In his book Special Providence, Walter Russell Mead laid out four Essay

In his book Special Providence, Walter Russell Mead laid out four foreign policy schools. Choose two of these schools and explain how they have influenced US foreign policy since 1898 - Essay Example is imperative to note that the Hamiltonian and Wilsonian foreign policy schools have had a significant impact in shaping Americas relations with other nations since 1898. Hamiltonian is associated with Alexander Hamilton and its main objective was to focus on industries and commerce (Mead 2013). Ideally, the policy was aimed at opening the US to various economic opportunities abroad. Trade and the process of industrialization have become critical aspects of growth in the US. Through this foreign policy agenda, the US has managed to inform industrial and commercial decisions on a planetary scale effectively making it an economic powerhouse. Secondly, Wilsonian foreign policy school was established as a consequence of spreading values manifest in the US around the world. This policy has been essential in making the US a global leader in terms of instilling the moral values in different parts of the world (Mead 2013). For instance, America is known for propagating for democratic governance, human rights and freedoms of individuals (Mead 2013). Moreover, the policy has played a critical role in propagating capitalistic tendencies around the

Socioilogy Essay Example for Free

Socioilogy Essay Many people are under the impression that the United States prison system is meant to punish those who have committed acts against the law. Although this is true, it has been proven that as a whole, the country has become exponentially more punitive, sentencing individuals at a far greater rate than in decades before. Nicola Lacey explains in American Imprisonment in Comparative Perspective that America is on an imprisonment â€Å"binge†. Until 1980, 110 people per 100,000 individuals were behind bars whereas today the numbers are increased to 740 people per 100,000. We live in a society of mass incarceration in which 1 out of every 100 adults are currently incarcerated. For a comparative perspective, America accounts for 5% of the world’s population while also accounting for 25% of the world’s incarcerated population. It is clear by the numbers that something has happened within the last thirty years to drastically increase the use of punishment. There are different explanations for the imprisonment binge in America, however the effects of incarceration on individuals, and consequences of penal practices have become a growing social problem. The extremely racialized incarceral system not only diminishes family life and distorts democracy, but also outcasts ex-convicts by discriminating them educationally and black-listing them from many everyday activities in society. Now more than ever, social circumstances effect one’s likelihood to be involved with crime and the criminal justice system as a whole. Class, Race and Hyperincarceration in Revanchist America by Loic Wacquant argues that mass incarceration does not exist in the United States, rather hyperincarceration, or finely targeting incarceration by class, race and place. This method of categorization associates imprisonment with poor, African American males. This triple selectivity of class, race and place is the reason Wacquant believes we have an absurd criminal justice system in the United States. It is unfair that predetermined factors dictate the involvement of blacks and other minorities with crime and incarceration. Not only has an increased punitive system in the United States contributed to discriminating against blacks, but it forms society’s view of blacks overall. Another piece of Saperstein and Penner’s paper investigates the hypothesis that â€Å"incarceration affects how respondents indentify themselves and how they are perceived by others: respondents who are or have been incarcerated will be more likely to be classified as black, and less likely to be classified as white† (Saperstein 93). The researchers use data from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) to examine the relationship between different dependent variables such as racial self-identification and racial classification. The independent variables in the experiment are incarceration and interviewer characteristics. The authors suggest that this racial affiliation based on incarceration creates a vicious cycle where inequality is reproduced. Saperstein and Penner’s hypothesis leads me to draw a direct connection between race and crime. The connection is not that blacks are more likely to commit crimes, rather society’s lens is more likely to affiliate crime with blacks. Because of the phenomena of mass incarceration, when a person thinks of a criminal, they tend to think of a black person. In turn, police officers, judges and prosecutors tend to assume the same, making blacks the targets of racial profiling and harsher sentencing. Not only are members of the courtroom workgroup likely to be more harsh on a black person, but this causes other people to look at members of every person in the black community as criminals. This scenario has a far greater effect on society than thought of at first glance. The prison system has a far greater effect on society beyond the prison walls themselves, especially in terms of family life. Although the prisoner is the person who directly feels the temporal sentence itself, families bear the cost of incarceration as well. As many people know, the majority of prisoners in the United States prison system are male. This is exemplified by the numbers at San Quentin Prison, being that 95% of all visitors are women. Wives, sisters, daughters and mothers travel for hours to spend a few short minutes with their loved ones behind bars. Megan Comfort explains the struggle to maintain family bonds â€Å"In the Tube at San Quentin: The Secondary Prisonization of Women Visiting Inmates†. The visitation system in many prisons are degrading in that cueing and waiting degrades the visitors time and depreciates the visit. Visitation restrictions stretch to the regulation of clothes and belongings in that 1/3rd of female visitors are asked to change some aspect of their attire for one reason or another. Female visitors experience many pains of imprisonment. In assimilating to the regulations and degradation of prison, female visitors undergo what Comfort calls a form of secondary prisonization. Not only are women penalized based on visitation regulations, but the prison system disorganizes families, causing them to bear many costs of incarceration. Marriage and divorce becomes an issue with many couples going through the prison system. The hardships of imprisonment on family life has a destabilizing effect, causing problems for wives and children equally. Bruce Western and Len Lopoo state in Punishment and Inequality In America, that although 60% of prisoners have at least monthly contact with family members in some way, visitations are relatively rare in that prisoners are places more than 100 miles away from home. An even greater effect that the carceral facility plays on the family is the stigma and shame many family members endure. Family life is one of the overlooked consequences of imprisonment that has a large effect on many individuals affiliated with the criminal justice system. It is evident that the incarceration system as a whole accounts for a civil death in the distortion of democracy. Essentially, prisoner votes count in the districts in which they are incarcerated. This means that more funding is given to districts which have a greater population due to the existence of a prison, however those behind the prison walls are not accounted for in their voting rights. This form of prison-based gerrymandering influxes the number of votes in an area in which prisons are located, giving a political advantage to those running for office. Christopher Ugger and Jeff Manza write about the elimination of voices of formally incarcerated people in their piece Lost Voices: The Civic and Political Views of Disenfranchised Felons. Since the prison system is on based around raced, the criminal disenfranchisement in the United States has taken the right to vote from 17% of African American men. It is clear that a major collateral consequence is the elimination of eliminating the voices of such a specific racial and social category. On major challenge of prisoner re-entry is the denial of access to education, not to mention the social ostracization the prison system imposes on individuals. Issac, a formally incarcerated individual and a member of the Center for Community Alternatives explains that after he was let out for criminal possession of a controlled substance, it was extremely difficult for him to get into college. The Dean at SUNY Oswego did not want him in the school because he was an ex-convict. Access to education is an issue for both formally incarcerated individuals, and individuals behind bars. President Bill Clinton passed the Crime Control Law Enforcement Act under his presidency which denied Pell Grants to criminals despite unanimous professional opinion that post secondary education reduces recidivism, bolsters carceral order, and increases public safety. Josh Page explains this in Eliminating the Enemy: The Import of Denying Prisoners Access to Higher Education. Page argues that lawmakers enacted this legislative penal drama oriented in the pursuit of political capital. The denial of prisoners access to education is not an economic decision being that prisoners receive less than 1% of Pell Grant dollars, rather a symbolic, communicative act. How can anyone argue this when it has been proven that it costs more not to educate prisoners? Aside from the implications of not allowing prisoners to gain secondary education, the hardships of ex-convicts to gain education effects their life and society greatly. If people cannot gain education after prison, they are less likely to get jobs, and in turn, more likely to reoffend. Making it more difficult for people to become re-acclimated with society creates a vicious cycle of recidivism. Aside from hindering access to education, the penal system as a whole creates a stigma for individuals life after prison. After being in prison, it is hard to rebuild connections with one’s family since they have been apart for so long. Ex-convicts are separated from society physically and institutionally. After being in prison, it is very difficult for an individual to regain their life and adjust to the new social circumstances they are subjected to, and have been shielded from for so long. An example of this occurs in Miami Day County. In Florida, Jessica’s Law banishes sex offenders to the streets by requiring that ex sex offenders live 2,500 feet or more away from parks, schools and daycares. Since parole requires that ex-convicts live in the county they committed a crime, Jessica’s law left hundreds of individuals living homeless under a bridge. This is one example of many ways in which prisoner re-entry becomes very difficult for individuals. Overall, the penal system is a cultural performance which challenges individuals across society and creates a system of inequality for all those affiliated with it.

