The Host Chapter 39: Worried

Perfect, I grumbled to myself. Just perfect. Ian was coming to join me for lunch, a big smile glued into place on his face. Trying to cheer me up†¦ again. I think you're overdoing the sarcasm lately, Melanie told me. I'll keep that in mind. I hadn't heard from her much in the past week. Neither of us was good company right now. It was better if we avoided social interaction, even with each other. â€Å"Hey, Wanda,† Ian greeted me, hopping up onto the counter beside me. He had a bowl of tomato soup in one hand, still steaming. Mine was beside me, cooled and half full. I was toying with a piece of roll, ripping it into tiny pieces. I didn't answer him. â€Å"Oh, come on.† He put his hand on my knee. Mel's angry reaction was lethargic. She was too used to this kind of thing to really work up a good fit anymore. â€Å"They'll be back today. Before sunset, without a doubt.† â€Å"You said that three days ago, and two days ago, and again yesterday,† I reminded him. â€Å"I have a good feeling about today. Don't sulk-it's so human,† he teased. â€Å"I'm not sulking.† I wasn't. I was so worried I could barely think straight. It didn't leave me energy to do anything else. â€Å"This isn't the first raid Jamie's gone on.† â€Å"That makes me feel so much better.† Again with the sarcasm. Melanie was right-I really was overusing it. â€Å"He's got Jared and Geoffrey and Trudy with him. And Kyle's here.† Ian laughed. â€Å"So there's no way they'll get into any trouble.† â€Å"I don't want to talk about it.† â€Å"Okay.† He turned his attention to his food and let me stew. Ian was nice that way-always trying to give me what I wanted, even when what I wanted was unclear to either of us. His insistent attempts to distract me from the present anxiety excepted, of course. I knew I didn't want that. I wanted to worry; it was the only thing I could do. It had been a month since I'd moved back into Jamie and Jared's room. For three weeks of that time, the four of us had lived together. Jared slept on a mattress wedged above the head of the bed where Jamie and I slept. I'd gotten used to it-the sleeping part, at least; I was having a hard time sleeping now in the empty room. I missed the sound of two other bodies breathing. I hadn't gotten used to waking up every morning with Jared there. It still took me a second too long to return his morning greeting. He was not at ease, either, but he was always polite. We were both very polite. It was almost scripted at this point. â€Å"Good morning, Wanda, how did you sleep?† â€Å"Fine, thank you, and you?† â€Å"Fine, thanks. And†¦ Mel?† â€Å"She's good, too, thanks.† Jamie's constant state of euphoria and his happy chattering kept things from becoming too strained. He talked about-and to-Melanie often, until her name was no longer the source of stress it had once been when Jared was present. Every day, it got a little bit more comfortable, the pattern of my life here a little bit more pleasant. We were†¦ sort of happy. Both Melanie and I. And then, a week ago, Jared had left for another short raid-mostly to replace broken tools-and taken Jamie with him. â€Å"You tired?† Ian asked. I realized I was rubbing at my eyes. â€Å"Not really.† â€Å"Still not sleeping well?† â€Å"It's too quiet.† â€Å"I could sleep with you-Oh, calm down, Melanie. You know what I meant.† Ian always noticed when Melanie's antagonism made me cringe. â€Å"I thought they were going to be back today,† I challenged. â€Å"You're right. I guess there's no need for rearranging.† I sighed. â€Å"Maybe you should take the afternoon off.† â€Å"Don't be silly,† I told him. â€Å"I've got plenty of energy for work.† He grinned as though I'd said something that pleased him. Something he'd been hoping I would say. â€Å"Good. I could use some help with a project.† â€Å"What's the project?† â€Å"I'll show you-you finished there?† I nodded. He took my hand as he led me out of the kitchen. Again, this was so common that Melanie barely protested. â€Å"Why are we going this way?† The eastern field did not need attention. We'd been part of the group that had irrigated it this morning. Ian didn't answer. He was still grinning. He led me down the eastern tunnel, past the field and into the corridor that led to only one place. As soon as we were in the tunnel, I could hear voices echoing and a sporadic thud, thud that it took me a moment to place. The stale, bitter sulfur odor helped link the sound to the memory. â€Å"Ian, I'm not in the mood.† â€Å"You said you had plenty of energy.† â€Å"To work. Not to play soccer.† â€Å"But Lily and Wes will be really disappointed. I promised them a game of two-on-two. They worked so hard this morning to free up the afternoon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Don't try to make me feel guilty,† I said as we rounded the last curve. I could see the blue light of several lamps, shadows flitting in front of them. â€Å"Isn't it working?† he teased. â€Å"C'mon, Wanda. It will be good for you.† He pulled me into the low-ceilinged game room, where Lily and Wes were passing the ball back and forth across the length of the field. â€Å"Hey, Wanda. Hey, Ian,† Lily called to us. â€Å"This one's mine, O'Shea,† Wes warned him. â€Å"You're not going to let me lose to Wes, are you?† Ian murmured. â€Å"You could beat them alone.† â€Å"It would still be a forfeit. I'd never live it down.† I sighed. â€Å"Fine. Fine. Be that way.† Ian hugged me with what Melanie thought was unnecessary enthusiasm. â€Å"You're my very favorite person in the known universe.† â€Å"Thanks,† I muttered dryly. â€Å"Ready to be humiliated, Wanda?† Wes taunted. â€Å"You may have taken the planet, but you're losing this game.† Ian laughed, but I didn't respond. The joke made me uneasy. How could Wes make a joke about that? Humans were always surprising me. Melanie included. She'd been in just as miserable a mood as I was, but now she was suddenly excited. We didn't get to play last time, she explained. I could feel her yearning to run-to run for pleasure rather than in fear. Running was something she used to love. Doing nothing won't get them home any faster. A distraction might be nice. She was already thinking strategy, sizing up our opponents. â€Å"Do you know the rules?† Lily asked me. I nodded. â€Å"I remember them.† Absently, I bent my leg at the knee and grabbed my ankle behind me, pulling it to stretch out the muscles. It was a familiar position to my body. I stretched the other leg and was pleased that it felt whole. The bruise on the back of my thigh was faded yellow, almost gone. My side felt fine, which made me think that my rib had never really been broken. I'd seen my face while I was cleaning mirrors two weeks ago. The scar forming on my cheek was dark red and as big as the palm of my hand, with a dozen jagged points around the edges. It bothered Melanie more than it did me. â€Å"I'll take the goal,† Ian told me, while Lily fell back and Wes paced beside the ball. A mismatch. Melanie liked this. Competition appealed to her. From the moment the game started-Wes kicking the ball back to Lily and then sprinting ahead to get around me for her pass-there was very little time to think. Only to react and to feel. See Lily shift her body, measure the direction this would send the ball. Cut Wes off-ah, but he was surprised by how fast I was-launch the ball to Ian and move up the field. Lily was playing too far forward. I raced her to the lantern goalpost and won. Ian aimed the pass perfectly, and I scored the first goal. It felt good: the stretch and pull of muscle, the sweat of exertion rather than plain heat, the teamwork with Ian. We were well matched. I was quick, and his aim was deadly. Wes's goading dried up before Ian scored the third goal. Lily called the game when we hit twenty-one. She was breathing hard. Not me; I felt good, muscles warm and limber. Wes wanted another round, but Lily was done. â€Å"Face it, they're better.† â€Å"We got hustled.† â€Å"No one ever said she couldn't play.† â€Å"No one ever said she was a pro, either.† I liked that-it made me smile. â€Å"Don't be a sore loser,† Lily said, reaching out to tickle Wes's stomach playfully. He caught her fingers and pulled her closer to him. She laughed, tugging away, but Wes reeled her in and planted a solid kiss on her laughing mouth. Ian and I exchanged a quick, startled glance. â€Å"For you, I will lose with grace,† Wes told her, and then set her free. Lily's smooth caramel skin had taken on a bit of pink on her cheeks and neck. She peeked at Ian and me to see our reaction. â€Å"And now,† Wes continued, â€Å"I'm off to get reinforcements. We'll see how your little ringer does against Kyle, Ian.† He lobbed the ball into the far dark corner of the cave, where I heard it splash into the spring. Ian trotted off to retrieve it, while I continued to look at Lily curiously. She laughed at my expression, sounding self-conscious, which was unusual for her. â€Å"I know, I know.† â€Å"How long has†¦ that been going on?† I wondered. She grimaced. â€Å"Not my business. Sorry.† â€Å"It's okay. It's not a secret-how could anything be a secret here, anyway? It's just really†¦ new to me. It's sort of your fault,† she added, smiling to show that she was teasing me. I felt a little guilty anyway. And confused. â€Å"What did I do?† â€Å"Nothing,† she assured me. â€Å"It was Wes's†¦ reaction to you that surprised me. I didn't know he had so much depth to him. I was never really aware of him before that. Oh, well. He's too young for me, but what does that matter here?† She laughed again. â€Å"It's strange how life and love go on. I didn't expect that.† â€Å"Yeah. Kind of funny how that happens,† Ian agreed. I hadn't heard him return. He slung his arm around my shoulders. â€Å"It's nice, though. You do know Wes has been infatuated with you since he first got here, right?† â€Å"So he says. I hadn't noticed.