Maritime Students Perception on School Related activities Essay

School activities are very important for the students and for the school. For the students, because they gain new skills and motivation. It’s a real chance for them to enjoy school and choose to do something they are really interested and passionate about, and therefore their motivation for learning and their motivation for their teachers and the school increase. It makes them relate academic knowledge to the practical experience, which leads to a better understanding of their own abilities, talents, and career goals and for the school because as studies shows that such participation provides marginal students an opportunity to create a positive and voluntary connection to their school also. Involvement in extracurricular activities may support the at-risk student by maintaining, enhancing, and strengthening the student-school connection therefore decreases dropout School activities at St. Therese MTC – Colleges are often held when there is a celebration it’s either a school celebration (like foundation day), national or international. These were held most especially for the enjoyment of the students and for them to fulfill their potentials. But these activities often cancels classes. We cannot hide the fact some students are not participating in the school activities thus, they take the cancellation of classes as an opportunity for them to go out and do whatever they want that commonly results into bad things like drinking alcohols, taking drugs and other vices. While some considers it as a burden for it adds to there payment. Some consider it mainly as a disruption of classes and a delay to their learning. While some consider it very important and take the opportunity to express and discover themselves, enjoy and boost their potentials. Every person have varying perception on things especially on things that they really do not know about. And everytime there is an activity students make a different perception about it. Either good or bad. These perceptions are very important in the part of the organizers and to the facilitators for it makes them know if the activity was successful or not and what will they do to make it more successful so that they could apply it the next time they conduct the same activity. Maritime Courses here in the Philippines are at high cost. Though many are still taking it because of high demand in the market and higher salary rate especially on international voyages where one earns dollar, many of the maritime students are coming from families having low Socio Economic Status (SES). Still they pursue even though they get through loans and depts hoping that when their children graduate and get onboard ships they can easily pay all their depts and raise their life’s situation. Every centavo and Peso is important. It is a product of blood and sweat of those who earned it. That’s why in every centavo and a peso increase in the accounts of the student adds to the burden of their family. Rumors were heard every time there is an activity and everytime the statement of account were released. Some say that another payment is added to the school fee. While some say that the payment was worth it. For these reasons that triggered the researchers to conduct this study to further find out and discuss the real perception of maritime students on school related activities and create a guidelines on what and how to conduct the activities the maritime students want. Statement of the Problem This research aims to find out what are the perceptions of maritime students towards school related activities. Consequently, this research study seeks answers to the following questions: 1. What are the school related activities of ST-MTCC engaged by Maritime students when classified as to course and year level? 2. What are the perceptions of Maritime students on school related activities when classified as to course and year level? 3. How to conduct the activities that the students want? 4. Is there a significant difference on the perception of the maritime students to school related activities when classified as to course and year level? Objectives of the study This research main objectives is to determine and discuss the main perception of Maritime students about the school related activities. Furthermore it aims to: 1. Determine the school related activities of ST-MTCC students when classified as to course and year level. 2. Determine the perception of Maritime students on school related activities when classified as to course and year level. 3. Determine how to conduct the activities that the students want. 3. Find out the significant difference of the students on school related activities when classifies as to course and year level. Hypotheses Based on the foregoing statements, the hypotheses are advanced: H0 There is no significant difference on the perception of the Maritime students on school related activities when classifies as to course and year level. H1 There is a significant difference the perception of the Maritime students on school related activities when classifies as to course and year level. Definition of Terms Activities – things being done for leisure, fun or learning (Meriam Websters Dictionary) In this study activities refers to the school related activities participated by the ST-MTCC Maritime students. BSMar E – (Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering) In this study BSMar E refers to the Maritime course that focuses on studying the works and obligations of the Engine Department onboard ship. BSMT – (Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation) In this study BSMT refers to the Maritime course that focuses on studying the works and obligations of the Deck Department onboard ship. Maritime Students– in this study maritime students refers to students taking up Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT) and Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering (BSMar E) courses. Perception – the act or faculty of perceiving , or apprehending by means or of the mind; understanding. In this study perception refers to the understanding of the students about the school related activities. School – an institution for the teaching of children (Meriam Websters Dictionary) In this study school refers to St. Therese MTC- Colleges (ST-MTCC), Tigbauan Site. Year level – in this study, year level refers to the level achieved in school by which the respondents are enrolled in. Significance of the study The conduct and result of this study will bring benefits to the following: School Administration – the significant result Made from this study will serve as guide to the Student Affairs Office, Office of the Students Services, Student Executive Council, and other activity implementing departments and bodies of the school. Students – The significant result of this study would help the students enjoy the activities and satisfy their expectations as the result of this research were applied. Future Researches – this study was highly recommended to have a further study on the same topic. Scope and Limitations of the Study The descriptive study will be conducted to find out the perception of the maritime students on school related activities. This study will involve 310 students who are taking Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT) and Bachelor of Science Marine Engineering (BSMarE) SY 2012-2013. The participants will be selected randomly and will be classified according to course and year level. The data to be used in this study will be gathered by the researchers. The Antecedent Variable will be the respondents’ course and year level and the School Related activities classified into in and out campus activities The dependent variable to be treated in this study will be the perception of the maritime students on school related activities. This study will be conducted at St. Therese MTC-Colleges in Tigbauan, Iloilo on June-October 2013. The descriptive statistics to be used in this study will be the mean and mean standard deviation. The inferential statistics to be used will be the Mann Whitney U test for independent samples, Kruskal Wallis H Test, and Spearman Rho to determine the perception of the students in school related activities. All levels of significance will be set at 0.05 alpha. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Software (SPSS) version 16.0 will be used to process the data. Chapter II Review of Related Literature Key Concepts on Benefits of Co-curricular Activities Activities Support the Academic Mission of Schools School Activities are not a diversion but rather an extension of a good educational program. Students who participate in activity programs tend to have higher grade-point averages, better attendance records, lower dropout rates and fewer discipline problems than students generally. Activities are inherently Educational Activity programs provide valuable lessons for practical situations – teamwork, sportsmanship, winning and losing, and hard work. Through participation in activity programs, students learn self-discipline, build self-confidence and develop skills to handle competitive situations. These are qualities the public expects schools to produce in students so that they become responsible adults and productive citizens. Activities Are Privileges, Attendance Is Required School districts typically define extracurricular activities as privileges; students earn the right to participate by complying with school rules and regulations. These typically include rules on school and class attendance. Annandale High School in Virginia, for example, has an extracurricular activities participation policy that requires students to attend all scheduled classes on the day of a competition or activity to be eligible to participate in extracurricular activities on that day Outreach Activities Outreach activities are designed to strengthen the relationship between a school system and the surrounding town groups or businesses. Outreach activities invite students to become more active members of their community as well as encourage community members to become part of the school community. Activities Foster Success in Later Life Participation in school activities is often a predictor of later success – in a career and becoming a contributing member of society. Students who spend no time in extracurricular activities are 49% more likely to use drugs and 37% more likely to become teen parents than those who spend one to four hours per week in extracurricular activities. Extracurricular school activities are often important to adolescent students, and they have many benefits. Students learn how to lead through student government or how to play a musical instrument, or take on the responsibility of teamwork in sports, while maintaining their academics. The challenge of balancing these competing responsibilities is an opportunity for students to grow and mature. Educators have studied the relationship between class attendance and extracurricular activities, and many schools set policy in these areas. Foreign Studies A 2010 study of a western Nebraska school district found a correlation between a student’s extracurricular activities and her attendance record. The study concluded that students who participated in extracurricular activities had a higher rate of school attendance than students who did not participate. It used data from 2007-08 and 2008-09 pertaining to 275 of the district’s high school graduates. A University of Massachusetts educator studied middle and high school students and how certain school-related factors — including extracurricular activities and school attendance — affected their eventual completion of a college degree. The study concluded that a student’s good attendance — not skipping classes or school — had a positive correlation to college degree completion. Additionally, the study concluded that the more a student participated in school-sponsored extracurricular activities, the more likely he was to complete a bachelor’s degree. The study also tested these results across racial lines and found that attendance was equally important to future completion of the bachelor’s degree regardless of the student’s race or ethnicity. A Harvard Educational Review article in 2002 found that participation in extracurricular activities in high school appears to be one of the few interventions that benefit low-status, disadvantaged students – those less well served by traditional educational programs – as much or more than their more advantaged peers. In telephone interviews of a national sample of teens in 2001, more than half (54%) said they wouldn’t watch so much TV or play video games if they had other things to do after school. The same survey found that more than half of teens wish there were more community or neighborhood-based programs available after school, and two- thirds of those surveyed said they would participate in such programs if they were available. Bonnie Barber and her colleagues, contributors to the 2005 book, Organized Activities as Developmental Contexts for Children and Adolescents, concluded that making diverse clubs and activities available to a wide range of students is important. The opportunity to embed one’s identity in multiple extracurricular contexts and to experience multiple competencies facilitates attachment to school and adjustment. Activity participation is also linked to affiliation with peers who are academically focused. Adolescents can benefit from this synergistic system when they have opportunities to participate in diverse activities. A Minnesota State High  School League survey of 300 Minnesota high schools showed that the average GPA of a student-athlete was 2.84, compared with 2.68 for the average student, and that student-athletes missed an average of only 7.4 days of school each year, compared with 8.8 for the average student. (Trevor Born. High Standard for GPA, in Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 14, 2007.) Participation in extra-curricular activities provides all students – including students from disadvantaged backgrounds, minorities and those with otherwise less than distinguished academic achievements in high school – a measurable and meaningful gain in their college admissions test scores according to researchers Howard T.Everson and Roger E. Millsap, writing for the College Entrance Examination Board in 2005. In a 2006 research project published by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE), it was found that 18-25 years old who participate in sports activities while in high school were more likely than nonparticipants to be engaged in volunteering, regular volunteering, registering to vote, voting in the 2000 election, feeling comfortable speaking in a public setting, and watching news (especially sport news) more closely than non-participants. An extensive study commissioned by the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association found, in that Canadian province in 2006, an average of 78.3% of Alberta’s top corporate CEOs and Members of the Legislative Assembly had participated in interschool sports. Nearly 80% indicated that being involved in school sports significantly, extensively or moderately complemented their career development and/or academic 5 pursuits. This same study pointed out that normal participation rate of students in high school sports is around 30 to 35%. The corporate and political leaders surveyed in Alberta (see above) cited the following benefits associated with their involvement in high school athletics: teamwork, discipline, goal setting, leadership, independence, self confidence, stress relief, character development and personal growth, fair play, and acceptance of others. From a cost standpoint, activity programs are an exceptional bargain when matched against the overall school district’s education budget. Researcher Richard Learner, writing in Promoting Positive Youth Development through Community After-School Programs, found that informal educational and developmentally supportive experiences offered to young people in the context of after-school or community-based programs are a potent source of resources  increasing the probability of positive development among youth. In 2003, the Journal of Adolescent Research reported that extracurricular activity participation is linked to lower rates of dropping out of school, greater civic involvement and higher levels of academic achievement. Moreover, research tracking participation from eighth through twelfth grades and examining outcomes in the postsecondary years concluded that consistent participation has positive effects that last over a moderate length of time. Extracurricular activities stand out from other aspects of adolescents’ lives at school because, according to the Winter 2005 issue of the Journal of Leisure Research, they provide opportunities to develop initiative and allow youth to learn emotional competencies and develop new social skills. A study conducted by Boston University, and published in Adolescence, Winter 2001, reported on a survey of 1,115 Massachusetts high school students. Survey results indicated that athletes were significantly less likely to use cocaine and psychedelics, and less likely to smoke cigarettes. Researchers writing in 2004 in the American Journal of Health Behavior conducted an examination of cross-sectional data from a nationally representative sample of high school students enrolled in public high schools in the U.S. They showed that students participating in organized sports were 25 percent less likely to be current cigarette smokers Stephanie Gerstenblith and her fellow researchers, writing in the 2005 book, Organized Activities as Developmental Contexts for Children and Adolescents state, â€Å"Just as schools with efficient procedures and structure have been found to have positive outcomes, our findings indicate that participants in after school programs with these qualities experience reductions in rebellious behavior and increases in intentions not to use drugs.