The Wireless Networks and Installations in Municipals Essay

The Wireless Networks and Installations in Municipals - Essay Example In addition, Wi-Fi networks provide a platform for the municipals to  offer  connectivity for the city workforce, attract companies and businesses to  situate  in their downtowns,  develop  their  conference  centres to be sought-after and  provide  all citizens access to broadband internet. Municipal Wi-Fi networks are crucial in increasing the effectiveness of the  state  delivery services. They support the provision of government services, for example, utility monitoring, police or fire protection, meter reading and code enforcement. Furthermore, these networks  enhance  the existing city networks  thus, reinforcing the tasks undertaken by the workforces, as well as communications in the inter-governmental departments and organizations. Therefore, the Wi-Fi technology usage  provides  inexpensive and improved  network  coverage in the urban areas (Bing, 2008). This, in turn, enhances the performance of the government and reduces the  provisi on  costs of the services of the government. ... The city of Philadelphia plans to  construct  a Wi-Fi system, which will  cover  the whole 135-square-mile city area. The main objective of this project is to make Philadelphia to  stay  as a competitive city for businesses and an  appeal  to visitors. According to Kallen (2006), the municipal governments may not have the appropriate technological expertise and are highly  probable  to be  incompetent  in choosing the technological, business models, approaches and applications. In addition, Bing (2008) argues that the government involvement, supporting one technology, produces  alteration  by foreclosing  antagonism  among options in the marketplace. Private companies have appropriate technology that is up to date with the changes in the Wi-Fi networks and their installations. The collaboration between the government and the private sector will lead to the selection of the  suitable  Wi-Fi technology for the city. The local government thus can  f orm  agreements with the private companies. Bing (2008) argues that cities may  opt  to  promote  the  building  of Wi-Fi systems by several players. This can include retail businesses, local Wi-Fi co-operatives, or community businesses, in addition to commercial system providers. Consequently, this makes up an  extension  of the existing installation  format  for Wi-Fi, where a variety of  autonomous  public  and private efforts has steered to the  installation  of uncoordinated Wi-Fi  coverage  locations. As municipal governments  deliberate  their alternatives to  promote  more reliable services and  coverage, one of their preferences will  be  to exercise their  power  to  support  greater harmonization

Chili Flax (Dish advisor) Web Site Analysis

Chili Flax (Dish advisor) Web Site Analysis 1 Introduction In this section, documentation describe purpose of system, scope, and different possible interaction with system. 1.1 Purpose The purpose of this documentation is to give a detailed information about Chili Flax (Dish advisor) web site. In this documentation, we describe various interactions, interfaces and system constraints for this system. The main purpose of this documents is to give illusion to developer and user about system. 1.2 Scope The Chili Flax (Dish Advisor) is a website, which helps user to compare foods serving all restaurants in the city. It compares based on price and customers review on particular food selected by user. It will help user to find best food nearby his/her location. Main advantage that it brings transparency in price and quality of food is serving in the city. Restaurant owners will provide information about its menu and other information about restaurants like establishment years, experience in this business, connected with another firm and schedule. Restaurant owner can have Owner panel to modify menu whenever they want. The software need GPS (location) permission for find nearby place feature which allow software to calculate minimum distance with user and provide best search result. 1.3 Definitions, acronyms and abbreviations Term Definition user Person who interact with website Admin/Administrator System administrator who have rights to change and manage website information Restaurant owner Who have rights to change own restaurant menu and prices Developer Who created this website and managed all information GPS Global Positioning System GPS-Location Manager Location permission need when website is excessed through user device to improve search optimization Data Source Person or referencing object who contributed data in this website 1.4 Overview In this documentation, we have majorly included three chapter which enable to give brief introduction of system and other interaction modules given by all whole system. In this document, also describe different stakeholders and their respective roles. Another aspect is that what is constrains and assumption need to mention in system that every individual should make is also describe in this documentation. Requirement specification and detailed terms and definitions of the different interfaces mansion in third chapter of documentation. Technologies used during implementation of requirement also mentioned. In the Fourth chapter prioritization of requirement is mention and also mentioned what basis developers are choose those requirement is first and all filtration process. The appendixes in the end include all results of requirement prioritized and launch plan of development. 2. Overall description This section will provide associate summary of the entire system. The system will be explained in its context to indicate however the system interacts with alternative systems and introduce the essential practicality of it. It will additionally describe what kind of stakeholders which will use the system and what practicality is obtainable for every kind. At last, the constraints and assumptions for the system will be given. 2.1 Product perspective This system mainly contain two parts first one is web browser and second is database. Web browser serve application pages which contains different pages to serve. GPS will be used by mobile application to locate user. Distance between user and restaurant will be displayed by GPS and also da of application will be displayed by GPS. User can use function of GPS seamlessly manner. This application contains centralized database so it requires to store data somewhere. Mobile application as well as website both can access to database. They will use database in different ways. Mobile application will use database to display those data which is required by user. Web portal will use database to store and modify those data needed by administration team of system. Internet will be used for this kind of communication. There are limited resources available for mobile application. The maximum amount of hard drive space required by application will be 20 MB. 2.2 Product functions User can search restaurants using mobile application. The result will be displayed using inputs given by user. Administrator of system can change of add criteria. Search result will be displayed in either list view or in map view according to the requirements of user. The list view will have one list item for each restaurant. Location of each restaurants will be displayed in map view. In both views user, can view information about restaurants. The web portal will be used for data population and administration purpose. 2.3 User characteristics The number of types of users is three which will interact with system: User of mobile application, administrators and restaurant owners. Each user carries different role, requirements and rights on system. The mobile application users can see data only. They can input criteria for search restaurants and gets directions to reach there. The restaurant owners will use web portal to populate date. The can manage their menu and information about restaurants. The administrators will use web portal to system. They will have maximum rights on system. They are responsible for removing uncourts data and harmful contents. 2.4 Constraints Mobile application needs GPS system to be functional properly. Mobile devices with different GPS will use same interface. The application will also require internet connection. Connectivity to database is established over internet so internet connection will be needed by application. Both the application and web portal will have limited size of database. Database is shared between both application and web portal so it can happen that they can be forced to queue incoming requests. 2.5 Assumptions and dependencies We can assume that application will be installed on capable devices. If device does not have enough space, then application will not be installed. Another assumption is that all mobile devices in which application is installed, have working GPS with same interface. If the phones have different interfaces to the GPS, the requirements for GPS will needed to be changed. 2.6 Apportioning of requirements If project is about to be delayed, there are some requirements that will be implemented in the next versions of application. Those requirements are to be implemented in the next release, see Appendix IV. 3. Specific requirements The functional and quality requirements are contained by this section. Detailed description of system and interface is given in this section. ÂÂ  3.1 External interface Requirements This section describes all inputs and outputs of system. It also describes the software, hardware and the communication interfaces. This section provides basic prototypes of the user interface. 3.1.1 User interfaces Login page will be displayed to first time user, see Figure 2. User can navigate registration page from login page. Search page will be displayed to user if user is not first time user, see Figure 3. User will select search criteria here and able to get list of required restaurants. User will have profile page to manage personal and contact information, see Figure 4. Also, the user can change its preferred language. 3.1.2 Hardware interfaces Applications are installed on fully built systems so they dont need any external hardware. The GPS and database will be handled by underlying processes of operating system of respected devices. 3.1.3 Software interfaces The mobile application will use GPS to get location of user and will use database to fetch data about restaurants which is required by user, see Figure 1. Mobile application can only read data from database. Web portal will have all rights on data of database. 3.1.4 Communications interfaces The different parts of system are highly dependent on each other so communication among them is very important. Way of communication is doesnt concerned by whole system. So, communication will be handled by underlying processes of operation system on respective devices. 3.2 Functional requirements 3.2.1 User Class 1 The User 3.2.1.1 Functional requirement 1.1 ID: FR1 TITLE: Download mobile application DESC: Application should be downloaded by user from application store and free of cost RAT: So, user can download application. DEP: None 3.2.1.2 Functional requirement 1.2 ID: FR2 TITLE: Notification of new releases DESC: When new release of application comes, user will get notification about it. RAT: So, user can download new version of application. DEP: FR1 3.2.1.3 Functional requirement 1.3 ID: FR3 TITLE: Registration DESC: User should create an account on system. RAT: So, user can create an account. DEP: FR2 3.2.1.4 Functional requirement 1.4 ID: FR4 TITLE: Login DESC: User should login in system in order to user features of system. RAT: So, user can access its profile. DEP: FR1, FR3 3.2.1.5 Functional requirement 1.5 ID: FR5 TITLE: Get password DESC: User can get password by email. RAT: Recovery of password. DEP: FR1 3.2.1.6 Functional requirement 1.6 ID: FR6 TITLE: User ratings DESC: User should rate restaurants. RAT: Improved feedback. DEP: FR4 3.2.1.7 Functional requirement 1.7 ID: FR7 TITLE: Search restaurants DESC: User should search restaurants by food, price, distance and rating. RAT: Search for a restaurant. DEP: FR6 3.2.1.8 Functional requirement 1.8 ID: FR8 TITLE: Admin panel DESC: Administrators should be able to manage database of system. RAT: System management. DEP: None 4. Prioritization and Release Plan 4.1 Choice of prioritization method Top 10 most important requirements will be selected first. This will be done by simple number method in which higher number means high priority. Number will be assigned base on decision of meting of stockholders. The highest summed number associated with requirement will decide priority of requirement. The results will be red marked and others will be left as are they before. These requirements were prioritized according to the points they got and the results can be viewed under Appendix II. 4.2 Release Plan The requirements were divided in three groups and each group will be implements in each release of application. Each release will be work as complete working system. The first release will contain essential requirements. The last release will contains most advanced requirements. Other requirements can be implemented in middle release, Gantt Chart

