Reaction Paper - The Things They Carried Essays -

Reaction Paper - The Things They Carried The Things They Carried was a story about soldiers caught in the confusion of the Vietnam War. There are a lot of apparent themes that are dealt with when writing a story about war, especially about death. I enjoyed reading this story, however there were some things about it that I was concerned about. I would like to discuss the authors style of writing, his meaning of the title The Things They Carried and the way the author and his characters deal with death. This story was written with a variety of styles, and it was in a non-traditional format. The main style seems to be a third person, limited omniscient story. However, this story also includes elements of flashback. In a traditional flashback however, the character having the flashback usually is telling the story, the flashback or past events is told only once, and then we view the character or characters revelations afterwards. This story breaks all of the rules of the traditional flashback. In the story, a comrade dies, Ted Lavender. The event of his death is retold 4 or 5 times within the story, from all different angles. For some readers who read this for the first time, especially myself, this was very confusing. Its almost as if the story is being told as a movie, where we are supposed to have some visual reference as to where we are in the story. Another element that was confusing is that if the reader has no knowledge of famous or foreign wars, the reader would not know that this is set in the Vietnam War. The word Vietnam is not mentioned until later on in the story. This story could have easily been set in WWII, since this war did deal with some of the Far East countries. The story did have a modern feel to it, so I believed that it was the Vietnam War. Finally, the author used vulgar words in the story. I believe that you take a serious risk when you write literature with swear words, because then you separate most of your audience. Either your audience is liberal and understands the use of the words, or your audience is conservative, and they are offended and dont finish reading. However, I also believe that the words are put in not for the vulgarity, but for an authentication of what was going on in the war. They were not used in every dialogue, or every sentence, but in places where you might normally hear them. All of these different elements together provided for a very dynamic story. I did pick up on the central themes in the story. One thing that was apparent was Lt. Jimmy Cross, and his use of his girlfriend Martha to deal with the war. Another is the death of one comrade, Ted Lavender, and how it affected the soldiers. And then there is the title, The Things They Carried, in which the author takes time to emphasize throughout the story. I felt that author also tried to mislead readers by the title, because the story is really not about the Things. In the story there are large passages in which the author describes, to the pound, the weight of the physical things that each of the soldiers carried. In each passage however, there was one statement or something that didnt fit into the physical things category. The soldiers were also sectioned off into stereotypes, which I also believe was on purpose. For example Ted Lavender, who was scared, carried tranquilizers . . . Dave Jensen, who practiced field hygiene, carried a toothbrush, dental floss, . . . Ted Lavender carried six or seven ounces of premium dope . . . Ironically, the soldier who was scared, Ted, was the one who ended up dead in the story. Later in the story, the passage about The Things They Carried changes into mental things. For example, They carried their reputations. They carried the soldiers greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing . . . This is the authors way of coming out and explaining that the soldiers do have some kind of emotion, however they cant show or

Free sample - Access to Law. translation missing

Access to Law. Access to LawFreedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my comprehension how human beings, be they so ever experienced and able can delight in depriving other human beings of that precious right. You must not lose hope in humanity. Humanity is an ocean, if few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. (Mahatma Gandhi). Throughout human history mighty voices indeed have emerged to grace and offer fulfillment and hope to those struggling under the yoke of suppression. Their legacies will shape and impact our lives for decades to come. If freedom means doing what we should rather than to do whatever we want, who decides what we should do and does any man have the right to impose that on others? (Pope John Paul) There is no point in one having freedom if it fails to represent freedom for all in an equal manner. How is it that people are ever so clever, yet enjoy taking away another’s right? You should not lose hope in the human race, as there are so many of us and we are not all the same. We are like a bag of apples; picking one bad apple from the bag does not mean that they are all bad. Throughout history, there have been many role models who have fought for equality and hope for many deprived people. They have become legends and have had a strong impact on many people’s lives today. Could it be that we as humans have never been allowed to experience freedom without sacrificing the little that we contain. Initially I will look at Gandhi the Mahatma and analyze a bit of his history and the impact he has on the nation today. Further, I will be analyzing ones freedom and entitlement to it. Lastly I will give my views on being allowed to exercise their personal rights. Regarded as the father of hope, Gandhi the Mahatma is one of the most celebrated individuals who have played a major role in the fight for the less fortunate and minority in the society, giving inspiration by his words of wisdom and actions alike, Brown( 2001, P. 22) Wolpert ( 2004,p. 43). He was among the few respectable individuals who walked the talk. Though born in a wealthy Hindu family, Mahatma Gandhi lowered himself from the glory status that his birthright had placed on him to the â€Å"grass† level where the majority of the people occupied. He played a major role in advocating for the rights of the less fortunate in the society and he participated in war without any weaponry but with his words full of wisdom and people empowerment. One of his famous quotes relates with his general perception and believes on humanity. He presented his argument in the context of freedom. He famously said, â€Å"Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my comprehension how human beings, be they so ever experienced and able can delight in depriving other human beings of that precious right. You must not lose hope in humanity. Humanity is an ocean, if few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty† Erikson (2005, p. 77) Chadha (2007, 90). This is a question that one would ask, is everyone entitled to freedom? And what is freedom. Freedom can be looked at in various perspectives. Fundamentally we see that the system is designed in such a way that it segregates against others either based on their skin color or race and ethnicity, their position in society, religion, gender, age, and any other variable that a socio-economist might take into account when analyzing the social status of individuals. Here we see people expected to act and live in a given lifestyle that is acceptable to the given system or the code of conduct that governs a given society of community. Such defined code of operations clearly embeds mechanisms of dealing with cases of deviation from the norm. The argument of existence of freedom is one of the most debatable concepts in human life. We witness cases where the systems have very stringent rules such that people’s options are so limited such that whenever one does something considered to be out of the norm he or she is punished or sometimes expelled from the system. Most people have died as a result of doing things against the rules or code of ethics defined in any given system such incidences can really bring the question into further scrutiny on whether really freedom exists. I believe people should be allowed to exercise their personal rights and do what they want to do as long as the repercussions are within their area of jurisdiction. Such acts will lead to people learning from others mistakes and also device a mechanism of overcoming such challenges. It will be essential for every system to be open in such a way that the members are allowed to always challenge the status quo and also be able to positively criticize where possible. Existences of closed systems have promoted suffering among many members of the society and such acts have to be condemned. The legacies of the heroes like Mahatma Gandhi and many other advocates of human life is the living example that drives us to the believe that any system should be able to allow the citizens to exercise their right and thus the need for the creation of the fundamental environment that allows people to freely live whenever they want, however they want and with whoever they want as long as the choices do no breach other people’s freedom. Reference Brown, Judith M. Gandhi: Prisoner of Hope. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001. Chadha, Yogesh. Gandhi: A Life. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2007. Erikson, Erik. H. Gandhi's Truth: On the Origins of Militant Nonviolence. New York: Norton, 2009. Wolpert, Stanely. Gandhi’s Passion: The Life and Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz Essay

