Herman Melville Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Herman Melville - Research Paper Example Library of Congress would then honor him for he actually was the library’s first writer to collect and publish material. The great author was born in the city of New York as the third born child of Maria and Allan Gansevoort Melville. The letter e was added to his family name to making it Melville in the year 1832 by Maria on the death of his father. While growing up, young Melville was attacked by scarlet fever in the mid 1820s which adversely affected his health. Whereas he regained back his health after a short period, the disease permanently impaired Millville’s eyesight. The father was a very accomplished and successful merchant & importer and as such the family led a very good life when Melville was growing. However things changed in the year 1830 when Allan unsuccessfully attempted to enter fur trade. This failure spelt doom for the family’s fortune on his death in the year 1832, Allan left the family in an extremely desperate financial situation. Following the father’s demise, Herman Melville’s oldest brother Gansevoort took over their family business in New York City. Soon after, Melville joined Gansevoort in the business as a partner and later some of their brothers came on board. Melville would enrol with Albany Classical School in the mid 1830s to study literature and while at Albany he participated in the student debates. At the same time he had started his writing career; he wrote some proems short stories and essays. After a period of studies at the Albany Classical School Melville left and took up a job as a teacher in Massachusetts. The teaching job was not fulfilling and therefore after just three months of work, Melville quit his position and returned to New York City. The year 1837 was another bad one for the family, Gansevoort’s business of fur and cap went down again this time round putting the family in a

А princess Hindu Essay Example for Free

Ð  princess Hindu Essay MIRABAI: Meerabai (c. 1498 – c. 1557 AD) (the word bai in Rajasthani is an informal term commonly used to refer a girl) was a princess Hindu mystical and a devotee of Lord Krishna from Rajasthan. She was one of the most significant figures Sant of the Vaishnava bhakti movement. Some 1,300 pads (poems) commonly known as bhajans (sacred songs) are attributed to her. These are popular throughout India and have been published in several translations worldwide. In the bhakti tradition, they are in passionate praise of Lord Krishna. In most of her poems she has described her unconditional love for her Lord. She has tried to give the message that Krishna bhakti is the best way to live life as it helps us forget our desires and this in turn helps us attain moksha (liberation). Teachings: Love and devotion towards God EKNATH: Sant Eknath (1533–1599) was a prominent Marathi Saint, scholar and religious poet. In the development of Marathi literature, Sant Eknath is seen as a bridge between the towering predecessors Dnyaneshwar and Namdev and the equally noble successors Tukaram and Ramdas. Eknath was born sometime around 1530 AD in an illustrious Brahmin family of Pratisthan (Paithan today). They were said to be the Kulkarnis of the village, his real name is Eknath Suryajipant Kulkarni.[citation needed] Sant Bhanudas, who brought back the sacred image of Lord Pandurang, from Vijaynagar to Pandharpur, was Eknath’s great grandfather. Eknath was born under the star sign of ‘Mula’ in the sagittarius constellation, traditionally considered a bad omen for the parents of the child. The omen was borne out for Eknath’s father Suryanarayan and mother Rukmini, who died shortly after his birth and Eknath was brought up by his grandparents, Chakrapani and Saraswatibai. As an orphan, Ekn ath had to suffer the taunts of other children. He began avoiding their company and found refuge as a child in prayer and other devotional practices. * Teachings: The sayings of a man who practised what he preached must be of special interest to us: * Duty well performed purifies the mind, and qualifies one for Bhakti (Devotion). The Vedas should be followed as long as one has not risen above attachment and duality just as a watchman is needed to guard the fruits of a mango tree until the fruits are removed and then he can be dispensed with. HARIDASA THAKURA: Haridasa Thakur (IAST HaridÄ sa) (born 1451 or 1450[1]) was a prominent Vaishnava saint, instrumental in the early appearance and spread of the Hare Krishna movement. the story of his heroism in the face of torture is told in Chaitanya Charitamrta, Antya lila.[2] Besides being an ex-Muslim,[3] he is famous because of his dedication to the religious practice of constantly chanting the names of God. Haridasa Thakura was A senior and well-respected religious personality of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in the local area of Mayapur, prayed for the descent of theyugavatara, (avatar of the era) believed to be Chaitanya.[4] As an associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he is named the acharya of the holy name and he embodied concern for others.[5] Its believed that Chaitanya himself installed Haridasa as His nÄ mÄ carya, meaning the teacher of the Name, disregarding the fact that he was Muslim-born.[6] Haridasa Thakura, was a devotee of god Krishna and had practiced chanting the names of the Lord, H are Krishna, 300,000 times daily.[7] The Muslim name of Haridasa is not known.[8] Teachings: They are not teaching only by their words or preaching, but also with their practical example. It is also stated that most important moment in our life is actually moment of death, that all our activities, thoughts, sacrifices, chanting, knowledge and meditations will determine our thoughts in time of our death. Shrilla Haridasa Thakura chanted Lord Krishna’s Names 300.000 daily, and practically chanting of Maha Mantra was his whole life. But here we can see that he gave up his life air and left his body while chanting Holy Name of Lord Chaitanya, or Gauranga Narayan Dutt Srimali: Dr. Narayan Dutt Shrimali (Paramhansa Nikhileshwaranand ascetically ) (1933 – 1998, Jodhpur)[1] was an academian and astrologer. He has written over 300 books on various topics. Dr. Shrimali was born in deep inside region of Rajasthan on 21 April 1933.He was attracted to ancient Indian mystic literature and had deep longing to revive the ancient Hindu culture. He started as a teacher in a school but later went on to the Himalayas to attain more knowledge about his passion and aim of life; the ancient knowledge of Hindu religious texts. He is widely considered as the reviver of astrology has earned respect for this subject in India. Apart from Astrology, he is also considered as the one of the most prominent authorities on Mantra,Tantra,Yantra,Ayurveda.At the same time he is also considered to be a contributing reviver of these subjects as well as introducing them to the general poulation. Teachings: He preached non-violence, brotherhood, devotion towards god and to simply lead a life of a good human being. Yukteshwar Giri: Yukteswar Giri (also written yuktesvara, Sri Yukteswar) (Bengali: à ¦ ¶Ã  § Ã  ¦ °Ã  §â‚¬ à ¦ ¯Ã  § Ã  ¦â€¢Ã  § Ã  ¦ ¤Ã  §â€¡Ã  ¦ ¶Ã  § Ã  ¦ ¬Ã  ¦ ° à ¦â€"à ¦ ¿Ã  ¦ °Ã  §â‚¬) (10 May 1855 9 March 1936) is the monastic name of Priyanath Karar (Bengali: à ¦ ªÃ  § Ã  ¦ °Ã  ¦ ¿Ã  ¦ ¯Ã  ¦ ¼Ã  ¦ ¨Ã  ¦ ¾Ã  ¦ ¥ à ¦â€¢Ã  ¦ ¾Ã  ¦ Ã  ¦ ¡Ã  ¦ ¼Ã  ¦ ¾Ã  ¦ °), theguru of Satyananda Giri and Paramahansa Yogananda. Yukteshwar was an educator, astronomer, a Jyotisha (Vedic astrologer), a yogi, and a believer in the Bhagavad Gita and the Bible. He was a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya of Varanasi and a member of the Giri branch of the swami order. Yogananda considered Yukteswar as Jnanavatar, or Incarnation of Wisdom.[1] Teachings: 1.Behave Accordingly 2. Humility 3. Love vs Discipline 4. Respect for Others 5. Incorruptibility Ethics 6. Acceptance vs Anger 7. Sense of Humour SUFISM: Sufism or taá ¹ £awwuf (Arabic: Ø ªÃ˜ µÃ™Ë†Ã™â€˜Ã™ Ã¢â‚¬Å½) is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam.[1][2][3] A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a á ¹ £Ã… «fÄ « (Ø µÃ™ Ã™Ë†Ã™ Ã™ Ã™Å Ã™â€˜). They belong to different á ¹ ­uruq or orders—congregations formed around a master—which meet for spiritual sessions (majalis), in meeting places known as zawiyahs, Khanqahs, or tekke Sufis believe they are practicing ihsan (perfection of worship) as revealed by Gabriel to Muhammad: Worship and serve Allah as you are seeing Him and while you see Him not yet truly He sees you. Sufis consider themselves as the original true proponents of this pure original form of Islam. Sufism is opposed by Wahhabi and Salafist Muslims. 1. Hazrat Data Gunj Baksh Ali Hujwiri 2. Hazrat Muhammad Murad Ali Khan 3. Muhiyudin Abdal Qadir al-Gilani al-Hasani wal-Hussaini Abdul-Qadir Gilani

Structure, Themes, and Motifs in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman :: Death Salesman essays

Structure, Themes, and Motifs in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman At first glance, Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman appears to be a simple story of the tragic life of an ordinary man. Through a few flashbacks, it would seem that his whole dreary life is told and that is about it. However, this can not be the case, as we know that Arthur Miller is one of the greatest playwrights alive. After reading the play for the fourth or maybe fifth time, I became fully aware of the intricate structure, many themes, and different motifs that Miller used to make this play a classic. In the case of this work, the title would just about sum it up. It is about a salesman, Willy Loman, who is quite ordinary and very unsuccessful. In the end, to no ones surprise he kills himself. The play takes place in the span of three days (including the funeral) and revolves around the return of Willy's two sons who are grown up. He has worked for decades traveling all over New England selling goods for a firm and seems to think that because he is well liked (which really isn't all that true), he is successful. He wishes that his sons too could be like him while they know that they will never be decent businessmen. This is a source of major conflict between the brothers, Biff and Hap, and Willy. Linda, Willy's wife, is very naive and thinks that her husband is just an innocent confused old man and faithfully loves him. She can not stand to see her sons argue against their father even thought they often are right. Through flashbacks and events in the play, it is apparent that Willy, at least subconsciously, believes his life has been terrible. He wishes he could have been as great as Uncle Ben, who made his fortunes in the African diamond mines and not on the rice patty. Willy was having an affair with another woman in Boston and Biff found out about it after his last year in high school. Incidentally, this event probably led to Biff's failure to complete math in summer school, which led to him not graduating high school. Willy tried numerous times to commit suicide with his car and the gas furnace. In the end, the salesman became convinced that he was worth more dead than alive and finally succeeded at something, killing himself with his car.

