Verizon or GAP Inc Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Verizon or GAP Inc - Research Paper Example Legal, Social and Economic Environment Given its broad range of products and services, together with the intense competition that is prevalent in the telecommunications industry, Brien (2010) believes that the external environment plays an influential role in determining Verizon’s goals and business strategy. Apart from fulfilling the needs of customers, Verizon is also involved extensively in complying with regulatory requirements besides developing better strategies to tackle its competitors. Winer (2011) analyzed Verizon using an elaborate SWOT analysis and concluded that the company is best placed in terms of marketing as it is an established and recognized brand across the United States and in other countries. However, Bohlander (2009) argues that the company faces multiple threats across legal, social and economic environments. He states that customers have largely refrained from using wireless technologies in favor of long distance services that are offered by local pro viders. While Verizon has the potential to overcome this trend by expanding its wireless services into newer markets, it will be difficult to offset this threat completely (Winer, 2011). The global financial crisis and the resulting decline in economic activity have had an impact on the telecommunications sector. ... For instance, Verizon is now required to lease its access lines to these local exchange carriers at two-fifths of the prevailing market rates. This has not only reduced the barriers to entry for the local exchange carriers, but has also diminished Verizon’s market share (Bohlander, 2009). The FCC’s actions towards reducing most barriers to entry and enhancing the level of market competition has intensified the rivalry among all major players in the telecommunications industry besides eroding several strategic advantages that were enjoyed by established firms like Verizon for over five decades. Customers no longer face any additional switching costs for changing service providers while new entrants to the market receive significant financial backing from the FCC in addition to adequate network capacity. Despite these disadvantageous factors, Verizon enjoys a strong and recognized brand identity and elaborate distribution channels that cannot be matched by newer rivals ov er the next few years (Altmann, 2008). Better economies of scale are however expected to erode over time as the level of competition intensifies in the market. Managerial, Operational, and Financial issues The increasing competition in the telecommunications industry implies that the success of most projects undertaken by Verizon depends on efficient workflows, reduced costs, quicker turnarounds and creation of better values. Altmann (2008) says that achieving these objectives requires the development of advanced strategies that offer a unique challenge to larger, hierarchical organizations. Wallace (2010) explains that Verizon has adapted to this evolving business environment by

Microm3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Microm3 - Essay Example 7 4. How Does The ‘Invisible Hand’ Described By Adam Smith Work? Explain What Smith Meant By The Invisible Hand And How It Works. What Signals Producers And Buyers To Adjust Quantity Supplied/Demanded And Reach Equilibrium? 8 5. According To Economic Theory, How Do Consumers Decide What Goods To Buy? What Does The Final Decision To Buy Something Depend On? 10 1. What Happens When The Government Imposes A Minimum Wage? Explain Using A Graph. Minimum wage laws set rules regarding the minimum wage that can be provided by an employer for obtaining labour. The Fair Labour Standards Act of 1938 was established by the US congress to set down the minimum wages that should be offered to employees to ensure a proper standard of living. The labour market faces the forces of demand and supply. The supply of labour is determined by workers and the demand is determined by the employers. In the absence of the government intervention the wages get adjusted with the labour supply and dem and. When the minimum wage is above equilibrium then the supply of labour exceeds the demand. This causes unemployment. Thus, the wages of employees who already have the job increases and the income of employees who do not have the job are lowered. The affect of minimum wage depends on the experience and skills of the employees. The skilled and experienced employees have their equilibrium wages much above the minimum wages. The greatest affect of minimum wages is on the teenage labour based market. Teenagers have low equilibrium wages because they do not have much skills and experience and are willing to work on low pay in exchange for the training they receive on the job. A study reveals that 10% increase in minimum wage reduces teenage employment to 1% - 3%. 10% increase in minimum wage does not increase teenage wages by 10%. The minimum wage also affects the supply quantity of labour. Since the minimum wage of the teenagers increase, the number of teenagers willing to work also i ncreases. Minimum wage increases the income of the poor. Certain opponents of minimum wages consider that it results in unemployment, teenagers dropping out of schools and restricts unskilled workers from obtaining training on their job (Mankiw, 2008). Source: (Encyclopedia of Earth, 2006). The above figure represents the condition in the classical labour market. A legal minimum wage interferes with the free market adjustments and causes true unemployment. The demand and supply model of labour Source: (Encyclopedia of Earth, 2006). The above figure shows conditions in the traditional market. The labour quantity and the equilibrium are determined by market forces. 