Black Sox Trial Essay -- essays research papers

The Black Sox Trial – 1921   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Black Sox scandal was a baseball betting scheme involving a group of baseball players and gamblers which led to the Chicago White Sox intentionally losing in the 1919 World Series. As a result this scandal led to the banning of eight players from the 1919 Chicago White Sox team, Joe Jackson (better known as Shoeless Joe Jackson), Eddie Cicotte, Chick Gandil, Oscar Felsch, Fred McMullin, Swede Risberg, Buck Weaver, and Claude Williams. This event also introduced a new commissioner and strict rules prohibiting gambling in baseball.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This conspiracy was the innovation of the White Sox’s first baseman Chick Gandil and Joseph â€Å"Sport† Sullivan, who was a professional gambler among his friend circle. During the 1919 baseball season, the Chicago White Sox had proven themselves to the world that they were the best team in the baseball league and, having clinched the American League pennant, were installed as the bookmarker’s favorites to defeat the Cincinnati Reds in the Series. At the time, gambling on baseball games was widespread and there were numerous stories about rigged ball games during the regular season but they were generally ignored by the team managers and owners.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gandil, the first baseman, recruited seven of his teammates, to instigate â€Å"the fix,† all which was motivated by the mixed feelings of the dislike of the club owner Charles Comiskey along with greed. The seven players were the starting pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Cluade â€Å"Lefty† Williams, outfielders Shoeless Joe Jackson and Oscar â€Å"Happy† Felsch, and infielders Swede Risberg, Buck Weaver, and Fred McMullin. Sullivan and his two acquaintances Bill Burns and Billy Maharg contacted a wealthy New York gambler by the name of Arnold Rothstein to supply the money for the 8 players, who were told that they would get a total of $100,000. Even before the infamous Series started on October 1st there were whispers all over amongst the gambling population that things were a little weird, and the flood of money showed the odds of Cincinnati decline rapidly. These rumors also reached the press box where a number of reporters, including Hugh Fulle rton from the Chicago Herald along with Examiner and ex-player and manager Christy Mathewson, got down to compare notes on any plays and or players... ...ear. As it turned out the 1917 win in the World Series was the last championship the Chicago White Sox ever came across; changing the American pastime history forever! This Black Sox Scandal trial was a very interesting trial I had wanted to know about for the longest time. In writing this paper I mainly referred to the site,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/blacksox/blacksox.html This site consisted of many useful links and was very informative and broke down the events leading up to the trial and gave the entire sequence of events in a brief. Furthermore, to my surprise this site provided the court documents like the confessions of Joe Jackson, which seemed to be lost for a while and then mysteriously surfaced out of the blues later on, the trial testimonies, and many more. What really helped me out was the chronology of events along with the diagram of â€Å"the fix†. It was a lot easier to follow the diagram in my opinion. Another link on the website I found quite useful was â€Å"The Eight Men Out† link. It appropriately gives the ages, positions, salaries, and comments Gandil made for the eight players which were accused of the scandal.

