Personal Work Environment Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Work Environment Paper - Essay Example Such studies support experts' claims that communication is indeed "the lifeblood of any organization" (p. 2). Business organizations agree that there are many ways of communicating. These are the channels of communication, or where the communication will take place. Thus, choosing the right channel and the appropriate form for business messages is a communication skill. Channel involves the issue of what should be put in writing and what should be communicated orally. Will messages be communicated by fax Telephone E-mail Face-to-face exchange When communicators agree about the channel, they can avoid misunderstandings. Such misunderstandings may seem trivial, but these can be significant in closer analysis. In the United States, according to business communication guides, efficiency, clarity, conciseness, accuracy, and accountability are the keys to making the right communication channel. For example, a telephone call may be the fastest way to get clarification, but you may need something in writing before you can act. In my opinion, face-to-face meeting is still the "best channel" to use when doing official business communications. ... Presently, business organizations could meet through videoconferencing. This method simulates live, face-to-face interaction, although people attending the "meeting" may be thousands of miles apart. Yet, videoconferencing could not provide the energy provided by participants who shares the space, and there is always the threat of technological glitches (Roebuck 2001, p. 4). In addition, memos, e-mail, networked intranet bulletin boards, printed reports, and other written documents are the most common channels of written communication within companies. Memos, in particular, play different roles in different cultures and organizations. In North American businesses, memos are the standard channel of communication from superiors to subordinates, subordinates to superiors, and employees at the same level. In addition to that, memos can also be written to file or as reminders to oneself. They can be formal or informal in tone. When informal, a memo is a convenient way of communicating information in writing-so there is a record of it-without the weight of a formal document. However, memos at this time are already commonly sent by e-mail (Varner & Beamer, 2004). As a means for sending feedback from employees to management, memos (especially e-mail) excel-at least where feedback is expected by managers. Feedback is not easy for managers to gather if subordinates are not used to giving it. Managers who don't solicit feedback will not receive as much as those who do. Memos may not be the best channel in these situations. Face-to-face exchanges, in which a wide range of nonverbal signals can be sent along with the worded message, may be a better choice. With the advancement of

Common Stereotypes in Society Essay Example for Free

Common Stereotypes in Society Essay As a society, we tend to stereotype. Whether our presumption is right or wrong, some common stereotypes are still accepted as truth no matter how much evidence there is proving another point of view. Three common stereotypes I see are those that involve abused women, Blacks and their love of fried chicken and the ability of older people learning foreign languages. Many of these stereotypes are reinforced by cultures and what is commonly seen within their culture. These stereotypes can have a long lasting effect on the people that are judged by the stereotype and a long lasting effect on the perception of those people. When most people think about an abused woman, many see the woman with a black eye not realizing that abuse is more than physical. Verbal and mental abuse are also used to control the victim. In many cases, physical abuse is the latter and verbal and mental abuse is the first type introduced. Although there are many shelters and agencies available to abused women, many believe that these women are too afraid to leave the relationship and are blamed for any further abuse they suffer because they didn’t leave or call the police. On the contrary, â€Å"more than 77 percent of them had self-reported to the police. (Barrett, B. , Nov 2011). In the cases when the women have children, many think that they stay because they do not have the means to provide for their family if they leave the home. Based on a handbook by the Santa Clara Probation department, â€Å"victims of domestic violence leave their abuser seven times on average before they are able to stay on their own† (Prophet, T. , 2006). Many of the abused women are presumed as weak and people in general, do not want to assist a weak person because they will more than likely go back to the situation they were just helped out of. There are many shelters available but the funding needed is scarce due to the previous mentioned fear. The second common stereotype is that all Black people like fried chicken. I was taught in school that any statement that expresses that â€Å"all† of anything is definitely a false statement. This stereotype was started a long time ago, and is probably associated with situations related to slavery. â€Å"The most obvious explanation derives from the historical fact that fried chicken dishes were popular in slave homes on Southern plantations. In many cases, chickens were the only livestock animals that slaves were permitted to raise on their own† (Bering, J. (2011). This just proves that the reason fried chicken is associated with African Americans is not because they enjoy the food so much but it was the only choice they had when it came to what was availbe to them. The other reason there is such a negative connotation associated with fried chicken is because the slavery era itself was not a good time for African Americans (Bering, J. 2011). As an unhealthy and inexpensive food, fried chicken invokes images of poverty, ignorance, sloth, and other racist associations† (Bering, J. 2011). Not only is the mention of fried chicken and African Americans considered negative, it has also been viewed as racist. Advertisers seem to gear their commercials towards the African American community when advertising for fried chicken. Mary J. Blige received a lot of flack for being in a Burger King commercial advertising their New Crispy Strips Tortilla Wraps. The commercial was eventually pulled from rotation due to the backlash received. Other high profile individuals have also been targeted by the chicken industry, including President Obama. Although it’s no secret that these people do enjoy fried chicken, associating these people with the food generated a negative or racial tone. There is nothing wrong with these people liking fried chicken, as there are many other racial groups that also enjoy this cuisine. The third common stereotype would be the idea that older adults will have a harder time learning foreign languages when compared to younger children. One of the reasons for this stereotype can be attributed to the older adult and the teacher, they have doubts about their ability to learn a foreign language. Although most people have accepted the generalization of learning as â€Å"the younger the better† (Schleppegrell, M. , 1987), this is not the case when it comes to learning language. There have been studies that have determined that aging does not decline a person’s learning ability. The way older adults learn a new skill is the only adjustments that need to be made. These studies also show that older adults learn at a more rapid rate than children (Krashen, Long, and Scarcella, 1979). There are two reasons why being a poor language learner is attributed to adults, and those are â€Å"a theory of the brain and how it matures, and classroom practices that discriminate against the older learner† (Schleppegrell, M. , 1987). The critical period hypothesis that was put forth in the 1960s was based on then-current theories of brain development, and argued that the brain lost cerebral plasticity after puberty, making second language acquisition more difficult as an adult than as a child (Lenneberg, 1967). Due to advances in the study of neurology, it has been determined that adults have superior language learning capabilities. These studies and facts should dispel any accepted stereotypes related to older adults and their ability to learn foreign languages. One thing that is common amongst all of these stereotypes is that the â€Å"victim† has accepted these stereotypes to be true and doesn’t challenge any of the information that would affirm or deny such claims. This could also be the first step into getting some of these stereotypes removed from our culture so that people are able to benefit positively and not have to worry about any negative impacts from doing activities that are natural.

Children Activism :: History child Children government UN essays

Children Activism The Special Session on Children is an unprecedented meeting of the UN General Assembly dedicated to the children and adolescents of the world. It will bring together government leaders and Heads of State, NGOs, children's advocates and young people themselves from 19-21 September 2001 at the United Nations in New York City. The gathering will present a great opportunity to change the way the world views and treats children. A follow-up to the 1990 World Summit for Children In 1990, at the World Summit for Children, 71 Heads of State and Government and other leaders signed the World Declaration on Survival, Protection and Development of Children and adopted a Plan of Action to achieve a set of precise, time-bound goals. These goals included:  · Improving living conditions for children and their chances for survival by increasing access to health services for women and children  · Reducing the spread of preventable diseases  · Creating more opportunities for education  · Providing better sanitation and greater food supply; and protecting children in danger. The commitment to realizing the World Summit goals has helped move children and child rights to a place high on the world's agenda. The Special Session is an important follow-up to the 1990 World Summit. What does the Special Session on Children hope to accomplish?  · A review of the progress made for children in the decade since the 1990 World Summit for Children and the World Declaration and Plan of Action. The end-of-decade review will combine national, regional and global reports. The review will not only chart the achievements of the last decade; it will also serve to inform world leaders as they plan future actions for children.  · A renewed commitment and a pledge for specific actions for the coming decade. World leaders will explore the long-standing challenges of serving and protecting children, as well as the issues emerging in this rapidly changing world. They will be asked to identify strategic solutions to the problems facing children and to commit the critical human and economic resources that will be called for. Expected outcomes of the Special Session The Special Session is expected to produce a global agenda with a set of goals and a plan of action devoted to ensuring three essential outcomes:  · The best possible start in life for all children.

