The Claim That Class Can Be Seen As A Cultural Phenomenon

Prison Prevents Violence Essays - Behavior, Dispute Resolution

Prison Prevents Violence Essays - Behavior, Dispute Resolution Prison Prevents Violence Prison Prevents Violence Violence is a major concern amongst the youths of this generation. It is an important issue that is being neglected. Several causes that may lead to this behavior would be the surroundings the youths are brought up in, or the image they wish to present themselves as - macho, tough, and untouchable. However, the causes are not important. What is important is the solution we can provide in order to help these youths stop violence. One solution to prevent youth violence would be to take them on a field trip to the local prison to spend a day as a prisoner. According to West Midlands Police Museum, spending a day in jail would mean eating repetitive, unappealing food such as oatmeal, bread, and potatoes. Daily chores include laundry, yard work, and general maintenance. However, the worst experience of going to jail would mean having freedom taken away. If the youths spent a day living behind bars, they would hopefully learn to cherish freedom more. By going to jail, the students would realize this and change their violent behaviors. Another reason that going to jail may prevent youth violence is that the prisoners in there doing time already can tell them nonfiction, breath-taking stories. This would be a memorable experience that would linger within the youths. Stories might include how the trial impacted their families, the regrets that they have (if any), or how guards treats them. It is not the outside world where orders from parents could be disregarded. The prisoners have to listen to every order that is given to them, or a severe punishment would be the outcome. One story that might be of interest belongs to J.J Maloney, an ex-prisoner of Missouri State Penitentiary. He stated that [s]tabbings and killings, robberies and rapes were common (1). Every time youths choose violence as the answer to their problems, they could think of how the prisoners are treated in jail and how much pain they are living with. Furthermore, spending a day in prison can be a solution for youths to stop violence because delightful activities are limited - no more video games, no more long conversations with friends on the phone, no more parties to attend. The guilty have nothing to show for themselves; they are shameful and prideless individuals who have lost their souls. However, a negative factor of this field trip would be the exposure and easy access of drugs. Maloney adds that even captains on the guard forceowed their souls to certain convicts that sold them the drugs (1). He further elaborates: in a one-week period, one inmate smuggled in 14 ounces of amphetamine, another inmate 2 ounces, and another four ounces. So much dope was available, in so many hands, it was almost impossible to sell all of it. Then, in one 24-day period, four inmates were murdered (Maloney 2) It is evident that only one day is enough for youths to spend at the prison for violent behaviors to stop. Longer visits would likely cause another major concern in youths the use of drugs. The opportunity to take a prison fieldtrip would be very unusual, but it would give the youth a chance to have a taste of the consequence without actually committing the crime. This may not help all of the students, but if one would change their violent behavior because of this field trip, then the time spent in organizing it would already be worth it.

Literature revie of success factors of ecommerce in fashion Article

Literature revie of success factors of ecommerce in fashion - Article Example IMRG, the leading industry body for global e-Retailing has been keeping an eye on e-business figures for quite some time now. For instance year 2000 figures from IMRG indicate that online revenues for fashion goods grew at 30 percent, while in 2005 an estimated 24 million people spent over 1.6 billion online in 2005. According to e-bay, the pioneering e-retailing site on the net, a piece of clothing sells every 7seconds on their site (Morrell, 2006) and Topshop’s website is believed to be its second largest outlet after its oxford street flag shop store (Dudley, 2005). This goes on to show that e-retailing for fashion products is becoming a ‘fashion trend’ now, having been identified as the fastest growing online sector in the UK presenting 9 per cent of all online British retailing (Ashworth et al). In 2004, retail fashion market in the UK amounted to 37 billion in (Mintel) whereas the total value for the book retail market in the same year was a mere 3.62billion (Mintel). This is indeed quite an encouraging sign for the fashion industry. Internet also allows live conferencing and academic exchange amongst the designers and fashion retailer. Such interactive session also help in breeding interest amongst more buyers and sellers. Issues now being discussed include relating to consumer behaviour, enhancing the displays, academic exchanges. Such discussion help in persuading the average consumer to go for online clothing purchase (Kim) and examinations of cross channel shopping behaviour involving fashion purchases via the catalogue and online (Lu). Some such work is also focused upon the components of fashion web consumer perceptions of these (Kim). Virtual e-tailers: These are the virtual fashion apparel stores on the net, offering a range of cloths and fashion accessories to the consumer. In fact, on account of the growing popularity, these

