College stress

College stress BY JoshuaB662 classes, scheduling issues to coordinate, difficult tests and other academic obstacles, coupled with the more independent nature of the college learning structure, many new and returning students find themselves studying long, hard hours. Social Stress While college freshmen face the most obvious social challenges that usually involve leaving one's entire support structure behind, creating a new social network, dealing with being away from home for the first time and finding less parental support, most tudents face social stress.Finding and living with a roommate, balancing friends with school work (and often part-time Jobs), and dealing with the dynamics of young adult relationships can all be difficult, and these challenges can lead to significant stress. Other Stresses There are also many miscellaneous stresses that often come from college life. Many students keep crazy hours from staying up late to study, getting up early for classes, and trying to cr am in all the work and fun that can possibly fit. Often the logistics of iving more independently†from laundry to car insurance†can cause stress.New students deal with missing home and more seasoned students may wonder if they're in the right major. Most students struggle with who they are and where theyd like to be, at least at some point in their college career. The Impact of Stress What affect do these issues have on students? Just as everyone deals with stress in a unique way, college students experience a range of consequences from stress, from mild to severe. Here are some of the common effects of stress: Experience of StressOne of the most commonly felt consequences of college stress is a feeling of being overwhelmed. While trying to find a balance of how hard to work (and play), many college students struggle with perfectionism or unhealthy habits like heavy drinking. Weight Issues Partially because of stress and partially because of other social and practical is sues faced by college students, many struggle with their weight. Many gain 10-20 pounds around their first year (weight gain known as the Freshman 15), and others lose weight unintentionally, or struggle with eating disorders. Dropout Rate College Stress One important factor of college stress on students leading to suicide is academic linked issues in college. Firstly, college means higher education demanding for a number of assignments, tests and projects which is just sufficient for students to commit suicide particularly when exams are round the corner. Every semester has two or more quizzes, group assignments and case study for each subject which is worth so much Of marks that you don't want to lose it.Next, world has become very competitive so in order for one to shine in that world requires a lot of hardwood to make homeless different from others. Everyone is in the race of being the number ‘one'. In addition, students give up hope thinking that if they don't do well academically they are not worth anything, but they don't realize that living with hope motivates oneself to be somebody in life. It is very hard for one to adopt new environment, new responsibilities and to be exposed to the world of competition.There is a va st difference between school life and college life, for example, unlike college, secondary students are usually upon-fed by their class teachers that is everything given in hand by teachers whether its notes or any announcements. So to be able to adopt this environment is itself a challenge. Living with family means less responsibility on students' shoulders Some students stay away from their families means more responsibilities which sums up level of stress in college for example, mothers usually chase their children around for food but living in a hostel or without parents means prepare everything by themselves.Sometimes assignments really gets jammed up over the schedule that many students stay up late at night and study long hours and getting up early for classes. This is really traumatic. Depression is a very common form of stress among adolescents. It can be in a form of finance and life circumstances. Its one of the major reasons of the increasing number of suicides. Unlike s chools, college expenses are much higher which some parents can't afford, directly or indirectly it puts students under great pressure.Secondly, we often ear or experience that students might not be able to clear examinations therefore he/she may have to repeat that subject or even the entire semester which is really embarrassing and depressing. Having mentioned it earlier due to some financial situation or life circumstances, student may have fear of being dropout from the institution. Many students do not understand how great an impact this stress can have on their happiness and overall behavior. Suicide has now become a trend caused by college stress which many adolescents follow.

Facts and Inferences

F&I Page 1 Facts & Inferences Richard Melton 2/01/13 Fundamentals of Interpersonal Communications – 97 Zelda Togun F&I Page 2 Facts & InferencesIt was a real â€Å"eye opener† to see how much people make inferences when they aren’t sure what the real facts are. I noticed that even though I was taking notes and looking for inferences I am guilty of making them myself. For example, my best friends’ husband is at home all the time and they struggle to pay their bills. My friend is always asking me to loan her money. I was talking to my sister about it and I told her I thought my friends’ husband was lazy and shouldn’t be relying on her to take care of him.My sister agreed and we left it at that. Later on that day my best friend called me and asked if I could help her till next payday. I said sure and asked her why her husband isn’t working. She told me he has bipolar disorder and can’t hold a job, he has tried numerous times but has difficulty concentrating. They were in the middle of applying for S. S. I and that it was a long drawn out process. He is very ashamed of it and that’s why nobody knows about it.I should of thought it through when I was talking to my sister before I made the inference that he was lazy. Now that I know the truth I feel really bad for talking about him that way. F&I Page 3 References: Wood, Julia T. (2010). â€Å"Interpersonal Communication-7th Edition†. Boston, MA. Wadsworth; Cengage Learning.

Plato, Descartes and the Matrix Essay

After obtaining knowledge from the Matrix, Plato’s Allegory of the Cave or The Republic and the first Mediation from Descartes, I see that there are a few likenesses and contrasts. I would need to say that The Matrix and Plato’s hole purposeful tale were more comparable because the individuals included in both stories, they existed in this present reality where they were being cheated about what the fact of the matter was. In the Matrix, once Neo saw this present reality and that all that he thought was true was really a hallucination, is very much alike to the shadows on the dividers of the surrender that the prisoners saw in Plato’s Allegory of the hole. In both stories, both characters could encounter reality as well as the phony world and was given opportunity to see reality and were confounded. Nonetheless, the detainee in Plato’s story in the wake of picking up this new information let others in servitude know of his recently discovered learning however felt that the first truth was less demanding to with the exception to. Then again Neo in The Matrix chose he needed to realize what the right truth was. Both characters were intrigued by figure out reality however they recognized reality in an unexpected way. Plato thought it was fundamental for the affixed man in the Allegory of the Cave required to escape from the hole to look for reality. Socrates portrays a gathering of individuals who have lived anchored to the divider of a buckle the greater part of their lives, confronting a transparent divider. The individuals watch shadows anticipated on the divider by things passing before a blaze behind them and start to attribute structures to these shadows. As indicated by Socrates, the shadows are as close as the detainees get to review the reality. He then clarifies how the savant is similar to a detainee who liberated from the hollow and comes to comprehend that the shadows on the divider are not constitutive of reality whatsoever, as he can see the genuine type of reality as opposed to the minor shadows seen by the detainees. Descartes considers and rejects the likelihood that my faculties could just lead me adrift. We research situations when we have been tricked by our faculties, through the activity of those extremely same faculties. However, wouldn’t I be able to be envisioning now, and not understand this? This theory is hard to negate, on the off chance that you permit that a  Ã¢â‚¬Å"fantasy† require not be disconnected and unreasonable. It is coherently conceivable to have an intelligible dream where, for instance, I am in Sheffield, at my machine, composition a consummately or at any rate sensibly mindful response to Ask a Philosopher, regardless of the fact that such dreams happen just seldom if whatso ever. Coherent probability is everything Descartes needs. This is what might as well be called the Matrix situation. As a general rule, while I form my answer, I am dozing in a â€Å"unit† having encounters sustained specifically to my mind by a super-machine. The Matrix speculation is hard to negate. However it still isn’t sufficient for Descartes’ reasons. Since, even on this speculation, certain key convictions stay unchallenged. Specifically, the conviction that there exists a universe of material questions in space. The presence of a physical world is one of the essential suppositions of the Matrix story. That is the reason Descartes makes the additional stride of imaging a capable, non-physical sagacity fit for creating the knowledge of ‘an universe of material protests in space’ in me, despite the fact that in all actuality no such world exists. A fiendishness evil spirit. Anyhow how â€Å"wicked† is this spirit, truly? Berkeley took Descartes’ contention for uncertainty and stood it on its head: nothing could possibly consider confirmation of the presence of ‘matter’, on the grounds that all we ever have is ‘experience’. All that exists, in extreme the truth, is God and ‘limited souls’ similar to us who have encounters that God delivers in us. – When you gaze out at the world you are taking a gander at within God’s thoughts. Ignorance is bliss of illusion when we have security in the unknown of danger. It’s when we establish the danger we want to return to the ignorance to regain the safety. The very nature of man is to need what he doesn’t have. All promoting was focused around that start. You have an auto; however, you don’t have another auto or that auto that was constantly publicized. The very nature of all creatures is â€Å"Fight or Flight.† When they exited the hole – they didn’t have the security of the cavern. So as I studied that story, they came back to the hollow. Security is a manifestation of solace however is not acknowledged until we have lost it – or expects that we will lose it-. The extent that obliviousness, the greater part of us does not feel we are uninformed. We are and need to be unmindful of something else we would go insane. For example, might you want to know the date and time of your  passing? In the event that you realized that, it would cloud any of your problems. You could presumably consider nothing else, irregularly. That information would overpower you. Study the passing line convicts. Obliviousness is most happy when we don’t know we are incorrect yet think we recognize what we are doing – or we think we are on the whole correct. We weren’t sheltered when we fail to offer particular knowledge of looming dangers, yet we feel safe when we don’t think about those risks. To be certain are beliefs are true to ourselves we must firs t pretend that they are not and then begin to question their truths. Descartes argued that our customary knowledge of the world can’t give the sort of ensured establishment on which all other information could be based. We are frequently disillusioned to discover that what we have been taught are simply biases, or that what our faculties let us know is erroneous. That ought to make us ponder about whether the various things that we think are clear may moreover be mixed up. With a specific end goal to test whether what we think we know is genuinely right, Descartes recommends that we embrace a strategy that will dodge slip by following what we know back to a firm establishment of indubitable convictions. Obviously, it is conceivable that there are no totally unshakeable truths. It is additionally conceivable that we may find that our partialities can’t be uprooted or that convictions we think are extreme establishments for all our different convictions are not so much extreme whatsoever. The purpose of our contemplations is to test those convictions, regardless of the possibility that we have held them for quite a while. Furthermore that assess toward oneself will take a true effort. In request to figure out if there is anything we can know with conviction, Descartes says that we first need to uncertainty all that we know. Such a radical uncertainty may not appear sensible, and Descartes positively does not imply that we truly ought to uncertainty everything. What he recommends, however, is that with a specific end goal to check whether there is some conviction that can’t be questioned, we ought to incidentally imagine that all that we know is faulty. This misrepresentation is what is known as a speculative uncertainty. To verify that we consider the affectation important, Descartes recommends that there may be great contentions to believe that such questioning is defended and along these lines more than just something we ought to put on a show to do. His  contentions fall into two classifications: those pointed against our sense encounters and our supposition that we can recognize being conscious and envisioning, and those pointed against our thinking capabilities themselves. http://philosophy.tamu.edu/~sdaniel/Notes/descar1.html

