America’s Foreign Policy Essay Example for Free

America’s Foreign Policy Essay Since the end of the Cold War, the relationship between the U.S. government and the media has become increasingly significant. Coupled with the number of humanitarian interventions during the 1990’s, it begs the question, how far is the media responsible for the creation of U.S. foreign policy? Somalia, a nation wracked by civil war and famine, stirred the United Nations particularly the U.S. into action, but how far was the media responsible? It is argued that the CNN effect played a substantial role in U. S. foreign policy, as it was displaying graphic images and news stories of the crisis to the U.S. public, creating uproar over the situation, and a demand to ‘do something now’. Combined with the media’s ability to frame the news into a positive or negative light, this demonstrates the power the media has over public opinion. This in turn created pressure on the policy-makers of the U.S. and the United Nations to act, which is demonstrated in Operation Continue Hope, and UNOSOM (United Nations Operation in Somalia)I and II. However, it is also argued that the collapse of the USSR, and the attempt to create a New World Order was a deciding factor in the U.S.’s foreign policy. Without the constraints of competing ideologies and the USSR in the United Nations Security Council, the U.S. wanted to develop a world foreign policy based upon cooperation, economic development and humanitarian intervention for those in need. With the U.S. as the remaining great Superpower, it was considered their duty to take the lead and show the world how it is done – hence the foreign policy concerning Somalia. It is in my judgment that the media played a substantial part in affecting U.S. foreign policy, due to the effect it had upon the U.S. citizens, and their outcry for immediate action. However, the media is not solely responsible for the actions of the U.S., as other factors like the New World Order played its part too, which I shall demonstrate throughout this essay. The previous government, the Somali Democratic Republic, under the leadership of Major General Mohamed Siad Barre, posed the question of who would succeed the ailing leader, who had been seriously injured in a car accident. This, and the lessening of its strategic importance in the final years of the Cold War, and the reduction of Soviet support, opened up in Somalia an opportunity for rebellion. The government was becoming increasingly totalitarian, performing human atrocities against resistance movements who wanted freedom from the military dictatorship. This eventually led to the outbreak of civil war, the toppling of Barre’s regime, and a power vacuum, with various warlords vying for control. When increasing reports of human atrocities, and starving citizens reached the international community, with food prices rising by 800-1200%, President Bush, and the United Nations Security Council passed a unanimous resolution in December 1992, to deploy peacekeeping forces, and huma nitarian relief to Somalia, aimed at stabilizing the situation, with ‘all necessary means to guarantee the delivery of humanitarian aid in accordance to Chapter VII of the United Nations charter. The U.S. led United Nation forces initially met with success in providing aid to the nation, however, in 1995; United Nations peacekeepers were forced to withdraw after public opinion turned as a result of significant peacekeeper casualties, and its failure to capture General Mohamed Farah Aidid, the major warlord figure in the country. I shall now argue how the media held great responsibility for the U.S.’s foreign policy in Somalia during the 1990’s, due to the CNN effect. Since the end of the Cold War, the increasing willingness of Western governments to intervene militarily during humanitarian crises, coupled with significant levels of Western media attention to the consequences of ‘distant’ civil wars, raised substantive questions regarding the media-state relationship. Western media has enjoyed greater amounts of freedom since the toppling of the USSR, and the rise of U.S. hegemony, resulting in greater access to ‘on-scene’ news articles, and the ability to show them to the rest of the world. Coupled with the development of the internet in the 1990’s, CNN and other media stations are able to bring images and information to the public 24 hours a day. This is demonstrated when the initial U.S. marines who landed on the beaches of Mogadishu, were greeted by a swarm of American journalists and star correspondents, who had been given advance notice of the landing. With the ability to control what information is shown to their audiences, the media has a certain amount of control over public opinion, which in turn has an effect upon the government who represents them. For example, the U.S. government was already aware of the situation in Somalia before CNN shared the story, and yet was not compelled to intervene. However, once the stor y became public, the U.S., and the United Nations received a vast amount of pressure to acknowledge the situation, and act accordingly. This is known as a ‘strong CNN effect’, the ability of the media to steer the policy makers in the direction the media wants by influencing which images are shown to the public. By 1992, Somalia had become a non-functioning state. Its government and related services collapsed. Hundreds of thousands of Somalis had died, and estimated 1.5million Somali people were in imminent danger of starvation, and another 3.5million to a lesser extent. All these images were shown by media stations like CNN to the world, capturing the sense of despair and devastation, and energising a ‘must do something now feeling’, resulting in President George H. W. Bush to take the lead in the United Nations mission to prevent this humanitarian crisis. This demonstrates how the media had become greatly influential in U.S. politics, and why it holds a substantial amount of responsibility for the U.S. foreign policy in the initial invasion. Furthermore, just as the media had substantial influence on the U.S. entering Somalia in 1992, the media used this same influence to bring about the end of the humanitarian mission in 1995. In March 1993, the U.S. pushed for a more direct role in combating the various warlords in Somalia and protecting the citizens the United Nations mission had saved from starvation. This was approved by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 794, authorising the use of ‘all necessary means to establish as soon as possible a secure environment for humanitarian relief operations in Somalia’. This was met with support from the U.S. public, as during the early media reports of the intervention, words that were supportive and emphatic were used twice as many times as words which were critical and distancing. This use of positive framing and optimistic language built a support for the intervention. Initially, the U.S. led forces were successful, capturing high-ranking members of Aidi d’s government, and preventing the massacre of Somali citizens. However, on the 3rd October, the U.S. attempted to capture two high-profile lieutenants of Aidid in the city of Mogadishu, when two Black Hawk Helicopters were shot down by the Somali militia. The following rescue attempt turned what should have been an hour’s operation into an overnight standoff in the city. The battle resulted in 18 U.S. deaths, 80 wounded, and 1 helicopter pilot captured. This became known as The Battle of Mogadishu. In the wake of the battle, the media had access to images of the dead and battered American servicemen, and the victorious Somali forces parading the captured U.S. helicopter pilot Corporal William Durant through the streets of Mogadishu. Shockingly they also dragged the naked corpse of a U.S. soldier past a mob of Somali citizens who vented their anger by spitting on, stoning and kicking the body, in the full view of the cameras. In light of this news, the media changed the framing of the Somali crisis, and began to challenge the government, h ighlighting the casualty ratings the U.S. forces were sustaining. While the public had strongly supported the former President Bush’s decision to send U.S. troops to Somalia to stop the starvation, support had now almost vanished. On Capitol Hill, mounting calls for a withdrawal of U.S. troops rose to a level that newly elected President Clinton could not ignore, and announced the exit of U.S. troops by March 1994. Through the use of a ‘strong CNN effect’, the media completely turned U.S. public opinion on the Somali intervention. The starving Somali citizens, who had been the victims at the start of the intervention, had become the victimisers, who had attacked foreign soldiers who were trying to help them. The public opinion might not have deteriorated quite so substantially, if the images accompanying the story had not been present, or if the media hadn’t worded their stories quite so negatively. After all, hearing about the deaths is one thing, to see it before your eyes is quite another. This therefore, demonstrates how the media, through the use of strong CNN effect, were able to steer public opinion into entering Somalia, and out of Somalia when the situation deteriorated. Although the media holds the majority of responsibility for the U.S.’s foreign policy in Somalia, Presidents Bush and Clinton’s drive to create a New World Order also holds partially responsibility. In the wake of the Cold War, President George H. W. Bush and President Mikhail Gorbachev tried to define this new era, and the great spirit of power cooperation they hoped to see. This is highlighted in a speech by Bush, in which he indicated ‘America and the world must defend common vital interests, support the rule of law and stand up to aggression’. With this new drive to create a better world, one with cooperation between major powers, rebuilding the world and projecting a new world with greater prospects for a new millennium. Therefore, when humanitarian crises like Somalia arose, President Bush saw it as U.S.’s