Persuasive Essay - Original Writing - 1001 Words

I flipped the lights out behind me and headed for the door as I checked my purse for the keys. Shutting the door behind me I turned back around to lock the door and there it was again. That odd feeling like I wasnt alone. I started walking to my car staring at the street light above it thanking god that if anything did happen I would have a better chance of seeing what was going on compared to if it was all happening in the dark. I unlocked my car and got in making sure to lock the doors behind me. Pulling away from the curb I hear a slight humming, not sure if it’s the radio or something outside I turn the radio off trying to eliminate the possibility. Sure enough I was convinced I solved my curiosity. The drive home was the way it†¦show more content†¦Oddly enough only my mother would call my Zoey Lynn leaving off my last name for whatever reason. â€Å"Well what do I do? I mean should I open it?† I ask confusingly â€Å"I don’t see why you shouldn’t that is your name on it. Or don’t but Keith is coming over isn’t he?† Keith also known as my boyfriend of the past two years was due to come over anytime now. â€Å"Yeah he is still coming over. Hey Obs could you please take that box into my room ill just open it later† After I change clothes I notice the box which is now placed on the floor. Knowing it’s not from my mom because she lives 8 hours away. I sit down and tore away at the tape. Neatly inside is pink tissue paper, I fold it back to reveal a wooden box made of cherry wood with intricate writing on top. â€Å"Obs you need to see this!† I yell, she comes rushing into the room and stops and stares at the box. â€Å"What is the heck is that?† She reads the top of the box out loud â€Å"Too the one? One as in you being the one? One of what?† I laugh and shake my head â€Å"I have no idea?† The door opens making both of us jump. â€Å"Keith is that you?† Abree and I look at each other and start to get up from the ground. â€Å"yeah.† I let out a big breath and walk to the living room. Keith has his overnight bag on the couch, a stack of horror movies on the coffee table and 2 large pizzas. Abree and I stand waiting when Keith hollers inside he forgot to pick up the popcorn and would be back soon. I look at Abree and with out words we rushShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay - Original Writing1146 Words   |  5 Pagesthere was something to be said about coffee shops. or, rather, there was something to be said about the way they made taylor feel. the ambiance alone was enough to melt away at the ice in taylor’s life — the ice that’d been frozen for as long as she could remember — and allow her to, for just a moment, feel okay. wholeheartedly, totally okay. not broken. not damaged. not inadequate. totally, wonderfully okay. it was a joke, though: the idea that taylor could believe, even for a split second, thatRead MorePersuasive Essay - Original Writing889 Words   |  4 Pages‘Jesus that girl’s damn hard to please.’† Not to be left out, Frank changed the dialogue to, â€Å"One has to shit diamonds to please her.† What Kathy had sparked in their imaginative minds was the ability to transform trite text into something utterly original, but more import to these roles – youthful frivolity with a touch of cutting humor. She was more than convinced that Freddie and Frank would be ideal for these roles, and were confident enough by telling the parents of the boys that â€Å"I’m more thanRead MorePersuasive Essay - Original Writing2047 Words   |  9 Pagesanalyse three primary experimental features: third person stream of consciousness, contradiction delivering deeper meanings, and fluctuating pronouns. Accordingly, I will examine renowned literary, psychological, and cultural figures who influence my writing, while also situating my work within, but also developing, and challenging, broader frameworks. So, I pose the questions, what if contradictions don’t veil meaning, but actively enhance it? Is it possible to consciously change characterisation, contextRead MorePersuasive Essay - Original Writing2108 Words   |  9 Pages abby School was starting to bother Edward and Alice because eighth period was unpredictable. They couldn t see what Mrs. Rivers was planning, and it seemed Edward s ability to read Mrs. Rivers was shrinking every day. Alice was frustrated, but Edward encouraged her to keep trying, hoping she could make a little progress. Before dropping off Renesmee to her school, I told her that we would talk again about it after school today, and she looked happy as she walked off into school today. She sRead MoreHelping Student Use Textual Source Persuasively By Maragret Kantz948 Words   |  4 Pagesreasons for our students problems with writing persuasive researched papers. To understand how to teach students to write such papers, we also need a better understanding of the demands of synthesis tasks. Like most students like to state the facts given to us by published articles and not finding out the true facts of the research. In her research she introduced Shirley. A highly educated sophomore. She comes from an educated family with great reading and writing skills. Shirley wrote a research paperRead MoreEssay on An Individuals Reflection on Academic Writing 951 Words   |  4 PagesAnother Step of a Long Process: Studying English Academic writing is an art of expressing and transforming thoughts and ideas into physical form to deliver information logically and scientifically. This skill needs to be refined and practiced constantly regularly. After three months of taking ESL 273, I have accumulated various experiences in writing advanced sentences and organizing academic essays which are really necessary for me to perform well in the next English course, ESL 5, as wellRead MoreCritical Evaluation – Self-Reliance - Emerson Essay811 Words   |  4 PagesThe essay