2. What Economic Concept Explains Why Most People Specialize In A Specific Profession Rather Than Trying To Make All Of The Things Themselves? Specialisation is a concept that relates to most of the modern economies. Modern economies do not produce everything. Rather they produce those things that provide them a ‘comp arative cost advantage’. The excess from the production is exported and the items that are not produced within the country are imported. This kind of specialisation ensures greater economic growth. At an individual level, specialisation ensures greater work efficiency and greater productivity. The high levels of productivity and efficiency ensures high income levels (Jain & Ohri, n.d.). Specialisation is based on the law of comparative advantage. According to the law of comparative advantage, the individual who has a lower opportunity cost of production of a

Impact of stakeholder management in the construction industry

Impact of stakeholder management in the construction industry INTRODUCTION This section of the report covers literature by several authors. A literature review: gives an overview of what has been said in the area of project stakeholders and project success , who the key writers are, what are the prevailing theories and hypotheses, what questions are being asked and what methods and methodologies are appropriate and useful (Emerald, 2010). This chapter seeks to investigate the impact of stakeholder management and its contributions to project success in the construction industry. Using the literature review mind map in Figure 2 below, this report will explore principles and concepts on the subject matter to satisfy its main objectives. Figure 1- Literature review mind map (Author) This literature review will satisfy the following project objectives: To explore the principles of stakeholder management and project success. To assess the benefits and challenges of stakeholder management. To correlate a relationship between stakeholder management and project success. To propose a framework for measuring the impact of stakeholder management on project success thereby assessing its impact on project success. To make recommendations for improved stakeholder management practices. Overview of the UK Construction industry The construction industry in the past 30 years has continued to evolve and expand (PMI 2008) and although changes within the industry are relatively slow (Kagioglou et al 1998), one cannot overlook what the construction industry has contributed to the UK economy (Bennett 2003 p.7). The UK construction industry is the sixth largest industry in the UK in terms of turnover (Adamson and Pollington 2006) and it accounts for 10% of the UKs GDP and employs 1.5 million people (Corporate Watch 2002). Recent studies such as Walker (2007 p.101) has shown that the: Construction process also has a challenging and vital task in defining and implementing the stakeholders requirements. This study considered this to be paramount. This was further asserted by McElroy and Mills (2007 p.758) clearly explaining the importance of stakeholder management. This report would discuss stakeholder management in the next section. Overview of Project Stakeholder A review of various literature and study on project stakeholder begs an explanation as to the origin of the word stakeholder. The word stakeholder was first recorded in text in 1708 according to (Ramirez 1999) from the word stake. Although the definition of a project stakeholder may remain debatable (Walker 2007 p.100), There is no consensus as to a common and widely used definition (McElroy and Mills 2007 p.760). It may be suggested that each author defines stakeholder(s) to suit the aim of individual academic research at that particular time. Below are some definitions of a project stakeholder from various literatures. Vollans (2006 p.50-15) defines a project stakeholder as a: person or organisation with vested interest (positive or negative) in the ultimate outcome of the project. According to Olanda and Landin (2005 p.321) it is: a group of people who have vested interest in the success of a project and the environment within which the project operates. While project management for development organizations (PM4DV) (2009 p.71) suggested that stakeholders are: people who have an interest in the project, whose satisfaction is the most critical element to define the success of a project. Other definitions include the ApmBok (2006 p.159) which defines project stakeholders as: all those who have an interest or role in the project or are impacted by the project. For the purpose of this report an alternative definition would be suggested, this definition would incorporate various definitions as seen above. Project stakeholders are: Group(s) of people /Organisation who have an interest in and who can also impact a project positively or negatively within the project life cycle and whose satisfactions are the most critical element to define the success of a project. (Olanda and Landin 2005; project management for development organizations 2009; Apm Bok 2006; Vollans 2006) Projects are made of different stakeholders with different interest in the project. This study would look at the different types of stakeholder next. Types of stakeholders When considering stakeholders types, it could be suggested that person or organisation is not self sufficient hence the word Globalization came into being projects consist of various stakeholders. This can be seen in studies undertaken by Aaltonen and Sivonen (2009 p.132), where the author suggested that identifying the various stakeholders in a project involves taking into account their