Vaquita Facts and Conservation Information

The vaquita (Phocoena sinus), also known as the Gulf of California harbor porpoise, cochito or Marsopa vaquita is the smallest cetacean. It is also one of the most endangered, with only about 250 remaining. The word vaquita means small cow in Spanish. Its species name, sinus is Latin for gulf or bay, referring to the vaquitas small range, which is restricted to coastal waters off the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. Vaquitas were discovered fairly recently - the species was first identified based on skulls in 1958 and live specimens were not observed until 1985. You can read more about the vaquitas discovery here. Description Vaquitas are about 4-5 feet long, and weigh about 65-120 pounds. Vaquitas are gray, with darker gray on their back and lighter gray on their underside. They have a black eye ring, lips and chin, and pale face. Vaquitas lighten in color as they age. They also have a recognizable triangular-shaped dorsal fin. Vaquitas are shy around vessels, and typically are found singly, in pairs or in small groups of 7-10 animals. They may stay underwater for a long time. The combination of these characteristics can make vaquitas difficult to find in the wild. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataSubphylum: VertebrataSuperclass: Gnathostomata, TetrapodaClass: MammaliaSubclass: TheriaOrder: CetartiodactylaSuborder: CetancodontaSuborder: OdontocetiInfraorder: CetaceaSuperfamily: OdontocetiFamily: PhocoenidaeGenus: PhocoenaSpecies: sinus    Habitat and Distribution Vaquitas have one of the most limited home ranges of all cetaceans. They live in the northern end of the Gulf of California, off the Baja Peninsula in Mexico, in murky, shallow waters within about 13.5 miles of shore. Click here for a sightings map. Feeding Vaquitas feed on schooling fish, crustaceans and cephalopods. Like other odontocetes, they find their prey using echolocation, which is similar to sonar. The vaquita emits high frequency sound pulses from an organ (the melon) in its head. The sound waves bounce off objects around them and are received back into the dolphins lower jaw, transmitted to the inner ear and interpreted to determine the size, shape, location and distance of prey. Vaquitas are toothed whales, and use their spade-shaped teeth to capture their prey. They have 16-22 pairs of teeth in their upper jaw and 17-20 pairs in their lower jaw. Reproduction Vaquitas are sexually mature at about 3-6 years of age. Vaquitas mate in April-May and calves are born in the months of February-April after a 10-11 month gestation period. Calves are about 2.5 feet long and weigh about 16.5 pounds at birth. The maximum known lifespan of an individual vaquita was a female who lived 21 years. Conservation There are an estimated 245 vaquitas remaining (according to a 2008 study), and the population may be declining by as much as 15% each year. They are listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. One of the biggest threats to vaquitas is entanglement or being caught as bycatch in fishing gear, with an estimated 30-85 vaquitas taken incidentally by fisheries each year (Source: NOAA). The Mexican government began developing a Vaquita Recovery Plan in 2007, putting efforts into place to protect the vaquita, although they continue to be affected by fishing. Click here to learn how you can help vaquitas. References and Further Information Gerrodette, T., Taylor, B.L., Swift, R., Rankin, S., Jaramillo-Legorreta, A.M., and L. Rojas-Bracho. 2011. TI - A combined visual and acoustic estimate of 2008 abundance, and change in abundance since 1997, for the vaquita, Phocoena sinus. Marine Mammal Science, 27:2, E79-E100.Marine Mammal Commission. Vaquita (Phocoena sinus). Accessed May 31, 2012.NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources. 2011. Gulf of California Harbor Porpoise/Vaquita/Cochito (Phocoena sinus). Accessed May 31, 2012.OBIS-SEAMAP. Gulf of California Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena sinus). Accessed May 31, 2012.Perrin, W. (2010). Phocoena sinus Norris McFarland, 1958. In: Perrin, W.F. World Cetacea Database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?ptaxdetailsid343897. Accessed May 31, 2012.Phocoena sinus, In Palomares, M.L.D. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2012. SeaLifeBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.sealifebase.org, version (04/2012). Accessed May 31, 2012 .Rojas-Bracho, L., Reeves, R.R., Jaramillo-Legorreta, A. Taylor, B.L. 2008. Phocoena sinus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. . Accessed May 29, 2012.Rojas-Bracho, L. P. sinus. Accessed May 31, 2012.Vaquita: Last Chance for the Desert Porpoise. Accessed May 31, 2012.Viva Vaquita. Accessed May 31, 2012.

Civil Rights For African Americans - 1001 Words

Civil Rights for African Americans Marciano Castillo Government 3P May 5, 2015 For centuries African Americans have been treated differently because of the color of their skin. They’ve been slaves, segregated, and discriminated, and been forced to fight for equality. Till this day African Americans are discriminated but yet have accomplished a lot from changing laws to changing the way they are viewed. The first slaves arrived in Virginia around the 1600’s and was the jumpstart to what was to come in the united states and so began with the purchase of a human being no better than the caucasian person only differing of the color of their skin.In the late 1700’s slaves bean running awa starting a some kind of movenment in a sense that he is running away because he didn’t agree to being a slave. In the 1800’s a slave named Gabriel Poster planned a march to revolt against slavery but was stopped. This is evidence in history showing that african americans have been fighting for equality since before your’s and my time. On 1820 the Missouri compromise happened which banned slavery in the north of the southern missouri boundary. On 1831 a slave named Nat Turner lead the most important uprising in history against slavery Just these few events showed the civil rights movement already happening which would last till this day and will into the future. During the days of slavery people saw african americans as lesser beings who would be treated like an animal or someoneShow MoreRelatedThe Civil Rights Of African Americans2645 Words   |  11 PagesThe term civil rights is very broad when it is to be defined. It has many different aspects as in to what it can mean, from integration all the way to voting rights of African Americans. My main point is to focus on the Selma Marches from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama, but also to dig deeper into it to find the significance of a certain day, the day was called â€Å"Bloody Sunday.† I want to find out the historical situation behind the marchers who were beat and killed on that day and also lookRead MoreThe African-American Civil Rights Movement1295 Words   |  5 Pages The African-American Civil Rights Movement is arguably the largest and most successful push towards toward change in American history. The movement was influenced by some of the biggest figures in America n history as well, led by Martin Luther King Jr. and influenced by others such as president Kennedy and Johnson. Amongst the numerous protests and powerful speeches during the Civil Rights Movement perhaps the most prominent is the series of three marches in 1965 known today as the â€Å"Selma to Montgomery†Read MoreAfrican American Women During The Civil Rights Era942 Words   |  4 PagesThe Civil Rights Era, which took place during the years of 1955 till 1968, was indeed the movement that gave African Americans the push to achieve their first major accomplishments of the decade. The Civil Rights Movements goals were to break down the walls of legal segregation in public places, achieve equality and justice for African Americans, and to help make African Americans become more self-conscious when standing for all their interest. This movement not only benefited men, but it also benefitedRead MorePersonal Experience with The African American Civil Rights Era1546 Words   |à ‚  6 PagesEmancipation Proclamation, African Americans in the south were still faced with innumerable injustices, including disenfranchisement, segregation, and violence. Jim Crow laws infringed on African Americans’ fundamental rights to a basic education, to suffrage, to serve on a jury, to enter certain shops, and even to use a public restroom. Throughout this time period, activists, African American and white alike, rallied for change using all methods possible: nonviolent protest, civil disobedience, and evenRead MoreAfrican American civil rights has been one of the biggest domestic issues ever in the Unites700 Words   |  3 Pages African American civil rights has been one of the biggest domestic issues ever in the Unites States. The early civil rights stage of 1945-1954 was the start of the biggest civil rights movement in American history. African Americans had to fight against segregation and racial discrimination. This era sparked the start of a massive movement lead by the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X. One of the earliest cases of African Americans was when Jackie Robinson was the first African AmericanRead MoreThe Civil Rights Of African Americans891 Words   |  4 Pagespay reparations to African Americans. My partner and I stand in affirmative of the following resolution. Resolved:The united states government ought to pay reparations to African Americans. African Americans have had roughly 300 years of legalized oppression. If that doesn’t entitle a group to reparations, I’m not sure what does. This would benefit ALL Americans by providing the environment in which African-American talent can rise to its potential that is why we as Americans have the duty to payRead MoreThe Civil Rights Of African Americans2436 Words   |  10 Pages The term civil rights is very broad when it comes a definition. It has many different aspects as in to what it can mean, from integration all the way to voting rights of African Americans. My main point is to focus on the Selma Marches from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama, but also to dig deeper in to it to find the significance of a certain day, the day was called â€Å"Bloody Sunday.† I want to find out the historical situation behind the marchers who were beat and killed on that day. RacismRead MoreThe Civil Rights Of African Americans2740 Words   |  11 Pages As the United States put an end to slavery, and oppression of African Americans, the country needed aggressive policies to really end discrimination, and segregation. In several part of the country, African Americans were still considered as second class citizen. In the south, the social climate did not change. Many companies did not hire black at all. White southerners did not want integration in school or equal opportunity for black people. The federal government wanted to change the situationRead MoreThe African American Civil Rights Movement1450 Words   |  6 PagesThe African American civil rights movement was a long journey for African American nationwide. The success involved many people, hardships and time in order to advance the African American community in America. The purpose of the movement was to achieve their rights, cease discrimination, and racial segregation. During the start of the African American civil rights movement, Africans Americans still were faced with Jim Crow laws which segregated them from whites. Under the Jim Crow laws AfricanRead MoreThe African American Civil Right Movement1040 Words   |  5 PagesThe African American Civil right movement in the late 1950’s and throughout the 1960’s was a powerful fight for equal opportunities to the basic rights and privileges outlined by the US government. During this movement thousands of African American individuals and those who believed in the power of the movement, battled against the piercing white supremacy through various tactics including grass root movements. The grass root movements in the 60’s was characterized by organizations of individuals

