Writing for Students: November 2009

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Marilyn Monroe Essay

Simply irresistible – that is how many film buffs around the world would describe this blonde bombshell who with her impish charm, set many men’s hearts on fire and stole thunder from her contemporaries.

Marilyn Monroe’s life has been plastered all over the world with little or no variation. She was a product manufactured by the press and movie industry who went overboard after her tragic death in 1962. Mercenaries have either torn her to shreds, or catapulted her to dizzying heights, all with a view to the acquisition of gain. What remains to day is a lucrative growing industry trading on her memory or the myth that was supposedly Monroe – an iconic sign of the 20th century.

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In semiotics, a sign is the marriage between the signifier and the signified, and the image of Monroe, is a quintessential example of this relationship. She was the representation of the female body in classic Hollywood cinema. The sexual pose in this image, her extreme whiteness and make-up, and her peroxide blond hair bear witness to a new born fetish for woman. It connoted her and her myths, which are encoded in her image. Her image as the signifier carries the whole meaning and concept of herself, a meaning that was simply Monroe. But her cosmetic, artificial character also holds an element of masquerade. Her image creates a marvel that captures the eye and distracts it from what was hidden underneath, bolstering her image (stereotyped) as the luscious, undulating brainless female.

Monroe is also considered to be an icon of modernity, femininity and death. She signified whiteness in contrast with other screen goddesses and icons of sexuality who had a similar non-coded iconographic message, unleashing the racialisation of sexuality and visual pleasure of the 1950’s.

Born on June 1st, 1926, she had a tragic childhood – her father bludgeoned to death and her mother admitted to a metal institution made her a ward of the Los Angeles County. Monroe looked at movies as a great source of education and escape for her as a teenager. Out of work and hungry, she posed nude for a calendar in 1949, launching her image as a sex symbol, a key signifier. Both her dreams and desperation can be connoted from this image – her childishly innocent blank expression and her sexual appeal that could unhitch the suspenders of even the most obdurate men.

The film, Niagara (1953) boosted Monroe’s popularity. In the film, she was described as sensational. The film accentuated the sensual undertone, so long apparent in her personality, and capitalised heavily on her sex appeal, enticed with a red low cut dress. She gave the kind of serpentine performance that made the audience hate her while admiring her, a message that can be directly identified from her image – She was the envy of many women but also the hate of many others. She continued to specialise in the genre in which people liked her best; double entendre comedy as what she represented in this image - the seductive naive blonde.

Monroe was persona non grata with producers, directors and co-stars. During productions she was either ill, very late, or absent. She was unreasonably un-cooperative, and even the simplest scene had to be done over 30 times to get it right. Despite her limitations as an actress, her sex-appeal was so potent it transcended her shortcomings. The Seven Year Itch (1954) was famous only for the subway grating sequence in which Monroe’s skirt blows up in a gust of wind. In 1959, she made Some Like It Hot. In this film too, she was the epitome of the dumb blonde, a stereotype myth that has lasted till today.

Like this image shown, it can be connoted that was that she was a woman’s beauty with a child’s mind. Success went to her head, thus damaging her judgment. The mistakes that she soon plunged into pulled her into the abyss of despair, booze, drugs and men. She could see no way out of her morass of disaster and with her double personality; she was the architect of her own doom. A drug overdose took her life shortly after Fox fired her from the production of Something’s Got To Give.

The inexorable myth of Marilyn Monroe leaps into every new year making her images a greatest symbol of femininity, a consensus that is still generally conceded to this day. Even though the public rarely dwells on the plaudits of yesteryear, her name and image remains undiminished, turning her unprecedented life, into an everlasting legend.

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John F. Kennedy Essay

November 22, 1963, from Dallas, Texas, gunshots rang out in Dealey Plaza around 12:15 in the afternoon, causing the entire world to stand on edge as the last fatal bullet burst through the young man’s head. “The President has been shot” were the cries from the on looking civilians there in Texas that day who witnessed the horrid sight of the President’s life being swept away from him! On this day in 1963 one or more assassins shot John F. Kennedy to death; on this day the President of the United States was killed! A sad fact also is that most Americans only have the knowledge of Mr. Kennedy’s death and not about his entire life. John Kennedy had many great events occur in his young life. For a man to have lived as short of a life as John did, he sure did some outstanding things, many of which are discussed in this paper.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, and was the second of nine children by Joseph Patrick and Rose Kennedy. The Kennedy family had long been active in politics and Joseph Kennedy had attained a fortune through motion pictures, shipbuilding, real estate, and stock-market speculation. In short, the Kennedy family was used to wealth and popularity.

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When John was thirteen years old Joseph, his father, enrolled John at Canterbury School in New Milford, Connecticut. John however became very ill and never returned to the school; later he would graduate from Choate Preparatory school in Wallingford, Connecticut. Kennedy entered college at Princeton for a short while, yet his illnesses forced him to leave school and finish his studies later at Harvard College. John also, despite his very frequent illnesses, was a good athlete, participating in football and swimming. Swimming however was John’s favorite sport and he won the intercollegiate sailing title along with his older brother, Joe. John was forced to retire from football, however, because of a spine injury he received in practice.

December 1941, enemy Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor, a United States naval base. This act forced the United States into World War II. Young Kennedy hoped to fly in the war, yet in the spring of 1941 the army rejected him because of his back injury. Seeking to see the action of war, Kennedy passed the United States Navy physical examination after a five-month program of special exercise. Kennedy assumed the role of commander on PT boat 109 in the South Pacific. John was an excellent captain, while he also maintaining a friendly atmosphere with his crewmen. On August of 1943 disaster struck again, as a Japanese destroyer rammed Kennedy’s boat in waters off the coast of New Georgia in the Solomon Islands. The boat was nearly sliced in half like a hot knife through butter! Two of the twelve crewmen were killed! The surviving members of the crew desperately clung to the wreckage of the PT boat, as they waited for help to come, unfortunately help never came. After giving up hope for a rescue the crew swam to shore on a small island three miles away. John clinched the life jacket of a wounded crewmember in his teeth and towed the man to shore! If this bravery wasn’t enough, for the next four days John swam along the water route that he knew American ships used, until finally meeting friendly natives on Cross Island. The natives took Kennedy’s message of help, engraved on a coconut shell, to the United States infantry patrol and finally a rescue was made. For his heroism Kennedy received the U.S Navy and Marine Corps Medal. Unfortunately, an attack of malaria and the recurrence of his back problem forced him to the U.S. to undergo medical treatment.

Joe Kennedy, John’s brother, had been killed in 1944 on a bombing mission over Belgium. Up until this point Joe had been the one in the family who hoped to have a career in politics, yet when Joe died it was then John’s turn to assume this role. John sought and did win the Democratic nomination for Representative in the 11th Congressional District of Massachusetts, by 42% of the votes. John then moved on to beat his Republican opponent and became a congressmen at the young age of only twenty-nine! Kennedy often supported legislation that would serve the interests of his constituents. Kennedy did not particularly like the Truman doctrine, so often time he would vote with the Republican’s against bills and such sponsored by the Truman administration. Kennedy also rebuked the Truman administration because of the lack of support against China. The Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek, once supported by the United States, was unable to bear the advance of the dreaded Communist forces. Around the end of 1949 Chiang Kai-shek’s troops had been utterly defeated by Mao Zedong’s Communists forces. Kennedy felt like if he were in power as president, then these situations would have been handled with much more care and concern. Little did John know, he would soon have his opporuninty to deal with foreign affairs of the world, such as the “Bay of Pigs” invasion.

In 1952 John Kennedy decided to run against Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., a Republican Senator, as a candidate for the Senate from Massachusetts. Kennedy however was not known very well outside his congressional district, so he began campaigning, meeting thousands of people in the two years before the election. Kennedy took the seat for the Senate by defeating Lodge by about 70,000 votes, and promising to do more for the state of Massachusetts than Lodge had ever done. In John’s first two years as senator he backed legislation beneficial to Massachusetts fishing, textile, and its transportation systems. In 1953, much to the dismay of many, John supported the Saint Lawrence Seaway project. Also in 1955, he supported the Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act which gave the president the power to lower United States taxes on imported goods.

