Co-curricular Essay

Co-curricular is one of the activities being neglected in most schools in the past years. Our school being one of them had for long been emphasizing heavily in class work. By doing this, we could not realize our talents which are very basic in making us whole. Activity carried on 4th March last-term made each member of this school to change his or her mind. We witnessed how students have wonderful talents. Our school was among the top competing school in sports activities in this region. Sports has been one of the activity in school that that the administration has been overlooking. The school noted the need to change our strategies and came up with plans which will give students a chance to realize their talents. The school used to conduct classes from eight in the morning to four in the evening. After this, students moved to evening group discussions and thereafter they went back again to their classes for evening preps. These activities made us busy throughout the day before retiring to bed. The school has come up with a strategy that will ensure that students are trained both in class and in the co-curricular activities especially in sports. The School’s schedule is now flexible, as it will now allow students to get involved in these sports activities. Thanks to the students who participated in this event because due to their enthusiasm, passion and spirit in sports the administration made a sensible consideration and made sure that it has allocated time for these activities. I am grateful for this action as it will serve as an example to other learning institutions. Sincerely, References Cooperating School Districts. (2010). Programs and Services: Communications Crisis communication-Letters Assistance. Retrieved on 9 July 2010 from http://www. csd. org/vnews/display. v/ART/44abd0116f2d7