The Governments and States of Locke, Aquinas, and St. Augustine Essay e

In John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, he identifies a government that is of the peoples consent with his essential raison d΄Ãƒ ªtre being the preservation and protection of personal property. This type of government is extremely comparable with the type of government that St. Augustine describes in his work City of God, while at the same time contrasts the views of Aquinas in the ways a state should operate. The end goal of how each of these philosophers’ states purposes presents the greatest split between each of their philosophies. To understand how each of these philosophers’ states are similar and different from each other, a deeper analysis is necessary. The first and possibly most striking similarity between the states that both Locke and St. Augustine propose lies in the fact that both see the state as a necessary evil. Locke describes the perfect life as one in the â€Å"state of nature†, where there are limitless boundaries to freedom. Within these limitless boundaries to do whatever you want lays the ability for others to do harm to you and your property, because they have complete freedom as well. In order to overcome this lack of security, Locke describes the state as a necessary evil which one must give up certain freedoms in order to be protected under the rule of law. This is similar to St. Augustine in the respect that within the world there are evil men who will do harm to others. Augustine argues that laws are necessary to make sure that people can live with the peace of mind that they are protected from the sins of others. One of the contrasting points the states of Aquinas and Locke possess is rooted in how each state should set up and decide their laws. Aquinas argues that we should set up our laws based on high morals, which all men could agree on, and on the high ideals of natural law. Locke disagrees with this in the respect that all men are Tabula Rasa, which begin life as blank slates and develop their views and ideas based on the experiences they are exposed to. According to Locke the men in the state of Aquinas would all have different experiences and place importance on different morals and ideals. Therefore, Locke argues that in order to have a legitimate set of laws, they must be based on very solid foundations which cannot be subject to argument. Such foundations would be the protection of property, as well as the ... ...ant to be told that there is only one version of right and wrong, which is exactly what the opposing state proposes. Examples of the type of state that Aquinas and St. Augustine present can be seen in some of the failed regimes of the past century. Prime examples of states that attempted to strive for the better good of its people, and failed, can be seen in both Nazi Germany and communist Russia. These states attempted to take each individual and force them into an ideal â€Å"mold† of what they wanted their citizens to become. Even though these societies succeeded for some amount of time, both have since collapsed and states in the Lockean from have arose out of their ashes. As aforementioned, both of the types of states presented have strong and weak points to ponder on. Both have rose to power at one point in time or another, although the Lockean state has remained where others have fallen. Overall, an argument can be made that in our modern world with globalization and a never ending mixing of cultures; the only way for a state to succeed is to put ideological ideals behind and look to protect the greater good by looking out for the â€Å"peace, safety, and public good of its people.†

Pricing policies Essay

The main Factors that affect the price being charged by your chosen business for their product/service The pricing decisions for a product are affected by internal and external factors. A. Internal Factors 1. Cost While fixing the prices of a product, the firm should consider the cost involved in producing the product. This cost includes both the variable and fixed costs. Thus, while fixing the prices, the firm must be able to recover both the variable and fixed costs. 2. The predetermined objectives While fixing the prices of the product, the marketer should consider the objectives of the firm. For instance, if the objective of a firm is to increase return on investment, then it may charge a higher price, and if the objective is to capture a large market share, then it may charge a lower price. 3. Image of the firm The price of the product may also be determined on the basis of the image of the firm in the market. For instance, HUL and Procter Gamble can demand a higher price for th eir brands, as they enjoy goodwill in the market. 4. Product life cycle The stage at which the product is in its product life cycle also affects its price. For instance, during the introductory stage the firm may charge lower price to attract the customers, and during the growth stage, a firm may increase the price. 5. Credit period offered The pricing of the product is also affected by the credit period offered by the company. Longer the credit period, higher may be the price, and shorter the credit period, lower may be the price of the product. 6. Promotional activity The promotional activity undertaken by the firm also determines the price. If the firm incurs heavy advertising and sales promotion costs, then the pricing of the product shall be kept high in order to recover the cost. B. External Factors 1. Competition While fixing the price of the product, the firm needs to study the degree of competition in the market. If there is high competition, the prices may be kept low to effectively face the competition, and if competition is low, the prices may be kept high. 2. Consumers The marketer should consider various consumer factors while fixing the prices. The consumer factors that must be considered includes the price sensitivity of the buyer, purchasing power, and so on. 3. Government control Government rules and regulation must be considered while fixing the prices. In certain products, government may announce administered prices, and therefore the marketer has to consider such regulation while fixing the prices.

The hypothesis for this piece of coursework is “Exeter is dealing well with its traffic needs”

As shown in the maps on the previous page Exeter is a city in the south-west of England, with areas like Dartmoor which is a national park nearby, Exeter is also surrounded by towns and villages like Topsham, Exmouth, Starcross and Lympstone. At the moment Exeter's population is around 111,000 but is always growing. Exeter has many transport links, including two main train stations and a few more local ones, a successful bus service, many roads in and surrounding Exeter and an international airport. Exeter's main train stations are Central station which is a few minute walk to the city centre and St David's station which is a 15-20 minutes walk or a few minute bus journey. Exeter has more local train station such as St Thomas train station, but these unlike the two main train stations which have trains which travel all around the country only have trains which travel to closer towns or cities. Exeter's main bus service which is Stagecoach, has many routes which enables you to travel around and just past the outskirts of Exeter, Stagecoach also have a Main bus station in Exeter which also has less frequent buses which travel further to place all around England. The last transport link which Exeter has is Exeter's international airport which as well as flying chartered flights also fly scheduled flights around England. Exeter's chartered flights don't only include short haul flights to places in Europe but have recently started to fly long haul flights to places like New York and Canada. Exeter has many roads surrounding and passing through it including the M5 which is a motor way which starts by Exeter and ends up by Birmingham, there is also many A roads neighbouring Exeter including A30 and the A38 which join at the start of the M5 and also the A377 which passes through Exeter and joins to the A30. Lastly there are several B roads including the B3212, B3183, B3123 and the B3183. As Exeter's population is growing more and more people are driving and buying cars this therefore increases Exeter's car ownership and traffic problems, due to this increase in people and cars Exeter's traffic needs are becoming more and more important. In places which have had the issue of congested roads and other traffic problems, traffic management strategies have already been tried, like in London; they have now introduced a payment which has to be made for vehicles to be able to drive in the city centre. The roads which I will be focusing on are: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Alphington Road à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Cowick Street à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Exebridge à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½High Street à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Topsham Road The roads and area which I will be concentration in this investigation on are shown on a map opposite. The area which I will be mainly working with is in and around the city centre and is shaded in brown on the map, and all the roads except Topsham Road which I am concentrating on are shaded in red To investigate this hypothesis I will be mainly working in and around the city centre, I will ask questionnaires, take traffic counts and photos, send emails, and also use the internet. I will then put the data into graphs and diagrams and do some calculations which will then tell me if my hypothesis is correct or not.