† In 1985, the NFHS sponsored a national survey of high school principals and nearly 7,000 high school students in all 50 states. The survey, funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment in Indianapolis, was conducted by Indiana University in cooperation with the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Following are the results of that survey. 10 95 percent believed that participation in activities teaches valuable lessons to students that cannot be learned in a regular class routine. 99 percent agreed that participation in activities promotes citizenship 95 percent agreed that activity programs contribute to the development of â€Å"school  spirit† among the student body. 76 percent said they believe the demand made on students’ time by activities is not excessive. 72 percent said there is strong support for school activity programs from parents and the community at large. Students who compete in high school activity programs make higher grades and have better attendance. A study of nearly 22,000 students conducted by a University of Colorado professor for the Colorado High School Activities Association which was released in the fall of 1999 indicates students who participate in some form of interscholastic activities have â€Å"significantly higher† grade-point averages than students who do not. Data obtained from the spring 1997 study by Dr. Kevin J. McCarthy revealed student participants in Jefferson County high schools had an overall grade-point average of 3.093 on a 4.0 scale, while the GPA for non-participants was 2.444. Jefferson County School District, the state’s largest school district, has matched the academic success of its students with success on the playing field. The 16 district schools have won a combined 39 state championships in the 1990s in sports, while its music programs consistently bring home â€Å"superior† ratings. Nancy Darling, et al., writing in the 2005 Journal of Leisure Research notes that extracurricular activities allow youth to form new connections with peers and acquire social capital. They are one of the few contexts, outside of the classroom, where adolescents regularly come in contact with adults to whom they are not related. Students who spend no time in extracurricular activities are 49% more likely to use drugs and 37% more likely to become teen parents than those who spend one to four hours per week in extracurricular activities (United States Department of Education. No Child Left Behind: The facts about 21st Century Learning. Washington, DC: 2002.) On June 23, 2000, then President Bill Clinton issued an Executive Memorandum directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Education to work together to identify and report within 90 days on â€Å"strategies to promote better health for our nation’s youth through physical activity and fitness.† The resulting report entitled â€Å"Promoting Better Health for Young People through Physical Activity and Sports was released in November 2000 and stated that â€Å"enhancing 7 efforts to promote participation in physical activity and sports among young people is a critical national priority.† Of the 60 students listed in the May 14, 1998, USA Today’s All-USA High School Academic First, Second and Third Teams and the 51 who earned honorable mention, 75 percent were involved in sports, speech, music or debate. The 29th annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes toward the Public Schools of September 1997 reflects an increase in perceptions about the value of co curricular activities. In 1978, 45 percent of the public, judged extracurricular activities to be very important. That figure fell to 31 percent in 1984. In 1985, the figure was 39 percent and jumped to 63 percent in the 1997 poll. The 1997 poll also asked about the emphasis placed on such sports as football and basketball. Fifty-three percent of the respondents believed the current emphasis was about right. In a survey of 4,800 high school students in March 1995, the Minnesota State High School League found that 91 percent of them said students who participate in school activities tend to be school leaders and role models; 92 percent said that participation in school activities provides an opportunity not found in a regular classroom setting to develop self-discipline. Adolescent Time Use, Risky Behavior, and Outcomes: An Analysis of National Data, issued in September 1995, by the Department of Health and Human Services found that students who spend no time in extracurricular activities are 57 percent more likely to have dropped out of school by the time they would have been seniors; 49 percent more likely to have used drugs; 37 percent more likely to have become teen parents; 35 percent more likely to have smoked cigarettes; and 27 percent more likely to have been arrested than those who spend one to four hours per week in extracurricular activities. A study by Search Institute in 1995 indicates that co curricular activities play a central role in students’ healthy development. Yet too many schools are finding it necessary to cut these programs for budgetary reasons. With asset building as a focus, these programs are not peripheral to the school’s mission, but important components of a comprehensive strategy. In the March 1997 issue of School Counselor, 123 students involved in interscholastic soccer are analyzed. Results indicate that activity participation does not harm and may enhance academic performance. Male athletes showed in-season improvements in academic performance. Ralph McNeal (1995) showed that different kinds of  activities have varying abilities to control school dropout rates. He concluded that students who participate in athletics, fine-arts activities, and academic organizations were an estimated 1.7, 1.2, and 1.15 times, respectively, less likely to drop out than those who did not participate. Athletic participation reduces the probability of school dropouts by approximately 40 percent. For example, the probability that the typical person in the sample would drop out of school is .0487, but if this same person participated in athletics, the estimated probability would be .0299. The impact of fine-arts participation for the typical person’s estimated probability is reduced from .0487 to .0415, or 15 percent. Silliker and Quirk (1997) investigated the academic improvement of students who participated in extracurricular activities. In this case, they looked at male and female high school students who participated in interscholastic soccer and who did not engage in another sport or major activity at the conclusion of the soccer season. They discovered that female participants in season maintained a GPA of 87.7 mean (M) with a 5.6 standard deviation (SD). Out of season these statistics dropped to 87.5 M with a 6.4 SD. The male participants in season maintained a GPA of 84.7 M with a 7.5 SD, and out of season their GPAs dropped to 83.8 M with an 8.7 SD. These data show that participants had significantly higher GPAs in season than out of season. The girls earned higher GPAs than did the boys, but the boys’ GPAs rose significantly in season versus out of season. The study supports the belief that involvement in athletics for high school students does not endanger, and may enhance, academic performance. Susan Gerber (1996) also found that extracurricular participation is not detrimental to student performance and that participation in these types of activities promotes greater academic achievement. In addition, she discovered that participation in school-related activities was more strongly associated with achievement than was participation in activities outside of school. Herbert Marsh (1992) compared predicted outcomes for students who did not participate in extracurricular activities with those of students who were moderately active. He found that this difference in participation level is associated with outcome differences of .582 SD in social self-concept and .390 SD in academic self-concept. He concluded that the effects of participation on social and academic self-concepts are significant. Evidently, participation  in extracurricular activities, even those not obviously associated with academic achievement, leads to increased commitment to school and school values, which leads indirectly to increased academic success. William Camp (1990) studied the effects of participation in activities on overall student success in school, as measured by grades, while controlling for the effects of other variables that could reasonably affect those grades. He used the symbol b* to represent standardized regression coefficients calculated in his structural analysis. He found that students’ activity levels produced a positive, significant effect on academic achievement (b* = .122). Particularly interesting in his study was the fact that this effect was more than twice as great as that of study habits (b* = .055), which are generally regarded as an important causal variable of academic achievement. John Mahoney and Robert Cairns (1997) indicated that engagement in school extracurricular activities is linked to decreasing rates of early school dropouts in both boys and girls. They discovered that such participation provides marginal students an opportunity to create a positive and voluntary connection to their school. Conversely, other strategies typically used to address the needs of at-risk students, such as school dropout prevention programs and remedial education, focus on the deficits of students and serve as a catalyst in the formation of deviant groups. The researchers strongly believe that involvement in extracurricular activities may support the at-risk student by maintaining, enhancing, and strengthening the student-school connection. Theoretical Framework This study is anchored to the Theory of Involvement that has been proposed by Astin (1984). According to the theory, students learn more the more they are involved in both the academic and social aspects of the collegiate experience. An involved student is one who devotes considerable energy to academics, spends much time on campus, participates actively in student organizations and activities, and interacts often with faculty. Based on the 1984 report, Involvement in Learning, student involvement takes the form of participation in academically related activities, out of class activities, and interactions with faculty, staff, and peers. Activities related to academics could include: attending class prepared for discussion and the day’s lesson; participating in study groups; and/or membership in academic  honor programs or societies, career-related organizations, and performance groups in the arts. Involvement in outside-of-class, or co-curricular activities, could include campus based student organizations, college athletic or intramural sports, employment on-campus, and volunteer service experiences. Involvement with peers and faculty/staff include those relationships where learning takes place beyond classroom settings: serving as a teaching or research assistant, talking with faculty during office hours, assisting in a laboratory or a fine arts production. Different from the role of the student in Astin’s earlier â€Å"input-process-output† model (Pascarella, 1991, P.50), where the student is passively developed by the faculty and by university programs, this theory posits that the student plays an integral role in determining his or her own degree of involvement in college classes, extracurricular activities and social activities. Of course, the more quality resources available, the more likely those students who are involved will grow or develop. Therefore, faculty interaction both inside and outside the classroom and high quality university programs and polices reflective of institutional commitment to student learning are necessary for student growth. Astin states that the quality and quantity of the student’s involvement will influence the amount of student learning and development (Astin, 1984, p.297). True involvement requires the investment of energy in academic, relationships and activities related to the campus and the amount of energy invested will vary greatly depending on the student’s interests and goals, as well as the student’s other commitments. The most important institutional resource, therefore, is student time: the extent to which students can be involved in the educational development is tempered by how involved they are with family friends, jobs, and other outside activities (p.301). There are several practical applications resulting from this theory, but Astin states that the most important to teaching is that instructors are encouraged to take the focus off the course content and their own technique and put it on their students. Astin states that the intended end of institutional and pedagogical practices is to achieve maximum student involvement and learning; to do that instructors cannot focus solely on technique but must also be aware of how motivated students are and how much time and energy they are devoting to the learning process (p.305). According to Astin, his theory of involvement has an advantage over traditional pedagogical approaches because it focuses on the motivation and behavior of the student. Therefore all institutional policies and practices can be judged by the degree of involvement they foster in student. Also, all faculty, from instructors to counselors, can work with the same goal in mind, unifying their energies into making the students more involved in the college environment and therefore better learners (p.307). Astin also discusses the benefits to students of staying connected to the campus environment by living in campus-related housing, attending college full-time rather than part-time, studying with other students on campus, and working at jobs on campus. Based on the stated theories, the study is conducted and has the following variables as shown in Figure 1.( The research paradigm ) The research paradigm of the study is presented in Figure 1. Figure 1.Research Paradigm. The paradigm shows the relationships of the antecedent variable, Course and year level and the in and out campus activities to the dependent variable, Perception of the maritime students on school related activities. Chapter 3 Research Design and Methodology Research Design This study will use descriptive method of research consisting of qualitative research as it seeks to determine the perception of the maritime students on school related activities Respondents/Sample This study will involve 310 students who are taking up Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT) and Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering (BSMar E), S.Y. 2013-2014. The sampling method to be used for this study will be the simple random sampling because students from each course with varying year levels will be included as respondents of the study. Table 1. Profile of Respondents Course and year level Total population Number of respondents Percentage BSMT 1 195 44 23% BSMT 2 192 43 23% BSMT 3 184 42 23% BSMar E 1 299 68 23% BSMarE 2 255 58 23% BSMar E 3 243 55 23% 1368 310 2.3% Table 1 shows the number of respondents as classified as to course and year Instrument This study will use the researcher-made questionnaire based on the paradigm of this study that the researcher has gathered and subject for validation by the experts. There will be two parts of the instrument: Part One will be the personal information of the respondents such as course and year level. Part Two is the questionnaire which will gather data relative to the perception of the maritime students on school related activities. Data-Gathering Procedure Permission to conduct the study will be secured from the Dean of Maritime Studies of St. Therese MTC – Colleges Tigbauan. The researchers will personally distribute the questionnaires which will be filled out by the respondents in their respective classrooms. After which, these will be retrieved and reviewed fro completeness of data. The data obtained will be culled, encoded, analyzed, and interpreted. Data Analyses Procedure All data gathered will be computer-processed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (SPSS).The descriptive statistics to be used will be the mean and standard deviation to determine the perception of the students on school related activities. The inferential analytical tools to be utilized will be the t- test for independent samples to determine differences that would exist in course and year level with the outreach activities; analysis of variance (AnoVa) for antecedent samples to determine differences that would exist in course and year level with the school activities; Spearman Rho the perception of the maritime students on school related activities Finally, the level of significance for the analysis was set at 0.05 alpha. The bases for interpretation of the trainings (SSO/SSA), company support, self-preparedness, onboard preparation and measures and national/international coordinationand measures will be as follows: Mean ScaleQualitative Description 3.25 – 4.00Highly effective 2.50 – 3.24effective 1.75 – 2.49moderately effective 1.00 – 1.74less effective