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz - Essay Example In this novel, Oscar is a character that can not maintain a physical relationship with a girl because of his obesity. (Diaz) has emphasized that sex is the fundamental element that an individual must exhibit in order to be a Dominican male. Dominican male in the novel has been described as an individual that has charm, physical attraction, and virility. All of these qualities have been replaced in Oscar’s persona by his obesity. Other characters in the play like Yunior and Rudolfo are able to make girlfriends and maintain a physical relationship with them because they are smart, and have captivating looks. Thus, Diaz has placed a lot of emphasis upon the significance of looks of men. When Oscar’s mother, Belicia reaches puberty and develops large breasts that appeal to all the boys around her, she chooses to date nobody but the most handsome boy in the school named Jack Pujols. The fact that this happens between the year 1955 and 1962 reinforces the concept that menâ₠¬â„¢s beauty has not just recently gained importance, but has been of significance for a long time in the past. Clare Spurrell has expressed the consequences of obesity on the physical relationship in her article Obesity and relationships. Spurrell supports the notion that people have been weight conscious for long. â€Å"Since the 1960s the population as a whole has become more sedentary with greater hours spent in front of the television, and an increasingly automated lifestyle† (Spurrell 1). ... The idea compares well with the issue of obesity in the present age. Proponents of obesity control programs are of the view that obesity lowers an individual’s confidence level and may put the individual into social exclusion. In a society that stereotypes obesity as a symptom of sloth, overindulgence and a lack of self-control, sufferers are often left with feelings of social exclusion and isolation. Even more so in a relationship, the psychological implications of the 'fat stereotype' can be equally disruptive. (Spurrell 1). Diaz and Spurrell have both maintained that obesity has negative effect on people’s physical relationships, though Diaz has gone a step further by not letting Oscar make love with anyone because of his obesity whereas Sara and her boyfriend, do make love with one another, but their relationship is complicated by the obesity that both suffer from and eventually, they part ways. Oscar develops several affairs in the novel by Diaz, though the intimac y never grows up to the physical level. First, Oscar finds Ana Obregon in the SAT preparation class. He finds her attractive and the two make friends with each other. However, Ana is taken over by Manny because he is physically intimate with Ana unlike Oscar, who is only good in conversing with her. Later, Oscar finds Jenni Munoz, a Puerto Rican girl. He does the same to her what he did to Ana i.e. kill the time speaking to her and never making love. Because of that, the end of their relationship is also like before. Jenni finds a boyfriend and breaks all ties with Oscar. Once again, Oscar is left alone. Break up of Ana and then Jenni with Oscar as well as the breakup of Sara with Jonathon essentially tells that sex is fundamental to the survival and sustainability of a relationship.

Coca Cola Total Rewards Program Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Coca Cola Total Rewards Program - Term Paper Example The Total Rewards Program of the Coca Cola Company includes learning and growth, benefits, compensation, as well as a work atmosphere which is aligned within the structure of their operations. The company believes that encouragement and recognition are instrumental elements of success. The continued success of the Coca Cola Company relies on building their brands, improving their customer service as well as maximizing their company’s value to the shareowners. The company depends on their employees in order to help them attain these objectives. The compensation program of the company is deliberated to help them attract, motivate, and retain their employees. Apart from an hourly remuneration or base pay, staffs are also eligible to take part in the incentive programs that reward group, individual or overall performance of the company.   The Coca Cola Company provides several benefits to their employees. A personal life and gratifying career depend on the continued personal saf ety as well as future financial safety. Due to this reason, the company offers various programs in order to cover retirement, finances, and health. Their plans are designed to be valued by workforce and are competitive in the marketplace as well as are within the means for both the employee and the company. The examples of the plans offered by the Coca Cola Company include vision, medical and dental coverage, disability protection, retirement programs, life insurance, and the saving plans (Hodgetts & Luthans, 1993).

