Violence in Public School

Your Name Instructor/Professor’s Name Course Date Violence In Public Schools Perhaps, one of the most pressing concerns affecting not only the educational sector, but the entire society, is the rising violence in schools. Indeed, there’s no question that school-related violence is one of the gravest threats that any government will have to face. In fact, the U. S. is just one of the dozens of countries plagued by this social ill. With easy access on guns and knives, schools—students and teachers, specifically—have been placed at a more precarious condition.Thus, it is no longer surprising if shooting spree, sexual assault, and stabbing incidents continue to headline the newspapers around the world. Such is the alarming rate of violence in what was once considered the haven of safety and sanctuary of morality that parents, students, and policymakers have to brave. In general, violence in U. S. schools, plus the government’s failure to prevent— let alone eliminate—even in the presence of new initiatives specifically intended for this purpose, has turned out a huge cause for concern that needs to be addressed no sooner than later.No student or teacher for this matter should ever suffer from violence inside the classroom, playground, school cafeteria, or even while on his way to or from school. But the truth does not speak of the same. As the rate of school violence continues to escalate year by year, so does the disruption of the learning process, degradation of the students’ and teachers’ morale, and the spread of fear not only in the school but in the community in general.Aside from the immediate negative impact, school violence could also give birth to youth violence, which could stem to more diverse concerns in criminality, peace and order, and public health and safety. In this paper, we will try to delve the degree of school violence and how dangerous it is not only to wither the integrity of the U . S. school system, but also to rock society as well. In the present condition where the government seems too powerless enough to put this social crisis to an end, it is safe to say that school violence is indeed a force to reckon, a substantial shaker that will definitely cause the failure of schools in general.Data Reveal the Alarming Rate of School Violence Numerous studies have been conducted to assess the real impact and the degree in which school violence has really affected the school system. Data from the US Department of Education show disturbing figures. Between 2003 and 2004, it was revealed that 1 out of 10 teachers in urban schools admitted receiving threats from students. Between 2005 and 2006, almost 40 percent of public schools had at least one case of school violence. In 2007, 23 percent of students admitted that gangs existed in their schools.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (series 4) reveals that according to the results of a nationwide survey in 20 07 among students from grades 9 to 12 show that almost 6 percent of students did bring guns, knives and other types of dangerous weapons inside the school. Furthermore, almost 8 percent of students were threatened, harassed, or injured by these weapons. Meanwhile, 12 percent of the respondent-students admitted that they had been involved in physical fights inside the school.A more disturbing note revealed that most than 22 percent of students sold, used, and were offered and given illegal drugs right inside the school. Nonfatal assaults are also rampant inside the school. The Department of Education reveals that in 2006, on a national level, 3 out of 100 students are actively participating in school-based crimes, which included rape, assault, and theft. Bullying is even a more serious cause for alarm. More than one-third of the entire student population had been victims of bullying, 4 percent of them being bullied online or through text messages.This stems to a more violent personal ity as bullied students have more chances of getting engaged into fights, psychological trauma and dropping out of school. Likewise, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (33-36) reveals that school violence-related deaths continue to escalate on a yearly basis. Although on an average rate, 1 out of 100 students die due to violence inside the school, still, such cases are too much to ignore, since NO death, especially violence-related must ever occur inside the campus. Since 2003, more than 115 students have been killed in almost 110 incidents.On a yearly basis, that translates to 17 students dying from homicide. Anderson et al (2695) reveals that school-associated violence and deaths occur â€Å"before and after the school day and during lunch,† while cases of violence are more likely to occur at the onset of the semester (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Violent, 657). Half of recorded homicide cases show that perpetrators actually reveal some sort of war ning signal before they attack their victims. These include making a threat or leaving a note before the crime occurs (Anderson et al, 2695).Risk Factors Leading to Violence in Schools School violence does not exist simply because they have to exist. There are numerous underlying factors that trigger the occurrence of numerous