Education, A Bet Worth Taking essays

Education, A Bet Worth Taking essays Free college tuition, up-to-date technologies in every classroom, and reduced class sizes. Do not these ideas sound good? All of this and much more can be possible with a state lottery for North Carolina. State lotteries produce additional funds for the state that can be allocated towards educational purposes in hopes of helping to raise a states rankings at the national level. Creating a state lottery for North Carolina would generate additional funds for educational purposes, help to boost the yearly budget, and provide scholarship opportunities for residents. North Carolina is currently one of the twelve states that remain without a lottery and the only one on the east coast (Lottery Supporters Wonder..., 1). It is a shame to think that while our neighboring states are prospering from the luxuries of a lottery, North Carolinians are being left without. Anti-lottery advocates argue that the lottery preys on the poor and uneducated... (McLaughin, 2). However, a study by Money magazine discovered that low income families do not buy a greater portion of lottery tickets, but instead found that ticket purchases are spread evenly between all economic levels (Study Offers New Insights..., 1). Grass Roots organizer, Gary Minter makes a good point when he says, Taxes are mandatory...With a lottery its totally your decision (Lure of the Lottery:, 1), reiterating the fact that just because your state has a lottery you dont have to partake in it by buying a ticket. One of the many hopes that North Carolina teachers have is that with a lottery many crowded schools will be reduced in class sizes. When asked about the lottery, Joyce Elliot, of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE), replied, It would provide the money in order to hire additional teachers to reduce the sizes of the classes. As research shows children excel greater wit...

Aristophanes the Ancient Greek Comedy Writer

Aristophanes the Ancient Greek Comedy Writer Aristophanes is important today because his work is still relevant. People still laugh at modern performances of his comedies. In particular, his famous womens sex strike for peace comedy, Lysistrata, continues to resonate. Pronunciation:  /à ¦.rÉ ª.sta.fÉ™.niz/ Examples:  In Aristophanes  Frogs, Dionysus, like Hercules before him, goes to the Underworld to bring back Euripides. The Old Comedy Old Comedy had been performed for 60 years prior to Aristophanes. In his time, as his work shows, Old Comedy was changing. It was bawdy and topically political, taking license with living people in the public eye. Ordinary humans played the most heroic characters. Gods and heroes could play buffoons. His style of Old Comedy is described as over-the-top, more like Animal House than How I Met Your Mother. The latter has a lineage that could be traced to an important comedy genre that came after Aristophanes. This was New Comedy, the stock character-filled comedy of manners, written by the Greek Menander and his Roman imitators. To be more completely accurate, New Comedy followed Middle Comedy, a little-known genre to which Aristophanes contributed at the end of his career. Aristophanes wrote comedies from 427-386 B.C., which gives us approximate dates for his life: (c. 448-385 B.C.). Unfortunately, we know very little about him, although he lived in Athens during periods of turmoil, beginning his writing career after the death of Pericles, during the Peloponnesian War. In A Handbook of Greek Literature, H.J. Rose says his father was named Philippos. Rose calls Aristophanes a member of the Athenian conservative party. Aristophanes Makes Fun of Socrates Aristophanes knew Socrates and poked fun at him in The Clouds, as an example of a sophist. From the other side, Aristophanes appears in Platos Symposium, comically hiccuping before he comes up with an inspired explanation for why there are are people with different sexual orientations. Of more than 40 plays written by Aristophanes, 11 survive. He won prizes at least six times but not all firsts four at the Lenaea (held roughly, in January), where comedy was added to the events in about 440 B.C., and two at the City Dionysia (roughly, in March), where only tragedy had been performed until about 486 B.C. While Aristophanes produced most of his own plays, he did not initially do so. Not until the Acharnians, a pro-peace play and one of those featuring the character of the great tragedian Euripides, won a prize at the Lenaea, in 425, did he start producing. His previous two plays, the Banqueteers, and the Babylonians do not survive. The Knights (Lenaea of 424), an attack on the political figure Cleon, and Frogs (Lenaia of 405), which also features the character of Euripides in a contest with Aeschylus, also won first prize. The generally irreverent, creative Aristophanes made fun of the gods and of real people. His portrayal of Socrates in The Clouds has been criticized for contributing to the atmosphere that condemned Socrates since he portrays Socrates as a ridiculous sophist teaching the morally worthless topics of philosophy for money. Old Comedy Structure A typical structure for Aristophanes Old Comedy would be prologue, parados, agon, parabasis, episodes, and Exodus, with a chorus of 24. Actors wore masks and had padding front and back. Costumes might include giant phalluses. He used equipment like the mechane or crane and the ekkyklema or platform. He made up long, complicated, compound words where appropriate, like cloudcuckooland. Surviving Comedies by Aristophanes The AcharniansThe BirdsThe CloudsThe EcclesiazusaeThe FrogsThe KnightsLysistrataPeacePlutusThe ThesmophoriazusaeThe Wasps

