A Contemporary Banking Issue Essay Online For Free - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1916 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Narrative essay Tags: Banking Essay Did you like this example? Bankers remuneration is perceived amongst the core recession triggers, which lured top bankers to engage into socially wasteful investments. Society perceives bonuses as the main drivers of greed and irresponsibly short-sighted behavior (pp. 1). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Contemporary Banking Issue Essay Online For Free" essay for you Create order From an economic point of view, the central critiques about bonuses are concerned with risk-taking and short-term orientation. Nonetheless, it is noteworthy that the design of the overall compensation package appears to have generated bankers myopia rather than the bonus system per se. In fact, most banks now concur that, preceding the crisis, their systems were excessively short-sighted, and are currently striving to base rewards on more sustainable performance criteria such as average growth rates and volumes across longer sampling periods (Gehrig Menkhoff, 2009). Bonuses have stirred widespread aversion feelings because of their asymmetric payoff structure which invites risk-taking by bankers. As such, should the risky investment have succeeded, the manager would have been granted a hefty compensation; whereas even in the unfavourable scenario, he still satisfied with a comfortable fixed salary incurring no further repercussions. Put differently, a bonus-based compensation pac kage fails to penalise accordingly the various outcomes of jeopardising investments and consequently encourages them (Gehrig Menkhoff, 2009). Remuneration is defined as the payment that generally comprises the base salary topped with any bonuses or other economic benefits which an employee or executive receives during employment in exchange for professional services. This term often refers to the total compensation which includes the base salary plus shares or share options, bonuses, pension benefits, and other perks or forms of compensation (Investopedia, 2011). Thus, remuneration can be divided into fixed based pay (payments or benefits not depending on any criteria) or variable (whereby additional payments or benefits are function of performance or various contractual agreements such as depending on sales, profits, return on assets). The above are correlated with the output of the accounting system but may also reward in line with market price of the firms shares. Both these components may include monetary payments or benefits (such as cash, shares, options, pension contributions) or non-monetary benefits such as health insurance, discounts, fringe benefits or special allowances for car, mobile phone (CEBS, 2010). Regulatory bodies, (i.e. G20, Committee of European Banking Supervisors), seem to concur that the inappropriate remuneration structures of some financial institutions have been a contributory factor towards the failure of individual financial institutions and systemic problems in the European Union Member States and worldwide. Remuneration policies that offered incentives and encouraged risk-taking above a certain tolerable degree at institution level undermined sound and effective risk management and exacerbated such behaviour. It was admitted that excessive remuneration in the banking industry fuelled a risk appetite disproportionate with the loss-absorption capacity of the sector (CEBS, 2010). The remuneration of bankers situates at t he very centre of moral outrage succeeding the financial crisis. While regulators are mostly concerned with the remuneration structure which incentivised undue risk-taking, society sternly blames the pay-offs to senior executives of failed banks and large bonuses which rewarded bankers whose activities were entangled with the crisis triggering mechanism. The protest is greatly about the perversity of apparently mischievous prizes for blatantly imposing such costs on other stakeholders. The mainstream analysis of moral hazard (information asymmetry) assumes behaviour to be rational with respect to self-interest, in other words opportunistic in the sense that it takes advantage of chances to achieve personal benefit regardless whether that may happen at the others expense (Dow, 2010). The remuneration policy should be in line with the business strategy, objectives, values and long-term interests of the credit institution. Otherwise, if the variable part of the remuneration consists predominantly of remuneration instruments that are paid out immediately, without any deferral or ex post risk adjustment mechanisms, based on a formula that links variable remuneration to current year revenues rather than risk-adjusted profit, there are strong incentives for managers to shy away from conservative valuation policies, strong incentives to ignore concentration risks, strong incentives to rig the internal transfer pricing system in their favour and strong incentives to ignore risk factors, such as liquidity risk and concentration risk, that could place the institution under stress at some point in the future (CEBS, 2010). The Principal-Agent theory implies that executive compensation should be correlated with the total return to shareholders, commonly by granting ownership of the firm through stock or options. However, despite this frameworks compelling logic, existing empirical support contradicts the effectiveness of the agency theory when applied to executive com pensation (Kakabadse et al, 2004). They are also meant to serve as an effective retention tool for talent in the long term, meaning they should motivate loyalty in successful bankers. However, stock options reward success, but normally do not penalize failure (Branca and Imelmann, 2009). Frabotta (2000a) argued that short-term strategies may in fact achieve differing outcomes to those actually sought, as they may not be congruent with the long-term profitability of an organization (Taylor and Davies, 2004, pp. 468). As such, bankers might seek to maximize short-run profits by employing creative accounting. This comprises methods such as discretionary costs management (i.e. reduction in allowance for doubtful clients with a view to increase net accounts receivable), sales and expenses adjustment, or non-operational profits e.g. asset disposals. Furthermore, medium-term behaviour might encompass income smoothing to reduce earnings volatility and ensure less variable flow of benefit s for the more loss-averse directors. According to Prasad (2008), evidence shows that executives contractually entitled to receive exhilarating pensions, tend to pursue corporate strategies which aim to reduce the overall risk of the firm. As such, these executives embark on fewer risky investment projects, reduce dividends, avoid excess debt or expand the average maturity of corporate debt. Likewise a CEO is more likely to retire voluntarily his pension has vested and is immediately payable. Besancenot Vranceanu (2007) based their study of compensations plans on game theory. The purpose was to analyse whether such structures incentivized managers to engage in fraudulent activities. Their model rendered that under perverse incentive plans managers eluded regulations and committed fraud. Walkers Review Sir David Walkers Review of corporate governance in UK banks and other financial industry entities was requested by the UK government in order to evaluate what prompted the financial crisis and how its recurrence could be prevented in the future. The final report suggests a series of reforms to improve the quality of boards, strengthen the role of shareholders, and increase transparency of pay and bonus structures. At the core of the recommendations lies the clear link which the author identifies between board behaviour deficiencies and poor business performance (Gill, 2009). The Review hints at the idea that some banking groups managed to survive the crisis and in relative terms have prospered, whereas others failed to do so and pleaded mercy from governmental bailouts. This situation indicates the gap in the quality of corporate governance between the two categories (Slaughter and May, 2009). One of the most important and controversial themes in Walkers (2009) Review is the re muneration policy of financial institutions. The recommendations in this respect emphasize that substantial enhancement is needed in board level oversight of remuneration policies, in particular in respect of variable pay, and in associated disclosures. Besides, the responsibility of board remuneration committees should be extended to cover the entire entitys remuneration framework especially executives whose remunerations exceed the median level throughout the board high end category. The term depicts employees who perform a significant influence function and who can have a material impact on the risk profile of the firm. Through deliberate insistence on long-term focus, they should be stand as a major countervailing force against any short-term pressure from shareholders or the executive. Furthermore, with a view to ensuring better alignment of interests, performance conditions and deferment of variable payments for executives should be materially more demanding than anterior industry norms. In other words, it is advised that at least half of expected variable remuneration should be on a long-term incentive basis with vesting, subject to performance conditions, deferred for up to five years. As to the short-term bonus, which rewards the executive for performance in the current year, the proposal is that payments under any award should be phased over a three-year period, with no more than one-third in the first year. The high end pay executives bracket should be expected to maintain a shareholding or retain a portion of vested awards in an amount at least equal to their total compensation on a historic or expected basis, to be built up over a period at the discretion of the remuneration committee. Vesting of stock for this group should not normally be accelerated on cessation of employment other than on compassionate grounds. Despite being convincing at first sight, the Reports main recommendations concerning financiers remuneration mask a more fund amental issue of principle: that the current bonus problem is a creation of accounting fictions of reliance on accrual accounting recognition of profit instead of economic profit. Focusing on earned or realised profit as the basis for bonus entitlement would eliminate many of the highlighted problems. The result of such a change in perspective would be similar to the intent of the Report; however it would possess the advantage of returning the debate to a focus on principles (Paradigm Risk, 2009). What is more, other critics such as Barker (2009) assess the recommendations regarding remuneration to be rather prescriptive or specialised for implementation in the non-financial sector. The Walker Review does not seek to define the quantum of remuneration that should be awarded to board members or other high-end employees. However, it delivers several proposals which target the improvement of the remuneration structure in terms of links with risk taking and performance. An interestin g proposal advocated in the Review is that the Chairman of the remuneration committee should stand for re-election if the issued report receives fewer than 75% of votes cast at the AGM. This would serve to increase the accountability of the remuneration committee vis-à  -vis shareholders. Remuneration packages of banks directors are made up of the basic salary and benefits which are topped by several cascading layers of rewards such as pension provisions and various bonuses. Barclays claimed that it had shown restraint on pay as it revealed that its chief executive, Bob Diamond, was paid a bonus of  £6.5m for 2010. He also earned a  £250,000 salary and was awarded a  £2.25m long-term payment based on future performance. As chief executive he will be paid a  £1.35m salary. Fred Goodwin from RBS was granted  £9m in salary,  £14m bonuses, and  £276,000 extras (relocation expenses, school fees) totaling over  £23m in the past 9 years of employment for the state-a ided financial giant. Skeptics would catalogue these obscene amounts as enormous rewards for failure. What is more, this former CEO gathered a sufficiently high pension pot to allow him the comfort of withdrawing  £703,000 a year pension. Specialist lawyers infer that his contract was wisely and tightly drafted in his favour and very well negotiated. Moreover, the expenses incurred by the company to keep its executives pleased also included lavish benefits such as a permanent luxurious Savoy hotel suite; fleets of cars available at all times, special food, uncalled for refurbishment of floors, use of own corporate jets on regular bases (Dispatches, 2009). Yet results of a study (Fahlenbrach and Stulz, 2011) show that no evidence exists that banks with a better alignment of the CEOs interests with those of the shareholders had higher stock returns during the crisis. Some evidence shows that banks led by CEOs whose interests were better aligned with those of their shareholders ha d worse stock returns and a worse return on equity.

