Banyan Tree Essay

Minimal advertising, still high level of brand awareness through company’s public relations and global marketing programs. Faced the challenge of translating and maintaining the success of a niche Asian hospitality brand into various market segments on a global scale ‘Innovative niche product that could also bridge the price gap in this market’ Building a resort comprising individual villas with locally inspired architectural design and positioned as a romantic and intimate escapade for guests; ‘Sanctuary for the senses’. Banyan Tree Gallery: ‘local culture and heritage and promoting cottage Crafts, retail outlet showcasing indigenous crafts, works closely with village cooperatives and not-for-profit craft marketing agents.  Marketing: high-end travel magazines in key markets – public relations – global marketing programs (increase editorial coverage) – few key wholesalers in each targeted market – agents specializing in exlusive luxury holidays targeted at wealthy customers – membership in the Small Luxury Hotels and Leading Hotels of the World – GDS cose ‘BY’ (own global distribution system used by travel providers to process airline, hotel, car rental and other distribution partners around the world. Actively caring for the natural and human environment, revitalizing local communities, worked actively to preserve, protect, and promote the natural and human environments in which BYT resorts where located. Minimizing the impact on the environment Green Communities = planted trees, engage local communities, associates, guests to share the causes of climate change and actions that can reduce our collected carbon footprint. Green Imperative Fund to further support community-based and environmental initiatives in the regions where it has a presence. The company believed in building profitable resorts that would benefit the surrounding environment and contribute to local economies through the creation of employment and community development projects. Businesses with local farmers and traders by making it a point to purchase fresh produce from them. Community Relations Department was set up to develop and manage community outreach programs. Seedling: BTHR’s formalized program which aimed to help oung adults from local communities and motivate them and provide the means for completing their education to successfully enter the labor force as adults. Future: openening city hotels and angsana hotels in Dubai and London (angsana brand in response to the demand for hotel operators in Asia that were keen to introduce spa services in their hotel, it is more contemporary and affordable brand. Musem Shop by banyan tree: joint partnetship with Singapor’s national heritage board to showcase Asi’a rich and diverse cultural heritage through unique museum-inspired merchandise. Banyan Tree Holdings (Banyan Tree) is an investment holding company involved in managing and developing premium resorts, hotels and spas in the Asia Pacific. To date, the Banyan Tree Group manages and/or has ownership interests in close to 36 hotels and resorts, around 73 spas, 91 galleries  and 3 golf courses in 28 countries The company operates in Asia, Mexico and Morocco, New Zealand, Africa, Dubai, and the UK. Banyan Tree operates through three business segments: hotel investment, property sales, and fee-based. The hotel investments segment relates to hotel and restaurant operations. : The property sales segment comprises hotel residences, Laguna property sales and development project/site sales. Hotel residences business relates to the sale of hotel villas or suites which are part of hotel operations, to investors under a compulsory leaseback scheme. Laguna property sales business relates to the development and sale of properties which are standalone vacation homes in Laguna Phuket. Development project/site sales relates to pure development land sales or development land sales which are fully or partially developed with infrastructure. The fee-based segment comprises the management of hotels and resorts, the management of an asset-backed destination club, the management of private-equity funds, the management and operation of spas, the sales of merchandise, the provision of architectural and design services, the management and ownership of golf courses, and rental of retail outlets and offices. The company’s subsidiaries (dochterbedrijf) include Banyan Tree Spa Bangkok, Banyan Tree Spa Bintan, Banyan Tree Spa Ringha, Banyan Tree Spa Phuket, Banyan Tree Sanya, and Banyan Tree Macau, among others. Banyan Tree Holdings (Banyan Tree) is engaged in the management and development of premium resorts, hotels and spas. The company’s key services include the following. Hotel and restaurant operations Sale of hotel villas or suites – Development and sale of properties – Pure development land sales – Management of hotels and resorts – Management of an asset-backed destination club – Management of private-equity funds -Management and operation of spas – Architectural and design services – Management and ownership of golf courses – Rental of retail outlets and offices. The following companies are the major competitors of Banyan Tree Holdings Limited: Central Plaza Hotel Public Company Limited – Four Seasons Hotels Inc – Associated International Hotels Ltd In the past few years, such events risks as the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, bird flu, floods and riots in Thailand have been hard on our industry, causing tourism as a whole to dry up in their wake. By comparison, economic recessions are part and parcel of the business cycle, which we are able to take in our stride and counter with a variety of measures. During the year, the world remained mired in the European sovereign debt crisis and American economic weakness. Although these conditions affected our arrivals primarily from Europe, we were able to capitalise on the flourishing Chinese market. At our four resorts in the Maldives, for example, the number of Chinese guests surpassed those from Europe. In our continuing efforts to rebalance the Group’s assets, we made the bargain purchase of Banyan Tree Seychelles which gave rise to a net gain. We also sold and leased back Angsana Velavaru in January 2013. The hybrid structure of this deal is a first for Banyan Tree, and we are pleased with how it allows us to rebalance our portfolio while still participating in the profits from the operations of Angsana Velavaru. 2012: with overall revenue growing 3% to S$338. 4 million. Due to improved results from our hotel investments and fee-based businesses, as well as a higher contribution from completed sales of property units. Group EBITDA was S$74. 5 million, up 51% on the back of higher revenue and a gain on the bargain purchase of Banyan Tree Seychelles. This in turn resulted in PATMI increasing by 856% (S$14. million), tempered by higher finance costs and income tax expenses. HOTEL INVESTMENTS Our hotel investments delivered a stronger performance in 2012, with Group-owned hotels posting total revenue of S$187. 7 million, up 15% from the previous year. This was due to the higher contribution from our Thai properties and the consolidation of revenue from Banyan Tree Seychelles from 2Q12 onwards. These gains were partially offset by lower revenue from our Maldives properties as Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru and Angsana Ihuru were temporarily closed for refurbishment. As a result of the increase in revenue, EBITDA for this segment grew by a healthy 69% to S$36. 6 million. PROPERTY SALES Revenue from property sales was S$42. 7 million. The 36% decrease was due to the sale of development sites in Lijiang, Yangshuo and Huangshan to our China Fund in 2011. Excluding those transactions, revenue and EBITDA from property sales saw growth of 43% and 74% respectively, thanks to a higher contribution from completed sales of property units. FEE-BASED Total revenue from our fee-based businesses registered growth of 9% to reach S$108. million. This was attributable to an increase in fees from hotel management and architectural and interior design and other services. Accordingly, EBITDA for our fee-based businesses grew by 23%. 2013 appears to be another challenging year for the global economy. We anticipate continued weakness in our European target markets. In Asia, which has been the world’s economic engine these past four years, growth is likely to moderate. Despite the cooling of China’s economy, the tourism market both inbound and outbound is expected to continue to grow. The Chinese government is aggressively promoting domestic tourism as part of its strategy to increase domestic consumption, thereby cushioning the slowdown in export manufacturing. Banyan Tree’s strong branding and rapidly expanding footprint in China will position us to take advantage of this trend. Our seven regional marketing offices in China will be invaluable in enabling us to tap the vast potential of this market and to enhance awareness of our hotels with key accounts in China. Our strategy going forward will include continuing with our asset rebalancing to unlock value and deploy capital to more promising markets. At the same time, we are exploring the possibility of extending the successful Fund model into other areas. In terms of growing particular segments, we will be focusing on increasing income from our fee-based and property sales businesses. We have built the fee-based segment to a point where it now has an impetus of its own. On the property sales front, we plan to move into selling more primary and serviced residences. Primary residences under the Banyan Tree brand, â€Å"We will also be going forward with the establishment of a third brand of residences to be wholly sold and managed by us. † Rather than compete with local property developers, we will leverage our branding and design skills to market to a niche audience in China. We will also be going forward with the establishment of a third brand of residences to be wholly sold and managed by us. Catering to an entirely new market of price-conscious buyers, these properties will be smaller in size yet deliver the quality and innovation that are hallmarks of Banyan Tree. Strongly associated with our brand is the concept of a triple bottom line. In our pursuit of economic, social and environmental success, we made major investments in resource conservation, training and benchmarking, greening and community efforts in 2012. Under the EarthCheck system of sustainability certification, we also planted in six-year a total to over 220,000 trees. Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts offer an intimate retreat experience featuring its signature blend of romance, rejuvenation and exotic sensuality. Our philosophy is based on providing a place for rejuvenation of the body, mind and soul – a Sanctuary for the Senses. Placing special emphasis on providing guests with a sense of place, each Banyan Tree property is designed to fit into its natural surroundings, using indigenous materials as far as possible and reflecting the landscape and architecture of the destination. Pioneering he tropical garden spa concept with Asian health and beauty remedies passed down from generations, Banyan Tree Spa was created as the signature experience in all Banyan Tree resorts, to complement the â€Å"Sanctuary for the Senses† wellness concept. With the emphasis on high service standards and consistency, therapists are professionally trained at Banyan Tree Spa Academies in Phuket, Thailand, and Lijiang, China. The Banyan Tree Gallery supports local communities by exhibiting and retailing indigenous handicrafts, which are also found in the resorts. A quintessential highlight of the Banyan Tree experience, Banyan Tree Gallery aspires to recreate the unique Banyan Tree experience with  its extensive selection of  Asian-style furnishings, Banyan Tree Spa collection, eco-friendly products, indigenous village handicrafts, ethnic apparel and accessories, and objects d’art. Banyan Tree Holdings Limited is a leading, international hospitality brand that manages and develops premium resorts, hotels and spas. Its innovative business model is based on seven business segments generating multiple income streams that is unique in itself within the hospitality industry. This formula of developing and managing complementary product offerings with in-house talent makes it difficult for competitors to duplicate with the same level of success. Banyan Tree’s vertically integrated business model comprises: Hotel investment– Banyan Tree owns and manages luxury hotels under its brands, as well as hotels that are managed by other world-class operators. Hotel management– Banyan Tree additionally manages properties under the Banyan Tree and Angsana brands for other owners. Canopy Marketing Group Pte Ltd – A company wholly owned by Banyan Tree Services, Canopy Marketing Group Pte Ltd provides high-level strategic insights on various global niche markets to drive top line performance of our diverse range of lifestyle products including hotels, resorts, spas, gallery, destination club and residential ownership. It has a full-suite of marketing capabilities specializing in the branding, marketing and promotion. Spa operations– Banyan Tree Spa pioneered the tropical garden spa concept, and has since grown to over 60 outlets worldwide. Gallery operations– The retail arm is consolidated under Banyan Tree Gallery, which comprises five brand segments located in over 70 stores worldwide. Hotel residences – Hotel inventory are primarily sold under the brand name Banyan Tree Residences. Property sales – Properties that are not part of hotel operations are sold by our subsidiary company, Laguna Resorts and Hotels, and its subsidiaries, in Laguna Phuket. Design and other services – Revenue from design services is earned by Architrave, Banyan Tree’s in-house architectural arm. Other service fees include income from operating golf clubs. Real Estate Hospitality Funds – Banyan Tree Capital was set upto tap private equity and other sources of investments in order to provide a cost efficient structure to fund the Group’s future developments. With about 8,000 associates of over 50 nationalities, the diversity of its workforce is a key feature of the Group and helps to inspire its international outlook. To address its talent development needs, Banyan Tree launched Banyan Tree Management Academy (BTMA) in 2008. This centralised training facility located in Phuket, Thailand will train future Banyan Tree leaders needed to sustain organisational effectiveness and to meet the demands of its rapid global growth. Part of Banyan Tree’s vision has always been to grow into a global business, with a portfolio of properties strategically placed around the world. The Group’s mission is inextricably intertwined with its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainable growth, as it continues to expand globally. The launch of Banyan Tree Residences, which allows investors to buy their own signature villa, townhouse or apartment in Banyan Tree resorts. Banyan Tree Private Collection was launched to cater to the growing niche for destination club membership 2005: Marking the group’s long awaited foray into China is Banyan Tree Ringha, in Yunnan. 2001: Banyan Tree established the Green Imperative Fund to formalise its corporate social responsibility efforts. The Banyan Tree Spa Academy was set up to provide training for new therapists as well as research new treatment recipes and techniques. Banyan Tree Capital is a real estate fund management company established by the Banyan Tree group, a renowned luxury hospitality company listed in Singapore, to focus on hospitality-based real estate investment. Banyan Tree Capital raises, develops and manages branded hospitality funds in key development markets of the Banyan Tree group. With a combination of fund management and asset development capabilities, Banyan Tree Capital leverages on the group’s expertise in premium hospitality real estate development and anagement to generate attractive investment returns for its investors. Banyan Tree Capital is headquartered in Singapore with offices in China and Vietnam. We have successfully achieved higher room rates than the existing market in locations such as Lijiang, the Maldives and Seychelles. We have also found that our iconic brands also help raise the value of the surrounding land. Our innovative city products combine all the iconic elements of our brand and differentiat e developers within established, high cost city markets. We have the flexibility and capabilities to adapt our model to various locations so as to maximize returns for the developer As part of our strategy of enlarging our footprint in China, we will also be launching two more hotels in Shanghai and one in Tianjin, adding to our ever growing presence in various gateway cities. We are also employing our capabilities all across China, where large tracts of land are being developed into gated residences and luxury hotels offered to the Chinese elite. One of Banyan Tree’s prime concerns is its associates. We pride ourselves in providing high levels of service excellence and providing tailor made training and career development programmes for our employees. No stone is left unturned in regards to training and proper introduction before a Banyan Tree is put into operation. Trained to the basic standards of 5 star hotels. Employees were empowered to exercise creativity and sensitivity although the strict administrative rules of the management. Employees were taken to and from work in air-conditioned buses, access to various amenities (good-quality canteens, medical services, childcare facilities). Banyan Tree is one of the world’s biggest and well known spa operators. Our levels of quality and service are unparalleled and uncompromised. We are the only vertically integrated hospitality company with strong capabilities to tackle and anticipate the challenges of master planning and developing an integrated resort. We are able to take a property from inception to delivery with efficiencies that is entirely brand specific. Our n-house design team, Architrave, and project services team are extremely involved in all phases of the development – master planning, designing, developing and coordinating, to ensure developers a timely delivery of their asset. Being experienced developers, we are able to ensure that efficiencies and economies of scale are maximized along with guest experiences. Bintan, the Maldives and Phuket where the Angsana resort is positioned next to a Banyan Tree resort with shared back of house facilities. This model has allowed us to lower costs without cannibalizing rates, thereby boosting returns for our developers.

