A Time for Men to Fight for Their Country in A Farewell to...

World War I began in 1914 and lasted until the end of 1918. In that time young men had to go to the front and fight for their country. It is also the time when Ernest Hemingway’s novel A Farewell to Arms takes place. It talks about Frederic Henry, a young American who is an ambulance driver for the Italian army. He is also the novel’s narrative and protagonist. He falls in love with an English nurse, Catherine Barkley. She is the main woman character in the novel and it is noticeable how she is shown as a stereotypical female during World War I. Throughout the novel we can see how women are shown in a stereotypical way and how they were mistreated by men. The purpose of this essay is firstly to analyze how Hemingway describes women in his†¦show more content†¦Assadnassab (2005, 6) This shows the common thinking that women do not belong in professions that were initially meant to be done by men. When Henry returns form his leave, he meets Catherine Barkley. At first they both just want to have fun to take their minds off their personal problems. Henry comments his relationship with Catherine: â€Å"I did not love Catherine Barkley nor had any idea of loving her. This was a game, like bridge, in which you said things instead of playing cards. Like bridge you had to pretend you were playing for money or playing for some stakes. Nobody had mentioned what the stakes were. It was all right with me.† Hemingway (534) Henry goes back to the battlefield, where he gets wounded and then brought to a hospital in Milan to recover. There he finds out that Catherine has been transferred to Milan and begins his healing under her care. Catherine would do anything to please Henry and it can be seen how Henry takes advantage of her to work night shifts in order to stay with him and have sex with him. Even when their relationship intensifies and Henry falls in love with Catherine she is willing to do anything for him. After his leg has healed, Henry is given three weeks of convalescence leave, which is then revoked, because he got jaundice from drinking. Before he had to return to the front, Catherine reveals to him that she is pregnant and she does not want to make trouble for him. â€Å"I’m going to have a baby, darling. It’sShow MoreRelatedThe Motif of Ernest Hemingway ´s A Farewell to Arms 1073 Words   |  5 Pagesevents that remind humans of morals or things that are important. In the novel â€Å"A Farewell to Arms† many events come again and again. Usually, these events that repeat or come again have a deeper message inscribed in the text. This is not unlike whereas the novel â€Å"The Great Gatsby† has weather that unfailingly matches up with the tone and mood of the text. The author Ernest Hemingway has created â€Å"A Farewell to Arms† with a motif that is very precise. The motif of rain and nature in Hemingway’s novelRead MoreCoping with War: A Comparison Between Slaughterhouse Five and A Farewell to Arms1630 Words   |  7 PagesEarnest Hemmingway once said Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime. (Ernest Hemingway: A Literary Reference) War is a gruesome and trag ic thing and affects people differently. Both Vonnegut and Hemmingway discus this idea in their novels A Farewell to Arms and Slaughterhouse Five. Both of the novels deal not only with war stories but other genres, be it a science fiction story in Vonnegut’s case or a love story in Hemingway’s. Despite all the similarities

