The first Olympic Games

The year is 776BC, and in Athens the first Olympic Games are about to start, the festivities have begun with a feast and sacrifices for the gods. The Olympic Spirit was a key part of their society. It was the one-time cultures from all of Greece could come together and celebrate, compete and enjoy. In the past few weeks we have been discussing the pros and cons of different issues and today it's the tur of Olympics. Approximately 2000 years later, what has changed, not much? But this Olympic spirit is ingrained within the Games, the international community spirit along with the best athletes coming together and competing in one of the most prestigious sporting competition in the world. I'd like to give you three reasons to explain why and Why the games will benefit Britain Firstly because of urban regeneration; this has been put at the heart of the London bid, and is a massive benefit to hosting the Olympic Games; there is the opportunity to redevelop areas that are dilapidated and have physical disorders. Although many locations in and around London will be used for Olympic Games the core location for most of the events will be the 500-acre Olympic Park in the Lower Lea Valley in East London, Which stretches over 5 boroughs: namely Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Camden, Greenwich and Stratford. 3 years ago Lower Lea Valley, was literally a dump site, with muggings at an all time high, knife crimes were going up and up. And you know why? Because no one cared about the place, it was considered to be a dirty, dangerous and dilapidated. And know gentlemen, due to the Olympic Committee's regeneration programme, the streets are clean, the alleys are well light The most important venue of the 2012 has been described as an architect's dream. Planned and already in building the 500 acre park promises an excellent site for sporting activities, with over 9 competition events, and is claimed to be the biggest sports site in Europe for nearly 150 years. Outside of the new Olympic Park, which will principally host indoor sports and track and athletic events, all of England will join in as hosts. However it is not just London that is going to benefit. Throughout the countries there will be facilities available. Already the Olympic Committee, has set up brilliant badminton centers in Birmingham, superb swimming pools in Swansea and even mountain biking in Manchester! However to gain the most from the Olympics we need to maximize the legacy effect. Currently the plan is to sell the Olympic stadium to West Ham Football Club, so that they can keep the sporting spirit alive. The legacy effect is in essence the only thing that will keep allow us to maintain the investment of hosting the Olympic Games. Britain, has the highest number of sports fans in the world, we have a pride in our sport, when we hear our national anthem at any event our hearts swell with pride. Recently in the last Commonwealth Games over a thousand British supporters flew out to India to support Team GB. We are proud to be British, Londoner, but the 2012 Olympics is not just about London. It's about team GB, it's about national pride, it's about an amazing, historical event taking place on our doorstep, it's about getting excited and involved, and it's about making sure that we maximise the legacy and the investment. As Lord Coe said â€Å"The Games will inspire the nation and give us the ability to showcase all that is great about Britain.†

