Light in August by William Faulkner Essay -- Light August william Faul

Light in August by William Faulkner Light in August, a novel written by the well-known author, William Faulkner, can definitely be interpreted in many ways. However, one fairly obvious prospective is through a religious standpoint. It is difficult, nearly impossible, to construe Light in August without noting the Christian parallels. Faulkner gives us proof that a Christian symbolic interpretation is valid. Certain facts of these parallels are inescapable and there are many guideposts to this idea. For instance, there is Joe Christmas, one of the main characters in the novel. His initials are J.C., which can be an acronym for the name Jesus Christ. There is the fact of his uncertain paternity and his appearance at the orphanage on Christmas day, as well. Joe is approximately thirty-three years of age at his lynching; This event is prepared for throughout Light in August by Faulkner’s constant use of the word crucifixion. Also, there are many more convincing Christian symbolisms that seem to have lead readers to believe that William Faulkner arranged his events and directed his themes to parallel the twenty-one chapters of the St. John Gospel. These religious symbols, however, stray from the text of Light in August and seek to unify the novel through biblical allusions alone. They attempt to answer the questions of how Light in August functions as a work of literature by avoiding the novel itself. Because of this, they each fall short of being an exact interpretation of the novel. Still, the Christian parallels cannot be ignored and must function for some firm purpose in this novel. If Light in August has enough surfaces corresponding to warrant the claim of a direct parallel in both theme and action to the Gospel of John, then where is the crucifix, the most important symbol of Christianity? This significant tool should be in a book with such religious relevance. The important symbol was not left out, however; they were only distorted to a degree. Faulkner may have been giving a clue to the way in which he distorted the crucifix. For example, wood imagery is relevant in this case. There are several wood mills: Doane’s Mill, and then the planing mill in Jefferson. Lena asks Byron Bunch, â€Å"Is there another planing mill?† Byron replies, â€Å"No, ma’am. There are some sawmills, a right smart of them, though†. Faulkner may have been alerting his audie... ...not been a part of Christmas’ â€Å"wooden world†, now rides with a furniture repairman. Typically, Lena’s narration does not call attention to poles or posts of any kind. It is only after Christmas is dead that Lena notices the cross-like images. This would seem to suggest not only that she is perhaps a Virgin Mary figure carrying a Christ figure inside her, but also that she herself is the resurrect â€Å"life† after Christ’s (Christmas’) crucifixion. It seems highly possible in a novel that distorts the Crucifix that the process of Christ’s death and resurrection could also be distorted. Ironically, however, Lena exists at the same time with Christmas, but never meets him because within the context of the New Testament, resurrection comes only after death. In turn, Lena and Christmas never meet because it would be illogical for the Virgin Mary figure to meet her baby while she is carrying her baby. All of these characters’ narrations, which can appear incoherent, are, connected through the distorted image of the wooden cross. The posts and other symbols link Christmas and the Testaments together. Light in August functions as a fluid novel though structured distortion of the Gospels. Light in August by William Faulkner Essay -- Light August william Faul Light in August by William Faulkner Light in August, a novel written by the well-known author, William Faulkner, can definitely be interpreted in many ways. However, one fairly obvious prospective is through a religious standpoint. It is difficult, nearly impossible, to construe Light in August without noting the Christian parallels. Faulkner gives us proof that a Christian symbolic interpretation is valid. Certain facts of these parallels are inescapable and there are many guideposts to this idea. For instance, there is Joe Christmas, one of the main characters in the novel. His initials are J.C., which can be an acronym for the name Jesus Christ. There is the fact of his uncertain paternity and his appearance at the orphanage on Christmas day, as well. Joe is approximately thirty-three years of age at his lynching; This event is prepared for throughout Light in August by Faulkner’s constant use of the word crucifixion. Also, there are many more convincing Christian symbolisms that seem to have lead readers to believe that William Faulkner arranged his events and directed his themes to parallel the twenty-one chapters of the St. John Gospel. These religious symbols, however, stray from the text of Light in August and seek to unify the novel through biblical allusions alone. They attempt to answer the questions of how Light in August functions as a work of literature by avoiding the novel itself. Because of this, they each fall short of being an exact interpretation of the novel. Still, the Christian parallels cannot be ignored and must function for some firm purpose in this novel. If Light in August has enough surfaces corresponding to warrant the claim of a direct parallel in both theme and action to the Gospel of John, then where is the crucifix, the most important symbol of Christianity? This significant tool should be in a book with such religious relevance. The important symbol was not left out, however; they were only distorted to a degree. Faulkner may have been giving a clue to the way in which he distorted the crucifix. For example, wood imagery is relevant in this case. There are several wood mills: Doane’s Mill, and then the planing mill in Jefferson. Lena asks Byron Bunch, â€Å"Is there another planing mill?† Byron replies, â€Å"No, ma’am. There are some sawmills, a right smart of them, though†. Faulkner may have been alerting his audie... ...not been a part of Christmas’ â€Å"wooden world†, now rides with a furniture repairman. Typically, Lena’s narration does not call attention to poles or posts of any kind. It is only after Christmas is dead that Lena notices the cross-like images. This would seem to suggest not only that she is perhaps a Virgin Mary figure carrying a Christ figure inside her, but also that she herself is the resurrect â€Å"life† after Christ’s (Christmas’) crucifixion. It seems highly possible in a novel that distorts the Crucifix that the process of Christ’s death and resurrection could also be distorted. Ironically, however, Lena exists at the same time with Christmas, but never meets him because within the context of the New Testament, resurrection comes only after death. In turn, Lena and Christmas never meet because it would be illogical for the Virgin Mary figure to meet her baby while she is carrying her baby. All of these characters’ narrations, which can appear incoherent, are, connected through the distorted image of the wooden cross. The posts and other symbols link Christmas and the Testaments together. Light in August functions as a fluid novel though structured distortion of the Gospels.