Forward the Foundation Chapter 20 Free Essays

string(38) " use talking to your father about it\." 22 Yugo Amaryl said, â€Å"Here you are again, Dors.† â€Å"Sorry, Yugo. I’m bothering you twice this week. We will write a custom essay sample on Forward the Foundation Chapter 20 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Actually you don’t see anyone very often, do you?† Amaryl said, â€Å"I don’t encourage people to visit me, no. They tend to interrupt me and break my line of thought. Not you, Dors. You’re altogether special, you and Hari. There’s never a day I don’t remember what you two have done for me.† Dors waved her hand. â€Å"Forget it, Yugo. You’ve worked hard for Hari and any trifling kindness we did for you has long been overpaid. How is the Project going? Hari never talks about it-not to me, anyway.† Amaryl’s face lightened and his whole body seemed to take on an infusion of life. â€Å"Very well. Very well. It’s difficult to talk about it without mathematics, but the progress we’ve made in the last two years is amazing-more than in all the time before that. It’s as though, after we’ve been hammering away and hammering away, things have finally begun to break loose.† â€Å"I’ve been hearing that the new equations worked out by Dr. Elar have helped the situation.† â€Å"The achaotic equations? Yes. Enormously.† â€Å"And the Electro-Clarifier has been helpful, too. I spoke to the woman who designed it.† â€Å"Cinda Monay?† â€Å"Yes. That’s the one.† â€Å"A very clever woman. We’re fortunate to have her.† â€Å"Tell me, Yugo-You work at the Prime Radiant virtually all the time, don’t you?† â€Å"I’m more or less constantly studying it. Yes.† â€Å"And you study it with the Electro-Clarifier.† â€Å"Certainly.† â€Å"Don’t you ever think of taking a vacation, Yugo?† Amaryl looked at her owlishly, blinking slowly. â€Å"A vacation?† â€Å"Yes. Surely you’ve heard the word. You know what a vacation is.† â€Å"Why should I take a vacation?† â€Å"Because you seem dreadfully tired to me.† â€Å"A little, now and then. But I don’t want to leave the work.† â€Å"Do you feel more tired now than you used to?† â€Å"A little. I’m getting older, Dors.† â€Å"You’re only forty-nine.† â€Å"That’s still older than I’ve ever been before.† â€Å"Well, let it go. Tell me, Yugo-just to change the subject. How is Hari doing at his work? You’ve been with him so long that no one could possibly know him better than you do. Not even I. At least, as far as his work is concerned.† â€Å"He’s doing very well, Dors. I see no change in him. He still has the quickest and brightest brain in the place. Age is having no effect on him-at least, not so far.† â€Å"That’s good to hear. I’m afraid that his own opinion of himself is not as high as yours is. He’s not taking his age well. We had a difficult time getting him to celebrate his recent birthday. Were you at the festivities, by the way? I didn’t see you.† â€Å"I attended part of the time. But, you know, parties of that kind are not the sort of thing I feel at home with.† â€Å"Do you think Hari is wearing out? I’m not referring to his mental brilliance. I’m referring to his physical capacities. In your opinion, is he growing tired-too tired to bear up under his responsibilities?† Amaryl looked astonished. â€Å"I never gave it any thought. I can’t imagine him growing tired.† â€Å"He may be, just the same. I think he has the impulse, now and then, to give up his post and hand the task over to some younger man.† Amaryl sat back in his chair and put down the graphic stylus he had been fiddling with ever since Dors had entered. â€Å"What! That’s ridiculous! Impossible!† â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Absolutely. He certainly wouldn’t consider such a thing without discussing it with me. And he hasn’t.† â€Å"Be reasonable, Yugo. Hari is exhausted. He tries not to show it, but he is. What if he does decide to retire? What would become of the Project? What would become of psychohistory?† Amaryl’s eyes narrowed. â€Å"Are you joking, Dors?† â€Å"No. I’m just trying to look into the future.† â€Å"Surely, if Hari retires, I succeed to the post. He and I ran the Project for years before anyone else joined us. He and I. No one else. Except for him, no one knows the Project as I do. I’m amazed you don’t take my succession for granted, Dors.† Dors said, â€Å"There’s no question in my mind or in anyone else’s that you are the logical successor, but do you want to be? You may know everything about psychohistory, but do you want to throw yourself into the politics and complexities of a large Project and abandon much of your work in order to do so? Actually it’s trying to keep everything moving smoothly that’s been wearing Hari down. Can you take on that part of the job?† â€Å"Yes, I can and it’s not something I intend to discuss. Look here, Dors. Did you come here to break the news that Hari intends to ease me out?† Dors said, â€Å"Certainly not! How could you think that of Hari! Have you ever known him to turn on a friend?† â€Å"Very well, then. Let’s drop the subject. Really, Dors, if you don’t mind, there are things I must do.† Abruptly he turned away from her and bent over his work once more. â€Å"Of course. I didn’t mean to take up this much of your time.† Dors left, frowning. 23 Raych said, â€Å"Come in, Mom. The coast is clear. I’ve sent Manella and Wanda off somewhere.† Dors entered, looked right and left out of sheer habit, and sat down in the nearest chair. â€Å"Thanks,† said Dors. For a while she simply sat there, looking as if the weight of the Empire were on her shoulders. Raych waited, then said, â€Å"I never got a chance to ask you about your wild trip into the Palace grounds. It isn’t every guy who has a mom who can do that.† â€Å"We’re not talking about that, Raych.† â€Å"Well then, tell me. **You’re not one for giving anything away by facial expressions, but you look sorta down. Why is that?† â€Å"Because I feel, as you say, sorta down. In fact, I’m in a bad mood because I have terribly important things on my mind and there’s no use talking to your father about it. You read "Forward the Foundation Chapter 20" in category "Essay examples" He’s the most wonderful man in the world, but he’s very hard to handle. There’s no chance that he’d take an interest in the dramatic. He dismisses it all as my irrational fears for his life-and my subsequent attempts to protect him.† â€Å"Come on, Mom, you do seem to have irrational fears where Dad’s concerned. If you’ve got something dramatic in mind, it’s probably all wrong.† â€Å"Thank you. You sound just like he does and you leave me frustrated. Absolutely frustrated.† â€Å"Well then, unburden yourself, Mom. Tell me what’s on your mind. From the beginning.† â€Å"It starts with Wanda’s dream.† â€Å"Wanda’s dream! Mom! Maybe you’d better stop right now. I know that Dad won’t want to listen if you start that way. I mean, come on. A little kid has a dream and you make a big deal of it. That’s ridiculous.† â€Å"I don’t think it was a dream, Raych. I think what she thought was a dream were two real people, talking about what she thought concerned the death of her grandfather.† â€Å"That’s a wild guess on your part. What possible chance does this have of being true?† â€Å"Just suppose it is true. The one phrase that remained with her was ‘lemonade death.’ Why should she dream that? It’s much more likely that she heard that and distorted the words she heard-in which case, what were the undistorted words?† â€Å"I can’t tell you,† said Raych, his voice incredulous. Dors did not fail to catch that. â€Å"You think this is just my sick invention. Still, if I happen to be right, I might be at the start of unraveling a conspiracy against Hari right here in the Project.† â€Å"Are there conspiracies in the Project? That sounds as impossible to me as finding significance in a dream.† â€Å"Every large project is riddled with angers, frictions, jealousies of all sorts.† â€Å"Sure. Sure. We’re talking nasty words and faces and nose thumbing and tale bearing. That’s nothing at all like talking conspiracy. It’s not like talking about killing Dad.† â€Å"It’s just a difference in degree. A small difference-maybe.† â€Å"You’ll never make Dad believe that. For that matter, you’ll never make me believe that.† Raych walked hastily across the room and back again, â€Å"And you’ve been trying to nose out this so-called conspiracy, have you?† Dors nodded. â€Å"And you’ve failed.† Dors nodded. â€Å"Doesn’t it occur to you that you’ve failed because there is no conspiracy, Mom?† Dors shook her head. â€Å"I’ve failed so far, but that doesn’t shake my belief that one exists. I have that feeling.† Raych laughed. â€Å"You sound very ordinary, Mom. I would expect more from you than ‘I have that feeling.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ â€Å"There is one phrase that I think can be distorted into ‘lemonade.’ That’s ‘layman-aided.’ â€Å" â€Å"Laymanayded? What’s that?† â€Å"Layman-aided. Two words. A layman is what the mathematicians at the Project call nonmathematicians.† â€Å"Well?† â€Å"Suppose,† interjected Dors firmly, â€Å"someone spoke of ‘layman-aided death,’ meaning that some way could be found to kill Hari in which one or more nonmathematicians would play an essential role. Might that not have sounded to Wanda like ‘lemonade death,’ considering that she had never heard the phrase ‘layman-aided’ any more than you did, but that she was extraordinarily fond of lemonade?† â€Å"Are you trying to tell me that there were people in Dad’s private office, of all places. How many people, by the way?† â€Å"Wanda, in describing her dream, says two. My own feeling is that one of the two was none other than Colonel Hender Linn of the junta and that he was being shown the Prime Radiant and that there must have been a discussion involving the elimination of Hari.† â€Å"You’re getting wilder and wilder, Mom. Colonel Linn and another man in Dad’s office talking murder and not knowing that there was a little girl hidden in a chair, overhearing them? Is that it?† â€Å"More or less.† â€Å"In that case, if there is mention of laymen, then one of the people, presumably the one that isn’t Linn, must be a mathematician.† â€Å"It would seem to be so.† â€Å"That seems utterly impossible. But even if it were true, which mathematician do you suppose might be in question? There are at least fifty in the Project.† â€Å"I haven’t questioned them all. I’ve questioned a few and some laymen, too, for that matter, but I have uncovered no leads. Of course, I can’t be too open in my questions.† â€Å"In short, no one you have interviewed has given you any lead on any dangerous conspiracy.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"I’m not surprised. They haven’t done so, because-â€Å" â€Å"I know your ‘because,’ Raych. Do you suppose people are going to break down and give away conspiracies under mild questioning? I am in no position to try to beat the information out of anyone. Can you imagine what your father would say if I upset one of his precious mathematicians?† Then, with a sudden change in the intonation of her voice, she said, â€Å"Raych, have you talked to Yugo Amaryl lately?† â€Å"No, not recently. He’s not one of your sociable creatures, you know. If you pulled the psychohistory out of him, he’d collapse into a little pile of dry skin.† Dors made a face at the picture and said, â€Å"I’ve talked to him twice recently and he seems to me to be a little withdrawn. I don’t mean just tired. It is almost as though he’s not aware of the world.† â€Å"Yes. That’s Yugo.† â€Å"Is he getting worse lately?† Raych thought awhile. â€Å"He might be. He’s getting older, you know. We all are. Except you, Mom.† â€Å"Would you say that Yugo had crossed the line and become a little unstable, Raych?† â€Å"Who? Yugo? He has nothing to be unstable about. Or with. Just leave him at his psychohistory and he’ll mumble quietly to himself for the rest of his life.† â€Å"I don’t think so. There is something that interests him-and very strongly, too. That’s the succession.† â€Å"What succession?† â€Å"I mentioned that someday your father might want to retire and it turns out that Yugo is determined-absolutely determined-to be his successor.† â€Å"I’m not surprised. I imagine that everyone agrees that Yugo is the natural successor. I’m sure Dad thinks so, too.† â€Å"But he seemed to me to be not quite normal about it. He thought I was coming to him to break the news that Hari had shoved him aside in favor of someone else. Can you imagine anyone thinking that of Hari?† â€Å"It is surprising-† Raych interrupted himself and favored his mother with a long look. He said, â€Å"Mom, are you getting ready to tell me that it might be Yugo who’s at the heart of this conspiracy you’re speaking of? That he wants to get rid of Dad and take over?† â€Å"Is that entirely impossible?† â€Å"Yes, it is, Mom. Entirely. If there’s anything wrong with Yugo, it’s overwork and nothing else. Staring at all those equations or whatever they are, all day and half the night, would drive anyone crazy.† Dors rose to her feet with a jerk. â€Å"You’re right.† Raych, startled, said, â€Å"What’s the matter?† â€Å"What you’ve said. It’s given me an entirely new idea. A crucial one, I think.† Turning, without another word, she left. 24 Dors Venabili disapproved, as she said to Hari Seldon â€Å"You’ve spent four days at the Galactic Library. Completely out of touch and again you managed to go without me.† Husband and wife stared at each other’s image on their holoscreens. Hari had just returned from a research trip to the Galactic Library in Imperial Sector. He was calling Dors from his Project office to let her know he’d returned to Streeling. Even in anger, thought Hari, Dors is beautiful. He wished he could reach out and touch her cheek. â€Å"Dors,† he began, a placating note in his voice, â€Å"I did not go alone. I had a number of people with me and the Galactic Library, of all places, is safe for scholars, even in these turbulent times. I am going to have to be at the Library more and more often, I think, as time goes on.† â€Å"And you’re going to continue to do it without telling me?† â€Å"Dors, I can’t live according to these death-filled views of yours. Nor do I want you running after me and upsetting the librarians. They’re not the junta. I need them and I don’t want to make them angry. But I do think that I-we-should take an apartment nearby.† Dors looked grim, shook her head, and changed the subject. â€Å"Do you know that I had two talks with Yugo recently?† â€Å"Good. I’m glad you did. He needs contact with the outside world.† â€Å"Yes, he does, because something’s wrong with him. He’s not the Hugo we’ve had with us all these years. He’s become vague, distant, and-oddly enough-passionate on only one point, as nearly as I can tell-his determination to succeed you on your retirement.† â€Å"That would be natural-if he survives me.† â€Å"Don’t you expect him to survive you?† â€Å"Well, he’s eleven years younger than I am, but the vicissitudes of circumstance-â€Å" â€Å"What you really mean is that you recognize that Yugo is in a bad way. He looks and acts older than you do, for all his younger age, and that seems to be a rather recent development. Is he ill?† â€Å"Physically? I don’t think so. He has his periodic examinations. I’ll admit, though, that he seems drained. I’ve tried to persuade him to take a vacation for a few months-a whole year’s sabbatical, if he wishes. I’ve suggested that he leave Trantor altogether, just so that he is as far away from the Project as possible for a while. There would be no problem in financing his stay on Getorin-which is a pleasant resort world not too many light-years away.† Dors shook her head impatiently. â€Å"And, of course, he won’t. I suggested a vacation to him and he acted as though he didn’t know the meaning of the word. He absolutely refused.† â€Å"So what can we do?† said Seldon. Dors said, â€Å"We can think a little. Yugo worked for a quarter of a century on the Project and seemed to maintain his strength without any trouble at all and now suddenly he has weakened. It can’t be age. He’s not yet fifty.† â€Å"Are you suggesting something?† â€Å"Yes. How long have you and Yugo been using this Electro-Clarifier thing on your Prime Radiants?† â€Å"About two years-maybe a little more.† â€Å"I presume that the Electro-Clarifier is used by anyone who uses the Prime Radiant.† â€Å"That’s right.† â€Å"Which means Yugo and you, mostly?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And Yugo more than you?† â€Å"Yes. Yugo concentrates fiercely on the Prime Radiant and its equations. I, unfortunately, have to spend much of my time on administrative duties.† â€Å"And what effect does the Electro-Clarifier have on the human body?† Seldon looked surprised. â€Å"Nothing of any significance that I am aware of.† â€Å"In that case, explain something to me, Hari. The Electro-Clarifier has been in operation for over two years and in that time you’ve grown measurably more tired, crotchety, and a little out of touch. Why is that?†** â€Å"I’m getting older, Dors.† â€Å"Nonsense. Whoever told you that sixty is crystallized senility? You’re using your age as a crutch and a defense and I want you to stop it. Yugo, though he’s younger, has been exposed to the Electro-Clarifier more than you have and, as a result, he is more tired, more crotchety, and, in my opinion, a great deal less in touch than you are. And he is rather childishly intense about the succession. Don’t you see anything significant in this?† â€Å"Age and overwork. That’s significant.† â€Å"No, it’s the Electro-Clarifier. It’s having a long-term effect on the two of you.† After a pause, Seldon said, â€Å"I can’t disprove that, Dors, but I don’t see how it’s possible. The Electro-Clarifier is a device that produces an unusual electronic field, but it is still only a field of the type to which human beings are constantly exposed. It can’t do any unusual harm. In any case, we can’t give up its use. There’s no way of continuing the progress of the Project without it.† â€Å"Now, Hari, I must ask something of you and you must cooperate with me on this. Go nowhere outside the Project without telling me and do nothing out of the ordinary without telling me. Do you understand?† â€Å"Dors, how can I agree to this? You’re trying to put me into a straitjacket.† â€Å"It’s just for a while. A few days. A week.† â€Å"What’s going to happen in a few days or a week?† Dors said, â€Å"Trust me. I will clear up everything.† How to cite Forward the Foundation Chapter 20, Essay examples

