Sexual Assault On College Campuses - 1381 Words

Sexual assault has been a huge issue for many years on college campuses and universities nation wide. As society has evolved, thoughts on sexual assault have also evolved, becoming more focused on the details of victim treatment than ever before. The topic of sexual assault is debatable and sparks many opinions on weather sexual assault on college campuses is becoming more frequent, or if there is just heightened awareness. Sexual assault can happen to anybody no matter the gender, race, religion, or age. Recently there have been many studies conducted on sexual violence on college campuses and universities producing ample amounts of statistics. One may argue that sexual assault rates are the same, but there are simply more studies and attention on sexual assault in the past 20 years. Gender roles have played a huge part in sexual assault on college campuses. Women and men have different expectations when it comes to roles in the relationship, men are often expected to make the first move. One may ask what causes a perpetrator to sexually harass somebody and think it is acceptable. There are various reasons as to why perpetrators do what they do, and may vary from person to person. Although sexual violence is a large problem for many colleges and universities, there is a surprising shortage of federal laws/rules and regulations regarding sexual assault. Colleges are able to develop their own personal policies and procedures for how they will prevent and deal with sexualShow MoreRelatedSexual Assault On College Campuses1394 Words   |  6 PagesSexual assault on college campuses is an extensive topic that has concerned people for many years. The high rates and the case report cover-ups have brought about many varying opinions. Many people believe in changing the college framework to establish universities that are better equipped to deal with this issue. Others feel that the problem could be addressed by changing society’s outlook on crimes like these. W hile another group feels that the problem is in how we define rape. Despite these differencesRead MoreSexual Assault On College Campuses822 Words   |  4 PagesSexual assault on college campuses has become a huge issue. Students each and every day make bad decisions, whether they be alcohol induced or not, physical or verbal sexual abuse crosses the minds of some kids. Sexual assault is defined as â€Å"any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient† (justice.gov 2016, pg. 1). Recent altercations have released many different opinions on the topic. Overall the injustice is violating ones personal freedom and decisionRead MoreSexual Assault On College Campuses1591 Words   |  7 PagesSexual assault on college campuses is a growing epidemic. Twenty five percent of college women are affected by sexual assault (A. Amar, T. Strout, S. Simpson, M. Cardiello, S. Beckford, 2014, p. 93). Sexual assault is the non- consensual sexual touching of a person, in which a person is forced to engage in a sexual act against their will. Taking advantage of a person sexually is morally wrong, and causes victims of sexual assault significant emotional and physical damage. Sexual assault is a bigRead MoreSexual Assault On College Campuses Essay1993 Words   |  8 Pages â€Å"The Perpetuators of Sexual Assault on College Campuses† Sexual assault is defined as any vaginal, oral, or anal penetration that is forced upon another, regardless of sex and sexual orientation, using any object or body part. The issue of sexual assault in America is primarily encouraged by rape culture. Women Against Violence Against Women is an organization that defines rape culture as a complex set of beliefs that encourage male sexual aggression and supports violence against women. The acceptanceRead MoreSexual Assault On College Campuses Essay1941 Words   |  8 PagesAssault in all forms is dangerous to both men and women. Sexual assault on college campuses is fairly common today, and occurs in a number of ways. Young women are most often the main victims of assault on college campuses. This is becoming a serious issue in American society today because either some of these cases go unreported or these young women are too scared to report them or are too embarrassed to report it because the men causing these might be their friends o r someone they know. Many youngRead MoreSexual Assault On College Campuses1990 Words   |  8 Pagesthat has been gaining a lot of national attention is that of sexual assault on college campuses. Most understand sexual assault as an extremely vulgar act and it can universally be seen as taboo. But what exactly constitutes as sexual assault? The term sexual assault takes many forms including the attacking of an individual, rape, attempted rape, as well as any unwanted form of sexual contact and threats. A common form of sexual assault committed is when an individual touches any body part of anotherRead MoreSexual Assault On College Campuses998 Words   |  4 PagesWebster defines sexual assault as an illegal sexual contact that usually involves force upon a person without consent or is inflicted upon a person who is incapable of giving consent or who places the assailant in a position of trust or authority. Most common types of sexual assault are â€Å"acquaintance rape† an d â€Å"date rape†, which both take place on college campuses but go unnoticed. There are several incidents that occur on college campuses that students that attend that particular college or universityRead MoreSexual Assault On College Campuses1314 Words   |  6 PagesIn the last few years, the issue of sexual assault on college campuses have been gaining popularity in the public. Campus sexual assault have been a recurring subject throughout history and it seems to only get bigger. People would think that college campuses will be safe due to the advance security on the campus. Hundreds of women and men are sexually assaulted on campus everyday. Many organizations have started to form in order to help victims and prevent such tragic, heinous acts from happeningRead MoreSexual Assault On College Campuses1441 Words   |  6 PagesSexual Violence on College Campuses Among female college students, 23% said they experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact ranging from kissing, to touching, to rape. All of these females said it was carried out by force or threat of force, or while they were incapacitated because of alcohol or drugs. This data was collected from a survey taken by 150,000 students from 27 different Universities. (Wallace, Kelley, 2105) Sexual assault is sexual contact or behavior that happens without theRead MoreSexual Assault On College Campuses Essay1176 Words   |  5 PagesSexual Assault on College Campuses When it comes to choosing a college, there are many factors in this major life decision: price, location, type of education, and finally, safety. Young women in college campuses across the country, although no campus is immune from these heinous acts, safety is still a main concern. â€Å"If you knew your son had a 20% chance of being held up at gunpoint, you’d think twice before dropping your kid off,† says Vice President Joe Biden. â€Å"Well, my God, you drop a daughter

