The ghosts of Rwanda Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The ghosts of Rwanda - Movie Review Example The story was told both by the victims and the perpetrators as well as the third parties who were supposed to stop the genocide but did not do enough. The details of the horror of the genocide was encapsulated in the scene when a Tutsi woman who appealed to the Belgian journalists to take her and her companion with them to escape the attack of the Hutus. The shame of not doing enough when something could have been done was also encapsulated by an American diplomat who said that it was America’s bad taste not to do enough when people were being massacred. General Romeo Dallaire Commander of the UN Peacekeeping Mission also regretted that 800,000 people died in the genocide that he cannot find solace with the statement that he tried his best. Kofi Anan, the UN Secretary General during that time was also one of the resource person for the interview but his reaction portrayed the indecisiveness of the UN as he advised General Dallaire not to engage when it was already apparent tha t the Hutus are bent on sabotaging the peace process. He even advised to share intelligence with the Hutu dominated government who was bent on ending the peace process. The information and probably the lasting impact that the film left to its audience is how ugly and atrocious genocide and extremism is. The killing spree used not only guns but also machetes that spared no one including the Prime Minister. It was so barbaric that the Rwandan genocide in 1995 will probably go down in history as one of the most revolting civil war in mankind’s history. The films that ethnic hatred, when go unchecked can go on a killing spree killing even the highest official in the land (Rwandan President’s plane was shot by a missile and the Prime Minister attacked in her home despite UN security forces). And probably, one of the information given by the film that is as revolting as genocide is the racism exercised by the

Group Dynamics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Group Dynamics - Term Paper Example But there some who are more hostile and are aggressive about their defense. The best example for this is when Gerry acted superior to coach Boone before he got on the bus for football camp. It is well established that the team member is a subordinate to the coach but Gerry felt the need to protect his comfort zone as the team's star player. Coach Boone, as a reaction to the insult, embarrassed Gerry and reminded him of his place. He could have just given him a simple reminder but instead he asked him "who's your daddy" Of course this was effective, but the main point is that that particular phrase slang among blacks. This was also a reminder for Gerry that he is a subordinate of a black coach. There are multiple reasons for the prejudice against the African American coach and players. One of which would be the norm. This is what the whites were use to. For years, blacks are considered as second class individuals and this cannot be changed overnight. The whites have experienced the life where the blacks would bow down to them and would follow whatever they wanted them to do. To some degree they still think this way and it is irritating them that the black would no longer do as they are told. The next theory is that the blacks have a history of rebellion and violence. They have fought for freedom and by doing so have ignited the assumption of being brute. This too is recent history and is still fresh to the memories of whites. Both the theories for the cause of prejudice stated above have something in common; the memories and experiences of the people. It all hinges in the fact that recent history is very difficult to erase. c. How did the new head coach increase group cohesiveness on the team and reduce the level of conflict between the groups To increase group cohesiveness, the separation should first be dissolved. The new head coach did this by pairing up one black player with one white. They were forced to sit together in the bus and later became room mates in the camp. This was a success in terms of them having to do things together and somehow broke the tension between the racial groups. For some time this was a conducive situation for social interactions; they may be of different races but now they were talking. This was until they found out that they had conflicting interests. The coach found this absurd because they had very similar cultural backgrounds, different but similar. The next step that he did was to force them to make deeper social interactions. Having them talk to each other and discover the similarities that they have. This may seem an effective approach but they just found out that they had less and less commonalities. Finally, one morning to took them out for a run in the woods and showed them the place when the battle of Gettysburg. He told them the story of how many have died for the same battle that they are fighting that time. This was an eye opener for all of them. From then on the team members are more active about establishing good rapport between races. This change is clearly shown in the scene where Gerry and Julius had an argument about their team's tactics. This argument

Developing Green Infrastructure in New York CIty

Developing Green Infrastructure in New York CIty Chapter 1 New York City, U.S.A. New York City background City of New York is the most heavily populated city in the United States and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. From the geographical point of view, it is located in a coastal area at the mouth of Hudson River into the Atlantic Ocean. The city’s territory has been extensively altered by human intervention, especially with considerable land reclamation. At the present time the city total area is 1214km2, 790km2 out of it being land and is increasing with every year. New York City’s land use is characterized as a highly developed urban core on Manhattan Island and a sprawling dense suburban area. The average building height in the city is approximately 142m. The city’s climate is vastly affected by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean having 2.5 °C as average temperature in winter and 24.9 °C as average temperature in summer. Hurricanes and tropical storms are rare in New York, however they are not uncommon and always have the potential to strike the area. Urban heat island in New York City In the city of New York, urban heat island is a very well-known fact and it causes a lot of problems in various parts of the city, especially in the areas with high buildings. In the last two decades there have been countless researches and analysis made by different scientists and city government regarding atypical increased heat in some urban districts. In the last years, abnormal city climate became a bigger concern also for general public and the number of local communities involving in various heat mitigation programs is increasing. One of the most problematic zones regarding urban heat island is Manhattan. This district has the shape of a high urban canyon with buildings height ranging from around 70m up to 541m but the average height is of approximately 130m. The traffic in this area is overwhelming and combined with the large amount of materials that can absorb heat during the day, Manhattan is considered the hotspot of high temperatures in New York City. However, during the day there are multiple regions with higher temperatures than in Manhattan. But then again during the night, the temperature remains elevated in this specific region while in the other areas, the cooling process happens much faster and considerably easier. Figure 5‑a Manhattan map During summer temperatures are elevated and in this period urban heat island is more accentuated. Summer temperatures in the city are in average 4 °C warmer than surrounding suburban and rural areas. During winter city temperatures are in average 3 °C warmer than surroundings.[1] According to this research Variations in New York city’s urban heat island strength over time and space[2] in New York City, on a typical summer day with 30 °C air temperature, roofs and upper parts of buildings’ facades can reach more than 80 °C, while the pavements and streets on the floor of the urban canyon have a temperature varying from 65 ° to 80 °C. Mitigation strategies Urban heat island mitigation programs Absence of parks, gardens and street trees is a well-known problem in New York City districts and in 1996 the first program with the intention of greening the city has begun. It is called the Greenstreets and the purpose is to â€Å"change unused road areas into green spaces that beautify neighborhoods, improve air quality, reduce air temperatures (†¦). Since its beginning, over 2500 Greenstreets have been built citywide†[3] and the below table shows the current status. Figure 5‑b This table shows the percentages of vegetation and impervious surfaces in some of the New York City neighborhoods. The percentages are comparative to the specific zone. Landscape architects work together with the city government and local community groups to determine how best to increase the green infrastructure in the city. In Manhattan, more than half of the buildings’ roofs and terraces are no longer impervious because of the multitude of programs implemented by the government to fight the heat. The most important plan is called PlaNYC 2030[4] and it was implemented in 2007. Since then 903000 trees have been planted and in 2014 New York City had the cleanest air in the last 50 years. Moreover, since September 2013, an additional 185000m2 of black asphalt felt roofs have been upgraded to green roofs. Currently only 14% of the city area is covered by parks and gardens and they help reduce the heat, but the program is continuing. According to NASA â€Å"about 14 percent of the New York City’s impervious surface area consists of rooftops, most of them dark, heat-generating surfaces, typically tar†[5]. If this all this area is to be transformed into green roofs, then the percentage of gardens could grow up to 28%. In January 2010, one major project called Green light for Midtown[6] has been implemented in the midtown area, Manhattan. The idea was developed as a little part of the PlaNYC 2030. This project was a â€Å"major initiative in the City’s efforts to improve mobility and safety†[7]. However it also had a smaller and not that important objective to increase the green areas in midtown and have lighter colored streets and pathways. Some trees have been planted but more have been placed in large pots to ensure flexibility. Most of the streets have been temporarily painted in green and blue colors. The project was a success at that time as the lighter surface colors ensured a lower temperature for pedestrians. Another program called NYC  °Cool Roofs[8] (White roof project) [9], has as purpose turning most of black asphalt felt roofs in New York City into white roofs. The procedure is by painting the roof covering with a highly reflective paint, of minimum 0.75 albedo as stated in the project law[10]. According to the White Roof Project research on a summer day with 32 °C a white roof surface temperature is with 6 °C warmer than the air temperature and with 44 °C cooler than a black asphalt felt roof[11]. Since the project started in 2010, more than 535000m2 of roofs have been painted white in New York City metropolitan area[12]. Figure 5‑c Map of New York City with white roofs at the end of 2012 Figure 5‑d White Roof Project research Even though white roofs are more used than green roofs, the latter have greater heat mitigation potential. In Manhattan, while a white roof has the power to cool the air temperature with 0.7 °C on a summer day, the same area of green roof can cool the air around with approximately 3 °C and the effect is extended on a larger area.[13] Indoor temperature New York City has to struggle every summer with air conditioning and mechanical ventilation of every building. Because of the intense heat and the amount of units running in the same time, long power blackouts are very common and people had to find solutions to improve the air quality indoor. A lot of companies took the decision to install living walls indoors because of design reasons, but in time they realized the positive effects that they have on indoor climate. As a result, this solution became with time popular and more people and companies take the decision to install a living wall inside to help the air conditioning. Indoor temperatures during summer are very close to the outside temperatures and a living wall indoor can reduce the room temperature with as much as 7 °C. Green structures Figure 5‑e The Trump Tower in New York City Green facades and living walls are a common choice between New Yorkers but not as common as green roofs. Living walls are mostly used inside or on terraces and balconies. Green facades are also an appealing design in New York City and they appear mostly on old buildings. On new buildings, a full or partial green faà §ade is achieved by plants that people grow in their balconies or hanging from the outside window sill. Green roofs are increasing not only because of the multitude of promoting programs and laws but also because people discovered the benefits that these structures have. Most of them are becoming used as fruits and vegetable gardens, especially on the apartment blocks, schools and kindergartens. Moreover a nice flower garden on each apartment terrace increases the property value. Therefore the real-estate agencies are taking advantage of this feature and implement green roofs and green walls in more and more buildings. As a conclusion, most of the people’s reasons for adding a green roof or living wall anywhere in the city are more oriented to economic benefits or attractive view and practical usage. However the effect on the city climate and indoor temperature is the same. Communities involvement Figure 5‑f Public tree nursery The city government has a very efficient and well-organized informing procedure for local communities and the number of volunteers for helping cool the city is increasing. Also Central Park in Manhattan area, during summer is considered the heart of cool and shade and people realized how much power vegetation can have on the city climate. Therefore one of the most important practices that communities are doing is helping the government create spaces or use the existing parks for public tree nurseries. When trees reach the necessary size, volunteers help the government plant them on streets or in areas where shade is needed.[14] As a result, New York City is becoming a greener city. Moreover, through the program NYC  °Cool Roofs and White Roof Project, people volunteer to paint their own roofs white. 1 | Page [1] Slosberg, R. B., Rosenzweig, C., Solecki, W. D., 2007. New York City Regional Heat Island Initiative: Mitigating New York City’s Heat Island with Urban Forestry, Living Roofs, and Light Surfaces [2] Gaffin, et al., 2007. Variations in New York city’s urban heat island strength over time and space [3] NYC Parks. Green Infrastructure. [online] [4] Myors Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, 2014. PLANYC Progress report 2014 [5] NASA. The Making (and Breaking) of an Urban Heat Island. [online] [6] New York City Department of Transportation, 2010. Green Light for Midtown Evaluation Report [7] New York City Depertment of Transportation. Pedestrians – Broadway. [online] [8] NYC  °Cool Roofs, 2012. NYC  °Cool Roofs Annual review 2012. [9] White roof project is a continuity project of NYC  °Cool Roofs White Roof Project, 2010. White Roof Project. [online] [10] A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York and the New York city building code, in relation to roof coating standards, 347-A (January 1, 2012) [11] See Figure 5-d [12] NYC  °Cool Roofs, 2014. NYC  °Cool Roofs. [online] [13] Rosenzweig, C., Solecki, W. D., Parshall, L., Lynn, B., Cox, J., Goldberg, R., . . . Watson, M., 2009. MITIGATING NEW YORK CITY’S HEAT ISLAND Integrating Stakeholder Perspectives and Scientific Evaluation. [14] American Society of Landscape Architects (Producer), 2012. Urban forests=Cleaner, cooler air

