Thursday, January 23, 2020

Teaching Philosophy :: Education Teachers School Essays

Teaching Philosophy I feel that education is not only based on the basics, but built on them. To me, creative expression revolves somewhat around those basics that are taught and also around the areas in life that are unseen, or thought. Creativity opens a person’s mind, to not just focus on what has been taught to us, which is information stored in the left side of the brain, but also to utilize our own ideas and imagination to express ourselves, which utilizes the right side of the brain (which is rarely used in the average individual). By doing creative things that use the imagination, it helps to strengthen that part of the brain which has been weakened with time. As children we feed that part of the brain, all is growing at once. But once formal education is introduced, that vision is narrowed to the point that it becomes lost and usually never recovered. What we are taught contradicts vision in art and destroys the vision of an artist unless given the proper instruction an d guidance on how to combine the known knowledge acquired and what is seen in actuality. A class that offers this guidance but to have freedom in a pressure-free environment that allows for creativity is what I desire from my class because for me, the art program when I was a child lacked. Art was mostly for holidays, something to take home to your mom for a certain special occasion, not for individual expression. I think out of all the philosophies that would best suit my desires in an art class would be the existentialist approach. Existentialism rejects the existence of any source of objective, authoritative truth other than the individual themselves, in which that individual determines for themselves what is right / wrong, true / false, and beautiful / ugly. Existentialism fits perfectly for an art program in that it gives the student a chance to have freedom of thought to be as creative as they like without something/ someone controlling what they do. In the existentialist class, students are allowed to choose their own medium, like prose, poetry, art, or music, and evaluate their own performance and sometimes each others performance.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Corporate Strategy: British American Tobacco