conditions that give rise to this case. In fact, experts, researchers and lawmakers agree that there is a deeper root that that gives life to these occurence. According to the Constitutional Rights Foundation, among the risk factors affecting school violence include: â€Å"weapons, media violence, cyber abuse, the impact of school, community, and family environments, personal alienation,† (crf-usa. rg) among others. Access to Weapons. The late 1980s and early 1990s saw the rapid increase in the rate of gun accessibility among teens in the United States. As more teenagers owned guns, thus, the rise of gun deaths and injuries (crf-usa. org). A study condu cted by Bergstein et al (794-8) in Boston and Milwaukee shows that that 42 percent of students who responded revealed that â€Å"they could get a gun if they wanted, 28 percent have handled a gun without adult knowledge or supervision, and 17 percent have carried a concealed gun†¦. This claim was backed by data provided by the University of Southern California School of Medicine, which reports that around 35% of U. S. households with children 18 years old and below are reported to have owned at least one firearm, which â€Å"translates to more than 11 million children living in homes with firearms† (crf-usa. org). Furthermore, teens can also acquire handguns in illegal sales, as â€Å"American gun shows continue to be a venue for illegal activity, including unlicensed sales to prohibited individuals† (Bergstein et al, 794). Violence Caused by Media. The Constitutional Rights Foundations (crf-usa. rg ) reveals that an average American child will have witness 8,000 murders and 100,000 violent acts by time he reaches 7th grade. That’s because of television. Time and again, claims have been made and studies have been conducted to really test the truth behind the impact of television in inculcating wrong values to a child. According to the Anderson et al (81), â€Å"violent television and films, video games, and music reveals unequivocal evidence that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both immediate and long-term contexts. Although certain characteristics exhibited by viewers, such as identification of aggressive characters), parental guidance and other social factors, as well as the content of the media could make or break the effect of media violence. These also count the the degree of aggression instilled in the viewer’s personality. Cyber Bullying. Anderson et al (83) write that high school students are more exposed to violence in video games, thus, they show â€Å"more pro-violent attitudes, had more hostile personalities, were less forgiving, believed violence to be more normal, and behaved more aggressively in their everyday lives. † However, Sherry (msu. du ) reasoned out that the â€Å"overall effect of these games on aggressiveness does not appear great† to warrant significant attention. School Environments. A survey conducted by the Children's Institute International revealed that more than half off teenage population living in rural, suburban, or urban areas all agree that schools are becoming more and more violent in the passing of time. School-based Gangs. The National Center for Educational Statistics, as quoted by the Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA (2), reveals that in 2005, â€Å"24 percent of students ages 12-18 reported that there were gangs at their schools. Nevertheless, no difference was observed with regards to reporting gang presence among rural and suburban students. Communities. Aside from the negligence in the school and in the home, communities also show neglect in children, which is another reason for hastened occurrence of school violence. Furthermore, a community’s unresponsive attitude â€Å"to the needs of families and their children [†¦could] develop into school violence [†¦given that] [a]fter-school and summer programs are not always available† (crf-usa. org). Family.The family, which should have been highly responsible in shaping a child’s mind to become upright and law-abiding, are also the one the blame of the deterioration of the values and attitudes among teenagers. As parents neglect their duty to rare their child with positive attitudes, â€Å"children may develop negative–and often violent–behavior patterns† (crf-usa. org). But more than providing room for negative values to grow, irresponsible and abusive households also impede a child’s growth and maturity. Thus, as observed, some of the most aggressive teenagers show signs of poor communication skills and low self-esteem.And since children have no parental role models to look up to, they would tend to focus their attention on popular culture, no matter how violent or aggressive it nature may be. The lack of support from the family and community therefore poses burden on schools, as it turns out that they are the only social institution left to â€Å"educate, shelter, and discipline children,† (crf-usa. org). Nevertheless, this task serves too tasking as â€Å"most schools have difficulty playing multiple roles as educators, surrogate parents, social service, or law-enforcement agencies†( crf-usa).Violence Is Becoming Widespread in Schools With all these research and information laid on the table, it is therefore too difficult to ignore the