The American Express Launched A Coalition Loyalty Program

Background In May ’15 American Express launched a Coalition loyalty program called Plenti. Members of Plenti can earn and redeem points by shopping at participating merchants (e.g., Exxon, Macys, Rite Aid and ATT.) The biggest challenge in launching the program was signing up merchants and building an economic case for shifting away from proprietary programs. As part of efforts, we were in negotiations with Rite Aid to join the program. Under their old loyalty program (Wellness+), Rite Aid issued reward dollars (+UPs).The dollars could be used for purchase within their store over next 2 weeks while in Plenti the points (1 point = 1 cent) are valid for 3 years and can be redeemed at any participating merchant. Rite Aid was concerned that if†¦show more content†¦One option was to guarantee dollar value of points redeemed at Rite Aid However, in their old loyalty program, all points were redeemed in their stores, so the guarantee had to be equal to their point issuance. Rite Aid was planning to issue $75M worth of points so the proposal represented a large risk. Alternatively, we could have offered them exit rights linked with in-store redemptions but that would have created an uncertainty and would have been against spirit of coalition. We finally proposed ratio of points redeemed at Rite Aid to Rite Aid issued points redeemed at other sponsors would always be greater than 1. The ratio implied on Cash flow basis the program will be neutral for Rite Aid. The proposal guarded us against slow adaptation and penalized only if redemptions at Rite Aid were lower than other sponsors. We did not have any data to inform the metrics. Even though we were confident about meeting the metrics in the long term as Plenti envisioned signing â€Å"earn only partners† (where customers will earn points, but will not redeem them) but in the short term it was a challenge to estimate it. The proposed guarantee had two major drivers, firstly, how many Rite Aid issued points will be redeemed in each year and secondly how many Rite Aid issued points would be redeemed at Rite Aid vs. other merchants. We used data from international loyalty programs (Nectar, Air miles) and estimated 80% of the points The American Express Launched A Coalition Loyalty Program considered.† Background In May ’15 American Express launched a coalition loyalty program called Plenti. Under coalition loyalty programs, members can earn and redeem points by shopping at participating merchants (e.g., Exxon, Macys, Rite Aid and ATT.) The program helps consumers to earn rewards faster and lead to better engagement and provides merchants and opportunity to attract new customers and run cross-promotional campaigns. The biggest challenge in launching the program was signing up merchants and building an economic case for shifting away from proprietary programs and collaborate for collective benefit. We were in negotiations with Rite Aid to join the program. Under their old loyalty program (Wellness+), Rite Aid issued reward dollars (+UPs).The dollars could be used for purchase within their stores over next two weeks while in Plenti program the points (1 point = 1 cents) are valid for three years and can be redeemed at any participating merchant. Rite Aid was concerned that if they joined Plenti, customers will continue to earn points at Rite Aid but with more redemption options and longer validity, the redemptions will be skewed towards other merchants especially the â€Å"Grocer† Partner. In effect, they will be subsidizing a loyalty program for the â€Å"Grocer†. Challenge As part of the negotiations, our team was tasked to identify and propose â€Å"Performance Guarantees† to address Rite Aid’s concerns. With no data and uncertainty about other merchants who will join theShow MoreRelatedThe American Express Launched A Coalition Loyalty Program866 Words   |  4 PagesBackground In May ’15 American Express launched a Coalition loyalty program called Plenti. Members of Plenti can earn and redeem points by shopping at participating merchants (e.g., Exxon, Macys, Rite Aid and ATT.) The biggest challenge in launching the program was signing up merchants and building an economic case for shifting away from proprietary programs. As part of efforts, we were in negotiations with Rite Aid to join the program. Under their old loyalty program (Wellness+), Rite Aid issuedRead MoreThe American Express ( Axp )917 Words   |  4 PagesMay ’15 American Express (AXP) launched a coalition loyalty program called â€Å"Plenti.† Under coalition loyalty programs, members can earn and redeem points by shopping at participating merchants (e.g., Exxon, Macys, Rite Aid and ATT.) 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Creating Brand Equity and building strong brands  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · 4 Brand loyalty  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · 4 Brand awareness  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · 5 Perceived quality  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã ‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Read MoreEmployee Engagement and CSR: TRANSACTIONAL, RELATIONAL, AND DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACHES12982 Words   |  52 Pagesresponsibility (CSR) for engaging employees, including its impact on their motivation, identity, and sense of meaning and purpose. It explores three different ways that companies engage their employees through CSR: a transactional approach, where programs are undertaken to meet the needs of employees who want to take part in the CSR efforts of a company; a relational approach, based on a psychological contract that emphasizes social responsibility; and a developmental approach, which aims to activate

Discovery Museum Gold Rush History Center Free Essays

The visit I made to the Discovery Museum Gold Rush History Center in Sacramento, California, proved to be highly informative, entertaining, and a two-hour well spent. The experience afforded me a lot of learnings from the Gold Rush period that I didn’t know before. Before I made the tour of the four galleries inside the building, I first went to the visitors’ information center, wherein an introduction regarding the building’s construction has been shown in a nine-minute film clip. We will write a custom essay sample on Discovery Museum Gold Rush History Center or any similar topic only for you Order Now Based on the clip shown, I learned that the museum is a replica of the original building that was built in 1854 that previously housed the City of Sacramento’s city hall, dormitory for the fire department, jail, police station, and court. The original structure had suffered from structural problems and was declared unsafe many years later. It was finally demolished about sixty years later in 1913. The replica building has been modified on some sides in line with its being a museum showcasing history, science and technology. The Gold Rush Center’s exhibits are in The Lure of Gold gallery. The museum’s arrangement of events is well organized and unique. From there, I was able to see gold nuggets on display and artifacts and implements used by miners from the Gold Rush era. The Gold Rush in California was a defining moment in history that changed Sacramento forever. Sacramento became the center of that event in 1849. People from all over the world went to this city hoping to make themselves rich. Previously, this gallery has showcased a typical miner’s travel and lifestyle. Aside from the exhibits, there are also hands-on activities for children and interactive programs to help the present generation get a better understanding of the past. How to cite Discovery Museum Gold Rush History Center, Papers

