ESSAI
The College of DuPage Anthology
Of
Academic Writing Across the Curriculum
(Volume XI 2012-2013)
The College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
The contents of this anthology copyright, 2013
College of DuPage
Awards and Recognitions
ESSAI is a recipient of the prestigious recognitions of
The 2005 Distinguished Achievement Award
of the Community College Humanities Association
The Society of Midland Author’s Qwertyuiop Award
(Founded in 1915, the Society of Midland Authors has included for its members
Hamlin Garland, Harriet Monroe, Vachel Lindsay, Edna Ferber, Carl Sandburg,
Jane Addams, Clarence Darrow, and other literary luminaries.)
and
The 2009 Diana Hacker Two-Year College English Association (TYCA) Award for
Outstanding Program for Two-Year Colleges and Teachers
In the Category of Fostering Student Success
(The TYCA is a national organization that belongs to
the National Council of the Teachers of English-NCTE).
II
Acknowledgments
We warmly salute all submitting instructors for their dedicated and inspired teaching
which has contributed to the successful writing of their students and make it possible for
ESSAI to continue.
We also offer our special thanks to
Dr. Robert Breuder, President,
Dr. Joe Collins, Executive Vice President,
Dr. Jean Kartje, Vice President of Academic Affairs,
Catherine Brod, Vice President of Development/Executive Director, Foundation
Dr. Daniel Lloyd, Dean, Liberal Arts,
Dr. Bev Reed, Associate Dean, Liberal Arts,
Mr. Tom Cameron, Dean, Health and Sciences,
Dr. Laura Ortiz, Associate Dean, Humanities,
For their constant, gracious support and encouragement.
Martha Johnson, Supervisor, Document Services, and Mary Ann Hiller, Supervisor,
Faculty/Staff Support Center, for their assistance of good will.
Our gratitude also goes to Karyin Boulom and Harriet Boe.
Their meticulous and careful word processing expertise has been indispensable.
Pearson Publishing’s continuing sponsorship of the celebratory reception of the student
writers is deeply appreciated.
Our special and heartfelt appreciation goes to Professor Blevins’ student, Angela
Dygdon, who designed the book cover. The others who submitted designs were Bridget
Albiero, Haley Gottardo, Megan Thome, and Aaron Villa.
The publication and associated recognition event are underwritten, in part, by a grant
from the College of DuPage Foundation
III
“In this work, when it shall be found that
much is omitted,
let it not be forgotten that
much likewise is performed.”
Samuel Johnson, the Preface to his Dictionary
IV
Foreword
Created in 2002 by a cross-disciplinary faculty, ESSAI, The College of DuPage Anthology of Academic
Writing Across the Curriculum is an annual academic journal that represents a unique but inclusive
discourse community of student writers; it fosters student success through writing across the curriculum
and in all levels of learning at College of DuPage. It rests on our belief that writing empowers and
prepares our students for meaningful careers and advanced academic pursuits and that, to realize such
goals, the entire college community is responsible for incorporating writing into their courses as a vital
part of the academic experience at our college.
Like all the past volumes, this Volume XI continues to harvest our belief in fertile cooperation with our
cross-disciplinary faculty who implement writing to learn and promote discipline in their teaching. Some of
the published essays, therefore, have resulted because our students made use of journals, logs,
microthemes, and other informal writing assignments encouraged in the classroom. In this way, students
wrote frequently and improved their writing skills enabling them to comprehend better and to retain
information longer. Others – expository work such as reports, article reviews, criticisms, research papers
– attest to students’ successful participation in academic discourse according to the conventions of
language use and style expected in specific disciplines.
That we practice the philosophy of student success through good writing will become even more apparent
in the journal’s name. It harkens back and pays homage to Michel de Montaigne whose seminal style of
writing “essais” connoted one of trials and attempts. Thus ESSAI chronicles our students’ intellectual trials
wherein they dialogically encounter diverse culturescapes, critically weigh various issues at hand and
then engage in analytical exercises, while each evolving from a personal to a public writing self. The
resulting published work is their expanded cultural and epistemological self endowed with talent,
sophistication, and fresh scholarship, all expressed with clarity, eloquence, and grace.
We continue our editorial tradition in making the best selections for publication. The most exemplary of
the year’s submissions are those that:
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Are completed according to assignments’ purposes
Have mechanics, grammar, and other technical points in place
Are imaginative, creative, logical, and risk-taking with respect to assignments’ purposes
Exhibit clarity of writing with respect to purposes
Follow the disciplinary format
Include relevant literature reviews where required
Demonstrate analytical abilities
Generate interest
Join with us in honoring the exceptional talents of our student authors and our student artist whose
graphic design adorns our cover. And watch for Volume XII of ESSAI which will be published in 2014. We
appreciate your readership. Through your interest and support, our anthology will keep growing.
The ESSAI Editorial Board:
Brian Blevins, Graphic Design
Franz Burnier, English
Richard Jarman, Chemistry
Keith Krasemann, Philosophy
Sarah Magin, English
Chris Petersen, Biology
Lois Stanciak, Education
Ben Whisenhunt, History
V
Table of Contents
Awards and Recognitions ......................................................................................................... II
Acknowledgments..................................................................................................................... III
Foreword ................................................................................................................................... V
Jim Alop
Critique and Evaluation of Immanuel Kant's "Respect for Persons" ........................................ 1
Philosophy 1100
Virginia Anderson
How Do You Feel About The Counseling Profession? ............................................................ 5
Honors English 1102
Angelo Andriopoulos
Normative Ethics: Duty and Consequence ............................................................................... 11
Philosophy 1100
Heidi Braunschneider
Preventing and Managing Compassion Fatigue and Burnout in Nursing ................................. 14
English 1102
Brody Challinor
An Analysis of the Perennial Big-Screen Representations of the Famed Detective, Sherlock
Holmes ...................................................................................................................................... 19
English 1154
Lauren Challinor
An Examination of Gender Roles in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert .......... 23
English 1154
Steven Franklin
Living the Dream: Making it as a Classical Musician .............................................................. 27
English 1102
VI
Tony Frontuto
A Critique of William K. Clifford‘s ―The Ethics of Belief‖ ................................................. 33
Philosophy 1100
Erna Gevondyan
Evaluation of the effects of composition on thermophysical properties of non-stoichiometric
uranium dioxide by classical molecular dynamics simulations, Nuclear Engineering
Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA ......................................... 35
Physics
Tooba Ghafoor
Skeleton found in a Rhode Island cave, Possibility of Lyme Disease ...................................... 44
Honors Biology 1152
Ruth Groza
Testing for Relationships between Size Variables of Select Organisms .................................. 48
Honors Biology 1151
Ian Haseltine
Energy Costs and the Consumer ............................................................................................... 51
Honors Chemistry 1551
Martin Hayford
Popular Impact of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution ................................................................... 54
History 2225
Grace Horn
Arrows and Traps in Much Ado About Nothing........................................................................ 57
English 1102
Caleb Jenkins
The Battle for Chicago‘s Schools Hayford ............................................................................... 60
English 1102
Roberta Johnson
Greening of Cotton Clothing .................................................................................................... 65
Chemistry 1105
VII
Akbar Khan
Unethical Can Be Good in Messina ....................................................................................... 68
English 1102
Larry Lambert
Nonviolent Action in the Civil Rights Movement As Seen Through Anne Moody‘s Coming
of Age in Mississippi ................................................................................................................. 71