â€Å"Self-Reliance†, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, is a persuasive essay promoting the ways of transcendentalism. He uses this paper as a proponent to edify and advance a major point using a structure that helps his argument. In the paper, Emerson begins his concluding thoughts with a statement that greater self-reliance will bring a revolution, and then applies this idea to society and all of its aspects, including religion, education, and art. This brings Emerson to a new, more precise focus onRead MoreFree Papers1007 Words   |  5 PagesIf you are looking for free academic papers such as free essays, free term papers, free research papers, free dissertations, free book reports/book reviews, free essays, free speeches, there exists a chance of being accused of plagiarism. Free papers downloaded from essay databases and essay sites can be easily detected by plagiarism detection systems and sofwares. You can find a lot of resources and sites with databases of free sample papers and free example papers on any topic. You can use theseRead MoreFree Papers992 Words   |  4 PagesIf you are looking for free academic papers such as free essays, free term papers, free research papers, free dissertations, free book reports/book reviews, free essays, free speeches, there exists a chance of being accused of plagiarism. Free papers downloaded from essay databases and essay sites can be easily detected by plagiarism detec tion systems and sofwares. You can find a lot of resources and sites with databases of free sample papers and free example papers on any topic. You can use theseRead MoreThe Irony in â€Å"Bariatric Surgery: the Unspoken Truth† Essay1074 Words   |  5 PagesLeandro Fernandez Professor Elmore ENC 1102 2900498 February 5, 2012 The Irony in â€Å"Bariatric Surgery: The Unspoken Truth† In Escudero’s essay, â€Å"Bariatric Surgery: The Unspoken Truth,† he explores the risks and benefits of gastric bypass surgery. In this argumentative essay the author explains what the surgery is, what it does and how the different lifestyles of the patients change drastically in order to support their new body. Escudero mentions how before reaching a decision there should

Differences Between Multiracial And Single Race Development

Differences in Multiracial and Single-Race Development Lucas Tran Palm Beach State College Abstract The purpose of this paper was to look into the differences in development between those of a single ethnic background and those of multi-ethnic background. This paper goes on to glance at development in terms of the sociocultural theory and the ecological systems theory. It takes language development, the development of an identity, and the interactions with society in consideration when comparing biracial and monoracial peoples. At the end of this research period, it was found that those of multiple ethnic backgrounds had a general advantage in many different areas when compared to those of a single race. Differences in Multiracial and Single-Race Development The Multiracial population within America is a rather large and, in terms of psychology, under researched portion of the populace. According to the US census of 2000, which was the first of its kind to allow citizens to select and identify as more than one race, registered over 6.3 million biracial citizens (MULTIRACIAL PROFILE, n.d.). The rate at which this group expands is forecasted to rapidly increase as time goes on. Chong (2015) and Kuo (2015) state that â€Å"the number of multiracial births in the United States has increased by 260% since the 1970s, as compared with 15% for the number of monoracial births.† As the ratio between the monoracial population and the biracial populationShow MoreRelatedMulticultural Education : Issues And Perspectives1422 Words   |  6 PagesMcGee Banks states, Behavior is shaped by group norms ... the group equips individuals with the behavior patterns they need in order to adapt (2005,13). 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Because I was raised by a single mother who was raised in the Mexican culture, I was also raised in theRead MoreMulticultural Psychology Paper1094 Words   |  5 Pageshas been considered a fourth force in the field of psychology, supplementing behaviorism, psychodynamic theories, and humanistic psychology. It explores such topics as differences in worldviews and in means of communication; the acculturation process; stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination and racism; cultural identity development; and building multicultural competence (Fhagen-Smith, 2010). Multicultural psychology attempts to understand and to accurately represent the psychology of the many differentRead MoreFirewall Centers And History :1738 Words   |  7 PagesCenters and History: Firewall Centers is located in Davie, FL and serves the middle and high school student through Broward County. It is a nonprofit afterschool organization that provide low-income student with mentorship, tutoring and leadership development. 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However, between the age of 3 to 5 years old, children begin to develop

African Colonialism And Its Effects On Africa - 1669 Words

