Saturday, August 31, 2019

Analysis of Anne Bradstreet’s Poems

ENGL2010 February 10, 2013 Analysis of Anne Bradstreet’s Poems Anne Bradstreet’s poem In Reference to Her Children, 23 June 1659 is a poem telling of her love, care, and worries for her children. In Reference to her Children† is both metaphorical and symbolic, expressing everything from pathos to love and a hope for her eternal reward. (www. papermasters. com) The poem is structured with a single stanza with every other line rhyming. The speaker seems to be speaking to a semi- private audience given the intimacy of the poem, and the way it speaks to the children.The tone of this poem is familiar, using the language in an abstract way by being birds; but the language is also concrete, and it is not hard to understand what this mother is trying to say. In lines 1-40, Bradstreet sets up an image of a mother bird and her nest filled with babies: four girls and four boys, representative of a human mother and her children. The speaker seems to be Bradstreet, speaking th e poem first as a story about her children, as the tone changes near the end of the poem though it is clear she is writing the poem to her children.The speaker tells an emotional story of her time and experiences with her children over the years of them discovering their own independent lives. Bradstreet uses this poem to express her love and worries for her children as they grow and develop their own lives. The tone of this poem seems to be semi joyful, and familiar in the beginning, of a mother telling about her children being born and nursed with pain and care. In line four, the speaker tells of sparing nothing in order to take care of her young; showing how deep her love is for them.At first it sounds joyful as she speaks of how her young â€Å"Mounted the trees, and learned to sing† (Bradstreet) this line gives the sense of joy that comes with learning, nature and singing. The tone then changes, while the speaker is telling of her oldest bird growing up and taking flight , she becomes very sad because she worries for and misses her son. The speaker tells how most of her young have moved on, telling of their ambitions and circumstances of leaving. She makes it clear in lines 11 and 12 she does not want to let her children go, she needs them to be with her where she can enjoy singing and caring for them.There are five children who have left her home, leaving her with three at home. She expresses worries for the three because they soon will â€Å"take their flight† (Bradstreet). This poem shows a sincere care for the children, wishing them well. The speaker talks of praying for her children and only wanting good to come to their lives. Her thoughts stay steady of her children throughout the whole poem, this poem is the result of the endless love and care she has for her children.After telling of how her children came to spread their wings, the tone turns sad, while acknowledging her natural fears as a mother. She says, â€Å"If birds could weep , then my would my tears†; â€Å"Let others know what are my fears† (lines 41, 42) shows how much she fears for the children’s safety. The speaker begins to imagine a sequence of bad events that could happen to the children. The speaker finds herself overwhelmed with sadness and thoughts of how tenderly she cared for her children.The speaker tells of her raw emotions in line 60, expressing the intense pain her worrying is causing her body; â€Å"My throbs such now as ‘fore were never’. One of the speakers concerns are the ignorance’s of danger, because of this concern line 65 warns her children saying 62, â€Å"to your safety have and eye, so happy may you live and die†. This part of the poem makes it more obvious that she is speaking directly to her children. The poem takes a slight turn in tones, the speaker goes from pure worry and stress about her children to a sense of acceptance.Statement that sticks out in showing acceptance are ; â€Å"Meanwhile my days in tunes ill spend Till my weak lays (poems) with me shall end† (lines 67-68); â€Å"In shady woods ill sit and sing, And things that passed to mind ill bring†(69-70). These lines are the first ones in which she really indicated anything of herself and what she will do, without involving the children except by memories. This shows some signs of accepting her children have to do what they will and admitting she will continue to move forward without them in her nest.The speaker goes on to speak of not lamenting her age; this shows she accepts the years that have gone by and has no regrets. The speaker is accepting her age and the fact that her flight is soon to come; but this will be the most important flight, the one to her heaven. After she begins to accept her age and the fact that her children are developing their own lives the poem takes on a sense of contentment. The poem In Reference to Her Children seems to be a sort of therapy for Brads treet as she goes though the stages of grieving for her children.The poem shows all the different stages of acceptance, during a situation that was started with uncertainty. Bradstreet was one of the first American poets since the movement from England. Like many women writers in the nineteenth century, Bradstreet used print to publicize the supposedly private experiences of a woman. (VanEgen) Bradstreet was heavily criticized for this, being as the puritan view saw women as mothers and wives and nothing more, using her poems for reasons to say she must be a bad mother, puritan or wife because of her time used to write.In reality Bradstreet was good at all of those things finding the time to write after her work as a mother. Bradstreet found a way to find a public voice without violating cultural standards of privacy; she brought attention to the experiences of women and helped to re-envision their place in a society centered on the home (VanEgen). She uses her poems as a tool that helps her to accept and analyze the situations she finds herself in. he care and thought she puts into her words are a kind of organizer for her feelings and wants a way to see her life in a new perspective, helping her to cope or accept. Works Cited Bradstreet, Anne. In Reference to her Children, 23 June1659. New York: New York, 2012. Print, 20 Feb. 2013. VanEngen, Abram. â€Å"Advertising the domestic: Anne Bradstreet's sentimental poetics. † Legacy: A Journal of American Women Writers 28. 1 (2011): 47+. Academic OneFile. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. Analysis of â€Å"In Reference to Her Children†. Paper Masters Custom Writing Service Web, 20 Feb. 2013

Friday, August 30, 2019

Differences between types of economies

There are three main types of economies in the world according to the types of business they do: 1. Agriculture based economy – This is the oldest form of economies in the world. The economy by its nature has small firms and has a limited economy of scale. The economy is usually prevalent in third world countries like Vietnam 2. Industrial economy – An industrial economy is stronger than an agricultural one, due to the larger size of firms and higher society will tend to have large firms, as industry has a substantial economy of scale. Mnay of the countries started their developent stages from this type of economy 3. Service Economy – A service-based economy has its size dependent on the types of sevices it provides. This means not all industrial firms will be huge in size, and yet they cannot be considered as an economically weaker section. (Plexico n. d. ) Examples of all of these can be seen in the world, but the more advanced countries of the world are moving or have already moved from the first through the second to the third. The US was the first country to become predominantly a Service economy (Plexico n. d. ) Impact of Computers on Business â€Å"Computer science is at a stage at which it can do more for the economy, more for the way business is done†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Gates 2004) Many people believe that the single most important change in the society in recent times has been brought about by the introduction of computers. The three types of economies which were described in the earlier section have all been significantly affected by the invention of computers. Initially Business used computers for only keeping track of accounts, money, or items that they need, but things changes at a lightning pace. It can be said that the speed, accuracy, the ability to do repetitive tasks – are the backbone of today’s research, manufacturing and production units. These characteristics also brought about the advent of the present Age of Information. The development of the World Wide Web †¦is a major breakthrough in the advancement of communication (Ayers 2007). The information age brought about the concept of global markets to the industrial and agriculture section. While the prior age concept of ‘trade’ sounds pretty close, the difference is in the nature of open-markets, which are possible only because consumers know what is there for sale practically everywhere in the world. While for service sector too the open markets mean the wider scope for selling, the services themselves can be performed at much lower rates in different parts of the world. The open markets have in turn brought up the standard of product and service quality, as now the consumers have many options available for their purchases. There are newer ways of buying and selling available to consumers, like the e-businesses, where one can practically shop or sell without leaving his home. In fact many economists believe that due to the advent of computers, the business has changed from being selling oriented – where consumers had to buy the products closely resembling their needs, to being consumer oriented – where consumer’s needs are the base for making newer products, and companies then design elaborate marketing plans to pamper the consumers so that they actually buy the particular product or service. Speculation about the future impact of Computers on Business Computers have affected the business methods so much that many people consider that area is saturated. This is however not the case, according to the point of view of many scientist and engineers. The argument given here is that, while the computers have improved a lot from the time when it was the prerogative of a few select scientists and researchers, to the present usage by hundreds of millions of people – the interface needs to be brought much closer to the common man, especially in third world countries. The first major impact would be when the computers would have perfected the art of conversation. The ability to speak to our computers is a critical part of the interface we will end up with (Ayers 2007). This would make the computers seem more ‘human’ to people. Another major improvement would be a perfect translation capability, which means people would no longer be hampered when they are interacting with a prospective buyer or seller from a different culture. Some other possible uses would be a cheaper single interface which would connect a person to his office, vehicle and home all times from any part of the world. This would mean, there would no longer be any formal office locations. This possibility is a very real one, with many people already subscribing to the this work from home or any part of the world concept, however it is still not a part of the popular culture As is seen the computers have and would still continue to impact the way business is done. The technical advances have been phenomenal and would continue to be at the same pace, bringing the world closer. However, to integrate these technologies to modify ways of business would be up to the members of the business community.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Are We Too Dependent on Computers?

