Blood, Sweat, Tears and Oil: The mistreatment of the Ogoni People by R

Blood, Sweat, Tears and Oil The mistreatment of the Ogoni People by Royal Dutch Shelland the Nigerian organisationIntroductionNigeria, located in West Africa, is a densely populated nation of over 100 million people. Since the nations independence from Britain in 1960, the country has been in the hands of various leaders ranging from religious to staunchly militant. Nigeria is the sixth largest producer of crude oil in the world and it has one of the largest deposits of innate gas (Wiwa, 2001). Oil accounts for ninety five percent of Nigerias foreign exchange earning and one-fourth of the countrys Gross Domestic Product comes from oil. A large percentage of this oil is located in the Niger Delta.The Niger Delta, located in eastern Nigeria, is the third largest wet bring in the world covering 70,000 square kilometers and accounts for 7.5% of Nigerias land mass (www.nddconline.org). About twenty million of Nigerias one hundred million people reside in the Niger Delta and forty di fferent ethnic groups follow in the region. Oil development by large industries, such as Shell, and lack of support from the Nigerian government has left many people in the Niger Delta at a severe disadvantage. Most notably the Ogoni people, who are the minority in the region, have suffered from devastating ontogenesis. Oil was discovered in the Ogoni region in 1958 and after an estimated 900 million barrels with an estimated value of $30 billion were extracted in the area, there is very little to show for it in the Ogoni community. Economic loss, environmental loss, exploitation and murder are all direct consequences of the occupation of major oil companies, namely Shell, in the Ogoni region. This paper aims to bring to ... ...d. Austria OPEC Fund, 2003.Amanyie, Vincent. The Agony of the Ogoni in the Niger Delta A quality Study. Nigeria Horizon Concepts, 2001.Azaiki, Steve. Inequities in Nigerian Politics The Niger Delta, Resource Control, Underdevelopment and Yo uth Restiveness. Nigeria Treasure Books, 2003.Civil Liberties Organization. Ogoni Trials and Travails. Lagos, Nigeria Civil Liberties Organization, 1996.Douglas, Oronto and Ike Okonta. Where Vultures Feast Shell, Human Rights, and Oil in the Niger Delta. San Francisco Sierra unite Books, 2001.Niger Delta Development Commission. www.nddconline.orgWiwa, Diana. The Role of Women in the Struggle for Environmental Justice in Ogoni. Delta, No.3 , October 1997 11Wiwa, Ken. In the Shadow of a Saint A sons journey to understand his fathers legacy.Canada Alfred A. Knopf, 2001.

Engineering Technology: Revolutionized Essay -- Engineering

Advance, advance is the key word when describing the human race to farm that we are the superior race. Ever since the discoery of engineering science we have linked our minds together for the persistence of progress to modify the aspects all around us for the better. Its amazing that a simple interest in the beginning will change everything down to a distinct thought. History has proven that the steps previous in technology within engineering have grown larger and are concluded at a more rapid rate and with in the last twenty years. Such a large amount has improved so rapid as cities grow and technology advances, engineering is moving on with the tide. Engineers that grow and see their world of work improve every day because of certain advances in technology all depending on their field. This how engineering features evolved into what they are straight off from with in the last two decades and how the change will continue to advance as modern Technology embraces a post modern er a.Engineering has existed since the soonest times of culture and perhaps is one of the older lines of labor on e nontextual matterh (the earliest invention of engineering goes back as early as the invention of the wheel). Its extraordinary that we came so far since the discovery of the wheel, the technology that has been accomplished today just engulfs the minds of people. Everyday modern technology is taken over the minds of people and they continue to adapt to the modern changes with in the ever changing society. Through centuries there are trails left by ancient engineering and has differed from our technology today. Through the ancient era there has been astounding and un-answering feats of engineering. Like the great pyramids of Egypt and the great coliseums of Rome. The... ...his hands dirty and a female does not (a great physical exertion would be the nuclear 1950s era of the stay at home mom and the 9-5 dad). A main point to why females are not the ones discharge out and doing the labor is the perception of being feminine. Heres a quote that shows how much soul they take in their work. Engineering is the professional art of applying science to the optimum conversion of natural resources to the benefit of man. (smith)Works CitedScott, Henry. Engineering Quotes. BrainyQuotes. N.p., 01 Jan 2010. Web. 26 Mar 2010. .engineering. 15. 4. Chicago Britanica, 1986. PrintEngineering. encyclopedia Britanica. Britanica, 2010. Web. .Engineering and raw(a) Science managers. Ocupational Outlook Handbook. Indianapolas U.S. Department of Labor, 2005. Print.

Religions, Morals and Civilization Essay -- religious beliefs

Religions, Morals and CivilizationSince the dawn of man, people behave had their proclaim forms of religion. Beit simple ceremonial burial or complex blessing rituals, from each one person had theirown way to explain the wonders of nature like, how did we come here and what ourpurpose here was. An new(prenominal) thing that each individual person had was their own ethics. Morals are what define a purification. Labels like peaceful or barbaricare put on different civilizations because of their morals. The morality ofeach civilization defined their religious beliefs.The lives of people who lived in the early ancient history time periodwere tough. They had to roam the land always looking for new plot to hunt andplants and berries to gather. The people werent united because of all thistraveling, and therefore contact with other people was minimal. Morals are hardto develop without much contact with other people and so the religion of theseearly people was minimal. Then came the de velopment of farming into this timeperiod. Farming brought the people together. Small cities began to developbecause the people didnt have to move around as much. With all this closeness,the people developed moral views on what to think about thieves or murderers.If certain civilizations didnt mind violence and killing, so they developedinto a Brutal civilization. Consequently, the religions of these civilizationswere evolved around sacrificial rituals and allegiance to brutal gods. TheAssyrian civilization worked around this principle. They used scare tactics toovercome their enemies and treated their captives badly. They alike believed inpowerful gods who they feared. If certain civilizations became peaceful, thentheir religion reflected their peaceful nature and didnt have things likesacrifices. The people in peaceful civilizations believed in their religionbecause they cherished to not because they were afraid to. A good example of thisis the Hebrews. The Hebrews were a peace ful people who disliked violence.Because of this peaceful nature, their religion taught values like brotherhood,charity, human dignity, and universal proposition peace. Violent cultures cause violentreligions and peaceful cultures create peaceful religionThe Greeks were a peaceful civilization. They believed in the idea ofdemocracy and they strongly believed in philos... ...nce and universe different. It isnt a coincidence that their religioncontains many different gods each with its own personality and skills, likehumans. The Roman culture dealt with so many different cultures, that itsmorals were frequently changing. The Romans changed their religion three times.During the Middle Ages, there was a decline of intelligence, cleanliness, andoverall morals. The church became the tax collection agency, the hospital, andthe school, which is a direct correlation in the midst of the decline in morals. So theincrease in power of the church in the Middle Ages was because of a change inm orals. The Renaissance was a rebirth of ideas and morality. These changes hadthe greatest effect on the church, which had grown strong in the Middle Ages.The peoples changing morals forced them to adopt new religions like Luthernismand Protestantism. Morals are what define a human being. They become presentin every part of life, especially religion. Because civilization is moving sofast forward, peoples morals are changing rapidly too. When peoples moralschange, it changes their whole life. That is why there have been so manydifferent religions in the past.

Huck Finn :: essays papers

Huck FinnThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a well acclaimed book, written byMark Twain. It was written from 1876-1883, just the story itself is supposed tohave taken place some forty to fifty years earlier, back in the era of sla precise. The setting for this book is very similar to the place where Twain grew up. Hewas raised in Hannibal, Missouri, but changed the name to St. Petersburg for thestory. This town was situated right along the Mississippi river which plays a verysignificant role in the tale. Each character in the novel exhibits a certainpersonality. Personalities of which Twain encountered while being a river boat buff for four years. The narrator is actually Huck Finn himself. Chapter one introduces Huck Finn and the reader gets to know what he islike. At fist glance he may be to be only an out of control teenager, butthere he is in fact a very dynamic character, just wait until things put down to unfold. Huck yearns to be free from all authority. His guardian , Widow Douglas, isconstantly nagging him to be sivilized, but this seems to go one ear and out theother. He enjoys smoking, cursing, hunting and fishing. But she would ratherthat he learn to be polite and go to school. The reader also sees in this chapterthat Huck is superstitious. This occurs when he accidentally kills a spider, whichsupposedly brings bad luck. The chapter ends when he hears something in thetree outside his bedroom.... Chapter two introduces Hucks best friend, TomSawyer. They both sneak out together, almost get caught by Jim, theWidowers slave. But they weasel their way out of it by pulling a trick on him. Which provides Jim with another bizarre story to tell, he always stretches thetruth. Both Tom Sawyer and Huck share the same love for adventure and havegreat imaginations. For instance, they begin to create a visualize to start a band ofrobbers. Tom pulls his knowledge of robbers from books he has read, so theplan ends up quite extreme. He wants all of the robbers to actually kill the populate they rob, just because he read it in a book. Huck is definitely morerealistic than his friend and backs out of it. During chapter three we find thatHuck has been encyclopedism how to read and write. And he also begins to see signsof his Paps return. His pap is the town drunk, who just wanders around looking

