Wednesday, August 26, 2020

A Character Analysis of Daisy Miller :: Daisy Miller, Henry James

In Daisy Miller, Henry James gradually uncovers the idea of Daisys character through her cooperations with different characters, particularly Winterbourne, the fundamental character. The creator utilizes third individual portrayal; notwithstanding, Winterbournes musings and perspective rule. Thus, the crowd discovers not any more about Daisy than Winterbourne. This procedure keeps up the uncertainty of Daisys character and brings the crowd into the story. From the outset glimpse, Daisy is depicted as a quite American tease whose blamelessness Winterbourne is uncertain of, but then he says he was practically appreciative for having discovered the equation that applied to Miss Daisy Miller (James 1563). Like numerous individuals do in initial introductions, Winterbourne wants to mark Daisy immediately. to start with, the generalization appears to fit. Daisy is youthful, unsophisticated, effusive, and boasts pretty much all the general public, particularly gentlemens society she had in New York (1562). She appreciates coaxing and getting responses out of individuals only for it. For instance, the second time she and Winterbourne meet, late one night in the nursery, she inquires as to whether he needs to take her out in a pontoon on the lake. obviously, her mom and the dispatch fight while Daisy snickers and proclaims, Thats all I need a little fuss!She had no expectation of going; she simply needed to aggravate somebody. Bidding great n ight to Winterbourne, she says, I trust youre disillusioned, appalled, or something! (1572). She is being coquettish, however this sort of prodding is additionally simply part of her comical inclination. Daisy Miller might be uneducated, as Winterbourne and his auntie depict her, however she is clever. One representation of her amusingness happens at Mrs. Walkers party when Winterbourne is scrutinizing her for her relations with Giovanelli. He says they dont comprehend that kind of thing herenot in youthful wedded women.Daisy cries, I thought they don't comprehended anything else! and proceeds to state, It appears to me more appropriate in youthful unmarried than in old wedded ones.Daisy normally talks and carries on in all honesty, nearly in a youngster like design, however this shows, as the storyteller portrays it, a surprising common information (1587). Daisy is fairly rural yet shrewd. She has a characteristic style and a blend of guiltlessness and crudity, but, as found in her reaction, her character demonstrates to go past the limits of this character sort of the regular magnificence (1564 and 1574).

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Tuesdays With Morrie Essays (376 words) - Self-help Books

Tuesdays With Morrie This book is a fascinating depiction of an old keeps an eye on fight with death. More explicitly that man is experiencing Lou Gehrig's ailment or amyotrophic horizontal sclerosis (ALS); an illness that influences the neurological framework. There is no solution for this illness, and the main great that can come out of having it is the opportunity to bid farewell. The opportunity to instruct individuals on the significance of life furthermore, the opportunity to give back what such a significant number of have given you. I think Morrie does precisely that, in this novel and throughout everyday life. In this novel there are two individuals that are at the base of the story and a few supporting individuals for both Morrie and Mitch. Mitch is a previous understudy of Morrie's who has returned to offer his teacher and his old buddy farewell. While doing this, Morrie and Mitch both consent to do a last theory on Morrie's passing. They meet on Tuesdays and examine a few unique points about existence. Mitch films these meetings in trusts of having the option to watch them after Morrie's passing, and to help him recorded as a hard copy this theory. As Morrie gets into the last phases of his sickness he can no longer do anything with the exception of talk, and even that is rapidly dying. Morrie said that he realized it would be awful when he could no longer wipe his can. Be that as it may, when that opportunity arrived he said he really appreciated it, that it resembled being a child once more. Morrie exhibits huge minding in this book; attempting to help individuals until the end. He even ventures to state that in the event that he could have another child he wishes that it could be Mitch. The last meeting closes with Morrie telling Mitch he cherishes him and Mitch doing likewise and the two of them begin to cry; something Mitch said he could never do. Morrie goes through his last days with his family unit and passes on alone in his bed, practically like he had arranged it that way. This is likely perhaps the best book I've at any point perused. The exercises you learn just by perusing the book are huge. Morrie is an incredible educator, even after his demise, as this book ends up being valid. I realize I'll always remember this book and the various exercises it has instructed me. Life is a valuable thing, live for the now.

