THE DISMAL SCIENCE | Venezuela Can’t Feed Its Cats

Long lines and empty shelves plague Venezuela’s grocery stores as its economic crisis shows no signs of stopping. Pets are also feeling the effects of the prolonged food shortages as residents are struggling to spare a single morsel, according to a report by CBS. The South American nation traditionally relies on foreign goods to stock its stores, but imports are down 40% from last year, according to a report by NPR. The reason for such a sharp cut is simple: the government is running out of money. It is easy to blame the problem on a worldwide slump in oil prices.

SERENDIPITY | Alpha Delta Phi Pi What? Interviews with Business Fraternity Presidents

Marketing experts say that consumers love choice… but I’m not so sure. Especially in a day and age where all of us are, for some reason, becoming more indecisive, having too much choice can be supremely frustrating. So, when the starry-eyed freshmen, sophomores and even juniors like me wander into Bartels Hall for ClubFest this semester, they might as well be flipping through the terrifyingly gargantuan menu of The Cheesecake Factory. Even after narrowing down our menu options – like only looking at the Glamburger section (love you Cheesecake!), it’s still daunting. Today, we’ll be diving straight into the Business Fraternity section of the business menu.

CONSCIOUSLY LIBERAL | On Monetary Policy for the People

In conjunction with low interest rates, the cash for trash program, or quantitative easing (QE), has led to inflation in asset prices, including housing. In exchange for toxic assets and treasury bonds, QE was supposed to flood banks with cash in order to encourage lending and thus stimulate growth. In the end, most of the cash was held in bank reserves. Banks were not ready to loan out money because interest rates were low (and still are), compounded with the insecurity of high private debt and stronger credit regulation. If Fed policymakers are trying to stimulate growth, propping up asset prices at pre-crisis levels seems contrary to basic thinking.