Mars chocolate supply chain process Essay Example for Free

Mars chocolate supply chain process Essay The chocolate supply chain involves everyone who plays a part in producing chocolate,from local governments to international certification organizations and multi-national manufacturers. To achieve sucess, all of these players must collaborate effectively and prioritize farmer benefit at origin over competitive advantage. By putting farmers first and training them , Mars is aiming to strengthen its supply chain as a whole and to move towards a more sustainable cocoa economy. Most of the cocoa imported by MARS is grown by individual cocoa farmers and their families on plots smaller than five acres (two hectares) in rural parts of West Africa, Asia and the America. Local buyers in these countries collect cocoa beans from many farmers, either after harvest or after they have been dried or fermented. Exporters then buy cocoa beans from a network of the local buyers and prepare them for international shipping and processing to Mars factories . The exporter can be a local marketing company, a global commodity trader, an international agricultural business, a cocoa processor or a government In Africa, Mars has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ivorian government for long-term collaboration and investment in cocoa. It is also working closely with the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), the Brazilian National Research Center (CEPLAC) and the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture to obtain better quality for chocolate manufacturing. Mars is the first global chocolate company to commit to sourcing all of their cocoa from certified sources by 2020. In 2011, they purchased 10% of their cocoa from certified sources, and in 2012 exceeded it to 20 percent and become the world’s largest user of certified cocoa. They currently buy cocoa certified by the Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified and Fairtrade. While consumer choices determine demand throughout the cocoa market, it is the manufacturer that meets this demand directly and so sets standards that affect the whole supply chain. Having such an influential role means manufacturers have a duty to ensure that the supply chain supporting their products operates in a responsible and sustainable way. Although Mars cannot have direct relationships with every individual farmer, by choosing to use certified cocoa in their products, the company aims to enable industry-wide improvements in productivity, incomes and sustainability. When the cocoa beans arrive at the factory they are processed into the cocoa products that can be used in manufacturing chocolate. These include cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and cocoa powder. Most processing occurs away from the countries where cocoa is grown because it is more efficient to process and manufacture the products close to where they will be consumed.. What happens during processing has a direct effect on the flavor and qualities of the resulting chocolate. The taste and texture of a particular chocolate product depends on the each recipie , which remains a guarded secret of the company. Mars uses different types and proportions of cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and other ingredients such as milk and sugar to make their products consistent with the brand. They use a mix of beet and cane sugar in our chocolate and confectionery products and source most of it within the region in which it will be used. For several years, they have worked closely with direct suppliers to ensure our sugar is responsibly sourced, while maintaining the highest levels of quality . They need a consistent and high-quality supply of peanuts for some of our most popular products, including SNICKERSÂ ® and MM’SÂ ®. Jointly funding the U. S. Peanut Resources and Efficiency Measures Report conducted by the independent research firm IHS Global Insight, which found major potential improvements in farming practices among U. S. peanut farmers as they are its major suppliers . Dairy ingredients are a critical component of many of our milk chocolate and caramel brands . These are obtained by collaborating with other consumer brand companies and suppliers throughout the local markets that comply with the companys supplier code of conduct . The finished chocolate product is then packaged. The packaging is made in the factory usuing materials such as metal , paper and plastics which is purchased locally. Their strategy is to reduce, recycle and rethink our packaging. This is not easy, as alternative materials that appear more sustainable in one respect often have a greater impact elsewhere. They use lifecycle assessment to ensure that they do not make progress in one area, only to undermine it somewhere else . For packaging they also work with suppliers, universities, other industries and expert partners to share learning and innovation. In Australia, Wrigley committed to the National Packaging Covenant in 2005, and has signed the updated Australian Packaging Covenant . The finished product is via the company owned transport local distributors. The distributors can be individuals , a private enterprise or the government which transport the chocolate to local stores and marts and also to exporters of the finished products . As one of the leading food manufacturers in the world, Mars has a significant international presence in more than 73 countries.

