Alumni tracking system Essay

Websites become more ubiquitous. It gives universal access to a large universe of documents. â€Å"Through the help of World Wide Web (WWW) and websites, internet has become very useful in many ways for a common man. It brought the globe in a single room right from the news across the world to the wealth of information it offers† as noted from Kaiz Karen (2009) in her article about â€Å"10 Common Uses of Internet†.[1] These information are generated by multiple sources and organized into files when formed together can be called a website. â€Å"A website, also written as web site, or simply site, is a set of related web pages typically served from a single web domain. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet address known as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). All publicly accessible websites collectively constitute the Web†. [2] There are numerous sites that can be used for finding and connecting people that we have lost touch with. Reconnecting with these people in this way is perhaps the only avenue we have in some cases. Alumni are probably one of the most important constituent of a school institution. â€Å"They create the university’s reputation, which relies in large part on how successful graduates are in the real world. This process is self-feeding as well. If a school becomes well known for producing graduates  that are intelligent, innovative, and effective in their fields, then its reputation will grow.†[3] â€Å"Colleges track their graduates because they need them to continue to show interest. Not only are college alumni a pool of potential individual donors, they are also a testament to the value of a continued association with the school.†[4]Hence, it is not easy to keep track students once they graduated. And with the steady increase in the number of college graduates, employment opportunities become very competitive. Therefore, graduates find it hard to get jobs suitable with their skills and acquired knowledge. Purpose and Description To provide a systematic method to monitor and track the level of engagement and satisfaction the alumni body has for Aces Polytechnic College. Survey will provide more than a simple percentage satisfied, it will provide diagnostic information about what is driving satisfaction and engagement, where there are strengths and weaknesses, and what level of engagement the alumni are reporting. The data would be broken down and analyzed by segment (class year, geographic location, activity level, etc.). On an on-going basis (biennially), this measurement tool will provide Aces Polytechnic College and the Alumni Association with a solid, fact-based means of identifying where progress is being made and where deficiencies need to be addressed. Method: Online survey conducted by sending an email invitation to email addresses of Aces Polytechnic College alumni. Rather than expend resources to develop a survey tool, this system will help the institution on gathering information from the alumni’s employment records that would also help the institution to acquire scholarships from the Commission of Higher Education. Identifying trends and motivators will help target programming and communications more effectively, deepening the level of engagement with alumni. Sharing this data with administrators, faculty, and other staff across campus will help in the effort to increase awareness of, and build support for, alumni engagement efforts. (2013, 07). Alumni Tracking System. Objective of the Project To enable graduate students register alumni via website. To enable graduate students share an activity and information regarding their alumni. Process/print out necessary report. This project also comes with administrator site management system. The advantages of administrator site are: 1. Easy for administrator to key-in data regarding alumni activities and information. 2. Data entered by alumni member are easily managed and intended for data analysis process. 3. Let the information spread between alumni member and the school. Scope and Limitation of the Project Online Monitoring System for the Employment Status of ACES Graduates is a website that can be access by the alumni of ACES Polytechnic College where they will be updated about the school, programs and announcements with regards to the school and its alumni. The system will not just help improve the relationship of the school to its graduates but also will lessen the work of the Guidance Councilor in monitoring the employment status of its graduates which is needed to be reported to TESDA and make it more updated because of its accessibility. The process started when user browse into Alumni Registration page. When the connection is established the main menu will appear. User can make selection between these four menus; news and job, registration menu, member search menu and the last one was update profile menu. In the registration menu, the user will start to fill their personal details like name, address, password, contact number, occupation and year of graduation and etc. Password is used to update the profile in profile update menu. If the registration is success, the data (personal details) will be stored in database. If it fails, user must enter the data back accordingly to ensure the registration is succeeded. To search for existing member, user can choose member search menu and they must key-in at least 2 characters, the result like name, phone number and address will come out if the user existed in database. The other menu will let user to read recent news and job vacancy regarding their  alumni. References: 1. Karen, K. 2009. 10 Most Common Uses of the Internet. http://ezinearticles.com/?10-Most-Common-Uses-of-the-Internet&id=3086972 2. Website  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Website. Retrieved 2014-08-12. 3. The  Importance  of  Alumni  Relations – Supporting  Education. www.supportingeducation.org/2013/01/10/importance-alumni-relations/. Retrieved 2014-08-12. http://prezi.com/qaby0xga8u-d/alumni-tracking-system-of/

Energy Drinks Research Essay

Many energy drinks are found in the market and many people are consuming them without knowing the bad effects on their health, having the misconception that they help in enhancing and boosting the body energy. Ingredients: Other than the caffeine and carbohydrates energy drinks contain: B vitamins: Energy drinks contain B vitamins that exceed the daily-recommended amounts. Gingko: German pharmacological studies suggest that this herb increases blood flow to the brain and may be effective in treating depression and short-term memory loss. Guarana: An herbal stimulant popular in Brazil. The reason guarana is so stimulating is that it contains two to three times the caffeine of coffee. Carnitine: A compound generally found in animal foods that’s theorized to enhance fat burning and improve endurance performance. Mechanism: Energy drinks cause many things that include: Insomnia and alertness: Most energy drinks contain caffeine and herbal stimulants that stimulate the central nervous system, giving a sense of alertness. This stimulation can cause a person who is sleepy to wake up. However, it can also prevent a person desiring to sleep from dozing off. In addition, the caffeine in energy drinks blocks the effects of adenosine, a chemical in the brain involved in sleep. This in turn activates neurons in the brain as though there were an emergency, often preventing sleep and causing insomnia. Increased heart rate: When caffeine blocks adenosine and the neurons are activated, the pituitary gland releases adrenaline. This hormone makes the heart beat faster and consuming the large dosage of caffeine found in energy drinks can lead to high blood pressure and heart palpitations. Increased blood sugar: When adrenaline is released into the system, this causes the liver to release extra sugar in to the bloodstream for energy. In addition, energy drinks contain high amounts of sugar, which can be digested easily and also used as a quick source of energy. When consumed, the body experiences a sugar high then often crashes. The sugar enters the bloodstream, provides a blast of energy and when the sugar is burned up, 30 to 45 minutes later, the body usually experiences a sugar crash. At this time feelings of dizziness, slowed reflexes and decreased performance may occur. Dehydration: Caffeine is a diuretic or a substance, which causes urination. The caffeine in energy drinks causes the kidneys to move extra fluid into the urine, which can lead to dehydration if done while sweating during exercise. The high levels of sugar in energy drinks slow the absorption of water that dilutes the sugar in the bloodstream, enhancing dehydration. Also, consuming a drink with a high sugar concentration before an athletic performance can cause gastric distress and diarrhea, resulting in dehydration. Energy: Most energy drinks contain large amounts of caffeine, which can provide a temporary energy boost. Some energy drinks contain sugar and other substances. The boost is short-lived, however, and may be accompanied by other problems. Side Effects: Energy drinks can cause inflammation in the stomach; bleeding and ulcerations in the duodenum. While consuming energy drinks alone will not damage your liver immediately, prolonged consumption of certain ingredients in popular energy drinks may have ill long-term effects on your liver. For example, many energy drinks contain herbal concentrate products like kava kava or taurine. An overabundance of either of these herbal supplements can lead to liver damage or liver failure. For example, consuming large amounts of taurine may lead to complications in individuals with type-2 diabetes. Caffeine and Guarana affect the adenosine receptors in the brain. Caffeine also cause dopamine to be released in greater amounts which makes you feel more alert and energetic and happy though it does not provide any energy. Resources: http://www. deseretnews. com/article/635202412/What-ingredients-do-energy-drinks-have. html? pg=all http://www. ehow. com/about_5256218_do-energy-drinks-affect-body. html Books: â€Å"The Nutrition Bible,† by Jean Anderson.

Applied Financial Analysis and Management Research Paper

Applied Financial Analysis and Management - Research Paper Example Question 2: Paul Thompson is the chairman of the company who has an extensive industry experience of 30 years. He was the president of SCA Australasia which is part of the SCA Group. He has also held director position at the Food & Grocery Council and councilor position at the Australian Industry Group. Presently, he is also member of the Audit and Risk Committee, Remuneration Committee and Nomination Committee. Michael Iwaniw is the company’s CEO who joined the board in 2011 and holds a Bachelor of Science and a graduate diploma in business administration. He is a vast experience at director position at the Australia Barley Board (ABB) and non-executive director for various companies in the Australian foods industry. The company has 3,227 shareholders at the year end 30/6/2012. Question 3: a Market Capitalization Number of Outstanding Shares 56,810,000.00 64,763,400.00 Â   Â   Price per share as of 21/9/2012 1.14 Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   b PE Multiple Price per share a s of 21/9/2012 1.14 6.79 Â   Â   Underlying EPS as of 30/6/2012 0.17 Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   c Dividend Yield Divided per share as of 30/6/2012 0.08 (Full Yr) 7.02% Â   Â   Price per share as of 21/9/2012 1.14 Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   d Bid Ask Spread Bid 1.13 0.01 Â   Â   Ask 1.14 Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   e Enterprise Value Market Capitalization 64,763,400.00 131,363,400.00 Â   Â   Net Debt as of 30/6/2012 66,600,000.00 Â   Â   Â   Interest Bearing Debt as of 30/6/2012 68,000,000.00 Â   Â   Â   Less Cash as of 30/6/2012 1,400,000.00 Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   f EV/EBIT EV 131,363,400.00 (57.11) Â   Â   EBIT (Underlying) (2,300,000.00) Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   g EV/EBITDA EV 131,363,400.00 33.68 Â   Â   EBITDA 3,900,000.00 Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   h P/NTA Price per share as of 21/9/2012 1.14 0.52 Â   Â   NTA per share 2.19 Â   Â   Â   Net Total Assets (NTA) as of 30/6/2012 160,300,0 00.00 Â   Â   Â   Less: Intangible Assets as of 30/6/2012 35,700,000.00 Â   Â   Â   Outstanding Shares 56,810,000.00 Â   Source for Financial Information: (ASX, 2012) Question 4: Days inventory 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 Select Harvests Limited

