Poker Flat Essay

Do you think people can control how or if the die; even if inevitable? This unique story by Francis Bret Harte â€Å"The Outcast of Poker Flat†, has a grey western setting. Harte explores the mind of a gambler who is exiled from a warped town. Two literary devices regionalism and naturalism content is evident throughout, giving the story a feeling of hopelessness of survival. The regionalism in â€Å"The Outcast of Poker Flat† separates the characters from the town in such a way that is ironic. â€Å"I reckon they are after somebody† is said by the main character in the beginning of the story showing strong dialect on how the speech is in the town. The dialect is a western slang with an unintelligent tone to the towns people. The quote also shows the tense situation in that town specifically; everyone is on edge whispering among each other as the main character walks into a bar. They irony between the towns people and the so called â€Å"criminal† outcast was shown strongly in the leader of the town cleanup crew â€Å"†¦the leader spoke briefly and to the point. The exiles were forbidden to return at the peril of their lives†. What is so ironic about this is the role reversal. Who are the criminals, what group is doing the most wrong in this situation? The pessimism and dismay for the outcast soon after had clear naturalis m. The outcast were exiled from the town of Poker Flat. â€Å"It was distant a day’s severe travel. In that advanced season, the party soon passed out of the moist, temperate regions of the foot-hills into the dry, cold, bracing air of the Sierras.† The brutal environment would test the outcasts ability to survive. Since the group was not prepared for the cold temperatures or the dangerous Sierras survival seemed futile. The outcast start to give up â€Å"Toward morning they found themselves unable to feed the fire, which gradually died away. As the embers slowly blackened, the Duchess crept closer to Piney, and broke the silence of many hours: â€Å"Piney, can you pray?† â€Å"No, dear,† said Piney, simply.† the environment is dwindling away at the outcast survival until they parish. The outcast have been victims of naturalism they were not prepared for the hard unforgiving Sierra mountains. Two literary devices regionalism and naturalism content is evident throughout, giving the story a feeling of hopelessness of survival. These  devices create and understanding of the story. They help separate two similar but different concepts.

Effects of a stronger Euro on the Eurozone Essay

Most countries, in fact all countries in the Euro zone, have adopted a floating exchange rate, which means that the value of the Euro and, thus, the exchange rate are only determined by the demand for and supply of the currency on the foreign exchange market. Therefore, the value of the Euro can fluctuate drastically depending on different factors. At the moment, the Euro is a very strong currency. This has got different effects on the Euro zone, positive as well as negative. On the one hand, a strong Euro and, therefore, a high exchange rate decrease the price of imports into the Euro zone, so that more goods and services can be imported for the same amount of money, as one unit of currency will buy more units of foreign currencies than before, which means that more foreign goods and services can be imported. These imports might include services such as foreign travel, products we can directly consume, such as clothes from China or primary resources which are bought by firms. When producers can buy cheaper resources, their costs of production decrease, which causes prices to decrease, too, as the following diagram shows: Here, the supply curve shifts to the right, due to lower costs of production. This is a shift along the demand curve and therefore, the quantity demanded increases, whereas the price at which the goods and services can be purchased falls. A decrease in prices is – obviously – good for the consumers, as they have to pay less money for the goods they buy, and it is also good for the government because low prices reduce inflationary pressure. However, although the greater amount of imports is good for the consumers, domestic producers might be worse off. With the imports being relatively less expensive than the domestically produced goods and services, competition increases and there might be a fall in the demand for domestically produced goods and services. This could lead to unemployment as the domestic producers, whose profits decrease, can’t afford anymore to keep all these workers. Another consequence of high exchange rates are increased prices of exports for foreign countries. Industries which export price inelastic goods will probably find that they have increased export revenues as the following diagram shows. Here, the quantity demanded decreases from Q1 to Q2, and therefore, the price at which the goods or services are sold increases from P1 to P2. However, the change in price is much bigger than the change in quantity demanded as it is an elastic good. Therefore, the profit increases. However, although these industries have benefits from high exchange rates, most firms don’t produce goods for which demand is inelastic, so that it is difficult for them to sell their goods and services abroad, because their prices are, compared to the prices of producers from other countries, relatively high and they are, therefore, not able to compete with these producers. This means that they make less profits because they sell less, which might cause a further increase in unemployment. If the amount of money flowing out of the economy because of imports increases, and the amount of money flown into the economy because of exports decreases, this would worsen the balance of payments which could, in the worst case, become negative. This would decrease aggregate demand (AD) which is defined as consumption + investment + government spending + (exports – imports). However, although the high export costs will in the short run harm domestic producers, as it threatens their international competitiveness, they will in the long run increase their inflationary discipline. In order to maintain their competitiveness, domestic firms have to lower their costs of production, so that their prices decrease and they export more. In order to lower their costs of production, they have to be more efficient, which will, ideally, eventually result in a more efficient economy overall. This shows, that a strong Euro can have both, positive and negative, consequences on economies. But whether it is considered to be good or bad, very much depends on the kind of economy: A strong Euro doesn’t have the same effect on all countries in the Euro zone. Whereas economies which specialise on exports, such as Germany might not want a too strong Euro, as their international competitiveness might decrease, economies which very much rely on imports might be better off with a strong Euro.

Summary of a book chapter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Summary of a book chapter - Assignment Example The terrorists undergo various training that are well discussed in this chapter. They include, disguise techniques, clandestine travels, recruitment, communications, handling of weapons- including bombs and explosives, assassination and ambush techniques and even collection of intelligence and counterintelligence methods. Terrorists go to training camps to acquire particular tactics and gain proficiency in a variety of skills. They are taught how to handle and execute terror plans in target states and nations. Such training is usually of a wider array of tactics than that of the counterterrorism police forces. For example, training on Arson and bombs. Terrorist are taught on how to make and use explosives and incendiary bombs. They are provided with guidelines and instructions on how to operate these explosive devices in training camps. Teachings on the incendiary type of weapons give terrorist insights on how to make simple fire bombs using locally available materials such as bottles and inflammable mixture attached to a fuse. In the latter days though, they are taught how to make plastic bombs from plastique that are sophisticated explosives and not readily detectable by most modern airport security. These training camps equip terrorists with assassination and ambush techniques usually how to penetrate through security systems and kill at close range. Methods of clandestine approach, disguise and escape are incorporated with handling and use of handguns fitted with silencers. Such kind of training enabled the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007. Another training is on how to raise money through extortion and kidnapping for ransom from wealthy families and employers. It is usually a little risk, but high-profit operation. These terrorists are also trained in recruitment, counterintelligence, and communication. Such training gives them proficiency in acquiring intelligence on

Causes and Effects of teenage abortion in the USA Research Paper

Causes and Effects of teenage abortion in the USA - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that each year in the United States, approximately 750,000 teenagers between the ages of fourteen and nineteen become pregnant. Of this number, an average 200,000 teenagers a year seek an abortion. As more teenagers find themselves becoming pregnant, more are finding ways to avoid the responsibility of parenthood at such a young age. Unfortunately, not only do the excuses for obtaining abortions continue to rise, but so does the number of young pregnant females obtaining an abortion. As with any physical damage to one’s body, though, abortion comes with its consequences. Pregnant teenage females often seek abortions when their pregnancies are a result of rape or date rape. Rape is the forcing of sexual intercourse by one person on another. More often than not, rape is administered by a complete stranger, though there have been many cases of friends, extended relatives, teachers, and even church officials raping and impregnating young women. Date rape, on the other hand, is rape that is administered usually after the female has been drugged or otherwise made unconscious. This form of rape is often done by someone that the female knows well, like a friend or even a boyfriend. However, there are some men that drug women they do not know while at a party or a gathering and then invite them out to a place where the rape occurs. Date rape generally takes place while the female is spending time with the potential rapist, like on a date, hence its name.... Similar to rape, incest often comes without the consent of the other person. Sexual abuse can also be brought on by a male family member, but the teenager can also face sexual abuse from her boyfriend or a close male friend. The primary factor in both incest and sexual abuse is that the teenager had no say in the engaging of sexual intercourse. Unfortunately, physical violence can also be administered during the process of the abuse, rendering the teenager helpless to get away. There are many reasons that a teenager gets an abortion as a result of incest or sexual abuse. The first reason is simply because the pregnancy was due to incest and the teenager does not want to keep the baby who was fathered by someone that she is related to. The teenager might also abort to avoid revealing that a family member had gotten her pregnant. They want to avoid the shame that comes with such a confession, even though they had no part in what took place; they might also have been threatened to keep it a secret, and might not have a choice of whether or not to abort. Likewise, if the teenager was sexually abused by her boyfriend, she does not want to keep a baby that was created by force with someone that she loved and trusted. Another reason is because many children that are conceived out of incest often have physical deformities or mental illnesses. Teenagers abort for this reason as they do not want the responsibility of raising a baby that might be sick and need special attention and care. Promiscuity Promiscuity is when a person has many sexual relationships, which makes up a large percentage of pregnant teenagers at any given time in the United States. Many of

Q5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Q5 - Essay Example Poorly planned information systems also increase the costs of operation or else the customer requirements may not been met. This leads to dissatisfaction among clients and hence the organization can not maintain competitiveness in the market. Moreover, poor planning also leads to the existence of information systems in the organization that are not in use, not because they are spoiled but because the organization does not need them (Benaroch, 2002). Poor planning leads to failure especially when the organization does not have effective mechanisms for maintenance and supporting the information systems. Without the appropriate plans, the organization might not be capable of maintaining adequate support for consistent working with the system. It might result in to losses and misunderstanding among the MIS staff and the general organizational managers since blameworthiness is usually placed on those involved in the application of information systems rather than the planners. For example, the employees in charge of the control room are blamed for the poor performance of the information systems especially since they interact directly with the clients whose dissatisfaction is often attributed to incompetence among these staff. Such blames are mistaken and are all as a result of poor planning (Tipon et. Al 2001) The choice of the source of decision support systems in an organization is significant to their effectiveness in enhancing organizational performance. The pros of purchasing the DSS from vendors are many. First, the cost of purchasing the DSS is far much lower than in-house development especially due to the fact that the organization does not have to employ experts to develop the systems. The costs that could otherwise be incurred in the organization for developing the systems can be used for other purposes in the organization. On the other hand, outsourcing presents the organization with a wide range of DSS developers applying various technologies, which