Bank Julius Baer Case Essay

Before the arrival and leadership of Stuart Adam (â€Å"Adam†), Bank Julius Baer, North America (â€Å"BJB-NA† or the â€Å"Company†), the largest independently-owned European private bank in the United States, faced financial difficulties. By mid-2001, a worldwide market downturn caused a significant decline in Julius Baer Group’s (â€Å"JB† or the â€Å"Parent†) performance. In 2001, JB’s stock price was down by over 40% while the Parent experienced a 39% decline in net profits, 9% increase in operating expenses and an increase of 14% in employee headcount. BJB-NA, the â€Å"crown jewel† of JB, was barely profitable but no one inside the Company knew its true financial condition. JB had always been led by a member of the Baer family until January 2001. Despite significant family ties at JB, BJB-NA did not have a strong leader to drive the company. There was a lack of clear vision or direction for the Company. BJB-NA did not focus on profitability as a measurement of success. The attitude around BJB-NA was more about â€Å"keeping the peace† than creating any conflict or hostility. Even with a passive work environment, employee morale was low. Employees tended to blame other parts of the Company for their problems. The competitive environment in the High Net Individual (â€Å"HNI†) private banking sector increased dramatically during the 1990’s. BJB-NA was a boutique private bank in a business where bulge bracket firms dominated the competitive landscape. As such, the key factors for success in the HNI market were now recognized as differentiation (not cost leadership), improved client relationship management, broad product range and strong client-responsiveness. BJB-NA strived to be a partner organization that differentiated itself from the competition by satisfying the needs of its clients. The existing organization structure consisted of BJB-NA organized into four regionally-based â€Å"teams. † Poor communication existed throughout the Company as the staff didn’t know what was going on and there was little cohesion among units. BJB-NA operated on a â€Å"need to know† basis. Team leaders were not responsible for their own budgets, as it was not known if their teams were profitable or not. To further support the lack of accountability at BJB-NA, the Company did not have a systematic performance valuation system and lacked a compensation system tied to customer growth and returns. Bonuses were virtually guaranteed and all bonus decisions were made by Bank’s top leadership. Most likely, there were employees who â€Å"flew under the radar† if they underperformed since the Company never laid anyone off. Adamà ¢â‚¬â„¢s Changes and Evaluation Adam arrived at BJB-NA and immediately laid out an action plan to turn around the Company. One of Adam’s best early moves was his selection of Denise Downey to head the Segmentation Study Team. Downey was well respected by the employees that she led and was able to thoroughly evaluate the organization and deliver results to the Company and Adam. Based on the Segmentation Study, Adam wanted BJB-NA to really stand-behind its promises to be a partner organization. He encouraged full transparency and a strong focus on measurable results and accountability. Specifically, he focused on the following three initiatives: Refocus the Company strategy: Adam emphasized that BJB-NA shift its focus to Europeans, Asians, Canadians and Latin Americas who live outside the U. S. who had U. S. based asset management needs. By targeting specific geographic and customer segments, it allowed the Company to specifically focus its strategy and resources rather than spread itself too thin to satisfy a larger, diverse customer base. In addition, he asked some longstanding personal clients who were not profitable to close their accounts. Not only did this change the Company’s customer focus, but also, it signaled to employees that Adam had confidence and high expectations for BJB-NA. Establish new performance expectations: Adam developed productivity assumptions that would hold employees more accountable. He established measurable criteria related to book value, relationships and accounts. Previously, Company employees truly did not know their clients. As a result, it was difficult for management to identify top and low performers. Adam’s established criteria that pushed Relationship Managers past their comfort zone. Before Adam took the helm at BJB-NA, almost everyone received bonuses regardless of their performance. Tying a bonus program with a structure performance evaluation system incentivizes those who bring success and growth potential to the Company. Modify the organization structure: Adam slightly altered the structure of BJB-NA by having a client-segment focus within existing geographic areas. As such, the decision making processes were now decentralized to each of the regional teams. Previously, the advisory and product services departments worked with all regions. After Adam took charge, he assigned advisory teams to each of the different regions to further strengthen customer relationships. Recommendations BJB-NA recognizes that its future success hinges on one important factor: its clients. Our consulting firm wants the Company to further expand and impact its clients beyond what Adam has already planned. Our approach is a client-centric strategy that focuses on two key initiatives: (1) Aggressively recruiting top talent to enhance client acquisition and performance (2) Overhauling the compensation scheme and performance measures. Each initiative, accompanied by supporting tactics, will align to elevate the client experience, resulting in deepening wallet share, increasing warm referrals, and building the BJB-NA brand in supreme customer service. I. Recruiting the Right Talent. Recruiting the right people to manage and advise BJB-NA’s clients will be critical to sustaining long-term growth and increasing assets-under-management. Recruiting will align with the Company’s geographic approach to segmentation by adopting three tactics:  · Local talent recruitment – a successful private banker needs an outgoing, service-orientated personality, and the ability to connect with potential and existing clients. In connecting with clients, it becomes mandatory that future private bankers will be recruited from local regions. This strategy will generate bankers who know the local customs and cultures, speak the language, and are involved in the community. As a result, it creates comfort and familiarity for potential clients.  · Recruit from bulge bracket private banks –Company acquisition is not a feasible option at this time. However, employee/talent acquisition is an even better method to help improve the Company. Bulge bracket private banks are typically a part of much larger conglomerates, often weighed down high-level corporate strategies and â€Å"red tape. To attract bulge bracket private bankers, BJB-NA should promote an entrepreneurial environment that offers autonomy and flexibility while still offering resources found at larger firms. Recruit from ultra-boutique private banks – BJB-NA should actively target private bankers from smaller, boutique firms that have larger books, but have a need for a more global reach. Private bank clients are becoming more global, and with that, have a specific need for banks that have an international presence. BJB-NA provides a solution with offices in Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and the United States. At the same time, by aggressively recruiting boutique bankers, BJB-NA will be able to expand its presence by acquiring the books of these bankers who may have a strong presence in untapped markets within the targeted regions. II. Restructuring Compensation and Performance Measures BJB-NA should introduce a compensation scheme that will not only be more beneficial for keeping clients’ interests first, but also offer higher potential incentives for the Company’s bankers. First and foremost, bankers will be paid based on client portfolio performance. No one will be paid on the basis of commission. While this tactic may seem counter-intuitive in the short-term, especially in the midst of a struggling economy, it acknowledges BJB-NA’s long-term commitment to its clients. Other positive externalities resulting from a new compenstation structure include: differentiation from competition, potential referrals from clients, and attention to BCB-NA’s innovative thinking. In short, BJB-NA’s message is: â€Å"We make money only when our clients make money†. Second, standard annual bonuses will be foregone. Employees would be accountable for their performance and compensated accordingly. BJB-NA will incentivize bankers by the value they add to their clients and related portfolio performances. This compensation structure ultimately rewards bankers who take of their clients and strive to grow their assets under management. Finally, BJB-NA should revise the position title of its company leaders. To accurately reflect the duties of the position, the title †Team Leader† should be changed to â€Å"Managing Director (MD)†. MD’s would have full P&L and people-management responsibilities of his/her respective branch. In addition, MD’s could receive an additional bonus based on the branch’s bottom-line performance. This change will push decision-making down to MD level, promoting entrepreneurship and autonomy. III. Management and Leadership Since Adam decided to resign from his position as the leader of BJB-NA, it is vital for the Board of Directors to select a successor that will be able to implement the changes initiated under Adam’s tenure. As discussed, BJB-NA needs to aggressively put its clients before anything else in its business. The new successor should be an experienced professional who deeply understands the Company’s clients and industry. Taking these requirements into consideration, we recommend that the Board of Directors pick Adam’s successor from a list of internal candidates only. Currently, the firm is in a state of fragility. Employees are stressed and morale is low. With the initial round of layoffs that included six people, any move will be highly scrutinized and may have a long-term impact on the organization. Employees were already caught off guard with Adam’s resignation, especially after he led the restructuring efforts at an off-site meeting that seemed to build positive momentum. To replace Adam’s with an external candidate may put the Company in a state of flux. An external candidate would not have attended the restructuring meetings and participated in the Segmentation Study. He/she may have different views of how the organization should be changed. In addition, the HNI private banking industry is built around relationships. To bring on a new leader who hasn’t built a strong rapport with a majority of the Company’s clients would make the leadership transition a difficult process. One potential internal candidate BJB-NA should consider is Denise Downey. Downey is currently the Head of U. S. Domestic Clients, but more importantly she led the Segmentation Study that evaluated areas of improvement needed at BJB-NA. Employees viewed Downey as a strong, effective leader who always delivers results. As a sign of trust, Adam gave Downey significant autonomy during her time leading the study. Elevating Downey to the C-suite level would be a fairly seamless transition. Downey has significant experience understanding the clientele of BJB-NA since she already leads U. S. client group. With all of the â€Å"client-focused† changes that need to be implemented by Adam, Downey will be best candidate to effectively communicate the steps needed during the transition period. For example, during her time as the Segmentation Study leader, Downey took the initiative to send updates to the entire bank. Alternate Approaches Deviating from a client-centric strategic plan could negatively impact BCB-NA’s future success. Nonetheless, two other alternate approaches were considered. The first approach considered a compensation system where bankers would be paid variable commissions based on fee-based transactions. The variable in commissions would depend on the type of investment vehicles clients would invest in. This viable approach guarantees cash flows from transactions with no dramatic culture change. However, after careful consideration, this alternative was rejected since bankers would be incentivized more by selling a diversity of investment vehicles to clients rather than working for clients’ best interests. The second approach considered but rejected involved an overhaul of the organization structure. After the Segmentation findings, Adam seemed adamant about moving away from the geographic-focused organizational structure of the Company. As such, an alternative approach considered was to eliminate geographic departments and implement an organizational structure focused on client-type. One of the key success factors for companies in the private banking industry is to customize services based on the needs of customers. A BJB-NA client-focused structure based on client characteristics (such as wealth, age, income level) may be more advantageous, especially with raised expectations now required by Adam on bankers’ book of clients. Additionally, within a geographic organization, conflict may occur between local regional management and the executives at corporate. As such, this may hurt the opportunity for knowledge sharing and collaboration, values emphasized by the Baer family. However, as much as a client-focused structure might have its advantages, a geographic organizational structure still is the most effective for BJB-NA. Communication is much more personal in geographic organizational structures. Instead of calling or videoconferencing with olleagues across the globe, it forces employees to sit next to each other to form collaborative teams, values preached by the Baer family. In addition, it allows employees to understand each other’s personalities and work styles. Besides the human capital element, geographic work teams allow BJB-NA to hire leaders familiar with the local business environment, something vital for the relationship-focused private banking industry. Not only will employees understand the client better but the clients will be more comfortable around employees who share similar interests and culture.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, as suggested by Aritotle