Saturday, August 15, 2020

Steer Roast 2008

Steer Roast 2008 If you didnt already think that this past weekend at MIT was jam-packed with events like Senior Ball and Burton-Conners dinner cruise, then this will most definitely have you convinced: Steer Roast was this weekend. If your initial reaction to that was um, what?, then Ill fill you in: Steer Roast is Senior Houses claim to fame its our annual weekend-long party centered around the overnight roasting of a steer in our courtyard and the subsequent feast. The following description is courtesy of a presentation on Senior House and Steer Roast created by Charisse 03: I present Steer Roast as an extreme barbeque: instead of grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, we roast over 300 pounds of meat over a giant spit for 17 hours; instead of getting a band or two to perform, we hire a dozen bands to play over two nights; instead of general barbeque activities including horseshoes and lawn darts, we provide a 10 by 10 foot mud pit, strippers, and a casino. The festival celebrates Senior House culture by sporting death, because only life can kill you. Steer Roast has been held in the spring every year since 1964. Legend says it started as a small barbeque in the courtyard, but alums who return en masse for Roast every year state otherwise. From Michael Potash 69: No, this did not start out as a little barbeque and grow. No. It started out as a big bang, it was a huge thing it was 1964 in the spring it was big from the very first day. That said, I present you with pictures from the pit lighting and mud wrestling from this years Roast. Captions will appear if I feel like it that is, not often. The courtyard Friday afternoon during setup People filled the courtyard and crowded on balconies for the pit lighting: A considerable number of alums bring their families to pit lighting and the feast. Former GRT Foley got Laurie 11 to record this years lighting: The pit is traditionally lit by a flaming roll of toilet paper sent from five stories up, hence everyone looking skyward. I didnt get a shot of the roll on its way down, but I do have these pictures of the flaming pit (which is what you were all waiting for anyway): SO MUCH MEAT. MEAT MEAT MEAT MEAT MEAT The meat is taken off the spit the next morning and served as part of a full meal in the courtyard that afternoon. Upwards of 300 people attend each year I was one of the people cooking for the Feast, and at one point on Saturday morning I managed to fill all of the ovens in the Haus with massive amounts of baking pie. Our housemasters kicked off the mud wrestling, as they do every year. (Hey. Prefrosh. You know that Guide to Residences in the NBM? Check out our i3 video in the DVD. Yeah, thats them. Cynthia Jenkins always wins. If you cant take the time to get out the DVD, heres a YouTube video of them wrestling at last years Roast.) So yeah, youre looking at Paul in the picture below. Paul does not yet know that this picture exists. Hi, Paul. You can kill me later. I spent some of Friday night hanging out with Dorota 10 while she was on Meatwatch (what, you think six sides of steer just roast themselves?) and listening to some of the bands. Of the bands performing, I got to see five; Professor Murder and Oxford Collapse were probably my favorite two. Roast is also a time for halls and suites to do something art-related, or just something awesome. The residents of 433 ordered thousands of googly eyes and glued them to everything in the suite. Yes. Everything. My hall, the 4th HNC, went with an overarching theme, Things that pop. This involved bubble guns that made their way throughout the Haus during the whole of Friday night, but the highlight was the three hundred balloons stuffed with little packets of Pop Rocks, inflated, and used to fill the entirety of our hall lounge. We started doing this the Sunday before Roast, so the balloons had to be stored someplace during the week. This place ended up being my room. Somewhere under those balloons is a couch. Im still exhausted from not having slept this weekend. My voice is completely shot, and it doesnt show signs of returning any time soon. It was absolutely, absolutely worth it. More pictures later. Or you can look for them yourself if you want. Im not the only one who had a camera, and some people were smart and used digital instead of film. Post Tagged #Senior Haus #Senior House

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Music and Adolescent Behavior - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1640 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/03/20 Category Psychology Essay Level High school Topics: Behavior Essay Did you like this example? Music is everywhere. Whether it be on the radio in your car, at work, or even through headphones on your own personal device, music is a constant in our society and is a huge part of the entertainment industry. It is hard to deny that music is an influential part of human life and can impact the emotions a person may feel. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Music and Adolescent Behavior" essay for you Create order When a person is happy, they may listen to happy songs. When they are sad, they may listen to sad songs. There are songs about love and romance, songs about heartbreak and revenge on an ex-lover. But it seems that the most prevalent themes in todays music is that of a degrading sexual nature, as well as the recreational use of drugs and alcohol. As mainstream music lyrics become more and more explicit in content, there is some evidence that exposure to these themes may have a negative effect on the sexual behavior of adolescents, as well as the normalization of drug use and overall reckless behavior on young adults. Over the years, rap music has become increasingly explicit in nature. Studies show that from 2001-2011, approximately 74% of the Billboards top 25 rap music hits made reference to sex, sexual expectations, and/or sexual relationships. (Johnson,et al) This study concluded that there are three themes to rap music. The most prevalent theme is that Its really about sex or nothing at all. In other words, sex is the only goal of male to female interaction. The second theme found being that substances are used as the precursor/enhancer, meaning that alcohol and/or drugs are used in abundance for the goal of sex. The third theme is performance, parts and brand, plainly put, this means that expectations for a females participation in sexual activity is based entirely on their visual characteristic and non-verbal behavior; like flirting or dancing. (Johnson, et al) For impressionable young adults, it is concerning that they are being exposed to such negative and unrealistic impressions of sexu al communication and consent; maybe without fully comprehending the message being sent. It is not just the music and lyrics alone that are sending inappropriate messages towards adolescents. With platforms like MTV and YouTube, we are now able to not just listen to music, but to watch it. Even a song that can be censored enough to be played on local radio stations can have an accompanying music video that is anything but appropriate. For example, the song Taste by the artist Tyga (featuring Offset) often plays on the local radio stations. This song can be censored enough to be played on the radio, however, the music video could never be deemed appropriate under any circumstances. A child could potentially hear the song and enjoy it, do a quick search on YouTube, and soon they will be viewing a music video that depicts a lot of sexual content as well as drug use. So how exactly could this kind of material potentially affect the behavior of a developing young adult? In 2003, a study was published where 522 single African American females from the ages fourteen to eighteen were enrolled in a study. The study was to determine if the exposure to rap music videos played any part in predicting the occurrence