fact that school violence is bound to impair the country’s education system. Lack of funding and support from state and federal governments, plus neglect on the part of communities a nd families, eventually prove too much for educators to bear the task of educating, disciplining and imparting positive attitudes to students.Thus, it could be deduced that â€Å"violence and danger are constant companions for America's schoolchildren† (McClusky, cato. org) While state and federal documents reveal that school violence has been heading towards the slump since the advent of the 21st century, researchers believe that these information are misleading, as administrators and government officials are actually negligent and blind enough to make the problem known. Journalists are quick to point out the discrepancy of assessments. McClusky (cato. rg) revealed a Denver Post article that uncovered a widespread â€Å"under-reporting of violent incidents in Denver-area schools–under-reporting that occurred despite the presence of a state accountability system designed to identify dangerous schools. † What’s went wrong is the fact that in the entire Col orado, as well as well as in other states, a lot of schools tend to under-report violent incidents. Furthermore, Chicago Tribune in McClusky (cato. org) reported negligence on the part of law enforcers in Illinois to warn school districts whenever â€Å"convicted juvenile sex offenders enroll in their schools.Many failed to notify principals in the mistaken belief they were not permitted to alert them, when in fact they were required to do so† (cato. org). Another mistake on the part of the government is the poor process of collecting and gathering data, reveals Modzeleski in McClusky (cato. org). When the law regarding this issue was enacted in 2001, it was revealed that quite a good number of school districts have gathered sufficient data to provide accurate records regarding school violence, although there were also school districts who failed on this. Impact of Violence in Public SchoolsThere’s really no question that violence in schools have profound effect not ju st in the education system, but in the entire aspect of American life. As schools are disturbed by violence, the effect is felt by students through poor education, low self-esteem and other debilitating factors that could affect not only their professional career, but other facets of their lives, as well. â€Å"It is intuitively obvious and consistent with an ecological perspective that crime and violence in settings in which youth live and attend school pose a poor context for academic involvement and performance,† explains Bowen & Bowen (321).Indeed, violent and aggressive behavior displayed by students at school could mean poor academic performance, which could directly or indirectly hamper the teaching and learning process. Based on the observations made by Lochman, Lampron, Gemmer, & Harris (339), we can conclude therefore, that aggression and violence do not only hamper the individual’s academic performance, but the â€Å"negative impact [could also extend] on t he education of their classmates by diverting their teachers from teaching and reducing the amount of time students are engaged in learning† (339).In Garbarino & Abramowitz (17), we discovered that the â€Å"risks to development can come from both direct threats and the absence of opportunities for development. † Aside from classroom performance, the impact of school violence also reaches to the physical side. Pollack, in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc. gov), reveals that â€Å"a number of students seek medical care for nonfatal, violence-related injuries. Some of these injuries are relatively minor and include cuts, bruises, and broken bones.Other injuries, like gunshot wounds and head trauma, are more serious and can lead to permanent disability. † But injuries extend deeper, more than what the eye can see, actually. The Center for Disease Control (cdc. gov) reveals that constant exposure to violence not only in school, but also at home and in the neighborhood, could result to different negative health, psychological and even mental outcomes to a person. This could include depression and anxiety, which could trigger fear in going to school and other negative effects to an individual’s life.A 2007 survey by CDC (cdc. gov), shows that almost 6 percent of high school schools in the entire country nationwide did not go to school â€Å"on one or more of the 30 days before the survey† (cdc. gov) was conducted for fear of danger and harm â€Å"at school or on their way to or from school† (cdc. gov). Thus, for this reason, the rate of absences has risen from 1993 and 2005. Furthermore, Pollack (cdc. gov) revealed that around â€Å"160,000 students go home early on any given day because they are afraid of being bullied. † ConclusionAll the records are one and the same in revealing that violence in the school is indeed a cause for alarm for everyone. According to the Indiana State University (indiana. edu), the past fifteen years saw a distressing rate in the increasing of youth violence in schools. Worst, both the culprits and the victims are getting younger and younger. What is sad and disturbing about this situation is that school officials