Hispanic American Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Hispanic American Diversity - Essay Example Within this umbrella term â€Å"Hispanic† there are various sub groups, usually defined by the origins of the first immigrants to the USA. Mexicans form the largest group, who make up more than half of the total, followed by the Puerto Ricans, who make up about a 10%, and then the Cubans who only represent about 3.5%. The situation is complicated by the often vague definitions and usage of the two words â€Å"Hispanic† and â€Å"Latino† or â€Å"Latina† which sometimes refer to different groups, and sometimes are used interchangeably. For the purposes of this paper the term â€Å"Hispanic Americans† will be used to refer to all those who share the cultural heritage which originated in Spain and was transported to the southern parts of the American continent. Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans and Cuban Americans are terms used to refer to people whose family origins are clearly from those particular countries. The term Latino American will be used to refer to those who have some connection with the Hispanic culture which is not specifically tied to the above named three groups. Many third and fourth generation Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans and other Hispanic Americans have parents from more than one cultural heritage, or themseleve marry into different cultural groups and absorb much of mainstream American culture. These people lose their specific cultural ties to the home of their older relatives but many of them still retain elements of a more generalised Hispanic culture. This last group will be referred to as â€Å"Latino Americans†. Relations between the USA and Mexico have been been economically tied together from the very beginning. In the first half of the twentieth century Mexicans arrived in large numbers seeking a better life and at first their focus was to recreate their homeland family and religious life in the cities of the southern states of America. The Depression of the 1920s resulted in rates of immigration being curbed for a time, and this allowed

The Role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Role - Essay Example Moreover, they discuss the broader sense of this term by writing about social capital and social activities (Adler and Goggin, 2005, pp. 239-240). As for Schlozman et al. (1999), these authors propose to analyze civic engagement through the three-argument framework, which includes its appearance as volunteering activity, as promotion of democracy, and as manifestation of community interests (p. 428). Due to this, it is reasonable to state that civic engagement is a broader concept than a community problem solving one. In this case, Adler and Goggin (2005) define community activities as a narrower appearance of civic engagement term on the axis resulting in political activities (p. 241). Even though this concept is hard to define, all of its manifestations include the reaction on certain social problems. Thus, it is possible to assume that civic engagement as a phenomenon appeared as one of the tools of problem solving within a social community. In this context, Adler and Goggin (2005 ) synthetize all the available definitions of the term in the statement, â€Å"Civic engagement describes how an active citizen participates in the life of a community in order to improve conditions for others or to help shape the community’s future† (p. 242). In short, the attempts to define the concept reveal the importance of community dimension in its essence. With the very appearance of civic engagement in practice, it is common to associate it with active volunteering position of the youth. In this case, it mostly appears in the context of reforms within higher education institutions (Adler and Goggin, 2005, p. 237). As the research conducted by Adler and Goggin (2005) has shown, the age of people involved in civic engagement as community problem solving is younger in average in contrast to its wider dimensions of electoral and political

