What Is a Valedictorian Defining High Schools Top Honor

What Is a Valedictorian Defining High School's Top Honor SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips High school academics can be very competitive for driven students who hope to earn the coveted title of valedictorian. But how exactly do high schools choose valedictorians? Does the title mean anything for college applications? In this article, I’ll give you the details on what it means to be a valedictorian, how valedictorians are chosen, and whether this is a critical factor in the college admissions process. What Is a Valedictorian in High School? If you are named valedictorian, it usually means that you have reached the highest level of academic achievement out of all the students in your class.At some schools, multiple students are named valedictorians.Valedictory honors are determined by GPA, which may be measured differently depending on your high school.I’ll go over more specifics about variations in policy in the next section. The high school valedictorian traditionally delivers a speech (the â€Å"valedictory† speech) at graduation.Fun fact: The term valedictorian comes from the Latinvale dicere meaning â€Å"to say farewell† since the valedictorian usually delivers the last speech at the ceremony. How Are High School Valedictorians Chosen? The valedictorian will almost always be the student in your class who has the highest GPA, but GPA can be measured on more than one scale (and sometimes schools have more than one valedictorian!).If your school uses weighted GPAs, meaning students in higher level classes can earn higher GPAs, the valedictorian is virtually guaranteed to be the student who has earned the highest grades in the most difficult classes.Weighted GPAs are typically measured on a 5-point scale, with a 5.0 being equivalent to an A in an Honors or AP class. Other schools use an unweighted GPA scale, meaning that course levels are not taken into account when calculating GPA.On an unweighted scale, GPAs only go up to a 4.0, which is equivalent to an A in any class regardless of level.In this case, the valedictorian could be a student who was in lower level classes but earned all A's. In recent years, some high schools have adopted the policy of naming multiple students valedictorians.Since college admissions are so competitive now, more and more students are pushing themselves to achieve high levels of academic success in high school.By naming multiple valedictorians, schools acknowledge the impressive achievements of severalstudents in a more equitable manner and reduce pressure and competition.Sometimes valedictory honors are given to all students who achieve straight A averages or to several students who have all earned the same top GPAs. In this case, there might not be an actual valedictory speech (unless all the valedictorians write a speech together and say it in unison, which would be really creepy, so I’m all for it).The policy of naming multiple valedictorians has faced criticism from those who argue that it simply points to rampant grade inflation and devalues the title of valedictorian. However, when GPAs are only separated by tiny fractions of points, it may make sense to recognize more than one student with this honor. There are also policy variations in which classes count towards the GPA that determines class ranking.Some schools might only include grades from courses in core subject areaswhile others may include both core classes and electives.You can check with your guidance counselor to see what your school’s policies are. Since the valedictorian is usually the studentranked #1 in each class, it’s not easy to predict what GPA you’ll need in order to earn the title. You may have heard about students who were valedictorians of past classes but earned a lower GPA than the student ranked fifth in your class.Some classes are more or less competitive than others! If you wanna be the top goat (which I think is what valedictorians should really be called), you may have to lock horns with other super driven students in your class. Relax nerds, there's no actual physical activity involved. What About Salutatorians? What Other Ranking-Based Honors Do High Schools Offer? Valedictorian isn't the only title that students can earn for academic achievements in high school. At most schools, the salutatorian is the student ranked second in the class after the valedictorian.Usually, the salutatorian will also give a speech at graduation.Salutatorians are slightly cooler than valedictorians. (Okay, I'm biased because I was salutatorian in high school, but let's face it, it's kind of true.) Some high schools will also offer Latin honors to students who achieve certain GPAs.You may have heard of this practice in the context of college academics.Students are given the titles of cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude as markers of their academic achievements.Different high schools will have different GPA thresholds for each honor.At a school with weighted GPAs, for example, students who earn GPAs above a 3.6 might be cum laude, students who earn GPAs above a 4.0 might be magna cum laude, and students who earn GPAs above a 4.4 might be summa cum laude. These honors are also sometimes given out based on class rank percentile. A school that organizes honorsthis way might decide that the top 5% of the class is considered summa cum laude, the top 10% is magna cum laude, and the top 25% is cum laude. If your high school doesn't have Latin honors, that’s not a big deal.It’s just another way of recognizing students with high GPAs who have worked hard but haven’t quite reached the level of valedictorian or salutatorian. The only Latin phrase that most of us know. Seize the carp. That's what it means, right? What Are the Benefits of Being Named Valedictorian? The title of valedictorian, as we have seen, can mean different things depending on your high school.It’s an impressive honor, but the title alone shouldn’t make much of an impact on your chances of college admission. If you're a valedictorian, you will have a very high GPA (and probably high test scores as well), and those qualifications will be the things that actually get you into selective colleges. When you first apply to college, you won't know yet whether you're valedictorian or not, and neither will the schools.You won't find out for sure until the spring when you've already received admissions decisions from colleges. Because the GPAs of valedictorians can vary from year to year, the title means far less than the grades that got you there.This is especially true in the context of the new trend of naming multiple valedictorians; the term is more watered down than it used to be. Even though it might not matter that much in college admissions, there are other benefits to being named valedictorian. You may be eligible for special scholarships at the colleges where you've been accepted because of your status as a valedictorian. This is common at public universities that hope to lure in high-achieving students with tuition deals. You'll also be recognized for all of your hard work and get to deliver a speech to your entire class.It’s a great opportunity to tell some hilarious jokes and/or send a meaningful message.I would recommend telling jokes because you’ll be remembered as the only non-boring part of graduation.If the thought of giving a speech makes you want to puke, then this might not be a plus, but it really is a good chance for you to be honest and share your reflections on the last four years. Deliver your valedictorian speech while decked out in full clown makeup. Give the people what they want. What Should You Do If You Want to Be Valedictorian? If you have your sights set on the title of high school valedictorian, you should be prepared to challenge yourself. Students who become valedictorians begin and end their high school careers in the toughest classes with the highest grades.For an overview of some of the skills and study habits you should adopt if you hope to be at the top of your class, take a look at my article onhow to get good grades in high school. Also, try to keep things in perspective. Don't sacrifice your mental health in the name of your goal - it's not worth it just for the recognition. Your goal should motivate you to stay engaged in your school work and challenge yourself, but it shouldn't make you break down in tears because you have to spend eight hours on homework every night. Only you know what your limits are and what you can handle. If you push your intellectual boundaries and maintain high grades, you will be accepted to some great colleges whether or not you end up becoming valedictorian. Exercise your brain, but give it some down time once in a while to keep it healthy and happy. Conclusion At most high schools, the valedictorian is the top student in the class as determined by GPA.Some schools use weighted GPAs while others use unweighted GPAs, and this may affect the type of student who ends up as valedictorian.Some schools even name multiple valedictorians to recognize exceptional academic achievements by more than one student.The valedictorian is traditionally asked to give a speech at graduation. You don’t have to be valedictorian or salutatorian of your high school to be accepted to a highly selective college!Since the GPA of the valedictorian at any given high school will vary from year to year, colleges don’t assume that everyone who ends up as a valedictorian should be admitted or that students who aren’t given the highest honors in their class should be denied.If you consistently work hard in your classes and earn high grades, you'll be rewarded in the college application process even if you're not the valedictorian. What's Next? Valedictorian may be the top honor, but your class rank still might be important even if you're not number one. Learn more about what a good class rank is in this article. Are you curious about where you stand with your GPA? Here's a step by step guide for how to calculate your cumulative GPA based on your high school grades so far. If your GPA is lower than you would like, read this guide to learn some strategies that will help you improve! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Byzantine Civilization of the Middle Ages