The Texas Assessment Of Knowledge And Skills - 1612 Words

The Texas Assessment of knowledge and skills, known as TAKS is a standardized test used throughout the State of Texas to determine whether or not a child is prepared for the next grade level. The TAKS test was implemented in 2003 to replace the â€Å"No child Left behind Act† The new addition to the test added science as well as social studies to the already existing math, reading and English. This test was design to obtain more information on where students currently resided in academics. Many have found flaw and criticized this test for numerous of reasons. The TAKS test has became ineffective in several ways it’s used to determine a teacher’s bonus or how well they communicate given information. When taking into account all theses view points, I have come to the conclusion that the TAKS and the STARR should no longer be used in its current role. One of the difficulties that arise with this test is the pass or Fail System. The test is also known for being bias towards those students who come from higher-class neighborhoods, simply because they have more educational resources. â€Å"The absence of standards virtually guarantees satisfied renouncement and access to knowledge, based upon income, ethnicity and the community one resides in† (French 2003). The resource available in the suburban culture has more of a variety than those who stay in rural population. The reason being is the gap between incomes, surroundings’ and family support. People that stay in the suburbs contributeShow MoreRelatedTeaching Method Directly Affect The Success Of Students As Measured By The Texas Assessment Of Knowledge And Skills1952 Words   |  8 Pagesof Differentiated Instruction: Does this teaching method directly affect the Success of students as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills? Layna S. Philipp Tarleton State University The Importance of Differentiated Instruction: Does this teaching method directly affect the success of students as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills? Introduction As classrooms become more and more diverse, the growing challenge of K-12 teachers is to respond appropriatelyRead MoreChanges In Education1178 Words   |  5 PagesIn Texas, there has many changes with teaching and learning. Over the past years, there has been many laws passed to try and initiate a change within the Texas school system had many laws passed to try and imamate a change in our school systems. In 2002, former President George W. Bush passed a law called No Child Left Behind. This law was similar to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. â€Å"The NCLB law which grew out of concern that the American education system was no longer internationallyRead MoreHigh School Students : Common Core And College And Career Readiness1706 Words   |  7 Pagespublic education system (Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology, n.d.). The government’s plan is the faster the student completes their higher education, the faster they join the wo rkforce and contribute to our economy. The Texas Education Agency initiative called P-16, is one of the driving forces that has high school curriculums offering college credit while student have not left high school. The government spends approximately 10,000 dollars annually on each student’s educationRead MoreAcademic Performance Report801 Words   |  4 PagesBased on the table above, it is evident that African-American (AA) students at Mitchell Boulevard Elementary School (ES) are not meeting the passing standards in the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR). According to the school’s Texas Academic Performance Report, AA students make up approximately 57% of the student population at Mitchell Boulevard. This data signifies that more than half of the students in this school are in need of quality instruction and intervention programsRead MoreFactors Of Career And Personality Assessments849 Words   |  4 PagesPathway to Elementary Education Emily is college freshman at Tarrant County College, a community college based in Fort Worth, Texas. Emily plans to attend junior college for a year and then would like to transfer to a larger university. She is struggling with the decision of choosing a major. Deciding what she wants to do for â€Å"the rest of her life† is very stressful. Her parents think she should go into the medical field because the jobs are plentiful, but she never did well in her science classesRead MoreThe Texas Constitution Guarantees An Efficient System Of Public Schools1459 Words   |  6 PagesThe Texas Constitution guarantees an efficient system of public free schools, but schools have recently found themselves unable to provide an adequate education to the more than 5 million students in Texas because of the many problems within the education policy in the state. Such issues involve school financing, lack of preparation for college, early childhood education, teacher quality, and school ch oice. Tough all of these conflicts pose a potential threat to the school system’s competence andRead MoreAssessments Hold Schools, States and Nations Accountable Essay1439 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to IRA standards, â€Å"the primary purpose of assessment is to improve teaching and learning† (International Reading Association, n.d.). This connotation would seem to contradict the uselessness of focused teacher-testing in today’s classroom during the major assessment phase of the school year. However, according to Johnson and Johnson (2002) and Steward (2004), they believe that assessments are useful in holding schools, states and nations, accountable throughout the educational process forRead MoreStandardized Testing Has Made A Huge Impact Not Only On Our Educational System1713 Words   |  7 Pagesmake schools in every state equal and have the same curriculum. Texas is one of the states that has decided not to adhere to the Common Core initiative. Texasâ €™s standards are based on Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Standardized tests are the formal assessments schools use to make sure students are meeting the required state standards. The standardized test that Texas uses for assessment is called the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). The NCLB states that studentsRead MoreThe Assessment Of An Assessment1340 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The assessment process is one that an educator often contemplates while planning a curriculum, implementing instruction, and after the assessment. Creating an assessment that helps students continue their learning should be the main goal. One way to help foster an assessment environment of continuous learning is to provide students with authentic assessments that they play an active role in. Performance assessments that give students authentic tasks to complete help teachers assessRead MoreStandardized Test Scores An Accurate Representation Of A Student s Abilities1735 Words   |  7 Pagesacademic abilities? Standardized tests are used to measure a student s academic abilities, and overall knowledge. In theory, a student s skills can be determined by examining the limited data collected from the test. However, standardized test do not fully represent a student s abilities, and cumulative knowledge. Many factors may affect the validity of the scores, and the accuracy of the asses sment. Instructor’s teaching directly for the test, being able to guess on multiple choice questions, examining