In the 1800’s countries were in search for land to expand their country into, this happened to many places including Africa. Colonialism was a time when countries took control of another land, which they then governed through direct or indirect rule depending on the country. During this time, Africa was most sought after due to its resources and its uninhabited land. Due to this, all colonial powers scrambled to get their hands on a piece of Africa in order to expand their areas of rule. As a result of the scramble for Africa the Berlin Conference was held. At this conference representatives from fourteen countries came together to divide up Africa’s land (Africans had no say in the matter, however). With colonial powers now in control, not everyone was pleased seeing as the governing country was only using them for natural resources and economic gain, which of course caused resistance with people refusing to assimilate to the colonial power. Eventually, anti-colonial m ovements sprung up and they did whatever they could to try and regain their right to self-rule. This ultimately led to boycotts, strikes, the formation of unions and political parties just to regain independence. Independence was a struggle that happened in many ways, such as violence and agreement as shown in Swaziland’s case. Swaziland has a particularly special story of colonialism, due to the fact that they started out just asking for some support. Swaziland s journey toward colonialism started in theShow MoreRelatedImapct of Colonialism on Africa889 Words   |  4 PagesIMPACT OF COLONIALISM ON AFRICA In this view of the circumstances that existed during history in regards to colonial Africa. I venture to examine how colonialism is viewed, introducing you to a variety of texts which expose you to different views and debates about what Africa may well have been like today, had the colonization never taken place. The African resistance to colonialism put another perspective on the colonization of Africa by the Europeans and the Western influence Africa faced. EachRead MoreAfrican Perspectives On Colonialism By Adu Boahen1138 Words   |  5 PagesBoffa History 108 Section G 4/23/15 â€Å"African Perspectives on Colonialism† is a book written by A. Adu Boahen. This book classifies the African responses to European colonialism in the 19th century. Boahen begins with the status of Africa in the last quarter of the 19th century and follows through the first years of African independence. This book deals with a twenty year time period between 1880 and 1900. Boahen talks about when Africa was seized and occupied by the Imperial Powers ofRead MoreInfluential Colonisation And Its Impact On Contemporary Africa1507 Words   |  7 PagesOutlined by this quote, that although in terms of times colonialism is a small section of African history, it has left an imprint throughout the continent. This essay will look at how influential colonisation is in contemporary Africa, there are two main groups of scholars who argue how influential colonialism was in Africa the first is outlined by Gann and Duigan and they hold the view that the colonial era was ‘ the most decisive for the future of Africa’. The alternative school of thought is held by BritishRead MoreAfrican Americans And The European System Of Africa1719 Words   |  7 Pagesconsidered Africa, as a continent that could not support itself since Africans were savages who were not able to prosper on their own. Because of this, life was not easy for Africans and their way of living was very mediocre. Africans’ weakness eventually became evident to the other nations of the world. The European system for instance, fortunately for them, decided to take control of Africa. This was a decision that benefited them financially as they exploited the richness that Africa enfolded.Read MoreColonization Of The Colonial System1473 Words   |  6 Pagescountry, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically. Between 1870 and 1900, Africa faced European imperialist aggression, diplomatic pressure, military invasion and eventual conquest and colonization and at the same time African societies put up various forms of resistance against the attempt to colonize their countries and impose foreign domination. However, by the early twentieth century, all Africa except Liberia and Ethiopia was seized and occupied by the European imperial powers ofRead MoreThe Colonialism Effect Of Africa1002 Words   |  5 PagesThe Colonialism Effect of Africa As the world races for its place in history, many continents excel on their mark on the map. It is because Africa was in the right place, but in a different time they were taken advantage of their glory. Although it is difficult for Africa to retrace and reclaim its memoirs, it has an origin that had existed before colonialism. The attempt of challenging modern history has desperately provided an economical realm that extracts and injects into Africa resources. Read MoreThe African Struggle Over Time1097 Words   |  5 Pages The African struggle over time has been a topic discussed by many scholars. In Walter Rodney’s, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, he approaches the issue of how Africa’s power was stolen from them. Rodney focuses on the relationship between Africa and Europe and the effects of exploitation on the African people by, â€Å"reinforcing the conclusion that African development is possible only on the basis of a radical break with the international capitalist system.† The tone in which the book is wroteRead MoreAbstract. The Research Examines The Social, Economic And1704 Words   |  7 Pagespolitical effect of colonialism in West Africa. A critical view of the activities carried in the study to explain the social, economic and political effect of colonialism, and a qualitative of the growth rate of the West Africa countries were examined. The study therefore concludes that colonialism greatly had an impact in the growth of the countries in the selected West Africa countries. 1.0 Introduction Our research study will focus more on the effect of colonialism in Western part Africa by examiningRead MoreColonialism in Africa911 Words   |  4 PagesCivilizations II Mr. Mitchell 10:00-10:50 (MWF) Colonialism in Africa Neither imperialism nor colonialism is a simple act of accumulation nor acquisition†¦ Out of imperialism, notions about culture were classified, reinforced, criticized or rejected† (BBC World Service). The nineteenth century saw massive changes in Africa. Some were driven by famine and disease (BBC World Service). Some changes were the result of the territorial ambitions of African rulers. As the century progressed alliances withRead MoreColonization of Africa1542 Words   |  7 Pagessubjected to colonialism have been faced with a number of impediments throughout the years which have hindered social and economic growth, and laid the foundation which bred cultural conflict. Colonialism, however, too bought Western civilization and all its attractions to underdeveloped countries during the process of colonialism. The following essay will highlight the effects of colonialism on the developing world from an economic, political and social perspective. The colonization of Africa has a