Byzantine Civilization of the Middle Ages In the fifth century AD, the mighty Roman Empire fell to invading barbarians and complex internal pressures. The land that had been centrally governed for centuries disintegrated into numerous warring states. The safety and privileges enjoyed by some residents of the empire vanished to be replaced by a constant state of danger and uncertainty; others merely traded one set of daily terrors for another. Europe was plunged into what Renaissance scholars would label a dark age. Yet Byzantium remained. The Empire of Byzantium was the eastern portion of the Roman Empire, which was divided in 395 A.D. Its capital of Constantinople, located on a peninsula, was naturally secure from invasion on three sides, and its fourth side was fortified with a network of three walls that withstood direct attack for over a thousand years. Its stable economy provided a strong military and, together with an abundant food supply and advanced civil engineering, a high standard of living. Christianity was firmly entrenched in Byzantium, and literacy was more widespread there than in any other nation in the middle ages. Although the predominant language was Greek, Latin was also fairly common, and at one point all seventy-two of the worlds known languages were represented in Constantinople. Intellectual and artistic endeavors thrived. This is not to say that the Byzantine Empire was an oasis of peace in the desert of the perilous middle ages. On the contrary, its long history is marked by numerous wars and remarkable internal strife. Its official borders expanded and shrank several times as its rulers attempted to restore the empire to its former glory or fought off invaders (or occasionally attempted both simultaneously). The penal system was so harsh as to be viewed by western crusaders no strangers to mutilation and other extreme measures in their own systems of justice as exceedingly cruel. Nevertheless, Byzantium remained the most stable nation of the middle ages. Its central location between western Europe and Asia not only enriched its economy and its culture but allowed it to serve as a barrier against aggressive barbarians from both areas. Its rich historiographical tradition (strongly influenced by the church) preserved ancient knowledge upon which splendid art, architecture, literature and technological achievements were built. It is not an altogether unfounded assumption that the Renaissance could not have flourished were it not for the groundwork laid in Byzantium. The exploration of Byzantine civilization is undeniably significant in the study of medieval world history. To ignore it would be akin to studying the classical era without considering the cultural phenomenon of ancient Greece. Unfortunately, much (but thankfully not all) historical investigation into the middle ages has done just that. Historians and students often focused on the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the numerous changes in Europe without ever once glancing at Byzantium. It was often mistakenly believed that the Byzantine Empire was a static state that had little impact on the rest of the medieval world. Fortunately, this view is changing, and a great wealth of information concerning Byzantine Studies has recently been produced much of it available on the net. Selective Byzantine TimelineHighlights from the dynastic history of the Eastern Roman Empire. Byzantine Studies IndexA multilevel directory of useful sites about the people, places, art, architecture, religious history, military history and general history of the Eastern Roman Empire. Also includes maps and useful resources for the professional. Suggested ReadingUseful and informative books about the Eastern Roman Empire, from general histories to biographies, art, militaria, and other fascinating topics. The Forgotten Empire is copyright  © 1997 by Melissa Snell and licensed to About.com. Permission is granted to reproduce this article for personal or classroom use only, provided that the URL is included. For reprint permission, please contact Melissa Snell.

Identifying the actors in the courthouse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Identifying the actors in the courthouse - Essay Example Prosecutors. The best to describe the role of the Prosecutor in the Courthouse is through the given definition of Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct in Rule 3. (a). It states that, â€Å"The duty of a public prosecutor or other government lawyer is to seek justice, not merely to convict.† To clear from common misconception, prosecutors are not performing the tasks of lawyers. In Berger vs. United States (1935), it was implied that United States Attorney is the one that is regarded as the prosecutor. His sovereignty is to govern impartially. Their main interest is not about winning but to serve justice in the case particularly a criminal case. Defense Lawyers. Defense Lawyers’ specialization is criminal defense. They are the lawyers who are hired to defend the defendants in criminal cases. The necessity of the Defense Lawyer is one of the approaches in order to put balance in the trial system so that sides of both defendant and victim will be served in the court by legal procedure. They are often maligned particularly in prominent criminal cases for defending criminals. (Pollack, 2009) Judges. Judges during court trial interpret the law, and assess the evidence being presented. Judges also have the control on how the court trial will be executed. Most importantly, they are the decision-maker to serve justice in the case. (CSCJA, 2006) Defendants. Defendant is a party who is obliged to answer the complaint of the claimant. Defendants are the ones who are accused of the crime or civil lawsuit before the court. Defendants are the one being tried for a crime that they are accused of. Victims. Victims are the complainant in a case court trial. They are the ones whose rights had violated by certain criminal acts courtesy of the defendants or by the suspect in criminal case. They are the ones who are seeking justice in a case or lawsuit by filing charges against the