We have become too dependent on computers for answers, personal interactions, and we spend way too much time on them. If we used the computers for learning and as a tool this issue wouldn't be as big. The sad truth is that people use this great tool for an easy way to get out of face to face interactions with other people. In 10-20 years it is said that there will be a computer smarter than the whole human race alive today. That is a scary future that we don't have to look very far to. Computers are an extension of the human body, just as all tools are.Would we say that people are too dependent on cars? Gas? Electricity? Toilets? Homes? All the arguments that the pro side are either invalid, or they don't realize that what they are saying applies to EVERYTHING. An interesting experiment for everybody, especially those on the prepotency, is to take all the prepotency arguments, and apply them to the word â€Å"house† or â€Å"car† or â€Å"paper† or â€Å"pencilà ¢â‚¬  or â€Å"farming† are we too dependent on having a roof over our head? It's the same as having a computer.Yes, we are dependent on computers in every aspect of our lives, and computer on bigger and more powerful ones. But may be really not too dependent all the time, because the key is in the smartest and most powerful machine in the history of mankind and that’s right inside us, that’s us. Our body and mind is above all machines on this planet and in one sentence they all rely on us. Again yes we are too dependent on computers because it’s the human brain which computes this magnificent world unconsciously in the almost in an insensible way, to let us enjoy, live and create.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Susan Smith Murderer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Susan Smith Murderer - Research Paper Example Susan Smith was married to a David Smith from March 15th 1991 to May 1995 with whom they bore Michael Daniel (on October 10th 1991) and Alexander Tyler (on August 5th 1993). She killed both of the children on October 25th of 1994 by letting her 1990 Mazda Protà ©gà © roll into the nearby John D. Long Lake, drowning the children inside. At the time of the incident, the first born child Michael Daniel Smith was only 3 years old while his smaller sibling, Alexander Tyler Smith, was only 14 months old (Russell & Stephens, 2000). The case attracted worldwide attention with Susan Smith at first claiming her innocence and stating that a black man had carjacked her and kidnapped her two children, making away with her vehicle in the process. On national television, she cried for the rescue and return of her children but following thorough investigations and nationwide searches, she confessed her crime. Even from the onset of the investigations, law enforcers found her testimonies rather wanting and conflicting and begun strongly suspecting that she knew of her children’s whereabouts. When she and her husband were subjected to a series of polygraph tests, all the results indicated that she was lying about not knowing her children’s whereabouts (Smith & Calef, 1995). But perhaps the biggest breakthrough in the case was when she stated that lights at the intersection where she stopped only turn red when a car approaches on the intersecting road (her purported reason for stopping at the intersection) but since she had earlier claimed that no other cars were on the road at the time, she was deeply conflicting her testimonies. Finally, investigators found the children’s bodies in Lake John after searching surrounding lakes and ponds (Rekers, 1996). The rational choice theory/ choice theory/ rational action theory is a framework for comprehending and modeling social and economic behavior. The rational choice theory, pioneered by George Homas, attaches

Preparing a Risk Management Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Preparing a Risk Management Report - Assignment Example The Kotva store has a tiled floor, shelves arranged horizontally to allow for proper stocking of products and furniture made from either glass or wood. Firstly, the tiled floor may be a cause of a tripping incident. If a customer trips and is injured while shopping, they may claim damages from the owner. In addition, if an attendant is washing the floor and a customer trips, the owner may still be liable for the injuries incurred by the customer. In an argument by Ebert & Morrell (2012) if a person is injured while in a premises of another person, they may get compensation from the owner. However, if the person is injured as a result of their mistake the owner may not be found liable (Ebert & Morrell, 2012). It would be also be addressed ad negligence is a customer is harmed by a product purchased from the store. The owner of the store has a responsibility to ensure that the products traded in the store are safe for human consumption or use. For instance, if a customer purchases bread from the Kotva store and get food poisoning, the owner of the store is liable for the injuries. However, if the store owner was provided with false information by the manufacturer about a product, the liability may be shifted to the manufacturer. Deakin, Johnston & Markesinis (2008) assert that negligence can only be valid under tort if a person was falsely provided with information by a third party. The authors further asserts that negligence is only applicable if a person ignore to analyse the information available prior to an incident (Deakin, Johnston & Markesinis, 2008). As stated by the rules in the store, the customer is liable for the damages they incur to the store. For instance, if a customer is accompanied by children and they spill beverages, the customer should pay for the damages. The Kotva store states the rule on its shelves. In addition, the customer may be found liable if they

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Communication in Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Communication in Economics - Essay Example It warned about its rampant inflation, unemployment, high rates of interests and soaring poverty. It feared that economy would worsen and collapse in the absence of strong and effective measures. The interest rate was on a record of seventy percentages in year 2005 while the inflation was more than three hundred and fifty percentage. This indicates the poor condition of economy of Zimbabwe. The International Monetary Fund warns that Zimbabwes gross domestic product will likely shrink another seven percent this year. In addition, some economists predict that by years end inflation could reach 1,000%. (Franceschi, 2005) Companies are shutting down, unemployment is increasing and there is shortage of food. The productivity has decreased. This resulted in various social problems like increase in crime rate, illegal immigration to other countries, increased corruption and many others. There are various political, economic and social reasons of Zimbabwe’s economic crisis. These range from leadership to corruption within the society. The causes of the country’s economic distress are as follows: â€Å"Among the problems most often cited are Mr. Mugabes land re-distribution policies, endemic corruption, the absence of the rule of law and Zimbabwes involvement in Congos civil war.† (Franceschi, 2005) There has been fuel shortage that influenced the industries adversely. The shortage of fuels has direct impact on the productivity and transport. It also affected the employment sector. The shortage of fuel has an impact on employment sector as well. It resulted in unemployment of many. The expenditure in government activities is suffering with unscrupulous spending and corruption. Government is ignoring the need to control the state expenses. The supply of currency within the economy is high. This is resulting in decrease in the value of currency. One of the important issues resulting in economic crisis is decrease in the level of foreign direct

Monday, August 26, 2019

Business Law - Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Business Law - - Term Paper Example Joseph buys a Tefal Pan Actifry. The pan catches fire and burns the members of the family. There are three questions, the first question pertains to the moral obligation which the company owes him, the second question pertains to negligence of the product and the third question pertains to the legal contract between Joseph and the product seller. Joseph Price was a purchaser of Tefal Actifry. He contended to the quality and way the product was made, and therefore the company was under a moral and legal obligation to sell him good quality product. However, in the use of the product, it turned out to be a faulty one and therefore under the Sale of Goods Act 1979, the consumer, which in this case is Joseph Price, has a right to avail from the manufacturers of the faulty goods, which in this case is Tefal Actifry. Under the law laid down in Section 48 (b) of the Sale of Goods Act, it is pertinent to note that the law allows the consumer to file for complaints when the goods sold by the seller turns out to be faulty and wrongly made. Acting on behalf of Jospeph as his legal advisor, I would advise him to file a suit against Tefal Actifry and hold them liable under Section 48 (b) in which case they shall be punished by the Court of law. The seller in this case has to replace the goods since the actifry turned out to be non-functional, dangerous, and extremely faulty for the people who use it. Even though the company claims that only 0.4 per cent of the products are faulty, it does not rule out the fact that those who used it and in the case my client Joseph Price, and to those it had turned out to be faulty, the company should incur the damages and replace the faulty product with a better fool proof product. In the case of Bowes v Richardson & Son Ltd, 28 January 2004 the consumer was allowed to reject the faulty car after a period of 7 months. Dave and Sandra (Joseph’s parents) suffered burns and a lung

Sunday, August 25, 2019

The Nurse-Client Negotiations Model Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Nurse-Client Negotiations Model - Assignment Example I chose this model because it recognizes discrepancies that exist between notions of the nurse and client about health, illness, and treatments. This model attempts to bridge the gap between the scientific perspectives of the nurse and the popular perspectives of the client. Fundamental to understanding this model, one must recognize that most social systems include three structural arena of health care within which sickness is reacted to and experienced. The concept of popular, professional, and folk arenas is used to compare medical systems as cultural systems. Each arena or domain possesses its own model for explaining health and illness (Kleinman, 1978). This arena comprises the family context of sickness and care, including the social network and community perspective. In both Western and non-Western societies, approximately seventy percent to ninety percent of sickness is managed solely within this domain. The nurse-client negotiations model serves as a framework to attend to the culture of the nurse as well as the culture of the client. In addition to the professional culture, each nurse has his or her own personal beliefs and values, which may operate without the nurse being fully aware of them. These beliefs and values may influence nurse's interactions with patients and families. Each arena (sector) in the model can be viewed as a social cultural system with its own values, norms of behavior, beliefs, and ways of explaining health and illness. Explanations of the same phenomena may yield different interpretations based on the cultural perspective of the layperson or the professional. Anderson (1987) provided examples of different perspectives of the same intervention: Putting lightweight bedclothes on a patient may be interpreted by family members as placing their loved one at risk for "getting a chill," whereas the nurse will use this technique to prevent or reduce a fever; a Jeh ovah's Witness family considers a blood transfusion for their child as contamination of the child's body, whereas the nurse and other healthcare team members believe a transfusion is a lifesaving treatment. Important Aspect The important aspect of this model is that it can open lines of communication between the nurse and the patient/family. It helps each understand how the other interprets or values a problem or practice such that they respect one another's goals. Negotiations Negotiation implies a mutual exchange of information between the nurse and client. The nurse should begin negotiation by learning from the client' s about their understanding of their situation, their interpretations of illness and symptoms, the symbolic meaning they attach to an event, and their notions about treatment. Contingency contracting is a form of negotiation used in nursing in which negotiations focus on the values of goods to be forgone and

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The history of the Great Awakening Research Paper

The history of the Great Awakening - Research Paper Example ent died out rapidly, leaving behind bitter doctrinal disputes between the â€Å"New Lights† and the â€Å"Old Lights,† the latter led by Charles Chauncy, a Boston clergyman, who opposed the revivalist movement as extravagant and impermanent† (Great Awakening). However, the waves of religious awakening soon spread to America and it attained proper shape in America. Great Awakening is classified into different categories based on the period of occurrence like; first second, third and fourth Great Awakenings. First Great Awakening started in AD1734 and lasted till 1750 whereas second Great Awakening occurred in between 1800-1840. The third Great Awakening started in 1880 and lasted till 1910 whereas the fourth Great Awakening happened in the late 1960’s and at the beginning of 1970’s. In all the four great Awakening histories, Protestants were at one side and the traditional churches at the other end. This paper analyses the history and significance of Great Awakening. The Great Awakening arose at a time when man in Europe and the American colonies were questioning the role of the individual in religion and society. It began at the same time as the Enlightenment which emphasized logic and reason and stressed the power of the individual to understand the universe based on scientific laws. Similarly, individuals grew to rely more on a personal approach to salvation than church dogma and doctrine (Kelly) According to Professor Kidd (2009),â€Å"In the generation before awakening, the rivalry between Anglicans and dissenters was sharp. Dissenters were the subjects of discrimination at that time† (Professor Kidd, p.43). Church was the most dominant segment in American and British societies before the beginning of Great Awakening. Even politicians were afraid of the churches and they never tried to do something against the interests of the churches. In other words, the dominance of church was evident in all the aspects of human life in Britain and America before