† Ian laughed. â€Å"Then you're the only one. So, Wanda, how about some one-on-one while we're waiting?† I could feel Melanie's wordless enthusiasm. â€Å"Okay.† He let me have the ball first, holding back, hugging the goal area. My first shot cut between him and the post, scoring. I rushed him when he kicked off, and got the ball back. I scored again. He's letting us win, Mel grumbled. â€Å"Come on, Ian. Play.† â€Å"I am.† Tell him he's playing like a girl. â€Å"Playing like a girl.† He laughed, and I slipped the ball away from him again. The taunt wasn't enough. I had an inspiration then, and I shot the ball through his goal, guessing it would probably be the last time I got to do it. Mel objected. I don't like this idea. I'll bet it works, though. I put the ball back at center field. â€Å"You win, and you can sleep in my room while they're gone.† I needed a good night's rest. â€Å"First to ten.† With a grunt, he launched the ball past me so hard that it rebounded off the distant, invisible wall behind my goal and came back to us. I looked at Lily. â€Å"Was that wide?† â€Å"No, it looked dead center to me.† â€Å"One-three,† Ian announced. It took him fifteen minutes to win, but at least I got to really work. I even squeezed in one more goal, of which I was proud. I was gasping for air when he stole the ball from me and sailed it through my goalposts for the last time. He wasn't winded. â€Å"Ten-four, I win.† â€Å"Good game,† I huffed. â€Å"Tired?† he asked, the innocence in his tone a bit overdone. Being funny. He stretched. â€Å"I think I'm ready for bed myself.† He leered in a melodramatic way. I winced. â€Å"Aw, Mel, you know I'm joking. Be nice.† Lily eyed us, mystified. â€Å"Jared's Melanie objects to me,† Ian told her, winking. Her eyebrows rose. â€Å"That's†¦ interesting.† â€Å"I wonder what's taking Wes so long?† Ian muttered, not taking much notice of her reaction. â€Å"Should we go find out? I could use some water.† â€Å"Me, too,† I agreed. â€Å"Bring some back.† Lily didn't move from where she was half sprawled on the floor. As we entered the narrow tunnel, Ian threw one arm lightly around my waist. â€Å"You know,† he said, â€Å"it's really unfair for Melanie to make you suffer when she's angry at me.† â€Å"Since when are humans fair?† â€Å"Good point.† â€Å"Besides, she'd be glad to make you suffer, if I'd let her.† He laughed. â€Å"That's nice about Wes and Lily, don't you think?† he said. â€Å"Yes. They both seem very happy. I like that.† â€Å"I like it, too. Wes finally got the girl. Gives me hope.† He winked at me. â€Å"Do you think Melanie would make you very uncomfortable if I were to kiss you right now?† I stiffened for a second, then took a deep breath. â€Å"Probably.† Oh, yes. â€Å"Definitely.† Ian sighed. We heard Wes shouting at the same time. His voice came from the end of the tunnel, getting closer with each word. â€Å"They're back! Wanda, they're back!† It took me less than a second to process, and then I was sprinting. Behind me, Ian mumbled something about wasted effort. I nearly knocked Wes down. â€Å"Where?† I gasped. â€Å"In the plaza.† And I was off again. I flew into the big garden room with my eyes already searching. It wasn't hard to find them. Jamie was standing at the front of a group of people near the entrance to the southern tunnel. â€Å"Hey, Wanda!† he yelled, waving. Trudy held his arm as I ran around the edges of the field, as if she were holding him back from running to meet me. I grabbed his shoulders with both hands and pulled him to me. â€Å"Oh, Jamie!† â€Å"Did ya miss me?† â€Å"Just a tiny bit. Where is everyone? Is everyone home? Is everyone okay?† Besides Jamie, Trudy was the only person here who was back from the raid. Everyone else in the little crowd-Lucina, Ruth Ann, Kyle, Travis, Violetta, Reid-was welcoming them home. â€Å"Everyone's back and well,† Trudy assured me. My eyes swept the big cave. â€Å"Where are they?† â€Å"Uh†¦ getting cleaned up, unloading†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I wanted to offer my help-anything that would get me to where Jared was so I could see with my own eyes that he was safe-but I knew I wouldn't be allowed to see where the goods were coming in. â€Å"You look like you need a bath,† I told Jamie, rumpling his dirty, knotted hair without letting go of him. â€Å"He's supposed to go lie down,† Trudy said. â€Å"Trudy,† Jamie muttered, giving her a dark look. Trudy glanced at me quickly, then looked away. â€Å"Lie down†¦?† I stared at Jamie, pulling back to get a good look at him. He didn't seem tired-his eyes were bright, and his cheeks flushed under his tan. My eyes raked over him once and then froze on his right leg. There was a ragged hole in his jeans a few inches above his knee. The fabric around the hole was a dark reddish brown, and the ominous color spread in a long stain all the way to the cuff. Blood, Melanie realized with horror. â€Å"Jamie! What happened?† â€Å"Thanks, Trudy.† â€Å"She was going to notice soon enough. C'mon, we'll talk while you limp.† Trudy put her arm under his and helped him hop forward one slow step at a time, keeping his weight on his left leg. â€Å"Jamie, tell me what happened!† I put my arm around him from the other side, trying to carry as much of his weight as I could. â€Å"It's really stupid. And totally my fault. And it could have happened here.† â€Å"Tell me.† He sighed. â€Å"I tripped with a knife in my hand.† I shuddered. â€Å"Shouldn't we be taking you the other way? You need to see Doc.† â€Å"That's where I'm coming from. That's where we went first.† â€Å"What did Doc say?† â€Å"It's fine. He cleaned it and bandaged it and said to go lie down.† â€Å"And have you walk all this way? Why didn't you stay in the hospital?† Jamie made a face and glanced up at Trudy, like he was looking for an answer. â€Å"Jamie will be more comfortable on his bed,† she suggested. â€Å"Yeah,† he agreed quickly. â€Å"Who wants to lie around on one of those awful cots?† I looked at them and then behind me. The crowd was gone. I could hear their voices echoing back down the southern corridor. What was that about? Mel wondered warily. It occurred to me that Trudy wasn't a much better liar than I was. When she'd said the others from the raid were unloading and cleaning up, there was a false note to her voice. I thought I remembered her eyes flickering to the right, back toward that tunnel. â€Å"Hey, kid! Hey, Trudy!† Ian had caught up to us. â€Å"Hi, Ian,† they greeted him at the same time. â€Å"What happened here?† â€Å"Fell on a knife,† Jamie grunted, ducking his head. Ian laughed. â€Å"I don't think it's funny,† I told him, my voice tight. Melanie, frantic with worry in my head, imagined slapping him. I ignored her. â€Å"Could happen to anybody,† Ian said, planting a light punch on Jamie's arm. â€Å"Right,† Jamie muttered. â€Å"Where's everybody?† I watched Trudy from the corner of my eye as she answered him. â€Å"They, uh, had some unloading to finish up.† This time her eyes moved toward the southern tunnel very deliberately, and Ian's expression hardened, turned enraged for half a second. Then Trudy glanced back at me and caught me watching. Distract them, Melanie whispered. I looked down at Jamie quickly. â€Å"Are you hungry?† I asked him. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"When aren't you hungry?† Ian teased. His face was relaxed again. He was better at deception than Trudy. When we reached our room, Jamie sank gratefully onto the big mattress. â€Å"You sure you're okay?† I checked. â€Å"It's nothing. Really. Doc says I'll be fine in a few days.† I nodded, though I was not convinced. â€Å"I'm going to go clean up,† Trudy murmured as she left. Ian propped himself against the wall, going nowhere. Keep your face down when you lie, Melanie suggested. â€Å"Ian?† I stared intently at Jamie's bloody leg. â€Å"Do you mind getting us some food? I'm hungry, too.† â€Å"Yeah. Get us something good.† I could feel Ian's eyes on me, but I didn't look up. â€Å"Okay,† he agreed. â€Å"I'll be back in just a second.† He emphasized the short time. I kept my gaze down, as if I were examining the wound, until I heard his footsteps fade. â€Å"You aren't mad at me?† Jamie asked. â€Å"Of course not.† â€Å"I know you didn't want me to go.† â€Å"You're safe now; that's all that matters.† I patted his arm absentmindedly. Then I got to my feet and let my hair, now chin length, fall forward to hide my face. â€Å"I'll be right back-I forgot something I wanted to tell Ian.† â€Å"What?† he asked, confused by my tone. â€Å"You'll be okay here by yourself?† â€Å"Course I will,† he retorted, sidetracked. I ducked out around the screen before he could ask anything else. The hall was clear, Ian out of sight. I had to hurry. I knew he was already suspicious. He'd noticed that I'd noticed Trudy's awkward and artificial explanation. He wouldn't be gone long. I walked quickly, but didn't run, as I moved through the big plaza. Purposeful, as if I were on an errand. There were only a few people there-Reid, headed for the passageway that led to the bathing pool; Ruth Ann and Heidi, paused by the eastern corridor, chatting; Lily and Wes, their backs to me, holding hands. No one paid me any attention. I stared ahead as if I were not focused on the southern tunnel, only turning in at the very last second. As soon as I was in the pitch-black of the corridor, I sped up, jogging along the familiar path. Some instinct told me this was the same thing-that this was a repeat of the last time Jared and the others had come home from a raid, and everyone was sad, and Doc had gotten drunk, and no one would answer my questions. It was happening again, whatever I wasn't supposed to know about. What I didn't want to know about, according to Ian. I felt prickles on the back of my neck. Maybe I didn't want to know. Yes, you do. We both do. I'm frightened. Me, too. I ran as quietly as I could down the dark tunnel.