Perception and Decision Making

It is impossible to live a life that does not involve the abstract concept of perception. Perception is essentially how people perceive information in relationship to their personal environment and then form a set of beliefs or opinions from said perceptions. In the business world, management is required to make decisions. While a great deal of the decision making process would appear to be based on empirical facts, the reality is that perception of fact as opposed to actual fact is often the barometer used to make decisions. Because different individuals may have different perceptions on the same issue, it becomes very important for managers to base their decisions on critical thinking and facts so as to avoid the potential problem of making decisions on perceptions that are not entirely accurate. The idea that â€Å"true† reality is never truly graspable by humans' sensory and cognitive equipment goes back at least to the works of Plato. There is, for instance, the distinction between appearances and reality. Show a three-year-old a red ball beneath a green filter and he will typically say that the ball is black, even though he had previously been given the ball to examine. Understanding of this appearance-reality distinction seems so necessary to everyday life that it is hard to imagine a society in which normal people would not acquire it. But the lesson is relatively new historically, such as the lesson of perspective in painting, or the intentional designing of optical illusions (such as the Ponzo illusion), or in the differing testimonies of eye-witnesses of the same event. The fact is that we all do not perceive the same things alike. (Kearl) If there was one caveat about perception, perception is not necessarily reality. Perception is a person’s interpretation of reality that may or may not be completely accurate, if it is accurate at all. Because of this, it is important for management to  ascertain reality, as opposed to a perceptual reality or a problematic situation might be the result. What sets great leaders apart is their ability to manage perceptions. What people observe or assess as your ability to be a leader and your effectiveness becomes their perception, which in turn becomes reality. Perceptions that are not manages become rumors, then gossip, then backbiting, which leads to destruction. Unmanaged perceptions become a reality that was not intended. Perception management requires asking questions and getting feedback from others†¦ For example, oftentimes, management will ask other employees for a â€Å"report† on a new hire. This is a terrible idea because second hand information can often be skewed and it is best for management to make decisions based on first hand experience rather than second hand experience, yet managers will repeatedly make such an extremely foolish error. Consider the following: a manager asks an employee how a new hire is performing. The employee speaks very badly about the performance of the new hire so the manager fires the employee. This is based on a perception of the new hire based on second hand information that has been deemed accurate. However, not all is what it seems. When the new hire is fired, something comes to light that turns out to be very embarrassing to management. The employee who provided the poor evaluation of the new hire turns out to have based the negative report not on the truth, but rather on discriminatory biases. The terminated employee later files EEO complaints and lawsuits against the company, all of which proves to be incredibly embarrassing to the management, if not costly. What was the root cause of this disaster? Management drew a perception of the employee that was not based on reality. Because there was no first hand data that shaped the perception, the perception that was shaped was one that was not based in reality. In short, perception is utterly useless if it is inaccurate because it will lead to decisions that come from a thoroughly flawed perspective. If the perception is harmful, then what good can possibly come from it? This importance for the empirical assessment of facts in the decision making process works on both an internal and external level, as it is important that management decisions provide customers with what the customers actually want. Again, the need for proper feedback plays a great factor in this. In other words, it is of absolute paramount importance for management to understand what their customers want. Again, there will be a perception as to what customers want vs. what they actually want. If management becomes single minded and focused on what customer’s want and that perception is inaccurate, the results can be cataclysmic. Nothing more famously illustrates this problem more that the total failure of â€Å"New Coke† in the 1980’s. Believing that the public was more interested in Pepsi because of its sweeter taste, the Coca-Cola Company believed that the public would be willing to accept a new type of Coke that would taste similar to Pepsi. This was one of the most insanely inaccurate perceptions of consumer desire in history! In reality (not perceptually!), the public was not interested in a form of Coca-Cola that tasted like Pepsi nor did Coca-Cola do itself any favors by essentially  communicating that Pepsi had a superior product. The campaign was a complete and total disaster and it was the result of poor perception of the consumer market on the part of Coca-Cola. So, what is a manager to do when it comes to making sure that perception and proper decision making go hand in hand? Arguably the most difficult and critical step in the decision making process is to identify and clarify the problem or issue. Pressed for time and feeling a sense of urgency, governance leaders often rush through this step. An incomplete diagnosis or assessment restricts a boards' capacity to expand options and select the most appropriate one. Without proper attention paid to this step, boards may come up with a solution that fails to address the etiology of the problem. (Scott) Again, the key to making a proper decision is to manage perception and the key to managing perception involves staying properly informed. If anything, a flawed perception is one that is based on limited or inaccurate information as seen in the case of new Coke or in the hypothetical case of the terminated employee. Ultimately, decision making will always be based on personal perceptions, but the more informed a manager is, the closer the manager’s perception will be to actual reality and not aligned to ignorance or flawed logic. While this seems like an academic point, managers can often approach a problem with blinders on based on personal biases in the decision making process. Regardless of what decision one makes, it will fall into the category or either a good decision or a bad decision. If flawed, then management must face the consequences. Bibliography Kearl, Michael. (DB) â€Å"Social Factors Shaping Perception and Decision Making.† Retrieved February 17, 2007 from http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/socpsy-5.html Russell, Jefffrey. (2001) â€Å"Are You Managing Perception?† Retrieved February 17, 2007 Scott, Katherine Tyler. (2006) â€Å"The Dynamics of Decision Making.† Retrieved February 16, 2007 Perception and Decision Making Decision making occurs when one chooses a choice among reasonable alternatives. Perception is a very important component of the decision making system.   In a psychological perspective perception can best be described as the process of inquiring, processing, and organizing information necessary to make a decision.   Or in other words perception can be scene as one’s thoughts on a situation.   When one is in the midst of a decision making situation they need to evaluate all factors involved and make a decision, which will hopefully be reasonable and satisfactory.   Decision making is a unique tool that is inquired over the course of time.   Students can learn about logic, philosophy, and psychology.   They can understand the concepts behind decision making, but they must first have the opportunity to make important decisions themselves to fully understand the process (Randall, 2004, pp. 10-24).A leadership expert Anthony Robbins said â€Å"as a manager, however, yo ur decision not only effects yourself but all the employees on your team.   For this reason, it is important to strengthen your own decision making skills and prepare for a time when your decisions will shape the events of many peoples lives† (â€Å"Making Decisions†).   In the simulation as the newly promoted manager I had the opportunity to assist the senior manager in very important decisions including reprimanding an employee, a hiring situation, to create an employee evaluation system, and look into an ethical dilemma which could make or loss millions of dollars for the company.Each of these situations requires perception to take a route to the final decision making process. â€Å"Management in organizations today is largely people management. If people are the important asset, effectiveness is related to: ââ€"   how managers perceive the individual ââ€"   how people relate to one another ââ€"   how we get maximum contribution ââ€"   how we go about changi ng from a situation which is seen to be ineffective to one that ensures high standards of performance†(Randall, 2004, p. 46). Today we will evaluate the situations these three situations and examine perception in the decision making process and how the perception from a new managers viewpoint could effect these decisions (â€Å"Making Decisions†).The first situation involved Mark, a long term employee who had been tardy for work for the past week.   There were many different decisions that could be made to come to a conclusion about Mark’s tardiness including, bring this to the attention of Mark’s coworker and ask their thoughts on the situation, checking Mark’s employment records, check all employee time records, speak with Mark individually, or take this to Sarah for advice. In this instance I believe it is best to speak to Mark by himself and see what is going on. Bringing undesired attention to an employee by a manager is never a good route to go so this should be avoided at all costs.Also taking a trivial problem to a manager can be looked down upon.   At this point after one week of tardiness sneaking a peak at the records might be helpful but going straight to the source is the best decision as we all have personal issues that arise.   Plus by informally addressing Mark you are letting him know he can come to you and that you can see eye to eye on some matters.   It is important to build relationships with employees (â€Å"Making Decisions†).The decision to hire the interviewee, Berk, is an important decision for the company.   Berk carried himself well during the interview, had enthusiasm, and similar skills to those needed in the near future.   Although Berk did a great job in the interview all of his abilities and skills need to be evaluated to ensure he is right for the position.   In this situation I perceived Berk as highly intelligent and skilled.   I did not look further to realize his ski lls are not what the company needs.   I let my impression of Berk steer my perception of his eligibility for the job in a positive way.   This is important to not in decision making situations.   Perception may not always work in your favor (â€Å"Making Decisions†).Creating an employee evaluation system as a reward system is a great idea.   Employee evaluation should include job performance, attitudes, helpfulness, dedication, and team work abilities.   The perception of how valuable an employee is to a company can be skewed for many reasons.   The creation of an effective evaluation system will greatly contribute to seeing employees for what they truly achieve for the company.   I believe that this six step system will greatly help reward the best employee (â€Å"Making Decisions†).The last decision is one of ethical nature.   An employee has come to me to let me know she has secretly obtained the designs of our biggest competitor.   If we take the designs we will have the opportunity to create something better and make more money than our competitors.   The downfall is getting caught.   This will cause a multimillion dollar lawsuit and will destroy the company as we know it.   Although the idea of making lots of money is very attractive it is necessary to take a breath and step back to evaluate this situation. Perception is very important in this decision making process as perceived success and wealth can ultimately alter a reasonable persons decision making abilities.All aspects of the perceived or likely consequences of acting on this offer need to be taken into consideration before a decision can be made (â€Å"Making Decisions†). There are ten values the core of ethical understanding; â€Å"caring, honesty, accountability, promise keeping, pursuit of excellence, loyalty, fairness, integrity, respect for others, and responsible citizenship. When put into practice, these values generate widely recognized virtu es that provide benchmarks for ethical decision making† (Guy, 1990, p. 17). Perception constitutes everything necessary to make a decision.   Perceived values and prior experiences help give one insight into the types of decisions they choose to make.   Perception of situations can be influenced in either positive or negative ways.   Having a mentor such as Sarah giving constructive feedback with each decision helps my views on each situation become clearer.   Managers make decisions based on perception of people, influences, and support system around them.   Perception of all of these concepts is vital.ReferencesGuy, M. E. (1990). Ethical Decision Making in Everyday Work Situations. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Retrieved March 25, 2007, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=15127472Randall, J. (2004). Managing Change, Changing Managers. New York: Routledge. Retrieved March 25, 2007, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=10748 9181 â€Å"Making Decisions in Business Situations.† Western International University. 26 Mar. 2007 .

How far can metrosexual men go?

