Comparsion and Contrast Essay the Welcome Story and What Its Like to Be a Black Girl Essay Example for Free

Comparsion and Contrast Essay the Welcome Story and What Its Like to Be a Black Girl Essay Trying to Fit What do you do when you feel like you just dont fit in with the society you live in? Since the beginning of time blacks women, have been recognized as women who don’t fit the traditional ideal of beauty. A woman of color comes in all different shades of skin tones Caramel, Golden bronze, Cocoa brown and Dark brown. Their hair comes in a quite few different textures, from tight as a thick rubber band, to curls about thick as your pinky finger. Most people describe black women natural afro textured hair as kinky, spiraled, fizzy or nappy. During the slavery-era to the early 1900’s black women in America, went from cornrows, braids and other natural styles. Some reasons for this as I grow up getting perms known as straight hair was a sign of class and Nappy hair was a sign that you were poor. With segregation no longer being an issue, blacks were now free to work their way up in American society, but they still faced white racism. Whites’ people saw black people skin features as a sign that one is given to being sexual active, violence and lacking in intelligence. Many blacks lightened their skin and straightened their hair to appear more acceptable to whites in order to get ahead. When it comes to black women television shows, show how society should be in the eyes of T.V. and its monkey see monkey do from there. Black women have been villianized on television. They are portrayed as home wreakers and baby momma with several different dads or the lowest standard. If you ever see a successful man on television he is not allowed to be portrayed with a black woman. If you watch a music video, the star of the video will not be shown with a black woman with clothes covering her body. The media would not like to high light the qualities of black women because the executives behind the scenes arent black men. The goal is to make white women appear to be the best and highest quality of woman that Barbie. For this reason you will see interracial relationships between every celebrity athlete and the not a black woman of their choice. At this point a white woman on your arm represents she is super smart and very successful. Some people wont fall absolutely for the trap and be with a white woman, but they still wont marry a black woman. Black woman is demanding a new set of female definitions and a recognition of herself of a citizen, companion and confidant, not a matriarchal villian or a step stool baby-maker. Role integration advocates the complementary recognition of man and woman, not the competitive recognition of same.(duke.edu) The strangest thing about this stereotype situation is that many white women go to tanning booths often to get a caramel complexion of an African descent skin. Who created the monster of discrimination and Why? A question we will never know. Discrimination based on skin color, or colorism, is a form of prejudice or discrimination in which human beings are treated differently based on the social meanings attached to skin color. (Wikipedia.com) The â€Å"Welcome Table† is a story that is filled with religious symbolism. Religion is the theme of this story. This story is enduring in the sense that it shows the strength and belief an old black woman had to face during her trials and tribulations. â€Å"What it’s like to Be a Black Girl† is a poem that gives the reader an inside view into a young black girl’s transition into black woman-hood at a time where being a black girl and being a black woman was not as welcomed. In these two literary works, although the similarities aren’t quite the same they still have the same concept. In the short story The Welcome table you have a narrator’s point of view and ‘What It’s Like To Be A Black Girl’, you have the actual author of the poem giving her point of view from experiencing how things where . Although there is a cultural difference it still involves race and how it affects a one individual’s way of feeling and the outlook from someone else’s appearance. â€Å"The Welcome Table† was a short story whom was written by Alice Walker. She was born on February 9, 1944, in Eatonton, Georgia . Alice Walker is one of the most admired African American writers working today. She studied at Spelman College, Atlanta, and Sarah Lawrence College, New York, then worked as a social worker, teacher, and lecturer. She has taught gender studies courses at Wellesley College and  began one of the first gender Studies programs in the United States. Her publications include poems, short stories, and novels. She continues to write, exploring life situations through the eyes of African American women and advocating ways to approach challenges of sexism, racism, and poverty in American life. She took a brief break from her writing in the 1960s to live in Mississippi and work in the civil rights movement, returning to New York to write for Ms. Magazine. Alice Walker won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her 1982 novel, The Color Purple, and is also an acclaimed poet and essayist. This short story had a very compelling plot which is described in our text book as â€Å" A dynamic element in fiction, sequence of interrelated conflicting actions and event typically build to a climax and bring a resolution.