Desert Places

Desert Places by Robert Frost Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast In a field I looked into going past, And the ground almost covered smooth in snow, But a few weeds and stubble showing last. The woods around it have it – it is theirs. All animals are smothered in their lairs. I am too absent-spirited to count; The loneliness includes me unawares. And lonely as it is, that loneliness Will be more lonely ere it will be less – A blanker whiteness of benighted snow With no expression, nothing to express.They cannot scare me with their empty spaces Between stars where no human race is. I have it in me so much nearer home To scare myself with my own desert places In the poem â€Å"Desert Places† by Robert Frost, The speaker is a lonely man who is not feeling a sense of belonging within himself. Also winter does not offer to help the lonely man. Instead it assists his feelings of loneliness. â€Å"And the ground almost covered smooth in snow† (line 3). As line three indicates, the speaker is watching an empty field being covered by more and more snow.This connotes concealing the beauty of the field. The snow imagery communicates the feelings of disappointing winter and emptiness. The observation of loneliness in winter and isolation from the world is nothing compare to the feelings of loneliness and emptiness within. This meaning is effectively communicated by the poem’s imagery and by the denotation and connotation of the words Frost has chosen. In the first stanza, the setting is developed with the use of words ‘night’ and ‘snow’ and they both carry negative connotation.Snow is employed throughout the poem to show the lack of identity; it also has characteristics of cold and formless white sheet. This observations show an image of snow falling fast, destroying the beauty of the field and covering up everything that is living. Similarly the ‘night’ has a negative connotation of darkne ss, the blackness and visionless that signals the depression and loneliness that the speaker is feeling. The concept of ‘falling fast’ both words which are mentioned twice in the first line of the first stanza, suggests descending uncontrollable and unstoppable.All four words create images that describe the mood of the speaker’s inescapable depression as result of the ‘ground covered smooth in the snow’ (3) and the feeling of emptiness within. In the second stanza the word ‘theirs’ denotes belonging; explaining the woods have something to feel a part of. The speaker still feels lonely. Also the word ‘smothered’ denotes suffocation and blockage. Although the animals are ‘smothered’ by the snow and feel helpless and alone, they are smothered in ‘their lairs’.The last line of the second stanza is really important because the word ‘loneliness’ is mentioned for the first time in the poem. Th e world ‘loneliness’ denotes without company and isolated. In line seven, the speaker is ‘too absent-spirited to count,’ he is sadly alone. In the eighth line ‘the loneliness includes me unaware,’ the speaker notices unexpectedly he too is included in the ‘loneliness. ’ It is not just the animals and the empty field covered with snow the speaker is blaming of being lonely but also himself as well.The speaker loses enthusiasm. In the third stanza, It is the most straightforward and haunting stanza of the poem because it practically induces ‘loneliness’ into the reader. ‘Lonely’ and ‘loneliness’ are mentioned three times in this stanza. ‘Will be more lonely ere it will be less—’ (10) The speaker admits that the weather and more so him feeling lonely will only get worse before it gets better. The word ‘blanker’ and ‘benighted’ are used in this stanza to give imagery of how empty and lonesome the persona is feeling.In line twelve, the imagery of depression and absence of identity is furthermore supported when the speaker compares himself to the snow to say ‘With no expression, nothing to express’ (12) mentioning his lack of identity and him falling into loneliness. The fourth and last stanza is where the speaker is most confident. The word ‘scare’ is mentioned twice in this stanza and it denotes fear. In the first line of the fourth stanza the speaker says he worries no more of empty and lonely spaces. The word ‘star’ denotes space, but it also connotes to an example of loneliness ‘where no human race is. (14) The speaker does not coward anymore of lonely empty spaces, he does not need empty fields covered with formless snow and space filled with loneliness to scare him; it’s already inside of him. The last line of the poem ‘To scare myself with my own desert places,â€⠄¢ (16) contain an image which displays Frost’s thought that fear comes from within oneself rather than without. No matter how you view or understand this poem ‘Desert places’ by Robert Frost; we can all agree that imagery, connotation, and denotation play an important role in explaining the poem’s total meaning.

Jahrod

Textbooks vs. Tablets Jahrod Meyers Central Carolina Technical College Topic:Should tablets replace textbooks in K-12 schools? Specific Purpose:Explaining the advantages and the disadvantages Thesis Statement:Publishing for the K-12 school market is an $8 billion industry, with three companies – McGraw-Hill, Pearson, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt – capturing about 85% of this market. Tablets are a $35 billion industry with roughly one in three adults owning a tablet. As tablets have become more prevalent, a new debate has formed over whether K-12 school districts should switch from print textbooks to digital textbooks on tablets.Introduction A 4GB tablet filled with 3,500 e-books weighs a billionth of a billionth of a gram more than if it were empty of data – a difference that is approximately the same weight as a molecule of DNA. The same number of physical books would weigh about two tons. In San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles, robberies related to intern et-enabled handheld devices (including tablets) have accounted for 50, 40, and 25 percent respectively of all robberies in 2012. Manufacturing one tablet requires the extraction of 33 pounds of minerals, 79 gallons of water, and 100 kilowatt hours of fossil fuels resulting in 66 pounds of carbon dioxide.Students who used an interactive, digital version of an Algebra 1 textbook for Apple's iPad in California's Riverside Unified School District in 2012 scored 20 percent higher on standardized tests vs. students who learned with print textbooks. During the 2011-12 school year more than 13,700 US children, aged 5 to 18, were treated in hospitals and doctors' offices for backpack-related injuries such as contusions, sprains, fractures, and strains to the back and shoulders. Transition:getting into the pros and cons. Body I. PRO Tablet a. Tablets help students learn more material faster. b.Tablets can hold hundreds of textbooks on one device, plus homework, quizzes, and other files, elimi nating the need for physical storage of books and classroom materials. c. E-textbooks on tablets cost on average 50-60% less than print textbooks. d. Tablets help students better prepare for a world immersed in technology. II. CON Tablet a. Tablets have too many distractions for classroom use. b. Many students do not have sufficient home internet bandwidth to use tablets. c. The average battery life of a tablet is 7. 26 hours, shorter than the length of a school day. d. Tablets shift the focus of learning from the teacher to the technology. * Transition:In closing, â€Å"Computers are getting smarter all the time. Scientists tell us that soon they will be able to talk to us. (And by ‘they’, I mean ‘computers’. I doubt scientists will ever be able to talk to us. )† Dave Barry. Conclusion I. Opponents of tablets say that they are expensive, too distracting for students, easy to break, and costly/time-consuming to fix. They say that tablets contribute t o eyestrain, headaches, and blurred vision, increase the excuses available for students not doing their homework, require costly Wi-Fi networks, and become quickly outdated as new technologies are released.II. Proponents of tablets say that they are supported by most teachers and students, are much lighter than print textbooks, and improve standardized test scores. They say that tablets can hold hundreds of textbooks, save the environment by lowering the amount of printing, increase student interactivity and creativity, and that digital textbooks are cheaper than print textbooks. III. 43% of Americans read online books, magazines, or newspapers. Amazon announced in July 2010 that e-books were outselling paper books, and a July 2012 report by the Association of American Publishers showed that e-book revenue IV. xceeded that of hardcover books for the first time ever. 80% of publishers now produce e-books. While e-books sales rose 117% from 2010 to 2011, the print book business declin ed 2. 5% in 2011 to $27. 2 billion from $27. 9 billion in 2010. However, over 90% of educational textbooks are still read on paper, and only 30% of textbook titles are available electronically. V. I feel that transfer to tablets isn't a bad idea. Considering you will only have to keep up with the tablet and not 5-6 different books for one class. It will also help the children in K-12 to learn and soon master technology

Eropean Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Eropean Union - Essay Example The European Union operates through a system of supranational institutions. These institutions include a variety of prominent branches, including the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament, the Court of Justice of the European Union, and the European Central Bank. This essay examines these branches and considers the most critical barriers to further EU integration. The different branches of the European Union have distinctly different functions. The European Commission is the recognized executive body of the European Union. This body has a broad variety of functions that includes developing legislation, decision implementation, upholding EU treaties, and running the daily measures of the union (Staab). While the United States executive branch has a single president, the EU operates with twenty-seven commissioners and a Commission President. The European Commission notably is the sole branch with the power of legislative initiative. The Council of the European Union is, along with the European Parliament, the legislative body of the European Union. ... Another prominent power of these legislative branches is their authority over the budget (Leonard). Both of the legislative bodies have equal power over the budget. If there is a disagreement between these powers there is a conciliation committee that arbitrates these disputes. Finally, the European Parliament has the power of supervision (Leonard). This means that they can establish supervisory council over issues such as natural disasters or disease. The final two branches of the European Union are the Court of Justice of the European Union, and the European Central Bank. The Court of Justice is the European Union’s judicial branch. The purpose of this branch of the EU is to ensure that treaties passed by the EU are followed and observed in the proper interpretation (Staab). This branch contains the European Court of Justice, the General Court, and the Civil Service Tribunal. The European Central Bank oversees the monetary policy of the members of the European Union (Staab). The overriding purpose of the European Central Bank is to ensure price stability through developing measures to fight against inflation. The ECB also has the notable power of issuing euro banknotes (Staab). While the European member states are able to issue their own euro bank notes, they must first receive the permission of the ECB. While the European Union has witnessed tremendous integration in recent decades there still remains prominent barriers to integration. Within this context of investigation the most prominent barriers to integration relate to trade and financial matters. While seventeen member states have adopted the Euro as their predominant currency there remains objection to full-scale implementation of this currency. One considers the current European

