Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Good evening everyone. My name is Toyota Moko, and I am an international student from Japan. As the first-ever international student speaker on commencement, I am very honored to be here tonight to be given this opportunity to speak on behalf of the graduating class of the 2003. Born and grew up in Tokyo where speaking English was absolutely absent in my eighteen years of life, one day the life-changing experience came to me. When I was fifteen-years-old, the summer of 1998, I came to America for the very first time for the home stay program through my high school. The three weeks I spent in Snohomish have brought me a wonderful encounter with my American family. John, Margo and Jennifer Turner have truly become my second family away from home. Despite the fact that I was a stranger from Japan, the Turner family treated me as if I was a part of their family, even though I had spoken broken English. During these three weeks, I was exposed to many cultural differences between America and Japan, and I was especially moved by the American people and its society where one is able to not only accept, but mutually respect and honor multicultural background and heritage. Coming from homogeneous country of Japan, this to me was a very fresh insight, and I still remem ber how it struck me. After I came back to Japan, I kept in touch with my American family via e-mail. And they invited me to stay with them if I were to study at the college. I spent years preparing for my study abroad, and with the great help of the Turner family, Ms. Joy Fitzpatrick who is the international student program coordinator, and my parents, I entered America as an international student on March 11, 2001, only one week after my high school graduation in Japa... ...y just few weeks ago on May 17. My grandfather was full of ambition and care for his family, and he especially loved me as his granddaughter. I was able to make this speech because I do believe that my grandfather will be sitting in the first row and listening to my speech at this very moment. He kept his promise to be alive until I have become twenty years old, so it is now my turn to promise him to carry on his spirit and all the knowledge and wisdom he had taught me. And more than anybody else, this honor goes to my dearest Turner family and my parents and family in Japan for making it possible for me to experience this incredibly astounding journey in America. Congratulations class of 2012! From the bottom of my heart, I wish all of you a shining future! Thank you for having me this special moment. Arigatougozaimasita! (Japanese: "Thank you very much.")

Admission-Application essay

I often believe that women are the catalyst for nations’ development given equal rights to education, justice, occupation, suffrage and other services.   The silence and the vulnerability of women and children in developing countries like Zaire have awakened my drive to fight for the rights of the unheard and the helpless.Since childhood, I have always pictured a world where people are equal in rights and nobody is above the rest in terms of allocation of basic services, education, laws and job opportunities.   I have closely witnessed the unfair treatment to women and children who are often victims of human rights violation.   I have often wondered why there are more men in politics, schools and in the workplace.Silently, I have also questioned why society has embraced a system where women should remain at home and are not treated as important members of the society.   At a young age, I could not accept the discrimination in my country.   I understand that it is imp ossible for me to solve all the problems facing women and children but I know that something must be done.I have carefully studied my options in finding ways to be the voice that will awaken women in their important roles in the family, community and country.   One of the avenues that I have chosen was to work as a social worker.   To date, I am fulfilled in the profession that I have pursued.   Nothing is more rewarding than to see the helpless rise from poverty, oppression and discrimination.In my years of service, I have worked in a variety of settings within a framework of relevant legislation and procedures to support individuals, families and groups within the community.   These settings include schools, hospitals, public sectors and organizations.I have also worked closely with the health and social care staff.   When I was involved with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), I have pushed for the integration of health and social work services for women and children in my country.   Together with a multidisciplinary team, I have worked on the family code of Zaire to give equal parental rights to both spouses.This has replaced the previous concept of paternal authority.   Both parents have the same duties to care for their children.   Women are given the right to marriage and choice of spouses.   They are also given the right to inherit.   Both women and men acquired legal capacity at the age of 18.   They are both equally free to enter into marriage with the consent of both future spouses.   Women and children are not required to perform forced or compulsory labor, except as provided for by law.Although there are still so much that remain to be done to give wives equal rights similar to their husbands, the family code is a step forward for Zairian women.   As a social worker, I have also worked to ameliorate the living conditions of women by making them self sufficient.Through livelihood training and seminars, wome n can now engage in a small business to alleviate them from poverty.   I have also supervised 300 people and became the agriculture and rural development counselor of the governor of Zaire.Other than having an undergraduate degree and license in Social Work, I have also earned a post Graduate degree in Nutrition in Belgium.Being of service to women and children in terms of poverty alleviation, educational provision and allocation of medical and health care services has always been my passion.   Now that I am already a US citizen, I would like to move to the Department of Social Work so I can continue my work as a social worker in a larger scale.After witnessing domestic violence, child abuse, neglect, delinquency and other social problems in the community, I felt that something should be done.   This has motivated me to become a social worker in the local and international community.I would like to advocate for social justice and be the voice for those who are deprived of thei r basic human rights.   With my utmost dedication and perseverance, I would like to see more women and children around the world living in contented and productive lives that are free of abuse and discrimination.