wants and requirement. Project stakeholders as identified by Kloppenborg (2009); Aaltonen and Sivonen (2009) are divided into internal and external stakeholders. This can further be subdivided into primary and secondary stakeholders. Identifying both the primary and secondary stakeholders will help the project manager establish the project requirements and expectations, where the expectation is critical to project success (Kloppenborg 2009 p.362). This expectation is divided into three aspects: relationship, communications and lessons learnt. Aaltonen and Sivonen (2009 p.132) defined internal stakeholders as: those who are actively involved in the project implementation and this category of stakeholders usually support the project. The author also inferred that internal stakeholders are also called primary Stakeholders. Examples of primary stakeholders are the project owner, project sponsor and project manager. It could therefore be assumed that Stakeholder Participation specifically by primary stakeholder will increase the chances of success (Unruh 2005 p.413). While the external stakeholders are; members of the project that may affect or be affected by the project Aaltonen and Sivonen (2009 p.132). These are often called secondary stakeholders. Examples of secondary stakeholders are government agencies, suppliers and special interest groups. These classifications will be illustrated in a Figure 3 which shows the level of importance given to primary stakeholders below: Figure 2-Primary and secondary stakeholders (Author) Notwithstanding, neither primary nor secondary stakeholders can stand on its own given todays project environment. A typical example of a primary stakeholder is the project manager who would not be able to proceed if the legislative requirements are not met, this could be in form of risk management system put in place on the construction site. These requirements are set by the government bodies in charge of monitoring and control, they are also known as the secondary stakeholders. Principles of stakeholder management During its years of development, stakeholder management has documented more success than failures in the area of project management (Aaltonen and Sivonen 2009). Due to the diverse nature of this subject matter, stakeholder principle and theories have been sought in national and international policies (Reed 2008). Examples of such success can be seen in research done by Narayan (2007) on Fiji Sugar Corporation; because sugar is the major source of income of Fiji, the presence of many stakeholders in the cooperation is evident but it can also be argued that the effectiveness of the management of all stakeholders present in the cooperation was key to the organisations success. Atkin and Skitmore (2008 p.549) have suggested that project management in the constructions industry has a complex collection of activities required to deliver a construction project. It is therefore conclusive that stakeholder management within the project lifecycle is critical for the success of any construction project. Thus failure of a project manager to manage the concerns of a construction project stakeholder over the years has resulted in a countless number of construction project failures (Atkin and Skitmore 2008; Bourne and Walker, 2005). It must also be noted that stakeholder in the construction industry have the capability to terminate a construction project (Atkin and Skitmore 2008; Lim et al. 2005). A report to the House of Commons by the Committee of Public Accounts (2004) on the issues of Wembley stadium has shown that inadequate planning in the initiation phase of the project lifecycle has lead to stakeholder conflict. Managing stakeholders from the initiation phase of a construction project or any project is essential. Where there is effective stakeholder management, benefits are realised at the end of the project on time, within budget and quality. Due to suggestions made in the previous section by Walker (2007) and McElroy and Mills (2007) that the term stakeholder is difficult to identify, defining stakeholder management will still pose the same difficulty identified by the above authors. Stakeholder Management can be defined as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦as the continuing development of relationships with stakeholders for the purpose of achieving a successful project outcome (McElroy and Mills 2007 p.760) It could be suggested that for stakeholder management to be successful, it must be strategic; various literatures have suggested a process called the Stakeholder management process; this approach is applicable to both internal and external stakeholder (OGC 2010),the stakeholder process(McElroy and Mills 2007 p.772) are listed below and represented in the figure below: Identification of project success criteria. Identification of Resources Requirement. Identify Stakeholders and level of interest Conduct stakeholder Analysis Develop Strategy for Each Stakeholder identified. Table! : Stakeholder Process Explanation Identification of project success criteria McElroy and Mills (2007) suggested that sponsors success criteria should be in terms of time, cost and performance. Identify Resource Requirement Resource requirement maybe classified as tangible item which could include materials and finance (Burke 2007) and intangible resource such as support and emotions (McElroy and Mills 2007). For a project to be successful it could be suggested that a project manager need access to all this resources both tangible and intangible. Identify Stakeholders and interest Levels To identify project stakeholders McElroy and Mills (2007) have suggested that brainstorming key stakeholders and recording all stakeholders and there