Effects of War Exposed in All Quite on the Western Front, Bury the Dead

Effects of War Exposed in All Quite on the Western Front, Bury the Dead, and Paths of Glory      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "From the happy expression on their faces you might have supposed that they welcomed the war. I have met with men who loved stamps, and stones, and snakes, but I could not imagine any man loving war." Margot Asquith revealed her discontent with war in this quote. War is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as a concerted effort or campaign to combat or put an end to something considered injurious. A rather contradicting definition from the dictionary when one examines war's true meaning and the effect it has on mankind. Wars do not put an end to something considered injurious, war starts them. War stems from human greed and ignorance and is often used as a tool by men to seek fame and glory. People remember the glory of Alexander the Great, Hannibal, and Napoleon but forget the number of deaths caused by these so-called heroes. War is about death and the destruction of the human character and spirit. World War I, not only claimed millions of lives , but left deep scars in the memories of those who survived. Disillusioned and disheartened, these young people became known as the Lost Generation. Even though the cost of war was staggering, its psychological effects had no boundary. The soldier's greatest struggle during war is not physical, but mental and spiritual.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A war novel that gives its reader an insight into the lives of soldiers during WWI, All Quiet on the Western Front, written by Erich Maria Remarque, is considered the greatest war novel of all time. This book brings its readers into the personal life of Paul Baumer and the horrors he had to encounter as a young German s... ...think about themselves, about religion, and about war. Sometimes, when a soldier gets too caught up in the war, he tries to hide his true feelings even though he is facing the biggest battle of all: with himself.    Works Cited:    Cobb, Humphrey. Paths of Glory, a Novel, Viking Press, New York 1935, new edition, Dell 1957, William Heinemann Ltd, London.    Hynes, Samuel. A War Imagined: The First World War and English Culture, London: Bodley Head, 1991.    Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. New York: Ballantine Books, 1984.    Shaw, Irwin. Bury the Dead. New Theatre & Film, 1934-1937. Ed. Herbert Kline. San Diego: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanich, c1985.    Stephen E. Tabachnick, "Afterword," to Humphrey Cobb, Paths of Glory (1935) (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1987), pp. 267-304.      

My Philosophy Essay -- Teaching Education Essays

My Philosophy A teacher plays a very important role in a child’s life, and that is the main reason I want to be a teacher. I want to be able to inspire, empower and help children to discover their unique learning ability, special interests and qualities. As a teacher I will be able to give students the gift of an education, which will help them advance as adults. I feel that there are many ways to go about teaching and managing a positive learning environment. I want to have a classroom in which students feel personally altered by their experience in my classroom. Progressivism is one major philosophical approach that I plan to use in my classroom, along with an assertive discipline approach. In my classroom I want students to accomplish new material, learn to overcome the subjects they struggle with and develop confidence in what they do. I hope to help students acquire more of themselves in their education and strengthen their qualities. I not only want them to succeed in subjects but also grow as individuals. I plan to use the progressivism approach in my classroom because I believe that hands on education in a very effective way of learning. It helps students to get a first hand experience to see and feel what it is they are learning. I also think that working with groups in their classroom is very beneficial to students. By interacting with their peers they will learn how to share their ideas, accept others points of view and learn how to develop relationships , which is a very important part of life that will help them to succeed in their careers. I hope that my students leave my class with lots of new information , positive attitudes about learning, co nfidence and an open mind. ... ...gh teaching and getting a better perceptive on children will make my life a fulfilled one because I will have been blessed by God in being part of a child’s life in a positive way. I want to continue to learn how to be an effective teacher and become an encouraging figure for a child’s life. Teaching is more than instructing or giving information to students. It is about empowering students, inspiring them to grow intellectually, giving them courage to be creative, expanding their curiosity and providing opportunities. As a teacher I will always be learning just as my students. I will listen to them and grow from experiences with them. Learning in a multifaceted process that is different with every individual. As a teacher I want to be able to attend to all my students ways of learning, therefore I will continue myself to learn and understand students.