The best sister in the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The best sister in the world - Essay Example The researcher will begin with the statement that sometimes he thinks that it is amazing that while we look for companionship and friendship, outside the confines of our home, our best sources of support and joy are placed by providence right at the place we live and love. At least it happened to him. The author’s sister Fatimah is 25 years old and they are more of friends than merely being siblings. Fatimah is his best friend and whenever he feels lonely or alone, she turns out to be a constant source of companionship. Though the author prefers solitude over socializing, still he must say that he never like to be alone. Fatimah has a beautiful way of making him feel loved and cherished. The researcher feels really wonderful and happy, whenever he is with her. She always makes the author feel that somebody is there for him, who will stand by him whenever he is stressed and lonely. Both of them share fond memories of the experiences we had while we were traveling in Lebanon, th e country where she was studying for her degree. Fatimah is a biologist. She graduated from the American University of Beirut (AUB).   There is no denying the fact that Fatimah happens to be one big influence on the author’s social skills and interpersonal communication. Having a stable relationship with his sister and being able to convey to her all that the author thinks or feels has made him an independent and confident person. The researcher feels really easy to open up with others while he is moving in the outside world. It was owing to Fatimah that a lot many things turned out to be better and beneficial for the author. It had been solely owing to Fatimah that the author had been able to get over his juvenile hesitations and have learned to open up to other people. The biggest delight that Fatimah holds for the author is the opportunity he gets to share his ideas with her. The researcher has many dreams and goals, and Fatimah has always encouraged him in whatever ende avor he engage in by extending her true and honest opinion. The researcher shares such a sense of camaraderie with Fatimah that even during our childhood, they used to dress up alike. The researcher must say that both of them share a salubrious and benign relationship with each other. He is always there, whenever Fatimah needs him and she receives the author’s help and advice not only as a brother but also as a worthy an imitable role model. They both harbor much ambition in their hearts. Besides, both of them love their family a lot and do their best to make their family happy, especially their parents. The researcher does believe that good idea are of no use if they are not put into practical action. So Fatimah always diligently encourages him to weave goals and aspirations around the good ideas that the author share with her. This brings in a kind of accountability into the researcher’s life and always stimulates him to work to the best of his capacity. Besides, the author does know that Fatimah is always there to help him sort out the problems that he comes across in his academic life.

The Music Industry and Copyright Issue in The Digital Phase Essay

The Music Industry and Copyright Issue in The Digital Phase - Essay Example Warner Music Group captures 27% of market share, which makes it the 2nd largest in the world. Sony Music Entertainment captures 14% of the world market share after it formed Sony/BMG following a merger with Bertelsmann, which was later dissolved in 2008 with Sony now operating as Sony Corporation’s subsidiary. EMI, which is based in the UK, has a 5% market share and is the smallest of the major record labels. While these four record labels dominate the music industry, there are independent companies that require mention. These companies include Koch, EDC, Zomba, Edel Music, and Bad Boy Entertainment (Morton & Koufteros, 2008: p502). Nature of Problem Over the last decade, the recorded music industry has been shrinking. Although it has been shrinking, consumption of music is higher than it was ten years ago, especially led by technological advances and new models of business. Every major record label has reported losses on a consistent basis over the last decade and, unless the re is a radical action, the trend is unlikely to stop (Altschuller & Benbunan-Fich, 2009: p52). Sales of physical CDs have declined to half of what they approximately were in 2000 with sales of digital music on the internet unable to cover for this particular decline. Revenue fell by 6.2% in 2010 as digital music sales expanded physical CD sales fell, and music piracy on the internet was made worse by consumer sentiment and poor economic conditions. Since the late 90s and early 2000s, technology has had a major effect on most industries. Illegal file sharing and the advent of MP3 technologies has had a negative effect on their revenues and is now regarded the beginning of the music industry’s decline (Altschuller & Benbunan-Fich,... This "The Music Industry and Copyright Issue in The Digital Phase" essay outlines how the Internet has changed music business. New services that were earlier unavailable to the consumer because of technological limitations have now become viable revenue streams, although they are not viable. The new products and services created for the music consumer include mobile services, streaming services, subscription services, and digital downloads (Mertens, 2010: p665). Digital downloads have accounted for approximately 50% since 2010, of total music sales, which is representative of more than 60% of the total business on the digital platform. Currently, iTunes is the major player in this market, which accounts for approximately 70% of worldwide sales of digital distribution. At a price of $0.99 compared to $13 for physical sales, this has had a negative impact on revenues. Subscription services give the music consumer the option of getting as much music as they want during purchase. The mus ic consumer will pay the service provider a fee in exchange for the ability to listen, as well as download the number of tracks they wish. However, this model is disadvantageous to the consumer since; even though, they pay a fee for this music they do not have ownership of the music once the subscription expires (Mertens, 2010: p665). Major players in this sector include Rhapsody and Napster. Streaming services, while offering the consumer the ability to listen to the music they want drastically reduces the revenues of the music companies.

Organ donation ( think of something intresting for the title) Essay

Organ donation ( think of something intresting for the title) - Essay Example In contrast, the proposed presumed-consent system presumes that an individual is willing to donate unless they opt-out by withdrawing their sanction (Brezina, pg 48). To deal with rising organ shortage, champions of presumed consent argue that it will lead to a substantial rise in number of would-be donors since it will be a suggestion of automatic donation to those who have not conveyed requests to the contrary. They also point out that the burden of determining whether to donate bestowed on relatives in traumatic period will be lifted. Its proponents have also pointed out that presumed consent preserves the spirit of selflessness among Americans. Besides implying that some European countries like Sweden and Spain are a success story in using this model, they point out that presumed consent augments the right of an indivigual to choose what occurs to them after death (Brezina, pg 52). Proponents of this model have faced an equal measure of criticism. While this model hypothetically preserves individual’s independence, it is still coercive. It therefore follows that it is an individual’s responsibility to ensure that the government does not obtain their organs upon death. As this model may increase the number deceased donors since many people will avoid deciding on a matter that can be traumatic and challenging to contemplate, it may be regarded by some people as an affront to individual’s civil liberties. This can lead to a hostile response against organ donation (Brezina, pg 50). This model can also be perceived as being religiously or culturally indifferent. Under presumed consent, the deceased are presumed to be organ donors lest they specify otherwise. Therefore such donations will be deemed ethically appropriate if established that an individual were conscious of the presumption and that the mechanisms for honoring and documenting refusals are effective and certainly available. Critics of presumed consent further point

Export Strategy for an Organisation Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Export Strategy for an Organisation - Coursework Example Certain recommendations have been provided to AEC so that it can export avocados in the business markets of Netherlands successfully. Moreover, certain challenges have also been depicted that the company might face while exporting the fruit especially in the Dutch business market. It can be affirmed that the proper execution of the stated recommendations would eventually aid AEC in exporting avocados in the business markets of Netherlands with utmost profitability and productivity. Recommendations After having a potential and a broad capture of Middle and South-East Asia business market, AEC can desire to expand its operations in other regions of the world. In this similar concern, an export strategy would be developed for the company for its intention towards exporting avocado in a particular European nation i.e. Netherlands. Netherlands is often viewed to be one of the richest nations in the world and possesses greater per capita income. These facets eventually make Netherlands to be an idle place as export destination, especially in relation to the case of health benefit products like avocado. Avocado is duly considered as one of the nutritious fruits as compared to others. Considering from a general standpoint, most of the countries often seek for obtaining nutritious food products and thus, Netherlands can be the suitable place for the export of the fresh avocados. Also the people of Netherlands are recognised to be quite health conscious, resulting in supporting AEC towa rds exporting this product in the targeted European nation of Netherlands. It can be apparently observed both the nations possess better international trade relation, which would eventually aid in exporting the product to the targeted nation (CBI Market Information Database, n.d.). Background Auspak Avocados, established in the year 2009 is regarded as an Australian based company holding the mission of becoming a foremost leader especially in exporting fresh avocados from Australia. The company is trading as Avocados Export Company (AEC), situated in Brisbane, Queensland and is owned by a group belonging to the growers, packers along with the marketers of avocado across Australia. The company has been viewed to employ technology driven producers and utilise modern packaging facilities in order to ensure better customer satisfaction. The company tends to build as well as develop effective business affiliation based upon the aspects of mutual trust and respect. The company accounts ne arly about 60 % of the production of Australian avocado with emphasising exporting fresh avocados to the international business markets. AEC has become a key player in both South and Middle-East regions of Asia. Moreover, the company has positioned itself as a global leader in the export industry in terms of volume, quality and supply of avocados to the international consumers. The excellent quality of Australian avocados signifies huge demand of this particular fruit in all regions of the globe. With all credentials, AEC is already exporting Avocados in Singapore, Thailand, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Malaysia and Hong Kong. The logistics system of the company has supported it to become a reliable source of year round supply of high quality avocados. The company follows effective strategies in order to en