of health risk behaviors and sexually transmitted diseases over a twelve-month follow- up. The median hours of exposure to rap music videos were twelve to fourteen hours a week. (Wingwood, et al) Of those enrolled, 92.2% of the participants completed the twelve-month follow-up assessment. It was determined that 37.6% of the participants contracted a new sexually transmitted disease, 4.8% hit a teacher, 12.1% had been arrested, 14.8% had sexual intercourse with someone other than their partner, 44.2% reported using drugs, and 44.4% had used alcohol. (Wingwood, et al) It would be insensitive to the culture of rap to label the entire genre of music as bad and harmful; because it is not just rap music that has the potential to influence negative behaviors in adolescents. A college study was done that shows the correlation between sensation-seeking behavior and the genre of music one may enjoy. Sensation-seeking is defined as The seeking of varied, novel, complex, and intense sensations and experiences, and the willingness to take physical, social, legal, and financial risks for the sake of such experiences. (Zuckerman, p. 27) To put it simply, someone with a higher level on the sensation-seeking scale would be more likely to make risky or harmful decisions, like having unprotected sex or using drugs. The study concluded that participants who enjoyed heavy metal, punk, and reggae music rated higher on the sensation-seeking scale than those who did not listen to that type of music. (Weisskirch and Murphy) There is not enough evidence to assume that preference of music causes sensation-seeking tendencies, but it is common knowledge that people tend to listen to music that they can relate to. Therefore, one could assume that those who do rate higher on the sensation-seeking scale enjoy music that may push boundaries; and it may be possible to believe that music containing violent or sexual themes, or lyrics that contain a positive outlook on the use of drugs, could enhance the already reckless tendencies of an individual. Music is very powerful and can make us feel the emotions an artist intended us to feel, consequently, if an artist is singing lyrics that are aggressive or violent the listener may feel more aggressive and violent. This could be a problem if the listener has violent tendencies or rates higher on the sensation-seeking scale. Musicians need to be more aware of their influence on listeners, kids look up to their favorite artists and may adopt the qualities they see them have. For decades, musical artists have been dying from the very thing they have built their musical career on, the use of drugs. There may be a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to how drugs are perceived through music. Recently, the rap artist Mac Miller passed away from an accidental overdose of cocaine and fentanyl. Last year, the artist Lil Peep overdosed on Xanax and fentanyl as well. Although it is heart wrenching that so many musicians are dying due to a drug overdose, their unfortunate deaths could possibly bring more awareness to the stigma surrounding drug addiction in music; and hopefully the adolescents who look up to these artists can see how much they have struggled with addiction and how it has affected their lives. It is widely known that adolescents are impressionable by nature; they want to fit in with the environment around them. Drugs like Ecstasy, Molly, and Marijuana, to name a few, are often prevalent at music festivals or raves. In 2005, a study was done at an Australian music festival that investigated the correlation between musical genres and drug use. The study suggests that illicit drugs are used more commonly at this music festival compared to the corresponding age groups in the general population of Australia. (Lim, et al p. 440) It is possible to conclude that because drugs are known to be common at music festivals and raves, there is a normalization surrounding the use of illicit drugs. When a young adult is surrounded by their friends and peers who are partaking in the use of drugs, they may feel pressure to join in, which could potentially be the reason drug use is so common at festivals and raves in the first place; it is like a vicious circle of peer pressure. Some readers may argue that sheltering adolescents from the world around them is not beneficial to their understanding of things like sex and the use of drugs. However, what we are doing now is not beneficial to their understanding either. We do not teach children sexual education in schools until around the fifth or sixth grade. By this time, they have already been exposed to the concept of sex through music and music videos. Essentially, referring back to the three themes of rap music already discussed, what they are learning about sex before we even introduce them to it could potentially be harmful to their understanding of sexual communication and consent. We dont teach kids about drugs and the negative effects they may cause until the fifth or sixth grade at least either. Through music, they may conclude that using drugs is normal or even makes you cool, before we can teach them that drugs tear families and lives apart, or that some drugs can potentially be fatal. With that bein g said, it could possibly be more harmful to let children listen to music with such explicit content without teaching them about sex and drugs first; than it would be to closely monitor the music they are listening to, or the music videos they are watching. Music has many benefits. It is a great art that has the potential to bring people together or get someone through a hard time in their life. But like all things, there are negatives to certain types of music. Although there is not enough research done yet to determine exactly how much music influences behavior in adolescents, there is enough to conclude that it does. The explicit content in music should be more regulated, but it is hard to control the music an adolescent can listen to when they can find it on the internet at any time. With that being said, parents should be more aware of what their child is listening to or viewing. If a parent does make the choice to let their child listen to music containing explicit content, that is obviously their decision as a parent, but they should make sure that their child already has an understanding of sexual education and the consequences using drugs may have; so the derogatory remarks and normalization of drugs in music doesnt teach them the wrong impression.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Essay on Head Injuries in High School Football - 1544 Words

American Football is a huge spectator sport where offensive and defensive players will use teamwork and perseverance to try and score more points than their opponent. Football is highly respected in America, where boys will try and pursue the dream of playing in the NFL (National Football Association) someday; but if you look at an average neighborhood, you will find that kids and adults of all ages love to go out and throw around the pigskin. (Lerner and Lerner 275). One thing Americans will take pride in is the college and NFL football teams they root for. People sit down with a beer and talk hours upon hours of football and two individuals can get in a heated discussion in the local sports store of whose sports team is better.