The Great Pablo Picasso Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Great Pablo Picasso - Research Paper Example The paper "The Great Pablo Picasso" discovers his incredible art and shows some facts from life of the famous artist. His mother was Doà ±a Maria Picasso y Lopez and his father was Don Jose Ruiz Blasco, a painter and art teacher. He was obviously influenced and basically trained by his father and he was known to have entered the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona when his family moved there when he was just fourteen years old. Although he was way too young, he was accepted in the school because of an evidence of a real talent however, he proved to be a genius who easily gets bored with the norms so that he rather became infamous in school, skipping classes only to go out to his neighborhood and delve into the real thing. The same happened when he transferred to the Royal Academy of San Fernando in Madrid two years later so that in 1899, as he went around finding the satisfaction he was looking for in expressing himself, he was introduced to El Quatro Gats, The Four Cats, a group of ar tists which became his inspiration for change. Probably one of the reasons that count Picasso among the greats is his experimentation and adaptation of different and thriving types of art throughout his lifetime. As he was trained by his artist father, his first unpublished works were of Renaissance quality to which he referred to in one of his comments when he was passing by children during his old age, â€Å"When I was as old as these children, I could draw like Raphael, but it took me a lifetime to learn to draw like them†.... Most of Picasso’s subjects during this period are about poverty, isolation and anguish, strengthened probably by his feelings when he lost a dear friend to death (bio.com). This probably explains also the use of the color as blue represents a gloomy mood. Another painting known during this period is ‘The Old Guitarist’ which pictures an old man playing with his guitar. What is eye-catching in this portrait is the loneliness that is expressed by the man, with his head bent, seemingly more concentrated on his feelings than his guitar. The man could be said to be poor as seen by his clothe which is a one piece, long, worn and torn shirt. This depicts poverty and the hardships that go with it. Perhaps the most talked about work during the Blue Period is ‘La Vie’ because it spurred rumors that the subject is Picasso’s friend who committed suicide when he was rejected by his lover (de Kooning). ‘La Vie’ pictures three adults and a baby. The two figures on the left are obviously lovers, naked and holding each other as they seem to be confronted by a fully dressed woman holding a baby. Behind them are portraits of nude images that probably help to tell the story more clearly. Although several interpretations were suggested by art critiques, Picasso himself never offered his own interpretations so that the painter’s reactions add to the mystery and popularity of the painting. As expected, blue is the dominant color, ranging from very light hues to darker ones where the darkest color almost reveals a black tint seen especially on the clothes of the woman holding the baby. When Picasso met Fernande Olivier, a model to whom he fell in love with, Picasso’s

Concept of Transnational Companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Concept of Transnational Companies - Essay Example This essay will focus on transnational corporations and how they are operated for the benefits of a few individuals who enjoy great monopoly. The essay will then portray the fact that, the transnational corporations have a lot of to do with benefiting a small group of people who operate these businesses. Additionally, this current class of people will be scrutinized and the methodologies they have applied so as to have power over the economic aspect of the market-that of making sure that they do not center on one state, but many nations. The fact that a great percentage of persons find themselves making purchases of goods produced by the transnational companies will be analyzed as well as the reasons behind transnational corporations claim a great percentage in the global economy. Finally, the ‘transactional class’- that controls the trade in the economy in the view of Teivainen & Patomaki (2004, pp.34) - will be scrutinized to assess if it really controls the major sour ces of production, to their benefit. Letto-Gillies (2012, pp.261) attests to the proposition that transnational corporations are operated for the benefits of a few individuals who enjoy great monopoly. ... ional corporations are monitored and controlled by a specific group of persons who are powerful and want to manipulate all the exiting opportunities to benefit themselves from the huge amounts of profits existent in the these business transactions (Synott, 2004, pp.108). On another point of view, Sklair (2011, pp.25) also indicates that the transnational corporations have a lot of to do with benefiting a small group of people who operate these businesses. Their major aim is to get the best the out of the entire business dealings. The power of the transnational systems, however, is way being overshadowed a definite class of persons whose major aim is to influence the entire situation. A group of independent capitalist systems are the sole owners of the capital system. Many changes have taken place in the international economy, in such a way that the traditionalist point of view that a particular state controls the corporations. Sklair (2011, pp.27) argues that the current class of peo ple can arguably be referred to as the major beneficiaries of the transnational corporations. Major reasons behind the existence of this class of people are to amass as much profit as possible from the entire business. These groups of people endeavor to ensure that the new class of people are always at par with the new developments in the global society and devise new measures of controlling the new developments in the country. In the recent years, these groups of individuals have been managed to control trade in the global arena (Dicken, 2003, pp.76). This class of persons has managed to control trade through regulating the forces of the market, the processes that allow thriving of the trade as well as the practices. In essence, this is to say that the regulation of the markets revolves

Why the internet and online socialization causes social isolation, Essay

Why the internet and online socialization causes social isolation, loneliness and damages our interpersonal skills when encountering people in person - Essay Example An online social network is a website that functions like an online community of people who use the internet. There are a lot of online social websites which allow the internet users to take their membership for free and socialize with other members regarding hobbies, career, religion, fashion, politics etcetera. The users read the profile pages of other members, share views and ideas, give comments and contact them via their profiles. In short, a social networking website is a great means of bringing people of same wave length together and socializing with the outside world. However, along with all these advantages, there are some drawbacks attached with the use of these social networks the most important of which is social isolation, loneliness, anxiety (Brown). They also damage our interpersonal skills when encountering people in person. The negatives of the Internet are often hidden and indirect. Taking a closer look at the effects of the Internet on our lives, we can easily discover and agree on one drawback for sure. This essay will primarily focus on how our modern technology, the internet, sites like Facebook or Twitter, and our overall digital lives decrease the need for personal interaction and the skills that come with it. Social isolation is a condition in which an individual lacks human interaction through avoiding social contact. When there is too little interaction with people, man tends to get socially isolated and becomes depressed. This gives rise to anxiety and stress which is not manageable by the person himself. Hampton, Sessions and Her assert in their study that â€Å"Evidence from the US General Social Surveys (GSS) suggests that during the past 20 years, people have become increasingly socially isolated and their core discussion networks have become smaller and less diverse.† When a person spends hours and hours in front of the computer screen behind the objective of staying connected to the people

MGT 501 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MGT 501 SLP - Essay Example On the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised by my score in the quiz on African affairs. This is because I have not particularly taken a course to do with African affairs, and yet I got only one question wrong. 2.0 How Culturally Aware Am I? From my experience in dealing with people from various cultural backgrounds, I have learnt that I have strength in establishing mutually beneficial relationships with culturally different people. Sometimes, a person from a different cultural background and I can reach a mutual agreement on how to do something, even though we do not particularly hold the same views. Most of the times, this is achieved through compromise and an evaluation of which way best suits the situation, thus ascribing to the â€Å"my way and their way† form of cultural awareness (Gardenswartz & Rowe, 2001). In such cases, therefore, I chose to appreciate our cultural differences and not try to force similarities. This way, if the chosen way does not work, we can always resort to the way of the other culture, where possible. This has taught me that there is no single culture that has â€Å"one best way† of doing something (Gardenswartz & Rowe, 2001). Nonetheless, I recognise that I am not fully culturally aware. Although I recognise that there are different cultures, I am sometimes biased in passing cultural judgments on people. For example, I question the necessity of bowing to a senior person while greeting them, as the Chinese do. I sometimes think that such an action portrays inferiority on the part of the person doing the bowing. In addition, I am particularly judgmental of those cultures that, for example, still practice female circumcision in Africa. I question their beliefs and end up convinced that nothing could, in my culture, rationalise such practices. My primary step is devising ways of appreciating people, given that I am familiar with the fact that I am capable of building rapport with people from numerous cultures and I inte nd to build on that. Next in plan should be identifying the reasons why some persons from some cultural milieu conduct themselves in a specific way whilst others react to other situations in a different way. Later on, I should use my connections with persons from varied cultures to allow me to gain a clear understanding of their conduct and opinions. Consequently, I will get to a point where I am on recognisable terms with the fact that I have an approach of doing things, while a different person has their way of conducting themselves. I think I should first of all do more research, for instance, on why some Africans observe female genital mutilation, so as to evade my shortcoming in making judgment on the culture of other persons. I believe more research will allow me to be more knowledgeable of the reasons why female genital mutilation is such a critical ritual of passage. Secondly, I should endeavour to put myself in the situation of the person I criticise on the basis of their c ulture and see if I would have done anything in a different way, if I were the one in the alleged culture. 3.0 The Significance of Cultural Understanding to Managers It is fundamental in a managerial setting that managers increase their levels of cultural awareness, as this goes a great mile in determining the outcome of organisational activities. As Gardenswartz and Rowe (2001) put it, a manager may be required to pass information to employees, or to solve conflicts among employees. Since the workplace is

Evaluate Various Organizational Perspectives Essay

Evaluate Various Organizational Perspectives - Essay Example in place, an organization can be described as a unit or group of people that utilizes skills (knowledge) to perform tasks that achieve a universal goal. An organization has a systematic structure that consists of management with components based on regulations such as laws (form and nature) (Draft, 2007). Organization theory is a collection of principles that suggests an appropriate way of organizational management. Organizational theories encompass the organizational structures and designs. Another aspect of organizational theory is that it articulates internal and external relationships of organizations (Argyris, 2001). Organizational theory is multidisciplinary as it derives its principles from arts, sciences and humanities. The multidisciplinary aspect of organizational theory makes studying organization theory fascinating and challenging. Most scholars like the challenge of thinking in an interdisciplinary manner. A second reason to study organizational theory is that with the right attitude an individual will acquire or improve his/her managerial skills. Organizational theory covers crucial management areas such as strategic finance, marketing, human resource, operations communication and information technology (Grint, 2005). A cogent theory should have a clear non-complex design. The theory should also reflect on culture in regard to its principles. Finally, a theory should outline principles that act as guidelines in the course of change. This calls for theories to be flexible in order for them to meet these standards (Grint, 2005). The multiple perspectives in organization theory create open mindedness especially in regard to management of the organization. This is because various perspectives provide for different causes of action for situations. This aspect of diversity is also necessary when it comes to dealing with change as the theories provide alternative courses of action (Hales,