Environmental Ethics Inventory Essay Example For Students

Environmental Ethics Inventory Essay Environmental Ethics Inventory Essay It is a strong belief of mine that the responsibility of protecting the environment is much greater on todays generation than is was for past generations. The reason that I feel the way that I do is because at this point a substantial amount of damage has already been done and in order to prevent any further environmental destruction intervention on our part is necessary. After all, we (humans) are the main cause of the problems; shouldnt we also be a part of the cure. If we had always taken the environment into consideration prior to our actions we would not be faced with some of the environmental issues we are facing today. The problem started with the past generations but the solution now has to start with us. We have to be overly conscious of our actions and what affect they will have on future generations. Since we enjoy the rights to breathe fresh air, play in the sun, live among a vast variety of plant and wildlife, then shouldnt our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and their grandchildren, also have the chance to enjoy those same rights? My answer to that question is yes they do! We owe that to them so we all have to take a stand for our values, morals, ethics and actions regarding the preservation of a healthy and rich natural environment. The responsibilities for past generation regarding the environment was no less than ours today however, the differences are that we are now stuck with the job of correcting the mistakes of past generations, then the population was much smaller than it is today and will be in the future and more people equals potentially more pollution. I can compare this situation to one of a student who starts a class with all As and all he needs is to get a passing grade on the final and he will end up with a least a B for the class, verses a student who starts off the class with low Bs and Cs on his tests who will need to get a high B low A to just pass the class with a C. We are the B, C, student who needs an A just to pass the class with a C. It would be easier for us and less of an emergency if only our past generations would have taken us into the same consideration that we are now trying to for our future generations. It is my assumption that It will be easier for the future generations to maintain a healthy natural environment than to have to repair a damaged one. Population growth is also an important factor in the future quality of life. But it seems to me that the population is not growing at as high of a rate as it has the potential to grow. This is due to the rise of contraceptive use in third world countries. In more economically stable countries couples are waiting until later age to start families and are choosing to have fewer children than their parents. But on the other hand the population is getting older with the advances in modern medicine and the availability of vaccinations and medical treatments. I believe that due to our (people) past carelessness regarding the environment and our ongoing search for convenience in the present we are hurting our selves in the long run. Reports show that today skin cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death. We have to go to somewhat extreme measures on a daily biases to protect ours skin from the suns harmful ultra violet rays which was not the case for past generations. Sun block did not even exist decades ago and now we cant imagine life with out it. What needs to be done is we need to take measures to make changes in our actions to prevent worse conditions for future generations. It was the actions of past generations that lead to the current damage of the ozone layer that is causing the serious skin conditions of the present generation. .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f , .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f .postImageUrl , .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f , .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f:hover , .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f:visited , .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f:active { border:0!important; } .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f:active , .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc41a87308b55f484d9506fcb0f0ce83f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Italy Argumentative Essay It will only get worse if we do not take measures to protect what is .

10 of The Best College Party Themes You Simply Have to Try

10 of The Best College Party Themes You Simply Have to Try Of course, college is a time for working hard and pushing yourself to grab that final mark which will catapult you into your chosen career, but it’s also a time for having fun and making memories which will last a lifetime. As clichà © as that may sound, it’s the basic truth of the matter. All work and no play makes life rather dull indeed! If you’re wanting to throw a party which will be remembered for year to come, for the right reasons of course, and you’re looking for a little inspiration for your party themes, how about one of these for size? Rock the White Isle – an Ibiza-Inspired Party It doesn’t have to be summer to remember party central on the clubbing island we all know and love. Turn up the heating if you need to, but clubbing gear is the dress code, glow sticks are as standard, and clubbing tunes are blaring from the speakers. Hawaii Surfer Chic Laid-back surfer dudes and chicks ready to catch a wave? This is the iconic summer theme to enjoy, with hula dancing, bikinis, grass skirts, surfer shorts, and a totally laid-back vibe. Great for memories of summer, whether you went to Hawaii or not! Snow Bunny Fun When the weather outside is a little more on the Baltic side than sunny, why not take advantage of it and turn your party into a snow bunny theme? Think ski outfits, think wrapping up warm, and you know what? Turn the heating off to save money and add to the ambience! Delegate your write my essay task to professional writers while you have fun! Neon Colours This one is easy and cheap for everyone attending – basically, anything you wear has to be neon coloured and you can turn that around to the drinks too, with neon coloured beverages, and perhaps even a cake with more than a sprinkling of food colouring to fit in with the theme! Come Dine With Me You can look at this one in two ways – a) everyone brings some food so you don’t have to pay for the food, and b) if you say everyone has to cook something, you’re developing their cooking skills, so it’s win-win! Take inspiration from the TV show, but turn it into a party rather than a dining experience; think dips and nachos, pizzas, nibble foods, that kind of thing. The most imaginative snack wins a prize. Masquerade â€Å"Ball† You don’t need to kit everyone out in a ball gown and suit for this, but guests simply need to wear a mask, which can easily be bought online! The rest can be normal clothes, but the fun is in guessing who is who! A Spooky Halloween Party This is easy, because around the big day you can easily pick up enough cheap items to dress up a house or dorm room and buying a mask is an easy task too, so no need to break the bank. Make a bowl of punch, some scary snacks, and you’re away. Stupid Jumper Night Think Christmas and the new craze of wearing the most ridiculous knitted jumper you can find. Now, turn that on its head and make a party out of who can wear the most stupid jumper regardless of the time of year. Again, turn it into a competition, because the person with the most ridiculous outfit wins a prize. ABC Party This is one that is iconic in the college party world and ABC basically stands for Anything But Clothes. Now, don’t panic! We’re not suggesting your guests rock up naked, but what they do wear has to be made from something else, for example, a bin liner fashioned into a dress, or a bed sheet turned into a skirt. You get the idea. Toga Party No college experience is complete without a toga party. Now, this has many advantages, and the main one is that it’s cheap because you can make a toga out of anything, even a bed sheet! Simply wrap some rope around it and you ta-da! You have a toga the Ancient Greeks would have been proud of! These are just a few ideas you can incorporate into your college party themes; all of them will certainly be nights to remember! This article was made by writing service.

Peer to Peer File Sharing essays

Peer to Peer File Sharing essays With broadband Internet service becoming more accessible and affordable, there is an ever-growing group of internet users who are looking to exchange files with other users of similar interests. The concept peer to peer file sharing became popular when the digital music revolution hit in 1999 and Napster was introduced to the public. When speaking of the digital music revolution, Im referring to MP3 files. MP3s are digitally encoded songs that have CD quality sound but are relatively small in size. This small file size makes them easy to transfer over the internet. The easy accessibility of these cost free files makes peer to peer file sharing very popular. The general public does not realize that peer to peer file sharing has moved past the exchange of digital music and into other entertainment mediums. Along with MP3 files, movies, video games and books, are also readily available to download for free on the internet. A person just needs know is where to look on the web and now with peer to peer file sharing its easier than ever. All of these media types and more can be found through one easy to use program. One may find movies, sometimes before they are even released in the theater. It is possible to download episodes of your favorite television shows, books, audio books in MP3 format, magazines, video games and computer software. Unfortunately, due to the current copyright laws, these shared files appear to be illegal in nature if you do not own the original material. Napster, a peer to peer file sharing program for MP3 files, experienced legal problems in just six short months of being in service. The lawsuit brought on by the Recording Industry Association of America is still yet to be settled. With more users than America Online, Napster is by far the most commonly used peer to peer file sharing program. The program works by making a connection to Napsters central co ...

Victim's Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Victim's Movement - Essay Example Laws like Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) established the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), the Victims’ Bill of Rights in 1990, Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 which includes the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the subsequent Constitutional Amendment in 1996, were passed by government and promoted. Universities also expanded and established victim-related courses with the U.S. Department of Justice sponsoring the first National Victim Assistance Academy in 1995 (Wallace and Roberson, 2010). Undeniably, the movement succeeded, but an increase in crime rate and severity of crimes today need more educated and trained professionals for support and intervention. One goal the movement should strive for in the next ten years is to develop a plan to maximize government and the universities’ support with regard to intervention. Next, establish permanent information exchange with universities, regarding the changing needs of victims, modus operandi of criminals based on victims’ stories, and other information which may help universities update and improve victim services curriculum, aimed at skills and competency improvement of students when they graduate and practice. Lastly, an organization composed of representatives from the US Attorney’s office, FBI, military and other federal agencies, university and leaders of the different organizations involved in victims assistance and intervention, doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists and other such profession als need to be established. The organization shall serve as a coordinating body dealing with data and information on changing needs of victims and modus operandi of criminals. From the data, the organization can come up with a standardized manual dealing on victim assistance and intervention. All the goals mentioned above will surely make a big difference in