The Museum And Art Gallery Kelvingrove Tourism Essay

The Museum And Art Gallery Kelvingrove Tourism Essay The current study analyzes the visitor operations and experience in a detailed manner for Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The visitor operations and experience is handled in the current study in four different perspectives namely: Marketing Perspective, Management Perspective, Operations perspective and Quality Perspective. Marketing perspective starts with the approach of marketing strategies using 4 Ps technique for understanding the prevailing strategies for the organizations. Then, using the mentioned strategies the study shifts to the Kelvingrove museum art and gallery analysis for marketing strategies. Management perspective follows the marketing perspective analysis specific to Kelvingrove with the factors that influence the management success or failure. Then, it analyses the key functions that are implemented by the management of Kelvingrove in the art gallery with respect to the staff and the visitors experience. Third perspective that deals with the visitors attraction s and the operational activities that are performed in general is operational perspective. The second part of this deals with the analysis of how Kelvingrove manages the operations effectively that made them successful. The next part is to concentrate on the quality perspective which is being carried out in all the organizations but which is the key factor that needs to be taken utter care for performing in higher levels of standard. This is analyzed for Kelvingrove using the famous technique of SERVQUAL method. The current study then highlights the recommendations which though minor needs to be followed up by the museum organizations to be in a better position. Then, the study ends with the limitations to the current study which can be further studied if those were not restricted. INTRODUCTION The Museum and Art Gallery, Kelvingrove is run by the Culture and Leisure Services Department of Glasgow City Council. The Museum is housed in an impressive Category A listed building which was first opened in 1901 as part of the International Exhibition and is one of Glasgows landmarks. Kelvingrove is the most visited museum outside London, receiving over one million visitors a year in the last five years (Scottish Tourist Board). Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is an excellent place to visit with a vast collection of masterpieces of various people (Top-ten-Glasgow-guide, 2009).   Marketing Perspective Philip Kotler (2008:17) defines marketing as satisfying needs and wants through an exchange process. Marketing is an integrated process through which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customers in return. Marketing is not just about selling. Peter Drucker (2004:34) explained, The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous. [It] is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself. Ideally, marketing should result in a customer who is ready to buy. In addition the marketing management should be innovative while product development and calculating the added value. This would also ensure that the short run needs and long run requirements are balanced to meet the customer requirements and yield profits (Swarbroke, 1999:218). In the current study, we focus on marketing visitor attractions. A visitor attraction can be defined as somewhere worth leaving home for and this is as relevant to a single museum or cathedral as it is to a town or place. In a successful visitor attraction, the product on offer is the experience itself, spending money on that experience must be worthwhile. In the experience economy, the visitor attractions must continuously reinvent itself to have repeat visits and survive. This economy of experience is about quality, service and choice it is not about size. Successful visitor attractions of whatever size sells memories, experiences and expectations to individual customers. Hence it is important to have the right marketing mix for the product you are trying to sell. The term marketing mix refers to the primary elements that must be attended to in order to properly market a product or service. Also known as The 4 Ps of Marketing, the marketing mix is a very useful, if a bit general, guideline for understanding the fundamentals of what makes a good marketing campaign. (Hooley, 2008: 45-60). Four Ps Strategies: Product: A visitor attraction will have many different products on offer namely the permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, special events and educational resources for schools, colleges and universities. In addition to this, there are products such as the membership schemes, gift shops, cafes and corporate hire facilities. Place: Place is the location where the products or the customers output is ready for use. There are two key factors that a museum or a visitor attraction promotes with regards to its location: Excellent transport links by bus and train. Easy ticket booking facilities available onsite or online. Price: Price impacts strongly on how businesses fare competitively (Diamantopoulos et al., 1995). Hence price is considered as the key element in the marketing mix. There are different factors that affect pricing decisions for marketers namely organizational and marketing objectives; pricing objectives; costs; remaining marketing mix variables; channel member expectations; buyers perceptions; competition; legal and regulatory issues and perceived value. The following three aspects need to cover while determining price: standard admission fee, discounts on admission fee (discount percentage and conditions) and concessions provided mainly in public sector attractions to disadvantaged people. Promotion: This aspect of the marketing mix represents the possible tools used to communicate with and attract the target audiences. These can include: Advertising paying for adverts in newspapers, magazines and radio, and on poster sites Print producing banners, posters, leaflets and other items, and arranging distribution. Leaflets are sent to places such as libraries, tourist information offices, cafes and other places likely to be visited by the campaigns target audience. Direct mail sending leaflets or other print with a letter to named individuals, using in-house data bases or external lists of names which are either researched or bought. Sales promotion and brand partnerships promotions include offering prizes or discounts on tickets in collaboration with other parties, from newspapers and magazines to rail networks and coffee shops. Partnerships could involve window displays in shops, or branded giveaways. New media e-newsletters and website features Public relations (Kevin, 1994: 20) In this context, Kelvingrove has done a fantastic job in being the most popular museum in U.K outside London through its effective marketing plan. For the management, the key the primary challenge has been to encourage repeat visits and Kelvingrove has successful done so with new advanced features or quality improvements. Kelvingrove successfully underwent a re-development of its displays and visitor facilities. At Kelvingrove there are 200,000 objects with only 20,000 on display at any time within the gallery. After the refurbishment 50% more items are on display to the public. Lot of efforts have gone to ensure that Kelvingrove meets all the requirements pertaining to security, humidity control and lighting to attract major tours to Glasgow. Working on feedback from researchers who identified that a very large number of visitors to the gallery never left the ground floor, marketing experts have ensured that public gets more back space and have all the information to find way around the gallery. A Formal Educational Space for children and Childrens Discovery Centers and developments like these will be a major boost to schools, colleges and universities in and around Glasgow. The acquisition of knowledge is supported at various levels and the gallery is geared up for those who wish to explore subjects in more detail with support from staff with the availability of quiet self-study areas. At Kelvingrove there is now an Object Cinema and 22 themed galleries focusing on 100 different stories. These wonderful features are supported by an effective promotional campaign through vibrant brochures and hand-outs. Since, its an icon by itself, not much is spent on advertising through media. The museum sponsors for many events including sports and cultural activities. Kelvingrove uses the approach of newspapers and posters which is a modest way for marketing. The museum sponsors many events including sports and cultural activities and hosts various exhibitions. It has als o maintained its reach to the public through its website which is always providing updated and relevant information to potential visitors. These are the marketing strategies that Kelvingrove marketers follow. Figure: Goma Family Festival, 2009 (Source: Glasgow museums, whats on for families?) Management Perspective: The management has indirect impact on the visitors experience at the attractions. It directly impacts the employee attitudes and job satisfaction. The visitor management is the key aspect for the management to handle in different scenarios namely during the visit and before the visit. Museum and art galleries are defined by International Council of Museums as a non-profit institution, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, entertainment and study (ICOM Statutes art.3 para.1, 2007) . One of the major causes of dissatisfaction is connected with the process of management. Many of the staff members (employees) feel that their managers do not know how to manage because of the conflicting agenda or cause of stress and frustration. Better management skills and training would be valuable for overcoming these problems. Museums have a potential valuable resource where many managers appear to enjoy the creative aspects of their work. Here development and implementation of the required skills is an important issue. (Swarbroke, 1999: 50). MANAGEMENT STYLE: Management in all business areas and human organization activity is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization (a group of one or more people or entities) or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal. Resourcing encompasses the deployment and manipulation of human resources, financial resources, technological resources, and natural resources. This is very much the case in places of visitor attractions as well. Good management may not be the measure of a good museum, butà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦would most certainly appear to be one of its critical prerequisites (Weil and Cheit, 1994: 289). A well-managed museum is one in which: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Everyone has a clear idea of the purpose of his or her work and its value to the museum; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Staff works to a plan which has been devised for their area; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Clear procedures are followed for the activities which they undertake; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Each section of the museum is involved in, and is responsible for, the efficient operation of its area. (Shostack, 1985: 25). Museum management can have different emphasis regarding service delivery depending on the prevailing management styles. The two different management styles are the custodial management and the market focused management. A successful museum management may require the right balance of the two styles. Recognition of the multi-dimensional nature of the museum experience and consideration of the values of both the roles is vital for the effective management of a museum. (Leask Yeoman, 1999: 38-42) At Kelvingrove the management has done an excellent job in utilizing the resources and capabilities at their disposal to make Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum Scotlands busiest visitor attraction last year according to VisitScotland. It excels in a number of areas a few of which are discussed below: Aesthetically displayed exhibits: Kelvingrove Museum has always enjoyed a unique position of its own in the world of heritage museums and recently with its imaginative and empathetic redesigning it has become more appealing to art lovers. Be it the gallant and fragile Spitfire hanging by a thread to show how desperately perilous those wartime raids must have been, the 40-foot dinosaur of the Rennie Mackintosh rooms or the story of the Scots POWs who painted icons on sacks: each of them keep you hooked with odd life-art juxtapositions and the credit goes to none other than the management team who has done a fantastic job in their maintenance. And with the recent reinvention, the museum has become much more organized than before. The doors now open in the basement. Thats the first of the changes. One enters through chic white vaults glowing with red and blue landing light and ascends by stairways fluttering with fabulous birds. The restaurant is a glass pavilion. The clutter of corridors has been rationalized. Light da nces more brightly round the vast halls now that the grime of a century has been scoured away to reveal brilliant blond sandstone. And a third more space has been created in which to display stunningly lit, in jewel-colored rooms nearly twice as many objects. Thus we see that quality has been the foremost focus of the management of Kelvingrove museum and the aim has always been to provide its visitors a life changing experience (Policy Strategic Planning, Glasgow Museums). Organizational Structure: A flat organizational structure ensures that communication is fast across levels and resolutions of operational and management issues take place at a quicker pace. It is a three tier structure with the deputy director heading the management. Furthermore the Culture and Sport Glasgow, which is responsible for museums in Glasgow, reports to a Board of 11 Directors, which comprises six elected members, four independent Directors and the Chief Executive of Culture and Sport Glasgow. Cross Functional Efficiencies: Functional units within the museum instead of working independently interacts and co-ordinates with each other to promote the museum and help the management to achieve their objectives. For instance the marketing department works along with the IT department to reach out to potential and incumbent visitors. Through various online and print publications and also through the website, relevant information about the museum and events surrounding it is made available to the general public. Supporting Activities: The management has also taken significant steps in providing various activities to the general public apart from the viewing of the museum. These range from general facilities like parking, cafe/restaurant, shops, guide assistance dogs to facilities for hosting corporate, and private events. There is also a Centre of New Enlightenment (TCoNE)  designed for young people aged from 10 