Discussion question week 11 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion question week 11 - Assignment Example Meeting this competency can be a challenge though not impossible. The use of knowledge of legal and ethical issues that is relevant to higher education and nursing education. It came in handy a basis for making decisions when implementing policies and procedures related to students faculty and the educational environment. The feedback from colleagues, peers, patients and administrative evaluation came in handy as far as improving role effectiveness is concerned. Open-mindedness is the key to improving individual and personal performance, and the educator role is no exception. Facing the audience with an open came in handy during my practicum. Though the fact that I had to face criticism from my audience that came as a shock. I expected reception and obedience from them. For an educator to accomplish their aims, one needs to gain their trust, and this takes a while. Practicum didn’t give me enough time. Therefore given another chance as an educator, I will maintain contact with my audience for a longer time and even follow up on their response to the knowledge they acquire. Giving attention to whether the information is relevant and

Role of management consultants Essay Example for Free

Role of management consultants Essay The article speaks about the role of management consultants in the present world. The demand for management consultants was brought about by the changes in business trends and priorities as we are shifting towards globalization. However, the author continued that although there are several changes in the business situation brought about by modernization and globalization, the role of management consultants remain the same. It is their responsibility to make oversee that business operations remain productive and efficient. Moreover, the responsibility of management consultants is to explore business situations in order to determine problems or difficulties, and through careful processing and planning, make out resolutions in order to resolve barriers that hinder the growth of businesses. The author cited several important roles that management consultants must have the ability to carry out and also characteristics that they should exhibit in order to provide beneficial services to their clients. The know-how and experience is highly important in management consultancy. Management consultants should know a variety of business situations from simple to complex, and have access to extensive resources in order to work with their clients efficiently and fittingly. Goal-setting and planning are other roles of management consultants. Working together with their clients, they must be able to set a direction for the management by determining pressing needs and requirements. Management consultants must be able to use their knowledge, skills, and experiences to achieve the goals and objectives of the management. Moreover, consultants should always be present to supervise, direct, and support the management in order to ensure that everything is going well as planned, and also to determine if there are some issues or concerns overlooked in the process. Another desirable quality of management consultants is flexibility and adaptability. Consultants should be able to formulate plans and business solutions that are suitable to the business or the management’s needs and concerns. Flexibility and adaptability means the ability to customize plans and business solutions, but at the same time be able to make changes as needed in order to make sure that the best possible solutions are carried out. In addition, management consultants should be able to assist the transition from management changes in an effortless way without causing much disturbance to the business setting. The article entirely speaks of the important of management consultants to management and supervision, and to the business organization as a whole. It is highly interesting that the greatest influence is obtained most from the management consultants who are in charge of the management. With the ideas expressed in the article, the significance of management consultants is realized, especially in ensuring that management, supervision, and the business setting is well on its way to achieving its organizational mission, goals, and objectives.

Monsoon Wedding Essay Example for Free

Monsoon Wedding Essay Mira Nairs movie entitled Monsoon Wedding is a story of family tradition that exists in Indian culture. The directpr illustrated how Indians perceived the importance of wedding in their society. Along with the depiction of the concept of wedding is the portrayal of different conflicts from various characters in the story. There is an instance when the wedding planner fell in love with maid of the family he works for. There are also concepts of adultery that emerged during the development of the story. It became one of the significant conflicts of the movie that is hard to deconstruct or resolve due to its complications and results. Because there are several characters in the movie, there are some personas in the movie that were taken for granted. It shows that the author did not gave each character the capability to develop throughout the movie. The author used the children in movie to justify the concept of a family but she ignored their sense for the reason that she focused her attention merely on the issues of the older characters. It means that there is no balance formation of characters but only a decoration for justifiable thoughts. In conclusion to this, the movie can be said as a simple and dramatic depiction of culture of Indian nation. It is an illustration of moral values, religious beliefs, and cultural tradition that Indians used to contemplate. It is somehow a story of uniqueness but there are flaws that cannot be denied by the audience. However, the whole scenario of the story justified the concept of family ties and awareness of cultural tradition that is innate to Indian society. Reference Mira Nair. Monsoon Wedding.