Music and Brain Development Essay

There are three major perspectives on the positive impact of music education to the core curricula in school. The study on how music shares value to brain development has opened new views for all educators. According to the study of Neurological Research in February 1997, music develops abstract reasoning skills needed for the learning process of children in math and science. It was proven that training in music is more efficient than computer learning for teaching math and science skills (Peretz and Zatorre, 2005).   It was reported that music training could be more effective than computer instruction for teaching these skills. The findings were the result of a two year experiment with preschoolers by Rauscher et. Al. Wriht et al in 1997, compared the effects of musical and non-musical training on intellectual development as a follow-up to their studies on music can enhance spatial-reasoning. They concluded that music enhanced brain functions that were required for learning mathematics, science and engineering (Brust, 2003). Several studies have suggested that beginning music training early corresponds to greater growth in certain areas of the brain (Schlang et al, 2003). For example, researchers in Germany identified the planum temporale, a part of the left hemisphere as the region of the brain responsible for the perfect pitch and speech. This term used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at the planun temporale in non-musicians and professional musicians, some with perfect pitch and some without it. They discovered that the planum temporale in those with perfect pitch was twice as large as the other groups. Also with perfect pitch has started a music lesson before age seven. Rauscher et al. (1997) found that musicians had thicker nerve fibers in the corpus callosum, the part of the brain that carries signals between the two hemispheres, if they started keyboard training before the age of seven. Babo (2001) discussed, researchers, work at the University of Konstanz in Germany which focused that exposure to music helped to rewire neural circuits. They concluded that the brains of pianists were more efficient at making skilled movements than the brains of others. These findings suggested that musical training could enhance brain function (Trainor and Schmidt, 2003). Schlaug et al. (1995) used MRI to discover that musicians who started studying music before the age of 7 had regions in their brains (the corpus callosum and the right motor cortex) that were larger than corresponding regions in both non-musicians and musicians whose training began at a later age. However, in response to questions about his study, Schlaug et al preferred not to recommend when music should be taught, since some very skilled musicians began performing in their twenties or thirties. Schlaug et al. also reported that most musicians who have perfect pitch started music lessons before the age of seven. However, according to Diamond and Hopson (1998), â€Å"early music training is associated with more growth in this one particular brain region†¦. if training starts later or is absent altogether, perfect pitch rarely shows up† (p. 4). Zatorre (2003) reported evidence that infants are born with nervous systems devoted exclusively to music. Studies are showing that early and ongoing musical training can help organize and develop children’s brains. In a study to determine the effect of systematic prenatal musical stimulation by observing musical behaviors exhibited between birth and 6, Fujioka et al (2006) found that infants who received systematic prenatal musical stimulation exhibited â€Å"remarkable attention behaviors.   Those infants could imitate accurately sounds made by adults (including non-family members), and appear to structure vocalization much earlier than infants who did not have prenatal musical training† (p. 21).   Only quite the researches focused on the prenatal musical training of the fetus. Personal Reflection I believe that musicians have more active contribution to brain development because they are required to perform in more complex sequences of finger movements. Musicians are regularly adapting to decisions on tempo, tone, style, rhythm, phrasing and feeling-training the brain to become incredibly good at organizing and performing a lot of activities all at the same time. Musicians in my point of view, exercise orchestration that have better payoff for lifelong attention skills, intelligence and skills in self-knowledge and self-expression. In my own opinion, there is a significant relationship between music and brain development. There is an interrelationship between music and education because of the eight basic intelligences:   linguistic; logical-mathematical; spatial; bodily-kinesthetic; musical; interpersonal; intrapersonal; and naturalist. Although, these intelligences are different from musical intelligences:emotional, spiritual and cultural than the other kinds of intelligences. Most importantly, he assumed that music could help some organize the way they think and work by helping them develop in other areas, such as math, language, and spatial reasoning. Gardner criticized school districts that sacrificed music in children’s education, calling them â€Å"arrogant and ignorant about the value of music education† (p. 142). Essay 2-The Mozart Effect Rauscher et al. (1993) used the term Mozart effect to describe the results of their study on the relationship between music and spatial task performance. It is based on the ear’s role in the development of movement, balance, language and pre-verbal communication as well as the integration of neurological responses stimulated by music The Mozart effect also refers to the way music is used to enhance the quality of life. For example, music helps children in obtaining good health, education, and creativity (Cjabris, 1999).   Rauscher et al. (1997) gave a group of college students three 10-minute-long sets of standard IQ spatial reasoning tasks: listening to a Mozart sonata for two pianos, listening to a relaxation tape, and sitting through silence. The results showed that the individuals who listened to Mozart had a distinct advantage in spatial task performance. Steele et al (1999) noted that students performed better â€Å"on the abstract/spatial reasoning tests after listening to Mozart than after listening to either the relaxation tape or to nothing† (p. 2). Although conditions differed significantly between music, silence, and relaxation, Shaw and his colleagues were careful to qualify the study results. Although spatial reasoning test scores rose as a result of listening to Mozart’s piano sonata in D major (K488), the effects were temporary. Jenkins (2001) noted that â€Å"the enhancing effect of the music condition is temporary, and does not extend beyond the 10-15 minute period during which subjects were engaged in each spatial task† (Rauscher et al., 1993, p. 2). The authors posed several questions for further research: â€Å"Could varying the amount of listening time optimize the Mozart effect? Could listening to Mozart also enhance other intelligence measures such as short-term memory, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning? Would other kinds of music have an effect on IQ performance† (p. 2)? Though the answers to these questions were unclear, the authors concluded that music lacking in complexity failed to enhance performance. They also concluded that the complexity of Mozart’s music was responsible for its enhancing effect. Rauscher et al. replicated and extended these findings in 1995. They used the same tasks used in their first experiment but extended the types of listening examples used. College students were divided into 3 groups: those exposed to silence, the same Mozart music used in the 1993 study, and a piece by Philip Glass. As before, the Mozart group showed a significant increase in spatial IQ scores. Tomatis, a French physician, psychologist, and educator, researched the connection between early childhood development in the 1960s and the music of Mozart (Jenkins, 2001). College students listened to a Mozart sonata, then performed complicated visual tasks involving cutting and folding paper. However, there was no difference in the way these tasks were performed by either the students who listened to the sonata or the control groups who just relaxed before taking the test or listened to other kinds of music. Schellenberg (2006) pointed out that the studies on music instruction insubstantial overall because researchers only tried to repeat and extend their findings. For example, no one knew exactly which kind of musical training produced results and which kinds did not, who benefited most from it, and how long any intellectual gains resulting from music training lasted. In another study, Chabris (1999) reviewed previous studies and compared the effects of the Mozart recordings. Results revealed a statistically insignificant increase in the ability of individuals to complete tasks requiring spatial visualization skills and abstract reasoning. Chabris noted that â€Å"if listening to Mozart improves cognitive performance at all, it’s by improving overall cognitive arousal and concentration. It shouldn’t be viewed as an intellectual miracle drug† (p. 1). Steele (2001) agreed with Chabris, by stating that â€Å"there is a problem with the concept of classical music as Gatorade for the brain† (p. 1). A number of other researchers (Crncec et al, 2006) supported the belief that classical music does not increase basic intelligence. Rauscher, et l (1995) noted that because many researchers only measured the effect on general intelligence instead of on spatial-temporal abilities, they failed when they tried to repeat the original experiment. In 1995, Rauscher et al. replicated this study and again found that spatial-temporal reasoning improved after listening to the Mozart Sonata. Though daily exposure to Mozart’s music produced daily increases in scores, this effect did not apply to all styles of music or to all areas of intelligence. For example, Phillip Glass’ minimalist music did not enhance spatial-temporal reasoning. Further, the students’ scores did not improve when they performed a short-term memory task after listening to Mozart. Rauscher et al. (1999) concluded that â€Å"although the Mozart effect is intriguing and holds great promise for further explorations into the transfer of musical processing to other domains of reasoning, merely listening to music probably does not lead to lasting enhancement of spatial-temporal intelligence. Listening to music is a passive experience for most people, and does not require the involvement that actively creating music does† (p. 2).   This observation led researchers to suspect that actively creating music has greater benefits for spatial temporal intelligence than simply listening to it. Combining separate elements of an object into a whole or arranging them in a specific order are spatial-temporal operations. They require successive steps, which are dependent upon previous steps. Spatial-logical operations also require recognition of similarities or differences among objects and are generally one-step processes. For example, a child who is asked to classify objects according to their color or shape would be performing a spatial-logical operation. The Rauscher et al. (1999) model predicted that music training may increase spatial-temporal task scores, but not necessarily spatial-logical tasks. These studies did suggest casual relationships between music and spatial task performance. The authors concluded that music education was helpful for maximum cognitive development by demonstrating that music could improve the intellectual functioning of children. Personal Reflection In my own opinion, the study in Mozart effect is a new proof of music’s education and its importance. Since it is believed to development a child’s IQ, schools must offer music programs to help their students in a very substantial way. Music educators should work towards the inclusion of music education in the curriculum of public education. Also, the public’s perception of music education must be altered so that policymakers in education are forced to provide for conditions where music education may thrive. Many educators and researchers posit that music should be a more central part of   the school curriculum in light of studies that demonstrate a relationship between music and intellectual growth. Also, tentative research findings in support of music education have shown that people believe that there is an essential value to learning about music. Diamond (1998) argued that learning to play an instrument could increase a child’s capacity for â€Å"voluntary attention† (p. 7), while Porter (1998) concluded that music can teach â€Å"discipline, care, concentration, and perseverance† (p. 7). Music Learning and Memory for Music When memory for a sequence of visually presented letters is tested, the marked recency effect that characterizes studies of the PAS system is absent. Nonetheless, clear evidence of phonological coding is found in the form of a marked effect of phonological similarity ( Schlkind et al, 2003). auditory input. Further evidence for the interaction between self-generated phonological codes and auditory input is, of course, offered by the irrelevant speech effect. Performance is impaired by unwanted spoken material, with the crucial feature of the material being its phonological rather than its semantic characteristics, again suggesting that the interaction is occurring at a common phonological level ( Dowling, 1994). It should be pointed out at this stage, however, that the nature of the irrelevant sound is crucial. While speech in a foreign language is quite disruptive to performance, white noise is not, even when the intensity of the noise is pulsed so as to resemble the intensity envelope of the speech signal that has been shown to disrupt memory ( Dowling et al, 1995). The fact that memory is more disrupted by vocal than by nonvocal music might seem to suggest that the system is essentially speech based. It is possible, however, that the greater disruption by speech reflects the nature of the primary task, namely remembering digits, a task that is likely to operate principally in terms of the spoken names of the digits. It is entirely conceivable that a different primary task would lead to a different degree of disruption. One possibility then might be to look at studies investigating memory for environmental sounds. Unfortunately, the evidence in this area seems to be relatively sparse. Deutsch (2004) showed that their patient was better at remembering environmental sounds than spoken digits, but, unfortunately, it is possible that the task was done by first identifying the sounds and then remembering them semantically. Personal Reflection . Thinking of music memory as schematic is probably accurate for many of the interactions that both trained and untrained people have with music. However, recently I have become interested in the nature of representation when memory for music is essentially perfect. Whereas it appears that the majority of work in music cognition has examined short-term memory, I would like to examine longterm memory. By this I mean that I am interested in the way well-learned music is represented. People are able to remember a large repertory of music and retain it for many years. What kinds of codes make this retention possible? Clearly, proposing verbal codes in the traditional sense is impractical when trying to understand memory for melody (as opposed to the lyrics in vocal music). Even if we assume that a small minority of musicians can encode tunes in terms of musical structure, motor commands, or musical notation, the successful retention of music by untrained people suggests the existence of other types of durable codes. The explication of those codes has been the goal of my current program of research References    Blood, A., & Zatorre, R. (2001). Intensely pleasurable responses to music correlate with activity in brain regions implicated in reward and emotion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,98, 11818-11823. Brust, J. (2003). Music and the neurologist: A historical perspective. In I.Peretz, & R. Zatorre (Eds.) The cognitive neuroscience of music (pp. 181-191). New York: Oxford University Press. Chabris, C (1999). Prelude or requiem for the ‘Mozart effect’? Nature, 400, 6747, 826-7. Crncec, R., Wilson, S., & Prior, M. (2006). No evidence for the Mozart effect in children. Music Perception, 23(4), 305- 317. Deutsch, D. (2004). The octave illusion revisited again. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 30 (2), 355-364. This article can be downloaded from Psych Info and from the author’s web page. Dowling, W. J. (1994). Melodic contour in hearing and remembering melodies. In R. Aiello (Ed.) Musical perceptions, (pp. 173-190 ). New York: Oxford University Press. Dowling, W. J. , Kwak, S., & Andrews, M. ( 1995). The time course of recognition of novel melodies. Perception & Psychophysics, 57(2), 136-49. Fujioka, T., Ross, B., Kakigi, R., Pantev, C., & Trainor, L. (2006). One year of musical training affects development of auditory cortical-evoked fields in young children. Brain, 129, 2593-2608. This article can be downloaded. Jenkins, J.S. (2001). The Mozart effect. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine,   94,170-172. Patel, A. (2003). Language, music, syntax and the brain. Nature Neuroscience, 6(7), 674-681. This article can be downloaded. discuss it from the neuroscientific perspective. Peretz, I., & Zatorre, R. (2005). Brain organization for music processing. Annual Review of Psychology, 56, 89-114. This article can be downloaded. This is an excellent review. Rauschecker, J. (2003). Functional organization and plasticity of auditory cortex. In Peretz, I., & Zatorre, R. (Eds.) The cognitive neuroscience of music (pp. (357-365). New York: Oxford University Press. Rauscher, F. (1999). Reply to Prelude or requiem for the â€Å"Mozart effect’? Nature, 400, 6747, 827-8. Schellenberg, E. G.(2005). Music and cognitive abilities. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14 (6), 317-320. This article can be downloaded. Schellenberg, E.G. (2006). Long-term positive association between music lessons and IQ. Journal of Education Psychology, 98 (2), 457-468. This article can be downloaded. Schlaug, G. ( 2003). The brain of musicians. In Peretz, I., & Zatorre, R. (Eds.) The cognitive neuroscience of music (pp. (366-381). New York: Oxford University Press. Schulkind, A., Posner, R., & Rubin, D. (2003). Musical features that facilitate melody identification: How do you know it’s â€Å"your† song when they finally play it? Music Perception, 21, (2), 217-249. Steele, K., Dalla Bella, S., Peretz, I., Dunlop, T., Dawe, L., Humphrey, K., Shannon, R., Kirby, J. Jr., & Olmstead, C. (1999). Prelude or requiem for the ‘Mozart effect’? Nature, 400, 6747,826-7. Trainor, L., & Schmidt, L. (2003). Processing emotions induced by music. In I. Peretz, & R. Zatorre (Eds.) The cognitive neuroscience of music (pp. 310-324). New York: Oxford University Press. Zatorre, R. (2003). Absolute pitch: A model for understanding the influence of genes and development on neural and cognitive function. Nature Neuroscience, 6 (7), pp. 692-695.   