Disaster Resilient Engineering Innovations Essay

Disaster Resilient Engineering Innovations - Essay Example For a holistic approach to mitigating the impact of the catastrophe, a multi-stakeholders collaboration is necessary. For engineering plans to be successful, knowledge, researchers, and information from other disciplines such as geologists, sociologists, public administrators, information technology, the government and several others must be involved. With the experiences of the countries on the different types of calamities, the government and the concerned private groups that includes engineering organizations, continually devise plans and designs to make communities resilient and sustainable amidst the threat of natural disasters. This paper will present the innovations and initiatives implemented in the field of engineering to mitigate the impact of natural disasters, particularly earthquakes, flood, and tsunami. Earthquakes, flood, tsunamis, and other natural disasters have occurred in more frequency around the globe have caused billions of dollars lost and an unaccounted number of deaths. These natural calamities have challenged the stability of buildings, bridges and other infrastructures. Thus, engineers and planners have continually engaged in innovative engineering approaches in order to mitigate the impact of these natural forces. Floods, earthquake, and tsunamis, as well as landslides, cyclones, etc. have posted a major challenge to governments, much more than they have become a regular occurrence. 1 A great challenge to the government is to protect the lives of people and animals, as well as properties. 2 In order to attain these goals, engineering plans must be designed capable of bearing the force that these natural disasters bring forth. Also important is building of rehabilitation and medical institutions that could bear the load since victims will be treated in these facilities when a disaster strikes. 3 Rehabilitation and medical facilities must be constructed farther from fault zones and coastal.

Personal Reflective Report on Strategy Formulation Assignment - 1

Personal Reflective Report on Strategy Formulation - Assignment Example s required to reflect on the involvement in strategy, whether at the micro level of the team or the macro level of the organization, based on models in the assigned readings, professional experiences, and understanding of organizations. Al Saady Company is the sole distributor for Toyota, Lexus and Daihatsu in Syria. It is an overseas division of Abdul Latif Jameel in Saudi Arabia. Al Saady Company has been established in 1993 with one centre in the capital (Damascus). By 2011, the Company has expanded to become four centres in four different cities with an average of 250 employees and 5000 cars as yearly sales, or an average of about 420 cars per month. My position and role is that of a Branch Manager to one of the four centres. I govern and administer a total of 52 employees in six departments: Sales, Parts, Service, Accounting, Human Resource and Administration departments. The overall structural type of the Company is functional specialization with classic forms of bureaucracy. The following organizational chart will briefly give an overview of the company structure: The competition in the auto market is between Korean and Japanese makers in Syria. The average income in Syria is about $10000 per annum. The most commonly purchased car is Toyota Corolla as people are looking for the most fuel-efficient car due to the increase in prices of gasoline which have manifested a 100% rise in 2007. The primary strategy type employed by the organization is top down strategy where, as noted in Depperu and Gnan (2003), it is a â€Å"rational, top-down process that can be strongly formalized and separated from implementation† (p. 4). As strategies are planned and designed within the higher organizational hierarchy, guidelines, policies and procedures are clearly developed for effective implementation by the managers and their subordinates. Policies for providing exemplary service to customers, termed â€Å"Guest delight† program, are planned from the higher echelons with

Why is strategic change so difficult to manage in my organization?