Story Response #3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Story Response #3 - Assignment Example He fell in love with her reasons beyond her schoolwork and the fact that he thought she knew much despite her tender age of thirteen. At first, the story seemed confusing. Why was it that Hannah chose on this boy and not any other in the class? It is not clear that they are close friends in as much as he was willing to bend down rules so as to please Hannah who had caught his attention. It would be best preferred if the central character explain to him what the makeup kit entailed and to whom he was to take to. It was shocking when he later came to realize the Mick guy in the B-building was Hannah’s boyfriend. He realized he is an innocent culprit whom the teachers would not suspect quickly. Next time, if the boy would fall in love with a woman, I find it useful to lay down the intentions first and let the lady decide. These could best come out if only he told Hannah the real feelings, she would not have taken him for a friend been used to do dirty business in the name of a boyfriend who got arrested

Islamic ART Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Islamic ART - Essay Example One of the fundamental features of Islamic art that sets the tone for the bulk of the collection (though the objects on display are not all Islamic, with also Christian cultures like Egyptian Copts being represented) is the tendency for aniconism, which means unacceptability of images featuring God (for Islam doesn’t actually have a clear visual representation of the latter), human beings or animals. Since the dawn of Islam, the God was perceived as a â€Å"great shaper†, i.e. the only one entitled to endow shape to living beings; thus, the person painting the latter literally encroached divine powers of the God (___). Given strong aniconistic tendencies, Islamic art had another focal features contributing to its authentic nature: these are lavish use ornamentation – predominantly geometric elements and various floral ornaments – and extensive use of Islamic calligraphy. As the objects of art show us, calligraphy is not only a purely practical phenomenon, but also a peculiar Islamic art, a significant cultural attribute of Islam playing an essential role in artistic representations of Islamic culture throughout history. Probably, calligraphy is what would definitely help distinguish an Islamic art object from others, along with orations and lavishness in adornment. This field of Islamic art formed on the basis of Qur’an copying and is therefore the seminal and inseparable part of Islam itself; moreover, Arabic is considered sacred, for it is the language of the Qur’an revelation to the Prophet and is the means for preservation and communication of the message of God. First used for religious purposes only, it later transformed into art and became an integral part of visual art. The Met exhibition features an enormous number of Qur’an folios that were created in different periods beginning with the rule of Umayyads and later. Particularly, a good example of a Qur’an

Components of atmosphere Essay Example for Free

Components of atmosphere Essay The main components of atmosphere are almost invariant. However, the content of water vapor is an exception that it varies with the changing of location, season and time. Oxygen and water vapor plays a significant role on the processes of atmospheric corrosion. Therefore, atmospheric corrosion can be classified in the following three categories: Dry corrosion Damp corrosion Wet corrosion Component Percent/% Component Percent/% Component Percent/% Atmosphere 100 H2O. Components of atmosphere (Impurity excluded, 10? ) 2. 1 Dry corrosion In the absence of significant water vapor, many common metals develop films of oxide. In the presence of traces of gaseous pollutants, copper, silver and other non-ferrous metals undergo film formation which is known as tarnishing. The tarnishing of silver in air is well-known. Tarnishing by hydrogen sulfide may be retarded by moisture if present in very small amounts. 2. 2 Damp Corrosion Damp corrosion would occur only when the relative humidity reaches 70% which is considered generally as the critical value for the onset of corrosion. The precise level of critical humidity varies with the type of contaminants, such as dust and salt particles, and the composition of metals. For instance, in the presence of marine salts corrosion is stimulated at lower values of relative humidity. The difference between the damp and wet environment is very narrow and it is more representative of a climatic condition rather than the magnitude of corrosion. Damp environments promote the corrosion of most metals. Water saturated with dissolved gases, such as CO2, H2S and SO2, cause severe corrosion of iron and steels, copper, nickel, silver and other non-metallic materials and alloys. For example, silver loses its luster and develops a tarnished film of sulfide on coming in contact with H2S, and copper develops tints and becomes black. In agricultural areas abundance of ammonia, particularly during the rainy seasons, subjects copper fittings to seasonal cracking and causes serious damage to water distribution systems. 2. 3 Wet Corrosion This is the most frequently observed form of atmospheric corrosion, where the water layers or pockets are formed on the metal surface, and the metal surface remains constantly in contact with water. The rate of corrosion would depend on the solubility of the corrosion product. Higher solubility means a higher rate of corrosion, because the dissolved ions increase the electrolytic conductivity. In case of alternate dry and wet conditions, the dry corrosion product film may absorb moisture from the air which increases the rate of corrosion of the metal by bringing the moisture in contact with the metal surface. Patina formation on copper, such as brochantite, and corrosion of iron and steel structures are common examples of corrosion caused by wet atmosphere.

