Forest Management and unlawfull logging in Cameroon (centre Africa ) Thesis

Forest Management and unlawfull logging in Cameroon (centre Africa ) - Thesis Example The Congo Basin in Africa has the second largest rain forest in the world after the Amazon rain forest. It had almost one hundred and ninety million hectares in 1995 (Hutter, 2000) and was spread across countries like Equatorial Guinea, The Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Gabon and also Cameroon. Cameroon is located to the north of the equator and is bordered by countries like Equatorial Guinea, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic, Chad, and Nigeria. While in the north, Cameroon is covered by savannas, in the south it is has a dense tropical forest (Cameroon Forests, n.d.). The country is inhabited by more than two hundred ethnic groups and has a diverse wildlife with over four hundred species of mammals and seven hundred species of birds. There are also numerous plant species in these forests many of which are endangered. About seventy five percent of Cameroon consists of dense forests or woodlands. The country al so has an affluent literary heritage. The biodiversity of Cameroon especially in flora and fauna is worth a mention. Of the total forested area seventy percent has a dense forest cover with a thick canopy of leaves that covers the sky. It consists of fifty percent of the country’s area. The entire forested region of the country is not suitable for logging. Out of the twenty four million hectare spread of dense forest in the country seventeen million is suitable for logging activity (Cameroon, n.d.). Logging is an important economic activity for the people of Cameroon and accounted for nine percent of the tax revenue of the country. Data suggests that logging generated $60 million for the Cameroon government in 1997-98 as tax revenue. Commercial logging had been an active source of livelihood for a large number of people for over a century. But in recent times the environment of the Cameroon is being threatened by rampant felling of trees for the timbre. In the past few decade s a large amount of the forest has given way to open lands for agricultural tracts, farms and human settlements. Though cutting of trees for agricultural lands is the primary reason of deforestation, logging activities is also responsible for the threat that the forest faces. Some facts about deforestation have been revealed in a report of the Global Forest Watch. The report mentions that the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization estimated that out of the 21.6 million hectares of historic forest cover of Cameroon in 1980 only 19.6 million remained in 1995. From 1980 to 1998 the population of Cameroon increased by more than sixty six percent (from 8.6 million to 14.3 million). This caused an increase in demand for land and resources. The excess demand of land for agriculture and human inhabitation was satisfied at the expense of the forest cover. According to the legislation of Cameroon, the locals have a right over the products of the forests though the government owns t he right to the trees and everything below the soil like oil. As of now, Cameroon ranks among the top five exporter of timbre in the world. But the population is increasing steadily and the modest reserve of oil that the country had been blessed with is depleting at a fast rate. This depletion of oil, the environmentalists fear, will put more pressure on the demand for forest resources to supplement the loss of income when all the oil has been exhausted. Logging is very crucial activity for the regional as well as the national income of the country. The government of the country has realized this. So they have given a high priority to the conservation of forest and the issue figures in almost all the agendas of the local and national politics. Towards the end of the past millennium the president of the country Paul Biya organized a summit for the head of the states to discuss the issue of proper management of the forest and its resources. It resulted in the Yaounde Declaration where five

The Discovery Essay Example for Free

The Discovery Essay ‘The Discovery’, by J. C Squire describes a historical event: Christopher Columbus’s ‘discovery’ of the New World on his 1942 expedition across the Atlantic Ocean which initiated the process of Spanish colonisation. The poem has gone by several names including ‘The Caravels, ‘Sonnet’ and ‘There was an Indian’. John Collings Squire (J. C Squire) (1884-1958) was a British poet, writer, historian, influential literary critic and editor of the post WW1 period. He was also a leading poet of the Georgian period. The poem is a simple sonnet; made up of two quatrains and a sestet. The rhyme scheme is abab, cdcd, efegfg. The rhyme creates a steady, forward-moving motion similar to the movement of the waves and the inevitability of the oncoming Spanish vessels reaching the shore. The poet uses simple language and imagery which mirror the uncomplicated life of the Indian from whose perspective this historical event is retold. The discovery of the New World is often related from the perspective of the Spanish colonisers of the 15th and 16th centuries. Squire also reminds us that this was a two-fold discovery as the indigenous Americans discovered a new world of their own. The phrase, ‘an Indian’, in the first stanza lends a sense of anonymity to the identity of the Indian who witnesses the arrival of Columbus. The indefinite article (an) allows us to believe that this Indian represents all Native Americans. The opening line is reminiscent of a folktale. This style suggests a mythologizing of this historical event, infusing it with an element of magic. One might also believe it to be an example of the oral tradition of legends told among Native Americans. Like other Indians, the Indian in the poem ‘had known no change’. His life consisted of gathering shells; a simple way of life that belonged to an old civilisation for which this discovery was sure to be a shock. The alliteration of ‘s/sh’ in the line ‘†¦ along a sunlit beach. Gathering shells’ depicts the calm, serene and uninterrupted life of the natives. He ‘strayed content’ almost aimlessly, along a ‘sunlit beach’, in no rush to go about his simple life. The presence of dawn symbolises the dawn of a new era in the life of the Indian. We are reminded that historical records show that the event occurred at dawn. Light also symbolises knowledge and discovery for both the Spanish and the Indians. The caesura in the third line ‘He heard a sudden, strange commingled noise’ effectively draws our attention to the abrupt change in this tranquil picture. The caesura evokes a sense of confusion in the atmosphere which was once silent but is now filled with an unfamiliar noise. This is created through the use of alliteration and hard consonants. The Indian’s reaction in the last line of the first stanza ‘looked up: and gasped for speech’ indicates how amazed and speechless he was. The caesura in line four ‘Commingled noise: looked up; and gasped for speech’, also denotes the abrupt actions and reactions of the Indian man. The second stanza is linked to the first stanza by means of a further explanation for the sudden change in the first quatrain. The poet evokes the Indian’s tone of amazement and wonder at the appearance of the ‘huge canoes’ that appear ‘by magic’. The idea of magic evokes a contrast between the two civilisations; the superstitious, tribal beliefs of the natives versus the more advanced scientific beliefs of the Spanish. The poet also evokes the serene, tranquil and undefiled setting and one of confusion which is emphasised by the impressive image of these unnatural and unfamiliar sea vessels on the water. The Indian is unfamiliar with these large ships. In fact, he can only describe them in terms of what he already knows, for eg. ‘huge canoes’ and ‘not one oar’. The Indian’s tone of awe is audible even though the poet does not give him a voice. Perhaps, this is to further emphasise the domination and oppression of the Spanish colonisation of the Native Americans stamping out their voice, culture and traditions. The images used in the stanza are simple yet vivid as can be seen through the image of the ‘Bellying cloths’ and ‘Fluttering coloured signs. The second quatrain is stylistically interesting because the poet is conscious of the different perspectives: that of the Indian man who tries to describe these unfamiliar objects by adapting them to those he is familiar with, and that of the reader who has a knowledge of history and immediately recognises the Indian’s attempt to describe the billowing sails, fluttering flags and ‘clambering crews’. The alliteration of the letter ‘k’ sound in the last line of the second stanza ‘And fluttering coloured signs and clambering crews’, reminds us of the confusion and cacophony created by the sailors as they prepare to land. The third stanza, the ‘sestet’, begins with the conjunction ‘And’, linking it to the previous stanzas. There is now a Volta as the focus shifts to the Indian’s reaction to the caravels. There is an even greater use of caesura which creates an abrupt and staccato rhythm which might reflect the fear that has overcome the Indian, maybe his accelerated heartbeat too. The Volta between the second and third stanzas is also evident in the rhyme scheme which suggests the inevitable, impending conclusion to this sighting as the caravels ‘Slant to the shore, and all their seamen land’. The final stanza draws a clear contrast between the native, who is ‘naked’ and ‘alone’ and the numerous sailors disembarking ‘Columbus’ doom-burdened caravels’. The Indian’s nakedness suggests his primitive lifestyle and his defencelessness. The Indian reacts ‘in fear’ and drops his shells. This symbolises the fall of the native civilisation; his face turns white and he also kneels behind a stone. He stares at this monstrous sight and ‘did not understand’ the full impact of what was unfolding before his eyes. The poet’s intention is to make the contrast between the Spanish and the Indian evidently clear and simple to the reader, in order to draw our attention to the other side of the story which is rarely told in history books. This is emphasised by the choice of perspective for the poem. The image of ‘Columbus’ doom-burdened caravels’ is a powerful one, suggesting a grimly mocking or cynical tone because these caravels symbolise the beginning of the corruption of old civilisations. The final image of the sailors landing on shore is ominous, adding to the heaviness that weighs upon the reader’s knowledge of what will inevitably follow. The poem ends abruptly as the poet does not need to tell us anything else due to the readers’ knowledge of what happens next which has been documented in the history books.

Pornography: Dangerous and Destructive Essay -- Pornography Essays

â€Å"The word pornography comes from the Greek meaning, whore, harlot, prostitute, and to buy or sell a woman† (Oprah,2009). The word alone is degrading to women, how bad could the actual acts be? There are so many forms pornography comes in: magazines, posters, music, videos, and the most popular, the internet. This all makes it way too easy to access. Some of the serious effects include violent and degrading acts towards women, the difference between a real sex life and the ones on TV, and the sexual problems that pornography contributes to for many, many couples. â€Å"There are more adult bookstores than MacDonald’s in the U.S. Pornography is an 8 billion dollar-a year business and have annual box sales of $50 million† (Oprah, 2009). Lust aside, porn is dangerous and destructive for many reasons. First of all, it gives an unrealistic view of the female body. The women in these videos are stick thin, air-brushed from head to toe, make up covering any sort of blemish, and of course large fake breasts. And on top of all these additions they alter and photoshop the videos to look even more perfect! â€Å"How can a man look at these false images of "sexual perfection" and not begin to think less of his wife? How can he not be affected by these images? And when he thinks "my wife would look better with larger breasts" or "I wish my wife would shave her pubic hair like that" is he not coveting other woman who do look that way?†(The Marriage Bed, Inc, 2009). Men are comparing their wives to these unrealistic female figures and wanting them to change. How is this fair to any woman? People who watch pornography get an immediate response and of course the outcome, a positive reinforcement. â€Å"It is impossible for men to watch porn and not b... ...ey. Women are treated like a piece of meat when it comes to pornography. The only benefit to pornography lasts a few seconds, and again, that’s for the men. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens to pornography in the next few years. It will either continue to increase or someone will realize that this material isn’t okay. Men should think about this before watching it. They should ask themselves if it is worth putting their marriages at stake, or if it’s okay that their children are as easily accessed to these videos as they are, or that their daughters may one day be victimized because of all this. What happened to passionate sex with the one you love†¦ and respect? Pornography is nothing but a vicious circle. Pornography creates the exact opposite in real life of what it promises in fantasy life. Ironic isn’t it?