Why is strategic change so difficult to manage in my organization? Looking that evolution and the way things happen, it is possible and easy to say that nothing in this life last forever. Human beings come and go, over the course of our lives we change from kids to teenager to adults . In order to succeed a and make progress, every organization need to make changes. Irrespective of how powerful and successful a an organization, and irrespective of how much sustained success the organization has had, there is a need for change which is inevitable and ever present to ensure sustainable and continuous levels of success in the company. The need for change can be ignited by a change in environment brought about by changes in customers taste, changes or advancements in technology, increase or changes in the level of competition or exogenous factors, things which are totally out of the control of management of the organization for example the occurrence natural disasters is totally our of the control of management of an organization. Change can also be brought about as a result of the organizations own success. Growth and market success will inevitable lead to changes in organizational size and complexities. The main secret to long term success is the company or organizations ability to adapt to change. Many organizations tend to develop long term success formulas or successful business models that last for a particular period of time. As time goes by, the business environment as well as conditions with in the organization itself can change. In order for the organizations to maintain its level of success, it has to be able to adapt to the required level of change. Over time it has been proven that if the organization is able to adapt to changes in its environment, it will be able to flourish. Similarly, if the company is not able to adapt to changes in its environment, it will definitely experience difficulties, and irrespective of the amount of resources that it has or its current market share, the company can fail. This demise can occur rapidly or it can come about slowly. It is really important to not that the process of change can never be easy. The process of change more often than not is complicated and in most cases slow and painful. Depending of the variable, which has initiated the change, the process will come into effect at its own pace. If things don not go the way management is expecting, they can be pulled into n uncomfortable position Human being as much as business organizations do not like change, as such the very important question that we will have to answer here is how much pain is an organization wiling to take in order to bring into existence the change variable Strategic change over time has been given different definitions . Strategic change therefore could be considered as changes in the composition of a firms strategy as per it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"s synergies, competitive advantages, scope, and resource deployment. It can also be looked at as the difference in the quality, state or form of an organization trying to align itself with the external environment. Looking at the definition of strategic change that we have just given above, it is clear that the process of implementing strategic change in any organization is clearly affected by the state of the firms themselves and the external environment. the performance of firms is greatly dependent on a mixture of the firms themselves and the external environment, the emergence of new opportunities therefore and the existence of threats in the existing environment, requires that firms are constantly changing in order to adapt to these changes in their environments. It is important here to note th at strategic change is greatly affected by the state of the organization or company in question. For example, firms will adopt a new strategy in the face of financial distress. This main aim of this is to try to reverse the financially distressing situation to the company. Some companies tend to have structural inertia, as such in implementing strategic change, they tend to keep their previous strategy and structure. On a whole therefore, there are seven important point to note about strategic change. Firstly, in order for strategic change to take place, the business has to adapt to its existing environment., secondly, strategic change is complex and fluid and it creates new combinations and generates situational questions that might require non repetitive answers. Nextly, it affects all of the business by providing direction, as well as involving both content and process which can also be referred to as strategy formation and strategy implementation. Strategic change is partially p lanned and partially unplanned so that it can account for any other unforeseen circumstances that arise, also for strategic change to be effectively carried out, it has to be effectuated at all level of the organization. Strategic change should also be a well though out and conceptual process. Managers leading change have to take three things into account when carrying out the change. Firstly, the requirements for major changes in an organizations is a shift the the existing culture of the company as well as a change in the behavior of employees. A lot of initiatives for change fail because they do not deliver a shift by dealing with the cultural and political reality of the company. Nextly, in order that strategic change is successful, it needs to be designed to fit in with the organizational context. Change more often than not is a very complex process; as such companies need to find a way with in which the required change can be adapted to the organizations structure. A lot of companies try to buy readymade solutions to their problems and because these are not designed with the particular structure of their organization in mind. They tend to face difficulties. Lastly, organizations and the decisions that are made in them , are made by people. As such for change to be effectively implemented the people in these organizations have to change their attitudes and perceptions about the way business is done. An intrinsic part of the change process is the organizations employees. In the case of British airways, there are a couple of things that might trigger a need for strategic change. There might be exogenous factors such as a rise in the price of raw material, for example, a rise in the price of oil, will inevitable lead o a rise in the price of gas. In order to adapt to this new changes in the business playing , and in order not to probably transfer these rises to ticket prices which is going to prevent middle line BA customers from switching and looking for a cheaper alternative, as manager in BA I might have to initiate other cost cutting techniques to be able to live up to and meet up with the necessary financial cost and still be as competitive as possible in ticket pricing. Other things that might trigger a strategic change include things such as employees demanding a pay rise, general economic crisis like the one which occurred in late 2008 and affected every sector of the economy, there might be an advancement in technology, maybe the development o f ore fuel efficient planes, can in order maybe to adjust and fit in to this new market various things have to be done. In order to effectively handle change at an organization like BA, there must be very good leaders in place so they can assist in leading employees through the change process. In order for change to be successful , people with the ability to successfully implement change are needed. It has been noted that serious change isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t possible unless the people at the top of the organization are in support of the changes which are supposed to be going through. In a successful transformation, majority of the people on the board , departmental heads and a good number of other employees have to commit to pull together and improve performances. It is important for manager at the top of BA to realize that in order to demand a change from employees in the company, they themselves have to be model for the change that they are advocating for. If they expect a high standard from their employee, then they themselves have to be a model for that high standard. If the change involves cost cutting and they think that employees have to take a pay cut, they themselves as managers of the company have to take a pay cut. In order for change to be implemented in the organization, management has to address and assess the human concern. BA claims to put people first, the reason for this is that people are the greatest asset of BA. The change implementers at BA need to be aware and able to invest effort and time into understanding the human concern and as much as they can, put themselves in the positions of the people who will be affected by any decisions that will be taken be it employees or customers. Communication is a very important tool for change. As much communications as possible is important as change sometimes can lead to fear of job losses, it can foster uncertainty and this can destabilize the whole change process. Management of BA as much as possible has to encourage and communicate with employees making them aware of the fact that they will be given every consideration and will be probably trained to do things in the new better way. It is important for managers to know that the extend of strategic change implemented is very important. Even though it is really difficult to determine how much change or how fast change comes to an organization, it is necessary as a manager to note that change implemented at a very fast rate can instead work against the best interest of the company. Can be implemented too fast can destroy the moral of the employees and it has been know to cause employees to get sick. Even though some change is beyond out control, it is important that change should not be piled up on change. The management of BA therefore has to realize that too much change is an issue and they therefore have to set up an adequate timeframe within which change can be achieved. It might to an extend be a good idea to bounce idea of your employees if change you are trying to implement is a function of your control. Change is divided into four categories, realignment, incremental, big bang and transformational change. I n order for an organization to implement transformational change, it has to change the people in an organization. To change the culture of an organization, the way people think and work has to be changed. In order to help management Like BA management design a context sensitive approach to change with in their organization, the kaliedoscope was created. The kaleidoscope features things which are related to the companies culture, current situation and competencies. The strategic organizational change concept is defined by aspects such as the time frame with in which the change has to take place, the scope of the change , preservation, diversity, capability capacity readiness and power. The time frame of the concept with regards to BA will be talking about things should as the length of time required to implement change in the organization, for example, if an organization is in crisis, then they need less time to change while if its a long term development strategy, the managements has more time to implement the change. When implementing the change, management has to take into consideration what aspect of the old structure need to be preserved, what need to remain and what needs to be c hanged. The scope of the change deals with the extend to which change will be implemented and how much of the organization will be affected by the changes coming into effect. Capabilities of the individual employees, management and the organization have to be taken in to consideration. The ability of staff to deal with these changes, the ability of management to see staff through these changes and the availability of organizational resources to manage these changes greatly determines the extent to which change is implemented. Before a change approach is selected, it is important that the organization chooses the path change is going to take, the point at which change should start, the style change should take, the levers and mechanisms to be employed, and the role that people in the organization are going to play in order to effectuate change. Management of BA have to take this into consideration, they have to as much as possible ensure that change leadership is set up right. They have to make sure that management is in the right position to see change through. In order for management to be able to lead change through, they have to take into consideration the values of the employees in the company and the ethnic and diversity issues which can be brought about as a result of change being implemented. Management leading change have to make sure that in designing and seeing the process of change through, they do not trample upon peoples ethical values or do things in such a way that the ethnic minority for example feel discriminated against. If that happens, moral levels in the company might drop and some employees might be left feeling frustrated at the change, which is being implemented. It is important therefore to note that in order for change to be implemented in an organization like British airways, it is necessary for management to have open and effective communication with its staff, management should ensure that training and retraining programs have been set up so that staff can learn and get integrated in the change structure, Managing an organization is all about managing people, as such I think it is important for management to be able to motivate its staff. Preventing them from getting frustrated is integral to the strategic change process. The business and organizational environment is constantly changing, as such it s really important for every organization, to keep on changing in order to succeed. Learning to adapt to change is a very necessary ingredient to be able to thrive in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s business world as such organizations should be able to learn and continuously adapt to everyday changes. In conclusion therefore, it can be said that strategic change is difficult to manage in an organization mainly due to the fact that organizations are all about people, and every human being is different in their own way. However, with the right leadership qualities at the helm of an organization, proper communication plan of the change strategy put in place and adequate availability of organizational resources strategic change can be implemented.