† (Clugston, 2010) The first part The Welcome Table is told in the third person and shifts the point of view from which the story is told. The beginning of the story is told from the white peoples perspectives as they see an old black woman. The author goes on to describe the look of the old spiritual woman who eyes were blue –brown in color and where nearly blind. The old woman’s Sunday clothes high polished shoes, rusty mildew dress, and an elegant silk scarf stained with grease from her pig-tails. (Clugston, 2010) She walked many miles, alone in freezing cold until she came upon a church all sweaty and clammy. It was a church only for white people. She stopped on the steps of the church to rest before going inside. When she went into the church, the reverend stopped her by saying â€Å"Auntie, you know this is not your church? The white people are at a loss when they see her near the entrance of the church and do not know what to do. Some would have taken her in from the cold. But other judge her appearance makes some of the white people think of black workers, maids, cooks; others think of black mistresses or jungle orgies. Still others think that she is a foreshadow of what is to come black people invading the one place that it still considered the white persons sanctuary, their private church. As the old lady sat down on the church prewe chairs the old lady was sing in her head. The white women inside the church, who take it as a personal insult and feel the most threatened about the old black lady being at their church, they rouse their husbands to throw the old lady out. Still sing in her head now a sad song,  the old lady looked down the road and seen Jesus and died on the side of the road. (Clugston, 2010) Visualize anything other than that of an old poor lady being mistreated by racism. After reading and experience feelings of compassion when the author describes the unnamed old womans appearance and hygiene as she tried to enter the church. From the depiction expressed throughout the narration of this story, one could sense that this short story was created from the personal experiences or from seeing others who went through. The strangest part of the story is when the pastor call her auntie, either she was the nanny child who grow up with the pastor’s mothe r or father? Who they must had consider her as family without people knowing. â€Å"What it like to be a black girl† is a poem that was written by Patricia Smith. She was born in Chicago in 1955 currently lives in Howell, NJ. She is a four-time individual National Poetry Slam champion and appeared in the 1996 documentary SlamNation. an American poet, former journalist , playwright, author, writing teacher, and spoken-word performer. She has published poems in literary magazines and journals including TriQuarterly, Poetry, The Paris Review, Tin House, and in anthologies including American Voices and The Oxford Anthology of African-American Poetry. She is on the faculties of the Stonecoast MFA Program in Creative Writing and the Low-Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing at Sierra Nevada College.(Wikipedia.com) In this poem the author is telling this story in third person omniscient the poem tells the story of a young black girl exploring and experiencing the changes to of her body. Now starting to develop in many areas to become a black woman she feels like something is wrong with the way she looks. The author uses jagged sentence structure and strong language to also show the reader the importance of this poem. The writer gives the audience an insider’s view into a young black girl world who is feeling like she is one of the most ugliest person on earth. â€Å"It’s dropping food coloring in your eyes to make them blue and suffering their burn in silence. (Clugston, 2010) This poem speaks of the young girl changing her image by placing blue contacts in her eyes. It’s popping a  bleached white mophead over the kinks of your hair. The writer is speaking of the young girl putting a perm on her hair to straight out her hair. I respect the authors reflection of the nine years old girl feeling and trying to fix everything about herself that the world tells her is wrong. The straightening out her hair because being black left you with kinky, curly, frizzy hair., the contacts you wear, the things you do to make yourself look more lik e the beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed white girl. the television have protrude as beauty. When youre nine, you shouldn’t feel these things are necessary because you havent fully developed yet. Primping in front of the mirrors that deny your reflection (Clugston, 2010) Is something many poor women did, but for the black woman in the 1950s it was about using press combs and making outfits to fit in and not being some negro woman, drawing attention to herself. I feel for the author wrote this poem in seeking acceptance from others. In my conclusion, the main character in each of the stories is a protagonist black female who both struggle with trying to be accepted in society due to the color of their skin. Being different is all about how you handle the situation. When one thinks their better than one race that’s when being different is a problem. Comparing these two stories there is racism and discrimination they had to face. Both stories express the determination of one woman and one young girl who survive through all adversity. The authors speak of the hardship one woman and one young girl had to face and suffer. Understanding the fear, struggle and those women of color went through during this time and now. Being different is what god made us. No one person is exactly the same even if the world was one color. Reference 1. Clugston, 2010 2. Wikipedia.com 3. duke.edu 4. poet.org 5. wordwoman. Ws 6. ehow.com 7. Literary Cavalcade;Feb2003, Vol. 55 Issue 5, p32