Discrimination and Male-Female Earnings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Discrimination and Male-Female Earnings - Essay Example Even so, in terms of pay, women are seen to receive less than men. Research has shown that on similar levels of an organizational hierarchy, men make almost twenty-five percent more than that earned by women. Many experts are of the opinion that pay discrimination is a myth in present globalized economy. They are of the opinion that such pay differentials largely occur due to certain social factors such as, a difference of education, choice of job and difference in career objectives. Hence, it cannot be adequately termed as discrimination. Even after taking into account such factors, it has been observed that unfair discrimination of wages still exists. Women in the modern economic world constitute almost half the workforce in most industries. Women, although are not the primary, are considered as equal breadwinners in five out of ten families in most developing nations. In most societies, women obtain similar or even more education than men. Yet, it is seen that most institutions pr efer paying women lesser. The studies conducted over gender discrimination of wages suggest that if the wage gap continues to widen as its present level, then it would take another fifty years for women to earn at the same level (Gardeazabal and Ugidos 165). Women continue to be discriminated in respect of pay, hiring, and promotions. These factors have become so common in the workplace that women have begun accepting them as part of their work life. Â  The first few years after graduation are the most important period for both men and women in respect of starting and setting up their career paths. At this time, both the counterparts are young, unmarried and have very little or no job experience.

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 14

Reflection - Essay Example Sharing ideas in an honest way in the workplace provide opportunity for employees to give information that helps in better working environment. Working as a leader with my friends in organizing a function, I lied about better rewards after doing the task. The truth came out later and I lost trust of those I had worked with in organizing the function. Using honesty in workplace is important in achieving optimum working environment. In as much as we like to show our achievements and sometimes commanding, being a humble leader is very important in relating to other. Humility will ensure other people in junior ranks do not feel intimidated be the leader’s presence. A humble leader will provide opportunity for other junior members to approach him/her easily and freely discuss any arising problems. Provision of such opportunity will ensure decisions made with best interest for all. Humility forms vital part in relations of workers or members in an organization. Leaders or employees who are arrogant have hard time in relating to fellow employees or juniors. This limits discussions and sharing of ideas to make workplace better. Being a humble leader helps in gaining respect but not fear from juniors. Humble leaders also accept mistakes if they have committed one and do not blame others. This involves choosing what is right to even if it does not favor those close to the leader. Fairness shows the quality of a leader who can deal with those who like them and those who do not like them. In fairness, the leader follows the rules and set example to any person looking up to him/her. This strength sets example and shows how to follow organization rules to benefit everyone. This character strength is very important in making decisions that affect people around. It involves giving every person equal chances in development in the work area that in turn motivate employees to work hard. Unfair treatment of

Amazon Rainforest Environmental Studies Research Paper

Amazon Rainforest Environmental Studies - Research Paper Example Amazon Rainforest Amazon rainforest is found to be the biggest forest and the biggest space which is covered by tropical animals and plants. Forest territory of Amazon is basically a tropical rainforest which is spread across the northern region of South American continent. The entire rainforest is shared by almost eight nations which are Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Columbia, Peru, Guiana, Venezuela and Suriname (Save the Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Rainforest). The largest section (almost 60%) of the Amazon rainforest can be found in Brazil. In fact, half of Brazil is covered by this rainforest. The rainforest of Amazon is also famous as Amazonia. It is seen as one of the most important greatest natural resources that are found on planet earth. Experts often call it the â€Å"Lungs of this planet† as it consistently produces oxygen by converting carbon dioxide of the environment (Amazon Rainforest, Blue Planet Biomes). It is found that almost 20% the world’s oxygen come fr om this rainforest. The nickname ‘rainforest’ signifies the humidity that is found in this region. However, rainfall does not happen all the time. Usually tropical rainforests are situated near the equator, as a result they are found to be very hot. All the heat leads to huge volume of evaporation of water into the air. The trees in the forest retain the water in their roots and branches. The combination of all these actions makes the entire area very much humid. The humidity, rain and heat have made the Amazon rainforest a rich ecosystem (Save the Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Rainforest). The magnitude of both rain and temperature is found to be consistent throughout the year. The average temperature in this region is 79 ° F (Amazon Rainforest, Blue Planet Biomes). It is already mentioned that approximately half of Brazil is covered by the Amazonia. A very crucial fact is that the canopy of the Amazon rainforest is less studied as compared to the ocean floor. Many exper ts believe that it is very much possible that the half of all the species in world can be found in the canopy of this rainforest. What is already found is that more than 500 mammals, 175 types of lizards and almost one of third earth’s birds live in the Amazonia. It is predicted that nearly 30 million types of insects live in this region (Amazon Rainforest, Blue Planet Biomes). The Amazon rainforest can be seen as the combination of four different layers. Each of these layers consists of unique plants, animals and ecosystems. The first layer is happened to be the tallest among all. In this layer trees having height of 200 feet are found. The leaves are often found to be small. Furthermore, a thick waxy surface is found over the leaves. This layer experiences significant fluctuation of wind, rainfall and temperature (Amazon Rainforest, Blue Planet Biomes). The next layer i.e. ‘the canopy’ is considered to be a major layer of Amazonia. Most of the trees in this lay er have oval and smooth leaves and almost 80% of sunlight gets filtered through them. The canopy acts as a home to hundreds and thousands of species. The next layer gets 3-5% of the sunlight. Plants in this layer find some unique ways of adaptability in this shadowy system. Due to very low movement of air, plants and their leaves greatly depend on the animals and insects for pollinating the flowers (Amazon Rainfores

Microsoft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Microsoft - Essay Example The product’s analysis will also be conducted considering its attributes as well as diffusion. The paper will then describe its pricing strategies, the channels of distribution and the strategies of promotion that is proposed to enable it have a larger market especially for students and the teachers. Promotion analysis will involve conducting an analysis to determine the promotion strategies that Microsoft office 365 should use. The target market focused in this analysis is tertiary students and the teachers. Promotion will ensure that the potential as well as current customers are made aware of the availability of Microsoft office 365. The customers through promotion will also be persuaded to see that Microsoft office 365 is the best product compared to google apps and think free office. In determining the best promotion method, there is need to consider several factors including nature of the product, competition, target market, nature of the product and the stage of the product in the lifecycle. The different promotion methods that Microsoft office 365 might consider using are advertising, personal selling, public relations, sales promotion and direct marketing (Pride et al, 445). The first step will include the determination of the most appropriate promotion mix. This will include the various methods of promotion that the will be appropriate. The promotion mix for Microsoft office 365 will include advertising and public relations. Advertising will include creating awareness of the Microsoft office 365 product through the media. This will help to create the product’s awareness to both the existing and potential customers and in this case the targeted group being students in the tertiary level and the teachers. It will involve some budget allocation to ensure that the advertising process is well financed. Considering that the target market for this product is students in

Applied management accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Applied management accounting - Essay Example Furthermore, since its NPV of $20,149.83 is greater than the NPV of Machine 2 therefore we will give it a higher priority because of higher NPV. This equipment has a payback period of 3 years and 11 months therefore it lags behinds in terms of recovering the initial capital expenditure than Machine 2 or Machine 3. However, the payback period is not the ultimate criterion in accepting and rejecting projects therefore we will first look at this project’s NPV. This project has the highest NPV of $169,311.58 therefore we will invest in this Machine as it has the power to add greatest value to the company. However, this is the most risky project as the larger cash flows will be generated during the long-term which are most of the time difficult to exactly predict due to uncertainty. The Net Present Value Method takes into account the time value of the money plus it also determines how much of the wealth will be added to the company’s net worth. Or we can say that it gives us an idea of the profitability of the project The payback period calculates how much time it would take the project to recover the capital expenditure invested in the project. It is useful when the time horizon is short as it becomes vital to know how quickly the investment will be recovered. The payback period does not incorporate the time value of money. Another inherent flaw in this method is that it does not take into account the future cash flows which will be available after the initial expenditure has been