British American tobacco is one of the world’s renowned multinational organizations that has managed to create a strong corporate brand name and has through various products across the many markets created strong product brands. The success of the company can be attributed to many individual factors though all of them condense to form the company’s strategic corporate policy.A corporate strategy can be said to be a culmination of all the other strategies such as marketing, expansion, etc integrated into one with the single goal of achieving the company’s mission, vision and objectives.The corporate strategy adopted by any organization thus gives a general direction of where the company is headed in the long term and in the near future. In this paper, we discuss the corporate strategy adopted by British American Tobacco since the year 2003. Specifically the paper discusses the initiatives adopted by the company in recent times and compares them to theoretical mode ls proposed by modern management experts and learned in class.In addition the paper looks the company’s environment in terms of competition and proposes additional models and theories that the company can adopt in the face of increasing awareness of corporate social responsibility and anti-smoking legislation.Company overview The parent company is located in the UK with 47 other factories operating outside the UK spread out globally in 40 countries. There are also associate companies with a global presence. Its tobacco products are sold in over 180 countries with varying market shares with the highest being over 50%.The company employs over 3. 5 million people globally. According to the 2007 financial year report, the company has other 16 associate factories in 10 countries. Globally, according to the company’s website, it enjoys over 17% dominance in the market and over 60% in the UK market through its various brands. The company has over 300 brands in its portfolio a nd among the major product brands in the global market are Dunhill, Lucky Strike, Kent, and Pall Mall.This paper discusses BAT’s corporate strategy and looks at how its strategy has positioned it in the market in reference to the prevailing business environment and competition. Vision statement: â€Å"Our vision is to lead the tobacco industry through growth, productivity and responsibility†. This is further expounded by the company’s goals generalized as â€Å"Our goals are to grow our brands and the value of the business, to improve productivity and to embed the principles of corporate responsibility around the Group†. Mission statement:Our goal is to create long term value for our shareholders by consistent achieving of superior quality returns from the manufacture and marketing of tobacco products and to remain the world’s leading tobacco company as measured by market share, by commitment to quality, and by our own ability to meet the needs and interests of our customers, our employees and the communities in which we operate in. The company’s growth strategy has four main pillars which were unveiled in 1995 as growth, productivity, responsibility and winning organization.In the path of growth the company has utilized several strategies that we can attributed to the success of the company in the journey towards achieving its goal. Over the past five years for example, the goal of increasing shareholder value was most exemplified with the increase in investment returns by 294% according to the current company CEO, Paul Adams. By combination these specific company values with the company’s goals, we get an idea of where the company is headed to. As of the company’s annual report of 2007 presented in November revenue was ?7,312m representing a 1% increase from the previous year’s and profit from operations was? 2,304m representing a 19% rise form the previous financial year. To achieve this and the company’s long-term objectives and other endeavors the company has visualized a growth path that will seemingly keep in on the way to achieving its vision. Again, the fact that there is empirical evidence of the success of the company as shown by the increase in investors returns in the last five years, there are specific strategies that this paper discusses as the drivers behind the implementation of the company’s strategy.According to the report from the Guardian newspaper the growth of the company’s stock market performance is as shown below (Obtained from http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/britishamericantobacco) Strategic fit of the company Drucker (2008) defines strategic fit as the matching of the mission strategies of an organization to its internal structure and external environment. In this context, we limit our study of the company to corporate social responsibility, strategic alliances and mergers and acquisitions and look at how they have played the role in achieving the company’s set goals mission and vision.Strategic alliances In the business world, alliances are either formed by competitors or complimentary industry in order for the involved companies to strengthen their position in the market or achieve some common objective such as fighting competition and reducing costs. As such, BAT has been using its international presence to forge alliances with a number of players in the tobacco industry in various markets. In the recent past BAT entered into an agreement with one of its competitors, Phillip Morris International to manufacture and distribute some of the company’s brands in specific markets.On another case, BAT has entered into agreement with Imperial Tobacco to manufacture and distribute some of Imperial’s brands in Africa such as Embassy brand. Such alliances have enabled the involved partners to concentrate their efforts in specific markets while at the same time having their bands represen ted. Though this idea may seemingly appear to be benefiting Imperial Tobacco only, it on the other hand helps BAT to fully employ its resources in such markets. Mergers and acquisitionsEarlier this year the company acquired Danish conglomerate Skandinavisk Tobakskompagni (ST) for? 2. 01bn. This is in addition to the taking over of another Turkish manufacturing company, Telkel for ? 860m. Now, such acquisitions are meant to expand the operations of the country and presence in the global tobacco market. Currently holding 15% of the total global market, the vision of becoming the global leader in the manufacture of tobacco products looks achievable.According to the company vision as to lead the tobacco industry through growth, productivity and responsibility, the idea of forming mergers and acquiring already existing companies in new markets not only indicates the financial strength of the company but the ability of the management to identify potential growth opportunities in making of such decisions.The acquisition of ST was according to the company’s CEO made in order to acquire a new market segment of the non smoking market as oral tobacco, Fielder & Lundgren owned by ST. This non-smoking tobacco is aimed to be introduced into markets where there are strict regulations.This comes in the wake of increased pressure from health organization bodies calling on the restriction or total banning of smoking in certain areas. Therefore, the company is strategically positioning itself in the non-smoking market by acquiring already established brands in the market with strong brand names and subsequent strong brand equity.Corporate responsibility In October this year, BAT was included among the top leaders in the field of corporate responsibility reporting by a leading corporate social responsibility consultancy firm, Salter Baxter, a move that has received a lot of criticism.The company still insists that its inclusion in the list is in recognition of its strong p olices in corporate social responsibility as spelt out in the company’s corporate ideals of operating responsibly. Michael Prideaux, the company’s director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs says that â€Å"If a business is managing products which pose health risks, it is all the more important that it does so responsibly†. BAT’s corporate responsibility agenda is articulated in three directions as environmental management, globalization and human rights and regulation and lobbying.Similarly, the company’s health and science department is involved in researching into the development of less harmful products. This is most necessary as health reports have continuously highlighted the dangers of smoking and the devastating effects it has on non smokers through second hand smoke. According to the World Health Organization report on global smoking released earlier this year, it showed that the number of smoke related deaths in the US alone for 2007 wer e in excess of half a million.When faced such glaring facts, the company has had to give its fair contribution in educating the public and more so warn their target market of the dangers of consuming their products. Through as ironical as may seem, BAT has gone ahead and introduced a science website http://www. bat. com/science that delves into research findings on the dangers of smoking and related issues. Again the company has complied with stringent regulatory measures put in place to protect the public from exploitation by players in this industry such as BAT. PEST analysisThis analysis seeks to identify the political, economic, socio-cultural and technological factors affecting a given company in this case BAT. Political This pertains to how the company is structured in order to comply with the government policy in the country of operation. Given that BAT is a multinational company with its brands in about 190 countries, it has had to comply with diverse government polices that have varying effect