My Time in the Rainforest

Today was very productive day. I saw many things that I have never seen before in the Amazon rainforest. It is located in South America and is hugely populated with many different species. It is vast, covering an area of 2,5 million square miles, and we haven't even got one eight yet. Amazon river is one of the reasons the forest is so tremendously populated. It flows for more than 4,000 miles to discharge its waters in the Atlantic Ocean near Belem, Brazil. Along the way, about 1,100 tributaries latch on. One of the most seen birds was the Toucan. It was bigger then I thought it would be. Our guide told us that ten million species of plants, animals and insects live in the tropical forest. As it became dark, we stayed in the undergrowth of the forest where the tree could shade use from the hot sun we were expecting in the morning. The floor of the rain forest was sticky and wet from the rain that had fallen earlier this morning. It was hard to relax because of the weird weather. I could see a rainbow in the sky through the gaps between the canvas of leaves. As I got up, a spider monkey jumped down from the canopy and tried to grab the fruit we picked. We made a quick dash towards a giant tree trunk that had fallen. Thousands of small insects scattered as we approached it. We made a fireplace here to cook the raw meat we had brought. We fetched water from the Amazon river which was flowing near to camp and put in tablets to clean it. As we filled our bottles, piranhas swam towards our hands in the water. The Amazon river was a very dangerous place. –Day 2 24.09.10 We woke up at dawn when most of the animals would be sleeping. We saw an anaconda slither by. It was 21 feet long and I saw it choke a Giant Anteater. We were far away and the snake didn't spot us. A pack of squirrel monkeys passed us and we carried on through. It was getting cooler and there were less animals wandering about. More deadly animals started to appear, such as the poison dart frog. Our guide told us it is very small in size, but poisonous enough as to kill up to 100 people. It has the most powerful poison known by man, but harmless if left alone. Amazon Indians hunt using its poison in the tip of their arrows. –Day 3 25.09.10 We were heading towards Manaus, the weather in tropical areas have equatorial climate, found approximately 5 degrees to the North and South of the equator. Like any other tropical rainforest, it's hot and humid throughout the year, with an average annual temperature of 27à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C

Progress for Undocumented Students in the United States

On June 15, 2012, President Barak Obama gave a brief speech on a new Department of Homeland Security Immigration policy. This new policy will benefit thousands of undocumented students living here in the United States that were brought by their parents since they were young children from their native home. A policy called the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. As President Obama mentioned in his speech about what undocumented students are, he mentioned part of a sentence that got to me. President Obama stated the following, â€Å"They are Americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one, on paper† (Obama).This is very true in my point of view, as I have realized exactly just that growing up. As a young girl, I was never told whether or not I was documented or not; whether I was a citizen of where I was growing up or I wasn’t. I was never worried about my legal status in the United States. My main focus has always been school and progressing to be a well-educated citizen that is part of the United States. That’s how I see myself as, as of today; a citizen of the United States, perhaps not in paper, but in heart. This is the place where I have been raised since the age of two, till today at the age of 17 even knowing that I am undocumented.I love the fact knowing I’m Mexican and will always be by my culture and by a large majority of my family, but that’s not the place I know by heart or grew up. That is not the country that has helped my progress as an individual. It is here in the United States where my hopes and dreams are at for a better future. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals will open job opportunities for undocumented students, avoid being deported back to their native country for at least two years, and give them a sense of hope to apply for college and scholarships, no longer fearing of being denied because they do not have a social security number.Although the process for this polic y will take a while and cost hundreds of dollars, thousands of undocumented students will be thankful for this opportunity given by the Department of Homeland Security Immigration services. As well, as thanking President Obama for making this step by step process a reality. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals also known as the DACA policy was first heard of on June 15, 2012. That day President Obama made a public speech that lasted almost nine minutes long explaining how this will help undocumented students living in the United States since they were young children.The DACA is NOT a path to citizenship right away, but a sense of relief for undocumented students. This policy will has its requirements to be able to apply for it and be eligible. Around Mid-August of 2012, the Department of Homeland Security Immigration services started receiving about 180,000 applications and 4,500 of those applications were eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. However , in the first two months â€Å"U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received and accepted for processing 179,794 deferred-action requests† (Fitz, Oakford, Garcia).In order to be eligible an undocumented student must have been living here in the United States before their 16th birthday, be under the age of 31 years of age, were in the Unites States on June 15, 2012, have proof that they are still attending school or have graduated, serving in the U. S. military, have been living here in the United States for 5 continuous years without leaving the country, and have no felonies, no more than three misdemeanors or significant ones, and not considered a public or national threat (â€Å"†).Proof that can show that you have all those necessary requirements are certificates a student may have received from school, house bills, medical records, even something as simple as old receipts from stores that someone may have. As soon as an undocumented student has all that, the y can apply for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy and will most likely be eligible. Undocumented students come from all over the world, not just Mexico, or Spanish speaking countries as many close-minded people believe.It is sad how when someone sees a Hispanic/Latino student they automatically think they are undocumented and are from Mexico. That is not always the case. There are Hispanic/Latino students in the United States that are documented. The reason why many parents risk their life to come here to the United States as an immigrant is because they want a better future for their kids. Even when they have children in their native country, they try their best to bring them to the United States along with them as young children so they are able to get a better education and life.For their kids to be able to receive and have a life that will be a million times better than the one they would have if they stayed in their native country. Every day I am grateful for th e risk my mother took for me. For giving me the chance to grow up in a country where I know I am getting a better education. Where I was taught English as my second language and have mastered it just as much as Spanish that is my native language. The United States is where I feel like I am home. Although at times I had the fear of being deported, or have racial comments said to, this is still home.Mexico is only a country where I was born at, raised for the first two years of my life, but remember nothing about it except in pictures, and not know how it is to live there personally. *This data was taken from the (Fitz, Oakford, Garcia) article. Within their article they have a map where you can zoom in and see exactly where undocumented students that applied for the DACA came from and how many. Here, I did it by region and visualized the number of approximately the thousands of undocumented students are originally from by adding them up region by region.Australia and Canada are the o nly two regions where there were not a number of thousand. Only a total of just 9 undocumented students came from Australia and 114 from Canada that applied for the DACA. In total there is an approximately of 172,624 undocumented students. * The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is a step by step policy that takes in between 4-6 months to process, as well cost hundreds perhaps even thousands of dollars per undocumented student that can apply and be eligible.There a 3 forms that must be filled out and processed to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to be looked at and be handled case by case. The 3 forms that MUST be filled out are Form I-821D, the Application for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Form I-765, the Application for Employment Authorization Document (EAD), and lastly Form I-765WS, the Employment Authorization Worksheet. There is also a â€Å"recommended, but not mandatory† form which is Form G-1145, the