The Term Comparative Advertising Marketing Essay

The Term Comparative Advertising Marketing Essay In the liberalized Indian economy, as entry into production and services is no more a barrier, the thrust of competition has shifted to aggressive and vigorous promotion of products and services. These practices raise questions about truthfulness and fairness of representation of products and services. In a competitive environment, every representation of a product or service, is about what others are not. In this sense, a study of evolution of law on comparative representation can give us insights in the working of law and business in the liberalized-globalised economy. The question is not be whether a consumer has adequate remedies and protection against such unfair trade practices of a corporation but whether the warring corporations have adequate law against unfair trade practices, and a justice delivery system to have some rules of the game for competing among themselves  [1]  . The term comparative advertising refers to any form of advertising in which a trademark owner attempts to enjoy pecuniary benefits from a comparison between his product, service, or brand and that of a competitor. Comparative claims may vary in nature. They may explicitly name a competitor or implicitly refer to him. They may either emphasize the similarities or the differences between the products. They may also state that the advertised product is better than or as good as the competitors  [2]  . In simple words; comparative advertising is a form of advertising in which two or more brands of same generic products are compared in terms of one or more products or attributes. These advertisements are designed to highlight the advantages of the goods and services offered by the advertiser as compared to those of a competitor. Although, comparative advertisement has not been defined in the Indian statute, the UK Regulations define it as an advertisement which explicitly or by implic ation, identifies a competitor or goods or services offered by a competitor   [3]  . Comparative Advertising is also used in political campaigns, where it generates more counterarguments and fewer source derogations than negative political advertising does. This result may be due to the different styles of information processing that the two types of messages encourage. However, consumers exposed to negative political messages find them less useful for decision making and have more negative attitudes towards political campaigns than do consumers exposed to political advertising.  [4]   A survey of advertisements conducted in US reveals that there are three categories into which all advertisements fall  [5]  : 1. Non comparative advertisements that do not refer to a competing product either directly or indirectly. 2. Indirectly comparative advertisements that refers to a competing product in an indirect manner. 3.Directly comparative advertisements in which a competing product is specifically named or recognizably presented. Advertising falling into the last two categories could be referred to as comparative advertising. while in some countries one or both kinds of comparative advertisements are allowed, some countries do not allow either of the two kinds. Accordingly, the well known tag line in the UK(which allows both forms of comparative advertising with certain restrictions) in the advertisements for Carlsberg lager-Probably the best lager in the world, cannot be used in Germany(which does not allow comparative advertisement at all), as it would lead to an implication that all other lager are inferior to Carlsberg, thereby falling into the category of indirectly comparative advertisements.  [6]   Comparative advertising generally possesses two components, puffery and denigration. Puffery is where the advertiser seeks to draw the consumers attention by making superlative claims about his product that are assertions of opinion, rather than verifiable statements of fact. Often puffery crosses the limits of tolerance and seeks to portray the competing product in a negative light. The same is then said to amount to denigration, which the courts have strictly prohibited. Thus, the material question that often arises is to what extent comparative advertising may be restricted. The answer lies in developing a clear understanding of the conflicting interests of the various stakeholders involved, including the advertiser, the competitor and the consumer. The advertisers objective herein is to present his products in a manner such that the consumer is most likely to purchase it. On the other hand the competitor would always try to prevent any advertising that aims at denigrating his pro duct or makes false claims, or uses his product as a standard which the advertiser claims to exceed. The hapless consumer finds himself in the midst of a cacophony of claims, and has the right to be accurately informed about the quality or utility of the products available in the market.  [7]   STATUTORY PROVISION IN INDIA- The onus of regulating advertising in India has been assumed by a wide array of governmental authorities and tribunals, but presently there exists no dedicated statutory mechanism to regulate the dissemination of untruthful or disparaging material through such medium  [8]  . Primarily, matters related to untrue and misleading advertising were adjudicated upon by the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) Commission, constituted under the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 (MRTP Act). The Act defined an unfair trade practice under section 36A to include any false representation of goods with regard to their quality, quantity or utility. The provision also incorporated the clause that a warranty or guarantee of performance or durability of the product, if not adequately substantiated, would amount to an unfair trade practice  [9]  . Further, to advertise a false or misleading fact disparaging the goods, services or trade of another person too was br ought within the ambit of the same  [10]  . However, the MRTP Act was subsequently repealed by virtue of section 66 of the Competition Act, 2002. The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission, with reference to intensifying competition in the post-liberalised India, was describing a case before it as another legal battle between two multinational corporate giants making this Commission as a battlefield for the purpose  [11]  . The Trade Marks Act provides that a registered trademark is infringed by any advertising of that trade mark if such advertising takes unfair advantage and is contrary to honest practices in industrial or commercial matters, is detrimental to its distinctive character, or is against the reputation of the trade mark  [12]  . Section 30(1) of the same act provides an exception to the above rule stating that such advertisement would not amount to infringement if the use of such mark falls within purview of honest practices. This implies that honest practices are mandatory for comparative advertising without which it would amount to trademark infringement In the absence of an established statutory mechanism dedicated to the regulation of advertising, the industry itself has sought to develop a model for voluntary self-regulation in the form of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)  [13]  . The same is a non-statutory tribunal comprising an association of advertisers established in 1985. The ASCI position on the form and manner of comparative advertising has been laid out in Chapter IV of the bodys Code for Self Regulation in Advertising  [14]  . It is stated herein that advertisements containing comparisons with competing manufacturers and sellers are permissible in the interests of vigorous competition and free dissemination of information, subject to the following requirements being satisfied: a) It is clear what aspects of the advertisers product are being compared with what aspects of the competitors product. (b) The subject matter of comparison is not chosen in such a way as to confer an artificial advantage upon the advertiser or so as to suggest that a better bargain is offered than is truly the case. (c) The comparisons are factual, accurate and capable of substantiation. (d) There is no likelihood of the consumer being misled as a result of the comparison, whether about the product advertised or that with which it is compared. (e) The advertisement does not unfairly denigrate, attack or discredit other products, advertisers or advertisements, directly or by implication.  [15]   COMPARATIVE ADVERTISEMENT AND TRADEMARK INFRINGMENT In an era where the whole world is considered as one global village, trademarks play an important role to distinguish the products of one business house from another. Trademark can be defined as a mark or symbol which distinguishes one product from other product of similar nature  [16]  . Its aim is to identify the source of a product and to distinguish that product from product of similar nature. It lends individuality to a product which helps the customers to identify the product placed with products of similar kinds. Trade mark not only identifies the product of its origin but it also guaranties its unchanged quality and further helps to build a brand image by advertises the products. In a rat race to present their products as the best, companies adopt advertising techniques that make use of trademarks, trade names, and other trade symbols combining informational and persuasive elements. Not only has the use of their own trademark gained popularity also the use of their counte rparts trade mark is fast catching up. In Advertising and Public Interest  [17]  , Ralph Brown argues that trademarks by themselves were worthless to the public; the publics interest inhered in the ability of trade symbol to inform and prevent confusion. He further asserts that the legal protection surrounding trade mark should be driven by analysis of the degree to which advertising itself served public interest. The law on comparative advertising and product disparagement, in relation to trademarks, in India, is based upon the law as laid down in Irvings Yeast Vite Ltd v FA Horse-nail  [18]  . Section 29(8) of The Trademarks Act, 1999 enunciates situations, when the use of a trademark in advertising can constitute infringement. It says that any advertising which is not in accordance with honest practices; or is detrimental to the distinctive character, or to the repute of the mark, shall be an act constituting infringement. At the same time Section 30 (1) makes comparative advertising an exception, to acts constituting infringement under Section 29. It provides that any advertising which is in accordance with honest practices, and does not cause detriment to the distinctive character or to the repute of the trademark will be permissible and will not constitute infringement. CONSTITUTIONAL VIEW- Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution of India protects the right to freedom of speech and expression. It is very important for us to analyze article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution in relation to comparative advertising. The freedom of speech and expression also has limitations but the same is restricted by imposing reasonable restrictions by the state under article 19 (2) of the Constitution  [19]  . Now the question is that whether the commercial speech can be protected under article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution. In the case of Tata Press Ltd. vs Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd.  [20]  , the Supreme Court held that commercial speech cannot be denied the protection of Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution merely because the same is issued by businessmen. Court took a very wide interpretation of the Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution Supreme Court held that advertising as a commercial speech has two facets. Advertising which is no more than a commercial transaction is, no netheless, dissemination of information regarding the product advertised. Public at large is benefited by the information made available through the advertisement. In a democratic economy, free flow of commercial information is indispensable. There cannot be honest and economical marketing by the public at large without being educated by the information disseminated through advertisements. The economic system in a democracy would be handicapped without there being freedom of commercial speech. Supreme Court also stated that the public at large has a right to receive the commercial speech. Article 19(1) (a) not only guarantees freedom of speech and expression; it also protects the rights of an individual to listen, read, and receive the said speech. So the Supreme Court held that a party has a right to advertise its product making commendation about its quality. Advertisement being a commercial speech which is a part of the freedom of speech is guaranteed under article 19(1). (a) of the Constitution and it can also be restricted under Article 19 (2) if it fulfils its elements. Court was of the view that publicity and advertisement of ones product with purpose of boosting sales is a legitimate marketing strategy. Court has laid down various principles in deciding about the extent of comparative advertisement. Comparative advertising must compare products meeting the same needs or intended for the same purpose. Comparative advertising should explicitly or implicitly make clear what comparison is made. A case of disparagement arises only if product in question is identifiable. Comparison with another or ordinary product that does not allude to particular brand, cannot give rise to disparagement. For disparagement, a direct reference to competitive brand is not necessary. Even an indirect referencing that can identify a particular brand may lead to a case of disparagement. Comparative advertising should not mislead consumers about competitors product with which comparison is made. A manufacturer is entitled to make exaggerations like his goods are the best, or in puffing manner compare his goods with competitors, and the same even if untrue, will not give a clause of action to other manufacturers of similar product, unless in doing so the manufacturer says that his competitors goods are bad, or disparages and defame them. This makes clear that freedom of speech and expression does not permit defamation and it would be a little far-fetched to say that an advertiser has the liberty to disparage the product of his competitor without any check, under the grab of freedom of speech. The irony remains, that although it is one thing to say that your product is better than that of a rival and it is another thing to say that his product is inferior to your product, still while asserting the latter, the hidden message may be the former, but that is inevitable in the case of a comparison. While comparing two products, the advertised product will, but naturally, have to be shown as better.  [21]   Comparative Advertising-Consumers Perspective Comparative Advertising if seen in a consumer perspective it tells the difference between two goods in the market and tell the consumer why he should opt for the advertisers product.  [22]   One of the most effective methods for advertising a product is to compare it with competitive offerings. Side-by-side or A-B comparisons can provide prospective customers with compelling reasons to buy from the company. They can also help build credibility for its product. Subconsciously, the prospective customer says: Who would risk making a direct comparison if they didnt have something truly superior? Johnson and Johnson found this out the hard way when Proctor and Gamble introduced Whisper with a direct comparison of the various features that were new in their product as opposed to Carefree without once naming Carefree directly.  [23]   The comparison of goods and services provides more information and thus educates consumers in taking a better decision. The advertisers in India generally compare the prices that cater to the status appeal of the maximum populations as 30% of Indians live under the category of middle class which is the most growing consumer market and they are also benefitted with the comparative advertisements. From the research done in India and abroad regarding the consumer reactions to the comparative advertising, it is clear that it helps in informing customers on the comparative features of two competitive brands. It is an effective positioning tool as well.  [24]  Few advertisers view the comparative advertising as offensive but from the practical experience so far, it is an accepted fact that consumers are being benefitted by the comparative advertisements. In Indian market, as mentioned above there has been a sea-change after the introduction of LPG policies. Brands that were considered to be of very high quality with practically no competition have lost out to other international brands, with the opening up of our markets and with the increasing awareness of the consumers about the products. Comparative advertisement truly gives an opportunity to help consumers not only to decide on which product is better but also what is best suited for him.  [25]   Consumers generally do not observe quality before purchase. Prices cannot signal quality. The firms compete for customers by advertising their quality. We first analyze a pure disclosure framework. If a firm advertises, it discloses the truth; it cannot falsify as such. Compare two scenarios. In the first firms can only engage in non-comparative advertising, i.e., a firm may disclose its own quality but not the competitors. In the second scenario, the firms can also engage in comparative advertising. In both scenarios advertising is costly and firms may, therefore, choose to remain silent.  [26]   Some studies have questioned the effectiveness of comparative advertising. Swinyard found that when it is one-sided, comparative advertising loses credibility and generates sympathy for the brand being attacked.  [27]  A study by Ogilvy-Mather, a large ad agency, found that consumers frequently confuse the sponsor for the competitor in many comparative ads. Furthermore, there was no persuasiveness of comparative and non-comparative ads.  [28]  On the other hand, other studies have found that if the source is credible, comparative advertisement is effective. For example, Gotlieb and Sarel found that credible comparative ads were more likely to be notices and were more likely to influence intentions to buy the advertised brand compared with non comparative ads. They also found that credible comparative ads were particularly effective for new products. Swinyard found that credibility can best be achieved by making comparative ads two sided-that is, a comparative ad that names a competitor, cites some of the advantages of the comparative brand, and then points out the arguments for the advertised brand.  [29]   Marketers should also consider consumers goal when preparing comparative ads. Promotion-focused consumers, whose goal is to maximise their gains and positive consumers, will be more responsive to claims that Brand X is superior to Brand Y; prevention-focused consumers, who want to minimize their loss and risk, will be more sceptical of superiority claims and more responsive to claims that Brand X is similar or equivalent to Brand Y. Note that positively framed comparative messages(Brand X performs better than Brand Y) are more effective for promotion-focused consumers, whereas negatively framed messages(Brand Y has more problems than Brand X) are more effective for prevention-focused consumers. Positively framed comparative messages encourage more cognitive processing and prompt consumers to consider other brand information-sparking their buying intentions if the additional information supports the positive arguments.  [30]   But the comparative advertisement should extent to the limit that it misleads the consumer. Any misinformation will be prejudice to the consumers. Abuses in advertising can obviously have unfortunate effects on consumers ranging from money on item that did not live up to the standard, expectation, quality and effectively but results in hazardous accidents resulting from the misrepresentation of faulty goods.  [31]   Humour In Advertising  [32]   Marketers use humorous messages because they attract attention and because advertisers believe that humour can be persuasive. The use of humour in advertising has been increasing to the point where the majority of ads use humour. one reason is that a 2002 survey by Roper, a large marketing research firm, found that 85 percent of respondents said they like ads with humorous themes. There are pros and cons for the use of humour in advertising. On the positive side, humour is likely to increase attention and memorability. It is also likely to enhance the advertisers credibility. Humour may create a positive feeling towards the advertisers and increase the persuasiveness of the message. It may also distract consumers who use competitive products from developing arguments against the advertisers brand and may lead them to accept the message. Humour may also be considered inappropriate based on the economic and political climate. When is the use of humour most effective? Researchers have found that humour is most effective in gaining message acceptance- when consumers are not involved- because humour is peripheral to the message, it is more likely to influence consumers who are not involved with the product than those who are. for existing products- advertising new products require conveying information. Humour is a more effective means of establishing a mood than of conveying information. When consumers have a positive attitude towards the brand- humour can reinforce positive feelings towards a brand, but is unlikely to reverse negative feelings. Why Consumer Protection?  [33]   Consumer has no voice in the product which is manufactured for his consumption. It is very difficult to effectively organize consumers in country as vast as India. A majority of the population is illiterate and ignorant. Poverty, lack of education, lack of misinformation, traditional outlook of Indians to suffer in silence, considering poverty and misery as a god-given things-all these negative sides of our life have enabled unscrupulous businessman to exploit consumers in India. The march of science and technology has increased the difficulties of the consumer along with his opportunities of selection from a very wide variety of goods. JUDICIAL PRONOUNCEMENTS Indian Judiciary has defined certain limitations for comparative advertising. Certain cases discussed below will help us to clarify more on this term. The role of puffery as a facet of comparative advertising was substantively dealt with by an Indian court for the first time in Reckitt Colman of India Ltd. v. M.P. Ramchandran and Anr.  [34]  In the concerned matter, the plaintiff and defendant were manufacturers of clothing detergent brands Robin Blue and Ujala, respectively. It was contended by the plaintiff that the defendant, in its advertisement, had intentionally displayed a container that was similar to the one in which the plaintiffs product was sold, and in regard to which the plaintiff had a registered design. A further insinuation to the product of the plaintiff was in the fictitious product being priced at Rs. 10, which was known to be the price at which Robin Blue was sold. The advertisement went on to state that the said product Blue was uneconomical, and depicted that the same was a product of obsolete technology and hence ineffective. There was also an implication that the product failed to dissolve effectively in water, and hence damaged clothes by leaving blue patches on them. It was argued by the defendant that the bottle depicted in the advertisement did not bear any resemblance to Robin Blue, and that the object of the portrayal had been merely to assert the technological superiority of Ujala over other competing products. Hence, it was denied that there was any specific disparagement of Robin Blue in the concerned advertisement. In M. Balasundram v Jyothi Laboratories  [35]  , A television advertisement promoting Ujala liquid blue showed that 2-3 drops were adequate to bring striking whiteness of clothes while several spoons of other brands were required though no label of any other brand was shown. A lady holding a bottle of Ujala was looking down on another bottle and exclaiming chhi, chhi, chhi! in disgust. The manufacturers of Regaul, a competing brand, approached the MRTP Commission that the advertisement was disparaging its goods. The Commission was of the view that-a mere claim to superiority in the quality of ones product by itself is not sufficient to attract section 36(1)(x) of MRTP Act. In the advertisement, the bottle did not carry any label. Further, the bottle did not have similarity with bottle of any brand. The Commission, thus, was of the opinion that it could not be a case of disparagement of goods. On a different note decision given by the court in case of Hindustan Lever Limited v Colgate Palmolive (I) Limited  [36]  and Pepsi Co Inc v Hindustan Coca Cola Ltd  [37]  , where both Colgate and Hindustan Coca Cola Ltd liable for disparaging their competitors products, respectively. Even though in both advertisements the competitors product name could not be heard but could clearly be made out from lip movement. Such a method of circumventing the law was held to fall clearly within the ambit of disparagement. The courts further stated that any claims made in comparative advertisements must be backed by verifiable statistical data. Precedents like the one laid down in Dabur India Ltd. v. Emami Ltd  [38]  . could severely curtail the scope of comparative advertising. Jurisprudentially speaking, the concept of defamation has to be specific or individualized in nature  [39]  . In the present case, the courts seem to have overlooked this premise, as the courts ruling in the case laid down that even a reference to a generic class of products could be potentially disparaging. This could be viewed as dangerous precedent as it would disallow a competitor to even make comparisons on a general basis. Hypothetically if the newly launched Tata Nano were to put out an advertisement giving out the impression that bike owners could progress in life by graduating to a car, then based on the ratio of this case, any bike company would be able to successfully sue Tata for disparagement  [40]  . CONCLUSION In India theres no doubt that the law regarding to comparative advertising is well settled, but is it settled in the required manner? By copiously allowing puffing up in marketing strategies, until a competitor is not adversely affected, the courts have turned a blind eye towards the equally important consumer and his interests. Today in the Indian sphere the focus only seems directed towards the grabbing of eyeballs, without providing any productive information for the consumer to utilize. The objective behind comparative advertising was not only being informative and an important tool to promote competition but for comparisons to serve as benchmarks to help consumers focus on the products main qualities. Compara

Free College Admissions Essays: Emerson :: College Admissions Essays

Emerson When I received the criteria for this essay I knew that writing this would be a personal challenge to myself. My motivation and interest in being a journalist is so vast that I knew that I would have trouble squeezing it all into a mere 500 word essay. In addition, I would have to list my experience in journalism. During my high school years I have accumulated so much experience due to the responsibilities bestowed on me, that it would be hard to describe them all. As I entered my sophomore year of high school, our school district had just completed both the new high schools. This was necessary because of the overcrowding within our district. With the new high schools came a new school paper, and with a new paper came new opportunities. That first year was hard, but because of the gumption by my fellow journalists and I, we were able to have a successful inauguration year of The Voice. We received several awards that year for the quality of our paper, and as high school continued The Voice continued to mature with the staff. We learned to work together as a team and how to help each other with our articles. No single person stood out against the other, and no single article could be accredited to a single writer. We all had our own individual responsibilities, but we all stayed those long nights at the school until midnight or one, in order to ensure that our paper was the best it could be. During this time I was given many responsibilities. I was given the honor of being spirituality editor, copy editor, managing editor, in-depth editor, business editor, and co-news editor. I was privileged to be given these opportunities, and thankful to have such great supporting journalist to help make our paper, in my opinion, one of the best local high school papers. I embraced every new responsibility given to me in order to make myself the best journalist that I could be. My motivations for wanting to be a journalist are so deep rooted that I could not even begin to spe culate as to there beginnings. Ever since I was in elementary school I have had a desire to be a journalist. I do not believe it to be a genetic passion since there are no journalists in my family, I think it is just a drive for the truth that sparks my desire. Free College Admissions Essays: Emerson :: College Admissions Essays Emerson When I received the criteria for this essay I knew that writing this would be a personal challenge to myself. My motivation and interest in being a journalist is so vast that I knew that I would have trouble squeezing it all into a mere 500 word essay. In addition, I would have to list my experience in journalism. During my high school years I have accumulated so much experience due to the responsibilities bestowed on me, that it would be hard to describe them all. As I entered my sophomore year of high school, our school district had just completed both the new high schools. This was necessary because of the overcrowding within our district. With the new high schools came a new school paper, and with a new paper came new opportunities. That first year was hard, but because of the gumption by my fellow journalists and I, we were able to have a successful inauguration year of The Voice. We received several awards that year for the quality of our paper, and as high school continued The Voice continued to mature with the staff. We learned to work together as a team and how to help each other with our articles. No single person stood out against the other, and no single article could be accredited to a single writer. We all had our own individual responsibilities, but we all stayed those long nights at the school until midnight or one, in order to ensure that our paper was the best it could be. During this time I was given many responsibilities. I was given the honor of being spirituality editor, copy editor, managing editor, in-depth editor, business editor, and co-news editor. I was privileged to be given these opportunities, and thankful to have such great supporting journalist to help make our paper, in my opinion, one of the best local high school papers. I embraced every new responsibility given to me in order to make myself the best journalist that I could be. My motivations for wanting to be a journalist are so deep rooted that I could not even begin to spe culate as to there beginnings. Ever since I was in elementary school I have had a desire to be a journalist. I do not believe it to be a genetic passion since there are no journalists in my family, I think it is just a drive for the truth that sparks my desire.