The Art of Negotiation - Teams vs individuals Assignment

The Art of Negotiation - Teams vs individuals - Assignment Example The effectiveness arises from the fact that all the members of the team have similar interests in the negotiations and expect to have uniform benefits (Mannix, Neale & Overbeck, 2011). The efficacy effect of team negotiations is the ability to have different viewpoints supporting the same issue under negotiation. This is different from individual negotiation in which the individual uses a single unsupported point of view. In addition, individuals negotiating with a company or an organization is at risk of unnecessary victimization as opposed to a group which cannot be victimized. Further, an individual fighting for a personal course does not only lack the voice but is also seen as uncooperative and individualistic (Mannix, Neale & Overbeck, 2011). The results of the two types of negotiations differ greatly. In team negotiation, the diverse points of view makes the teams bargaining power increase and the consensus is easily reached. The actual results of solo-negotiations, on the other hand, are low bargaining power and it takes a more difficult convincing to have the result reflect as the individual would

Why did the Reformation Matter to Ecclesiology?

Why did the Reformation Matter to Ecclesiology? By Carmel Gittens This presentation is to be delivered to our weekly Youth Group in our village hall. This is a group of young people aged 16-18. They have poor attention and love film especially Star Wars! So; the opening slide is to grab their attention, but there is no attempt to equate Star Wars with the Christian faith. The purpose of the presentation is to help them understand the significance of the Reformation and the impact it had on the Anglican church to which they belong. Also, to help them understand why the reformation is not a relic of the past but that the faith we share is dynamic, constantly reforming, and is as important today as it was then. There is often a misconception, especially amongst young people who have just studied Tudor history in school, that the reformation was all about Henry VIII wanting to divorce and remarry. They erroneously believe that he was responsible for the split of the Protestant movement from the Catholic church in Rome. As far back as the 5th century Augustine in his book The City Of God had declared that Mans commitment wasnt to Rome but to Jesus Christ. However the British monk Pelagius, while reading Augustines autobiography, was struck by this prayer: Grant what Thou commandest, and then command what Thou wilt. In other words, fallen man is utterly dependent upon Gods grace for salvation. No one, for example, can practice the self-control God commands unless God gives him grace to do so. These words made Pelagius uncomfortable. He believed human beings could be saved by their own efforts. This great theological controversy engulfed the church. To refute Pelagianism, Augustine turned to the great Pauline doctrines of grace, such as original sin, fallen mans total depravity and inability to save himself, the efficacy of the atoning death of Christ, and the necessity of faith in Him for salvation. The enormous biblical learning and perseverance of Augustine won the day against Pelagiuss teaching in the church. In the hundreds of years that followed, the Christian faith took many twists and turns, with Rome rising and falling in its domination, and Papal power being established. However the influence of the seventh century figure Pope Gregory who endeavoured to bring the whole world into the Christian faith and succeeded in bringing Kings and Rulers to the church, was weakened by the fact that the type of Christian faith that was produced was very superficial. A kind of faith that the church still struggles with today. The Synod of Whitby 648 was a gathering of bishops preoccupied with the significant issues of the day such as the shape and style of vestments worn by clergy and the date of Easter. This historical example showed how sometimes the church can completely forget its mission. Disagreements over the use of icons during the next century began to split east and west, coming to a great climax in 787 when the Iconoclastic controversy hit the second council of Nicaea. Although the church eventually allowed the use of icons, it was only under the insistence that they were not worshipped but used for instruction only. However, over the years this line again became blurred and images were given an even more important place in public worship. Whilst empires began to crumble, power was shifting towards the church, and this power was often achieved by corrupt means. Educational standards were falling; often the clergy were more ignorant of Gods word than those they were preaching to and standards of spiritual direction fell. The influence of Eastern traditions and beliefs isolated the Western church, and the popes of Rome were now able to take more power, unchallenged as they were by any degree of accountability to a higher power on earth. They began to acquire land and used the revenues from them to dominate the wider church with their corruptions. Many began to recognize the corruption between state and church and this led to disagreement over who should be able to elect clergy, the state or the church? More and more of the higher offices of clergy seeing the need to gain power began to raise funds with which to grow their dynasty and spiritual wellbeing gave way to fundraising and the selling of indulgences. It was in this climate that many began to voice their concerns, and the reformation movement really began to gather momentum. Whilst this is very important to the deeper understanding of the roots of the reformation, for the needs of the target group of my presentation, I have begun in the 14th century with the introduction of Wycliffe and his translation of the bible into English. Whilst a brief introduction that sets the scene is necessary, the amount of preceding information would be too much for the group to take in at one go, and may require a separate session. However, such in-depth detail may only be needed by those wishing to continue studying reformation history, rather than just a basic understanding of where this fits in to the development of the faith of the Anglican church. I decided by way of brief introduction to discuss the discontent with Rome and the political power wielded by the papacy, the use of Latin in both the Catholic Mass and the Bible as a way of controlling the information the populations were given, and the selling of indulgences by the clergy as a supposed way of gaining forgiveness and a sure way to enter heaven. To help the students understand just how early this discontent began, two slides about Wycliffe and Hus have been included, with the link to Luther coming from the slide about Hus prophecy regarding another man 100 years on, who would be proclaiming the same discontent and proposed reforms. Whilst I have maintained a little of the Star Wars theme, I did not wish this to become confused with the focus of the presentation and so after using a little picture to retain their interest I then left this until the last slide to finish the theme. Luther is introduced, with a brief history of his life and how he came to disagree with the traditional Catholic biblical teachings and the corruption of Rome. Then follows an explanation of his 95 theses and the controversy its publication caused. I believe that the importance of the printing press on the spread of the ideals of the reformers should not be underestimated. It is often debated that without it perhaps Luthers influence would not have been so far reaching. The students need to understand this and so the slide regarding this was introduced. The following information regarding the main concerns of Luther has been simplified as much as possible to aid students understanding of a very complex topic which contains a lot of historical information. It is important though that the main facts and chronology are established. Luthers theses that expressed his concerns about certain Church practices largely the sale of indulgences, and his deeper concerns with Church doctrine are explained. And how Luther could not reconcile this practice with his beliefs. When Pope Leo X began allowing indulgences to be sold it was to raise money for the rebuilding of St. Peters Basilica in Rome. Johann Tetzel, a monk began selling them not far from Wittenberg, where Luther was Professor of Theology. Luther could not find any scriptural evidence that this practice was of God. The students are now shown how Martin Luthers personal faith journey evolved from being a devout Catholic to hating the vengeful God he found in the bible. He concluded that no matter how good he tried to be, he could never earn his way to heaven. Luther re-read St. Paul, who wrote The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17). Luther had a eureka moment and began to understand that those who go to heaven will get there by faith alone not by doing good works. In other words, Gods grace is something freely given to human beings, not something we can earn. This belief was not shared by the Catholic Church. Luther and other reformers also disagreed regarding the transubstantiation of the Eucharist. Luther thereby challenged one of the central sacraments of the Catholic Church, one of its central miracles, and thereby one of the ways that human beings can achieve grace with God, or salvation. Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X when he refused to recant his theses and other works at the diet of Worms. There needs to be balance in any teaching session and it is important to look at the churchs response; which was called the Counter-Reformation. The slides include information about the 1545 Council of Trent and its discussions to deal with the issues raised by Luther. This is important as it shows that the Catholic church attempted reconciliation and although many of its former practices and traditions were upheld, there was some attempt to stamp out the corruption that had in many ways led to the reformation. This and the later values of the Oxford movement are discussed. It is only then that the involvement of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth are brought into the session. The influence of religion upon the political world and the wars and persecution that happened then; and is still happening today, are addressed. The Reformation was a very violent period in Europe. Each side, both Catholics and Protestants, were certain that they were in the right. Bibliography Ferguson, Sinclair B.; Beeke, Joel R.; Haykin, Michael A. G.. Church History 101: The Highlights of Twenty Centuries. Reformation Heritage Books. Spencer, Stephen Anglicanism:SCM Studyguide. 1 Jun 2010 Reeves, M and Chester, T: Why the Reformation Still Matters, Inter-Varsity press 2016.