Friday, August 23, 2019

Ice Cream Production Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ice Cream Production - Essay Example It also has beautiful packaging, creative in the field. We are targeting all health conscious people including those who have diabetes, athletes and have extra weight to shed. We are hoping to supply free samples initially and hope to get feedback. It will be advertised in the diet section of the magazines, and will be exhibited in food shows. It is highly economical cost wise as 1000 grams are produced at the cost of mere 3.47. "Despite the simplicity of the ingredients, the interactions between the components of ice cream are quite complex; because it is an emulsion, a foam and a dispersion at the same time, scientists have always struggled to classify it among the colloid family. This too is a lengthy process and intends to use oats instead of cream. It is necessary to emphasize that strict methods of production are used to produce a healthy alternative to the present form of ice cream and Ice Supreme has the capabilities of reducing obesity being a healthier food. As mentioned earlier, ground oats are used instead of cream and they give a thick creamy texture due to the starch in them. Frozen raspberries and riabena concentrate are blended together and this concentrate is added to milk, which is in turn is pasteurised by boiling it for five minutes. It is left to cool before 3 egg yolks stirred in and the solution is put in ice-cream maker for 30 minutes. Meringue is made using three egg whites, and adding sugar after 15 minutes. It is possible to face problems of too low cereal quantity and too weak flavour after using normal fruit juice. Product has to pass microbiological testing. It is necessary to mention that Ice cream ingredients could be replaced by diverse ingredients, though here we are sticking to the above. "Many commercial, large-scale manufacturers make ice cream from fat, water, milk proteins, sugar, stabilisers and emulsifiers http://www.chemsoc.org/chembytes/ezine/2001/davies_jul01.htm Ice cream is supposed to contain a considerable amount of milk fat and all the conventional ice cream adheres to this fat content. "Ice cream must legally contain more than 10% milk fat. The product also contains up to 15% sucrose, as well as flavorings and emulsifiers. The major component of ice cream is air and the product is essentially a frozen foam" http://www.foodprocessing-technology.com/projects/wells Suggested ingredients are much healthier. Basic ice cream manufacturing steps are mixing, pasteurisation, homogenisation, cooling, ageing, freezing, filling/packing, hardening, and storage and distribution. Mixing involves the initial binding of all ingredients in a suitable vessel which could be preheated. Usually a steam-jacketed, stainless steel vessel is fitted with an agitator and is connected to a pasteuriser and if done so, a calibrated recording deviser should be connected to record temperatures at different stages of heat treatment and the length of time taken should be noted down. It could also be fitted with a homogeniser that could mix the product at a high shear to break up the fat globules in pre-pasteurisation homogenisation or if fitted

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Pax Romana Essay Example for Free

Pax Romana Essay The lands arounf the Mediterranean Sea and most of the land in the Northwest Europe consists the Roman Empire. The life of Romans was very comfortable. There was indeed a beautiful way of living life. They have water and sewage system which enables them to have clean water. They have theaters and they also have public baths. The people who are wealthy lives in villas or mansions or big houses and they can afford to have a central heating system in their house. Roman Empires greatest part was the Pax Romana which is also called as Pax Augustea. It happened around 27 B. C. after the several Republican Civil Wars and it ended in 180 A. D. In english, Pax Romana means Roman Peace wherein it was a period in the Roman Empire where it refers to the empire in its height of success. Aside from reaching the height of success and glory, the Pax Romana Era which is also called as Pax Augustea was also a time of civil order in the empire. Although there are still foreign wars and rebellions are still on going, the interior or the main empire was free from being invaded. This era was a time of peace and order in the empire. The Roman Legal System was used to attain peace and order in the provinces. At the same time, arts and architecture flourished althroughout the land and there was indeed a stable and well economy. This was the time that Greek and Roman culture was known in the whole empire thus, the flourishing of several aspects of the Roman culture was developed and was known by every people. There were several developments during this Era. Rome turned in an empire and an emperor rules over the whole land. The emperor hired full time workers who will carry out his policies and at this time, government in the province was improved because of the legal system. They follow the same law which made the whole empire organized and this kind of law is what was used by wertern societies in present. The concept of Pax Romana is far different from the peace we have in our contemporary society. The contemporary Society or the Modern Society viewed peace perhaps as a period of rest and absence of conflicts or problems in life. At the same time, the modern world looks at peace as a sign of freedom and escape from worldly things and ideas while Pax Romana was a time of success, absence of war in the main empire and developments. The use of peace in Pax Romana is quite misleading because it did not really mean peace but rather development. Pax Romana was characterized by great Romanization and development of the empire and not by the absence of war and silence. In the contemporary society, peace would mean of relaxation and absence of conflicts.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Introduction to K Means Analysis for Stock Portfolio Essay Example for Free

Introduction to K Means Analysis for Stock Portfolio Essay 1. Background[1] Investment decisions are about making choice. Investors need to decide what asset to be invested. This is an important decision because these assets are the means by which investors transfer today’s purchasing power to the future. In effect, investor must decide on a portfolio of asset to own. A portfolio is simply a combination of assets designed to serve as store of value. Poor management of these assets may destroy the portfolio’s value, and investor will then not achieve their financial goals. There are many assets like stocks, bonds, derivatives that investors may include in the portfolio. In Hong Kong, stock portfolio is the most common investment. But what stocks have higher return? What stocks are risky? What stocks in the portfolio that it has higher return? Many investors may use fundamental analysis to analysis financial data for answering above questions. In the last decade, some researches applied data mining techniques on financial market. Data mining is the process of automatically discovery useful information in large data repositories. It can be used to support a wide range of business intelligence applications such as customer profiling, targeted marketing, store layout. 2. Motivation In America, there are some research papers[2] about applying clustering technique on America financial market. For example, using Self-organizing map(SOM) to cluster stocks and financial ratio for fundamental analysis, using SOM to find the valuable stock. These all researches want to find the characteristic of the stocks. However, most these researches use SOM clustering technique, and focus on America financial market. It seems that few researches do similar thing in Hong Kong stock market. Moreover, these researches only want to find the characteristic of stocks. In real case, investors will not only purchase one stocks. They will construct a stock portfolio to eliminate the risk. So I want to apply similar approach on Hong Kong stock market and change the clustering technique to K-means, not SOM. And I not only want to cluster the stocks, but also the portfolio. I want to cluster many combinations of the portfolio as I can to find the characteristic of different combinations of the portfolio. I am interested in investment, and I study information technology in university. I want to combine two aspects for my final year project. And I believe this project is very useful for my future career. I have read relative books, papers for getting the basic idea and concept of portfolio and data mining. In this project, I use many technical skills, methods and knowledge learnt from City University of Hong Kong in the past three years. Java programming is used to do the data preprocessing like normalization, financial calculation. It is also used to generate the combination of the portfolio and the simulation of K-means. MYSQL database is used to store the data of stocks and portfolio. The simulation result is also stored in the database. 3. Objectives In this final year project, there are several objects: 1. To investigate the characteristic of stocks in Hong Kong stock market. 2. To investigate the characteristic of different stock portfolios in Hong Kong stock market. 3. To determine that different combination of stocks how to affect the performance of the portfolio. 4. To investigate the strength and weakness of applying K-means on financial data. 4. Report outline  There are total 6 chapters in this report. Following this Chapter 1 Introduction, Chapter 2 Literature Review refers to related theories applied on the simulation, result analysis and discussion. Chapter 3 Simulation presents the methodology, project flow chat of the simulation. Chapter 4 Result Analysis will do the data processing of the result from the simulation. Chapter 5 Further Development will discuss the further development and improvement of the project. At the end, Chapter 6 Conclusion will do the conclusion of the whole project. 5. Chapter Summary This chapter mentions the background of the project. It also presents the motivation of this project and give the objective, report outline to the readers for better understanding of the project.

