A comparison of the environmental effects of using nuclear energy and Essay

An examination of the ecological impacts of utilizing atomic vitality and coal vitality - Essay Example A correlation of the ecological impacts of utilizing atomic vitality and coal vitality Since the year 1974, there has been no new earth shattering for setting up new atomic force plants albeit various atomic reactor units have been built at these plants. Notwithstanding, there has as of late been a restoration of enthusiasm for atomic vitality and this new intrigue has to a great extent been cultivated by the Nuclear Power 2010 Program, which was set up in the year 2000. There has been an expansion in the quantity of atomic reactors being built since 2010 in existing force plants, for example, the one at Watts Bar, Tennessee. Regardless of the resurgence of enthusiasm for atomic vitality, a large portion of the activities, which have been set up for the development of atomic reactors have been as of late dropped. This is principally because of the monetary difficulties that are as of now holding the country just as the negative response that came in the wake of the ongoing atomic mishaps in Japan. Authorities in the atomic business express that they just expect around five new atomic reactors to be working in the following eight years in view of the obstacles, which have made a large portion of their tasks to slow down. Since the start of its utilization, there has been a ton of discussion about the utilization of atomic force in the United States and this has as of late strengthened because of discuss a coming renaissance in the utilization of atomic vitality (Terzo 1). Probably the most fervently discussed issues concerning the utilization of atomic vitality have been matters concerning the open security.

Learning organization Essay Example for Free

Learning association Essay Marquardt (2002, p. 211) introduced 16 stages important to fabricate a learning association. A more critical glance at our association uncovered that there is still such a long way to go and change. Utilizing Marquardt’s similitude, our association is still in the caterpillar stage, â€Å"earthbound† and â€Å"nonlearning† (p. 235). The significant test staying with our in this status can be connected to just two things, disposition of workers and authority style. Tragically, the 16 stages proposed by Marquardt come down to these two things. Representatives have negative view about change. They are not ready to leave their usual ranges of familiarity, face challenges or focus on changing the organization. They come up short on the inspiration to instruct, improve and create themselves expertly. The old, tried method of doing things remains the standard. Be that as it may, the additionally upsetting truth is the absence of exertion from the pioneers. In view of Marquardt’s conversation, the primary exertion for change should originate from the top, from the pioneers. By and by, the administration style in the organization doesn't take into account the requirements of a learning association. The hierarchical culture doesn't engage the empoyees to communicate their imagination or investigate their possibilities. So, our association is 16 stages from change. In light of the rules, to impact change, the pioneers need to perceive their job as the specialists of progress. As per Marquardt’s book, â€Å"The initial step is for administration to invest in changing the organization into a learning organization† (p. 210). Before that could occur, pioneers should above all else need to perceive the need to change our caterpillar approaches to that of a butterfly. This progression relates to the making of an authoritative vision. The organization needs a progressively powerful, fascinating, rousing vision to keep the two chiefs and workers invigorated into changing and improving the organization just as making a domain for continious learning.

In Memoriam Professor Silbey

In Memoriam Professor Silbey Last Thursday, Bob Silbey, a professor in Course 5 (Chemistry) and former MIT Dean of the School of Science, passed away after battling cancer. My interaction with Prof. Silbey was in Spring 2010, when I took 20.111 (Thermodynamics of Biomolecular Systems), so we werent exactly best buddies. In fact, I think the one time we actually had vocal interaction was when I finally worked up the nerves to ask a question in his class, only to confirm that there is such a thing as a stupid question (the answer was right there on the lecture handout). That being said, he was and is one of my favorite professors Ive had at MIT. He managed to take something that I found inherently boring and not only make hourly lectures of it bearable, but interesting, dare I say fun The man was such a great lecturer that he was one of two people ON THIS PLANET (or at least, in my book) that could get away with using Comic Sans (the other being Prof. Bawendi, who co-taught the class). One of my favorite memories of Prof. Silbey happened during his lecture on Valentines day one of the a cappella groups on campus delivers singing-grams on Valentines day, and as a member of the Logs ran into our lecture hall in the middle of class screaming, We come delivering a message of love!, Prof. Silbey let out a huge, surprised yawp before proceeding to lay on the desk in front of the blackboard to comfortably enjoy the Logs as they serenaded a girl in the class. Now I realize my view may be a little biased, but I did a little researching and found out that Im not the only person who admired Bob Silbey and recognized that he was a great guy. Not only was he a fellow of the National Academy of Sciences and regarded as one of the leaders in theroretical physical chemistry, he also won just about every teaching award that MIT gives (including the Baker Award for Undergraduate Teaching, the nomination and selection of which is determined entirely by undergrads). At any school, teaching is a difficult profession. Youll get people who teach well but whose research doesnt live up to their lectures. Or much worse, youll get people who have pioneered a field, have won a Nobel, and may literally be the smartest person on earth, but cant speak coherently for 50 minutes. Professor Silbey was not any of these people. Any time I feel inclined to gripe about the amount of work I have to do, I remember the opportunities Ive had to learn from people like him at MIT.  I consider myself very lucky to be in the company of the  Bob Silbeys here. He wasnt my mentor, adviser, friend or relative, though it seems as though he was a great one to many other people. To me, he was simply a great teacher, in every sense of the word. He was also extremely dedicated he did things like work on a study of the status of women faculty in science at MIT in the early 90s, which was one of the first to bring up the gender discrimination in academia. He was a department head, a dean, and on top of that, Id often see him in the audience at our MITSO concerts. Professor Silbey, I didnt know you well, but in the semester that you taught one of my classes, I learned this much you loved your job and you loved sharing your love of science with your students. I learned a lot about thermodynamics, too. (And not only that the second law is hard to teach, as you said, but also kind of hard to understand) At that time, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life but I at least knew that I wanted to be doing something someday with the same amount of joy that you had in teaching us. Perhaps I this is a grossly-simplified view of you, perhaps I have no grasp on any of the politics you dealt with (or how you really felt about) being a professor, researcher or dean. But I knew you well enough to be thankful to have had a teacher like you that made me excited to be at MIT, to learn. For that, I am eternally grateful.

Timeline of Augustus

24 Famous Quotes About Beauty

When you see a vibrant flower or a peacock majestically strutting his colorful plumes, revere the beauty of nature. Beauty is everywhere. Appreciate the beauty around you while beauty is still in its prime. Here are some famous quotes on beauty to inspire you to admire the beauty around you. Famous Quotes on Beauty Joseph Addison: There is nothing that makes its way more directly to the soul than beauty. Leo Tolstoy: It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness. Carol Botwin: Pick a man for his human qualities, his values, his compatibility with you, rather than what he represents in status, power, or good looks. Edmund Burke: Beauty in distress is much the most affecting beauty. Jean Kerr: Im tired of all the nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. Thats deep enough. What do you want—an adorable pancreas? Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: The soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone. John Keats: Beauty is truth, truth beauty. ï » ¿John Kenneth Galbraith: There is certainly no absolute standard of beauty. That precisely is what makes its pursuit so interesting. Alexander Pope: Fair tresses mans imperial race ensnare/And beauty draws us with a single hair. Henry David Thoreau: The perception of beauty is a moral test. Oscar Wilde: No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly. Saint Augustine: Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul. Friedrich Nietzsche: Womens modesty generally increases with their beauty. Anne Roiphe: A woman whose smile is open and whose expression is glad has a kind of beauty no matter what she wears. Kahlil Gibran: Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. Ralph Waldo Emerson: Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is Gods handwriting. Ernest Hemingway: The echoes of beauty youve seen transpire, Resound through dying coals of a campfire. D. H. Lawrence: Beauty is an experience, nothing else. It is not a fixed pattern or an arrangement of features. It is something felt, a glow, or a communicated sense of fineness. Hellen Keller: The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart. Voltaire: Beauty pleases the eyes only; sweetness of disposition charms the soul. Alexis Carrel: The love of beauty in its multiple forms is the noblest gift of the human cerebrum. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus: Whatever is in any way beautiful hath its source of beauty in itself, and is complete in itself; praise forms no part of it. So it is none the worse nor the better for being praised. Louisa May Alcott: Love is a great beautifier. Lord Byron: She walks in beauty like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all thats best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes: Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