Kennedy began to speak out on his views on foreign affairs with the United States, and in 1957 John Kennedy became a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Gradually John became more and more accustom to speaking out about these foreign entanglements. Kennedy believed and spoke about increasing the United States economic aid for the underdeveloped countries. Little by little Kennedy began to grow in fame and began to gather a following due to his beliefs on the handling of foreign affairs. Kennedy’s ideas helped contribute to the Landrum-Griffin Law, which guaranteed the rights of union members to union meetings, free speech and assembly, and the election of union officers by secret ballot. As chairman of the Senate Reorganization Subcommittee, John Kennedy supported many of the proposals of the commissions led by President Herbert Hoover on improving the federal government and also translating it into law. John also served on the Senate Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor Field, of which his brother Robert was the chief counsel. Often the family would help their brother John out by campaigning for him or just helping make decisions on the troubles at the time.

Almost as soon as the 1956 election was over John Kennedy began working to become the 1960 Democratic presidential nominee, yet he faced many obstacles. Many of the party leaders considered him too young and inexperienced for the role of becoming the president. Also Kennedy was a Roman Catholic and many doubted if he could even win with this “monkey” on his back. Nevertheless, Kennedy still announced his candidacy very early in 1960, and by the time the Democratic National Convention opened, he had already won seven primary victories. Kennedy even managed to win in the Protestant State of West Virginia, even though he was a Catholic. Lyndon Johnson, Kennedy’s strongest challenge, was persuaded to become Kennedy’s running mate. A few days later, the Republicans nominated the Vice President, Richard Nixon, for president. Kennedy and Nixon would have the closest race ever up until the 2000 election between Al Gore and George W. Bush. Kennedy would end up defeating Richard Nixon by only 113,000 votes. He won 49.7 % of the popular vote, and Nixon won 49.6%! The race was won by Kennedy, because he won most of the larger states in the northeastern United States, receiving 303 electoral votes to Nixon’s 219.

John F. Kennedy was inaugurated on January 20, 1961. In his speech that day Kennedy said this,
“Let the word go forth from this time and place to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans-born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage-and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.”

In this speech Kennedy issued a challenge to the citizens of the United States. We should all rise up and know that the “torch has been passed”, and we all should pick up the torch and run with it, carrying the pride of the “red, white, and blue”. “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”, were Kennedy’s exact words in this challenge he gave the American people.

During Kennedy’s first year in office he began to enact a new type of legislature, this also increased his popularity with the people. The most original piece of legislation that Kennedy put together through Congress was the bill that created the Peace Corps. This organization was a group of trained American volunteers who helped people in foreign lands deal with many hardships. After just a few years volunteers from the Peace Corps were working in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

One of the things Kennedy did, while in the office of President, that most people remember was that he proposed many of our civil rights laws. Kennedy was in no way responsible for the outburst of the civil rights movement, yet he did try to control it with all the new laws he passed. Kennedy particularly wanted to end discrimination in federally financed projects or in companies that were doing business with the government. In June of 1963, Governor George Wallace of Alabama prevented two blacks from enrolling at the University of Alabama. This act forced Kennedy to send the Alabama National Guard to aid in the uproar that was proceeding at the university.

Kennedy also projected the right for blacks to vote in some of his civil rights bills. Also John Kennedy asked that congress pass other civil rights bills for blacks to have equal access to jobs, to attend public schools, and to have access to public accommodations. In one of his civil rights speeches Kennedy stated that "Now the time has come for this nation to fulfill its promises…. To act, to make a commitment it has not fully made in this century to the proposition that race has no place in American life or law”. In opinion polls taken at that time, Kennedy was shown to have be losing much of his popularity because of all stand on the civil rights. This fact however did not stop John F. Kennedy, although it was true that he was not a perfect man, it was true that he stood for what he believed in and practiced what he preached.

Sadly though after only about three years in the office of president, John F Kennedy was shot to death on November 22, 1963. No one knows John F Kennedy as an old man. We still have him pictured, today, as a young handsome hero, just like all the storybook pictures have him depicted. For this fact, we shall never know what John Kennedy was like when he grew older. This is why the legacy of John Fitzgerald Kennedy lives on in our minds even today. Even today he is that handsome looking president who shall always live in our hearts as invincible!

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Judaism Essay

For thousands of years of intense persecution Judaism has survived. How is Judaism defined and what does it mean? How does one become a Jew; or, what makes one a Jew? How has this group of individuals survived through all these years? Although these questions may not have finite answers, what follows are my opinions.

Judaism is a monotheistic religion, which believes in a single creator, which created everything in the world, and that everything has a purpose and a meaning. It is a religion developed by ancient Hebrews many years ago and arguably the first monotheistic religion. They believed in one God who chose to watch over and protect them.

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They also believed religious rituals and the ethical treatment of fellow humans, which leads to the Ten Commandments. Judaism can also be defined as the Ten Commandments. When they accepted the commandments from God they took an oath to follow its code and laws. Defining Judaism is a hard task and I believe that it's significant or definition has multiple meanings.

The Jewish people are not considered a race, nor do they share the same ancestral background, making the question of what makes one a Jew a hard question to answer. Jews can be black, white, Hispanic, or any other race that lives all over the world. There are many reasons why one might chose to become Jewish. One might be involved in a relationship with someone who is Jewish and wants to unite the family religiously. Others could be on a spiritual path leading them to convert to Judaism. Some are just born into the world as a Jew. Although I'm not sure what the answer is to what makes one a Jew; I think it comes down to each individual and his or her belief in the Judaism traditions.

Judaism has been around for thousands of years because they believe that all people of all religions are children of God, and therefore equal before God. They have been tortured, exiled, and kicked out of almost everywhere they have called home, but after thousands of years, their faith in God has prevailed, believing that God will take care of them in the end. I believe one major reason the faith has continued through the years is they pass their beliefs and traditions through education and ritual. This aids in the survival from one generation to the next. Jewish children are exposed to Jewish traditions at an early age through education, prayer, and other religious ceremonies in their everyday life. The "glue" which has held Judaism together over the years is by educating education and scripture.

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Jesus Christ Essay

Jesus is standing alone in a desert oasis. A gentle breeze flutters the leaves of the stately palms behind him. Soft Mideastern music caresses the air. Jesus holds in his have a bottle of wine at which he gazes adoringly. Turning toward the camera, he says, “When I transformed water into wine at Cana, this is what I had in mind”. Why in the world would Jesus say something like this? He wouldn’t. This is the image our society has of Him. Personally it really irks me that someone would stoop to such a level as to put Him in a wine commercial.

One of the most controversial subjects in our world today has been whether or not Jesus Christ was actually resurrected. When people are asked whether or not they believe Jesus was raised from the dead, they usually give a straight yes or no answer, but they can’t explain why they believe that to be true. Personally, I believe Jesus was raised from the dead because there is factual evidence. One thing is for sure, however, the resurrection is either one of the most wicked, vicious, heartless hoaxes ever to be know by human beings, or it is the most amazing thing to happen in our history.

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First, is the New Testament really reliable? Some critics say that most of the manuscripts that were found, were written several decades after the supposed resurrection. However, by the end of the nineteenth century, archaeological discoveries of early papyri, written scrolls made from a papyrus plant, bridged the gap between the time of Christ and those manuscripts from a later date. Going along with these discoveries, many other manuscripts came to light, and now over 24,000 early New Testament manuscripts are known to be in existence today. These findings have increased the confidence of scholars in the reliability in the Bible. William F. Albright, one of the world’s best biblical archaeologist, said, “We can already say emphatically that there is no longer any solid basis for dating any book of the New Testament after about A.D. 80, two full generations before the date between 130 and 150 given by the more radical New Testament critics of today”.

Now there is the question of whether or not someone could have possibly just pillaged Jesus’ tomb and took his body. A little background about Jesus’ burial shows that, as was the Jewish custom, Jesus was wrapped in a linen cloth, and this cloth was bound to him by mixing about 100 spices to make a sticky substance. After he was placed in the solid, rock tomb, an extremely large stone was put in the opening. This stone probably weighed about two tons which was usually rolled using some kind of lever. After that, they had many Roman guards place a Roman seal on the tomb and then stand watch. Somehow three days later, Jesus disappears from the tomb and appears to his disciples and many other followers.