Living on Campus or Living Off Campus

Living on campus Living on campus Living off campus Living off campus VS. VS. Live on campus or live off campus Recently, one of the most popular issues that students are talking about is where to live in the next academic year. Some students believe that live on campus is a better choice because living in resident halls on campus is convenient and safe. Some other students think that live off campus is better, because it will have fewer restrictions and a better accommodation. Each choice has its own advantages and disadvantages. That’s why I was struggling for this issue for a long time.After careful consideration, I believe that live on campus is a better choice and I have a lot of reasons to support it. First of all, live on campus is safer. Living on campus will dramatically reduce the potential possibilities of accidents on the roads like car accident, robbery and sexual assault. There is a famous murder case, which generated international attention earlier this year. Wu and Qu, two 23-year-old electrical engineering graduate students of University of Southern California who come from China, were shot when they were driving home in a BMW sedan from the library around 1 a. m. on April 11. (nbclosangeles. om) The criminal’s motive of murder is robbery. Just because they lived off campus and had to drive back home, the two young lives stops suddenly in the most beautiful period of their life and left endless sadness to their friends and families. According to a survey from Trinity College, 60. 2% of students indicated that they felt safe on campus and 28. 4% felt unsafe. (Grace Kim). There is another accident just happened around us. A friend of my parents lost his son in a car accident in America. He was a student of Indiana University and at one day he drove home, his car crashed into a big tree and caused a fire.He was burned to death in the car. Safety is always the most important thing for college students, especially for international stu dents, since their parents are thousands miles away and worries about them all the time. Because of safety, living on campus is better choice than living off campus. Besides the reason of safety, resident halls also create a perfect environment to live and study. Taking the example of Michigan State University First, the resident halls supply various kinds of services, which are all very useful and necessary.When you have any troubles and questions, you can go to the front desk to ask for help; When people are ill, they can go to the health center, the nurses and doctors there will give people prescriptions and suggestions for health in time; When you miss lunches or even hungry at midnight, small cafeterias, like the Sparty’s will offer warm food, drink and snacks for you. The staffs in resident halls are always friendly and patient, which make us feel warm. Second, there are a lot of resources in resident halls. Since I don’t know them very well, I interviewed the re sident assistant in our floor.Her name is Doneisha Parker and she is a sophomore in accounting major. She briefly introduced the 23 resources of resident halls on campus and focused on 3 most useful ones. Math Learning center (MLC), which can give you math tuition on every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Writing center, which can give you suggestions for the papers you are working on by appointment. Yoga and Zumba classes three times a week are good for your health and beauty. All of these resources are very helpful and they are free. Third, people can have their individual place for rest and study between classes.In college study, there is always a large amount of time between classes. People live on campus can go back to their dorms for rest, study, or entertainment. People live off campus, however, have to stay in libraries or some other places during these breaks. According to a study, which investigated the relationship of loneliness, social support, and living arrangements with academic persistence decisions of 401 college freshmen, freshmen living on campus had higher GPAs (M= 2. 85, SD = . 73) than those living off campus (M = 2. 59, SD = . 2)(Nicpon 345-358) Another reason that makes me believe that live on campus is a better choice than live off campus is that we can meet more people and have more friends. There are so many chances to meet new friends if you live on campus. First of all, you will know the people live on the same floor with you since you meet with each other everyday. Also, you will know a lot of people from the activities and clubs in resident halls if you participate in actively. For example, the Hubbard hall in Michigan State University has an international Club.This club organizes activities and meetings every week and creates a perfect environment for communication between students from different countries. What’s more, having meals in cafeteria, studying in public area are also the chances to meet people and make new frien ds. If living off campus, however, most of these will be impossible. Because of the safety, the great environment and more chances to make friend, I prefer to live on campus when I become a sophomore. I hope that I can have a great time on campus. Works Cited Grace Kim, Safety and Education at Trinity College, 20 December 2004Nicpon, Megan Foley, et al. â€Å"The relationship of loneliness and social support with college freshmen’s academic performance and persistence. † Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice 8. 3 (2006): 345-358 Doneisha Parker, Personal Interview, 22 October 2012 Nbclosanglas. com: Police: Forensic Evidence Tied USC Murder Suspects to Earlier Crimes, by Melissa Pamer and Samantha Tata, May 19, 2012 http://www. nbclosangeles. com/news/local/Police-Forensic-Evidence-Tied-USC-Murder-Suspects-to-Earlier-Crimes-152147955. html