The Secret Circle The Initiation Chapter Ten Free Essays

string(22) " Faye would let stay\." That Friday, Kori came to the back room for lunch. She seemed in awe of the older girls and was even absently respectful of Cassie, which was nice. Certainly Suzan and Deborah had no such respect. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Initiation Chapter Ten or any similar topic only for you Order Now The strawberry blond seemed unaware of Cassie’s existence unless she wanted something passed to her or picked up, and the biker fixed Cassie with a surly glare whenever they passed in the hall. Deborah and Doug – the other Henderson brother – had appeared in the back room only once since Cassie started eating there, and they had spent the entire time arguing furiously about some heavy-metal band. Neither Faye nor Nick, the dark, coldly handsome boy who’d rescued Cassie’s backpack, showed up at all that week. But Kori Henderson was nice. Now that Cassie knew, she could see the resemblance to Chris and Doug – the blond hair and the blue-green eyes that Kori emphasized by wearing a turquoise necklace and ring all the time. Kori wasn’t as wild as her brothers, though. She seemed just an ordinary, friendly, going-on-fifteen girl. â€Å"I’ve been waiting so long for it, I can’t believe it’s finally here,† she was saying at the end of lunch. â€Å"I mean, just think, next Tuesday’s the day! And Dad says we can have the party down on the beach – or at least he didn’t say we couldn’t – and I want to make it really special, because of it being a holiday, too†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She trailed off suddenly. Cassie, following her gaze, saw that Diana had her lip caught between her teeth and was almost imperceptibly shaking her head. What was Kori saying wrong? Cassie wondered. And then it struck her: this was the first she’d heard about a party, although it clearly wasn’t news to the others. Was she not invited? â€Å"So, uh, do you think Adam will be back in time for- – for – I mean, when do you think Adam will be back?† Kori stuttered. â€Å"I don’t really know. I hope it’s soon, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Diana gave a little shrug. â€Å"Who can tell? Who can ever tell?† â€Å"Who’s Adam?† Cassie said, determined to show she didn’t care about the party. â€Å"You mean she hasn’t told you about Adam yet? Diana, there’s such a thing as carrying modesty too far,† Melanie said, her cool gray eyes disbelieving. The color had come to Diana’s cheeks. â€Å"There just hasn’t been time – † she began, and Laurel and Melanie hooted. Cassie was surprised. She’d never seen Diana react this way. â€Å"No, but really,† she said. â€Å"Who is he? Is he your boyfriend?† â€Å"Only since childhood,† Laurel said. â€Å"They’ve been together forever.† â€Å"But where is he? Is he in college? What’s he like?† â€Å"No, he’s just – visiting some people,† Diana said. â€Å"He’s a senior, but he’s been away so far this year. And as for what he’s like†¦ well, he’s nice. I think you’ll like him.† She smiled. Cassie looked toward Laurel for more information. Laurel waved a zucchini stick in the air. â€Å"Adam’s†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Kori said, â€Å"Yes, he’s†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Even Melanie couldn’t seem to find the right words. â€Å"You’ll have to meet him,† she said. Cassie was intrigued. â€Å"Do you have a picture of him?† she asked Diana. â€Å"As a matter of fact, I don’t,† Diana said. Seeing Cassie’s disappointment, she went on, â€Å"You see, around here people have a sort of silly superstition about photographs – they don’t like them. So lots of us don’t get pictures taken.† Cassie tried to pretend this wasn’t as bizarre as she thought it was. Like aboriginals, she thought in amazement. Thinking the camera will steal their souls. How can anybody in the twentieth century think that? â€Å"He’s cute, though,† Kori was saying fervently. Suzan, who had been absorbed in eating, looked up from her lunch to proclaim in feeling tones: â€Å"That bod.† â€Å"Those eyes,† Laurel said. â€Å"You’d better go easy,† Melanie said, smiling. â€Å"You’re going to drive Diana crazy before he gets back.† â€Å"Crazy enough to give somebody else a chance, maybe?† Sean piped up. Looks of forbearance passed between the girls. â€Å"Maybe, Sean – sometime in the next millennium,† Laurel said. But being a kind girl, she didn’t say it very loudly. Looking amused, Melanie explained to Cassie, â€Å"Adam and Diana don’t even see anyone of the opposite sex except each other. For years Adam thought the rest of us were boys.† â€Å"Which in Suzan’s case took quite a lot of imagination,† Laurel put in. Suzan sniffed and glanced at Laurel’s flat chest. â€Å"And in some people’s case took no imagination at all.† â€Å"What about you, Cassie?† Diana interrupted before an argument could begin. â€Å"Did you leave a boyfriend back home?† â€Å"Not really,† Cassie said. â€Å"There was one guy, though, this summer. He was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped. She didn’t want to tell the story in front of Suzan. â€Å"He was sort of†¦ all right. So, anyway, how did Faye’s date with Jeffrey go?† she asked Suzan abruptly. Suzan’s look said she wasn’t fooled by the sudden change of subject, but she couldn’t resist answering. â€Å"The fish got hooked,† she said with a smirk. â€Å"Now all she has to do is reel him in.† The bell rang then, and there was no further conversation about boyfriends or dates. But Cassie noticed a look about Diana’s eyes – a tender, wistful dreaminess – that lingered for the rest of the day. After school, Diana and Cassie drove back to Crowhaven Road together. As they drove by the Henderson house – one of those in the worst repair – Cassie noticed Diana biting her lip. It was a sure sign the older girl was worried about something. Cassie thought she knew what. â€Å"I don’t mind about Kori’s party,† she offered quietly, and Diana looked at her, surprised. â€Å"I don’t,† Cassie insisted. â€Å"I don’t even know Kori, really. The only time I saw her before was when she was out with Faye on the steps. What’s wrong?† she added as Diana looked even more surprised. â€Å"Kori was eating with Faye and the others that day you overheard them talking?† â€Å"Yes – well, she came when they were almost finished eating. There was a whole group of kids, but she was the only one Faye would let stay. You read "The Secret Circle: The Initiation Chapter Ten" in category "Essay examples" Faye said†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Faye said what?† Diana sounded resigned. â€Å"She said, ‘I thought you’d be eating in the cafeteria with the rest of the goody-goodies.'† Cassie left out the Princess of Purity part. â€Å"Hm. And what did Kori say to that?† Cassie felt uncomfortable. â€Å"She said something about too much goodness being boring. She didn’t stay with them long, though. I think Faye and Suzan were trying to embarrass her.† â€Å"Mm,† said Diana. She was biting her lip again. â€Å"Anyway,† Cassie went on, â€Å"I don’t mind not being invited to her party, but do you think†¦ well, do you think there’s a chance that someday I could be in the Club too?† Diana’s green eyes had widened fractionally. â€Å"Oh, Cassie. But you don’t want to,† she said. â€Å"I know I said things last week that sounded that way. But you told me not to judge the Club by Faye, and I’m not, now. And I like you and Melanie and Laurel and Kori – and Suzan’s sort of okay. Even Chris Henderson is. So I thought, maybe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She let her sentence trail off delicately. She could feel her heart beating faster. â€Å"That’s not what I meant,† Diana replied. â€Å"I meant you don’t want to because you want to go back home, to California, whenever you can. That’s the truth, isn’t it? You said you were planning to go to college there.† â€Å"Well, yes, eventually, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cassie had said that, that first night at Diana’s house. Now she was no longer so sure, but she didn’t quite know how to explain this. â€Å"What has that got to do with it?† she said. â€Å"I mean, joining doesn’t mean staying here the rest of your life, does it?† Diana’s eyes were on the road. â€Å"It’s hard to explain.† Then she said softly, â€Å"And in any case – well, I’m afraid membership is sort of limited.† Abruptly Cassie remembered Deborah’s words after Kori had left that day. One empty space, one candidate, you know? And Kori was part of the neighborhood. She’d grown up here. Chris and Doug were her brothers. She wasn’t a stranger taken in just because Diana insisted, a puppy picked up off the street. â€Å"I understand,† Cassie said. She tried to sound as if it were all okay, as if it didn’t matter. But it did. It did, terribly. â€Å"No, you don’t,† Diana murmured. â€Å"But I think that’s better. It really is, Cassie, believe me.† â€Å"Oh, no,† Diana said. â€Å"I don’t have the Scotch tape. It must have rolled under the car seat. You stay here; there’s no reason for us both to go back.† She turned and hurried toward the parking lot. They were early that morning. Diana had a banner that she and Laurel had painted, saying â€Å"Happy Birthday, Kori.