JOUR 303 - Gen Z Defined

GEN Z DEFINED

THE AGE OF EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX COVID-19 ALL GROWN UP CHATGPT: NO NEED FOR A ‘B’

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Editor in Chief says welcome to life as Generation Z where things get done because they have to

By Abby Jarrett

Howdy Ags! Our Journalism 303 newsroom has worked hard to bring you “Gen Z Defined – the age of everything everywhere” in hopes that it can enlighten, inspire and shed light on the current state of our generation on campus. The advanced media writing course collectively decided to turn our focus on Gen Z because of its relevance today. The facts from expert sources paired with actual Aggie Gen Zers are supported with national data

to explain different facets of Gen Z life unique to our generation.While some of these topics might be sensitive for some readers, all were hand-picked as subjects Gen Z students are actively seeking information about based on national surveys and trend articles. From high records of reported sexually transmitted diseases to the restart of student loans and record-setting debt for the undergraduate experience, Gen Z is at the front of the national issues

and as journalists, it’s our job to bring coverage – and solutions for readers –for the issues at hand.

As a first time Editor in Chief, I want to thank the amazing newsroom for their unwavering support and hard work throughout this process. None of this would be possible without the countless hours of research, interviews and multimedia production our classroom had to endure. Next I would like to thank the leadership team who

rallied behind me through my personal learning curve. Together, Gen Z gets it done, because we have to. We hope you find this issue to be enlightening and useful.

Abby Jarrett is a journalism junior and a writer for The Battalion Life and Arts desk.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ABBY JARRETT

GEN Z

How COVID-19 affected then-freshman to now seniors

By Neomi Brown

A global pandemic, shifting economy and a rapidly changing social environment mark the beginning of adulthood for most of Generation Z.

For those born after 1997, there might be a sense of uncertainty surrounding their future mixed with a glimmer of hope. Between spending hours working a side hustle and free time wondering how to navigate life, Gen Z has a lot on its plate and a little confusion on what utensil to use.

Sixty-four percent of those surveyed responded that the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 was the most impactful event of this generation, according to “The State of Gen Z: 2021-22” published by The Center for Generational

Kinetics.

For community health senior Ann Horton, the pandemic offered a chance at establishing who she was as a student.

“I think COVID really helped me discover that I am not an online learner at all,” Horton said. “I will sit in the front of the room and ask all the questions that will annoy everyone around me by making the professor talk longer. That’s the kind of student I am.”

On the other side of the spectrum, political science senior Jaidyn Shears said that there is something worth appreciating for both learning options.

“I’m still taking online and in-per-

FIRST LOOK

son classes, and I’ve come to like the dynamic of online classes where it’s more personally engaging,” Shears said. “It makes it easier to access but at the same time easier to put aside. I really did struggle my freshman and sophomore years with getting used to online programs and college in general. Now that I’m in the hang of it and used to it, I can appreciate in-person and online classes pretty equally.”

A new age in Gen Z’s journey to the workforce begins when the first class to start during COVID crosses the stage in December. As time continues to pass from the start of the pandemic, it has affected several fields such as health, Horton said.

“I think that has given more of a market to my major and health professionals in general,” Horton said. “I wouldn’t say I’m excited, because it’s not great to have people be sick or need to work on being healthier, but it’s definitely a challenge that I get to move forward and work on solving.”

COVID might have given Gen Z time to think about what they truly wanted, said Steven Burton, executive director of the Career Management Center at Mays Business School.

“The conversations that I’ve heard and the anecdotes I’ve taken away from listening to students is that COVID was a transition point for them,” Burton said. “The whole thing of working

PHOTO BY CAROLINE DOLLAR

International studies junior Shelby Hernandez works on her computer in Sterling C. Evans Library Thursday, Sept. 28.

PHOTO BY MITCHELL HASENPFLUG

Material science sophomore Noor Mohamed-Salinas walks across A&M’s campus wearing a mask on Thursday, Sept. 28.

from home and having more time for reflection and time to think about where they’re at, they began to question their connection with their field and career path they had chosen.”

Although the CGK reports that 49% of Gen Z chose a salary as part of what most attracts them to a job, there are other things worth considering, Shears said.

“Salary is definitely a big part of it, but more my job field salary isn’t the most important thing,” Shears

said. “[Non-profit management] is not the highest paying job; it’s more service-oriented and community-oriented, which I enjoy. I prefer stability, financial stability, workplace enjoyment and liking what I’m doing versus getting six figures.”

After 20 years of working in the graduate business field, Burton said he noticed translating social skills into the workplace to foster an enjoyable working experience might not be that simple after COVID-19 for Gen Z.

“I think there was an impact there that we’re noticing and attributing it to COVID,” Burton said. “Not being able to finish out their high school or some of their undergraduate experience with their classmates changed their ability to be comfortable interacting in social situations with their employers.”

As the years go by and social climates continue to change, Gen Z has a healthy mix of feelings towards the future including “hope” and “cautiousness,” according to the CGK. These

challenges faced so early on in Gen Z’s adulthood could prove fruitful for future situations, Shears said.

“I think that if another pandemic were to occur, I know that our generation could potentially handle it better knowing that we’ll be better at making decisions in a social aspect,” Shears said. “We’ll be that generation that’s playing the role at the moment, so I feel confident in my generation and its abilities to fix things a bit.”

PHOTO BY CAROLINE DOLLAR

Industrial distribution junior Mary Shannon exits the career fair at Kyle Field on Thursday, Sept. 21.

ARE YOU SURE ABOUT

How relationships, romance and everything in-between has changed for the newest generations

By Sophie Villarreal

Love starts with an F in Aggieland. It either lasts “forever” or just “for now.”

Love is not as simple as what we see on TV. It’s not a matter of Connor or Jeremiah, Edward vs. Jacob, or any other love triangle; sometimes it is difficult enough with only two people involved.

Love is just as complex as the people involved in the relationships. Especially when experiencing love and relationships for the first time as a young adult. While Gen Z likes to think they have the answers to any difficult topic thanks to TikTok, some need a more credible and informative approach. Specifically around the acronym, ‘D.T.R’: Determine the Relationship, as defined in Urban Dictionary.

For many young adults, determining the relationship is one of the more difficult tasks in love. Trying to follow the heart while avoiding mismatched expectations is much more difficult than it seems, but when determined correctly, stories can be as picture perfect as the couples getting engaged under Century Tree. Ultimately, love is reaching a new meaning for college students as they become independent.

Helping students navigate relationships and educate themselves on how to identify a healthy relationship is Sarah Fehr’s role as a clinical assistant professor at A&M. It is vital to know both how to keep a relationship healthy, and to recognize red flags, said Fehr, who has a doctorate in health education and does research focused on human sexuality and reducing

relationship violence. This all becomes especially important in a relationship when the pursuit of the relationship is misdirected, she explained..

“When you come [to college] you are truly more autonomous than you have ever been before,” Fehr said. “You

them.”