duty as the richest and most powerful nation in the world, to lead the international mission to save these civilians from starvation. It was hoped, that along with saving those in need, the U.S. could inspire the rest of the world to share this image of a New World Order, and help build a better tomorrow. However, since the U.S. knew about Somalia before the media published the story, it doesn’t suggest that the New World Order was the major factor in deciding to intervene in the crisis. In conclusion, the media was greatly responsible for the U.S. foreign policy in Somalia, and was, in my judgment, the main factor which decided the issue initially to intervene in Somalia, and then to exit. Firstly, through the use of a strong CNN effect, the media framed the issue, and showed images to the public in order to create uproar amongst the population. This was done in order to manipulate the policy-makers into examining the situation, and ultimately become involved. This is demonstrated by the images of starving civilians, and the chaos the various warlords and clans were creating throughout the nation. These tactics would develop a ‘do something now’ feeling. Moreover, the media was also the leading factor in the U.S. exiting from Somalia, because the media station had changed the framing of the stories to negative and critical challenges of the governments mission in Somalia. This combined with the images of The Battle of Mogadishu, and the victimisation the U.S. soldiers had suffered, dramatically changed public opinion against the U.S. foreign policy in Somalia. However, the media was not the only factor in deciding U.S. foreign policy. President Bush’s idea of a New World Order, one based on the ideas of superpower cooperation, economic prosperity and humanitarian intervention also played a part in why President Bush would send U.S. soldiers to Somalia. It was considered the U.S.’s duty to help those in need, with the hope that their example could also inspire the rest of the world to accept the New Order, and help create a new and better world, rather than the conflict and tensions which had been experienced during the Cold War. However, the New World Order arguments are not as convincing as those for the conclusive influence of the media, as the U.S. government was already of aware of the situation in Somalia before the media developed the story, suggesting that it was the public outcry that decided the issue for the U.S.’s policy makers. Which is why, it is in my judgment that the media holds the majority of the responsibility for America’s foreign policy in Somalia during the 1990’s. Bibliography: 1. Taisier Ali and Robert Matthews, Civil Wars in Africa: Roots and Resolutions, McGill-Queen’s University Press, Canada, 1999, p.p.183 2. Ekaterina Balabanova, Media, Wars and Politics: Comparing the Incomparable in Western and Eastern Europe, Ashgate Publishing Limited, Hampshire, 2007, p.p. 8 3. Arthur Banks Thomas Muller and William Overstreet, Political Handbook of the World 2008, CQ Press Publishers, Alexandria/US, 2008, p.p. 1198 4. George H.W. Bush, Address before a joint session of the Congress on the Persian Gulf Crisis and the Federal Budget Deficit, 9:09p.m. in the House Chamber at the Capitol, 1900 5. Jocelyn Coulon, translated by Phyllis Arnoff and Howard Scott, Soldiers of Diplomacy: The United Nations, Peacekeeping and the New World Order, Les Casques Bleus Publishers, Canada, 1994 p.p. 78 6. Nina Fitzgerald, Somalia: Issues, History and Bibliography, Nova Science Publishers Inc., New York, 2002, p.p. 26 7. George Kohn, Dictionaries of War, Facts on File Publishers Inc., New York, 2007, p.p. 511 8. Piers Robinson, Operation Restore Hope and the Illusion of a News Driven Media Intervention, Political Studies 49, 2001, p.p. 941-956 9. Piers Robinson, The CNN Effect: The myth of news, foreign policy and intervention, Routledge Publishers, London, 2002, p.p. 1 10. Ken Rutherford, Humanitarianism under Fire: The US and UN intervention in Somalia, Kumarain Press Publishers, Sterling, 2008, p.p. Preface xv 11. James Scott, After the End: Making U.S. foreign Policy in the Post-Cold War World, Duke University Press, North Carolina, 1999, p.p. 330 12. Richard Stewart, The United States Army in Somalia 1992-1994, Dept. of the Army Publishers, 2003 p.p. 23 13. Warren Strobel, Late-Breaking Foreign Policy: The News Media’s influence on Peace Operations, United States Institute of Peace Press, Washington, 1997, p.p. 167 14. United Nations Security Council, Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and 1907 (2009) concerning Somalia and Eritrea, http://www.un.org/sc/committees/751/ 15. Thomas Weiss and Don Hubert, The Responsibility to Protect: Research, Bibliography, Background: Supplementary Volume to the report of the international commission on intervention and state sovereignty, International Development Research Centre Publishers, Ottawa, 2002, p.p. 96 [ 1 ]. Arthur Banks Thomas Muller and William Overstreet, Political Handbook of the World 2008, CQ Press Publishers, Alexandria/US, 2008, p.p. 1198 [ 2 ]. Nina Fitzgerald, Somalia: Issues, History and Bibliography, Nova Science Publishers Inc., New York, 2002, p.p. 26 [ 3 ]. Taisier Ali and Robert Matthews, Civil Wars in Africa: Roots and Resolutions, McGill-Queen’s University Press, Canada, 1999, p.p.183 [ 4 ]. United Nations Security Council, Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and 1907 (2009) concerning Somalia and Eritrea, http://www.un.org/sc/committees/751/ [ 5 ]. George Kohn, Dictionaries of War, Facts on File Publishers Inc., New York, 2007, p.p. 511 [ 6 ]. Piers Robinson, The CNN Effect: The myth of news, foreign policy and intervention, Routledge Publishers, London, 2002, p.p. 1 [ 7 ]. Jocelyn Coulon, translated by Phyllis Arnoff and Howard Scott, Soldiers of Diplomacy: The United Nations, Peacekeeping and the New World Order, Les Casques Bleus Publishers, Canada, 1994 p.p. 78 [ 8 ]. Ekaterina Balabanova, Media, Wars and Politics: Comparing the Incomparable in Western and Eastern Europe, Ashgate Publishing Limited, Hampshire, 2007, p.p. 8 [ 9 ]. Ken Rutherford, Humanitarianism under Fire: The US and UN intervention in Somalia, Kumarain Press Publishers, Sterling, 2008, p.p. Preface xv [ 10 ]. Thomas Weiss and Don Hubert, The Responsibility to Protect: Research, Bibliography, Background: Supplementary Volume to the report of the international commission on intervention and state sovereignty, International Development Research Centre Publishers, Ottawa, 2002, p.p. 96 [ 11 ]. Piers Robinson, Operation Restore Hope and the Illusion of a News Dr iven Media Intervention, Political Studies 49, 2001, p.p. 941-956 [ 12 ]. Richard Stewart, The United States Army in Somalia 1992-1994, Dept. of the Army Publishers, 2003 p.p. 23 [ 13 ]. James Scott, After the End: Making U.S. foreign Policy in the Post-Cold War World, Duke University Press, North Carolina, 1999, p.p. 330 [ 14 ]. Warren Strobel, Late-Breaking Foreign Policy: The News Media’s influence on Peace Operations, United States Institute of Peace Press, Washington, 1997, p.p. 167 [ 15 ]. George H.W. Bush, Address before a joint session of the Congress on the Persian Gulf Crisis and the Federal Budget Deficit, 9:09p.m. in the House Chamber at the Capitol, 1900

Safety in Outdoor Adventure Activities

Safety in Outdoor Adventure Activities How oft, in spirit, have I turned to thee, O sylvan Wye! thou wanderer thro the woods, How often has my spirit turned to thee! William Wordsworth Introduction Within the vacillations of the framework for environmental adventure education, it is of extreme importance that the instructor/evaluator be able to integrate the predetermination of participants into their scheme or objectives. In this way, the student guides the instructor into lines of necessity as well as the instructor laying ground rules for the future participation in outings or events. Additionally, the achievement protocol must become based entirely on the mental success of students as well as the substantiation of their prideful focus on these activities. The only growth potential for a student participating in adventure activities comes from the assimilation of new techniques and the mitigation of challenging evidence to the contrary of their own prideful and successful belief structure. Environment Prior to the approach of adventure travelers into this unique world of kayaking, it was important to access the environmental affecters which might change or determine the course of participation. Particular evaluations made prior to the event inception include the legislative comprehension, evaluation of the weather and potential natural events, and the ability to access the area of travel. Legislation: Obviously, it is of significant import to determine if the government regulates any particulars of a given activity. In this situation, it was determined through research of the location, contact with the governing authority, as well as research via the internet, that there was no mitigating legislation which might inhibit our participation. Weather: Secondly, it was of high import that on the morning of our event that I evaluate the current weather forecast in order to determine the propensity for travel during our given timeframe. Fortunately, on this day, there was only a ten percent change of rain and no other signs of negative influence on our journey. It was, however, an interesting indicator of the success for future adventure travel that the frequent variations in weather could potentially inhibit the safe travel and passage of my guests. Accessibility: Finally, the ability to access the chosen area was necessitated by the current stratification of river bodies which occupy the housing of exclusive clubs and organizations. In this particular scenario, integration with the Wey Kayak Club offered ease of access into the determined junction and we were able to put in our kayaks without problem or negative event. Safety As the group set out for the kayaking expedition, it was the integral safety of this particular activity which