Country Music vs Rap Music Essay

Today there are many different genres of music. There are many types of music for anyone. Country and Rap music may be two most popular types of music. Many people who like country dislike rap music and the other way around. Many people who listen to rap would never listen to country or ever admit to it. On the other hand people who listen to country may enjoy some rap music. In each type of music, they have many sub-genres. There also are many stereotypes that are associated with these different genres of music. Many people think that country music and rap are completely different but they do have some similarities. Country music originates from the southern states. Country music has been around longer than rap music. Country music started to get popular in the 1920’s whereas rap was started in the 1970s. Many people who dislike this kind of music think it’s a bunch of hicks singing about how they lost their girlfriend, dog or truck. Most country songs tell stories, beginning, middle and end. Unlike rap music, many country songs do not include cuss words or very few of them. Rap music contains many cuss words and sexually explicit lyrics. Also where Rappers sing about drugs, country singers sing about drinking beer. Some believe country singers are only white; in contrast there are some Black Country singers. Rap music was first started in New York City. Rap music consists of rhyming and relies on technological tricks to sound good. Most rap singers sing about money and all the luxuries it brings. However, on the other hand, country music is mostly about hard working Americans. When people think of rap singers they think of gangsters wearing tons of jewelry. When people think of country singers they think of rednecks wearing cowboy hats and boots. These are stereotypes that people refer to when thinking of these two genres of music. Today there are more similarities between rap and country. Now there is a new genre of music that combines country and rap. Singers like Cowboy Troy rap during singing a country song. Even some Toby Keith songs have some relation to rap. Tim McGraw, a country singer, and Nelly, a rap singer, combined to sing a song together. Rap, supports criminality and unjust behaviors while country is generally more appreciative of the little things in life that doesn’t cause any harm. Country is exceptionally the overall most formal and most decent pick of the two categories, as compared to rap which is labeled by most, terrible music. In my opinion I would listen to country music over rap any day. Many people wouldn’t agree with me and may think the complete opposite. Many people think that there are absolutely no similarities between rap and country. Well these people are wrong, country and rap are coming more similar, with the new genre of country, country-rap. This genre may bring fans of rap to the country side of music. With different stereotypes that come with listening to these types of music, may lessen there willing to listen to a completely different type of music. Both genres of music have been criticized. Country music and rap music may be different but they do have some similarities.

Pillars of Citizenship in the U.S.

The pillars of citizenship in our country, the United States of America, have been constructed through three essential documents. The Declaration of Independence, US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights have furnished much of our countries civil rights and liberties of the US political system. The Declaration of Independence of 1776 was a document that stated official separation between the 13 colonies and Great Britain.The Declaration mainly argued for the colonies most central law, which was that â€Å"all men are created equal† and there are certain unalienable rights that governments need to respect such as the â€Å"right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. † It also argued â€Å"Intolerable Acts† would be considered unconstitutional under the new nation. It also argued if a government is not supporting the rights described in the document, citizens should and could overthrow that government as devoted citizens.The declaration of Independence was created to form a new government that’s main duty was to support the rights of citizens through only the power of the people that it represented. The US Constitution was constructed after we won our independence from Great Britain, which resulted in the formation of our new Government. It was the foundational document that setup all of our nations branches of our newly constructed Government. As a whole, this documents main purpose was the construction of our relationship between the Federal Government and the United States Citizens.When the US Constitution was constructed there was many debates between the Anti-Federalists and Federalists. The Anti-Federalists were scared that there would be to much Government regulation and the citizens would lose some of their rights. In regards to this, both sides agreed on the US constitution, but only if there would be a construction of a â€Å"Bill of Rights†. The Bill of Rights sole purpose was to maintain the United States ci tizens liberties including freedom of speech, religion and the right to a fair trial by a jury.In all, the construction of these documents each argued for the right of the US citizens to be treated with respect, fairness, and of course, equally. There were numerous abuses that were committed by King George III that are documented in the Declaration of Independence towards the colonists of the United States. In result to this, each of these documents were created because the colonists were tired of the King of Great Britain.

Practical advice for business Essay

E-commerce has radically revolutionalized the act of selling and buying, introducing both speed and efficiency. It refers to the process of buying and selling goods and services over the internet. It stands for Electronic Commerce, referring to carrying out of trade transactions through the internet. The concept of E-commerce owes it roots to the 1960s after the introduction of electronic data interchange (EDI) . From the days of EDI, E-commerce has undergone many rapid changes that have seen it grow into an efficient instrument evidenced today; the internet. This is a technology that still continues to marvel humanity, it has reduced long hours of wait and long distances traveled to a click of a mouse over the worldwide web. E-commerce involves a multiplicity of varieties ranging from banking, marketing, logistics and many others. A website is a collection of interconnected files available on the worldwide web providing information about a specific topic or organization. It exercises the overfull combinations of multimedia texts, images and sounds. Access to these files requires the use of a web browser like the Microsoft internet explorer. Almost every organization or institution owns a website, with an intention of providing relevant information either to the public or to specific people. It is this website that has totally changed how business organizations are carrying out their trade. Advertising, marketing, purchasing and may other processes have all changed to embrace this modern phenomena and hope to increase customer satisfaction. A website is created with an intention of easing a customer’s access to information he or she may require from a particular organization. It should be attractive by designed, but not too flashy to distract the customer. Implementing a website simply refers to operationalism of it (www. bsinesslink. gov. uk). This is done after a website has been designed, planned and created. The first step in implementing a web page is to design a homepage that should load quickly. This can be achieved by designing a short page, but not too short such that it compromises on the subject of the site (www. rocketface. com). The images too on the webpage should also not be unnecessarily large; this is achieved through the use of graphic software that maintains the images at an agreeable size and shape. There are some few tips on implementation to ensure that the best possible results are got. (www. rocketface. com) †¢ Background music is highly unadvisable as it might distract the web visitors. †¢ The web page should contain no videos; these should be made available as a visitor browses deeper. The next step in implementing a website is to resize the graphics. These graphics should not be larger than they are supposed to be and not be too small as to obscure clarity. Music, video or images should strictly not be put on the web page but should be put further inside so as not to cause distractions to a visitor. Ensure too that navigational tools are available on the webpage, these are tools or commands that when clicked provide instantaneous link either forward or backwards, this in addition to a home link to help a visitor browse through the various pages easily. An FAQ page should also be installed; this is a page that displays the most frequently asked questions saving the organization time instead of having to answer the questions over and over again. Install an FTP program (File Transfer Protocol). It is a program that aids in transferring files from one computer to another, allowing access to any files in a computer connected to the internet. It facilitates either a download or an upload (www. thecomputershow. com). After all the above have been accomplished, it is important before the site can be accessed over the internet, to test the system. This ensures that errors are detected and corrected early enough. It also helps to access how fast it can load and respond during peak times as well as how easily the visitors will be able to navigate through the site. The website now needs to be rolled out or launched out to the people. It is up to the organization to decide whether it will be availed on the internet without hype or through a promotion. The web address through whichever means used should be widely promoted to ensure that the potential customers are aware of it (www. ixda. org). Factors to consider when implementing a website There are several factors that should be put into consideration when implementing a website. It is these factors that will dictate the general outlook of the websites. There is a need to analyze the target audience of the website. The skill level and knowledge of the expected audience should be analyzed as well as the state of technology they are likely to be using. Be it slow or fast computers, high or low quality. It should also be analyzed on the expectations of the audience, what they may want to find out from your website. They might be looking for prices, physical location of the organization or manual. This will have an impact on the implementation (www. techsoup. org) The content of the website also should be put into consideration when implementing a website. This includes whether the information should enable either printing or downloading and whether it is available directly on the screen. Nature of the organization as well as the nature of its product will also influence the web implementation. It will affect the background of the site, the fonts to be used, language, and flashiness of the visual images. Should the fonts indicate seriousness or fun, the colors to be used will also be influenced by the nature of products or services. Funeral homes or hospitals are not expected to have similar presentation with music stores or boutiques (drupal. org) Impact of a Website As noted before, websites continue to ease communication between customers and business organizations. Now transactions are conducted over a matter of seconds or minutes regardless of the distance and location of the two components. If a website is created and implemented effectively, it can result to a turnaround of a business. A website presents a ripe opportunity for an organization to expand its clientele due to its ability to reach a large number of people at the same time. It has no physical limitations and can be structured to reach people of different linguas, whenever they maybe providing them with current and updated information regarding the organization’s products and services provided. This can help an organization expand. Its customer base and consequently their revenue. It is an opportunity for the small companies to compete on equal ground with the big companies at no additional costs. This can be done through the proper imaging and designing of the website. The structure and design of a website does not relate with the size of the business entity. A small company can prepare even a better website than a bigger one. Website ensures that organization compete with each other from the same footing. What differs then is the presentation of the webpage (www. 10e20webdesign. com). Websites have seen companies cutting on the costs of doing business, especially reducing on labor costs. For a business to be competitive in the business, it requires good marketers and sales people who take up a lot of company’s resources. This can be changed through a website. E-Marketing allows a company to get hold of a customer without any physical interaction. Although it has a disadvantage as immediate feedback is not certain. It can lead to reduced operation costs for an organization as it does not have to maintain leads of people to deal with potential customers. Marketing is done through the web and those who are interested can get in touch with the organization through E-mails. It saves the company a lot of finance as it can reach long distance customers without any physical traveling. E-marketing is not also limited to hours. It is available to customers 24 hours every day wit no additional costs (www. passioncomputing. com. au) Administration costs are also reduced due to the decreased paperwork. Information on customers is gotten and recorded online. By providing information on how to do it manuals and answers to the frequently asked questions, an organization ends up reducing the number of public relations staff (www. design4dot. com). Follow up calls to customers are replaced by E-mails, promotion cost are cut, and need of prints is reduced greatly (www. yhanpolo. com). It should be noted that simple creation of a website does not eliminate the need of other follow up systems like calls and mails. Alot of businesses lack in the traditional customer service systems or customer inquiry programs. These websites are more structured to suit marketing needs with minimal concerns for customers navigational needs. Not all people are comfortable in dealing with an impersonal organization and an organization should use retain the traditional system as a backup to the modern technology. There a number of negative impacts websites may have on anorganisation arising from the disavantages of implementing a website. One major disadvantage arises from the stiff competition of products in the website, it is a maze of information that needs to be navigated through. Before a customer gets to see your products he or she shall have come across many competing products that may be superior to yours. With an intention of maximising their satisfaction they might opt to go with the competitors products (www. quickregister. net) Many online customers’ nowadys are having a preconceived perception that some online marketers are out to make a killing and hence wary of giving their credit cards details. They fear these details may be stolen. This presents the biggest challenge to organisations today because customers would wish to be guaranteed the security of their details to protect themselves from unscrupulous dealers. The issue of cost also arises, every technology has a catch. The cost of designing a website, implementing, and maintenance costs have to be factored in. There is also the addition cost of softwares and hardwares needed to suport these systems. All in all, the benefits of a website surpasses those of the traditional means. Marketing and administration costs are minimised. The firm too is armed with a potential of competing with bigger organisations offering the same products. References History. Electronic Commerce. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://flysyko2. netfirsm. com/ecommerce/history. htm Website advantages, 2005. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://www10e20webdesign. com/website-design-planner-advantages. htm Website advantages. Passion computing http://www. passincomputing. com. au/articles/website-advantages. aspx Advantages of a website. 2007 design 4 dot. com. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://www. design4dot. com/advantates-of-a-website. htm Advantages of a website. 2006. Yhanpolo. com. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://www. yhanpolo. com/web-design-articles/advantages-website. htm Practical advice for business. Business link. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://ww. businesslink. gov. uk/blotg/action/detail? type=RESOURCES&Hemld=1075383651 Susan Tenby, 2000. Implementing your website. Site wise: laying the foundation. Tech soup. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://ww. techsoup. org/learningcentre/webbuilding/page5065. ifm Planning a website2006. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://drupal. org/node/88594 Website implementation, 2007. Webmaster tutorial. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://www. rocketface. com/implement-website/implement-website. html AlGrovett: Designing and implementing your website. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://www. thecomputershow. com/computershow/news/websitecreation. htm How to implement a dialogue, 2007. IX DA. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://beta. ixda. org/discuss. php? post=11054 Chameleon net to develop and implement new website for telehouse Europe. 2007. Chameleon net. Viewed on 12/8/2007 http://www. chameleonnet. co. uk/news-item. asp? id=197 Internet marketing. Advantages and disadvantages. Quickregister. net website promotion Articles. http://www. quickregister. net/articles/internetmarketing/internet_marketing_Advantages_and_Disadvantages. html