Political History and Corruption in Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth essays

Political History and Corruption in Macbeth      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To understand many of William Shakespeare's plays, one must understand the history of the time period. A.L. Rowse gives a history of William Shakespeare's time, the late sixteenth to the early seventeenth century and how the government of the time was authoritarian but popular. The person of the Monarch (derived from the Greek "monorchia", the rule of one), the Crown, was something even the lowest character could understand. The monarchs have many different titles, including king, queens, sultan, emperors, empresses, tsars, and kaisers, depending on the type of governments and the location of the state he or she rules.    Oftentimes, the monarch was based on the need for a strong ruler who could gather the countries best men to form and command a military that was used to defend the country. The monarch was absolute and only responsible to God and was considered to be God's representative in all worldly and royal matters. A strong central government was needed to maintain order and provided a stable atmosphere in which trade could flourish. Productive leadership qualities were very noticeable in Henry the VIII, and even more so in his daughter, Elizabeth (Rowse 226-263). Furthermore, "There is no doubt that she regarded herself as appointed by God to rule over her subjects" (Rowse 264). Henry the VIII inherited a kingdom from Henry the VII which lacked natural recourses yet it was surrounded on three sides by water. Even though Henry's kingdom was protected by water, the Scots lived to the north and were allied with France. The Scots were England's ancient and bitter enemy.    Henry's chief concerns had been to control the independence of the nobility and to ... ... "History of the Monarchy." Kings and Queens of England. 21 Mar. 2002. Online. Available. <http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page10.asp.26> Mar. 2002 Swisher, Clarice, ed. Readings on Macbeth. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rowse, A.L. The England of Elizabeth: The Structure of Society. New York: Macmillan Company, 1950. Shakespeare, William. "The Tragedy of Macbeth." Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes. The British Tradition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall 1999. Streatfeild, Noel. The First Book of England. New York: Franklin Watts, 1958. Wadsworth, Frank W. "Shakespeare, William." World Book Online American Edition. Online Edition. Online. Netzero. 26 Mar 2002. "William Shakespeare." BBC Homepage. Online. Available <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/culture/shakespeare.shtml>. 26 Mar. 2002.   

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere is a very interesting story that brings up a number of thought-provoking issues in a relatively short format. Among these are questions of race, identity, and stereotyping. The narrator of the story is a young woman named Dina who feels lonely and confused in her new surroundings. As a poor, African American female at Yale (which the narrator portrays as a rich, male, and subtlety racist institution) she has difficulty adapting to the expectations of the university. From the very beginning, her differences set her apart from her classmates, until, from her point of view, she becomes a pariah, invisible and despised by the community. Of course, one must view these complaints with some skepticism. The narrator deliberately isolates herself with off-hand comments and antisocial behavior. She seems to take pride in her jarring attitude toward authority and friendliness. Only on rare occasions do we see her treated poorly by the other characters. While her behavior is rude and obnoxious, they seem to be welcoming and sincere in their attempts to reconcile her depression. It soon becomes apparent that Dina finds comfort in her intentional isolation. She takes some satisfaction from stereotyping others unfairly and irrationally, since stereotypes provide a simple and lazy detour around human interaction. The narrator in Drinking Coffee Elsewhere has many problems with communication that prevent her from forming healthy relationships. During her sessions with the school psychiatrist, his probing questions provide a window into some of the difficulties she has. One of his most insightful statements is that Dina’s constant deceptions and dismissals have accustomed her to an offensive reaction. Whenever someone asks her a question her response belittles and mystifies them. Because she has set herself up for this attitude it is a natural custom. For example, in the first few pages, during an exercise designed for incoming freshman, the students choose an object they would like to be. The game inspires creativity and helps the freshmen get to know each other. Dina, disgusted by her classmate’s insipid choices, states that she would be a revolver. This response, obviously meant to shock and discomfort her peers, earns Dina her psychiatric evaluations. Many other examples occur throughout the story. In a meeting with the psychiatrist, the doctor asks Dina about her sexual history. This question create tension in different ways, such as sexuality, class, relationships, and shame. Typically, Dina invents a ridiculous story about losing her virginity spontaneously and foolishly. Because of her stereotyping attitude, Dina assumes that the white, male doctor would expect her, a poor, black girl, to do these sorts of things. She derails what could have been an important and intriguing discussion of Dina’s insecurities into what she thinks the doctor expects. Later, he calls this attitude her survival mechanism of a â€Å"black living in a white world. † It’s an interesting assertion, if not entirely fair to the people of all races who succeed without such pointless and insulting tactics. Ultimately, Drinking Coffee Elsewhere is a story of regret. At the end of the tale, Dina gives a heartfelt reminiscence of her college days, now long past, and the opportunities she missed and friendships she broke. One person in particular, Heidi, could have been a close and important friend. Instead, Dina’s harsh and unpleasant demeanor severed a deep connection. In fact, Dina’s quick and thoughtless speaking leads her to belittle the death of Heidi’s mother. This error draws attention to Dr. Raeburn’s original warning: that Dina’s tendency to speak nonsense would become an unfortunate habit. The warning applies to the reader as well, encouraging us to speak thoughtfully and honestly in all human interactions.

