Article #1: Dairy dilemma: Farmers face challenge of
adapting to changing consumer demand
Newseum link: https://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/?tfp_id=IN_HB
Story: There has been an increasing decline in the amount of
milk that Americans drink for decades. This is placing a lot of stress upon the
dairy industry, including both big and small dairy farmers. Many farmers have
had to make tough choices between barely making ends meet and giving up their
farms. They are feeling the financial chokehold, and there are no signs of it
letting up as alternative products become more popular. In particular, the last
5 years have been very hard on the dairy farmers in Indiana.
Problem: Dairy farmers are losing market share to
alternative products and due to trends in American society to consume less dairy.
Thus, the dairy industry has a surplus and no where to sell it. This is leading
to big losses, making it very hard for them to make ends meet. Many farmers
have had to forfeit and declare bankruptcy.
Who has the problem: Dairy farmers in Indiana (as well as
the entire United States) have this problem. This decline in intake of dairy
products is nationwide, and thus the grip of it is felt by dairy farmers
everywhere. This is a national problem for dairy farmers, dairy companies, and
their livelihoods.
Article #2: Homeless students on rise in US: Study
Newseum link: https://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/?tfp_id=IN_JG
Direct Link: https://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/schools/20200131/homeless-students-on-rise-in-us-study
Story: There is a growing number of students in the public-school
system in the US who are deemed homeless, mostly all due to financial hardship.
This number was nationwide at 1.5 million for the 17-18 school year. Of this,
74% were sharing housing with others, 12% were in shelters or transitional
housing, 7% were in hotels or motels, and the other 7% were completely unsheltered.
Schools are attempting to do whatever they can to help these students, but the
numbers are growing, and the problem is only getting bigger.
Problem: An increasing number of students in the US
public-school system are facing homelessness. This has a variety of negative
impacts upon the lives of students and is a hindrance to their education. This can
prevent them from having a healthy, stable upbringing and make it harder for
them to seize opportunities.
Who has the problem: This problem is possessed by the
students, their families, the families helping them, the schools, the school
district, homeless centers, and the local and state government.
Article #3: Bills may require schools to test their water
Newseum link: https://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/?tfp_id=IN_IS
Story: A new bill passed by the Indiana House 89-2 will be
moving to the Senate. This bill will require all Indiana schools to test for
lead and copper contamination in their water by 2023. The government wants to
take preventative measures in order to prevent the situation from turning into
something like Flint, Michigan. In the event that facilities are not up to spec,
corrective measures will need to be taken.
Problem: Schools will have to complete testing if the bill
is passed, and if they are not up to spec, they will have to take corrective
measures and spend potentially a great deal of money to get the contamination
levels down.
Who has the problem: This problem is had by the schools, the
school districts, the local and state government, and the students of the
schools and their families. It may also be had by plumbers or water
purification companies who will need to potentially find a way to service the influx
of demand.
Article #4: Sign-stealing scandal sends signal that MLB
needs to tech up
Newseum link: https://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/?tfp_id=IN_TS
Story: Due to the illegal sign-stealing scandal in the 2017
World Series and potentially the 2018 champion Boston Red Sox, the MLB needs to
develop strategies and techniques to deal with cheating. Two Rose-Hulman
professors are speculating that advanced technological solutions will play a
major role in accomplishing this and ensuring the integrity of the game. In
addition, the MLB is realizing that they need to do more to actively search for
and stop teams from cheating.
Problem: Teams are using illegal, covert methods to steal
signs from other teams and crack their “codes”. Such methods include video
feeds and hidden cameras. Such things are strictly prohibited, leading to a
scandal and a very big problem that needs to be addressed. The MLB is actively
working on a solution.
Who has the problem: This problem is had by the MLB, their teams,
the players, the coaches, and the fans of the MLB as well as any associated
providers, companies or vendors. This could potentially even be expanded to their
fans.
Article #5: Businesses Prep for Super Bowl Sunday
Newseum link: https://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/?tfp_id=OH_MT
Story: Despite the fact that there are no local teams
playing in the Super Bowl, Marietta restaurants and stores still expect a big
influx of business leading up to and on Sunday. As a result, they have begun to
stock up early so as to prevent any shortages and to maximize profits. During
the Super Bowl, Americans are reported to consume 28 million pounds of chips,
322.5 million gallons of beer, and 1.38 billion chicken wings.
Problem: Restaurants and stores need to gear up early and
fast in order to support the extreme increase in demand caused by the Super
Bowl. The Super Bowl has become a yearly American tradition, and has become
notorious for being one of the biggest days in the eatery industry. In
addition, suppliers (like chip and beer companies) need to ramp up production
in order to supply their customers with the products they so desire.
Who has the problem: This problem is had by local restaurants,
chain restaurants, food suppliers, food producers, grocery stores, and the
consumers themselves.
Hi John!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post, I learned a lot of new info in areas I don't normally research, so it was definitely an interesting read. Specifically, the dairy industry facing hardships due to declining milk consumption was something that I didn't know, but made sense given how many people I know who have some form of lactose intolerance, as well as the influx of plant alternatives. It's interesting to see how shifting demographics and culture causes an entire industry to strain, which I guess further highlights the need to be constantly shifting your business model to align with the needs of consumers. Nice work!