Thursday, October 31, 2019

History - Malthusian Demographics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History - Malthusian Demographics - Essay Example This he said will be due to the fact that resources will no longer be able to sustain the expanded population (Elwell 133). For the balance of the population and the resources to be reached, Malthus proposed certain natural calamities to be vital in this; he said that countries going to war and mass killing being realized were one way of reducing the enormous number of the population that was creating tension on the limited available resources. He also proposed other natural catastrophes like volcanic eruption to be helpful in the checking the population growth rate. The Malthus prediction can be said to have failed since its inception, but that is not all, the problem facing the developing countries currently will certainly lead to the population explosion (Ehrlich, Paul, and Anne 156). In the developing countries, there are massive and unchecked population growth while in the same time the recourses created can not support the population. The rate of population growth in the develo ping countries has immensely contributed to the widespread abject poverty in the region. Even without directly experiencing Malthus projection we can say that the effect of unchecked population is impacting negatively in some parts of the world. One of the salient features of the high population growth rate is the cause of political instability in the countries that are victims of these. In the third world countries, resource distribution is acutely skewed towards the a few individuals that wield political power and have great influence in the country and can marshal resources in their favor to lead opulence life while their subjects are surviving from hand to mouth (Smith 199). This has led to public outcry and has in some unfortunate circumstances led to mass actions in a bid to topple and impeach the existing government for not caring about the common man. It has also led to the formation of the insurgents who antagonizes the government creating political instability. Malthus pro posal may not be realized today but in other ways it can be seen as having come to reality. Haphazard population increase has led reduce wages in the work environment and this has perpetuated poverty in such areas. The relationship between population increase and poverty is very imminent in light of scramble for the few opportunities available. Increase in population numbers provides alternatives manpower since there is more supply than demand and this can only work on reducing the wages of the workers (Malthus 112). The state of population explosion can also lead to high level of unemployment and this impact negatively on the younger generation in which the youths are involved in the law breaking due to frustration a situation refereed to as juvenile delinquency. In his publication ‘Additions to an essay on the principle of population’, Malthus intrinsically evaluated the connection between the global population increase and employment opportunities vis a vis wages com pensation (Malthus 213). In regard to this he did made a hypothesis that the increase in the world population will catalyze poverty introduction as well as low income through wages to the workers. This is because of the readily available workforce. This came to be widely known as ‘The Iron Law of Wages’ (Malthus 246). The exponential population incr

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Ellen DeGeneres and her importance in the Gay Community Essay

Ellen DeGeneres and her importance in the Gay Community - Essay Example It also tries to explore her importance in the GBLT history and understands the various persuasive techniques that she used in her struggle for gay rights. Ellen DeGeneres: An Introduction Ellen DeGeneres, who was born in 1958 in Louisiana has played an important role bringing issues related to LGBT rights to the forefront so that they get appropriate media and political attention. As a stand up comedian, DeGeneres made a large number of appearances on very popular TV shows such as, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Oprah Winfrey Show (Biography, n.d). This increased her popularity and very soon, she appeared in a sitcom, which was called Ellen (1997), where she used her character, Ellen to come out to the public. At the same time, she also publicly declared her homosexuality on the Oprah Winfrey show. Post her coming out in public, the show Ellen faced a lot of criticism because acknowledging homosexuality openly was not common in the United States during the late 1990s. In fac t, DeGeneres is regarded as the first lead case of a show who acknowledged the fact that she was a lesbian on air (Biography, n.d). Because of that, some of the affiliates that were associated with the channel ABC on which Ellen aired, refused to air the particular episode of the show. Furthermore, some of the sponsors associated with the show also withdrew their support (Biography, n.d). After the main character came out as a homosexual, there were many episodes which followed the same track and continued that way until the season got over. Due to this, both the show and the channel received strong criticism. However, Ellen's performance was critically acclaimed and won her an Emmy award (Foley, 2007). In addition, it also received immense support from the gay community all across the United States. In spite of these, the show was canceled within a years time. In the meantime, DeGeneres had gained enough popularity and became a common face in both the television industry as well as the movie industry. Due to her popularity, she began her own show known as the 'The Ellen DeGeneres' show which ran over 10 seasons (Foley, B. (2007). Ellen DeGeneres. Wmagazine 36(3), 496–501. ). In addition, she also hosted the Academy Awards, became a judge on the popular show American Idol, acted in movies and wrote books. She is often considered to be one of the best role models for the LGBT community in the United States (Foley, B. (2007). Ellen DeGeneres. Wmagazine 36(3), 496–501. ). Role of Ellen DeGeneres in GBLT history, community, or social movements It is a given fact that involvement of celebrities and public figures with regards to social movement has an impact on resource mobilization and constructing a collective identity (Barber, 2012). The fact that the celebrity is in the public eye gives much more importance to the issues that they highlight and hence, deeply influence the causes that they join or start. This is because the involvement or participa tion of a celebrity results in attention from the mass media and increases participation from their supporters. Hence, the celebrities can provide a high level of visibility to any event or social cause that they participate in (Bird et al, 2011). Ellen DeGeneres also used her popularity and her status as a public figure to raise issues that were relevant and important to the LGBT community. During the 1990s, the homosexual community found it a big

