Ethical Behavior of Companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethical Behavior of Companies - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that honoring the interest of the shareholders is the priority of any business investment. Investors expect to yield maximum profit from the venture by maximizing revenue and minimizing cost. However, balancing these parameters leads to adverse consequences that result in social or environmental conflict with other stakeholders. Therefore, the integration of a CSR framework comes in handy to solve the conflict created by the business operations. The Corporate Social Responsibility model requires the firm to be responsible for its business practices that affect the community or the environment where it operates. However, this does not come at the expense of the enterprise success. For this reason, the value optimization is the ideal practice because it embraces social, economic, and environmental accountability to its stakeholders. The responsible shareholder-value optimization principle supports ethical actions and responsibility of the busin ess to its stakeholders. Under this principle, the organization is responsible for any social, economic or environmental inconvenience caused by its maneuver. As a result, this role gives the business a mandate to ensure ethical practices that are within the expectation of the shareholders, the community, and other stakeholders.

Incarceration of African American Males Essay Example for Free

Incarceration of African American Males Essay Introduction The trend of African American males between the ages of 25 and 29 has seen a dramatic increase of incarceration. Attention has been focusing on areas of housing, education, and healthcare but the most prominent problem for African American males is the increase in the incarceration rate. African American males between the ages of 25 and 29 incarceration rate has been thought, by many, to be caused by economic factors such as under employment or unemployment, poor housing, lack of education, and lack of healthcare. Yet, others believe it is due to the imbalance of minorities within the criminal justice system, such as judges, lawyers, and lawmakers. This paper will explore two different outlooks; society has come up with so far, as to why African American Males between the ages of 25 and 29 are increasingly incarcerated. Finally, the information will give awareness to the problems that is faced by African American Males between the ages of 25 and 29. Prevalence – Problem 1 More than 40% of all American prisoners, men and women, are African American men, yet they make up just 13% of the U. S. male population (Roberts, 2004). This statistic does not include those African American men who are in local jails nor does it include those African American men under custodial supervision (Table 2). They enter the state and federal prison system, at the prime of their economic and reproductive lives and yet they exit prison behind both economically and socially. The high rate of incarceration among African Americans has been noted by the interconnection of poor economy, lack of affordable housing, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, absence of a strong black male role model, lack of access to education, or some type of combination of these factors. Statistics don’t even give African American males a good chance to stay out of jail. They have a one in four chance of being incarcerated, while Hispanic American males have a one in six chance, and white males only have a one in twenty three chance of incarceration. The color of African Americans sets them apart and makes them targetable. Prevalence – Problem 2 There is evidence, in our American Justice System, of structural inequality as seen in the percentages of minorities to the percentage of majorities employed in high ranking positions, within the system. The percentage of United States judges by race are 79% Caucasian, 12% African American, and 2% Hispanics American (Federal Judicial Center, 2012), as for the thousands of lawyers in the United States it is approximate of 3% are African American (National Law Group, 2010-2011), and about 1 in 4 police officers are members of a racial or ethnic minority in 2007 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013). An investigation into racial profiling showed that African American and Hispanic American offenders, who often are young unemployed males, are more likely than their white counterparts (Spohn, C., 2000). Their prison sentences are also typically longer or they receive differential benefits from guideline departures than do similarly situated white offenders (Spohn, C. , 2000). We must acknowledge the problems of racial disparity within the criminal justice system, communicate racial disparity within the criminal justice system with those we who are not informed of the problem, and stay committed to changing racial disparity within our justice system for change to begin. Causes In researching the high rate of incarceration in America it is more likely than not that the increase in African American Males being incarcerated is due to the War on Drugs (Table 1). It is public knowledge that drug crime ranks high among the effects of poverty. These poor neighborhoods not only endure crime they have poor schools, poor food, cramped living areas, and shortage of jobs if any jobs at all. Drugs and drug crime has become regularity in low income communities, arrests of Hispanics made up 55% of cocaine powder offences and 52% of marijuana offenses and 49% involving opiates: African Americans were suspected in 75% of crack cocaine cases; White males were suspected in 41% all methamphetamine cases (Motivans, M. , 2011). Decades of failed public and private remedies for chronic disparities and disadvantages in communities of color invite us to reexamine systems and institutions that provide and restrict opportunity in new ways (Lawrence, K. , 2011). The causes seem to be intertwined being poor equals, equals a poor education, equals lack of employment, and ultimately equals an increased rate of crime. Consequences The causes seem to be intertwined being poor, equals lack of education, which equals lack of employment, which equals increased rate of crime which equals impossibility to join criminal justice system. Also, many of these men are incarcerated while all the other non-incarcerated American young men are finishing school, starting careers, earning seniority at work, marrying and having children thus gaining capital. Even when released from prison, these men return back to their communities with a felony record that will pose extreme problems for them. The incarceration leads the released convict into a lower social class even if they were considered lower class Americans prior to their incarceration; they now are lower in social class standing in most instances. This leads to a poor African American community, perhaps as many as 50% of the male population will have been in prison. These incarcerated African American Males, who are in their prime of life, also are leaving half the families in this community facing such things as poverty, lack of affordable housing, mental illness, substance abuse, violence, absence of a strong black male role model, lack of access to education, or some type of combination of these factors. The community ultimately will become poverty stricken, struggling to survive, and ultimately vulnerable to the situation repeating. Solutions – How can this be changed? There are four key aspects to addressing racial disparity, in my opinion: 1. Acknowledge 2. Communication 3. Setback = Strength 4. Commitment Not only is the problem of racial disparity under recognized by society it is not being communicated effectively to make change. Majority groups needs to acknowledge racial disparity and minority groups need to communicate their knowledge regarding racial disparity. As each group majority and minority begins to become share their information with each other and work together for a common solution acknowledging there will be setbacks but with continued commitment systemic change will happen. Conclusion By refusing to tolerate disparate treatment of people of color or anyone within the criminal justice system we empower ourselves and our country. It is time that everyone including our legislators, law enforcement, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges work collectively and courageously to eradicate this negative stigma. Despite, America being known for its equal rights we are living proof that in this era inequality is a factor that cannot be taken lightly. The statistics that are surrounding African American males is astounding. We need to empower African American males with the knowledge that they have a one in four chance of becoming incarcerated. It is also important to know that Hispanic males have a one in six chance, and white males have a one in twenty three chance of incarceration. All of these statistics need to be addressed to empower each and every one us. Throughout history we have not seen a change in majority groups (White, Male) and minority groups (Women, anyone that is not White) although we have seen numbers of minorities increasing at a fast pace. Today, however, the election of Barack Obama, not once but twice, may set the new ideal of what an American actually is. As we embrace different cultures and their ethnic backgrounds society will prosper. As society increases their knowledge, in regards to each person’s differences, they will acquire greater strength and prosperity. The only issue, that can occur, will be in the short term empowering others to embrace diversity. When we look beyond short-term, focus will shift to diverse empowerment through embracing the knowledge of our differences thus making us stronger as a society. TABLE 1: BLACK PROPORTION OF DRUG ARRESTS, EXCLUDING MARIJUANA POSSESSION YEAR BLACK % 1999 40. 1 2000 39. 3 2001 39. 1 2002 35. 8 2003 33. 8 2004 33. 1 2005 33. 2 Data calculated from drug arrest figures by race provided by the Uniform Crime Reports division of the FBI TABLE 2: FBI CRIME REPORT Arrests By Race, 2006 [11,249 agencies; 2006 estimated population 216,685,152] Total White Black American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian or Pacific islander Total White Black American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian or Pacific Islander TOTAL 10,437,620. 7270214 2924724 130589 112093 100. 0 69. 7 28 1. 3 1. 1 Drug abuse violations 1376192 875101 483886 8198 9607 1000 63. 6 35. 1 0. 6 0. 7 DUI’S 1034651 914226 95260 13484 11681 100 88. 4 9. 2 1. 3 1. 1 Liquor laws 466323 398068 50035 12831 5389 100 85. 4 10. 7 2. 8 1. 2 Drunken-ness 408439 344155 54113 7884 2287 100 84. 3 13. 2 1. 9 0. 6 Dis-orderly conduct 5117264 325991 179733 7606 3934 100 63. 0 34. 7 1. 5 0. 8 (The FBI: Uniform Crime Report, 2010) References Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013, http://bjs. ojp. usdoj. gov/index. cfm? ty=tptid=71 The FBI Uniform Crime Reports, 2010, Table 43, http://www. fbi. gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u. s/2010/crime-in-the-u. s. -2010/tables/table-43 Federal Judicial Center, 2012, Overview of the United States Court System, http://www. fjc. gov/public/pdf. nsf/lookup/FJC_Standard_PPT_English_June_2012. pdf/$file/FJC_Standard_PPT_English_June_2012. pdf Lawrence, K. , 2011, Race, Crime, and Punishment: Breaking the Connection in America, http://www. aspeninstitute. org/sites/default/files/content/docs/pubs/Race-Crime-Punishment. pdf Motivans, Mark, 2011, Washington, DC: US Dept. of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, http://bjs. ojp. usdoj. gov/content/pub/pdf/fjs09. pdf National Law Group 2010-2011, http://blacklawyers. net/ Roberts, D. , 2004, Measuring the Social and Moral Cost of Mass Incarceration, in African American Communities, http://www. law. fsu. edu/faculty/2003-2004workshops/roberts. pdf Spohn,C. ,2000, Thirty Years of Sentencing Reform: The Quest for a Racially Neutral Sentencing Process, http://www. justicestudies. com/pubs/livelink3-1. pdf.