level of interest into a stakeholder register. To Conduct Stakeholder Analysis Stakeholder Attitude varies from one person to another. Some maybe in support and some in opposition of the project . Using a stakeholder commitment map the project team will be able perform a more effective assessment of current attitude of each stakeholder during the lifecycle phases. McElroy and Mills (2007) Develop Strategy for each Stakeholder After a stakeholder analysis has been carried out, the project team can build its strategies from the analysis. Such strategies can be the communication plan; this would include all the methods of communication to be used and frequency of the communication between the project team and project stakeholders. Stakeholder Management and Project Lifecycle The body of knowledge in project management (PMBOK) have suggested that: Because projects are unique and involve a certain degree of risk, companies such as the construction industry will generally subdivide their projects into several project phases to provide better management control Stakeholder management could be linked to project lifecycle, according to McManus (2004). Jawahar and Mclaughlin (2004) suggested that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦at any given stage in the project lifecycle certain stakeholders will be more important than other Turner (2007) suggested the following phases; the definition phase where the initial objectives are defined by various stakeholder; the design phase according to Turner (2007) would be the matching the objectives with resources; the execution phase, would involve implementation of the actual work and monitoring and controlling of the project by key stakeholders which also include the project manager and finally the closeout phase involves the commissioning and hand over to key stakeholder. Belout and Gauvreau (2003) suggested that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the effect of the critical factors on success varies as the project cycle stages change This can be seen in Figure used to link criterias for success and lifecycle by Belout and Gauvreau (2003) this is illustrated in the Figure below and can be linked to project success as seen below: Figure! : A Link Between Criterias for Success and Lifecycle PROJECT SUCCESS The word project success is an indefinite word to say the least; this has lead to a set of definitions and perspectives by different professionals and academic in the field of project management. According to McManus (2004), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The most successful projects always involve both direct and indirect stakeholders While Yu et al. (2005) suggests that a Project  is a success if its created product adds value to the client, considering the cost to the client at the point of acceptance Ika (2009 p.6) suggested that project success be defined in terms of concepts such as efficiency and effectiveness, Lock (2007 p.5) argues that project success should be defined using the three objectives listed below: Project Completion within the Budget. The project delivered or handed over to customer on time. Good performance, requiring all components of the project to meet the sponsors requirements. Source: Lock (2007, p.5) The author is invariably suggesting that we use the project management triangle seen below in Figure 4 to determine if a project is successful. Figure 3- Success triangle by Lock 2007 (Author) While Lock (2007) and Ika (2009) have presented various ways in which project stakeholders should be defined in the context of project management, Assudani and Kloppenborg (2010) have preferred to summarise their definition of project success in terms project stakeholders. It was suggested that for a project to be successful, it must meet the customers requirements and manage their relationships though effective communication. Accordingly Pinto (2004) went from the Iron triangle suggested by Lock (2007) in Figure 4 and linked it to the benefits gained by the organisation and the project stakeholder(s) at the completion of the project. In a study carried out by Sofia (2003) titled project success in relation with organizational roles and project managers skills and capabilities, the author identified the following in Table 3: Table 1- Project success definition, Source : Sofia (2003) Definition Of Project Success Percentage It meets the target cost, schedule, quality and functionality 88.5% It meet the customers satisfaction 85.9% It creates organisational improvement with the learning from failures and successes (lessons learned) 44.9% It was performed efficiently and effectively 43.6% It succeeds in executing the desired changes because one cannot expect every project to proceed exactly as planned 37.2 Others 7.7% The above table has indicated that studies carried out by Sofia (2003) are in accordance with Lock (2007) and Ika (2009) definitions. This report would define project success as: The satisfaction of stakeholders needs in teams of time, cost, and quality/performance (Lock 2007; Sofia (2003); Ika 2009; Assudani and Kloppenborg 2010; ApmBok 2009). The satisfaction mentioned in the above definition could be suggested to mean the benefit realised at the handover phase of the project. Since projects are unique endeavours (ApmBok 2009), it is right to suggest that satisfying stakeholders requirements using the criterias set aside by the stakeholder should be what success should be measured against. Critical Success factor (CSFs) for construction projects Achieving success is the goal of any project; the construction industry is not different from other industries in achieving success (Yu et al.200). The Apm Bok (2009, p.2) suggested that to satisfy