How Frankenstein and Blade Runner Essay

Science is the most important tool in the progression and maturation of society and its values. Both Mary Shelly and Ridley Scott create characters pushing the boundaries of scientific exploration and understanding and in doing so they reveal flaws and shortcomings in the upheld values of the time. The narratives of Frankenstein and Blade Runner are linked strongly to their context with important messages or warnings within them. At the time of Shelly’s writing the ‘Age of Enlightenment’ was coming to an end, after years of threatening nature with its unrelenting attitude toward scientific endeavour at any cost. Scott addresses the dangers of globalised consumerism which brings as much bad as it does good, in Blade Runner its spread and influence has a strangle hold on Earth. The Industrial Revolution, borne from Enlightenment ideology saw a fast progression in production technology; this meant that more things could be made faster. These improvements saw for the first time in history, sustained growth in incomes and population, however the cost of the period fell entirely on the environment. The Enlightenment values left no room for consideration of the negative effects it was having on nature; destruction of habitat through logging and mining, waterway and air pollution, the conquest and victory of man over his environment was all that was important. In Frankenstein, Shelly created the creature to reveal the true effects. Victor Frankenstein’s creature was horrific; its own father could not bear to look upon it, â€Å"its unearthly ugliness rendered it almost too ugly for human eyes†. Frankenstein, in his scientific endeavours had created the Industrial Revolution’s ugly child – put on show by Shelly to demonstrate the undesirable and harmful effects of the Industrial Revolution. The creature can be seen as a metaphor for the reality of the Industrial Revolution, and its repulsive form shows its true cost, in doing so challenges its benefits. In Blade Runner Tyrell has created the Replicants as moneymaking products purely for commerce. He tells Deckard, â€Å"Commerce is our goal here at Tyrell†, and through this model he has accrued unquestionable global power through technological advances. The ‘life’ Tyrell has created in the Replicants is turned into a commodity, this is accepted by society in Ridley Scott’s dystopian world of globalisation and greedy pursuit of profit. This world Scott has created is the epitome of fears in the 1970s and 80s of consumerism and what it could change the world into. Tyrell embodies the worst extreme of consumerism, where everything is seen as a potential source of money and power; the viewer is introduced to this consumerism-worst-case-scenario in the opening scene. Hellish flames rise out of heavy industry factories and low diegetic music that jars and screeches creating in an uneasy and uncomfortable atmosphere for the viewer, intended highlight the bad place that this future world is. The central values of this new world act to highlight to the emerging problems in the 1980s world Scott was living in. The Enlightenment Era saw the relentless pursuit of science and knowledge, exploration and conquest, which is reflected perfectly in two characters – Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton. Both are in the forefront of their disciplines, both are pushing the boundaries and both are forced to end their pursuits to save their own lives. The change in attitude they experience is due to the realisation that their values and reasoning are incorrect and if continued will damage themselves and the people around them. It can be argued that Frankenstein does not actually change his views, however he is forced to concede his mission as the ship he is on returns home, i. e. the times are changing him. This is a direct parallel with the shift in societal values that was occurring around the time of Shelly’s writing, and it can be argued that this text played a role in influencing that change. Enlightenment gave way to Romanticism due to the realisation of its destructive power, and the damage it had been causing as it progressed. Walton, an explorer with sights set firmly on finding a North-West passage for the purpose of personal fame, glory and immortalising his name. Exploration for the sake of exploration – a mission destined to fail, because there was no real need, no purpose and lack of emotion attached to it. Victor was successful in his mission; ‘to create life’, which he did with reason, rationality and a scientific mind, the perfect Enlightenment scientist. However his process was void of any emotion. He worked alone, long hours and lack of human companionship induced a craze in which he blindly worked until he was finished, upon completion he saw the horror that he had created and it did nothing but bring misery to his life from then on. The Enlightenment Era values lacking in emotion failed and gave way to Romanticism, which was fundamentally based on strong feelings and irrational emotion as society recognised their importance. Both characters had goals; their processes of reaching them were flawed by the lack of emotion and as a result, ultimately failed. In this way these characters challenge the values of their context. Scott, through the character Eldon Tyrell and Roy Batty shows the importance of maintaining the best qualities of humanity and to loose them would be at the peril of the human race. Pursuit of science without remorse is common to both texts and in Blade Runner it is shown in Tyrell, who is portrayed as removed from reality because of his work. He has very limited human interaction as he has surrounded himself with Replicants who serve him although he shows no attachment to them. Scott shows through Tyrell that with the overtaking of technology and without relationships, humanity is lost. Roy Batty, a Replicant, rises from being a robot to becoming human in a display of supreme compassion and forgiveness when he saves Deckard from falling off a building. In this, the climactic scene of the film, Roy turns from a savage animal, howling and wiping blood across his face into the hero of the story. The chase ends as Deckard is left clinging on to the side of a building, and Roy chooses to catch him as he falls and pull him to safety. For this act, in the eyes of the viewer he ‘achieves’ human status. This notion is backed up by the soft lighting illuminating his face accompanied by a