Sikh Dharma :: essays research papers

Sikh Dharma, the youngest of the world religions, is barely five hundred years old. Its founder, Guru Nanak, was born in 1469. Guru Nanak spread a simple message of "Ek Ong Kar": we are all one, created by the One Creator of all Creation. This was at a time when India was being torn apart by castes, sectarianism, religious factions, and fanaticism. He aligned with no religion, and respected all religions. He expressed the reality that there is one God and many paths, and the Name of God is Truth, "Sat Nam". Guru Nanak's followers were Sikhs (seekers of truth). He taught them to bow only before God, and to link themselves to the Guru, the Light of Truth, who lives always in direct consciousness of God, experiencing no separation. Through words and example, the Guru demonstrates to followers how to experience God within themselves, bringing them from darkness into light. Guru Nanak was a humble bearer of this Light of Truth. He opposed superstition, injustice, and hypocrisy and inspired seekers by singing divine songs which touched the hearts of the most callous listeners. These songs were recorded, and formed the beginnings of the Sikhs' sacred writings, later to become the "Siri Guru Granth Sahib".Guru Nanak taught his way of life:Nam Japa - To get up each day before sunrise, to clean the body, meditate on God's Name and recite the Guru's hymns to clean the mind. Throughout the day, continuously remember God's Name with every breath.Dharam di Kirat Karni - To work and earn by the sweat of the brow, to live a family way of life, and practice truthfulness and honesty in all dealings.Vand Ke Chakna - To share the fruits of one's labor with others before considering oneself. Thus, to live as an inspiration and a support to the entire community.The Golden Chain The foundation of Sikh Dharma was laid down by Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak infused his own consciousness into a disciple, who then became Guru, subsequently passing the light on to the next, and so on. The word "Guru" is derived from the root words "Gu", which means darkness or ignorance, and "Ru", which means light or knowledge The Guru is the experience of Truth (God).Each one of the ten Gurus represents a divine attribute:Guru Nanak - Humility Guru Angad - Obedience Guru Amar Das — Equality Guru Ram Das -

Personal & Community Health

Stress; can have a major affect upon your body. It can be detrimental to your health. An increase to your stress levels stress can cause neurons to die which leads to headaches, anxiety and depression. In the digestive system there can be mouth ulcers and cold sores. In the circulatory system the constant elevated blood pressure and heart rate increases risk of blood clots or heart attack. Your breathing also quickens increasing your chances of colds or respiratory infection, while it also depressed your immune system leaving you more likely to get an infection.This has shown me that if you are constantly stressed out you will be more likely to continually be sick which in turn can lead to you becoming more stress. It is therefore important to constantly manage your daily stress levels. Psychological health; and well being are very important to your overall health, mentally and physically. A person who is in good psychological standing is able to: function and carry out their respons ibilities, they have a realistic perception of motivation of others, have rational and logical thought patterns, and they are able to adapt to adversity and change.Health is just not physical, your mental stability and health are also vitally important to your wellbeing overall. In order to be physically health you must also be psychologically healthy. MyPyramid; is an approximate to the amount of each food type that you should consume daily. It also gives you some rough guidelines for exercise time and to eat according to your personal calorie needs. It is important to eat a range of foods. A balanced diet is a key ingredient to helping your body maintain itself as well as to provide you with energy to make it through your daily tasks.Wellness-Illness Continuum: is an indicator of which way your health is going. You can be in average health yet you are heading towards illness. Or you can be of average health and heading towards optimal health and wellness. This has shown me that ev en though you may be healthy you have to make sure you are heading towards the optimal health and wellness with a zest for life and emotional growth rather than illness and worst case scenario premature death.Managing your Weight; is also an important part of being healthy. Depending upon your age, gender and height you should maintain a certain weight. This can be done by eating a balanced diet and regular exercise. Being an active person myself, I know how hard it can be to maintain your weight. I have the opposite problem to most people. I struggle to put on weight so I have to be very certain about what I eat and the amount of cardio exercise I do weekly.

Ben Hill Griffin Jr.-Entrepreneur Extraordinaire

It is said that not all millionaires are people born with silver spoons on their mouths. This is quite true for Ben Hill Griffin Jr. (October 20 1910 – March 1, 1990), former U. S. senator and entrepreneur extraordinaire. Mr. Griffin’s success is said to have been borne out of his industrious and friendly nature, while others have jokingly stated that this was due to his ability to control weather, as he was born when a hurricane was passing by Florida.Mr.  Griffin’s success has also nothing to do with his educational attainment, he did studied agriculture in University of Florida but he eventually left the institution without finishing his degree (â€Å"Ben Hill Jr. †, 2006).He claimed that he never had to finish his degree because he felt that he had learned all that is needed to be learned from the University. He eventually paid his respects to the University by donating about 20 million dollars for research despite not being able to finish his degree there.His success as a citrus and cattle magnate were also attributed to his honesty and hands-on approach on things, though he often says that his luck has also played a role on his success. His citrus empire started with a 10-acre orange grove which he received as a wedding gift from his father. He tended this grove up until it grew and expanded into one of California’s largest (Youngblood, 1998). Among his many achievements was the establishment of the Ben Griffin Inc. , being Chairman of the Board of Alico Inc., President of the Florida Citrus Processors Association and Chancellor of Florida Southern College (â€Å"The Great Floridians 2000 Program†, 2006) . He always placed his feet on the ground by thinking as a small-scale entrepreneur rather than a tycoon. He often claims that he would rather know what exactly happen sin his company rather than have a big staff and that he prefers to stick with his policies than adapt policies from â€Å"big companies†. Mr. Griffin is often heard telling his employees to â€Å"Work hard and save† and to â€Å"Start little and watch it grow† (Trussel, 1989).Politically, Mr. Griffin was a democrat and was known to be a member of the Florida Legislature for about 12 years, the Florida Senate for 4 years and finally in the Florida House of Representatives for 8 years. He lost to Reubin Askew in the bid for being the Governor of Florida in 1974 (â€Å"Ben Hill Griffin Jr. †, 2006). Despite this, he passed several bills regarding the marketing and improvement of the citrus industry during his time as a law-maker, earning him high regards as the foremost authority in citrus-growing. Mr. Griffin Jr.died in March 1, 1990 and his death was considered to be a great lost not only for the citrus industry but also to the State of California as well. A year before his death, he was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the 400 hundred richest Americans at that time (â€Å"Ben Hill Griffin Jrâ € , 2006). His legacy has been passed on to his son, Ben Griffin III when he was named as Chairman of the Board and CEO of Alico Inc. One of the many companies that his father established during his lifetime. Like his father, Ben Griffin III exhibited strong work values during his 14 year tenure in Alico Inc.Among Ben Griffin III accomplishments include the establishment of Florida Gulf Coast University’s site, the development of about 15,000 acres of sugar cane in Florida and the expansion of the company’s agricultural aspects (â€Å"Ben Hill Griffin III Steps Down as Chairman of Alico Inc. †, 2004). U. S. Representative Katherine Harris, Ben Hill Griffin’s granddaughter, on the other hand inherited his grandfather’s political sense. She now serves as a 2nd term house member of Florida’s 13th Congressional District (â€Å"Katherine Harris†, 2006).Ben Hill Griffin’s down-to-Earth nature and achievements are not only remember ed by his political colleagues but also by the people who are very close to him: his employees. As one employee puts it â€Å"If Mr. Griffin ain't fussing at you a little bit, he don't like you. † References â€Å"Ben Hill Griffin Jr†. Wikipedia. (2006). Retrieved July 29, 2006 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Ben_Hill_Griffin â€Å"Ben Hill Griffin III Steps Down as Chairman of Alico Inc†. (2004). Retrieved July 29, 2006 from http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2004_Feb_26/ ai_113657585/print â€Å"Katherine Harris†. Wikipedia.(2006). Retrieved July 29, 2006 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Katherine_Harris#Trivia â€Å"The Great Floridian 2000 Program†. (2006). State of Florida. Retrieved July 29, 2006 from http://www. flheritage. com/services/sites/floridians/? section=f Trussel, Tait. (1989). The Last of the Citrus Barons-Ben Hill Griffin Jr. U. S. Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved July 29, 2006 from http://www. findarticles . com/p/articles/mi_ m1154/is_n2_v77/ai_7002416/print Youngblood, Garret E. (1998). Ben Hill Griffin. The Ledger. Retrieved July 29, 2006 from http://www. theledger. com/static/top50/pages/griffin. html