Genetics sophomore Ariana Morganti said if she met someone here at A&M who met her preferences she would attempt to pursue the relationship, but for now, she is not actively seeking.

get to decide who you are going to hang out with and when. With this come the complexities of having to navigate that.”

Intimacy, passion and commitment can identify and define relationships, Fehr said. She points to Sternberg’s “Triangle Theory of Love.”

“You not only can add with this but you can also subtract,” Fehr said. “You can have a romantic relationship that is lacking commitment or a companionate love missing passion; it helps define

“I kind of gave up,” Morganti said. “In the A&M dating pool, most men do not match my preferences. I got on dating apps, but I don’t think I ever found someone who was genuine and was not just looking for a routine hookup.”

College students have a tendency to mix experimenting with alcohol and casual sex together, according to a 2022 study. When college students overindulge with alcohol, they engaged in risky sexual behaviors such

as unprotected sex, hooking up with strangers, and even no memory of the sexual encounter, according to Sara K. Kaylor.

Drugs and alcohol disable consent, Fehr said. So if someone is impaired, whether it is prescription medication, recreational drug use, or alcohol, consent cannot be given, Fehr said.

“In hookups, consent can be trickier because a lot of people report hooking up under the influence of alcohol to a certain degree,” Fehr said. “Alcohol can be used to calm nerves since alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. We even drink on dates.You try to take the edge off and get your blood pressure lowered and your heart is not racing as much; you can begin to impair your senses if you keep drinking.”

When it comes to love and sex, a big thing to show commitment to that relationship is recognizing people’s boundaries and getting that consent prior to any engagement, Fehr said.

Humans are more selective with a love partner than they are with a sexual partner, said Fehr, adding that sexual feelings are localized and love is more pervasive. There are also factors including cultural, sociological , and even psychological when selecting mates, she said.

“The value of sex does not supersede the value of love,” Fehr said. “Typically love is crucial to human happiness. It does not necessarily have to be a sexual relationship per se, but to have somebody you love and care about.”

For a small sum, the four years they

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS KRIKORIAN

Former student Colton Roach proposes to former student Chris Krikorian under the Century Tree on Saturday, May 13, 2023.

THAT SOFT LAUNCH?

spend in undergrad give them the chance to meet the love of their life. For others, college can be a time for nonchalance; a time when they can experiment with no strings attached.

One out of six people surveyed said they did not plan on getting married ever, according to the Thriving Center of Psychology on unmarried Gen Z and Millennials currently in committed relationships. The study reported that 85% of Gen Z and Millennials believe marriage is unnecessary for a successful relationship.

Gen Z has a tendency to catastrophize cases in relationships from a period

at the end of a text to someone leaving them on read, Fehr said.

“There is a lot more continuous connection,” Fehr said. “Can it help you stay close with people who are far away? Is it bene cial? Sure, but the pendulum also swings the other way where people are constantly checking Snapchat, Instagram, Tiktok and group chats.

Fehr said by having unlimited access, it can lead to problematic relationship behaviors. It’s not a red ag but it is a beige ag. There is also the expectation of ‘I need an answer now.’

Regardless of technology, it is still

85% of Gen Z and Millenials believe marriage is unnecessary

important for Gen Z to be able to communicate face-to-face and online, Fehr said.

While some choose to stay on the sidelines, others have padded up, tied up their cleats, and hit the eld, ready for the bruises, grass stains and obstacles that come with love in college.

Colton Montgomery Roach and Chris Krikorian, Class of 2022 and 2023, respectively, met in the most unexpected way in the 2020s: they met in person at Hurricane Harry’s.

“I don’t think you can draw it up any better,” Mongtomery Roach said. “The Corps is interesting. They make you shave your head your freshman year, and that doesn’t bode well with pursuing girls but I will say it makes you work on your personality,” Montgomery Roach said.

The two ran into each other in person and Roach asked Krikorian on a rock climbing date.

“To me, it probably made me feel more connected to him than prior

knowing that we had something in common, going dancing,” Krikorian said. “It honestly also threw me o the way he asked me out, because it was so bold. I don’t know if I would’ve said yes had it been any other way.”

Exactly a year and seven months later, Krikorian got her engagement ring in the same city she got her Aggie gold.

“It was awesome – my ring – I love it,” Krikorian said. “It is his grandmother’s diamond and the band is the gold from my mother’s original engagement band. I actually got to design it, which is really cool.”

Montgomery Roach planned a scavenger hunt proposal around Aggieland and ended under the Century Tree where Aggies hope they’ll one day walk with their forever person.

“I think I was ready to propose maybe six months in,” Montgomery Roach said. The pair will tie the knot on April 20, 2024.

1 of Gen Z and Millenials currently in commited relationships said they never plan on getting married 6 out of

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX

The prevalence of STI’s and STD’s in Gen Z

By Kylie Stoner

College-aged men and women are diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease or infection at a greater rate than any other age groups, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC.

While the CDC reported a dip in cases at the beginning of the pandemic, most STDs resurged in 2021, especially among those aged 15-24, according to USAFacts.org. Maintaining health depends on knowing the facts of prevention, vaccine options and when, where and how to test and seek treatment.

“No one is immune to certain diseases,” said Christopher Owens, assistant professor of Public Health for Texas A&M. “These viruses and bacteria a ect everybody the same. They don’t know who they are infecting, they just want to infect. So, I think three month testing is recommended. I recommend that for anybody who is sexually active.”

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the most common STD in the nation with 79 million Americans a ected, according to womenshealth.gov.

If left untreated, HPV has potential to cause cervical cancer, according to

79 million Americans are affected by HIV

cancer.gov.

Human immunode ciency virus, or HIV, is an infection that can lead to acquired immune de ciency syndrome, or AIDS. HIV can be passed through sexual contact, and the rates of HIV diagnoses are on the rise for certain communities, Owens said.

“[What] we see that among the non Hispanic, white community or population is that it’s actually gone down a little bit, but we do see that HIV rates continue to either be the same or increase especially among people who are of Hispanic origin and people who are of African descent origin,” Owens said.

As of 2021, HIV rates for men were signi cantly higher than those for women in the state of Texas. Males were at 3,628 cases and females were at 749 cases in the state of Texas in 2021, according to 2021 data on new HIV diagnoses in Texas. Nationally, male HIV rates in 2021 increased by 8% since 2017, and female rates remained stable, according to the CDC.

“If you are diagnosed with any STI, make sure that you get medical treatment,” Owens said. “This is really

similar to maybe other viruses and bacteria. The more that we wait the more negative e ects and long term outcomes [the STI] has.”

Eighteen to 29-y-ear olds are a ected the most by STDs and STIs, Owens said. Speci cally, HIV rates are higher within that age range. In 2021, Texans between the ages of 15 and 34 combined for 2,623 cases of HIV, according to data on new HIV diagnoses.

“[There is a] lack of education, lack of awareness but also lack of resources too,” Owens said. “A lot of healthcare organizations and HIV services that exist really were tailored for adults. Which is great, however, they’re not necessarily tailored maybe for adolescents or for those really young adults like the 18 to 21-year-olds.”