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REVINATE Social Media Marketing - Research Paper Example Children rooms have some policies restrictions. Their facilities have a 24-hour reception, express check-in/out, room service, concierge, luggage storage, safety deposit box and dry cleaning. Pets are allowed into this hotel. This hotel also has some business facilities like conference rooms and meeting rooms, recreational facilities such as a fitness center. All the accommodations in this hotel are in exquisite conditions as they are equipped with air conditioning, high-speed internet access, bathroom amenities among others (Howard). W Los Angeles Westwood Hotel faces competition from Palomar Los Angeles Westwood, Luxe Hotel, and InterContinental LA Century City, Hotel Angeleno Los Angeles and Viceroy Santa Monica. The screen shot below shows competitor reviews for the last thirty days .it displays the comparison of the above-stated hotels that are W Los Angeles Westwood Hotel competitors. This hotel has strengths as; it is in a star location Revel in the casually glamorous Californian lifestyle. The hotel is at foothills of Beverly Hills/Bel Air and minutes from Santa Monica’s beaches. Los Angeles – Westwood is from the corner to corner from UCLA and close the entertainment and vibrancy of Sunset Strip. Los Angeles – Westwood is within an urban sanctuary. It has a verandah and WET, the perfect escape from the extensive city. Sip and savor beneath the sun, take anincline in the pool or withdrawal to an airy cabana bounded by lush botanicals in this eventual Los Angeles hideaway. Los Angeles – Westwood hotels faces some challenges regardless of the excellent services they offer at their place.one of the problem is that ,although they are located on a good strategic place where everyone would enjoy living at, the hotel fails to attract clients as compared to its competitors. From the reviews made, Hotel Angeleno Los Angeles, Los Angeles Westwood hotels competitors have a high profit

Securing the Land Borders and the Coastal Waterways from International Research Paper