The Hero And The Crown Part Two Chapter 12 Free Essays

string(35) " foot in the stirrup, and mounted\." Part Two Chapter 12 TEKA BROUGHT HER THE MESSAGE from Tor three days later. He had tried to see her several times, but she had refused to talk to him, and Teka could not sway her; and from the glitter in her eye Teka did not dare suggest to Tor that he simply announce himself. His note read: â€Å"We ride out tomorrow at dawn. We will write a custom essay sample on The Hero And The Crown Part Two Chapter 12 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Will you see us off?† She wanted to burn the note, or rip it to bits, or eat it, or burst into tears. She spent the night sitting in her window alcove, wrapped in a fur rug; she dozed occasionally, but mostly she watched the stars moving across the sky. She did not want to stand in the cold grey dawn and watch the army ride away, but she would do it, for she knew it had hurt her father to deny her what she asked – because she was too young; too inexperienced; because he could not afford even the smallest uncertainty in his company’s faith when they went to face Nyrlol, and because her presence would cause that uncertainty. Because she was the daughter of a woman who came from the North, they could at least part with love. It was like Tor to make the gesture; her father, for all his kindness, was too proud – or too much a king; and she was too proud, or too bitter, or too young. And so she stood heavy-eyed in the castle courtyard as the cavalry officers and courtiers mounted their horses and awaited the king and the first sola. The army waited in the wide clearing hewn out of the forest beyond the gates of the City; Aerin imagined that she could hear the stamp of hoofs, the jingle of bits, see the long shadows of the trees lying across the horses’ flanks and the men’s faces. Hornmar emerged round the looming bulk of the castle, leading Kethtaz, who tiptoed delicately, ears hard forward and tail high. Hornmar saw her and wordlessly brought Kethtaz to her, and gave his bridle into her hand. The first sola’s equerry waited impassively, holding Dgeth. Hornmar turned away to mount his own horse, for he was riding with the army; but meanwhile he was giving the king’s daughter the honor of holding the king’s stirrup. This was not a small thing: holding the king’s stirrup conferred luck upon the holder, and often in times past the queen had demanded the honor herself. But often too the king ordered one who was considered lucky – a victorious general, or a first son, or even a first sola – to hold his stirrup for him, especially when the king rode to war, or to a tricky diplomatic campaign that might suddenly turn to war. No one said anything, but Aerin could feel a mental chill pass across the courtyard as some of the mounted men wondered if the witchwoman’s daughter began their mission with a bad omen, and she wondered if Hornmar had done her a favor. If the army rode out expecting the worst, they were likely to find it. Aerin held Kethtaz’s reins grimly, but Kethtaz did not like grimness, and prodded her with his nose till she smiled involuntarily and petted him. She looked up when she heard the king’s footsteps, and when she met her father’s eyes she was glad she had yielded to Tor’s request. Arlbeth kissed her forehead, and cupped her chin in his hands, and looked at her for a long moment; then he turned to Kethtaz, and Aerin grasped the stirrup and turned it for Arlbeth’s foot. At that moment there was a small commotion at the courtyard gate, and a man on a tired horse stepped onto the glassy stone. The horse stopped, swaying on wide-spaced legs, for it was too weary to walk trustingly on the smooth surface; and the man dismounted and dropped the reins, and ran to where the king stood. Arlbeth turned, his hand still on Aerin’s shoulder, as the man came up to them. â€Å"Majesty,† he said. Arlbeth inclined his head as if he were in his great hall and this man only the first of a long morning’s supplicants. â€Å"Majesty,† the man said again, as if he could not remember his message, or dared not give it. The man’s gaze flicked to Aerin’s face as she stood, her hand still holding the stirrup for mounting, and she was startled to see the gleam of hope in the man’s eyes as he looked at her. â€Å"The Black Dragon has come,† he said at last. â€Å"Maur, who has not been seen for generations, the last of the great dragons, great as a mountain. Maur has awakened.† Sweat ran down the man’s face, and his horse gave a gasping shuddering breath that meant its wind was broken, so hard had it been ridden. â€Å"I beg you for †¦ help. My village even now may be no more. Other villages will soon follow.† The man’s voice rose in panic. â€Å"In a year – in a season Damar may all be black with the dragon’s breath.† â€Å"This is mischief from across the Border,† Tor said, and Arlbeth nodded. There was silence for a long, sad, grim moment, and when Arlbeth spoke again, his voice was heavy. â€Å"As Tor says, the Black Dragon’s awakening is mischief sent us, and sent us crucially at just this moment when we dare not heed it.† The messenger’s shoulders slumped, and he put his hands over his face. Arlbeth went on, so quietly that none but Aerin and Tor and the man might hear. â€Å"We go now to meet a trouble that may be even deadlier than dragons, for it is human and Damarian and spurred by mischief. Damar may yet face the dragon; a Damar broken to bits would be nothing, even though the dragon lay dead.† He turned to Kethtaz again, set his foot in the stirrup, and mounted. You read "The Hero And The Crown Part Two Chapter 12" in category "Essay examples" Aerin stepped back as Kethtaz pranced, for he cared nothing for dragons and much for bearing the king at the head of a procession. â€Å"We shall return as soon as we may, and go to meet your Black Dragon. Rest, and take a fresh horse, and go back to your village. All those who wish it may come to our City and await us in its shelter.† He raised his arm, and his company rustled like leaves, waiting the order to march; and one of the sofor led the messenger’s wind-broken horse to one side, and the king’s procession passed the courtyard gate, and went down the king’s way and beyond the City walls to where the army awaited them. Aerin had meant to climb to the top of the castle and watch the glitter of their going till it disappeared into the trees beyond the City; but instead she waited, standing beside the messenger, whose hands were still over his face. When the last sound of the king’s company’s going faded he dropped his hands, as if till then he had been hoping for some reprieve; and he sighed. â€Å"Almost I missed them entirely,† he murmured, staring into the empty air. â€Å"And it was to no purpose. Better I had missed them, and not used my poor Lmoth so ill,† and his eyes turned to the horse he had ridden. â€Å"Lmoth will be cared for well in our stables,† said Aerin, â€Å"and I will take you now to find food and a bed for yourself.