Proposal for the Installation of Emergency Telephones On Highways in Connecticut :: Proposal Paper

Proposal for the Installation of Emergency Telephones On Highways in Connecticut Introduction I propose to install emergency telephones along Connecticut highways. Connecticut highways do not provide immediate help for emergencies. Daily, there is a 50/50 change of an accident or emergency happening. There are 45 and up to 70 emergencies in the Greater Hartford area alone. Proposal This report proposes that emergency telephones be installed on Connecticut highways. They would offer efficient ways to get help immediately for emergency situations and also would decrease the chances of crime that may occur while people have to wait for help. Benefits The following is a list of advantages Connecticut drivers would have along our highways when there is an emergency: It would be possible to get efficient help if there is an emergency. You would not have to wait for someone to stop or a police cruiser to come along. You will not have to walk miles before you get to a gas station or pay phone for help. Senior citizens and handicapped people would not have to do either 2 or 3. The chances of a crime happening will be decreased greatly. CURRENT SITUATION Connecticut Highways Connecticut highways do not provide efficient or accessible ways to get help immediately. There are between 45 and 60 emergencies in the Greater Hartford area that require roadside assistance. Usually, those people are helped by the state police, which are usually efficient, but emergency telephones would help greatly. Increasing Crimes Crime in the Greater Hartford area has risen 70% since 1988 and is still rising. Many times it may be dangerous to get stuck on certain parts of our highways. Emergency Illness If there were an emergency illness of some sort, the victim would no doubt suffer a while before help would arrive. What would happen if someone was having a heart attack? Weather Conditions We also have to consider bad weather conditions. It is almost impossible for a senior citizen or handicapped person to walk to a gas station or pay phone for help in a snow storm. PROPOSAL FOR CHANGE Installing Emergency Telephones Installing emergency telephones will create safer driving along our highways. Whenever there is an immediate emergency, help will not be far away. Senior Citizens and Handicapped People Senior citizens and handicapped people would have a better chance of getting help whenever they need it. It will not be as difficult for them as it is now. Eliminate Chances for Crime Emergency telephones would also lessen the opportunities for criminals to prey upon the disabled.

The Role of Intra-party Opposition in National Liberation Movements Ess

The Role of Intra-party Opposition in National Liberation Movements By and large, in the latter half of the twentieth century a regime change has meant the victory of a leftist national liberation movement over an oppressive power; whether the new regime makes good on its stated purpose of delivering justice to its people has not evidenced such a standard pattern, however. While liberation movements such as the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa were able successfully to convert their role as revolutionary â€Å"freedom fighters† into democratic participation in the state (Connell, 9), movements such as Castro’s Cuban Revolution, while accomplishing regime change, failed to deliver a successful state. This paper suggests that lessons can be derived from these cases that apply to the Palestinians’ national liberation movement, in that intra-movement conflict that often appears â€Å"intractable† may in fact be a specific prerequisite for a successful regime change into the hands of the Palestinian Authorit y. Dangling today somewhere between the role of a state and a non-state actor, the Palestinian National Authority (PA) was chartered after the Oslo Accords to fill the governmental role in the would-be state of Palestine. Headed by Yassir Arafat, the PA provides an internationally recognized manifestation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which became the voice of the Palestinian nationalism movement since Israel’s independence in 1948. The ongoing transition of the PLO from a national liberation movement (and a distinctly non-state actor) to the ruling government party in a Palestinian state has proven difficult due not only to the controversial nature of the issue of a Palestinian state on ... ...nd National Liberation in Latin America : three decades of guerrillas and terrorists 1959-1990. Florida: North-South Center, University of Miami 1991. Rubenberg, Cheryl. The Palestinian Liberation Organization: Its institutional infrastructure. Belmont, MA: Institute of Arab Studies, Inc., 1983. Rubin, Barry. The Transformation of Palestinian Politics: From revolution to state-building. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1999. Segal, Jerome M. Creating the Palestinian State. Chicago, Il: Lawrence Hill Books, 1989. Silverburg, Stanford. Palestine and Internatinoal Law: Essays on politics and Economics.Jefferson, NC: 2002. Staten, Clifford. The History of Modern Cuba. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003. Younis, Mona. Liberation and Democratization : the South African and Palestinian nationalmovements. Minneapolis, MN : University of Minnesota Press, 2000.

Effect of injection or Suction and Magnetic Field on oscillatory flow i

An oscillatory hydrodynamic flow through porous medium bounded by two horizontal parallel porous plates in the presence of transverse magnetic field is investigated. Both the stationary plates are subjected to the same constant injection / suction velocities ( V ). A closed form analytical solution is obtained and the affects of different parameters (Injection / suction Parameter, Darcy number, Hartmann number, Frequency of oscillations etc.) on velocity field and skin-friction are discussed with the help of graphs in details. Key words: Oscillatory flow, Magnetic field, Injection / suction, Planner channel. 1 Introduction: The flows of fluids through porous media have attracted the attention of a number of scholars because of their possible applications in many branches of science and technology. In fact a porous material containing the fluid is a non-homogeneous medium but it may be possible to treat it as a homogeneous one, for the sake of analysis, by taking its dynamical properties to be equal to the averages of the original non-homogeneous continuum. Thus a complicated problem of the flow through a porous medium gets reduced to the flow problem of a homogeneous fluid with some additional resistance. The hydrodynamic channel flow is a classical problem for which exact solution can be obtained Schillicting [1]. Eckert [2] obtained the exact solution of Navier-Stokes equations for the flow between two parallel porous plates with constant injection/suction. In view of numerous important engineering and geophysical applications of the channel flows through porous medium, for example in the fields of chemical engineering for filtration and purification processes, in the fields of agriculture engineering f... ...Sci. Acad. 75(1) (2009): 41-48. 14 Garg, B.P., Singh, K.D. and Pathak, Reena (2011). An analysis of radiative, free-convective and mass transfer flow past an accelerated vertical plate in the presence of transverse magnetic field, J. Rajasthan Acad. Phy. Sci. 10(1) (in press). 15 Moreau, R. â€Å"MagnetoHydrodynamics†. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht (1990). 16 Makinde, O.D. and Mhone, P.Y. â€Å"Heat Transfer to MHD Oscillatory Flow in a Channel Filled with Porous Medium†. Rom. Journ. Phys. 50 (2005): 931-938. 17 Mehmood, A. and Ali, A. â€Å"The Effect of Slip Condition on Unsteady MHD Oscillatory Flow of a Viscous Fluid in a Planer Channel†. Rom. Journ. Phys. 52(1-2) (2007): 85-91. 18 Singh, K.D. and Garg, B.P. â€Å"Radiative Heat Transfer in MHD Oscillatory Flow through Porous Medium Bounded by Two Vertical Porous Plates†. Bull. Cal. Math. Soc.102(2) (2010) 129-138.