The Best Case Study Writing Tips and Tricks

The Best Case Study Writing Tips and Tricks In many ways writing a case study is similar to any other writing assignment. There is a set of common rules that can be applied to your particular task. The most common mistake students make over and over again is starting to write without careful planning and preparation. This may lead to an unsatisfying result, because the thoughts you express may be in chaotic order. You may understand what youve written since you are an author, on the other hand it will be a challenging task for a reader to understand what you wanted to say. So, dont rush things. We had better look at all the stages of case writing thoroughly. First, you need ti know exactly what you are writing about. Define the problem you are going to consider and try to look at it from different perspectives. Then start doing a profound research to gather all the information needed for your case study. You can use various sources, including books, magazines, articles, interviews, or you may even talk to people who are directly involved into a problem you are researching. Once youve got all the information required to write your case study, analyze it, sorting out the information you really need. Even if you have exclusive information, which is compelling, yet irrelevant, you should leave it out. Keep in mind that a good case study should be as interesting for a reader, as it is for you (that is, writer). After that, you may start writing. However, you can notice youve done something wrong at earlier stages, so you need to go back and research or analyze it even more. It was mentioned above that a case study has a lot to do with any oth er kind of writing task. And by that we mean it should follow the rule of the thumb of every text, i.e. it has to be divided into three main parts. State the problem in an introduction , so that the reader knows what you are writing about. In the main body you should analyze the problem under consideration more precisely and suggest your opinion on how it should be dealt with. Your suggestions should be based on the information youve found. However, dont be afraid to express your opinion, but dont forget to back them up with strong arguments. Summarize all you have said in a conclusion. You should present your point of view of how a particular problem can be solved. Besides, you can also mention the urgent problems in that particular field to show your understanding of all the aspects of it, and to come up with ideas for further research. Find it difficult to write a really good case study? Our custom academic writing service will be of great help whenever you need some expert assistance with writing a case study. Just buy a case study at CustomWritings.com!

The Jacksonian Era essays

The Jacksonian Era essays The Jacksonian Era encompassed a period of massive changes. These changes, whether they be social, economic, or political, were embraced by Americans with a new found vigor. This enthusiasm, motivated by a new common man president, Andrew Jackson, gave Americans new hope to pursue their own personal successes in a politically and socially charged society. Andrew Jackson was probably best remembered as the hero of the Battle of New Orleans, where he defeated British forces led by Sir Edward Packenham. The battle greatly boosted American morale and had instilled a sense of unity within the United States. It was no surprise that Jackson would vie for a seat as president of the United States later on. His first attempt, however, proved to be less than successful. Led by an ambiguous campaign with no staunch issues, Jackson was defeated by Adams in 1824. In his second attempt at presidency, Jacksons personality centered the campaign served him better in the election of 1828. With mudslinging and other scandalous activities tossed about the campaign, Jackson defeated Henry Clay and John Adams. Winning the election, however, Jackson did not enter office unscathed. With the loss of his beloved wife, Rachel, Jackson felt certain that her death was due to the malicious lies thrown at her during his campaign of 1828. Jacksons democracy consisted of a strong belief in the majority and its ability to rule. He opposed elitism and aristocracy, and everything that expressed its ideals, including the Second National Bank of the United States (BUS). With that strong sentiment, he sent a veto to Congress to kill the BUS. Jacksons veto of the BUS, however, proved less than satisfactory. The consequences after that would haunt the future of creating a future banking system for generations. The cause of the mistrust was due to the fact that funds that were placed in the BU ...