Business Processes Supported by a Supply Chain Management Information

Questions: 1. Briefly describe the business processes supported by a Supply Chain Management (SCM) information system. In a global business like Emerson what are the advantages and disadvantages of using a SCM information system? With Emersons many divisions using different suppliers, what would be the benefits of using a single SCM information system for all of its divisions? 2. Global companies like Emerson have suppliers, manufacturing, distribution, and retail operations. List and briefly describe the technologies and devices (used for input, output, and communication) that are used with SCM information systems. Choose two different input devices and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each. Discuss the benefits that they provide to the business? 3. Consider that you have to implement a new SCM information system for Emerson. Describe each of the different implementation options. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different implementation options. Make a recommendation and justify? 4. Modern SCM information systems and with the use of other technologies have supported businesses in improving environmental sustainability by reducing carbon emissions. Research and find an example. Briefly describe the system and how it works and how carbon emissions where reduced. Discuss what decision making is performed and how does the SCM information system contribute to the decision making. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to the business? Answers: 1) Supply chain management is said to support several processes like that of inventory management, order management, logistics, procurement, forecasting as well as planning, and that of return management. This is helpful for the companies operating in the current business environment to achieve as well as maintain competitive edge by enhancing their streamline as well as facilitating all operations (Special Topic Forum on Resources and Supply Chain Management, 2013). A firm may maximize cost effectiveness, enhance productivity, and provide them with increased competences in the most competitive business environment. For modern business firms like that of the Emerson, supply chain management may prove to be immensely beneficial in numerous ways. It provides the business with a competitive advantage within the marketplace that helps in mitigating the risks related to the acquiring of raw materials as well as deliver of products or services (Bhakoo and Chan, 2011). With successful implementation of supply chain management system, the firm may reduce waste, shipping delays, and even overhead costs greatly. Some of the advantages of supply chain management upon the business firm may be enlisted as: quality assurance where the firm may improve its operation by means of effective quality techniques; inventory buffers where the supply chain management system include the level of the inventory buffer with care analysis of previous trends (Sparling, 2002). Often the concept of variability within customer spending demands for management of inventories in way which minimizes initial holding cost during gene rating adequate flexibility to satisfy client demands. Another advantage the system may render is risk mitigation. The system helps in organizing risks as well as assessing the potential for various failures whether internal or external. Without such a system, this mentioned firm may suffer from legal risks as well as liabilities. Implementation of such a supply chain management system bears some disadvantages as well. The most concerning demerit is that of the heavy investment of finance, resources, and time that are required to implement as well as maintain the system (Shaikh, 2014). The decision of outsourcing of a product or service reduces the expense of business of a firm by means of supply chain management, but it can result in customer backlash. It is not enough just to consider price as well as quality, but a firm needs to make sure that every organization cooperates for benefiting the firm. Emerson is a huge company and it has several divisions having different suppliers. If it uses a single supply chain management system for all its divisions, then the advantage is that there would be single effective information source where information would be stored in a proper manner without any commotion (Khorheh, Eslami and Davarzani, 2012). This would give the higher authority an effective control over all operations of the firm. 2) Some of the associated technologies with that of the supply chain management are Electronic Data Interchange, Workstation Collaboration, and Portals. The basic foundation for supplier collaboration refers to the capability of communication in an effective manner with all individuals as well as organizations that provide the firm with raw materials for manufacturing final products or services (Scholten, Sharkey Scott and Fynes, 2014). With increasing technological advancements within business environment, the demand for computer technologies have gone up that supports communication. Supply chain management is dependent upon the real time data flows at various levels for ensuring optimum decision process effectiveness as well as customer satisfaction. Communication at various levels at the same time needs a thorough understanding of all required decisions by specific authorities. Software programs as well as cloud computing are useful in tracking materials as well as products with real time status updates. Computerized shipping as well as tracking, and that of electronic invoicing are integrated elements of a latest supply chain management system which is designed for keeping clients contented (Priem and Swink, 2012). It is important to involve product design coordination, creating information technological infrastructure for supporting various related operations by aligning effective strategies to enhance partnerships with suppliers. Besides, regular distribution planning is important to ensure thorough implementing steps have been followed. With successful implementation of supply chain management system, the firm may reduce waste, shipping delays, and even overhead costs greatly. Some of the advantages of supply chain management upon the business firm may be enlisted as: quality assurance where the firm may improve its operation by means of effective quali ty techniques; inventory buffers where the supply chain management system include the level of the inventory buffer with care analysis of previous trends. 3) There are various methods of implementation of supply chain management that are worth mentioning. These include: Assessing supply chain opportunities, customer service strategy, transaction survey, value chain mapping, communication, and train for change. Each of these ways has its own merits and demerits. The ultimate basis to implement supply chain management system is to impart greater visibility of the supply chain process along with integrated parts. The utilization of this system gives an innovate strategy of doing business. When key objectives, project plans, and deliverables have been analyzed, the implementation process can be structured in four different phases (Special Topic Forum on Supply Chain Management in Emerging Markets: Critical Research Issues, 2013). These are build phase, test phase, training phase, and documentation phase. With successful implementation of supply chain management system, the firm may reduce waste, shipping delays, and even overhead costs greatly. Some of the advantages of supply chain management upon the business firm may be enlisted as: quality assurance where the firm may improve its operation by means of effective quality techniques; inventory buffers where the supply chain management system include the level of the inventory buffer with care analysis of previous trends. For best recommended option for implementation of supply chain management, some of the key steps are: firstly to ensure that there is availability of potential partners within the process. This SCM concept is based on the idea of increased supply chain partners and reduced control. Hence lot of trust as well as collaboration is required for shifting the inventory in an effective manner. Secondly, constant follow up is necessary. This would keep one updated about the system so as to incorporate positive changes and control within it. Thirdly, the business need not be looked from internal view but from the external source. A business firm must perceive its internal processes from the perspective of customers. Lastly, all strategic, operational, and tactical aspects of the SCM must be considered. It is important to involve product design coordination, creating information technological infrastructure for supporting various related operations by aligning effective strategies to enhance p artnerships with suppliers. Besides, regular distribution planning is important to ensure thorough implementing steps have been followed. For ensuring all key stakeholders agree to the implementation plans, it is important for the project charter to be reviewed in detail as well as updated. A significant decision is the responsibilities of the application software vendor. He must provide consulting experts to assit the implementation.4) Since environment concerned consumers continue to buy power for driving markets sustainably, increased number of business firms are now recognizing the increasing awareness to conduct business the most desirable yet competitive manner. An instance can be given that of Unilever and Walmart. Unilever aims at linking its product line to sustainability efforts directly which promote an increasingly healthy relationship with that of the environment as well as enhancing the communities that are normally affected by its supply chain (Lillrank, Groop and Venesmaa, 2011). On the other hand, Walmart aims are quite lofty along with several growing pains within the process. One of the greatest chal lenges of the company is that it needs to have a standardized manner of reporting as well as organizing data like waste management by means of network of stores. The company has been working on developing more effective tracking systems for monitoring sustainability associated objectives of supply chain that includes several retailers worldwide. Supply chain management is dependent upon the real time data flows at various levels for ensuring optimum decision process effectiveness as well as customer satisfaction. Communication at various levels at the same time needs a thorough understanding of all required decisions by specific authorities. There are three sequenced levels of process of decision-making which are normally defined as per the planning time, strategic, operational, and tactical aspects. The strategic level, a firm sets objectives which are consistent with high level mission statement and also set strategies for achieving every objective. At this level, high level analysis is done upon how the company, business processes fit into the overall supply network (Mistry, 2005). At the tactical level, planning of supplies, forecast of demands, manufacture schedule are incorporated for ensuring effective operation of the supply chain. At the operational level, daily basis operations are managed along with short term sup ply chain decisions. Some instances are routing, scheduling, truck loading, etc.

Ming And Ottoman Empires Essays - Ottoman Turks,

Ming And Ottoman Empires Timothy S. Palko World History II Dr. Skaff MWF 2:00-2:50 World power can be seen today in two very different but extremely vast empires. They are the Ming Empire and the Ottoman Empire. To contrast these empires in order to predict their futures, it is necessary that I observe and analyze key factors such as leadership, military strengths and weaknesses, and morals among the people. The two empires have different types of leadership, and from this it is possible to find the core of any disadvantage. From the leadership, it is possible to continue into the military and values that these empires embody. The Ming Empire is led by brilliant philosophical scholars, ?The man who is promoted to the higher degrees in this field prides himself on the fact that he has in truth attained to the pinnacle of Chinese happiness? (Andrea/Overfield 116). The Ottoman Empire has dedicated and knowledgeable leaders as well, but they are of a more warlike and brutish character. ?These leaders rise in service by merit alone? (Andrea/Overfield p.88). Indulging in the writings of Matteo Ricci, who observed first hand the workings of the Ming government, and the writings of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, who observed the government under Suleiman I of the Ottoman Empire, the prediction of success will be able to be made knowledgably. The Ottoman Empire began around 1300 as a ?tiny state built on the strength of an army of Turkish nomad warriors and a few Christian converts to Islam in northwestern Anatolia? (Bulliet 601). It quickly proved to be a military strength and threat to the surrounding civilizations. The Turks expanded their empire through brilliant military tactics, including using Janissaries on foot, who used the new weapon called a gun in battle, and the same horseback archery that made them so successful in their previous military accomplishments. The selection of Turkish leaders has greatly influenced the success of the Ottoman Empire. ?A Turks grandeur is not defined by his birth, however; the respect to be paid to a man is measured by the position he holds in the public service? (Andrea/Overfield 88). The men who attain office are not the products of hereditary luck, but ?partly the gift of God, and partly the result of good training, great industry, and unwearied zeal? (Andrea/Overfield p.88). D e Busbecq was greatly impressed by the way that these Turks found their leadership; he made it a point to describe their feelings towards it in detail. De Busbecq also wrote extensively about the military strengths of the Ottoman. The soldiers of the Ottoman army are well trained and experienced in the arts of warfare and survival. The distances they must travel are so great, that the soldiers often have to carry a pack horse ?on which they carry many of the necessaries of life? (Andrea/Overfield 89). The weapon that was affluent and extremely effective among the soldiers is the Turkish bow. ?From the eighth, or even the seventh year of age they begin to shoot at a mark, and practice archery ten or twelve years. This constant exercise strengthens the muscles of their arms, and gives them such skill that they can hit the smallest marks with their arrows? (Andrea/Overfield p.89). The great riches and skilled military forces have served this Empire well to this day. The Turks also showed very little ignorance towards new advancements in technology originated in other parts of the world. ?There is no nation that has shown greater readin ess than the Turks to avail themselves of the useful inventions of foreigners, as is proved by their employment of cannons and mortars, and many other things invented by Christians? (Andrea/Overfield p.89). These open-minded and innovative new ways of becoming a powerful country greatly impressed De Busbecq. It is true that no empire is without flaw, and the Ottoman is no exception. The role of Sultan in the Ottoman Empire was a hereditary role, the exception to their other laws about leadership. ?The sons of a Turkish Sultans are in the most wretched position in the world, for, as soon as one of them succeeds his father, the rest are doomed to certain death? Andrea/Overfield p.90). The successor will certainly kill all the other sons

Free Essays on Gestures and Facial Expressions

. There is a need for gestures and facial expressions in order to produce the emotions significance. Facial expressions come naturally to us. We are gifted with them since birth. A newborn baby doesn’t learn gestures form his/her parents. Newborns aren’t taught how to show pain, but the do, sometimes without even crying or screaming. The gestures they produce correspond their expressions, in this case, screaming or crying. When raising a child, parents tend to condition them to certain behaviors. They teach them what is, and we quote, â€Å"right and wrong.† A parent accustoms his/her child to certain facial expressions. If a parent displays a look of anger, the child immediately knows he/she has done something bad. If a parent displays a look of content, the child knows he/she has or is doing something that is good, or all right by the parent. Someone could easily tell what another person is thinking just by looking at his or her gestures. If you were to see someone smiling, automatically you know that the person is happy or something amuses him/her. It’s the same if the person were frowning and slouching; you’d automatically know that the person is feeling depressed or sad. It’s just the same for expressions of anger, surprise, disgust, or any other expression. If a person a person were to give an expression or gesture portraying anguish or distress at his or her birthday party, you’d instantly know that there’s something wrong with the person... Free Essays on Gestures and Facial Expressions Free Essays on Gestures and Facial Expressions Gestures and facial expressions often communicate what words cannot say. Words aren’t always genuine, for they can be said as well as they can be blown away with the wind. For this matter, it is in every human being’s advantage that there are facial expressions, to expose what words cannot communicate. Strong feelings and emotions such as sadness, fear, grief, disgust, anger, joy, and especially surprise cannot easily expressed with only the use of words. There is a need for gestures and facial expressions in order to produce the emotions significance. Facial expressions come naturally to us. We are gifted with them since birth. A newborn baby doesn’t learn gestures form his/her parents. Newborns aren’t taught how to show pain, but the do, sometimes without even crying or screaming. The gestures they produce correspond their expressions, in this case, screaming or crying. When raising a child, parents tend to condition them to certain behaviors. They teach them what is, and we quote, â€Å"right and wrong.† A parent accustoms his/her child to certain facial expressions. If a parent displays a look of anger, the child immediately knows he/she has done something bad. If a parent displays a look of content, the child knows he/she has or is doing something that is good, or all right by the parent. Someone could easily tell what another person is thinking just by looking at his or her gestures. If you were to see someone smiling, automatically you know that the person is happy or something amuses him/her. It’s the same if the person were frowning and slouching; you’d automatically know that the person is feeling depressed or sad. It’s just the same for expressions of anger, surprise, disgust, or any other expression. If a person a person were to give an expression or gesture portraying anguish or distress at his or her birthday party, you’d instantly know that there’s something wrong with the person...