Relativism, Socrates & Plato, Aristotle's Virtue Ethics, Aristotle II Essay

Relativism, Socrates & Plato, Aristotle's Virtue Ethics, Aristotle II - Essay Example While the former deals only on the â€Å"what is†, the latter is concerned about â€Å"what ought to be†. As such, descriptive ethics looks into the morality of a person in particular or an entire society in general based on the actual conduct and behavior of the people under observation while normative ethics insist that human conduct and behavior must be measured against a universal set of prescribed moral norms which civilizations must follow and comply with. The third level of ethics is metaethics which is a study of the meaning behind ethical language and theories. It not only analyses and compares different moral standards; it also examines the significance and purpose of the ideas and concepts of ethics itself (Lutz 8). Moreover, these ethical theories may be differentiated from one another by looking into how they adopt the theory of relativism. On the one hand, normative ethics acknowledges that certain situations do arise which necessitate deviation from the p rescribed norms and thus require some degree of tolerance. On a case-to-case basis, a specific action is determined whether it is right or wrong by taking into consideration the specific circumstances which caused the deviation or non-compliance with the universal moral norms. On the other hand, relativism in metaethics takes into consideration the fact that people and societies come from different race, culture and set of common beliefs. Some degree of tolerance is given to the idiosyncrasies of cultures that are different from one’s own. As such, there is no absolute moral standard of right and wrong, rather, human conduct is measured against the prescribed norms of a given culture or group to which he belongs. 3.) Aristotle argues that ethics is the science of achieving happiness. What is his argument for this? What is happiness for Aristotle? And why doesn’t he think it is identical to pleasure? Explain the function argument and how it connects rationality with hap piness. What role do the virtues play in this argument? Aristotle argues that ethics is the science of achieving happiness because in order to be happy, a person must first conduct himself properly and attain his goals in life. For Aristotle, happiness is the ultimate goal of every person and the core motivation and driving force for all of our actions. Happiness is where all actions end and one will never stop until it is achieved. A person’s behavior and action can be likened to a pyramid which has a wide base of different goals for different needs. Then, as each goal is achieved, one moves forward and upward to another goal which brings him closer to the top where all other goals converge and end at point happiness. No matter how many or hard the obstacles and circumstances are, a person is motivated to move forward by the prospect of reaching to the top. Lest happiness be confused with mere pleasure, Aristotle expressly clarified that there is a world of difference betwee n happiness and pleasure, the latter being a mere emotion felt by a person when an intermediary goal is achieved. Throughout his journey to the apex of the pyramid, a person may feel pleasure as each specific goal brings him closer to his ultimate goal. Finally, according to Aristotle’s function argument, the function of man is to achieve rationality through different activities which call for the use of the human mental faculties. Human rationality is what separates us from plants and animals; we do not just exist in this world, we

Criminal Investigation Methods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Criminal Investigation Methods - Research Paper Example Such emergencies include fire breakouts, floods, earthquakes and criminal attacks, among others. Among other responsibilities of the police include protection to top leaders, maintaining the general peace and order, protecting specific governmental or public property or infrastructure and ensuring order in the correctional facilities among others (Siegel, 2008). As a police officer, I would admit that my work is interesting and helpful to the public; however, it is faced with several challenges. This discourse tends to elaborate on the policing in the United States of America. Functions of the police According to the United States of America’s constitution, the police is mandated to ensure some specific responsibilities. The responsibilities are divided into three different categories namely maintaining order, enforcing law and providing service. The police are required to maintain order, mean they should protect the public from a few individuals who may opt to compromise the general peace of the public. The public has the right to call the police in case of crime or any suspicions. The rights have ranged from domestic to the public levels. In the family level, any of the spouse or children is free to call the police hotlines incase of any disparity. ... The marshals are however mandated to kill or arrest the criminal depending on the situation (Dammer, 2010). The marshals apply when the criminal is declared lethal in the public. The police are also required to provide services to the public or citizens. This applies in case of calamities or disasters. The police is required to collaborate with various bodies like the medics, first aid agencies to comfort the victims, by transporting them to safer grounds among other activities. The police should also protect the victims from being violated by the public and here they ensure there is no looting or robbery of the victims’ property. The police could also guide tourists or foreigners ensuring their general safety. The police could also enlighten the public on the dangers of certain substances like drugs, prostitutions and gambling among other activities. Still on services, the police could provide a safe environment for lost children or adults then later leas with relevant bodies like child care departments to ensure the victim is delivered to the right parents or guardians. The same police provides safety to the public during public gatherings like in sport arenas, public rallies or crusades. Police are also required to help the elderly adults in the banking facilities, health care facilities among others. Types of police in the United States There are different types of police in the country, and each is mandated to different responsibilities. The different categories are organized into some agencies, with each state having different kinds of agencies. It is also important to note that the police tend to have different

Gardens Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gardens - Essay Example Many gardeners have forgotten what each row contains, since not many gardeners plan their gardens on paper. By using a classification with only three categories, gardeners only have to remember the type of plant sowed in one third of their garden. Root plants would consist of carrots, onions, potatoes, radishes, and other plants that are harvested for their roots. Top plants could be corn, blackberries, and other plants that are harvested above ground. Vine plants would be watermelon, pumpkins, cucumbers tomatoes, grapes, and other plants grown on a vine. By planting root plants first, top plants second, and vine plants third gardeners could easily know what they are harvesting. Root plans like carrots and onions have a distinct top. All a gardener needs to do is find an onion plant to know what third of the garden was allotted to root plants. Top plants like corn also have distinct stalks which would help the gardener know what third of the garden is for top plants. Vine plants grow on vines, so this part of the garden would be easy to spot. Classifying a garden will help gardeners harvest their crops more easily. By using the classification of root plants, top plants, and vine plants, a gardener could easily identify what is being

Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Book Review - Essay Example Eventually, America has made to become a society which permits ordinary people to lead the government and give every citizen their right to vote. The transition of America into a democratic country had also been easy considering that the patriot leaders leave no interest for the powers that the position gives them. Wood (1992) emphasizes that "the Revolution was the most radical and far reaching event in American history" (p. 8). It means that the revolution significantly affected the American society and politically changed the rules from British to American ideals. Accepting the radical nature of the American Revolution is important within the context of the socio- political society especially during the eighteenth century. Also, it is important to highlight the appreciation for the political and social aspects of the colonial society that is impossible to disentangle. The leaders then are not just revolting against the political system of the British government but also its colonial society in America. Wood thinks that the republicanism society had affected British thoughts in a wide sense. Accordingly, republicanism is not accepted to any political life of an English society. However, monarchical and republican values are present in their culture and there are many considerable monarchists that accepted the ideals of republicanism regardless of the long-run consequences they might face. They do not always use the term though, but republicanism is regarded as a set of values and a kind of life where it is more understandable and liberal. Yet, the mid-18th century is the era when the social change took place, the past remains obstinate. American colonists are the English; they share the statement that order and stability in society came from the monarchical type of society. The king is subject to as dependent being and less autonomous. But, the American people see

Multiculturalism versus Liberalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Multiculturalism versus Liberalism - Essay Example As such, a multicultural society is described as one that is characterized by a rich mixture of cultures and supports the desire amongst its people to convey their own identities in the way they deem fit (Brian, 3). The second approach to multiculturalism aims at dealing with the numerous challenges that arise because of cultural diversity, especially due to the problems that face the minority and marginalized groups within society. Liberalism Liberalism refers to a political philosophy that is based on the notions of equality and liberty that support basic human rights and freedoms such as individual civil rights, freedom to own private property, freedom of expression, free and just elections, freedom of religion, free trade, and freedom of association. This philosophy arose because of a rejection of tyrannical, oppressive, and conservative practices and ideas such as absolute monarchy, the godly right of kings, state religion, and hereditary privilege that only favored a few individuals within society (Perry, et al., 183). Liberalism emerged during the 16th and 17th centuries when there were numerous religious wars across Europe that were against tyrannical leadership. Regarded as the Enlightenment Age, it saw the beginning of powerful revolutionary movements aimed at ending tyrannical regimes across the world especially in Europe, with the most remarkable one being the French revolution. A multiculturalism critique of l iberal notions of citizenship The term citizenship is a term used broadly to refer to the link between an individual and the state and which grants that individual certain legal rights and freedoms. Citizenship has three main dimensions. The first is legal status that grants an individual freedom to act in accordance with the law and the right to seek protection by the law (Isin and Turner, 32). The second dimension is political and assumes individuals as political agents who participate in political undertakings within society. The third is identity whereby an individual is deemed a member of a political community hence gaining an identity. Differences in the approach adopted by liberalism and multiculturalism have created a tension between these two ideologies especially in the manner of leadership to be adopted by governments and various authorities. One such are of tension arises on the views of citizenship adopted by liberals and multiculturalists. A major model of citizenship is liberal citizenship that adopts legal status and political liberty as important aspects of citizenship and which help to protect individuals from oppression by the authorities and other individuals. Several multiculturalists criticisms have been raised against the various liberal ideas of citizenship adopted by liberals. The first criticism is the failure of liberalism citizenship to address the various inequalities present in the present capitalist societies. The capitalist approach towards production and property ownership has

The Ancient View of Blacks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Ancient View of Blacks - Essay Example "The Greeks and Romans.in the first European accounts of the physical characteristics of certain African peoples, frequently used a color-term - Aithiops, Aethiops, Ethiopian- literally a burnt-faced person - as a designation for the blackest and most wooly-haired people known to them. But it is not generally known that Ethiopian carried no stigma of inferiority" (Bowser 1995 pg 3). If the way that dark skinned people were depicted in the artwork and writings of those times is 'no stigma of inferiority' then it would be reasonable to assume that these people were treated as equals, and dissimilar to the disdain with which some dark-skinned individuals, and their communities are treated in today's modern world. That slavery was a common practice during the Greek and Roman eras is readily accepted as fact by most experts. Evidence that slavery was common and accepted can be found in writings from many philosophers of that era including Aristotle. "Aristotle's doctrine of natural slavery was a refined version of such reputable, practical wisdom on slavery through it we are gaining access to something approaching the standard view of the supposedly rational Greek slave-holder on the nature and justification of slavery." (Cartledge 1993 pg 122). Because Aristotle was justifying the ancient Greek's use of slavery, we can assume that slavery was important enough to them that they felt they had to justify it. In modern terms, or scenarios, when mentioning slavery an immediate thought comes to mind concerning the Black race, probably because the last time there was prevalent slavery it was due to that race being enslaved. That was not necessarily true in ancient Greek and Rome, especially with the Greeks, because (some believe) that would mean that they were enslaving themselves or their relatives.Bernal says, "Plutarch admitted Greece's deep cultural debts to Egypt, he took it as axiomatic, for instance, that Greek religion came from Egypt." (Bernal 2001 pg 3). If, as Plutarch admitted, Greek religion came from Egypt, would that not mean that Egyptians also came and settled what was to become Greece It would seem likely, and if that held true, and again we refer back to Bernal and his assertion that Egyptians were from the Bla ck race, that would mean that the Greeks were descendants of Negroid descedants. At the very least experts believe that the Egyptians intermixed with the Kushites (who were black). "The history of Kushite-Egyptian contacts was in large part the story of Egypt's efforts to exploit the human and natural resources of Kush, and of Kush's response to the commercial and imperial ambitions of its northern neighbors" (Snowden 1983 pg 21). Snowden states that Pepynakht (a noble from Elephantine) reported that he had been commissioned to pacify the countries to the south (Kush) and that he did so. An inscription from Pepynakht's tomb informs us that "he had slain many leaders, and that he had returned with prisoners.how many.were Negroid is not known, but Negroeswere among captives taken in the southern campaigns of Pepy I and II." (Snowden 1983 pg