†¦show more content†¦Blankets are put down at 4 p.m. to reserve a seat. Streets become deserted and restaurants empty just before 7:30 p.m. kickoffs† (B. 12). While football is one of the most loved sports; it is also one of the more dangerous . Many football players will endure bone fractures, ankle sprains, and knee injuries, which are very common; but the injury high school football seems to attract the most is head injuries.Head injuries can have a lasting effect on high school players and tend to be very common. Some people consider the players at fault, while others will blame the helmet manufacturing, coaches, or even the parents. High school players are almost always overlooked and many problems can arise. Therefore coaches, players and parents need to take more responsibility and see that there are solutions to prevent concussions and eliminate such a common problem among high school players. Football helmets are very important pieces of equipment and have been revolutionized since football started. According to Forthofer, when football was a new sport in the 1860s to 1896, helmets were not used. The first helmets that were used were made of mole skin or leather and were very uncomfortable and hot (Forthofer). Cr oswell writes that shortly after helmets became mandatory in 1939, college students began to paint pictures and used colors that represented their school so that the quarterback would not get confused as to who is on his team. Right around the 1950s, playersShow MoreRelatedDangers Of Sports783 Words   |  4 PagesFootball, a Dangerouse Sport? Football is known a prodigal American sport that has made it horrible these football players who love the sport.To start off with I would like to talk about how it’s this sport is dangerous for high school college students. To begin with playing football as a high school or college student is very dangerous. Let me give you a reason why football is dangeroust, to start off with injuries while playing can lead to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy,this is caused byRead MoreCoaches And Doctors Should Take More Caution With Concussed Athletes1725 Words   |  7 Pagesdoctors can improve the injuries for further on in life. A concussion is traumatic brain injury, usually caused by a person hitting their head on something or sudden movement that can cause the brain to rattle in the skull. A way a person gets a concussion is a mishap due to an uncommon move with the neck and brain. Sports activities is the third leading cause for bring injuries in the United States. According to a study, the U.S. centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Heads Up) estimated thatRead MoreThe Total Helmets Riley Uses For All Sports1050 Words   |  5 Pagessport. Background: Concussions are one of the most serious, yet overlooked injuries in the world. The term concussion is defined as a temporary unconsciousness caused by a blow to the head. The term is also used loosely of the aftereffects such as confusion or temporary incapacity. Although concussions usually are caused by a blow to the head, they can also occur when the head and upper body are violently shaken. Injuries like these can cause a loss of consciousness, however most concussions do notRead MoreThe Effects Of Concussions On Youth And High School Football1461 Words   |  6 Pages Seth Garff Mrs. Holliday: Period 2 1/8/16 The Dangers of Concussions in Youth and High School Football Thesis: Youth and High School football teams are not adequately protected from the danger of concussions and head trauma. Concussions occur on a large scale in football. During a concussion, the head can experience a blow directly or can have whiplash. When the head is hit, the brain hits the inside of the skull, giving it a temporary bruise. This bruise or tearing of theRead MoreFootball : The Long Term Killer1743 Words   |  7 PagesFootball: The Long Term Killer During the years of 2012 and 2013, roughly 1.1 million high school athletes played the sport of football (Jeffrey, 1). That number is extremely large in comparison to other sports such as soccer, basketball, and even baseball. The more important statistics, the ones that are often not reported, are the injury statistics. During the same year (2012-2013), there were a reported 616,209 high school level football injuries, most of these impacting the head and neck regionRead MoreWhy is Football becoming so Dangerous?1421 Words   |  6 Pages Why is football becoming so dangerous? Football is quickly becoming one of the most dangerous sports there is.do to players getting bigger and stronger. And more players are also giving more cheap shoots than ever. But do to better equipment players are also getting less head injuries like concussions. But football douse need some more changes to make the game safer. l. types of injuries? The most common type of injure in football is concussions. A concussionRead MorePreventing A Life Of Regret1245 Words   |  5 Pagesplayers ears in the form of a serrated knife. Feeling the blood pulsing through his head caused him to clench his eyes shut in agony and grab at his hair, hoping to block out the unbearable waves of pain. The blurry forms of his coach and teammates surrounded his vision and as much as he wanted to get up and tell them that he was fine, he knew that there was no way that he would be able to recover from this injury easily. He had known that something was wrong with him, but he had pushed these thoughtsRead MoreHow are Concussions Effecting Football in High School Essay941 Words   |  4 PagesConcussions, a minor traumatic brain injury that may occur when the head hits an object, are a huge problem in football in high schools and lower levels today. Concussions are very common in football, concussions have a huge negative effect on the brain, a nd parents and schools are worried about their kids safety. Concussion, in football, are a rising problem especially since the NFL is being sued for hundreds of millions because of concussions. High School football is very violent on children and thatsRead MoreWhy Athletes Should Not Be Banned Essay1233 Words   |  5 Pagescompetitive sports brings with it inevitable risks of injury. Every fall thousands of football player will line up to participate in one of most popular and physical demanding sports in the United States. In any given day, hundreds of those players will have endure a serious injuries or concussions. Due to the large size of football teams and the higher rate of concussion relative to other sports, concussion occurrences is highest in football. A concussion is damage to the brain that results in momentaryRead MoreContact Sports Essay984 Words   |  4 Pagesover hundreds of thousands injuries every year. Over 600,000 thousand athletes in contact sport are injured every year. By turning contact sports into non contact sports would reduce injuries over the year. As illustrated by Gina Kolata â€Å"using the best data available, they calculated that if contact sports could be made noncontact like flag football. For example there would be 49,600 fewer injuries among male college athletes per year and 601,900 fewer among male high school athletes†. Contact sports

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Turkey and the Eu Free Essays

Representatives of the neo-liberal institutionalism see the ELI, therefore, as a strong indication that intergovernmental institutions can not only serve for security concerns of individual countries to maximize their relative profit. They can also develop a power structure independent of their members. A possible accession of Turkey to the ELI was always matter In Europe since the establishment of the SEC In the year 1957. We will write a custom essay sample on Turkey and the Eu or any similar topic only for you Order Now No other candidate for an admission has ever caused so many controversial discussions. Despite the fact that every state agrees the process of the access negotiations there is still excellent a gig dispute whether if the Turkish admission politically is desirable or not. Negotiations were started on October 3rd 2005, and the process, should it be in Turkey’s favor, is likely to take at least a decade to complete. The membership bid has become a major controversy of the ongoing enlargement of the European Union. This statement describes the line I want to follow and the topics on which I have done my research for this paper very well:† The pros and cons of Turkey EX. membership could span many pages. Against: Turkey is culturally very