Metrosexuals are well-educated, sensitive and straight urban dwellers keeping touch with his feminine side. They usually go for manicure and could even have their hair taken care of by stylists and not the barbers. These men love shopping and even wear jewelry. Their bathroom counters are full of male products that include moisturizers and some makeup. They work on their physiques at fitness clubs as opposed to gyms and this appearance gets them a lot of attention that delights them. Metrosexuals are mostly found in large cities especially media centers. There is however imitations and experimenting among men in other smaller cities.These men have a great concern for how they appear. Their lifestyle displays characteristics stereotypically linked to gay men. â€Å"Metrosexuality† traces its origin from an article by Mark Simpson in â€Å"The Independent† in 1994. He described a metrosexual man as one who has high income and lives or works in the city, where he can find the best shops. Metrosexual men are proving to be among the best markets for cosmetic products in the decade. In 1980s, these men were only found in fashion magazines, TV ads or gay bars. Later in the 1990s they were allover and even doing their shopping.The trend The term’s popularity rose after Simpson wrote another article â€Å"Meet the metrosexual. † Euro RCSG Worldwide, an advertising firm, immediately adopted this term for marketing studies. Some careers have been known to attract metrosexual men. They include music, media, table waiting and modeling. Popularity of this metrosexuality rose following increased integration of gays into society and a decline in taboos towards those deviating from masculinity notions. Shortly after, Canada, Belgium, some US states and Holland enacted legislation for gay marriages.Metrosexuality aroused a lot of curiosity when a marketing agency tried exploring the changing face of American men. According to this research titled, â⠂¬Å"The Future of Men: USA,† there is a new clique of men who reject traditional male roles and do as they please no matter what the society thinks about them. The media and male magazines such as Maxim and FHM have greatly influenced men to become metrosexuals. They have devoted a lot of their space to fashion. They encourage the men to dress fashionably. Homosexuals are also believed to have contributed towards metrosexuality.Despite metrosexuals being totally heterosexual, the homosexual movement helped in the society accepting an effeminate lifestyle and characteristics. Consequently, the society is now very comfortable with homosexuality. Displaying it on television is no longer a taboo since the heterosexual males are now comfortable with the homosexuality culture. Metrosexual men are more sensitive and effeminate than their fathers were. They are have shown willingness to push the restrictive gender boundaries defining what in masculine and what is feminine and still co nsider themselves â€Å"real men.† Metrosexual men are secure in their sexuality. Pedicures and facials do not make them less heterosexual or less masculine. Research has revealed that 43 per cent of men are not satisfied with their general appearance. Sixty-three per cent of them are particularly not happy with their abdomens. This leads to their seeking the services of cosmetic surgeons for minor aesthetic operations. Abdominal liposuction for wiping out love handles has become very popular. Lip augmentation surgeries and Botox injections have also become very popular among men.Opting for cosmetic surgery among men is usually a last resort in improving their personal appearance. They dress well, groom well and move to cosmetic surgery. These procedures include laser skin resurfacing, chin augmentation and eyelid surgery. Sometimes metrosexual men’s preoccupation with personal appearance can take to the extremes. It can interfere with schoolwork, career and relationsh ips. This is where a therapist’s advice should be sought to create a healthy and more sensible approach to personal appearance. All men, regardless of their sexual orientation, are developing a big interest in their personal appearance.They visit hairdressers instead of barbers. They also avoid the use of soap because they say it is harsh on the skins, go to the gyms instead of sports, and find it difficult to decide what to wear. They spend a lot of time on the mirror, in boutiques and bars instead of pubs. They also dance at night clubs and go to salons. Marketers have responded to this trend by dropping the macho element from all the products that target men. Tough male images have completely been done away with even on car and beer advertisements. Fashion chains for men are increasing.Some women’s stores like Esprit have launched products for men as well. Men’s magazines have their fashion coverage since more ads are coming in. Fashion and grooming adverts f or FHM, a men’s magazine, have been increasing for the past three years. Two decades, vanity, skin care and male fashion were identified with homosexuals. This has now been abandoned. Even the workplace has experienced changes for men. The growing number of white collar workers brings with it the need for good appearance. For effective competition in the work environment, one must take care of his body, cut his hair neatly and dress well.Even beer marketers are using a less masculine tone in communicating with men. They have also changed the how they buy their electronic goods, cars and home ware. In buying of electronic goods, for instance, men are no longer interested in the traditional male attributes such as gadgetry and technical features. Instead they follow what could be called female attributes such as the store’s environment, service and other intangible attributes. Vehicle advertisers are emphasizing more on the people driving and their feelings and not the v ehicle’s physical specifications (Trubo, 2008). Proponents’ viewTraditionally, men are supposed to avoid feminity, restrict their emotions, disconnect sex from intimacy, pursue achievement and status and be self reliant, aggressive and homophobic. However, statistics have shown that pursuing achievement and status has lost its importance compared to how it was in the past. Restricting emotions and disconnecting emotions from intimacy is no longer important to men either. Men do not find sexual freedom enthralling any more. The modern man shows less avoidance of femininity and embraces attitudes and customs that were stereotypically a reserve for women.Masculinity has had a considerable shift over the years. The modern concept of masculinity is very different from that of ancient times. Certain aspects of modern style and behavior perceived as feminine were actually masculine in the past. They include jewelry and makeup. Feminity came to conquer masculinity and the latt er became restricted (Simpson, 2002). Metrosexuality is seen as a counter-reaction against this change. Some men have a feeling that they are too restricted within their gender roles. It is a way of establishing more equality between men and women by shifting towards androgyny.Cultural and attitude changes towards masculinity have led to changes in the conservative masculine norms. This can often be seen in the media, especially TV shows Culture and the environment had to change for the metrosexual men to start appearing. According to Simpson, gays gave the initial prototype for metrosexuals. Media has played a major role in portraying metrosexuality as straight. It has bought them out as heterosexual men keeping touch with their feminine side. They coordinate colors, are deeply concerned about exfoliation and are manscaped.Consumer culture encouraged men to go shopping, buy magazines and spend freely to improve appearance. Consumer capitalism has helped in doing away with unmoistur ised, repressed and old-fashioned heterosexuality in favor of metrosexuality. The conservative, self-denying, straight and modest man did not do much shopping. He had a duty to earn money to be spent by his wife. He was substituted by a different kind, who has more interest in his image than his so called identity. This metrosexual man is more concerned at how he is being looked at.This man has been so much sought by the advertisers. Some people are of the view that metrosexuality is a phenomenon that just occurred naturally. Metrosexuality will very soon become our everyday vocabulary. Being metrosexual should not be treated as wrong. Those against metrosexuality use stereotypes to argue out their stand. Such stereotypes expect men to be insensitive, cold-hearted, thug-looking and grungy, which is not the reality. Ironically, many respected icons like Diddy, Usher and Kanye West are actually metrosexual but are role models to many.When we look at individuals who embrace metrosexual ity, we notice that they do not attach themselves to gender norms of the society. But clearly, metrosexuals are making an attempt to be different and find who they really are. This mindset is as old as mankind. Every society has a small group of people who look at what is normal for only a specific time before creating a different â€Å"normal† to express themselves. In most cases, this bears fruit in cinema, art and music. In the society, men and women expected to follow specific guidelines for their gender.Failure to following these rules qualifies one to be labeled as an outcast. Despite the society accepting metrosexuality in men, it is still hesitating in allowing heterosexuals to create a unique guideline to be followed. The opponents’ view By the society accepting and integrating homosexuality, many strange cultural customs have been created. On the other hand, metrosexuality has caused even greater havoc but silently. It has been argued that metrosexuals act ga y, causing social interaction problems since they are straight with identity issues. This eventually starts affecting even family lives.Divorce rates are on the increase since men cannot keep their word and women having to take up men’s jobs. Great leaders world over have encouraged strong family institutions. They argue that these are the foundations of strong civilization. But since families are breaking up, the society will also follow the same course. Opponents assert that metrosexuality has had a great impact on dating nowadays. Dating is today a complicated ritual more often than not ending up in heartbreaks rather than providing a learning experience for those involved. Worse still, many cannot find dates while others play around with other people’s hearts.Others engage in dangerous sexual behavior. It is argued that if women acted like women and men like men, the laws of attraction would take effect and make relationships interesting and healthy. Men must be de cisive, driven but understanding while women must be caring, delightful, free and loyal. This balance can never find a replication in any other way (Serio, 2006). It is common for men and women to go the same salons, wear the same jeans, watch sports together and share beer. They even watch the same movies. Opponents of metrosexuality argue that this phenomenon spells disaster.They refer to it as â€Å"unisexification. † These opponents have linked unisexification to the society’s downfall. They further claim that as men behave like wassies and women become more aggressive, a platform is created that causes family break-ups, gender role reversal and dysfunctional relationships. Kids end up growing in mental and emotional problems. This could lead to more drug abuse and violence. Earlier civilizations knew it. They depicted that the balance is vital for opposites. They argue that if all things were the same, life would be unbearable.Gender equality does not exist. Gende r roles exist and there is a whole lot of difference between the genders. This is in terms of their biological, mental and emotional attributes. These attributes are the foundation of a strong society. They balance and stabilize families, relationships, work, schools and homes (Serio, 2006). People should therefore be themselves. Men should act like they ought to and ladies should behave like ladies should (Serio, 2006). Conclusion The issue of metrosexuality is complex and controversial. There are two arguments about this issue.On is a strong proponent for metrosexuality while the other is opposed to it. One thing remains clear though. The society has changed tremendously over the ages and will continue changing. Some aspects of the society that were so important in ancient ages have now found themselves in oblivion in the modern world. This is because they could not work for today’s society. Traditionally, men and women have particular gender roles. It is evident that these roles have been changing with time to keep up with the world’s advancements. Also, men were stereotypically associated with certain attributes.These were meant to distinguish them from women. They included acting tough, cold-hearted and generally in control. Women were also assigned specific attributes that identified them as ladies. They included being soft, caring, loyal, and supportive and so on. In today’s society, these notions cannot apply in their entirety. This has given rise to the concept of metrosexuality. Metrosexual men are only trying to find themselves. As a matter of fact the future is metrosexual. Gone are the days when men and women alike were restricted to particular gender attributes.People should be allowed to be themselves, and metrosexuality is one such way. There is no doubt therefore that metrosexuality has a future. Reference Coad, D (2008) Gender, Sexuality and Sport Suny Press Flockner, (2004). Metrosexual. Emece Editores Serio, L. (2006):M etrosexuals and the downfall of society, retrieved from www. diserio. com, on November 20, 2008 Simpson, M. (2002). Meet the metrosexual, retrieved from http://www. salon. com, on June 22, 2002. The Age Company (2008)Rise of the Metrosexual, retrieved from www. theage. com, on November 20, 2008 Trubo, R. (2008)Metrosexuals: It’s a Guy Thing; Medicine Net .