History 1140
Sara Liesman
Dr. King: Another Failure in Chicago ...................................................................................... 74
English 1102
James Maguire
Mechanical Engineering: The Driveshaft of Humanity ............................................................ 79
English 1102
Danielle Meyer
Rx Green Tea ............................................................................................................................ 84
Biology 1152
Kevin Midlash
Brains Vs… Something Shiny? ................................................................................................ 88
English 1102
Erin Miller
My Sanctuary ............................................................................................................................ 92
English 1101
William Jasen Mummert
Green Chemistry Project ........................................................................................................... 94
Chemistry 1105
Carlos S. Ortega-Guerrero
Conquering the Achievement Gap and Shaping Our Children‘s Future................................... 97
Education 1100
Agnieszka Poznanska
Biocatalysis and green chemistry.............................................................................................. 102
Chemistry 1105
VIII
Hayley Reagin
A Secret Society....................................................................................................................... 104
English 1102
Sarah Rochford
Make Them Grovel For Your Novel: A Guide to Publishing and Being an Author ............... 107
English 1102
Rebecca M. Samson
Marguerite Harrison and Hannah Arendt: The Notion of Strength within the Early
Totalitarian Soviet Prison Experience....................................................................................... 112
History 2225
Vesal Stoakley
Nuclear Fallout of a Japanese Disaster: The State vs. Fujin (God of Wind) ....................... 115
English 1102
Thomas Struett
Photojournalism: Art with a Purpose ..................................................................................... 119
English 1102
Tribute to Faculty ...................................................................................................................... 125
Cumulative Index of Student Authors ...................................................................................... 126
IX
Critique and Evaluation of Immanuel Kant's "Respect for Persons"
by Jim Alop
(Philosophy 1100)
Kant’s Views
n the selection "Respect for Persons" from Immanuel Kant's Foundations of the Metaphysics of
Morals, Kant gives insight as to how all rational beings can act in a morally responsible way. A
major component of his thinking turns around the idea that whenever persons look externally for
ways to resolve moral dilemmas they are doomed to fail. According to Kant one's own internal
moral compass works well as long as the foundation of moral reasoning is rooted in the notion that
all rational beings are ends in themselves. An important aspect in utilizing one's own individual will
to answer all moral dilemmas is that the individual is empowered. One is no longer under the control
of outside forces with regard to action, but has reestablished the rational self in the driver's seat.
With reason as the guiding light, and a moral foundation based on the idea that every rational being is
an end, the individual contains a strong moral compass by which to navigate the seas of life.
In the introductory paragraph of "Respect for Persons" Kant claims that if something exists
that has in itself an absolute worth, then being an end in itself, it could be a ground for definite laws.
This thing that has an absolute worth is the rational human being and, therefore, the rational human
being is an end in himself or herself. Kant describes these practical laws as a categorical imperative.
It is important to clarify the distinction between means and ends in themselves. According to
Kant, when humans are used as means "they are arbitrarily used by this or that will" ( Krasemann,
69). Humans are used by others in order to obtain some end. Conversely, when humans are
understood as ends in themselves they are viewed with ultimate respect and are, therefore, treated
accordingly. Objects and inclinations have only a conditional worth; their worth depends entirely on
the particular need with which they are linked. If that need becomes disassociated from the
inclination then it ceases to have value; therefore, all objects have a conditional worth. Kant makes a
distinction between persons and objects. Persons are worthy of respect as ends in themselves, while
objects exist solely to serve as means.
According to Kant, if a categorical imperative for the human will is to exist, it must form an
objective principle of the will based on the idea that humans are ends in themselves. The ground of
this principle is "that rational nature exists as an end in itself" (Krasemann, 69-70). Kant believed
that since all rational beings subjectively already view themselves as ends, and that this is universal,
objectively humanity as a whole is also an end in itself. The practical imperative is summed up as
thus: "Act so that you treat humanity whether in your own person or in that of another, always as an
end and never as a means only" (Krasemann, 70).
In the next section Kant discusses why all previous attempts to discover the principles of
morality have failed. Throughout history all previous moral laws implemented in societies were
based on moral judgments of others. These moral laws were expected to be followed and if they
were not, consequences would ensue. But these were not the individual's laws. These external laws
had a constricting effect on society. Even when the intent of the laws was just, rational humans were
now limited in their freedom and forced to act by the dictates of an external source. Because the
individual was no longer using his own moral compass to make morally responsible decisions, a
limiting feeling resulted stifling the human will: " . . . one never arrived at duty but only the
necessity of action from a certain interest. This might be his own interest or that of another, but in
either case the imperative always had to be conditional and could not at all serve as a moral
I
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command." (Krasemann, 70). Universal duty was lost while the individual was stripped of his
autonomy.
Next Kant discusses the realm of ends: "The concept of each rational being as a being that
must regard itself as giving universal law through all the maxims of its will, so that it may judge
itself and its actions from this standpoint, leads to a very fruitful concept, namely, that of a realm of
ends." (Krasemann, 70). The unifying principle underlying the realm of ends is that since each
individual rational human is an end in himself, and laws created by rational humans that can be
applied universally are also ends in themselves, then the universal laws can be united with the
rational minds under one umbrellathe realm of ends: "Thus there arises a systematic union of
rational beings through common objective laws." (Krasemann, 71). Inclusion in the realm of ends is
contingent on the individual contributing universal laws as well as subjecting himself to these same
laws. Kant makes the distinction between member and sovereign in the realm of ends as thus:
members and sovereigns both give universal laws while subjecting themselves to the same laws, but
when sovereigns create laws they do so in a completely autonomous manner. Morality exists in the
relationship between action and legislation that flows from each rational being. Since these universal
laws spring naturally from each individual's fundamental being, adherence to these laws follows
naturally. The stifling and constraining feeling discussed earlier that results from being subjected to
external judgments of reality is no longer present. Instead, an empowering and freeing feeling of
acting according to the natural path of existence ensues. If it becomes necessary to act according to a
maxim that violates the universal lawgiving principle inherent in the realm of ends, then members
may do so. This is called practical constraint or duty. Sovereigns, however, may not violate the fully
autonomous method of their legislating. If they did so they would cease to be sovereign. Therefore,
in the realm of ends only the members and not the sovereign are subject to the principle of duty.
Acting according to duty is independent of feelings and inclinations. The rational individual will act
with duty simply because of the respect that each rational mind has for one another.
According to Kant‘s realm of ends, everything has either a "price" or "dignity." Anything
that has a price is replaceable while anything that has dignity is indispensable. Things associated
with basic needs have a "market price" while more frivolous things have an "affective price."
Through morality, rational beings can be ends in themselves. This is so because only through
morality is it possible for a human being to become a legislative member of the realm of ends; thus
morality and humanity have dignity.