Zebra Paradise Free Essays

Zebra Paradise Think of your favorite place to be in your house. Where and why is it your favorite? The place I like to spend the most time in is my bedroom. It is where I go to study, watch television, and sleep. We will write a custom essay sample on Zebra Paradise or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is my favorite room because of the cozy atmosphere that I feel every time I step foot through the door. Not only is it a place to relax, but it is so much more. My room is a part of my personality, but most importantly, the place I grew up. In this descriptive essay, I will describe the basic things in my room, such as the color of my walls, bed, nightstand, dresser, and fan. I will depict the details of my closet and a few items that occupy the inside of it and tell about my television, my window, and everything surrounding them. When someone first steps foot into my room, he/she is usually captured by my bright colored walls. They are as pink as cotton candy, while only one wall is a shade darker than the other three. The door of my room is super white with a grey doorknob, which my sister claims to have â€Å"accidentally† broken the lock to. My queen size bed is located about four feet from my door, and it takes up most of the area. The frame is made out of black metal. My comforter accents my bed with black, white, and hot pink stripes. Two of my favorite animal prints are patterns that resemble a zebra and a leopard, which happens to be the design of my bedspread. I have silky, black sheets and a total of six pillows. They are soft and fluffy and never fail to provide me with a good night’s sleep. Right beside my bed, there is a black nightstand with a few of my belongings sitting on top of it, such as my pink alarm clock, a clear lamp, and my black remote. A white fan hangs from my ceiling that adds a very clean and sophisticated look to my room. My garbage can sits beside the door to the left, patiently waiting to collect trash. It is small, black, and filled with countless water bottles. Near my garbage can is my silver dresser where I keep my never-ending collection of shorts and T-shirts. The top of my dresser is cluttered with certain nicknacks that I use throughout the day, such as my wallet, perfume, fingernail polish, a jewelry box, picture frames, and sunglasses. I have three separate outlets scattered throughout my room. There is one beside my dresser, under my window, and behind my bed, which are all cream colored. The wooden floor right beneath my dresser is where I keep my preferred shoes. Paired side by side are my Sperries, neon yellow Nike’s, pink Shox, and my white cheerleading shoes. The focal point on the next wall is a double white closet. My Vera Bradley lanyard hangs from one knob, and on the other knob is a rosary. A red medal that I recently won for placing second at a powerlifting meet hangs next to it. Directly in front of my closet lies a stylish zebra rug which compliments my bedspread. My closet is not walk-in, so if someone were to open it, he/she would notice my winter clothes and school uniforms organized at the top. My casual and dressy clothing hang on the bottom rack. On the floor beneath my clothes is where my shoes are kept. I attempt to stand them upward on a shoe rack, but most of them do not fit. I own boots, heels, wedges, sandals, tennis shoes, slippers, and flip-flops. The other half of my closet is crowded with jackets, swimwear, photo albums, blankets, and other useless junk that I continue to hoard for no reason. In the corner of another wall sits a black 32† Samsung television, housed on top of a wooden rolling cart that belonged to my grandfather. In the inside compartment of the rolling cart is a pack of index cards, an extra iPhone charger, and an iHome speaker. Behind my television is an enormous sketch pad and a poster that I drew for cheerleading camp during the summer of 2012. It reads, â€Å"Geaux Mustangs† with a red and black megaphone. My window is located on the same wall as my television. It is a single window with white blinds and a valence that identically matches my bedspread. If someone were to peer out of my window, he/she would immediately notice my dad’s gigantic offshore fishing boat. It is easy to hear rain falling at night or birds chirping in the morning because of the window. One would also view two conjoined cages outside where my sister and I keep our pet rabbits. I hope it is now possible to vividly visualize every inch of my room. The nickname of it is â€Å"zebra paradise† because I am obsessed with that type of animal print. Nearly all of my belongings are black and pink with zebra print. It does not matter what my room looks like because the memories that were captured inside of it will last a lifetime. My room is special to me because it is my own personal escape, or paradise. It is very important for everyone to have a place they feel comfortable and safe in. I would not trade in my room for the world. How to cite Zebra Paradise, Essay examples