Marks and Spencer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marks and Spencer - Essay Example Additionally, they employ over 78,000 people all over the world (Marks and Spencer, 2012a). Financial Analysis of M&S: Despite global recession the company has managed to increase its revenues from its UK and international operations. An important point to make here is that M&S is a UK based brand with 50% of its stores being in UK. Its revenue generation is mostly derived from UK operations which accounts for 90% of the total revenue of the company. Profitability: The company has shown steady increase in the revenues in the last three years. In 2011 the revenue increased by 2%, followed by the same in 2012. However, the operating profits in the last two years have not increased in the same line. In 2011, the operating profit was ?836.9m which fell to ?746.5m, resulting in operating profit margin of 9.53% in 2011 and 8.84% in 2012. This clearly shows that company’s cost control is weak and the cost of goods sold has not increased in the same line as revenues. The reason for su ch instability in profits for 2012 is the expansion and improvement plan the company is implementing till 2013 which will result in increased sales and satisfied consumers in the future. Because of the very reasons the company has experienced increased cost of sale, interest expense, administrative and selling expenses. Similarly, the company’s net profit margin has also decreased from 8.13% in 2011 to 7.54% in 2012. The company’s return on capital employed (ROCE) has been increasing at a slow pace from being 17.24% in 2010, 19.0% in 2011 which declined to 18.8% in 2012. The reason for declining ROCE can be linked to decline PAT of the company accompanied by an increase in the total assets. (Marks and Spencer. 2012a) Liquidity: The company’s gearing ratio has decreased in last three years. In 2010, the company had a gearing ratio of 108.6% which was a lot, in year 2011, the company reduced it long term liabilities and the ratio fell to 76.91% which further was d ecreased to 74.54% in 2012. The reason of falling gearing ratio is the decrease in the total liabilities of the company, which is beneficial as it will reduce in lower interest payments. However, company’s liquidity/cash flow position might get affected in order to pay off liabilities. The company’s interest cover has remained steady over the past 3 years. Despite decreasing profits, the company is able to maintain an interest cover of average 6 times. This is because the company has shown good planning here regarding the payments of interest and has reduced the liabilities accordingly with the fall in profits. The company’s current and quick ratios have decreased over three years. The company had a current ratio of 0.8 times in 2010 which has decreased to 0.73 times in 2012. This shows the instability in the liquidity position of the company. The biggest reason of the fall in the current assets of the company is the decrease in the cash in hand and bank which h as fallen to ?196.1m in 2012 and was ?470.2m in 2011, though the other current asset of the company, i.e., the stock has increased. Additionally, the company’s current liabilities have also increased tremendously which was ?2955.5m in 2011 and increased to ?3126.8m in 2012. These factors have contributed to the company’s low current and quick ratios. It seems that company’s management aimed to payoff its long term liabilities to save the interest payments and improve the profitability. This has caused a

Drug-resistant Organisms Essay Example for Free

Drug-resistant Organisms Essay By the 1960s, the discovery of antibiotic drugs and subsequent advances in their synthesis led to the conquest of most bacterial diseases, at least in developed countries. In the 1969, the Surgeon General of the United States proclaimed that it was time to close the book on infectious diseases (Krasner 29) It indeed seemed so. But today, we confront not only new infectious diseases such as AIDS, but also a resurgence of old diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria that were written off rather prematurely over a generation ago. The old diseases are back with a vengeance, sporting frightening new faces. The same bacteria that almost disappeared are now resistant to penicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin, vancomycin, fluoroquinolones all the weapons that were supposed to have vanquished them. These bacteria have evolved and pose tremendous new challenges, however man and mans technology can also steadily advance to effectively mitigate the emerging bacterial threats – only a vast new impetus to research is needed. Not too long ago, people in the Western countries tended to think of deadly infectious diseases as old-fashioned afflictions that belonged to pre-modern times (or to the present-day Third World). Since the end of the Second World War, classical sexual diseases like syphilis and gonorrhea virtually disappeared in almost all the industrialized countries (Mode, Sleeman 16). The sexual revolution in the 1970s was encouraged by the confidence that sexually transmitted diseases were merely a temporary inconvenience that penicillin could cure. And then there appeared AIDS. As if that is not enough, just when we thought at least our old enemies were gone, to our dismay we find them all staring in our face, more ferociously than ever. E. coli, staphylococci and many other pathogens are evolving in scary ways. The more researchers investigate, the more fast-changing microbes they find. As a result of this evolution, many bacteria are learning to resist more and more of the antibiotics we humans use to fight them. Drugs that have once so effectively countered many deadly are losing their power. Without the help of these once magical drugs, even people who have robust immune systems can be seriously sickened or killed by virulent germs, and people with compromised immune systems face a significant chance of dying. A bacteria can mutate any time it reproduces, and all of that bacterias offspring will bear that mutation. Because bacteria replicate so often, random genetic mutations are common, and some of those mutations create genes that arm bacteria with drug resistance. A change in even just one gene can give a new strain of bacteria the ability to fend off a given antibiotic, maybe even all of the antibiotics in a large class of drugs. Such resistance genes provide bacteria with remarkable defense mechanisms. Resistance can begin in a single person when bacteria are only partially challenged by medication. This can occur when a patient is given too low a dosage of a drug, or stops taking it when he feels better, without completing the full course of treatment. Sometime children spit out half of the medicine they are given because of the taste. These conditions allow a pathogen to develop ways to fend off the chemical warriors. Then its descendents mutate in a way that makes them more capable of surviving higher doses of the same drug. Successive generations, which can occur in a matter of days if not hours, possess an ever-growing ability to beat the medication, ultimately creating pathogens that become completely resistant to the drug. Most antibiotics are broad spectrum, meaning they attack any and all bacteria in the patients body. When a person takes an antibiotic for a staph infection, for example, the drug molecules will kill the invaders but also destroy harmless/helpful bacteria, in a situation of collateral damage. Normally, healthy bacteria occupy most of the places in the stomach and intestines guarding against harmful bacteria percolating into bloodstream. The helpful bacteria also consume a large portion of nutrients available to bacteria, thus keeping the pathogenic bacteria at bay and keeping us from getting sick more often. But after antibiotics have attacked, they become thinned out, leaving the harmful bacteria which may have randomly mutated and acquired drug resistance to be free, feed and multiply. The healthy bacteria will reestablish themselves, but the drug-resistant pathogens will settle among them in greater numbers. And they will have evolved to better resist the same antibiotic when it comes the next time. Moreover, bacteria also develop new traits by exchanging genes with one another. A staphylococcus bacteria one of the most common pathogens could be handed a new resistance gene by a different kind of resistant bacteria that happens to be close by, or by special viruses that infect bacteria and can take genes with them to their next host. Otherwise harmless bacteria inhabiting our gut or skin could become reservoirs of drug-resistance genes, passing them on to visiting pathogens. Most importantly, when an organism becomes resistant to one drug, say penicillin, it is also likely to resist related drugs such as ampicillin and amoxycillin. Finding new molecular structures of this family of drugs cannot provide any long-term advantage, because in a few years the organism will become resistant to the whole family again. An entirely new type of drug, or better, a wholly new approach to combat disease is needed — which, in practical terms, translates to massive research on unprecedented levels. Despite several obvious ominous trends for decades now, only three new classes of antibiotics oxazolidinones, streptogramins, and daptomycin have been developed in the past three decades (Galanter et al., 500). This pace of research is completely inadequate. We now face a near crisis situation. The reappearance of TB and the increase in cases of antibiotic-resistant pneumonia and meningitis leave little room for complacency in the search for new drugs, if we are to continue to enjoy our lives that are relatively free of bacterial infections. Man will be successful, as he has been since the observations of Pasteur, in finding or creating new antibiotics — if he gives his mind a vast new scope to pursue knowledge and discovery in the new millennium. References: Mode, Charles J. , Sleeman, Candace K. â€Å"Stochastic Processes in Epidemiology: HIV/AIDS, Other Infectious Diseases and Computers. † Singapore : World Scientific Publishing Co. , 2000 Galanter, Joshua Mark; Golan, David E. ; Tashjian, Armen H. â€Å"Principles of Pharmacology: The Pathophysiologic Basis of Drug Therapy† Baltimore, MD : Lippincott Williams Wilkins, 2005 Krasner, Robert I. â€Å"The Microbial Challenge: Human Microbe Interactions. † Washington, DC : ASM (American Society for Microbiology) Press, 2002

