The very first CoverBOY

The Very First CoverBOY

By Bella Mouradian

For the past roughly 60 years, Covergirl has been inspiring makeup enthusiasts with the popular faces of famous women. The covers of these magazines have helped women start modeling as well as boost their careers. For the majority of these years, females were the ones who really showed an interest in this brand, therefore females always starred on the cover of the magazines. As the male makeup industry has increased this past year however, Covergirl decided to try something new. For the first time in history, they launched a male as the face of the Covergirl magazine, therefore calling it “CoverBOY”.

The young boy who starred on the cover is a 17 year old from New York named James Charles. He started his makeup inspired instagram a year ago and it’s been flourishing ever since. With James’s confidence, the demand for the male makeup industry has increased tremendously. Males all over the world are feeling more comfortable and confident with trying new things and feeling courageous enough to post their makeup looks online. While this trend has helped some male’s confidence, it has also helped the makeup industry financially. With the help of makeup products being promoted, sales are increasing, therefore supply is increasing.

However, with every bold move like this comes some controversy. According to the Christian Post, there have been some people who disapprove with this action. Mostly, these people have been very religious and have had a problem with our society “brainwashing” children into believing genders don’t exist. These people also fear that this will affect the makeup industry negatively by incorporating men. Most of these people frown on men wearing makeup and expressing themselves because they’re very religious and don’t approve of males identifying themselves as women, or acting feminine in general.

Overall, while the demand is increasing for feminine products since both genders are using them, companies are increasing the prices of popularly used products. For example, a very commonly used brand ,NARS, has increased their already expensive concealer from $27 to $29. Although this concealer only comes in a very small tube, NARS can get away with raising the price because they know people will continue to buy it. Men in particular are purchasing a lot of this concealer because of the amazing coverage it gives them when trying to cover up their manly features.

All in all, this decision to have a boy on the cover has helped Covergirl as well as many other makeup brands tremendously, even after the comments from those who disagree. In the future, I predict that the makeup industry will continue to grow and get larger as both women and men continue to experiment and try new things.

Back-to-School and the Economy

Back-To-School and the Economy

Carlie Owens

Back-to-school commercials and sales in local stores during the summer is heartbreaking to many students and teachers. To them it means back to everyday life. But to companies that create and sell these back to school products, it is like their Black Friday. Back-to-school purchases include anything ranging from electronics to simple things such as erasers or pencils. The increase in spending during 2016 from 2015 is up to $75.8 billion from 2015’s $68 billion (included K-5 through college). For clothing, supplies, shoes, and electronics alone, the spending is at about $27.3 billion. “That spending breaks down to $9.54 billion on clothing (which 95% of surveyed families are buying), $8.27 billion on electronics such as computers or calculators (57% plan to buy), $5.12 billion on shoes (94% plan to buy),  and $4.37 billion on school supplies such as notebooks, folders, pencils, backpacks, and lunchboxes (96% plan to buy)”(Kline). With competition increasing between stores such as Walmart, Target, and online stores (such as Amazon), the invisible hand was seen as prices remained to stay low even as the demand for products grew closer to the school year beginning. This allows less trade offs and opportunity costs for families who need to decide what and how much to buy.

As seen from the image above, during the past 7 years,” ‘Families are still looking for bargains, but there are signs that they are less worried about the economy than in the past,’ NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said”(Smith). So annually, when those dreaded back-to-school ads start popping up everywhere, children get sad, but companies that sell and produce these back-to-school products know that their sales are going to increase.

Work Cited:

Kline, Daniel B. "Back-to-School Shopping Growth Suggests Improved Economy." The Motley

Fool. N.p., 15 Aug. 2016. Web. 04 Oct. 2016.

Smith, Ana S. "Back-to-School and College Spending to Reach $75.8 Billion."National Retail

Federation. N.p., 21 July 2016. Web. 04 Oct. 2016.