on the operations of the company. Its operations in Russia are at the moment facing a great threat after being targeted by the country's consumer rights agency, Rospotrebnadzor.Early September this year, Gennady Onishchenko, director of Rospotrebnadzor accused BAT of â€Å"misleading consumers† and infringing on their rights on the basis that the company was marketing its products as less harmful specifically targeting the light and super light brands. This is just one of the many political challenges that the company facing.Other instances that are worth highlighting the tough taxes imposed on tobacco and tobacco products in many countries. Economic factors The company operates generally in large scale to produced around 850 billion cigarettes a year among other tobacco products.Economics of scale have thus favored the company and contributed greatly in achieving the growth that the company desires. In addition to this, presence of the company in many ma rkets cushions the company from making losses in case of decreased sales in on market that may be caused by a variety of factors.Socio-cultural factors The culture of smoking as a fashion statement is the greatest driver in sales for tobacco companies in general. Unfortunately, the same idea is being used in campaigning against smoking which is greatly affecting sales for BAT and other tobacco based companies.On the other hand, there are some traditional believes and practices that profess the goodness in smoking of unprocessed tobacco leaves thereby denying the industry a huge chunk of the market. Technologic factors A lot of research is being directed towards analyzing the harm of tobacco and more so tobacco smoke.As such BAT and players in the tobacco industry are constantly faced with the challenge of improving their manufacturing and processing units in order to comply with the requirements of reducing the harmful content of tobacco. SWOT analysis This test seeks to analyze the external and internal environment of BAT.It is one of the methods that Drucker (2008) proposes for analyzing organizations.StrengthsStrong leadership and planning has enabled BAT to recognize threats and thereby partnering with other players for mutual benefit. This as aspect as a strength has been the driving force behind the strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions as discussed earlier.BAT recognizes that â€Å"customer is king† through market research and subsequent product innovation to identify the selling trend in the market.BAT as a group has interests covering different regions and categories thereby enabling it to have more stable cash flow prospects.It has a portfolio of brands meeting demands for upscale, mid-scale and economy tobacco consumers covering a wider market segment.International experience; diversified portfolio, great locations for major factories in tobacco producing regions and superior quality products also make count as some strengths of the c ompany.WeaknessesThe company has failed to alienate itself from the legal tussles pertaining to smokers suing the company for damages obtained from consumption of the company’s products. BAT has suffered a lot legal battles in courts where the company has been forced to compensate consumers for damages. As such the company has become an easy target for legal â€Å"bounty hunters†.Its presence in many markets presents a management challenge in that a lot of resources are utilized in the harmonization of organization’s policies and strategies.OpportunitiesWith BAT’s experience in operations, there are numerous opportunities in spreading operations over in new markets such as the most recent one targeting the Scandinavian market.As a dominant brand in the UK market, BAT has the opportunity of influencing the market to have benefit through strategic decisions such as being the price setter.The company’s experience in research and development of less ha rmful tobacco products presents the company with an opportunity to market her brands as the less harmful alternative to relatively harmful brands in the market.ThreatsThe tobacco industry is faced with strict environmental laws which increase costs of production and impact on the general productivity of the players.The increased awareness on the dangers of smoking may lead to contraction of the market for the industry.Increased deaths and illnesses from tobacco use are rapidly decreasing the market for the industry.A report by the Guardian says of BAT â€Å"it needs to recruit at least 750,000 new smokers each year to replace the ones who have died from their habit (smoking)†.Political uncertainties in foreign markets are forcing BAT to with draw operations such as in North Korea and Burma where the company has already withdrawn from the markets. Competitor analysis There are two main competitors for BAT in the UK market: Gallaher Group and Imperial Tobacco Gallaher Group It is the fourth largest manufacturer of tobacco products in the global market. It has its headquarters in Switzerland and it operates in 80 countries around the world.The company owns Benson & Hedges and Silk Cut Cigarettes brands among many others. The company reported a 5. 0% increase in net sales as of 2006 to stand at ? 2. 74 billion. In this market it faces competes with BAT and Imperial Tobacco. Due to stiff competition in the UK market, its share volume in the market has been on a decline while its international operations are on the rise. In 2006, it distributed over 18. 8 billion cigarettes in the UK market. Imperial Tobacco The company has its headquarters in Bristol and is second to BAT in the UK market and fourth in the global tobacco market.The company prides itself in top of the range brands and is has the best two selling brands in the UK as Lambert and Butler and Richmond. Other brands in the market are Embassy, Escort, Camel, Drum, Windsor Blue etc. It dominates the f ine cut market with a market share of about 63% as of last year. The company reported net revenue of ? 8. 69 billion for the 2007/08 financial year with increase in profits in excess of 30%. The company has adopted a corporate strategy very similar to BAT and thus poses the greatest threat in the market.It recognizes its core objectives as sales development, cost optimization and efficiency improvements and effective cash management. Success or failure of these strategies is further evaluated through key performance indicators which have been identified as earnings per share, total shareholder returns, cash conversion rate, cigarette market share, volumes, operating margin and productivity. The company’s shareholder returns have increased by 106% in the last three years surpassing FTSE expectations by 74%. Its growth path according to the company’s official website is as below.The growth in financial strength o the company and the ability to gain investor confidence sh ows that the company is set to offer even more competition to BAT. Comparing this growth path with that of BAT, then it will be probably a matter of time before BAT loses out its market position in the UK.The future of BAT The prevailing economic crisis is presenting financial and management problems to many businesses. The ability to survive the crisis and move on will be used greatly assess the strength of many businesses and indicate investor and consumer confidence levels. As it is, the current situation for BAT is not promising.The company is being accused of targeting the youth in their marketing efforts and thereby losing consumer confidence and criticism from various quarters. Negative reports such â€Å"as BAT's main product, cigarettes, is so deadly that just to maintain its 15% global market share, it needs to recruit at least 750,000 new smokers each year to replace the ones who have died from their habit† carried in the Guardian do not do any good to the company. This was in addition to being accused of targeting teenagers in international markets such as Nigeria and Brazil. Therefore, it would seem that the company has to reconsider its marketing strategies.Developing a new marketing strategy and adopting strategic means to â€Å"sanitize† the corporate brand name will prove essential in the way forward in markets where the company is losing ground and facing criticism. Again, the company has not been according to accusations very keen on following some of the rules and regulations governing the tobacco market in different markets. Other concerns for BAT affect the whole industry. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been spearheading the fight for tobacco use citing the numerous health problems and deaths emanating from the habit.In 2007, claimed that if the current smoking trend continues, the world will contend with 10 million deaths annually as a result of tobacco use. In addition WHO reports that smoking causes 61% of all TB illnesses globally (Hooper, 2004). Companies such as BAT again have been forced to limit their marketing strategies by regulation such as the banning of public advertisement of cigarettes or romanticizing or fashioning smoking in any manner.Works cited Drucker, P. , Management, Transaction Publishers, Birmingham, 2008, p. 286, 456 Elion, S., Management strategies: a critique of theories and practices, Kluwer Academic, London, 1999, pp. 212 Robinoof, M. , Ending the tobacco holocaust, Elite Books, London, 2007 Hooper, M. , Tobacco industry: Do ads and new products still target teens? Congressional Quarterly, CQ Press, London, 2004.The Guardian http://www. guardian. co. uk/commentisfree/2007/apr/26/smokeandmirrors Additional information on the above obtained from Official BAT website http://www. bat. com/ Official Gallaher Group website at, http://ir. gallaher-group. com/ Official Imperial Tobacco website at, http://www. imperial-tobacco. com/.