Zara: It for Fashion

Report Title: Zara: IT for Fashion Executive Summary: Zara is a fashion company founded by Amancio Ortega in Spain in 1975. It is part of Inditex holding company, a large fashion retail chain that operates five other clothing brands. Since its inception, Zara has been financially very successful as it contributes the most to Inditex’s overall revenue. Also, Zara’s fast growth is represented by its massive global presence; it has stores all over the world from Americas to Middle East to Europe, its principal market. In my analysis, Zara’s competitive advantage lies in its ability to mass produce a large range of highly demanded latest designer clothes faster than its other competitors in the industry. By virtue of being first in the market, Zara is able to gain a larger chunk of the revenue pie than its competitors. However, Zara’s financial success and global brand recognition hides many structural inefficiencies and wastages across its business units. My analysis shows that Zara’s main problem stems from its inability to value the importance of having the right information at the right time. This is evidenced by Zara’s hesitance to invest in suitable technological infrastructure that collects, analyzes and interprets valuable data to make the most effective decisions. Furthermore, Zara’s organizational structure is plagued with disjointed business units that fail to understand the relationship between two separate units within the organizations. This faulty organizational structure has not only severely hampered Zara’s ability to garner synergies among its business units but also has become the source of lost revenue due to inefficiencies and wastages. Finally, the culture of making important business decisions within Zara by its management based off of gut feeling rather than a well analyzed business information, patterns and statistical method, greatly dangers Zara’s competitive advantages over its competitors. I would recommend Zara to tackle its two biggest problems– a) absence of modern technological infrastructure and b) lack of collecting, storing and sharing infrastructure needed to generate vital business information to make quality decisions. This recommendation entails the use of Windows based new POS system for all the Zara stores. Also, the use of cloud computing to collectively store all its data that could be used in generation vital business information. Furthermore, I would recommend the use of tablets instead of handheld computers to increase efficiency and communication capability in all of Zara stores. I would broadly divide the structural problems with Zara into two categories: 1. Outdated Technological Infrastructure The biggest problem within Zara is that they lack appropriate technological infrastructures that aid in the decision making process. I absolutely disagree with Sanchez’s argument that Zara does not need to fix something, in this case its POS system, if it is not broken. He also argues that upgrading the POS systems would make it more complicated. In my analysis, Sanchez’s argument fails because he sees Zara’s current comparative advantage in various market segments as a permanent thing rather than something that is constantly changing. Secondly, by opting for simplicity, Zara is sacrificing efficiency and effectiveness. Ultimately, the absence of the suitable infrastructure that can collect, analyze and interpret data to aid Zara’s commercials, store product managers and store managers to make quality decisions, makes Zara vulnerable to fall behind its competitors. Below are the few examples, where Zara’s lack of advanced technological infrastructure hurts them and possible solutions. First, Zara’s outdated technological infrastructure is inhibiting its speed and decision making ability throughout the organization. Zara is a company that depends heavily on capitalizing on new fashion trends rather than on expensive advertising campaign. Thus, it is imperative for Zara to correctly identify new market trends and execute manufacturing orders before its competitors. But it is unlikely that commercials at Zara will be able to consistently predict the new fashion decision without analyzing relevant data to derive information and business decisions. They may guess the new fashion designs correctly few times, courtesy of their experience, but in general their prediction will miss the target more often than not. So, unless Zara updates its archaic infrastructure that can efficiently collect data, help managers develop patterns and better understand the market, they will be forced out of the market. Second, Zara’s ability to forecast and analyze its performance under various market situations is handicapped by its old infrastructure. Most businesses that are successful take into account and analyze all the possible scenarios that can affect them before making critical decisions. Usually called event-driven analysis or simply, what if analysis; it gives a business a sense of all the possible opportunities and threats out there in the market. However, a business mostly requires a large amount of data that they need to analyze in order to conduct a successful what if analysis. In Zara’s case, they lack that data gathering and sharing ability because of their old infrastructure. So for example, Zara has no clue how their revenue is going to be impacted if Benetton opens up a hundred new stores in Madrid. This is serious problem for Zara because it may be losing market share but they have no accurate way of verifying it. Furthermore, Zara’s dependence on MS-DOS based POS system is threatening its viability as a business at a store level and limiting its expansion opportunities. Mainly because Microsoft has discontinued its support for MS DOS and Zara’s suppliers aren’t willing to a long term contract that guarantees future supplies of MS DOS based POS, Zara is in a vulnerable position. Also, the situation within a Zara store, in terms data collection and sharing, is dangerously low. For example, a Zara store manager currently cannot access critical business information necessary for decision making. Even information on simple things such as the sales figure, the pattern of sales, and the number of unsold items are unavailable to the store manager. Rather a Zara store manager currently has to rely on canvassing the store to determine generate business intelligence. Similarly on the hardware side, a Zara store managers over reliance on an outdated handheld computer is putting the prospective revenue of the Zara’s business at tremendous risk. Currently, a Zara store manager uses a hand-held computer with a very small screen, probably with poor image quality, to analyze information about the new clothing designs and then decide. In an artistic industry as fashion where people care about even smallest of small details, the store managers are asked to value and to decide their portfolio of new clothes using a device that is inadequate. Furthermore, the store managers have to rely on a dial up connection, which has a host of issues frequently, to link up with the office at La Courna once every night. With the store managers facing â€Å"hard deadlines† to post their orders and they having to rely on a dial up connection to send that important order, the pressure on the store managers must be very high. Possible Solutions: First, at a store level, Zara can choose from Windows, Unix or Linux based POS to replace all of its outdated MS-DOS based POS. In my analysis, a new POS based on Windows OS is the best solution for Zara’s current needs. First, the regular OS upgrades provided by Microsoft eliminate Zara’s concern about its OS being outdated. Zara can also leverage Microsoft’s variety of well tested software packages to aid in the collection, storage, analysis and interpretation of business information. Furthermore, with windows Live software such as SkyDrive, individual Zara store can store all its vital data in the cloud and share it among commercials and store product managers in different locations. Also, one benefit of using Microsoft OS is that almost all big software developers use MS OS as their primary platform. This ensures that Zara will not be disadvantaged due to incompatibility of major software. While on the other hand, licensing and maintaining fees for Windows can be expensive. Also, the issue with security may be a big concern for Zara as it uses Microsoft OS which has a history of being vulnerable to hacking, virus infection and so on. Second, Zara should upgrade to new POS terminals rather than reprogramming the new OS to fit the old hardware. First, there can be a problem if old hardware is not compatible with the new OS despite re-writing and customizing the new OS. Furthermore, the old hardware may fail to fully utilize the capabilities of the new OS system. More importantly, it may be faster for Zara to replace all the POS than reqrite the program for the old hardware. But the criteria for the new POS system should be that it should be able to store and communicate data to the central office at La Courna and to the store manager. Finally, an android based over an iOS based tablet could be a reasonable alternative to the current use of handheld computers. Because android tablets are more compatible with the Windows OS, which was the OS of choice for Zara, I would recommend an android tablet. Also, android tablets provide Zara store managers the ability to access critical business information from the cloud and easily communicate with the central office to place orders, evaluate new fashion designs, and send or receive critical business information from La Courna. Also, these tablets are compatible with a host of different spreadsheet and document applications that a Zara store manager could rely on to get vital business information before making purchase decisions. 2. Bad Business Practice: Random Decision Making, a Culture inside Zara. In my analysis, the culture inside Zara of allowing lower management to take important decisions such as production schedule and stock distribution based on their gut feeling and yet not checked by senior management, is simply too dangerous. Any business management student can attest that delegation of higher responsibilities to junior staff members and independent decision making is positively correlated with higher performance and returns, and I am all up for it too. However, research also has shown that in terms of decision making, the best decisions are made when experiences of managers are combined with their analysis of business information. While currently in Zara, decisions are solely based off of experience with no use of business information to draw inferences about pattern and trends. The primary two problems with such method are that those decisions tend to random and also, heavily biased towards personal preference and beliefs. A company like Zara cannot afford bad decision when its comparative advantage lies in producing clothes of the future. Below are the few examples of random decision making within Zara which have resulted in wastage and time lag and possible solutions to eradicate them. First, the decisions about Zara’s production based on random experiences can be very costly. Currently Zara’s store product managers, who decide what new design is approved in Zara, largely rely on their random observations of what people are wearing and conversations with Zara store managers to predict the next big fashion hit. However, decision making on the basis of experience alone tends to produce more misses that hits. And for a company like Zara which heavily depends on rapid production of latest fashionable clothes, â€Å"fashion misses† can be extremely costly. The ideal situation would be to allow business managers to combine their experience with valuable business information to derive business strategies and then apply them to decisions about future fashion trends. Similarly, the approach of commercials within Zara to decide the allocation of replenishment, highly demanded clothes in SKUs or DCs and most importantly, newly designed clothes is misguided. The current practice within Zara regarding allocation is to divide the available stock among all the Zara stores who wanted it. The critical problem with this approach is that it ignores the concept of opportunity cost. For example, let’s assume that using a detailed analysis, a commercial within Zara concludes that a piece of clothing â€Å"A† is highly demanded in London than in Bahrain. With this information the Zara commercial can push clothing â€Å"A† completely towards stores in London where it is highly demanded at the expense of stores in Bahrain. Rather than allocating among all stores, the approach of using business information to decide which stores have higher opportunity will be better for Zara’s bottom-line. Conversely, when the demand for the clothes exceed supply the Zara’s commercials allocated by looking at past performances and previous supply records. Although, this method is significantly better than the simple allocation, it could be much better if the commercials used further scenario analysis using previous business information to check if the success of the stores were a one off events or whether previously unsuccessful stores have turned a corner. Possible solutions: Zara’s main problem stems from its lack of infrastructure that is able to collect, store and communicate data so that all the responsible individuals within Zara can use it to make good individual decisions. Among the myriad of a Network options with the aforementioned capability, In my analysis, could computing is ideal for Zara. The advantages associated with using the cloud is its scalability. In the near future, Zara aims to expand its stores and its operations to new locations all across the globe. With a cloud based software the increased need to collect, store and share data within the Zara network will be as easy as buying extra space from the a cloud hosting services. In addition, cloud computing almost infinite amount of storage to store and backup data. This will be ideal for Zara who has a large number of store spread across many continents. Furthermore, unlike a distributed network, with cloud computing Zara store managers, commercials and store product managers can share common application software directly from the cloud without having to purchase or physically transport the software. However, security of the highly sensible data is a big concern when using cloud computing. Unlike a distributive network, there remains a threat that a close competitor in the industry unfairly accesses critical business information such as Zara’s new clothes design or cost of production, supplier’s list, when using cloud computing. Final Recommendation: My final recommendation for Zara aims to tackle two big problems within Zara – a) absence of technological infrastructure and b) lack of collecting, storing and sharing vital business information to make quality decisions. My first recommendation for Zara is to build a sophisticated technological infrastructure across the company. Zara should replace its old MS DOS based POS with a Windows based POS with advanced features such as touch screens, bar code reader and credit card to increase the overall efficiency and speed of transaction. Also, the development of a customized software that automatically stores detailed data about the transaction such as type of design, time (days, months), and cost automatically from the POS system and saves it in a cloud space. Also, I would recommend the use of tablet, preferably android, for individual store managers so that they can have easy access to vital business information in real time and also be able to communicate with the central office and DCs. Furthermore, I would even suggest providing tablets to all commercials and store product managers so that they can have access to specific and vital information about all aspect of the business directly from the cloud. The analysis and interpretation of all the information will enable them to making production, future design decisions, and allocation decisions. My second recommendation for Zara would be to subscribe to a cloud computing service provider in order to store all relevant data from all its stores, its DCs and SKUs. Also, I would suggest Zara to build customized software that has the capability to correctly organize relevant data into different categories according to specific need of different management levels within Zara. Regarding the security issues with using a cloud computing, Zara can enforce cloud storage access password on the basis of seniority in the management hierarchy. So for example, a temporary sub-store manager cannot access the future clothes design for Zara while a commercial has a full access. However, I would not recommend Zara to get involved in selling clothes online. Zara’s comparative advantage lies selling clothes through it well designed and strategically located stores that span all over the world. Thus, unless Zara can build up huge storage and distribution centers, hire e-commerce specialists and figure out a new business model, I wouldn’t suggest Zara to go online. Within the current organizational framework, going online would do more harm than good. The implementation of these two recommendations will insure that all the members of the management team have all the vital business information in real time in order to make an informed decision. Also, it will insure that Zara’s stores serves dual function efficiently serving customer and also providing important data back to the head office in Spain. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Stock Keeping Unit [ 2 ]. Distribution Centers