Dr. Charles Richard Drew Essay -- Doctors Medical Health Biography Ess

Dr. Charles Richard Drew Charles Richard Drew was born on June 3, 1904 in Washington, D.C. He was very athletic as a child. Charles attended Dunbar High School where he won letters in track, baseball, basketball and football. He won the James E. Walker Memorial Medal as outstanding all-around athlete. Charles attended Amherst College in Massaschusetts on a scholarship. He was named an all-American halfback and won the Thomas W. Ashley Memorial Trophy as the Most Valuable Player on Amherst's football team. He graduated in 1926 and received the Howard Hill Mossman trophy for his outstanding contributions to Amherst sports. Drew was always interested in science and wanted to pursue a medical career. He attended medical school at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He participated in sports while in medical school and won many championships. He was captain of the track team and won the all-time top score at McGill in intercollegiate track competition. Drew graduated from McGill in 1933. That year he won the annual prize in neuroanatomy, the study of the structure of the nervous system, and the Williams Prize, passing an examination and scoring in the top five in his class. He interned at the Royal Victoria and Montreal General Hospitals. In 1935, he became an instructor in pathology at Howard University Medical School in Washington, DC. In addition to teaching, he was assistant surgeon at Freedmen's Hospital. In 1938, he was awarded a Rockefeller fellowship to...