Monday, January 6, 2020

The Conflict Of The South China Sea Threatens Us China...

The main point of the article is that the ongoing conflict in the South China Sea threatens US-China relations and, if not resolved, will lead to instability in the region. The author’s solution to this is that leaders of both countries work together to achieve a better understanding of the concerns coming from both sides, as well as lay out consequences for certain actions and to commit themselves to avoiding further escalation. This is tricky because neither country wants to look like it is giving in to the other, but at the same time some concessions must be made. Recently, China announced they would be shifting away from the dredging of land towards the construction of military bases and other facilities for civilian use. â€Å"China unilaterally started the land reclamation and now China is unilaterally stopping it†¦China is showing that—as a major power—it can control escalation, that it has the initiative, and that it can do what it sees fit for its interests.† This is a way for them to de-escalate the tension with the US while reassuring their citizens that they did not bow to American military pressure. A Chinese official stated that the reclamation efforts were necessary because China was feeling insecure about enhanced US defense cooperation with other nations such as the Philippines . Allowing Japan to go on joint patrol of the South China Sea has also aggravated China. The article makes a good point that Japan has no territorial claims to the region, and its securityShow MoreRelatedChina s Recent Assertions Of Military Power During The South China Sea1459 Words   |  6 Pagesmilitary power in the South China Sea is a serious threat to U.S. National Security, and will remain so if China is not confronted or restricted. In recent years, China has increased military spending, weapons, and is now building artificial islands on highly disputed territory in the South China Sea to expand territorial claims. Since the wo rld is anarchic, conflict is always a possibility between States that the U.S. must be aware of and prepared for. In regard to U.S.-China relations, the United StatesRead MoreU.s. China Relations With China1217 Words   |  5 PagesU.S. China Relations Diplomatic relations with China began over 30 years ago. Initially, the relationship created economic wealth for both countries but today, economically China is rising at a faster pace. China is investing its revenue in their military. China has spent as much a $240 billion on military related goods and services. (DIA Annual Threat Assessment, 2014) While the U.S. desires for the PLA to be used maintain peace and stability in the region; subliminally China has stated itsRead MoreThe Dispute Over The Diaoyu Islands1490 Words   |  6 PagesOrigins of the Conflict—the US s Policy Mistakes that Bite The dispute over the Diaoyu Islands is an instance of imprudent United States (US) policies coming back to bite several decades later. The Diaoyu Islands are no more than five uninhabited islands that lie close to China and Taiwan s coast. Today, these tiny islands are the source of intense conflict between China and Japan. The US made two bad policy decisions that led to the stalemate today. First was the poor post-war treatment ofRead MoreThe Current Contemporary Global Security Environment Of The 21st Century1360 Words   |  6 Pagesstate-based threats within Asia, gray-zone conflicts such as territorial disputes in the South China Sea or Russian aggression in the Ukraine, and how the Islamic State in the Levant (ISIL) is taking advantage of failing states throughout the Middle East. Of these security issues, the one that poses the greatest threat to the U.S. comes from the traditional state-based threats within Asia. This paper utilizes two of the three major international re lations theories (realism and liberalism) to analyzeRead MoreThe South China Sea Essay1816 Words   |  8 PagesSince the 3rd Century AD, the South China Sea has been home to countless territorial disputes between China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and other East Asian Nations. This region is so contentious because it is one of the busiest trade routes, and is home to vast natural resources. Because of the long and dense history of them, these disputes are some of the most difficult events to understand and interpret in international relations. Because the disputes deal with relative power, and the securityRead MoreThe South China Sea Essay1889 Words   |  8 Pages As of today, China has expanded and built over seven artificial islands in the South China Sea since 2014. The South China Sea has recently come to be a major problem in Asia as issues have risen over who has rights of passage and claims in this area. The Chinese of recent have been making territorial claims in the South China Sea that are in areas of free passage for many other Asian countries and the United States. In October 2015, a U.S. guided missile destroyer encountered one of the artificialRead MoreThe Value Of Relations Between China And The United States1878 Words   |  8 PagesSpratly Islands are located between the Philippines, Taiwan (ROC), Vietnam, and China (PRC). The Spratly islands are currently claimed by the PRC, the ROC, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Sultanate of Brunei. The PRC has recently constructed artificial bases in the middle of the Spratlys. This development in the dispute over the Spratlys is a key interest to the State Department for a m ultitude of reasons. It threatens the long-term security of the United States in pursuing its interests forRead MorePower And Wealth Spheres From The North And North East And South ( Ikenberry )1591 Words   |  7 PagesIkenberry begins his article stating that power and wealth spheres are moving from the North and the West to the East and the South (Ikenberry, 56). Moreover, he explains that the modern rising states are large non-western developing countries such as China or India (Ikenberry 57). Ikenberry contemplates that the global economic slowdown and the different set of cultural, political and economic experiences gives way to the belief that the liberal world order is ending (Ikenberry, 57). However, IkenberryRead MoreSouth China Sea Dispute10784 Words   |  44 PagesABSTRACT Nowadays, the conflict of territory solving in the world causes many complicated problems among countries, as well as tensions in foreign policies. One of these conflicts is the dispute in South China Sea between China and six neighbor ASEAN countries. With the intervention of the United States, the issue turns to be more serious as it attracts a lot of concerns from international community. This research tries to find a clear way of understanding the South China Sea conflict, specifically aboutRead MoreSouth China Sea Dispute10771 Words   |  44 PagesABSTRACT Nowadays, the conflict of territory solving in the world causes many complicated problems among countries, as well as tensions in foreign policies. One of these conflicts is the dispute in South China Sea between China and six neighbor ASEAN countries. With the intervention of the United States, the issue turns to be more serious as it attracts a lot of concerns from international community. This research tries to find a clear way of understanding the South China Sea conflict, specifically about