Blood Brothers :: Drama

Blood Brothers1. On stage left-hand(a) were the posh houses where Edward lived, on stageright were the council houses that Mickey and his family lived in. Upstage centre was a brick wall with a painted goalpost, lots ofgraffiti. The piece of graffiti that stood out the most was the wordEverton. Upstage right was a large alleyway. On both stage leftand stage right in between the houses were smaller alleyways.2. Mickey- Young Linda-Teen Large sleeveless V-neck Pullover Short Black skirt Very dirty uncontaminating plimsolls High heeled black stilettos Large dirty shorts- falling down. Blond hair- worn in a high ponytail. Black socks White shirt, couple of buttons undone bring out stomach and cleavage (just). Grubby white shirt (short sleeved under green pullover) Dirty knees, face, hands and arms. Shirt tied at bottom Dark, messy hair.3. The childhood scenes were made realistic by the costumes thechildren wore. For example Linda wore a girly dress and wore her hairin pigtails. The voices also made these scenes realistic because themales made their voices higher. The scenes were made facetious by thegames they played and how excitable they were.4. One of the actors performances I enjoyed was that of Sammy becausehe was a troublemaker. His performance was made effective by thesneaky office he had and the tough loud voice he used, this createdthe impression he had a lot of power over people and was in charge,but was neer going to be punished for his actions. He only lookedout for himself and seemed not to care for anybody else even hisbrother. Another actor I enjoyed watching was Mickey because he started offbeing a strong, fun, helpful character and ended up being avulnerable, self-hating character. This made me feel sorry for him. Mickey ended up getting his brother and himself killed. He gave theimpression of needing stability in his life.5. I think the narrators role was many different things. He was the vote counter he was also the characters conscie nce for good andevil. He looked over the characters. The narrator was also aforewarning to us of what is to happen.6. I think the playwright managed the pathos, finished the action andfinal song Tell me its not true this causes the audience to feel

Blood Brothers :: Drama

Blood Brothers1. On exemplify left were the posh houses where Edward lived, on stageright were the council houses that paddy field and his family lived in. Upstage centre was a brick rampart with a painted goalpost, lots ofgraffiti. The piece of graffiti that stood out the most was the wordEverton. Upstage right was a large alleyway. On both stage leftand stage right in between the houses were smaller alleyways.2. Mickey- Young Linda-Teen Large sleeveless V-neck Pullover Short Black skirt Very repelling white plimsolls High heeled black stilettos Large dirty shorts- falling down. Blond hair- worn in a high ponytail. Black socks White shirt, couple of just nowtons undo revealing stomach and cleavage (just). Grubby white shirt (short sleeved under green pullover) Dirty knees, face, hands and arms. Shirt tied at pot Dark, messy hair.3. The childhood scenes were make realistic by the costumes thechildren wore. For example Linda wore a girly dress and wore her hairin pigtails. The voices also made these scenes realistic because themales made their voices higher. The scenes were made humorous by thegames they played and how excitable they were.4. One of the actors performances I enjoyed was that of Sammy becausehe was a troublemaker. His performance was made effective by the sneak(a) attitude he had and the tough loud voice he used, this createdthe impression he had a lot of power over people and was in charge,but was never going to be punished for his actions. He only lookedout for himself and seemed not to care for anybody else even hisbrother. Another actor I enjoyed watching was Mickey because he started offbeing a strong, fun, helpful character and end up being avulnerable, self-hating character. This made me feel sorry for him. Mickey ended up getting his brother and himself killed. He gave theimpression of needing stability in his life.5. I think the narrators role was many different things. He was thestoryteller he was also the characters conscienc e for good andevil. He looked over the characters. The narrator was also aforewarning to us of what is to happen.6. I think the playwright managed the pathos, through the action andfinal song Tell me its not true this causes the audience to feel

Reflection on Placebo Effect Essay

Does a Supportive Patient-Therapist Relationship Enhance Clinical Improvement?Kaptchuk (2008), Components of Placebo raise Randomised Controlled Trial in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. (PRO)Argument 1 Kaptchuk (2008) suggested that placebo effects (non-specific effects) include three components a patients response to reflexion and assessment, the patients response to the administration of placebo treatment, and the patients response to the patient-practitioner interaction. Kaptchuk (2008) found that the symptoms of IBS patients in the control with placebo treatment and supportive patient-therapist relationship ameliorated the most crosswise all measures comp ared to patients with having only observation and the patients with only placebo treatment. Thus he claimed that a supportive patient-therapist relationship is the most potent component of placebo effects.Argument 2 subsequentlywards three and six weeks, only in the condition with placebo treatment and supportive pa tient-therapist relationship, the symptom severity score of 60% patients decreased 50. Also Kaptchuk (2008) found that after six weeks, the change in life quality of patient in condition with only observation and the life quality of patient in condition with placebo treatment was similar, but the life quality change of patient with placebo treatment and supportive patient-therapist relationship was observable. So Kaptchuk (2008) suggested that a supportive patient-therapist relationship can rear clinical improvement.Argument 3 Kaptchuk (2008) also compared these IBS patients to the patients who received IBS drug treatment. He found that the patients with placebo treatment and supportive relationship had comparable symptom relief as those who with drug treatment. His finding was only applied to IBS patients with supportive patient-therapist relationship, thus he indicated that a supportive patient-therapist relationship could enhance the efficiency of clinical treatment.Critique (or Strength) The gist of the study done by Kaptchuk (2008) clearly demonstrated the importance of supportive patient-therapist relationship in medical treatment. However, Kaptchuk conducted the study on IBS patients, because he believed that placebo effects are most likely to be demonstrable in disorders defined by subjective symptoms. As Kaptchuk (2008) stated in limitation that he did not have it off if his finding could be applied to otherwise illnesses, I also think that if Kaptchuk conducted his study on patients with the disease that has external causes, the results will be more convincing. iodine of important causes of IBS is stress, a subjective etiology. Thus a supportive patient-therapist relationship may have greater influence on IBS patient than the patient with other diseases, like flu.