Sunday, October 27, 2019

User centred design | Analysis

User centred design | Analysis Introduction Nowadays, User Centered Design has been embedded in many design works. This essay seeks to explore the nature of this approach. This essay is split in to four sections. The first section is to provide a definition for User Centered Design while the second section will explain the benefits of using this approach with examples. I will then move on to discuss the limitations of User Centered Design and a conclusion will come afterwards. What is User Centred Design? User Centred Design is an approach which aims at increasing the usability of products, and therefore making them more effective in meeting users needs. This approach requires the designer to focus on the users throughout The planning, design and development of the product. (UPA resources, no date) Norman (1999) described user centred design as Transforming difficult tasks into easy ones. It requires the designer to study the users before designing. User Centred Design approach often requires a great deal of involvement from the users during the process. Carrying out this approach often includes collecting end users opinion right before the start of the project, as well as during the design process, and designing with them. The objective of this is to allow the designers to have a good understanding of the subjects who will use the product. Therefore, good interaction between designers and users is the key under this approach. UCD is widely recognized and there is an international standard which serves as a benchmark and a guideline. International standard ISO 13047:Human-centered design process outlines the 5 stages of a typical UCD design, which are identifying need for human centered design, specifying the context of use, specifying requirements, creating design solutions and evaluating designs. (UPA Resources, no date) These steps define only general procedures but not exact methods. In fact, these standards do not outline how each phrase should be carried out. For instance, specifying the context of use can be done by surveys, observations, interview and many other methods. Advantages of User Centred Design Norman (1999) first suggested UCD is essentially a series of procedures that simplifying difficult tasks through exploiting natural properties of people and of the world, simplifying the structure of tasks, making both execution and evaluation sides of an action visible, exploiting natural constraints and designing for error. Aesthetics is not considered as a need in his original definition of UCD. Needs of end-users in study during a UCD process should not be only those associated with functions of a product, but also users unexpressed needs including, but not limited to, needs for aesthetics. Norman (2004) introduced three levels of user centered design namely Visceral design, Behavioral design and Reflective design. Visceral design is about the appearance of the product which aims at capturing peoples attention that they would never forget it or replace it with others. A design that people love it when they see it the first time is a successful visceral design. The Muji Bath Radio is essentially a radio which is designed to be used in bathrooms and it fits in with the bathroom with a playful element. This product is designed by Industrial Facility. It is fun only when it gathers with the Muji refillable shampoo bottle, they appear to be a family; the bottle itself and even the label of the shampoo are of the same size with the speaker of the radio. Using it is very straightforward, simply turning the top to adjust the volume and on or off while the AM and FM tuning section is at the bottom. The radio is sealed to ensure it is water resistant to protect the radio due to the environment that it is being used (Fig. 1-3). (Industrial Facility, 2009) Behavioral design is the functional part of a design. The product needs to be functional and easy to use. Norman suggested that even some products are complicated and users need to learn how things works but it should be learnt once only. Apple increased the usability of Mac computers by making the interface of software written for Mac OS similar. Therefore, once the basic controls are learnt, users can manage a variety of software for this system easily and quickly. Another good example would be hook-and-loop fastener which makes tying shoes easier and serves as an alternative to shoelace. It is also a design that focuses on users. Tying a shoelace is an everyday but potentially difficult task for children and infirm adults due to its inherent complexity. Hook-and-loop fasteners simplify tying shoes and provide an easy alternative to shoelaces. Many may argue that this example is not significant but as Norman (1999) suggested; this simple design caters the needs of users and solves the difficulties of a large segment of population. Reflective design is about the message the product gives to the user and the way the product represents the person who uses it. Sometimes people buy a product is not for the physical outcome but the psychological outcome. The main selling point of this type of design is not their functionality but things like prestige that owning the design brings. For instance, People drink Fair-trade coffee may not really concern about the farmers benefit in the third world. They may do so to show to others how kind and generous they are. Nowadays, many businesses have incorporated this ideology into their product range. Creating products which consumers actually need and want often feeds through to higher sales and hence higher profit. Brand image will also be benefitted. One of the key benefits of UCD approach is that it allows designers to attain some level of understanding of the users needs. According to Parsons in Blueprint November 2009 (2009, p.54), before UCD is being widely adopted, designers have to use their experience and knowledge to guess the needs of users. This in turn may create a mismatch between the product and the needs of end-users. UCD ensures efficient use of time and resources. Limitations of User Centred Design However, UCD is by no means a perfect model and may not be the ideal solution in some cases. I am going to illustrate the limitations and disadvantages of UCD in the following paragraphs. UCD is often characterized as time-consuming and costly. Many UCD designers believe that market research is generally not an appropriate way to understand the behavior of the end users. Users may not do what they told market researchers and there are often unexpressed needs such as those associated with attractiveness and aesthetics. For the sake of gaining a full and reliable understanding, UCD designers often observe their users directly such as observing how end-users actually carry out specific tasks. Observing a range of subjects can be expensive and definitely takes a great deal of time as well as effort. However, it is possible these observations are subjected to Hawthorne Effect whereby individuals change their behavior when they know they are observed. (Campbell, Maxey and Watson, 1995) These observations may not be reliable after all. Moreover, end-users may not know what they truly need. They may not know if they really need or desire the product until they actually see it. Therefore, participation of users in the earlier stages may not be too helpful. Furthermore, without the technical background as a professional designer has, what users think might work might not work in practice. Also, too much commitment to satisfy the needs of a particular targeted users group may overly complicate the design which reduces its usability by other users. Norman (2005) suggested that If a user suggestion fails to fit within this design model, it should be discarded. A balance between doing what consumers want and maintaining the usability should be achieved. UCD is an ideology, which is the manifesto of many designers. However, usage of UCD procedures does not guarantee the product is useful for the users. Although there is an international standard which outline the general structure for typical UCD projects, the methods to go about these procedures are decided by the designer. Besides, due to time and budget constraint, designer can only study the behavior of a particular sample. There is again no guarantee the sample is representative for all the targeted users since everyones needs are somewhat different. In addition, the sampling method used directly determines the reliability of these observations. Users needs are influenced by many external factors and hence needs are subject to changes. This is especially the case for visceral design and reflective design, which is subject to changes in the social culture. What is trendy at this moment may not be so in the next. Under UCD, designers spend a long time to gather input from users and encourage them to get involved in the design. By the time the product is produced, users needs may have changed and thus it no longer meets the new needs. There are many examples where products, which have not gone through UCD procedures, are highly successful. Moreover, these products require the users to adapt them, which is exactly the opposite of what UCD is about. (NORMAN, 2009) For instance, chopsticks require the users to learn and adapt them. Learning to use chopsticks can be difficult and there are a couple of new products aiming to replace chopsticks. However, they are still used by a huge segment of the population. Individuals have different preferences and needs. A product aiming to satisfy the needs of one group may in turn compromise the need of another group. Take hook and loop fasteners as an example again, they are not as flexible in the adjustment of the tightness of support as shoelace and versatile. This design is originally targeted to young children, elderly and disabled. As Norman (1999) suggested, hoop and loop fasteners are not used in sports shoes such as football shoes and boxing boots. User centered design does provide a general benchmark to judge the quality of a design upon. However, using this principal as a basis of design may not be beneficial as it limits the creativity of a designer. The following example will illustrate this. The Step is the first unique cooker which extraordinarily holds both gas and induction heat (IH) hobs and it is designed to accommodate a variety of cooking type and level. It is designed by Industrial Facility and produced by KichenAid. It owns three professional gas burners, two induction plates, cast-iron grates, cast-iron grill, solid ergonomic controls with built-in electronic ignition and with a Vitroceramic and stainless surface. The hobs are divided into two levels. The gas hob with the grill is higher and far from the front because it needs to handle heavy pans. The induction heat surface is at the front and is the same level with the worktop and able to provide an extra space for the work. (Industrial Facility, 2009)Gas is always perfect for heavy cooking whereas induction heat is normally for fine cooking and one is not happened to perfectly replace the other. From the user centered design view, in this case, consumers could enjoy cooking without sacrificing either one coo king method. From my point of view, this is neat and modern but after all it is merely a combination of two existing product. Why spend time to work on how to re-design something instead of creating a new cooking technique? You will never know if something works unless you have tried. UCD sometimes prevent designers to start from scratch. It often places too much emphasis on the point tools adapts human which limits the creativity of the designer. In fact, in many cases, needs arise only when a new product launches. For instance, before telephone and SMS messages were launched, people did not know they demanded communication in these forms. Conclusion Finally, I believe every products starting point is human centered. Every single existing product is human centered. We design because we want to improve peoples life by using our products. Every project, we work on the appearance, functionality, and narratives of the design. Although the priority may vary, we design useful products, no matter it physically does the job or psychologically does the job, it definitely have a positive outcome. A design could have been better does not mean it is not a good design. Without a doubt, listening to the end-users opinion is wise and helpful in design in many cases. However, basing our designs solely on what consumers want can be problematic. This is because users often lack the expertise. Having users involved is beneficial but they cannot replace the job of designers. (Parsons, 2009) I believe striking a balance between the two is essential. Bibliography Published Materials Journal CAMPBELL, J., MAXEY, V., WATSON, W.,1995,Hawthorne Effect: Implications for Prehospital Research Annals of Emergency Medicine, Volume 26, Issue 5, Pages 590-594 Books NORMAN, Donald. Emotional Design: Why we hate love (or hate) Everyday things, The MIT Press. 2004 NORMAN, Donald. The design of Everyday things, The MIT Press. 1999 Articles in Periodicals Parsons, Tim. User centred design, through enlightened in theory. Blueprint, November 2009, p.54. Internet Material Bath Radio, Industrial Facility. http://www.industrialfacility.co.uk/if.html, 13 Dec 09. Step, Industrial Facility. http://www.industrialfacility.co.uk/if.html, 13 Dec 09 Human centered design considered harmful, NORMAN, Donald. http://jnd.org/dn.mss/humancentered_design_considered_harmful.html, 13 Dec 09. What is UCD?, UPA Resources. http://www.upassoc.org/usability_resources/about_usability/what_is_ucd.html, 13 Dec 09. Step 90cm, Walter Dix Co. http://www.wdix.co.uk/Products/RangeCookers/KitchenAid/Hobs/Step90cm/tabid/457/Default.aspx, 13 Dec 09.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essay -- A Dolls House Essays

Independence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most of us live a life where we do what we want and when we want without anyone telling us how to live our lives. This wasn’t the case in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, where he illustrates to us how one woman lives a life through her father and husband. Throughout the play we see how a once childish like woman gains her independence and a life of her own. Ibsen shows us a very realistic play that demonstrates how on the outside Nora and Torvald seem to have it all. While in reality their life together is simply empty until Nora stands up for herself and starts to build her own life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nora Helmer was a fragile character that relied on her husband for her own identity. This dependence has kept her from having her own personality in so many different ways. Throughout the story Nora portrays the perfect housewife who stays at home to take care of her family and please her husband. From early childhood Nora has always held the opinions of either her father or Torvald, only hoping to please them. Nora’s upbringing was so easy that she only needed to make a cute noise and someone would come running over to serve her. It’s no wonder that when she got married that Torvald followed the same routine. Ibsen even states that, â€Å"she was merely a doll, a plaything, passed from papa’s hands onto Torvald’s† (1610). I believe that these actions made her look extremely infantile, showing that she had no thoughts of her v... Henrik Isben's A Doll's House Essay -- A Doll's House Essays Independence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most of us live a life where we do what we want and when we want without anyone telling us how to live our lives. This wasn’t the case in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, where he illustrates to us how one woman lives a life through her father and husband. Throughout the play we see how a once childish like woman gains her independence and a life of her own. Ibsen shows us a very realistic play that demonstrates how on the outside Nora and Torvald seem to have it all. While in reality their life together is simply empty until Nora stands up for herself and starts to build her own life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nora Helmer was a fragile character that relied on her husband for her own identity. This dependence has kept her from having her own personality in so many different ways. Throughout the story Nora portrays the perfect housewife who stays at home to take care of her family and please her husband. From early childhood Nora has always held the opinions of either her father or Torvald, only hoping to please them. Nora’s upbringing was so easy that she only needed to make a cute noise and someone would come running over to serve her. It’s no wonder that when she got married that Torvald followed the same routine. Ibsen even states that, â€Å"she was merely a doll, a plaything, passed from papa’s hands onto Torvald’s† (1610). I believe that these actions made her look extremely infantile, showing that she had no thoughts of her v...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Acct 559 Quiz 1 Solution