Chemistry (Redox)

Experiment 1 : Redox Titration Using Sodium Thiosulphate Abstract This experiment is to determine the concentration of oxidizing solution using the iodine/ thiosulphate titration where the reducing solution is potassium iodate solution and the oxidizing solution is sodium thiosulphate solution. Potassium iodate solution which is an oxidizing agent is added into an excess solution of acidified potassium iodide. This reaction will release iodine. Potassium iodide is acidified with sulphuric acid and the iodine released quickly titrated with sodium thiosulphate until it become light yellow.The iodine then detected with starch solution and it turn into dark blue solution and titrated again with sodium thiosulphate until colourless. From the reaction occur, the amount of the iodine can be determined and based on this amount, the concentration of oxidizing agent which released iodine can be determined. Introduction Redox titration using sodium thiosulphate as a reducing agent is also known as iodometric titration. The reaction is:- I2(aq) + 2NA2S2O3(aq) 2Nal(aq) + 2Na2S4O6(aq) I2(aq) + 2S2O32-(aq)2I-(aq) + S4O62-(aq) In this equation, I2 has been reduced to I-: S2O32-(aq)S4O62-(aq) + 2e- I2(aq) + 2e- 2I-(aq) The iodine/ thiosulphate titration is a general method for determining the concentration of oxidizing solution. A known volume of an oxidizing agent is added into an excess solution of acidified potassium iodide. The reaction will release iodine:- Example: a. With KMnO4 2MnO4-(aq) + 16H+ (aq)+ 10I-(aq) 2Mn2+(aq) + 5I2(aq) + 8H2O(I) b. With KIO3 O3-(aq) + 5I-(aq) + 6H (aq) 3I2(aq) + 3H2O(aq) The iodine that is released is titrated with a standard thiosulphate solution.From the stoichiometry of the reaction, the amount of iodine can be determined and from this the concentration of the oxidizing agent, which released the iodine, can be calculated. Aims a. To prepare a standard solution of potassium iodate use in determining the concentration of a sodium thiosulphate solution accurately. b. To learn the proper technique for titration. Theory In an iodometric titration, starch solution is used as an indicator as it absorbs the iodine that is released. This absorption will cause the solution to change to a dark blue colour.When this dark blue solution is titrated with the standard thiosulphate, iodine will react with the thiosulphate solution, the dark blue will disappear. So the end point of the titration is when the dark blue solour disappear. It is difficult for iodine to dissolve in water. Iodine is usually dissolves in water by adding an excess of KI so that KI3, which has similar properties to iodine, is formed. I2(aq) + KI(aq)KI3 .I3-(aq) + 2e-3I-(aq) APPARATUS AND CHEMICALS 50-mL beaker250-mL volumetric flask Glass rodBurette 25-mL pipettePipette filler 3 ? 250-mL conical flaskMagnetic fleaPotassium iodate crystals (KIO3)Potassium iodide (KI) 1M H2SO4Starch solution ca. 0. 1M sodium thiosulphate solution Level of miniscus Pull the stopcoc k in against the taper each time you turn it. A sheet of white paper or towel below the flask will help in recognizing the colour change at the end point. Swirl the flask continuosly until one drop of titrant causes a colour change throughout the entire solution. Swirl the flask continuously until the drop of titrant causes a colour change throughout the entire solution. METHODOLOGY : A. Preparation of potassium iodate solution . 0. 75 g of potassium iodate crystals is weighed accurately in 50-mL beaker. 2. 25 mL distilled water are added into beaker and stirred with glass rod to dissolve all the potassium iodate. 3. The potassium iodate solution is poured into a 250-mL volumetric flask. The beaker is rinsed with distilled water and the washings are poured into the volumetric flask. 4. Distilled water is added to the volumetric flask up to the graduated level. The volumetric flask is stoppered and shook well in order to get a homogeneous solution. B. Standardization of 0. M sodium t hiosulphate solution 1. A burette is filled with the 0. 1M sodium thiosulphate solution to be standardized. There are no air bubbles in the burette. 2. The initial reading of the burette is recorded in table 1. 1. 3. 25-mL of standard potassium iodate solution prepared in part A are pipetted into a 250-mL conical flask and a magnetic flea is added into conical flask. 4. 1 g of potassium iodide, KI, is weighed approximately and it is placed in a 50-mL beaker. 5. 10. 0 mL of 1. 0M sulphuric acid solution are added and are swirled until all the KI dissolved. . This solution is added to the conical flask containing the potassium iodate solution and it is immediately titrated with the sodium thiosulphate solution, while it is stirred using a stirrer hot plate, until a ligth yellow solution is obtained. Then, the solution is diluted with distilled water until the total volume is about 100 mL. Then, 1. 0 mL of starch solution is added and the titration is continued until the blue colour di sappears and the solution become colourless. . The final reading of the burette is recorded in the table 1. 1 . The procedures are repeated twice as the results is more accurate. CALCULATIONS : 1. Complete chemical reaction equation for reaction between ; i. iodate and iodide ions, IO3- + 5I-+ 6H+ >3I2 + 3H2O ii. iodine and thiosulphate ions, [ I2 + S2 O32- > 2I- + S4O62-]? 3 > 3I2 + 6S2 O32- > 6I- + 3S4O62- 2. Calculate the molarity of the KIO3 solution. Mass of KIO3 = 0. 75 g Volume of KIO3 = 250 mL Relative molecular mass of KIO3, = 39. 0983+126. 9045+3(15. 994) = 214. 001 g mol-1 Number of mole KIO3, = 0. 75 g ? 214. 001 g mol-1 = 0. 0035 mol Thus, Molarity of KIO3, = 0. 0035 mol ? 0. 25 L = 0. 014 mol L-1 3. The mole ratio between the iodate and thiosulphate ions is determine from the equation given are IO3- + 5I-+ 6H+ >3I2 + 3H2O [ I2 + S2 O32- > 2I- + S4O62-]? 3 3I2 + 6S2O32-> 6I- + 3S4O62- IO- : 6S4O62- 1:6 4. The molarity of the sodium thiosulphate bM1V1 = aM2V2 6(0. 014)(0 . 50) = 1(M2)(0. 021) M2= 2 M2= 0. 0210. 0211 = 0. 995 mol 5. The molarity of potassium iodide solution IO3- + 5I-+ 6H+ >3I2 + 3H2O Moles of KI- = 1g ? 1 mole of KI39+127 Molarity of KI3 = aM2V2bV2 = 1(21. 14100L)(0. 1008M)6101000L =0. 0355 M KIO3 Moles of KI3 = MV1000 =0. 003? 101000 =0. 00036 mol KIO3 Excess mole of I- = 0. 0060 – 0. 0018 =0. 0042 mol I- 0. 0060 mol0. 0042 mol = 250 mlx X =17. 5 mL 3I2 + 6S2O32-> 6I- + 3S4O62- Ratio of iodide to thiosulphate 5 : 6 bM1V1 = aM2V2 Molarity of KI = 50. 1008g(21. 141000l)6(17. 51000l) =0. 1014 M KI DISCUSSIONRedox titration using sodium thiosulphate is also known as iodometric titration. Sodium thiosulphate acts as reducing agent an at the same time it undergoes oxidation and release electron. In this titration, potassium iodate, KIO3, is used as an oxidizing agent. Potassium iodate solution is added into an excess solution of acidified potassium. This reaction release iodine. Iodine reacts with sodium thiosulphate. The reaction is: I2 (aq) + 2Na2S2O3 (aq) 2NaI (aq) +Na2S4O6 (aq) I2 (aq) + 2S2O32- (aq) 2I- (aq) + N4O62- (aq)In this equation I2 has been reduced to I- 2S2O32- (aq) S4O62- (aq) + 2e- I2 (aq) + 2e- 2I- (aq) In this iodometric titration, we use starch solution as an indicator as it absorbs the iodine that is released. The absorption causes the solution to change to dark blue colour. When the dark blue solution is titrated with the standard thiosulphate, iodine react with the thiosulphate solution. When all the iodine has reacted with the thiosulphate solution, the dark blue colour disappear. So, it is the end point of the titration when the dark blue colour disappear.However, there are a few aspects that need to be considered during the experiment. Firstly, the indicator should only be added after the titration has begun. This is because it is difficult to release the iodine while titrating with the thiosulphate. This will affect the end point. Hence, the addition of the starch should only be do ne when the colour of the solution is light yellow. Secondly, to avoid the iodine from evaporating, the solution must be titrated immediately with the sodium thiosulphate after the solution is mixed with potassium iodide,KI. The precaution taken: Wear safety goggles in the laboratory during the experiment. * Washed the effected skin immediately when in contact with chemicals * Wear gloves when taken the chemical substances. CONCLUSION The experiment was performed in order to determine the concentration of oxidizing solution. Potassium iodate, KIO3, as an oxidizing agent is added into an excess solution of acidified potassium iodide and from the reaction, iodine is released. The iodine that is released is titrated with a standard sodium thiosulphate. From the calculation, the molarity of potassium iodate is 0. 014g/cm3.