Two Party System Essay Example for Free

Two Party System Essay It is commonly argued that political parties are becoming weaker and interest groups are becoming more powerful in America.   Keeping these changes in mind, is it possible that the United States will ever move away from the two-party system and have three or more strong parties? In 1992, Texan billionaire Ross Perot won more votes than any `third party` candidate for President ever had before. Coincidence, or will a smaller party ever become a strong enough force to rule the United States, or indeed have an influential presence in Parliament?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Statistics suggest that Americans are in favor of a third major force in their political scenario.    According to a poll conducted by Angus Reid Global Monitor: â€Å"Many adults in the United States believe there should be a viable alternative to Republicans and Democrats, according to a poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates for the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. 53 per cent of respondents believe there should be a third major political party in the country, up three points since June 2004.† (Angus Reid Global Monitor, 2003). And according to VoteBuddy.com, 2006, more than two thirds of Americans want a third party because of the following reasons:   Most people are simply aware that government of, by, and for the Democrats and Republicans has not been working; they have little idea why. Part of the reason is that neither party really stands for what it used to. Instead, both of them have moved to the center in hopes of capturing the many moderate voters out there. A lot of people really miss having a party that represents the principles they believe in. Others have specific concerns that they believe have been abandoned by the one major party that ever showed any interest in them. (VoteBuddy.com, 2006). Indeed the voting trends of the past decade or two have perhaps been indicative of this new trend towards a third, independent party.   In recent years, Ross Perot and Ralph Nader, both representatives of independent parties, have gained a fairly large part of the vote over their Democratic and Republican competitors, not enough to cause worry to leaders of the two major parties yet, but certainly more than in previous years. Also worth noting is the low percentage of voter turnout at American polls.   Are those who don’t turn out to vote independent supporters who are just thinking that their vote will be wasted?   Or are they so happy with the system as it is that they don’t feel they need to vote?   Today, American voters give all kinds of reasons for not voting. The cost of being involved in the voting process is among them. On the one hand, many find it difficult to register and stay registered (moving means having to reregister), despite efforts like the federal motor-voter bill, which allows Americans to register while renewing drivers licenses, and popular pushes like MTVs Rock the Vote campaign.   (Hough, 2006) Others get turned off by the enormous time commitment needed to follow the race. This years presidential election, for example, saw candidates jockeying for position nearly two years before the actual election. Unfortunately, instead of giving Americans more time to absorb the issues, according to results from the Vanishing Voter Project, the long campaign has them tuning out.   (Hough, 2006) You can make an argument for a long campaign, acknowledged Patterson, but our data show its a disincentive. During the second week of the projects polling — a full year before the election — only 5 percent of Americans said they were paying a great deal of attention to the campaign. Roughly 60 percent said they were paying little or no attention. By week three, despite heavy news coverage, Americans interest in the campaign actually declined.   (Hough, 2006) Whatever the case is, a true representation of political feeling in America will only be obtained once voter turnout is higher. Another aspect which would make it hard for a third party to gain strength is congressional opposition to third parties.   Traditionally, according to Wikipedia, a two party system works as follows: A two-party system is a form of party system where two major political parties dominate the voting in nearly all elections. As a result, all, or nearly all, elected offices end up being held by candidates endorsed by the two major parties. Coalition governments occur only rarely in two-party systems, though each party may internally look like a coalition. Under a two-party system, one of two major parties typically holds a majority in the legislature (or a legislative house in a bicameral system), and is referred to as the Majority Party. The other major party is referred to as the Minority Party. The leader of the majority party may be referred to as the Majority Leader, assisted by the Majority Whip, and the leader of the major opposition party may be referred to as the Minority Leader, assisted by the Minority Whip. Two-party systems often develop spontaneously when the voting system used for elections discriminates against third or smaller parties, because the number of votes received for a party in a whole country is not directly related to the proportion of seats it receives in the countrys assembly/assemblies. (Wikipedia, 2006). We can see how a system structured in a way like this would make it very difficult for a third party to prosper. In addition, some reports state that Congress itself shows opposition to third parties, which, at least for the current time, would make it very hard for a third party to achieve any sort of effectiveness in Congress. In BC Politics, Kevin Surbaugh (2006), reports that he has read in a Green Party document. He states: â€Å"This article is about the Democrats trying to pass a bill (HR 4694) that effectively seeks to ban any and all third parties, basically making it so only the Republicans and Democrats will have access to power. Its already difficult for an independent or third party candidate to gain ballot access, but this new bill would make it almost impossible. HR 4694 (Let the People Decide Clean Campaign Act) would mean that the official nominees of parties (i.e., Democrats and Republicans) that had averaged 25% of the vote for House races in a given district in the last two elections would get full public funding. All others (i.e., third party and independent candidates) would be required to submit petitions signed by 10% of the number of people who voted in the last election to get partial funding, and 20% petitions to get full funding. The press release gives an example of the 2nd district in Missouri, where 10% of that district would be some 35,000 signatures, just to spend anything at all, including your/his/her own money. This is a bill that people of all parties should be concerned about.: (Surbaugh, 2006). Surbaugh calls for actions from Americans to prevent this bill from occurring. Perhaps the best form of action they can take would be to present themselves at the polls and vote for the people that they want to vote for. Again, statistics show that Americans don’t vote for independents because they are afraid that they will be â€Å"wasting† their vote.   Terry Mitchell commented on this in July 2006 in an article called â€Å"Voters are to Blame for Bad Politics†, as follows: â€Å"One of our biggest problems is our unwillingness to vote for independent or third party candidates. These candidates generally do not have obligations to party bosses or quid pro quo relationships with lobbyists like the major party candidates do. Very often, we will vote for the lesser of two evils, rather than an independent or third party candidate who might be much better. Of course, when you vote for the lesser of two evils, youre still voting for an evil. Many people feel like they would be wasting their vote by voting for any of those other candidates. This is simply not true. A voter only wastes his/her vote when he/she votes for someone he/she does not really like. Instead, we create a voting catch-22 for ourselves, i.e., no one will vote for Mr. Independent because he has no chance; Mr. Independent has no chance because no one will vote for him. If enough people decided to start voting their conscience, we could break that vicious cycle.† (Mitchell, 2006) When Americans go to the poll on 7 November 2006, there will not only be two parties on the ballot paper. Democrats and Republicans will be joined by the likes of the Constitution Party, the Liberation Party, interest groups such as the Green Party, and even the Peace and Freedom Party.   How will the 45% of Americans who want a third party in Government vote?   Indeed, will they vote at all?   Once before we have seen how powerful an effective third party vote can be.   Some have said that Perot cost George Bush the 1992 election. During the spring primaries in the big industrial states like New York and Pennsylvania, when attention might have been paid to Clinton and former California Governor Jerry Brown as they fought each other and debated a domestic agenda for the new administration, all the media covered was the undeclared candidacy of Ross Perot (Ieinsdorf.com, 2006). And did Nader cost Gore the election in 2000? A closer look shows if Nader wasnt a choice, the 2.7% who supported Nader would have split so Gore would have picked up about 2% more support and Bush would have picked up an additional 1%. In a non-Nader race, Gore would have prevailed over Bush 50% to 49%. (Mike Hersh, 2003). This is indicative of exactly how much impact the third party vote can have, and the fact that these two events occurred in close succession are indicative that the public is slowly beginning to vote for who they actually want to.   This suggests that while there is still huge opposition, in the end a third party will prevail. In conclusion, we can see that while it may be that Americans are in favor of a third major political party in their country (the votes for Ralph Nader and Ross Perot in recent years are indicative of this, and not purely mirage), some reform is needed before this can happen. Is this trend to continue?   The results of the upcoming election will be interesting. Americans themselves must actually go to the polls, and once there, they must vote for the candidates they actually believe the most in.   Congressional opposition to new parties also needs to be overcome and traditional two party system beliefs changed. While I believe that a third party will be prevalent in American politics in the future, I do not believe that it will occur very soon.   The three determining factors – Congressional opposition, low voter turnout, and voters not voting for who they really want, need to be overcome first. Works Cited Angus Reid Global Monitor, â€Å"Americans Want Third Major Political Party† (2003), retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewItemitemID=11673 Hersh, Mike, (2003) â€Å"Did Nader Help Al Gore in 2000†, retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://www.mikehersh.com/Did_Nader_Help_or_Hurt_Al_Gore.shtml Hough, Lory, (2006) â€Å"The American Voter† retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/ksgpress/bulletin/spring2000/american_vote.html Iensdorf, (2006) â€Å"Perot Did not Cost George Bush the 1992 Election† retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://www.leinsdorf.com/perot.htm Mitchell, Terry, (2006), â€Å"Voters are To Blame for Bad Politics† retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=11264 Surbaugh, Kevin, (2006) â€Å"Congress Planning to Shut down Third Parties†, retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/02/11/034246.php VoteBuddy.com, â€Å"Our Vote is Held Hostage†,   2006 retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://votebuddy.com/ Wikipedia, (2006), â€Å"Two Party System†, retrieved 6 Nov 2006 from the website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-party_system

