Phoenix Policy Institute Blog

Going to college is something that most kids dream about, specifically to broaden their horizons, put themselves in new experiences, and meet people they would never have met otherwise. In modern media, attending college is romanticized by partying or joining organizations like sororities and fraternities. What these movies and TV shows fail to show to society is the darker side of joining one of those organizations, hazing. Although hazing is not usually talked about by members and is supposed to be completely confidential, there are always cases that end in tragedy. Hazing is something not talked about publicly. However, it is important to delegate time to inform and educate incoming students on the possibility of these events occurring before they join an organization. 

Throughout my college career, hazing is something that had seemingly been removed from Elon’s campus but is extremely prevalent at bigger schools, such as the University of Maryland or Ohio State University. According to a study done to collect statistics regarding hazing on college campuses, the Hazing Prevention Network concluded that 47% of students come to college having already experienced hazing, and once in college, 55% of college students involved in clubs, teams, and organizations experience hazing. This number is increasingly higher than is promoted by universities and institutions. Elon University specifies hazing as, “any activity expected of someone who is joining a group (or who is trying to maintain full status in a group) that humiliates, degrades, or risks harming that person financially, emotionally, or physically, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate.” Although this is an extremely broad definition, it highlights the key meaning behind hazing, asserting power over others in a group or club setting. 
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South Korea’s declining birth rate is a major concern that puts pressure on the country . South Korea is currently facing a critical moment in its history due to the significant decline in birth rates, which is leading to profound demographic changes. These changes are concerning because they have implications for the country’s economic future. With fewer births, there will be fewer people entering the workforce in the future, which could lead to a shortage of labor workers and a strain on the economy. Additionally, an aging population arising from the declining birth rates can put stress on social welfare systems. South Korea must manage these demographic challenges to secure its long-term economic stability and societal well-being. South Korea stands at a crossroads, wrestling with significant demographic changes that not only raise concerns for its economic future but also pose serious long-term challenges. 

South Korea is currently facing challenges with its declining birth rate and fertility rate. According to NPR, South Korea has held the record of the country with the lowest fertility rate since 2013 with the average number of children being born a woman being 0.78 (fertility rate) which is the average number of children born to a woman in her reproductive years. Fertility rates are the Cynthia Kim and Jihoon Lee predict that South Korea’s fertility will likely fall from its current rate to 0.68 in 2024. The predicted lowering of the fertility rate for South Korea presents a challenge for their economic future.  
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For most, college is a transformative, inspiring experience that allows students to engage in self-exploration while duly exploring fields of study and potential career paths. College presents a unique opportunity to try new things, allowing students to learn more about the world and their place within. Nonetheless, with experimentation, risk and uncertainty is likely to follow. Wary parents who send their children to college may only be calmed by the assurance that their kids will be safe and cared for. However, university students now face an unprecedented challenge that may bring parent’s fears to life, the opioid epidemic.  

Over the last few decades, the U.S. has been haunted by two of the deadliest killers; opioids and fentanyl. In 2021, the number of people who died from a drug overdose was  six times greater than it was in 1999. After the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic, this escalation was predicted to settle. However, these numbers have only continued to rise, resulting in a staggering 112,000 death toll in 2023 alone. Regardless of the $40 billion dollar receipt the federal government has drawn up attempting to fight the war on drugs, the landscape of drug prevention and rehabilitation has often been seen as the “wild west”, signaling a system that is not only costly but poorly regulated. University students, typically between the age range of 18 and 22, are a targetable group for illicit drug use and thus fall victim to this crisis. According to the 2019 Monitoring the Future Survey, college students have the highest marijuana and illicit drug use, such as amphetamines, cocaine, hallucinogens, and MDMA. Beginning in 2020, adolescents experienced a greater relative increase in overdose mortality than the overall population, attributable in large part to fatalities involving fentanyl.  
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While you may not realize it, the elections being held in 2024 could impact the direction of global politics for years to come. To be more specific, this year 64 states will be holding elections for high positions of power, and the outcomes will have lasting effects for years to come. This year will also mark the largest number of humans voting in a democratic election than at any other point in history with major population centers like India, the United States, Mexico, and Indonesia holding elections.  