An in-depth understanding of the organizational and the individual Essay

An in-depth understanding of the organizational and the individual performance of a company - Essay Example From an individual level, it has also been witnessed several times that an individual worker who was a ‘good performer’ previously has turned to be a ‘bad performer’ within a short-term period. However, there can be various reasons to cause ‘poor performance’ active in both the organizational and the personal level of the workers (Jackson & Et. Al., 2008). With this point of view, the paper shall intend to identify few factors in an organization which is solely based on the marketing of various kinds of products through telesales. Certainly, the sales force of the organization plays a vital role in signifying its overall performance. According to the job responsibilities of the sales force of the company, the individuals require to call the potential customers and influence them to buy the product. Thus, the workers should possess a high level of competencies in terms of learning skills, interactive skills, change-ability, and readiness. The com petencies of the workers or the task force shall in turn influence the competency of the organization. However, the actors of competencies shall be measured according to the determined instructional objectives, i.e. to identify the causes of poor performance, assess the potential of the workforce and enhance their competencies which in turn shall positively encourage the organizational competencies.

School Prayer Essay Example for Free

School Prayer Essay In simple terms, prayer is talking to God or a god. During that conversation, the person praying may use his or her own words or, â€Å"a set order of words,† such as the Lord’s Prayer to speak to God, may â€Å"request or wish† something from a God. The conversation may be vocal or silent. Questions involving school prayer are among the most argumentative questions posed to the courts. This has been the case decades ago and still occurring today. The history of prayer in the public education system is a story of legal rendering. The relationship between religion and government in the United States is governed by the First Amendment of the Constitution, which both prevents the government from establishing religion and protects privately initiated religious expression and activities from government discrimination. The First Amendment establishes certain limits on the conduct of public school officials as it relates to religious activity, including prayer. The First Amendment says, â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, [known as the Establishment Clause], or prohibiting the free exercise thereof [known as the Free Exercise Clause],† (U.  S. Constitution) When deciding a case, the court has to balance between favoring a religion and prohibiting it. Landmark Case: Engle vs. Vitale The Supreme Court has many times held that the First Amendment requires public school leaders to be neutral in their treatment of religion. This means not showing favoritism toward any religion but yet not showing any hostile expression towards any religious doings, such as prayer. One of the most famous court cases involving religion and public schools happened in a New York City school district in the 1950s. Each morning before classes started, students would say a twenty-two word prayer that was created by the school board. Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country. A few parents objected, saying that this school promoted prayer violated the First Amendment. The New York Supreme Court ruled against the parents, who was represented by Stephen Engle. After taking their claim to a higher court numerous times, the court case Engle v. Vitale (1962), finally made it to the Supreme Court. In 1962 the Supreme Court Judges voted, the vote was 6 to 1, deciding that the twenty-two word prayer was unconstitutional. It was decided that the prayer, â€Å"singled out a particular religious practice contradicting the Establishment Clause of the First Amendement. † (Haas 48) This landmark case is one of the significant case laws used in order to determine neutrality in questions of school prayer. It was decided that teachers and other public school officials may not lead their classes in prayer, devotional readings from the Bible, or other religious activities. Engel v. Vitale, 370 U. S. 421 (1962) Violation of the Establishment Clause: Sante Fe v. Doe While school leaders may not lead their students in prayer, according to 105 ILCS 20/5, Students do have the right to pray at school. They must respect the schools policies, regulations, and rules that are in place regarding any disruption to the educational system. This being said, â€Å"students may read their Bibles during study hall or other non-structured time, may say grace, and may discuss religion with their peers during non-directed free time, such as time spent on the playground, on a school bus, in the hallways, or in the cafeteria. † (Braun 184) This student right and Illinois compiled statute was tested in the case of Sante Fe Independent School District v. Doe. Santa Fe v. Doe centered on the Santa Fe Independent School District policy allowing student-led prayer before football games. Santa Fe Independent School District had a history of student-led prayer. The students were elected by their peers to lead prayer at a school event. An Appellate Court ruling found that the district’s policy was unconstitutional in accordance with the Establishment Clause. The Court stated that the policy was not only an actual endorsement of prayer, but also a perceived endorsement, and, therefore, sent a message to nonbelievers that they were outsiders and that believers were the favored group in the community If the prayer is student lead, driven, and initiated it does not go against the constitution. The Supreme Court ruled saying, â€Å"The delivery of such a message, over the schools public address system, by a speaker representing the student body, under the supervision of the school faculty, and pursuant to a school policy that explicitly and implicitly encourages public prayer is not properly characterized as private speech† (Santa Fe v. Doe, 2000). Moment of Silence for Prayer: Wallace v. Jaffrey? So far a few things have been decided. The first is that any school-sponsored religious practice is prohibited because it is in violation of the Establishment Clause. The second thing is that students do have a right to freely exercise their personal religious practices as long as they do it during non-structured times; but where does the law stand on moments of silence that schools use for personal prayer times? After court cases such as Engle vs. Vitale it was obvious that religion in schools was diminishing. To counter back at these Supreme Court rulings many states started establishing moments of silence at the beginning of each school day as a substitute for the vocal prayer that had been taken away. These moments of silence are permissible as long as they are done for a secular purpose. Wallace v. Jaffrey is the only case that the Supreme Court has heard on a moment of silence in schools. The case contested an Alabama law that established a moment of silence for the purpose of â€Å"meditation or voluntary prayer† (Wallace v. Jaffrey, 1985). The court found that the statue was unconstitutional because it was enacted solely for the purpose of promoting religion in schools. The majority opinion found that any statute establishing a moment of silence that included the word â€Å"prayer† was unconstitutional. 1985 the Supreme Court concluded that Alabama’s silent meditation and prayer statute violated the Establishment Clause. Alexander 217) Explaining how this ruling came to be, an understanding of how our courts can make such a decision is needed first. The Establishment Clause Tests: The Supreme Court uses three tests to determine violations of the Establishment Clause. The tests may be considered singularly or together to determine constitutionality. The court has repeatedly stressed that the Constitution prohibits public schools from teaching children in religion. But it is not always easy to determine exactly what constitutes teaching or school sponsorship of religious acts. To help explain the establishment clause, which is often a question in issues of school prayer, the court uses several tests. The three main tests include the Lemon, coercion, and endorsement test. Lemon Test: The Lemon test gets its name from the 1973 decision in Lemon v. Kurtzman, in which the Court struck down a state program that was giving aid to religious elementary and secondary schools. The Lemon test is a three prong test, each part being just as important as the other two. Using the Lemon test, a court must first determine whether the law or government action in question has a secular purpose. This prong is based on the idea that government should only concern itself in civil matters, leaving religion to the conscience of the individual. Second, a court would ask whether the state action has the primary effect of advancing or inhibiting religion. Finally, the court would consider whether the action excessively entangles religion and government. While religion and government must interact at some points while co-existing in society, the concern here is that they do not so overlap and intertwine that people have difficulty differentiating between the two. Although this test has come under fire from certain Supreme Court Justices, it has never been over turned, and it is still used to guide decisions in courts today. Coercion Test: Some justices propose allowing more government support for religion than the Lemon test allows, their support stands with the coercion test. Justice Kennedy created the coercion test in Lee v. Weisman. The coercion test is used to determine whether or not the government coerced participation in the religious activity. In regard to public schools, it is used to determine whether or not students experienced a coercive effect. Based on the 1992 case of Lee v. Weisman, 505 U. S. 577 the religious practice is examined to see to what extent, if any, pressure is applied to force or â€Å"coerce† individuals to participate. The Court has defined that the government does not violate the establishment clause unless it, (1) provides direct aid to religion in a way that would tend to establish a state church, or (2) coerces people to support or participate in religion against their will. Even the coercion test is subject to varying interpretations. This was evident and illustrated in Lee v.  Weisman. Endorsement Test: The third test that was proposed by Justice Sandra Day OConnor is the endorsement test. It was used in the 1984 case of Lynch v. Donnelly, asking whether a particular government action amounts to an endorsement of religion, thus violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Its with this test that a government action is invalid if it creates a perception in the mind of a reasonable observer that a religion is being endorsed or disapproved. The endorsement test has been included into the Lemon test. While the endorsement test has been applied in many cases, it has not produced a conclusive answer to the question of constitutionality in all cases. There is a forth test that is sometimes used in establishment-clause decisions, it is the neutrality test. While the Lemon, coercion, and endorsement test are used in matters of expression the neutrality test is mainly used in issues dealing with funding. Making sure the government is giving neutral aid to public and religious schools with no religious promotion. Because of its dealings and ruling in funding matters, the neutrality test is not often used in issues of prayer in public schools. The Wallace case is legally significant for representing the value of neutrality underlying the Establishment Clause. It also showed the significance for the Lemon test as the main test for evaluating the constitutionality of public school involvement in religion. The Court in Wallace showed its position that the Establishment Clause â€Å"‘requires the state to be a neutral in its relations with groups of religious believers and non-believers. ’† (Lofaso 30) The Court then concluded that Alabama’s moment-of-silence statute violated the Establishment Clause because it failed the purpose prong of the Lemon test: â€Å"The legislature enacted . . for the sole purpose of expressing the State’s endorsement of prayer activities for one minute at the beginning of each school day. Does Location of the Prayer Matter? It was almost a half-century ago that the Supreme Court in Engle v. Vitale established that daily prayer in the classroom is unconstitutional. Since then, this thought has grown due to cases where location of the prayer have been put into question. Now the Supreme Court extends their thinking to include, â€Å"any particular form of prayer which is to be used as an official prayer in carrying on any program of governmentally sponsored religious activity. The Supreme Court continued to keep watch even when school prayer moved outside the classroom to a graduation ceremony. In Lee v. Weisman, principals at public schools in Providence, Rhode Island invited clergy to speak at graduations. The principals provided the clergy with guidelines, which essentially boiled down to keeping the prayers nonsectarian. When Principal Lee invited a rabbi to give a prayer at Nathan Bishop Middle School’s graduation, Deborah Weisman and her parents objected. When the Weismans alleged a violation of the Establishment Clause, the school board argued that an event as significant as graduation warranted prayer. The lower courts agreed with the Weismans and the Supreme Court affirmed. The school board argued that graduation was a voluntary event. The Court dismissed this argument, finding graduation to be an important event in a student’s life that must not be forfeited due to different religious beliefs and that the government must not get involved. In 1992 the Court decided that it was unconstitutional for a member of the clergy to deliver an invocation or benediction at a public school graduation, and that in doing so, the school endorsed religion and required students who were non-believers to accept the religious practices. Conclusion: Supreme Court decisions provide insight into the debate against school prayer. Because of the various Court rulings on the school prayer issue, we do have a foundation to base other decisions off of when issues arise with mixing church and state in the public educational system. Students today can not be forced to recite any prayer that has been endorsed by the school, but they may practice a moment of silence during the school day as long as they are not required to use that time for prayer. Students are also free to exercise their religious beliefs. They may read their Bibles during non structured time and pray as long as they are following the rules and regulations regarding school disruption. If at any time the state gets involved, or the activities become school-sponsored then the religious acts are unconstitutional and violate the First Amendment. It is important to remember that the United States exists today because the founders sought to live in a country free from government interference, especially concerning religion. Individuals are free to exercise their beliefs as long as they are not forcing those beliefs unto others.