Next Kant discusses the value of nature and art. "Nature and likewise art contain nothing
which could replace their lack, for their worth consists not in effects which flow from them, nor in
advantage and utility which they procure; it consists only in intentions, i.e., maxims of the will which
are ready to reveal themselves in this manner through actions even though success does not favor
them...They exhibit the will which performs them as an object of immediate respect..." (Krasemann,
72). This respect places nature and art in the category of dignity.
In Kant's final paragraph he argues that human nature destines people to be active
participants in giving universal laws within the realm of ends. To be free by being loyal solely to
self-created laws is the ultimate goal of the individual. All worth is determined by the universal law
in which individuals are active participants. In Kant‘s view, "autonomy is thus the basis of the
dignity of both human nature and every rational nature..." (Krasemann, 73).
My Response
I thoroughly enjoyed Kant's "Respect for Persons." I agree with Kant that if something is
deemed to have an absolute worth, one should use it as the foundation of a system of belief. By
putting the rational human being at the base of a moral thought system, a categorical imperative is
created that has a solid foundation.
2
In a discussion about means and ends in themselves, Kant claims one should treat other rational
beings as ends in themselves and never solely as means. While this is a rather obvious suggestion, it
is important nonetheless. If one is a rational being worthy of being treated as an end and so are
others, then unification occurs in which all of humanity becomes united in a common purpose. In
this case, the purpose is to create a morally responsible categorical imperative through which rational
beings can prosper.
Kant says that objects have only a conditional worth that is temporarily associated with
fulfillment of a particular need. When that object can no longer bring about fulfillment of that
particular need, then the object itself becomes worthless. I firmly agree with this notion. That is one
reason why it is important to take the time to reevaluate the amount of worth we associate with
objects in our existence. Since life occurs in a temporal world of change according to the passage of
time, the original value ascribed to a particular object in relation to the need it addresses may also
change. Therefore, without periodic reevaluation one might be prone to cling to now useless objects.
In my favorite section, Kant discusses the reasons all previous attempts to understand the
principles of morality had failed. He claims that previous moral systems didn't work because
individuals were forced to accept moral tenets from external sources. Kant has absolute faith in
human reason and the individual when they are acting as rational beings. Inherent in the notion that
rational beings must look externally for directions as to how to act is the claim that rational humans
do not know how to act without directions. That is a limiting thought and the minute one accepts that
claim personal power is diminished. Individuals can no longer think about how to respond to moral
issues. Instead,the key is to look away from self and live according to someone else's demands.
Next Kant discusses the realm of ends. In the realm of ends Kant makes the connection
between rational beings as ends in themselves and laws that stem from rational beings also being
ends in themselves. It appears that Kant is envisioning a "feedback loop" in which rational beings
are first united under the premise that since each individual is an end in himself, then so is every
other individual, and therefore, they are worthy of the utmost dignity. Next, since the universal laws
that rational beings create stem from beings that are united in purpose and are worthy of the utmost
dignity, then the laws are worthy of the utmost dignity as well. Finally, because the laws are worthy
of the utmost dignity, then they will loop back to the rational beings that created them (by adding as
another unifying principle to hold the realm of ends system in check). It appears that he is trying to
create a system that continually strengthens itself with a built in method for doing so (the universal
laws feeding back into the rational beings). Feedback loops are not novel in that societies constantly
create external controls in which to regulate and maintain the current system. Usually these controls
and regulations are sanctions intended to enforce compliance. The novel part of Kant's argument for
the realm of ends is the claim that each individual is creating the feedback loop in which the
individual is subsisting. A person is the fully autonomous creator of morality. To be completely in
charge of one's own existence is a desirable concept. I also believe that there is an inherent dignity in
following rules that one creates as opposed to following someone else's dictates. A person will be
more likely to abide by the rules, because one agrees and fully understands them. In theory this is a
good concept.
Kant's description of all nature and art being elevated into the category of dignity was really
interesting. According to Kant, the minute one tries to evaluate art and nature on the basis of
preference, its value is diminished. "They [art and nature] exhibit the will which performs them as
the object of an immediate respect, since nothing but reason is required in order to impose them on
the will... and puts it infinitely beyond any price." He states that if art and nature were subjected to
personal preferences then one would violate its holiness. It is interesting to note that he doesn't use
the word "holiness" anywhere else in the selection, reserving it only for the description of art and
nature.
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Kant concludes "Respect for Persons" with my favorite quotation from the entire selection:
"Autonomy is thus the basis of the dignity of both human nature and every rational nature..." That is
a wonderful and inspiring idea to close out the selection.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Kant's "Respect for Persons." It is thought provoking as well
as inspiring. In theory it sounds like a solid system of practical law, but without actualizing it one
will never know for sure. Nevertheless, the ideas contained within it have permeated thought
systems throughout the world and have influenced many people.
Work Cited
Kant, Immanuel. ―Respect for Persons.‖ Quest for Goodness. Ed. Keith W. Krasemann. Acton:
Copley Publishing Group, 2011. pp. 69-74.
4
How Do You Feel About The Counseling Profession?
by Virginia Anderson
(Honors English 1102)
W
e call him a counselor or psychologist, that person hiding behind a clip board and asking
―How do you feel about that?‖ to a patient reclined on a couch retelling the woes of their
childhood. But is this true? Is this what it means to be a counselor? And what is the
difference between a counselor and a psychologist? With the increasing concern over mental health
in America, not only are more people being seen by counselors and psychologists but more people
are going to school for jobs relating to mental health. The profession of psychology is taking off as a
career. According to the United States‘ Bureau of Labor Statistics, the growth rate of employment for
counselors and psychologists is between 22% and 37%, well above the 14% average (United
States… ―Psychologists‖ and United States… ―Mental Health Counselors…‖). I am going to explore
what it means to be a counseling professional and how to become one.
I went to a counselor when I was younger at my mother‘s behest. Lindsey De Los Santos was
her name and, to my surprise, she was wonderful to talk to. There were no clipboards and she never
asked, ―How do you feel about that?‖ Being able to talk to a third party and getting someone else‘s
opinion on what was going on in my life was very therapeutic and insightful. The best way I can
describe my counselor was that she was like a best friend. Lindsey was not allowed to tell anyone
anything I told her, like how best friends keep secrets. She was a good listener, smart, and calm. This
is what sparked my interest in professions that counsel patients.
To begin with, the two professions that primarily focus on counseling are counselors and
counseling psychologists. Other professions such as psychiatry and clinical psychology offer counsel,
but they also have an emphasis on medication since they deal with patients who have more severe
mental health issues. Counselors and counseling psychologists are careers in psychology that focus
on treating patients who have moderate issues that can mainly be resolved without medication and
predominantly through talk therapy.
To fully understand the counseling profession, it is important to learn how it began. The first
psychology laboratory was created in 1879 by a man named Wilhelm Wundt (Weiten 4). Wundt
merged his two interests, philosophy and physiology, advocating for psychology as a new and
independent science. While Wundt created his laboratory in Germany, the new science spread rapidly
in the United States. Psychology took root in the United States when G. Stanley Hall established the
first research laboratory for psychology at John Hopkins University in 1883 and the first coalition for
psychology called the American Psychological Association (APA) (5).