What is a purpose of a college education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What is a purpose of a college education - Essay Example However, even the best college institutions are not providing these skills. The main purpose of the higher education institutions, colleges in particular, should be to provide the students with a wide range of skills that would help them in functioning appropriately in the workplace such as broadmindedness and problem solving skills that may not be accomplished if the institutions are underequipped. This claim is correct because the modern world has intense competition that requires an individual to be equipped with a wide range of skills since some job positions are highly competitive. Therefore, if one position is not available, an individual can utilize other skills and work in a different position. The article, â€Å"College at Risk† by Andrew Delbanco maintains that although the original purpose of colleges had the interests of the students in mind, it has changed. In fact, in a broader sense, a college institution is a place where the students encounter ideas both from fellow peers and from instructors that help them in becoming creative. In addition, the concept of broad-mindedness was meant to be emphasized through college education. This was meant to help the individuals in dealing with hardships that they may encounter in the workplace. Personally, I agree with these claims. The higher education sector has become a commodity that is only available to the wealthy few; therefore, secluding the unfortunate ones and diverging from the original purpose, which was not economic-oriented. I have also seen many colleges charge very high tuition fees, which was not the case in the past. For instance, my own college has been charging higher fees as compared to previous years. This implies that only the wealthy can afford higher education. This is affecting the availability of opportunities and acquisition of skills especially in the American society, thus affecting the original purpose of colleges. The colleges have concentrated on profit

Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Exercise - Essay Example The expression â€Å"he lurched† is in the past simple form. It simply shows the step that Mr. Jones took. The expression â€Å"drew himself a last glass† is in the past emphatic form because it emphasizes that it was not the first glass he was drinking (Anderwald, 2012. P281). The expression â€Å"made his way up to bed† is in the past simple form because it simply shows the act of Mr. Jones going to bed. At the same time, the forms of tenses of the expressions help to show the sequence of occurrence of the events and the states of occurrence. The expressions show that Mr. Jones started by lurching across the yard then drawing a last glass of beer before he made his was to bed. In terms of the states in which the events occurred, the expressions show that Mr. Jones was drunk already as he lurched across the yard. However, he still took another glass of beer then went to bed drunk. The expression â€Å"Mrs. Jones was already snoring† is in the past continuous form. It shows that she began snoring even before Mr. Jones got to bed. The expression â€Å"went out† is in the past perfect form as it shows a fact about what happened to the light (Ambridge, 2010. P1497). The light perfectly went out. The expression â€Å"there was a stirring† is in the past continuous form because it shows an event that started and continued after the light went out. The expression â€Å"word had gone round† is in the perfect past form of past tense. It shows that word going round during the day anticipated the occurrence of some event. This was a perfect occurrence of an event. The expression â€Å"had had a strange dream† is in the past emphatic form of past tense. It emphasizes the fact that the old major had a strange dream the previous night. The forms of tenses of the words showed the states and sequence of occurrence of the events. The light bedroom light went out when Mrs. Jones was still snoring. After the light went out, the stirring began in the

Research Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words - 1

Research Project - Essay Example ’s tangible resources, such as cash reserves and information technologies, managers utilize marketing promotions as an intangible resource that either makes a firm attractive to existing or prospective customers. Marketing promotions consist of efforts to communicate the total value of a service or a product for customers with the intention of increasing sales through these communications (Kotler and Keller 2009). Marketing promotions consist of advertising and publicity to achieve the objective of properly positioning a firm against competition, increasing sales, building a corporate identity and generally increase customer demand (Solomon, et al. 2006). For some managers, the problem faced in achieving competitive advantage is that their respective firms produce and distribute products that are comparable to competition. Such products have homogenous features and benefits to competitive offerings, hence when attempting to communicate product value, it becomes increasingly difficult to build incentive with customers to select one firm’s products over that of competitors. As a result, managers exploit the marketing function in operations as a means of differentiating a product from that of comparable competitor products. Differentiation is a strategic effort to create a distinguished identity for a product which makes a product appear more interesting and desirable for a company’s most sought-after customer target segments (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 2014). Nandan (2005) asserts that in today’s competitive business environment, it is becoming more simplistic for competing firms to imitate and reproduce the features and benefits of a competitor’s product. With the ability of a firm to procure similar production technologies whilst also building a competent research and development team, companies that once offered unique products for consumers are being threatened with a shortened product life cycle as a result of replicated competing products being

Management and leadership Development Coursework

Management and leadership Development - Coursework Example Just like, organisation leaders, national leaders need to understand the role and responsibilities of effective managers. The need to understand some of the most essential concepts in leadership and management by professionals and business executives is facilitated by the changing nature of market and market dynamic in modern society (Day2001, p. 613). The need to cope with the current competition in local and international markets has as well enhanced the increased the demand of the knowledge on leadership and management (Cromwell & Kolb 2004, p. 471, Day, 2001, p. 91). At present, there are numerous researches that have been undertaken to understand some of the most complicated concepts of leadership and management development (Bass, 1999, p.31). However, researchers have universally defined the concepts leadership and management development as broad activities that facilitate and support one’s ability to lead and manage other people and professionals in a specified social s etting (Leithwood, Karen, Stephen and Kyla, 2010, p. 91, Reed, 2005, p. 163). In a good number of organisational structures, the interaction between leaders and managers has played a very essential role in their productivity and expansion (Collier, & Esteban, 2000, p.207, Palus & Horth, 2004, p439). Many researchers have attributed the development and expansion of most of the modern global corporations and institutions with effective interaction between leadership and management in their management and operations (Chappelow, 2004, p.81, Conger 1999, 179, Dering 1998, p. 32). As defined, managers in organisations are professionals who have the responsibility and ability of managing the organization through controlling all production processes. Managers have the responsibility of ensuring that, all activities and operations in an organisation are effectively managed and controlled (Martineau 2007, P.23, Procter 2002, p. 27). On the other hand, leadership is described as ability and sk ills of setting attainable goals in reference to the organisation goals and objectives. Leaders in any organization should therefore have the ability of communicating the set goals to others employees in a way that would enhance harmonious and voluntary teamwork in order to accomplish the established objectives and goals (Sankar 2003, p.45). To succeed in modern complicated corporate market, any organization ought to have effective and well-qualified managers and leaders. In any organisation, a manager has the responsibility of controlling, leading, organising and planning the organisation activities (Lukas, Holmes, 2007, p. 91). Therefore, some scholars have defined management as activities and functions that determine the manner in which organisation technical, human, informational and physical resources are coordinated and arranged to perform a specified responsibility that is designed to benefit the organization. Moreover, an effective leadership implies that, a qualified manage r must have the ability of influencing critical process and operations in an organisation. Leaders in an organization should be focused on facilitating creation of systems, methods and strategies for building capacities and knowledge (Burns, 1978, p. 17). Although leadership and management development are used interchangeably, some scholars have identified very specific differences between leadershi