Does the Labor Law Encourage or Discourage Unionization Essay

Yes they do. And the following is in support of that claim: â€Å"Often described as the ‘heart’ of the act, section 7 of the statute reflects the law’s basic purposes. It provides that ‘employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid and protection’ â€Å" (Kohler, 2004). In addition, the labor laws tend to favor employee and union relationships. Labor laws do provide protection for union employees against wage inequality by defining standard minimum wage requirements and they address other workplace safety issues as well. These labor laws are authorized at the government level and thus allow any public employee to not only join a union, but create one (by organizing) should they so desire. And given the fact that the majority of the employees at West University are public employees, already in established unions, the organization process for the Resident Assistants (RAs). To help facilitate that process, the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) was affiliated with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. Although the workforce at West College is a majority of union employees, the non-union employees are not required to join any union due to the fact that Arizona is a right-to-work state. But again, the labor laws to prevail and allow a group of employees to legally organization under State and Federal laws. 2 – Do you think teaching assistants should be considered employees? If they are on a payroll as a W2 individual, and work a set amount of hours then I can’t any reason why they would not be considered employees. Similar to the Resident Assistants, I would imagine that the Teaching Assistants are also students who attend the college as well. Based upon the information provided, the Teaching Assistants are also unionized employees. Education aside, the skill level of the Teaching Assistant should not be a factor when it comes to joining a union, there should be some educational requirements for the job of a Teaching Assistant however. Although a Teaching Assistant does not have teaching credentials, hence they’re not on the same pay grade, but there is a fair amount of experience that a Teaching Assistant is expected to have to perform their job effectively. This does not mean that a Teaching Assistant could not handle the job of teaching a class if they had to, they just do not have the official credentials and could present to the University should they be put into a teaching position. For further clarification, there is a difference that should be noted between an assistant and an intern. Per the following example: â€Å"Intern: a person who works as an apprentice or trainee in an occupation or profession to gain practical experience, and sometimes also to satisfy legal or other requirements for being licensed or accepted professionally.† Whereas â€Å"Assistant: serving in an immediately subordinate position; of secondary rank†¦generally not in training for another role.† (Dictionary.com) 3 – Do you think management’s reaction to employee interest in unionization differs if the employer already has a high union density among other employee groups? If a majority of the employees are already organized in some type of a union setup, then unfortunately, the only reaction that Management can have is to agree to other groups wanting to organization. That is unless Management can come up with some reasons why organization should not take place. This type of a balance has its pros and cons. If this is a type of an environment where a majority of union employees makes more sense, then this type of an arrangement can be productive if even more employees wanted to organize. And it might be best if management did agree to that because there is always the fairness issue that can come up of a group of non-union employees receives the same treatment that the union employees receives. In this case, that is the argument of the Resident Assistants. But at the same time, there are situations where it just makes no sense for a particular group of employees to organize. Now it is a great benefit for the employees to belong to a union but on the flip side of that argument, transitioning from a non-union environment to a union environment can be a lengthy and expensive process. The costs of running a unionized business can be quite. And the case of a University, those costs are not going absorbed as a lost by the school, but instead will be passed down to the consumer, in the case, the student. Thus the tuition costs will keep increasing, and the university runs the risk of losing business to the competition. It doesn’t matter if it is a university, is it still a business. 4 – What are the key factors that led some RAs to have interest in union representation? Do you think that RAs have legitimate job-related concerns, or are the RA complaints overstated? The working conditions of the Resident Assistants were starting to become a concern for the employees. The Resident Assistants have been assigned the task of disciplining their fellow students and were subjected to any pushback. Thus there is a potential conflict of interest since the Resident Assistants are overseeing the immediate area where they are also housed in. Although the Resident Assistants are paid a wage for their services, they are in fact full-time students. Per the labor laws, the University is not required to allow a group of full-time students to organize but it is not against the law Resident Assistants to organize. Now, the Resident assistants, do sign an agreement with the University detailing their job description and what is expected of them. This is certainly a valuable service that is being provided to the University, but at the same it does not warrant an organization movement in my opinion. Especially due to the natural turnover rate of the students (students graduating, etc.), a Resident Assistant is certainly not a long-term position and thus does not really justify signing a union / employee contract for any significant length of time. In summary, the Resident Assistants do have generally good talking points for organization. However, their job description does not warrant the added expense that the University will take on when that group is organized. Should the Residents Assistants job descriptions increase, then yes, organization would be a good idea at the University. But key to remember here is that the Resident Assistants are full-time students with less than part-time jobs that they want to unionize. 5 – Do the RAs opposed to unionization have legitimate concerns? How could unionization change the culture of Residence Life? Those concerns are quite legitimate, and in my opinion, more selfless and grounded than the rest of the Resident Assistants. As mentioned above, these are full-time students with a part-time that they are not being forced to do. They chose to apply for the position, and they signed an agreement of the behavior and expectations (minimum GPA, etc.) The Resident Assistant position should be used as an opportunity to gain some good experience such as what an intern would get but also with a financial incentive. By organizing, the Resident Assistants may miss out on the real experience of interaction with the culture of the campus residential environment. In other words, the resident Assistant would be focusing more on being an employee vs. being a student and a Resident Assistant. Thus, the Resident assistant could possibly be viewed as more of a security guard then someone who is on the same level as the other students. I’m sure there was a fair amount of thought that went into designing the position of the Student Assistant, and it appears that they divided in half. One half, being on the same page with the University in wanting to keep the integrity of the position; and the other half wanting to break away from University tradition and form a separate. Again, not a bad idea to organize if the students were going to be in these positions for a long time, but they’re not. It’s a very transient position. 6 – How does the law regarding union recognition for public employees in this state compare with the NLRA rules regarding union recognition for private-sector employees? There are some similarities. However, Section 7 of the law states the following: to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid and protection,† as well as the right to refrain from engaging in any of those activities. (Kohler, 2004) Let’s look at the three key principles of the law as noted by Kohler: â€Å"There are three key principals on which the NLRA rests: 1) the exclusivity principle; 2) the notion of free collective bargaining; and 3) the structural autonomy of the bargaining representative of the employees (in other words, the independence of the employees’ labor union from the employer).† (Kohler, 2004) Breaking this down further, Kohler goes on to explain: Exclusivity Principle. The exclusivity principle is a basic feature of American-style collective bargaining. According to the exclusivity principle, the union representative selected by a majority of employees in a workplace becomes the exclusive (sole) representative of all those employees. (Kohler, 2004) Free Collective Bargaining. Free collective bargaining is the second basic principle of the NLRA. The act leaves the decision whether to organize entirely to employees.(Kohler, 2004) Structural Autonomy. The structural autonomy of the employees’ bargaining representative is the third key principle of the collective bargaining system adopted by the NLRA. This principle anchors the system of free collective bargaining.(Kohler, 2004) In addition, Section 8 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) states the following: â€Å"to dominate or interfere with the formation or administration of any labor organization or to contribute financial or other support to it.† (Kohler, 2004) 7 – Why did the LRC determine that RAs and CDAs were employees? Do you agree with the LRC decision? Why? Why not? In summary, I do not agree with the decision handed down by the Labor Relations Commission. Resident Assistants are really only student assistants that earn a small wage through the school year and depending upon the school schedule will not be working in the summertime. The decision to recognized students as employees is reckless and can have consequences down the road. This is a slippery slope. I don’t know the complete reasoning behind the decision of the Labor Relations Commission but if I had to guess I would imagine that there is a bit of a bias since the Labor Relations Commissions tend to lean pro-union. Another concern that the University should be aware of is that now that they Resident Assistants are organized, there is a possibility that these positions can be abused. Prior to organization, the Resident Assistant applicant would sign a Memo of Understanding (MOU) outlining the expectations that they were expected to meet. Being that they are organized now, the Memo of Understanding is most likely going to be tossed out the window and a new set of demands may start coming in over the years. Not to mentioned the future additional labor expenses that the University is going to incur. Works Cited Kohler, Thomas C.. â€Å"National Labor Relations Act (1935).† Major Acts of Congress. 2004. Retrieved October 18, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3407400221.html