Should I Add Supplemental Recommendation Letters

Should I Add Supplemental Recommendation Letters SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Maybe you spent the last year interning in a business and know your supervisor could write a stellar letter about your work ethic and passion for economics. Or you have a long term music teacher who can speak to your lifelong dedication to playing the piano. Or maybe you attend a school with thousands of students and feel like you’ve barely said ten words to your counselor or classroom teachers all year long. If any of these scenarios hits home, then you might be considering sending a supplemental recommendation letter along with your college application. Before sending any extra materials, though, you should think hard about whether it’s the right course of action. This guide will discuss when it’s appropriate to send supplemental recommendations and when you’d be better off holding back. To start, what are some reasons students think they should send an additional rec letter? Why Might You Send a Supplemental Recommendation Letter? If you’ve worked closely with someone outside of school, like a mentor, studio teacher, employer, advisor, coach, or spiritual leader, then you might consider asking him/her to provide you with a supplemental letter of recommendation. Before going ahead and making your request, consider what exactly your reasons are. Below, I’ll discuss some good reasons for sending a supplemental rec, followed by some not so good reasons for sending one. If your reasons fall into the former category, then your next step is to find out how your colleges feel about additional recs. Every school is different, which you’ll see in some of the official policies below. Before delving into that, though, take a look at some strong and weak reasons for sending an extra recommendation. Strong Reasons to Send a Supplementary Recommendation These are a few good reasons to consider submittinga supplemental recommendation, if your college allows it. Think about whether any of these reasons apply to you and your extra rec letter. It Adds an Essential Perspective Perhaps the best reason is that this recommendation would provide a valuable and unique perspective on you as a student and person that your other recommendation letters would not. Recommendations should shed light on your personal qualities, goals, and attitude toward learning, so a supplemental rec must be especially meaningful and revealing to justify sending with your application. Some students feel that their application would be incomplete without input from this recommender. For instance, a spiritual leader might be able to discuss the central role that faith and community service has played in your life. A research project advisor could talk about your college-level investigations in the lab. In some way, this person could add something essential that you feel admissions officers need to know. In this case, a supplemental letter could have a positive impact on your application. Want to provide a strong recommendation for your employee, but don't have the time to craft the perfect letter? PrepScholar's new recommendation tool, SimpleRec, takes you from good intentions and a blank page to a fully written and formatted letter of recommendation in under 5 minutes. All you need to do is give us some simple pieces of information about your employee and your experience working with them, and we'll do the rest. Try out SimpleRec risk-free today: You Barely Know Your Academic Recommenders Another reason you might consider adding a letter- assuming you have a special recommender in mind- is to make up for lackluster letters from school officials you barely know. If you attended a huge school with large student to teacher and student to counselor ratios, then it may have been next to impossible to get to know your recommenders well. Perhaps you’re worried that your letters will be generic, impersonal, and vague. In this situation, I would first and foremost recommend setting up appointments with your counselor and teachers to discuss your goals and what you’d like to go into your letter, as well as give them a detailed resume and brag sheet. If you know that your letters will still be insufficient, then adding a supplemental rec from someone who knows you well could be a reasonable course of action. Finally, some colleges actually suggest that you add a non-academic perspective to your application. Your College Suggests It Some colleges explicitly encourage, though don’t require, the submission of a personal recommendation, as from a peer, family member, spiritual leader, or other source. Any time your school encourages that you send something, it’s a good idea to send that material. Now that you have a sense of some good reasons that justify sending a supplemental recommendation, let’s take a look at the flip side. What are some bad reasons for sending an extra letter? Weak Reasons to Send a Supplementary Recommendation Sending a supplemental rec is only a good idea if you really have put a lot of thought and intention behind it. Check out some reasons that don't support sending an extra letter. You Think "More Is Better" If you’re sending one simply because you think it’s a good idea to go beyond what the college requires, think again! Many admissions officers look unfavorably on extra, unsolicited material, especially if it doesn’t add much beyond what’s already there. Requirements are there for a reason; colleges can decide on an application based on what they asked for, and they generally don’t want students to send lots of extra materials and slow down the review process. Again, each college is different, which we’ll discuss in more detail below. But if you’re only sending an extra letter for the sake of sending an extra letter, then that’s not a good enough reason to do so. Or put another way, don’t assume that more is better without first researching your colleges’ policies. In a similar vein, extra material could actually shine a spotlight on, rather than distract from, weaknesses in other parts of your application. You Want to Make Up for Weaknesses in Your Application Another weak reason is that you think an additional letter will make up for other parts of your application. In fact, your supplemental letter could have the opposite effect by alerting admissions committees that you feel insecure about the strength of your candidacy. An extra recommendation won’t necessarily balance out a weak extracurricular section. There’s an old saying in admissions, â€Å"The thicker the file, the thicker the kid.† This saying means that students who send too many additional documents may not have the credentials to get accepted based on the required materials. A bunch of extras could raise red flags, rather than impress admissions officers, about your merit. Your Parents Know the Mayor Another mistake, though not all that common, is that students send a rec from a famous or prestigious person, thinking the name will stand out and impress admissions officers. As discussed above, letters should come from people who know you well and can give you a meaningful evaluation. A famous recommender won't impress the committee on its own; if you don't really know the person, but just have a family connection, it could come off as superficial name-dropping. You Don't Trust Your Academic Recommenders I mentioned above that a supplemental rec can make up for generic academic recommendations. However, this applies if and only if you have a special external recommender in mind. Plus, you should have a strong reason for needing to rely on an outside source, like a huge high school with low teacher or counselor interaction. If you had the opportunity to get to know your faculty, but still feel like strangers, then you should push yourself to connect with them more by participating in class and setting up meetings. If you don't know your teachers or counselor well or don't trust them to do a good job, you should spring into action (those teacher and counselor recs are important!). There are steps you can take to meet with your recommenders and share information that will help them personalize your letter. Again, if this is your only reason for asking an external recommender, but you don’t have a special person in mind, then you’d probably be better off communicating with your teachers and counselors and doing everything you can to help them produce effective letters. Besides examining and evaluating your personal reasons for wanting to send a supplemental rec, you should also research your colleges’ policies. Schools have different stances, but they also repeat some of the samethemes, as you’ll see below. Never a good idea tooverwhelm admissions officers with lots of extra materials. How Do Colleges Feel About Supplemental Recommendations? There aren’t too many colleges that outright prohibit supplementary letters of recommendation, but some advise caution or subtly discourage their submission. A college, for instance, might state that it shaped its requirements intentionally and don’t want applicants to send more or less than what they asked for. Other colleges stress that a supplemental recommendation is only a good idea if it really adds something important and substantial to "the story of you." This stance puts pressure on you to decide whether or not your letter is worth sending. A few other schools, like Emory, actually invite a personal recommendation. Again, any time a school suggests that you do something extra, make sure to do it! Consider it like any other requirement. You may be able to find this information on your college’s admissions website. If not available- some sites are more detailed than others- then give the admissions office a call and ask how the committee feels about supplemental recs. It’s important to do your research on all aspects of your application. To help you out, we’ve compiled some statements from a few schools on supplemental recommendations. Note the frequent emphasis that it must add something substantial to your application to justify sending it along. Select Schools and Their Stances on Supplemental Recommendation Letters Perhaps the students who are most guilty of sending unnecessary extra material are those applying to selective schools. In trying to stand out from the competition, they send additional materials. However, you’ll see that some of these selective schools also want you to be extremely selective about what you send... Yale says, â€Å"If you feel the need to submit extra information, you may ask one additional recommender to write on your behalf. Please do not solicit this additional letter unless you feel it will add substantially to your application. The writer should know you well personally or have mentored you closely in some capacity. For example, if you have engaged in advanced scientific research, you should consider asking your research mentor to write a letter of recommendation for you.† Columbia is more specific about what external source can recommend you (and more explicit about discouraging supplemental recs): "We welcome an additional letter of recommendation if the writer has worked with you in a researcher or college course capacity...The Committee discourages the submission of additional recommendations, as admissions decisions will be based primarily on the required recommendations from your high school teachers and secondary school/guidance counselor." The University of Penn also allows one extra letter: "If an applicant would like to submit another letter of recommendation beyond this requirement, we strongly recommend that it is not from another academic teacher. Examples of an appropriate recommender include an athletic coach, an internship or research supervisor, a boss at a part-time job, or a local clergy member. These additional recommendations are only helpful if the recommender knows the student personally and can write specifically about him or her." Princeton doesn’t exactly encourage supplementals, but it allows them if they provide something novel and meaningful: "We believe that the required teacher and guidance counselor references give us much of the information we need to make thoughtful, well-informed decisions. Additional letters are only helpful if the person writing the recommendation knows the candidate well and can provide new, detailed information." Brown similarly emphasizes that supplementals must go above and beyond the other letters: "In our experience, the required counselor recommendation and two teacher recommendations provide all we need to make a thoughtful, informed admission decision. If, however, someone has unique knowledge of certain strengths or accomplishments that would not be addressed in the required recommendations, you are welcome to have another person write on your behalf." Vanderbilt draws on the same theme in a succinct way, emphasizing quality over quantity: "If students wish to submit additional letters of recommendation from teachers, coaches, employers, or anyone else who can bring something new to the application, they may include those as well. We strongly advise that these extra letters offer additional information about the applicant, and we encourage a â€Å"quality- over- quantity† approach." Are you applying to MIT? Here’s what they have to say: â€Å"Most applicants, and most admitted students, submit no supplemental recommendations. Some applicants and admitted students submit one supplemental recommendation; a few submit two. Submitting more supplemental recommendations will not disqualify you, but it is rarely necessary.† Sensing a theme? Quality beats quantity every time. If you’re sending a supplemental rec, make sure it truly adds something substantial, important, and not to be missed. Does this sound like a tough call to make? Read on for help on deciding whether or not your supplemental rec is worth sending. How to Decide Whether or Not to Send a Supplemental Recommendation As you can tell, you only want to send a supplemental rec if you feel it can truly help your application. Sending one for no good reason could actually leave a bad impression with admissions officers, effectively making your extra work not just unnecessary, but even harmful to your chances of getting accepted. Assuming your school allows you to submit an extra recommendation online or by mail, you should think about your reasons, along with researching your colleges’ policies, before asking your supplemental recommender for a letter. First, ask yourself if this letter adds value and insight to your application that’s not already there. What exactly does it communicate, and why is it important for admissions officers to know this about you? What new dimension does it add- perhaps related to community service, professional work, long term mentorship, or college level research- and how is this side of you relevant to your success at college? By pinpointing your specific reasons for sending this letter, you can make sure it will add to your application in a substantial way. If you have strong reasons for sending it and your college allows it, then a supplemental letter could round out your application and ensure that admissions officers know everything about you that they need to make a well-informed decision. On the flip side, don’t stress if you don’t have that special recommender outside of school! As Brown says, and most schools agree, â€Å"In our experience, the required...recommendations provide all we need to make a thoughtful, informed admission decision.† What's Next? Not only is it important to think carefully about why and who you're asking for a supplemental recommendation, but you also want to put the same planning into who you ask for teacher recommendations. Check out this guide to learn about who you should ask for a letter of rec. Once you're clear on all your requirements, you want to make sure you collect the strongest letters you can. This guide explains what makes a strong letter of recommendation, and what you can do to help your teachers and counselors write the best ones possible. Finally, considering the perspective on the other side will also help you get the most effective recommendation letters for your application. Learn about what exactly admissions officers are looking for when the read recommendation letters, and why they're so important to your application. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Free Essays on Adult Learning