stakeholders, one must have measurable criteria (OGC 2010) to measure success. Since Construction projects have been identified as having issues such as lack of trust, lack of cooperation and ineffective communication which have lead to adversarial relationship among all project stakeholders (Chan et al.2004), partnering with various stakeholders and identifying their view on CSFs using questionnaires (Jing et al. 2010) is important because it gives the project manager a clear view of each stakeholder expectations. Milosevic and Patanakul (2005) suggested that Critical success factors are correlated to a construct of an aggregate measure of  project success According (PMI 2008; Wang and Huang 2009); à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Project success  criteria shall include the golden triangle and key  project stakeholders satisfaction of the  project The following CSFs have been identified from literature and can be employed in the construction industry (Yu et al. 2004; Lock 2007; Hill et al., 2008), these CSFs are listed below: Clear and agreed upon objective. Project requirement must be carefully thought out. Trusting relationship between all members of the project Support from top management Availability of sufficient funds and other resource Technical competence with the project team. Good communication Benefits and Challenges of Stakeholder Management Stakeholder management has both benefits and challenges to construction organisations which are determined by the role played by each stakeholder organisation during the execution of project (Zutshi and Sohal 2002, p.371). The benefits of effective stakeholder management can be linked to an organisation or a countrys financial success (Zutshi and Sohal 2002; Reed et al 2009). Since the construction industry is copious with a sizeable number of stakeholders across the political, social, cultural and economic sector (Moodley et al.2008), identifying those benefits and challenges faced by the construction industry will be a priority for any project manager. Benefits The benefits of stakeholders in the construction industry are explored below thus: Stakeholder Analysis Vollans (2002 p.50-15) suggested that a key benefit of stakeholder management is the principle of analysing stakeholder which simply put is: a technique used to identify and assess the importance of stakeholders Guarded with knowledge gained from analysing various project stakeholders, it could be inferred that the knowledge will be used to make judgement regarding how each stakeholder could help or hinder the project (McElroy and Mills 2007). This early assessment of stakeholders at the planning stage of the project life cycle would identify and improve quality (Vollans 2002) by increasing the level of support from stakeholders and reducing opposition (ApmBok 2009). By identifying each stakeholder and analysing their various interests it could be suggested that this would reduce conflict by resolving issues at an early stage of the project. This analysis must be reviewed throughout the project life cycle phase (ApmBok 2009). Monitoring and Control McElroy and Mills (2007) identified better monitoring and control as a benefit of effective stakeholder management. It is suggested that management of stakeholders with regards to their ever changing interest using project management tools such as change control process and configuration management in conjunction with stakeholder management theories, should enable the project manager manage changes (Zutshi 2004). In the area of cost management, stakeholder management has been able to reduce ambiguity, duplication and waste of resources as a result of conflicts and legal issues (Zutshi 2004; Atkinson 1999) Project Governance Turner (2007) have suggested that Project are governed on behalf of stakeholders which includes owners and contractors The above author also suggested two paradigms of project governance as it relates to organisations. This paradigm suggests that projects are governed on behalf of all stakeholders, which will include both primary and secondary stakeholders. The author suggested that the responsibility of managing this relationship is that of the project manager and project team. This relationship will be managed using the principles of stakeholder management. Challenges In discussing challenges facing stakeholder management in the construction industry the following were identified: Globalization Carson (2002) defined globalisation as: a multidimensional process whereby national resources become more and more internationally mobile while national economies become increasingly interdependent Moodley et al. (2004) in recent studies identified globalisation as a challenge faced by the construction industry and argues that with the ever changing construction industry, recent issues that exists in stakeholder management such as (Communication and Scope Management ) falls within a global context. Since major construction companies in the world including UK construction companies undertake projects in various parts of the world (Steger 2003) and source for materials globally (Moodley et al. 2004), adopting stakeholder management principles and strategies from one region into a new region or culture may lead to failure due to gaps in culture and communication (Tone et al. 2009 p.27). An example of this can be seen in stakeholder management practices adopted during the construction of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai (reference). Effective Knowledge Transfer Some professionals in project management discipline may refer to this as Lessons Leaned. The Ontario health care information (reference) described knowledge transfer as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a