Management and leadership styles

Management and leadership styles Introduction Nike has been finding it difficult to find a replacement for Philip Knight, the founder and long time CEO of the organization. The purpose of this report is to explore possible management and leadership styles in relation to William Perezs role as the new CEO of Nike. This report identifies the processes related to change management and guides Perez through organizational transformation processes in order for him to be able to fulfil his role as CEO of Nike. This report stresses the importance of organizational development and transformation. Issues addressed in this report include the culture of the organization, different leadership styles, the structure of the organization, the processes of organizational development and future recommendations. Organizational Transformations primary goal is to help an organisation become more healthy and effective, especially during change. The key custodians of organisation health are not the internal or external HR or OD specialist; they are the organisations leaders and managers. Holbeche, L (08-09). Organizational Development Organizational development is a planned approach to organizational change designed to enable an organization to respond and adapt to changing market conditions and to set a new agenda. Organizational development is frequently linked to organization structure, which can act either as an enabling or restrictive mechanism for change. For organizational development to succeed, any policies or strategies introduced must fit with the corporate culture. In practice, Organizational Development can take on many forms, and typical OD activities can include some of the following: Team-building Organizational assessments Career development Training e-Learning Coaching Innovation Leadership development Talent management Change management Organizational Culture Culture is comprised of the assumptions, values, norms of organization members and their behaviours. Members of an organization soon come to sense the particular culture of an organization. Edgar H. Schein stresses that, When one brings culture to the level of the organization and even down to groups within the organization, one can see clearly how culture is created, embedded, evolved, and ultimately manipulated, at the same time, how culture constrains, stabilizes, and provides structure and meaning to the group members. These dynamic processes of culture creation and management are the essence of leadership and make one realize that leadership and culture are two sides of the same coin. Organizational change has a low success rate and it is critically important to get it right, this is support by Cameron who states that, The failure rate of most planned organizational change initiatives is dramatic. It is well known, for example, that as many as three-quarters of reengineering, total quality management, strategic planning and downsizing efforts have failed entirely or have created problems serious enough that the survival of the organization was threatened. According to Edgard Schein, Organizational learning, development and planned change cannot be understood without considering culture as the primary source of resistance to change. Culture can be broken down in to three levels, artifacts, espoused values and basic assumptions and values. Artifacts are the surface, the aspects which can be easily identified but hard to understand. Artifacts include the manners of address, the type of language used, the dress code. It is vital not to judge solely by the Artifacts, one may see Google staff as laid back, enjoying their time at work, having fun and jump to the conclusion that they are inefficient, this being far from the truth. Artifacts also include buildings, furnishings, settings, PR, rituals, Mission, stated values and technology. Beneath artifacts are the Espoused Values, these are the conscious strategies, goals and philosophies and ideology of the organization. The essence of culture is represented by the basic underlying assumptions and values which are difficult to discern because they are largely at an unconscious level. This is also known as the hidden beliefs and assumptions or shared tacit assumptions. Nike has had an evolutionary culture as opposed to a revolutionary culture. It has developed over many years without great intervention or change. Most of the key employees have been with Nike for many years and outsides sense they have their way of doing things. Nike is based on authenticity. Perez must ensure Nike is prepared for organizational change and that this is correctly implemented. As Drucker argues, a good organization structure might not always bring about a good performance, but a bad organization structure makes a good performance impossible no matter how good the workforce is. Perez must understand Nikes core values and maintain them, things like the association of Nike with key sportsmen from around the world and targeting the athletics segment of the clothing industry. Leadership Styles Leadership plays an important role in any organizations development. The personality of the leader and his style of leadership can determine the extent to which the organization will develop. Perez needs to be visionary and have the ability to influence others in order to bring about the required change to Nike. The leader can either reduce resistance to change, or increase the pressures for change, or be a pressure for change. Knight would have helped shape the organizational culture; he has his own effect on Nikes culture based on experiences and personality. In order for employees to be more efficient Perez must provide staff with a spirit of involvement, motivate them through co-operation and be willing to learn from the organization. Analysing different styles of leadership will help improve understanding and recommend which style Perez must adopt. Different leadership styles include: Authoritarian, Participative, Laissez fair also known as Delegative or Genuine. Authoritarian This style is where leaders tell their employees what to do and how to do it without consulting or negotiating with employees. This is often found within the army on the battlefield or by a chef in a kitchen. It is not to be confused with bossing people around, the leaders that adopt this style often need to and it can be the best style in particular situations. If the leader has time and wants to increase moral, motivate the employees and gain more commitment then they should use the participative style. Participative The participative leadership style, also known as democratic, involves the leader including one or more employees in the decision making process. Despite the fact that the leader consults with employees or managers to determine what to do and how to do it the leader maintains the final decision making authority. Leaders that adopt this style gain the respect of their employees. Laissez-fair Laissez fair or the management style of delegation style is often seen as giving a free reign to employees. The leader allows the employees to make decisions. However, the leader is still responsible for the decisions made. Employees are able to analyse the situation they are confronted with and decide what needs to be done and how to accomplish it. The leader cannot do everything therefore delegates tasks and prioritization responsibilities. This style is frequently used where the leader knows and trusts his managers. A good leader uses all three styles, dependent upon the situations requirements. For example Perez could adopt the authoritarian style of leadership with new employees, in order to form them to fit their job role and develop/settle in more rapidly. He may use the participative style with a team of workers, though he knows the problem he may not have all the information, the employees have faced this situation before and can be left to handle it. Perez can adopt the delegative approach when confronted with a situation where the employees know more than him. For example with a team of workers that have a highly specialized tasks, such as those in the RD department. They know their job and are best left to do it, provided they have proved their efficiency together and have previously made correct decisions, acting responsibly. The leadership style adopted by Philip Knight was mostly the genuine/laissez-fair style of leadership. Many of the employees had matured by his side through the years, he had given his managers the freedom to make their own decisions and this had been proved efficient for Nike. The structure of the Organization The organizational structure is the formal system of task and reporting relationships that controls, coordinates and motivates employees so that they can cooperate to achieve the organizations goals. Structure enables the organization to apply the process of management and creates a hierarchy of command which makes it clear for employees to identify their roles and tasks they are responsible for within each department. In small organizations there is less complexity than in larger ones, therefore the need for a structure increases with the size of the organization. Drucker argues that good organizational structures do not always lead to good performance but a bad organizational structure makes good performance an impossibility, regardless of how good the employees are. The managers obligation is to create an organizational structure and culture that motivates employees to work hard and develop themselves and allows groups to cooperate effectively. Large organizations are increasingly marginalizing the role of their founders. The founders of both Yahoo Dell have been replaced by professional managers at the shareholders demand. An organization can be split into several divisions such as production, marketing, finance, RD etc. According to Wall (2004) there are five organizational structures, these include: international division structure, international geographic/regional structure, international product structure, international functional structure, matrix or mixed structure. Philip Knight used the Matrix structure. This brings together the functional, geographical and product structures and combines them in an attempt to meet the needs of a specific activity or project. Once that activity or project is completed, the team is often disbanded and return to their original position within the divisional or other structures of the organization. Employees report to different bosses in different departments to accomplish the different tasks. Change Management Management of change theories have been conceptualized to answer how successful change can happen within an organization. It refers to changes in the work environment that necessitates the workforce to make certain adaptations to way they are used to working. The ability of an organization to adapt to change is crucial for successful organizations such as Nike, if not properly implemented the company could face huge difficulties. In order to implement change effectively, barriers such as resistance to change must be successfully removed. The need for organizations to adapt has become vital to their survival, however individuals or groups in different departments have different opinions of how tasks should be carried out therefore a common vision must be shared by all in order for the change to be successful, this can be very time consuming. Organisational Change Management issues are often under-estimated or ignored entirely. In fact, people issues collectively account for the majority of project failures. This survey by KPMG looked at disastrous projects. One of the questions asked for the prime cause of the failure of change implementation. Although the result did not state people as the cause, it is interesting to note that many of the causes were to do with the behaviour and skills of the participants. Arguably all but the technical issues were related to the capabilities, attitudes and behaviour of people. Lewins Three Step Model Lewin (1951) introduced the three step model for successful change management. The first step in the process is called unfreezing the situation. Unfreezing Unfreezing is necessary to overcome individual resistance and group conformity. This can be achieved in three ways. Firstly by increasing the driving forces that direct behaviour away from the situation. Secondly, by decreasing the restraining forces that negatively affect the change. Lastly by finding a combination of the first two methods. These steps can include activities such as motivating the employees by preparing them for the change, encouraging and reassuring them of the need for change and make the employees contribute to the change process by helping identify problems and brainstorming solutions. Movement The second step of Lewins model for change is movement. This transformational process is made up of convincing the employees to agree that the current situation is not beneficial to them and encourage them to look at the problem from another perspective. The employees should know what the change is actually for, most resist because they are not aware why the change is taking place or needed. Refreezing The third step is refreezing, this must take place after the change has been implemented in order for it to be sustainable, otherwise employees can revert back to their old behaviours. This step stabilizes both the driving and the restraining forces. This can be accomplished through the introduction of procedures for the employees. This would also help new employees will find it easier to fit in with the organization. Lippitts Phases of Change Theory Lippitt, Watson and Westley (1958) extended Lewins three step model to include seven steps. This focused more on the role and responsibility of the change agent than on the evolution of the change itself. Lippitts seven steps Diagnosis of the problem Assessing the motivation and capacity for change Assessing the resources and motivation of the change agent. This includes the change agents commitment to change, power and stamina. Choosing progressive change objects. Action plans and developed and strategies established. The roles of the change agents should be chosen and clearly understood by all employees so that the outcomes and expectations are clear. Maintaining the change. Communication, feedback and group coordination are necessary elements. Gradually terminate from the helping relationship. The change agent should gradually withdraw from their role over time. This will happen when the change becomes part of the organizational culture (Lippitt, Watson and Westley 1958-1959). Lewins model is rational and goal oriented. It is however limited because it does not take into account personal factors such as human feelings that can affect the change process. Lippitts Phases of Change is an extension of Lewins Three-Step Theory. The focus is on the change agent rather than the change itself. Lewin analyses the forces that impacts change. Activities Contributing to Effective Change Management. Cummings and Worley (2008) have identified the following activities contributing to effective change management. Motivating change is the phase in the successful implementation of change. Motivation is vital because changing from the norm is regarded as a daunting experience. Employees feel their future in the organization is uncertain. They must feel that the change is necessary, this way they will understand they are part of the change process and help this occur. Creating a vision is the second phase. This is done by the leader and provides a common goal for all employees, allowing them to understand what the change is for and how it will benefit the entire organization. Develop political support. Organizations are made up of powerful individuals and groups that can either block or promote change. Individuals within the organization have different interests, opinions and concerns about how the change may affect their positions and levels of authority within their groups. Leaders and change agents need to gain their support to implement changes. The fourth phase is managing the transition, this is moving from the current state to the future state. This is not an instant process, it needs the organization to discover how to proceed with the implementation of change in to reach the goal. This is done through the planning of special management structures for operating the organization during the transition. Sustaining the momentum is the final stage. When the changes are implemented there must be a continued focus in maintaining them. This phase is the equivalent of Lewins refreezing. The employees might return to their previous behaviours if the changes are not sustained. Resistance to Change Resistance to change is what individuals or groups do when they perceive that a change that might occur is a threat. The risk of change is seen as greater than the risk of standing still. Employees resist change because they have to learn something new. In many case there is not a disagreement with the benefits of the new process, but rather a fear of the unknown future and about their ability to adapt to it. People are reluctant to leave the familiar behind. We are all suspicious about the unfamiliar, we are naturally concerned about how we will get from the old to the new, especially if it involves learning something new and risking failure. Resistance to change is defined as the fear that one will not be able to develop new skills and behaviours that are required in the new working environment. According to Kotter Schlesinger (1979), if an employee has a low tolerance for change, the increased uncertainty that arises as a result of having to perform their job differently would likely cause a resistance to the new way of doing things. An employee may understand that a change is needed, but may be emotionally unable to make the transition and resist for reasons they may not consciously understand. Resistance can be positive in certain situations. Managers see resistance as negative and the employees who resist are regarded as disobedient and obstacles the organization must overcome in order to implement the changes. However, employee resistance can play a positive role in organizational change. Constructive criticism and debate can produce better understanding as well as additional options and solutions. de Jager (2001) claims, the idea that anyone who questions the need for change has an attitude problem is simply wrong, not only because it discounts past achievements, but also because it makes us vulnerable to indiscriminate and ill-advised change. Overcoming Resistance to Change Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) set out six approaches to deal with resistance to change. Education and Communication are essential. One of the best ways to overcome resistance to change is to educate people about the change effort beforehand. Up-front, honest communication and education helps employees see the logic in the change effort, this reduces unfounded and incorrect assumptions and rumours concerning the effects of change in the organization. Participation and Involvement of employees. Where the initiators do not have all the information they need to design the change and where others have considerable power to resist. When employees are involved in the change effort they are more likely to approve change than resist it. Facilitation and Support is important as employees may have adjustment problems, by the managers being supportive at difficult times they can avoid potential resistance. Managerial support helps employees deal with fear and anxiety during a transition period. Special training or counselling can help ensure the staff do not perceive the change as detrimental. Negotiation and Agreements help managers combat resistance through incentives to employees not to resist change. This can be done by allowing change resistors to veto elements of change that are threatening, or change resistors can be offered incentives to leave the company through early buyouts or retirements in order to avoid having to experience the change effort. This approach is appropriate if all else fails and those resisting change are in a position of power. Manipulation and Co-option can be used when other strategies do not work or are too expensive. Kotter and Schlesinger $date$page number- suggest that: an effective manipulation technique is to co-opt with resisters. Co-option involves the patronizing gesture in bringing a person into a change management planning group for appearances rather than their actual contribution. This often involves selecting leaders of the resisters to participate in the change effort. These leaders can be given a symbolic role in decision making without threatening the change effort. Still, if these leaders feel they are being tricked they are likely to push resistance even further than if they were never included in the change effort leadership. Lastly Jotter and Schlesinger argue Explicit and Implicit Coercion can be used. Where circumstances arise that speed is absolutely essential and to be used only as last resort. Managers can explicitly or implicitly force employees into accepting change by making clear that resisting change can lead to losing jobs, firing, transferring or not promoting employees. Conclusion In todays fast paced world the ability to change and innovate is key to survival, the strategic recommendations have been made after thoroughly analysing Nike together with different approaches and strategies from several reputable academics. Change is unavoidable and it is human to resist unknown, however this research shows that with the right preparation and strategic systems in place it is possible to overcome and successfully implement changes which will lead to the organization developing in line with its vision and mission. The recommendations below will support the conclusions drawn from the above analysis and research. Recommendations: On the basis of the above analysis I recommend Perez proceeds with the transformational strategy, while monitoring and revising it periodically. The change must start at the top. Philip Knight had his methods of running the business which have proved successful as received the backing of the employees. Though Perez is experienced he has a very different way of functioning, he cannot expect the employees to follow his lead from day one, he must also adapt to fit into the organization and gain the acceptance of the employees. Perez should familiarize himself with the organization; he must understand the current culture in order to devise a plan to change this. If he tries to bring about change too quickly this will most probably fail as Nike is an organization with a well founded pop culture which developed over decades under Knight. An operations team should be formed and meetings organized in which the requirements should be set-out to enable the employees to be involved, this increasing motivation and provide all stake holders with a sense of ownership of the transformational process. A feedback system needs to be created to help the employees feel more comfortable and know their views are taken into consideration. The transformation process must be transparent with the employees understanding and being involved in the transformation strategy. Adapting the culture successfully will be difficult as many of the employees have spent most of their careers working within Nike, it has become part of who they are, but getting all the employees on board will lessen the resistance to change. The feedback must be monitored, staff confidence levels should be monitored. When they show the first signs of losing faith their problems must rapidly be addressed. Training employees is essential; to encourage motivation, increase self awareness and productivity surrounding their new roles and responsibilities. This will also help sustain the transformation. Perez must agree with Knight exactly what his role in the organization is. This will avoid any problems in the future running of the organization. The responsibilities of both, and the levels of authority must be clear and not overlapping. Founders are often difficult to replace, they see the organization as something they can intervene in whenever they want. This however has proven to be bad for business and has caused some catastrophic events. This has been done to many founders of huge organizations such as Michael Dell within the Dell organization. The founders of Yahoo, Jerry Yang and David Filo are no longer directly involved in the management of the organization. Jerry Yany the ex-CEO has now been given the title of Chief Yahoo and sits on the board. They were replaced by professional managers that the investors saw as more appropriate for the evolution of their organization. Removing Knight from the organization completely may be a difficult task however a clear agreement und erstood by both parties must be reached in order for Perez to be able to successfully take lead of Nike. References Linda Holbeche, CIPD, Director of research and policy http://www.cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/35F49ABC-0436-40D3-B02B-5B6838CCEEF2/0/Impact_28_org_develop_qanda.pdf [Accessed 08/09]. Wall, S. 2004. International Business. p283. Lipptitt, R, Watson, J and Westley. 1958. The Dynamics of Planned Change. Kotter, J. P., Schlesinger, L.A. 1979. Choosing strategies for change. Harvard Business Review de Jager, P. 2001. Resistance to change: a new view of an old problem. The Futurist, Bloisi, W., 2003. Management and organisational Behaviour. McGraw-Hill. Cummings. G, Worley.G,. 1996. Organisation development change. 6th edition, south western college publishing, Cincinnati. Mcshane Von Glinov., 2003. Organisational behaviour. McGraw-Hill Morgan, G., 1997. Images of organisation. Sage. Mullins, L.J., 2007. Management and organisational behaviour. 8th ed. Prentice hall/ Financial times. Rollinson, D. Broadfield, A., 2002. Organisational behaviour and analysis. 2nd ed. Financial times/Prentice hall. Wilson Rosenfield., (1999. Managing organisations. McGraw-Hill. Mullins, L. J., (2007. Management and Organisational Behaviour. 8th ed. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall. Martin, J., 2005. Organisational Behaviour and Management. 3rd ed. London: Thomson. Cummings, T. G. Worley, C.G., 2005. Organization Development and Change. 8th ed. London: Thomson. Schein, E.H., 2004. Organizational culture and Leadership. 3rd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Geotechnical Structure For Basement Car Park