Stakeholder conflict and strateigic planning for tesco free essay sample

I am writing this report to talk about the purpose, objectives and responsibilities of organisations. I will also talk about the environment in which organisations operate, the stakeholders of the organisation, their needs and how the organisation deals with their conflicting needs. I will be explaining the importance of corporate strategy, strategic planning and strategic and tactical decision making within organisations, I will look at how they are made, and the purpose behind them. Discussion†¦ Every business has a purpose for which it exists, some purposes are common to most or all companies, such as making profit, and many purposes can be unique to its specific organisation. The purpose of the business can be found outlined in the organisation’s mission statement which is: â€Å"A sentence describing a companys function, markets and competitive advantages; a short written statement of your business goals and philosophies. † (Entrepreneur, 2014) It can also be found in their vision statement which focuses on the potential inherent in the companys future, or what they intend to be. And the values of the organisation can also help outline their purpose. Also all companies have a clear set of aims and objectives that are designed to reach their goals and fulfill their purpose. All of these help communicate the purpose and the views of the business to its employees to provide some motivation (if they agree with these values and views) and also to their stakeholders. This is important because it can gain the loyalty or support of those stakeholders if they feel that they can relate to the company’s purpose and values. Different types of organisations have different purposes. One of the largest factors that can have an effect on the purpose of a business is its legal structure and type, for example it can be a private limited company (Ltd. ), or a public limited company (Plc. ). Their main purpose is always to make a profit. However, they should also have other purposes such as providing a good service or product to their target market, or helping their surrounding community in some way. Other organisations such as government organisation, although they still need to make money to survive, their main priority or purpose is to provide a service to the public. The same goes to most charitable organisations and many voluntary organisations. The company I have chosen to focus on in my report is Tesco Plc. Tesco is a Public limited company which means that it sells its shares to the public on the stock market. Tesco operates in both the secondary and tertiary sectors as it has its own brand of food and other things that are sold in their super markets, which they manufacture and process themselves, which fits in the secondary sector. They also deliver and sell goods to customers and provide them with services such as insurance and home deliveries, which classes as the tertiary sector. According to their customer service website, their core purpose is to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. This is also their mission statement, they achieve this through their taught values; No-one tries harder for customers, and Treat people how we like to be treated. Naturally there is an underlying aim of making profit, but it is clear that customer service is a clear priority at the top level of the company. Tesco also has clear aims and objectives. An aim is a long term goal for an organisation, e. g. To ensure customer satisfaction or to become the market leader in their industry. An objective is a medium term target that acts as a stepping stone to achieve the long term aims of the organisation. Organisations set aims and objectives for a number of reasons; to provide direction and a purpose for the organisation, to form a basis for allocating resources, to be motivational, to monitor performance and to measure success. For those objectives to be effective they need to be SMART, this stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant/Realistic and Time-based. Objectives are set depending on the overall aims of the organisation, an analysis of the business performance (e. g. a SWOT analysis), and on the ownership of the business – the public sector businesses’ objectives are likely to focus on providing a service, whereas a business in the private sector is likely to set objectives focusing on profit and growth. A few objectives set by Tesco are: Reduce by 50% the amount of CO2e used in our distribution network to deliver a case of goods by 2012, against a baseline of 2006. Raise â‚ ¬1,250,000 for Make-A-Wish Ireland in 2008 Increase the number of eligible own-brand lines with nutritional or front-of-pack GDA labelling to 80% of the total number of eligible brands, building on the achievement of 100% GDA labelling in Ireland for eligible own-brand products. Tesco’s main aims and objectives are mainly; to maximize sales, to grow and to maintain the status of being the number one retail company in the United Kingdom, to outshine and be better than their competitors and to remain the position of being the market leader, to maximize their profits and to also provide goods and services that are cheap and affordable to customers or the public. For Tesco to be able to achieve those aims and objectives, they need to identify and understand their stakeholders well, and understand what their needs and expectations from Tesco are as customers of their organisation. Tesco has a large number of stakeholders, the obvious ones being their employees, customers and shareholders. However there are also their suppliers, debtors, financial institutions (banks, mortgage lenders etc. ), environmental groups (e. g.green peace), government agencies and trade unions. Tesco has a good stakeholder engagement policy that fits into their corporate responsibility management. For example, they understand that their customer group of stakeholders expect things such as having a good shopping trip, a good neighbor, for Tesco to operate fairly and honestly and to provide a choice of products, including sustainable, healthy and affordable options. Tesco meets their needs by making their stores and staff a friendly environment,  by not overcharging their customers for their products. Tesco also organizes meetings called Customer Question Time (CQT) that gives their customers a chance to ask or raise any issues that may concern them, this helps Tesco understand their customers better and enables them to continuously improve their services to them. Another group of stakeholders for Tesco is their employees, who also have many expectations of the company as their employer. They expect to be paid fair wages, to have fair terms and conditions, to have an interesting and engaging job, to receive guidance from their managers and leaders when needed, to be treated respectfully, to have a safe and healthy working environment and to have opportunities to progress in their careers. Tesco meets these needs by paying fair wages and adding bonuses and pay rises to employees annually, they have routine health and safety checks, they give their staff the training they need and are always giving opportunities for self and career development. Tesco has all their employees participate in an anonymous Viewpoint survey every year to try to improve themselves as an employer and meet their employees need to a higher extent. The shareholders of Tesco are another important stakeholder group that Tesco needs to meet the needs of. Shareholders expect that Tesco be highly profitable and offer them good returns, they expect the company to be honest with them and to keep them well informed of the business’s activities. Tesco tries to meet their needs to the most of their power by being honest with them and giving them their dividends fairly and in time. They also keep them well informed by sending regular emails with information about Tesco’s recent activities and latest plans. They also give their shareholders a degree of control over the business by allowing them to vote each year on which members of the board they think should stay, based on their judgment of whether or not they are doing their job competently. Another very powerful stakeholder of Tesco is the government. They expect Tesco to be legally compliant, stable, offer family-friendly opportunities, good quality training for its staff and timely payment of all taxes. It is extremely important that Tesco meets the needs of the government and keeps it satisfied, because the government has the power to shut Tesco down or at least make practicing their business extremely difficult. Tesco does pay its taxes timely and complies with the law. It offers equal opportunities for women, men, different ethnicities and races and for the disabled. It also offers sufficient training for its staff to enable them to carry out their jobs efficiently and safely. Different stakeholder groups have different needs and interests in the business, and in many cases there can be a conflict of interest, this is called stakeholder conflict. An example of this is that the customers of Tesco expect it to be easily accessible to them without them having to travel too much, this means that Tesco needs to have many branches of its store. This would also be in the interest of the shareholders of Tesco, because the more branches Tesco opens, the more customers can reach them which means they will likely be making more profit, which will be reflected in the dividends of the shareholders. However, this can be a concern to many communities who may worry about Tesco causing more pollution and waste to their environment, another issue that often arises is that it can affect local businesses by taking away their customers. Also, if Tesco were planning to build a large supermarket, the process of building can take a lot of time and can cause much noise and disruption. Tesco needs to address all of those issues and try to keep all of those stakeholders happy. To do this they need to decide which stakeholders are their priority and whose needs are more important to fulfill, but still keep the others satisfied as much as they can. I would advise them to use the Stakeholder Quadrant (aka the power interest matrix). This is a tool that allows them to categorize their stakeholder groups into four sections; the ‘meet their needs’ section, stakeholders who fall into this category have a high influence or power over the business but have a low level of interest. Tesco needs to keep these stakeholders well informed in their areas of interest, and engage and consult them on those areas. The government usually falls into this category of stakeholders. Tesco should also try to increase their interest in the business, because a stakeholder who has power can be useful or helpful to the business if they had an interest in the success of that business. This brings me on to the next section; the ‘key players’. These stakeholders have a high level of power in the business but also a high level of interest. It is crucial to the success of the business to properly address, or have good awareness of the needs of these stakeholders, because they have the power to make the business a success or a failure depending on how happy you keep them. Customers, shareholders and employees fall into this category. Tesco needs to regularly engage and consult these stakeholders and involve them in governance or decision making bodies in the organisation, e. g. allowing the shareholders to vote on the board of directors. The next section is the ‘show consideration’ group. Those are the stakeholders who have a high interest but low power or influence over the business. Tesco needs to make use of these stakeholder’s interest and keep them involved through low risk activities. They should also keep them informed and consult them in their areas of interest because they can act as a goodwill ambassador or a potential supporter. The local community usually falls under this section. The final section is the ‘least important’ category of stakeholders, and these are the people who have no power, influence or interest in the business. Tesco needs to put minimum efforts into these stakeholders, they may or may not keep them informed through general newsletters or emails. However it may be useful to Tesco to try and shift them into the ‘show consideration’ category by gaining their interest in their business. Businesses who operate in a different industry or in far locations of Tesco, who are not affected by Tesco may fall into this category. Referring back to the stakeholder conflict issue that I have mentioned above, it is clear from the Tesco Stakeholder Quadrant (appendix 1) that the stakeholders that hold the priority in that particular scenario are the customers and the shareholders because they fall into the ‘key players’ category of the quadrant, whereas the local community and environmental groups fall into the ‘show consideration’ section. This shows me that it is more important to address the needs of the customers and shareholders because they have a greater influence on the organisation. However, because it is still important to consider the needs of the other stakeholders, Tesco can try to satisfy all parties by building their store, making their customers happy and also make more profits, which as well as satisfying their shareholders, will also help the organisation achieve their aims and objectives of maximizing their sales and making more profit, staying the market leader etc. And to satisfy the local community they can communicate to them that they will be offering more jobs in that area and they can also promise to help or support local businesses by signing on with local suppliers. To satisfy the environmental groups Tesco is attempting to minimize their carbon footprint and many of their product use only recyclable packaging. Tesco promotes Environmental awareness and being green. I believe that this kind of approach can keep nearly all of the stakeholders of Tesco satisfied, simply knowing that their needs and expectations are being considered, even through small gestures. This is simply one example of how Tesco deals with stakeholder conflict, but there are many other conflicts that Tesco deals with similarly. Every organisation has responsibilities that it needs to take on. Responsibilities towards their employees, their customers, the local communities, the government and the environment. These are called corporate responsibility. Tesco has a corporate strategy in place that aids them towards fulfilling those responsibilities. Their corporate strategy is shown in a diagram (appendix 2) that shows the goals that they would like to achieve. A strategy is made to clarify the direction and scope of an organisation, it helps that organisation use its resources efficiently n a changing business environment, to aid the organisation in meeting the market’s needs and fulfilling their stakeholders’ expectations. A clear strategy helps the stakeholders understand the purpose of the company, and what the company is aiming to become. I believe that the corporate strategy wheel that tesco has come up with is very useful in communicating what they want to be to their stakeholders and what they want to give them, for example they have included the community in their wheel, and one of their aims is to become a good neighbor. They have included their people (employees) in the wheel and stated that they want to give them an opportunity to advance in their careers. This not only communicates what they want to do, but it also helps motivate their stakeholders to support them. There are many aspects that need to be considered when making a strategy, such as what you want to achieve through this strategy. A strategy should be based on the aims and objectives that are specified by the business. You should consider how you wish to communicate this strategy to your stakeholders. A corporate strategy is formed of the company’s mission statement, vision statement, aims and objectives, strategic plans, statement of values and their social responsibility policies, all of which aid in communicating to the stakeholders what the company is about, what it stands for and what it aims to achieve. An example of this is the corporate strategy wheel for Tesco that is included in the appendices. The corporate strategy is then broken down into the business strategy. This involves smaller, more specific strategies on how the business can allocate its resources to achieve the aims and objectives. A business strategy is more about consumer/market dynamics, core technology dynamics, competitor activity and financial constraints. Different types of business strategies include competitive advantage, cost advantage, market dominance, new product development, contraction/diversification, price leadership and many others. An example of a business strategy for Tesco can be a decision to become an international retailer. The business strategy can then be broken down again into functional strategies. These are the simplest form of strategies and they exist within different departments or functions of the business, they are meant to contribute to the strategic objectives. These strategies revolve around the skills of the staff in that function, and the recent performance of the function. An example of a functional strategy can be the IT department in Tesco introducing a new technology to be used and training the employees on how to use them. Tesco has a responsibility towards its employees to be a fair employer, to treat them without discrimination, to allow them equal chances to progress in their careers, to treat them respectfully and to provide help when they need it. Tesco also has a responsibility towards its customers to give them a pleasant shopping trip, clean isles, helpful staff and a safe place to shop. Tesco’s responsibilities don’t stop here, they also have ethical and legal responsibilities. For example the company must understand and adhere to the consumer legislations, employee legislation, equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory legislation, environmental legislation and health and safety legislation. The ethical responsibilities of Tesco include taking care of the environment that they operate within, ensuring that all of their trading operations are fair trade, being aware of and trying to reduce global warming, and charter compliance to ensure that they give back into the economy. Tesco’s seven part strategy (appendix 3) shows how they plan to fulfill those responsibilities. Conclusion†¦ In conclusion, I believe that having a clear vision and mission is key to Tesco’s success. By effectively communicating their values and their aims, they encourage the support of their stakeholders, including their employees, customers and investors. They deal with stakeholder conflict effectively, so that in the end everyone’s views and concerns are taken into account and that Tesco still comes out of the conflict winning something whilst making their stakeholders happy. Tesco devises the correct strategies and plans to ensure that it meets its goals, and they gain the loyalty of their people to ensure their commitment to their cause. At the heart of all Tesco does is a commitment to being a responsible retailer. This is demonstrated through its focus on its ‘Three Big Ambitions’ and ‘The Essentials’ to show how it is using its scale for good. Every decision taken considers these areas to ensure customers, communities, suppliers and staff are treated fairly and with respect. Tesco’s values underpin all that Tesco does and, in turn, keeps customers satisfied with their shopping experience and loyal to the brand