So what does this have to do with the resurrection? Well there is the obvious fact that his tomb was empty. Paul Althaus states that the resurrection “could not have been maintained in Jerusalem for a single day, for a single hour if the emptiness of the tomb had not been established as a fact for all concerned.” Both Jews and Romans admit to an empty tomb, but it can’t be said that the tomb was completely empty. Those who had investigated the tomb had found Jesus’ linen wrapping where it was supposed to be. There was just one interesting fact about that. The wrapping was still in the form of a body just slightly caved in and empty.

Next, would be the breaking of the Roman seal. This seal stood for the power and authority of the Roman empire. The consequences of breaking that seal were extremely severe. Once they found that the seal was broken they would send out people to apprehend the person or persons who had broken it. They were then executed by being placed on the crucifix upside down. The people were fearful after the breaking of that seal. Even Jesus’ disciples went into hiding. One of them even denied he knew Jesus. I seriously doubt anyone would be foolish enough to try and steal the body.

What about the stone that covered the tomb? Those who had seen the stone after the resurrection describe it as having been rolled up on a slope away not just from the entrance of the tomb, but away from the tomb all together. They said it had looked as though it had been picked up and carried away. I don’t see how anyone could have moved that large rock. Especially without waking up all those guards. Anyway I seriously doubt that they would all fall asleep considering how harsh punishment would be if they had failed in the task that was assigned to them. Dr. George Currie, a student of Roman military discipline, wrote that fear of punishment “produced flawless attention to duty especially in the night watches.”

Then I would assume that the extreme amount of witnesses would suffice for confirming the resurrection. One of the earliest records is a letter written within thirty years of the resurrection. It states that Christ had been seen by more than 500 people at one time. The writer also reminded people during that time that the people were still alive and could be questioned.

It is also argued that Christ only appeared to his followers. That is not all that true. What about Saul of Tarsus? He despised Jesus with all of his soul and spent a great deal of time persecuting Jesus and his followers. When Christ appeared to him, he became a follower. So in a way the statement that he only appeared to his followers is true because most of the non-believers he appeared before became believers and followers of Christ.

Of course this is just my interpretation of the records. Everyone has his or her own opinions about the resurrection. There are just too many facts that I cannot ignore. There is the empty tomb, the broken seal, the linen wrappings, and the witnesses. In my mind and through these facts Jesus had been resurrected. For those who don’t believe despite the factual evidence, produce a body and then we will talk.

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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Emily Dickinson Essay

Emily Dickinson was an American lyrical poet. Dickinson was an obsessively private person who devoted her self in secret to writing. She has often been referred to as a writer before her time. Her work was completely original, stemming from much of her own personal experiences.

Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on December 10, 1830 (McNeil, xii). She was the second child of Edward Dickinson, a prominent lawyer, and Emily Norcross Dickinson. Emily Dickinson had an older brother, Austin, and a younger sister, Lavinia. The children were raised as Christians in the Puritan religion (Rogers, 49). This Puritan upbringing had a great influence on much of Dickinson’s works.

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At the age of 17, Emily was sent to the Holyoke Female Seminary. This was after she had spent seven years attending Amherst College, where her father was the treasurer. Despite her academic success, after one year at the Holyoke Female Seminary she left, due to homesickness (“Emily”).

During Emily’s teen years she remained fairly social, but by the age of 22-23, she had begun to begin her life of isolation. She kept few associates outside of her immediate family and a few close friends. Despite this fact, Emily maintained over 100 relatively strong friendships via letters (Rogers, 49). Many of these letters contained a number of Emily’s poems.

By the late 1860’s, Dickinson lived in complete isolation, refusing to see many visitors. The people she did, however, come in contact with, were ones she met during various trips. These individuals seemed to have a huge impact on her writings. One such individual was Reverend Charles Wadsworth, whom she met on a trip to Philadelphia. After his departure from a short visit to her home in 1860, Dickinson began writing much more heartsick versus (“Emily”).

Emily Dickinson’s work was influenced greatly by poets such as Robert Browning, John Keats and Elizabeth Barrett. Shakespeare, the Bible and classic mythology also had a great influence on her writing (Rogers, 49). When the civil war began, one can see the emotional turmoil that was produced by this event through Dickinson’s work.

In June of 1884, Emily had her first attack of kidney disease, and at the age of 56, on May 15, 1886, Emily finally succumbed to this disease (McNeil, xvi). After her death, Emily’s sister, Lavinia, upon going through her possessions, discovered over 900 poems. Deciding to publish these works, Lavinia co-edited three volumes of poems during the 1890’s, although it was not until about 1955 that the complete collection was published (Rogers, 49). In Dickinson’s lifetime only 10 of her works were published.

Emily Dickinson lived a life of solitude. As a result of this life, Emily was able to focus more sharply on her world. She was both innovative and original in her poetic works. Although Emily Dickinson was never fully recognized for her works during her life time, she has now taken her place alongside of Walt Whitmore as one of the two great American Poets of the nineteenth century (McNeil, 2).

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Global Warming Essay

Global warming is one of the most challenging environmental problems in existence today. It threatens the health of the earth’s inhabitants and the world’s economies every day. With global warming comes longer and more intense heat waves and storms. Along with those climate changes, come more pests which in turn can carry devastating diseases. Forestry and farming are feeling the negative impact of global warming and we’re also seeing traces of a devastated ecosystem. To prevent further damage and begin repairing the damaging effects of global warming, policies must be implemented and diligently enforced.

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Energy conservation is the only policy that I would put into effect. This policy would be very broad; encompassing as many aspects of energy use as possible.

The first item on the table would be to force automobile manufacturers to only produce vehicles with high MPG ratings and eventually to develop new models that are not run on gasoline alone. Such vehicles are known as hybrids and are run on a combination of electricity and gasoline. Currently, the technology is available to manufacture cars with 40+ mpg ratings, however, the concern lies with the increasing number of trucks and SUVs that are known worldwide as “gas-guzzlers”. These larger vehicles are becoming more and more prevalent and currently do not meet any efficiency standards. Requiring that all new SUVs and trucks from this point forward be as fuel efficient as their smaller counterparts, would be a large step in the way of vehicle efficiency and pave the way for less gasoline reliance. This in turn will allow for fewer emissions of carbon dioxide from the vehicles that we have all come to rely on for our sole source of transportation.

The next policy to implement would be that technology be developed to make all appliances run efficiently; from refrigerators and stoves on down to video game equipment and lamps. Every piece of machinery or device that we own uses energy in some way, shape, or form. Large pieces of industrial equipment and even residential equipment require a lot of energy to run thereby contributing to the world’s air pollution. If we would require that manufacturers of such items follow strict guidelines of energy efficiency, not only would users save money, but energy use would be at a minimum and thus, less air pollution would be created.

Some headway is being made in this area, but not enough and not nearly fast enough. We see most progress being made in the residential areas: examples are Energy Star appliances and compact, fluorescent light bulbs. However, everything coming onto the market needs to be required to be energy efficient according to pre-determined standards and we can’t continue to bypass the industrial aspect of this.

The last policy that I would implement revolves around recycling. I would require that all packaging be recyclable and that it be made from recycled materials. Recycling helps the environment by conserving our natural resources, saving energy, reducing air and water pollution, and reducing the need for landfill space.

Currently, many recycling programs are in place worldwide, but there are no policies that enforce its unequivocal use, yet this is one of the easiest ways of protecting our environment. In order for my policy to be successful, all businesses and consumers need to actively participate. Following the reduce, reuse, and recycle methodology will help to reduce the amount of energy that is used during the elimination of waste products.

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HR Management Essay

This essay will evaluate the role of human resource management (HRM) in the strategic process. This will include the function of recruitment and training programs in HRM, the concept of strategic fit and how human resource management can lead to a competitive advantage. The manner in which an organization’s personnel are managed has a tangible influence on the productivity of the employees, which ultimately acts upon the firm’s bottom line. Corporate success is dependent upon the integration of the human resource plan and the corporate strategic plan. It has become a prominent part of business management, that people provide organizations with an important source of sustainable competitive advantage and that the effective management of human capital, not physical capital, may be the ultimate determinant of organizational performance (Youndt, Snell, Dean, Jr, & Lepak, 1996).