Quiz I (Chapters 1and 2) Date: Name: ID: Answer the following Questions: 1. Tower Inc. owns 30% of Yale Co. and applies the equity method. During the current year, Tower bought inventory costing $66,000 and then sold it to Yale for $120,000. At year-end, only $24,000 of merchandise was still being held by Yale. What amount of inter-company inventory profit must be deferred by Tower? A. $6,480 B. $3,240 C. $10,800 D. $16,200 E. $6,610 2. All of the following statements regarding the investment account using the equity method are true except A. The investment is recorded at cost B.Dividends received are reported as revenue C. Net income of investee increases the investment account D. Dividends received reduce the investment account E. Amortization of fair value over cost reduces the investment account3. After allocating cost in excess of book value, which asset or liability would not be amortized over a useful life? A. Cost of goods sold B. Property, plant, & equipment C. Patents D. Goodwill E. Bonds payable4. A company should always use the equity method to account for an investment if A. it has the ability to exercise significant influence over the operating policies of the investee.B. it owns 30% of another company's stock. C. it has a controlling interest (more than 50%) of another company's stock. D. the investment was made primarily to earn a return on excess cash. E. it does not have the ability to exercise significant influence over the operating policies of the investee.5. An upstream sale of inventory is a sale A. between subsidiaries owned by a common parent. B. with the transfer of goods scheduled by contract to occur on a specified future date. C. in which the goods are physically transported by boat from a subsidiary to its parent. D. ade by the investor to the investee. E. made by the investee to the investor.6. In a situation where the investor exercises significant influence over the investee, which of the following entries is not actually posted to the books of the investor?1) Debit to the Investment account and a Credit to the Equity in Investee Income account.2) Debit to Cash (for dividends received from the investee) and a Credit to Dividend Revenue.3) Debit to Cash (for dividends received from the investee) and a Credit to the Investment account. A. Entries 1 and 2 B. Entries 2 and 3 C. Entry 1 only D.Entry 2 only E. Entry 3 only7. All of the following statements regardi ng the investment account using the equity method are true except A. The investment is recorded at cost B. Dividends received are reported as revenue C. Net income of investee increases the investment account D. Dividends received reduce the investment account E. Amortization of fair value over cost reduces the investment account8. A company has been using the fair-value method to account for its investment. The company now has the ability to significantly control the investee and the equity method has been deemed appropriate.Which of the following statements is true? A. A cumulative effect change in accounting principle must occur B. A prospective change in accounting principle must occur C. A retrospective change in accounting principle must occur D. The investor will not receive future dividends from the investee E. Future dividends will continue to be recorded as revenue9. A company has been using the equity method to account for its investment. The company sells shares and does not continue to have significant control. Which of the following statements is true? A. A cumulative effect change in accounting principle must occur B. A prospective change in accounting principle must occur C. A retrospective change in accounting principle must occur D. The investor will not receive future dividends from the investee E. Future dividends will continue to reduce the investment account10. After allocating cost in excess of book value, which asset or liability would not be amortized over a useful life? A. Cost of goods sold B. Property, plant, & equipment C. Patents D. Goodwill E. Bonds payable11. How are stock issuance costs and direct combination costs treated in a business combination which is accounted for as an acquisition when the subsidiary will retain its incorporation? A. Stock issuance costs are a part of the acquisition costs and the direct combination costs are expensed B. Direct combination costs are a part of the acquisition costs and the stock issuance costs are a reduction to additional paid-in capital C. Direct combination costs are expensed and stock issuance costs are a reduction to additional paid-in capital D. Both are treated as part of the acquisition price E. Both are treated as a reduction to additional paid-in capital12. Lisa Co. paid cash for all of the voting common stock of Victoria Corp. Victoria will continue to exist as a separate corporation. Entries for the consolidation of Lisa and Victoria would be recorded in A. A worksheet B. Lisa's general journal C. Victoria's general journal D. Victoria's secret consolidation journal E. The general journals of both companies13. At the date of an acquisition which is not a bargain purchase, the acquisition method A. Consolidates the subsidiary's assets at fair value and the liabilities at book value B.Consolidates all subsidiary assets and liabilities at book value C. Consolidates all subsidiary assets and liabilities at fair value D. Consolidates current assets and liabi lities at book value, long-term assets and liabilities at fair value E. Consolidates the subsidiary's assets at book value and the liabilities at fair value14. Which of the following statements is true regarding a statutory consolidation? A. The original companies dissolve while remaining as separate divisions of a newly created company B. Both companies remain in existence as legal corporations with one corporation now a subsidiary of the acquiring company C.The acquired company dissolves as a separate corporation and becomes a division of the acquiring company D. The acquiring company acquires the stock of the acquired company as an investment E. A statutory consolidation is no longer a legal option15. In a transaction accounted for using the purchase method where cost is less than fair value which statement is true? A. Negative goodwill is recorded B. A deferred credit is recorded C. Long-term assets of the acquired company are reduced in proportion to their fair values. Any exce ss is recorded as a deferred credit D.Long-term assets of the acquired company are reduced in proportion to their fair values. Any excess is recorded as an extraordinary gain E. Long-term assets and liabilities of the acquired company are reduced in proportion to their fair values. Any excess is recorded as an extraordinary gain16. In a purchase or acquisition where control is achieved, how would the land accounts of the parent and the land accounts of the subsidiary be combined? A. Entry A B. Entry B C. Entry C D. Entry D E. Entry E17. In a pooling of interests, A.Revenues and expenses are consolidated for the entire fiscal year, even if the combination occurred late in the year B. Goodwill may be recognized C. Consolidation is accomplished using the fair values of both companies D. The transactions may involve the exchange of preferred stock or debt securities as well as common stock E. The transaction is properly regarded as an acquisition of one company by another Prior to being united in a business combination, Botkins Inc. and Volkerson Corp. had the following stockholders' equity figures: Botkins issued 56,000 new shares of its common stock valued at $3. 5 per share for all of the outstanding stock of Volkerson.18. Assume that Botkins acquired Volkerson as a purchase combination. Immediately afterwards, what are consolidated Additional Paid-In Capital and Retained Earnings, respectively? A. $133,000 and $360,000 B. $236,000 and $360,000 C. $130,000 and $360,000 D. $236,000 and $490,000 E. $133,000 and $490,00019. Assume that Botkins and Volkerson were being joined in a pooling of interests and this occurred on January 1, 2000, using the same values given. Immediately afterwards, what is consolidated Additional Paid-In Capital? A. 138,000 B. $266,000 C. $130,000 D. $236,000 E. $135,00020. Chapel Hill Company had common stock of $350,000 and retained earnings of $490,000. Blue Town Inc. had common stock of $700,000 and retained earnings of $980,000. On Ja nuary 1, 2009, Blue Town issued 34,000 shares of common stock with a $12 par value and a $35 fair value for all of Chapel Hill Company's outstanding common stock. This combination was accounted for as an acquisition. Immediately after the combination, what was the consolidated net assets? A. $2,520,000 B. $1,190,000 C. $1,680,000 D. $2,870,000 E. $2,030,000

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Analysis of Wilfred Owen’s Poetry