Identifying Bacterial Growth

Identifying Bacterial Growth Introduction: This experiment was about isolating a single bacterial colony from a soil sample and identifying which genus it belongs in. This is especially important for functions such as agriculture, as knowing whether a specific soil has a high concentration of nutrient producing bacterium is essential to being able to harvest good crops. Another key component of soil bacterium, is that they tend to be high in nutrient recycling organisms. As well there tends to be a high number of varying phylum in soil bacterium that was previously unknown, as in 2003 Joseph et al. managed to isolate 350 different bacterium which were assigned into 9 different phyla. As well approximately 27% of the isolated bacterium belonged to unnamed families, and were located in very poorly studied phyla. (Joseph et al. 2003) Methods: The experiment began by subculturing a bacterial colony identified from a myriad of soil bacterium isolated in an agar plate. Then this bacterial colony was observed through a microscope, as well as tested for whether it was gram positive or gram negative. Then the bacterium was re-cultured into varying solutions to test for specific nutrient use. First it was subcultured onto an agar plate rich in starch, incubated, and tested for starch hydrolysis via the use of lugols iodine, to see if there was starch remaining in the area of the bacterial colony. Then a deep rich in sulfur was inoculated with the bacterium, and observed for whether motility was displayed, or whether hydrogen sulphide was produced. Then the bacterium was inoculated in a peptone broth, to test for production of ammonia, through the addition of Nesslers Reagent, an ammonium sulphate broth and a nitrite broth, to test for the ability to nitrify compounds using Nesslers reagent; Trommdorfs Reagent; diphenylamine; and Sulfuric acid, and a nitrate broth to test for the ability to denitrify compounds using indicated reagents. Then the bacterium was placed into a thioglycollate medium to test the oxygen tolerance of the bacterium. Next the bacterium was subcultured onto a normal agar plate, to test for the presence of catalase and oxidase. Finally the bacterium was subcultured on plates with varying NaCl concentrations, and inoculated in tubes of varying pHs and tubes with varying temperatures. (Robertson and Egger, 2010) Results: In this lab our obtained data was collected and summarized (Table 1). This was then used to obtain a possible bacteria genera from the collected data, based on a text of classifications. These include references for whether a microbe genera happens to have a specific enzyme, to which types of electron donors it utilizes throughout its ATP production phase, be it in oxidative phosphorylation, or substrate level phosphorylation, or even a form of fermentation. The information gathered in table in is well correlated in the assigned manual, and is indicative of the genera Bacillus, which is known for its Rod-like shape, and the ability of this specific genera to grow across a vast array of nutrient types. (Sneath, 1986) Other indicators of this particular Genus, are that Bacilli tend to grow most predominantly within a temperature range characterized by mesophilic organisms, and have a wide range of osmotic pressure, or salt concentration tolerances. Another indicator of the bacillus genera, is the fact that this unknown bacteria tested positive on the gram test, as most members of the bacillus genera are gram-positive bacteria. Discussion: The bacterium is of the genus bacillus, because of the fact that it fits into the category of being able to survive in most conditions. (Sneath, 1986) The main characteristics that helped identify this bacterium were the fact that it is gram positive, that it is rod-shaped, and the determination through chemical testing that it can utilize multiple nutrient types to grow, and reproduce. These characteristics pointed definitively to the bacterium bacillus, and further investigation revealed them to most likely be either Bacillus cereus, or Bacillus licheniformis. These bacterium share almost all in common with the isolated bacterium in terms of chemical use, and similar makeup. This bacterium could have been further identified through other tests, such as looking for other enzymes that may be present, and performing tests to determine the exact makeup of the cell wall. The other tests that could be performed, could be to detect for the presence of chemicals known to be associated with fermentation, such as lactic acid. The limitations of the tests which were performed, are that they tend to test for the same type of thing. For example if something tests positive for nitrification, they may not test positive for ammonification because it is all converted straight to a nitrate form. The Bacillus strain plays many varied roles in nature, based on its vast adaptability, and the variance of locations it is found in. For example, it ranges from living in soil, to water, from animals, to plants. The Bacillus is even found in a pathogenic form, as Bacillus anthracis in humans, and in multiple forms in insects and animals. (Sneath, 1986) This means that the Bacillus anthracis strain is of a particular interest to scientists, as it is a reason to research antibiotics, as well as a reason to investigate different strains of this bacterium to see what other pathogenic roles this bacterium can cause in living creatures. This lab contains many possible sources of error, the main one being cross contamination. As the bacterium was recultured so many times, each time represents a possible instance where another bacterium was added to the mix, or substituted for the bacterium being isolated. Also during testing different bacteriums could have been picked up and added to the testing which could have caused a shift in results, or an increase in the range a specific result is in. Another source of error, is that there was what appeared to be a subculture of yeast intermixed with one of the bacterium subcultures obtained during testing. As this yeast subculture was at one time located on the same plate as the bacterium which was isolated and tested for, it could have also been located in our sample throwing our specific results off. These specific errors could inevitably cause the data gathered to point to the wrong bacterium genus and lead to misclassification. This could be corrected for by taking multipl e subcultures of the bacterium, and observing each subculture carefully to determine if there is any presence of different bacterial strains. In the end, the objectives of this experiment were properly met, as a bacterial sample was subcultured from a soil sample, and the bacterium was adequately identified via a myriad of tests and procedures. Since these objectives were met the experiment could be considered to be successful, especially as it taught me about different subculturing techniques as well as the methods that a microbiologist uses to determine bacterial identity. Literature Cited: Joseph, S.J., Hugenholtz, P., Sangwan, P., Osborne, C. A., Janssen, P. H. (2003) Laboratory Cultivation of Widespread and Previously Uncultured Soil Bacteria. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 69: 7210-7215 Robertson, S., Egger, K. (2010) Identification of Soil Bacteria. Biology 203 Microbiology Lab Manual. 4-33 Sneath, P. H. A. Ed. Bergeys Manual of Systematic Bacteriology Volume 2. 1986. Lipincott, Williams, Wilkins. Baltimore, Maryland.

Benefits of ICT in Education and Classroom Management

Benefits of ICT in Education and Classroom Management ICT has so many advantages in the learning and teaching process. Classroom management is one of them that gained benefits from ICT. According to experienced teachers who use ICT in their classrooms that ICT may make the classroom controlling more effortless because ICT provides materials that make the class more interesting and easy to control (Cox and Webb, 2004). The existence of several sorts of ICT tools gives the class other support of learning especially in terms of visual and auditory learning. Thus the definition of classroom management Content management occurs when teachers manage space, materials, equipment, the movement of people, and lessons that are part of a curriculum or program of studies (Froyen Iverson, 1999, p. 128). This managing will lead to organizing students behavior. Jacob Kounin (1970) has vital studies about effective classroom management, which obtained to systematic results in classroom management techniques. Also, he found critical dimensions of effective class control containing the following issues: withitness: teachers know what each pupil is doing; they have eyes in the back of their heads so are able to pay attention to several things at the same time; Letting pupils know what behavior is expected of them at any given point in time; Smoothness: teachers are able to guide pupil behavior verbally or non- verbally without having to interrupt teaching; Maintaining group focus and interest. Leask and Pachler(2005:44) ICT is beneficial for teachers too, to discipline students deportments in the class. In withitness teachers never are busy with other things in the class while answering a question or other activities (Leask and Pachler, 2005). They should pay their attention to students behaviour even they observe them out of the corner of their eye, it will be good. In addition, students know what they are going to do next time. Finally, in smoothness teachers use efficient techniques that guide students in a way, which does not lead to a noisy atmosphere in the class, but without interrupting teaching process. ICT and Motivation: The British educational communications and technology agency (Becta, 2003) has a research about ICT and motivation, which reports that regular use of ICT across various curriculum subjects, may have a useful motivational impact on students learning (cited in Cox, 1997). It is clear that students stand more time in front of their tasks by using ICT like computer than other methods such as: classic method, which was manual, which is manual. ICT may solve discipline problems and decrease them. Moreover, students who used ICT for educational reasons in school feel more successful were more motivated to learn and have raised self-confidence and self-esteem (cited in Software and information industry association 2000). For example, while writing a paragraph by hand there is no grammar check to correct mistakes, but while ICT programs such as Microsoft Office word, which will detect most of the spelling and grammar mistakes. This process will encourage and motivate students certainly. Leask and Pachler, 2005 refer that the impaCT2 project evaluated the motivation of students through 15 case studies in their books. Researchers found that ICT not only encourages students to become more concentrated on the task. ICT also was seen by some teachers to improve both the competency and cognitive functioning (Cited in Comber et al., 2002, p. 9). Effective learning and teaching with ICT: In the late of 20th century and with the beginning of 21st century, ICT has played roles from simple to vital roles especially in developed countrys school. Learning and teaching process become more effective by using ICT. The use of ICT has developed in different ways to meet the needs of learners in different curricular areas. The use of ICT can: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ help learners be creative; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ be a useful aid to problem solving; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ provide ready access to a world of knowledge and research; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ improve the quality of presentation. (2004, p. 7) ICT assisted students to be more creative in their learning process and it is a beneficial support for problem solving by using different ICT facilities such as: software programs, Internet, and printer. Today, learners have thousands of resources by using ICT in condition while sitting in their home not by searching for knowledge in libraries. Presentations became visual and auditory for students in addition to using software programs like power point. However, all these factors need effective teachers and managements or administrators to apply and achieve these effective benefits on students. The educational effectiveness of ICTs depends on how they are used and for what purpose. And like any other educational tool or mode of educational delivery, ICTs do not work for everyone, everywhere in the same way. (Tinio(2002), p. 19). The useful use of ICT in educational and pedagogical fields changes from person to person and from place to place. It bases on how they are practiced and for which reason. Undoubtedly, some educators use technology in particular computer and the Internet more efficiently than others. They know very well how they use it and when or where and for which occasion. Hence, teaching students the effective use of ICT especially in enhancing access and raising quality is another reason to promote students performance by using ICT and gaining more. The Barriers or Obstacles to the development and integration of ICT in education In the twentieth century schools encounter a number of difficulties including integration of information and communication technologies into the teaching and learning, education curriculum and change in methods in pursuit of developing learner lifelong learning skills (Sabaliauskas and Pukelis, p. 1). Undoubtedly, this is a complex process to change the system of learning and teaching from a traditional method to ICT method. Some people like (Schoepp, 2005) called difficulties as barriers. A barrier is defined as any condition that makes it difficult to make progress or to achieve an objective (Schoepp, 2005, p. 2). There are many barriers or difficulties that stand up in front of the development of ICT in education. Teacher-level barriers are lack of teacher confidence, competence and resistance to change negative attitudes. Also, there are school-level barriers, which are lack of time, lack of effective training, lack of accessibility, and lack of technical support (Bingimlas, 2009, p. 237- 241) Disadvantages of ICT Obviously, there are several kinds of drawbacks of ICT in the classroom or outside classroom. The costs of equipments are so expensive that prevent more schools to purchase. Sometimes, students engage with ICT tools for other purposes. Also, ICT is not safe usually for saving data and information because the potential errors may occur in the Windows program or other software programs and hacking by others. The following disadvantages give a list of objectives that staff and facilitators may be required to deal with should problems occur throughout using the ICT equipment. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cost à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Distractions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reliability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Damage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Safety à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Hacking (Anon, 2008, http://www.newman.ac.uk/Students_websites/~s.r.i.whitton/Advantages%20%20disadvantages.htm) Integrating ICT throughout the curriculum Jhurree (2005) states that the educational and pedagogical mend happen throughout the world to promote educational level. The integration of ICT in education system is one of them. The effective integration of ICT into classroom needs a systematic plan and scheme. Also, it depends on the policy makers how well understand the dynamics of integrating of ICT. Yet, ICT has been a complex issue because it will change the education completely. The difference that ICT will make in education is conditioned by what education wants to realize with ICT in the context of its needs and strategic ends. The educators must have developed the practice. It begins by good planning that provides the real state of the learners based on globally accepted curricular standards. The value of the ICT tools to make a difference is dependent on the educators identification of the instructional outcomes, methods and materials that ICT can bring efficiently and effectively deliver for the teachers and the learners (Macasio, J. (2008), http://aralaneteacher.ning.com/forum/topics/integrating-ict-in-teaching) Levine (1998) emphasises that the significance of planning, which is based on serious school needs then to be achievable and realistic. The scheme or policy should be practical to solve or change the school situation and to improve learning environments that will be effective. To attain objectives that have not been attained efficiently otherwise: expanding access, promoting equality, improving the internal efficiency of educational systems, enhancing the quality of education, and preparing new and old generations for a technology-driven market place (Haddad and Jurich, 2002, p. 47). The integrating ICT into education offers many useful factors such as: an evolved learning environment for learners by giving motivation that make them to work with instruction interestingly and efficiently. ICT has the capability for making instruction easier, more challenging and motivating for teachers. Nowadays, it is possible to contact with people throughout the world by using ICT especially comput er and the Internet. Teachers play a crucial professional role in ensuring that the integration of ICT into pedagogies is educationally sound. They evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of available technologies, deciding when and how to use them with their students.(MCEETYA (2005), p. 4). Teachers integrating ICT into their education need suitable learning activities and facilities to: motivate, engage, and personalize learning. Also, developing ICT literacy establishes communities of learning. ICT and assessment Previously, teachers were assessing their students in different methods such as: exam, quiz, writing essay, assignments, and oral exams, but all these methods were inside the class. Nowadays, information communication technology has changed the situation by using computer and the Internet but it is in the beginning of the loop. Students can send their assignment to their teacher by e-mail or exams and also (open-book; structured; timed). Participation in online discussions Publication of student work /presentations Experiential activities, such as role-play Debates Reviews Journals and reflection (Anon, http://learnline.cdu.edu.au/t4l/elearning/onlineassessment.html#options) These are all methods that give students an opportunity to access online and share their ideas and requirements? As can be seen, assessment opportunities making use of the web are still rather similar to non-computerized methods and often only use computer communication to submit or comment on students work in traditional ways. Where computer testing per se is used it often comprises short answers and multiple- choice questions Leask and Pachler(2005:136)