E-Notification of Application/Peti tion Acceptance (â€Å"†). On top of those forms that need to be filled out, there are fees.Form I-821D has a fee of $465, a $380 work authorization fee, and an $85 fee for biometrics. All of those fees put together, already make a total of $930. Additional fees are getting the birth certificate of the undocumented student translated into English, which is usually around $35 and getting a criminal record to prove that, that student had no felonies, misdemeanors, or are a public or national threat in society, which usually costs $25. There, there are an additional $60 added; for a grand total of $990 spend per undocumented student, almost reaching $1,000.Once all forms, translated birth certificate, criminal record, and the proof necessary that shows that an undocumented students has been here for more than 5 continuous years, still in school, or have already graduated, or are serving in the U. S. military, are gathered together, they are then sent to the United States Citizen ship for Immigration Services. There they take a look at case by case that is sent to them. Afterwards, the student will receive an e-mail 1 to 4 weeks later after sending their applications, where they can take a look of their applications progress.Then, within 2 to 4 months, the student will receive a letter by mail that will have their appointment to go get their biometrics done and the time that they need to be there by. On the day of the appointment, they must bring a type of identification, such as a passport from their native country. Their appointment will be at an Application Support Center also known as an ASC. Lastly, the last thing to do is wait for the approval for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, the working permit for 2 years, along with a social security number.Once the 2 years are up, they will have to continually re-new their working permit for another 2 years and so on. I have been blessed with the opportunity to be able to go to this process wit h no problem. Each case may be different for every person, meaning the process may be a long one or a short one. It is just estimated that most will last between 2 to 6 months. With the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy that the Department of Homeland Security Immigration Services gave to many undocumented students with hopes and dreams, this has lifted a weight off of my shoulders.I no longer have to wake up every day fearing that I may end up being deported back to my native country. That the next time I hear about a job opening in a place I know I can have a part-time job; I can go in and ask for an application. When I hear about a scholarship, I know I’ll be able to apply for it without have that thought in the back of my mind that I don’t have a social security number. My mother has worked her whole life to give me a better life because she knew that back in Mexico, I was never going to be able to get the opportunities I have here in the United States. My motivation has always been my mother, to give her break and thank her for everything that she has done for me and has provided me with. As an undocumented student you learn to be thankful for what you have and never take anything for granted. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, has opened much more opportunities for thousands and thousands of undocumented students and myself. School has always been a main priority, and will always be. I can now make my dreams of going to college a reality and make my mother and family members proud.All thanks to the Department of Homeland Security Immigration Services and President Barak Obama for giving that public announcement for the whole country to hear what undocumented students can go to help progress this country. We are not a threat, but a help for the country to progress economically. We are DREAMERS that will now make our dreams come true. We are fighting in the nations forces to protect this country. We are citizens of the United States in heart. As President Obama, mentioned in his speech, â€Å"It is the right thing to do† (Obama). Progress for Undocumented Students in the United States On June 15, 2012, President Barak Obama gave a brief speech on a new Department of Homeland Security Immigration policy. This new policy will benefit thousands of undocumented students living here in the United States that were brought by their parents since they were young children from their native home. A policy called the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. As President Obama mentioned in his speech about what undocumented students are, he mentioned part of a sentence that got to me. President Obama stated the following, â€Å"They are Americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one, on paper† (Obama).This is very true in my point of view, as I have realized exactly just that growing up. As a young girl, I was never told whether or not I was documented or not; whether I was a citizen of where I was growing up or I wasn’t. I was never worried about my legal status in the United States. My main focus has always been school and progressing to be a well-educated citizen that is part of the United States. That’s how I see myself as, as of today; a citizen of the United States, perhaps not in paper, but in heart. This is the place where I have been raised since the age of two, till today at the age of 17 even knowing that I am undocumented.I love the fact knowing I’m Mexican and will always be by my culture and by a large majority of my family, but that’s not the place I know by heart or grew up. That is not the country that has helped my progress as an individual. It is here in the United States where my hopes and dreams are at for a better future. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals will open job opportunities for undocumented students, avoid being deported back to their native country for at least two years, and give them a sense of hope to apply for college and scholarships, no longer fearing of being denied because they do not have a social security number.Although the process for this polic y will take a while and cost hundreds of dollars, thousands of undocumented students will be thankful for this opportunity given by the Department of Homeland Security Immigration services. As well, as thanking President Obama for making this step by step process a reality. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals also known as the DACA policy was first heard of on June 15, 2012. That day President Obama made a public speech that lasted almost nine minutes long explaining how this will help undocumented students living in the United States since they were young children.The DACA is NOT a path to citizenship right away, but a sense of relief for undocumented students. This policy will has its requirements to be able to apply for it and be eligible. Around Mid-August of 2012, the Department of Homeland Security Immigration services started receiving about 180,000 applications and 4,500 of those applications were eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. However , in the first two months â€Å"U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received and accepted for processing 179,794 deferred-action requests† (Fitz, Oakford, Garcia).In order to be eligible an undocumented student must have been living here in the United States before their 16th birthday, be under the age of 31 years of age, were in the Unites States on June 15, 2012, have proof that they are still attending school or have graduated, serving in the U. S. military, have been living here in the United States for 5 continuous years without leaving the country, and have no felonies, no more than three misdemeanors or significant ones, and not considered a public or national threat (â€Å"†).Proof that can show that you have all those necessary requirements are certificates a student may have received from school, house bills, medical records, even something as simple as old receipts from stores that someone may have. As soon as an undocumented student has all that, the y can apply for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy and will most likely be eligible. Undocumented students come from all over the world, not just Mexico, or Spanish speaking countries as many close-minded people believe.It is sad how when someone sees a Hispanic/Latino student they automatically think they are undocumented and are from Mexico. That is not always the case. There are Hispanic/Latino students in the United States that are documented. The reason why many parents risk their life to come here to the United States as an immigrant is because they want a better future for their kids. Even when they have children in their native country, they try their best to bring them to the United States along with them as young children so they are able to get a better education and life.For their kids to be able to receive and have a life that will be a million times better than the one they would have if they stayed in their native country. Every day I am grateful for th e risk my mother took for me. For giving me the chance to grow up in a country where I know I am getting a better education. Where I was taught English as my second language and have mastered it just as much as Spanish that is my native language. The United States is where I feel like I am home. Although at times I had the fear of being deported, or have racial comments said to, this is still home.Mexico is only a country where I