Indian Boarding Schools

Indian Boarding Schools Introduction In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the U. S. government opened many schools for Indians or Native American children in order to introduce Euro-American standards (Harley, 1994).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Indian Boarding Schools specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper seeks to reflect on the events that led to the establishment of the schools, what life was at these schools and their effects on Indian populations, this is in regard to the larger context of the Native American Experience and propose mechanisms of dealing with the effects. Establishment of Indian boarding schools Indian boarding schools were primarily established in order to kill the Indian culture and ensure that they adopt a Euro-American culture that was completely alien to them. There are several other reasons why the Indian boarding school was established, such as weakening families by taking their children away (Smith, 2010). Indian boarding schools were first established by Christian missionaries, who had the sole intention to provide education for the native people, â€Å"The Carlisle Indian Industrial School established by a US Army officer Richard Henry Pratt† was the first school to adopt total assimilation of the Indian culture (Smith, 2010, p. 34). The school was built in 1879 at a military facility and its curriculum was based on what was taught in prison. The school was established following Pratt’s successful teaching â€Å"experiments† on young Indian prisoners (Smith, 2010, p. 35). Schools were widely used as a way of â€Å"civilizing† Indians mainly by the church (Monaghan, 2005, p. 56). The rationalizations of the â€Å"manifest destiny† and the doctrine of â€Å"discovery† were widely used as an excuse by the European settlers to commit atrocities on the Native Americans (Pease, 1986). The Christian belief of manifest destiny wa s used as a prelude in the expansion and colonization of the Americas (Harley, 1994). Basing on this belief, the missionaries felt obliged to spread the gospel to the natives, who, after being softened through Christian ideals, would be colonized by the European settlers. Seemingly, the initial boarding schools established by missionaries were not only meant to impart civilization but also serve as means of achieving the divine mission of spreading the gospel.Advertising Looking for critical writing on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The doctrine of â€Å"discovery† was a major source of friction and some of its aspects are still present in the current United States property rights (Smith, 2010, p. 45). This doctrine was used to validate the claim that Europeans discovered empty land in the America’s.The Native Americans had a communal land ownership system. The Europeans had embraced individua l land ownership practices. Boarding schools were therefore used to change the Native American’s cultureand the communal land practices by extension. The boarding school experience Life in the Indian boarding schools was tough, several victims told about the horrifying experience they went through at the boarding schools. Bill, who belongs to the Pattwin Indian group, remembers that he was sent to the boarding school while aged only six years (Harley, 1994). He remembers a sad experience which filled an everyday life of the boarding school. He remembers being bathed in Kerosene by matrons and having his head shaved against the Indian culture. In what can be regarded as transforming Indians inside and out, it’s seen that all aspects of the Indian culture were forbidden. Different accounts provided by individuals who went through the schools show that the Native Americans denied everything that pertained to their culture, from wearing long hair to speaking their language . The Indian children’s names were changed and they were not allowed to go home to their parents to ensure a cultural disconnection. The aim of the government was to replace the Indian culture, indeed as stated by Pratt â€Å"the only good Indian is a dead one† (Monaghan, 2005, p. 23). This implied that the Indian culture had to be killed. The methods advanced by Pratt and fellow minded Americans were geared towards ensuring that assimilation was gained through total immersion (Pease, 1986).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Indian Boarding Schools specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The aim was to â€Å"kill the Indian culture in the Indians and save them† (Smith, 2010, p. 67). History says that Pratt organized the education of some young Native Americans after he had encountered them at a prison in Florida (Smith, 2010). It’s said that Pratt saw positive changes in the Indians aft er teaching them English, some basic economic skills and ways to govern themselves. It was the main reason to establish several boarding schools and kill the Indian culture, as well as ensure that Indians are assimilated into the popular American culture. Therefore students were to be transformed in regard to â€Å"language, religion, family structure, economics, and emotional expression among others† (Smith, 2010, p. 13). However, things did not always go according to the plan as the children were later subjected to untold abuses. This can be compared to genocide in the sense that it purported to kill the Indian culture and ensure their forceful adoption of an alien culture. Several historical accounts indicate that students were abused in the boarding schools. The US government ran as many as 100 schools both on and of reservations (Harley, 1994). Young children were sometimes forcibly snatched from their parents. Many of them did not understand what was going on. The late Indian Activist Floyd Red Crow shared on how it felt to be taken away from his mother (Harley, 1994). He was taken as a young child from a reservation in South Dakota for the Wahpeton Indian Boarding School in North Dakota (Monaghan, 2005). He remembers seeing his mother cry as the bus took him away. It’s hard to imagine how hurting that was for him and his mother. Annual reports on Indian affairs seemed to suggest that Indians were savages who needed to be compelled by whatever means possible, to send their children to school (Smith, 2010).Advertising Looking for critical writing on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Some parents just took their children to these boarding schools simply because there were no other schools for them. It’s important to note that most other public schools were closed for the Indian child. The federal schools were the only ones available to them and curriculum at these boarding schools was different. The curriculum in the public schools was focused on trades, for example boys studied carpentry, while girls curriculum included house keeping (Smith, 2010). There were no concepts in math or other science subjects. Thus, it can be said that, as much as the boarding schools were used to assimilate the Indians, the curriculum was not complete and was not meant to achieve total good for the Indian children. Punishment in the boarding schools was severe. There were accounts of abuses taking place in the boarding schools in form of beatings, food rationing and heavy labor. The federal government commissioned an investigation on the progress and policies towards the Ind ian boarding schools (Pease, 1986). The report provided in 1928 revealed the â€Å"problem of the Indian Administration† (Smith, 2010, p. 70). It showed that many of the children in the boarding schools were â€Å"overworked, harshly punished and poorly educated† (Smith, 2010, p. 71).This finding makes it hard to believe that the government was indeed committed to ensuring the assimilation of Indians. The care provided to the Indian children was inadequate in all aspects. In spite of the fact that the food provided was insufficient in both quantity and quality, young children aged between 10 and 12 were being subjected to heavy industrial work for up to four hours a day. A survey conducted in the 1960s shows that many teacher’s felt that their primary role was to civilize the Native Americans rather than to teach them. This indicates how the schools were institutionalized. The Kennedy administration declared the Indian education to be a national tragedy (Monagha n, 2005). The emotional impact caused on the Indian children who attended the boarding schools can be seen in some written accounts. For instance, one former student says that he can never forget when he saw his mother cry when he was taken away forcibly. To this date, there are still several factors that have not been properly addressed regarding the plight of Indians. These problems are often summed up as the â€Å"Indian Problem† and most of them pertain to their cultural practices and the land factor. As stated earlier, the doctrine of discovery is still very much in the US constitution (Pease, 1986). Conclusion This paper sought to reflect on the events that led to the establishment of the schools, how life was at the schools and their effects on Indian populations, this is in regard to the larger context of the Native American Experience and propose mechanisms on how to deal with the effects. It’s imperative that the government identifies new workable ways of dea ling with the issues affecting the Indians.The government should ensure that measures are undertaken to preserve the Indian culture. By extension, the Dakota and Ojibwe languages should be preserved through measures such as provision of support, promotion and encouragement by the federal government. References Harley, B. (1994). Readings in Diocesan Heritage Volume VIII St. Boniface Indian School. San Bernardino: Diocese of San Bernardino. Monaghan, E. (2005). Learning to Read and Write in Colonial America. Boston: University of Massachusetts. Pease, M. (1986). A Worthy Work in a Needy Time: The Montana Industrial School for Indians. Montana: M. Pease. Smith, A. (2010). Soul Wound: The legacy of Native American Schools. New york: Amnesty International.

How to Manage Finances after College

How to Manage Finances after College Youve finished college and now you can learn the true meaning of adulthood: working hard and paying the bills. Its easy to think that youve recently graduated and may start worrying about money later. The problem with later, though, that it may never come. Soon youll find out that your life is far from that financial paradise you awaited. To avoid this situation, you need to know how to manage money after college. Here are some great tips that will help you stay on the right track. Have a Clear Sense of Monthly Expenses After college, youre going to have a lot of new expenses. Usually, they include the rent, food, clothes, utilities, transportation, and entertainment. You need to conduct some research to find out the cost of living: Figure out the average rent in your area and find information about how much it costs to share an apartment with a friend. Estimate how much money you need on food. Take your dietary habits into account. Determine the transportation costs. If you have a car, you do know how much money you need to use it every month. Think about what it costs to live in general. Consider purchases, gifts, cell phone, entertainment, etc. Once you have a clear understanding of where you stand and your monthly expenses, you can start creating a budget. 2. Make a Budget and Stick to It Getting used to living on a budget is a great habit for future. Creating a budget is the first step to your financial responsibility, thats why you need to take it seriously. Mapping up a budget will allow you to live within your means and avoid impulsive purchases. Once you have a list of your monthly expenses, you can start cutting some of them and find cheaper options to save some money. Remember that in creating your budget, it is important to start with the most essential things. Its always wise to limit entertainment and eating out if you feel that you cant stick to your financial plan. 3. Take Your Student Loans Seriously Paying off student loans can be daunting, but you shouldnt ignore these expenses. It is important to pay at least a minimum amount every month, and even a bit more if its possible. The secret is: the more you pay now, the less youll need to pay later! If you struggle with payment, think about choosing another payment plan. You can also ask a lender if it has forbearance program or can offer you another payment plan. There is always a way out, just make sure to pay your student loans on time and include these expenses into your monthly budget. 4. Save Money to Cover Unexpected Expenses You may think that you plan your expenses and try to stick to your budget, so you are set for life. But then something happens and you need an extra thousand dollars. Car crash, illness, moving costs the reasons can be various. How to get that much- needed cash? The answer is to save money in advance to have an emergency fund if necessary. Most people think that saving is something they can do later. But if you start saving right after college, you would be surprised at how much youll have in a couple of years. Therefore, make certain to have a room in your budget to be ready for any situation in future. 5. Plan for Your Retirement Wait, you just finished college and found a job and you need to think about your retirement? It may sound a bit weird, but yes. Retirement plans are crucial when you are still in your 20s. The earlier you begin saving, the better your future will be. Make sure to take this aspect of financial planning seriously and start contributing right away. Its never too early to start saving for retirement. The last advice to help you manage finances: Never spend more than you earn and always live within your means. May the wind always be at your back!