Grapes of Wrath :: essays research papers

The Grapes of Wrath   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In The Grapes of Wrath the author John Steinbeck describes the life of a migrant family who must leave their land in Oklahoma in order to find work in California. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck clearly expresses that Nature and Man are one. The family is known as the Joads and they later come to realize that fear is not only for themselves but for the sake of the people in the world. The author makes these thoughts known through the different characters in the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this book Tom Joad is the main character. He starts off just finishing prison for killing a man and feels he is just going to take it easy and be careful. In the beginning he comes off as if he feels no remorse for his crime and hopes to find what he wants and needs. Tom also is portrayed as if he doesn’t take any mess and one in mostly independent. During his spare time he came to the agreement with himself that one must set their personal concerns aside and have peace with one another. Another character is known as Jim Casy. He is a preacher but quite different than normal preachers. He preaches the Emersonian doctrine of the Over soul. For instance he feels that a man’s soul is breaking away from some larger soul and in death this individual soul is reunited with the larger Over soul. This belief by Casy helps him come to see that this is the only way for the migrants to succeed as a whole. Jim also inspires others to do whats right and see life from a different perspective.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rose of Sharon is portrayed as ill girl who is pregnant and waiting to give birth at any point in time. She comes off as having a bad-tempered and always complaining. Her family is in Great Peril but she only fears if it affects her baby.

Henrik Isbens A Dolls House :: A Dolls House Essays

Nora received supernatural aid in the form of self awareness of her own value/worth. Some could say her ignorance, ignorant as to what her actions would cause to happen if they where known publicly. Innocently she thought there was nothing wrong with saving her husbands life, but his pride, his ego would be hurt and society would outcast them. Another form of aid was Linde who served as a mirror like character who showed Nora what she had done in a way, and how an independent woman could The long and winding road was quite harsh on Nora, even a close friend such as Dr. Rank proved to be an obstacle she had to hurdle when he professed his love to her. All the time Krogstads blackmailing her, having to raise money, working at nights and the like where constant torments. The constant secrecy and stress accumulating and building up never giving her space to catch her breathe. To top it all off, Helmer continually restricted her, molded and sculpted her like a toy. Any other character would have cracked under this enormous burden but Nora just kept on going, with the hope of a â€Å"wonderful thing† keeping her going.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stumbling upon the realization that the â€Å"wonderful thing† was but a mere fantasy that did not exist marked her final encounter with the ultimate dragon, Torvald. She had already had to tolerate his restrictions and lack of freedom that he imposed on her tyrannically. Also, there is the blackmailing by Krogstad whose hunger for a second chance to redeem him self is great. However, he does not plan on relinquishing the bond, which gives him the leverage over Nora. Her encounters have been plentiful with these two dragons that daunt her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ultimately Nora vanquished the supreme dragon Torvald. After the Tarantella, which did not stall for enough time, Helmer discovers the truth by mail. Because of his jealousy/sexual urge that made him decide to come down to early he discovered this in such a fashion that showed his true character. Nora then proceeds to tell him that she cannot stay with him anymore, in essence slaying him. Torvald is helpless and dazed, and utterly defeated though his ignorance, of how to treat Nora.

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Com Essay -- essays research papers

In Kenneth Branaghs film Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the director, Kenneth Branagh sticks to the major themes of the original book with minute changes. There are many similarities and differences between the book and Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of the book. I believe Mary Shelley wanted readers to catch the themes of child abandonment, presented in Victor abandoning his creature. She also wanted readers to have compassion and sympathy for the abandoned creature that Victor created out of dead body parts. Shelley wanted the creature to be similar to Victor in many ways. Shelley wanted to show the relation between life and death, and the unbreakable laws of nature. Shelley wanted readers to realize that we need to accept life and death, and not try to control it because life is the “Act of God'; and we cannot change that. She was implying that there are consequences for fooling with these laws of life and death. Even if you can create life out of dead body parts, ju st doing that, may ruin your whole perspective of the world, and throw anyone into a state of depression. This movie “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein'; by Kenneth Branagh is a good representation of the original book overall, except for a few changes in plot, setting, characters,, and the relationships between them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many similarities and differences in the plot between the book and the latest Frankenstein film. Kenneth Branagh w...

Beowulf Essay Essay

Throughout history there have been many stories about men who were considered to be a â€Å"hero. † The definition of a hero has changed throughout the evolution of society. In the days of Beowulf and the Vikings, a hero was a man who was strong, courageous, and willing to protect his land and provide for his people. In today’s world, a hero is someone who is known for their selflessness and bravery. Beowulf is described as an epic hero before he even speaks a word in the story. He is described as â€Å"mightiest man on earth†, â€Å"the noble warrior†, and â€Å"the man whose name was known for courage, the Great leader. † These opening quotes about Beowulf alone make it seem like he was not only a great warrior and leader, but also a great hero. Beowulf displays the most common traits of a hero throughout his journeys. A hero needs to display bravery, courage, loyalty, dedication and determination to be considered a â€Å"hero†. According to www. dictionary. com the definition of loyalty is having a strong feeling of support or allegiance to someone or something. Throughout the entire story of Beowulf he stays loyal to the people of Geatland. From the beginning of the story Beowulf showed loyalty when he sailed to Geatland for King Hrothgar just to repay the debt of Hrothgar saving his father in the earlier years. Beowulf pledged his allegiance to Hrothgar when he needed his most because he believes in the hero characteristic of loyalty to someone or something with importance to you. Even after Beowulf kills Grendel and has in some way repaid his debt to Hrothgar he still stays in Geatland and fights Grendel’s mother and at the end of the story he fights the dragon for the good of his people. Beowulf remained loyal to Hrothgar until he became king and then he stayed loyal to his people for the remaining years of his life. Throughout all of Beowulf’s life he has been dedicated to being remembered and to live on even after he has died. Beowulf did not want any type of reward or prize for doing the things he does, all he wanted was to have fame and be remembered by people. This dedication lead him into many difficult battles that risked his livelihood. This dedication to fame leads him through the battle with Grendel, Grendel’s mom, and the dragon. All of these battles were fought so Beowulf’s name would live on and he could die a â€Å"hero† to his people. The most important characteristic of a hero is bravery. Beowulf displays how much bravery he actually has in three different battles. The first battle was his main reason for going to Geatland, to stop the man eating monster Grendel. Grendel is feared by all of the Danes but Beowulf was eager to meet Grendel in battle. Grendel had killed many of Danes before Beowulf arrived yet still Beowulf shows no fear. Also Beowulf tells the men in the mead hall how he will not fight Grendel with any type of sword or knife because the monster doesn’t use anything like that either. Even though Beowulf makes the fight an even one for his own personal reasons this action displays an immense amount of bravery. Beowulf kills the monster with his bare hands and restores peace to the Danes even if only for a little while. Courage also is an important characteristic of Beowulf. After killing Grendel with his bare hands this is a courageous act in itself, Beowulf is summoned to kill Grendel’s mothers. It took courage just to be on the journey to get to Grendel’s mother. Beowulf ventures into her lake home eager to meet her in battle just as he was with Grendel. Despite the fact that the lake is filled with creatures and evil things Beowulf shows no hesitation in going straight in by himself to fight Grendel’s mother. Once inside Grendel’s mother senses Beowulf and immediately drags him into her home. It looks like Beowulf is about to be killed when he takes a sword and cuts the throat of Grendel’s mother, defeating her. Beowulf re-surfaces and is greeted by the remaining men outside the lake. This journey into the lake and into Grendel’s Mother’s home was nothing short of courage. Even after Beowulf is king for many years he never loses his courage. When Beowulf is an old warrior his land is attacked by a sleeping dragon awoken by treasure being stolen from its cave. Beowulf immediately went on a journey to slay this dragon. It was said that no man had entered into the dragons cave and lived. Even with information known Beowulf still lead his followers into the cave to fight this dragon. Although the dragon takes Beowulf’s life, this journey is extremely courageous. Beowulf helped in the killing of this dragon and in return gave his life just so his people would be safe. It could be argued that Beowulf is not hero because heroes don’t gloat about their fights or accomplishments. Although Beowulf tells people he is the strongest person alive and he bragged about his accomplishments, it doesn’t take away from the fact that he displayed more than one characteristic of a hero. His bravery and courageousness are more prominent in his life than his gloating. Also it could be argued that heroes don’t accept things such as money or gold in return for doing a heroic act. Beowulf did accept gold from the Danes but during this time period it was a common gift for someone like Beowulf to receive gifts and gold. In some cases it might have even been seen as rude or disrespectful for Beowulf not to accept their gold. These two arguments have valid points but overall when you compare the heroic traits to the non-heroic traits of Beowulf the heroic traits outnumber the non-heroic traits. All in all Beowulf was a great man who led a great life full of accomplishments and accomplished missions. Everything he did was for a purpose that benefitted not only himself but more importantly the people he was loyal to and that were loyal to him. Throughout the story of Beowulf he has proven himself to be not only a great man but also a hero. Beowulf fought three non-human opponents and still with no fear or doubt he rose above and defeated all three of his opponents. Beowulf is the definition of what a hero should be like and he does a great job of displaying the traits one needs to have in order to be considered a hero.