The writer with whom I felt rapport was presenting his argument in a clear and consistent way, backing each point with relevant and sufficient evidence. The writer did not attempt to manipulate the reader, and the text contained no apparent bias. On the contrary, a writer who employs every trick to persuade the reader seems far less credible. Writer’s credibility ca be analyzed through the prism of three classical modes of persuasion — Ethos (appeal to authority), Pathos (appeal to emotion), and Logos (appeal to logic), as suggested by Aritotle (1989).As concerns Ethos, audience tends to believe speakers that elicit respect and demonstrate their credibility. Personal qualities that render speakers such credibility encompass a sense of wisdom (phronesis), goodwill (eunoia), and strong moral character (arete). Pathos, for its part, implies that a speaker possesses the ability to arouse strong feeling and emotional reactions in his or her listeners. While Aristotle acknowl edges the importance of the aforementioned modes of persuasion, he strongly deems that Logos is the most important and effective.Logical corollaries and evidences presented in a clear and consistent manner should persuade the reader of the effectiveness of the speaker’s thesis rater than author’s impressive credentials or emotional appeal. No doubt, writer’s qualification and expertise play a role, yet well structured argument is of greater importance to me. I would rather believe a talented university student offering an interesting and well researched thesis than a world famous professor arguing that global warming is a myth. Therefore, the most important aspects of persuasive writing are logic, evidence, and structure.

