International Nutrition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Nutrition - Essay Example There are a number of factors that lead to either a high or low entry of international companies in a country. First, a heavy tax system that is highly regulated is one of these factors. While many people hold the belief that strict tax laws require a review to allow for foreign investors, others argue that they are adequate to cater for the needs of the citizens of the state as well as protect the local companies. The reality is, however, not true. Because of strict laws in many countries, many companies find it difficult to start up business in these countries. However, the market is open to allow competition to take place. Trading in a free and fair market, International Nutrition Company enjoys the laws of competition. Its products perform well in such regions due to their high quality. Although priced higher than some of the local commodities, the market still highly regards quality feeds from International Nutrition. The reduction in the level of market regulations and internat ional tariffs by countries is a result of globalization. This has also contributed to the decrease in the level of market control. As countries increase the level of doing business with one another, the result is open markets free to compete with one another. For healthy competition to take place, many governments allow their markets to operate freely, offering companies freedom of entry into and exit from the country. This allows both local and international investors to battle out in the market arena with the products or services being the top of their priorities. In most countries in the African continent, regulation takes place at one level, i.e., the national government. Africa provides a number of fast growing markets for any company to invest in, and especially agricultural companies such as International Nutrition. In Africa, emerging markets such as Sub-Saharan Africa offer a great opportunity for the company to exploit. Countries such as Zimbabwe, Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya act as an investment destiny in Sub-Saharan Africa. In West Africa, countries such as Ghana and Nigeria are an example of the markets where the company has business and records increased growth. Nigeria relies mostly on its oil, while Ghana highly relies on agriculture. Increasingly though, the Nigerian government has encouraged

Nike Corporation as a corporate tyrant Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nike Corporation as a corporate tyrant - Article Example A person reading the author’s view that has no knowledge whatsoever of what Nike is all about mind get the erroneous idea that Nike is an evil empire. This essay evaluates Nike Corporation to determine if their practices are hurting or helping workers and other stakeholders. The way the author describes Nike is a bit bias and solely based on some isolated incidents in the past when Nike had true sweetshops in certain locations where they violated the human rights of its workers. These events took place in the late 1990’s and the company had to pay the consequences of their actions. The bad press associated with these events hurt the company’s brand image and corporate sales. Since then Nike Corporation has continued its presence in many developing nations. It is true that Nike pays what would seem to an American citizen like the daily salary of an American citizen in the 1900, but we must consider the reality of the cost of living of many of these developing nations. One US dollar in places like the developing nation of Vietnam can probably provide three meals for an entire family during a day. In the US with a dollar you can buy one hamburger. Nike is also bringing others benefits to the Vietnamese workers and their economy in general. Wo rkers receive benefits such as free or subsidized meals, professional devilment, stability, and educational opportunities. The state benefits when multinational corporations such as Nike penetrate their marketplace from technology transfers, additional taxing revenue, and infrastructure improvements. The article then moves on to describe an alternative perspective of Nike based on the views of Vietnamese citizens. For the author does not agree with the perspective of the Vietnamese people. Despite that fact the author provides a good unbiased description of their feelings and overall perspective about Nike. The average monthly salary of a Vietnamese worker working for Nike is $54 a month.

History of Geodesy

History of Geodesy Assignment 1 History of Geodesy Complete the following timeline by providing one important figure in the history of geodesy for each designated time period. Please include their name, nationality, and scientific contribution/importance. [18 points] 600 BC 200 AD Name : Eratosthenes Nationality: Greek (Born in town of Cyrne which is now the town in Libya) Contribution: founder of Geodesy; measured size of the Earth; obliquity of spin axis; map of the world; one interconnected ocean 100 1500 AD Name : Giordano Bruno Nationality: Italian Contribution: proposed that the stars were just distant suns surrounded by their own exoplanets and raised the possibility that these planets could even foster life of their own , the universe is in fact infinite and could have no celestial body at its center, burned at the stake in Rome on February 19, 1600 for belief in heliocentric theory and other ideas 1600 AD Name : Tycho Brahe Nationality: Danish Contribution: improved observational methods; used triangulation in 1589 to determine distance to island. 1700 AD Name : Newton Nationality: British Contribution: theory of gravitation; predicted Earth should be oblate 1800 AD Name : Foucault Nationality: French Contribution: gyroscope; pendulum; demonstrated Earth spins on axis. 1900 AD Name : Einstein Nationality: German Contribution: General Theory of Relativity; concept of gravity as the geometry of space-time Provide a brief description of each of the following international geodetic organizations. At a minimum, include their website and why they are important. [8 points] International Federation of Surveyors(FIG) This international organization was established in 1878 with the aim to ensure that surveying disciplines and all those associated with surveying meet the needs of the markets and communities. This organization represents the interest of worldwide surveyors which provides an international forum for discussion and professional development. Currently, it represents more than 120 countries The vision of FIG is A modern and sustainable surveying profession in support of society, environment and economy by providing innovative, reliable and best practice solutions to our rapidly changing and complex world, acting with integrity and confidence about the usefulness of surveying, and translating these words into action. Website: www.fig.net International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics(IUGG) This international organization is dedicated to the promotion and coordination of scientific studies of earth which includes physical, chemical and mathematics study and its environment in space which includes shape, dynamics, gravity, and magnetic fields, tectonic and earthquakes etc. It was established in 1919 and is one of the 32 scientific union within International Council for Science. Website: http://www.iugg.org International Association of Geodesy(IAG) This promotes scientific cooperation and research in geodesy on a global scale. It is one of the active member of IUGG which is one of the 32 scientific union within international council for science. The mission of the Association is the advancement of geodesy. Website: http://www.iag-aig.org International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems andReference Systems Service(IERS) This international organization was established in 1987 by the international Astronomical union and the international union of Geodesy and geophysics. It was renamed to International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service in 2003.The objectives of the IERS are to serve astronomical, geodetic, and geophysical communities by providing standards, constants and models, geophysical data to interpret time /space variation, earth orientation parameters required to study earth orientation variation, and international Celestial Reference System and international Terrestrial reference system. Website: https://www.iers.org Read an article from a geodesy journal that you find interesting and provide a one to two paragraph summary of the article including a proper reference and citations. Upload a PDF of the original article to the assignment #1 drop box. [24 points] The recent discoveries of many other earth like exoplanets have raised a question about Earth being only living planet in the universe. Are there any other planets which are suitable for life to start? The requirement of life on any planet is water. Living organism cannot exist without water. Pressure and temperature on the planet should be in a specific range to get the liquid water. Pressure must be significantly higher and the temperature should be between freezing and boiling point. This condition is much more impossible in other existing planets or yet to be discovered. Various classes of habitable planets are classified where class I habitats represents Earth like planet where stellar and geophysical conditions allow water and sunlight to be available. Class II habitats do not have ability to sustain liquid water on their surface due to geophysical conditions, e.g. Mars and Venus. Class III habitats are planet where water exists below the surface which Interact directly with si licate-rich core. The interaction of silicate and hydrothermal activities are assumed to be very important for the origin of life in such planets, e.g. Europa and one of Jupiters satellites. And class IV habitats are very rich in water with oceans lying above a solid ice layer. The oceans are thought to be enclosed between ice layers where the possibility of life is very thin. The other condition to be a habitable planet is being at the right distance from a star and having the right atmosphere. It must have an atmosphere which keeps the pressure and temperature in the right range. However, the experience of mankind is not yet sufficient to estimate the nature and habitual conditions of many others planets. The Earth, in the other hand has a combination of favorable conditions among other planets for the life. It will be possible in the future to learn more about the exoplanets atmosphere because of the projects like earth-based telescopic observations, the James Webb Space telescop e. However, discovering and characterizing the atmosphere of habitable planets will remain challenging. (Forget, 2013) Reference Forget, F. (2013, July). On the probability of habitable planets. International Journal of Astrobiology, 12(3), 177-185. doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550413000128

Teaching: A Commitment to Lifelong Learning Essay -- Teaching Educatio

Teaching: A Commitment to Lifelong Learning Education is an ever-changing part of society. A classroom teacher is faced with new challenges and obstacles that have never been dealt with before. Students come to the classroom with different life stories. Every student has strengths and weaknesses that surface in the classroom environment. Teachers must understand and focus on utilizing each student's strengths and work to improve weaknesses. Students learn in a variety of ways. The classroom must be a safe zone that appreciates student's viewpoints and allows room for mistakes. When topics in the classroom are related to "real-life" experiences, the information is more likely to be retained. Students learn from one another. The ideas and perspectives that each student brings to the classroom can bring insight into what is being learned. Students have to be allowed to explore new ideas, try them to see if they work, and sometimes fail. When students are encouraged to explore, they begin the process of becoming lifelong learners. The teacher in the classroom encompasses several roles. Resource, facilitator, and mentor are three of them. The teacher must be a resource that provides ideas and lessons to be learned. The teacher also must be a facilitator that encourages creative thinking, exploration, and mastery. The teachers is responsible for what needs to be learned. The subject matter that is taught is based on both curriculum as well as the world that students live i...