Lifelong learning is already a reality for many adults. Some engage in learning to keep up with the rapid societal changes, others to improve their knowledge and skills. However, we know from work carried out in different places that a substantial number of adults do not participate in lifelong learning. Some face barriers to access that arise for a range of reasons, including financial constraints and changing human resource development practices in firms. But for many adults, barriers to participation arise because the available learning opportunities are poorly adapted to their learning needs or the situations in which they find themselves. If lifelong learning is to be a reality for those adults that are now excluded, there is need for more than simply a policy commitment to serve all: we need more policy and program know-how. In April 1998, the U.S. Department of Education, held an international conference on How Adults Learn. The purpose was to further the understanding of how programs and policies could be better adapted to the learning needs of adults who, so far, have been underrepresented in lifelong learning. In our search for sound answers we sought out the views and experience of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from different parts of the world. The results are a rich set of lessons, some provocative questions, and suggestions for new areas of inquiry. I appreciate the willingness of the U.S. Department of Education to publish these results to make them more widely accessible. It is my hope that the publications will continue to work in this area and nourish a constructive debate that will lead to expanded opportunities for adult lifelong learning Lifelong learning is a reality for adults for a variety of reasons. Some engage in learning to keep up with rapid societal changes, others to improve their knowledge and skills. As adults continue to live longer, and as full participation in society depends increa... Free Essays on Adult Learning Free Essays on Adult Learning Lifelong learning is already a reality for many adults. Some engage in learning to keep up with the rapid societal changes, others to improve their knowledge and skills. However, we know from work carried out in different places that a substantial number of adults do not participate in lifelong learning. Some face barriers to access that arise for a range of reasons, including financial constraints and changing human resource development practices in firms. But for many adults, barriers to participation arise because the available learning opportunities are poorly adapted to their learning needs or the situations in which they find themselves. If lifelong learning is to be a reality for those adults that are now excluded, there is need for more than simply a policy commitment to serve all: we need more policy and program know-how. In April 1998, the U.S. Department of Education, held an international conference on How Adults Learn. The purpose was to further the understanding of how programs and policies could be better adapted to the learning needs of adults who, so far, have been underrepresented in lifelong learning. In our search for sound answers we sought out the views and experience of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from different parts of the world. The results are a rich set of lessons, some provocative questions, and suggestions for new areas of inquiry. I appreciate the willingness of the U.S. Department of Education to publish these results to make them more widely accessible. It is my hope that the publications will continue to work in this area and nourish a constructive debate that will lead to expanded opportunities for adult lifelong learning Lifelong learning is a reality for adults for a variety of reasons. Some engage in learning to keep up with rapid societal changes, others to improve their knowledge and skills. As adults continue to live longer, and as full participation in society depends increa...