Owens is a health behavior scientist whose doctoral studies and research focus on how health care organizations and providers can improve HIV preventive and care practices.

Though HIV does a ect women, there are diseases or infections that are more prevalent within the gender. Speci cally, 20 to 24 year old women have the highest infection rate of chlamydia

in the country by a signi cant margin over men and di erent age groups. Women in that age range are diagnosed more with chlamydia than men with a 2021 national rate of 3,797.8 compared to the male rate of 1,680, according to usafacts.org.

“I think what’s really great about our current scienti c advancement is that we have vaccinations and we have certain medicines,” Owens said.

People can take pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PReP, to prevent HIV and antiretroviral therapy, or ART, to treat it.

When it comes to getting tested, it is recommended for di erent populations to get tested at di erent intervals. Sexually active queer men should be tested every three to six months, but other populations should be tested annually, according to smartclinic.com.

To get tested in the Brazos Valley, there are many options both on and o campus. On campus, students can make an appointment at A.P. Beutel Health Center at shs.tamu.edu. For o campus, visit gettested.cdc.gov to nd health department hours and locations.

COVID-19 ALL GROWN UP

How the pandemic has adapted, changed and its lasting effects

By Mitchell Hasenp��ug

Emma Wright had life after college all planned out – former student from Texas A&M University and the Corps of Cadets and commission into the U.S. Marines Corps as an o cer. Then, Wright caught COVID-19.

The Corps of Cadets is required to attend home football games, according to the Corps’ guidebook The Standard. Wright said she believes she caught COVID at the Arkansas game in 2020. One in ve people infected with COVID-19 develop long-term side e ects from COVID-19, and Wright was no di erent.

Her newly developed heat intolerance was the condition that caused her to fail her Marine Corps physical examination almost a year after she thought she had recovered from a “mild” case of COVID-19, Wright said.

“The danger is it can minimize how severe [COVID-19] can really be and how much it really can a ect your life,” Wright said. “I had put my whole identity into being a Marine Corps ofcer. Realizing that identity was going to be taken from me and shattered was something I absolutely did not know how to deal with.”

The psychology of being strongly for or against prevention methods like masks and vaccines mainly comes down to how the individual collects and veri es their news, A&M psychology professor Sherecce Fields said.

infections across the board, not just COVID.”

Gen Z may think they’re immortal when it comes to COVID-19 but even mild cases can result in symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath and brain fog, Texas A&M microbial pathogenesis and immunology professor, Julian Leibowitz, Ph.D. and M.D., said.

“It’s completely unknown how repeated [COVID-19 infections] a ect our life expectancy,” Leibowitz said. “[COVID-19 vaccines] only produce sterilized immunity for 4 to 6 months. You’re not really protected against being infected, you’re protected against severe disease.

“At least 100,000 people died unnecessarily because of the [COVID-19 vaccine] misinformation campaigns,” said Leibowitz, who is also the director of Texas A&M School of Medicine’s M.D. and Ph.D. programs.

Despite a surge of cases on campus in the rst weeks of the semester and a COVID outbreak in the Corps of Cadets dorms before the Fall semester even started, A&M is not considering changing its policies unless the State of Texas or U.S. government require it, said Nancy Fahrenwald, Ph.D., University Health Services associate vice President.

the Public Health Emergency is now over.”

Since the end of the Emergency Health Declaration by the CDC on May 11, A&M’s only active method for monitoring COVID-19 cases on its campus is through self-reporting by students and faculty and the testing of campus wastewater, according to an email sent by Texas A&M University Health Services.

A&M originally installed 16 wastewater sampling sites on campus in 2020 and tested them twice a week to help monitor COVID-19 outbreaks. Now A&M tests its wastewater weekly and uses the results to advise university o cials, Greg Hartman said, A&M University Operations chief operating o cer and senior vice president. A&M has no plans to share or publish this data, he said.

“If we see consistent large-spread increases in positive results we’ll increase our level of intensity when it comes to encouraging testing, getting booster shots and all those kinds of things,” Hartman said.

metropolitan areas not as the primary detection method.

“[Wastewater testing] is accurate and reliable in a global sense,” Leibowitz said. “For individuals it’s worthless. You’ll only nd out after the horse has left the barn testing wastewater [for COVID-19], and you’d like to get ahead of it a little.”

While A&M provides COVID-19 vaccines and at-home testing kits for students via the student health services center, they can cost up to $155 and $100 respectively if a student is outside of their insurance network.

If a student is feeling sick the best thing that they can do is to get tested, report their test results, wear a mask and practice social distancing, Leibowitz said.

One of the most important resources a student can rely on after developing long COVID-19 symptoms is their own social network, Fields said.

“People who are more engaged with their community are more inclined to participate in [wearing masks],” Fields said, whose research and doctoral studies are in clinical psychology. “Participating in prevention behaviors reduced

“It’s part of a typical uptick in upper respiratory infections,” Fahrenwald said. “If we see a concern we notify higher administration and then [administration] discusses if policies need to change university-wide.

“Bringing back Testing Kiosks is not justi ed right now,” Fehrenwald said. “Those kiosks only happened because of the Public Health Emergency and

The quality of the sample used is of chief concern when testing wastewater for COVID-19, A&M environment and sustainability professor Virender Sharma, Ph.D., said in a wastewater testing study. Everything from the time since collection, temperature, oating solids and reactive materials can interfere with the test, Sharma said, after a review of the wastewater COVID-19 testing in 2021.

In the study, Sharma recommended the wastewater COVID-19 testing method for regions lacking the infrastructure for traditional testing or large

When Wright learned she was medically disquali ed from the Marines she said she spiraled. It took a week at a friend’s house o campus for her to be able to begin to recover emotionally, Wright said.

“Life is good,” Wright said, now a little more than a year after graduation. “It was because of my heat intolerance that I was able to do an internship in Bryan that landed me in the job I have now. I’ve started to see all the good things.”

CHATGPT

NO NEED FOR A ‘B’

How artificial intelligence is affecting the first generation to use it

By Caroline Dollar

The innovation of ChatGPT – a form of arti cial intelligence that is able to generate speech and analyze text in order to aid its users – was released on Nov. 30, 2022. This new technology is advancing into an inevitable aspect of learning within the classroom at Texas A&M University.

Gen Z is the rst to experience the program, and it’s a recent topic of debate regarding whether or not arti cial intelligence will take over human jobs and destroy education or become a vital tool when teaching students.

Out of 1,223 college graduate and undergraduate students, 30% said they utilized ChatGPT for school-related work, according to a survey conducted on Sept. 5 by Intelligent.com, an editorially independent website that analyzes frequently reviewed data.

It is important students are taught how to operate ChatGPT and know how to do skills that arti cial intelligence is not able to perform, said Tracy Hammond, department of computer

science and engineering professor. It is also bene cial that students are familiar with AI because other individuals will know how to manage the program, so this ensures the student is not at a disadvantage and is not replaced by the technology itself, Hammond said.