Race, Class, & Gender

Danielle Karkkainen Prof. Shaleen Seward SOC. 301, Race/Class/Gender Writing Assignment December 4, 2012 â€Å"I am an American,† says over 308,745,538 people in the United States this year (â€Å"2010 Census Data. â€Å") These people originate from everywhere; America is a â€Å"melting pot† of culture, and that can unfortunately cause social inequalities to arise through the Matrix of Domination, a theory that mirrors the intersectionality of race, class, and gender, as coauthor of Race, Class, & Gender, an Anthology Patricia Hill Collins claims (Andersen, and Collins xi-xiii. These two terms give label to the commonplace phenomena of race, class, and gender work within a system of social relationships. The understanding of people from other cultures has grown in many ways over the history of the United States. America is starting to realize that the ethnocentric, or judging of others culture through the values of their own, is no longer an acceptable way to approa ch others. There is still a long way to go to more firmly develop a country with a general appreciation of diversity and inclusive thought.Knowledge is the power that will keep populations in peaceful, cultural awareness and harmonious equality. Anderson and Collins share many views of American life and morality through the different cultural perspectives of its citizens (and noncitizens. ) These articles prove that race, class, and gender all play separate, dynamic roles in the interrelated origins of discrimination. In the article, The Culture of Black Femininity and School Success, the realization that black women have historically been raised to consciously be more aggressively determined to succeed as they had the least amount of power in the education system.The conflict between young, black females and school officials usually ended up in a positive social change because the understanding that their race, class, and gender is constantly pinned up against them (Lewis, Mueller, and et al 187-193. ) In our patriarchal society, women lack power. In addition to that, these women are African American, which creates more issues in fighting against discrimination from those who have more power, such as a potential employer. Speaking of employment, black women in America generally come from a lower-class background, which works against them in gaining power to change their status in life.The people with power in America are generally the ones who don't have issues obtaining wealth or status. This social construct has perpetuated many centuries, and today, it is seen most clearly by the white, educated males who are educated to become those with the power, that is, the white-collar employers and employees. On the flip-side of this case, minorities are educated in technical schools often, those with blue-collar or lower status jobs. For this, America has adopted laws like Affirmative Action as a protective measure to eliminate discrimination issues in the workplac e.Some people think this law is unnecessary as â€Å"America means equality for all† however, this color-blind approach keeps those with the white privilege in ignorance (Gallagher 91-95. ) Inclusive thinking is necessary from a young age to create a more accepting atmosphere and society within the United States. To teach these concepts, the hidden agenda initiated from toddler-age on, which keeps the powerless under the thumb of the powerful must be eliminated. Understanding and accepting differences will be the easiest and most valuable, long-lasting way to boost the position of the powerless, i. . the minorities of America. Only when an equal percentage of minorities and Caucasian people obtain degrees and sufficient income will equality be a tangible possibility. American educational facilities have adopted the â€Å"Black History Month† as a role model for inclusion, however, why a single minority of a population have a single month of history created to what seem s like a pacification of the lack of recognition of the importance of African Americans in America since the country's birth. The hidden curriculum keeps social constructions of discrimination alive in our schools.We have a long way to go, as author Jeanne Theoharis proves in her article, â€Å"I Hate It When People Treat Me Like a Fxxx-up† the students of color in one school (as well, assumed in other schools) received unequal treatment, services, and materials because school officials believed the students did not care about their education. However, the minority students kept a journal of how important their education was and the tolerance of the unfair treatment toward the minorities was exposed and corrected (Theoharis 409. The idea that minorities, particularly African American, do not care about their education or are a