Sex Sells Video Games and Insecurity - 1135 Words

As I continued on to the next level, I encountered an elderly bee, who had one last dying wish--A wish that I would soon fulfill. Oh, sweet pollination. It is the only way to make honey, and the only way for me to move on to the next level. I must help him. However, the elderly bee only wanted to pollinate one specific flower, the sunflower with the big breasts. The sunflower was unwilling to corporate. Then, as I walked away, I encountered a swarm of bees, who only had one objective, to tickle. A lit light bulb then appeared above my head. I had an epiphany. I gathered all of the tickling bees, and forced them to tickle the sunflower with the big breasts, thus exposing her breast, and allowing the elderly bee to pollinate her. The†¦show more content†¦Carrie Reinhard asserts that women do not feel comfortable playing as hypersexualized female protagonists in video games, because the video game industry provides characters modeling a body they cannot achieve, more an object for the male gaze than female empowerment (Reinhard. 6).Personally, seeing the sunflower with the big breasts did not encourage me to feel empowered. I felt weak and insecure because of the stereotypes of women that are illuminated within video games. Video games represent women as a typical damsel in distress, whereas men are viewed as the hero (Brenick et. al. 3). Although, providing female protagonists in video games were supposed to appeal to more women, it subsequently discouraged women from playing video games. Video games do not only hypersexualize women. Although, researches have noted for years that most video games target a male audience (Ivory. 2), the hypersexualization of men in video games has taken a toll on their players (Greenberg et al. 3). Mass media that display hypersexualized men, and women, such as video games, not only encourages women to become anorexic, it encourages men to take steroids, or to excessively exercise (Barlett et al. 1). Researchers, Barlet t, and Harris conducted an experiment in which both men and women were immersed within a video game, that depicted both women and men as hypersexualized (ibid).Show MoreRelatedNegative Effects Of Advertising804 Words   |  4 Pagesimpacts on young people. Media has played a major role in influencing people’s perception of the differences between male and female expectations. For example, sex appeal in advertising can have negative effects on youth’s self-esteem, body image and can brainwash their young minds to purchase the company’s products. Advertisements have always used sex appeal to gain attention and persuade people to buy that certain product. The media creates an unrealistic body image, and women are often shown as sexyRead More2.09 writing and effective concusion1669 Words   |  7 Pageswhat is most important to teens. With this information they’re able to create advertisements that will appeal to most teens and create profit. Many people ar gue that some or most of these ads aren’t ethical because they will create a problem or insecurity and then give the solution to that problem in the form of their product. Teens will listen to other teens in ads. http://www.utalkmarketing.com/pages/article.aspx?articleid=14465title=teens-will-listen-to-other-teens-in-ads Central Idea: TheRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of Advertising1545 Words   |  7 Pagesprovides better deals and lowest prices. Although there is a plethora of benefits to marketing advertisements, the demeaning subliminal messages and negative influences on lifestyles definitely outweigh the perks. Advertisement appeals are targeting sex and violence, making it more acceptable for the youth, even if the product has no concern in the subject. (Suggett, Paul. 24 Jan. 2017). Marketers understand targeting these subjects will make their products more appealing to people in this cultureRead MoreAmerican Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes Essay877 Words   |  4 Pagesblond. The cinematographer uses mense en scene when he places her in the center of the cheer dance at the basketball game. The camera focuses on her as the center of the group, perfectly executing every provocative move and puts Jane awkwardly behind her struggling to keep up. In another scene the camera shows the audience a full shot of Angela showing off for Ricky and his video camera but very soon the camera changes places with Ricky’s camera to show that he is admiring Jane in the reflectionRead MoreThe Persistence Of The Plague1260 Words   |  6 Pagesof denial as a coping mechanism rather than accepting the alternative of their much more plausible fate. No subject of particular genre is necessarily safe from one who seeks to live vicariously through them. Many women may have stumble over HBO s Sex and the City while channel surfing, and while they may not intend attempt to live vicariously through these characters, the thought crosses innocently through their synapses: Oh she is totally Charlotte, as they begin to acquaint the series with theirRead MoreMasculinity in the Media3136 Words   |  13 Pagesmovies, watched and played sports, wore sports apparel and played Halo and Call of duty. I was subconsciously filling my gender role by making â€Å"masculine† consumer choices that would affect choices I would make in the future. The violent toys and games that I grew up with became a part of me. I got into many fights in high school because I thought it was fun, I thought I was cool, and I thought the toughest football player at the school. I started to become more and more interested in the militaryRead More Sex in the M edia Essay3039 Words   |  13 PagesSex in the Media One of the most important resources of a business is its advertisement team. Due to the fact that people can and will buy your product only if they know about it. This is the reason that marketing and advertisement have the biggest budgets in a business. This is the reason that places such as Amazon.com spend up to four million dollars on advertisement a year, according to Dream-Biz.com written by Burke Hedges. There is a saying that goes Sex-sellsRead MoreThe Impact Of Popular Music On Societal Belief1842 Words   |  8 PagesGender is a construct that that pertains to the idea of being male or female. In contemporary contexts, gender identity goes beyond the hegemonic qualities of masculinity (physical strength, dominance and a strong sex drive) and femininity (nurture, passivity and materialistic), and branches into non-binary territory. Popular music both reflects and affects the perception of gender in audiences and, in turn, general society, through the portrayal of traditional and alternative gender roles and traitsRead MoreHow Do Different Forms Of Entertainment Media?1791 Words   |  8 Pages 1 How do different forms of entertainment media (like TV, movies, video games, comic books, etc.) create and re-create cultural values related to gender, race, ethnicity, social class, and technology? What do fictional worlds, societies, technologies, and creatures tell us about our own society and the values we hold? Are the cultural values expressed accurate reflections, or are they more like the distorted reflection of a fun house mirror? Do they reinforce the status quo or challenge culturalRead MoreHow Women Are Portrayed in Media6769 Words   |  28 PagesWith programs such as The Bachelor and Flavor of Love showing a dozen women competing for the attention of one man, often using their sexuality, magazine ads displaying a half-naked female body to sell a fragrance or cosmetic product, and television commercials highlighting a womans thigh and butt to sell sneakers, it may be difficult for society not to be influenced by the overwhelming message to objectify women. Negative Female Stereotypes Female stereotypes in the media tend to undervalue women

Symbolism of the Island Free Essays

The Island Major Joe Ridge View High School English 1 Mrs. Walker December 17, 2012 There are many different symbols in the book Lord of the Flies. Some of the symbols represent peace and some represent war. We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolism of the Island or any similar topic only for you Order Now Some of the characters themselves represent different symbols. The item of symbolism that stood out the most was the island itself. The island itself is an excellent item of symbolism because it uses the boys themselves to convey what it stands for thus almost making itself seem alive. The island represents peace, atavism, the struggle to hang on to civilization, life, and the struggle to hang on to humanity. The island itself stands for peace. It shows this through Simon. The special place in the jungle where Simon went shows the peaceful part of the island. There is not much of it but it is there hidden by all of the confusion other factors at work. â€Å"He came to a last place where more sunshine fell. Since they had not so far to go for light the creepers had woven a great mat that hung at the side of an open space in the jungle; for here a patch of rock came close to the surface and would not allow more than little plants and ferns to grow. The whole space was walled with dark aromatic bushes, and was a bowl of heat and light. A great Tree, fallen across one corner, leaned against the trees that still stood and rapid climber flaunted red and yellow sprays right to the top† (Golding 56). Simon found that place peaceful and beautiful. He goes there in the middle of the night just to escape the atavistic character of the island itself which is portrayed through the forest and Jack. The island also shows atavism through the forest and through Jack. Throughout the story the boys continued referring back to creepers â€Å"I can’t hardly move with all these creeper things† (Golding 7). Creepers are like vines that climb up tree trunks and grow across open patches of ground. They cover up the trees and ground and make it hard for the tree or the ground to get sunlight or water. The vines take the water from the trees so that they can survive in the conditions of the island. Jack and his hunters do similarly the same thing with the pigs. The boys engulf the pig with their presence and beat it to death making it nearly impossible for them to escape the rancorous attacks and also making it nearly impossible for the pigs to breed and fill the island with wildlife and swine. The island also portrays life. For this it uses the open space that Simon found and the fire. When Simon found his special part of the island, he noticed that the creepers did not grow there allowing the fruit trees and the flowers to grow there abundantly. The fire also symbolizes the life of not only the island but the life of the boys’ morale and hope of going home again. â€Å"The fire was dead. They saw the straightaway; saw what they had really known down on the beach when the smoke of home had beckoned. The fire was out, smokeless and dead; the watchers were gone. A pile of unused fuel lay ready,† (Golding 67-68). The boys saw a ship passing by in the distance when they found out that the fire was dead. At that moment Ralph called an assembly. Jack and his hunters came from the forest with a pig. Ralph told Jack about the fire and the ship but the only thing the Jack was concentrated on was how he and his hunters managed to capture the pig. The Island also represents the struggle to hang on to civilization. The Island shows this through the scar that the plane left when it crashed. The entire island is in order with creepers and trees making an attempt to grow everywhere. The beach is sandy and the lagoon is not too far from the beach everything on the island was neat and in order. The plane crashed it left a scar that left a path of burned creepers fallen trees and overturned dirt and debris. The rocks on the island also had a role in breaking the rope of civilization. When Piggy’s glasses broke they fell on a rock after Jack smacked them off of Piggy’s face. â€Å"Ralph made a step forward and Jack smacked Piggy’s head. Piggy’s glasses flew off and tinkled on the rocks. Piggy cried out in terror: ‘My specs! ’†¦ ‘One side’s broken† (Golding 71). At that moment in the book the normal world’s idea of civilization went out of the window and Jack’s idea took over. Ralph and piggy both wanted to keep the island as civilized as possible. Piggy gave ralph the idea to blow the conch and try to call all the boys to one central location. While resting on the mountain he realized the conditions of himself and the other boys on the island: With the memory of his sometime clean self as a standard, Ralph looked them over. They were dirty, not with the spectacular dirt of boys who have fallen into mud or been brought down hard on a rainy day. Not one of them was an obvious subject for a shower, and yet—hair much too long, tangled here and there, knotted round a dead leaf or a twig; faces cleaned fairly well by the process of eating and sweating but marked in the less accessible angles with a kind of shadow; clothes, worn away, stiff like his own with sweat, put on, not for decorum or comfort but out of custom; the skin of the body, scurfy with brine— He discovered with a little fall of heart that these were to conditions he took as normal now and that he did not mind, (Golding 110). This realization from Ralph shows that he misses the rest of the world and that being shut off from the rest of the world gave him and even stronger need to try to restore civilization on the island. The island also symbolizes the struggle to hang on to the humanity of the island. Before the boys came to island the pigs had no real enemy that was known. The boys were the same way. When the boys were luckily landed on the island the pig’s predator became Jack and his hunters. It was easy for Jack to find his first pig but not as easy for him to kill it. The second time he carried out his task. As the story continues Jack has to go through different procedures and tricks in order to find a pig. He painted his face, he crawled around on the ground following a pig slide and pig droppings. He ends up killing pigs almost every day for the group. The pigs adapt to Jack’s ways and try to avoid him. When Jack killed the mother sow, the amount of humanity left on the island was in question. â€Å"Rodger found a lodgment for his point and began to push till he was leaning with his whole weight. The spear moved forward inch by inch†¦ ‘Right up her ass! ’† (Golding 135). The island was the most important symbol in the book. Without the island and the natural features of it then one may not think that the island could stand for anything other than an uninhabited graveyard for an assortment of young boys. In order to really see the significance of the island one needs to look closely at the events that happen and where they happen in the book. The island talked to the reader through the characters of the story. Each character represented a different trait of the island. Jack was the fear of the island, Piggy was the gentle side, Ralph was the firm part of the island, and Simon was the peace on the island. There are many other situations like this in many other stories, one just has to pay attention and open their eyes. References Golding, W. (1954). Lord of the Flies. Salisbury, England: Faber and Faber. How to cite Symbolism of the Island, Papers