How Religion Positively Influence The World Essay

Religion has played a very significant role in human life right from the moment the individual could realize the fact of his existence and made an effort to understand it in relation to the vast, outer nature. Whether we like it or not, religion has wielded immense influence on the individual life and the society constituted by him. August Comte has stated that the evolution of mankind took place through three stages, which he has described as theological, metaphysical, and positive states. Scholars have made efforts to understand the origin of religion in their own ways. For example, Hegel and James Frazer thought that religion is born out of magic; E. B. Taylor on the other hand saw the origin of religion in animism; Herbert Spencer expressed the opinion that religion came into being because of cult of ancestor worship; Max Muller propounded the view that a feeling of awe towards nature was responsible for the birth of religion; Emile Durkheim came out with a view according to which religion is a product of rights and rituals characterizing a society. Religion is the phenomena, which is accepted by the people of the whole world. Weather directly or indirectly. Each and every person of the world have accepted religion because it only the religion by which whole world is controlled. If the religion is not there no body would control him/herself by the evil deeds. Only the mane of God controls the human being by doing evil deeds. Before doing the wrong deed every person feels that God is looking at him/her. Religion influences society but happily the street is many bible-quoting Christians vehemently opposed two ways the abolitionist movement of mid nineteenth century . And we cannot say that these sincere believers were merely citing passages out of context. It must be admitted that the whole biblical era and the writers of holy writ condoned gross inequality included slavery Similarly Christianity and the other world religions were obviously founded in and influenced by a common sexist past, one which unfortunately continues in varying degrees to live in and through them. So society has and can positively influenced religion. This is necessary unless religion is to retreat to pre rational forms of argument and support absolutism that today claims limited respect. John Cobb jr. shows insight in his modest contention that â€Å" in addition to grounding and motivating the ethical concern it shares with secular humanism, religious faith provide an ethos and a world view and it affects the people and communities involved. † Americans Struggle with Religion’s role at Home and Abroad: As a religious people, Americans are unsure about how to judge a world that seems increasingly in conflict along religious lines. The public overwhelmingly sees religion’s influence in the world and the nation as a good thing. And by 51%- 28%, Americans think the lesson of September 11 is that there is too little, not too much religion in the world. But the public does not see all of religion’s effects as positive. A 65% majority believes that religion plays a significant role in most wars and conflicts in the world. Further, while most say that Islam is no more likely to encourage violence than Other religions, a plurality of Americans believes that, in general. â€Å" Some religions† are more likely than others to encourage violence. Those who think that some religions are more violent than others are more likely to see widespread anti America n sentiments among Muslims. The Christian writer Paul wrote, â€Å" God will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and the law will judge all who sin under the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them). Young People More Influenced Positively: A majority of those under age 30 express a favorable view of Muslim- Americans, Muslims, and Islam alike (57%, 57% and 51% respectively). Other Americans generally have a favorable opinion of Muslim-Americans; however, they express more skepticism toward Muslims and Islam. Americans age 65 and older in particular express mixed views when it comes to Muslims and Islam. By 43%- 25%, members of this group say they feel favorably towards Muslim Americans, but seniors who were asked about Muslims rated them less positively (30% favorable 30% unfavorable). Just one- in- four has a favorable opinion of Islam, while 37% express an unfavorable opinion. College- educated Americans also express more favorable views of Muslims and Islam than those who did not attend college. Education has particularly strong effect on perceptions of the Islamic religion. While about half (52%) of college graduates have a favorable view of Islam, just 29% of those who never attended colleges agree. Among religious groups, white evangelical Protestants have the least favorable view of Islam. Fully 45% of white evangelical say they have an unfavorable opinion of Islam, compared with just 29% who rate religion favorable. White evangelicals also are most likely to say they have an unfavorably view of Muslim-Americans. As many as three- in ten feel unfavorably toward Muslim-Americans, compared, with about two-in ten among other major religious groups. Still, this is less than the 38% of white evangelicals who rated Muslim-Americans unfavorably a year ago. Modern Reasons for Adherence To Religion: 1. Authority: Most religions are authoritarian in nature, and thus provide their adherents with spiritual and moral role models, who they believe can bring highly positive influences both to adherents and influences both to adherents and society in general. 2. Supernatural connection: Most religions postulate a reality which includes both the natural and the saupernatural. Most adherents of religion consider this to be of critical importance, since it permits belief in unseen and otherwise potentially unknowable aspects of life, includeing hope of eternal life. 3. Moderation: Many religions have approaches that produce practices that place limitations on the behaviour of their adherents. This is seen by many as a positive influence, potentially protecting adherents from the destructive or even fatal excesses to which they might otherwise be susceptible. Many people from many faiths contend that their faith brings them fulfillment, peace, and joy, apart from worldly interests. 4. Fulfillment: Most traditional religions require sacrifice of their followers, but, in turn, the followers may gain much from their membership therein. Thus, they come away from experiences with these religions with the feeling that their needs have been filled. In fact, studies have shown that religious adherents tend to be happier and less prone to stree than non-religious people. 5. community ans culture: Organized religions promote a sense of community among their followers, and the moral and cultural common ground of these communities makes them attractive to people with the same value. Indeed, while religious belief and practices are usually connected, some individual with substantially secular belief still participates in religious practices for cultural reasons. Conclusion: Religious belief refers to a faith or creed concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine. It may concern the existence, nature and worship of a diety or deities and divine involvement in the universe and human life. It may also relate to the values and practices based on the teaching of a supernatural leader. Unlike other belief syatems, religious belief tends to be codified. While often used synonomously with religion, according to this religious belief wikk be assumed to refer to ideas rather than practices. Religion cannot add or subtract any thing from the plausibility of any scientific theory. But this does not mean that religion has no connection with science. Our proposal, perhaps appearing a bit audacious in tone but actually quiet modest in motivation, is that religion, properly understood, confirms the entire scientific enterprise. It does so by justifying g the fundamental trust that nourishes all scientific in query. Our conviction is that we can go beyond conflict, contrast, and even contact in formulating religions relationship to science. Here we are claiming specifically that faith in a personal god has a unique capacity to confirm our trust in reality’s endless intelligibility, a trust without which scientific in query is hopelessly crippled Religion is a phenomenon, which is propagated in the whole world. Each and every person has adopted and positively influenced with it. Whether a person is male or a female they make prayers and always feel his appearance they have accepted the existence of God, who always looked after them. Most of the people spiritually and psychologically come into contact with God, truth and spiritual power. They feel that the religion frees them from deception, sin and spiritual death. Religion has its own significance in the life of human being. References: 1- The Divine Religion; Bhagawat Dharma and Culture; R. N. Vyas; Cosmo Publication New Delhi;1984. 2- What is a Person? An Ethical Exploration; By James William Walters; Published by university of Illinois . Press;1989. 3- http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Religious_belief 4- science and religion from conflict to conversation; John F. Haught; Paulist Press;1987. 5- http://p eople-press. org/reports/display. php3