Stock Options From an Accounting Point of View Essay - 1

Stock Options From an Accounting Point of View - Essay Example For the reason that most stock options had exercise prices at least equal to current market prices, no compensation expenditure was recognized. This approach ignored any possibility that the stock price would exceed the exercise price in the future. In June 1993, FASB attempted to be familiar with the reality of stock-option value by issuing proposed SFAS 123, which required measuring the option value based upon the scores of issue that reflect its underlying value. As a result, total compensation expenditure was to be based upon the fair value of the options expected to vest on the grant date. No adjustments would be completed following the grant date in response to subsequent changes in the stock price. Fair value was to be estimated using Black-Scholes or binomial option-pricing models. An upsurge of substantial opposition to this fair value technique resulted, led primarily by industries making significant use of stock options, particularly in the high-technology sector. Smaller high-tech corporations were very verbal, arguing that offering stock options was the barely way they could hire top professional management. Furthermore, they claimed that the losses that would result from forcing them to recognize stock options as compensation expenditure would impair their stock price and put them at a disadvantage compared to larger corporations better able to absorb the expenditure of stock options (Apostolou, 2005). Opponents to the expensing of stock options embodied many members of Congress. In 1993, Senator Joseph Lieberman introduced a bill that would have mandated the SEC to necessitate that no compensation expenditure be reported on the income statement for stock-option plans. This bill would have set a treacherous precedent for interfering in the operations of FASB. The puissant interests aligned against it forced FASB to compromise. In 1995, FASB decided to hearten, rather than

NCLEX-RN article review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

NCLEX-RN article review - Essay Example NCLEX-RN ® pass rates are of interest to the faculty in professional nursing programs, institutions, and the profession, as they represent a measure of faculty and program effectiveness; accreditation agencies and state boards of nursing expect graduate success; and the profession of nursing needs prepared practitioners as it faces a shortage of licensed professional nurses in the workplace. NCLEX-RN ® pass rates are of special interest to potential students who may choose a program due to reported rates, and graduates who are not successful may face anxiety and financial loss. Keywords: NCLEX-RN ®, nursing, logistic regression December 2010 NCLEX-RN ® Success: Are There Predictors The National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN ®, hereafter NCLEX-RN) was instituted in 1984, moved to computerized testing (CAT) in 1994, increased in difficulty in 1998, 2004,[ 7] and again in 2010. Since the beginning of licensure examinations for nurses, there has been variable interest in studying factors related to pass rates with interest heightened during periods of declining pass rates. Success on this examination has widespread ramifications for students, nursing schools, and employers. The stakes are high related to first-time pass rates. The identification of factors affecting NCLEX-RN success is useful for nursing schools in making decisions about admission requirements and curriculum issues. Variables associated with performance on the NCLEX-RN may be categorized as academic and nonacademic. Academic variables include scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT), performance in pre-nursing courses and selected nursing courses, and scores on standardized nursing assessment tests. Nonacademic variables associated with NCLEX-RN ® performance include the taker's age, gender, ethnicity, English as the primary language, and critical thinking skills.[ 4] The purpose of this study was to examine student academic variables from a baccalaureate nursing program to determine which factors may be predictive of student success on the NCLEX-RN examination. This nursing program, like many others, saw a decline in NCLEX pass rates after the difficulty of the examination was increased in 2004. Rather than attempting to make changes to the curriculum haphazardly, the faculty decided to do a systematic assessment of variables that could be influencing the pass rates. Systematic assessment provides evidence so that students who are at risk for failure can be identified early and remediation and/or curriculum changes may be instituted. Review of Literature Beeman and Waterhouse used a convenience sample of 289 baccalaureate nursing students who graduated between 1995 and 1998 to examine predictors of success or failure on the NCLEX-RN examination.[ 1] The most significant predictor of NCLEX-RN failure was the number of C+ or lower grades received in nursing theory courses (r = -.394, P†¦000 1). Higher grades in other core nursing courses and pathophysiology were also correlated with NCLEX-RN success. Discriminant analysis was used to predict 94 percent of the students who passed and 92 percent of the students who failed NCLEX-RN. The authors noted that "all this data is available by the end of the first semester of our students' senior