Working in International Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Working in International Teams - Essay Example Organizations can freely conduct their business in any part of the world. The usual nine-to-five day jobs have seemingly been dissolved into modern time frames where business activities are conducted across a span of varying time zones around the world (Devine, 2002). Colleagues in an organization can be working from different parts of the world in different time zones to accomplish the same objectives for the organization unlike before where colleagues had to be in one open room (Devine, 2002). This has led to new dynamics of work in modern and contemporary organizations. Another impact of globalization on businesses is the reliance on teamwork rather that individual performance in accomplishing organizational objectives. The contemporary organizational challenges demand a team approach in order to gather a wide range of views, skills and experiences and use them effectively to meet and tackle emerging issues (Devine, 2002). A team can be defined as a group of individuals working to gether collaboratively to accomplish a common purpose. The team is held together by the shared objectives, a common purpose and identity of each team member. Teams in organizations are formed to work on various projects that help the organization advance towards meeting its visions. Globalization has also led to the emergence of a new landscape in business operations. In the new business framework, technical brilliance alone is no longer enough for one to be successful in today’s international marketplace (Devine, 2002). Organizations today require their employees at all levels of the organization to comfortably interact freely with people from other cultures. Organizations require individuals to communicate and interact through a more global lens in order to give the organizations a competitive edge on the international scene. With most organizations opening up to the international market, there is a great demand for initiating projects that meet the international needs and demands of consumers. These international projects can be very rewarding to both organizations and their employees, but they are very challenging. Most organizations therefore rely on international teams to manage tasks that are of an international nature. Belonging to a team makes an individual feel being part of something much wider than themselves, and when the team is highly diversified with international culture, the team members feel part of the wider international community. The challenge of building and managing international teams has become evident over the years for managers and leaders in various professional fields. Team members also encounter challenges in working with each other to achieve a common objective and purpose given the wide differences that exist among them in terms of age, skills, experience, gender, race, ethnicity and most importantly culturally diverse opinions (Wheelan, 2010). Team members are under pressure to perform effectively with appropriate prof essional behavior in the context of the international business environment. Team members are required to work in multicultural teams posing very many challenges to the individual members and team leaders. The highly diversified multicultural environment comes with a lot of challenges ranging from communication difficulties to varying opinions based on one’s cultural background (Wheelan, 2010). Analysis and Thesis Statement Working in international teams is both a challenging and a rewarding endeavor. International teams are made up of individuals from various parts of the world who may either come to work together from the same location or may opt to work from the different parts where they are located. Different places around the world have different cultures which often impact on

BUSINESS IN ASIA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

BUSINESS IN ASIA - Research Paper Example Firstly, the economy of the Asian region was not only dependent on the revenues of internal trade but was also significantly dependent on the cash flows from the western nations. Asian economy greatly thrives on huge volumes of both export and import trades. Secondly the apprehension of the Asian economies in remaining insulated to the global financial turmoil proved fallacious for its increased presence in global financial institutions. Thirdly, Asian economies also had the feeling that large amount of financial reserves would help them to shield against the global financial crisis. However the financial reserves also render a restricted effect in shielding the effects of the global financial crisis. (Kato, 2009). The paper in this context aims to find the opportunities and challenges of western companies in entering the Asian market and the transformation of the Asian economies after the financial crisis. This paper would be formatted in essay type highlighting separate sections wi th regard to the research points. The Asian Financial Crisis which happened during 1997 in stark continuation with the happening of the global financial crisis rendered significant implications on separate economies of Asia. The paper in this connection endeavours to understand the impacts of the Asian Financial Crisis on economies of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Japan entered the realm of financial crisis owing to the decline in the currency of Thailand. During the era of financial crisis, both the currencies of Asia and America became overvalued leading to mass scale investments in the region of Thailand. Investments which were driven to Thailand mainly catered to the development of construction industry leading to the rise of the property bubble. However, the situation of the financial institutions in Japan deeply worsened which lead to the region’s further dependence on international funds. As compared to the Japanese effect

The Use Of Cctv Criminology Essay

The Use Of Cctv Criminology Essay The use of CCTV (Closed Circuit Television Technology) in public place has aroused the concern of public against the privacy issue and stimulated intense debate across the globe. This research aim to discuss the societys ethical stance on the use of CCTV in public place through an investigative and comparative analysis. The report will provide a variety of discussion based on objective analysis of available publications throughout the world. It addresses the main debates surrounding effectiveness and utility and further evaluates the protection of individual rights. Introduction CCTV or Closed Circuit Television is a video surveillance technology. It is described by several sociologist and criminologist like Clive Norris and Gary Armstrong (1999) as a form of power that views and controls the activities and actions of people. CCTV can be set up and used by public authorities in public or private areas in aiding crime prevention and crime prosecution. It is a multi-purpose kind of technology, where previous years it was supposed to be used to manage risk cases of traffic jams, fire and crime. CCTV sometimes helps and also creates some problems to the general public. In some ways it limits the freedom of other people. Meaning that you know people are watching you and there are some things which you cant do when people are watching. Like example, I have and itch on my butt and I cant scratch it in public since CCTVs are watching. CCTV when put in public places they record and display whatever that happens in that area. People therefore have lost their right to privacy once they leave their homes and into public places. Freedom is the right for everyone. People have the right to do and live their lives in peace without having others watching them. Literature Review Usage of CCTV The lack of clear outline and a standard on the employ of CCTV and the targeted population is a major setback of CCTV technology. Clarifications on the uses of CCTV have been made by Muller and Boos (2004). They found that CCTV is generally used for registering evidence, conduct control, flow control, access control and the planning of deployment based on their study. Targeted Individuals or groups of CCTV Norris and Armstrong (1999) created eight categories of suspicion targeted by video surveillance operators in terms of selection of targeted individuals or groups. Categories of suspicion that included are protection, which infers monitoring a vulnerable person (single women, children); category, which is a suspicion based on personal characteristics; location, that is based on persons location; behavior suspicion, which is based on recognizing abnormal behavior; personalized, which suggests prior knowledge of the person; transmitted, that refers to a suspicion based on an outside source; routine, which is based on a set surveillance path; and voyeuristic or for entertainment purposes. CCTV as effective safety tool for crime solving/prevention CCTV monitors individuals and crowds, provide warning signs of potential criminal offences, respond to threats and thus notifies the operator(s) of harmful actions and behavior, during and after the occurrence of an event (McCahill . Norris 2002a). For instance, in Barcelona, video surveillance cameras allowed authorities to find a young Spanish man who aggressively attacked a Latino American man in the metro (Cambon 2007). Such events have spread awareness on the effectiveness of the system as safety tool. This CCTV technology can conduct and inform both helpers and others on the situation in case there is an incident like fire. Besides, CCTV technology is deemed as a successful and efficient tool for reducing crime rates within targeted areas for certain social science researchers, government agencies, and institutions. There are many studies devoted to proving this stance and asserting the claim that CCTV systems are useful. These studies proposed that CCTV system have reactive an d preventative measures, increase the efficiency of police force, revive business in desolate or poor areas, build social cohesion, protect the private environment of citizens and ensure feelings of safety. Opponents of CCTV technology claim there is too much focus on the ability of CCTV to reduce crime. They said that such focus produces misleading studies and draws away from a proper assessment and evaluation of the impact of CCTV on solving crime. Nacro, the UK-Based organization conducted a review of CCTV and found that property crimes reduced in areas covered by video surveillance, especially in car parks, for example car theft. However, the same Nacro review revealed that public video surveillance had no impact on personal crimes such as assault or drunkenness. Therefore, some people critic the use of CCTV is a quick-fix solution and fails to tackle the real problems. CCTV as effective safety tool for building feelings of security Ann RudinowSÃ ¦tnan et al. (2004) claim that CCTV is an effective tool to reducing crime and establishes relations in a unsafe area. The use of CCTV increase made citizen feel safer and encourages broad participation and interaction in public spaces, which is effective in improving a communitys image and attract more investment. However, there are several research disagree with the above statement. They claim that CCTV does not reduce the feelings of unsafe or insecurity, therefore it is ineffective to use as a tools to preventing or solving crime. Jason Ditton (2000) claim that CCTV does not make people feel secure but create a false fear. Futhermore, the camera targets the innocent citizen rather than the criminal, imposing a constant fear in public spaces. Several research result have shown that citizen feel discomfort and fear in the presence of video surveillance was significantly higher among women, who are commonly labeled as the most vulnerable group to criminal events. CCTV as effective management tool CCTV video surveillance technology have been adopted by several countries as a management tools to administrate and monitor transport system, rationalize the maintenance of building infrastructure, fire prevention and for management of social spaces. Several studies demonstrate that CCTV are an effective management tools since it is less expensive than police officers and more efficient in detecting or preventing criminal offences. Don Babwin (2007) asserts that unlike security personnel, cameras are not subject to fatigue or loss of concentration and therefore provide uninterrupted and consistent effort. Therefore, the financial burden of the initial expense of purchasing and installing the system is thwarted by its long-term efficiency over employing additional police officers who may be less valuable. Ethical Challenges According to the 2006 Privacy International Report, governments policy initiatives on security aredestabilizing core elements of personal privacy there must be an understanding on how changes in privacy laws, technologies implemented affect legal and constitutional protections, individual rights, freedoms and autonomy, democratic institutions. The use of CCTV technology has stirred ethical concerns. These concerns refer to the lack of privacy protection, the repression of individual liberties for the greater good and mounting fears of insecurity. Innocent people will feel that video surveillance cameras in public places would invade peoples privacy at every turn and it would make going out in public feel like being in a bank. CCTV helps but at the cost of infringing on the rights of low-abiding citizens, their action in public space is being recorded. Therefore, they have stimulated the rise of rules and regulations which aim to protect individuals rights and freedoms as well as regu late the use and output of information captured by such systems. Politicians who abide by CCTV as an effective and successful method in the field of crime prevention, suggest that the presence of CCTV systems in public spaces act as a deterrence to criminals or potential offenders. Therefore, innocent individuals should not be bothered by its presence. The cameras target offenders and thus offer no harm to the general public. This mentality is widely used to convince the public that CCTV systems are used for a specific reason and do not impinge on issues of privacy or civil liberties. This mentality in fact poses an ethical concern, which assumes that in general individuals are innocent and must give up some liberties for the greater good. Conclusion There exists a variety of frameworks, local, national and international, which aim to protect and secure privacy and safety rights of individuals in society. Besides, there is also a clear lack of codes of practice and a fear that commercial interests override individuals freedoms and rights. Therefore, government officials and policy makers use it as a reference guide for assessing the main issues and addressing effective solutions.