Hieroglyphs of an unappreciated inspiration; the mirrors of the gigantic shadows which futurity casts upon the present; the words which express what they understand not; the trumpets which sing to battle, and feel not what they Inspire; the Influence which Is moved not, but moves. Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world. † (Percy Abysses Shelley) It seems that even though Wilfred Owen was not alive until many years after this quote that he embodied this quote about poets and their poetry.Poetry throughout the ages has been one literary device that has neither changed nor conformed to the whims of society. Poetry has been a device to recount history, express emotion and bring about change; thus poets being agents of change. Wilfred Owen, a brilliant poet was amongst those who initiated anti-war writing amidst a country being fed propaganda. Owen brought attention to the harsh realities of war, rather than perpetuating societies' ignorant delusions that war was hero ic and adventurous. Owen was resolved to edify England on the actualities of war.By writing poetry that denied England's teachings of noble warfare, Owen set an unprecedented example of exposing repressed truth to the public. Two of his most distinguished works, â€Å"Dulcet et Decorum est.† and â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth† will be analyses alongside Owens Life to prove the validity of this statement. The way In which Wilfred Owen was brought up was integral to his phenomenal poetry. He was birthed in the year 1893 in England and was a devout Christian throughout his years of boyhood. On October 21st 191 5, Owen enlisted into the army and nearly a year later was commissioned as a second lieutenant.Owen had been born into England at a time where war was what men did for adventure, it was honorable, a transition room boyhood to manhood some might have called it. What Owen witnessed was anything but what was advertised by his country and felt deeply betrayed and deceive d. Owen suffered through a series of traumatic events such as falling Into a shell-hole and sustaining concussion and also blown Into the air by a trench mortar that left him Incapacitated on an embankment beside the remains of another officer. This led to Owen being diagnosed with shell shock and post- traumatic stress disorder.To overcome the PATS Owen suffered, he was encouraged by Siegfried Swanson to write about the horrors of war. Owen, haunted by his own memories dedicated his writing on the pure physical, moral and psychological horrors of war, not to commemorate the subject but to educate and warn those that were full with propaganda influenced beliefs. Owen bravely defied the socio-cultural context he was brought up in and stood in contrast to the public perception of what war was in order to stop the travail of future soldiers.Owens Christian beliefs and what he witnessed during the war lent to the brilliance of one of his poems that sought to change society view on war. â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth,† solemnly discusses the death of a young soldier and contrasts a normal funeral to the send -off that people who died fighting receive. Owen shows his Dallas for the treatment of soldiers Immediately through the title. The word Anthem suggests a celebratory song, In relation to the words Doomed Youth it is evident that Owen believes the deaths of amortized by commemoration.Owen structures his poem very similar to a sonnet with iambic pentameter; having 14 lines and mostly abides by the 10 syllable per line. In order to create effect, Owen occasionally strays from the 10 syllable line by ongoing over at some points and under at others. In combination with the unusual rhyming scheme the poem contains, the reader is set on edge and made to feel uncomfortable. Owen incorporates language that identifies the time period in which he lived, words such as â€Å"orisons,† â€Å"shires,† and â€Å"pallor† are indicative of this.A sense of instability is constructed through Owens use of alliteration and vivid aesthetics; the lines â€Å"rifles' rapid rattle† and â€Å"demented choirs of wailing shells† give the reader insight into the chaos of war. By initiating slowly, Owen has allowed the poem to lid Just like war, but begins to end the poem with a slower pace with the line â€Å"And each slow dusk, a drawing down of blinds,† this being significant to the death of the soldier and his last heartbeats. Owen constructs images of religion and contrasts them with descriptions of war and death.Juxtaposing the tolling of bells with gunshots and death, Owen has effectively placed the reader in divine warfare. The overarching message is that Owen believed that soldiers did not receive a proper and respectful burial. Owen was wholly unsatisfied with how the deaths of young oldie's were celebrated in public, rather than mourned. â€Å"Dulcet et decorum est. pro patria mort,† it is sweet and fitt ing to die for one's country, the final line of possibly the most significant of Owens works. Dulcet et Decorum est.,† allied itself with anti- war thinking and promoters, thus becoming extremely popular and influential on society. â€Å"Dulcet et Decorum est.† describes the story of an English soldier whose squadron was attacked by the enemy and the soldier watches a fellow veteran die violently. Through Owens creative genius the reader of â€Å"Dulcet et Decorum est.† is blew to witness how the soldier is endlessly haunted by the death and bombarded by nightmares. Towards the end of the poem, the soldier queries how his country can support and promote such despair and anguish.Owen portrays his belief that his country should stop endorsing war, he was of the opinion that no one should ever have to undergo the horrors he had witnessed. Owen promotes this idea through the last stanza of his poem. The narrator speaks to the reader and tells them that had they witne ssed what he had, they would not be willing to die for their country in what was called an honorable way. To place the reader into a context of war, Owen uses intense imagery such as the line, â€Å"Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues† and also incorporates the use of similes, â€Å"as under a green sea I saw him drowning. Owen has effectively created a feeling of discomfort and angst by incorporating techniques such as simile, metaphor and extremely vivid aesthetics. Owen sets the scene and describes the soldiers as being â€Å"bent double, like old beggars under sacks,† this depicts the dissatisfaction Owen had with war. The famous poet highlights one of society's main faults: the glorification of war. He does this by combining elements of poetry in a frightening manner, such as the combination of slow lines, followed by â€Å"Gas! GAS! Quick boys! By straying from the structure of the iambic pentameter occasionally, Owen puts emphasis on particular lines pertaining to the nightmares of the soldier, â€Å"In all my dreams, before me helpless sight/ He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. † Owen adds authority to his text by Latin phrase Dulcet et decorum est. pro patria moor from an ancient text, Owen has effectively shown that society continues to perpetuate the idea that war is honorable. As a soldier and as a poet, Owen had the authority to comment on the atrocities of war.By using the literary device of poetry, Owen was able to speak that which was not to be spoken and voiced the thoughts of fallen soldier. His establishment of anti – war ideas allowed society to break free from the constrains of propaganda and come to the realization that war was not glorious, honorable nor adventurous. Regardless of the fact that world – wide change did not come about immediately, Owen was able to set precedent for other authors and organizations. He lit a fire in the depths of passionate hearts and inspired other a nti – war poets such s Mimics Radiation.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Definition and Examples of Therapeutic Metaphor

Definition and Examples of Therapeutic Metaphor Definition A therapeutic metaphor is a  metaphor (or figurative comparison) used by a therapist to assist a client in the process of personal transformation, healing, and growth. Joseph Campbell attributed the broad appeal of metaphor to its inherent ability to establish or recognize connections, especially those connections that exist between emotions and past events (​The Power of Myth, 1988). In the book Imagery and Verbal Process (1979), Allan Paivio metaphorically characterized a therapeutic metaphor as a solar eclipse that hides the object of study and at the same time reveals some of its most salient and interesting characteristics when viewed through the right telescope. See Examples and Observations below. Also see: Thirteen Ways of Looking at a MetaphorWhat Is a Metaphor? Examples and Observations Where description is the main function of a literary metaphor, altering, reinterpreting, and reframing are the main goals of the therapeutic metaphor. In order to achieve these, the therapeutic metaphor must evoke both the imagistic familiarity of the literary metaphor and a relational familiarity based on a sense of personal experience. The story itselfthe characters, events, and settingsmust speak to the common life experience of those listening, and it must do so in language that is familiar. An example from a modern fairy tale might be The Wizard of Oz (Baum, 1900), which functions as a metaphor for the common theme of searching for magical solutions somewhere outside the self. The image of a wicked witch, a good witch, a tinman, scarecrow, lion, and wizard all depict aspects of the listeners experience as mirrored in Dorothy.(Joyce C. Mills and R. J. Crowley, Therapeutic Metaphors for Children and the Child Within. Psychology Press, 2001) Extended Metaphors[T]herapists can corro borate the aptness of a metaphor [by helping to] construct a chain, to assist in weaving an elaborate web of correspondences that tease out additional ramifications and add new dimensions. Rather than presenting metaphors of their choosing, therapists can try to emphasize the raw material presented by clients, and, if possible, use the lead established by them to spin out further connections. In this fourth manner, they can exploit a natural aspect of language, lexico-semantic cohesion, as a strategy to densely layer semantic associations in jointly constructed extended metaphor.(Kathleen Ferrara, Therapeutic Ways With Words. Oxford University Press, 1994) The Power of Storytelling[T]he concept of therapeutic story-telling . . . [emphasizes] the power of metaphor to slip past the defences of the conscious mind.Such practitioners have little acquaintance with literary historyotherwise they would surely have recognized that their therapeutic metaphor amounts to little more than a relabelling of the time-honoured genres of allegory and fable. What is new is their highly individualised focus. Therapeutic stories, they maintain, must be constructed specifically to suit the emotional dynamics of individuals.(Hugh Crago, Bibliotherapy and Psychology. International Companion Encyclopedia of Childrens Literature, 2nd ed., edited by Peter Hunt. Routledge, 2004)

Monday, October 21, 2019

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens Essay"Those considered, vilest of mankind often have an agreeable persona, while those considered, the saviours of mankind often lack the persona in question" (Pierre Trudeau). This quotation signifies that a person that appears to be composed of a despicable nature often has a bit of good within him while a person with an assumed moral nature may lack the certain goodness that the despicable personage harbours. The above quotation often applies to society because people appear to be very noble and appear to be very sinful. When people are put in a circumstance where ones true intentions become known, a supposed evil personage will often demonstrate some good quality that isolates him from a total evil persona and vice-versa. For example, a person of supposed evil often takes care of their family members. They may commit many acts of injustice upon others but they refrain from doing so towards their family and strive to fulfill their needs, resources permitting.Fagin in his cell.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How To Cure Writers Block (With 200+ Creative Prompts)