Anatomy in Primary and Secondary Schools

Anatomy in Primary and Secondary Schools Hashtag: #GreysAnatomy The Study of Human Anatomy GreysAnatomy is actually a word play on the title of a human anatomy textbook Gray’s Anatomy: Descriptive and Applied. The book was written by Henry Gray and initially published in 1858. Historically, the study of anatomy and physiology started when man started to find answers to questions regarding their own bodies. For instance, Leonardo Da Vinci allegedly dissected a human cadaver so he can accurately represent humans in art. Anatomist William Harvey studied the human circulatory system in the late 15th century and discovered for the first time that blood has a pattern in its flow. Another interesting discovery in the field of anatomy and medicine was painless surgery through the medicinal use of ether and nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to control the pain during the operation. BIOLOGY RESEARCH PAPER Anatomy and physiology are branches of biology and medicine, but the former is more focused on the structure of living things (human, animal, and plant) while the latter is more concern on mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms. The study of the structure of the human body in primary and secondary schools is normally aimed at providing a foundation for advanced study in fields related to health and fitness. It is also aimed at developing a sense of self-understanding, particularly to children who are curious about what’s inside the body. Moreover, since anatomy is not limited to the human body and extend to all living organisms, students often benefit from comparative anatomy or studying other species in order to learn evolution, structural similarities and common ancestry among human and animals. The biology curriculum in secondary schools, for instance, is not the only concern in developing students’ knowledge of the natural world in relation to everyday life, the power of reasoning and observation but familiarity with the structure and function of the human body. Specifically, students learn the change in living things through evolution, diversity of type and unity of patterns, genetic continuity of life, growth, and development, preservation of life, and others. Biology and Basic Anatomy Curriculum Primary school students are normally introduced to the basic human  skeleton or study of the skeletal system. After learning the structure, composition, and functions of the skeletal framework, students then learn the muscles and other body organs attached to it. Some of the introductory tasks include making a (normally life size) skeleton using colored paper or card and paper fasteners. By drawing the bones, schoolchildren become more aware of the significant features of each bone, identify bones’ proper location and construct appropriate joint structures for them. Moreover, anatomy in this level includes simple experiments in order to explain some of the functions of the human body and compare and recognize the similarities and differences between human and animals. However, anatomy in secondary schools is quite more complex as it involves microscopic anatomy such as the study of the structure and function of cells and tissues, senses, blood, heart, the major organs of the digestive system, and others. Some are focusing on the primary functions of the human brain, structures that enable biological systems to interact, energy and materials required to sustain life. Overall, all key stages of anatomy-related science curriculum are aimed at providing knowledge about human and animal body structure and understanding of life processes. For instance, knowledge of human and animal anatomy helps students understand the fact that humans and animals need food and water to stay alive, need to exercise, eat the right type and amount of food in order to stay healthy and strong, the beneficial and harmful effects of drugs, ability to produce offspring and senses that makes humans and animals aware of the world around them.

Equal employment opportunity laws affecting Essay

Equal employment opportunity laws affecting - Essay Example ights of the workers in any firm in order to ensure that there is a conducive working environment and for that, every person is entitled to equal employment (Lorna, 1968). Many people are denied the chance of getting a job due to various issues like race, gender, religion, age difference, women pregnancies, and also the national origin. As a result, the civil rights acts comes in to help workers from being discriminated. So the employers in this case are supposed to treat all the job applicants and also the working employees the same and not discriminate them with regard to their differences like, race, religion e.t.c. (Kateri, 2007). All employees are entitled to their right pay. For example in US, the fair labor standards act established a minimum wage for the worker. For instance, in July 2010, the minimum wage for all the employees as well as the job seekers was $6.55. All the employers in this case abided to this new law hence you find that all male and female employees are given the right pay due for their input. (Kateri, 2007). This is another law which applies to all people with disabilities in America. You find that many people are discriminated due to their disabilities irrespective of their many credentials in many fields. ADA ensures that any employer or any potential employer cannot discriminate any citizen from getting a job, promotion any good pay on the basis of their disabilities. So, this ensures that all job seekers and the employees have equal employment opportunities. (Kateri, 2007). This law Act ensures that in any employment opportunity, a job seeker cannot be denied a chance due to age differences. This Act tries to prohibit the potential employers from discriminating the job applicants on the basis of their age differences. Pregnancy discrimination Act also prohibits any potential employer from discriminating pregnant women from getting jobs. It ensures that everybody has the right to any job (Lorna, 1968). Equal employment opportunity

XBUS San Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

XBUS San - Assignment Example A shared factor is lowly working settings. This is more prevalent in factories where the employer places a major emphasis on getting a product and hardly cares for how his employees needs. Their working conditions are more often than not despicable and therefore a conflict between the two cannot be averted. Poor communication between the employer and employee is also a common source of misunderstanding between an employer and employee. In most cases, the way a person communicates is actually the source of conflict. Many would believe that a certain message has been passed across when it is the inverse. This could be due to a person’s way of expressing themselves, where one is comfortable and the other struggles to express their ideas. This is a major pointer that leads to conflict in the work place. Increased workload albeit is a major source of conflict. This is mostly by the employers where they fail to respect the agreement that the employees have signed. More workload without an increase in the amount of money one is paid definitely leads to a misunderstanding. It is only rational that a person is paid for what they have signed up for, and that the employees respect the initial terms that their employees had signed against. This makes one avoid petty issues and conflict that could have otherwise been avoided. The law has come a long way in trying to tame the current otherwise hostile working environment. With the inclusion of laws such as the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex and national origin. This has helped to level the playing ground and reduce the level of prejudice between an employer and employee. The U.S Code 158 also states the rights, dos and don’ts in relation to labor practices by an employer. This code helps to ensure that the employees are well protected and that their lives are in no way at a risk at

Lord of the Flies Essay Example for Free

Lord of the Flies Essay Deep inside each individual is a psychological choice to be made between good and evil. In William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, this choice and its subsequent results are represented by Ralph and Jack. With no rules and no adults on the island to guide them, Jack gives into his evil desires. Whereas Ralph struggles to maintain a sense of humanity and constantly tries to strive to do good. Both started off as English schoolboys, but when left alone on the island human nature tends to make the choices. When the boys first land on the island they still have their childish innocence. They still remember their English upbringing. They work together to build a civilized community like back in the adult world they have suddenly been separated from. Even though Ralph was chosen leader, Jack agrees there is a need for rules, â€Å" I agree with Ralph. We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We are English, and English are best at everything. So, we’ve got to do the right things. † (38). But slowly his actions started to change. He realized there were no repercussions for his actions. He was free from punishment. He chose to give in to his evil desires. And when he painted a mask on his face, he lost all sense of humanity, his transformation into a savage was complete. â€Å"He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling. He capered towards Bill, and the mask was a thing on it’s own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness. † (58). Jack used the mask to let out his evil desires and hide from shame. He was masking his the identity of what was a chapter chorist and head boy into a maniacal and manipulative savage. But, the mask can’t hide the fact that we are capable of evil. Evidently the only thing separating us is our choices. Whereas Jack chose to be evil, Ralph overcome his inner desires to do evil. Ralph was chosen by the other boys to be the leader of the group. Instead of using his new power for his own selfish needs, Ralph used it for the greater good of the group. Ralph solely survived to be rescued and made sure a signal fire was built. â€Å"Your only hope is a signal fire going as long as there’s light to see. Then maybe a ship’ll notice the smoke and come and rescue us and take us home. † (164). Ralph believe that a signal was their nly hope of being rescued which was true because that is all the boys had to draw any attention to the island. Ralph was not just thinking about himself when he was trying to get rescued because not only would he get rescued so would have everybody else, including Jack. While Jack did not care about getting rescued he worried more about how much bigger and more powerful his group was, and they also had become more evil. Ralph chose to align himself with Piggy to help him stay righteous. Ralph was voicing Piggy’s ideas while he was chief. Ralph used Piggy’s intellect to help him stay civilized and on the good side. Near the end of the novel, corruption and evil started to take over almost all the boys and Piggy dies. His death emphasizes the end of intellectuality and what is good in society. Ralph is left alone and he slowly starts to turn to savagery, in the last chapter. He is being hunted down like an animal by other boys and he has to act like an animal to survive. Before Ralph could fully turn into a savage, he and the rest of the boys are rescued by a British officer. Back in some semblance of society, Ralph realizes all of the boys in their own way gave into some type of savagery. â€Å"And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy. † (186). In recognition of what Ralph thought was civilized, and in reality what actually was, Ralph wept because he also knew that Piggy was their only link keeping them somewhat civilized. When piggy died even Ralph started to turn to savagery, but fortunately for Ralph the fire that could have killed him, saved him. Clearly without help we cannot fully overcome the evil deeply hidden inside of us. Finally, we are all capable of good and evil, it’s a matter of choice. Our choices can lead to our corruption and they can lead to our salvation. Only with assistance are we humans able to over power the opposing forces not willing for us to do good. Humans possess the intelligence to distinguish between right and wrong, they must have discernment to choose for themselves what their morals are.

