Quinton Richards Essays - Guggenheim Fellows, American Literature

Quinton Richards Professor Towe English 101 section 1 October 2017 How did I learn to write? well l earning how to write was not an easy task for me It has taken me a lot of practice to hone in and acquire this skill. I been through a lot of difficulties, s truggles and challenges to learn how to become an effective writer. I am going to state three reasons on how I became and effective writer in high school . W hat where my difficulties and challenges and how I overcame those difficulties and lastly why do I enjoy writing now compared to back in high school. As you are reading I hope you come to understand how I started writing effectively. To begin with I had difficulties in writing I was not a good writer I literally hated writing the only thing I enjoyed writing was lyrics to my songs that I wrote. In fact, if you had put an essay in front of me and told me to write three paragraphs on something I could not do it I just hated writing. The difficulties and struggles I would have was how to properly word and list things. I would always have run on sentences never knowing where to place a period or a semicolon, colon or a dash I did not know. The challenges I would face after I would give my essay into the teacher he or she would give constructive criticism and that would be the part where I would just feel like I never did a good job and to remind you I had low self-esteem in that time of my adolescence so I was always judging myself. I would always beat myself down and think low of my writing but looking back it was just the period placement and run on sentence and spell check that I had challenges and difficulties with. How I overcame these difficulties I just started practicing writing every day to hone my skill. I would look up new words and find out the meaning to them and incorporate it into my writing. Initially I was not I repeat I was not an effective writer no not at all but my first real writing experience happened my sophomore year at Irvington High School. It was the second to last day of school of my freshman year, I happened to be flipping through the course descriptions book with my guidance counselor , and was thinking of an English class to take next year. Well, I sat there and sat there looking through the pages and finally found one class that appealed to me. I thought, "WOW, this is a class I should take but I still decided to register for American History anyway. Well, the school year finally ended, and I wasn't too happy for next year's school year to begin. I mean, American History was going to be boring with all the reading not to mention all the writing too But I didn't consider the writing to be a big problem, because I had gotten to be pretty good at it by my freshman year or so I thought. On the first day of my American history class my teacher Mr. , Wilcox had us write a three page paper on democracy from home work and it was due in 5 days so it was due on Tuesday because school started on a Tuesday so I did the paper and the next day I turned it in and Mr. , Wilcox promised the class to give our papers back on Thursday of that week so Wednesday go by and its now Thursday, Mr. , Wilcox gives us all back our papers and I was so excited because I wanted to know what my grade was so when Mr. , Wilcox had come over to my desk and hand me paper I turned it over and it had the grade letter D on it I was shocked my face had dropped I was in denial I was dismayed like why and how did this happened. So, class had ended and I asked Mr. , Wilcox how did I get a D

Market to Your Preferred Readership

Market to Your Preferred Readership What do you lead with when you publish a book and broadcast news about it? What is the first line of your promotional copy? What leads on your website? How do you word your social media? If its 99 cents for a limited time, you are choosing to market first to those who gravitate to cheap prices instead of those who want a great story. If its FREE for a limited time, you are catering to those who often want something for nothing.   You may argue with me, but hey, you decide what you think will grab the most attention of your customer base. If you start with price, then you think they make their choices with price. If you start with a story hook, then you cater to the reader who doesnt let price dicate their reading choices. There are other options: -Begin with setting, like I often do with Edisto Beach, to grab tourists and beach readers. -Begin with the authors name, assuming you have a burgeoning platform of readers awaiting your next story. -Begin with the genre: mystery, romance, sci-fi, young adult, etc. But out of all of those, many authors, especially new ones, begin with the price. You might reconsider that choice.   If you lead with price, you also may turn aside the serious reader . . . that reader willing to pay the bigger price. These days, that price isnt all that much, especially with ebooks. At the risk of stepping on the toes of many of my indie-published readers, you tell the world that income and price is your driving force for writing . . . not a legacy to the world of stories. I came to this conclusion as I was going through so many emails, Facebook posts, and small press advertisements, deleting all the ones that began with FREE or 99 CENTS or REDUCED FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY. These days we are deluged with DEALS. So many deals, in fact, that the word has the potential to cheapen.   Instead, when I consider a book, I look for recommendations, blurb endorsements, taglines, and a great gotcha hook in my genre. I want to know what others think of the book. With my TBR stack numbering 50 not including whats on my Kindle, and so many stories pushed out daily, I want to read a good one. Price may not grab a large number of people, but great word-of-mouth always will.