was at the forefront of our situation. The Kayaks loaded onto our transport, my mind returned to the analysis which I had conducted prior to embarkation and the results propelled us forward. Significantly, the most important factors which would affect this expedition were the abilities of the adventurers, the quality of the equipment, and the pattern of the river. The Adventurers: In this particular exercise, due to the beginner requirements of the River Wye, there is minimal training which must occur prior to integration into the waters. However, several basic skills must be mastered for the particular possibility of catastrophic events. These include the ability to rollover one’s Kayak in still water and the ability to paddle, determined by the comfort level of the user to rotate from control to free hand and integrate this motion into actual events. Equipment: Obviously, the choice of equipment for beginner kayakers was essential to the experience of the adventurer as well as the integration of their skills into the required exercises. This choice was made based upon the structural stability of the craft, the ease of maneuverability, and finally, the portability based on weight. For this project, we chose the recreational kayak, as regardless of distance upon the river, the necessity of a touring, whitewater, or downriver kayak was not insinuated. It was through the simplified maneuverability and average weight of the recreational model was perfect for beginners. River Topography: Essential to the affectation of a safe and enthralling kayaking expedition are the dynamics of the river traveled. Through careful analysis of entry and exit point, including the portability of the equipment, the expected encounter of rapids, and the re-transportation of the kayaks to the vehicles, essential standards were established for the decided location for participation. The unique makeup of the Wye river as topographically without rapid intervention, as well as the sustained current and comfortable beginner training area made for a well participated journey. Near the A3 just off of the Riverside Guildford offered a unique put in area, and nearly five miles downriver, there sat our retrieval vehicle for our expedient return. Participants Obviously, the essential integration of diverse participants into the leisure industry is entirely reliant on the ability to create and perpetuate the inclusion of exciting and varied events. Additionally, it is through the one on one coaching that the student may become inspired to the revision of pre-determined tactics. In terms of the kayaking exercise, it was essential for me to establish my own flow and abilities prior to begin to coach the ladies with their approach. Therefore, through acceptance of their instructor’s usefulness, students will continue to find their challenges lurk in personnel as well as their susceptibility to the norm when it should be through the modification of corporate structure that corporations actively seek out success. Skill/Behavior: This critical area of adventure evaluation determined the extreme tasks undertake by our group of participants. It was essential for our success in this event that my perception prior to water immersion was integrated with the information provided by the group. Of those participating, there were two kayakers in particular who were at a significant disadvantage to the others, having neither paddled in placid nor rapid water. It was my primary objective to identify their weaknesses and instruct their advance in the tactics for water safety and effective technique. As I, myself, was challenged by the opportunity to move from test cycle to natural environment, it would become prudent that my water skills be tested and personally approved prior to leading the expedition downstream. My noticeable flaw was my inability to maintain a consistent paddling rhythm, resulting in a circular motion unbefitting of an instructor. Through readjustment of my grip, from tension upon the control hand and an integrated relaxed method of my free rotating hand, I was able improve greatly within the first few minutes of water immersion. Ultimately, when kayaking, your control hand must hold the shaft with the knuckles lined up with the upper edge of the blade. The opposite hand now has the ability to relax and rotate. Importantly, one hand must release slightly from the paddle during strokes or the grips will be in direct opposition to each other’s movement. As my students watched my struggle, and eventually my success, their confidence was additionally improved and paddling techniques became more fluid and effective. It was essential to the group safety that this establishment of technique be a priority, regardless of the anxiousness of the more proficient participants. I also noticed a particular flaw in several group members as their challenge of interactivity within the integrated setting set them off on tangents which drove their progress too far downstream. This safety risk and particular avarice to my instruction demonstrated a need for adaptable discipline, and as I coached them on their group progression, I showed group reintegration and the affectation of a common goal of the waterway traverse. Confidence Development: Of particular importance to the adventure sports leadership is the response by participants to the activities and circumstances of their journey. The unique ability to watch as my group utilized peer support in order to affect skill development, coupled with the integration of a common objective was highly inspiring. I realized that as I utilized my maneuvers to coach and develop participants, they in turn were able to break away in order to perpetuate the growth of others. It was through this interaction that the group developed significant self-confidence, as their skills and application of environmental integration offered a high standard of pride and personal affectation. As students were able to finally overcome the challenge of task integration into a mentally perceived practice environment, their speed, dexterity, and skill all became more proficient and inspired. In fact, their skills were excitedly exploited during one course of a set of small rapids as student participated in a group attempt to enact an individual rollover at the base. The perception was that through the group collaboration, in spite of the danger or challenge, that each student would be able to descend the current, come to a halt with a  ½ rotation spin, and cause themselves to flip over at the base of the rapids. They would then utilize their skills and technique previously acquired to upright themselves, and if there was in fact difficulty, I sat by, ready to rescue any stranded paddler. Finally, the exit point offered a unique affectation of success to all participants, as they landed and exited from the soft current, renewed and rejuvenated in their decisive attempt to improve their mastery of a world sport. The integration of cultural pride into their own personal appropriation of skill and success substantially imbibes their demeanor with a noticeable happiness and achievement. This ability to watch all participants exit the water with jocular praise and ebullience was not only enjoyable but invigorating for me, as I knew that my attention to safety and the detail elements of this adventure were securely rooted in my learned skills and teaching abilities. Takeaways The significance of the appreciated takeaways during this adventure outing will be integrated into my future teaching and leisure travel techniques. It will become essential that I remember particulars of this event in order to further my own comprehension of the inspirational power of personal achievement. Additionally, I will continue to focus on the training techniques which I utilized during this outing and will modify to affect growth in future interactions. It is essential to the success of future endeavors that the location of integration for any type of adventure group be established, evaluated for potential challenges, and cleared by the government legislation of that particular area. Additionally, while not addressed during my study, the group appreciation for this area will be determined by their ability to interact successfully with their environment, therefore, I will consider the challenge of engagement as a personal goal in all future endeavors. The integration of participants into the particulars of the environment becomes a unique opportunity to actualize individual affectation within the activities. Similarly, it will become a personal objective to hone the skills unique to the event or venue optioned for integration into leisure travel management. This means that regardless of the outdoor activity, my own integration into the abilities required will continue to positively affect the morale and abilities of my students. People who decide to involve themselves in group outdoor activities are most likely not experts in that particular field, and therefore, they look for support from their leader to determine the path to success. Conclusion The utilization of outdoor entertainment for physical and mental challenge has become a highly integral industry in the field of hospitality and leisure. It is therefore of specific import that the technician of such events be able to strategically evaluate the potential for success through the location, abilities of the participants, and the environmental affecters. It is key to the confrontation of individual challenges that the instructor find the ability to effectively communicate objectives and strategies to his participants, in addition to encouraging individual growth and participation. Only through the full integration of the mindset and acceptance of activity, will the students find their experience not only rewarding but a stepping block for future challenges. And through the dissolution of mental blocks to the challenge framework, it is possible for the instructor to inspire great internal growth and a spectacular inclusion of a set of new and varied skills and abilities.