was born at, raised for the first two years of my life, but remember nothing about it except in pictures, and not know how it is to live there personally. *This data was taken from the (Fitz, Oakford, Garcia) article. Within their article they have a map where you can zoom in and see exactly where undocumented students that applied for the DACA came from and how many. Here, I did it by region and visualized the number of approximately the thousands of undocumented students are originally from by adding them up region by region.Australia and Canada are the o nly two regions where there were not a number of thousand. Only a total of just 9 undocumented students came from Australia and 114 from Canada that applied for the DACA. In total there is an approximately of 172,624 undocumented students. * The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is a step by step policy that takes in between 4-6 months to process, as well cost hundreds perhaps even thousands of dollars per undocumented student that can apply and be eligible.There a 3 forms that must be filled out and processed to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to be looked at and be handled case by case. The 3 forms that MUST be filled out are Form I-821D, the Application for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Form I-765, the Application for Employment Authorization Document (EAD), and lastly Form I-765WS, the Employment Authorization Worksheet. There is also a â€Å"recommended, but not mandatory† form which is Form G-1145, the E-Notification of Application/Peti tion Acceptance (â€Å"†). On top of those forms that need to be filled out, there are fees.Form I-821D has a fee of $465, a $380 work authorization fee, and an $85 fee for biometrics. All of those fees put together, already make a total of $930. Additional fees are getting the birth certificate of the undocumented student translated into English, which is usually around $35 and getting a criminal record to prove that, that student had no felonies, misdemeanors, or are a public or national threat in society, which usually costs $25. There, there are an additional $60 added; for a grand total of $990 spend per undocumented student, almost reaching $1,000.Once all forms, translated birth certificate, criminal record, and the proof necessary that shows that an undocumented students has been here for more than 5 continuous years, still in school, or have already graduated, or are serving in the U. S. military, are gathered together, they are then sent to the United States Citizen ship for Immigration Services. There they take a look at case by case that is sent to them. Afterwards, the student will receive an e-mail 1 to 4 weeks later after sending their applications, where they can take a look of their applications progress.Then, within 2 to 4 months, the student will receive a letter by mail that will have their appointment to go get their biometrics done and the time that they need to be there by. On the day of the appointment, they must bring a type of identification, such as a passport from their native country. Their appointment will be at an Application Support Center also known as an ASC. Lastly, the last thing to do is wait for the approval for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, the working permit for 2 years, along with a social security number.Once the 2 years are up, they will have to continually re-new their working permit for another 2 years and so on. I have been blessed with the opportunity to be able to go to this process wit h no problem. Each case may be different for every person, meaning the process may be a long one or a short one. It is just estimated that most will last between 2 to 6 months. With the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy that the Department of Homeland Security Immigration Services gave to many undocumented students with hopes and dreams, this has lifted a weight off of my shoulders.I no longer have to wake up every day fearing that I may end up being deported back to my native country. That the next time I hear about a job opening in a place I know I can have a part-time job; I can go in and ask for an application. When I hear about a scholarship, I know I’ll be able to apply for it without have that thought in the back of my mind that I don’t have a social security number. My mother has worked her whole life to give me a better life because she knew that back in Mexico, I was never going to be able to get the opportunities I have here in the United States. My motivation has always been my mother, to give her break and thank her for everything that she has done for me and has provided me with. As an undocumented student you learn to be thankful for what you have and never take anything for granted. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, has opened much more opportunities for thousands and thousands of undocumented students and myself. School has always been a main priority, and will always be. I can now make my dreams of going to college a reality and make my mother and family members proud.All thanks to the Department of Homeland Security Immigration Services and President Barak Obama for giving that public announcement for the whole country to hear what undocumented students can go to help progress this country. We are not a threat, but a help for the country to progress economically. We are DREAMERS that will now make our dreams come true. We are fighting in the nations forces to protect this country. We are citizens of the United States in heart. As President Obama, mentioned in his speech, â€Å"It is the right thing to do† (Obama).

Little Miss Sunshine Essay

In the exposition the audience is first introduced to Richard on stage giving his ‘9 step’ speech. The directors use a low angle shot suggesting that he is a superior and authoritative character. Richards powerful voice booms through the room when he says the dialogue â€Å"there are two types of people in this world winners and losers†, the way Richard speaks makes him appear to be a ‘winner’ and that he truly believes in the ‘9 step’ program he is trying to sell. Dayton and Farris create a false impression of Richard, making the audience believe that he is a â€Å"winner†. Ironically once Richard finishes his speech, the camera pans to his audience, which is none other than a classroom of ten people hesintly clapping, this diminishes his position of power instantly. This shows the timeless idea that ‘winning is not everything’ because that when a person who’s only goal is winning are in fact ‘losers†™ because they are not learning the important lessons in life that come with this journey so they don’t fully succussed. When people focus to hard on winning they miss out on the more important lessons that come with this adventure. The idea that winning is everything for Richard creates a false world for him. Richard in his own mind thinks that he is a winner but it is clear to the audience that he is not. Richard is to consumed in winning which leads him into unintentionally being mean to Olive. The dialogue â€Å"Don’t apologise Olive, it’s a sign of weakness† shows how Richard is trying to force his beliefs onto Olive. The close up of Olive (that follows) looking nerves and sad that her father thinks she’s weak shows the audience that Richard is too focussed on winning which leads him to hurting innocent Olive . This shows the timeless idea that ‘winning is not everything’ because if we focuses to much on winning that it can lead us to forgetting our morals and hurting the people we love, making us ‘losers’ in the real things that matter like family and love. Dayton and Farris use the character Richard to show the audience that winning is not everything. On the road journey Richard also takes an emotional journey and discovers that life is not all about winning. Richard slowly changes through out the movie into a true winner because he starts caring for other people and starts to use his ‘9 steps’ rather than blankly speaking about them. Nsdghjgtsjdgh The first sign of this positive change is when. The directors use a two person shot of Richard and the pageant coordinator to show how Richard has changed for the better. The dialogue â€Å"what is your daughter doing?† Richard replies â€Å" she’s kicking ass† shows how Richard has changed and now understands that ‘winning is not everything’. In this two person shot Richard appears to be the true winner because has now come to realise the one of the true meanings of winning which is having a loving family, while the pageant coordinator is still focussed on the idea that winning is everything, this shows how Richard was and how he has changed for the better. This shows the timeless idea that winning is not everything because when he realises that it’s not all about winning , he becomes a winner because now he values his values his family and now isn’t focussed on just winning. Dayton and Farris help us to understand that we shouldn’t put all our effort into â€Å"stupid meaningless competitions† but instead focus on the truly important things in life. Through Richards change the audience learnt the timeless idea that ‘winning is not everything . Dayton and Farris show that though someone may appear to be a ‘winner’ and successful in life, this is not always true and what is on the inside and how you treat people is more important. By Richard realising that the true values in life are love and relationships not success we are shown that we should focus on the true values in lif e for us.