Jihadi or Jihadist Defined

Jihadi or Jihadist Defined Jihadi,  or  jihadist,  refers to a person who believes that an Islamic state governing the entire community of Muslims must be  created and that this necessity justifies violent conflict with those who stand in its way. Although jihad is a concept that can be found in the Quran, the terms jihadi, jihadi ideology and jihadi movement are modern concepts related to the rise of political Islam in the 19th and 20th centuries. Jihadi History Jihadis are a narrow group made up of adherents who interpret Islam, and the concept of jihad, to mean that war must be waged against states and groups who in their eyes have corrupted the ideals of Islamic governance. Saudi Arabia is high on this list because it claims to be ruling according to the precepts of Islam, and it is the home of Mecca and Medina, two of Islams holiest sites. The name that was once most visibly associated with jihadi ideology was the late  Al Qaeda  leader, Osama bin Laden.  As a youth in Saudi Arabia, bin Laden was highly influenced by Arab Muslim teachers and others who were radicalized in the 1960s and 1970s by the combination of: The Arab defeat in the 1967 war with IsraelOppressive and corrupt Arab governmentsRapidly urbanizing and modernizing society Dying a Martys Death Some saw  jihad, a violent overthrow of all that was wrong with society, as a necessary means to create a properly Islamic, and more orderly, world. They idealized martyrdom, which also has a meaning in Islamic history, as a way to fulfill a religious  duty. Newly converted jihadis found great appeal in the romantic vision of dying a martyrs death. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, Arab Muslim adherents of jihad took up the Afghan cause as the first step in creating an Islamic state. (Afghanistans population is Muslim, but they are not Arabs.) In the early 1980s, bin Laden worked with the  mujahideen  fighting a self-proclaimed holy war to oust the Soviets from Afghanistan.  Later,  in 1996, bin Laden signed and issued the Declaration of Jihad Against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Mosques, meaning Saudi Arabia. A Jihadis Work Is Never Done Lawrence Wrights recent book, The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, offers an  account of this period as a formative moment of jihadi belief: Under the spell of the Afghan struggle, many radical Islamists came to believe that jihad never ends. For them, the war against the Soviet occupation was only a skirmish in an eternal war. They called themselves jihadis, indicating the centrality of war to their religious understanding. Those Who Strive In recent years, the word  jihad  has become synonymous in many minds with a form of religious extremism that causes a great deal of fear and suspicion. It is commonly thought to mean holy war, and especially to represent efforts of Islam extremist groups against others. Yet, the current modern definition of  jihad  is contrary to the  linguistic meaning of the word, and also contrary to the beliefs held by most  Muslims.   The word  jihad  stems from the Arabic root word J-H-D, which means strive. Jihadis, then, would literally translate as those who strive. Other words derived from this root include effort, labor, and fatigue. Thus, jihadis are those who attempt to practice religion in the face of oppression and persecution. The effort may come in the form of fighting the evil in their own hearts, or in standing up to a dictator. Military effort is included as an option, but Muslims view this as a last resort, and it in no way is meant to mean to spread Islam by the sword, as the stereotype now suggests. Jihadi or Jihadist In the Western press, there is a serious  debate about whether the term should be jihadi or jihadist. The  Associated Press, whose newsfeed is  seen by more than half the world’s population every day via AP newspaper stories, television news, and even  the internet, is very specific about what jihad means and which term to use, noting that jihad is an: Arabic noun used to refer to the Islamic concept of the struggle to do good. In particular situations, that can include holy war, the meaning extremist Muslims commonly use. Use  jihadi  and  jihadis. Do not use  jihadist. Yet,  Merriam-Webster, the dictionary AP generally relies on for definitions, says either term- jihadi or jihadist- is acceptable, and even defines jihadist as  a Muslim who advocates or participates in a  jihad. The respected dictionary also  defines the term jihad  as: ... a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty;  also:  a personal struggle in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual discipline. So, either jihadi or jihadist is acceptable unless you work for the AP, and the term can mean either one who wages a holy war on behalf of Islam  or  one who is undergoing a personal, spiritual, and internal struggle to achieve supreme devotion to Islam. As with many politically or religiously charged words, the correct word and interpretation depend on your viewpoint and worldview.

Competitive Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Competitive Business Environment - Essay Example Developed countries realized that emerging nations such as China had completely taken over light manufacturing operation and the best course of action is to import or outsource manufacturing to economies such as China to be able to compete (CultureGrams, 2007). In the agricultural sector, new technologies such as generic engineering have changed the way farmers operate and has introduced new products such as organic products into the marketplace. The economies of developed countries have moved from a manual to a knowledge economy in which the service industry is the backbone that creates job opportunities for the citizens of such a nation. A new tendency which is affecting the way organization the business environment and the service function within firm related to customer service and vendor relationship is being handled by companies in the 21st century. This essay discusses the change that has taken place in the way services are being rendered by enterprises in today and the tenden cies that will manifest themselves in the future. Customer service is an important function that adds value to the business. Companies realize that the service a firm provides to its customers is a critical success factor that allows customer retention and provides an edge in a competitive business environment. Service is an intrinsic variable that provides added value to a product that makes the goods offered by a particular company more attractive that than similar items sold by a competitor (Hadi, 1999). For example, a customer knows that the software items offered by Microsoft Corporation include an outstanding long-term implied service in form of updates, improvements, assistance from the company to the client that purchases their product. A small software firm may not have the capability to offer a high level of service, thus they are not able to compete at the same level with firms that provide superior service value in for their products.

Prepare a 3 page summary and analysis of the Freshman Lecture attended Assignment

Prepare a 3 page summary and analysis of the Freshman Lecture attended - Assignment Example Paul Johnson, in his lecture stated about the first project on the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA), which provides a descriptive analysis on toxic horror, which spread over 27 square miles of Denver. As stated by Johnson, the main cause behind the worse effect of toxic horror was due to the launch of chemical weapons by the United State of American Army and the Pesticides by the Shell Chemical Company. The toxic pollution was the primary cause of destroying various lives of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decides to detoxify the environment and prepare a team for cleaning up the locality. Paul Johnson was one of the team members of EPA (University of Colorado Boulder, 1994). In the session, he spoke about the next project, which was done to prevent Ground Water Pollution. As per the view of Paul Johnson the pollution level was high in the areas of California, Texas, and Florida due to the pollution. In this regard, EPA had decided to evaluate the main cause of the problem. It was witnessed that the primary cause of the pollution is due to the leaking of ground water tanks. In this context, data was collected by the Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) to make an analysis related to the plum length. After the assessment of the research Paul Johnson decided that MTBE is an appropriate approach for mitigating the problem related to ground water pollution. Another aspect that was considered by Johnson in the lecture was about vapor intrusion. Vapor intrusion implies to the movement of explosive chemicals to the underlying buildings from the various layers of subsurface. These explosive chemicals can harm the various levels of air when mixed up with the pollut ed soil and ground water. The vapors can enter into the houses through the cracks of the building and be the reason of decompression in the buildings. Paul Johnson applied few models to preserve around three thousand houses from the vapor

National Drug Control Strategy Structure Research Paper

National Drug Control Strategy Structure - Research Paper Example There is a need to re-evaluate the approach that is in use. In order to be able to deal with this problem, several issues have to be looked into. The most fundamental is the availability of treatment, stigma related issues and availability of financial recourses. Although treatment for addiction is available in many places, in the United States, challenges still exist when it comes to accessibility and quality of services rendered. It is disturbing to note that those charged with the responsibility of treating substance abuse and addiction often criticize others that do not use methods similar to theirs (Califano, 2007). It should be noted that people need to be treated using different approaches depending on their level of addiction (USDHHS, 2009). High-end treatment centers tend to look down on public programs. Nonresidential programs/outpatient looks down on residential programs terming them unnecessary, expensive rip off programs (Califano, 2007). Every treatment center wants its’ approach to treatment to be considered the best. This should not be the case. Encouraging such behavior deals a serious blow to the fight against drug addiction. It is also not encouraging to those addicts that are willing to come out and seek help. The perception that the quality of treatment is not the same at different treatment centers should be eradicated (Ortiz, 2011). Treatment should be available to all patients regardless of the approach they use in seeking treatment. Whether public, private, inpatient or outpatient, the goal should be to ensure that the addict gets assistance to become clean. The government should subsidize the cost for treatment of drug addiction as much as possible. Organizations such as the Drug-Free Communities which is a support program can be used as treatment centers besides implementing anti-drug abuse strategies (Kerlikowske, 2011).

