Nike Business Essay Example for Free

Nike Business Essay 3. Is it ethical for Nike to pay endorsers millions while its factory employees receive a few dollars a day? 4. Is Nike’s responsibility to monitor its subcontracted factories a legal, economic, social, or philanthropic responsibility? What was it 10 years ago? What will it be 10 years from now? 5. What could Nike have done, if anything, to prevent the damage to its corporate reputation? What steps should Nike take in the future? Is it â€Å"good business† for Nike to acknowledge its past errors and become more socially responsible? 6. What are the goals of the Jonah Peretti decided to customize his Nike shoes and visited the Nike iD website. The company allows customers to personalize their Nikes with the colors of their choice and their own personal 16-character message. Peretti chose the word â€Å"sweatshop† for his Nikes. After receiving his order, Nike informed Peretti via e-mail that the term â€Å"sweatshop† represents â€Å"inappropriate slang† and is not considered viable for print on a Nike shoe. Thus, his order was summarily rejected. Peretti e-mailed Nike, arguing that the term â€Å"sweatshop† is present in Webster’s dictionary and could not possibly be considered inappropriate slang. Nike responded by quoting the company’s rules, which state that the company can refuse to print anything on its shoes that it does not deem appropriate. Peretti replied that he was changing his previous order and would instead like to order a pair of shoes with a â€Å"color snapshot of the 10-year-old Vietnamese girl who makes my shoes.† He never received a response. 1 THE PR NIGHTMARE BEGINS Before Nike could blink an eye, the situation turned into a public relations nightmare. Peretti forwarded the e-mail exchange to a few friends, who forwarded it to a few friends, and so forth. Within six weeks of his initial order, the story appeared in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the Village Voice. Peretti himself appeared on the Today Show, and he estimates that 2 million people have seen the e-mail. At the height of the incident, Peretti was receiving 500 e-mails a day from people who had read the e-mail from as far away as Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America.2,3 Nike refused to admit any wrongdoing in the incident and stated that they reserve the right to refuse any order for whatever reason. Beth Gourney, a spokesperson for Nike, had the following to say regarding the incident: Clearly, he [Peretti] was attempting to stir up trouble; he has admitted it. He’s not an activist. Mr. Peretti does not understand our labor policy. If he did, he would know that we do not hire children; our minimum age for hiring is 18 . . . and we don’t apologize for not putting the word â€Å"sweatshop† because our policy clearly states: â€Å"We reserve the right to cancel any order up to 24 hours after it has been submitted.†4 Nike, Inc., is no stranger to sweatshop allegations.

Pramoedya ananta toer, his life and his literary achievements

Pramoedya ananta toer, his life and his literary achievements Chapter 2: Pramoedya Ananta Toer, his life and his literary achievements The account of Pramoedya Ananta Toers life and literary achievements, and the summary of his novel Bumi Manusia are mostly based on A. Teuuws book Citra Manusia Indonesia dalam Karya Sastra: Pramoedya Ananta Toer (1997:1-55), Schultz and Felters article, History, Education, and Nationalism in Pramoedya Toers Buru Quartet (2002), Dwi Elyonos unpublished dissertation of the Australian National University Harry Avelings and Willem Samuels Translations of Pramoedya Ananta Toers Novel Gadis Pantai: A Study of the factors, purposes, methods and effects of literary translation(2006:34-40), and two journal articles by GoGwilt entitled Pramoedyas Fiction and History: An Interview With Indonesian Novelist Pramoedya Ananta Toer (1996) and The Vanishing Genre of the Nyai Narrative: Reading Genealogies of English and Indonesian Modernism (2007). 2.1 The Literary Achievements of Pramoedya Ananta Toer Pramoedya Ananta Toer (6 February 1925-30 April 2006) was a leading Indonesian writer who was internationally renowned for his literary works which dwell on themes of social justice and humanity. He had written more than fifty novels, short stories, essays, social critiques and histories of which the majority have been translated into over 36 languages. He had collected more than a dozen international awards and had been frequently nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature since 1981. He was also an important figure in Indonesian literature, â€Å"an exponent of ‘universal humanism, the liberal and individualistic cultural ideology of the loose association of writers, artists and intellectuals often referred to as the ‘Gelanggang group or the ‘Angkatan 45, the generation of the revolution† (as cited in Foulcher, 2008:1). The exceptional quality of Pramoedyas novels lies in his power as a storyteller to re-create the historical scene for the present audience. In a statement by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, Pramoedyas novels â€Å"[illuminate] with brilliant stories the historical awakening and modern experience of the Indonesian people† (as quoted in a book entitled Polemik Hadiah Magsaysay, 1997:212-13). In Pramoedyas interview with GoGwilt about the English translation of the Buru tetralogy, he emphasized the importance of historical settings in his novels as well as the