Ibsen, "An Enemy of the People" Assignment

Ibsen, "An Enemy of the People" - Assignment Example Dr. Stockmann knows that the health of the community is significant, and that is why he devotes time to carry out the reliable scientific tests. The findings are important in preventing the dire consequences of drinking the water. The doctor does not only point out the danger, but also provides a solution to correct the anomaly. Thus, it is unfair for Peter Stockmann to accuse the doctor of not thinking of the community. The media play a significant role in validating the Dr. Stockmann’s findings and showing his commitment to doing the right thing. The media is the voice that relays information to the public. Hovstad, the editor of the People’s Messenger, enlightens the public regarding the incapability of the Mayor (34). Hovstad assures the public that every paper will reflect the affairs that are central to the people. Hence, the media is devoted to correcting the political class and pointing out the issues of concern to the public. In essence, the author uses the media to highlight the flaws in the leadership, as well as, critical issues that need immediate

Genre Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Genre Analysis - Essay Example Despite this however, the ultimate goal of all the reviews is directed to the customer. Other reviews are focused on the competitors of a particular commodity. For instance, in the electronics manufacturing industry, there are many companies which are involved in the manufacture of laptops and notebooks. All these compete for the same market share and the same customers. In order to win then trust of customers and win superiority in the battle for market share, companies can do anything including bribery of the review corporates and personnel to favour them in their columns. Reviews that are focused on the competitors are meant to show the level of success of a particular company and how best it has prospered in its innovation department, research and development activities. This is an enticing element for loyal customers of other brands. Business is business, and marketers, Chief Executives and management of all the companies are ready to do anything to increase the volumes of their sales. What makes the difference is how strict the company is while following the ethics of doing business. Apple Company which manufactures notebooks, laptops and iPads faces competition from other manufacturers such as, Harriett Packer Company which is a major manufacture of laptops, desktops and smartphones, Acer, Dell, Toshiba, Samsung, IBM, and Siemens among others. For apple to win competition in such a highly competitive market, it has to device many ways of winning in their competition. Free markets are faced by this problem as they desperately seek to find a way of marketing their products. When reviews are meant to help a company to make a sale or improve on its sales volume, they are mostly biased and do not portray the actual truth about the product. Such reviews are meant to attract customers to buy that product from the retailers and thus creating marketing opportunities for the company. Mostly, such companies pay product reviewers to come up with a review that favour s their company and products. As a result, people are led to believe that a particular review is genuine and actually portrays the actual condition and status of the products which is contrary to the reality. Such reviews include those that have a rating that is based on just a theoretical analysis with minimal tests. Such mischiefs by companies have increasingly rendered the reviews of products almost insignificant to the people. Whether used as a marketing tool or for generous reasons, reviews are now being viewed with scepticism by the people. Moreover, people rarely believe in the information provided by the reviews, a reason why most people opt to stick to the most popular and trusted brands. Most reviews cover the prices of the product, general performance and reliability, its improvement in case it is a series of production, features of the product and the availability. Moreover, others compare a particular product with that of other companies. In the â€Å"apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display† review by Cnet, the author takes a survey of various elements and features of the computer that are either appealing or annoying about the computer. Customers are mostly concerned with the reasons as to why the computer was awarded a rating of out of five by the editor, subsequently

Joe Salatino, President of Great Northern American Case Study Essay Example for Free