Globalizing Resource Management Routledge - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Globalizing Resource Management Routledge? Answer: Introduction This report will provide the brief overview in relevance with the importance of Air Traffic Controller in airlines and to make it more clear and objective; designation of Air Traffic Controller at Tiger Airways Singapore Pte Ltd. will be discussed. Tiger Airways is a Singaporean Airline based Company and it was founded as an independent airline in 2003. The major operations of this airline company starts from Singapore Changi Airport and they mainly fly to Asian region i.e. India, China and Bangladesh. Tiger Airways is mainly known for its low fares and for this reason they have been awarded as the CAPA Low Cost Airline of the year in 2006 and in 2010. To obtain the adequate information in relevance with the designation and the importance of the designation of air traffic controller in Tiger Airways Pte Ltd, job analysis and other relevant techniques will be executed in order to obtain specific results. Job Analysis It is the process through which relevant information could be attained in order to fulfil the requirement of certain posts with qualified and deserving candidates. This method helps the organization to obtain the knowledge in relevance with the requirement of certain vacant post and then appropriate measures are being adopted for recruiting the appropriate person on the vacant position in order to fulfil the requirements of the organization (Chiapponi, et. al., 2017). Job Description of Air Traffic Controller Air Traffic Controller is the authorities that are responsible as well as accountable for any uncertainty happened in the workplace of Tiger Airways of Singapore. Their major functions are maintaining safety measures, giving and taking orders to the flights, prompt response to maintain the flow in the air traffic. This system is responsible for numerous other functionalities and air traffic control system is responsible for providing the information regarding the speed, position and the directing the pilots in relevance with the adequate path for reaching to the appropriate destination. Their duties are classified in various segments; they are very active in their job profile as they need to take various prompt decisions in order to resolve the queries of pilots. They are responsible for managing their tasks accordingly because number of flights are operated in a day and providing appropriate assistance in relevance with finding the adequate path, guiding them in relevance with the l anding, take off, etc. becomes quite difficult and confusing tasks but despite these conjunctions, Air Traffic Controller has the responsibility for maintaining the balance between all these activities (Pylvs, Nokelainen Roisko, 2015). Job Specification Air Traffic Controller needs to manage various crucial elements in relevance with their job profile and the basic as well as advanced knowledge must be present with them in order to perform adequate activities. Certain crucial elements of Air Traffic Control designation are described below: Skills: Before appointing on the position of Air Traffic Controller, appropriate information is tested on the basis of certain tests which are conducted by the airline companies. Apart from these tests, Tiger Airways needs to check the presence of mind of the candidate because the major responsibility of Air Traffic Controller is to take prompt and instantaneous decisions. Tiger Airways is performing their functionalities from 2003 in relevance with Air Traffic Control System. Apart from this, employee seating over the position of Air Traffic Controller needs to be active enough as well as he should be capable enough to adopt advanced techniques in relevance with managing the air traffic (Breaugh, 2017). Knowledge: Executing thee duties of air traffic control system are not easy and to perform these duties in an adequate manner, candidate sitting on the particular position must be with adequate amount of knowledge which could provide him the ability to take countless real-time decision in order to provide prompt and adequate support to the pilots. It is mind challenging task and for the same functionalities, this profession is emerging as the great career opportunity for the people who have an impressing presence of mind capability. Ability: Air Traffic Control officer of the Tiger Airways is capable enough to provide adequate support to its pilots. Training is must in order to achieve to the standards set up by the management of the airline companies for meeting with their requirements in relation with the air traffic control system. In Tiger airways, training sessions are conducted on regular basis in order to provide speedy response irrelevance with the environmental conditions and air traffic volume (Naim , et. al., 2015). Job Design Job design of Air Traffic Control Officer is moulded in such a manner so that adequate organizational requirements could be fulfilled. Certain elements of air traffic controls designation are discussed below: Efficiency: Air Traffic Control Officer is appointed on the basis of its mental abilities, knowledge and efficiency to perform the heavy and difficult task to manage the air traffic. This is the major reason enhancing performance of the Tiger Airways Pte Ltd. apart from this, they have also been awarded with the low cost fare airline two times. In very short duration, this airline company have gained their importance as well as they have built their image in the competitive airline market. Motivation: The designation of Sir Traffic Controlling Officer is quite difficult as well as motivating too. The major responsibility after the pilot in the airline company is with this designation. They both are performing risky tasks because they will be held responsible for any uncertainty occurred in the air or within the workplace. Hence, Tiger Airways has developed certain policies under which Air Controlling Officers are given adequate benefits, high salaries, etc. Providing these benefits motivate the employees and it also motivates them to perform their duties in an adequate manner. Safety health: The design of the job is developed as per the workplace conditions, policies followed by the particular organization, etc. Tiger Airways Pte Ltd. also performs the same activities in order to obtain the goals and the objectives for the organization through designing the Air Controllers activities in adequate manner. Safety and Health measure is quite crucial from the perceptive of airline industry because single wrong response or decision taken by the Air Traffic Controller may create numerous issues for the organization as well as to the people who have boarded the airbus (Metzger Parasuraman, 2017). Mental Capacity: Mental capacity of the Air Controlling Officer of the Tiger Airways Singapore Pte Ltd. is very impressive because with the effect of his appointment, occurrence of accidents with the decision taken by Air Controlling officer is quite low. Recruitment Strategies Effective recruitment strategies need to implement in the workplace in order to attain the qualitative and efficient employees for the organization. This will help the organization to target its goals and the objectives easily as well as it will enhance the productivity of the organization. Recruitment strategies are segmented into two categories i.e. internal recruitment strategies as well as external recruitment strategies (Marchington, et. al., 2016). Internal Recruitment Strategy: Under this strategy, existing employees are promoted for the future positions or for next level designations. This process is also known as the internal job posting. This is beneficial for the organization in various ways i.e. promoting internal employees on the next level will enhance the productivity as well as it will save the time for explaining the process of the organization as an existing employee already knows the whole procedure. Proper guidance and clarification on the rights of his duties will be sufficient in order to describe him their duties to be performed on the senior level position. Along with this benefit, employees will also show their potential and skills for getting promotions and this will lead to the enhancement of organizational productivity (Morgeson, et. al., 2013). While considering the Tiger Airways process of recruitment, the candidate working in the air traffic controlling department on the below position will be more effi cient resource while searching for a manager designation in the same department. Recruiting an outsider will be expensive as well as bit difficult task because the candidate appointed from external resources will require adequate training as well as knowledge regarding the process of organization (Paill, et. al., 2014). Advantages of Internal Recruitment Strategy: Explanation in relevance with the business model is not required to the existing employee; Chances of positive outcomes are more because existing employee is being promoted on its abilities and through his talent; No cost on training as a small description regarding the duties needs to be performed will be enough for the existing employee; Existing employee will require less time in getting the knowledge regarding his future duties. Hence; it will save the time for organization (Paill, 2014). External Recruitment Strategy: This is the process under which candidates are invited from the external resources to join the organization. Implementation of this procedure is executed in most of the organizations at the time of hiring on the initial level (Sheehan, 2014). This strategy could be implemented through various resources such as positing advertisement in the newspaper in relevance to the vacant position in the workplace, posting the advertisement on the official websites or it can also be executed through consultancy firms. This process is bit expensive in terms of internal recruitment process because it requires proper training measures for newly hired employees as well as employees will also require more time in relation to understating process of the organization (Sikora Ferris, 2014). Advantages of External Recruitment Strategy: Employees with huge talent and outstanding capabilities could be hired; With the new ideas and innovative skills of an outsider can help the organization to enhance its performance; Methods adopted by the outsider to perform the activities of the organization may provide competitive advantage to the organization (Sparrow, Brewster Chung, 2016). Thus, mixture of both the recruitment strategies needs to executed in the Tiger Airways Pte Ltd. in order to attain the adequate resources for the organization who can provide the competitive advantage to the organization (Storey, 2014). Selection Strategies Under this process, right person needs to be selected for the desired position in order to fulfil the requirement of both the parties i.e. selector as well as selectee. This process helps the organization in enhancing the performance of the organization. There are a number of selection strategies are available in the business environment which could be used in order to gain the competitive advantage. Following are some of the strategies are available in relation with selection process: Knowledge, skills and abilities: This is one of the traditional methods used by the human resource management in order to select the most appropriate person on the vacant position of the organization. Through this process, human resource team analyses the basic requirement of the job position in terms of knowledge, abilities and skills and according to that, adequate candidate is hired on the same position (Richey Klein, 2014). Outsourcing: Through this strategy of selection, organization hires the employees on temporary basis and after a certain period of time, their performance are validated as per the standards set up by the management of the organization. On the basis of outcomes analysed from this process, employees are hired on permanent basis for the desired position (Govindan, et. al., 2015). Conjunctive Selection Model: Under this strategy, candidate needs to pass certain assessments set up by the human resource management to qualify for the job. If candidate is not able to clear the initial stage of the selection strategy, then he is eliminated otherwise he is promoted to face the next round of the selection strategy (Garca, et. al., 2014). Apart from these, there are numerous strategies could be used by the organization in terms of fulfilment the requirement of the origination with the adequate candidate with appropriate set of qualities which are required to perform those functionalities of desired position. Conclusion From the aforesaid analysis, it can be determined that the role of Air Traffic Controller is quite crucial in maintaining smoothness in the functionalities of the Tiger Airways Singapore Pte Ltd. In order to ascertain the competitive advantage of the organization, the set of strategies adopted by them are quite effective and result oriented. For enhancement of the organizational performance they should focus on adaptation of more effective combination of strategies in relevance with the recruitment as well as for selection. This will enhance the performance of the organization as well as it will also help them to attain the desired goals and objectives. References Breaugh, J. A. (2017). to Recruitment.The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Recruitment, Selection and Employee Retention, 12. Chiapponi, C., Meyer, C. Y., Heinemann, S., Meyer, F., Biberthaler, P., Bruns, C. J., Kanz, K. G. (2017). Stress-Related Job Analysis for Medical Students on Surgical Wards in Germany.Journal of surgical education,74(1), 145-153. Garca, J. L., Alvarado, A., Blanco, J., Jimnez, E., Maldonado, A. A., Corts, G. (2014). Multi-attribute evaluation and selection of sites for agricultural product warehouses based on an analytic hierarchy process.Computers and Electronics in Agriculture,100, 60-69. Govindan, K., Rajendran, S., Sarkis, J., Murugesan, P. (2015). Multi criteria decision making approaches for green supplier evaluation and selection: a literature review.Journal of Cleaner Production,98, 66-83. Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A., Donnelly, R., Kynighou, A. (2016).Human resource management at work. Kogan Page Publishers. Metzger, U., Parasuraman, R. (2017). Automation in Future Air Traffic Management: Effects of Decision Aid Reliability on Controller Performance and.Decision Making in Aviation, 345. Morgeson, F. P., Aguinis, H., Waldman, D. A., Siegel, D. S. (2013). Extending corporate social responsibility research to the human resource management and organizational behavior domains: A look to the future.Personnel Psychology,66(4), 805-824. Naim, I., Tanveer, M. I., Gildea, D., Hoque, M. E. (2015). Automated prediction and analysis of job interview performance: The role of what you say and how you say it. InAutomatic Face and Gesture Recognition (FG), 2015 11th IEEE International Conference and Workshops on(Vol. 1, pp. 1-6). IEEE. Paill, P., Chen, Y., Boiral, O., Jin, J. (2014). The impact of human resource management on environmental performance: An employee-level study.Journal of Business Ethics,121(3), 451-466. Purce, J. (2014). The impact of corporate strategy on human resource management.New Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge Revivals),67. Pylvs, L., Nokelainen, P., Roisko, H. (2015). The role of natural abilities, intrinsic characteristics, and extrinsic conditions in air traffic controllers vocational development.Journal of Workplace Learning,27(3), 241-263. Richey, R. C., Klein, J. D. (2014).Design and development research: Methods, strategies, and issues. Routledge. Sheehan, M. (2014). Human resource management and performance: Evidence from small and medium-sized firms.International Small Business Journal,32(5), 545-570. Sikora, D. M., Ferris, G. R. (2014). Strategic human resource practice implementation: The critical role of line management.Human Resource Management Review,24(3), 271-281. Sparrow, P., Brewster, C., Chung, C. (2016).Globalizing human resource management. Routledge. Storey, J. (2014).New Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge Revivals). Routledge.