Hazardous Waste Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hazardous Waste - Essay Example The site initially belonged to Hooker Chemical who later sold it to Niagara Falls School Board for $ 1 in 1953. Hooker Chemicals were using the site for burying toxic waste. By the time of selling the site, Hooker Chemicals had buried 22,000 tons of toxic waste that they revealed in the sales agreement. However, construction projects and rainstorms on the site released the waste causing an environmental disaster. As a result, the inhabitants overflowed in to the waste. This characterized the infamous Love Canal case (Stoss and Fabian 1). The Ivory Coast case took place in 2006 at the capital city of Ivory coast, port of Abidjan. A tanker ship chattered by Trafigura oil and commodity shipping company disposed a 500 tone waste mixture of fuel, caustic soda, and hydrogen sulfide in the city. A local Ivorian contractor dumped the mixture around the city. Although Trafigura denied transportation and knowledge of improper disposal of any toxic waste, the gas emissions from the hazardous waste claimed 17 lives and injured many. As a result, the oil company paid $ 198 Million for cleanup to the Ivorian government in exchange of liability of prosecution (Amnesty International 1). In the Love Canal case, the government and Hooker Chemical were at fault. All these parties were aware of the eminent danger posed by the buried waste chemical yet they did nothing to avert the crisis. The US government had to relocate 800 affected families and indemnify them for their homes. The Occidental Petroleum paid fines worth $129 million for the Love Canal case. In the Ivory Coast case, the Trafigura Oil Shipping Company, the local Ivorian contractors were at fault for improper disposal of hazardous waste. Trafigura Oil Company paid $ 198 Million to the Ivorian government for clean up though it denied liability for dumping. The local Ivorian contractor got a 20 years jail sentence for improper disposal. The Comprehensive

Design brief for climate change campaign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Design brief for climate change campaign - Essay Example This will encourage the use of public transportation, which will decrease the amount of carbon emission. People who live and work in Toronto in the 16-50s age group. There are two groups that I will target for this campaign. People who live in Toronto and people who work and go to school in Toronto, but don’t live in the city. Toronto is a very large and busy city and all of the schools and companies are very clustered. Both groups of people have very busy and fast lifestyles. They do not have much time to read all of the ads around them. People believe that global warming is happening because the media is making a big deal about it. They know something about climate change, but don’t really know what it can do to us. They do not think that changing their behavior or habits can help to slow down this extreme climate change and vice versa, their lifestyle. Climate change can really harm us. It is our problem and changes in our behavior can slow down this global warming. Using public transportation is one of the solutions in the fight against climate change. Toronto is a really busy area and there are many signs and ads. To stand out from these, this campaign needs to attract audiences through the visual image. The image itself should convey the message that we are in danger if we do not take a action because they do not have time to read all of the texts on the campaign. The competing alternative behavior will be driving their own cars. This can save their time and they do not have to take transportation with a bunch of people they do not know. The cost of take this action would be paying their gas fee. People living in Toronto have very busy lifestyles and daily routines. Therefore, the campaign should be able to deliver the message without further reading of the text. The image should bring out the emotion from my target audience in just a short glance. I want my target audience to feel sorry for the earth and at the same

Law - Civil Proecdure (Hong Kong) [4 Questions] Essay

Law - Civil Proecdure (Hong Kong) [4 Questions] - Essay Example 2). Ms. Cheung sought to have the proceedings stayed because of fundamental unfairness, stating that the conditions were appropriate to stay the proceedings in the interest of justice (Securities and Futures Ordinance, Cap. 571,  § 253(1(i); Jago v. District Court of New South Wales (1989) 168 CLR 23). In this case, the tribunal relied upon the rules promulgated at this time in Hong Kong Civil Procedure 2008, which states that â€Å"there are two distinct, though related, circumstances in which the action may be dismissed for want of prosecution, namely (a) when a party has been guilty of intentional and contumelious default, and (b) when there has been inordinate and inexcusable delay in the prosecution of the action† (Hong Kong Civil Procedure 2008, order 25, at 25/L/2). ... their death or disappearance are the most usual factors†¦in a case of prolonged culpable delay following long delays in serving of proceedings, the court may readily infer that memories of witnesses has further deteriorated in the period of culpable delay† (Hong Kong Civil Procedure 2008, order 25, at 25/L/7). Thus, the delay must result in the increased risk that the defendant will not have a fair trial on the issues or that serious prejudice will occur to the defendant as the result of the delay, because the witnesses will have decreased memories about the facts regarding the proceedings. The term prejudice has been construed to result when no witness was interviewed at the time the acts that give rise to the proceedings were commenced, so that the witness would have no way of refreshing his or her recollection about the events, or that a witness has since become unavailable because of advanced age or infirmity, and this witness would have been available but-for the inor dinate delay (Hornagold v. Fairclough Building Ltd. [1993] P.L.Q.R. 400). Further, the totality of the delay is not necessarily relevant in adducing prejudice to the defendant, but, rather, that any period of delay during any part of the proceedings would be examined to determine prejudice – therefore, if a proceeding began after a period of delay, then no action was taken thereafter, the court can infer from the delay during the latter part of the proceedings is enough to cause the dimming or memories such that the defendant would be prejudiced by the delay (Roebuck v. Mungovin [1994] 2 AC 224). Further, the defendant did not necessarily need to prove that he or she was prejudiced, and did not have to present to the court any example of a specific example of prejudice, ie, the defendant does