Complex Love In A Rose For Emily English Literature Essay

Complex Love In A Rose For Emily English Literature Essay This paper will investigate the complex love relationship between the southern belladonna Emily Grierson and the northern street worker Homer Barron in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily. In order to analyse this issue, I will divide my research in two parts. I will first focus on the female protagonist who seems to have a great desire for companionship and love. To verify this idea I will outline the main features of her life and try to enter in the world of her psyche. Moreover, I will define and interpret possible reasons for her actions. The second part will concentrate on the important male figure of the short story: Homer Barron. Here, I will focus mainly on his role in this sophisticated love-scenario and on the questions, why he gets murdered and which reasons led Emily to commit such a crime. I will then compare these findings to the title of the short story and concentrate my thoughts on the meaning of the symbol of the rose in A Rose for Emily. 2. A Rose for Emily: A Portrait of Emily Grierson. An absent-minded Southern belladonna named Emily Grierson represents the protagonist of William Faulkners short story A Rose for Emily. Interpretations about this character can lead to numerous directions due to her life which is seen as extremely bizarre and macabre: The daughter of an aristocratic and a good standing family has difficulties with growing-up due to her stern father who never accepts one of her suitors. After Mr Grierson passed away, a young street worker from the North, named Homer Barron, appears in the small town of Jefferson, to whom she loses her heart. Suddenly, he vanishes and he never turns up again, while Emily is caught in the act of buying arsenic. Until then, Ms Grierson stays in her house for good but her black servant leaves sometimes. All of a sudden, Emily dies and as the curious townspeople enter the house at her burial, they come across a bedroom made up as a bridal room where they find a grey strain of hair next to the tracks of a skeleton. Schizophrenia as a Scapegoat for her Actions. Although Emilys behaviour is outrageous, she never had a reputation for being insane. The townspeople did not say she was crazy (A Rose for Emily  [1]  124), but her actions and her character would lead one to assume that she has gone barking mad. If not, why would someone stay in a house for a lifetime and sleep next to a corpse? A possible explanation for this might be a mental illness, as e.g. schizophrenia (Smith). Its causes can be easily lead back to Emilys childhood: As a result of the high values of an aristocratic family, she grew up with ever-lasting expectations that the inhabitants of Jefferson had of a daughter of such an ancestry: Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town (RfE 119). The citizens demanded the maintenance of those traditions set up by her ancestors but already as a child she was not probably able to handle these demanding conditions (Smith). Another culprit for Emilys mental state is definitely Mr Grierson. The family values were of a particular importance for him, even if his daughter would have to suffer: [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] her father which had thwarted her womans life so many times [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] (RfE 127). Therefore Emily never had a love relationship with a man because Mr Grierson thinking none of those suitors were good enough for her was always shooing them away. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] the Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were. None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] she got to be thirty and was still single [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦]. (RfE 123) 2.2 Death of her Father as the Last Straw. After Mr Grierson passed away, the reader is able to observe an acceleration of Emilys mental decadence (Smith). This process might seem peculiar but it is easy explainable: Emily was always burdened with external stress, which her father has to be partly blamed for. Now, much of this pressure disappears suddenly owing to the death of Mr Grierson and of all his expectations and orders, whereby the previous hidden symptoms surface (Smith). Therefore, Emily is not able anymore to convey her true feelings at the burial, i.e. she is not affected by her own fathers exitus and has no trace of grief on her face (RfE 123). Hence, the former Southern belle is leaving more and more reality and enters an imaginary world, as e.g. by saying to the townspeople that her father was not dead (RfE 123) or by totally withdrawing herself from society. Another classic symptom for schizophrenia can be detected in her inability of interacting socially with others and in the later lack of hygiene and of sel f-awareness on her physical appearance (Smith): When we next saw Miss Emily, she had grown fat and her hair was turning gray. During the next few years it grew grayer and grayer until it attained an even pepper-and-salt iron-gray, when it ceased turning. Up to the day of her death at seventy-four it was still that vigorous iron-gray, like the hair of an active man. (RfE 127-28) Besides all these examples, the best argument for a supposable mental illness on the part of Emily Grierson establishes her attraction to corpses. 2.3 Transcending Death of Emilys Love. The fact that Ms Grierson spends time with a dead human body states Faulkner in the last sentences of his short story: The man himself lay in the bed. For a long while we just stood there, looking down at the profound and fleshless grin. The body had apparently once lain in the attitude of an embrace, but now the long sleep that outlasts love, that conquers even the grimace of love, had cuckolded him. What was left of him, rotted beneath what was left of the nightshirt, had become inextricable from the bed in which he lay; and [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair (RfE 130). This paragraph demonstrates well the height of her mental illness and explains frankly what Emily did in the last years of her life: She murdered her suitor Homer Barron and passed the nights next to his cadaver. Such attractions to dead bodies are termed as necrophilia which is a combination of the two Greek words nekros (dead person) and philia (affection). This mental disorder includes sexual intercourse with a corpse which is in fact illegal in Europe. Whether Emily slept with Homers corpse can only be interpreted because it is not mentioned directly (Grabher). 3. A Rose for Homer: A Portrait of Homer Barron. Homer Barron displays an essential figure in A Rose for Emily because he can be presented as a symbol for hope and for companionship, i.e. Emily Grierson sees in this Northern street worker a ghost of a chance of getting away from all the expectations laid upon her and from solitude. Her whole life has been marked by the feeling of loneliness but through Homer she tries to break this mould. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] we were sure that they were to be married. We learned that Miss Emily had been to the jewelers and ordered a mans toilet set in silver, with the letters H. B. on each piece. Two days later we learned that she had bought a complete outfit of mens clothing, including a nightshirt [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] (RfE 127). The townspeoples description of Emilys activities reveals her seriousness about her relationship with her beloved foreman but does not convey the reason for her subsequent tasks. 3.1 Revelation of Homers Homosexual Proclivities. A possible reason for the murder of Homer Barron could be seen in Emilys fear of being alone again. Indeed, she falls in love with her follow and insists on marrying him but that differs with Homers intentions. As a labourer from the North, he is just looking for a place to stay during the working weeks and not for a future wife. In addition to that, it seems that Homer is not interested in any woman but in men, because he himself had remarked-he liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elks Club-that he was not a marrying man (RfE 126). A closer analysis of his first and last name can be used to strengthen this theory. Homer leads us back to Ancient Greece (8th century BC-146 BC) and to Homeros who wrote Iliad and the Odyssey. Anyway, the Greek society of this time is largely known for its acceptance of homosexuality. Barron could be interpreted in various ways, e.g. as a pun  [2]  due to barren which has a similar sound. However, barren displays a tight connection with the character, if we look at its synonyms: fruitless, sterile, meagre or infertile. This particular meaning of that term ties in with the inability of a homosexual couple to reproduce and therefore with the figure of Homer Barron (Grabher). Moreover, Faulkner integrates little hints to get to know Homers sexual preferences, as e.g. through the use of colours: [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] Homer Barron with his hat cocked and a cigar in his teeth, reins and whip in a yellow glove [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] (RfE 126). The colour yellow could be here a clear reference to the Yellow Book which was the most popular British magazine in the 1980s  [3]  . It was associated with aestheticism, a 19th century movement which attached more importance to aesthetic values than to moral ones, and indirectly with homosexuality (Roth). 3.2 Emilys Response to her Discovery. The most interesting issue about this complicate love-scenario between a forlorn Southern lady and a gay Northern industrial worker is how her discovery of Homers truly sexual proclivities affected Emily. After discovering his secret, she tries to adapt her physical appearance to the conceptions of beauty of her beloved: she cuts her hair which then looks like the hair of an active man (RfE 128). The motive for doing that can be lead back to the desire of pleasing him in order to keep their relationship alive. This whole aspect reminds me of the Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi (1571-1610), better known as Caravaggio, whose sexual identity was also surrounded by numerous rumours, e.g. it is said that he went for male androgynous younglings. Many of his paintings show such infantile boys, like e.g. Bacchus (1595) or Amor Vincit Omnia (1602). Even more striking is that women were unusual objects in his canvases and if he depicted them, they mostly have a short, boyish hairstyle, as Faulkners Emily and as the angel in Caravaggios Rest on the Flight into Egypt (1597) have (Harten 30-34). Fig. 1. Caravaggio, Rest on the Flight into Egypt, Galleria Doria Pamphili, Rome; rpt. in Andrew Graham-Dixon, Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane (London: Allen Lane, 2010; print; 162). 3.3 Homer as a Rose for Emily. Emily realises soon that Homer and she do not have the same feelings for each other and that he will not be in her town for a long time anymore. Therefore, she takes to more extreme measures: she buys arsenic in order to kill Homer. I want some poison she said to the druggist. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] Yes, Miss Emily. What kind? [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] I want the best you have. I dont care what kind. The druggist named several. Theyll kill anything up to an elephant.' (RfE 125) The reason for the murder lies clearly in her great desire of avoiding a probable recurring solitude and of keeping Homer as close as possible. This leads directly to a possible interpretation concerning the title of the short story which can be irritating due to the absence of the image of a rose in Faulkners work. Although the flower is not stated at all, the term rose arises four times bearing two different meanings. On the one hand the author uses this word as the past form of the verb rise and on the other hand as the colour rose: A thin, acrid pall as of the tomb seemed to lie everywhere upon this room decked and furnished as for a bridal: upon the valance curtains of faded rose colo[u]r, upon the rose-shaded lights, upon the dressing table, [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦]. (RfE 129-30) That is why it is not evident who or what symbolises the rose in the title. A plausible conclusion could be that Homer personalises the rose because Emily does not endure letting him go, not even after his decease. On the contrary, she uses death to be even closer to her beloved street worker. Her greatest wish of keeping Homers body resembles to the action of bending a rose and pressing it then between some pages of a book in order to keep its beauty forever (VCCS Litonline). 4. Conclusion The leading idea of this paper has been to analyse the complex love relationship between Emily Grierson and Homer Barron in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily. As we have seen, the female protagonist of this short story had a difficult life due to a probable mental health illness developed from her personal problems with her aristocratic background and the expectations laid upon her. Her only wish was to find companionship and love which she thought having found in the figure of Homer Barron. After having discovered his real sexual orientation, she was gutted and did not want to accept that she has to let him go too. Thusly, she murdered him in order to keep him for good a pressed rose between some pages of a book.