Women and Environment

That the relationship between people and the environment is not gender-neutral became clear in the mid-1980s. Some organizations, focusing on the day-to-day lives of communities, argued that the position and concerns of women were invisible in environmental debates and programmers. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE based in New Delhi, India, in their The State of India’s Environment Report – or the Second Citizens Report of 1984-1985 argued that: Probably no other group is more affected by environmental destruction than poor village women.Every dawn brings with it a long march in search of fuel, fodderand water. It does not matter if the women are old, young or pregnant: crucial household needs have to be met day after weary day. As ecological conditions worsen, the long march becomes even longer and more tiresome. Caught between poverty and environmental destruction, poor rural women in India could well be reaching the limits of physical endurance. (CSE 1985) In that same year of 1985, the second UN Decade for Women Conference was held in Nairobi, Kenya.The Environment Liaison Centre (presently the Environment Liaison Centre International or ELCI) organized a series of workshops on women, environment and development at the NGO Forum. These workshops were aimed at developing a better understanding of the relationship between women and the physical environment. More than 25 women leaders from all parts of the world – with an audience of women and men many times more – presented their local and regional case studies on women and the global environmental crisis, as well as on women and forests, energy, agriculture, and water management at local level.One of the main conclusions from the workshops was that women bear the highest costs of the environmental crisis because of their roles in providing water, food and energy at family and community levels. On the other hand, it was shown that women could potentially also make a larg e contribution to the solution of the crisis, precisely due to their role in the management of those primary resources. The increase in women’s power and the sustainability of development are ecologically tied.It is therefore imperative that women are enabled to participate and be involved at all levels of development planning throughout the industrialized and developing worlds, according to the ELC statement to the UN Women’s Conference in 1985. Female Participation in the Labor Force over the last century, the issue of women in the workplace has been a tumultuous one. Early in the 20th century, few women participated in the labor force. A woman's place was at home, taking care of the family and managing the domestic world.It was seen as unfit for women to be in certain professions, and most women did not work, other than going about their daily chores around the house. The Great Depression magnified this fact, as unemployment reached its highest levels in history but women, more than ever, stayed home to look after their husbands who now found themselves without work. World War II brought a complete reversal to this trend. Productivity boomed and the men left their homes, some to work, most to join the war effort.Women, in large masses for the first time, also hit the labor market. Dubbed â€Å"Rosie the Riveter†, these women worked at manufacturing plants and at other technological industries that had previously seen only male employees. With the men off at war, these companies needed women to fill their shoes, and women streamed into the business. Since then, they have not looked back, as women employment in the labor force grew steadily in the four decades after World War II. It was not until very recently that female employment growth rates have leveled out.I hope to explain why this has happened, as well as examining different sectors of the economy and comparing women employment and men employment. Just after World War II the civil ian labor force participation for women was a paltry 32%. Today, however, some six decades later that rate has climbed in excess of 70%. For four solid decades after the war, this rate increased at an astounding rate. Early in the 1990s, however, this rate leveled off. This brought about much speculation as to whether or not women were thus starting to leave the labor force and, if so, what the causes of that might be.In order to look at this hypothesis more closely, we first need to break down the women in the labor force by age: 16-24 year olds, 25-34 year olds, 35-44 year olds, 45-54 year olds, and 55+ years. In the mid 1940's, 35-44 year olds were engaged in the labor force more than any other age group. In the late 1980s and into the early 1990s, this was still the case. Over the last 25 years, however, the younger age groups have exploded onto the work scene, drastically shooting up from a percentage (of women that age in the labor force) of 40 percent in 1970 to nearly 75 per cent in the early 1990s.Until the 1970's, a graph of female participation rates in the labor force would look like an â€Å"M†, with a large dip coming between the early 20's until the later-child bearing years, the mid 30's. However, with all age groups now actively participating in the labor force, that graph now looks like an upside down â€Å"U†. In the early 1990s participation rates of women abruptly flattened out. Initially much thought was given to the fact that more mothers were exiting the labor force temporarily in order to look after their children or become homemakers.Thus analysts turned to specific age groups. They found that there was a significant drop off in labor force participation rates of women ages 16-24. Historically, rates of this age group did follow business cycles, so why the sudden change? The explanation was that more females that age were enrolling in schools. School enrollment between 1987 and 1993 increased nearly 28 percent, and women in school were less likely to be employed in the labor force. Other age groups continued their slightly upward trend, with the only exception being the 16-24 year olds.One explanation as to why these women decided to attend school rather than remain in the labor force is the recession of the early 1990s. There was a recessionary job market, so the younger, less stable women chose to go back to school rather than seek alternate employment. Since the early 1990s, however, the growth of women entering the labor force has resumed. The makeup of the group of women in the labor force has been influenced more recently than ever before on family structure. In the last ten years, mothers have accounted for most of the rise in women's overall labor force rate.For mothers with children between the ages of 6 and 17, an astonishing 77 percent are in the labor force. With children under 6, this percentage understandably dips to 62 points, but both largely higher than a decade ago. For mothers wit h infants less than a year old, the percentage entering the labor force has grown nearly 20 percent over the last decade. This trend is a strong reflection of today's societal norms: working for pay is an integral part of many women's lives, as opposed to early in the 20th century when housework was the norm.The 1996 Welfare Reform Bill passed by Congress had an effect on poor and single mothers in the workplace. By trying to move women from welfare to work, the bill encouraged these women to find jobs, thus entering the labor force. Additionally, the real wages of met earning lower incomes has remained stagnant or even slightly fallen in recent years. The cost of a wife sitting around the house and taking care of the children has risen, so the wives have much more incentive, and need, now to go out and earn on their own. This, in turn, also puts pressure on single mothers to go out and work as well.These women do not necessarily work full-time year-round, but their entrance into th e marketplace is a positive for not only them but the women's movement in general. It has gotten to the point, however, that marriage and children (except a pre-school aged child, where mothers tend to stay at home or work minimal hours) now have little effect on whether a not a woman works, and for how long she works. This is the societal norm, although access to other income (e. g. husband's earnings, single vs. married woman) still has a large effect on a woman's employment options.Women now spend a couple of hours more in the workplace per day than they do caring for their children as opposed to 20 years ago, yet many mothers are still not committed to full-time year-round employment. Throughout the entire 20th century, women's wages have constantly lagged behind men's wages. If a woman and mad were both hired to do the same task, the man would be paid more than the women. That has been and continues to be the trend in the American capitalist state. One explanation has always be en that the men are not only more qualified at the jobs but more efficient.Thus, the argument goes, they should be paid at a higher premium. Today, however, the wage gap is still existent, and very few would find that argument valid. So why do women still earn less than men, and why are women often discriminated against in the workplace? When a child enters a family, it is the woman who, much more often than not, stays at home and cares for the new baby. When the women exits the labor force, she does not gain the seniority that she would have otherwise gotten had there been no child.When women return to the labor force, they are less likely to receive on the job training, and thus less like to increase their productivity and thus level of pay. The absence from the work force, even if only for several months to take care of a newborn child, can depreciate the job skills of women, so when they return back to work they are not as sharp and take some time to regain pre-birth efficiency in the office. Knowing this, employers are less likely to hire women who are in their prime years for giving birth. This also stands for women applying for new jobs; if they left the labor force nce before for a child, chances are good that they might do it again. An employer will see this and thus shy away from hiring the woman, instead perhaps deferring to a man who would remain at work. Employers may even view those who do not take time away from work as more dedicated than women who do, regardless of the reason, and this could be reflected in reduced promotion possibilities, different job assignments, and other actions that could have salary implications. This is certainly not fair to women: it is not their fault that they are biologically the ones who give birth and must frequently look after the children.Regardless, the trend is that those women who do take time off from work often are overlooked for more competitive jobs and receive less pay. I have just established that wome n are now in the labor force more than ever before. But now that they are working, what kinds of jobs are they doing? In private industry, the breakdown of women compared to men is interesting. In 2000 there were 44 million workers in private industry in the United States, 23. 5 million of which were male, 20. 5 million female. A more specific breakdown, however, shows some astounding differences.There were twice as many male officials and managers than there were females (3 million as opposed to 1. 5 million). Officials and managers are described as â€Å"occupations requiring administrative and managerial personnel who set broad policies, exercise overall responsibility for execution of these policies, etc. † Yet the number of workers defined as ‘professionals' gives females the numeric advantage, 3. 6 million to 3. 4 million. Professionals are described as â€Å"occupations requiring either college graduation or experience of such kind. Thus even though the women la bor force tends to be slightly more educated than the male labor force, it is the males who, by a 2:1 ratio, are in managerial and authoritative positions! In other generic fields, there is also a stark contrast between males and females. Women outnumber men by roughly a 3:2 ratio in sales, and for office and clerical workers in private industry in the United States in 2000, there were over 5 million females and only slightly over 1 million males. This is no doubt a stereotype, the female secretary or clerical workers, but according to these statistics this stereotype seems to hold true.What reasons are there that so many more females are attracted to, or rather hold, secretarial jobs? There are many. On the flip side, however, there were six times as many male craft workers (skilled labor) than there were female craft workers in 2000. Perhaps females are not attracted to the demanding physical labor of such jobs, much the way males do not like clerical tasks. Historically, males ha ve been overwhelmingly dominant in the field of physical labor. When some women were forced to work in factories for personal financial reasons, they were often despised and treated unequally.This, I am sure, led many females to be extremely not attracted to such professions. Likewise, females have always dominant as office secretaries and the like. Back when women first entered the labor force, these were often the only types of jobs available so they took them. Today, women still flock to these clerical jobs. Looking at more specific job fields, these same general observations seem to hold true. In the field of engineering and management services, male office officials and managers greatly outweigh female managers.There are more than twice as many male technicians as female technicians, and over 12 times as many male skilled laborers than female skilled laborers. However, the number of female clerical workers is more than four times that of male clerical workers. Even male operati ves (semiskilled workers) outnumber by three times the number of female operatives. These numbers show overwhelmingly that the technical aspect of engineering is enjoyed more by males, while the women are still confined to the office. In the field of legal services, females outnumber males by a 1. 7:1 ration.Nearly two thirds of all females in this profession, however, are in fact office and clerical workers. Male professionals outnumber female professionals by a wide margin, and the trend shown in the general population holds true here, too. In the field of computers and office equipment, twice as many males as females hold jobs in this area. As usual, the number of female clerical workers greatly outweighs the number of male clerical workers. It comes as no surprise that, in the field of computers, male professionals, technicians, and skilled laborers greatly outweighs the number of female workers in these areas.The same trends can be seen in other areas such as communications. On e profession bucking this trend, however, can be found in hospitals. Women hospital employees outnumber male hospital employees by more than a 3:1 margin. Additionally, the number of female officials and managers, professionals, and technicians outweigh the numbers for the males, not just in raw numbers but also in terms of percentages. Males, however, still comprise the vast majority of skilled laborers in this area. It is nice to see, however, an area that goes against the general trend.Even though women seem to be dominant in a few fields of work and very scattered throughout many others, this is a change from a couple generations ago when most women were not even in the labor force. For women, this fact is definitely a step in the positive direction. Most women now hold jobs in the workplace, and are sustaining them for longer amounts of time than ever before. The next step is for women to immerse themselves in all fields of the labor force, rather than just concentrating on a s elective few.This brings responsibility to males, too, to allow for women to reach the upper echelons of the labor force. In a labor force that has been historically dominated by males, this proves to be an intriguing situation over the next decade as more and more women aspire to the officials and managers that they are not today. Women's education from past till now Social Relevance Education has been the stumbling block keeping women from attaining equal status in society, separating them from their male counterparts. It has also been the door to this elusive dream of equality.Before women gained the right and privilege of higher education they were believed to be lower-class citizens, not worthy of voting or owning property, or any number of other â€Å"inalienable rights†. It was not only men who believed that women should hold a lower position than they. Queen Victoria said: † I am most anxious to enlist everyone who can speak or write to join in checking this mad , wicked folly of ‘Women's Rights', with all its attendant horrors, on which her poor feeble sex is bent, forgetting every sense of womanly feelings and propriety. Feminists ought to get a good whipping.Were woman to ‘unsex' themselves by claiming equality with men, they would become the most hateful, heathen and disgusting of beings and would surely perish without male protection. â€Å"(Victorian Station)  Without education to empower them, many women believed that they should not hold the power to influence politics or even make decisions about their own property. Women were stripped of their dignity and privileges by men of the community and even by their own husbands. However, they were finally able to break free from these social constraints through education. It is telling that most of he early feminists were set apart from their complacent sisters by education. They were educated, and through this knowledge gained a sense of self-worth and the power to change history. Higher education is the foundation of the empowered women of today. The struggle for women’s education has been an uphill battle that has not yet reached its citadel. This journey took root in the Victorian period and branched even to modern times. During the mid-eighteen hundreds women were expected to live up to a feminine ideal. This ideology required women to be â€Å"pure, pious, domestic and submissive† (Eisenmann Apendix).None of these ideals would be achieved through education. In fact, receiving an education in the Victorian Period was considered an â€Å"act of nonconformity†(Solomon xviii). A woman could not fill her preordained place in society if she wasting her time gaining knowledge. Education was thought to make women discontented with their current status, and possibly even irritated with men (McClelland 12). Education for women was thought to disrupt the social balance of the time. On the contrary, the earliest push for Victorian women to become educated was because they were mothers of men and eventually teachers of men (Solomon xviii).It was not until the twentieth century that women began to desire knowledge for themselves as individuals. History of Women in Education In order to understand the women’s education movement, it is important to have a brief background of its history. During the time of the ideal subservient woman a few bold women and events stand out as milestones in history. The first is in 1833; Oberlin College was founded. It was the nations first university to accept women and black students. The next important event was the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. This convention added fuel to the flame of education and suffrage.The Seneca Falls Declaration has been called â€Å"the single most important document of the nineteenth-century American woman’s movement†. At the convention a declaration concerning women’s rights was adopted modeling the Declaration of Independen ce. Appearing in addition to issues of suffrage were issues of education and employment. The Declaration of Sentiments states: He has monopolized nearly all the profitable employments, and from those she is permitted to follow, she receives but a scanty remuneration. He closes against her all the avenues to wealth and distinction, which he considers ost honorable to himself. As a teacher of theology, medicine, or law, she is not known. He has denied her the facilities for obtaining a thorough education – all colleges being closed against her. (Schneir 77) This event is of utmost importance to the women’s rights movement. It laid the foundation for future achievements even though suffrage was not achieved until 1920. After the Seneca Falls Convention women continued to achieve milestones in education. In 1877, Helen Magill became the first woman in the United States to earn her Ph. D.By 1880, women comprised eighty percent of all elementary school educators, and by 1910 women made up 39 percent of all collegiate undergraduate students and even 20 percent of all college faculty. Finally, in 1920 women’s suffrage was achieved, giving women a secure foothold in society. In 1945, the first woman was accepted to Harvard Medical School, and by 1972 Title XI was passed to help end the discrimination based on sex for any educational program that received federal funding. In 1980 women equaled men in numbers enrolled in colleges with 51 percent.Finally, in 1996 Virginia Military Institute was forced by the Supreme Court to become coeducational (Eisenmann appendix). There are many other events along the path to education that helped women achieve the status they enjoy today. This brief chronology merely traces a few of the hundreds of thousands of victories women had to win in order to become educated. Reasons for Oppression One of the main values that necessitated all of this arduous labor in order to simply become educated was that, people feared t hat the social system would break down if women were allowed to be educated.They worried that women would cease to fulfill their traditional roles if they received a higher education. It was even thought that a woman risked brain fever or sterility if she became educated (Delamont 109). These Victorian ideas seem ridiculous from a twentieth century perspective, but educated women today still have to deal with a certain measure of social stigma. It is often overlooked, however, because it has been adapted to fit the social constraints of today. They are forced at times to choose to live up to the dreams of their education or to live up to the societal implications of being a mother and wife (Solomon xix).This is only one of many reasons that the fight for adequate woman’s education is far from over. University of Texas Compared to Cambridge The fact that the need for reform in women’s education is not over is illustrated in two parallel cases. During the early feminist movement and the beginnings of the reform of women’s education, the best case to study is Cambridge in England. At the time this university had established authority in academia there was not a comparable university in the United States.Therefore, it is necessary to compare universities across the boundaries of nations. Women first gained notoriety at Cambridge when in the 1860’s Emily Davies was successful in her campaign to allow women to attend Cambridge University. However, they did not have the same status as the male students there (Acker 51). Even though Cambridge was one of the first universities to encourage women to study they did not award women the same degrees as men upon completion of the same tests (Vicinus 117). This is a testament to the slow but steady progress of women in education.These women were dedicated and willing to study despite sub-par compensation upon completion of school. It was not until 1947 that women were admitted to Cambridge as equa l members (Acker 51). While it was a promising start for women in the Victorian period to even be allowed to study, it is necessary to evaluate the staggering length of time this progress took to occur. It took almost a century for women to gain the same recognition as men. In light of these facts, it is dangerous to assume that women today have equal educational opportunity.As little as fifty-five years ago women were celebrating the fact that they could finally earn a degree at Cambridge University. That is not a very distant past. When asked if women at The University of Texas still face issues of educational bias, the answer is an unequivocal yes. Women make up almost half of the undergraduate student population at forty-nine percent. Sadly, these women are outnumbered in fields that have traditionally been male-dominated such as architecture and medicine. However, the average grade point average of women is higher than men in every field of study(Office of Inst. . This makes it clear that it is not a discrepancy of ability that keeps women from pursuing these vocations.There must be some sort of lingering Victorian attitudes that keep women from living up to their potential. Women today aspire to more diverse areas of study and vocation. However, they are realistic about what the world has in store for them and therefore gravitate towards more typically female professions (Kramarae 489). Another important fact is that the percentage of women faculty is a meager 33 percent (Office of Inst. Research has found that students tend to seek out classrooms and vocations in which they will feel comfortable and successful. Some students report avoiding courses that are overwhelmingly male because of the unwelcome feeling they experience in the classroom. How can women feel comfortable pursuing any field of study when male mentors and educators surround them and when the only contributions taught are those of males (Kramarae 498)? The battle for women’s educa tion will not be won until women feel free and comfortable to pursue any academic field.