The “math wars”

Aside from the requisites of drug manufacturing, a drug company must also have the knowledge on the legal aspect of the pharmaceutical business. A company must be able to know what agencies of the government he has to seek advice from before it undergoes the manufacturing process in order to have a good start.Relative to this, the company needs to know which regulates the safety and efficacy of the drugs to be manufactured and which agency protects the rights of the manufacturer and the consumers against illicit drugs.This paper will discuss the basic responsibilities of the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Agency including the approval process of manufacturing a generic drug copy. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is generally responsible for ensuring the safety and efficacy of all drugs for human and veterinary use.FDA’s 1mission statement specifically states that the administration â€Å"is res ponsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. † This will then give us the idea why FDA need to regulate drugs, and that is to ensure that they are safe and effective. The administration is also held responsible for ensuring that the drugs have information that is honest and accurate for the general public to use.The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) (Drug Enforcement Administration for the United States) is primarily responsible for the enforcement of the Controlled Substances Laws and Regulations. In the United States, DEA is under the wing of the Department of Justice, where it serves as an arm of the justice against the 2those organizations and principal members of organizations, involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illi cit traffic in the United States. The DEA’s drugs of concern include: Cocaine, marijuana, heroin, inhalants, LSD, Ecstasy, Steroids, Oxycontin and Methamphetamine.The following list of specific responsibilities is adopted by this writer from the DEA’s official website: >Investigation and preparation for the prosecution of major violators of controlled substance laws operating at interstate and international levels. >Investigation and preparation for prosecution of criminals and drug gangs who perpetrate violence in our communities and terrorize citizens through fear and intimidation. >Management of a national drug intelligence program in cooperation with federal, state, local, and foreign officials to collect, analyze, and disseminate strategic and operational drug intelligence information.>Seizure and forfeiture of assets derived from, traceable to, or intended to be used for illicit drug trafficking. >Enforcement of the provisions of the Controlled Substances Act as they pertain to the manufacture, distribution, and dispensing of legally produced controlled substances. >Coordination and cooperation with federal, state and local law enforcement officials on mutual drug enforcement efforts and enhancement of such efforts through exploitation of potential interstate and international investigations beyond local or limited federal jurisdictions and resources.>Coordination and cooperation with federal, state, and local agencies, and with foreign governments, in programs designed to reduce the availability of illicit abuse-type drugs on the United States market through nonenforcement methods such as crop eradication, crop substitution, and training of foreign officials. >Responsibility, under the policy guidance of the Secretary of State and U. S. Ambassadors, for all programs associated with drug law enforcement counterparts in foreign countries.>Liaison with the United Nations, Interpol, and other organizations on matters relating to international drug control programs. DEA’S PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONS Drug Enforcement Agency also updates its programs and operations according to the demand of technology and the development of new methods of illicit drug operations. Recent report published in the KT4 Online alerted the public on the emergence of illegal websites that are bringing prescription drugs out into the market (KT4 Online, August 24, 2007).The DEA reported that such websites are able to market their products using just credit cards as payment modes. The agency now referred the so-called â€Å"rogue pharmacies† to the congress for the legislation of a more formidable law for such illegal and dangerous activities, which are regulated because such companies do not meet the standards set by the United States. Even medicinal or herbal plants that are not yet studied or regulated under the law is also under the responsibility of the DEA to study and made research relative to its danger in the human health.In Utah, a native plant called salvia divinorium, has been put into attention by the Hill Air Force Base which according to initial findings can cause hallucinations. In the report published in the Salt Lake Tribune, â€Å"magic mint† as its street name, is ingested or inhaled usually by the members of the military and the people inside the base (Salt Lake Tribune, August 20, 2007). The herbal plant is still legal as it is still under research by the DEA. Experts also say that the plant that grows in the wilds of Utah can cause lung irritation when its dried leaves are inhaled.LAWS AND POLICIES GOVERNING GENERIC DRUGS The regulations pertaining to generics drugs are under the responsibility of the Food and Drug Administration. Under the law, pharmaceutical companies or drug manufacturers have all the right to apply for a generic copy of their branded drugs. It can also be that a manufacturer seeks for a license from the brand name company to make a generic copy of the branded product . A generic copy of the drug is called â€Å"authorized generics† because the branded product manufacturer had given the authority to the manufacturer of the generic drug copy.However, these generic copied have to undergo the legal process that is regulated by the FDA. It is the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, commonly referred to as the Waxman-Hatch Act, which is being used as a legal basis for FDA for regulating generic drug copies. â€Å"Since the law was enacted over 23 years ago, the number of generic manufacturers and number of generic drug products on the market have expanded exponentially† (Coster, John M. 2007). The law allows a generic drug that is a generic copy of the pioneer drug to be approved by FDA to be marketed by the same company.This is even without the submission of the usual New Drug Application (NDA) that is submitted in full when a branded product is being applied for marketing. The NDA is usually a time-consuming and expensive clinical trials required to be done by the drug manufacturer in order to comply with the safety and efficacy standards required of them. With the Waxman-Hatch Act, NDA is being replaced with the submission of Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) provided that the generic copy has demonstrated the fact that it is bioequivalent to the pioneer drug (J.Coster, The Pharmacist, Vol. 32, No. 6, 2007). This process allows the generic copy to be approved for marketing the easier and faster way because it does not to prove its safety and effectiveness through trials since the pioneer drug had already proven such. For the ANDA of the generic drug to be approved, its pioneer drug must have the four required certifications: (1) that no patent is listed for the pioneer drug; (2) that the patent has expired; (3) the date on which the patent will expire; or (4) that the patent is invalid or not infringed.Such information is listed in the FDA’s Orange Book, a reference for t he pharmacists in determining the interchangeability of the drugs. Just recently, the Waxman-Hatch Act has been replaced with 3McCain-Schumer Act, after its authors Senators John McCain and Charles E. Schumer. The main feature of the new act is the changing of the 180-day exclusivity term of the first generic drug copy to only the 30-day term. Exclusivity, in the old law is granted for the manufacturer of the generic drug to market the product exclusively within 180 days that is for the manufacturer who first secured the FDA’s approval of the generic copy.With the new law, exclusivity term is shortened for the purpose of further price reduction of the generic drugs as competition is encouraged after the 30-day term. It is estimated, according to Schumer’s study that the new law will enable consumers to save 60% of their usual expense when buying branded drugs and that will give consumers a total of $71 billion savings in 10 years (Bash, Dana, CNN Online, May 01, 2001). Schumer cited Claritin, a prescription allergy drug as example which costs an average of $63. 65 while its generic equivalent will only cost $25. 46.Generally, the new law is of great help for the Americans in terms of their medical expenditures. CONCLUSION By looking into the basic responsibilities and functions of the FDA and DEA, we were able to have an idea of the basic legal aspect of drug manufacturing and marketing. Also by having an overview of the laws governing generic copy manufacturing, we were able to have the basic knowledge of how the approval process rolls. In general we can conclude that the legal process of drug manufacturing and marketing is really a long and expensive process for the companies especially for the branded or patented drugs.However with the Schumer-McCain Act, the process is shortened and had benefited especially the consumers for enabling the cheaper version of their branded medicine to be marketed. REFERENCES 1FDAs Mission Statement. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://www. fda. gov/opacom/morechoices/mission. html 2DEA Mission Statement. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://www. usdoj. gov/dea/agency/mission. htm 3Senate Passes Ground-Breaking Schumer-McCain Generic Drug Bill (Press Release). July 31, 2002. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://schumer. senate. gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/press_releases/PR01124.html Bash, Dana. McCain, Schumer introduce generic drug bill. CNN Online. May 01, 2001. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://archives. cnn. com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/05/01/senate. genericdrugs/index. html Coster, John M. The Waxman-Hatch Generic Drug Law: 23 Years Later. The Pharmacist. June 19, 2007. Vol. 32 No. 6 Griffith, Christopher, et. al. (2002). View from Washington: Senate approves changes in generic-drug approval. Leydig, Voit Mayer, Ltd. Report. October 2002. Volume 3 Issue 4 Colonel bans use of ‘magic mint' herb. Salt Lake Tribune. August 20, 2007. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http ://www.sltrib. com/News/ci_6668009 Federal Authorities Warn Against Online Rogue Pharmacies. KT4 Online. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://www. ktiv. com/News/index. php? ID=16295 What FDA Regulates. Retrieved on August 26, 2007 from http://www. fda. gov/comments/regs. html There has always been a debate on whether the mathematics be taught should be the old basics or the standards reformed mathematics. Basic mathematics primarily comprises arithmetic and computation. This is just simple mathematics which involves solving simple equation and memorizing formulas.Basic mathematic also comprises the following list t o f items. There is the accurate counting to 100 or more, mastery of basic facts for all four operations, pencil and paper computation skills with hole numbers, decimals and fractions and solving percent problems. Other aspect includes the knowing and using formulas for area and perimeter of basic shapes. Though the above list is a bit simplified its basic position i s that kids only get to know some basic stuff. Basic mathematics can also be referred to as trivial pursuit mathematics meaning that children are to know the content not the practicability (John, 1999).On the other hand reform mathematics has higher level of difficulty and has set five goals. These are that students should value mathematics, be confident in the ability to do mathematics and become mathematics problem solvers. They should as well be able to communicate well mathematically and learn to reason mathematically. It involves the four basic process standards which are problem solving, communication, reasoning, and connections. It entails gearing the children to develop the ability to think than just memorizing the mathematics concepts.Those who believe in the reform mathematics talk about mathematical power, the ability to reason and solve unique problems (John, 1999). It is important to note that even if the two approaches appear to differ there are some things they share in. Benefits and demerits of basics Basic mathematics requires teacher centered approach which involves teaching the mathematics through drill and practice. However in this way the children can end up not being intrinsically motivated. This prevents them from learning mathematics facts and how to connect to the real world.Furthermore the approach is essentially teacher directed, and structured only for basic skills instructions. This approach comes with advantages and disadvantages as far as basic mathematics teaching is concerned. One of the advantages is that, it is clear that for learning to be effective there must be a knowledge source and this is what the teacher act as. The teachers have attained their unifications and expertise from colleges and universities to become experts in their fields. In this reasoning it’s convenient to involve to someone who is already an expertise in the field to impart that knowledge in the students.For example according to Kelly, if the st udents have a question on atopic raised by the text book, the teacher is present ton as the expert to answer the question (Kelly, 2004). Other benefits include good planning and execution of knowledge passing process and good discipline. The disadvantage of this style is that no one can predict which parts of the information the student has learned will eventually become obsolete or incorrect, what the student will forget, or what new information he will need to know in the future (Howard, 1980).Furthermore according to Howard in some cases the students can obtain a false security if they believe that, once information ins dispensed and a cognitive framework provide the student will incorporate the information, recognize where and when it could and should be applied when time comes. One great disadvantages of this method is that a strong investment in the style can lead to rigid, standardized, and less flexible ways of managing students and their concerns (Howard, 1908). This acts a s huge impediment to development and self discovery within the student.This huge impediment has been seen as the greatest drawback for this style of administering knowledge. The benefits and demerits of reform mathematics style According the student center online answers, the best approach of teaching mathematics should stress active, student centered learning in real life context (student center). This may help in making the concepts more understandable and interesting. This therefore calls for the student knowing the crafts before they can apply them and that is where the basic mathematics comes handy. The reform mathematics takes the student centered approach of learning.This involves instructions where by the students actively create knowledge for themselves. It consists of group learning, inquiry, and humanistic learning activities (student center). This method has additional advantages both to the student and the teacher some which are enlisted below. To begin with the student would develop learning and knowledge that will help them throughout their life. In this method students always discover that learning is fun and interesting. Furthermore, through this method teachers always have less traditional work. This is more prominent in the upper class levels where the students are mature enough.The student gets to be more attentive and willing to participate in the class activities. In this way there is a reduction in the number of complaints about fairness and unequal treatment. When student carry out research and group works they generate a lot of information that the teacher may add to his collection of information. However this method also comes with some disadvantages. It poses a problem when it comes to evaluation in that this has to be individualized. Providing one test for the whole class has to be abandoned. Every student has to be evaluated based on his or her goals.One other big disadvantage of this method is that there some student who do not re late well with it in spite the teachers best efforts. Such scenario is always more prevalent in the lower classes levels even though it can also be found in the upper classes. The other demerit is that the students’ always have to work in groups. There occur complaints about being put in teams. However the complaints get to seize as the student get to understand that it is what the real world is like. Under some circumstances student may find it hard to work in teams since most of them have never had the experience of team work. ConclusionIt is important to note for the reformed mathematics, the fact that it takes the student centered learning method gives it an upper hand as method of teaching mathematics. In fact students do appreciate the real world experience eve when they do not like them that much (daymalyn, 2009). This is therefore more appropriate and practical than the basics math which would d lead to rigidity and less development of the kids as well as new advancem ent in the mathematics fields. References Howard S & Robyn M. (1980), Problem Based Learning: An Approach to Medical Education, Springer Publishing Company, ISBN 0826128416, 9780826128416.Daymalyn (2009), Disadvantages and disadvantages of student center learning, Accessed on August 7, 2010, from http://wwwemmalynombayan-daymalyn. blogspot. com/2009/09/advantages-and- disadvantages-of-student. html John A. (1999), Reform Mathematics Vs. The Basics: Understanding the Conflict and Dealing with It Accessed on August 7, 2010 from http://mathematicallysane. com/analysis/reformvsbasics. asp Kelly K. (2004), the â€Å"Math Wars†, a Short Analysis, Accessed on August 7, 2010 from http://www. newfoundations. com/ConAnalysis/KellyMathWars. html Student center, Accessed on August 7, 2010 from http://www. abacon. com/woolfolk7/faq. html