Bouncing balls Essay Example for Free

Bouncing balls Essay To investigate the effect on the bounce of a squash ball if its dropped when, the temperature of the ball is changed. Prediction: I predict that the hotter the squash balls are the more it will bounce. When the ball is heated the air particles inside the ball move faster so they are more likely to hit the walls (the ball is given thermal energy). This means that there is a greater pressure inside the ball, so it will squash less. When it hits the floor, after being dropped, less energy will be transferred to heat and more will be used to make the ball bounce higher. Method: Firstly I will find three squash balls that have the same dot on them so I know that the bounce will be roughly the same on each ball. Next I will fill one beaker with ice and another with boiling water. Then place one ball in each beaker leaving the third ball. This balls will all be bounced at different temperatures, from below 0i C TO 100i C.the test will be done 3 time for each temperature to get more accurate results. Then I will drop the three balls from equal heights (1M) to see how far they will bounce up again. The balls will have to be dropped from an equal height so the test is fair. This is a list of the equipment I will need:   Water   ice 2X beakers, squash ball stop watch meter ruler Key factors: There are some controls that I need to take into mind. The balls will need to be the same dot, so the bounce is roughly the same at the start of the test. The two balls that are going into the ice and boiling water will need to be in the beakers for the same amount of time. The surface that we bounce the balls on will need to stay the same and the height we drop that balls from will also need to stay the same, so we get a fair and constant result. Results table: Temperature (i C) Drop 1 Drop 2 Drop 3 Average Efficiency (%) 0i0. Evaluation: I think that my experiment went well, there were on odd results as my line of best-fit matches most of the points on the graph. If I did the experiment again I would use a web cam to look at how the ball bounces. A web cam would take pictures frame by frame so I could see exactly where the ball bounces. This would give better more accurate results. If I did any extinction work maybe I could look at different surfaces for bouncing the ball. E. g. on carpet you may get different results, more or less bounce.

Perspective on Race Theme for English B

Perspective on Race Theme for English B The poem Theme for English B is based on an assignment the speaker receives from his college English class. He is told to write a page about whatever comes to his mind as long as its true. Hughes, however, portrays the writers dilemma and uncertainty about what to write and what is necessarily true. Ultimately, the author provides a wide of range of audiences, from the African American youth to college students today, with a glimpse of how he perceives life and his interpretation of the assignment. In the poem, Langston Hughes not only touches upon the African American struggle for equality but through imagery, style, language, tone and repetition, he also dramatizes the inner thoughts of the colored student. Although he is different physically, he possesses the same human characteristics as his classmates and the instructor.   As the poem specifically focuses on the student, the readers expect him to be an intellectual individual because he is the only black student in his entire class. This reason alone also contributes to the students dilemma about the assignment. He is unsure about the instructors expectations and how he might react to the students response mainly due to their color differences. The student also possesses a courageous attitude because he is able to express his opinions about racial equality and describes his instructor and himself to be part of each other. Ultimately, this simple poem carries a stronger message of racial Kaur 2 awareness and identity. By the end of the poem, the student is able to resolve his dilemma by concluding that even though they might not always like it, the instructor and the student are part of each other and thats true. In order to fully understand the poem one must understand where the author is coming from. Langston Hughes, an African American and one of the many writers who rose up during the Harlem Renaissance, wrote this poem to portray ignorance about race. Even though he wrote the poem many years after the movement in 1951 at the peak of discrimination, it provides accurate accounts of experiences heeded by the black population at the time. Hughes [wrote] about Afro-Americas inability to actualise equality in the United States  nearly a century after President  Abraham Lincolns emancipation proclamation (Harlem World). One could sense that the poem could be an autobiography based on Hughes own personal experiences. This is apparent because the author did attend Columbia University but unlike the speaker in the poem he was not born in Winston-Salem. According to Anne Stevenson, the poem could be a reminiscence of Hughes earlier experiences and this is his way of reanalyzing some of the thi ngs he went through at a much younger age. However, even after such invigorating attempts by the author to illuminate on black experiences, his poem was met with mixed reactions. Hughes work was criticized by black critics who protested that his work only focused on the unattractive