You are Beautiful :: Middle East Culture Feminism Essays

Standing up for oneself is always a challenge, no matter who you are. In some Arab societies certain traditions and customs seem built to keep women on a lower level than men. The truth, as demonstrated by many books written by Arab women, is that every society has outdated customs, or rules, and those rules are what tend to keep oppressed people in check. If it’s not a gender issue then it is a race issue. If it’s not a race issue then it becomes political or intellectual. Sadly, there have always been rules that oppress one group or another, but time are changing and with them people change. The women in two Arab novels, written by Arab women, express their personal experiences in Arab society. Though the novels are fiction they are based on the real life experiences of the authors and can be taken as facts of what events transpired during the lives of the authors. The changes demonstrated by the main characters in Fatima Mernissi’s Dreams of Trespass and Ahdaf Soueif’s In the Eye of the Sun exhibit the Arab woman’s ability to become an independent and psychologically powerful member of society. Mernissi’s Fatima grows up in a harem which would seem to imply a lack of independence, however the women surrounding her act as liberal educators, teaching her never to settle for less than she deserves. Soueif’s Asya on the other hand develops into a woman while being raised in an upper class household, with liberal ideas on only certain subjects. The two women evolve, throughout the course of each novel, into stronger and more independent entities, both physically and psychologically. Fatima Mernissi preserves the feeling of an autobiography by keeping the main character named after herself. For the sake of clarity when referring to the author I will use only her last name. Mernissi’s novel begins with Fatima as a child. Throughout the novel she grows to the age of nine, but that is where the story ends. The first few years of Fatima’s life seem to have been the most crucial in determining what kind of person she was destined to become. Fatima’s experiences in her childhood are dramatic and influence her enough that her life changes drastically. Early in the novel Mernissi states, â€Å"when you hurt a woman you are violating Allah’s sacred frontier† (3). This statement helps to set the tone for the novel.

Emma by Jane Austen Essay

The selected passage from the eighth chapter is a part of the dialogue between Emma and Mr. Knightly, based on Harriet and Mr. Robert Martin’s match making issue, which is strongly condemned by Emma on the basis of difference of social and intellectual status between Harriet and Mr. Martin but Mr. Knightly supports Mr. Martin for being comparatively more respectable and dignified as he is a self-made farmer as compared to Harriet who had grown as an illegitimate child. This passage holds certain biased female gender statements by Jane Austen which lifted the rhetorical expertise of her novel with the immensity and intensity to create a difference in the opinion of a general public and also of an individual, who had possessed the conventional views of the rigid class structure and orthodox ideas of overlooking women as mere symbols of fanciful appearances. Emma appears with a strong debate for advocating about the intellectual ability of a woman and adamantly suggests the men of her era to become aware of this point of view of a woman being conscious about their individual identity. Mr. Knightly on the other hand speaks justly on behalf of the men of developing class of the society who could equally possess the status of gentlemen in the society. Thus this argument was more of a social debate that led both the characters argue logically against certain beliefs of the society that needed to be reformed to let the people grow more as individuals than as just the product of social and conventional beliefs. Austen surprises her readers when Emma acknowledges the superiority of Harriet over Mr. Martin for her individual intellectual capabilities despite her illegitimate identity of parental background that was mentioned as her handicap in the social status by Mr. Knightly. This manner of expression by Austen discovered a new dimension of analysis and execution of the subject in the novel writing in the eighteenth century literature, which was based on reality but focused through the psychology of the characters. This psychological realism of Jane Austen let her penetrate the minds of the people who existed in the limited sphere around her but even this limited world provided her with the vastness and variety of hidden and suffocated ideas that yearned to expressed openly since ages. As compared to her contemporary or predecessor novelists Jane Austen enjoyed an edge of being more innovative and meticulous in the accomplishment of her subject. Her dexterity in weaving the plots of her novels which have mostly been based on several characters interrelated with each other through the complexities of their thinking and believing, proved her magnitude of apprehension and deep analysis of the variety of people she had observed around her. In â€Å"A History of English Literature† written by Emile Legouis, and Louis Cazamian and Raymond Las Vergnas, Jane Austen has been compared with her contemporary novelist Miss Burney and they have been specifically compared for their distinct manner of expression and choice of the fate of their somewhat similar (or rather conventional) subjects, which mostly dealt with the issues of love, status of the characters and ultimately ending in successful marriages. But Jane Austen has been praised for her rather mature â€Å"clear-sighted eyes† that could â€Å"read through the inner minds of those who live around her, or of the beings whom she invents and animates just as if those minds are transparent†; whereas Miss Burney’s world of novels were more of a depiction of her time and the society that she moved in and about how would a woman succeed through the critical events of her life to achieve a happy marriage. Jane Austen’s world of her novel was more of a depiction of the heroine’s world and how her thoughts, beliefs and notions critically evaluated the world in which she dwelled. Thus Austen’s world is operated through the mind of her heroine whom she provided with a wide range of liberty to interact with a variety of people and also to develop notions about them. This was a perplexed mode of expression which Austen successfully accomplished in most of her novels. Surprisingly Jane Austen’s apathy about the socio-political scenario of her time never inculcated her knowledge to an extent to show a vivid impact in her writings. She remained quite ignorant about the after math of the French Revolution and the emerging Romantic traits of intellect and expression in the field of art and literature. Her sole focus had been on how to read and depict the variable minds of the people who lived with or around her and she believed in expressing for the suffocated thoughts and ideas of the muted minds. She preferred to remain aloof from the moral and social code of conduct in the matter of her psychological analysis she would analyze and deal with the most sensitive aspects that were more felt and less expressed by the people of her time. This is the reason why Emma speaks in favor of Harriet and rates her quite high in an intellectual status as compared to Mr. Martin, despite the fact that Harriet had no legitimate parenthood to satisfy her high social status. The expression of reality requires the cohesion in the acquisition of thoughts that cause concrete notions in our mind and then it requires coherence in the process of development of such potent thoughts that cause the need for an expression. Austen must have deeply observed the psyche of the women of her surroundings to be subtle enough to create Emma or perhaps Austen animated her as a mixture of such women who spent more time in knowing others than knowing themselves. For many readers Austen’s novels are limited and based on almost claustrophobic room of action that gives us a strong sense of the confined nature of a woman’s existence in early-nineteenth-century rural England, but in the social context, Austen’s commitment to reason and moderation can be seen as feminist and progressive rather than conservative. And her profound hypothesis of the varied psychologies of people from different groups of society enabled her to create intelligent and resourceful heroines who stand in constant contrast to the limits of the constricted world of courtship and marriage defining their sphere of action.