New Company Business Plan Adventure International Travel Tourism Essay

New Company Business Plan Adventure International Travel Tourism Essay Adventure International Travel would be a sole proprietorship company that will provide adventure trips and activities such as skiing, river rafting, mountain climbing, biking, etc. along with other services such as lodging, car rental, airline tickets and so on. The location of the company will be in the central of California. The idea behind setting up this business is its high growth rate; travel industry growth rate is 4% and 10% of adventure travel per year. AIT will take advantage of this growing sector by providing full adventure packages with the support of experienced staff and effective marketing. The estimated set up cost for AIT would be approximately $102,500, out of this figure $85,000 will be a loan from First National Bank and remaining will be the personal investment. The large percentage of AITs target market would be health conscious, ages between 18-34, and families with annual household income of $50,000 and it will maintain 10% margins on all airline tickets and 20% gross margins on other services such as lodging, car rental, etc. AIT will start with 4 full time positions (manager, marketing and advertising director, accountant, and travel agent). It expects slow growth in first 2 quarters of operation because it will be new in the market and will take time to establish. Details about market analysis, strategy, management, and financial plan are described in this study. AIT is a travel agency that provides adventure trips and consultation to its customers with a view to make their vacation worthy. Providing adventure trips is our primary business and hence we generate profits from it. The required capital for setting-up the business would be approximately $103,000, out of which some investment would come from personal and remaining would come from long-term loan from First National Bank in north-west location (Edward G. Hinkelman, 2004). EXPENSES: this will include rent of the office, consultants fees, cost of insurance, electricity, water and other utilities bills. The large portion of investment will go in setting-up the computer systems. LOANS: a loan of $85,000 would be taken from First National Bank. (Startups, 2010). AIT will be a sole proprietorship owned business that will be located in Central California. Once the Business achieves its goal we may go for a partnership with other agencies to expand our Business. This probably is done after 18 months of operation. AIT has searched for 3 potential locations for setting up the Business. All these locations are in the central of California and are between approximately 1200-1500 square feet of area. After achieving the goal within defined time period in the travel industry AIT would be among the top 30 agencies in California with population of 38 million in 2010 (Allan Beaver. 2005). AIT provides travel services to both individual and group of customers. We provide special offers to corporate clients also. We provide full travel package that includes air tickets, lodging, car on rent, rail passage, sightseeing, etc. Our aim is to keep differentiate ourselves as a specialist in adventure travel agency (Adventuresportsonline, 2010). AIT will provide a high standard of services including air tickets and travel packages. Top of it we will provide services like accommodation and entertainment, customer satisfaction, and assistance in handling the passport. Moreover, we offer quality services with competitive rates focusing mainly on Adventure travel. There are two categories of Adventure travel, hard and soft adventure. Both categories involve physically active and athletic activities. Soft adventure activities involve less physical work and risk as compared to hard adventure activities. Economic indicators suggest that there is a high rise in demand for adventure travel services. We can position ourselves as a niche services provider in the field of adventure travel. AIT will deal with all the top-notch suppliers with accomplished backgrounds. If any of the suppliers failed to meet our requirements for high standards of quality we will discontinue our business with them (Ibid). The travel agency business is very highly competitive in market and the latest technology, computerized reservation systems (CRS) using the internet has changed the way how agencies operate. With the help of internet both agencies and clients can search for best deals in the market. Air fare brokers offer more discount on online reservations. It has resulted in price competition. CRS can increase the speed and efficiency of agencies to respond to customer transactions. It has also resulted in increased set-up costs for other travel agencies those wish to be competitive. Increasing industry competition and the number of travel options that are available have forced smaller travel agencies to become specialist at least one of the travel types and AIT would try to establish as a specialist in adventure travel. AIT believes in establishing customer relationships for its long-term sales and will provide full adventure packages with free consultation and lower prices (Trekamerica, 2010). Brochures such as travel locations, airlines, train passage, car rental companies, etc. would be obtained from the suppliers of these services and wholesale houses with whom IT would deal. On the request of customers, AIT will mail these brochures to them electronically. Also, other marketing mix activities such as direct mailing, printed advertising, pamphlets, etc. will be utilized as needed. Customers contact information can be retrieved if database is maintained by AIT (Howard S. Rowand). AIT need to establish strong relationships with the suppliers who provide travel related products and services. AIT will select two major airlines as its primary ticket providers. As per industry standard we can keep 10% margin on ticket sales. With the help of market research we have identified working relationships with many of the service providers globally. There is an opportunity to keep margins up to 25% in profits in the location; AIT has selected to start business. AIT will keep monitoring the quality of its offerings by taking the advantage of trade fairs, market publications, and other information that is related to travel industry (Travel trends, 2010). It would be better if AIT follows the recent trend of technology in client reservations i.e. Computerized Reservation System (CRS). The CRS will help us in identifying the customers need and in retrieving the required information in just few numbers of clicks. It will increase the speed and efficiency of communication with clients and suppliers. Also, CRS will help us in maintaining the customer database for future references. Excessive use of internet in searching information and communication would be needed (Travel industry wire, 2010). 3.6 Future Services When saturation point will reach then AIT may think to open offices in other locations and may look to participate in other segments of the travel industry. AIT will keep researching for further potential opportunities in market to expand business. The long-term goal of AIT is to achieve global position in providing top class adventure travel services at low costs. We will try to make profits by increasing the number of sales instead of increasing in prices. 4.0 Market Analysis Summary AIT plans to provide adventure travel services in all the greater parts such as California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Indiana, Missouri, Utah, Colorado, Washington, New Jersey, Maryland, Hawaii, and North Dakota. Adventure travel is one of the sub-categories of leisure travel and further divided into soft and hard adventure travel. Travel agencies in the U.S are generating more than $50 billion of revenue annually and out of which soft adventure travel is generating approximately $40-50 million and $12-15 million for hard adventure travel (tours to United States, 2009). 4.1 Survey Conducted AIT has conducted the market survey for its customers and it has observed the following (Survey money, 2010): Out of the group of 51 individuals Occupation 43 (84.3%) are students + working. 10 (19.6%) are only working 2.0% 1 others Age 22 (43.1%) are between 18 to 20 28 (54.9%) are between 21-34 of age 1 (2.0%) is above 34 Interested in Adventure trip AIT is surprised that due to stress in life, people are moving towards adventure trips to have some fun and relaxation in their life. 49 (98%) are interested in adventure trip 1 (2%) is not interested, and 1 did not decide yet. Annual income of families 22 (45.8%) have $50,000 of annual income 11 (22.9%) have $60,000 of annual income, and 15 (31.3%) have above $60,000 of annual income 3 skipped the question. 4.2 Market Segmentation AIT is targeting health conscious couples and individuals with average of $50,000 annual household incomes as customers. AIT will focus on people with the interest of adventure activities such as river rafting, mountain climbing and biking, skiing. The large percentage of men who were interested in taking adventure travel was between the ages of 18 to 35. But these days the number of women travelers is increasing rapidly. According to survey of women traveling together in 2008, women comprises of 49% of adventure trips. The average spending of men on adventure travels are more than women. AIT will also provide adventure packages to married couples aged between 25- 35 with children (Adventure women, 2010). 