Application for the Georgetown University Personal Statement

Application for the Georgetown University - Personal Statement Example The Georgetown University’s (GU) Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service has been deemed as the most appropriate academic endeavor that fits one’s personal and professional goals. I have always been intrigued and genuinely interested in politics since I was young. When I first knew about GU in the 8th grade from various peers whose family members and close of kin have pursued higher education there, I knew it is where I want to graduate from. It has always been my dream school. I am a gregarious individual, competitive and very confident in a positive way. I am a fast learner and manifested consistent eagerness to learn more and to excel in whatever endeavors I delve into. I struggled with my education at first by inadvertently making marginal choices but I appropriately learned from my mistakes. These minor setbacks made me the person I am today and I believe I am a better person who has clearly identified my goals. I am fighting the odds by pursuing Foreign Service, es pecially in my region; but it is my strong contention that through the ideals and values promoted by GU through the School of Foreign Service, I would be an instrumental contributor to our shared commitment for justice, equality and the universal availment of the common good. I am also particularly interested in empowering women and in promoting the value of diversity within conformity and adherence to ethical, moral and legal standards. I honestly believe that by being accepted to the program, I would be on my way to fulfilling a crucial task of doing what has originally been destined for me – all for the glory of God.

The Relationship between Fashion and Art Assignment

The Relationship between Fashion and Art - Assignment Example This assignment discusses if the fashion belongs in an art gallery, how the fashion and art collision are defined. To identify the similarities and differences of fashion and the field of art, the research will focus on the changes that the industry has experienced over the last 10 years. Starting from the year 2005, it will be possible to observe the historical transformation of the two fields and examine any relationship between the two. The main focus of this research is to identify the difference between art and fashion and the way the two relate. Over history, the topic of the relationship between fashion and art has been of great importance. A controversy exists among scholars as some agree that fashion and art are close to each other while others believe that they are two different fields. Those who support the idea say that fashion is a manifestation of art and the two change in the same style. They are dynamic and they have to change with time. Those who view fashion and art as separate entities explain that Art produces ugly things that become beautiful with time, while fashion produces beautiful things that become ugly with time. On this note, there seems to be no major concession on whether there is a major relationship between fashion and art. By focusing on this topic, it will be possible to focus on the question of when fashion can be seen as art or vice versa. As a student of films and arts, the concept of fashion and art are relevant and one must have a clear understanding.

Film analysis with historical references - Cidade de Deus (City of Research Paper