Social Problems In Uae Sociology Essay

Social Problems In Uae Sociology Essay Social problem is defined as the issue or problem which has seen by people of community as unacceptable or undesirable. But social problems are not under the control of a single person. Social problems mainly arise when there is a social disruption or social change. UAE is continent which consists of such countries which are fully developed and have extensive growth towards success every day. So it is a great social change in society as a result which on one hand has put an end to several social issues such as poverty, illiteracy, terrorism, crime but on the other this social change have given rise to several social problems such as drug abuse. Younger generation is becoming a victim of this problem greatly usually because of some kind of depression they are facing or may be because of the peer pressure. Furthermore discrimination in society is rising since Dubai has become a multi culture society now having people of different countries with different cast religion and different race. Moreover because of the social change in a society family rules have changed to a greater extent making it difficult for the people to hold their relationships for a long time. Since every person is busy in his own life so no time is left for family get together and for the spouse as well. Also high cost of living, problems of expatriates is major social issues. INTRODUCTION Social issues are the problems that affect more than one person in a society in any way possible. Sometimes social problems affect directly sometimes indirectly to a person or society. Social problems are usually not in the control of a person and it occurs in immediate social environment mostly because of some social change in society. There are certain examples such as a person has murdered someone but it is not a social problem it is a part of biggest social issue called crime which is prevailing very much in society. Most common social issues that exist in a developing or underdeveloped society include poverty, illiteracy, crime, human rights etc. the rest problems are developed from them such as immigration but immigration is a social plus economic problem. Moreover discrimination, sexual harassment, child abuse, injustice, drug abuse, divorces, and obesity are developed from the major problems of society. All the social problems have adverse effects on people which are part of the society. The societys norms values, customs and traditions all got changed and affected by the social problems prevailing in a society. Even the entire system of the society disrupts because of this but it cant be controlled since it occurs as a result of the external factors which a single person cannot control. UAE is continent which consists of such countries which are fully developed and have extensive growth towards success every day. So it is a great social change in society as a result which on one hand has put an end to several social issues such as poverty, illiteracy, terrorism, crime but on the other this social change have given rise to several social problems such as drug abuse. Younger generation is becoming a victim of this problem greatly usually because of some kind of depression they are facing or may be because of the peer pressure. Furthermore discrimination in society is rising since Dubai has become a multi culture society now having people of different countries with different cast religion and different race. Moreover because of the social change in a society family rules have changed to a greater extent making it difficult for the people to hold their relationships for a long time. Since every person is busy in his own life so no time is left for family get together and for the spouse as well. EXPLANATION OF CHOICE OF FOUR INTERVIEWS I am conducting interviews of four family members of mine which are my younger sister, my mother, my father and my grandfather. Ive chosen my younger sister for conducting interview regarding such topic because she is young and she can give me her fresh view regarding the social issue that are spreading in the entire UAE. As she currently is a college student so she definitely will present the problems or issues of the young generation. So she gave me information regarding the issues of drug abuse which is spreading extensively in youngsters. And secondly she notified me about the problem of obesity that is a huge problem in developed countries especially among children. Secondly I am taking interview from my father who works as a sales person in a leading company of Dubai. Ive chosen him for this interview because he is one generation before us. And he can express his views regarding the social issues of UAE but his views will reflect his entire generation. Also he is a working person so he definitely would have known and understand the environment of the workplace and can also give details relating to the social problems occur in a working place. He told me about the problem of discrimination occurring is workplaces. Also he notified me about the problem of expatriates. The third person Ive chosen for my research on social issue in UAE is my mother. She is a house wife and is responsible for everything that happens in a hose hold. Ive chosen her for conducting interview on such a sensitive topic since she is women and in order to get a female point of view on such a topic is necessary. Also she can better explain the relationship problems than any other person. So she acknowledged me about the problem of high rate of divorces in UAE and also she pointed out the problem of high cost of living in a society of UAE. Furthermore Ive selected my grandfather for conducting an interview from him. Ive selected him because he is from two generations behind mine. So he can give me views regarding the social issues of UAE that reflects his generation. He presents the problem of depression which is becoming very common in UAE because of workaholics and change of family rules. (Khondkar, 2008) THREE GENERATION GENEALOGY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS Social problem is defined as the issue or problem which has seen by people of community as unacceptable. Some social issues are considered unacceptable by literally all members of the society such as kidnapping, violence, crime, murders etc Bt there are social issues as well that are not necessarily undesirable by all community members for example youngster do not consider listening very loud music a social issue but it is a social issue for elder members of society. There are several types of social problems prevailing in different countries of the world such as poverty, illiteracy, food and water crisis, poor health facilities are some of the most common problems in developing countries. Moreover terrorism is also one of the major social problems emerging in many countries now days. Furthermore discrimination of sex, injustice, inflation, immigration, child labor, drug abuse, and smuggling are also few big social problems of today. Due to extensive growth and unimaginable development in UAE there is a major social change occurring there which is causing so many social problems. Social problems occur in UAE society is of many types and there is no clear way to solve these issues in the near future. From the time of independence of UAE many the society of UAE has completely evolved and social issues with the time has also changed. Since UAE has gained the status of one of the developed countries of the world so problems in society also have evolved in the same manner. One of the most important social issues in UAE is drug abuse. This problem has spread on a large scale and a lot of people are under the influence of this problem. Illegal trade of drugs from different countries where drug is produced is the main cause for this problem and this is happening because of the security lapses of UAE. Also the alcoholism is a major social issue in UAE. Moreover the divorce rate is very high in UAE which is a big social problem in this era. Smoking and road accidents are also causing problems for the people living there. Ethnic cleansing, racism and prostitution are also some of the highlighted social problems. (Social Issues in USA Contemporary, 2009) According to the interviews conducted by me of my younger sister who is a college student currently I concluded a few very important points regarding to the social issues of UAE. OBESITY Firstly obesity is a big concern now days. Obesity is actually defined as the excess fat of a person that is causing adverse effects on that persons health. Obesity becomes the reason for so many diseases such as cancer, heart problems, and diabetes etc. a person is considered that he is affected by obesity when his weight is at least 20% more than his normal weight. The major causes of obesity are firstly the genetics. Obesity can be in the gens of a person. Also over eating and eating lots of junk food is a major reason for this problem. All the countries of UAE are affected by this problem because people there have a busy lifestyle so they have much time for exercise to get them fit and remove extra fat from their bodies. Furthermore workaholics do not eat at home and usually go out for eating junk food which increases their fat to a high level. DRUG ABUSE Drug abuse is one of the problems now days that is affecting every community and country badly. It is a serious health illness problem that is causing 40 million deaths every year. There are several causes for this problem including the depression which is very high in developed countries since workload is very high and it is difficult and stressful to maintain a good life style there. Also because of separate families instead of joint families systems feelings of loneliness overcome them makes them to take drugs. Drug abuse among the youth is very much increasing mostly because of the pressure of the friends on them. Bad social gatherings and wrong friend circle makes a person to get involved in all such bad activities. Also alcoholism and smoking are the problems that spread in the same manner. Youngsters also do such activities because they have the perception that it gives them a cool look. Drug abuse has negative effects on a persons life such as health problems. Also drugs addicted become a victim of financial problem since they cant control them and spend a lot of money in buying drugs. Moreover a drugs addicted is no more efficient to be a part of social gathering anymore. He is socially destroyed because at the time of taking drugs his behavior becomes very abnormal. Drug abuse can make a person to involve in other crimes also such as drugged driving, violence, child abuse etc In accordance with the interview conducted by my mother Ive got to understand few social issues prevailing in our society. HIGH DIVORCE RATE Divorce is one of the biggest social problems spreading in UAE society and its rate is increasing day by day. The main reason for high rate of divorces in the country is that the traditional rules of marriage are changing because of the working women scenario and also the joint family system has ended which makes it difficult for women to handle their entire house hold plus professional life and thus the relationship between husband and wife badly disturbs making it difficult for them to continue to live together and divorces happens as a result. Moreover another important reason for divorces is marriages at a younger age. At that time the couple is not able to understand each other and their maturity level to handle marriage is low. So they easily move towards the path of divorce. And also it is the fault of parents who pressurize their children to marry at a younger age. Furthermore high expectations from marriage sometimes lead it to a poor relationship because husband and wife expects so much from each other but do not prepare themselves to be able to fulfill the expectations of their partner. Divorce has certain negative impacts on the entire family and the children always affected badly in such situations. They become very sensitive and emotionally unstable. Further it is difficult for them to adjust in new families in case of their parents got engaged into second marriages. Moreover they feel complexes in schools and in other social gatherings. (Divorce in the uae causes effects, 2009) HIGH COST OF LIVING The cost of living in UAE is high as compared to other places. It has proved from different surveys conducted by researchers when they compared a same quantity of basket of goods in UAE and from other places. Since the country has reached to the greater heights of development the life style of established people in Dubai and in other countries is very lavished which makes it difficult for the expatriates to live there since the expatriates have usually low incomes. It is also difficult for them to even educate their children and also their children can become a victim of complex if they study with the people of high class. Communication costs are high as compared to other places and phone calls are really very expensive locally as well as internationally. Buying property is very expensive in Dubai and in other developed countries of UAE. House hold accommodations, clothing, furniture and appliances are also expensive so its hard for a person with normal income to live there. In accordance with the interview taken by my father Ive got to understand two important social issues that we are facing as a society of UAE. RACIAL DISCRIMINATION Since a lot of people from different countries are shifting to Dubai for the purpose of doing business there or for getting jobs as UAE have good opportunities for them. These people belong to different religion, culture, different race, and cast. So UAE has become a multicultural society and in such a society problems of racial discrimination often occurs. At work places people are usually be given less pay only because they belong to other foreign countries which are not liked by the employer of the place. And also high work load is given to the different culture employees. For example the employer of the hotel would want that his customers are served by the European staff. And if those people raise issues about this matter they might get into conflicts with the management or the colleagues too. There is also a great discrimination in case of race and nationality in the workplace. And because of the discrimination people are getting dissatisfied and large families in UAE become a victim of this issue. PROBLEM OF EXPATRIATES So many people are getting settled in UAE leaving their native countries behind. Expatriates basically do that because they are attracted to the employment and investment opportunities of the country where they want to shift and their own home country do not have such opportunities for them. But it is becoming a greater problem for the government of Dubai to accommodate so many people and thus the country is becoming over populated because of the large number of expatriates. 74% of the population of UAE is the people who are not from UAE but have shifted from other countries for employment or for doing some sort of business. When so many expatriates come and settle in to the country the major problem of homogeneous society occurs. And in such a multicultural society several problems of discrimination can occur too. According to the interview conducted by my grandfather Ive got to understand few important points regarding the social issues prevailing in the UAE society DEPRESSION Since a lot of people living in UAE are expatriates who may or may not live with their family in UAE. Living alone and continuous work of day and night can make a victim of depression and isolation which can greatly affect their health especially they can have mental issues because of this. Also because in such developed countries the concept of family has completely changed and so there is no such family gatherings and spending time with family which can make them feel relax for a little time. And give them a break from their workaholic lives. As in such developed countries every person has to work really hard to earn good money which is their necessity otherwise they cant settle their because standard of living is very high. (Ronnegard, 2010) USE OF INTERVIEW MATERIAL I have conducted four interviews in my family. Interviews were conducted in a professional setup to get the job done in a good manner. Questions were designed specially to get the maximum information out of them in a comfortable and easy manner. And also it was considered that all the questions must be in accordance with the topic of prevailing social issues in society of UAE. Questions were mostly open ended in order to get a detailed analysis of the topic. The interviews were formal in nature which Ive conducted from my mother and father. But the interviews conducted by my sister and grandfather were informal in nature. Because I have more comfort level with them. I didnt start my interview in cold manner rather than that Ive start interviews with a small talk to reach to the topic of social issues in UAE. And I was very natural in taking interviews not the practiced and rehearsed tone was there. I have listened carefully to every word of them and write down the points in order to make sense of the information they are presenting. And throughout the interviews Ive kept my topic in mind and didnt divert from it to gather relevant information. Relevant Reading Course Material Patterns of corruption in MENA Region Little is known on the specific forms and nature of corruption in the MENA region, due to the lack of empirical data and political will for such scrutiny. Yet, there is a general consensus that both petty corruption and grand corruption are widespread and systemic. The Arab countries comprising the Middle East often referred to as the MENA region face a set of specific challenges that are seriously hampering the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts. The political and institutional infrastructure of Arab states partly accounts for the persistence of the governance gap in the region, while contextual factors such as insecurity, oil wealth and prevalence of conflict continue to fuel corruption and the lack of transparency. Throughout the MENA region, anti-corruption strategies have primarily focused on strengthening public institutions, reviewing laws and regulations and simplifying procedures, with little attention given to proactively improving transparency and democratic processes. Although the region is not entirely homogeneous, regional patterns of corruption emerge from various governance surveys and indicators (an overview of these is provided on page 7). Transparency internationals Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) consistently ranks MENA countries below the world Article 1 The study conducted by Sharjah university revealed that the main reason behind high rates of drug lies in the lack of communication between the individuals. The constant verbal fight is particularly the reason behind this. Since pre-martial relationships are not considered good in our society, therefore, couple is not aware of nature of each other. The interference of in laws is also the biggest reason behind the drug cases. Unfortunately, the people who are extremely badly affected due to drug consumption in children. The children face various mental and physical challenges when they see constant tussle between their parents. (Sheriff, 2012) Article 2 The Emiratis are normally family centered people who love to live in families and care for each other needs and wills. However, the trends in the recent years have shown that the institute of marriage is being severely hurted. The reports have shown that 42 percent of the people in the age bracket of 20s have decided to quit their relationships on different grounds. However, the people blame the influence of western culture as the main reason behind the change in attitudes and beliefs of the people. The western culture believes in absolute freedom where absolutely no impetus is laid on the family lives. The younger generation is reported to have been following the same footsteps. (Safdar, 2009) Article 3 According to the Shariah laws existing in UAE, the decision related to divorce making process is not instantaneous. Initially, the applicants forward their case to the courts. The matter is referred to the counsellor who gives a three month period to the couple to enter into negotiations. If the case is not resolved in the allotted time, the case is referred to the judge for the enforcement of divorce. A women can get divorce if she is able to prove that wife has been physically tortured. The women can accept Khula if she returns dowry to the husband. The expats can resolve the issues according to the laws of their particular land. (Bardsley, 2005) SIGNIFICANCE OF GENERATION AND GENDER PERSPECTIVE OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS It is very important to get acknowledged about the social issues prevailing in a society as it increases our understanding of society which we are a part of. Until and unless we do not understand the society in which we are living it would be very difficult for us to sustain there. Also to bring some kind of social change in a society it is necessary to know what do we actually want to change in our society and what we like and what we dont like in our society. Different generations have different perspectives regarding this issue and it is significant to know and understand each perspective in great detail. Firstly every male and female is a member of this society so all the different generation people here. Therefore to make it easy and comfortable for every generation to adjust in a society their views are important. Moreover by the analysis of generation and gender perspective of social issues we get very diverse and variety of ideas that can help us understand the social problems and society better. As the minds of people belongs to different generation are different from each other and so their preference in regarding to the major social problems currently spreading in UAE society. Male and female have different perspectives regarding the social issues rising in a society. Females are usually sensitive and relationship oriented thats they think that the major social problems will be according to these issues as the interview conducted by me of my mother she said that the biggest social problems now in a society belongs to the family issues such as high divorce rate in UAE and also the social problem of high cost of living is being highlighted by her. And talking about the male perspective in this regard they preferred to consider the social problems more towards the work place issues because they are not sensitive and relationship oriented rather they are the work oriented so my father pointed out the issues of discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race cast and creed because UAE is a multicultural society. Also he referred about the problem of expatriates in a country. Therefore it is very important to understand the gender perspective of social problems of UAE.