Consolidated Life Case-Business Ethics Essay

Consolidated life is a prestigious insurance company however, due to the nature of the establishment the duties required by the worker neither required minimal knowledge nor did you have to have a high level education in order to obtain a position at the company. Mr. Mike Wilson however, obtained a business degree in administration. He was hired by Consolidated Life as simply as you can put a clerical worker. He worked in the policy issue department which main duties included processing or in taking clients orders for insurance, customer service, and client services. One would say that working for them; your performance required little to no creativity. It was the same day-to-day work load. Because it required so little creativity, daily routines were repetitive and can be done basically, with your hands â€Å"tied to you back†. Mike Wilson demonstrated how an effective a â€Å"leader† can be in the workforce rather than just a â€Å"manager† by title. He portrayed in existence of â€Å"high fidelity† which is the best experience you can have in a workplace. In the book Trade Off, by Author Kevin Maney, the word fidelity deals with â€Å"the total experience of something† (Maney, 2009). The author also says that â€Å"aura† can also provides an advantage to fidelity. With that being said Mr. Wilson influenced his co-workers with providing them with incentives and rewards in which they can gain a reward at the end of the task but most importantly he provided the right tools and motivations in order for his employees to work in a positive mind frame. This created a system of mutual bipartisanship between supervisor and employee. Model: based on the â€Å"Organizational Model Behavior† Mike’s drive and motivation can be comparable to a person with â€Å"theory y† attributes. The â€Å"theory Y† concept displays how an employee’s work is â€Å"as natural as play†. Also a person with this characteristic has a huge sense of self-direction and self-control. Mr. Wilson showed this by cultivating a modern management technique that motivated its workers rather than coerced them which a person who you can place in this. Whereas, a person with the characteristics of â€Å"theory x† carries the opposite attractions. The individual is not seen as enthusiastic about their job. They are mainly threatened or told â€Å"do it or else† and as stated before, lack the ability and drive to overachieve. They usually follow the motto, overpromise-under deliver. Mikes performance ultimately won him a promotion working in the supervisory assignment area. He won this promotion just six weeks after promise. Mike brought a sense of modern culture although it was seen as â€Å"unorthodox† or non-traditional. When comparing the delegation of authority in the levels of management the organization structure clearly shows that the establishment followed an â€Å"authority† oriented program in which Presidents are first to make decisions for the overall â€Å"vision† for the company in which it then trickles down to the VP who implements the President’s strategy by orchestrating a staff of supervisors to oversee the execution. Situation: There seems to be a drastic change to the division in which Mike supervised some time ago. When Mike realized his unhappiness at his new division he sought a remedy for disaster by returning to his old division forcing him under new terms and most importantly, a new boss. The performance value of his once â€Å"over exceeding† staff was now dwindled and unmotivated. The new way in which they worked became stricter and more inflexible. It was stale and there was no aura of high fidelity being promoted. Problems: The problem of this case has to do with mis-delegation of roles and mis-clarification for all parties. Not only that, the fact is the company as a whole has not identified its mission statement for their employees. With that being said the transition from the time Mike left became a tragedy. As stated before, the culture of the environment was slated after Mike left. It became from being a â€Å"collegial† environment to an â€Å"autocratic† environment once new vice presidentJack Greely took over. Not only did he change the environment of the company, he basically dismantled the structure and rebuilt it based on his power. Until Mike was promoted the managerial style approach was not identified and supervisors, at this early time wanted a change and that’s why Mike was chosen to become supervisor. However, when Jack took Mike’s former supervisor’s place, the organization became, â€Å"autocratic†. An autocratic person can be defined as an employee that is dependent tot tally on a supervisor. This person has no other desire than to do what is only required out of the task and only the minimum. Usually in an autocratic setting the boss expects pure obedience from their employee’s and rely straight on authority from â€Å"higher up’s† with no regard to any self-drive for themselves and lacks the qualities and abilities to take on initiatives and providing an entrepreneurial attitude about themselves. This can be explained by using the Abraham Maslow’s Theory found in an essay article written by Janet Simmons, Donald Irvin, and Beverly Drinnien which it states he says accordingly â€Å"that the only reason that people would not move well in direction of self-actualization is because of hindrances placed in their way by society† (Janet A. Simons, 1987). Also saying â€Å"We must see that the person’s basic needs are satisfied. This includes safety, belongingness, and esteem needs† (Janet A. Simons, 1987)A person in the Consolidated Life organization that can be also skewed towards the â€Å"autocratic† style is Mr. Rick Belkner. Mike’s former boss. This, for lack of a better term, lazy supervisor (whom he was Mike’s supervisor initially) illustrated as a person who rather do â€Å"crossword puzzles† during his work shift then to lead by example, what a competent Vice President of their division; shy 40,000 of a six-figure salary. The point was clearly made by Mr. Greely when he assumed that Mike’s management style would still be undermined no matter how good of his performance. He even went to the extent of assuring that Mr. Wilson will fail no matter how â€Å"high† you move up in the establishment. It is almost agreeable to say that Mr. Speely’s choose of words were not only rude but shows a poor and ineffective leader. Mr. Greely does not seem to be results-driven but ego-driven as his defense for Mike’s work style was inarguable and measured his own assumption to Mike’s performance rather than just judging an employee on what he does best, his/her performance. Reading how Mike handled it; amazingly enough. In the chart featured on page-You can see simple comparing of the two different types of behavioral patterns by identifying the qualities, organizational and environmental forces that are represented by the 2 behavior patterns. You will see the differences between a workers operating in an autocratic setting versus a person who operates under the collegial or supportive setting(s). By identifying the contrast you are able to see what kind of modifications or structures that would have to be put in place based on a employee’s attitude. The attitude in which comes from probably stems from personal goal, motivations, or self desires a person may have in their work space. Some individuals don’t possess the willingness to achieve and be a leader. Some individual are quite happy with just being an average worker and moving up in the â€Å"corporate† latter is something that does not motivate them. Autocratic Environment Vs. Collegial /System Environment Base Questions for Case 1. Describe ALL the factors that contributed to Mike’s lack of promotion at the end. Was his lack of promotion fair? When Mike left the division, he left the process in which he created, to be altered by the new president upon his departure. The flexible leadership that led to the team success came to a halt when divisional vice president, Jack Greely; who’s reputation was described as â€Å"tough but fair†. Mike accepted the position at the old division again without really investigating the provisions in which he was now to work under. He loss total control when he noticed that co-workers were actually more inclined to follow Mr. Greely’s direction because the employees knew the order of hierarchy and knew the consequences of action should one follow anyone’s demands except for Mr. Greely’s. 2. Using your knowledge of culture, explain in detail Consolidated Life’s culture when Mike was first hired and then when he returned. There was a transition in the organization which proved to have opportunities due to the position void. Such example shows that Mike (when he was first hired by Consolidated Life) he was promoted to his position because of the opportunities of change. Mike’s style was not really favored by his â€Å"higher-ups† but because he manages to increase workflow and reduce errors, which created more performance his flexible style was overlook which sends a sign of â€Å"inconsistency†. If you are going to allow a manager to take over the project then let them take over. As long as they don’t compromise the integrity of the company or do anything illegal. 3. What actions could Consolidated Life have taken to prevent Mike’s problems? There should have been more flexibility granted for Mike to effectively coordinate his team. Mr. Wilson’s track record clearly shows that as a supervisor he is competent to make educated decisions and lead a staff with ease. An employee is always happy when they are not pressured nor stressed. Most important of all, when a leader shows reciprocity, more than likely there would be a win-win. For Example, Mike’s strategy to reward his co-workers in exchange for hard work showed the worker was not working out of vain and in fact he/she was being acknowledged and rewarded for the hard efforts being put forth. 4. Who do you think was at fault for Mike’s problems, Mike or his supervisors (e. g. , Jack) or others? Completely justify your opinion. The fault of Mike problems was his free spirited style which usually offends conservatives. Jack implemented a â€Å"corporate† style setting upon Mike’s return.