Gender Project

Today more than ever, toys are incredibly gendered, and send highly gendered messages to the children who play with them about what an ideal male or female looks like, acts like, and how he or she lives their life. This project aims to look at the ways in which toys are so gendered (based on one trip to a Toys R us store in Greensboro, North Carolina) and to describe the gendering of toys through three sociological perspectives.Section One- Observations In this particular Toys R us, Items were displayed In segregated zones; meaning that there were very clear areas that were for girls' toys and separate, very clear areas that were for boys toys. From far away, these sections could be easily distinguished from one another by the headings above each of the aisles that held the toys. On the left side of the store, the signs hanging above the aisles read- Star Wars, Action Figures, and Sports, respectively. On the right side of the store the aisles were marked- Dolls, Dolls, and Pretend P lay.Clearly the toys on the right side of the store were meant for girls, and the left side toys were meant for boys. The segregated zones were also easily distinguishable at a glance by the packaging and presentation f the toys on their shelves. Boys toys were packaged In more stereotypical â€Å"masculine† colors- red, blue, grey, and black. Further, all the boxes containing boys' toys portrayed some sort of motion or action on the boxes. The action portrayed was almost always violent In one way or another; a tank moving, a fist or bullet flying through the air, etc.Girls' toys, by contrast, were packaged completely differently. The boxes for girls' toys were pink. Purple, covered in glitter and sparkles, and almost all had light, feminine language on them- words like â€Å"magical†, â€Å"sparkly', and â€Å"princess†, o name a few. Toys R us' selection of Nerd- brand toys are an excellent example of how using different packaging and presentation for essenti ally the same item can be heavily gendered. Being a toy whose concept is rooted in violence, Nerd toys are typically for boys. However, Nerd recently released a line of toy weapons for girls called Rebelled.All the Rebelled toys are pink or purple with flowers and glitter on them to make them appear more feminine', and they also have very girl names, such as ‘Heartbreak Bow', ‘Diamonds', ‘Dart Diva', ‘Femme Fire', ‘Angel Aim', ‘Pink Crush', etc. Even If two Nerd guns of the same make and model were presented side-by side, no shopper would have any trouble knowing which one was being marketed to girls and which to boys. This loaded difference in packaging and presentation was also present everything in the store, whether it could carry a perceived gender role or not, was gendered.Instruments, pens and pencils, notebooks, walked-talkies, playing balls, and several other kinds of toys were packaged in ways in which two items that were essentially the same would be obviously be marketed to one gender or another. Toys hat recreate stereotypical home life are essentially having children play out their societal predetermined future roles. This is seen specifically in the ‘pretend play genre of toys. These are model replicas of the realms that children ‘should' grow up to occupy.What this means for girls is child-size kitchens and child-size cleaning toys, and baby-dolls. Girls grow up learning through these toys that their place in society is in house and home, cooking, cleaning, and caring for children. The boy versions of these toys are child-size model grills, toolkits, and car-building toys. The brands Home Depot and John Deere both have lines of toys for boys, depicting specifically male things for them to do. Many girl toys also demonstrate that a girl should be heavily focused on keeping herself beautiful.There are a huge amount of toys dedicated to teaching girls how to do the hair, nails, and makeup on their do lls, and most of the dolls marketed to girls all are sold with makeup painted onto their faces. Going even further, the toys also include makeup for the girl to use on herself, teaching girls at an early age that wearing makeup is preferable for women in this society, and generally necessary for them to be considered beautiful. Additionally, dolls marketed to girls all wear makeup and have the societal accepted standard of ‘beauty.Their bodies are skinny, tall, big-breasted, and completely disconnected with what any real human woman's actual body might look like. They give girls an image to look up to that they will never attain. Boys also face unrealistic representations of the human physique in their toys. Action figures marketed to them all have huge muscles, square Jaws, and other features that conform to the societal idea of the deal male body. Toy companies go even further than giving girls unrealistic body expectations in terms of not working to connect their toys to re ality.They girls' toys section had absolutely no toys that were designed to be replicas of real people from the real world. Girls had no role models foam reality represented in toys. Boys' toys, on the other hand, had several role models represented in their action figures. These men were almost entirely athletes; baseball or basketball players, wrestlers or MASCARA drivers (another male-dominated field). These toys teach boys to idealize throng, wealthy, masculine, sometimes violent men, without giving them any more realistic images to aspire to.Section Two- Perspectives Looking at the issue of highly gendered toys through various sociological lenses can provide us with several insights on why the toys children play with carry such thinly veiled and heavily stereotyped messages. Through a Symbolic Internationalist lens, toys themselves are symbols used to convey meaning. This paradigm focuses on the role of symbols in colonization and social interaction, and argues that society is formed when groups of people all give the same meaning to the same symbols and Greer on how these symbols play into their colonization.Using this paradigm, toys can be regarded as symbols in that in many cases they are child versions of adult things, meaning the toy replicas of kitchens, babies, tools, cars, grills, etc. They symbolize the appropriate material symbols in the life that the child will grow in to. Stages of their development, is directing them to live and act in a certain way that society considers ideal. Structural Functionalism dictates that society is a functionally integrated, problem- solving entity.Through this lens, the subject of gendered colonization through toys loud be seen as a developed response to a certain problem. Hypothetically, using toys to teach children how they ought to behave could be a carefully constructed response on behalf of toy manufacturers to the problem of children not being socialized ‘properly. If children were not being socializ ed to behave in their predetermined manners, this ‘deviance' could pose a threat to traditional gender roles in the United States and to keeping things functioning the way they ‘should'.The function of the gendered toys could be to keep society working ‘properly in whatever way they could. One last way of looking at the gendering of toys is through a Social Conflict perspective. This perspective conceives the emergence and persistence of social institutions and practices as the consequence of the exercise of power and explains their transformation as the result of conflict between different groups contending for power. In terms of toys and their messages, the two groups contending for power are less groups than they are ideas.One idea would be that people and the gender roles they should occupy should remain the same as they've been for generations, with omen occupying domestic spheres of society and men occupying public ones. The idea that battles this one would b e a more modern idea that men and women can and should hold the same positions in society. The fact that toys are generally more in line with the former idea shows that that is the side of the battle that is currently Winning, making it the societal norm, at least in the realm of children's toys.Toys are a constant in the development of children and thus play a large role in their colonization. While some toys teach children positive messages about caring for ACH other, sharing, and other healthy traits, the majority of the child-play market is saturated with heavily gendered and extremely antiquated messages about children's bodies and looks, traits, roles, behavior, and almost all aspects of their lives.The result of this is generation after generation of children who subconsciously take in false information about what it means to be a boy or a girl, a man or a woman. Social behavior is learned at a young age, and to teach children these outdated gender roles is to freeze our soci ety in an era gone by when we should be advancing toward a more equal world instead.

8 Top Tips for Crushing Your PhD Oral Defense

8 Top Tips for Crushing Your PhD Oral Defense 8 Top Tips for Crushing Your PhD Oral Defense Once you’ve submitted your PhD dissertation, most of the hard work is done. The one big thing standing between you and your shiny new doctorate is your oral dissertation defense. The exact format this takes will depend on your grad school, but the general idea is that you present your thesis to a committee who have read your dissertation. The committee members then ask questions about your work, which you have to defend to prove your academic credentials. You may be asked to make revisions to your dissertation based on the discussion. This might sound a bit like a scholastic Spanish Inquisition, but as long as you prepare thoroughly, your oral defense doesn’t have to be a stressful experience: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ask Around The first thing to do when preparing for your oral defense is to ask your PhD advisor what to expect and check your grad school’s requirements. You could also ask colleagues who have already completed their defense. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Practice Makes Perfect If you get the chance, sit in on other people’s oral defense sessions. Even better, if you have some willing friends available, try practicing your defense presentation in front of them, including having them ask you questions. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Re-read Your Dissertation You don’t have to memorize every detail, but re-familiarizing yourself with your work before your oral defense is definitely a good idea. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Arrive Early On the day, make sure you know where and when your oral defense is scheduled to take place. Get there at least fifteen minutes early so you have time to set up and settle down. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Your Thesis Statement Make sure you have a clear thesis statement to begin your presentation. This will usually include the problem you’re addressing, why it’s important and what your research has achieved. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Use Visual Aids Having handouts or a PowerPoint slideshow to accompany your talk is pretty much standard these days and can enhance your presentation. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Don’t Fear the Committee It’s easy to feel like the committee members are out to get you once the questions start flying, but try not to panic. It’s perfectly fine to ask for clarification if you’re unsure about something. Likewise, be honest if you don’t have an immediate response; it’s far better to say you’d need to do more research before answering than it is to try and bluff your way through the conversation. Similarly, don’t feel like you have to rush. Taking a moment to think before answering a question will help you to formulate a considered answer. 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Believe in Yourself! The most important thing to remember is that your advisor will not have let you submit your dissertation unless they thought it was a good piece of work. As such you have every reason to be confident, which will make your presentation more convincing. Try to dress smart too, as you want to make a good first impression.