Unethical Charity in Missouri Essay -- essays research papers fc

Unethical Charity in Missouri   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On a Saturday morning while running errands usually one might notice a few men collecting money at the corner of any two busy intersections. People give the sticky change that has been laying in their car baking for three months, to the organization. Little do they know that the money they worked hard to scrape from the bottom of the ashtray in twenty seconds while at a stoplight is not going where they think. A recent investigation found that a firm run by Missouri’s top police officials has raised millions of dollars on behalf of charity (Bill Smith A 7). More than 80% of the contributions have gone to the foundation’s Texas based fundraiser (Bill smith A 7).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Of a reportedly 3.1 million dollars raised between 2000 and 2004, an estimated 520,000 dollars, or about 17 cents of each dollar, has been returned to the Missouri Police Chiefs Charitable Foundation, state records show. The remaining 2.5 million dollars, or 83 cents of every dollar, went to the United Appeal Inc. United Appeal is profitable organization owned by Bruce Yablonsky, a businessman in Plano, Texas (Bill Smith A 7). Most of the moneys have gone to administrative expenses, such as salaries and benefits, according to the companies tax records. People believed they were giving to a charity and they were deceived. Not many would give to a profitable organization that pays salaries with the collections. The solicitors ...

Suicide Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Suicide amongst young people has increased greatly in the past 25 years in the US( young men and women 15-24) Women and suicide has increased the least with 250 percent, men has soared to over 300 percent. The US is now ranked the highest in the world for suicide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Until recently suicide amongst the young men and women accounted for less than 5 percent of suicide. It has increased with the increase in population of youth. Young men 15-24 now account for more than 20 percent of the male suicides. Young women are responsible for 14 percent of women suicides. So approximately 7,000 women commit suicide a year and males are up to 20,000 suicides, yearly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even though youth suicides get the most attention, people believe suicide amongst the older people does not happen. But, reality check, it does. A considerable amount of suicides are done by older people seeking to end a life of pain. people aged 50 and older make up almost 39 percent of the yearly suicide count. Even though people aged 50 and over only account for 26 percent of the US population.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  White males are the highest to date. They account for 10 percent of the population, but manage to account for almost 28 percent of the yearly deaths by suicide. For some strange reason, white males are higher on the suicide charts than any other race and sex. They are more open to this, even though they don’t ...

Free Hamlet Essays: The Naivete of Hamlet :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

The Naivete of Hamlet Keeping secrets keep you isolated from your friends and make you very lonely. Hamlet’s loneliness, false friends, and betrayals cause his downfall to a great extent. The court of Denmark is filled with spies: Claudius hires Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to spy on Hamlet; Polonius spies on Hamlet in Gertrude’s bedchamber; Polonius uses Ophelia as bait to spy on Hamlet. Hamlet is not a part of this deceit; he is honest. For example, Claudius suggests Hamlet is honest when he and Laertes are discussing their dual scheme; Ophelia believes Hamlet is honest and says, "What a noble mind here is o’erthrown!" (III; i; 157), referring to Hamlet’s antic disposition, even though he has been insulting her for two previous acts. His relationship with Horatio shows his true character, because of how much he trusts him. ("Horatio, thou art e’en as just a man as e’er my conversation coped withal" --III; ii; 59). Someone who is naïve is often taken adv antage of in a hard, cold, deceitful world. Having your stepfather get your best friends to spy on you must make you feel horrible. When Claudius hires Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (R&G) to spy on Hamlet, I entreat you both†¦/†¦/ so by your companies To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather, So much as from occasion you may glean, Whether aught to us unknown afflicts him thus That opened lies within our remedy. (II; ii; 10-18) they confess to Hamlet that they were sent to spy on him. Hamlet shows this by saying, "Nay then I have an eye of you. –If you love me, hold not off." (II; ii; 301). It is as though he were saying to them, ‘If you were really my friends, then you should tell me why you are so interested in everything I do.’ He later takes revenge on his friends, who are sent to spy on him when he is being sent to England. He opens the letter to the English government, and changes ‘kill my crazy son Hamlet’ to ‘kill these messengers’, and seals the letter back up with his fathers’ ring: Without debatement further more or less, He should those bearers put to sudden death, Not shriving time allowed/†¦/ I had my fathers signet in my purse, Which was the model of the Danish seal†¦. (V; ii: 45-50) Curiosity killed the cat. Polonius’ spying on Hamlet is what kills him.

Flight Patterns Essay

What is Sherman Alexie’s notion of the reality behind a story as this notion is presented in â€Å"Flight Patterns† I think Sherman ‘s notion of reality is that life is full of contradictions. The society sets up so many rules for people to follow, and people are often judged by their ethnic group, gender, religion†¦etc. Accordingly, they have to behave properly in order to meet the expectations. However, in reality not every person can deal easily with the role he is supposed to be in. For example, William doesn’t want to choose between American and Spokane. He loves them both. In religion, he is a generously religious man. In ethnic, he is a Spokane Indian while having in civic life like most American. In the text, it states that† William wanted all of it .Hunger was his crime.† I think Sherman Alexie points this out to tell us that in reality, a person might feel bemused to make a choice among all he wants. Fikadu faces the difficulties between killing his own people for Selassie and living with his family. William faces the difficulty between jobs and family. They both make up their mind and make the difficult choice despite feeling uncomfortable. The reality is not perfect as we may consider it. People sometimes have to make sacrifices or compromises to accomplish a bigger task. I think William chooses to believe Fekadu’s story because no matter it is true or not, it tells the essence of reality in this society.

Bluesky

Please refer interested instructors to TIE for access to the teaching notes. Introduction students have been introduced to revenue management. Have previously assigned the case in advance of class and then spent from 30 minutes to one hour of class time discussing the students' solutions. When using all three cases, have assigned the (A) and (B) Cases in advance of class and asked the students to submit spreadsheets with solutions to both cases before class begins. During the 90- minute class we would devote approximately 40 minutes to discussing the (A) Case, 20 minutes on the (B) Case, and the remaining 30 minutes working through theCase together in class (students are told in advance to bring their laptops to class). Usually ask students to pair up, and I try to match a student with relatively little simulation experience with one who is more comfortable with the material. I tell pairs that the weaker student should be the one with hands on the keyboard. Finally, a note on timing: have used this full plan for Cases (A)-(C) only once, in an elective on service operations management. The schedule was a bit tight and we had to rush the discussion of the spiral-down effect in the (C) Case.In the future may spread the material over more than one class period. These cases focus on the revenue management of a single flight leg with two fare classes and uncertain demand. The (A) Case asks the students to forecast high-fare demand and implement a simple booking's policy. The (B) Case uses simulation to establish booking limits in the presence of buy-up behavior and cancellations. The (C) Case focuses on the spiral-down effect, which occurs when there is a mismatch between the revenue management optimization model and actual customer behavior.This Teach ins Note first describes the logistics for using the cases: the order of the cases, choosing assignments, and the timing of class discussions. Then the note summarizes each case, describes potential solutions, and prov ides guidelines for class discussions. The last section describes technical background, extensions, and additional reference material. The final section may be particularly useful for instructors without a strong background in revenue management as the section or its references may provide answers to students' questions about the implementation of revenue management systems.The final section also explains how the models in this case may be adapted to handle multiple itineraries in an airline Nortek, as scribed in the Bluesy Airlines: Network Revenue Management Case Series. Single-Leg Revenue Management (A) This case provides students with the opportunity to build a statistical forecasting model and to use the output from this model in a simple revenue management decision. This section describes how the data were generated, potential solutions to the problem, and provides some guidance on how the case can be discussed in class.

Ethics and Professionalism Essay

The first principle, Universal Access to Information, basically stipulates that it is important to make information universally available to all. ACM believes it is important because it will have impacts on economic growth, education, and public health among other things. I would have to agree with this principle. When people have access to information it allows for growth in all areas. People can use information to expand on ideas and make advancements on others inventions and so forth. The Intellectual Property principle is in regards to making laws that will govern the right to copyrighted intellectual property. I would tend to agree with the principle though only to some degree. I feel it is important to have laws that govern intellectual property but one must realize limitations and not waste all resources and efforts in trying to completely stop software and intellectual theft. The Internet has grown too large too fast and I believe it is a waste of money and time to try to stop file sharing etc. because it will never happen. The third principle is Computer Encryption and Security. ACM believes to reach its full potential the net must be secured. This is completely correct. The Internet can be used for transactions of all sorts. Whether it is between businesses or consumers. If it is not secure and people are afraid of sending confidential information across the net like credit card numbers then it will never reach its potential. The fourth principle states that the 1st Amendment must be upheld on the Internet. ACM promotes speech and opposes censorship of the net. I do not agree with this. Freedom of speech is important everywhere including the Internet but I feel there must be a line drawn somewhere when it comes to speaking ones mind in regards to such topics as hate crimes etc. I do feel that industry will choose not to follow this principle though. Freedom of speech includes everything from opinions on sports to opinions about the holocaust. When people try to publish web pages on things such as Neo Nazism and how to create pipe bombs they are usually censored by authorities. I can not foresee this changing. Number five is in regards to Funding of Science Research. ACM is committed to pursuing funding for science research. This is definitely a good idea. This type of research leads to advancements in all kinds of different fields in life. The research can be expensive and without funding wouldn’t get done. The government should fund this as it directly affects the country’s economic and technological growth. The sixth principle is Privacy. This is definitely a principle that needs to be upheld. I feel privacy is important and if you do not have privacy on the Internet then you are essentially taking away ones individuality. It is true that there are people who abuse this privacy to commit cyber crime, but more resources must be used elsewhere to help catch these criminals. You can not be spying on the innocent and stealing their right to privacy. The seventh and last principle is Internet Governance. ACM supports and works with companies and groups that develop technical standards, set policies and influence the future of the Internet. I feel this is also a good policy as someone has to set standards for software and the Internet or big companies such as Microsoft would be able to do whatever they please including releasing bug laden software. Essentially these companies are the law makers for what is allowed and disallowed on the Internet and what constitutes good business practice for software and computer companies in general. In general all of these principles are a good idea. I do feel that most will be followed to try and control and better industry standard. The only one I think industry will not particularly accept or follow is the fourth one. I think that freedom of speech is an important thing, to some degree. I believe that total freedom of speech can be a detriment to industry. Freedom of speech means freedom to say anything whether it is politically correct or not. When people begin spreading racism or hate crime on the Internet it cannot be allowed. Industry knows this and will not buy into freedom of speech.