to 14 years. It uses state-of-the-art equipment and dramatic presentations to explore the museum and its collections and help young people discover their potential. It has an Object Cinema located on the first floor. It is a multi-media centre using video, sound and lighting to tell the story behind a single object or a group of objects. The content will change on a regular basis. Thus we see that the management has taken utmost care of providing the most pleasant experience to visitors at Kelvingrove Art gallery and Museum and continuously tries to improve their service. Operations perspective: In visitors attractions operations management can be defined as a day to day management of the site. Although it appears to be a simple task of managing the site it involves many internal processes, which will help to manage the attraction more efficiently and effectively (Swarbrooke, 2002). According to Rogers Slinn (1993) cited in (Swarbrooke, 2002), operations management is concerned with the design, operation and control of the system that matches the organisations resources to customer service needs. According to Slack, Chambers et al. (1995) cited in Leask Yeoman (1999), resources can be classified into transformed resources which can be transformed or converted and transforming resources which will act upon the transformed resources. Transformed resources include materials, information and customers where as the transforming resources include facilities and staff. Operations management mainly concentrates more on using the available transforming resources like staff and mach inery to provide an efficient service for the customers. In visitor attractions effective management of operations will help in smooth and efficient operation of the site. Every one working within the site will be directly or indirectly involved in operation management (Swarbrooke, 2002). Generally operations management deals with real people and real issues within a practical environment. In visitors attractions operations management deals with many tasks like Design of the site. Management of visitors and capacity management. Staff training. Monitoring quality issues. The operations within an attraction site vary depending upon the organisation or its customer point of view (Leask Yeoman, 1999). From an organisation perspective operations management generally concentrates on increasing the visitors opportunities in the site, staff and visitors safety, low operational costs, looking after visitors with special needs within the available resources, ensuring to maintain high quality standards, compliance with the law and effective problem solving. However customers perspective of the operations might vary in different areas as the customers are not concerned about the operating costs, they generally look for minimized delays and queues and safety of visitors, high quality service and optimized visitor enjoyment regardless of costs, complaints should be dealt in a positive manner without any time delay. Many skills and attributes are required for effective operations management within a site like good knowledge of the site its staff and its usage by the visitors, paying attention in detail about the site, planning systems, procedures in advance and flexibility to change them in different circumstances, effective crises management, financial management, being firm but tactical, confidence on own abilities and judgement, seeing things from customers and staff perspective and looking for constant improvement. Operations management within an attraction site is to enhance the quality of visitors experience. Generally the areas which have a great impact might include the way the queues are managed, handling complaints in an effective and efficient way, solving problems quickly, steps to increase visitors enjoyment and their safety to make them feel positive to visit the site. There are constraints on operations management with in an attraction site which depends on: Operation manager attitude, experience, abilities. The attractions organisations structure, culture and beliefs. Availability of resources like skills of the staff and their freedom in order to solve the problems. Availability of financial resources. Legislation, regulations and social acceptability (Swarbrooke, 2002). Financial resources are funded by Glasgow City Council and are ahead of many national names like British Library and Tate Liverpool. The attractions include the opening of the Doctor with exhibition at the end of the month where Kelvingrove will be the centre of scientific universe. Bailie Liz Cameron, chairwoman of Culture and Sport Glasgow manages the museums and galleries said that These (as stated above) figures prove once again that Glasgows collections are of both national and international significance. We will continue to invest in our museums and art galleries, bringing new exhibitions to some of Scotlands most cherished attractions(Cameron, Glasgow News). The operations management should consider handling the operations such as minimize the risks associated with the display of art gallery and museum articles. They (Kelvingrove operations team) focus on the spending of visitors at various occasions. This is handled by museum by placing all the facilities and amenities which all aged people feel to spend money such as cafeteria, restaurant and some books related to history, some articles which can easily attract young generation which are stylish. They (operations team) not only considers these aspects of entertainment of making maximum profits from visitors but also the management should spend appropriately on labour, power sources etc. To handle the cost-in and cost-out schemes equally. They should also need to take care of providing special access to the disabled people or old people who are challenged but would like to visit the museum. All these activities are handled complying the laws and regulations in Scotland. The next aspect is about the Kelvingrove handles several minute things also in a big picture like: facility for car parking, toilets and elevators to be provided. And for the safety guidance, there are many fire exit points where the staff is trained to guide the visitors to the fire exit in case of fire. For addressing difficulties the visitors are facing or challenges they face during the visit or suggestions they would like management to keep an eye and improve better: All certain feedback can be submitted in a separate department for efficient handling of all the concerns. So, The operations management is either successful for Kevin grove as it follows and perfectly implements the functions namely problem-solving, resource management, risk management, visitor attractions, customer satisfaction and last but not the least: quality. Quality perspective: Generally in product related manufacturing industries quality is a product-led concept which concentrates on features and attributes of the product. The extent to which a product or service can satisfy wants and needs of a customer can be seen as a quality. According to Swarbrooke (2002) quality can be defined as the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs. Quality is not only about the outcome of the product or service but also the whole processes that involves getting the outcomes. Quality in visitors attractions is all about offering a good service to the visitors. Quality at visitor attractions can be viewed in two ways as a set of outcomes visitors receive or the processes how the attraction operates. For example set of outcomes might include the physical appearance; the price the customer pays, service offered, safety, reliability and the number of complaints about the attractions. The process es include human resource management, hierarchy, culture style of management, and marketing style of the visitor attraction. When designing quality management systems there are three important questions that should be considered for attractions they are (i) definition of the quality the management will use (ii) performance standards and measurement system to be used (iii) the management systems they need to adopt for achieving quality. So attraction operators should pay attention to both process and outcomes in their quality management systems. The quality management system should include every aspect of management of attraction like tangible elements of the attraction which include buildings and structures, maintenance levels, comfort and security of visitors. Quality management within a visitor attraction can be viewed from both internal and external perspective. For example internal perspective includes the views of attraction managers for whom quality is smooth operation of attr action site and minimum customer complaints, attraction staff who sees quality as their terms and conditions of employment and few complaints to handle. The external perspective includes the views of customers who tend to see the quality in terms of how easy, safe and secure to use the site and the value for their money (Swarbrooke, 2002). Measuring Quality: In order to maintain quality service it is important to measure quality. Among the techniques available for service quality measurement SERVQUAL method developed by Parasuraman et al. in 1985 is the most popular. It is a technique that can be used to perform a gap analysis between an organizations service quality performance and the customers service quality needs. It is an empirically derived method that can be used by a service organization to improve its service quality. It takes into account the perceptions of the customers of the relative importance of service attributes. This allows an organization to prioritize and use its resources to improve the most critical service attributes. The methodology is based on 5 key dimensions: Reliability: This is an ability to deliver the service accurately and as promised. According to Zeithaml and Bitner (2000) it is the most important determinant. Responsiveness: to provide prompt service and willingness to help customers. Assurance: the trust and confidence customers will have on staff. Empathy: it covers care and individualized attention to customers. Tangibles: this includes physical facilities, equipment, machinery, personnel and infrastructure (Fitzsimmons, 1994). Quality is subjective and has different meanings to customers and service providers. From the staffs point of view quality is measured by the number of complaints registered from the customers, the fewer the number the higher is the quality of the service. However for the customer it is the environment and experience of the place with respect to the money spent which defines quality. The aim of the management is always to minimize the gap between these two and hence in order to measure quality Servqual is an effective tool under such conditions. In the following section we will try to use the tool to measure quality of the Kelvingrove Art gallery and Museum using the personal experience of the author. ASSESSMENT OF THE KELVINGROVE MUSEUM FOR QUALITY The author paid a visit to the museum recently to have a firsthand experience of the museum and its facilities. During the course of the visit he interacted with visitors to get their feedback on their experiences. In most of the cases the feedback varied from good to excellent, a number of them were thrilled with the experience the museum offered after the restoration. They were happy that the things were better organized, displays were in order, lighting was improved and overall the museum had improved aesthetically. On the five dimensions of Servqual, museum performed as follows: Reliability: After the restoration work, out of 20000 objects that were made for display, there were 50% of the objects being displayed with a number of nearly 8000 objects as promised. More back space has been provided to the public. Responsiveness: Staffs have been highly customer focussed and responsiveness level to customer discomfort has been very high. This is seen in the visitors rating who have rated Kelvingrove art gallery and museum as the best and rated 5 out of 5(Info and Reviews, Kelvingrove). Assurance: The organisation is particular with the awareness of the social inclusion. I observed during the visit to Kelvingrove that there are many educational activities like: training, volunteers, providing knowledge to the children about the history. Moreover all the staffs are knowledgeable about the exhibits and were courteous in explaining them to the visitors. These are as discussed above suit the role of assurance in the SERVQUAL approach for the museums. Empathy: Staffs are presentable and courteous and are always at the disposal of the customers. Tangibles: All the facilities and art works are neatly maintained From the above analysis, it is evident that Kelvingrove ranks high up in the list of places of attraction in Scotland. It is a cultural heritage and pride of Scotland. Recommendations: In spite of the fact the management of Kelvingrove is continuously trying to improve the service to the visitors there are still some areas where considerable improvement can be done. These are as follows: 1. Continuous training needs to be provided to staffs about the artefacts and exhibits at the museum so that they can provide the correct information when asked for by the visitors. A couple of times the author faced this issue during the visit 2. A few artefacts in the Italian Art Gallery do not have any description about them. Visitors may feel a sense of incompleteness when they dont get a descriptive narration of art works. 3. The day of visit of the author collided with a national holiday which drew a large number of visitors to the museum. However, to manage this large crowd customer assistance staffs were not sufficient. Management should look into this matter and probably fill this gap through part time staffs if not by full time to handle large crowds 4. Management should look into rationalizing the food price at the restaurant which appeared to be too costly. 5. Management should take adequate precaution and strictness when allowing children inside the museum as they were touching art work and might damage them. 6. Some of the artworks and other objects were hung in a manner which was crowded and distracting, for instance, the Vuillard. Moreover every painting in the Impressionist room had a horrid flip chart attachment projecting from the wall. 7. Titians Christ and The Adulteress and the Bellini Madonna could not be contemplated in silence because of the nearby narration concerning Botticellis Annunciation These recommendations should be addressed as soon as possible to wipe off any kind of blemishes on the otherwise extraordinary place of attraction in the heart of Glasgow. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY: 1. The annual reports for the museum are very limited that are published in the website which are not sufficient to analyze the position of the museum in the current market. 2. Few of the managers were providing only certain amount of information and are not ready to give detailed information.