Bloodlines Chapter Twenty-One

MIXING WHAT I NEEDED TO was easy. Getting it to where I needed took a couple of days. I first had to pay attention to what kind of shampoo Laurel used in the PE showers. The school provided shampoo and conditioner, of course, but she wouldn't trust her precious hair with anything so commonplace. Once I knew her brand, I hunted it down at a local beauty supply store and emptied its expensive contents down the drain. I filled bottles with my homemade concoction instead. The next step was switching it with Laurel's own bottle. I recruited Kristin for this. Her locker was next to Laurel's in PE, and she was more than willing to help me out. Part of it was that she shared our dislike of Laurel. But also, ever since I'd saved her from the tattoo reaction, Kristin had made it clear that she was indebted to me and had my back in whatever I needed. I didn't like the idea of her owing me, but her assistance did come in handy. She found a moment when Laurel looked away from her unlocked locker and covertly made the switch. We then simply had to wait for the next time Laurel used the shampoo to see the results of my handiwork. Meanwhile, my other lab experiment wasn't receiving quite the reaction I'd expected. Ms. Terwilliger accepted my report but not the amulet. â€Å"I have no use for it,† she remarked, glancing up from the papers I'd handed her. â€Å"Well†¦ I certainly don't either, ma'am.† She set the papers down. â€Å"This is all true? You followed every step precisely? I'd certainly have no way of knowing if you'd, ah, fudged some of the details.† I shook my head. â€Å"Nope. I followed every step.† â€Å"Well, then. It looks like you have yourself a fire-making charm.† â€Å"Ma'am,† I said, by way of protest. She grinned. â€Å"What do the directions say? Throw it and recite the last incantation? Do you know it?† ‘†Into flame, into flame,'† I said promptly. After having typed the spell initially for her notes and then re-creating it, it was hard not to have picked it all up. According to the book – which was an English translation of a Latin text – the language didn't matter so long as the words' meaning was clear. â€Å"Well, there you go. Give it a try one of these days and see what happens. Just don't light any school property on fire. Because that's not safe.† I held up the amulet by the string. â€Å"But this isn't real. This is nonsense. It's a bunch of junk thrown together in a bag.† She shrugged. â€Å"Who are we to question the ancients?† I stared, trying to figure out if she was joking. I'd known she was eccentric from day one, but she'd still always come across as a serious scholar. â€Å"You can't believe that. Magic like this†¦ it's not real.† Without thinking, I added, â€Å"Even if it was, ma'am, it's not for humans to mess around with powers like that.† Ms. Terwilliger was silent for several moments. â€Å"You truly believe that?† I fingered the cross around my neck. â€Å"It's how I was raised.† â€Å"Understood. Well, then, you may do what you like with the amulet. Throw it away, donate it, experiment with it. Regardless, this report's what I need for my book. Thank you for putting in the time – as always, you've done more than was required.† I put the amulet in my purse when I left, not really sure what to do. It was useless†¦ and yet, it had also cost me a lot of time. I was disappointed it wasn't going to have a more meaningful purpose in her research. All that effort gone to waste. The last of my projects showed development the next day, however. In AP Chemistry, Greg Slade and some of his friends scurried into class just as the bell rang. Our teacher gave them a warning look, but they didn't even notice. Slade was preening over his eagle tattoo, baring it for everyone to see. The ink was gleaming silver again. Next to him, one of his friends was also proudly showing off another silver tattoo. It was a pair of stylized crossed daggers, which was only slightly less tacky than the eagle. This was the same friend who had been worrying earlier this week that he wouldn't be able to get a tattoo. Apparently, things had worked out with the supplier. Interesting. Part of holding off on reporting to the Alchemists had been to see if Nevermore would replenish what I'd stolen. â€Å"It's amazing,† Slade's friend said. â€Å"The rush.† â€Å"I know.† Slade gave him a fist bump. â€Å"Just in time for tomorrow.† Trey was watching them, his expression dark. â€Å"What's tomorrow?† I whispered to him. He eyed them contemptuously for a few more moments before turning back to me. â€Å"Do you live under a rock? It's our first home game.† â€Å"Of course,† I said. My high school experience wouldn't be complete without the quintessential football hype. â€Å"A lot of good it'll do me,† he muttered. â€Å"Your bandages are off,† I pointed out. â€Å"Yeah, but Coach is still making me take it easy. Plus, I'm kind of deadweight now.† He nodded toward Slade and his friend. â€Å"How come they don't get in trouble for those? They're not making any effort to hide them. This school has no discipline anymore. We're practically in anarchy.† I smiled. â€Å"Practically.† â€Å"Your brother should be on the team, you know. I've seen him in PE. He could be a star athlete if he bothered trying out for anything.† â€Å"He doesn't like drawing attention to himself,† I explained. â€Å"But he'll probably go watch the game.† â€Å"Are you going to go to the game?† â€Å"Probably not.† Trey arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Hot date?† â€Å"No! But I'm just†¦ well, not into watching sports. And I feel like I should stay with Jill.† â€Å"You won't even go to cheer me on?† â€Å"You don't need my cheers.† Trey gave me a disappointed look as a response. â€Å"Maybe it's just as well,† he said. â€Å"Since you really wouldn't get to see me performing to my full level of awesomeness.† â€Å"That is a shame,† I agreed. â€Å"Oh, stop with the sarcasm already.† He sighed. â€Å"My dad's going to be the most upset. There are family expectations.† Well, that was something I could relate to. â€Å"Is he a football player too?† â€Å"Nah, it's less about football itself than keeping yourself in peak physical shape. Excelling. Ready to be called upon in a moment's notice. Being the best on the team's been a way to keep him proud – until these tattoos started.† â€Å"You're good without any tattoo help. He should still be proud,† I said. â€Å"You don't know my father.† â€Å"No, but I think I know someone just like him.† I smiled. â€Å"You know, maybe I do need to go to a football game after all.† Trey simply smiled back, and class started. The day passed calmly, but Jill ran up to me as soon as I entered the locker room for PE. â€Å"I heard from Lia! She asked if I could come by tonight. She's had regular practices with the other models but thought I could use a special session of my own since I don't have any experience. Of course, the thing is, I†¦ you know, need a ride. Do you think†¦ I mean, could you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"It's what I'm here for.† â€Å"Thank you, Sydney!† She threw her arms around me, much to my astonishment. â€Å"I know you don't have any reason to help me after everything I've done, but – â€Å" â€Å"It's fine, it's fine,† I said, awkwardly patting her on the shoulder. I took a steadying breath. Think of it as Jill hugging me. Not as a vampire hugging me. â€Å"I'm glad to help.† â€Å"Would you two like to be alone?† sneered Laurel, striding in with her entourage. â€Å"I always knew there was something weird about your family.† Jill and I split apart, and she blushed, which only made them laugh more. â€Å"God, I hate them,† she said when they were out of earshot. â€Å"I really want to get them back.† â€Å"Patience,† I murmured. â€Å"They'll get what's coming to them someday.† Eyeing Laurel's locker, I thought that â€Å"someday† might come sooner rather than later. Jill shook her head in amazement. â€Å"I don't know how you can be so forgiving, Sydney. Everything just rolls right off of you.† I smiled, wondering what Jill would think if she knew the truth – that I wasn't quite as â€Å"forgiving† as I appeared. And not just when it came to Laurel. If Jill wanted to think of me that way, so be it. Of course, my facade as a kindly, turn-the-other-cheek person was shattered when Laurel's shriek's filled the locker room at the end of class an hour later. It was almost a repeat of the ice incident. Laurel came tearing out of the shower, wrapped in a towel. She ran to the mirror in horror, holding her hair up to it. â€Å"What's wrong?† asked one of her friends. â€Å"Can't you see it?† cried Laurel. â€Å"There's something wrong†¦ it doesn't feel right. It's oil†¦ or I don't know!† She took out a blow dryer and dried a section while the rest of us watched with interest. After a few minutes, the long strands were dry, but it was hard to tell. It really was like her hair was coated in oil or grease, like she hadn't washed it in weeks. That normally gleaming, bouncy hair now hung in lank, ugly coils. The color was also off a little. The bright, flaming red now had a sickly yellow hue. â€Å"It smells weird too,† she exclaimed. â€Å"Wash it again,† suggested another friend. Laurel did that, but it wasn't going to help. Even when she figured out that her shampoo was causing the problem, the stuff I'd made wasn't going to come out of her hair easily. Water would continue fueling the reaction, and it was going to take many, many scrubbings before she fixed the problem. Jill gave me astonished look. â€Å"Sydney?† she whispered, a million questions in my name. â€Å"Patience,† I assured her. â€Å"This is just the first act.† That evening, I drove Jill down to Lia DiStefano's boutique. Eddie went with us, of course. Lia was only a few years older than me and nearly a foot shorter. Despite her tiny size, there was something big and forceful about her personality as she confronted us. The shop was filled with elegant gowns and dresses, though she herself was dressed ultra-casual, in ripped jeans and an oversized peasant blouse. She flipped on the closed sign on her door and then confronted us with hands on her hips. â€Å"So, Jillian Melrose,† she began. â€Å"We have less than two weeks to turn you into a model.† Her eyes fell on me. â€Å"And you're going to help.† â€Å"Me?† I exclaimed. â€Å"I'm just the ride.† â€Å"Not if you want your sister to shine in my show.† She stared back up at Jill, the difference in their heights almost comical. â€Å"You have to eat, drink, and breathe modeling if you're going to pull this off. And you have to do it all – in these.† With a flourish, Lia grabbed a nearby shoe box and produced a pair of glittery purple shoes with heels that had to be at least five inches high. Jill and I stared. â€Å"Isn't she tall enough already?† I asked at last. Lia snorted and thrust the shoes at Jill. â€Å"These aren't for the show. But once you master these, you'll be ready for anything.† Jill took them gingerly, holding them up to study them. The heels reminded me of the silver stakes Eddie and Rose used to kill Strigoi. If Jill really wanted to be prepared for any situation, she could just keep these around. Self-conscious of our scrutiny, she finally kicked off her brown flats and fastened the many elaborate straps of the purple shoes. Once they were on, she slowly straightened up – and nearly fell over. I hastily jumped to catch her. Lia nodded in approval. â€Å"See? This is what I was talking about. Sisterly teamwork. It's up to you to make sure she doesn't fall and break her neck before my show.† Jill shot me a look of panic that I suspect was reflected on my own face. I started to suggest that Eddie be Jill's spotter, but he had discreetly moved off to the side of the shop to watch and seemed to have escaped Lia's notice. Apparently, his protective services had limits. While Jill simply attempted not to topple over, I helped Lia clear space in the store's center. Lia then spent the next hour or so demonstrating how to properly walk for fashion, with emphasis on posture and stride in order to display clothing to its best effect. Most of those fine details were lost on Jill, though, who struggled to simply walk across the room without falling. Grace and beauty weren't concerns as much as staying upright. Nonetheless, when I glanced over at Eddie, he was watching Jill with a rapt look on his face, as though every step she were taking was pure magic. Catching my eye, he immediately resumed his wary, protective guardian face. I did my best to offer Jill words of encouragement – and yes, stop her from falling and breaking her neck. Halfway through the session, we heard a knock at the glass door. Lia started to scowl and then recognized the face on the other side of the door. She brightened and went to unlock it. â€Å"Mr. Donahue,† she said, letting Lee in. â€Å"Come to see how your starlet's doing?