“At the end of the day we’re trying to create people who are the best educated and the most capable, so that involves being able to e ectively use ChatGPT to make themselves more e ective,” Hammond said. “We also have to be sure we are teaching our students how to do something other than what could be done by ChatGPT.”

Tedious tasks make it hard for humans to notice and correct every mistake within their writing, codebases and other intricate pieces of work, according to OpenAi.com, a company that researches arti cial intelligence. This alludes to the invention of articial intelligence that can assist users in locating errors within a complex piece

of writing or database, according to OpenAi.

A professor for an entry-level communication class permitted the use of ChatGPT if students needed more clari cation on coding questions or how to operate coding programs like Java, said communication senior Christina Betti, who has a minor in cybersecurity.

ChatGPT can generate information very quickly and her professor encouraged the students to use the technology for basic clari cation on how to code for assignments that were not tests or quizzes, Betti said.

“I think it’s super nice because AI just is able to generate all this information super quickly,” Betti said. “You could have to talk to professors or a TA and they may not respond to you.”

ChatGPT can possibly increase lazy student syndrome due to the decline in students needing to conduct their own research because the program provides users with an abundance of

information from a simple sentence, said Dr. Cindy Gordon, CEO and the founder of SalesChoice – an arti cial intelligence company that specializes in ghting revenue uncertainty and ine ciencies – in a Forbes article.

Since the technology is so new, professors and faculty are discussing if using AI on assignments is considered plagiarism and should be allowed in the classroom.

“If you aren’t attributing the fact that you used AI and are passing it o as your work, that’s problematic, but also anytime the instructor has delineated what is acceptable use if you are violating that, you could be accused of committing academic integrity violation,” said Nancy Vazquez, executive director of the A&M Writing Center.

She hopes students do not become less likely to seek help on their writing after the invention of ChatGPT and wonders if professors will assign less writing due to the upgrade in technology,Vazquez said.

out of 1,223 undergraduates said they use CHATGPT for school related work 30% NOV. 30, 2022 CHATGPT was released

INCOME, EXPENSES AND GIRL MATH?

OH MY!

Learning how to put then “fun” in funding

By Zoe May

Thirty-one percent of Gen Z said they do not have a budget, while 32% said they spend more than they make, according to a 2023 study conducted by Bread Financial. Bread Financial identifies itself as an electronically-minded company that provides financial services such as loans and private credit cards, according to its website.

Sixty percent of two-year college students said they use budgets compared to 39% of four-year college students, according to a survey conducted by EVERFI, a financial researcher, and Higher One, a financial aid assistant.

The financial literacy struggles of college students can find their roots in the culture as a whole, as 73% of Gen Z believes the economic environment makes it challenging to save, according

to 2022 research published by Bank of America.

Social media is piling on the problem with trends such as “girl math” that perpetuate stereotypes predating the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974, according to Forbes personal finance contributor Pattie Ehsaei. In her Aug. 29 article, Ehsaei argues that “girl math” conveys that women are incapable of using logic in financial situations, being trusted with money or considering a financial future.

Budgeting apps have become the universal banking and financial method for Gen Z, as 99% use a banking app and 25% use those banking apps for budgeting purposes. NerdWallet conducted research to determine the eight best budgeting apps of 2023 and concluded that Mint,YNAB and

Goodbudget came out on top.

Mint is a free app that syncs multiple accounts — such as checking, savings and credit cards — and helps the user create categories to track expenses, according to its website. However, if Gen Z is looking for a more hands on app, NerdWallet suggests choosing a different one, as Mint automates everything.

YNAB lists a monthly cost of $14.99 or $99 a year and helps users make financial decisions in advance rather than categorizing transactions after the fact; the user tells YNAB how they want their paycheck divided, according to its website. Because of all these decisions, NerdWallet advises using an alternate app if the user wishes to be more hands off.

Goodbudget rounds out the top three, offering both a free option and a premium version at $8 a month or $70 a year. Goodbudget uses an enve-

lope budgeting system, which entails portioning out income towards specific categories, according to its website. The app requires you to manually put in your bank account balances and expenses, but assists you in the process after, according to the Goodbudget website. If the user wishes to spend less time on budgeting, look to other apps, according to NerdWallet’s review.

For those looking for a higher number in their income column, investing can build long-term wealth, according to Forbes, but they suggest setting goals, using a realistic strategy and determining what you can afford. However, before tackling cryptocurrencies or the stock market, Bankrate. com suggests opening a high-yielding savings account for college students due to their fixed rates.

HOW TO BUILD A BETTER BUDGET

According to a study by personal finance site NerdWallet, 85% of college students have checking accounts but the average college student overdrafts two times a year and receives $35 in fees each time. In order to prevent financial turmoil, the office of Federal Student Aid suggests creating a budget to track income and expenses by choosing a time period, identifying tools, tracking income and recording expenses.

The first step to creating a budget is listing combined monthly income or expected income, according to Oregon’s Division of Financial Regulation. If monthly income is inconsistent, make a conservative estimation. Then, list monthly fixed expenses such as rent, insurance and fees, followed by variable expenses like groceries, gas and eating out, according to Oregon’s DFR. It also reminds budget builders to consider annual

expenses by dividing them by 12 and adding them to monthly budgets.

Once the income and expenses have been compiled, compare them and determine your saving or spending goals, according to Oregon’s DFR. It suggests saving or investing 10 to 20% of your paycheck.

Finally, track spending, compare against the initial plan and stick with it, according to Oregon’s DFR. As for what to include in your budget,

Capital One suggests: rent, utilities, transportation costs like car insurance or bus tickets, gas, groceries, internet including cable, subscriptions, health care, travel and gifts. Also, setting aside an amount for an emergency fund, even if it cuts into savings, provides a piece of mind and security for unexpected expenses, according to Capital One.

SHOW ME THE MONEY

The past, present and future of student loans for the

Walking the stage to receive a diploma and throwing a graduation cap in the air marks a huge milestone for students. For Gen Z-ers who must take out student loans, crossing that finish line has become more difficult given the 179.2% increase in average costs associated with attending a four-year institution in the last 20 years, according to Bankrate.

On average, Gen Z students throughout the country take out $20,800 in loans, according to an article from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. This average is 13% higher than that of millennials, while the median value of Gen Z’s loans was 14% higher at $12,800. Because of the increase in average costs, students are taking out larger sums of private and

KEEPING REPAYMENTS IN MIND

By Anna Deardorff

It can be overwhelming to understand how the repayment process works for graduates when it comes to student loans, but resources exist on campus for A&M students.

Federal Student Aid, an office within the U.S. Department of Education, paused student loan payments from March 13, 2020 until Sept. 1 due to COVID-19, according to StudentAid. gov. Students who have graduated at least six months ago can expect the first payment in October, according to StudentAid.gov. Those whose payments got paused will be expected to make that payment, as well.

To help answer students’ financial aid questions, Aggie One Stop opened in January of 2022, according to Texas A&M Today.

