Signals

US – On 5 March 2024, the men’s basketball team at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire voted by 13 to 2 to unionise, setting a new precedent for collegiate sports.

The players are now represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 560, a union that advocates for many Dartmouth workers. Being members of SEIU means players can collectively negotiate with the private institution for improvements on healthcare and pay.

Other US student athletes have unsuccessfully attempted to unionise in the past, but what makes the Dartmouth case different is that a regional director from the National Labor Relations Board determined that college basketball players at private universities are employees like any others, and thus can unionise under the National Labor Rights Act (NLRA).

A representative from Dartmouth told The BBC that they will be requesting a review of the decision and released a statement declaring: ‘The students on the men’s basketball team are not in any way employed by Dartmouth.’

In our Gen Z Now and Next: From Vision to Contradiction report, we unpacked how, from decolonising curriculums to questioning workplace culture, Generation Z are unafraid to challenge the status quo.

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, intern Seyi Oduwole shares her thoughts on Dune: Part Two, economy 101 with Gary Stevenson and Beyoncé’s Texas takeover.

: I have not recovered from the visually arresting marvel of Dune: Part Two yet. Interestingly, the body armour fashion trend worn by Florence Pugh on screen and Zendaya’s on the red carpet (courtesy of stylist Law Roach) also made it to the catwalks in New York and Paris Fashion Week. We forecast this rise of Safety Fits back in March 2023.

: With money on my mind and the constant bombardment of new finance-centric trends such as ‘doom spending’ and ‘loud budgeting’, I needed a sound voice to really tell me what’s going on with the economy. Enter Gary Stevenson with his new book, The Trading Game: A Confession, which is already a Sunday Times Best Seller. His recent interview with Novara Media was simply fascinating.

: In other news, Ssense’s high-fashion spelling bee with Gen Alpha models is the most precious thing ever, the internet has already turned Phoebe Philo’s second collection into memes and Beyoncé is sharing the cover of her upcoming country album Cowboy Carter with a horse: Chardonneigh. I have a feeling this will spawn a resurgence in Cowboy Couture, as seen on Bella Hadid and Kim Kardashian recently.