Symptoms And Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder - 1617 Words

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day task (National Institute of Mental Health 1). The behaviors are so extreme that most people cannot function at work, in family or social situations, or any relationship with some people. Sadly, some may even have suicidal thought. According to the National Institute of Health there are about 5.7 million adult that have this disorder, (1). The disorder seems eerie and has many people diagnosed. It is intended through the passage to have a more understanding on why a tragedy such as this disorder occurs in the human brain and what are some medications or†¦show more content†¦Bipolar can be present in mild condition even if these major symptoms are not present. People can have an emotion state known as hypomanic episode, the person experiencing may not feel any changes have a feel great, highly produc tive, and function well, but there family and friends can recognize the mood swings. There are other diagnosis besides the symptoms, doctors tend to do a physical exam to examine if any medical condition cause the symptoms. They may ask the patient about their thoughts, feelings, and behavioral pattern the process is called psychological examination, the patient has to fill psychological questionnaire and family member or close friend can have access to the information about behavior patterns. They can also have to conduct a mood chart that to have a daily record of mood, and sleep patterns and be able to understand if it is a pathway to be diagnosed for bipolar disorder. When a person is diagnose it is typically is people in their teenage and 20s. People are sadly â€Å"10 to 20 times more likely to commit suicide than people without bipolar disorder. Tragically, as many as 10% to 15% of people with bipolar disorder eventually lose their lives to suicide† (Bipolar Disorder H ealth Center 1). There are various forms of bipolar disorder. They consist of bipolar disorder 1, the main symptoms are depression and manic that is previously mentioned in the being of the passage. In bipolar 2 is a milder version of mood

Building Codes for the Fire Services Free Essays

In the recent Charleston, South Carolina furniture warehouse fire, nine firefighters perished apparently by compromised and structural collapse of the building’s roof. Every year, fire related accidents caused by building collapse; flashover and deadly smoke have been the leading causes of injuries or deaths of firefighters all over the United States (Dunn, 2007). Most tragic was the World Trade Center Twin Towers’ collapse where 343 members of the Fire Department City of New York (FDNY) perished died fifty-six minutes after the attacks (Fema’s US Fire Administration, 2002). We will write a custom essay sample on Building Codes for the Fire Services or any similar topic only for you Order Now The building officials, fire department, architects and engineers did not anticipate that such an attack could happen in American soil. In the light of these developments, the public called for a review of all existing building and fire codes in the country. Dunn (2007) enumerated three most deadly situations in firefighting history where the ten-year study of the National Fire Protection Association indicated them as the main causes of injuries and fatalities of firefighters. They are collapse, flame spread and smoke. â€Å"The most common types of collapse that have injured and killed many in the line of duty were floor collapse, roof collapse, wall collapse and ceiling collapse† (Dunn 2007). It is imperative that firefighters have the basic knowledge on the behavior of buildings while being engulfed in flames. What they know could save their lives when they take the risk of controlling the situation. It is also important to look back at previous strategies on how buildings were deemed â€Å"fire proofed† and considered safe at all times. To avoid a repeat of the tragic incidents, regulatory bodies, engineers, the academe and other professionals pit their wits and talents to ensure building safety standards are met. It is undeniable that some of the codes have become obsolete with the introduction of new building construction technologies. The Need to Overhaul Existing Codes Traditionally, the safety of buildings has been regulated by codes all over the country. Since the 1800’s the safety of buildings had been mandated by these codes and they include the use of â€Å"fire resistive materials, compartmentation features, and later, installation of automatic sprinkler systems and automatic fire alarm systems. † (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 619). All of these prescriptions were intended to ensure building safety even in the event of a fire. These also purported to make tall buildings safer. These had worked well under hazardous circumstances but were tested when the 9/11 attacks occurred. Codes across the United States are also moving towards performance measures in addition to the time-tested prescriptions of the codes (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 619). In New York City, for example, Mayor Bloomberg called for a review of the existing codes that had been in force since 1968 to conform to contemporary