Effect of Gender Equality in the Economy

Effect of Gender Equality in the Economy Michael .O. Sanni Hypothesis: There is a positive correlation between gender equality with respect to economic development. My Initial Hypothesis In the labor market, one may assume that a rà ©sumà © and credentials are the only significant factor contributing to securing a job in an organization, but that proves to be wrong especially for women. Increasing job opportunities and decent work for women is essential for growth that vital for advancing social and economic development (ADB, 2003). After careful observation of countries where social, behavioral, and cultural attributes are the criteria by which individual’s performance is evaluated. I wondered whether or not gender equality had an effect on how well a country’s economy is developing. Based on the mental representation of what we know and expect about girls and women, we tend to be bias in our perception of females being less intelligent, under-skilled and not being clever enough to partake in economic activities. If employers have this type of mindset, I am curious to know under what circumstances gender equality affects the development of a country’s economy. The Empirical Evidence There are numerous factors that determine the social and economic development of a nation, one of which is gender equality. It is a critical component of economic development, it is a basic right that does not need economic vindication. Gender inequality proves to be the causes of poverty in the society as a whole. Yet gender equality has broad and positive implications for social and economic development. A number of studies have attempted to establish a positive correlation between them.Kuznets (1995) thesis regarding a curvilinear relationship between economic development and inequality, propose that economic development and gender equality also exhibit a non-monotonic relationship, marked by three phases. Economic development should improve gender equality in the first phase; in the second phase equality increases or decline slightly; and in the third phase, it should rise again (Eastin Prakash, 2012). Every sector of a nation affect the economy directly or indirectly, take for instance; equality in the educational sector. Hill and King (1993) estimated that the correlation between female education and the gender gap in primary and secondary enrollment on gross domestic product (GDP) per capita between 1975 and 1985 is statistically and economically significant. Countries with a lower level of inequality have higher GNP compare with similar countries that have a higher level of gender inequality. Which means the more equality we have in a country the greater the impact on the economy development. Breaking the barriers of inequality in education matters instrumentally, because greater equality contribute to economic efficiency, achievement and other key developmental outcomes. Human capital is define as the skill, knowledge and physical capacity that allows the labor force to be economically productive. Increasing educational opportunities for women offers them the freedom to accumulate greater skills and expertise in the labor force and thus raise the potential for economic development. More so, women who are learned can undertake valuable economic activities. Abu-Ghaida and Klasen (2002) further provides empirical reseach indicating that a country failing to close the gender gap in education could experience a decrease in per capita income by 0.1 to 0.3 percentage points. Countries are rarely wealthy if they have poor gender equality in education. It has become widely understood that promoting gender equality is crucial for of an effective economic and human development strategy. According to world bank(2013)â€Å"Development community have come to understand that development policies and actions that fail to take gender inequality into account and fail to address gap between males and females will have limited effectiveness and serious cost implications.† The process of development may also lead to the adoption of institutions that favor gender equality. For example, if women are given the chance to participate in various sectors of the economy such as; agriculture, can help put an end to gender discrimination barrier to improve agricultural productivity. Breaking the obstacles of unequal distributions of resources, including credit extension, labor, and fertilizer that leads to inefficiencies which lower yields and profits; and markedly reduces incomes in some countries. This is mostly true for low-income countries, notably sub-Saharan Africa, where agriculture makes up a large proportion of the total economy and where a large number of women participate in this sector. Gender equality will provide educational and employment opportunities for women which will help in alleviating poverty and hunger. More so, children who receive more education are likely to profit more, but girls typically benefit more from extra education than boys according to Psacharapoulos Patrinos, (2002). In many developing countries, this benefit seems greater from secondary and tertiary education than from primary education. Women will also receive higher wages from entering the formal sector than from the agricultural sector, implying that expanding these opportunities for women will further alleviate poverty (Kingdon Soderbom, 2007). The accessible of health care and antenatal health care services will be easier for educated women and those in employment, thus reducing child mortality rates also has an impact on economic development. My Current Opinion My hypothesis was supported. After reading the empirical evidence regarding the effect gender equality has on economic development, I believe it is critical to societal progress both socially and economically. We live in a male-dominated world, but to foster economic growth, alleviate poverty and provide a better standard of living, both male and female have their roles to play, and we need to have a shift in our thinking. Feminist have argued that women and men are born with equal human capacity to learn, develop, and contribute to shaping the world. In 1995 more than 47,000 women and men participated in the creation of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action. The Platform clearly stated that the empowerment of women and gender equality were critical to international development, peace, and human right. Investing in women education as Lawrence Summers (1992) says, ‘may well be the highest return investment available in the developing world’. Creating opportunities for girls and women to acquire knowledge has reduced the gender gap in almost all countries. In secondary education, these gaps are closing rapidly and have reversed in many countries, especially in Latin America, the Caribbean, and East Asia. Among developing countries, girls now outnumber boys in secondary schools in 45 countries and there are more young women than men in universities in 60 countries (ADR 2012). Empowering women as economic, political, and social stand-in characters can change policy choices and make institutions more representative of a range of voices. In India for instance, giving power to women at the local level led to increases in the provision of public goods, and basic social amenities which mattered more to women (ADR 2012). The mismanagement of women’s skills and talent comes at a high economic cost, gender equality can have large impacts on productivity. Women now represent a majority of the global labor force, 43 percent of the agricultural workforce, and more than half of the world’s university students. Women’s skills and talents should be engaged in activities that make the best use of those abilities, for an economy to be functioning at its optimum capacity. References Doepke, M., and M. Tertilt. 2010. â€Å"Does Female Empowerment Promote Economic Development?† BREAD Working Paper 281, Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development. 20 Dollar, D., and Gatti, R. 1999. Gender, Inequality, Income, and Growth: Are Good Times Good for Women? Background paper for Engendering Development. World Bank, Washington, D.C. Klasen, S., and Lamanna, F. 2009. The Impact of Gender Inequality in Education and Employment on Economic Growth: New Evidence for a Panel of Countries. Feminist Economics 15 (3): 91-132 World Bank. 2011. World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development. Washington DC: The World Bank. Munshi, K., and Rosenzweig, M. 2006. Traditional Institutions Meet the Modern World: Caste, Gender, and Schooling Choice in a Globalizing Economy. American Economic Review 96 (4): 1225-52. Klasen, S. 1999. â€Å"Does Gender Inequality Reduce Growth and Development? Evidence from Cross-Country Regressions.† Background paper for Engendering Development, World Bank, Washington D.C. Klasen, S. 2002. Low Schooling for Girls, Slower Growth for All? Cross-Country Evidence on the Effect of Gender Inequality in Education on Economic Development. World Bank Economic Review 16 (3): 345-73 Hill, A., and E. King. 1993. â€Å"Women’s education in developing countries: an overview† in Women’s Education in Developing Countries. Ed. Elizabeth M. King and M. Anne Hill, 1-50. Baltimore, MD: The John Hopkins University Press. Bertocchi, G. 2008. The enfranchisement of women and the welfare State. Center for Economic Research (RECent) 018, University of Modena and Reggio E., Dept. of Economics.