Christian Humanism :: essays research papers

Christian Humanism Christian humanism was the humanists’ efforts to unite classical learning with the Christian faith. The Christian humanists rejected what they regarded as medieval Christianity’s excessive emphasis on other worldliness. They desired to bring their knowledge of the classical languages to bear in their effort to attain a deeper knowledge and understanding of the Christian faith. Christian humanism was properly nothing but a reclaiming of the basic inheritance of history and the natural connection of culture with the religious vistas of the human being.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Desiderius Erasmus was probably one of the biggest and most outstanding of the Christian humanists. He was known as the â€Å"Prince of the Humanists†. He mostly devoted his life to classical studies. His Adages, a collection of Latin proverbs, established his scholarly reputation. Most of his other early works attacked corrupt church practices and the scholasticism developed by churchmen. In the Praise of Folly, his most famous work, made fun of many attitudes of his time which were ignorance , superstition , and greed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another big time humanist was Thomas More. An English statesman and writer, known for his religious stance against King Henry VIII costed him his life. He was England’s greatest humanist. More’s most famous work Utopia described an ideal world where society was based on reason and ignorance. The citizens practiced a Christianity that was free of ignorance and superstition. There was no private property and no desire for profit and there was no war except in self-defense. More contrasted this society with the evils existing in his own society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These Christian humanists had similar characteristics and helped Martin Luther in his reformation process. They both wanted huge reform in the Roman Catholic Church. In Erasmus’s Colloquia his continuing assaults on the evils and errors of the church authorities and on superstition made him vulnerable to the accusation that he was a Lutheran. They both used and emphasized on scripture. Even though Erasmus denied being a Lutheran and at times even verbally attacked Luther, he is often regarded as a precursor of the Reformation. The humanists work in translating and analyzing original sources often uncovered discrepancies among these sources, which led to questions about the Catholic Church's practices and encouraged efforts for reform. Erasmus got this ball rolling and Luther just blew it up. There was just one difference between Erasmus and Luther. Christian humanists believed strongly in the unity of the church and the preservation of a Christian Humanism :: essays research papers Christian Humanism Christian humanism was the humanists’ efforts to unite classical learning with the Christian faith. The Christian humanists rejected what they regarded as medieval Christianity’s excessive emphasis on other worldliness. They desired to bring their knowledge of the classical languages to bear in their effort to attain a deeper knowledge and understanding of the Christian faith. Christian humanism was properly nothing but a reclaiming of the basic inheritance of history and the natural connection of culture with the religious vistas of the human being.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Desiderius Erasmus was probably one of the biggest and most outstanding of the Christian humanists. He was known as the â€Å"Prince of the Humanists†. He mostly devoted his life to classical studies. His Adages, a collection of Latin proverbs, established his scholarly reputation. Most of his other early works attacked corrupt church practices and the scholasticism developed by churchmen. In the Praise of Folly, his most famous work, made fun of many attitudes of his time which were ignorance , superstition , and greed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another big time humanist was Thomas More. An English statesman and writer, known for his religious stance against King Henry VIII costed him his life. He was England’s greatest humanist. More’s most famous work Utopia described an ideal world where society was based on reason and ignorance. The citizens practiced a Christianity that was free of ignorance and superstition. There was no private property and no desire for profit and there was no war except in self-defense. More contrasted this society with the evils existing in his own society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These Christian humanists had similar characteristics and helped Martin Luther in his reformation process. They both wanted huge reform in the Roman Catholic Church. In Erasmus’s Colloquia his continuing assaults on the evils and errors of the church authorities and on superstition made him vulnerable to the accusation that he was a Lutheran. They both used and emphasized on scripture. Even though Erasmus denied being a Lutheran and at times even verbally attacked Luther, he is often regarded as a precursor of the Reformation. The humanists work in translating and analyzing original sources often uncovered discrepancies among these sources, which led to questions about the Catholic Church's practices and encouraged efforts for reform. Erasmus got this ball rolling and Luther just blew it up. There was just one difference between Erasmus and Luther. Christian humanists believed strongly in the unity of the church and the preservation of a

Alcohol and Advertising Essay

Throughout the history of television, viewers have raised many questions about alcohol advertising. Does advertising influence alcohol consumption? Does it has an impact on alcohol abuse or alcohol related disease and death? How is advertising affecting us? The goal of this essay is to collect evidence, both theoretical and empirical, that would address the question of whether advertising affects in any measurable manner alcohol consumption and mortality from alcoholism and alcohol related disease. The alcohol and advertising industries argue that as alcoholic drink is a legal product it should be legally possible for it to be advertised, and that bans on alcohol advertising would have adverse effects on the alcohol market and on the media. They also argue that bans are not justified as advertising is concerned with promoting sales of individual brands and there is no evidence of a causal link between advertising and the overall level of alcohol consumption or the amount of alcohol related harm. The main arguments are that as well as promoting brands, advertising is also concerned with recruiting new drinkers and increasing sales among existing, and especially heavy consumers. (Fisher 22-24) Henry Saffer, a New York economist who focuses in alcohol research, assures that alcohol advertising is increasing traffic accidents and alcohol consumption. He declares, ?  §Until now, most of the studies done on the subject conclude that alcohol advertising doesn?  ¦t affect drinking behavior. The alcohol industry uses these studies to bolster its argument that advertising only induces people to switch brands. These studies keep coming and find nothing because they set themselves up to find nothing. (Abramson 1) Saffer research? K? K Much of the debate concerns the possible effects on children and young people. The Advertising Codes prohibit the specific targeting of minors, but the ubiquity of alcohol advertising ensures that it can hardly be missed by them. Indeed, the evidence is that even young children are aware of alcohol advertisements and tend to remember them. (Mackiln 251-252) ?  §The American Academy of Pediatrics shows a recent study of the impact of television on children and teenagers: ? XAmerican children view over 23 hours of television per week. ?XTeenagers view an average of 21 to 22 hours of television per week. ?XBy the time today’s children reach age 70, they will have spent to 10 years of their lives watching television. ? §The American Academy of Pediatrics states that television advertising influence education and conduct of children and adolescents. They believe that ?  §time spent watching TV could be better spent on constructive activities. Some other statistics that are shown are: ? XAmerican children have viewed an estimated 360,000 advertisements on television before graduating from high school. ?XAmerica children view nearly 2,000 beer and wine commercials on television. Beer, wine and liquor companies spend over $2 billion per year on advertising and promotion. (1) Perhaps the most commonly held assumption by researchers in the field is that advertising works. There is a strong belief that advertising affects consumption of alcoholic beverages and is related to the adverse consequences of excessive use. Hilary Abramson, describes in her article ?  §Alcohol Ads Increase Drinking the study ?  §The Alcohol Epidemiology program at the University of Minnesota has list some restrictions that can be apply in a special event, business or organization. The restrictions are: noooooooo Works Cited Abramson, Hilary. ? §Alcohol Ads Increase Drinking. August 1997. November 23, 2002 Abramson, Hilary. ? §Warning: TV Alcohol Ad Warning Could Work. August 1995. November 23, 2002 ?  §The American Academy of Pediatrics. November 23, 2002 Fisher, Joseph C. ? §Exposure to Alcohol Images in Mass Media. Advertising, Alcohol Consumption, and Abuse: A Worldwide Survey. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1993. 28-55. Hanson, David J. ? §Alcohol Advertising. 1997-2002. November 23, 2002 Macklin, Carlson Les. , ed. ? §Adolescents?  ¦ Attention to Beer and Cigarette Print Ads and Associated product Warnings. Advertising to Children: Concepts and Controversies. California: SAGE Publications, 1999. 251-275.