Factors for the Development of Trigger Points

Factors for the Development of Trigger Points Introduction The primary mean of locomotion which enables human and other animals to move on their foot is running. There are some regular points the gait cycle during which both the feet are not on the ground in running. Running has aflightphase during which neither limb is in ground contact. Running gait can be divided into two phases in context to the lower extremity which is  absorption, propulsion, initial swing and terminal swing. As per electromyographic data suggests: as speed increases, ilio-psoas, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, hamstring and rectus femoris all developed larger peak forces throughout the stride cycle. The peak force exerted by gastrocnemius increases as speed increased from 3.5 to 7m/sec but showed no significant changes thereafter. The peak force exerted by soleus also increased from 3.5 to7m/sec, but furthermore t decreases till 9m/sec. soleus, gastrocnemius and vastus provides approximately 75% of the total vertical support impulse needs to accelerate where soleus alone contributes 50% of all. The vertical ground reaction force increases for speeds up to 7 m/sec is almost entirely of soleus whereas vastus to the vertical ground reaction force does not affect with increase in running speed. The rate of ankle plantar flexors shortening increases with the running speed and solus and gastrocnemius contracts at37% and 23% of their maximum shortening velocities respectively.as a result, onl y 30 and 40% of their peak potentially developed by soleus and gastrocnemius respectively during sprinting.inspite of producing significant and large amount of forces whetreas they did not contribute in knee-hip joint accelerations during swing phase. if we compare sprinters with non sprinters;the previous one has greater thickness with longer fascicles of their gastrocnemius and vastus lateralis muscles on ultrasound imaging,than later one.(abe et al.,2001) The plantar flexion moment arms were 25% smaller of sprinters than those of non-sprinters and this difference was highly significant. garth and miller examined 17 athletes who presented for treatment of incapacitating pain and soreness located posteromedially along the middle two thirds of the Symptoms were aggravated by repetitive wt.bearing which was referred to as shin splints. Due to excessively pronation caused by hyper mobile midfoot flexible pes valgus, muscular imbalance etc, the flexor digitorumlongus and flexor hallucislongus can become overloaded and vulnerable to develop trigger points in these muscles. The lateral compartment syndrome is likely to develop in runners with excessive pronation and abnormally mobile subtalar joints can also be overloaded in high arched supinated foot with triceps surae weakness as well as can be suggestive of peroneus longus and brevis trigger points. Myofascial trigger points:-Travell and Simons defined it as a hyperirritable contraction knot usually present within muscles or its fascia which produces pain on compression and can give rise to specific referred pain ,motor dysfunction ,and autonomic phenomena in a specified referred zone which rarely coincides entirely with dermatomal segment. Trigger points are manually palpated with following characteristics including local twitch response, jump in sign, referred pain zones and autonomic phenomenal changes. As suggested by Travell and simons in 1999 in their trigger point manual book,the etiology of trigger points involves all three factors that includes biomechanical,CNS,and local myofascial tissues. As per microscopic and biopsy studies, which has been done of local myofascial tissue where there is presence of trigger points revealed and explained these contraction knots as round,large and,darkly staining fibers.presence of these knots causes significant increases in average diameter of muscles. spontaneous electrical activity (SEA) in TrPs have also seen and studied through electromyographic studies while adjacent muscle tissues were electrically silent which suggested and implicated neuromuscular junction and motor end plates interchangeable, nevertheless the motor end plates describes structure and the neuromuscular junction reflects function. Gunn and Milbrandt in 1977 was first explicated and find correlation between motor end plates and trigger points also known as myalgic spots . As stated by Travell and Simons in context to motor end plate dysfunction that due to  excessively release of Ach from presynaptic nerve terminal leads to rapid activation of the  nicotinic Ach receptors on the post synaptic terminal which results in muscle action potential and muscle contraction. Since this hypothesis of travell and simons was one way to interpret EMG results but EMG for post synaptic fibers ,there is increase in SEA in trigger points that could be a characteristics to the result of presynaptic,synaptic or post synaptic dysfunction and can be inherited or acquired. As a general rule, factors for the development of trigger points includes muscle overuse or direct/ indirect trauma which may be the results of sustained low level or repetitive muscle contractions,eccentric/concentric,submaximal/maximal muscle contractions. Although muscular damage is not necessary all the time for development of trigger points there may be injuries at the microlevel which includes damage of cell membrane ,sarcoplasmic reticulum with release of high amounts of ca2+ ions,and disruption of proteins like desmin,titin or dystrophin. Mechanical muscle contractions exceeding respective muscles capacity is defined as overuse.as we know that arterial capillary beds blood pressures approx 35mm hg at the beginning and venous capillary beds pressure at the end is 15mm Hg which used to be obstructed during muscle contractions and recovers with relaxation;known as muscular pump. However,Muscular metabolism is maintained by oxygen and glucose which faces crisis during sustained muscle contractions.Even contractions performed at only 10 % and 25 % of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) may alter and produce impairment in blood circulation of muscles, As per Otten ;pain and trigger points may be developed by increased or alterations in the pressure gradients during low level exertions(personal communications 2005). During submaximal concentric contractions, ATP is utilized for 4-6 seconds initially from muscle’s storage and subsequentally it shifts to direct phosphorylation of ADP through creatinine phosphate. Stored ATP and CP provides enough energy and power for approx 14-16 sec but thereafter physiologically a short span of rest is needed to replenish the exhausted reserves of intracellular ATP and CP. As a general rule if ATP demands are within the capacity of the aerobic pathway muscles  can continue its activities for hours but as demand exceeds;anaerobic glycolysis will start contributing of the total generated ATP. This further leads to crisis of ATP and sustained sarcomere contractions starts the progression of trigger points. The Eccentric contractions are commonly used to control the rate of movement in our body. although there is no solid correlations between eccentric loading and development of trigger points. Itoh et al found in their study in which middle finger extensor muscle was being eccentrically loaded. After 3 sets of exercise ,one day and two days after exercises ,findings were similar encapsulating tender taut bands which were painful on compression;suggests that eccentric  loading may be correlated with development of trigger points. There are biopsy studies also who confirms and suggest the role of eccentric contractions in disruption of cytoskeletal structures especially desmin , and titin (largest in our body);a protein which interconnects the adjacent myofibrils and connects myosin filaments to the z-bands with a linkage to actin filaments ;respectively. Prolonged ecentric exercises enlarge the muscle fibers microscopically and all these enlarged fibers are exclusively fast glycolytic type(typeII) which considered as highly fatiguable and unable to regenerate ATP in early exercise period It results a high stiffness state of fibers which on stretch disrupts leading to cytoskeletal and myofibrillar damage. Apart from this in eccentric exercised muscles there is increase concentration of calcium due to sarcoplasmic reticulum disruption that keep actin and myosin molecules together an activates several mechanisms which may further damage cell membrane and cytoskeletal disruption and again the same results that is development of trigger points. Jump in sign is an response to pressure applied on a trigger point which may leads to wincing, crying, or withdrawing by patients. Local twitch response is a fleeting response or contraction of tense muscle fibers or group that traverse a trigger point on response to stimulation via snapping palpation or needling of trigger point or its surrounding area. Referred autonomic phenomena: vasoconstriction (blanching), coldness sweating, pilomotor response, ptosis, and/or, hyper secretion that occur in a same region or area where trigger points refers pain and its sensations. Referred pain zones: an area of pain which is entirely remote from its source. Generally  in case of trigger points ,specifically activated and central trigger points and sporadically  infrequently,conjoin entirely with the peripheral nerve distribution or dermatomal segments. The lower extremity functional scale (LEFS) is a functional status questionnaire that aims to investigate the degree of difficulty a patient experiences in performing everyday tasks, due to disorders of his/her lower extremity.The LEFS consists of twenty items, each of which is scored on a 5-point scale (0 to 4) (appendix 1). Beck depression inventory-ii is a depression measurement scale or an instrument to measure the emotional, motivational,somatic and cognitive symptoms observed in patients.this scale consist of 21 questions which is symptom related to quantify degree of depression in subjects usually it covers adolescents and adults and given in appendix 2. VAS is a psychometric response scale and a measurement instrument for subjective characteristics or attitudes that cannot be directly measured. Respondents specify their  level of agreement to a statement by indicating a position along a continuous line between  two end-points. Pressure algometer is force gauze with a rubber disk of 1 cm surface which is very helpful in clinical setup for diagnosing trigger points ,fibrositis,myalgic spots as well as it helps in quantification of pressure pain threshold and Pressure pain threshold for measurement of  normal and abnormal surfaces are given in appendix 3.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Comparing Themes in The Return of the Native and Great Expectations :: comparison compare contrast essays

Themes in The Return of the Native and Great Expectations      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Classic novels usually share in the aspect of universal themes which touch people through out the ages. All types of audiences can relate to and understand these underlying ideas. Victorian novels such as Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native and Charles Dickens' Great Expectations are examples of literary classics that have universal themes. Hardy's tale illustrates the role of chance in his characters lives. Through the story we encounter events of pure coincidence and their effects. Dickens, considered to be more of a reformer (Literature Online), tries to portray a social theme in his novel. The basic theme of Great Expectations is that good does not come from ones social standing but rather comes from their inner value. These novels are considered classics because of their timeless themes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native displays a theme of chance. Book First, chapter 8 contains a perfect example. Eustacia persuades young Johnny Nunsuch into helping her feed a fire. She dismisses him and begins to walk home. Before reaching home, he is frightened by the light coming from the heath and returns to discover Wildeve meeting with Eustacia. By pure chance, Venn discovers the boy and quizzes him.    "Then I came down here, and I was afeard, and   I went back; but I didn't like to speak to her, because of the gentleman, and I came on here again" [Johnny Nunsuch]    " A gentleman--ah! What did she say to him, my man?"  Ã‚   [Diggory Venn]    "Told him she supposed he had not married the other woman because he liked his old sweetheart best; and things like that"  Ã‚   [Johnny Nunsuch]    [Book First, chapter 8, pp. 82]    This chance exchange reveals that Wildeve is meeting with Eustacia. Venn uses this to his advance by announcing himself to Mrs. Yeobright as a suitor for Thomasin. This backfires because Mrs. Yeobright tries to use the second suitor to force Wildeve to marry Thomasin. These events all occur from the chance meeting between Venn and Johnny Nunsuch. Another example of chance and coincidence can be seen in the famous gambling scene of Book Third, chapter VII. This is perhaps one of the most critically examined parts of the book.    " "Very well," said Wildeve, rising.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Essay --