How To Cure Writers Block (With 200+ Creative Prompts) Have you ever found yourself wondering how to get rid of writers block? Many writers have asked me how I deal with it. The thing is though, I dont really believe it exists. When a writer says, I have writers block, theyre actually just stuck. And being stuck stinks, doesnt it? In this post, I want to organically help you find your way out of being stuck. By the end of this post, youll know how to find inspiration so that youll be able to refresh your writing. Youll have absolutely no reason to feel stuck or afraid of the blinking cursor. Youve got this. Lets dig in. Table Of Contents Is Writers Block A Legend Or Is It Real? First Off Why Are You Stuck? Types Of Brainstorming And How To Find Your TopicWhat Happens When You Say Bye To #WritersBlock? (100+ Creative Writing Prompts) via @devinberglund Is Writer's Block A Legend Or Is It Real? When all is said and done, writer's block is really just a mixture of feeling stuck, having a lack of good planning, and maybe a hint of procrastination, which throws us into the downward spiral of being stuck. Which is usually when writers say, "I have writer's block!" I  love what writer, Neil Gaiman,  says about writer's block: â€Å"If you turn around and go, ‘I am blocked,’ this is just something writers say because we’re really clever. It sounds like it has nothing to do with you: ‘I would love to write today, but I am blocked. The gods have done it to me,’† he said. â€Å"And it’s not true. Cellists don’t have cellist block. Gardeners don’t have gardener’s block. TV hosts do not have TV host block. But writers have claimed all the blocks, and we think it’s a real thing.† It makes sense doesn't it? Cellists do not have cellist block. Gardeners do not have gardeners block. #writing #writersblockEver since I heard him say that, I knew he was right. I know that I've given myself the excuse that I can't write because I'm blocked. When in actuality, it's because I haven't planned out what I am writing well enough. That's what caused me to be stuck in the first place. That's probably also what is causing you to be stuck, too. An unhealthy dose of "being stuck" + lack of good planning + procrastination = Writer's Block Imagine if you got your foot stuck while hiking. Would you just lay down there and say, "I can't move because my foot is stuck?" If you got your foot stuck while hiking, would you quit? #writingNo... you wouldn't. I know you wouldn't. You'd get your foot unstuck. And that is what you have to do when you get stuck with your writing. Instead of saying, "I have writer's block," it's important to see the culprit behind the phrase writer's block for what it truly is. You are stuck. But, you might be asking me, "But Devin, how do I get unstuck? I'm really struggling here." I totally know how you feel, so here are some helpful ways to get unstuck. Being stuck is hard, but you can always get unstuck. Being stuck is hard but you can always get unstuck. #amwriting #writersblockBack To Table Of Contents First Off... Why Are You Stuck? Take a good look at your situation. What is it that is causing you to be stuck? 1. Are You Scared? Whether you are scared of what people will think or scared of being great, I can only think of what  Marianne Williamson said about fear: Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. When you shine your light you give other's a chance to do the same. #writing #amwritingSo what are you scared of? Start writing. Pro Tip: Get out some paper. Ask yourself: "What am I scared of?" and write it out. No one ever has to see your thoughts. This is for you. 2. Are The Words Just Not Coming? Sit down and brainstorm. Keep reading for some awesome brainstorming tips that help me when I am stuck. Are you completely into what you are writing? If not, are you procrastinating from finishing the project you are working on? If you are working on (or procrastinating on working on) a project that needs to be finished, follow Nike's slogan "Just do it"! Stop painfully waiting for it to write itself. Pro Tip: Set a timer for 20–30 minutes and dedicate that time to just typing it out. Get that blog post or article done. Recommended Reading: How To Write More  Content To Increase Your Blogging Schedule Whether it's for work or your own writing, it's important that you continue doing the work.  I went to a writing conference a few years ago and saw this video. It clearly pictures what happens when we've gotten past the "inspiration" part of writing something or working on a project. A time comes when you have to just get into it and finish it. It's hard, but you can do it. (Promise me you'll watch this video. It's seriously amazing!) A Note On Inspiration:  Writers usually work really well when they're inspired, but once the inspiration goes away and you are left with bringing the project to completion, that's usually when people claim that they have writer's block. Or that they are stuck. That's just a sign that you need to pull on the work boots and muck into the deep of it all so you can finish your work. Write and finish it. 3. Are You Trying To Make It Too Perfect? There comes a point in every writer's life where we have to ship what we've written. Are you grasping onto your writing and worried that it isn't perfect? If you said yes to any of these points, follow me to the next section. You'll soon be unstuck with plenty of brilliant ideas. Pro Tip: Share your writing with a co-worker, friend, or someone else in your niche. Ask for their honest opinions. Take those to mind. Make a few last-minute changes. Send it out. Ship it. It's Time To Get Unstuck Here are some things that'll help you get unstuck so you'll be able to continue creating awesome content. Do You Know Your Project Well Enough? Ask yourself these questions: How well have I planned out my project? How well do I know about the things I'm trying to write about? If your answer is that you don't know, then it's time to open the books and website pages to research your topics a little bit better. How well do I know about the things that I am trying to write about? #amwritingGet Offline To Get Unstuck Unstick your brain by  getting off the computer. Go for a walk and get some fresh air.  Stanford researchers  found that walking really improves creativity.  You'll be amazed when ideas come to you while your away from the desk. So make sure you bring your phone with you so you can take notes if ideas come to you. In The Power of Full Engagement, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz said that: ...between 90 and 120 minutes, the body begins to crave a period of rest or recovery. Signals include a desire to yawn and stretch, hunger pangs, increased tension, difficulty concentrating, an inclination to procrastinate or fantasize, and a higher incidence of mistakes. Pro Tip: Set an alarm on your phone or smart watch so that it will buzz every 90 minutes to alert you to get up and move. Here are some other ideas on what you can do to get some energy away from the computer: Write by hand with pen and paper. Take a water break. Implement essential oils into your day. Lemon is great for  re-energizing yourself and lavender is awesome for relaxation. Eat something healthy. Something like fruit. Take a short nap if you can. Even a 20-minute nap would help. Go out to eat lunch at a new place. Change up your surroundings. Pro Tip: Start a walking group at work to build energy  and  encourage movement. Write Something Else To Unstick Yourself If you're finding it really difficult to work on what you're writing, switch it up and spend a little time writing something else. You can do this by: Writing For Social Media How To Make Writing For Social Media Work For Your Business 8 Social Media Best Practices That Will Save You 25.5 Hours In A 2-Week Sprint What Is The Best Placement For Successful Social Media Buttons? Free Social Media Plan Template To Become A Social Media Rockstar Writing For Email 21+ Easy Ways To Build An Email List That Will Skyrocket By 552% In 1 Year The Complete, 4-Step Email List Building Strategy That Will Make You Successful The Ultimate Guide To Creating An Email Autoresponder Course 5 Easy Lead Conversion Tips For Your Email Marketing Program Writing For  Content Upgrades How To Plan A Content Creation Process Your Small Business Can Actually Achieve How to Use Content Syndication To Boost Your Subscribers In No Time How to Get Your Content In Front Of The Right Audience At The Right Time 10 Ways To Increase Your Subscriber Count (Without Tricking People) If you want more examples of what kinds of content upgrades do well, make sure you check out our Resource Library! Back To Table Of Contents Types Of Brainstorming For Getting Unstuck One way you can get to know your project better is by brainstorming. It's a creative way get more ideas. It also really helps with this so-called "writer's block". When I’ve been writing a lot and staring at a computer screen, I need to turn off the computer. I grab my favorite pen and notebook, and then I find a nice sunny spot where I can brainstorm and write. There is just something special about writing by hand and seeing the ink soak into the paper. I think it really helps you sort things out in a deeper way. Paul Bloom, Yale psychologist, said, â€Å"With handwriting, the very act of putting it down forces you to focus on what’s important... Maybe it helps you think better.† That's so true. Sometimes you might be hashing out all your ideas on the computer, and when nothing comes together, you give up on the post. It’s so easy to throw the towel in and walk away from an unfinished project that has potential, but that lost its shiny excitement. If you ever feel stuck, get out your notebook and pen. Brainstorming takes many different shapes and forms. First though, you need to figure out what you are writing about and why. Finding Your Topic What problem are you trying to solve for your audience? If I wanted to write this post "8 Social Media Best Practices That Will Save You 25.5 Hours In A 2-Week Sprint", what would the problem be? The problem I'd want to solve is= "My readers are spending too much time on social media when they'd really like to be working on the things that are truly important to them." My next step would be to think about the steps they'd need to "save time on social media". You can also do this, too. Start by following these steps: Pick out a problem that you want to solve. Then write out the steps it would take to solve that problem. The steps will look something like this: Step one that'll help them. (These steps will turn into your subheads.) Step two that'll help them. Step three that'll help them. After you've figured out the skeletal  system for your post, you'll be able to flesh it all out. Go in depth and make it actionable. Say Bye To "Writer's Block" By Making A List You can do this two different ways. Either you could brainstorm a list of things that are related somehow and put those into a blog post, or you could use this brainstorming activity to help you create a list of different writing ideas. Pro Tip: If you're trying to come up with the content for one article, make sure that it all fits into a certain topic. So focus your ideas, themes, tips, or steps so that they fit into that idea. Steps to brainstorming with a list: Sit down with your pen and paper. (Or whatever kind of note-taking utensils you like brainstorming with.) Set the timer for 5 minutes. (When you set a timer, this will help you whip out your ideas quicker. You'll spend less time hmmming and humming about what you actually want to write, and you'll spend more time actually writing.) List out all the things you'd like to write about. Remember, it can be anything. (Or list out everything you want to put into a single post.) Once you're done with the brainstorm, pick an idea and flesh it out. Recommended Reading: This Is The Ultimate Blog Writing Process To Create Killer Posts Do you remember drawing out mind maps in elementary school? #writing #amwritingMindstorming With Mind Mapping We've all done this kind of brainstorming at one time or another. Remember those bubbles that you used to draw in elementary school that would connect to other bubbles filled with similar ideas? It's still pretty much that simple. It's a great way to get your ideas all out in front of you. Are you ready? Set a timer for 5 minutes. Write down the problem point in the center of the page. Draw a bubble around it. Now, think about what things will solve that problem. Write those down and connect the ideas with lines. For each of the points that help you solve the problem, try to come up with 3-5 bubbled points that will actionably walk your readers through solving the problem that you want to help them with. Recommended Reading: 4 Simple Brainstorming Techniques That Will Help You Write Killer Content Use Content Mapping To Keep Your Blog Moving Forward 1-Sheet  Brain Dump Take all your thoughts on a certain topic and write them down on 1 sheet of paper. You can also do this to come up with tons of great writing prompts. For this kind of brainstorming, you don't need an outline. No bubbles or lines leading to other points. Unless of course, you want to do that. This is a safe place to just percolate on your ideas. Write it all down. Steps To The 1-Sheet Brain Dump: Set a timer for 5 minutes. Write down all your ideas on one sheet. There is no format to this type of brainstorming. What is important is that you get all your ideas out on paper. It is a massive brain dump. Ever record your brainstorm sessions? Speak out your thoughts and write them later. #amwritingSpeak Out All Your Ideas This is a form of brainstorming that I use to come up with fresh and exciting writing prompts. It will also help you flesh out your ideas quicker. Ever thought of brainstorming out loud? If not, follow these steps: Get your tape recorder or your smart phone recorder. Record yourself talking about your post ideas and what you'd like to do to help your audience figure out the answers to their problems. When you're done recording yourself, listen to the recording. Type everything out. You'll probably find out that you'll want to press pause a lot since other ideas will come back to you. You'll be amazed by how much more you'll  write. Pro Tip:  You can also do this again once you've written your outline. Read it out loud while recording it. You'll get more ideas on where to fill in the blanks. And your writing will run much smoother. Brainstorming on your computer? Now I know that sometimes brainstorming works perfectly on the computer, and for those moments, you don't want to brainstorm on paper- just go onto the computer. There are many great places to brainstorm on your computer and online.  Here are some great programs that I love using: Scrivener:  It is a great program  with many different settings for writers. If you haven't heard of it, make sure you check it out! Index Cards:  A wonderful app that allows you to organize digital index cards in a way that will help you sort your thoughts. You can also sync your index cards to Scrivener. SimpleMind+:  It's an app that you can use on your iPad to make mind mapping  easier. :  I really love working with when I am brainstorming a new project. Use To Brainstorm Your Posts There are so many great ways to use for brainstorming your blog post ideas. It gives writers a way to organize their ideas and follow through with publishing them. Steps To Brainstorm In : Open a stand-alone content in the app. If you have any links, photographs, graphics, infographics, gifs, or memes that you'd like to put into your post but don't want to lose them in between the time that you write the post and publish the post, you can just upload them into the comments section. It makes it so much easier so that you don't have to search around online or through your files to find the images or graphics at the last minute. If you brainstorm or write your blog posts in Evernote or in Google Docs, there is a way you can convert those into WordPress. Isn't that awesome? I love this function. Recommended Reading: The Ultimate Guide To Using You can also write your brainstorming/outline in the content editable area of 's stand alone content. Another awesome thing about brainstorming in is that you can automatically get your brainstorming and ideation publish-ready. Do all of this by pressing the button that little arrow points at (as seen in the picture above) and then press "convert to WordPress. This makes it super easy to bring everything over to WordPress. Now all you have to do is flesh out your brainstorm session/outline. 4. Now Create Your Own Writing Prompt Library After you've used all of those brainstorming ideas, keep track of your ideas in a writing prompt library. You can do this by storing them in an Evernote note or even on Google Docs or Sheets. (You also get this in the bundle that complements this post.) It will look something like this: How To Use Your Writing Prompt Library Fill in the columns in the  spreadsheet. You'll be asked these questions: List your prompts in the spreadsheet. In what blog category will this post fit? Do you have a keyword for it? When is the publish date? If there is something else you want to track in this writing prompt library, add to the columns at the top and track away. Back To Table Of Contents Ready To Get Writing? You know that the real culprit behind the phrase "Writer's Block" is really just an unhealthy mixture of "being stuck" + lack of good planning + procrastination. Even though it can be a real bother to be stuck, you now know how to get unstuck. You might have a set of brainstorming techniques that you are excited to start using. I hope this post helps you get unstuck and writing!