History of the Hunley Essay

The concept of underwater endeavors has been around since the ancient times, the Egyptians used reeds to hunt in the water. The first time the concept was used in a military manner was by Alexander the Great’s army to clear obstructions during the siege of Syracuse in about 413 BC. Both of these instances were very primitive underwater developments, but held the basic concepts of a modern day submarine. They used underwater concealment to achieve a goal and that is the overall main concept of a modern day submarine. In the modern era our idea of underwater boats became a lot more refined and more practical. Many submarine designs started popping up around 1578. The first modern submarine was built in 1605 by Magnus Pegelius his submarine was lost in mud. The first successful submarine was propelled by oars and was invented by Cornelius Jacobszoon Drebbel many say its design was based on that of an Englishman William Bourne who designed a prototype submarine in 1578. Drebbel was a Dutchman in the service of King James I whose submarine was redesigned two more times from 1620 to 1624. In 1775 the first propelled self reliant submarine was invented in Connecticut and funded by the United States. It was named Turtle due to its resemblance to a turtle. David Bushnell inventor of Turtle was an American patriot and had his designs approved by George Washington. Turtle was the world’s first submarine to be used in battle. Turtle’s design was simple yet very efficient, it consisted of two wooden pieces secured with two metal bands and was covered in tar. It submerged by allowing water into a bilge tank at the bottom of the vessel and ascended by pushing water out through a hand pump, and was propelled vertically and horizontally by hand-cranked propellers. Turtle was the first recorded use of the screw propeller for ships. It also had two hundred pounds of lead which could be released in a moment to increase buoyancy. It was manned and operated by one person. It contained enough air for about thirty minutes and had a speed in calm water of about three miles per hour. Six small pieces of thick glass in the top were the only source of natural light. After Bushnell pondered the problem of lighting the inside of the ship and after learning that using a candle would hasten the use of the limited oxygen supply of the air inside, he solicited the help of Benjamin Franklin who cleverly hit upon the idea of using bioluminescent foxfire to provide illumination for the compass and depth meter. Foxfire is a glowing light given off by several species of fungi. The light given by the material was said to be sufficient at night, though likely dimmer than expected, because the ship was cooled by the surrounding sea water and the metabolic rate of poikilothermic, heterotrophic organisms, such as the mushrooms used in Turtle, is temperature-dependent. Turtle was designed as a naval weapon, and it’s method of attack was to drill into a ship’s hull and plant a keg containing 130 pounds of gunpowder. Then a fuse would be attached and ignited when the Turtle was a safe distance away. Much testing was done by the inventor’s brother, Ezra Bushnell, in the waters of the Connecticut River to ensure the structural fastness of the ship as well as to figure out the abilities of it. During the night of September 7, 1776, to support the upcoming Battle of Kip’s Bay, Turtle, under the guidance of army volunteer Sergeant Ezra Lee, attacked the English’s flagship HMS Eagle, which was moored off what is today called Governors Island, which is due south of Manhattan. A common misconception was that Lee failed because he could not manage to bore through the copper-sheeted hull. In practice, it has been shown that the thin copper would not have presented any problem to the drill. A more likely scenario is Lee’s unfamiliarity with the vessel made him unable to keep the Turtle stable enough to work the drill against the Eagle’s Hull. When he attempted another spot in the hull, he was unable to stay beneath the ship, and eventually abandoned the attempt. Governors Island is the place where the Hudson River and the East River merge. The currents at this point would have been strong and difficult. The Turtle would only be able to attack ship moored here during the short period of time when the incoming tide balanced the river currents. It is possible that during the attack the tide turned and Lee was unable to compensate. He released the keg of gunpowder when some British in row boats tried to pursue him. The British, suspecting some trick, gave up the pursuit. This was the beginning of a new era of naval battle. After several years of innovations and refinements to submarines designs and the building of many other successful ships such as France’s Nautilus and the US Navy’s Alligator, there came along a man named Horace Lawson Hunley who designed and created the Confederate States of America’s first successful submarine, the CSS H. L. Hunley. The Hunley and two earlier submarines were privately developed and funded by Horace Lawson Hunley, James McClintock, and Baxter Watson. The three men first built a small submarine named Pioneer at New Orleans, Louisiana. Pioneer was tested in February 1862 in the Mississippi River, but the Union advance towards New Orleans caused the men to abandon development and scuttle Pioneer the following month. The three inventors then moved to Mobile and joined with machinists Thomas Park and Thomas Lyons. There they soon began development of a second submarine, American Diver. They were supported by the Confederate States Army. The men experimented with electromagnetic and steam propulsion for the new submarine, before falling back on a simpler hand-cranked propulsion system. The ship was ready for harbor trials by January 1863, but proved too slow to be practical. One attempted attack on the Union blockade was made in February 1863, but was unsuccessful. The submarine sank in Mobile Bay during a storm later the same month and was not recovered. After the disappointment of the American Diver the construction of Hunley began soon. At this stage, Hunley was variously referred to as the â€Å"fish boat†, the â€Å"fish torpedo boat†, or the â€Å"porpoise†. Legend long held Hunley was made from a cast-off steam boiler, maybe because a cutaway drawing by William Alexander, who had seen the real boat, showed a short and stubby machine. In fact, the Hunley was purpose-designed and built for her role. Hunley was designed for a crew of eight. The eight man crew consisted of seven to turn the hand-cranked propeller and one to steer and direct the boat. Each end was equipped with ballast tanks that could be flooded by valves or pumped dry by hand pumps. Extra ballast was added through the use of iron weights bolted to the underside of the hull. In the event the submarine needed additional buoyancy to rise in an emergency, the iron weight could be removed by unscrewing the heads of the bolts from inside the vessel. Hunley was equipped with two watertight hatches, one forward and one aft, atop two conning towers with small portholes. The hatches were very small, making entrance to and egress from the hull very difficult. The ship had a hull height of 4 ft 3 in. By July 1863 Hunley was ready for a demonstration. Supervised by Confederate Admiral Franklin Buchanan, Hunley successfully attacked a coal flatboat in Mobile Bay. Right after this demonstration, the submarine was shipped to Charleston, South Carolina, by train. The Hunley arrived in Charleston August 12, 1863. The Confederate military seized the vessel from its private builders and owners soon after its arrival in Charleston and turned it over to the Confederate Army. The submarine would operate as a Confederate Army vessel from that point forward. Horace Hunley and his partners remained involved in the submarine’s further testing and operation. Confederate Navy Lieutenant John A. Payne volunteered to be Hunley’s skipper, and a volunteer crew of seven men was assembled to operate the submarine. On August 29, 1863, Hunley’s new crew was preparing to make a test dive to learn the operation of the submarine. Then the fatal moment came when Lieutenant Payne accidentally stepped on the lever controlling the sub’s diving planes while the crew was rowing and the boat was running. This caused Hunley to dive with hatches still open, flooding her. Payne and two other men escaped; the remaining five crewmen drowned. The Confederacy did not give up hope on the Hunley. Within 72 hours of the fatal accident, General Beauregard sent the following order: â€Å"Fish Torpedo still at bottom of bay, no one working on it. Adopt immediate measures to have it raised at once. Work quickly began to salvage the submarine from the harbor’s bottom and exhume the crew from their iron casket. For the submarine’s second outing, Hunley convinced the Confederate Navy to man the sub with a crew from Mobile who were familiar with the Hunley’s operations. Hunley went straight to where the submarine was built, Park and Lyons machine shop in Mobile, to enlist a new crew to man the vessel. Eve n their experience proved futile. On October 15, 1863, the Hunley again sank while performing a routine diving exercise. All eight men on board, including Hunley, succumbed to the depths. Although Hunley was in charge of the sub’s operations, he was not part of her crew. It is not known why he was at the helm when the sub sank for the second time. It is uncertain what caused the fate of the Hunley the second time. But if the crew had been able to close the forward sea valve which caused the ship to dive nose first, the freezing water that had already entered the ballast tank and spilled over the top could have been bailed back into the compartment and pumped into the sea. Although it would have been extremely difficult to do so in the darkness and confusion that followed the impact with the ocean floor, the valve handle must have fallen off the stem and become lost beneath the bodies that had been thrown into the forward area. Causing icy water and internal pressure to steadily rise within the vessel, panic would have gripped the terrified crewmen. As they were beneath nine fathoms it would have been a hopelessly miserable way to die. Hunley having now sunk twice, both times killing some of her crew including Hunley himself. Even so, the desperation of the times kept hope alive that the Hunley could save Charleston from the strangling blockade. Though Beauregard had grave concerns over the twice-fatal Hunley, at the urging of Lt. George Dixon, he nevertheless approved her to be to be salvaged by divers and pulled up by ships so that she could again attempt a strike at the Union blockade. Another new and courageous crew had already quickly assembled after the second sinking. Until the final resurrection of Hunley, little was known about members of the final crew. Since the Hunley was a venture with close ties to the Confederate Secret Service, many records were intentionally destroyed at the end of war to protect the identities of those involved. After months of repairs, re-modification and practice missions, the Hunley was ready to attack again. Finally on the night of February 17, 1864 Lt. Dixon and his new crew took Hunley out for its final voyage. The target was the Union Navy’s largest ship, the USS Housatonic. The Housatonic was also the main body of the Union’s naval blockade of Charleston. As Hunley came close to the ship, Housatonic’s lookout rang the alarm and the Hunley came under small arms fire, even though the Housatonic had six cannons aboard they were not built to be able to be aimed that low in the water. The Hunley then rammed its barbed charge into the hull of the Housatonic and then began to reverse away from the ship. It is uncertain how far Hunley got away from the Housatonic before the charge went off. After the explosion, which caused the first successful submarine attack on an enemy ship in wartime, the Housatonic sunk within four minutes killing five of its crew. After the attack Hunley signaled the men back at shore of the successful attack by means of a blue signal lantern. After the signal the men back on shore awaited the return of the Hunley, but sadly it never did return. Instead it sank to the bottom of the sea not to be seen again for another 137 years. Even though the Hunley itself sank more times than it sank other ships, it was a major naval innovation. It showed just how vulnerable ships were to submarines and how something so small and discreet can do so much damage to something as very large and discerning as the USS Housatonic. Since the Hunley military innovations and modern technology have continued to evolve and has provided the world with extremely deadly, accurate, reliable, fast, and stealthy submarines. But it all started with an American in a tar covered barrel trying to drill a hole in the bottom of a ship, and then led to success with human powered submarines such as the Hunley. Although the history of the creation of the Hunley and its military campaign is extremely interesting, the search and finding and preservation of the ship is equally intriguing. Two different individuals have claimed The Hunley discovery. Underwater Archaeologist E. Lee Spence, president, Sea Research Society, reportedly discovered Hunley in 1970, and has an impressive collection of evidence to validate the claim. On September 13, 1976, the National Park Service submitted Spence’s location for H. L. Hunley for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. Spence’s location for Hunley became a matter of public record when H. L. Hunley’s placement on that list was officially approved on December 29, 1978. Spence’s book Treasures of the Confederate Coast, which had a chapter on his discovery of Hunley and included a map complete with an â€Å"X† showing the wreck’s location, was published in January of 1995. A few months after Spence’s book with the location of the Hunley marked, Diver Ralph Wilbanks, claims to have discovered the wreck in April of 1995 while leading a NUMA dive team. Ralph Wilbanks claims to have located the submarine buried under several feet of silt, which had concealed and protected the vessel for over a hundred years. The divers exposed the forward hatch and the ventilator box, which is the air box for the attachment of a snorkel, to identify her. The submarine was resting on her starboard side at about a 45-degree angle and was covered in a ? – to ? -inch encrustation of ferrous oxide bonded with sand and seashell particles. Archaeologists exposed part of the ship’s port side and uncovered the bow dive plane. More probing revealed an approximate length of 40 feet, with the entire vessel preserved under the sediment. On September 14, 1995, at the official request of Senator Glenn F. McConnell, Chairman, South Carolina Hunley Commission, E. Lee Spence, with South Carolina Attorney General Charles M. Condon signing, gifted the Hunley to the State of South Carolina. Shortly thereafter NUMA disclosed their location for the wreck. Spence claims that he discovered the Hunley in 1970 and verified the discovery in 1971 and again in 1979, and that he expected NUMA to verify the discovery, not claim it. This is an ongoing dispute involving allegations of political manipulation, judicial misconduct and other questionable behavior. On August 8, 2000 an Archaeological investigation and excavation culminated ith the raising of Hunley. A large team of professionals from the Naval Historical Center’s Underwater Archaeology Branch, National Park Service, the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, and various other individuals investigated the vessel, measuring and documenting it prior to removal. Once the on-site investigation was complete, harnesses we re slipped underneath the sub and attached to a truss designed by Oceaneering, Inc. After the last harness had been secured, the crane from the recovery barge Karlissa B hoisted the submarine from the harbor bottom. Despite having used a sextant and hand-held compass, thirty years earlier, to plot the wreck’s location, Dr. Spence’s accuracy turned out to be within the length of the recovery barge. On August 8, 2000 at 8:37 a. m. the sub broke the surface for the first time in over 136 years, greeted by a cheering crowd on shore and in surrounding watercraft. Once safely on her transporting barge, Hunley was shipped back to Charleston. The removal operation concluded when the submarine was secured inside the Warren Lasch Conservation Center, at the former Charleston Navy Yard, in a specially designed tank of freshwater to await conservation. History has a very interesting way of reminding us of how our past affects our future. With something as magnificent as the discovery and resurrection of the Hunley it just goes to show us what hard work and dedication can bring us. As well as all the mysteries still unsolved about artifacts found in the Hunley as well as what really happened the night that the Hunley never returned home. I believe some things should stay mysteries; it makes it more fun to think about.