Business Model Yum Brands

YUM Inc Internal Analysis The Strategic Management Process REPORT NUMBER 2 week 2 CBL GROUP AND SUB-GROUP I3SHM Group A DECLARATION 1. This work is composed by me / by us. 2. This work has not been accepted in any former application for a academic degree or diploma, by me / by us or anyone else. 3. The work of which this is a record is done wholly by me / by us. 4. All verbatim extracts have been distinguished by quotation marks and the sources of my information have been specific ally acknowledged. Signatures Date.. Submitted in Partial Fulfilment for the Requirements of the degree Programme Bachelor of Business AdministrationNovember, 2012 Table of Contents Introduction3 Chapter 1 Business Model, Vision, Mission, Goals and Strategies3 Concept Definitions3 Yum Inc Evaluation3 Yum Inc Correlation Business Strategies and Current Business Model4 Chapter 2 Yum Inc Financial Analysis6 Chapter 3 Weaknesses and/or Competitive Liabilities8 Chapter 4 Internal Factor Analysis8 Reference Li st12 Introduction An internal organizational analysis aims to investigate a partnerships p arntage model, its mission, tidy sum, goals, preferences, competencies and undertaken strategies to compete on the market.It gives an all overview of the organizations strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and consequently threats. By conducting a proper internal analysis a association tush identify its competitive advantage over its rivals and put on the outcomes to derive new scope of strategies and possibly legally direct the organization on the long run. There are several major and polar areas companies audit internally, that is to say organizations value chain, cultural web, business model, capabilities assessment.After conducting such analysis companies identify possible areas where immediate action is needed for improvement, its threshold capabilities, core competencies by which they gain competitive advantage. Essentially, organizations stomach decide which resources and ac tivities are of monumental importance to the companion and must be kept internally and which can be outsourced. Additionally, possible strategies for the future can be established. However, the internal analysis cannot solely be a ground for new strategies, an organization has to conduct an external analysis in advance forming its final strategies. (Johnson & Scoles, 2008).Chapter 1 Business Model, Vision, Mission, Goals and Strategies Concept Definitions Before analyzing Yum Inc, several creations have to be defined. Firstly, Business Model refers to all products, services and information an organization owns and how they p aim between participating parties. Vision refers to what an organization aspires to become in the future. A Mission statement captures the emblematic purpose of an organization to conduct business in line with the values of its stakeholders. Organizational goals are general statements for aims and purposes whereas objectives are narrowed down to quantifiab le results.Finally, organizational strategies are its long-term directions. (Johnson&Scoles,2008). Yum Brands, Inc Evaluation Yum Brands, Inc is a global operator of licencees and licensees a chain eating place fire mails give care KFC, pizza shack, and Taco Bell. The business model of Yum Brands, Inc will be analyzed by the use of study Model further in this chapter. According to the one-year Report (AR) 2011, the smart sets Mission Statement is implied under its future-back mess statement Be The Defining Global Company that Feeds the World. Moreover, its Vision Statement is Be the Best in The World at structure Great eatery Brands.After a deeper analysis of the company, it has been identified that Yum Brands, Inc has the following core business related long-term goals 1. Build leading stains in mainland China in every significant category 2. sweat aggressive international expansion and general anatomy strong swords everywhere 3. Dramatically improve U. S. brand pos itions, consistency in returns 4. Drive labor leading, long-term shareholder and franchise value. (Yum, annual Report, 2011). According to the Chief Sustain mogul Office CSO, Roger McClendon, Yum Brands want to establish and align global goals to improve the economy of restaurant.Yum Brands global first step goals for sustainability are 1. Reduce global energy consumption by 10% by 2015 2. Reduce global water consumption by 10% by 2015 3. Develop 5 LEED certifiable restaurant standards across China, India, United States of America and Yum Restaurants International (YRI) business divisions by 2012 4. Elevate Yum packaging vision into actionable brand goals leveraging Yum packaging guidelines. (Source www. yum. com/csr/environment) Next to that Yum Brands, Inc has formed its values which direct the companies strategical actions, viz. 1. Believe in People 2. Be Restaurant and customer Maniacs 3.Recognize 3. Go for Breakthrough 4. Build Know How 5. Take the Hill Teamwork Yum Brand s, Inc, further referred to as the company or Yum within this piece of music has taken different strategies to touch its main long-term goals. The strategies will be outlined in correlation with the business model. Yum Brands, Inc Correlation Business Strategies and Current Business Model The CEO and professorship of Yum Brands, Inc shares the fairly simple business model of Yum. The main focus of the company is reducing company possession in postgraduately pe lollyrated markets meanwhile increasing photograph in emerging and under-penetrated markets.Moreover, the life-sizedst fast victuals franchiser continues with its refranchising program in the States, aiming to retain 5% ownership of KFC and Pizza chantey. The business model of Yum Brands, Inc is analyzed by the Canvas Business Model, (Oosterwalder, 2010) see fig. 1 Fig. 1 Canvass Business Model Yum Brands, Inc has three main markets from which it generates r heretoforeues, namely the USA, China and Yum Internatianonal Restaurants. Within those markets, the company creates value for diverse sub markets by diversifying and customizing within the fast forage market through different restaurant concepts.Moreover, the channels through which it reaches those markets are via own channels-direct, namely in-house gross revenue, liquid ordering system for Pizza Hut in the States. This is sooner costly action mechanism for the company, except it has a high profit margins. Moreover, in 2011, Yum participated in an Annual World Hunger Relief campaign with the use of Christina Aguilera voice for good in the cause against hunger (www. fromhungertohope. com). This is an example of the cognizance Channel Phase as explained by Osterwalder, 2011. Christina Aguileras person-to-personity world recognition and the Campaigns awareness to create awareness for the Yum Brands, Inc.With regard to the customer relationship, the company serves its customers via personal service, self-service. The personal service is based on the fact that customers are world helped via the bargain for process on the points of sales. In addition to that, in order to continue undefeated trading operations within the quick service restaurant sector, Yum has several key partners, subcontractors- franchisees and licensees through which the company exposes its products. Moreover, the companys main supplier is Unified FoodService chicken coop LLC, an American company which twirls lowest store-delivered prices for restaurant products (Yum, Annual Report, 2011).Another key partner of Yum is McLane Company, Inc. distri justor for concept-owned restaurants and for many of the franchisee and licensee restaurants. Finally, there is a Syndicated creditor, consisting of 24 banks which offers a financias support for the company- 1. 15 bln USD. International partners such as in Russia with Rostiks KFC are likewise of significant importance to the company. In order to effectively, deliver its value proposition to cust omers, namely high product tonus, speed service, high character reference ingredients, variety of unique products, competitive prices, consistent product quality, the company operates with few key resources.The company operates an effective dispersal system- Yum Brands, Inc owns their local, sectional and also global distri simplyion system. Additionally, the company owns, franchises and licenses, as a consequence, there are financial resources coming in within the company in form of royalty fees and sales. Another, key resource for the company are its restaurant concept Patents and Trademarks and so on KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell etc. Brand Power, alike(p) and formalized restaurant operations practices which give the company the ability to offer consistent service.Finally, the research & development c calculates and the overall diversified product portfolio are other key company resources. The key activity in which the company engages is sales of food within the quick service restaurants sector by franchising, licensing and owning own properties. This is related to the production of fast food. Finally, the main revenue generating streams are the three main markets from which the company derives its financial resources, the USA, China and the Yum International Restaurants and the offer of dine-in, dine-out, drive through and home delivery food via franchise, license agreements and own properties.The main strategy of Yum to succeed in the fast food market is by undertaking Cost Driven strategy. By delivering a customized service to the Chinese, American and International market the company targets at the average income market by crack relatively law priced products which fit into the budget of a wide market. Since, it does not necessarily focus on the value-proposition like exclusive products do yet rather on cost-saving. Yum achieves this via economies of scale and economies of scope. To conclude, Yum operates with cost-driven cost structure.This busine ss model can clearly be linked to the undertaken strategies by Yum. One of the company aims to enter emerging under-penetrated markets like China and increase leadership position and strengthen operational model. This has been achieved by the strategy of buying the Chinese Hot Pot concept restaurant elfin Sheep Company and developing a tailored local quick service restaurant chain East Dawning. This actions fit into the companys value proposition- food diversity, variety of products, speed service, tailored products as they all belong to the quick service restaurant category.Next to that, the strategy of East Dawning is to strategy is to offer awesome variety and refresh poster 24% twice/year which also fits to companys value proposition. In addition, the company owns their local, regional and global diffusion system and this fits to their long term goal to turn out internationally but also with their cost structures and cost-driven strategy. Moreover, the ownership of distribu tion system gives the company a strong competitive advantage. Finally, these strategies fit into the companys business model by segregating the market and still pass products on competitive prices.Internationally, the company took the strategy to enter Russian, Indian and African market. In Russia acquisition of Rostiks- chicken company. Growth in Africa is worked by the rise of 656 stores in SA, entry in Zambia, Ghana, Kenya. In India the company entered the market with 101 restaurants in 2011. In follow 900 restaurants were added in 2011 in the International Division. International Divisions Operating salary grew with 12%. These strategies re in line with the business model for generating revenues via three main areas, the USA, China, and International Division.Moreover, all those strategies to expand are connected to the companys key activity and also value proposition. Next to that, the company aimed at improving brand position in the States. One of the strategies to achiv e this was transforming Pizza Hut to Pizza, Pasta and wings. Moreover, Pizz Hut improved its service by Heart of the Hut program which also added value to the hospitality of the chain. Moreover, the KFC kicked off a nation-wide campaign with value menu 3. 99 USD 2 peace meal, 2 side dishes and biscuit. This has been as a result of investment in operations, make it more contemporary.Additionally, Taco Bell introduced its First Meal Strategy- launched breakfast in 800 restaurant- opening earlier than before at 9am and introducing theu Launche Doritos Lotos Taco, which became a huge success- famous Nacho Cheese Doritos. The above mentioned strategies, go in line Yums business model value proposition- speed service, product quality key partners- continue operations with franchisees and licensees key activities- continue playing on the Quick Service Restaurant Market by the use of companys key resources- rely on own patented brands, use the standardized operations to offer consistent service.Another, strategy Yum took in the USA was to increase operation audits in franchise field support which also was in amity to their business model to offer quality products and consistent service. Another strategy to improve the USA brand position was to reduce company ownership of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell from 13% to 8% in the domestic market in order to increase franchise fees, reduce operating expenses and capital expenditures- cost-driven company. withstand but not least, the company has decided to reduce Taco Bell self-control from 23% to 16% over the next 2 years and sold keen-sighted John Silvers A&W All American Restaurants in order to meet its last long-term goal, namely Drive Industry Leading, long term Shareholder & Franchise Value and retain 5% ownership of Pizza Hut and KFC. To conclude, according to the Yum Brands annual report 2011 (annual report 2011), the success of Yum Brands in executing these strategies has driven the organizations return on invested c apital over 22. 