And If I Hurt You, Then I’M Sorry

| Behind every beautiful thing, there is some kind of pain -Bob Dylan's CD's There's a good side to getting hurt a lot†¦ after a while it just doesn't bother you as much. You can try your hardest, you can do everything and say everything, but sometimes people just aren't worth trying over anymore†¦ they aren't worth worrying about†¦ it's important to know when to let go of someone who only brings you down. I don't know why your heart doesn't do what your mind tells it to. -Brown Sugar You may have created my past and screwed up my present, but you have no control over my future. -david klassAnd even though the moment just passed me by, I still cant turn away. For once, instead of telling me the reasons why i shouldnt cry, actually pay attention to the reasons why I am. And if i hurt you, then i'm sorry. Please don't think that this was easy. All good things have endings — The Get Up Kids It's such a lie that you should do what's in your heart. If we all did what was in our hearts, the world would come to a halt. -my so called life Sometimes i may hate you, but i'll always love you -daria How do you leave the past behind, when it keeps finding ways to get to your heart? –RentSmile. It's easier than explaining why you're sad. Sometimes bad things happen for no reason, no purpose. They just occur and we're left to pick up the pieces the best we can. — Felicity The best way to appreciate something is to be without it for awhile. It's not a lie if you believe it .. it's no mistake if it's always repeated. The truth is, everyone's going to hurt you. You just have to decide who is worth the pain. Sometimes what you want the most — you're better off without. There is an end to things no matter how much we want to hold onto them. I don't know if you've ever felt like that.That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. Or something like that. I think wanting that is very morbid, but I want it when I get like this. That's why i'm trying not to think. I just want it all to stop spinning. (the perks of being a wallflower) A person may be in love with someone untill the end of time, but if that person doesn't tell their feelings of love, it will just be another person living a dream, lost of true love. I never knew what I had until the first day it wasn't there. You hurt me so bad, but maybe it's my fault, because I stuck around too long. I was lost.There was nobody for me to talk to about all that you were troubling me with. So I sat alone, with everything inside, and cried myself to sleep. Sometimes if you really want to make things work you have to keep you mouth shut and put your hurt aside. I never knew until that moment, what it was like to lose something I never really had. ~The Wonder Years It's easy to let go when holding on hurts so bad. To many of us stay walled because we are afraid to care too much, for fear that the other person does not care as much or not at all. It's sad to think you'll never be mine, it's even sadder to realize I knew it all the time.And sometimes your heart takes you to places that can never lead to a happy ending. Only the one that hurts you, can make you feel better. Only the one who inflicts the pain, can take it away ~Madonna Our lives are shaped by people who love us and people who refuse to love us. By the time you realize what you're losing, I'll be lost. How can it be that two of the greatest friends in the world can go from being each other's everything to absolutely nothing? You smile when you feel like crying, you act like you're okay, when you're falling apart inside and you let it go.You move on, because there's nothing else you can do†¦ I guess everyone has their reasons for keeping people away, an instinct to protect yourself from getting hurt. It's part of human nature. ~ Roswell When you love a person, you are giving them the power to hurt you. And its times like this that i dread†¦ when there's everything to say, and nothing left to be said, and it makes me sad. Sometimes you don't realize you care for someone, until they stop caring for you. For all sad words of toungue and pen, the saddest are those â€Å"that might have been. â€Å"Letting go does not mean giving up but accepting that there are things that cannot be. I don't want to need you because I know I cant have you. –Bridges of Madison County And when you begin to miss me, dont forget it was you who let me go. Nothing hurts more than waiting since I don't even know what I'm waiting for anymore. I walk away now with the realization that it will never be the way i want it to be. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it sure makes the rest of you lonely. — Charlie Brown How can you hide from what never goes away? Sometimes the one love you cant get over, is the one love you really never had.Everything is fine. Couldn't hurt more. Want my advice? Stay mad as long as you can 'cause once you stop, it hurts like hell. The same wall that shuts others out, is the same wall that shuts you in. Its been so long, I feel so out of touch, thoughts cloud my heart and head, I think I think too much. This is where I say I've had enough. No one should ever feel the way that I feel now. Has your heart ever wanted to ask something, but your mind was scared of the answer? All I wanted to do was collapse in someone's arms and cry today†¦ but there wasn't anyone there to catch me.Because of you I don't know how to let anyone else in. I've finally realized the people that you love who don't love you back are just another lesson in life .. it's like God is teaching us that there can be so much better than what we thought was the best. The most painful love there is, is the love left unshown. A love that cannot be expressed, affection left unknown. The love that withholds touching, afraid of what it would say, And the most painful thing about unexpressed love isâ⠂¬ ¦ it never fades away. Sad thing is, you can still love someone, and be wrong for them -elvis presleyIt's absurd, who you love and why, and how you can't turn it off when you desperately want to. Has your heart ever wanted to ask something, but your mind was scared of the answer? That's the most frightening aspect of loneliness†¦ You think you're being damaged while loneliness is happening to you, and the worry amplifies the pain. – Douglas Coupland Words hurt more then anything else can, because they last, sometimes forever. It sucks to be alone, even when there are people all around you -Scrubs Sometimes to realize you were well, someone must come along and hurt you.I have this great imaginary world, but sometimes I just need things to happen for real. – Ally McBeal There's always someone better out there for everyone. its the beauty of life: you can always try again . -Ashley Sometimes the one love you can't get over, is the one love you really never had. Wh y is it that no matter how much pain it endures by holding on†¦ the heart refuses to let go? Njerezit mendojne se gjeja me e keqe eshte te humbasin njeriun qe duan. Gabojne! Gjeja me e keqe eshte te humbasesh vetveten nderkohe qe do shume dike, duke harruar qe edhe ne vete jemi te rendesishem |

Response to Destros claim on Faust

Response to Destros claim on Faust Introduction The character of Faust and, most importantly, whether he is qualified as a heroic figure, has occupied critics for a long time. Looked at from the standard moral standpoint, Destro says: We would be forced to decant the apparent heroism we were meant to accord him. That he was eventually saved in spite of all the morally questionable deeds he had committed seems the only reason why anyone might consider him heroic. Destro is of the view, however, that we would be wrong to subject Faust to standard morality.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Response to Destros claim on Faust specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More I do agree with Destro’s assertion that it would be practically impossible to find any moral or heroic merits to the character of Faust. This is particularly so if one was to base his/her argument on the contemporary understanding of morality. It would still be problematic for one to apply the ph ilosophical notion of morality during Goethe’s time. In this essay, I will show that Destro’s view presents the most viable manner of comprehending Faust’s character. Discussion Faust was never meant to be judged using standard morality. Destro fields the assertion that in the eyes of his creator, Faust was already a morally decadent character. He was probably meant to be immoral from the viewpoint of standard morality (Destro). This would be supported by his egoistic and hedonistic attitude that runs throughout the text. It leads Destro to conclude that â€Å"the salvation of Faust, the magician, the robber, the instigator of murderers, sounds like a mockery of any kind of ethical judgment on him†. Why then would Goethe have Faust saved at the end? Here, Destro interprets it to mean what we were to subject Faust to was not the standard morality but that of the superman: â€Å"In reality, the law that Faust follows is not that of morality in its everyday meaning, which from Moses to Kant was rooted in our relation of responsibility to others but rather the immoral ‘morality’ of superman for whom the supreme law is self-realization†. Faust is immoral. His immorality can be understood from two perspectives: his immoral actions are either willingly immoral or they are immoral due to the influence of Mephistotles (Destro). For Goethe to put across the notion that he is willingly immoral, Faust has consistently been characterized as a man of action, one who is moved by profound inner passions to do things that are not always right. For instance, Faust seems to lack capacity to face penance for deserting Gretchen and chooses the dramatic, and relatively easier, route of appropriating Mephistopheles’ powers to save her. This act is Faust’s own decision and cannot be blamed on Mephistotles. It is the result of the guilt that Faust feels for having abandoned Gretchen: â€Å"Let past be past I say! / Youâ₠¬â„¢re destroying me!† (Goethe). Destro contrasts Faust’s behavior with Gretchen’s who is ready to face death rather than escape from prison in the company of Faust and Mephistopheles. To again reinforce the fact that he can be blamed for his immorality, Goethe has Faust willingly get into a wager with Mephistopheles:Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More â€Å"Have no fear I’ll break this pact! The extreme I can promise you: it is All the power my efforts can extract. I’ve puffed myself up so highly I belong in your ranks now† (Destro). His intentions in doing so are in no way noble since what he seeks in his involvement with Mephistopheles are pleasures that are both egoistic and hedonistic. He, therefore, cannot be objectively argued to be a victim of Mephistopheles. From a moral point of view, he is responsible for his actions and would be expected to atone for them in a morally apt way. Faust is given to an avid need for humanly pleasures. He portrays little responsibility in giving in to the desires of the flesh, a case in point being his lust for Gretchen. He has his way with her and leaves her, this leads to her eventual death. He shows great vanity when he accepts Mephistopheles offer to restore his youthfulness. On not finding any value in life after a spirit rejects his assertion that he and it are one, he considers committing suicide and it is only Easter bell that distracts him.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Response to Destros claim on Faust specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From the Dungeon scene, more proof can be found to show that Faust is indeed a negative figure. Foremost, Faust’s rescue plan is motivated by the wrong impetus: his remorse and not necessarily his concern for Gretchen. This can be interpreted as a p roof of his egoistic nature. When he opens Gretchen’s cell, she thinks that time of her execution has come. She rues her death and her lover’s absence: â€Å"’I’m still so young, so young! / And yet I’ll die!/I was lovely too, that was my Ruin/ My love was near, now he’s gone /The garland’s torn: the flowers are done† (Goethe). To this lament, Faust declares: â€Å"How shall I endure this misery, say!† (Goethe). This declaration is an evidence of his inner guilt and anguish, the feeling that he seeks to assuage by freeing Gretchen. More profoundly though, Faust’s attempt to save Gretchen is a sign of a much serious flaw; Faust is obviously quite disinclined towards penance. Gretchen’s being in prison is partly his fault. Had he pursued love rather than lust when he first sought to woo Gretchen, she would not have been facing death. He is willing to disregard the past as evidenced by his saying: â€Å"Let p ast be past I say! / You’re destroying me!† (Destro) This aspect to his character, this proclivity for immorality, Destro says that he cannot be fully blamed on his flawed fictive character but rather should be analyzed from the point of view of the function that he was meant to fulfill by the playwright (Destro). This is where Destro draws us to the possibility that Goethe obliterated all possibility of our having a dilemma regarding the morality, or a lack, thereof, of Faust. In doing this, Goethe is foregrounding the need for us to overcome the hurdle of morality as it is conceptualized in our everyday lives. It is only in doing this that the real spirit of Faust would be comprehended. It is not because of his actions that Faust is eventually saved. Rather, it is because of his attitude, his need to understand the world and his unrelenting pursuit of these goals. Faust is a seeker of knowledge; this quest for knowledge occupies his whole life. He is driven by a great need to understand the nature of things, thereby, studying a number of disciplines including law, medicine, philosophy and theology as seen in scene I. â€Å"Ah! Now I’ve  done  Philosophy,Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More I’ve finished Law and Medicine, And sadly even Theology: Taken fierce pains, from end to end. Now here I am, a fool for sure! No wiser than I was before† (Destro). As Destro says, Faust’s frustration, at the beginning of the play, is understandable: â€Å"Having devoted the whole of his life to study, and mastered whatever culture of his time could offer, Faust then discovers, at the ends of a life of sacrifice, renunciation, and contempt from his ‘success,’ the vanity of his efforts† (Destro). He knows all there is to know but he still is not fulfilled. At this juncture, Faust is ready to do all it takes in order to find the all elusive fulfillment. In doing this, Faust is being both true to himself and honest to himself. And for this, he is saved. Destro argues that it is not for what Faust does but rather for what he had been that he was eventually glorified (Destro). In essence, this means that â€Å"his actions are measured, not accordin g to moral criteria (in other words, responsibility towards others) but according to the criterion of how far he corresponds to the law of his actual character† (Destro, 72). In living up to the essence of who he is, Faust is found worthy of going to heaven. Conclusion While there are many things that are contentious in the play, a few things come out very clearly. One is that Faust is decidedly an immoral character. Subjected to whatever standards of morality, it would be practically impossible to find him otherwise. Two, he is saved at the end. Less clear, however, is why Goethe chose to glorify Faust at the end. And the explanation forwarded by Destro is the most plausible one for explaining this paradox. Destro, Alberto. The Guilty Hero, or the Tragic Salvation of Faust. 2011. Web. Goethe von Wolfgang. Faust. 2012. Web. https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/German/FaustIScenesItoIII.php