Free Essays on Roman Empire

Julius Caesar The Romans had a practical attitude to religion, as to most things, which perhaps explains why they themselves had difficulty in taking to the idea of a single, all-seeing, all-powerful god. As the Romans had a religion of their own, it was not based on any central belief, but on a mixture of fragmented rituals, taboos, superstitions, and traditions which they collected over the years from a number of sources. To the Romans, religion was less a spiritual experience than a contractual relationship between mankind and the forces that were believed to control people's existence and well being. The result of such religious attitudes were two things: a state cult, the significant influence on political and military events of which outlasted the republic, and a private concern, in which the head of the family oversaw the domestic rituals and prayers in the same way as the representatives of the people performed the public ceremonials. However, as circumstances and people's view of the world changed, individuals whose personal religious needs remained unsatisfied turned increasingly during the first century AD to the mysteries, which were of Greek origin, and to the cults of the east. Most of the Roman gods and goddesses were a blend of several religious influences. Many were introduced via the Greek colonies of southern Italy. Many also had their roots in old religions of the Etruscans or Latin tribes. Most form of religious activity required some kind of sacrifice. And prayer could be a confusing matter due to some gods having multiple names or their sex even being unknown. The practice of Roman religion was a confusing thing. If the Roman State entertained temples and rituals for the benefit of the greater gods, then the Romans in the privacy of their own homes also worshipped their domestic deities. After the Augustan Age, people started to believe in different god(s). Jesus of Nazareth was a charismatic Jewish le... Free Essays on Roman Empire Free Essays on Roman Empire The Greeks, after their country had been reduced into a province, imputed the triumphs of Rome, not to the merit, but to the FORTUNE, of the republic. The inconstant goddess, who so blindly distributes and resumes her favours, had now consented (such was the language of envious flattery) to resign her wings, to descend from her globe, and to fix her firm and immutable throne on the banks of the Tiber.[1] A wiser Greek, who has composed, with a philosophic spirit, the memorable history of his own times, deprived his countrymen of this vain and delusive comfort by opening to their view the deep foundations of the greatness of Rome.[2] The fidelity of the citizens to each other, and to the state, was confirmed by the habits of education and the prejudices of religion. Honour, as well as virtue, was the principle of the republic; the ambitious citizens laboured to deserve the solemn glories of a triumph; and the ardour of the Roman youth was kindled into active emulation, as often as the y beheld the domestic images of their ancestors.[3] The temperate struggles of the patricians and plebeians had finally established the firm and equal balance of the constitution; which united the freedom of popular assemblies with the authority and wisdom of a senate-and the executive powers of a regal magistrate. When the consul displayed the standard of the republic, each citizen bound himself, by the obligation of an oath, to draw his sword in the cause of his country, till he had discharged the sacred duty by a military service of ten years. This wise institution continually poured into the field the rising generations of freemen and soldiers; and their numbers were reinforced by the warlike and populous states of Italy, who, after a brave resistance, had yielded to the valour, and embraced the alliance, of the Romans. The sage historian, who excited the virtue of the younger Scipio and beheld the ruin of Carthage,[4] has accurately described their mili... Free Essays on Roman Empire Julius Caesar The Romans had a practical attitude to religion, as to most things, which perhaps explains why they themselves had difficulty in taking to the idea of a single, all-seeing, all-powerful god. As the Romans had a religion of their own, it was not based on any central belief, but on a mixture of fragmented rituals, taboos, superstitions, and traditions which they collected over the years from a number of sources. To the Romans, religion was less a spiritual experience than a contractual relationship between mankind and the forces that were believed to control people's existence and well being. The result of such religious attitudes were two things: a state cult, the significant influence on political and military events of which outlasted the republic, and a private concern, in which the head of the family oversaw the domestic rituals and prayers in the same way as the representatives of the people performed the public ceremonials. However, as circumstances and people's view of the world changed, individuals whose personal religious needs remained unsatisfied turned increasingly during the first century AD to the mysteries, which were of Greek origin, and to the cults of the east. Most of the Roman gods and goddesses were a blend of several religious influences. Many were introduced via the Greek colonies of southern Italy. Many also had their roots in old religions of the Etruscans or Latin tribes. Most form of religious activity required some kind of sacrifice. And prayer could be a confusing matter due to some gods having multiple names or their sex even being unknown. The practice of Roman religion was a confusing thing. If the Roman State entertained temples and rituals for the benefit of the greater gods, then the Romans in the privacy of their own homes also worshipped their domestic deities. After the Augustan Age, people started to believe in different