† She was going to hang it above the main entrance of the school, and Cassie had offered to help. Cassie thought that was a particularly noble and unselfish gesture, considering she still wasn’t invited to Kori’s party. It also showed how much she didn’t really mind. Now she looked up at the main entrance of the school building that had scared her to death two weeks ago. Two weeks. The first week she had spent as a pariah, an outcast, someone too dangerous to speak to because it might bring down the wrath of Faye on the speaker’s head. But the second week†¦ Diana, she mused, didn’t influence people by frightening them. She did it much more subtly, with love. It sounded impossibly stupid and Hallmark card-ish, but it was true. Everyone loved Diana – girls as well as boys – and most of them would walk over hot coals for her. As Diana’s adopted â€Å"little sister† Cassie had instantly gained status far beyond anything she could have ever achieved on her own. She now went around with the coolest crowd in school – and if she wasn’t completely a part of it, only the real insiders knew. You’re almost one of us. She heard Faye’s words to Kori in her mind again. Well, today was Kori’s birthday, and today Kori would be one of them. Today Kori would join the Club. And Cassie never would. Cassie hunched her shoulders, trying to shrug the thought off, but a shiver caught her midway through. She wrapped her arms around herself, clasping her elbows. It was colder than she was used to for late September. Laurel and Melanie had been talking over the weekend about the fall equinox, which was today too. Melanie had explained that it was the day when the hours of daylight and darkness were of equal length, which meant the start of fall. Cassie supposed it had a right to be cold. Everyone said the leaves would be turning soon. Melanie and Laurel had really gotten into that discussion of the equinox. It had seemed terribly important to them, although Cassie couldn’t exactly see why. It was another of the little mysteries about New Salemers that were starting to drive Cassie crazy. She shivered again and began to pace, rubbing her arms. The hill spread out beneath her. She walked to the top of the stairs and stood bouncing on her toes. It was a clear, crisp day, and mixed in with the luxuriant green all around her she could see a tinge of fall colors here and there. The shrubs across the road – what had Laurel called them? Sumac. The sumac across the road was already red. And some of the sugar maples were turning golden yellow, and there was more red at the bottom of the hill†¦ Cassie frowned and forgot to rub her arms. She took a step or two down and leaned forward, looking again. The red at the bottom of the hill was almost too red, too bright. She’d never known foliage could turn that color. It wasn’t natural. A violent shiver went through her. God, it was cold. Whatever was down there was half hidden by the underbrush, but it wasn’t a bush itself, she decided. It looked more like a sweater somebody had discarded. It’ll get ruined, lying on the damp ground like that, Cassie thought. Whoever owns it is going to be unhappy. She took another step down. Of course, it’s probably ruined already – or maybe it’s just a scrap somebody’s thrown out. But it didn’t look like a scrap. It had a shape – she could see what looked like the sweater’s arm. In fact, it looked like a whole bundle of clothes. See, there was something like jeans lying below it†¦ Suddenly Cassie couldn’t breathe. That’s funny – that’s really funny, because it looks almost like a person. But that would be so stupid – it’s cold and wet on the ground. Anybody lying down there would freeze – She was moving down the steps quickly now. Stupid – but it really does look a lot like somebody. See, there’s legs. That yellow could be hair. They must be asleep – but who would go to sleep like that? Right beside the road. Of course, the weeds and stuff screen them – She was very close now, and everything had gone into slow motion – everything but her whirling, reeling thoughts. Oh, thank God – it isn’t a person after all; it’s just a dummy. Like one of those stuffed scarecrow things they put out at Halloween to scare people. See, it’s all floppy in the middle†¦ no person could bend that way†¦ the neck looks like the neck of that doll in my locker. Like somebody pulled the head out†¦ Cassie’s own body was reacting strangely. Her chest was heaving and her muscles were shaking. Her knees were trembling so hard she could scarcely remain standing. And her vision was sparkling at the edges as if she were going to faint. Thank God, it’s not a person – but oh, my God, is that a hand? Dummies don’t have hands like that†¦ not hands with little pink fingers†¦ and dummies don’t wear rings, turquoise rings†¦ Where had she seen a ring like that before? Look at it closer; no, don’t look, don’t look – But she had seen. The hand, stiff as a claw, was human. And the ring was Kori’s. Cassie didn’t realize that she was screaming until she was halfway up the hill. Her legs, which had been trembling so badly, were taking her up in leaps and surges. And she was screaming over and over again: â€Å"Help, help, help.† Only they were such thin, pathetic little shrieks – it was no wonder no one heard her. It was like one of those nightmares where your vocal cords are paralyzed. But someone had heard. As she reached the top of the hill Diana appeared, running. She caught Cassie by the shoulders. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"Kori!† Cassie gasped in a strangled voice. She could hardly speak. â€Å"Diana – help Kori! She’s hurt. Something’s wrong – † She knew it was more than something wrong, but she couldn’t bring herself to say the words. â€Å"Help her, please – â€Å" â€Å"Where?† Diana cut in sharply. â€Å"The bottom. Bottom of the hill. But don’t go down there,† Cassie gasped illogically. Oh, God, she was completely falling apart. She couldn’t cope – but she couldn’t let Diana go down there alone, either. Diana was flying down the stairs. Stiff-legged, Cassie followed. She saw Diana reach the bottom and hesitate, then swiftly kneel and bend forward. â€Å"Is she – ?† Cassie’s hands were clenched. Diana straightened up. Cassie saw the answer in the set of her shoulders. â€Å"She’s cold. She’s dead.† Then Diana turned around. Her face was white, her green eyes burning. Something in her expression gave Cassie strength, and she stumbled down the last two steps and flung her arms around her. She could feel Diana shaking, clinging to her. Kori had been Diana’s friend, not hers. â€Å"It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay,† she gasped, illogical again. There was no way for this to be okay, ever. And over and over in Cassie’s mind other words were echoing. Someday they may find you at the bottom of those stairs with a broken neck. Someday they may find you†¦ Kori’s neck was broken. That was what the police doctor said. After Cassie and Diana went back up the stairs, everything that day seemed like a dream. Adults came and took over. School officials, the police, the doctor. They asked questions. They made notes in their notebooks. Throughout it all the kids in the school stood aside and watched. They weren’t part of the adults’ process. They had questions of their own. â€Å"What are we waiting for? Why don’t we just get her?† Deborah was saying as Cassie came into the back room. It wasn’t her lunch period, but all the rules seemed to have been suspended that day. â€Å"We all heard her say it,† Deborah was continuing. â€Å"Suzan, Faye, and me – even she heard it.† She gestured at Cassie, who was numbly trying to get a can of juice out of the machine. â€Å"That bitch said she was going to do it, and she did it. So what are we waiting for?† â€Å"For the truth,† Melanie said quietly and coldly. â€Å"From them? Outsiders? You can’t be serious. They’ll never admit Sally did it. The police are saying it was an accident. An accident! No sign of a struggle, they’re saying. She slipped on a wet step. And you know what the kids are saying? They’re saying it was one of us!† Laurel looked up from the hot water she was pouring over some dried leaves in a mug. The end of her nose was pink. â€Å"Maybe it was one of us,† she said. â€Å"Like who?† Deborah blazed back. â€Å"Like somebody who didn’t want her in the Club. Somebody who was afraid she’d come in on the wrong side,† said Laurel. â€Å"And we all know which side would be afraid,† said a new voice, and Cassie jerked around, nearly dropping her juice. It was Faye. Cassie had never seen her in the back room before, but she was here now, her honey-colored eyes hooded and smoldering. â€Å"Well, Diana’s side certainly had nothing to be afraid of,† Laurel said. â€Å"Kori idolized Diana.† â€Å"Did she? Then why did she spend the last week having lunch with me?† Faye said in her slow, husky voice. Laurel stared, looking uncertain. Then her face cleared and she shook her head. â€Å"I don’t care what you say; you’re never going to make me believe Diana would hurt Kori.† â€Å"She’s right,† Suzan put in, to Cassie’s surprise. â€Å"Diana wouldn’t.† â€Å"Besides, we already know who would,† Deborah said sharply. â€Å"It was Sally – or maybe that moron boyfriend of hers. I say we get them – now!† â€Å"She’s right,† said Sean. Laurel looked at him, then at Deborah, then at Faye. â€Å"What do you think, Melanie?† she said finally. Melanie’s voice was still quiet, detached. â€Å"I think we need to have a meeting,† she said. Sean bobbed his head. â€Å"She’s right,† he said. Just then Diana came in. The Henderson brothers were behind her. They both looked ravaged – and bewildered. As if they couldn’t understand how this could happen to them. Chris’s eyes were red-rimmed. Everyone sobered at the sight of the brothers. There was silence as they sat down at the table. Then Faye turned to Diana. Her golden eyes were like two golden flames. â€Å"Sit down,† she said flatly. â€Å"We need to talk.† â€Å"Yes,† said Diana. She sat down, and so did Faye. Laurel, after putting two cups of hot liquid in front of the Henderson brothers, did the same. Deborah jerked out a chair and threw herself into it. Suzan and Melanie had already been seated. Everyone turned to look at Cassie. Their faces were strange. Alien. Laurel’s normally elfin face was closed. Melanie’s cool gray eyes were more remote than ever; Suzan’s pouting lips were compressed tightly; Deborah’s fierceness was barely kept in check. Even Sean’s usually furtive expression had an unprecedented dignity. Diana was pale and stern. The glass door swung open and Nick came in. His face was like a cold and handsome stone, revealing nothing, but he sat down at the table beside Doug. Cassie was the only one in the room left standing. She looked at them, the members of the Club, and they looked at her. No one needed to say anything. She turned around and left the room. How to cite The Secret Circle: The Initiation Chapter Ten, Essay examples