Securing the Land Borders and the Coastal Waterways from International Terrorism - Research Paper Example What is clear is that international terrorism is on the rise as many extremists continue to propagate their course. This may be economic, religious, political or even social (Schmid, 2008). The main strategy that will aid in reducing chances of terrorism is by securing the land and all water borders. This paper will look at the benefits that accrue from securing land borders and coastal waterways against international terrorism (Young, 2006). The act of terrorism is carefully articulated by a group of individuals who have targets, goals and objectives. This means that they will go to exceptional heights and extremes to accomplish their motives (Schmid, 2008). The land, water and sky, which represent the open space, are factors that work in favor of terrorist activities, if they are not tightly secured. It is crucial for each country to ensure that they have secured their land borders and their coastal waterways. Many countries have been caught in security breaches that have cost the country lives, destruction of property and the general attempt on the country’s sovereignty (Schmid, 2008). Land borders are secured by screening every person that uses the border as a means to travel from one area to the next. This is accompanied by any supporting document approved by law to represent eligibility of entrance (Young, 2006). Each and every person entering any said country by sea must be screened at the water way or harbor for purposes of screening and confirming their presence in the country, legally. The security of the sea and its ports is represented by the travel initiative that has been adopted in the country in question. In the US, any person entering the country using the sea must have certification that complies with the (WHTI). This is the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative which is a representation of many other documents and certificates of travel (Schmid, 2008). It ensures that the person trying to enter the country using

Determining the project charter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Determining the project charter - Assignment Example A recent study indicated we pay 20% more than other companies in our health care premium for our employees due to their health issues Our concern is the increased health care costs for providing insurance premiums for our own employees due to their ill health , which not only raises our internal expenditure but loss of man days through absenteeism leads to decreased productivity thus impacting the profitability of our organization. Hence we want to create a Recreation and Wellness Intranet Based Health Monitoring system for our employees where we want to introduce health improving strategies like involving employees in physical fitness programmes like soccer, jogging and other well being programmes during the recess period. Then stress reducing classes , motivating employees to quit smoking, manage Body Mass Index, making diet charts through dietetians and incentivizing those who attend these programmes. The implementation of the project will cost 2,50,000$ but the net savings over a 4 year time period would be around 30,00,000$ with a projected 30$ savings per employee/year considering 25000 employees with an additional profitability of 27,50,000$ in 4 years. Thus the implementation cost is only 10.5% of the profitability. Q4. Creating a mind map is useful rather than deploying task hierarchy because it gives an immediate project design plan and helps to assess the benefits and pitfalls of each step so the backup plans are ready and in times of real system failure can be implemented.

Analysis and results Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analysis and results - Dissertation Example One of the most important questions asked in this survey was the method used by the RNs to screen for PPD. None of the nurses reported using any screening tools for the evaluation of PPD. The commonly used methods for the evaluation of PPD were found to be: asking general questions or identifying risk factors during the postpartum office visit; telephonic questioning when patients called to inquire about any queries, concerns or symptoms that they have; as a part of the documentation for the admissions database during the admission for delivery and during chart review or as a part of the routine history during the obstetric visits. Amongst these, the most common method was chart review or while obtaining obstetric history, during which the two main questions asked were whether the patient has had any prior episodes of PPD in previous pregnancy or a history of pre-existing depression and whether she was taking any medications. This practice is in stark contrast to the recommendations for the screening of PPD in the existing literature. ... â€Å" to develop a rapport with the patients and enable them to share their experiences. This practice is in concordance with the existing literature as some studies advocate the use of simple, open ended questions such as â€Å"Are you sad and depressed?† and â€Å"Have you had a loss of pleasurable activities?† as an initial screen for PPD. The use of such questions helps the women in opening up and sharing their experiences and concerns (Goldbort, 2006). There are also several shortcomings of the above mentioned methods for the screening of PPD. First, for women who are having their first baby, the question whether they experienced PPD in any prior pregnancies becomes void. Similarly, most patients who are experiencing PPD for the first time might not be on any medications and thus the question whether they are using any medications currently, is not of any use in such patients. It is thus important to use effective screening strategies which are designed to encomp ass all patients, including those who are pregnant for the first time, so that none of the patients is missed. The most common setting for PPD identified in this survey was during obstetric visits or on admission for delivery. This was followed by screening for PPD during the postpartum visit. There have been various studies conducted in order to determine the most effective screening method and setting for the screening for postpartum depression. The most appropriate and convenient settings for the screening as recommended by the current literature is during the mother’s post-partum visit or during the well child visit of the baby (Gjerdingen & Yawn, 2007; Callister, Beckstrand, & Corbet, 2010). Moreover, recently, other novel innovative strategies for screening

Network protocola Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Network protocola - Coursework Example th each other.   Most vendors implementations have quite a few utilities built in.  The utilities might relate to configuration information and troubleshooting.   Some of the TCP/IP utilities implemented in my organization includes, arp, nslookup, finger, ping, ftp, rcp, hostname, rexec, ipconfig and route. More so, I am currently implementing TCP/IP services that includes; net start dhcp client, net start simple tcp/ip services, net start ftp server and net start snmp. TCP/IP services and utilities not currently implemented includes; lpq, rsh, lpr, tftp, nbtstat, tracert, and netstat forms of TCP/IP services and net start lpdsvc, net start tcp/ip netbios helper, net start microsoft dhcp server and net start windows internet name service forms of TCP/IP utilities.    The OSI model originally distinguishes between service, interval and protocols while The TCP/IP model does not clearly distinguish between service, Interval and protocols. More so, The OSI model is a reference model while the TCP/IP model is an implementation of the OSI model. In addition, in OSI model, the protocols came after the model was described while in TCP/TP model, the protocols came first, and the model (Zack, 2010). Migrating from IPv4 to IPv6 is not an immediate process and requires gradual implementation due to the endless number of users on the Internet that still utilize the IPv4 system. Additionally, more businesses and organizations are relying on the Internet for day to day processes and therefore a lengthy IP protocol replacement which involves downtime can seriously affect business continuity. For the above described reasons, the migration from IPv4 to IPv6 is not accomplished with a simple flick of a switch since there are problems that arise as the result of making the

Civilian courts and military courts Research Paper

Civilian courts and military courts - Research Paper Example The judiciary in particular, is vested with the sole power to conduct judicial review and in such inferior courts as Congress may establish. â€Å"A juridical system operating free from interference  and pressure from other branches of government, guarantying the rule of law in all fields of statecraft, is vital for the democratic governance of a country† (Marshall, 2007). Military Court â€Å"The military establishment of a country serves as an instrument of politics and is part of the executive power bestowed with the cloak of authority to use violence  under the supremacy of policy. The special task of the military and its embodiment of force make it particularly necessary that the military operates within the boundaries of the  constitutional and legal framework of the state† (Marshall, 2007). In the democratic system, the Constitution has vested the military courts to provide for trial and punishment for offences committed within the navy and the military as defined in Article I, section 8, 12, 13 and 14 of the US Constitution. â€Å"The purpose of the military courts is to administer courts-martial and the jurisdiction of such courts is limited to the trial of military personnel† (May and Ides, 2007). ... uthority of military commanders and leadership personnel and does not immediately influence the military jurisdiction in  the sense of establishing military courts† (Marshall, 2007). The rationale of the law in delegating to the military and navy to power to hear and decide cases within the scope of their authority is for the simple reason that â€Å"the nature of the duties of military personnel differs among the civilian code of law because being soldiers and being part of the defense personnel, they are subjected to a disciplinary system that covers all the peculiarities of military duty which covers defection from the troops, abuse of leadership authority among others† (Marshall, 2007), which are not expected of ordinary citizens. In the event that military and navy personnel shall be adjudged guilty of any violation, they shall be given the right to appeal their case to senior levels of military authority and any other independent body, which include the militaryà ‚  ombudsman, or the civilian administrative courts, for relief and redress. The designated military judges comprises of the military personnel who are still on active service. These are the â€Å"subordinates to their respective commanders and subject to the principle of hierarchical obedience† (Marshall, 2007).  It has been observed that the role of the military courts shall only restricted to the enforcement of the Military Code of Justice, in relation to military discipline and the performance of a military mission. These offenses are being punished in order to instill military discipline, such as the abandonment of post and dereliction of duty. Schulhofer (2008) has stated that the â€Å"military commissions are designed to try terrorism suspects under rules of procedure and evidence crafted specifically