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Spelling Review Exercises for Commonly Misspelled Words

Study  spelling rules and commonly misspelled words, then test your spelling skills by completing the following short exercises. In some cases, you will need to add a letter or two to complete the correct spelling of each word in parentheses. In other cases, the word in parentheses is correct as it stands. When youre done, compare your responses with the answers below. Group A: To E or Not to E? Some of the words in parentheses require the addition of the letter e; others are correct as they stand. Gus is (tru-ly) sorry for keeping you awake last night.We were criticized (sever-ly) by the sewing circle.The shed was (complet-ly) demolished.Merdine was (sincer-ly) grateful for the reprieve.The Simpsons are (argu-ing) again.They (argu-d) last night for hours.When is Mr. Wolfe (com-ing) home.Maya is (writ-ing) her autobiography.Mr. White is (judg-ing) the essay contest.Be (car-ful) when you light the furnace. Group B: IE or EI? Some of the words require the addition of ie; others require ei. Paint the (c--ling) before you paint the walls.Gus has been (rec--ving) threatening e-mails.A (w--rd) noise came out of the attic.I paid almost five dollars for that (p--ce) of pie.I dont (bel--ve) in coincidence.The guests brought (th--r) children to the wedding.(N--ther) of us can help you today.The (n--ghbors) complained about our parents.Linda (w--ghs) less than her collie.We waited for the (fr--ght) train to pass. Group C: I or Y? Some of the words require the addition of i; others require y. Have you (tr-ed) the dessert yet?The baby (cr-ed) throughout the church service.We compared two (theor-es) of evolution.Peggy felt (betra-ed) by her manager.You should be (stud-ing) for Fridays exam.(Lonel-ness) was never a problem for Henry.She (fl-es) on broken wings.I have always (rel-ed) on my friends.Please give Mr. Flannery my (apolog-es).It was a (pit-ful) sight. Group D: A, E, or I? Complete each word with the letter a, e, or i. I borrowed these flowers from the (cemet-ry).My parakeet eats huge (quant-ties) of bird seed.The tax cuts will (ben-fit) the wealthy.It was a (priv-lege) to meet you.He has a remarkably (unpleas-nt) disposition.We placed the puppies in (sep-rate) rooms.Henry is an (independ-nt) thinker.I found an (excell-nt) excuse to resign from the committee.She chose items from different (cat-gories).Professor Legree made another (irrelev-nt) remark. Group E: Single or Double? Some of these words require the doubling of a consonant; others are correct as they stand. The sun was (shin-ing) down like honey.The experiment was (control-ed) by a madman.The region is slowly (begin-ing) to recover.Doug (pour-ed) sugar over Yoddys oatmeal.She keeps (forget-ing) to call me.Gus (admit-ed) his mistake.They were (sweat-ing) in the classroom.That idea never (occur-ed) to me.The bunny went (hop-ing) down to the abattoir.His doctor (refer-ed) him to a dimple specialist. Group F: Letters Needed? Some of these words require the addition of one or more letters; others are correct as they stand. Marriage comes without a (g-arantee).Caley (su-prised) me.You are (prob-ly) going to be late.Does she (reali-e) that her socks dont match?(D-scribe) the man who hit you.We waited (until-) the mortician arrived.Merdine (recom-ended) a psychiatrist.Take two (asp-rin) and go to bed.She supports a strong (ath-letic) program.The (tem-rature) reached 109 degrees in Yuma. Group G: More Letters Needed? Some of these words require the addition of one or more letters; others are correct as they stand. She (a-quired) a good tan and a new boyfriend.Gus is (basic-ly) lazy.We must work together to improve the (envir-ment).I wish Hansel would just (dis-pear).Mr. Summers should attend to his (bus-ness).Alice Walker wrote an essay (sim-lar) to yours.The Red Sox have (fin-ly) won a ball game.I was (dis-appointed) by the cranberries in dill sauce.Doc Brown was working in his (lab-ratory).Baron Leibniz works for the (gover-ment). When youre done, compare your responses with the answers below. Answers Here are the answers to the Spelling Review Exercises, Groups A through G. ANSWERS—GROUP A1. truly; 2. severely; 3. completely; 4. sincerely; 5. arguing; 6. argued; 7. coming; 8. writing; 9. judging; 10. careful. ANSWERS—GROUP B1. ceiling; 2. receiving; 3. weird; 4. piece; 5. believe; 6. their; 7. Neither; 8. neighbors; 9. weighs; 10. freight ANSWERS—GROUP C1. tried; 2. cried; 3. theories; 4. betrayed; 5. studying; 6. Loneliness; 7. flies; 8.  relied; 9. apologies; 10. pitiful ANSWERS—GROUP D1. cemetery; 2. quantities; 3. benefit; 4. privilege; 5. unpleasant; 6. separate; 7. independent; 8. excellent; 9. categories; 10. irrelevant ANSWERS—GROUP E1. shining; 2. controlled; 3. beginning; 4. poured; 5. forgetting; 6. admitted; 7. sweating; 8. occurred; 9. hopping; 10. referred ANSWERS—GROUP F1. guarantee; 2. surprised; 3. probably; 4. realize; 5. Describe; 6. until; 7. recommended; 8. aspirin; 9. athletic; 10. temperature ANSWERS—GROUP G1. acquired; 2. basically; 3. environment; 4. disappear; 5. business; 6. similar; 7. finally; 8. disappointed; 9. laboratory; 10. government