complex relation between history and personal biography (GoGwilt, 1996). Considering the historical scope of his work, his novels are also regarded as a typical example of post-colonial literature in South East Asia. One particular characteristic of this literature is the actual historical setting, which describes the diverse culture and language environment and its role in creating social difference within zones of c olonial contact (cf.see Niekerk, 2003 and Errington, 2008). Pramoedya was often compared to many great authors of the Western literature Camus, Tolstoy and Gorky, to name a few. The historical scope of his novels suggests an affinity with the great historical novels of nineteenth-century Europe, particularly in the context of socialist-realism in literature, in terms of narrative style and content. The story deals with themes of universal humanism such as freedom of expression, power struggle, racism and social injustice (see Kurniawan, 1999; GoGwilt, 1996). In general, Pramoedyas novels and short stories cover four different periods, spanning the period of Singasari and Majapahit kingdoms (1300-1600) (e.g. Arok Dedesand Arus Balik), the pre-independence period under the Dutch colonial rule at the end of 19th century (e.g. Buru Quartet, The Fugitive), the the Japanese occupation period under the Japanese in Indonesia during WWII (e.g. Perawan Remaja dalam Cengkeraman Militer), and the post-independence period of Soekarnos (e.g. Corruption,The History of the Overseas Chinese in Indonesia) and Soehartos (e.g.The Girl from the Coast andA Mutes Soliloquy) regimes. The blunt criticism of the ruling government contained in some of Pramoedyas works had caused him several periods of imprisonment under different government administrations.  · Some some of the international awards conferred upon himPramodya include the PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award in 1988, the Wertheim Award, in 1992, the controversial Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts in 1995, .  · the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Prize in 1996 and the Chevalier de lOrdre des Arts et des Lettres Rà ©public of France in 2000. 2.2 The life of Pramoedya Ananta Toer Pramoedya Ananta Toer was born in a the small town of Blora, in the Province of Central Java, Indonesia, as the firstborn of eight siblings. His father, Mastoer, was a strong nationalist who took part in the Indonesian struggle for independence from the Dutch colonial rule and worked as a headmaster in a school under Boedi Oetomo Institute of Education, the first political native political organization in the Dutch East Indies (todays Republic of Indonesia). His mother, Oemi Saidah, was born from an aristocratic Javanese family. She was a full-time housewife who later took the role of the main breadwinner for her family when her husbands school was closed due to the oppression of the Dutch colonial government. His parents, particularly his mother, had a great influence in formulating his idealized image of the Indonesian people, which was reflected in most of his works. After spending his childhood in his home, Pramoedya went to the Radio Vocational School in Surabaya, but and had almost graduated when the Japanese invaded the city on the last day of the schools final examination period. During the Japanese occupation period he worked as a typist for the Japanese news agency Domei in Jakarta, where he met and built relations with many outstanding figures in Indonesian history. Having felt that he was treated unfairly, Pramoedya decided to escape from his work with the Japanese. In October 1945 he joined a paramilitary force known as Badan Keamanan Rakyat (BKR)in Cikampek (West Java) after the proclamation of Indonesian independence. During this time he began to write short stories and novels and also translated a several books from J.Veth, Frits van Raalte and Lode Zielens. His first major novel, Perburuan (The Fugitive), was completed during two years of captivity by the Dutch government in the Bukit Duri prison, Jakarta. During the first two decades of Indonesian independence, from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s, Pramoedya became a renowned figure in Indonesian literature. This had broadened his social contacts especially in the world of literature and the arts. With time, these contacts contributed to his new perspective in politics and ideology. Several cultural exchanges, including trips to the Netherlands, the Soviet Union and the Peoples Republic of China, had opened his mind to the worlds political situation at that time. However, the most important event for Pramoedya at that time would be his short trip to China in 1956. This visit seemed to have sparked his interest in Marxist ideology, an apparent reason of for his decision later on to join Lekra (Peoples Cultural Insitute), a leftist organization, in 1958. From then on, Pramoedya became more active in politics. His writing style became more politically driven, as evidenced in the publication of a book which contains the correspondence he h ad with an imaginary Chinese discussing the history of the Indonesian Chinese, Hoa Kiau di Indonesia (History of the Overseas Chinese in Indonesia). It specifically criticized the governments instruction at that time which banned the Chinese minority in Indonesia to do business in rural areas, forcing them to close down their businesses or hand them over to the local natives and relocate to urban areas. This