â€Å"problem population† because of their race, and the typical disadvantages that come along with that is primitive. From the days of Harriet Tubman and slavery, to the powerful resolution of Rosa Parks, to the incredible civil rights acts in the 1960's, to the most wealthy woman in America being African American, black people have changed their face and the face of our history throughout time. African Americans have a type of double consciousness created by society.The majority (white people,) have created a belief shared amongst much of the black population on some kind of level. This perspective is that of an acceptance of a secondary race and not as worthy as Caucasians. The other perspective that may be what powers the young, black female in particular as aforementioned is that of strength and faith. The African American community has always had a strong connection with one another, yet excluded from the mainstream of America. In the days of slavery, the seeds of this double consciousness were planted in the African American culture.Upon rowing on overcrowded ships, ill with plague, and maliciously beaten by the whit e man, Blacks began to see themselves as white people did- property. This was the lowest point in African American history, and many black people rose as a type of â€Å"Over-Man† in order to save their people's culture and lives. Harriet Tubman saved hundreds of different African Americans from slavery by hiding them in an underground tunnel to the more free North, which was the first step in abolishing slavery by the African American population.Many years after slavery of African Americans ended, Jim Crow laws still segregated the minority group from the rest of society. Jim Crow laws were not necessarily legal, nor written, but they were implied, and explicitly enforced. These laws kept the less powerful African Americans away from and in service to white Americans. In the 1940's and 1950's, America's law of the land was â€Å"Separate but Equal,† meaning there were separate areas for facilities, separate lines for tickets, restricted seating, etc. This was further obvious through the lack of proper education for African Americans.If Jim Crow laws were broken, African Americans were severely punished. This could have mean hate beatings, lynching, or imprisonment. Representation of African Americans was entirely lacking and causing a rising tension between the rivaling African Americans and white Americans. With rising violence and aggression, leaders such as Malcolm X and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. arose with two separate types of action calls for African Americans. Muslim activist Malcolm X proposed progression at any cost.Linked with the Black Panthers, a lower-class black activist group, violence was encouraged if peace did not reap reward and cost this leader his life. This caused many riots, resulting in police brutality and discrimination towards people of color. The Hammurabi-like code â€Å"an eye for an eye† approach does not work when attempting for understanding and acceptance. For this, Martin Luther King proposed a so lution to the racial discrimination to end. This was to keep a steady, calm head and proceed with absolute resolution to positive social change and peaceful rioting.This approach seemed to work better, although only with complete determination and self-control. After many marches, protests, and exchanges, as well as Dr. King's assassination, the power of black Americans was starting to be recognized by the world. The Equal Employment Opportunity Committee was created in 1967 to assist minorities receive the jobs they deserve, reviewing and protecting applicants from employer discrimination. This created over 4,000 injuries in ensuing riots and a revived call to action for equal treatment of minorities (â€Å"Jackson Sun. ) This was the result of yet another attempt at equality for all American citizens. However, this attempt joined forces with the Affirmative Action law President John F. Kennedy created in order to stop racism bleeding into the employment world. Giving black Americ ans more power, the social class of African Americans rose for a decade before hitting a bump in the progression of African American historical timeline when crack cocaine hit the streets along with the influx of HIV/AIDS. African Americans were amongst the hardest hit by these two pandemics.Bringing African American morality down, and degrading back to the poverty lifestyle, gangs boomed, creating a family unit and source of income for many urban African Americans. In the 1990's, gang violence skyrocketed. In direct opposition, so did police brutality, particularly of African Americans. The teachings of gang members grew exponentially through the powerful words of American rap by gangsters like Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, who both grew up in the slums of opposing American coasts and shared the horrific life occurrences they witnessed or took part in.Not only did these artists glamorize the thug lifestyle, but the women in the music videos of these artists created a further degr adation of females as sexual objects, not humans to be respected. Tupac addressed these issues with his poetry: â€Å"I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myself Is life worth living should I blast myself? I'm tired of bein' poor & even worse I'm black My stomach hurts so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch Cops give a damn about a negro Pull the trigger kill a ***** he's a hero Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares One less hungry mouth on the welfareFirst ship 'em dope & let 'em deal the brothers Give 'em guns step back watch 'em kill each other It's time to fight back that's what Huey said† (Changes. ) This is an explicit example of the war-like lifestyle African Americans maintained in the streets of urban centers. Police officers and government officials were discriminating against African Americans more than any other minority. The consistent oppression of black people lead by police roused many riots. Perhaps the most well-known of all instigators of civil rights call to actions is the infamous 1992 Rodney King beating.Four police officers beat Rodney King, a mad guilty of a DUI until he had broken 11 facial bones, among other injuries (â€Å"Rodney King. â€Å") Americans were outraged by the unnecessary brutal treatment of this man and deemed it an extreme example of police discrimination. This tension between African Americans and police officers created 53 deaths, 2,383 injuries, more than 7,000 fires, damage to 3,100 businesses, and nearly $1 billion in financial losses (â€Å"Rodney King. â€Å") Finally, African Americans were making their case for equality known.The United States has just re-elected Democrat, Barack Obama for a second term in office. This man is half African American, half Caucasian. It is almost unfathomable that we finally have a man of color in the Oval Office upon seeing the constant failures of activists who desire to see equality for all. These â€Å"failures† are not what they seem, as collectively, they catapulted African Americans to a much more comfortable position in the United States. Just because our President is half black does not mean the fight for African American equality is over.Unfortunately, there are still plenty of hate crimes heard in the headlines are the country to this day. African Americans are gaining status in society now that there are much more firm laws in place deterring employers, instructors, or officials to discriminate based on race, class, gender, or orientation. In the near future, the minorities of America will no longer be considered the minority as our global as well as country-wide population is ever-changing and increasingly becoming more well-rounded.Hopefully, this will assist in eliminating the hate crimes, prejudice, and discrimination against those who do not have the luxury of inherently obtaining the white privilege. Understanding that race, class, and gender all works for and against us constantly due to social constr uct will create a more positive awareness of the importance equality and the beauty of each individual's unique qualities, experiences, and characters. Race, class, and gender still remains unequal amongst American individuals, so teaching positive social change and appreciation of a multicultural society will always remain a necessity.Works Cited Andersen, Margaret, and Patricia Collins. Race, Class, & Gender. 8th ed. . Belmont: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. xi-xiii. Print. Gallagher, Charles. â€Å"Color-Blind Privilege. † Trans. Array Race, Class, & Gender. Margaret Anderson and Patricia Collins. 8th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth & Cengage Learning, 2010. 91-95. Print. Lewis, R. L, Jennifer Mueller, et al. â€Å"The Culture of Black Femininity and School Success. † Trans. Array Race, Class, & Gender. Margaret Andersen and Patricia Collins. 8th ed.Belmont: Wadsworth & Cengage Learning, 2010. 187-193. Print. â€Å"National Civil Rights Timeline. † Jackson Sun [Jac kson] 2003, n. pag. Web. 2 Dec. 2012. . â€Å"Rodney King. † 2012. . Shakur, Tupac, writ. Changes. 1998. Song. 1 Dec 2012. Theoharis, Jeanne. â€Å"I Hate It When People Treat Me Like a F&up. † Trans. Array Race, Class, & Gender. Margaret Andersen and Patricia Collins. 8th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth & Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. United States. U. S. Census Bureau. 2010 Census Data. Washington, D. C. : , 2012. Web. .