Adolescents On-line

As technology give way to broader telecommunication options, a new form of social community was formed. The Cyber Community has been one of the most intriguing forms of contemporary society and adolescents welcomed it willingly.Today’s adolescents are vicariously participating in online social networks. According to the research made by Wolak and colleague, out of 246 individuals who engaged in close online relationships about 145 do not see each other face to face. Thus, it can be surmised that face to face relationships are not anymore a factor that affects relationships between two persons.Conventional friendships signifies personal contact which is absent in on-line relationships. Nonetheless, both relationships exist so as to provide comfort and help to participants. However, in on-line relationships, the level of trust and confidence is usually lower. While some people see on line relationships to be a way to escape reality, others view this sort of relationship as helpf ul in identifying real personality and attitude.Adolescents use online networking to communicate both with their online friends and offline friends as well. They can also send messages and express themselves more freely and at most times most effectively. Several online games which are predominantly role-playing games in character also extend adolescents capacity to interact with other people.Negotiating and solving conflicts are highlighted in this kind of virtual social community. It also through different virtual social networks that teenagers can gather information about certain areas of interest and views, this is a feature that can be found in forums and blogs.References:Subrahmanyam, K. and Greenfield, P. (2008). Online Communication and Adolescent Relationships. Volume 18 No. 1. Retrieved on October 18, 2008 from www.futureofchildren.orgWolak, J., Mitchell, KJ. And Finkelhor, D. (2002) Close Online Relationships ina National Sample of Adolescents. Retrieved on October 18, 20 08 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2248/is_147_37/ai_94598385/pg_

CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS - Assignment Example It affects the smooth lining in the joints leading to pain and notable stiffness. The cartilage of the joints thins and tissues become less active, leading to swelling (Crisp, Taylor & Douglas, 2013). The case also results in body spurs due to eroding of the bones at the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is common in women and is thrice more likely to affect women than men. The condition develops when the immune system of the body targets affected joints leading to pain and swelling. It affects the outer covering of the joints first and the spreads across the joint hence pain. People with the rheumatoid can also develop problems with other tissues and other body organs (Crisp, Taylor & Douglas, 2013). The common clinical manifestations of the arthritis condition include long-term inflammation of the joint areas, affecting the bones and muscles in that joint. The patient also depicts aspects of stiffness in movement, swelling of the tendons and eyes. It can also reflect in swelling of the neck and in cases where it affects other tissues or organs, it can reflect as pain in those organs. Mr. Elliot is 70 years of age and suffers from chronic arthritis. In the interview, he says he began developing symptoms of pain and swelling of the ankle joints at the age of 52 years. However, at this time, he sought treatment for pains thinking it was a normal joint defect resulting from his past career. Mr. Elliot was a professional footballer and at his formative years, he spend alit of time exercising, and in the process suffered multiple joint injuries. Therefore, when the condition started developing, he thought it was from the injuries he suffered at his young age playing football. However, he condition worsened, persisting for over 8 years, before he sought professional care. He learnt it was osteoarthritis at age of 60 years. Currently, he understands the cause of the condition and its impact to his health and lives positively, while undertaking

Effective Performance Management System for enhancing employees Essay

Effective Performance Management System for enhancing employees motivation - Essay Example The paper tells that in order to enhance the performance of employees, it is important for Human Resource (HR) department to address the needs of every employee so that he/she is motivated to make valuable contributions in the organization. Motivated employees tend to work harder and also at times come up with an immense amount of creativity in their job performance. There are many motivational theories that can be implemented in the organizations for enhancing the employee’s performance but the best way is to identify each employee’s expectations from the job and to develop a performance plan that is compatible with their requirements. Some of the popular motivational theories are Taylor’s Theory, Maslow’ Hierarchy of Needs, Herzberg’s Two-factor theory, Vroom’s Expectancy Theory, McGregor Theory X and Theory Y and etc.; the central crux of each of the theory is that employees’ performance can be enhanced only by identifying their req uirements from the job and providing them the opportunities of demonstrating their intellectual capabilities. The management of the organization needs to carefully review the resources required by the employee to perform the task in an effective manner and hence the management needs to ensure that the resources are provided to the employees. One of the integral processes or systems of HR department is Performance Management System (PMS). This is a system that ensures that employees’ performance is evaluated on an ongoing basis so that they can be provided guidance on managing their jobs effectively. With the help of an effective PMS, an organization can ensure that the employees are well-aware about the tasks that they have to perform, year-end goals that have to be achieved, factors on which their performance will be evaluated and the rewards and recognition that will be given to them for doing exceptional work. For the management, the performance management system allows th em to monitor the performances and accordingly work on the need and requirements of improving employee performances.

Vocabulary Story Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Vocabulary Story - Assignment Example However, my vacillation ended in a second. I dashed the house to save my brother. The smoke was so much and I got chocked however I did not capitulate. I was that I would inhale noxious gases so I ran even faster. I found my baby brother sleeping peacefully in his cot as his toys that hung above the bed oscillated. I picked him hastily and ran down the stairs only to find a crowd of people who commiserated me. The neighbor tried to put out the fire and the fire fighters arrived on time to save the day. Everyone including my querulous and supercilious aunt congratulated me for my heroic act. I walked innocuously towards the paramedics who tested us and said that we were healthy although my brother needed to be kept under observation as he was slightly cadaverous (Wilder 47). To recapitulate, this was the day I earned respect from my family and neighbors and stopped castigating me for my quiet nature. From that day everyone treats me chivalrously. The local headlines read ‘Little by becomes Superman’ and this levity put a smile on my

Cultural Implications Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cultural Implications - Coursework Example Distinctive culture has diverse conduct standard and good limitations for its representatives in an organization. Organizations will apply incredible impact in transit representatives speak with one another. Then; employee voice is an approach to speak to the organization correspondence. What's more, the voice of employees passes on their certain culture. Take the Japan Company and American organization as illustrations. In Japan Company, employees are obliged to hold the statement of faith of order, and they have a superior work framework. Japanese employees ought to be responsible for their own business exclusively instead of participate with others (Johnstone & Ackers, 2015). While in the American organization the culture is truly diverse. The employees typically carry on specifically to others and the greater part of times they will impart to the work. What the distinction of them show in the part of their human administration. In some renowned Japan organizations like SONY, whos e employees will be isolated into diverse gatherings and keep the gatherings as independent as could be expected under the circumstances as per their distinctive societies to maintain a strategic distance from the social conflicts with one another (Johnstone & Ackers, 2015). Yet the input of this framework is that it is hard to hear distinctive voices from representatives, which will obviously requirement the speedier and healthier improvement of the association. Employee voice is accomplished through both direct voice and indirect voice.