00% in top with the application leaders. The organization generated over $2. 000. 000. 00,00 dollars capital from the operations in 2011. The company is lucky to have global opportunities to invest in for the future growth. Furthermore, the organization owns and operate the distribution system the restaurants in China. This strategy provides a significant competitive advantage. This way China will have an economy growth and achieve a population of 1. 300. 000. 000,00. Yum Brands will rapidly adding KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants, this way the organization will test the additional restaurants concepts. The concepts of KFC and Pizza Hut are (for example) Pizza Hut pizza delivery and East Dawning, which is Chinese food. Yum Brands, Inc Annual Report, 2011). Chapter 2 Yum Brands, Inc Financial Analysis In this chapter the financial performances of Yum are being analyzed. Within the first part of this chapter the balance sheet and the income statement are being analyzed . This analysis is being conducted with the help of horizontal and vertical analysis. Within the southward part of this chapter the key performance indicators will be analyzed and compared with industry averages. 2. 1. 1 Income statement The fundamental revenue of Yum increased from $10. 836 million in 2009 to $12. 626 million in 2011. This is an increase of 16%. 6% of the primitive revenue is the income from restaurant sales and 14% is the income of franchise fees. The distribution of the revenue is more or less the same as previous years. From this it can be concluded that, although Yum is expanding their franchises, the most grand form of revenue still comes from restaurant sales. Although the revenue increased with 16% from 2009 till 2011, also the total be increased with 16%. The total cost re layed 85% of the total revenue. This figure is more or less the same in 2009 and 2010. The largest cost account is the use of food and paper. This account represents 29% of the total revenue.The food costs in the hospitality industry is on average 33% of the total revenue (Cote, 2006) Yum is doing quite well with managing their food costs. The salaries represent 19% of the total revenue. Considered that on average within the hospitality industry employee wages represent 33% of the total revenue, Yum is managing their employee costs very well. (Yum, 2010) (Yum, 2011) 2. 1. 2 parallelism sheet The most noticeable when feel at the horizontal analysis of the balance sheet is the huge increase in the cash and cash equivalent account. The cash increased from $353 million in 2009 to $1198 million in 2011.This is an increase 239. 38% . In 2009 the cash account represented 4. 94% of the total assets, in 2011 this account represented 13. 56% of the total assets. The shareholder equity also increased significantly. The shareholder equity increased with 177%. This can be explained by the fact that Yum sold shares. Additionaly, the increase in cash of the company can be explained by the facts that they sold Long John Sylver A&W All American Food Restaurants. Furthermore the short-term borrowings increased significantly. From 2009 till 2010 this account increased with 1140,68%. However in 2011 this account is reduced slightly.In 2011 the increase in comparison with 2009 is 542%. In 2009 the short-term borrowings represented 0,83% of the total liabilities, in 2010 this was 8. 09% and in 2011 3. 62%. This can be explained by their pursuit of growth strategy- taking over of the Little Sheep Company, opening East Dawning Restaurant in China. The inventory has also increased with 223%. This can be explained by the fact that expansion results in more inventory. The cash and cash equivalents account do not only represent hard cash but it also represents funds which are temporary invested in short-term, high liquidity debt securities.The cash account increased because of the increase of the shareholders equity. The shareholder equity increased with 177% bec ause of the issuing new stock. Finally the retained earnings increased significantly. In 2009 this account was $996 million, in 2011 this was $2052 Million. That is an increase of 106%. In 2009 the retained earnings represented 13. 93% of the total liabilities, in 2010 it was 20. 65% and in 2011 the account represented 23. 23% of the total liabilities. Yum is saving money which originally was reserved as dividend payments.Yum is saving their money probably for investments and expansions otherwise the shareholders would not agree by the fact that they are not getting paid all their dividends. (Yum, 2010) (Yum, 2011) 2. 2 Ratio analysis Within this part several ratios of the past 3 years will be calculated and analyzed. Current ratio The current ratio measures the relation between the current assets and the current liabilities. Year Current ratio 2009 0. 73 2010 0. 94 2011 0. 95 Table 1 Current ratio From the above given figures one can conclude that Yum has a shortage of $0. 05 in 20 11. However this does not inwardness that Yum is financially unhealthy.In general the current ratio should be well-nigh 1. According to Schmidgall, 2006 different parties are enkindle in different current ratios. Creditors normally favour a high current ratio as this insures that they are getting paid. Owners and stockholders generally prefer a lower current ratio. Stockholders are mainly interested in profits and according to them investments in most current assets are less productive than investments in noncurrent assets. (Schmidgall, 2006) (Yum, 2010) (Yum, 2011) Solvency The solvency ratio measures the relation between total assets and the total liabilities. Year. Solvency ratio. 2009 1. 18 2010 1. 25 2011 1. 28 Table 2 Solvency In 2009 Yum had a solvency ratio of 1,18. This means that for every dollar of debt they had $1,18 of assets. In 2010 they increased their solvency to $1,25 and in 2011 it increased to $1,28. It can be concluded that Yum is solvent, their assets excee d their debts. (Yum, 2010) (Yum, 2011) Profitability Hospitality enterprises are often evaluated in terms of their ability to generate profits on sales (Schmidgall, 2006, p. 225) Year Profit Margin Yum Profit Margin McDonalds 2009 9. 88% 20% 2010 10. 21% 20. 54% 2011 10. 4% 20. 37% Table 3 Profit margin In 2011 Yum had a profit margin of 10,44%. This means that for every dollar of revenue the gain 10,44 cents of profit. The average profit margin of the whole restaurant industry is around 5%. Compared with the whole restaurant industry yum has a strong profit margin. However when a comparison is being made with a top competitor, yum has a weak profit margin. As can be seen in table 3, McDonalds has almost the double profit margin of yum. Thus from these figures it can be concluded that yum has a weak profit margin compared with their top competitor McDonalds. Yum, 2010) (Yum, 2011) (Yahoo finance, 2012) (Stock analysis) collapse on Assets The ROA ratio measures the profitability of a companys assets. Year ROA Yum ROA McDonalds 2009 15. 62% 15,06% 2010 15. 30% 15,47% 2011 15. 58% 16. 68% Table 4 Return on Assets Within the restaurant industry the average ROA lays around 8%. The ROA of Yum is around 15,5%. Compared with the total industry yum has a strong ROA. When the ROA of Yum is being compared with the ROA of McDonalds, the conclusion remains the same, Yum has a strong return on assets. Yahoo finance, 2012) (Yum, 2010) (Yum, 2011) (Stock analysis) To conclude it can be said that yum is a financially healthy company. Although the world wide credit crunch Yum is still able to increase their revenues. Comparison of the ratios with industry averages shows that Yum is doing well. Their debts do not exceed their assets. There is still room for an improvement of their profit margin. Compared with the industry average they have a strong profit margin however in comparison with their top competitor their profit margin is quite weak. Chapter 3 Weaknesses and/or Compet itive Liabilities 1.Resources and Capabilities Evaluation 2. Evaluations of Factors Depriving Yum Inc from Effective market Competition The evaluation of the resources and capabilities, and factors which might be preventing the raft from competing effectively will be outlined with the help of a SWOT analysis. This technique will be used, because it gives the ability to present the resources and capabilities into strengths, and the factors which might be preventing the corporation from effective competence can be divided into weaknesses. However, since Threats and Opportunities part will be elaborated on in each week Report 3 Strengths Weaknesses Leading market position built on a portfolio of strong brands with high level of consumer acceptance * Different store concepts cater to a diverse customer base * Strong balance sheet and cash flows even in tough economic and macro environment * leaders position in China and other emerging markets * Human Resource Policies- area coaches * Support by syndicated credit facility * Research & Development Centers * Ownership of distribution systems * * Drop in performance within the domestic market * Lawsuits Bad Publicity * Heavily dependent on Chinese geographic region * Internal brand competition * Higher loan interest rate than the LIBOR- London Interbank Offered Rate- 0. 25-1. 25% higher. * Brand Reputation dependent on Franchisees Strengths With more than 37,000 outlets in 120 countries worldwide, Yum Brands, has earned the title of a leading global quick service restaurant corporation with high level of consumer acceptance and brand recognition. The corporation consist of three main brands, namely KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. The big amount of units all over the world is a valuable resource, but this is not enough to guarantee a classifiable expertness.With the effective interception of the sales and marketing operational area, all those restaurants are promoted effectively and with heavy investments in bra nd promotion, the position of it, in the mind of the customers, has been changed to the point, that Yum Brands is recognized as one of the best global brands with a leading market position within the industry. The promotion effectualness is present by the fact that KFC is the leader within US chicken QSR segment with 39% market share, which is 2 times higher than the results from its closest competitor on a national level. In addition to that Pizza Hut is also the leader in the US pizza QSR segment, with 15% market share. Last but not least Taco Bell is also the leader in the US Mexican QSR segment, with 50% market share.The sales and marketing functional area is not the only one responsible for this results. In addition to it the operations management team and all international and regional managers, are alter to the constant delivery of high quality, which will guarantee customer satisfaction and acceptance. From the fact that Yum Brands has a leading market position as a second main resource, two main capabilities can be derived as well the ability of significant bargaining power and the capability to grow financially. Furthermore, the companys strong brand value, facilitates customer recall and allows Yum Brands to penetrate new markets as well as consolidate its presence in the existing ones.The second strength can be divided into one resource and one capability. The resource is that the brand has three different restaurant concepts and every one of them has a set of unique food products, which can be customized additionally on their own as well. For example KFC, offers fried and non-fried chicken-on-the-bone products, while international outlets offer menus, which include side items, which are in line with the local customer demands. Pizza Hut for example is specializing in the sale of ready-to-eat pizza products, but there are restaurants, which are also offering breadsticks, pasta, salads, sandwiches and pizza souses, which are also suited to the lo cal markets.Taco Bell is a small exception, since it specializes only in Mexican-style food products, but the diversification comes from the fact that all products like tacos, burritos, gorditas, chalupas, quesadillas, salads, nachos and other related items can be customized on their own. This resource leads to the capability of having the opportunity to provide products, which will attract a large occur of diverse market segments. Not only by differentiation of the products but also by the differentiation of the locations the three different concepts within Yum Brands can develop, operate, franchise and license an international chain of two traditional and non-traditional QSR restaurants.For example the traditional ones offer dine-in, carryout and often, drive-thru or delivery services, while the non-traditional restaurants are typically licensed outlets that include express units and kiosks with a limited menus and most of the time operate in locations, which are not traditional like malls, airports, gas stations, stratagem stores, stadiums, amusement parks and colleges. The diversification of the company products into three different brands, which outlets are also positioned in relation to the profile of the different consumers they serve, Yum Brands is transforming its existing resources into a distinctive capability. Even though there are economic and macro- environmental difficulties in the world, Yum Brands is continuously growing. Its financial performance is outstanding, since the companys outlets have record net income of $1. billion and over $2 billion in cash from its operations, which is 0. 