Rhetorical Strategies Used by President George W. Bush Essay -- Rhetor

Rhetorical Strategies Used by President George Bush After the September 11 Terrorist Attacks On September 11, 2001, the Islamist terrorist group known as al-Qaeda launched a series of terrorist attacks on the United States of America, specifically in the New York City and Washington D.C areas. Nineteen al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes with the intention of using them as suicide attacks that would crash those planes into designated buildings, or targets. Two of the four passenger jets were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, both of which collapsed entirely within two hours of being hit. The third plane was crashed into the Pentagon, and the west side of the building, which is the Headquarters of the US Department of Defense, partially collapsed. The fourth hijacked plane was intended for the US Capitol Building in Washington D.C, but instead crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after the passengers of the plane interfered with the hijackers. The attack on September 11th was devastatingly fatal—almost 3,000 people died in the attacks, including all of the al-Qaeda hijackers and every passenger aboard the four planes. On the evening of September 11, 2001, in the wake of these attacks, President George W. Bush issued an address to the nation. In his speech, Bush addresses the citizens of the United States, which is his target audience. However, due to the nature of the attacks, people from all over the world viewed Bush’s address from their televisions, and people from both the United States and the rest of the world were able to access the speech later on the Internet. Bush’s main purpose in his address is to issue a formal presidential response to the terrorist attack, but more i... ...s audience’s emotions of fear and sadness, but also of patriotism through charged language and by compelling his viewers to identify with the victims, in order to galvanize a sense of anger and commitment to justice, which he is able to achieve this charged language through use of metaphor and periphrasis. By presenting his argument as one of policy and supporting this claim through the formal topics of definition and concomitant, Bush is able to ultimately use his address to argue that America should be defended, because defending America means defending the doctrine of freedom itself. Works Cited Bush, George W. "A Great People Has Been Moved to Defend a Great Nation." Oval Office. Washington D.C. 11 Sept. 2001. American Rhetoric. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2013. gwbush911addresstothenation.htm>.

Are Leaders – born or made?

The most argumentative and the most widely researched  topic in the field of leadership is – if the leaders are born or made. As on today, the  resultant phenomenon of the widely done research is neutral, with few of the researcher’s  supporting the former assumption while few supporting the later one. The critical point in  the discussion had been the genetical influence on an individual which makes him/her a  leader. Although, it is not deniable that few leaders the world has seen were born to rule,  however, I would like to give my opinion in regards of the later i.e. Leaders are made. The basic feature which defines a leader is – Intelligence.  Every individual born is blessed with intelligence, it is just how one groom one’s  intelligence level and put in to the best use which makes him/her a leader. Besides,  intelligence there are many more characteristics which an individual needs to inculcate in  oneself to become an inspirational leader. These characteristics include strong will and  determination towards achievement, influencing the people’s mind and actions, highly  self motivated, possessing skills and talents and nourishing and nurturing them at  regular time periods. All these features and many more added to them turns a simple  individual into a leader. The leadership skills and talents could be either adopted or learnt  by one whilst moving ahead at different spheres of life. A stabilized ongoing  development of the intellectual growth and enhancement of various skills and talents at  different levels of an individual development plays a pivotal role in the making of a great  leader. Today’s world has seen a large number of leaders in  different spheres. As Shakespeare puts in â€Å"Some are born great, some achieve greatness  and some have greatness thrust upon them†. No single conclusion could be deprived on  the formation of these leaders. It is essential for a person to realize and recognize the  traits they possess at earlier later stages in life and later enhancement of these traits would  result in utilizing them optimally throughout the life. A consistent approach towards  grooming ones skills and talents besides developing intellectual growth would be the  most efficient source to become a great leader. Adopting different leadership traits while  working would also prove to be beneficial. Experience would definitely get counted in as  positive in leadership development. Leadership is not only determined by the character and  capacities of the leader, but definitely also by the followers: if there are no followers  there is no leader. Empowerment, ownership and curiosity are the features which ones  derived evolves leadership in every individual (Lance, 2004). All the features discussed  so far could be easily adopted by any normal sound minded individual. No hard and fast  rules are required to adopt them and no genetical attributes are needed to acquire them –  it is just an individual’s strong will and determination over becoming a leader which  would turn him/her into a great leader. Thus, I conclude, stating although a large number  of leaders are termed as born – leaders, yet there work and experience have made them  leaders in actual sense. REFERENCES: à   Adair, John. 1998: Leadership Skills. CIPD Publishing à   Covey, Stephen. R. 2004: The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. Simon & Schuster Publishers à   Secretan, Lance. 2004: Inspire! What Great Leaders Do. John Wiley & Sons Publishers. à   Zenger, John. H. 2002: The Extraordinary Leader: Turning Good Managers into Great Leaders. McGraw –Hill Professional Publishers.                                                         

Free Essays on A Comparison Of Arthur Dimmesdale And Pearl

In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and Pearl are two essential characters. Because they are father and daughter, they have some similar qualities, but also some different ones. The apple does not fall far from the tree: the apple is the child of the tree (the parent); therefore, it inherits similarities in personality, but it also retains its own individual qualities. Dimmesdale and Pearl share few similar traits, but Hawthorne makes these similarities significant. Passion greatly affects the lives of both Dimmesdale and Pearl. Dimmesdale commits adultery a sin of passion. Pearl inherits â€Å"all this enmity and passion [ . . . ] by inalienable right† (Hawthorne 87). From the moment Hester Prynne gives birth to her daughter, the sin of adultery marks Pearl permanently just as the scarlet â€Å"A† marks her mother. Throughout the entire novel, Pearl serves as a symbol of Dimmesdale and Hester’s passion. Although the same force of passion affects Dimmesdale and his daughter, he makes the choice to commit adultery while Pearl does not have the power to decide to be borne out of a sin. This sin inflicts grief upon both the father and daughter. Dimmesdale, â€Å"overcome with a great horror of mind,† feels a â€Å"gnawing and poisonous tooth of bodily pain† because his guilt haunts him (Hawthorne 136). It c ontinues to haunt him for as long as he refuses to confess to the sin. Grief also bears a heavy weight on Pearl, not just her father. Hawthorne writes, â€Å"Nothing [is] more remarkable than the instinct, as it [seems], with which the child [comprehends] her loneliness† (86). Not only does Pearl’s father refuse to acknowledge her as his daughter, but also the children of the town refuse to allow her to play with them. How can she not be grief stricken? The mutual love between her mother and herself helps Pearl to cope with the grief; neither one of them receives Dimmesdale’s a... Free Essays on A Comparison Of Arthur Dimmesdale And Pearl Free Essays on A Comparison Of Arthur Dimmesdale And Pearl In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and Pearl are two essential characters. Because they are father and daughter, they have some similar qualities, but also some different ones. The apple does not fall far from the tree: the apple is the child of the tree (the parent); therefore, it inherits similarities in personality, but it also retains its own individual qualities. Dimmesdale and Pearl share few similar traits, but Hawthorne makes these similarities significant. Passion greatly affects the lives of both Dimmesdale and Pearl. Dimmesdale commits adultery a sin of passion. Pearl inherits â€Å"all this enmity and passion [ . . . ] by inalienable right† (Hawthorne 87). From the moment Hester Prynne gives birth to her daughter, the sin of adultery marks Pearl permanently just as the scarlet â€Å"A† marks her mother. Throughout the entire novel, Pearl serves as a symbol of Dimmesdale and Hester’s passion. Although the same force of passion affects Dimmesdale and his daughter, he makes the choice to commit adultery while Pearl does not have the power to decide to be borne out of a sin. This sin inflicts grief upon both the father and daughter. Dimmesdale, â€Å"overcome with a great horror of mind,† feels a â€Å"gnawing and poisonous tooth of bodily pain† because his guilt haunts him (Hawthorne 136). It continues to haunt him for as long as he refuses to confess to the sin. Grief also bears a heavy weight on Pearl, not just her father. Hawthorne writes, â€Å"Nothing [is] more remarkable than the instinct, as it [seems], with which the child [comprehends] her loneliness† (86). Not only does Pearl’s father refuse to acknowledge her as his daughter, but also the children of the town refuse to allow her to play with them. How can she not be grief stricken? The mutual love between her mother and herself helps Pearl to cope with the grief; neither one of them receives Dimmesdale’s a...