Saviour or Psychopath essays

Saviour or Psychopath essays Was Randall P. McMurphy a saviour or a psychopath? The character of Randall P. McMurphy in Ken Kesey's acclaimed film, 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest', displays characteristics that are commonly associated with being both a psychopath and a saviour. The film is set in an American mental institution in the early 1960's, which means that the attitudes of the staff, and community in general, towards mental illness were a lot different to that of the twenty- first century. McMurphy's persona seemed to be constantly changing throughout the film to fit each situation; whether he was being a madman towards his superiors or being the nice guy to his fellow inmates McMurphy always 'tried' to know what to do. Mac, as the inmates knew him developed into a man who was on the good side of evil, slightly eccentric and mischievous but underneath a warm, loveable gentleman who would break an arm and a leg to help his friends. It is for this reason that the character of Randall P. McMurphy is comparative to Jesus Christ - he empowered and cured ot hers to the dissatisfaction of his superiors. The argument for that of saviour is a very positive one with Randall showing many times that he is indeed a saviour. There was one main character in the film, Chief, whom Randall formed a special bond with. In a way, Randall actually saved Chief from a desolate life in the asylum. When Randall first arrived at the asylum, Chief was a deaf, mute Indian and none of the other inmates talked to him or cared enough about him to involve him in anything. Their relationship started with Randall cracking wise guy jokes around him but after an afternoon game of basketball, they formed a closer bond. This game really set up Randalls character as a larrikin who cared. There were another three scenes where Randalls relationship with Chief was prominent: the second vote regarding the World Series Baseball when Randall convinced Chief to...

Create a Countdown Timer for Websites With PHP Mktime

Create a Countdown Timer for Websites With PHP Mktime Because the ist_dst parameter used in this example was deprecated in PHP 5.1 and removed in PHP 7, it is not safe to rely on this  code to deliver accurate results in current versions of PHP. Instead, use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. If your webpage focuses on a specific event in the future such as Christmas or your wedding, you may want to have a countdown timer to let users know how long it is until the event occurs. You can do this in PHP using timestamps and the mktime function. The  mktime() function is used to artificially generate the timestamp for a selected date and time. It works the same as the time() function, except it is for a specified date and not necessarily todays date. How to Code the Countdown Timer Set a target date. For  example, use February 10th, 2017. Do that with this line, which follows the syntax :  mktime(hour,minute,second,month,day,year: ist _dst). $target mktime(0, 0, 0, 2, 10, 2017) ;Establish the current date with this line: $today time () ;To find the difference between the two dates, simply subtract: $difference ($target-$today) ;Since the timestamp is measured in seconds, convert the results into whatever units you want. For hours, divide by 3600. This  example uses days so divide by 86,400- the number of seconds in a day. To make sure the number is an integer, use the tag int. $days (int) ($difference/86400) ;Put it all together for the final code: ?php $target mktime(0, 0, 0, 2, 10, 2017) ; $today time () ; $difference ($target-$today) ; $days (int) ($difference/86400) ; print Our event will occur in $days days; ?

The American Holocaust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The American Holocaust - Essay Example To name a few of them – King Phillip’s War, (1675–76) King William’s War, (1689–97) Queen Anne’s War, (1702–13) King George’s War, 1744–48), and the French and Indian War (1754–63) (John Demos, American Heritage Magazine) All these wars took a heavy toll on England in terms of money, time and bloodshed. Some of the targeted places were Lancaster and Haverhill, Salmon Falls and Oyster River, York and Wells, Maine, in addition to the single most hideous and notorious â€Å"massacre† of Deerfield, Massachusetts. (John Demos, American Heritage Magazine) This was yet another European war which had a â€Å"colonial† dimension that occurred in 1704. Together with their Indian allies, the French made a few devastating raids on the â€Å"eastern frontier† and this was counter attacked by the English who targeted about six Abenaki Indian villages. Deerfield had strengthened its position to protect itself by building a â€Å"stockade† (an area which was fortified and surrounded by a high palisade fence) a â€Å"watch† to patrol along the streets during the nights, a â€Å"garrison† of soldiers who were hired in addition to scouts who patrolled the woods. The French led the attack with war paint and weapons on the sleepy town of Deerfield on the night of 28th February. A group of the attackers get down into the stockade and opened the door for the other to enter. It was too late for anything because the attackers broke down windows and doors sending people helter and skelter to try and save themselves. In a few moments there was massive devastation and gruesome killings of men, women and children. Rev. John Williams and his family were captured and taken as captives. There were 92 captives in all and those who found it difficult to cope were shot down or murdered with a hatchet. Life in New England took on a different perspective as relatives and friends made great efforts to secure their release. A few of them

To provide an insight to the critical issue that the UK mobile phone Thesis - 1

To provide an insight to the critical issue that the UK mobile phone service providers suffer from high attrition rate - Thesis Example r may not hold the customer loyalty thus the only formula left for Vodafone is through the employment of surveys to determine the correct strategy to prevent attrition to another phone company. What have been determined is that there is another market that is coexisting alongside the cellular phone market. Cellular or mobile phone service subscriber attrition or the migration of subscribers to another mobile phone service provider is a normal trend that occurs if the expectation of the subscribers en masse were not met. This could be the failure of the mobile service provider to meet the very basic demand which is the provisioning of mobile service. Or the failure of the mobile service company to resolve long standing issues. Or the failure of the mobile service company to grow alongside their subscriber to provide the necessary technology or functionality and be the constant companion in whatever endeavor they would be engaged in. For whatever reason behind the decision to migrate t o another mobile service provider it is the failure of the mobile service company. The question this thesis is trying to answer is what strategy can be employed to ensure customer loyalty to prevent customer attrition. The last fifteen years has seen the mobile phone industry experiencing phenomenal growth in usage as well as in technological advances. From TDMA to CDMA from simple GSM to 3G or even 4G technology, the mobile phone industry has created a lifestyle and a social norm that permeate in every sinew of society’s collective consciousness. Not only would the demand for the technology increase the level of sophistication of mobile phone user’s need and taste, it will similarly increase along with what technology can offer. With roughly seven billion potential users worldwide the mobile phone’s market insertion only managed nearly fifty percentile. Mobile phone patronage is clearly dependent on what technology can offer as proven by the shift from CDMA to full GSM format at

The Rules of the Game (1939) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Rules of the Game (1939) - Essay Example Its real prints were vanished during the strikes of World War II but it later (until the 1950’s) was redesigned almost completely by French film makers Jean Gaborit and Jacques Durand in cooperation with Jean Renoir. Today the film has been applauded and considered as one of the best films ever created in cinematic history. The main cast of the film comprised of Nora Gregor, Paulette Dubost and Marcel Dalio. Long Take and Deep Space Composition Long Take A long take is an unaltered or uninterrupted shot in a film that lasts much longer than usual shots in the same film or in general relative to others. It is carried out so as to enhance dramatic feel and narrative effect in the film. It is created normally using a special camera that could remain steady instead of shocks and imbalances, a Steadicam. Deep Space A film uses the element of deep space when noteworthy characters of an image are placed both near to and far away from the camera. Here, there is no need to focus on the elements in the image as what is the significance of deep focus. Often, directors want to show the real distance between two objects in a scene to the audience and that images near and distant to the camera are both important. The way of staging in a deep space composition is almost the opposite of shallow space. Jean Renoir is one of the directors who use deep space and deep focus in their films as their signature element. From the Film There are a number of sequences or scenes in the film with a long take and deep space composition. A sequence that can be discussed here is of the stage drama which is performed in a horror genre to entertain the audience. It is a fascinating stage show with interaction with the audience and a piano score as well in the background. This sequence is a single shot with no editing and cuts and a heavy effortful camera work has been done to depict the drama and narration in it. The scene lasts for at least 1 minute 50 seconds without any halts. This se quence pertains to a climax in the film which is a famous house party sequence in which there is a stage performance by amateurs to entertain guests and neighbors. This sequence has been applauded as one of the best moves to show the work of long take and deep space compositions together with no cuts. Characters present are all guests and neighbors with non-professional but enthusiastic actors on the stage entertaining and interacting with the audience. The camera work carried out by Renoir in this sequence is phenomenal. The camera is moving forward and background for more than six or seven times; moving from audience to the stage and then to the backstage, forward into the house to the rooms and corridors and almost everywhere in the house. This camera work is quite appreciable effortless. Each and every character is visible whether near or distant to the camera which shows that a long take and a deep space both have been utilized efficiently. While watching this sequence, a user can see all the movements of characters and the clear picture of the background animations going on; this is an imperative attribute of a deep space composition that every character is visible and not blurred. The light work which seems like lanterns being floated in the air by those performers on the stage is quite nice of a work (Ebert R. 2004). Purpose of such sequences The purpose of long take or deep space compos

Ethical fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical fashion - Essay Example Consumers have certain expectations about particular product or service offerings (De la Merced, 2011). In line with this, their main concern is to acquire a product or service offering which is in line with their expectation in order to satisfy their needs. Consumers therefore focus on what they can get. This is a self-centered approach because they believe they always have the right to demand for the best. In reality, they do not care so much how the product was produced for as long as they will ultimately receive one with best quality at a reasonable cost and substantially good quality. In fact, this is further illustrated how the modern marketing approach continues to give high priority on creating certain value for customers. The modern marketing techniques ensure how to create needs for customers. In line with this, modern marketers are after of how they could specifically create a need for their product or service offerings especially in the fashion industry (Young, 2011; Oliv er, 2011). As a result, customers end up with various choices and options. They could even essentially look out for the best, but one thing for sure is clear about this, they could also demand for what is best for them. The market has become customer-centered, as customers become highly sophisticated in understanding their rights, which definitely leaves a highly competitive market with various key players trying to win as many customers as possible. This gives the opportunity for customers to have high expectations on certain products. However, the point of understanding how and who created the product would seldom come to mind. Customers care most about the kind of service given to them which particularly involves the cost (Wilson, 2011). As a result, it is not an integral part of their expectations to understand the entire process of how the product or service offering was formed, but on how much value they could get in return of the monetary value they