Sample Application Essay for College Admissions

Sample Application Essay for College Admissions The sample application essay below was written by Felicity for personal essay option #4 of the pre-2013 Common Application: Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence. With the current Common Application, the essay could work well for essay option #1  that asks students to share a story about something that is central to their identity. Note that Felicitys essay is from before the Common Application implemented the current 650-word length limit. Felicitys College Application Essay PorkopolisIn the South, where I grew up, pork is a vegetable. Actually, it’s used as a â€Å"seasoning,† but so commonly that it’s almost impossible to find salad without bacon, greens without fatback, white beans free of pinkish shreds of ham. It was difficult for me, then, when I decided to become a vegetarian. The decision itself, made for the usual reasons of health, ethics and ecological conservation, was easy; putting it into practice, however, was another matter. At every restaurant, every school lunch, every church potluck, every family gathering, there was meat- in the entrà ©e, the sides, the condiments. I suspected even innocent-seeming pie crusts of secretly harboring lard.Eventually I worked out a system: I brought my own lunches to school, asked servers about the broth used in the soup of the day, avoided the usual suspects of beans and greens. This system worked well enough in public, but at home, I faced the challenge of respecting my parents and harmoniously sharing meals with them. They were excellent cooks, both of them, and I had always enjoyed the country-fried steaks, burgers and ribs they’d served to me for so many years- how could I now say â€Å"no† to those delicacies without angering or inconveniencing them, or, worse, hurting their feelings?I couldn’t. And so, I backslid. I’d manage to live a pure, meatless life for a few weeks, subsisting on pasta and salads. Then, Dad would grill an especially juicy teriyaki-marinated flank steak, look at me hopefully, and offer a slice- and I would accept. I’d mend my ways, steam rice and stir-fry snow peas with mushrooms . . . and crumble at the first whiff of the Thanksgiving turkey roasting in the oven and the proud smile on my mother’s face. My noble goals, it seemed, were doomed.But then, I found a role model, one who demonstrated to me that I could live without meat and still be a functioning member of society, eschew my parents ’ pork chops and fried chicken without giving offense. I wish I could say that I was inspired by one of history’s great artists like Leonardo da Vinci, or a leader and inventor like Benjamin Franklin, but no. My inspiration was Lisa Simpson.Let me pause here to acknowledge how absurd it is to be inspired by an animated sitcom character, albeit one as smart and together as Lisa. Yet it was the very absurdity of feeling, somehow, moved by Lisa’s resolve and strength of character, her refusal to compromise her beliefs, that convinced me I could follow her example. In the pivotal episode, Lisa is tortured by visions of the lamb whose chops provide her family’s dinner. â€Å"Please, Lisa, don’t eat me!† the imaginary lamb implores her. She is moved by ethics, yet almost breaks her resolution when Homer prepares a pig roast and is hurt by his daughter’s refusal to partake. Like me, Lisa is torn between her convictions and her fear of disapp ointing her father (not to mention the undeniable deliciousness of pork). But she manages to explain her beliefs to Homer and show him that her rejection of meat is not a rejection of him- that she can share his table and his love while still living according to her principles.Again, I admit- as inspirations go, this one is a little ridiculous. No imaginary lamb-conscience spoke to me, and unlike Lisa, I was not able to celebrate my vegetarian lifestyle by triumphantly singing with Quickie-Mart manager Apu and guest stars Paul and Linda McCartney. But seeing the very obstacles that stymied me being overcome by a yellow-skinned, spiky-haired caricature was so silly that my difficulties, too, seemed silly. â€Å"Well heck,† I thought, â€Å"if Lisa Simpson- a cartoon character, for heaven’s sake- can stick to her guns, then so can I.†So I did. I told my parents that I had decided to really commit myself to vegetarianism, that this was not a passing phase, that I was not judging or seeking to convert them, but that this was simply something I had decided for myself. They agreed, perhaps a bit patronizingly, but as the months went on and I continued to forego the chicken in my fajitas and the sausage gravy on my biscuits, they became more supportive. We worked together on compromise. I took on a larger role in preparing the meals, and reminded them to please use vegetable stock in the potato soup and to reserve a separate pot of plain spaghetti sauce before adding the ground beef. When we attended a potluck, we made sure that one of the dishes we brought was a meatless entrà ©e, so that I would be guaranteed at least one edible dish at the pork-laden table.I did not tell my parents, or anyone else, that Lisa Simpson had helped me say no, forever, to eating meat. Doing so would cast the decision, one that many teenagers passionately make for a few months and then abandon, in the light of well-intentioned immaturity. But Lisa did help me live a more healthy, ethical, and ecologically sound life- to say no to pork, in all its guises. Critique of Felicitys College Admissions Essay Overall, Felicity has written an excellent essay for her Common Application. She does, however, take a few risks that could backfire. The comments below examine the essays many strengths as well as a few of the potential problems. The Essay Topic Felicity has certainly avoided some of the worst essay topics, but when students are asked to write about a fictional or historical figure for an application essay, admissions officers expect to find an essay on one of the likely suspects like Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, or Albert Einstein. For fiction and art, applicants tend to think big- a Jane Austen heroine, a Monet painting, a Rodin sculpture, a Beethoven symphony. So what are we to make of an essay that focuses on a seemingly trivial cartoon character like Lisa Simpson? Put yourself in the shoes of an admissions officer. Its tedious reading through thousands of college applications, so anything that jumps out as unusual can be a good thing. At the same time, the essay cant be so quirky or superficial that it fails to reveal the writers skills and character. Felicity takes a risk in her essay by focusing on a rather silly fictional role model. However, she handles her topic well. She acknowledges the strangeness of her focus, and at the same time she produces an essay that really isnt about Lisa Simpson. The essay is about Felicity, and it succeeds in showing her depth of character, her inner conflicts and her personal convictions. The Essay Title Titles can be difficult which is why many applicants skip them. Dont. A  good title  can grab your readers attention and make him or her eager to read your essay.   Porkopolis doesnt make clear what the essay is about,   but the strange title still manages to make us curious and pull us into the essay. In fact, the titles strength is also its weakness. What exactly does porkopolis mean?. Will this essay be about pigs, or is it about a metropolis with too much pork-barrel spending? Also, the title doesnt tell us what character or work of art Felicity will be discussing. We want to read the essay to understand the title, but some readers might appreciate a little more information in the title. The Tone of Felicitys Essay Among the essential writing tips  for a winning essay is the inclusion of  a little humor to keep the essay fun and engaging. Felicity manages humor with wonderful effect. At no point is her essay shallow or flip, but her catalog of southern pork dishes and introduction of Lisa Simpson are likely to receive a chuckle from her reader. The essays humor, however, is balanced with a serious discussion of a challenge Felicity faced in her life. Despite the choice of Lisa Simpson as a role model, Felicity comes across as a thoughtful and caring person who struggles to mesh the needs of others with her own convictions. An Assessment of the Writing Felicitys essay is from before the current 650-word limit on Common Application essays. At about 850 words, the essay would need to lose 200 words to comply with the new guidelines. When it was written, however, Felicitys essay was a good length, particularly because theres no obvious fluff or digression. Also, Felicity is clearly a strong writer. The prose is graceful and fluid. The mastery of style and language marks Felicity as a writer who would be capable of performing well at the countrys  top colleges  and  universities. Felicity grabs our attention with her humorous first sentence, and the essay holds our interest throughout because of the shifts between the serious and the whimsical, the personal and the universal, the real and the fictional. The sentences mirror these shifts as Felicity moves between short and long phrases, and simple and complex sentence structures. There are most likely strict grammarians who would object to Felicitys liberal use of the dash and her lack of the word and to introduce the final items in some of her lists. Also, someone might take issue with her use of conjunctions (and, yet, but) as transitional words at the beginnings of sentences. Most readers, however, will view Felicity as a dexterous, creative, and talented writer. Any breaking of the rules in her writing works to create a positive rhetorical effect. Final Thoughts on Felicitys Application Essay Like most good essays, Felicitys is not without risk. She could run up against an admissions officer who thinks the choice of Lisa Simpson trivializes the purpose of the personal essay. However, a careful reader will quickly recognize that Felicitys essay is  not trivial. Sure, Felicity may be grounded in popular culture, but she emerges from the essay as a writer who loves her family but is not afraid to stand up for her own convictions. She is caring and thoughtful, playful and serious, inward and outward looking. In short, she sounds like a great person to invite to join ones campus community.

The Character of Physical Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Character of Physical Law - Coursework Example For instance, the moon still shines even when it is invisible. Einstein proved the relationship between conservation and locality principle in his special theory of relativity. According to Feynman, charge represent charged sub-atomic particle (electron or proton), hence a thing. On the other hand, energy is a behavior of objects, which can only be explained through abstract mathematical formulas. Charge obeys the principle of conservation, has the baryon number, and is relativistic invariance (Louisa, 2008). The three properties make charge more of a thing than a behavior. On the other hand, energy obeys the conservation principle but does have baryon number. The photon polarization experiment attempts to explain polarized sinusoidal plane electromagnetic wave. The experiment can be set in a linear or a circular format to achieve either circular or linear polarization. To determine the relationship between polarization and wave motion the experiment applies quantum mathematical vari ables such as vectors, unitary operators, and probability. The experiment investigates infinitesimal transformations of classical polarization state of a wave. The experiment can be conducted using a pair of Polaroid sunglasses. According to Bell's Theorem, the two values are localized. Thus, their action goes beyond their presence. In this experiment, the speed of light is a universal constant that represent the upper bound (limit) of any variable. According to Goodman ‘grue’ is the appearance of an object relative to a time interval t. Thus, an object is grue if it is green before time t elapses and blue afterwards. However, the original definition asserts that an object is green irrespective of the time it is observed. Grue is used to make conclusions on scientific induction problems. For example, the problem of green and grue emeralds can be concluded through induction. Obviously all emeralds examined so far are green; therefore, we are compelled to conclude that al l emeralds discovered in future will be green. It is unrealistic to conclude that emeralds discovered after time t will be grue. The statements; â€Å"all emeralds are green" and all emeralds are grue" are classical induction problems (Ragep, 2001). Such problems cannot be concluded using the principle of grue due to the invariance of form. In addition, ‘grue’ is an inherently time-indexed concept. The concept is not well defined due to variation of language and definitions. Therefore, the term ‘grue’ should not be incorporated in induction. Galileo principle of inertia asserts that a body moving on a level surface will continue to move in the same direction, unless disturbed. This principle is related to Newton’s first law of motion, which states that relate the resultant force to mass and acceleration. The force of gravity provides an answer to questions of â€Å"what keeps planets on their orbits.† Newton concluded that the force of gravit y is universal and is dependent on masses of objects and the distance separating them. These insights are equivalent to the Kepler's planetary motion law, which states, â€Å"An imaginary line drawn from the center of the sun to the center of the planet will sweep out equal areas in equal intervals of time.† On page 21, Feynman discusses how Newton tested an idea of his and concludes: This was a dramatic test that everything is all right." Feynman argued that Kepler’

My fascination with the law profession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My fascination with the law profession - Essay Example Since childhood I have had a habit of asking for reasons and logic for almost everything in life. My weekly trips to my grandmother’s house demanded reasons from my parents, my occasional trips to the shelter of the homeless demanded logic and the list goes on. As I grew up, I developed a personal sense of reasoning and logic to find the purpose behind the happenings in the environment. This reasoning developed a sense of judgment for right and wrong. It has been experienced that age provides one with the confidence and courage to stand up for one’s principles and reasons in life. I have witnessed the same in my life. As I grew older, the logic demanding nature earned me the voice to protest against any wrong actions in the society. The passion for a structured and lawful society urges one to protect the rights of others as well as one’s own. One of such instances took place in my neighborhood when the local municipal community showed negligence on an important m atter. The local municipal community planted a garbage disposal point adjacent to the premises of a children park. The foul smell of the garbage surrounded the park and made the park loose the charm of the purity of the air. It would not have been a big problem if the garbage got cleared from the point every day; there were some days when the garbage was not cleared for two consecutive days. This even created a threat for the health and welfare of the community as some diseases might have initiated from the dump.