Connection journal about nutrient cycling Assignment

Connection journal about nutrient cycling - Assignment Example Meanwhile, biotic components may refer to various staff or personnel who takes up the nutrients or ideas for publication. Now that we are quite familiar to the connection that we established, let us take nutrient cycling inside the magazine office. Ideas are always present in the atmosphere, just like nitrogen. Ideas can be converted into functional ideas with the help of creative staff. It is comparable to the role of nitrogen-fixing bacteria that converts nitrogen to nitrates. Next, the creative director takes in the ideas of the creative staff and forms the cover and photo concepts. The same goes through with the cycle when plants take in nitrogen and form proteins. The next level of hierarchy goes to the managing director who is constantly in contact with the creative director and consumes the proteins formed within a span of time. In the absence of both the creative and managing director, the tasks may not be completed and eventually phase-out. When both plants (creative director) and animals (managing director) die or become absent in the process, proteins (final ideas) formed decompose into nitr ogen in atmosphere. In this case, the role of the editor-in-chief to oversee the whole process takes effect until the editor-in-chief establish constant contact again with the creative and managing directors or until the cycle starts

Multicultural topic questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Multicultural topic questions - Essay Example This would shatter the counselee’s confidence in the counselor and render the counseling ineffective. Also, such factors as linguistic barriers may hinder the counseling process. 2. What are the indigenous alternatives to counseling in a non-Western culture? There are several methods that are commonly employed in place of counseling in many non-Western cultures that are directed to achieve the effect of counseling. Many of such alternatives to counseling have religious significance. For examples, Hindus associate the river of Ganges with spirituality and believe that it has positive effect on one who takes bath in it. Prayer is considered as a means to contact God. Therefore, people from different religions openly discuss their problems with God and seek help in prayer. After praying, they feel relieved and counseled. In many Eastern countries, there is very little trend of attending formal counseling sessions. Instead, people restrain themselves to religious teachings, lectur es and parental guide to achieve the effect of counseling. 3. How do psychological problems vary with culture of clients? Clients may be equipped with various psychological problems that differ from client to client depending upon the cultures they belong to. Human psychology is greatly shaped and influenced by the cultural trends and practices. Some cultures require their followers to be extrovert and yet there are other cultures, that encourage their followers to remain introvert in all aspects of life. The level to which an individual socializes and the people he/she socializes with is also determined to much an extent, by the culture he/she belongs to. Daily experiences that people go through in their life are influenced by their culture, and the experiences impact their psychology. 4. Outline the essential issues involved in counseling international students? Many international students come to foreign countries with pre-formed conceptions about the nature and attitude of the i ndigenous people in general, which or may not be true. Students form their perceptions according to the experience of others that have been to foreign countries they intend to go to for studies. Those preformed conceptions are usually so ingrained in the minds of the international students that it becomes very difficult for a counselor to change their false perceptions. In addition to that, cultural issues as discussed before may also hinder the counseling of international students. 5. Describe value orientation conflicts. Personal perceptions of an individual are defined by his/her value orientation. Value orientation tells what an individual deems right and what to him/her is wrong. People vary in their opinions, beliefs and views. There are a lot of principles that were considered wrong by people from older generations and yet today, they are considered as right. The conflict of rationality of principles gives rise to the value orientation conflicts. In order to make the counseli ng effective, it is imperative that the counselor understands or studies the value orientation of the counselee. 6. Describe stages of black racial identity development. The four stages of the black racial identity development model proposed by Cross (1971, 1978 cited in Alston, Bell, and Price, 1996) were pre-encounter stage, encounter stage, immersion/emersion stage and internalization stage.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Essay Example for Free

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Essay I can get no satisfaction †¦ Rolling Stones Now here we are, standing near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Fashioned from stark slabs of black granite, this memorial perfectly represents America’s collective memory of its longest war and first defeat. The memorial, like the memory, is both somber and ambiguous. On the polished face of the memorial appear the names of some 58,000 U.S. military personnel who died in Indochina. My friend’s name is one of those names. This was the greatest cost of the war of our country. There were others as well: the bitterness of over 3 million Vietnam veterans who returned to more scorn than gratitude from their fellow citizens; the inflation that followed years of deficit financing to help cover more than $150 billion in war expenses; bruising divisions within American society about responsibility for the nation’s defeat and the devastation of the peoples and lands of Indochina; and a public cynicism about government, reinforced by the Watergate scandal, that was to mark U.S. politics for many years. However, I wouldn’t like to put the card before the horse and thus I’ll try to tell you the whole story about the America of those days in all possible details.   I’ll tell you how everything started and where it ended; about our youth and our epoch, which nowadays one can easily call the Vietnam War Era. We had had very poor knowledge of Vietnam by July 27, 1964. On that exact day the news reported that 5,000 US military advisors were ordered to South Vietnam to join other American militaries and support the government of South Vietnam in its struggle against the Communists of the North. Today I say that day marked the beginning of new era for all of us. How it started    I should tell that the very beginning of the Vietnam War had contained much controversy that later generated negative attitude of our society towards that military campaign. Now I understand that the initial problem lay in following. Congress passed the resolution in 1964 to support Johnson in taking measures to protect U.S. armed forces in Indochina. As requested by Johnson, Congress passed the resolution in response to incidents between U.S. naval destroyers and North Vietnamese gunboats in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of North Vietnam. But this resolution was not the official declaration of the war against North Vietnam however served for Johnson as justification for sending 500,000 troops into South Vietnam. The President’s administration to avoid disquieting people did not use word â€Å"war† and invented a devious substitute for it: the â€Å"functional equivalent† of a declaration of war. We started discussion as regards the appropriateness of treating that resolution as declaration of the war. And as time went by our society split up into two camps: the supporters and detractors of war. Political division of society    Moreover, we felt that not only Americans are dubious of their attitude towards the war. The whole world was also divided into two hostile camps: supporters of American invasion into Vietnam (capitalistic democratic countries) and opponents of the military actions (communistic totalitarian countries). You must know that America has always been the proponent of democratic principles. What should you also keep in mind is that it was the time of the Cold War development. I must admit that the existence of external foe (the Communism) was permanently felt by every American. We witnessed of the development of the Cold War, Cuban Missile Crisis when the Third World War nearly started, we watched how the nuclear power of the Soviet Union was rising. The fear of nuclear war haunted our country throughout the decade. Increase of social well-being    The threat of war had impacted all spheres of our life. We witnessed how police spent much time training for the very real possibility of nuclear attack. You would not believe but it is a fact that the threat of war was the reason for building of the Interstate Highway System during the 1960s. Our highways and roads expended quickly. Consequently, automobile became a common thing at the end of World War II and the demand for it was continuously growing. In the 1960s I and almost all my friends had a car and the number of young people driving a car reached an unprecedented level. At the same time our every day life contained the events not related to the Vietnam War. First of all it was a time of the unprecedented change in U.S. society. For the first time for the whole history we felt what the prosperity is! Technological advances in electronics, telecommunications and transportation changed the American lifestyle. A car became an affordable luxury for every American and since that time we could freely travel around the country.    Social protests The changes in our material well-being caused the drastic changes in the social order of our nation. I and my peers were born during the American first wave of the â€Å"baby boom† caused our young adult moms who followed the open rebel against society and those who represented its authority. To my view it was one of the implications of prosperity of American society. Only the prosperous people have courage to express their ideas freely.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nevertheless, even well-being could not shield the upheaval rising within our nation. As U.S. troops and hardware poured into Vietnam, the casualty figures mounted and domestic unease intensified. Here I have to mention the anti-war movements of the Vietnam War Era. So, in the 1960s The New Left movement appeared. At those days the mass media treated them as parasites rejecting American values. But today I understand that they were young people with radical standpoints who attempted to change our society for better. The New Left was a movement of self-understood radicals, mostly students. Most of the central figures were my peers in their twenties during that decade, and were born during or just before World War II; most of the rank and file were born after the war and too were part of the mentioned baby boom, which filled the expanding colleges and universities. Although the central figures began as student activists, the New Left grew into an intellectual tendency that included academics, principally in the social sciences and humanities; professionals (doctors, lawyers, social workers, etc.) who shared its concern for the rights of helpless and victimized people. So where did they spring from, you wonder. Seeking intellectual coherence, student activists borrowed the term New Left from British intellectuals who had left the Communist Party and helped form the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (it was in 1957). Unlike the Britons, most of the U.S. New Left were not Marxists. They hoped to find other social constituencies with the social commitment to transform society in an egalitarian and democratic direction. I cannot help but describe the activity of this organization in details as my view of them has changed since then. We were continuously informed through TV, radio and newspapers on communist threat. We were told the communists had allegedly penetrated all spheres of our life and due to this the New Left made a noise in our society. From 1965 on, the main force that swelled the New Left was the Vietnam War. Gathering strength, the New Left spun off a movement against the war, and in the popular mind became principally identified with that movement. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), which had nine chapters and some 600 members in 1963, grew to some 300 chapters and 100,000 members in 1969. National demonstrations against the war grew from 25,000 people (April 1965) to 500,000 (November 1969). As the war escalated, the New Left (or what increasingly called itself â€Å"the movement†) became not only larger but more militant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During this time, however, the core of New Left organizers came to regard themselves as more than a protest movement. They increasingly saw themselves as committed to a radical transformation with an antiauthoritarian spirit. Pragmatic, many were reluctant to call themselves â€Å"socialist† or â€Å"anarchist†; they borrowed elements from both traditions, as well as from liberalism. Toward that end, they experimented with community organizing among the poor; with projects in student-centered education; with attempts to radicalize factory workers. But their principal base was the university campuses. Best represented among elite universities at the beginning of their movement, their class base later moved progressively downward. By 1970, demonstrations against the draft, against military education, against corporate recruiters, against disciplinary rules, and in favor of ethnic studies departments took place on hundreds of campuses and turned into a real trouble for authorities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By 1967, most of my friends in the New Left had moved (in the words of their own slogan) â€Å"from protest to resistance.† We, observing the massive disaffection of college-educated youth as signaled in drug use, popular music, hippie clothing, long hair, and so forth came to feel that a radical transformation of the society was necessary, although they had little conception of a new order. By 1968, we saw institutions from university administrations to the Democratic Party as hopelessly oppressive. Opposition to draft In relation to the protests of the young generation I want to stress upon such phenomenon of those days as draft evasion. Some of those who opposed the war were driven by the fact that as Johnson’s policy escalated, more and more young people were drafted into the armed services and sent to Vietnam. By 1967, half of the military servants were draftees. By 1969, more than the half of all combat deaths were draftees. These were extremely discouraging data.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I cannot but stress that no other war produced so much opposition to the draft. This fear was partially caused by its unfairness. Until 1968 senior students were entitled to defer military service by the time they finished their study. Another fact that evoked our rejection was the class injustice; many young middle-class men joined the National Guard and Reserves on the likely gamble that they would not be called up for duty in Southeast Asia. Consequently, the Vietnam War appeared to many to be a working-class war. There was a disproportion in numbers of draftees and enlisted men who mostly came from blue-collar class. During the war a lot of my male contemporaries preferred exile to Canada and Sweden to avoid the draft. The prospect of the draft also served as impetus for eligible guys to start family and have children, or continue their education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As it could have been expected increasing draft resistance took form of civil disobedience and severe discipline problems. The poorly motivated behavior of militants in the field made the government think of dramatic reform. The president Nixon established a lottery system trying to make the draft system at least a little fairer. But we took it as a cynical joke. In September 1971, Nixon’s proposal for All-Volunteer Force was passed by Congress, and in July 1973, Nixon terminated the draft. Fight for you right      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is one important figure whom I cannot skip in my story of public protests. I am speaking about Martin Luther King. King started his social discussion attacking segregation as he hopscotched the nation. Later King attempted not only to achieve civil rights, but also to stop the Vietnam War and to eliminate American poverty. On 4 April 1968, an assassin’s bullet killed Martin Luther King Jr.; riots exploded in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. Another horrible assassination occurred the same year. In June, Robert Kennedy, John Kennedy’s brother and a presidential candidate in his own right, was shot and killed in Los Angeles. These terrifying events considerably undermine government’s credibility in our minds. Nonetheless, no assassinations could stop public protests which did their job gradually. The antiwar movement dramatically affected our national domestic policy. After 35,000 mostly young people besieged the Pentagon on 21–22 October 1967, Lyndon Johnson launched a public relations campaign that emphasized how well the war was going. When the Communists of the North Vietnam launched their seemingly successful nationwide Tet Offensive on 30 January 1968, most of us felt that we had been deceived by our own government. It caused even more severe protests. That widespread public disaffection led to Johnson’s decision on 31 March 1968 not to escalate further and not to stand for reelection. We carried our point and finally a man who had initiated war in Vietnam stopped being our president. Cultural Revolution As I already mentioned at the beginning our society was split in terms of political views. The divisions were cultural and generational too. A youthful counterculture expressed its alienation in more open sexuality, free love; long hair, and cast-off clothing; rock music, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Doors and Rolling Stones; and marijuana and other consciousness-altering substances. At Woodstock, New York, in August 1969 I witnessed the greatest youth gathering. About half a million of young people stayed there for a three-day music festival, laced with political and cultural protest. What we may conclude    As you can see from my story the Vietnam War Era was a complicated period for our society from which I hope it had derived correct conclusions. In my point of view these conclusions can be expressed by one sentence: â€Å"Win quickly or stay out†. Regardless of the camp to which you belong to those emphasizing the former or to those emphasizing the latter, you should feel that you are a part of one nation. I believe that the memorial near which we are staying now will help us remember this simple principle. Bibliography:    George C. Herring, Americas Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950–1975, 2nd ed. New York, 1986.

