--- description: China losing hearts in Hong Kong, 'Yes means yes' sexual consent law in California, trouble teaching math in English, long lines to vote and more. title: These Are Today's Best Ideas image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Innovation](/tag/innovation/) ## Innovation Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Five Best Ideas of the Day: September 30 by [The Aspen Institute](/author/the-aspen-institute/) ## The Aspen Institute Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 30, 2014 4:01 PM CUT by [The Aspen Institute](/author/the-aspen-institute/) ## The Aspen Institute Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 30, 2014 4:01 PM CUT **1\.** [**China’s real battle is for the hearts and minds of Hong Kong. And China is losing.**](http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/09/28/the%5Ffight%5Ffor%5Fhong%5Fkong%5Fmoves%5Fto%5Fa%5Fnew%5Fbattlefield "undefined") By Rachel Lu in Foreign Policy **2\.** [**California’s new ‘Yes means yes’ consent law is an important first step toward ending America’s campus sexual assault epidemic.**](http://chronicle.com/article/How-Yes-Means-Yes-Already/149055/ "undefined") By Robin Wilson in the Chronicle of Higher Education **3\.** [**The English language makes it harder for students to learn math.**](http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-best-language-for-math-1410304008 "undefined") By Sue Shellenbarger in the Wall Street Journal **4\.** [ **Long lines at polling places dampen turnout and disproportionately hit poor and minority communities. States must devote the resources to making voting work.**](http://www.southernstudies.org/2014/09/waiting-at-the-polls-long-lines-and-the-right-to-v.html "undefined") By Chris Kromm in Facing South **5\.** [ **To direct financial aid where it is most needed, colleges should focus on first-generation students.** ](http://time.com/3445329/most-financial-aid-should-go-to-first-generation-college-students/ "undefined") By Tomiko Brown-Nagin in TIME  [_The Aspen Institute_](http://www.aspeninstitute.org/ "undefined") _is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, D.C._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3449368/five-best-ideas-of-the-day-september-30/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3449368/five-best-ideas-of-the-day-september-30/"},"headline":"Five Best Ideas of the Day: September 30","datePublished":"2014-09-30T16:01:44.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:07:37.286Z","description":"China losing hearts in Hong Kong, 'Yes means yes' sexual consent law in California, trouble teaching math in English, long lines to vote and more.","url":"https://time.com/3449368/five-best-ideas-of-the-day-september-30/","keywords":["Innovation","California","Sexual Assault","Education","College","poverty","Hong Kong topic","China","Higher Education","Voting","STEM","Math","English","voting rights","teaching","financial aid"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"The Aspen Institute","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/the-aspen-institute/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/innovation/","name":"Innovation"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3449368/five-best-ideas-of-the-day-september-30/","name":"Five Best Ideas of the Day: September 30"}}]}] ```