Resembling peace Essay Example for Free

Resembling peace Essay In the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad the author condemns the colonization of the Europeans on the African islands of Congo, eminently focusing on the barbarous and inhumane treatment of the natives. In this passage though, the central character Marlow narrates to the other men on his ship about his perspective of the experience he had when he went up the river Congo passing through the wild jungle in order to reach the inner station. The tone throughout the passage suggests a negative connotation of the wilderness of Congo because of the choice of words Marlow uses to describe the jungle. Phrases such as unrestful and the noisy world of plants portraits the jungle as being quite sinister instead of peaceful and quiet as the readers would expect it to be. This passage is a composition of similes, allegory, symbolism, dark and light contrast and hyperbole which Marlow uses abundantly to describe his journey. Marlow compares going up the river as being like traveling back to the earliest beginning of the world. (1) He uses a simile to describe the jungle as being how the world was earlier before the technology and civilization was born, when the world was pure as it was when it was created by nature. But then he continues the remark by saying when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. Marlow paints this picture as the wilderness having the ability to fight against each other and when there was power between the trees. He uses the word king to describe the variation of power between the trees much like how the Europeans were being superior by trying to civilize the natives through brutal means. Marlow adds to the description of the jungle as having a great silence. (2) The phrase silence is inserted in his description to give a contrast of whats happening inside the jungle. Inside the jungle, in the inner station, it has been said that Kurtz uses unconventional methods to obtain the ivory he makes. This suggests that Kurtz is probably using violence or manipulations which are contrasts of silence. More ever, as Marlows journey proceeds further and further into the jungle and closer to the inner station, Marlows streamer gets attacked by the natives. Moments before they are being attacked, Marlow describes to have heard voices crying wildly coming from the jungle. The diction silence not only is a contrast of what is happening inside the jungle, it is also a contrast of a future scene where they are being attacked. Marlow further describes the river as being facile to get lost in as you would in a desert. This phrase shows that Marlow is confused as to his purpose in this voyage, why he wanted to come on this journey and what he was expecting to find. This phrase also indicates that Marlow perceives the river to be mysterious and that is one of the qualities of the river that urge him to continue his journey because of his curiousness. Later in the passage, Marlow indicates that the river as this stillness of life which did not in the least resemble peace. (9) This description of the river as not resembling peace connects directly to the journey that Marlow has been traveling in. Ever since Marlow decided to come on this voyage, he has been uncertain as to whom he really is and what he wants to do or what need to be done. Marlow has strong opinions about the Europeans as being fools, devils, and folly, for not knowing what they are doing. Not for being racists or discrimination of the natives as they are being tied up and worked to death. Marlow considers him self as being not especially tender towards the Africans which contradicts to what he has been saying all along through out the novel as Africans as not being our enemies. This passage describes the wildness and the sinister appeal of the river and the wilderness which is a comparison to the mind of Marlow. Inside his head, Marlow is confused, unrestful, and not in the least resembling peace. This journey takes Marlow to the places he has never been before in order to find himself inside.