Managing Attention in an Office Environment Essay

Managing Attention in an Office Environment - Essay Example Sitting at a desk or in a cubicle all day doesn’t provide much stimulation, and minds will inevitably wander. The human desire for variety, fed by a diet of fast-cut films and 30-second commercials, inevitably leads employees away to something more engaging or entertaining than another spreadsheet, another email, other earnings report. This distraction, this need for stimulation and entertainment, is death to productivity, and thus to profitability.   It would be easy to say that one should simply install blocking software to keep social networking sites, game sites, media sites, political blogs, and so on. However, that â€Å"and so on† is murder. Either employee will find ways around the software or, if the software is good enough and the ban comprehensive enough, they will lose the ability to find needed information online. Even if a perfect distraction firewall existed, employees would still flick balls of paper at the ceiling to relieve boredom. If a ban on paper-flicking is introduced, a new distraction will be invented. The solution to the problem of distraction should not be playing Whack-A-Mole with the concept of boredom.   The most addictive video games work on the concept of a â€Å"dopamine drip,† a steady flow of feedback, of minor feelings of accomplishment and pleasure, that is doled out in response to the player’s actions. If a game were designed so that nothing the player did matter or changed anything in the game until the very end, nobody would want to play it. Even if they did, they would find more entertaining things to do while playing.   An employee who tosses crumpled pieces of paper across a corridor, trying to sink them into the wastebasket, isn’t having a wildly entertaining time. The game of it, however, is providing him that feedback. Every time he nails that wastebasket, he feels a sense of progress, of accomplishment.   

Art style comparsion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Art style comparsion - Assignment Example In the comparing of the two images, the techniques employed in drawing are quite different according to texture and the final product view. The most fascinating part about this drawing is that the abstractive drawing can express the qualities of the expressive drawing. During the painting of the two drawings, the artists may have a similar goal to achieve a good image that expresses a hidden message. An abstract art may be portraying beauty like in the image provided above. Actually many abstract arts occur as a hidden beauty of art from a rough draft design. To many, thou the image is designed roughly the painting is beautiful. When it comes to an expressive art, the painting certainly portrays the name. Beauty is a compared issue to the abstractive act. The expressive art shows more meaning of the photo and emotions on the painting are the first capture tools to the viewer. The two images deliver a lot to the

Development of a Strategy for the College of Business Administration Research Paper

Development of a Strategy for the College of Business Administration - Research Paper Example The paper tells that the authorities of the Arizona State University (ASU) led by its President have declared that their primary objective is to establish the institution as the ideal representative of an American University belonging to the modern era. The institution conducts majority of its educational endeavors to accomplish the three main objectives, which has been enumerated in the University’s Plan documents. ASU’s main objective is to provide higher education to the maximum number of US students that it can accommodate. The University makes its students undergo a standardized curriculum in their respective subjects and also encourages them to pursue research on their own. Finally, the institution ensures that all its academic endeavors are conducted in a way so as to improve the economic, social and cultural welfare of the surrounding social community. These have been identified as the vision of the ASU. The vision statements of the University reflect the inhere nt objectives of the institution. The statements can be further analyzed to provide some useful insight into the ASU authorities’ long-term goals. Most of the elite higher educational institutions have always set very high standards for the students aspiring to secure admission in them. However, the objectives of the ASU have been stated to be quite different in this respect. Instead of aiming to exclude the undeserving students, the University always looks to include the maximum number of students under its educational programs. ... The University makes its students undergo a standardized curriculum in their respective subjects and also encourages them to pursue research on their own. Finally, the institution ensures that all its academic endeavors are conducted in a way so as to improve the economic, social and cultural welfare of the surrounding social community. These have been identified as the vision of the ASU (ASU Vision and Goals, 2011). The vision statements of the University reflect the inherent objectives of the institution. The statements can be further analyzed to provide some useful insight into the ASU authorities’ long-term goals. Most of the elite higher educational institutions have always set very high standards for the students aspiring to secure admission in them. However, the objectives of the ASU have been stated to be quite different in this respect. Instead of aiming to exclude the undeserving students, the University always looks to include the maximum number of students under it s educational programs. Simultaneously, ASU has also concentrated in providing these students with a high standard of higher education. Therefore, the institution has been successful in achieving the twin objectives of making higher education accessible to a larger population of students, as well as securing a good reputation regarding the standard of education offered (ASU Vision and Goals, 2011). The ASU has also declared certain additional aims and objectives which it plans to implement by the year 2012. One such objective is to become a ‘National Comprehensive University’ by the specified timeline. The institution has set its sights in becoming the leading educational center for various scientific disciplines which also

Professional Health Organizations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Professional Health Organizations - Assignment Example The roots of the current health education profession can be traced back to the early 1940s. This is the period in which standards for professional development of health practitioners and the interest in the observation of quality emerged. These changes were mainly advocated for after the events of World War II. Unlike the old system of health education, the current curriculum in the field insists on the observation of quality and the set standards. The current system of health also trains professionals insisting on a healthy community through disease prevention rather than cure (McKinlay 1981). One of the organizations of health profession in the United States is the American Public Health Association (APHA). This is the oldest known organization that has been working to improve public health and education in the area of health since 1872. This organization aims to educate the public on serious health threats and also shield the citizens from preventable diseases. In health education, the organization provides and protects funding for the main public health services. Another organization in the profession is the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). This organization was commenced to enhance the practice of professionalism in health education by managing and sustaining an acceptable body of specialists. The organization certifies specialists in health education, strengthens expert training and practice and promotes professional

Development of a Strategy for the College of Business Administration Research Paper

Development of a Strategy for the College of Business Administration - Research Paper Example The paper tells that the authorities of the Arizona State University (ASU) led by its President have declared that their primary objective is to establish the institution as the ideal representative of an American University belonging to the modern era. The institution conducts majority of its educational endeavors to accomplish the three main objectives, which has been enumerated in the University’s Plan documents. ASU’s main objective is to provide higher education to the maximum number of US students that it can accommodate. The University makes its students undergo a standardized curriculum in their respective subjects and also encourages them to pursue research on their own. Finally, the institution ensures that all its academic endeavors are conducted in a way so as to improve the economic, social and cultural welfare of the surrounding social community. These have been identified as the vision of the ASU. The vision statements of the University reflect the inhere nt objectives of the institution. The statements can be further analyzed to provide some useful insight into the ASU authorities’ long-term goals. Most of the elite higher educational institutions have always set very high standards for the students aspiring to secure admission in them. However, the objectives of the ASU have been stated to be quite different in this respect. Instead of aiming to exclude the undeserving students, the University always looks to include the maximum number of students under its educational programs. ... The University makes its students undergo a standardized curriculum in their respective subjects and also encourages them to pursue research on their own. Finally, the institution ensures that all its academic endeavors are conducted in a way so as to improve the economic, social and cultural welfare of the surrounding social community. These have been identified as the vision of the ASU (ASU Vision and Goals, 2011). The vision statements of the University reflect the inherent objectives of the institution. The statements can be further analyzed to provide some useful insight into the ASU authorities’ long-term goals. Most of the elite higher educational institutions have always set very high standards for the students aspiring to secure admission in them. However, the objectives of the ASU have been stated to be quite different in this respect. Instead of aiming to exclude the undeserving students, the University always looks to include the maximum number of students under it s educational programs. Simultaneously, ASU has also concentrated in providing these students with a high standard of higher education. Therefore, the institution has been successful in achieving the twin objectives of making higher education accessible to a larger population of students, as well as securing a good reputation regarding the standard of education offered (ASU Vision and Goals, 2011). The ASU has also declared certain additional aims and objectives which it plans to implement by the year 2012. One such objective is to become a ‘National Comprehensive University’ by the specified timeline. The institution has set its sights in becoming the leading educational center for various scientific disciplines which also