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be aiming to be reelected and hopes for his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to gain a greater majority in the legislature. The opposition Congress party only won 52 seats in the legislature compared to the BJP’s 303 in the past 2019 election. Modi is a controversial figure, specifically for his alleged role in ordering police officers in Gujarat not to intervene in the anti muslim riots which killed 1200 muslims. The riots were sparked by an attack on a train that killed 59 Hindus, and muslims were blamed for the attack, leading to the riots and destruction of muslim neighborhoods. Modi has been pushing for Hindu nationalism for most of his career, leading to an increase in violence to the minority muslim population. Modi’s rhetoric and seemingly impending reelection will see India continuing in the direction of strongman politics that has been on the rise across the globe. 
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Age in politics has always been a prominent issue, and as the general election inches closer and the age of our candidates remains high, many voters and candidates themselves call into question some candidates’ ability to lead and fulfill their duties in office. There are two leading solutions to the issue of age in politics: an age limit or required cognitive/competency testing. As America’s population has aged, our representation has aged with us; the current members of Congress are older than they’ve ever been, with the median age of the House being 59 years old and 65 years old for the Senate, in contrast to 1981, when the average age for the House was 48.5 and the Senate average being 51.7 (FiveThirtyEight, ABC News). In response to our aging representation, conversations about requiring age limits and cognitive testing to be in office have been circulating. 

Members from both political parties believe that the solution to elderly politicians remaining in public office past their prime is to have a maximum age limit put in place, with 82% of Republicans and 76% of Democrats supporting establishing a maximum age limit for elected officials in D.C Pew Research Center). Even though the proposal of a maximum age limit for public office is extremely popular among the American public, there is no consensus on what that age limit should be, as there is little polling related to deciding the maximum age. Requiring a maximum age limit for public office is a popular sentiment among the public. However, it would require an amendment to the Constitution (Pew Research Center). In Article II Section 1 of the Constitution, the age requirement to become President is stated, “.. neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years.” (Article II, Section 1 Functions and Selection, Clause 5 Qualification U.S Constitution), since there is no age limit stated within the section an amendment would be needed to create the age limit. Congress is required to amend the Constitution, and with many of our Congressmen being on the older side, with the median age of the House being 59 years old and 65 years old for the Senate (FiscalNote), it is unlikely that the 2/3rds majority needed to amend the Constitution would be met in the House and Senate. 

In April 2022, Panera Bread launched a new set of products as part of a company rebrand. Among those was an innocuous beverage called “charged lemonade” that came in multiple flavor variants: blood orange, strawberry lemon mint, and mango yuzu citrus. Traditional lemonade, made from lemons, sugar, and water, is naturally caffeine free. A large serving of Panera’s charged lemonade contains a whopping 390 mg of caffeine. Lawsuits allege that Panera marketed this lemonade similar to an electrolyte sports drink (which are typically un-caffeinated) and did not display noticeable warnings about caffeine content in the restaurants. Upon its original release, the lemonade was self-serve and sat on the counter next to Panera’s traditional soft drinks and teas. Some Panera locations have now moved the product behind the counter but still offer free refills on the beverage. 

Panera promoted charged lemonades as containing the same amount of caffeine as Panera’s dark roast. This is true on a per oz basis, but not when taking into account the respective serving size of the beverages. A charged lemonade has the same amount of caffeine as nearly 2 regular servings of Panera’s dark roast or 3 servings of its regular coffee. One 30 ounce charged lemonade contains the same amount of caffeine as 11.5 coke’s. Compared to other energy drinks on a per ounce basis, Panera’s charged lemonade is not off the charts. It has slightly more caffeine per ounce than popular energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster and less caffeine per ounce than Bang. Again, the issue arises in the serving size. While energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster, and Bang are typically served in cans ranging from 12 to 16 ounces, the charged lemonade is served in a 30 oz cup. A single serving of charged lemonade has more caffeine than a Red Bull and Monster energy drink combined.
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