Campaign for Philippine Independence Essay Example for Free

Campaign for Philippine Independence Essay Balanced diet and Physical work out has a major role in attaining long healthy life. The increasing awareness of effects of foods on health has made us diet conscious and left us confused in the land of nutrition. We want to satisfy our palate and eat healthy as well. This often restricts our food choices. The major nutrients for the body are protein, carbohydrate, and fat. These provide the body with energy for various functions like beating of heart, activity of muscles and brain. In addition the body needs vitamins, and minerals for it’s optimal functioning. The importance of balanced diet are: * Optimal macronutrient intake * Total macronutrient intake * Hydration * Eat varied diet Picture of balance diet What is good posture? Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or lying down. Good posture involves training your body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement or weight-bearing activities. Proper posture: * Keeps bones and joints in the correct alignment so that muscles are being used properly. * Helps decrease the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in arthritis. * Decreases the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together. * Prevents the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions. * Prevents fatigue because muscles are being used more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy. * Prevents strain or overuse problems. * Prevents backache and muscular pain. * Contributes to a good appearance. Proper Posture Requirements Accessories A woman’s wardrobe can have an endless list of accessories, but there are few basics which cannot be missed out for anything. A classy narrow or broad leather waist belt for formal occasions and a fabric belt for casuals is a must. Footwear comprising of a pointed toe dress shoe in stiletto pattern, a semi-casual peep toe with medium heels, knee high boots, pair of sneakers in feminine shade and funky flip flops will suit every activity you plan to indulge in. B. Fashion and finesse considers the visual languages, politics, and poetics of personal appearance. Dandyism has been most closely associated with influential caucasian Western men-about-town, epitomized by the 19th century style-setting of Oscar Wilde and by Tom Wolfes white suits. The essays collected here, however, examine the spectacle and workings of dandyism to reveal that these were not the only dandies. On the contrary, art historians, literary and cultural historians, and anthropologists identify unrecognized dandies flourishing among early 19th century Native Americans, in Soviet Latvia, in Africa, throughout the African-American diaspora, among women, and in the art world. Moving beyond historical and fictional accounts of dandies, this volume juxtaposes theoretical models with evocative images and descriptions of clothing in order to link sartorial self-construction with artistic, social, and political self-invention. Taking into consideration the vast changes in thinking about identity in the academy, Dandies provides a compelling study of dandyisms destabilizing aesthetic enterprise. Example of Fashion and Finesse The Color Of Summer Revenge Fashion C. Perfume or parfum is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces a pleasant scent. The odoriferous compounds that make up a perfume can be manufactured synthetically or extracted from plant or animal sources. Perfumes have been known to exist in some of the earliest human civilizations, either through ancient texts or from archaeological digs. Modern perfumery began in the late 19th century with the commercial synthesis of aroma compounds such as vanillin or coumarin, which allowed for the composition of perfumes with smells previously unattainable solely from natural aromatics alone. Cologne is a toiletry, a perfume in a style that originated from Cologne, Germany. However, it has come be a generic term for scented formulations in typical concentration of 2-5% essential oils, or a blend of extracts, alcohol, and water.

President John F. Kennedys Inauguration Speech Analysis

President John F. Kennedys Inauguration Speech Analysis Abstract This paper provides a rhetorical analysis of President John F. Kennedys inauguration speech. Included is the type of text it is, where it was first spoken, and the main objective. My analysis of this speech includes his clear call to action for the American people to unite together with the rest of humanity to ensure human rights, freedom, peace, and stability for the world. Also, the larger debate included is how we as Americans, live in a somewhat utopian society where other countries do not and we need to take the responsibility to ensure this right for everyone. Kennedy utilizes all three emotional appeals, weather stated specifically or inferred, but his most used was his appeal to the emotions of the audience. Also analyzed is his successful use formal and informal style which is inferred and organization which leads to the conclusion that great admiration for this man can come from this speech as well as a call to duty that we can all take upon ourselves with the responsibilit y to carry out this great mans idealistic concepts for the world. JFK Inauguration Speech John F. Kennedys Inaugural speech was given on January 20th, 1961. He spoke to not only the citizens of the United States, but to the entire world. It was clear that his main goal was to unify the entire human race and to make the world a better place for everyone. John F. Kennedy was calling on all Americans to be the difference, to take a stand, to make the change, and to do what is morally right. There was a great reference to our country being the first to revolt against the will of greedy men, and that we are the heirs of that revolution with the duty to uphold and bring basic human rights to all human beings across the globe. His great use of logic and powerful emotions used throughout the speech brought this sense of duty, argued his call to action, and allowed his words to be quite effective in the unification of the citizens of the United States and the rest of the world together. Utopia is the world that comes to mind after reading President Kennedys inauguration speech. In his call to action, he indicated that his administration would be the beginning of change for the betterment of humanity and will need to continue on. He states to Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americansborn in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritageand unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world (1961). We as Americans believe in liberty and justice for all people; we are all descendants of the soldiers who fought in the revolutionary war to stand united in upholding such principles. Having this same background, President Kennedy brings more to the unification of the citizens of the United States. As stated previously, Kennedy further brings a connection to the audience through a civic call to duty, which is directed to everyone. He states to the audience and the world to Ask not what your country can do for youask what you can do for your country (1961). Though this is a huge responsibility to the people of the United States, he makes the acknowledgment that this is possible if each citizen puts forth the effort to make a difference. Through the effort of an entire nation combined, the United States will be able to change the world for the better. In addition to uniting the citizens of the United States as a single entity, President Kennedy then continues to unite the human race as a single entity as well. For example, he made the reference to allies whom we share similar values and cultural origins with, our sister countries, as well as the United Nations, from which he makes a pledge to the many different societies around the world that we will ensure that all humanity will be given equal human rights. He continues to develop his theme of unification by references to goals and cultures common to which we share with countries throughout the world. As a result of this, he effectively united all humans throughout the world as one. Throughout his speech, conveyance of shared backgrounds and morals are used to unite the citizens of the United States and the rest of the world to accomplish the same goals that also unite us together. Kennedy then continues to unite the world by stating that even if we overlook our similar backgrounds, we as Americans share a core set of values, of morals, of ethics as well. President Kennedy uses these values, these ethical and moral appeals in his speech to unite the country even further. He states that Now the trumpet summons us againnot as a call to bear arms, though arms we neednot as a call to battle, though embattled we are but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulationa struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself (1961). There is a stark connection made, with the presidents ability to impact the world and the audience having the very same capability to make an impact on the entire world. With this, the audience is able to accept President Kennedys call to duty which then, proceeds to credit his speech as being quite effective. Kennedy was trying to unite all Americans and all humans as they exist on this earth and to bring the audience to his call to duty. He used Americans shared backgrounds and their core values to strengthen his call to duty as well as connect the country as one. His call to action is based on the three rhetorical appeals, ethos, pathos and logos. He has appealed emotionally to the audience with patriotism, hope, and justice for all humans. Kennedy uses the contrast of feelings such as pride and fear and pity, which works very well to convey his call to action. He then utilized these negative emotions of pity felt by the audience for parts of the world that have people living in poverty which push people further into his call to duty (1961). Kennedy creates these unwanted feelings in a successful attempt to push people to rid themselves of such emotions. Then, in contrast, he continues to utilize emotional appeals by evoking pride in unifying America and the world. He keeps enforcing hi s call to duty through emotional appeal. Last, but not least, he has used reason in how he used American values and the cause and effect of the revolution in America to becoming a country who believes in liberty and justice for all. His whole speech makes sense and flows well together from point to point. Kennedys utilization of pathos, appealing to the emotions of his audience is of most importance to his inaugural speech, in which the chief aim was to unify all Americans and the world together. He states to Let us begin anewremembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate (1961).ÂÂ   Kennedy conveyed himself as a man of great integrity that the audience and the world had no choice but to trust him. From my perspective, there was not a single logical fallacy to be found in this entire speech. Also, the speech was very successful in connecting the people of different backgrounds in the world which puts great emphasis on his call to action. It was clear that he was very successful in conveying his goal of working towards providing the people of the entire world with human rights as well as peace and stability. We can conclude by stating the fact that K ennedy had a perfect vision for the world. In his closing, he states that Whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth Gods work must truly be our own (1961). His call to action showed how admirable and responsible a man he is, and proves without a doubt that we should all take responsibility for creating the world in which all are granted life, liberty, and freedom. References Kennedy, John F. (1961). John F. Kennedy Quotations, President Kennedys Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961. Retrieved from https://www.jfklibrary.org/Research/Research-Aids/Ready-Reference/JFK-Quotations/Inaugural-Address.aspx Life of John F. Kennedy. Retrieved from https://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/Life-of-John-F-Kennedy.aspx