Velocity of Sound Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Velocity of Sound - Lab Report Example Sound is often part and parcel of our entire surrounding and has great significance in our daily life. Generally, sound is a form of energy that is majorly produced and propagated through the longitudinal waves. They can also be termed as being elastic waves that requires a medium for transmission. The other fact is that, sound cannot be transmitted through a vacuum. It basically travels in liquids, solids and gases. The rate of velocity of sound varies from one medium to the other. For instance, it is higher in solids as compared to liquids and gases respectively (SpinART, 2002). Sound can be classified as being either musical, noise, high pitched, among other categories. In the undertaken lab experiment, the velocity of sound was measured using a method that is referred to as the Kundt’s tube technique. This was ascertained by allowing the sound to travel through a given metal rod, so as to determine its frequency as well as the speed. Sound is often propagated by longitudinal waves. These are waves whereby the particles movement consists of various oscillations to and fro within the direction and magnitude of propagation. Within a metal rod, sound can either be transmitted by transverse or longitudinal waves. In this lab experiment, longitudinal waves were produced in an air column and a metal rod. The sound frequency was then determined by use of wave motion concept. In this ultimate equation, f is taken as the frequency while  l  is the wavelength. When the rod set into vibration through proper stroking, the standing waves are hence produced within the vibrating rod. Due to the clamping of the rod at its mid- point, the clamped point is taken as a node with zero amplitude, whereas the ends that vibrates are taken as antinodes with maximum amplitudes. Vibration of the rod in such a manner means that its wavelength and fundamental frequency are twice the rod length (SpinART, 2002). After assembling

HSBC as a Financial Service Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

HSBC as a Financial Service - Assignment Example They also are a provider of a large number of financial services to a large number of customers. These services include Commercial banking, Personal Financial Services, Private Banking and Global Banking and Markets (HSBC, 2010). Lloyd’s is one of the well known and trusted financial institutions. It has grown over the years to become one of the globally recognized and prominent figures in Dow Jones index and FTSE 100. It has been one of the greatest British institutions that have developed itself into the global business. The rating agencies have recognized the organization by providing the securities high rates that shows that the firm has been performing well (Lloyd’s, 2010). Marketing of the financial services has been one of the recent phenomena even in the developed nations of the world. The financial service sector has not been subjected to the market pressure in an attempt to survive and prosper. This sector has operated in the benign market environment in most of the countries and has been managed and controlled by the state itself. The government has helped in the development of the new products as well as in the promotional activities. The strategic marketing planning helps to set the direction for the medium to long-term. In order to complement the strategic marketing plan, it would be best for the companies to have an annual marketing plan in order to achieve the short term marketing objectives (Ennew & Waite, 2007). The main strategy of the HSBC Bank has been to build its position as the leader in the international as well as the emerging markets. It tries to pay the employees according to their performances that include market-based pay. The bank has a transparent structure that is based on the separately capitalized subsidiaries. It also takes a conservative approach to the liquidity management and has developed its business in such a way that helps to provide diversified and broad global services.

Velocity of Sound Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Velocity of Sound - Lab Report Example Sound is often part and parcel of our entire surrounding and has great significance in our daily life. Generally, sound is a form of energy that is majorly produced and propagated through the longitudinal waves. They can also be termed as being elastic waves that requires a medium for transmission. The other fact is that, sound cannot be transmitted through a vacuum. It basically travels in liquids, solids and gases. The rate of velocity of sound varies from one medium to the other. For instance, it is higher in solids as compared to liquids and gases respectively (SpinART, 2002). Sound can be classified as being either musical, noise, high pitched, among other categories. In the undertaken lab experiment, the velocity of sound was measured using a method that is referred to as the Kundt’s tube technique. This was ascertained by allowing the sound to travel through a given metal rod, so as to determine its frequency as well as the speed. Sound is often propagated by longitudinal waves. These are waves whereby the particles movement consists of various oscillations to and fro within the direction and magnitude of propagation. Within a metal rod, sound can either be transmitted by transverse or longitudinal waves. In this lab experiment, longitudinal waves were produced in an air column and a metal rod. The sound frequency was then determined by use of wave motion concept. In this ultimate equation, f is taken as the frequency while  l  is the wavelength. When the rod set into vibration through proper stroking, the standing waves are hence produced within the vibrating rod. Due to the clamping of the rod at its mid- point, the clamped point is taken as a node with zero amplitude, whereas the ends that vibrates are taken as antinodes with maximum amplitudes. Vibration of the rod in such a manner means that its wavelength and fundamental frequency are twice the rod length (SpinART, 2002). After assembling

Personal Statement Essay Example for Free

Personal Statement Essay The drive and initiative to change has always been my motivation to improve and develop. I use it as a tool towards acquiring new skills and competencies that can cultivate and enhance my professional background. Equipped with my relevant goals and objectives, I wish to point out my intention to apply for a Management, Marketing and Society Masters programme in Stockholm University. It has always been my passion to be educated and learn about things and issues that continue to move and lead men and society to various paths. These societal factors in turn shape us in distinct ways and help us understand the trends happening in our environment. Now, with the introduction of globalization, the concept of borders is slowly deteriorating as people realize the connections and relatedness amidst diversity. My background and understudy of politics and international relations in both University of Leeds and Middle East Technical University has given me the leverage to decipher models and assumptions from both the local and international realm. These alongside my experiences in both governmental and international organization (AISEC) can cultivate better appreciation of what this programme has to offer. Likewise, my projects and individual studies have encouraged me to diversify my career and dwell on personal and professional development. Examples of these training and seminars revolve around the realms of marketing and management. In the end, with your acceptance I feel that it can help encourage and satisfy my desire to learn. It can help widen my understanding and comprehension of different factors that continuously shape both our local and global environments. At the same time, by focusing on management and marketing frameworks, I can specialize on issues and ideas that are prevalent in different market-oriented economies. This in turn can make me vibrant and adaptive to the changes happening in our continuous globalizing and expanding society.

The Pros And Cons Of Biofuels Environmental Sciences Essay

The Pros And Cons Of Biofuels Environmental Sciences Essay Nowadays, as the problem of greenhouse gases emissions is getting more serious, Carbon-negative biofuels represent the first potentially huge assault on the problem, in ways that are already technically feasible and practicable (Mathews, 2008). Scientists are having their research on how to ease or solve these problems. The topic of biofuels is being more popular in the recent years because it has the most potential to be a significant source of energy. Biomass is providing a surprisingly large amount of the worlds energy 10% of total global primary energy consumption (Energy Future Coalition, 2007). Advantages of biofuels Safety Biofuels are safe to handle and transport because they are biodegradable, much less toxic than even table salt (ten times), and have high flashpoints of about 300oF compared to gasoline and petroleum diesel fuel (diesel has a flash point of 125 F, for comparison) (Biodiesel Chemical Safety Data Oxford University). Because of its safety, the number of incidence of severe vehicle fires can be reduced, and its safety making it to be one of the safest of all alternative fuels. Also, biofuels produce fewer by-products than conventional hydrocarbon based fuels after combustion or burning. The conventional hydrocarbon-based fuels will produced a greater output of some noxious by-product, for example, carbon monoxide. That means, biofuels could lead to less localized smog in urban centers (Charles et al). Energy security and saving money An opportunity of developing countries to enhance national energy security has been provided by biofuels, by reducing expenditures and dependence on fluctuated price of oil. For example, Brazil, she started the biofuels programme when the oil prices increase in 1970. The initial biofuels programme took about 4 billion US dollars, and nowadays 100 billion US dollars are saved because of the programme (Raswant et al., 2008). For the world, there is the potential for expanded ethanol production to replace 10% of the worlds gasoline with enthanol that is 25 to 30 billion gallons (Charles et al., 2007). 2.3 Agriculture development The introduction of biofuels can help bring modern energy services to rural areas particularly. 75% of the worlds poor can be employed due to the greater investment are fostered. On the other hand, biofuels industry can also create new job opportunities in rural areas and a major new source of income for farmers can also be provided. And farmers can enter a market with higher prices and rising demand by producing transportation fuel. Growing energy crops is more likely to attract the kind of foreign investment that can modernize their agricultural practices as well as increase their food production (Energy Future Coalition, 2007). Carbon-negative Biofuels is carbon negative fuel because it can remove carbon that in the atmosphere and the theory is: biofuels can draws carbon by photosynthesis (growing of biomass). The technical means of turning biofuels carbon negative are already available. The following is the explanation of the difference between carbon positive, carbon neutral and carbon negative fuels. Firstly, carbon positive fuel, it provides negative effect to climate because the fuels are drawn from fossil fuel deposits, and burned thus releasing carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Secondary, carbon neutral fuels, theses fuels will absorb carbon dioxide when they grow, but the same amount of carbon will release back into the atmosphere when burnt. This is definitely a carbon-neutral cycle. Finally, carbon negative fuels, these fuels will also absorb carbon dioxide when they grow as well as carbon neutral fuels, but the difference is when carbon negative fuels burn and used as fuel, not the same amount of carbon dioxide which absorb when they grow will release, they tend to release small amount into the atmosphere. In other words, these fuels can reduce carbon dioxide (Mathew, 2008). Diagram source: http://biopact.com/2007/10/strange-world-of-carbon-negative.html. Convenience Biofuels is convenience because it does not require changes to switch to use compare with the other renewable energy, for example, solar energy and wind energy. (Want to know it, 2010). For the transport vehicle, Use of bio-diesel and bio-petrol do not require any change in the vehicle engine (Times internet limit, 2008). 3. Disadvantages Soil degradation The more alternative energy sources, for example biofuels, the greater the demand of agricultural land. Such as Amazon basin, scientist predicted deforestation will escalate, with growing amounts of virgin rainforest being cleared for farmland, thus greater soil degradation are going to ensue (Charles et al). Impact on water resources Increase the use of biofuels will definitely increase the use of water resources, such as: water will be used for the irrigation of crops used as feedstock for biodiesel production and water is used for boiling and cooling in the process of producing biofuels in refineries. (Energetics Incorporated Columbia, 2007). And the use of water resources is keep increasing, for example, in the United States, the number of ethanol factories has already increased from 50 in 2000 to about 140 in 2008 and 60 is constructing, this trend represent the consumption of water is getting serious (Julian Rubin, 2008). Soil erosion, deforestation and loss of biodiversity On a small scale, as the carbon compounds in waste biomass are consumed by other microorganism, they break down the biomass in the soil to produce valuable nutrients that are necessary for crops. Lets move on to a larger scale, plant biomass waste provides small wildlife habitat. And when human use the biomass to produce biofuels, the organisms and natural habitats are to be threatened. For Soil erosion, when cellulosic ethanol is produced from feedstock like switchgrass and saw grass, the nutrients that required to grow the lignocellulose are removed and cannot be processed by microorganisms to replenish the soil nutrients, then the soil is of poorer quality. For the deforestation, lets have an example, Amazon rainforest, in order to produce sugar cane for ethanol fuel in Brazil, an areas have been cleared by burning and slashing techniques, large scale of deforestation was conducted, the major plant is mature trees, which can help remove carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, and this function is more efficient than sugar can or most other biofuels do. This deforestation is therefore contributes to un-sustainable global warming atmospheric greenhouse gas levels, loss of habitat, and a reduction of valuable biodiversity (Julian Rubin, 2008). Problems caused to car engine Nowadays, Biodiesel is using in order to replace petrol diesel in car engine, and biodiesel is made from vegetable oils, some problems occur when using biodiesel, such as, coking and trumpet formation on the injectors, oil ring sticking, and thickening and gelling of the lubricating oil, it is because of the higher viscosity and density, lower heating value and lower cetane number of vegetable oils. The following table show the above disadvantages of vegetable oils as diesel fuel compare with D2 fuel (Kralova and Sjoblom, 2010). Table Source: Kralova and Sjoblom, 2010 4. Conclusion To conclusion, biofuels have advantages and disadvantages, for the advantages, biofuels is safe because it has high flesh point, enhance national energy security and help countries saving money from import oil. Also, it can bring modern technology to rural area, and create job opportunity. And the most important advantages are, using biofuels can definitely ease the problem of carbon emission. On the other hand, biofuels have disadvantages as well, deforestation rate will increase, thus affect the biodiversity. And more water resources will be used. Lastly, using of biofuels in car engine will bring harms to the engine. Recommendation From the advantages and disadvantages which has discussed above, yes, it does help ease the problems of global warming from reducing carbon or provides benefit, but biofuel still have lot of hurdles to tackle. Therefore, it is too early to say that biofuels are the significant energy in the future. In my opinion, the research on biofuels should keep going and it would be great if more generations of biofuel appear, then the uses of biofuel can be apply and spread more widely. On the other hand, deforestation should not be employed, because it will totally affect the biodiversity, not only the biodiversity, but also soil.