Joe Salatino, President of Great Northern American Case Study Essay Joe’s employees need to understand how people form perceptions and make attributions for several reasons. As they are in a selling business, employees need to know how they can best be perceived as to earn the trust of their customers. It is important to know how to be ethical in selling as well as trustworthy so that customers feel confident in choosing their services time and again. Aside from how their customers may perceive them, they must also be aware of how their employer sees them. It is important to employers to find capable, confident and hardworking potential employees. In 2011 CBS news did a story on how others see us and how we see ourselves. This report asserts that it is more important to know how others see us as it is by their reactions to who we perceive them to think we are that our own actions come from. They give a couple of examples right off about how a first date can leave you feeling defeated or conversely very confident. Just because you walk away feeling one way or another is not necessarily an indicator of how the date actually went or what the other party thought of you. Another example is given in that it not necessarily important for a company’s top executives to have a positive opinion of their product or service, it is more important that the consumer have an idea of their offering that generates more and more business. This usually comes from a positive perception of what they have to offer. These principals easily align with the idea that it is important in general to do what you can to have others form a positive impression of you. So, what makes a good first impression? Forbes magazine proposes theses 5 traits. First, â€Å"set an intention. † This means to visualize what you want out of whatever you are undertaking. For example, if it is a job interview, see yourself in the position with the traits you deem necessary for success at that position. You will be much more likely to pull off an air of those attributes if you have first taken the time to role play in your mind a successful turnaround of the event. Second, â€Å"think about your ornaments. † In other words, pay attention to the details of your outward appearance. For men this may mean choosing the right watch to portray the success they see themselves having, for women it may mean jewelry or makeup that puts them in that same space. For both genders hair, shoes, and clothing are important factors in building the perception you are seeking. For instance, someone who is running for congress would want to choose more conservative and sophisticated looking â€Å"ornaments† whereas someone seeking a job with Vogue magazine may want to dress very current and â€Å"edgy† for their interview to show they are relevant for the position they seek. We can easily apply this to Joes employees as they will want to know what type of companies they anticipate receiving business from. If they know that they are dealing with a very â€Å"traditional† client they may want to dress for success that day by choosing clothing that portrays a traditional and trustworthy image. Conversely, if they are meeting with a client who takes big risks and hopes for their partners in business to as well, they may want to choose a look that portrays confidence and a spunky, no holds barred attitude. At Verizon Wireless we have a very relaxed work culture that more often than not is fun and youthful. However, when interviewing for a new position within the company it is no different than most traditional settings. Candidates seem to do better when they are dressed professionally and are well polished overall. Going back to the Forbes article, the third tip is to â€Å"be conscious of your body language. † Pay particular attention to your posture, handshake, eye contact and what you are doing with your hands. A confident person is not going to be slumped over, slouching and have their arms crossed. A confident person is going to sit or stand up straight, give their attention to the person with whom they are seeking attention by offering polite eye contact and also by using their hands to emphasize they are open to the others input. Fourth on the list of must do’s for a good impression is â€Å"avoid bad days. † Often in the business world networking is a key part of building strong business relationships. Forbes suggests that if you are having a terrible day at work then it is likely you are not going to be up for dealing with people. Your courtesy and smile are going to appear in genuine if you are not really in the mood to be there and people will pick up on that. If you can skip that mixer you had planned to attend go for it. If not, do something that will lighten your mood and hopefully get your head in a more light-hearted place. Lastly, â€Å"be interested and interesting. † Who wants to spend their time on the dud of the group? Be interested in those you are serving. No one wants to only hear about you, and no one wants to feel like you certainly have more important things to be doing than helping them. Learning Theory Joe has several theories