Then in 1952, four separate associations came together in Los Angeles and formed the
American Personnel and Guidance Association (APGA) with Robert H. Shaffer as the first president
(Yep 65; Hodges 7). The first goal of the APGA was training and occupational counseling in high
school and college settings (Hodges 7). By 1992, the APGA changed their name to the American
Counseling Association (ACA) (American Counseling). The ACA dealt with many obstacles such as
the lack of clarification on what it meant to counsel someone as a profession, the lack of credentials
available for counselors, and the lack of academic programs explicitly aimed for counseling (Hodges
7). The popularity and credibility began to rise for counselors when accreditation for graduate
programs was provided by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational
Programs (CACREP), and when certification was attainable by the National Board of Certified
Counselors (NBCC). The CACREP is now a recognized organization authorized to certify master‘s
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degrees in many areas of specialty and certify a few doctoral programs, while the NBCC offers four
main certifications to counselors (Hodges 8).
As the science of psychology grew, two fields of psychology emerged: applied and academic.
Academic psychologists are more focused on researching to create new information or teaching in a
school setting (Wegenek and Buskist 29). Applied psychology is ―the branch of psychology
concerned with every day, practical problems‖ (Weiten 12). The counseling profession falls under
the field of applied psychology.
So what is the difference between a psychologist and a counselor? In order to hold the title
―psychologist‖, a doctorate degree of PhD, EdD, or PsyD has to be completed (Hodges 11).
Counseling psychologists are equipped to administer psychological evaluations, make a diagnosis of
mental disorders, and offer counseling. They are also able to conduct research and teach in their field
(Getting In 42). Some of the ways counseling psychologists can conduct research are through
observation, personality and interests tests, or interviews.
The clientele of counseling psychologists also help define this title. The book Getting In: a
Step-By-Step Plan for Gaining Admission to Graduate School in Psychology is an APA published
work and explains, ―Counseling psychologists are oriented to life span issues such as career
development and adjustment, marriage and family counseling, and a variety of issues encountered by
most people during their life span‖ (42). Counseling psychologists are defined as working with
clients who have less severe problems than the patients of other psychologists, such as clinical
psychologists (Wegenek and Buskist 42).
Counseling psychologists can have work settings in health care institutions, hospitals, private
practices, educational settings, and public mental health centers (Getting In 42).This is a major
distinction for counseling psychologists in the field of psychology. In an internet survey of 5666
psychologists, supervised by State, Provincial and Territorial Psychological Association, ―a greater
portion of counseling psychologists reported working in counseling centers, while a greater portion
of clinical psychologists reported working in medical settings‖ (Neimeyer et al. 43).
The mean annual wage for counseling, clinical and school psychologists is $73,090 and the
median annual wage is $67,880 (―Occupational‖). This is a very high paying profession because of
its required amount of schooling. The job market widely varies for counseling psychologists as the
highest mean annual wage for professionals in New Jersey can be $96,200, yet in New Mexico,
where the highest concentration of jobs are, the annual mean wage is $65,020. Though the amount of
money earned for being a counseling psychologist varies from state to state, counseling psychology
has had a steady job market throughout the years (Wegenek and Buskist 30).
Generally, the term ―counselor‖ refers to a graduate who has completed a master‘s degree in
a counseling specialty, unlike the doctorate required of a psychologist (Hodges 4). Counselors, like
counseling psychologists, also provide aid to clients who have stress, depression, addiction, and
many other afflictions that can hinder their ability to function properly with everyday life. Counselors
work in very similar settings as counseling psychologists, such as academic settings and mental
health centers, but their roles are restricted to only offering counsel.
The mean salaries for counselors depend on the setting in which they work. The U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics outlines the annual mean salaries for counselors working in secondary and
elementary schools to be $53,750 and counselors working in junior or community colleges to be
$48,240 (Hodges 14).
Why would someone choose this profession? A counseling professional has the privilege of
being a motivating factor in someone‘s road to recovery and that must feel rewarding. Counselors
and counseling psychologists get to help patients and see them progress. While there are rewarding
benefits for this profession, there are also some characteristics that are good indicators of whether
this profession would be a rewarding choice for a student. A few characteristics are being open
minded, maintaining a positive attitude, and the ability to be empathetic (Collision 17). It is
6
important for a counseling professional to be open minded because working with clients of different
cultures and backgrounds are part of the job description. It is not allowed to dictate your client‘s
decisions, so being open minded to different opinions is an advantage. If clients are coming to be
advised and guided, it is important that a counseling professional has a positive outlook on the future.
Having a negative outlook on life will not foster healing or aid in coping with issues. The ability to
be empathetic is also important because a counseling professional wants to comfort their patient and
create an environment that makes discussion appealing.
Becoming a counseling psychologist or counselor takes a certain amount of schooling. The
schooling to become a counselor and counseling psychologist have similarities and differences. For
both counseling psychologists and counselors, the first step is to complete an undergraduate degree at
a university. Graduating with a BS or BA in a degree like sociology or psychology is not mandatory
for graduate programs, although it is beneficial (Hodges 5).
The next step is to be accepted into a graduate program and complete it (Hodges 5). There are
many different graduate programs and they vary by university. Counselors will want to look for
graduate programs that are accredited by the CACREP and pick a program that is in a specialty area.
Some specialty areas for counselors are rehabilitation counseling, marriage and family counseling,
and clinical mental health counseling (4). For counseling psychologists, a doctorate program
accredited by the APA is desirable (Getting In 53).
Since counselors generally receive a master‘s degree, an important concept to know is that
graduate programs offer master‘s degrees or terminal master‘s degrees (Getting In 52). A terminal
master‘s degree program only awards a master‘s degree which means classes will not carry over to a
doctorate degree and will require a separate application, acceptance and graduate processes from a
doctoral program. There are other programs that are nonterminal that give master‘s degrees as a part
of their doctorate degree. This is important to note for students making the decision to pursue a
master‘s or doctorate degree. If a master‘s degree is the ultimate goal, than a terminal master‘s
degree program would be a good choice. If a student is pursuing a doctorate degree or unsure of
which one they would like to pursue, a nonterminal master‘s degree program may be a better choice.
Master‘s degrees and doctorate degrees have advantages and disadvantages. Doctorate
degrees take a larger investment of time and money from a student than a master‘s degree (Getting In
53). However, professionals with doctorate degrees normally get paid more than those with master‘s
degrees and ensure the education requirements for licensure in all states. When determining whether
one should acquire a doctorate or master‘s degree, there is no bad choice.
The book Getting In: A Step-By-Step Plan For Gaining Admission To Graduate School in
Psychology also gives great guidelines on how to get into a doctoral program. It recommends that
students get as much research involvement as they can (54). Since psychology is a science, being
able to conduct research to test hypotheses and create theories is vital. Another tip this book has is to
build good relationships with teachers so they can later write you letters of recommendation and give
advice. Other tips are more general like get good grades and have a firm handle on a wide set of
introductory subjects. The last tip for students is to get as many experiences in the specialty you wish
to pursue as possible. For counseling, an example could be volunteering for a Big Brothers Big
Sisters program to help mentor a child in a local community. These tips come straight from the APA
and are very informative as well as useful.