Development and classification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Development and classification - Essay Example Frist and foremost, the first factor that has served to shape the financial reporting of Italy is the availability of the capital to invest. On the same note, it is evident that the financial organization have drastically improved, in other words expands as compared to the earlier years. In addition, to that, the adoptions of the new ideas which have served to promote the business activities in the country have also served to boost the financial reporting. Apparently, this has served to improve the financial status of the country through the generation of income which has contributed to the shaping of the report. Moreover, the existence of good competent leaders has also played a huge role in the financial reporting in Italy. Essentially, these leaders were characterized by the type of policies that they championed which were mandated with the task of boosting the financial activity and consequently increase the revenue. In conclusion, it is evident that there are numerous factors that have contributed to the shaping and the growth of the financial report. To this end it is critical to study this factor in a bid to understand the financial and the business organization of

Research about Mark Takano Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

About Mark Takano - Research Paper Example Takano was born on 10 December 1960. His roots in Riverside date back to his grandparents and parents who were taken away from their homes to Japanese-American camps during the World War two. These families settled in riverside after the war in order to rebuild their lives. He attended La Sierra high school located in Alvord Unified School District. There he took part in wrestling in the varsity junior level and also playing football. He graduated as the school’s valedictorian in the year 1979. He later attended Harvard College in the year 1983 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in government. His senior year saw him organize ride for life which was a bicycle ride across continents which was to benefit development of Oxfam America. When he graduated, he worked as a substitute teacher in various public schools in Boston. He made observation the difference that existed between well-funded and also acclaimed sub-urban schools in Brookline and the inter-city Boston schools. He later returned home and attained a secondary teaching social studies and language arts at the University of California. In the year 1988, he began teaching in the Rialto Unified School District where he predominantly served African-American students and Latino. He has served as an advisor to the Gay Straight Student Alliance in Rialto high school since the year 2009. He served the board of trustees of the Riverside community college since the year 1990. At the board of trustees, he has worked with the republicans and democrats in order to improve higher education for the young people. He has also worked in opening opportunities for job training for those who wished to start a new career or acquire new skills. In the year 1991, he was elected as the board president where he helped the board gain stability amid fiscal challenges that it faced. He oversaw the transitioning of Moreno valley and

Development and classification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Development and classification - Essay Example Frist and foremost, the first factor that has served to shape the financial reporting of Italy is the availability of the capital to invest. On the same note, it is evident that the financial organization have drastically improved, in other words expands as compared to the earlier years. In addition, to that, the adoptions of the new ideas which have served to promote the business activities in the country have also served to boost the financial reporting. Apparently, this has served to improve the financial status of the country through the generation of income which has contributed to the shaping of the report. Moreover, the existence of good competent leaders has also played a huge role in the financial reporting in Italy. Essentially, these leaders were characterized by the type of policies that they championed which were mandated with the task of boosting the financial activity and consequently increase the revenue. In conclusion, it is evident that there are numerous factors that have contributed to the shaping and the growth of the financial report. To this end it is critical to study this factor in a bid to understand the financial and the business organization of

Integrated Service Digital Network Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Integrated Service Digital Network - Assignment Example Moreover, it revolutionized the use of the internet. Much similar to its precursor, the service of dial-up internet, ISDN uses a phone line. In addition, it put the standard for the telephone data service (Dean, 2010). Â  It enables the hook up of the local cable TV line to a PC and receives data close to 1.5 Mbps. This device is addable to or can be integrated with a set-top box, which provides a TV set with Internet access channels. Commonly, they are provided as part of the service of cable access. Furthermore, they are not bought directly and set up by the subscriber (Sobh, Elleithy, & Mahmood, 2010). Â  As the Sr. System Administrator of Minnesota Consulting Group, I would recommend RFID (radio frequency identification), portable cell phones and handheld inventory scanners to Star Clothing. This is because the company can use RFID in reducing theft. Moreover, the company can also use handheld inventory scanners in the control of inventories. In addition, the portable cell phones are cost-effective ways of communications between different departments.

Constructivist Style of Design Essay Example for Free

Constructivist Style of Design Essay Constructivism is a Russian art movement that flourished during the early part of the 20th century. This style of design had an impact on future schools of art. The constructivist style of design was founded by Vladimir Tatlin, a Russian sculptor and painter (Microsoft Encarta 2008). The name of this design style was derived from the â€Å"construction† of abstract sculptures from various industrial materials like wire, metal, and plastic pieces. The relief construction works of Tatlin from 1913 to 1917 were the first for the movement. Other notable constructivists include Aleksandr Rodchenko, Antoine Pevsner, Naum Gabo, among others (Microsoft Encarta 2008). Constructivism is a style of art characterized by an optimistic, non-representational relief construction, painting, kinetics, and sculpture. Rather than focusing on abstract ideas, the artist connects art with concrete and tangible ideas. Characteristic of artistic movements after World War I, constructivists were idealists aiming for the establishment of a new order in the field of arts and architecture (Huntfor. om n. d). For constructivists, they believe that the highest form of art does not focus on the â€Å"fine art† but rather on the â€Å"practical art. † Constructivist style of design is centered on the three-dimensional and could be connected with Proletarianism. Aside from Russia, the constructivist was likewise prominent in Germany, with Walter Gropius as the main representative (Huntfor. com n. d). Despite being split into several groups during the 1920s, constructivism generally stood for the ideals of functionalism, utilitarianism, and abstraction. Tatlin combined constructivism with utilitarianism, the dominant style of art during the emergence of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (Microsoft Encarta 2008). Prior to Constructivism, there were previous experimental artistic groups such as Cubo-Futurism, Rayonnism, and Suprematism. During this time, Russia was experiencing turbulent times as World War I and the Russian Revolution had been concluded by the 1920s. In 1921, the Constructivists turned their attention to instructional design. Tatlin and Rodchenko veered away from sculpture and painting and switched to stove design, graphic design, and photojournalism (Anneser n. ). Most of the Constructivists like Rodchenko focused on doing posters for theatres and cinemas. Rodchencko did the design for a magazine called LEF. He made his mark in the field of photomontage and printing with overprinting and kiss registration (Anneser n. d). In architecture, constructivist style is marked by a combination of straight lines and a wide-range of forms such as squares, cylinders, cubes, rectangles, and so on. A common example of a Constructivist building is the mausoleum of Lenin located in Red Square that was constructed by Alexei Shchusev in 1924 (Johns n. ). Constructivism is characterized by the exploitation of the difference between various forms and models and also focuses on the contrast of various surfaces like rough walls and windows, which could be strictly rectangular or square. Likewise, they can be horizontal like giant ribbons which envelope the whole building. At the top portion of the building, there are rounded windows (Johns n. d). The Constructivist movement was only short lived as it lasted only until 1933. At present, there are about 600 Constructivist-inspired buildings in Moscow. The earliest structures emerged in 1925 when Russia was just recovering from World War I and had no funds for new construction projects (Johns n. d). Other famous Constructivist buildings are the PRAVDA editorial offices and the department store located at 1905 Goda found on the edge of Krasnaya Presnya and Presnenskaya Zastava Street where the Benetton sign is located. The building takes up a small parcel of land and is triangular in shape with an open top. A huge window extends from the first to the third floors (Johns n. d). From 1930 to 1933, Constructivists buildings experienced a major renovation in order to cope up with the demands of the political situation pervading that time. Eventually, constructivism gave way for the Stalin Empire style. The 1940s and 1950s was a trying time for Constructivists, as they were not given the chance to work forcing some of them to quit their profession or went to teaching (Johns n. d). In 1958, however, the Constructivist style was revived as architects began to construct public buildings such as hotels like the Yunost and Orlyonok as well as the post-graduate student center located at Silvernik Street (Johns n. ). Throughout the world, the influence of Constructivism was evident in modern architecture. In Russia, the cities of St. Petersburg, Ivanovo, and Kizhma have undergone major changes and have become industrialized because of Constructivist architects. Similar industrialized cities can be seen in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan (Johns n. d). Conclusion Constructivism is a Russian art movement that flourished during the early part of the 20th century. This style of design had an impact on future schools of art. Vladimir Tatlin, a Russian sculptor and painter, founded the constructivist style of design. Constructivism is a style of art characterized by an optimistic, non-representational relief construction, painting, kinetics, and sculpture. Rather than focusing on abstract ideas, the artist connects art with concrete and tangible ideas. Characteristic of artistic movements after World War I, constructivists were idealists aiming for the establishment of a new order in the field of arts and architecture.