African American Characteristics Paper Essay Example for Free

African American Characteristics Paper Essay African American culture in the United States refers to the cultural contributions of Americans of African descent to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from American culture. The distinct identity of African American culture is rooted in the historical experience of the African American people. The culture is both distinct and enormously influential to American culture as a whole. African-American culture is rooted in Africa. It is a blend of chiefly sub-Saharan African and Sahelean cultures. Although slavery greatly restricted the ability of Americans of African descent to practice their cultural traditions, many practices, values, and beliefs survived and over time have modified or blended with European American culture. There are some facets of African American culture that were accentuated by the slavery period. The result is a unique and dynamic culture that has had and continues to have a profound impact on mainstream American culture, as well as the culture of the broader world (Rydell, 2010). Learning Team B has chosen African Americans as the culturally diverse group we will focus on. The subjects in this paper will be African American history, family characteristics, parenting practices, language, and religion. Also, the primary characteristics of African Americans and how those characteristics impact their experience as a subculture in American Society will be a topic. The last topic will be the implications of the characteristics for psychological theories and practices. History African Americans are the descendants of Africans brought to America during the slavery era. Many were owned as property and forced to work as day laborers in the fields or as servants in their owner’s homes. Others were allowed to work off their debts by being bough and sold on the block. An article titled The Slave Auction of 1859 gives a brief account of what it was to be sold on the block: The buyers, who were present to the number of about two hundred, clustered around the platform; while the Negroes, who were not likely to be immediately wanted, gathered into sad groups in the background to watch the progress of the selling in which they were so sorrowfully interested. The wind howled outside, and through the open side of the building the driving rain came pouring in; the bar down stairs ceased for a short time its brisk trade; the buyers lit fresh cigars, got ready their catalogues and pencils, and the first lot of human chattels are led upon the stand, not by a white man, but by a sleek mulatto, himself a slave, and who seems to regard the selling of his brethren, in which he so glibly assists, as a capital joke. It had been announced that the Negroes would be sold in families, that is to say; a man would not be parted from his wife, or a mother from a very young child. There is perhaps as much policy as humanity in this arrangement, for thereby many aged and unserviceable people are disposed of, who otherwise would not find a ready sale (New York Daily Tribune, 1928). President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of civil war. The proclamation declared that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are, and henceforward shall be free. Despite this expansive wording, the Emancipation Proclamation was limited in many ways. It applied only to states that had seceded from the Union, leaving slavery untouched in the loyal border states. It also expressly exempted parts of the Confederacy that had already come under Northern control. Most important, the freedom it promised depended upon Union military victory. History pages often claim President Lincoln as The Great Emancipator which most educated adults come to learn is an over exaggeration. The general consensus is that Lincoln never freed a single slave, and only used the proclamation as a means to get what he wanted from the states. Once freed most African Americans still experienced racial violence and lived in fear for many years. In 1870 the fifteenth amendment was added to the constitution giving blacks the right to vote. Although blacks were free they were still segregated from the white people, made to go to different schools, stores, and even ride at the back of the bus. In 1954 the supreme courts declared segregation in school unconstitutional due to the Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka Kansas. The civil right movement was at its peak during 1955-1965. Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, ensuring basic civil rights for all Americans, regardless of race, after nearly a decade of nonviolent protests and marches, ranging from the 1955-1956 Montgomery bus boycotts to the student-led sit-ins of the 1960s to the huge March on Washington in 1963. In 1968 President Johnson signed the Civil Right act prohibiting discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing. Some of the most famous leader of the civil right movement includes Martin Luther King Jr. , Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks and many others. Although civil rights were established many African American still struggled to be treated fairly in America. Affirmative Action was established in 1978 by a ruling of the Supreme Court to ensure that minorities are given an opportunity that they may have missed because of their race. In 2008 Barack Obama was the first African American to be nominated for a major party nominee for president. He was elected the 44th President of the United States on November 4, 2008, and sworn in on January 20, 2009. Family and Parenting Characteristics As with most cultures, African Americans place a high value on their families. In the United States African American family’s make-up 12. 9 percent of the population according to the 2003 US Census. The US census also shows that for African Americans over the age of 15 there are 34 percent married, five percent separated, eleven percent divorced, seven percent widowed, and 43 percent were never married. According to the First Things First website, â€Å"African Americans are the most un-partnered group in America† (Medium, 2011, para. 4). One major goal of African American families is communalism, which is very important for effective functioning (Hall, 2010). Hall (2010) describes African American families as having three family types. The first type is the cohesive-authoritative that is explained to be a family with high cohesion along with being supportive, nurturing, and involved with their children (Hall, 2010). The second type of family is the conflictive-authoritarian that is defined as families with conflict and the parents are controlling, critical, and express unhappiness with children (Hall, 2010). The last type of family Hall (2010) explains is the defensive- neglectful, that did not like other racial groups and also did not teach their children to be proud of being an African American. One significant trend that has been determined about the African American family structure is that the more interconnected the family is, the lower the rate of depression in African Americans (Hall, 2010). Based on these findings, a program called Strong African American Families has been created in order to strengthen the relationships between parents and children. According to Hall (2010), â€Å"The Strong African American Families program also has been found to reduce preadolescent risky sexual behaviors, preadolescent alcohol use, and parental depression among African American families† (p.95). This kind of program has been very effective in keeping families cohesive and helping to improve the goal of communalism. Language Generations of hardships imposed on the African American community created distinctive language patterns. Slave owners often intentionally mixed people who spoke different African languages to discourage communication in any language other than English. This, combined with prohibitions against education, led to the development of pidginsimplified mixtures of two or more languages that speakers of different languages can use to communicate. Examples of pidgins that became fully developed languages include Creole, common to Louisiana, and Gullah, common to the Sea Islandsoff the coast of South Carolina and Georgia (Rydell, 2010). It is sad to think that slave owners intentionally put Africans with people who did not speak their language to discourage communication, but is have been researched and proven to be true. Slavery is not the only element to African American culture, and it often seems that when discussing African American culture slavery is the main topic. However, when discussing language the centuries of slavery that they endured have everything to do with the evolution of African-American language. Now that we have covered the origin of African American language we can discuss the American perspective of where modern day African American language stands, and how this effects the culture. African American Vernacular English (AAVE)—also called African American English; less precisely Black English, Black Vernacular, Black English Vernacular (BEV), or Black Vernacular English (BVE)—is an African Americanvariety(dialect, ethnolect and sociolect) of American English. Non-linguists sometimes call it Ebonics(a term that also has other meanings or strong connotations) or jive or jive-talk. Its pronunciation is, in some respects, common to Southern American English, which is spoken by many African Americans and many non-African Americans in the United States. There is little regional variation among speakers of AAVE. Several creolists, including William Stewart, John Dillard, and John Rickford, argue that AAVE shares so many characteristics with Creole dialects spoken by black people in much of the world that AAVE itself is a Creole dialect; while others maintain that there are no significant parallels. As with all linguistic forms, its usage is influenced by age, status, topic and setting. There are many literary uses of this variety of English, particularly in African-American literature (Rydell, 2010). Of course this information does not imply that all African Americans speak a version of AAVE, only that it is very common and prevalent throughout the modern day African American culture. Religion In the African American community religion plays an extremely significant role. The story of African-American religion is a tale of variety and creative fusion. Enslaved Africans transported to the New World beginning in the fifteenth century brought with them a wide range of local religious beliefs and practices. This diversity reflected the many cultures and linguistic groups from which they had come. The majority came from the West Coast of Africa, but even within this area religious traditions varied greatly. Islam had also exerted a powerful presence in Africa for several centuries before the start of the slave trade: an estimated twenty percent of enslaved people were practicing Muslims, and some retained elements of their practices and beliefs well into the nineteenth century. Preserving African religions in North America proved to be very difficult. The harsh circumstances under which most slaves lived—high death rates, the separation of families and tribal groups, and the concerted effort of white owners to eradicate heathen (or non-Christian) customs—rendered the preservation of religious traditions difficult and often unsuccessful. Isolated songs, rhythms, movements, and beliefs in the curative powers of roots and the efficacy of a world of spirits and ancestors did survive well into the nineteenth century. Historically during their most difficult times the African American relied on their religious beliefs to endure. During the civil rights movement black churches were often the target of racial violence because that was a place that African Americans spent most of their time. This was a place where they often held meetings to discuss their civil rights efforts. African Americans practice a number of religions, but Protestant Christianity is by far the most prevalent. Some African and African American also follow the Muslim and Judaism. According to Fife, Kilgour, Canter and Adegoke (2010), â€Å"African spiritual traditions have historically held a central place in African American communalism (Mbiti, 1990) and were vital to survival during the time of slavery. In African and African American culture the concept of spirituality is inseparable from all other aspects of human experience. The spiritual and the physical are indistinguishable (Mbiti, 1990). A deep connection exists between humans, God, family, and group (Barrett, 1974). Spirituality is not compartmentalized into systematized beliefs and practices but woven into everyday experience (Boyd Franklin, 1989). The Black church is the primary means through which many African Americans express their religious and spiritual beliefs and values (Richardson June, 1997). This institution is a central force in African American childhood and adolescent identity and helps to shape ideas about what comprises community. † Many African American children have christen ceremonies for they can even walk or talk. African American families generally spend a substantial amount of time within their places of worship. Conclusion For review, the big questions the above research addressed were: †¢What are the primary cultural characteristics of this selected group? †¢How do the characteristics of this group impact its experience as a subculture in American society? †¢How might the cultural aspects of this group be applied to traditional psychological theory? †¢What are the implications of these characteristics for psychological theory and practice? We have found that the primary cultural characteristics of the African America culture are their history of slavery in America, distinct family and parenting practices, slavery based evolution of their language, and their dedicated religious beliefs. The characteristics of this group impact its experience as a subculture in American society by enticing others in to the culture and sparking curiosity around the world. African Americans make up a small percentage of the minority in America. However African American culture dominates the world of music, fashion, and professional sports. The cultural aspects of the African American group can be applied to traditional psychological theory when considering family dynamics, cultural perspectives, and how these aspects influence mental health. The implications of these characteristics for psychological theory and practice would focus on how the African American history of slavery in America influences their world view, how family and parenting practices mold their ideals of what a family should be, how religion influences their beliefs and actions, and how language distinguishes them from others and what psychological impact this has on them as a whole. For many years African-American culture developed separately from mainstream American culture, both because of slavery and the persistence of racial discrimination in America, as well as African-American slave descendants desire to create and maintain their own traditions. Today, African-American culture has become a significant part of American culture and yet, at the same time, remains a distinct cultural body. References Fife, J. , McCreary, M. , Kilgour, J. , Canter, D. , Adegoke, A. (2010). Self Identification Among African American and Caucasian College Students. College Student Journal, 44(4), 994. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Hall, G. C. N. (2010). Multicultural psychology (2nd ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Medium. (2011). First Things First. Retrieved from http://firstthings. org/page/research/african-american-family-facts New York Daily Tribune, March 9, 1859 reprinted in Hart, Albert B. , American History Told by Contemporaries v. 4 (1928). Retrieved from http://eyewitnesstohistory. com Rydell, R. J. , Hamilton, D. L. , Devos, T. (2010). NOW THEY ARE AMERICAN, NOW THEY ARE NOT: VALENCE AS A DETERMINANT OF THE INCLUSION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE AMERICAN IDENTITY. Social Cognition, 28(2), 161-179. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Amy Tan, Two Kinds Essay Example for Free

Amy Tan, Two Kinds Essay This storys main events take place in Chinatown throughout the 1950s and perhaps early 1960s. The main character of the story, who is also the protagonist, is the author herself: Amy Tan. The antagonist happens to be her own mother, who is always pushing Amy to discover some hidden talent and be someone she is not. There are a few other minor characters in the story. There is Lindo Jong (who she calls Auntie Lindo), who is a close friend of Amys mother. Waverly Jong is Auntie Lindos daughter, who is close to Amys age. Amys piano instructor, who she calls Old Chong, plays a small role in the story. Amys dad is included in the text, but does not play much of a role. In Two Kinds, the exposition is clear in the first couple of pages. The story begins by explaining that Amys family moved to America when she was a baby, in 1949. Her mother is clear in her goals: she wants Amy to be a child prodigy (a person with exceptional talent) and famous. Although in the beginning Amy seems accepting of her mothers goal, there are some undertones which are clear to the reader that her mother may go too far. Symbolism in literature might include visual or sound elements as well as language. Amys piano was the main symbol of this story. In the end of the story, the fact that she had it tuned and actually sat down to play shows us that she really cared about her mother-and the piano-after all. The songs that she plays at the end are also a symbol of the story, itself. She mentions playing two songs. The first is titled Pleading Child, and the second one: Perfectly Contented. These are songs that she had played when she was a child. She notices for the first time, after all of these years, that these two songs are actually two halves to the same song. The song represents Amys life. This is how the story ends. We get a pretty good idea of what Amys story is about and the theme behind it. She regrets not trying her best, and the way she has taken her mother for granted in her life. A strong message like this makes us reflect on our own lives and relationships with the ones we love. Amy constructs the story in a way that makes the plot flow, and we are interested in what will happen to her next. Some of us may even feel like she is too hard on the protagonist-her mother. The ending resolves these feelings, because we discover she feels this, too.