How to Teach the ACT A Guide for Tutors and Parents

How to Teach the ACT A Guide for Tutors and Parents SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips I spent four years as a test-prep tutor, working with students on all aspects of the ACT and SAT. When I started out, I knew how to take the tests, but I wasn't that good at teaching them. Over the years, however, I've learned a lot about how to be an effective teacher, and it's largely not about the kinds of tips and tricks you might expect. This guide will give you all the tools you need to guideyour student through the ACT prep process.Just follow these six steps: Set a Goal Learn the Test Use the BestResources Make a Plan Teach the Strategies Dissect Mistakes Step 1: Determine Your Goals and Challenges This step will vary a lot depending on who you are and who your student is. If you're a parent, sibling or friend, you'll need to determine whether you're qualified to teach this student and what challenges you'll face. If you're a professional or volunteer tutor, you'll want to focus more on the student's own score goals. Are You Qualified? In order to be an effective tutor, you need to be better at the material than your student. If you struggle to explain questions they miss it will undermine herconfidence in you, and if you don't really understand the material you won't be able to diagnose what your student's weaknesses are. A good rule of thumb is that you should be scoring at least 4 points higher than your student. If she is already high-scoring you’ll want to be at or near perfect. If you are not academically-minded or were always bad at standardized tests, don’t try to teach them to someone else. Potential Challenges Your student has to want to improve. It’s impossible to raise your score on the ACT without doing a lot of practice, so you aren’t going to be able to be an effective tutor unless your student is also invested in the process. Encouraging a student to participate in the learning process can be especially tricky if she's a friend or family member. One of my biggest challenges as tutor was working with my cousin. Because we didn’t have the usual student-tutor relationship, it was harder for me to motivate her and hold her to account when she didn’t complete the work that I assigned. Setting a Score Goal Having a goal to work towards is an important motivational tool, so make sure to discuss with your student what score she's hoping to reach. Don’t just assume she needs a 36, since she almost certainly doesn’t. Your student’s goal will depend on what she needs the score for. The score she’ll need as a middle schooler to get into summer programs is very different from what she’ll need as a senior to get into Columbia. Moreover,what score she needs to get into college will depend on where she wants to go. Look into the score ranges at schools she’s interested in to help determine what score she should shoot for. Another consideration is whether your student needs to raise her score as a whole or simply increase her score on one of the sections. A particularly low score on one section (especially math or reading) can count against an application, and some schools and programs have a cut off score for certain sections. Again, it's important to understand what she's planning to use the score for in order to determine what her goal will be. Setting a specific goal (and having a reason for it) will help your student stay focused. Step 2: Familiarize Yourself with the ACT You can’t be an effective teacher if you don’t know anything about the ACT. If you aren't accustomed to tutoring- especially if you applied to college before smartphones were invented- you'll need to spend some time familiarizing yourself with the test. A good first step is to try taking a practice ACT: doing so will help you understand your own strengths and weaknesses as well as how the ACT is formatted and what kinds of skills it tests. I've included some key reminders about what you need to know if you aren't familiar with the test below. Remember that the ACT Is Different from the SAT The ACT’s popularity is relatively recent and somewhat location dependent. If you applied to college before 2000or you went to high school in a state on the east or west coast (rather than in the Midwestor a mountain state), you probably took the SAT. Though both are standardized tests, the current ACT is very different than the older versions of the SAT. For starters, it has English and science sections in addition to the math and reading ones. It also asks different types of questions about slightly different material- for example, there are no vocab questions on the ACT, but there are trigonometry ones. If you're going to tutor the ACT, make sure you know the ACT- don't just assume it's the same as theSAT you took 10 years ago. Know the Format of the ACT It sounds silly, but it’s important make sure you understand what the ACT actually looks like and what kind of questions it asks. The ACT is very different from the type of test students take in high school and you need to understand the test's unique logic and formatin order to guide your student to a higher score. For example, let’s say your student has a low math score, and you know he really struggles with logarithms. You might decide that you should focus on studying logarithms and really practice that skill. This plan sounds logical enough, but itwould actually waste a lot of time because the ACT has at most one logarithm question per test. Unless your student is already scoring a 33 or above on the math, studying logarithms is not an effective use of time. Let's consideranother case: your student is having a hard time with the science section. You might think that it will be helpful to review the science your student has learned in school: go over osmosis and electromagnetism. But the science section doesn't actually test knowledge- it's about reading graphs.Studying science topics won't help your student at all. If you aren't sure what the ACT actually tests, you can use the following guides to learn aboutwhat’s on each section: English Reading Math Science Step 3: Gather the Best Resources If there was one lesson I learned as a tutor, it was that bad materials make it very difficult to tutor effectively. When practice questionshave errors or look nothing like the the questions on the actual ACT, students end up confused or frustrated and, worse, lose some of their trust in you. To avoid these issues, the best plan is to use official practice materials whenever possible and, if necessary, supplement them with high quality books. Official Practice Tests Official ACTs will be the backbone of any tutoring program. Practicing with real tests will give students the best idea of what to expect on test day. There are a number of official ACTs available for free online. You can also purchase The Real ACT Guide, which includes extraofficial tests. Best General Books Though The Real ACT Guideprovides a lot of great practice material, it doesn't include much in the way of strategies or content review. As such,you'll likely need other materials assupplements (though it will depend on your approach as a tutor and the strengths and weaknesses of your student). One great resource is the ACT Black Book by Mike Barret. This book lays out how to think effectively about the test and can really help students understand how the ACT is different from the tests they take in school. It includes some of the best strategies, but it also lacks math andEnglishcontent review, which many students will need. For more info about these books and others, check out our round-upofthe best ACT prep books and our list of best books for intensive ACT study. You might also consider taking a look at our free online ACT guides, including the 5 strategies you must be using and how to get a 36. Best Section Books If your student needs particular help on one of the sections, consider getting a book specific to that topic. There are fewer of these specialized options for the ACT than there are for the SAT, but there are still some great options. We also have free guides to each section, which include some of the best, most comprehensive info anywhere. English Our complete guide to thebest ACT Englishbookscan help you pick out the best option for your student. Our Ultimate Guide to ACT English Math We recommendRichard Corn'sUltimate Guide to the Math ACTfor most students. Our CompleteGuide to ACT Math Reading For reading, we generally recommend Erica Meltzer's Complete ACT Reading. Our Ultimate PrepGuide to ACT Reading Science There aren't any really great ACT Science books, though Barron's ACT 36 can be helpful for high scoring students. Our Complete Guide to ACT Science Good resources are worth their weight in gold (not literally). Step 4: Make a Plan Once you know your goals and have the materials you need, sit down with your student and work up a full plan for how you're going to get her to the score sheneeds by the test dateshe's signed up for. ACT prep is one of the easiest things to procrastinate- because it's spread out over such a long period, it's easy to put off until the very last minute- but studying is most effective when it occurs over months, not days. As a tutor, one of your most important roles is making sure your student stays on track. Let's go over some ways to achieve that. Establisha Schedule First, figure out when your student is going to take the test. Then plan out what needs to get done between now and then: most students benefit from roughly 40 hours of studying- it will depend on the student how much of that is tutoring and how much is independent work, but all students should take at least three full practice tests. Set a specific time for your lesson each week. I generally prefer to meet with students once a week, butif you'reon a tight schedule you can certainly do twice a week. With more than two lessons per week,most students will quickly get burned out and frustrated. If you're working with a student who you only see that one time each week, then you'll needto give homework, either extra practice questions or material review, depending on the student's needs and weaknesses. As a parent or sibling, you probably won't be able to convince your student to do extra homework, so instead set aside an extra time during the week for them to study on their own. Prioritize When deciding how to approach the material, it's helpful to have a system: are you going to tackle one section at a time? Break them up into individual skills and mix things up a bit? Have your student practice each type of question and hone in on what's tripping himup about it? Each of these approaches can work- it really depends on how your student learns best. Then decide where you're going to start. I like to begin by tacklinga student's weakest sections, because that's often where they have the most room for improvement. But every student is different. Some may only need to raise a specific section score. Some may already know a lot about the ACTand mostlyneed to review the material it tests. Others will need you to start with the very basics like format and scoring. Set Expectations ACT prep is easy to put off and avoid, but it’s impossible for students to improve without dedicated practice. A big part of your job as a tutor is keeping your student motivated. Talk to your student about how much work she'llneed to do and when it needs to be completed. Remind herwhy the ACT is important. Hold herto your schedule. Ideally, your plan will be less complicated than this one. Step 5: Discuss Strategies So far I've talked mostly about the big picture of how to set up an successfulstudent-tutor relationship, but now I want to go into a bit more depth about how to be a really effective teacher of the material. To succeed on the ACT, students need to have a systematic approach to each section. These overall strategiesare often what students expect to learn when they start tutoring, and although they aren't the be all, end all of learning about the ACT, these kinds of tips are still important. Below are some guides to key strategies for each section to get you thinking about the types of ideasyou might want to cover. You'll also want to diagnose any content weaknesses for English and math. English How to approach the English passages: This guide explains the best methods for reading the ACT English passages- have your student try each and determine which works best for her. 5 critical concepts: This article covers a number of general ACT English strategies like using grammar rules (not your ear) to determine the answer and not rushing through the questions. What's actually covered on ACT English: Go over this list with your student to help determine if there are any topics she's especially unfamiliarwith. Math Hownot to run out of time on ACT Math: The math section includes a lot of questions, and students will need to move quickly. This guide offers tips to help students manage time effectively. 31 must know formulas: Unlike the SAT, the ACT doesn't provide the formulas you need to know. This list lays out all the formulas your student needs to memorize to ace the ACT math. How to plug in answers: Make sure your student understands the most efficient way to plug-and-chug. How to plug in numbers: This strategy will help your student approach questions that ask about abstract variables and unknown quantities. Reading How to read the passages: It's vital that students have a plan for efficiently reading the passages. This guide outlines the most effective methods. The #1 rule for ACT Reading: A common mistake students make on ACT Reading is overthinking the questions. This guide explains why that will give you the wrong answer. How to stop running out of time on ACT Reading: Time management is one of the trickiest parts of the ACT reading- this guide can help with it. Science ACT Science isn't really about science: This article explains how students can use the fact that ACT Science is really a reading test to their advantage. How to approach the science passages: As with English and reading, students must know how to approach the passages systematically- this guide explains the most effective way to do so. Step 6: Dissect Mistakes ACT questions follow certain patterns: look at enough tests and you'll see that the test writers ask the same kind of questions over and over again. The best way to get a feel for the style of those questions is to do a lot of practice, so as I mentioned above you should have your students regularly practice with real ACT questions. Of course, it's not enough to simply assign the work, you also need to discuss the questions your student misses. Your role as a tutor isn't just to say, "Bis the rightanswer"- it's to help your student understand why they gotthe questionwrong and how they can avoid missing similar ones in the future. For more details on how to effectively go overmissed questions, take a look at our guide to reviewing mistakes. The keys to unlocking your student's potential. Review: 3 Key Tutoring Tips The specifics of what you cover and how you work on it will depend a lot on you and your student, but there are a few big picture ideas that every tutor should keep in mind. Be Organized Students take their cues from you. If you aren't on top of the material and don't seem to have a plan, they'll pick up on your lack of preparation and feel less confident in your knowledge. Make sure you have a clear plan for everything you're going to cover, since this will help you feel prepared as well as giving you the chance to prepare for lessons ahead of time. However, leave yourself some extra time for reviewing tricky topics and answering your student's questions. It's impossible to predict exactly what students will need help with, and it's important to be responsive to their concerns. Motivation is Key I can't overstate the importance of practice: students won't improve if they don't put the work in. As such, it's vital that you motivate your student to do the work you assign. In some cases, this will be easy (I've had students who actually requested extra homework), but in others you will need to really emphasizewhy the practice is important and how it will help your student reach her goals. They Don't Call It a Standardized Test for Nothing As a tutor, I've found that my greatest strength is an encyclopedic knowledge of the ACT. The test includes the same kinds of questions again and again, so once you really know the different styles of questions and different topics they cover you can explain just about any permutation. I gained this knowledgeover years of tutoring, but even if you're just starting out, you can use the fact that the ACT is standardized to your advantage. Go over official tests carefully and look for patterns in the questions. Remember that because the test is standardized there is only ever one indisputably correct answer. Help your student understand both what will and whatwon't be covered by the test. Further Reading I've listed tons of helpful resources throughout this article. If you're looking for more ACT prep content, you can also explore all of our posts using the topics listed in the right column. If the test is just around the corner and you're pressed for time, make sure to go over these last-minute study tips with your student. For parents: check out these guides to help you determinewhat the best study format for your childwill be. A tutor?Self-study? An online program? Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Alex Heimbach About the Author Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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Information Technology - Human Computer Interaction (Evaluating Essay