Adelphia Scandal free essay sample

Adelphia was founded in 1952 by John Rigas and his brother Gus Rigas in Coudersport, Pennsylvania with the purchase of their first cable franchise for $300. After 20 years, the Rigas brothers incorporated their company under the name Adelphia which derived its name from a Greek word which means brothers, an apt corporate title for a business that would employ generations of the Rigas family. Adelphia was a cable television company and built its success on a strong commitment to customer care; and because of this commitment, a glorious growth spree would follow. By 1998, Adelphia passed the two million-customer milestone and served approximately 5.6 million cable television customers nationwide. The company made significant strides in product development and the implementation of fiber optic technology and expanded their home and business offerings to include digital cable, local and long distance telephone services, messaging, enhanced data, high-speed Internet and video services . John Rigas managed Adelphia from its corporate headquarters in Coudersport, PA. We will write a custom essay sample on Adelphia Scandal or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page His brother Gus sold his interest in Adelphia in 1983. And after some time, Johns sons Michael, Timothy and James, serve as executive vice presidents, directors and principal stockholders. John built Adelphia on a strong commitment to family, community, quality service and customer care which became the core values and culture of the company. The Evolution of Adelphia In August of 1986, Adelphia Communications went public. Its first three years were focused on generating revenue by increasing its customer base through mergers and acquisitions. Although the companys profitability had suffered as a result of the ambitious expansion, its revenue-generating capabilities had not. From the $30 million generated in sales during its first year, annual sales shot up to $131 million in 1988. Adelphia continued to make its presence known by making several important acquisitions of other cable systems such as the Suburban Buffalo System from Comax Telcom Corp., the South Dade System from Americable Associates, Ltd., New Castle System from Cablentertainment, Inc., and Jones Intercable which was the third largest cable system operator in New York during that time. Moreover, Adelphia entered into a partnership with unaffiliated parties to form Olympus Communications in southeast Florida which became a powerful money-making business as it served roughly 250,000 subscribers in West Palm Beach area. Adelphia was performing admirably and continued to expand by making other acquisitions and consolidation maneuvers through 1999 and 2000, bringing its subscriber base up to an impressive 5.5 million. Though the company was heavily indebted after the succession of major purchases of other cable companies, equipment, and infrastructures, analysts were looking favorably on Adelphia as late as January 2002, noting that the company was well positioned for acquisition or merger with another major cable company. The Discovery of the Fraud Oren Cohen, a high-yield-bond analyst for Merrill Lynch had followed Adelphia for a decade and thought there was something about the familys spending that didnt add up. Hed noticed that the Rigases were buying their own stock aggressively, but he couldnt figure out how they were paying for it. They didnt appear to have the cash themselves. John Rigas made $1.4 million in 2000. Michael, Tim, and James each took home $237,000. The Rigases didnt have any sources of income outside Adelphia. They never sold their stock, and it didnt pay a dividend. Cohen was pretty sure their private cable systems werent throwing off cash. But every time Cohen tried to get an explanation, Adelphia rebuffed him. On March 27, 2002, however, Adelphia officials disclosed $2.3 billion in previously unrecorded debt incurred through co-borrowings between Adelphia and other Rigas family entities under the umbrella of the familys private trust, Highland Holdings. Under these loan agreements, the Rigas entities were responsible for repaying the debt, but if they were unable to do so, Adelphia would be liable. Cohen was astounded to see the footnote disclosure and pressed Tim Rigas for details at the end of a conference call that day. Things in Coudersport quickly spun out of control as shareholders asked for clarity and transparency. The revelations and the investigation that followed sent the company spiraling deeper and deeper into a scandal that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) eventually called, one of the most extensive financial frauds ever to take place at a public company . The stock continued to fall and on May 15, 2002 John Rigas resigned as chairman and CEO.

Impearlism essays

Impearlism essays Prior to the arrival of the United States in China, most of the Chinese populations were farmers who farmed rice fields in the countryside. Production was good, children respected their elders, and the Chinese culture was maintained. But as the century passed, their native society was either destroyed or replaced. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the United States pursued an aggressive policy of expansionism, extending its political and economic influence around the globe. The U.S attempted to gain influence in China, but were not entirely successful. The purpose of this paper is to inform about imperialism and how the United States took correct action in becoming an imperialistic nation. During the actual century of Western Imperialism, the Chinese economy was crushed; but when the wars were over, a new and better economy had formed. The wars China fought with foreign countries were costly and left the Chinese government in dept, especially since nearly all the wars and battles, including the Boxer Rebellion, fought were defeats for the Chinese. Following each defeat, China was forced to sign an agreement, such as the Peace of Peking following the Boxer Rebellion, which usually led to the Chinese paying large sums of money to foreign countries, or China being cheated in trades. But as tension and conflicts diminished, the U.S style economy was brought to China, which was generally quite successful. China was introduced to a better banking system, an export market, trade with the rest of the world, and new innovations that allowed better production of crops and other things. So in spite of the economic disaster during the 19th century, Imperialism actually significan tly improved the Chinese economy. The social ideas and religious practices of the Chinese were replaced with Christianity, brought by the U.S. But despite these loses, we also did a favor or two for China. We introduced unseen innovations to the...