K12 Education Program : A Solution or Problem to the Philippines

K-12 is the new Education Program in the Philippines that started last year, 2012. The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary education, four years of Junior High School, and two years of Senior High School [SHS]) to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.In my point of view, I take a stand that K-12 will provide a better Education Program to the Philippines and for the young generation. Why did I think so? First of all, based on the studies provided by the Department of Education, there are more tendencies of a high school student that drops out or changes course in the middle of their tertiary education which causes more trouble for both the parents and their child (children) and the fact that they are just too young to pressure themselves on what they really want to become or what they want to be doing in the near future. Thus, concluding that giving them more time to prepare and to evaluate their skills will be more convenient and beneficial for both the parent and the child (children).Second, since two years has been added to the basic education here in the Philippines, it simply means that there are more curriculums that have been added or will be added to the curriculum. And hopingly, these curriculums will help the young generation to find or narrow their decisions in what course they would like to take in their tertiary education.Based on my research (through the help of technology), I have been able to figure out that the added two years will be the years when students will be able to choose subjects between three tracks: Academic; Technical-Vocational-Livelihood; and Sports and Arts. The Academic track includes three strands: Business, Accountancy, Management (BAM); Humanities, Education, Social Sciences (HESS); and Science, Technology, Engine ering, Mathematics (STEM).These tracks can encourage and aid students to pick courses (subjects) that will help the young generation to select the best courses that will compliment their talents, skills and abilities. Thus making their college life (tertiary education) easier and making it more enjoyable.But a solution also comes with a problem. The main problem is that even though there are already plans that are being implemented, there are also problems that remains unsolved or are still being unsolved. (i.e., the study curriculums for each grade (year), the lack of school facilities that comes in handy for subjects like biology, chemistry and physics, computer laboratories, books appropriate for each grade (year) and so much more).If the Philippines’ education systems before already lacked solutions to the problems stated above, then these problems will be on a much larger number. If there are already such problems like lack of books to public school, thus saying, more bo oks will be needed because of the K-12 implementation.To solve listed problems, the government must be able to conduct projects and calculate expenses accurately for them to be able to provide for the students’ needs. If they do so, the new education program will improve the lacked in the former education program. To cite an example, if the lack of rooms will be provided, it will produce greater result. Stating, if public schools are to be provided with more rooms, then it will be easier for the teachers to teach students with a maximum number of 40-50 students which leads to a more interactional and controlled environment that will help students focus on the subject matter.Therefore, if the government will just learn to manage and budget the Philippines’ monetary fund properly, then direct a large amount of money for the department of education, they could equate that money and divide equally to provide equal shares of solutions to problems. And to extend what the bud get could do more with a greater quantity and quality.