Literary Analysis of Night

The Holocaust changed the lives of many people and survivors and had many adverse effects. Some began to question their faith in their beliefs and even questioned their god. They pondered upon the thought of how God could sit idly by and allow the atrocious actions committed within their own homeland be unjustified. Those that survived have many terrifying stories to tell. Many survivors are too frightened to tell their story because their experiences are too lurid to express in words or even comprehend. One of Wiesel's main objectives in writing Night is to remind readers that the Holocaust occurred, and hopes that it will never happen again. Night themes include the inhumanity of humans toward others and how death can cause potent harm to one’s psyche. In Night, Elie Wiesel uses many literary devices such as Tone, Imagery, and Repetition to portray the acts of death and inhumanity as well as their traumatizing effects. Elie Wiesel uses repetition to clearly state and emphasize what he has endured and shall never falter or be forgotten but shall always linger within the confines of his forever scarred conscience. Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of Ingles 2 Smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed m y faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never. † (Pg. 32) This quote displays not only the horrifying acts that were committed but the effects it had on the author’s conscience. Also, notice that Eliezer states that his God was murdered. â€Å"For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me. Why should I bless His name? The Eternal, Lord of the Universe, the All-Powerful and Terrible, was silent. †(Pg. 31) But in the final line Eliezer acknowledges him as God. Despite saying his God was murdered, it is clear that Eliezer is actually struggling with his faith and his God. Just as he is never able to forget the horror of that night, he is never able to reject completely disdain his religion. Elie Wiesel uses imagery to depict explicitly what happened within the concentration camps. The imagery used in Night also gave the readers a sense of what Eliezer endured and the many horrors he encountered during his time spent within the camps. â€Å"Babies were thrown into the air and the machine gunners used them as targets† (Pg. 4)

New Years Resolutions for Teachers

New Year's Resolutions for Teachers As elementary school teachers, we are always striving to improve. Whether our goal is to make our lessons more engaging ​or to get to know our students on a higher level, we are always trying to take our teaching to the next level. The new year is a great time to take a closer look at how we run our classroom and to decide what we would like to improve. Self-reflection is an important part of our job, and this New Year is the perfect time to make some changes. Here are 10 New Years Resolutions for teachers to use as inspiration. 1. Get Your Classroom Organized This is usually on the top of the list for all teachers. While teachers are known for their organizational skills, teaching is a hectic job and its easy to let things get a little out of control. The best way to achieve this goal is to make a list and slowly check off each task as you complete them. Break up your goals into smaller tasks to make them easier to achieve. For example, week one, you might choose to organize all your paperwork, week two,  your desk, and so on.   2. Create a Flexible Classroom Flexible classrooms are all the rage right now, and if you havent yet incorporated this trend into your classroom, the new year is a great time to start. Begin by purchasing a few alternative seats and a bean bag chair. Then, move on to bigger items such as standing desks.   3. Go Paperless With educational technology tools, its really gotten even easier to commit to a  paperless classroom. If youre lucky enough to have access to iPads, you may even choose to have your students complete all of their work digitally. If not, visit Donorschoose.org and ask for donors to purchase them for your classroom. 4. Remember Your Passion for Teaching Sometimes the idea of a fresh new start (like the New Year) can help you remember your passion for teaching. Its easy to lose track of what initially motivated you to teach, especially when youve been at it for a long time. This new year, take some time to jot down some of the reasons why you became a teacher in the first place. Remembering your drive and passion for teaching will help you keep going. 5. Re-Think Your Teaching Style Every teacher has their own style of teaching  and what works for some may not work for others. However, the New Year may give you the opportunity to re-think the way that you teach  and to try something new that you have always wanted to try. You can start by asking yourself some questions, like Do I want a student-centered classroom? or Would I like to be more of a guide or a leader? These questions will help guide you in figuring out which teaching style you want for your classroom. 6. Get To Know Students Better Take some time in the new year to get to know your students on a more personal level. This means taking some time to get to know their passions, interests, and family outside of the classroom. The better connection that you have with each individual student, the stronger the  classroom community you can build. 7. Have Better Time Management Skills This new year, take some time to improve your time management skills. Learn to prioritize your tasks and take advantage of technology to really maximize your students learning time. Tech tools are known to keep students engaged in learning longer, so if you really want to maximize your students learning time use these tools every day.   8. Use More Tech Tools There are some great (and affordable!) educational tech tools that are on the market. This January,  make it your goal to try and utilize as many pieces of technology as you can. You can do this, by going to Donorschoose.org and creating a list of all of the items that your classroom needs along with the reasons why. Donors will read your inquiry and purchase the items for your classroom. Its that easy. 9.To Not Take Work Home with You Your goal is to not take your work home with you so that you can spend more time with your family doing things that you love. You would think that this seems like an impossible task, but by showing up for work thirty minutes early and leaving thirty minutes late, its very possible.   10. Spice Up Classroom Lesson Plans Every now and then, its fun to spice things up. This New Year,  change up your lessons and see how much fun you will have. Instead of writing everything on the chalkboard, use your interactive whiteboard. If your students are used to you always using textbooks for their lessons, turn the lesson into a game. Find a few ways to change up your normal way that you do things and you will see the spark being lit in your classroom once again.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield - Review