god(s). Jesus of Nazareth was a charismatic Jewish le... Free Essays on Roman Empire The Roman Empire stood in great power for many decades. Rome for a period of time was considered the center of civilization for years. The empire was beautiful and even though attracted many invaders, was very well protected by the walls surrounding the empire and of course the powerful army. Some people believed that the Roman Empire would last forever. Political Causes Under the rule of Diocletian and later Constantine the empire was split into Western and Eastern parts of Rome. The emperors said that the reason for that was to make it easier to govern. The emperor chose to govern and build the capital in the Eastern part and gave the Western part to a co-emperor. The reason for that might have been that the eastern part was much richer in resources and had better lands for farming. There may have been other reasons for that such as the Eastern part did not produce enough food for both parts of the empire and by separating them they’d have to produce their own food and depend upon themselves. This was the beginning, to a long struggle of the Western part that was now basically left alone. Many reforms came in to law to keep the empire together, such as toleration of Christianity to avoid their rebellion since there were a lot of them. In 313 a.d. the Church started taking part in government which slowly took power away from the empero r. More reforms like fixing prices and giving more freedom of worship kept the empire together but definitely would not last long. This is so because these reforms were made to fit people today taking away from the emperor but they never thought of what’s going to happen after the emperor does not have anything left to give. Which would occur very soon if things were going down as fast they were? There was no one to take matters into their hands so the empire was left to the people themselves to govern. Social Causes The people of the Western empi... Free Essays on Roman Empire Mediterranean World Julius Caesar The Romans had a practical attitude to religion, as to most things, which perhaps explains why they themselves had difficulty in taking to the idea of a single, all-seeing, all-powerful god. As the Romans had a religion of their own, it was not based on any central belief, but on a mixture of fragmented rituals, taboos, superstitions, and traditions which they collected over the years from a number of sources. To the Romans, religion was less a spiritual experience than a contractual relationship between mankind and the forces that were believed to control people's existence and well being. The result of such religious attitudes were two things: a state cult, the significant influence on political and military events of which outlasted the republic, and a private concern, in which the head of the family oversaw the domestic rituals and prayers in the same way as the representatives of the people performed the public ceremonials. However, as circumstances and people's view of the world changed, individuals whose personal religious needs remained unsatisfied turned increasingly during the first century AD to the mysteries, which were of Greek origin, and to the cults of the east. Most of the Roman gods and goddesses were a blend of several religious influences. Many were introduced via the Greek colonies of southern Italy. Many also had their roots in old religions of the Etruscans or Latin tribes. Most form of religious activity required some kind of sacrifice. And prayer could be a confusing matter due to some gods having multiple names or their sex even being unknown. The practice of Roman religion was a confusing thing. If the Roman State entertained temples and rituals for the benefit of the greater gods, then the Romans in the privacy of their own homes also worshipped their domestic deities. After the Augustan Age, people started to believe in different god(s). Jesus of Nazareth was a ... Free Essays on Roman Empire Throughout history there have been many eras that both share similarities as well as differences in the areas of art and civilization. Two eras that illustrate this are the Roman Empire and the Byzantium Empire. In Rome there were three major art forms. The first was civil engineering, which involved building cities in an orderly fashion, in order to accommodate the needs of all citizens. The Romans also used portrait sculptures, which reflected the roman ideals about their people being stern as well as individual. They were used to illustrate the love of patriarchy, love of family, and were usually portraits of actual people. The third art form was commemorative monuments. These were used for propaganda. The monuments helped to instill fear in possible threats, or potential invaders. Also the arch and vault were essential part of Roman monumental architecture. The Romans were a militaristic Empire. They used their architecture to emphasize their power. For example the column of Trajen was used to show the wonder of civil engineering, and the emphasis on military might and their superiority over everyone. The Gladiator Games also say something about Roman civilization. The audience’s at the games were watching the government in action, and witnessing law and order being maintained. By participating in these games the citizens were participating in society, and therefore participating in the government to a certain degree. In the Byzantium Empire the major theme was the idea of God and government. The emperor did not rule by the word of God, but he was the word of God. He was God’s instrument of divine providence personified. This may have been the most total form of Government in the world, in that there was no participatory government. The use of icons was prevalent in the art of Byzantium. The paintings of Christ, saints, and other holy figures illustrated their orthodox beliefs. In Byzantium there was a ...