Different Marriage or Wedding Practices in Countries Essay

I. Africa: 1. In some African tribes, the bride and groom have their wrists tied together with cloth or braided grass to represent their marriage. 2. To honor their ancestors, some Africans pour Holy water, or alcohol, onto the ground as prayers are recited to the ancestral spirits. 3. The bride wears a veil made of plaited hair which represents reserve. 4. The people present wear traditional regional costumes. 5. The couple jumps above a brush covered with flowers, which symbolizes the starting of domestic life. 6. The Kola nut is most often used for medicinal purposes in Africa. It is also essential in most African weddings. The Kola nut symbolizes the couple’s willingness to always help heal each other. In Nigeria, the ceremony is not complete until a kola nut is shared between the couple and their parents. II. Arabia: 1. Traditionally, marriage was between paternal first cousins or other patrilineally related kin. 2. It was customary for potential spouses not to meet before the wedding night, and marriages had to be arranged by fathers, mothers, and other relatives. These practices are changing slowly and unevenly, but the tendency is toward fewer close-cousin marriages and for the couple to communicate with each other before the wedding. 3. The bride wears an elaborate veil and gets her hands and feet decorated with a drawing made with alhea (henna). 4. During the reception, men and women stay separated. 5. Men are allowed to have four wives at a time as long as they can treat them equally, but polygyny is uncommon in most of the population. Marriage is considered a necessary part of life, and almost all adults marry III. Caribe and Burmuda: 1. The bride and groom show off their finest clothes for the entire village. 2. There’s no need for a best man at an Island wedding. 3. A typical wedding feast features curried goat and spicy chicken jerky 4. The traditional wedding cake is a â€Å"Black Cake† with the recipe handed down from mother to daughter for many generations. The cake is traditionally served with a Hard Rum Sauce and all of the dried fruits are soaked in rum in a crock pot for anywhere from two weeks to one year. 5. Calypso music is played. 6. In the Bermudas people plant a tree for prosperity. IV. China: 1. Auspicious days are subject to interpretation by fortune tellers that perform the analysis based on one’s birth date (day and hour) after consultation with the Chinese almanac. It is said to be the oldest continuous publication known. 2. In the Chinese community it is considered bad form if an individual consults the almanac and performs a self analysis. That is why a fortune teller or Fung Suey [Feng Shui] expert is consulted. 3. The 15 day period from the middle to the end of the seventh lunar month is considered inauspicious because that is time of the Hungry Ghost Festival when the gates of Hell are opened and the lost spirits are allowed to wander the earth. They should not be invited to the wedding! 4. Decorations and gift wrappings are red as this color (and gold too) symbolizes happiness and wealth. 5. There are always rockets acting as protection against bad spirits. 6. The bride changes her dress three times during the wedding ceremony. V. England: 1. The familiar tradition of a flower girl throwing rose petals as she passes down the aisle before the bride is a reminder of days gone by when the bride walked to the church with her maids in waiting. Leading the procession was always a young girl throwing flower petals along the lane, so the bride’s path through life would be happy and laden with flowers. 2. The couple walks toward the church with their wedding procession over a path of orange blossoms. 3. Something Old – Something New – Something Borrowed – Something Blue†¦And a Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe! This good-luck saying that originated many years ago in the Victorian era. 4. Most of the brides wear a horseshoe on one of their arms decorated with lace as an amulet. 5. The fruit cake is covered with marzipan. The upper section (baptism tart) is kept until the first child is born. VI. France: 1. A traditional French custom for the groom to call on his future bride at her home on the morning of their wedding. 2. In a church filled with incense and flowers, the couple stands beneath a silk canopy. A predecessor of the veil, a square of silk fabric, â€Å"carre'† is held over the head of the bride and groom as the couple received the priest’s final blessing. They were designed to protect the couple from descending malice. The same veil is used for the baptism of their new born child. 3. The bridal portion is put in the â€Å"nuptial wardrobe,† hand engraved with symbols of health and prosperity. 4. The couple drinks from the traditional wedding cup. 5. All decorations are white, and laurel leaves are spread out of the church when the nuptial couple departs. 6. On the wedding night, pots and pans are drummed to disturb the couple. The groom invites jokers in and some refreshments are offered. VII. Germany: 1. During the engagement period both the bride and groom wear a ring on their left hand. After the wedding they wear the wedding ring on their right hand. Usually the rings are gold with no diamonds. 2. Germany brides wear either very short trains or usually none at all attached to their wedding dress. If veils are worn they are of fingertip length and typically never worn over the face 3. The groom usually wears a black suit or a smoking jacket (dinner jacket) 4. Some weeks before the wedding the groom and his male friends go to a Kneipe (pub) to drink and have fun for his last time as a single man. 5. Before a church wedding the bride and groom will have been married in the Standesamt (Registry Office) by a registrar which is most often in the Rathaus (town hall). A witness is needed for the bride and also for the groom. 6. At a party on the evening before the wedding plates and dishes are smashed to scare off evil spirits. Only china can be used. Anything else would bring bad luck. The bride and groom have to clean up everything. This is to indicate that they can work together. 7. Together, the bride and groom will enter the church and walk down the aisle. Because it is not legal to have only a church ceremony, the couple will have already been legally married by a Standesbeamte. 8. As the couple walks to the wedding car, fir boughs are laid along the path to pave their first newlywed steps with fresh greenery to symbolize hope, luck and fertility. 9. On the day of the wedding, the guests go to couple’s house. VIII. Greece: 1. Before the wedding, tradition in Greece is to have your â€Å"Bed† made before groom actually sleep in it with the new spouse. During this ceremony, the bed is â€Å"made† with hand-knit linens and then adorned with Koufetta – almond candies, rose petals and, of course, money from friends and family for good luck. 2. When attending a Greek wedding, guests might wear a small â€Å"Eye† to ward off evil and keep the Bride and Groom protected from bad luck. 3. Greek Brides often put a lump of sugar in their glove for a â€Å"sweet† marriage. 4. Nowadays, after the wedding ceremony, guests are offered bombonieres. These delightful gifts of sugar-coated almonds are wrapped in net and attached to a small memento of your wedding. 5. Another hallmark of modern weddings is the wild and deafening loud concerto of automobile horns before and after a wedding ceremony. 6. In the reception a dance with handkerchiefs (Kaslamantiano) is enjoyed by all while stuf fed grape leaves, lamb skewers, and wine are served. 7. During the ceremony the groom is asked to honor the bride and she slightly touches him to put emphasis. IX. Italy: 1. A traditional Italian proposal begins with a romantic serenade. 2. Brides to be and their families gathered a â€Å"dote† or dowry of household goods and clothing in hope or marriage chests. This was often augmented with money or property. 3. In southern Italy, wild bachelor parties are uncommon as are raucous gatherings for the ladies. 4. Italian bride wears a white gown and veil. The white dress symbolizes purity while the veil, sometimes torn for luck, prevents the groom from clearly seeing the face of his intended before the ceremony, and thereby bringing bad luck upon the couple. 