Treaty of Lisbon and 2004 Constitutional Treaty Comparison

Treaty of Lisbon and 2004 Constitutional Treaty Comparison Before considering the differences between the contents of the Treaty of Lisbon and the failed 2004 Constitutional Treaty, not least because in the views of many this could be a short discussion, it seems prudent to briefly consider why it was felt necessary that any change to what was then, and in fact still is now, the status quo was required. At the conference of Nice, in 2000, a declaration was made as a result, in part, due to the agreement between Member States that the way should be opened for the expansion of the Community to allow entrance of a number of new States to the Community[1]. The conference felt that a number of points needed to be considered and addressed. There were four points raised for discussion namely: how to establish and monitor a more precise delimitation of powers  between the European Union and Member States, reflecting the  principle of subsidiarity. the status of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union†¦ a simplification of the Treaties†¦ the role of national parliaments in the European architecture.[2] These points were considered in December 2001 in Laeken in Belgium where a declaration was made in respect of how it was felt the Union needed to proceed in order to ensure a successful future[3]. The Laeken Declaration drew deeply on history and the divisions which had been caused, in the main, by the Second World War. It saw that the future and unified Europe would expunge those divisions and pave a bright future for the Union as a whole. The resultant Constitutional Treaty set out how it was felt that the Union could proceed as a defined unit. The coverage of its abrupt failure has been comprehensive with many views expressed as to reasons for this. Some believed that it was erroneous to even consider a document of this kind in relation to Europe, arguing that the situation in place worked sufficiently well[4]. Whilst others were critical of its contents believing that it was a step too far in the direction if a federal Europe and others believed that its failure was the result of an underlying suspicion of the Union as whole in many member states[5]. Whatever the reasons behind its failure, and it is likely to be a combination of all of the expressed views, the process towards some kind of constitutional document continued. Following the rejection of the Constitutional Treaty in referenda in France and the Netherlands and the likely imminent rejection in other states including possibly the United Kingdom, a halt was placed on proceedings and a period of reflection was implemented in which Member States were encouraged to enter into debate and discussion with their citizens in an attempt to pave a way forwards. This process took place during the remainder of 2004 and 2005, and then in 2006, Germany was commissioned by the European Council to assess the situation with regards to the Constitutional Treaty. Following this, in June 2007 the ‘Reform Treaty’ was introduced and this was developed over the next year or so and, because the European Union Presidency was held by Portugal at the end of 2007, was renamed as the Treaty of Lisbon. This treaty like the Constitutional Treaty before it required ratification by all Member States. This was mostly achieved, but Ireland, the only Member State who se constitution requires a referendum before ratifying the Treaty, returned a no vote in that referendum. The reasons for this will be discussed below, but at the current time the constitution of the European Union, or lack thereof, remains as it did in 2000 following the Treaty of Nice. One of the key complaints, as mentioned above, of the Constitutional Treaty was its implications in relation to a federal Europe. Article I-8 of the Treaty provided for amongst others the celebration of Union Day on 9th May each year. In drafting the Treaty of Lisbon the Council were careful to ensure that any reference to a constitutional document was removed. There can be no doubt that the Treaty of Lisbon makes a number of key amendments to the EC Treaty. Large numbers of these however are replications of what was already contained within the Constitutional Treaty. One area where there is remarkable consistency between the Constitutional Treaty and the new Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union which the Treaty of Lisbon creates in place of the EU Treaty, is that of the role of national parliaments in relation to the Union. It will be remembered that this was one of the key questions discussed Laeken and was clearly believed to be vital in ensuring a unified Europe. Article I-11 of the Constitutional Treaty provided that national parliaments would ensure compliance with the principle of subsidiarity, a principle which states that the European Union will only take action on matters which it is felt, due to their scale, cannot be addressed at a national level. This statement is transferred in almost identical form to Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union by Article 1(6) of the Treaty of Lisbon. Article I-18(2) of the constitutional treaty required the European Commission to bring to the attention of national parliaments proposals to instigate a flexibility clause which allows for the adoption of measures by the Union where there are insufficient powers in place to allow for their adoption. This statement is added almost word for word into Article 352(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. These are two examples of the nine provisions contained within the Constitutional Treaty in relation to the role of subsidiarity, which have remained to all purposes unaltered within the contents of the Treaty of Lisbon. Whilst this is not the place for a full discussion on the validity of these provisions, there seems to be little doubt that they provide for a greater contribution to Union policy making by national parliaments and, in conjunction with the provisions of Article 7(3) of the Protocol on the Application of the Principles of Subsidiarity and Proportionality in allowing, in certain circumstances, national parliaments to veto Union legislation give national parliaments a much more significant position within the Union’s political processes. The next area considered at Laeken was the introduction of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Both this and the European Convention on Human rights would have been accepted into the European Constitution under Article I-9 of the Constitutional Treaty. Rather unsurprisingly given the tone of what has gone before both were to become legally binding following the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon. It is interesting to note that the text of the Charter is absent from the Treaty itself, rather it was to be introduced in Article 6(1) of the Treaty on European Union. It is necessary next to address the fourth of the four considerations of the Laeken declaration before considering the third. The Constitutional Treaty contained provisions giving the Union competence or the ability to legislate in certain areas. These split into two sections exclusive competence, in which only the Union could legislate and shared competence in which this ability is shared with the member state, providing the Union has not exercised its competence[6]. The wording in relation to these competences is indicative of the level of change that took place between the Constitutional Treaty and the Treaty of Lisbon. Paragraph two of Article 2, in the Treaty on European Union read: ‘The Member States shall exercise their competence to the extent that the Union has not exercised its competence. The Member States shall again exercise their competence to the extent that the Union has decided to cease exercising its competence.’ This was amended from the following in t he Constitutional Treaty: ‘The Member States shall exercise their competence to the extent that the Union has not exercised, or has decided to cease exercising, its competence.’ This seems to be an attempt to demonstrate that some power with regard to these competences can be returned to the member state if the Union ceases to act, but it can be seen that the change between the two treaties is minimal[7]. The final of the four considerations expressed in Nice and given voice in Laeken was that of simplifying the Treaties. There can be no doubt that the Constitutional Treaty would have done this. There would be one definitive document containing the whole scope and powers of the Union, the Treaty of Lisbon was clearly a long way from achieving that aim. This treaty is an amendment of previously existing treaties and read in isolation is almost pointless. It also results in yet another reclassification of the treaty articles and subsequently yet another table of equivalences. Whilst it seems an obvious point, this one factor is the single largest difference between the Constitutional Treaty and the Treaty of Lisbon, thus indicating that other differences, as has been discussed, are rather minor. Before continuing to discuss the possible reasons behind the Irish no vote, this seems a sensible point to summarise the differences which exist between the Treaty of Lisbon and its failed predecessor. One of the single, and perhaps most significant, differences between the two does not involve the details of their respective texts at all. One of the ideas considered at Laeken was that the Union should adopt a more open and democratic approach to its policy making process. This was given effect in the drafting of the Constitutional Treaty. Following its failure however the Union immediately returned to the previous approach of secretive, less democratic policy making. In an attempt to push through the reforms contained within the Constitutional Treaty, all be it minus certain contentious areas, the Union developed the Treaty of Lisbon with little or no public consultation. It has been mentioned numerously above that there are very few significant substantive changes between the two treaties. It should be emphasised that the express constitutional intent has been removed and any statements which could be viewed as suggestive of federalism have also disappeared. The declaration that the European Parliament is sovereign has also been removed[8]. There are a number of minor technical changes in relation to the scope of competences and rights in relation to subsidiarity have also been lightly modified. In most other respects the two treaties are the same. So, why did the Irish public choose not to ratify the Treaty of Lisbon? There were a number of specific details presented by the Irish ‘No’ campaign in the lead up the Irish referendum on the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon. Tony Gregory TD stated that it was his belief that the Treaty would weaken the position of Ireland within Europe and would cause Ireland to lose its traditionally neutral military position[9]. Other areas of the campaign stated that a yes vote would ‘introduce abortion and high taxes, and abolish peat cutting and union rights.’[10] The no campaigners, rather conflictingly, used the loss of the Irish seat on the Commission, a result in its size reduction following ratification, as a reason for refusing the Treaty. It could be argued that any of these reasons or a collection of them were responsible for the no vote but it would seem naà ¯ve on the part of both sides of the debate to believe that specifics were the cause of the failur e of the Treaty. Whilst it is impossible to give definitive reasons for failure, it seems to me that the Irish, French and Dutch no votes must, in some way be linked. And since it is unlikely that any specific point could give rise to the same level of reaction in each country there must be some other underlying reason for the populations’ refusal to accept a constitutional type of treaty for Europe. When asked for comment by the BBC, one Irish no voter stated that he had voted in this manner for, amongst other reasons, the fact that ‘the whole European Union regime is getting ridiculous and is too underhand to even follow’[11] It is the word underhand which is most interesting in this statement. Could it be that despite all of the efforts made to the contrary, the European Population believe that the European Union is encroaching too far on national sovereignty and is an elite non-democratic force which is not necessarily always a force for good. This would certainly be a euro-sc eptics view, but as the results of these referenda demonstrate they do appear to be the majority. The ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon by most Member States has been seen by many as underhand. Its contents are not sufficiently different to the Constitutional Treaty to warrant ratification without referral to the general population and whilst this could be a reason for the no vote in Ireland I believe the descent runs deeper. It appears that there could be large scale Euro-scepticism at play in many Member States. With this in mind, the steps that are now taken by the Union will surely be instrumental in deciding its success or, not failure because that is unlikely, but certainly value and purpose. Given their efforts in trying to ratify the Treaty of Lisbon, it seems reasonably certain that the executive powers in the Member States will not stop in their moves to introduce the measures provided for in the Constitutional Treaty. The options are few; should there now be a further period of reflection and try to restart the process once the dust has settled? Should areas be dealt with in a point by point manner, simply amended existing European legislation as and when required? Should, as the French government suggest, the Irish no vote be ignored and the Treaty ratified in their absence? Or should the current status quo remain untouched. At a summit in Brussels in December, the Irish government gave a commitment to attempt, via a new referendum; get the Treaty ratified within the next twelve mo nths providing certain guarantees were made by other Member States. It seems that so far as the Treaty of Lisbon is concerned the European Union is quite happy to take the approach of ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again’. This is all very well, but surely it would be better to consider the reasons for failure rather than trying to push the populace into accepting a situation for which there are clearly serious and numerous reservations. As a conclusion it seems fitting to use Joseph Weiler’s erudite discussion on the treaties and consider the bearing this has on the problems encountered. ‘The segue was of course priceless even Houdini would marvel at the magic. Take the Treaty which masqueraded as a Constitution, do some repackaging, and now it is a Constitution masquerading as a Treaty. The repackaging is pretty crude: strip away the word constitution. Pretend the Charter of Fundamental Rights is not part of the Reform Treaty and all this whilst pontificating on the need for transparency.’[12] Table of Legislation EC Treaty (Treaty of Rome) 1957 Treaty of Nice C80 2001 Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe C310 Volume 47 2004 Treaty of Lisbon amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community C306 Volume 50 2007 Bibliography The Laeken Declaration G. Barrett, â€Å"The king is dead, long live the king: the recasting by the Treaty of Lisbon of the provisions of the Constitutional Treaty concerning national parliaments† (2008) European Law Review 33(1) J. Bateman, â€Å"Brussels Bulletin: a New European Framework† [2008] International Family Law Jounal 134 R. Bellamy, â€Å" The European Constitution is Dead, Long live European Constitutionalism† (2006) 13 Constellations 181 BBC News Online (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/europe_ireland_votes_no/html/1.stm) Graà ­nne de Bà ºrca, Reflections on the path from the Constitutional Treaty to the Lisbon Treaty, Jean Monnet Working Paper 03/08 P. Craig, â€Å"The Treaty of Lisbon, process, architecture and substance† (2008) European Law Review 33(2) M. Dougan, â€Å"The Treaty of Lisbon 2007: winning minds, not hearts† (2008) 45 Common Market Law Review 617-703 D Granville, â€Å"Irish Democrat: Gregory Joins the No Campaign†, Connolly Publications Ltd, London, 2008 B. Laffan and J O’Mahoney â€Å"Ireland and the European Union† Palgrave MacMillan, London, 2008 D. MacShane, â€Å"Ireland’s No Vote: Europe Is Not Going Away†, Times Online, 2008 (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article4133106.ece) R. McAllister â€Å"European Union: A Historical and Political Survey† Taylor and Francis Ltd, London 2008 L. Siedentop, â€Å" A Crisis of Legitimacy† (2005) 112 Prospect J. Snell, â€Å"European constitutional settlement, an ever closer union, and the Treaty of Lisbon: democracy or relevance?† (2008) European Law Review 33(5) P. Syrpis, â€Å"The Treaty of Lisbon: Much ado †¦ but about what?’ (2008) Industrial Law Review 37(3) J Weiler, â€Å"European Journal of International Law Marking the anniversary of the Universal Declaration; the Irish no and the Lisbon Treaty† E.J.I.L. 2008, 19(4), 647-653 S. Weatherill, â€Å"The Lisbon Treaty: Aspiration and Structure†, in Weatherill, EU Law (OUP: 8th ed. 2007), S Weatherill â€Å"Cases and Materials on EU Law†, 8th Revised Edition, OUP, Oxford, 2007 1 Footnotes [1] Treaty of Nice ‘Declaration on the Future of the Union’ [2] Ibid [3] The Laeken Declaration [4] R. Bellamy, â€Å" The European Constitution is Dead, Long live European Constitutionalism† (2006) 13 Constellations 181 [5] L. Siedentop, â€Å" A Crisis of Legitimacy† (2005) 112 Prospect [6] Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. I-12 of the Constitutional Treaty. [7] See www.statewatch.org for further detailed comparisons [8] Article I-6 [9] D Granville, â€Å"Irish Democrat: Gregory Joins the No Campaign†, Connolly Publications Ltd, London, 2008 [10] D. MacShane, â€Å"Ireland’s No Vote: Europe Is Not Going Away†, Times Online, 2008 (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article4133106.ece) [11] BBC News Online (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/europe_ireland_votes_no/html/1.stm) [12] J Weiler, â€Å"European Journal of International Law Marking the anniversary of the Universal Declaration; the Irish no and the Lisbon Treaty† E.J.I.L. 2008, 19(4), 647-653

