Learning Experience at Texas

Texas A&M was certainly an experience different from anything I encountered before. I surely have had my share of studying in high school – in fact, it seemed at times that I had had more than I really wanted. The semester at Texas A&M, on the contrary, left me eager for more, seeking new revelations, interesting discoveries, meetings with friends and greater scope. It has also left me with a better understanding of the world so exquisitely made by our Creator and appreciation of its wonders. Education is certainly no small feat, and one needs real inspiration to get through the challening workload of math problems, English essays, and learning new concepts and ideas. The time I spent at Texas A&M not only helped me improve my educational background, equipping me with instruments to approach complex things, but also boosted my inspiration to overcome challenges and move toward my professional goals, step by step, each day making these goals come closer. I know now what I see as my main step: it is the completion of the Bachelor’s program at Texas Christian University. Its program is tailor-made to fit my personal needs and will help me move on in life. Texas A&M was to me a great lesson in the value of education. The time spent there also left me with a more serious attitude toward college studies. Being a Hurricane Katrina student, I for a time lived with the sense that there are more important problems to get over in this world than studies, and my mind was often focused on other things. This naturally affected my performance. As time went by, however, I could not remain indifferent to the intense learning process that was going on around. I learned that getting engrossed in studies was a good way to cope with shock, and that being in possession of valuable information makes one better prepared to conquer problems and challenges and take control of life. My strong Christian faith was a continuous source of inspiration in my studies at Texas A&M. It was my Walk with God that gave me the strength to master a new environment, improve my educational potential, and improve my educational performance. My prayers were a source of consolation in times of need and provided inspiration when I had to make another leap forward in my learning. I cannot underestimate the support of my friends. The environment at Texas A&M turned out to be ideal for establishing friendly contacts, and I at once felt encouragement and attention of other students who were willing to help me, given my traumatic background as a Hurricane Katrina student. I see human communication as an inalienable part of the education process. It is one feature that makes it inherently appealing to a sociable person like myself, eager to absorb knowledge through collective learning effort. My studies at Texas A&M were only a springboard for my future academic endeavors. In fact, I strongly believe that from this point on, I am about to embark on a lifelong learning adventure. I trust the words of Robert M. Hutchins who said â€Å"The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.† I hope that college will give me a strong background from which to see and learn new things, quickly putting them in context. Such learning can never stop because a human mind is always receptive to new and new turns of events that swirl around. I believe that education obtained at Texas Christian University will prove to be an ideal foundation from which to begin my professional career. With its powerful Christian focus and impressive academic strength, the university will be an ideal place for me to turn myself into a really educated person. The university is an excellent opportunity to reach my goals and aspirations in life. I hope to get a chance to prove my worthiness of this great academic and Christian tradition receiving a place in TCU’s program.   