The Role of American NGOs in the Regulation of Cruise Ship Pollution Es

The Role of American NGOs in the Regulation of Cruise Ship Pollution Each year, thousands of tons of pollution are generated on cruise ships and dumped into the world’s oceans. This pollution threatens the marine environment, the cruise ship industry, and the people who depend on a healthy ocean. Neither historical nor current international oceanic regimes provide comprehensive regulation on cruise ship pollution. To address the threats posed by limited oceanic pollution regulation in American and international waters, several American nongovernmental organizations have pursued diverse tactics to generate government, industry, and consumer response. To the extent that NGOs are able to influence policy, the actions of these groups challenges the realist notion that non-state actors have little influence on policy. A case study of three prominent American NGOs demonstrates how different strategies can be implemented to influence oceanic policy. The Bluewater Network, Oceana, and Conservation International have tried to abate pollution from cruise ships by either lobbying the government for improved policies, generating public awareness of the cruise ship pollution issue, or working with the cruise ship industry to implement stronger pollution controls. These actors have responded to the weakness in the oceanic policy regime. Although cruise ship pollution remains a major threat to national and international waters, American NGOs have been successful in generating increased awareness of the issue and have been able encourage policies that will make cruises more sustainable for both the environment and the industry (Oceana). The Development of Oceanic Policy International agreements have established the United St... ... The cruise ship pollution campaign has been strengthened by the cooperation among organizations that the Bluewater Network petition facilitated. Heightened public awareness, engendered by NGO campaigns, has pressured the U.S. government and the cruise ship industry to respond. If policy changes, such as those presented in the Clean Cruise Ships Act of 2004, occur, the activities of Conservation International may allow the cruise ship industry to comply with environmental regulations while maintaining high profits. The confluence of each NGO’s actions may provide the means necessary for a strong domestic ocean regime. In the absence of international cooperation, a strong American ocean policy is an important step in safeguarding the world’s oceans. Various strategies have allowed NGOs to highlight cruise ship pollution as an issue that can not longer be ignored.