The relationship between the strategic planning of an organization’s people and the overall strategy is being increasingly recognized as one of great importance. A growing recognition of human resources as being a company’s most important asset has, and will continue to, changes the focus of strategic planning. It is no longer acceptable to exclusively plan for those assets that will appear on the balance sheet. A plan integrating human resource management and the overall strategic plan is necessary, such that the management of people is not a distinct function, but acts as a medium through which all other business strategies are implemented (Armstrong and Long, 1994: p. 42). In essence, the competitive, human resource, and structural strategies should all be linked in a systemic and dynamic fashion (Boxall, 1996: p. 61).

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The purpose of HRM is to anticipate changes within the employee framework, thereby ensuring that the organizational objectives are fulfilled (Nankervis, Compton and McCarthy, 1993: p. 53). This process is critical to the strategic objectives of the firm. If changes in the ‘people market’ can be anticipated, and if this is attended to at the senior level, human resource management (HRM) can act as a proactive advisor. However, the relationship between overall strategic planning and HRM is largely dependent on the perceptions of both HRM and senior management towards the contribution that the workforce can make to corporate success. For example, companies that are aware of the strategic value of human resources are more likely to integrate HRM with the overall strategic plan (Nankervis, Compton and McCarthy, 1993: p. 56).

Strategic human resource management (SHRM) is "the process of identifying the organization’s strategic goals and the use of these goals as the basis for personnel practices and procedures" (Butler, Ferris and Napier, 1991: p. 64). Comparing the performance of organizations that utilize it with those that do not can show the importance of SHRM. Numerous studies and reports have concluded from their study of the corporate sector that the strategic management of human resources leads to a competitive advantage, (see Collins, 1987; Butler, Ferris and Napier, 1991; Koch and McGrath, 1996; Armstrong and Long, 1994; Schuler and MacMillan, 1984; Pfeffer, 1995; Schuler and Jackson, 1987). Knowing, therefore, that the development of a strategy for HRM is beneficial, the setting of strategic objectives is necessary. The strategic objective includes the overall competitive objectives of the company, the formation of which is identified by the organization’s mission statement. By considering the environmental analysis (including industrial and economic factors) and an internal analysis (including strengths and weaknesses of the firm and human resources), the company is able to formulate an overall strategy, with a major contribution from HRM (Butler, Ferris and Napier, 1991: p. 67).

Human resource strategy and corporate strategy need to be integrated so that strategic harmony is developed between HRM and the business plan (Armstrong and Long, 1994: p. 43). Certain human resource strategies, particularly the accurate projection of human capital needs, and employee selection and development, will lead to superior workforce performance. If a firm is able to excel at creating a highly productive workforce through effective HR management programs, they will gain a competitive advantage (Koch and McGrath, 1996: p. 337; Schuler and MacMillan, 1984: p. 254). This gives the corporation an advantage that competitors will find difficult to replicate, and can lead to an increase in market share and company profits (Schuler and MacMillan, 1984: p. 241). The human resource management practices will not exclusively influence the success or failure of an organization, though they will be a critical factor.

An increasingly large number of corporations are now using HR practices to support their long-range business planning processes. An Australian study in 1992 found that 32% of those companies that regularly develop formal corporate plans have considerable input from the HR function (Nankervis, Compton and McCarthy, 1993: p. 56). In the four years since then, there have been a number of changes in workplace arrangements, particularly in regard to enterprise bargaining (CCH, 1995).

In this new economy, the expertise of each employee is regarded as a living asset, such that there is now much greater interest in the contribution of HRM to overall strategic planning. Since HRM deals with issues regarding people, it also has an ethical role to play. It is likely that any HR management will probably be influenced by the need for fairness and justice. If HRM is to contribute to the overall strategic planning within the organization, any ethical issues related to the personnel and the industry will be influential. The ethical management of human resources is also dependent upon an appropriate fit between HRM and the organization’s strategy. Essentially, "human resource management cannot be ethical unless it is strategic" (Miller, 1996: p. 16).

A fundamental division within strategic HRM is recruitment, the requirements of which are determined by the overall staffing requirements and strategies of the company. Developing a strategic approach to recruitment processes is therefore necessary to create a pool of appropriately qualified and experienced people so that selection can be initiated. A strategic examination of the organization’s needs by the HR management group will identify the type of person required for that type of job (Nankervis, Compton and McCarthy, 1993: p. 170). Choosing the right individual for each specific position is of immense importance in fulfilling the overall strategic plan of the organization. The failure to select the most effective person will "typically constrain a firm’s performance and lead, sooner or later, to its demise" (Boxall, 1996: p. 61). Strategy must be translated into selection requirements, and this is most effectively done by job analysis. This analysis will assess the consequence of any strategic change upon what people will do in their job and how they will do it. The job description will identify any modifications to the person specifications, and will present the various qualities needed in the employee (Evenden and Anderson, 1992, cited in Harrison, 1993: p. 228).

Training and development is another area of HRM that can contribute to the corporate strategy. To keep up with the changing HR requirements, training is needed to ensure that the skills and knowledge of the employees is at the required level. Reformation in the external and internal environments influence strategic change, such that static set of employee skills will often be inadequate (Butler, Ferris and Napier, 1991: p. 78). Furthermore, training can help to convey the expectations and overall strategy of the organization. In Karl Albrecht’s customer-focused model, he stated that "The methods of education, training and communication play a central part in helping everyone understand the customer’s needs and expectations, the vision, mission, and values of the organization, and the strategies for winning and keeping the customer’s business" (p. 68). However, there are some limitations to this premise. First, there must be a sufficient number of qualified people seeking employment. A shortage of labor significantly limits the options of finding the right people for the organization. Secondly, the organization must be able to provide adequate financial and managerial support to the recruitment, selection, and training programs outlined above. HR practices should be designed to positively support the organization’s strategic planning of cost leadership, differentiation, and training and development in what should be "a powerful combination of ‘internal’ and ‘external’ fit" (Boxall, 1996: p. 62). The concept of ‘fit’ refers to the integration of human resource management with the overall strategic objectives of the organization.

Success within an organization can be determined by establishing an external fit between organizational resources and environmental influences, and by developing an internal fit between the strategy, design and function of the firm. The SHRM team should have an external and an internal focus (Butler, Ferris and Napier, 1991: p. 79). This external focus refers to their association with the corporate strategy group and other leadership departments; internally, they are in the best position to analyze employee attitudes and capabilities. The development of a strategic fit has important ramifications for the HR function. The culture, strategic objectives, personnel policies and management behavior all influence the company’s people (Collins, 1987:p. 15; Rance, 1996). Tight fit is only possible when the senior management has a clear understanding of the firm’s direction, and is able to effectively communicate that to their subordinates (Dunn, 1995: p. 58). The objectives and manner in which they are to be achieved needs to be explained.

Effective communication is essential for HRM to have a constructive contribution to the overall strategy, and to allow the accomplishment of the strategic objectives (Collins, 1987: p. 15). Although HR management should be integrated with other strategies, problems are going to be encountered. Such as the diversity of strategic processes, levels and styles. If each strategic business unit in an organization develops their own HRM policy independently of other HRM policies it may be difficult to focus HR strategies on the needs of the firm. If the business strategy has not been clearly defined and understood or there is an absence of articulated business strategies, then it would be difficult to develop a complementary HRM strategy. The strategy formulation process is complex as a broad range of environmental factors influences the formation of a strategy. It may, therefore, be difficult to progress directly from corporate strategy to HR strategy.

In conclusion, above all else it is people who create and develop a competitive edge. The strategic planning of human resources can therefore make a significant contribution to the overall strategic plan by ensuring that the company has the right type of people with the required skills, and that they are managed productively. HRM can contribute to overall strategic planning by being involved in the internal and external analysis, by bringing attention to the role of the HR function in fulfilling the business plan, using effective HR management programs to create a highly productive workforce, assisting in the development of the formal corporate plan, planning and initiating recruitment, selection and training and development programs and developing a tight fit between organizational resources and employee capabilities. All human resource practices need to be linked to the competitive strategy. By amalgamating human resource management with the overall strategic plan, the organization will retain a flexible workforce, which can act as a business strength (Skelton, 1996). Torraco and Swanson (1995: p. 12) summed it up by saying: "Today, organization’s that are capable of rapidly responding to emerging business needs will succeed." This flexibility can only come through the contribution of human resource management to the overall strategic business plan.