After graduation, the following step is to get a job that allows you to work under supervision,
and, lastly, obtain licensure (Hodges 5). Licensure is what allows a graduate to collect private
payment for private practice, bill insurance companies, and practice counseling (9). Counseling
psychologists and counselors obtain licensure so that they can work without being monitored and so
they can advertise themselves as counseling psychologists or counselors (Getting In 56). Licensure
laws vary from state to state in the education required and the amount of supervised counseling
needed to obtain them. The actions allowed by a profession are also defined by licensure.
7
To receive licensure, counseling psychologists have to pass a state board exam, which varies
by state, and two years of supervised practice to be eligible for the exam. The APA is the
organization that has provided licensure for psychologists. Similarly, counselors also have to pass an
exam to receive licensure and the main exam, though there are many, is the National Counselor
Examination which is administered by the NBCC (Hodges 27). It is important that students check
their state‘s licensing laws and finish the required supervised practice required. Once the test is
passed, a counselor or counseling psychologist is allowed to practice.
The APA has had more success in reaching a national commonality for licensure than the
ACA which is still facing difficulties. The reason for this is mostly because of the many different
organizations at work for counseling licensure. Both the CACREP and NBCC have been a part of
creating licensure for counselors as well as the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor
Certification and others.
Once a student becomes a practicing counselor or counseling psychologist, it is important to
be a part of a professional organization. Shannon Hodges, a former director of counseling programs,
in her book 101 Careers in Counseling, urges professionals to obtain a membership with a
professional organization saying, ―A lack of professional membership indicates less investment in the
profession and that sends the wrong signal to the hiring committee or interviewer‖ (27). Professional
organizations publish informative and often new information on a career field and promote positive
changes in the career field. They contribute to a sense of community to a profession.
There are many organizations available to professionals. For a professional whose job is to
counsel, the ACA would be best association to be a part of. In addition to the ACA, there are
counseling associations for almost every state, too. Membership costs for the ACA are discounted at
a $93 membership for students and an average membership fee is $163 for professionals (American
Counseling). They offer benefits such as health insurance, liability insurance, and discounts on car
rental companies (American Counseling). The ACA also has an annual conference, which was on
March 20th to the 24th in Cincinnati, Ohio, of this year (American Counseling).
There are some definite issues that are still lurking for the counseling profession. The main
one being counselor identity, according to the ACA (Mascari and Webber 15). Counselors and
counseling psychologists fear that their profession is going to lose its sense of identity and they want
separation from each other. Psychologists have skills in research and training to conduct experiments
that a counselor does not have. On the other hand, counselors have many different types of
counseling that have emerged such as art therapy, dance therapy, music therapy, and adventure
therapy (Hodges X). Adventure therapy, for example, seems to be the latest trend of intervention for
mental health treatment of children (Tucker 155). Despite the differences, counselors and counseling
psychologists study the science of psychology, take many of the same courses and learn much of the
same information. It is because both counseling psychologists and counselors provide almost
identical care and have similar education and training requirements that I doubt they will ever reach
the degree of distinction they wish to have from one another.
The field of psychology is one of the newest sciences today. Though it may be a young field,
it is very relevant in America. In the article ―Policymakers Focus on School and Mental Health
Proposals In wake of Shooting‖ published in Counseling Today, a publication of the American
Counseling Association, authors Scott Barstow and Art Terrazas write about the relation between
counselors and current events. This article addresses some proposals that President Obama
introduced in January of 2013 in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. His
proposals are to regulate gun control, promote mental health treatment, and to combat the stigma
mental health treatment carries. The American Counseling Association is in full support of the
proposals as they believe ―it should be as easy to obtain mental health treatment as it is to obtain a
gun‖ (Barstow and Terrazas 9). President Obama‘s proposals suggest many courses of action such as
initiating programs to hire staff for schools and police departments that are certified to administer
8
mental health treatment. Other suggestions are purchasing more school safety equipment and
generating emergency management plans called EMPs for schools. Millions of dollars would also be
administered in the form of grants and programs to help young people with anxiety, substance abuse,
trauma and general mental health concerns. President Obama‘s proposals are not the only course of
action that is being taken to better the availability of mental health treatment; a Senate committee had
a hearing for the first time in seven years about the mental health system in America on January 24,
2013. This information is exciting because it directly relates to the expertise that counselors and
counseling psychologists have. Clearly, President Obama understands the importance of mental
health issues and our country is becoming more aware of the need for psychological professionals.
The counseling profession is a very relevant occupation and is growing. Counselors and
counseling psychologists are the professionals who are interested in helping people with everyday
problems and they offer relief to their clients from their sufferings. The need for counselors and
counseling psychologists is only increasing and it is a rewarding profession that anyone would be
proud to practice.
Works Cited
American Counseling Association. American Counseling Association, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.
Barstow, Scott, and Art Terrazas. "Policymakers Focus on School and Mental Health Proposals In
Wake of Shooting." Counseling Today 55.9 (2013): 9. Print.
Collision, Brooke B. Finding Your Counseling Career. New York: Taylor & Francis Group, 2010.
Print.
Getting In: a Step-By-Step Plan For Gaining Admission to Graduate School in Psychology. 2nd ed.
Washington: American Psychological Association, 2007. Print.
Hodges, Shannon. 101 Careers in Counseling. New York: Springer Publishing Company, 2012.
Print.
Mascari, J. Barry and Jane Webber. ―CACREP Accreditation: A Soulution to License Portability and
Counselor Identity Problems.‖ Journal of Counseling & Development 91.1 (2013): 15-25.
Academic OneFile. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.
Neimeyer, Greg J., Jennifer M. Taylor, Douglas M. Wear, and Aysenur Buyukgoze-Kavas. ―How
Special are the Specialties? Workplace Settings in Counseling and Clinical Psychology in the
United States.‖ Counseling Psychology Quarterly 24.1 (2011): 43-53. EBSCO eBook
Collection. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.
―Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011.‖ United States. Dept. of Labor. Bureau of Labor
Statistics. Division of Occupational Employment Statistics, 27 Mar. 2012. Web. 30 Jan.
2013.
Tucker, Anita R., et al. ―The Use of Adventure Therapy in Community-Based Mental Health:
Decreases in Problem Severity Among Youth Clients.‖ Child and Youth Care Forum 42.2
(2013): 155. Academic OneFile. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.
United States. Dept. of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. ―Psychologists.‖ Occupational Outlook
Handbook. 2012-2013 ed. 29 Mar. 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.
United States. Dept.of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. ―Mental Health Counselors and Marriage
and Family Therapists.‖ Occupational Outlook Handbook. 2012-2013 ed. 29 Mar. 2012.
Web. 16 Apr. 2013.
9
Wegenek, Amira Rezec and William Buskist. The Insider’s Guide to the Psychology Major.
Washington: American Psychological Association, 2010. Print.
Weiten, Wayne. Psychology Themes and Variations. 8th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth Cengage
Learning, 2010. Print.
Yep, Richard. ―Creating ACA.‖ Counseling Today. 55.9 (2013):65-67. Print.