“There is benefit if a student can repay their loans prior to the six-month grace period,” said Falks at Aggie One Stop. “For a Federal Direct Subsidized Student loan, no interest accrues on these loans while in school nor during

the six-month grace period.”

About 40% of A&M undergraduates from 2021-22 borrowed and had an average debt of $28,989 each from Federal Direct, Falks said.

Lauren Dorsett, director of health promotion at A&M, said she is expecting to get her Doctorate of Public Health, or DrPH, from the University of Illinois in May of 2025. She graduated with her undergrad in community health in 2006 and with her master’s in health education in 2010, each from A&M. For all three degrees, she noted she had to take out loans and work while being a student. Dorsett said she remembers being creative with her dinner, or sometimes not eating at all. During the early part of her marriage to her husband who also had student loans, Dorsett said the two prioritized payments.

“I would say number one: budget it in,” Dorsett said. “Make a plan for whatever is reasonable that you can put toward that loan.You want to make

federal loans.

While necessary at the moment, if loans are not paid back and are defaulted, it will heighten a borrower’s risk for garnished wages, damaged credit scores and future federal aid, said Delsia Falks, the vice president of scholarships & financial aid at Aggie One Stop, in an email.

“Students should always be aware of

headway on your principle, so if you cannot pay, because it’s the principle and the interest, so if you can pay your interest and a little more on the principle, you’ll start to get ahead on the total.”

Although it’s an option to stick to standard repayment plans, Dorsett said some people can’t afford that, so loan servicers have options that are income-based for borrowers depending on their repayment plan. With loan payments resuming in October, Dorsett said she’s heard a number of reactions from colleagues and friends.

“I think the biggest thing I’ve heard is it was nice during the time period where those were deferred, but it’s not like they had extra money to work with because of inflation,” Dorsett said. “So it just canceled itself out. And so now, it’s like, pay an extra bill that they didn’t have prior to the deferment period.”

For a number of professionals in public health, Dorsett said many are applying to get their loans forgiven, meaning certain citizens are eligible to get their loans canceled, according to StudentAid.gov. In some situations,

what types of loans they are borrowing, [and know] that these loans have to be repaid,” Falks said in an email. “Regardless of if they graduate or not, [borrowers should] know who their loan servicer is, the repayment details, how much they have borrowed in total and what their average monthly payments will be.”

10 years of working in an underserved area are required for the application alone, which Dorsett said she’s seen happen before, but acknowledged it depends on who’s in office and if they’ll allow the forgiveness program to continue.

“I have a lot of cohort mates who are choosing to work in locations for long periods of time to try to apply for loan forgiveness, because we’re probably never going to make enough money to be able to just easily pay that off,” Dorsett said. “They’re not … making incredible headway on paying their loans off. They’re kind of paying the minimum, to get by, and hope that their 10 years of service will help them.”

Aggie One Stop opened a new office in the General Services Complex and has team members trained on assisting students with questions regarding finances. Tutorial videos regarding how to sign up for payment plans and submit payments can be found under Aggie One Stop’s resources page.

BATTLE WITH THE BANK

By Emily Godsey

Gen Z’s lack of financial education and desperation to afford college, sometimes in emergency situations, have both become more apparent in recent years as they continue to take out large sums of money to pay for school and fall victim to predatory lenders.

One semester before former student Emma Wright was set to walk across the stage and graduate from Texas A&M in 2022, she was told by the school that her full-ride Reserve Officers’ Training Corps scholarship was being stripped away from her due to a newly developed medical condition.

No money had been saved for such an emergency, so her mother took out a federal student loan to cover the costs, Wright said.

“I was mostly just relieved,” Wright said. “I just thought once I finished fall semester and got through all of those

crazy medical appointments and medical issues, then I could worry about paying it back, and I could figure it all out later.”

Now that she is paying the loan back, Wright said she wished she had done more research before taking out the loan.

“I should have asked what options were available, or figured out my goals for loan repayment,” Wright said. “Those were all things I did not think about at all when I was going through that process and now that I have to repay that loan, it’s all been a little bit intimidating.”

Gen Zers like Wright can sometimes seek knowledge from experienced parents, older siblings or friends, said Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst for Bankrate, a website dedicated to personal finance and related industry news. Oftentimes, students are unable

179.2 in average costs associated with attending four-year institution in the last 20 years. PERCENT INCREASE

DEBT, DOLLARS AND DUE DATES

By Cory Richardson

Education junior Easton Barnes, who is currently taking out loans at Texas A&M to cover tuition and housing, said his current $30,000 debt doesn’t bother him.

“I took out a significant amount,” Barnes said. “But I’m not worried about my student debt because everyone has debt, that’s the reality.”

Lauren Dorsett, director of Health Promotion at Texas A&M, said she loses sleep over having to pay back her

to get their questions answered before taking out a loan.

“At the end of the day, we’re largely on our own, which leads to people learning from personal experience,” Rossman said. “I just think it’s so important, but if nothing else, to take matters into your own hands and do a little research – it is really important to have some sort of foundation.”

The internet provides ways to improve financial literacy, Rossman said. The Federal Student Aid website provides vital information on how loans actually work, while financial blogs, podcasts and videos can be useful in terms of understanding student loans and what they entail.

Blogs such as The Student Loan Lawyer and podcasts like Borrowed Future from Ramsey Solutions provide students with free student loan reviews, information on the fundamentals of taking out loans and warnings regarding predatory lenders.

Predatory lending practices are growing more apparent because of

Gen Z’s lack of financial education, Rossman said. They are equipped with high interest rates and unclear repayment options, while advertising themselves to unsuspecting students in need of financial assistance.

In many cases, predatory lenders utilize compound interest, according to an article from Bankrate, contrasting the simple interest that federal loans and most preferred servicers use. With compound interest, a student will pay more over time, sometimes creating long lasting financial hardships.

Comprehending loan agreements and their associated information, like interest rates, is vital to being successful when using financial aid to pay for college, Rossman said.

With help from sources such as studentaid.gov, students can be better prepared whenever the moment arises for them to think about loans.

40 PERCENT of A&M undergraduates borrowed with an average debt of $28,989 from 2021-22

student loans because she has two kids to raise.

“With the economy the way it is and inflation the way it is, it’s really starting to hit how expensive groceries are,” Dorsett said, who graduated from A&M in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Health and in 2010 with a Master of Science in Health Education. “And [my kids] are in school, so there’s all kinds of school expenses that come with that.”

Dorsett is currently attending the University of Illinois for her doctorate in public health and said she anticipates accruing $65,000 worth of student loan debt upon graduation.

“I am taking a financial risk in taking on loans to do this,” Dorsett said. “And I’m hoping that it will benefit me.”

A&M Class of ’22 graduate Irene Robles-Ramirez said that her husband owed over $200,000 in student loans, and until recently, the debt has played a major role in their lives. His loans were forgiven under the Public Service

Loan Forgiveness program.