Alaskan Airlines †Strategic Choice and Evaluation Essay

Recognizing an organization’s alternatives for growth is an important process for companies. By evaluating and selecting the competitive advantages within a market a company can distinguish themselves from their competition. For an organization the â€Å"grand strategies indicate the time period over which long-range objectives are to be achieved. Thus, a grand strategy can be defined as a comprehensive general approach that guides a firm’s major actions† (Pearce & Robinson, 2011). Alaskan Airlines is a company that is known for their innovations and leadership within in the aviation industry. Alaskan Airlines is easily identifiable because of the smiling Eskimo on the tail of their aircraft. Their leadership and innovations in technology have seen them be the first to sell tickets online and allow customers to check-in and print boarding passes via the Internet. Alaskan Airlines has also innovated technologies to allow for safer air travels in inclement weather conditions. In the aviation market, Alaskan Airlines must focus on how to maintain their status as the air carrier with the next generation technology and low cost airfares. As air carriers compete for the consumer dollar Alaskan Airlines must strategically execute growth strategies. Generic Strategy Alaskan Airlines is known for its high standard of customer service and industry innovation. The company sustains market leadership by leveraging generic strategy. Alaskan Airlines managed the generic strategy in all the three areas, which includes: 1. Low-cost Leadership – Alaska Airlines must be able to offer low-cost through low overhead and high productivity to compete with low-fare competitors. This will enable the company to offer an exceptional quality service at competitive prices compared to the competitors. 2. Differentiation – Alaskan Airlines has remained a leader in the customer service industry by revolutionizing the services offered to the customer. Alaskan Airlines in the only air carrier that offers a Baggage Service Guarantee that states that the customer will receive their bags within 20 minutes of parking at the gate. If the Alaskan Airlines goes over the 20 minutes the customer will receive a 20-dollar discount code for on future flights. 3. Focus – One of the major focuses of Alaskan Airlines is their customer service value and the company uses that to generate success. Alaskan Airlines knew customer service was important to customers and strove to deliver world-class service. The consumers want great customer service, which is safe, and at a competitive price. The accomplishments of Alaskan Airlines are ascribed to strategic plans applied to generate the culture and service offered. The best direction for the grand strategy of Alaskan Airlines is to implement product development and innovation. Alaskan Airlines has established loyal customers based on their quality of service and value. It is a trusted brand that thrives in customer service, safety, and value. The goal of this strategy is to continue the success of the outstanding service and innovations in aviation technologies. Innovation through â€Å"product development involves the substantial modification of existing products or the creation of new but related products that can be marketed to current customers through established channels† (Pearce, 2011, p. 193). Innovation is another grand strategy used throughout Alaskan Airlines. A recent example of Alaskan Airlines implementing this strategy is, in conjunction with the FAA, â€Å"working to implement quieter, more fuel-efficient arrival routes into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The routes use satellite-based technology, namely Required Navigation Performance (RNP) and Optimized Profile Descent—two key pieces of the FAA’s â€Å"NextGen† air traffic management system† (Alaska Air, 2012, pg. 3). Attaining the long-term business goals for Alaskan Airlines has been focused in increasing the quality of the flying customer experience. Alaskan Airlines consistently strives to provide the best customer experience to the consumer through consumer feedback. Alaska Airlines was the first airlines to use Internet technologies to enhance the customer service experience through their online check-in and ability to print boarding passes. The grand strategy is delivered through a final marketing strategy; Alaskan Airlines currently services over 60 cities and three countries, has a pro-active program in place to reduce emissions from jet engines, an extensive recycling program at facilities and is developing/using technologies to fly more economical routes. Recently Colgan Air decided not fly offer service from Presque to Logan International, PenAir a partner of Alaskan Air decided to provide the service at a $115 round trip. This gives Alaskan Airlines the ability to provide customers with outstanding service while becoming a better global citizen. Recommendation Alaskan Airlines, through the leadership of Brad Tilden, has been able to provide renowned customer service within in the industry and has been a leader in the innovation of technologies that can be used for the betterment of the aviation industry. The recommendation is to follow the current business model of customer service to preserve the customer positive customer experience. Alaskan Airlines should also focus on the environmental portion of the aviation industry by using more Green practices such and wind farms, more robust recycling programs and using more fuel-efficient aircraft and bio-fuel. Alaskan Airlines has very loyal patronage and through the expansion of new routes and more cities, more consumers will be able to experience flying on Alaskan Airlines. Conclusion Alaskan Airlines must build upon an already successful customer service program, continued improvement to the fleet of aircraft and to furthering the technologies used within the aviation industry. References Lynds, J. (2012, Jun 15). Alaskan Airline debuts services in Presque Isle. Bangor Daily News. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1020684161?accountid=35812 Pearce, J. A., II, Robinson, R. B. (2011). Strategic Management: Formulation, Implementation, and Control (12th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