The Antigone essays

The Antigone essays In The Antigone, Antigone gets what she wants, Creon gets what she deserves. How far do you agree with this view? To suggest that in Sophocles Antigone, Antigone gets what she wants and Creon gets what he deserves is clearly a contentious statement. On a simplistic level this may seem to be the case: Antigone gets the burial of her brother which she desires from the outset, whilst Creons life ends in tragedy because of his thoughtless actions. However, this argument is undoubtedly based on plain facts alone, and this analysis can conceivably be abolished because it ignores many other fundamental details of the plot. By contrasting the characters ends with the experiences they undergo and their ends, it seems that Antigone does not get exactly what she wants, nor does Creon get exactly what he deserves. Sophocles characterises Antigone as a headstrong spirit from the outset; she wants the burial of her brother, and she is determined to get it even if she has to break the law and sacrifice her life in order to do so. Without examining any other events the fact that she does bury him does suggest that her aim is fulfilled. But this view is a reductionist, not a holistic approach to the play. To begin with, the plot of the play is based on the fact that Antigone did not get what she wanted initially, and so essentially Antigone never gets her way because Creon does not give Polynices the funeral rites that Eteocles had, at least not until Antigone is dead. However, there are many other ways in which Antigone does not get exactly what she wants. At the start, she wants her sister to help her in the act: will you lift up his body with these bare hands and lower it with me? but Ismene declines: defy the city? I have no strength for that. At least where her sister is concerned, Antigone obviously does not get what she wants: do as you like, dishonour the laws th...

Managing Public Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing Public Services - Essay Example Performance-based budgeting is used by countries that wish to minimise the complexities and costs. Countries with limited resources and capacities such as low income countries also use the approach. The structure of the paper begins with the introduction, followed by definition and lastly the scope. After the definition of the terms, the paper focuses on one practical example of a situation that performance budgeting presents. Afterwards, the difficulties of budgeting will be discussed. The last part of the paper analyses the concepts obtained from the design, and whether they can be advanced: and if yes, what are the basics for that. Definition and scope Performance-based budgeting is the process of developing budgets based on programme funding levels. It looks into the anticipated results from the programme with a sole aim of minimizing the costs while administering effective budgeting outlines (Caiden, 1994). In terms of decisions, the budget centres on output of resources more th an the inputs. Over the years, development of different models of performance based budgeting using different mechanisms have led to better fund linking and utilization (Caiden, 1994). These models are of two types, the very sophisticated ones and those that use the basics only to advance their functions (Drucker, 1974). One may confuse the definition by thinking that performance budget depends broadly on performance. ... It reflects on both the given levels of funding and the expected results (Berry & Flowers, 1999). One result obtained from a true performance based budget is an indication of how the dollars budgeted turns into results. The result should be evidence based, reflecting general chain of events and results and not scientific assumptions (Grizzle & Pettijohn, 2002). Under this, the most effective governmental performance based budgets outlays how money is spent on the day to day activities. The link between funding of the projects and how they are going to yield towards expected results has to be emphasized. The effects that the results will pose on the intended purpose have to be highlighted (Grizzle & Pettijohn, 2002). In order to distinguish a line item budget from a program-based budget, the best way is to consider the fundamentals (Easterling, 1999). The line budget shows items in usage, for example, how each dollar is spent. On the other hand, the performance budget reflects what ea ch dollar budgeted will accomplish by a way of evidence in achieved results, for example, reduction in accidents, an improvement in health facilities, and an increase in customer satisfaction (Romzek & Dubnick, 1987). The other objective achieved via a performance-based budget is a reflection of activity performed, for example, process a grant application, inspect a worksite, and review a compliance activity (Wildavsky, 1992). This budgeting was introduced to many systems because of the value of accountability and transparency it holds. Many countries, organizations, and companies are using it in different sectors as a part of the new reforms that the world is experiencing. Most governments are aiming for management for results in

An Issue Facing Human Resource Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

An Issue Facing Human Resource - Research Paper Example Rays of light slip through the recently washed window, as the sun begins its journey through the sky. A copy machine sounds in the background as well as the quiet hum of hundreds of people beginning their day in their cubical. This is the typical office scene that has defined work culture for the past several decades. There is a change on the horizon, however, that has begun to alter this scene and could prove to permanently change what the ‘typical’ office is defined as. This change, brought on by advance technology and rising cost for both employers and employees is, telecommuting. Telecommuting, or an employee working from home, is quickly becoming the norm for many employees today. It comes with both benefits and challenges, and as with most changes to the workplace, the responsibility for ironing out this transition has been placed on human resource shoulders. However, by taking an in-depth look into the specific challenges this change brings, such as: calculating w ork hours, maintaining office culture and community, and keeping lines of communication open. One can successfully apply good human resource strategies to them, and affectively integrate this new technological practice into the company for all to benefit. The first challenge brought by telecommuting is how to calculate hours worked. When an employee is working from home it is hard for a company to affectively manage whether or not time is spent working or doing other things. One successful approach to this issue is implementing performance management skills for all departments company wide. Performance management bases rewards, and job recognition on the outcome produced, as well as the process one takes in achieving to said outcome. This proves most beneficial when trying to manage the success of an employees work hours when they are away from the office. The company can then set up a schedule for how many hours it should take to complete a task and pay the employee accordingly. Th is type of performance management is not only beneficial for employees that are telecommuting, however, it also benefits for all employees and managers. The American Society for Public Administration, upon switching to a performance management style, stated that, â€Å"Requirements for outcomes-based performance management are increasing performance-evaluation activities at all government levels† (Heinrich 712). This increase in performance evaluation activities comes as a direct result of the fact that performance management focuses on the steps needed to complete the task, it allows room for the employee to feel comfortable asking for help when needed, and not just when a major problem arises, and it gives direct feedback and praise for a job well done. This management style also requires continual communication between employee and management, which helps the telecommuter stay, focused and connected with their company. Another challenge telecommuting brings, that relies he avily on the human resource department to remedy, is maintaining office culture and community when employees are not working in the office. A study done by the Journal of Applied Psychology found that telecommuting less than two days a week had little to no affect on the workplace relationships, however, they stated, â€Å" high-intensity telecommuting (more than 2.5 days a week) accentuated telecommuting's beneficial effects on work-family conflict but harmed

System Planning and Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

System Planning and Design - Essay Example In addition it is also imperative to understand hardware platforms for deployment of developed systems such that failure of operation is avoided (Smith, 2012). In this regard requirement analysis becomes essential. Secondly, since the onset of the digital era, there has been overwhelming demand for digitizing existing and forthcoming records and consequently information system building has to solve these problems. Such demand thus calls for specific design that takes into consideration all these requirements hence the need for system specification (Johnson, 2011). When all specific system requirements have been met, it is imperative that design commences. While designing IT experts usually break down system components such that each component is developed independently of the other to avoid numerous system errors. This is also highly encouraged while using implementation of tools that are object oriented. Thus the system is separated into modules, which are independent of each other. Upon clearance of modular development, development stage begins which entails system coding whereby the real transition between human and machine interaction happens (Edwards, 2012). Coding begins with creating pseudo codes at each functional level and consequently reviewing whether all requirements have been met and thus the system is constructed at this stage (Johnson, 2011). After development system integration follows which involves a combination of the different modules developed above. After successful integration of different modules for SFO clinic, then system testing follows which is done in two phases. While testing might be done after integration, it is of great essence that testing be carried out before and after integration to ensure that developed modules are error-free and that the system has efficient communication abilities, that is, modules are able to communicate with each other while passing data. This last stage will ensure whether the developed system is impor tant for SFO clinic in California by achieving user acceptance. Requirement analysis This stage involves two critical foundational stages of system development which include business case and user requirements (Edwards, 2012). Business case provides useful information upon which the system is to be based on. In this case, SFO clinic in California is an urgent health care facility that admits individuals with urgency cases. Understanding the institution by name, location and requirements gives the developer a background idea on how to get in touch with the organization and conduct further research as entails other requirements. Johnson (2011) argues that user requirements form another essential step in the design and development process. In order to transform organization functions to digital records, it is imperative the extensive research be undertaken. This can either be done through prototyping, simulation, user interviews among others or a combination of either of these requirem ent collection methodologies. In the case of SFO clinic, requirement analysis is done through a combination of prototyping and user interviews. Inclusive users undergoing the interviewing process involved the director of the clinic, the receptionist, doctors at the clinic and the billing department. The requirement process obtained that digitization exercise at the clinic involves the billing depar