Vaquita Facts and Conservation Information

Vaquita Facts and Conservation Information The vaquita (Phocoena sinus), also known as the Gulf of California harbor porpoise, cochito or Marsopa vaquita is the smallest cetacean. It is also one of the most endangered, with only about 250 remaining. The word vaquita means small cow in Spanish. Its species name, sinus is Latin for gulf or bay, referring to the vaquitas small range, which is restricted to coastal waters off the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. Vaquitas were discovered fairly recently - the species was first identified based on skulls in 1958 and live specimens were not observed until 1985. You can read more about the vaquitas discovery here. Description Vaquitas are about 4-5 feet long, and weigh about 65-120 pounds. Vaquitas are gray, with darker gray on their back and lighter gray on their underside. They have a black eye ring, lips and chin, and pale face. Vaquitas lighten in color as they age. They also have a recognizable triangular-shaped dorsal fin. Vaquitas are shy around vessels, and typically are found singly, in pairs or in small groups of 7-10 animals. They may stay underwater for a long time. The combination of these characteristics can make vaquitas difficult to find in the wild. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataSubphylum: VertebrataSuperclass: Gnathostomata, TetrapodaClass: MammaliaSubclass: TheriaOrder: CetartiodactylaSuborder: CetancodontaSuborder: OdontocetiInfraorder: CetaceaSuperfamily: OdontocetiFamily: PhocoenidaeGenus: PhocoenaSpecies: sinus    Habitat and Distribution Vaquitas have one of the most limited home ranges of all cetaceans. They live in the northern end of the Gulf of California, off the Baja Peninsula in Mexico, in murky, shallow waters within about 13.5 miles of shore. Click here for a sightings map. Feeding Vaquitas feed on schooling fish, crustaceans and cephalopods. Like other odontocetes, they find their prey using echolocation, which is similar to sonar. The vaquita emits high frequency sound pulses from an organ (the melon) in its head. The sound waves bounce off objects around them and are received back into the dolphins lower jaw, transmitted to the inner ear and interpreted to determine the size, shape, location and distance of prey. Vaquitas are toothed whales, and use their spade-shaped teeth to capture their prey. They have 16-22 pairs of teeth in their upper jaw and 17-20 pairs in their lower jaw. Reproduction Vaquitas are sexually mature at about 3-6 years of age. Vaquitas mate in April-May and calves are born in the months of February-April after a 10-11 month gestation period. Calves are about 2.5 feet long and weigh about 16.5 pounds at birth. The maximum known lifespan of an individual vaquita was a female who lived 21 years. Conservation There are an estimated 245 vaquitas remaining (according to a 2008 study), and the population may be declining by as much as 15% each year. They are listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. One of the biggest threats to vaquitas is entanglement or being caught as bycatch in fishing gear, with an estimated 30-85 vaquitas taken incidentally by fisheries each year (Source: NOAA). The Mexican government began developing a Vaquita Recovery Plan in 2007, putting efforts into place to protect the vaquita, although they continue to be affected by fishing. Click here to learn how you can help vaquitas. References and Further Information Gerrodette, T., Taylor, B.L., Swift, R., Rankin, S., Jaramillo-Legorreta, A.M., and L. Rojas-Bracho. 2011. TI - A combined visual and acoustic estimate of 2008 abundance, and change in abundance since 1997, for the vaquita, Phocoena sinus. Marine Mammal Science, 27:2, E79-E100.Marine Mammal Commission. Vaquita (Phocoena sinus). Accessed May 31, 2012.NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources. 2011. Gulf of California Harbor Porpoise/Vaquita/Cochito (Phocoena sinus). Accessed May 31, 2012.OBIS-SEAMAP. Gulf of California Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena sinus). Accessed May 31, 2012.Perrin, W. (2010). Phocoena sinus Norris McFarland, 1958. In: Perrin, W.F. World Cetacea Database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at marinespecies.org/aphia.php?ptaxdetailsid343897. Accessed May 31, 2012.Phocoena sinus, In Palomares, M.L.D. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2012. SeaLifeBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.sealifebase.org, version (04/2012). Accessed May 31, 2012. Rojas-Bracho, L., Reeves, R.R., Jaramillo-Legorreta, A. Taylor, B.L. 2008. Phocoena sinus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. . Accessed May 29, 2012.Rojas-Bracho, L. P. sinus. Accessed May 31, 2012.Vaquita: Last Chance for the Desert Porpoise. Accessed May 31, 2012.Viva Vaquita. Accessed May 31, 2012.