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield - Review The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is a rich story about secrets, ghosts, winter, books, and family. This bestseller is a book lovers book, with much of the action taking place in libraries and book stores, and the line between fact and fiction constantly blurred. It is hard to believe this is Setterfields debut novel, for she makes the words come to life with such skill that some passages even gave me chills. With a mug of cocoa and The Thirteenth Tale, contentment isnt far away. Synopsis of The Thirteenth Tale Margaret Lea works in her fathers bookstore and is haunted by a loss in her past.One night Margaret is summoned to the home of the most famous author in England to record her autobiography.Vida Winter, the author, tells a layered tale, with stories within stories, keeping Margaret (and readers) curious. Pros The writing is poetic.The characters are unique.The story is interesting, imaginative, and exciting. Cons You will want to drink lots of cocoa while reading (this is only a con for the weight conscious). The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield - Book Review The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is reminiscent of classic British novels, like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. It has tragedy, romance, moors, and dark, stormy nights. In a way, The Thirteenth Tale is a homage to these and all other great works of literature. The power of books and stories is foremost in the novel, and as the main character gets lost in one story, youll find yourself lost with her in the story within a story (as well as the story surrounding the characters story). This is not a realistic book. It isnt meant to be. The aura of fairytale lends power and mystery to the writing. While place is utterly important to the book, time is not. Dont  try too hard to figure out when the novel is supposed to take place. It could just as easily have been now as a hundred years ago. Perhaps all this talk about place, time and story seems roundabout to you. Perhaps you want a synopsis of plot and a straightforward review so that you can decide whether to read this book. Heres what to expect: A good story written by a very good writer about a good story told by a very good writer. This can be a fun read for a book discussion club, especially for the autumn and winter months. See a list of questions you can explore with your book club for The Thirteenth Tale.  The audiobook version is well-received for those who prefer to listen rather than read. The book was adapted for a UK TV movie released in December 2013, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Olivia Colman. Setterfields second novel, Bellman Black, (2013) does not garner as good of reviews. Hopefully, her further works will be back up to the standard she set with her first.

How To Grow Sodium Nitrate Crystals

How To Grow Sodium Nitrate Crystals Sodium nitrate is a common chemical, found in food, fertilizer, glass enamel, and pyrotechnics. Sodium nitrate, NaNO3, forms colorless hexagonal crystals. Although these crystals are a bit more challenging to grow than some of the beginner crystals, the interesting crystal structure makes them worth the effort. The crystal somewhat resembles calcite, exhibiting some of the same properties. Sodium nitrate crystals can be used to examine double refraction, cleavage, and glide. Sodium Nitrate Crystal Growing Solution Dissolve 110 grams sodium nitrate per 100 ml hot water. This will be a supersaturated solution. One method of growing crystals is to allow this solution to cool in an undisturbed location and allow it to produce crystals as the liquid evaporates.Another method of growing this crystal is to grow a single crystal in a sealed container from a supersaturated solution. If you choose to follow this method, prepare the aforementioned solution, allow this solution to cool, then add a couple of grains of sodium nitrate and seal the container. The excess sodium nitrate will deposit on the grains, producing a saturated sodium nitrate solution. Allow a couple of days for this to occur.Pour off the saturated solution. Pour a small amount of this solution into a shallow dish. Allow the liquid to evaporate, to produce small seed crystals. Select a crystal or two for further growth.To prepare the supersaturated growing solution, to your existing solution add 3 grams of sodium nitrate per 100 ml of w ater in the original solution. So, if you prepared 300 ml of solution, you would add an extra 9 grams of sodium nitrate. Carefully add your seed crystal to this liquid. You can suspend the crystal from a nylon monofilament. A nylon monofilament or wire is used because it wont wick up the solution, causing evaporation.Seal the jar and allow the crystals to grow at a constant temperature, someplace they wont be disturbed. Sodium nitrate is very sensitive to temperature changes, so maintaining a constant temperature is important. If you have difficulty maintaining a temperature, you can place the sealed jar inside a water bath. If you dont see crystal growth after a few days, try lowering the temperature slightly.

A report on the foreign policy of the United States towards Russia Essay

A report on the foreign policy of the United States towards Russia - Essay Example Likewise, the need to analyze and improve Russo-American relations remains inevitable if global security, economic gains and political stability are to be realised in the West, Europe and the rest of the world. Brief history of the foreign relations of the US with Russia Russo-American relations started taking shape during World War I and II when the US and Russia fought alongside each other as Allied Powers, against Central Powers that had coalesced around the belligerent Germany. Prior to World War I and II, Russo-American relations had not taken a definitive shape, since America opted for the Doctrines of Non-Interference and Neutrality, wishing not to be drawn into the affairs and battles of Europe. The conclusion of World War II left the world with Russia and the US as two centers of power which were diametrically opposed to each other, on account of ideology. While Russia opted for socialism and communism as the way of politics and economics, America was committed to perpetuate democracy and capitalism throughout the world. This development sparked this Cold War which lasted from 1945 to 1990 (Brigham, 2010, 600). According to Butler (2011, 420), during this period, Russo-American relations were both belligerent and diplomatic. ... Zakaria (2012, 27) recounts that two decades after the fall of communism and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia’s relations with America has been neither inimical nor friendlier. Despite the facing out of the Cold War confrontation, America and Russia have not nurtured sustainable bilateral cooperative relations. Russo-American relations only come to the fore when inevitable matters relating to climate change, international relations and nuclear nonproliferation need addressing (Nakajima, 2007, 450). Key Interests that the US has towards Russia Despite the US and Russia having well-known inimical relations especially at the height of the Cold War era, yet, these two countries harbour key interests in each other. Russo-American relations remain important in sustaining and effecting New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) which was signed in 2010 and ratified in 2011. The main essence of START is to assuage the quantity of strategic missile launchers by half, and to ef fect new and more effective inspection regimes. Currently, both President Obama and Putin are committed to global security issues such as nuclear non-proliferation and counterterrorism, in spite of the prevailing differences over Iran’s nuclear program and the BMD program. According to Christopher (2006, 329), America continues to bank on Russia’s military support in Kyrgyzstan, Manas Transit Center, given that Russia is interested in Western and American victory in Afghanistan and the successful withdrawal of American troops therefrom. This form of military support is very sacrosanct since Manas Transit Center is the only American facility in Central Asia and is therefore key

Thurgood Marshall and his impact on the American civil rights movement Term Paper

Thurgood Marshall and his impact on the American civil rights movement - Term Paper Example He is recognized for making contributions to race and gender equality as well as the rights of an accused. He was born on 2 July 1908 in Baltimore, Maryland and attended the Samuel Coleridge Taylor Elementary School and Booker T. Washington Junior High. Thurgood Marshall’s parents were mulattoes who could trade their ancestry to a nineteenth-century Congo slave who have caused much trouble for his master that he was set free. The former slave was Thurgood’s Marshall’s great grandfather. Thurgood Marshall’s father was a waiter and amateur writer while his mother was a schoolteacher. During his elementary years, Thurgood Marshall â€Å"was best remembered† to be on the front row so teachers could see him closely. He was also described as to have â€Å"enjoyed teaching the girls while he was in school†. According to Thurgood Marshall, himself, he was born Throughgood Marshall but after growing tired of spelling his long first name, he shorted his name to Thurgood when he was in second grade. Thurgood Marshall had revealed that although they had lived on a respectable street but behind them were â€Å"back alleys where the roughnecks and the tough kids hung out.† Further, Thurgood Marshall had revealed that every dinnertime, his mother had to go to the front door to call her brother but had to use the backdoor to call him for dinner. 12 In 1921 to 1925, Marshall attended the Colored High and Training School that became the Frederick Douglass High School in 1923.13 The Colored High and Training School was known as an all-black school with no school library, no cafeteria, and no gym when Thurgood Marshall was enrolled.14 The school was â€Å"so overcrowded that half-day sessions were held to accommodate all students†. 15 Students in the school were divided based on perfor mance and Marshall had belonged to the best students of the school.16 Nevertheless, Marshall was known as a prankster and his â€Å"antics† usually sent him to punishment.17 The main form of punishment then was to put the punished in the school basement to memorize the US Constitution.18 From the experience, Marshall recounted later, that came to know the US Constitution by heart.19 Marshall was a figure on the high school campus because of his participation and success in his school’s debate team.20 Marshall married Vivian Burey in 1923.21 In 1924, he graduated from high school at the top three of his class after maintaining a grade of B average. 22 In 1930, Marshall graduated cum laude from the Lincoln University in Lincoln, Pennsylvania.23 Lincoln University was known as the â€Å"Black Princeton† because it was founded and ran â€Å"by the same Presbyterians who ran Princeton University†. 24 In Lincoln University, despite graduating at the top of his class, many thought he never studied.25 One friend even described him as someone who was the least likely to succeed.26 In Lincoln University, Thurgood Marshall was known as a great pinochle player, fan of cowboy movies, and connoisseur of comic books. 27 On his second year in the university, Marshall joined the Alpha Phi Alpha, a fraternity described as â€Å"elite† and composed of â€Å"mostly light-skinned boys†.28 Thurgood Marshall was known to have â€Å"enjoyed† hazing the younger students and â€Å"did so in such an aggressive manner that he got kicked out school, along with 25 other sophomores†.29 However, Marshall and the rest of his companions were readmitted after they wrote and sign a confession of admission to the University.30 Marshall initially intended to attend the University of Maryland Law School but found out that only two black students had graduated from the law school in Maryland. 31 Further, he