Greenwich Peninsula Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Greenwich Peninsula - Essay Example It is important to understand the aspect of cultural heritage in the landscape. At the core of this discussion is the question of how landscapes may be characterized, especially the non-visual features of the landscape. Interpretations of the landscape may be different from the perspective of different assessors, depending on their knowledge and experience. Therefore, the question of restoration becomes even more difficult to resolve especially when the authentic landscape - against which to measure success and the very legitimacy of the restoration - itself are in a hiatus. Humanities and the natural sciences appear to be in conflict in the interpretation of landscapes. Cosgrove (2003) compares landscape concepts and points to an approach that could harmonize the two perspectives, ecological and semiotic, closer. Another way is to increase interdisciplinary approaches in landscape studies. The concept of the landscape already implies an interdisciplinary appreciation; its study rarely achieves levels of theoretical integration (Tress et al. 2003). A group exercise was undertaken to examine Greenwich peninsula regeneration project with this inter-disciplinary approach and to critique the work carried out on this development. The findings of the group have been condensed into a 'group presentation' which is enclosed for reference. This essay represents an individual assessment of the Greenwich project as viewed by this writer. Choice of the Regeneration Project The group considered a number of regeneration projects currently under implementation in the UK, including the Glasshouses project, Kent coalfields, Spitalfields Market, Limestone House Education, and heritage center. Greenwich Peninsula regeneration project was selected for study, for a host of reasons, the prominent among them being: The reconstruction and regeneration of an area in the urban milieu was of special attraction to the members, especially because of the large variety and (voice) presence of the resident communities; The art and cultural background of the area; The challenge of regeneration in an area that has existed for centuries and has its own and special 'landscape'; and The proximity of the area. Description of the Development work In 1997, English Partnerships purchased a 300-acre site on the Greenwich peninsula and has invested 225 million to develop the site as a 'first-millennium' community promising homes to 28,000 people and deliver over 25,000 jobs. In all a quality of life that meets the expectations and challenges of the 21st century. The Greenwich Peninsula is being developed by Lend Lease and Quintain Estates and Development PLC in the joint venture under the name and style of Meridian Delta Limited, chosen by English Partnerships and the UK government to lead London's single largest regeneration scheme. The area has a rich history and has many listed buildings, monuments and places of historical interest.  