5. Almonds covered with caramel symbolize the joys and sadness of marriage. Sometimes the couple is pelted with sugared almonds. 6. In the reception, everyone enjoys the traditional dance called the â€Å"Tarantella.† X. Japan: 1. Sake Ceremony – known as one of the oldest traditional Japanese wedding customs, san-san-kudo, or sharing of sake is still performed today. 2. In Japan, brides may wear a colorful silk kimono or a shiromuku, a formal gown passed down over the ages and still used today as traditional bridal dresses. Some Japanese brides choose to wear a modern wedding gown. 3. The bride wears an elaborate white silk dress, various adornments, and a special wig. 4. In the reception there’s a dedication and some speeches, and the honored guests tell stories about the couple. 5. Kiogashi (colored sweets with flower shape), indicate that this is also a party. 6. Red is the funny and lucky color. XI. Korea: 1. In Korea, the marriage between a man and woman represents the joining of two families, rather than the joining of two individuals. 2. Before a Korean bride may be married, she must take part in the traditional Introduction ceremony, where she is accepted into the groom’s family. In a private ceremony, the groom’s family welcomes the bride. 3. The groom’s father may throw red dates at his daughter-in-law to bring her luck in fertility. 4. On the eve of the wedding (hum), the groom, bride, and her friends gather at the bride’s house. The groom’s friends arrive later, shouting and carrying lanterns to light the way and the bride’s things/dowry. Before entering they demand to be paid. When the payment of food and song is agreed upon, they enter and join with the others to celebrate. 5. Traditionally, a chest of gifts for the bride’s family was brought by the groom’s family. 6. The bride wears a multicolored silk dress with white sleeves and a black silk crown and she is made up with red points on her cheeks to scare away bad spirits. XII. Scotland: 1. Usually about a week before the ceremony the mother of the bride will hold a â€Å"show of presents† for her daughter. This corresponds to the bridal shower in other cultures. A slightly more raunchy tradition is the groom’s stag party. 2. The modern Scottish bride will wear a traditional or contemporary white wedding gown, while the groom dresses in traditional Highland kilt, kilt jacket and sporran. 3. The couple is either bag piped down the isle or traditional Gaelic hymns are played as they walk to the altar. The Highland Wedding is played at virtually all Scottish weddings. 4. Once at the altar the couple may choose to recite their vows in ancient Gaelic or to recite them in modern English. Following the vows the groom often pins a strip of his clan’s tartan colors to the bride’s wedding dress to signify that she is now a member of his clan. 5. Following the ceremony the bride and groom and all their honored guests head to a private home or to a restaurant for a lavish reception feast. At the typical Scottish reception you can count on the bride and groom being â€Å"piped† to the table of honor, where the bride will cut the first slice of wedding cake using a dirk (a long-bladed knife) that is provided to her by the piper. As the bride slices the first piece of wedding cake, custom dictates that her hand is guided by the hand of her new husband. 6. The wedding reception is filled with music, signing, much drinking and toasting to the health and happiness of the new couple. The celebrations can go on into the wee hours of the morning. 7. One custom that hasn’t changed for more than 700 years is the custom of the groom carrying his new bride over the threshold of their new home together. XIII. The Netherlands: 1. Dutch people are free to choose their spouses. The common basis for marriage is most often love. This does not mean that people marry independently of the constraints of class, ethnicity, and religion. 2. The choice of a partner is often class-based. Monogamy is the only marriage form allowed. 3. Many Dutch couples live in a consensual arrangement. Same-sex couples can marry and have the same rights as heterosexual couples. 4. A civil wedding ceremony, usually conducted in the town hall, is required in Holland to give marriage legality; so many couples have both a religious and civil ceremony on the same day. 5. The wedding ceremony is usually followed by a series of celebrations consisting of a reception, a formal dinner and a party, and it is common practice for family and friends to be invited to either all or just part of the celebrations, depending on their closeness to the couple. XIV. Russia: 1. The betrothal is a ceremony performed with the rites of the Eastern Church, and takes place eight days before the marriage. 2. During the interval between betrothal and marriage the bride’s girl friends endeavor to amuse her and keep up her spirits (for she is supposed to be in a state of lamentation and grief) by singing to her, and their songs tell of the happiness of married life. 3. On the day before the wedding they conduct her to the bath, where much time is spent in dressing her hair, while she listens to their songs. 4. Both bride and bridegroom receive a solemn blessing from their parents before leaving their houses, and even the wedding garments are blessed by the priest. 5. After the dedication, cups are thrown to the floor. Their breaking means happiness. 6. The bride and groom usually tie a doll to the wedding car or carriage if they wish their first child to be a girl, and a teddy bear if they want a boy. XV. Hawaiian: 1. The bride wears a long, white formal version of the muumuu called a ‘holoku. 2. Instead of a veil, a woven garland of island flowers, ‘haku lei’ is worn around her head. 3. The bride’s bouquet may consist of white orchid sprays. 4. The groom wears a long sleeve white shirt and white pants. A long red or colored sash is worn wrapped about his waist. A lei of maile and ilima flowers adorn his neck. 5. Hawaiian wedding bands bearing the couple’s name in Hawaiian are often exchanged. The name ‘kuuipo’ meaning sweetheart, is favorite choice for the bride. XVI. Philippines: 1. During the reception couples practice the Filipino wedding custom of releasing a pair of doves to symbolize a loving and harmonious marriage. 2. During the reception the wedding cake is sliced. 3. Throwing rice confetti at the newlyweds will bring them prosperity all their life. 4. The groom must arrive before the bride at the church to avoid bad luck. 5. Dropping the wedding ring, the veil or the arrhae during the ceremony spells unhappiness for the couple. 6. Bride should not try on her wedding dress before the wedding, maybe it will push through. XVII. Native American: 1. From Apache to Cheyenne and Hopi to Sioux, Native American wedding customs are beautiful and vary according to tribe. One custom in particular requires the bride and groom to wash their hands to cleanse away evil and previous lovers. 2. Ceremonies can be held in chapels, historical landmarks, Indian monuments, or reservations. Pow Wow drums provide lively music for the wedding reception festivities. 3. The Blanket Ceremony – This ritual entails using two blue blankets to represent the couple’s past lives. The couple are wrapped in blue blankets and led to a sacred circle of fire. The officiating person or spiritual leader blesses the union and the couple shed the blue blankets and enveloped by relatives in a single white blanket which represents their new life. Under the white blanket, it’s customary that the couples embrace and kiss. The white blanket is usually kept and displayed in the couple’s home. 4. The Native American bride may wear a white dress or a beautiful long leather dress with beading and traditional colors woven into the fabric. The traditional colors of Native Americans include White for east, Blue for south, Yellow for west, and Black for north. 5. The wedding feast consists of ceremonial foods such as white and yellow corn prepared in a delicious corn mush. The white represents the groom and the yellow represents the bride. The two types of corn are mixed to represent the new union.