osmosis :: essays research papers

The following is a short sample from this piece of coursework: ... els of sucrose solution to distilled water (see molarity table above) and I placed each of the mixtures into the correct beakers. 5. Then I weighed all the potato chips on an electronic balance (see results) and recorded the results. 6. I placed 5 pieces of potato into each beaker and left them for approx 36 hrs. 7. After this time I drained out the solutions from the beakers and I carefully placed them in order of molarity on a paper towel. 8. I dried the potato chips gently and then weighed each potato piece and recorded the results. 9. As I had extra time I made a second experiment and also recorded those Results: Molarity (M) Starting Weight (g) (Results 1) Final Weight (g) (Results 1) Percentage Change (%) (Results 1) Start Weight (g) (Results 2) Final Weight (g) (Results 2) Percentage Change (%) (Results 2) These values clearly support my prediction, and even though there are some anomalous results, there is an overall negative trend across the whole set of results, proving them accurate. Analysis of Results: The sucrose concentration of the solution into which the potato tissue is placed affects to what degree it grows or shrinks. As you can see from the graph the results show a clear negative correlation, a very obvious inversely proportional trend. From this a conclusion can be drawn. When the water concentration is high, the potato gains water, as seen by the 0.0 molarity solution. When the water concentration is low, the potato loses weight and therefore decreases in mass, as seen in the 1.0 concentration solution. This proves my hypothesis correct. The results were quite widely ranged, as seen on the graph, wit ...... Aim: To see how concentration affects osmosis on a potato. Plan: I will first make a prediction using the knowledge I have on osmosis and I will then carry out the investigation to prove whether concentration affects osmosis in a potato. Using my results I will then try to find a pattern and prove my prediction to be correct or incorrect. After I have done that I will try and find ways in which I could improve the experiment and extend the investigation. Method: First we will cut out 18 pieces of potato ¡Ã‚ ¦s from the same potato using a borer so that we have all the potato strips at the same length and same mass. osmosis :: essays research papers The following is a short sample from this piece of coursework: ... els of sucrose solution to distilled water (see molarity table above) and I placed each of the mixtures into the correct beakers. 5. Then I weighed all the potato chips on an electronic balance (see results) and recorded the results. 6. I placed 5 pieces of potato into each beaker and left them for approx 36 hrs. 7. After this time I drained out the solutions from the beakers and I carefully placed them in order of molarity on a paper towel. 8. I dried the potato chips gently and then weighed each potato piece and recorded the results. 9. As I had extra time I made a second experiment and also recorded those Results: Molarity (M) Starting Weight (g) (Results 1) Final Weight (g) (Results 1) Percentage Change (%) (Results 1) Start Weight (g) (Results 2) Final Weight (g) (Results 2) Percentage Change (%) (Results 2) These values clearly support my prediction, and even though there are some anomalous results, there is an overall negative trend across the whole set of results, proving them accurate. Analysis of Results: The sucrose concentration of the solution into which the potato tissue is placed affects to what degree it grows or shrinks. As you can see from the graph the results show a clear negative correlation, a very obvious inversely proportional trend. From this a conclusion can be drawn. When the water concentration is high, the potato gains water, as seen by the 0.0 molarity solution. When the water concentration is low, the potato loses weight and therefore decreases in mass, as seen in the 1.0 concentration solution. This proves my hypothesis correct. The results were quite widely ranged, as seen on the graph, wit ...... Aim: To see how concentration affects osmosis on a potato. Plan: I will first make a prediction using the knowledge I have on osmosis and I will then carry out the investigation to prove whether concentration affects osmosis in a potato. Using my results I will then try to find a pattern and prove my prediction to be correct or incorrect. After I have done that I will try and find ways in which I could improve the experiment and extend the investigation. Method: First we will cut out 18 pieces of potato ¡Ã‚ ¦s from the same potato using a borer so that we have all the potato strips at the same length and same mass.

The Great Expectations of Human Nature Essay -- Great Expectations Es

The Great Expectations of Human Nature Charles Dickens used Great Expectations as a forum for presenting his views of human nature. This essay will explore friendship, generosity, love, cruelty and other aspects of human nature presented by Dickens over 100 years ago. Friendship was one of the human characteristics Dickens enjoyed. Herbert was a true friend to Pip. Moving to London would have been stressful if Herbert had not eased Pip's transition into the city. Herbert informed Pip of Miss Havisham's story when no one else would tell it. When Magwitch arrived and mortified Pip, Herbert was there discuss what was to be done. Herbert was an integral part in the design and implementation of Magwitch's escape. Herbert even saved Pip's life from Orlick's powerful grasp. By associating fellowship with good characters and deeds, Dickens made it known that he admired friendships. Another human characteristic which Dickens appreciated was generosity. This trait appeared in Magwitch and Pip. Magwitch , the starved convict, was forever grateful to Pip for bringing him food in the opening of the book. Magwitch repaid Pip's kindness by opening a door to the young man's dreams. Pip suspected his dear friend, Herbert, would never become prosperous so Pip took some of the money he was receiving from Magwitch and used it as a stipend in Herbert's behalf. By doing this, Pip precipitated Herbert becoming a partner in a prosperous business. Having characters donate money and benefit from it, Dickens conveyed the goodness of generosity. To Dickens, the most noble of human characte... ...me to visit Pip in London, Pip was embarrassed to know him. If Pip "could have kept him away by paying money, [Pip] certainly would have paid money." After years of Joe's friendship and loving care, Pip thought of paying him not to visit. At the end of the novel, Pip learned what an unappreciative person he had been to Joe and asked his forgiveness. Dickens presented this piece of human nature well enough to create sympathy for Joe and all parents who receive ingratitude from their children. Dickens used his characters to convey his thoughts of human nature - good and bad. Dickens believed if he could present both sides of humanity to the public, people would try to better themselves. Dickens hated the Victorian society in which he was bound, and he turned to the pen to alter his bete noire.

