By: Raffi Laitamaki
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A little over a month ago, I turned twenty and my mom decided it was the perfect time to buy me a self help book about my twenties titled “The Defining Decade.” At first, I laughed a little at the gift because I didn’t think that turning twenty was a big deal nor did I think I needed a self help book, but when I sat down to read it I realized that as always- my mom knows best. If you just turned twenty, are about to turn twenty, or are currently in your twenties this book is a must read. “The Defining Decade” helps explain why our twenties matter and why we should make the most of them right now.
Why do our twenties matter so much? Our personalities change more during this decade than at any time before or after. Before reading “The Defining Decade,” I had no idea that our twenties are our “best chance for change” because I had always heard that our childhood and adolescence shape our personalities tremendously. Similar to most people my age, I thought that who I was and what I was capable of was already largely determined by my childhood. I was wrong, and that is so exciting. It is exciting because there is still time to change- time to figure out who I want to be and deliberately work at making myself a better person.
    Our personalities change more during this period because our brains are not fully developed. The frontal lobe of our brain processes rational thoughts and allows us to think about the future, but this vital section does not fully mature until sometime between the ages of twenty and thirty. Therefore, every interaction and experience we have right now creates new connections in our brain that increase our capacity to learn new things. Right now our brain is being shaped by the people we talk to and the jobs we take, but in the future it won’t be as easy to learn new things or become who we want to be. After age thirty most of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are relatively stable, meaning that for the most part we are who we are. So don’t wait- now is the time to become who you want to be.

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By: Siri Ranganath

For all the people studying abroad next year who see punny instagram captions from foreign countries and get nervous...

Study abroad is marketed to Stern students as an essential part of our “global education”--we get to settle in a foreign country and further our studies in places where the opportunities to enrich ourselves are endless. The freedom that comes with being abroad is undeniably attractive to the Stern undergraduate; we gain this freedom when we come to New York as freshmen and continually seek more of it. It’s an insatiable desire to be free of the things that tie you down, an inherent desire in people reaching their twenties.

On a personal level, I understand this. I can never forget how I felt opening up the portal on Albert that told me that I was accepted to the London campus in the Fall. The first feeling was complete elation; after all, I was excited to move somewhere even further away from home than New York, where I could learn and grow in new ways. The second feeling was relentless anxiety.

You spend months building a new network at NYU--you find people that bring NyQuil to your room at 11:30 PM when you’re sick, people that get frustrated for you when you can’t figure out how to do a Micro problem, and people that stay on the phone with you when you walk home alone when it’s dark out. In a single portal update, that network seems to collapse upon itself.

It’s not that you don’t think you’ll find more people to build a new network with abroad. It’s not even that you don’t think you’ll be able to build a new life abroad, but it’s the basic fear that you’ll get replaced because New York is too big to stop moving without you. Because who will your best friend grab Dollar Pizza with after your late night essay submissions? Will that person make jokes that slap just as hard as yours do? That seat you always claim in the West 4th Starbucks to read in--will someone else sit there to drink their coffee before a 9:30 AM class? You’re the person that eats all the Peanut M&M’s from the UC vending machine. Is that slot just going to stay mostly full when you’re gone? Does anyone on this campus love Peanut M&M’s as much as you do? Probably not, I promise.

We can’t find a definitive answer to any of these questions, and that’s what makes this process of packing up and leaving so difficult. Here are some tips to help you make sense of this vague anxiety you feel and cope with it:

1. Spend time with your friends as much as you can, especially if they’re not joining you abroad. I know we have midterms and then finals, but we can’t adopt the mentality that “once ____ assignment/project/exam is over, I’ll have time to be with the people I care about.” You deserve to have fun.
2. Connect with the people studying with you at the location you’re enrolled in. They’re going on this adventure too!
3. Stay on top of the logistical requirements for studying abroad, whether it’s getting a new passport or applying for housing.

Remember that you’re going abroad! You’re moving to another country for a few months. Plan the trips you’ll make and genuinely get excited. It’s going to be amazing.

By: Sydney Cheng

Sustainability is all the trend nowadays: from Starbucks going straw free to restaurants offering compostable single-use plastics, sustainability has infiltrated restaurants, kitchens, and Instagram feeds. Out of all the trends that have taken over the internet, I am glad that this one makes the world a better place not only for us but for the generations to come. But I didn’t always feel this way. How is one plastic straw or one plastic cup going to negatively impact the climate, the polar bears, or my life in any way? I thought. The truth of the matter is that it won’t, at least not immediately. But when billions of people think the same way, plastic enters our oceans, trash fills the landfills. Eventually, we will be forced to face the consequences. It is better to make a few small, sustainable adjustments to help our planet now than to wait for the situation to become even more dire. As a student, there are small ways to live more sustainably. Because I am an economics student, I am aware of students’ concerns about the price they will have to pay to be sustainable. But the costs of living a sustainable lifestyle–a tiny extra amount of time, energy, and effort–are greatly outweighed by their benefits: less waste, a healthier planet, a more sustainable life.