SAMPLE OUTLINE FOR A PERSUASIVE SPEECH - By Tom Wi Essays

SAMPLE OUTLINE FOR A PERSUASIVE SPEECH - By Tom Wi Essays Fat SAMPLE OUTLINE FOR A PERSUASIVE SPEECH - By Tom Wingard Introduction Attention Are you getting a bit tired of that three inch spare tire Material around your waist? Are you becoming increasingly lazy, fat? Thesis/ I'd like to show you that we're all in need of exercise. Overview Now is the time to get started so that we can enjoy the health and psychological benefits the rest of our lives. Motivation I'm assuming that none of you will argue that exercise is harmful. You'll agree that exercise is beneficial. However, I'm not so sure all of us are actually exercising. I'd like to tell you, then, not how to exercise, but to persuade you to go out and get some exercise. Transition (First, I'd like to tell you why I'm so concerned about our inactivity.) Thought Pattern: PROBLEM-SOLUTION Body Problem: I. Lack of exercise is harmful to our health. A. Cardiovascular disease, the nation's leading cause of death, is caused by inactivity. 1. Clogged arteries and veins are a result of inactivity. (example) 2. Excess fat also caused by inactivity leads to a higher incidence of heart disease. (explanation and example) Internal (Statistically, then, you will die at an earlier age if summary you do not exercise.) Transition (Now some of you might be wondering why I'm preaching to a bunch of 20 year olds.) B. College students are not as healthy as we are often lead to believe. 1. High school seniors are in better health than we are. (survey) 2. We are on the threshold of decline as our level of activity drops. (explanation) C. This change is correlated with the changes in our lifestyles that occur between high school and college. 1. Most of us have less time to run around because we are studying more. (explanation) 2. Many of us have given up the sports we used to play competitively. (example) 3. Now that we're in college we have less motivation to exercise. (explanation) Internal (The point here is that exercise for us must come from summary within. But, statistically, that hasn't been happening.) Transition (This point becomes increasingly significant as we realize that this stage in our lives is a primary force in determining our future behavior.) D. Our inactivity now may lead to inactivity later. 1. Our choices in brand of beer will be carried on through the coming years. (analogy) 2. By being inactive now we are getting ourselves into a rut of being inactive. This rut can be avoided, but it is difficult. (explanation) Internal (I have shown you that by not exercising we are decreasing summary our life spans, and at this particular time in our lives we are especially vulnerable to becoming out of shape. This may carry with us for years, until it is too late. Transition (A fair question to ask here is: What is so great about exercise? If it's such a pain in the ass, it's not worth living a few more years. To this I would respond that it isn't such a pain.) Solution II. Exercise is not a large investment,but the yield is very high. We should all exercise to take advantage of this. A. To exercise, you don't have to lift weights for hours on end or join the wrestling team. Exercise can take as little as 15 minutes a day. (statistic) B. One advantage of being healthy is that your body needs less sleep. This may more than make up for the time it takes to exercise. (explanation) C. Studies show exercise clears your thoughts so that you can be more efficient. (testimony) D. Also, you'll feel better. 1. When hurrying to class you won't get winded so easily. (example) 2. You won't get sick as easily since exercise increases the body's resistance. (testimony and explanation) E. More important, however, are the effects on your body you don't feel. 1. Increasing your cardiovascular strength increases your heart's stroke efficiency. (testimony) 2. Researchers at San Diego State have found that increases in exercise slow the onset of senility. (testimony) Internal (If none of these facts impress you, keep in mind that summary/ exercise might make us look better and this might make transition girls take a little more notice of us.) Conclusion Attention Just as none of us wants to be called a fat slob by our material mothers, none of us wants to die earlier than we