Romeo And Juliet Film Review Essay -- essays research papers

Don’t Hang Up Philosophy –Philosophy Can Make A Movie Film: Romeo and Juliet Director: Baz Luhrmann Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio & Claire Danes Plot: Two lovers of rival, disputing families take their lives. Rating: Reviewer: Claire Ginn Welcome to Verona Beach, a sexy, violent other-world, neither future nor past, ruled by two rival families, the Montagues and the Capulets... So begins Baz Luhrmann’s production of Shakespeare's beloved play, "Romeo and Juliet," from the famous opening line of "Two Households both alike in dignity.." to the tragic end, the viewer is whisked away into the ‘depths’ of heightened realism in the world of Verona Beach. Casting includes Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo and Juliet as well as great performances by John Leguizamo (Tybalt) and, Harold Perrineau (Mercutio). Danes brings life to the character of Juliet and reaches far beyond the subservient stereotype of most Elizabethan characters with her ambition and assertion, although she sometimes sounds like a schoolgirl reading lines aloud for a teacher. DiCaprio is not quite as polished and in some scenes you may find him off-hand and whiny, however he manages to capture the depth and thoughtfulness associated with Romeo. Updated to modern Verona Beach (rather than Verona, Italy), this film has all the pop and zip one would expect from a tale of family feud, star-crossed lovers and bloodthirsty vengeance. It includes a mix of classical and religious imagery....

Grevious Grendel (Beowulf)