† Lee smiled, his gray eyes instantly seeking out Jill. Jill met his gaze, grinning just as widely. Lee hadn't been around at the last feeding, and although they talked constantly on the phone and IM, I knew she had been pining to see him. A glance at Eddie's face showed me he wasn't nearly as delighted by Lee's presence. â€Å"I already know how she's doing,† said Lee. â€Å"She's perfect.† Lia snorted. â€Å"I wouldn't go that far.† â€Å"Hey,† I said, inspiration striking me. â€Å"Lee, do you want to be in charge of keeping Jill from breaking her neck? I need to run an errand.† Unsurprisingly, Lee was more than willing, and I knew I didn't need to fear for her safety with Eddie on watch. I left them, hurrying two streets over to Nevermore. Ever since I'd heard Slade and his friends confirm the tattooists were in business again, I'd wanted to pay an in-person trip. Not a covert one, though. My stolen goods had already yielded their evidence. Except for the clear liquid, I had identified all the other substances in the vials. All the metallics were exact matches for Alchemist compounds, meaning these people either had an Alchemist connection or were stealing. Either way, my case got stronger and stronger. I just hoped it'd be enough to redeem me and keep Zoe out of here, particularly since the clock was ticking on her arrival. We were almost a week away from when my father had said she'd be replacing me. My plan was to see how willing Nevermore was to give me a tattoo. I wanted to know what warnings (if any) they gave out and how easy it was in the first place. Adrian's conversation hadn't yielded much info, but probably his on-fire-biker-skelet-on-with-a-parrot tattoo request hadn't done much to help his credibility. I was armed with cash today, which I hoped would get me somewhere. As it was, I never needed to flash any. As soon as I walked in, the guy behind the counter – the same one Adrian had spoken to – looked relieved. â€Å"Thank God,† he said. â€Å"Please tell me you have more. These kids are driving me crazy. When we got into this†¦ I had no idea it was gonna get this big. The money's good, but Christ. It's crazy to keep up with.† I kept my confusion off of my face, wondering what in the world he was talking about. He was acting as though I was in on his scheme here, which made no sense. But then his eyes flashed to my cheek, and suddenly, I understood. My lily tattoo. It was uncovered, since school was over. And I knew then, with absolute certainty, that whomever he was working with to get his supplies was also an Alchemist. He'd assumed my tattoo made me an ally. â€Å"I don't have anything with me,† I said. His face fell. â€Å"But the demand – â€Å" â€Å"You lost the other batch,† I said haughtily. â€Å"You let it get stolen right out from underneath you. Do you know how much trouble we go to in order to get that?† â€Å"I already explained that to your friend!† he exclaimed. â€Å"He said he understood. He said he'd taken care of the problem and that we didn't have to worry anymore.† There was a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. â€Å"Yeah, well, he doesn't speak for all of us, and we're not sure we want to continue. You were compromised.† â€Å"We're careful,† he argued. â€Å"That theft wasn't our fault! Now, come on. You have to help us. Didn't he tell you? There's a huge demand for tomorrow because those private school kids have a game. If we can deliver, we'll make double the money.† I gave him my best icy smile. â€Å"We'll discuss it among ourselves and get back to you.† With that, I turned around and began to leave. â€Å"Wait,† he called. I spared him a haughty glance. â€Å"Can you make that person stop calling?† â€Å"What person?† I asked, wondering if he meant some persistent Amberwood student. â€Å"The one with the weird voice who keeps asking if any tall, pale people are showing up around here. Ones that look like vampires. I figured it was someone you knew.† Tall, pale people? I didn't like the sound of that but kept my face blank. â€Å"Sorry. Don't know what you're talking about. Must have been a prank.† I left, making a mental note to investigate that further. If someone was inquiring about people who looked like vampires, that was a problem. It wasn't, however, the immediate problem. My mind raced as I processed what else the tattooist had told me. There was an Alchemist supplying Nevermore. In some ways, that shouldn't be a surprise. How else were they going to get ahold of vampire blood and all the metals necessary for their tattoos? And apparently, this rogue Alchemist had â€Å"taken care of the problem† that led to the theft of their supplies. When had my father called saying I was being pulled because of Keith's reports? Right after I'd broken into Nevermore. I knew who the rogue Alchemist was. And I knew that I had been â€Å"the problem.† Keith had taken care of me, making moves to get me out of Palm Springs and bring in someone new and inexperienced who wouldn't interfere with his illicit tattoo operation. It was why he'd wanted Zoe in the first place. I was aghast. I didn't have a great opinion of Keith Darnell, not by any means. But never, never had I thought he'd stoop to this level. He was an immoral person, but he'd still been raised with the same principles I had about humans and vampires. For him to abandon those beliefs and expose innocents to the dire side effects of vampire blood for his own material gain†¦ well, it was more than a betrayal of the Alchemists. It was a betrayal of the whole human race. My hand was on my cell phone, ready to call Stanton. That's all it would take. One call with the kind of news I had, and Alchemists would swoop in on Palm Springs – and on Keith. But what if there was no hard evidence to connect Keith? It was possible another Alchemist might go in and play the same game I had, getting the tattooist to think that they were part of Keith's team. Keith was the one I wanted to bust, however. I wanted to ensure that there was no way he could slip out of this. I made my decision, and rather than the Alchemists, I called Adrian. When I arrived back at Lia's shop, I found the training session winding down. Lia was giving Jill some last-minute instructions while Eddie and Lee lingered nearby. Eddie took one look at my face and instantly knew something was wrong. â€Å"What's the matter?† â€Å"Nothing,† I said blandly. â€Å"Just a problem I'm going to fix soon. Lee, would you mind taking Jill and Eddie back to the school? I have a couple errands I need to run.† Eddie frowned. â€Å"Are you okay? Do you need someone to protect you?† â€Å"I'll have someone.† I reconsidered, seeing as I was about to meet up with Adrian. â€Å"Well, kind of. Anyway, I'm not in trouble. Your job's to keep an eye on Jill, remember? Thanks, Lee,† I added, seeing him nod. A thought suddenly struck me. â€Å"Wait†¦ I thought this was one of the days you had a night class. Are we keeping you†¦ or†¦ well, what days do you have class?† I hadn't thought much about it, only noticing that some days Lee was around and other days he was in Los Angeles. But in looking back, there was no real pattern. I saw realization light Eddie's face as well. â€Å"That's true,† he said, eyeing Lee suspiciously. â€Å"What kind of schedule are you on?† Lee opened his mouth, and I sensed a ready story coming. Then he stopped and cast an anxious look at Jill, who was still talking to Lia. His face fell. â€Å"Please don't tell her,† he whispered. â€Å"Tell her what?† I asked, keeping my voice low as well. â€Å"I'm not in college. I mean – I was. But not this semester. I wanted some time off but†¦ didn't want to disappoint my dad. So, I told him I was just going part-time, which is why I was around more.† â€Å"What do you do in LA during all that time, then?† asked Eddie. That was an excellent question, I realized. â€Å"I still have friends there, and I need to keep my cover.† Lee sighed. â€Å"It's stupid, I know. Please – let me be the one to tell her. I wanted so badly to impress her and to prove myself to her. She's wonderful. She just caught me at a bad time.† Eddie and I exchanged glances. â€Å"I won't tell,† I said. â€Å"But you really should let her know. I mean, I guess there's no harm done†¦ but you shouldn't have that kind of lie between you.† Lee looked miserable. â€Å"I know. Thank you.† When he stepped aside, Eddie shook his head at me. â€Å"I don't like him lying. Not at all.† â€Å"Lee trying to save face is the least weird thing going on here,† I said. I found out then that Jill could walk from one side of the store to the other and back without falling over. It wasn't pretty, but it was a start. She was still a long ways from looking anything like the runway models I saw on TV, but considering she hadn't been able to stand in the shoes at first, I supposed she'd made considerable progress. She started to take off the heels, but Lia stopped her. â€Å"No. I told you. You have to wear these shoes all the time. Practice, practice, practice. Wear them home. Wear them everywhere.† She turned to me. â€Å"And you – â€Å" â€Å"I know. Make sure she doesn't break her neck,† I said. â€Å"She's not going to be able to wear those all the time, though. Our school has a dress code.† â€Å"What if they were in a different color?† asked Lia. â€Å"I don't think it's just the color,† Jill said apologetically. â€Å"I think it's the stiletto part. But I promise to wear them outside of class and practice in our room.† That was good enough for Lia, and after a few more words of advice, she sent us on our way. We promised to practice and come back in two days. I told Jill I'd meet up with her later, but I don't know if she heard. She was so caught up in the idea of Lee driving her home that pretty much everything else went past her. I drove over to Clarence's and was met at the door by Adrian. â€Å"Wow,† I said, impressed at his initiative. â€Å"I didn't expect you to be ready so quickly.† â€Å"I'm not,† he said. â€Å"I need you to see something right now.† I frowned. â€Å"Okay.† Adrian led me deeper into the house, beyond where I normally went, which made me nervous. â€Å"Are you sure this can't wait? This thing we've got to do is kind of urgent†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"So is this. How did Clarence seem the last time you saw him?† â€Å"Weird.† â€Å"But health-wise?† I thought about it. â€Å"Well, I know he's been tired. But usually he seemed okay.† â€Å"Yeah, well, he's not ‘okay' now. It's gone beyond just tired. He's weak, dizzy, and confined to his bed.† We reached a closed wooden door, and Adrian stopped. â€Å"Do you know what caused it?† I asked, alarmed. I'd been worried about the complications of a sick Moroi but hadn't expected to deal with it so soon. â€Å"I have a pretty good idea,† said Adrian, with surprising fierceness. â€Å"Your boy Keith.† â€Å"Stop saying stuff like that. He's not ‘my boy,'† I exclaimed. â€Å"He's ruining my life!† Adrian opened the door, revealing a large, ornate canopied bed. Walking into a Moroi bedroom wasn't something I was comfortable with, but Adrian's commanding look was too powerful. I followed him in and gasped when I saw Clarence lying on the bed. â€Å"Not just yours,† said Adrian, pointing at the old man. Clarence's eyes fluttered at the sound of our voices and then closed again as he shifted into sleep. It wasn't his eyes that held my attention, though. It was the pale, sickly pallor of his skin – that, and the bloody wound on Clarence's neck. It was small, made with just one prick, like it had come from a surgical instrument. Adrian looked at me expectantly. â€Å"Well, Sage? Do you have any idea why Keith would be draining Clarence's blood?† I swallowed, scarcely able to believe what I was seeing. Here was the last piece. I knew that Keith had been supplying the tattooists, and now I knew where Keith was getting his â€Å"supplies.† â€Å"Yes,† I said at last, my voice small. â€Å"I have a very good idea.†