The Sublime Savage: Caliban on Setebos Essay -- Caliban on Setebos Ess

The Sublime Savage: Caliban on Setebos "Caliban my slave, who never / Yields us kind answer." (The Tempest, I.ii.310-1) "Caliban on Setebos" was one of Robert Browning's more popular poems among the Victorians, for its presumed satire of orthodox Calvinism, Puritanism, and similarly grim Christian sects. And Browning as Shakespeare's savage does indeed seem to hurl a few barbs in that direction, but the poet's exercise seems to be as much one in alternative theology. Caliban's bog-bound conjectures, in their significant departures from standard religious doctrine, serve as both an interesting repudiation of Archdeacon Paley's attempts to rationalize God, and as an entertaining 'science-fiction' tale, if you will, of religious thought under alternate circumstances. Caliban is, of course, the "salvage and deformed slave" of Shakespeare's dramatis personae in The Tempest, son of the deceased witch Sycorax, servant of the mage Prospero, consort of and bootlicker for Stephano and Trinculo, failed plotters and drunken buffoons. "As disproportion'd in his manners / As in his shape" (V.i.290-1), he has tried to ravish Prospero's daughter Miranda before being exiled to his cave, and in the course of the play attempts to overthrow Prospero himself and install Stephano on the throne of the island. At last, though, Duke Prospero comes to pardon even Caliban -- "This thing of darkness I / acknowledge mine" (V.i.275-6), and his drudge promises to "be wise hereafter, / and seek for grace" (V.i.294-5) or favor with his master. Browning certainly did his research in crafting the poem: near the end of the work, Caliban cowers under Setebos' "raven that has told... ... in a way, / Taketh his mirth with make-believes" (ll. 168-9). Caliban's easy acceptance of a capricious, often cruel deity, and his willingness to abase himself in penance for irrational divine anger, serves as a satiric reproof to both Paley and the Calvinists, and eloquent support for Browning's more palatable God of love. Shakespeare's Prospero claims that, without his help and education, Caliban "didst not, savage, / Know thine own meaning, but wouldst gabble like / A thing most brutish" (I.ii.357-9). Some of Browning's detractors considered "Caliban on Setebos" still to be brutish, for its harsh language and unpleasant philosophy. Yet the poem is successful in its aim: it is an effective purgative to complacent religious theory, and an entertaining glimpse into a putative religion based on quite different tenets from Victorian Christianity.

Marijuana and College Students Essay -- Marijuana Students Pot

Marijuana and College Students Marijuana may control the way people act, think, and even hurt their college academics. Marijuana is one of the most popular used drugs in America ranking about third after tobacco and alcohol. Marijuana is a substance that has become very much a part of American culture; many college students have either used it occasionally or regularly. With that in mind, I thought it would be interesting to find out about students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) and their use of marijuana. In fact most students might not even know what they are smoking and what exactly makes them feel the way they do. Exactly what is marijuana? Marijuana is made of the dried leaves and flowers of the female cannabis sativa plant, and looks like oregano. There are many different marijuana preparations that are widely used to obtain effects. It can be either smoked or taken by mouth. Marijuana can be smoked in the form of a hand-rolled cigarette ("joint" or "reefer") it is also smoked in a variety of pipes. Hashish (hash) is a dried-caked resin from the flowers and leaves of the plant. It is sold in chunks and cubes, and its color range from light brown to black. Hashish is often blended with tobacco and smoked. It is more potent than marijuana because it contains a higher concentration of THC. THC is the main ingredient in all cannabis preparations. The more THC cannabis contains, the stronger it is. The effects of marijuana are similar to alcohol intoxication. Small amounts can make you relaxed and generally less inhibited yet some users say that it enhances the experiences of music, food and sex. After hearing all about how college students feel about marijuana I wanted to find out for myself, so... ...re lighting up next time. Maybe they will wonder just what harm they have done to their body already. Many people that smoke marijuana have the effects that are discussed in this paper. It can plainly be seen, their lack of motivation and kind of "spacey ness" that is commonly associated with marijuana smoking. I often wonder what these people would be like if they stopped their use and allowed themselves to rid their body of the drug and its by-products. Marijuana use is still very popular throughout the United States, and the fact that people are not educated enough about its effects is very detrimental. These people are hurting themselves, and they don't know (and many just don't care) what they are doing to their bodies. If marijuana use continues to grow too much, we may have a country of unmotivated people, with many more health problems. Where will we be then?

Dworkins Wishful-Thinkers Constitution Essay -- Argumentative Persuas

Dworkin's Wishful-Thinkers Constitution ABSTRACT: Developing ideas first put forth in my Abortion Rights as Religious Freedom, I argue against Ronald Dworkin's liberal view of constitutional interpretation while rejecting the originalism of Justices Scalia and Bork. I champion the view that Justice Black presents in his dissent in Griswold v. Connecticut. INTRODUCTION In Life's Dominion Ronald Dworkin uses a liberal interpretation of the Constitution to defend constitutional rights to abortion and euthanasia. (1) According to Dworkin, the Constitution "lays down general, comprehensive moral standards that government must respect but ... leaves it to ... judges to decide what these standards mean in concrete circumstances" (p. 119). Any right can become constitutionally protected if five Supreme Court justices declare it so. As with Peter Pan, so with rights protected by the Constitution, believing makes it so. In this paper I explain and reject Dworkin's arguments for his view of constitutional interpretation. But with Dworkin, I reject the "originalism" of Justice Scalia and Robert Bork. I champion, instead, the moderate view that Justice Hugo Black presents in his dissent in Griswold v. Connecticut. (2) DWORKIN'S ARGUMENTS Dworkin notes that the Constitution's language, especially in several clauses of the Bill of Rights, is very abstract. The First Amendment says that Congress shall not infringe freedom of speech, shall not restrict freedom of religion, and shall not establish any religion. But it says nothing to help judges decide whether specific laws against pornography or flag burning offend freedom of speech [or] whether laws that ... forbid Native Americans to ingest peyote ... invade freedom of re... ...381 U.S. 479 (1965). (3) Lochner v. New York 198 U.S. 45 (1905). (4) Pierce v. Society of Sisters 268 U.S. 510 (1925). (5) Griswold v. Connecticut 381 U.S. 479, Harlan's concurring opinion at 500. (6) Casey v. Planned Parenthood 60 LW 4795 (June 30, 1992). (7) Griswold, at 522. (notes omitted) (8) Griswold, at 513. (9) Griswold, footnote 6 at 514. (10) Griswold, at 519. (11) Adamson v. California, 332 U.S. 46, 90-92 (1947)(Black dissenting). The inserted quote is from Federal Power Commission v Pipeline Co., 315 U. S. 575, 599, 601, n. 4. The entire passage is quoted in Griswold, at 525. (12) Peter S. Wenz, Abortion Rights as Religious Freedom (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1992). (13) See Wenz, pp. 163-167. (14) Calder v. Bull, 3 Dal. 386, 399; quoted in Griswold, at 525. (15) Griswold, at 519. (16) Griswold, at 501.