Business Plan Gold Gym Marketing Essay

Business Plan Gold Gym Marketing Essay Venturing into starting a Franchise is traditionally assured to yield a guaranteed Return of Investment than venturing into a fresh startup entity. Although Franchise itself is a business, it is considered as a way of doing business. It is believed by many that Mr. Albert Singer who was the founder of the Singer sewing machine, was the inventor and founder of the concept franchising. He was one of the earliest person known by most as being associated with the concept; however, the franchising really began long time before and has its roots dating all the way back to the Middle Ages (Blair Lafontaine 2005). As per the definition the work franchising is derived from ancient French which means holding a particular privilege or right. Over the years, franchising business models have been evolved and proven to result in high growth businesses. Although there are various large business entities in UK that offer franchising opportunities, only few business segments result in lucrative ROI. After analysing various business analysis reports and market survey statistics, I have identified fitness and wellness healthcare segment as highly futuristic franchise opportunity considering various factors including my current financial capabilities and business goals. Proposed Business Gold Gym Franchise Objective and Description As a fitness franchise of Gold Gym, we will provide an innovative health care, wellness and fitness services. The modern premises will be equipped with the state of the art fitness equipments and provide facilities such as steam bathing and swimming. The place of the business will be chosen in the heart of the town to provide fitness services to local community, besides outbeating the competition. Market Outline Summary In recent times people are getting more and more health conscious as they are more educated about health hazards involved due to unhealthy lifestyles, establishing a franchise business like Gold Gyms is very profitable as well as it can serve the local customers who want to avoid buying very expensive health equipments in their houses. It can in contributing to the society as healthy lifestyle would ensure less unwell people. As per a recently conducted market survey and the report by the Fitness Industry Association (FIA) and accumulated by leisure fitness market analysts, the UKs fitness and wellness business is a 4 billion GBP revenue industry and is seeing the fastest growth of its 20 year history with many more members eager to avail such services facilities than ever before. The comprehensive audit and the market intelligence report published by FIA covers national overviews of both the public and private sectors. Currently, 15 % of the total UKs population are members of a health club or government-owned fitness services and there is an untapped market potential of around 60% and its growing stably at 3 to 4 per cent an year. Besides this, the increased obesity risk levels are compelling large number of people approach fitness and wellness centres. (Fitness: freebie fitness, 2009) These factors clearly indicate that starting a fitness and wellness club or gym will yield a lucrative revenue and guaranteed profits. However, starting a gym franchise is a better idea rather than starting a own gym because of the following factors: Starting a own gym is very expensive and requires minimum of a million pounds investments because of increased equipment costs and the soaring rates of premises leasing. Building own brand (rather than running a franchise) requires higher upfront investment for marketting and brand building efforts that eventually impacts the customer acquisition rate. Employee training and management orientation is easy in a franchise. Investing in a franchise business is usually safer than venturing into a completely new startup due to proven business strategies. Business Model The primary source of revenue of the proposed business will be earned from the various types of memberships offered to the customers. Ideally the member ships will be offered at a predetermined price which would include certain benefits and services that the customer can avail. As the benefits increase the price of the membership would also increase. In the initial stages of the business, the proposed fitness franchise will earn revenues in the following streams: Membership Types 1. Basic memberships (without trainers) : Pricing will be between  £15 to  £25 and will vary time to time because of special promotional offers. Initially, it is proposed to set at  £15 per month. This would provide accesses to very basic facilities and services, ideally to attract the lower income group of people. 2. Gold memberships (with special guidance from trainers): This special membership pricing will be set between  £25 to  £45 because of seasonal-special offers and initially will be set at  £25 per month. This would include more number of facilities and services, more suitable for customers with a higher disposable income. Apart from the above mentioned standard monthly memberships, we will offer weekly and Pay as you go memberships as well which will target people looking for flexible paying options. Membership Duration Membership pricing will be offered attractive based on the following durations: 1. Monthly membership the payments would be taken on monthly basis 2. Weekly membership this will work on week on week basis 3. Pay and Use membership would be a prepaid service Target Customers Customers of varied types including individuals, groups and businesses will be targeted to acquire strong customer base. It is listed as below: 1. Individuals 2. Family group memberships will be offered at reduced fee pricing. 3. Corporate memberships will be offered at reduced pricing. The proposed membership fee structures and the revenue projections have been described in the Financials and Projections section in the later part of the text below. Competitive Advantage The proposed fitness business centre will offer variety of advantages to outbeat the competition in the market. We will provide special memberships for people undergoing obesity treatment and special price caps to attract different age groups such as 35 to 49 and 28 to 34. Moreover, the proposed fitness centre will be in the heart of each town and within reachable distance from the nearby health services. Gym equipments in the facility will be made up of state of the art technology and will have electronic sensors and displays to accurately measure and monitor physical and health parameters. (More details of the equipments have been described in the Equipments Provision section). Multiple number of steam bath facilities and swimming pool facilities will be provided. Free car parking facility will be provided for limited number of hours. Competition In UK, at present, there are very few (less than 3) fitness chains are available in most places, apart from public facilities and many towns are yet to have a gym with sophisticated equipments and services delivery. Therefore, the competition for Golds Gym franchise is moderate and we have a clearly defined business model and strategy to outbeat the competition. Premises and Equipment The proposed gym premises will house various fitness and wellness facilities. There are mainly two different types of equipments which will be available in the proposed gym, firstly free weights and secondly high-tech machines. Free weights are a simple form of bodybuilding equipment with no real use of technology. They are generally cheaper and more easily available. They consist normally of things like barbells, dumbbells, bars, weight plates etc.   In the proposed gym, we will facilitate and provide the following equipments: The Barbell Which is a long iron bar that is around 4 and 7 feet long on which multiple weight plates can be placed as per the required weight. Weight Plates Weight plates mostly range from 500 gms to 75 kgs. They are usually made of iron as it is a heavy metal. Dum-bells A dumbbell is a shorter form of a barbell, generally 10 15 inches in length. Dumbbell exercises are performed with a dumbbell in each hand. Tricep Bar An oval shaped long bar which has 2 parallel placements for the hand. Although it is commonly called as a tricep bar, one can use it to workout other different parts of the body besides the triceps. EZ Curl Bar It is ideally designed for building the biceps triceps. It is much shorter then a barbell and has angled placements for the hands. It is very useful for building ones muscles from a variety of angles and for reducing the levels of stress (caused by weight) which a straight barbell normally can place on ones wrists. Benches This most common piece of equipment which is seen in every gym. There are mainly 3 different types of benches that are popular flat one, an inclined, and decline. Some high-tech benches are adjustable. Some bespoke benches have the facility of racks on one end which hold a barbell, while some benches dont have any such racks. The Arm-Blaster It is a 2 foot in length and 6 inch in width, very flat, curvy metal bar. It has a strap that goes from back of ones neck to grasp the metal bar is flat from corner to corner of your mid section. It works a lot like a preacher bench by eradicating any body momentum and allows the person using it to isolate the biceps. Stability Ball (Swiss Ball) All exercises that one would ideally do on a bench can also be done on the stability ball. The trainee can do a variety of exercises like bench press, shoulder press, dumbbell flies, lateral raises, pullovers, reverse crunches, so on and so forth. This is one of the best piece of equipment and is very popular with fitness conscious people. Abdominal Bench Is simply just a decline bench that is used for doing exercises that focus on the abdomen. It has rollers that a person can hook their feet into so that the person does not slide off the bench. Chin Up/pull up Bar The chin up or also known as a pull up bar is a iron bar that is either bolted on to a wall or any part of any exercise machine. Pull ups are good for working out the upper back, biceps, and forearms. Dip/Push ups Bars This is a set of two similar parallel bars. Dips is the best exercise for working the upper chest, shoulders, biceps and triceps. Leg Press Machine Most people believe that squats are the best overall exercise to build up the leg muscles. Most of the press machines are set on a 45 degree angle which provides excellent movement of legs. With the leg press the trainee can safely lift weights without having to worry about sliding or falling over. It gives less stress on the lower back which can help people with back problems and knees then squats. The Hack-Squat Machine This is a innovative variation of the traditional and popular barbell squat that is commonly used. This is excellent and very useful for developing the outer muscles of the thighs and for toning up. Leg Extension Machine This machine is ideally suitable for isolating the quadriceps muscles and focusing on leg muscles. Most trainees find this exercise useful for pre-exhausting their quadriceps or for warming up the knee joints (which are normally tight) before proceeding to do squats or leg press exercises. Calf Machines There are mainly 2 different types of calf machines, one is the standing calf raise and second is the seated calf raise. The former raise focuses the upper calf muscles (gastrocnemius) while the later is used to work out the lower calf muscles (soleus). Leg Curl Machine This machine is ideal hamstring exercises which is very popular with athletes. Some gyms nowadays may have a leg extension and leg curl machine built in together into one machine, to maximise utilisation of space Financials: Capital Funds and Budget Plan The capital investment and operational costs of the proposed business is as given below: (1) Short term part-investment: Angel investment of  £25,000 towards franchise fee. This includes employee(includes training and management staff) training and management orientation. Brochures, documents and other books and manuals such as fitness and wellness guides, marketing materials such as standard pamphlets. (2) Short term part-investment: Bank loan of  £30,000 towards premises rental and day to day maintenance for the first 12 months. (3) Short term: Angel investment of  £10,000 towards marketing and promotional expenses. (3) Short term: Bank loan of  £30,000 towards staff costs for first 12 months. Therefore, the capital cost of the business upon starting is  £95,000. This is raised as a combined collective-capital as described above in parts of Angel Investment of  £25,000 and  £10,000 in addition to the  £30,000 of bank loan. Financials: Cash flow and Forecast (Projections) The cash flow for day to day operations for the initial twelve months will be incurred from the capital investment as explained in the above section. As per the projections explained below, the break even point (of  £95,000) is expected to cross in the month of nine from the starting day of the business. Upon achieving the break even the excessive funds (as in the figures below) will be used partly for the operational cost and the rest will be accumulated as retained profits, which is estimated to be approximately  £25,000 (after achieving break even). The proposed membership fee will be between  £5 and  £49 for various services. The average monthly membership fee is proposed to be  £15 to ensure competitive advantage over other fitness centres. As a conservative estimate, the membership is expected to grow at 140% in the initial stages at averagely 25 new members a day. Therefore, the projected earnings over the period of initial 9 months ( £15x £25x £9) is around  £101,250 and the breakeven will be achieved in 7th month of starting the business. In a modern estimate (if promoted through freely available internet and ecommerce services), membership base is expected to grow at 265% in the initial stages and break even can be achieved quickly and steady flow of revenue can be ensured. Financials: Future Expansion Plans The long term investment capital funds of  £450,000 will be raised as mentioned below, to grow the business in steady pace for adding more number of gym equipments with advanced features. More facilities including 247 access to the gym will be offered: The long term investment funds will be raised as given below, (1). Listing the business in AIM-Cash shell list in association with external fund raising companies (Projected to raise around  £200,000). (2). Additional capital will be raised through low end venture capital firms to raise the capital of around  £225,000. The total of  £450,000 will be raised as explained above for expanding and ensuring the organic growth of the business. Marketing and Promotions Strategy In the total of  £10,000 allocated marketing budget the advertisement campaigns within the proposed budget will be carried out in co-operation with the parent Gold Gym entity with and estimated cost of  £3400. The printed pamphlets will be circulated to local community with special-seasonal offers as well as special membership offers. Low cost advertisements will be published for the budget of  £2500 in local community news magazines. Advertisement displays will be considered in the second phase of the business upon reaching breakeven point. Conclusion Fitness and wellness care is becoming essential part of life style. With fast life styles, stress full working conditions, growing competitions and unhealthy eating habits, many people have realised the importance of fitness and health to lead a quality life. More and more people are now keen to improve their fitness levels, some for feel good about themselves, some to look better and feel confident, and some to reduce mental stress levels. The brand of the Gold Gym is a proven and time tested that could result in increased customer base. Over the time gold gym has seen growth and succeeded in providing excellent fitness and health services. The brand name backed by the reputation makes gold gym franchise a low risk business model. In a traditional estimate, the proposed Gold Gym franchise is expected to cross break even in around 7 months and yield steady profits from 8th month onwards. Further to the 8th mark growth opportunities can emerge with market conditions improving disposab le income of individuals getting back to normal levels. After carefull evaluating all financial aspects and growth prospects we can conclude starting the Gold Gym franchise will be a lucrative and profitable business.