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Cai Yangbin Froggen 988215 Ge2021 W08 Dr. Braxton 2017/3/13

Cai Yangbin Froggen 988215 GE2021 W08 Dr. Braxton 2017/3/13 The summary of â€Å"An Economic Analysis of Academic Dishonesty and Its Deterrence in Higher Education† This document mainly discusses the issues of academic integrity. It makes a detailed analysis on the academic integrity problems now in American universities that are summarized. Why so many students choose to cheat? What kind of students are enrolled in academic dishonesty? (almost all). The relationship between market supply and academic dishonesty. Suggestions and measures relevant institutions take on this problem. The problem of academic dishonesty criticism can be seen everywhere in this document. More and more academic cheating makes the whole education system have a big†¦show more content†¦are punished†.It is not only for his/ her individual ability’s evidence, but also is a kind of school’s student evaluation mechanisms and society’s acceptance. More important, which is also the theme of this document—Academic Honesty. The education can provide training and assigning evaluations in exchange for course assignment, work, and requirements- -students enter labor markets burnishing their college degrees as a signal to potential employers. ( Stephen K. Happeln and Marianne M. Jenningsnn, 2008, P184) Academic integrity is not reflected in the academic achievements of the students, but also reflects his influence on society as a whole. The ability to work with academic degrees and diplomas does not allow people to recognize academic achievement, which is a violation of the rights and interests of honest and trustworthy students. In the second part, it describes the crowd statistics of the phenomenon of academic dishonesty and the attitude of people to academic integrity. â€Å"A survey by pennsylvania state university, rutgers university, and washington state university reveals that fifty-six percent of masters of business administration (MBA) stu dents admit that they took notes into exams surreptitiously, stole work from others, and engaged in other forms of cheating.† (available at the center for academic integrity, located at clemson university,P187)â€Å"†¦..surveyed 5,331