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Working Capital Management Simulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Working Capital Management Simulation - Essay Example Lawrence Sports could also charge their sales team to increase sales efficiency.   Currently, Mayo is the leading consumer for Lawrence Sports causing a large amount of capital to be missing if payments are delinquent.   If Lawrence Sports offer an incentive, like a bonus, to encourage their sales team to push out more sales to other consumers, then this would also be an option to increase working capital.            Ã‚  Next, consider Lawrence Sports’ payments to their suppliers.   Delayed payments may cause a supply shortage.   One alternative to keep from delaying payments would be to apply for a consolidation loan that hopefully has a better interest rate than the line of credit currently being used.   If the right loan can be found, the company can avoid late payments on the line of credit by paying it in full with the consolidation loan.   In turn, the consolidation loan can offer the company smaller payments over a longer period of time than the line of credit.   There are risks to this alternative.   Taking on to much debt could ultimately lead to bankruptcy if payments can’t be made.   However, by proper debt management, this plan can keep the suppliers happy because the company hasn’t become delinquent in their own payments.             In the simulation, Lawrence Sports’ need to improve its cash flow may lead to delaying payment to Murray who is very dependent on Lawrence Sports.   This delay in payment could in turn cause Murray to go out of business because the company relies on Lawrence Sports’ business.   Is it ethical for Lawrence Sports to put a company out of business to improve their own business?   It is not ethical to put a company out of business by delaying payments if payments could be easily afforded.   However, Lawrence Sports is having difficulty making payments due to a financial problem with its major customer.   If Lawrence Sports chooses to make payments on time at the expense of their own welfare, then there is a possibility that they may go out of business themselves.  

Friday, October 18, 2019

Protecting the Environment & Feeding the World Essay

Protecting the Environment & Feeding the World - Essay Example Let us discuss why privatization of water or engagement of corporations is favorable for solving environmental problems. Privatization of Water: Good or Bad Before going into the discussion regarding privatization of water, let us get a better understanding of what this term actually is. As we all know, the world is facing water shortage and environmental problems these days, which have created many problems for the poor and unprivileged people. Barlow states, â€Å"The global water crisis has become a powerful symbol of the growing inequality in our world†. Access to clean and safe water is one of the major concerns for most of the poor European people these days. Wealthy people have access to clean and pure water whereas poor people can only drink contaminated water, which is available to them from wells and local rivers. Water shortage creates many problems, such as, increase in the number of diseases, decrease in the economic and industrial progress, and increase in the nu mber of early deaths. â€Å"The shortage of water helps to perpetuate poverty, disease and early death† (Segerfeldt). However, the reality is that there is no water shortage at the global level. The problem lies with the management of available clean water. â€Å"We use a mere 8 per cent of the water available for human consumption† (Segerfeldt). Bad policies and poor management of resources are the main problems regarding the issue of water shortage. Governments of all European countries are taking proper steps to solve the problem of safe water shortage for the citizens. One of the best ways to solve environmental problems is privatization of water or greater engagement of corporations in the management of water resources. â€Å"Water privatization usually refers to the control or maintenance of water systems and water resources by private entities† (Weagly). An example of water privatization is a company working with a local municipality in order to develop a nd maintain a wastewater treatment plant, which should be able to provide clean and quality drinking water to the people. There exist two different points of view regarding privatization of water resources. Experts raise their concerns based on different facts, water availability statistics, and future forecast of water resources. Water resources have been in the control of public organizations since many decades but the fact is that those public organizations have not been able to overcome the issue of availability of safe water to the people. This is the reason why governments of some developed and poor countries have planned to prioritize the water resources in order to get good results. Supporters of water privatization believe that involvement of private water management companies in managing available water can improve the quality and cleanliness of drinking water. â€Å"Private companies might also stress that they can increase efficiency, improve quality and sustain operati ons over a long period† (Weagly). I personally believe that if public organizations are unable to make good policies regarding management of water in a proper manner, then privatization of water is a best way to deal with the problem of shortage of clean water. Privatization brings many benefits to the local people, such as, availability of clean water, increase in the

Condition monitoring - fault detection and diagnosis Literature review

Condition monitoring - fault detection and diagnosis - Literature review Example Hybrids of SVM methods such as combined SVM (CSVM) have been used extensively for process control such as in the Eastman process. Results indicate the superiority of SVM based methods over other methods of control (Tafazzoli & Saif, 2009). SVM methods have been employed extensively in order to classify reciprocating compressor faults. SVM methods were employed in order to classify faults of reciprocating refrigeration compressors through the application of wavelet transform and statistical methods. Significant features were extracted from both raw noise signals and vibration signals. The selection of relevant RBF kernel parameters was carried out through iteration (Yang et al., 2005). In a similar application, SVM methods were applied to reciprocating compressors butterfly valves to classify cavitation faults (Yang et al., 2005). A comparable research was performed on reciprocating compressor valves to classify faults through vibration signals alone. Data for this purpose was gathered from the surface of the valve and the resulting vibration signals were decomposed by applying local wave methods (Ren et al., 2005). One of the larger problems posed by reciprocating compressor valves is the non stationary and non linear characteristics of the extracted vibration signals. In order to deal with the non stationary and non linear nature of such data, information entropy with good fault tolerance potential was utilised as the feature parameter fed to a SVM. This was utilised as being a comprehensive characteristic of the raw vibration signal. The resulting decision function was used to solve the limits of traditional fault classifications. The added strength of the SVM was its ability to be trained with only a few input samples to deal with multiple new faults (Chen & Lian, 2010). The small linear pattern recognition performance and relatively small data sets extracted from reciprocating

Discrimination Based on Religion and National Origin Essay

Discrimination Based on Religion and National Origin - Essay Example Accordingly, as it is made known to her that customers need English speaking sales professionals, Mary was aware of the needs of the customers as well as her responsibilities, which include speaking in English. Additionally, the Spanish language was not prohibited as long as it is used to communicate with a Spanish-speaking customer. In the context of Mary’s case, it can be said that the imposition of the â€Å"English Only Policy† is to prevent misunderstanding between employees and customers. Murray and Bernard mentioned that with the diversity in the workforce today, there is a need to impose a preferred language to ensure effective and comprehensible communication among customers and employees (1). Additionally, Mary’s dismissal is not merely based on her language, but it is based on the idea that she did not use the prescribed language preferred by the company. For this reason, Sears did not violate the law that protects employees against racial, ethnic, and religious discrimination. Based on Title VII, Tucker and Haddad flesh out that the concept of religion, in the juridical context, includes all the religious practices, observances, and beliefs of an individual (217). With this definition, it can be said that religion has a wide scope that accommodating all of the employees’ religious preferences may be difficult. Furthermore, although it is a general rule that employers should not discriminate an employee’s religion, service industries and religious-related organizations are exempted from the limitations prescribed in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Service industries and organizations associated with a particular religion can discriminate an employee’s religion. For instance, the airline industry, in its service-oriented business process, is allowed to disregard the religious practices of their employees and oblige them to work especially when the work is a business necessity. Considering the rationale of the exception, I