buy custom Apple Products essay

buy custom Apple Products essay I have great news for you. I have the very new Apple - iPad N that feature a Built-in for Webcam crystal viewing and it run on the highly sophisticated iOS Operating System Platform. It has an extremely fast Wireless Capability and the drive capacity is marvelous 32 GB. This is not all. It comes in an illustrious ivory black case too. And all this you can get for less than five hundred dollars, a good $50 discount, only for you. You can enjoy a wholesome life with new Apple - iPad N. You can chat, mail, google upload and download at a very fast rate, share, take snap and spend a lot of quality time on the social network, its extremely faster than others, remember? You will be able to carry it anywhere, in anything, including your purse. For it is lighter and thiner than before. The Front and back cameras make a flexible tool of joy with HD video system of new Apple - iPad N. You can get Dual-core A5 chip 10.6" LED display with -backlit facility on IPS technology Battery life of 12 hours 914.22b/a/c/d Wi-Fi EDR technology backed Bluetooth 3.2 Over 76,000 apps Its efficiency makes it possible for you to stay in touch of loved ones. Did you suddenly require the nearest address of ATM or jewelry shop in a new city? Just switch on the new Apple - iPad N powered GPPS system on the move and get there. Did you need to know the current price of exchange value in a new country? Switch on to Google and check it out. In addition to all these, new Apple - iPad N is a very flashy and suave tool. The smart cover is attached to the closure with a magnetically charged mechanism that wakes up to illuminate your pad. Visit our website today and enjoy the special discount price. This is not all. You get a change to win fabulous prizes, including a all paid holiday trip to HawaiiIslands once you make a purchase of this product. Maybe, next time your friends will see you though your web cam on some pristine beaches of Hawaii simply because you with you the Apple - iPad N. Sincerely Buy custom Apple Products essay

Greek temples essays

Greek temples essays What is art history? Art history is the study of history of the visual arts. Like history, art went though its many transitional phases. It emerged from abstract stick figures to natural and realistic pictures of people, animals, and nature. One of the greatest cultures that arose that embodied the true form of the human body in its most natural form was the Greeks. Greek art also had its transitions. It started as a geometric style, from many influences grew into a more oriental style, then arose the archaic style and the classical style and lastly the Hellenistic style. Other than the multitude of sculptors the Greeks produced they are also known for their Temples. The Greeks like other ancient cultures thought of temples as houses for the Gods. Greek temples no matter how glamorous were built in the post and lintel form like the Celtic megalithic statues Stone Hinge. The Greek temple designs it self came from the megaron plan from the Mycenaean palaces. The megaron has a great example of a portico in it. A Portico is a rectangular room with front porch. To further explain, a portico is simply a porch or a walkway with a roof supported by columns that lead to the entrance of a building. Greek temples were made in three different styles. The first and the oldest style was the Doric style. It is the name for the Dorians, who lived on the mainland. Another style was the Ionic style, which was named after the Ionians who lived on the Ionian Islands. The ionic style elegance results from taller, thinner, curvilinear elements and surface decoration. The last style was the Corinthian style which, was distinguished by it leaf design. Big difference from Greek temples was that it was made with human scale unlike Egyptian temples which were huge and overpowering. In Greece the columns in the temples were placed on the outside and formed a wall of columns separate from the naos, or the inner sanctuary. Temples with these qualities...

Saint Marys College in California Admissions Facts

Saint Mary's College in California Admissions Facts ​Saint Marys College in Moraga, California accepts most applicants each year, with a high acceptance rate of 80  percent, although applicants tend to have strong academic records. Students interested in applying to the school will need to submit an application (the school accepts the Common Application; more on that below), high school transcripts, a letter of recommendation, SAT or ACT scores, and a personal essay. Check out Saint Marys website for more information on how to apply. Admissions Data (2016) Saint Marys College of California Acceptance Rate: 80  percentTest Scores: 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 480  / 590SAT Math: 470  / 590SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanSAT score comparison for California collegesACT Composite: 22 / 28ACT English: 22  / 28ACT Math: 20  / 27What these ACT numbers meanACT score comparison for California colleges Saint Marys College Description Saint Marys College of California is a Catholic, Lasallian, liberal arts college located in Moraga, California, about 20 miles east of San Francisco. The college has an 11 to 1  student/faculty ratio  and an average class size of 20. Students can choose from 38 majors, and among undergraduates, business is the most popular program. Specifically, the most popular majors are Accounting, Business Administration, Communication Studies, Drama, English, Liberal Studies, Psychology. One of the defining features of the Saint Marys curriculum is the Collegiate Seminar, a series of four courses that focus on the major works of Western civilization. All students, including those in pre-professional fields, take these seminars- two in the first year, and two more before graduation. In athletics, the Saint Marys Gaels compete in the NCAA Division I  West Coast Conference. Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 3,908  (2,802 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 40 percent male / 60 percent female93  percent full-time Costs (2016-17) Tuition and Fees: $44,360Books: $1,107 (why so much?)Room and Board: $14,880Other Expenses: $2,700Total Cost: $63,047 Saint Marys College Financial Aid (2015 -16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 96  percentPercentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 95 percentLoans: 61 percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $25,400Loans: $8,018 Graduation and Retention Rates: First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 86  percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 60  percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 73  percent Intercollegiate Athletic Programs: Mens Sports:  Basketball, Golf, Cross Country, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field, BaseballWomens Sports:  Lacrosse, Rowing, Softball, Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, Volleyball, Cross Country If You Like Saint Marys College, You May Also Like These Schools: San Jose State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of San Diego: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphPepperdine University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphCal Poly: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of California - Irvine: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphStanford University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of California - Santa Cruz: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphLoyola Marymount University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSanta Clara University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of San Francisco: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSan Diego State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph Saint Marys and the Common Application Saint Marys College uses the  Common Application. These articles can help guide you: Common Application essay tips and samplesShort answer tips and samplesSupplemental essay tips and samples Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics

Asthma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Asthma - Essay Example According to a 2011 report, about 235 million people are affected by the disease worldwide and approximately 250,000 die every year due to asthma. About 80% of the mortality has been found to occur in lower and middle income nations with the rates varying between the countries. the prevalence rate has been found to be between 1 to 18% (Asthma, Wikipedia). In the year 2011 about 5.8 million Hispanic people in the USA were diagnosed with asthma with 3.6 million people still coping with the disease and about 1.7 million people experiencing an attack during the past year. The lifespan, current disease state and prevalence rate of asthma attack was found to be lower in significance compared to the non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white populations. Reports from 18 studies have shown that among the Hispanic sub-groups Puerto Ricans were found to have an increased incidence of the disease compared to other subgroups and non-Hispanic white people (Asthma: A Presentation of Asthma Management and Prevention). Reports reveal that between 2002 to 2007, the annual economic expenditure in the US due to asthma was estimated at $56.0 billion. Of these the direct costs to the healthcare was $50.1 billion and the other indirect entities including loss in productivity and other losses was estimated at $5.9 billion (ALA) The lung function test provides an accurate diagnosis of the disease, together with a medical history and physical examination of the patient. While lung function tests can be ably performed in adults it is however difficult to perform the test in children lesser than 5 years of age and hence in these cases doctors generally take in to account the medical history, signs, symptoms and physical examination of the child in order to diagnose the condition (How is Asthma Diagnosed?) In the case of children the

Banking and Finance Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Banking and Finance Law - Essay Example In the case at bar, the role of Bank A is an arranger as it is representing the borrower and not the participating banks, therefore, its obligations centered upon the borrower. Generally, the functions of the arranger starts upon its acceptance of the offer to arrange from the borrow and shall subsist until the time that the facility shall have been executed or in case of syndicated loan, its duties and obligations shall be deemed fulfilled at syndication when the participant banks are brought into direct contractual relations with the borrower2. Part of the duties of the arranger is to assist the borrower in drafting the Information Memorandum (IM), which will be circulated to prospective lenders/investors or in the case of syndication, to participating banks. Note that the IM is an instrument, which will be relied upon by the participating bank in assessing the nature of the investment and risk involved thereon. By this token, English law so for measures that will ensure that the p articipating bank will not be misled by unfounded claims set in the IM. The obligations of the arranger towards the participating banks in the case of syndication arise particularly during the negotiation stage and before the signing of the instruments of documents ratifying the facility. Breach of obligation to disclose the full state of the borrower or the misrepresentation of facts in the IM whether it is fraudulent or negligent in nature would give rise to both statutory breach and violation of established case laws. Fraudulent misrepresentation is the act of giving information knowing fully that it is not true. Fraud can also be deemed present where the arranger recklessly gives information without ascertaining its veracity and rending the facts disclosed as misleading. The key in this situation is that there is deceit in the act of the arranger as opposed to an innocent misrepresentation where the arranger believed in good faith in the truthfulness of the data disclosed.

