Aug
5
2010

Written by:
Jordan Harris

Liberal Arts Education: the real education reform in America

The decline of a model of liberal education based on the arts and humanities in the U.S. raises the concern for the future of the nation's democracy and the condition of American citizens. As a supporter of liberal arts education, I strongly believe that a curriculum of the arts and humanities is imperative for the U.S. to form citizens of character and empathy for the nation's democracy. A liberal arts education does not promise to shape all people into emotionally aware citizens, willing to devote their lives to combating the wrongs in the world. In fact, some people may not promote the ideas and policies of liberal arts teaching. However, an education of the arts and humanities guarantees to give citizens a chance to explore and experience the world without limitation.

Aug
2
2010

Written by:
Kanwar Anand

2010 Gulf Oil Spill: Impact on the Insurance Industry & Why Oil Companies Need to COPE

COPE: Consortium of Oil, Petroleum & Energy Insurers

The explosion and subsequent fire on the semi-submersible Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) led to the bursting of an oil rig that has devastated the lives of people across the gulf. The long term implications of the oil spill are unknown. Scientists believe that the spill is going to have a profound impact on the gulf ecosystem. People’s lives in the gulf have been tremendously impacted, and it could perhaps take years for them to recover. Moreover, investors including both institutional and small households have taken enormous hits on their holdings in the companies that have been named responsible for the spill. Pension funds and teacher association unions are just some examples of groups that have lost a significant amount of their portfolio holdings.

The Impact

Jul
29
2010

Written by:
Shali Zhu

Consumer Optimism: Unwarranted or Inevitable?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended this May down 7.9% for the month, its largest monthly decline since February 2009 and the biggest percentage drop for May since 1940. However, the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan gauge of consumer sentiment showed that consumers’ view of the state of the U.S. economy actually became more optimistic in May. Between April and May of this year, the gauge rose 1.4, from 72.2 in April to 73.6 in May. According to an article by the Wall Street Journal, the rise in consumer optimism is derived entirely from consumers’ more positive outlook regarding the direction of the economy. But with stock prices swinging wildly and all three major markets – Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ Composite, and S&P 500 Index – in the red for the year, is this consumer optimism misplaced?

Jul
24
2010

Written by:
Thomas Loeffler

America and China: Converging or Diverging Interests?

With China’s inhabitants representing nearly one-sixth of the world’s population, it’s no wonder their competitive edge has been in their labor workforce. For years American companies have been outsourcing production to countries like China where more affordable manufacturing costs have become profitable investments. Adding to their already competitive advantage, foreign exchange risk has rarely been a deciding factor with China because they have historically pegged the Yuan against the U.S. dollar. The announcement from the People’s Bank of China has now given American companies a reason to rethink about the costs associated with outsourcing to China; but has it given them a reason to take action? There are two lenses one can view this decision through. The optimist would believe the Chinese have loosened their policy to devalue the dollar against the Yuan in favor of both countries’ interests.

Jul
17
2010

Written by:
Shali Zhu

The Consumer Side of Financial Reform

You know that the financial regulation bills recently passed by the House and the Senate are targeted primarily toward reforming the way business is done on Wall Street, but how does the passage of these pieces of legislation affect consumers like you? In order to answer this question, we need to first take a look at the two versions of the financial reform bill.

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