4.3 Target Market Segment Strategy The location of AIT would be in the pacific northwest of U.S because this region is rich in the natural beauty and provides outdoor activities to fitness oriented individuals. This area has people with more per capital income than any other part in the country those like to take part in such soft and hard adventure activities. These people will be the AITs target market. This area has many big companies and most of these companies organize such adventure trips for their employees as a group task and to increase group cohesion. 4.4 Market Trends One of the notable trends in the field of travel industry is Increased Deregulation. Deregulation is directly proportional to the need for differentiation of products and services that is if deregulation increases, the need for differentiation of products and services also increases and has resulted in decrease in the prices of airfare and other travel and tourism related services. Other trends include caps on commissions of travel agencies by many of the larger Airlines resulting increase in adventure travel and reducing profit margins. More than 147 million adult travelling populations (about 50% of adult population) of the United States have taken an adventure trip at least once in their lifetime and out of this figure 98 million have taken in the past years. Nearly 31 million of the adult population have engaged in hard adventure activities such as river rafting, mountain biking, and scuba diving and around 25 million population is engaged in both hard and soft adventure activiti es in which people have high interest and participate during their adventure vacations are camping (84%), hiking (75%), skiing (52%), scuba diving (31%), sailing (25%), river rafting (24%), and mountain biking (24%). These customers are young and affluent, aged between 18 to 34 and one fourth of them have $50,000 (Â £ 32,500) or more annual incomes (Adventure travel industry growth statistics, 2009). 4.5 Market Growth The travel industry has a high growth rate. Reasons behind this growth are healthy domestic and international economies and the devaluation of foreign currency in other areas which has made travel cheaper for United States residents. According to the Tourism satellite accounting (TSA) world travel and tourism has generated close to $ 8 trillion of revenue in year 2008 and expected to generate approximately $ 15 trillion over the next ten years. Due to the global economic downturn it has experienced a slowdown in growth (In 2008 it was 3% in comparison to 3.9% in 2007). By looking at the past experiences the long term forecasts believe that the growth for world travel and tourism between the period of 2009 and 2018 would be around 5% per year, supporting 289 million employment and approx 11% of total global GDP by 2018 (Ibid). 4.6 Market Needs Most of the customers are unsure about the location where they wish to go for adventure trip. So travel agencies should provide better knowledge about destinations to their customers. These days customers are price conscious and look for agencies with competitive price. Time is also one of the precious commodities. AIT would be the solution to save time and money and insure that customers are fully satisfied with their vacation. 4.7 Service Business Analysis Before 2000 travel and tourism industry in the U.S. was the countrys third largest retail industry and according to the department of commerce, it is now at number one. There is a 100% increase in the revenue generated from travel and tourism industry in the last decade. The U.S. travel agencies generate more than $100 billion of revenue each year. Travel industry is divided into two main categories 1. Business travel and 2.Leisure travel. Each of them contributes about 45% of the total revenue and remaining 5% of revenue comes from combined business and leisure trips. Travel market is than further divided into domestic into domestic and international travel. 70% of the revenue is generated by domestic travel. Business travel can be separated into medium to large business trips and small independent businessman trips. The classification of leisure travel Customers is based on the type of trip they take, budget, or age (Ibid). The four primary groups of customers under leisure travel are:- Adventure lovers, special-interest groups, honeymoon couples, and sightseeing trips. Rich travelers with high incomes. Budget conscious travelers, and Families with children, group of students and seniors. 4.8 Competition and Buying patterns At present there are number of adventurous activities and types of travel such as theme parks, motor home trips, less expensive self-planned trips and cruises that are available to people to choose from and contemplate an adventure vacation, have created huge competition in the travel industry. Also, many high income people like to invest money in other financial services instead in having vacation. There are many travel agencies that are creating direct competition by providing adventure travel packages. Lifestyle, age and income are three major factors that influence the decision of customer to travel and the type of travel to participate in. According to survey, on average an adventure traveler takes at least one of the adventure travel every 12-18 months (US Travel, 2009). 4.9 Main competitors Rollins and Hayes: They are based on the eastern costal area and are the most famous and respected travel agency in the world that provides adventure trips. Since last 20 years they are in travel business and providing adventure packages to their customers. They are very successful in travel business. This gives them total control over the entire vacation. Rollins and Hayes have the advantage of their established reputation, strategic alliance, and experience in providing high quality trips with economies of scale. The negative thing about them which could be an opportunity for my business is that their packages are expensive and appeal only to rich customers with high incomes. Sundance travels: It is a traditional travel agency based in Colorado and has been in the business for last 10 years. Slowly they have made the move towards adventure trips and are now well known for it. Their major strengths are reputation, past experiences, and financial solvency. And their major weaknesses are high personnel and management turnover and they are lacking behind in constructing better road map for future growth. Global Adventure: They started travel business in 1995 in the Los Angeles area and now successfully established and well-known as adventure travel specialists. The Los Angeles is a very competitive area because of its large number of tourist attractions and other travel agencies. Global has achieved good position through their highly skilled management and successful marketing communications (Ibid). 4.10 Distributing a Service The distribution channel in travel industry pattern is from supplier to agent and then to customer. A conference system can be used for distribution between agency and suppliers. Airline reporting corporation (ARC) and International airlines travel agents networks (IATAN) are the two conferences through which agency and air travel providers communicate. The primary work of the agency is to hold the fixed number of airline ticket vouchers from the airline reporting corporation and then responsible for storing and collecting the payments for the vouchers. To keep the prices down and to attract more customers, agencies are buying airline tickets in large quantities and selling them online (Microstrategy, 2010). 5.0 Strategy and Implementation Summary AIT has planned to adopt the following strategies to achieve the goal of becoming leader in the adventure travel business in the Pacific northwest of U.S. AIT would establish its reputation by providing differentiation of products and services to its clients. This could be possible through better Marketing Communication programs at AITs target market using various forms of media. By providing supreme services to the customers so that AIT can gain repeats Business and build trust. This can be done by providing superior services in all stages of the transaction. By promoting adventure travel as a healthy, exciting, and interesting activities and by publishing photos and testimonials of customers who participate in such activities in companys newsletter, website and other advertising Medias. 5.1 Competitive Edge Competitive edge of AIT is its dedication, interest in adventure travel, focus on building long term relationships and trust, and experienced staff. AIT will provide differentiated travel services to customers with the better utilization of Management experience, cost and commitment in maintaining quality service. 