Beware of Grievous Grendel! We have all heard of the great epic poem Beowulf; one of the first major works in English literature. Grendel is a monster in this epic poem, in which he terrorizes people. He is a huge, powerful descendant of the biblical Cain, the son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother Abel out of jealousy. In the same way as Cane, Grendel was cursed and condemned by the mighty Creator. Grendel is envious, resentful and angry toward mankind. He may attack at any time, for no reason at all and there is no way to reach an agreement with him to make him stop what he is doing. He exists to devastate and to murder human beings.Grendel may be a part of fiction in this poem, but he also exists in real life. In modern life we can find the character of Grendel in natural disasters and human beings. A citation from the poem, translated by Kevin Crossley-Holland, would give a good picture of what Grendel caused to human kind; think of a beautiful place, a mead-hall, where peop le came together every night to eat, drink, sing and feast. People were living in harmony, until one night Grendel turned up and started the terror upon Hrothgar’s people, which would continue for the next twelve years: Then, under cover of night, Grendel came o Hrothgar’s lofty hall to see how the Ring-Danes were disposed after drinking ale all evening; and he found there a band of brave warriors, well-feasted, fast asleep, dead to worldly sorrow, man’s sad destiny. At once that hellish monster, grim and greedy, brutally cruel, started forward and seized thirty thanes even as they slept; and then, gloating over his plunder, he hurried from the hall, made for his lair with all those slain warriors. Grendel turns up out of nowhere, kills, murders people, and then disappears. In modern life we deal with natural disasters in a similar way.There are earthquakes, tornados, volcanic eruptions and floods, which cause loss of life and property damage. A natural disaster comes without giving any notice, shatters homes, takes lives and leaves a population helpless with the ruins of its attack. People in modern civilization experience the same feelings as Hrothgar’s people, who were attacked for years and years; living in fear of horror, never knowing when to expect disaster to strike. Besides natural disasters, human beings can be Grendels themselves. Before going further into this topic, I would like to mention Freud’s Ego theory.According to Freud, we are born with our Id. The id is an important part of our personality because as newborns, it allows us to get our basic needs met. Freud believed that the id is based on our pleasure principle. In other words, the id wants whatever feels good at the time, with no consideration for the reality of the situation. When a child needs to be changed, the id cries; when the child is hungry, the id cries again. The id does not care about reality, or about the needs of anyone else; when the id wa nts something, nothing else is important.Within the next three years, as the child interacts more and more with the world, the second part of the personality begins to develop. Freud called this part the Ego. The ego is based on the reality principle. The ego understands that people have needs and desires and that something being impulsive or selfish can hurt us in the long run. It is the ego’s job to meet the needs of the id, while taking into consideration the reality of the situation. Around the age of five the Superego develops.The superego is the moral part of us, which can sort right from wrong, and develops due to the moral and ethical discipline taught by our parents. In a healthy person, according to Freud, the ego is the strongest so that it can satisfy the needs of the id, not upset the superego, and still take into consideration the reality of every situation. If the id gets too strong, impulses and self gratification take over the person’s life. If the sup erego becomes too strong, the person would be driven by rigid morals, would be judgemental and unbending in his or her interactions with the world.So when the ego is incapable of maintaining control of the id and superego, some kind of abnormality arises; here we meet the terrorists and murderers in modern life who we can compare to Beowulf’s Grendel. We never know when they will show themselves and their cruel intentions. But when they do appear in our lives, we suffer pain, become afraid and sad because of their actions. We know they are there and can’t stop them from doing harm to people. As a conclusion we can say Grendel is not fiction and he is not in the past.Grendel is still among us, keeping us afraid of what might come to harm us or our loved ones. When the next natural disaster will arise is a surprise and we’ll never know when an unhealthy person or group will decide to attack us. So be aware of grievous Grendel and be ready to suffer, because you mi ght be next in line! Leyla Doner Dugdu – 285533 – evening References: http://psychology. about. com/od/eindex/g/def_egostrength. htm http://www. betterlivingthroughbeowulf. com/? p=328 Beowulf, translation by Crossley-Holland, K. Grevious Grendel (Beowulf) Beware of Grievous Grendel! We have all heard of the great epic poem Beowulf; one of the first major works in English literature. Grendel is a monster in this epic poem, in which he terrorizes people. He is a huge, powerful descendant of the biblical Cain, the son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother Abel out of jealousy. In the same way as Cane, Grendel was cursed and condemned by the mighty Creator. Grendel is envious, resentful and angry toward mankind. He may attack at any time, for no reason at all and there is no way to reach an agreement with him to make him stop what he is doing. He exists to devastate and to murder human beings.Grendel may be a part of fiction in this poem, but he also exists in real life. In modern life we can find the character of Grendel in natural disasters and human beings. A citation from the poem, translated by Kevin Crossley-Holland, would give a good picture of what Grendel caused to human kind; think of a beautiful place, a mead-hall, where peop le came together every night to eat, drink, sing and feast. People were living in harmony, until one night Grendel turned up and started the terror upon Hrothgar’s people, which would continue for the next twelve years: Then, under cover of night, Grendel came o Hrothgar’s lofty hall to see how the Ring-Danes were disposed after drinking ale all evening; and he found there a band of brave warriors, well-feasted, fast asleep, dead to worldly sorrow, man’s sad destiny. At once that hellish monster, grim and greedy, brutally cruel, started forward and seized thirty thanes even as they slept; and then, gloating over his plunder, he hurried from the hall, made for his lair with all those slain warriors. Grendel turns up out of nowhere, kills, murders people, and then disappears. In modern life we deal with natural disasters in a similar way.There are earthquakes, tornados, volcanic eruptions and floods, which cause loss of life and property damage. A natural disaster comes without giving any notice, shatters homes, takes lives and leaves a population helpless with the ruins of its attack. People in modern civilization experience the same feelings as Hrothgar’s people, who were attacked for years and years; living in fear of horror, never knowing when to expect disaster to strike. Besides natural disasters, human beings can be Grendels themselves. Before going further into this topic, I would like to mention Freud’s Ego theory.According to Freud, we are born with our Id. The id is an important part of our personality because as newborns, it allows us to get our basic needs met. Freud believed that the id is based on our pleasure principle. In other words, the id wants whatever feels good at the time, with no consideration for the reality of the situation. When a child needs to be changed, the id cries; when the child is hungry, the id cries again. The id does not care about reality, or about the needs of anyone else; when the id wa nts something, nothing else is important.Within the next three years, as the child interacts more and more with the world, the second part of the personality begins to develop. Freud called this part the Ego. The ego is based on the reality principle. The ego understands that people have needs and desires and that something being impulsive or selfish can hurt us in the long run. It is the ego’s job to meet the needs of the id, while taking into consideration the reality of the situation. Around the age of five the Superego develops.The superego is the moral part of us, which can sort right from wrong, and develops due to the moral and ethical discipline taught by our parents. In a healthy person, according to Freud, the ego is the strongest so that it can satisfy the needs of the id, not upset the superego, and still take into consideration the reality of every situation. If the id gets too strong, impulses and self gratification take over the person’s life. If the sup erego becomes too strong, the person would be driven by rigid morals, would be judgemental and unbending in his or her interactions with the world.So when the ego is incapable of maintaining control of the id and superego, some kind of abnormality arises; here we meet the terrorists and murderers in modern life who we can compare to Beowulf’s Grendel. We never know when they will show themselves and their cruel intentions. But when they do appear in our lives, we suffer pain, become afraid and sad because of their actions. We know they are there and can’t stop them from doing harm to people. As a conclusion we can say Grendel is not fiction and he is not in the past.Grendel is still among us, keeping us afraid of what might come to harm us or our loved ones. When the next natural disaster will arise is a surprise and we’ll never know when an unhealthy person or group will decide to attack us. So be aware of grievous Grendel and be ready to suffer, because you mi ght be next in line! Leyla Doner Dugdu – 285533 – evening References: http://psychology. about. com/od/eindex/g/def_egostrength. htm http://www. betterlivingthroughbeowulf. com/? p=328 Beowulf, translation by Crossley-Holland, K.