view of black life. However, Hughes was praised by many critics as well. Hughes refused to differentiate between his personal experience and the common experience of Kaur 3 black America (Poets.org from the Academy of American Poets). Thus, some were glad that he sided with the common folks and wrote about his personal experience in such a creative way. Hoyt W. Fuller claims that Hughes chose to identify with plain black people-not because it required less effort and sophistication, but precisely because he saw more truth and profound significance in doing so. This shows Hughes commitment to writing about African American experiences in an accurate way, instead of writing about obscure things like many of the poets did at the time. The primary audience for the poem could be seen as the speakers instructor and classmates, for whom he first wrote the poem. The audience could also have been the African American population of Harlem, where Langston Hughes resided for much of his life. However, the secondary audiences (or addressees now) could be seen as the college students either analyzing the poem in their writing class, African American studies class, or those pursuing poetry in general. In any case, this poem could be seen as a historical piece educating future generations about our past. The main focus of the poem is on the structure and the initial assignment that the student must focus on, which not only reveals his dilemma but Hughes uses this to highlight concepts of race. Unlike the rest of the poem, which appears to be in free verse, the instructions for the assignment are given in perfect and end rhyme. The instructor said, Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of youThen, it will be true (1-3). Even though most of us may find these instructions fairly clear, the writer, seems rather confused and conflicted about if the assignment is really this simple. He is Kaur 4 not sure his reality is the same as his fellow classmates due to his race. He endures an identity crisis and continuously tries to convince himself he is not any different from his professor and classmates because of his skin color. In the poem, the speaker reveals himself as a twenty-two-years-old colored student, and tries to answer the assignment by appealing to the audience. He lists things like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I like to eat, sleep, drink and be in love. I like to work, read, learn, and understand life (21-22). In doing so the student tries to express to the audience as well as his instructor that being African American doesnt stop him from liking the same things as other races. However, this leads to his next dilemma because now the student begins to wonder so will my page be colored that I write? (26). The student wonders if his race might have an influence on his writing and whether his instructor will be able to understand him because he is white. The audiences can relate to the speaker, not only due to his young age, but also because he feels like an outsider, which many of us encounter time to time. Hughes uses imagery to portray a typical day in the students life as he tries to make sense of his assignment. The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas, Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y, the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator up to my room, sit down, and write this page (11-15). Through these lines the author creates a visual of where the student lives, his normal routine of getting home from school, and the normalcy of his experience that makes him a typical person. However, his school seems to be above Harlem, perhaps outside the Kaur 5 city and this may lead to his feelings of being out of place. Also this long route that the student must take back and forth suggests that he may be poor, yet, based on his intellect he can go to a university that most of his neighborhood will never get to experience. This pertains to Hughess overall message that this student is just another resident of mainly African American community in Harlem and his skin color does not differentiate him from society. The poem consists of informal language written in jazz-poetry style, which demonstrates jazz-like rhythm or feel of improvisation (PittsburgStateUniversity). The poem consists of breaks in the middle of the lines and flows in a rhythmic pattern. Its not easy to know what is true for you or me at twenty-two, my age. But I guess Im what I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you: hear you, hear mewe twoyou, me, talk on this page (16-19). The speaker tries to establish a connection between him and his surroundings. He constantly refers to Harlem and how he can see and hear it. This develops into a small back and forth dialogue. These lines make it obvious that the speaker has a deep connection with his community and he feels understood and comforted by it. This leads him to conclude that [his paper] will not be white (28). The writer is able to understand his roots and (at this part) is coming to terms with what he will write for the assignment. Hughes uses repetition to establish a stronger emphasis on the point he is trying to make. In the next few lines, the student decides that whatever he writes will not be white. This is the crucial part of the essay because even though the student addresses the Kaur 6 instructor and realizes the differences between the two, he still believes they are part of each other. But it will be a part of you, instructor. You are white yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. Thats