Abortion v. The Economy

Alysia Gwinn

Mr. Reuter

Economics

25 October 2016

Abortion v. The Economy

On top of abortion already being controversial, adding in how the economy is affected takes the topic to a whole different level. Topics that are usually looked at as typically a moral debate are overlooked in their economic standpoints. Some people say that abortion even caused the 2008 recession.

For instance, the United States has a steadily increasing debt of up to $16 trillion dollars. This $16 trillion has overcome the annual GDP for the nation meaning our government has spent too much money. Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in 1973, and over 3,000 babies have been killed on a daily basis, totaling to nearly 50 million babies. Now think about what those 50 trillion lives could have done with the economy. Those lives, if not aborted, could have tremendously helped decrease government spending, about $4 billion every day. Maybe one of those babies could have grown up to find a cure to many of the diseases that we have today that are taking so many lives around the globe. Of the 10,000 individuals who retire daily, social security would be a lot better if those lives could have been able to contribute to the economy. According to Life News, “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Social Security Administration, Guttmacher Institute, and National Center for Health Statistics, if abortion had never been legalized in 1973, more than 17 million people would be employed, resulting in an additional $400 billion from those workers, with $11 billion contributed to Medicare and $47 million contributed to Social Security” (Behna). Adding these lost individuals to society would undoubtedly help the country, even though government spending should be lowered as well. Social security is going to continue to deplete, due to the baby-boomers retiring; the aborted babies would have helped with that.

In order to sustain a stable population size, at least 2.1 children would need to be added from each house. In the United States, the replacement level is at 2 exactly which isn’t even meeting the level needed to maintain the population size. So with the decreasing birth rate, more pressure is put on younger generations to support the elderly. And although the United States is not meeting that level, the population continues to grow a little each year due to immigration into the country and a higher life expectancy.

Overall, abortion being legalized in the 70’s could be the cause of all the debt, high government spending, and declining amount social security in the United States. Even with high immigration, low death rates, and almost a perfect replacement level, the United States still faces a lot of debt, putting a strain on the economy.

Cites

Behna, Mitch. "The Economic Effect of Abortion: Billions and Billions Lost | LifeNews.com."LifeNews.com. N.p., 16 July 2012. Web. 25 Oct. 2016.

Howse, Torm. "FundamentalError.com." - The Economic Truth About Abortion-On-Demand. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2016.

Shaw, Jerry. "Abortion: 6 Impacts on the Economy." Newsmax. N.p., 16 Apr. 2015. Web. 25 Oct. 2016.

Controversial Call

Controversial Call

By Aidan Nordquist

When North Carolina Governor, Pat McCrory, implemented and signed the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act (House Bill 2) that outlawed transgender individuals to use the a public restroom that they identify themselves as, he had no clue about the future economic and social outrage that would ensue. The bathroom bill is still in full-effect with schools and businesses statewide with no signs of changing. This controversial law has sparked the heated debate of how transgenders and gays are viewed and treated. Clearly, the rest of the country isn’t supportive of House Bill 2. Although, other states have legislated laws requiring transgenders to use restrooms assigned to their gender given at birth, however, no bill had made it past committee review processes. The North Carolina state governmental system has severely messed up with the creation of HB2, ultimately causing them to lose millions of dollars in potential business/event profit and respect from the LGBT community.