3 billion more in comparison to 2011. In addition to that there is a 14% increase in the Earnings Per Share, and 7% system sales growth. The company maintains its position of industry leader in USA with Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) of more than 20%, and in addition to that the company has also increased its number of restaurants with more than 1,561. Th is increase with more than 1,000 new restaurants is also continuous happening already 11 years. The stable growth of units gives the corporation a title among the other US competitors as the number one retail developer of units outside the US.The capability of delivering constant strong results, which contributes to the plans for growth, provide a significant competitive advantage and distinctive capability, despite the difficult economic situation. Building a leadership position in China and other developing markets, should be considered as a strength, since this will help the corporation to develop even stronger brand image around the world. In addition to that, if the food concepts continue to be popular within the market, this will generate constant profit and ability to grow even further. This strength is also in line with the already mentioned strategy of expansion of the business in emerging and low-penetrated markets. For example over half(prenominal) of the operating profi t of the company is generated in China and 72 other emerging countries.The actual aim of the company is to reach 85% global sales in comparison with only 15% in their local market until 2015. Within China all brands are growing with more than 656 new restaurants. Their polity to have leading brands in every significant category also has led to the acquisition of Little Sheep- a leading casual dining concept in China. Except this developing market, 3 more markets are strategically targeted. In India the managers are implementing all key elements, which drove the enormous success in China. The efforts in the arcminute are concentrated on building a strong base of restaurants, which will generate significant part of their future profits.In the moment in India there are more than 220 KFCs and 170 Pizza Hut restaurants and Taco Bell also has just entered the market in to develop the brand into their third international known brand. Russia is also considered to be one of the growing mar ket potentials for Yum Brand. Within this market there is a severe competition with McDonalds, but the company still expects high profits and return on investment. In order to do that the company started to expand by re-branding Rostiks-KFC to stand alone as KFC, which will lead to more brand recognition and customer retention. The last market, in which Yum, is aiming to become a leader is Africa. This already has started by the building of 656 stores in South Africa during 2011, and the building of outlets also in countries like Zambia, Ghana and Kenya.The plan is also to enter 7 new countries by the end of 2012, which will perceive in total 20 African countries. The resource of having so many outlets worldwide and creating a broad world coverage, will become a capability in future, because the company will be able to generate revenue from markets, which are not penetrated and posses customers with growing buying power. Finally, Yum Brands, Inc slowly enters the African market by building of 656 stores in South Africa, also entering Zambia, Ghana and Kenya in 2011 and plan to enter 7 new countries in 2012, which sums the plan in total to have restaurants in about 20 African countries by the end of 2012.Overall, this clearly shows that the company has the capability of successful penetrating new markets by adapting to the local customs, political, social, economic and legal systems. The last strength of Yum is the consolidation within its human resource policies. This policies start with the corporate value How We Win Together principles including the motto We applaud celebrating the achievement of others and have lots of fun doing it , is one of the main reasons for their culture to be full of positive energy, teamwork, and fun. This corporate value is also built around a People Capability First philosophy, which lays the groundwork for the way they work as a team, together, every day.Yum invests in their Human Resources and provides training guides have b een veritable in 11 different languages for over 37,000 Restaurant General Managers around the globe. (Yum Brands Inc. , Annual Report, 2011) Moreover, the company assigns area coaches, every six restaurant is operated under the surveillance of one coach. This is an evidence for the companys capability of successfully investing in people and promoting employee development and support. Being financed by Syndicated Credit Facility, which consist of 24 banks (Yum Brands, Inc Annual Report, 2011) gives the company a strong financial security by not being reliable on single creditor.Research& Development Centers, are resource which Yum can strategically utilize to develop new products. This is an explicit example of companys capability to investigate markets and identify customer needs. Finally, the ownership of distribution channels, helps the company to effectively manage its costa by local, regional and global distribution centers, namely developing effective cost structures. Weakne sses In 2009 the restaurant industry in the US showed transaction declines in dinner occasions, because consumers chose to save money and eat at home. This had also a significant impact on both Pizza Hut and KFC concepts of Yum Brands. As a result, their U. S. usiness was clearly under-performing from 2009 till 2011, but the most significant numbers are present in 2011 with store sales decrease of 1% and profit decrease of 12% for all units within the US market. In order to cope with this problem the company is reducing its ownership in this highly-penetrated market and in December 2011, they have completed the sale of Long John Silvers and A&W All American Restaurants. To sum it up the competitive liability, which is outlined by this weakness, consists of the fact that there is a deficiency of financial resources Moreover, lawsuits can cause a negative publicity for the company. For example, beef quality lawsuit on Taco Bell projected the restaurant concept-chain in negative limeli ght In January 2011.The lawsuit claimed that Taco Bell food items are made with a substance known as taco meat filling, rather than beef. The lawsuit also contended that Taco Bell products only contain 36% ground beef, below the prescribed USDA standard of 40% to qualify as meat. An estimated $3 million to $4 million were spent for nationwide publicize campaign to fight with the negative publicity from the lawsuit. Moreover, the company heavily relies on the Chinese market, as it is the main revenue generator. In the case, of nation-wide catastrophe- decrease in fluid income, change of food related legislations, the company business will be affected negatively.The internal brand competition can lead to decrease of sales in some brands. Furthermore, compared to the average Yum loans relatively expensive financial resources form banks as the interest rates it pays for its loans are 0. 25%-1. 25% higher than LIBOR. (Annual Report, 2011) Finally, Yum Brands, Inc company reputation is heavily reliant on its franchisees and licensees. The damaged brand name definitely should be considered as competitive liability, first because of the deficiency in quality of the products and second because of the lack of important organizational assets, which has led to this situation. Chapter 4 Internal Factor AnalysisInternal Factor Analysis organizes the strengths and weaknesses of a company into factors and analyses how a company is reacting on those factors (Jones, 2010). The weight is assigned to each factor from 1. 0 most significant to 0. 0 unimportant. Secondly, rating is assigned from 1 to 5, taking into account the managements reaction to each factor. And finally, the weighted score is calculated by multiplying column 2 to column 3. INTERNAL FACTORS WEIGHT RATING WEIGHTED SCORE COMMENTS STRENGTHS back up by Syndicated Credit Facility 0. 02 0. 5 0. 01 Secure financing, less dependency on 1 bank Strong balance Sheet and Cash Flows 0. 02 1 0. 2 Healthy operations 0. 3 0. 5 0. 15 Research and Development facilities in Shanghai (China division), Dallas (Pizza Hut, YRI), California( Taco Bell), Lousiville (KFC) 0. 2 0. 5 0. 1 return of examining markets, developing products Distribution system ownership 0. 02 0. 5 0. 01 Cost effectiveness Membership in Unified FoodService Purchasing Co-Po 0. 01 0. 5 0. 005 Cost effectiveness and purchase power Effective Market Segmentation- 0. 02 0. 3 0. 006 Reach more consumers, spread risks Restaurant concepts, trademarks patents 0. 01 0. 2 0. 002 Competitive advantage Strong Global Brand Awareness 0. 2 0. 5 0. Strong recognized brands Area Coaches work with 6-12 restaurants 0. 2 0. 5 0. 1 Part D Finances 1. Cost Structures * Reduce large capital investments by franchising and licensing in more mature markets 2. Characteristics of Cost Structures 3. Revenue Streams * Royalty fees based on sales from franchisees and licensees * Company sales * 3 major(ip) markets- the USA- , China and Yum Restaurants Interna tional Conclusion The report has been divided into four components in order to describe Yum Brands Inc. , internal organizational analysis. Among others the first component identified the vision and mission. Yum Brand, Inc. strives for Be the Best in The World at Building Great Restaurant Brands. In addition, the vision of Yum Brands, Inc. can be stated as Be The Defining Global Company that Feeds the World. Therefore, offering speed, variety, and convenience and budget prices products is of high value in order to satisfy their customers needs. They want to be a company with a huge heart, taking the environment into consideration and look for recognition with one system operational excellence as out foundation. Furthermore, this vision reflects to the fact Yum Brands, Inc. is already a global operator of franchisees and possesses chain restaurants brands like KFC, Pizza Hut,Taco Bell, Little Sheep and East Dawning.Principally main markets for the brand are in USA, China, Africa, at omic number 63 and Asia here they segment different groups. Effective marketing which Yum Brands, Inc. uses, contributes to this growth of business. As well as aggressive international expansion supports Yum Brands Inc. entered the market in Russia and India. With China as focus, Yum Brand Inc. strives for building strong and leading brands everywhere. The acquisition of Little Sheep, which offers casual dining restaurants to China, generates leading brands in every appropriate category. East Dawnings has been build up to be the first restaurant with a quick food service In China. Second strategy is to aim for international expansion.In addition, the brand wants to expand the US brand position. Last, the goal to serve the long-term interests of shareholders will be supported b an executive compensation program. However, financially, looking at revenue streams of the brand, the total revenue of Yum Brands Inc. showed an increase of revenue of 14% in 2011. 86% of the total revenue has been generated by restaurant sales, the remaining part was income of franchise fees. Though, the total costs increased equally with 16%. Notable is, the fact retained earnings showed quite an increase of 106%. There can be assumed here Yum Brands Inc. lay aside a lot of cash in order to invest and expand in the future.All in all, there can be concluded Yum Brands Inc. is a financially healthy company. Debts do not exceed assets and the company is still capable to increase revenue. They have a strong profit margin, though looking at competition there still lays a challenge. Bibliography Cote, R. (2006). Basic hotel and restaurant accounting exercises in accounting (6th ed. ). Lansing, Mich. Educational Institute, American Hotel & Lodging Association. Jones, G. R. , & Hill, C. W. (2010). Theory of strategic management with cases (9th ed. ). Mason, Ohio South-Western Cengage Learning. Schmidgall, R. S. (2006). In Hospitality industry managerial accounting (pp. 201-242).Lansing Educat ional institute American hotel & lodging Association. Stock analysis. (n. d. ). McDonalds . Retrieved 11 24, 2012, from Stock analysis http//www. stock-analysis-on. net/NYSE/Company/McDonalds-Corp/Ratios/ProfitabilityNet-Profit-Margin Osterwalder, A. , Pigneur, Y. , & Clark, T. (2010). Business model generation a handbook for visionaries, game changers, and challengers. Hoboken, NJ Wiley. Yahoo finance. (2012). McDonalds Corp. Retrieved 11 24, 2012, from Yahoo finance http//finance. yahoo. com/q/is? s=MCD&annual Yum. (2010). Annual report 2010. Yum. Retrieved from www. yum. com/csr/environment) Retrieved from www. fromhungertohope. com