John Corvino and Glenn Stanton on Same Sex Marriage Essay

Same sex relationships have been a controversial issue now in 21st century and marriage is coming along the way. In the United States, when the issue of same sex marriage was brought up, many homosexuals are in a hurry to marry and become actual parents with legislative support but many states banned it. As a result, numerous gay activists and supporters battle in a debate for same sex marriage. John Corvino, gay activist, and Glenn Stanton, researcher and staff of Focus on the Family, have been travelling in the country and passionately fighting for the acceptance of gay marriage and parenting. In John Corvino’s Same Sex: Debating the Ethics, Science and Culture of Homosexuality, he presented different views from theologians, scientists, philosophers, historians, and lesbian and gay scholars. He showed a bigger picture of what is homosexuality, what is its history, and what are the factors that influence or hindrance it. In one of the chapters under Science and Identity, the possible biological origins of homosexuality are explained. Sexual orientation, as many argued is affected by biological foundations but is not merely determined by it but also but experiential factors. Many studies have implied results that some individuals are born with homosexual brains while others’ sexuality is later modified through experience. However, being homosexual should not about the lack of choice or heredity but of gay and lesbian rights in key areas: justice, privacy, equality, and liberty (Corvino 111). On Marriage on Trial: The Case Against Same Sex Marriage and Parenting, Glenn Stanton together with Bill Maier—another staff of Focus on the Family and also a child and family psychologist presented a strong argument on why same sex marriage should be allowed as a right for homosexuals. The two authors specifically designed the book as â€Å"equipping manual† or a defence toll to enable gays and lesbians in responding and reasoning to defend same-sex marriage (Stanton and Maier 9). The manual provided â€Å"accurate information† about homosexuality on how to answer the questions that may gay people are looking for. Questions such as â€Å"What’s wrong with letting homosexuals marry? ,† â€Å"How would homosexuals threaten other families? ,† and â€Å"Wouldn’t gay marriage make for a more open and equitable society? † are aimed to answer and guide same-sex couples into fighting for their right and actually having their families by understanding the nature of homosexuality first and by learning its historical evidences. Both authors fight for the same cause but used different attacks. Corvino presented a more wide and critical information through science and ethics without mixing the two. Although many studies revealed that sexuality is developed by genetics or experience, it is still an inconclusive matter since no one has ever seen how sexual orientation is represented on the brain. Corvino provided its readers such integrity, passion, and rationality by not mixing science and religion or to simply conclude that gays and lesbians become who they are due to violence they experience from gay community. Its approach to same sex marriage is not limited to debate and arguments by wide array of information such as its history, psychology, family, religion, and legality. Stanton, on the other hand, encourages and empowers gays and lesbians to fight for same-sex marriage not merely because they want to but because it is their right to marry and have a family as human beings. He gave sound political statements that could uplift the spirit of its readers and he also debunked the numerous myths about gays such as genetics, lifestyle, and threats. Both authors have provided arguments that are strong and critical assessment of sex-marriage and homosexuality without overly becoming biased on gays and lesbians. Works Cited Corvino, John. Same Sex: Debating the Ethics, Science and Culture of Homosexuality. Rowman and Littlefield, 1999. Stanton, Glenn and Maier, Bill. Marriage on Trial: The Case Against Same Sex Marriage and Parenting. InterVarsity Press, 2004.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 - Research Paper Example Discrimination based on Race, Color, religion, and nationality In the beginning of 1960s, most Americans knew the potential of having equal protection was to be fulfilled in the fourteenth amendment. There was a debate in the three arms of the government and the public on whether the constitution enhances equal protection to all American workers, but civil Acts has been able to protect American workers from being discriminated based on color, religion, race, and national origin. It is, therefore, unlawful to deny equal employment opportunity to an employee because of his race, or even perceived race, or race-linked characters such as hair color and facial features, or because the individual is married to or has an association with another person of a particular race and color. This law also extended non-discrimination protection to workers who are disabled. There have been attempts to enact the legislation to protect lesbians, bisexual and gay workers from discrimination but the Cong ress has failed to protect workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation. ... Sex was added in the law to protect Alice Paul who was a woman. Section 703 part A declared it unlawful for an employee to refuse to hire or even discharge a worker with respect to the worker’s terms of service, compensation, or any privilege of employment because of the individual’s race, national origin, color or religion. Final bill that was passed allowed sex to be one of the considerations especially when the sex of the worker was a bona fide qualification for an intended job. EEOC was later created under Title VII for implementing this law. Recruiting, Hiring and Advancement Section 703 Part A protects workers during hiring process, and it states that it is unlawful to discriminate an employee with respect to compensation or any other privileges of employment. Any job requirement should be applied in a uniform and consistent manner to all persons regardless of the race and color. Moreover, a job requirement should without putting in place job performance or needs of the business; otherwise, it will be unlawful if the specific requirements will exclude persons of specific race and color in a significant way than others. For instance, an employer who solicits applications from applicants of the same race and color, or applicants with a specific education background which may not be important for the performance of the job, or even testing the job applicants for knowledge or abilities when the job performance is not important. In other circumstances, an employer may require racial information of an applicant for having affirmative action. To obtain information relating to race without discriminating the employee is by using separate forms or