needs. New York has four construction codes namely the Building Code, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes (New New York City Construction Codes, n. d. , p. 1). The City government was caught flatfooted with an outdated construction code when the 9/11 attacks struck. The amendments to the code include the adoption of the International Building Code (IBC) format, placing safety as a priority and preserving some elements of the existing codes while enhancing the â€Å"requirements for fire protection, construction safety, and structural integrity requirements for new buildings. † (New New York City Construction Codes, n. d. , p. 1) Moore (n. d. ) defined building codes as â€Å"extratechnological laws that govern the design and construction of structures. † (p. 262). The codes follow the dictates social and ethical mores where the protection of life and property is a priority. It also traces its roots in the Hammurabi code where a builder was held responsible for a collapsed house that killed its occupants and applying the lex talionis principle of justice (p. 262). Codes also had grown out of the necessity to adhere to insurance regulations. Protection goals include all the contents of a building or warehouse that were insured. Failure to mitigate the risk like loss to fire would mean economic repercussions for the community or state (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 625). Code prescriptions until the 1940’s prescribed a fire resistive building as steel framed or buildings that had â€Å"skeletal framework of steel columns and beams which supported the actual weight of the structure and its contents. † (Portolan, n. d. ) The structural elements were fireproofed or encased in concrete or tile (Portolan, n. d. ) In the 1920’s, the codes also regulated the heights of buildings where height limitations had a direct relationship to the construction methods employed (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 626). Each state though had its interpretation and regulations concerning construction practices. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) proposed a performance based approach to tall building designs with the hope the building designs and construction methodologies respond to the need for safer buildings. The NFPA outlined six goals to performance based building design. They include: Life Safety of Building Occupants; Property/Contents Protection; Mission Continuity; Environmental Consequence of Fire; Heritage/Cultural Preservation; and Fire Suppression Personnel Safety (Solomon and Hagglund, 2001, p. 632). However, not all directives and codes today follow the suggestions of NFPA. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) developed their standards specifically aimed at protecting both firefighters and civilians from fire-related injuries. Some of the standards relevant to the construction industry include NFPA 5000 (Building Construction and Safety Code); â€Å"NFPA 13 (Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems); NFPA 501 (Standard on Manufactured Housing) (NIOSH, 2005, p. 3). According to NIOSH (2005)†, while there are existing standard tests like ANSI (American National Standards Institute) or ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) that govern the safety measures in building materials and construction methodologies, these do not take into consideration real situations involving actual conflagrations and how fires would impact on the structural integrity of the structures (p. 4). NIOSH (2005) also pointed out that existing building codes enforced in various states were not designed specifically to protect firefighters. The design focus was on evacuation procedures and how occupants in the building could escape to safety once an unfortunate event occurred (p. 4). With the new reality that unfolded post-9/11, existing building codes must be reviewed for and in consideration of the risks involved when disasters strike. Basic Knowledge on Structural Behaviors of Buildings According to Portolan (n. d. (b)), there are five elements of a building that the firefighters need to consider when evaluating how buildings will behave in case of fire and which strategies to use to contain the problem. They include: the type of construction, size of the building, age of the construction, renovation and occupancy. These are essential information that firefighters can use to plan their course of actions. In addition, knowledge on the behavior of the different structural elements of the building is also imperative. Structural loading creates different stresses on the structures and they may occur separately or in combination. The stresses include compression, tensile and shear stresses (Portolan, n. d (b). ). Compression acts when materials are pressed against each other. Tensile stresses happen when the structural elements are pulled in two different directions. Shear stresses cause materials to fracture and slide across the defect in the opposite direction (Portolan, n. d (b). ). Structural elements of the building are subjected to different loads. Columns are commonly subjected to axial loads. Eccentric loads are directed along a parallel axis to the longitudinal section of the structural member and are off-centered. Torsion loads can cause twisting in the structural elements (Portolan, n. d (b). ) Aside from the stresses, the firefighters also need to consider which part of the structures are vulnerable or the structural integrity had been compromised because of the fire. When steel beams are subjected to unusually high temperature, the structural member may expand and elongate. If both ends are tightly secured, torsion stresses may cause twisting in beams (Portolan, n. d. (b)). Columns carry the greatest axial loads. The more slender the column, the more it is susceptible to buckling. When axial loads shift to eccentric or torsion