Event at Herrington country park ( Sunderland , uk ) Essay

Event at Herrington country park ( Sunderland , uk ) - Essay Example In addition, the park provides a good space for children entertainment as well as an ample space for open air concerts for most parts of the North East of Sunderland (Hoyle, 2002). Based on the possibility of the Herrington Country Park to host a myriad of events, this paper is going to propose and explore the possibilities of the park to host other new events. On this basis, the paper is going to present wedding events as a new type of events that should be hosted by Herrington Country Park. Weddings are the most cherished events by many people around the world. Wedding events always need to be conducted in pristine as well as serene environments (Jones, 2008). They always need to be conducted in places that have aesthetic values as well as beautiful environmental backgrounds. Wedding events always need places with cool atmospheres, spaciousness and lots of natural freshness. In this regard, it is always critical to conduct wedding events in such places where recreation activities are available. Herrington Country Park offers the best environment that meets all the above descriptions for a wedding event. However, it is critical to note that there are several issues that may present big challenges towards staging the wedding events in such an environment (Hoyle, 2002). One of the difficulties in staging such events is inadequacy of finances. This may limit a number of operations in the planning and management of the event. In addition, site zoning problems may also affec t the successful staging of the wedding events in the park. This may be a problem if an experienced and well trained personnel in event management was neither consulted nor hired. This may present staging challenges. However, it is critical to note that Herrington Country Park is an ideal place to hold wedding events. For the success of the park to hold wedding evens, there are several ways that people can be informed. The wedding events in the Herrington

XBUS San Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

XBUS San - Assignment Example A shared factor is lowly working settings. This is more prevalent in factories where the employer places a major emphasis on getting a product and hardly cares for how his employees needs. Their working conditions are more often than not despicable and therefore a conflict between the two cannot be averted. Poor communication between the employer and employee is also a common source of misunderstanding between an employer and employee. In most cases, the way a person communicates is actually the source of conflict. Many would believe that a certain message has been passed across when it is the inverse. This could be due to a person’s way of expressing themselves, where one is comfortable and the other struggles to express their ideas. This is a major pointer that leads to conflict in the work place. Increased workload albeit is a major source of conflict. This is mostly by the employers where they fail to respect the agreement that the employees have signed. More workload without an increase in the amount of money one is paid definitely leads to a misunderstanding. It is only rational that a person is paid for what they have signed up for, and that the employees respect the initial terms that their employees had signed against. This makes one avoid petty issues and conflict that could have otherwise been avoided. The law has come a long way in trying to tame the current otherwise hostile working environment. With the inclusion of laws such as the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex and national origin. This has helped to level the playing ground and reduce the level of prejudice between an employer and employee. The U.S Code 158 also states the rights, dos and don’ts in relation to labor practices by an employer. This code helps to ensure that the employees are well protected and that their lives are in no way at a risk at