Geotechnical Structure For Basement Car Park Abstract The aim of this design/investigate project is to design a geotechnical structure for a basement car park. The objective of the project is to maximize the parking area available by designing a permanent retaining structure for a basement car park during construction excavation. The various types of retaining structure will be compared and considered first by logical and engineering point of view which includes several aspect includes durability, cost, sustainability and environmental impact. For design purposes, BS EN 1997 -1 :2004 Eurocode 7 is used to design the main retaining structure and temporary works necessary. The design considered Ultimate Limit State of a structure which takes structure stability into accounts. Chapter 1 Introduction Brief Introduction A hotel chain wishes to use land previously serving as a car park for a new accommodation block. Car parking space to service this is to be constructed beneath the new structure. Therefore, a geotechnical retaining structure needed to be design to support the soil during construction and after construction. A plan view and elevation view of the site is given and also list of requirement for this project are given too. Project Design Design of the main retaining walls Design of any temporary work necessary Detail of the Project Site This is an urban Brown Field site. The previous use was known to be low rise domestic structures followed by conversion to a car parking space. The site is flanked on three sides by public highway and a desk study reveals services as indicated in (Figure 1.1) Site Plan. Extensive site investigation has been undertaken in the past. The interpreted geological profile is indicated in Figure 1 too. The interpreted geotechnical design parameters are summarized in Table 1.1. General Arrangement The proposed scheme is shown in plan and sectional elevation in Figure 1. The new extension is to be developed on the existing car parking area and includes an extended basement as indicated. Construction Restraint One of the key constraints concerns the noise and vibration limits imposed. The project requirement is to keep the existing hotel buildings around the proposed structure in full operation throughout the construction period. The limits proposed by the local authority are given in Table 1.2 below. It is also clear that the basement excavation will affect the rafted foundation to the original hotel wing. To ensure that the serviceability of this structure is assured it has been deemed necessary to limit the lateral deflections of the new basement walls at 20 mm into the excavation. The construction site is very close to a public sewer which runs in the highway footpath near one site boundary. Therefore, this aspect had been considered in the final decision for choosing types of retaining structure. Construction Time Rates And Costs As in many construction projects the speed of construction influences overall cost. In this case it is essential that the new hotel is operational in the minimum possible of time. Notional construction costs and time rates are indicated in Table 3. These figures have been given for the purposes of the project. The overhead rate for possession of the site, fixed costs for establishment and use of site area are shown in the Table 3 too. The construction sequences is to be assumed that activities above and below ground can be run in parallel but above and below ground activities are sequential. Chapter 2 Site/Soil Profile 2.1 Soil Description and Classification To understand the soil profile and the behavior of every single type of soil is an important step for a geotechnical engineer before starting any design works. In general, soil is kind of mineral particles formed by the weathering of rocks which weakly cemented or uncemented [1]. The void space between the particles contain water and/or air [1]. Weak cementation are due to carbonates or oxides precipitated between the particles or due to organic matter [1]. There is several type of soil. Every type of soil is classified in different categories by their particle size. The three main type of soil are Sands/Gravel, Silts, and Clays. Particle sizes in soils can vary from over 100mm to less than 0.001mm. The particle size distribution of a coarse-grained soil is to be determined by the method of sieving [1]. The typical size of soil ranges is shown in Figure 2.1 below.figure 2.1.jpg Basically, the terms clay , silt , sand or gravel are used to differ the sizes of soil and type of soils. Two or more size usually consists in a graded mixture of particles [1]. For example, it is not necessarily all clay size particles are clay mineral particles because clay normally consist of particles in both the clay size and silt size ranges where clay is type of soil possessing cohesion and plasticity [1]. In general, a cohesive soil is said that if the particles adhere after wetting and subsequent drying and if significant force is then required to crumble the soil [1]. 2.2 Borehole Data A set of borehole data (Figure 2.4) is given for design purposes.Figure 2.4.jpg From the borehole data given shows that water table on the site is 1m below the ground level. From top level to 3m below is a kind of coarse gravel. It is then followed by soft to firm grey brown slightly sandy clay (alluvium) and mixture of soft brown very silty clay down to 6m below ground level. From 6m below ground level to 7.5m, the soil is covered by loose brown clayey silt. It is then followed by loose to medium dense red brown silty clayey sand with a 4.5m depth. From 12m to 16m below ground level the soil is covered by large amount of gravel. A simplify table of soil in the site is shown in table 2.1 below for better and clearler understanding. Borehole Data Depth 0 0.2 Tarmacadam surfacing ( MADE GROUND) 0.2 3.0 Dark grey angular to sub-rounded coarse gravel with ash, concrete and rubble fragments (FILL) 3.0 6.0 Soft to firm grey brown slightly sandy CLAY with some organic matter (alluvium) Very soft to soft brown very silty CLAY 6.0 7.50 Loose brown clayey SILT (alluvium) 7.50 12.0 Loose to medium dense red-brown silty clayey SAND with occasional sub-angular fine to medium gravel of sandstone (alluvium) 12.0 16.0 Loose to medium dense, becoming dense red grey silty very sandy, sub rounded GRAVEL (alluvium) 16.0 22.95 Weathered MARL Reddy brown and grey green weathered (iii iv) weak MUDSTONE Chapter 3 Types of Retaining Structure There are several factors that influence the difficulty of basement design and construction. These factors normally are existing problems on the site and cannot be easily changed. Engineers somehow need to go for different option when designing structure to overcome the constraints. For example, the location of the proposed structure, proposed use of the structure, groundwater, the site surrounding existing structure and services. The type of basement wall will be then selected to support soils and groundwater of the basement and also to design as economically as possible. The walling or sheeting selected for this project is to provide temporary soil support for permanent substructure construction, or it may also serve as soil retention. The walling or sheeting will be selected after comparison in terms of cost and time, constructability and etc. Several methods include the following. Plate and anchor wall King post wall Contigous bored piling Secant piling Steel sheet piling Diaphragm walls Reinforced concrete cast in situ Reinforced concrete precast Post-tensioned Soldier piling 3.1 Brief Introduction for each Options i) Plate and Anchor Wall by underpining The total excavation depth of basement work is typically fall in the range 8 to 12m and also the ground conditions are dry and able to support 1.5 2m face deep[2]. The anchored plate method is an economical temporary wall support. Pre-grouting is to be used in granular soils where the soils were unable to stand unsupported to this modest depth [2]. Figure 4.2.jpg ii ) King Post Wall King Post method is usually popular for two following factor which is cheapness of materials by using timber and economy method of boring by using power augers. This method require boring holes on wall line at 2 3m centre depending on soil strength, depth of excavation and surcharges loads. The hole is then placed with vertical beam and to be concreted with lean mix concrete at the base of each joist below final formation level [2]. King post wall usually used as a temporary soil support and to be used in dry or dewatered soils. Vertical settlements of wall is one of the disadvantages where failure of vertical force transferring to the base of pile. iii ) Contigous Bored Pile Wall Bored pile wall is usually used as an economic and efficient method for retaining structure. This techniques is very suitable for deep basements excavation and underground structure where working space is limited. This method prevent large amount of soil excavation and also help to control ground movements. Piles are usually drills into ground by using continuous flight auger (CFA) with a certain gap distance between piles. A maximum length of piles is usually around 20m depending on ground condition. Contiguous bored pile wall is not suitable for site with high water level due to the gaps between piles. Advantages of contiguous pile walls are : Comparative low cost and speed of construction Low level of sound pollution ( low level of vibration) Pile can be drill in limited spaces Has the ability to minimize the distance between bored pile wall and existing wall for small excavation depthcontiguous bored pile wall.jpg iv ) Secant Piles Disadvantages of contiguous bored pile are overcome by using secant piles where interlocking method is introduced. Secant pile walls are constructed by concreting primary (female) piles first then secondary (piles) are bored through female piles before concrete reach full strength [2]. By this the piles forms overlapping between each other. Advantages : a)Can be installed in hard ground (cobbles /boulders) b)Low noise pollution c) Better wall stiffness compare to sheet piles secant-pilingBig.jpg v ) Sheet Pile Wall Sheet Pile wall are made up from a group of piles that interlock each other and is driven into the soil. Most sheet pile wall nowadays is using steel sheet which fabricated in factory. The use of sheet pile for temporary soil support for basement at urban area is not that popular where noise is the main constraint. Sheet pile may be installed using hydraulic can reduce the noise pollution. Sheet pile wall can be design as cantilever wall or anchored wall depends on the basement depth and soil condition that vary. Advantages : a) High resistance to driving stresses. b) Sheet can be reuse c) Easy to install Disadvantages : a) Sheet pile can hardly be use as permanent structure. b) Installation of piles are hard where soil contain boulders and cobblers c) Noise pollution (High vibration) vi ) Diaphragm walls Diaphragm walls are reinforced concrete wall constructed in slurry supported by machine digging a trench in panels of certain length. This slurry can be bentonite slurry where has thixotropic properties [8]. The wall is first constructed in short panels length, by installing reinforced cages and concreting, then later intermediate panels are excavated to complete the whole wall. There is 3 type of diaphragm walls in use in industry, which is cast in-situ diaphragm wall, precast reinforced diaphragm wall and post-tensioned diaphragm wall. Advantages : a) Allow effective transfer of vertical load from the building to subsoil b) Minimum noise and vibration disturbance c) Allow construction on limited site area. 3.2 Comparison of each option A table (table 3.2) of matrix below is to compare the advantages and disadvantages of several retaining structure. This comparison results will shows the most suitable retaining wall to design and construct for this project. Durability Durability is not usually a problem for a temporary wall depending on the soil condition. But when wall is to be design as a permanent structure, the wall should satisfy the durability requirement where wall should reach design life. For example, durability requirement for concrete wall depends on the design life, cement content, water cement ratio, cover of reinforcement and also quality of workmanship. Rigidity Rigidity means a structure property that does not bend under an applied force in vertical or horizontal load [10]. Different type of retaining walls could sustain different loading. Some walls are good in resisting vertical loading and does not bend but some walls can only sustain horizontal force. For example, reinforced diaphragm wall is much more rigid than a sheet pile wall. Reinforced concrete diaphragm wall can be design as a permanent structure that carry load from superstructure above and does not bend in any way. Comparing 6 types of retaining structure above, Diaphragm walls, contiguous pile wall and secant pile walls are three best on rigidity. Constructability on Site Constructability of a structure means a structure to be constructed on site easily from start to finish by fulfilling clients requirement. Constructability also means ease of construction. A constructability review must be done before starting any construction process to prevent error, construction delay or cost overrun [11]. The space to construct the proposed structure is limited. Figure 1.1 shows that a existing sewer pipe line is 1m beside the proposed structure on the right and also a existing structure 2m far from the proposed building on the left. One of the project requirement is to minimize the sound of construction in urban area. Choice of excavation is limited to prevent any damage to the existing properties. Trench excavation is ideal for this project. Therefore, constructing diaphragm wall is the best solution where diaphragm wall can be constructed in limited space by using trench excavation, low noise produce and machinery is not big. Soil