Case Studies: Chapter 1-4

Chapter 1: What’s the Buzz on Smart Grids? 1. How do smart grids differ from the current electricity infrastructure in the United States? One of the main differences between smart grids and present electricity infrastructure in the U. S. is that smart grids provide electricity by utilizing digital technology in order to save energy, to reduce costs, and to increase reliability as oppose to present electricity grids provides electricity which is obsoleted and inefficient (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).Another difference is that current electricity grids do not deliver any information about how people utilize energy which makes even more difficult to create approaches to distributions in the efficient manner (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). Since current electricity grids do not provide useful information, distributors and consumers may not be able to make proper decisions about how they use energy efficiently (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). Conversely, smart grids provide information to both energy provides and consumers so that they can make decisions for better efficiency (U.S. Department of Energy, 2012). Additionally, smart grids deliver information from the house to the power provider and can monitor the electricity usage to lower the cost to the consumers and save energy by using them more efficiently (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). 2. What management, organization, and technology issues should be considered when developing a smart grid? The management issues that need to be considered during the development of smart grid would be to convince the consumer to switch over to the smart grid system (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).The need for smart grid must be relayed to the consumer and shown how the utilization of the smart grid will benefit both the power provider and the consumer by being able to utilize power more efficiently (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). Consumers will like to have their privacy protected, and the management of the power provider must assure their consumers not to feel i ntruded by the power company but focus on the benefits of the smart grid system such as lowering their electricity bills though the information feedback system that can relay how the energy s being used and the ability to analyze it (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). The organizational issue that the smart grid system will have to overcome would be the high cost of the smart grid system to be put into place. The meter that needs to be installed in each household may range from $250 to $500 per unit (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). Some consumers are not willing to initially spend the money to have the meter installed especially when they know that to save energy they need to turn off lights and other appliances or electronics when they are not being used (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).Additionally, once the smart grid system has been successfully been set up, the power provider may risk losing revenue as more consumers are able to use their energy more efficiently (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). The technology iss ue would be the fact that in the initial installation of the system, it will be time and money consuming on both the consumer and the power provider (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). A completely new system must be put into place and replace the old system. With the advancement of technology, this may become vulnerable to forms of cybercrimes as with any other advanced forms of technology may be attacked (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).Also, the complicated technology may not be user friendly to everyone especially to the elders or someone who is not as technologically aware. 3. What challenge to the development of smart grids do you think is most likely to hamper their development? The challenges that smart grids face that may hinder their development would be the fact that first of all the startup of the system is very expensive and time consuming (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). The complete infrastructure must be changed in order for smart grids to be fully replaced (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).It is also ex pensive for the home or business owners to install the meter necessary to monitor the electricity use and have to figure out who will pay for the initial installation of the meter, when the power provider will have to cover the cost of the system running which may be as high as $75billion (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). As mentioned in previous question, the consumers must also be assured that they do not have to worry about being a victim of a cybercrime and their privacy will be protected.Additionally with the advancement of technology, they must make sure it is user friendly to everyone as some consumers are already making claim that they had a hard time figuring out how to read and analyze the meters (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). The hardest part of the power providers starting up with the grid system is to solve all of the issues mentioned above and convince the entire nation to switch over to the smart grid system. 4. What other areas of our infrastructure could benefit from â€Å"smartà ¢â‚¬  technologies?Smart technology can monitor, assess and analyze any form of data and optimize the consumption of resources to be able to utilize them effectively. Smart car can effectively monitor the consumption of gasoline and use it to minimize the consumption and extend it in order to get the maximum miles per gallon ratio to save money and gasoline (McGlaun, 2012). Some cars automatically shuts their engine off while the vehicle is not in motion and automatically turns itself back on when it needs to move (McGlaun, 2012). Hybrid vehicles use gasoline and combine it with electricity to further increase the miles to the gallon ratio.Other smart technologies that are used in cars would be the two way communication technology that will tell cars where other cars are at and what path they are taking. In that way the computers inside the cars can know exactly where each other are at and avoid collision (McGlaun, 2012). Smart technologies are being utilized in automobiles and oth er areas not only limited to houses but also electricity in order to maintain and preserve the nonrenewable resources (McGlaun, 2012). 5. Would you like your home and your community to be part of a smart grid?Why or why not? Explain. I personally would not like to be a part of the smart grid system. I think that the grid system is a great idea for someone who needs to be reminded and guided on how to effectively utilize electricity. In addition, I also believe that it is important for the environment to conserve power; however like many other consumers I know how to conserve electricity. For example, I turn off electronics and unnecessary appliances when they are not in use, I lower the air conditioner at night time and when I leave the house and make ure all the lights and TV are turned off when they are not being used to name a few. I feel that I am responsible and have the ability to regulate my electricity consumption. That being said, I do wish to pay up to $500 up front for so mething that I already know and can manage. That is why I do not wish my neighborhood to switch over to the smart grid system. Chapter 2: Collaboration and Innovation at Procter & Gamble 1. What is Procter & Gamble’s business strategy? What is the relationship of collaboration and innovation to that business strategy?The Procter & Gamble’s business strategy is to keep the consumers by maintaining the brand and popularity they have with existing consumers (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). Procter & Gamble also focuses on improving their already existing line of products in order to keep the popularity that they already have (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). Lastly, Procter & Gamble creates completely new products from start to the final product and sent out new items to the market to improve their sales (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).Procter & Gamble innovates and adds to the market by dividing its focus to developing and creating new brands and items for the market. The company needs the colla boration between all of their stake holders being the researchers, marketers and the managers to all work together in order to improve work efficiency which has made them one of the top companies in the world (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). 