loads, it could also be a cause of failure (Portolan, n. d. (b)). About 60% of the buildings in the United States use the truss system for roofs (NIOSH, 2005, p. 1). Most of the truss systems were made of wood materials. Recent innovation introduced lighter construction materials for truss systems including steel and lighter weight materials intended to accommodate wider spans. Under normal conditions, these engineered materials may perform well. However, when fire occurs, they may be weakened and compromised causing the collapse of roof and floor systems (p. 1). Types of Building Collapses Due to Fire Collapse patterns are different for each element of the building. Walls often collapse in a 90-degree angle. These walls are often constructed using reinforced masonry. Curtain wall collapse occurs when the outer veneer becomes disconnected and they fall straight down to the base of the wall. This type of collapse is also exhibited by unreinforced walls. Inward or outward collapse may also occur if the wall is breached or at areas where it is considerably weaker like door or window openings (Portolan, n. d. (b)). Truss systems of roof and floor often cave-in as their structural integrities were affected by conflagration. Steel trusses are also susceptible to expansion and torsion stresses. Often, firefighters used visual indicators to predict an impending collapse. But these were not enough to prevent accidents from happening. NIOSH (2005) listed three conditions where truss collapse occurs. First, when a firefighter works on the roof top of the burning building, chances of a cave-in is extremely high because the hidden structural members of the truss system had already been subjected to extreme temperatures thereby weakening them. Second, firefighters working inside the burning structure are also subjected to the risk of the entire roof falling onto them. Finally, failed truss systems can precipitate other parts of the structure to collapse like walls (p. 4). Another type of collapse usually found in tall structures is referred to as progressive collapse. Nair (2004) defined progressive collapse as â€Å"collapse of all or a large part of a structure precipitated by failure or damage of a relatively small part of it. † (p. 1) This theory was used in part to explain why the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York collapsed. Conclusion Knowing how structural members behave during fire would mitigate the risk factors and prevent injuries and deaths. Part of the training of firefighters is knowing how to evaluate the condition of the burning edifice before going in and making a plan of action. The different studies on the behavior of buildings on fire proved to be valuable to firefighters. The recent events had also made regulating bodies review their out-dated Codes. Existing building codes do not include the protection of firefighters in the event of fire. The NFPA and the IBC remedied that deficiency. However, code changes were also met with opposition. Building codes were primarily implemented with economic considerations in mind. It would prove to be more costly for the building owner if NFPA or IBC was followed. According to Gips (2005), of the various proposals for change in the Codes, only one was acceptable and included in the IBC. It concerned the fire-resistance ratings of buildings of 420 feet or higher. The new code required a â€Å"minimum three-hour structural fire-resistance rating, whether sprinklers are present or not. † (p. 42+). Other provisions that would make it safer for both firefighters and occupants need more work. References Dunn, V. (2007). Dunn’s Dispatch: 9 firefighters die fighting fire in South Carolina furniture storeroom fire. Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://cms. firehouse. com/content/article/article. jsp? sectionId=14id=55205 FEMA’s US Fire Administration (2002). USA releases preliminary firefighter fatality statistics for 2001. Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://mcftoa. org/Deathstats1. htm Gips, M. A. (2005, March). The Challenge of Making Safer Structures: Three and a Half Years after 9-11, Building Codes Are Just Starting to Reflect Lessons Learned from the World Trade Center Collapse. Security Management, 49, 42+. Retrieved June 27, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5008988697 Moore, S. A. (n. d. ) Building Codes in Encyclopedia of Science, Technology and Ethics, 262-266 Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://soa. utexas. edu/faculty/moore/selectpub/enc_buildingcodes. pdf Nair, R. S. (2004) Progressive collapse basics. Retrieved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. aisc. org/Content/ContentGroups/Documents/Selected_Nair/nairhotlink2. pdf New New York City Construction Codes (n. d. ) Retrieved 26 June 2007 from: http://nyc. gov/html/dob/downloads/pdf/cons_code_faqs. pdf NIOSH (2005) Preventing injuries or deaths of firefighters due to truss system failures. Retrieved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. cdc. gov/niosh/docs/2005-132/pdfs/2005-132. pdf Portolan, C. (n. d. ) Building Construction –Special situations Retrieved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. lbfdtraining. com/Pages/buildingconstruction/specialsituations. html Portolan, C. (n. d. (b)) Glossary of building construction terminology Retrieved 27 June 2007 from: http://www. lbfdtraining. com/Pages/buildingconstruction/bconstructintro. html Solomon, R. E. and Hagglund, B. (2001) Performance code requirements in the tall building environment in Tall buildings and urban habitat: Cities in the third millennium. Council On Tall Buildings And Urban Habitat – orgname. New York: Spon Press, 619-634. How to cite Building Codes for the Fire Services, Papers

Plagiarism in Online Education free essay sample