Sleep Easy Motel Essays

Sleep Easy Motel Essays Sleep Easy Motel Paper Sleep Easy Motel Paper Essay Topic: Easy Tonia Simatos 045-262-078 Case # 6- SleepEasy Motel 1. Problem Statement a. Current State: * SleepEasy motel is losing money. Occupancy of the hotel is around 55 percent of capacity which according to industry figures is 13 percent below the average of 68 percent for similar motels in the area. * Large number of customers driving around the parking lot of motel and leaving. * A lot of competition In the area, other hotels offer better facilities. b. Desired state * Have the occupancy of hotel go up to and stabilize to at least 68 percent capacity to generate more profit. Better facilities to attract more customers and have them choose SleepEasy Motel instead of other competitors. 2. Analysis c. Why did this problem arise? SleepEasy’s facilities are lacking. Facilities are most important to approximately 78% of the visitors in the area when choosing accommodation (no restaurant or pool). Huang is relying on customers coming to the resort by just finding it when they drive toward the area however, 40 percent of the visitors plan and reserve their rooms more than 60 days in advance. There are no signs advertising the motel. d. What is important from a 5C or SWOT or PEST perspective 3. SWOT- Strengths- located in a rapidly expanding resort area. – Only 22km away from a tourist area. Weaknesses- No recreational facilities. – No advertising or signage to attract customers. Opportunities- Join a franchise to attract more customers. Threats- a lot of current competition of bigger hotel chains. – More motels opening in the area. 4. Alternatives e. Make changes to SleepEasy Motel to accommodate and attract more customers, create a loyalty program and launch advertising initiatives. Pro- Huang will keep the revenue from sales and can manage the hotel’s maintenance and improvements on his own. Con- Since the hotel is not doing well Huang may have to take out a loan to renovate the hotel and he may not be able to afford it. f. Join the Days Inn franchise to target more customers. Pros- no major capital investment. – Recognized national chain, use of central reservation system and website will attract more customers. Offers- InnCentives loyalty club for frequent travelers and corporate rate programs for business travelers. September Days Club for travelers to receive discounts and quarterly travel magazine. -Past promotion sold an additional 10, 000 rooms. Cons- Huang must pay 8 percent of gross room revenues to the franchise. Huang must agree to maintain, repair and improve the facility in accordance to Days Inn’s franchise standards. g. Join the Holiday Inn Franchise to target more customers. Pros- Huang will probably be required to build a pool, can charge $75 per day as opposed to $45. – Recognized national chain, use of central reservation system an d website will attract more customers. – Offers loyalty program, Priority Club Worldwide. – Advertises on TV and in print. Cons- must pay 8 percent of gross room revenues to the franchise. – Huang must contribute a capital investment of between $300,000 to $500,000. Huang must agree to maintain, repair and improve the facility in accordance to Days Inn’s franchise standards. 5. Recommendation h. Considering that 78 percent of the visitors to this area indicated that recreational facilities were important in their choice of accommodation, Huang should join the Holiday Inn franchise. 6. Implementation i. If Huang does not have the money for the capital investment he must take out a loan to renovate the hotel. He must then implement maintenance of the hotel, repairs and improvements in compliance with Holiday Inn. 7. Theory / Jargon / Concepts I USED in analyzing this case. S. W. O. T analysis

How Long is the ACT with Extended Time

How Long is the ACT with Extended Time SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Students with documented disabilities who would like extended time on the ACT can request one of two options: National Extended Time, which entails 50% additional time, or Special Testing, which varies by student, includes more than time and a half, and tends to take place over multiple testing days. This guide will take a deeper look at the options for extended time on the ACT, and how long the test-taking experience is for students with these accommodations. To begin, who qualifies for extra time? Who Qualifies for Extended Time on the ACT? In order to qualify for extended time on the ACT, students must have a documented disability. Usually students will have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan at school, though this alone doesn't automatically qualify them for ACT accommodations. A school coordinator will have to make the request, making sure to specify the accommodation needed and provide in depth documentation. Processing takes about four weeks, so requests should be made early. If the request is denied for some reason, it's possible to appeal - another good reason to apply as early as possible! Eligible students may have documented learning disabilities, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or medical conditions. Whatever the reason, these students will benefit from having extra time on the test, whether it be the 50% National Extended Time or a greater time allowance with Special Testing. Let's take a look at the differences in testing schedules between these two options. How Long is the ACT with Time and a Half? Without extended time, the ACT lasts 2 hours and 55 minutes, or 3 hours and 35 minutes with the optional 40 minute essay. The sections are always given in the order of English, Math, Reading, and Science, with the choice of the essay at the end of the test. With time and a half, students are allowed 5 hours for the ACT without Writing and 6 hours for the ACT with Writing. They receive the sections in the same order, but with one important difference: students with National Extended Time are allowed to self-pace throughout the test. Instead of having to stick to a certain section, they can distribute their time as they like between English, Math, Reading, and Science. Students not taking the essay have 5 full hours to complete these sections as best fits their test-taking style. In this way, this accommodation both eases the intense time pressure of the ACT and helps students choose how to divide their time most effectively. Extended time does not necessarily mean extended or extra breaks. If students need more than the typical 10 minute break after Reading and 5 minute break before the essay, then they will have to make a separate request for this. Students taking the ACT with 50% additional time will test at a national test center on an official testing date (a Saturday morning). Given the additional time, what will their test day schedule look like? Test day will have an early start. Test Day Schedule with Time and a Half Unless students arrange to have an alternative testing date for religious reasons, they'll take the ACT on a Saturday morning at a national testing center (often, but not always, their own high school). Students are typically required to be at the testing room by 8:00 AM. I would advise getting there by 7:45 at the latest! Doors close at 8:00, and latecomers won't be admitted. The test itself begins between 8:30 and 9:00, since it takes time for proctors to check everyone in, get them seated, distribute materials, and have students fill out their biographical information on the scantrons. Once all the logistics are wrapped up, the test will begin! Students without accommodations are typically dismissed around 12:15 (or 1:15 with the essay). Students with time and a half, on the other hand, will be dismissed around 2:30 (or 3:30 with Writing). Their time for check in and set up may be reduced, since they usually take the test in a small group of no more than 10 students in an extended time testing room. While time and a half is the most common time-based accommodation, Special Testing is also granted to some students. This additional time alters both the schedule and the location of the ACT. Location change for students with Special Testing! How Long is the ACT with Special Testing? Instead of testing on Saturday morning at the designated testing center, students who qualify for Special Testing and more than 50% additional time will test at their school. They'll take the ACT over the course of two or more days under the supervision of a staff member. The ACT will either be administered individually or in a small group of students with similar accommodations. While Special Testing extended time options vary, the most common is 100% additional time. In this case, students would take a single ACT section per school day before returning to their regular classes. Spreading the test out like this can be especially helpful for students with attentional issues, plus it gives students the chance to prepare specifically for each section the night before they take it. All in all, students with 100% extended time would have 90 minutes for the English section, 2 hours for Math, and 70 minutes each for Reading and Science. That adds up to a total of 5 hours and 50 minutes spread out over 4 days, or 7 hours and 10 minutes with the essay. Since students with Special Testing take the ACT at school, they don't necessarily share a specific testing date. Instead, they just have to complete all testing within one of the 3 week testing windows listed on the accommodations request form. For 2015 to 2016, these windows are September 12 - October 4, 2015 October 24 - November 15, 2015 December 12 - January 3, 2016 February 6 - February 28, 2016 April 9 - May 1, 2016, and June - July 3, 2016. Because they have some more flexibility in testing dates, students with Special Testing should register for the time that best fits with their schedules and any college deadlines. Apart from 100% or more additional time, Special Testing may include alternate accommodations like braille, DVDs, or a computer for essays. Students applying for accommodations do so for all different reasons and to support all different needs. To best meet their needs and improve their ACT experience, students, parents, and school coordinators should start planning early for time extensions, as well as determine exactly what accommodations they should request. Planning for Accommodations Extended time on the ACT can significantly help a student have a better test-taking experience and achieve a stronger score. The self-pacing option can be especially beneficial for a lot of students, as it reduces the stress of time pressure and allows them to divide the material as meets their needs. Since the approval process takes a while, and there's always the chance of getting denied and having to appeal, school coordinators should research accommodations, collect all the relevant documentation, and make their request as early as possible. By planning and preparing, coordinators can make sure students get the extended time they need through National Extended Time or Special Testing to perform their best on the ACT. What's Next? Are you deciding between the ACT and the SAT and wondering how extended time works on the SAT? Check out this article to see the options College Board offers (hint: more options, but no self-pacing). Exactly how long is each section of the ACT? Check out our expert guide on timing and pacing on the ACT. Rumor has it, the ACT has been getting more challenging and fast-paced over the past few years. Is this true or just hearsay? Read more about these claims that the ACT has been getting consistently harder in recent years. Disappointed with your ACT scores? Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Rebecca Safier About the Author Rebecca graduated with her Master's in Adolescent Counseling from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has years of teaching and college counseling experience and is passionate about helping students achieve their goals and improve their well-being. She graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University and scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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Contracting Method and Award Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Contracting Method and Award - Assignment Example The United States General Accounting Office (2003) provides that the method used to bid is the Invitation For Bid (IFB) which includes the product description or description of service required, conditions of purchase, payment, packaging, delivery, the deadline for bid submission, as well as the contractual clauses. The bids are opened at the purchasing office at a time predetermined in the invitation for bid and recorded. The lowest bidder who can meet the requirements of the government gets the contract. It is noteworthy that sealed bidding puts primary consideration on the bid price. Whereas contracting by negotiation allows flexibility in the award of the contract and does not place a lot of emphasis on price but puts into consideration other factors such as past performance, managerial experience or technical approach. The government offers a Request For proposal (RFP) in which the government requests a service or product it requires and solicits proposals from the prospective c ontractors and how these contractors intend to execute the requests and the price attached. Unlike the other contract methods, these proposals are subject to negotiations after submissions. Best uses for the contract methods. The government uses contracting by negotiation where the contract exceeds $ 100,000 and that the product or service required necessitates a high level of technicality. This procedure is employed when the best value of the service or goods are expected from the selection of officially acceptable proposals in regard to the lowest evaluated price. In essence, this implies that the cost of the contract does not play a pivotal role in the evaluation process. The simplified acquisition procedure best suits situations where the government aims to reduce administrative cost associated with the contracting process. This method promotes economy and efficiency in the contracting process. Additionally the simplified procedure puts into consideration the provision of opport unities to small, disadvantaged, veteran owned and women owned businesses with an aim of providing a fair proportion of government contracts to these businesses. According to Kenneth & Philip (2006) sealed bidding becomes useful in a situation where the government expects competition from various contractors and it has provided an adequate description of the contract. The procedure requires time to issue invitations for bids as well as to receive these bids; therefore, it implies that the procedure can only be used where the government has time for this. It is also noteworthy that this procedure does not require contemplation of price and only the lowest bidder wins the contract. In this regard, the procedure best suits situations where the government aims for the lowest price. If the government uses the improper contracting method, the cost incurred in the contracting process may unnecessarily increase this is so especially, where the simplified acquisition procedure is disregarded . In situations where the requirements are technical, and the negotiated procedure is not used this may result in substandard contract outcomes. Steps in choosing proper contracting methods. In order to determine the best procedure to use in the contracting process by the government, it is critical to put into consideration some factors. Key among these factors is the requirements of the service