Information Technology - Human Computer Interaction (Evaluating Website for usability) - Essay Example One of these handfuls of researchers who helped build the internet in the 1970’s .The world we see now has become a global village. The internet has made this world into this global village .We see hustle and bustle everywhere, houses, gardens, schools, colleges, universities etc .Since now the world has become such a global village it has made man more inquisitive and competitive at the same time. Every man today wants high living standards, good education, high quality of food and leisure etc. To cater this never ending flow of human wants and needs, groups of individuals formed organizations, and then the process of production and marketing, selling came into being. It is also a fact that in the fast paced world we live in today, things are in flux almost always. What was a trend a decade back may not be evident anymore. The world has been completely invaded by modern inventions. The vast exposure that internet has provided to us has resulted in bringing about great change to the mind sets of people. Various organizations and institutions small and large tend to market their products and services differently. For e.g. marketing through print media, electronic media etc .these ideas came more into being because of the individual wants and needs and how humans were to cater to those. This also then helped individuals identify and prioritize their needs. A prime value of ‘Education’ exists, this has all along been the vital contributor to wards the evolution of man. As time has elapsed both young and old have this clear in their minds that they need to acquire quality education in order to exist respectably in this world. There are different modes of advertising of products and services .This is done in order to help satisfy themselves and others around them. Initially schools, then colleges and now universities with huge campuses, state of the art facilities and accommodation are being

Karl Max Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Karl Max - Essay Example Karl Max Karl Max happens to be one of the most eminent and riveting sociological philosopher this world has ever seen and his sociological ideas are still appreciated among millions of people around the globe. In this excerpt, the writer sets out to make the readers realize why the various precious works of Max need to be thoroughly analyzed once again with a new spirit, and why his certain ideas are sadly misunderstood among various people. The writer has mentioned an array of innovative ideas as to how people manage in attributing different meanings to the various sociological theories of Max, and why any single authentic meaning cannot be extracted out of even a single paragraph from Max’s any work. Basically, the context in which the writer strives to convey the message is quite unique in its kind because the various ways illuminated in the text by the writer happen to be extremely successful in making the readers realize the bedrock of misunderstandings erupting from the complex philosophical works of Marx. It is easy to identify after reading the text that the key element of any work written by Max is the usage of extremely complex philosophical terms that are not only hard-to-get-familiar-with but, they are also used by Max himself in different ways in his own various works. This implies that if in one work, one certain term is employed by Max to convey any particular meaning then in the next work, he amazes and confuses the readers by using that same term for producing a totally different idea.

The Italians in Italy and the United States Research Paper

The Italians in Italy and the United States - Research Paper Example Many Italian immigrants and Italian Americans made contributions in various fields such as science, entertainment and the military. While the number of people immigrating to the United States from Italy has decreased in recent years immigrants that come are inspired by the opportunities offered. The population of Italy is expected to decrease dramatically due to the declining birth rate. This combined with the unstable economy of Italy may contribute to a loss of its identity. Many Italian American organizations fear that future generations will not know about the positive aspects of their heritage due to the negative stereotypes of Italians perpetuated by the media. The Italians in Italy and the United States The Italians in Italy and in the United States brought a rich heritage to both nations. In Italy and in America Italians made contributions in various aspects of society throughout history. However factors such as a slow population growth in Italy, a decrease in immigration fro m Italy to the United States, an unstable economy and negative stereotypes of this ethnic group threaten that heritage. Italians in Italy and in America are threatened with the loss of their identity and uniqueness. Italians are no longer the predominant immigrant group in the United States. The future of Italy is imperiled by its stagnant growth. The paper will discuss current and past immigration trends of Italians, contributions made by Italians in Italy and the U.S, the current state of Italy as well as negative stereotypes of Italians. In the 1880’s massive economic decline and an overpopulated nation resulted in a dramatic increase in Italian immigration to the United States. ... Some early Italian migrants were young men who wanted to work for brief periods and then return to Italy. Others would settle in America in predominantly Italian areas. The men mostly did physical labor which included building the communication infrastructure. â€Å"The Italian contribution to the refining of America also derives from the immigrant labor used to build reservoirs, streetcar lines, subways, railroads and buildings to pave streets and to install and repair sewage lines.† (Scarpaci & Mormino p.12) Italian immigrants brought with them an agrarian, family oriented culture that placed emphasis on hard work as a means to succeed and survive. They felt that during troubled times, they can always trust in family. Throughout most of the 20th century there was a gradually increasing influx of immigrants from Italy who would settle in America. During the 1920s most Americans were leading prosperous lives and many Italian American colonies received infusions of capital deri ved as a result of breaking Prohibition laws. Most Italian Americans were adversely affected by the Great Depression. As a result they became part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's Democratic coalition. From World War 2 to the 1950s and 1960s more Italian Americans were middle class due to ample employment opportunities. By the mid-1970s Italian American young people were attending college at the national average. According to Census Bureau data, Italian Americans have an average high school graduation rate, and a higher rate of college and post graduate degrees compared to the national average. (Scarpaci & Mormino, 2008)From 1998 to 2002 many college students throughout the United States took classes to learn Italian. It is the fourth most commonly taught foreign language in U.S.

Historical Personalities Of World War II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Historical Personalities Of World War II - Essay Example The Populist Fronts tended to be so dear to Stalin that while he intended to rouse the Russian masses by gathering them around the idea of opposition to Hitler, at the same time Stalin was trying to strike a deal with the Nazi dictator because he considered Hitler to be an imminent threat to the Russian bureaucracy. In that context, Stalin played into the hands of Hitler by allowing the Nazi’s to have a striking success on the Western front before Hitler turned his attention to the East that is the USSR. As per Trotsky, had Stalin not been so particular about consolidating his hold on the USSR, it would have definitely allowed him to pressurize Hitler on the Eastern front, thereby perhaps inhibiting him from advancing so confidently in the West. Somewhere, Stalin’s strategy of allowing Hitler to initiate World War II proved to be short-sighted in the sense that he believed that he will manage to escape getting involved in the war. Had Stalin somehow conveyed to Hitler that Russia was going to offer a stiff resistance in case of an expansionist endeavor by Germany, perhaps World War II could have been avoided?

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

International Business - Essay Example International business, provided with its nature is a principal determinant of international trade. One of the consequences on the growing achievement of international business ventures could be attributed to globalization. Trade assists in the prevention of conflict. International business fundamentally is concerned with trade, and provided that people trade, they essentially are in contact with each another. As an outcome, there is less separation that the countries are able to do. Provided that countries start to interact by means of trade, they are less expected to clash. This is also connected to the theory that democratic states are less probable to result to war with one another since they are interrelated and reliant on each others victory. There are several factors which affect the nature of international business and the companies that are involved in it. Firstly, there are challenges to the manner in which people belonging to these organizations balance their work and their personal life. Essentially, organizations should be able to work out resolutions to help boost their companies and to address this continuing challenges. However it would do well to discuss certain influences that present these challenges to international business. There are several factors which affect the nature of the organizations involved in International Business. Some of these are culture and tradition, the role played by key stakeholders, available resources in the community, public policies, as well as the demographics. Culture together with tradition affects the manner in which organizations as well as its personnel interact with each other. Culture and tradition have a tendency to affect the goal setting activity, work activity as well as feedback gathering and receiving of the organization. These two factors also have a propensity to affect the kind of allowances and rewards given, work-life interface and even

Historical Personalities Of World War II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Historical Personalities Of World War II - Essay Example The Populist Fronts tended to be so dear to Stalin that while he intended to rouse the Russian masses by gathering them around the idea of opposition to Hitler, at the same time Stalin was trying to strike a deal with the Nazi dictator because he considered Hitler to be an imminent threat to the Russian bureaucracy. In that context, Stalin played into the hands of Hitler by allowing the Nazi’s to have a striking success on the Western front before Hitler turned his attention to the East that is the USSR. As per Trotsky, had Stalin not been so particular about consolidating his hold on the USSR, it would have definitely allowed him to pressurize Hitler on the Eastern front, thereby perhaps inhibiting him from advancing so confidently in the West. Somewhere, Stalin’s strategy of allowing Hitler to initiate World War II proved to be short-sighted in the sense that he believed that he will manage to escape getting involved in the war. Had Stalin somehow conveyed to Hitler that Russia was going to offer a stiff resistance in case of an expansionist endeavor by Germany, perhaps World War II could have been avoided?