Sleep Deprivation Effects On Academic Performance

Sleep Deprivation Effects On Academic Performance Sleeping is a necessity for human survival and crucial to our health. Not getting enough sleep can result in hallucinations, irritability, depressive behaviour, diabetes, poor dieting, interference with daily activities, lack of alertness and motivation as well as poor academic performance among students. The majority of the population realizes the importance of a sufficient amount of sleep, yet based on the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) done in 2002, 18% of the population get an average of less than five hours of sleep each night.1 If teenagers are not getting the required 8.5 9 hours per night, they generally make up for it by taking long naps, or sleeping in on weekends. Both of which are counterproductive considering it throws off ones natural body clock.2 Late sleepers tend to interrupt their sleep cycle when they are either in the 3rd or 4th stage of sleeping, which are both considered deep sleep or during the 5th phase, REM (Rapid Eye Movement), leaving them feeling groggy and tired. As a result, teenagers sleep instead of attending class, sleep during lessons, or arent as alert and observant as they could be during school hours. A study was done on 1,000 high school students and 90% reported feeling lethargic from sleep deprivation, with supported evidence that it had affected their school performance.3 A lack of sleep at a young age also increases ones chances of developing a learning disorder. Although there are other factors that influence students performance, sleep is a major one. Background: This report outlines the relationship between sleep deprivation among high school students and their academic performance. Academic performance in a way is immeasurable. It is commonly thought that it is measured based on the students marks in school, however performance is defined as the manner in which something reacts or fulfills its intended 1 Shields, M. (2005, November 16). Study: Insomnia. Statistics Canada. Retrieved May 27, 2010, 2 Why Catching Up on Sleep Doesnt Work. (2007, July 24). Cure:Insomnia . Retrieved May 27, 2010, 3 Taras, H. (n.d.). Poor Sleep, Poor Grades. The National Parenting Center. Retrieved May 27, 2010, purpose.4 Meaning, its the amount of effort one puts into their work in an attempt to succeed. A student can try their hardest to complete an assignment yet they still may not fully achieve the teachers requirements leaving them with an adequate mark. Although that does not normally seem to be the case, it does happen. For the sake of this report however, it is being measured based on marks. The amount of sleep a person has had can evidentially enough, be measured on a timely basis (hourly, etc.). As one sleeps, they go through 5 series of phases which include5: Stage 1: This is the transition between wakefulness and sleep. It is a relatively light sleep stage. The brain produces high amplitudes of theta waves. Eyes tend to move slowly and muscle activity slows down. Many people get muscle contractions during this stage. Light sleep lasts from 5 to 10 minutes. Stage 2: Eye movement stops, brain waves slow down and occasionally produce bursts of sleep spindles (brain activity). Heart rate slows down and body temperature decreases. This phase lasts about 20 minutes. Stage 3: This is the transitional stage between light sleep to deep sleep. Very slow brain waves called delta waves start to produce. Stage 4: This is often known as the Delta Sleep since the brain excessively produces delta waves. There is no eye or muscle movement. It is during this stage that people experience sleep walking, nightmares and bed wetting. This deep sleep usually happens for 30 minutes. Stage 5: This is the most commonly known stage REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. This is when most dreams occur. Breathing becomes more quick, eyes move rapidly, limb muscles are temporarily paralyzed (to prevent ones body from physically acting out their dream), brain waves amplify to the equivalent level that they are at when one is awake, also heart and blood rate increases. It is during this stage that males typically develop an erection and if the person sleeping is woken 4 Performance Define Performance. (n.d.). Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words. Retrieved May 27, 2010, 5 Stages of Sleep. (n.d.). Sleepdex Resources for better sleep. Retrieved May 27, 2010, up, they most likely will be able to remember their dream. REM sleep occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep. The first cycle of REM sleep lasts a short amount of time, but with each series that occurs, the phase can gradually get longer and longer. However, these sleeping phases do not happen in sequence. We start off in stage 1, move into stage 2, 3 and 4. After stage 4, we go back and stage 3 and 2 are repeated before we enter into stage 5. Once REM sleep is completed, the body goes back to stage 2 and the cycle repeats again up to 4-5 times on average, if one is getting the right amount of sleep. An insufficient amount of sleep, especially at a young age, can manifest into challenging illnesses. As previously stated, sleep deprivation can result in depressive and oppositional behaviour, irritability, poor impulse control and/or over activity all of which are some characteristics of common learning disorders. Research has shown that relationships exist between inadequate sleep among children and developing Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB), Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD), and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). 6 These syndromes can make simple tasks involved with learning, difficult for those who suffer from it. The Learn Disability Association of Canada (LDAC) found that over 80% of people with learning disabilities struggle with reading. 35% of students with learning disabilities end up dropping out of school all together. 7 A study showed that among adults ranging from 20-29 years of age, 28.3% had less than a high school certificate due to learning di sabilities. 8 These factors obviously make it tough for students to achieve exceptional marks and work to the best of their ability, but what may be part of the solution would be setting good sleeping habits throughout their lives. 6 Ivanenko, A. (n.d.). Sleep and Psychiatric Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Google Books. Retrieved May 27, 2010, 7 Gudbranson, C. (2000, June 7). Learning Disabilities Association of Canada Library and Archives. Learning Disabilities Association of Canada Activities. Retrieved May 27, 2010, 8 PACFOLD. (n.d.). Highlights of Putting a Canadian Face. Retrieved May 27, 2010, Methodology: The information collected for this report to substantiate the negative effects sleep deprivation have on students academic performance was gathered from an online survey (which is attached as Appendix A) and was conducted on Wednesday, May 20th, 2010 at Iroquois Ridge High School. Thirty-five students from grades 9 through to Super Seniors took part in the survey. Since the analysis does not involve experimental manipulation, it is considered an observational study. Followed by the initial survey, students that were not getting the recommended amount of sleep each night were asked to do a follow up survey (which is attached as Appendix B) in order to determine the reason why they are not getting enough sleep, and to grasp their awareness on the topic. The data was accumulated by clustered/multistage sampling. The seven participants selected from each grade, all from different cliques, filled out the survey and represented the larger population of Iroquois Ridge High School and out of those, whoever was not getting the right amount of sleep did a second survey. Students were picked from different groups to help prevent bias opinions that can be influenced by friends. Seeing as the thirty-five chosen students do not make up for a significant percentage of the total population, this creates a bias since they are speaking for the entire school. Other components that could have skewed the final results would be response bias. There is the chance that some students may have lied about their average in school due to embarrassment, or even about having a learning disability or bedtime for the same reason. One way that the affects of this inclination could have been decreased would be if a larger population were surveyed, that way the response bias could be outweighed and the overall results would be more reliable. The students average in school, alertness and hours of sleep per night were questioned in order to correlate the effects that sleep has on ones academic performance. To get a good understanding of why the individuals who suffered from sleep deprivation lacked sleep, they were directed to fill out a second, slightly more in depth survey to get a grasp of the students awareness of the importance of sleep, by asking them to identify illnesses that connect with not getting enough sleep each night and for the reasons why they are not getting a sufficient amount of sleep. Results: Thirty-five students attending Iroquois Ridge High School were given a survey in order to answer the question: Does sleep deprivation have an effect on students academic performance? The results showed that sleeping patterns do affect ones performance and that 22 out of 35 students (63%) were not getting the recommended 8-9 hours of sleep per night, as shown in both Figure 1 and Figure 2. Figure 1 is a bar graph that displays the results that were collected when 35 high school students were asked How Many Hours of Sleep Do You Get Each Night? Most students seem to receive 6 to 7 hours of sleep per night. Figure 1 Figure 2 is a pie chart that shows the average hours of sleep students get each night. It represents each total as a percentage of all responses. Merely 37% of students are getting the proper amount of sleep while the other 63% are not. Figure 2 Trying to Catch Up Can Be Too Much As a result of not getting enough sleep, students tend to try and make up for lost time by taking long naps, sleeping in when they should be at school, during class and sleeping in during weekends. However, these methods are detrimental because they mess up with the persons body clock. In some cases, too much sleep can result in a disorder called hypersomnia. Hypersomnia is clinically defined as getting more than 10 hours of sleep per night and feeling daytime drowsiness.9 Surveyors were asked how often they would rate themselves sleeping in during their first period class and ending up late, due to tiredness. The outcome was that 12% of respondents never had this issue, 26% rarely did, 31% would experience it sometimes, 20% had it happen often and 11% of students always have this problem. Figure 3 is a frequency pie chart that shows how often students ranging from grade 9 through to Super Seniors, end up running late to their first period class due to over-sleeping. Figure 3 Participants who were depriving themselves of sleep were further questioned in order to find out why. What were they doing that was keeping them up during the night? The most common factors were having stressful lives, part-time jobs and staying up on the computer/ playing video games. Followed by that was too much homework, hanging out with friends, living in a noisy environment, watching television, participating