Adolf Hitler :: Biographies Biographical Essays

Adolf Hitler 1.The Beginning At half past six on the evening of April 20th, 1889 a child was born in the small town of Branau, Austria. The name of the child was Adolf Hitler. He was the son a Customs official Alois Hitler, and his third wife Klara. As a young boy Adolf attendated church regulary and sang in the local choir. One day he carved a symbol into the bench which resembled the Swastika he later used as the symbol of the Nazi party. He was a pretty good student. He received good marks in most of his classes. However in his last year of school he failed German and Mathematics, and only succeeded in Gym and Drawing. He drooped out of school at the age of 16, spending a total of 10 years in school. From childhood one it was his dream to become an artist or architect. He was not a bad artist, as his surviving paintings and drawings show but he never showed any originality or creative imagination. To fullfil his dream he had moved to Vienna the capital of Austria where the Academy of arts was located. He failed the first time he tried to get admission and in the next year, 1907 he tried again and was very sure of success. To his surprise he failed again. In fact the Dean of the academy was not very impressed with his performance, and gave him a really hard time and said to him "You will never be painter." The rejection really crushed him as he now reached a dead end. He could not apply to the school of architecture as he had no high-school diploma. During the next 35 years of his live the young man never forgot the rejection he received in the dean's office that day. Many Historians like to speculate what would have happened IF.... perhaps the small town boy would have had a bit more talent....or IF the Dean had been a little less critical, the world might have been spared the nightmare into which this boy was eventually to plunge it. 2.World War 1 While living in Vienna Hitler he made his living by drawing small pictures of famous landmarks which he sold as post cards. But he was always poor. He was also a regular reader of a small paper which claimed that the Araban race was superior to all and was destined to rule the world.

Theater Review: No Child

In 2001 President George W. Bush proposed the No Child Left behind Act which forced schools to take action with the below average test scores. Due to this act schools are required to have their students take tests and have a certain percentage increase in grades every year otherwise there would be consequences from a school being labeled as a needing improvement to the extreme of having it privately run or shut down. The play â€Å"No Child† written by Nilaja Sun acts as a direct commentary for the need of the No Child Left behind Act. In this play the characters and their actions have such a strong correlation to the real problems that students in under privileged societies in America face as well as the need for reform in the education department. (No Child Left Behind) The setting of the play is the school that seems unfit for children to be going to receive an education. The janitor describes the school â€Å"The building fallin apart, paint chipping, water damage, a whole in the fourth floor ceiling that aint been fixed since 87, all the bathrooms on the third floor, they all broke. The school is also described by the janitor as having â€Å"one hundred thousand dollars' worth of security system which includes two metal detecting machines, seven metal detecting wands, five school guards and three NYC police officers. All armed†. (Sun 5) These descriptions of the school itself appear that education is not the primary focus of the leadership in the school district. It seems that the funding that the school is being given is not being utilized to its full potential for the benefit of the student's education. In public schools across the nation this is the actual setting of how the school can be described. With the No Child Left Behind act schools are pushed to make education the primary focus in order to give students an equal chance at life afterwards. (No Child Left Behind) As stated earlier the characters have a strong correlation to students and educators in real life. Being a teacher is described as being â€Å"underpaid, unappreciated, and underpaid job in this crazy universe. (Sun 6) The tenth grade class in this play is group of disrespectful, hopeless kids that are just pushed around all day and treated as if they are convicts themselves. It seems that in this story every person who is in a position to make a positive change whether it be the parents or the teachers push it off on someone else to do. The first teacher that the audience encounters is a woman named Ms. Tam who is underpaid and unappreciated as well as blatantly disrespected by her students and has no control over them. It gets to the point that Ms. Tam actually ends up leaving because she cannot handle the students. Prior to the No Child Left Behind act new teachers were only required to have bachelor's degree, be fully certified and to have a subject matter knowledge generally through tests. After the act was implemented, the standards for all teachers were required to be highly qualified which is different in every state regardless if they are new or have reached their tenure. The act also makes it so the teacher's salary could be raised or dropped depending on how the students performed on their tests. By doing this teachers are required to take responsibility for their students which requires them to go above the bare minimum. (No Child Left Behind) The next teacher that the audience sees interaction with between the students is Ms. Sun. Right off the bat the audience sees that she is someone that not only cares about what she is teaching but about the students that she is teaching. She lays down rules about being in class on time, eating in class and being respectful to everyone. She gets the students to actually care and want to take part of the play that she was hired to be in charge of a play that the students previously scoffed at. By getting the students to take part of the play actually gives them a greater hope for their future that they don't have to end up hopeless, a characteristic that society has already label them as being. These are the teachers that the No Child Left behind act is instituting, teachers that have the ability to push their students to have an equal chance that privileged and well educated students have. Ms. Sun is not here to do the bare minimum required; she is here to make a change in students who just need guidance. (No Child Left Behind) The students are probably the most important characters in this play in correlation to the No Child Left Behind act. The audience gets to see the transformation that begins to take place in the students after a teacher who goes above and beyond what her peers are doing with their students. In the beginning of the play the students proudly characterize themselves as the worst class ever. Mrs. Kennedy later on refutes this claim by saying, â€Å"Look, I understand that they consider themselves the worst class in school. News Flash – they're not even close. (Sun 21) It is this statement that the audience can understand that although this class is pretty horrible there are worse classes which shows that it is the school as a whole that is failing at their job. Towards the end of the play the students have done a complete 180. Not only are they wanting to take part of the play but they are doing what they need to for class such as showing up on time, not eating in class and not being disruptive. One of the students who were initially the leader of not doing the play actually says that he is looking forward to taking part of it next year. All that it took was a determination of the teacher to push past the expectations of failure of these students and found a way to reach them. At the end of the play instead of every student being a failure as originally thought some go on to Harvard while others make proud livings for themselves. The play was a strong motivator that provoked emotion and the responsibility to help the cause. The play was more than direct commentary in one's opinion, and more a piece of propaganda to move the audience to join the fight. The play shows the horrors of reality and a resolution that leaves the children and audience with hope. The bottom line is to show the audience that these children are not hopeless or lost causes and they need people to have hope and believe their fate is not sealed with the circumstances they were born into.