Weevils and Snout Beetles, Superfamily Curculionoidea

Weevils and Snout Beetles, Superfamily Curculionoidea Weevils are odd-looking creatures, with their comically long snouts and seemingly misplaced antennae. But did you know theyre actually beetles, just like ladybugs and fireflies? Both weevils and snout beetles belong to the large beetle superfamily Curculionoidea, and share certain common habits and traits. Description: Its difficult to offer a general description for such a varied group of insects, but you can easily identify most weevils and snout beetles by an extended snout (actually called a rostrum or beak). A few groups within this superfamily, most notably the bark beetles, lack this feature, however. All but the primitive weevils have elbowed antennae, extending from the snout. Weevils and snout beetles have 5-segmented tarsi, but they appear 4-segmented because the fourth segment is quite small and obscured from view without careful inspection. Weevils and snout beetles, like all beetles, have chewing mouthparts. While it may appear by its shape that a weevils long snout is for piercing and sucking (like true bugs), it is not. The mouthparts are quite small and located at the end of the rostrum, but are designed for chewing. Most weevil and snout beetle larvae are white or cream in color, legless, cylindrical, and shaped like a C. They tend to burrow, whether in a host plant or other food source. Families in the Superfamily Curculionoidea: Classification within the superfamily Curculionoidea varies, with some entomologists dividing the group into just 7 families, and others using as many as 18 families. Ive followed the classification accepted by Triplehorn and Johnson (Borror and Delongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th edition) here. Family Nemonychidae – pine flower snout beetlesFamily Anthribidae – fungus weevilsFamily Belidae – primitive or cycad weevilsFamily Attelabidae – leaf-rolling weevils, thief weevils, and tooth-nosed snouth beetlesFamily Brentidae – straight-snouted weevils, pear-shaped weevilsFamily Ithyceridae – Ithycerus noveboracensis Family Curculionidae – snout beetles, bark beetles, ambrosia beetles, and true weevils Classification: Kingdom – AnimaliaPhylum – ArthropodaClass – InsectaOrder – ColeopteraSuperfamily - Curculionoidea Diet: Nearly all adult weevils and snout beetles feed on plants, though they vary greatly in their preferences for eating stems, leaves, seeds, roots, flowers, or fruits. The primitive families of weevils (Belidae and Nemonychidae, primarily) are associated with gymnosperms, such as conifers. The larvae of weevils and snout beetles vary greatly in their feeding habits. Though many are plant feeders, they generally prefer dying or diseased plant hosts. Some weevil larvae are highly specialized feeders, with peculiar dietary habits. One genus (Tentegia, found in Australia) lives and feeds in marsupial dung. Some weevil larvae prey on other insects, like scale insects or the eggs of grasshoppers. Many weevils are serious pests of crops, ornamental plants, or forests, and have significant economic impact. On the other hand, because they feed on plants, some weevils can be used as biological control for invasive or noxious weeds. Life Cycle: Weevils and snout beetles undergo complete metamorphosis, like other beetles, with four life cycle stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Special Behaviors and Defenses: Because this is such a large and diverse group of insects with a broad range of distribution, we find quite a few unique and interesting adaptations among its subgroups. The leaf-rolling weevils, for example, have an unusual way of ovipositing. The female leaf-rolling weevil carefully cuts slits into a leaf, lays an egg at the leaf tip, and then rolls the leaf up into a ball. The leaf drops to the ground, and the larva hatches and feeds on the plant tissue, safe inside. Acorn and nut weevils (genus Curculio) bore holes into acorns, and place their eggs inside. Their larvae feed and develop inside the acorn. Range and Distribution: Weevils and snout beetles number about 62,000 species worldwide, making the superfamily Curculionoidea one of the largest insect groups. Rolf G. Oberprieler, an expert in weevil systematics, estimates the true number of existing species may be closer to 220,000. There are currently about 3,500 species known to inhabit North America. Weevils are most abundant and diverse in the tropics, but have been found as far north as the Canadian Arctic and as far south as the tip of South America. Theyre also known to inhabit remote ocean islands. Sources: Borror and Delongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson.Encyclopedia of Entomology, 2nd edition, edited by John L. Capinera.Beetles of Eastern North America, by Arthur V. Evans.Morphology and Systematics: Phytophaga, edited by Richard A. B. Leachen and Rolf G. Beutel.A World Catalogue of Families and Genera of Curculionoidea (Insects: Coleoptera), by M. A. Alonso-Zarasaga and C. H. C. Lyal, Entomopraxis, 1999 (PDF). Accessed online November 23, 2015.

