issue 22// vol 45 » Subway is better than Quiznos in every way Jessica Berget Opinions Editor et >. t might sound hard to believe now, but Subway and Quiznos were at one time competitors in the submarine sandwich business. Since Quiznos had to file for bankruptcy in 2014, Subway has taken the lead. Yet the debate still remains: Which restaurant chain has the better sub? Based on the cost, convenience, variety of ingredients, and overall deliciousness, I argue that Subway takes the cake—or rather the sandwich. Don’t get me wrong, I like Quiznos, but if I had to choose between the two I would pick Subway in a heartbeat. First of all, Subway fulfills consumers’ need for quick, cheap, and delicious food by offering $6 footlong sandwiches, a saving grace if you need something filling on a budget. On the other hand, I find Quiznos subs are sometimes overpriced and there’s not as much variety with what ingredients you can put on your sandwich since they are largely predetermined. While Quiznos is known for their fancy sandwiches and chef-inspired recipes, I think it’s Subway’s simplicity, variety of ingredients, and customizability to your personal preference that puts them over the other sandwich chain. You can get any meat, vegetables, and sauces on any kind of bread you want, and you can watch the employees opinions // no. 15 Why ‘follow your passions’ is not sound advice » Do what you love, but also what you can get a job in Jessica Berget Opinions Editor here is one piece of advice frequently given to young adults beginning their career paths that I think is unrealistic. Everyone has heard that when trying to figure out what to do asa career you should “do what you love” or “follow your passions.” While these are nice ideals, I don’t think that solely following your passion is the right way to go about choosing a profession. Yes, finding a job ina field you enjoy is great, but I think people should also pursue something that is marketable and easy to get a job in. In terms of career searching, passion should align with practicality, not exceed it. No one wants to go to school for five years and spend thousands of dollars on tuition and textbooks only to be unemployed because of how difficult it is to find a job with the degree you worked hard to earn. It is important to pursue your interests, but it’s important to have financial, emotional, and mental stability first. Financial stress like student loan debt can cause stress in other aspects of your life, which is why I think you should go into a career field that is not so difficult to get a job in. It may not be something that you love to do, but it’s better than not working at all. Furthermore, you can still follow your passions even if you aren't working a job that you love. I think the most important thing is to first be financially stable, then make time outside of work to explore your passions. I think constantly telling people to “do what you love” sets an unrealistic standard for future careers. Not everyone is going to love what they do or be able to achieve their dream job. For some it’s too expensive or intensive of a field, or maybe it’s just not a job they want to do even if they enjoy the activity or industry. At the end of the day, a job isa job. It’s work and we're not going to love it all the time. In fact, it might even make us miserable sometimes, as a lot of work tends to do. Most people become disenchanted witha job ata certain point, so we need acknowledge that “doing what you love” may well have the same effects. Finally, there is a possibility that you will find what you think is your dream job and decide that it’s not for you. Sometimes the things we love to do aren't meant to be our job because then this passion becomes work and it’s not fun anymore. You may find the very thing that you love to do will become a source of stress if it’s your career. Doing what you love is good, but it’s not always essential to putting food on the table and getting by day-to-day, so I believe we need to stop giving this impractical advice. Photo by Billy Bui put everything on. At Quiznos you have to decide from a predetermined menu with set sauces and ingredients, and you might not always enjoy their combinations. While most branches will probably let you make some modifications or substitutions, that’s not the same as choosing your options along every step of the way. You might also become bored with their sandwich varieties as some taste the same in my opinion. You can always rely on Subway letting you make your sandwich your way, and it will always be delicious. What also influences my decision is the smell of the restaurant whenever you walk into a Subway. All the stores you go into have the same intoxicating aroma of freshly baked bread, which I think makes the experience all the more satisfying. You just can’t beat that Subway smell. While Quiznos sandwiches are no doubt good, I think having the option to put whatever you want and however much of it on your sub is more satisfying than having the ingredients already picked out for you. Quiznos may have some good subs, but I think Subway is superior in practically every way. I admit I'll go to Quiznos every once ina while, but I will always take Subway’s side in the sub sandwich chain debate. Ba I begin this argument, some context: One time I was ona bus when a baby ina stroller started to scream and cry. Instead of trying to figure out what the child needed or wanted, the mother pulled upa YouTube video on her phone and held it in front of their baby’s face until it quieted down. As much as l appreciate wanting your baby to be quiet, especially on a bus, I can’t defend using your phone or any form of technology as a distraction fora young child. As easy as it may be for the parent, I think relying on screens or technology to occupy the attention of young kids is lazy and negligent parenting. In the instance of the baby on the bus, it may have helped the baby to stop crying in the short term. However, in the long term kids need to learn skills of how to cope with their emotions without the distractions of technology. Some parents also use phones as a solution for their child’s boredom, but I think kids need to be bored once in a while so that they can learn to be Rants in your pants » Giving phones to kids as a distraction is lazy parenting Jessica Berget Opinions Editor creative with their time. By putting a phone in front of them every time they are bored or start crying, I feel it hinders their emotional and mental development because they won't know how to deal with these emotions or issues using their own inventiveness. This digital distraction also teaches children unhealthy coping mechanisms at an impressionable age that they might never be able to unlearn. Kids could become easily addicted to smartphones and screens if they are exposed to them often because they get so used to this technology that it becomes a crutch for them. Seriously, there are more beneficial and effective ways to stop your child from crying than sticking a screen in front of their face. It’s okay to let your kid use the phone for entertainment once ina while. With technology more and more prominent in our everyday lives it would be hard to avoid phone use altogether. However, there should be boundaries on the amount of time their eyes are glued to the screen.