Compare the ways in which Larkin and Abse write about love Essay Example for Free

Compare the ways in which Larkin and Abse write about love Essay Compare the ways in which Larkin and Abse write about Love, in your response you should write about at least two of Larkin’s poems Larkin’s general view on love and marriage is that both are a liability. This is seen throughout many poems including ‘Self’s the man’ where Larkin talks about a man being held back and worked to death by his wife. Abse’s views are somewhat contrary to Larkin’s. He has a much softer approach when talking about love and feels that it connects himself with his family, as seen in his poems ‘Postcard to his wife’ and ‘The Malham Bird’ where he expresses his love for his wife. Love as a theme is present in many of Larkin’s poems and ‘Self’s the man’ illustrates his stereotypical outlook on marriage and love. In the first stanza Larkin directly compares himself to his made up character of Arnold, who represents all the lower class men in a marriage. The first two lines ‘Oh, no one can deny/ That Arnold is less selfish than I’ have a humorous tone in with the use of a rhyming couplet, Larkin is patronising the reader. In the next line he writes how Arnold married a woman to ‘stop her getting away’. In comparison, the poem ‘The Malham Bird’ Abse writes of love in a different way ‘in love, you a Gentile’. His soft tone creates a slower pace to the poem which shows his love for his late wife. On the other hand Larkin doesn’t use the word love and he uses a faster matter-of-fact tone. Larkin is often viewed as sexist but here he could be seen as saying that women don’t get a chance to live their lives how they want to because men marry them ‘Now she’s there all day’. In the second stanza Larkin continues to paint women in a poor light ‘And the money he gets for wasting his life on work/ She takes as her perk’. The first line uses enjambment which makes the poem sound like a list of moans. She appears to be greedy by taking his money. Larkin displays an air of snobbery about the lower classes hard labour jobs. He describes the woman as interfering and domineering. Larkin then uses colloquial language to make fun of the lower classes and how they speak ‘To pay for the kiddies’ clobber and the drier/ and the electric fire’. He does not rate family life very highly. Larkin states that the roles have reversed in the third stanza. Arnold told his wife to marry him and she did and now she is telling him to work, to do the chores etc ‘Planning to have a read at the evening paper/ It’s Put a screw in this wall-‘. The fourth stanza uses colloquial language again and the fifth and uses a sarcastic and patronising tone. Larkin does not look upon  marriage favourably. Moving into the sixth stanza, the poet claims that Arnold, too, was just â€Å"out for his own ends† and â€Å"if it was such a mistake / He still did it for his own sake / Playing his own game.† He concludes that â€Å"he and I are the same† and both are selfish, but he is better â€Å"At knowing what I can stand / Without them sending a van†. The â€Å"van† is a mental institute’s mode of transportation, suggesting that Arnold is going mad in his situation. Much of this poem is unsympathetic towards Arnold’s situation. However at the end Larkin reveals an uncertainty. Suddenly the poet is faced with the reality of his own situation ‘But wait, not do fast/ Is there such a contrast?’ Has he realised the loneliness in his own life because he was too selfish to share. Another poem which presents love as a theme is ‘Talking in Bed’. In this poem Larkin describes a couple in a failing relationship because they are isolated and find it difficult to communicate. Themarital bed is used as a symbol for marriage; a haven for spouses to come together. The bed should be the place where a couple feel united, but in this poem, the bed makes the couples detachment from one another glaringly obvious. The word lying has an ambiguous meaning in this poem; on one hand it means that the couple in assuming a horizontal position together, and on the other hand, it appears there is some fabrication between them. Goes back so far also presents some ambiguity: first, the couple have been lying together in their bed for years which is an indication of a lengthy marriage; and second, they have been living a lie for many years. The couple are clearly unhappy with their marriage. This was a time when separation and divorce was frowned upon but couples stayed together unhappily because it was the right thing to do. There was a sense of accountability within the marriage contract and it was difficult for women in particular to walk away from their husbands. The second stanza describes the turmoil of their marriage metaphorically by using nature. The awful silence is deafening and an indication of the tense, nervous atmosphere between the two, worsening as they continue to remain silent. The out side is a reflection of the couple inside; the tension heightens between them, and is never relieved. The wind is turbulent, scattering the clouds across the sky. Builds and disperses could be a metaphor for an argument; the environment is fraught and situations cannot be resolved. Clouds have both a dark and threatening aspect, and can be difficult to see through. Metaphorically speaking, a clear sky would represent a marriage at peace, but in this case the clouds suggest a marriage at war with itself; these wars could potentially harm the marriage, so the clouds hide them, if you cant see something then it doesnt exist. Dark towns can be used to describe a number of different things: faults, disagreements, difficulties, isolation and pain. The contrast of their marriage to the tumultuous winds are a stark reminder of what their future holds. They have to try and work things out to arrive at an amicable solution. It is not understood why their marriage has failed; why at this unique distance (lying side-by-side) that they feel so isolated from each other. The husband cannot understand why communication between him and his wife have broken down. Words are not forthcoming and he is at a loss as to how the marriage appears to be irretrievable. Was he ever really in love with his wife? Did he ever feel a softness towards her? ‘It becomes mor e difficult to find/ Words at once true and kind’. He wonders if their marriage was based on a lie or was it inevitably going to fail. Dannie Abse’s approach to love is different in comparison to Larkin; Abse sees love as something to be treasured between him and his family. Where Larkin views love with a touch of cynicism, Abse’s poems demonstrate a purity and an equality. In The Malham Bird it did not matter that the couple are from different backgrounds ‘you a Gentile and I a Jew!’ Their relationship may have been unacceptable for the times but their love was all that mattered. The poem is littered with fond memories of when the couple first met ‘Dear wife, remember our first illicit/holiday, the rented room, the hidden beach’. Theirs was a romantic love. Abse’s couple are happy in contrast to the couples portrayed by Larkin in the above poems. Their shared history is full of warmth and mutual admiration. Where Larkin’s poems view love as a hindrance and something a man can do without, Abse firmly believes you need love above all else. In Postcard to his Wife, Abse’s portrayal is of a husband (himself) desperately missing his wife in her absence. He longs for them to spend the day together. He wishes she would ‘Make excuses’ so that she would be home with him. He loves her and enjoys her pre sence the opposite of Larkin’s idea of relationships. Abse feels there is a void in his life when his wife is not around and cannot bear the heartache. The contrast between Larkin and Abse’s views on love and relationships are polar opposites.