Planning for coordination with federal entities regarding homeland Essay

Planning for coordination with federal entities regarding homeland security - Essay Example The Department of Homeland Security is the central agencies that to provide effective management resource within federal, state and local governments on security issues. Its primary responsibility as a security authority is to anticipate, preempt, detect and deter threats to the homeland and its people from terrorist attacks, natural disasters or any other emergency. Its goal is to coordinate different agencies and programs into a single agency for fast and efficient response to the crisis. Larry Ness states, ‘the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is still consolidating most of the more than 40 federal entities’ (Ness, 2006, p. 49). Its security responsibilities are varied and related to the governmental jurisdictions at federal, state, and local level and acts as a complementary system that connects all levels of government. It is an independent agency reporting to the President and tasked with responding to, planning for, recovering from and mitigating against disaster. Its role has become all the more important after 9/11 and works with a vision of ‘A Nation Prepared’. It works under FEMA and forms integrated disaster response task forces, comprising of emergency service personnel, equipped with necessary skills, techniques and tools that can be deployed for rescuing victims of structural collapse. Its aim is to protect civilians and prevent the loss of property from natural hazards. It acts as an emergency management to protect lives and property through partnerships with governments at the State and local levels as well as the private sector. It helps to promulgate interior security of the nation and the reduction of crimes and potential threats to federal facilities throughout the nation, and require close coordination and intelligence sharing with the investigative functions within Immigration and custom enforcement (ICE). FPS is a full service agency with a comprehensive HAZMAT, WMD,

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 14

Case Study - Essay Example This would drastically reduce fatigue levels among employees and effectively reducing stress levels. Good pay to ensure that compensation within the eight hour day, should be put in place to eliminate the need to work overtime. Proper training practices ought to be employed to properly prepare employee beginning work in the company. Motivational incentives such as rewards for most commitments would effectively motivate workers within the allowable HR practices. Development of human resource systems and policies would be an ideal move by the company. A company as big and significant as FoxConn ought to have a functional legal department. Drafting such systems and procedures would go a long way in ensuring the benefits of workers were well catered for (Gilmore, 2009). In the case that the company is unable to manage its human resource by itself, human resource service providers should be sought. External human resource service providers assist with the implementation and administration of HR practices (Gilmore, 2009). Such a company should also provide control and auditing services to ensure that human resource practices are adhered

The Decameron Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Decameron - Essay Example The book shows that even the most noble or holy people in title are still prone to sin and vice. Living the best life possible, according to The Decameron, is a personal endeavor which can best be undertaken by fortifying one's mind with tales of the moral shortfalls of others. The story begins with a narrator discussing the various ways in which the people of Florence were coping with the overwhelming death toll and destruction of social order brought about by the bubonic plague. Some people chose to behave "as though each day was to be their last" (16). The narrator notes that "nowadays, laws relating to pleasure are somewhat restrictive, whereas at that timethey were exceptionally lax." In contrast, however, the seven ladies of our story are found "more or less in a circle, in one part of the church, reciting their paternosters" (17). The eldest of the women, Pampinea, determines it is in their best interests to leave town to protect their lives and virtue. She states that the townspeople, "prompted by their appetites, they will do whatever affords them the greatest pleasureIt is not only of lay people I speak, but also of those enclosed in monasteries[that have] given themselves over to carnal pleasures" (18-19) She asks the other six women, "If this b e so (and we plainly perceive that it is), what are we doing here" (19). In this manner, the seven women decided to leave town, asking "three young men of courage and intelligence" to accompany them as "guides and servants" (21). In this manner, the group sets itself apart from the others in Florence that are just interested in fulfilling sinful desires before their imminent demise. Upon arriving at a well-appointed and vacant country villa, the group and their accompanying servants set up camp. To provide entertainment, they decide they will appoint a group leader each day that will determine how they will pass their time (24). For each of the ten days they are in the villa, they end up telling stories - both lighthearted and tragic - that convey different moral shortcomings of men, women and clergy alike. They each usually preface each tale with a comment on how to avoid the same wretched and sinful natures of the people in the stories, thus making the collection of tales a type of instruction manual on the devious temptations one should avoid in life. For instance, the third story on the first day tells the tale of Saladen, a sultan from Egypt, and "a rich Jew, Melchizedek by name." Saladen asks Melchizedek to choose which religion is authentic, the "Jewish, the Saracen, or the Christian" (42). Because Melchizedek wisely sidesteps Saladen's wicked trap, he avoids giving an answer that would lose him money and possibly his life. He states that he could not choose among them, just like he could not choose among three children. Saladen only asked this question because he coveted Melchizedek's money. Because his wisdom and prudence inspired Saladen, the sultan borrowed money from the man instead of entrapping him as he had originally intended ( 43-44). Many stories in The Decameron point out the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church of plague-era Europe. In this manner, the stories show that even church leaders are not without sinful temptation. In the sixth story, a money-hungry friar comes after "people with bulging purseswhom he deemed to be lacking in faith" (50-51). At the end of the story, the money-hungry friar

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 14

Case Study - Essay Example This would drastically reduce fatigue levels among employees and effectively reducing stress levels. Good pay to ensure that compensation within the eight hour day, should be put in place to eliminate the need to work overtime. Proper training practices ought to be employed to properly prepare employee beginning work in the company. Motivational incentives such as rewards for most commitments would effectively motivate workers within the allowable HR practices. Development of human resource systems and policies would be an ideal move by the company. A company as big and significant as FoxConn ought to have a functional legal department. Drafting such systems and procedures would go a long way in ensuring the benefits of workers were well catered for (Gilmore, 2009). In the case that the company is unable to manage its human resource by itself, human resource service providers should be sought. External human resource service providers assist with the implementation and administration of HR practices (Gilmore, 2009). Such a company should also provide control and auditing services to ensure that human resource practices are adhered

Biomechanics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biomechanics - Case Study Example However the forces are greatest at posterolateral bundle at fullest extension. The posterolateral bundle withstands more force than the anterolateral bundles. Most common cause of ACL injury is due to non contact deccelatory forces involving lateral bending of the knee to a valgus position causing extension of the knee and rotation of the tibia(Boden et al, 2009)(Giuliani et al , 2009). Immediately after the tear of the ACL or inury to the ACL she should be asked to take rest so as to prevent further movement which can cause wear and tear. Ice should be applied every 15- 20 minutes and compression should be provided on the affected portion. Finally the injured knee should be elevated above the heart level in order to reduce the swelling and reduce episodes of pain (Benjaminse et al, 2006). Kinematic research has revealed that the quadriceps contraction is responsible for the greatest strain on the ACL graft between 10 degree and 45 degree of flexion. The ACL graft is devoid of the normal mechanoreceptors and may not provide biofeedback like in the uninjured knee. These factors are to be considered for the long term rehabilitation programs. The overall aim for the long term rehabilitation is to restore the joint anatomy, provide static and dynamic stability to the joint, maintain aerobic and psychological conditioning and ultimately aim this athlete to easy return to sporting activity. For this a four step approach is followed. In the first phase comprising one or two weeks the aim of therapy is to reduce the pain and inflammation and increase the range of motion of the knee. A postoperative brace is used ranging 30 degree to 90 degree till there is adequate quadriceps control. Physiotherapy is to be provided with the emphasis to static contractions of hamstrings and c o-contractions for the hamstrings and the quadriceps. Partial

The Centralia Mine Essay Example for Free

The Centralia Mine Essay The Centralia Mine opened in 1907 and remained free of fatal accidents for decades (Walker, 2006). By the 1940’s mine inspectors began reporting excessive coal dust in the mines and also provided recommendations. In March 25, 1947, the Centralia No. 5 coal mine exploded near the town of Centralia, Illinois, killing 111 people. The explosion was caused when an under burdened explosive detonation ignited coal dust. The explosion of this mine should not have been a surprise to anyone. Driscoll Scanlan, who was a state mine inspector, notified public sector safety professionals from state and federal agencies of the hazards as a result of inspections. There were also union complaints and letters to state officials. Various officials of mine safety agencies and the mine company were notified on more than one occasion. Scanlan as well as the mine’s union had also pushed to have the hazards corrected. The lack of the federal and state officials to take action, along with the ignition of built up coal dust, resulted in the death of 111 coal miners. Identify and explain four (4) logistical alternatives Scanlan could have addressed. In 1941, Illinois Governor Dwight Green appointed Driscoll Scanlan, as one of the states 16 mine inspectors. Scanlan was highly recommended by a state representative (Martin, 1948). He was appointed as the inspector of the district which included Centralia Mine No. 5. State inspectors jobs include making sure mine operators comply with the state mining law (Stillman, 2010). His first inspection of Centralia No. 5 was in 1942. In his first report, his recommendations included cleaning and sprinkling the haulage roads. Scanlan inspected the mine several times in the years before the explosion. At the end of each inspection he sent his report to the Illinois Department of Mines and Minerals. Several of his reports throughout 1942-1944 repeated his previous recommendations and added new one. In one of the latter ones, he recommended that the mine be rocked dusted (Stillman, 2010). In follow up to his reports, he should have inquired with the Director for the status of his recommendations. When he found that none of them were taken care of, he could have let the miners know what the issues were and helped fix the areas in which there were problems. Scanlan could have also worked with the union to push fixing the mine or shutting it down until repaired. When he made the threat to shut them down, the company started to fix some of the problems that were indicated in his reports. The changes that the company made to the mines were only temporary. His only other option would be to try to sprinkle the roads and help with the rock dusting. Analyze and discuss Scanlan’s motivation toward the Constitution (the law), bureaucracy (as a public administrator responsible to the public), and obligation. Scanlan carried out the duties of inspecting the mines. He reported his findings to the Department of Mines and Minerals and the State Mining Board (Stillman, 2010). Scanlan was truly an advocate for the miners. He, unlike some the other inspectors, did not get involved in the political aspects with the companies. Many of the inspectors would have drinks with the company officials and provide brief inspection reports. Scanlan was quite different. Scanlan talked to the miners and made sure that their complaints were included in his inspection reports (Stillman, 2010). The local union expressed their concerns to the State of Illinois in response to the findings of the special investigation commission (Stillman, 2010). They also followed up with a letter to Governor Green, thanking Scanlan for taking the issues to Prudent the Superintendent and local officials on their behalf (Stillman, 2010). Scanlan made 13 inspections and reports, each were reported to the Department of Mining and Minerals. Most of his reports were dismissed and responded to as not being as serious as it seems. Take a position on two (2) possible paths of action for Scanlan and defend your choices. Business and political gain played a critical role in the conditions that led to the accidents. Although Scanlan provided numerous reports, his superiors down played the seriousness of his recommendations. They seemed to be more concerned about keeping the officials happy. The lack of attention given to the seriousness of the inspection reports provided by Scanlan proved to be detrimental to the miners. His inspection reports were ignored by state mining officials and mine company supervisors. Scanlan’s first course of action should have been to shut down the mine. Being a state inspector, he had the authority to shut down a mine if there were violations that had been brought to the company’s attention, but not addressed in a reasonable amount of time. This action, in my opinion, would have been the best course of action. An alternative course of action would have been to go the officials that are higher than the state and federal officials that he was dealing with. He had performed enough inspections, over the course of 3 years, and found that if the mining conditions were not improved, that fatalities would eventually occur at this mine (Saleh, 2011). The state and federal officials were more concerned about continuing business. They did not take into consideration the seriousness of the inspection reports that Scanlan was continually providing them with. The lack of their follow through and the dismissing of his recommendations would have been taking more seriously by someone at a higher level. I feel that they would have stepped in and taken action that may have saved the lives of the miners. This disaster followed by another mining disaster in 1968 caused Congress to become more aggressive with mining companies by passing the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act in 1969 (Ward, 2007). Unfortunately it took another terrible mining incident to get them to notice how important it is for higher officials to make companies follow the recommendations of mining inspectors.