5.2 Marketing Strategy The basic goal of the AITs Business is to create and keep clients for future. The Marketing Strategy of AIT will reflect this goal in building its reputation in the Pacific North western area. Though AIT will operate in the travel industry but it will provide much more than just an adventure trip. It will provide adventure and freedom to enjoy it. Due to busy era most of the people spend 50 weeks of a year in their office only. AIT will encourage them about the challenge, excitement, ability to do, and importance of an athletic endeavor. AIT will try to promote the benefits of having an adventure travel and theses benefits may include body fitness, ear to ear grins, personality development, excitement, and lots more (travel agent success, 2010). 5.3 Promotion Strategy During the opening ceremony of AIT there will be a grand party and we will organize and sponsor many athletic related events such as 2km fun race, 5km marathon, mountain climbing and biking, etc. AIT will provide travel related packages to winners and other consolation prizes to participants. It will be easier for AIT to promote its services through interaction with people present on ceremony if all employees working with AIT would from the local athletic clubs background. During the opening ceremony and other fun events, AIT will give presentation on the services and trips it offers. AIT will negotiate with local health clubs and other promotional activities through these strategic alliances (saac, 2010). Specialty advertising association of California will serve marketing service to AIT because they are very famous and provide better advertising service at lower costs. AIT will also promote its services on local Radio stations. Orkut, Facebook, Twitter are also acting like an effec tive tool for promoting services online. AIT will create communities named as Adventure Travel Lovers on these social websites and will publish information about its travel offerings. Personal selling is also very effective promotional tool but AIT will keep it limited to safe cost on phone bills. According o IT facts, in California 96% of households have internet access, so AIT will focus more on online promotional activities. AIT also planes to station sales in major public places such as shopping malls (Ibid). 5.4 Distribution strategy AITs distribution strategy will focus on the direct selling in the area where it is possible to reach at minimum cost and for other areas World Wide Web will be use to establish distribution capability. This will increase the ability of AIT to establish a national reputation. 5.5 Marketing Programs AIT will use traditional marketing communication methods to reach its customers. Every month AIT will conduct surveys to know the taste of both soft and hard adventure lovers and their profiles such as where they live, where they work, what is their profession, etc. According to IT FACTS California, most of the travel customers purchase either over the internet or through travel agents and AIT will assist them in both ways: online and in-personal. The use of internet will provide a better and an effective methods of communication with clients and suppliers. In starting AIT will focus on primary customer group and this group is defined as the number of customers who have purchased an adventure package before and who are interested in buying it. In addition to Internet, AIT will follow all those marketing tools with which customers feel comfortable such as travel magazines, direct mail, in house meetings and personal selling. Initially, AIT will start operating in the local region than within 18 or more months of operation it will extend sales into other national and global markets. It will keep informing about its season, off season offers through newsletter every month (Ibid). 5.6 Positioning Statement Both individuals and corporate clients who are interested in having the adventure travel, AIT is a solution for it because it is a premier adventure travel agency that provides full package including transport, accommodation, sightseeing, consultation, and adventure activities. 5.7 Pricing Strategy AIT will decide its pricing according to the market standards. As per the current market standards (10% to 16%) it will maintain margins of 10% on all travel services (it facts, 2010) and will try to keep 20% margins on remaining products and services that will depend on the pricing of providers. It will keep the prices low (just minimum margin 10%) as compared to other travel agencies in the region to maintain a competitive pricing policy. AIT will try to make its reputation as the best travel service provider in the region and will charge the best for services (resources. net, 2010). 5.8 Sales Strategy The main aim of the AIT is to deliver the benefits of products and services that it offers and promotes. It sells the freedom of life to customers and there are numerous benefits of this freedom such as healthy and balanced lifestyle. AIT will keep reminding its old and new customers about the importance of having the adventure trip and will hold a tag line as There is more to life than building bigger barns. AIT will provide full assistance with adventure travel and its primary concern is to provide high standard services and to make customers satisfy instead of maximizing the profits without concerning customer satisfaction. If AIT follows this, it will reduce costs and gives profit in long run because maintaining a relationship and good will with customers is always less expensive than to develop a new one (Ibid). 5.9 Sales forecast The monthly sales forecast is projected in the table below. AIT expects that in the first quarter of operation there would be a less number of sales but it has been estimated that 3 years growth would be around 20%. 5.10 Strategic Alliances With purpose of promotion AIT will develop strategic alliances with California family fitness centre, spectrum athletic clubs, and many others according to need of the business. Alliances with providers of adventure travel in other US. States and abroad will also be established (California family fitness, 2010). 6.0 Action plan/Milestones 7.0Management Summary However, AIT will start as a small business organization and will hold sole proprietorship, so employees working with it would have to share their duties and responsibilities. There would be a general manager who will be responsible for decision making. It is necessary for all employees to be capable of accepting all types of responsibilities of the business. During hiring period of employees, applicants should meet the following requirements: They must have at least 3 years of experience in the travel industry and activities, AIT will promote. They must hold certification in certified travel counselor from a reputed institute for example Institute of certified travel agents (ICTA) (totaljobs.com, 2010). 7.1 Organizational structure In the beginning AIT will start its operation by hiring four full time positions and these positions are describes below. 8.0 Financial plan The financial plan for AIT is discussed in the following sections. During first 2 quarters of operation, AIT expects slow growth because it will be new to market and other seasonal factors. All the estimated costs are based on the current market standards. AIT has decided to keep sufficient cash to overcome the situation of negative cash flow, if required. There may some differences in the figure during setting up the company due to gross margins, but this will present a realistic financial plan (Travel financial help, 2010). Important Assumptions National growth will not affect the growth of travel industry for the next five years. The demand for adventure travel will keep growing. International situation for providers and suppliers of services would remain positive. All calculations are carried out in Dollar ($). 8.1 Key financial indicators AIT has developed a chart which is shown below and describes major financial indicators for the first 3 consecutive years of operation. The U.S. economy has recovered lot from recession that will support the positive growth in adventure travel business. 8.2 Break Even Analysis AIT has decided to keep 20% gross margins and accordingly break even analysis is carried out. The table below describes the BEA, including monthly sales BE points (Ibid). 8.3 Projected profit and loss AIT will try to improve its operation progress in the third quarter of the 1st year after establishing itself in the market. It will improve gross margins from 22% in 2nd year and 23% in 3rd year. The below graph shows estimated annual profit and loss details. 8.4 Projected cash flow Both monthly and yearly estimated cash flow is projected in the below graph. Yearly cash flow is calculated by taking 60 day collection period. AIT has considered positive cash flow during the mid of the first year of operation (Ibid). 8.5 Projected Balance sheet Estimated balance sheet is shown below. 8.6 Business ratios-Below are the AITs Business ratios, estimated based on Standard Industry Classification (SIC) index code 4724.- Appendix

Pacific Explorers :: essays research papers fc