soundtrack of peaceful diegetic music. Also, the on screen subversion of Roy and Deckard’s apparent humanity, camera shots cut between a high angle close up shot looking down on Deckard and a low angle close up looking up at the angelic Roy, firmly placing Roy as better than Deckard. In these two individuals Scott shows importance of the key human qualities of compassion and forgiveness. In Scott’s context these values were becoming increasingly important as nuclear weapons were being added to he arsenal of many countries and the alarming amount of the destruction and devastation they could bring in the hands of a remorseless and uncompassionate leader. Tyrell embodies the values of society at the time, driven by consumerism and greed, and reveals their flaws contrary to Roy, who as a Replicant is seen as lower than human, however, he challenges this and proves it to be incorrect. The rational processes that are integral to the Enlightenment values, are demonstrated most clearly when Victor is putting together his creature. But, it is these processes that clearly show flaws in their own philosophy. As an Enlightenment Era scientist, Victor has all of nature at his disposal, to experiment and conduct tests on however he likes. His deeds show this; the torture of animals in order to discover the â€Å"inner workings of the natural world†, without remorse he digs up countless corpses in the night in search of ‘perfect’ body parts to put together and form his creature. The problems in this approach to science are evident in the cruelty and horrific acts that its moral code condones. These acts have been committed without emotional or human attachment, values that are fundamental in Romantic ideals. In describing these events and directly attributing them to Enlightenment ways, Shelly describes the realisation society is coming to that its values must change. In staying true to the scientific values of the time, Frankenstein exposes their flaws and as a result unwittingly challenges them. A collective character in Blade Runner are the Replicants, as synthetic humans they display similar character traits and can be seen as one ‘race’. The science and technology behind the Replicants has advanced to the point where they have been created as sentient beings, the newest models even have their own manufactured memories. However, giving them their own rational thought has brought danger. They became aware of their exploitation and on the new world we hear of a ‘bloody revolution’ where Replicants had tried to gain independence, resulting in loss of human and Replicant life on a large scale. The technology inside the Replicants and its development had been allowed to progress unchecked to the stage where it caused harm to the human race. In this way Scott is highlighting the possible dangers of allowing boundaries of science to be pushed without fully understanding the effect it will have on the environment, animals or the human population. This reflects the contextual fears brought about by the recent 3 Mile Island nuclear accident. Here nuclear power draws a parallel with the Replicants – progressing from assisting humans to harming them. In this way Blade Runner can be seen as a cautionary tale warning of the dangers of allowing science to progress faster than human understanding of its true capabilities. As a character, the Replicants are the epitome of scientific progress pushed passed its breaking point, bringing bloodshed and loss of life. Their ‘Bloody Revolution’ is the ultimate challenge of the values in the 2019 world Scott has created. Both Mary Shelly and Ridley Scott create characters that reflect the values of their contexts and also characters that embody new and changing ideals, these characters and their actions work to highlight a problem with societal values or to show the good in them. Both texts have a strong science base, Victor at the forefront of medical technology and Tyrell at the forefront of robotics and synthetic life, this allows them to push boundaries and create situations where the authors can ask questions of, reveal problems with and challenge societies’ values. As science and technology progresses, so will the need for humanity to evolve to incorporate it into daily life. Blade Runner and Frankenstein show the importance of maintaining a strong sense of humanity, in all of its imperfect forms, as societies and worldviews adapt and develop alongside technology.

Particular policy debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Particular policy debate - Essay Example ECB is assigned the task of maintaining price stability and it is the major component of Euro-system. The fate of Euro-zone is the topic of debate on international forum. European Union is commonly known as EU, a supranational body which proposed integration of European countries. It adopted a unique framework for integration and set the goal of complete integration among European countries. By complete integration, EU meant to integrate the economies, politics, educational, cultural and all other aspects. By economic integration, the EU dreamt of common market and common currency. The common market was based on the idea of free movement of goods, services, capital and labour (Toner, 2004). By free movement means, there were no tariff and quota restrictions, there was no excise duty and the exchange rate was relatively kept stable. In order to go a step ahead in economic integration, the common currency named as Euro was introduced. The member countries were required to abolish their local currency and adopt Euro as the official currency. Adoption of Euro is a difficult task for the member states and they need to make certain changes in their economic system to adopt this new currency. The fate of Euro-zone is important to determine because it is one of the most important key performance indicators of ECB and EU itself. EU has achieved many successful milestones in its earlier periods of economic integration. The common market initiative was warmly welcomed by the member states and in order to reap its benefits, many other European countries showed their willingness to join EU. When EU launched the initiative of common currency i.e. Euro, few countries showed enthusiasm while UK, Denmark and Sweden adopted the opt-out option. This option relieved them from the mandatory requirement of replacing their national currency with Euro. It has raised much confusion in the economic circles of EU. Many other