Police Administration Essay

Since the early part of the twentieth century, academicians and criminal justice practitioners have debated whether police officers should be required to have a college education as a minimum qualification to be hired. Today, there is general agreement that a college education will not necessarily make a person a good police officer, but a good police officer can be made better by having one. Many police executives believe formal college education can improve critical thinking skills of officers and that is becoming a more important factor as the complexity of police work continues to increase.1 According to a recent article in Police Chief Magazine â€Å"We expect (police officers) to understand and apply the law evenly. We expect them to grasp the nature of social problems and the psychology of people with different attitudes toward the law. We expect officers to professionally and effectively handle disputes involving people from varying cultural, racial and socioeconomic backgro unds.† 2 The importance of possessing a college degree by police officers seems to have substantial support in the literature. If the need or desire is established for the possession of a college degree by police officers, then how do they get one? Traditionally, a college program involved students attending classes at a â€Å"brick and mortar† campus. This was difficult for many officers that already had substantial work and family commitments. With the advent of online (internet delivered) college programs, it is possible for officers to enter or return to college and pursue a degree where previously it may not have been practical for them to do so. With that being said, does an online program sufficiently address the desirable attributes for police officers that the possession of a college degree represents? Historical Perspective for College Educated Police In 1916, August Vollmer, the former Chief of Police of Berkeley, California, was the first to emphasize the need for police officers to have college  degrees. At about the same time, the University of California at Berkeley began to offer law enforcement related courses.3 In 1931, The National Commission on Law Observance and Enforcement (the Wickersham Commission) gave â€Å"national recognition for higher educational standards and more professional police officers.†4 Although the issue of college education for police officers was not specifically addressed, it laid the foundation for subsequent calls to increase educational levels for police. Largely due to Vollmer’s influence, the University of California at Berkeley created a School of Police Administration in 1933, followed shortly thereafter by a similar school at Michigan State University.5 In 1936, Vollmer wrote in his book, The Police in Modern Society, that police officers should be required to have a colleg e education.6 In 1967, the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice made specific recommendations regarding increasing the level of police education. This report was followed by the passage of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, which established the Law Enforcement Education Program (LEEP). LEEP, in part, provided grants and loans to officers to enroll in college and earn their degrees. This infusion of money created a large incentive for institutions to develop academic programs geared toward law enforcement. As police officers began to return to or enter college, some institutions created accelerated or nontraditional programs in criminal justice. Officers could receive credit for experience in related courses and some courses were configured so officers did not have to meet as often as traditional courses. These types of programs were usually administered through the college’s extension program. Today, many public and private institutions offer nontraditional programs that are delivered in the online or e-learning format. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, in the 2000-2001 academic year, forty-eight percent of all four-year Title IV8 degree granting public institutions and thirty-three percent of four-year Title IV degree granting private institutions had degree programs for undergraduates that were to be completed totally through distance learning.9 Today there are an abundance of distance learning programs being marketed to police officers, especially online programs. The flexibility of the course schedule makes it attractive to busy students. Police officers can do their course work when it is convenient for them and some courses are designed to  be completed at the student’s own pace. Many departments have made strides in requiring some college education as a prerequisite for hiring but most have not. The high school diploma still exists as the most common minimum educational requirement. Even where departments have not required a college degree for hiring, many require or make it desirable to possess a degree for promotion. As early as 1989, the benefits to having educated officers were noted to include:10 †¢ Greater knowledge of procedures, functions, and principles †¢ Better appreciation of their professional role and it’s importance in the criminal justice system as well as in society †¢ More desirable psychological make-up, which includes such qualities as alertness, empathy, flexibility, initiative, and intelligence †¢ Greater range of interpersonal skills centered in their ability to communicate, to be responsive to others, and to exercise benevolent leadership †¢ Greater ability to analyze situations, to exercise discretion independently, and to make judicious decisions †¢ Strong moral character, which reflects a sense of conscience and the qualities of honesty, reliability, and tolerance †¢ More desirable system of personal values consistent with the police function in a democratic society Even back in 1978, though, researchers expressed reservations about the quality of criminal justice programs. The rapid increase in program offerings seemed to make some institutions gear their courses more vocationally than academically. Some recommendations were made to overcome what was perceived as major quality problems in college programs developed for police officers. In addition to perceived quality problems in criminal justice programs, there was a concern that police officers would take college courses just to get the degree. In 1979, Goldstein stated, â€Å"The factor that makes the whole movement toward college education for police personnel most vulnerable to attack is the emphasis which has been put on the acquisition of college credentials without sufficient concern for what is to be learned. Given the multitude of colleges and the number of people who attend them, the degree itself reflects little about the values or relevance of the educational experience.†11 Clearly, the need to ensure that a college program is delivering the appropriate academic curriculum is  critical. In the past, an officer attended a local school and it was more than likely regionally accredited. Today, online colleges can market themselves across the United States or even internationally, claiming accreditation from some official sounding group. Accreditation, curriculum, and instructor competence are all of critical importance in a college program. More than a decade ago, researchers articulated considerations that would be relevant as one considers the potential quality of an educational program. The recommendations included:12 †¢ No college credit should be given for police academy and similar training †¢ Technical and professional police subjects should be limited to a maximum of twenty-five percent of any curriculum †¢ A four-year baccalaureate degree should be the minimum educational qualification for entry into police service †¢ No one should be considered qualified to be a faculty member on the basis of experience alone †¢ Police education faculty should be held to the same standards as other college professors (i.e. Ph.D., master’s degree minimum; involvement in research and publication) These issues among others were discussed by a group of criminal justice related experts who were brought together in a nominal group setting to discuss online education and its potential effect on the future of law enforcement. The Nominal Group Panel As part of a California Peace Officer Standards and Training Command College project, a panel of interested professionals was formed to discuss future trends and events that may have an effect on law enforcement online educational programs in the next five years. It consisted of a Chief of Police of a medium sized police department, a professor who teaches online courses for a major public university and at a local community college, a deputy district attorney, a police officer who is a former high school teacher, a police officer who is a member of the executive board for a police officers association, the criminal justice program coordinator for the local community college, the editor of the local weekly newspaper, and a  counselor for a youth diversion program. There was consensus among the panel members that it is important for police officers to have a college education, and to possess the appropriate degree. The panel felt that a college education earned the traditional way (attending classes at a brick and mortar institution) was the best preparation for a person to be a police officer. The discussion included many of the issues published by researchers and criminal justice practitioners since the 1930’s. The panel felt it was critical for police officers to be socialized with diversified groups of people and exposed to differing viewpoints. The requisite skills of tact and diplomacy learned in a physically social environment, effective public speaking, and command presence are attributes that are learned and reinforced in a traditional educational setting. The panel recognized it may be difficult for a police officer to pursue a traditional degree due to family and work obligations. So what is this officer to do? Many of the officers returning to college or entering college for the first time have turned to online college programs. The panel concluded the flexibility of online educational programs was a tremendous opportunity for current police officers due to the demands of their course schedule. They also understood there was a proliferation of programs being marketed to police officers through police websites or law enforcement related magazines. Legitimate accreditation was a key concern about such programs. The panel members expressed that testing-retained knowledge could be problematic since testing is done in the same delivery format as coursework, and all tests were essentially open book. With regard to the value of such programs, panel members believed that a college degree earned through online programs was different than a college degree earned traditionally. The panel believed that criminal justice practitioners were overused in criminal justice programs especially in online programs. Their concern was the overall value of the college degree since true academic professors were not doing the teaching. They felt that for some disciplines, such as engineering, mathematics or history, an online program was sufficient. But when it came to being a police officer, class attendance and contact with other students face-to-face was preferred. The panel agreed, however, that much of what is done in a traditional setting could be done  online, such as submittal of written reports or studies and coursework assignments. The panel also felt that too much academic credit was given for experience in police work through online programs. The panel felt that rather than rely on a purely online program for an officer to obtain a four-year undergraduate degree, a cross or hybrid approach, with a traditional program could bring the desired benefits of both delivery methods. The Educational Hybrid Amy Fanter, a researcher in the field of hybrid education, noted that â€Å"Hybrid instruction, or hybrid courses refer to classes where there is a carefully planned blend of both traditional classroom instruction and online learning activities.†13 According to criminal justice researchers and practitioners (and supported by the expert panel) the most effective collegiate preparation for police officers are settings inclusive of a social environment. They should be exposed to other racial, ethnic, and diverse groups in an arena where ideas are broached, concepts discussed, and conflict is resolved through dialogue, research, and consensus. Many components of any particular course can be done using the online system (such as writing book reports, completing written requirements and posting of thoughts on issues). If a class was required to meet for a certain amount of time every week or every two weeks, or even once a month to be tested on retained knowledge, to be challenged by other students on stances taken on issues, to participate by speaking about issues, and so on, then the socializing of the officer can be effectively satisfied. No matter how effective, a distance learning program not offering this option will impact skills that might only be gained in this type of setting. Using a hybrid approach for coursework would allow for the flexibility of online educational programs and meet the some of the critical benefits of traditional programs. Those that may advocate for pure e-learning should remain mindful of the â€Å"soft skills† necessary for the modern law enforcement officer, and the best opportunities to acquire them. Conclusion The desire for a police officer to have a college education appears settled.  National commissions, criminal justice professional associations, academicians, attorneys, and courts have all expressed this view. The question remains; how does the individual peace officer best do it? Attending the traditional college program at a brick and mortar campus seems to be the preferred way. This method may not be practical for some officers, so the alternative of the hybrid approach should be considered. It blends many of the positives from both traditional and online programs. Certainly, there may be situations where even a hybrid approach is not practical. It seems Vollmer and many others would support an online program to gain at least the concepts and critical thinking skills a collegiate education offers. Progressive police agencies may take the lead to shape their future by entering into a partnership with a local public or private institution to develop a hybrid program to be implemented for their staff. In any case, police management should encourage officers and employees to return to college to earn their four-year degree. The result will be better staff and officers, and a better chance to meet the needs of today and tomorrow. ENDNOTES 1 Bueermann, Jim, â€Å"Redlands, California,† The Police Chief, August 2006, accessed February 1, 2007, available at www.policechiefmagazine.org 2 Bowman, Theron, â€Å"The Chief’s Perspective: Demolishing the Recruitment Myth,† The Police Chief, August 2006, accessed February 1, 2007, available at www.policechiefmagazine.org 3 Travis, Jeremy, â€Å"Education in Law Enforcement: Beyond the College Degree.† An address presented to the Center for Research in Law and Justice, Chicago, February 10, 1995, accessed December 19, 2006, available at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/speeches/police.htm 4 Carter, David, Sapp, Allen, and Stephens, Darrel, The State of Police Education: Policy Direction for the 21st Century, (Washington, D.C., 1989) 1 5 Carter, David, Sapp, Allen, and Stephens, Darrel, The State of Police Education: Policy Direction for the 21st Century, (Washington, D.C., 1989) 4 6 Coons, Jeffrey, â€Å"Studies, Case Law, Quotes, Standards and Trends in Support of College Education for Police Officers.† An Information Paper for the Police Association for College Education, March 18, 2004, Accessed August 18, 2007, available at www.police-association.org 7 Carter, David, Sapp, Allen, and Stephens, Darrel, The State of Police Education: Policy Direction for the 21st Century, (Washington, D.C., 1989) 1 8 An institution that may participate in most Title IV federal student financial assistance programs, National Center for Education Statistics, accessed September 9, 2007, available at http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/glossary/index.asp?id=465 9 â€Å"Distance Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions: 2000-2001.† National Center for Education Statistics, accessed Sept 9, 2007, available at http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2003/2003017.pdf 10 Carter, David, Sapp, Allen, and Stephens, Darrel, The State of Police Education: Policy Direction for the 21st Century, (Washington, D.C., 1989) 10-11 11 Carter, David, Sapp, Allen, and Stephens, Darrel, The State of Police Education: Policy Direction for the 21st Century, (Washington, D.C., 1989) 24 12 Carter, David, Sapp, Allen, and Stephens, Darrel, The State of Police Education: Policy Direction for the 21st Century, (Washington, D.C., 1989) 27 13 Fanter, Amy, â€Å"Hybrid Education: The Future of Instructional Models.,† World Wide Learn, accessed September 9, 2007, available at http://www.worldwidelearn.com/education-articles/hybrid-education.html