“We got that letter to tell us that they were forgiven maybe seven months ago,” Robles-Ramirez said. “And let me tell you, that was a celebration dinner like no other.”

“For many, many years [my husband’s] credit was horrible,” Robles-Ramirez said. “It was wrecked, and it takes a lot of time and patience to fix credit.”

Editor’s Note: Interviews were pooled to contribute quotations to this article.

EDIT YOUR CREDIT

How to get the best out of a credit card and prepare for a financial future

By Cory Richardson

Are you a perfect 850? What does that number even mean, and why is it important?

Credit scores are essentially predictions of a person’s credit behavior based on information from their credit reports. Factors that impact credit scores are things like bill-paying history, the number of loans a person has, how long they’ve had those loans and how much credit they are using, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a U.S. government agency that makes sure financial companies, lenders and banks treat their customers fairly.

Today in America, the average FICO score is 714, and the average credit card interest rate is 24.45%, the highest it has been since 2019, according to LendingTree.com, an online marketplace for financial borrowing needs.

The difference in interest rate between a very good FICO score and a poor one can be more than 8%, which could lead to months of time and hundreds if not thousands of dollars lost, depending on how much you owe, according to LendingTree.com.

Learning how to build a good credit score can also help land a better job, a better apartment, lower home and car insurance rates and more, according to NerdWallet.com, an independent

financial comparison website that helps people make informed financial decisions.

HOW TO BEGIN

The good news for college students, who likely don’t have credit history, is there are multiple ways to get approved for a credit card and to start building credit history now. Options include student credit cards, secured credit cards, becoming an authorized user, using rent-reporting services and using Experian Boost to record cell phone and utility payments, according to NerdWallet.com.

For students new to the credit game, start with the basics, said Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst for Bankrate, a personal finance website.

“My advice to people just starting out with credit cards would be to practice those fundamentals,” Rossman said. “Don’t get so worried about rewards and benefits. I mean that stuff is fun, but it’s more important to avoid interest, focus on building your credit, keeping your fees low.”

CRASH RECOVERY 101

A wrecked credit score from late payments, overdue payments or nonpayment will

follow unprepared borrowers for years. It happened to Texas A&M Class of ‘22 graduate Irene Robles-Ramirez, who said she applied for her first credit card at the age of 19. Now 49-years-old, she said that mistake took decades to fix.

“I knew nothing about money, and this credit card had a limit of $1,700, which isn’t a lot of money in the grand scheme of things,” Robles-Ramirez said. “But that tiny amount of $1,700 played a big role in the trajectory of my financial life.”

“Because I was so young and naive about finance, I of course rang up that credit card,” Robles-Ramirez said. “I of course made minimum payments, which blew up my interest rate, and I of course ended up with bad credit because, at the end of the day, I couldn’t pay it off.”

Her wish? That what she knows now, someone had explained to her when she was 19.

“It’s so easy to wreck your credit, but so difficult to put it back together,” Robles-Ramirez said.

The silver financial lining is that Robles-Ramirez and her husband recovered their credit, are homeowners and she is planning to come back to A&M for a graduate degree.

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DASHINGTO YOUR DOOR

The pros and cons of adding food delivery to Gen Z side gigs

By Emma Neuman

With exible hours and high demand, working for food delivery services has become a popular side gig for Gen Z.

Food delivery within the “gig” economy has become increasingly common with 9% of people between the ages of 20 to 30 working for a food delivery service, according to Zippia. The average hourly wages for DoorDash is $24.50 and $25.60 for Uber Eats, according to Gridwise.

DoorDash pay is based on initial pay, plus promotions and tips which equal earnings while abeing dependent on distance, desirability and estimated time, according to The Ride Share Guy. The amount of money the driver goes home with depends on factors such as app and restaurant payout which di er between food delivery services, according to a survey conducted by The Washington Post.

In order to best prepare as a busy student working for food delivery, Ray Charles “Chuck” Howard, assistant professor in marketing at Mays Business School said that expenses and income will change each week and uctuations are an inherent part of this side gig.

Howard said in order to not overpredict income and under predict expenses, students should forecast available work hours for the week and understand that it could change.

Understanding the nature of being a student and the exibility of food delivery is what Howard said will help students when predicting income.

“It’s not about acknowledging weaknesses or self-limitations, but acknowledging life,” Howard said.

There are two inputs to every budget, Howard said earnings and expenses. To best utilize earnings compared to expenses within food delivery, Howard said students should not base their spending on a high income week when income uctuates on a weekly basis. Howard said this can result negatively if the following week’s income falls behind.

“Don’t spend based on your best week but based on your worst,” Howard said.

Depending on the service, some companies have quali cations for the vehicle used to deliver — like UberEats — which requires the car to be 20 years old or newer, according to Hyrecar.

food delivery reported to the University Police Department, he said it still happens.

“Be aware of your surroundings,” Deleon said. “There will be areas where people [deliver] that are dark. Carry a ashlight with you. Have an app that lets your friends know where you’re at.”

Carrying a gun is a right citizens have in Texas and Deleon said people need to be educated and safe. Deleon said it is up to the discretion of the driver when deciding to carry a rearm for protection.

“I would recommend having whatever they are carrying concealed in a place that is easily accessible like in the glove box or center console,” Deleon said. “I certainly wouldn’t have [a gun] showing because that is just inviting unwanted attention.”

that I’m just here to drop o food,” Williams said. “When I get out I grab the food and basically put it in front of my face walking up to the door.”

Agricultural applied economics junior Kade Stokes from Texas Tech said he encountered a dangerous situation when doordashing around 11:15 p.m. on March 11 in Lubbock. While delivering an order from McDonald’s, Stokes said he accidentally dropped o the order at the wrong house. Stokes said he then went to get the order to give to the customer.

“I go back to my car to wait for another order, then he comes out and has a gun in his hand, he is very angry, he points it at me and says ‘They forgot some of my food,’” Stokes said.

Stokes said he then o ered to go back to McDonald’s to get the rest of the customers’ order since he said that McDonald’s systems were down. The customer declined but then proceeded to send him messages after he had left the apartment, Stokes said.

An oil change is expected to cost $20 to $75, a basic inspection from $150 to $250 and tire rotation from $35 to $100 and should occur around every 5,000 miles driven, according to Bankrate.

Sport management senior Zach Williams said he works seven days a week from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and said he sometimes feels uneasy when delivering outside of town on homeowners properties.

“I was shook up,” Stokes said. “I got home and my heart was just racing because I thought I was going to die over a McDonalds order.”

Although Community Service Unit Sergeant of the Special Operations Division Josh Deleon said he is not aware of any dangerous situations within

9% of people between the ages of 20 to 30 work for a food delivery service

“I just have to make tions are very clear I

DoorDash has now included a feature within the app called SafeDash that allows drivers to call 911 or text for help, according to DoorDash.

FROM FOLLOWERS TO FAME

By Laura McClintock

For the past three years, communication junior So a Felker has collaborated as a brand ambassador with companies such as Hollister, Alani, Pink and roughly seven others while being a full-time student.