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Anorexia Nervosa Essay

Anorexia Nervosa is a severe eating disorder that mainly affects teenage girls, however, it can affect men and women of all ages. There are many factors that contribute to a girl becoming anorexic, including low self-esteem and depression. Common features of anorexia include weight loss and behavior changes. The weight loss is gradual and often starts with a “perfectly normal weight reducing diet.”(Rowan) Although the only person who can cure anorexia is the person that suffers from it, there are some treatment options available today.

Many factors contribute to a girl becoming anorexic. A main one is an attempt to lose excess weight. Most anorexic girls do not have “excess weight” to lose, they only think they do. In fact, most often they are unhealthily thin. Oftentimes, the girl disregards the opinions of others and focuses on losing as much weight as she can. Attempts to make her stop are often met with hostility and even violence.(Rowan, Shelly)

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Another key factor that can lead to anorexia is depression. This can be associated with stress/pressure at school, home, or in relationships. Usually, an anorexic teenage girl comes from a family where the pressure to succeed is great. This leads to constant anxiety over big tests such as finals and S.A.T./A.C.T. exams. Because the girl has so much anxiety, problems in relationships often arise. If she has a boyfriend, he tends to feel neglected because the girl is constantly worried about her academics.(Rowan, Shelly)

A change in personality is a very common side effect of anorexia among teenage girls. In most cases, she becomes less outgoing and less fun to be with. This leads to her distancing herself from her friends, and she may seem to lose interest in everything except food and academics. In addition, the girl may become more organized and obsessive. She may also want to cook for the family and even encourage them to eat. Although these traits may have existed before the onset of anorexia, “they are usually accentuated by the disorder.”(Rowan)

Another common side effect of anorexia is the change in family relationships. Teenage girls suffering from anorexia have been known to “lose confidence and become less assertive, less argumentative, and more dependent.”(Rowan) The aforementioned personality changes are a warning sign to parents because teenagers are notorious for trying to be independent and being very argumentative. (Rowan)

Sometimes anorexia can go unnoticed for too long, due to the girl being able to deceive her parents. Such deceptions could take the form of hiding food at the dinner table or worse, bulimia. Bulimia is a disease, also mainly affecting teenage girls, in which a girl will eat a normal meal but, immediately afterwards, regurgitate it. Often coupled with anorexia because it is an easy way for a teenage girl to trick her parents into thinking that she is eating normally, bulimia is a serious threat. It can cause such bad side effects as tooth decay and bleeding within the throat. (Poppink, 10)

Because both anorexia and bulimia are such dangerous and harmful conditions, parents must watch very closely for all the following signs to determine if their child has anorexia and/or bulimia. In many cases, she becomes quieter, goes out less, and hides food at the dinner table so the parents will think she’s eating. Or, in the case of bulimia, frequently visits the bathroom after meals. (Shelly)

It is at this crucial time, when anorexia has fully set in, that the parents must be very observant and offer, if not force, help in any way they can. Symptoms worsen as the disease progresses and if gone untreated for a long time, anorexia can cause serious health problems and, in rare cases, death. (Poppink, 10)

Although anorexia is a serious and harmful condition, there are treatment options available. One option is therapy. Most often, the girl is keeping her feelings inside and that is what is making her depressed and, in turn, anorexic. All she may need is for someone to listen to her problems and offer some good advice. Therapy works well for cases in which the underlying problems may be fairly direct and easy to discuss and treat. However, if the problems are not easy to discuss or the girl refuses to go to therapy, other methods of treatment are available. (Hall, Ostroff, Rowan)

For teenage girls that refuse to talk about their problems with a therapist, another treatment option is a support group. There are many support groups for anorexics available both online and in person. One in particular, ANRED (Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders), works to prevent eating disorders through education, referrals, hot- lines, national and local training, and free support groups and research. (Hall, Ostroff)

Designed to serve the needs of anorexics, the specialized clinics offered by the Eating Disorder Unit are a good alternative. They use such techniques as peer support and rewards for improvement. In addition, they can last anywhere from a week to several months or, in extreme cases, years. (Rowan)

Anorexia is a serious disease and a very real threat to today’s teenage girls. It can be caused by depression, pressure, and by the false image that one is fat. Many serious side effects can result from anorexia, such as personality changes and bulimia. Warning signs for the disease include frequent visits to the bathroom after meals, increased obsessive behavior, and the girl becoming less social. Although the disease is serious, treatment options like support groups, therapy, and clinics are available. That battle against eating disorders is long and grueling, but it is one that must eventually be won.

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Monday, November 23, 2009

Drug Testing Essay

How often do you have to pee in a cup? Well if you work in a factory or for another big corporation you will have to do it quite frequently. Factories surprise you with a monthly random drug test, plus you have to take one every three months. If you give them reason to believe that you take drugs, they can give you multiple drug tests every week. Drug testing is reasonable for when you first get hired, and maybe if you come to work and your eyes are all bloodshot and you seem like you are on some sort of narcotic, but that should be the extent. I agree that drugs are becoming a giant problem in the world, and I also feel that the problem needs to be taken care of. I just feel that it shouldn’t be the factories job to take care of it.

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I feel that companies will get hurt as a result of these drug tests because they will make the employees take time away from work far to often, just so they can keep collecting everybody’s urine. When you get hired they make you take drug test, just so they know that you aren’t some kind of drug user. And you think they would be happy when you pass the drug test and they realize they hire someone who doesn’t do drugs. But when they next month comes around, they decide to have you take another random drug test. Then you start to ponder if you come off as some sort of drug user and begin to question how many people think you actually do drugs of some kind.

So the drug test could possibly make some people emotionally unstable and cause you some unwanted emotional distress. Then the factory will have an employee that can’t do their job the best that they can because they have so many thoughts floating through their head. So the drug testing can come back to hurt factories in some ways.
Drug testing can be good in some cases though. If you are taking narcotics on the job and are walking around stoned you should be given a drug test and then fired. You should also be given a drug test before you get hired, and the factory should give a whole facility drug test once every six months, and that would be sufficient. How many people want some kind of drug user to work in a factory and make the things that we use every day, because most people want things they use to be made properly. I know I don’t want them to be making the things I use on a daily basis. I’m sure a company owner who does support drug testing and enforces it is just trying to protect himself or herself from a law suit or accident in the workplace, so from the owners point of view a drug test is great so they aren’t forced to pay for a law suite. I feel that employers need to be given a good enough reason to have to force you to do a random drug test. You need to either show up late or miss work many days or just be doing a horrible job that could be linked back to some sort of drug use.

On the other hand the federal government made laws that protect us from invasions against our privacy. They are trying to just ignore these search and seizure laws and force people into taking a drug test, which clearly is an invasion of their privacy. What people do outside of work is their own business and now the government and your boss’s are trying to fire you for things that you like to do when you are relaxing, am I the only person that sees something wrong with this? I hope not, because people need to start standing up and refuse to take these drug tests. Next thing you know, instead of a urine test it will be a hair follicle test, and a hair follicle test will show if you have done any drug in the last five years. If you have it will turn out positive and will show that you are still enjoying that same drug. So if as a teenager you enjoyed a certain drug and then two years later you straighten up and realize how stupid you were for doing drugs and completely stop using them. When you go and try to get a job they will administer a hair follicle test, then when they get the results back you will not have a job because the test will show that you are still using drugs. Even though you stopped three years ago. So these drug tests can ruin people’s lives even though they are clean and have been clean for a while. Why should employers care about what employees do when they are not at work anyways? Does it affect your job the next day? No, the drug is worn off but they make you take a drug test and you get fired.

I for one feel I am obligated to stand up and fight for the freedom, because they are trying to take it away. I don’t do drugs, but I don’t like having to take the test to prove it. I like freedom and I just feel that they need to limit the drug testing to maybe once or twice in a year. I don’t see anything wrong with that, But when they do it more then five times in a year its getting a bit out of hand and they are taking the tests a bit to seriously. I just don’t feel it should be the workplaces job to try and control drug usage by giving mandatory tests. When I am working I want to actually be working instead of filling a cup. And I don’t want to receive emotional distress while working. I know that since I am against the drug testing that I will look like I have something to hide, but I don’t. I feel that if we let people invade our privacy with this, that they won’t stop till we have no privacy whatsoever, and wasn’t America created because people wanted freedom. So this drug testing could be more important in the long run, you just have to look at the bigger picture and decide if you really want to take a drug multiple drug tests in a month or not.