different; its ere capita GNP is a quarter the ELI average and Turkey could easily swallow up all the EX. development funds; EH legislation would cause very much internal resentment – as many could see It as conflicting with their religious laws; the country still has human rights Issues and hasn’t recognized the genocide where over a million Armenian died. For: if Turkey could join the EH and all the issues above are resolved we would have a fantastically dynamic economy in Europe that may be able to help us balance off against the upcoming industrial super powers of China and India. Turkey would become more wealthy, secular, tolerant and open. The outcome is in the toss of a coin. † 1 The economic performance is one of the most important access criterion for Turkey even as the Copenhagen criteria must not be fulfilled in total. In fact Turkey has as many inhabitants as Germany but has only one sixth of the German economic power The strongest argument is always, that an admission could open new markets In the east. From this point of view there are existing a couple of numbers that point out clearly, that a Turkish EH admission may not be affordable for the European Union: * Only the yearly agricultural subventions, which should generate same wealth in total cost of 16 to 28 billion Euros, which is approximately 15% of the EH- budget These amounts may not be financed, with regards to the bad financial situation of the other member states. As a consequence of this many of the existing areas already supported, would lose their benefits, which would lead to an unacceptable situation. Of course one must add, that these numbers are pure speculation and nobody can predict the exact numbers. Moreover after an accession of Turkey the EX. would gain lots of unpleasant neighbors, the central conflict regions of our planet full of unbelievable, unpredictable potentials of extremists. Thousands of miles of borders should be guarded to hold all the people that want to come from Asia, the Arabian peninsula, or maybe from Africa over Turkey to Europe. It is probably needless to say that this action also causes high costs. In addition Turkey as the biggest country in the European Union would have the same rank within the European institutions as Germany, Great Britain and France. That is to say the poorest country plays a dominant political role. On the other hand Turkey has 72 million inhabitants (it would be the most populated country of the EX. in 15 years), which means, that a very large nonuser-market would be developed. A number of investors would raise capital and cheap manpower which would result in a gain of economic productivity and prevent the migration of Turkish workers. In addition Turkey is a very important connection between the Caspian and Middle eastern energy sources and Europe. Several pipelines offer the EX. alternative energy routes, what will decrease the dependence from Russia. Nevertheless several articles have shown it is very unpredictable if the EX. would gain profit of a Turkey admission. Another interesting point with regards to the Turkish admission is the fear of the efferent religious settings ruling in Turkey, which causes different reactions in the ELI. 99% of the Turkish population is Muslim. 15 million Muslims are already living in the ELI. Millions of them live in Germany. Turkey would be the first Muslim-majority country to Join the European Union, although Albania, Bosnia and Herringbone and Spooks are also Muslim-majority, and have been recognized as potential candidate countries. Supporters of Turkey see the possible development of a European-Turkish- Islamic culture as a chance to split off Islam as a religious convictio n from a political nomination system. They also argument, that we now have the unique chance to unite these cultures which is also a chance to show the people, that the impossible is possible. I don ‘t think that the Turkish membership is really necessary to demonstrate multiculturalism to the inside and cooperation willingness to countries of other cultural circles to the outside. Opponents of a Turkish accession argue that Turkey is in the Arabian world not as popular as one suspects, because the Arabs see Turkey still as colonial power. So Turkey is no bridge between the east and the west. In the EX. is the principle of free movement of goods and free movement of persons, which would also be applied on Turkey as an EX. member. This causes another fear in certain European countries. As I already mentioned 15 million Muslims are living in the ELI, from which the majority was not able to integrate very well. As a consequence important point for EX. citizens is also, that Turkey doses ‘t belong to Europe. With regards to Istanbul there is only a very small part of turkey that belongs to Europe. The big cultural difference is a result of the fact that Turkey has never noticed the Jewish-Christian ethics, the renaissance or the Enlightenment, as a European never noticed the culture of harems. If the EX. accepts non-European countries it would also have to take in consideration the accession of other countries like Israel, Ukraine, Russia and White Russia. As a consequence of this it would be much more difficult to create a European identity, which is even in the actual situation a big problem. â€Å"l think that Turkey should be allowed into the EX. because of its long-standing historical goal of being integrated with the modern word as well as her historical ties with European countries. How to cite Turkey and the Eu, Papers

Monday, May 4, 2020

London Youth Symphony Case free essay sample

LONDON YOUTH SYMPHONY Colette Southam prepared this case under the supervision of Professor Craig Dunbar solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality. Ivey Management Services prohibits any form of reproduction, storage or transmittal without its written permission. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights organization. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Management Services, c/o Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K7; phone (519) 661-3208; fax (519) 661-3882; e-mail [emailprotected] uwo. ca. Copyright  © 2005, Ivey Management Services Version: (A) 2009-10-04 On Sunday April 4, 2004, Daina Janitis, board president of the London Youth Symphony (LYS), sat in her home office and typed: I’ve been around the LYS for nearly a dozen years — eight before I launched my own young musicians into the adult world and the last four as president. We will write a custom essay sample on London Youth Symphony Case or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I have been wearied each year by all the same discussions with the board of directors, â€Å"Can people join if they can’t pay? † â€Å"Do we punish non-attendees? † and â€Å"Are we going to go bankrupt? † Fortunately, today, the last question is not an issue — thank goodness. Instead, the question â€Å"Do we have a bank account but no orchestra? † has surfaced instead. LONDON YOUTH SYMPHONY BACKGROUND The LYS was a not-for-profit organization with a volunteer board of directors. It was founded in 1961 with the support of the Junior Women’s Committee of the London Symphony Orchestra Association with Derek Stannard serving as the first conductor. Not simply recreation for young players, LYS provided the region’s best young musicians with a challenging symphonic orchestra experience. Many of the more than 2,000 LYS alumni went on to have careers as music educators, soloists and musicians in professional orchestras and ensembles while others who pursued non-musical career paths continued their life-long commitments to music through membership with community orchestras throughout Canada. The LYS experience exposed advanced orchestral instrumentalists to a level of repertoire and ensemble playing that could not be duplicated by any school orchestra or through private study alone. Membership in the LYS was open to