Eliminating Genetically Modified Foods Essay

What comes to mind when reading the words genetic modification or Bacillus thurigiensis (abbreviated Bt)? I envision laboratories and science experiments, when in reality these words are related to the food we eat every day. What most Americans do not know is the threat that genetically modified food presents to our communities. PLU should do everything in its power to ensure that its students and faculty members are not exposed to genetically modified foods and crops that have been â€Å"protected† through the usage of Bt that has been artificially incorporated into crops, at least while eating on campus. We also need to educate those individuals about the truths of genetic modification and how it can potentially harm the lives of our generation and those to come. After all, PLU’s slogan is â€Å"educating for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care – for other people for their communities and for the earth. † If we can raise awareness of genetic modification on campus, we can help spread the importance of eliminating it to the rest of our community. Researchers have recently found that genetically modified foods have more baggage than advertised, baggage such as the risk of formation of allergies, exposure to toxins in herbicides, and a significant reduction in nutritional value. The genetic modification of crops began in the 1980s and has been growing in popularity ever since. In 1994, researchers successfully genetically modified tomatoes for human consumption. The genetic modification involved deleting a gene which produced the enzyme polygalacturonase which helps in fruit softening. This meant that the tomatoes could ripen on the vine but not spoil by the time they reached the store (â€Å"Tomatoes†). Tomatoes are no longer genetically modified, but are instead made to postpone ripening when the green tomato is picked; they are then taken to a processing plant and â€Å"artificially gassed with ethylene until they are the rosy-red skin tones of a ripe tomato† (Estabrook p. x). Seeing the words gassed and ethylene in the same context as human consumption seems concerning. Unfortunately, many Americans are unaware of how their food has been treated when they are consuming it. Some produce is â€Å"too good to be true† because they seem perfect, without a blemish or bruise, not to mention free from flavor. But, I now know that this is due to gasses that act as a sort of make-up. The tomatoes in PLU’s commons are unsatisfactory in taste, but impeccable in terms of looks. This leads me to think that PLU is purchasing out of season, gassed tomatoes that are bred to be green, as opposed to better quality organically grown produce. This brings nutritional value into question. In a study conducted by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, â€Å"100 grams of fresh tomato today has 30 percent less vitamin C, 30 percent less thiamin, 19 percent less niacin, and 62 percent less calcium than it did in the 1960s,† not to mention fourteen times as much sodium (Estabrook p. x). Who would have thought that an individual’s sky rocketing levels of sodium was not only from McDonalds french fries, but also from what they thought of as a healthy alternative, a tomato bought from the grocery store. Parents are unknowingly buying these tomatoes with the intention of feeding their children something healthy, but in reality they are being undermined by the U. S. Agricultural System. What really is genetic modification? It can be defined as: â€Å"organisms that have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques† (Genetically Modified). According to Assistant Professor Romey Haberle, these types of â€Å"genetic engineering techniques† include the usage of either a gene gun or a natural vector, which sounds just as bad as the ethylene gas previously stated. A gene gun is just that, a gun. Its purpose is to inject cells with specific genetic information into plants or other cells. Natural vector is the usage of DNA cells as a means of transportation into a plant’s cells. The DNA cells contain other specific and modified cells that are foreign to the plant in which it is being injected. These two types of genetic engineering are used to produce specific plants that can have special immunities to certain insecticides, or even to alter the crops’ general composition. Guns and natural vectors are the most common ways of studying and performing genetic modification in today’s agricultural world. â€Å"Bacillus thurigiensis (Bt) is an insecticide with unusual properties that make it useful for pest control in certain situations† (W. S. Cranshaw). An insecticide is a poison designed for insects. In the past it was usually sprayed over fields in an effort to reduce the amount of crops lost to insects. There has recently been in increase in the amount of crops that have this toxin genetically modified to into its DNA, making it impossible to wash off or get rid of. Unfortunately, the crops resist the effects but the toxin is still present on crops as they grow and are picked. Bt works by â€Å"producing proteins that react with the cells of the gut lining within insects†¦these proteins then paralyze the digestive system, and the infected insect stops feeding within hours† (W. S. Cranshaw). In short, Bt causes the insect to die from starvation since their digestive tract is unable to digest. This makes me question the safety of using this product within proximity of humans since it specifically attacks the gut lining of the digestive system. An unfortunate incident with Bt in the Philippines almost caused 100 members of a community to become ill. A crop within close proximity to their area of living had been sprayed with Bt. This crop was then pollinated, filling the air with pollen. The town’s people began to show symptoms of headaches, dizziness, extreme stomach pain, vomiting, chest pains, fever, and allergies plus respiratory, intestinal and skin reactions. Trying to get to the root of the problem, blood tests proved that 39 of the victims showed an anti-body response to the Bt-toxin. This means that the Bt toxin had traveled from the crops to their internal systems. Other villagers also encountered animal deaths from the same problems (Lendman p. 7). This shows that Bt is not suitable for human consumption or human contact. My concern is that PLU will purchase and serve food that has this same toxin present. Yes, the chances of this happening are rare, but we can eliminate the risk altogether by purchasing non-genetically modified produce that has not been exposed to the Bt toxin. PLU’s dining services do a great job of offering fresh and healthy foods for all meals of the day. Each menu is clearly labeled as to whether its food is all natural – grown without fertilizers or pesticides, locally grown, vegan – free from all animal products, vegetarian, or organic. However, organic is rarely seen. The most common labels seen are the locally grown and all natural labels, but it is usually only next to the grilled or sliced chicken breast. PLU should make an effort to move away from genetically modified foods and begin advertising the elimination