process of developing, identifying, and disseminating best practices, and planning, producing, disseminating, and applying existing or new research in stakeholder managementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Senaratne and Sexton (2008) stressed the importance of sharing knowledge within the area of stakeholder management and also noted the role of knowledge in managing change in the construction industry. Egbu (2003) also went further to identify change as the key cause of knowledge production in construction projects. It could be suggested that though knowledge is been transferred in projects through journals in project management and the construction journals, key issues concerning individual project and stakeholder management issues and how this issues are resolved are still kept as confidential documents within various organisations resulting in a gap in the management of stakeholders within the construction sector. Organisational Policy Kamann (2007) suggested that; Organizations usually adapt or adjust their objectives and strategy in order to minimize strategic drift These objective and strategy may impact the project adversely (Aaltonen 2010), the stakeholder defines the scope of the work (ApmBok 2009), if this scope is adjusted or strategy changed as suggested by Kamann (2007) on a regular basis, the ApmBok (2009) has suggested that it would lead to what is known as a Scope Creep. The construction industry is known to be complex and full of different stakeholder with different level of power, the policy of organisation can either help to manage stakeholders more effectively or it may result in difference of option and invariably conflict. 2.7 Relationship between Stakeholder Management and Project Success A survey involving 109 professionals on how best to define project success, shows that 88.5% of respondents agreed that project success should be judged on the basis of cost, schedule, quality, functionality (Sofia 2003), the link between stakeholder management process and success cannot be overemphasised (Bones 2007). McElroy and Mills (2007) illustrated the various stakeholder management processes to project success as seen in the figure!!! below : Project Stakeholder Success Criteria Resources Requirement Stakeholder Identification Stakeholder Analysis Stakeholder Strategy Project Success (Author) Figure!! : The Relationship between Stakeholder Management Project Success While (Wit 1988) suggested that: When measuring project success, one must consider the objectives of all stakeholders throughout the project life cycle and at all levels in the management hierarchy The above author also suggested that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it is unlikely that a project can be a complete success for all stakeholders during the entire life of the projectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The above statement is reinforced by Aaltonen et al. (2008) when the author proposed critical success factors for stakeholder management in the construction industry. Although the depth of literature linking stakeholder management to project success in the construction industry is minimal, but a general literature into the link between stakeholder management and project success (McElroy and Mills 2007), the (ApmBok 2009; OGC 2010) suggested that to satisfy stakeholders, one must have measurable criteria to measure success.

Graduation Speech: Give as You Have Never Received. :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

As we look back on our past we inevitably lose sight of our future, yet as we gaze into the future it seems so difficult to enjoy the present. Some say that we should live for the moment but they're so commonly the ones always whining about the unforeseen. Other say to live for a purpose, they seem inevitably to mean that you should neglect what's truly important in life in the name of money, power and fame. Uncle Sam says to live for your country, but that seems so commonly synonymous with dying for it, and if you do, you are a hero in my eyes. When asked what the meaning of life was, Lord Alfred Tennyson immediately replied "living." When someone asks you, what will you say? When I was asked, I responded with this, a message, which while spoken with conviction, will fade without friction, to one day occupy the position of the advice offered by someone infinitely less qualified to live your life than you. This is neither the end nor the beginning. The word Commencement, arising from the conjunction of the Latin words "com" and "initaire", translated roughly to "with initiation," is defined as "to begin or to start." But indeed you've already started. Upon enrolling in Jacobs Community, I joined the rowing team. Every day I woke up at 4:15 in the morning. Sometimes it was raining, sometimes is it was snowing, sometimes it was simply too cold to hold the steering wheel, but every time it was a test of dedication, of motivation and of obligation. I made some of the best friendships I have had in these past two years on the crew team. I shared some of the most rewarding moments of my life with my teammates. Did you take time the time to join a club while at Jacobs? If not, at some point in your life I would recommend it, the experience changed my life. Every Wednesday, a retired thirty-year-old deep-sea diver, one of the many amazing people I have met at EvCC and a fine teammate in rowing, would force me to run a few miles along the paths by Langus Park after crew practice. Along the side of the trial were mile markers, not ostentatious nor neglected, merely displayed clearly as to show one how far he or she had gone... they never told us how much further we had to go.