themselves show little interest in curbing the criminality within their campus. They either fail to record the incidence or are negligent nough to inform higher officials and law enforcers about this. Furthermore, law enforcers themselves seem half-hearted in waging an all-out campaign against school violence. Even state and federal governments seem not to care at all. That is why, it is pretty irritating to note that government officials are proud to hail that school violence has either stabilized or spiraled downwards, even if every day, televisions and new papers keep on trumpeting for what really is the truth—incidents of shooting, stabbing, robbery, or rape right within the school campus.Thus, we can really conclude that at thi s point, schools are not really safe. They are in fact, at their most dangerous—among the riskiest places, ever, for students and teachers be. As revealed by Indiana State University (indiana. edu): â€Å"National level data suggests that middle and high schools, especially larger schools, are more at-risk for serious violence. Moreover, students in urban schools serving predominantly lower SES minority children remain twice as likely to be victims of violence as students in suburban, town, or rural areas.In addressing the tragic incidents that have occurred recently in suburban and rural schools, it is critical that the more ongoing and severe problems of lower SES urban schools and students not be forgotten or ignored. † All these data, figures and studies have their significant effect on our schools and in society as a whole. Indeed â€Å"what we do in our schools on a day to day basis in terms of discipline may be related to serious crime and violence† (indi ana. edu). Thus, each of us is partly to blame for what is happening. And as we are part of the problem, so, too are we parts of the solution.And while comprehensive programs and tightened security are implemented to improve the atmosphere inside the school and reduce the violence, we may say that, really, only time could tell what the future holds for our country’s educational system. References Anderson, C. A. , Gentile, Douglas A. , Burkley, K. E. Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory Research and Public Policy. New York: Oxford University Press; 2007, 83. Anderson, Craig A. et al. The Influence Of Media Violence On Youth. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4 (3); 81.Anderson, M. , Kaufman J. , Simon T. R. , Barrios L, Paulozzi L, Ryan G, et al. School-associated violent deaths in the United States, 1994-1999. JAMA 2001; 286 (21):2695-702. Bergstein J. M. , Hemenway D. , Kennedy B. , Quaday S. , Ander R. Guns in young hands: a survey of urban teenagers' attitudes and behaviors related to handgun violence. Journal of Trauma. 1996 Nov; 41(5):794-8. Bowen, Natasha K. , Bowen, Gary L. Effects of Crime and Violence in Neighborhoods and Schools on the School Behavior and Performance of Adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, Vol. 14 No. , July 1999, 321-23. Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA. Youth Gangs and Schools. Los Angeles, CA: 2007. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School-associated student homicides-United States, 1992-2006. MMWR 2008;57(02):33-36. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Temporal variations in school-associated student homicide and suicide events – United States, 1992 -1999. MMWR 2001;50(31):657-60. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2007. Surveillance Summaries, June 6, 2008. MMWR 2008;57(SS-4).Constitutional Rights Foundation. Causes of School Violence, no date. Retrieved from http://www. crf-usa . org/school-violence/causes-of-school-violence. html. Department of Education. Indicators of school crime and safety: 2008. NCES 2009-022. Department of Education and Justice (US); 2009. Washington (DC): US Government Printing Office. Garbarino, J. , Abramowitz, R. H. (1992). The ecology of human development. In J. Garbarino (Ed. ), Children and families in the social environment (2nd ed. , pp. 11-33). New York: Aldine de Gruyter. Jamieson, A. , Curry, A. Martinez, G. School enrollment in the United States – social and economic characteristics of students. Department of Commerce (US), Census Bureau (US);1999. Washington (DC): US Government Printing Office. Kachur, S. P. , Stennies, G. M. , Powell, K. E. , Modzeleski, W. , Stephens, R. , Murphy, R. , et al. School-associated violent deaths in the United States, 1992 to 1994. JAMA 1996;275(22):1729-33. Lochman, J. E. , Lampron, L. B. , Gemmer, T. C. , & Harris, S. R. (1987). Anger coping intervention with aggressive children:A guide to implementation in school settings.In P. A. Keller& S. R. Heyman (Eds. ), Innovations in clinical practice: A source book (Vol. 6, pp. 339-356). Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Exchange. McCluskey, N. Violence in Public Schools: A Dirty Secret. School Reform News: 2005, June 1. Retrieved from: http://www. cato. org/publications/commentary/violence-public-schools-dirty-secret Olweus, D. Bullying at school: what we know and what we can do. Malden (MA): Blackwell; 1993. Pollack, W. Real boys: rescuing our sons form the myths of boyhood. New York (NY): Henry Holt and Company, LLC; 1998.