Type II Diabetes Essay Example For Students

Type II Diabetes Essay Type II Diabetes Essay: New Drugs and new Perspectives Pathophysiology: Type 2 DM differs from type one in several distinct ways: It is ten tomes more common and has a great genetic component, occurs most commonly in adults, increasing with prevalence in age (20-25% occurring over the age of 65) and more commonly occurring with Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and African Americans, and is associated with increased resistance to the effects of insulin secretion by the pan crease, unlike its counterpart (DM1) where b cell destruction is usually the leading cause to absolute insulin deficiency. DMII is often, 80% of the cases, associated with obesity, an additional factor that increases insulin resistance. Because these patients always have a residual amount of insulin secretion the patient is usually a symptomatic and are diagnosed long after the onset of the disease by the elevation of fasting glucose during a routine screening. Because of the classification of DMII the mainstay of therapy remains diet and exercise, but as is well known lifestyle cha nges are extremely difficult in such patients leading to the development of pharmacological interventions. The only pharmacologic treatments were oral sulfonylureas or insulin by injection, both of which act to heighten the patients already elevated but insufficient insulin levels. We will write a custom essay on Type II Diabetes specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Today, physicians can choose from among a variety of medications targeting numerous facets of the disease ; the drugs augment pancreatic insulin secretion, improve peripheral glucose disposal (as occurs in muscle and adipose tissue), decrease glucose release from the liver, or limit absorption of carbohydrate and fat from the gut .

Is Trucking the Best Job for You

Is Trucking the Best Job for You Do you ever fantasize about quitting your job and finding a career on the open road, with just your thoughts and the radio to keep you company? If so, you’re not alone- and it may not be as far-fetched a career plan as you might think. Growing OpportunitiesMuch of the U.S. economy depends on goods finding their way to warehouses and stores all over the country- and in many cases, those goods are transported by long-haul tractor-trailer truck drivers. Fast delivery is becoming a major selling point for online retailers like Amazon and big-box stores like Wal-Mart and Target, which makes professional truckers an  important part of satisfying customer expectations.Truck drivers are a crucial part of an ever-expanding supply chain: by 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the demand for heavy and tractor-trailer drivers will grow by as much as 11%.The LegworkThere are hurdles to a career in trucking- as tempting as it sounds, you can’t just show up, stan dard driver’s license in hand, and expect to drive a big rig to Ohio. All states require a specific Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to operate heavy trucks and tractor-trailers. Additionally, most trucking companies require a high school degree and completion of a professional truck-driving training program.There are also personal considerations. Are you willing to be away from home for days or weeks at a time? Do you have the time-management skills to meet rigorous delivery schedules in all weather, on holidays, or on your birthday? Being a truck driver requires a strong personal commitment as well as a professional one.Hitting the RoadLet’s say you’ve met all these requirements, made the necessary choices, and received the right training and recommendations. You’re ready to pack up your faithful dog and your toothbrush, and seek a trucking job. What’s the best way to do that?You may want to start by researching which trucking companies m eet your goals and your comfort level. Regional trucking companies may be able to offer you jobs closer to home. National trucking companies tend to have the broadest reach and the most access to available trucking jobs.You should also consider whether the company will hire a rookie driver right out of the gate- many companies want their new drivers to have 3 months to a year of driving time before they’ll consider hiring. This may sound discouraging to start (how do I get experience if no one will hire me without experience?), but it’s common in most career paths to start at the bottom by creating/locating opportunities and working your way up.The Money QuestionPerhaps the most important part of any job search is understanding what your salary will be- and can be. Like other fields, trucking offers its lowest salaries to drivers just starting out, especially if you don’t have the driving experience yet. However, you should know that while many industries have a wide gap between starting employees and long-time veterans, truck drivers have a pretty even field once you’re in it.The average starting pay for a truck driver is $13.81/hour, compared to an average of $18.37/hour (approximately $38,200/year) for all drivers. This kind of parity is often a reason people choose to get started in the trucking industry- your pay is not significantly less than more experienced colleagues’.If you’re seeking a career that can be challenging and fulfilling while paying the bills and letting you travel, trucking  could just be the right choice for you. And if you have the ability to find Zen even in the most obnoxious traffic jams, all the better!