Friday, December 13, 2019

Some Interpretations Have Portrayed Tragic Heroines Free Essays

Some Interpretations Have Portrayed Tragic Heroines as Manipulative Plotters Driven by Passionate Desires. Others Have Seen the Tragic Women as Victims of Powerful Individuals or Society as a Whole. Bearing in Mind By Troubleshoots Gertrude is a very minute character in Hamlet, yet the same cannot be said about her impact on the action of the play. We will write a custom essay sample on Some Interpretations Have Portrayed Tragic Heroines or any similar topic only for you Order Now Certain audiences view Gertrude in different ways, some sympathies with her as a character, and see her actions as empowering towards women as a whole, letting loose of the social conventions of the Shakespearian era, in addition to being a caring mother. However, I feel there are two options that can be seen here concerning Gertrude as a person, and neither of them are positive, as the only two plausible ways in which her character can be based on is a manipulative plotter, or one who is simply invested in her own ignorance. Considering her lack of concern for the social conventions of the time, alongside poor ways of dealing with an unstable son, it is my personal opinion that Shakespeare intended Gertrude to be seen as a manipulative plotter, rather than a woman who epitomized a tragic heroine. To begin assessing how much of a tragic heroine Gertrude really was, it is imperative o assess the tragic conventions of the time. ‘A hero must fall from fortune and power, with a tragic flaw allowing the reader to empathic with the character’ (Aristotle 335 BCC) In addition to this, Shakespearean tragic conventions also suggest that a tragic heroine must show promise of further greatness and possess a character trait that would normally be a virtue, but under the circumstances of the play become a flaw. On the surface my repudiation of Gertrude as anything other than a manipulative plotter may seem a brash claim; at least it does until we are met with the way she infernos Claudia in Act 2 Scene 2. Her line thanks Guilelessness, and gentle Restaurants’ (2:2:34) is used either to correct what Claudia said Just before her, or is simply her mistaking between Restaurants and Guilelessness. I think it is obvious that it is merely Gertrude correcting Claudia, as if the line were meant to be said with indecision, Shakespeare would have most likely used a question mark in the speech in order to highlight that Gertrude was meant to say the line with a certain amount of uncertainty. This shows that whilst the nature of the line may have been unsorted as one that was merely of her own confusion, I maintain the claim that it is far more likely that Shakespeare intended for this to be an indication of Gertrude out for – one who is devious, scheming and willing to plot. Considering that the social conventions of the time dictated that women were to be inferior to men, the idea of correcting a man without even a hint of uncertainty portrays to a Shakespearian audience an ignorance of social values; in my opinion this is used as a subtle hint early on to make the audience know that this is a character to watch out for, as her expedient nature percolates and promulgates itself to the audience throughout the rest of the play. Whilst it may be conceded that a modern audience would see Gertrude in a less damning way, we cannot ignore the fact that this wildly contradicts the idea of a tragic heroine being one that the audience can empathic with, nor does it show any evidence of her having a virtue which would turn out to be a flaw. Gertrude moral turpitude is pumped at relentlessly throughout the play, and is shown further in Act 2 Scene 2, where Gertrude is shown without ambiguity or doubt hat she is aware of Hamlet’s grief ‘l doubt [Hamlet’s upset] is no other but the main: His father’s death and our detracts marriage’ (2:2:56), dispelling any possible nature that Gertrude does not know what is wrong with Hamlet. Despite this, she makes no effort to console Hamlet, and merely accepts the very brief Well, we shall sift him’ reply that is given by Claudia. This meaner one of two things: that she is unable to think or speak for herself, or able to speak up but unwilling. Considering that she had already corrected Claudia earlier in the play, it thus follows that this line was not en that showed her as a victim of powerful individuals as she has already proven earlier that she is not a mindless sycophant. When we are to consider that her son has been horrifically upset to the point where he is bordering on insanity, and the reason for this is because of Gertrude marriage to his brother only two weeks after the death of his father (for whom he had the greatest admiration) yet still felt no need to console him, I would argue that by her inaction what she did was indicative of a manipulative plotter. Not only this, but her status as a tragic heroine is dispelled, s simply allowing one’s own flesh and blood to suffer is the direct antithesis of what it meaner to be a tragic heroine: ‘a character which allows the audience to empathic with them’. I feel that this is strong evidence for her status as a manipulative plotter. It is not only in Gertrude treatment of Hamlet that her manipulation is evident, but in her behavior towards other characters. The Queen’s hostility towards Aphelia initially appears through sophisticated strategies of aggression, but the increasing dangers force stronger defenses. Whether resulting from physical action or ethical taxation, the Queen is culpable in the death of Aphelia† (Lobber, Harmonic 2004) The quote above suggests motives for Gertrude in killing Aphelia, and thus truly securing her status as a manipulative plotter, and one completely incapable of fitting the definition for a tragic heroine. Of course, interpretation of Gertrude is a difficult thing, and a large part of this is due to Shakespeare giving Gertrude very few spoken lines during the play, yet this does seem odd considering that her role is so crucial to Hamlet’s suffering. So why does Shakespeare do this? Personally, I feel her infrequent appearances, yet essential role are placed within the play in order to create a sense of suspicion about Gertrude, to keep the audience wondering about where Gertrude be said that this quote is not enough to completely condemn Gertrude. However, when all the evidence piles up, Shakespeare creates a special bond between Aphelia and Gertrude, particularly when we look at the following interpretation â€Å"the language of flowers creates a relationship that in effect places them in close proximity’ (Radcliff, S – 1998) which again implies that Shakespeare purposely rated closeness between these two in this scene for a purpose, and I feel that in creating this bond Shakespeare was effectively offering Gertrude a chance to be seen as a tragic heroine, yet we know that at the very least she was passive or unable, both of which contradict the supposed nobility of a tragic heroine. That said, I think that the closeness created by Shakespeare was to show that Gertrude actually did have the chance to save Aphelia, and if he had not used the language of flowers in such a way, it would have shown Gertrude inability rather than her nature as a manipulative plotter. This is supported by the fact that Gertrude ‘kills’ Aphelia from the play, and whilst I realize it is completely impossible to prove the speculations about off-stage events, she does in fact ‘kill her’ off from the play, as she is the one who reveals her death, making it far too coincidental for it to be unintentional, and in my opinion the most obvious interpretation seems to me that Gertrude is meant to be seen as a manipulative plotter. In conclusion, I do feel that Shakespeare intended Gertrude to be a manipulative plotter, as every possible moment of niceness she portrays within the play, in my pinion can be countered with at least an equally good reason as to why she could have done so in a meticulously fetid way. Even when we consider her name ‘Gertrude’, the sounds of the g and the ‘r’ are harsh sounding, and this could well have been done in order to create an immediately disliked and nasty character. Her ignorance is a possible interpretation, but upon further exploration of her lines we have discovered that she is aware of why Hamlet is upset, and yet still chooses to take no act to relieve this. We have seen compelling evidence from other critics to suggest her involvement in Aphelion’s death, combined with several remarks that come off as at the very least petty, if not malicious, in addition to the chances she has to make a big difference in the play, yet seems either incompetent or scheming. How to cite Some Interpretations Have Portrayed Tragic Heroines, Papers