created friction between him and Soekarnos government and caused his detention at the Cipinang prison for nine months. Nonetheless, Pramoedya continued to build up his reputation as a literary and social critic, writing in various newspapers and literary journals, translating several literary works which were mostly came from Russian authors including Leo Tolstoi, Mikhail Sholokhov, Maxim Gorky, Aleksandr Kuprin and publishing a book about the history of the nationalist movements in Indonesia. In 1962-1965 he worked as an editor of Lentera, the weekly cultural edition of the lef t-wing newspaper Bintang Timur, where he published many articles on Indonesian history and literature around 1900-1920. He was also a lecturer of Indonesian language and literature at the University of Res Publica and was a founder of the Multatuli Language and Literature Academy in 1963. In October 1965 he was again put behind bars due to his association with Lekra, the cultural and literary institute affiliated with the Indonesian Communist Party as the organization which was alleged to be responsible for an attempted coup with the assassination of several senior generals of the Indonesian military. This bloody event ended Soekarnos political career and marked the transition of power to Suhartos â€Å"New Order† regime. After this incident, Pramoedyas books were banned in Indonesia and he was arrested as a political prisoner without trial in the penal colony of Buru Island from 1965-1979. During this period, he composed the first two parts of the famous Buru Quartet (Bumi Manusia/This Earth of Mankind and Anak Semua Bangsa/Child of All Nations) but did not have the opportunity to write it down. They were originally meant as a semi-biographical work of Tirto Adhie Soerjo, a nationalist figure and the founder of Sarekat Islam, the first native organization in I ndonesia. After Pramoedya was released from prison, he remained was placed under house arrest in Jakarta until 1992. During this time period he completed the last two parts of the Buru Quartet: Jejak Langkah (1985; Footsteps) and Rumah Kaca (1990; House of Glass), which instantly became best-sellers in Indonesia and gained him an international recognition. Unfortunately, ten months later these books were banned by the government as subversive materials which contained Marxist-Leninist ideology. In spite of these hardships, he continued to write other great novels such as Gadis Pantai (The Girl from the Coast) in 1982, a semi-fictional novel which portrayed his grandmothers life; Nyanyi Sunyi Seorang Bisu (A Mutes Soliloquy) in 1995, a personal biography based on the collection of letters that he wrote for to his daughter during his imprisonment in Buru, which were but was not allowed to send; and Arus Balik in 1995, a long historical novel considered by some literary critics to be his greatest literary work, which was revolved around the Tuban Kingdom, at the beginning of the Portuguese invasion of the Indonesian archipelago in the 16th century. In 1998, with the toppling of Soehartos regime and the beginning of the reformation era, the ban for on his books was eventually lifted. Pramoedya remained active as a writer until the last days of his life, when his health deteriorated due to old age and bad smoking his habit of smoking. In 2006 Pramoedya was hospitalized because of complications with diabetes, heart and lung diseases. He died on April 30, 2006 at the age of 81. 2.3 Pramoedya Ananta ToersBumi Manusia Bumi Manusia was first published in 1980, a year after Pramoedyas release from Buru Island. It is the first part of a semi-biographical tetralogy of Minke, the protagonist who is modelled after RM. Tirto Adhi Soerjo, a real historical figure of the anti-colonial movements in Indonesia. The story revolves around the historical emergence of Indonesian nationalism at the turn of the century when the Dutch colonial empire ruled in the East Indies. It explores various themes of universal discourse such as the emergence of nationalism, the corruption of the legal system, gender issues, the contradiction between traditional and modern values, and the importance of language as an instrument for articulating national identity. However, there are two important aspects to be highlighted in the novel: the realistic portrayal of colonial life in Indonesia, which provides the present audiencereaders today with a historical overview of that time and the way the author manages to convey to the prese ntmodern readers the complex socio-cultural interactions among various ethnicities in the colonial period and the inherent social attitude underlying these interactions. The story is reconstructed from the historical work which had been carried out before he was imprisoned for years without trial in Buru. In the first six or seven years of imprisonment in Buru, political prisoners were not given access to any writings or articles, let alone allowed to write on a piece of paper, so Pramoedya had to recite the story to his fellow prisoners. The story is what shaped the Buru quartet: Bumi Manusia, Anak Semua Bangsa, Jejak Langkah, and Rumah Kaca. The story isdeveloped through inner conflicts of the main character, which is are caused by the contradiction between the modern values he acquired from his western education, the traditional values which came from his Javanese roots, and the harsh social reality of living under the a colonial rule which denies all of the values he was taught to believe. The novel