The Columbine Massacre School Shooting April 20, 1999

The Columbine Massacre School Shooting April 20, 1999 On April 20, 1999, in the small, suburban town of Littleton, Colorado, two high-school seniors, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, enacted an all-out assault on Columbine High School during the middle of the school day. The boys plan was to kill hundreds of their peers. With guns, knives, and a multitude of bombs, the two boys walked the hallways and killed. When the day was done, twelve students, one teacher, and the two murderers were dead; plus 21 more were injured. The haunting question remains: why did they do it? The Boys: Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris were both intelligent, came from solid homes with two parents, and had older brothers who were three years their senior. In elementary school, Klebold and Harris had both played in sports such as baseball and soccer. Both enjoyed working with computers. The boys met each other while attending Ken Caryl Middle School in 1993. Though Klebold had been born and raised in the Denver area, Harris father had been in the U.S. Air Force and had moved the family several times before he retired and moved his family to Littleton, Colorado in July 1993. When the two boys entered high school, they found it difficult to fit into any of the cliques. As is too common in high school, the boys found themselves frequently picked on by athletes and other students. (Though some claimed they were part of the Trench Coat Mafia, in truth, they were only friends with some of the groups members. The boys didnt usually wear trench coats to school; they did so only on April 20 to hide the weapons they were carrying as they walked across the parking lot.) However, Klebold and Harris seemed to spend their time doing normal teenager activities. They worked together in a local pizza parlor, liked to play Doom (a computer game) in the afternoons, and worried about finding a date to the prom. For all outward appearances, the boys looked like normal teenagers. Looking back, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris obviously werent your average teenagers. Problems According to journals, notes, and videos that Klebold and Harris left to be discovered, Klebold had been thinking of committing suicide as early as 1997 and they both had begun thinking about a large massacre as early as April 1998- a full year before the actual event. By then, the two had already run into some trouble. On January 30, 1998, Klebold and Harris were arrested for breaking into a van. As part of their plea agreement, the two began a juvenile diversion program in April 1998. Since they were first-time offenders, this program allowed them to purge the event from their record if they could successfully complete the program. So, for eleven months, the two attended workshops, spoke to counselors, worked on volunteer projects, and convinced everyone that they were sincerely sorry about the break-in. However, during the entire time, Klebold and Harris were making plans for a large-scale massacre at their high school. Hate Klebold and Harris were angry teenagers. They were not only angry at athletes that made fun of them, or Christians, or blacks, as some people have reported; they basically hated everyone except for a handful of people. On the front page of Harriss journal, he wrote: I hate the f*cking world. Harris also wrote that he hates racists, martial arts experts, and people who brag about their cars. He stated: You know what I hate? Star Wars fans: get a friggin life, you boring geeks. You know what I hate? People who mispronounce words, like acrost, and pacific for specific, and expresso instead of espresso. You know what I hate? People who drive slow in the fast lane, God these people do not know how to drive. You know what I hate? The WB network!!!! Oh Jesus, Mary Mother of God Almighty, I hate that channel with all my heart and soul. Both Kiebold and Harris were serious about acting out on this hate. As early as spring 1998, they wrote about killing and retaliation in each others yearbooks, including an image of a man standing with a gun, surrounded by dead bodies, with the caption, The only reason your [sic] still alive is because someone has decided to let you live. Preparations Klebold and Harris used the Internet to find recipes for pipe bombs and other explosives. They amassed an arsenal, which eventually included guns, knives, and 99 explosive devices. Klebold and Harris wanted to kill as many people as possible, so they studied the influx of students in the cafeteria, noting that there would be over 500 students after 11:15 a.m. when the first lunch period began. They planned to plant propane bombs in the cafeteria timed to explode at 11:17 a.m. and then shoot any survivors as they came running out. There is some discrepancy whether the original date planned for the massacre was to be April 19 or 20. April 19 was the anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing and April 20 was the 110th anniversary of Adolf Hitlers birthday. For whatever reason, April 20 was the date finally chosen. Setting the Bombs in the Cafeteria At 11:10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris arrived at Columbine High School. Each drove separately and parked in spots in the junior and senior parking lots, flanking the cafeteria. Around 11:14, the boys carried two 20-pound propane bombs (with timers set for 11:17 a.m.) in duffel bags and placed them near tables in the cafeteria. No one noticed them place the bags; the bags blended in with the hundreds of school bags that the other students had brought with them to lunch. The boys then went back to their cars to wait for the explosion. Nothing happened. (It is believed that if the bombs had exploded, it is probable that all 488 students in the cafeteria would have been killed.) The boys waited a few extra minutes for the cafeteria bombs to explode, but still, nothing happened. They realized that something must have gone wrong with the timers. Their original plan had failed, but the boys decided to go into the school anyway. Klebold and Harris Head Into Columbine High School Klebold, wearing cargo pants and a black T-shirt with Wrath on the front, was armed with a 9-mm semi-automatic handgun and a 12-gauge double-barrel sawed-off shotgun. Harris, wearing dark-colored pants and a white T-shirt that said Natural Selection, was armed with a 9-mm carbine rifle and a 12-gauge pump sawed-off shotgun. Both wore black trench coats to hide the weapons they were carrying and utility belts filled with ammunition. Klebold wore a black glove on his left hand; Harris wore a black glove on his right hand. They also carried knives and had a backpack and a duffel bag full of bombs. At 11:19 a.m., the two pipe bombs that Klebold and Harris had set up in an open field several blocks away exploded; they timed the explosion so that it would be a distraction for police officers. At the same time, Klebold and Harris started firing their first shots at students sitting outside the cafeteria. Almost immediately, 17-year old Rachel Scott was killed and Richard Castaldo was injured. Harris took off his trench coat and both boys kept firing. Not a Senior Prank Unfortunately, many of the other students didnt realize yet what was happening. It was only a few weeks until graduation for the seniors and as is a tradition among many U.S. schools, seniors often pull a senior prank before they leave. Many of the students believed that the shootings were just a joke- part of a senior prank- so they didnt immediately flee the area. Students Sean Graves, Lance Kirklin, and Daniel Rohrbough were just leaving the cafeteria when they saw Klebold and Harris with guns. Unfortunately, they thought the guns were paintball guns and part of the senior prank. So the three kept walking, heading toward Klebold and Harris. All three are wounded. Klebold and Harris swiveled their guns to the right and then shot at five students who were eating lunch in the grass. At least two were hit- one was able to run to safety while the other was too debilitated to leave the area. As Klebold and Harris walked, they nearly continually threw small bombs into the area. Klebold then walked down the stairs, toward the injured Graves, Kirklin, and Rohrbough. At close range, Klebold shot Rohrbough and then Kirklin. Rohrbough died instantly; Kirklin survived his wounds. Graves had managed to crawl back down to the cafeteria, but lost strength in the doorway. He pretended to be dead and Klebold walked over him to peer into the cafeteria. The students in the cafeteria started looking out the windows once they heard gunfire and explosions, but they too thought it was either a senior prank or a film being made. A teacher, William Dave Sanders, and two custodians realized that this was not just a senior prank and that there was a real danger. They tried to get all the students away from the windows and to get down on the floor. Many of the students evacuated the room by going up the stairs to the second level of the school. Thus, when Klebold peered into the cafeteria, it looked empty. While Klebold was looking into the cafeteria, Harris continued shooting outside. He hit Anne Marie Hochhalter as she was getting up to flee. When Harris and Klebold were back together, they turned to enter the school through the west doors, firing as they went. A policeman arrived on the scene and exchanged fire with Harris, but neither Harris nor the policeman was injured. At 11:25 a.m., Harris and Klebold entered the school. Inside the School Harris and Klebold walked down the north hallway, shooting and laughing as they went. Most of the students not at lunch were still in class and didnt know what was going on. Stephanie Munson, one of several students walking down the hall, saw Harris and Klebold and tried to run out of the building. She was hit in the ankle but managed to make it to safety. Klebold and Harris then turned around and headed back down the hallway (toward the entrance they had gone through to enter the school). Teacher Dave Sanders Shot Dave Sanders, the teacher who had directed students to safety in the cafeteria and elsewhere, was coming up the stairs and rounding a corner when he saw Klebold and Harris with guns raised. He quickly turned around and was about to turn a corner to safety when he was shot. Sanders managed to crawl to the corner and another teacher dragged Sanders into a classroom, where a group of students was already hiding. The students and the teacher spent the next few hours trying to keep Sanders alive. Klebold and Harris spent the next three minutes indiscriminately shooting and throwing bombs in the hallway outside the library, where Sanders was shot. They threw two pipe bombs down the stairs into the cafeteria. Fifty-two students and four staff were hiding in the cafeteria and could hear the gunshots and explosions. At 11:29 a.m., Klebold and Harris entered the library. Massacre in the Library Klebold and Harris entered the library and shouted: Get up! Then they asked for anyone wearing a white cap (jocks) to stand up. No one did. Klebold and Harris started firing; one student was injured from flying wood debris. Walking through the library to the windows, Klebold shot and killed Kyle Velasquez, who was sitting at a computer desk rather than hiding under a table. Klebold and Harris set down their bags and started shooting out the windows toward policemen and escaping students. Klebold then took off his trench coat. One of the gunmen yelled Yahoo! Klebold then turned and shot at three students hiding under a table, injuring all three. Harris turned and shot Steven Curnow and Kacey Ruegsegger, killing Curnow. Harris then walked over to a table near him where two girls were hiding underneath. He banged two times on the top of the table and said, Peek-a-boo! Then he shot under the table, killing Cassie Bernall. The kick from the shot broke his nose. Harris then asked Bree Pasquale, a student sitting on the floor, if she wanted to die. While pleading for her life, Harris was distracted when Klebold called him to another table because one of the students hiding underneath was black. Klebold grabbed Isaiah Shoels and started dragging him from under the table when Harris shot and killed Shoels. Then Klebold shot under the table and killed Michael Kechter. Harris disappeared into the book stacks for a minute while Klebold went to the front of the library (near the entrance) and shot out a display cabinet. Then the two of them went on a shooting rampage in the library. They walked by table after table, shooting non-stop. Injuring many, Klebold and Harris killed Lauren Townsend, John Tomlin, and Kelly Fleming. Stopping to reload, Harris recognized someone hiding under the table. The student was an acquaintance of Klebolds. The student asked Klebold what he was doing. Klebold answered, Oh, just killing people.  Wondering if he, too, was going to be shot, the student asked Klebold if he was going to be killed. Klebold told the student to leave the library, which the student did. Harris again shot under a table, injuring several and killing Daniel Mauser and Corey DePooter. After randomly shooting off a couple more rounds, throwing a Molotov cocktail, taunting a few students, and throwing a chair, Klebold and Harris left the library. In the seven and a half minutes they were in the library, they killed 10 people and injured 12 others. Thirty-four students escaped uninjured. Back Into the Hall Klebold and Harris spent about eight minutes walking down the halls, looking into the science classrooms and making eye contact with some of the students, but they didnt try very hard to get into any of the rooms. Students stay huddled and hidden in many of the classrooms with the doors locked. But locks wouldnt have been much protection if the gunmen had really wanted to get in. At 11:44 a.m., Klebold, and Harris headed back downstairs and entered the cafeteria. Harris shot at one of the duffel bags they had placed earlier, trying to get the 20-pound propane bomb to explode, but it didnt. Klebold then went over to the same bag and began fiddling with it. Still, there was no explosion. Klebold then stepped back and threw a bomb at the propane bomb. Only the thrown bomb exploded and it started a fire, which triggered the sprinkler system. Klebold and Harris wandered around the school throwing bombs. They eventually went back to the cafeteria only to see that the propane bombs had not exploded and the sprinkler system had put out the fire. At exactly noon, the two went back upstairs. Suicide in the Library They headed back to the library, where nearly all the uninjured students had escaped. Several of the staff remained hidden in cabinets and side rooms. From 12:02 to 12:05, Klebold and Harris shot out the windows toward the policemen and paramedics that were outside. Sometime between 12:05 and 12:08, Klebold and Harris went to the south side of the library and shot themselves in the head, ending the Columbine massacre. The Students Who Escaped To the policemen, paramedics, family and friends waiting outside, the horror of what was happening unfolded slowly. With 2,000 students attending Columbine High School, no one saw the whole event clearly. Thus, reports from witnesses escaping the school were skewed and fragmentary. Law enforcement personnel tried to rescue those who were injured outside but Klebold and Harris shot at them from the library. No one saw the two gunmen commit suicide so no one was sure it was over until police were able to clear the building. Students that had escaped were sent via school bus over to Leawood Elementary School where they were interviewed by police and then put on a stage for parents to claim. As the day wore on, the parents that remained were those of the victims. Confirmation of those that had been killed did not come until a day later. Rescuing Those Still Inside Because of the large number of bombs and explosives thrown by the gunmen, the SWAT and police could not immediately enter the building to evacuate the remaining students and faculty that were hiding inside. Some had to wait for hours to be rescued. Patrick Ireland, who had been shot two times in the head by the gunmen in the library, attempted to escape at 2:38 p.m. out the library window- two stories up. He fell into the waiting arms of SWAT while T.V. cameras showed the scene across the country. (Miraculously, Ireland survived the ordeal.) Dave Sanders, the teacher who had helped hundreds of students escape and who had been shot around 11:26 a.m., lay dying in the science room. The students in the room tried to provide first aid, were given instructions over the phone to give emergency aid, and placed signs in the windows to get an emergency crew inside quickly, but no one arrived. It wasnt until 2:47 p.m. when he was  taking his last breaths that SWAT reached his room. In all, Klebold and Harris  killed 13 people  (twelve students and one teacher). Between the two of them, they fired 188 rounds of ammunition (67 by Klebold and 121 by Harris). Of the 76 bombs that Klebold and Harris threw during their 47-minute siege on Columbine, 30 exploded and 46 did not explode.​ In addition, they had planted 13 bombs in their cars (12 in Klebolds and one  in Harris) that did not explode and eight bombs at home. Plus, of course, the two propane bombs they planted in the cafeteria that did not explode. Who Is to Blame? No one can say for sure why Klebold and Harris committed such a horrific crime. Many people have come up with theories including being picked on in school, violent video games (Doom), violent movies (Natural Born Killers), music, racism,  Goth, problematic parents, depression, and more. It is hard to pinpoint one trigger that started these two boys on a murderous rampage. They worked hard to fool all those around them for over a year. Surprisingly, about a month before the event, the Klebold family took a four-day road trip to the  University of Arizona, where Dylan had been accepted for the following year. During the trip, the Klebolds didnt notice anything strange or unusual about Dylan. Counselors and others also didnt notice anything unusual. Looking back, there were  telltale hints and clues  that something was seriously wrong. Videotapes, journals, guns, and bombs in their rooms would have been easily found if the parents had looked. Harris had made a website with hateful epithets that could have been followed up on. The Columbine Massacre changed the way society looked at children and at schools. Violence was no longer just an after-school,  inner-city  occurrence. It could happen anywhere. Sources Bai, Matt. Anatomy of a Massacre.  Newsweek. 3 May 1999: 25-31.Columbine Report. Jefferson Countys Sheriffs Office. 15 May 2000.Columbine: Hope From Heartbreak.  Rocky Mountain News.Cullen, Dave. Columbine Report Released.  Salon.com. 16 May 2000.Cullen, Dave. Inside the Columbine High Investigation.  Salon.com. 23 Sept. 1999.Cullen, Dave. Kill Mankind. No one should survive.  Salon.com. 23 Sept. 1999.Dickenson, Amy. Where Were the Parents?  Time. 3 May 1999.Gibbs, Nancy. The Next Door: A Special Report on the Colorado School Massacre.  Time. 3 May 1999: 25-36.Levy, Steven. Loitering on the Dark Side.  Newsweek. 3 May 1999: 39.

Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Article Analysis - Essay Example It became apparent that retention rates within the organization were abysmal with approximately 50% of new hires would not last 97 days within the organization. Employee retention has significant associated costs, and a study by Cox/Frank for the U.S. Department of labor statistics estimated that in the supermarket context, employee turnover cuts into the industry’s profit by approximately 40%. It was from this study that Angela Hornsby decided that many of the problems that plagued the supermarket industry were similar to that of T.G.I. Fridays The article then went on to identify problems with retention. Firstly it is the case that many restaurants focus on turnover and not retention. Salary is not the most common reason for somebody leaving an organization. It was postulated that employers who provide their employees with better direction lose only about half of their employees in 148 days as opposed to 86 days which marks a 72% difference in the grocery industry. Furthermore it should be noted that retention drivers are different for management employees as opposed to hourly laborers. As such retention programs need to be tailored to meet the different needs of different employees. The article finally postulated that according to Teresa Siriani of the People report suggests that the restaurant industry’s high turnover can be attributed to many factors and no one simple problem. She suggested that a shrinking labor pool, declining employment rate (in 2006) and more competition amongst other labor fields such as health care will continue to make retention difficult. It is only through continual innovations can a restaurant hope to achieve better employee retention and as such lower the associated costs. The challenges presented in this article are simple. It is the case that in the restaurant (And Supermarket) industry there is inherently a very high employee turnover rate. The way that this affects the food and beverage

History of Conde Naste Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

History of Conde Naste - Essay Example Here, in this paper a well known company named Conde Nast’s marketing strategies and business model is to be discussed so as to analyze its market position. This paper helps in identifying the strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities and threats of the company, particularly in dealing with changing market environment, competition and digital development as business models. The founder of Conde Nast Publication (CNP) was Conde Montrose Nast. This company was established in the year 1907 by him, which is now a part of the Advanced Publication. It is also a renowned name in the industry of journalism and magazine of America along with other developed countries as well. Now-a-days this magazine empire is owned by Si Newhouse Jr. and goes by the name of Conde Nast. With over 30 prestigious magazines under its umbrella, including the titles of Fairchild Publications, the organization is one of the best known magazine conglomerates in the world. The company is particularly well known for its fashion magazines. The organization has also established a mark for its impressive headquarters and well designed cafeteria (Conde Nast, â€Å"Conde Nast home†). Conde Nast is the parent company to some of the globally renowned glossy magazines. It incorporates every specialized magazine, straddling topics as diverse as sports, architecture, gourmet cuisine, travel, literature, fashion, social life and observations, home decoration and popular culture. By the 1990s, the organization accommodated more than thirteen high profile magazines including Architectural Digest, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Street and Smiths Sports Group, Interest in House & Garden, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Brides, Self, Gentlemens Quarterly, Gourmet, Bon Appà ©tit, Condà © Nasts Traveller, Details, and Allure. It even developed a plan of introducing online internet based publications and magazines. Earlier, in 1909 the famous magazine Vogue

Employee Motivation and Incentives Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Employee Motivation and Incentives - Coursework Example Another factor that can inhibit commitment is that the goals of the organization are handed down to the employees rather than having the employees participate in the development of these goals. Employee participation in the development of goals will create more commitment towards achieving these goals, which in turn can influence turnover, willingness to help co-workers and team performance in terms of quality, quantity, cost and time. Studies have shown that employee commitment may translate into a willingness to help team members and improve team performance (Bishop, and Scott 1997). On the other hand low levels of commitment to both the organization and the team have been linked to absenteeism, turnover and intention to quit. 2. Why native moods are unequal Moods are long lasting feelings and are not necessarily tied to a particular cause. A person may be in a positive cheerful mood or a negative mood and feeling down. Therefore all native moods are not equal. Employees with posit ive mood tend to do better in the workplace because they cognitively process more efficiently and more appropriately. They are more open to taking in information and handle it professionally and objectively. Positive moods are linked to high performance and stronger commitment to the organization. On the other hand, a person with a negative mood performs poorly in the workplace which is linked to poor productivity, absenteeism and turnover. Researchers have found that the mood an employee brings to work has a stronger effect on the person’s overall mood though the day and on work performance when compared to mood changes caused by events in the workplace (University of Pennsylvania 2006: 1). According to Nancy Rothbard, Wharton management professor, a business’s performance might be enhanced by efforts to help employees cope with mood-affecting influences in their private lives. This includes advising employees on how to best handle commuting hassles or offering counse ling for family problems (University of Pennsylvania 2006: 1). 3. Importance of participation and its effect on work effectiveness Employee participation is defined as any workplace process which allows employees to exert some influence over their work and the conditions under which they work (Heller et al. 1998). One of the key factors that ensure employee participation is effective communication between the management and employees. Employee participation or â€Å"employee empowerment† as is the popular buzz word, improves work effectiveness. Employees have the ability, knowledge and expertise to assume greater responsibility in the workplace and can therefore make significant contributions to their organizations. Studies have confirmed that when organizations tap into this resource and involve their employees in decision making, the overall productivity of the organization increases. Employee participation also fulfills many of their psychological needs and serves as a mot ivating vehicle resulting in greater productivity and effectiveness for the organization. Participative management therefore stimulates employee enthusiasm and willingness to carry out decisions in which they have been involved. High performance organizations are now encouraging employee participation in decision-making because they realize that employees have a legitimate right to be involved in decisions

HR class wirtting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HR class wirtting - Essay Example Employee engagement leads to â€Å"better customer outcomes, employee retention and increased productivity and these are what every organization needs in order to thrive† (Hein, 2014). Employers should focus on the recency, frequency, duration, virality and ratings to be able to understand and analyze their engagement levels. Some of the tips in improving employee engagement include finding out what motivates the employees; setting goals and sharing organizational vision; constructing feedback on a regular basis; hiring the right managers; setting clear expectations; empowering employees; and gamification among others (Hein, 2014). Gamification is one of the useful tools used in an organization and it has many key metrics including employee engagement. It is one of the most effective ways to motivate employees thereby leading to greater satisfaction and higher productivity and performance in an organization (Hein, 2014). Generally, employee engagement is considered one of the most important and effective strategies to increase worker’s performance and productivity in an organization. It is one of the approaches designed at the workplace to ensure that all employees are committed to the organization’s goals and values. Notably, being committed to the organizational goals enables employees to enhance organization’s success and well-being. Engagement is a two-way relationship between the employer and employees. That is, engagement involves what employees think and feel about their employers, their emotional connection and their actions and perceptions of their colleagues and clients. Those organizations that consider employee engagement have strong established values, trust and fairness and mutual respect among members and the needs of every employee is understood and fulfilled accordingly. Employee engagement is the extent to which employees are motivated to contribute to organiza tional success

Surf Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Surf Culture - Research Paper Example Although surfing as we perceive it today became popular in the 1950s and 1960s, the sport is much older. Surfing was both a pastime as well as a training module and exercise regimen in the ancient Hawaiian culture, where priests would engage in ritual dances and chants to please the sea so as to provide good waves for surfing. Surfing for the ancient Hawaiians was also a means of resolving conflicts and they took great pride in testing their skills in fierce contests. As it became popular in California and Australia, in the early twentieth century, the invention of new varieties of lighter, better-designed surfboards with improved maneuverability made the sport more accessible to greater numbers of people. What revolutionized the sport perhaps more than any other invention was that of the wetsuit that allowed surfers to experiment with new and daring surfing maneuvers and enjoy the sport in all weathers. Today the subculture of surfing has become a way of life in many parts of the wo rld especially Hawaii, California, Florida and Australia. Surfing has numerous characteristics that tend to contribute to group cohesiveness. The beach which is the natural meeting ground of surfers is a place that all can share. Since surfers meet at particular places where the waves are rideable, their interactions help form connections on the basis of the shared interest, and the excitement and intensity of the sport adds a special bond of belonging to the group.

HR class wirtting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HR class wirtting - Essay Example Employee engagement leads to â€Å"better customer outcomes, employee retention and increased productivity and these are what every organization needs in order to thrive† (Hein, 2014). Employers should focus on the recency, frequency, duration, virality and ratings to be able to understand and analyze their engagement levels. Some of the tips in improving employee engagement include finding out what motivates the employees; setting goals and sharing organizational vision; constructing feedback on a regular basis; hiring the right managers; setting clear expectations; empowering employees; and gamification among others (Hein, 2014). Gamification is one of the useful tools used in an organization and it has many key metrics including employee engagement. It is one of the most effective ways to motivate employees thereby leading to greater satisfaction and higher productivity and performance in an organization (Hein, 2014). Generally, employee engagement is considered one of the most important and effective strategies to increase worker’s performance and productivity in an organization. It is one of the approaches designed at the workplace to ensure that all employees are committed to the organization’s goals and values. Notably, being committed to the organizational goals enables employees to enhance organization’s success and well-being. Engagement is a two-way relationship between the employer and employees. That is, engagement involves what employees think and feel about their employers, their emotional connection and their actions and perceptions of their colleagues and clients. Those organizations that consider employee engagement have strong established values, trust and fairness and mutual respect among members and the needs of every employee is understood and fulfilled accordingly. Employee engagement is the extent to which employees are motivated to contribute to organiza tional success

Delivering a business strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Delivering a business strategy - Case Study Example Employment of staff in an organization plays a major role in the running of the activities. It also dictates the rate of success. TNT puts this fact into consideration by ensuring that they have the best staffs for their various working areas in order to ensure an insight on the service delivery to their customers. TNT’s strategy is quite comprehensive in both ensuring good services and the outstanding difference of offering services. The stakeholder’s model of thinking is the core principle guiding the business plan of TNT. The strategy map depicts an environment of vetting to identify the legitimacy of the different categories of services. In so doing, the plan has been able to outline customer satisfaction as the end of the organization. Consequently, this earns the organization trust from the customers. A business strategy should aim to ensure improved continuity of the business. Customer satisfaction is one important factor that ensures royalty and consequent boosting of business. TNT plan has gone to an extra extend to offer solutions that are beyond the expectations of the customer. It has devised techniques that enable its customers to keep track on their working. It has incorporated technology to achieve this objective. The employment of professionals by the organization also enables it to be a step ahead of the customers’ expectations that earns it market security. Operational success stems on good services and products of an organization. The success of services in the market is highly dependent on innovativeness. This value ensures that there are constant but temporary competitive advantages in the market. This aspect reflects TNTs planning due to the flexibility of their plan. The organization can change its plan when necessary in order to counteract any emerging problem, which in business can be its proper running. TNT income growth is from its services. An effective sale of