The Garden of Remembrance

I spent much of my childhood in a tree. Our garden was prominent and if you ran down the path, avoiding the wolves that lived next door you were very safe, un elevator caring from the outside world by soaring bushes, their leaves cool to the touch. A huge mulberry bush grew by the lawn, its branches making a woven screen. With little difficulty, it was manageable to enter a clearing inside the bush, and eat the juicy fruit, the juice running down your chin, and staining indelibly your clothes. On the lawn were rings of mushrooms where the fairies held their council, of which I of all time dreamed of being a member.Beads of dew formed on the long grass, lanterns the fairies had left behind. To the left of the lawn was a wall, and an archway entrance. It was a deserted castle of which I was the princess. From the top of the wall, you could construe the whole garden. It was easy to get up there, by climbing on the hard stone bench and then up the stodgy lion. A few apple trees grew on the other side of the stone room near to the crumbling shed. The third tree from the shed was my tree. Its bark familiar, and its branches smooth from eld of touch.The highest branch was my throne where I spent most of my time, watching the brown ovals of peoples heads and listening to their conversations. I especially enjoyed watching her. The light bounced off her hair impressively, alike it did off the kingfishers we saw in Devon. If I leant forwards until the tips of my fingers reached the branch below, I could see her whole face. She was very beautiful. Every one said so. Her eyes were big and brown, just like I wanted mine to be. Her long, straight nose seemed to be made for expression down.Often I would practise in the mirrors in the hall that look of hers until I could mimic it exactly. In fact, most of my early childhood was spent copying her, trying to be like her. I was near eight when I realised she was non my mother. I suppose she must have been my stepmother. I had spent the morning out at the goldfish common land with her. Marine Gardens it was called. The salty air was uncharacteristically warm and I took my bike. The little cafi was full and people everywhereflowed onto the grass of the putting green. They were mostly tourists with their cheap cameras and bulging waists.The stupefy old man who ran the place where you got balls and clubs for the mini-golf was trying to shoo them away. Just behind the mouldering cafi were the goldfish ponds. Despite all the people round the front, it was empty. The grey courtyard was break dance and moss protruded through small cracks as it always did. The pond was made of the same slimy stone. Inside each of the four ponds were the darting fish. They only just shone through the dim water. Some one had put an empty coke can in with the fish and I spent some time untwisting it from the weeds.She held my hand as I jumped across the pond, round, and round without touching the ground. With my added hei ght, I could watch the men playing bowls with the big heavy balls. It looked easy from far away but the introductory time I had come, I had tried and had found that it was not easy at all. We danced all the way home that day. I remember it vividly. I could not have been more happy, or more proud of her. No one else at the park had such a beautiful, agile, and fun-giving parent. But this was the last day that I would have fun with her. When we got back, my start out was in my room.He broke all the rules when he told me. I was sitting on my bed tracing the swirls on the rhetorical wooden bed head. I imagined a chisel whirling round and round, making the courtly curls. My duvet was creased, slightly rumpled and I itched to straighten it. He stood at the door giving no warning of what he was saying. No hints. Just the bare facts. As soon as I realised what he was saying I ran to the garden, bawling in the way very young children do. All my life, I had wanted to be like her, was conte nt in the experience that I would grow up to be just like her, but now to find she was nothing but a stepmother.It must have been about a week later, it was hard to tell the days after he told me seemed very long, I went into my fathers study in search of string so we could describe up some runner beans. The lights were off and I couldnt see my father anywhere. Approaching the desk I found him slumped on his desk, a glass of whisky clamped in his hand, sobbing. The thick velvet curtains cast a red light on his face. On the edge of the desk was his calendar in the strange light, the white card of the calendar glowed scarlet. In this red gloom, I could just pick out the date. 16th March. My father never knew that I had seen him in that state.I crept away knowing that I had no business there and fearful of the consequences of having been seen Exactly a year later, I had almost forgotten that I had ever had a mother it was so far to the back of my mind. I woke up to the sound of some one bellowing. Hastily, I ran down the stairs to the breakfast room. As I came into doorway, the figure of my father loomed over me. He stood there fully dressed in his best suit. The inky black seemed to suffocate him, and cast an uneasy blue on his unusually gruesome face. Unlike most mornings, he was clean-shaven and his shirt was tucked in and pressed.Why are you dressed like that? I said, Has someone died? My words seemed to defile him, and ignoring my questions, he ordered me to change into my best clothes. I dare not ask why so I quickly did as he told. We pack in silence. I did not even wave at the seagulls as I normally would. My mind was occupied with what was happening. Something was wrong. My stepmother, as I had learnt to call her, was not with us. Even the cold wind did not taste right. About 15 minutes later, though it seemed like much longer as these things always do, we arrived at what seemed at first to be a large park, enclosed by a stone wall.As soon as I ste pped out of the car I realised, that this wasnt a park at all, but a large graveyard. My father seemed to know exactly where to go, so I trailed behind him, sadly looking at the small shiny white lozenges. We started to move towards what had to be the older graves. They were no longer glaringly white and the flowers on them were withered, the grass long. It wasnt possible to see the names anymore a green moss writhed across each headstone. Here and there, there were small bouquets, but the wind quickly blew small petals away. My father stopped on end of the fifteenth row.He beckoned for me and, brushing aside some off the moss, revealed the name. I looked at him blankly. It meant nothing to me, until I realised that this was my mother. I felt no emotion. I was not sad in the least. This was not someone I knew. I began to wonder what was for lunch. I was hungry after lacking my breakfast. Then it hit me all of a sudden. I was at my dead mothers grave and I felt nothing. A wave of gu ilt flew over me. I felt inadequate, an emotional cripple, horrified at the person that I was. I started to cry. Not for my mother. For me.

Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank Essay

What I am about to write is a summary of The Diary of a raw Girl, written by Anne Frank. This book starts from when Anne gets her diary on her thirteenth birthday. The book is about when Anne and her family have to live in the Secret subjoin. On her thirteenth birthday, Annes parents give her a diary. Shes excited because she wants something in which to confide all of her secret thoughts. Even though she has a social life, she feels misunderstood by everyone she knows. Anne starts piece about daily events, her thoughts, school grades, boys, all that. But, within a month, her entire life changes.As Jews in German-occupied Holland, the Frank family fears for their lives. When Annes sister, Margot, is called to appear before the authorities, which would close to surely mean she was being sent to a concentration camp, Anne and her family go into hiding. They move into a little section of Annes fathers function building that is walled off and hidden behind a swinging bookcase.For two years, the Frank family lives in this Secret extension. Mr. and Mrs. train Daan and their son Peter are in any case in hiding with the Franks. Later, Mr. Dussel, a dentist moves in, and Anne has to share her bedroom with him. Anne is hidden from the outside world. Shes cooped up in tiny rooms, tiptoeing around during the day and nice shocked from the sounds of bombs and gunfire at night.Luckily, the Franks have tons of pronounceing material and a radio. Anne grows in her knowledge of politics and literature, and she puts tons of energy into studying and writing. At the same time, she grows further and further away from the another(prenominal) members of the Annex.There is a change in Anne when she begins hanging out in the attic with Peter van Daan. Around this time she starts having dreams about a boy she was in love with, another Peter, Peter Schiff. She sometimes even gets the two Peters confused in her head.She comes to natter Peter as much much than she first thought. S he finds him sensitive and caring, and they talk about everything. Eventually their relationship changes. Anne and Peters passion turns into a familiarity and a source of comfort for them both.Another big change for Anne happens when the war seems to be ending. She hears that personal accounts such as her diary will be in demand after the war ends. We see a return to her earlier enthusiasm as she begins editing her diary with excitement.Unfortunately, this does not last. Even as Anne becomes more and more sensitive to the suffering going on in the world, her own suffering becomes unbearable. She feels completely alone. She thinks everyone hates her. She feels constantly criticized. And there is no escape. At one point, she thinks it qualification have been better if she and her family had all died instead of hiding in the Annex. As Anne becomes harder on those around her, she also becomes harder on herself, berating herself for being mean to the other members of the Annex.There he r diary ends. Two short months after Annes fifteenth birthday, and two days after he last diary entry, the Secret Annex is raided. We dont know Annes thoughts or feelings at that point or any time after, but we know things got worse.Afterwards Anne and the other members of the Annex were sent to various concentration cmps. Annes father, Otto Frank, was the sole survivor. I would recommend this book to others who like to know what happened throughout history, though I personally wouldnt read it again. I say this because I didnt really enjoy reading about her life, and I am not all that into history, except Greek mythology, but thats salutary me personally.

Evaluation of equality and diversity in childcare Essay

The evaluation has just been published of the Pre-School Education Initiative for Children from Minority Groups. The initiative, which the Government funded through the Dormant Accounts Fund, mired training and mentoring for early childhood educators in diversity and comparison practice, using the Anti-Bias Education approach. The evaluation found the approach to be very effective in achieving positive change. The anti-bias approach supports educators to reflect critically on their practice. In Ireland it informed the development of the ist project, which in turn influenced the recent initiative. Its goals are to Support childrens individualism (individual and group) and their sense of belonging. Foster childrens empathy and support them to be comfortable with differences between children. Encourage each child to think about diversity and bias.Empower children to conduct up for themselves and others in difficult situations. Its an approach that fits well with both the Solta natio nal quality framework and the Aistear curriculum framework. The principles of Solta state that comparability is an essential characteristic of quality early childhood care and education, and that quality settings respect diversity and have their individual, personal, cultural and linguistic identity formalise. Similarly, nurturing equality and diversity is one of the 12 principles of Aistear, and identity and belonging is one of its four themes. Fundamentally, the anti-bias approach does not focus on additional supports for children from minority groups, moreover on changing mainstream practice so that the uniqueness of every child is recognised and supported, and so that the differences between all children are respected.Thats why equality and diversity are so central to high quality practice they benefit all children. The Pre-School Education Initiative involved training and mentoring of staff in 160 early care and education settings, spread across nearly all counties, in 2011 -2012. Building on the work of the Equality and Diversity premature Childhood Network (EDeNn), the initiative was implemented through the City and County Childcare Committees, and was the first time the training was delivered at a national level.

Dr. Stragelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Essay

Dr. StrangeLove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb was directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1964. Irreverence and mockery are used many times in this film. Serious events are often portrayed lightly or made likingous. An representative of this is the scene where devils apples finds the codes to recall the planes, but doesnt have the right amount of change make the call on the payphone. The whole world depends on whether or not he makes the call, but all the audience does is shake their heads and smile. This is an role model of irreverence because the situation is dire, yet the people dont see worried or willing to help.Black humor was used in the schene in the plane where Major Kong stops to put on his cowboy hat. I thought this was an example of black humor as well because instead of doing something else more productive, he decides to go put on his cowboy hat. Another instance of black humor is when they find lipstick and chewing gum in the military survival kit. The use of black humor causes the tone of this film to be funny with a grim, serious undertone. Many parts are funny, but then you remember this is based on real events and things people were actually scared of happening once.An example of irony in Dr. StrangeLove is when there is a dogfight between two American force, and a sign that says Peace is our Profession is shown. Then the everyday tells his troops to shoot first and ask questions later. This is clear example of irony because the sign says peace, but there is fighting. Another example of irony is when the General was truly casual roughly putting the base on lockdown. There could be a nuclear war breaking out, but he doesnt seem to be worried at all. The use of irony makes the tone of this film have a mocking tone.My favorite scene in the film was when General Ripper is talking to Mandrake about water. He tells Mandrake on no account will a commie ever drink water, that they whole drink vodka. I like it because I find the g eneralizations the General makes funny, and how he keeps going on and on about water without really having a point. I think Kubriks purpose in writing this film was to illustrate the idea of mutual destruction. The film achieved this, and also let people laugh about a very real and scary situation.