Organic & Processed foods: What’s Better Essay

There are a lot of differences and similarities with organic and processed foods. I’m sure when everyone was a kid they could eat whatever they wanted and didn’t worry about what it did to their body. I remember when I was younger I would cook a whole Tostito’s Pizza and consume the whole thing myself in under five minutes. I wouldn’t gain a pound and that same night I would have two big macs (back when there was a big mac Monday) and sit on my butt playing video games. It’s not like I didn’t have the exercise. I played all sorts of little league sports including baseball and soccer. You may think I was writing an essay on the effects of metabolism but I’m more interested in finding out what the words â€Å"Organic† and â€Å"Processed† foods really mean. What kind of chemicals are in them and what the huge fuss is about. I think this is an important topic to write about because most people don’t know what the difference is. What makes a food organic? What happens to the ingredients when converting it into a processed food? I think if you understand more about this issue people would choose to live healthier and know how easy it is to alter their diet. Organic food has gone back in history ever since the first person decided to take and seed, plant it, and then eat what the plant produced. This is known as farming if you were confused. Over the years farming has evolved from types of fertilizer used, machinery, tools, equipment and even animals. Machines can harvest a field of crops in one hour where a hundred years ago it would have taken a full day. Processed foods are more close to our time. In the 1920s, women were growing weary of preparing foods from scratch, and ready-to-cook foods were becoming more available. World War I brought about new methods of food processing, including canned and frozen foods. When World War II hit by the 1940s people needed away to ration the food for the soldiers. After the war, many new â€Å"convenience foods† were introduced like dehydrated juice, instant coffee, and cake mix. Farmers used fertilization and irrigation to increase crop yields, decreasing the vitamins and minerals in those plants. Government subsidies for corn and soy led to a food industry with a financial incentive to use high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, modified corn starches to produce lots of highly processed (and unhealthy) foods. The U. S. issued guidelines for adding iron, vitamin B, thiamine and riboflavin to bread and other grain products to offset nutrient deficiencies. With all of the changes that were going on in the food industry there was always someone trying to tighten the noose by the power of democracy. Soon farmers were being replaced by machines and factories. Fast food corporations were growing more and more and farms were depleting less every day. As I researched into the major debating controversy I found that most people would agree that the organic foods are healthier to consume. The organic industry has sky rocketed in the last couple years because of the messages that was sent out saying organic farming is safer and healthier for the environment. But is it actually healthier for you in the long run? Other consumers argue that organic farming can be dangerous and unsafe to digest due to the invisible toxins and pesticide found in organic produce could even be as dangerous as synthetic chemicals. Most people would agree that switching from a processed food nation to an organic food country would be best. But it’s easier said than done. Organic foods and processed foods are different in a lot of ways. Processed foods contain more bad chemicals and bad fat per calorie than any other natural food. You can determine whether a food is processed by looking at the ingredient list. The longer the ingredient list, the more processed a food is likely to be. Processed foods are usually found in the center aisles of the grocery store and are more likely to contain ingredients that you are not able to recognize. Organic foods are foods that don’t have any harmful fertilizers, pesticides or sewage. Animals that produce meats, poultry, or eggs and don’t use any kind of steroids in the process are considered organic. There are a lot of different sides to both of these categories. Most critics who agree with organic foods are humanitarians who believe in renewable resources and not using exotic chemicals that may be harmful to the environment. Also in this case it helps with how the animals are being treated. For example, in a processed factory for animals the cows are caged in tight corners and forced to eat so they are worth more. When animals are raised by farmers, they have the freedom of a decent sized field and their manure will decompose and fertile the land. On the other hand processed food critics have done research that shows processed food saves on money and meets the demand of the growing population of consumers. The only way to meet this demand is by using steroids and food enhancers/substitutes. People buy processed foods because they have a longer expiration date and you can freeze them. It takes time to prepare a meal from organic foods. Processed foods can be made easily by adding water, boiling, frying or if you’re an American like me, microwaving. Plus processed foods are typically cheaper, you get more bang for your buck. What is organic food? The term â€Å"organic† refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed. Specific requirements must be met and maintained in order for products to be labeled as â€Å"organic†. Organic crops must be grown in safe soil, have no modifications, and must remain separate from conventional products. Farmers are not allowed to use synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes (GMOs), petroleum-based fertilizers, and sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Some organic foods contain more vitamins than processed foods, according to Organic Facts. For example, organic milk contains more vitamins than non-organic milk. Organic milk is believed to be of better quality because the cows that produce it eat a better diet, which includes grazing for large parts of the day. Organic fruits and vegetables also tend to contain more vitamins than processed ones, according to nutritionist Shane Heaton. Not only do many organic foods contain more vitamins than processed foods, they also contain more antioxidants, according to Organic Facts. A University of California Davis study found that organically-raised tomatoes had higher concentrations of the antioxidants quercetin and kaempferol, both of which may protect the body against certain diseases by helping promote cell health. The researchers at the University of California Davis believe that organic foods contain more antioxidants because plants create antioxidants in order to defend themselves from plant-eating insects. Conventionally raised plants do not need to produce as many antioxidants because any plant-eating insects that might prey on them are controlled with insecticide. Because organic foods must be raised and processed without insecticides, herbicides or similar chemicals, the finished product available in the store usually contains fewer of these chemicals than processed foods, according to Heaton. Although many pesticide residues may be harmless to humans, people who are sensitive to others may experience symptoms that can be alleviated by reducing the amount of conventionally processed food in the