2. How is P&G using collaboration systems to execute its business model and business strategy?List and describe the collaboration systems and technologies it is using and the benefits of each. The collaboration of over 8,000 scientists and researchers that are employed by Procter & Gamble worldwide, marketers and managers working together increases innovation and as a result further their success in the industry (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). As large as the company is, they keep utilizing all of their employees to research, experiment, produce, market and organize their own brand and create new products (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).With a large amount of employees throughout the world, good communication was crucial to working as one and becoming successful. Proc tor and Gamble collaborated with Cisco Telepresence to improve their communication abilities and made certain that all employees have access to the system to bring the organization into one well-oiled machine (Cisco, 2008). While P&G were conducting business, they realized that one communication system was not sufficient enough to be able to satisfy their large demands and needs (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).They also incorporated Connectbeam, which is another communication system which allowed employees to share more effectively more information by the utilization of networks between one coworker to another in the form of tagging and bookmarks (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). 3. Why were some collaborative technologies slow to catch on at P&G? Some collaborative technologies were slow to catch on at P&G because it took time for all employees to try out something new as many people are more comfortable with what they are used to and are not eager to make changes (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).Employees may feel intimidated or does not want to change their normal routine even though they may be told that the new system such as the new communication systems are better and more efficient than the ones that already exist such as new email systems (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). Another example would be a specific incident where researchers were using old outdated version of Microsoft software to print out the research and paste them onto notebook physically with paper and glue (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).To counter this effect, Microsoft overhauled the communication system and attempted to make it easier for the employees to utilize new technology and bring everything together (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). 4. Compare P&G’s old and new processes for writing up and distributing the results of a research experiment. In the past, researchers wrote up experiments that were performed or to be performed using Microsoft Office (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). The researchers then printed out what they have ty ped, and physically glued them onto a notebook one page at a time to place them into a book format (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).The old email system were too controlled by the employees in terms of the receivers of that specific email, being that if the employee who was sending the email did not send it to the appropriate receiver, then the email was ineffective as a means of communication (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). On the other hand, other forms of communications such as blogs reached out to too large of an audience that being anyone who were interested and cannot be relied on sending sensitive messages (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).Microsoft products streamlined the communication problems and issues that P&G had to make communication more effective (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). 5. Why is telepresence such a useful collaborative tool for a company like P&G? Telepresence is a useful collaborative tool for company such as P&G because in an organization as large as P&G, they need to be able to keep all of their employees which lives in 80 different countries connected through communication (Cisco, 2008).Not only does Telepresence allow international communications not only by the forms of telephone, email or the internet, Telepresence has the ability to supply P&G with 300 videoconferencing rooms where employees such as researchers can see each other during conference which may allow the researchers visual communication or actually show each other’s research and experiment over the video than just verbally explaining tedious and confusing procedures (Cisco, 2008). The videoconferencing room will also allow for a company meeting or private meetings between any employees of P&G without having to travel, which can save time and travel fees.Telepresence can help the P&G Company by effective communication methods (Cisco, 2008). 6. Can you think of other ways P&G could use collaboration to foster innovation? Procter and Gamble has more than 8,000 researchers with 1,000 or more o f them having Ph. D. experimenting, researching and innovating new products for the company in approximately 30 research facilities (Coleman & Hymowitz, 2012). Procter and Gamble is well known and respected company that is known to innovate new products and as a result they have a collaboration of many individuals and organization working for the company and assisting those (Coleman & Hymowitz, 2012).Procter and Gamble can reach out and incorporate more researchers from other parts of the world to collaborate and innovate new products using new ideas and point of view from different part of the world (Coleman & Hymowitz, 2012). Chapter 3: HOW MUCH DO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES KNOW ABOUT YOU? 1. What competitive strategy are the credit card companies pursuing? How do information systems support that strategy? The credit card companies may be following low-cost leadership strategy and product differentiation strategy at the same time (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).For instance, the credit compan ies can categorize the cardholders based on the regular charges the cardholder charges on the credit card (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). From the types of charges that are made on a regular bases. For example the credit card company may see someone charging many speeding ticket costs onto their credit card as being risky and impulsive just as much as someone who has a record of being behind on their bills (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).Furthermore, someone that will pay off their credit card bills in a timely matter or someone that will go out of their way to put a high quality product on their credit card categorized as being responsible and a better customer and may have a higher maximum balance on their card (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). The information system gathered by the credit card company profiles cardholders and places them into categories which may be bias and profiling (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).Additionally using this data and reaching out to the customers and offering them advices may res ult in the customers wanting to pay off their debt to their credit card companies before they pay off other credit cards as an individual who was going through a divorce paid off their debt to one company who took time to offer the customers assistance while that customer was unable to pay off other credit cards (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). 