in sports/exercising, and not 9 Sleep Disorder Types and Symptoms. (n.d.). Sleep-Deprivation.com. Retrieved May 28, 2010, being in a comfortable temperature. Options that were not factors at all included having bad dreams and doing chores. A Norwegian survey done on 25,000 people found that individuals who having problems sleeping are most likely suffering from depression and anxiety. Its All About Routine and Discipline Based on the results of the survey, the vast majority of students are able to sleep whenever they want seeing as they do not have a set bedtime that is enforced by their parents. Figure 4 is the representation of the amount of students that have a set bedtime for every week night that has been imposed by their parents/guardian. It is evident that most high school students do not have such discipline, but a small 17% do. Figure 4 This leads to adolescents having an imbalanced body clock and if such a pattern develops at a younger age, it increases ones chances of developing a disorder, as previously mentioned. Teenagers with bad sleeping habits are 6.5 times likely to have metabolic syndrome than people who follow a good routine.10 Adolescents benefit from having constant sleep times that allow them to have the sufficient quantity of hours that they need. This is significantly affected by having regular bed times and rising times throughout the weekend as well. Just like when they were younger, parents need to get involved with their childrens sleeping schedule. Within this collected data 6 out of the 35 students claim to have bedtimes, all of which got approximately 8 hours of sleep a night with an average mark of 75%. While the rest of the students get about 7 hours of sleep a night with a 66% average in school. 10 Pytel, B. (2007, October 4). Lack of Sleep Can Kill: How Dangerous Is Not Sleeping?. Student Health Issues. Retrieved May 28, 2010, The Relationship between Hours of Sleep and Alertness A study done by the U.S. Army drew the conclusion that the loss of just one and a half hours of sleep can result in a 32% reduction in daytime alertness. 11 A similar outcome appeared in the analyzed data of the students attending Iroquois Ridge High School. Figure 5 (below) is a scatter plot that shows correlation between the students alertness from the time they wake up until lunch, based on the average amount of sleep they get each night. Each student was asked to rate their alertness on a scale of 1-5; 1 being not alert at all and 5 being extremely alert. This data was then correlated with the hours of sleep the students get each night, for a correlation of approximately 55.8%. Figure 5 The outcome of this examination had a strong correlation between alertness in the morning and the average hours slept at night. This means that the fewer hours of sleep someone gets, the less alert they will be and visa versa. The reason for this would be that the body was not able to completely rest and regenerate itself as it should, so upon trying to function normally the following morning, it will not be able to perform to the best of the persons ability. The correlation between these two variables was 0.56, proving that getting the right amount of sleep does greatly affect attentiveness. The Relationship between Hours of Sleep and Academic Performance/Grades Jennifer Peszka, a psychologist, conducted a survey on freshman at Hendrix College in order to distinguish students as either owls (later nighters), or larks ( moderately early birds). 11 Sleep Debt | Sleep Deprivation. (2010, May 8). Google. Retrieved May 28, 2010, From there she looked at how that associated with the students Grade Point Average (GPA). Sure enough, the owls averaged at 2.84 while the larks earned 3.18.12 The results of the survey done for students at Iroquois Ridge High School ended up with a very similar outcome. Figure 6 (below) is a scatter plot that shows correlation between the students average in school and the average amount of sleep they get each night. Each student was asked to identify their average in school based on the intervals of 10 from 0% 100%. This data was then correlated with amount of sleep each student gets per night, for a correlation of approximately 63.9%. Figure 6 The results from this portion of the survey had very strong correlation between the students grade and amount of sleep they were getting. Ultimately, this means that students who get the recommended amount of sleep each night consistently, will be able to work to the best of their ability during school which should help their overall average. On the contrary, students who lack sleep have a decrease in both physical and mental performance. The correlation between both variables was 0.64, further proving the point that sleep deprivation can negatively impact ones academic performance. Future Work: If more time and resources were available to do the survey, it would have conducted much differently. Firstly, a larger group of students would be sampled to get a better grasp of 12 Park, A. (2009, June 10). Larks and Owls: How Sleep Habits Affect Grades. TIME.com. Retrieved May 28, 2010, the general population as oppose to just thirty-five students representing everyone. As mentioned before, a larger population will also help outweigh the response bias. The written portion of the survey would be kept online because that appeals to my target audience (teenagers). However, the questions will be more concise. This way, there can be shorter questions that target certain areas of the study. To make the survey more reliable, various voluntary respondents, all with different lifestyles, will have their academic performance measured based on their visible level of alertness, as well as their actual marks. After going through their regular daily routine and prepare to go to sleep at whatever time is normal for them, they will be monitored in their sleep using an Electroencephalography (EEG). This measures brain waves and if read properly, it can tell the observant which stage of sleep the person is in. Upon waking up at their normal time, the phase at which they were sleeping in until they were woken up will be able to be determined. With that, predictions can be made on the type of day the person will have due to their emotional, physical and mental behaviour. Medical Records of the surveyor as well as any information on their family history will be reviewed to get a better understanding of where they came from and what their health is like. Ambitions, goals, hobbies, failures, fears, successes and experiences (good or bad) will be discussed with each candidate in hopes of figuring out where their head is at. A factor that could have been tested would have been the level of discipline with each student whether itd be with oneself or at home from their parents/guardian in terms of school work and sleeping habits. This data could be collected simply by asking; however, physically accompanying the student and observing would be much more reliable. The importance of this topic is not as widely known as it should be. Students, parents and teachers need to be informed about the effects that sleep deprivation can have on not only students, but everybody. The negative impact sleep deprivation can have on someones body, whether its physical, mental and/or emotional, is alarming. Try combining all of those struggles and productively make it through a day of school. If the topic were to be further discussed, studied and brought to awareness, academic levels of children all around the world could increase. Not to mention a decrease in depression, mental illnesses, insomnia and more if people decide to change their sleeping patterns to better themselves. Conclusion: The relationship between the amount of sleep a person gets and their performance academically correspond to one another quite well. This summative and the statistical data as well as research within it proves that the less sleep a student has will typically result in lower grades. Whereas getting the right amount of sleep (but not too much) can positively influence their performance. The key is to get your required amount of sleep each night. For teenagers, that is anywhere between 8.5 to 9 hours of rest. Out of the students surveyed at Iroquois Ridge High School, 34% claimed to be getting the proper amount of sleep. Adolescents would greatly benefit from having a regular, consistent sleeping pattern throughout the week, including the weekend. Meaning they go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. This helps their body clock run by routine. Not getting enough sleep can result of a number of illnesses which in turn, will affect not only the students marks but their health as well. 63% of students surveyed said they got less than the recommended length of rest time. In both Figure 5 and Figure 6, it is evident that this took a negative toll on the students alertness as well as grades in school. Due to not getting enough rest during the week, teenagers often catch up by sleeping in on weekends. Contrary to popular belief, it is not possible to make up for lost sleep whether itd be by napping or sleeping in on weekends. Getting too much sleep can cause Hypersomnia which leaves victims feeling drowsy all day after having 10 or more hours of sleep the night before. Only 3% of surveyors stated to be getting more sleep then they need. However, in correlation to alertness and marks, it did not seem to have much of a negative impact. If the subject were to be discussed and researched even further, conclusions as to what chemicals are released when they body is at rest can be drawn. With this information, medication and cures for sleeping disorders can be create d to help those who suffer. Generally speaking, sleep and performance seem to go hand in hand. Teenagers need to set up their body clocks so that there is a set routine, with consists of falling asleep and waking up at the same time every day. Ultimately this will result in better academic performance as well as health. Work Cited Gudbranson, C. (2000, June 7). Learning Disabilities Association of Canada Library and Archives. Learning Disabilities Association of Canada Activities. Retrieved May 27, 2010 Ivanenko, A. (n.d.). Sleep and Psychiatric Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Google Books. Retrieved May 27, 2010, PACFOLD. (n.d.). Highlights of Putting a Canadian Face. Retrieved May 27, 2010 Park, A. (2009, June 10). Larks and Owls: How Sleep Habits Affect Grades. TIME.com. Retrieved May 28, 2010 Performance Define Performance. (n.d.). Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words. Retrieved May 27, 2010 Pytel, B. (2007, October 4). Lack of Sleep Can Kill: How Dangerous Is Not Sleeping?. Student Health Issues. Retrieved May 28, 2010 Shields, M. (2005, November 16). Study: Insomnia. Statistics Canada. Retrieved May 27, 2010 Sleep Debt | Sleep Deprivation. (2010, May 8). Google. Retrieved May 28, 2010 Sleep Disorder Types and Symptoms. (n.d.). Sleep-Deprivation.com. Retrieved May 28, 2010 Stages of Sleep. (n.d.). Sleepdex Resources for better sleep. Retrieved May 27, 2010 Taras, H. (n.d.). Poor Sleep, Poor Grades. The National Parenting Center. Retrieved May 27, 2010 Why Catching Up on Sleep Doesnt Work. (2007, July 24). Cure:Insomnia . Retrieved May 27, 2010 Why Sleep is Important and What Happens When We Dont Get Enough. (n.d.). American Psychological Association. Retrieved May 28, 2010 Appendix A Appendix B