Correct Spelling Is Profitable for Online Businesses

Correct Spelling Is Profitable for Online Businesses In his book on the history of English spelling, Oxford English professor Simon Horobin offers this economic argument for the value of correct spelling: Charles Duncombe, an entrepreneur with various online business interests, has suggested that spelling errors on a website can lead directly to a loss of custom, potentially causing online businesses huge losses in revenue (BBC News , 11 July 2011). This is because spelling mistakes are seen by consumers as a warning sign that a website might be fraudulent, leading shoppers to switch to a rival website in preference. Duncombe measured the revenue per visitor to one of his websites, discovering that it doubled once a spelling mistake had been corrected.Responding to these claims, Professor William Dutton, director of the Internet Institute at Oxford University, endorsed these conclusions, noting that, while there is greater tolerance of spelling errors in certain areas of the Internet, such as in email or on Facebook, commercial sites with spelling errors raise concerns over credibility. Online consumers concerns about spelling mistakes on websites are understandable, given that poor s pelling is specifically highlighted in advice on detecting potentially fraudulent email, so called phishing. . . .So the message is clear: good spelling is vital if you want to run a profitable online retail company, or be a successful email spammer.( Does Spelling Matter? Oxford University Press, 2013) To make sure that your writing isnt littered with spelling errors, follow our Top 10 Proofreading Tips. Dont depend on your spellchecker to handle all the work. Many so-called spelling errors are actually mistakes in word choice- such as the use of  your for youre  or role  for ​roll. A good number of the words in our Glossary of Commonly Confused Words are homophones like these, and your spellchecker simply isnt clever enough to keep their meanings straight. As Horobin states in his introduction, hes not out to reform English spelling (a futile exercise in any case) but to argue for the importance of retaining it as a testimony to the richness of our linguistic heritage and a connection with our literary past. I recommend Horobins book to anyone interested in learning more about the origins of English spelling and its often eccentric conventions. More About English Spelling Writers on English SpellingFour Spelling RulesTop 20 Spelling MnemonicsThe Futility of Spelling Reform

Theatre Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theatre Performance - Essay Example The first difficulty I faced preparing the monologue was to learn the words by heart. In order to perform well, I needed to know it perfectly not to forget it even when I would be nervous or lost. I had to force myself to learn the text and it took some time to make sure that I would not fail. There were some lines that were the most difficult for me. I missed them many times when I practiced alone and with a friend and it made me frustrated because my performance was awful when I stopped and tried to recollect everything. I turned out that learning the text was not the most difficult part of my preparations. I had to perform; accordingly, I needed to focus on emotions, mimics and actions related to my role. Staging was hard because I had to keep everything natural but persuasive. It was complicated to find the right balance between these two options. I did not want to look indifferent on the stage; at the same time, I was afraid that I would exaggerate everything and spoil my role. Moreover, I had to do everything is a set time frame. Performance contained a sequence of actions that had to happen in the right time and place. I could not improvise or change anything. It was stressful at first, but it added a better organization to my performance. Staging was particularly hard because I performed the role of a man and I had to control my voice all the time not to sound feminine. This required the control of every word I said. Even all exclamations had to be more male. The switch from Harry to Handy Baker was not easy and I spent much time training it. I had a hoarse voice because my vocal cords were not used to such a pressure. Due to this fact I had to make pauses and relax to minimise the effect of my role on my ordinary voice. The issue of confidence came next. I was very nervous when I thought about public performance of the monologue.  

Leadership within Non-Profits (Identify a Non-Profit) Essay

Leadership within Non-Profits (Identify a Non-Profit) - Essay Example The volunteers govern the American Red Cross. It is located in Washington. Bonnie McElveen- Hunter is the board of governors’ chairperson Gail J. McGovern is the current American red cross president. Leadership in the American Red cross aims at attracting sufficient funds or capital and making sound strategies. Due to this, the organization has strong leaders that aim to these goals (Jones 35). The leaders in the American Red Cross use transformational skills, which is about thinking and understanding the problem in an organization. It is also about thinking, understanding, and setting the goals for employees. The goals set are challenging but workers can achieve them through hard work. This is important because without the challenging goals, employees or workers would not be motivated to extend their full effort to work. This achievement of challenging goals helps the leader to develop his leadership qualities and makes him better equipped to achieve hard tasks. For instance, American Red Cross leadership has set out a fierce campaign to encourage people to donate blood and funds. This is done through the creation of awareness among the people both domestically and internationally. The American Red Cross process and distribute the collected blood. Transformational leadership at American Red Cross facilitates and redefines people’s vision and mission (Robbins 77). It also renews people’s commitment and restructures their systems to accomplish a certain goal. Thus, a mutual relationship stimulates and elevates follower to become leaders. In addition, it may also convert leaders to become moral agents. Transformational leadership should therefore be grounded on moral foundation. For example, when disaster strikes the American Red Cross provides food, health, and shelter to ensure that victims have basic human needs and to enable the get back to the way things were (Jones 41-44). Leadership at the American Red Cross aims at