diet. Farmers also use a cycling method when farming so they can reduce the amount of bugs and pesticides. They will plant different crops in each cycle so that they do not get the same pesticides returning. Organic farming is designed to protect the environment. By removing chemicals and other artificial farming methods from the equation, you save soil and water and reduce pollution. Organic farmers also use more humane methods of producing their meat, eggs and other animal products. For those concerned with the environment or the treatment of the animals they eat, the peace of mind is worth the extra cost. With all of the good that comes from organic food what could possibly be some negative things about eating organic foods and why does everyone think that processed foods are so bad? Because organic farmers do not use artificial means to produce their products, they tend to produce less. Organic farming is also more expensive than conventional farming, as can be seen with the cost of using a chemical weed killer versus the manpower required to manually pull weeds and rotate crops, for example. The combination of lower production rates with higher overhead makes organic products more expensive. One can also argue on the fact that it may be more environmentally friendly if you drive the shorter distance such as 50 miles to your local farmer to purchase food rather purchasing the organic food that has traveled over 1500 miles to get to you. Organic food can sometimes be limited to people, especially if you live in more rural areas. The most important issue that seems to affect all of America is the simple fact that because organic food is harder to process and is more time consuming to grow there is a shortage of it. Organic food does not come in huge quantities like other food does. So because of organic food being in high demand from grocery stores and other consumers the prices are extremely high. That then means there are a high percentage of people in our society that cannot afford to eat organic food, to me that is just reminding someone that they are basically â€Å"poor†. So what if they want to eat healthy as well? We are just going to say sorry you are out of luck because you can’t afford it? Next let’s talk about processed food. What is processed food? Processed foods have been altered from their natural state, either for safety reasons or for convenience. The methods used include canning, freezing, refrigeration, dehydration and aseptic processing. Processed foods are very convenient for the society because they can usually be prepared very quickly and allow minimal time and energy. By processing food we can also preserve food so that it will have longer shelf life, allow us to lower prices, and get food to more rural areas. When we process food we are putting preservatives into them so that they will last longer which allows stores and consumers to sell them longer without them spoiling. By allowing the foods to not spoil as quickly as others the stores can lower the prices which allows everyone of all social classes to be able to buy the foods. Another huge reason that processed foods is very ideal for our society is the fact that we are able to get the food to more rural areas. When we transfer organic foods to rural areas it ends up costing more because to get it there before the food would spoil would cost an extreme amount of money which then makes the prices of food go up. By being able to preserve the food so that its expiration date is longer we can get the food to rural areas in more effective ways that allows the environment to be safer and cleaner, then also reducing the prices in which more people can afford the food. We tend to think of processed food as bad, like most high-fat, high-calorie snack foods or even those prepackaged meals you fix in a skillet, but it turns out that some of these foods are not bad for your health at all. For example, milk would be considered a processed food because it’s pasteurized to kill bacteria and homogenized to keep fats from separating. Some people prefer raw milk, but it can lead to lead to food-borne illness, so most of us are happy to consume the healthy processed milk we find in our grocery stores. Freezing vegetables preserves most vitamins and minerals and makes them convenient to store, cook and eat all year around. Fruit and vegetable juice is also an example of a healthy processed food — usually. In fact, some orange juice is fortified with calcium to make it even more nutritious. Oatmeal, unbreaded frozen fish fillets, canned salmon, frozen berries and 100-percent whole grain bread are also examples of processed foods that are good for you. Sure, there are a lot of processed foods that aren’t good for you. Many of these bad ones are made with trans-fats, saturated fats, and large amounts of sodium and sugar. These processed foods should be avoided, or at least eaten sparingly. Processed foods are also more appealing to the eye and because of food additives they can taste even better. Basically the biggest downside to processed foods is one will lose a few nutrients. After researching these two topics I understood what the communal agreement was and the controversy that surrounded it. But I needed to find out what else needed to be further questioned. There wasn’t a lot of information surrounding what affects it would have on the grocery stores. The prices that were listed on a trusted source showed that the organic food was often priced higher than any processed food items, usually forty to fifty percent more. This is because it takes a lot of steps to grow and distribute organic foods, here are some of the steps it takes to successfully distribute the produce. Prepare the field and properly fertile the land after the previous plants have been harvested, this process is what takes most of majority. They have to buy the seed themselves and base off what they want to sale the crop for to turn around for some profit. They also have to put in the man hours and distribution cost. As you can see it takes a lot of time to complete this process rather growing and distributing it all in one location like how the processed food organizations do it. As I was saying I would like to see what the total cost was on organic food verses processed food, maybe from a big corporation like Wal-Mart to compare the differences. One other thing that I think should be a little more covered is the shelf life on an organic and non-organic food item. Because non-organic food has preservatives in them they can last a lot longer. In this case you would have to make less trips to the store and save money on gas, it will also help with the environment. But would it be worth it in the end. Organic foods can go bad very quickly but it needs to be broken down to a science. How much longer will a processed mango last than organic mango. After the experiment has concluded customers will have more knowledge of what to buy accordingly. Between organic and processed foods organic foods may have more natural nutrients when eaten. But you can get just as good nutrients from processed foods. It really boils down to what one chooses to eat and what they prefer. There are alternative ways to getting all nutrients one needs for their body without having to pay a high price if you can’t afford it. Even if you eat organic foods that doesn’t mean someone will not indulge on the fatty foods such as ice cream, potato chips, etc. It comes down to what one will eat whether it is processed or organic.