Career Management and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Career Management and Development - Essay Example This paper attempts to understand and discuss various facets of career management and development in close focus with graduate careers. The discussion also aims to create an awareness of the present workplace scenario, its issues, challenges and methods to overcome it. Career theories and its relevance and the implications of the broader social forces on career are also looked at. For our purpose of understanding let us view the discussion using the banking segment in the UK as an illustration. Job description: a) Establishing and nurturing healthy customer relationships. b) Planning and implementing effective sales strategies. c) Evaluating the effectiveness of new and existing financial products. d) Offer operational support as part of daily routine. e) Being a part of the team achieve targets. f)Processing data to produce accurate facts, figures and reports. Work Conditions And Benefits: 'Range of typical salaries for entrants on graduate management trainee programmes: 23,000 - 32,000 (usually part of a package including a 'signing on' bonus of 3,000 - 5,000). Working hours are generally nine to five but extra hours are required from time to time. Part-time, flexible working and career break opportunities do exist. The demands of fulfilling annual targets, meeting corporate objectives, and continued professional development training may sometimes give rise to stress,' says a website called prospect. Requirements For New Entrants: Although the banking sector is open to all, some functions may requires specialisation in disciplines such as mathematics; finance; business studies; economics; law; accounting. A good honours degree, usually a 2.1 or above, is required. However, entry at other levels is possible for graduates with less than a 2.1 or with an HND, especially if applicants have relevant work experience. Pre-entry work experience in the form vacation work, sandwich placements (paid or unpaid), internships and temporary or permanent work experience in a financial, customer-led environment, such as sales is desirable. In addition to an excellent academic record, graduates also need to have excellent interpersonal skills; leadership qualities; exemplary written and oral communication skills; analytical skills; willingness to relocate; flexibility and adaptability in responding to change; creative thinking and an enquiring mind; enthusiasm and a commitment to further training. With banks going global and expanding their product and service portfolio, IT skills have become advantageous, in depth knowledge of the national and international industry along with sound business acumen are essential. Training Programs and Methods: There are a variety of training options provided for new entrants joining graduate training programmes. On-the-job training, Specialised technical training, or entry to a specific functional area such as human resources, accountancy or computing, or to comply with regulatory requirements are just a few to name. Internal and external training provided in various forms like work-shadowing experienced colleagues, evening classes, a limited number of day-release courses, distance learning packages and workshops. In-house training is becoming increasingly popular. Some banks also provide training

Character and plot Essay Example for Free

Character and plot Essay Discuss the ways in which Arthur Miller uses the characters of Alfieri to highlight cultural differences and to develop the audiences understanding of theme, character and plot. Arthur Millers A View from The Bridge uses a character called Alfieri to introduce characters, the plot and theme of the story. Alfieri is an Italian American meaning he was born in Italy and immigrated to American to work. . He is a man of his 50s and in this story, not only does he play the role of a character, but also a narrator. He makes us aware of the cultural differences between American and Italian culture through his opinions. He works as a lawyer; from this we can immediately tell he is educated and very wise. The immigration law changed in 1921-1924. This law only allowed people from Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia to migrate to America. This resulted to illegal immigration. A view from the Bridge is about the movement of immigrants migrating from Italy to America. They moved because of the American Dreams which was people from other countries going to America to start a new life and earn a good living full of opportunities. The Italian migration happened mainly between 1820-1920. More than 4 million Italian people moved to America. Brooklyn Bridge and its surrounding areas are used as the setting of the play. The word Gullet is used by Alfieri to describe the place where they live. The word is a metaphor and it creates an atmosphere that is not very pleasant to live in. Alfieris first speech introduces the background information of Italians. Italians would hardly ask a lawyer for help because in Italian culture lawyers are not good news, they are considered to be connections to disasters. The honest and trustworthy Italians can be quite revengeful. They solve their own situations by taking matters into their own hands. Although Italians are settling into America their two cultures remain diverse. Repetition of the words Distrust, Law and Justice by Alfieri signifies them and the even suggests that the plot is based on these words. Alfieri understands both Italian and American culture and can conclude in his last speech how he feels about Eddie and what he has done. From the start Alfieri hinted that the ending of the play wasnt going to be a happy one. He says and sat there as powerless as I, and watched it run its bloody course. From that, we can sense doom and that is why this play is a Greek tragedy. Eddie, Catherine, Marco use a lot of slang type sentences where as Alfieri uses long, well punctuated and sophisticated sentences. This linguistic technique makes the audience understand what is happened if they do not follow what Catherine, Eddie, Beatrice, Marco and Rodolpho are saying. The use of short, simple sentences spoken by the other characters makes the situation more realistic, makes the audience awake because it is very fast and the characters speak more often. Arthur Miller also uses a lot of exclamation marks so that the sentences are more interesting and so that the actors know when to shout or act exaggerated, this is a very good technique. With the use of exclamation mark the sentence gets energy. There is more attention than if there were long sentences. In the play there are four main characters. Eddie (a protagonist), Catherine, Beatrice and Alfieri. Eddie, a protagonist, meaning that he commits an offence without knowing it; he then learns his fault and usually results in death or suffering. He gains Alfieris sympathy towards the end of the play. Eddie loves Catherine not only as a niece but also as a daughter and a friend and Alfieri knows this. Eddie was over protective and loved Catherine too much which proved to be fatal. Alfieri knows that Eddie does not want to any one to take her away from him, but on the other hand, she does not belong to him. He says And yet, it is better to settle for half, it must be! Marco kills Eddie in Act 2. We do not know if he intended to or if it was for self-protection but in a way, this is revenge. When he was talking to Alfieri, he says In my country he would be dead by no. He would not live this long. Alfieri understands how he feels but tells him not to kill. He is in America right now and such a deed can result to a life sentence. He says To promise not to kill is not dishonourable. Italians are not as civilised as Americans but this is one of the cultural differences between the two diverse cultures. Arthur Miller includes many stage directions leaving the director making up more of their own directions. Alfieri plays the part of a character and a narrator making him A view from the bridge because he is looking and dealing with the situation and also telling the story as if it happened yesterday, this helps him to tell the story and give opinions making the audience aware, have a better understanding of the play, the characters and the plot. The moral of this story suggested by Alfieri is we should be satisfied with half if not the whole amount.