Here are a few easy tips for students who want to be more sustainable!

1. Straws
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 If you’re new to sustainability, straws are a great way to start. Making a more sustainable straw choice, whether plant-based or reusable, is easy to implement in your life. I enjoy using my reusable silicon straw from Seastraws Co., a paper/reusable straw company founded by NYU students! Get your own here. However, if you’re a boba fanatic like me, a wide straw is also a necessity.

2. Cups

​I like to bring my own mason jar to coffee shops: not only does it make me look ten times more hipster, but I’m also reducing the use of single-use plastic. In addition, lots of places give you a discount for bringing your own mug/thermos, including Boba Guys and Starbucks.

3. Clothes

​The fashion industry is the second-most polluting industry in the world. The rise of fast-fashion, the production of cheap clothes that are worn for one season and thrown out the next, not only creates large amounts of waste but also encourages unfair labor practices. While it is true that ethically-produced, better quality clothing will cost more, it will last longer and have a better environmental impact. Buying fewer cheap items will save you money in the long run. Instead of buying a new item of clothing next time, check out your local thrift store or Poshmark. Click here for a complete guide on buying ethical clothes.

4. Buy local! 

Using locally grown products has many benefits, both personal and societal. Foods grown locally are healthier for you: they have more nutrients because, instead of traveling for weeks in an airplane, they are allowed to ripen naturally. Reducing the distance your food has to travel to get to you also decreases the amount of pollution used to transport your food. Finally, buying local supports farmers in your community and their families. Even though the eggs from your farmers’ market is more expensive than, say, a $2 dozen of eggs, the food you are putting into your body is healthier and safer for you and has a positive impact on both the ecosystem and the farmers in your community.

 5. Grocery shopping

​An easy way to cut down on plastic waste while grocery shopping is to use reusable produce bags. I use a combination mesh and linen produce bags from Whole Foods, which are very similar to these. A bigger way to make the way you grocery shop more sustainable would be to go to a waste-free grocery store, such as Precycle NYC. Everything–from cleaning supplies and pickles to pasta and spices–is sold without packaging. You bring your own clean container and buy in bulk! Buying food that’s without plastic packaging likely that it’s not processed–meaning it’s probably healthier for you than a bag of potato chips or a package of candy.

By: Raffi Laitamaki

As a student at the Stern School of Business, we constantly hear that “businesses can create positive social change.” Every week, we learn about apps that are helping to close the wealth gap and investments that are socially conscious, but sometimes these ideas seem too good to be true. Sometimes, as the world we live in continues to disappoint us, we are left questioning whether or not businesses can really drive change.
However, last spring, the Stern International Volunteers Ghana Program (SIV Ghana) reminded me that social impact is the future and businesses can create real change for women in particular. Through the SIV Ghana program, I had the opportunity to spend my spring break in Woadze Tsatoe, a rural Ghanaian village, developing a micro-business and working on volunteer projects.
Two years ago, NYU students participating in the SIV Ghana program realized that women in Woadze Tsatoe wanted more job opportunities. In order to empower women and provide an alternative source of revenue for them, NYU students helped launch a textile business: the Amenuveve Batik Cooperative.
The women in Woadze Tsatoe who work for the Amenuveve Batik Cooperative create beautiful fabrics using traditional block printing techniques. Previously, these women were living off less than one dollar a day, but today they are running a successful micro business that provides them with higher wages. These women are creating change in their community by proving that women are capable of far more than cooking and cleaning- they are an inspiration.
In order to continue expanding the batik business, the students participating in the SIV Ghana program last year helped the Amenuveve Batik Cooperative improve their production process, marketing materials, and financial records. We also hosted a trunk show in the United States to sell the Amenuveve Batik Cooperative products such as backpacks and laptop cases. The partnership between the SIV Program and the Woadze Tsatoe community has allowed the business to flourish in recent years, and this growth has also positively impacted the children in the community in particular.
A study by the World Bank proved that when women control more household income children benefit as a result of increased spending on food and education. Therefore, increasing the income for women in Woadze Tsatoe improves the well being of their children, and when I was working in Ghana I saw this dedication to family first hand. On the first day in the village, I saw a woman who was mixing hot wax for the batik products while her baby was strapped to her back. Most of the women took care of their children as they worked in the batik business, and their devotion to their family was absolutely astonishing. Ultimately, the SIV Ghana Program proves that businesses can create real change, and I would encourage every Stern student to participate in the program.

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