Management Information System at Dell

Management information system involves the information system and the organization. MIS begins where computer science ends. Computer scientists deserve accolades for developing and delivering even more advanced forms of information technology: hardware technology; software technology; and network technology. Yet because no technology implements itself, there is more to MIS than just information technology. MIS has dimensions. The four interrelated dimensions of MIS are as follows: First, MIS involves not just information technology, but also its instantiation; second, MIS involves, as reactive and inextricable elements, both an information system and its organizational context; third, MIS involves information technology as a form of intellectual technology; and fourth, MIS involves the activities of a profession or corporate function which are integral to the essence of what MIS is (Currie & Galliers, 1999). Dell Computer Corporation: Company Background Dell Computer Corporation is a major manufacturer of personal computers, computer peripherals, and software. Among the leading producers of computers in the world, Dell sells its products directly to customers through the Internet and mail-order catalogs rather than through retail outlets. The company is based in Round Rock, Texas. At Dell Computers, customers are brought into the product planning and manufacturing processes, with all employees encouraged having contact with customers. Through effective collaboration across boundaries, ideas can be shared about product designs and value propositions. The result is faster and more customer-focused product and service innovation. To produce the capacity for this, considerable attention must be placed on organizational structures, processes, skills and culture. Such elements may need a radical overhaul in established companies (Dennis & Harris, 2002). Dell was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell. In 1983, during his freshman year at the University of Texas, he bought excess nventory of RAM chips and disk drives for IBM personal computers from local dealers. He resold the components through newspaper advertisements at prices far below retail cost. By 1984, his sales totaled about $80,000 a month. In April 1984, Dell dropped out of school to launch his company (Ford, Honeycutt, & Simintiras, 2003). The new company soon began manufacturing its own IBM-compatible computers under the name PCs Limited. Because Dell sold computers directly to users through advertisements in magazines and catalogs, the company could price its machines lower than those sold through retail stores. Sales reached nearly $6 million during the company’s first year, climbing to $34 million the following year. By 1987, Dell was the leading mail-order computer company in the United States. In that year, it created a sales force to target large corporations and began adding international offices to capture the direct-mail market outside the United States (Ford, Honeycutt, & Simintiras, 2003). While the company continued to grow rapidly; Dell experienced a series of setbacks that hurt profits. In 1990, the company began selling computers through retail stores, an effort it abandoned in 1994. In 1991, Dell launched a line of notebook computers, but quality problems and inadequate production planning forced the company to stop selling for a year. In 1994, Dell launched a new line of notebook computers and expanded efforts to increase overseas sales. Dell also began focusing on the market for servers, which used the computers to run local area networks. By the late 1990s, Dell was firmly in place as the world’s number one direct seller of computers. More than 50 percent of the company’s computer sales transactions took place via its website, which generated worldwide sales in excess of $40 million a day (Ford, Honeycutt, & Simintiras, 2003). Information Processing Tools Information processing or Data processing is the analysis and organization of data. It is used extensively in business, engineering, and science and an increasing extent in nearly all areas in which computers are used. Businesses use data processing for such tasks as payroll preparation, accounting, record keeping, inventory control, sales analysis, and the processing of bank and credit card account statements. Engineers and scientists use data processing for a wide variety of applications, including the processing of seismic data for oil and mineral exploration, the analysis of new product designs, the processing of satellite imagery, and the analysis of data from scientific experiments (Thierauf, 1978). Data processing is used extensively in business, engineering, and science and to an increasing extent in nearly all areas in which computers are used. Data processing is divided into two kinds of processing: database processing and transaction processing. A database is a collection of common records that can be searched, accessed, and modified, such as bank account records, school transcripts, and income tax data. In database processing, a computerized database is used as the central source of reference data for the computations. Transaction processing refers to interaction between two computers in which one computer initiates a transaction and another computer provides the first with the data or computation required for that function. Most modern data processing uses one or more databases at one or more central sites (Thierauf, 1978). Transaction processing is used to access and update the databases when users need to immediately view or add information; other data processing programs are used at regular intervals to provide summary reports of activity and database status. Examples of systems that involve all of these functions are automated teller machines, credit sales terminals, and airline reservation systems (Thierauf, 1978). The information processing tools that Dell uses include computers, the internet, maps, spreadsheets, models, and databases. For the operational level of Dell, the most appropriate tool for information processing is maps. Through the said information processing tool, decisions on how to operate the organization can be initialized and made. Maps can be used to determine which country/place information will be acquired from, it can also assist in determining the demographic level of people and information will be gathered. Maps can be in the form of charts that can also provide necessary information. The information gathered in turn can assist in helping to decide how an organization will be operated. For the tactical level of Dell, the most appropriate tool for information processing is databases. Through the said information processing tool, the records that can assist in finding out the strength and weakness of the company can be used to determine the tactic that will be used by the organization. For the strategic level of Dell, the most appropriate information processing tool is the internet or World Wide Web. Through the internet, trends and strategies by other companies can be known. After analyzing the trends and strategies used by other companies, an appropriate strategy can be formulated to use by the organization. Inventory control systems Individual businesses need, first and foremost, an efficient inventory control system. This implies the minimum amount of inventory that will provide the consumers with what they need whenever and wherever they need it. Effectiveness of the inventory system means basically having an inventory mix that is most likely successful in satisfying consumer needs (Samli & Sirgy, 1995). The inventory control systems used by Dell is up to date and reliable to prevent problems to arise. The inventory system of Dell makes sure that anything the consumer need will be available to them at any given time. It is also what the company uses to know if certain products are still available or misuse of the inventory system may cost problems to the company. Conclusion Management information system involves the information system and the organization. Dell benefits a lot from the management information system. The system helps the company create strategies that will help the company conquer any problems and threats from competitors. The system also assists the company in processing the needed information. Management Information Systems also helps a company to create or update its inventory control system. Recommendations Since the MIS of a company is a vital part of its operations and its survival in the modern world, it must be well updated and it must compete well with MIS’s competitors. The MIS of a company should be created from high standards so that it can be of stiff competition against its counterparts. The MIS system should help the company to achieve its goals and assist the company in reaching its potential

The Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Robotics

The Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Robotics Free Online Research Papers Artificial intelligence and the advancement in robotics are some of the world’s leading scientific studies, including how the advancement will affect the world, how one would handle living with an advanced robotic world, and how scientists will create these machines. Any appliance or machine made to [simulate a human task] falls under the category of artificial intelligence. From a [Blackberry] to a robot that can perform the daily tasks of a human, artificial intelligence is widespread. Artificial intelligence is a whole new way to go about technology. [(American Association of Artificial Intelligence)] Because of movies and stories, most people believe artificial intelligence is just simulating humans. But actually, most of the machines made do not represent human behavior. [Today there are machines that can observe a human for an extended period of time and solve a problem that they may be experiencing. Certain people often question] whether scientists could create a machine that is exactly like a human. [(American Association of Artificial Intelligence)] In this case, the robot would have to be just as smart, talented, and be able to accomplish the daily tasks of a human. [(Critical Concepts)] [People also question how the effects of having smart robots would change society.] People would start to rely on the robots; and therefore, if something happened to the robots, people would be at a disadvantage because they had come to rely on them. After World War II, people started researching and experimenting with artificial intelligence. The first to study this category of science was Alan Turing. [Alan Turing was born in the year 1912, in Paddington, England. He attended Cambridge University for his undergraduate degree, and then obtained his PhD at Princeton University. One of his first machines was the German Enigma cipher machine. In 1952 he was accused of being a homosexual. He was unable to complete his studies. The next year he died from cyanide poisoning.] [(The Enigma)] He proposed that the best way to go about this science was to use computers not machines. By the late 1950s[,] the study of artificial intelligence was underway. [(What is Artificial Intelligence? )] [The superior goal of artificial intelligence is to create a robot that can solve problems and process like a human.] Scientists do not know when this goal will be reached. They hope that it will be within the next twenty years. Some researchers think that to achieve this goal of thinking just like a human, the mechanism will have to be compiled with a load of information in order to reach its standard. [(What is Artificial Intelligence? )] Artificial intelligence is researched in two different perspectives. One is the biological side and the other psychological. The biological side is the study that humans are smart. The psychological side also includes the physiological side of humans. These two sides represent the robot’s common sense and ability to achieve goals. Some scientists argue whether robots should have free will. Free will means being able to make one’s own choices. [(What is Artificial Intelligence? )] Some of the earliest examples of artificial intelligence translate as far back to the Greek gods. In one of the myths, gods created a machine named Talos. He was made of bronze and would throw rocks at the intruders on the beaches of Crete. He also picked up the intruders and gave them a burning squeeze. [(The Next Fifty Years)] The study of artificial intelligence was finally taken into careful consideration at Dartmouth College in 1956. Four scientists took the study into deep research. This includes John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Herman Simon, and Allen Newell. They built some of the first robots that could solve algebraic word problems. [These men made predictions that they could construct robots that could be smarter than humans within twenty years.] They were given over five billon dollars, but they failed to create such a machine in that period of time. Although the scientists did not make a human-smart machine, they made other advancements. Along with their mistakes they created other marvels such as industrial robots, language translators, the Google search engine, speech recognition, and data mining machines. [(What is Artificial Intelligence? )] [Artificial Intelligence is the technology used in many of todays machines, ranging from banking systems that detect attempted credit card fraud, to telephone systems that understand speech, to software systems that notice when youre having problems and offer appropriate advice.] [(Waltz)] [Despite the slow advancement of Artificial Intelligence over the years, there are still very many new machines being made today. Some of these are autonomous vehicles, Deep Blue, mathematical theorem proving, and Pegasus. These machines will help expand the study of artificial intelligence. ] [(Waltz)] [The autonomous vehicles were first tested by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). An on-board computer system from Carnegie Mellon University was able to drive the van for only 52 miles at an average speed of 63 miles per hour, rain or shine, day or night. The van was supposed to drive 2,849 miles from Washington, DC to San Diego, California. Deep Blue is an example of a machine that has been created to think like a human. In May 1997, Deep Blue, IBM’s computer, played chess against the world’s greatest chess player. The smart machine came out of the match with a victory. [(IBM)] Mathematical theorem-proving is a computer system at Argonne National Laboratories. Its accomplishment was being able to solve a long algebraic function that would be very hard for a human to solve. Pegasus is used by American Airlines. It is an online interface that sets reservations for flights all over the world. Also it allows users to check on flight information whenev er they like. Pegasus can be accessed through either internet or telephone. NASA has also recently created a machine that can classify a star from a faint galaxy by just faint signals. It is able to learn its information by reading different experts texts.] [(Waltz)] [Artificial Intelligence machines that we use today expand from one’s stock portfolio to drug researchers. When using a stock portfolio, it automatically modifies your market position and makes the smartest trades for you. There are cars that can drive for you in a sort of auto-pilot mode. Also, there are online systems that can automatically order one’s groceries based on previous purchases. There is now a system that can manage and pay bills just by memorizing pay patterns. Drug researchers can now use artificial intelligence for intensive bio-computational modeling in relation to the enormous amount of data from the human genome project to help find cures in ways never thought of by a human.] [(Moy)] Robotics made a dramatic leap from 1970 to 2007. In 1970 Shakey the robot could not even roll from one side of the room to the other in eight hours. But by 2007 the robots of the DARPA were crossing thousands of miles of desert. Although researchers have yet to create a robot that can function exactly like a human, artificial intelligence has come a very long way. In the next few years, the people of the United States could be working next to a robot. [(Critical Concepts)] Adam Wedding English IIIH/Period6 Mr. Martin 31 August, 2007 Science and Technology Research Paper History of Artificial Intelligence. American Association of Artificial Intelligence. 15 Sep 2007 . McCarthy, John. What is Artificial Intelligence? 1/9/2007. Stanford University. 15 Sep 2007 . The Next Fifty Years. Dartmouth College. 15 Sep 2007 . Chrisley, Ronald. Artificial Intelligence: Critical Concepts. United States: Routledge, 2000. Hodges, Andrew. Alan Turing. 8 May 2006. Alan Turing: the Enigma.. 10 Nov 2007 . Deep Blue. IBM. IBM. 10 Nov 2007 . Waltz , David . Realizing the Ultimate Promises of Computing. Artificial Intelligence. 1996. 11 Nov 2007 . Sloman, Artificial Intelligence: In your Life Today . 5 August 2005 . Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and the Simulation of Behavior. 11 Nov 2007 Research Papers on The Influence of Artificial Intelligence on RoboticsBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfGenetic EngineeringHip-Hop is ArtPETSTEL analysis of IndiaCapital PunishmentEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenResearch Process Part OneThe Hockey GameThree Concepts of PsychodynamicWhere Wild and West Meet