of engineered foods on the menus. We could do this by allotting more of our food budget to buying organically grown food. We know that to be labeled as â€Å"organic† a farm has to adapt to specific regulations such as not utilizing pesticides or other harmful preservatives and of course, to stay away from genetically modified seeds or plants. I believe that most PLU students are aware of the benefits of organically grown produce but I do not think they are educated as to the benefits of eating non-genetically modified foods. PLU recently had food and water seminars, these seminars present a perfect opportunity to speak and educate about the negatives of eating genetically modified food in order to educate them to help others and make the right decisions for our earth. Most PLU students are interested in the environment and doing what we can to ensure sustainability, this includes the usage of harmful pesticides to our environment. By eating organic we can make a small impact in reducing the amount of non-organic produce bought and distributed. We also reduce the possibility of consuming these same pesticides that pose a threat to our atmosphere by avoiding them all together. By educating the students at PLU about the potential hazards that genetically modified food can present we can influence and encourage the right decisions to be made, the decision of going organic and avoiding genetic modification at all costs. The controversy of golden rice is one that has caused much disagreement within the world of genetic modification. Golden rice is a genetically engineered grain that is being used to â€Å"help fight vitamin A deficiency in the developing world, a disease that contributes to the deaths of 8 million young children in the world† (Ronald). Although this statistic demonstrates the drastic improvement of the overall health in the most underdeveloped parts of the world, it fails to include the â€Å"massive changes in the natural functioning of a plants DNA. Native genes can be mutated, deleted, permanently turned on or off and the inserted gene can become truncated, fragmented, mixed with other genes, inverted or multiplied, and the GM protein it produces may have unintended characteristics† (Lendman p. 2) that could compromise the health of the individual or community consuming it. Researchers have failed to imply the potential harmful effects on gut function, liver function, kidney function, the immune system, endocrine system, blood composition, allergic response and even the potential to cause cancer because of the mutilated DNA that is being ingested by our bodies every time we eat genetically modified foods. Researchers are so quick to glorify the one added nutrient to golden rice that they forget, or rather choose to not advertise the adverse and undesired side effects that could come from eating rice that has a complex and unnatural DNA. Yes, vitamin A deficiency is a real and prominent problem in today’s underdeveloped nations, but solving the problem with genetically altered â€Å"golden rice† presents the risks of forming allergies, being exposed to toxins such as pesticides, and ultimately causing cancer. Instead of investing most of our resources and money into genetically modifying vitamin A into rice, we could donate it to charities that provide food to those underdeveloped countries that are impoverished and are in need of proper nutrition. Allergies seem to be more and more common in today’s society. I too, have been directly impacted. One of my best friends from my junior high and high school years has a deathly peanut and soybean allergy. She constantly carries around an epinephrine auto-injector, abbreviated â€Å"epi-pen,† that she is required to use if she comes into contact with any kind of nut. We find ourselves constantly reading labels and isolating what she can and cannot eat, a practice which is tedious and inconvenient. Her soybean allergy is not as prevalent as her peanut allergy, but it is still concerning. She had an experience of eating an ice cream popsicle, in which she took two bites and her lips started to swell with red hives. Even after carefully analyzing the ingredient list, she still had a reaction to some kind of soybean that had been present within one of the ingredients. Soybeans are present in many foods, and 93% of the soybeans used in the U. S.are genetically modified (â€Å"Genetically Modified†). They are created to withstand herbicides used to kill weeds. This means that 93% of the soybeans used in food across America have the herbicides glyphosate or glufosinate within them since they are modified to resist the harmful effects that the weeds encounter when they are sprayed with a herbicide, the same herbicide that is designed to kill insects and weeds. Our bodies are not meant to ingest these harmful herbicides, so some children react adversely to soybeans that have been genetically altered. Nut allergies seem to be the most common allergy in today’s communities. â€Å"From 1997 to 2007, the prevalence of reported food allergy increased 18% among children under age 18† (Prevalence). This increase in food allergies seems to directly mimic the pattern of genetically modified food’s rise in popularity. Is this comparison ironic? I do not think so. PLU’s ability to specifically mark the types of allergens present in each meal is very important to the rising of today’s allergies that so many young adults are affected by. â€Å"As of 2012 there are many outgoing court cases and FDA investigation into genetically modified foods† (Genetically Modified). There is obviously a concern for the welfare of our communities and the production of genetically modified foods, and PLU should take into consideration the recent increase in food allergies in children, the push for organically grown food, the lost nutrition, and the potential for cancer development. By educating the minds of PLU students about the harmful effects genetically modified food presents to society we can promote for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care both for others and for our planet. These contributors all add up to one conclusion: the reduction or elimination of genetically modified food in our diets. I do not want to pick up the baggage that genetically modified food carries, do you? Works Cited Cranshaw, W. S. â€Å"Bacillus Thuringiensis. † Colorado State University Extension. Dec. 2008. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. . Estabrook, Barry. Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel, 2011. Print. â€Å"Genetically Modified Food. † 20 Mar. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. . Lendman, Stephen. â€Å"GlobalResearch.ca – Centre for Research on Globalization. † GlobalResearch. ca. 22 Feb. 2008. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. . â€Å"Prevalence of Food Allergies in Today’s World. † 23 Mar. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. . Ronald, Pamela. â€Å"What If Organic Farmers Joined Forces with Genetic Engineers? † July 2008: 35-38. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. â€Å"Tomatoes. † GMO Compass. 27 Nov. 2006. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. .