Financial Analysis of Macy’s Inc. and Nordstrom

Financial Analysis of Macy’s Inc. and Nordstrom Macy’s Inc. has established itself as a strong player in the retail industry, with over 850 Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores in 45 states. Macy’s competes against retail giants like Nordstrom, Kohl’s, JC penny and Saks Fifth Avenue for market share in the increasingly competitive department store industry. This financial report will choose Nordstrom as the major competitor, and serves as the comparison company. The annual report and 10-K filings were obtained from Yahoo! Finance.The financial statements for both companies used in this report are Consolidated Statement of Income, Consolidated Balance Sheets, and Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow from 2010 to 2012. All tables are included in appendix. 1. Company background & Overview Macy's Department Stores, Inc. is a U. S. chain of mid-range department stores. In addition to its internationally renowned flagship Herald Square location in Midto wn Manhattan, New York City, the company operates over 850 other stores in the United States as of September 12, 2012. Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale fashion specialty retailer chain in the United States.Originally it is a shoe retailer, nowadays the company also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances and home furnishings in some locations. There are now 231 stores operating in 31 states across the U. S. Beginning in 2008, department stores faced financial challenges partially attributed to the global economic crisis. The downturn negatively impacted department store liquidity, consumer spending and credit market conditions. Companies were able to cut operations and supply chain costs, and most have utilized the savings to improve their liquidity and the strength of their balance sheet.Also, developments in mobile phone technology are drawing more consumers away from brick-and-mortar stores toward online retail platforms. As a result, over the five year s to 2012, the number of companies is expected to decrease at an annualized rate of 31. 8% to an estimated 65 operators. 2. Financial analysis 2. 1 Horizontal analysis 2. 1. 1 Horizontal analysis of Balance Sheet In this section, we will look at the comparative statements of balance sheet of Macy’s Inc. for a three-year period. Macy’s fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to January 31.Fiscal years 2011, 2010 and 2009 ended on January 28, 2012, January 29, 2011 and January 30, 2010, respectively. Fiscal 2009 is chosen as the base year for computing the percentage change in each account in 2010, and fiscal 2010 is the base year for computing the change in 2011. From table 1, two accounts stand out: 2010 cash and cash equivalent decreased by 13% over 2009, while in 2011 it increased by 93% over 2010. Short/Current Long Term Debt increased by 87. 6% in 2010, and kept on increased by 143% in 2011. This huge increased short term debt mainly came from 616 million 5. 35% S enior notes due 2012, 298 million 5. 75% Senior notes due 2013, and 173 million 8. 0% Senior debentures due 2012. The huge increase in short term debt in FY 2011 maybe part of the reason of the big increase in the cash and cash equivalent account. 2. 1. 2 Horizontal analysis of Income Statement From table 2, we can see that net sales for 2011 totaled $26,405 million, compared to net sales of $25,003 million for 2010, an increase of $1,402 million or 5. 6%. Part of this increase is due to an increase on the comparable store basis, and part of it is due to the 39. 6% increases from the company's Internet businesses in 2011.The successive increase in the net sales in the three year trends shows that Macy’s continues to benefit from the successful execution of the My Macy's localization strategy. In 2011, the Gain on sale of properties, impairments, store closing costs and division consolidation costs account increased 200% over 2010. This is because Macy’s had a $54 milli on gain from the sale of store leases related to the 2006 divestiture of Lord ; Taylor in 2011; while the company only announced 25 million Impairments and store closing costs for 2010. In 2011, Macy’s had the 5. 6% increase in sales.Because the management was able to control its cost of goods sold (6. 17% increase) and SG;A expenses (0. 25% increase), plus the big gain from sales of property, the company resulted a 27. 3% increase in operating income. In 2010, Macy’s net sales increased 6. 45% over 2009, part of it is due to the huge decrease in the impairments, store closing costs and division consolidation costs account. The interest expense increased in 2010 over 2009, while the same account decreased 22. 8% in 2011 over 2010. This decreases benefited from lower levels of borrowings during fiscal 2010 and the repayment of debt at maturity. . 2 Vertical analysis 2. 2. 1 Vertical analysis of Balance Sheet From table 3, we can see that accounts receivables, inventory and other current assets accounts, their percentage of total assets didn’t have big difference over the three years trend. The increase of cash and cash equivalent from 7. 1% of total assets in 2010 to 13% in 2011 is the main reason that total current asset in terms of the percentage of total assets had significant increase (from 33% to 40%). Macy’s total current liabilities represent a slightly higher percentage of total liabilities and stockholders’ equity at FY 2011 than FY 2010 and 2009.This increase is balanced by a slight decrease in the relative percentages of long-term debt. 2. 2. 2 Vertical analysis of Income Statement In table 4, the base on which all other items in the income statement are compared is net sales. Macy’s gross profit ratio was very stable and consistent over the three year trends, less than 0. 5% difference among three years. Macy’s profit margin ratio kept growing over three years: from 1. 4% in 2009 to 3. 4% in 2010, and this ratio increased to 4. 8% in 2011. The increasing profit margin indicated that Macy’s management has strong ability to control its expenses. 2. 3 Cash flow analysisTable 5 is the most recent cash flow statement for Macy’s. Net cash provided by operating activities in 2011 was $2,093 million, compared to $1,506 million provided in 2010, reflecting higher net income and a lower pension contribution in 2011. In 2011, Macy’s pension funding contributions was $375 million, which was much lower than $825 million in 2010. The capital expenditure for property and equipment and capitalized software during 2011 was $764 million, the dividends paid was $148 million. Macy’s generated sufficient amounts of cash from operations in 2011 to cover its capital expenditures and dividends.Net cash used by investing activities and financing activities was $617 and $113million respectively for 2011. Investing activities for 2011 include purchases of property and equipment totaling $555 million and capitalized software of $209 million. Cash flows from investing activities included $114 million from the disposition of property and equipment for 2011. For financing activities, Macy’s issued $800 million of debt in 2011, but it is partially offset by the acquisition of company’s common stock at cost of $500 million and the repayment of $454 million debt, and the payment of $148 million of cash dividends.With the excess amounts of cash from operations Macy’s generated in 2011, management budgeted $850 million capital expenditures for 2012, primarily related to new stores, store remodels, maintenance, the renovation of Macy's Herald Square, technology and omnichannel investments, and distribution network improvements, including construction of a new fulfillment center. 2. 4 Ratio analysis 2. 4. 1 Liquidity Analysis Table 6 is the liquidity ratios for both Macy’s and Nordstrom over a three year period. At the beginning of 2012, Macy’s had $1. 4 of current assets for every $1 current liabilities.Compared to Nordstrom, both companies have more than enough assets to cover short-term debts, but Nordstrom is more liquid than Macy’s. Macy’s cash flow from operations to current liabilities ratio has increased from 2010 to 2011, from 31. 90% to 37. 20%. It is mainly because cash generated from operations during 2011 was 40% more than it was during 2010. Both companies’ cash flow from operations to current liabilities ratio is less than one, it means that both companies have generated less cash over the year than it needs to pay off short term liabilities as at the year end. This may signal a need to raise money to meet liabilities.But Nordstrom still has higher ratio than Macy’s, which suggests that it is more liquid than Macy’s in the short term. In 2011, Macy’s only needs 4. 8 days for an account to be outstanding. And the number of days’ sale in receivable for the past three years were all less than a week. Macy’s accounts receivable turnover ratio in the three year period is much higher than Nordstrom, which implies  Macy’s extension of credit and collection of accounts receivable is more efficient. From 2009 to 2011, Macy’s kept on decreasing the days took to sell inventory, from 133 days in 2009 to 124 and 120 days in 2010 and 2011, respectively.Macy’s efficiency in managing inventory improved over years. But Nordstrom was much more efficient in selling its inventory than Macy’s. In the past three years, each year Nordstrom used half of the days that took Macy’s to sell its inventory. 2. 4. 2 Solvency Analysis The solvency of a company is the ability to repay long term debts when due. The more solvent a company is the more protected the owners and partners are from bankruptcy. Table 7 is the debt to equity ratios; debt service coverage ratios and cash flow from operations to capital expe nditure ratios for both Macy’s and Nordstrom from 2009 to 2011.Macy’s debt to equity ratio was under 1 for FY 2009 and 2010, which suggested for these two years Macy’s assets are primarily financed through equity. This ratio was 1. 06 in 2011. When the debt to equity ratio was over 1, implied the majority of assets are financed through debt, which was a red flag for Macy’s. Compared to Macy’s, Nordstrom had a much higher debt to equity ratio which was above 2 for all three years. A high ratio of 2 or more exposes a company to risk such as interest rate increases and causing creditors' uneasiness.Macy’s management is more effective custodians of their shareholder's investments than Nordstrom. A company's debt service coverage ratio refers to its ability to meet periodic obligations on outstanding liabilities with respect to its net operating revenue. Higher this figure better is the debt serving capacity. Macy’s DSCR increased from 1. 42 times in 2010 to 3. 91 times in 2011, which showed the improvement of its debt serving capacity. Nordstrom’s DSCR was higher than Macy’s in the three year period, suggested stronger debt serving capacity than Macy’s.Although the cash flow from operations to capital expenditures ratios for two companies decreased over time in three years, both companies generated enough cash from operations to finance their capital expenditures and covered dividend payments. Nordstrom’s capital expenditure was very close to Macy’s, although it generated less cash from operations than Macy’s, it paid more dividends than Macy’s every year. This is the reason that Nordstrom’s ratio was lower than Macy’s. 2. 4. 3 Profitability Analysis Profitability ratios are used to determine the company's bottom line and its return to its investors.Table 8 is the profit margin ratio, rate of return on assets and return on sales ratio for both Macyâ€⠄¢s and Nordstrom from 2009 to 2011. The profit margin is an overall indicator of management’s ability to control expenses, reflects the amount of income for each dollar of sales. Note the increase in Macy’s profit margin: from 1. 40% in 2009 to 3. 39% in 2010 and 4. 76% in 2011. Nordstrom has higher profit margin ratio than Macy’s in the three years. A higher profit margin indicates a more profitable company that  has better control over  its costs compared to  its competitors.Macy’s effective tax rate from 2009 to 2011 was 30. 9%, 35. 8% and 36. 2%. Its return on assets rations increased from 2. 31% in 2009 to 4. 82% in 2010, and 6. 