Electric Bus as an Environmentally Friendly Form of Public Transport

Electric Bus as an Environmentally Friendly Form of Public Transport Use of Electric buses to improve Environmental performance of bus travel by Sagar Shah Introduction In recent years there is a ton of hype around electrification of cars and which is right for a reason that they contribute a lot to congestion and there is huge amount of emission of major pollutants which has made the urban air quality a big concern. But here’s a less considered fact: Personal vehicles are probably the most challenging to electrify cost-effectively as they just traverse at maximum 4 people over a small distance in a 2-ton vehicle which consumes a lot of energy. The case for electrification or introduction of an alternate fuel is strong for other vehicles & Public Urban Buses top the list. In this paper I will be exploring the implementation of electric buses to improve the environmental performance of Urban bus travel as well I will discuss various considerable points such as cost effectiveness of the electric bus as well as legislations, modifications in the regulations concerning the application of electric bus to the various markets of the world. The paper deals with Battery electric buses which will be referred to as BEBs for the rest of paper. Why Battery electric buses? Buses are the most important mode of transport all over the world when public transport is considered. Buses for long have been used as a main mode of transport for medium to short distance travel and have been the most effective as they go through various routes. In March 2017, there were an estimated 4.93 billion bus passenger journeys in Great Britain which is around 60% of all public transport journeys  (DfT, n.d.)[1]. When talking about greener transport public bus transport are one of the worst contributors to two main contributors to air pollution namely CO2 and NO2. The emission of oxides is a result of fossil fuels used to run the conventional buses. Most of the conventional buses run of diesel. It is found that public transport buses use 40,000 litres a year which is 100 times more than a normal car. They run for 16-18 hr continuously as compared to a car which has a usual use of 2 hrs. For this reason, it is important buses are electrified as soon as possible. Past development and Current scenario For the last two decades there has been large developments in making the electric vehicles a reality. It’s a tough task to design a bus which can continuously work for 16-18 hrs and carrying passengers as much as the conventional bus does. It is a known fact that all over the globe initiatives have been undertaken to introduce electric buses. The first uses of were mostly small, mini or midi-buses. The improvements of battery technology from around 2010 led to the emergence of the battery bus, including heavier units such as twelve-meter standard buses & articulated wagons. Let’s have a look at the history of battery electric bus developments throughout the years. In 2009, Shanghai catenary bus lines began to use battery buses.In September 2010, BYD Auto began manufacturing BYD K9.In 2013, battery buses introduced in Netherlands.In Germany in 2013 battery buses undergoing tests in Bremen and Bonn.The largest bus fleet in Dallan, China included 600 BYD buses.In 2015 BYD launch the first double decker battery buses.Botosani, Romania planned for public transport to operate fully electrically at a conversion cost of 20 million Euros Figure 1: BYD Double decker bus In October 2015, the double decker buses were converted to BYD electrics with a range of 250km. London’s centre city access toll waived off for battery buses[2]  (Wikipedia, 2017). It has been some very successful past years for developers and there is a huge move towards electric bus seen all around the globe. The quality of urban air is deteriorating and with cities growing and urbanisation on the peak it becomes very important to have a clean fleet of buses which can be cost effective and non- polluting at the same time. Transportation Policies London the capital city of the England has for long been the economic hub and has been an example for the world in terms of providing good public transport. The city is very well known for its one of the best public bus services provided to its citizen. In the past few years the air quality levels have been one of the most significant worries for the policy makers. A study by Kings College shows that there are almost 9500 people who die because of the air pollution. The NOx and the PM(2.5) have been the biggest contributors to the air pollution and they are highly emitted by the burning of fossil fuels by vehicles. COx is the biggest contributor to greenhouse effects and they are the largest heat absorbents and have caused a heavy increase in the global temperatures with more and more emission of GHGs. With all these in mind considering the London bus network there has been drastic steps taken to curb down the emissions and go forward towards Zero Emission. Because of which following policies are undertaken The Mayor of London announced a new  £86.1m programme to cut harmful emission from London’s existing bus fleet.Around 5000 buses more than half set to be upgrading to meet the Ultra-Low Euro VI Emissions standards, cutting pollution by up to 95%.The Mayor has also set out in his draft Transport strategy that by 2037 at the latest, all 9200 buses across London will be zero emission.The electric routes are part of major transformation the Mayor has asked TfL to deliver to reduce emissions from London’s bus fleet.One other important policy to clean up the Capital’s bus fleet include the phasing out of diesel only buses& a commitment to purchase only hybrid or zero emission double decker buses from 2018.The introduction of 12 new low emission bus zones, operational by 2020, this will see NOx emissions along routes fall by more than 80%.In March 2017 TfL has introduced the first of 12 low emission zones, where only buses meeting the toughest standards are permitted to run.Using more Electric buses can dissolve the problem of greener transport & congestion. To take a view of what the polices are doing on ground and what people think about the current air quality situation in the city a poll was conducted & designed by YouGov for a sample of 1000 Londoners. (YouGov, 2017). The results of the poll are discussed here: 88% think air pollution is a big problem, with 66% citing air quality as bad and 72% wanted more stringent actions to curb air pollutions.[3] This shows that even after the polices being so hard people are still concerned more about the quality of air they breathe in when on streets of London. As from all of this it is quite evident that the best bus network in the world has outlined large number of policies & taken giant strides towards making buses run by electric batteries. A lot of potential is seen in the much anticipated zero emission buses to take over and make the city a place to breathe freely in near future. Key benefits of Battery electric Buses(BEB’s): Electric battery buses bring with them lots of benefits. Most important of them are the environmental benefits which will be talked more about later in this paper. Following can be listed down as the major benefits: Air quality improvement   This will happen largely because of the zero tailpipe emissions from the BEB’s. The levels of COx and NOx in the air are quite worrying in certain cities which is predominantly around the city centre. BEB’s work on the principle of zero tail pipe emission this should create a better ambient air quality for citizens. Noise Pollution reduction   Electric buses are very quiet in operation and can be a big advantage in urban areas to reduce noise pollution when compared to highly noisy diesel engine buses. If we consider a peak hour rush in a urban street with lots of vehicles, electric buses would contribute zero to noise levels as they can be near to perfect quite when in operation. Journey Comfort   Electric buses have been told to be very comfortable while on the move with passengers as it reduces the jerks due to braking as it uses regenerative braking. The buses have a lot more space when compared to diesel bus as they don’t have to be equipped with heavy engines and other mechanical parts. The buses are much lower to the ground and can also be a aid to disable people as it is very easy to get on and off the bus Maintenance cost Savings   Due to very low mechanical instruments needed for the propagation the wear and tear is heavily reduced which can save a lot of money over the lifetime of the bus when compared to conventional diesel buses. Drawbacks Range For a large period, there has been a great enthusiasm towards making public buses run on battery electric buses, but the hindrance is that buses need to run 16-18 hrs continuously & there need to be enough power in them to run all day long, but the range of the buses is limited &0 can only run on smaller routes & not many double decker buses are operational till date. Most of the buses are charged overnight and take almost 3-5 hrs to charge fully and run for the whole day. Heavy weight To power a large vehicle like the bus there needs to be a large battery pack inside the bus. The most famous BYD auto designed K9 with a huge 345 kwh battery. The energy density is just near 100wh/Kg which means the battery pack itself will be 3.5 tons. (Independent, 2016) High initial costs The cost of Conventional diesel buses is almost the half of the BEB’s. This factor for a big span of time made BEB’s not feasible. But with high research and development and a great downfall in the price of the batteries for buses has somewhat narrowed the gap between the ownership costs of the BEB’s and Conventional diesel buses. In future with more and more investment in the research we can expect to see more drop in the price for electric buses and it can be said that they will be more affordable by more markets. Battery replacement costs Batteries are the most important component of the BEB’s. Cost of the replacement of batteries can be a very daunting factor when economic viability is considered for the electric buses. As the costs of battery pack are very high and the size needed for the bus is a huge one so can almost result in somewhere around  £20k after a span of 6-7year depending on the manufacturers. But recently many companies have claimed to make this cost diminished as the give a 12-year warranty of battery packs included in the bus and which can be considered as the average life span of a bus. Infrastructure Re-Development A shift from one technology to another can prove to be a very hard process. Electric buses would need charging docks for the buses to charge overnight. This will need significant amount of money and it will add up to the city’s electric demand. Research in Battery Success or failure of zero emission buses largely depend on the success of the batteries used for electric buses. The reports on the highly hyped London electric double decker bus which is manufactured by the ALD & BYD as a joint venture which has the technological input form BYD, which is world’s pioneer in BEB’s.  (TFl, 2017) This BEB’s uses as 345kwh battery pack. BYD for long has specialised in a type of Lithium battery called Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4). It is reported to have an energy density of just around 100wh/Kg. So, this battery pack will weigh a tremendous 3.5 tons before any packaging, interconnects, cabling or BMS are considered so a weight of 4 tons is more likely. The other drawback of LFP type batteries is its abilities to take & release charge. Now, to make the battery much more light and efficient developments can be made in the direction of changing the materials used in the batteries. For example, Tesla using lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium(NCA) the P90D model S has a 90 Kwh battery pack which has an energy density of 140wh/kg. Definitely this was for a car, but such developments must be made, and a lot can be achieved in the electric drive technology of the electric buses. Economically Feasible The idea of battery electric bus is viable or nor largely depends on its economic feasibility. Any new technology at its advent is expensive & is not affordable by all. For example, when smartphones started to roll out they were priced highly when compared to the conventional mobile phones. But with heavy investment in research & development & also large competition around the globe to consumer markets the prices have come down & the market has reached to a new pinnacle every year. Figure 2 Drop in Battery Prices over the last decade and future projections Battery electric buses can also be considered more as an electronic entity rather than an automobile with more and more research & the urge to go green on immediate basis will see a large variation in the current buses & the buses to roll out in next 10 years. Figure 3 Citi research Li batteries price drop. As shown is the figure it is quite evident that due to heavy turnaround towards electric vehicles there has been a drop of 80% in the price of the main component of BEB’s battery packs. Prices have dropped yet the initial cost is very high to own a battery electric bus having a range of 250 miles. With the change in technology there will be a need to improve the infrastructure. This can add to the overall cost in bringing more BEB’s to the roads pertaining the charging technology adopted, and the nature of change needed. Going forward it becomes necessary to study the feasibility of BEB’s to make the electric buses accepted very firmly. Transportation economy vary quite too much in every part of the world largely because of the different application of bus transport in every urban city. Table 1 Diesel V/s Hybrid V/s BEB’s Table1 shows the cost benefit analysis which compares the Diesel Conventional Buses V/s Hybrid diesel buses and BEB’s. The data has been collected from TfL statistics for bus and other articles related to bus transport in London. There is a fleet of 9549 buses in London[4]  (TFl, 2017) which comprises of all the three variants included in the analysis. The assumption here made is use of entire fleet as each type. From TfL report on Bus performance 16/17 it is found that on average bus travels 35600 miles a year. This data has been made a standard and remains the same for each variant throughout the analysis. The BEB considered here is the BYD double decker bus currently deployed on the route 98. The bus packs a 100Kwh/hr battery pack which uses slow charging to charge overnights at the Willesden bus depot and takes about 3-4 hrs to charge fully.[5]  (Metroline, n.d.) The main aim was to find out the Overall operating cost of all the vehicles and compare them. As shown in the table the cost for the off-peak charging has been assumed as 0.10p/kw, this charge can vary according to various boroughs and different factors. On average bus travels 100 miles per day and price for operation on each day is calculated as  £4/day so which breaks down to 0.4p /mile. Now we also know that the BEB’s usually have replacement battery due every 6-7 years. But for this case the Buses provided by BYD has a warranty of 12years which is almost the lifetime for a bus. So, no maintenance cost is considered in the analysis of costs for BEB’s. For BEB’s it can be considered that there will be a need for new infrastructure development which may cause a rise in the overall cost for the BEB’s. As we don’t have any figure for the development of charging docks it is also not considered for the analysis. The charging dock once developed can be used by many buses at the same time and would last for several years without any maintenance need. Figure 4 Cost comparison of all vehicles. Figure 5 Cost over Life span Following are the outcomes of the analysis: Ownership cost is almost double for BEB’s when compared to Conventional diesel buses but when compared to hybrid diesel vehicle there is a very skew difference in their ownership costs. This is largely attributed to high price rate of battery packs used in BEB.Operating costs of the vehicles show large variations as the cost for electricity is much low as compared to the cost of diesel. A single BEB can save up to approx.  £42,000 which is almost the annual operating cost of a diesel hybrid bus. This means if the whole fleet is converted to BEB there can be tremendous savings on operational cost of public transport buses. Diesel and hybrid diesel buses also show a considerable difference but nowhere near BEB.Maintenance cost as shown in the table for BEBs are almost negligible as due to absence of mechanical spare parts the wear and tear would not happen. When talking about maintenance battery replacement cost if any should be considered but in the considered case it is zero as the manufacturer has provide a warranty of 12 years for the battery pack provide in the double decker bus.  Total cost per annum is the addition of ownership cost + operational costs which in the initial years is high for the BEB. This due to large investment needed at the time of procurement.The fig 5 shows the overall cost of operation over 12 years of life time, which shows that BEBs are highly efficient over the long term. Even if the battery is to be changed it could be adjusted in the same budget as for the hybrid diesel buses. The graph clearly suggest that it is extremely efficient to use BEB and can save around 350k over a life time when compared to a conventional diesel or hybrid diesel bus. For a whole fleet to be changed is somewhat hypothetical in near future but in his vision for buses Mayor of London suggested to only uses BEB by latest 2037. This means there can be billions in savings overtime if the project is successfully completed.Apart from this the most important benefit would be Zero-tailpipe emission from BEBs which can effectively and immediately improve the urban air quality and in turn save millions of pounds spent on health care and other projects to eliminate the effect of greenhouse gases. More about this will be discussed in Environmental impacts of BEB’s. Thus, it can be said that currently the BEB’s are more profitable if they provide the needed range of usage and the cost benefit analysis proves and supports the implementation of electric battery buses immediately. Legislation and Regulations With advent of new technologies arrives the need to amend the legislations already present or design new legislations and regulations. It is very important that legislations for BEB’s are shaped at every level of governance and implemented. Following are the policies that can be made at different levels to incorporate and encourage the use of battery electric batteries. International Organisations Greenhouse effect is a global problem and pollution caused anywhere would affect people everywhere, this should be kept in mind by each organisation. Emission of GHGs is a serious problem in big cities of every countries. Now to reduce it most of the countries in UN should stay committed to save our planet earth from getting destroyed and there should be steps which are mandatory for any member in a big organisation such as UN or EU. Any violations must be severely dealt with and provisions of sanctions or penalties must be made, this is because air pollution is not only causing deaths to humans who breathe toxic pollutants, but it also is posing a severe threat if the situations like now persists. Following are some important measures or directives which global organisation must lay out: Maximum permissible emission levels must be set out for each country and no discriminations should be made between developing and a developed country. China accounts for 23% of global greenhouse emissions[6]  (Worldatlas, 2015) all over the world. Paris agreement COP 21 was signed by most of the world’s biggest countries. US opted out of it as they would not be able to meet the levels set which should not be the case. Bigger economies must stand as an example and cut down of GHGs. More and more deals must be made out on global level and the progress on it must be reviewed time by time to ensure its successful implementation. National level Once the global agendas are set the countries on a national level should segregate different policies for different sectors which can be used by regulatory bodies and other industries and institutions to comply with the goals set to meet the global agendas. For BEB’s England has been very proactive in the Europe and recently became the world’s first to use a double decker BEB. China on the other hand has the largest market for BEB’s and has successfully managed to incorporate them in public transport in various cities. These countries policies can be set as an example for other countries. Following legislations can be drawn from their policies: London has decided to only procure Hybrid buses or zero emission from 2018 and to only have zero emission buses by 2037.  (TFl, 2017)Application of Ultra low Emission Zone(ULEZ) is done with dense traffic and higher Volume of COx and particulate matter in the air PM(2.5).  (TFl, 2017)Buses that comply to the most stringent norms of Euro VI are only allowed on the streets.  (TFl, 2017)For china the have provided bus manufactures with attractive subsidies which has in turn made them the pioneer in these industries.Infrastructure development for BEB’s must be supported by government programmes.Efforts must be made, and more funds should be allocated for research in the technology of BEB’s. New ideas such as Solar charging docks which makes use of renewable energy sources must be encouraged so that BEB’s leave minimum carbon footprint. Industrial It is important that the manufacturers keep in mind the emission levels and design the vehicles as per the norms. More Bus operators should try and incorporate BEB’s and fulfil their social responsibility. Consumer perception BEB’s have zero tailpipe emissions so they would not be throwing black smoke right into urbanites faces. Diesel smoke is a big contributor to 6.5 million deaths a year due to air pollution. This should notably mean that use of BEB’s virtually means no emission of greenhouse gases or air pollutants. The electricity from power plants generated may still emit those pollutants, but even if it is powered by coal plants, a BEB would average far less pollution per-mile than a diesel bus. Electric buses are much, much nicer experience- lower to the ground, much more space (diesel engines take a lot of space), no diesel burning smell & no noise. If the battery costs are brought down & with already low operational costs the total cost of running a bus can be brought to half that of a diesel bus. These advantages when passed to community would mean less money to travel on bus. BEBs can have positive social impacts as far as its application is considered in urban areas. Air pollution and noise pollution in urban areas have been associated in a lot of studies across the globe. BEBs can also end up reducing stress levels. Environmental Impacts Air quality As we know currently most of the fleet of buses run on conventional diesel ICE engine. ICE engine is most popular but by burning fossil fuels this are the several side effects of diesel buses. Apart from this use of fossil fuels is at a peak & its price are also increasing day by day with increase in demand. Figure 6 Oil demands   The figure shows that we will shortly be running out of fossil fuels. The use of vehicles is increasing every year around the globe and the demand is set to overcast the supply within next few years. BEBs will help ensure we have an alternative to run our buses. Air quality around the world has been in a grave condition for the past few years. BEBs are technology which will help us provide freedom from the emission which is caused by burning of fossil fuels. Diesel conventional buses use up to 100 times more diesel annually when compared to a diesel car. Currently the situation is so bad that a reputed daily guardian published an article which headlined- ‘Revealed- Every Londoner breathing dangerous level of toxic air particle.’  (Taylor, 2017) The article highlighted the seriousness of air quality problem that we are facing. The article stated that almost 95% of the capital’s population live in the rea that are exposed to high level of particulate matter in the air. [7] Figure 7 Particulate matter levels (Guardian) As the chart suggest the annual levels of PM2.5 are severely high in and around the city of London. The situation is much worse when we the levels are examined for central London. It is almost double the acceptable limits suggested by WHO. BEBs when come into action will run through the streets of the London but with zero tailpipe emission it is certain that this level will drop certainly and suddenly. This particulate matter can be described as something as toxic a drop of tar which will go down directly to the lungs and then to bloodstreams. This very fine particulate matter can be a reason for strokes and heart attacks.  (Taylor, 2017) The other major pollutant is Nitrogen oxides which is also produced in our ambience, a pollutant which inflames the lungs, stunting their growth & increasing the risk of respiratory diseases like asthma & lung cancer. London has one of the most acute problem across the world.[8] Figure 8 NO2 Levels London The figure shows how worse is the condition about nitrogen dioxide in central London. It was reported that Putney High street managed to break its annual emission limits in just eight days in 2016. The areas of Knightsbridge, Oxford street, Earl’s court & Brixton following the suit before the end of the first month. Government estimates 23000 people to die pre-maturely from nitrogen oxide pollution. (Taylor, 2017) Policies Several policies are designed to maximize the use of BEBs in London. Some policies have had a great impact in reducing the pollution from the city while some have not shown any effects. One such policy was to declare Ultra low emission zones in the city where the vehicles meeting the highest standards are only allowed to enter. But if we consider the scale of the policy it only secures about 300,000 citizens while ignoring the overall of 3 million which are affected by the atrocities of air pollution. The auto industry has for long tried and developed the vehicles which emit lowest NOx but have always failed. They have by lobbying tried to have their bread and butter secure by keeping on doing the wrong things to the environment. The norms have been manipulated and it is best said that power is in money. The recently published EU limits have been an example of this, Netherlands being the only country to oppose the limits. The limits are set such that it allows manufactures could design for up to double the acceptable limits by the WHO.[9] (nelson, 2015)The powerful should understand that the need is not to run from the problem but face it head on and take bolder steps. Technology of BEB must be accepted by European manufactures. 60 years ago, there was a ban on coal a similar ban is needed for diesel at least for urban vehicles and specially for public transport. Dark side The BEBs run on electric and are zero-tailpipe emitting vehicles but are they greenest option available for transport in urban areas? Answer can be maybe no as the electricity used to charge the batteries of BEBs come from the burning of coal ion a thermal power plant. It can be made the greenest if options are found to make it run on renewable sources of energy. Most of the electricity in UK comes from coal which is also a fuel which also produces lots of carbon oxides and nitrogen oxides when combusted. Unless the electricity coming to our grid is not by burning hydrocarbons there will be a huge carbon footprint for any fully electric vehicle. But when a comparison is to be done burning a fuel in industry would be much more efficient that burning it on streets in different engines. Other hazard can be of battery disposal after its use. BEBs posses a large battery pack. Technology to recycle them must be developed so that they don’t cause any hazard to environment. Most of the batteries are thrown away & are used as landfill in various areas, these will eventually degrade the soil & cause damage to vegetation also.   It is important that BEB should be developed in such a way that they should be 100% green and environment friendly from well to wheel. This technology is developed as we developed ICEs without assessing its impact on the environment. Cost might be a barrier but compromising now could mean serious consequences. BEBs can incorporate Other technologies Buses in cities run over a fixed route and have a dedicated lane in certain cities. A lot of research is put in developing an autonomous car, the same technology can be used in buses with much lesser hindrance as it would not have any other traffic on its way. Autonomous electric bus can take out one of the largest cost that bus operators incur and that is labour cost. This can make bus travel highly safe and cheaper in future with much more accuracy to run on schedules. Apart from autonomous drive use of renewable sources can be done to produce electricity for the charging of BEB at the charging docks. Use of solar energy to generate electricity and can be stored in storage cells and then used to charge the batteries of the buses. This can cut down carbon footprint to a very low level.   Such technologies could make BEBs much more efficient and prove to be a game changer in the public transport sector. Conclusion The idea of BEB has a clear future. It can prove to be the game-changer to save the depleting air qualities in the cities and provide a boost towards achieving a greener environment by cutting down the wasted fuel in congestion, providing more greener space & by removing the deadliest diesel ICE in our cities. Implementing BEBs can not only be economically providing a country with savings of hundreds of thousands of pounds on each bus but also serve good to its citizens health by saving them from life-threatening diseases which could be rampant because of air pollution. There ought to be a lot of challenges along the path of revolution, but such has been the case with all technological revolutions, and they’ve been dealt with before and I am sure BEBs in near future will take over the market as the first choice for public transport buses all over the globe. References Anon., n.d. Bus travel statistics, London: Department of transport. Bloomberg, n.d. s.l.: s.n. Independent, 2016. New double decker bus launch in london. march. Metroline, n.d. First Zero emission Double decker, London: s.n. nelson, A., 2015. EU caves in to auto industry pressure for weak emissions limits. Guardian. Taylor, M., 2017. Revealed: every Londoner breathing dangerous levels of toxic air particle. Guardian. tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/bus-fleet-data-and-audits, n.d. Bus fleet data and audits, s.l.: s.n. TFl, L., 2017. TfL and the Mayor announce more fully electric buses, London: TfL. Wikipedia, 2017. Battery electric buses, s.l.: Wikipedia. Worldatlas, 2015. Biggest Contributors to Air pollution, s.l.: s.n. YouGov, 2017. YouGov Air quality survey Results, London: s.n. [1] Data from Department of transport for bus travel. Source for history: Wikipedia Electric battery buses. [3] https://files.datapress.com/london/dataset/gla-poll-results/2017-01-26T18:50:00/YouGov%20Poll%20Air%20Quality%20Feb%202017.pdf [4] https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/bus-fleet-data-and-audits [5] https://www.metroline.co.uk/blog/progress/world%E2%80%99s-first-zero-emission-electric-double-decker [6] https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/biggest-contributors-to-global-warming-in-the-world.html [7] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/04/revealed-every-londoner-breathing-dangerous-levels-of-toxic-air-particle [8] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/feb/05/the-truth-about-londons-air-pollution [9] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/28/eu-emissions-limits-nox-car-manufacturers