Hamlet and a Midsummer Night’s Dream

In one of AMND’s most enduring passages, Lysander states (Act one scene one, line 134) ‘The course of true love never did run smooth. ’ The conflict that is inevitably born out of love is a central theme at the heart of Midsummer’s Night’s Dream and Hamlet, but is extended by Shakespeare not only to romantic relationships, but to familial bonds as well. The conflict is ultimately resolved in diametrically opposing ways in each play, according to the conventions of their respective genres.Hamlet is a tragedy, and therefore can result only in death, but AMND, as a comedy, uses the traditional method of marriage to resolve its conflict. Shakespeare opens AMND with the relationship between Athenian Duke Theseus and Amazonian warrior Hippolyta, thereby framing the enfolding drama with the portrayal of a union in which romance and military conflict are inextricably bound: ‘Hippolyta, I woo’d thee with my sword/and won thy love doing thee injur ies. (1:1:16) Shakespeare incongruously conflates military imagery withthe language of romance, establishing the theme of love, initially at least, as being fraught with conflict. This is highlighted further as the discussion of Theseus and Hippolyta’s forthcoming nuptials is juxtaposed with the dramatic introduction of Hermia and Lysander, young lovers forbidden to marry by Egeus, Hermia’s domineering father. Lysander and Hermia decide to ‘from Athens turn away our eyes’ (1. 1. 218) and elope to the forest.Shakespeare’s use of the forest as a backdrop to the young lovers’ elopement is significant. It would have reminded members of the Jacobean audience of ‘Saturnalia’, an ancient Roman festival in honour of the deity Saturn, which took place in the forest and was famous for subverting Roman social norms. A carnival atmosphere pervaded the festival, which included features – such as masters waiting on their servant’ s tables – which defied the etiquette of the time. The allusion to Saturnalia emphasises Lysander and Hermia’s defiance of social restraints in eloping against her father’s wishes.Egeus’ attempted control of Hermia parallels Polonius’s manipulation of Ophelia in Hamlet, as in both plays Shakespeare depicts romantic relationships as complicatedbyfamilial pressures. The forest acts as a symbol for freedom from such conflict. Away from urban civilization and its social traditions, the forest exists as a primeval space where Hermia and Lysander feel their love can truly be celebrated, unhindered by the familial politics they have left behind: ‘to that place the sharp Athenian law cannot pursue us. ’ (1. 1. 62)However, social norms are not the only things overturned in the forest. By pouring a magical potion in the lovers’ eyes, Puck, a mischievous fairy, swaps the object of Demetrius and Lysander affection to Helena. This comic turn sets the enfolding drama in motion, but also demonstrates the cruelty of fickle love, that is so easily swayed to devastating effect, as Hermia laments: ‘O spite! O Hell! I see you are all bent, to set against me. ’ (3. 2. 145) Shakespeare expounds upon this theme of love in Hamlet too but with far more serious consequences; as befits a tragedy.Whereas Hermia is part of the tradition of Shakespearean women who defy their controlling fathers to marry their lovers, Ophelia proves far more susceptible to Polonius and Laertes’ bullying as they are successful in thwarting her relationship with Hamlet. Just as Shakespeare portrays affection as transient through Puck’s meddling with Demetrius and Lysander, Laertes lectures Ophelia on love’s temporary and untrustworthy nature: ‘forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting. ’ (1. 3. ) The emphatic rhythm of Laerte’s dialogue is created by the many caesuras that break up this line; each wor d drumming itself into Ophelia’s psyche. Ironically, it isn’t the ‘trifling of [Hamlet’s] favour’ (1. 3. 6) that breaks Ophelia’s heart, and ultimately her sanity, but rather her family’s interference, in particular her father’s political scheming. A. C Bradley in his book ‘Shakespearian Tragedy’ notes that ‘good conflict must be drawn out’; accordingly, both Hamlet and AMND are over five acts long and only get resolved in the final scenes, each according to their genre.The conflict inherent in Shakespeare’s portrayal of romantic relationships is given tangible form as Lysander and Demetrius prepare to fight over the woman they profess to love: ‘if thou say so withdraw and prove it to. ’ (3. 2. 255) Despite the threat of violence about to unfold on stage, Shakespeare’s audience would have been aware that as a comedy, A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream would culminate in marriage rather then bloodshed.In the opening scene of the play, Lysander alludes to the May Day rituals that he had participated in: ‘And in the wood a league without the town, where I did meet†¦to do observance to a morn of May’ (1. 1. 165) The May Day rites were an ancient celebration of fertility and renewal, and the setting of the lustrous forest reinforces this atmosphere, even throughout Lysander and Demetrius’s altercation, emphasising that the conflict would, in the end, be resolved happily. In stark contrast, Hamlet and Laertes fight over Ophelia’s grave.Shakespeare uses the graveyard setting to foreshadow the men's death as a result of their growing hostility – unlike in AMND, the conflict within a tragedy cannot end in marriage; it must end in death: ‘I thought thy bride-bed to have decked, sweet maid, and not have strewed thy grave’. (5. 1. 