Porters Five Forces Starbucks - Solution is Just a Click Away - Free

Question: Discuss about theStarbucks for Marketer of Coffee. Answer: Introduction The company Starbucks is running as a marketer of coffee in 68 countries all over the world. The corporation sells coffee, tea and other food stuff via its various outlets. The sale of its tea and coffee is also through its various licensed stores. Apart from the Starbucks brand the sale is done through other brands also like Teavana, Tazo, Seattles Best Coffee, Evolution Fresh, La Boulange and Ethos. Starbucks operates via varied channels. It operates in America, which includes US, Canada and Latin America. The second segment is of China and Asia Pacific the third segment is of Europe and Middle East and the fourth is of Africa there is also a channel development segment. The channel development includes ground coffees and other ready to drink beverages. The stores of the company are located in populous locations. The company is regularly expanding its store formats by including Drive thru outlets for the ease of the customers. Apart from tea, coffee and beverages the company also p rovides food items of nutritional value. Starbucks also offers its equipment and accessories like coffee brewers and espresso for sale. In various locations like Teavana and Seattle and other places the company goes for traditional franchising. As far as the consumer packaged goods are concerned the company sells packaged coffee and tea in both its domestic and international markets. It also provides ready to drink beverages to grocery, clubs and retail outlets (Team, 2016). Pestel Analysis of Starbucks This tool is used to analyze the impact of external factors on the performance of the business. It includes 6 factors that have a direct impact on the business- Political, Economic, social, Technological, Legal and Environmental Impact of Economic Factor on the company: The overall economy has dented the purchasing power of the customers. According to the market survey, the customers have not cut down on their coffee consumption and rather they have moved to options with lesser prices. This would imply that the companies can still influence its customers by providing them the products at lower priced options. Starbucks has the challenge of rising costs, both operational and labor. Apart from this local currency exchange rate is also posing a threat (Makos, 2015). Impact of Legal Factor on the company: The customers of US are getting more alienated towards ethical business which means that the brand they opt should be in accordance with the social and environmental norms. The growing consumer awareness is posing a challenge to the company. The company has to make sure that it does not violate the rules and regulations of both the home country as well as the buyer countries. Starbucks has also to pay heed on caffeine production and other policies in accordance to the health authorities. Other legal factors that can have an impact on the company are: Strict trade regulation Licensing regulation Impact of Political factor on the company: The main concern is of sourcing of the raw materials. The politicians of the west and the source country are paying a lot of heed to this factor, because of which the company is going in accordance with the social and environmental issues. The activism and enhanced knowledge in the developing countries from where the company buys its raw material are putting pressure. The same pressure is also felt in home country (Ukessays Team, 2015). The MNCs of US are being checked strictly for their business processes. The company complies with all the fair trade practices. Impact of Social Factor on the company: As discussed above in order to counter the economic factor the company can lower down the prices of its products but then it will have to compromise on the quality. This is one of the big social cultural impacts that the company will have to face. The company will have to enlarge its consumer base to accommodate lower and middle income group people. The consumer base that is more concerned about ethics is also to be kept in mind. The older generation is on the decline; therefore Gen X and Millennial are now the customers that the company has to focus. Other factors which have to be focused on are: Change in family style in developed countries Changing preferences of the clients Change in working style Change in standard of living of people Education level of consumers Impact of technological factor on the company: Starbucks is exploring the benefits of Smartphone technology. It has partnered with Apple to make an app which provides discount coupons to its customers. The company has also incorporated Wi-Fi facility in its stores. The consumers can now work and have coffee at the same time. This has increased the brand value of the company as well as the consumer experience of the customer. Starbucks has also initiated for mobile payments. Other Technological Factors to be Focused on are: Evolving innovative technology Biotechnological advancement Agricultural development Impact of environmental factors on the company: There have been environmental disasters in many countries which are the producer of coffee beans. Global warming and other such environmental challenges at a global level have a huge impact on the company. Starbucks Porters Five Forces Analyses Michael Porters five forces analysis helps stakeholders a basic analysis angle based on effect of market forces and targets to provide analysis of the companys strength, weakness within its industry. It is helpful to analyze the market with respect to investors and stakeholders (Oakley, 2014). Starbucks is one of the leading companies in coffee and snack industry globally. It operates in 20,000 retail stores across 50 countries. One of its huge strength is its brand and success globally. The company sells coffee, Bakery items, snacks both in retail stores as well as grocery shops and online stores. Currently, the company has strong financial and profitable position. The company is slowly entering into emerging market of China and expanding its operations and products in beverage list (Maverick, 2015). Porters five forces model will analyze following points: Market Competition Threat of Substitute Products Bargaining power of buyers Threat of new Entrants Bargaining Power of Suppliers (Dudovskiy, 2015). Market Competition Market competition is the strongest force, although Starbucks holds a strong position in the market, it has to face severe competition from its competitors like Dunkin Group and McDonalds. Starbucks marketing strategy has focused on improving its brand image and loyalty of customers to induce people to pay more. Starbuck has a strong brand identity in coffee, whereas these Dunkin and McDonalds are identified for other food items, hence Starbucks in a market leader. Starbucks is also facing competition in grocery items from Caribou, Folgers and Maxwell House which are coffee brands. Starbuck strategy includes coffee with other products like Tazo, Teas and its own Verismo brewing machine (Bloomberg L.P., 2016). Threat of Substitute Products There is a threat that customer can go for substitute product and this is another significant market force. There is a huge list of alternate food and beverage items that customers can substitute with Starbucks products. The markets get strengthened when there is no switching over other food items and selecting alternative products. Bars and restaurants are easily available options for coffee house. However, there is no threat for Starbucks as its customers going for substitute is less and Starbuck has been established as a premium brand. Starbuck will encounter the substitute by selling its home-brewing coffee maker Verismo. Bargaining Power of Buyers Bargaining power of buyer is a moderately effected market forcing i.e. Starbucks customers have little bargaining power as individual purchases are very less in number that companys total sales. Also the customer varies from coffee buyers, snacks buyers to grocery items customers. Thus, no single customer can affect the market pricing of Starbucks (Larson, 2009). Threat of New Entrants to the Industry/Marketplace The threat to market entrants is moderate to weak market force. The market is open for new potential entrants since entry is open and there are fewer prohibitions. However, in order to become a serious potential competitor of Starbuck, the entrant needs to be really strong and has to face many obstacles. Starbuck is a strong brand and its coffee shop market is very mature, its stores are placed at secure and prime locations so it has no problems with new entrants in the market or any other market share threat (Geereddy, 2012). However, the threat of new entrants in the retail store market is high as it does not hold a strong position currently. Bargaining Power of Suppliers This is the weakest force of Porters five forces. Starbuck is free to select any supplier amongst the ample of suppliers available in the market. Starbuck is an important customer for most of its suppliers which decreases the bargaining power of supplier. While Starbuck being at strong position, it doesnt misuse its position and take advantage of its suppliers so it operates a set fair trade practices under CAF program. Recommendations After analyzing the economic factor, it is recommended that Starbuck needs to reduce the costs and increase the value, in order to retain its customers and gain their loyalty Brand Recognition: Starbucks should continue to increase its brand recognition and brand identity. Preserving brand recognition and identity will help Starbuck to face competition from Dunkin Group and McDonalds. Customer loyalty will also help Starbuck to excel in the retail sector and compete Maxwell House Folgers. Product Portfolio: Starbucks should continue to increase products in its product portfolio. Increase in variety of snacks and beverages will help them to reach a variety of customers with different preferences (Kuuta, 2012). Retail Sector: Starbucks is weak in its retail sector this is why it can get affected by the threat of new entrants, fierce competition and bargaining power of buyer. So the company should continue to focus its attention on this area. Conclusion The company Starbucks is running as a marketer of coffee in 68 countries all over the world. The corporation sells coffee, tea and other food stuff via its various outlets. The above analysis demonstrates that Starbucks enjoys stable external environment. The main reason of this is that the company is into Food and beverage industry because of which consumers can reduce partial consumption but will not put an end completely. Michael Porters five forces analysis helps stakeholders a basic analysis angle based on effect of market forces and targets to provide analysis of the companys strength, weakness within its industry. It is helpful to analyze the market with respect to investors and stakeholders. Market competition is the strongest force, although Starbucks holds a strong position in the market, it has to face severe competition from its competitors like Dunkin Group and McDonalds. Starbucks marketing strategy has focused on improving its brand image and loyalty of customers to in duce people to pay more. There is a threat that customer can go for substitute product and this is another significant market force. There is a huge list of alternate food and beverage items that customers can substitute with Starbucks products. The markets gets strengthens when there is no switching over other food items and selecting alternative products. Bars and restaurants are easily available options for coffee house. Bargaining power of buyer is a moderately effected market forcing. Starbucks customers have little bargaining power as individual purchases are very less in number that companys total sales. References Bloomberg L.P. (2016). starbucks corp . Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/: https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot_article.asp?ticker=SBUX Dudovskiy, J. (2015, October 23). Starbucks Porters Five Forces Analysis. Starbucks Porters Five Forces Analysis. Retrieved from https://research-methodology.net/starbucks-porters-five-forces-analysis/ Geereddy, N. (2012). Strategic Analysis Of Starbucks Corporation. Retrieved from https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/nithingeereddy/files/starbucks_case_analysis.pdf Kuuta, H. (2012). Recommendations for starbucks. Recommendations for starbucks. Retrieved from https://thecoffeeteam.blogspot.in/2012/02/its-time-for-my-final-blog-post-sniff.html Marketing Strategy and Alliances Analysis of Starbucks Corporation. NorthCentral University. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005context=busi_fac_pubssei-redir=1referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DRecommendations%2Bfor%2Bstarbucks%26src%3DIE-TopResult%26FORM%3DIETR02%26conversationid%3D#search=%22Reco Makos, J. (2015). PESTLE Analysis of Starbucks. PESTLE Analysis of Starbucks. Retrieved from https://pestleanalysis.com/pestle-analysis-of-starbucks/ Maverick, J. (2015, December 08). Analyzing Porter's 5 Forces on Starbucks (SBUX) . Analyzing Porter's 5 Forces on Starbucks (SBUX) . Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/120815/analyzing-porters-5-forces-starbucks.asp Oakley, T. (2014, June 02). Starbucks: Porters Five Forces. Starbucks: Porters Five Forces. Retrieved from https://themarketingagenda.com/2014/06/02/starbucks-power-of-the-brand/ Team, S. (2016). Starbucks official website. Retrieved from https://www.starbucks.com/: https://www.starbucks.com/ Ukessays Team. (2015, March 23). A SWOT and PESTEL analysis of Starbucks. A SWOT and PESTEL analysis of Starbucks. Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/a-swot-and-pestel-analysis-of-starbucks-marketing-essay.php