Native Americans vs. African Americans Essay

In today’s society there are many people living in poverty. All across America there are different projects and reservations where the less fortunate reside. Statistics show that mostly minorities live in these different locations. Native Americans and African Americans are two of the more popular races living in these places. The group suffering the most in these situations is the youth. Although both Native American and African American children living on a reservation or in the projects experience a terrible community, have little to no faith, and a broken family structure, African American youth living in the projects have it worse than Native American children living on a reservation. First, one of the most common living situations for less fortunate African Americans is in the projects. A project is a public living environment that is government owned. Although these buildings are government owned they are far from nice looking. Most of the buildings have no windows, are run down, dirty, and old. The government’s main goal is to maintain affordable housing not to make them the best looking homes in town. The projects aren’t a good environment for a child to be raised. Throughout these neighborhoods different gangs can be found. These gangs are built to defend the different areas in the projects. The gangs bring major violence to the area and are one of the main causes of death. At a young age children join these gangs and are raised to be violent. Many of them decorate the buildings they are living in with graffiti expressing their gang colors, symbols, or motto. In contrast, while Native American youth also live in poor housing, the environment is safer than the projects. A reservation is an area set aside for a specific type of land use or activity, or for use by a particular group of people, mostly Native Americans. Similar to the projects, houses on a reservation are old, beat down, and dirty. The houses on a reservation are government owned as well. Although these two locations are very similar they also differ. The reservation is a safer place then the projects. On the reservation there is a couple cases of mild violence but they aren’t as severe as the violence in the projects. Therefore, the reservations environment is a better environment than the projects. Secondly, many of the young people have no faith growing up in the projects. A lot of them believe their only way out of the projects is to become a basketball or football player or to become a top selling rap artist. At as young as sixteen years of age most African American males end up in jail, deceased, or selling drugs. A lot of them are also lead to believe that if they don’t do what every other man on the streets is doing, then they won’t make it anywhere in life. On the reservation the kids believe their only way out is to become NBA players or â€Å"powwowers†. Powwower’s are traditional Native American cheerleaders or dancers. Much like the African Americans growing up in the projects, the life expectancy rate for those living on a reservation is in the mid forties. Considering that both of these locations are in the United States mid forties is very young of age. Many of these people don’t live very long because they don’t have enough money to take care of themselves as well as their families. They also aren’t able to live a healthy lifestyle which shortens their days. Death is common in the two locations which leaves these two young groups wondering what’s beyond the age forty. Lastly, family structure is very important in a household. In the projects many of the homes lack a very strong family structure. Children growing up in the projects nine times out of ten don’t have both parents in the home. Most of them are drug dealers, alcoholics, prostitutes, or doing any and everything to try and provide for the child. Although these parents are trying to provide for their children a lot of the time they are also on welfare. Moreover, these children’s parents aren’t ever around, they sometimes go days without having anything to eat. Many of the young men follow after the footsteps of their father, older brother, or uncles which is why this cycle has continued for so long. Native Americans typically stick together as a unit. According to Sherman Alexie, an award winning author who grew up on a reservation, â€Å"Native American children are taught to be suspicious of Caucasian people. † Native Americans teach this to their children because there are many people in America that are against minorities and believe that just because they are the majority they’re better. A lot of the parents on a reservation go from job to job not being able to keep one job for a long period of time. Many of these parents are also alcoholics. On the other hand, some of these families on these reservations are very family oriented unlike the African American families in the projects. These Native American families have up to seventeen family members living in one house. They keep their families very close and are very supportive of one another rather then being against each other like African Americans. The parents watch over their children to make sure they don’t go down the wrong path in life. Although these families are experiencing hard times they cheer each other up and manage to smile every once in a while. Therefore, the Native Americans family structure is stronger then African Americans. In conclusion, Native American youth living on a reservation have it better then African American youth living in the projects. Both of these minorities are going through some hardships. From alcoholic parents to not having anything to eat they both are suffering as young children. Native American families provide a safer living environment, work harder, and look after one another, where as African Americans are against one another, on the streets all day, and are strongly associated with violence. As the years go on these families are hoping that the government will separate people in the projects and those living on reservations and provide them both with a better living situation. If these environments are separated the United States will be one step closer to eliminating violence in America.

Compare and Contrast Egyptian and Mesopotamian Culture

The Mesopotamia Civilization and Egyptian Civilization, both at their prime around the same time had many similarities as well as many differences. Both civilizations brought ideas and processes into the world that impacted the development of other societies around the world. The Mesopotamia civilization was a theocracy ruled by a monarchy which they believed to be divine in origin, Meaning kings derived their power from the gods and were in direct connection with the gods. The religion of the people of Mesopotamia as polytheistic, as they worshiped over 3000 gods and goddesses.The people believed the gods and goddesses owned the cities so each city had a temple that was built with much wealth. The temples owned much of the land and livestock. The temple was the center of the city as well as a political and economical center. There was three main social classes, nobles, commoners and slaves. Nobles included royal and priestly officials and their families. Commoners were the nobles cl ients as they worked for the palace and temple as well as other common workers of the city. Slaves ere owned by palace officials and were used for building project and weaving.The economy was based on agriculture. The valley between the Tigris and Euphrates Is where the Mesopotamia peoples thrived. The river valley Is the main reason why the society survived and prospered being that their economy was based solely on agriculture. The law code of the people was based on the principle of retribution, (eye for an eye). The Egyptian Civilization was a theocracy as they had a king thought to have a divine connection with the gods. Egyptians were a polytheistic peoples the worship any gods with two specific groups being the sun gods and land gods.The Egyptian religion was apart of everyday life and could be no other way, pleasing the gods was most Important. The Egyptian social class was God-king, nobles and priests, merchants and artisans, serfs and common people. Egyptians were content w ith their everyday life. They married young and established home and family. The two civilizations were very similar In ways. Both societies had a polytheistic religion and both had kings who had a delve connection with the gods. The social classes of both were similar the differences were the Egyptians had a class of recreants and artisans a class above the common people.The traditions are very different as the Egyptians were very extravagant In their celebration of death and preparation of kings and company going Into the afterlife. Both societies thrived In a river valley environment, both used agriculture to support the people both physically and economically. Also because of their locations other peoples wanted the land for Its fertility so each society has Its share of conflicts. Both societies has a writing form. Women. Men were seen as the head of household and the women here to care for the children and the home.