musicians between the ages of 13 and 23 from London and the surrounding area and was contingent on a successful audition with the orchestra’s conductor and music director since 2002, Len Ingrao. Conductor of the Waterloo Chamber Players and the London Community Orchestra, the former LYS assistant conductor stepped into the role of LYS conductor upon the death of long-time LYS conductor Stan Kopac. The LYS Young Strings (YS) program was an outreach program of the LYS and was open to violin, viola, cello and double bass players between the ages of eight and 15 with Page 2 9B05N009 the recommendation of their school or private music teacher. YS was conceived approximately 20 years ago by London string music educator, Steven Wolsley as a ‘feeder group’ to provide LYS with needed string players. During the weekly full LYS rehearsals, Maestro Ingrao guided the players in musicianship, orchestral playing technique and discipline worthy of the finest and most committed young musicians in the area. According to the musicians, the orchestra gave them a very challenging classical and contemporary repertoire. A recent LYS alumnus who moved on to attend a prestigious private music conservatory recounted how her classmates complained about the difficulty of one of their orchestral pieces. She told them to stop whining and that she played the piece when she was a teenager in her youth symphony. LYS musicians also benefited from regular sectional rehearsals with coaches from Orchestra London and the Don Wright Faculty of Music at the University of Western Ontario. According to Maestro Ingrao, â€Å"It’s too easy to believe that a conductor can or should be able to do everything and forget that the instrumental specialists are the ones who impart the requisite technical advice. † LYS performed three major symphonic concerts per year, featuring a young soloist selected from within the ranks of the orchestra or a young guest artist. A first-time patron at a recent concert was overheard saying, â€Å"I didn’t expect it to sound like a professional orchestra, but when I closed my eyes during the concert, it sure didn’t sound like kids. † LYS also performed at concerts with other groups such as the London Community Orchestra (LCO) and choirs from neighboring community churches. The LYS, through outreach concerts and the 2002 tour in Austria and Italy, has put London on the youth orchestra map. FINANCIAL POSITION On August 31, 2001, the LYS bank account balance was $10,044 (see Exhibit 1). Based on projected expenditures, it seemed inevitable that this balance would be depleted during the fall 2001 season. Additionally, bingo revenues had been an important source of income for LYS and 3C Bingo, the hall that held their licences, was undergoing financial difficulties throughout 2001 so its own future was uncertain. 1 The board decided in June 2001, that LYS could no longer afford $10,000 annually to have a paid manager. Over the next two years, the board president, Daina Janitis, and treasurer, Abigail Butt, carried out the majority of the manager’s duties. In October 2002, LYS was accepted at the Bingo Castle and Bingo Palace so that bingo revenues began to flow again. With Butt’s tight fiscal restraint, by August 31, 2003, LYS was in a healthy financial situation again with $41,664 in the general account (see Exhibit 1). Revenues Registered under the federal Charities Act, LYS had no share capital and paid no income tax. According to the income statement, LYS had four different revenue streams: fundraising, tuition fees, grants and sponsorships and concert proceeds (see Exhibit 2). In 2004, fundraising revenue, almost exclusively due to bingos, amounted to $9,309. The city’s ban on smoking in all public places was expected to decrease future bingo revenues by 20 per cent since neighboring municipalities still allowed smoking in bingo halls, as did the nearby casino. Bingos were a key source of funding for not-for-profit organizations in Ontario. Managed by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission, the reporting and record-keeping requirements were stringent. Until 2001, an LYS family had managed the organization’s bingos, but when that family’s 1 3C went out of business in September 2001. Page 3 9B05N009 musician graduated from LYS, this task fell to the board treasurer. Each LYS member family was required to participate at three bingos per year, while YS families were not currently required to participate. Ideally, each bingo required 10 to 12 volunteers (musicians over age 16 or parents) to run smoothly, and had to include a board member who signed the bingo licence application and a few others who were trained in the calculation of prizes or other aspects of the bingo process. However, without a formal process for tracking LYS family volunteering, bingos were running with as few as six people. Other fundraisers were much less lucrative. Sales of poinsettias and bamboo plants in 2002 brought in revenue of $6,579, but the associated costs amounted to $5,545. â€Å"Retail† types of fundraisers were unpopular with the parents who were already saturated with chocolates, cheese and plants to sell for their children’s schools and extracurricular organizations. Many parents opted to purchase the plants as gifts rather than allow their children to sell yet another item to family, friends and their co-workers. Management of these smaller fundraisers also placed an additional burden on the board members, who ran the fundraisers in the absence of a fundraising committee. On the other hand, the returns associated with the Cabaret Night fundraiser in 2000 were more appealing. The single-night event brought in $2,276 with associated costs of only $623. Additionally, the Cabaret experience was fun for the musicians, entertaining for family and friends, and it increased the orchestra’s exposure in the city. Tuition fees brought in $17,069 in 2004. Current tuition is $325 for LYS and $145 for YS (see Exhibit 3). YS tuition had increased by $10 to $145 since 2001. In 2004, LYS tuition had returned to $325 after being raised to $425 for the 2003 season. A decrease in paid enrolment from 50 to 28 musicians accompanied the increase in tuition. Note that there is a discrepancy between the number of musicians that paid to enrol and the number of musicians listed in the concert programs. According to the program notes, there were 35 LYS musicians in 2003, while only 25 paid tuition. There was no formal plan in place to forgive tuition for musicians who were unable to pay due to financial hardship. This was a source of dissention on the board, with some members believing that inability to pay the tuition should not prevent any qualified musician from belonging. YS enrolment did not appear to have an elastic demand and the numbers were expected to remain constant. Grants and sponsorships were an important source of revenue for LYS. Trillium Foundation Grants provided one-time grants that could be used to purchase instruments and music while The London Arts Council (LAC) had been an ongoing source of operating funds. LAC was: dedicated to enhancing the quality of life and the creative vitality of London by nurturing awareness of, involvement in, and commitment to, excellence of all levels of Arts and Culture — through programs and services that provide informational, educational, consulting and networking opportunities to Londoners, visitors, and the arts community. 