10
Normative Ethics: Duty and Consequence
by Angelo Andriopoulos
(Philosophy 1100)
T
he most ponderous question we often ask ourselves is how one is to achieve an actualized
existence, while adhering to a system of moral principles that ratify the notion that humanity
indeed can be righteous in their exploits. This inquiry of moral abstraction can be approached
with two normative ethical theories in mind; deontological and teleological ethics (also known as
consequentialism). Before one can scrutinize these two theories it is imperative to first understand
them correctly in their most rudimentary definition. The Greek prefix deon means ―duty,‖ and in this
sense deontological ethics impose the notion that individuals are subject and bound to an unequivocal
code of conduct that is solely concerned with the inherent moral nature of an action. The possible
consequences of actions hold no bearing on morality; in this regard it is prudent to assert that the
―ends never justify the means‖ and there can be no room for interpretation nor is any matter subject
to relativism. In the word teleological the Greek prefix telos can be translated to ―end‖ or ―purpose.‖
Teleological ethical theories can thus be generalized as a system in contrast to deontological ethical
theories due to the fact that in teleological ethical theories the morality of an action is entirely
contingent upon the consequences it produces. In teleological ethics it is possible for one to assert the
notion that the ―ends can justify the means‖ and that matters indeed can be subject to relativism. In
this essay it is my contention to explore both deontological and teleological ethical theories and
examine but a mote of their multiple facets in order to come to a verdict regarding the validity of
both theories and to determine which is more conducive to what may be considered of greater moral
integrity.
One of the most prominent deontological ethical theories is that of Immanuel Kant and is
labeled Kantian ethics. It is Kant‘s view that morality is derived from one‘s ability to reason;
furthermore such reason will manifest itself in a logical form known as moral imperatives or duties.
It is also important to note that according to Kant the only unconditional good is a ―good will‖
because he contends that actions that might be considered good in themselves can be utilized to harm
with immoral intent. Kant‘s congregated work lead to the birth of his cardinal conception which is
known as the categorical imperative, a moral principle that is pertinent to all beings that are capable
of reason. The categorical imperative is universal and absolutely mandatory towards all individuals
eternally. Kant‘s categorical imperative can further be analyzed in the form of four central
formulations. Firstly ―Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that
it should become a universal law‖(Kant, pg 30), according to Kant the only way an action can be
deemed morally right is if said action is applicable universally to all. This assertion acts as a test in
order to deem if a maxim or rule is moral. For example ―it is acceptable to borrow currency without
the intent of returning it.‖ Such a maxim would fail the test as if everyone was to borrow money
without intending to return it then no one would lend money; this in itself diminishes the universality
of the maxim and thus makes it immoral. Kant‘s next formulation is to ―act in such a way that you
treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an
end and never simply as a means‖ (Kant, pg 43). In this affirmation Kant is stating not to simply
objectify other humans but rather view them as rational beings and act in accordance so that they
may benefit also. Kant‘s third formulation is one of autonomy, Kant believed that the only reason
one should desire to make any moral law is if it came forth from their rational will, any other motive
to create moral law would thereby corrupt the moral law itself. Kant‘s final formulation is one of
11
unison that combines the previous three in order to create an ideal community known as the
―kingdom of ends,‖ in this hypothetical community all members are rational beings who follow laws
in accordance with the categorical imperative and act as an end only to themselves.
Another deontological system is known as moral absolutism, which is an ethical theory that
asserts actions to have an absolute moral connotation in the form of right or wrong. Furthermore the
intent and consequence of the action holds no bearing on if it is considered to be moral or not. Moral
absolutism is often presented in a form known as divine command theory. In the divine command
theory all notions of right and wrong are entirely at the discretion of a God, it is then feasible to
assume that said deity is of benevolent nature. To be moral in accordance with this ethical system
one would have to follow the will of God without question.
Practitioners of this ethical system are often motivated to act moral out of respect and love for God;
however a more cynical mind might assert practitioners might be motivated out of fear of divine
punishment and hope of divine reward.
A third type of theory that can be considered deontological is Intuitionism. In intuitionism
morality is simply derived from human intuition, although considered to be fallible it provides us
with an instant sense of what is right and wrong, it is then possible to utilize said intuitions as a basic
foundation in order to formulate moral principles.
Among teleological ethical systems, utilitarianism is by far the most pronounced.
Utilitarianism is often attributed to Jeremy Bentham and his later student John Stuart Mill. Unlike
Kantian ethics and other deontological ethical theories that argue that the consequence of an action is
irrelevant to morality, utilitarianism holds consequences to be exceedingly relevant to morality.
According to Bentham the most sensible approach is of one that amplifies utility, which is usually
construed as the ascension of pleasure and the attrition of pain, not unlike the central notion of
hedonism that argues that only pleasure merits any intrinsic value, it is for this reason hedonism is
often viewed as a foundation for utilitarianism. But unlike hedonism and egoism, utilitarianism asks
us to regard everyone‘s happiness and not simply our own. Furthermore, Mill makes the distinction
that it is ―better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied
than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, is of a different opinion, it is only because they only
know their own side of the question‖ (Mill, pg 13). In the previous statement Mill contends that there
are lower and higher forms of pleasure, it is the obligation of the individual to refrain from selfindulgent instant gratification. Unlike deontological ethical systems that would argue that the highest
form of happiness is obliging to one‘s duties, utilitarianism allows for the most happiness possible in
a relative sense, in order to determine this Bentham attempted to devise a mathematical system that
attempted to quantify good and evil, took into account factors including intensity, duration, certainty
or uncertainty, propinquity, fecundity, purity and extent. This mathematical system came to be
known as hedonistic calculus.
It is important to note that I have barely scratched the surface of both deontological and
teleological theories; both notions attempt to answer the same fundamental question, how should one
behave? It is my opinion that the teleological ethical theory is of greater validity in this regard. I
cannot subscribe to the divine command theory as it is impossible to know that there is a God, his
will, and whether he is benevolent. Furthermore if someone acts morally simply to avoid punishment
or gain reward then they have diminished the righteousness of their action. Kant‘s categorical
imperative is of noble conception but in order for it to be successful every single individual must act
in accordance with it which is theoretically impossible. I disregard intuitionism as I simply do not
believe all moral truths are self-evident. I reject hedonism and egoism as I feel such self-indulgence
is ultimately destructive. I find utilitarianism to be the most excellent ethical system because it
acknowledges that our world is dynamic, and that we should act accordingly in order to attempt to do
right by everyone in society while attempting to not violate the individual for the greater good of the
whole if possible. I do however find hedonistic calculus to be grossly absurd as I do not feel one
12
could possibly quantify right and wrong in a definite form. Once more, if it is not obvious, I feel the
need to reaffirm that these are solely my opinions and my contention is not to convince the reader of
anything. It is my aspiration that this paper has sparked insight within the reader and has inspired
them to embark on their own journey of philosophical inquiry, in order to answer the question of how
they should conduct themselves in order to lead a moral life.
Works Cited
Bentham, Jeremy, and Laurence J. Lafleur. An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and
Legislation: New York: Hafner Pub., 1948. Print.
Kant, Immanuel, and James W. Ellington. Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals; with On a
Supposed Right to Lie Because of Philanthropic Concerns. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 1993.
Print.
Mill, John Stuart, and Oskar Piest. Utilitarianism. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1957. Print.