Annunciation vs. Enunciation

Annunciation vs. Enunciation Annunciation vs. Enunciation Annunciation vs. Enunciation By Maeve Maddox I read the following in an NPR (National Public Radio) transcript: Im articulate, which means that when it comes to annunciation and diction, I dont even think of it cause Im articulate.   My first reaction was to smile at what I assumed was an amusing typo, perhaps the result of a mechanical voice transcription error. But then I decided to see if I could discover other examples of annunciation used in contexts calling for enunciation. I found quite a few. Not surprisingly, many of the errors occur on amateur sites and forums where correct spelling is not an issue: He had a pretty heavy lisp, and the thing that was most pronounced was his over-annunciation of words so that his speech was very slow and drawn out. Almost 5 [years old and] has annunciation issues. just started speech therapy 2x week 30 minutes each. It’s just an overall annunciation issue, rather than a particular sound. More surprising is finding the error in a professional context, on sites offering speech therapy and in documents posted on government sites: [Our] speech therapists help adults who have problems understanding written or spoken words, feeding and swallowing, or speaking clearly with appropriate annunciation and tone. Our daughter is six years old and is being teased at school for her annunciation. (A parental testimonial featured on a professional site’s landing page.) While he has come a long way, he is still very behind in his pronunciation and annunciation. (Petition requesting insurance coverage for speech therapy) The word annunciation means announcement. The word is closely associated with a particular announcement: the one made to Mary regarding the impending birth of Jesus: And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name  Jesus.–Luke 1:30-31, KJV. This use of Annunciation is always capitalized: One of the most famous paintings of the Annunciation is one attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and Andrea del Verrocchio. Enunciation, on the other hand, refers to the clear utterance of speech sounds: If youre looking to improve your childs  enunciation, its best to begin with an evaluation by a speech-language pathologist.   No vocal warm-up is complete without reciting a few  enunciation  exercises. One way to keep the words apart is to pronounce the a in annunciation as a schwa sound and the e in enunciation as a long e sound, as in he. Note: The schwa sounds like â€Å"uh.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Program vs. ProgrammeYay, Hooray, Woo-hoo and Other Acclamations50 Synonyms for "Song"

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 243

Assignment Example A dollar can be strong or it can be weak. A strong dollar helps the export sector of countries around the world. A strong dollar is good when inflation is not a problem. Conversely, a weaker currency increases the purchasing power of the Americans. A strong dollar is a disadvantage to the policy makers. However the US benefits from a strong dollar because it does not depend on exports. The countries whose economies are not strong as compared to the US lose when the dollar becomes strong. This means that their currency is losing value. In conclusion, a floating exchange rate is the exchange rate where the currency is set by the forces of demand and supply. These forces are in the foreign exchange market. The floating exchange rate change freely and are determined in the forex market. There is a managed float currency exchange system. This system unlike the later is subject to interventions by the monetary authorities. It is not dependent on the forces of demand and supply. The government may have set objectives that it wants to achieve and it interferes with the forces of demand and supply in the managed float currency exchange system. (Devereux,

Education and Professional Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Education and Professional Studies - Essay Example This paper approves that The context of primary education in England and Wales in which the ideology of child-centered education is still central, it is not possible to devise any assessment task or test to be implemented by teachers, which will not be subject to very considerable contextual effects. The National Curriculum is a statement of educational entitlement to which no child should be denied. To withdraw a child’s entitlement by disapplying the National Curriculum requires strong justification. The Code of Practice on special educational needs reiterates the inclusivity of the National Curriculum: ‘Children with special educational needs require the greatest possible degree of access to a broad and balanced curriculum including the National Curriculum’. This paper makes a conclusion that one way of utilising children’s motivation for learning and of building on this is to encourage children to develop their own interests through topic- or project-based learning. The extent to which a topic approach to developing learning is motivating for children may depend on how the topic is chosen. Ways of introducing topics range from wholly child-centred to more strongly teacher-initiated. At the child-centred end are situations in which learning develops naturally from a child’s firsthand experiences. This approach requires much careful teacher guidance of children and direct teaching when the need for this is apparent. Its great strength is that it starts with the child’s interests but difficulty arises in ensuring progression, balance and breadth in learning.