Magic Trip: Ken Kesey’s Search for a Kool Place Essay example -- Film

â€Å"Magic Trip: Ken Kesey’s Search for a Kool Place† was written and directed by Alex Gibney and Alison Ellwood. The documentary is based on the words and recordings of Ken Kesey and the unseen footage from the 1964 cross country trip. The voiceover is done by Stanley Tucci. â€Å"Magic Trip† was produced by Will Clarke, Mr. Gibney and Alexandra Johnes and released by Magnolia Pictures. This documentary was compiled from home videos shot by Kesey and the Pranksters, which lends itself to a sense of authenticity because there are to actors trying to portray the Pranksters. This compilation of original footage shot by Ken Kesey and his friends, known as the Merry Pranksters, follows their cross country bus trip in 1964 from California to New York to see the World’s Fair. Besides Kesey, the most well-known Prankster was Neal Cassady, who was the inspiration for Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac’s â€Å"On the Road† and the driver for the first leg of the journey. The film begins with a short biography of Kesey, a writer known for his novels â€Å"One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest† and â€Å"Sometimes a Great Notion.† The Merry Pranksters are introduced by their nicknames. Stark Naked, Intrepid Traveler, Mal Function, Gretchen Fetchin, Generally Famished and Zonker, and Sometimes Missing, just to name a few. The film tells some of the stories behind the nicknames. On one of the Pranksters stops they accidentally left Babb behind. By the time they had realized he was missing Babb had hitchhiked and caught up to the bus, leading to the nickname of ‘Sometimes Missing’. ‘Generally Famished’ was given because as a pregnant woman, she was always hungry. ‘Zonker’ was named so because he always fell asleep before anything happened. The bus receives the moniker of ... ... me a lot of background information. However, I was unfamiliar with The Merry Pranksters’ trip across country. My reception of this film was so positive because of my knowledge, experiences and values. I have always enjoyed learning about the 1960’s and admired the political activism and change that occurred in that time period. I grew up in a very liberal home, where we were freely able to discuss controversial topics and form our own opinions. Works Cited "Magic Trip." Magic Trip. IMDb.com. Web. 01 Apr. 2012. . "Magic Trip." (Official Movie Site). Magnolia Pictures. Web. 01 Apr. 2012. . Magic Trip:Ken Kesey's Search for a Kool Place. Dir. Alison Ellwood and Alex Gibney. Prod. Will Clarke and Alexandra Johnes. Perf. Ken Kesey and Neal Cassady. Magnolia Pictures, 2011. DVD.

My Brain Tumor :: Personal Narrative Essays

My Brain Tumor "I am not an animal, I am a human being!" - The Elephant Man I am different, so accept me. Even though I have physical disabilities I am still a human being. When I was four I had a brain tumor. The surgery left me with a paralyzed arm, crossed eye and a deaf ear. To make matters worse, the paralyzed arm was also my writing hand and I had to learn to be right-handed. When I was transferred from North Shore Hospital to Rusk Institute for Rehabilitation in New York City, I learned to use a wheelchair and was fitted for a brace that extended from my hips to my ankles. After a year of that imprisonment, I started school. At school, I saw the other kids walking and I knew that I had to be able to walk also. My therapist, Phil Koch, gave me a walker and cut the bars that connected the brace to my hips to enable me to walk. Over the years, I became a rebel and often disagreed with my elders. If I didn't like something, I fought against it until I won. One example, when I started Stewart School, I had to wear a helmet for protection. I hated it because I knew I could walk without it. From second to fourth grade, I protested wearing the helmet. I kept fighting, but I knew I needed an event that would show others the injustice of having to wear a helmet. That occurred on my fourth grade field day. I was about to run the one hundred yard dash when my aide, Mr. Maddan, insisted we had to go inside to get my helmet. When I came back, the race was over and I was mad. I refused to participate in the rest of the events in protest. When I got home, I called my neighborhood friends and asked them to come over to help me destroy the helmet. For twenty minutes we played baseball with the helmet and my metal crutch. We simply destroyed it. Events like this helped me to show people that I can be normal. I'm now entering my tenth year since the surgery, but its effects still live on. After eleven surgeries, I still look strange and my walk is affected, but I always try to be normal.

The Electric Bass Essay -- Music

The creation of the electric bass, or an electric guitar envisioned double bass, has revolutionized the way music is both written and performed and will continue to be a driving force behind virtually every genre of music. Even though the electric bass* can be seen as a necessary creation in order to match the ever-increasing volume of live music, especially rock, it can also be viewed as a breath of fresh air and new outlook on acoustic instruments. The electric bass has both physically and functionally had an interesting development since its birth, but one thing for certain is that even trailing behind the electric guitar at first, this instrument has stepped away and cemented its place into music. Electric basses share some of the basic physical aspects of their acoustic brethren, the upright double bass, but also have their own defining characteristics that make the electric bass what it is. Generally speaking, an electric bass is composed of three major parts on which it is further subdivided: â€Å"You can divide the bass into three sections: The neck, the body, and the innards. The different parts of the neck and the body are easy to see, while the innards aren’t so obvious† (Pfeiffer, Patrick). Looking to the neck, one can see that there is actually at least four other important parts, those being: the headstock, tuning machines, nut, and fretboard. Their functions, respectively, are: to provide a spot to which the tuning machines can reside; tunes the strings up or down to achieve a particular pitch; keeps the strings held off of the fretboard and spaced evenly; the place in which you fret notes to be played. The body of the bass is where most of the reso nation will come from and the tonewood will dictate the overall char... ...layer and teacher based in Seattle, Washington† who set up the company Audiovox and produced the Model 736 Bass Fiddle around 1936. Its design consisted of â€Å"†¦a roughly guitar-shape walnut body, a single pickup and control knob on a pearloid pickguard, a neck with 16 frets, and a cord emerging from a jack on the upper side of the body† (Bacon 8-9). Tutmarc was the first to get almost everything right in designing an electric bass, but did not meet with good commercial sales. Then, in 1951 Leo Fender would set the standard for electric basses by introducing his Precision Bass to the world. Works Cited Bacon, Tony, and Barry Moorhouse. The Bass Book. New York: Backbeat, 1995. Print. Jeans, Sir James. Science & Music. Cambridge: University Press, 1953. Print. Pfeiffer, Patrick. Bass Guitar for Dummies. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing Inc, 2003. Print.

Vero Moda Marketing mix

VERO MODA was one of the first brands to launch within the Bestseller family. Today VERO MODA is one of the largest brands in the company. The vision of the brand was to fulfill a need for good quality, on-trend clothing at affordable prices. VERO MODA is the brand of choice for the fashion-conscious, independent young woman who wants to dress well and pay less. Today, VERO MODA has more than 1,000 stores in Europe, 1,600 stores in China, and experience rapid growth in both India and Canada. VERO MODA is represented in almost 45 countries. Vero moda has two in-house labels that specialize in a certain type of apparel that is-Y.A.S- The core collection is founded in our eternal passion for luxurious fabrics, contemporary shapes, modern lines, and refined silhouettes. Y.A.S stays true to its ethos, which is a design approach centered on well-crafted, feminine collections with a touch of edge and understated coolness. Noisy May is a team of passionate individuals bound together by their love for fashion and true denim.SEGMENT- Young adults, young independent women, fashion conscious women. Between the age group of 18-35TARGET- It targets the upper middle class and high class; with annual income of 5 lakhs and above.THE FOUR P’sPRODUCT Vero Moda has apparel, accessories and shoes.Women’s wearVero moda caters to the fashion loving populace.Vero Moda clothes follow the current fashion trends and patterns. The silhouettes are very feminine, stylish and semi-formal. It doesn’t give a casual look rather a very prim and proper feminine look and feel. Premium quality fabrics are used giving the products a very luxurious feel. The colours used by the brands are sober and sophisticated and then again they have a section with bright feminine colours. The colour pattern is also tweaked from time to time according to the season’s trends. It offers a wide range of sizes catering to all- from an XS to a XL.Accessories & shoes The accessories include w allets, scarfs, earrings, neck pieces and rings. The accessories are again quite feminine and complement their apparel range. Scarfs use a lot of trendy prints. The wallets and shoes use a lot of leather and sequins- Keeping the target audience in mind this is very apt as a young fashionable working women need both to go with their professional and social life.PRICEVero moda has placed itself has a affordable fashion brand for young independent women.The price ranges from Rs 400 to Rs 6000. Since the brand is providing good quality and follows current fashion trends , their customers don’t mind paying that extra bit. Vero Moda has a very niche and sophisticated feel to it which is also reflected through it clothes. But it’s pricing strategy is such that it should target the young independent women who are willing to look good but at affordable prices. Women today are smart and aware and look for the best deals. Thus Vero moda is giving them high quality fashion at an a ffordable price and service. The strategy is that the price should come as a pleasant surprise to its customers.The competitor brands are Zara, Mango, Chemistry. Zara and Chemistry are similarly priced whereas Mango is priced at a higher level.PLACEThe brand targets the fashion conscious independent women and the upper middle class and high class.By Place it means the distribution channel a company follows. Maximum distribution of its products is direct. The brand owns independent stores. Off late they have set up sections in other departmental store that share a similar design philosophy. The brand is placed in a mall or high street which is frequently visited by the target audience. Vero Moda has not restricted itself only to high street or exclusive malls as it talks about affordability and reaching the masses.PROMOTIONAbove the line- Vero Moda doesn’t have much of above the line promotion. It doesn’t have tv or radio commercials. Though it does promote itself quite a bit through print media; especially in fashion magazines. For new collection Vero Moda prints out catalogues which are circulated to frequent customers and given to any visitor who comes to the store..Below the Line-Vero Moda has its own active website which is regularly updated. It also conducts online competitions and other promotional activity. The brand sends out regular mails to its valued customers always keeping them in the loop. Thus maintaining a good customer base and trying to create a brand loyalty for itself.One of the most striking promotional activities is the window displays done by the brand. Its out of the box, trendy and very attractive. It speaks smartness, class, chic, sophistication.During sales they have special window displays and holdings. This makes more and more people aware about their ongoing sale.SWOT ANALYSIS:STRENGTH- Fashionable and trendy Affordable pricing Good quality Spacious stores Strong brand image Brand awareness WEEKNESS Not enough promot ion ( tv commercials, endorsements, ) Repetition and can get monotonous Narrow target audience ( only young women)OPPORTUNITIES To broaden target audience ( menswear, children) More commoditiesTHREATS Competitor brands Global brands Brands with better promotional strategies Better offers and pricing strategies.