Since January 2015, the number of people working both primary and secondary full-time jobs has trended up, according to Federal Reserve Economic Data. Within Gen Z speci cally, 43% have a second part-time or full-time job, that includes being a platform worker, consulting, running a small business and social media in uencing, according to Deloitte.

As a side gig, Felker said she works with companies to gain learning experience in digital marketing, to make connections and she likes the products she promotes. She said she nds her partnership opportunities through social media like TikTok and Instagram.

“I like free stu , I like getting paid and I like Instagram,” Felker said. “I usually do the student ambassador roles because right now, brands I have seen trending are all trying to

Brand partnerships help with supplemental income

get Gen Z to promote their brands, especially in colleges.”

People who use applications and platforms to perform services or sell goods for a pro t are considered platform workers, according to the Census Bureau. In 2021, 490,000 people were platform workers. With currently over 10,000 followers on Instagram, communication junior Caroline Dobbs is a Jon Hart college ambassador. She said she has been working on social media platforms for two years and values the connections she creates through her job.

“When one door closes, another one opens,” Dobbs said. “It’s been de nitely trial and error with that nding out what are the best things to say to market yourself. I would also say in a positive light that it gives you the con dence to go out and not be afraid to take no as an answer.”

The opportunities in the gig economy can be attributed to the apps and platforms that exist today, and gig work is attractive to people because of the exibility, said professor Jonathan Meer.

42% View 490,000 other comments

Unfortunately, institutional structures are built for a world with people with one full-time job and not for the reality of the gig economy, he said.

“These structures, things like social security, unemployment insurance, those safety net programs, are not structured for a world where people have multiple jobs where they essentially function as independent contractors,” Meer said. “The solution is de nitely not what some states are doing, which is essentially trying to cram gig work into a box of the old style, forcing gig workers to be employees.”

Social media has created a lot of opportunities for our generation, like unimaginable connections and exibility in the job market, but also can lead to a lot of misinformation,Meer said. Platform work, speci cally in uencing, is similar to that of entrepreneurship where the likelihood of success is extreme.

“To the extent that the in uencer economy, so much of this is structured much like a winner-take-all

– we can’t all be in uencers,” Meer said. “For every Mr. Beast, there’s probably literally a million content creators who will spend tons of time on it and never make a penny from it. Which is ne if they’re enjoying it, but if they’re viewing it as some actual way to make money, well that’s wasteful.”

Both Felker and Dobbs said every company varies in compensation, from getting gifted products, discounts and gift cards or a percentage of the sales made from their a liate links. Dobbs said that if she has a good month where she goes viral and $500 worth of orders go through, she would make roughly $50.

“I don’t make a large enough income to support myself o of it,” Dobbs said. “I do think for now it is a fun little side gig and no matter what happens, I’ll de nitely still have those connections and stay in good standing with a lot of these brands that I worked with.”

Liked by TheBattOnline, BattSports and others of Generation Z have a second part-time or full-time job

RISK AND RECESS

How gambling, day trading has increased and decreased the pocket of Gen Z

By Abby Jarrett

Day trading and gambling have become popular ways for college students to make fast cash. This addictive “sport” has become something that is accessible to almost everybody and is only growing, according to U.S News and World Report.

With over 75% of college age students having participated in some sort of online sports betting, gambling or day trading, this hobby has become one of the biggest side hustles for young adults since 2011 when online gambling was rst legalized in certain states, according to The Daily Gazette. This $92.9 billion industry has grown in popularity across college campuses.

Finance sophomore John Burger said he rst got his start with stock trading and online gambling during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

“There’s a stigma around day trading that is synonymous with gambling,” Burger said. “My rebuttal to that is every time you do something where you don’t know the outcome, it is gambling. I don’t think it’s a tting term, especially if you’re able to do it within such a pro table realm.”

Finances and Wall Street have always peaked his interest, Burger said. Taking a deeper dive into the world of day trading created opportunities he never thought he could have as a 15-yearold.

“I started trading during COVID[-19] because it was a stupid easy way to make money,” Burger said. “I turned $100 into ve grand in less than two months, but then within three or four days I turned ve grand into zero, which is a common story for people who trade.”

While he recognizes that his egotistical emotions towards trading are bad, Burger said he loves the rush.

“Once I saw that I could sit in my room and make money just o of being right, it fed my ego,” Burger said. “If you know me, you know that I love being right, so trading feeds that. I know it’s a bad thing, but I love it. I love nance and I love winning.”

Only 13% of day traders are consistently pro table over a six month period, according to a study done by The University of California. Burger has proven to be a part of that 13%, he said.

“I’ve made enough money through this that I can a ord to come to college and support my family,” Burger said. “People say money can’t make you happy, but I do know that only being 19-years-old and being able to support the people that raised me; it feels pretty damn good.”

A big part of gambling is understanding the di erence between luck and investing, said Logan Colhoun, a nance sophomore and president of the Aggie Investment Club.

“The two di erences between investing and gambling is that gambling will always have a negative expected value,” Colhoun said. “If you are looking at the probabilities and the returns of going to a blackjack table, if you gamble you are expected to lose.You will lose money.”

“We encourage students to actually try and understand what they are investing in,” Colhoun said. “Risk is correlated with return. We encourage our students to stay away from anything speculative because at that point, you’re gambling and you’ll lose money, unless you’re lucky.”

If the statistics for day trading are so poor and traders are expected to lose, why has it become so popular among college students? Overcon dence

could be the root of the issue, according to a CNBC article.

“I’ve started to become more responsible now that I’m managing larger amounts of money,” Burger said. “Trading skews your perspective on money.

“At 15 I thought $100 was a lot,” Burger said.“Now when I want something that’s like nineteen grand or something like that, my mindset is ‘Oh, I’ve lost way more than that in one day,’ so I start buying really stupid things.”

Assistance Athletics Broadcast Director at The University of North Texas Matthew Wilmarth has seen how sports betting and online gambling can alter careers and personal lives.

“I think sports betting has a lot of potential,” Wilmarth said. “It’s an easy way to make quick money, but it’s also a really easy way to lead to some bad nancial situations. I don’t think it’s a viable nance support option for students.”

Wilmarths’s family has personal experience with the e ects of gambling.

“My brother is heavily involved in sports betting,” Wilmarth said. “I’ve seen him neglect family functions in order to launch games or tune in to nd out if he cashed out. I’ve watched him win big but I’ve also watched him lose big and it’s something that I’m not a fan of, especially as someone who works for the NCAA.”

Wilmarths’s brother declined to comment for the article.

Although the majority of people turning a pro t o of day trading and gambling have gotten lucky, Colhoun said there is a legitimate way to have a constant stream of cash even though it still comes with risk.

“You could invest in a treasury

bond right now for zero risk and make 5% a year o of that,” Colhoun said. “If you have enough money sitting around and 5% a year is enough to pay your tuition then you absolutely could pay your tuition and live o of that.

“But as soon as you go to higher returns, you take on more risk.You could make money, but you could also lose more money than you make.”