Causes of the French Revolution :: essays research papers

Causes of the French Revolution The statement citing the essential cause of the French Revolution as the "collision between a powerful, rising bourgeoisie and an entrenched aristocracy defending it's privileges" has great pertinence in summarizing the conflict of 1789. The causes of the French Revolution, being provoked by this collision of powers, was the Financial debt of the government and the long-standing political differences in the government. Over the course of twenty-five years after the Seven Years' War, the government of France--the Bourgeoisie royalty, could not manage it's finances on a sound basis. This was worsened when France aided the American Revolution against Great Britain. The Government had reached great financial debt. The problem lied and continued because of the government's inability to tap the wealth of the French nation by taxation. There was a great paradox in France being a rich nation with a government in poverty. The deteriorating finances of the government is what triggered the prolonged differences between the Bourgeoisie and the aristocracy. The political differences between the monarchy and the nobles came about after the Seven Years' war also. The increasing debt of the government escalated the hope for the monarchy to resume a "absolute power" status as it did with Louis XIV. However this could not be accomplished because of the doubt that the public had towards the present kings Louis XV and Louis XVI, and the public could not be swayed to help. The only result of the attempts for absolutism by the monarchy were a series of new and increase taxes on the nobles. The aristocracy immediately reacted to these taxes as declaring them unfair and would not accept them. Louis XV began with a series of Financial advisors chancellors which all had the intention of saving the monarchy from financial ruin. They made many attempts at taxation, such as a land tax, but each of these were defeated by the nobles -- the Parlements were even destroyed for a brief time, but were later restored by Louis XVI in attempt to gain public support. The government continued to become poorer and poorer and it seemed the only successful taxation was done towards the peasants, whom had the least money. The monarchy eventually fell and caused great unrest

Congoleum Corporation Essay

In valuing the target company Congoleum after an LBO by First Boston found the expected free cash flows generated by this firm from 1980 to 1984. These numbers were based on values provided in the case. From there, we employed the Adjusted Present Value method to discount these cash flows because we assumed that Congoleum was varying its Debt to Equity ratio during those years. We discounted these cash flows by the required return on assets that was in turn calculated through use of the Modigliani-Miller unlevering formula (to derive the Asset Beta) and the Capital Asset Pricing Model. The required return on Congoleum debt was calculated by the expected return of the average CCC-company’s debt and the expected return of debt under default. Then, the present value of financial side effects was taken into account by discounting the interest tax shield by the required return on debt. Finally, we calculated the terminal value of cash flows by assuming a constant 4.14% growth rate in perpetuity and a constant D/E ratio for the years after 1984. Thus, these cash flows were initially discounted under WACC-ME. From there, we factored in prior debt and cash that Congoleum had generated to calculate the total equity value of the firm after the LBO had taken place. Background Congoleum is a firm active in three product market segments: home furnishings, shipbuilding, automotive, and industrial distribution. In the summer of 1979, First Boston Corporation with the help of Prudential Insurance Company proposed a purchase of Congoleum by private and institutional investors. The day before the issuance of the tender offer, Congoleum closed at $25.375 per share with 12.2 million shares outstanding. Assumptions: During the preparation of this case, multiple assumptions have been made in order to facilitate the analysis requested. Below is a list of the assumptions made and our reasoning for their validity. * Tax rate of 48% * The D/V ratio from 1979 to 1984 and was best estimated through the mean of the expected D/V ratios of Congoleum’s separate divisions by the metric of percentage of total identifiable assets provided in this case * The D/V ratio from 1984+ was assumed to be constant and could be estimated via one of two methods: * It could be estimated by looking at the D/V ratio of comparable, BB rated companies * It could be estimated by looking at the D/V ratio of firms that are comparable to the various â€Å"subsets† of Congoleum (home furnishing, ship building, and automotive) and taking the average of those companys’ D/V ratio * The return on debt from 1984+ can be assumed through two methods: * The arithmetic average of comparable BB rated companies’ returns on debt * The weighted average of the returns on debt * The market risk premium was expected to be 8.6% and the risk free rate was assumed to be 9.5% as provided in the case * The risk of default for Congoleum is expected to be 15.25% and the expected return to debt holders in case of default is 6% (we assume that at least some payments to debt holders have occurred prior to default) * The growth rate of cash flows after 1984 is expected to be 22.50% over 5 years as provided in exhibit 9 of this case and that growth rate is expected to continue in perpetuity Discussion of Figures Figure 1 Figure is the actual income statement for Congoleum in 1978 and estimates of its income statement from 1980 to 1983. The free cash flows used in the calculation of the NPV of this company was the Free Cash Flow to All Capital because the cash flows employed by APV/WACC assume no interest. Thus, our interest expenses had to be added back to the cash flows to shareholders to make them free cash flows. From purchasing Congoleum, investors receive outstanding cash from the company, a term not from a bank, strip-securities, and equity from First Boston and Congoleum Management. Its outflows include its purchase of Bath Iron works, Congoleum’s other assets and executive stock. It also includes general LBO expenses. Additionally, attached is our sensitivity analysis that looks at how our assumptions regarding the growth rate and D/V ratio of our firm in years post 1984 impacts our calculations of the firm’s value Post-LBO. Figure 2 Figure 2 shows the value of the long-term debt and equity for the firm from 1974 to 1978. The total value of the firm in at any time is equal to the sum of the debt and equity for a given year. The D/E and D/V ratios for the firm over those 5 years were then averaged in this figure. Figure 3 This table displays the D/V ratio of firms that are representative one of the three â€Å"subsets† of Congoleum (Furnishings, Ship Building, or Automotive). Each of these ratios was then averaged to get the weighted average debt to value ratio of comparable companies; this was performed by using the ratio of Identifiable Assets per division to Total Identifiable Assets. Finally, the average D/V ratio of the firms representing each subset was also listed. Alternatively, the Debt to Value ratio of the provided BB firms is listed and those ratios were then averaged to get the mean Debt to Value ratio that could be used for the target Debt to Value ratio for Congoleum post-1984. Figure 4 The equity beta for the firm was provided in the case. We also are making the assumption that the Debt Beta is 0 (i.e. risk free). The Debt to Equity ratio was also calculated in Figure 2. Through the Modigliani-Miller unlevering formula, we then were able to derive our Asset Beta. Then, using our calculated Asset Beta and the provided market risk premium and risk free rate, we were able to calculate the required return on assets with the Capital Asset Pricing Model. From there, we employed the Miles-Ezzell cost of capital formula with the Debt to Equity ratio derived by looking at comparable â€Å"BB-rated firms† to derive our WACC. Additionally, the expected cash flow growth is forecasted to be 22.50% over the 5 years following 1984. Hence, we expect an annual growth rate of 4.14%. Figure 5 The free cash flows (calculated in figure 1) are listed from between 1980 and 1984. They are each discounted at the required return on assets calculated in figure 4 because are calculating the APV of cash flows from between 1980 and 1984. The required return on debt was then calculated by looking at the returns of comparable debt of other CCC firms. The average return on the debt of those firms was 15.19%. We then had to factor in the 15.25% probability of default by Congoleum and its expected return of 6% on debt in the case of default. The expected return on weight weights these two potential returns on debt by their probability of occurring. The side effects of financial distress were then calculated from between 1980 and 1984 by multiplying the annual interest expense by the tax rate and then discounting the interest tax shield by the required return on debt calculated above. Figure 6 Next, we had to calculate the present value of terminal value. We did this by first calculating the expected 1985 cash flow by multiplying the 1984 cash flow by the expected 4.1% growth rate (calculated in figure 4). Given, we expect the generate cash flows that grow at 4.1% in perpetuity, we calculated the present value of those cash flows by taking our 1985 cash flow and discounting by the WACC-ME (calculated in figure 4). This was performed by using the Gordon Dividend Growth Model because the firm would now be a publicly traded equity and the free cash flows are representative of the firm’s dividends. This gave us the value of the TV at 1984, so we then discounted by the return on assets to receive the present value of the TV. Figure 7 The value of the firm post LBO is thus equal to the sum of its discounted terminal value, tax shields, and free cash flows from 1980 to 1984. However, to calculate the total equity value of the firm, we must also factor in the cash and debt that Congoleum held prior to the LBO. That includes adding in 95.10 million in cash and subtracting out 15.6 million in debt and 34.5 million in previous pension liabilities. If you divide the equity value pre and post LBO by the number of shares outstanding, you then receive the companies’ price per share pre and post LBO. Figure 8 Shareholders thus gain the difference between the initial share price and the post-LBO share price multiplied by the number of shares outstanding. Debt holders are paid off entirely with no gain or loss.

Battle of the Somme and Source

How far does Source 3 challenge the impression given in Sources 1 and 2 that the Battle of the Somme had achieved worthwhile objectives? Having analysed all 3 sources, it can be said that source 3 significantly challenges sources 1 and 2 giving an entirely different perspective on the battle of the Somme. Source 1 is an extract from Sir Douglas Haig’s final dispatch, published in March 1919. This source begins to describe the Battle of the Somme as a tremendous victory.Haig claims that â€Å"The three main objectives†¦ had been achieved. † Haig also then begins to describe the three objectives, â€Å"Verdun had been relieved†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , â€Å"German forces had been held down†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"the enemy’s strength had been considerably worn down†. Haig also claims that as the objectives had been â€Å"achieved† this was enough to â€Å"†¦justify the Somme Battle. † This source was published shortly after the war in 1919, b ut was a few years after the Battle of the Somme allowing some time for the truth about the events of the battle to emerge.The source has some limitations as it was an extract from Haig’s own writing, who was Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces therefore the source may be bias towards Britain and their success in the battle. The purpose of the source was to inform people of Haig’s perception of the battle and due to this being one person’s view, the accuracy of the source cannot be verified. Source 2 is extract from a book published in 1929 by Charles Carrington who was a Junior Officer during the time of the Battle.Similar to source 1, this source was written by someone who had authority in the armed forces, and describes the Battle of the Somme as another â€Å"moral† booster for the British Army. The author of the source states there was a â€Å"definite and growing sense of superiority over the enemy† and by the use of the word â€Å"defi nite† the use of facts is now apparent. In contrast, later on in the source Carrington states â€Å"we were quite sure at the time that we had got the Germans beaten†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and by using the phrase â€Å"quite sure† it is now apparent that facts are no longer the basis of this source.Unlike source 1 where Haig describes the Somme Battle as a complete victory, Carrington quickly states that â€Å"we did not win a decisive victory† but is quick to reverse this by stating â€Å"†¦next spring we would deliver the knock-out blow† showing that he feels the end of the war is near. This source was published many years after the war, but it was published by someone who was there, similar to source 1.Also similar to source 1, this source is the view of someone with authority and someone with a high ranking position within the armed forces therefore their opinion may be bias towards the Somme and the British Army. Source 3 is part of an interview with Cor poral W. H. Shaw in the 1960s where Shaw is recalling the first day of the Battle. Already this source differs to sources 1 and 2 as it is no longer an extract but part of an interview. Shaw starts of the source with â€Å"we did not get anywhere, we never moved from the line, hardly†.This is different to source 1 where Haig claims â€Å"Verdun had been relieved†. Shaw states that â€Å"our men were just falling back into our trenches† which significantly differs to Carrington’s statement that â€Å"we had got the Germans beaten†. Shaw claims that the events of the some were â€Å"sheer bloody murder† and that â€Å"whatever was gained it wasn’t worth the price the men had to pay† which is in contrast with source 1 where Haig claims that the results of the Somme where â€Å"sufficient to justify† the battle.This purpose of this source is to spread light on the Somme battle and release the truth about the event. Because t his source was by a member of the British Forces and who of which is supplying eyewitness accounts of the events at the front line, this source can be classes as highly reliable. Due to the date of the source, it can be argued that Shaw’s memory may be slightly skewed but due to the lack of censorship at this time compared to during the time of the war, Shaw can now freely speak about the events of the Somme.Throughout all 3 sources it is noticeable that soldiers and officers of a higher rank are more likely to support the Battle of the Somme and argue that it achieved its objectives. Throughout sources 1 and 2, Officer Carrington and General Haig are extremely supportive of the Somme battle. This is demonstrated by Haig’s claims of â€Å"the three main objectives†¦ had been achieved† and Carrington’s view that â€Å"we had got the Germans beaten†.However, neither of these men were likely to have engaged in any front line combat within the tre nches during the Battle of the Somme. This is why source 3 proves very useful as an account of the first day at the Somme. Shaw describes the battle as â€Å"sheer bloody murder† and crushes Carrington’s claims of â€Å"superiority† with accounts such as â€Å"men were just falling back into the trench†. Therefore it can be argued that Source 3 significantly challenges the view given in sources 1 and 2 that the Battle of the Somme achieved its worthwhile objectives.