Hunter-gatherer: Food and Limited Personal Possessions Essay

My people be what you call Hunter-Gatherers. We survive by hunting and gathering our provender. We live in what ar called Bands. These usually comprise of 15-20 people, all of which are usually related either by blood or marriage. We dont have any type of government or hierarchy like other civilizations. Instead we believe we are all created equal, and we treat each other in that manner. We are nomadic, which means that we do not stay in the same place year around. We move in order to take advantage of the abundance of different foods in different areas. Im getting ahead of myself. Let me take you through a day in my life.Our breakfast is pretty simple. The outcome of the hunting and gathering of yesterday decides what food we will eat for breakfast today. On a good day we will eat grapefruit, or a mixture of fruits and nuts along with some elk jerky, and of course accompanied by spring water. After breakfast the men will leave for their daily hunt.There is a great expertness to their hunting, for they must know where and when to look for the foods. The men use various tools in hunting for sensuals. The most common of these tools is the bow. This is the most powerful weapon available. Arrows made of timber with flint blades set in their ends are also used for hunting. Our men hunt for game such as deer, elk, bear, birds, etc. They also fish. The results of the hunt are very important, mostly because we must eat, but also because we need to utilize every part of the animal in order to survive.We have various uses for the animal after it has been killed. First and foremost it is our source for food. It also provides us with the shelter and the clothing we need.I guess now would be a good time to promulgate you about the types of homes we live in. We cannot build permanent homes because we move around. Our houses are temporary, and because we move around we have limited personal possessions. Our shelters are lightweight huts and wind-breaks that are built out of branches. We also use the skins of animals to create tents.Our clothing is also made of animal skins. We make our clothes by stitching together hides using stand up needles and animal sinew. The teeth of the animal are often used to create necklaces or pendants.After the men arrive home from their hunt, the women work together to process the food that was collected that day.The nuts and shellfish need to be removed from their shells, and the birds that were killed need to be plucked of their feathers. We also need to skin the animals and prepare the meat for cooking. For dinner party we will have duck, served with nuts and fruit. If anyone is still hungry afterward they can eat jerky or grapefruit. The meat will be cooked over a simple fire, roasted on a spit. Dinner will be delicious tonight, and a great reward for a successful days hunt.After dinner we sometimes gather around the fire and tell stories, or dance in celebration of the hunt. We must not take life for granted , for our lives are filled with hard work and the struggle to survive.Hope you enjoyed accompanying me in the journey through my day to day life

Non-Violence as the Bigger Statement Essay

In the documentary _Eyes on the Prize_, John Lewis- an attendee of the 1960 Nashville tiffin Counter Sit-In, regales the use of nonviolence in their defend for racial equality, saying We took our seats in a very orderly, peaceful fashionWe just sit there, and we continue to sit all day pine But for me, Ill tell you it was like being involved in a holy crusade. It became a badge of honor (PBS). The Civil Rights Movement, which began in 1954, was so deeply impactful largely in part to the queer temperament of its participants actions against their opposition. Scarce physical tactics or retaliation was threatened against the lily-white opposition on the black mavericks behalf in order to achieve what they sought. Instead, the African Americans took a stance of nonviolence as their weapon of choice, hoping to reach a middle ground of peace betwixt all of the solid grounds plays. Some of the historical and structural causes at the core of this stance were the counsel of Martin Luther King junior, the organized fight to dis mankindtle long-standing norms of racial segregation within the white communities, and the effort to press awareness to a blind governmental remains.In introducing the belief of mixer insurgency, Doug McAdam says, At the close of 1876-1930 period, the Confederate black population was exclusively just beginning to develop the institutional strength so resilient to the generation of social insurgency (McAdam 94). Historically, black southeastern Americans had experienced little to no sense of togetherness as a community it would take nighone or something with enough passion and commitment to bring them together. Obtaining a leader to push such idealistic views for the African American race is practically a destiny to incite immense social channelize. An organizer is the heart of the faeces, because they diffuse centralized direction and coordi dry land (McAdam 47). Having Martin Luther King Jr. as a guiding force behind the Civil Rights Movement was, arguably, the biggest motivation for non-violence as a directive in community institutions during this period.In his _Letter from Birmingham Jail_, often called the Call for Unity, Dr. King says, In any unprovocative campaign there are four basicsteps collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist negotiation self-purification and direct action (Letter 2). Martin, born and raised in the church, came from humble beginnings his father, a pastor, sermonized many ideals of a approaching of peace and the effectiveness of words over physicality. Dr. King went on to preach the ideals of a future base on equality, regardless of skin color or nationality, to his followers. His goals primarily focused on the rise of the nation as a whole- as one- rather than just the rise of the African American race. In his _Chicago independence Movement Rally Speech_, he stated, The Negro needs the white man to free him from his fears.The white man needs the ne gro to free him from his guilt (King). Dr. King was aware that for there to be peace and triumph for our country, we would have to learn to coexist as one community, instead of having one dominant race in any aspect. In anformer(a) excerpt from the Chicago rally, he summarizes his intent with nonviolence, saying, Nonviolence does not recall doing nothing. It does not mean passively accepting evil. It means standing up so strongly with your proboscis and soul that you cannot stoop to the low places of violence and hatred. I am still convinced that nonviolence is a queenful and just weapon, it cuts without wounding (King). In result, his practices flourished, inspiring others to come together and follow in his footsteps. Historically, it as well aided that typically only violence had been used to fight battles and/or change things in the past, which had only gotten them to the point they found themselves at then.The typical day-to-day life of White Southerners consisted of struct ural norms within the economy, the government, and social customs. Breaking down the barriers of such an established arrangement would never be an easy feat. Blacks in the South knew this and therefore banned together, creating solid organizations such as CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference), and the SNCC (Student unprovoking Coordinating Committee). These organizations were so vital to the cause and effect of the nonviolence movement, as A conductive political environment only affords the aggrieved population the opportunity for successful insurgent action. It is the resources of the minority community that enable insurgent groups to exploit these opportunities (McAdam 43).As could be expected, white oppositionists reacted extremely violently to the changesthat were being force-fed to them through the motions of the Civil Rights Movement. The way of life that theyd known for so long was being threatened and as human nature would have it, we are programmed much of the time to fear what we do not know. African American advocates in the South were brutally beaten, humiliated, and killed as a retaliation tactic. Thus, such actions sparked black insurgence to essentially flap away from feeding the fire, and instead choose to demonstrate the direction of race relations that they strived for.In order to achieve results, they had to ban together to strengthen their ideals within the community, thus creating strong indigenous organizations as a backbone for their fight. McAdams states, the same dynamic is evident in regard to the relationship between organizational strength and insurgency, with the pace, character, and outcome of collective protest shaping the availability of those organizational resources on which further movement activity depends (McAdam 53). Thus, as the black insurgent groups gained the social stability, they were able to engrain their nonviolent tactics within a larger audience as they gained sup port. It was such growth of backing that allowed them to create cracks in the barriers that upheld the white Southerners traditions. It was similarly such groups that were the pillar to sustain an ongoing protest.The Political Process Model that McAdam lays out considers that a complex body part cannot function without the routinized exercise of structural power, and any threat to structural power becomes a threat to that system itself. Thusany system contains within itself the possibility of a power strong enough to castrate it (McAdam 37). Politically, much opportunity was to be gained for black insurgents through the use of non-violent action. W.E.B. DuBois issued an example of such a thinkable process of advancement, saying We need sufficient income for health and home to supplement our education and recreation to fight our own crime problem and above all to finance a continued, planned and intelligent upthrust for political, civil, and social equality (B., DuBois 197).Sinc e the black population felt so absolutely undermined as a race by the government, it would do them no good to repeat the same actions as those before them when trying to change the way things worked. McAdam discourses that the point is that any event or broad social process that serves to undermine the calculations andassumptions on which the political establishment is structured occasions a crusade in political opportunities (McAdam 41). In other words, if someone is questioning the way the government works in the first place, already a shift has been sparked in the standards, just by drawing attention to it.To some degree, all changes involving social movement for the nation are going to imply some level of struggle to change and/or pull for transfer power (McAdam 36). Using this explanation in the cause of the non-violent tactics, once the aggrieved population shed light on the issues of political alignment through a peaceful approach, the movement only continued to gain atten tion and leverage over political opponents. McAdam sums it up when he synopsizes, the contention is that, far from remaining constant, the organizational resources usable to southern blacks increased simultaneously with the expansion in political opportunities (McAdam 87).Like most ideals in life, the concept of nonviolence as a promising tactic for change started with one individual. Martin Luther King Jr. not only believed in what he preached, but practiced it in his own life. Through his consistent stand-by of nonviolence, the accompanying growth in support through organizational groups, and said groups ability to power through the withstanding customs of white folk, nonviolence flourished. In his closing statements, McAdam reminds, it must be remembered that the movement was able, in a matter of years, to dismantle a thoroughgoing system of caste restrictions that had remained impervious to change for some seventy-five yearsThese gains are hardly insignificant (McAdam 232). Th erefore, though near the end black insurgency took a turn for the worse, the influence that nonviolence caused on the nation absolutely left a constant imprint on history.Work CitedB., Du Bois W. E. Dusk of Dawn. Millwood, NY Kraus-Thomson Organization, 1975.Print.King, Martin Luther, Jr. Chicago Freedom Movement Rally Speech. discretionof the King Center. Atlanta, Georgia. African-American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http//www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp. September 24, 2014.King, Martin Luther. _Letter from Birmingham Jail_. Stamford, CT Overbrook, 1968.Web. 24 Sept. 2014.McAdam, Doug. Political Process and the ontogenesis of Black Insurgency, 1930-1970.Chicago U of Chicago, 1982. Print.PBS, prod. Aint Scared of Your Jails. _Eyes on the Prize_. PBS. N.d. _PBS_. Web.23 Sept. 2014.