2. What are the business benefits of analyzing customer purchase data and constructing behavioral profiles?The benefits of analyzing customer purchase data and constructing behavioral profiles would be that the business can have an idea based on the data who will be more likely to pay back the debt in a timely matter and potentially avoid loss (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). Customers with a history of not paying off their debt or customers who spend in an impulsive matter may have a hard time paying off the charges and have a hard time getting qualified for loans and higher limit. An example would be customers who lost their homes to foreclosures that put their mortgage on their credit card and abandoned paying their debt (Laudon & Laudon, 2012).On the other hand, customers who have a history of paying off their credit card debt in timely matter may be able to get a higher limit and may have a better reputation from their credit card company (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). There are benefits to the credit card company to analyze using the purchase data being that the credit card companies will be paid back the customers debt, however this does create a bias opinion of their customers as some may not be true and potentially good customers.Additionally, by using analysis from data, it may protect the cardholders as it may alert the credit card companies any charges that may be unusual and ultimately alert the cardholders and potentially avoid or protect the customers from fraudulent transactions (Dhanapal, 2012). Once the fraudulent transaction is identified, the cardholders can then request to start an investigation and shut down that accoun t (Dhanapal, 2012) (Mavri, Angelis, Ioannou, Gaki, & Koufodontis, 2008).Once the investigation has been initiated, it allows law enforcement to track down the date, time and the location of transactions and even request a video surveillance of the fraudulent transactions and create a starting point for investigators and law enforcement officer to conduct and identify the subjects (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). 3. Are these practices by credit card companies ethical? Are they an invasion of privacy? Why or why not? I believe that these practices by the credit card companies on analyzing their customers purchase data have both pros and cons.They are unethical in the terms that every situation is different in every case. If the customer is having a hard time in their life, such as being in between jobs, they may not have the financial means to pay off all of their debt on time, however it does not mean that the customer is intentionally not paying off their debt to steal from the credit card companies (Mavri, Angelis, Ioannou, Gaki, & Koufodontis, 2008). It may be that the individual may have a job lined up and they may pay off the credit card debt as soon as they get more financial stability (Mavri, Angelis, Ioannou, Gaki, & Koufodontis, 2008).As a customer, the idea of credit card would be that the customers can purchase what they need at the time even though they don’t have the liquid asset in that particular time and pay them off on a later date and time (Mavri, Angelis, Ioannou, Gaki, & Koufodontis, 2008). By being judged by the analysis based on data, customers may be being judged by unfair bias (Mavri, Angelis, Ioannou, Gaki, & Koufodontis, 2008). On the other hand credit card companies are business and need to be paid back the debt that people make by making a purchase on their credit cards.If the company does not get paid back the debt, then the credit card company will be losing revenue in a highly competitive industry. Chapter 4: The Perils of Texting 1. Which of the five moral dimensions of information systems identified in this text is involved in this case? Accountability and control is one of the moral dimension of information systems that is involved in this case because people that text while driving should be held accountable and liable if they put someone in danger, injure, or worse (Laudon & Laudon, 2010).Mobile phone subscriptions have increased considerably over the past decade and have been continuing to rise at a rapid rate. According to recent study, 5,870 more deaths and 515,000 more accidents were caused from prior years by texting while driving (The Perils of Texting, 2012). Based on this information, it is obvious that we should not wait until someone gets injured in order to hold people accountable for texting and driving; there needs to be accountability now.Quality of life is another moral dimension of information systems that is involved in this case because though we are living in an information-and-knowle dge based technological society, there are certain values and practices that should be preserved and supported (Laudon & Laudon, 2010). Valuing human life is one of those practices that should be supported. Those who text while driving put so many people at risk. Society as a whole is aware of the dangers associated with texting while driving; therefore, those who do so, are not valuing human life. 2. What are the ethical, social, and political issues raised by this case?Several States, 31 to be exact, have already prohibited texting while driving, and there are likely more to come; President Obama has also prohibited texting while driving for Federal government workers (Laudon & Laudon, 2010). The ethical, social, and political issues raised by this case are very important as texting while driving has become one of the most prevalent and dangerous practices people all over are vulnerable to. The laws surrounding texting while driving vary among states, some severer than others. The point is that this is a major issue in anywhere throughout the world.It is ethically wrong to text while driving because people are putting others in dangerous way (Laudon & Laudon, 2010). There is, however, still some debate between the social and political aspects of this problem; some feel that we should be allowed to text while driving because we should be free to make our own decisions, while others argue it is not the state’s or federal responsibility to outlaw poor decision-making (Laudon & Laudon, 2010). Despite the opposition, there is a need for legislatures to set harsher penalties for drivers who creates an unsafe road conditions when they text and drive (Laudon & Laudon, 2010). . Which of the ethical principles described in the text are useful for decision making about (Dhanapal, 2012)texting while driving? The ethical principles described in the text that are useful for decision making about texting while driving are: †¢The Golden Rule because people shoul d do unto others as people would like to have them do unto themselves (Laudon & Laudon, 2010). Therefore, people should not put others in harm’s way by texting behind the wheel if they don’t want to be put themselves in harm’s way because others could potentially do the same thing. Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative principle is applicable because it applies to everyone. It is not ok for me to text while driving and not others because my actions could endanger someone else. If everyone texted while driving the probability of that action endangering people increases enormously. †¢Descartes Rule of Change is useful for decision making about texting while driving because every time you text you are increasing the risk of injury to yourself or others.This rules states that if the action cannot be taken repeatedly, it is not right to take it at all. This also applies because if you text and drive once and get away with it, you may be inclined to keep doing. This is the slippery slope rule (Laudon & Laudon, 2010). †¢Risk Aversion principle is useful for decision making about texting while driving because it asks you to take a course of action that produces the least amount of harm (Laudon & Laudon, 2010). In this case, you should choose not to text while driving because it could potentially cause a great deal of harm.