Cloning to Revive Extinct Species essays

Cloning to Revive Extinct Species essays Good morning class, today I will be speaking to you about the topic on Should cloning be used to revive extinct species? I say no. Unnecessary , irresponsible and rash are the words that spring to my mind when this question is asked. How can man consciously play god, and unrelently contiunue to attempt to revive extinct species via cloning, when undoubtedly he has seen his mistakes in the past and continue to do this for his own benefit? Dolly is the most famous sheep in the world. She looks much like any other sheep, but she has been cloned from another adult sheep. Her announcement in February 1997 led to an unprecedented media circus which caused as much confusion as it shed light. The attention focused mainly on speculations about the possibility, or otherwise, of cloning humans but also speculations of cloning extinct species But it does prompt us to ask questions about the way we are using animals with new technology, and the kinds of assumptions we make. Cloning had already been done to a limited degree by splitting embryos, mostly in cattle, and raised ethical and welfare concerns in the process. But assuming it could be applied more widely in the fact of reviving extinct animals, many more issues can be brought up. Tell me, for what benefit would cloning extinct species bring to our society? To you perhaps? Yes, perhaps you could say, the animal would have another chance at life, but what is the real reason we want to do it? For our own COMFORT of course, knowing that if we can kill of a species, perhaps we can just bring it back again. Bingo. I see attempting to revive exctinct species as a direct misuse of research and conservation funds which would better be directed elsewhere. It is terrible that now, the government is not even paying attention to the present state of the environment enough, and now they are thinking about cloning dinosaurs and mammoths from 44 thousand , to 44 million years ago. Society ...

Definition and Examples of Politeness Strategies

Definition and Examples of Politeness Strategies In sociolinguistics  and  conversation analysis (CA), politeness strategies are  speech acts that express concern for others and minimize threats to self-esteem (face) in particular social contexts. Positive Politeness Strategies Positive politeness strategies are intended to avoid giving offense by highlighting friendliness. These strategies include juxtaposing criticism with compliments, establishing common ground, and using jokes, nicknames, honorifics, tag questions, special discourse markers (please), and in-group jargon and slang. Negative Politeness Strategies Negative political strategies are intended to avoid giving offense by showing deference. These strategies include questioning, hedging, and presenting disagreements as opinions. The Face Saving Theory of Politeness The best known and most widely used approach to the study of politeness is the framework introduced by Penelope Brown and Stephen C. Levinson in Questions and Politeness (1978); reissued with corrections as Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1987). Brown and Levinsons theory of linguistic politeness is sometimes referred to as the face-saving theory of politeness. Examples and Observations Shut up! is rude, even ruder than Keep quiet! In the polite version, Do you think you would mind keeping quiet: this is, after all, a library, and other people are trying to concentrate, everything in italics is extra. It is there to soften the demand, giving an impersonal reason for the request, and avoiding the brutally direct by the taking of trouble. Conventional grammar takes little account of such strategies, even though we are all masters of both making and understanding the signs that point to what is going on beneath the surface.(Margaret Visser, The Way We Are. HarperCollins, 1994)Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets.(Hermione in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 2002)Would you mind stepping aside? I got a purchase to make.(Eric Cartman in Cartmanland.  South Park, 2001)Sir, the gentleman asked with a twang in his voice that was unmistakably Southern, would it bother you terribly  if I joined you?(Harold Coyle, Look Away. S imon Schuster, 1995)   Laurence, said Caroline, I dont think Im going to be much help to you at Ladylees.  Ive had enough holiday-making.  Ill stay for a couple of days but I want to get back to London and do some work, actually. Sorry to change my mind butGo to hell, Laurence said. Kindly go to hell.(Muriel Spark,  The Comforters. Macmillan, 1957)   A Definition of Politeness What exactly is politeness? In one sense, all politeness can be viewed as deviation from maximally efficient communication; as violations (in some sense) of Grice’s (1975) conversational maxims [see cooperative principle]. To perform an act other than in the most clear and efficient manner possible is to implicate some degree of politeness on the part of the speaker. To request another to open a window by saying â€Å"It’s warm in here† is to perform the request politely because one did not use the most efficient means possible for performing this act (i.e., â€Å"Open the window†). . . .Politeness allows people to perform many inter-personally sensitive actions in a nonthreatening or less threatening manner.There are an infinite number of ways in which people can be polite by performing an act in a less than optimal manner, and Brown and Levinson’s typology of five superstrategies is an attempt to capture some of these essential differences.(Thomas Holtgraves, Language as Social Action: Social Psychology and Language Use. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2002) Orienting to Different Kinds of Politeness People who grow up in communities that are more oriented to negative face wants and negative politeness may find that they are perceived as aloof or cold if they move somewhere where positive politeness is emphasized more. They may also mistake some of the conventionalised positive politeness routines as being expressions of genuine friendship or closeness . . .. Conversely, people accustomed to paying attention to positive face wants and using positive politeness strategies may find that they come across as unsophisticated or vulgar if they find themselves in a community that is more oriented to negative face wants.(Miriam Meyerhoff, Introducing Sociolinguistics. Routledge, 2006) Variables in Degrees of Politeness Brown and Levinson list three sociological variables that speakers employ in choosing the degree of politeness to use and in calculating the amount of threat to their own face: (i) the social distance of the speaker and hearer (D);(ii) the relative power of the speaker over the hearer (P);(iii) the absolute ranking of impositions in the particular culture (R). The greater the social distance between the interlocutors (e.g., if they know each other very little), the more politeness is generally expected. The greater the (perceived) relative power of hearer over speaker, the more politeness is recommended. The heavier the imposition made on the hearer (the more of their time required, or the greater the favour requested), the more politeness will generally have to be used.(Alan Partington, The Linguistics of Laughter: A Corpus-Assisted Study of Laughter-Talk. Routledge, 2006) Positive and Negative Politeness Brown and Levinson (1978/1987) distinguish between positive and negative politeness. Both types of politeness involve maintainingor redressing threats topositive and negative face, where positive face is defined as the addressees perennial desire that his wants . . . should be thought of as desirable (p. 101), and negative face as the addressees want to have his freedom of action unhindered and his attention unimpeded (p. 129).(Almut Koester, Investigating Workplace Discourse. Routledge, 2006) Common Ground [C]ommon ground, information perceived to be shared among communicators, is important not only for gauging what information is likely to be already known versus new, but also to carry a message of interpersonal relationships. Brown and Levinson (1987) argued that claiming common ground in communication is a major strategy of positive politeness, which is a series of conversational moves that recognise the partners needs and wants in a way that shows they represent a commonality, such as a commonality of knowledge, attitudes, interests, goals, and in-group membership.(Anthony Lyons et al., Cultural Dynamics of Stereotypes. Stereotype Dynamics: Language-Based Approaches to the Formation, Maintenance, and Transformation of Stereotypes, ed. by Yoshihisa Kashima, Klaus Fiedler, and Peter Freytag. Psychology Press, 2007) The Lighter Side of Politeness Strategies Page Conners: [bursting into Jacks bar] I want my purse, jerk-off!Jack Withrowe: Thats not very friendly. Now, I want you to go back out, and this time, when you kick the door open, say something nice.(Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jason Lee in Heartbreakers, 2001)

Displaying Communications Between Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers Research Paper

Displaying Communications Between Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers in Digital Readouts - Research Paper Example The ultimate objective of Able Flight program is to assist the disabled or handicapped individuals to acquire the aptitude to fly an airplane. This is because different types of disabilities needs distinct solutions to assist them fly airplanes. Note that despite the fact that the program fundamentally helps the disabled people, it also assists normal people who have passion and interest of flying airplanes but do not have the ability. The ultimate aim of this context is to examine how Able Flight program helps the disabled individuals to fly airplanes as well as to provide solutions following the difficulties encountered in flight training. It winds up by examining the implementation process of a voice recognition technology in pilot’s communication (Karat, Vergo and Nahamoo 2007). How Able Flight Helps Disabled People to Fly Airplanes Just as mentioned, the Able Flight program does not offer flight training or classes. However, it is involved in teaching flight related life lessons that make the participants good pilots and flight attendants. The organization corporate with different flight schools among them being Purdue University campus. Able Flight has been associating with this university for two years in a row where it has brought four scholars to the campus to be educated on how to fly. Each of them has physical disability that, up to present day, has prevented them from undertaking an interest or career in aviation. Nevertheless, with the assistance from special aircraft and scholarships from Able Flight, the scholars have been able to acquire light sport pilot certificates after exhaustive five-week training period. According to Geoff Aschenberger, â€Å"The most interesting part of it is that these scholars are able to cover the whole package in one month while the Purdue flight scholars take five to six months to cover†. Due to the density of the schedule at Purdue, the scholars and flight instructors take most of their time at the ai rport in the classroom and in their specially modeled aircraft. A partial day engross an early morning arrival, 90 minutes of flying, debate, more flying and landings, lunchtime meals, even intense flying and ground institute lessons. Note that all these things take place at the Purdue University campus flight school. That does not mean the Able Flight has no role that it plays. As far as those disabled scholars are concerned, Able Flight must participate or take part in ensuring that they obtain exactly what they went to acquire. The organizational program is developed in a way that it has to follow up the students’ progress, know their strong points and motivate them to keep it up; identify their weak points and help them both find permanent solutions to them in order to make sure they progress. Generally, Able Flight makes follow up on all the disabled students it gives scholarships and makes sure they are safe and healthy. The school included time for social time where so me of the Able Flight staff goes there to spend sometimes with them as well as join them with the other flight students so that they can feel accepted and embraced in the community. The school’s training personnel also help the disabled students to participate in school’s activities and to mingle with others so that they do not feel lonely or rejected. Besides, the school’s staff and Able Flight made it possible for the students to live together in First Street Towers, which is a university’s owned dwelling hall. Whereas the Able Flight scholars

