range of difference business activities. Much of this debt financing occurs on the public markets, where investors supply capital in exchange for portions of debt. Leveraged finance, which refers to corporate debt rated at below investment grade (i.e., high-yield debt, “junk bonds”), constitutes a relatively riskier but still vital portion of these markets. By looking deeper into the present state of leveraged finance, we…
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Oct
29
2022
By Iris An
<strong>Pleasant Vineyard: A Story of Sweetness, Passion, and Unwavering Patience</strong>

Pleasant Vineyard: A Story of Sweetness, Passion, and Unwavering Patience

All Posts, Features
By Iris An  (All pictures taken by the author and used with permission from Dr. and Mrs. Yao unless otherwise cited)  Pleasant Vineyards is located at 2018 Les Robinson, Columbia, Tennessee, at the foot of the picturesque Theta hills. The lovely 27-acre property features 11 acres of grapes, gorgeous views, quiet picnic spaces, and plenty of free parking. The Pleasant Vineyard, which is open every weekend for muscadine U-pick, wine tastings, and wine purchases, has hosted a great number of muscadine lovers and introduced this unique grape to a wider audience. This beautiful vineyard is owned by Dr. Jie Yao,…
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Oct
23
2022
By Iris An
<strong>A Niche Market in Asian-style Bakeries: Sweet Dreams Bakery & Bubble Tea</strong>

A Niche Market in Asian-style Bakeries: Sweet Dreams Bakery & Bubble Tea

All Posts, Features
By: Iris An  (All images are provided by Sweet Dreams Bakery & Bubble Tea, used with permission)  YiMemg Wang is the owner of Sweet Dreams Bakery & Bubble Tea, a bakery on Cool Springs Blvd., in Franklin, Tennessee, which specializes in pies, cheesecakes, egg tarts, breads and bubble tea. In this interview, YiMeng shared her story of establishing her own business and the most essential factors and long-term strategies in the food service industry from her unique perspective.  (more introduction of YiMeng's fantastic bakery is below this article!) IA: What made you decide to establish your own business?  YM: My…
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Oct
08
2022
By Claire Chen
Bread, Circuses, and… Gas Prices? Energy as the Symbol of American Prosperity

Bread, Circuses, and… Gas Prices? Energy as the Symbol of American Prosperity

All Posts, Economy and Government
By: Claire Chen The U.S. Department of Labor’s August 2022 CPI report reveals that American consumers may finally see a respite in the inflationary processes that have contributed to a skyrocketing cost of living. The modest 0.1 percent increase in August’s CPI – still higher than expected, but consistent with July’s 0.0 percent increase and a dramatic reversal from June’s 1.3 percent increase – may explain the September 26 remarks expressed by Federal Reserve Chair of Boston Dr. Susan Collins, who states, “I think that it’s quite likely that inflation is near peaking and perhaps may have peaked already.” However,…
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Oct
03
2022
By Iris An
<strong>How far is a grocery store from your home? Dr. Schlundt’s research reveals alarming results on food deserts as an economic factor of health outcomes.</strong>

How far is a grocery store from your home? Dr. Schlundt’s research reveals alarming results on food deserts as an economic factor of health outcomes.

All Posts, Opinion
By: Iris An  Take a moment, and try to picture the area where you grew up: How far is it to go to a grocery store which provides healthy foods, such as fresh fruit, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy? If it’s a bit far, considering the car and gas price, how affordable is the driving?How often can you go to grocery stores that provide healthy food Now, think about your family’s diet habit:  How often do you consume healthy food? Is it daily, weekly, or seldom?  Food deserts are residential areas that provide poor access to healthful foods, and that…
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Sep
26
2022
By Iris An
Starbucks’s ambitious plan in China: reflecting and expanding a business class reading

Starbucks’s ambitious plan in China: reflecting and expanding a business class reading

All Posts, Features
By Iris An Sitting in the 21st Avenue coffee shop with my pumpkin spice latte, I opened my next week’s reading assignment for BUSA 3710 and found myself staring at six articles about Starbucks—in a Starbucks (the irony of this weekend study mode  was not lost to me). As its name indicates, BUSA 3710: Corporate Valuation is a course introducing the methods of intrinsic, relative, and contingent valuation. Like Aswath Damodaran, the “dean of valuation,” once said, “A craft is a skill that you learn by doing. The more you do, the better you get.” Valuation is a craft that…
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Sep
25
2022
By Edward Ding
Financial Greenwashing for Dummies (and other related concepts)

Financial Greenwashing for Dummies (and other related concepts)

All Posts, Sustainability
By Edward Ding Sustainability, ESG, GBPs. What do any of these things actually mean? Before we can get into a discussion about financial greenwashing, we first need to understand the meaning of “green” and a few other ideas. Our first definition is of principles related to ESG: Environmental, Social, and Governance. “Environmental” refers to how a business affects the world’s natural resources, especially in terms of climate change; “Social” refers to a business’ relationship to the communities and people that it serves, employs, or coexists with; “Governance” refers to the way a business regulates itself, prevents wrongdoing, and ensures ethical…
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Sep
23
2022
By Iris An
Bilibili Stock Plunges: China’s 300 million user video site is struggling for commercialization

Bilibili Stock Plunges: China’s 300 million user video site is struggling for commercialization

All Posts, Industries
By Iris An 01 What is Bilibili and What Happened to it  Bilibili (BILI), nicknamed B Site, is a Chinese video sharing website famous for the quote “powered by love” 用爱发电 and the danmu (弹幕) system, a form of video comments where scrolling user/viewer messages are posted on top of the video in real time.  Since the mid-2010s, Bilibili has expanded to a broader audience from its original niche market of animation, comics, and games (ACG). With monthly active users (MAU) surpassing 300 million, Bilibili has become one of the most popular Chinese streaming platforms with videos including documentaries, variety…
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