The Nature of Construction Problems: Past and Present

The Nature of Construction Problems: Past and Present ABSTRACT: This paper aims at deriving a comprehensive understanding pertaining to the different construction difficulties that have been faced in the past and are being faced now in the present also. It provides a vivid analysis of why the problems were faced, the nature of the problems and how they were dealt with. It has been a long time since the first inception of architectural ideas that had crept into our ancestors’ minds. Right from the Stone Age, man has actually been into this act of constructing stuff for making his life easy. At the very juncture of the Metal Age, he got a further boost with the advent of new materials and construction techniques. Furthermore, came the times when architecture was at its peak. Everywhere in the world there was zeal to construct structures that not only made life comfortable for man, but also soothed his eyes. The classical orders of the Greeks packed the punch of serving as better structural members along with being a visual treat. The Romans had been articulate in constructing an efficient system of water supply in the form of a series of arches together being called as aquaducts. It still stands as an example people look up to design urban spaces. Egyptians were no less. They were meticulously constructing pyramids and mortuary tombs that were way beyond the human scale. They had designed the first forms of conveyor systems in building construction. Similarly, India saw the construction of a lot of architectural wonders. Right from the construction of the monolithic stone structures of the Ajanta-Ellora caves and the temples of Mahabalipuram to the Islamic structures of Taj Mahal and the Humayun’s tomb it had been a marvellous leap in the form of architectural progress. Finally came the times of controversies about architecture when Gustav Eiffel proposed the construction of an all metal structure now called the Eiffel tower. There was a lot of noise about the fact that how it would finally look when it was constructed in Paris. Many people said that it might turn out to be a scar on the face of the city. But, now fortunately it is known as the first thing that helps us identify the city of Paris. There have also been controversies about Zaha Hadid’s designs. She is one of the pioneer architects as far as t he use of fluidic forms is concerned. Her designs have almost always been at the helm of criticism by the senior architects of her times. But, she has been articulate in executing her own designs. Similarly, in the recent times Frank O’ Gehry had faced a lot of challenges in bringing up his work called Bilbao museum. He has been criticised like hell up to the level of being called the mad architect. Now as we come up to the fact of such progress in the field of construction, can we deny that there have been no difficulties in the construction of these age old structures? No will be the answer. As we go back to the times when the monolithic stone structures of the Kailasa temple was constructed, we get to know that no good technology was available at that time. However, they have managed to actually make it possible to form a massive temple out of a single rock. Imagine that how the person who started the construction, actually just used a chisel and a hammer to build such a huge temple. It is said that he started from the top and kept on chiselling till the bottom. It is evident that this wonderful construction must have taken a long time to come up. But, it has not been constructed by a single sculptor. Imagine the difficulty in passing on the same knowledge about the structure to so many artisans over the ages. There might have been several changes made to this temple structure during the construction. This must have made it even more difficult for the sculptors. Now raises the question of managing the waste that was generated in this process. How were all the cut out st ones used? Yes, they were used to make roads and for pety constructions. But wasn’t it really difficult to manage these heavy masses? Yes, it must have been tedious. A similar structure had come up previously. The Konark temple in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa had a huge contribution in raising the architectural taste of the people of the country. In this construction, they used the method of constructing sand ramps as it was being constructed towards the top end. This had actually ensured that the structure didn’t get decayed during the construction process. However, this structure had made use of a huge pole at the centre in the form of a magnet that gave the massive stone structure all its strength. This had been acquired by the British during their reign in our country. But, later on what it was used for nobody knows. Just imagine how that huge magnet was made to stand just by the use of very basic tools. This speaks of the difficulty in constructing structures belonging to the typology of stone temples. Now, when the importance of Constantinople came into existence, there was a sudden need for the construction of several public buildings. At that time there was a huge recession in the field of construction in Europe. There was a shortage of resources, funds, architects and even labourers. This thing gave rise to a new form of architecture. This form of architecture came to be known as Polymath Architecture. In this form of architecture the existing buildings were used to build several other buildings. The Roman basilicas were used to build the Basilican churches that formed the basis of Christianity. The columns of the condemned buildings were actually truncated to get a uniform size. As a result, the buildings were having a size very close to the human scale. Explicitly or purposely, this form of architecture happened to be more close to people. Even the foundations of several buildings were used to meet the needs of the times. The rotunda buildings were used to used to build bapti steries when the question of child baptism came into existence. These spaces required a kind of radiating building plan in order to accommodate the required activity. So, the unavailability of resources at that time was addressed in such a way. Now, when we come to construction of buildings that are built with the on public money, the question of minimalism comes into existence. The usage of minimum amount of resource and funds comes into existence. Taking the example of a case, when an architect is given task of designing a public building, he has to make sure that he does not raise the cost of the building to the height of making it unfeasible. Nowadays, in case of construction of public buildings, the factor of tender pops up. The person coming up with the most apt design within the least of cost frame usually gets the project. Such a case can be taken up when it comes to the Bilbao museum. It was designed by Frank O’ Gehry. He had gone through the criticism of the entire world because of his design. His design was so complex that it made use of aircraft design software. He had actually gone to the point of overusing resources. The frames of the building were made using thick steel sections. A large layer of fabri c was used to cover the building. Above this a layer of titanium sheets were used. Around twenty four thousand square meters of such were used. As a result of this, he was criticised over the fact that a similar functionality and aesthetics was achievable with lesser use of resources. But, he had paid no heed to what the people said. He has a concept of a fish just because he had memories of going to a fish market with his grandma. This vague justification brought about a lot of talks throughout the world. Luckily, the titanium prices had gone down at that point of time. So, he had the privilege of not getting the project cancelled. When residential projects are taken into consideration, there are several pety issues that come up. Funds remain limited in most cases. There have been cases when construction of a single house has gone through a ceasework period of more than a year just due to the lack of funds. Other religious issues play a vital role in our country when it comes to construction of residences specially. Several people actually back out when the architect is reluctant to listen to his specifications about how the building should be. Industrial buildings have challenges that are totally different as compared to other buildings. They should have the ability to actually justify all the government norms regarding the minute points like waste generation and hazard safety factors. They should have special anthropometric specifications but they should not use too much of space. So, as we come to conclude this, we can actually see that several issues are getting solved in this context. Several architects are coming up with innovative ideas to actually cater to the ideas of the government and the environmental impact assessment bodies to make a statement regarding this matter. So let us hope for a hassle free and green future ahead!!! References: History Of Architecture by Sir Bannister Fletcher Construction Delays: Extension Of time and prolongation claims by Roger Gibson

Defining Myself through Writing :: Personal Narratives

Defining Myself through Writing I can write in various voices and styles and about various topics; with each piece I hope to represent different aspects of who I am. I need not say "This is me", but I show through now and then; sometimes more strongly than others as can be assumed. In writing I allow my true self to show, I can express myself and experiment with different styles. I will warn you that my writing is never too risquà ©, I remain quite practical and composed. Composed. I'll make that into a verb and say that in writing "I compose." Strange that I have a strong love for music yet have never tried to write it. I stay with stories, poems and essays. My first essay for Expository Writing entitled "Metaphorically Speaking" expressed my dull self. I knew this when I finished and racked my brain trying to think of something creative to speak metaphorically about but could not get past the practical part of me that says "Education is like a part time job." In this essay I am a student and employee speaking in first person. I don't delve too far into what they are other than seeing them as temporary work. I take a simple approach in analyzing and comparing my life in both environments. I speak confidently in "Metaphorically Speaking" due to experience. I don't sound ecstatic over the positions I now hold but I am content knowing they are temporary. I know that I will make the best of my education in college and my part time job and with continued success will go beyond. In this paper I am simply a student and employee and sound like one, be it dull. Experience was also used in "Coming Full Circle" . I gave a "play by play" of what is expected from students by teachers from elementary school on up. I spoke with "College Student Wisdom", reflecting on what I have written in the past and realizing that the writing I do now is similar to that which I wrote in elementary school; I write to please myself, to be myself and enjoy. Though it is just a blip of writing, "Sounds of Cross Country Skiing" represents me in my world of nature and heightened awareness --where I so often long to be. After it was read in class without my name mentioned a student next to me that knows me little from previous classes said "That was you wasn't it? Defining Myself through Writing :: Personal Narratives Defining Myself through Writing I can write in various voices and styles and about various topics; with each piece I hope to represent different aspects of who I am. I need not say "This is me", but I show through now and then; sometimes more strongly than others as can be assumed. In writing I allow my true self to show, I can express myself and experiment with different styles. I will warn you that my writing is never too risquà ©, I remain quite practical and composed. Composed. I'll make that into a verb and say that in writing "I compose." Strange that I have a strong love for music yet have never tried to write it. I stay with stories, poems and essays. My first essay for Expository Writing entitled "Metaphorically Speaking" expressed my dull self. I knew this when I finished and racked my brain trying to think of something creative to speak metaphorically about but could not get past the practical part of me that says "Education is like a part time job." In this essay I am a student and employee speaking in first person. I don't delve too far into what they are other than seeing them as temporary work. I take a simple approach in analyzing and comparing my life in both environments. I speak confidently in "Metaphorically Speaking" due to experience. I don't sound ecstatic over the positions I now hold but I am content knowing they are temporary. I know that I will make the best of my education in college and my part time job and with continued success will go beyond. In this paper I am simply a student and employee and sound like one, be it dull. Experience was also used in "Coming Full Circle" . I gave a "play by play" of what is expected from students by teachers from elementary school on up. I spoke with "College Student Wisdom", reflecting on what I have written in the past and realizing that the writing I do now is similar to that which I wrote in elementary school; I write to please myself, to be myself and enjoy. Though it is just a blip of writing, "Sounds of Cross Country Skiing" represents me in my world of nature and heightened awareness --where I so often long to be. After it was read in class without my name mentioned a student next to me that knows me little from previous classes said "That was you wasn't it?