Samsung vs Apple

SAMSUNG VS APPLE-BATTLE OF THE GIANTS Samsung and Apple are the two biggest smartphone companies with a combined market share of more than half the global smartphone market. Every year both the companies bring in new innovations in their smartphones, which greatly increases their smartphone sales. But in today’s market where there is cut throat competition it is given that each company will try to outdo the other in every possible manner.Hence I would like to discuss the fierce battle raging between these smartphone giants-Samsung and Apple. Apple created a boom in the smartphone market by launching the iPhone, which had more features and was the most advanced smartphone at that time. The company made a huge profit and Apple became a household favorite. But with the rise of competition and the growth of Asian giant –Samsung, Apple’s success was not to last forever.Samsung came up with the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone with identical features as that of the iPhone a nd slowly but steadily the sales of Samsung smartphones rose. Over the years there have been many new versions of the Apple iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy smartphone series and to surpass each other both these companies have been guilty of imitating the technologies used in their smartphones and have also filed for various lawsuits against each other.Samsung has been accused by Apple of violating patents and: – 1) Copying their icon arrangement display pattern. 2) Accused of imitating the iconic iPhone’s shape which in official terms is called as â€Å"tradedress†(e. g. smartphones resemble the iPhone 3g and iPhone 3gs in shape). [One such example of tradedress is that Apple on conducting a survey with â€Å"BestBuy† found out that there were many people who returned the Samsung phones because they thought they were iPhones.This Apple accuses was Samsung’s strategy for increasing their smartphone sales against the iPhone and also to tempt buyers int o buying Samsung phones which look identical to iPhone] 3) Imitating features like â€Å"double tap† to zoom, â€Å"pinch and squeeze â€Å" to zoom and the â€Å"rubber-band† effect. On the other hand Samsung has accused Apple of: – 1) Using Samsung’s 3G technology in their smartphones without a legal permit from Samsung. (Apple uses this technology on millions of phones) 2) Use of E-mail in a camera equipped phone. ) Multitasking in the mobile device. Hence by weighing the claims of both these companies, in my opinion, Samsung tried to ape the specific look and feel of iPhone to increase its sales. However, this is not the only reason that translates directly to lost sales on apple’s part-from price to carriers. To sum up, the software patent claims made by both the companies seem pretty baseless to me and I strongly feel there needs to be some kind of protection for genuine innovation. References: – www. businessweek. com www. ibtimes. com www. forbes. com

Agriculture Helped Civilization essays

Agriculture Helped Civilization essays Who wouldve thought that farmers 10,000 or some odd years ago could have helped civilization to what it is today? Farming started in the near east about 10,000 years ago. It began in areas that had an abundance of food so it just came to them. Without it, civilization would not be what it is today. Agriculture led to advances such as, technology, settlement, and government. Agriculture required you stay in one place so this meant people had to stop their nomadic ways. In order to tend their animals and crops people had to settle down. Now they didnt have to cross hot deserts, or climb steep mountains (Cereals). The packs of hunters that had roamed about in search of game now settled in villages (Cities). Imagine what it would be like today if we were still a nomadic people. After people started settling down urbanization started to occur. Most of the early cities started out as farming towns then evolved into bigger metropolises (Cities). With more food being produced than needed the population increased greatly causing the cities to expand (Cereals). Without agriculture people wouldnt have settled in one place and none of these important things wouldve come to be. Important technological advances came out of agriculture. Seeds are planted in rows and a device was needed to make theses rows. The first real device used for this purpose was the digging stick. It was an approximately V-shaped piece of wood with the two sides of the V of unequal length (Cereals). This later led to the development of the plow, which is still used today. One of the main produces of agriculture is a domesticated animal like cattle. The domestication of animals started in the near east where the animals could graze on the already existing cereals (Cities). If this hadnt have been thought of back then, who knows, maybe cows would be running in the streets today? ...