The Human Genome Project: The Future of Medicine :: Argumentative Persuasive Papers

The Human Genome Project: The Future of Medicine In the last half century, medicine has been rapidly progressing, finding cures for many diseases, developing new surgical techniques, developing vaccines, and generally improving the overall health and life expectancy of the average person. Instead of living to their forties, it is commonplace for people to live to seventy five and beyond. Medical research is constantly searching for ways to make people healthier and to keep them that way. New cancer and AIDS research comprises a huge portion of modern day medicine. However, the discoveries and breakthroughs that such projects have produced have been few and far between. According to many, we are no closer to finding an actual cure for either ailment than we were ten years ago. However, all is not lost. There is a way in which we can begin to regain some of the medical stride which we have lost. The way to do this is not by scouring the rainforests to try to make exotic drugs, nor is it new chemotherapy techniques or radiation treatm ents. This new way is based in our cells themselves, in understanding how we work, and knowing what our biological determinants are. To understand how our immune system fights disease, we must first understand what causes it. We must know our predisposition to certain kinds of ailments. We must know our genes. Knowing our genes is the fundamental concept behind the most exciting scientific endeavor of the past decade, the Human Genome Project. This project’s goal is to complete a comprehensive map of the human genome by the year 2003, one which illustrates the precise locations of every single gene in all twenty-three pairs of human chromosomes, along with the functions of these genes. The term gene is defined as being "one of many discrete units of hereditary information located on the chromosomes and consisting of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)." (Campbell, G-9) All these units put together comprise the genome. Many ailments that we suffer from are products of flawed genes. Cystic Fibrosis is the result of one such flaw. In 1989, biologists isolated the gene which causes this incurable ailment, and we have progressed very far in our search for a cure. Other ailments whose genetic causes have been isolated include breast cancer (Waldholz, B6), Alzheimer’s (OMIM Entry 104311), Tay Sachs (JUF News, 45), and Huntington’s (Brownlee, 580), as well as Diabetes (Maugh, 8), and many, many more.

Effect of Multiple Plots in The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver :: essays research papers

The Bean Trees, written by Barbara Kingsolver, uses multiple plots throughout the novel. At the beginning, two plots are introduced. One involves Missy/ Taylor, the protagonist in the story, and the other involves Lou Ann. Kingsolver unites these two plot by having them move in together. Other minor plots describe the life of other characters such as Estevan and Esperanza, Edna and Virgie, and Mattie. Multiple plots in The Bean Trees increase suspense and depth in the story. The main characters in The Bean Trees are Taylor and Lou Ann. The first chapter is about Missy leaving Kentucky to find a better life. This chapter is written is 1st person, with Missy being the narrator. She is a person that is tired of her boring life, she changes her name to Taylor, and wants an adventure. She leaves home and goes on a road trip across America. Before Taylor began her trip, she stated, ?And so what I promised myself is that I would drive west until my car stopped running, and there I would stay? (Kingsolver 16). She later continued on Tucson, Arizona. On her trip, a baby girl is abandoned with her by a Native American woman. She decides to take care of Turtle as her road trip goes on. Taylor now has someone to talk to during her trip. Unfortunately for Turtle, her life has been ?Tempest-Tossed? (301). In other words, her life hasn?t been trouble-free and she?s gone through many things. It is possible to predict that the bruises on her body when she was abandoned with Taylor, was from being molested. Half her time with Taylor was on the road, and she was adjusting to a new life. The second chapter is about Lou Ann?s dilemma with her husband, Angel. This is written in omniscient limited point of view. Lou Ann and Angel have a young baby boy, Dwayne Ray. These two plots meet when Taylor responds to Lou Ann?s advertisement about a room mate, and they move in together. This gave the novel a unique introduction with two plots going on as the readers endure the suspense. The novel seems to be set in one tiny area in Tucson. Lou Ann is heading home and has just pasted the Jesus.Is.Lord?s and Fanny Heaven, when the narrator creates a clear picture of the area: ?She rounded the corner and stopped to do some grocery shopping at the Lee Sing Market, which faced the park directly across from where she and Angel lived?

Different Views in Courtship and Marriage Essay

Outline: Thesis: Compared to my grandparents desired courtship and marriage, my preferred matrimony differs from their expectation in terms of the way to find a spouse, the form of holding a wedding, and the role to play in a family. Topic Sentences: In the first place, when it comes to the ideal way to find a spouse, there is nothing similarly between my grandparents and me. Furthermore, when it makes a mention of the favorite form of holding a wedding, there is almost no alike idea between my grandparents and me. At last, when it points to the appropriate role to play in a family, there are a few standpoints in common between my grandparents and me. Different Views in Courtship and Marriage It is an undeniable fact that traditional culture has influence on courtship and marriage in a country, but the key points of courtship and marriage vary in the different stage of social development. Nowadays, people’s perspective on courtship and marriage has changed with the improvement of life quality in China. Comparing to my grandparents desired courtship and marriage, my preferred matrimony differs from their expectation in terms of the process to find a spouse, the way to hold a wedding, and the role to play in a family. In the first place, when it comes to the ideal way to find a spouse, there is nothing similarly between my grandparents and I. In my grandparents’ opinion, the introduction of matchmaker is the most acceptant way to find a partner, but I prefer to seek mate through myself. It is an undeniable fact that the spouse introduced by a go-between would have more similarities with us in the respect of family background. The importance of family background could be shown in the aspect of building a person’s personality. After all, a good family background is beneficial to build sound personality. Nevertheless, the parties feeling to spouse is usually neglected correspondingly when the matchmaker help applicants to search for a partner among the candidates. It is hard to feel happy for most people in a marriage without love, and then we would lose patience and confidence to this kind of marriage. Seeking the partner by ourselves will  resolve the feeling problem effectively, and the advantage of deciding the spouse obey our mind is also represented in the following sides. For instance, it is easy to forgive each other after an argument because we value the relationship and do not willing to give it up lightly, and it is also not complicated to take care of the other one in the right way due to the fact that we are familiar with his habits. However, the disadvantages of making the decision by our mind should be brought to our attention as well. For example, there are a great many examples stating the fact that the amorous couple often gives too little care to the partner’s weakness. This behavior always leads to the occurrence of Lightning marriage, and lightning marriage often results in a tragic ending due to lack of family commitments. Furthermore, when it makes a mention of the favorite form of holding a wedding, there is almost no alike idea between my grandparents and I. In my grandparents’ eyes, complying with the traditional wedding form is the best way to hold a wedding. But in my view, I really desire to have a wedding of my dreams. In other words, I would be the designer of my wedding form. The benefits of traditional wedding form are all wedding participants understand their work and people could pay more attention to the wedding arrangements. However, most people have a boring and outdated feeling when they talk about the traditional wedding form at present. The drawbacks of the traditional wedding are enlarged in the mind of our generation, because we can easily find that not only it difficult to leave a special impression, but also with som e feudal colors, and feudal colors could not coexist with our values to advocate science. Holding the wedding in the form of my dream will full conform to the standard in my mind, and let me comprehend the meaning of my marriage at a deeper level. Of course, I have to admit that the wedding form in the field of my expectation still has drawbacks. For example, I want a wedding at the beach with a simple way, but a comfortable atmosphere. This wedding form determines the main participants are composed of the most important person in my life instead of the friends of my grandparents or parents. Consequently, it loses the opportunity to become a public ceremony, and my families will feel disregardful and regretful. This hurt would be in the wake of their life, and it has negative influence on the relationship between my families and I. At last, when it points to the appropriate role to play in a family, there are a few standpoints in common between my  grandparents and I. In the perspective of my grandparents, the woman should be a fulltime wife in a family, and the man should be responsible for make money to raise a family. Nevertheless, from my point of view, men and women have equal status in marriage. It means men and women play the same role in a family. The merit of my grandparents’ perspective is evident that children will grow up in the environment which is full of love. Nevertheless, this allocation of roles in a family goes against to women’s individual value. The merit of my point of view is women could achieve her goal by pursuing career achievements. However, the weakness of my point of view is that women have to undergo extra pressure from the society competition and then they are in fear of getting married. All in all, different perspectives and attitudes in terms of courtship and marriage have positive sides as well as negative sides, it would be much better if we consider all of them before making a choice. Your first draft Grade is D- Read the instruction carefully, and rewrite your essay. Submit your final draft by Oct. 5 11:59PM