13
Preventing and Managing Compassion Fatigue and Burnout in Nursing
by Heidi Braunschneider
(English 1102)
I
magine a young, female nurse waking up for work feeling emotionally drained and wanting
nothing more than to go back to sleep and call in sick. Even the thought of going to work as an
oncology nurse at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the country makes her upset when it
used to fill her with joy. Also, the thought of being able to care for others and make a difference in
their lives is no longer rewarding, and she feels too exhausted physically and psychologically to
perform her job to the best of her ability. She has contemplated switching careers multiple times even
after all the work she put into studying for nursing school. This is what goes through the minds of
nurses who are suffering from compassion fatigue and burnout. Unfortunately, one of the reasons this
situation arises is due to the nursing shortage. Nurses are being forced to work longer hours and are
pressured into working overtime, because there are not enough nurses on staff to adequately care for
the patients. Given how prevalent and preventable this condition has become, it is important that
current and future nurses are made aware of compassion fatigue and burnout because of the
significant effects that it can have on a nurse both physically and psychologically. It is equally
important that hospital administrators and nurses themselves establish and use whatever resources are
available to address this problem.
Compassion Fatigue and Burnout in Nursing
Compassion fatigue and burnout can have devastating effects on nurses‘ well-being and can
ultimately alter their ability to care for others. According to Anewalt and Figley, compassion fatigue
―has been defined as a combination of physical, emotional, and spiritual depletion associated with
caring for patients in significant emotional pain and physical distress‖ (qtd. in Lombardo and Eyre,
1). Nurses develop compassion fatigue when they are under constant stress at work from caring for
critically ill patients and reach a point where they become extremely exhausted and are no longer
able to care for themselves or others. This high level of stress that nurses experience begins to affect
their health and job performance. The nurse suffering from compassion fatigue may make medication
errors, perform skills incorrectly, or may forget to give a patient their pain medication, which can
ultimately harm the patient. According to Edmunds, ―hospice nurses; nurses caring for children with
chronic illnesses; and personal triggers, such as overinvolvement, unrealistic self-expectations,
personal commitments, and personal crises are linked to compassion fatigue‖ (1-2). Nurses caring for
patients in acute care settings such as the emergency room and the oncology unit are also at an
increased risk of developing compassion fatigue because of the added stress of caring for patients in
extreme pain. Nurses need to maintain realistic expectations for themselves and their patients and
must learn to refrain from becoming too emotionally attached to them and their families. In addition
to compassion fatigue, burnout can also have devastating effects on nurses and their patients.
Burnout is also a problem that many nurses are facing and it is important that nurses
understand what burnout is and are able to recognize it. When compared to compassion fatigue,
burnout is more gradual in onset and is related to problems in the workplace rather than from
becoming too attached to patients. According to Ewing, burnout is ―caused by a person‘s inability to
relieve the physical and mental symptoms associated with unrelenting stress. It can show up as poor
job performance, an impersonality with patients and lack of motivation‖ (qtd. in Malugani, 1). When
nurses experience job burnout, both the nurses and the patients suffer. Nurses no longer enjoy going
14
to work, and as a result, patients are not advocated for appropriately. This can become problematic,
as the nurses are not performing their job and the patients are not receiving the level of care they
deserve. Burnout can also be caused by working longer shifts. Researchers from ―the University of
Pennsylvania School of Nursing report that nurses working shifts of 10 hours or longer are up to 2 ½
times more likely than nurses working shorter shifts to experience burnout and job dissatisfaction‖
(―Long Shifts‖). It is important for nurses to be able to have time to themselves between shifts to
prevent burnout instead of working three 12-hour shifts in a row without rest.
Areas Where Nurses Experience Higher Levels of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout
The oncology unit is one of the areas where nurses experience higher levels of compassion
fatigue and burnout. This unit can be a very emotionally difficult unit for a nurse to work in because
nurses have frequent contact with patients who are dying. Lewis suggests ―that the intense and
ongoing losses experienced in oncology care make oncology nurses very vulnerable to burnout‖ (qtd.
in Potter et al., ―Compassion‖, 60). It can be especially difficult for nurses to deal with the loss of a
patient that they have known and taken care of for a long time. A study was conducted across the
Midwestern United States which measured burnout, compassion satisfaction, and compassion fatigue
scores among healthcare providers working in oncology. According to Potter et al., ―a total of 153
healthcare providers participated in the study for a response rate of 34%...The average compassion
fatigue score among participants was 15.2 (SD=6.6), which was higher than the average score of 13
reported by Stamm‖ (―Compassion‖, 59). Caring for patients who are dying can be very stressful for
the nurse because it is hard not to become attached to them and their families. It is also difficult to
see the patients suffer so much by going through multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation
therapy treatments. It is important that nurses under severe stress working in the oncology unit seek
help immediately and possibly transfer to a different unit to prevent compassion fatigue and burnout.
The emergency department is another unit where nurses experience higher levels of
compassion fatigue and burnout. The nurses working in the emergency department see on average
about fifty patients per shift compared to about four patients on a normal medical-surgical floor,
which can be both physically and psychologically exhausting. According to Browning et al., ―in a
recent study comparing three nursing specialties, ED nurses had higher burnout scores and reported
more frequent stressors than their counterparts‖ (qtd. in Sawatzky and Enns, 699). Nurses working
in the emergency department are frequently under an extreme amount of stress because they never
know what they will encounter when someone gets rushed through the emergency room doors. The
constant stress and having to be alert at all times can cause a nurse to develop compassion fatigue or
burnout. Another problem facing emergency department nurses is the nursing shortage. According to
Carlbom and Rubenfeld, ―predictions are that nursing vacancy rates [in North America] will reach
29% by 2020‖ (qtd. in Sawatzky and Enns, 696). Due to the nursing shortage, nurses already
working in the emergency department are pressured into working overtime because there are not
enough nurses available to adequately care for the patients. This can also lead to compassion fatigue
and burnout because nurses are not given enough time to rest in between shifts and relieve their
stress.
Prevention of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout
Compassion fatigue and burnout can be prevented; it is important for nurses to be able to
recognize the warning signs so that they can seek help immediately if any develop. Compassion
fatigue and burnout can have both physical and emotional symptoms. According to Aycock et al.,
some symptoms of compassion fatigue include ―…,preoccupation (r/t patient experiences),…attitude
of hopelessness,…lack of energy,…weariness, sense of fatigue, exhaustion,…withdrawal from
family or friends,…absenteeism,… desire to quit, [and] diminished performance ability…‖ (qtd. in
Boyle, 11). Nurses should be caring and empathetic towards their patients; however, it can become
15
troublesome for the nurse and patients when nurses take on the emotions and suffering of their
patients as their own. Since compassion fatigue can affect all aspects of a nurse‘s life, it is important
that nurses experiencing one or more of these symptoms seek help immediately. The sooner the nurse
is identified as having compassion fatigue, the sooner the nurse can get the appropriate treatment and
recover in the shortest amount of time.
Burnout can have a profound effect on the health of a nurse. According to the Amyotrophic
Lateral Sclerosis Association, ―some common health problems associated with burnout are frequent
insomnia, fatigue, headaches, backaches, lethargy, and high blood pressure‖ (2). These health
problems can lead to impaired job performance, neglected relationships, and feelings of inadequacy.