A Freelance Writers Portfolio

A Freelance Writers Portfolio When venturing into the world of freelance writing, most writers discover that a diversified portfolio in the publishing industry is as important as it is in the financial industry. Unless you are one of those writers who are able to find your own niche and achieve instant success there, being able to write in any genre or style, anywhere, is almost vital to a freelancers budding career. Very few writers are able to immediately break into the industry without prior experience or publishing credentials, and the easiest way to attain both of these is to write, write, write- anything and everything.When a writer learns to mimic various styles within various genres, the possibilities for a full-time career in writing become more likely. Even if writing is a hobby, or something you are pursuing in college, having a portfolio that demonstrates a range in ability, style, and tone will only work to your advantage- regardless of your future plans.Setting up a portfolio with some of your best work in each genre helps clients and publishers to see the range of your ability, and gives them confidence that you will be able to produce the content they need, even if you have never written something exactly like it.For most freelance writers, copywriting and sales copy is one of the easiest ways to earn a living. Therefore, examples of your ability to write this type of content are crucial as additions to your freelancers portfolio. Copywriting can cover a range of assignments- from web site content to Blogs to informative articles- and the best copywriters must be able to research any given topic and produce quality, informative content based on that research. Therefore, having a few different examples of content on a range of topics is important.Also, much of copywriting is keyword driven, meaning that specific keywords must be placed throughout the article or website in order to attract online traffic through search engines. While there is a fine line between too many keywo rds and not enough, most clients will want to see at least a 3% ratio (this means that the keywords should be at least 3% of the total word count). It might be a good idea to include one portfolio example with a higher ratio and one with a lower ratio to show that you can write effective content with varying keyword frequency.In addition to content articles and sales copy, another facet of copywriting is the press release. A mixture of marketing strategy and engaging content, the press release shows your ability to say a lot within a few words. A well-written press release also demonstrates your ability to factor in the audience- an important skill for any writer, regardless of the genre or tone of the writing.Technical writing encompasses everything from copywriting to how-to manuals to presentations, and your portfolio should include examples of any of your previous work in these areas. A good technical writer is one that has a thorough grasp of grammar, conciseness, and flow- all qualities that can easily translate into more creative ventures.You should also have examples of creative writing in your portfolio, even if you plan to focus your freelance career on technical writing assignments. Creative writing allows clients to have a glimpse into your personality and drive as a writer, and tends to demonstrate more of your persona than that which is shown in your technical writing examples.Regardless of how mundane, or seemingly un-creative their projects might be, clients are aware that any writer must possess a certain degree of imagination and vision in order to produce quality work. Creative writing within your freelancers portfolio allows them to see these things in you. Some great creative writing additions to your portfolio would be op-ed (opposite editorial) pieces, magazine articles, creative Blogs, or short stories.Also, many clients looking for a freelance writer are interested in someone to ghostwrite a work of fiction or nonfiction for them, and will want to see your abilities on the creative front for writing a book-When venturing into the world of freelance writing, most writers discover that a diversified portfolio in the publishing industry is as important as it is in the financial industry. Unless you are one of those writers who is able to find your own niche and achieve instant success there, being able to write in any genre or style, anywhere, is vital to a freelancers budding career.The secret to breaking into the industryVery few writers are able to immediately break into the industry without prior experience or publishing credentials, and the easiest way to attain both of these is to write, write, write- anything and everything! When a writer learns to mimic various styles within multiple genres, the possibilities for a full-time career in writing become more likely. Even if writing is a hobby, or something you are pursuing in college, having a portfolio that demonstrates a range in ability, style, and tone will only work to your advantage- regardless of your future plans.Why you need a portfolio as a copywriterSetting up a portfolio with some of your best work in each genre helps clients and publishers to see the range of your ability, and gives them confidence that you will be able to produce the content they need, even if you have never written something exactly like it. For most freelance writers, copywriting and sales copy is one of the easiest ways to earn a living. Therefore, examples of your ability to write this type of content are crucial as additions to your freelancers portfolio.Copywriting can cover a range of assignments- from web site content to blogs to informative articles- and the best copywriters must be able to research any given topic and produce quality, informative content based on that research. Therefore, having a few different examples of content on a range of topics is important.Keyword frequencyAlso, much of copywriting is keyword driven, meaning that specific ke ywords must be placed throughout the article or website in order to attract online traffic through search engines. While there is a fine line between too many keywords and not enough, most clients will want to see at least a 3% ratio (this means that the keywords should be at least 3% of the total word count). It might be a good idea to include one portfolio example with a higher ratio and one with a lower ratio to show that you can write effective content with varying keyword frequency.Press releaseIn addition to content articles and sales copy, another facet of copywriting is the press release. A mixture of marketing strategy and engaging