Badminton Essay Essay

Self-efficacy and social influences are two guiding principles in the study of sociology of sport. Self-efficacy is an individual’s personal estimate of confidence in his or her capability to accomplish a certain level of performance, whereas social influence occurs when others affect one’s emotions, opinions, behaviors and choices. These sociocultural factors are linked to Figueroa’s framework, which influence my participation in badminton. In this essay, the focus in on self-efficacy and social stigma-related socio-cultural factors, which are constituent elements in the sports socialization process and have influenced my active involvement in Badminton. The purpose of this assignment is to evaluate the impact that sociocultural influences have had on my decision to play on the Moreton Bay College badminton team. Professor Peter Figueroa developed a tool also known as Figueroa’s Framework, which investigates the issues surrounding access, equity and equality in sport and physical activity. It is structured over five different levels: individual, interpersonal, institutional, structural and cultural, these areas are used to investigate the ways in which inequities challenge the area of sport and physical activity. All five levels connect within each other and they all influence the shaping of the overall effect. They show the different functions that reinforce, create, remove and eliminate barriers and inequities within sport and physical activity. The level of Figeuroa’s Framework that affects my participation in badminton the greatest was the interpersonal level and individual level. The interpersonal level of Figueroa’s framework is used to investigate the relationships that affect whether an individual will develop a lifelong association with sport. Most individuals ar e influenced directly or indirectly by the people around them such as parents, peers, siblings, teachers, coaches, or sporting role models. In particular, one barrier that had an impact upon my participation in Badminton is self-efficacy. The theory of self-efficacy â€Å"was developed within the framework of social cognitive theory, which views individuals as proactive agents in the regulation of their cognition, motivation, actions,  and emotions.† When playing badminton I feel vulnerable to this problem of self-efficacy as my self-esteem is affected by my performance because I feel as if I am judged by how well I perform. As I have such high expectations to perform well in badminton, I am very critical and hard on myself. This leads to poor self-efficacy which forces me to believe I do not have the capability for success in Badminton. Someone with high self-efficacy is confident and motivated to work toward a learning goal and someone such as myself with low self-efficacy in badminton is not as motivated, which effects how much effort is put into a particular task. Self-efficacy is based on a social learning theory and is a construct that affects motivation and thus can promote or inhibit learning different skills. Consequently, as Allender et al. (2006) suggests, when an individual has limited confidence in their own ability to perform, enjoyment levels decline and inevitably, participation ceases. Pratt et al. (1999) found that perceived competence and sport ability beliefs had a â€Å"strong and direct impact on enjoyment†. As enjoyment is a precursor to ongoing participation, it is thus evident that self-efficacy is an important factor in my participation in Badminton. A study by McCarthy, Jones and Clark-Carter (2008) investigated the sources of enjoyment reported by youth sport participants and found that positive parental involvement was one of the most frequently reported results by young males and females. This implies that when children in sport perceive parental involvement as positive, they are more likely to enjoy their sporting experience. When we are young, our families influence us more than outsiders do. If your parents played sports, took you to sporting contests, helped you learn basic sport skills, and encouraged you to participate, chances are you gave sports a try. It has been proven that parental influence extends to the parents perception of the sports their children choose to participate in. That is, parents can transmit values through communicating their beliefs, acceptance, and support to their child’s participation in sport. Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of parental interpretation, often showing th at too much parental feedback causes undue stress in young athletes and can cause them not to participate in certain sports, but the appropriate amounts of encouragement and support can increase enjoyment and longevity of the athletes’ involvement. Parental  interpretation is a powerful mechanism because it communicates expected and valued behaviors. Children internalize parental values and expectations therefore; children try to behave in ways that maximize their acceptance in the social setting. Thus, as my parents communicate that they do not value badminton as an exceptional sport, it is unlikely for me to participate in this sport. Also as my parents are not actively involved, nor intentionally provide sporting experiences for the sport of badminton; it is very unlikely that I was ever exposed to the sporting world of badminton as a child. In conclusion, self-efficacy and social influences are two of the central motives that have influenced my decision to play on the college badminton team. These sociocultural factors target the Interpersonal and Structural level of Figueroa’s framework. The influence of outsiders such as family and peers and my perceived capability at a particular time to perform the specified badminton skills has led me to the decision of not participating in the Moreton Bay College badminton team.