Rhetorical Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rhetorical Critique - Essay Example If the needs of a particular group are met then it would be said that the writer was effective in his work. In this case they have to employ the language in an effective manner so as to meet a certain rhetoric situation (Wilhoit 41-45). Jonathan Riel the author of Obama and Reagan: A Rhetoric critique and declaration of not war in Libya targets the same population in addressing the challenges and issues affecting the American society. In his first article that touches on Obama and Reagan, he tends to draw two parallel rhetoric lines between the two leaders. His focus on Obamas campaign turns out to be rhetoric. According to him Obamas mode of communications changes immediately the campaign is over. In this case it implies that governing cannot be the same as running or organizing for a campaign. For instance, Obama employs the use of impersonal style of communication which on his side differs a lot from the persuasion used for the public especially if one is running a campaign. This case greatly differs from the type of communication of any governmental official once elected in office. His speech was compared to Reagan style of speech that was challenging. The author of this blog tends to be bias against Obamas administration; he tries to capture the attention of his audience by portraying Obamas organization as an organization that seeks the merciful help of his citizens which is only applicable when seeking for votes but his reach by the citizens on his office seems to be impossible. The main aim of bringing this point is to ridicule the administration and also to provoke the citizens (Lanham 58). The author tries to use persuasive and provoking to the audience by pointing out that Obama has a very poor view of Reagan administration. In this regard, he does not come out with proper reasoning to support this but instead he says that Obama portrayal of Reagan leadership was that of one who could not steer the American economy forward. His argument seeks to dema nd and seek his audience attention. Nevada interview has been known to have attracted a huge crowd of scholars of the Rhetoric communication. His style of communication during the interview employed the use of keen attention by the public as persuasive. The author also tries to portray how other leaders have viewed Obama (Riehl n.d). His idea of the American dream is critiqued because Reagan was the official party property of the Republican. The American 40th president presented his speech which was viewed by the blogger as rhetorical act the speech was made to the public which demonstrated no signs of campaigns. Obama is believed to have integrated all the elements to form his own rhetoric. Reagan speech revolved much on the future of the America on the other hand Obama opinion is to overcome the presidency of the opposing party which he relates to future. Obamas speech was concerned with uniting all races of the American people. He preaches the message of hope of the American peop le. This message is also preached by Reagan on his public addresses. These two share the same feature in the sense that they both emphasize the need for positive growth in the American society (Lanham 71-80). This is seen as aspirations of the people of the people. Reagan had an aspect of blaming the fore fathers this aspect was absent on Obama this is portrayed in his speeches where he demonstrates how the slaves were able to fight

Organizational Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organizational Management - Essay Example Similarly they identify a set of category constructs in the transactional leadership also. For instance concentration on the task at hand, short term goals and tactics, confusion concerning causes and symptoms, too much involvement in power relations, politics and statistics, fulfillment of expectations based on readily available systems, reliance on human interrelations and the persistent support for organizational structures, systems and relations. Warren Bennis (1995) holds the view that less hierarchical more democratic institutions with the ability to adapt to the unfolding environment are the best. A competency-based contingency framework or model like this requires a series of sub-level functions or competencies to be outlined as of consequence though such heterogeneous elements which lie outside the functional domain of the manager's/leader's tasks could be avoided with convenience. For example the manager's/leader's common competencies are always inclusively treated in the theoretical framework for the purpose of reference. This is illustrated by the following diagram. The above diagram (Fig. ... ged framework identifies and addresses the management/leadership competencies and issues that correlate with each other to produce an integral system of reference and analysis (Covey, 2004). For instance the vision & mission of the organization are identified with the long term corporate and business goals, irrespective of the size of the business. Such goals or objectives are essentially strategic in nature because they necessitate a degree of dependence on the organizational culture and leadership to bring about the appropriate environmental characteristics to achieve those long term objectives. Theoretical outline of the competency frameworkDavid Kolb's Experiential Learning teaches the manager to take experience as the source of learning (Kolb, 1983). On the other hand the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is based on an evaluation of psychometrics that is designed to assess the different psychological behaviors concerning perceptions and decision making preferences of individuals (Myers, McCaulley, Quenk and Hammer, 1998). The manager/leader is a functionary whose primary function/competency to determine the organizational goals is set out in the mission statement and the annual reports to its stakeholders. Thus organizational goals will have to be achieved by utilizing and organizing the available resources and combining them with people or employees in a manner to maximize both output and minimize costs. Towards this end the manager seeks to combine supplies and provisions and then integrate suppliers and creditors into the whole process of management. Next, he needs t o adopt methods in order to build integrated networks or process for easy control and execution of strategy (Williams, 2002). Leadership theories and teamwork models

To what extent does the character of inter-state relations mean that Essay

To what extent does the character of inter-state relations mean that the potential for human rights will always be limited - Essay Example Conversely, it has been propounded that customary international law is nevertheless significant as a source of law particularly in the international human rights arena (Cassese, 2005: p.389). For example, the codification of conventions, and case law of the International Court of Justice (IJC) have been cited as contributing to the â€Å"resurrection† of customary international law (Cassese, 2005: p.65). However, notwithstanding the theoretical importance of international law making in areas such as human rights and as a check on autocratic state power, these measures are only as effective as their practical enforceability, which some commentators have challenged in light of competing political interests at international level, arguing that customary law has effectively been replaced by national concerns in inter-state relations (Dixon, 2007: p.17). Directly correlated to this is the concept of â€Å"state† and â€Å"inter-state relations†, which in terms of individual human rights protections at international level has become a central issue particularly in context of rapid globalisation (Baylis & Smith, 2001). Indeed, Benvenisti and Hirsch comment that globalisation is a multifaceted concept that encompasses technological, political, economic and social trends (Benvenisti & Hirsch, 2004 p.167). Moreover Baylis et al highlight that the term globalisation refers to â€Å"the widening, deepening and speeding up of worldwide internconnectedness in all aspects of contemporary social life† (Baylis & Smith, 2001 at p.541). As such, the rapid pace of this process in the previous two decades along with the digital revolution has meant that â€Å"cross border flows (of trade, investment, migrants, cultural artefacts, environmental factors etc) have reached unprecedented levels†. (Benvenisti & Hirsch, 2004, p.168). Directly related to this is the increase of

Florence Nightingale Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Florence Nightingale - Assignment Example Nightingale not only treated the soldiers but she started working for the improvement of the conditions of the military hospitals. She wrote books on nursing and with the help of aid from friends she started a nursing school at St Thomas's hospital. Florence Nightingale was a very ambitious lady who revolutionized the criteria's of nursing. Though belonging to a rich family she chose for herself the profession of nursing and tried to change the concept of the society that nursing was a profession for the working class women and not a very respectable line of work. It was the period of the 19th century when women were struggling for their rights. Florence Nightingale played a role in the movement and she faced all the challenges that came her way which included the government of that time. She used the newspapers as her tools and worked very hard for the purpose. Florence Nightingale was a very brave and confident lady. She set an example for the women of her time. Florence Nightingal e became a nurse though she belonged to a wealthy family and nursing at that time was a profession considered to be for the working class women.

To what extent does the character of inter-state relations mean that Essay

To what extent does the character of inter-state relations mean that the potential for human rights will always be limited - Essay Example Conversely, it has been propounded that customary international law is nevertheless significant as a source of law particularly in the international human rights arena (Cassese, 2005: p.389). For example, the codification of conventions, and case law of the International Court of Justice (IJC) have been cited as contributing to the â€Å"resurrection† of customary international law (Cassese, 2005: p.65). However, notwithstanding the theoretical importance of international law making in areas such as human rights and as a check on autocratic state power, these measures are only as effective as their practical enforceability, which some commentators have challenged in light of competing political interests at international level, arguing that customary law has effectively been replaced by national concerns in inter-state relations (Dixon, 2007: p.17). Directly correlated to this is the concept of â€Å"state† and â€Å"inter-state relations†, which in terms of individual human rights protections at international level has become a central issue particularly in context of rapid globalisation (Baylis & Smith, 2001). Indeed, Benvenisti and Hirsch comment that globalisation is a multifaceted concept that encompasses technological, political, economic and social trends (Benvenisti & Hirsch, 2004 p.167). Moreover Baylis et al highlight that the term globalisation refers to â€Å"the widening, deepening and speeding up of worldwide internconnectedness in all aspects of contemporary social life† (Baylis & Smith, 2001 at p.541). As such, the rapid pace of this process in the previous two decades along with the digital revolution has meant that â€Å"cross border flows (of trade, investment, migrants, cultural artefacts, environmental factors etc) have reached unprecedented levels†. (Benvenisti & Hirsch, 2004, p.168). Directly related to this is the increase of

Romeo and Juliet Essay Example for Free

Romeo and Juliet Essay Baz Luhrmann is the director of the modernised film Romeo and Juliet- written by Shakespeare in the 1700s. Luhrmen uses cinematic techniques to help make Shakespearian dialogue understandable to a modern audience. He uses techniques such as camera work, appearance and props to convey the idea of a higher power creating an unchangeable destiny for Romeo and Juliet. The director also uses slow motion shots, low angle shots and close ups to help put across the meaning of Shakespeare dialogue. He also employs symbolism to convey the idea of Romeo and Juliet’s chaotic lives. By the end of this essay I will have shown how well Baz Luhrmann made this Shakespearian play understandable for a modern audience through his use of cinematic techniques. From beginning to end Baz Luhrmann uses modern film techniques to create Shakespeare’s 17th century play into something visually captivating for a modern audience. Baz Luhrman wanted to exploit the crucial beginning of the film by using a montage to help them understand the prologue. One example of montage in use is whilst the narrator speaks of â€Å"the break to new mutiny† he uses violent images to convey its meaning. The director uses images from newspaper headlines (Montagues vs Capulets) to suggest a tension between the two households. The use of special effects and a visually captivating montage help to bring a better understanding of what the prologue means. The idea of Romeo falling in love with a young girl at first site and to be willing to die for his love would be difficult for a modern audience to relate to. Baz Luhrmann had to make sure of two things, to make sure that his audience could easily accept that Romeo is a desperate hope for love and Juliet being so naive and innocent she could fall in love with Romeo so easily. The director illustrates these believable characteristics when we first see Romeo or Juliet in the film. When Romeo first emerges he is seen depressed. He smokes a cigarette whilst writing poetry wandering aimlessly on a grey clouded day. The cameras zoom on face of Romeo’s melancholic expressions. Baz Luhrmann uses these shots to bring impressions of a man who is lost and upset. Not long after this point in the film Juliet is introduced as being a young girl with an innocent personality. Her father’s face is zoomed into when he speaks of Juliet being still a stranger to the world- which implies that she is naive and could be easily seduced. This is done to emphasis the dialogue. In other scenes close-ups are done on her makeupless face an aspect that makes her more innocent. By using modern media techniques Baz Luhrmann could allow for his audience to believe that love at first site between these two people was possible. At the point of meeting, Romeo and Juliet are separated by a large blue fish tank; it is calm and peaceful. Deep blue water, soft pastel colours of pink and blue all give the effect of romance. Both Romeo and Juliet’s faces are zoomed into to help the audience acquire an understanding of the deep love both characters have fallen into. Capulet and Montagues had been historically in anger and fear of each other- meaning Romeo and Juliet’s love almost impossible to last without being torn apart by their families. A crucial point that sparks this anger is finding out of the secret marriage. This is soon found out by Tybalt (Juliet’s brother) who in his rage looks for Romeo but is only met by a fight with Mercutio (a close friend of Romeo’s). He brings the audience’s attention through uses of cinematic techniques. He uses fast moving cameras, low angle shots, special effects, close-ups, slow motion camera shots, music and pathetic fallacy to make his audience feel a sense of suspense and thrill from the action scenes. Tybalt disliked Romeo and takes his rage out through violence. At the crucial point of engagement he is confronted by Mercutio. The director chooses to have the camera move quickly between the two foes to create almost a blurred vision effect. This gives the audience confusion amongst the scuffle to mimic the experience the characters feel. The camera closes up to show. Tybalt responds by stabbing Mercutio with a shard of glass. This critical moment is slowed down to dramatize the seriousness of Tybalt’s actions. Low angle shots are quickly met by Mercutio falling to the floor and shouting:† a plague on both your houses† Baz Luhrmann uses low angle shots to underline the significance of Mercutio’s words. At this point a thunder storm comes about, and the camera angles changed to high above the heads of the men below. The use of pathetic fallacy and the suggestion that these actions are being judged by a higher power, both combine to help the audience understand the Shakespearian language. By using the weather to mimic the characters emotions the significance of his words are amplified. Romeo is met with feeling of vengeance and anger which lead to Tybalt’s death soon to come. Bazz Luhrmann opens this scene with a setting in dark streets with fast music to set the pace of the fight between Romeo and Tybalt. Focus is put on the faces of both Tybalt and Romeo to give more understanding of the rage being felt by both characters. Noises of car engines, loud bangs, shouting and thunder make the scene thrilling and exiting. Just before Tybalt is shot, the cameras zoom onto the gun to highlight its importance in the fight. A crescendo in the music is employed to build up to the climatic death of Tybalt. The gun fire is very loud and startling to underline the crucial moment when Tybalt dies. a close up on Romeo’s face of realization which adds even more unhappiness to the scene is used to emphasize his depressing thoughts. The camera slowing down and zooming on Romeo’s falling gun is the final cinematic technique used to imply the wrongness of Romeo’s actions. Every technique used by Baz Luhrmann used in both these fight scenes were all specific to helping his audience understand Shakespear’s sometimes confusing word. This made the director successful at keeping the audience’s attention and understanding. The final crucial point that Baz uses many techniques to help understanding is the final scene. Baz Luhrmann intended to make destiny a believable reason for Romeo and Juliet’s death. He sets the scene at a church filled with lit candles and large crosses. To symbolise a higher power is in play. High angle shots are used to amplify this idea. As if to say that this was an evitable ending between Romeo and Juliet he uses those. The fact that the director brought religious aspects to his use of props and high angle shots creates a believable ending that could not be avoided for it was their destiny. Death seemed believable and inevitable at this point. In conclusion Baz Luhrmann had clearly made his film approachable and understood by a modern audience. He clearly used a vast amount of cinematic techniques at points where the meaning of character dialogue was crucial to be understandable by his viewers. His ability to create two believable characters that could fall in love so easily was outstanding. Even though it would usually seem absurd to a modern audience Baz Luhrmann still manage to create the believability, by using techniques such as a use of props (Romeo smoking and writing poetry about love) or even a use of close up angle shots to emphasize the importance of dialogue speaking of Juliet being still a stranger to this world. In my opinion Baz Luhrmann did a perfect job of emphasizing important points, creating symbolic meanings, creating believable characters and enrolling a religious aspect to the film without losing audience acceptability.