Analysis of Bacteria Strains: Phonotypical Tests

Analysis of Bacteria Strains: Phonotypical Tests Kunthavai Jeevananthan Bacterial Identification Aims: To analyse and identify 10 different strains of bacteria by conducting 19 different tests phonotypical tests. Bacteria also known as eubacteria are microorganisms that are invisible to the naked eye but exist in virtually all environments in the world. Bacteria are classified as part of the Monera kingdom which includes archaebacteria and cyanobacteria. Most bacteria are pathogenic or disease causing however not all bacteria are harmful as there are a number of bacteria that can be found in the human body that have positive benefit to their hosts such as help digest food, secrete hormones, chemicals and vitamins required in cell metabolism and even fight off other harmful bacteria. Bacteria exist in various rod, spiral and spherical shapes and are more numerous than any other living organisms. It is important to be able to identify microorganisms in medical clinic in order to help selection of antibodies. Some pharmaceutical products are also made using bacteria therefore many unknown and unidentified bacteria may be useful in the clinical industries. The taxonomy or a particular bacterial c haracteristic can be used to identify similarities that show relationships with disease related descriptions (Janda and Abbott, 2002). Various laboratory tests have been developed that are based on the type of nutrients a bacterium can grow on, the kind of toxins or waste products they produce or how much variation in growth temperature they can tolerate and their morphology can be used to distinguish closely related strains of bacteria. Rapid test kits have also been developed to identify bacteria in the Enterobacteriaceae genera and other gram negative bacteria. Phonotypical approaches of identifying bacteria does not always provide sufficient information to set taxonomic boundaries between different species the repetition of some phenotypic characteristics make it difficult to separate them. Genotyping is however is more precise when it comes to differentiating bacteria within species that lead to the development of DNA hybridisation. This is a technique used measure the similarities in sequences between the DNA of an isolate and a known bacteria. Before conducting a phonotypical bacterial identification it is important to have a pure culture of the bacteria that needs to be identified so that all components of the cells have grown from a single cell and they are clones of one another also known as Holy Grail (Barrow and Feltham, 1993). The bacterial colonies formed for different types of bacteria have different cultural characteristics on agar plates known as colony morphology these include pigments, size edge, pattern, opacity and shine t herefore macroscopically examining the colonies of bacterial cultures is one of the first important tests in bacterial identification. There may be drawbacks in this technique as the visual interpretation can differ from person to person therefore it might not produce reliable results and also mutations in the bacteria strains occur all the time that may provide slightly different characteristics than normal making difficult or incorrect identification. A number of staining methods can be used to examine the cultures under a microscope such as negative staining which stains the background and leaves the cells clear so that the shape of the bacterial cells, presence of glistening capsule and presence of a diffusive extracellular substance (EPS) around the cell and the arrangement of cells can be determined. Differential staining is a test that divides bacteria into two large groups either gram negative or gram positive. Pink- red staining indicates gram negative bacteria and a blue purple staining shows gram positive bacteria cells. Unevenly stained clear surfaces can be formed on the surface of the bacterial cells during gram staining due to the presence of endospores that can be confirmed using spore stain. Acid fast staining is also used if cells appear long, slender and intertwined in order to confirm the presence of acid fast cells which are bacteria in the genera Mycobacteria and Nocardia that are resistant to gram staining. Oxidase, catalase and the ability of the culture to grow in anaerobic conditions are three tests that are conducted during the first steps of identification. Catalase test is to dip an inoculating needle coated with culture into a droplet of hydrogen peroxide and if the bacteria possesses a catalase enzyme it will breakdown the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen that effervesce to form foam. Catalase positive bacteria are usually aerobic while catalase negative bacteria are anaerobic. Cytochrome oxidase is another enzyme found normally in the electron transport chains of an aerobic bacteria and this is tested by adding an artificial substrate such as para amino dimethylaniline that will produce a dark red to black product when oxidised (Cullimore, 2000). Alongside these test the cultures can be tested on their abilities to grow under anaerobic conditions which can further divide them into 4 major groups; strictly aerobic, reduced concentrations of oxygen, both aerobic and anaero bic and strictly anaerobic bacteria. Urease synthesis, gelatin hydrolysis and citrate utilisation are tests that can be conducted to narrowly distinguish bacteria further to help identify their genera. Urease is produced the bacterial genera proteus, providentia and morgenella to break down urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia therefore it is a useful test to help distinguish these genera from other gram negative rods during identification. Urease test is carried out by incubating urea broth with samples of gram negative cultures. The presence of ammonia increases the pH hence turning the phenol red indicator to a pink-purple colour for a positive test (Harvey and Champe et al, 2001). The gelatin hydrolysis test identifies the ability of bacteria to produce gelatinases which can help identification of serratia and proteus. The citrate utilisation tests the ability of the bacteria to utilise citrate as its carbon and energy source used mostly to identify gram negative bacteria. Indole, methyl red- Voges- protease test and fermentation of glucose, sucrose and lactose are also test that are conducted to help assist with identification of bacteria. Indole test is preformed to test the ability of bacteria to breakdown amino acid tryptophan and produce indole that can be detected using Kovac’s reagent. This method is important in the identification of gram negative enterobacteria. Methyl red-Voges- Proskauer on the other hand are two tests that are conducted together as they both require the use of the same medium. The methyl red test identifies the ability of the bacteria to carry out mixed acid fermentations whereas the VP test determines whether the bacteria fermenting sugars via the butanediol pathway by testing for the by-product acetoin. These tests are also useful in differentiating between members of the enterobacteria such as E. coli (Wong, 2005). The ability of bacteria to ferment carbohydrates is also a way to discriminate them during identific ation as fewer bacteria are able to use disaccharides like lactose and sucrose as a source of energy. This can be detected by checking for release of gaseous by products and metabolic chemicals that are released during the process of oxidation and fermentation of sugars. These tests described in the context above were carried out under standard conditions and results were recorded. Results Table 1: shows test results for Colony Morphology for 10 unknown bacterial cultures A to J. Table 2: shows test results for 18 different bacterial identification tests for unknown cultures A to J. Urease, indole, citrate, oxidase, methyl red and Voges-Proskauer test were only carried out for gram negative strains of bacteria and the endospores were only tested for gram positive bacteria. Microphotographs showing cell morphologies and gram (+/-) strains for cultures C, D and F are shown in the appendix. For culture C it can be seen that the cells are arranged in â€Å"grape like† structures whereas C is arranged in packets of four. It can also be seen that culture F it can be seen that the cells were single and in chains. Discussion Organism A and B are both gram positive rods that gave positive results for anaerobic, catalase and endospores test however they can both be differentiated as organism B is brown in colour and a glucose fermenter whereas organism A is orange in colour and a non-glucose fermenter. Organism B was in a cooked meat liquid broth which also indicates that the bacterium maybe part of the Clostridium species that have a few pathogenic bacteria that are responsible for food poisoning and tetanus. Organism A is therefore Bacillus Cereus some bacterium in this species are harmless whereas others are pathogenic that may cause foodborne illnesses such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Organism C has the morphology of pale yellow cocci clusters arranged in packets of four. It is a gram positive bacterium that also shows positive results for glucose fermentation and the catalase test show characteristics of Staphylococcus species which include pathogenic bacteria that causes skin infections, pneum onia and food poisoning. Organism C appeared in clusters that were â€Å"grape like† and is also a gram positive cocci and has a positive result for catalase however it does not ferment carbohydrates but shows positive test results for their metabolic chemical produced and hereby conveying characteristics of Micrococcus species these bacteria are very rarely disease causing and if so some may cause chronic cutaneous infections (Breed and Murray, 1957). Organism E has a white flat mycelial morphology and it is a gram positive glucose fermenter therefore it is a part of the Streptomyces genera that are known to inhibit the soil and causes the common scab in root vegetables. Organism F is a clear gram negative rod bacterium that is glucose and lactose fermenter and produces metabolic chemicals for glucose, lactose. It also produced negative results for tests urease, gelatin, oxidase, Voges-Proskauer (VP) and indole however it showed positive results for catalase, citrate and methyl red and anaerobic tests as shown in figure 2. Analysing these results organism F can be identified as Escherichia coli that consist of many different strains some of which can cause urinary tract infections, diarrhoea, anaemia and even kidney failure. Organism G is a gram negative rod that produces metabolic chemicals for all three carbohydrates glucose, lactose and sucrose however bubbles were only present for lactose and sucrose. It also shows positive results for tests urease, indole anaerobic and VP but negative results for catalase, oxidase, gelatin and methyl red. Organism G showed similar results to organism F however unlike organism F it is urease positive therefore it can be a bacterium from the Proteus genera that also contain a few pathogenic bacteria that can cause urinary tract infections, kidney stones and cystitis. Organism H is only a glucose fermenter but does not produce any metabolic chemicals. It demonstrates positive test results for urease, gelatin, citrate, anaerobic catalase and oxidase but negative for both methyl red and VP as well as indole tests. It is possible that this bacterium maybe be a part of the Pseudomonas genera with different bacterial strains that may cause respiratory tract infections, dermatitis and bone and joint infections. Organism I is also a gram negative rod and had a clear pigmentation on an agar medium that is a glucose fermenter but however it produces metabolic chemicals for glucose, lactose and sucrose. It also produces positive results when being tested for citrate, anaerobic, catalase and methyl red but not for urease, gelatin, indole, oxidase and VP this indicates that organism I could be Salmonella typhimurium a pathogenic bacteria that causes gastroenteritis that leads to diarrhoea. Organism J is another gram negative bacterium that produces no bubbles for glucose, lactose or sucrose fermentation but produces metabolic chemicals for glucose and sucrose. It is also positive for gelatin, citrate, anaerobic, catalase and VP however it is negative for urease, indole, oxidase and methyl red tests. The red pigmentation of the bacterial culture and the other tests results indicates that organism J maybe Serratia marcescens that are associated with many different types of diseases some of which in clude bacteraemia, sepsis and meningitis. In order to conduct more specific identification of these bacteria further tests can be carried out that will help to distinguish each bacterium more accurately. Other tests that can be carried out include starch hydrolysis, lipid hydrolysis, motility (SIM) deeps, beta galactosidase, nitrate, coagulase, mannitol salt, osmotic pressure and haemolysis. References Barrow, G. I., Feltham, K. A. R. (1993). Crowan and Steel’s manual for the identification of medical bacteria: classification and nomenclature. 1-6. United Kingdom: Cambridge university press. Breed, R. S., Murray, G. D. E., Smith, N. R. (1957). Bergey’s manual of determinative bacteriology. 695- 800. United States of America: Baltimore Williams and Wilkins co. Cullimore, D. R. (2000). Practical atlas for bacterial identification: initial stages of the identification of the bacterial culture. 1-7. United States of America: CRC press LLC; Harvey, R. A., Champe, P.C., Fisher, B.D. (2001). Microbiology: identification of bacteria. 24-27. United Stated of America: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Janda, J.M., Abbott, S. L. (2002). Bacterial identification for publication: when enough is enough? Journal of clinical microbiology. Vol. 40 no. 6, (1887-1891). Wong, T. (2005). Introduction to microbiology laboratory exercises for Allied Heath students: The IMViC tests. 48-50. United States of America: Author House. Appendix Culture C Culture D Culture F