The substantially innovative city of Charlotte occupies nearly 730,000 and they are struggling to progress financially with the passing of HB2. Charlotte is currently the home of 14 Fortune 500 companies. They are highlighted by companies such as Bank of America, Hanes Inc., and Lowe’s. Although they are financially stable, large cities are always looking to expand and add corporate offices. These expansions generate the city money and create thousands of new jobs, creating a positive externality amongst residents. However, through the passing of HB2, some companies have taken their business elsewhere. According to the Fiscal Times and the Charlotte Observer, “North Carolina lost additional revenue when PayPal, Deutsche Bank, and other companies canceled expansions in the state, costing the state more than 1,000 jobs and at least $100 million in economic activity.” (Abadi) Not only is the city of Charlotte losing money--people cannot get much needed jobs to support their own families. The trade-off of passing this bill has caused for companies to withdraw plans to move into the state, hurting them physically and monetarily. While, Charlotte possesses the capabilities to produce in mass quantities, the resources and availability are becoming a victim of underutilization due to slow paced business. However, it doesn’t end there, as the Fiscal Times and Wired Newspaper also reported, “Pullouts and boycotts from other companies, including the film studio Lionsgate, constitute another $88 million or so.” (Abadi) Companies understand the negative impact and views they will get if they decide to overlook the bill passed. They determined it was in their best interest to remain out of North Carolina until the law was restructured.

Not only has the state received an ample amount of criticism, it has also led to cancellations of the NBA All-Star Weekend, potential Super Bowl bids, and NCAA Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds of March Madness. While businesses are one thing, sporting events and entertainment are limited-time experiences that generate quick cash through tickets, hotel reservations, and restaurants. And still, the cancellations keep coming in. According to the Fiscal Times, “The Atlantic Coast Conference’s announcement Wednesday to relocate all neutral-site championships from North Carolina was yet another hit to the state over its controversial bathroom law.” (Wells) For many basketball fans, the ACC is known as one of the most competitive and entertaining leagues in the country. The conference was also scheduled to host its football conference championship title game in Raleigh, NC, where has also been moved. In total, through all these premier events, the state is expected to lose between $125 million and $175 million in possible revenue. The opportunity cost of implementing this bill has come with the major deficits for all businesses involved in the entertainment and food industries. Nonetheless, the lone wolf remaining in North Carolina is the PGA Tour Event at Quail Hollow in 2017. Although, they oppose the bill, they understand the time and effort it takes to move an event that is less than a year away. Sporting events will never be the same in North Carolina, the few that continue to go on will go on with seldom support.

The North Carolina “bathroom bill” is in place for all of the wrong reasons. While, they may be “taking a stand” against what some house members and Governor believe in, it could potentially cost the state billions. While the number is currently sitting at $400 million in potential revenue lost according to economist Patrick Rishe, this is only the beginning. The state will start to lose the support of residents looking to attend sporting events or hoping for a new business opportunity to pop up in the state. With this bill, those things won’t be able to happen. Furthermore, something even more devastating could possibly hit the state. The Justice Department has an ongoing lawsuit against the state which could put them at risk to lose $5 billion a year in federal funding for public schools and universities. The North Carolina judicial system needs to reverse this law immediately because of the burdens it will impose on residents and the future of the state in general. Until the bill is repealed, North Carolina will continue to be outcasted from selections of events and remain distant from the LGBT community.

Works Cited

Abadi, Mark. "North Carolina's 'Bathroom Law' Has Cost the State Nearly $400 Million." The Fiscal Times. Business Insider, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

Gordon, Michael. "Understanding HB2: North Carolina's Newest Law Solidifies State's Role in Defining Discrimination."Charlotteobserver. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

Wells, Nicholas. "Transgender Bathroom Law Is Costing North Carolina Millions in Lost Sports Tourism." The Fiscal Times. CNBC, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

Haunted Houses

Haunted Houses

By: Skyler Bohn

As the leaves begin to fall and the weather starts to drop, each store fills their aisles with Halloween decor: October is here! Although everyone complains about summer coming to an end, shortly after adjustment, our society displays their undying passion for the fall season. Between apple picking, sweaters, and the pumpkin spice latte, the overall hype relies on “fall activities”. One fall activity that most can’t help but feel intrigued by are haunted houses. By living in a scarce society, we are short on supply and must demand more for our personal wants and benefits. When something becomes more scarce, it’s more valuable and this is why haunted houses are so popular. Haunted houses are only open during October so this allows an increase in demand when surrounded by fall advertising, as people realize the supply, haunted houses, is limited.