Music Appreciation Unit One Lab Questions

1.Describe some of the influence of Latin music in the US in the early part of the twentieth century. In the early part of the twentieth century, Latin music influenced the creation of a new type of music, Afro-Cuban Jazz.2.What was the significance of â€Å"Machito and His Afro-Cubans†? â€Å"Machito and His Afro-Cubans† created the genre of Afro-Cuban Jazz and created a bridge between the two cultures, and found success with white people.3.How did Dizzy Gillespie incorporate Latin music into his music? Dizzy Gillespie invited a player from Cuba named Chano, and the two of them worked together.4.What was the Palladium?Palladium was located in mid-town Manhattan. It was a former dance studio, but it was transformed into the home of the Mambo.5.How did the television and films increase the exposure of the US to Latin music? The television and films increased the exposure of the US to Latin music, because it allowed the public to slowly become familiarized with it. Televi sion shows like â€Å"I Love Lucy† showed that white women and Cuban men could be together. Due to the fact that the men were Cuban, they also played their music on the show as well. 6.How did Latin music influence rock music?Latin music influenced rock music they both had the same chord progression, bass lines and rhythms. 7.Why do you think Latin music had such a great influence on the development of popular music? I believe that the reason why Latin Music had such a great influence on the development of popular music, is because it was new, and its upbeat rhythms made it easy to listen to and encouraged people to dance and have a great time. 8.Do you think that any of the music that you listen to has Latin influences? Why or why not? Yes, I do believe that Latin music has influenced the music I listen to. I listen to Latin artists such as Pitbull, and I enjoy his music very much. At the same time, I listen to a lot of upbeat rhythm songs that have somewhat of a Latin feel to them.

Total Quality Management Definitions

Total Quality Management is formally defined in BS 7850-1, paragraph 3. 1, as management philosophy and company practices that aim to harness the human and material resources of an organization in the most effective way to achieve the objectives of the organization. [3] Total quality management can be summarized as a management system for a customer-focused organization that involves all employees in continual improvement. It uses strategy, data, effective communications and involvment of all level employeess to integrate the quality discipline into the culture and activities of the organization. †¢Customer-focused. The customer ultimately determines the level of quality. No matter what an organization does to foster quality improvement—training employees, integrating quality into the design process, upgrading computers or software, or buying new measuring tools—the customer determines whether the efforts were worthwhile or not. Total employee involvement. All employees participate in working toward common goals. Total employee commitment can only be obtained after fear has been driven from the workplace, when empowerment has occurred, and management has provided the proper environment. High-performance work systems integrate continuous improvement efforts with normal business operations. Self-managed work teams are one form of empowerment. †¢Process-centered. A fundamental part of TQM is a focus on process thinking. A process is a series of steps that take inputs from suppliers (internal or external) and transforms them into outputs that are delivered to customers (again, either internal or external). The steps required to carry out the process are defined, and performance measures are continuously monitored in order to detect unexpected variations in the process. †¢Integrated system. Although an organization may consist of many different functional specialties often organized into vertically structured departments, it is the horizontal processes interconnecting these functions that are the focus of TQM. Micro-processes add up to larger processes, and all processes aggregate into the business processes required for defining and implementing strategy. Everyone must understand the vision, mission, and guiding principles as well as the quality policies, objectives, and critical processes of the organization. Business performance must be monitored and communicated continuously. ?An integrated b usiness system may be modeled after the Baldrige National Quality Program criteria and/or incorporate the ISO 9000 standards. Every organization has a unique work culture, and it is virtually impossible to achieve excellence in its products and services unless a good quality culture has been fostered where everyone works for the quality. Thus, an integrated system connects business improvement elements in an attempt to continually improve and exceed the expectations of customers, employees, and all other stakeholders. †¢Strategic and systematic approach. A critical part of the management of quality is the strategic and systematic approach to achieving an organization’s vision, mission, and goals. This process, called strategic planning or strategic management, includes the formulation of a strategic plan that integrates quality as a core component. †¢Continual improvement. A major thrust of TQM is continual process improvement. Continual improvement drives an organization to be both analytical and creative in finding ways to become more competitive and more effective at meeting stakeholder requirments and expectations. †¢ Fact-based decision making. In order to know how well an organization is performing, data on performance measures are necessary. TQM requires that an organization continually collect and analyze data in order to improve decision making accuracy, achieve consensus, and allow prediction based on past history. †¢Communications. During times of organizational change, as well as part of day-to-day operation, effective communications plays a large part in maintaining morale and in motivating employees at all levels. Communications involve strategies, method, and timeliness. These elements are considered so essential to TQM that many organizations define them, in some format, as a set of core values and principles on which the organization is to operate.

Coming Of Age Personal Essay Essay

Everybody experiences coming of age in their lifetime. Coming of age is the transition from childhood to adulthood. My coming of age started in the middle of my grade 8 year and has continued up until the present. So, for me coming of age has occurred from grades 8-10. The three steps that really defined my coming of age was my traveling to Europe, starting high school and getting my first job at Tim Horton’s. My first step in my coming of age was traveling to Europe with my aunt and uncle. Firstly, I was not with my parents which made me feel more self-reliant. This was my first time riding on a plane and traveling for more than a week without my parent so at the time it seemed like a big deal. I felt that because I was not being watched over as heavily, I was more responsible and was growing up. Secondly, I was starting to travel the world for the first time and it made me think of my future. It reminded me that when I was old enough, there were going to be endless possibilities to what I could accomplish and where I could go. This is definitely an important step in growing up. Realizing that you need to start preparing for your future and start to figure out what you want to do and where you want to go. Lastly, I made new older friends that made me feel like I was growing up and expanding my â€Å"bubble†. The people I met were older then I was and were so friendly. I felt more m ature around them. Meeting new people if all part of â€Å"coming of age†. This is why traveling to Europe was the first step for me to start maturing and to start coming of age. The second step I took towards my coming of age was when I started attending high school at Sir William Mulock Secondary School. Starting high school was a big change from elementary because there was a lot more responsibility. The teachers do not come after you for late assignments and there is a lot more homework that is necessary to complete. This helped me prepare myself for after high school when my employers will need me to show initiative when completing tasks. So therefore, this was a big step in my coming of age. Secondly, when you are in high school, authorities start to treat you as a mature young adult. This means that they have fast paced learning environments and expect you to show up for class. If you miss to many classes you will not pass the course. This taught me to push myself when I was tired or sick which is a big part of growing up. When you are an adult working full time, you can’t skip work when you aren’t feeling well. So for these reasons, starting high school was a big step in my coming of age. The last and most recent step towards my coming of age was starting my part time job at Tim Horton’s. Having this job as my first job was a big responsibility. In order to keep my job I had to show up on time, manage my extracurricular activities and homework around working, ask a lot of questions and deal with co-workers. This added responsibility helped me to start to understand what working will be like once I have graduated high school. Thinking ahead for the future and obtaining responsibility is part of coming of age. Also, for this job I had to learn many new skills. When you are starting a new job there are many techniques you have yet to master such as operating the cash register and making food/beverages as well as customer service skills. Learning all of this helped to me feel more mature and useful. Lastly, the job provided me with a steady flow of cash. Earning money was something that I had never experienced before and it gave me a good feeling. It made me self-r eliant , which is a big part of growing up. Having my own money and being able to spend it on what I want is also a test to see if I can make good decisions or not as well as teaching me money management. This is an important skill for when I have moved out. Therefore , getting my own job was the most recent step in my coming of age. So for these reason, I think that my coming of age happened over my grade 8-10 years. I am not done growing up yet, but the main events leading up to this day that have started my coming of age were my traveling to Europe, starting high school and getting my first job. There will be many more events in my future that will continue my coming of age in the future, but for now I am young and am excited for the growing that I still have to do.