Reaction Paper: Film About Life The Forest Has Essay

The film that we watched showed what kind of life the forest has and how large diversity of life inhabits in it. The trees are not only the living things that exist in it but many kinds of animals and insects as well. Life in the forest is so rich and there are many biotic forces that strive hard just to survive. Trees for example, need light for making food and getting energy but since they are too many in numbers, only the oldest and the strongest get to grow. Even so, since life is a cycle, a death of a powerful tree sheds birth to small plants and a new cycle or generation comes about. Animals have their way of surviving too. They usually go or live in large numbers so as to get a strategic territory. Chimpanzees for example live in colony and protect their habitat from other chimpanzees and other animals as well. They love fig trees too. Since many other animals like birds and squirrels like fig trees, the chimpanzees ward off their territories by creating noisy screams or sounds to frighten their enemies. Survival is the most important thing in the forest. One has to be strong to be alive and to keep their species reproducing. One also has to be wise and strong but it is not insurance to life. Many species became extinct and many reproduce a lot. I really like the film because it showed how diverse the biotic forces in the forest. It gave the viewers the glimpse of life in the forest and the never before seen happenings in it that lay people do not know or have no knowledge about. I learned how important our forest and the ecosystem in our life and how we should take good care of it. We should ensure it is healthy because if it dies, all the living organisms living in it will die. And surely, not long afterwards, the human race will die with it. Therefore, we should start conserving our forest. We should not wait until it is fully destroyed beyond repair because all the living forces will suffer the consequence, including us.

Motivations of War Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Motivations of War - Assignment Example The inefficient manner in which search operations for Osama-bin-laden was carried out showed that the American government’s interest lay elsewhere – namely the oil rich Iraq. The supposed presence of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the hands of the authoritarian Iraqi leaders Saddam Hussein is also proven to be a fabrication. Hence, the real motivation for the ongoing War on Terror operations seem to be to secure strategic material interests of the United States. In this process, the consequences for Iraq/Afghanistan civil society and its local economy is given scant regard. We could analyze the War on Terror operations within the framework of ‘Just War’ theory presented in the book â€Å"The Origins of War: Biological and Anthropological Theories†. Admittedly, the 9/11 terror strikes were heinous acts that cannot be justified under humanitarian principles. The 9/11 attacks were not an attack on the United States alone, but on all of human civilization. Continuing in this vein, one could argue that the threat posed by networks such as Al Qaeda is potentially as big as that of totalitarian rulers of the past, including Hitler and Stalin. Hence, it won’t be illogical to equate the ongoing military engagements of the United States to its major confrontations against Nazism and Stalinism. (Dowd, 2009) But those state apologists who make these claims do not make a serious effort to justify the War on Terror with the conditions laid down by the Just War theory, most likely because the case is a weak one. The invasion and occupation of Iraq is a breach of several of the Just War conditions, the most blatant of which is the numerous civilian fatalities that the war has caused. We also realize that the doctrine of Pre-emptive war, which was the cornerstone of the eight year term of George W. Bush, has several flaws in it.