† The man’s eyes turned slowly toward her, and again she saw the dim flicker of hope. â€Å"I must return as soon as I may, at least with the message of the king’s charity for those of my folk left homeless or fearful.† Aerin said, â€Å"Food first. It’s a long weary way you have come.† . He nodded, but his eyes did not leave her face. Aerin said softly: â€Å"I will come with you when you ride home; but you know that already, don’t you?† The hopeful gleam was now reflected in a smile, but a smile so faint that she would not have seen it at all if she had not, in her turn, hoped for it. â€Å"Thank you, Aerin-sol, Dragon-Killer,† he said. They rode out together that afternoon. Talat was fresh, and inclined to bounce; he did not heed the dragon spears attached to his saddle because he believed he knew everything he needed to know about dragons. It was a silent journey. They went as quickly as they dared push the horses – a little less quickly than the messenger liked, but Aerin knew she and Talat had a dragon before them, and Talat was old; and if he did not wish to remember it, then it was all the more important that Aerin remember it for him. Their course was almost due north, but the mountains were steepest in that direction, so they went out of their way to take the easier path, and moved the swifter for it. At dawn on the third day a black cloud hung before them, near the horizon that the mountains made, although the sky overhead was clear; and by afternoon they were breathing air that had an acrid edge to it. The messenger’s head had sunk between his shoulders, and he did not raise his eyes from the path after they first saw the black cloud. Talat picked his way carefully in the other horse’s wake. He was better-mannered now than he had been when he was young and the king’s war-horse; then the idea of following any other horse would have made him fret and sulk. Aerin left it to him, for she looked only at the cloud. When the messenger turned off to the left, while the cloud still hung before them, she said, â€Å"Wait.† The man paused and looked back. His expression was dazed, as if hearing the word â€Å"Wait† had called him back a long distance. â€Å"The dragon lies ahead; it is his signature we see in the sky. I go that way.† The man opened his mouth, and the dazed expression cleared a little; but he closed his mouth again without saying anything. â€Å"Go to your people and give them the king’s message,† Aerin said gently. â€Å"I will come to you later, as I can – or not.† The man nodded, but still he sat, turned in his saddle to look at the king’s daughter, till Aerin edged Talat past him and down the path the man had left, straight toward the cloud. She made camp that night by a stream black with ash; to boil water for malak she had first to strain it, and strain it again, through a corner of her blanket, for this was not a contingency she had planned for. â€Å"Although I suppose I should have,† she said to Talat, hanging the soggy bedding over a frame of branches by the fire in the hope that it might dry before she had to wrap herself in it. She’d had to strain water for Talat too, for he’d refused to drink the ashy stuff in the running stream, snorting and pawing at it, and tossing an offended head with flattened ears. The campfire was less comfort than it should have been; the light glared, and hurt the eyes, and it seemed to smoke more than a small campfire should, and the smoke hung low to the ground and would not drift away, but clung to the throat and lungs. Aerin rolled herself in the still damp blanket and tried to sleep; but her dreams woke her, for she heard the dragon breathing, and it seemed to her that the earth beneath her thudded with the dragon’s heartbeat. Talat was restless too, and turned his head often to stare into the darkness, and shivered his skin as if he felt ash flakes brushing him. Dawn came, and Aerin lay wide awake, watching the light broaden, and still she felt the earth tremble with the dragon’s pulse; and the light did not grow as bright as it should, but remained grey as twilight. She rolled her blanket, and left it and her cooking gear in the lee of a rock; and she rubbed Talat all over with kenet, and herself as well, and donned her greasy leather suit; and then she rubbed herself and her horse with kenet all over again, and even Talat was subdued by the grey light and the trembling ground and did not protest this deviation from the proper schedule. Aerin rubbed her spears with kenet, and checked that the rough suede grips were looped firmly in place; and she checked the clasp of her swordbelt and the lie of the short knife she carried in her right boot. Lastly she pulled on her gauntlets; the fingers felt as stiff as daggers. Maur was waiting for them. They had spent the night separated from the dragon by no more than a knob of rock a little taller than Talat; and it was in the direction the dragon lay that Talat had so often looked during the dark hours. Or perhaps Maur had approached them from where it had lain yesterday and it was the weight of its footsteps Aerin had felt as its heartbeat as she lay awake by the smoky camp fire. Perhaps the dragon was not so large as a mountain; but the heavy black cloud that clung around it made it larger than a mountain, and when it first caught sight of them it lifted its wings, briefly, and the sun disappeared, and a wind like a storm wind howled around them. Then it bowed its long neck to the ground, its nose pointed toward them, and its half-lidded red eyes stared straight at them. Talat stopped as they rounded the protective stone shoulder, and threw up his head. Aerin was ready to dismount hastily if Maur was too much even for Talat’s courage, for he had not had the warning she had had, and at least till the night before he must have believed that they went to fight a dragon like other dragons. But he stood, feet planted, and stared back at the dragon, and Maur’s red eyes opened a little wider, and it began to grin a bit, and smoke seeped out between its teeth, which were as long as Talat’s legs. The smoke crawled along the ground toward them, and curled around Talat’s white ankles, and Talat stamped and shivered but did not move, and the dragon grinned a little more. They were in a small cup of valley; or what remained of the valley with the dragon in it was small. There had been trees in the valley, and on the steep slopes around them, but there were no trees now. It was hard to see anything. The smoke was rising around them, and the valley was blackened; when a low rocky hillock moved toward them, Aerin realized suddenly that it was some of the dragon’s tail. Dragons sometimes stunned their prey with their tails when they did not care to expend the energy that breathing fire required, or didn’t feel the prey was worth it. She loosened a dragon spear in its place, and drove Talat forward with her legs. He was only a little slow to respond. She lifted the