241) Throughout the play Ophelia is referred to by language such as ‘mai d’, emphasising her youth and her innocence. This heightens the tragic impact of her decline and eventual death, but also reinforces how she is infantilised by her father, and therefore controlled.When Polonius finds out that Ophelia has been conducting a romance with Hamlet, he insists that she no longer have contact with the prince: ‘I will teach you. Think yourself a baby. ’ (1. 3. 105) Polonius convinces Ophelia that she has been naive and stupid to believe Hamlet’s professions of love: ‘Affection? Pooh! You speak like a green girl. ’ (1. 3. 101) In Polonius’s dialogue, Shakespeare repeatedly employs images of Ophelia as a child to portray how her father psychologically controls her, by making her dependent on his commands, as a young child would: ‘I shall obey, my lord. (1. 3. 136) In AMND Shakespeare constructs a similar conflict around a father-daughter relationship, as Egeus wants his daughter Hermia, to marry Demetrius an d not her lover, Lysander. Shakespeare draws upon ancient Greek mythology to portray his characters and their respective philosophies. Egeus displays Apollonian attributes as he paternalistically favours a strict adherence to the law above all else, even to the point of death: ‘As she is mine, I may dispose of her†¦or to her death according to our law. ’ (1. 1. 3) Egeus commoditises his relationship with his daughter, as he considers her a possession to be controlled and exploited. Like Polonius who commands Ophelia to ‘set your entreatments at a higher rate’ (1. 3. 122), Egeus’s diction is replete with the language of commerce as he tries to trade his daughter: ‘and she is mine, and all my rights of her I do estate unto Demetrius. ’ (1. 1. 97) Hermia, however, embodies the Dionysian life philosophy, as she embraces passion and resists her father’s moralistic control: ‘My soul consents not to give sovereignty’ (1 . . 82) Unlike Ophelia who submits to her father’s demands and therefore breaks off her relationship with Hamlet, Hermia prioritises romance over filial duty as she spiritedly defies Athenian law: ‘Oh hell to choose love by another’s eyes’ (1. 1. 140) The conflicts that are engendered by love are complicated even further by the disparity between reality and illusion, which is a central theme in both plays. In both Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, eyes are used as a symbol of the merging of reality and that which seems to be reality ie.Illusion: ‘seems madam? Nay it is. I know not seems†¦no, nor the fruitful river in the eye, nor the dejected ‘haviour of the visage. ’ (1. 2. 75) The juxtaposition by Hamlet of his father, Old Hamlet, and Claudius invokes similar language with reference to the eye: ‘what devil was’t that thus has cozened you at hoodman-blind? / Eyes without feeling, feeling without eyes, /ears without hands or eyes’ (3. 4. 78). Shakespeare elects to convey the inherent tragic conflict in love by using the language of eyes: ‘Ha! Have you eyes?You cannot call it love. ’ (3. 4. 68)Here the Gertrude’s love for Claudius is presented through the eyes of Hamlet as being ‘stewed in corruption’ (3. 4. 95) and the maternal bonds between her and Hamlet cause her to regret her actions and fear for her spiritual health: ‘O Hamlet speak no more. Thou turnest mine eyes into my very soul / and there I see such black and grained spots. ’(3. 4. 89) In the final scene of the play, all characters must face their spiritual destiny in their death, showing how conflict in Hamlet results only in death.Conflict of reality and illusion is also symbolised through reference to the eye in AMND, as Puck pours the poison into Lysander and Demetrius’s eyes it is then that comic drama enters the scene as love’s object is subverted: Ã¢â‚¬Ë œMethinks I see things with parted eye’ (4. 1. 188) The illusion of the lovers exchanged allegiances is representative of the conflict that can result from reality being destabilized especially where love is concerned: ‘Have you not set Lysander, as in scorn/ to follow me, praise my eyes and face? ’ (3. 2. 23) Eventually, love is restored to the couples and Theseus bids that ‘these couples shall be eternally knit’ (4. 1. 180) and here illusion is replaced with reality which results in the marriage of the couples, in accordance with the comic convention. The significance of Puck’s last speech, which is spoken to the audience, is essential. Puck tells the audience that they should ‘think this and all is mended: that you have but slumbered here while these visions did appear; and this weak and idle theme no more yielding than a dream. Puck tells them to imagine that the entire play wasn’t real, so where in Hamlet reality wins out in the end, in AMND the art of illusion leaves the play on a cliff hanger and the audience must decide whether or not reality exists. This is all part of the comic convention. In conclusion, Shakespeare presents parallel conflicts in both plays, each resulting from conflicted relationships, but they are resolved in accordance with the two plays’ genres. He concludes all conflict in Hamlet with death and tragedy and all conflict in AMND with laughter and comedy.Elizabethan and modern day audiences would identify the conflict within Hamlet as the play's catalyst towards the catastrophic ending, whilst viewing the conflict within AMND with less seriousness, knowing hostility between characters will ultimately dissolve. Shakespeare appears to be using the themes within Hamlet, such as death and madness, to present conflict between people as an inevitable part of people's lives, whilst the farcical nature of the battles within AMND suggest conflict is fleeting and avoidable. ‘S o, good night unto you all. / Give me your hand if we be friends, and Robin shall restore amends. ’ (AMND 5. 1. 419)