Film analysis with historical references - Cidade de Deus (City of God) (2002) - Research Paper Example The book was written by Paulo Lins, who was born in 1958 in Estacio, a black district of Rio, close to the docks; and later was rehoused in the City of God after the disastrous floods of 1966 (Lamnews, 2004). Living in the broken city with almost no infrastructure, Paulo experienced the dark side of the favela – the local gangsters, drug dealers, murders and thefts. The book was later turned into a feature film in 2003 that was critically acclaimed around the world, was nominated for four Academy Awards and gave a deep insight on the burning issue in Latin America – youth violence, crime and drugs (Oliveira, 2009). This write-up attempts to analyze the movie Cidade de Deus (City of God) in the historical and present context of youth violence and crime in Latin America. The Story of Cidade de Deus (2003) The movie "City of God" opens with a frantic chicken escaping slaughter hounded by a gang of pistol-packing prepubescents. The chase leads the protagonist, photojournali st Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) in the middle of a proxy gunfight between the gangsters and the police. In a way, the first scene depicts the essence of the movie where Rocket is finding his ground between his two worlds. The movie unearths the decline of â€Å"City of God† over the span of 15 years, from a sunbaked ghetto of earth-colored houses having children playing soccer games and petty thievery in front yards into a sinister slum swarming with armed adolescent gangsters dealing in cocaine and murders. In the middle of this change, Rocket narrates his life in the slum, a child of the 60s; he witnesses barbarity, greed, rape and revenge that fuel a catastrophic gang war. The movie is split into three chapters, each drearier and more horrendous than the one before; narrating through parallels, the interweaving destinies of Rocket and his childhood playmates, Li'l Dice (Douglas Silva) who changes his name upon growing up to Li'l Ze (Leandro Firmino da Hora) – an ult ra-violent, psychotic, drug-dealing socio-path. In the 70s, Li’l Ze’s only link to humanity is his lieutenant Benny (Phillipe Haagensen) whose murder leads him to be even more ferocious. Apart from dealing in hard drugs and combating with other gangs and police, Li'l Ze also â€Å"grooms† pre-teenagers (â€Å"Runts†) by supplying weapons and making them snoopers. A decade later, Li'l Ze's finds his empire threatened by the very Runts who rebel against his authority. It all builds up to a shootout between Li'l Ze and a rival gang leader Knockout Ned (Seu Jorge), a peaceable bus-fare collector turned avenger after Li'l Ze rapes his girlfriend and shoots his brother. Rocket, on the other hand, despite living in the middle of violence, escapes from the criminal life through his passion for photography. His sensational photo of Li'l Ze and his posse ends up on the front page of a newspaper. Surprisingly, Rocket is encouraged by the publicity-hungry thug to be his court photographer. Most of the movie's final bloodbath is witnessed through his camera's lens. The narration of City of God uses many close-up shots, extreme close-up shots and flash backs making the movie very gripping. Gangs and Crime in Latin America Youth gangs are among the core features of the landscape of violence in Latin America and the Caribbean. Known by many names, pandillas, maras, bandas, galeras, quadrilhas, barras, chapulines, they are permeating throughout the territory, and are

Congestive Heart Failure Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Congestive Heart Failure - Case Study Example The patient history demonstrates that he smokes 1.5 packs every day. The patient has been smoking for 35 years. The patient’s smoking is one of the risk factors which predisposed him to his heart condition. Moreover, the patient is an occasional drinker which predisposed him to his heart problem. In addition, lack of proper exercise and failure to adhere to a healthy diet. Psychological stress would also be among the risk factors predisposing the patient to his heart condition. The patient is currently on ECASA, Isosorbide dinitrate, Metoprolol, Nitroglycerin, and Glyburide. The current treatment is aimed at relieving of symptoms of the patient’s heart condition, prevention of worsening of the condition. The current treatment is also aimed at treating the condition of the patient. The drug indications for the patient include ECASA which contains aspirin as an active ingredient. This drug is effective and appropriate for the relief of pain related to heart conditions. Mo reover, ECASA is effective in the prevention of possible inflammation to the heart which would worsen the condition of the patient. The indication for isosorbide dinitrate is appropriate for the management of the patient’s condition because this drug is effective in the prevention of chest pain related to heart conditions especially angina. Nonetheless, isosorbide dinitrate has adverse effects such as lightheadedness, flushing, and headache which must be taken into consideration in the management of the condition.  Ã‚  ... Metoprolol acts through blockage of beta-adrenergic receptors of heart muscles. This illustrates that metoprolol is effective in preventing the complication of the patient’s condition into heart failure as a result of adrenergic stimulation. It is however important to note that drug interaction of metoprolol with digoxin and calcium channel blockers would result in excessive reduction of blood pressure. Therefore counter indications must be provided during the prescription of metoprolol for the patient’s condition. Nitroglycerin is an appropriate vasodilator which is indicated for the treatment of the patient’s congestive heart failure. Glyburide which acts to lower the glucose levels in blood is an appropriate indication for the patient’s heart condition. This is because glyburide acts as an adjunct to exercise and diet. Since the patient is short of breath, exercising would not be viable and hence the appropriateness of glyburide as one of the medication s for the management of his heart problem. The dosages of these medications as provided in the indication are appropriate for the adult patient. Nonetheless the condition of the patient would influence possible adjustments to the treatment. In order to ensure that the patient adheres to the medication, the health care provider must ensure compliance by encouraging the patient to take the drugs. This would be achieved by explaining the importance of adhering to the dosages and the possible side effects that are related to the drug. When the patient is presented with the possible side effects, he would be enabled to selective alternative drugs for the management of the