Key Areas of Work by the United Nations

At the forefront globalization and the dramatic turn of events worldwide, the focus of states and government is towards economic stability and human development. These goals are also in conjunction with the goals set forth by the United Nations (UN), in particular, priorities on uk/why-nations-fail-chapter-5-review/">developing nations. More to this, the UN and its subordinate agencies are mandated to extend support and technical services on priority and special cases and at different areas.These global aspirations are carried out through government collaborations and or at the regional and bilateral level. However, at various junctures, these initiatives are often hampered by interventions driven by conflicts or disputes among nations and or within its people. Most often than not, these conflicts are either anchored or rooted to religious differences which brought about misunderstanding among interest groups. Hence, giving way to bitter resolution—wars and or violence.Relativ e to its functions and mandate, ethnic or religious conflicts have been proven to directly or indirectly affect the efforts of UN for international development, peace, justice, security, cooperation, gender equality, human rights and social justice. The domino effect is very apparent and dreaded in this type of conflict. Hence, an integrated approach in harnessing inter-faith communication among world religions and denominations is seen as a key factor in mitigating and or pacifying on-going international or bilateral conflicts.II. DiscussionInter-faith communication could be realized in various venues and through different media. In fact, it has itself a long history to stand on its own. This is done usually through inter-faith dialogues. But â€Å"inter faith† has always been interpreted in different ways and scope. Many were initiated by a particular group and were limited only to bilateral religions. On a wider range, many international organizations were born out of inte rfaith dialogues, usually inter-denomination within traditions such as Christianity. An example of which is World Council of Churches, the broadest Christian inter-denomination alliance.However, this does not include other major religions, not even Islam and the Catholic Church. Hence, a more integrated organization and a broader segment of religion or denomination are needed to establish and institutionalize inter-faith cooperation and understanding. Prior to coming up with this goal, a thorough study of the communication factors, conflict or risk management practices, cooperation and understanding principles as variables used and potentially to be used by different religions or faith is significant to establish the objective set above.Identifying Communication FactorsThis involves the identification of communication factors such as communication gap (language differences, information lapses, assimilation and or misinterpretations. This also allows for a better understanding of the weaknesses of the respective parties in holding dialogues or reaches out initiatives.Risk or Conflict ManagementThis variable is a very critical area in dealing with religious conflicts. The assessment of how parties practice conflict or risk management within their line or a counterpart enables possibility of drafting a roadmap for managing conflicts, or employing modifications to existing binding or non-binding policy.Employing Cooperation and Understanding PrinciplesThis is one of the most important considerations to be looked upon in initiating such critical moves as interfaith communication. Employing acceptable principles for cooperation and understanding enables mutual cooperation from opposing parties (respondents). For this study, denominations/religions in the village level will be the primary target. However, as to the assessment, the key informant will be coming from the hierarchy base or area.III. MethodologyThis research will be using a deductive approach in assessing the variables of the research as well as its implementation. The research will also employ a two-way data gathering scheme, including a key informant interview for religious leaders/elders and a survey among their respective followers and believers.The key informant interviewee will be asked (through guide questions) about their experience and perception of the variables being considered. The rest of the respondents will also be asked (through guided questionnaire) of their perception and affirmation of the variables in consideration and the affirmation of the leaders’/leaders’ information.The location of the study is proposed to be conducted in war-torn areas, devastated by ethnic or religious conflicts. The government concerned will be tapped for ensuring safe conduct pass and security and the academes in the conduct of the research respectively.The length of time for the conduct of the study is dependent on the availability of the respondents and financial and logi stical provisions.The researcher and a pool of experts will look into the data and subject it for analysis. After which, the research results will be published including the recommendations for referral to parties (religions, denominations, governments) involved, relative to UN concerns and work and request for actions to carry out the goals reflected in the research.IV. ConclusionIndeed, the need for a benevolent initiative as an alternative to resolve conflict is still the most acceptable to way to resolving global religious-related conflicts. War is not an answer to another war. It only derails and inhibits peace efforts. Hence, this research initiative to further understand and establish interfaith communication is filled with hopes in terms of feasibility and acceptability.Very recently, there was a global uproar in the Moslem world against the pronouncements of the Pope. Although The Vatican has already been in constant efforts to mitigate further disputes, the threats and ten sions are still high. Hence, without proper and peaceful venue for communication, worst may come to worst.V. Bibliography(Chicago, 1994). Learning’s for the Future of Inter-Faith Dialogue. http://www.laetusinpraesens.org/docs/diaparl.php.  (Berlin, 2005). Pope Stresses Interfaith Dialogue. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1558435,00.html.Ariarajah, S. (Geneva, 1991). Interfaith Dialogue.http://www.wcccoe.org/wcc/what/interreligious/diction.html.Ashafa,M.N.(Kaduna, 2005). Promoting Interfaith Dialogue.http://www.amf.net.au/PDF/diversityMatters/Imam-Muhammad-Ashafa.pdf#search=%22Interfaith%20dialogue%22.Garfinkel, R. (Washington, 2004). What Works? Evaluating Interfaith DialoguePrograms. http://www.usip.org/pubs/specialreports/sr123.html.Goth, B. (Australia, 2005). Champion of interfaith dialogue.http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=3778.May, D. (2006). Inter-Religious Councils Tackle World's Conflicts.http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0828-04.htm.Ra tanasara, H. (Kentucky, 1996). The Importance of Interfaith Dialogue: A Buddhistperspective. http://www.urbandharma.org/bcdialog/bcd2/interfaith.htm.Smock, D. (Harvard, 2004). Divine Intervention: Regional Reconciliation through Faith.http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o;se=gglsc;d=5002080704;er=deny.Smock, D. (Washington, 2006). Interfaith Dialogue andPeacebuilding.http://bookstore.usip.org/books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=5121.