is told in the first-person and tells the life of Minke, a young Javanese aristocrat and the only native who receives a western education in an elite school which only Europeans are allowed to attend. It is set at the end of the 19th century, during the final years of the Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia, and provides detailed illustration on the situationpicture of colonial life in Surabaya at that time. At the beginning of the novel, the main character is introduced to an exceptional native woman known as Nyai Oentosoroh, the concubine of a Dutch property owner called Herman Mellema, and to her beautiful daughter, Annelies. Over time, Nyai Oentosoroh becomes an important figure in Minkes life, his personal life mentor and spiritual mother. The story of her origin, how she was sold into concubinage by her father, her rise in position as the overseer of her masters entire estates and businesses, as well as the fate of her daughter, Annelies, forms major parts of the storyline in Bumi Manusia. Minke falls in love with Annelies, whom he eventually marries according to his native customs. However, because of the family dispute over Mellemas inheritance, Annelies had to annul her marriage to Minke by the order of the Dutch colonial court. At the end of the novel, Annelies is forced to leave her mother and her husband Minke, and go to the Netherlands to live with her legal guardian, despit e all the efforts made by Nyai Oentosoeroh and Minke to resist the decision of the Dutch courts. Socio-cultural interaction among different ethnicities (Dutch, Europeans, Indos, Chinese, and natives) in the East Indies plays an important role in the development of the story and is skilfully portrayed by Pramoedya through his inventive use of Indonesian language variations, combination of different registers and the complexity of interplay between Javanese, Old Malay, Dutch, English and Jakartan dialects. One example is given below, where Minke tries to predict tell the identity of a man who follows him covertly, based on a certain ethnic stereotype which is widespread in Indonesia: Melihat dari pemunculannya, ia bukan orang Tionghoa, juga bukan Peranakan Tionghoa, juga bukan pedagang. Kalau toh Tionghoa Peranakan boleh jadi dari kalangan terpelajar, mungkin pegawai pada kantor Majoor der Chineezen.Atau peranakan Eropa-Tionghoa yang habis berlibur dan kini kembali ke tempat pekerjaan di Surabaya [] Ia jelas bukan pedagang. Bukan begitu pakaian pedagang. Atau ia seorang jurubayar pada Borsumrij atau Geowehrij? Atau mungkin sendiri Mayor der Chineezen? Tetapi seorang mayor biasanya angkuh dan merasa setara dengan orang Eropa, tak mungkin memperhatikan diriku, bahkan takkan peduli pada Pribumi siapapun. (Bumi Manusia, 1991:146) He didnt look Chinese, or like a Mixed-Blood Chinese, nor like a merchant. Anyway, if he was a Mixed-Blood Chinese, he was probably an educated one, perhaps an employee at the office of the Majoor der Chineezen the Dutch-installed leader of the local Chinese community? Or perhaps a Mixed-Blood European-Chinese returning from holidays to his workplace in Surabaya? He was clearly not a merchant. They werent the clothes of a trader. Or perhaps he was a cashier at one of the ‘Big Five Dutch trading companies Borsumij or Geowehrij? Or perhaps he was the Majoor der Chineezen himself? But the major were always arrogant, considering themselves equals with Europeans and so wouldnt take any notice of me, or any other Native for that matter. (Bumi Manusia, Lanes translation 1991:111) Words containing socio-cultural references abound in the dialogue. However, it is very difficult to render these socio-cultural nuances into English, thus it is understandable if sometimes the English translation cannot convey completely the richness of the dialogue in the novel. One great difficulty in the translation of Bumi Manusia is how to convey to the foreign readers the inherent social attitudes embedded in these culture-specific words which operate under different socio-cultural norms and history. One example of a culturally-marked word containing an important socio-cultural reference in Bumi Manusia is the word nyai. Nyai originally refers to a respectful form of address to a Javanese woman. However, the form undergoes a considerable change of meaning when it is adapted used into Indonesian. It becomes a â€Å"euphemistic, pejorative, and disrespectful term† referring to a historical stereotype of a native concubine or mistress in a colonial Dutch East Indies househo ld and implying the inherent social attitude behind the word nyai(GoGwilt, 2007:412): Bukan hanya Mevrouw Tà ©linga atau aku, rasanya siapa pun tahu, begitulah tingkat susila keluarga nyai-nyai: rendah, jorok, tanpa kebudayaan, perhatiannya hanya pada soal-soal berahi semata. Mereka hanya keluarga pelacur, manusia tanpa pribadi, dikodratkan akan tenggelam dalam ketiadaan tanpa bekas [] Semua lapisan kehidupan menghukum keluarga nyai-nyai; juga semua bangsa: Pribumi, Eropa, Tionghoa, Arab. (Bumi Manusia, 1980:44) Not only Mrs. Telinga and I knew, but it felt as if the whole world knew, that such indeed was the moral level of the families of nyais: low, dirty, without culture, moved only by lust. They were the families of prostitutes; they were people without character, destined to sink into nothingness, leaving no trace [] All social classes had passed judgment on the nyai; also all races: Native, European, Chinese, Arab. (This Earth, 54) Interactions