When there is an increase in price of haunted houses, the quantity of demand also will increase by haunted houses charging more for admission. Haunted houses do this because they are aware of the consumer surplus--people are willing to pay more. The average price to get into a haunted house is $20.00 (American Haunts). One haunted house in New Orleans explains how they expect around 25,000 visitors every year, charging $25.00--above average-- per person. With only  being open 16 days, they collect a profit of about $625,000 (Petrified Profits). Some may argue that this is a waste of money and is elastic, but to those who thrive for haunted houses would strongly disagree, believing that they are inelastic. Those who are willing to pay for haunted houses don’t care about the price. Their demand will continue to increase based on consumer tastes and consumer expectations.

The holiday Halloween is what makes these activities a must. Below I found some statistics on Halloween. Every year about 157 million Americans celebrate this holiday out of 245 million Americans questions. This is a little over half of Americans taking the time to participate in Halloween. The most popular activities that the people who celebrated Halloween was stated in order. Within these festivities was haunted houses. This displays that people involved in Halloween consider attending a haunted house.

If people intend to visit a haunted house, it isn’t difficult to find one. There are about 2,500 haunted houses worldwide, mostly in America, tempting people all over to attend these outrageously overpriced, but thrilling houses (NBC News). According to National Retail Federation’s annual Halloween survey, Americans plan to spend nearly $7 billion on Halloween this fall. And about 20 percent of the 158 million consumers who plan to celebrate Halloween say they will visit haunted attractions this year. Even though people complain about how high prices are while talking about haunted houses, people will still continue to go to them and feel obligated to pay most prices because of the limited supply.

Overall, haunted houses are a fall activity that some spend all year craving. It is when Halloween comes closer that people become antsy for this festivity and will do anything to attend. Although the prices can seem over priced, some won’t let that affect their decision as they know it could be a while until haunted houses once again are opened. Haunted houses will continue to increase in popularity as millions will continue to participate in this thrilling interest.

Work Cited  

HAUNTEDHOUSE.COM, By HAUNTWORLD And. "Reviews & Accolades." America Haunts Representing the Best Halloween Attractions in America Facts Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

Https://www.facebook.com/CNBC. "It's Alive! Halloween Industry Scares up Big Money." CNBC. CNBC, 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

"Petrified Profits: A Haunted House Operator Tells His Tale." Upstart Business Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

@PsychToday. "The Lure of Haunted Houses." Psychology Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

Nike’s Sneakerboot

Written by: Grant Basile

Nike’s sneakerboot is the first of its kind. The sneakerboot combines two styles of shoes, a light athletic shoe, and a durable work boot. Since the two are combined, the durability to athletic ability varies as you progress along the 4 shoes. Since there are four different shoes, the supply is not as limited as it would be with just one. Although each shoe is considered ‘limited’ getting your hands on a pair of one of these is very likely as they are expected to be a public release(All major stores get them opposed to a private release where only select locations such as Jordan 23 Chicago).

Above is a picture taken off the Nike Release calendar showing the four new sneakerboots.

The Sneakerboot Collection is priced from 140-250 dollars. Although they have not yet specified which shoe will be priced at the max. and min. Price.  This sneaker release is microeconomic because of not only how small the sneaker market is, but, also because it is just a couple pair of shoes in a market that contains several thousands. The shoes are expected to release around Thanksgiving/Black Friday time so the increase in volume of customers will be extremely high. But, the opportunity cost of these shoes will also be very high because of the other sales going on at the time. Likely the low supply and high demand will overall make the Sneakerboot collection a big hit!

Works Cited

Harry. “Nike Air Max 90 Sneakerboot Wheat Review.” Youtube, HLGM Entertainment, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDlgw0m-bhI

“Legendary Meets Necessary.” Nike Sneakerboots Collection, Nike, http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/launch/c/2016-11/nike-sneakerboots-collection.