Neil Postman's theory on technology is outdated Thesis

Neil Postman's theory on technology is outdated - Thesis Example For others it may be a release from the daily stress of work by watching a grand movie on the television. For still others it may be finding solutions to problems faced by mankind, which works as a combined shot at development of the human race. No matter what form of technology or what meaning one chooses to give to technology, crux of the discussion can be simply put that â€Å"technology is defined by how one chooses to use it†.   Neil Postman, a very famous cultural-critic of the USA, came out with a book in, called Technopoly. Being a successful critic, Neil, in this book, raises issues that state, â€Å"In the age of technopoly, technology is not merely the dominant factor within culture; rather technology seeks to redefine culture itself â€Å"(technopoly, 2002). Neil described today’s American culture as one, which is ruled more by technology than their beliefs and morals so much so that technology has evolved into a culture. The book claims that these three cultures of technology and advancement are relevant and apparent through put to the world in a number of different ways. He goes ahead and describes his claim and alleged culture in three simple yet complete words as: Tool-using: The book claims that the very primitive of technical-culture was the tool-using culture. It came in the very start of the world. In this culture the entire technology was aimed to achieve the solutions to all human’s problems in the physical life and in the artistic dimension. For this purpose a variant number of tools were made which were representatives of all the technology of that age. None of these tools had ever been a nuisance to the humans. Soon these tools and technology were integrated into the lives of the people and did not stand out on their own. So they only affected the human life to the extent of problem solving and not anything else. And so they did not change the human culture in the slightest of means. These also did not change an y of the human believes about the existence of god or a higher superior power. And so were deemed harmless. This culture assumption was based on theology and was used as a means of controlling ideology. The very basic theological belief is and forever has been, that God is the inventor and giver of all intelligence and efficiency, so whatever number of tools that humans did make with this intelligence so these tools and inventions were only a means of furthering man’s belief in god and the higher powers. In that time, man was the slave of theology and not technology. Technocracy: the second part of the book introduces the concept of technocracy. The book says that in this culture the tools invented for the development of man-kind are the main-point or the through put of the world. Technocracy deals with the invention of techniques and tools. But it is different from the tool-using culture in the sense that it does not make tools which leave after the work of humans is done. I t also enhances the thought process of humans, forcing them to think of customs and procedure regarding the use of technology as a part of them. The highlight of this culture is the invention of the clock, the printing press and the telescope. These inventions were the breakaway of the humans from their independency on tools. Among them the telescope was by far the most important invention of this culture, both in the good way and the bad way. Before the advent of the telescope, it was

Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Assignment 2 - Essay Example It tracks the chain of events that lead to the differences, right from Stage 1 through to Stage 4. Stage 1 occurs in a society that is yet to experience any level of industrial development. This stage is characterised by high CDRs and CBRs, which are determined by natural occurrences such as extreme weather conditions and plagues. At this stage, family planning techniques do not exist; even if they do, they are not practised because of the high value of having many children. Children are seen as a source of income due to the contributions they make to their families through carrying out tasks such as collecting firewood, fetching water, herding animals, and taking care of their younger siblings. The more children one has, the more respected he is; this keeps CBRs high. On the other hand, food supplies and sanitation standards are exceptionally low. This translates to poor health standards, keeping the CDRs equally high as the CBRs. The result is a balance between birth and death rates, which translate to low population growth rates. This, in turn, keeps populations low. This stage is characterised by improved food production and sanitation levels (Jean-Pierre 60). These, together with other improvements to human life such as in technology and healthcare lead to a reduced CDR, while the CBR remains high. This creates an imbalance, resulting in exponential population increase. Most developing countries, in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and Asia, are experiencing this phase of transition. These include Afghanistan, Nigeria, Uganda, Mali, Yemen, and Palestine. This stage marks the turning point of the transition process. It marks the transition from agriculture based economies to technological advancements. Women are highly educated and have access to a host of birth control measures. There is an increase in income and reduction in the value of children as sources of income; instead, they become a

Any topic you think is good for my paper 'but look to the assigment Assignment

Any topic you think is good for my paper 'but look to the assigment sheet befour u start' - Assignment Example Using logos as a means of persuasion, Boot provided narrative details of historical claims and identified nautical miles that establish sovereignty to lands according to international law. Likewise, incidents of current events that detail both countries’ active claim through positioning respective vessels in the area have been detailed. The apparent lack of support and active participation of the United States, known as an ally to the Philippines proven by a 1951 treaty, was likewise allegedly established through assuming a neutral stance. The author used ethos by establishing his credibility as a â€Å"senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of the forthcoming (book)† (Boot par. 13). By indicating that he is not among the two claiming parties’ citizen, he appeared to present objective and unbiased arguments on this matter. Through establishing appropriate logical reasoning, the author effectively established logos as a rhetorical appeal and has likewise appropriately used ethos to credibly confirm his unbiased character as an author and to provide an objective report on the subject of