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The Great Depression Essay

The Great Depression... The year was 1929. Lifestyles, family, and employment in the United States, up until then, was great. Herbert Hoover was in the White House and millions upon millions of stocks were being traded on the New York Stock Exchange. On October 24, 1929; people sold their stocks more furiously than before. As many as 1.1 billion shares were traded on the New York Stock Exchange on October 29, 1929 (3, 17). "During this period, the market value of all stocks jumped from twenty-seven billion dollars to sixty-seven and a half billion dollars (3, 17)!" But on the October 29th, "Black Tuesday", so many shares were sold that the market collapsed completely.

When the stock market crashed, President Hoover attempted to prevent it from deepening business activity, wages, and spending (1, 35). Immediately, it affected the poor and the middle class, who kept their entire savings in banks and savings and loans. Their financial institutions closed due to the fact that they invested their depositor's funds within the stock market. All of this, plus poor banking practices and a government that allowed businesses to do whatever they wished, were determined to be the main causes of the Great Depression. Prior to October 1929, Americans began to realize that they were not living through a mere monetary panic. They were in fact, trapped. It was to be the greatest financial crisis of their era.

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"First came the dramatic drop of stock prices. The years 1930 and 1931 were marked by serious declines in industrial production and exports. By 1932, these consequences were reflected in massive unemployment" (3, 3). Hoover's tactics basically stunk, and the depression gradually worsened during 1930 (1, 35). "Hoover's attempt to ward off a depression rather than simply waiting for the economy to readjust represented a major new departure in American public policy" (1, 35). President Hoover had also conceded to farm organizations and farm state congressmen, to create a federal way to increase prices of farm commodities (1, 42). In addition to these trends at home, the United States was affected by an international economic crisis (3, np). "What millions of people realized during the four years of Hoover's presidency was the efforts to relieve unemployment and social distress such as hunger, homelessness, or medical rises, were inadequate in dealing with a situation of such wide scope as the Great Depression " (3, 3-4).

Several weaknesses in the economy, though, seemed to be operating. There were: maladjustment's created by technological changes, unequal distribution of the national income, stock market abuse, weaknesses in the architecture of large corporations, and questionable policies of the federal government (3, 15). By 1929, two hundred large corporations in the United States controlled forty-nine percent of all corporate assets and received forty-three percent of all corporate income (3, 16). "A second way corporate structure contributed to the Depression was through the abuse of holding companies. Holding companies were those that held stock in hundreds of subsidiary corporations, following a practice known as pyramiding, especially in the field of public utilities" (3, 16-17). Oligopoly contributed to the Depression by tending to lead to price rigidity and tended to set arbitrary "administered prices". Those prices were those not determined by supply and demand (3, 16). To some extent, excessive speculation on the stock market contributed to the outbreak of the Great Depression (3, 17).By late 1931, American's economic condition had become desperate. It worsened during the next year as well. Farm prices dropped by fifty-five percent between 1929 and 1932 which lowered farm income and worsened the burden of fixed debt most farmers were carrying (1, 9). Hundreds of thousands of farm families, many from the Dust Bowl states, lost their farms and thus became seasonal farm workers (1, 10). The Dust Bowl was a fifty million acre area stretching from Texas to North Dakota (5, 15). During the darkest hours of the depression, farmers and workers that grew up there became so desperate that some observers believed the country was ripe for violent revolution (5, 17). "A terrible drought, that lasted for 7 years, struck the Midwest in 1931" (5, 15). The drought shriveled all crops in the Southwest (6, np). During the Dust Bowl; men, women and children took to jalopies and drove onto the Old West for work (6, np). "Farms that lost money, were seized by banks for nonpayment of loans and were auctioned off to the highest bidder" (5, 11). During the cold months, people put newspapers under their clothes to keep the cold off. Others walked along with cardboard stuffed into their shoes to cover up the holes (5, 11). "The very symbol of the depression were breadlines; a block long line of people waiting to get free food from missions or welfare agencies" (5, 11-12).

On November 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to the first of four terms as President of the United States. In March 1932, there were thirteen million unemployed Americans, and almost every bank had been closed. Within 3 months of the '32 election, Roosevelt declared a national bank holiday. "Within days, he rushed legislation, and put the Emergency Bank Act of 1933" into effect (1, 39). The president communicated to the people by explaining his actions in chatty, radio talks "fireside chats" (1, 39). In his first "one hundred days" he proposed, and Congress enacted, a sweeping program to bring recovery to business and agriculture, he also brought relief to the unemployed, and to those in danger of losing farms and homes, the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority reform (1, 39). The Tennessee Valley Authority (T.V.A.) launched an ambitious construction project designed to harness the Tennessee River and provide electrical power to much of the rural south (5, 21). "Hope, for the time being, replaced despair. Critics fell silent, and Americans of all classes and conditions, from business moguls to dirt farmers, rallied around what the newspaper people, called 'The New Deal'" (1, 39). The "Brains Trust" of three professors, Raymond Moley, Rexford G. Tugwell, and Adolph A. Berle, contributed substantially to the shaping of the New Deal program that emerged during the First Hundred Days (1, 40). By 1935, the nation had achieved some measure of recovery, but businessmen and bankers were turning more and more against Roosevelt's New Deal. They feared his experiments, were appalled because he had taken the nation off the gold standard, allowed deficits, and disliked the concessions to labor (1, np). But thirty-two agencies, corporations, administrations, projects, acts, and leagues were created all during F.D.R.'s four-term presidency (1, np).

In 1936, Franklin Roosevelt was reelected President for a second term. By 1937, the unemployment statistics, which first had begun to recede, now approached the 10-million mark (5, 24). In September 1938, Ѕ million workers worked in work camps created by the New Deal (6, np). Single men from ages 18-25 in good health were employed to work in their New Deal camps. They were paid thirty dollars a month, and sent the majority of that home to their families, who didn't have money (6, np). Henry Ford said without irony, "That young men and boys traveling through the country to find work were getting good education" (6, np).

"Even during the frustrating years of the depression, however, people found ways to have fun. Family entertainment had to be inexpensive. Chess, checkers, and card games enjoyed great popularity" (5, 28). All families enjoyed listening to radio programs. The favorites among the depression-weary people were comedy and musical-variety shows (5, 29). "For a special treat, a family could go to the movies. Ticket prices ranged from 10ў to twenty-five cents. More people saw the lavish Civil War drama Gone with the Wind than any other movie of its time. The movie fantasy The Wizard of Oz remains a favorite today" (5, 30).

Due to the fact that the banks invested their depositors' funds in the stock market; plus poor banking practices and a government that allowed businesses to do whatever they wished, were determined to be the main causes of the Great Depression. The Great Depression was a worldwide calamity and contributed to the rise of totalitarian governments. The increased production of weapons and other war materials gave steam to the economy and provided thousands of new jobs (6, np). But in a twist of irony, the United States simply went from one crisis to another. The 1940s brought America out of the depression-and into the bloodiest war in world history. Today some people romanticize the hardships of the 1930s. They claim that the depression toughened Americans and was, in the long run, good for the country. But most of those who lived through the era, and felt its heartbreak, disagree.

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The Battle of Gettysburg Essay

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought from July 1 – July 3, 1863 and is most commonly considered as the turning point in the American Civil War. It was fought between the Union, which was the North, and the Confederacy, which was the South. The majority of this war was based on slavery and whether it should be allowed in America or not, however, state sovereignty also took on a major role in the conflict. The Confederacy, consisting of eleven southern states, had seceded from the Union, which consisted of 23, in hopes of being recognized as an independent nation with their own rules and regulations, but the Union was not about to let that happen. Arguments over slavery became a heated topic, and eventually led to violence. An example of this would be the Charles Sumner incident, or the various fistfights in Congress. Regardless of what had gone on in the past, war now seemed inevitable.

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Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: The battle began on July 1, 1863, just Northwest of Gettysburg on Cashtown Road. It was here that the Confederate cavalry ran into Union horsemen. The first shots were fired and both sides sent for reinforcements and back up. Unfortunately, the Confederacy recruits arrived first, and by afternoon had driven the Union South of town, where they rallied into defensive positions on Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Hill. Here, the battle would wage on until the following day.