Andrew Sharp claims in his Ancient Voyagers in the Pacific published in 1956 that the Pacific Islanders did not possess the necessary navigational and sailing technology to deliberately navigate the distances between islands of the Pacific when colonizing these islands. He claims colonization was random and accidental. However, more recent studies from 1972 on of Pacific navigation suggest deliberate navigation and colonization was possible and did take place. These studies have been supported by reenactments of voyages, computer simulations, and newly acquired information regarding preparation for distant voyages. Andrew Sharp supports his claim of accidental colonization by citing numerous examples of lost voyagers landing on populated islands, their testimony or second hand information recorded by Captain Cook. Sharp claims the only distant voyages were confined to "Western Polynesia-Fiji and the Tahiti-Tuamotu archipelago" (Sharp 1956:2). He states that the longest offshore voyages made without landing on intermediate islands included distances of up to three hundred miles, separating Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Rotuma and the Ellice Islands, and distances up to two-hundred and thirty miles, separating Tahiti from the Tuamotu islands. Sharp refers to an account by Captain Cook's interpreter, Omai, who discovered three of his own countrymen from Tahiti, who landed on Atiu, six hundred miles away. They were the sole survivors of twenty people, blown off course in a sudden gale while attempting to voyage from Tahiti to Raiatea, one hundred miles away. Sharp relies on generalizations given in Cook's logs referring to colonization of the remote islands of Polynesia. Cook refers to the accidental voyage to Atiu stating "this will serve to explain, better than a thousand conjectures of speculative reason, how the detached parts of the earth, and in particular, how the South Seas, may have been peopled; especially those that lie remote from any inhabited continent, or from each other." (Sharp 1956:4) Sharp uses examples procured from Cook's log book, citing observations of Anderson, ship surgeon in charge of natural history observations. "The knowledge they have of other islands is no doubt, traditional; and has been communicated to them by the natives of those islands, driven accidentally upon their coasts, who besides giving them the names, could easily inform them of the direction in which the places lie from whence they came, and of the number of days they had upon the sea." (Sharp 1956:7) Sharp discusses the navigational technology of the Tongans, with most of his knowledge based on Cook's observations. "The sun is their guide by day and the stars at night. When these are obscured, they have recourse to the points from which the winds and waves come upon the vessel. If during the obstruction the winds and waves should shift. . Pacific Explorers :: essays research papers fc Andrew Sharp claims in his Ancient Voyagers in the Pacific published in 1956 that the Pacific Islanders did not possess the necessary navigational and sailing technology to deliberately navigate the distances between islands of the Pacific when colonizing these islands. He claims colonization was random and accidental. However, more recent studies from 1972 on of Pacific navigation suggest deliberate navigation and colonization was possible and did take place. These studies have been supported by reenactments of voyages, computer simulations, and newly acquired information regarding preparation for distant voyages. Andrew Sharp supports his claim of accidental colonization by citing numerous examples of lost voyagers landing on populated islands, their testimony or second hand information recorded by Captain Cook. Sharp claims the only distant voyages were confined to "Western Polynesia-Fiji and the Tahiti-Tuamotu archipelago" (Sharp 1956:2). He states that the longest offshore voyages made without landing on intermediate islands included distances of up to three hundred miles, separating Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Rotuma and the Ellice Islands, and distances up to two-hundred and thirty miles, separating Tahiti from the Tuamotu islands. Sharp refers to an account by Captain Cook's interpreter, Omai, who discovered three of his own countrymen from Tahiti, who landed on Atiu, six hundred miles away. They were the sole survivors of twenty people, blown off course in a sudden gale while attempting to voyage from Tahiti to Raiatea, one hundred miles away. Sharp relies on generalizations given in Cook's logs referring to colonization of the remote islands of Polynesia. Cook refers to the accidental voyage to Atiu stating "this will serve to explain, better than a thousand conjectures of speculative reason, how the detached parts of the earth, and in particular, how the South Seas, may have been peopled; especially those that lie remote from any inhabited continent, or from each other." (Sharp 1956:4) Sharp uses examples procured from Cook's log book, citing observations of Anderson, ship surgeon in charge of natural history observations. "The knowledge they have of other islands is no doubt, traditional; and has been communicated to them by the natives of those islands, driven accidentally upon their coasts, who besides giving them the names, could easily inform them of the direction in which the places lie from whence they came, and of the number of days they had upon the sea." (Sharp 1956:7) Sharp discusses the navigational technology of the Tongans, with most of his knowledge based on Cook's observations. "The sun is their guide by day and the stars at night. When these are obscured, they have recourse to the points from which the winds and waves come upon the vessel. If during the obstruction the winds and waves should shift. .

Emotionally Disturbed Students Essay -- essays research papers fc

Emotionally Disturbed Students Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) frequently exhibit academic deficits alongside their behavioral deficits, particularly in the area of reading; however, there are very few studies examining ways to address the reading problems of this population of students at the middle and high school level. The academic deficits exhibited by students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) are well documented in research literature. As outlined in the federal definition of emotional disturbance, students with this disorder demonstrate an inability to learn and, as a result, pose instructional challenges alongside the behavioral problems that they exhibit in the school environment. Many of these students require intensive instruction to maintain the academic skills they have been taught and to improve their academic deficits. For many students with E/BD, achievement problems are particularly troublesome in the area of reading (Maughan, Pickles, Hagell, Rutter, & Yule, 1996). Unfortunately, there has been very little published research in the area of reading instruction with this population of students. In their review of reading interventions in the area of E/BD, Coleman and Vaughn (2000) identified only eight published studies that reported the results of reading interventions for students with E/BD. The majority of these studies were conducted with students younger than 12 years of age. The need for additional research in the area of reading instruction is particularly true for adolescents with E/BD. The reading failure of secondary students with behavioral problems has been consistently documented and, as reported in the findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study (Malmgren, Edgar, & Neel, 1998), these reading deficits likely contribute to the dismal outcomes for these students such as high dropout rates, grade retention, and overall poor achievement. In addition, the absence of empirically derived reading practices for older students with E/BD is particularly problematic given the current emphasis on achieving state curriculum standards and participating in content-area learning (Deshler et al., 2001). As noted earlier, students identified with E/BD typically show significant deficits in the area of reading. This is particularly true for secondary-age students with this condition. In a... ...eiman (Eds.), Reading acquisition (pp. 145-174). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. Popkin, J., & Skinner, C. H. (2003). Enhancing academic performance in a classroom serving students with serious emotional disturbance: Interdependent group contingencies with randomly selected components. School Psychology Review, 32, 282-295. Scott, T. M., & Shearer-Lingo, A. (2002). The effects of reading fluency instruction on the academic and behavioral success of middle school students in a self-contained E/BD classroom. Preventing School Failure, 46, 167-173. Skinner, C. H., Smith, E. S., & McLean, J. E. (1994). The effects of intertrial interval duration on sight-word learning rates in children with behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 19, 98-107. Wehby, J. H. (2003, February). Promoting academic success as an incompatible behavior. Paper presented at the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders International Forum, Las Vegas, NV. Wehby, J. H., Lunsford, L. B., & Phy, E. (2004). Comparing the reading profiles of students with concomitant behavior and reading problems to a normally achieving, reading-matched sample. Manuscript in preparation.