Evaluate the social, cultural and political context of the Beatle's Essay

Evaluate the social, cultural and political context of the Beatle's WHITE ALBUM - Essay Example The hairstyle they wore in the first part of their musical career is normally known as the ‘beatle-hairstyle’ (Hecl 2006, p. 5). They also wore round-rimmed glasses, which are referred to as ‘lenonky’ in Czech Republic. It is the type of glasses, which their famous leader, John Lennon, used to wear through the last part of the group’s career and also afterwards. Allusions to their lives and songs are normally replicated in films and TV series and most likely, a number of individuals, who have learned English, have misspelled the phrase ‘beetle’ with an ‘a’ (Hecl 2006, p. 5). The Beatles are considered to have transcended pop music, which became an element of cultural history of the world then and today. In this thesis, I will dwell upon this legendary group as not just a musical, but a cultural phenomenon, as well. The paper will evaluate the social, cultural and political context of the Beatles White Album. In order to make the reader understand the full influence of this album, this paper will also explain their rise to fame against the background of their era and to confirm that their music had an extensive effect on culture generally both in and outside England. The legacy of the 60s has been undeniably very significant for the growth of culture and society in what is usually referred to as ‘civilised nations,’ and the transformations society went through make the 60s one of the most essential parts of the 20th century, as well as a milestone people have to pass by when they endeavour to study the years that came after (Hecl 2006, p. 6). The 60s were in lots of respects ground-breaking. The changes influenced not only the civilised nations (particularly Europe and the United States) but less developed countries in South America and Africa, as well (Keith 2009, p. 15). This paper, however, will dwell on the former. Thus, it is clear that the late 50s and 60s led to significant

Policy and Example Strategic Planning Essay Example for Free

Policy and Example Strategic Planning Essay Identify and describe what it is about strategic plans that make them difficult to implement. Support your argument with an example Strategic planning: matching organizational objectives and capabilities to the anticipated demands of the environment to produce a plan of action that will ensure achievement of objectives.( Denhardt Denhardt, 2010) What make strategic plans difficult is trying to plan make a decision that effects multiple people with different beliefs or issues. An example would be immigration reform the us is trying to reform the immigration rules and make a set of laws that effect multiple immigrants but not all immigrants have the same issues or back ground. Some immigrants or here do to no fault of their own, some are here on expired visas and others are just here straight out illegally. It hard to make law or a plan for those that are in this country due to no fault of their own. As the author notes, the effective communication of a policy analysis to policymakers is frequently difficult. Explain the sources of this difficulty, and describe at least three ways you might attempt to overcome it. Policy analysis: is the process of researching or analyzing public problems to provide policy makers with specific information about the range of available policy options and advantages and disadvantages of different approaches ( Denhardt Denhardt, 2010). The author pointed out in Denhardt Denhardt on page 203 is that the problem is only vaguely understood at the outset, and part of the analyst job to develop background statement or issue a paper that outlines the paper. On method of solving the problem would be to start a focus group or have a town hall meeting to discuss the issues or problems others have faced when it come to the issue you are researching. Two would be to conduct substantial research from various sources such as journals, books, news papers and so fourth, and third talk to people that or at the same agency level are you that could be helpful.