These days, with all of the information that is readily available on the internet, and many students opting to obtain education from online colleges and universities, the prevalence of plagiarism is on the rise. In a 2005 study conducted by the Center for Academic Integrity (www. academicintegrity. org), it was concluded that 40% of the 50,000 undergraduates asked admitted to having plagiarized from the internet. This is a very large jump over a span of six years, from only 10% in 1999 (Badke, 2007). It is becoming clear that educators, as well as students, need to become more familiar with what plagiarism is, what constitutes it, and how it can be avoided in order to ensure students are getting the most out of their online learning experience. Plagiarism is committed when someone takes the words or ideas of another and passes them off as his own. It is, essentially, intellectual stealing, and is not only ethically wrong, but prohibited by all educational establishments. Many people commit plagiarism without even realizing it. They may follow all the rules, paraphrasing, summarizing, etc. , but not properly cite the source where the idea was derived. Unfortunately, ignorance is not an acceptable defense. It is the same, for example, as being pulled over for driving 65 mph and telling the officer you did not know the speed limit was 35. The officer will most likely still issue a citation for speeding. Likewise, innocently taking credit for the work of another is plagiarism all the same (Alsaffar, 2006). More commonly, plagiarism is committed knowingly by the student and as a result of sheer laziness. In the vast world of the internet, information abounds for online students, as does the opportunity to reproduce, distribute and even share papers and projects. Students often find the desired information on the web, then cut and paste it into emails, class forums and assignments. Term paper websites are also out there, as well, advertising A+ papers for sale for a nominal fee per page (Villano, 2006). Plagiarism is not only prohibited, but hurtful to students for a variety of reasons. First of all, it violates federal copyright laws. Many students are blissfully unaware that information found on the web is, by default, copyrighted the moment it is put into a fixed format. What this means, is that any information on a publicly-accessible website is just as protected as an article found in an academic journal, and should be treated as such and cited appropriately. In the light of recent lawsuits against students infringing on the copyrighted material of record companies and movie studios, it is in the individual’s best interest to always give credit where credit is due. This should not, however, discourage students from taking full advantage of all of the information that is out there. Copyright laws were intended to promote the expansion of education and the enrichment of the population, while protecting the origination and originator of the words and ideas (Alsaffar, 2006). Plagiarism is also damaging to the students who commit it, as well as to the students who take the time to research and complete their own work. A student who is lazy and does not put in the full effort, is only hurting himself in the long run, because he is not thinking on his own and taking away the intended education from the assignment. On the other side of the spectrum, the student who puts in an honest effort and submits an original paper may receive a lower score than she actually deserves. This is often the case if plagiarism goes undetected and raises the bar for all others to receive an A on the paper. Legitimate work may seem inferior when compared to a paper that has sampled the ideas of more advanced and sophisticated authors (Villano, 2006) When considering the effects of plagiarism and copyright in an online environment, students need to proceed with caution. In an article titled, â€Å"Copyright Concerns in Online Education: What Students Need to Know, â€Å" Jackie Alsaffar says it best: â€Å"Engagement with the content of a course is what higher education is all about, is at the heart of an intellectual life, and is an objective of every course taught, whether face-to-face or online. Yet far from being an abstract concept in the online course, copyright is an integral part of the online operation. † Nearly everything that is read, observed, watched, listened to or written by the student in an online class is protected by copyright. It is for this reason that students enrolled in online colleges and universities need to be educated in ways to avoid plagiarism, not only to protect themselves from the possibility of copyright infringement, but to guarantee they are facilitating the learning process and receiving the knowledge from the course that is intended (Alsaffar, 2006). But what can be done to stem the rising tide of plagiarism? Teachers have been losing a technological war with their students over plagiarism for many years. Since the times when term papers and other assignments were written by hand, students have been willing to present work completed by other people as their own. Today with a greater array of tools available to students the plagiarism problem has exploded (Auer, 2001). From the simple cutting-and-pasting from un-cited sources to the use of searchable collections of term papers available for purchase, students have a huge selection of information and techniques that make it easier for them to commit plagiarism (Auer, 2001). However, teachers and educators are now starting to use the same technology to combat plagiarism. Software companies have heard the cry of teachers and have developed plagiarism detection software programs. Detection software products use various methods to accomplish and analyze papers written by students. The processes used by these programs include text matching, indexed sources, and style analysis of content (Kennedy, 2006). Each of the methods used to detect plagiarism has advantages