Strengths Here at Admatch there has been very little turnover among employees. There are a total of 12 employees that work here in total, and out of that total 7 are full time employees, and 4 are part time. Out of the 7 full time employees 4 of them have worked for Admatch for at least 18 years. I have worked here at Admatch for a total of 8 years this part November of 2013. We here at Admatch have all the knowledge we need to know about all of the products that we sell. This is great because when our customers need to call us for a question they need answered they can usually ask for who they would like to speak with or they can talk to someone else they have spoken to a few times. Most of our customers have a favorite person they like to speak with when calling us here at Admatch. This also helps us to build customer relationships and loyalty all at the same time. It kind of reminds me of the television show â€Å"Cheers† theme song, â€Å"Where everybody knows your name.† Another great reason why having very little turnover among employees here at Admatch is because work can get done efficiently and effectively. We all know and understand how each other work, and we know what part each of us plays in the company. This helps us to build our relationship with each other to make working together much easier. We also get to have fun sometimes while working. It will be pretty tuff to do that with new employees who don’t yet understand the relationship we all have with each other. We also know the go to person for certain situations. What some people have as a weakness other people have as their strength. I know exactly who to go to for pricing help or with a customer service problem on an order. For some people you may think it is the same ... ...t for us to sell. When we do not fulfill those needs they tend to go elsewhere without taking a second look at all the other products that we can offer. Admatch has seen much of our business being lost to our competitors. When contacted by one of the employees in our sales team and asked why we have not seen any new business or repeat order, the answers Admatch gets are With inflation increasing at such a rapid rate, the price of materials to produce products have also increased. This is very tuff to for Admatch because that means prices have to rise. Admatch has had to raise their prices for the last 3 to 4 years at about 10% a year on all items that the company sells. While Admatch has held out for a long as possible in increasing prices, they soon began to realize they had no choice in the matter. Everything from paper to ink to overhead expenses has increased.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

pete rose & the hall of fame Essay -- essays research papers

Pete Rose & the Hall of Fame When I go watch my Chicago Cubs at beautiful Wrigley field I am concerned with the game and what is in front of me, not what is going on off the field. I go to enjoy the game and the talent of the athletes that play. I could care less about what Sammy Sosa is doing off the field, he is the man because of his skills on the field and what he does for Americas’ past time. Last time I was sitting on the third base line and Sammy stepped up to the plate I did not think to myself â€Å"I wonder if he hits his wife like he hits a baseball,† or â€Å"he looks like a big time gambler,† I was shouting his name and clapping in support for hope of another homer being sent over the ivy covered wall. My enthusiasm was booming for this mans talent and what he brings to the table to help my cubbies win. Now would you not think that a baseball player in the Hall of Fame should be looked at the same way? Should a hall of famer not be jugged based on his baseball skills and what he did on the field? Well that does not seem to be the case when it comes to Pete Rose. Since being banned from baseball in 1989 for off field actions he denies, he has repeatedly been denied access to Cooperstown. Pete Rose was one of the greatest baseball players ever and should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame because of it. Pete was placed on the ineligible list of baseball players in 1989 for allegedly betting on baseball, the worst baseball â€Å"sin† you can commit. He was reported to the FBI by one of his bookies, Ron Peters. â€Å"Peters testified that Rose also bet on his own Reds (only to win, allegedly), even placing calls from the stadium† (Goldman 23). Rose claims that he never bet on baseball only other sports, but various bookies say otherwise, claiming that Rose started betting on baseball after losing largely on other sports. Checks received by bookies had been linked to Rose through finger prints and handwriting further incriminating him. With no direct proof that he bet specifically on baseball Pete Rose was still banned from the game. â€Å"I can't say if Rose bet on baseball—I don't know. But he has paid his dues. The guy deserves to be back [in baseball] and in the Hall of Fame,† former Cincinnati Reds player Tommy Helms told newspapers. In 1991 one year be fore he would be eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, players banned from the game coincidently ... ...amidst the crowds roar, I can only imagine what the suspense must have been like when Rose tied the all-time hit record in the windy city, a game before his home crowed in Cincinnati. What Pete Rose did for the game is undeniable. Alleged actions should not restrict one of Baseballs all-time greatest players from being inducted into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame. Rose’s records will continue to stand further on reminding us all of his greatness! Goldman, David. â€Å"The Saga of Pete Rose.† Biography. April 2003. Vol. 7 Issue 4: Academic Search Premier. http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=9299185&db=aph Sowell, Thomas. â€Å"Pete Rose & Shoeless Jackson.† Human Events. March 24, 2003. Vol. 59 Issue 10: Academic Search Premier. http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=9357506&db=aph Kindred, David. â€Å"Give Pete a Chance? No way.† Sporting News. March 17, 2003. Vol. 227 Issue 11: Academic Search Premier. http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=9296786&db=aph Orecklin, Michelle. â€Å"Another Rose May be Blooming Again.† Time. Vol. 160 Issue 26 p1/5 Costas, Bob, Joe Garner, and George Foreman. And The Fans Roared. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks Inc, 2000. www.PeteRose.com

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Malunggay as an Effective Cooking Oil

Commercial cooking oil is an enormous need of people nowadays. These days, cooking oil is becoming expensive. Commoners, or people with insufficient finance, can no longer afford this necessity. Instead, they opt for oil with lesser quality simply because it’s cheaper.It’s very ghastly to do this because for one; your health could be affected, two; you could harbour diseases, and three; on the worst case scenario, it could lead to your death. To think that they would go to extreme lengths, such as that, just to provide oil. Going back to the topic prior to this, we think that although it may be costly, most cooking oils are of unsatisfactory standards  especially in our nutrition. With that said, we all share the idea of wanting to solve this problem. We conducted a research about the effectivity of Moringa Olefeira, also known as â€Å"Malunggay†, when used as an ingredient for cooking oil. We chose Moringa Olefeira for a reason; gram for gram, â€Å"Malungga y† leaves contain: seven times the vitamin C in oranges, four times the Calcium in milk, four times the vitamin A in carrots, two times and the protein in milk and three times the Potassium in bananas.Using this so called â€Å"Wonder Vegetable† (according to the elderly), we could create a product that can be healthy and useful, and at the same time be sold in a reasonable price. Our main goal is aimed at the welfare of everyone. We hope that this experiment can be of great help to anyone who uses it. We gathered the data of this study from various references. We owe a massive and part of this study to literature and the internet; without them we wouldn’t have anything, even a problem, to begin with. 3Statement of the ProblemMain ProblemCan malunggay (Moringa Oleifera) leave extract be a potential material for formulating cheaper yet healthier commercial cooking oil?Specific Questions1. At which concentration of malunggay (Moringa Oleifera) leaves extract will i t be able to cook food?a. 10 mg/ml. b. 20 mg/ml. c. 25 mg/ml.2. How effective will it be on cooking safe and edible food? It can be inferred in terms of:a. Period or time of cooking. b. Taste of the food cooked. c. Nutrition facts or nutrients contained by the food.Significance of the StudyPeople living in the community. The study will help the people in the community to manufacture useful cooking oil that can be alternatively used  to cook food – which is a basic commodity. Malunggay is very common to the community so people can easily grow them and prepare it for extraction. In addition, unlike the commercial cooking oil we use, it is healthy and contains the nutrients of malunggay.The researchers. The researchers will benefit from the study because in would fulfil our curiosity. It will also encourage us to find other alternatives from malunggay -which is very abundant in our country- that can help us in our everyday lives.Environment. The environment profit from the stu dy in the fact that cooking oil that is already used by people will just be thrown away in the streams and it will cause water pollution. Not like with the cooking oil made from malunggay, its chemical components can be easily dissolved in water.Manufacturers of commercial cooking oil. This study would help big companies as it lessen the production cost of cooking oil because it only uses malunggay.Scopes and Limitations of the StudyThe study aims to produce budget-friendly and nutritious oil that can be used by people to cook their own food. In able to do this study, researchers must first collect Malunggay (Moringa Oleifera) around the community and prepare it for extraction in the laboratory or do it at home. After the extraction process, series of test must be done to prove and justify the effectivity of the product. It must cook food using stoves at normal cooking temperature that are normally used by households and the food must contain healthy nutrients that must be good to o ur body.This experiment also has its fair share of restrictions. And one of those restraints is when the researcher doesn’t have sufficient materials to create the said product, especially if they don’t have the main ingredient or, in this case, the malunggay. The person would have to plant or buy these  materials, thus spending much time and cash. Speaking about money, another problem may occur if the researcher has a weak budget. An extra problem is if the researcher does not have enough knowledge to create and research about the problem.Another limitation of the study is when the researcher doesn’t have a place to create the product or when his surrounding isn’t fit for the making of the substance. The researcher must remember to take into account even the smallest detail of this project. The researcher must have great dedication in doing this study. He should love what he is doing and he need to make it as one of he’s passion.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Merging Context Between Past, Present and Future