Romeo and Juliet summary Essays

Romeo and Juliet summary Essays Romeo and Juliet summary Paper Romeo and Juliet summary Paper For my English coursework, I have been studying the Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet is a romantic tragedy. The plot chronicles two star-crossed lovers, which belong to two feuding families, the Capulet family and the Montague family. For the two to be happy they must deceive their families. This is done with the help of Juliets maid and Friar Lawrence. The dramatic play concludes tragically as the couple die, together, in a sad twist of fate. The scene I have chosen to dramatise and direct, as on stage is, Act 1 Scene5. During this scene the two main characters, Romeo and Juliet, meet at the Capulets masked ball. Romeo sees Juliet and is infatuated, he then follows her. Meanwhile Tybalt, a highly respected, powerful Capulet, discovers that Romeo, a Montague, is at the party, Tis he the villain Romeo. Tybalt is told not to pursue Romeo and let him be, by Sir Capulet It fits when such a villain is a guest; I shall not endure him. Approaching the end of the scene Romeo finds Juliet. He takes her behind a curtain, and tries to kiss her My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss, She gives in after playing hard to get, and the two kiss twice. Juliets maid then interrupts and tells Juliet that her mother wants to talk to her Madam your mother craves a word with you. Juliet goes, and Romeo leaves the party. At the end of the scene Juliet asks her maid what was Romeos name, She answers, His name is Romeo, and a Montague; The only son of your great enemy. On that note the scene ends. In the scene leading up to this, the Montagues were deciding whether or not to crash the Capulets party. We find out more about Romeos best friend and companion Mercutio, this character plays a large role in this scene, and also later in the play. Romeo then enters the party disguised in a mask. In the scene following on from mine, the party has ended and Romeo intrudes into the forecourts of the Capulet Mansion. Romeo then goes to Juliets balcony. Then the sentence that is most well known, O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and Ill no longer be a Capulet. is proclaimed. This is an example of irony, because Romeo is actually hidden very near the balcony from which she is speaking. She then encounters him later in the scene Romeo and the two embrace romantically before nearly being caught. During Act 1 Scene 5 we discover some important information about some of the main characters, such as Romeo, Juliet, Juliets Nurse and Tybalt. We learn that Romeo has strong feelings towards his newfound love Juliet, and he seems anxious to pursue these feelings. We also learn that Romeo is about nineteen years old. He is also a Montague, and only son of his father Sir Montague. Juliet is young but is mature, she is about thirteen years old. She is a Capulet. Also she is the only daughter of Sir Capulet. This proves a difficulty later in the story. Tybalt is the henchman of Sir Capulet. He is very powerful and seems to be second in command to Sir Capulet. Juliets nurse is understanding of Juliets new found love. She is he one who walks into the two would be lovers first embrace. She accepts that Romeo is a Montague, the enemy of the family she works for, and doesnt hold it against him. She actually acts as a go between, later in the story. She is the one who delivers the news to Juliet, that Romeo is a Montague. In this scene I am trying to draw out the love and passion of the two characters. I want to show that even though the two families despise each other, Romeo and Juliet would put that behind them, as their love is so strong. I want to point out that Romeo is infatuated with Juliet and the audience should be aware of this. O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel in an Ethiopes ear; beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, as yonder lady oer her fellows shows. The measure done, Ill watch her place of stand, and, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand. Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I neer saw true beauty till this night. This is what Romeo says when he first sets eyes on Juliet, and it is a great example that he is infatuated with her.