between Minke, Nyai Oentosoroh and other characters in the book who came from different cultural and language backgrounds are parallel to the diverse culture and language situation in modern Indonesia. The vital role of Nyai Oentosoroh in Minkes life, as the person who is mostly responsible for Minkes growing awareness ofn the oppression oppressiveof the Dutch colonial towards rule over him and his fellow countrymen, in some way, represents in some way the indispensable role of language in growing nationalism in Indonesia. The account of Nyai Oentosorohs life,her extraordinary characteristics and excellent ability in to absorbing the knowledge given by her Dutch master and using use it to climb up from the bottom to the top rank of the colonial society, may have an indirect association with the historical development of the Indonesian language and its elevated status as a national language today. In the past, Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian Language), a variant of Bazaar Ma lay, was a minority language in the East Indies. It was a language of trading and commerce, which is used throughout the Indonesian archipelago. Bazaar Malay was once considered as a language with no aesthetic values and lacking in expressiveness compared to other languages. However, its use as a trading instrument throughout the Indonesian archipelago has enhanced its flexibility in absorbing modern concepts and elaborate cultural elements from other languages and modern concepts brought by western civilisation. This is likelymight be one of the reasons why it was selected as the national language of Indonesia. Bumi Manusia,as the first part of the Buru quartet, provides an important historical account and unique perspective of colonial life at the end of the 19th century, an important period in Indonesian history, which determined the future of the Indonesian people as a free nation. As Razif Bahari argues in his book entitled Pramoedya Postcolonially,the tetralogy and its literary and social context may provide valuable insights regarding the force which drives the main character to obtain power and freedom, and could answer some of the questions regarding the construction of history, language, and gender within postcolonial literature literary studies (Bahari, 2007). It is the significance of cultural, historical, and literary aspects of Bumi Manusia which makes the study of its translation worthwhile. It gives new insights into strategies and methods employed in the translation of cross-cultural texts as well as their cultural implications; and ways to convey effectively the message of the original text to foreign readers without disturbing the story narrative flow and maintaining the target readers interest and expectations.

The Importance of Arts in Education

The Importance of Arts in Education To strive for excellence, schools ensure their provided education is impressive, compared to other independent school districts in the area, delivering the correct tools and necessities in education to prepare their students for the real world. Schools want students to choose from numerous amount of class options, programs and organizations their district provides. However, some hesitate keeping art programs such as band, theater, art, culinary, choir etc. in their district, simply because it will not be necessarily needed for their time in school when in fact, the arts, most specifically band, is proven to create a more affective impact on the brain than other arts improving cognitive development, verbal memory, mathematics, phonological awareness, reading development and other skills. Cognitive development is heavily proven when introduced to arts, resulting greater than those who are not artistically active. As a child, painting activities, drawing or dancing engage the brain to develop other complex ways of thinking when continued. How? They are natural forms of art. According to Author SousaThe arts are not just expressive and affective, they are deeply cognitive. They develop essential thinking toolspattern recognition and development; mental representations of what is observed or imagined; symbolic. This proves that something as simple as drawing, singing or dancing to a child, is more than increasing their mentality ability and developing different complex forms of thinking. Although the arts are often thought of as separate subjects, like chemistry or algebra, they really are a collection of skills and thought processes that transcend all areas of human engagement. (Sousa). Cognitive development plays a critical role in a childs future, leaving permanent ab ilities in and outside of school, keeping this gift through life because of effortless habits through childhood. Not only does musical training seek unique cognitive skills, musical training shares the same brain pathway process as mathematics therefore, is quite beneficial towards math. Music is closely connected to mathematics by ratios, proportions, music intervals, arithmetic progressions in music to geometric progressions in geometry, including the simplicity of counting one, two, three, four, in a measure. Researchers conducted a study that piano lessons would increase math scores, specifically focused on proportions and ratios which are difficult as an elementary student along with another group of student without piano lessons but with a computer software program. Four months after the study, the group of kids with musical training scored one-hundred sixteen