Ted Bundy Case free essay sample

Theodore â€Å"TED† BUNDY CASE Theodore â€Å"Ted† Bundy, the serial killer that was born as Theodore Robert Cowell, on November 24, 1946 killed between 1973 and 1978. He escaped from county jail two times before his last apprehension in February 1978. After so many years of so many denials, he eventually confessed to over thirty murders. Even though the actual number of murder victims is not known. It is estimated that the range of victims is from twenty-six to hundred. The wide-ranging estimate is thirty-five. Bundy would strike all his victims and then strangle them to death. It is said to believe that Ted’s outraged of anger started because of his anger against his family. According to Ann Rule, Ted’s mother’s madden name was Eleanor Louis Cowell. Around the age of twenty-three she gave birth to Ted out of wed lock at the Elizabeth Lund Home for Unwed Mothers in Burlington, Vermont. She moved to Vermont from her original home in Philadelphia to give birth to Ted. We will write a custom essay sample on Ted Bundy Case or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A short time period after Ted was born he and his mother moved back to Philadelphia where he was told that his grandparents were his parents and his mother was his older sister. According to AE Biography of Ted Bundy, Ted’s grandfather had a very bad temper and was known to be very violent and a frightening person. At the age of three Eleanor moved to Tacoma, Washington to move closer to her uncle. In Tacoma she was known as Louise and was working as a secretary of the church. In Tacoma she also met Johnny Bundy and a year later married him. It was then that Ted got his name Theodore Robert Bundy. Him and his step father never got along and still consider himself as a Cowell. In his teen years, Ted was anti social. He did not date while he was in high school. He seems to remove himself from school. Students in his school called him shy. At the age of fifteen he had become an expert shoplifter and was a suspect for two burglaries. He was known for being a pippin tom. He would sneak thru the windows of young girls. It has been suspicions that when Ted Bundy was fifteen he had became a killer. When he was fifteen Ted was a newspaper carrier and in his route live and eight year old girl named Ann-Marie Burr that disappeared. Ted knew Burr because he and she were taking piano classes with his uncle. It is suspected that Bird was his first killer. Ted graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School and then went on to study at the University of Washington. While at University of Washington, he worked as a volunteer at the Seattle’s Suicide Hotline where he met his friend, Ann Rule. Also while attending University of Washington he started his relationships with a student by the name Stephanie Brooks in 1967. When Brooks graduated in 1968 she moved back to her hometown in California and ended the relationship with Bundy. Brooks was tired of his immaturity sand lack of ambition. Ted went into a depress mode and dropped out of college. He then moved back to Burlington, Vermont according to his biography. He then found out that his older sister was his mother. He then felt betrayed. Many studies say that in revenge to Brooks and his mother it was then that Bundy started his murder spree. All of Bundy’s victims had many things in common. They were young women with long straight hair and parted in the middle. Most of the young girls were good looking young ladies. All of his victims resembled his first true girlfriend Stephanie Brooks (Rule). Bundy way of capturing his victims was by being someone or something that he truly was not. Bundy would act as if he is injured and ask for help. Once he received the help from the young women he would hit them with a tire bar. He would then put them in his car and secure their hands with handcuffs. Bundy drives his victims to wooded areas where he would dump them or if they are still alive he would sexually assault them and then kill them. After leaving his victims he would sometimes come back and dress them up with makeup. He would also come back and have sex with some of his decayed bodies. As stated previously, is suspected that Bundy started killing in his teen years. After his depress mode in his life Bundy started his spree of murders. When attending law school at the University of Puget Sound in 1973 females started disappearing. In January of 1974, rite after midnight, Bundy had entered the basement of Joni Lenz an eighteen Year old girl that was a student at University of Washington. Bundy beat Lenz while she was sleeping with a metal rod of her bed frame. Bundy then sexually assaulted her with a speculum. He then left her there fighting for her life. Lenz survived the attack. Lynda Ann Healy was his next victim. She was also a student at the University of Washington and was his cousin’s roommate. On February 1, 1974, Bundy broke into her room and knocked her unconscious. He then dressed her and wrapped her up in a blanket and carried her out. On March 12, 1974, Bundy kidnapped and murdered Donna Gail Manson, a nineteen year old lady that was a student at the Evergreen State College in Olympia. On April 17, 1974, a young woman by the name of Susan Rancourt disappeared from the campus of Central Washington State College in Ellensburg. Later two students from Central Washington State College would say that they met a guy with a man with his arm in a sling who asked them to help him carry his book to his car. Kathy Parks was his next victim. Parks was last seen on May 6, 1974 at the campus of Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. Bundy’s first victim that was a non-college student was never seen again after living The Flames Tavern in Burien on June 1, 1974. Then he murder Georgeann Hawkins on June 11, 1974. She was a student at University of Washington and a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta. According to roommates she was walking thru an alley and was never seen again. On July 14, 1974, Janice Ott and Denise Naslund were abducted from Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah. There remains were found on September second. Witnesses say that a man with a cast on his leg approached them and asked to help him and unload his sailboat. Now police had a description of Ted. On July 14, 1974 was Ted’s end of his Washington killing spree. Ted then moved to Salt Lake City and attended the University of Utah law school. In Idaho while he was on his way on September second he picked a hitchhiker. He raped her and strangled her to death. Her remains were never found. On October 2, 1974, Nancy Wilcox disappeared from Holladay, Utah. On October 18, 1974, Melissa Smith was murder. She was the seventeen year old daughter of Midvale Police Chief Louis Smith. Bundy raped and strangled her to death. She was found nine days later. Seventeen year old Laura Aime disappeared when she left a Halloween party on October 31, 1974 in Lehi, Utah. On November 8, 1974, Ted portrayed as an officer of the Murray Police Department. He approached Carol DaRonch at the Fashion Place Mall. He lied to her telling her someone tried to break into her car and then asked her if she can go with him to the police station. She got into the car and refused to put her seatbelt on. Bundy then pulled over after a little while of driving down the road and attempted to handcuff DaRonch. After the struggle Bundy attempted to strike her with his crowbar but she stopped it in the air and managed to open the door and escape. About an hour or so later Debby Kent a seventeen year old student of the drama club at Viewmont high School, left during intermission to go pick up her brother and was never seen again. Later, investigators found a small key that would unlock the handcuffs that were cuffed to Carol DaRonch. In 1975 Bundy switched his crimes to Colorado. On January 12, 1975, Caryn Campbell disappeared from the Wildwood Inn at Snowmass, Colorado. Her body was found on February 17, 1975. On March 15, 1975, Bundy approached Julie Cunningham with crutches asking her for help to carry his snow boots to his car. He then clubbed her with his crowbar and immobilized her with handcuffs. He later strangled her to death. On April 6, 1975, Denise Oliverson disappeared from Grand Junction. On May 6, 1975 twelve year old Lynette Culver went missing. Bundy took her to a room in Holiday Inn where Bundy had a room. He raped her and drowned her. Susan Curtis went missing in Utah from the campus of Brigham Young University on June 28, 1975. On August 16, 1975, Bundy was arrested for failure to stop for a police officer in Granger, Utah. After searching his car police found a ski mask, another mask, a crowbar, handcuffs, trash bags, and other items that were thought to be burglary tools. Utah detectives Jerry Thompson connected Bundy and his Volkswagen to the DaRonch kidnapping and the missing girls. After a search of his apartment investigators found a map with the location of the Wildwood Inn marked and a brochure to the drama show at Viewmont High School. Bundy was put in a line up in front of DaRonch and the Bountiful witnesses and they all pointed Bundy out as the suspect. Bundy was convicted of kidnapping DaRonch on March 1, 1976 and was sentenced to fifteen years in the Utah State Prison. Preparing for his hearing in the Caryn Campbell murder trial on June 7, 1977, Bundy was transported to the Pitkin County courthouse in Aspen. While on court recess, Bundy was allowed to go to the courthouse’s law library where he then jumped out of a two story window and escaped to his freedom. Bundy was out for six days. He walked to the top of the Aspen Mountains and stole a car. The police noticed a VW Beetle with dimmed headlights weaving in and out of its lane and pulled the car over. After noticing who Bundy was the deputies took Bundy back to jail. While back on custody Bundy was planning another way out. Bundy was being held at the Glenwood Springs, Colorado jail where he awaited trial. While waiting for his trail Bundy was losing a lot of weight. On December 23, 1977 the judged ruled that the Caryn Campbell murder trial would start on January 9, 1978 and changed the location to Colorado Springs. On December 30, 1977 before being transported out the Greenwood Springs Jail, Bundy decided to make his escape. Bundy crawled out the whole that he made in his ceiling and crawled over a spot directly above the jail’s linen closet. He then dropped down into a prison officer’s apartment and walked out the front door. He then made his way to Chicago. After arriving in Chicago, Bundy then boarded an Amtrak train to Ann Arbor, Michigan. He got a room at the YMCA. On January 2, 1978 he stole a car in Ann Arbor, which then he abandoned in Atlanta, Georgia before he boarded a bus to Tallahassee, Florida. He arrived on January 8, 1978. There he rented a room at a boarding house under his fake name â€Å"Chris Hagen† and committed little crimes such as purse snatching, shoplifting, and auto theft. He grew a mustache and drew a mole on his right cheek. After his arrival in Florida Bundy entered the Florida State Chi Omega sorority on January 15, 1978 around 3 a. m. and killed Lisa Levy and Margaret Bowman. Bundy strangled both but assaulted Levy. Bundy also sexually assaulted and severely injured Karen Chandler and Kathy Kleiner (Chi Omega). Bundy then broke into another home not too far away from the sorority and clubbed and severely injured Florida State University student Cheryl Thomas. Bundy then traveled to Lake City, Florida on February 9, 1978, where he then abducted twelve year old Kimberly Leach. On the twelve he stole another beetle and started on his way west across Florida. On February 15, 1978 shortly after 1 a. m. Bundy was pulled over by Officer David Lee. Lee ran the cars tags and the car came back stolen. After his fight with Lee, Bundy was taken to jail. According to the movie A Stranger Beside Me, Bundy told Lee that he wishes that he had killed him. The next day a positive finger print was made of Bundy and then was transported back to Tallahassee where he was later charged with the Chi Omega murders. In July 7, 1979 Bundy went to trial for the sorority killings. Bundy then insisted that on acting as his own attorney and even cross-examine witnesses. Assistant State Attorney Larry Simpson prosecuted him. Two evidence linked Bundy to murders of the Chi Omegas. First, was a young girl by the name Nita Neary was returning back to the sorority house and saw Bundy leaving the house. The next was Bundy’s bite mark on Levy’s buttocks. Police took plaster casts of Bundy’s teeth and a forensics expert matched them to the photographs of Levy’s bite mark. Bundy was convicted on all counts and sentenced to death for the murders of Levy and Bowman. In January 1980 Bundy was tried for the murder of Kimberly leach at the Old Orange County Courthouse. Finding fibers in Bundy’s van that matched Leach’s clothing he again was found guilty of all counts and sentenced to death. During the trial he married his coworker Carole Ann Boone. Bundy’s execution did not take place until a period of nine years. For nine years, Bundy would appeal his convictions and cheat deaths by a series of last minutes stays, sometimes minutes before his execution. On January 24, 1989 Ted Bundy was executed in the electric chair at the Florida State Prison in Starke, Florida. When the body of Ott and Naslund were found they also found a femur bone and vertebrae, which Bundy admitted before his execution that it belonged to Georgeann Hawkins. Between March 1 and 3 of 1975 the skulls and jawbones of Healy, Rancourt, Parks and Ball were found on Taylor Mountain. Years later Bundy also admitted to have dumped Donna Manson’s body there. The Bodies of Wilcox, Kent, Cunningham, Culver, Curtis, and Oliverson have never been recovered. Theodore Ted Bundy was pronounced dead at 7:16 a. m.

Fit In Essay

Fit In Essay Fit In Essay Donzell Jones Mr. McNeil Honors World Lit. February 20, 2014 Have you ever felt like you are lonely in a place where loneliness does not exist? Or have you felt forced to be somebody that you are not just to fit in? People often feel this way when they move from state to state or country to country. One must struggle with the harsh laws and judgment from the eyes of society. They are identified as immigrants or foreigners. Realizing that they must go through a struggle just to be accepted. In today’s society, people are categorized by their ethnicity or where they came from. Many of these people are from different places all over the world. They sometimes experience what people will call discrimination. For instance, they are treated unequally, such as being refused a place to live or simply not giving the same rights as someone else just because of their background. They often have to take even the hardest, worst paid jobs and still have difficulty adjusting entirely into society. Here in America, they see these people as aliens; fe aring and hating them just because they look or talk differently. But in reality they are no different from others around them and just want to live peacefully on this planet we call earth. Some people are not even accepted in their own community. They try their hardest just to be or look like the so called normal person next to them. An example being, they go out and buy things like clothes because other people might look good

'Tort Law gives unjustified preference to corrective justice over Essay

'Tort Law gives unjustified preference to corrective justice over distributive justice.' Critically evaluate this statement - Essay Example Some scholars like Coleman (1994) have argued that the nature of the law of torts favors the corrective ends, whereas others like Konow (2003) as well as Wolf and Musselman (1990) argues that there is a need for the law of torts to strike a balance between the distributive and the corrective ends of the law. Not withstanding the foregoing controversial debates, the law of torts tends to lean its balance more towards the corrective end than the distributive ends. Tort Law: Basic Features The term â€Å"tort† is a word that is derived from Latin word â€Å"tortum†, to mean â€Å"injustice â€Å"or wrong. The law of tort therefore proceeds from recognition of the fact that some acts in society may be unjust and therefore needs to be corrected through the law. According to Coleman (1994), a tort may be defined to mean â€Å"a wrongful act that causes injury to a person or property and the law allows for a claim by the injured party to be compensated for damages.† S ome of the generic labels that have been associated with torts include â€Å"breach of duty† although this is just on of the major concepts in the law of torts. The law of tort has no absolute formulas through which questions are resolved. Both the legal scholars and the judiciary have pointed out emphatically the facts that the law of torts is a complex process that is never mechanically applied nor is it static; rather it often depends on circumstances of the case, and that as time elapses, more and more torts get discovered (Blomqiuist [1990]; Koestler V. Pollard [199]); Patel [200]). The tortseeks to reflect the balance the society seeks to strike between competing values. The facts in the case in question determine the right decision. For instance, automobile drivers are made liable to the injuries that they cause as they carry out their duty but only if the injury results from their fault or negligence. On the other hand, manufactures take the liability of the injuries stemming from their defective products, the reasonable care they might have taken not withstanding. Most individual torts require that fault be shown on the defendant’s part. More often, the extent of the defendant’s fault will form the basis of the liability that the defendant bears to the plaintiff. This is the case with torts such as negligence, defamation, nuisance and trespass. However, within the law of torts there are also cases of strict liability torts where the defendant will not be required to prove fault on the part of the defendant; it will suffice for purposes of tortious remedies against the defendant that the plaintiff suffered damage and that the damage was occasioned by an action or omission of the defendant (strict liability torts).Generally, at common law, the strict liability torts are restricted to activities that are hazardous. There is also Liability for Defective Products Act, 1991 which creates strict liabilities on manufacturers with regard s to health sustained by consumers of their products. The principle function of the law of tort is to establish weather there is an offence and if there is to come up with a remedy. At common law, damages are the most widespread remedy. In such a judgment, the defendant is normally required to offer financial compensation to the