Playmobil Toysâ€the Secret to the Years of Toy Craze Essay Example for Free

Playmobil Toys—the Secret to the Years of Toy Craze Essay A little over a century ago, you wouldn’t believe that Playmobil, one of the most loved toy companies, started out as a lock and fitting company originally called Metallwarenfabrik. It was founded by Andreas Brandstatter, a locksmith in Zindorf, Germany. It had a few years of great track record and was not only manufacturing locks, they were even manufacturing cash registers, telephones and other various sheet metal products coincidentally to be used for toy establishments. In the 1950s, the current owner of the company, Horst Branstatter shifted the company into plastic manufacturing and joined in on the Hula Hoop Craze, which is incidentally the start of an international craze for Playmobil Toys. But one question comes to mind, why do kids and parents go crazy for these Toys? For one, the company’s ideal for toys stem from its roots of lock and metal fitting—collecting all the right pieces and fitting them together to complete a set. Its collectability is one of its greatest marketing strategy. Same for the kids, it is a matter of pride once you manage to complete a set. Typically, most toy sets would have one center piece for the set and have multiple accessories. Each and every piece would have its individual uniqueness. The fun of having a toy is being able to divulge into a world of imagination using it as a medium. A single piece has complete functionality to fulfil its role on the set’s storyline, having functioning parts that can interact with its fellow toy pieces. This allows children of all ages to use their imagination to its full extent, giving never-ending fun on the part of the kids and a satisfied smile on their parents’ lips.