content, the press release shows your ability to say a lot within a few words. A well-written press release also demonstrates your ability to factor in the audience- an important skill for any writer, regardless of the genre or tone of the writing.Technical writingTechnical writing encompasses everything from copywriting to how-to manuals to pres entations, and your portfolio should include examples of any of your previous work in these areas. A good technical writer is one that has a thorough grasp of grammar, conciseness, and flow- all qualities that can easily translate into more creative ventures.Creative writingYou should also have examples of creative writing in your portfolio, even if you plan to focus your freelance career on technical writing assignments. Creative writing allows clients to have a glimpse into your personality and drive as a writer, and tends to demonstrate more of your persona than that which is shown in your technical writing examples.Regardless of how mundane, or seemingly un-creative their projects might be, clients are aware that any writer must possess a certain degree of imagination and vision in order to produce quality work. Creative writing within your freelancers portfolio allows them to see these things in you. Some great creative writing additions to your portfolio would be op-ed (opposi te editorial) pieces, magazine articles, creative blogs, or short stories.GhostwritingAlso, many clients looking for a freelance writer are interested in someone to ghostwrite a work of fiction or nonfiction for them, and will want to see your abilities on the creative front for writing a book-length manuscript. Including an example chapter in your portfolio would be a great way to show them your capabilities on this front. If possible, try to include two chapters- one for a work of fiction and one for a work of nonfiction. If you have not previously written an entire chapter, consider doing so for the sole purpose of inclusion in your freelance writers portfolio. The opportunities for ghostwriters are, in some cases, greater than those available to copywriters, and the pay is often better as an added bonus.Your business card and resume wrapped into oneAs a freelance writer, your portfolio is your business card and resume wrapped into one. It is an opportunity for you to showcase yo ur abilities, in addition to your range of skill in writing. In the same sense that presentation is key to any first impression, be sure that the items in your portfolio are impeccably edited and formatted into an easy-to-read font. You could have all the skills a client is looking for, but without the proper presentation of those skills, you could very well be overlooked.Finally, think of your portfolio as a work in progress. When you write something that is published- be sure to include it, along with all information regarding when and where it was published. It is also a good idea to include a copy of the original article if you were published in a regional or national magazine or paper. Often, the stepping-stones into the world of publishing are the little achievements youve made along the way.

Alcohol Prohibition In 1920s History Essay

Alcohol Prohibition In 1920s History Essay Women, the driving factor in prohibition, believed that prohibition would make alcohol’s presence in society go away this would resolve the majority of societal issues.. The prohibition movement only made the alcohol problem worse by increasing the percentage of alcohol in one drink, due to the new group of people it created. This group was coined with the name moonshiners or bootleggers, and these people were in the very profitable business of producing alcohol illegally. Not only did they make alcohol illegally, but the alcohol that they did make was a lot more potent than the alcohol that was sold prior to prohibition. They could not transport beer, or even wine very easily because of the sheer volume that it would take to intoxicate a person. Moonshiners had to resort to something that would be more profitable and easier to transport. â€Å"Well, one of the things that happen when you outlaw any product is that the product returns underground. Correct? But it returns und erground in a more concentrated form. And the problem with beer is it’s very difficult to hide. So, in most parts of the United States, beer actually was not available during Prohibition. Instead, you had to substitute bathtub gin.†(See Appendix 3) Alcohol sold before 1920 was usually low proof, but when moonshine came about it was up to 190 proof , or 95% alcohol. The picture â€Å"Still Diagram† shows a diagram of how moonshiners built their valuable stills that could produce very high proof alcohol. (See Appendix 1) This was something that women did not think about. They just believed that they alcohol would go away, not be transferred into a different more potent form. People would get a lot drunker a lot faster only making worse the problem that women saw before. This alone made prohibition a complete failure. Seeing that moonshine was illegal, this turned many citizens, who used to be good law abiding citizens, into criminals. These citizens were people who held respectable jobs, and were very capable members of society, and not just people who were the stereotypical criminals. With more people breaking laws, and a new underground business, this led to the ever rising crime rate, leaving the police outnumbered. â€Å"The most successful gangs became ever larger and more organized. With the money made from liquor they were able to branch out into a variety of other criminal enterprises, and eventually they used the money to take over legitimate business. The structure of what we now call organized crime was born during prohibition.† (Cohen 49) It was very hard for authorities to keep up with something so new that they had never had to combat before. What started out as a good idea was falling apart day by day. â€Å"The demand for alcohol was outweighing (and out-winning) the demand for sobriety.† (National Archives) This became such a profitable business that in most cases the ends would justify the means. After all, thi s was a tax free business, and the money that was coming into bootleggers from selling their moonshine was more that most of them have seen in their entire life. Women did not approve of this at all. This was not what they had intended when they posed the idea of prohibition. Creating more problems in a society that they had already deemed as corrupt was the last thing they want to do, but they did not realize their ideology was just fueling the issues they felt that were already bad enough in their society.