and disadvantages. However, all are similar in that they attempt to detect plagiarism after it has been committed (Kennedy, 2006). Text matching software searches the internet looking for matches in words with indexed sources (Kennedy, 2006). Style analysis looks at the style in which a paper is written and then compares that style with work available on the internet (Kennedy, 2006). Both of these methods also compare phrases to help detect plagiarism (Kennedy, 2006). Detection technology based on matching text and style analysis from previous papers written by other student and the Internet has inherent limitations and does not always work (Johnson, Patton, Bimber, Almeroth, Michaels, 2004). There are many reasons why detection software may not work. There are three reasons that are the most common as to why plagiarism is not detected. The first reason is the web sources cited may have been removed from the internet between the time it was cited in the paper and when the paper was checked (Kennedy, 2006). The second reason is there is no set image of the web. This means the web is ever changing and the software can lag behind the current state of the Internet. It is possible that a web source cited in a paper is a new addition to the web or is located in a newly developed section of the web (Kennedy, 2006). The third reason for failure is the software does not have access to all subscription web sites that contain sources of information on the web (Kennedy, 2006). In reality, only a small fraction of total Internet content can be analyzed by the plagiarism software (Kennedy, 2006). There is some detection software that can enter a limited number of subscription sites. However, these sites are few and far between. Most sites including such as Lexis-Nexis, EBSCO, Swets, and others do not allow access into their databases by detection software (Auer, 2001). Some educators and teachers find another problem with plagiarism detecting software. They feel that text matching technology does not help differentiate between the inadvertent act of plagiarism and from the intentional plagiarist (Johnson, Patton, Bimber, Almeroth, Michaels, 2004). The software cannot provide the teacher with any insights as to the intent of the student. Some teacher feel that this will lead to an atmosphere of guilty until proven innocent where students are forced to prove their innocence and that they did not commit plagiarism (Auer, 2001). Teachers still feel there is a place for plagiarism detecting software. Having the ability to compare student’s papers with plagiarism detecting software is an iatrical part of a prevention program when coupled with punishment. The punishment of students that commit plagiarism serves two purposes. One it punishes the student that violate the rules and it deters other students from committing the same behavior (Johnson, Patton, Bimber, Almeroth, Michaels, 2004). The best way to deter students from committing plagiarism is to publicize the fact that student’s work will be checked for plagiarism with plagiarism detecting software and students found cheating will be punished (Johnson, Patton, Bimber, Almeroth, Michaels, 2004). If students are completely unaware that detection software is being used and punishment of plagiarist will occur, there will be little or no deterrent to students from participating in this type of dishonesty (Johnson, Patton, Bimber, Almeroth, Michaels, 2004). On the other hand, where deterrence is prevalent and it is known that the students work will be checked, little or no punishment may occur. Plagiarism has become an ever increasing problem since the introduction of the World Wide Web and online research. Teachers and educators can sit back and do nothing or they can take a stand to combat the problem. Teachers can use all the technology available to prevent and detect plagiarism. Educational institutions can publicize the fact that work submitted by student will be checked with plagiarism detecting software and violators will be punished. However, the only true prevention is ethics. Student’s ethics and academic integrity must be taught at an early age to instill these values in students (Kennedy, 2006). Teachers and educators all agree that the best way to avoid plagiarism is to create an atmosphere in which it is unlikely to occur. It is important for parents, teachers, and the academic institutions to promote academic integrity and student ethics (Kennedy, 2006). Without ethics and integrity today’s students will continue to commit cut and paste plagiarism.

Election Systems free essay sample

An analysis of the presidential election systems of America and France. This paper compares two recent presidential election campaigns and victories Bush in the U.S. and Le Pen in France. It examines the electoral system and how a majority is calculated in each of these countries. The paper also questions which of these systems is the fairest. These assessments are based on the recent presidential elections in France and America. Political organization is dependent on the leader of a country. However, he too is dependent on the popularity he gains through election. Modern day election is no longer a structure of simple popularity and what people believe but instead, most elections has become a ground for political propaganda. For instance in the U.S. elections, the federal controls the standard of the election to ensure there is no unfair voting strategies. However, the question arises who would govern the Fed themselves? How will the public know that the ruling party does not influence the controlling body. We will write a custom essay sample on Election Systems or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Similar notions / questions could be raised in the case of French election procedures, a nation that is marked by socialist and republic governance suddenly changed to democracy.