Condition The soil profile is needed to take into consideration when designing retaining structure. Some structures construction is hardly to process when the soil contains cobbles or boulders. Most of the structure is suitable to be constructs on this project site because of the clayey soil from ground level to a minimum depth of 12m. Only when initial design for retaining structure with required depth over 12m into gravel layer, retaining structure like diaphragm wall is not that suitable due to the stability of wall. Water Table Ground water on site are mainly from rainfall or groundwater flow through soil from rivers and seas [2]. By reducing the groundwater within the excavation depth and structure depth by dewatering process will increase the strength of soil as the pore water pressure is reduced. Groundwater control is crucial to prevent any leakage of water into the basement car park or cause instability of structure, for example, ground heave. Retaining wall usually acts as a groundwater cut off. Several alternative ways of groundwater cut-off are: To lower the groundwater by temporary dewatering process where ground movement is to be considered. Temporary sump pumping is to be done is ground is sufficiently impermeable Excavation is to be done under water and so permanent wall is to be construct under water by tremie concreting techniques. Diaphragm wall serves as a good water barrier compare to sheet pile or secant piles where sheet pile might corrode and water will flow through the gap between secant pile. Depth of wall Designer needs to consider the depth of a retaining structure can be construct. Some structure is cheaper to be built in deeper depth compare to shallow depth. Table 3.1 shows the different type of retaining structure that can be construct up to the maximum height of wall in order for the structure to stay stable and safe. Storage of Materials Proper storage of raw materials is very important for a construction. Raw materials like reinforcement cages, cement, sand, and etc. needed to be on site on time to prevent any delay of construction. For example, steel sheet and reinforcement cages both are made in large size and needed large space to store up. Therefore, it is worth to consider this problem when choosing a retaining structure. Environmental Impact Environmental impact is one designer to be consider when structure is construct in urban area. The choice of wall can affect the environmental during construction, during in use and demolition [12]. Three main causes to environmental impacts:- During Installation Noise and vibration when boring pile. (sheet piling) Number of vehicle used. Use of sustainable materials (Guidewall construction for diaphragm wall) When used Effects on groundwater around the wall. End of life Ease of removal Ability of material to be reused 3.3 Final Decision Diaphragm wall is to be used for my design project. FUCK WHAT TO WRITE o0o Chapter 4 Diaphragm Wall 4.1 Preplanning and Design For designing purposes and construction of diaphragm walls, a number of item require to be considered in preplanning and design of diaphragm wall. Excavation Sequence The sequence of excavation from ground level to the basement walls is to be well planned to minimize rig movement and to avoid changing places and moving of pipework from panel to panel of panel excavation. Soil dump truck, slurry removal vehicle, cranes and concrete mixing trucks, and to allow curing of concrete in completed panels are all parts of construction and excavation sequence that needed to be well planned. Guide Trench Construction The successful of trench excavation for diaphragm wall depends on the temporary guide wall. The guide walls must be design and construct to be robust to avoid any movement due to extreme loads from excavation rig service cranes or placement of reinforcement cages and reaction from stop end jacking systems. In some construction, reuseable precast concrete guide wall had been used and be interlocked each other by bolted to ensure the same standard of rigidity as in-situ cast concrete wall [2]. Panel Size Diaphragm wall is to be constructed by a panel trench excavation first. The panel length typically will vary from a minimum of one grab bite (trench excavation machine grab width) to a multiple of grab bites which will extend to 7m. A grab bites vary between 2.3 and 2.8m depending on machine used. The panel length include two stop ends for the primary panels (Stop ends will be discussed on following pages). Secondary panels are those panels dug between two concreted panels. The panel length is limited to a certain length, and therefore panel volume, this is to ensure that sufficient concrete can be fill up the whole panel within concreting period in a day. This takes maximum daily working hours and concrete supply into account. Panel size more depends on designer and contractor decision. Wall-Slab Construction Joints Joints between basement floors slabs and wall is to be design carefully because the joints can transmit vertical shear and bending moment which could cause instability of structure and basement. Bend out bars and Threaded-end couplers are both used in the joints. Reinforcement cage The depth of diaphragm wall has led to the size of reinforcement cages. These cages are usually fix off-site and delivered to site when is needed. The maximum length of cages is restricted because of transportation of long and large cages. Slot for Tremie Tubes A tremie tube is used to ensure concrete is placed in correct position and that no separation of aggregate occurs during concreting pouring concrete from top to bottom of walls. Therefore, reinforcement cage is to be designed to allow sufficient access for tremie tubes. For some construction of diaphragm with large panels, two tremie is to be used to maintain the concreting rate of 60 to 80m3 per hour. 4.2 Construction Sequence End Of Construction Site Clearing Top Down Basement Construction Diaphragm Wall Construction Site Preparation 4.3 Work to be Done 4.3.1 Site Preparation Basement and retaining wall construction methods involve a high degree of mechanization. A clear working space give maximum mobility for machinery, materials and workers, hence optimize the working speeds increasing construction period. Therefore, several steps are needed to be done before any construction work progress. For example, temporary road should be provided to achieve a rapid tempo of construction in wet or dry weather. Traffic Management Local authorities are highly concern on the traffic management especially in urban area. Construction in central of urban area could cause serious traffic congestion due to slow moving construction vehicles and parts of road are occupied by machinery. A slightly highway direction will be changed on A marked in figure 4.2 below to provide access for construction vehicle into the site. On road marked A in figure 4.2, the road is to be assumed that is a typical single lane carriageway. Therefore, the road length will be slightly reduced nearby the construction site. An alternative road for vehicle towards junction is to be proposed to local authorities to prevent any traffic congestion. Clear barricades and road sign will be provided along the road closure. Location of Underground Services Site preparation in urban area includes tracing and clear marking of existing services includes underground telephone, power cables, water and sewer pipe, gas pipe, etc. Underground services is to be assumed to present in any circumstances. Trench excavation is more likely to encounter underground service in the face of excavation parallel to the line of excavation [13]. Many serious accidents have been caused by men or machines when underground services are struck, penetrated or during excavation. Electric shock may result from striking electricity cables during excavation. On this project, it is clearly shown on figure 1.1 that a 1200mm diameter concrete sewer pipeline is just 1m away from the side of proposed structure. A sewer pipeline bursting could cause contamination of the ground and odour smell to nearby citizens. Many sewer pipes are under high pressure too. As a solution, first, a confirmation of sewer pipe location is to be done on site. Once the records are obtained, it will be kept on site and be accessible to workers. Furthermore, construction of diaphragm wall uses trench excavation techniques, which highly reduce the chance of striking the sewer pipe. Any other services includes telecommunication cables, gas pipe and electric pipe which are not shown in figure 1.1 given will be examine on site before excavation. Existing Building Building located around the site are needed to be protected from damage and dirt-staining. Cleaning and maintaining existing building in the end of construction can be costly. In figure 1.1 shows that there is existing 3 storey with raft foundation building 2m away from basement wall. Before any excavation start, careful inspection is to be done to the existing building to determine whether there are any existing cracks due to settlement or any damage on external wall of building. Cracks and damage is to be recorded down and photographed as a proof to prevent any claims from property owner. Overhead Obstruction The most common overhead obstruction is high tension electricity cables nearby the site. Most construction vehicle are high. There is a danger when tall vehicle pass by those overhead cables and cause unwanted accident. Therefore, a clearance is to be done between the overhead cables and ground. For example, a typical goal post protection will be erect along the entry to the site. Figure 4.3 below shows typical goal post protection. figure 4.3.jpg Public Safety It is important to taking care about public safety. Any pedestrian is not allowed to enter construction site. A warning sign is to be displayed around the boundary site and barriers is to be set up along perimeter of construction. 4.3.2 Diaphragm Wall Construction Construction of diaphragm wall uses trench excavation supported by slurry. The slurry is typically bentonite and water. Diaphragm walls are constructed in the following steps : 1) Pretrenching to remove obstruction 2) Guidewall construction 3) Trench excavation (panel excavation) 4) Endstop placement 5) Panel desanding 6) Reinforcement cages placement 7) Concreting work (Tremie technique) 8) End Stop removal 9) Excavation of Intermediate Panel 10) Reinforcement cages placement 11) Concreting work for remaining panels (Tremie technique) 12) End of Diaphragm wall construction 4.3.2.1Detail steps Pretrenching to remove obstruction Pretrenching is a process to remove soil by open excavation to a certain depth, typically 1-2 m depth for guidewall construction. It is also a purpose for removing shallow obstruction and provide stable support for the guidewall. GuideWall Construction Guide wall is to be constructed after pre-trenching process. There are several purpose of constructing guidewall, these include: To prevent the collapsing of soil near trench excavation surface. As a template for wall excavation and panel layout To provide a temporary supports for reinforcement cage. (by holding down the cage during concreting work) To provide support for end-stop joint. (restrain end-stop) To support Tremie Pipe To provide a reference elevation for inserting props, slabs, etc. For this project, the guidewall is to be constructed with reinforce concrete and be made from grade M20 grade reinforced concrete. The distance between both guidewall will be thickness of diaphragm wall plus a tolerance of 50mm. The dimension of guidewall (one side) will be 300mm(w) x 1000mm(d). Trench Excavation (Panel excavation) Construction of diaphragm wall uses trench excavation method which produce a vertical strip in soil that can collapse easily. Special excavation machinery are used to excavate the soil. Several type of machinery is used in construction field nowadays. These machinery can be cable hug or Kelly mounted and the digging mechanics can be cable or hydraulic operated. figure 4.7 2.pdf The excavation is to be excavated in panels. The panel length varies typically from a minimum of one grab bite (trench excavation machine grab width) to a multiple of grab bites which will extend to 7m. A grab bites vary between 2.3 and 3m depending on machine used. figure 4.8.jpg The trench excavated is to be supported by bentonite slurry. Bentonite is basically clay of montmorillonite group, and when added with water it forms an impervious slurry with large viscosity. The slurry will produce large lateral pressure to retain the vertical soil. In case of granular soils, the bentonite slurry will penetrates into the sides under positive pressure and forms jelly. When bentonite slurry is fills in impervious clay, it will not penetrate into the soil but form a layer of thin film to gives strength supporting vertical soils. The bentonite slurry is to be placed continuously into the trench throughout excavation. For this project, Kelly Grab is to be used for excavation. The depth and width of excavation will be discussed in following chapters. The panel length and bentonite slurry density is to be designed and results will be shown in following chapter too. End stop Placement Endstops are placed in both panel fronts to provide the concrete at each vertical edge of panels with a predetermined shape. The shape of stop ends can be a pipe or special keyway end stops. End stop can be place in to be permanent or temporary. For this project, a temporary cylinder end stop is to be used. The end stops will be removed by vertical extraction shortly after the concrete has been poured. Somehow, a delay of few hours is allowed in order to enable the concrete to gain some early strength and able to stay vertical. The timing and removal of end stops will be judge by the site contractor and to be carefully observed. If end stops is extract out before the concrete is stable (gained sufficient strength to stay vertical), there is a risk that the concrete will slump.