July 2, 1863: By this morning, 150,000 Union and Confederate troops had converged on the little Pennsylvania town. The southerners occupied a line West of the Emmittsburg Road, along the Seminary Ridge. The northern men waited along Cemetery Ridge. Cemetery Ridge was a slightly more elevated crest that ran south toward two hills, Big and Little Round Top. General Robert E. Lee of the Confederacy called for an assault on the left, or southernmost end of the Union line. General Lee was a mystically skilled commander who constantly out-thought his attackers and forced them to assault him under bad conditions.

July 3, 1863: The battle was almost over. The Union had General George Gordon Meade, who was appointed commander of the Army of the Potomac after fighting in the battle of Chancellorsville. He was a brave and honorable man, who constantly pushed himself to the limits with his fighting tactics. General Meade continued to have his men stretch along Cemetery Ridge southbound, until they eventually had men fighting on Big Round Top. This final day of the battle was one of great tragedy for the Confederacy. At about three in the afternoon, General Lee ordered the most fateful assault of the war, against the center of the Union line. As the Confederate Brigades got closer, more and more were killed by canon fire. The Confederacy took control of some Union canons at one point, but had lost too many people on the way. Lee’s plan had failed, and he could do no more than understand that. The Confederacy never fully recovered from this battle, making it harder to win the Civil War later on.

Throughout the entire war, both sides had their advantages and disadvantages. The North had a free population of about 22 million, while the South had only 9 million, 4 million which were slaves. The North was a modern industrial power, while the South was overwhelmingly rural. The North processed nine–tenths of the nation’s industrial capacity, four–fifths of its bank capital, and three–fourths of its taxable wealth. The North financed 60 percent of its war effort through the sale of bonds in its prosperous region. Its paper currency inflated by only 80 percent during the whole war. The South, on the other hand, had to finance the war by printing paper money that inflated 9,000 percent in four years. To succeed, the South had only to defend their territory, and Northern armies had to operate in hostile territory in which transportation and communications was very difficult. All in all, the Union had more advanced weapons, accurate from beyond 300 yards away, and were just too much for the Confederacy.

The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most costly battles in terms of lives lost without a shadow of a doubt. In the end, the Union had 3,155 soldiers killed, 14,530 wounded, and 5,365 missing, which is a total of 23,040. The Confederacy had 2,600 - 4,500 killed, 12,800 wounded, and 5,250 missing, making a total of 20,650 - 25,000 +. There were many final outcomes to this battle, all which revolutionized the way we live today. The first was the fact that the Union had overtaken the Confederacy, making it one large nation…The United States of America. The Emancipation Proclamation was later established after the Civil War, freeing slaves in the South permanently. The U.S. was now a nation-state, but suffered incredible debt after the war, and the South remained the poorest region for a long time. Finally, the status of the Trans-Mississippi West was settled on Northern Terms.

To conclude, the Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most important battles for the Civil War. Indeed, it can be seen as the turning point of the Civil War, but many believe that holds not true. With swords and sabers, guns and canons, this Nation suffered and learned from its experiences, making it one of the greatest countries today. Although we lost many, many lives in this particular battle, we showed our ability to overcome domestic problems such as slavery and discrimination, and fully recover with flying colors…Red, White, and Blue.

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George Washington Essay

On 16 July 1790, President George Washington signed the "Act for establishing the temporary and permanent seat of the Government of the United States," commonly known as the Residence Act. This act established the District of Columbia on territory ceded by Virginia and Maryland, and it moved the seat of the federal government from New York City to Philadelphia, where it was supposed to remain until 1800. During the intervening period, the city on the Potomac River was to be made suitable for occupation by, at the very least, the three branches of government. The Residence Act also authorized Washington to appoint three commissioners to employ a team of surveyors for the district and supervise the construction of federal buildings. Among the commissioners top priorities were the construction of a residence for the president, called the President's House and the meeting place of congress the Capitol. On 22 January 1791, Washington appointed Daniel Carroll, Thomas Johnson, and David Stuart to be the first three commissioners of the District of Columbia (Richard Peters, ed., The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America.

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In March 1792, the D.C. Commissioners advertised a contest for the design of the presidential residence. They selected James Hoban's architectural plan in July 1792, and subsequently hired him to supervise its construction. The cornerstone of what was called the President's House was laid on 13 Oct. 1792 (see 13 Oct. 1792, DNA: RG 42, Records of the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, Proceedings, 1791-1802).

One problem encountered in the building of the President's House was that the house, as designed by Hoban, did not fill the space allotted by Pierre Charles L'Enfant in his plan of the Federal City. The D.C. Commissioners turned to GW for advice. On 2 August 1792, GW, David Stuart, and Daniel Carroll visited the site of the proposed house, and Stuart and Carroll recorded GW's opinion in a letter to D.C. Commissioner Thomas Johnson, written the next day: "On the whole he has concluded that the North front of the Building, should be brought up to the post fixed by Majr L'Enfant for the center of the North front--Among other reasons, it will be most in View to the Diagonals, and on E.W. Street, tho not so much so, from the Capitol as might be wished" (Daniel Carroll and David Stuart to Thomas Johnson, 3 Aug. 1792, in DNA: RG 42, Records of the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, Letters Sent, 1791-1867).

As it turned out, these changes promised to be quite expensive, and the commissioners told GW as much ( D.C. Commissioners to GW, 5 Jan. 1793 ) . For GW's reaction to the cost of adding to the President's House, see GW to the D.C. Commissioners, 3 Mar. 1793.

Soon after receiving this reply from GW, the commissioners wrote Hoban: "On reflecting on all Circumstances we believe it will be best to begin the Presidents House on the large plan with a present Intention of Dropping a Story in the Execution: It will according to your Idea described bring it on the whole, to much about the same Expence as in the smaller Length and Bredth, with the addition of the Story".

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Sunday, November 22, 2009

SARS Essay

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory sickness caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV. Researchers believe it originated from the Guangdong province in southern China. SARS was first reported in Asia on February 2003 by a man from Hanoi. He developed numerous breathing problems which led to him being dependent on ventilator support. Within a few months the virus had spread to over two dozen countries in North America, South American, Europe, and Asia.

SARS is a disease that affects the respiratory tract which enables you to breathe. The symptoms you get from SARS are very similar to the flu. You experience high fever, headaches, weakness, dry coughs, and breathing difficulties. Similar to catching a cold, SARS is spread through saliva caused by coughing or sneezing. The way that a person catches SARS is by close contact with an infected person. An infected person can infect people with a three foot radius by coughing or sneezing.

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The droplets from the cough or sneeze are propelled through the air and deposited on the mucus membranes of the mouth, nose, or eyes of the people nearby (CDC). SARS also can be spread by someone touching a surface that is contaminated with the virus and then touching their mouth, eyes, or nose (CDC). According to CDC, specific details of close contact that can result in catching SARS are as follows: having cared for or lived with someone with SARS. Examples of close contact include kissing or hugging, sharing eating or drinking utensils, talking to someone within three feet, and touching someone directly. Close contact does not include activities such as walking by a person or sitting across a waiting room or office for a brief time.
According to the World Health Association (WHO), 8,098 people became infected with SARS during its outbreak in 2003. Out of those 8,098 people that caught the virus, 774 died. In the United States, there were 192 cases of SARS. Most of these cases were from people traveling from other parts of the world. There were a very few cases in the United States compared to the rest of the world.

Even though SARS has not taken a major effect on the US, certain precautions due to the virus have become evident. The quarantine of thousands of residents in Toronto has put U.S. employers on alert. Some companies are taking steps to prevent exposure and to keep business flowing in the rare case that here is a major outbreak of the virus on our homeland. Some US businesses are going as far as quarantining company travelers, adding SARS policies to employee handbooks, and moving inventory to Europe to keep supplies flowing (Armour). The company Hallmark Cards asks its employees that have traveled to areas that are infected with SARS to check with the medical depart so they can have their temperature taken. Another company named Danfoss, which is an industrial controls manufacturer, has been moving inventory to Europe and North America—creating a reserve stock that can be used to supply clients (Armour). Mykrolis, a semiconductor firm, has a policy that requires that their workers that have been to affected areas to stay away from the office. Stuart Tison, a vice president in Allen, Texas, who traveled to Asia in May, was forced to be on ten day quarantine and worked from home (Armour). In China, he went to meetings wearing face masks and had to document every person that he met with that day.
Even though the cases of SARS in the US are very little; it still effects international business transactions with infected areas. About $1.2 billion in trade crosses the US-Canadian border every day, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce (Armour).