13 of day traders are consistently profitable over six months percent

92.9 billion dollar has grown in popularity across college campuses

16 gambling/trading

BLACK OUT OR BACK OUT

Alcohol and its affects on the Gen Z college experience

By Eli Meschko

For some people who have an addiction, it can be the loudest thing in their brain, A&M health promotion specialist Megan Buck said.

For many students, this addiction can be alcohol as the high-risk period for binge drinking for college students is the rst six weeks of their freshman year, according to the Alcohol Rehab Guide. While alcohol can be seen as a part of social life in college, for some it can spiral out of control and carry high-risk behaviors.

It’s worth noting that Gen Z generally drinks less than older generations and are the fastest growing consumers for non-alcoholic beverages, according to Statista. Although Gen Z drinks less, the rates of alcohol use disorders have remained around 15% in 18 to 25 year olds from 2012 to 2021, according to the 2021 study by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

In 2019, there were 104,000 19-yearold college students who had an alcohol use disorder, according to a 2021 study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The same study found that the number of students with a disorder grew to 231,000 by age 21.

“There are correlations between the onset of use and early exposure to a substance,” Dr. Benjamin Montemayor said, an assistant professor in health behavior. “It is hard to say whether exposure and addiction are linked, but people who are exposed earlier are more likely to develop a disorder.”

College students are more at risk of developing an alcohol-use disorder due to the availability of alcohol around college, Dr. Adam Barry said, the head of the Department of Health Behavior.

“College is a wet environment; there’s more alcohol around it,” Barry

said. “If you look at a college campus footprint, you’re going to have alcohol outlets like bars and restaurants. So, you have young individuals who come into college with more freedom mixed with the density of alcohol outlets around campus.”

This can lead to high-risk behaviors, Barry said. There are 1,519 college students aged 18-24 who die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes every year, according to statistics from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

“College-aged individuals, typically 21-24 year olds are more likely to engage in driving after drinking,” Barry said. “You have less experienced people who have a tendency to engage in more risky, impulsive behaviors. All that combined make college students a high-risk group in engaging in impaired driving.”

While the in uence of alcohol around campuses can cause a student to develop a bad habit, there are other things like peer pressure, Montemayor said.

“It’s not like the peer pressure we saw in those videos in high school,” Montemayor said. “It is more about people’s desire to t in rather than the pressure to t in.”

The desire to t in is a natural need, Buck said, adding that humans want to have people they can trust and have fun with.

“The people who have accepted you into their community might engage in substances,” Buck said. “It’s just naturally going to be harder for you to resist that.”

Ways to reach out

Buck is also a facilitator for the SMART Recovery program at A&M. She said the program is designed to be peers helping peers and teaches problem-solving skills and strategies.

“I encourage people to sign up for a SMART Recovery meeting,” Buck said. “If you want to talk to someone one-on-one, you can email our o ce and we can schedule some time to talk things through. It also doesn’t mean anything has to happen after

15% rate of alcohol abuse in 18 to 25 year olds from 2012 to 2021

1,519collegestudents aged18-24who diefromalcohol-relatedunintentionalinjuries that either.”

Students who wish to reach out can contact health promotion at healthpromotion@tamu.edu or call 979845-0280.

A LETHAL LACE

How opioids and fentanyl affect Gen Z

By Parker Hurley

A college student went to a party. They agreed to take a pill; it’s college, social drug use isn’t uncommon. The tablet was laced with fentanyl. One casual exposure to a drug contaminated with this deadly opioid ended their life.

Gen Z college students are dying of fentanyl overdoses during the rst or second time they engage with drugs; most of them do not get the chance to develop a substance use disorder, leading PharmD expert Dr. Joy Alonzo said. The number of deaths from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl was 22 times higher in 2021 than in 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This is new, compared to past overdose deaths.

“It’s not like, you know, actually shooting up heroin,” Alonzo said, an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy practice at Texas A&M. “You’re taking something that looks like a contaminated tablet.”

It only takes two milligrams of fentanyl to be lethal, an amount so small that it can t on the tip of a pencil, and 42% of pills tested for the opioid contained a fatal dose, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Illegally made fentanyl is smuggled across the Mexican border into the United States and is known for its heroin-like e ects; it makes drugs cheaper due to its high potency, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The way the cartel and the dealers use social media to promote their products in the illicit drug market, that has changed things [for this genera-

tion],” Alonzo said.

Fentanyl test strips, used to determine if the fatal opioid is present in drugs someone is about to use, are illegal and considered drug paraphernalia in the state of Texas, despite them being a reliable and a ordable tool that combat deaths involving fentanyl, according to a Texas Legislature Committee Report.

“Carry Narcan,” Lilly Ettinger said, who recovered from a substance use addiction. “I’m a big fan of those things. I know A&M has people who teach on how to use it. Everybody in the state of Texas can get Narcan for free at morenarcanplease.com, and as of last week, [pharmacies have it] over the counter – it’s about 45 bucks, at like, CVS [and] Walgreens without insurance.”

Narcan can be the di erence between life and death during a fentanyl overdose because it has the power to reverse one if it’s administered in time; expanding the distribution of this medication, which is also known as naloxone, is one of the prevention measures being taken amidst the epidemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“When I tried opiates for the rst time, fentanyl wasn’t in the United States outside of hospitals,” Ettinger said. “It just wasn’t. We hadn’t hit that epidemic yet.”

Understanding the risks behind using substances regularly, or even experimentation, is important, said Dr. Meg Patterson, an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at A&M. A constantly changing

22X number of deaths from fentanyl is in 2021 than 2013

environment like college makes the body unstable, turning it into a dangerous place to introduce new things such as opioids, Patterson said.

“When I was working with students, particularly in the addiction space, it is not a weird thing to want to feel good, that’s a normal thing, and we just need to gure out how to do that well instead of harmfully,” Patterson said.

As the head of an addiction recovery program at Baylor University, Patterson said two of the biggest things in recovery are social support and physical activity. A&M has resources such as SMART Recovery that educate people on substance misuse and assist those who have identi ed they have an addiction. Patterson said she recommends these types of programs because it’s helpful to learn from and lean on people who are navigating substance di culties in college.

“Life can be really hard, and things can be really sucky sometimes, but man, there’s a lot of good that can be

done,” Patterson said. “There’s a lot of resilience to experience and that happens really well when you’re connected with people.”

Sober for more than 10 years now, a mother, married and the director of the center for students in recovery at UT Austin, Ettinger said she is grateful for all the chances she had when she was struggling with substance abuse, because she knows not everyone gets as many tries as she did, especially amidst the epidemic.

“There are just accidents that happen with a single, you know, overuse or just like a single incidence of overuse,” Ettinger said. “Regular experimentation could still lead to these consequences that seem outsized, and we’ve

42% of pills tested for fentanylcontained a fatal dose

known that about [incidents with] alcohol forever – but all substances are like that right now, and that just wasn’t the case for a long time.”

18 synthetic opioids