Parental Involvement Essay Example for Free

Parental Involvement Essay The goal of positive and productive family and community involvement is on every school improvement list, but few schools have implemented comprehensive programs of partnership. Research suggests that this goal is an important one to reach because families and communities contribute to childrens learning, development, and school success at every grade level. Studies are accumulating that show that well-designed programs of partnership are important for helping all families support their childrens education in elementary, middle, and high schools. That is, if schools plan and implement comprehensive programs of partnership, then many more families respond, including those who would not become involved on their own. Three questions need to be addressed to help educators move from believing in the importance of family and community involvement to conducting effective programs of partnership: What is a comprehensive program of school, family, and community partnerships? How do family and community partnerships link to other aspects of successful schools? How can all schools develop and sustain productive programs of partnerships? Components of a Comprehensive Program of Partnerships A framework of six types of involvement guides schools in establishing full and productive programs of school-family-community partnerships. This section summarizes the six types of involvement and discusses a few sample practices that are being implemented in schools across the country that are working to improve and increase family and community connections. Also noted are some of the challenges that all schools must overcome to create successful partnerships, along with examples of results that can be expected from each type of involvement for students, families, and educators. Comprehensive programs of partnerships include activities for all six types of involvement. Because there are many activities to choose from, elementary, middle, and high schools can tailor their programs of partnerships by selecting activities that match specific school goals and the interests and needs of students and families. Type 1–Parenting. Type 1 activities are conducted to help families strengthen parenting skills, understand child and adolescent development, and set home conditions to support learning at each school level. Type 1 activities also enable families to provide information to schools so that educators understand families backgrounds, cultures, and goals for their children. Sample practices. Among Type 1 activities, elementary, middle, and high schools may conduct workshops for parents; provide short, clear summaries of important information on parenting; and organize opportunities for parents to exchange ideas with other parents, educators, and community experts on topics of child and adolescent development. Topics may include health, nutrition, discipline, guidance, peer pressure, preventing drug abuse, and planning for the future. Type 1 activities also provide families with information on what to expect and how to prepare for students transitions from pre-school to elementary school, elementary to middle school, and middle to high school. Additional topics for successful parenting may concern family roles and responsibilities in student attendance, college planning, and other topics that are important for student success in school. Schools also may offer parents General Educational Development (GED) programs, family support sessions, family computer classes, and other learning and social opportunities for parents and for students. To ensure that families provide valuable information to the schools, teachers may ask parents at the start of each school year or periodically to share insights about their childrens strengths, talents, interests, needs, and goals. Challenges. One challenge for successful Type 1 activities is to get information from workshops to parents who cannot come to meetings and workshops at the school building. This may be done with videos, tape recordings, summaries, newsletters, cable broadcasts, phone calls, and other print and nonprint communications. Another Type 1 challenge is to design procedures that enable all families to share information easily and as needed about their children with teachers, counselors, and others. Results expected. If useful information flows to and from families about child and adolescent development, parents will increase their confidence about parenting, students will be more aware of parents continuing guidance, and teachers will better understand their students families. For example, if practices are targeted to help families send their children to school every day and on time, then student attendance will improve and lateness will decrease. If families are part of their childrens transitions to elementary, middle, and high school, then more students will adjust well to their new schools, and more parents will remain involved across the grades. Type 2–Communicating. Type 2 activities increase school-to-home and home-to-school communications about school programs and student progress through notices, memos, conferences, report cards, newsletters, telephone calls, e-mail and computerized messages, the Internet, open houses, and other traditional and innovative communications. Sample practices. Among many Type 2 activities, elementary, middle, and high schools may provide parents with clear information on each teachers criteria for report card grades; how to interpret interim progress reports; and, as necessary, how to work with students to improve grades or behavior. Type 2 activities include parent-teacher conferences; parent-teacher-student conferences; or student-led conferences with parents and teachers. Student involvement in conferences helps youngsters take personal responsibility for learning. Activities may be designed to improve school and student newsletters by including student work, a feature column for parents questions, calendars of important events, and parent response forms. Many schools are beginning to use e-mail, voice mail, and websites to encourage two-way communication between families and teachers, counselors, and administrators. Challenges. One challenge for successful Type 2 activities is to make communications clear and understandable for all families, including parents who have less formal education or who do not read English well, so that all families can understand and respond to the information they receive. Other Type 2 challenges are to know which families are and are not receiving and understanding the communications in order to design ways to reach all families; develop effective two-way channels of communication so that families can easily contact and respond to educators; and make sure that students understand their roles as couriers and interpreters in facilitating school and family connections. Results expected. If communications are clear and useful, and if two-way channels are easily accessed, then school-to-home and home-to-school interactions will increase; more families will understand school programs, follow their childrens progress, guide students to maintain or improve their grades, and attend parent-teacher conferences. Specifically, if computerized phone lines are used to communicate information about homework, more families will know more about their childrens daily assignments. If newsletters include respond-andreply forms, more families will send ideas, questions, and comments to teachers and administrators about school programs and activities. Type 3–Volunteering. Type 3 activities are designed to improve recruitment, training, and schedules to involve parents and others as volunteers and as audiences at the school or in other locations to support students and school programs. Sample practices. Among many Type 3 activities, schools may collect information on family members talents, occupations, interests, and availability to serve as volunteers. These important human resources may help enrich students subject classes; improve career explorations; serve as language translators; monitor attendance and call parents of absent students; conduct parent patrols and morning greeters to increase school safety; and organize and improve activities such as clothing and uniform exchanges, school stores, and fairs. Schools may organize volunteers to serve as home-room parents, neighborhood representatives, and sports and club contacts and may establish telephone trees to help parents communicate with each other about school programs and events. Schools may establish a corps of volunteers to offer a wel-come wagon of information about the school to students and families who enroll during the school year. Schools also may create opportunities for mentors, coaches, tutors, and leaders of after-school programs to ensure that students have experiences that build and expand their skills and talents and that keep them safe and supervised after school. Some Type 3 activities may be conducted in a parent room or family center at the school where parents obtain information, conduct volunteer work, and meet with other parents. Challenges. Challenges for successful Type 3 activities are to recruit volunteers widely so that parents and other family members feel welcome; make hours flexible for parents and other volunteers who work during the school day; provide needed training; and enable volunteers to contribute productively to the school, classroom, and after-school programs. Volunteers will be better integrated in school programs if there is a coordinator who is responsible for matching volunteers available times and skills with the needs of teachers, administrators, and students. Another Type 3 challenge is to change the definition of volunteer to mean anyone who supports school goals or students learning at any time and in any place. This includes parents and family members who voluntarily come to school as audiences for students sports events, assemblies, and musical or drama presentations, and for other events that support students work. It also includes volunteers who work for the school at home, through their businesses, or in the community. A related challenge is to help students understand how volunteers help their school and to encourage students to interact with volunteers who can assist them with their work and activities. Results expected. If tasks are well designed, and if schedules and locations for volunteers are varied, more parents, family members, and others in the community will assist elementary, middle, and high schools and support students as members of audiences. More families will feel comfortable with the school and staff; more students will talk and interact with varied adults; and more teachers will be aware of and use the time, talents, and resources of parents and others in the community to improve school programs and activities. Specifically, if volunteers serve as attendance monitors, more families will assist students to improve attendance. If volunteers conduct a hall patrol or are active in other locations, school safety will increase and student behavior problems will decrease because of a better student–adult ratio. If volunteers are well-trained as tutors in particular subjects, student tutees will improve their skills in those subjects; and if volunteers discuss careers, students will be more aware of their options for the future. Type 4–Learning at home. Type 4 activities involve families with their children in academic learning activities at home that are coordinated with students classwork and that contribute to student success in school. These include interactive homework, goal-setting for academic subjects, and other curricular-linked activities and decisions about courses and programs. Sample practices. Among many Type 4 activities, elementary, middle, and high schools may provide information to students and to parents about the skills needed to pass each class, course, or grade level and about each teachers homework policies. Schools also may implement activities that can help families encourage, praise, guide, and monitor their childrens work by using interactive homework strategies; student-teacher-family contracts for long-term projects; summer home-learning packets; student-led at-home conferences with parents on portfolios or folders of writing samples or work in other subjects; goal-setting activities for improving or maintaining good report card grades in all subjects; and other approaches that keep students and families talking about schoolwork at home. Family fun and learning nights are often used as a starting point to help parents and students focus on curricular-related topics and family interactions. These meetings require parents to come to the school building. A systematic approach to increasing academic conversations at home is found in the Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) interactive homework for the elementary and middle grades. Challenges. One challenge for successful Type 4 activities is to implement a regular schedule of interactive homework that requires students to take responsibility for discussing important things they are learning, interviewing family members, recording reactions, and sharing their work and ideas at home. Another Type 4 challenge is to create a schedule of activities that involve families regularly and systematically with students on short-term and long-term goal-setting for attendance, achievement, behavior, talent development, and plans for college or careers. Results expected. If Type 4 activities are well designed and implemented, student homework completion, report card grades, and test scores in specific subjects will improve; and more families will know what their children are learning in class and how to monitor, support, and discuss homework. More students should complete required course credits, select advanced courses, and take college entrance tests. Students and teachers will be more aware of families interest in students work. Type 5–Decision-making. Type 5 activities include families in developing schools mission statements and in designing, reviewing, and improving school policies that affect children and families. Family members become active participants on school improvement teams, committees, PTA/PTO or other parent organizations, Title I and other councils, and advocacy groups. Sample practices. Among Type 5 activities, elementary, middle, and high schools may organize and maintain an active parent association and include family representatives on all committees for school improvement (e.g., curriculum, safety, supplies and equipment, partnerships, fund-raising, postsecondary college planning, career development). In particular, along with teachers, administrators, students, and others from the community, parents must be members of the Action Team for Partnerships, which plans and conducts family and community involvement activities linked to school improvement goals. Schools may offer parents and teachers training in leadership, decision-making, policy advocacy, and collaboration. Type 5 activities help to identify and provide information desired by families about school policies, course offerings, student placements and groups, special services, tests and assessments, annual test results for students, and annual evaluations of school programs. Challenges. One challenge for successful Type 5 activities in all schools is to ensure that leadership roles are filled by parent representatives from all of the major race and ethnic groups, socioeconomic groups, and neighborhoods that are present in the school. A related challenge is to help parent leaders serve as effective representatives by obtaining information from and providing information to all parents about school issues and decisions. At the high school level, a particular challenge is to include student representatives along with parents in decisionmaking groups and in leadership positions. An ongoing challenge is to help parents, teachers, and students who serve on an Action Team for Partnerships or other committees learn to trust, respect, and listen to each other as they collaborate to reach common goals for school improvement. Results expected. If Type 5 activities are well implemented in elementary, middle, and high schools, more families will have input into decisions that affect the quality of their childrens education; students will increase their awareness that families and students have a say in school policies; and teachers will increase their understanding of family perspectives on policies and programs for improving the school. Type 6–Collaborating with the community. Type 6 activities draw upon and coordinate the work and resources of community businesses; cultural, civic, and religious organizations; senior citizen groups; colleges and universities; governmental agencies; and other associations in order to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development. Other Type 6 activities enable students, staff, and families to contribute their services to the community. Sample practices. Among many Type 6 activities, elementary, middle, and high schools may inform students and families about the availability of community programs and resources, such as after-school recreation, tutorial programs, health services, cultural events, service opportunities, and summer programs. This includes the need to assist students and families to gain access to community resources and programs. Some schools work with local businesses to organize gold card discounts as incentives for students to improve attendance and report card grades. Collaborations with community businesses, groups, and agencies also strengthen the other five types of involvement. Examples include enhancing Type 1 activities by conducting parent education workshops for families at community or business locations; increasing Type 2 activities by communicating about school events on the local radio or television stations, and at churches, clinics, and supermarkets; soliciting volunteers from businesses and the community to strengthen Type 3 activities; enriching Type 4 activities by offering students learning opportunities with artists, scientists, writers, mathematicians, and others whose careers link to the school curriculum; and including community members on Type 5 decision-making councils and committees. Challenges. One challenge for successful Type 6 activities is to solve problems associated with community-school collaborations, such as turf problems of who is responsible for funding, leading, and supervising cooperative activities. The initial enthusiasm and decisions for school-community partnerships must be followed by actions that sustain productive collaborations over the long term. Another Type 6 challenge is to recognize and link students valuable learning experiences in the community to the school curricula, including lessons that build on students nonschool skills and talents, their club and volunteer work, and, in high school, their part-time jobs. A major challenge is to inform and involve families in community-related activities that students conduct. Related challenges are to help students understand how community partners help their school and to engage students, themselves, as volunteers and in service-learning in their own schools, in other schools, and in the community. Results expected. Well-implemented Type 6 activities will increase the knowledge that families, students, and schools have about the resources and programs in their community that could help them reach important goals. Well-designed community connections will increase student access to and participation in community programs. Coordinated community services could help many students and their families prevent health, social, and educational problems or solve problems before they become too serious. Type 6 activities also should support and enrich school curricular and extracurricular programs. Summary. The six types of involvement create a comprehensive program of partnerships in elementary, middle, and high schools, but the implementation challenges for each type of involvement must be met in order for programs to be effective. The quality of the design and content of the involvement activities directly affect the expected results. Not every practice that involves families will result in higher student achievement test scores. Rather, practices for each type of involvement can be selected to help students, families, and teachers reach specific goals and results. The examples above include only a few of hundreds of suggestions that can help elementary, middle, and high schools develop strong programs of partnerships. How Partnerships Link to Other Aspects of Successful Schools Good schools have qualified and talented teachers and administrators, high expectations that all students will succeed, rigorous curricula, engaging instruction, responsive and useful tests and assessments, strong guidance for every student, and effective school, family, and community partnerships. In good schools, these elements combine to promote students learning and to create a school climate that is welcoming, safe, caring, stimulating, and joyful for all students, educators, and families.

The Utopian Solution in The Tempest Essay -- Tempest essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚   The entrance of The Tempest into theatres between 1610 and 1611, signifies a possible correlation between Shakespeare's play and the colonization of the ideal New World. Before analyzing the courtly order and utopian theme in The Tempest, it is important to understand the politics and culture of the court in the early 17th century. The society that Shakespeare emerges from plays an important role in the themes portrayed in The Tempest, because it leads to the utopian solution to the political and class conflict.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The definitions of politics and culture have changed drastically since the 17th century in Great Britain. The freedom of Americans to play an active role in politics and government greatly contrasts the role of the English during the time of The Tempest. Shakespeare lived in a time of government sovereignty, where the role of the people in politics was dependent upon their social (class) status. In "Political Culture," David Harris Sacks asserts that, "the 'sovereignty of state,' consisting solely in governmental powers, is understood to be a feature of a commonwealth, not the commonwealth as a whole" (Sacks 118-19). The lack of involvement of the majority of the commonwealth supports a problematic issue that the role of the people in government was dependent upon their social class, which presented an obvious inequality amongst the political system. The problems facing the commonwealth and the government lead to conformity and complacency amongst the people, but Shakesp eare had writing to overcome the ceiling on social class. Shakespeare's plays, specifically The Tempest, test the boundaries of politics and class order and tend to portray Shakespeare crossing from a conformist to a humanist. Shakespeare us... ...   Ã‚  Ã‚   David Scott Kastan. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers Ltd., 1999. 100-116. Gervinus, G.G. "A review of The Tempest." Shakespeare Commentaries. (1877):787-800. Rpt.     Ã‚  Ã‚   Scott. 304-307. More, Sir Thomas. "Utopia." The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Vol 1. Ed. David     Ã‚  Ã‚   Damrosch. New York: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc., 1999. 637-706. Platt, Peter. "Shakespeare and Rhetorical Culture." A Companion to Shakespeare. Ed. David     Ã‚  Ã‚   Scott Kastan. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers Ltd., 1999.   277-296. Sacks, David Harris. "Political Culture." A Companion to Shakespeare. Ed. David Scott     Ã‚  Ã‚   Kastan. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers Ltd., 1999. 100-116. Snider, Denton J. "A review of The Tempest." The Shakespearian Drama a Commentary:   Ã‚  Ã‚   The Comedies. (1890). Rpt. Scott. 320-324.   