American. Sometimes perhaps you dont want to be a part of me. Nor do I often want to be a part of you (29-35). By repeating words like part of, you, and me the author highlights his main message: we are all part of each other. The writer realizes even though he is an individual, he is still a human being and part of the same society as his instructor. This simple, yet, powerful message makes the reader realize that we are more alike than one might think. The tone the author takes in the poem could be described as a bit ironic, and regretful. In the beginning, the speaker wonders if the assignment is really as simple as it seems but he ends the poem by simply stating that This is my page for English B (41). The speaker also is split between two aspects of his life. First of all, he is different than others in his class because he is black but he is also an American, which makes him the same as everyone else. You are whiteyet a part of me, as I am part of you. Thats AmericanThats true (31-33). Nevertheless, the poem ends with a sense of regret. Even though the student and the instructor are the same because they are both Americans, the instructor is still more free than him. One of the important components of the poem is its style, and language. Even though the poem starts out with the end rhymes and perfect rhymes, it is mostly written in free verse with Jazz like rhythm. The language of the poem is simple and straightforward as well, which makes it easier to understand and relate to. Also one can learn a lot from Kaur 7 the diction of the poem. The simplicity of the words prevents many different interpretations of the poem. Thus, different readers can agree on the themes of the poem and pretty much come to the same conclusion regarding its message. Walter Rhett writes, [Langston] approached issues and problems, differences and deficiencies with the joy of common sense. His work never yelled or sliced the truth into half measures, but it was never bombastic, in-your-face prevaricating, and no matter how dark the situation, always had an embedded sense of humor. In fact, this is exactly how most of the students and bloggers feel about Hughess poetry. Some (like Rhett) go as far as to say, although Hughes wrote about complex issues, he was always honest and rich in his writing. In the poem Theme for English B, Langston Hughes uses style, repetition, tone, language and imagery to effectively demonstrate African American struggle for equality. Hughes describes his personal account with race through the eyes of the colored student, who struggles to accomplish his assignment because he questions the similarities and dissimilarities between himself and his instructor. Hughes specifically targets African American audiences who can relate to the speaker of the poem and sympathize with him. Although students now days can understand the speakers dilemma, its looked at as a historical piece. Hughes is praised for his accurate portrayal of black life and use of particular diction and syntax to appeal to the audiences. Kaur 8 Work Cited Espey, Debbie. Examining Theme for English B by Langston Hughes.  Associated Content. Associated Content, Inc., 13 March 2010. Web. 6 Nov 2010. Harlem, By Langston Hughes, 1951.  Harlem World. WordPress, 8 July 2008. Web. 16 Nov 2010. Jazz Poetry: 1920s-30s.  PittsburgStateUniversity. Pittsburg State University, 29 January 2007 . Web. 14 Nov 2010. Langston Hughes (1902 1967).  Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation , 2010. Web. 6 Nov 2010. Langston Hughes Group.  enotes. Salon Media Group, INC, 5. September 2008. Web. 6 Nov 2010. Langston Hughes. Poets.org From the Academy of American Poets. Academy of American Poets, 1997-2010. Web. 13 October 2010. Langston, Hughes. The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. New York: Vintage, 1994. Print Rhett, Walters. Theme for English B: Remembering Langston Hughes.  Southern Perlo Stories/Insights/Open Views. Salon Media Group, INC, 25 August 2010. Web. 6 Nov 2010. Kaur 9 Stevenson, Anne . #60 Theme for English B (Langston Hughes).  Poetry Countdown  . WordPress, 3 September2009. Web. 17 Nov 2010. Writers Memo The greatest strength in my essay would be the fact that it addresses many rhetorical devices and it focuses on the rhetorical analysis, instead of just summarizing the plot. My weaknesses mainly rely in the structure of the paragraphs. I had to struggle a lot with making effective transition from paragraph to paragraph. I would like to think I worked thoroughly and equally hard on all aspects of my essay. However, like I mentioned above, organizing my paragraph was really time consuming and frustrating. If I had extra time to fix my essay, I would probably try to reorganize my paragraphs and look for spelling/grammar errors. I would also try to check for plagiarism because I used many outside sources in my essay and sometimes I get carried away and either forget to cite or accidentally take others ideas as my own. Actually I wasnt sure if I had grasped the whole concept of analyzing works rhetorically before working on this essay. I learned a lot about rhetorical devices that make certain texts effective or ineffective. Overall, I think I finally understand the concept of rhetoric. Just like everyone else, I would like to receive an A on this assignment, even though that may not be the case. I like to think I worked on this essay best to my ability and tried to incorporate the necessary details into it. However, I do realize that my essay does have some weak points and Id like to at least receive a B.