percent higher on proportional mathematic skills than those without the musical training. According to Author Sousa, These findings are significant because proportional mathematics is not usually introduced until 5th or 6th grade an d because a grasp of proportional mathematics is essential to understanding science and mathematics at higher grade levels. Math is known as a complex core class and is a subject that society does not know that makes it a lot easier on kids who study music at a young age. Another study in California took in students with low socioeconomic skills who were not involved with music, take music lessons eighth through twelfth grade following a test that would determine if the involvement with music would benefit kids in the class. The results of the study shown the musical training increased their test scores in mathematics and scored significantly higher than those low socioeconomic students who were not involved in music. (Sousa). History and geography test scores were affected through the music lessons increasing by forty percent. Not only did the music lessons improve mathematic skills. But history and geography, which is beneficial for the other core classes in education. Music is greatly related to mathematics but yet, in addition can also have an advantage in reading development. Identical to the brains responsive connections between music and math, music comprehension picks up specifically reading skills, allowing the brain to recognize auditory memory in a very intricate and extraordinary way. Researchers suggest this relationship results because both music and written language involve similar decoding and comprehension reading processes(Sousa). Students reading fluency is finer when in constant musical training. The abilities of better reading development through art is an advantage in the classroom increasing test scores, and comprehensions compared to other kids who dont study music. With reading being another complex core class, it will ease students who suffer from reading difficulty in their future, especially since reading is an everyday action for every movement in our body through thought processes during the day. The arts assist many acts we do that we do not think of and expand our abilities as human beings to do certain activities with our brain others cannot. The arts create and benefit other skills that will determine how we perform in school to our education, followed by a project by the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Justice Department called the YouthARTS Development project. The program established young adults involved in art programs increased cooperation with others, optimistic viewpoints towards school, self esteem along with other positive feedback that will greatly benefit through the students school years. the arts teach students how to learn from mistakes and press ahead, how to commit and follow through.(Arts and Smarts). This proves the arts make useful tools and potential standards for students who will manage challenges and problems well, considering how difficult the task may be which will not only be useful in school, but in the real world. Fine arts are a ble to reduce dropout rates, create a sustainable and well-balanced individual increasing socioeconomic skills, and have a good sense of leadership. (According to Jessica Hoffman Davis from Harvard Graduate School of Education from Arts and Smarts)We have been so driven to measure the impact of the arts in education that we began to forget that their strength lies beyond the measurable . The statement made by Davis, proves we underestimate what the arts can really do what they can create within students apart of it. The arts do not make one smarter, but they can discover unlimited pathways of what a brain could really do when introduced to the studies of music. Parents want their kids to turn out to be well balanced adults, but would be impossible without the engagement of both left and right sides of the brain, therefore, will require introduction to the Arts. The education system lies pressure in the four common core classes, without any consideration of the Arts, simply because learning how to play a trumpet is irrelevant to interest in the medical field or dancing and singing will not require you to be a lawyer. School districts need to be more aware of the potential their students could have through the arts if they take the time and learn about how important and relevant arts are with education . The brain awaits undiscovered passage ways and skills,as the importance of arts are waiting to make a difference in education References Bryant, Bob. The Importance of Fine Arts. Katy Independent School District. Bob Bryant, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 17 Evans, Karen. Arts and Smarts. Greater Good, Karin Evans, 1 Dec. 2008, greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/arts_smarts Rodale, Ardath. Education: the human touch. Prevention, Oct. 2003, p. 180. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPSsw=wu=j020902v=2.1id=GALE%7CA108882595it=rasid=e9345db4ee24c3da8cbe281ea9b36868. Sousa, David A. How the arts develop the young brain: neuroscience research is revealing the impressive impact of arts instruction on students cognitive, social and emotional development. School Administrator, Dec. 2006, p. 26+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPSsw=wu=j020902v=2.1id=GALE%7CA156417562it=rasid=eb6b505e4a2204d78a0d342d22a3eda2.