Biography of James Jim Bowie, American Frontiersman

Biography of James 'Jim' Bowie, American Frontiersman James Jim Bowie (c. 1796–March 6, 1836) was an American frontiersman, slave trader, smuggler, Indian fighter, and soldier in the Texas Revolution. He was among the defenders at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, where he perished along with all of his comrades. Bowie was known as a legendary fighter; the large Bowie knife is named after him. Fast Facts: James Bowie Known For: American frontiersman, military leader during the Texas Revolution, and defender of the AlamoAs Known As: Jim BowieBorn: 1796 in KentuckyParents: Reason and Elve Ap-Catesby Jones BowieDied: March 6, 1836 in San Antonio, Mexican TexasSpouse: Maria Ursula de Veramendi (m. 1831-1833)Children: Marie Elve, James Veramendi Early Life James Bowie was born in Kentucky in 1796 and was raised in present-day Missouri and Louisiana. He enlisted to fight in the War of 1812  but joined too late to see any action. Soon he was back in Louisiana selling timber, and with the proceeds he bought some slaves and expanded his operation. Bowie later became acquainted with Jean Lafitte, the legendary Gulf Coast pirate who was involved in illegal slave smuggling. Bowie and his brothers bought smuggled slaves, declared that they had found them, and kept the money when the slaves were sold at auction. Later, Bowie came up with a scheme for acquiring free land. He falsified French and Spanish documents that said he had purchased the land in Louisiana. The Sandbar Fight On September 19, 1827, Bowie was involved in the legendary â€Å"Sandbar Fight† in Louisiana. Two men- Samuel Levi Wells III and Dr. Thomas Harris Maddox- had agreed to fight a duel, and each man had brought along several supporters. Bowie was there on behalf of Wells. The duel ended after both men shot and missed twice, and they had decided to let the matter drop, but a brawl soon broke out among the other men. Bowie fought viciously in spite of being shot at least three times and stabbed with a sword-cane. The wounded Bowie killed one of his opponents with a massive knife, which later became famous as the â€Å"Bowie knife.† Move to Texas Like many frontiersmen of the time, Bowie eventually became intrigued by the idea of Texas. He went there and found plenty to keep him busy, including another land speculation scheme and the charms of Ursula Veramendi, the well-connected daughter of the mayor of San Antonio. By 1830 Bowie had moved to Texas, staying one step ahead of his creditors back in Louisiana. After fighting off a vicious Tawakoni Indian attack while searching for a silver mine, Bowie won even more fame as a tough frontiersman. He married Veramendi in 1831 and took up residence in San Antonio. She would soon die tragically of cholera, along with her parents. Action in Nacogdoches After disgruntled Texans attacked Nacogdoches in August of 1832 (they were protesting a Mexican order to give up their arms), Stephen F. Austin asked Bowie to intervene. Bowie arrived in time to capture some fleeing Mexican soldiers. This made Bowie a hero to those Texans who favored independence, although it is not necessarily what Bowie intended, as he had a Mexican wife and a lot of money in land in Mexican Texas. In 1835, war broke out between rebellious Texans and the Mexican army. Bowie went to Nacogdoches, where he and Sam Houston were elected leaders of the local militia. He acted quickly, arming the men with weapons seized from the local Mexican armory. Assault on San Antonio Bowie and other volunteers from Nacogdoches caught up with a rag-tag army led by Stephen F. Austin and James Fannin. The troops were marching on San Antonio, hoping to defeat Mexican General Martà ­n Perfecto de Cos and end the conflict quickly. In late October 1835, they laid siege to San Antonio, where Bowies contacts among the population proved extremely beneficial. Many residents of San Antonio joined the rebels, bringing valuable intelligence with them. Bowie and Fannin and some 90 men dug in on the grounds of Concepcià ³n Mission just outside the city, and General Cos, spotting them there, attacked. The Battle of Concepcià ³n and the Capture of San Antonio Bowie told his men to keep their heads and stay low. When the Mexican infantry advanced, the Texans devastated their ranks with fire from their long rifles. The Texan sharpshooters also picked off artillerymen who were shooting the Mexican cannons. Disheartened, the Mexicans fled back to San Antonio. Bowie was once again hailed a hero. He was not there when Texan rebels stormed the city in the early days of December 1835, but he returned shortly after. General Sam Houston ordered him to demolish the Alamo, a fortress-like old mission in San Antonio, and a retreat from the city. Bowie, once again, disobeyed orders. Instead, he mounted a defense and fortified the Alamo. Bowie, Travis, and Crockett In early February, William Travis arrived in San Antonio. He would take over nominal command of the forces there when the ranking officer left. Many of the men there were not enlisted- they were volunteers, which meant that they answered to no one. Bowie was the unofficial leader of these volunteers and he did not care for Travis, which made things tense at the fort. Soon, however, famous frontiersman Davy Crockett arrived. A skilled politician, Crockett was able to defuse the tension between Travis and Bowie. The Mexican Army, commanded by Mexican General Santa Anna, showed up in late February. The arrival of this common enemy also united the defenders of the Alamo. Battle of the Alamo and Death Bowie became very ill sometime in late February 1836. Historians disagree about what illness he suffered from. It may have been pneumonia or tuberculosis. In any case, it was a debilitating illness, and Bowie was confined, delirious, to his bed. According to legend, Travis drew a line in the sand and told the men to cross it if they would stay and fight. Bowie, too weak to walk, asked to be carried over the line. After two weeks of siege, the Mexicans attacked the morning of March 6. The Alamo was overrun in less than two hours, and all of the defenders were captured or killed, including Bowie, who reportedly died in his bed, still feverish. Legacy Bowie was an interesting man in his time, a renowned hothead, brawler, and troublemaker who went to Texas to escape his creditors in the United States. He became famous due to his fights and his legendary knife, and once fighting broke out in Texas, he soon became known as a solid leader of men who could keep a cool head under fire. His lasting fame, however, came about as a result of his presence at the fateful Battle of the Alamo. In life, he was a con man and slave trader. In death, he became a great hero, and today he is widely revered in Texas, even more so than his brothers-in-arms Travis and Crockett. The city of Bowie and Bowie County, both in Texas, are named after him, as are countless schools, businesses, and parks. Sources Brands, H.W. Lone Star Nation: The Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence. New York: Anchor Books, 2004.Henderson, Timothy J. A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and its War with the United States. New York: Hill and Wang, 2007.