Free Essays on Shakespeare And Olds Poetry Comparison

The way in which people handle growing old can be very different. William Shakespeare and Sharon Olds, however, have very similar ideas of losing youth. In â€Å"Sonnet 73,† Shakespeare discusses what growing old means to him and ends with a plea to the person he wrote the poem to. â€Å"35/10† is a comparison poem of a daughter coming of age and a mother who is leaving that time behind. The metaphors and similes used in the imagery and careful word choice used by Shakespeare and Sharon add to the images and feel in their discussions of growing old. The exercise of metaphors and similes is vital to the full meanings of the poems because they are used to give the reader very strong images. Each author uses several to make their feelings of growing old more impacting. Sharon Olds uses them in the way that she compares her daughter’s youth to her lack of youth. The poem chronologically goes through the process of the mother realizing and understanding that while she loses her youth, her daughter gains it. The first image she uses is stated very well and gives the reader a good understanding of the poem right of the bat. â€Å"Why is it/ just as we begin to go/ they begin to arrive.† (line 4-6) Then Olds starts to compare the daughter to the mother. â€Å"The fold in my neck/ clarifying as the fine bones of her hips sharpen.† (line 6-8) This image is important because it signifies that the young girl is starting to grow into her womanly figure by developing more pronounced hips. The next image describe s the mother’s skin star! ting to go and the daughter’s skin starting to bloom â€Å"like a small/ pale flower on the tip of a cactus.† (line 9-10) The simile used here provides a very descriptive image, making it easier to picture how the daughter is blossoming into her youthful stage of womanhood. Then Olds continues to describe this through the next image. â€Å"As my last chances to bear a child/ are falling through my bod... Free Essays on Shakespeare And Olds Poetry Comparison Free Essays on Shakespeare And Olds Poetry Comparison The way in which people handle growing old can be very different. William Shakespeare and Sharon Olds, however, have very similar ideas of losing youth. In â€Å"Sonnet 73,† Shakespeare discusses what growing old means to him and ends with a plea to the person he wrote the poem to. â€Å"35/10† is a comparison poem of a daughter coming of age and a mother who is leaving that time behind. The metaphors and similes used in the imagery and careful word choice used by Shakespeare and Sharon add to the images and feel in their discussions of growing old. The exercise of metaphors and similes is vital to the full meanings of the poems because they are used to give the reader very strong images. Each author uses several to make their feelings of growing old more impacting. Sharon Olds uses them in the way that she compares her daughter’s youth to her lack of youth. The poem chronologically goes through the process of the mother realizing and understanding that while she loses her youth, her daughter gains it. The first image she uses is stated very well and gives the reader a good understanding of the poem right of the bat. â€Å"Why is it/ just as we begin to go/ they begin to arrive.† (line 4-6) Then Olds starts to compare the daughter to the mother. â€Å"The fold in my neck/ clarifying as the fine bones of her hips sharpen.† (line 6-8) This image is important because it signifies that the young girl is starting to grow into her womanly figure by developing more pronounced hips. The next image describe s the mother’s skin star! ting to go and the daughter’s skin starting to bloom â€Å"like a small/ pale flower on the tip of a cactus.† (line 9-10) The simile used here provides a very descriptive image, making it easier to picture how the daughter is blossoming into her youthful stage of womanhood. Then Olds continues to describe this through the next image. â€Å"As my last chances to bear a child/ are falling through my bod...

A Tale of Two Cities-Forshadowing essays

A Tale of Two Cities-Forshadowing essays Foreshadowing is used in many of Charles Dickens' novels. It can bring about a sense of wonder and imagination of what might occur later in the novel. The concept of foreshadowing means to present a warning sign, or hint beforehand. Dickens is able to use this concept in three examples: Gaspard's illustration of "blood", the people rebelling against the aristocrats and the threatening footsteps in the Manette, are all examples of foreshadowing, that Dickens' uses in his novel A Tale of Two Cities. The French Revolution is the main event described by the use of foreshadowing. Dickens uses the phrase "one tall joker so besmirched...scrawls upon a wall with his finger dipped in muddy-lees BLOOD," to forecast the spilt wine as future blood shed during the French Revolution (37-38). Dickens also subtly states, "the one woman, Madame Defarge, who stands conspicuous, knitting, still knits on with the steadfastness of Fate," and he is foreshadowing the French Revolution by comparing Madame Defarge to Fate (117). Both Madame Defarge and Fate mark people who are destined to die which leads further into the French Revolution. Lastly, Dickens presents the statement, "they their very selves are closing in around a structure yet unbuilt, where they are to sit knitting, knitting, counting dropping heads," to show that in the future, Madame Defarge and her women knit while counting the heads being severed by La Guillotine (187). Another instance of foreshadowing is the revenge of the poor people against the aristocrats. When Dickens writes, "there is a flutter in the air that fans Saint Antoine and his devouring hunger far away," he is referring to the poor people in Saint Antoine such as the Defarges and their death craving towards the aristocrats (113). The poor that crave the aristocrats deaths have such a strong aura that they are a part of a living Saint Antoine, and for a moment, their death cravi ...

Analyzing What Boudicca Is

Analyzing What Boudicca Is Though the primary sources on Boudicca are fragmentary and limited, it can still be ascertained that she played a major role in the revolt of the Iceni against the mighty foreign power of Rome. Throughout history powerful men have been viewed as threatening, but powerful women such as the late queen of the Iceni are often seen as awe-inspiring. Owing to Boudicca’s mistreatment and bravery she rose up against the Roman Invasion endeavouring to seek vengeance and in doing so shaped European history. Boudicca, one of history’s most powerful women, suffered rape only vicariously as a mother, but her revenge destroyed thousands. The rebellion of Boudicca has an established and monumental place in British history. Her ability to recruit a brutal Celtic army and massacre thousands in her revolt displays her courage and determination as a leader. The character of this woman and the events of her life, contribute immensely to her importance in history. While over time she has b een viewed by different perspectives, she is most commonly seen as the obvious; a queen, mother, wife and survivor. Boudicca’s revolt against the Romans was initially shaped by misfortunes brought upon her life and her family. Among ancient Celts, women were equal to men and held a number of well established rights. Consequently, when Boudicca’s husband, Prasutagus, King of the Iceni tribe met his death in 60 AD, Boudicca took her assumed role as Leader and queen. Her husband’s will outlined Boudicca’s inheritance of the tribe and its land yet the Romans considered this practise illegal and demanded she hand over her wealth and territories. The injustice of such a demand resulted in Boudicca’s strong refusal which ultimately led to her arrest, flogging and then the public brutalisation and rape of her two young daughters. Tacitus, senator and historian of the Roman Empire depicted the event in his work, The Annals. He states, â€Å"His kingdom was plundered by centuries†¦ his wife Boudicca was scoured and his daughters outrage. All the chief men of the Iceni as if Rome had received the whole country as a gift, were stripped of their ancestral possessions, and the kings relatives were made slaves.†(http://classics.mit.edu/Tacitus/annals.html). This prominent historian outlines significantly the atrocious actions of the Roman Empire and mistreatment of the Royal Family and its tribe. Manifestly, after the assault to her children, her family and her kingdom, it was time to seek vengeance. Boudicca triumphed as courageous female leader and despite the fragmentary nature of sources; there is strong historical evidence which depicts her heroic qualities. In the case of Boudicca, the public lashing she received and the rape of her daughters was a calculated political move on the part of the offending Romans, whose intent was to show the Celts their helplessness against the conquerors. For years Celtic tribes had suffered under roman domination and taxation. They had been driven off their own land and subject to lives as slaves and prisoners. After suffering yet enduring such great offences, Boudicca recruited neighbouring Celtic tribes which without a doubt strongly supported the revolt. Tacitus articulated that even neighbouring tribes which had not yet been cowed by slavery agreed in secret conspiracy to reclaim Celtic freedom. (Annals, 14,31). Cassius Dio, a Roman historian, could not overlook the magnanimity of Boudicca as he romantically depicts her in his literature when he displayed, â€Å"She was huge of frame, terrifying of aspect, and with a harsh voice. A great mass of bright red hair fell to her knees: she wore a twisted Torc, and a tunic of any colours, over which was a thick mantle, festered by a broach. Now she grasped a spear to strike fear into all that watched her†.(www.unc.edu). Without question, Boudicca’s larger than life reputation, courageous persona and frighte ning stance was clearly recognised and depicted strongly in Roman history. Her ability to inspire support from neighbouring tribes in her vengeance in seeking to revolt made her a leader in her own right. Her final speech to her army, retold by Tacitus, displays the motivations of the Celts. Boudicca stated, â€Å"Roman lust has gone so far that not our very person, nor even age or virginity, are left unpolluted†¦ If you weigh well the strength of the armies, and the causes of the war, you will see that this battle you must conquer or die. This is a women’s resolve; as for men, they may live and be slaves, and captive.†(www.unc.edu). Boudicca expresses that she would rather die than let herself and her tribe fall under the control of the Roman Empire. It is articulated that Boudicca saw the battle as life or death and that women will fight to the very end in the name of vengeance. Despite the fragmentary nature of the sources surrounding Boudicca, it is still evid ent that her efforts to build and motivate her army display her impact and inspiring leadership qualities.