Unifying context between past, present and futureIn order to understand how the physical environment of the metropolis icons came approximately, one can look at it as a ‘whole ‘ and try to supply an reading of urban signifiers through their historical and cultural contexts. We will non cover with elements of urban signifiers, but look at the signifiers themselves as portion of a broader Muslim tradition.The PastThe saving of tradition plants at different degrees reflects if anything, differing modern-day maps and ideological demands ( e-g. the demand for legitimacy ) by ascendent elites or their challengers. On one degree, there is the attempt to continue the best illustrations of traditional edifices as examples, beginnings of modern-day inspiration and/or keepers of portion of what its carrier respect as their modern-day cultural individuality. On a different degree, the saving and reuse of single edifices in modern-day society raises serious functional and ideological jobs. Yet, such adaptative reuse appears to be the lone possibility of keeping verve for the edifices and avoiding the museum attack to of import elements of an organic life metropolis. The saving of a individual edifice, whether reused or non, is different from the saving of the character of an country and, here, different standards come into drama. Of these, the sense of urban context is a cardinal 1, as is the inquiry of graduated table, proportions, street alliances, fenestration, articulation of volumes, dealingss between solids and nothingnesss, and, most of all, activities permitted in the public infinite and inter-relationship between the public and private spheres. Decoding Symbols of the Past. Architects must get the edification to read the symbolic content of this heritage in a mode that enriches their ability to bring forth relevant edifices for today and tomorrow, and to steer the â€Å" authentification † attempts between the duplicate shoals of Kitsch and foreign wrongness. This edification can merely come through a reinforced educational procedure which engenders in future designers the critical sense required to decrypt the symbolic content of the yesteryear in a realistic, as opposed to an ideologically mystifying, manner. This, of class, necessitates a wide cognition of the methodological analysis every bit good as the content of historical surveies, a sense of the growing of societies as a procedure of consecutive efforts at tease and above all an ability to see the reinforced environment of the yesteryear as it was perceived by coevalss.Understanding the PresentThe societies of the universe are inescapably societies in passage, nevertheless much some members of those societies may seek to avoid this basic procedure by denying it, or by absolutising a past which exists merely in their ain heads as a counterbalance to the present world they deny and the hereafter which they fear. The demographic, proficient, economic, cultural, political and ideolog ical constituents of this passage procedure are good known. Submerging in a inundation of Western engineering and cultural imports that are often ill-matched to local conditions and insensitive to cultural traditions, societies are today fighting to make a cultural environment that provides them with a feasible sense of self-identity and which is suited to regional and national conditions. Authenticity for an Indonesian will non be the same as genuineness for a Moroccan. Yet there is this all right yarn of commonalty of the nature of the hunt with variableness of the conditions under which it is undertaken. This is portion of the originative mastermind of civilization, whose trademarks have ever been unity with diverseness. Contemporary â€Å" regionalism † must show itself in new and modern-day ways. This truism must be restated often in the face of a strong current that seeks safety in perpetuating the myth that traditional common architecture is adequate. This â€Å" flig ht into the past † must be forced to acknowledge the graduated table and engineering that progressively link and undergird the urban built environment. Slavish copying of the yesteryear is non the reply. For those who would seek, the dimensions of modern engineering and its related infrastructural demands will rapidly remind them that the way of excellence requires creativeness.Expecting and Fixing for the FutureA dateless continuity: reading the marks. Architects must be Masterss of a broad scope of accomplishments and their deployment – a scope fat greater than architectural instruction presently prepares them for. First, architects must be able to decrypt the yesteryear so they can understand how their predecessors viewed their yesteryear, nowadays, and hereafter. Armed with this comparative cognition, they must secondly try to read the marks and tendencies of the present. This is peculiarly slippery as, while edifices last a long clip, current tendencies may turn ou t passing, and become so within the infinite of a few old ages. Third, designers must non merely believe of their individual edifice, but of its relationship to the wider community. Fourth, and most significantly, they must draw all of this analysis together and design and implement a merchandise which, over its life-time, can rightly win a topographic point in the dateless continuity of universe architecture, as have the great edifices of the yesteryear which, speak of excellence, non of an age, but for all clip. ( Serageldin, Ismail, 1991 ) Significantly, the historical and civilizational deepness of a state drama a critical function in supplying drift toward contracting the technological spread which resulted in making two different universes. One is the topographic point of the human existences who belong to the industrial universe, and the other is for those who survive on minor industries. That chitchat generated more uncalled-for racism into this universe.([ I ])Amid these fortunes, the non-industrial states turned to centres for modern disaffection. All the activities associating to economic system have been ideologized, the specialised scientific finds were monopolized off from them, and by and large, steps were secured to maintain the human being of the less developed states in a province of scientific impairment to the involvement of the industrial states.([ two ])Some research workers predict that in the following three decennaries, the range of the scientific and technological subdivisions of cognition that a re clamant for the advancement of states will be identified. This is because, in the approaching period, the modern-day coevals will witness the hugest scientific and technological promotions.([ three ])The scientific technological spread places the modern Arab idea in a lasting challenge, that is chiefly fiscal, because the Arab states, like in the western states, need to apportion fine-looking financess for scientific discipline and engineering in order to convey about a scientific rebellion in their states. The West calculatedly attempts to marginalise the function of the Arab person in the planetary production rates. Consequently, he will go a consumer of others’ productions, viz. western merchandises, intellectually every bit good as economically. The more the scientific technological spread grows, the more consumptive that single will go. Interrupting free from that technological dependance can be attained through uninterrupted scientific work and committedness, and through diging deeper in the field, and saving no clip in set uping strong fiscal and moral substructures. Time is running out more than of all time.([ four ])A group of exterior factors are created to model the Arab idea in a certain manner, as a agency of blockading the attempts done to recover an reliable individuality, and to maintain it from taking right stairss in the way of scientific and technological advancement. As affairs stand, it seems that the wars fought by the occupied states for independency had as pired for rational independency chiefly. The Arab states must prosecute in a scientific and technological competitory war in order to run into the challenges posed by West. It is of paramount importance to happen the route to this.([ V ]) Potentially, the basic stairss in pulling a program for development that agreements with our deep-seated Arab-Islamic cognitive rules can be achieved, chiefly through inventing modern-day scientific-based rational models. The map of these models will be to size up and polish the heritage in an honorable nonsubjective mode. As a consequence, a scientific Arab power of a distinguishable individuality will emerge to the universe with firm stairss.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