Corporate Ethics Failure †A Critical Analysis Essay

Arthur Andersen, in 1913 established a corporate entity that for decades provided a benchmark for auditing and consulting in the accounting industry. From the onset Mr. Andersen worked to build a foundation for his company representative of the principles of excellence in the technical and ethical aspects of his new company. His ethical model focused on Utilitarianism, the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people. In the late 1940’s after the founder passed away, newly appointed CEO, Senior Partner Leonard Spacek, further exhibited his leadership and commitment to ethical practices by helping to establish the Accounting Principles Board, their prinmary responsibilities being to set industry accounting and ethical standards. This is a direct reflection on the commitment Arthur Andersons executive staff place on the company’s belief in performing their practice in an honest and trustworthy manner. Spacek was so revered that former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volker once refered to as Spacek’s tenure as a time when Arther Andersen was the â€Å"Gold Standard â€Å" for the accounting industry. See more: how to write a critical analysis outline These standards built a reputation in the accounting community which led to tremendous success. Honesty and integrity were trademarks of the company that concentrated on quality, leadership and developing its personnel to be experts in every aspect of the accounting industry . As the business began to grow, Arthur Andersen eventually became a leader in the financial industry, employing as much as 77,000 accounting professionals in 84 countries. A reflection on the many positive aspects of Arthur Andersen, its commitment to the many ethical principles it championed, both in its own corporate structure and that of the accounting community. In this writers opinion, with such metrics in place, it is amazing that such a large entity could implode and collapse. However, if one understands the importance of ethical behavior and the impact of lost trust, the analysis is not difficult. The problems encountered at Arthur Anderson were the result of inappropriate ethical behavior which resulted from compromises of their own ethical standards. These began as small issues for various clients that over time grew creating a slippery slope from which Arthur Andersen could not recover. Corporate enterprises are funded by investors, stockholders and consumers. Likewise, their activities, both internal and external, also affect investor, stockholder, stakeholder and consumer. All depend on the financial health and viability of the company to support their individual interests. The responsibility of the SEC is to verify financial wellbeing and provide a tool for which potential investors and stock buyers can fairly judge the risks involved as they decide which company their money should support. Auditors share the responsibility the provide analysis of the the financial condition while looking for errors in the bookkeeping/ accounting of the company’s financial position. The auditor’s responsibility is to correct or balance any errors thus preventing a misleading view of the true financial strength of the company. If this view is compromised by providing or allowing false data to exist, the company’s position is weakened, investors are led under false pretenses, placing their investments at risk. The SEC depends on a complete, thorough and truthful analysis from an auditor to verify the financial status providing security for those desiring to invest or provide financial support. Arthur Andersen’s problems began precisely as mentioned earlier, when executives began to Behave unethically in a manner against the principles on which the company was founded. It is important to note that while Arthur Anderson employed good business ethics, the company flourished. As it began to compromise it’s integrity the long term consequences eventually to appear. The Enron collapse represents just one of many cases where mistakes were made and hidden. For Arther Andersen, in business almost 90 years, the destruction of Enron documents to prevent the SEC from gaining access to incriminating evidence shows how corrupt the accounting firm had become. While millions of dollars in revenue for Arthur Andersen were at stake, the viability of the company depended on the reputation it garnered. The demise of the company resulted from the dishonest tactics it employed to remain in power. As of June , 2002, the company had laid off 7,000 employees, and lost more that 650 of it’s 2,300 public audit clients with the layoff of thousands pending. The slippery slope to extinction had begun. http://money.cnn.com/2002/06/13/news/andersen_verdict/ In the article â€Å"12 Ethical Principles for Business Executives† by the Josephson Institute, published on December 17, 2010, stated that â€Å" language establishing standards or rules describing the kind of behavior an ethical person should and should not engage in, are ethical principles.† More specifically they are specified as â€Å"Honesty, Integrity, Promise keeping and Trusworthiness, Loyalty, Fairness, Concern for Others, Law Abiding, Commitment to Others, Leadership, Reputation, Morale and Accountability.† http://josephsoninstitute.org/business/blog/2010/12/12-ethical-principles-for-business-executives/ The founder, Arthur Andersen, embodied these principles to the point that he personally reimbursed a client for an accounting mistake made under his watch. While a disclaimer on the part of Arthur Andersen guards against minor mistakes in the accounting audit/ review, it seems this created a gray area that was taken advantage of. Also, management should have developed a zero tolerance mechanism to maintain an ethical culture dedicated to preventing inappropriate behavior. Policy should have mandated regularly documented training on business ethics, and the importance of its implementation as the auditing process ensued. Any issues should have been to the client with reconciliation mandantory prior to an Audit Opinion being submitted. The indictment of Arthur Andersen and subsequent trial provided proof the Audit Opinion and review of Enrons balance sheet and financial statements were submitted with the intention to skew the true condition of the company’s true fiscal condition, thus deceiving the shareholders, board of directors, potential investors and stakeholders. An overview of the measures in place to safeguard against inappropriate accounting behavior provide an insite to the items that were violated during Enron and Arthur Andersens quest to bilk investors share holders of millions. â€Å" These safety measures included Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS), Statements on Auditing Standards (SAS), and all professional ethics. The use of GAAP by accountants is standard protocol. An accountant follows these principles as a matter of daily routine. According to several accounting texts, GAAP is identified as a â€Å"dynamic set of both broad and specific guidelines that companies should follow when measuring and reporting the information in their financial statements.†Ã¢â‚¬  http://faculty.mckendree.edu/scholars/2004/stinson.htm The article â€Å"7 Principles of Admirable Business Ethics† presents seven additional principles which complement ethical behavior. Those are â€Å"Be trustful, keep and open mind, meet obligations, have clear documents, become community involved, maintain accounting control and be respectful. http://sbinformation.about.com/od/bestpractices/a/businessethics.htm In conclusion, legal analyst’s formulate the opinion that â€Å"executives at Arthur Andersen and Enron did not set out to have a positive impact on the accounting industry or any industry. They set out to make as much money for themselves as quickly as possible. They were willing to do whatever it took to make that money. These thoughtless acts and greed led both companies to an eventual downfall in bankruptcy.† The subsequent prosecution of these firms has produced new controls which should serve to prevent this type of financial disaster. Most notably the Sarbanes-Oxley Act which includes requiring companies to reevaluate its internal audit procedures and makes sure the accounting practices either â€Å"meet or exceed the expectations of the auditors.† http://faculty.mckendree.edu/scholars/2004/stinson.htm Statement Regarding Professional Conduct: â€Å"This assignment is my own work. Any assistance I received in its preparation is acknowledged within the assignment in accordance wth academic practice. If I used data, ideas, words, diagrams, pictures, or other information from any source, I have cited the source(s). I understand that copying text word for word from other sources without placing it in quotation marks is considered plagiarism and not acceptable even if I cite the source where the material was copied from. I certify that this assignment was prepared specifically for this class and has not been submitted in whole or in part, to any other class at Walsh or elseware.†