Critiquing a literature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critiquing a literature review - Essay Example McCloskey argues that the utilization of research is essential for nursing. As part of a larger systematic review on research utilization instruments within the magnet health care system the argument made is precise, logical, and very well-articulated. However, the research conflicts on certain levels with many scholars who have continuously over the past two decades expressed profound concerns about whether nurses use the best available scientific evidence and research to guide their clinical practices.(Karkos,et al, 2006). This disparity between the availability of research evidence and its use in practice has created what is referred to as the research-practice gap (Larsen et al, 2002) within the professional application. The nature of this gap has been the subject of near continuous debate and conjecture and is the proximal focus of McCloskey’s research. The research provided validates the premise that nurses have an evolving perception of how research transcends into their practice, and is to an extent based upon educational level and hospital position. McCloskey puts forward a methodology of â€Å"what is to be† integrated and used by administrators and by nurses at all levels of the profession in order to assume a more positive posture toward research and evidence based practices. The problem statement of the paper is answered to the extent of how staff demographics’ effect research utilization, and to a larger extent how the circumstances of the organization may in fact precipitate much of what is recognized as the research-practice gap(Larsen et al, 2002). However, McCloskey’s research lacks sufficient depth to offer a specific formulaic approach to rectifying the research-practice gap as detailed in the wide panorama of the entire nursing profession. McCloskey sets out with a very simple tenant,

Strategic Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Marketing Management - Essay Example The research could be casual, descriptive or exploratory in nature according to the needs of the organization. After the analysis is done the organization can move on to developing a viable, long term strategy for the organizations’ marketing efforts. The main focus of the strategy is to allow for segmentation and targeting of the desired customer base and deciding on the value proposition that they would be offered in return for becoming their customers. The basic challenge of strategic marketing is, therefore, to manage marketing intricacy, customer and stakeholder expectations and to reconcile with the effects of a varying atmosphere in the context of certain resource availabilities. Strategic Marketing enthusiasts often adopt management concepts to their unique needs. As the basic purpose of both management and marketing is to explore the relationships an industry or organization has with its environment, some of the widely used management tools and frameworks have been ad opted for the marketing process. These would include the industry analysis techniques of Porter and the portfolio matrices (Fahy, Smithee, 1999, p1). Strategic Marketing Management is a field of study in which due consideration is given to understanding the different parts of the marketing strategy and their integration framework for defining and evolving the market which ultimately helps the marketing manager into transforming concepts and theories into practical strategies and action plans for any organization. In Strategic Marketing Management the focus is on the ‘3 Cs’ of the external environment. The competitors, customers and the channel form the three pronged focus of the firms efforts. By searching and providing better solutions to their customers needs and to cater to their demands is the first step for any the organization in designing a product and related marketing strategy. The competitors are important because ultimately they will impact the consumers buyi ng decision and the overall industry profitability, the strategy has to be such as to differentiate and better the position of the company in the eyes of the consumer from the competitor. Finally, the channel or the supplier side of the equation deals with the processes of manufacturing or producing a good for the market and the people that will have to be dealt with during it all. An organization has to be on the lookout for any opportunities or threats which exist because of changes in the 3 Cs environments, and their marketing strategy has to be strong and flexible enough to adept to these changes in a beneficial way. Like any other process, marketing is also subject to the changes in the technological, lifestyle, social and economical trends. Even more so because marketing, ultimately, is designed to and catered for the needs and wants of the people and these depend largely on the time frame and environmental and psychological factors. In the 21st century there are some trends w hich have slowly become a stronghold in of the modern markets and for the prudent organizations, their strategy has to be managed to accommodate these trends. There is a cynicism prevalent in today’s consumer which makes them check and double check the claims that a company is making about their product or service. They are self conscious about the decisions they make, ethically motivated, passionate about eco friendly practices and generally more

Study Framework Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Study Framework - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that  it is crystal clear that, other than the definition of pain, the theoretical framework fails to describe and define the concepts of interest. Concepts of interest are symbolic or image representation of abstract ideas. They are major components of theories thus conveys the abstract ideas within the theories.  The author just uses the several concepts such as touch and pain, stimuli, impulses, neurons, pathways, responsivity, synapse, innocuous, neurons, intensity, skin, noxious among others.From this paper it is clear that  the framework presents the relationships among the concepts and such relationships include: Firstly, specialized sense organs encode pain and touch stimuli. Secondly, impulses for every modality travel along distinct pathways. Impulses project to pain and touch centers in the brain. Intensity affects pathways for stimuli because the number of impulses that are present in neurons determines the intensity of a stimulus. Also, low leve ls of activity encode innocuous stimuli while high level of activity encodes noxious stimuli. Somatic sense organs are responsive to a wide range of stimulus intensities. Finally, different sense organs tend to have distinct levels of responsivity to stimuli. The patter of activity or a population code of neurons encodes the location and modality of the stimulus.  The map or model of the framework is provided for clarity. The review provides a diagram and a conceptual framework for each of the four most influential theories of pain perception.

Propaganda Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Propaganda - Term Paper Example Firstly, the total can be understood as a function of the effect of the entire message. Lowe’s provided on its handouts the following quote, â€Å"To honor our armed forces, Lowes will be providing customers will complimentary bumper stickers that offer a simple ‘Thank You’ to our troops. A limited quantity of ‘Thank You’ stickers, with an image of the American flag, will be available in-store during the veterans day weekend.† The totality of this message, although simple, has various levels of meaning that help to explain why such a symbol serves as a piece of propaganda (Collins 15). Though further meaning will be extrapolated from each of the words that this statement entails, it is important to weigh the statement from its total meaning. Two main thoughts are therefore passed to the reader. The first of these is that it is their responsibility to honor sacrifice. The second is that Lowe’s is performing this service by virtue of its u nderstanding of the role it plays as a community leader. Secondly, the particular piece of propaganda must be understood with relation to the time that it appeared. Firstly, this understanding of time is with relation to the time of year that the bumper stickers appeared; that of Veteran’s Day. Thus, the powerfully evocative effect is that one understands this particular part of the year/season is important and should necessarily be noted by both shopper and retailer alike. It is worth additionally noted that implied within this form of propaganda is the distinct understanding the sacrifices of the troops that are being â€Å"thanked† allows us to enjoy the American way – capitalism, low prices, and a warehouse full of choices. Although none of this is directly printed, the implied levels of meaning are most certainly extant. Likewise, the element of time relates to some other concurrent

Measuring Intangible Assets - Apple, Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Measuring Intangible Assets - Apple, Inc - Essay Example Tangible assets are fixed assets, which have physical substance and are held for use in the production or supply of goods and services such as lands, buildings, plants, and equipment. An intangible asset is an identifiable non-monitory asset without physical substance (Weetman 2010). Examples of intangible assets are trademarks. This essay will examine patients and brand names more thoroughly. One of the most challenging principles of accounting is the recognition of intangible assets, such as trademarks and patents, and a company’s reputation in its financial statements and balance sheet. In addition, these assets are considered â€Å"non-mentionable† or in another sense â€Å"unrecognized† in the balance sheet due to the failure of the rule of recognition in measuring the cost of the asset. The conventional argument is that the company gains nothing from the intangible asset, such as reputation etc. However. intangible assets can some of the largest assets a company’ acquires. They are also one of the major factors in generating future profits. This essay investigates the value and the importance of intangible assets for Apple Inc. After conducting research and examining its annual report Apple Inc. held considerable interest for me. Apple Inc is considered the most valuable company in the world with a market capitalization of $346 billion (James 2011). One considers whether the world’s number one company has recognized their reputation in the balance sheet and whether the confidence of their consumers over the years has been recognized in the company’s financial division. After examining the company’s annual report I could locate this asset on the company’s balance sheet. Apple’s brand is valued at $153 Billion ("Trademark a name:" 2011); this is almost half of its market capitalization size and is recognized as â€Å"unmeasurable† intangible asset of its trademark, which includes its reputation.

Study Framework Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Study Framework - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that  it is crystal clear that, other than the definition of pain, the theoretical framework fails to describe and define the concepts of interest. Concepts of interest are symbolic or image representation of abstract ideas. They are major components of theories thus conveys the abstract ideas within the theories.  The author just uses the several concepts such as touch and pain, stimuli, impulses, neurons, pathways, responsivity, synapse, innocuous, neurons, intensity, skin, noxious among others.From this paper it is clear that  the framework presents the relationships among the concepts and such relationships include: Firstly, specialized sense organs encode pain and touch stimuli. Secondly, impulses for every modality travel along distinct pathways. Impulses project to pain and touch centers in the brain. Intensity affects pathways for stimuli because the number of impulses that are present in neurons determines the intensity of a stimulus. Also, low leve ls of activity encode innocuous stimuli while high level of activity encodes noxious stimuli. Somatic sense organs are responsive to a wide range of stimulus intensities. Finally, different sense organs tend to have distinct levels of responsivity to stimuli. The patter of activity or a population code of neurons encodes the location and modality of the stimulus.  The map or model of the framework is provided for clarity. The review provides a diagram and a conceptual framework for each of the four most influential theories of pain perception.

Measuring Intangible Assets - Apple, Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Measuring Intangible Assets - Apple, Inc - Essay Example Tangible assets are fixed assets, which have physical substance and are held for use in the production or supply of goods and services such as lands, buildings, plants, and equipment. An intangible asset is an identifiable non-monitory asset without physical substance (Weetman 2010). Examples of intangible assets are trademarks. This essay will examine patients and brand names more thoroughly. One of the most challenging principles of accounting is the recognition of intangible assets, such as trademarks and patents, and a company’s reputation in its financial statements and balance sheet. In addition, these assets are considered â€Å"non-mentionable† or in another sense â€Å"unrecognized† in the balance sheet due to the failure of the rule of recognition in measuring the cost of the asset. The conventional argument is that the company gains nothing from the intangible asset, such as reputation etc. However. intangible assets can some of the largest assets a company’ acquires. They are also one of the major factors in generating future profits. This essay investigates the value and the importance of intangible assets for Apple Inc. After conducting research and examining its annual report Apple Inc. held considerable interest for me. Apple Inc is considered the most valuable company in the world with a market capitalization of $346 billion (James 2011). One considers whether the world’s number one company has recognized their reputation in the balance sheet and whether the confidence of their consumers over the years has been recognized in the company’s financial division. After examining the company’s annual report I could locate this asset on the company’s balance sheet. Apple’s brand is valued at $153 Billion ("Trademark a name:" 2011); this is almost half of its market capitalization size and is recognized as â€Å"unmeasurable† intangible asset of its trademark, which includes its reputation.

Explain the process by which democracy was accepted as a valid form of government Essay Example for Free

Explain the process by which democracy was accepted as a valid form of government Essay Democracy denotes to a government by the people. The name comes from the Greek and means â€Å"rule by the people. † Democracy is government by the majority of the people, or majority rule. It differs from monarchy (â€Å"rule by one†), aristocracy (â€Å"rule by the best, or nobles†), and oligarchy (â€Å"rule by a few†). Democracy has three different related meanings: (1) a form of government in which those who control the government are elected by the people and are responsible, or answerable, for their actions to the people; (2) a form of society in which there is no privileged class and in which individuals may rise by ability to positions of power and influence; and (3) an ideal or way of life that stresses equality, liberty, individual rights, tolerance, freedom of discussion, and compromise. Most democracies are republics, in which the people elect the head of the state. A monarchy with a hereditary king or queen may also be democratic. In Great Britain, for example, is a democracy in the form of a limited monarchy. Some countries that call themselves republics are not democracies. A country with a republican constitution may be a dictatorship in which government is under the complete control of one person. On the other hand, republic is a country in which both the head of the state and the members of the legislature are elected directly or indirectly by the people. Most of the nations of the world today, including the United States and the Soviet Union, are republics. The rest, in most instances, are monarchies, in which the head of the state (a king, queen, or prince) comes into office through inheritance. The term republic and government are sometimes confused. Republic means a constitutional form of government under which the head of the state is elected, either by direct popular vote or indirectly through elected representatives. In addition, social contract denotes to human race originally lived in a â€Å"state of nature,† in which people enjoyed complete freedom, with no laws and no government. Without constraints on their activities, however, people were constantly fighting among themselves, and the safety of each individual was endangered. To ensure their survival, people eventually made an agreement called a social contract, to establish a system a law and order. On the other hand, balance of power is relatively equal distribution of economic and military strength among rival countries or groups countries. For 400 years, the countries of Europe devoted much of their diplomatic and military effort to creating or maintaining such a balance. Their object was to prevent any single nation or group of nations from becoming powerful enough to dominate the continent. The idea of maintaining power equilibrium became an important influence in European politics in the 16th century. An outstanding example of balance-of-power politics occurred in the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48). Furthermore, Republican Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. Since the time of the Taft administration (1909-13) it has generally been regarded as more conservative than the other major party, the Democratic. However, this difference between the two parties has not always been sharp, as the Republican Party initiated or supported progressive legislation. Also, the Republican Party, like the Democratic, has both liberal and conservative factions. Nonetheless, the Republican Party is generally associated with the interests of business, the wealthy and propertied, and those opposed to the ideas of the welfare state and a â€Å"big government. †