2 In 2001 and 2002, LYS had received LAC’s third largest grants ($14,000 and $15,000, respectively). This grant had been gradually reduced and, in 2004, LYS received $7,000, which was the eighth largest grant. In 2004, the third largest grant awarded was for $12,750. LAC required audited financial statements for any grants in excess of $10,000, and if LYS had its statements audited, it would likely receive at least $12,000 from LAC. Janitis had recently discovered that corporate sponsorships were a lucrative source of revenue. For the 2004 season, Great West Life and TD Canada Trust each sponsored a concert for $2,500. Concert sponsors received a thank-you plaque, acknowledgement on the front page of the program, and six 2 www. londonarts. org/goals. htm Page 4 9B05N009 complimentary tickets to their concert. Janitis believed that LYS needed to increase the benefits associated with corporate sponsorship in the form of a more public recognition of the sponsor’s goodwill. She wanted to ensure future sponsorship as well as attract a sponsor for the third concert. Smaller corporate sponsors received an advertisement in the program notes. Without a paid manager, the time-consuming responsibility for attracting corporate sponsors and writing grants fell to Janitis, the board president. Performance proceeds had fallen off recently as lower enrolment resulted in fewer tickets being bought by family and friends. Some musicians did not have any family or friends attend, and generally, the musicians played to fewer than 100 patrons. Playing to an empty church hurt morale as the musicians spent months preparing the pieces. A board member proposed that having each member sell six tickets per concert would easily solve this problem. Ticket prices were $10 for adults and $6 for students or seniors, with the audience generally being 75 per cent adults. Saturday afternoons were not ideal times to schedule concerts, but Wortley Baptist Church was obviously unavailable on Sundays. Expenses Most LYS expenses (see Exhibit 2) were fixed costs that did not increase with the number of musicians. An honorarium of $1,044 per month was paid to the LYS conductor. The two YS conductors each received $75 per session with approximately 30 sessions per year. The music librarian was paid $1,000 annually. Prior to June 2001, the manager was paid $10,000 per year. Sectional coaches were paid $50 per session. The conductor preferred to have two sectionals per group (first violin, second violin, cello, double bass, winds, brass and percussion) prior to each concert. In 2003, Janitis proposed to the board that she would be willing to serve as the paid manager for $500 per month. The treasurer advised that LYS could not afford this service, and since financial statements did not exist and the board was not aware of the bank account balance, the motion was defeated, although there was unanimous support for having Janitis serve as a paid manager if LYS could afford it. Performance proceeds did not cover associated performance expenses. Annual hall rental at Wortley Baptist Church was $2,850 in 2004, up from $2,275 in 2003. Shortages of certain instrumentalists necessary to give the orchestra balance were alleviated by hiring young musicians at $50 to $100 per concert. Exhibit 4 details the numbers of extra musicians hired and the instruments where shortages existed since 2001. Most of the hirings in 2004 became necessary when a paid LYS performance was scheduled during the Kiwanis Festival. Many LYS players were unavailable due to competitions. This paid performance resulted in inconvenience to the families, an expense of $675 in 2004 to hire additional musicians to fill in for missing players, and a $400 fee for use of the out-of-town facility. The actual LYS reception expense has been understated. A reception in the church basement followed each LYS concert to which each family was required to bring a tray of baked goods. The level of compliance to this request varied with some families bringing in huge offerings and others repeatedly ignoring the request. The musicians had a pizza supper prior to each concert as the dress rehearsals occurred during dinner hours. Other concert expenses were not expected to increase. Instrument costs were covered by Trillium Foundation funds, and no new purchases were planned. Fundraising expenses were determined by the individual undertaking, but bingo licence fees would be increased to $90 per bingo session (with 10 sessions anticipated), and bingo expenses were fixed and were not expected to drop with decreased revenues. Uniform expenses were expected to amount to $1,200 annually for each of LYS and YS. The large cost in the most recent year was due to the discount purchase of a two-year supply of sweatshirts for LYS. Insurance was expected to increase by three per cent annually. General and administrative expenses had increased considerably, but these were expected to Page 5 9B05N009 decrease. Telephone costs were expected to amount to $40 per month. Several phone bills had gone unpaid, and the organization received a letter threatening to cut off service. As a result, a large expense in the previous year was generated in the form of a $500 pre-payment of the next year’s bills. The website design and software costs were one-time expenditures. A current board member was an information technology (IT) director who offered space on his company’s server, free of charge. A large advertisement in the Kiwanis Festival brochure cost $200 annually and targeted the appropriate audience. Music expenses and annual dues and licences were expected to remain constant. There had been no payment to an accountant since 2002, but it would cost $500 to have the statements audited and taxes filed for 2005. The cost of music, annual dues and licences, photocopying, office supplies, postage and post office box rental were not expected to change. It was hoped that bank charges would be offset by the interest that would be earned if the surplus bank balance were invested in a guaranteed investment certificate (GIC). BOARD OF DIRECTORS As a not-for-profit organization, LYS had a volunteer board that tended to be composed of dedicated parents and educators (see Exhibit 5). Although, historically, the role of the board was to make strategic decisions, since June 1, 2001, LYS no longer employed a paid manager. Therefore, daily operations of the symphony were divided among the board members. The contribution of these unpaid volunteers was substantial, and board members were inclined to help in order to keep the orchestra viable for London’s young musicians. There were no existing guidelines dictating board composition, term length or any formal method for recruitment. Historical records were kept in several cardboard boxes in the treasurer’s garage. Federal not-for-profit organizations are regulated under Part II of the Canada Corporations Act (C. C. A. ). In general, the duties of the directors and officers of not-for-profits were similar to those that applied in a commercial context. Board members were required to exercise due care and to serve as fiduciaries that act in the best interests of the organization. Because of the non-compensated nature of their positions, board members of not-for-profit organizations were held to a less stringent standard of care than board members of for-profit companies but still had the duty to conserve and protect the organization’s assets. LYS carried comprehensive liability insurance for its directors and officers. ENROLMENT At least part of the large drop in enrolment from 50 in 2001/2002 to 28 in 2002/2003 might have been attributable to the increase in tuition fees by $100. Even with the reinstatement of tuition to the former level of $325, the 2004 enrolment of 32 musicians was low. The youth symphonies in Ontario all had enrolment issues in 2004 due to the double cohort. Many of the musicians played with their youth orchestras while they attended high school, and the elimination of Grade 13 reduced numbers provincewide and was expected to continue to affect numbers. Even with the declining numbers, at the 2004 auditions, LYS had more qualified flutes and clarinets than were required, a shortage of bassoons, oboes and strings, and no trombones or violas. These shortages resulted in having to hire extra musicians for concerts and limited the repertoire that could be chosen for the concerts. The low numbers also ruled out the possibility of a European tour, which