Belonging speech Essay

It is with a kind of fear that I begin to write the story of my life. I have, as it were, a superstitious hesitation in lifting the veil that clings about my childhood like a golden mist. The task of writing an autobiography is a difficult one. When I try to classify my earliest impressions, I find that a fact and fancy look alike across the years that link the past with the present. A few impressions stand out vividly from the first few years from my life but â€Å"the shadows of disappointments and getting hurt are on the rest†. Besides, many of the joys and sorrows of childhood have lost their poignancy; and many incidents of vital importance have been forgotten in the excitement of great memories. In order, therefore, not to be tedious I shall try to present in a series of sketches only the episodes that seem to me the most interesting and important. I was born on June 2, 2000, at the San Juan De Dios Hospital, a hospital in the town of Pasay. The family on my father’s side are natives of China, who settled in the Philippines. My grandfather, Roberto arrived at the shores of Leyte and finally settled there. I have been told that he visited his brother to trade goods twice a year, and my grandmother has in her possession many of the letters to his family, which gave charming and vivid accounts of these trips. My father, Alvin , is a chef in Sydney, and my mother, Norilyn , was of the same age. Her family has lived in Nueva Ecija, Philippines, for many years. I lived, up to the time my mother and father started having issues, in a cosy two-storey house consisting of two big bedrooms and a moderately- sized one in which the maids slept. We also had a garden at the front porch which consisted of orchids, sampaguitas and ylang-ylang. The beginning of my life was simple and much like every other little life. I came, I saw, I conquered, as the first baby in the family always does. There was the usual amount of discussion as to a name for me. My father suggested the name Korina Sanchez, the name of news reporter he idolized, not everyone agreed to his suggestion. My mother solved the problem by finding a name for me in the university graduates catalogue from the newspaper, Celine. To make up to my father, she decided to give me a second name, Kaye, my paternal grandmother’s name. I am told that while I was still a toddler I showed many signs of an eager and confident nature. Everything that I saw other people do I insisted upon imitating. At six months I could say, â€Å"Mama, Papa† and one day I attracted everyone’s attention by saying â€Å"Te, Te, Te† which probably meant Ate (Big Sister). They tell me I walked the day I was a year old. My mother had just taken me out of the bath-tub and was holding me in her lap, when I was suddenly attracted by the flickeri ng shadows of leaves that danced in the sunlight on the smooth floor. I slipped from my mother’s lap and almost ran toward them. The urge gone, I fell down and cried for her to take me up in her arms. These happy days did not last long. One summer season, rich in fruit and orchids, sped by and left their gifts on the feet of an eager child; the rainy season has finally come. One rainy evening, I turned as white as sheet and as cold as ice. My parents soon rushed me to the hospital. The doctor diagnosed me of pneumonia and asthma. They thought I would not live, but with extensive care and the help of antibiotics I fought through it. I fancy I still have confused recollections of that illness. I especially remember the tenderness with which my mother tried to soothe me in my waking hours of fret and pain, and the agony and the bewilderment with which I awoke after tossing and turning in my sleep. Gradually, the pain faded away and I got better. During the first few years of my life, I had caught glimpses of people,a luminous sky, trees, flowers and my neighbourhood. If we have once seen, â€Å"the day is ours, and what the day has shown.† The Start of my Journey to the Outside World During the years that I grew up, things gradually changed. I grew and learned more about my life, seeing the world in a whole new perspective. My mother taught me everything that I know of. My hands felt every object, communicated with other people and observed every motion, and in this way I learned to know many things. A shake of the head meant â€Å"No† and a nod â€Å"Yes†, a pull meant â€Å"Come† and a push â€Å"Go†. I also learned new words such as bread, ice cream and book. My mother, moreover, succeeded in making me understand a great deal. I always knew when she wished me to bring her something, and I would run upstairs or anywhere else she indicated. Many accidents of those early years are fixed in my memory, isolated, but clear and distinct, making the sense of that silent, aimless daily life more intense. One day, I was staying at my grandmother’s house. We were eating lunch at that time, rice and chicken adobo with a glass of Coca Cola, whilst eating, I accidentally spilled my cup. To teach me a lesson, my grandmother didn’t give any more servings of the soft drink. At that time, the Coca Cola bottles were still made of glass. After we finished, she stood up and went to wash the dishes. Being the mischievous little girl I was, I quickly tiptoed to the refrigerator and took the bottle out. At that moment, a thought overcame me and I began to furiously shake the bottle up and down with my chubby little hands. Due to the little water droplets that covered the bottle, it slipped from my grasp. Glass shards flew everywhere and I was bombarded with cuts and my grandmother’s sermon. That accident is still vivid in my memory and it also made a scar that I still carry as of this day. When I was about five years old, we moved from the two-storey house to a town house consisting of three floors where I stayed from preschool up until Year5. The family consisted of my mother, my father and me. My earliest recollection of my father is making m way through great drifts of newspapers to his side and finding him alone, holding a sheet of paper before his face. I was greatly puzzled to know what he was doing. I imitated this action, even wearing his reading glasses, thinking they might help solve the mystery. But I did not find out the secret for several years. Then I learned what those papers were, and that my father was looking for jobs to go to another country. My father was most loving and indulgent, devoted to his home, seldom leaving us. Alas, certain circumstances happen that calls for desperate measures. My father was accepted to become a chef in either the U.S.A. or Australia. After much consideration, he left us to start a new career. I’ve never seen him all throughout the rest of my childhood and school years. He called us, me and my mum, at least once a month. I missed him dearly hoping he would be there every time I get something right or make my mum proud. Early Education and an unforgettable trip Meanwhile the desire to express myself grew. The words and body language I’ve learned became less and less adequate, and my failures taught me not to make the same mistakes all over again. My mother taught me more to quench my thirst for knowledge and even gave me my first book. After that occurrence, I gradually became a bookworm. On my birthdays, I received books as gifts from my relatives. At that moment, things changed. I grew to love books more than playing like my peers. I grew up in a town house neighbourhood. There weren’t any children in my neighbourhood, hence my independence. It was lonely at first but my books and my grandma kept me company. To help me, my mom started to teach me the alphabet. At first, it was hard but practice makes perfect. Every afternoon, she would then ask me to recite the whole alphabet and after a few weeks, until I finally perfected it. My mother is a very persistent and studious woman. She has always persuaded me to study ever since my second birthday. I still remember those days when I didn’t study enough or was too lazy to say it orally; I would be locked out of the house until I learn it. Ever since that day, I strive to be the best I can be. Then, one day, things took a turn for the better. My uncle, Eduardo Lim, who was currently residing in Johannesburg, South Africa, gave my mom a job opportunity. Things went and papers were filed soon after. A couple of months later we were on board the Qatar Airlines and zooming to get my first glimpse of my new home. Upon arrival, we were escorted to big mansion where my uncle lived. It was lavish and with high security. There were also three canine dogs. After the introductions and formalities, my uncle doted on me and soon after enrolled me to a preschool. My mom used to tell me that when I was a toddler, I used to greet people all the time. And if I get the chan ce, maybe, steal a peck on the cheek or a hug; as a child, I was a cheeky little monkey and was always getting into trouble. There was the time when I made a peanut butter sandwich without anyone’s knowledge and ate it with the dogs that were taller than me. It was all fun then, but everything comes to an end. After two summers, my mother decided to go back to the Philippines to start my education. In the Philippines, school starts at June and ends in March. Our holidays consisted of Christmas , New Year, The Day of the Dead and the two- month long one(March-June). Upon our arrival on May 2005, my mom perused me even more to study harder and so I did. My mom enrolled me to St. Stephen’s High school to start my education. It is a Christian Chinese School. I managed to get top marks on my entrance exam. There was a disadvantage though, the school was really far. To remedy this problem, I need to wake up at 4:00 am. It was really tiring but it was worth the effort. I met new friends, learned new stuff and boosted my stamina to a whole new level. In this school, everyone is competitive to rise above the rest. Rivalries and Competitions are normal in this school, especially with mothers. Here, there are no top classes or anything of that matter. Everyone and I mean every single student has at least one tutor. My tutoring sessions lasted for 5 hours a day during my stay there. Finally the year has finished, and I reaped my rewards. I stayed under their tutelage for two years, striving to be the best. Hence my schools motto, â€Å"We are the best, among the rest†. For the first year, I received awards for being the fourth place in my entire year. For the second though, through excessive studying and my mother’s perusal, I finally managed to grasp the concept of being at the top. Due to certain circumstances, I moved schools. I cried with my best friend that day, when I received the news. She was the closest friend I ever had at that time, and it breaks my heart to part with her. Alas, life goes on I recall many eve nts that happened soon after. I did nothing but explore and learn the name of every object that I saw; and the more I handled things and learned their names and uses, the more joyous and confident grew my sense of kinship with the rest of the world. When the time came for my first day of grade school, I had my first lessons in Science and History. I learned how the sun and the rain make to grow out of the ground every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, how birds build their nest, my country’s past, how the deer, the lion, the squirrel and every other creature finds food and shelter. As my knowledge of things grew I felt more and more the delight of the world I was in. Moving on & still going strong Being a new girl in a whole new different school has been a scary concept for me. My mother opted for a new approach to my schooling. She enrolled me to Malate Catholic School where I had been studying for about a third of my life. The concept of being a new girl is that you tend to be at the bottom class. Hence, my first day wasbeing at the bottom class. The very next day, though, I was immediately told to collect my things because I was moving to the top class due to some sort of intellectual reason. I studied long and hard, maybe trying to prove myself. In this school, they calculate your ranking by term. In the first quarter, I rose to be the fourth placer, being the demise of some people who had Malate Catholic School as their Alma Mater from the start. The commencement of grade school has always one-of-a-kind experience for me. It started a series of events that I will forever treasure. Year II The start of Year II started pretty much like nay year. I studied hard, vied for top marks and gave the teachers incentive. I managed to ace every single subject, my teacher told me to go to the Department of Education to get acceleration. I received top marks for the end of the year test just as I hoped and went to get the acceleration test soon after. After much anticipation, I received my marks and it said that I am able to move up to Year4 or Year5. My mother chose the Year 4 option after much consideration. The following year changed my whole life. Year IV I met new friends, teachers and classmates. My whole class were pretty much older than me by a year. One day, my friends started teasing me that I wouldn’t be able to beat their top one from Year 3 but I studied long and hard with my mother’s guidance to prove them wrong. In the end of the school year, I became the top one, president of three clubs (maths, science and GSP), won all the academic competitions in flying colours. My inspiration for that year was my teacher’s quote, â€Å"I doesn’t matter how much you learn from this year. What matters are the lessons you learn from your mistakes.