Psychologists Essay -- essays research papers

Psychology is the study of human behavior, how we think, feel and act. Psychologists study both normal and abnormal behavior to understand it. Psychologists also try to use what we learn from that study to help people change aspects of their behavior that they want to change. Areas of psychology are clinical, industrial, and developmental. Careers in Psychology offer varied opportunities. Employment opportunities for capable psychologists are expected to be slightly better than average over the next several years. However, if you're interested in a career in Psychology, you should know that the training program to become a psychologist is a long one. There is also stiff competition for places in graduate training programs in Psychology. So why major in Psychology if it is going to take so long? First of all, it is an interesting profession that offers the opportunity to increase the well-being of one's life. It requires critical thinking skills, statistical reasoning skills, and research design skills. Also a major part of being a successful psychologist is having practical knowledge about people and a charismatic self. People who want to major in psychology usual get a 4-year degree at a university. During the first four years, the student obtains scientific and clinical knowledge in Psychology. It is also possible to get an internship during the third year of schooling. As well, students will get some opportunity to see what applied practice in Psychology will actually look like by taking courses and seminars in areas of special interest. Following the undergraduate degree, a two year program of graduate studies in Psychology in a university will lead the student to a Master's degree. Part of that two-year program will usually involve completing a research project in Psychology. Some areas allow persons with a Master's degree in Psychology to be registered as a psychologist. However, many people, particularly those who want to practice in a specialty area of Psychology, will go on to complete their doctoral degree in Psychology before becoming registered or licensed to practice. This will take another three to four years of study on average. As part of the doctoral program, students will complete a more complex research project in Psychology that will serve as their doctoral thesis. They will also complete an intensiv... ...uch as visual perception and the behaviour of single cells in the brain to complex studies of the behavior of large groups of people.Psychologists may choose to work in a firm, dealing one on one with people who have enlisted for the psychologist's help. In this area, a psychologist may work with abuse victims, abusers, drug abusers, children, marriage problems, and people with an array of disorders, problems, and some who just need help with a problem. Ted Bosack, the director of the Psychology department of Providence University, was kind enough to answer a few questions I sent to him about psychology. He stressed that the best psychologist isn't necessarily the one with the highest I.Q. It takes dedication and an extreme connection with people.Mr. Bosack said, "When you've got a high I.Q., you can write a book on marriage. When you've got a high E.Q., you have a great marriage." He thinks the best psychologist needs, not only high intelligence, but high emotional understanding to better understand people. I think his outlook sums up what a psychologist should be; someone open to those in need of one's understanding, one that will be a confident, as well as a friend.

The Scepter or Staff Essay -- Analysis, Odysseus

I would argue the scepter and staff are metaphors for defined authority, a representation of the rule of law and Guardianship of public weal. Furthermore, I would argue that not all sectors are made equal, nor do all bearers process and equal position of ascendancy, ability to compel obedience, or Dominion. For instance Agamemnon’s royal scepter represents an authority that has come down to him from Zeus through several generations of Argive kings, meaning divine right, and heritage. They are tools of distinction, imparting a special honor, and denoting superiority of character on the individual who wields it. Both the scepter and staff are embodiments of authority, approved and legitimated by the Gods. The scepter and staff bestow Godlike powers on mortals, imparting providence in men over earthly affairs. The scepter grants authority and legitimizes the carrier’s influence. The scepter or staff first appears in scroll 1 line [14], "moreover he bore in his hand the scepter of Apollo wreathed with a suppliant’s wreath.† The term â€Å"moreover† stresses a crucial aspect of the priest campaign, the scepter of Apollo. Here the scepter is a substitution for the authority of Apollo. An authority worthy of high respect, subsidizes the actions of Khryses. This authority is not a function of royal lineage, superior military or tactical excellence, but a consequence or reward for devotion. Khryses bore Apollo's scepter indicating the approval of the divine, and enduing the priest with the Gods authority. In scroll 1 line [20] the appearance of Khryses before the Danaans in scroll 1 line [20] is initially marked by their respect for the priest and his request. Most Achaeans recognized the authority that the priest wielded, and thou... ... believe the scepter or staff, as a representation of authority is very well suited to the song. These objects are referred to as imperishable, which is definitely associated with the gods. In the Iliad the manner in which the sector is used further demonstrates the divine authority implied by. This authority encompasses the ideas of honor, glory, distinction, and most importantly power. I believe that we also get to see the various ways in which one might find such authority in their hand. There is the authority passed down through generations in power, the authority due to a connection and devotion to the gods, the authority earned through military prowess, and the authority accrued through intellectual distinction. No matter the manner in which the holder of the staff or scepter has obtained to their authority the gods are the ultimate source of this authority.