Speak by Laurie Hale Anderson - Book Review

Speak by Laurie Hale Anderson - Book Review Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a multiple award winning book, but it is also listed by the American Library Association as one of the top 100 books challenged between 2000-2009. Every year several books are challenged and banned across the nation by individuals and organizations who believe the content of the books are inappropriate. In this review you will learn more about the book Speak, the challenges it has received, and what Laurie Halse Anderson  and others have to say about the issue of censorship.    Speak: The Story    Melinda Sardino is a fifteen year old sophomore whose life is dramatically and permanently changed the night she attends an end of summer party.   At the party Melinda is raped and calls the police, but doesn’t get the opportunity to report the crime. Her friends, thinking she called to bust the party, shun her and she becomes an outcast. Once vibrant, popular, and a good student, Melinda has become withdrawn and depressed. She avoids having to talk and doesn’t take care of her physical or mental health. All her grades start to slide, except her Art grade, and she begins to define herself by small acts of rebellion such as refusing to give an oral report and skipping school. Meanwhile, Melinda’s rapist, an older student, subtly taunts her at every opportunity. Melinda doesn’t reveal  the details of her experience  until one of her former friends begins to date the same boy who raped Melinda. In an attempt to warn her friend, Melinda writes an anonymous letter and then confronts the girl and explains what really happened at the party. Initially, the former friend refuses to believe Melinda and accuses her of jealousy, but later breaks up with the boy. Melinda is confronted by her rapist  who accuses her of destroying his reputation. He attempts to assault Melinda again, but this time she finds the power to speak and screams loudly enough to be heard by other students who are nearby.       Speak: The Controversy and the Censorship    Since its publication release in 1999 Speak has been challenged on its content about rape, sexual assault and suicidal thoughts. In September of 2010 one Missouri professor wanted the book banned from the Republic School District because he considered the two rape scenes â€Å"soft pornography.† His attack on the book elicited a media storm of responses including a statement from the author herself in which she defended her book. (Source: Laurie Halse Anderson’s Web site) The American Library Association listed Speak as number 60 in the top one hundred books to be banned or challenged between 2000 and 2009. Anderson knew when she wrote this story that it would be a controversial topic, but she is shocked whenever she reads about a challenge to  her book. She writes that Speak is about the emotional trauma suffered by a teen after a sexual assault and is not soft pornography. (Source: Laurie Halse Andersons Web site) In addition to Andersons defense of her book, her publishing company, Penguin Young Readers Group, placed a full page ad in the New York Times to support the author and her book. Penguin spokeswoman  Shanta Newlin stated, That such a decorated book could be challenged is disturbing.  (Source: Publishers Weekly Web site)    Speak: Laurie Halse Anderson and Censorship    Anderson reveals in many interviews that the idea for Speak came to her in a nightmare. In her nightmare a girl is sobbing, but Anderson did not know the reason until she started to write. As she wrote the voice of Melinda took shape and  began to speak.  Anderson felt compelled to tell Melindas story. With the success of her book (a National Award finalist and a Printz Honor Award) came the backlash of controversy and censorship. Anderson was stunned, but found herself in a new position to speak out against censorship. States Anderson, â€Å"Censoring books that deal with difficult, adolescent issues does not protect anybody. It leaves kids in the darkness and makes them vulnerable. Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance. Our children cannot afford to have the truth of the world withheld from them.† (Source:  Banned Books Blog) Anderson devotes a portion of her website to censorship issues and specifically addresses the challenges to her book Speak. She argues in defense of educating others about sexual assault and lists frightening statistics about young women who have been raped. (Source: Laurie Halse Andersons Web Site) Anderson is actively involved in national groups that battle censorship and book banning such as the ABFFE (American Booksellers for Free Expression), the National Coalition Against Censorship, and the Freedom to Read Foundation.    