Top 12 Creative Writing College Programs †Pro-Academic-Writers.com

Top 12 Creative Writing College Programs It may be too difficult to choose a dedicated creative writing program at the institution of your dreams. Another thing you should care about is how to pass the admissions process. Anyway, there are always some world-known alternatives that attract most of the students. Our team has researched several options in the field of creative writing colleges and corresponding programs to come up with this list of the top demanded colleges for creative writing in the USA. How Did We Choose? College rankings do not always reflect the reality. US News rating might be the most accurate, but you still have to rely on the obvious information you find about each creative college of your interest. We have prepared our own list based on the feedback of thousands of students as well as some other crucial factors. Mind not just what the rankings are, but how they are defined. Our top list will assist in your personal investigation. While observing, don’t forget to take notes which might be useful for your further admissions essay. In case you’re having some troubles with creative or academic writing, contact online writing help website to get a winning personal statement. First of all, it is important to understand which criteria I have used to name the best colleges in the field of creative writing. My first stage was to narrow down my search results by leaving only those institutions that proposed a particular creative writing major degree. In case you are sure in the competence of some schools which are not on the list, it may mean they only offer minors. While ranking those schools, we considered 5 basic factors: MFA Ranking  - This point stands for the level of local personnel proficiency and the number of smart students specific college attracts. We have looked through professors’ qualifications to choose the best places in terms of teaching. It was also noticed that colleges with powerful MFA programs tend to possess perfect alumni networks and internship options. At the same time, one has to realize that a lot of colleges with excellent undergraduate programs lack MFAs. Overall Creative College Reputation  - You still have to understand that the majority of your future classes will be in other areas than creative writing. Thus, we have evaluated the level of teaching other subjects such as English and Literature as well. Extracurricular Opportunities  - Another benefit of obtaining major  in creative writing is that it can lead to various creative writing opportunities after class, meaning part-time job and other activities. That is why our team has taken into account such features as internship programs, author readings, and literary magazines offered by the explored college. Learning Diversity - We have awarded extra points to each creative college with a large range of professional fields and interesting additional classes.   Alumni/Prestige  - We can say that deciding on this criterion is a rather subjective process, but we tried to do our best. We have searched for the famous writers released by the particular institutions. The product of any university is its graduates, so they have to be evaluated in order to assess the quality of local teaching. Possessing a brand name degree can be useful in many life situations. Top Preferred Creative Writing Schools Now it’s time to look at the list itself. It is not that easy to locate these wonderful creative colleges objectively, so we would say that it is simply the list of the best schools, not just another rating. While those placed on the first five places are simply amazing, the rest might be called super good. So, don’t take the numbering close to your heart.   #1: Northwestern University Northwestern's undergrad creative writing program  has conquered the hearts of many students as it is run by acclaimed tutors and graduates who became word-known authors (i.e., Veronica Roth with her â€Å"Divergent†). The University suggests that students get involved in such activities as running literary journal, interning at a publication, or submitting to the Department of English's yearly creative writing competition.   #2: Columbia University The institution offers two great programs: the one in creative writing and the one in journalism. Being located in NYC, students have an opportunity to try their best in local publishing houses and literary journals. #3: University of Iowa University of Iowa's  Graduate Writer’s Workshop is what makes this place absolutely special. It is called the most wanted MFA program in the US. Famous writers and established professors allow choosing from a large list of subjects. University’s literary community will provide you with any book or manual you need for free. #4: Emory  University If you have a desire to study creative writing along with the most professional authors and scholars, Emory  is right for you. Except for the regular classes, each student has a chance to visit questions-answers face-to-face sessions with the award-winning writers and journalists. You will be able to work closely with a personal counselor to complete an honors project. #5: Oberlin College Oberlin  is actually a pretty small liberal arts school in Ohio. Lena Dunham, who attends the school regularly to speak to the students, was among the local alums. Students can pursue writing in the surrounding city. #6: Hamilton College One more tiny college, situated in upstate New York. Local students have a pure interest to observe topics both during the lectures and out of the classroom. The opportunities to intern and publish impress.   #7: Brown University Brown's Literary Arts  program is known for one of the leading MFAs in the United States. Core requirements are excluded, so students are free to explore additional topics after classes with the help of the stellar English department and screenwriting program. #8: Washington University in St. Louis Enjoy local magnificent MFA program along with the diversity of topics, wide range of scholarships, and creative writing jobs you may find outside the university. #9: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Even though the place has a lot to do with technology, it still has a special creative writing program. It can boast an interesting course in digital media. Besides, except for creative writing, students can master the art of scientific writing. It provides each student with an extraordinary set of skills and more career perspectives.   #10: University of Michigan The University of Michigan  is one of the best American universities in general. It is obvious that it offers a top-notch MFA. The program is aimed to provide every interested student with the excellent creative writing major and good reputation. #11: Johns Hopkins University Remove engineering major from the list of this university, and you’ll get enrolled in the dedicated creative writing program. After passing its valuable courses, one will be able to compose poetry, fiction as well as official reports  and persuasive essays. #12: Colorado College One more small liberal arts college on the list. It is outstanding thanks for the block plan, which makes it possible to concentrate on a single class per three-and-a-half-week block. You’ll take four writing workshops and visit every reading of the Visiting  Writers Series. Don’t forget about New York University writing opportunities as well! How to Make a Final Decision? Don’t lose your head – have a look at the most important criteria to consider when selecting the degree and college which is right for you. Are you interested in the suggested college courses? Analyze which skills you wish to obtain and what each college program offers. Match your personal desires with what the target school proposes. What opportunities are expecting after your classes? Discover whether there will be an opportunity to practice your creative skills outside the college. It can be everything: from campus newspaper to local music or fashion magazine. Who'll be teaching you? The best way to decide on this factor is to analyze Rate My Professor section of each college’s official website. Pay attention to objective comments only. What is the alumni’s future? Find out who used to graduate from the walls of your target college. Are these people successful?   What about the rest of the school? Analyze and evaluate all courses provided by your college. Make sure to select the college where you like the entire curriculum so that you won’t have a desire to miss some classes. All you have to do once you decide on your target college is to prepare a creative writing piece (personal statement + cover letter) and apply for the chosen program. In case there are any obstacles on your way to inspiring creative writing,  contact online writers and buy original admissions essay or cover letter that would increase your chances to be accepted.