The Characters of For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls Essay -- For Whom

The Characters of For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls  Ã‚     Ã‚   For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls is Christopher Durang's hilarious 1994 parody of The Glass Menagerie, a 1945 play by Tennessee Williams. In both plays, the main characters must deal with several serious problems, including isolation, fear of the outside world, and the need for understanding. Whereas the characters in The Glass Menagerie handle their problems in a relatively serious manner, those in For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls take a more farcical approach. For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls offers an alternate view of the situations in The Glass Menagerie, and it comments on how the American society has changed since the 1940s. Durang's parody accomplishes its humor by developing extreme versions of the characters in The Glass Menagerie through magnification of their faults and idiosyncrasies: Laura's shyness toward the world, Amanda's lack of understanding for her children, Tom's anger with his family, and Jim's partial deafness (however minor in Williams' play). It is more difficult to sympathize with Lawrence in For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls than with Laura in The Glass Menagerie because he is so much more irritating and pathetic than his female counterpart. Laura is a young woman who suffers from extreme shyness and self-consciousness because she has a slightly malformed leg and needs to wear a leg brace; consequently, she is afraid to talk to new people and enter new situations. Laura's psychological problems are amplified in Lawrence, who fakes several ailments, including asthma, eczema, and a crippled leg. He never leaves the safety of his house, and his only friends are his glass swizzle sticks, which he gives such names as "Q-tip" (1942), "Ther... ...children's; in addition, Durang adds two homosexual characters: Tom and Ginny. This is evidence that For Whom the Belle Tolls does more than just provide a humorous approach to the situations in The Glass Menagerie: it shows how the American society and family have changed since Williams wrote his play. According to Durang, people have become more open with their personal feelings and sexuality, but they have also become more self-centered. Works Cited Durang, Christopher. For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls. Literature and Its Writers: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Eds. Ann Charters and Samuel Charters. Boston: Bedford Books, 1997. 1937-1948. Williams, Tennessee. "The Glass Menagerie." Literature and Its Writers: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Eds. Ann Charters and Samuel Charters. Boston: Bedford Books, 1997. 1704-1750.      