High School and Extracurricular School Food Essay

This brief addresses â€Å"open† or â€Å"off † campus policies that allow high school students to go off campus to purchase and eat food during their lunch periods. The brief highlights issues related to open campus policies and complements the separate Legal Notes: Open Campus Lunch, which highlights some of the legal issues related to off campus lunch and the creation of effective policy addressing this matter. OPEN CAMPUS LUNCH POLICY DECISIONMAKERS Copies of Legal Notes: Open Campus Lunch, Mapping School Food, and other related materials are available on the Public Health Advocacy Institute website at: www.phaionline. org/schoolfood. For more on Potter Boxes, please review Mapping School Food. A quick primer, Potter Boxes at a Glance, is also provided near the end of this brief. This issue brief and the legal notes will help you craft your own Potter Box—a decision-making matrix—that provides a legal and social framework and helps identify key legal access points directed towards reaching your policy goal. This brief defines an open or off campus policy as one that allows select or all students to leave campus during the lunch period to purchase or consume food and beverages. Therefore, a school with a â€Å"modified† policy that only allows certain students who meet specified requirements to go off campus is considered to have an open campus policy. This brief defines a closed campus policy as one that does not allow any students to leave campus during lunch or any other time during the school day. The focus of this brief is on high schools, although research and data that extend to elementary and middle school students were evaluated in preparation of this brief. Open and closed campus policies can be set at the state level by a state board of education or by the state’s education code. Typically, policies are set at the district level by the school district board. The district can create base guidelines establishing an open campus, but it can additionally allow the principal at each school the authority to make provisions or decide under certain circumstances whether or not to allow off campus privileges. In California, for instance, the Stockton Unified School District board policy makes detailed provisions for open campuses but gives the school principal the power to completely close campus if there are specific reasons to do so. In addition to board members, the superintendent is a key decision-maker because he or she must implement the board’s policies. Off campus policies can also be set at the school level by the principal. See legal notes, School Structure, Power, and Responsibility: From State Laws to High School Handbooks, for additional information. Open campus lunch laws and policies do not exist in a vacuum. Policy goals, community support, and specific situational facts must be taken into consideration or the law or policy can be rendered useless, harmful, or ignored. OPEN AND CLOSED CAMPUSES BY THE NUMBERS High schools tend to have unhealthier school food environments than elementary schools. Open and closed school campus policies have the potential to affect students’ health, safety, and security, as well as to influence the school environment itself in these 1 Open Campus Lunch Off the Map: Extracurricular School Food areas. The 2006 School Health Policies and Programs Study showed that nationwide 71. 1 percent of high school districts and 73. 1 percent of high schools had a closed campus policy where students could not leave campus during lunch or at any other time during the school day (compared with 65. 9 and 73. 4 percent, respectively, in 2000). This is similar to a finding of about 25 percent of high schools having open campuses obtained in spring 2005 by the third School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study (SNDA-III). Percentages can vary by state and study. A 2003 survey of California high schools found that 46 percent had open campuses, the same as it found in its 2000 survey. We conducted a small, informal survey with people who provided input for Mapping School Food and who impact the school food environment in Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, and Mississippi. We also reviewed notes from interviews conducted in 2007 in preparation for Mapping School Food. The results of the survey are anecdotal evidence to enhance this brief and cannot be generalized. A little under one fifth of those surveyed stated that the school or district they worked with had an open campus policy. Some did not have open campuses because they worked primarily with younger students not yet in high school. There is a strong link between a student’s dietary behavior and his or her risk of becoming overweight. Students should eat less low-nutrient, energy-dense foods and beverages and more fruits, vegetables, and low- or no-fat milk. A study of Minnesota secondary school students found a strong link between frequency of eating fast food and â€Å"poorer food choices,† resulting in more fatty and sugary foods—and less fruits, vegetables, and milk—consumed. Most of those we surveyed felt that food and beverages obtained through concession stands, fundraisers, school stores, and off campus lunch periods were unhealthy, and over half believed that students would purchase healthier foods if they were available. They thought that most of their students who bought food and beverages near campus did so at chain fast food establishments and minimarts with prepared foods. Depending on what is offered in the cafeteria and school, closing the campus for lunch could eliminate the fast food option and help strengthen good food choices. Foods subsidized by federal programs must comply with certain nutrition regulations and generally are called program foods, while all other school food generally can be considered non-program or competitive foods. For more information, see Mapping School Food, particularly Appendix: Federal School Meal Programs and its Legal Practitioner’s Point. The United States Department of Agriculture’s SNDA-III found that students who participated in  the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) were more likely to consume fruits, vegetables, and milk. Correspondingly, non-participants were more likely to consume snacks, desserts, and beverages like sodas during the lunch period. Policy changes that restricted non-program foods, meaning food obtained through school stores, snack bars, and a la carte options, resulted in a reduction of sugar-sweetened beverages consumed by middle and high school youth. Closed high school campuses also were linked to an increase in eating vegetables. However, these initial analyses from the dataset collected during the 2004–2005 scholastic year must be taken into consideration with one finding of no strong association between school food policies and high school students’ obesity risk. Continued research into this rich data set is necessary to clarify and further inform these analyses. Policymakers should explore if closing campuses for lunch will improve healthier choices and eating habits. The 2003 California High School Fast Food â€Å"The food environment surrounding schools could easily negate school food policies and health education in the classroom, especially in high schools with an open campus policy that allows students to leave campus during their lunch break. † STURM (2008) STUDENT HEALTH, NUTRITION, EATING PATTERNS, AND SCHOOL FOOD The school environment is an important sphere in the development of dietary behavior. Policymakers should craft school food laws or rules that encourage healthier options while restricting unhealthier options. They also should assess open campus lunch policies because these policies can affect policy goals regarding the school food environment. 2 Open Campus Lunch Off the Map: Extracurricular School Food Survey found indications that schools with an open campus lunch policy reported less participation in the NSLP compared to schools with closed campus policies. The SNDA-III reported that 14 percent of high school students who were interviewed about what they ate on a certain day reported that they did not participate in the NSLP because they went off campus to eat lunch. Thus, there is the possibility that closed campus policies could encourage increased NSLP participation and healthier eating habits. Open and closed campus lunch policies must be examined further in the context of their relationship to school food and student health. There is also a perception issue that demands attention. Regarding open campus lunch policies, one Massachusetts Food Service Director commented, â€Å"It sends the message that school food is not as good as fast food and also there are a great deal of safety issues involved with leaving and returning. † Some students may perceive a certain stigma with regard to cafeteria food—particularly program foods—which must be corrected. CLUSTERING OF FAST FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS, RACIAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC DISPARITIES food or other establishments clustering around the school should evaluated. School policy must also consider student subgroups that could be disparately impacted by the clustering of fast food establishments and/or the adverse health effects of overweight. Studies show that fast food restaurants cluster within easy walking distance around schools. A recent study of middle and high schools in California found a direct relationship between fast food establishments being near those schools and the students being overweight. It also found that students within walking distance of fast food restaurants were significantly less likely to say they had eaten fruits or vegetables and more likely to have consumed soda. The study did find a larger association of overweight being associated with fast food proximity for Black students which it did not find with other racial and ethnic minority student populations. It also found the same increased association for students in urban schools. Overweight is a health indicator displaying significant disparities amongst racial and ethnic minority youth, as certain groups have higher risks of obesity and resultant health problems compared with others. Studies also have indicated that low-income and racial minority students can tend to live in communities with less safe streets, poorer facilities, and/or greater access to low-nutrient, energy-dense foods and less access to healthy foods. One study examined high and middle schools and their proximity to restaurants, convenience stores, snack stores, and liquor stores. Observing racial and socioeconomic variances, it found that Hispanic students are more likely to go to schools within close Open campus and other school policies should aid student development in all areas including nutrition and health. Fast food availability around schools encourages consumption of low-nutrient, energydense food and could influence students’ developing decision-making skills and habits regarding nutrition. When crafting school policy, the significance of fast â€Å"While it is important to respect adolescents’ increasing autonomy and decisionmaking skills, research clearly shows that food availability is one of the strongest correlates of food choices in adolescents. † NEUMARK – SZTAINER ET AL . (2005) In study results published in 2005, over a thousand, mostly suburban, high school students were surveyed across twenty high schools in a region in Minnesota. At least six of the high schools had an open campus policy. The study found that students on an open campus were â€Å"significantly more likely† to get their lunches from fast food establishments and convenience stores. It also found that students in upper grade levels purchased lunch from convenience stores or fast food restaurants with greater frequency than students in lower grade levels. The study concluded that school food policies that limit access to low-nutrient, energy-dense foods and beverages are linked with students purchasing these types of food and beverages less frequently. 3 Open Campus Lunch Off the Map: Extracurricular School Food walking distance of those types of establishments. That particular study did not find such strong associations among other racial groups, except with regard to liquor stores. Another study published in early 2009 found that fast food restaurants in New York were concentrated in commercial areas and in predominantly Black communities in both low-income and more affluent areas. More data and studies are needed to clarify the relationship between different establishments’ proximity to schools and student eating patterns—and how racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and other factors are related to fast food establishment clustering, overweight, and health risks. Still, these factors newly have been considered in local land use law, and they should be considered when crafting current school policy. In Los Angeles, an ordinance recently passed that puts a one year moratorium on building new fast food establishments in areas of South Los Angeles, which have large Latino and Black communities. The ordinance was significantly motivated by the city council’s concerns about how the proliferation of fast food restaurants escalate socioeconomic problems in low-income neighborhoods—and this proliferation’s impact on food security and children’s health and nutrition. Hopefully, the moratorium will provide time for more permanent regulatory controls to be put in place. See legal notes, Legal Interventions—Holistic Considerations, for additional information. LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ENVIRONMENT go off campus for lunch, said that local businesses donate money to the school, and a closed campus policy would likely cause the loss of those donations. However, in our informal survey, the few people that did work with schools that received donations from local businesses that sell food or beverages did not feel that those donations were a necessary part of the school’s overall budget. When constructing your Potter Box, the facts of the situation will clarify specific concerns, such as local establishments’ reliance on youths’ lunch money and whether these businesses donate or contribute to the high school(s) to an extent that it could impact policy decisions. Local businesses therefore can be attuned to the school’s schedule and policies. â€Å"We always know when kids aren’t going to be in school,† a pizza manager told a newspaper. â€Å"When kids are home from school they’re ordering pizzas, so we schedule another driver. † Local businesses also may contribute to the schools in non-monetary ways like monitoring and reporting student behavior. Antioch Unified School District in California is starting a â€Å"We Tip† program where local businesses are encouraged to report truancy. Improved average daily attendance results in more monetary support from the government. Programs like â€Å"We Tip† have to be measured against closed campus policies to see which is—or if both applied together are—more effective and beneficial to the school. Most of those we surveyed who had experience with off campus policies felt that such policies were popular with local businesses and students and, conversely, not popular at all with cafeteria staff and food service directors. They also thought their location and community could not accommodate an open campus lunch policy. The outflow of students during the lunch period may cause problems or potential hazards in the local area. Residents may be worried about students bringing large groups of their peers and congregating in homes or complexes. Schools in rural areas may not have businesses nearby. Off campus lunch can be viewed as a valuable revenue stream for local businesses. One â€Å"highly profitable† fast food location up for sale advertised in 2007 as a factor in its value that it is located next to â€Å"a high school which allows off campus lunch time to their students. † These businesses may in turn make donations or otherwise support the school. The school’s perception of the value of these local business donations could conflict with instituting healthier school food initiatives. A principal from Modoc County, California, who estimated that 80 percent