spear and hurled it with all her strength at the dragon’s nearer eye. Maur raised its head with a snap, and the spear bounced harmlessly off the horny ridge beneath its eye; and Talat lurched out of the way of the striking tail. The dragon’s head snaked around as Talat evaded the tail, and Talat dodged again, and fire sang past Aerin’s ear, fire like nothing either Talat or Aerin had ever seen before, any more than this dragon was like any other dragon they had seen. The fire was nearly white, like lightning, and it smelted hard and metallic; it smelled like the desert at noon, it smelled like a forest fire; and the blast of air that sheathed it was hotter than any Damarian forge. Talat’s eye showed white as he glared back over his shoulder at the dragon; Maur was sitting half crouched now, but it was grinning again, and it made no further move toward them. Aerin was shivering in the saddle, the long convulsive shudders of panic. She loosened the second spear, and reluctantly she turned Talat to face the dragon once more; she wanted desperately to run away and hide, and had her throat not been dry with terror she would have sobbed. Her shoulder creaked as she lifted the spear. She urged Talat forward, and he moved stiff-legged, tail lashing anxiously; she put him into a trot as if they were going to pass the dragon by on their left side; all the time she was horribly aware of Maur’s slitted eyes watching them. She coughed on the rising smoke, and almost lost her grip on the spear; and as they were almost past the dragon’s farther shoulder she kneed Talat abruptly around, swerving in under the dragon’s breast as it crouched, and flung the spear at the soft spot under the jaw. Maur swung away from them faster than anything so large should have been able to move; the wind of its movement knocked Talat off his stride, and he stumbled. Maur threw up its head with a roar that sounded like mountains falling, and yellow-white fire spouted into the sky. Aerin clung weakly to Talat’s mane as he swerved away from the dragon’s raking foreclaw, and saw that her spear had found its mark; it dangled under the dragon’s chin, looking as frail as a blade of grass, and Aerin knew it was no good. Had her throw been true, Maur would have fallen at once in its death agonies, not lashed its head down toward them again and spat another long white-hot gout of fire at them. Talat swerved again, and the fire only nicked them in passing. Maur shook its head violently and Aerin’s spear came free and whipped away like a leaf on a gale; the dragon’s eyes were wide open now, and they heard the hiss of its breath, and it sent more fire at them, and Talat spun desperately aside once again. There was sweat on his neck, and sweat ringing his dark eyes; and Aerin could do nothing but cling dumbly to the saddle; her brain refused to function. Her spears were gone, and there was nothing useful to be done with her sword. Talat leaped aside once more, nearly unseating her; she cowered miserably and wondered why Talat did not turn tail and run, but continued to face the monster, waiting for her to do †¦ something. Another blast of fire, and this time, as Talat reared back on his hocks and spun frantically to the right, the weak hind leg gave way. He screamed, with fear or shame, as the leg buckled and he fell; and Aerin fell with him, for her reflexes were too numb to pitch her free. And so she was a little above him as they fell together, and the dragonfire caught her, briefly, and she fell through it. One arm was flung up, or left behind, as she fell, and the fire burned the kenet-rich leather to ash instantly, and scorched the arm within; and the helmet on her head blackened and fell away, and most of her hair vanished, and her kenet-smeared face was on fire. She opened her mouth to scream, and she was almost past the band of fire then, or she would have died at once; but still a little of the outermost edge of the dragonfire, no hotter, perhaps, than the fire used to temper the king’s swords, slid between her lips and down her throat and into her lungs, and then she had nothing left to scream with. Then she was below the fire lash, and lying on the ground, and one foot was caught under Talat’s body, and Talat lay still. The pain of her scorched throat and lungs was so great she almost forgot the pain of her arm and her head; but she found, somewhere, enough consciousness left to be surprised, when she saw a great shadow shifting toward them and looming over them, that she could still see, and out of both her eyes. I’m still alive, she thought, and blinked; her unburnt cheek was pressed against the ground, which felt as cold as ice. That’s the dragon leaning over us, she thought; it will kill us for sure this time. There was a red haze hanging before her eyes, or maybe her eyes were only sore from the smoke and ash; but she could not see clearly. She must have imagined that she saw the dragon’s jaws opening, for had she seen it, there would have been no time left. As it was she had time to think, calmly and clearly, I’ve killed Talat because he wouldn’t turn and run; he’s a war-horse. Well, perhaps I can run forward, not back too, now that it’s too late. She hadn’t had time to figure out how seriously hurt she was, so she picked herself up and flung herself at the dragon’s nose as it bowed its head to nuzzle them, or swallow them, or whatever it had planned; and she found out too late that the ankle that had been caught under Talat was broken, and her left arm so withered by the fire that it could not obey her; but somehow still she had grabbed Maur’s nostrils, and as it yanked its head up she held on grimly with one hand and one foot, and perhaps with her teeth. This is for Talat, she thought, but dimly now. There’s still a knife in my boot, but I have only one hand; I can’t hold on and pull it out both. But Maur reared up as it raised its head, and the weight of the air held her flat upon its nose for a moment, and almost she laughed, and worked her good hand down to her boot top and pulled the knife free. The dragon finished rearing, and clawed at its nose with one front leg; but its eyes were set too low and far back on its head to see her where she lay, and its skin was too thick for it to feel her location accurately, and the swipe missed. She thought, A few steps, only a few, it doesn’t matter that my ankle’s broken; and she half stood up and ran the length of the dragon’s head, flung herself down flat again, and plunged her knife into Maur’s right eye. The force of the blow had all her weight behind it, for all that she had little strength left, and her weight carried the knife deep into the dragon’s eye, and on into its brain, and as her gauntleted fingers were clutched convulsively around the knife’s hilt, her arm followed, its passage shoulder deep. The dragon’s fiery blood fountained out and covered her, and she fainted. How to cite The Hero And The Crown Part Two Chapter 12, Essay examples