of learning to choose from in how he prefers to teach his employees. The two main theories in discussion today are Social and Operant learning theory. For general understanding let’s look further into the specifics of each. Mosby’s medical dictionary defines Operant conditioning as â€Å"a form of learning used in behavior therapy in which the person undergoing therapy is rewarded for the correct response and punished for the incorrect response. †(2009) In other words, a leader demonstrates desired behaviors and rewards others when the same behaviors are demonstrated. Second is Social theory. Mosby’s states, â€Å"A concept that the impulse to behave aggressively is subject to the influence of learning, socialization, and experience. Social learning theorists believe aggression is learned under voluntary control, by observation of aggressive behavior in others, and by direct experience. †(2009) In short, people will not engage in reproduction of a behavior without motivation. The best way for Joe to motivate and empower his employees in this situation is with Operant conditioning. This affords Joe the chance not only to demonstrate the correct behavior he desires, but also gives him a platform to modify negative traits as well. Joe is looking for people to showcase his business and put forth the same united front of loyalty and customer respect that he has put in place at Great Northern American. Improving Employee Performance Operant conditioning is best in the work environment as it gives a more level playing field for all to succeed. Some people are born naturally more talented than others, but this does not in any way make them less important in the workforce. Some people may never be number 1 overall in a company (and some don’t desire to be as it requires a lot of commitment) but that does not mean that they are incapable of modeling successful behaviors and attaining top notch ratings. Operant behavior allows for these individuals to succeed where as Social learning theory only really rewards one person overall rather than celebrating the victories along the way for each individual. I personally find it more rewarding to have encouragement along the way. Too often I’ve come in second place and have nothing to show for all my hard work. When this happens I’ve had nothing in the way of reward though I put in significant amounts of work in hopes that I could be the best. Verizon Wireless rewards us along the way and I have certainly been motivated to do better and try harder because of that. I appreciate that Operant conditioning is consistent throughout the entire work year whereas Social learning builds up to one pinnacle moment. Verizon sets attainable yet challenging goals for each individual and once you have met or exceeded those goals, you are pushed to reach for the next rung of the ladder (I. . going from Representative to Sr. Representative) and with that next step you are rewarded with a pay increase and more opportunities for further career development within the company that will help you in future upward mobility opportunities. Likewise, if you are not meeting the minimum expectation you will not be afforded the opportunity to move into the next level of your position, and you may possibly be put on a â€Å"corrective action plan. † Joe could apply this in practical ways as Verizon does with rewards and consequences along the way of career progression. Value of Self Efficacy Joe can best use his evaluation of potential employees’ self-esteem to hire the best by taking stock in his own first impression of a potential employee. He will have a gut instinct reaction to this first impression and he should feel confident in the portrayal each candidate puts forth. Verizon does a good job of asking employees how they would like to be â€Å"coached. † Joe could put something like this in place with potential employees to see if their learning style matches that of the culture of Great Northern American. Self-Efficacy is something that a potential employer (Joe in this case) can look at and determine how driven someone appears. Psychology Today states, â€Å"For instance, people high in self-efficacy take better care of themselves, see tasks as something to be mastered, and they feel more empowered. They’re not controlled by circumstances. They see setbacks as challenges to be overcome and can cope with hardship better than those with low self-efficacy. They learn from failure and channel it into success, like Thomas Jefferson, Walt Disney and J. K Rowling. People higher in self-efficacy also have a greater sense of motivation and persistence. † (LaVan, 2010) With this in mind a correct assessment of self-efficacy can ensure Joe his is hiring someone who will seek to succeed at whatever task he or she is given. To compliment this assessment, Joe must also be willing to â€Å"pump up† his employees. He should offer compliments to good work and publicly praise achievements. This will keep his employees motivated to continue putting their best foot forward for him long after the interview process is completed and the candidate is settled into their job function.