Structural design 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Structural design 1 - Essay Example Failure to carry out proper structural design results to the building being too weak and it may collapse killing many people (Charlton, 1973). A structural engineer has very important roles in designing the support of the house as well as designing the layout of the building. The engineer works closely with the architect to ensure stability of the building. The main challenges of any structural design are; The structure engineer has to critically evaluate and analyze different materials and their behavior when loaded and select the most effective and affordable materials. These analysis are important so that the engineer can come up with a design that is economical and can withstand load. Structural design ensures that the building stands straight, firm and safe. It also ensures that the building resist excessive deflections that expose the structural elements to fatigue. The structural elements must be designed to resist cracking and creep. The design postulated by the structural engineer must also take in consideration the changes in length of the building materials due to change in temperatures as this lead to deformation of materials. The design must be made to the material specifications including all the manufacturing tolerances. The major structural element used in building includes columns, beams plates, arches, shells and catenaries(Science Corporation, 2001). Columns are elements that carry the axial ... The design must be made to the material specifications including all the manufacturing tolerances. The major structural element used in building includes columns, beams plates, arches, shells and catenaries(Science Corporation, 2001). Materials and methods In this design the following structural members will be used. ColumnsColumns are elements that carry the axial force. The force may be either in tension or in compression. The main design consideration is the axial capacity of the column and the buckling capacity. The buckling capacity of the element is it ability to resist buckling. This capacity depends on the; The physical geometry of the beam The effective length of the column (this length depends on the resisting capability at both end of the column). The degree of bending of the column determines the capacity of the column. Beams There are two types of beams used in this design. Beams are subjected to pure bending. The result of this is bending causes parts of the beam to be in tension while the other part to be in compression. Beam Sections under tension must be designed to resist it while sections in compression must be designed to resist crushing and buckling. In cases where the beams are very long, trusses are incorporated. When a beam is under tension ties are used to resist these forces, struts are used where beams need to withstand compressive forces. Cantilever beam This type of beam is supported at one end. The other end lies free. Simply supported beam This type of beam is supported vertically at the two ends. At one of the ends it is supported horizontally to enable it rotate at its support. This prevents

CIPD, People Management & Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

CIPD, People Management & Development - Essay Example The autocrat approaches of managers gave way to democratic approaches. More and more scientific methods implemented in the employee organization relationships. Modern century witness changes in every aspect of human life. Fast developing technologies and new thoughts developed after cold war changed the complexion of human life. Scientific methods are applied everywhere and the business arena also not an exception. Rapid changes in business strategies is taking place in order to explore the possibilities of new liberal world as well as due to the competition in the market. The Human Resources departments are also no exception. Out of the 4 M’s of an organization, Man, Material, Machine and Money, I think Man or the human resources are the most important entity. Competitive employees will always be an asset to organizations. Even if the other resources of the company are less, still only the smart employees can utilize it to ensure maximum productivity. If the employees are not competent enough then they will always complain about the resources which are not available rather than utilizing the existing ones. I have seen some examples in our company itself, in which some smart workers utilizing the available resources to ensure optimum production. Though our company is engaged in construction activities, as you know we don’t have enough resources and modern equipments to explore the available construction market, positively. Our equipments need to be modernized based on the requirements in order to compete in the market with quantity and quality. One of our regular clients has approached me with a job few months before. As soon I seen the specifications, I concluded that this job is not possible by us and at the same time I was not willing to disappoint the customer as he was a regular one giving us around 10% of our annual volume of works. I have discussed this project with our expert people and enquired about the possibilities of