64% in 2011. It suggests Macy’s generated more profits for each $1 asset. The lower the profit per dollar of assets, the more asset-intensive a business is. Macy’s ROA suggested it is very asset-heavy. Nordstrom used a statutory Federal income tax rate 35%, and its ROA was 8. 01%, 9. 37% and 9. 14% for 20 09, 1010 and 2011 respectively, which were all higher than Macy’s. The higher the return, the more efficient management is in utilizing its asset base.Nordstrom’s management does a better job than Macy’s in this case. Macy’s return on sales ratio also kept on growing over three years, from 2. 16% in 2009 to 4. 12% and 5. 35% in 2010 and 2011 respectively. It implies the company makes more profit for every $1 sales over time. But this ratio for Macy’s still lower than Nordstrom over three years period, suggested Nordstrom’s business operations are more satisfactory than Macy’s. From the profitability analysis, we can see that Macy’s kept on having a healthy development over time, its profitability ability kept on improving.Compared to Nordstrom, the ratios suggest that Macy’s still a less profitable company than Nordstrom. 2. 4. 4 DuPont Analysis DuPont equation provides a broader picture of the return the company is earn ing on its equity. It tells where a company's strength lies and where there is a room for improvement. DuPont analysis  tells us that ROE is affected by  three things: Operating efficiency, which is  measured by profit margin; Asset use efficiency, which is measured by total asset turnover; and Financial leverage, which is  measured by the equity multiplier.So the formula will be: ROE = (Net Income/Revenue)*(Revenue/Assets)*(Assets/Equity) Table 9 is the DuPont analysis for both Macy’s and Nordstrom from 2009 to 2011. Looking at the components of ROE for both companies helps explain the changes in ROE over time. Since Nordstrom had higher profit margin ratio, asset turnover rate and leverage factors, its overall ROE was much higher than Macy’s in the three year trend. It shows Nordstrom is more effective at generating profits, managing assets and finding an optimal amount of leverage, this is why it can boost its ROE.Although Macy’s ROE were lower than N ordstrom’s, its own ROE still kept on growing over years, from 7. 05% in 2009 to 15. 05% and 21. 25% in 2010 and 2011 respectively. It is result of improving its operating efficiency and asset use efficiency, which suggests Macy’s management kept on improving its performance and the company developed in a healthy and growing direction. 3. Conclusions From above analysis, Macy's, Inc. may have more financial risk than other companies in the Multiline Retail industry.It has smaller current ratio and cash from operations to current liabilities ratio than its competitors, implies less liquid in the industry. However, an examination of near-term assets and liabilities shows that, even though there are not enough liquid assets to satisfy current obligations, operating profits are more than adequate to service the debt. Accounts Receivable is typical for the industry, with 4. 8 days worth of sales outstanding. Also, Macy's, Inc. is among the most efficient companies in its in dustry at managing inventories, and it is getting better.The company only has 120 days of its Cost of Goods Sold tied up in inventory. Year over year, Macy's, Inc. has been able to grow revenues. Most impressively, the company has been able to reduce the percentage of sales devoted to selling, general and administrative costs. This was a driver that led to a net income growth from $847. 0M in 2010 to $1. 3B in 2011. Compared to its main competitor, Nordstrom, Macy’s is in a weaker financial position. In short run, as mentioned earlier, the liquidity ratios suggest that Macy’s is less liquid in the short term.In the long run, although Macy’s management is more effective custodians of their shareholder's investments than Nordstrom, Nordstrom still has stronger debt serving capacity than Macy’s and affording to pay more dividends to its shareholders. From the profitability analysis, Macy’s has smaller profit margin ratio, rate of return on assets and rate of return on sales ratio than Nordstrom, indicates that Nordstrom’s management is better at generating more profit and operating assets efficiency than Macy’s. And this result is consistent with the DuPont analysis.Appendix Table 1 Horizontal Analysis of Balance Sheet Macy's Inc. Comparative Balance SheetsPeroid Ending: End of Jan 2010-2012(all amount in thousands of dollars)| | 2012| 2011| 2010| Cash And Cash Equivalents| 2827000| 93%| 1464000| -13. 17%| 1686000| —| Accounts Receivables| 368000| 9%| 338000| -5. 59%| 358000| —| Inventory| 5117000| 8%| 4758000| 3. 10%| 4615000| —| Other Current Assets| 465000| 37%| 339000| 52. 02%| 223000| —| TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS| 8777000| 27%| 6899000| 0. 25%| 6882000| —| Property Plant and Equipment| 8420000| -4%| 8813000| -7. 0%| 9507000| —| Goodwill| 3743000| 0%| 3743000| 0. 00%| 3743000| —| Intangible Assets| 598000| -6%| 637000| -6. 05%| 678000| —| Other Assets| 557000| 3%| 539000| 10. 00%| 490000| —| TOTAL ASSETS| 22095000| 7%| 20631000| -3. 14%| 21300000| —| Accounts Payable| 5160000| 14%| 4537000| 7. 51%| 4220000| —| Short/Current Long Term Debt| 1103000| 143%| 454000| 87. 60%| 242000| —| TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES| 6263000| 25%| 4991000| 11. 86%| 4462000| —| Long Term Debt| 6655000| -5%| 6971000| -17. 56%| 8456000| —| Other Liabilities| 2103000| 8%| 1939000| -25. 4%| 2597000| —| Deferred Long Term Liability Charges| 1141000| -5%| 1200000| 6. 01%| 1132000| —| TOTAL LIABILITIES| 16162000| 7%| 15101000| -9. 29%| 16647000| —| Common Stock| 5000| 0%| 5000| 0. 00%| 5000| —| Retained Earnings| 4015000| 34%| 2990000| 34. 26%| 2227000| —| Treasury Stock| -2434000| 0%| -2431000| -3. 34%| -2515000| —| Capital Surplus| 5408000| -5%| 5696000| 0. 12%| 5689000| —| Other Stockholder Equity| -1061000| 45%| -730000| -3. 05%| -753000| —| TOTAL STOCKHOLDER EQUITY | 593 3000| 7%| 5530000| 18. 85%| 4653000| —| Table 2 Horizontal analysis of Income StatementMacy's Inc. Comparative Income StatementPeroid Ending: End of Jan 2010-2012(millions, except per share data)| | 2012| 2011| 2010| Net Sales| 26405| 5. 61%| 25003| 6. 45%| 23489| —| Cost of sales| 15738| 6. 17%| 14824| 6. 09%| 13973| —| Gross margin| 10667| 4. 79%| 10179| 6. 97%| 9516| —| Selling, general and administrative expenses| 8281| 0. 25%| 8260| 2. 46%| 8062| —| Gain on sale of properties, impairments, store closing costs and division consolidation costs| 25| -200. 00%| -25| -93. 61%| -391| —| Operating income| 2411| 27. 30%| 1894| 78. 17%| 1063| —| Interest expense| 447| -22. 0%| 579| 3. 02%| 562| —| Interest income| 4| -20. 00%| 5| -16. 67%| 6| —| Income before tax| 1968| 49. 09%| 1320| 160. 36%| 507| —| Federal, state and local income tax benefit (expense)| 712| 50. 53%| 473| 165. 73%| 178| —| Net income| 1256| 48. 29%| 847| 157. 45%| 329| —| Table 3 Vertical analysis of Balance Sheet Macy's Inc. Common-Size Comparative Balance SheetsPeroid Ending: End of Jan 2010-2012(all amount in thousands of dollars)| | 2012| 2011| 2010| | Dollars| Percent| Dollars| Percent| Dollars| Percent| Cash And Cash Equivalents| 2827000| 13%| 1464000| 7. 0%| 1686000| 7. 92%| Accounts Receivables| 368000| 2%| 338000| 1. 64%| 358000| 1. 68%| Inventory| 5117000| 23%| 4758000| 23. 06%| 4615000| 21. 67%| Other Current Assets| 465000| 2%| 339000| 1. 64%| 223000| 1. 05%| TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS| 8777000| 40%| 6899000| 33. 44%| 6882000| 32. 31%| Property Plant and Equipment| 8420000| 38%| 8813000| 42. 72%| 9507000| 44. 63%| Goodwill| 3743000| 17%| 3743000| 18. 14%| 3743000| 17. 57%| Intangible Assets| 598000| 3%| 637000| 3%| 678000| 3. 18%| Other Assets| 557000| 3%| 539000| 2. 61%| 490000| 2. 0%| TOTAL ASSETS| 22095000| 100%| 20631000| 100. 00%| 21300000| 100. 00%| Accounts Payable| 5160000| 23%| 4537000| 22%| 42200 00| 20%| Short/Current Long Term Debt| 1103000| 5%| 454000| 2%| 242000| 1%| TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES| 6263000| 28%| 4991000| 24%| 4462000| 21%| Long Term Debt| 6655000| 30%| 6971000| 34%| 8456000| 40%| Other Liabilities| 2103000| 10%| 1939000| 9%| 2597000| 12%| Deferred Long Term Liability Charges| 1141000| 5%| 1200000| 6%| 1132000| 5%| TOTAL LIABILITIES| 16162000| 73%| 15101000| 73%| 16647000| 78%| Common Stock| 5000| 0%| 5000| 0%| 5000| 0%|Retained Earnings| 4015000| 18%| 2990000| 14%| 2227000| 10%| Treasury Stock| -2434000| -11%| -2431000| -12%| -2515000| -12%| Capital Surplus| 5408000| 24%| 5696000| 28%| 5689000| 27%| Other Stockholder Equity| -1061000| -5%| -730000| -4%| -753000| -4%| TOTAL STOCKHOLDER EQUITY | 5933000| 27%| 5530000| 27%| 4653000| 22%| TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY | 22095000| 100%| 20631000| 100%| 21300000| 100%| Table 4 Vertical analysis of Income Statement Macy's Inc. Common-Size Comparative Income StatementPeroid Ending: End of Jan 2010-2012(m illions, except per share data)| | 2012| 2011| 2010| dollars| percent| dollars| percent| Dollars| Percent| Net Sales| 26405| 100. 00%| 25003| 100. 00%| 23489| 100. 00%| Cost of sales| 15738| 59. 60%| 14824| 59. 29%| 13973| 59. 49%| Gross margin| 10667| 40. 40%| 10179| 40. 71%| 9516| 40. 51%| Selling, general and administrative expenses| 8281| 31. 36%| 8260| 33. 04%| 8062| 34. 32%| Gain on sale of properties, impairments, store closing costs and division consolidation costs| 25| 0. 09%| -25| -0. 10%| -391| -1. 66%| Operating income| 2411| 9. 13%| 1894| 7. 58%| 1063| 4. 53%| Interest expense| 447| 1. 9%| 579| 2. 32%| 562| 2. 39%| Interest income| 4| 0. 02%| 5| 0. 02%| 6| 0. 03%| Income before tax| 1968| 7. 45%| 1320| 5. 28%| 507| 2. 16%| Federal, state and local income tax benefit (expense)| 712| 2. 70%| 473| 1. 89%| 178| 0. 76%| Net income| 1256| 4. 76%| 847| 3. 39%| 329| 1. 40%| Table 5 Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Dollars in millions)| 2011| 2010| Cash flows from operatin g activities:| Net income| 1256. 00 | 847. 00 | Depreciation and amortization| 1085. 00 | 1150. 00 | Gain on sale of properties, impairments and store closing costs| (25. 0)| 25. 00 | Decrease in working capital and other, net| (223. 00)| (516. 00)| Net cash provided by operating activities| 2093. 00 | 1506. 00 | Cash flows from investing activities:| Capital expenditures for property and equipment and capitalized software| (764. 00)| (505. 00)| Disposition of property and equipment| 114. 00 | 74. 00 | Other, net| 33. 00 | (34. 00)| Net cash used by investing activities| (617. 00)| (465. 00)| Cash flows from financing activities:| Debt issued| 800. 00 | -| Debt repaid| (454. 00)| (1245. 00)| Dividends paid| (148. 0)| (84. 00)| Acquisition of treasury stock| (502. 00)| (1. 00)| Issuance of common stock| 162. 00 | 43. 00 | Other, net| 29. 00 | 24. 00 | Net cash used by financing activities| (113. 00)| (1263. 00)| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents| 1363. 00 | (222. 0 0)| Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period| 1464. 00 | 1686. 00 | Cash and cash equivalents at end of period| 2827. 00 | 1464. 00 | Table6 Liquidity Ratios | Macy's| Nordstrom| | 2011| 2010| 2009| 2011| 2010| 2009| current ratio| 1. 4| 1. 38| 1. 54| 2. 2| 2. 6| 2| ash flow from operations to current liabilities| 37. 20%| 31. 90%| 36. 50%| 52. 90%| 60. 50%| 69. 20%| number of days' sale in receivables| 4. 8| 5| 6. 1| 65. 5| 72| 80| number of days' sale in inventory| 120| 124| 133| 58| 57| 61| Table7 Solvency Ratios | Macy's| Nordstorm| | 2011| 2010| 2009| 2011| 2010| 2009| debt to equity| 1. 06| 0. 9| 0. 96| 3. 34| 2. 69| 3. 19| debt service coverage ratio| 3. 91| 1. 42| 1. 6| 10. 4| 3. 48| 3. 73| cash flow from operations to capital expenditure| 350%| 390%| 469%| 192%| 253%| 309%| Table 8 Profitability Ratios | Macy's| Nordstrom| 2011| 2010| 2009| 2011| 2010| 2009| profit margin ratio| 4. 76%| 3. 39%| 1. 40%| 6. 28%| 6. 32%| 5. 11%| return on assets| 6. 64%| 4. 92%| 2. 31% | 9. 14%| 9. 37%| 8. 01%| return on sales| 5. 35%| 4. 12%| 2. 16%| 6. 70%| 6. 78%| 5. 68%| Table 9 DuPont Analysis | Macy's| Nordstrom| DuPont analysis factors| 2011| 2010| 2009| 2011| 2010| 2009| profit margin| 4. 76%| 3. 39%| 1. 40%| 6. 28%| 6. 32%| 5. 11%| asset turnover| 1. 2| 1. 21| 1. 1| 1. 28| 1. 3| 1. 31| leverage| 3. 72| 3. 73| 4. 58| 4. 34| 3. 69| 4. 19| ROE| 21. 25%| 15. 30%| 7. 05%| 34. 89%| 30. 32%| 28. 04%|