Family Guide to Prescription Drugs Essay

The five rights (5 Rs) need to be followed when administering any medications: right patient, right medication, right dose, right time and the right route. Venipuncture procedure for the purpose of establishing peripheral venous access and for obtaining blood sample for laboratory tests follow the standards of practice framework. It is mandatory that health care professionals have and sustain in good status, all licenses, permits, and certificates required by law as well as follow the standards of practice imposed. (2) Explain the repercussions that could arise from violating these standards. Violating these standards will lead to adverse patient reactions to the drug administered; worst case will be death to the patient involved. Investigations regarding the medication error will result to fines/penalties, license revocations and even jail time (Sen, et al, 2005). Sadly, accidental deaths due to medication errors as a result of failure to follow these standards are not unusual cases in health care practice (Medical Mistakes 1999). (3) What are the responsibilities of a person in your health care position during a code arrest? If signs of patient’s condition/ state is worsening rapidly (i.e. increased respiratory distress and decreased oxygen saturation, call a code. The person who found the unresponsive patient should call the code right away and initiate CPR. It is important to know the status code of the patient before anything else, whether the patient has a full code, partial code or has a DNR status (Do Not Resuscitate) (Turjanica, 1998). (4) Discuss the repercussion that could arise, both for the patient and you, in regards to injection of contrast media. Intravenous injection of contrast media will be done/ administered by a qualified physician or trained radiologic nurse. An informed consent will be obtained from the patient prior to the said procedure. This consent has to be signed by the patient, the guardian or patient’s power of attorney. Severe reactions to the procedure leading to cardiopulmonary arrest/ death are beyond the health care team’s capacity. As long as there were no mistakes when the procedure was done, there will be no repercussions. Emergency apparatus and pharmaceuticals are available for any emergencies that may arise during the after the procedure.   (5) Explain the organization of the information supplied in the Physicians Desk Reference (PDR). PDR provides information regarding prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, herbal medications, health conditions, types of surgeries and even treatment options for a number of health issues. They also provide drug to drug interactions when one is taking a number of medications for different health problems.   (6) What are the benefits of physicians using PDAs in ordering prescriptions for their patients? Physicians will gain advantage when using PDRs as it will provide and supply them with the latest medication/ drug products available, concise drug information and multi-drug interaction checker. Daily news updates are also available thru these PDRs. (7) Compare the ratings of addictive drugs on the controlled drug standard. Give an example of each category. Examples of addictive drugs are nicotine, heroines and cocaine. Controlled drugs are medications taken illegally when not being prescribed by physicians. Examples of these drugs are analgesics like Tylenol with Codeine, Oxycontin and Morphine. Presently, all these controlled drugs are addictive.   Research is ongoing nowadays for the new compound ACV1 which is more powerful than Morphine but is not addictive at all (Good, 2002). (8) What are some reasons the imaging professional should chart carefully? In which ways is charting accomplished? Imaging professionals need to chart carefully and completely for legal purposes. Documentation on any health related procedures will be used in court if something happens to the patient. Reactions of patient after any procedure are also documented in patient care notes and on the occurrence form. (9) Which examinations require charting and how is this done? Any procedure pertaining to health care needs to be documented/ charted. As much as possible, the documentation needs to be clear and concise. It should also be reflecting the interventions done and the patient’s reaction/ responses to it. The type of contrast media, the amount given, the site and the time should be documented. The timing of events and the treatments/ interventions done in any emergencies during and after the procedure should be documented concisely as well. To time events, the use of one timepiece is necessary in order to establish consistencies. Reference Good, Brian (2002). Something for the pain. Men’s Health, 17.9, p 36. Medical Mistakes. (1999). KRT Interactive Hot Topics. Sen, S., Chini, E, Nunes, E & Brown, M. (2005). Complications after unintentional intra-arterial injection of drugs: risks, outcomes and management strategies. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Vol 80, 783. Turjanica, M. A. Anatomy of a code; how do you feel at the start of a code blue? Nursing, Vol 27, p34.

High School and Felicia’s Life Essay

A photo of Felicia with notes from her classmates.   The friend, Briana Torres, at 16 a year older and a grade ahead of Felicia, hugged her and walked her to sixth-period English class, the girls’ arms clasped around each other’s shoulders. On the way, Felicia cheered up enough to laugh at a joke, and make a joke of her own. But there were signs of unraveling. Late Monday night, she had posted a brief Twitter message: â€Å"I cant, im done, I give up.† After school Wednesday, Felicia walked to the Staten Island Railway station where many students board trains home. She waited impatiently for the train, and as it approached, she hurled herself backward onto the tracks. A friend grabbed her arm, but she twisted free. She was pronounced dead that evening. By the time her friends began to congregate in the hospital waiting room, posting messages on Twitter and Facebook in what would become a flurry of online speculation about her death, most had pinpointed a cause: Felicia had been bullied, they said, tormented by football players on Tottenville’s undefeated team. Some said she was teased because she had piercings and lived in foster care. Others said players had spread sexual boasts about her over the weekend, after Tottenville’s 16-8 victory over Port Richmond High School. To many friends, she appeared to weather the swirl of innuendo with her usual confidence. â€Å"She never really reached out for help; she was a really tough person,† Briana said Thursday, wearing a small tribute on her left wrist — an â€Å"RIP Felicia† inked in purple. â€Å"When I dropped her off at class, I wasn’t really worried about her.† Felicia had reported the taunts to an administrator, who arranged mediation sessions between Felicia and the boys she said were harassing her. Police are now investigating her death. Neither they nor the Education Department nor the school would comment on the bullying allegations. There was already little that was easy in Felicia’s life. Friends described her childhood as a patchwork of loss and instability: both her parents died when she was young, and she d isliked living with her aunt, said Kaitlyn Antonmarchi, 15, who said she had been Felicia’s best friend since eighth grade. At one point, Felicia ran away from her aunt’s house with an older man. After she entered the foster system, she bounced in and out of different homes, dyed her dark hair red and sprouted a cluster of piercings. With her latest foster parents, Felicia finally seemed happy and stable, Kaitlyn said. Moving to the other side of Staten Island, she started high school at Tottenville, improved her grades, let the dye wash out and eliminated most piercings. At Friday’s football game, Kaitlyn said: â€Å"She looked happy. She was laughing. It didn’t look like anything was upsetting her at all.† Bullying is common at the school, classmates said, but administrators usually acted to stop it, and it rarely reached the level that Felicia experienced. Tease Felicia, and she would come back with a quick, witty retort, said Alissa Compitello, 17, a senior. â€Å"If you tried to bully her, she’d laugh at you,† she said. â€Å"Somebody must’ve said som ething pretty bad about her for this to happen. They just wouldn’t stop.† On Wednesday, Felicia had asked Karl Geiling, 15, a sophomore at Tottenville, about how his test had gone. He saw her at the train station later. â€Å"I was way down, away from her,† he said. â€Å"All I heard was screams, and then everybody went silent.† At school on Thursday, many students wore black and purple, colors often associated with anti-bullying campaigns, and met with grief counselors. A crowd of about 500 gathered at the station in the evening, many holding candles. Someone had tied purple and black balloons to a chain-link fence overlooking the tracks, with notes and a photo fluttering alongside them. As their classmates created anti-bullying Facebook pages in Felicia’s honor Wednesday night, several football players took to Twitter to protest what they saw as the wholesale tarring of the team, which is a perennial favorite to win the Public School Athletic League championship. At least two seniors have been o ffered scholarships to play Division I college football. â€Å"None of you even no half the story so stop pointing fingers at the football team,† wrote James Munson, a safety on the team and the son of the team’s coach, Jim Munson. Another player, Richy Lam, a senior, said Thursday that many members of the team had not even known Felicia. In New York, an anti-bullying statute signed in 2010, one of numerous laws passed around the country in the wake of teenage suicides, requires schools to develop policies to deter harassment of students by other students, including education programs and disciplinary procedures. Prosecutions for student bullying are rare; perhaps the best-known case is that of Dharun Ravi, who was convicted of bias intimidation and invasion of privacy charges for using a webcam to spy on his Rutgers University roommate, Tyler Clementi, who committed suicide a few days later. Mr. Ravi was sentenced to 30 days in jail. â€Å"Bullying that violates criminal law can be prosecuted criminally, but not as bullying,† said Suzanne B. Goldberg, a law professor at Columbia Law School who directs its Center for Gender and Sexuality Law. Physical violence or threats of physical violence could be prosecuted, she said, â€Å"but what most often happens is that schools and prosecutors try to keep these situations out of criminal court which can be appropriate if the school system takes the incident seriously, punishes the offender and protects the victim.† It is not clear whether anyone will be disciplined in Felicia’s case. For some students, the school’s next challenge is Friday’s football game against the rival Curtis High School team, the last of the season, which may be pushed to Sunday. Felicia was a fan. When Kaitlyn last saw her, she said, she had been planning to cheer Tottenville this weekend. â€Å"She said, ‘Yeah, I’m going,’ † Kaitlyn said. â€Å"And I said, I’ll see you there.† Al Baker and Christopher Maag contributed reporting.