Aphrodite Essay -- essays research papers

HEPHAESTUS AND APHRODITE APHRODITE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aphrodite is one of the most famous figures of Greek mythology. Because Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and sexual rapture,1 she was desired by nearly all of the Greek gods. Aphrodite was one of the twelve main gods on Mt. Olympus,2 and she was the most powerful goddess when it came to members of the opposite sex. THE BIRTH OF APHRODITE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many origins to Aphrodite's birth. Some of them are: 1) She arose full-grown out of the foam of the sea, 2) She is the daughter of Zeus and Dionne, 3) She is the daughter of Uranus and Gaia, which would make her a Titaness, or 4) She is the daughter of Titans Oceanus and Tethys, making her an Oceanid.3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most common origin of her birth is her being foam-born, which is what her name means. This origin says that Aphrodite arose nude and full-grown out of the foam of the sea and riding into the shore of Cythera on a scallop shell. She found Cythera to be too small of an island, so she went to live in Paphos, in Cyprus, which is still the principal seat of her worship.4 THE MYTH OF APHRODITE AND HEPHAESTUS AND ARES   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty, she had a magic girdle that she wore that made everyone fall in love with her. She could hardly ever be persuaded to lend it to anyone. Since Aphrodite had the magic girdle and was so beautiful, all of the gods fell in love with her.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All of the goddesses were jealous of Aphrodite because all of the gods loved her instead of the other goddesses. Because of this, Zeus arranged a marriage for her with Hephaestus, the lame smith-god.5 Aphrodite didn't really mind this marriage arrangement, though, because she thought Hephaestus would never notice her having marital affairs.6   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hephaestus knew nothing of deception until, one night, he caught his wife and Ares, the god of war, making love at Ares' home. Hephaestus went back to his home very angry.7 Hephaestus was so angry that he decided to get revenge on Aphrodite by literally catching the while they were making love. He got out a bronze hunting-net and attached to the posts and sides of the bed. He told Aphrodite ... ...ympus. His plan backfired on him though, actually revealing himself as someone who was attempting to retain the love and devotion from his wife.25   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now that Hephaestus had embarrassed himself in front of all of the gods, Hephaestus became unhappy in his marriage to Aphrodite. He lost all interest in her and turned his attention to Athena who, like Aphrodite, was not in love with him. Hephaestus fell in love with Athena when she came to him for a spear. When he tried to initiate intercourse, she rejected him.26 HEPHAESTUS AND APHRODITE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both Hephaestus and Aphrodite are powerful and popular figures of Greek mythology. They did many great, and maybe not so great, things during their lifetimes that are still remembered today. They were both main gods on Mt. Olympus. They may have not had many great times with each other according to myth, but they were still significant gods who had great lives. Many people use both of these gods to relate to things today, and they will be remembered for years and years to come. Their characters in Greek mythology are very significant and they will not be forgotten anytime soon.

Defining Family Essay -- Family Psychology

Determining family structure and dynamics as well as defining the family is a complex process. Personally, I come from a very traditional family. Much like the assumptions made by the students in the article Defining Family: Young Adults’ Perceptions of the Parent-Child Bond by Mellisa Holtzman (2008). This is what comes to mind when most people define family; a nuclear family, with married parents, and biological children. However, a family is a complex system and can take on many different forms. Today, in a world of the â€Å"postmodern family† the traditional lines of family structure are blurred. Children may come from diverse types of homes, or a couple, married or not may choose to have no children and consider themselves a family. The roots of these modern families may stem from ethnic origins, sexual orientations, or even seen as a rebellion of sorts from traditional ways. Children may live in homes of single parents, which is an exceedingly more common phenomenon as the divorce rate well publicized at around fifty percent. They may also live with homosexual parents either as a biological child of one partner or adopted by both. Also, the traditional married couple may choose to adopt locally or internationally, potentially blending ethnic backgrounds into one household. Whatever the background of the new nuclear family the challenges and experiences follow similar patterns. This change in family structure and definition has become a very public issue in recent years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau a family is defined as â€Å"two or more persons, including the householder, who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption, and who live together as one household† (www.census.gov). This legal... ...to make dysfunctional environments. Whatever the common thread is that links an individual to their family should be recognized and supported as that is what has shaped us all. Works Cited Family - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (n.d.). Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved April 19, 2012, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/family Frequently Asked Questions - U.S Census Bureau. (n.d.). Census Bureau Homepage. Retrieved April 19, 2012, from http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/about/faqs.html Holtzman, M. (2008). Defining family: Young adults' perceptions of the parent-child bond. Journal of Family Communication, 8(3), 167-185. Stephen, A. O., & Sabatelli, R. M. (2007). Family interaction: a multigenerational developmental perspective. (4 ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Edu.