Movie review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Movie review - Research Paper Example It is during the research on Doctor Death that Morris came across Adams who convinced him of his innocence. Emotional Aspect: Investigations into the Adams case revealed that five of the witnesses in the case had committed perjury. This resulted in Adams being given a death sentence that was later overturned by the Supreme Court in 1980 and was commuted to life imprisonment by the then Governor of Texas. Film Craft: The documentary was done by re-enacting scenes as they were told in the witnesses’ statements. In making the documentary, Morris and his team recreated several versions of the shooting that Adams was convicted for. It does not, however, recreate the scene where David Harris shoots the officer. The final scene of the film is an audio recording in which Morris and Harris can be heard speaking in the background. Comments: Although most convicted criminals are known to pledge their innocence, some of them are actually innocent of the crimes they were sentenced for. The Adams case is a clear illustration of cases where the innocent are prosecuted while the guilty roam

Managing across Cultures individual report Essay

Managing across Cultures individual report - Essay Example As a result of its influence, culture management across organizations has started getting importance in business terms and is currently the one of the most evaluated subject for business analysts researchers and. In the present study culture will be studied with respect to its various dimensions researched by known people. Few of the organizational behaviour and cultural theories will also be discussed in detail Critical analysis of theory and research Culture plays a major role in characterizing the environmental context in which firms operate and decide, chose strategies and structures. A culture essentially consists of the expectations, experiences, philosophies and values ingrained and the elemental brinks which holds an organization or an association together (Bennett, Aston and Colquhoun, 2000). In broader terms organizational culture comprises of visions, norms, working languages, systems, beliefs, symbols and habits. Since individuals work together in an organization as a tea m with a common goal of completing the job, the culture created in a firm will help the team members in understanding each other more successfully (Olsonand Kroeger, 2001). Hofstede defines culture as â€Å"the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from others† (Hofstede et al., 1990). ... ee individuals are integrated with groups Masculinity and Femininity (MAS) - Masculinity represents society’s preference towards heroism, achievement, assertiveness as well as material rewards. On the other hand, Femininity refers preferring modesty, cooperation and care for underprivileged and weak and improving quality of life. Society is both competitive and consensus oriented (Hofstede and McCrae, 2004). Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) - it is the tolerance of a society towards ambiguity and uncertainty. It expresses the tendency of feeling uncomfortable with risks and unexpected changes. countries showing strong UI have rigid belief codes while weak UI society have more tranquil attitudes where practice is given more preference than principles Long term and Short term orientation- long term orientation refers to the society and their individual’s explore for virtues. On the other hand, short term orientation refers to preference for absolute truth. They are normative t hinkers and exhibit respect for traditions. Another model of cultural dimensions was given by Trompenaars. He classified cultures according to a mix of value and behavioral patterns. The research was particularly focused on business executives. Seven value orientations were evaluated. The seven dimensions were particularism versus universalism, individualism versus communitarians, emotional versus neutral, specific versus diffuse, ascription versus achievement, nature-human relationship and nature-time relationship. Trompennar’s work primarily focuses on sociology and includes two measurements for attitudes which were environment and time. Researchers have divided Trompennars theory into two different aspects. There are three ways to handle cultural problems and five individual dimensions. Edward