A Compareison Between When The Legends Die And Dances With Wolves :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Symbolism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel When the Legends Die and in the film Dances with Wolves symbolism is very important. Throughout both of them the used symbols are very similar but have very different meanings. In the movie, Dances with Wolves the wolf, Two Socks, and the horse, Cisco, are animal symbols, like the bear in When the Legends Die.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two Socks and Cisco are the main two symbols in Dances with Wolves. Two Socks, is the wolf that befriends John Dunbar symbolizing the Sioux Indians who start trying to also befriend John. Then, when he takes the meat from John’s hand the wolf continues to symbolize the tribe, that will now accept John to come and be one of them. After, when Two Socks is shot by soldiers it symbolizes the fate of the Indians, later to come. Cisco, John Dunbar’s favorite horse is a symbol of John’s faithfulness to the Sioux Indian tribe, although they have tried to take the horse away many times he has always found a way to return to his master. Later in the story, when John is being shot at by the army the horse finds a way to make those shots hit him instead of John and separates from John in death, symbolizes that John will have to leave the Indians, to protect them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In When the Legends Die the Bear cub who grows up with bears brother is a symbol, of hope, love, meaning, direction, and most importantly the heritage of Tom Black Bull. The bear symbolizes the Tom’s heritage because he came around just as Tom, started learning the old ways, his heritage, and he was separated from Tom when he, Tom, went to the new ways of life. In the new ways of life Tom’s difficulty is that he cannot find a place to run from his past. Then, he realizes that bear symbolizes his past, so Tom sets out to kill it. As Tom reaches the bear he pulls out the rifle and prepares to shoot the bear, but than he realizes that the bear not only symbolizes his past but all the good in his life because that is where he had the life in the old ways and was the happiest time in his life.