Gear Ratios Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Gear Ratios - Essay Example When we connect different sizes of gears, they will have to act like an axle and a wheel in order to modify the forces. Such force modification is observed clearly in the speed at which the each gear wheels turn. For instance, When a thirty teeth gear wheel is connected to a ten teeth gear wheel, it will be observed that the smaller wheel will spin faster as compared to the larger wheel in the gear system. By considering this, a machine could be slowed down or sped up through the changing of the gear sizes used, or through â€Å"changing gears.† Torque is a tendency measure of force to rotate an object about the axis (Elies and Lemarquand). A torque is known to be relevant only in regard to a given axis. In this case, torque about the motor shaft etc. In order to create a torque, the force is required to act at a certain distance from the pivot point or axis. The torque amount that is applied to a bolt or nut can determine the clamp load. The clamp load is seen to be a determi ning factor in the assembly performance. The applied torque to a fastener with compounds that are ant seize and which are reapplied to the threads will enable uniformity during the whole process but it will raise the clamp load when compared to an unlubricated bolt (Atallah and Howe,2001) In the current experiment the gear wheels were used to discover how force can be modified and transferred in the gear system which was a lifting device. In this case, to create a lifting device, several equipment were used that included battery, circuit,6 gears,2 sprockets In the experiment, a motor and great kit was used to create a lifting device. This was created from several pieces that included battery, circuit, 6 gears, and 2 sprockets. In this case the battery provided power to rotate the gears The gear and sprocket were both used to transmit power within the lifting device, or to move objects through interlocking with them. Despite a gear and a sprocket tends to be similar,

Finance Homework Chapter 04 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Finance Homework Chapter 04 - Essay Example Its initial inventory level is $375,000, and it will raise funds as additional notes payable and use them to increase inventory. How much can its short-term debt (notes payable) increase without pushing its current ratio below 2.0? The analysis reveals that while Barry’s liquidity is well within the industry standards, it is not collecting on its receivables efficiently. Most companies have a 30 day payment policy and the industry standard here is 35 days. It is taking Barry over twice that amount of time to collect. This presents a negative indication of the way the firm is being managed, one that is confirmed by the total assets turnover margin; it is half of the number which is standard for the industry. This means that sales are not what they should be. The management issues presented here also explain why, although Barry’s net profit margin is slightly higher than other companies in the industry, its return on assets and return on equity are significantly under the standards. The Extended Du Pont confirms this conclusion. Barry’s strengths are in its profit margin and liquidity; but if it doesn’t get its A/R collections on track and increase sales, its weaknesses could become o verpowering. Had Barry Computer doubled its sales, inventories, A/R, and common equity during 2005, the affect on this ratio analysis would be mixed. Doubling the company’s sales is not effective if Barry is not collecting on its receivables. If its customers are having difficulty paying their bills, Barry may not get paid at all. Accordingly, having more sales and product, as well as more A/R, will only positively impact Barry if management succeeds in collecting the money owed the company. If Barry was able to double the indicated categories without additional debt, then the debt-to-assets would improve beyond industry standards and, presumptively, the ROA and ROE would increase to a point closer to industry levels. Again,