How Your Actions May Be Unintentionally Racist

In the aftermath of the presidential election of 2016, many people have experienced relationship blowouts with friends, family, romantic partners, and colleagues over accusations of racism. Many of those who voted for Donald Trump have found themselves accused of being racist, as well as sexist, misogynist, homophobic, and xenophobic. Those making the accusations feel this way because they associate these forms of discrimination with the candidate himself, on account of statements he made and behaviors he displayed throughout the campaign, and the likely outcomes of policies and practices that he supports. But many of those accused find themselves confused and angry at the accusation, and feel that exercising their right to vote for the political candidate of their choice does not make them a racist, nor any other form of oppressor. So, who is in the right? Does voting for a certain political candidate make someone a racist? Can our actions be racist even though we dont mean them to be? Lets consider these questions from a sociological standpoint  and draw on social science theory and research to answer them. Dealing With the R Word When people are accused of being a racist in todays United States they often experience this accusation as an attack on their character. Growing up, we are taught that being racist is bad. It is considered among the worst crimes ever committed on U.S. soil, in the forms of genocide of Native Americans, enslavement of Africans and their descendants, violence and segregation during the Jim Crow era, Japanese internment, and the fierce and violent resistance shown by many to integration and the 1960s movement for Civil Rights, to name just a handful of notable cases. The way that we learn this history suggests that formal, institutional racism—that enforced by law—is a thing of the past. It follows, then, that the attitudes and behaviors among the wider population that worked to enforce racism through informal means is also (mostly) a thing of the past too. We are taught that racists were bad people who lived in our history, and because of that, the problem is largely behind us. So, its understandable that when a person is accused of racism today, it seems a ghastly thing to say, and a nearly unspeakable thing to say directly to a person. This is why, since the election, as this accusation has been hurled between family members, friends, and loved ones, relationships have blown up over social media, text, and in person. In a society that prides itself in being diverse, inclusive, tolerant, and color blind, calling someone a racist is one of the worst insults that can be made. But lost in these accusations and blowups is what racism actually means in todays world, and the diversity of forms that racist actions take. What Racism Is Today Sociologists believe that racism exists when ideas and assumptions about racial categories are used to justify and reproduce a racial hierarchy that unjustly limits access to power, resources, rights, and privileges to some on the basis of race, while at the same time giving unjust amounts of those things to others. Racism also occurs when this kind of unjust social structure is produced by the failure to account for race and the force it exerts in all aspects of society, both historically and today. By this definition of racism, a belief, worldview, or an action is racist when it supports the continuance of this kind of racially imbalanced system of power and privilege. So if you want to know whether an action is racist, then the question to ask about it is: Does it help to reproduce a racial hierarchy that gives some more power, privileges, rights, and resources than others, on the basis of race? Framing the question this way means that a variety of different kinds of thoughts and actions can be defined as racist. These are hardly limited to overt forms of racism that are highlighted in our historical narrative on the problem, like physical violence, using racial slurs, and plainly discriminating against people on the basis of race. By this definition, racism today often takes much more subtle, nuanced, and even hidden forms. To test this theoretical understanding of racism, lets examine some cases in which behavior or actions might have racist consequences, even though a person doesnt identify as a racist or intend for their actions to be racist. Dressing As an Indian for Halloween People who grew up in the 1970s or 80s are very likely to have seen kids dressed as Indians (Native Americans) for Halloween, or have gone as one at some point during their childhood. The costume, which draws on stereotypical portrayals of Native American culture and dress, including feathered headdresses, leather, and fringe clothing, remains fairly popular today and is widely available for men, women, children, and babies from a wide range of costume suppliers. No longer limited to Halloween, elements of the costume have become popular and common elements of outfits worn by attendees of music festivals across the U.S. While its unlikely that anyone who wears such a costume, or dresses their child in one, intends to be racist, dressing as an Indian for Halloween  is not as innocent as it may seem. Thats because the costume itself acts as a racial stereotype—it reduces an entire race of people, one composed of a diverse array of culturally distinct groups, to a small collection of physical elements. Racial stereotypes are dangerous because they play a crucial role in the social process of marginalizing groups of people on the basis of race, and in most cases, stripping those people of their humanity and reducing them to objects. The stereotypical image of the Indian in particular tends to fix Native Americans in the past, suggesting that they are not an important part of the present. This works to divert attention away from systems of economic and racial inequality that continue to exploit and oppress Native Americans today. For these reasons, dressing as an Indian for Halloween, or wearing any kind of costume that is composed of racial stereotypes, is in fact an act of racism. All Lives Matter The contemporary social movement Black Lives Matter was born in 2013 following the acquittal of the man who killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The movement grew and came to national prominence in 2014 following the police killings of Michael Brown and Freddie Gray. The name of the movement and the widely used hashtag that catalyzed it assert the importance of Black lives because the widespread violence against Black people in the U.S. and the oppression they suffer in a society that is systemically racist suggests that their lives do  not  matter. The history of enslavement of Black people and  racism against them is premised on the belief, whether conscious or not, that their lives are expendable and inconsequential. So, members of the movement and its supporters believe that it is necessary to assert that Black lives do in fact matter, as they draw attention to racism and ways to effectively fight it. Following media attention to the movement, some began to respond to it be stating or writing on social media that all lives matter. Of course, no one can argue with this claim. It is inherently true and rings to many with an air of egalitarianism. To many it is both an obvious and harmless statement. However, when we consider it as a response to the assertion that Black lives matter, we can see that it serves to divert attention from an anti-racist social movement. And, in the context of the racial history and contemporary racism of U.S. society, it works as a rhetorical device that ignores and silences Black voices, and draws attention away from the very real problems of racism that Black Lives Matter seeks to highlight and address. Whether one means to or not, doing so works to preserve the racial hierarchy of white privilege and supremacy. So, in the context of a dire need to listen to Black people when they talk about racism and what we need to do to help end it, stating that all lives matter is a racist act. Voting for Donald Trump Voting in elections is the lifeblood of American democracy. It is both a right and a duty of every citizen, and it has long been considered taboo to denigrate or chastise those whose political views and choices differ from ones own. This is because a democracy composed of multiple parties can only function when respect and cooperation are present. But during 2016, the public comments and political positions of Donald Trump have prompted many to buck the norm of civility. Many have characterized Trump and his supporters as racist, and many relationships have been destroyed in the process. So is it racist to support Trump? To answer that question one has to understand what he represents within the racial context of the U.S. Unfortunately, Donald Trump has a long history of behaving in racist ways. Throughout the campaign and prior to it, Trump made statements that denigrated racial groups and are rooted in dangerous racial stereotypes. His history in business is blighted by examples of discrimination against people of color. Throughout the campaign Trump routinely condoned violence against people of color, and condoned through his silence the white supremacist attitudes and racist actions of people among his supporters. Politically speaking, the policies he supports, like, for example, closing and defunding family planning clinics, those related to immigration and citizenship, overturning the Affordable Healthcare Act, and his proposed income tax brackets which penalize the poor and working classes will specifically harm people of color, at greater rates than they will harm white people, if they are passed into law. In doing so, these policies will help preserve the racial hierarchy of the U.S., white p rivilege, and white supremacy. Those who voted for Trump endorsed these policies, his attitudes, and behavior--all of which fit the sociological definition of racism. So, even if a person doesnt agree that thinking and acting this way is right, even if they themselves dont think and act this way, voting for Donald Trump was an act of racism. This reality is likely a hard pill to swallow for those of you who supported the Republican candidate. The good news is, its never too late to change. If you oppose racism and want to help fight it, there are practical things you can do in your everyday life as individuals, as members of communities, and as citizens of the U.S. to help end racism.