Sabra and Shatila Masacre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sabra and Shatila Masacre - Essay Example The Sabra and Shatila Massacre is considered a forgotten incident in the western media. [2] How ever the incident is considered to be a controvercial issue with the Palestinian, Arab and International Muslims, alleging Israel to be the main culprit behind the tragic incident, acusing the Jewish State of Master minding the Israel event incidents. Israel on the contrary partially agrees of its link with the incident but denying any knowledge of a mass murder during the time of its procession clearing itself with the direct massacre of the refugee camp inhabitants. Israel supported Bachir and considered the maronite forces to be the counter balance to the PLO and thus the relationship between Israel and Maronites became stronger, with the Falangists in particular, by the passage of time. How ever, nine days before he was due to take oath, Bachir was assasinated in a bomb detonation attack at the head quarters of the Phalangists party on 14th September 1982. The attack was alleged by the Falangists to be the work of PLO activists which later became a misperception as investigations and confessions later on reveald a Syrian hand in the assasination. Mr.Arial Sharon, who is considered the master mind behind the incident, declared that there were 2000 PLO activists in the refugee camp. Sabra and Shatila was surrounded by tanks and and soldiers with check points to monitor entry and exit of people. Despite of the check points around 150 Falangists, motivated with the feeling revenge after the assasination of their leader, entered the Sabra and Shatila Refugee camp alleging it to be a sanctuary and breeding nest for the PLO activists and aiming to wipe out their presence iniatiated. -these fighters are alleged to inserted by Israel- A plan of defence Minsiter Ariel Sharon [3] According to witnesses, a carnage of mass murder, rape, desecration of corpses & demolition of buildings with the residents still inside. The "genocide" as discussed above cotinued for 62 hours from 16th September going on to Saturday morning and had resulted in casualties speculated to be in 750-3400 estimated by various sources. IDF intelligence suggests a death toll to be between 700-800 persons [4] Dr. Ang Swee Chai, an eye witness to the Massacre reveals in her book " From Beirut to Jerusalem: "The truth hit me painfully...Besides being shot dead, people was tortured before being killed. They were beaten brutally, electric wires were tied round limbs, eyes were dug out, women were raped, and often more than once, children were dynamited alive. Looking at all the broken bodies, I began to think that those who had died quickly were the lucky ones. Extract from p67 of the book "From Beirut to Jerusalem". [5] United Nations Condemns On Dec 16 1982 United Nations Organization's General Assembly condemned the massacre terming it as an act of "Genocide" The General Assembly, Recalled its resolution 95 (I) of 11 December 1946, It also recalled its resolu

American Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

American Revolution - Essay Example Ramsay feels that the power of constitutional amendment is a great political innovation because through it people are able to make changes in the laws enshrined in the Constitution. The power of constitutional amendment in America will also help in ending all sorts of oppression.2) Why does Winthrop believe that a bill of rights is in the Constitution? Winthrop argues that the bill of rights is important in constitution making. He believes that the bill of rights helps in proper and efficient legislation since civil rights and freedom are respected during legislation. The bill of rights ensures the protection of minority in a republic. The protection also ensures equity in power sharing and inclusion of minorities in decision-making.3) How do Ramsay and Winthrop differ concerning how the principle of representation operates in the United States?Ramsay and Winthrop tend to differ regarding the operation of the American principle of presentation. Ramsay argues that the people determine the activities of the arms of the legislative body (Ramsay 176). The people elect the representatives who have good interests, while Winthrop argues that it is not possible for different states to come together and allow administration by one legislative system. He says this may lead to an oppressive rule (Tyranny) since large states will want to dominate the administrative system. Many states have suffered negative impact such as the Spanish provinces that collapsed due to improper administration.