Military Industrial Complex

President Eisenhower raises numerous questions to the state of America in his farewell address. The Military-Industrial Complex is a term he created to define monetary and foreign policy in the 1950’s and 60’s. It is a policy that invests most of its money to military. It is suggested that the United States puts too much influence in its military and that it is a very imperialistic ideal. President Eisenhower also states its effects on American economy, politics, and spirit under the Military-Industrial Complex.His farewell address was a warning, that if America does not control its military investments, it will develop the Military-Industrial Complex. The economical outcome of building a large military creates less funding for other American Institutions. The more money spent on manufacturing weapons, tanks, aircraft and other palpable material will be money not spent on education, healthcare, and social security.However, if America decided to keep funding institutions other than military and was unable to fund more military institutions, the Military-Industrial Complex will find the need to borrow money and/or weapons internationally which would raise the national debt. America would not be able to develop a more educated generation if it were to impose a Military-Industrial Complex. More consequences could involve lower standards of living for Americans or an imperialistic foreign policy. From a political standpoint, building a strong military could influence political relationships around the world.Other countries, as well as ours, currently view America as the supreme super-power of the world. As much common knowledge as this is, it is argued that within human nature is the need to conquer, and because America has a large military, it will be used to involve themselves in foreign affairs, much like the Vietnam War, where American idealists wanted to bring democratic justice to that country. It is a very modernistic ideal that America should h ave a strong military, and not be needed to use it. However, this is never the case.In Chalmers Johnson’s book, Blowback, he describes the presence of military establishments in Japanese territory. The term Blowback was created by Johnson, and adapted by the CIA after the events on September 11th, 2001 to describe the events that occur resulting from clandestine operations in other countries. The military bases greatly affected the society of the Japanese civilization near them. Johnson describes an instance in his book where a soldier from one of the bases was driving and hit and killed a Japanese civilian.The soldiers would go to their nightclubs and eat at their restaurants. Their tanks and mortar field tests would leave large holes in Japanese mountains. American influence in other countries would be viewed as imperialistic and is just another trait of the Military-Industrial Complex that Eisenhower describes. America is viewed as the land of opportunity where you can be healthy, happy, and successful. However, it can be viewed as a nation that imposes their military power on other countries. Many immigrants come to America and bring their values with them.Many citizens do not agree with the need to be involved in many foreign affairs. American values of world peace are often hypocritical when the military involves themselves in Iraq and Afghanistan. Spiritually, the Military-Industrial Complex can cause a lack of integrity and pride. Eisenhower’s warning is still being examined even today. Many worry that President Barack Obama’s foreign policy is beginning to impose onto other countries. The term that Eisenhower coined in the 1960’s can be applied to the today’s situation politically and economically.

Checks and Balances Essay

This essay will discuss the Constitutional principle of Checks and Balances. It will explain the concept and effectiveness of the separation of power. As an example, the case of Brown v. The Board of Education will be used to explain the concept and effectiveness of the separation of power. Brown v. The Board of Education is a famous case that ended segregation in schools in 1954 during the Civil Rights Movement. First, lets start with what the definition of Checks and Balances is as it pertains to the Constitution. The definition according to Merriam-Webster is: â€Å"a system that allows each branch of a government to amend or veto acts of another branch so as to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power. †. The legislative power is vested in the Congress, the executive power rests with the President and the judicial power is granted to the Supreme Court and other federal courts. Each branch of government has separate and particular powers as listed in the Constitution, each branch is also given the power, duty and ability to control and balance the other(s) in a system of checks and balances. The Constitution grants all legislative power to the Congress. The Congress is bicameral and a bill has to pass both houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. In this way the houses check and balance each other. Both the executive and the judicial branch check and balance the Congress’ legislative power. Although only the Congress can make laws, the President has the power to veto bills, in which case the bill can only pass with a 2/3 majority in both houses. Finally, if the Congress and the President agree on a law, the Supreme Court has the power of interpreting the laws and a power of review, i. . the Supreme Court can declare a law unconstitutional and therefore void. As chief administrator the President is required to see that laws are carried out, to enforce existing politics and to managing the bureaucracy. The president nominates the heads of the executive branch’s departments, but these appointments are subject to the Congress’ approval. The constitution makes the president and Congress share powers in matters such as foreign policy and the US armed forces. In the case of Brown v.  The Board of Education, the legal defense of Oliver L. Brown stated, â€Å"the discriminatory nature of racial segregation †¦ â€Å"violates the 14th amendment to the U. S. Constitution, which guarantees all citizens equal protection of the laws,†. Because of this Brown v. The Board of Education laid the foundation for shaping future national and international policies regarding human rights. At the time, the state of Kansas had segregated schools, meaning that black and white children could not go to school at the same place. At the end of the case, Brown and his legal defense had argued that it was not fair to the children because they may or may not get the best education if they were segregated. The United States Supreme Court ruled that no state should segregate any child in public schools. White and Black children would go to school together and be offered the same rights. Anything less would be unconstitutional. This is a perfect example of how the state legislature was overturned by the Supreme Court and they were able to keep a check and balance on each other. The state of Kansas did not have a law stating that the schools must be segregated, but they also did not have a law saying that they couldn’t be segregated. The Browns first took their case to the state in 1951. After the case was dismissed, Brown and four other lawsuits made an appeal to the United States Supreme Court were the state ruling was overruled. The Supreme Court had checked and agreed that it was a violation of the Constitution to segregate schools. To this day, a public school can not discriminate against any child, black or white, male or female, smart or special ed. The decision made by the Supreme Court was a unanimous ruling that was issued on May 17, 1954. At that time Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote that â€Å"segregated schools are not equal and cannot be made equal, and hence they are deprived of the equal protection of the laws. † He continued, â€Å"We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. †. Thank goodness for checks and balances, without them, the country would be a much different place to live.