Healthcare Industry Grid

wellness c ar attention Overview Grid University of Phoenix Susie Hughes HCS 235 August 1, 2011 Ms. Frutchey Health complaint Industry Overview Grid Complete the Health thrill Industry Overview Grid that is located below. There are many areas within the health care that are options for career placement or advancement. Research antithetical fields within the industry, such as pharmaceutical/drug, health information systems, and long-term care/gerontology, and pick out in each box to contain information regarding the health care industry.There is an example that is already started to help with the process, but ensure you include adequate information to support your findings. Use a stripped-down of three references to support your information. This assignment is due in Week Three. Industry Career Explanation Industry Examples Role of Health Care Personnel Manufacturing (Equipment/Supplies) Offers a wide selection of medical equipment and supplies, from home-health products to exam ination board products to fit the every individuals health care needs.Professionals, organizations, and associations may find quality and low-cost medical equipment and supplies for clinics, hospitals, nursing facilities and home health environments. Surgical/medical instrumentsOrthopedic, prostheticsAppliance/suppliesDental equipmentx-ray apparatusrelated irradiation equipmenthospital beds stethoscopesBlood pressure cuffsWound care supplies biomedical Equipment Technician- Maintains adjusts, calibrate and repair a wide variety of electronic electromechanical and hydraulic equipment used in hospitals and other medical environments.Medical Supply Representative- Engages in selling and marketing of healthcare products, supplies and equipment. Medical Equipment oral communication Driver- A individual that picks up and delivers medical supplies and equipment. (www. bls. gov) Pharmaceutical/Drug Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing industry develops and produces a variety of med icinal and other health-related products that save the lives of millions of people from various diseases and permits many people from suffering from malady to recover to lead productive lives (www. ls. gov). Develops/produce, and markets medicine approved by the FDAAre allowed to deal with generic/brand named drugs and medical devicesAntibioticsTranquilizersOver-the-counter drugsVitaminsVaccinesSerumsMedicinal Chemicals Chemist- Searches for new knowledge about chemicals and use it to improve the quality of life. Molecular Biologist- Work in government, hospitals, collegial institutions and pharmaceutical companies, performing molecular test to understand disease.Director of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Operations- Responsible for the FDA compliant manufacturing of clinical supplies and commercial product. Operations also include packing, shipping and receiving materials. (www. bls. gov) Health entropy Systems Deals with resources, devices, and required methods to store, retrieve ,s assemble patients health information including medical history, symptoms, examination results, diagnostic tests, treatment methods, and all other healthcare provider services.Technicians target and manage health information data by ensuring its quality, accuracy, accessibility, and security. (www. bls. gov) EMR-electronic medical recordEHR- electronic health recordsMaster Patient IndexPatient SchedulingBilling/ accept Process(Chin, 2010) Health Information Management System Technician- Handles databases, planning for information system, identifies existing/future information requirements and expands health policy. Medical Coder- Assigns codes to special medical procedures and services for billing private/public insurance companies.Registered Health Information Administrator-Responsible for the upkeep of patients records in a hospital or other health care facility. (Hill, 2010) Long-Term Care/Gerontology * Long-Term Care/Gerontology is an area of health care that deals with, and examines the senescence population. * Home Health care facilitiesNursing HomesAssisted Living CommunitiesRetirement HomesRehabilitationHospiceMental/Substance Abuse Facilities Bio gerontologist- Studies the physical and biological affects of aging.Long-Term Care Nurse- Tend to the physical and emotional needs of the aging or chronically ill. References Bureau of Labor Statstics. occupational Handbook 2010-11 Edition. (2011). Retrieved from http//www. bls. gov Chin, D. (2010). Types of Health Information Sytem. Retrieved from http//www. ehow. comlist_6860442_types_health_information_systems. html Hill, J. (2010). Career in Health Information Systems. Retrieved from http//www. ehow. com/list_7221980_careers_health_information_systems. html

Effects of Stress on Grades

Students at universities worldwide practically whiles find speech pattern to be a part of familiar life. Stress is defined as the office one responds to the changes and demands of life either emotionally, physically, or mentally. Stress is registered in ones fight or flight response. When an exciting or dangerous event occurs changes affiance place in the dust to prepare the soul to occupy with the try onful disdain office. After the breedful situation has subsided the body returns to a normal state. The constant stress of being a college disciple does not go out the body to return to a normal state so a scholarly person may never be able to fully relax.This can work to stress overload (Bower, 2010). M either factors can consider a students academic performance and grades. The National College Health Assessment of 2004 shows that the most operative impediment to effective listening, retaining development, and studying is stress. Stress is noted to be the number on e cause of scurvy academic functioning in a student above other problems like depression, illness, eating disorders, expiry of a family member, and even sexual assault. The study reviewed 47,202 college students and 32. 4% listed stress as the number one breastwork to schoolwork (Temple, 2006).Many college students claim multiple stressors. Most are taking multiple classes, working full-time jobs, have family members to take care of, are working long hours at unpaid internship sites, or any combination of these. Many college students must(prenominal) deal with the stress of just leaving home and no nightlong benefiting from familial support. Relationship problems may begin to develop between the student and the friends, families, or significant others that have been left at home. This overload of responsibility and worry can lead to a leave out of repose and improper nutrition, which can cause difficulty in school (Bower, 2010).Proper nutrition may stupefy a problem for a s tudent because he or she may be unable to food product shop on a regular basis. Other problems with nutrition occur because a student who is bread and butter in a dormitory may be unable to cook proper meals and unable to lineage large quantities of food. Some students new to living without parents may not have the knowledge to cook a decent meal. Others simply do not have the time to eat properly. Without proper nutrition the instinct does not function properly and the student may have difficulty concentrating on schoolwork (Womble, 2002). Maintaining drill while attending college can also be a source of stress.This stress may come about from working long hours that can make the student too tired to focus on his or her studies or working long hours may lead to attendance problems at school. Mentally focusing on both work life and school life can be exhausting for a student and can lead to increased amounts of stress. The number of hours a student spends at work can be directl y related to that students grade point average (grade point average) because the more time a student spends at work, the less time that student can spend studying (Womble, 2002). Sleep, or lack of, is the most definitive factor on a students GPA.Many college students do not sleep enough during the week to properly rest the body and mind. Lack of sleep has been shown to increase foreboding and stress. Simple sleep patterns like waking earlier during the weekdays than on the weekends have also been shown to affect the GPA of a student (Womble, 2002). Not all college students complain of experiencing stress, many do. Although some stress is good for a person and may be energizing or motivating, it is important for a person to recognize and be able to manage bad stress before it spirals out of control and has a negative effect. get by mechanisms are important for anyone but may prove to be more so for a college student. head mechanisms include sleeping enough, spending time doing fun activities, relaxing, and practicing time management. Developing ones communication, writing, and test taking skills is important to reduce stress. Engaging in physical activity, reading a book that is not school related, or getting a massage are miens to reduce stress and relax. Daily use of a planner to track assignment due dates and upcoming project deadlines is useful for staying on track with studies (Bower, 2010). coping mechanisms come from within, from something called personality hardiness. The idea of personality hardiness first came to be with regard to protecting business executives from the health effects of stress. This concept involves having a sense of control and commitment. Commitment means that a person can view the world as a meaningful place and he or she seeks to be involved in the world rather than withdrawn from it. Control shows that a person believes he or she can influence events that take place in his or her world. Personality hardiness means that a per son may not feel threatened by changes to his or her environment.Theoretically, a student with personality hardiness should be able to adapt to the changes that come with enrollment in school, taking multiple classes, maintaining employment, and family obligations without stress overload. The result should mean that a student takes on the new challenges with less stress and instead turns the stressful events into opportunities for growth and personal development (Hystad, Eid, Laberg, Johnsen, & Bartone, 2009). Two studies have been performed by Lifton and colleagues. These studies assessed the personality hardiness of individuals throughout the college years.These studies had saucily arriving college students complete hardiness measures and found a positive interrelationship between persistence and the students graduation date four years later. The hardiness stacks among those who did not complete four years of college were lower than those who did not drop out. The scores on the hardiness exams were not directly related to scores on entrance exams or high academic ability. Personality hardiness is not based on a persons academic ability but rather a persons attitude or the manner in which he or she approaches lifes challenges (Hystad et al. , 2009).Though the information contained in the numerous studies that have been done regarding stress and the college students ability to achieve a decent GPA is helpful to understanding stress and how it affects different people there are eer exceptions to every rule. Although it is true that every person handles stressful situations in his or her own unique way there are many resources available to help a college student achieve passing grades regardless of the stress factor. At the same time, there are many choices a college student makes that adds to the amount of stress he or she carries in everyday life.Many times when a college student is sleep take it is that he or she has made the choice to be sleep deprived. Staying up all night partying is mutual among college students as going off to college may be the first time the student has had the opportunity to do so and many consider it to be a bonding experience or a way to make friends in a new place. Grabbing a less than stellar meal from the nearest prompt food joint or having a pizza delivered is much a choice that a student makes rather than a necessity. Eating a meal like this is easier than shopping for a meal, cooking a meal, and cleaning up after a meal.Eating on the run may also be what all of the other kids are doing and again it is a way to fit in. Whereas it is true that some students must maintain employment while attending school this may not have to be the stressor that it often is. Time management skills can come in handy when trying to juggle work and school. taking time to relax is one of the most important and effective ways of reducing stress. This can however, oftentimes be misconstrued and taken out of context. One of the worst, and most common, pastimes college students use to relax is drinking alcoholic beverages. engorge drinking can be very detrimental to schoolwork as this can do onward with a persons judgment skills, time management skills, and a persons well-informed well-being. Research shows that binge drinking affects approximately 50% of college students (Stunn, n. d. ). Binge drinking can lead to wanting(p) classes because the student may be to hung-over to attend or if the student does manage to attend the mind and body may not be functioning at full capacity and may lead to an softness to concentrate and retain information.When this kind of drinking is done night after night it can lead to many absences or missed assignments, which can compound a students stress level by having to make up the work or complete the work in a shorter time with little to no instruction This information would be recommended to others in the class because as students stress go out be an important factor during not only college years but also in forthcoming years as well.It is important that as an individual a person has coping mechanisms to deal with stress to maintain a full-blooded lifestyle. Research done on the topic of how stress can negatively affect a students GPA is important in learning how to better deal with the stressors in ones life to overcome barriers and achieve the goals he or she has set. Enrolling in college is a big step in which nobody intentionally sets up to fail.Whereas there are many changes that a college student must adapt to there are an equal number of services both on campus and off that provide help a student overcome the barriers to effective learning and to become a better student despite the changes in life. Learning ways to manage time, learning to make choices that will facilitate not only a healthy relationship with peers but also a healthy lifestyle, and learning to cope with the sometimes daily changes in life is part of growing up and wretched into the adult world.