A Case study on St Xaviers college in India

A Case study on St Xaviers college in India St. Xaviers college is located in South Bombay or SoBo as its called which has a very distinct culture of its own. Kids come to this college not only from different parts of Mumbai, but India and even from foreign countries. Each brings with them their own culture that eventually pours into the seething, dynamic culture of Xaviers enriching it. We can deconstruct the culture of Xaviers under the following topics which will eventually lead us to the impact of Xaviers culture. A common thread running through activities at Xaviers is excellence both academic and non academic. Academia at Xaviers follows the state syllabus (before autonomy) and has now expanded to include newer schools of thought and added research. The existence of the Honours programme which is an extra credit course is a manifestation of the need for something extra. Each department is allowed a week in which to showcase the work theyve done and share it with the college students and even students of other colleges. Apart from that each department has a film week dedicated to them where all Xavierites are encouraged to attend and contribute. Theyre all for a holistic education. This just means that students, their parents and professors at Xaviers always expect and contribute more than what is stipulated. Every activity/talent at Xaviers is encouraged at some form or another. There are various clubs for film studies, theatre, photography, the Indian Music Group and even social work with t here being a tangible goal every club works to towards the end, like a festival of sorts. Perhaps one of the biggest of these events is Malhar, the annual college festival of Xaviers with colleges from all over India participating and some from abroad. This is one of the biggest mixers and icebreakers that Xaviers kids have since each vertical recruits in the beginning of the college year. Xavierites are also active participants in other college events and more often than not winning accolades and other merit. Students are encouraged to be a part of AISEC and the Mumbai chapter of the MUN. Xavierites play every sport imaginable and the gym is always buzzing with activity. Every class is allowed a Khadala trip, to the Xaviers villa at Khandala to conduct a seminar. This is significant especially for first year students because this is where they actually get to know each other better and settle down as a class picking friends who theyll spend 3 years with and most often stay friends for life with. Another event is the rural camp which the Social Service League (SSL) organizes. Apart from this they have exchange programmes with foreign colleges. They also have tie-ups with local NGOs where students are expected to undertake 60 hours of voluntary social service as part of their Social Involvement Programme (SIP). PHYSICAL ARTIFACTS One of the main enduring images of the culture at Xaviers is the building with its Gothic architecture and rough stone walls. Every arch and gargoyle is dear to kids studying there even years after they pass out. Shobha De, an alumnus of the college, speaking at the 140th anniversary celebrations said, the very edifice and rock of Xaviers, apart from the memories, is why we hurry back whenever theres an opportunity. To see the lives we celebrated here, our glorious years, the walls now resound with 140 years of stories and whisper it to us when we listen closely. Sitting in a high-ceilinged, wooden floored classroom as a fan spins lazily overhead while students intently listen to or discuss in class is what most people remember about the classes. In terms of physical spaces, the foyer, woods (ironically with 2 and a half trees), the arches, library and chapel are places where the kids spend free period or hangout after class. This is where they interact with each other, not just people from their class or department. The foyer is a hive of activity and is where most of the eating takes place. Oddly enough, so is Father Terrys room. Father Terence Quadros is perhaps one of the luckiest priests on campus. This on campus counsellor is who most of the women (and some men) on campus turn to to pour their heart out, sift through their troubles or just take a nap. His office has cushions, rocking chairs, lazy chairs, blankets, medicines, soft toys and a willing ear. BEHAVIOURAL PSYCHOLOGICAL To be very honest, Xavierites have an air about them. Theyre not necessarily snobbish but as Pearl Fernandes, a Third Year Mass Media student, puts it, We feel we have a right to act the way we do because somehow we feel superior. It isnt a superiority complex but were cool like that. People assume that if youre from Xaviers that makes you automatically smart, socially responsible (fill in any superlative adjective). Everything conveys this attitude, from the way they talk to the way they dress. Xavierites are distinctly divided into groups irrespective of what theyre studying. Each group dresses and behaves similarly but all-in-all theyre coloured with the same Xaviers brush. You have the Jocks: kids who play multiple sports and have a fit, athletic toned body. It doesnt only refer to men but the women also. They usually dress in track pants (or shorts in the morning if theyre playing) and vests. Then you have the cheerleaders. Theyre not really cheerleaders but theyre size is in binary digits i.e. either 1 or 0 and they dress like models (actually some even are models). They are characterized by styled hair, manicured hands, a la mode dressing and perfect accessories and make-up. The drama-lit group are people who are part of the drama club and people who write irrespective if theyre taken English lit or not. They usually congregate on the hostel steps and tree trunks to sit and discuss a new book, movie or play. They dress in kurtas and jeans and tote jholas. The women pr efer having an Indian look about them be it wooden earrings or a thick metal kada with their hair tied in a bun. Then theres the science group whore busy completing journals all through their break trying to stuff their mouths with something before another long session of practicals begin. They may or may not be wearing lab coats but in their bags they have all hokum pokum stuff like nichrome wires, vials of goop to test and petri dishes or something. Then there are the musicians. People who belong to a band either in Xaviers or outside or play an instrument are part of this group. Theyre easily identified by their guitar or violin cases and in some situations even the odd synthesizer or drum-sticks. Theyre also trailed by their groupies who could also be part of the cheerleaders. These guys sit around the BCR (boys common room) practicing or singing or doing something musical. Then you have the Goths and sloths. People whove made crumpled clothes a fashion statement. Theyre fashionably messily dressed, mismatch day is every day and theyre generally socially inclined. Another large group is the behenji group. These are kids (mostly women) who dress simple, oil and part their hair and behave like theyre already 40. Then there are the dope-heads who more often than not also belong to the abovementioned groups (excluding the behenjis whod get a heart attack if accused of such a thing). There are also the dancers who include the cool b boys, hip hop, contemporary dancers etc that win every competition and perform at every occasion. They look lik e theyve just finished shooting for Step Up 2: the streets. Everybody at Xaviers in highly sociable and talk to each other but there are clear cut definitions of who will talk to who. Like the dancers would never talk to the behenjis who would never talk to the dope-heads who would be ignored by the cheerleaders etc. like every organization, Xaviers has its own pecking order and politics is rampant. Peer pressure has a huge impact on the way people behave at Xaviers. At this age, friends are everything. People wont date someone their friends dont approve of etc. The Holy Trinity i.e. the CP, and 2 VCPs of Malhar are treated like Gods. Theyre the most coveted positions in all the land. Student council be damned, people pray to be elected to the top 3. Its almost like being president and ruler at the same time. One weird custom that Xavierites have is when theyre hanging out in the foyer and a glass bottle breaks they all clap. Shuba, a third year Microbiology Student says, no matter how stupid you think it is in your head, when the bottle breaks all your snobbishness goes out of the window and you clap just like the rest, grinning all the while. Its fun. VALUES, SCHEMAS MEANINGS Xavierites, on campus, are highly disciplined. They have this ingrained discipline bone that doesnt allow them to be truly disruptive. Not to say that they dont toe the line or dont rebel when they feel it necessary, they do. But catch one of them driving drunk or brawling in the street. It hasnt happened yet. Theres an unwritten code of ethics that no one need tell you. You just feel it when youre initiated as a student. Another sort of common understanding is that no one plays any game in the first quadrangle (1st quad) during college hours. It isnt forbidden by the admin but the kids realize that the first quad is surrounded by classes and it might get disrupted. The kids also have a no littering policy and kids who litter soon learn they have to obey the norm or peer pressure will see that they conform. The kids are also highly intolerant of extremist ideologies or inclinations other than Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and Gossip Girl. They respect peoples opinions but wont have it thrust on them. Which is also why poor little Aditya Thakeray finds himself friendless and alone after his protesting debacle. 2. Its mission proper is its dedication to research, teaching and the various forms of cultural service, as the indispensable horizon and context for a genuine preservation, renewal and communication of knowledge and human values, to strive for an intellectual endeavour that focuses on critical and creative thinking, with the aim of social transformation. Functional Aspects of St. Xaviers College 1. Attendance: St. Xaviers very particularly follows the 75% attendance rule for each subject as dictated by the Maharashtra board of Education the University of Mumbai. Attendance is strictly taken by the professor in charge at the start/ end of each lecture in order to ensure that no proxy attendance is given. At the end of each month they come up with a black list of attendance defaulters as a warning to those falling short of attendance. And at the end of each semester they come up with a defaulters list which includes the names of students who have defaulted on attendance throughout the semester. Such students are then requested to meet with the principal of the college and are also required to call their parents to college for a meeting with the principal. So strict they are about their attendance that many defaulters of attendance at the 12th Grade in the college are refused admissions to the degree college at St. Xaviers. 2. Beyond the Text Book: In line with the research inclination that St. Xaviers possesses, even students are encouraged to seek knowledge beyond what is achieved from the prescribed text books. For this they have in place an Honours Programme- a one of its kind programme which isnt offered by any other college in the city of Mumbai. Here students are encouraged to engage into small scale research studies, do paper presentations, attend seminars and lectures organised by the college for which the students are given credits. Thus this gives the students an opportunity to learn beyond their own specializations as credits across verticals can also qualify the student for the Honours Certificate. Thus St. Xaviers is an organisation that greatly emphasizes vitality and growth 3. Cultural Activities: St. Xaviers College, Mumbai has been judged the best college for all round development by many surveys conducted only because of the attention it pays to extra-curricular activities like performing arts literary arts. It also plays hosts at Malhar- the oldest and most popular under graduate college festival where it encourages students from other colleges to participate in the various events that take place during Malhar. The college also gives a platform to students who are interested in theatre to display their talents during the theatre festival -Ithaka. There are numerous opportunities provided to the students to display their talents both on and off campus. Active encouragement and financial support is provided to the students for the same. Students are provided platforms to display their managerial abilities by organising Malhar, Ithaka Jan Fest- the annual classical music concert held on campus each year. Thus St. Xaviers contrary to popular belief doesnt incline itself only to western values and art but encourages its students to be sensitive to other cultural and traditional forms of art. They have a strong sense of purpose which is excellence in the fields of academics and beyond. 4. Sensitivity to the less fortunate: Being an institution run by Jesuit priests, St. Xaviers has been very actively involved in the upliftment of less fortunate people and others with special needs. They have a number of social societies on campus like the social service league that undertake blood donation drives and visits to old age homes on a frequent basis. This develops a sense of sensitivity among the students to those who arent as blessed as them. In addition to this, St. Xaviers also houses the Xaviers Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC) which provides equipment and other aids for the visually challenged students to learn and make the whole process of learning, reading and writing easier. St. Xaviers College therefore is an institution that believes that world class education is the right of people even with physical handicaps and undertakes efforts to minimise the discomfort they may experience in a setting where everyone else does not face the problems they do. St. Xaviers College has the Soci al Involvement Programme (SIP) which is a mandatory prerequisite to be eligible for the Honours Certificate at the end of Degree College. Under this programme students have dedicate a certain number of hours per week working at non profit organisation or undertake any other form of social work and maintain a diary with their learnings from the same. St. Xaviers College therefore makes its students realise that for all that they are gaining from the society; they are liable to give back something to it as well. Thus St. Xaviers tries to emphasize growth not only in externally and mentally, but spiritually as well. 5. Mentorship There is an informal mentorship program in place for all students at St. Xaviers. No faculty or admin member is inaccessible to the students of the college. There is constant guidance given from various people be it spiritual, career guidance or even counselling. Students are constantly made aware of newer career opportunities and are encouraged to hone their skills in various fields. They provide guidance not only during the time they are in college but also after they pass out. The areas of discussion are not related just to academics and careers but also move beyond them like relationships and families. Professors behave more like friends rather than teachers. The aim of all round development of the students trickles down to the lowest level of the teaching hierarchy, which is the aim in almost every student- teacher interaction. Thus there is great tolerance for expression which is reason they believe that it is central to all round development of each student. Dysfunctional Aspects of St. Xaviers College 1. Lack of transparency at the time of selection of volunteers at Malhar. The hierarchy at Malhar is such: President Vice President (Conclave) Vice President (Management) Vice President (Events) OCs (Organising committee) OCs (Organising committee) OCs (Organising committee) OGs Organiser OGs Organiser Reservation Volunteers Volunteers At the presidential and vice presidential level, appointment takes places after the faculty members interview potential candidates. Selection therefore takes place on the basis of merit after considering the achievements and credentials of each candidate. However as one moves lower in the hierarchy, selection is up to the discretion of the people just above them. as a result appointment to the OC, OG and volunteer level mostly takes place on the basis of favouritism. Malhar therefore for quite some time has had a bad name for the politics underlying the selection procedure as there are no set rules, guidelines or standards for selection into the various verticals. Therefore sometime students are left pretty confused as they have no reasons as to why they did not get into the departments of their choice. It is a little bewildering for the freshers in the college, especially because there is a lot of ambiguity in the selection procedure and they are not aware about what exactly needs t o be done to get into the department of ones choice. 2. No hostel for girl students. St. Xaviers College is a very popular college for many aspiring students all over the country. There are many students who do not belong to Mumbai but come from as far as the North East and Kerala. This includes an equal mix of both boys and girls. However they St. Xaviers College does not have provisions for a girls hostel on campus. Even during the days preceding Malhar, when it is absolutely essential to have manpower on campus to ensure the smooth execution of the festival, permission is easily granted to boys to stay over on the campus, but not for women who are expected to look in the vicinity outside campus for accommodation. This is done because of some traditional and moral values that the Jesuit priests adhere to religiously. They do not encourage the intermingling of sexes beyond a certain point. And even though it may be troublesome for the girl students at times like these, they are quite unwilling to bend the rules. 3. Too much stress and few seats for desired specializations St. Xaviers College is one of the best colleges for arts and science in the country. However the number of seats available for the most popular and in demand specializations is very few. Therefore there is immense competition and stress in order to get those coveted seats. The level of stress is very high during the second year of Degree College which is the most crucial part of the entire 3 year degree course. Students are expected to be actively involved in the department work, make paper presentations and excel in academics. A minor glitch in any of these areas may cost them a seat in their choice of specialization. Thus the level of stress is very high during this period. It breeds competition among peers and creates and unease which is only placated only after final selection. 4. Reservations St. Xaviers College being a catholic institution was built for the purpose of serving the minority Christian community. Under provisions made by the central government, educational institutions can reserve up to 50% of their seats for minority communities. Therefore St. Xaviers College also applies the same and 50% of the seats are reserved for the Christian community. This is a situation that is prevalent among most other educational institutions in the city. It creates an unfair advantage to those who belong to the particular community. In the same class there can be students who havent done equally well in the same exam and have been admitted because of the reservation system. The level of achievement and intelligence is not the same among the students. And the same parameters are not placed equally for all students to gain admission to a particular course. 3. ACTIONS PLANS: 1. Lack of transparency in the selection procedure for Malhar: a. Formalise a set of rules, procedures and pre- requisites essential in order to qualify for the various positions at Malhar. b. Have an admin/ faculty member preside over each selection procedure after college hours. c. Undertake a training programme to sensitise the students higher up in the Malhar hierarchy to the various nuances and aspects of the selection procedure. This would enlighten them on how to effectively select people who would be an asset to the various verticals. d. Establish a punitive system or a watchdog or some sort of feedback system in place in order to ensure that the set procedures are being followed. e. Conduct orientation sessions for the volunteers on the process of selection and the people to approach in case the procedures arent being followed. f. However it is essential that the students in the organising committees have some say in the selection procedure. There should always be room for them to use their own intuitions and discretion. Malhar shouldnt become a centrally controlled organisation as it has always been a student run body in the college. 2. No hostel for girl students. a. firstly there is a great need to enlighten both faculty and students on the rationale behind the refusal to permit girls to stay overnight on campus. b. a dialogue must take place between these parties putting forward their concerns and reasons their respective requests and demands. c. the administrations must consider relaxing the rules under special circumstances when it is absolutely essential that the girl students stay on campus. For instance, the days preceding Malhar Jan Fest. d. The college must also have tie ups with various womens hostels in the vicinity and must assist female student in acquiring accommodation. When a particular hostel is vouched for by the management of the college, the parents of these students are more likely to find them reliable and will probably not worry about the safety and well being of their children. 3. Too much stress and few seats for desired specializations a. given the rising amount of stress and the consequences faced among students of standard tenth and twelfth, it has become imperative that the college increase the number of seats for the most popular and in demand specializations. No person should be denied a seat in any specialization since it is the question of their careers and marks obtained in an exam are too shallow a deciding factor in imposing a life changing decision on a particular candidate. b. it is essential to have occasional briefing sessions on the progress of each student during the entire year and let him know his chances of making it to the department of his choice. He/ she should be told explicitly of what are the necessary requirements to get the specialization. c. the teachers must be trained to identify signs of stress among the students and must seek professional help (which is available on campus) lest it get worse. d. professors must consider reducing the burden on the students in terms of the number of assignments and paper presentation which the student believe are mandatory to get the specializations of their choice. Rather it would make sense to have an aptitude test and interest tests at the end of the second year of college to seek the people who have the most aptitude and interest in the specific area of study. 4. Reservations a. The college must refrain from having a reservation system in place as it does not create a level playing field for all aspirants into a particular course. If St. Xaviers aims to be a world class educational institution it must aim to seek the best minds in the country, which would only be possible if all the students have the same level of aptitude, intelligence and achievement. b. Even if the college finds it absolutely essential to have a reservation system in place, in keeping with the purpose of establishment of the institution, it is necessary for them to make sure that there is a minimum cut off of marks obtained by the student in order to ensure that the best minds who are par with each other are interacting in class. It seems a little unfair when a student with 70% (as a result of the reservation system) is in the same class with the student who has scored 85% and has struggled to barely make it to the course. It would inculcate among the students a belief that hard work is essential when one aims to rub shoulders with the best in the country in a premier institution for humanities and sciences in the country. c. It would also be beneficial if St. Xaviers had an independent aptitude exam that for all aspirants to the various courses in the college. This would reduce any discrepancy if any among people coming from various boards of education and among people applying under different quotas. This creates a level playing field for all aspirants and ensures that the college has selected candidates after putting them through an in house reliable aptitude exam.