Feudalism in Today’s Society Essay

When searching for information on feudalism it is difficult to find modern sources speaking of it in a positive connotation. Most seem to regard it as merely a necessary step to capitalism. However, there are many aspects of feudalism still present in our society. Our society’s modes of defense and organization, as well as the devices used to make our standard of living possible, can be traced back to the age of feudalism. The feudal system stemmed from the people’s need to defend themselves from their many enemies. The main reason that people were willing to become vassals and work for their lord was so that they could be protected by him (Tierney 162). In the same sense, people in modern society expect their government to provide protection from any enemies that arise. In the feudal system, this protection was in the form of armies provided by the vassals to the lord. These armies where made up of knights who where expected to fight when called upon by their lords to do so (Tierney 162 ). In modern society the armies are also made up of people in the community who are called upon during times of war through, a system of drafts. In the Middle Ages, when a neighboring fief controlled by the same lord was attacked, the neighbor was expected to help defend it (Feudal Life). If one of the United States is attacked by a hostel force, soldiers are drafted from all of the adjoining states, not just th e one under attack. The organization of the country into different states that are in turn divided into counties and cities is also reminiscent of the feudal system. Each successively smaller division is run by it’s own elected official and each official answers to the one higher up the ladder. This is very similar to the feudal system where the lord had vassals who in turn had vassals of his own and serfs. All of the vassals where involved in decision making of the land. Counsels had to be consulted before any major decisions were made (Tierney 162-163). Another thing that emerged in the Middle Ages that we still see today is the middle-class society. During the feudal era there were plenty of people who could farm so some of them started to do other things such as carpentry and blacksmithing. There were enough specialists  around that the farmers didn’t have to do everything themselves anymore. For example, many manors in the Middle Ages had mills on the property. These Mills provided everyone with the flour needed to make bread (History). Today, few people in the general population would be able to do everything required for their survival. Everyone has one or two things that they are good at and that they make their living from and everyone buys what they need from other such people. In order to make all of the food and other goods required to keep modern society functioning normally, many devices are used that originate from the time of the feudal system. Around this time, slaves were replaced by serfs and free workers so ways of making the work easier surfaced. One of these was the practice of using work animals to help with farm labor (History). Granted this is not practiced as much now as it was then because we now have things like tractors and cars to make labor easier, but there are still some animals used for labor. Another device developed during this time that made work easier for the workers was the wheelbarrow. This is still widely used today for all sorts of things, along with the gear or toothed wheel which is the basis for most machinery and clock mechanisms. Another practice started in the middle ages that is extremely useful to us is the use of wind and water for energy (History). We generally use the power of these elements to provide us with electricity where they used them for mills and similar applications, but the basic idea is still the same. So it is apparent that our society is indebted to the age of feudalism for many things that we take for granted. We still use aspects of feudalism for producing food, defense, and structuring our government. Perhaps those socialists that can only speak of feudalism as a necessary step to capitalism with an arrogant detachment to its true importance should be reminded of what it was like trying to survive during one of the most dangerous periods of civilization. Works Cited History of Feudalism in Europe; History Interactive. National Heritage Academies. http://michiganepic.org/NHA/Feudalism/feudalism.html. Feudal Life in the Middle Ages. Learner.org. http://www.learner.org/exhibits/middleages/feudal.html Tierney, Brian. Western Europe in the Middle Ages: 300-1475. Sixth Edition. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 1999

Letter of Inquiry

   Dear Or alternately: Dear Sir/Madam: I have been informed of a job opportunity as IPRO Management and Technical Support Engineer by [name of referrer/optional]. I am a very interested in such a position because [qualifications or related work & interests/bulleted type lists of qualifications if possible]. I am currently employed at [name of organization] as [title of position]. Or alternately: I have just finished my Bachelor’s degree in the Multidisciplinary Studies with concentrations – Mechanical Engineering, Packaging Science, and Management Studies from [name of academic organization]. I believed my academic competencies would match qualification requirements of aforementioned position. I am looking forward to further discuss this job opportunity and how I can be a part of the success of Stratosphere, Inc. Sincerely,    One final way to be noticed the reader and to show a personal touch is by adding a post script or PS to your letter personally handwritten if at all possible.(â€Å"Cover letter advice†, 2007) Reference: Cover letter advice. (2007).  Ã‚   Retrieved March 15, 2007, from http://www.cvtips.com/cover_letter_guide_3.html