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Role of a judge and role of a defense attorney Research Paper

Role of a judge and role of a defense attorney - Research Paper Example By applying all these roles, the judge sets to become independent in the courtroom. One of the advantages of this is to enable to promote equality in the treatment of case trials leading to appropriate verdict. On the other hand, this would also promote equal chance for each party in the courtroom to appropriately present their individual cases and story in order to determine facts. On the other hand, the interdependence of the judge with other courtroom personnel would turn out the trial to be more technical particularly in the determination of facts because the proof beyond reasonable doubt has to be consistently created on both sides during the case trial. In addition, the interdependence of the judge with the jury could possibly make it hard to eliminate personal bias and conviction during the acual process of hearing and deciding a case. For this reason, it is important for the judge to employ more dynamic house rules, to promote ethical and legal standards. This substantially w ould lead to a balancing act in shaping substantive and procedural law. 2. It is the obligation of defense attorney to defend the client in a lawsuit from either criminal or civil case (Siegel, 2009, p.409). The real responsibility is to aim for probable acquital as there is a need to substantially increase the burden of proof on the part of the prosecutor to prevent conviction in as much as possible. In some cases, the defense attorney may also serve as the one who would make the verdict lighter for the guilty. In general, the defense attorney defends the client in a lawsuit while ensuring legal ethics, so as not to mislead the court with wrong information (Neubauer & Fradella, 2010, p.168). In this case, the defense attorneys are trying to be independent with the prosecutor and the judge as they would create substantial appeal to nullify the evidences pointed against the accused. In this case, they should deviate

Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Investment - Essay Example Investment A). The discount rate is the interest rate that is used in the determination of the present value of all the future cash flows. It can be taken as the interest rates that the banks obtain for their lending from the federal bank or the rate at which banks charge other banks for overnight borrowings. The discount rate is determined by several factors. First is the general economic conditions i.e. the discount rate will increase during periods in which the inflation rates are high or when the foreign exchange rates are volatile (Bierman & Smidt, 2004). The second factor that influences this rate is the marketability of a firm’s security. Firms whose securities are on high demand will experience a decline in their discount rates. b) Product 1 rate of return The total dividend in a year= 1.5*4=6 Year 1 rate of return= 1+discount/nominal price*100 =1+6/100*100%=7% Year 2-4 rater of return= 6/100*100%=6% Year 5 rate of return= 6+6.4/100*100%=12.4% Average rate of return= ((7+6+6+6+12.4)%)/(5 Years) =7.48% Product 2 rate of return= nominal interest rate =6% Product 3 rate of return Year 1 rate of return=(7-2(premium))/100*100%= 5% Rear 2 and 3 return= nominal rate = 7% Product rate of return= ((5+7+7))/3=6.33% Product 1 looks more attractive because it has the highest rate of return compared to product 2 and 3.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Role of a judge and role of a defense attorney Research Paper

Role of a judge and role of a defense attorney - Research Paper Example By applying all these roles, the judge sets to become independent in the courtroom. One of the advantages of this is to enable to promote equality in the treatment of case trials leading to appropriate verdict. On the other hand, this would also promote equal chance for each party in the courtroom to appropriately present their individual cases and story in order to determine facts. On the other hand, the interdependence of the judge with other courtroom personnel would turn out the trial to be more technical particularly in the determination of facts because the proof beyond reasonable doubt has to be consistently created on both sides during the case trial. In addition, the interdependence of the judge with the jury could possibly make it hard to eliminate personal bias and conviction during the acual process of hearing and deciding a case. For this reason, it is important for the judge to employ more dynamic house rules, to promote ethical and legal standards. This substantially w ould lead to a balancing act in shaping substantive and procedural law. 2. It is the obligation of defense attorney to defend the client in a lawsuit from either criminal or civil case (Siegel, 2009, p.409). The real responsibility is to aim for probable acquital as there is a need to substantially increase the burden of proof on the part of the prosecutor to prevent conviction in as much as possible. In some cases, the defense attorney may also serve as the one who would make the verdict lighter for the guilty. In general, the defense attorney defends the client in a lawsuit while ensuring legal ethics, so as not to mislead the court with wrong information (Neubauer & Fradella, 2010, p.168). In this case, the defense attorneys are trying to be independent with the prosecutor and the judge as they would create substantial appeal to nullify the evidences pointed against the accused. In this case, they should deviate

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Principal Intern Essay Example for Free