† Year V At the start of the school year, my teacher opted to choose me for presidency in the Student Council Board Members. I had to campaign this year to commence the election for the following year. My team gave out chocolates and other incentives to secure our place in the election. It was a really fun experience but in the end it was all for naught. It was then that my father went back to the Philippines. Ha came bringing with him the tidings of the past and his plan for a better future. We were to migrate to Australia the month I finished Year 5. At first I was devastated, everything that I worked so hard for; my academics, competitions and clubs; all for the grand finale of a graduation; gone down the drain of broken dreams. I had always dreamed of having my dad beside me on my graduation day, filled with pride for all of my achievements and I was most certainly not expecting this. It was all a turn for the worst, my worst nightmare came true, my hopes on getting a scholarship crushed before my eyes. It was all too much to bear, but things took an unexpected turn. My mother found out that she was pregnant with my brother. There was a lot of rejoicing for the impending wait for the first male child. Gradually, the time came for her to give birth. The Big Surprise At precisely 4 am on the 29th of January, my brother, Samuel, was born. He was a cute little bugger with two dimples that were to die for. Everyone fawned over him and being an only child for more than a decade, I felt left out. Gradually, I became more and more distant from my mother because she spent her undivided attention to my brother. It triggered my jealousy then and there. I grew to love and hate him at the same time till the most awaited day arrived.. Finally, after much anticipation, I am finally leaving the past I worked so hard to create with the help of my mother and start on a new slate. I packed my bags, went to the airport with my mother and boarded the plane in time for a long flight. At approximately 10:00 pm, 4th of April 2012, we arrived at the Sydney International Airport. My father came and escorted us to my new home. We drove off and I watched the change of scenery as it passed me by. I observed a quiet and vast landscape with trees and pigeons hovering above m head. It was a complete contrast to the hustle and bustle in my old neighbourhood. My First Day of High School The commencement of a new chapter of my life began that day. I was a naive little girl and a nervous wreck that day. I was going to be introduced to a foreign environment with no idea of what to expect whatsoever. I did my morning duties and went to school. My mother assured me that I need not to be afraid and so with an eager feeling I had my first glimpse of my new school, Canterbury Girl’s High school. At first, I felt left out because most of my classmates have already settled in and being a new girl I was pretty much a loner. To solve the problem, Mr. Anderson introduced me to Minh Doan who eventually became my friend. The concept of rollcall gave me a lot of confusion because it was the first time I have heard of the term. I finally settled in with high spirits for the following day. Friendships & Alliances â€Å"Friends may come and friends may leave but they are our friends and we will love them forever.† Over time, I met people and friendships were created. Their personalities were all different but I trust & love them all the same. Chenhui is the organized and responsible one. You can rely on her when anything needs to be done or for advice when you need one. Stephanie is the logical one and sleepyhead. She tends to sleep due to sleep deprivation from previous nights but when it comes to answering a test she will be on a roll. There’s Linda the temperamental and idle one. She’s the most carefree one among the five of us because she doesn’t care that much about schoolwork and be sure not to be near her when she gets angry. Kezang is the patient thinker. She holds us together through and through with her patience and intellectual skills. In my outer circle, I also found people who I can have intellectual conversations, verbal sparring and enjoyment with. Anna is the one with mathematical skills and the strongest one. She solves mathematical problems with ease and never backs done a challenge when it comes to testing her strength. Nabila and Jill are the ones who I can have intellectual conversations with. They know and feel my passion for books especially if it is about Harry Potter. For every act of discipline comes a troublemaker, Tina Gavin. She breaks rules occasionally within her line of reason but amidst all her mischievous ways she has a soft side that she reveals to people she knows she can trust. She adds the spice and arguments that greatly entertains the class but has certain consequences much to the teacher’s chagrin. I love my friends and I would wish for nothing more. They have helped go through my hectic schedule, the stress of schoolwork and even helping me leave the shell of the person I used to be. My education started at Canterbury Girls’ High School on the year 2012 without knowing the adventures tha t will expand my knowledge of everyday life and how to â€Å"seize the day†. My own perspective of the way things are changed from that day onwards. I have learned about The Aboriginal perspective and their way of life. Mathematics became a form of innovation with complicated calculations involved. Events also happened among the staff of great importance. Ms.Salakas and Ms. Hunter were both betrothed in Year 7. Teachers came and went while imparting with me the most valuable treasure; knowledge, something that cannot be taken away from me. Mr. Sim, Ms.Moodie and Mr.Kazzi taught me maths in varying methods and for some reason they all seem to have a humorous flair that never ceased to make me laugh. Ms. Barry, Ms. Slattery and Ms.Magoffin widened my vocabulary and eventually made me verbose or eloquent; or so that is what my friends thought. Ms.Salakas taught me Incan history packed with fun-filled activities without any heavy burden but it was Mr. Robertson who pioneered my knowledge in Aboriginal History. He made every lesson fun and interesting. There was this one time where we had to improvise with aluminium foil for our topic about chivalry. We had a goodbye party for him to conclude the year and to thank him for all the memories and laughter forever etched in our hearts. I suppose there were also the times when some of my teachers get angry due the class’ antics but in the end it was all for our benefit. They all made me laugh once in a while imparting knowledge, skills and experiences that were invaluable. I could never thank them enough for teaching me and guiding me on things I do not understand. Another Twist in the story In the middle of Year 8, earth-shattering news came. My mother was pregnant for the second time. At precisely, 6:00 am, the 13th of September 2013 Elizabeth Nicole was introduced to this world. We were 13 years apart. It seemed ironic at that time because it she was also born on a Friday the 13th. She was the cutest little thing at 7 months. I took turns on taking care of her during the holidays, it was hard and being an amateur made it even more difficult. My babysitting schedule was both informative and interesting. I learned new life skills which can help me when I start my own family in the probable future. The start of Year 9 opened up a new door for possibilities and surprises. New Subjects such as History Elective and Work Education had been introduced. I had new teachers, some familiar and others unfamiliar. Year 9 has been stressful compared to the previous years with a huge amount of workload. Luckily, my family and friends support all the way. A Way to pass Time For as long as I could remember, I have alwaysbeen an indoor person. It was all because of my mother’s over protectiveness when I was still the only child. My love and passion for books started when I was nine years old. My cousin, Lirashen introduced me to the series of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It was a highly suspenseful and captivating series that bound me to read it over and over again. Over time, I have read the Artemis Fowl, The Nicholas Flamel series and much more. My love for volleyball started during the summer holiday of 2008 when my cousin from Canada visited us. She taught me the basic skills of volleyball and the gist of it. Jennifer was the most extraordinary player I have ever seen. She moves with easy grace combined with her exceptional skill. From that day onwards, I have shared her love and passion for the sport and plays volleyball to this day. My Hope for a Better Future â€Å"Our future can be determined by us and us alone. Ever since I was little I have always dreamed of being a doctor. My desire only grew when I went to grade school as my knowledge about the subject broadens.I am still unsure about my plans about the future but I have vague recollections of my plans from the previous years. My parents have been always telling to pursue a medical degree, and if possible an orthopaedic doctor. Now that I am in Year 9, I want to pursue a career in medicine. In my perspective, people cannot plan for an exact result; there would always be obstacles in the way no matter what. â€Å"Great Expectations lead to Disappointments†, my mother once told me. My father on the contrary told me that, it does not matter how great your expectations are as long as you persevere and have faith that you will go through every obstacle that comes in your way no matter what happens. My Life My life has been a series of winding paths and inevitable occurrences. Who would have thought that after a decade of waiting that there would still be a possibility of me having a sibling? Miracles have happened in my life in the most surprising circumstances and for that I am thankful. I have met people who helped me see the world in a whole new perspective. I made mistakes it h past but that is all part of growing up. I travelled across the world from Africa to Asia witnessing cultural perspectives unfolding before my eyes. Stereotypes were blurred as I discovered that every person is unique in their own way. Life can be relentless and cruel at times but in the end lessons are learnt. I don’t regret a single day of my life as I divulge trough hardships and laughter. I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul. My family helped through my ups and downs. They made life worth living for and I don’t know what I would do without them. Belonging, what is it? I believe belonging is when you can say that you are a part of something, when you have a group or a club or even a lifestyle that other people share. In short, I believe that a sense of belonging can be found in the things or people that have shared the same experiences, both good and bad, because we can identify ourselves in those people. Today we will be exploring this idea of belonging in two texts; one is the of poems â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† and â€Å"St Patrick’s College†, by Polish-born Australian poet, Peter Skrzynecki, and the other text is the 2012 movie â€Å"Wreck it Ralph†, directed by Rich Moore. The poems â€Å"St Patricks College† and â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† both deal with the notion of self-isolation and an inability to relate to the people that surround a persona. In both poems, we can assume that the persona is Peter Skrzynecki himself. In â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† he talks about how he could never relate to his father and his father’s friends when they would reminisce of their lives in Poland. He feels a sense of distance between himself and his parents’ culture that, as he says in the poem, he â€Å"inherited unknowingly†. In the poem â€Å"In the folk museum†, dissociation from a culture is also portrayed, but this time it is about the persona’s lack of connection to the Australian culture. The persona describes the things he sees in the museum as if they are foreign and unknown to him, so much so that he has to read the names of the objects to know what they are. A reason why the poet doesn’t feel he can relate may be because he doesn’t share the same experiences and doesn’t have the same traditions and customs that other people, both his Eastern European parents had and his Australian culture, would have shared. He can’t relate, or reminisce, or appreciate either of his two cultures, because he has never known enough about them to have an emotional attachment, and it is this lack of attachment that prevents him fr om feeling a sense of inclusion. The sense of exclusion from a group is also present in the film â€Å"Wreck It Ralph†. Ralph, who was the â€Å"bad guy† in an arcade game, was constantly ostracised from the rest of the characters in the game. He lived on a pile of bricks far away from everyone else. He, like Peter Skrzynecki, was often segregated from everyone else, except in the film, the exclusion was  intentional. In the same way Skrzynecki couldn’t help not being able to relate to his father, Ralph couldn’t help but break things, and the more he broke things, the more he would be distanced from the others in the game. He would have felt helpless and isolated, and his hunger to belong with everyone else is what made him escape his game in search of a medal to prove with worth. In one scene of the movie, Ralph is seen attending a â€Å"Bad-Anon†, a support group for the villains in the arcade games. Here he is able to communicate his ideas and feelings to people who feel the same and go through the same things. Ralph can identify himself in the support group because they all share the same experiences. This act of comradery indicates that Ralph does in fact know how to connect to others, but that his problem is that there is simply no-one for him to establish that friendship with. Another protagonist in the film, Vanellope, also suffers from isolation and exclusion. When she meets Ralph, she expects him to exclude her as other people do, but upon learning that he too is a rejected outcast, she reaches out to him and they become friends. This is a good example of how past experiences influence where we feel we belong. Their bond strengthens as the plot progresses, and as both Ralph and Vanellope grow closer and closer, their personalities grow and they develop trait that they didn’t have before they had friends. Vanellope gains a sense of assertiveness, and Ralph learns to respect and consider people’s feelings. The characters in both the poems and the film both show the concept of not belonging. It is a theme that appears in art and modern media constantly, and portrays the idea that our experiences, both good and bad, influence who or where we feel we belong. We all root for the ones that overcome obstacles and win battles despite having disadvantages. We all root for the underdog; because we, as an audience, identify ourselves in them; because we have all, at one point or another, felt the same.