Construction Essays Construction Clients Olympic

Construction Essays Construction Clients Olympic Construction Clients Olympic Three different case studies namely: (1) Olympic stadium; (2) Wembley stadium; and (3) Arsenal Emirates stadium have been specifically chosen to critically analyse different psyches and make ups of construction clients as well as the procurement routes discussed in previous chapters. The evaluation seeks to find out how the construction clients have influenced the delivery of projects; how the construction client have adhered to the recommendations of the government and industrys reports and how the adopted procurement routes have helped in improving the UK construction industry performance. This chapter basically relies on the issues discussed in preceding chapters in critically appraising the way the projects procurements were carried out. The authors commentaries have been given in green while the case studies notes predominantly obtained through the internet are given in the normal black. CASE STUDY 1: THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC STADIUM All the case study materials for the Olympics stadium were obtained from only one source which is the internet. The Project The Olympic stadium is a project that is part of an intricate Olympic programme which is embodied by a compulsory timetable and programme of works that affects the development of each of the facilities that makes up the Olympic programme. Get help with your essay from our expert essay writers The delivery of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics games facilities is regarded as the biggest and most intricate project embarked on in the UK for a very long time (MPA, 2006). The site for the Olympics will be Europes largest regeneration project (LSC, 2007). The hub essence of the project is the development of facilities for the games as well as the regeneration of the section of eastern part of the capital city, London (BBC, 2008a). According to WLB (2006), the development of the Olympic facilities and their legacy transformation includes (1) five permanent venues construction namely- Olympic Stadium, Aquatic Centre, Velopark, Handball Arena and Eton Arena; (2) three temporary sporting venues (Basketball Arena, Hockey and Fencing Venues); (3) International Broadcast Centre/Main Press Centre construction; (4) permanent and temporary structures, roads and bridges; (5) site-wide utilities infrastructure; earthwork and extensive landscaping; and (6) extensive post games legacy r egeneration works. The Olympic stadium brief was drafted to produce an amazing 80,000-seater stadium for the hosting of the track and field events as well as the opening and closing ceremonies for both the Olympic and Paralympics games (WLB, 2006). After the games it would be demounted or perhaps reduced to 25,000 seats, but still retains the maintainable and rational capacity of hosting ranges of sporting, educational, cultural and community events with athletics being its core use (WLB, 2006a). The knack of conversion of the stadium from an 80,000-seater venue to a 25,000-seater venue with 55,000 demounted immediately the Olympics ends is regarded as highly innovative and espouses great forward thinking (BBC, 2008a). The  £496 million Olympic stadium design is motivated by a commitment made during Londons bid to bequeath a world class athletics legacy rather than a succession of flamboyant edifice as exemplified in previous Olympics (Guardian, 2008). While considering how to reduce and come up with a reasonable cost and make the demounting of the stadium (as outlined in the project brief and shown in Fig 5.2a) less complicated, the majority of the services usually found within the stadium such as catering, bars, toilets and merchandise stalls was designed to be located in pods on the forecourt outside the stadium (Guardian, 2008). According to BBC (2008a) the main features of the design are (1) a sunken bowl built into the ground for the field of play and lower permanent seating, designed to bring spectators close to the action;(2) 25,000 permanent seats + 55,000 demountable; (3) a cable-supported roof that will stretch 28 metres the whole way around the stadium, providing cover for two-thirds of spectators; (3) a fabric curtain will wrap around the stadium structure, acting as additional protection and shelter for spectators; and (4) facilities such as catering and merchandising will be grouped into self-contained pod structures. The Olympics Minister, Tessa Jowell MP in her words extols the virtues of the concept and stated that Once the Games are over this will then be translated into a stadium that will not only host grand prix athletics events and other national sport events but will also serve the communities of the boroughs (BBC, 2008a). After completion the stadium will supplement and complements other grand stadia around London such as Wembley, the Emirates and the Twickenham stadia (BBC, 2008a). The Client The Olympic programme involves a complex array of 5 key stakeholders (MPA, 2006) as shown in Fig. 5.2c and bidding for the Olympic has to be in conformation with the International Olympic Committees (IOC) guidelines (Guardian, 2008b). The Olympic board comprises of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London, Lord Moynihan, Lord Coe and Jack Lemley (MPA, 2006). The first two people mentioned chair the board alternatively while the rest of the board acts in advisory capacity (MPA, 2006). The Olympic Board Steering Group (OBSG) comprises of senior officials of the 5 key stakeholders namely: (1) ODA; (2) the London Organising Committee of the Olympics Games (LOCOG); (3) the Greater London Authority (GLA); (4) British Olympic Association (BOA); and (5) the Government (MPA, 2006). Their main functions are to collectively advice and provide assurance to the board (MPA, 2006). These stakeholders have differing perceptions as to what constitute success. While they all have different responsibilities towards the success of the game, their individual objectives has to be met. It is worth noting that their varying objectives were well reconciled as per the game. Shared understanding was created among them and reconciliation of objectives was easy because one of the predominant overarching aims of both the UK government and IOC for the games is sustainability. As discussed earlier in chapter 4, the Egan report recommends sustainability which is in consonance with the stadium co nstruction aims. IOC parameters stipulates that the construction costs had to be given in prices in the year of the bidding (2004) rather than the likely overall costs in hosting year of 2012 (Guardian, 2008b). This led to the  £280 million bid book price to the IOC (Guardian, 2008b). It augurs that prices had to be going up constantly due the inflation in the UK construction industry which ran at 6.5% as at late 2007 (Guardian, 2008b). The issue of the under budgeting which created widespread criticism was partly as a result of the IOCs strict guidelines of presenting costing within a certain parameters. The inflation in the construction industry is currently running on close to 7% as against a lower one in 2004 when the estimate was made. The IOC ought to have considered economic terms and allowed for future prices to be made as in most accounting future predictions. It is rather surprising and somewhat disheartening to note that IOC had to wait this long to change the negative presentation of us ing bidding year costing as the actual cost of stadium to be built in 8years time!. With prevailing interest rates which tends to force cost escalation gave the public negative opinion and views with cost rising up to 100% increase! The demounting cost of the stadium as well as value added tax (VAT) were not included in the initial  £280 million cost submitted to IOC which meant the venue was always going to cost more than originally figured (Guardian, 2008b). The brief was hurriedly made which never tallied with the tactical issues of the whole concept. The author reckons that there was no comprehensive one at the time! The strategic issues and the tactical issues were not in unison because of the prevalent atmosphere of uncertainty surrounding winning the bid. Irrespective of the chosen procurement routes, changes in brief will definitely lead to changes in cost. Moreover, while offering plausible reasons for the demounting and being optimistic of a possible buyer of the demountable parts, it is still seen that finding a possible buyer could be onerous or perhaps impossible. Designs and technology change rapidly and likewise innovations which tends to leads to changes in materials. Todays innovation can be t omorrows error! The vision and strategic objectives are well spelt out. According to MPA (2006) the vision is To host an inspirational, safe and inclusive Olympic and Paralympics games and leave a sustainable legacy for London and the UK. As shown in the Fig. 5.2c above, the ODA is the public body responsible for the development and construction of all the new venues and infrastructure for the Games and thus represents the clients on the project (MPA, 2006). The ODA was considered to be a comparatively small organization structure and an industry representative called the private delivery partner was chosen to take up the balance of the mishmash of resources provision and management (MPA, 2006). CLM was however chosen as the private delivery partner. Though they are knowledgeable and experience client, as discussed in chapter 2, they still engage external expertise to augment their in-house assemblage. This was a smart approach in the right direction considering the magnitude of the project at hand. The CLM is a consortium of Laing O Rourke Plc, Mace Ltd and CH2M Hill and was appointed to work with the ODA to project manage the venues and infrastructure programme for the games. Their functions include the integration of design, construction, commissioning, procurement, scheduling and cost management (MPA, 2006). The consortium signed performance based contract where profit will be earned if targets are met thus making it a reward structure linked with delivery. 5.2.3 The Analysis of the Procurement Process ODA launched a procurement policy that highlights both high quality and value for money as core values for procuring contracts for all the 2012 Games venues and infrastructural developments (WLB, 2006b). ODA chose a competitive process to procure an Integrated Design and Construct Team for the design and construction of the Olympic stadium so as to ensure top quality design, construction and completion, commissioning, testing and licensing of the stadium for the Games (Creative Match, 2006). The procurement policy has themes such as security measures, sustainability and legacy and thus allows all businesses bidding for contracts to be rated according to a balanced scorecard (WLB, 2006b). The policy is expected to result in an excellent working relationship with shared values and objectives of sustainability and lasting legacy with the best of businesses and companies found in the UK construction industry (WLB, 2006b). It is envisaged that the successful bidder must have an innovative design flair, capacity, experience, technical expertise, financial and economic strength (Creative Match, 2006). This was successfully achieved through the appointment of the preferred bidder. The ODA preferred tendering option was the Electronic tendering (E-tendering), a two stage competitive process which allows companies to take part in tenders in a secured and efficient way (WLB, 2006a). In consonance with the EU guidelines (WLB, 2006a), 7 national and international applications/bids were received to pre-qualify for the contract (NAO, 2008). Consequently, in compliance with the public contracts regulations, ODA sets prequalification criteria which were only met by Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd submission (WLB, 2006a) and was considered both viable and compliant with requirements (NAO, 2008). It is however worth noting that competition was not keen because of the progress of only one successful tenderer to the next stage. The use of two stage tendering is to give chance for competition which never materialised. To the authors consternation it is a shame to the industry. The Australian company, Multiplex would have provided a stiff competition to Sir McAlpine had they success fully executed the Wembley national stadium project. Moreover, negotiations started between ODA and Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which is legally binding was signed to both design and build the Olympic stadium (WLB, 2006a). To the dismay of ODA, a particular bidder team was without a construction contractor despite the core requirement for an integrated design and build bid (NAO, 2008). Again, this is a shame to the UK construction industry which produces 6% of the nation GDP. The action does not exemplify professionalism. The integrated design and construction approach will reduce risk and potential cost overruns (Creative Match, 2006). However, as it turned out an additional  £29 million pounds which translates to  £525 million is expected to be the potential final cost! ODA reckons that the lackadaisical interest was as a result of the risk perception of high profile stadium project in the UK public sector and also the advance knowledge that Team Stadium was also a bidder (NAO, 2008). However, due to the failure of other bidders, ODA entered into a single tender basis with Team Stadium (NAO, 2008). The failure of Multiplex to produce a successful Wembley stadium resulted in its non consideration. The MoU entails the key commercial terms which created the basis of the full integrated design and build contract and records the terms on which the contractor agreed for further design development before the signing of full contract (WLB, 2006a). Considerable design and value engineering was carried out on the project and the signing of the MoU allowed the development of design which necessitated the early procurement of commodities such as steel needed to build the Stadium (London2012, 2007). It is worth giving kudos here that, as observed in chapters 3 and 4, one of the averred recommendations of the government and industry reports is the early supply chain assemblage. Also, the use of value management in removing unnecessary design and cost as discussed in chapter 4, which is a key theme in NAO modernising construction report of 2001, is a welcome adherence. The Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd and their designers are known as the Team Stadium (WLB, 2006a). According to WLB (2006a) the Team Stadium comprises of: (1) Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd (Construction contractor); (2) HOK Sport Ltd (Architect and Sport venue designer); and (3) Buro Happold Ltd (Structural and services engineers) (WLB, 2006a). The three companies have at different times worked together on different projects namely: (1) Arsenal stadium (Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd, Buro Happold Ltd and HOK Sport Ltd; (2) ExCeL Exhibition Centre (Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd and Buro Happold Ltd); and (3) The Eden project (Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd and Buro Happold Ltd). This demonstrates integration of supply chain, long term relationship and collaborative workings as dictated in all the previous chapters. Consequently, a design and build contract was signed with the Team Stadium on 17 March 2008 (NAO, 2008). This demonstrates single point responsibility and adherence to government directives of 3 effective procurement routes that exemplifies value for money as observed in chapter 2 and 3. A forecast of potential cost of  £525 million was envisaged in March 2008 which reflects the uncompetitiveness of the procurement process and the changes in the design and scope requirements as a result of roof amendment (NAO, 2008). Therefore,  £525 million stands as the potential final cost and  £496 million as the budget (NAO, 2008). This is common to all design and build route and its variants as discussed in chapter two. Design changes and variations are costly. 