Diction and storytelling in Death by Landscape by Margaret Atwood

Rather than an exaggerated hyperbole, â€Å"scarred for life† is a very accurate description of Lois from the short story â€Å"Death by Landscape’s† state of mind. Margaret Atwood depicts a character haunted by her childhood and solidifies that past experiences do a great deal in shaping the future of children into adulthood. Through diction by an older and younger Lois: symbolism, setting and characterization are distinguished. Firstly, strong symbolism is expressed through the landscape paintings that Lois collects while at the same time she avoids the wilderness altogether. The readers are left wondering why Lois would collect these painting if she â€Å"does not find them peaceful in the least† but instead they â€Å"fill her with a world of unease† (2). It is revealed at the end of the short story that these paintings are representative of the tie Lois still has been unable to sever with her deceased best friend from childhood. A friend who in Lois’ mind completely vanished off the face of the earth; her body was never recovered. A young Lois recalled, â€Å"Lucy did not care about things she did not know, whereas Lois did†, from this it can assumed that Lois is a character of strong need for closure and she never got it. In her mind there was no way Lucy could just disappear like this, she had to be somewhere. With this mindset taken into her adulthood an older Lois had rebirthed Lucy through these landscape paintings symbolic of her death. â€Å"A dead person is a body, a dead body occupies space it exists somewhere†(9), with this mindset Lois preserved Lucy’s existence through these landscape paintings. In this case symbolism is key in understanding Lois’ fear of the wild. Secondly, setting and imagery play a key role in shaping Lois’ views of the wilderness in adulthood and childhood. As a child it’s made clear that Lois has hostility towards the camp and its atmosphere but then eventually she gets used to it. But Lois in adulthood is seen to have a traumatic fear of anything remotely to do with the wilderness. At first glance it just seems as though she just doesn’t care for gardening by her â€Å"[relief] not to have to worry about the lawn, or about the ivy pushing its muscular little suckers into the brickwork† (4). However after further insight it is seen that there is a reason behind her disdain for wildlife. The only thing signifying wildlife present in Lois’ life is the landscape paintings in which she believes Lucy resides. With these she is able to not have to let go of Lucy at the comfort of her closed-off and artificial world. The imagery of the canoe trip in Lois’ childhood is also seen to be particularly frightening and provides understanding of her complete disdain for nature. While going canoeing Lois feels the â€Å"lake go down, deeper and colder than it was a minute before† (6), this exemplifies the sheer power, terror and unpredictability that comes with the association of the wilderness. Lois’ diction in this passage also foreshadows the complete disappearance of Lucy in a matter of moments, after being swallowed up by nature. Thus, imagery and setting provide insight in Lois’ anxiety for the wilderness. Lastly, characterization is used to depict Lois’ disdain for wildlife and much is revealed about her through the narration of her private thoughts and feelings within her childhood and adulthood. Lois and Lucy grow to become best friends despite them having almost nothing in common. At the age of 13 they live completely different lives and Lois recalls even feeling a bit, jealous of Lucy’s life. The reader is left to think why Lois would have such a central sense of guilt from this childhood experience and why â€Å"she felt terrible-guilty and dismayed, as if she had done something very bad, by mistake†(8). The way that Lois went about her life following this incident was that of a convicted criminal. With the amount and remorse Lois felt, could it be possible that maybe she did subconsciously wish that something would happen to Lucy? After repeatedly having to feel inferior when listening to her stories. Lois ends up feeling so remorseful for Lucy’s death she is completely paralyzed of living her own life. When she marries and has children she finds herself unfocused in life and careless in social gatherings. Randy, her deceased husband’s face does not even resonate with her and neither do the memories of the birth and the raising of her children. . She feels drained and â€Å"as if she was living not one life but two: her own and another shadowy life that hovered†(8). The intense feelings of guilt would only resurface themselves if she were ever to return to the camp in which Lucy had her tragic fall. Therefore Atwood’s use of diction through a young and older Lois provides strong insights for her fear of the wilderness. All in all Lois’ disdain for the wild can be distinguished through: symbolism, characterization, imagery and setting by using the diction of an older and younger Lois. Her complete inability to overcome this grief and loss goes to show to that past experiences play a key role in shaping children into adulthood.

Iphone Micro Environment

Micro-environmental factors such as customers are essential in determining the success of marketing especially when the needs of the clients are satisfied. Similarly, the contribution of employees to the company is fundamental in production of high quality products which are highly marketable (Apple, Inc. 2008). The media is an equally crucial factor of the micro-environment because any information which originates from the media either positive or negative can adversely affect the sales of the iPhones.Macro-environmental factors include worldwide change in technological perspectives of the digital world as well as evolution of more sophisticated software. This attributes creates an edge for Apple iPhones hence increasing their demand in the global market. The global problems such as the recent financial crisis which hit the whole global market contribute negatively towards the marketing of products (Apple, Inc. 2008). SWOT analysis SWOT analysis involves seeking to understand the st rengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that are within the vicinity of the firms reach.Strengths include qualities which may be possessed by the iPhone and not present in other similar models which are in the market. Similarly, strength may be ability of a brand to meet the needs of a particular age bracket thus placing it on top of the others (Linzmayer, 1999). [pic] Weaknesses are negative attributes especially contributed by the micro-environmental factors such as poor publicity. Such a weakness may lead to collapsing of the brand especially when urgent measures are not undertaken to counteract it (Blokdijk, 2008). [pic]Opportunities involve taking advantage of the weakness portrayed by competitors and ensuring that the brand attains higher recognition. During the low season for competitors in addition to ensuring that the firm takes note of the activities and in case of any chance of failure to make a breakthrough (Apple Inc. 2010). [pic] Threats are negative aspects whi ch dampen the occurrence of any successful strategies. Negative aspects which hinder the achievement of certain goals are referred as threats as they interfere with execution of the firm’s productivity. SWOT analysis    |Apple’s iPhone |Samsung |Nokia | |Strength |Unique features of product |Presence of a wide variety of   |Reputation in the market | | | |products | | |Weakness |Position of moisture sensors onShortage of distributors in the |Presence of counterfeits bearing| | |the iPhone hence it easily |local market level. almost similar names. | | |exposed to moisture. | | | |Opportunity |Increased taste of customers |Well established international |Easy recognition of the brand as| | |requiring customized products. |niche thus increasing the |it has been in the market for | | | |international sales of its |quite some time. | | |products. | | |Threat |More competitors dealing with |The wide ranges of products in |Counterfeits being sold at | | |iProducts in addi tion to |the market tend to limit |cheaper prices than the original| | |increased availability of the |consumer loyalty as they cannot |products hence consumers tend to| | |internet at lower prices. recall the name and use of the |reject the real Nokia products. | | | |various products. | |