Financial Analysis of Ted Baker Example For Students

Financial Analysis of Ted Baker REPORT ToMr. D. G. Farmer Froman analyst working for Devon Fund Managers (DFM) Date15 / 03 / 2013 Devon Fund Managers A regular report that analyses industry and performance of Ted Baker plc. based on the Ted Baker Annual Report 2011-12. Executive Summary This report is going to analyse and evaluate the Ted Baker plc. by providing the most important ratios of the company and interpretations to them. Furthermore, it is going to recommend to hold shares of this company to existing shareholders and also recommend potential investors to purchase the shares of Ted Baker plc. ince the return of the company is expected to be high in the nearest future. 1. Introduction This report is going to analyse the apparel-textile industry and company performance of Ted Baker plc. by using financial analysis. It will also provide useful recommendations for users about investing in the company. 1. 1 Industrial characteristics Ted Baker plc. operates in apparel-textile industry. This kind of industry is famous for designing and selling accessorizes and clothing. Apparel industry consists of wholesalers and retailers. Since retail stores can sell their own merchandise in retail, they are more profitable but also highly risky. Moreover, sales revenue in this industry, especially in retails, tends to be highly seasonal. Sales are usually being maximised during holidays and at the beginning of school periods. 1. 2 Industry averages and competitors Textile-apparel industry has an average market capitalisation of 12B, which shows the average total estimated number of issued shares in companies of this industry. Net profit margin of 6. % is a measure of profitability as well as, shows pricing strategy and how the companies within Apparel store manage their costs. Additionally, dividend yield in this industry is only 1. 1%, which illustrates the rate of return on investment. P/E ratio in this industry is 22. 0 (refer to Appendices 2). In apparel-clothing sector,Burberry Group plc. ranks first for market capitalization. , but it might not be a main competitor of Ted Baker, because of a different style and a price. The main competitors of Ted Baker are Paul Smith, Levi’s, Gap, Reiss and so on. 1. 3 About the Company Ted Baker plc. s a British and world leading clothing brand that operates mainly on three channels: wholesale(45. 1%), retail(46. 6%) and licensing(8. 1%). Beginning from 1988 in Glasgow, they offer two collections per year, which include products such as: menswear, womenswear, accessories, footwear, born by Ted Baker, watches and etc. . Ted Baker is a listed company in London Stock Exchange(LSE:TED) and share price today is 1243. 0p (13-03-2013 at 16:47) . 1. 4 Press media and future strategies According to The Independent (2012), company beats its profit target by overseas expansion such as a new store in Beijing. Its founder and chief executive Ray Kelvin said that despite of the uncertainty in trading sector, company has made a great start to 2012 with a 16% boost in sales. Ray Kelvin recently spoke to media by emphasising that their future plan is to make Ted Baker a global business by opening more stores in Asia and Latin America. Another future prospect is reducing taxation and costs. 2. Financial Analysis of Ted Baker 2. 1 Horizontal or Trend Analysis Table1 (Workings in Appendices 1) Table 1 shows a horizontal analysis drawn about Ted Baker, which shows percentage changes in the elements of Income Statement. It is an effective way of tracking long-term trends. From 2011 to 2012, there is 20% change in revenue, however after deducting costs and expenses this has fallen to 1. 6% as profit for the year. In details, there is a critical change in cost of sales, distribution costs and administrative expenses. As mentioned in part 1. 4, company has expanded its outlets and production in overseas, therefore increase in such costs are natural. In this case, analyzing company’s results vertically would be more beneficial. 2. 2 Vertical Analysis Table 2. (Workings in Appendices 1) In vertical analysis, it is easier to see elements as a percentage of Revenue. Between 2011-12, the portion that cost of sales takes in revenue has increased however, there is a bigger deterioration in distribution cost. In 2011, 9. 21% of revenue remains as profit but in 2012 this figure decreases to 8. 14%. Despite reduction in costs is one of the strategies of Ted Baker(part 1. 4), analysis illustrates that costs increase each year. 2. 3 Ratio Analysis 2. 3. 1 Profitability ratios Profitability Ratios Type 2012 2011 2010 Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) 8. 02% 31. 11% 28. 40% Operating Profit Margin 11. 26% 12. 86% 12. 09% Gross Profit Margin 61. 31% 61. 68% 61. 09% Table 3 (Workings in Appendices 1) Profitability ratios are basically figures to measure if the company is doing well in the terms of profit. ROCE ratio has increased in 2011 but in 2012 it deteriorates by 3%. This fall indicates that company was not successfully getting high returns as a percentage of its resources available, compared to 2011. Operating profit margin figures in the table above show the return from net sales. However profit margin ratios are high enough for the 3 years, there is a fall from 12. 86% to 11. 26% during 2011-12. Sales revenue increases with a higher rate than gross profit so there is a poor control of cost of sales and expenses. Gross profit margin illustrates the proportion of revenue left after deducting cost of sales. During 2010, 2011 and 2012 this ratio has not changed significantly and loosing approximately 40% of revenue after cost of sales is natural for a company in textile-apparel industry as they use relatively more raw material than other industries. Greek Mythology (1019 words) EssayGenerally, the company has not faced any problems about paying interest over the three years. 3. Conclusion As a conclusion, Ted Baker is a listed company that operates as retailer wholesaler and licensing company under apparel-textile clothing company. Recently, this company is growing overseas and sales are increased as a result. However, cost of the company has also increased significantly and as a result, profit increased relatively less in 2012. Generally ratios show that there is higher improvement between 2010-11 compared to 2011-12. There is a slight risk for the company in the short run when inventories are excluded. However in the long-run the company is not much risky. In investor ratio trends, same scenario is being observed, and although there is a fall from 2010 to 2011, in 2012 the figures start to improve. 3. 1 Recommendation The brand name Ted Baker is currently opening new stores in different part of the world and their future strategy is to expand the range even more. However, the success of new outlets is not certain. Additionally, the results such as: earnings per share, financial gearing dividend yield indicates that company is doing well in the terms of financial health and rate of return. Although majority of 2012 results are going up, they have not reached 2010 results yet. For the reasons stated above, it could be recommended to investors to â€Å"hold† shares in Ted Baker rather sell. Buying new shares can also be recommended for risk takers, because buying can be highly risky and the rate of return could also be high. 4. Limitations Retail industries experience seasonality and because of this it is not so certain when the results are being analysed based on annual report. The interim results would give more accurate outcomes about sales and profit. When analysing gross profit margin, it is uncertain that if it is high or low because of selling price or cost of sales. The average selling price could not be found in annual reports. The investment that is spent on promotion and advertisement of new stores of Ted Baker is not available to users to guess the potential success. Acceptable ratio for each industry varies and the general rules about ratios might not be accurate for apparel industry. 5. Bibliography 1. Annual Report 2011/12. (2012). Ted Baker London. Teds Passport to Success. 2012 (1), (Hard Copy) 2. Richard M. Johns (2006). The Apparel Industry. nd ed. UK, London: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.. 1-124. 3. Yahoo Finance. (2013). INDUSTRY CENTER TEXTILE APPAREL CLOTHING. Available: http://biz. yahoo. com/ic/320. html . Last accessed 09th MAR 2013. 4. Ted Baker Official Website. (2013). About us. Available: http://www. tedbaker. com/about_us/content. aspx . Last accessed 14th MAR 2013. 5. London Stock Exchange-LSE:TED. (2013) . Ted Baker Plc.. Available: http://www. londonstockexchange. com/exchange/prices-and-markets/stocks/summary/company-summary. html? fourWayKey=GB0001048619GBGBXSTMM . Last accessed 13rd MAR 2013 at 16:47. 6. The Independent-Business news. 2012). Smart Ted Baker beats profit targets. Available: http://www. independent. co. uk/news/business/news/smart-ted-baker-beats-profit-targets-8198352. html . Last accessed 10th MAR 2013. 7. Retail Week News. (2012). Q: Ted Baker chief executive Ray Kelvin. Available: http://www. retail-week. com/sectors/fashion/qa-ted-baker-chief-executive-ray-kelvin/5041478. article . Last accessed 10th MAR 2013. 8. BBC News. (2012). Ted Bakers sales boosted by overseas growth. Available: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-18406260 . Last accessed 9th MAR 2013. 9. Annual Report 2010/11. (2011). Ted Baker London. Teds Material World. (1), 1-77. Available at:http://www. palgrave. com/business/collis/ba2/students/TedBakerAnnualReport2010-11. pdf 10. Annual Report 2009/10. (2010). Ted Baker London. Teds Growing About his Businesses. (1),1-66. Available at:http://www. tedbakerplc. com/ted/uploads/press/ReportandAccounts09_10Final. pdf 11. Donald M. Peterson (1993). Financial Ratios and Investment Results. Toronto, Canada: Lexington Books. 33-126. 12. Barry E. and Jamie E. (2008). Financial Accounting and Reporting. 12th ed. Essex. England: Pearson Education Limited. 259-748. 13. Richard B. (2008). Financial Ratios: How To Use Financial Ratios To Maximise Value and Success For Your Business. Oxford, UK: CIMA Publishing. 33-131. Profitability Ratios Type Formula 2012 2011 2010 Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) Operating Profit Margin Gross Profit Margin 6. Appendices 1 (Workings) Liquidity Ratios Type Formula 2012 2011 2010 Current Ratio Quick Ratio (Acid Test) Solvency Ratios Type Formula 2012 2011 2010 Financial Gearing Interest Cover 28 January 2012 29 January 2011 30 January 2010 Share price at the year end 382. 4p 344. 7p 240. 7p Weighted number of shares (a)(b) 164,837 154,247 121,415 Dividend announced (a) ?38,572 ?31,775 ?20,823 Total equity attributable to equity shareholders of the parent company (? ’000) ? 85,185 ?76,024 ?66,315 Total dividend per share (b) 23. 4p 20. 6p 17. 15p Investor Ratios Type Formula 2012 2011 2010 Dividend payout ratio Dividend Cover Dividend yield Earnings per share P/E Ratio 2. 1 Horizontal and Trend Analysis (Workings) Revenue (All Calculations in this sector has been calculated with the same method) 2. 2 Vertical Analysis (Workings) E. g. to find cost of sales percentage, take revenue 100%, (All Calculations in this sector has been calculated with the same method)