Hong Kong Disneyland: Where Is The Magic Essay

The case study, â€Å"Hong Kong Disneyland: Where is the Magic†, analyzed Disney’s strategic decision to expand their product into Hong Kong. Disney entered into a joint venture with the Hong Kong government to build their third international theme park. The following analysis reviews why and how Disney entered the South-East Asian market using the CAGE analysis. We review the strategic management issues and decisions that were made as complications arose from the entry into Hong Kong market and opening of the new Hong Kong Disney. Also, we provide the major takeaways from Disney’s entry into the South-East Asian market. Hong Kong Environment By 1999, the year of Disney’s announcement, it was clear Hong Kong was in the throes of a recession for the first time in 20 years. Just two years earlier the Asian financial crisis swept through Hong Kong as reflected in the material drop in property prices and the 1998 contraction of the GDP from first quarter’s 2.6% to 5.1%, 6.9%, and 5.7% in the following quarters resulting in an overall reduction of 5.1%, nearly reversing in full the growth observed in 1997. The pain was felt in all sectors of the economy. While wages stagnated, spending on superfluous wants dropped significantly including tourism – Disney’s target sector in Hong Kong. Total spending dropped 2.4% from 1997 to 1998 though inbound visitors from China crept up 13.1% over 1997. Nevertheless, China’s population was booming and Hong Kong was the beneficiary of their tourism dollars at a time Disney was excited to gain direct access to the fastest growing country in the world. The American market for Disney was mature. They carefully managed the evolution of their theme parks in such a way that uniquely positioned them to branch out into growing markets with a seemingly seamless approach, which they observed in their successful Tokyo endeavor. Their proprietary theme park experience was an untapped opportunity in Hong Kong. Theme parks in general were not in short supply in Asia in the late ‘90s, highlighting their popularity. Between 1994 and ‘99 2,000 new parks were built in China alone. Disney had the benefit of coming in with an established brand and product to take advantage of the popular theme park sector. Since the Disney name and all that comes with it were internationally popular and the notion of the American Dream was popular in Asia, the cultural and even language differences were thought to be largely inconsequential. Decision to Go Global The American market was stagnant which made expansion into global markets an attractive option. Disney has great success operating as a holiday destination so setting up shop in a large city abroad filled with tourists would create a great potential market. One of Disney’s boasted strengths was their ability to create a happy and magical place, where their guests can relive fond memories and become inspired. Disney has been very successful using architecture, landscaping, costumes, music, entertainment, attractions, merchandise and food to create exotic, fairy tale like, and adventurous atmospheres within one theme park at the same time. The parks in America were extremely well managed and organized in which the guest routes throughout the park were pre-determined and the staff had been rigorously trained. The company was confident with local research and hired expertise they could easily adapt for Chinese culture differences and have similar success as Tokyo Disney. The company planned to make a few modifications to Disney’s current management style to meet local expectations, such as architecture and menu items. Disney did not see Ocean Park as a serious competitor and therefore made few changes to their marketing plan. The park was established in 1977, and was marketed as a nature-centered park though performance was described as â€Å"lackluster† and â€Å"not aggressive enough† where advertising and product development were concerned. Disney priced tickets at nearly double the price  of Ocean Park’s tickets and gave little incentive to travel agents for tickets booked. Target: Hong Kong After two vastly different experiences opening international Disney parks, an ownership venture into an Asian country was a given. Tokyo Disneyland had been extremely successful from day one with little demand for cultural assimilation; Disney was ready to open their own park in Asia. In the early 2000’s Hong Kong was showing signs of recovery from the recession. In 2004, the economy experienced an 8.1% increase in GDP and in increase in local consumer spending and confidence. That same year the region also received an enormous number of tourists a year, approximately 21.8 million visitors with 12.45 from mainland China. With the expansion of the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) the growing presence of the Chinese visitors could be counted on. It was a known fact that the Chinese enjoyed visiting theme parks from the massive number built throughout the mainland in the 90’s. However, the only attraction park in the region was becoming outdated and was no longer viewed as a main attraction. The region’s government was interested in joining Disney in a joint venture which would ease some of the financial concerns of company expansion. With the growing presence of Chinese tourists, one direct competitor, and involvement of the regional government Hong Kong was a very attractive market opportunity. Joint Venture Decision Entering foreign markets is accomplished via three major approaches: export/import, licensing, and/or foreign investment. Disney had experience with all methods prior to entering Hong Kong with varying degrees of success. They have exported products throughout the world, used a licensing approach to enter Japan, and a direct investment approach to enter France/Europe. In deciding the entry mode to Hong Kong, past experiences may have contributed to selecting joint venture as the best entry mode to Hong Kong. The overwhelming success of Tokyo Disneyland suggests licensing is not the best strategy. Disney was not able to fully capitalize on the success of Tokyo Disneyland. They only collected licensing fees, thus missing out on  the opportunity to enhance revenues by limiting their stake to just licensing fees. The success of this entity was at least partially due to the ‘aspirational quality’ of American culture exhibited by the Japanese. Further analysis of past market entry experience suggested direct investment may not be the best option either. Disney chose direct investment when entering the European market being a controlling shareholder in the Euro Disney entity. Euro Disney found itself saddled with large debt struggling to survive. Unlike the Japanese experience, the French believed Disney was practicing cultural imperialism through its operation. Needless to say the French do not share the same aspirational quality of American culture as the Japanese. In looking to Hong Kong, Disney had to look at these past experiences to find a happy medium between the success of Tokyo and the less successful entry to Europe. Thus a joint venture with the government of Hong Kong was born. This entry mode allows Disney to share more risk, unlike Euro Disney, but also reap a greater benefit in the event Hong Kong proves to be as successful as Tokyo Disneyland. The joint venture setup with the Hong Kong government should, in theory at least, allow Disney to avoid the cultural missteps of Euro Disney while making entry smoother and paving the way to greater profits. Having selected a joint venture as the entry method, was their entry successful? The price to enter the park was nearly double the competition. Not necessarily a problem until you look at survey results showing ~70% of respondents expected a lower admission price. Coupled with a poor commission structure for travel agents, Disney was off to a rough start once the park opened. Even before the park opened there were problems. Public criticism was directed at the nature of the joint venture; operating the park as a private entity with public funding was not well-received. Fire ant colonies were found throughout the property. Testing of firework displays led to complaints from area residents and local officials. In response, Disney  refused to use a less noisy system used in other Disney properties as they argued they were following local regulations. This inflexible approach led to animosity between the company and locals. Additionally, packs of wild dogs were using the park as a location to scour for food leading to visitor safety concerns. Attempting to learn from their experience in France, Disney endeavored to integrate local customs and practices into park design including using feng shui. However, the decision to offer shark’s fin soup caused another problem. Local conservationists argued this was a status symbol and not a local custom. They pointed to the competition not offering this delicacy as a good example. Once the park opened, there were further issues. Reaching park capacity, turning people away and long queues were unforeseen operational issues resulting in further headaches for Disney. Despite looking to their past for guidance, taken as a whole, Disney’s initial entry into Hong Kong was not very successful. Lessons Learned Disney has numerous lessons to be learned from the opening of the Hong Kong theme park, some of which were available to them before making the Hong Kong decision based on their moves into other countries. The common theme among these lessons is that Disney needed to better understand the context of their business venture before starting, throughout the implementation process and post opening. In the case of Disney and Hong Kong, the relevant context includes competition, supporting industries, the cultural setting, and understanding the target customers’ wants and measurement of satisfaction. The first lesson the Walt Disney Company learned while expanding into Hong Kong is to understand pricing structure. Their main competitor, Ocean Park was more aggressive in sales on mainland China by offering better commission rates to travel agents. The university study showed expectations for adult pricing ranged would be in the range of HK$200 – HK$300 while the actual price was HK$295 on weekdays and HK$350 on weekends. This pushed potential  guests out of the Disney market to lower priced Ocean Park. The second lesson learned from the Hong Kong Disney expansion is a better understanding of the overall Honk Kong theme park marketplace. Disney seemed to be fighting back. They were not acting proactively towards employee union work conditions, green initiatives, animal rights activists and the â€Å"Disney Hunters† who brought to light inhuman labor practices. Disney spent a lot of time repairing its reputation from marketplace issues rather than projecting the Disney image to potential guests. The third lesson learned is an operational issue. Disney should have had smaller more manageable openings, leading to larger crowds. Opening the park to maximum occupancy for a charity event was noble but created only downside risk to Disney operations. They saw quickly they could not handle the crowds in every aspect. After the fact they basically blamed their customers believing the problems stemmed from a lack of understanding the flexible ticking system. The last lesson learned is for Disney to be more local in all regards. First, hire local high level managers to run parts of the operation. This could have avoided several issues like the Chinese New Year ticketing problem, management turnover, inspections and catering menu options. Also, the Hong Kong people working on the project would not have felt they were being forced to manage to the Disney policies. In summary, Disney’s strategic decision to enter into the Hong Kong market via joint venture with the government was a logical decision. Tapping into the China market, home to the worlds most populated country and a fast growing economy, Honk Kong Disneyland seem destined for success. However, as with past international expansions Disney faced a whirlwind of cultural, economic and management issues that tainted the original vision to spread Disney magic into South-East Asian market

African Americans and the Cold War.

Compare the two articles and comment on how the Cold War impacted upon African Americans during the asses. Historically, the treatment of African Americans was atrocious: unfair and dehumidifying. Throughout the asses, this racial discrimination was noisily protested against and the recognition from governments allowed the African American voice to reach its zenith.The Cold War and the intense ideological disputes between the United States and the Soviet Union aided in the strengthened awareness towards his inequality and led to a slight advancement of the societal position for African Americans. However, with the improvement of the African American voice, coinciding with the war at hand, came governmental fear, resulting in public manipulation and covert force. African American's lived in a consciously limited and divided world, which stifled their individuality and independence.Richard Wright, a Negro who lived through this mistreatment, became the first Negro to highlight the inju stice through protest writing. Wright â€Å"was the angriest, most honest and outspoken black writer†l f the time and his books offer insight into the lengths of racial discrimination and inequality he and other Blacks were subjected to. He made it â€Å"clearer than any black American writer had ever done that as a black man he was not allowed and not able to feel that he was a full-blooded' American†2, but was expected to adhere to the enforced racial hierarchy and â€Å"live his life acting out a demeaning and ludicrous role†3.Life for African American's consisted of constant degradation, with â€Å"daily insults and petty humiliations†4, and customary segregation – the Blacks of America ere inhibited from employment opportunities, denied good education, forced to sit behind Anglo-Saxons (Whites') in public transportation, with enforced racially segregated public housing and most hotels and eateries being closed to those of African descent. Ulti mately, the possibilities for African Americans were limited and they were generally treated as inferior beings.The Cold War tactically exposed the United States' practice of gross inequality and discrimination. The conflict between political ideologies (Communism vs. McCarthy/Democracy) during the War established a central foundation for the movement towards racial equality. In an attempt to gain more party members, the Communist Party capitalized on the African American's protests – â€Å"circulating petitions on police brutality, employment discrimination, and anticipating legislation†¦ Trying to gauge individuals' openness (to the Communist Party)†5.They vigorously and passionately lashed the United States for their treatment of the Blacks while â€Å"actively promoting a racial Justice agenda†6: pushing for unions to include Negroes, campaigning for the desegregation of sousing, encouraging black writers and artists and providing opportunities for blac k leadership. With the promise to combat racism, and being â€Å"the only white organization in the country that paid serious attention to the issues of race and civil rights†7, Communism attracted more membership, especially from those of African descent with the proportion of Black members doubling.With the numbers supporting the American government declining and the â€Å"difficulty sustaining the smooth image of racial progress†8, the government made every effort to counter the Soviet's propaganda. The American politics depraved the Soviets assertions with a public declaration stating that â€Å"despite certain inequalities and conditions which exist, the American way of life provides ample opportunity to correct these conditions through democratic processes†¦The American Negro, down to the poorest sharecropper, is better off than the vast majority of Stalin's subjects†9 while the â€Å"US embassies and consulates throughout the world distributed bookl ets showing the great progress that had been made on race matters†10. As the propaganda hostility dominated newspapers and generic conversation, the United States' developments awards civil rights were largely and continuously broadcasted, with the â€Å"American's†¦ Making much mileage out of the Supreme Court's school-desegregation decision in 1954†³11.Essentially, the Cold War heightened the awareness of racial discrimination and made the unfairness an international issue. The open rebellion against racial prejudice in the United States, meshing with Cold War concerns, evoked fears within the United States' government. The American government grew suspicious of internal communist subversion and as a result the loyalty of all free men', and especially the loyalty of African American's was deemed questionable.With this anxiety, came the intrusion of the loyalty program. This program, introduced by President Harry. S. Truman and adopted by Senator Joseph McCarthy, e stablished a framework for a wide-ranging and powerful government apparatus – the Federal Bureau of Investigations – to perform loyalty checks on every employee. If the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) had ‘reasonable grounds' to doubt an employee's allegiance, he or she would be dismissed.The FBI â€Å"could not tolerate independent thinkers either, as there was one thing considered every bit as bad as being a Red (communist), and hat was being a Black who spoke out against American racism†12, thus â€Å"individuals who had been active in progressive causes, particularly in the African American freedom struggle, were targeted and disproportionately affected†13. Richard Wright and Annie Lee Moss are two African American's who were subjected to the subtle terror of the Loyalty Programs investigations.Both Wright and Moss held supporting attitudes towards the progression of civil rights. In the early ‘ass Wright was under US government sur veillance, assumed for his books protesting against racial scarification, and â€Å"one Sunday in April 1953, Wright was questioned by a member from the Senate Judiciary Committee about his subversive books and his association with the Communist Party, asked to inform on others†¦ Receiving a warning that he could be subpoenaed in front of McCarthy committee†14.Wright's books were, and all rebellious books, were removed from the United States Information Service libraries – a subtle way the government silenced opponents. Annie Lee Moss, whom experienced accusations of disloyalty, was used and still remains â€Å"an enduring symbol of Cold War politics†1 5. Annie Lee Moss was a clerk in the General Accounting Office (GAO), working in close proximity to sensitivity information, and was, â€Å"it seemed, living proof of the possibilities of the American (African) dream†.Moss encountered several accusations of being a member of the communist party, and wa s suspended from her Job twice, only to be reinstated when the â€Å"GAO Loyalty Board determined there were no ‘reasonable grounds' to believe that she was disloyal†16. The allegations and innocence of Moss was biblically broadcasted on â€Å"March 1954, when Edward R. Morrow dedicated an episode of his television news how, See It Now, to her appearance before Senator Joseph McCarthy Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations†17.The broadcast â€Å"demonstrated that McCarthy carelessness threatened the rights of American citizens, but that there were others in the American government committed to defending those rights†18. With the increased amount of hope for African American's, came new forms of discriminatory struggles. The Cold War had a pivotal impact on life for African American's. Though the Blacks of America were victims of new forms of discrimination, ultimately, the Cold War revealed the contradictions in American democracy: how could the United

I Was Waitlisted - What Do I Do Now?