The Killer Angels :: essays research papers fc

THe Killer Angels Opinion and Commentary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel The Killer Angels, Mr. Shaara's historical accuracy is unquestionable. He has written this fabulous (Pulitzer Prize winning) novel. Although the heroic suicidal charge of the 10th Minnesotans on the second day of the battle was left out, Shaara focuses on Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the 20th Maine which makes up for the lapse.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is safe to say that no other novel has so closely allowed the reader to understand the peculiar madness of this civil war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After reading this powerful, exciting novel one assumes that whenever cultures clash, there will be a final conflict. By showing the reader what the principals of this great battle were (and may have been) current thinking on multiculturalism are highlighted in a new and perplexing way. This was a great feet for a book written in 1974 to be so magnificent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Killer Angels has been made into a five hour long motion picture and is called 'Gettysburg.' The novel is so compelling that the story seldomly deviates from the movie. The movie illustrates Mr. Shaara's ability to tell a complex story with clarity. The novel shows a great depiction of the tragedy of war, like in the part when Armistead races into battle, even though he is fighting his best friend (Hancock), and they both get shot. It really shows the views of each side, and what each character felt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Killer Angels' will satisfy both the history buff and the Civil War buff. But, the sense of duty, honor, and the appalling loss of life as well as the unbelievable heroism displayed by both sides in the battle will move many readers. The Killer Angels Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This outstanding historical novel depicts four days at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania which occur during summer of 1863. These crucial days are the turning point of the American Civil War and the strong days of the Confederacy. In just three days of slaughter in Eastern Pennsylvania, there was one-third as many casualties as during the three years of the Korean War. At the beginning, General Robert E. Lee leads a confident, flawless Confederate Army north into Pennsylvania. There, they hope to demolish the Union Army by provoking it into an attack. Colonel Chamberlain leads a desperate charge of the 20th Maine. For Colonel Chamberlain's actions, he later received the Congressional Medal of Honor. This is told with such force and clarity that the reader smells the gun smoke, hears the rebel yells, feels the heat and desperation and experiences the exhaustion and relief of the Union troops when the day is finally won.

Hooters and Men :: Personal Narrative Restaurants Papers

Hooters and Men I don’t know why I feel so nervous. I’ve eaten at Hooters once before and it wasn’t so terrible. It’s just a wing joint where the waitresses are famous for being bosomy. Maybe that’s it. I feel inadequate. My small chest will pale in comparison to the over abundance of female flesh put so confidently on display and my boyfriend will never look at me the same. Come to think of it, why was he so proud and anxious to tell every male friend he had that his girlfriend asked him to go to Hooters with her? And why did they respond with cheers, hollers and, â€Å"man, you’re so lucky?† The feeling of trepidation grows as our car nears the dreaded restaurant. I don’t need to feel uneasy: how busy could this restaurant be at 7:30 on a Wednesday night? The sight of a parking lot full of cars almost causes me to force my boyfriend to turn the car around, leaving skid marks as the only piece of incriminating evidence to prove that I was on Hooters property. No, face your fear. I open the car door and walk up to the restaurant, with my boyfriend doing a good impression of not being giddy following at my heels. When I have almost reached the door, a car pulls up and two older couples, probably in their middle sixties, get out. I find it odd that they would patron this particular restaurant, but their presence helps to put me at ease. Maybe I won’t look so bizarre walking into the restaurant next to them. I open the door to a small room where Hooters paraphernalia is sold. Everything from T-shirts to shot glasses, all decorated with the Hooters logo. I have to admit it’s a good marketing strategy: this room is the first thing to greet a customer walking in and the last thing a customer sees on the way out. But the strategy doesn’t work (or at least at this point) for either the older couples or my boyfriend and I. Instead, we walk into the crowded restaurant and try to find a place to sit. My boyfriend and I choose a table against the wall. This table is high off the ground and we sit on stools, which makes it feel like we are at a bar, or another type of informal eatery.

My Kind of Writing

Merola Page 1 of 2 Lyndsay Merola English 1100-05 My Kind of Writing There are many different types and styles of writing with their own purpose. I can express myself and others in all different kinds of ways. For example there is expository writing, descriptive writing, Narrative writing, persuasive writing and creative writing. Yes, they are all ways of writing but they each share their own purpose. Expository writing is a type of writing where the purpose is to inform, describe, or explain the author's subject to the reader. I personally like expository writing because it can be very easy to accomplish and it doesn’t require much thinking.Descriptive writing is very similar. It is writing that describes a particular person, place or event in great detail. Narrative writing is writing that tells a story, whether true or fictional. I love narrative writing because there are options to be creative with it. Persuasive writing was very popular for me in High School, Almost every month we would have to write an essay on persuading somebody in a particular idea or thought. For persuasive writing you need good reasons and examples. Last but not least there is creative writing. Creative writing is basically considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction.It is very basic and is my personal favorite Merola Page 2 of 2 because I feel free and more open to write about whatever I want and not just a main topic or idea. A journal is an example of creative writing and I like being able to use a journal because it helps me get thoughts out, but keep memories in. In my college writing class, I feel like our essays are based on more creative writing. When I wrote about my most embarrassing moment, I actually laughed and had fun writing it because it wasn’t political or educational, but it was about life and different experiences.I like writing about real life situations because it is a lot easier to write about and the ideas come more natural to me . Honestly when I think of persuasive writing, I find it boring. Whenever I find myself writing a persuasive essay, I find myself thinking of a good enough lie to make the reader believe me and so I could persuade to them my point of view. Persuasive writing is very boring and could be very difficult at times, but somehow I find myself struggle through it. There are also different kinds of writing like academic writing, professional writing, business writing, and copywriting.You can write about non-fiction, fiction or even poems. I prefer writing about non-fiction because I find it more useful and interesting. Overall, there are many different types and styles of writing with their own purposes. Some people enjoy writing stories, writing about their life, writing because there is a purpose, or writing because there may be no purpose behind it. It varies on the person behind the paper. I enjoy writing about realistic things, but everyone is different and creative in their own ways. My Kind of Writing Merola Page 1 of 2 Lyndsay Merola English 1100-05 My Kind of Writing There are many different types and styles of writing with their own purpose. I can express myself and others in all different kinds of ways. For example there is expository writing, descriptive writing, Narrative writing, persuasive writing and creative writing. Yes, they are all ways of writing but they each share their own purpose. Expository writing is a type of writing where the purpose is to inform, describe, or explain the author's subject to the reader. I personally like expository writing because it can be very easy to accomplish and it doesn’t require much thinking.Descriptive writing is very similar. It is writing that describes a particular person, place or event in great detail. Narrative writing is writing that tells a story, whether true or fictional. I love narrative writing because there are options to be creative with it. Persuasive writing was very popular for me in High School, Almost every month we would have to write an essay on persuading somebody in a particular idea or thought. For persuasive writing you need good reasons and examples. Last but not least there is creative writing. Creative writing is basically considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction.It is very basic and is my personal favorite Merola Page 2 of 2 because I feel free and more open to write about whatever I want and not just a main topic or idea. A journal is an example of creative writing and I like being able to use a journal because it helps me get thoughts out, but keep memories in. In my college writing class, I feel like our essays are based on more creative writing. When I wrote about my most embarrassing moment, I actually laughed and had fun writing it because it wasn’t political or educational, but it was about life and different experiences.I like writing about real life situations because it is a lot easier to write about and the ideas come more natural to me . Honestly when I think of persuasive writing, I find it boring. Whenever I find myself writing a persuasive essay, I find myself thinking of a good enough lie to make the reader believe me and so I could persuade to them my point of view. Persuasive writing is very boring and could be very difficult at times, but somehow I find myself struggle through it. There are also different kinds of writing like academic writing, professional writing, business writing, and copywriting.You can write about non-fiction, fiction or even poems. I prefer writing about non-fiction because I find it more useful and interesting. Overall, there are many different types and styles of writing with their own purposes. Some people enjoy writing stories, writing about their life, writing because there is a purpose, or writing because there may be no purpose behind it. It varies on the person behind the paper. I enjoy writing about realistic things, but everyone is different and creative in their own ways.

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?