Christology Essays - Christology, Heresy In Christianity

Christology In relation to the humanity, he is one and the same Christ, the son, the Lord, the Only Begotten, who is to be acknowledged in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division and without separation. - Creed of Chalcedon (A.D. 451) For thousands of years the true nature of Jesus Christ has been widely debated. Christology is the theology devoted to studying the human and divine natures and roles of Jesus Christ. Many interpretations and viewpoints have been formed and disputed since the death of Christ up to present times. Three major councils were organized to discuss the teachings and understandings of Jesus early in the first millennium. The discussions at Nicaea (A.D. 325), Constantinople (A.D. 381), and Chalcedon (A.D. 451) were developed into creeds that explained their belief in terms of the nature of Christ. These three creeds insisted that Christ was fully a man and fully God, not one or the other or part of both. There were many other early perspectives of Christology in the Christian church. Each viewpoint had its individual varying forms and degrees. These are the basic convictions of the most prominent ones: Docetism: This doctrine preached that Christ was of a divine nature and only seemed to have a human form. He appeared to suffer on the cross but was in fact incapable of feeling human misery. The viewpoint stems from one that insists all matter is evil (dualism); therefore, Christ could simply not be human because he could not be evil. The name derives from the Greek word, dokein, to seem, to appear. It was finally denounced at the Council of Chalcedon. Arianism: Arius, a priest in Alexandria, taught that Christ was part of the Trinity, but not as divine as God. Since God supposedly created Christ, he could surely not be as holy as him. It was acknowledged that Christ was not of a human nature, but not of a total divine nature either. He existed simply by the will of God. This viewpoint was denounced at both the Councils of Nicea and Constantinople. Adoptionism (Ebionism): The idea of a Trinity was opposed in this doctrine. The Adoptionists contend that Christ was a man who was adopted by God and made holy at his baptism. He first had a human nature, and developed into a deity after he was baptized. After several tries, Adoptionism was successfully denounced at the end of the 8th century. Patripassianism: The Patripassians believe that God manifested himself as a Man through Christ his son, and that they are truly the same divine being. The word Patripassian comes from the Latin words, patris, Father, and passus, to suffer. Nestorianism: Nestorius, archbishop of Constantinople, preached that Christ had two separate natures, human and divine, which acted together in an individual but were never actually united. He also refused to acknowledge Mary as the Mother of God because Christ was born as a man. This was denounced and Nestorius exiled from the empire. Apollinarianism: Apollinarius, a bishop of Laodicea, taught that Christ was of a human nature whose body was inhabited by a divine soul. The divine nature actually took over the earthly mind and in this way, Christ became a glorified model of humanity. Although several councils condemned this doctrine, it survived until the 5th century. Monophysitism: The general belief of this doctrine is that Christ had only a divine nature. There are four basic methods that this was taught: the divine nature overtook the human nature; the divine nature was overshadowed by the humanity of Christ; an exclusive nature was formed by the combination of the human and divine natures; or there is a balance between the two that cannot be questioned. Gnosticism: Generally, this held that spirit is good, matter (including humanity) is bad, and salvation can only be achieved as spirit is separated from matter by means of a higher knowledge. Christ came from God as an inferior being but could not have had an earthly body because it would have been evil. There are two variations here: that Christ only appeared to have a body, or that Christ took over the body of a man who had died. Marcionism: Marcion, son of the bishop of Sinope, disputed traditional Jewish teachings. He felt God was evil and not the Father of Christ. He viewed Christ as innately good

Essay about Personality Assessment Myers

Essay about Personality Assessment Myers Essay about Personality Assessment: Myers The two most common methods for assessing a personality are the Myers-Brigs Type Indicator and the Big Five Personality Model. Of the two, the MBTI is the most widely used. However, it is the Big Five Model which has the most supporting evidence. A key flaw with MBTI is that is classifies personality as one or the other, and there is no in-between. For instance, a person assessed with the MBTI is classified as either thinking or feelings despite the fact that many people possess both traits to a certain degree. This is not present in the Big Five Model. Most evidence does not support MBTI’s validity as a reliable assessment of personality. The Big Five personality model is composed of five factors. The five factors are extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness to experience. Extraversion is ones openness to human interactions. Extraverts are social, enjoy meeting others and are socially assertive. Introverts are the exact opposite, and tend to be reserved and shy. Agreeableness is based on the ability to agree and accommodate. An agreeable person is cooperative, warm and adaptable. Perhaps, the most prominent is conscientiousness which is defined as a measure of reliability. Those who are conscientiousness, are reliable, organized and have a keen attention to detail. Emotional stability is one ability to manage stressful situations. Those with high emotional stability are better able to withstand stress than those with low emotional stability. Finally, openness to experience is based on one interest, and curiosity

United States vs. Afghanistan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

United States vs. Afghanistan - Essay Example A potential expansion location in for US Airways in a third world country is Afghanistan. This paper provides an economic analysis of Afghanistan comparing it with the United States. Afghanistan is located in the Middle East near the border of Pakistan. The country has a population of 29.12 million people. The population of Afghanistan is roughly 10% the size of the US population. The real gross domestic product per capita of the country is $900. This metric makes Afghanistan one of the poorest countries in the world. The United States with a real gross domestic product per capita of $46,000 has one of the highest standards of living in the world (CultureGrams, 2011). Afghanistan suffers from a number of social problems that are hurting the economic development of the region. For starters the adult literacy rate of the population is low. The adult literacy rate of males is 43% and in females it is even lower at 13% (CultureGrams, 2011). When a population has low illiteracy rates the working class of the country lacks a college education which hurts the ability of the nation to compete in the knowledge economy. In contrast the illiteracy rate of the United States is above 99% which means that most Americans know how to write and read. The overall social and economic conditions of these two countries are very different. The US due to its wealth has abundance of shelter, food, and medicine for its people in a country that has a very stable political condition.

Management Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 6

Management Portfolio - Essay Example Site work shall involve grading, drainage, and other on-site utilities that are necessary for the operation of the service facility. The project location consists of 100 acres of land. The scope of the project includes engineering, procurement, and construction for the site-work and two initial buildings. A soil investigation, legal boundary survey, and contour mapping is already provided by the owner, thus the present project contract will no longer cover these activities. Special procurement will include an overhead crane for the industrial building and an elevator conveying system for the administrative office building. The maintenance (or industrial) building shall have a 40-foot clear ceiling height, with a 20-ton overhead crane. The owner anticipates that 45 employees shall be using the building during the day shift and plans to expand work to include a night shift at some future time. A small office area and a shop with machining equipment will be located in the industrial building. A wash-down area is to be provided for washing and servicing of truck vehicles (Oberlender 2000, p. 329). Project management aims to execute, in the most effective and cost-efficient manner possible, the design and construction of civil works to the satisfaction of the customer. However, execution should not be undertaken at the expense of the health and safety of construction workers and the public, nor to the degradation of the environment. Thrusts towards green architecture and green engineering have brought to the forefront concerns on health, safety, and sustainability. However, while traditionally thought of as a secondary appendage to construction plans, measures to ensure health and safety have in effect contributed to the reduction of the financial costs of projects. Steps taken to prevent accidents and avoid community hazards and nuisance have effectively created savings to the firm in

WEEK 4 INTL 6000 - RESEARCH PART 4 Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