Black Friday Shopping

Black Friday Shopping

Jess Fonte

As the holiday season rolls around, shoppers who hunt for deals are going to try and push off buying until Black Friday. This year, it is predicted that the Black Friday shopping experience is going to be the best one yet. However, the best of the deals may be hard to get as they often have a limited quantity, so it’s important to know what you’re looking for and to try and get to that item as quick as possible. It’s typical to think of Black Friday as a day where shoppers are running into stores trying to snatch the best deals, but nowadays more and more stores are offering online deals that are just as good. I believe that instead of wasting time waiting outside of stores on Thanksgiving, more people should start saving online; especially so you don’t have to deal with this.

If people are really trying to keep it traditional by avoiding the online hype, they need to weigh out the opportunity costs of purchasing items in store. Is saving $100 on a smartphone really worth missing your family’s Thanksgiving dinner? Or instead is it better to only save $90, but get to purchase the item from the comfort of your own home? These are all personal decisions, but they are ones that individuals need to make when deciding whether to shop in stores or online.

One of the reasons that people may choose to shop in store instead of online is due to the fact that they are not the best with technology. However, there are many ways that you can make your online shopping experience very enjoyable. An important thing to do is plan out what you want to buy, and then decided what your willingness to pay is for each item. This will allow you to have a budget so you don’t end up buying things that you normally wouldn’t want. It’s also important to know when the online deals start because you usually need to act fast on them. This is because there will be a shortage of the good that you want. When the price decreases, there will be a movement along the demand curve, but there will also be a movement along the supply curve. The buyers will want more, but the sellers will supply less.

It is predicted that this year, some of the best online deals will be on Amazon. Specifically, if you want to buy beauty products this upcoming Black Friday, you need to purchase them from Amazon very quickly. Since they have such good deals, the demand for substitutes being sold at higher prices is going to decrease. Why pay more for a similar good when you could pay less and get free shipping from Amazon?

Ultimately, it is a person’s decision to decide if they want to shop in stores or online this Black Friday. No matter which you choose, just remember to know exactly what you are shopping for and where you plan on getting it from. Also, always set a budget in order to eliminate purchasing unnecessary items. Finally, if you are planning on shopping online, this video has five quick and easy tips to make your shopping experience wonderful.

Black Friday Online Shopping Tips

"Circuit City #3157 - Black Friday Door Open - YouTube." N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.

"Black Friday Predictions 2016: Inside Info on the Most ..." N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.

"Black Friday Beauty Predictions 2016 - Dealnews." N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.

Planned Parenthood Funding

Planned Parenthood Funding

By: Reynna Nelson

As time has passed, the topic of planned parenthood has been discussed by many. This topic is widely overemphasized in which many have formed strong opinions towards using planned parenthood. Over time, this program has proved to be unreliable and somewhat unnecessary to America. There are many factors in which affect the way people feel about planned parenthood including the fact that it is funded by the government taxes, along with the strongly argued topic that it supports and emphasizes abortion. These disagreements prove that planned parenthood should  not be funded by government taxes due to the fact that not everyone agrees with what it portrays to society.

Admittedly, planned parenthood has been effective in the sense that it has provided a wide variety of care to women who are in need of reproductive health care services. However, many facts have proven planned parenthood is deceiving taxpayers, along with over emphasizing their services. One of the main points that many are concerned with when it comes to this topic is the amount of money that people are paying in order to keep this organization alive. Planned parenthood has become a billion-dollar organization on the backs of taxpayers, due to the role of the government in our mixed economy. This organization earned $128 million in revenue with over $1.4 billions in net assets last year. In the same year, federal and state governments provided them with over $528 million to fund their profitable programs. Some taxpayers are being forced to put forth their money toward an organization in which they do not support, this being the marginal cost. In return they receive the benefits of being able to use planned parenthood, which is the marginal benefit. But how much of a benefit is there when half the population does not support the organization? Currently, Americans are virtually split in half over whether planned parenthood’s funding should be left alone or completely cut. Forty-six percent said it should be left alone while forty-two percent said it should be completely cut. The remaining were undecided. This proves that people who do not want planned parenthood should not be forced to pay taxes in order to keep it available. In this, they are giving up the opportunity cost of the government using their money to go toward something more widely supported.