SLA: Language Acquisition Vs Learning

SLA: Language Acquisition Vs Learning Bilingualism 10/1/17 Introduction to Bilingualism During this lecture, I learned the definition and the importance of bilingualism. Throughout the years, the definition of bilingualism has changed slowly from possesses native-like control of two or more languages (Bloomfield, 1933) to operates in two languages on a daily basis (David, 1999, pg 157). As well as this, I also came to realise that there are a number of interconnected issues that affect bilingualism such as race, power, society, and culture. This interested me because I did not realise how much in the world affects bilingualism and how all of these issues are interconnected. For example, if a family are racist and have strong political views against immigrants, they are less likely to support bilingualism and their child/children are less likely to be open to learning a new language due to their parents views. Learning about bilingualism and understanding the importance of it will help me in my role as a teacher as it will help me to make bilingual children feel more com fortable and welcome in my classroom[A1]. In this lecture, we were put into groups and given a scenario about a bilingual child coming into the school. In the group that I was part of, our scenario was a young Spanish girl coming into primary 2. In our group, we discussed the importance of making this child feel welcome and ensuring that she understood what was going. To begin with, we thought that asking the child if she feels comfortable enough to share her background with class would be a good way to show her that as her teacher, I am interested in where she has come from while at the same establishing the level of English the child understands and can utilize. We also thought that having, for example, the colours up on a wall display in both English and Spanish would help the child to differentiate between both languages and get used to the English whilst still having the comfort of her first language. Using the Learning in 2+ Languages (2005) document during this lecture made me realise how important bilingualism is and how beneficial it can be for both young children and adults. I learned that bilingualism does not delay a childs cognitive development like some believe but brings a number of cognitive advantages such as a greater creative potential and a greater awareness of how languages operate. 17/1/17 Second Language Acquisition: Language Acquisition Vs Learning Throughout this session, I was introduced to a number of different hypotheses, and their criticisms, surrounding how a person acquires / learns a different language. According to Krashens Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis (1982) there are two distinct processes to learning a language: Acquisition or acquiring a language and Learning a language. Acquiring a language refers to the passive process of obtaining the subtleties of a language through natural learning however learning a language refers to the active process in which learners become aware of the rules of the language they are trying to learn. However, McLaughlin (1978) states that this theory is impossible to prove. This interested me as I had never realised that there was a belief that acquiring and learning a language were two different processes. Reflecting back to my own experiences of learning a language[A2], I was always taught the rules and grammar of language rather than acquiring it through natural processes therefore, in my own opinion, I believe that they are definitely two separate processes but I also believe that these are closely inter-connected. For me, the most interesting hypothesis that we were introduced to in this lecture was The Affective Filter Hypothesis. This is the idea that emotional variables can have an effect and prevent someone from learning a language. These include motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety. The lower the affective filter, the more language the student will acquire. This shows that a child with low self-confidence may not pick up a language as easily as a child with high self-confidence. According to the ONS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey (2004), 2.2% or about 96,000 children have an anxiety disorder. This shows that most likely, teachers will be faced with the challenge of trying to teach a language to a child who cannot acquire it as easily as the other children in the class. However, Krashen claims[A3] that children do not have the same affective filter as adults but also experience differences related to the affective filters. An affective filter only accounts for individual var iation in language acquisition, it cannot be applied to all children. As well as this, we also looked at the Count Us In A Sense of Belonging (2009) which highlighted the importance of improving the learning of some pupils. As well as this, the document made me aware of the shift in patters of migration, especially since 2004. Due to easier access and cheaper travel, the number of immigrants coming to Scotland has increased dramatically. Many of those immigrating to Scotland bring with them young children who have to be put into the schooling system. This Count Us In document emphasises the importance of teachers in supporting newly-arrived children and ensuring that they can access the curriculum. As a trainee primary teacher, this is extremely important to me as children must be able to access the curriculum in order to learn and succeed. 24/1/17 Language and Society Watching Jane Elliots experiments in prejudice both shocked me and intrigued me. The method that she uses to teach the children about discrimination is both effective and intriguing but it is also very wrong. However, this experiment took place in the 1960s therefore even though it is wrong in the current educational context, it may not have been as wrong then. By telling the children one day that the blue eyed people were better than the brown eyed people, it changed their attitudes towards each other drastically and even resulted in some children being aggressive to one another. As soon as the teacher mentions that the people with blue eyes are better and more superior than the children with brown eyes, the brown eyed children look upset and shocked whereas the blue eyed children think it is funny and they are excited. Jane Elliot forces the brown eyed children to wear collars and doesnt allow them to play on any of the playground equipment. She gives the blue eyed children special privileges and they take full advantage of these. In the reverse situation, the blue eyed children become upset and come to realise how the brown eyed children felt the day before. As well as this, we see that when the children are given privileges and are treated as superior, they do their work quicker and their learning is improved. At the end of this day, th e children all come back together and discuss how being discriminated against made them feel. One child described it as feeling like a dog on a leash. Many of the children came to realise that being discriminated against for something that you cannot control is one of the worst feelings and that no one should be discriminated against. This experiment made me realise that in my role as a primary teacher, it is essential to teach my pupils the importance of respecting everyone and treating everyone the same. Tomlinson (2005, pg 154) states that Failure to develop a curriculum for a multiethnic society has contributed to an increase in xenophobia and racism. This made me believe that equality is something that children need to become aware of at a young age and it is part of my job to make them aware of it. If, for example, a child of another race came into my classroom, my job would be to ensure that all the children in my classroom were respectful and did not treat them any different just because of the colour of their skin. While this experiment made me realise all of this, it also made me realise that when in a classroom, treating children differently can have a massive effect on their attitudes to one another therefore teachers need to be careful[A4]. 31/01/17 The Scottish Context The number of families immigrating to Scotland has increased throughout the years and, particularly in 2004, the number of immigrants that came to Scotland increased considerably (Count Us In, pg 2). During this lecture, we examined the statistics of both immigration and the number of immigrant children moving into new schools. For me as a developing primary teacher, it was interesting to see how the number of immigrants coming to Scotland affected the schooling statistics. The reasons that people move to another country can vary drastically. Many move for family reasons or new careers whereas others move because they want a place of safety. Immigration has a huge impact on both Scottish society and schools. As a society, we have to be more welcoming as a whole as well as just in the communities where the immigrants move to. Showing respect to all families and becoming aware of what some of these families will face every day is essential. When a family immigrate to Scotland and put their child(ren) into a school, it affects the school sector[A5]. As primary teachers, we must think about bilingualism and become aware of diversity. Inside the classroom, we have to ensure that the child is comfortable and understands what is going on at all times as it is our responsibility to make sure that they do not fall behind on the work and are learning. In my role as a primary teacher, it is important for me to expose children to a second language at a young age as this is the best window of opportunity and is more likely to lead the child to become bilingual than exposure to a second language in teenage or adult years. Many parents believe that they should not introduce a second language until they have fully established one language however it is more difficult to introduce a second language later on. As well as this, introducing a second language later on makes it difficult for parents to interact with this language and use it around the house. According to the Count Us In A Sense of Belonging document, a child learning a second language can benefit from a number of cognitive advantages that are associated with bilingualism. 14/02/17 Language and Identity The people that we spend the most time with have the biggest influence on our language and our identity. According to Baker (2006, pg 136) [A6]we construct our identities yet they are created and confined by other people, situations and influences on us. Everyone forms multiple social identities depending on the group and interactions with other people. Learning a second language is affected by our interactions with others and helps us to find a voice within a social group. As well as this, it is more than just gaining vocabulary and grammar, it is about being believed and being respected as language says things about our values and knowledge. There are many layers to our language and when we first learn to speak, we speak in the same ways as those around us. Introducing a second language at this stage can encourage a child to acquire the language quicker while learning it alongside their first language. During this lecture, we discussed the issues around age and second language acquisition. Younger learners are neither more nor less successful in second language acquisition than older learners however children who learn a second language in child do tend to achieve higher capability levels than those who begin after childhood. Even though length of exposure is an important factor in learning a second language, in a formal classroom setting, older learners tend to learn quicker than younger learners do.   In the early years, second language acquisition is dependent on the teacher providing suitable materials and resources to children and ensuring that learning is enjoyable. As a primary teacher, it is important to make learning a second language more enjoyable for my pupils through resources such as songs etc. By doing so, they are more likely to remember what I have taught them and they are more likely to be engaged in the lesson. 28/02/17 Supporting Bilingual Learners in the Classroom (1) Meeting the needs and supporting bilingual children is an essential role for a primary teacher. When a bilingual child first comes into a teachers classroom, it is important for you to find them a buddy that they can talk to, or if they are not comfortable talking, just listen to. This not only benefits the bilingual child, but there are also cognitive benefits for monolingual learners who work with bilingual learners and good practice for bilingual learners is good practice for all learners. In my role as a primary teacher, I need to ensure that I am supporting bilingual learners at all times as well as supporting all other children in my classroom. It is important to ensure that everyone in the classroom knows what is happening throughout[A7] every lesson. Cummins (1976) refers to The Threshold Theory which describes the relationship between cognition and the level of bilingualism. The theory is represented as a house which has three floors and two linguistic ladders, representing L1 and L2, on each side. The further up they are on the ladders and floors, the greater chance the children have of being bilingual and obtaining cognitive advantages. As well as this, Cummins (1980, 1981) uses an Iceberg Analogy and describes a common underlying proficiency between the first language (L1) and the second language (L2). Cummins explains that when using two or more languages, there is a common source where ideas come from meaning that individuals can use two or more language with ease. Listening, reading, speaking and writing in the L1 or L2 helps to develop the cognitive system however the language that the learner uses must be well developed in order to be able to process the cognitive challenges of the classroom. Towards the end of this lecture, we focused on discussing the importance of supporting the development of English as an additional language (EAL) in the classroom. New arrivals must feel welcomed and be placed in an appropriate group based on their age and ability meaning that the school and class teacher must take into account the childs previous education background. By carefully placing the child into an appropriate group, the teacher can carefully monitor them and take account of the advantages of collaborative learning. Class tasks must be appropriately planned and appropriately scaffolded to support EAL learners. Supporting beginners in English is essential and there are a number of strategies which can be used to help these children. For example, composing sentence halves to be matched or creating gaps in sentences to be filled. As previously mentioned, good practice for bilingual children is good practice for all children therefore activities like this not only help EAL learn ers but also help all other children in the classroom. Pairing a child who has a good grasp of the English language with an EAL learner can help when these activities take place as they can help the EAL learner to understand how the sentences work and why the halves go together if they do not fully grasp the concept. [A8] References Baker, C. (2011) Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. 5th Ed. McNaughton Gunn; USA Baker, C. (2006) Foundation of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 4th ed. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters Bloomfield, L. (1933) Language. Holt; New York Cummins, J. (1976) The Influence of Bilingualism on Cognitive Growth: A Synthesis of Research Findings and Explanatory Hypotheses. Working Papers on Bilingualism, No. 9. David, T. (1999) Young Children Learning. Bilingual Children in a Monolingual Society. Sage: London Her Majestys Inspectorate of Education (2009) Count us in: A Sense of Belonging Meeting the Needs of Children and Young People Newly Arrived in Scotland. [Online] Available: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/cuimnnus_tcm4-618947.pdf [Accessed: 17/1/17]. Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTScotland). 2005. Learning in 2(+) languages. Ensuring effective inclusion for bilingual learners. Good practice for teachers, educational establishments and local authorities. Dundee: LTScotland. ONS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey (2004) Accessed : http://www.youngminds.org.uk/training_services/policy/mental_health_statistics [Date Accessed: 17/1/17] Tomlinson, S. (2005b) Race, Ethnicity and Education under New Labour, Oxford, inOxford Review of Education Vol. 31, No. 1, March 2005, pp. 153-171 [A1]Good point [A2]good [A3](ibid.)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? [A4]Good commentary [A5]How/in what way(s)? [A6] [A7]And why? [A8]Well written and fluent; make sure that all LOs can be covered by your choice of journal entries: we will discuss ICT Support in Business: Cisco Case Study ICT Support in Business: Cisco Case Study Ting Cheuk Sze Topic: How do you think ICT / Information System infrastructure and IT strategy at Cisco is supporting the business? (1451words) A) A short summary of Nolans (1973) stages of growth model Nolan describes a learning curve in the development of data processing in 1974 Harvard Business Review. Nolan believes that organizations need to understand the growth characteristics associated with each stage of development. Understanding this curve is conducive to help organizations effective implementation of information technology. The first version consisted the stages of initiation, Contagion, Control, Integration. It eventually expanded to six stages in 1979, which include Data administration and Maturity. Nolans main content of the stage model: Stage I, Initiation The organisation introduces computer system to increase its competitiveness. Data processing costs are lack of control, the establishment of information systems often do not pay attention to economic efficiency in this stage. Stage II, Contagion Information technology applications began to spread in the organisation. The organisation managers began to pay attention to the economic benefits of information systems investment, but the real control does not exist. Stage III, Control The management information system became a formal department to control its internal activities and launched a project management plan and a system development methodology. The current application began to formal, and lay the foundation for the future development of information systems. Stage IV, Integration Organizations began to use databases and telematics technologies to consolidate existing information systems. Which is the stage that previous systems are integrated with the newer systems. Stage V, Data administration The organization begins to examine and evaluate the various costs and benefits of information system construction, and analyzes and resolves issues of balance and coordination in all areas of information systems investment. Stage VI, Maturity At this stage, the information system can meet the needs of enterprises at all levels. the enterprise will integrate the management process together with the internal and external resources, thus enhancing the competitiveness and development potential of the enterprise. B) Apply Nolans Stage of Growth Model (1973) in Cisco case In this essay, I will discuss the Cisco case by using Nolan model stage by stage and show how Cisco was following the Nolan model during the system develop process. Moreover, discuss about the problem when Cisco tried to process to the next stage. For the Cisco case, I will focus on the first version of Nolans Stage of Growth Model (1973) as the essay question require, which is only consider four stages, Initiation, Contagion, Control and Integration stages. Moreover, the fifth stage will be discussed which because it may appropriate in the Cisco case, which is Data administration stage. I will not discuss about the sixth stage. In my view, Cisco had not process to the sixth stage form the case study(2004). Cisco is one of the example can be explain by Nolans Stages of Growth Model. Nolans (1973) stages of growth model framework is appropriate in the Cisco development process because they are similar which Cisco development process is also following the stage that mention in Nolans model. The model summarises the experiences and law of development of management information systems. It is generally assumed that the phases in the model are not jumpable, because the organization needs some experience before preparing for the next phase of work. The development process in Cisco is almost same as the Nolans model. its basic idea for the construction of management information system is instructive. In-depth understanding of Nolan model may help organisations more effectively manage the process. Although these phases contain some natural growth processes, these growth processes can be effectively coordinated and managed, so that each stage represents a change in the order of planning and manag ement. The first two stages: Initiation and Contagion Cisco was already experience first two stage before Peter Solvik joined Cisco as its CIO in 1993.1984, Cisco Systems was founded in the United States, the founders are two computer scientists from Stanford University. Computer was introduced when the company was founded. Computer is a necessary equipment for the company because the products and computer are complement in the production line. However, there were only a few individuals can use the computer, for example, the two computer scientist founders. After the expansion of Cisco, Enterprises had a certain understanding of the computer. They would like to use computers to solve problems at work, such as more data processing, management and business to bring convenience. Thus, the application began to increase demand, IT applications began to generate interest in enterprises, and the development of software enthusiasm, investment began to increase significantly. It is easy to blindly purchase, blind development of custom software p henomenon, the lack of planning and planning, so the application level is not high, the overall effectiveness of IT cannot be highlighted as Nolan (1974) has been discussed on his paper. Until Peter Solvik joined Cisco, he recognized the problem from the second stage(Contagion), such as data redundancy, data inconsistency, and the date was hard to share. Business managers realized that the use of computers applications was out of control, IT investment growth was fast, but the benefits were not satisfactory. He tried to begin to control the overall development of computer systems, such as the reorganize the IT budget planning, replaced committee and change the reporting relationship. However, Cisco was still stunning in the beginning of the third stage. The third stage: Control Boston joined Cisco as a new CIO after Solvik left in 2001. He finds that there is an ineffectiveness investment on the customized tools. There were nine different tools to access the customer order which create multiple data and different definition on explanation with the order. He thought the conflicts and redundancies is occur because there were not centralized team checking for the company systems which lead to a rise of unnecessary tools. As Nolan (1974) discuss, for the need to control the cost of data processing, managers began to convene users from different sectors of the Committee, to jointly plan the development of information systems. The management information system became a formal department to control its internal activities and launched a project management plan and a system development methodology. The current application began to formal, and lay the foundation for the future development of information systems. In the Cisco case, Boston stopped the investment of th e new tools applications and upgraded its ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system, solving the reporting and intelligence problem and developing its customer database. The fourth stage: Integration Boston also focused on funding IT project. It makes the company process to the fourth stage, which is Integration stage. Organizations from the management of computer management information resources. From the first stage to the third stage, usually a lot of independent entities. Based on control, enterprises began to re-planning and design, the establishment of basic database, and build a unified information management system. Enterprise IT construction began by the scattered and single-point development into a system. At this point, corporate executives began unified different enterprise IT organizations systems into a single system for management. People, financial, material and other resources can be integrated in the enterprise sharing, lead to more effective use of existing IT systems and resources. Nolan recognized such integration costs will be higher, longer, and the system is more unstable. However, Cisco did not in the case. Boston encouraged his team being carefully in th e enterprise project, tried to reduce the multiple data and different definitions of the order problem to avoid the future large scale of cleanups. It was because it will increase the unnecessary spending if it is useless. The fifth stage: Data administration In this stage, the organization began a comprehensive study and evaluation of the various costs and benefits of information system construction. The challenges had occurred in Cisco, the process of funding budget in a pool from different groups across the world is complex. It is hard to show the benefit of the new enterprise project to every group. Boston started to consider about the communication between the group on order to increase efficacy when starting a new project. This stage, enterprises began to select a unified database platform, data management system and information management platform, unified data management and use of various departments, the basic realization of the system integration of resources, information sharing. IT system planning and resource utilization more efficient. Conclusion Nolan stage model summarizes the experiences and rules of management information system development, and its basic idea has guiding significance for the construction of management information system.it can be apply in the Cisco case. Nolans (1973) stages of growth model framework is appropriate in the Cisco development process because they are similar which Cisco development process is also following the stage that mention in Nolans model. Cisco was experience from the first stage when it has been founded in 1984 and continue to the fifth stage in 2004. (1451 words) Bibliography Andrew Mcafee, F. Warren Mcfarlan, Alison Berkley wagonfeld (2004) ,Enterprise IT at Cisco. Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163. Nonna, Richard. Managing The Crisis In Data Processing. Harvard Business Review. 57 (2): 115-126. Nolan, Richard (1973). Managing The Computer Resource: A Stage Hypothesis. Communications of the ACM. 16 (4): 399-405