Essay --

Zac Fertig English Period 5 Odysseus, the protagonist of the Odyssey by Homer fits the outline of an epic hero because he is courageous, quick-witted, and a natural leader. Odysseus isn’t only known for his muscles, also his clever mind. He is one of the great heroes that possesses both brains and brawn. He is also a hero with outstanding skill and bravery. It is no wonder why many teachers refer to Odysseus as a powerful hero. I believe Odysseus is a hero because he is clever, can overcome obstacles, is very brave, a leader but like all great heroes, he has his weaknesses. Some of Odysseus’ most recognizable traits are his bravery and leadership. One thing that shows his bravery was his escape from Polyphemus. He was courageous to stab out Polyphemus’s eyes using a burning pole. Odysseus states: "I took my twelve best fighters and went ahead." This example involving the Cyclops shows that one of Odysseus’ great traits is his leadership. He is not the type of leader that sits on safe land while he sends his men in to fight, but a leader who engages in battle with his men. There are also times when many men are afraid, but Odysseus shows he's in not letting anything get in his way and speaks up when nobody will: "We all felt pressure in our hearts, but I spoke up in reply." He was fearless enough to take risks. Odysseus said: "Friends, have we never been in danger before this? More fearsome, is it now, then when we faced Cyclops?" This quote shows that in time of danger, Odysseus is willing to put his life in jeopardy and not g ive up. Odysseus had the heart of a fighter, he would battle whenever necessary, no matter who his opponent was, in this case the Cyclops. Most epic heroes are aided and guarded by gods wh... ...ugh Calypso wouldn’t let him leave the island so it wasn't his fault. Calypso finally agreed to allow Odysseus to leave the island: â€Å"So then, royal son of Laertes, Odysseus, man of exploits, still eager to leave at once and hurry back to your own home, your beloved native land? Good luck to you, even so. Farewell! But if you only knew, down deep, what pains are fated to fill your cup before you reach that shore, you’d stay right here, preside in our house with me and be immortal. Much as you long to see your wife, the one you pine for all your days†. Those are some of the traits Odysseus possesses that make me think of him as a hero. Odysseus isn’t just strong physically, but strong emotionally as well. Not all heroes are both of those, so Odysseus stands out from other heroes. After reading The Odyssey, I will always remember Odysseus as a great, epic hero.

Health Nursing

Public Health is the science and art of protecting and improving the health of the communities through education, promotion of healthy life styles and research for disease and injury prevention. Public Health helps improve the health and well being of people in local communities around the world also works to prevent problems before they occur. Public health nursing is a specialized form of registered nursing that combines nursing and public health principles.According to the American Public Health Association, the primary focus of public health nursing is improving the health of the community as a whole rather than just that of an individual or family. Public health nursing is sometimes called a type of community health nursing. Some experts use the terms â€Å"public health nursing† and â€Å"community health nursing† interchangeably. Public Health Nursing provides health promotion, disease prevention, and intervention and support services to women, children, youth an d families living in the Capital Region.Services are provided to individuals, families, groups and communities in homes, schools, health units and community setting Community health nursing a field of nursing that is a blend of primary health care and nursing practice with public health nursing. The community health nurse conducts a continuing and comprehensive practice that is preventive, curative, and rehabilitative. The philosophy of care is based on the belief that care directed to the individual, the family, and the group contributes to the health care of the population as a whole.The community health nurse is not restricted to the care of a particular age or diagnostic group. Participation of all consumers of health care is encouraged in the development of community activities that contribute to the promotion of, education about, and maintenance of good health. These activities require comprehensive health programs that pay special attention to social and ecologic influences a nd specific populations at risk. Basic Principles of CHN 1. The community is the patient in CHN, the family is the unit of care and here are four levels  of  clientele: individual,  family,  population  group (those who share common characteristics, developmental stages and common exposure to health problems – e. g. children, elderly), and the community. 2. In CHN, the  client is considered as an ACTIVE partner NOT PASSIVE recipient  of  care 3. CHN practice  is  affected by  developments in  health  technology,  in  particular, changes in society, in general 4. The goal of CHN is achieved through multi- sectoral efforts 5.CHN is a part  of health care system and the larger human services system. Specific Responsibilities of a Nurse, spelled by the implementing rules and Regulations of   RA 7164 (Philippine Nursing Act of 1991) includes: †¢ Supervision and care of women during  pregnancy, labor and puerperium †¢ Performance of int ernal examination and delivery of babies †¢ Suturing lacerations in the absence of  a physician †¢ Provision of first aid measures and emergency care †¢ Recommending herbal and symptomatic meds†¦etc.In the care of the families: †¢ Provision of primary health care services †¢ Developmental/Utilization of family nursing care plan in  the provision of care In the care of the communities: †¢Community  organizing  mobilization,  community  development  and  people empowerment †¢Case finding and  epidemiological investigation †¢Program planning,  implementation and evaluation †¢Influencing executive and legislative individuals or bodies concerning health and development. Responsibilities of CHN be a part in developing an overall health plan, its implementation and evaluationfor communities   †¢provide quality nursing services to the three levels of clientele †¢maintain  coordination/linkages  with  oth er  health  team  members, NGO/government agencies in  the provision of  public health services †¢ conduct researches relevant to CHN services to improve provision of health care †¢ provide opportunities for professional growth and continuing education for staff  development; http://www. answers. com/topic/public-health-nursing#ixzz2Do73aZIE

Christine de Pizan reflect traditional

Pizan explains that a noble lady controls her heart, behaves â€Å"respectfully and softly†, and displays a kind, gentle demeanor to all (Pizan 19). As a princess, Pizan argues that a noble lady should listen patiently and attentively to her ubjects as well as listen to advice from the wise gentleman counselors (Pizan 21).It is these behavioral qualities which tie into the traditionally accepted cultural norms for women. The ideal woman, the perfect princess, is an honorable lady who is in control of herself constantly. She is dignified and wise with the help of good advice from those advisors. Rule 12 describes how a wise princess' life should be ordered. Prudence rules all, Pizan argues, and everyday begins with addressing God first (Pizan 32). There is a great deal expected of princesses and women in eneral, but society still considers men far superior.Even with a responsibility in government, a woman must still hold herself with the highest of dignity and listen to the wis est of men in order to seem wise herself. Another example of prudence in a woman's life is her conduct towards her husband – she must love her husband and always be at peace with him (Pizan 36). She should always humble herself towards her husband and obey without complaining – it is in this way that Pizan explains the traditional role of women in the household.Wives are expected, in that time, to watch carefully over their husbands, take everything in stride, and stay a noble lady by being true and loyal to her husband (Pizan 38-39). The welfare of her children also defines what a lady should be – a woman is expected to be naturally motherly and want her children to be honorable (Pizan 42). It is her Job, Pizan argues, to discipline and keep her children respectful (Pizan 43). Last, a woman's household duties, according to Pizan, truly define the traditional women roles expected by society Pizan 129).She must always keep her husband contented, discipline her ch ildren, ensure the husband and household are kept decent and clean, and be cheerful to her husband all the time (Pizan 130). The ways of the wise housewife, values of a noble lady, and prudence all define how Christine de Pizan reflects traditional roles for women in her society.

Criminal Addiction- America’s Social Crisis Essay

The United States boasts some of the finest medical knowledge in the world; is known for it’s charitable help to third world countries and yet there’s an epidemic that it chooses to ignore and even vilify. Drug addiction, to both illegal and legal drugs, is on the rampage. In 2001, 16. 6 million cases of drug addiction were reported- that’s 7. 3% of the population. Our emergency rooms are overflowing with drug related emergencies and our jails are packed with criminals charged with drug related crimes. The American medical society can be partially blamed for our national addictions. From heroin and cocaine in the early 1900’s, to tranquilizers and diet pills in the 60’s and 70’s to today’s highly addictive pain killers, doctor’s have pushed pills at us , toting them as miracle cures, and the like. Americans are a society that is always looking for new ideas and new ways to solve problems, and these instant solutions always seem like a good thing- and usually aren’t (King, 2006). Unfortunately, doctor’s are less inclined to treat those they addict- they would rather ignore the problem or chalk it up to a weak will, than face the fact that without their overzealous marketing, the majority of these people would never have become addicts. Those doctors that wish to help their patients are met with little choice – if the patient has no insurance, there are very few treatment centers. It’s the middle and lower class addicts that suffer the most- due to lack of money, influence and insurance. One the other side of addiction- namely street drugs, we again see the want for a miracle cure. Many kids experiment out of curiosity, but the majority that become heavy drug users usually start using drugs as an escape and because they see their parents do drugs too. They also see drugs as a way of making quick money and to escape the poverty they live in (Addiction, 2002). Unfortunately for either type of user, there is no escape. Drugs often lead to death- whether suicide, accidental overdose, fighting between dealers, or the various diseases that can come from chronic drug use. At least one spell of incarceration is guaranteed for the street drug user- usually for dealing or violence related to dealing. Conversely, prescription drug addicts usually end up in incarceration for various crimes to support their habits- crimes that are usually more sophisticated such as theft and forgery. Either way, however, these addicts end up in jail- in a system that is only there to make sure they serve a sentence- rather than help them to overcome the problem (Addiction, 2002). A movement to change drug addiction from a crime to a public health problem is beginning in America. This approach has already been tried in the Netherlands with results showing a marked reduction in the number of heroin addicts over a two-year period. There, drug traffickers are prosecuted, and drug addicts that commit other crimes such as theft are punished for those crimes, but are not charged with possession. Instead rehabilitation is ordered and received. (Bertran, Sharpe, Andreas, 1996) In 2007, the Second Chance Act was put before Congress. This bill will allow funds to be allotted to State governments to set up alcohol and substance abuse programs for inmates. It also authorizes the creation of drug treatment and rehabilitation centers as alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders. While this is still in the legislative process, it is a step toward changing the futures of many Americans. Conclusion It’s time for Americans to step back and take a long look at their attitudes about drug addiction. It’s obvious from our jails and morgues that our current policies and ideas are not working. References King, Rufus (2006) The Drug Hang Up, America’s Fifty-Year Folly retrieved from http://www. druglibrary. org/special/king/dhu/dhu5. htm â€Å"Drug Addiction is an Illness, not a Crime† (2002) retrieved from http://www. drug -addiction. com/addiction_is_illness. htm Bertran, Eva; Sharpe, Kenneth; Andreas, Peter (1996 )Drug War Politics: The Price of Denial University of California Press retrieved from http://books. google. com /books? id=baWsThZgBaQC&printsec on January 31 2009.