Dont Be Concerned About Ground Bees

Don't Be Concerned About Ground Bees Ground bees become active in early spring, and hardly sting. These bees dig nests in the ground, often in bare patches of the lawn or garden. If you find mounds of soil, similar to anthills but with larger openings, these may be ground bee nests. Watch for bees flying low over the ground and entering their burrows. Did You Know? Ground bees are non-aggressive, beneficial insects that rarely sting. In fact, the male bees lack a stinger entirely. Nesting season is limited to springtime. Unless you or a family member has an allergy, you can feel comfortable leaving the nest alone and letting the bees do their pollinating in peace. What Are Ground Bees? First and foremost, ground bees are beneficial insects which perform an important role as pollinators. Ground-nesting bees include the digger bees (family Anthoporidae), sweat bees (family Halictidae), and mining bees (family Andrenidae). Females are solitary creatures, excavating nests in dry soil. Each one will fastidiously mound the loose soil around her nest entrance, then provision her home with pollen and nectar for her offspring. Despite their solitary nature, its not unusual to find dozens of ground bee nests in one area if conditions are suitable for nesting. Males may fly over the burrows, patrolling for potential mates. Do Ground Bees Sting? Female ground bees can sting but, being non-aggressive by nature, rarely do. However, they will sting in defense if threatened. Males of some species may behave aggressively around nesting areas, but they lack a sting. How to Identify Ground Bee Nests Bumblebees also nest in underground burrows, though they typically use abandoned rodent burrows rather than excavate new ones. However, bumblebees live in social colonies. Observe a bee nest from a safe distance. Do you see a single bee coming and going, or multiple bees entering the nest? Social bees such as bumblebees will aggressively defend their nests, so make sure you identify them before you take any action. Yellowjackets also nest in the ground, and like bumblebees, often move into old rodent burrows. Some solitary wasps are ground nesters, as well. Make sure you know the differences between bees and wasps and never assume you have docile, ground bees. How to Control Ground Bees Before you decide to evict your ground bees, consider that these bees serve a valuable purpose as pollinators. Theyre not aggressive and, in most cases, you can still mow your lawn and continue regular outdoor activities without fear of being stung. Finally, nesting activity is limited to spring, so ground bees wont stay for long. Unless you have concerns for a family member with a bee venom allergy, its usually preferable to leave ground bees alone. Ground bees nest in dry soil, avoiding damp areas when choosing nest sites. Pesticides are not recommended for ground bee control.  The easiest, least-toxic method of controlling ground bees is simply watering the area. As soon as you see ground bee activity, start soaking the area with a full inch of water per week. This is usually enough to discourage the burrowing females and to make them relocate to drier ground. A thick layer of mulch on bare garden beds will also make ground bees think twice about nesting there.

What cluster allocation does, how it does it, why it is useful and how Research Paper

What cluster allocation does, how it does it, why it is useful and how does it differ from the traditional portfolio allocation - Research Paper Example The scheme treats the cluster as the sampling unit and conducts an analysis on the population of clusters. Consequently, the procedure reduces the cost of examination by increasing sampling efficiency. Clusters include geographical area and often the examiner treats various respondents or subjects within a local area as a cluster (Atzeni 40). Furthermore, the examiner increases the total sample size to establish equivalent accuracy in the estimators. The findings of the observation of any of the selected sample may not present an accurate highlight of the whole population, but they are mainly close to the actual behavior of the study subject. How cluster allocation functions The model is a sampling technique utilized when â€Å"natural† but uniform groupings are evident in a statistical population. In cluster allocation, the researcher assumes various steps in defining the sample population or constituents instead of selecting all subjects from the whole population. The examin er divides the entire population into various clusters from which he or she selects a random sample of groups (Karuri and Rainer 30). Consequently, the examiner gathers essential information from the random sample of elements in each selected group. One may evaluate every element in the selected groups or may select subsamples of fundamentals from each group. The procedure is motivated by the need of reducing the aggregate cost of the analysis. The scheme demands elements within a group to be heterogeneous while presenting homogeneity between group means. Furthermore, each cluster should be a subunit of the entire population. Clusters should also be mutually restricted and jointly exhaustive. This enhances systematic examination while minimizing sampling errors (Atzeni 37). The analyzer may utilize a single-stage cluster approach or two-stage cluster model in his or her analysis. In the single-stage scheme, one uses all elements from each selected group. However, in the two-stage cl uster model, one conducts random sampling on the elements from each of the selected group. Often, cluster allocation is only applicable when groups are approximately of the same size. In situations where the clusters have varying sizes, the examiner may combine clusters to make them assume relatively similar sizes (Karuri and Rainer 32). Usefulness of cluster allocation Cluster allocation is useful in reducing the amount of funds used in the examinations. The cluster allocation procedure provides the examiner with the opportunity of concentrating resources on the few randomly selected groups instead of evaluating the entire population. This makes the examination procedure less costly, simple and fast. Particularly, the model reduces traveling and listing cost, which are the major finance consuming procedures in sampling. For example, compiling statistics about each household in a city would be challenging, while compiling statistics about various blocks of the city would be easier. In such a situation, the traveling and the listing efforts will be reduced considerably (Karuri and Rainer 53). The procedure is essentially useful in minimizing the potentially large estimation errors in diversification analysis (Geotzmann & Wachter 271). The procedure applies the concept of mean-variance in examining essential elements. The mean-variance model evaluates a set of subjects’ weights across assets, which establishes the highest probable return for each specific level of investor risk. Developing target groups enhance the accuracy of the procedure because one can conduct a detailed examination. Furthermore, the model provides an effective procedure of evaluating large populations (Geotzmann &