Principal Intern Essay As I embarked into this higher education path I wanted nothing more than to be an administrator of an Elementary or Middle School in Texas. I was able to even envision myself in the school district I currently work in working in school administration at one of the schools I have taught at. I was fortunate on my internship year to have the position of being the instructional technology facilitator and was able to help more in depth with the administrators of my campus and learn the in and outs of the administration side of the school. Looking at all of this and having experienced it I am now thinking I am leaning towards more working towards becoming a department head or maybe the head of a academic department for the district. I am hoping the first step to this will be to become the department head for fifth grade on my campus and then moving towards becoming the English Language Arts and Reading department head. Eventually over time I hope to move into a more Reading Specialist position for a campus or even possibly a district. My ultimate goal is to move into the administration building and become a curriculum director for a district. As a leader I hope to accomplish many things to my employee’s and staff like being stronger leaders in the classrooms, stronger teachers, and being able to empower students for long term success. I have always wanted since I entered education to see the end result of my students to be a positive one and love to see the academic growth my students show over the course of a school year. I think that being able to show teachers and staff how to be and become strong leaders in the classrooms will help to majorly accomplish this goal. For me a leader is someone who listens and empowers its learners to learn in a way that fits their own personal needs and not necessarily the needs of the teacher themselves. I also think that using these techniques it will help teachers to become stronger educators in life and in the long run. Helping teachers, just like students, create a solid foundation is a great way to start them in the right direction and therefore it will be easier for them to lead themselves one day. And finally I would love to see in teachers, like I do with my students, long term success over the course of a year, two years and even ten years as they grow academically with the students. In Texas we are constantly changing the way things are being tested and handled. Being able to be a leader that is open to those changes will help me to accomplish my goals to the best of my ability while creating successful teachers and students. Reflective Practice In the beginning of these courses reflective writing did not seem to be an influential part of my learning process as a student myself. In my own classroom I did not use much reflective writing for my students because I saw it as time that I could be using on something else related to the content. Throughout the courses related to my master’s degree through Lamar University I have had to reflect in every course on what I learned throughout the class. At first I was skeptical about the reflective writing but as the course progressed I realized that by writing reflectively I was able to take the course material and transpose it into my own words. This helped me to have a clear understanding of what I learned and make it my own. One of the meaningful things that I feel I should have walked away from these courses is that the best way to become a leader is to create ownership for the staff, and I relate that to reflective writing. In my reflective writing I am walking away with a sense of ownership from my courses, and this helps to realize the main facts of what the course was about. Reflective writing now has a new meaning to me; it is now more of me creating my own ownership to the material presented in the course. I have even now find myself using reflective writing more and more in my own classroom and finding it a useful tool to assess what the students are walking away from my lessons with. To me reflective writing is a great tool to check students understanding of what was taught and what was learned. Reflective writing has had a significant influence on my practice currently in my classroom. Instead of using traditional quizzes and test I find myself using more reflective writings in my own classroom. It is a great form of writing to use to allow the students to use their own words to explain what they have learned in the classroom. In my future I plan on using reflective writing more and more in a leadership role for my staff to obtain information on how well the school is operating and working as a team. I feel that if my current principal used more reflective writing in our faculty meetings then he would have a better understanding of what is going on inside the campus. When I am a principal with my own campus I plan on using reflective writing responses in order to check if my staff walked away from staff developments with what was intended for them to learn and to also make sure that the training was effective or not to use on our campus. I would also like to implement a feedback process that involves reflective writing, which will allow staff to respond to any procedures implemented on campus that might need to be adjusted. By using this reflective writing process in the future I can make sure that my staff walks away with the knowledge they need in staff developments and in-services. This will prove to be an effective form of feedback for me and reflection on what skills they acquired. In Examining what we do to Improve our Schools Tool 8.1 the CARE Model: Planning Tool uses four steps to address change for the future the final step Evaluate allows the staff to reflective on the prior steps they have created (Harris). In this process the staff or administrator is to take steps into identifying and solving problems they are facing on campus. The first three steps are steps on how to implement and strategize the problem at hand. The fourth step in the CARE Model is to ‘identify the best ways to evaluate the implemented recommendations’ which is a way for the person(s) making the decisions can reflect on what they have created. In the same book Tool 8.2 (Harris) provides a list of reflective type questions to be answered to examine school improvement. These are great questions to guide someone’s reflection or at the very least jump start their reflection process so they have a starting point. An example of one of the questions asked in Tool 8.2 is ‘What am I doing to sustain improvement?’ These types of questions allow me as a future administrator to use for myself and others to reflect upon what we are doing as a team to create positive school improvement. Competency Development DOMAIN I School Community Leadership Competency 001- The principal knows how to shape campus culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community. In this competency I learned many things on how to create a vision for my campus and how to make it happen. I found it is not only important to make your school have a vision or just a common goal but the process of getting to that vision is equally important. Competency 001 is the foundation for that solid house you want to build, without the foundation a house will eventually fall and break, just like a school would without a solid foundation. As a leader of my campus it is my duty to look into creating a climate that promotes higher level thinking and teaching. When I do obtain my own campus I will be using this competency to ensure that higher expectations are required. It is not just enough to create higher standards and expect people to follow them it is equally important to create them in such a way that they can become obtained. In order to make these goals and visions obtainable and reachable it is important not to just let one person make these decisions, but to allow all stakeholders to have a say in the creation and implementation of them. I found throughout all of my courses that the most important factoring in leading your staff and students in any direction is the ownership that they have in the school. It is important that all stakeholders have a clear understanding that each party involved was and is clearly represented. I know that I feel better implementing a plan that I took part in planning or know someone in the plan that had my best interests and the student’s best interests at heart. I found myself spending 23 hours on this competency with my principal and assistant principal. The majority of the time was spent prior to school helping the committees to set up the vision and goals. We then revisited the vision in the middle of the school year to adjust to the changes our campus faces. It was also important that my principal have me sit in on grade level meetings to see if each grade level had a clear understanding of what the vision meant for them and what it looked like in their classrooms and for their students. I would say in this section of the domains I believe that I am walking away with the most mastery because of all of the actual hands on time I got to spend working with my campus vision and missions. Competency 002 The principal knows how to communicate and collaborate with all members of the school community, responds to diverse interests and needs, and mobilizes resources to promote student success. In this section I learned the importance of correctly communicating with all staff, students, and community stakeholders for my campus. Although it was difficult at times to get parents to communicate and participate at school functions I was able to learn a lot about the process of correctly communicating with them. I was able to assist in almost every letter we sent home with students explaining our events. We not only had to have a copy in English but we also had to translate all letters in Spanish as well. Over the course of the year, logging over seven hours, as paper became more and more precious I was able to focus more on call outs over the phone system and also to work on maintaining accurate information on the schools website. I had a bit of the upper hand in comparison to others in these course because I was able to find ways through our website to communicate effectively with the community. In our many multicultural events we held on campus (Hispanic Heritage Art Contest, Black History Writing Contest, Math Night, and Science Night) I was able to have exposure to the positive effect it has on students through multicultural awareness. On this competency I spent around seven hours of internship time (I believe more logged hours were possible). Another wonderful thing I learned during this lesson was how to correctly manage school wide communication that took place on campus. I was very fortunate to have a very supportive principal who was willing to take me under her wing and allow playing a huge role in all activities on the campus. My principal always told me anything you would not say out loud make sure you do not put it in writing. She taught me through example and doing how to effectively write and create e-mails to be sent to the staff. I know now the importance of tone in my writing to ensure the way the e-mail is received it is received correctly. Competency 003 The principal knows how to act with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical and legal manner. One of the most memorable things I will walk away from this course is the question to always ask myself â€Å"Is the decision to the question in the best interest of the child(ren)?† My mentors (principal, assistant principal, counselor, veteran teachers) taught me this valuable lesson that any decision, no matter the size, has to have the student’s best interest at heart. This is a great way to keep you in check to make sure you are being ethical and act with integrity in everyday decisions as a campus administrator. The legal portion of this competency comes with the knowledge of making sure to follow all state guidelines set for by the Texas Education Agency. One of the best ways I found to make sure you are following the rules legally is to ask questions. My internship supervisor, Sherry Gore through my eighteen internship hours, taught me to never be afraid to ask questions or research the answer before making a decision. The way she taught me this was not in a direct manner but more indirectly. By demonstrating to me on topics that she was unfamiliar with how she asked other principals or administrators to solve her problems I learned his valuable lesson. With the ever changing ways of education in the State of Texas, and the Country for that matter, it is important for an administrator to make sure they are up to date with all their knowledge about the laws concerning the education of the children in their school. It is also the responsibility of the principal to make sure their staff knows about any changes in laws and procedures. Making sure the staff knows of these changes it will make the transition to the new ones a smoother one for their campus and thus make the impact less stressful on the children. DOMAIN II Instructional Leadership Competency 004 The principal knows how to facilitate the design and implementation of curricula and strategic plans that enhance teaching and learning; ensure alignment of curriculum, instruction, resources, and assessments; and promote the use of varied assessments to measure student performance. One of the major witnessing to competency 004 was that of how our campus was having year after year to adjust to its ever growing numbers of bilingual and ESL students on our campus. Each year we a faced with the challenge of how to adjust to the growing numbers not only with resources but also with the staffing of these new positions needed. In all campus purchases, technology or academic workbooks, we find ourselves looking as administrators on the campus at what kind of Spanish and ESL supplements were available and how well they will work for our students needs. I found it very interesting in choosing our new reading textbooks in how different the Spanish supplements are for the different adoptions. As a person on the committee, logging over twenty-three internship hours, for our school to help us choose our next adoption it was made very clear to us at the beginning of the process that we needed to make sure we are considering not only the English portion of the textbook but the ESL materials are equally important. I knew going into it that the ESL supplements were important but it never crossed my mind how important it is to our campus. With my campus being one of two bilingual campuses it was important to my principal that our vote was heard at the district level when choosing the newest adoptions. The next step in this was implementing a new reading textbook while adjusting to the new district wide curriculum CSCOPE. It was my principal’s job to make sure that all of her staff was well aware of how to use the materials mandated by the district for our new instructional focus always keeping the students best interests at heart when training the teachers to prepare for our school year of academic success. Competency 005 The principal knows how to advocate, nurture, and sustain an instructional program and a campus culture that are conducive to student learning and staff professional growth. All too often there is going to be a change in policy or educational law, and with these changes there is always going to be changes in educational practices that have proven to be effective. The older methods of teaching are not necessarily the best methods to be used to reach the students of 2011. This competency ensures that the principal keep up with the best practices and methods out in the world to use for the success of our students and staff. This includes making sure that the staff is up to date on the latest practices in teaching in new and exciting ways to reach children. I spent close to twenty-one hours working with my principal and instructional facilitators to ensure that our campus had what we needed to implement new teaching practices in our classrooms. This section requires a lot of research into the newest needs of the students and then the needs of the staff to meet those needs. One example of a staff development that I was part of implementing with the principal and instructional facilitators was when we had to move into a new online lesson planning system. This system was completely online and making paper lesson plans not necessary. It was my responsible to make sure the staff was trained in how to use this new system to its full potential. I had to attend training provided by the company ht owned the software as well as district training to show me how to show the staff how to use this new system. It was essential that the staff knew how to implement this program because it was soon to become a mandate by the district to improve district lesson plan sharing throughout the entire district. The essential great thing for the teachers was that of making teachers resources more readily available to district employees across the di strict. Competency 006 The principal knows how to implement a staff evaluation and development system to improve the performance of all staff members, select and implement appropriate models for supervision and staff development, and apply the legal requirements for personnel management. With this area I feel I need a little more practice, and that is my fault in the internship hours and plan. I do however plan on using my current principal to help me to understand the evaluation process of a staff member. With only putting in eight hours into this area of focus I feel that I need to focus more on the PDAS system. I know the system as a teacher but I feel I need to works towards better understanding of the administrator side of the evaluations. I did focus my attention on part of this aspect as determining the needs of the staff and creating a staff development for the staff to grow from. With the help of the assessment specialist on my campus I found that we as a staff needed more focus on how to properly prepare the kids to take tests for a long period of time. We gathered information and tips for the staff to use while preparing the students for their long awaited TAKS tests. We then used a simple evaluation survey at the end of the training to evaluate the effectiveness of the training to meet the needs of the teachers and students. We produced a lot of reflective time for teachers to share their own experiences in the classroom that allowed students to work to their best potential. With the knowledge of the results of the survey we used the knowledge we gained to conduct follow mini-trainings to assess the needs of the staff after they implemented the practices. The reason we conducted the mini-follow ups was because of the survey evaluation at the end of the training said they enjoy the trainings we have but they need further help after we implement the training in our classrooms. Competency 007 The principal knows how to apply organizational, decision-making, and problem solving skills to ensure an effective learning environment. Spending close to eighteen hours working on this competency it clear to see that this competency is an important one in relationship to the effectiveness of a campus. One major thing I learned from my principal was that you need to be organized enough to make sure you put together a quality interview to ensure that you put together a quality staff. I was fortunate enough to be able to sit in the interview process of one of our future teachers. The before part of the process was the preparation in getting ready for the interview, my principal using the Gallup interview process so she must be organized and ready. During the interview quality questions prove to be the most effective in choosing future staff members. Following the interview there is a debriefing with the hiring committee to ensure that the newest staff member would be a good fit for our campus and our students. We then moved onto working with the staff and interviewing them on what needs to be improved on campus. The next step in this process for my principal and I was to look towards the staff and see how well they internalized or resisted change in our continuous improvements implemented at the campus. We had to look at what changes were the best for the students as a whole and the needs of our at risk students.