Economic Policy In Sweden During The Great Depression Economics Essay

Economic Policy In Sweden During The Great Depression Economics Essay When the Great Depression swept across Europe in the early 1930s the impact of the economic downturn varied across countries. While for example Germany, Austria and most of Central Europe experienced a long and deep economic crisis, the economies of the Nordic countries Sweden, Denmark and Norway were not only affected later and more mildly by the Depression, but also recovered earlier. The crisis in Sweden for example only lasted a little more than two years (in Germany and Poland it lasted for more than 4 years, see graph 1) and peak decline in industrial production was at 10.3% while for example Germany or Poland had declines in industrial production of more than 40% (see graph 2). Even when looking at comparable GDP figures, Sweden was with a decline of 6.5% well below countries such as Germany (25%) or Austria (23.4%, see graph 3). Moreover and of greater interest for this paper is the fact that Sweden did not only perform better during the Great Depression but also pursued a different economic policy. Most prominently cited amongst economic historians are two distinctly Swedish policy measures: First, looking at Swedens monetary policy, scholars point out, that the country left the gold standard very early and unique at that time simultaneously put the preservation of the domestic purchasing power of the krona on top of the political agenda. Second, it is often mentioned, that the Social-Democratic government, which came into power in 1932, invested heavily in public work programmes following a Keynesian-type fiscal policy. The present paper seeks to analyse whether these two factors are a) sufficient and b) withstand a closer empirical evaluation when it comes to explain the better development of Sweden during the Great Depression. In order to do so, the paper will, as a first step, outline the economic situation in Sweden and the corresponding economic policy prior to the crisis. This is necessary, as it provides an overview of the nature of Swedens economy, its degree of integration into the international market and accordingly its general contagion risk at the time of the crisis. Secondly, the above mentioned policy measures during the Great Depression will be outlined. Thirdly and most central in this paper is an analyses of the effectiveness and consequences of these policy measures. The last chapter will then draw the attention to other factors outside the control of government policy that might have helped Sweden to ease the effects of the Great Depression. Literature Immune to crisis? Swedens economic development prior to the Great Depression Even though Swedens macro-economic policy is often seen as the major contributor to the countries positive development during the Great Depression, one must not fail to see, that some of the reasons for this development are rather to be found in specific characteristics of Swedens economy prior to 1929/31 than in any explicit policy measure thereafter. Two pre-existing conditions can be outlined, that seemed to have stabilized the economy during the crisis. Firstly, a constantly undervalued krona made Swedish exports cheap on the international market. Secondly, the banking sector in Sweden was centralized and crisis-prone. Thus, a banking panic never occurred. The following paragraphs explain these specifically Swedish conditions in greater detail. Traditionally, Swedens economy was based on the countrys rich endowments of iron and timber. Its main trading partner was Britain and later on Germany and the United States. During the beginning of the 20th century Sweden also became a major exporter of technologically sophisticated goods such as telephones (e.g. Ericsson) or appliances (e.g. Electrolux). As Sweden was at least on paper a neutral power during World War I (WWI) many investors sought to acquire Swedish assets at that time, as the country seemed to be a safe haven for capital. Additionally, by mainly exporting raw materials, Sweden could take advantage of the increase in foreign demand for those goods caused by WWI. By the end of the war Sweden had transformed from a major international borrower to a creditor to the rest of the world. While the export industry could profit from these developments, inflation increased mainly due to increasing costs for imports. Between 1915 and 1918 the cost of living rose by as much a s 90%. This inflation was eventually condemned between 1920 and 1924 when prices declined by 55% due to a restrictive monetary policy. After 1924 a slower, but persistent deflation continued until 1931. With such low domestic prices, Sweden was highly competitive on the international market. That is why during most of the 1920s Sweden experienced a strong export-led economic growth. This is why after WWI Sweden reinstated the gold standard as one of the first industrialized countries in 1924. Many economic historians believe that this return to the gold standard occurred at a rate that left the krona undervalued well into the 1930s. As a consequence Swedish exports remained highly competitive even in times of economic crisis. The domestic market also stabilized during the 1920s. Due to export bans and high import taxes during and after WWI, Swedish consumers, whose purchasing power constantly increased during the 1920s, substituted imports with domestic products. Additionally, demographics played a role. During the 1920s and 1930s there was a rapid rise in the number of young people of working age (especially those aged 20-29). Respectively, demand for housing, food, clothes and other consumer products increased which contributed to a strong growth of domestic production as well. When the stock market crash of October 29, 1929, triggered the Great Depression, another factor for Swedens low proneness to crises became obvious. Swedens banking structure was very concentrated. This was much in contrast to for example the United States, where the banking structure was highly fragmented and decentralized. According to Ben Bernanke, such a structure is much more likely to cause banking panics. Sweden however was characterized by a branch banking system, where risks were dispersed. It is argued that especially in the case of Sweden, earlier experiences with failing banks in the 1920s had led to reforms that had put the banking system on a sound footing. That is why at the beginning of the 1930s the banking sector in Sweden did not experience widespread panics. Putting all these facts together, it can be argued, that Sweden was from the very beginning less likely to be effected by the Great Depression than those countries whose banking sector collapsed. This especially holds true when considering the fact that trust in the economy never vanished in Sweden due to a generally stable banking structure. Additionally, even though exports declined from 1931 until 1932, Swedens export industry always remained highly competitive. This was not least due to an undervalued krona, whose parity remained stable well into the 1930s. Nevertheless, analyzing the characteristics of Swedens economy prior to the Great Depression only answers part of the question to why Sweden performed considerably better during the crisis than other nations. Especially when Sweden left the gold standard in 1931, specific policy measures as described in chapter two played an equally significant role. What was so special? Swedens response to the Great Depression Prior to the Great Depression, the political mainstream of the Western industrialized world followed a laissez-faire ideology that propagated the free play of the market. It was believed that capitalism had a self-equilibrating tendency, leading to an optimal level of resource utilization. Hence, economic policy at that time simply meant that governments should balance their budget, maintain the gold standard and let businesses reequilibrate themselves. However, while many countries had to reconsider their economic policies during the Great Depression, Sweden had already made this step beforehand. During the late 1920s, Swedens economic policy was already based on the advice of trained economists who did not solely propagate the contemporary neo-classical view on economics but rather pursued their own theories on how the state should react during an economic crisis. This so called Stockholm School was a loose group of economists whose most important figures were Knut Wicksell, Eli He ckscher, Gustav Bagge, Bertil Ohlin and David Davidson. Especially Knut Wicksells findings at the beginning of the 20th century inspired most of the works of his followers. Wicksell is best known for Interest and Prices, his contribution to the fledgling field now called macroeconomics. In this book and in his 1906 Lectures in Political Economy, volume 2, Wicksell sketched out his version of the quantity theory of money (monetarism). The standard view of the quantity theory before Wicksell was that increases in the money supply have a direct effect on prices-more money chasing the same amount of goods. Wicksell focused on the indirect effect. In elaborating this effect, Wicksell distinguished between the real rate of return on new capital (Wicksell called this the natural rate of interest) and the actual market rate of interest. He argued that if the banks reduced the rate of interest below the real rate of return on capital, the amount of loan capital demanded would increase and the amount of saving supplied would fall. Investment, which equaled saving before the interest rate fell, would exceed saving at the lower rate. The increase in investment woul d increase overall spending, thus driving up prices. This cumulative process of inflation would stop only when the banks reserves had fallen to their legal or desired limit, whichever was higher. In laying out this theory, Wicksell began the conversion of the old quantity theory into a full-blown theory of prices. The Stockholm school, of which Wicksell was the father figure, ran with this insight and developed its own version of macroeconomics. In some ways this version resembled later Keynesian economics. Wicksell also argued passionately for making price stability the supreme goal of monetary policy. A stable price level, he maintained, made planning easier for participants in both financial and labour markets. In an 1898 analysis, Wicksells key recommendation for central banks was to increase interest rates whenever prices were rising and to lower them when prices were falling-a monetary policy that he considered to be straightforward. He argued that low interest rates would tend to increase prices. A low rate of interest would lead a borrower to buy some commodity which otherwise he would not have bought at all and would lead someone who wishes temporarily to keep some or all of his goods off the market . . . [to ask ] . . . the Bank for money with which to meet his immediate or pending liabilities without having to sell his goods. Thus, demand would rise and supply would fall, thereby ensuring an increase in prices.18 This meant that the stabilization of prices required only that interest rates be increased when prices were rising and reduced when prices were falling. Wicksell stressed that movements in the price level exerted a particularly large effect on borrowers because an increase in all prices made it easier to repay debts while a reduction made it harder. He also noted that real wages could be affected if nominal wages (in kronor) did not keep up with changes in prices. Even though Wicksell died in 1926 his followers such as Eli Heckscher, Bertil Ohlin, Gustav Cassel and Gunnar Myrdal, could build upon his theoretical work and formulate concrete policy advice in 1931, when the Great Depression finally reached Sweden. The following paragraphs reveal how their influence and advice on the Swedish central bank (Riksbank) and on the political elite helped Sweden through the crisis. Monetary policy During the early months of 1931, Sweden was the recipient of capital inflows. However, the German standstill led many international investors to withdraw their funds from Sweden both because they lacked access to their German funds and because they feared that the crisis would spread. These withdrawals contributed to a drastic reduction in Swedish reserves. By September of 1931, reserves had fallen to less than one-tenth of their January level. Similar pressure was placed on the British financial system, and on September 21, Britain abandoned the gold standard. On September 27 Sweden, too, abandoned the gold standard. The Riksbank and the minister of finance immediately announced that the new monetary goal for the country would be to preserve the domestic purchasing power of the krona using all available means. The next day, September 28, the Riksdag gave its official assent by relieving the Riksbank of its responsibility to convert notes into gold at a fixed rate. People who wished to exchange kronor for foreign exchange could still do so at commercial banks, whose representatives met daily (along with a Riksbank official) to set exchange rates. In making price stability the primary objective of its monetary policy, Sweden pursued an internationally unique agenda. Based on Knut Wicksells argument that stable price levels made planning easier for participants in both financial and labor market, the Riksbank new role was to maintain price levels within a certain range. In order to do so, the first step the Riksbank undertook was to develop a new, weekly index of consumer prices. This was necessary as the goal was to give the public certain definite stand points for estimating future developments in prices. Consequently, the new index was designed to include a wide range of goods and services that reflected purchases made by average families in Sweden. This ensured that the purchasing power of the Krona could be measured for most individuals correctly. The weekly inflation was then computed by weighing the percent change in each good and service consumed by the fraction of total consumer expenditure that households allocated to this item. Instruments used by the Riksbank in order to fulfill the price stability target were changes in the discount rate and operations in the foreign exchange market. Accordingly, the Riksbank changed the discount rate from 8% to 6% in 1931 as there were no longer signs for a continuing inflation. After that, the discoun t rate was lowered to 2.5% in 0.5% steps until 1937. In retro perspective the monetary policy of the Riksbank proved to be very effective. Statistics show a considerably stable level of consumer prices between 1931 and 1938 (see graph 7). Most importantly however is the fact, that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the monetary program of 1931 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ maintained public trust and confidence in the banking sector. One can therefore conclude, that not only did the centralized branch system of the banking structure prevented Sweden from the experience of a fully scaled banking panic, but also a sound monetary policy based on the theoretical findings of the Stockholm School. Nevertheless, the price stabilizing policy of the Riksbank did not remain unchallenged. For example, Bertil Ohlin, who wrote an article entitled The inadequacy of price stabilization. There he acknowledged that the economic situation would most undoubtedly have been still worse if prices had been allowed to fall as they did in countries that kept to the old gold parity, and that the knowledge that the Riksbank would endeavor by every means in its power to prevent any appreciable fall in prices has exercised a reassuring influence on trade. However, Ohlin went on to argue that stabilization of prices could not prevent reductions in investment and hence in GDP. The next chapter explains how this argument was also put forward by the Social Democrats in 1932. Public deficit spending In the 1932 elections, the Social Democrats obtained the highest number of votes and formed a government. The new minister of finance, Ernst Wigforss, held that a monetary policy focused on price stability was insufficient to obtain an acceptable outcome for Sweden. The new finance minister had long championed the idea of intentional deficit spending in recessions. Wigforss had been a professor of linguistics at Lund before he became one of the leading intellectuals of the Social Democratic Party, and he worked closely with a number of Swedish economists, including Gunnar Myrdal, Erik Lindahl, and Bertil Ohlin. The group developed theories justifying the use of fiscal policy as a stabilization tool that were quite similar to those developed by John Maynard Keynes. In a 1928 article, for example, Wigforss wrote: If I want work for 100 people I do not need to put all 100 to work. . . . [I]f I can get an unemployed tailor work, he will get the opportunity to buy himself new shoes and in this way an unemployed shoemaker will get work. . . . This crisis is characterized above all by a relationship which is called a vicious circle. . . . One can say the crisis drives itself once it begins, and it [will] be the same once recovery begins. Wigforsss advocacy of deficit spending in response to the Depression was a radical departure from the policies of previous governments. Prior to 1933, government borrowing was primarily limited to loans for productive purposes, that is, for investments that would generate future government revenue, such as the postal service, telephones, electrical power generation, and railroads. Income derived from these activities would then cover the interest payments on the public debt while also generating additional income for the state.36 In contrast, nonproductive government expenditure was supposed to be paid for with current government revenues. Since it was impossible to predict current revenues or nonproductive expenditures accurately, Sw eden had reserve funds that accumulated any unanticipated surpluses. These funds were then available to cover unanticipated deficits. In the fiscal years 1931-1932 and 1932-1933, for example, the budget was balanced by reducing the reserves of the Alcoholic Drink Account. Thus, while budget deficits in the modern sense occurred, they were not acknowledged, and they were not the result of any policy aimed specifically at creating or allowing a deficit. One of the more controversial issues amongst economic historians is the questions whether public deficit spending and public work programs really helped Sweden out of the economic slump or whether they were merely a side note during the Great Depression. The reason for that is that the coming to power of the Social Democrats in 1932 are widely perceived as a turning point in Swedens economic policy and sometimes even as the global birth of modern macro-economic policy. However, empirical evidence proving that a special Social Democratic economic policy caused Swedens quick recovery is scarce. As a matter of fact, the debate about the future fiscal policy of Sweden under Social Democratic rule already circled around issues much similar to those that John Maynard Keynes dealt with four years later in his magnum opus the General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money. Swedens financial minister Ernst Wigforss argued that price stabilization would not be enough to fight the depression. He rather proposed a public work program designed to put unemployed back to work even if this meant budget deficits. Much like the policy advocating stable prices, this one was again based on advice put forward by contemporary economists. This was a radical departure from the policies of previous governments. A balanced budget had always been the highest maxim. Usually, government loans were only used for investments that were expected to generate future profits such as postal services, railroads or electric power supply. All other nonproductive expenditures were paid for by reserves the government had built up. Unsurprisingly, this radical change in policy went not without fierce debate and controversy in parliament. The first unbalanced budget proposed by Wigforss for the years 1933 and 1934 was criticized for causing inflation and depriving businesses of capital necessary for their development. To counter these arguments, the Social Democrats moved away from financing public wor k programs through deficits and proposed an inheritance tax used to finance their plans. Additionally, the Agrarian Party did not agree to the budget as they feared a negligence of the population working in the agrarian sector. As a consequence, the Social Democrats had to include high subsidy payments for the agricultural sector in the budget. When it finally passed the parliament in 1933 much of the planned deficit spending policy had disappeared. Moreover, most of the funds still allocated to public work programs could not be put to use as a nationwide lockout of employees in the construction sector blockaded the building industry. This lockout took place because the employer association SAF wanted to enforce lower wages for the industry. This conflict was solved in 1934 and only then could the government finally make use of the allocated funds for public works. Did they find the Holy Grail? The effects of Swedens economic policy Renowned economist and chairman of the Fed, Ben Bernanke, wrote in his essay collection on the Great Depression that Understanding the Great Depression is the holy grail of macro-economics. He thereby referred to the very difficult but ultimately rewarding task of finding a definite answer to the question of the real causes of the Great Depression. This, he argues, could help to identify future crisis better and address them more effectively. When looking at the fact that Sweden had overcome the Depression rather well by applying certain types of policies, the question arises whether the Holy Grail might have already been found long before Bernanke published his book. This chapter will therefore look more closely at the real effect that the Swedish economic policy had from 1929 to 1937. The range and depth of the several above mentioned policy measures varied significantly. It is therefore convenient to divide the chapter into the several policy fields that were addressed between 1929 and 1937. The evaluation is mainly done by using statistics of key figures that are in direct relation to the executed policy. By drawing on secondary literature it is then elaborated whether the figures in the statistics did or did not change due to a specific policy or due to other factors. When looking at the debate on the cause of Swedens recovery the author argues that according to one view the increasing demand and thus increasing exports led to a recovery. Hence, monetary policy was the most powerful contributory factor. The public works policy could not have had any significant effect, since the works were not started on any substantial scale until recovery was well under way. On the other hand, the expansion of the export market at first did not have an extensive impact on the labor market as at first large pile of build up stock were used for exports. No increase in production or employment took place. The author concludes that it was a mixture of growing demand abroad, monetary policy, deficit spending and support of the agriculture that led to Swedens recovery. Even if it is clear that the public works did not lead to recovery it is unclear whether exports alone did the trick. Just lucky? External factors fostering Swedens recovery Leaving the gold standard After Great Britain left the gold standard on September 21st 1931, Sweden followed six days later as one of the first countries. The effects on both the domestic markets and the foreign sector were at first positive. Leaving gold meant that the Swedish Riksbank could lower the interest rate, therefore practicing an inflationary monetary policy rather than a deflationary policy as before. This let the money supply increase and accordingly aggregated product demand. As Sweden experienced a deflation prior to 1931 the increase in money now turned the economic situation into a mild inflation. This proved to be a rather favorable constellation, as with lower interest rates at the central bank and accordingly low real interest rates for businesses, investments increased. Hence, optimism amongst entrepreneurs never fell to a point where all investments were put on hold. Rather, trust in the economy always remained at a substantially high level, while prices remained at level that did not se em to hurt the economy too much. Another important factor was the effect of an inflationary monetary policy on the export sector. Leaving gold was followed by a depreciation of the Krona. This meant that Swedish products became cheaper and did not decrease significantly, which is remarkable when looking at global trade statistics during the Great Depression. Graph 6 shows that Swedish exports did quite well during the 1930s, while a lot of other western economies had to face significant declines in exports. Additionally, a depreciation of the Krona also meant that imports became more expensive for Swedish consumers. As a consequence import substitution occurred, strengthening domestic enterprises. All put together, it becomes evident (see Berry Eichengreen), that leaving the gold standard early played an important role for the depth of and the recovery from the Great Depression. Conclusion This paper examined the economic policy of Sweden during the Great Depression. The primary question was to find out which factors contributed to the relatively mild course of the crisis. Accordingly, the first chapter outlined the basic condition the Swedish economy was in prior to the crisis. This was a necessary entrance into the subject as it revealed that Swedens exposure to contagion was at least with respect to the banking sector limited. On the other hand, the chapter revealed as well that the decrease of foreign demand due to the crisis had a definite negative impact on Swedens export industry. Nevertheless, it can be argued that under these circumstances, Sweden was from the very beginning less likely to be effected by the Great Depression than those countries whose banking sector collapsed. This especially holds true when considering the fact that trust in the economy never vanished in Sweden due to generally stable, basic economic parameters. Hence, the specific characte ristics of Swedens economy prior and during the Great Depression already answer part of the question to why Sweden performed so well. As Sweden was nevertheless hit by the crisis through the export market and the collapse of the international trading system, the second part of the answer can be found within the internationally unique policy measures Sweden pursued between 1931 and 1937. In chapter two it is argued that Swedish politicians deliberately followed an economic policy outside the neoclassical mainstream. This is mainly due to the so called Stockholm school, whose followers very early acknowledged that the state had to play a vital role during an economic crisis. As this group of economist and their advice was very well accepted within the political elite, policy measures could be put into practice without having to make too many concessions to third parties. Thus, policy reaction to the crisis was quick and effective. In chapter three, several major policy measures that helped Sweden to recover from the Great Depression quicker than others are analysed in detail: the early abandoning of the gold standard, the stabilization of the purchasing power of the krona and public work programmes. While the suspension of the gold standard was merely a reaction to the fact that one of Swedens major trading partners, the UK, abandoned gold, the other two measures can clearly be traced back to the Stockholm School. It is argued in the paper, that stabilizing the purchasing power of the krona definitely helped to maintain trust in the economic system and provided planning reliability for businesses. The role of the public work programmes however remains somewhat blurry. Even though Sweden seems to be an early if not the first country to follow Keynesian-like policies, the effects of the deficit spending policy is somewhat disputed by scholars. There is however consensus on the fact that the policies of the Social Democrats in the early 1930s paved the way for true deficit spending and broad government intervention in the following decades, leading to the today renown Swedish welfare state. Lastly, Swedens quick recovery is looked upon in chapter four. As available statistics do not reveal a significant success of the government work program, outside factors might explain more accurately why Sweden recovered so quickly. Looking at exports statistics one can clearly see that a general upswing in the global business cycle was very well received by Swedens export industry. Especially the booming housing market in Great Britain pampered the export sector. Putting all pieces together, this paper showed that a mixture of internal and external factors helped Sweden to overcome the Great Depression better than others. While a relatively low exposure of the banking sector to the international market helped to maintain trust in the economy, the stabilizing monetary policy of the Riksbank strengthened the planning reliability for customers and businesses alike. The quick recovery at the end of the Depression however can mainly be traced back to external factors. Nevertheless, the fact that businesses could quickly react to the growth in foreign demand at all is in great parts due to the stabilizing policy of the government.