The Saddest Day :: essays research papers

It was one of those superb days that makes you forget all your problems and makes you grateful that you are alive. The sun was beaming down scintillating honeyed rays to the earth, turning everything they touched into gold. The wind was a light blowing breeze, like angels breathing softly upon the world. The birds were singing their most beautiful songs turning the trees into radiant symphony orchestras. The crystal clear sky must have transformed into a mirror over the Caribbean Sea, for it was of the most beautiful shades of blue I had ever laid eyes on. The leaves were blowing around on the ground, already changed to fall colors of browns, yellows, and even pinks. The air smelled refreshing like a splash of cold water on your face when you awake in the morning, and crispy like an autumn leaf. Indeed, it was a glorious day, but you should never judge a book by its cover. As I stepped out of the house that morning, I took a deep breath and let the morning air fill my lungs. I was off to school, my Dad was waiting impatiently for me in the car. Beep! Beep! I heard the horn blow, echoing off the brick wall of my apartment. I hurried along to the car, barely jumping in before my Dad started to pull away. "You need to get ready a little faster you know." He said to me with what seemed to be a permanent stern look on his face. I wasn't going to argue with him today. It was too splendid out to fight, so I just nodded my head and smiled. I went through the day feeling great. School seemed as if it had zoomed by and before I knew it I was walking home. The weather was still the same, if not better by now. As I passed little children on my way home I smiled thinking about when I was little how great it was then. The worst thing in the world then was a scraped knee, and now it was a broken heart. As I neared my house I got a chill down my spine, like a cold gush of air when you open the freezer. I didn't think anything of it at the time. It was just a chill and I got them all the time. But now I know to be scared when I get one of

Michael Henchard in The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy Essay

Michael Henchard in The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy Michael Henchard is a character with traits that have both a positive and negative traits effect on his life. I believe the characteristics that allowed Henchard to rise to social respectability and fall into destitution where the same. "Character is fate"(Plato) For example Henchard stubbornness and pride allowed him to keep his 21-year vow not to drink. This shows his stubbornness brought an aspect forbearance. However the same character traits also made him rely on a prediction from a fortuneteller becoming his financial downfall. This is same aspect of Henchard that made him so forbearing and committed to his wedding vows with Susan. This characteristic allowed him to be reliable, something that greatly assisted him to being respected in the town. However, if he would have not been so honourable and turned Susan away, it may have all worked out better. I can speculate, he could have married Lucetta and her money would have been a great asset to hi...

Gambling Essay examples -- essays research papers fc

Gambling, while it lowers taxes and creates jobs, it also causes addicts to lose money and therefore creates a higher crime rate.A Quick History of Gambling.Gambling was a popular pastime in North America long before there was ever a United States. Playing cards and dice were brought over by both the British and the Dutch. By the end of the 17th century, just about every countryseat in colonial America had a lottery wheel. Cockfighting flourished thoughout the countries, especially in the South. Bear Baiting was also a popular sport, but the Puritans banned it.(Ortiz 4)Almost 100 years later gambling in the West gave gambling a second life. Early church leader struck down all forms of gambling and so in the East gambling for the most part died completely. Far from both government controls and moral interference of reform groups in the East, gambling became so popular in the West that Monte tables were often setup in the middle of the town.(Donovon 13)Organized CrimeDuring the Prohibition Era (1920-1933), illegal gambling was organized into an authoritarian regional and national system. Responsibility for the syndication of gambling is usually attributed to Arnold Rothstein, who invented the inner-city layoff. He is also known for master minding the "Black Sox" scandal in which the White Sox threw the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds to assure gambling profits.Gambling legally, once again, becomes acceptable.Since the 1970s, the United States has turned full circle in its attitude toward gambling. Three hundred years ago, the "sport", mostly in the form of lottery, was seen as a perfectly acceptable way to raise money for public purposes.(Savage 12) Over the past several years, slow economic growth, cuts in federal funding to states, and growing public needs have forced many desperate state and even local government to seek additional sources of revenue. Most states have turned to lotteries, horse and dog racing, and, most recently, a growing number of states have resorted to casino gambling as a way to raise money and keep taxes low.