Beatniks: The New Ideology of Manifest Destiny and Freedom

The 1950s were a time of revitalization. They were a time of rebirth for the American people. World War II had ended and heralded the reinsertion and reintegration of thousands of service members into society. Working women who epitomized Rosie the Riveter and passed into the workforce along with their 12 million counterparts working when the US entered the war, saved the money they earned. Prior to the end of the war, there was not much to spend earned income on with the exception of war bonds. Afterwards, however, American industry expanded like never before. The buying power offered to Americans expanded, as well. Goods that were not available during the war became readily accessible. This increased the job market and stimulated the economy. Not only that, but the returning soldiers helped the US experience a population boom helping to facilitate a spike in consumerism. Veterans were starting families and were in need of housing which the Levitt family began and perfected, building housing areas called Levitt-towns. People were increasingly more materialistic—shopping for wants and not just needs. It was truly the Fabulous Fifties. Out of this time was born a generation of seeming radicals that fought against the agreed upon normalcy of the times. This ‘Beat Generation’ reimagined the ideals of Manifest Destiny and freedom because they wanted to be free to explore what was considered insanity by many but for them was artistic expression—a breaking free of conformist beliefs of the supposed American dream of materialism and gain. The Beat Generation or Beats, as they were sometimes called was a term coined by the author and member of this same generation Jack Kerouac during a conversation with fellow writer, John Clellon Holmes. He clarified his phrase by saying beat â€Å"meant being socially marginalized and exhausted—‘beaten down’—and blessed—‘beatific’ † (â€Å"Mid-1950s-1960s†, 2007). The term implied their generation was beaten down for their artistic nature and general deviance from mainstream behavior. Beatniks were labeled law breakers, troublemakers and rebel rousers and charged with being communists. In fact, in 1961 the director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover claimed that the beatnik lifestyle was in the top three major threats to American society and way of life. Kerouac and other founders of the generation took offense to this accusation. Their insistence was they merely wanted to be free to explore what may have been considered absurdity but really were searching for what they felt was missing in life. They were searching for a deeper meaning. They refused to be complacent just because the war had ended and the world was seemingly a better place. Things were not perfect just because the economy was on the rise. The war had not solved humanity’s problems and consumerism was just an empty shell for them. Therefore, this search for a higher self, took the form of experimentation. Many of the Beats were openly homosexual or bisexual and freely experimented with their sexual natures. They aligned themselves with the culture of jazz musicians and the music they made. Jazz music followed no preordained rules. There were no wrong notes no matter how raw. The more noisy and discordant, the better and more real—emotional—it sounded. The Beats raged in their literature and poetry, sounding much like discordant peals of music echoing from the saxophone of a jazz musician, against those who would suppress them. These feelings were elegantly detailed in the semi-mad ravings of Allen Ginsberg’s poem Howl. Like Ginsberg, many wrote under the influence of drugs like Benzedrine and marijuana, experimenting with them in order to achieve a state of transcendentalism. Gregory Stephenson (2009) explains it thusly, â€Å"The poet, for a visionary instant, transcends the realm of the actual into the realm of the ideal, and then, unable to sustain the vision, returns to the realm of the actual. Afterwards the poet feels exiled from the eternal, the numinous, [and] the super conscious. The material world, the realm of the actual, seems empty and desolate. The desolation the Beats felt was born from the feeling of being out of sorts and disconnected with a world no longer theirs. This made them howl. They howled, they cried out, they wailed and fought against a forced subjugation. And thus, refusing to be subjugated, they were ostracized. Thereby, making them howl more and inspiring the title of Ginsberg’s poem. In analyzing the poem, it is clear Ginsberg wanted to accomplish two things. First, he wanted to exact an unmistakable and distinct delineation between those who fall under the Beatnik category and those they feel are the conformists of their time. Secondly, he made it known that this was their declaration, it was their manifesto of freedom. â€Å"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix, angel headed hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of nigh, who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyes and high sat up smoking in the supernatural darkness of cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities contemplating jazz†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1955). The material world Stephenson speaks of and the fix Ginsberg speaks of correlates to the Beats movement centered on a lifestyle of a total rejection of this mainstream idea that one and one must always equal two, one must always know when the right time is to settle down, what constitutes a productive member of society, a person must write and speak in formalities, have a certain religion, wear what is acceptable and love who is acceptable in order to be accepted into society. They used alcohol and drugs to feel and then proceeded to write down what they felt, even if it was not in a formal order that made sense. Therefore, â€Å"the academic community derided the Beats as anti-intellectual and unrefined†¦Established poets and novelists looked down upon the freewheeling abandon of Beat literature† (â€Å"The Beat Generation†, 2013). Furthermore, this ‘freewheeling abandon’ applied to more than just the literature of the Beat movement, it applied to their psychical bodies, as well. American history was based on an idea of expansion, evidenced by a phrase coined in 1845 by editor, John O’Sullivan, called â€Å"Manifest Destiny†. Those that settled in the newly founded America believed â€Å"courageous pioneers†¦had a divine obligation to stretch the boundaries of their noble republic†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Manifest Destiny†, 2013). And yet in the 1950s these ideals America was founded on came to a screeching halt despite the mass production and affordability of automobiles and the interconnectedness of cities by highways. People became complacent and began to settle down in Post-World War II newly built homes in newly generated housing areas. The word of that era was conformity. The houses were all built to a certain style; the yards were groomed in the same way; the people behaved in a manner as what was expected of them. The idea of buying a home and being stationary represented a large section of what the Beat Generation saw as conforming to a capitalist and consumer-based lifestyle. The Beats advocated a hobo type of lifestyle, rather than one weighed down by physical possessions. â€Å"These men†¦were attempting to escape what were perceived as the restrictive shackles of the nuclear family but†¦rejected the trappings of a settled bourgeois lifestyle and were geographically mobile† (McDowell, 1996). So the romanticism surrounding Jack Kerouac’s autobiographical book On the Road, which spoke to those in this generation and wanting to relate or understand them, also became the definition of the ideology of the Beat Generation. An ideology which said ‘Life should be actively lived and you must make of it what you want, not what others tell you to want to make out of it’. It was about â€Å"†¦grabbing and doing it. It was about not wanting to stay somewhere and rooting, but rather going somewhere and making your own reality† (â€Å"American Road†, 2011). Kerouac epitomized this in his book: â€Å"†¦I left with my canvas bag in which a few fundamental things were packed and took off for the Pacific Ocean with the fifty dollars in my pocket. I’d been poring over maps of the United States in Paterson for months, even reading books about the pioneers and savoring names like Platte and Cimarron and so on, and the road-map was one long red line called Route 6†¦I’ll just stay on 6†¦I said to myself and confidently started†¦Filled with dreams of what I’d do in Chicago, in Denver, and then finally in San Fran,†¦I started hitching up the thing† (Kerouac, 1957). He wondered and daydreamed about what he would do in those cities, but knew what he did not want to do. Kerouac’s character, Sal, did not want to miss out on anything by becoming deadened, which is silently implied, had he joined the rat race and gotten a job. It was wasted energy. He â€Å"hated the thought of it†¦There were so many other interesting things to do [and meet]† (Kerouac, 1957). The ideals incarnate in his book through his characters were an open and honest free love of people, an enjoyment of the experiences that were happening in the now, and a meeting of the minds of ll types and races of people. They were colorblind. And this was also new in a time when people who were different were excluded or called communists. In a time when Joseph McCarthy was initiating a ‘Red Scare’ and accusing citizens of being communists and Hoover’s G-Men were illegally wire-tapping politicians and regular citizens alike, people had become overly sus picious of everyone. People were anxious to show militarism and an acquiescence to conform to what was inherently American. Yet, in spite of this, Beatniks marched to their own poetry and beliefs. Ginsberg howled and Kerouac left on a holy trek to find a true inner consciousness, laden with real freedom and genuine spontaneity. Several times, Sal’s character considered traveling elsewhere instead of his intended destination for no other reason than to see where the roads would take him or what or who would lie in that particular direction. Though most, if not all, those in this beat generation originally came from a middle class background, they rejected it as being conformists and closed minded. â€Å"Conformity [to them] was born from fear of the political system† (â€Å"American Road†, 2011). They were not afraid though they felt this overt obsession with conforming to an evil government and material possessions was killing the spirit and creativity found within. This idea was further cemented by Ginsberg statement of the best minds of his generation being destroyed. In the second part of Howl, Ginsberg continually mentions the name or entity â€Å"Moloch† and in the context he uses it, one can ascribe a negative connotation to it: â€Å"What sphinx of cement and aluminum bashed open their skulls and ate up their brains and imagination? Moloch! Solitude! Filth! Ugliness! Ashcans and unobtainable dollars†¦Moloch the heavy judger of men! Moloch the incomprehensible prison! Moloch the crossbone soulless jailhouse and Congress of sorrows! Moloch whose buildings are judgment! Moloch the cast stone of war! Moloch the stunned governments† (Ginsberg, 1957)! This entity â€Å"Moloch† no doubt represents all the things in American society considered to be the norm, but for the Beat Generation is stifling and oppressive. Cement and aluminum were the utensils builders used to build homes like Levitt-towns and universities that inhibited free thinking and self-expression. He mentions unobtainable dollars because the pursuit of money and material possessions was a fleeting happiness. Once possessed, it is no longer desired. And everywhere they turned there was heavy judgment, except from their own kind. The publishing and almost instant success of Jack Kerouac’s book, On the Road, as well as the publishing of other Beat writers, like Allen Ginsberg, marked the beginnings of an evolutionary change. The Beat Generation became a subculture that truly impacted America. Men and women—teenagers and young adults, were finding themselves increasingly disillusioned by a lifestyle that was centered on home and work. People were taking a page from Kerouac’s life and hitting the road on a journey to find themselves and what meaning life really had for them. They were taking verses from Ginsberg’s manifesto and â€Å"†¦bit[ing] detectives in the neck and shrieked with delight in policecars for committing no crime but their own wild cooking pederasty and intoxication†¦ (1957). Indeed, the Fabulous 50s brought with it trials and tribulations, materialism and consumerism, and in general, the earmarks of an American social way of being that is still prevalent today. But within that culture, a counterculture was also born whose inhabitants were not satisfied with the world as it was. They were not satisfied with what the world wanted to turn them into. They wante d to march to the beat of their own drum; to experience what was out there in the world and truly be liberated. Born of this desire was the Beat Generation, the forebears of the hippies of the 1960s. They advocated a freedom and liberation of minds and bodies. They wanted to be liberated of all censor. They wanted the freedom to love hard and fast, to travel at will and forsake the idea that in order to be truly happy one had to engage in a rat race of empty labor for money and material possessions. The Beatniks reinforced and reimagined the ideals of Manifest Destiny and chose to manifest their destiny of finding the freedom to be themselves and love it despite opposition. References Films Media Group (2011). American Road [H.264]. Retrieved from http://digital.film-s.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=18596&xtid=48260 Ginsberg, A. (1955-1956). Howl. Collected Poems, 1947-1980. Retrieved from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/179381 McDowell, L. (1996). Off the Road: Alternate Views of Rebellion, Resistance and ‘The Beats’. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/622491 Stephenson, G. (2009). Daybreak Boys: Essays on the Literature of the Beat Generation.

School Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

School Presentation - Essay Example There was chatter about the upcoming read-a-thon, what books they planned to read, and what ethnic goodies they would planned to bring for this celebration. This shared, central technology area will offers the potential for arts and computers, and has have a laboratory as well. The computers in the technology area are will be wireless laptops that include will have publishing software, printers scanners, and cameras for publishing purposes. As the bell rang to begin the day, various classrooms were busy sharing their innovative lessons for the day. Mrs. Inspired was discussing with her journalism students the yearly publishing projects that the journalism students they willwould produce togetherwith her assistance. These included the student literary magazine, a monthly newspaper, and a parent newsletter. Next door, Mr. Energetic, the media specialist, was sharing his ideas with his class concerning their upcoming y 'Young aAuthor''s contest and read-a-thon, and Mr. Creative, the web-design teacher, was busy empowering his eagle captains for their school assignments concerning for website production. As we walk down the hallways of my eutopic school we seesee, display cases filled with various student works celebrating their the students' curriculum successes. The public-address system plays soft, classical music throughout the halls before and after school, as well as during class changes. Music and art education are important elements while we are atwork on the work. High School Dimension 1 Cont. / Debra Roberts Travel oOutside the first corridor, and we find the student vegetable garden, where Mr. Organic's class is getting ready to harvest their own tomatoes with which to make spaghetti sauce for their parents' dinner on Thursday. Through the auditorium and behind the gym, we find Mr. Environment helping his students grow apply hydroponics with for their greenhouse project. As we you travel back to the front of the academy, don't forget to stop at Mrs. Fishtail's outdoor classroom, where she is teaching mMicrobiology while the students begin creating their own goldfish pond. When Mr. Environment and Mrs. Fishtail's classes finish complete their academic units, they will take Academic de Trabajo's engage-o-meter and submit them to the student focus group. Student focus groups meet every Thursday for lunch with the pPrincipal. A strong Sstudent voice at the academy is what working on the work is all about. Our twenty-first-century school website that displays such items such as extracurricular activities, daily celebrations of student achievement and success, academic curriculum guides and syllabi available for all subject areas, daily grades and attendance, and FCAT practice. All staff members are encouraged to participate in this webs system and share email communication with parents. Links to various classrooms, email, and other educational links are provided here as well. In order to share instructional ideas and to encourage a collaborative faculty, shared planning time throughout the core classes are a necessity at our academy. This teacher hub where planning takes place has lots of natural light, a couch, round tables, a refrigerator, a microwave, a sink with running water, a phone with an outside line, a fax machine,