Speak: My Recommendation    Speak is a novel about empowerment and it is a book that every teen, especially teen girls, should read. There is a time to be quiet and a time to speak out, and on the issue of sexual assault, a young woman needs to find the courage to raise her voice and ask for help. This is the underlying message of Speak and the message Laurie Halse Anderson is trying to convey to her readers. It must be made clear that Melindas rape scene is a flashback and there are no graphic details, but implications. The novel is focused on the emotional impact of the act, and not the act itself. By writing Speak and defending its right to voice an issue, Anderson has opened the door for other authors  to write about real teen issues. Not only does this book deal with a contemporary teen issue, but its an authentic reproduction of the teen voice. Anderson deftly captures the high school experience and understands the teen view of cliques and what it feels like to be an outcast. I grappled with the age recommendations for some time because this is such an important book that needs to be read.  Its a powerful book for discussion and 12 is an age when girls are changing physically and socially. However, I realize that because of the mature content, every 12 year old may not be ready for the book. Consequently, I recommend it for ages 14-18 and, in addition, for those 12 and 13 year olds with the maturity to handle the topic. The publishers recommended ages for this book is 12 and up. (Speak, 2006.  ISBN: 9780142407325)

Goals and Objectives Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Goals and Objectives Assignment - Essay Example The event product or purpose is important because it presents the attendees with opportunities to network and find out more about it from other attendees. The reason for the symposium is clearly pivotal for setting the basis for issues that will be tackled in the course of the event. Lastly, the location for the symposium is crucial for organizers to plan and determine the setting. One detail that can be used to develop the goal is the names and profiles of the attending students. Knowing the performance of each student can help know the product or ends of the symposium in terms of what the attendees want addressed. Offering an environment for graduates to share their findings relates to the symposium in the sense that it determines how good the presenter’s planning will be. Offering graduates experiencing in presenting in an educational context relates to the symposium in the sense that it sharpens their time management skills. Lastly, forming networking opportunities relates to the symposium in the sense that attendees need to interact with each other and expound on the presentations. The objective for giving each presenter 15 minutes to present is measurable with a timer on their presenting devices and possibly another on the desk immediately before them. The objective of giving all formats a total of 25 minutes is measurable by timers on the presenter’s desks and the length of each slide. Lastly, the objective of 20 minute morning breaks relates is measurable through the amount of time needed for attendees to leave their seats, head outside or to rests rooms, and interact with others before coming back to the symposium. A different objective for goal one is submitting an abstract that will be accessible on the internet. This objective is an action because it alerts the presenter of the amount of time he or she has for presentation, Q&A, and the next presentation. For the second

Digestion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Digestion - Essay Example The mucus is important for protecting the mucosa from the acidic contents of the stomach. The epithelium is also lined with endocrine cells that stimulate the production of acid and digestive enzymes (Johnson, 2005, 23). The lamina propria lining the stomach is composed of loose connective tissue. Lymph vessels, nerves and large blood vessels are located in the mucosa that is composed of loose connective tissues. In the stomach, the muscularies externa is composed of three layers of muscles that are the oblique inner, circular middle and longitudinal outer layers that run in opposite directions to allow great motility in the stomach for mixing and churning ingested food. The small intestine mucosa has various structural features that are essential for increasing the luminal surface area supporting the main function of the small intestine of absorption of the degraded food components. Along the mucosa and submucosa are plicae circulares that are crescent shaped folds extend on around 1/3 of the small intestine lumen The lumen is lined with simple columnar epithelium. The ileum and jejunum are covered with serosa while the duodenum has serosa on the anterior surface (Feneis & Dauber, 2000, 42). The entire mucosa of the intestinal lining forms villi that are important for increasing the surface area that food absorption takes place in. The surface of the villi is composed of simple epithelium for easy absorption. The lamina propria is similar to that of the stomach usually cell rich. The submucosa layer contains glands on the duodenum â€Å"Brunner’s glands† that produces mucus protecting the duodenal mucosa from the acidic content from the stomach (Di Mauro et al. 2013, 15). The muscularies externa has two layers the inner thicker circular layer for mixing and the outer thinner longitudinal layer for the continuous peristalsis activity of the small intestines. It is the