Strategic plans for American car manufacturer Chrysler Essay

Strategic plans for American car manufacturer Chrysler - Essay Example However, in 1970s, oil crisis led to a high demand in oil efficient vehicles. In the year 2009, the third largest automobile manufacturer filed for bankruptcy. This essay is based on a case study analysis of the management aspects of Chrysler and develops recommendations that can improve the profitability of the automobile manufacturer. The company hired a new leadership in 1978. The new management team initiated cost-cutting measures which includes shutting down some plants, temporary layoffs, scaling down nonproductive plants and stopping a number of employee benefits. The company appealed for a federal loan as the debt escalated. The loan revamped the company has the product line of the company begun to expand again. The company embarked to manufacturing fuel efficient cars and passenger vehicles. The company entered into a strategic alliance with Samsung in 1987 and increased its shareholding in Mitsubishi motors’ corporation (Zaccaro & Klimoski 2001). The company was struggling to stay afloat even after receiving financial aid from a federal loan of $ 4 billion in 2009. The federal government insisted that the company had to merge with Fiat in order the get additional funding of $ 2 billion. This additional funding request was one of the strategies to ensure that the long-term viability of the company is ensured (Hampton 2009). The management was requested to cut the costs through negotiating with both united auto workers and Canadian auto workers. The failure of the debtors of agrees on debt restructuring caused the company to file for bankruptcy. The company is seen as suffering from poor business management. Besides, the Japanese cars were smaller, oil-efficient and had competitive prices. The Japanese cars had a better performance. This led to a decline in the sales of the Chrysler products. The company has a history of failing to respond decisively to the prevailing challenges. This has caused the other competitors to take

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

The Purchasing Cycle - Essay Example For a purchasing process to be effective, the department must ensure it understands the company’s goals and plans. The most successful industries that may have managed to provide a very efficient purchasing process in the US include Food and beverage industries and electronic and computers industries. To achieve this objective, the purchasing department must understand the business requirements. It is also required to buy products and services from the right source, at the right price, quantity, time, and the correct specifications as required by customers. The overall aim of this objective in manufacturing companies is to ensure that the raw materials needed in the production process are acquired, in the right quantity and quality and from viable sources. The implications this has is that if the wrong raw materials are bought, the entire production process is stalled and the company might end up making losses or producing poor quality products that do not meet the customers’ specifications(Matthews & Schneller, 2011). For the purchasing process to be efficient and effective, there must be keen following of the whole process and knowledge of the supplier markets. Opportunities must, therefore, be identified, internal operations managed and all focus directed towards achieving this objective. In identifying opportunities, suppliers with the highest quality and cost friendly products are selected. Ensuring diversity in suppliers selected could also be beneficial to the company. The purchasing department has the responsibility of choosing the best suppliers, using the most viable criterion to choose the most current suppliers as they are usually very competitive. Internal operations involve managing procurement staff effectively, formulating policies and strategies. Proper leadership in the purchasing department, collaboration and teamwork helps in achieving this objective (Matthews & Schneller, 2011). For the purchasing

SS310 unit 6 DB Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SS310 unit 6 DB - Research Paper Example The civil rights movement also coincided with the women’s movement which had the same aspirations and ambitions that civil rights strove for but focused on the female population and their rights (MacLean, 2006). The successes that were achieved by the civil rights movement helped the Women’s rights as well and enabled them to gain the equality that they had been struggling so hard to gain over the years. A number of the successes that were achieved affected the women as well and thus in this way it can be said that both movements were connected in their fight to achieve their goal of equality(English, 2009). A good example would be the passage of the 1963Equal Pay Act that can be related to the Greensboro sit-ins in 1960. The sit ins were staged in protest of the racial segregation policies that were practiced by Woolworth in the southern states whereby the white employees received better treatment and pay than their African American counterparts (English, 2009). The sit-ins were able to gain a lot of media coverage and can be said to be part of the reason that the equal pay act was eventually passed in 1963 and abolished pay disparities which affected the women as well. Through these two connections one can see that the civil rights movement did serve a part in increasing the momentum of the women’s movement and the rights that they were fighting for as they took into consideration all groups that were discriminated against including the female population(MacLean,

Organisations, People & Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Organisations, People & Performance - Essay Example Modern human resource management has shifted and it has entered the core of business strategy. Unlike the earlier times when HR strategist were never included in the core firm strategy, a modern firm has to include it in its core strategic planning because HR has become the most important resource a firm can have (Stonehouse & Houston, 2013). Easy Jet is a London based airline which operates within Europe and is headquartered in London Luton Airport. The airline is a low budget airline and offers low cost flights between cities within the euro region (Topham, 2014). According to Michael Porter, being a low cost producer is one of the strategic edges a firm can have (Stonehouse & Houston, 2013). Most of its airbuses make return flights, landing back to their airport of origin within twenty four hours. Easy Jet intends to be the pioneer and the leader in Europe’s short haul flights. Easy Jet also looks to have a customer-centered strategy which is geared towards making sure that customers are happy with its services. It intends to do this by having a good HR strategy that is geared towards having a safe workplace with positive values and a healthy working requirement. Michael Porter (2008) defined competitive strategy as anything that gives a firm an edge over its competitors. He argued that this competitive edge can be derived from five major business factors. Cost is one of these factors and those businesses which are able to drive costs down while maintaining good quality are at a better chance of succeeding in the market (Schuler & Jackson, 1987). Easy Jet has operated on the business strategy that is based on cost leadership. The firm has managed to be in the market even during the most chaotic market times. To be able to maintain this strategy in the future, easy Jet must be able to have a HR plan that is just as useful and make sure that its HR costs are kept down. Miles and Snow (1978) described the various ways in which