Hearing back about your college admissions decisions may be one of the most stressful things you’ve yet experienced. You’ll probably feel some combination of excitement and dread while waiting to find out whether your first-choice college will be sending a â€Å"Congratulations!† or a â€Å"We regret to inform you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But what if, when you open that envelope or log into that application system, the answer is neither? As you probably know, a certain number of college applicants are neither accepted nor rejected on that notification date in March or April. Instead, they’re waitlisted — placed on a list of applicants who may be reconsidered in the coming months, should there be gaps in the freshman class. Obviously, being put on the waitlist is not the acceptance for which you’ve been hoping, and getting waitlisted can be quite disappointing. However, you may still have a chance at being admitted to your chosen school. In this post, we’ll go over the waitlist process, your waitlist action plan, and how to make the best of this situation. If you are placed on a college’s waitlist, you have not been accepted to that college. However, the college is telling you that if there ends up being space in the incoming freshman class, they may consider admitting you to fill that space. Why might there be space in the matriculating class for waitlist candidates? Often, it’s because fewer accepted applicants chose to actually attend the college than the admissions office anticipated; in other words, their yield was lower than they expected. It might also be because some accepted students chose to defer admission for a year and take a gap year. Having a waitlist allows the school to fill any remaining spaces with qualified candidates, thus both ensuring they’ll have a complete class and making a handful of lucky students very happy. In many ways, this is a win-win situation for colleges and college applicants, but in order for you to have the best possible chance at eventually being admitted , it’s important that you understand the waitlist process and use it to good advantage. Because space for waitlisted candidates depends upon how many accepted applicants choose to attend, waitlist decisions can’t be made until the college hears back from this original batch of applicants. Since most colleges have response deadlines of around May 1st, this means that you won’t hear back about your waitlist application until at least May. Different schools have different procedures for considering waitlisted applicants. For some schools, the process can stretch out over the summer. Fortunately, most schools will inform you once the waitlist acceptance process is over even if you weren’t accepted, so you won’t have to live with uncertainty for longer than necessary. It’s hard to say what your chances will be of getting off the waitlist. A great deal of that depends on your profile as an applicant. Generally, the waitlist admissions process considers all the same factors that were considered when you initially applied, though (as we’ll describe below) you’ll also have the opportunity to update the college about any new accomplishments. Waitlist acceptance rates vary from school to school and even from year to year; it all depends upon how the regular admissions process goes that year. Some colleges have ranked waitlists, in which the college’s admissions office already knows who will be offered admission in what order if spaces open up, but many don’t. With all this unpredictability, the waitlist process offers no guarantees, and it’s important that you keep this fact in mind. The number of spots that open up in the matriculating class is often quite low, and consequently, so are waitlist admissions rates. In some years, at some competitive schools, no waitlisted applicants can be admitted at all. You can choose not to stay on the waitlist if you wish, meaning that you’re giving up your chance to be considered for later admission. If you’re excited about another school that has offered you admission, it may be preferable to you to take that offer and begin making solid future plans rather than waiting around. There’s nothing wrong with taking that path. Still, most of the time, someone is accepted off of the waitlist. If you’re still strongly interested in attending that college, and you’re willing to accept not knowing your status for a while longer, it may be worthwhile for you to stay on the waitlist and put in some additional work to make sure you’re as strong a candidate as you can be. If you do choose to remain on the waitlist, you’ll have some work ahead of you in order to maximize your waitlist potential. Below, we’ll go over how to figure out the best approach for your particular college, what to do in order to secure your waitlist spot and update your application profile, and why it’s still essential that you have a strong backup plan. Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. In order for you to get accepted off the waitlist, you first need to make sure that you’re on the waitlist. Many schools require that you do something specific to indicate that you’re accepting a spot on the waitlist, such as filling out an online form or sending an email to a particular address. As we discussed above, your waitlist notification will usually tell you exactly how to confirm (or turn down) your waitlist spot. If your school does not give specific instructions, you’ll need to write the admissions office a formal letter notifying them of your decision. If your school uses a specific procedure, use that procedure, and you’ll often be able to submit a more detailed letter as well — ask your admissions office for advice. In your letter, you should explicitly state your intention to stay on the waitlist. You should also reiterate your strong interest in attending that college if you are eventually accepted. Keep your letter relatively succinct, though — the admissions office already has access to your application, so you don’t need to repeat information that they already know. What you can include is information about any new accomplishments you’ve achieved since you submitted your initial application for admission. New accomplishments can also include ways in which you’ve significantly improved your original applicant profile. If you’ve retaken a standardized test and achieved a substantially higher score — for example, a change of more than 150 points in your SAT score — informing the college might  help your application. The same is true if your grades have improved by more than one letter grade. Smaller improvements in grades or scores probably won’t make much of a difference. Depending on the nature of these updates, some of them may require you to submit additional information. For example, if you have a higher SAT score to report, you must also remember to order an official score report to be sent to the college by the College Board . If you want to send in any other supplemental information at this point, first, call the college and ask if they’ll take that information into consideration. Some colleges won’t even look at supplemental materials, and it’s a waste of time to prepare any. Remember, the college already has your application; you can make updates, but you can’t rewrite the whole thing. Don’t forget to do your research on the college’s website and even call the college’s admissions office if you’re at all uncertain about whether or not to include a particular achievement or piece of information in your letter. It’s also a good idea to have someone read your letter before you send it — this would not be a good time for typos or other silly errors. Finally, in making and carrying out your waitlist action plan, you need to follow any specific instructions that you’re given by the college. As we’ve mentioned, some schools have more specific procedures than others regarding what to do when you’re waitlisted. If a school uses a particular online system to collect information, for example, make sure you use that system rather than just submitting a separate letter. Conversely, don’t do anything the college tells you not to do. If the college tells you that they don’t accept additional letters of recommendation for waitlisted students, don’t send one in. If the college tells you that you can’t arrange for an additional interview or admissions meeting, don’t show up unannounced and demand to see the Dean of Admissions. (Yes, things like this do occasionally happen.) Not following directions can only hurt an admissions officer’s perception of you as a candidate, even if you’re breaking the rules in an attempt to portray yourself in a better light. Being perceived as rude also won’t help. As always, being polite and respectful to admissions representatives is essential — these are the people you’re trying to impress, after all. While you might be tempted to call the admissions office every day to find out if there’s been any change in your status, it’s best to stifle the impulse to check in too frequently. Once you’ve done your best to update your application, you can be hopeful while still moving on with your life. In the next section, we’ll offer some advice about making backup plans while waiting to hear about your waitlist application. Making a backup plan involves confronting the reality that in the end, most waitlisted applicants will not be accepted . This doesn’t necessarily reflect poorly on you — competitive colleges have to turn down many qualified applicants , and there’s always an element of chance. Still, it can be hard to give up on your dream school or your mental plans for your college career. The good news is that, in many ways, college is what you make of it. Even if another college doesn’t initially seem perfect, it can still be a great fit for you. While you’re waiting for news about your waitlist status, for your own safety and sanity, you need to continue moving forward with your plans as if you’re not going to be accepted to your waitlist school, and think about how to make the most of life at another school. First, you’ll need to make a big decision: Which school’s offer of acceptance will you go with? Evaluating your choices and coming to a final decision is rarely easy, and its complexities deserve their own blog post: How to Deal With College Decisions and Make a Choice . Once you’ve made your decision about where to attend, do whatever that school asks you to do in order to secure your spot in the matriculating class. Don’t worry about this decision impacting your chances of admission off the waitlist — it won’t, and the college that waitlisted you knows that making a backup plan is a wise and mature move. Many schools ask admitted applicants to submit some type of deposit in order to confirm their enrollment, and sometimes also to confirm on-campus housing. These deposits are often nonrefundable, meaning that if you get accepted off the waitlist at your first-choice college and withdraw from your backup college, you won’t get your money back. Enrollment and housing deposits are not insignificant, especially if your family income is on the lower end. However, despite the potential monetary loss, this is the safest way to proceed if you want to remain on the waitlist. If you’re unsure whether you can afford to do this, discuss the situation with your family and your guidance counselor for more advice. Don’t just choose a backup school to attend — embrace that choice! Instead of dwelling on what might have been, throw yourself into learning about all the opportunities that await you at the school you plan to attend. For more advice on how to deal with this situation, check out our blog post Envisioning a New Future: Preparing for Life at Your Second-Choice (Or Third, Or Fourth) School . What if you do get that coveted acceptance letter over the summer? If you make your plans well, it’ll be an exciting surprise rather than an agonizing wait. There’s even the chance that you’ll change your mind and decide to stick with your second-choice school. Either way, you can rest easy knowing that you handled the situation with maturity and foresight. Do you have more questions about the waitlist and how to manage your waitlist status? Check out the blog for more posts about the waitlist experience: Are you looking for some help in perfecting your update letter? Our experienced consultants can assist you in crafting a compelling waitlist letter that truly shows off your achievements and potential. Learn more about our College Applications Program , where successful grads from top colleges guide students every step of the applications process, from creating a school list to preparing for interviews to writing waitlist letters.