The American Penal System Essay -- solitary confinement, punishment, se

Imagine living your life inside of an enclosed, seven by twelve foot, concrete cell. The only access you have to outside world is the small slot in the door used for delivering medication and food, and a tiny window, used by the guards to make sure you are alive and breathing. The fact that they even have to check if you are alive should be a red flag to society. You are here for twenty three hours a day with only one hour of â€Å"recreation† outside of this cell. This time can be used to shower, workout or make a phone call, but you are still isolated. You are here locked up for weeks, months, or maybe even years. Throughout this whole time, you are left alone with no meaningful activity; just yourself and your thoughts, which can eventually drive you mad. This is solitary confinement. According to the Washington Post's â€Å"The Torture of Solitude,† â€Å"The United States holds the highest number of prisoners in solitary confinement of any democratic nation...â⠂¬  This is what approximately 80,000 prisoners across America have to suffer through. This is what the rest of the United States population should consider immoral. Solitary confinement was first introduced as a â€Å"humane alternative to hanging almost two hundred years ago† (ABS News). Yet there is nothing humane about it. The American Penal System needs to ban long term solitary confinement because it is unnecessary, inhumane, and ineffective. Many sentences of solitary confinement are unnecessary because many prisoners do not deserve such a harsh punishment. Deciding to place a criminal in solitary should be a last resort. Prison is a good enough punishment for people who have committed petty crimes. It is unnecessary for them to be placed in solitary, if they are not a danger to th... ... so they can eventually learn from their wrongs. They are eventually going to be integrated back into society, so we should help them become better people. Works Cited ABC News. "Solitary Confinement: No Way Out of the Monster Factory." YouTube. YouTube, 20 Sept. 2012. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. Curtis, Abigail. "Is Solitary Confinement Torture?: Proposed Bill would Place Limits on use of Solitary Confinement in State Prison." McClatchy - Tribune Business News. Oct 24 2009. ProQuest. Web. 28 Oct. 2013 . National Geographic Society. â€Å"Explorer: Solitary Confinement.† National Geographic Channel. Web Video. 22 Nov. 2013. "NYCLU Report Exposes Inhumane, Arbitrary use of Solitary Confinement in NY State Prisons." Targeted News Service. Oct 02 2012. ProQuest. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. "The Torture of Solitude." Washington Post. 2 July 2012. Academic OneFile. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.

The Physician Assistant Program

The Physician Assistant Program, on the other hand, delivers a comprehensive masters education teachings that are essential for the aspiring physician assistant (â€Å"Physician Assistants,† n.d.). This program entails   thorough learnings in the formal practice of a physician assistant.Furthermore, the master's program for physician assistant equips the aspirants the necessary academic and clinical background in able to achieve professional certification to become qualified, reliable and competent physician assistant (â€Å"Physician Assistants,† n.d.).  As an aspiring Physician assistant, I truly understand that my clinical role will include primary and specialty care in medical as well in surgical practice. I understand that a physician assistant position is a complex task to do that focuses to provide of patient care. With this, I hereby accept the fact that the only way to achieve this and be competent in the position is submit myself into the formal education program for Physician Assistant.With the kind of training I had as a Nurse aid for two years, I decided to pursue a career as physician assistant. Although, I hold a masters degree in Library Science from University of Wisconsin, I could not find the appropriate job or work that is in line with the education that I have finished.Hence, in my two years of stay in the hospital as a nurse aid, I came to a point of realization that I am comfortable to work in such position and finally pursue a career in physical assistance.Being in hospital as a nurse aid, I can say my preparation for this objective of is my formal experience in medical field by providing nursing aid. In terms of preparation, I can say that I am on the ideal shape to start a new career as I am familiar with the practice in the clinic and in hospital chores. Moreover, I attended and completed all the prerequisite courses in nurse aid.Being an alumna of the school, I prefer to have my formal physician assistant education program in University of Wisconsin, as I believe that the method of teaching by the university is proven and effective. Therefore, I wish to achieve another milestone in my life as a qualified and ratified physician assistant under the uplifting educational support of the University that I truly trust and believe.In the end, if I get the chance to complete the program and be one of the countries prime physician assistant, my primary goal as a professional is a effect changes that I believe to be the best in providing patient care. Thus, I wish to achieve the reputation that I long as valuable and competent physician assistant, through my whole hearted service with my patient and with the attending physician.ReferencesPhysician Assistants. (n.d.). Retrieved July 10, 2008 from http://www.answers.com/topic/physician-assistant?cat=health