308 1st assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

308 1st assignment - Essay Example balance of payments, for the purposes of business profit, royal revenue, and economic prosperity (p.30).† It argues it achieved these ends through, tariff protection against imports; selective subsidies of production and exports; the acquisition of colonies, which provided raw materials and a workforce of settlers and native peoples at low cost, a market for the mother countrys finished goods, a monopoly of colonial trade and shipping, and a direct contribution to the power and prestige of empire; the development of naval power; and measures to minimize the cost of maintaining the domestic population, such as low agricultural prices, low wages, fisheries for cheap food, and so on. Doctrinal emphases on the utility of poverty and on the importance of gold holdings served instrumental purposes for those seeking power and profit. In considering the implications of trade in a mercantilist economic structure Thomas Mun urged industrialists in specific means of exportation. He argued that they must not only heed attention to their own needs, but develop a keen awareness of the needs of neighboring states, as this would give them a decided advantage when attempting export goods. He also urged exporters to attempt to sell their goods as cheap as possible, as this would undercut competing nations and cause the nation purchasing the goods to become further dependent on the imports; referring to this idea he wrote, â€Å"we must in this case strive to sell as cheap as possible we can, rather than to lose the utterance of such wares. For we have found of late years by good experience, that being able to sell our Cloth cheap in Turkey, we have greatly encreased the vent thereo (p.32).† He argued that exporting nations should export their goods in their own ships, as this would further increase the nationâ€℠¢s financial capital as the funds would not have to be spent on foreign vessels, likely increasing the price of the export. He believed that trade in far away nations

Media Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Media Relations - Essay Example Banks have to target the young generation via such social sites. The success of any business lies under one core fundamental factor: being available where the target clients are. It has not been different for Barclays, which boasts of its great success and a huge number of clients in United Kingdom. The bank has been at the forefront in close relation with media, ensuring that it utilizes social media to reach out to its loyal customer base and tap its potential. Depending on its diverse departments, Barclays has a number of Twitter accounts all branded differently. They are quite active, with the most active being @ BarclaysFooty, an account linked to the sponsored Barclays Premier League. The site has over 159, 000 followers, which is a huge number for a bank twitter account. Most of the times, the posts are often related to football updates and other competitions with the intentions of targeting the football fans. Barclay’s wealth and investment team also have a twitter account labelled @Barclayswealth, which has over 73,000 followers. It does posts financial investment updates and other banking services offered. The customers’ service twitter account is nabbed @BarclaysOnline, having over 48,000 users. It does receive the highest number of interaction with its clients. Its website does grant its clients the link to accessing twitter. During its working hours, the twitter services and responses are quite fast and timely. All potential queries responses are dealt with from Monday to Friday, between 8am to 8pm. The clients have reported satisfaction with the social systems, with the support team responding to a good number of queries, an element that does improve their customer care and public relations with the clients (barclays.co.uk). With over half a million likes, Barclays Facebook wall has maintained a constant service to its clients, similarly to its Twitter account. It does engage its clients all through the whole day, answering all

Leadership Theories and Organisational Direction

Leadership Theories and Organisational Direction Management leadership style matters a lot in deciding fate of an organisation. These styles are reflected in both long term and short term strategies of the company. Considering the importance of management and leadership style lot of theorist came up with their philosophies. Some of them consider charismatic personality of leader the key to success while other considers team work the best solution. This report is being produced for the directors of NEWG to explain various management and leadership concepts. It shows how these theories can affect working of an organization and can play a decisive role in the achievement of organisational objectives. If applied in relevance to the needs of organization can lead to ultimate success. Leadership Theories and Organizational Direction Every organisation is setup with some objectives in mind. It can be profit earning, charity, law enforcing or voluntary, whatever the objective it reflects in the policies of an organisation. Leadership sets the direction for an organisation and management ensures to implement policies that lead organisations to achieve set goals. Keeping in mind aims of organisation different management theories can be adapted to support core objectives that set the style of management in an organization. Transformational Leadership Theory Initially developed by James McGregor Burns in the decade of 1970, the theory gained a lot of popularity among business world. This theory has four constituents i.e. charismatic personality, encouragement through motivation, intelligent inspiration and personalized attention. Being charismatic means leader has qualities that attract people around him. It can be leaders personality, sex appeal, style of communication, vibrant, robust and authoritative presence. Take an example of Martin Luther King, an activist and strong American leader who stood for the African American civil right cause. Such leadership with their excellent communication skills persuade people for change. They bring the idea that existing system is not helping them reduce their problems and they need to adopt new strategies. They motivate people to think differently, create new ways of doing things that is where the word transformational comes from. Such leaders show a lot of care for people; focus on their needs and touch their concerns. This way they try to win hearts of their followers, because change is a difficult thing to grasp. People feel relaxed in their old environments and it is utmost difficult to change someones habits. This needs a lot of effort and commitment without which it would be impossible to bring about change. Having good personality, vision, inspiration through motivation and personal attention to audience are excellent traits for a good leader. This helps wining sympathies of people who will then work whole heartedly to achieve objectives. This strategy is especially very effective when an existing system is not working very well and there is need to change. But for this system to work, leadership should have very good knowledge and understanding of the environment in which organisation is operating. This is era of information and if the leadership is not aware of all that is happening in the surrounding it cannot persuade people. Second thing that needs consideration is that leader should understand different situations and proceed accordingly because actions which are suitable for one environment need not be the best fit in some other surroundings. Thirdly facts alone will not help changing minds of the people but the leadership should have very good communication skills to convey thei r idea. Last but not least taking people into consideration is another important factor because nothing can be achieved without contribution of followers. To achieve sympathies of people, one needs to show concern and sympathy with them, coordinate with them on personal terms. Change is a painful thing and majority of people resist change. In order for a venture to be successful the most important requirement is that people are ready to adopt change which is only possible if they understand that the person in-charge of change i.e. leadership has a heart to feel their concerns. Otherwise merciless change will face strong resistance and will not achieve its ultimate goal. This is excellent, cost effective theory of management that can be applied at Milky Bits and workings on the principles of transformational theory company can achieve faith, loyalty and hearts of workers that would enormously improve the efficiency in Milky Bits. Transactional Leadership Theory As described by Bernard M. Bass in 1981, transactional leadership is based on performance reward. Tasks are assigned to the employees and if they are successful they are rewarded else punished, i.e. transaction, exchange as a result of performance. Rather than relying on the concept of motivation as described in transformational theory it brings about the idea of incentive and penalty. It develops kind of relationship between leader and follower that is doing as directed. If an employee performs his / her task meeting the deadline, within budget and as per directives of its manager, employee will get benefits. If the employee somehow misses to achieve what was required, he would be punished. This is an extreme type of relationship and shows reactive approach of management. This theory is focused on authority of manager who sets the rewards / punishments for short term goals. In order to work it effectively the manager should clearly identify tasks that are in line with the overall objectives of organisation and provide sufficient resources to member of staff while assigning tasks. Manager should have enough authority and control to reward or punish subordinates and he should continually monitor the actions of subordinates. According to the theory, employees have single objective for job i.e. to get incentive that is mainly in the form of financial benefits but it could be something else like recognition or promotion etc. Enticements are the most powerful driver for workers to concentrate on their tasks; hence carefully designed target incentive system can improve workers output in Milky Bits. Although it is a short term solution, because if used permanently it can develop a culture where no one will work without clear incentives, but it can bring good results if managers succeed to clearly identify tasks that lead to ultimate objectives. Assign these tasks to the relevant employee, provide them with all sufficient resources and give them proper training. It can produce excellent results for Milky Bits, which is growing organisation, in very short period of time. Charismatic Theory German sociologist Max Weber in 1920 introduced Charismatic Theory that revolves around personality that has traits to attract followers. These could be natural God gifted attributes that sets them apart from general public like their family / religious background, their sex appeal, their vision and dynamism of their personality. Besides that some qualities can be learnt like good analytical and communication skills. Without having authority or powers gathers people around him, as a matter of fact charismatic leader uses the power of people. Such leaders have the ability to understand mood of people and design their acts accordingly. People blindly faith and follow their leader which is great achievement for any leader. Later on Conger and Kanungo in 1998 described Charismatic Leader is one having attributes of vision and communication, compassion to the environment, care to the needs of people, risk-taker and doing un-usual things. Hence charismatic leader should have the ability to foresee the future i.e. vision. He should be able to effectively communicate with people because if he has some ideas but cannot convince the general public it would be waste. He should understand the environment in which he is working because different situations need different form of action. Charismatic leader should understand feelings and needs of the people for this he should involve with the people, understand and realise their problems and understand their requirements. Without strong understanding of peoples issues it is difficult to motivate them. Leader is torch bearer of change, in this respect this theory is closely linked with transformational theory, but change is a difficult phenomenon. First of all peop le normally have strong resistance for change and secondly you can anticipate to some extent but nobody is cent per cent sure about the outcome of change. Things can go wrong at point, for this very reason a leader should be bold risk taker. Leader is a person who takes unexpected decisions at critical times because difficult situations need tough decisions. Ordinary people dont expect such decisions to be taken; hence Conger and Kanungo added risk taker and un-usual decision maker as the traits of charismatic theory of leadership. This theory could prove to be very effective in certain kind of situations. When there is need of some strong decision and there is no time to negotiate with people. If such decisions come from a person whom everyone trusts, gives respect and has blind faith in him it would be easy to implement such decisions. It is a cost effective solution as people following their leaders merely on the basis of their followership. This means you dont need to give them incentives to do something rather they are doing most of the things voluntarily. But this needs a very strong personality having all the traits to win hearts of people. This can prove to be successful, effective and cost efficient method of management at Milky Bits. Contingency Theory Earliest contingency theory presented by Fiedler suggests that that there is no ideal way of organizing things. Different type of actions needs to be taken in different situations. This theory is different from other theories based on characteristics of leaders or reward system and focuses on the situational aspects. It describes that management decision are affected by various factors like working environment, kind of task at hand and position of the manager at that very time. When taking some decision it is wise to understand the surrounding and visualise the impact of certain actions that could affect the entire process. It is also important to consider nature of task, like if something is very important and time bound it would need different strategy than one needed to perform routine tasks. Also important to consider is the power position of manager because in organisations there are lot of ups and downs. If manger is not in authoritative position or feels he would face bitter criticism he should avoid taking hard decisions. Verbal meaning of the word contingency is something that is cause by some other incident but in this theory it suggests line of action taken by management keeping in view environment created by people working in a certain situation. Although it is exceptional theory to deal with certain awkward situations it heavily relies on streamlining actions with the group environment. Its success largely depends on exposure and willingness of group member to put their efforts for the achievement of organisational objectives. It is very useful idea to tailor acts according to situations in order to get maximum benefits of situation rather than sticking with strict and static policies. Managers at Milky Bits should be trained to respond different situations accordingly. This will help improve companys performance and take corrective decisions at the time of need. This will help avoiding conflicts between management and employees and further to avoid any untoward situation creating chaos in the working environment. Situational Theory This theory presented by Kenneth Blanchard and Paul Hersey suggests that managers should use different styles depending upon situations. Manager should have strong ability to analyse different situations. They should understand capability of their subordinates and keeping in view the existing circumstances, managers behaviour could be different with the same person at different times. According to Blanchard and Hersey leadership style is characterized by extent of support and direction given by manager to subordinates. At stage 1 manager defines the roles and responsibilities of employees, assigns tasks to them and then closely supervises or monitors them. In this scenario choices are made by manger hence most of the communication is one-way. Employees are committed to do their tasks diligently but they need direction and support from their seniors. At 2nd stage manager still defines roles and responsibilities but with consultation of sub-ordinates. Communication is somehow two-way. Employees are competent in their area of expertise but lack commitment so supervision is needed. Manager takes their consultation which increases their confidence and sense of being involved makes them more committed. At level 3 leaders focus less on tasks and more on relations, they discuss situations with their sub-ordinates and leave them with their strategy to do the tasks. This technique works with employees who are competent enough to do the tasks independently but due to lack of confidence need support of their superiors. Level 4 is a stage where sub-ordinate has both competence and commitment, so manager although has authority and control on decisions delegates these to the sub-ordinates. Sub-ordinate himself takes decisions and has total control of project / task. It is up to him to involve manager or not. Effective managers use these level as and when required at particular stages. There is no set pattern but only innovative capability of manager decides which path to take in a particular scenario. Such a policy could be helpful for Milky Bits as it will help managers understand capabilities of their staff and assign tasks to them accordingly. It will also benefit the organisation in staff development by following different levels giving them appropriate guidance and support building confidence on them that will help them work independently on upcoming tasks. Vroom and Yettons Normative Model Vroom and Yetton suggested Narrative Model as There are number of alternatives to deal with any situation. Leader should have the ability to select the best option in any situation. It also proposes that while selecting the best possible course of action willingness of employees should also be given weight. This theory assumes that acceptance of decision increases its effectiveness and commitment. Also willingness of employees adds to the acceptance of decisions taken by managers. Vroom and Yetton also identified decision procedures as follows. Firstly manager uses his own exposure to take decision; this strategy is useful if acceptability among employees is not very important, manager has enough knowledge and exposure about the subject area, secondly manager seeks information from his sub-ordinates and then takes decision; this is useful when manager does not have enough information and needs enough first hand information, thirdly manager shares problem with sub-ordinates individually, seeks their opinion to reach some decision; this is useful when some of the employees have expert knowledge of the subject domain that will help manager reaching a good decision; fourthly discusses the issues with sub-ordinates in groups to come at conclusion; when all the employees have same level of knowledge and manager intends to benefit from their knowledge and tries to bring harmony in his team members and fifthly puts these issues before sub-ordinates as a group and bases his decision on the consensus of employees; this strategy targe ts on the acceptance of employees more than the quality of decision taken. One wrong decision taken at critical stage can be decisive for an organization. Management at Milky Bits should be given appropriate training to deal with such situations that will help the organization to come out beneficent at the time of crisis. Tri-Dimensional Leadership Theory (Yukl) Yukls tri-dimensional theory suggests that there is no set course of action which will be successful in all the circumstances. It is management and leadership who decide what action to take at a particular time. It heavily relies on effectiveness and efficiency, human resource relations and innovation adaptation. If managements focus is effectiveness and efficiency, its strategy will be task-oriented. To improved efficiency first step is that everyone should know his roles and responsibilities, what is expected of him / her. This clear cut job assignment will help an employee concentrate on his job and facilitate managers to evaluate employees performance. This will improve sense of responsibility and employees will be more focused on their job roles which will improve their effectiveness and efficiency. In case of human resource relations, strategy will be relations-oriented. Management will try to build good relations with employees in order to come closer with them, understand their views and negotiate with them. This helps management obtain 1st hand knowledge of employees problems and come up with solutions that will win the hearts of employees. This involvement of employees and their participation in decision making will help them do their tasks with more motivation and achieve organisational goals and objectives. Innovative and adaptation style is required when an organization is in need of change. Management will sort out new ways of doing things. Change is the only constant thing in nature, internal external factors both influence an organisation to change its strategies to survive and thrive in business. This needs strong thinking and analysis followed by careful decision making. This theory suggests that leaders should be able to analyse the situations and they should be flexible enough to meld their strategies accordingly. Leaders should have strong analytical and diagnostic qualities to determine strategy most relevant to situation. New Leadership Strategy Reviewing all research and findings of previous theorists and being student of Strategic Management Leadership if I am asked to develop my own strategy, I would suggest following 3 points. Leadership should have strong knowledge of subject area and exceptional relationship with their followers. Motivate followers combining organisational objectives with the goals of individuals. Give them respect reward. Management should always have plan B to work around un-acceptable situations and they should involve sub-ordinates to prepare these contingency plans. Leadership should lead by example, their words will worth more if they themselves follow what they ask their followers to do. No strategy will work if followers are un-satisfied. Respect and financial gains are instinct for every human being. It should be made sure that employees benefit from prosperity of organisation. Business world is ever-changing, stagnant policies and leadership will suffer in this dynamic environment so leadership should be innovative enough to counter these challenges. If possible leadership should involve followers in policy changes.