Is the long predicted elimination of middlemen (as opposed to the Essay

Is the long predicted elimination of middlemen (as opposed to the substitution of one type of middleman for another) on the horizon - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to determine whether or not the long predicted elimination of middlemen (as opposed to the substitution of one type of middleman for another) on the horizon. The main function of a middleman in this context would be to maintain an inventory of goods and distribute it to retailers. For instance a grocery warehouse can serve as a middleman between the food manufacturers and retail grocery stores. The grocery stores actually purchase their food in bulk from the grocery warehouse, whereas the grocery warehouse has already taken care of ordering the various types of food from the manufacturers themselves and having them on hand. This makes purchasing large varieties and volumes of food easier, faster, and cheaper for retail grocery stores. Another example of a middleman would be website that sells airline tickets and travel packages, such as Travelocity. The website would serve as a middleman between the airline and the customer. Customers find this arrangement convenient since they can shop various airlines at once for the best prices and even purchase additional travel items all in one spot. There are three types of middlemen that facilitate the flow of goods and services from the manufacturer to the customer. These are merchant middlemen, agents, and facilitators (Citeman Network, 2008). Who would assume responsibility for certain functions if middlemen were eliminated depends entirely upon where that middleman exists. For instance, in the grocery warehouse example above, the retail grocery store would be responsible for ordering their food from various different manufacturers if their middlemen were eliminated. In the travel example, customers would have to purchase tickets directly from the airlines if their middlemen were eliminated. The two main places that people shop and purchase are in person and online. In person shopping is performed during physical store hours and online shopping can be performed around the clock from the convenience of anywhere an Internet connection is available. The collection of information on existing, potential, and prospective customers by manufacturers will change if middlemen are eliminated from the channel. The manufacturers would then be selling directly to the consumers themselves instead of to wholesalers and retailers. Customers search for information about products and prices and changes in the distribution of the products they purchase. This is typically done via the Internet. Customers also use circulars and newspapers, as well as coupons, to shop around for the best price. Word of mouth is also a popular means by which customers learn information of this type (Marxists, 2008). There are differences between convenience, shopping, and sought goods/services and elimination of middlemen will not likely occur for one or more of those categories of goods/services. Even though people are always saying that eliminating the middlemen will result in huge savings, this has not been the case. They are simply too convenient. Manufacturers have an easier time selling to companies than they do millions of individual customers, whereas customers are attracted to one-stop shopping and do not want to go all over the place to find the best deal. Some sellers expect consumers to shop in their "brick n' mortar" stores, and these businesses

Organisations, People & Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Organisations, People & Performance - Essay Example Modern human resource management has shifted and it has entered the core of business strategy. Unlike the earlier times when HR strategist were never included in the core firm strategy, a modern firm has to include it in its core strategic planning because HR has become the most important resource a firm can have (Stonehouse & Houston, 2013). Easy Jet is a London based airline which operates within Europe and is headquartered in London Luton Airport. The airline is a low budget airline and offers low cost flights between cities within the euro region (Topham, 2014). According to Michael Porter, being a low cost producer is one of the strategic edges a firm can have (Stonehouse & Houston, 2013). Most of its airbuses make return flights, landing back to their airport of origin within twenty four hours. Easy Jet intends to be the pioneer and the leader in Europe’s short haul flights. Easy Jet also looks to have a customer-centered strategy which is geared towards making sure that customers are happy with its services. It intends to do this by having a good HR strategy that is geared towards having a safe workplace with positive values and a healthy working requirement. Michael Porter (2008) defined competitive strategy as anything that gives a firm an edge over its competitors. He argued that this competitive edge can be derived from five major business factors. Cost is one of these factors and those businesses which are able to drive costs down while maintaining good quality are at a better chance of succeeding in the market (Schuler & Jackson, 1987). Easy Jet has operated on the business strategy that is based on cost leadership. The firm has managed to be in the market even during the most chaotic market times. To be able to maintain this strategy in the future, easy Jet must be able to have a HR plan that is just as useful and make sure that its HR costs are kept down. Miles and Snow (1978) described the various ways in which

The Rome Convention has followed the English notion of the proper law Essay

The Rome Convention has followed the English notion of the proper law of the contract very closely. Discuss with reference to case law and academic opinion - Essay Example ace has hitherto followed along the lines of English law on contract, notably on the issue of determination of the intention of the parties concerned. When commercial contracts are executed between two parties who belong to two different countries or where the contract is executed in one place and performance takes place in another, the parties sometimes specify clearly by which country’s law they choose to be governed in the event of any dispute arising out of the provisions of the contract. Article 3 of the Rome Convention become relevant when the parties concerned have specified their choice of law2 and any disputes in such cases are governed by the law of the country specified in the agreement. However, uncertainties arise only when no specific choice of law has been made in the contract between the two parties, or when there is a dispute between the parties as to which law they will agree to adopt for the resolution of the dispute and Article 4 becomes relevant in that case. According to the provisions of article 4, In making a determination about which country’s law is most connected, the characteristic performance will be the determining factor, which will depend upon the residence or office of the party responsible for administration of the contract.4 But this feature will not necessarily apply in all cases. The place of residence of the parties will not apply when from the circumstances of the case as a whole, the contract appears more closely connected with another country.† 4 The English law of contract has traditionally been governed by the free will theory of contract or consensus as idem, which was an expression of laissez faire philosophies, governed by the belief that parties have the ultimate freedom to contract and may draw up any terms that are acceptable to both of them, wherein the courts will not interfere with a free will agreement reached by the parties5. However, despite this subjective approach, the English Courts have

Organized System Essay Example for Free

Organized System Essay In today’s society, business of every sort is done on computers, almost to the extent that the former definition of files and folders being physical items is nearly obsolete. Attending an institute of higher learning also means that much of assignments be downloaded from an online site and homework be completed on a computer and uploaded to a central location. As such, it can become quite time-consuming, difficult and confusing to locate appropriate files without a system of organization. On the Microsoft website, there are several articles to help a computer user get started with organization. Of course, their number one recommendation is to use the â€Å"My Documents† folder which comes pre-installed on all of Microsoft’s operating systems. This is really a timesaver as there are so many easy ways to access it: from the Start menu (which also includes a â€Å"My Recent Documents† link), from the Open function of any Microsoft software applications, and from your desktop (by simply moving the icon on the Start menu and dragging it to the desktop). In the My Documents folder, additional folders can be created. These should be named by category, for example, â€Å"school†, â€Å"work†, â€Å"creative writing†, â€Å"business†, etc. All folders in each of these should pertain to that subject. In the school folder, for instance, I would suggest creating a separate folder for each class (i. e. â€Å"Biology 101†, Statistics 201†, etc. ). This can then be further broken down into â€Å"assignments† and â€Å"homework†. Downloaded assignment files can be copied and pasted or drug into the assignments folder. Keeping both folder and file names short helps to find them quickly (since only a certain amount of the letters in the name will be displayed). Names for assignment files can also include the date it is due (at the beginning of the name) and then quickly sorted by name in the view screen. I have also found it handy to use a date in the name of my professional resume file, so that I know whether or not it needs to be updated. Numbers can also be added to documents such as essays to easily show all versions until complete (you may find the need to go back to a previous version and add in a paragraph that was previously edited out). Putting numbers at the front of the file or folder name for those that you access often will ensure they show up at the top of the list. Viewing folders and files as thumbnails is a way to display the results of your folders that is visually easy. This is a great way to preview the contents as well as easily sort through the different file extensions (is it a picture or a Word document? ). Using Microsoft Outlook for Email messages is also handy and the program works with the rest of the Microsoft Office Suite, making it easy to integrate file types. I create folders of the same name as those in My Documents for Email messages. This way I can keep track of any messages that are in reference to a class, or work, and they can be quickly dropped into the corresponding My Documents folders. Another tip for organization is to keep the hard drive clean. At the end of the semester, the class folders with their files can be stored elsewhere on your hard drive such as in a folder named â€Å"archives† (or put on a flash drive) so as to streamline the amount of folders viewed to only documents you are currently using. When I am using a file that I know will be of use for a limited time only, I name it â€Å"junk_† with a descriptive word at the end. When I am ready to delete those files I am no longer needing, I simply perform a search of the C drive for all files and folders with the name â€Å"junk† in them. This way, the whole of them can be deleted with only a couple clicks of the mouse. You could attach a date to the name that reminds you of when the file is obsolete and safe to be removed. References Allen, Sally. â€Å"Get organized! Organizing your computer†. Retrieved October 23, 2007 from the Women’s Media Web site: http://www. womensmedia. com/new/organizing-computer. shtml. â€Å"Organizing computer files†. Retrieved October 23, 2007 from the University of Virginia Web site: http://cti. itc. virginia. edu/~ttspeng/OrganizingComputerFiles. pdf. â€Å"Seven tips to manage your files better†. Retrieved October 23, 2007 from the Microsoft Web site: http://www. microsoft. com/atwork/manageinfo/files. mspx.