Student Educational Loan Fund, Inc.

A Minnesota Student Loan Program www. selfloan. org Table of Contents About the Program Eligibility How to Apply Loan Size Loan Example Costs to the Borrower Loan Repayment Loan Servicer 1 1 3 4 5 5 6 9 This document can be made available in an alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling (651) 642-0567. March 2008 About the Program The Student Educational Loan Fund, or SELF Loan, can help you pay for your education beyond high school. The program is administered by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and can be used only for educational purposes. It is a loan, not a scholarship, so it must be repaid. Eligibility An eligible student must: †¢ be enrolled in an eligible school in Minnesota or be a Minnesota resident enrolled in an eligible school in another state or U. S. territory; a list of eligible institutions is available at www. selfloan. rg; †¢ be enrolled at least half time in a program leading to a certificate, associate, baccalaureate, graduate or education degree; †¢ be making satisfactory academic progress as defined by the school; †¢ not be in default of any student educational loan at the current or previous school; †¢ not be currently delinquent in payment of interest or principal on an outstanding loan from the SELF Program, or on any other federal, state, private or institutional student loan program; and †¢ have a credit-worthy co-signer. SELF Loan 1 Co-signer: You must have a credit-worthy co-signer who is either a U. S. itizen or a permanent resident, and who resides in the United States. The co-signer is responsible for making loan payments (interest, principal and other charges) if you fail to make payments. The co-signer is relieved of this responsibility only in the event of death or total and permanent disability of the borrower. A credit-worthy co-signer is one who has no account balances discharged through bankruptcy; no garnishments, attachments, foreclosure, repossession or suit; no more than $300 combined total in unsatisfied credit or unsatisfied payment obligations; or no more than five percent of credit bureau balances past due. The co-signer must be at least 24 years old or 18 years old if a sibling (i. e. , a brother or sister). 2 SELF Loan How to Apply Following are the steps to apply for a SELF Loan: †¢ Meet with a financial aid administrator at your college to discuss your eligibility for a SELF Loan. The financial aid office will use one of four application procedures (online SELF application, the TeleSELF electronic application, paper application or the combination paper/electronic application). The financial aid office can direct you to the appropriate application. The Office of Higher Education determines your eligibility and reviews the credit worthiness of your co-signer. If either the borrower or the co-signer are ineligible, they will be notified. †¢ The approved loan is scheduled for disbursement. On the date of disbursement, you and your co-signer are sent copies of the loan disclosure, which describes the specific terms of the loan and the scheduled disbursement date(s). †¢ Eit her a check is mailed to the school, or funds are electronically transmitted to the school, whichever the school prefers. Funds are disbursed by academic term. You should allow four weeks for the processing of the application and the disbursement of the funds. SELF Loan 3 Loan Size The financial aid administrator at the eligible school will determine the amount you can borrow. The loan amount cannot exceed the total cost of attendance, as defined by the institution, minus other financial aid that the student will receive. The minimum amount is $500. Maximum Loan Amounts The maximum loan is $7,500 for undergraduate levels and $9,000 for graduate levels provided that: †¢ The loan amount shall not exceed the cost of attendance less all other financial aid. You may borrow more than once during an academic year as long as you have not exceeded the grade-level borrowing limits, your request is for at least $500 and adequate time remains to process the application. Cumulative Borrowing Limits The cumulative SELF Loan debt shall not exceed the following grade level limits: $ 7,500 Grade Level 1 $15,000 Grade Level 2 $22,500 Grade Level 3 $30,0 00 Grade Level 4 $37,500 Grade Level 5 $55,500 Grade Levels 6 to 9 (includes all undergraduate and graduate debt) Grade level is determined by the school based on the number of credits earned. SELF Loan Loan Example Here is an example of how a SELF Loan can help you offset the total cost of attendance. Cost of attendance Less available financial aid Federal grants State grants Institutional assistance Private assistance Total Aid Total student obligation Maximum SELF Loan amount (based on grade level) $1,500 0 500 500 – $2,500 $7,500 $7,500 $10,000 Costs to the Borrower You must pay interest and principal on the loan. There are no guarantee, origination or processing fees charged. Interest Rate: The interest charged to you may change every quarter. The current SELF interest rate is available at www. selfloan. org. Borrowers pay an interest rate comprised of a percentage (the â€Å"margin†) that is added to the variable interest rate of the source of money (the â€Å"index†). As the index or margin increases or decreases over time, the interest charged will increase or decrease. The index rate is tied to the three-month London Interbank Offered Rates (LIBOR). SELF Loan 5 Loan Repayment Payment of Interest: You must pay interest quarterly while in school. This is called the â€Å"in-school period† Interest payments will start . approximately 90 days from the disbursement of the loan. During the first 12 months after graduation or if enrollment drops below half time, the borrower will be converted to a monthly interest repayment schedule. This 12-month period is called the â€Å"transition period† . Repayment of Principal and Interest: The period in which monthly principal and interest are paid is called the â€Å"repayment period† Near the end of . he 12-month transition period, you can choose between two repayment plans as long as a required repayment period has not started: †¢ The Standard Plan requires the monthly payment of principal and interest starting on the 13th month after graduation or when enrollment drops below half time. †¢ The Extended Interest Plan provides two additional years of monthly interest-only payments. Monthly payment of principal and interest with this plan begins on the 37th month after graduation or termination of study. While the Extended Interest Plan extends the transition period, it shortens the repayment period by the same two years. For SELF Loans from phases starting with SELF IV, if the aggregate principal balances of all SELF Loans is less than $18,750, the maximum repayment period will be 10 years from the end of the â€Å"in-school† status. For SELF Loans from phases starting with SELF IV, if the aggregate principal balances of all SELF Loans is $18,750 or greater, the maximum repayment period will be 15 years from the end of the â€Å"in-school† status. All SELF IV Loans will enter repayment no later than seven years after the first disbursement date on the loan. 6 SELF Loan Additional Loan Repayment Information: †¢ There are no deferment categories in the SELF Program. †¢ SELF Loans cannot be included in federal consolidation programs. Eligibility for repayment of SELF Loans under any student loan repayment program, such as a military program or AmeriCorps, is based on the criteria established by those programs for repayment of non-federal student loans. †¢ A borrower may move back and forth between the in-school and transition periods, but once a transition period has been exhausted and the repayment period entered, the borrower may NOT leave the repayment period. The total amount borrowed will determine the borrower’s monthly payment; however, the minimum monthly payment of principal and interest is $50. †¢ There is no penalty for prepaying SELF Loans. Transferring Schools: If you transfer to another school or pursue a higher degree at another institution, you must: †¢ enroll before the 12- to 36-month transition period elapses, †¢ enroll in a school that is a member of the SELF Program, and †¢ have time remaining before the seven-year mandatory repayment starts. If the school is not a member of the SELF Program, you will no longer be considered to be in the â€Å"in-school† status. SELF Loan 7 SELF Loan Repayment Examples Amount Borrowed Annual percentage rate during principal repayment period Interest rate applied to principal balance Quarterly interest payments while enrolled Monthly interest payments during transition period Monthly payments of principal and interest $7,500 $7,500 7. 00% 8. 00% 7. 00% 8. 00% $131. 25 $150. 00 $43. 75 $50. 00 108 payments of $93. 80 108 payments of $97. 64 The interest rate varies throughout the life of the loan and may increase or decrease. The example illustrates the repayment schedule for a $7,500 SELF Loan at two different interest rates and assumes that the stated rates do not change. It also assumes that payments of principal and interest will be made over a nine-year term, following interest-only payments during a four-year in-school period and for one year after school. 8 SELF Loan Loan Servicer A Servicer schedules and disburses your loan, sends bills, and keeps track of your loan payments and your current loan status. The Servicer for the SELF Program is Firstmark Services. Contact Firstmark Services for questions about your bill, payments or to make address or enrollment changes: Firstmark Services P. O. Box 25410 Woodbury, MN 55125-0410 Tel: (651) 265-7666 (888) 295-0713 toll free Visit www. firstmarkservices. com to check the status of pending applications and disbursements along with your payment and balance information. Minnesota Office of Higher Education SELF Loan is a program of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, a state agency providing students with a range of financial aid programs and information to help them gain access to postsecondary education. The agency manages the Minnesota State Grant program, which is a needbased grant program for eligible students who submit the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). The agency also oversees tuition reciprocity programs, Minnesota’s 529 college savings program, institutional licensing, a college awareness program for youth and serves as the state’s clearinghouse for data on postsecondary enrollment, financial aid, finance and trends. SELF Loan 9 Minnesota Office of Higher Education 1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350 Saint Paul, MN 55108-5227 Tel: 651. 642. 0567 or 800. 657. 3866 TTY Relay: 800. 627. 3529 Fax: 651. 642. 0570 E-mail: [email  protected] state. mn. us www. selfloan. org www. ohe. state. mn. us  ©2008 Minnesota Office of Higher Education Printed on recycled paper.