WEEK 4 INTL 6000 - PART 4 - Research Paper Example KCNA, the North’s official news agency, announced it had no option, but to renege on the armistice, due to persistent war maneuvers by the US (Grinker 45). The current tensions re-started when KCNA declared that their military would invalidate the agreement, referring to the puppet forces in the South and the US imperialist’s violation of the armistice, citing the joint exercises as a declaration of war. This latest flare up, according to the author, comes from tough sanctions that were passed by the Security Council in the UN in response to continued nuclear tests, which North Korea carried out in spite of global condemnation (Grinker 46). This cold war era conflict continues to affect international political dynamics. To find the exact reason for the 2013 flare up of rhetoric from the North and the military deterrent drills by the South, it is important, therefore to trace the beginning of the conflict. This is because the rhetoric used by the North is reminiscent of the Cold War-era tactics that the country used. Therefore, it is certain that North Korea still views the South the same way it did then and that the conflict, for the North Koreans never ended (Armitage 32). Continued isolation by the North Koreans has seen them perfect their Cold War-era tactics that included the creation of a crisis, escalation of tensions, and extractions of concessions and payments to re-affirm their status. The current tensions are no different, as seen by the North’s reluctance to follow through on their rhetoric. This strategy has always worked for the North and it seems to be working this time, as seen by China’s and the US’s exhortation to go back to dialogue and the increased aid prese nted by the Chinese. The Chinese, who took over from the Soviets as the North’s main benefactor, continue to support their Socialist model and would not want to see the North fall to the American-backed South. For this reason,

Mandatory Military Service: A good concept?

Mandatory Military Service: A good concept? Is mandatory military service a good thing for the country? Both World Wars, the Korean War and the Vietnam War have one thing in commonmost who served were drafted through a mandatory system. Recently, high ranking Democratic Congressman, Charles Rangel, proposed reinstating the draft. Is mandatory military service a good thing for the country? I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a military draft, as well as different types of compulsory military service. When people hear about a military draft the first thing that comes to mind is the Vietnam War. The Vietnam draft system was flawed to say the least. Class played a major role in the draft. It was quite easy for those with general knowledge of the Selective Service system to avoid being drafted. Many believe some of the wealthy used their connections to get into the safer branches of the military. President Bushs political opponents have accused him of using his fathers connections during the Vietnam War to get into the relatively safe Texas Air National Guard. College students could apply for student deferment, and at the time most college students were upper class. Student deferment would last until the student finished their studies and earned a degree. If a draft was instituted today college students would only be deferred until the end of their semester. During the Vietnam War, medical deferments were common. Physical problems were legitimate reasons to be exempt from active duty service, but the lower class was at a disadvantage because of fewer medical records. For example, former presidential candidate Howard Dean was exempt from serving in the military during the Vietnam War because of a back problem for which he had medical records of from a prominent New York doctor. Some of the poor didnt have the medical records to support their ailments, and were forced to serve. According to draft supporters, a draft would unite the country. Today, most young people arent actively engaged in their government. A draft would get everyone invested in our foreign policy. Congressman Rangel believes instituting the draft would lead to fewer wars. Its one thing supporting a pre-emptive strike on a country when others in the volunteer military will be performing the mission but would you support it if you were on the front lines of that pre-emptive strike? Another question that must be asked is Should those who dont want any part of the military be forced to serve their country in the event of a draft? Our militarys objective is to defend freedom in our own country and in the world. So, a draft, in some ways, sacrifices the very values we are supposed to be defending. The Supreme Court has ruled that conscientious objection can be from religious or non-religious beliefs but can not be because of a particular war. Many objectors have served in a weapons free branch of the military, or in some form of community service. According to the Selective Service System, they can evaluate and induct everyone drafted within 193 days of an emergency. With such rapid progress, is mandatory military service now necessary? The job of the Selective Service is to provide manpower to the armed forces. Therefore, the 193 days does not include the rigorous training that is standard with the U.S. military. With such great technology at its disposal, the U.S. military makes sure its members are knowledgeable about all its weapons systems. There are many issues that must be addressed to avoid mass problems if a draft were held today. Today, homosexuals are barred from serving in the military. What would stop any person who doesnt want to serve from claiming to be a homosexual? Also, would women be drafted? Today, only men have to register for the Selective Service. If the situation in the Middle East continues to worsen and spread, our government may have no other choice but to place more boots on the ground. The only way to solve troop shortages would be to re-instate the draft. We must hope that our government would only send us in harms way when this country is truly in danger. Bibliography http://www.sss.gov Selective Service System http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/20/selective.service/index.html CNN http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/19/rangel.draft.ap/index.html CNN http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh1000/stories/bush072899.htm Washington Post http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/news/news/2003/hardball_dean_120103.htm Harvard University

The Impact of Pirates and of Piracy on the Spanish Empire Essay

The Impact of Pirates and of Piracy on the Spanish Empire When the word pirate is mentioned, many people think of ship carrying men across the seas as they pillage other ships. While this is true to some extent there was much more to the lives of the men that were known as pirates. Pirates were mostly men from French, English or Dutch heritage, and were privateers or merchants. Many of these men were sanctioned by their government. By the Spanish they were call piratas or unsanctioned sea-raiders, and would have a heavy influence of trade in the Caribbean and on the Spanish Empire. The first pirates were known as corsairs and appeared at the end of the 15th and into the beginning of the 16th century. It was at this time between 1530-60 when Spain began to transport the newly discovered riches in the New World. Large amounts of gold, sugar, tabacco and pearls were being sent back to Spain. In 1523 a French Corsair by the name of Jean Florin over took several weakly protected Spanish ships and captured a cargo that held 62,000 ducats in gold, 600 marks of pearls and several tons of sugar. This brought pirates into the Caribbean (Lane 16). Spain was forced to protect the cargo ships that transported the riches that they were obtaining in the New World and the cost was very great. Trade ships were required to travel in convoys and be armed. Also a Spanish fleet was formed that traveled the seas twice a year, patrolling the trade routes for pirates. There was great hesitation to form a navy that would patrol the Caribbean seas because of costs, but much would be lost because of this hesitation. Not only were merchant ships being pick off and there cargo taken, unprotected Caribbean towns were being raided and the colonists gains... ...story were used mainly for the raiding and capturing of Spanish colonies. These events would take place until the early 1670’s when governments attempted to phase out pirates. Laws were made in an attempt to make pirates give up the profession voluntarily (Lane 126). For the most part this worked, but there are many cases of raids and such after. The effect that piracy held on trade and the Spanish Empire was over after the sufficient damage that it caused. Damage that was highly influential in shaping the Caribbean and the Empires of Europe into what they are. Works Cited Kelsey, Harry. Sir Francis Drake The Queen’s Pirate. Yale University Press: New Haven. 1998. Lane, Kris E. Pillaging the Empire Piracy in the Americas. M.E. Sharpe: New York. 1998. Williams, Neville. The Sea Dogs Privateers, Plunders and Piracy in the Elizabethan Age. Macmillian: New York. 1975.