Explaining The Pumping Action In A Heart Physical Education Essay

Explaining The Pumping Action In A Heart Physical Education Essay The heart is the most important organ of the blood which keeps the other internal organs alive by supplying blood and oxygen hence making it a life maintaining organ. The objective of this essay is to explain the pumping action of the heart, transportation of oxygen by the cardiovascular system and how reduced blood flow can affect cardiac function. A treatment for this cardiac malfunctioning is also explained. I will begin the essay by explaining the anatomical structure of the heart and then explain how the pumping action of the heart. The second part of the essay will include how the reduction in blood flow can affect the cardiac function and finally a treatment to cure this problem will be explained. The heart is a life maintaining organ weighs almost less then a pound, barely the size of the fist and located in the mediastinum of the throracic cavity of human body. The shape of the heart is like a inverted cone which has a blunt tapered end that points to the left hip and the base pointing towards the right shoulder. The heart lies more close to the left that is nearly third of it and rest on the diaphragm in between the two lungs. This is shown in figure 1 which shows the location of the heart. Fig.1: Anterior view of the heart in the mediastinum The entire heart is covered by a dense fibrous tissue called the pericardium which comprises of a dense connective tissue called the fibrous pericardium which protects the heart from over stretching due to excessive filling, it also consists of the serous pericardium which forms deeper portion of the heart. The serous layer is further divided into the parietal layer which lines the outer layers the and visceral layer which lines the innermost layers of the heart. A fluid which reduces friction is present in the pericardial cavity that separates these parietal and visceral layers. The below figure (see fig. 2 ) shows the different layers of the the pericardium. Fig.2: The pericardium and the Heart wall http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=cardiopart=A1016rendertype=figureid=A1019 As shown in the above figure (see fig.2), the heart wall is composed of three different layers ; epicardium, myocardium and the endocardium. The epicardium which forms superficial layer of the heart wall consists of mainly adipose tissue. The endocardium forms the deeper layer of the heart and is filled with squamous endothelium and aerolar tissues. Between these two layers lies the myocardium which is made up of cardiac muscles that help in the contraction of the heart. Its relatively a thick layer as it helps the heart to perform its normal pumping action that is contraction and expansion of the heart at regular intervals. On the outer surface of the heart there many grooves and layers of fat called the sulci. The heart is divided into four chambers which has two inferior intermittent pumps which discharge blood out of the heart called the right and the left ventricles and two superior primer pumps called the right and left atria receiving deoxygenated and oxygenated blood from the body and the lungs respectively. The ventricles are separated from each other by a relatively thick muscle called the interventricular septum but atria are separated from each other by relatively a thinner wall called the interatrial septum as it has lighter workload comparing the ventricles. The right ventricle has thicker walls comparing the left ventricle because it has to pump more blood during systemic circulation. The presence of heart valves prevents the back flow blood and hence ensures that blood flows effectively in one direction. There are two types of valves which are the atrioventricular (AV) valves and the semilunar valves. The AV valves consists of the the tricuspid and bicuspid (mitral) valves th at are located on the right and left side of the heart between the ventricles and atria respectively. The semilunar valves on the other hand lie on the bases of aorta and the pulmonary artery. These valves consists of the pulmonary valve and the aortic valve. The tricuspid valve has thread like structures that are connected to tendon like cords called the chordae tendinae. The anatomical structure of the heart and the heart valves is shown in figure 3. Fig.3: The heart and the heart valves http://yoursurgery.com/ProcedureDetails.cfm?BR=3Proc=24 Blood Flow Through The Heart The blood flow through the heart is explained by the pulmonary and systemic circulation. Deoxygenated blood is drained into the right atrium by the superior and the inferior vena cava. The pressure in the right atrium increases forcing the tricuspid valve to open and hence draining the entire deoxygenated blood to the right ventricle. The volume of blood in the ventricle increases and the maximum volume of the blood in the right ventricle after the contraction of the right atrium is called end diastolic volume (EDV). EDV is generally about 140ml. As the tricuspid valve closes the pressure in the ventricles increases. During this phase the ventricles contract but the pressure is not enough for the pulmonary valve to open hence resulting in isometric contraction as a result all the heart valves are closed during this phase and the volume in the ventricles remains constant. As the pressure continues to increase comparing the right atrium the blood forces open the pulmonary valve and the deoxygenated blood is pushed into the pulmonary trunk that divides into the pulmonary arteries. After the contraction of the ventricle that is the systole, the amount of blood remaining in the ventricle is called the end systolic volume (ESV). The difference between EDV and ESV gives the stroke volume (SV) that is the blood pumped out of the ventricles during a single heart beat. The pulmonary arteries carries the deoxygenated blood to the right and the left lung for oxygenation. Once the blood is oxygenated it is returned back to the heart by the pulmonary vein. The pulmonary vein empties the oxygenated blood into the left atrium, hence completing the pulmonary circulation and as the pressure in this atrium increases the blood is drained into the left ventricle by forcing open the mitral valve. When the mitral valve is closed the the pressure rises again comparing the left atrium and the blood is pushed into the aorta by opening the aortic valve. This oxygenated blood is transport ed to various parts of the body to carry out haemodynamic activities ( which includes the exchange of oxygen and carbondioxide with the blood ) . The systemic circulation is completed once the deoxygenated blood is returned back to the right atrium from different parts of the body by the venae caveae. Fig.4: Pulmonary and Systemic Circulation of the heart http://academic.kellogg.cc.mi.us/herbrandsonc/bio201_McKinley/f22-1_cardiovascular_sy_c.jpg During the phase of the first diastole, the ventricular relaxation takes place as a result the semilunar valves are closed and also the AV valves are also closed during this time as a result the volume of blood in the ventricles remains constant, hence this phase is called the isovolumetric relaxation. The diagrammatic explanation of the cardiac cycle is explained in figure 5. Fig.5: The Cardiac Cycle http://academic.kellogg.cc.mi.us/herbrandsonc/bio201_McKinley/f22-11_cardiac_cycle_c.jpg Cardiac Conduction System In this system the pumping action of the heart is synchronised by the electrical activity of the heart. Electrical signals are generated by the sinoatrial (SA) node which is the bodies natural pacemaker. This node generates pulses that propagate throughout the right atrium and through the Bachmanns bundle hence stimulating both the atria. These pulses travel from SA node the to the atrioventricular (AV) node through certain paths known as internodal tracts. The AV node acts as a gatekeeper and prevents all the pulses to travel from the atria to the ventricles, hence causing some delay in the excitation. From the AV node the signals travel through the Purkinje fibres that divides itself into right and left and excites both the ventricles. This process repeats and the contraction of the heart takes place. Transportation of Oxygen by Cardiovascular System The cardiovascular system is a dense network of arteries, veins, capillaries etc. which is involved in the transportation of blood gases to and from the various parts of the body. In this part I will talking about how the cardiovascular system transports oxygen to different parts of the body. The oxygenated blood which is pumped from the left ventricle is transported by the aorta. The aorta is the largest artery of the human body which is made up of several layers of the elastin fibers and covered by smooth muscle. Blood flows in the arteries with high pressures hence these arteries expand (vasodilation) and contract (vasoconstriction) thus helping to regulate blood pressure. The aorta bifurcates into various different arteries smaller in size carrying oxygenated blood to different parts of the body. These arteries further divide into arterioles whose diameter is much smaller comparing the arteries and are less elastic. These arterioles are made up of thick layer of smooth muscles an d are controlled by the autonomic nervous system that control their diameter. Oxygenated blood now passes from the arterioles to the capillaries which are the functional unit of the cardiovascular system. Capillaries are responsible for the exchange of blood gases and other nutrients between different tissues and blood through the process of diffusion. As diffusion is the process by which gases or fluids flow from higher to lower concentration therefore at the capillary level the concentration of oxygen is more in the capillaries and on the other hand the concentration of carbondioxide is more in the tissue than in the capillaries therefore the diffusion of these gases takes place. Oxygen is diffused into the tissues and carbondioxide on the other hand is diffused into the tissues. This is how oxygen is transported to different parts of the body. This deoxygenated blood is collected from the venules which are connected to the capillaries. Theses venules group together to form veins. Hence this deoxygenated blood is returned back to the heart for oxygenation and the entire process is repeated. The entire process of the transportation of oxygen by the cardiovascular system is explained in figure 6 Fig 6: Blood flow and capillary exchange of oxygen http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Blood-General-Overview.htm Effects Of Reduced Coronary Blood Flow And Its Treatment Reduced coronary blood flow results in a condition known as ischemia where the myocardiac tissue is deprived of oxygen due to inadequate blood flow. The inadequacy is caused by formation of localised plaques of lipids that protrude within the artery causing a reduction in blood flow. As a result of reduced blood flow, there is a reduction in the level of oxygen which is required to carry out metabolic activities of the tissues. In ischemia the anaerobic respiration of the tissue results in the formation of lactic acid which leads to sever pain in the chest region. This pain is called angina pectoris. Angina pectoris is classified into two types; stable and unstable. Stable angina which causes pain in the chest region may arise from some physical activity ( running, jogging etc.). During these activities the need for oxygen is more to carry out metabolic activities in a faster rate compared to the supply of oxygen as a result anaerobic respiration of the tissues takes place and hence results in the formation of lactic acids which causes this pain. In unstable angina there is a persistent pain in the chest regions this is because of the accumulation of platelets on the ruptured plaques which leads to the blockage of the arteries and hence causing immense reduction in blood flow. Persistent unstable angina may cause myocardial infraction which ultimately may lead to sudden death. There are many ways to treat angina it may be either surgical or non surgical ways. Surgical methods include coronary balloon angioplasty where a catheter is passed into an artery with a balloon at the tip of the catheter. The balloon is made to expand causing the artery to expand and hence breaking of the plaque of lipids in the artery. Another types of surgical method is the coronary bypass surgery where the blocked artery is completely removed and replaced with a new one taken from different parts of the body. Non surgical methods include taking drugs that cause vasodilation such as ni troglycerin which converts into nitric oxide and hence dilates the coronary artery causing an increase in blood flow. Beta adrenergic blocking receptors are used to reduce the heart rate and therefore causing a reduction in cardiac output. Other techniques that involve the use of calcium channel blockers that are used for vasodilation and hence helping the flow of blood. Conclusion The heart is a an electromechanical pump which carries out its action through pulmonary and systemic circulation. The pumping action is well synchronised such that there is proper blood flow within the heart and outside to carry out haemodynamic activities. The transportation of blood is carried by a system consisting various networks that are spread throughout the body known as the cardiovascular system. This system helps in the transportation of oxygen to different tissues in order to carry out different metabolic activities. The exchange of oxygen between tissues and the cardiovascular system takes place through a process called diffusion. The effects of reduced blood are many and can lead to a condition known as ischemia. Angina pectoris is one of the main problems that can cause due to reduced blood flow and hence causing a sever pain in the chest region and on sever reduction in blood flow it may even lead to myocardial infraction which ultimately leads to death. There are nume rous treatments for curing this particular problem, it may be either through surgical methods which includes cardiopulmonary bypass and angioplasty or using drugs that increase vasodilation and decrease cardiac output. These drugs include beta receptors, calcium channel blockers and nitroglycerin.

To Falsify or not to Falsify :: Science Scientific Essays

To Falsify or not to Falsify Consider for a moment the views of Hellenic and Hellenistic science. Hellenic science was a science of the big picture. Science which often overlooked small details. Hellenistic science, on the other hand, was much more mathematical and precise. The shift from Hellenic to Hellenistic science was nothing more than a change of perspective in science. Right or wrong aside, scientist's perspectives changed and along with it what was allowed to be scientific. To quote Khun, "What is it that transforms an apparently temporary discrepancy into an inescapable conflict. How can an conceptual scheme that one generation admiringly describes as subtle, flexible, and complex, become for a later generation merely obscure, ambiguous, and cumbersome?"(Khun 76) Whether we like it or not, science is subjective. There are certain universal standards of science that all fields must follow, such as the empirical method, but among the different scientific fields science changes. What works in one field may not work in another. Sir Karl Popper claims "The criterion of the scientific status of a theory is its falsifiability."(Popper23). He then states "Induction, i.e. inference based on many observations, is a myth" (Popper25). This produces problems for certain fields of science.. His theory accounts for the "hard sciences", chemistry, physics and astronomy, but not for the "soft sciences". These soft sciences deal with different set of limitations and problems. Many so called "pseudo-sciences" deal with people, not constant non-sentient bodies. In these sciences, the variables are limitless and the best predictions scientists can produce are probabilities. So what about other sciences such as psychology, sociology, meteorology, and medicine? There are numerous fields of science that deal with probability and correlation's, which are part of the inductive method of science. What's there to say to these fields? For these sciences induction must remain valid when deduction is not possible. In the "hard sciences", such as chemistry, physics, and astronomy, deduction is applicable to the validity of a theory, and therefore deduction can be used to accurately falsify a theory. The soft sciences require induction for theory verification as well as deduction. Since I am a psychology major, I will use psychology and sociology to refute Poppers claims of falsifiability. The examples that I give are done with the scientific method. When necessary, random samples are used and confounding variables are negated. These studies were done within scientific guidelines.