(James B5)Sports gamblingDuring the late 1980s, and early 1990s, several states have tried to introduce sports betting, either as part of lottery, like sports pool, or as sports bookmaking. Never the less, the leader of the nation's sports integrity, including the National Basketball Association (... ... spend money gambling," and 59 percent thought that "gambling can erode young people's work ethics." The respondents were evenly split on whether "gambling teaches children that one can get something for nothing" with 49 percent agreeing and 48 percent disagreeing.(Siebel 82)ConclusionIn conclusion gambling is alright as long as its is done in moderation. Also if you know that you have a problem with gambling you should call the gamblers hotline so that you can get the help that you need before it's to late. I would also like to say I learned a lot from this research paper. I hope whomever reads this research paper does so to. Works CitedDonovan, Hedley. The Gamblers. Alexandria: Time-Life Books, 1978.Goddu, Jenn. "Blue Chip lives up too most of its goals." Hammond Post-Tribune 24 Feb. 1999: E1+James, Rich. "All five casinos show January revenue drop." Hammond Post-Tribune 23 Feb. 1999: B5+Ortiz, Darwin. Gambling Scams. New York: Dodd, Mead + Company, 1984.Savage, Jeff. A Sure Thing?. Minnesota: Lerner Publications Company, 1997.Siebel, Mark A, Nancy Jaids, and Alison Lanes. Gambling Crime or Recreation. Texas: Information Plus, 1996.

Ridoran Manufactoring

Riordan Manufacturing Compensation Plan Team B- Diana Barris, Nicole Bell, Jacqueline Chaney, Shawnda Davis, Hadeel Raouf, Kelly Tyler HRM/324 Annette Clark-Davis February 11, 2013 Riordan Manufacturing Compensation Plan Riordan Manufacturing is a worldwide plastics manufacturer that is headquartered in San Jose, California. Their organization has over 500 employees and prides themselves on providing their customers with high quality merchandise to satisfy their plastics needs.They hold an ISO 9000 certification which is an organization that establishes and measures quality control. In order to meet or exceed the level of quality required under ISO standards, Riordan Manufacturing will need to have knowledgeable and skilled employees within their organization. To attract premier candidates for their company, the compensation plan that is designed will need to be fair, rewarding, and competitive.This paper will outline the compensation plan for Riordan Manufacturing and include an eva luation of current trends and predict future trends, internal and external equity, a wage management process and retirement plan, financial influence on the plan’s options, and discuss the methods in which the plan will be communicated to members of the organization. Key Objectives According to Martocchio (2009), â€Å"Compensation professionals promote effective compensation systems by meeting three important goals: internal consistency, market competitiveness, and recognition of individual contributions† (Martocchio, 2009, p. 9). It is essential that these objectives are met to retain employees and make them feel valued and appreciated; all while functioning within the organizational budget. As Riordan Manufacturing considers themselves to be a leader within their industry, they understand that listening to the voice of their employees and remaining flexible regarding the compensation benefits offered worth together in alignment with their company mission. As â€Å" compensation systems are changing† (Martocchio, 2009, p. 23), Riordan Manufacturing will do well o consider plans offered by their competitors so that they will remain an industry leader. Trends and Issues An evaluation of current trends and issues in the company’s total compensation shows the company meeting goals in certain areas, but needs to improve in other areas. Riordan Manufacturing wants and â€Å"will maintain an innovative and team oriented working environment. By assuring that our employees are well informed and properly supported, we will provide a climate focused on the long-term viability of our company.Our Future must be focused in achieving and maintaining reasonable profitability to assure that the financial and human capital is available for sustained growth† (University of Phoenix,  2013, p. 1). The company’s current trends such as the flexible benefits program, salary administration program, and the CRM system is used to help meet th e organizations vision and goals, and keep the employees interested and motivated. However, technology changes each day and in today’s business world it is important to keep the company’s IT system updated to meet the demands of the customers, and the day-to-day operations. Riordan has a system to track historical sales. In the past, most sales data was recorded using paper and pencil. In the last few years, the firm has managed the information electronically† (University of Phoenix,  2013, p. 1). In the future it is best the company does an update to improve the communication between the different sites, employees, monitor inventory, customer demands, and sales. The company should prepare to make some changes in its current infrastructure to sustain profitability and growth within the company. Internal and External equityInternal equity is based on the employee's values and fairness, the values, and fairness of the pay relationships within the organization. â €Å"The pay