Diversity Audit

DIVERSITY AUDIT Diversity Audit at Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is a multinational company based in United States. It was founded in the year 1971 and is headquartered at Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is engaged in the business of selling coffee, coffee beans and different types of bakery products all over the world. The company also has a division known as Starbucks Entertainment division which is utilized for marketing films, music and books (Yahoo Finance, 2012). The coffeehouses owned by Starbucks are known for its relaxing atmosphere and the stores are mostly located in places where there is high traffic.This study entails about the diversity audit that have been conducted for Starbucks. The findings of such diversity audit, its assessment and subsequent recommendations have been presented in this study. Findings Diversity audit was conducted for Starbucks through an online survey of the company’s website and other information required for the purpose of conducting th e audit was mostly available over the internet. In addition, some of the employees present in few Starbucks stores were also interviewed to collect relevant facts regarding the cultural diversity prevalent in the company.The key findings of the diversity audit conducted at Starbucks are given below: Starbucks operates its business and stores in different parts of the world. Hence it is obvious that people from different cultures of the world are a part of Starbucks. The people connected with Starbucks can be any of its stakeholders, including its employees, suppliers, etc. As indicated in its website, it can be found that cultural diversity is given high priority and due respect in the company (Starbucks, 2012a). Apart from selling coffees, Starbucks is also engaged in the business of building up new human connections and relationships.Celebration of cultures and community involvement are also part of Starbucks activities. At Starbucks, diversity is defined as the composition of thr ee different aspects. They are: a) Inclusion, b) Accessibility, and c) Equity. Inclusion means human relationships and their engagements in the company. Accessibility refers to removal of barriers for all kinds of people associated with the company and the ease with which people can perform their activities within the organization. Equity represents equal treatment for all with justice and fairness being the two important virtues associated with the company.The strategy of diversity being followed by the company is considered to focus on four main areas. They are: partners, suppliers, customers and communities. The employees of the company are termed as partners here. The company management is involved in the activity of engaging people belonging to different regions and following varied cultures. The people working at Starbucks come from diverse family backgrounds. Starbucks organizes different activities meant for the development of its partners or employees by educating them and engaging them in different kinds of activities.Starbucks is also committed towards giving high levels of satisfaction to its customers by catering to their unique needs. Starbucks is prompt in its service and values the preferences and tastes of its customers. Starbucks tries to build relationships with its customers through adoption of different cultures as required for the purpose. Starbucks also arranges different community development programs as well to show their concern for the community. Starbucks also creates strategic partnerships by investing in companies in the local neighborhood.It also provides different kinds of opportunities for economic development which helps to build a strong relationship between the company and the communities in which it is operating its business. As regards the suppliers of Starbucks, it conducts a program termed as supplier diversity program. This program is meant for increasing the presence of minority groups and women as suppliers of the com pany (Starbucks, 2012a). The diversity effort of the company is mainly directed through a strategic plan formulated by them which is known as Global Diversity Strategy Plan.According to New York Times, nearly 24% of the corporate officers working at Starbucks comprises of women. Women represent around 31% of the population in Starbucks, and 13% of them are people of color. The team members of the Global Diversity team are engaged in different activities in Starbucks. Employees of Starbucks working in different parts of the world and their working environment are assessed and evaluated by the global strategy team of Starbucks. The company also tracks the progress made in the field of diversifying vendors and suppliers of the company. All these are done through an accountability scorecard prepared for he purpose by the global diversity team (The New York Times, n. d. ). The diversity program run by Starbucks named as Starbucks Supplier Diversity Program is meant for encouraging divers ity amongst all the suppliers of the company. The company has set criteria for the suppliers who want to be a part of this program. The two criteria being, a) More than 50% should be owned by either minority people or women, and b) It should be certified by any of the government public agencies like National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC), National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), etc (Starbucks, 2012b).Results of Audit The interview conducted with the Human Resource Manager of Starbucks suggests that diversity is encouraged at all levels and departments of the organization. The women and minorities are given preferences. There are certain criteria laid down by the company regarding recruitment of minorities and women as a fixed percentage of the total employees recruited by the company. The findings from the interviews carried out in Starbucks store includes the employees comprising of different cultures, working together and having a good relationship with each other.It has been observed that the employees of Starbucks love to share their cultural information amongst each other and want to know more about each other. People from different communities come together at Starbucks and they are encouraged to work as a team. The employees seem to be happy while working in the relaxed and friendly atmosphere at Starbucks. Customers are always greeted with smile as they enter the Starbucks stores. Employees get rewarded for their good performance in the company. Everyone seems to encourage diversity in the company and have due respect for each other.People are found to be highly motivated to work for the company and wish to have a long term relationship with the organization. Most of them are found to be loyal to the company. Employee turnover is low and everyone likes to be a part of the Starbucks brand. People are found to be enjoying their work in Starbucks and do not feel any kind of compulsion being imposed on them. Assessment All the f indings mentioned above suggest that diversity is encouraged in Starbucks in almost all aspects of its business operations.Special initiatives are taken by the higher officials of the company to bring about cultural diversity in their organization. The company feels diversity to be the key towards being successful in their strategy of expansion of its business in different parts of the world. The corporate culture at Starbucks is multicultural in nature. The morale of the employees working in the company seems to be high and people coming from various cultural backgrounds are found to work together quite efficiently in the company.The working environment within the organization is also good. Everyone is found to be happy doing their work in the Starbucks stores. The customers visiting the stores are also found to be having a relaxed time and satisfied with the services offered by the company. The company has made a huge progress in the field of imparting cultural diversity in the co mpany through the implementation of various types of initiatives and programs. Hence the managers of Starbucks have been successfully dealing with the diversity issues related to the company.However, it has been argued sometimes that the steps taken by Starbucks regarding cultural diversity was more of a reactive type than being a proactive one (Grodan, 2008). It implies that Starbucks developed all these diversity initiatives only after they found it necessary for running a sustainable business in different parts of the world. Recommendations As evident from the findings and assessment of the diversity audit conducted for Starbucks, it has been successful in implementing multicultural activities within the organization.It is recommended that the company should continue giving value to diversity at all levels of its operations. This would help the company to maintain its competitive advantage in the market. It would also help the company to expand its business successfully in other nations of the world where it does not have presence now. Diversity in the organization would ensure that all the employees working for the company are treated equally. Hence, it would bring about a healthy competition within the organization which would in turn result in increased fficiency of the employees. Apart from the employees, the company should also continue to encourage diversity for other stakeholders of the company like its suppliers and the customers. It would mean customers from different backgrounds and culture could be easily acquired by the company, thereby leading to increased revenues for the company as well. References Grodan, G. (2008). Issues Facing Starbucks and Bank of America. Retrieved from http://voices. yahoo. com/issues-facing-starbucks-bank-america-1901086. html. Starbucks. (2012a).Diversity at Starbucks. Retrieved from http://www. starbucks. com/about-us/company-information/diversity-at-starbucks. Starbucks. (2012b). Starbucks Supplier Diversity Progra m. Retrieved from http://www. starbucks. com/responsibility/diversity/suppliers. The New York Times. (no date). Leading with Diversity: Starbucks Coffee Company. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/marketing/jobmarket/diversity/starbucks. html. Yahoo Finance. (2012). Starbucks Corporation (SBUX): Profile. Retrieved from http://in. finance. yahoo. com/q/pr? s=SBUX.