Factors Affecting Animal Growth

Factors Affecting Animal Growth Modern cattle are descendants of Bos indicus and Bos Taurus (Gillespie, 1992). According to Lawrie (1991) these breeds are believed to be descended from Bos primigenius, the wild cattle. The last representative of the wild species died in Poland in 1627 (Zeuner, 1963). Lawrie (1991) reported that domestication of cattle followed the establishment of settled agriculture about 5000 B.C. and domestication of hump-back cattle (Bos indicus) existed in Mesopotamia by 4500 B.C. Garner (1944) stated that the immediate predecessor of majority of the breeds of British cattle was Bos longifrons, which was of relatively small frame rather than Bos primigenius which is massive in size. The development of many present British breeds was due to the early improvements initiated by Bakewell in the middle of the eighteenth century, who introduced in-breeding, the use of proven sires, selection and culling (Lawrie, 1991). Since 1790, the focus on cattle improvement is towards smaller, younger and leaner animals; and there has been growing realization that breed potentialities will not be fully manifested without adequate food given at the right time in the growth pattern of the animal (Hammond, 1932a). Lawrie (1991) suggested that a beef animal should be well covered with flesh, blocky and compact-thus reducing the proportion of bone whereas in a dairy animal the frame should be angular with relatively little flesh cover, the body should be cylindrical thus accommodating the large digestive tract necessary for efficient conversion of food into milk and mammary tissue should be markedly developed. Aberdeen Angus has been regarded as the premier breed for good-quality meat (Gerrard, 1951). Lawrie (1991) reported that one of the reasons for the good eating quality of the Aberdeen Angus is its tenderness which is due to the small size of the muscle bundles, smaller animals having smaller bundles. Good-quality meat can also be attained by feeding concentrates such as barley to beef cattle (Preston et al., 1963). Efforts have been made to cross various breeds of Bos indicus (Zebu cattle) with British breeds, to combine the heat resisting properties of the former with the meat-producing characteristics of the latter (Lawrie, 1991). Unfortunately, unusual breeds of cattle are found within a normal breed: dwarf Snorter cattle occur within various breeds in U.S.A., and pronounced muscular hypertrophy, which is often more noticeable in the hind quarters and explains the name doppelender given to the condition, arises in several breeds e.g. Charollais and South Devon (McKellar, 1960). Recessive genes are thought to be responsible in both cases (Lawrie, 1991). FACTORS AFFECTING THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CATTLE Lawrie (1991) reported that as an animal grows two things happen: first, it increases in weight until mature size is reached; this is called growth and secondly it changes in its body conformation, shapes and its various functions and faculties come into full being; this is referred to as development. Genetic factors According to Lawrie (1991) several economically important traits in meat animals are heritable to some degree and can thus be selected for by breeding. In cattle, certain growth features are controlled by recessive genes which have not so far been controlled, complicating breeding. One such trait is dwarfism; another is the doppelender or double muscling condition, which causes muscle hypertrophy and thereby increases the animals commercial value (Lawrie and Ledward, 2006). Genetic analysis continues to reveal the genetic mechanisms that control numerous aspects of the endocrine system and, through it, meat growth and quality as concluded by Lawrie and Ledward (2006). Genetic engineering techniques can shorten breeding programmes significantly because they allow for the identification and isolation of genes coding for desired traits, and for the reincorporation of these genes into the animal genome as reported by Lawrie and Ledward. Experimental reproductive cloning of commercially important meat animals such as sheep, pig or cattle has been successful. The multiple asexual reproductions of animals bearing desirable traits can thus be anticipated, although this is not yet practical on a commercial scale. Environmental Factors Heat regulation in livestock especially cattle is of great economic significance, because mammals attempt to maintain a constant optimal body temperature (Lawrie and Ledward, 2006). Low temperatures tend to prolong animal development and high temperatures tend to retard it. Depending on their size, body shape and insulation through tissue and fur, some animals have a relatively narrow zone of temperature tolerance and others (e.g. cattle) a broad one. Static magnetic fields, for reasons still unknown, also retard animal development. Nutritional Factors Acker and Cunningham (1991) reported that the quality and quantity of usable meat depends on the animals plane of nutrition, i.e., whether it is over or underfed. The composition of the diet, especially the amount of protein provided, is also an important factor regulating animal growth and development (Wardlaw, 2000). Cattle digest cellulose which is better adapted to poor-quality diets, but their ruminal microorganisms degrade high-quality protein if supplied in excess, because producing high-quality protein animal feed is expensive. Several techniques are employed or experimented with to ensure maximum utilization of protein. These include the treatment of feed with formalin to protect amino acids during their passage through the rumen, the recycling of manure by feeding it back to cattle mixed with feed concentrates, or the partial conversion of petroleum hydrocarbons to protein through microbial action (Gillespie, 1998). In plant feed, environmental factors influence the availability of crucial nutrients or micronutrients, a lack or excess of which can cause a great many ailments. In Australia, for instance, where the soil contains limited phosphate, cattle are being fed additional phosphate to increase the efficiency of beef production. Also in Australia, cattle and sheep in certain areas were often found losing their appetite and dying in the midst of rich pasture; this was at length found to be a result of cobalt deficiency in the soi (Acker and Cunningham, 1991). Gillespie (1998) stated that plant toxins are also a risk to grazing animals; for instance, fluoracetate, found in some African and Australian plants, kills by disrupting the cellular metabolism. Certain man-made pollutants such as methyl mercury and some pesticide residues present a particular hazard due to their tendency to bioaccumulate in meat, potentially poisoning consumers. SLAUGHTERING AND KILLING OF CATTLE Slaughtering Religious slaughtering The Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 (as amended) (WASK) require that all animals are stunned before slaughter, using the methods of stunning prescribed by the Regulations, subject to specific exemptions. One of these exemptions refers to slaughter without the infliction of unnecessary suffering by the Jewish method for the food of Jews; or by the Muslim method for the food of Muslims, provided the requirements for the licensing of slaughter men under the Regulations are met. Since a complete bleed is necessary, cattle are not stunned before bleeding (Donin, 1972). Religious issues surrounding slaughter without pre-stunning were explored in detail in the FAWC report on religious slaughter published in 1985 and have not been reiterated in this report. Council has taken account of relevant information generated since then in drawing its conclusions. Jewish method The Jewish method of slaughtering animals for food (Shechita) requires that they be healthy at the time of slaughter and must not have suffered any physical injury. For this reason, pre-slaughter stunning methods that are judged to cause physical injuries prior to cutting the throat have been considered unacceptable for this slaughter method. Cattle are restrained in an upright position in a specialized pen with the head held fast and the neck exposed in a suitable position for incision of the throat. A transverse cut is made using a reciprocal, uninterrupted motion of the knife. The intention is to produce an immediate outpouring of blood by severing both jugular veins and both carotid arteries. The knife used for cattle has a long, extremely sharp and undamaged blade. After the cut has been made the animal must remain restrained until it is bled out before being released, shackled and hoisted. With Rabbinical approval some premises have adopted a post-cut stun for cattle. The Islamic method The Muslim method of slaughter (Halal) is, in many respects, similar to Shechita. However, pre-slaughter stunning methods for cattle and sheep that have been demonstrated not to kill the animal, such that the heart is still beating, have been deemed acceptable and have routinely been adopted in many Halal slaughterhouses. The level of restraint required to expose the throat, perform an effective cut and hold the animal still until it has bled out is greater than is needed for conventional slaughter. The restraining pens used for this purpose require Ministerial approval. This is designed to protect bovine animals from any avoidable pain, suffering, agitation, injuries or contusions in the pen and in particular to ensure effective means of restraint and support (WASK). The design and operation of restraining pens are assessed by the SVS before Ministerial approval is given. Humane slaughtering Cattle are slaughtered by being first stunned and then exsanguinated (bled out). Death results from the one or the other procedure, depending on the methods employed. Stunning can be effected through asphyxiating the animals with carbon dioxide, shooting them with a gun or a captive bolt pistol, or shocking them with electric current as reported by Lawrie and Ledward (2006). According to Lawrie (1991) draining as much blood as possible from the carcass is necessary because blood causes the meat to have an unappealing appearance and is a very good breeding ground for microorganisms. The exsanguination is accomplished by severing the carotid artery and the jugular vein in cattle and sheep, and the anterior vena cava in pigs. Bleeding According to Beinempaka et al., (1990) the neck of the animal is cut and it is allowed to bleed by hoisting it up. They also reported that adequate bleeding is essential to reduce meat spoilage since blood is a good source of moisture and nutrition for most of the contaminating organisms. This indicates that the amount of blood retained in the beef determines the degree of spoilage of the beef. Panda, (1986) reported that the amount of blood drained out from different types of birds vary depending on the stunning technique and physiological condition of the cattle. Deskinning and dressing This process of deskinning is done manually or mechanical and manual at the same time. The mechanical and manual ones are normally done at the abattoirs. This involves using a sharp knife to deskin the animal while the machine pulls the skin off the animal. Dressing involves the opening of the carcass to remove the internal organs (Beinempaka et al., 1990). Care must be taken in removing the intestines, as an unintentional incision may result in the distribution of fecal bacteria onto carcass possibly contaminating the beef (Borch and Arinder, 2002). Washing Following the deskinning and dressing stage is the washing stage. It involves using a stream of water which removes dirt and the amount of blood retained in the carcass. This helps in reducing microbial load present on the carcass. Chilling This is done immediately after the preparation of the carcass and must last for as short a time as possible to avoid bacterial proliferation (Gracey, 1986). Nester et al., (2001) stated that chilling inhibits the growth of micro-organisms such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp at temperature below 3-50C. Chilling in a common bath may result in cross-contamination from Escherichia and Salmonella carriers to free carcasses (Cross et al., 1988). NUTRITIVE VALUE OF BEEF The use of lean and clean beef is advisable to include in diet, it could be as an ingredient in stews or traditional recipes. Beef is a popular meat rich in protein, being a red meat had always made it a bad food when it comes to studies and researches (Owen et al., 2005). Wardlaw, (2000) stated that, a lean beef adds to health benefits related to heart and prevention of cancer. As a matter of fact, no one can deny that beef is an important source of protein. Beef is found to be very rich in Iron, Zinc, Selenium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Magnesium. Sodium and Copper are found in good quantities. However, minute quantities of Calcium and Manganese are also present. According to Acker and Cunningham (1991), beef is one of the best sources for Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6 Niacin and Riboflavin. However, it is also rich in Thiamin and Pantothenic Acid. Small amounts of Vitamin E, Vitamin K and Foliate are present. According to Owen et al., (2005) the calorie count of Beef per 100 gm is 155.0; it is meat which is higher in protein and moderate in fat. Beef is good for bones and teeth. It enhances immunity against infections of ear etc., and prevents blood vessel walls from damaging. Moderate consumption of lean beef is altogether good for cardiovascular health and to prevent cancer risks. The amount of fat in beef carcasses has decreased compared to what it was during the middle of the twentieth century; beef contains about 6 percent less fat (Gillespie, 1998). FRESHNESS OF DRESSED BEEF Beef is a perishable product and may cause public health concerns. Fresh beef is most likely to spoil before it will cause food-borne diseases (Gill, 1998). For preserved meat the opposite may be the case, where micro-organisms have been eliminated. There is the tendency to use milder preservation methods either because of energy saving, because of consumers preference for mildly cured or cooked products, or their desire for having more fresh beef products or because of an aversion to the use of preservatives (Panda, 1995). According to Lawrie and Ledward (2006) in order to satisfy these demands, it will be necessary for meat industry to improve microbial monitoring of production including hygiene and to formulate processes which will give minimal variation in their results. Although intensive work is being carried out by meat industries to find substitutes for known processes with equivalent inactivation or inhibition of microbial froth, no overall acceptable alternative seems to be readily available (Gracey, 1986). QUALITY OF BEEF The quality grades are based on the degree of marbling (intramuscular fat) in the beef, and the maturity of the animal at slaughter (USDA, 2007). A quality grade is a composite evaluation of factors that affect palatability of meat; tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. These factors include carcass maturity, firmness, texture, and color of lean, and the amount and distribution of marbling within the lean. Beef carcass quality grading is based on degree of marbling and degree of maturity (Hale et al., 2007). Texture Meat from less tender cuts or older cattle can be mechanically tenderized by forcing small, sharp blades through the cuts to disrupt the proteins (Denver, 2003). Also, solutions of exogenous proteolytic enzymes such as papain, bromelin or ficin can be injected to augment the endogenous enzymes (USDA, 2007). Similarly, solutions of salt and sodium phosphates can be injected to soften and swell the myofibrillar proteins. This improves juiciness and tenderness. Flavour Evaporation concentrates the remaining proteins and increases flavor intensity; the molds can contribute a nut-like flavor. The majority of the tenderizing effect occurs in the first 10 days, although two to three days allow significant effects. Boxed beef, stored and distributed in vacuum packaging, is, in effect, wet aged during distribution. Premium steakhouses dry age for 21 to 28 days or wet age up to 45 days for maximum effect on flavor and tenderness.. Salt can improve the flavor, but phosphate can contribute a soapy flavor. SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION OF BEEF Lawrie (1991) suggested that contamination of beef is a continuing possibility from the moment of bleeding until consumption. Contamination of beef from the moment of bleeding until consumption is from microbial to physical contamination. The microbiological contamination of carcasses occurs mainly during processing and manipulation, such as skinning, evisceration, storage and distribution at slaughterhouses and retail establishments (Gill, 1998; Abdalla et al., 2009). Fecal matter was a major source of contamination and could reached carcasses through direct deposition, as well as by indirect contact through contaminated and clean carcasses, equipment, workers, installations and air (Borch and Arinder, 2002). Cattle slaughter operations, such as bleeding, dressing and evisceration, expose sterile muscle to microbiological contaminants that were present on the skin, the digestive tract and in the environment (Gill and Jones, 1999; Bacon et al.,2000). Moreover, dirty workers hands, clothes and equipments of the slaughterhouse and at the market by retailers act as intermediate sources of contamination of meat (Gill, 1998; Gilmour et al., 2004; AbdelSadig, 2006; Abdalla et al., 2009). Also, handling and storage of beef contribute effectively to meat contamination (Beinempaka et al., 1990). The storage place should be clean and preferably cold (400F). Any temperature above will contribute to microbial growth which act on the meat and cause spoilage whereas the beef must be handled with proper care. METHODS OF MINIMIZING CONTAMINATION OF BEEF Rangaswani (1983) reported that meat quality could be enhanced and prolonged when the causes of microbial contamination are drastically reduced or removed altogether. He stated further that quality and wholesomeness of meat depend on many factors of which the following are part: Source of Beef Meat from abattoir slaughtered animals and well established farms generally have less bacteria counts than meat from backyard slaughtered animals because at the abattoir or farm, all the necessary safety and hygiene consideration are undertaken. The level of infection is thus minimized unlike backyard slaughtered animals where animals are killed and dressed on the floor with no better hygiene condition (Zeigler, 1966). Health of Animals Beef from healthy animals keep longer than beef from diseased cattle. This is so because beef from healthy animals are more likely to be free from any microbes unlike diseased cattle. Zeigler (1966) reported that veterinary inspection should be the priority when animals are being slaughtered since it will be proven whether animals are free from any diseases. Method of Slaughter Meat from bruised animals, improperly bled animals, meat contaminated with faeces during evisceration and meat soiled with dirt from skin tends to spoil early. The normal micro flora from the skin of carcasses includes Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli and organisms of fecal origin (Cross and Overby, 1988). The source of these organisms is not clearly understood but in addition to contamination from the skin and intestines, equipments and tools during slaughter and selling of beef may be responsible for some contamination. To avoid further contamination, potable water should be used for rinsing carcasses and surfaces coming into contact with meat and offal. PRESERVATION OF BEEF According to Panda (1995) preservation or meat can be done by adopting several techniques among which are refrigeration, dehydration, curing, smoking, canning, irradiation, microwave heating and use of chemical additives including antibiotics. Refrigeration Refrigeration includes cold storage and frozen storage. In cold storage a temperature between 00C to 70C is employed and in frozen storage at between 150C to 170C (Panda, 1995). Controlled temperature assists in preventing quality loss and maintaining shelf life of the product. Proper air circulation in addition to maintenance of air temperature prevents mould growth and controlled air composition provides fresh air and avoids development of extraneous odour out of undesirable gases. Moisture control assists in preventing excessive dehydration of the product stored (Panda, 1986). Smoking Smoking helps in preserving beef by acting as an antioxidant, bactericidal agent and providing a protective covering on the surface. Smoking also imparts specific flavour to meat. Various types of wood used for generating smoke also impart different flavour to the finished product. However, the best type of wood which could be exploited for producing quality smoked beef is hard wood. Smoke also influences the colour of the smoked beef. Curing This is a process of preserving meat. It is done to preserve and maintain red colour of the meat and also to add flavour. This ingredients used include common salt, sodium nitrate or nitrite, sugar and spices (Beinempaka et al., 1990). Therefore selection of curing formulation is extremely important while using it, as long as large amounts of salt or spice will mask the flavour of meat. The functions of these curing agents are different. Salts assists in preservation of meat while influencing the flavour and texture. Sugar adds to the flavour while checking the drying and toughening effect and nitrate provide the desired pink colour to it (Panda, 1995). Chemical Additives Gill (1998) stated that fresh beef in intact carcass is not severely contaminated except for its surfaces and skinning. However, as it is minced for utilization in further processed products, the solution changes. As the beef gets exposed, added bacterial contamination from hands of operators and machineries used occurs (Borch and Arinder, 2002). According to Panda (1995) the use of additives in beef extends the life of the beef and has a little effect on the colour, flavour and texture. PACKAGING AND STORAGE If the beef is to be used for processing, then it is taken straight to the meat cutting and industries to be processed. If they are to be stored for use at a later stage, these are properly packed in suitable polythene bags and kept inside a deep freeze maintained at 15-180C. Panda (1995) reported that the packaging material used for packaging the beef should be colourless, transparent and of adequate strength to safeguard the dressed beef packed during handling and transportation. Also, the packaging material should not transfer any harmful substances to the packed material. The major objectives in using the packaging material is that it should provide optimum protection to the product packed inside it and to maintain wholesomeness for its anticipated shelf life, while preventing physical, microbial and insect damage with appropriate properties and capacity to preserve its nutritive value in an acceptable way and other quality factors, important in the marketing channel (Panda, 1995). Various types of primary and secondary containers as well as flexible material are being used for packing beef products. Primary container is one which is in direct contact with the food item. The secondary container is the outer box or wrap that holds the primary units of food such as jars, cans, tins flexible packages which have no direct contact with the food item. Some of the various types of packaging material used for beef packaging include tins, cans, glass, plastic films and laminates.