5.2.4 Lessons Learnt It is still premature to ascribe failure to the Olympic stadium because of the besmirched and unpleasant information available to the public. With cost also escalating every seconds of the day, these has eroded the mind of the public and cast bad impression about the stadium success. Most messy projects always have time and cost overrun attached to them which always leads to adversarialism. When a project involves multiple stakeholders with little time to bid for the Olympics, there are bound to be hurried assembly of bids which might not be absolutely impeccable. This indicates that lesson should always be learnt from the limitation of previously held Olympics. The IOC has taken a wonderful timely reversion of presenting bid costs in the year of hosting rather than in the year of bidding which is a welcome action. Smart approaches are been taken to erase the bad impression and re-create public confidence. The time table have been reset with the project starting three months ahead of schedule which is hoped to make the stadium available before the scheduled time. Also, the early assembling of the teams is really helping the progress of the project. The procurement policy which is in consonance with the stakeholders objectives of sustainability and legacy derivation is seen to be a right move in the right direction. It has resulted in excellent working arrangement of the assembled team. Moreover, it is worth acknowledging that any endeavour that is worth doing should be done well. The Sir McAlpines past achievement record was the overarching consideration of their success, while Multiplex shame delivery of the Wembley hindered them from even tendering for the project. The design and build can be seen to be the right route for the stadium delivery. While its limitation of not been so good in quality can be enhanced by close monitoring of project managers, its time and cost certainty for the stadium delivery is a forte attached to it which is most important for the stadium delivery. CASE STUDY 2: THE WEMBLEY NATIONAL STADIUM The Project There is the worldwide believe that the Wembley national stadium has always had an exceptional place in the annals of the UK as an event and entertainment centre (Quintain, 2004). During the late 20th century, the Wembley national stadium hosted series of major park, theatre and funfair events such as the 1924 British Empire Exhibition, the 1934 Empire Games, the 1948 Summer Olympics, the 1996 World Cup Finals, the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest, the 1996 European Championships and several other events staged in between (Quintain, 2004). The stadium was demolished in 2002 and rebuilt in 2006 to a 90,000-seater stadium (WNSL, 2008). The new  £757 million Wembley national stadium (NAO, 2003) is now almost thrice as large as its former size with its arch positioning 140 metres beyond its concourse, which is considered enormous enough to roll the London eye beneath!(Quintain, 2004). Though the arch replaced the twin towers which were the stadiums symbol, the Wembley national stadium is still considered as an icon just as the old Wembley stadium (SPG, 2008a). Though controversy trailed the demolition of the iconic twin towers, but it is worth giving kudos for the eventual settlement of the uproar with the impeccable choice of the arch. The project was triggered in 1996, by the clamour for a new English national stadium and consequently after national competition, Sport England overwhelmly selected Wembley as the preferred site (House of Commons, 2004). Sport England overarching objective was support the development of an iconic stadium for three major sports namely football, rugby league and athletics (NAO, 2003). The principal uses of the Wembley national stadium are football and rugby league (NAO, 2003). It is mandated that after five years of the stadiums operation, 1% of its annual turnover will be donated by WNSL for the delivery to sports education and other projects (NAO, 2003). The Client The Football Association (FA) was at the forefront of the stadium project and the stadium was eventually brought to life by its subsidiary, WNSL (House of Commons, 2004). WNSL was responsible for its construction and consequently charged with operating and owning the new stadium (NAO, 2003). The Wembley National Stadium project was wholly undertaken by private sector organisations and was mostly financed by private capital (NAO, 2003). The public sector contribution towards the construction of the stadium was  £161 million with the breakdown of: (1)  £120 million from Sport England; (2)  £20 million from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS); and (3)  £21 million from the London Development Agency (NAO, 2003). The full contributions of the key stakeholders (both the public and private sectors) and the various uses of the funds are as shown in Fig. 5.3b and 5.3c respectively. Profits generated from the operation of the Wembley National Stadium are used by the FA for the benefit of football (NAO, 2003). The issue of track inclusion in the design created a bit of acrimony between Sport England (SE) and WNSL (House of Commons, 2004). However, it was later decided that athletics consideration (track) should be withdrawn which SE was persuaded to accept unwillingly (NAO, 2003). This act is seen to be unfair. As one of the key stakeholders a meeting ought to be called and sought the view of SE before taking any decision. Perhaps value management exercise ought to have been carried out as discussed in one of the industry report and all the stakeholders especially SE would have a shared understanding as to why the track is to be removed. The Analysis of the Procurement Process On 14th July 1999, WNSL threw open bids submission for contractors for the Wembley national stadium (Building, 2008). Mowlem, HBG, Sir Robert McAlpine and Bovis/Multiplex were the companies that responded to the invitation (Building, 2008). In early 2002, Cyril Sweett was hired by WNSL as the independent consultants and the firm consequently gave Multiplex contract a clean sheet as providing value for money (SPG, 2008a). Initially, Multiplex was agreed as the preferred contractor on a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) design and build contract of  £326.5m (which does not include design fees) with a 31/4-year programme to construct the Wembley stadium (Building, 2008). The Wembley National Stadium project was completed in 2007 at an amazingly high cost of  £757 million (House of Commons, 2004) with the stadium eventually gulping  £445 million (NAO, 2003). The project overran on time and cost. The design of the stadium was carried out by architects Foster and Partners and HOK Sport while Sir Norman Foster designed the arch and the roof structure (SPG, 2008a). According to Building (2008) the tendering process started with the appointment of Bovis/Multiplex consortium in 2000 as the preferred contractor which was later dissolved and Multiplex was appointed. Bovis opted out when it envisaged that the agreed price was not tenable or visible (Building, 2008). This was the genesis of the stadiums problem. As a deeply rooted company in the UK, Bovis understood very clearly that construction was not visible at that cost. However, owing to the plausible smart play of WNSL and the ubiquities of mischief associated with the design and construct route were contractors bid low in order to wait for claims and variations to improve their profit. WNSL fell for the trap and an agreement was signed. But this turned out to be adversarial leading to numerous accusation and court cases. Moreo ver, Tropus was first appointed as Wembley project manager whose contract ran out and was consequently replaced by Symonds (Building, 2008). Due to the clamour in 1996 for a national stadium, Wembley was consequently chosen as the preferred site (House of Commons, 2004). Two years later, SE awarded  £120 million towards the development of the project (House of Commons, 2004). It was however envisaged in 1998 that the construction cost would be in the region of  £320 million and to be completed within 4 years (House of Commons, 2004). However, in year 2000 the project suffered financial setback and a request for additional public fund was initiated by the FA in 2001, but the Secretary of State for Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) declined and asked Mr Patrick Carter to review the project (House of Commons, 2004). A staggering sum of  £1.6 million was squandered in reviewing the project (House of Commons, 2004). From the authors viewpoint, expending such an amount of money in reviewing does not exemplify value for money. A report from Tropus should have been taken serious and re-tendering ordered instead of spending the money on reviewing and coming out with little effective report. It was noted during the course of the review, that there was lapses on the project by WNSL and DCMS was also cognisant of concerns about features of the management such as the procurement process which resulted in the appointment of Multiplex as the main contractor to build the stadium (House of Commons, 2004). This concerns led to its investigation by Mr David James CBE stemming from the request of the then Chairman of Wembley National Stadium Limited (House of Commons, 2004). While no speck of evidence of impropriety was found, serious concerns were raised as to whether equal opportunity was granted to all the bidders (House of Commons, 2004). A conclusion was however reached that the procurement process did not meet the highest standards expected in the industry (House of Commons, 2004). It was noted that a comprehensive formal procurement process was not enacted by WNSL and it was also seen that for the award of the same contract, they ran two separate corresponding tendering processes on dissimilar terms (House of Commons, 2004). To buttress the non enforcement of level playing ground, it was also noted that they had dialogue with Multiplex before the commencement of the formal procurement process (House of Commons, 2004). As a client of the construction industry, the action is seen to be against best practice. As an industry seen to be besmirched with image problem, a favourable and fair level playing ground is expected to be provided by the construction client for active involvement of all and sundry. It was therefore concluded by the then Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport that the availability of further public funding would be hinged on meeting series of tests by both the FA and WNSL (House of Commons, 2004). However, these tests were later met and the project was considered commendable of further support (House of Commons, 2004). DCMS thought of re-tendering the construction contract as a condition of further support was discarded on the ground that no likelihood of savings to the public purse would be achieved (House of Commons, 2004). This was a wise decision considering that  £1.6 million has been expended on review and more time might be wasted in re-tendering. Two reports were published by Tropus and James and they both concluded that WNSL never followed best practice thereby bereft of best value (Building, 2008). It was however argued that players in the UK industry were not given ample chance to compete for the project (Building, 2008). The arch construction started in 2003 and its fabrication was done on-site using steel modules manufactured by steel subcontractor Cleveland Bridge. However, irreconcilable differences erupted between Cleveland Bridge and Multiplex and the former had to leave the project and was replaced by another steel subcontractor called Hollandia (SPG, 2008a). Cleveland Bridge was unsure if they would be paid for the materials to be employed (SPG, 2008a). This later resulted into a court case (SPG, 2008a). This reinforced the issue of long time relationship and effective supply chain integration as discussed earlier in previous chapters. The author reckons that Bovis/Multiplex consortium would have provided strong supply chain ties needed for success. Bovis is a deeply rooted company that understands the UK industry and has a strong supply chain leaning unlike the Australian company. While accepting the EU directives, it is also more important to look at the antecedence of magnitude of projects executed by the company in the country under consideration. If there had been strong supply chain ties between Multiplex and its steel sub-contractor, the issue of distrust of payment would never have arose. Lessons Learnt The design and build and its various variants are expected to be produce cost and time certainty which were never on the Wembley stadium. The novated design and build which was employed on the case study was expected to allow the client the opportunity to have great input into the design before novating the designer to the contractor after output specification would have been fully specified. From the case study, the GMP novated Design and Build contract was hurriedly assembled by WNSL without fully establishing its requirement. This is considered inappropriate and as discussed in previous chapters, can lead to adversarialism. Consequently, the project was characterised with numerous court cases. It was also noted that the project was full of adversarial relationship both on the sides of the client and contractor and the contractor and sub-contractor. All the benchmark reports as discussed in chapter four advocated for long term relationship and effective supply chain management. Knowledge of UK construction industry terrain is very essential which as noted in the case study was not quite and fully understand by Multiplex. WNSL too never made matter easy by allowing Bovis to walk out of the process and rushing into agreement with only the Australian company. As noted in the case study, Multiplex is partially or perhaps bereft of the modus operandi of the UK construction industry and the author reckons that was why multiplex entered into a consortium with Bovis. However, WNSL action and consideration of multiplex could be seen to be based on price alone and perhaps very low cost consideration which is not in consonance with best practise. Strong and effective supply chain was devoid in the project leading to massive rift between the supply chain due to lack of long term relationship. As noted in case study one of the Olympic stadium, Multiplex image has been besmirched by its unsuccessful execution of the Wembley national stadium. It can be concluded that for a construction company continued existence and progress in the volatile UK construction industry, successful and unsuccessful past project execution will surely play significant role in its successful bidding for project. Lastly, the project was seen to lack effective stakeholders management. Due consideration needs to be given to all stakeholders before changing any aspect of the project. Effective and timely consideration needs to be the watchword. CASE STUDY 3: THE ARSENAL EMIRATES STADIUM The Project The Emirates stadium is a 60,000-seater stadium constructed in Ashburton Grove as a replacement for the Highbury stadium which was the former ground (SPG, 2008b). The Emirates stadium is the home of premier league Football Club called Arsenal. Announcement was made in late 2004 that the new stadium would be known as the Emirates stadium