relationship within the organization has an affect on three compensation objectives. They affect the employee’s decisions to stay with the organization, to become more flexible by investing in additional training, or to seek greater responsibility† (Milkovich, 2008, p. 64). The external equity is based on how the employee sees the company's pay structure and compensation system. What the employer pays, relative to what other employers will pay for the same type of work.The Riordan Manufacturing Company works toward a fair base system, attracting, and maintaining good workers when considering internal and external equity. Implementing job analysis, employee evaluations, work structure, pay ranges, and pay grades are ways the company endorse internal equity. Marketing surveys, supplying a competitive pay system, and salary surveys are used to implement external equity. This will allow the company to manage and implement a compensation structure that will add value and continue to make the organization successful. Wage Management and RationaleRiordan Manufacturing’s salary administration program was created â€Å"to achieve consistent pay practices, comply with federal and state laws, mirror our commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity, and offer competitive salaries within our labor market† (University of Phoenix,  2004,  p. 11). Employee compensation is based on several factors including but not limited to job analysis, evaluations, the duties and responsibilities of the job, and salary survey data on pay practices of other organizations in the same labor market to ensure Riordan’s compensation plan remains competitive (University of Phoenix,  2004).Merit-based pay adjustments may be offered for excellent employee performance. Riordan manufacturing’s salary administration program is review periodically and reconstructed when necessary (University of Phoenix,  2004). A retirement plan and how partic ipation will be driven Riordan Manufacturing wants to make sure their employees participate in the company’s retirement plan. We will offer 401(k), Pension Plan and Profit Sharing plan. We feel that the futures of our employees are important.The way the Riordan will drive participation is by communicating clearing, emphasizing the benefits of plan participation, and to be creative. Communication is very important, using poorly or confusing materials do little to encourage plan participation. Some points to remember when communicating the plan information is to use examples that employees can relate to, keep communication brief and, use graphics like charts. Also making sure that we highlight key points will drive participation. Being creative is always a great way to encourage employees.An example would be to hold contest to promote participation. How will it be communicated? Want to promote retirement plan participation, so we want to make sure that the plan is communicated the best way possible. Since everyone works at different shits there will be different times that are available for the employees to sign up for. The discussion of the retirement plan will be in a classroom setting with a representative to explain the retirement plans that Riordan Manufacturing will offer.In these classes there will be handouts with information explaining the plan in detail and also a shorter version that will highlight the key points of the plan. In this setting this will promote participation because someone will be there to help with any questions that the employees may have and also help with the initial sign-up of the plans offered. Conclusion: Riordan Manufacturing’s goal is to maintain an innovative and team oriented working environment. By assuring that all employees are well informed and properly supported.Riordan Manufacturing considers themselves to be a leader within their industry, they understand that listening to the voice of their employees an d remaining flexible regarding the compensation benefits offered worth together in alignment with their company mission. The company meets goals in certain areas, but needs to improve in other areas, and the current trends of the company such as the flexible benefits program, salary administration program, and the CRM system is used to help meet the organizations vision and goals, and keep the employees interested and motivated.However; the company should prepare to make some changes in its current infrastructure to sustain profitability and growth. In Riordan Manufacturing; the Employee’s compensation is based on several factors including but not limited to job analysis, evaluations, the duties and responsibilities of the job, as well as the salary survey data on pay practices of other organizations in the same labor market, to ensure Riordan’s compensation plan remains competitive. References Martocchio, J. J. (2009).Strategic compensation: A human resource managemen t approach (5th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Milkovich, G. T. , & Newman, J. M. (2008). Compensation (9th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. University of Phoenix. (2004). Riordan Manufacturing Employee Handbook. Retrieved. from University of Phoenix, HRM324 – Total Compensation website. University of Phoenix. (2013). Week Five overview. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, HRM324 – Total Compensation website. York, NY: McGraw