Another way that SARS has affected the United States is by travel. According to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management, about 20% of employers have reported cutbacks in business travel because of SARS, and 12% have received literature about SARS. “It’s important to make sure our employees know we’re somewhat prepared,” says Yvonne Ramirez-Lesce, human resources vice president (Armour).

According to the Canadian Press, if another outbreak of SARS happens; fewer people would have to be quarantined to prevent the spread of the disease. Canadian experts say if the disease returns it is unlikely there would be a repeat of the mass quarantining of contacts that sent an estimated 27,000 people in Toronto into quarantine (CP).

The question is: does SARS pose a major threat to America? The answer is no. If countries like Canada, who were affected by its impact massively, are not concerned, then why should we be? Unless a terrorist purposely releases a SARS outbreak, we won’t be affected by it. “There’s no doubt at all that…no matter who’s doing it or where in Canada, we won’t be using as much quarantine as we were in the first outbreak,” says Dr. Allison McGeer, an infection control specialist at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital who contracted SARS in the early days of the outbreak (CP). Comparing the SARS cases in America to the SARS cases in Canada, if they can contain it there, and not think of it as a big issue, then we shouldn’t even consider it a danger to American soil.

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Nature vs Nurture Essay

Nature versus Nurture, this statement causes quite a controversy, whether inherited genes or the environment influences and effects development of personality (our behavior, intelligence, and ability). Social scientists have struggled with this issue for centuries, whether our development is born (nature) or made (nurture). Some believe that it is strictly our genes; others believe it is the environment, and still others believe it is based on both, our genes and the environment. Either way, the debate continues on and will for centuries to come. There is still no clear conclusion to this debate and probably never will.

The nature side of this debate argues that a person development is based on what they are born with genetically. It is apparent that genes provide humans with their own physical equipment, our beginnings. Genes and chromosomes are passed on from each generation to the next, so with out heredity, humans would have nothing to hand down biologically to their descendants. This idea of genetics being purposeless is an inaccurate statement.

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On the other side of the debate, many studies have shown that a person’s environment plays a large role in their development. This is a less noticeable, influential factor on one’s life. The amount of nourishment a person receives has been proven to play a large part in development. A person’s environment also plays a role in early development; research has always shown that we flourish from early on with nurturing.

We all can remember the science experiment from grade school where we plant two seeds and grow them under different conditions. This is to show us nothing more than nature and nurture interacting.

The human nature – nurture debate is fueled by the fact that families’ basic nurturing capacity varies enormously by race and class. Also important to the nature versus nurture debate are the studies that have been done, most importantly the studies that have been done on twins. Mainly the studies on identical twins raised a part, have provided scientists with an opportunity to examine this relationship. Research has shown that identical twins will have personality traits in common, in later years, demonstrating the impact of nature. But on the other hand the environment in which they were raised shows an even more profound impact on their personality development, showing the strong impact of nurture. Identical twins factor out a unique opportunity to study affects of nature versus nurture. Identical twins factor out the nature (biological) component, since they share the same genetic make up. It is difficult to factor out the nurture side of identical twins in the same house but for identical twins raised a part, it provides evidence of the affects of nurture. This study was based on twins separated by divorce. Years later they were found to have some quirky habits in common, other than those habits, their personalities were different. For scientists the wide difference in personalities between the two seems to provide evidence of the impact of the environment on development.

The study of what happens to plants happens to children. Also. This was done using IQ scores as the replacement for nature and socioeconomic status as the substitute for nurture. The scientists then looked at the influence of genes on intelligence among the very poor. Using a database made up of pairs of twins, whom were given IQ tests and looking at differences between the identical and fraternal twins. It was concluded that the importance of the environment influenced IQs four times stronger in the poorer families than in affluent family. Hereditability of the IQ was seven times stronger in the wealthy families than in the poorer ones. This is just one study influencing nurturing. First, positive nurturing has the power to counter “bad” genes but also at a biological level to change the way particular genes operate so that what would otherwise be genetic vulnerability are transformed in to strengths. Second, we need to recognize that our interventions are often too little, too late, and too selective to address the cumulative nurturing imbalance.

There are many other studies on this debate. Studies on babies, for example the experiment on operant conditioning using an eleven-month-old baby, Albert, who was put in a room by himself with a white rat. Albert seemed to like the rat and would show affection to it. Whenever Albert would try to grab the rat, a loud, displeasing noise would sound. In the end, Albert was terrified of all white and furry objects.

Studies on children; example being, the study on whether children born first are more intelligent than their later-born siblings. This study concluded there was no relationship between a persons' intelligence and his time (placement) of birth. This seemed to confirm that heredity and environment are both influential. Our parents are our first teachers. The nurturing we receive from them is essential to normal cognitive, emotional, and physical development. Parents also attempt to install conformity and obedience, as well as teach us basic skills necessary for survival. A family’s race, religion, and social class also will influence the development of the child’s self-concept. Another study on children, who were institutionalized, showed that those children who received nurturing care versus those who did not, demonstrated higher intelligence and were less dependent on the institutionalized care. With out the nurturing, the human child is less likely to survive, much less survive.

Adoption studies have also shown that a person’s environment plays an important role in development. A study done with adoptive children raised in the same house had very similar IQs. This doesn’t seem to be considerable evidence, but these children had no biological genes. They were raised a like but were not genetically related, does help to influence the environment factor of nurturing.

Numerous studies have been conducted on twins, also, both identical and fraternal, raised together and apart, to compare the nature versus nurture debate. In general the twin studies have been conducted to determine the comparative influence of hereditability and environment. The findings are said to be more nature than nurture.

In the end, most studies concluded that 50% was determined by genetics (nature) and the other 50% determined by the environment (nurture).

My own study on twins involved Lee and Linda, two identical twins raised together, and to this day most cannot tell them apart and they still sometimes dress the same. I spoke with them for a couple of hours and asked numerous questions.

Some questions I asked were as follows:
1. Do the two of you ever desire to be the other? They both answered no, they both said they are almost the other because they are so a like in so many ways. The only difference is one experienced childbirth and the other had not, but she did raise her husbands’ children.
2. Do the two of you ever seek competition with each other? Yes, they do like to compete against each other, such as games, which most people do what to exercise some competitiveness in their life.
3. Did you attend different classes in school? It is said that a lot of schools do not let twins be in the same classroom together. They both said they went to the same classes and thought that the reason they weren’t separated was because it was a small school.
4. Your worst experience? Both stated losing their father was the worst.
5. Your best experience? Lee stated giving birth, Linda stated watching her nieces graduate college.
6. What kind of grades did the two of you earn in school? They said their grades were very similar. Not always the same but very close.
7. Do you ever feel a need to differentiate between the two of you? They both stated they are the closest of friends and did not feel any need to differentiate between them. Lee did state if they did feel this they would not probably still dress a like.
8. Do people confuse the two of you and how does that feel? Lee says it happens so much that they are very use to it. Linda states that sometimes even their brothers get them mixed up if they don’t hear their voices. Our voices give us away. We even have a baby picture of one of us and mom doesn’t even know which one of us it is.

I cannot draw a conclusion from my study because I needed more participants to be valid. My personal feelings are that nature and nurture are very much connected in our development.

Are we born with a clear slate or are we wired with all the knowledge we need? There is a fine line between what is inherited and what is based on experience. The deeper we look into nature versus nurture the more the division simply becomes arbitrary and irrelevant. Nature (genetics) and nurture (environment) are at two ends of exactly the same gamut. Some behaviors in one can be genetically specific while in another can be completely cognitive. Genes are efficient; learning is much more flexible. The balance comes as a combination of chance and the cost/benefit analysis that evolution has worked out for them. It would be a product of ignorance to believe that one primary factor, either genetics or the environment, determines a person’s development. It is rather obvious that both nature and nurture play an important role, but this role they play may not be exactly equal in influence.

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Nature vs Nurture Essay

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