The Harry Potter Controversy Essay -- Fiction Literature Childrens Pap

The Harry Potter Controversy The wildly popular Harry Potter book series by J. K. Rowling has caused controversy for many families over the past five years. These novels according to some critics are harmless, adventurous, children's tales. Others choose to portray them as stories that inspire children to become involved in the occult and serious witchcraft. The Harry Potter novels chronicle the life of a young wizard whose wizard parents were killed by the evil Lord Voldermort. On his eleventh birthday he receives invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each of the five books represents a year of his life there (Walker). This essay will discuss whether the Harry Potter novels are a suitable read for children and why despite what some critics portray, Harry Potter can be a positive role model for youth. In recent history a cultural phenomenon has occurred. With the rise of Harry Potter, this nation's youth have displayed a â€Å"mania† that has not been seen in reference to books for a long time. For example, Barns & Noble America's largest bookseller has recently declared that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be their â€Å"largest seller in the history of the entire company† (Mangan). In light of this rise to fame one should note that Harry Potter can and will impact modern culture. In the â€Å"age of electronic entertainment†, Harry Potter novels sharply contrast by luring children away from the internet, and away from video games and the television. Children across the globe are rapidly becoming interested in reading the novels. Katherine Thompson, owner of Frugal Frigate Bookstore, declared the series a â€Å"literary phenomena.† She noted that children as young as eight-years-old will devour... ...nuum, 2001. Person, Judith. â€Å"Books debunk evils of Potter; Christian authors see enchanting talks as Gospel springboard.† LexisNexis . The Washington Times. (October 31, 2002): Joyner Library, City of Greenville, NC. March 2004. Rowling, J. K. â€Å"A Good Scare.† Time 30 October 2000 : 77-78. Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic, 1999. Seden , Janet. 295 â€Å"Parenting and the Harry Potter stories: a social care perspective.† Children and Society 16 (2002): 295-305. . Walker, Wren. â€Å" Muggles and Other Strangers: The Harry Potter Controversy.† Words, Wrants and Wramblings. December 1999. Weekly Editorials and Comments. < http://www.witchvox.com/harrypotter.html >. Colson, Charles. â€Å"Harry Potter and the Existence of God.† Christian Broadcasting Network. 14 July 2000 . Breakpoint. .

Hamer V Sidway

Case Brief I – Hamer v Sidway Without a complete and detailed background, Hamer v Sidway involved an uncle promising his nephew a lump sum of money if the nephew could refrain from drinking alcohol, smoking, swearing, and gambling until his 21st birthday. The nephew fulfilled his end of the promise, and the uncle acknowledged that the nephew had rightfully earned the money but asked if he could hold the money in the bank until the nephew was responsible enough to care for it.The uncle died however, and Hamer, the party with legal claim to the money was denied payment by the executor of the will, Sidway. Sidway argued that the $5000 was without consideration because the nephew had benefited from the actions he undertook to receive the award. There were two specific legal questions that were brought before the court. One being whether or not the nephew and uncle officially and legally agreed upon this promise, and the second being the careful examination of the definition of con sideration in regards to a contract.Under investigation the court did find that the contract was binding on a certain date between the two related parties. The findings in relevance to consideration are explained below in correlation with the ruling. Originally Hamer, the plaintiff, recovered at trial, but the judgment was reversed upon appeal by Sidway. When Hamer appealed to the Court of Appeals of New York, he, the plaintiff, eventually won the suit after careful review. The court’s reasoning for the decision was based upon the examination of consideration.Sidway had denied payment on the account that the nephew had benefited from the actions taken, regardless of his uncle’s proposal, and that the promisor, his uncle, was not benefited in any way. The court however was less concerned with whether the promisee happened to benefit from the proposal, but more concerned with how the nephew had given up his legal rights to drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, swear, and gamble in accordance with the contract.They ruled that, â€Å"consideration means not so much that one party is profiting as that the other abandons some legal right to the present, or limits his legal freedom of action in the future, as an inducement for the promise of the first. † It was confirmed that the nephew did give up these legal rights, and fully performed the conditions imposed. As mentioned above, the court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, Hamer, on behalf of the nephew.