was a prime motivator for membership. With a population of more than 300,000, London was the 10th largest city in Canada and had the third largest Kiwanis Music Festival in Canada with over 3,000 entries. Given the large number of young musicians in the city, the board often puzzled over the causes for the low enrolment. Competition and Page 6 9B05N009 substitutes for the LYS experience, existed in: the London Community Orchestra (LCO), high school and university bands and orchestras, private music teachers, and the Forest City Talent Education Centre. The LCO was composed of musicians of all ages (from age 14 and up, but had a large contingent of retired people) and from all walks of life. LCO was also directed by Len Ingrao, LYS’s conductor. LCO charged student (high school, university or college) members only $100 annually. LCO had the benefit of practising and performing in the same venue. They practised Tuesday evenings and performed four annual concerts on Sunday afternoons at the Aeolian Hall. Annual rent at Aeolian Hall was $2,400 — less than what LYS was paying at Wortley Baptist Church. Although the hall could benefit from a facelift, the acoustics were warm and considered by some to be the finest in the city. There were rumors that Clark Bryan, a renowned concert pianist, was considering purchasing the Aeolian Hall with the intention of restoring it to its former grandeur, when it was known as the jewel of East London. No renter was using the hall on Saturday afternoons, and it also had the benefit of being an actual performance hall with a box office and facilities to run a concession booth, which could bring in at least $150 per concert and would remove the obligation for families to provide baked goods for the post-concert reception. High school and university bands and orchestras were also direct competitors to LYS. The local high schools required students enroled in their music courses to play in one or more of their school’s bands, orchestras or ensembles. These groups practised before school, charged no tuition fee, and did not require parents to attend bingos or provide baked goods for receptions. Janitis frequently sent all high school music teachers several mailings with posters and audition information, and yet very few musicians were referred by their high school music teachers who were devoted to further developing their own school music program. The University of Western Ontario University Orchestra rehearsed on Thursday prior to LYS rehearsals. This meant that some musicians came late to LYS rehearsals and played for six hours on Thursday evenings. Many of the university students played with LYS during high school or were friends with current LYS members. Tuition fees were prohibitive for some university students living away from home. Private music teachers should serve as complements rather than substitutes for the LYS, but according to Len Ingrao, The bottom line is that we no longer have the wide base of teachers who sent us string players in the past. Most of those teachers are now associated with Forest City (FC) Talent Education which has 100+ students in its program and continues to expand yearly. We need access to those 100+ players to survive. It is as simple as that. Suzuki music programs started children as young as three playing stringed instruments. Strong parental commitment was demanded, and these children progressed quickly to advanced repertoire. Most youth symphonies in North America relied heavily on Suzuki programs such as FC to feed the string sections, which were the dominant component of the orchestra (see Exhibit 6). Whenever FC was discussed at LYS board meetings, emotions ran high. Some members emphatically stated that there was a difference of philosophy between LYS and FC, with FC aimed primarily towards the soloistic education of string players. However, the FC program also included abundant chamber music (string trios, quartets and quintets) as well as several string orchestras including Primus, the senior string orchestra initiated by the musicians themselves. The second major objection to an association with FC was that LYS would lose its autonomy and would become â€Å"sucked into† the school. The major benefits for the FC students were that LYS would expose them to full orchestral pieces (beyond just strings) under the Page 7 9B05N009 direction of a professional conductor, and would allow them to participate in international youth orchestra activities. During informal discussions with the FC school, it was suggested that the reason FC string players do not join LYS was that, â€Å"given the number of extra-curricular activities high school students now contend with, the musicians could not devote yet another evening during an already busy week. † The FC students practised on Saturday mornings so moving the LYS rehearsals to Saturday afternoons might facilitate more members joining LYS as well. 3 Although tuition costs were not cited as a deterrent for joining LYS, FC families already paid thousands of dollars each year for private lessons, participation in FC ensembles, accompanists and registration for competitions. Although one of its stated missions was to provide LYS with string players, LYS Young Strings had never been a major provider of players, with two to three players each year being the average carry-over. Many LYS-YS students were recommended by their elementary school’s music program and many had never taken private lessons. A minimum level of Royal Conservatory Grade 7 was required of LYS string players, and that level could not be attained without regular private lessons. The LYS-YS directors (one a board member) were current or former school music teachers who believed that the LYS-YS was an enriching experience for these young players and did not want to be considered a ‘feeder’ program to LYS. There was very little integration of LYS-YS with LYS, and there was no active program to recruit LYS-YS players into private lessons and or to LYS concerts. Some board members believed that LYS should sever connections unless the LYS-YS conductors were willing to accept the mission statement. Additionally, it was discovered that LYS’s phone message system had close to 100 messages, some of them very old and some inquiring about auditions. The phone was physically located at a board member’s house, with the voice mail system accessible by code, but the message retriever had not realized that the voice mail box was sub-divided. Due to communication issues on the board, no one had responded to these calls. LYS did not currently maintain a membership database, but relied on paper records maintained by various board members. The conductor would notify the board and musicians about shortages and anticipated shortages in specific instruments, but no records were maintained about orchestra composition. Janitis also pointed out that she had no contact information for the private music teachers who were the primary source for musicians. In an attempt to recruit more musicians, Janitis sent all high school music teachers regular newsletters about the opportunities LYS could offer their musicians. To date, only one musician had been referred by a high school music teacher. CURRENT SITUATION With more than $40,000 in the bank, Janitis realized that the healthy bank account cushion could cover all operating expenses for a year, even if no tuition were charged. She recognized that, with several board members retiring, LYS had the opportunity to conduct some financial experiments. The season’s goal was to design a strategy that would increase LYS enrolment to at least 40 members and double attendance at concerts. Improved communication within the board and with the musicians and families was also a priority, as was increasing visibility in the community. LYS could afford an operating deficiency in 2005, but would like to maintain a minimum bank account balance of $30,000 and break even in 2006.