A very talked about and important topic involving planned parenthood is the utilization of abortion. Many people think about abortion when the topic of planned parenthood is brought up. Due to the fact that many disagree with abortion, this is the reason as to why many do not want to fund such programs. Planned parenthood’s business models is known to be centered around abortion. Former planned parenthood clinic director, Abby Johnson, has written that she was given an abortion quota and  was even told by her superiors to “double the number of abortions” in order to bring in more revenue. Over 37% of all planned parenthood clinic income revenue is from abortion procedures. This also shows that more taxpayer funding would equal more abortions, and less adoption referrals. Over time, the amount of funding towards planned parenthood has increased and this has shown a 66% increase in abortion rates, and a 61% decrease in adoption referrals throughout these centers in America.  This goes to show that if we do not decrease, or cut of funding completely for these centers, the amount of abortions will continue to be at large or even increase as time passes.

Overall, the taxpayers should not be forced to fund planned parenthood due to the large amount of money that it requires. In doing so, the taxpayers are giving their money to an organization that they are possibly against, when the government could use the money for something else.

"Do We Still Need Planned Parenthood? - Obamacare Facts." Obamacare Facts. N.p., 23 July 2015. Web. 02 Dec. 2015.

The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.

Napping is Beneficial

Liana Jackson

Mr. Reuter

Economics

1 October 2016

Napping is Beneficial

It’s been about a month since school started and it’s that time of year where we, students, are finally getting back into the full swing of school. Unfortunately, this means no more sleeping in until one o’clock in the afternoon of summer or taking leisurely naps whenever we feel necessary. While those of us who are so called “guilty” of taking naps whenever we please, would be surprised to find that those naps are actually beneficial to our health.

There are actually three types of napping categories: planned napping, emergency napping, and habitual napping (National Sleep Foundation). Planned napping is when you take a nap before one actually goes to bed (or gets sleepy), this would occur if you knew that you had to stay up later than your normal bedtime. Emergency napping is for those who cannot continue an activity and are suddenly disengaged and drowsy; these naps may be for those who suddenly get tired when driving or working with dangerous machinery (National Sleep Foundation). Lastly, habitual napping, are naps that people take around the same time of day, young children are often those who take this type of nap.

America recently has started becoming more and more sleep deprived due to long work hours and busy schedules. Because work, school and other activities seem to take more importance, the opportunity cost is the sleep lost. While sleep can be a want it is truly a need as well: sleep is essential to live healthily.  Yes, while trade-offs of taking a nap can take time away from homework or sports, the 20-30 minute nap can increase alertness and boost your energy.

In a study at NASA on sleepy military pilots and astronauts, it was found that a 40 minute nap improved performance by 34% and alertness by 100% (National Sleep Foundation). The marginal cost of taking the 40 minute nap, is outweighed by the marginal benefit due to the benefits of increased alertness and improved performance on the job. Not only does napping help when it comes to work, school and other activities, napping can allow your body to relax and rejuvenate itself (National Sleep Foundation).

Overall, napping is beneficial for your body and mind. Taking those summer naps were not something to be ashamed of, and instead something to be encouraged. Maybe you should plan a 30 minute nap for after school to increase your energy and boost your alertness for when it is time to work on your homework.

Works Cited

"BENTHAM INSIGHT." BENTHAM INSIGHT. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2016.

"Napping." National Sleep Foundation. National Sleep Foundation, 2016. Web. 02 Oct. 2016.