Thursday, December 5, 2019

On slavery in different nations Essay Example For Students

On slavery in different nations Essay To simply go from a familiar language, custom, tradition and even food to go to a foreign land where language sent understood, custom and tradition are different and the food is unfamiliar and distasteful to the taste buds was enough for slaves to desire death, and, in fact, actually commit suicide and make the constant attempt to run away which was hardly ever successful anyway. These African slaves were sold by their own African people to Europeans in exchange for goods, brought on ships, naked and chained like animals, to the Americas to be sold for a profitable amount in order to work the plantations and to be a slave to their white masters for the rest of their lives gaining increasing and wealth for their masters. Zion explains all of this in Chop 2, Drawing the Color Line, He explains the mistreatment and punishment that blacks encountered during the time of slavery and the physical and psychological effects that blacks were compelled to endure for the countless years of slavery and downright brutality. We will write a custom essay on On slavery in different nations specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Slavery was always in effect long ago by the selling and buying that took place between the Africans and the Portuguese. Slavery also took place directly in the land of Africa from other Africans of different tribes although slavery in Africa and slavery in the Americas was much more different. Zion states, African slavery is hardly to be praised. But it was far different from plantation or mining slavery in the Americas, which was lifelong, morally crippling, destructive of family ties, without hope of any future. African slavery lacked two elements that made American slavery the most cruel form of slavery in history: the frenzy for limitless profit that comes from capitalistic agriculture; the reduction Of the slave to less than human Status by the use of racial hatred, with that relentless clarity based on color, where whites was master, black was slave (Zion, p. 28). Although Africans were slaves to their own people, it was a different kind of slavery. It was a slavery of servitude. If debt was owed, the debtors would be enslaved for a limited amount of years but they were not enslaved for life. In fact, their kids werent enslaved neither. It was very common for African slave children to be married into the family of their African masters. However, to be a slave to a white master in the Americas was to be a slave for life, childrens children a slave, be called all types of derogatory names and suffer psychologically, physically, emotionally and spiritually all for he sake of being black. Slavery in America was meant to strip away the self- respect, dignity and family ties of blacks that came from Africa, There were white indentured slaves back then that got along well with the blacks because they were all seen as equal in the eyes of their masters as well as each other, however, these white servants were treated much different from the blacks and punishment was much more severe for the blacks than it was for the whites so, still, they werent treated fairly. However, when it was noticed by the petite masters that white and black servants were uniting and teaming together to eight against the white masters, the petite masters became intimidated and came up With a new plan to brainwash the White servants and to tell them that black people are bad and that they can reach the level of affluence if they disassociate themselves from the blacks; and even they went as far as to make it a legal law for whites not to be seen in the company of blacks or even remotely involve themselves in any form Of interracial marriages. .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953 , .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953 .postImageUrl , .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953 , .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953:hover , .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953:visited , .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953:active { border:0!important; } .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953:active , .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953 .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ufc5da80800b024dd56fd88e92b9c1953:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Drawing on examples from Chapters EssayThe blacks populated the Americas and worked in the plantation helping the white masters get rich. They worked extremely hard but were not compensated or their work. They were separated from their families, branded, whipped and called all types of derogatory names to physically and psychologically break down. When they would try to start a revolution and fight back, they were killed and were easy to be killed due to the weapons that their masters possessed. However, there were some slaves hack then that actually did get away and ran up into the mountains. They were called maroons located in the island of Jamaica, According to the article, Many African American slaves fled into the hills to escape the brutality they were treated with. These became known as maroons, who lived like nomads and fed off what nature would provide them, They got away and developed their own agriculture and way of living in the mountains in which a lot of these maroons still exist today. They refused to be mistreated and suffer the consequences of slavery so this avgas their escape. Its unfortunate what happened during those days of slavery Black men were stripped away of their pride, self-respect and dignity, oven were raped and bore children of their white masters, black families were separated, division occurred amongst the light African Americans and the dark African Americans, lighter complexion African Americans had the privilege of working inside Of the homes With their masters while those of darker skin had to work the cotton field in the hot beaming sun by their lonesome dividing the African American race as a Whole, childrens children were slaves, laws were implemented to separate the blacks from the poor whites, derogatory names, whippings, lynching, burning killing were the ground rules for the slaves if they were disobedient in any kind of way to their masters and so any other things were done to the slaves back then that was so inhumane, unfair and just downright degrading. The Europeans always had the intent to enslave any nation or tribe of people that they felt were inferior to them due to their misconception of superiority, Initially, they tries to enslave the poor white Europeans and the Indians but the first white colonies in Jamestown, Virginia were outnumbered by the Indians and couldnt dare to fight against them because tort one, the Indians would fight back. And, for two, it was their land so the Indians knew how and where to escape. Whereas, the Africans were taken way from their land, brought into an unfamiliar land and so they knew nothing about this new land. And, although, they tried to fight back by killing some of their masters by retrieving their guns and poisoning them in foods, etc: they didnt have the weapons that the Europeans had so they were able to fight but so much before they were found and killed. The legalization of certain laws to protect the whites was another tactic to get rid of the Negroes in case of disobedience or fear of being attacked by the Negroes such as, All persons except Negroes were to get arms and ammunition (Zion, P 301 This didnt apply only to the Negroes but for any tribe of people that were seen as inferior to the Europeans such as the Indians. The whole plan Of the Europeans was to conquer and divide. They wanted every piece of land to themselves and didnt mind hurting Others just to get IL They mocked black people back then and shamed them by calling them animals, inhumane, inferior and bad people because of the color Of their skin. But, if you ask me, truth is, the Europeans were the true animals, inhumane, inferior and bad people to treat a race of people as less than in gain of riches, fame, and conquer.