Jack Kerouac’s On The Road - The Spiritual Quest, the Search for Self a

The Spiritual Quest  in On the Road  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A disillusioned youth roams the country without truly establishing himself in one of the many cities he falls in love with. In doing so, he manages with the thought or presence of his best friend. What is he searching for? While journeying on the road, Sal Paradise is not searching for a home, a job, or a wife. Instead, he longs for a mental utopia offered by Dean Moriarty. This object of his brotherly love grew up in the streets of America. Through the hardships of continuously being shuffled from city to city, Dean has encompassed what is and what is not important in life. While driving back to Testament in the '49 Hudson, Dean propositions Sal through an appeal to emotion. In passing on his philosophy, Dean eloquently states, "Everything is fine, God exists, we know time" (Kerouac 120). After the war, America achieved the status of economic success through the provisions of the assembly line in industries and manual labor in civil services. The 1950's became an evolution from skilled craftsmanship to mindless mechanical work in factories. The goals in life included working in a fixed position, having a home, and providing for the wife and kids. However, with the threat of the Cold War looming over their heads, the youth of this generation grew disenchanted with the so-called American Dream. They realized life is ephemeral and that there is more to life than punching in a time-card. The concept of individuality was more important than conformity. It became a "culture acting out the true Self and true spontaneous desire" (McGeory 21). As an author and member of the younger generation, Jack Kerouac embodies this notion of estrangement throughout his novel, On the Road. Allen... ...notion that their quest is a spiritual one" (Goldstein 61). Once we reach the ideal inner peace is when we are truly able to understand the band of friendship that surrounds us. If we are able to maintain this philosophy, no trouble can exist to deteriorate our well-being. We will be able to enjoy life more and discover what our fears are hiding. Works Cited Birkerts, Sven. "On the Road to Nowhere: Kerouac Re-read and Regretted." Harper's Magazine July 1989: 75. Ginsberg, Allen and Gregory Corso. "Ten Angry Men." Esquire. June 1986: 261. Goldstein, Norma Walrath. "Kerouac's On the Road." The Explicator Fall 1991: 61. Kerouac, Jack. On the Road. New York: Penguin Books. 1955. McGeory, Heather R. "On the Road to Upheaval." New York Times 12 June 1993, late ed.:21. Will, George F. "Daddy, Who Was Jack Kerouac?" Newsweek. 4 July 1988: 64.    Jack Kerouac’s On The Road - The Spiritual Quest, the Search for Self a The Spiritual Quest  in On the Road  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A disillusioned youth roams the country without truly establishing himself in one of the many cities he falls in love with. In doing so, he manages with the thought or presence of his best friend. What is he searching for? While journeying on the road, Sal Paradise is not searching for a home, a job, or a wife. Instead, he longs for a mental utopia offered by Dean Moriarty. This object of his brotherly love grew up in the streets of America. Through the hardships of continuously being shuffled from city to city, Dean has encompassed what is and what is not important in life. While driving back to Testament in the '49 Hudson, Dean propositions Sal through an appeal to emotion. In passing on his philosophy, Dean eloquently states, "Everything is fine, God exists, we know time" (Kerouac 120). After the war, America achieved the status of economic success through the provisions of the assembly line in industries and manual labor in civil services. The 1950's became an evolution from skilled craftsmanship to mindless mechanical work in factories. The goals in life included working in a fixed position, having a home, and providing for the wife and kids. However, with the threat of the Cold War looming over their heads, the youth of this generation grew disenchanted with the so-called American Dream. They realized life is ephemeral and that there is more to life than punching in a time-card. The concept of individuality was more important than conformity. It became a "culture acting out the true Self and true spontaneous desire" (McGeory 21). As an author and member of the younger generation, Jack Kerouac embodies this notion of estrangement throughout his novel, On the Road. Allen... ...notion that their quest is a spiritual one" (Goldstein 61). Once we reach the ideal inner peace is when we are truly able to understand the band of friendship that surrounds us. If we are able to maintain this philosophy, no trouble can exist to deteriorate our well-being. We will be able to enjoy life more and discover what our fears are hiding. Works Cited Birkerts, Sven. "On the Road to Nowhere: Kerouac Re-read and Regretted." Harper's Magazine July 1989: 75. Ginsberg, Allen and Gregory Corso. "Ten Angry Men." Esquire. June 1986: 261. Goldstein, Norma Walrath. "Kerouac's On the Road." The Explicator Fall 1991: 61. Kerouac, Jack. On the Road. New York: Penguin Books. 1955. McGeory, Heather R. "On the Road to Upheaval." New York Times 12 June 1993, late ed.:21. Will, George F. "Daddy, Who Was Jack Kerouac?" Newsweek. 4 July 1988: 64.   