of students 4 Open Campus Lunch. Off the Map: Extracurricular School Food SAFETY ISSUES, TIME, AND CAR ACCIDENTS Safety issues also factor into determining open and closed campus policy. One Californian who works in nutritional education emphasized that safety issues were concerns â€Å"especially at the high school where there is an open campus. † Newspapers report incidents like fighting, fatal car accidents, mugging, substance abuse and arrest, and sexual assault as occurring off campus during lunch periods. Although these incident rates may be relatively small, each incident can have a significant impact on the school and its students. Time is a considerable factor in evaluating a policy’s safety and feasibility. The lunch period may be too short for students to reasonably go off campus for lunch. An overwhelming number of those we surveyed thought that there was not enough time for students to go off campus, buy and eat lunch, and return on time. Some of those surveyed reported having as little as twenty minutes allotted for lunch, and a student article, discussed below in Student Input and Support, averaged a 37 minute high school lunch period. Schools with open campus policies should monitor whether or not the policy affects afternoon tardiness or truancy. Also, time issues may encourage unhealthier eating off campus. One Virginia public high school has an â€Å"Off-Site Lunch Contract Senior Privilege Form† as part of its off campus lunch driver permit. The contract stresses that this is a privilege, limited to seniors and extended lunch days. It requires students not to travel alone, sets area restrictions, and states, â€Å"There is plenty of variety in fast food establishments within the boundaries provided. Students should choose establishments that can serve within five to ten minutes of your arrival. You should allow at minimum 15 minutes of driving/parking time. † In granting the privilege to go off campus for lunch, the school policy seems to encourage students to eat fast food in order for the policy to operate smoothly and for students to return on time. Traffic accidents are a major concern for many high schools. Student drivers add to lunchtime traffic congestion, and students driving to pick up lunch may rush back to class. A study of three North Carolina counties over four years found that there was a â€Å"significantly higher† rate of risk for car accidents during open campus lunch periods compared to any other time of the day and compared to a county with closed campus lunch. There were also more passengers in the cars during lunch period accidents. Safety concerns and student fatalities during lunch periods have resulted in the proposal of two New York State assembly bills designed to regulate off campus policy. Student injuries and death that occurred while the students were off campus during the lunch period also have resulted in lawsuits being brought against school districts and officials. See legal notes, Open Campus Lunch Tort Concerns and School Structure, Power, and Responsibility: From State Laws to High School Handbooks, for more information. CAFETERIA AND CAMPUS CONCERNS— ADEQUATE TIME, FACILITIES, SUPERVISION, AND BUDGET Closing an open campus may give high schools the ability to refocus school food issues like cafeteria breakfast, lunch, vendors, and water fountains. One Arkansas School District Nurse commented, â€Å"My districts do not want anything on campus that competes with the federal lunch program. † A closed campus could assist in a comprehensive approach to improving school food and offering healthy food choices on campus. What are the practical considerations when closing an open campus? About half of those surveyed who had experience with open campus lunch policies thought their school or district, as it stood, could provide lunch to all its students. A few specifically suggested that schools would need to improve food options in cafeterias, extend the lunch periods, and expand and renovate facilities for food preparation. A school or district deciding to close a campus for lunch needs to ensure the necessary resources are in place before the policy is implemented. 5 Open Campus Lunch Off the Map: Extracurricular School Food. The high school or district needs to determine whether the cafeteria and campus can adequately handle a closed campus. For example: What kinds of burden will the additional students who used to go off campus for lunch put on the cafeteria? Factors include: Time. Adequate time to eat lunch is a concern in the cafeteria just as much as it is off campus. One California food services staff exclaimed, â€Å"30 minutes to serve 3,000! † Some cafeterias have to stagger their lunch periods, with students eating lunch anywhere from 10:30 a. m. to 2:00 p. m. The 2006 School Health Policies and Programs Study found students on average have 22. 8 minutes to eat lunch once seated. It also found an increase in school districts that required a â€Å"minimum seating time† for eating lunch once seated. Facilities. This includes cafeteria space, kitchen and food production capacity, etc. The school might want to consider renovations that would help accommodate more and even healthier food options or improve the flow of students getting their food. Facilities also include fences and other structures that may be necessary to control a closed campus. A California principal anticipated, â€Å"All 1,200 students eat at the same time and it would be a nightmare to serve all of these students with the current setup. † A California Nutrition Educationalist stated, â€Å"Closing the campus at the high school has been discussed numerous times in the past with the results always being that it would be too difficult to close campus and we are lacking in facilities to accommodate the students. † Supervision. School officials have a duty to supervise the students on campus. When deciding whether to close a campus, it should be deter-mined whether there are enough resources and staff to adequately supervise the students during the lunch period. Also, can students leaving and entering the campus be adequately supervised? Budget. Foreseeable costs incurred by staff or facilities changes need to be supported by already overextended school budgets. Among the school food decision-makers we informally surveyed, the top two concerns to their district or school were the school budget and the school food budget. This could be a potential barrier to closing a campus. However, closing a school’s campus could be seen as an investment in student health, safety, and perhaps monetary return. Most of those we surveyed with open campus lunch policy experience thought that a closed campus would increase cafeteria profit, and none of them thought it would decrease profit. Specific research may be needed for an advocate to determine whether and by how much a closed campus policy could increase cafeteria revenues. Potential impact on student health should also be evaluated. For example: How will closing campus affect students’ eating patterns both on campus and outside of school? What are the choices on a closed campus and how healthy are they? What changes can be made to offer a variety of healthier, appealing food choices? One high school in Missouri was able to close its campus after it moved into a newly built structure that could accommodate serving food to all the students and staff. Yet closing a campus for lunch does not necessarily keep fast food away, as the food services supervisor contemplated using vendors such as Pizza Hut and Quiznos—in part because â€Å"it helps out the community merchants. † â€Å"Our food service program operates in the black now, whereas it never did before,† said Kevin Ivers, Bridgman’s superintendent, noting that the high school had added a second lunch period to reduce lines, and overhauled the menu to introduce quesadillas, yogurt, salads and fruit. â€Å"That enables us to put more money into the classrooms. † NEW YORK TIMES ( MAY 2008) A 2008 New York Times article noted that school districts in New York and nationwide were instituting closed campus lunch policies due to car accident-related deaths, injury, and truancy. The Times also anecdotally interviewed specific high schools where closing campuses for lunch had improved attendance for post-lunch classes, increased cafeteria sales by in some cases over 10 percent and 22 percent, and turned a food service program operating at a loss into a profitable one. However it also cited concerns that closed campus lunch policies were part of a trend in restricting youths and hindering their decision-making experiences. 6 Open Campus Lunch Off the Map: Extracurricular School Food STUDENT INPUT AND SUPPORT. Student input and support are critical to a successful closed campus lunch policy. School lunch is a popular topic for high school students. LA Youth, an online student journal that reaches half a million Los Angeles County youth, published an informal survey a few years ago where student reporters found out â€Å"What’s for Lunch? † in their high schools. Examining twenty four public and private high schools in Southern California, it found that lunch on average lasts thirtyseven minutes. About two thirds of schools had vendors in cafeterias or push carts, and most schools had open campus policies for seniors. Only about four schools had a fully closed campus. The survey also noted types of vendors (Subway, Pizza Hut, and Dominos being the most common), cafeteria menus (Mexican food and sandwiches being popular), and cafeteria food prices. Many students may balk at a closed campus policy, seeing it as restricting their freedom and taking away a reward for good grades, attendance, or other open campus policy requirements. A Californian nursing manager described the toughest obstacles to changing open campus policy as the â€Å"objections of community stores and restaurants and student protests. † Students may be more likely to advocate for open campus policies. After two high school students approached the School Committee, a Massachusetts high school started an off campus pilot program open to only seniors in good standing. At the time, key issues or concerns with the program were safety, student initiative/input, incentives for students to improve grades and behavior, monetary impact on school food, student nutrition, â€Å"rewarding children with junk food,† and potentially teaching responsibility and time management. While the pilot program and these issues were being discussed in 2004, the high school currently allows seniors who meet certain requirements off campus lunch privileges. Other students have opened up online forums such as MySpace message boards to discuss and protest their school’s attempts to close their campus for lunch. An advocate seeking to change a high school or district’s off campus lunch policy may consider surveying or interviewing students to find out what is important to them so as to determine potential sources of student support. These tools also could be useful in  finding what influences students’ food and beverage choices—such as cost, certain tastes, convenience— in order to make healthy choices in school food more appealing. Another LA Youth article discussed a student having informal weekly potlucks with friends that focused on â€Å"food adventure† and not on eating healthier foods. This could nonetheless spark ideas and discussions about using similar methods to promote healthier eating programs and deciding what types of equipment could be helpful, such as microwaves and secured refrigerators. Other student newspapers have covered open campus policies. One student reporter, who found that fifteen out of twenty students surveyed ate daily at Jack in the Box, Wendy’s, or McDonald’s, recommended that her high school â€Å"ban off-campus lunch, and improve the food in our school cafeteria. † Most of those we surveyed were involved with schools that had nutrition education programs. Perhaps encouraging student-led nutritional education projects to supplement or strengthen existing nutrition education programs could lead to some innovative ideas, positive results, and student support for policies like closed campus lunch. LACK OF ENFORCEMENT AND LEADERSHIP The number one obstacle to implementing the type of food program desired by those surveyed was lack of enforcement of school food policies. The next two obstacles were lack of resources and time constraints in the budget’s timeline. One person surveyed recommended to â€Å"put in policies a way of enforcing any regulations that are mandated. † Another who worked in food service in California suggested â€Å"tougher penalties. † A community health nurse specialist in Arkansas pointed to the relationship between leadership and enforcement: â€Å"Leadership in schools has to enforce the school’s policies or the policy is ineffective. † A food service director in Massachusetts stated, â€Å"Lack of funding has resulted in lack of good leadership for the district. Policies on safety, wellness, etc. , have taken a back seat to teacher loss and budget cuts. With our school budget in a deficit and no town support for an over-ride, my personal feeling is we will keep losing students to school choice and private schools. † For legal analysis on building enforcement and accountability into school policy, see legal notes, Enforcement Issues and Possible Enforcement Mechanisms. 7 Open Campus Lunch Off the Map: Extracurricular School Food. OTHER POLICY CHANGE CONCERNS Sources describe open campus lunch for students as a â€Å"privilege. † Policymakers and advocates should stress that off campus lunch is not a right or requirement. If the policy has academic achievement, attendance, and/or other requirements, this policy is also characterized as a reward for students. Advocates may want to consider suggesting alternate rewards. While wellness policies generally do not address off campus lunch policies, perhaps the two should be integrated in order to frame the off campus issue as one of student health. One superintendent told a newspaper that it was â€Å"hard for one campus to have one rule and another campus to have another. ‘We don’t want advantages or disadvantages to going one way or the other. ’† Students also have stated that it was unfair if their campus was closed and neighboring high school students could go off campus for lunch. Perhaps consider a comprehensive district ban. Tradition or culture may be obstacles to changing the policy. As a food service director from Massachusetts noted, â€Å"Change is never easy. We do not have off campus lunch. However, I worked in a school that did previously and it was very difficult to change even though it was discussed every year! † YOUR NEXT STEPS To help you with your next steps, this issue brief provides factors that will help you construct your own Potter Box about off campus lunch policy. Hopefully, this brief, the accompanying legal piece, and Mapping School Food will provide you with a strong foundation upon which to construct policy that fulfills your own goals. A blank Potter Box for you to fill out is provided on page 12 of Mapping School Food, or you can make your own. You may also want to consult the Model Decision-Maker Potter Box on page 13 and the other filled-in Potter Boxes in Mapping School Food. POTTER BOXES AT A GLANCE BOX 2 Values and Tools BOX 1 Excerpts from Mapping School Food: The Potter Box is a four-part square that can help you make informed decisions. While the Potter Box cannot make a decision for you, it can help clarify your options and why you would choose one option over another. We have adapted the Potter Box to help you clarify the interactions between the many factors that affect school food decisions and critique the different factors that affect your own decision making. This modified version of the Potter Box can†¦help you understand the law and to identify key decision-makers. It also demonstrates how the law plays out in real-world situations and the assumptions and concerns that various decision-makers bring to bear on school food policy. Facts List all the facts known about the situation or problem. List the factors that drive your school food decisions. What are the elements that you need to consider when making decisions? What tools do you typically use? How are the solutions to the problem evaluated?