Gender roles in language acquisition Essay

We reprimand our daughters for being â€Å"bossy† and praise our son’s for showing such assertiveness. These were the sentiments expressed during Sheryl Sandburg book promotion tour in early 2013. Mrs Sandberg is largely accepted as one of the most successful female businessperson in modern society. During her many lectures and academic interviews she essentially cited her success as the result of ‘going against the gender norm’ for women. Although specifically referring to the business world, does Sheryl have a point? Are we reinforcing gender roles in the words we promote and discourage our children to use? It is largely accepted across both linguistic and psychology fields that girls develop their language skill in: understands, quantity, quality and range of vocabulary acquired at an earlier age and faster rate than their male counterparts. A very recent study by Rikard Bauman in 2010 (Stockholm University Press) explored vocabulary growth and language production in pre-school children. It is suggested that at 22 months girls have a more extensive vocabulary than boys due to capacity differences; however, at 34 months such a pattern cannot be found. Furthermore it is suggested that gender affects language production in the sense that male and female speakers will prefer to produce words that are associated with their culture’s definition of masculinity and femininity. The study on vocabulary growth is based on the assumption that TTR (type/token ratio) reflects vocabulary size and it proves that, at 22 months, girls have a more extensive vocabulary than boys; however, at 34 months such a pattern is less obvious, if any conclusion can be drawn it is that boys have a slightly larger vocabulary than girls. The study on language production is focused on verb production and it shows that boys and girls prefer verbs that are associated with common stereotypes of masculinity and femininity. It seems that these gender distinctions are not unique to the English language or the Western world as †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Found when examining the Japanese language. according to Eleanor Harz Jorden, when learning language in Japan children learn that there are some words and some grammatical constructions that are associated explicitly with men or boys, while others are associated with women or girls. Such differences are sometimes called â€Å"gendered language.† In Japanese, speech patterns associated with women are referred to as onna kotoba (â€Å"women’s words†) or joseigo , â€Å"women’s language†). In general, the words and speech patterns associated with men are seen as rough, vulgar, or abrupt, while those associated with women are considered more polite, more deferential, or â€Å"softer†. Some linguists consider the rough/soft continuum more accurate than the male/female continuum. For example, Eleanor Harz Jorden in Japanese: The Spoken Language refers to the styles as blunt/gentle, rather than male/female. There are no gender differences in written Japanese (except in quoted speech), and almost no differences in polite speech (teineigo), since males take on â€Å"softer† speech, except for the fact that women may be more likely to use polite speech in the first place. The word onnarashii , which is usually translated as â€Å"ladylike† or â€Å"feminine,† refers to the behaviour expected of a typical Japanese woman. As well as behaving in particular ways, being onnarashii means conforming to particular styles of speech. Some of the features of women’s speech include speaking in a higher register, using more polite forms and using polite speech or honorifics in more situations, and referring to themselves and those they address more formally. Some linguistic features commonly associated with women include omission of the copula da, the use of personal pronouns such as watashi or atashi among others, use of feminine sentence-final particles such as wa, na no, kashira, and mashoo, and the more frequent use of the honorific prefixes o and go. According to Katsue Akiba Reynolds, ladylike speech is instrumental in keeping Japanese women in traditional roles and reflects Japanese society’s concept of the difference between women and men.[4] For example, there is the potential for conflict for women in the workplace in that, to be onnarashii, a woman must speak politely, submissively and humbly, yet to command respect as a superior, she must be assertive, self-assured, and direct, even when dealing with male subordinates. Actual language used by Japanese-speaking women differs from these ideals. Such onnarashii speech is a norm that institutions such as education and media encourage women to adopt. Similarly, these forms may be prescribed for women learners by Japanese textbooks and other materials. There are, however various deviations from these norms in conversation. Although Japanese women may not follow the gender norm in speech, some linguistic studies indicate that Japanese women tend to use more honorific language than men do, which reinforces the idea of onnarashii and traditional gender roles.[5] Traditional characteristics of Japanese men’s speech [edit] Just as there are modes of speaking and behaviour that are considered intrinsically feminine, there are also those that are considered intrinsically masculine. In speech, being otokorashii (â€Å"manly† or â€Å"masculine†) means speaking in a lower register, using fewer polite forms and using them in fewer situations, and using intrinsically masculine words. Research on Japanese men’s speech shows greater use of â€Å"neutral† forms, forms not strongly associated with masculine or feminine speech, than is seen in Japanese women’s speech. Scholars argue that men use typically masculine forms to â€Å"assert their own authority and knowledge of themselves†. Some studies of conversation between Japanese men and women show neither gender taking a more dominant position in interaction. Men, however, tend to show a â€Å"self-oriented conversation style†, telling stories and expressing their expertise on topics being discussed, than is typical of women in these studies. Gender differences in modern society :- As women gain an increasing leadership role in Japanese society, notions of onnarashisa and otokorashisa, that is, what is deemed appropriate behaviour for men and women, have evolved over time. Although comparatively more extreme movements call for the elimination of gender differences in the Japanese language (gender-neutral language), convergence in usage is considered unlikely and may not even be desirable. Instead, trends in actual usage indicate that women are feeling more comfortable using traditional characteristics of female speech (such as wa) while still maintaining an assertive attitude on par with men. In other words, there is a gradual decoupling of language forms and traditional cultural expectations. Although the characteristics of Japanese male speech have been largely unaffected, there has been an increasing sensitivity regarding certain usages (such as changing the terms used to refer to mature women -chan) that may be considered offensive. Regional dialect may often play a role in the expression and perception masculinity or femininity of speech in Japanese. Another recent phenomenon influencing established femininity in speech is the popularity of Okama, very feminine men as popular Geinoujin (television personalities). While homosexuality and transgenderism is still a fairly taboo subject in Japan, lesbians with male traits, or cross-dressers, are referred to as onabe or tachi. Problems for Japanese learners [edit] Without the proper instruction by fluent Japanese speakers and/or teachers, non-native persons risk learning and expressing themselves inappropriately to native Japanese. Compounding the difficulty of language acquisition, formal instruction may emphasise learning the polite forms of expression (that favour female students) while glossing over informal expression (that favour male students) and honorifics (distinguishes natives from foreigners). It is important for non-natives to be instructed by members of the same sex or be aware that mere mimicry may not have the expected results. In addition to the use of pronouns to refer to oneself and others, the use of titles also is strongly influenced by gender-based overtones and is another source of potential problems for the non-native speaker. The situation is further complicated by regional variation. For example, in many regions of Japan it is common for older men to refer to themselves as boku or older women to refer to themselves as ore. How does this relate to language spoken in the Western world? Opinion is, as is often the case, divided. AGAINST 1) other major influences Mahsa Saligheh ‘Revisiting Age and GenderInfluence in Second Language Acquisition’ 2012 states, † There is no doubt that language acquisition process is a complex process which involves several factors, and that this process is highly influenced due to plasticity of the brain. Furthermore, the types of memory systems involved in females and males are also have a pivotal role that makes the genders distinct. The researchers claim, age and gender, are among the factors that run in parallel with other factors that deeply influence language acquisition process such as motivation, personality, styles, strategies, gender and age. The present study attempts to investigate the last two factors: age and gender. Given the importance placed on the role on age and gender, the researchers hold they are not the necessary conditions for second language acquisition. However, the writers claim that genetically there are some benefits that can be reaped for those who begin L2 acquisition early. Furthermore, both males and females are equipped with some predetermined tendencies that would be helpful for them to acquire some aspects of language much faster and easier. 2) biological basis Mar. 5, 2008 — Although researchers have long agreed that girls have superior language abilities than boys, until now no one has clearly provided a biological basis that may account for their differences. For the first time — and in unambiguous findings — researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Haifa show both that, areas of the brain associated with language work harder in girls than in boys during language tasks, and that boys and girls rely on different parts of the brain when performing these tasks. â€Å"Our findings which suggest that language processing is more sensory in boys and more abstract in girls could have major implications for teaching children and even provide support for advocates of single sex classrooms,† said Douglas D. Burman, research associate in Northwestern’s Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences The researchers measured brain activity (using functional magnetic resonance imaging) in 31 boys and in 31 girls aged 9 to 15 as they performed spelling and writing language tasks. The tasks were delivered in two sensory modalities – visual and auditory. When visually presented, the children read certain words without hearing them. Presented in an auditory mode, they heard words aloud but did not see them. Using a complex statistical model, Burman and Pepper accounted for differences associated with age, gender, type of linguistic judgment, performance accuracy and the method (written or spoken) in which words were presented. The researchers found that girls still showed significantly greater activation in language areas of the brain than boys. The information in the tasks got through to girls’ language areas of the brain (areas associated with abstract thinking through language). And their performance accuracy correlated with the degree of activation in some of these language areas. To their astonishment, however, this was not the case for boys. Boys’ accurate performance when reading words depended on how hard visual areas of the brain worked. In hearing words, boys’ performance depended on how hard auditory areas of the brain worked. If that pattern extends to language processing that occurs in the classroom, it could inform teaching and testing methods. Given boys’ sensory approach, boys might be more effectively evaluated on knowledge gained from lectures via oral tests and on knowledge gained by reading via written tests. For girls, whose language processing appears more abstract in approach, these different testing methods would appear unnecessary. â€Å"One possibility is that boys have some kind of bottleneck in their sensory processes that can hold up visual or auditory information and keep it from being fed into the language areas of the brain,† Burman said. This could result simply from girls developing faster than boys, in which case the differences between the sexes might disappear by adulthood. Or, an alternative explanation is that boys create visual and auditory associations such that meanings associated with a word are brought to mind simply from seeing or hearing the word. While the second explanation puts males at a disadvantage in more abstract language function, those kinds of sensory associations may have provided an evolutionary advantage for primitive men whose survival required them to quickly recognise danger-associated sights and sounds. If the pattern of females relying on an abstract language network and of males relying on sensory areas of the brain extends into adulthood (a still unresolved question) it could explain why women often provide more context and abstract representation than men. Ask a woman for directions and you may hear something like: â€Å"Turn left on Main Street, go one block past the drug store, and then turn right, where there’s a flower shop on one corner and a cafe across the street.† Such information-laden directions may be helpful for women because all information is relevant to the abstract concept of where to turn; however, men may require only one cue and be distracted by additional information. Conclusion Alongside most if not all empirical and theoretical evidence involving human beings it is impossible to make concrete and definite conclusions. Having extrapolated the information the most obvious conclusion can only deduce Is this only evident in childhood, does the distinction disappear by adulthood or was Sandberg right in stating that the division in language between the sexes continues through life. References Burman is primary author of â€Å"Sex Differences in Neural Processing of Language Among Children.† Co-authored by James R. 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