Since burnout is more gradual in onset, a nurse may be able to recognize these symptoms more easily
than those of compassion fatigue and seek the appropriate treatment before the problem escalates.
Self-care and self-reflection strategies may also be used to prevent compassion fatigue and
burnout. According to Potter et al., it is important for nurses to use self-reflection after a difficult day
at work because it allows them to identify the emotions they are feeling and the reason they are
feeling them. Sometimes, the emotions that a nurse is feeling may not be directly related to a patient;
instead, the emotions may arise from a situation in their personal life, and it is important for the nurse
to be able to distinguish between the two and manage appropriately (Potter et al., Fundamentals of
Nursing, 727). Self-care can also be used to prevent compassion fatigue and burnout. Elements of
self-care include eating a well-balanced diet, getting adequate rest, exercising, and learning how to
remain positive. Stress relief activities such as walking, yoga, or meditation may also be helpful.
With life being as fast-paced as it is today, it is imperative that nurses take the time to care for
themselves in a way they find therapeutic. These strategies not only help to prevent compassion
fatigue and burnout, but also help to promote personal and spiritual growth in the nurse.
Another way to prevent compassion fatigue and burnout is for nurses to keep their life at
work separate from their life at home. Nurses not only care for themselves and their families, but
they must also care for their patients. Many times nurses become so emotionally invested in their
work that they cannot stop thinking about it when they reach home, which may lead to problems in
their personal lives. Since nurses care for their patients all day and then come home to care for their
families, it is important for nurses to keep the two separate and find time for themselves to clear their
heads and relax. One way to accomplish this is by participating in relaxation exercises such as deep
breathing, meditation, and journaling. These exercises allow nurses to put aside their feelings and
focus on providing care for themselves.
Resources Available to Help Nurses Cope
Counseling is an important resource available to help nurses cope with compassion fatigue
and burnout. Many times hospitals will provide an on-site psychologist that nurses are able to talk to
during their free time such as during their lunch or on their days off. This allows nurses to share what
they are going through with a professional and they can get assistance on how to cope with either
compassion fatigue or burnout. Support groups are also an important resource available. Support
groups can be therapeutic for nurses suffering from compassion fatigue and burnout because it allows
them to share what they are going through with others who are in the same situation. There are many
different types of support groups. One type of support group held at Edward Hospital in Naperville is
a caregiver support group that meets once a month in the evenings for about an hour and a half.
According to Edward Hospital, the caregiver support group is ―for caregivers, family members,
spouses, and support people‖ (2). These support groups are usually led by a registered nurse or a
psychologist who is there to clarify anything for the members or answer any questions. The support
group members are able to offer advice to other members and share their experiences with what has
helped them cope. Another type of support group is one that is available only for new nurses.
According to Lombardo and Eyre, ―new-nurse support groups can also help to decrease stress and
16
prevent compassion fatigue‖ (7). These support groups are beneficial to those who are just beginning
their nursing career and are struggling with maintaining their work-life balance.
Many hospitals also have an employee assistance program available for their staff. According
to Lombardo and Eyre, ―the primary purpose of the EAPs is to provide employees with supportive
counseling for personal and/or work-related issues… [Their] classes are designed to decrease stress,
enhance work-life balance, and provide help for employees experiencing conditions such as
compassion fatigue‖ (5). Hospitals are now becoming more aware of the effects that compassion
fatigue and burnout can have on their staff and are assisting them by providing classes on how to
cope with it. This proves that compassion fatigue and burnout are becoming more prevalent in the
field of nursing.
Another resource available to help nurses cope is pastoral care, which allows them to come to
terms with the loss of a patient or discuss any spiritual concerns they may have. This is a valuable
resource for those nurses who are spiritual and are having difficulty facing their fears about life and
death. Mimi Alvarez, a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist at the University of North Carolina,
participates in the 13 week orientation to their residency program that teaches nurses on how to cope
with compassion fatigue. A portion of their orientation takes place in the hospital chapel where ―soft
music plays and tea lights and singing bowls adorn the altar. Alvarez then leads an oil-cleansing
ritual that helps the participants connect with themselves, release fatigue, and become grounded
again‖ (Walton and Alvarez, 400). It is important for nurses to learn how to cope with their
compassion fatigue and to know that they are not experiencing it alone.
Another way for nurses to battle compassion fatigue and burnout is by using relaxation
techniques. One method is by going on a retreat. According to Aycock and Boyle, ―ideally offered in
a relaxed setting, retreats can provide an opportunity for informal interactive exchanges, art,
journaling, storytelling, and team building‖ (188). Although not as common now, it is quickly
gaining popularity. It is important for nurses to have the opportunity to relax during their breaks and
take their mind off of the stressful events that are occurring at work. Another method is by going to a
place that is quiet and allows for complete relaxation. According to Lombardo and Eyre, ―[their]
hospital system has promoted self-care through a Relaxation Center where nurses can go for brief
periods of respite. At this center, nurses can receive reiki, light massage, or just relax in a quiet and
comfortable setting‖ (6). It is important for nurses to take the time to pamper themselves and take
care of their needs. A person can only give so much before it starts to take a toll on them.
Conclusion
Compassion fatigue and burnout are becoming more prevalent in today‘s society. Due to the
nature of nursing, it is often difficult for nurses not to become attached to their patients, which puts
them at risk of developing compassion fatigue. Hospitals are now addressing these issues and are
providing relaxation centers, counseling, support groups, and other resources to help their nurses
cope and to prevent compassion fatigue and burnout. It is also important that nursing schools begin to
offer more incentives and lower the admission requirements so the nursing shortage issue can be
resolved. It is not fair to the current nurses to have to work overtime because hospitals are short
staffed. Current and future nurses need to be aware that compassion fatigue and burnout are a
growing problem and how important it is to prevent and detect them early.
17
Works Cited
The ALS Association. ―Coping with Burnout.‖ ALSA.org. The ALS Association, 2010. Web. 23June
2013.
Aycock, Nancy, and Deborah Boyle. "Interventions To Manage Compassion Fatigue In Oncology
Nursing." Clinical Journal Of Oncology Nursing 13.2 (2009): 188. CINAHL. Web. 22 June
2013.
Boyle, Deborah A. "Countering Compassion Fatigue: A Requisite Nursing Agenda." Online Journal
Of Issues In Nursing 16.1 (2011): 11. CINAHL. Web. 22 June 2013.
Edmunds, Marilyn W. ―Caring Too Much: Compassion Fatigue in Nursing.‖ Medscape.com.
WebMD LLC, 2010. Web. 22 June 2013.
Edward Hospital and Health Services. ―Coping and Support.‖ Edward.org. Edward Hospital and
Health Services, 2013. Web. 21 July 2013.
Lombardo, Barbara, and Caryl Eyre. "Compassion Fatigue: A Nurse's Primer." Online Journal Of
Issues In Nursing 16.1 (2011): 1-7. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. Web. 22 June
2013.
"Long Shifts Lead To Nurse Burnout And Dissatisfied Patients." Reflections On Nursing Leadership
39.1 (2013): 1. CINAHL. Web. 22 June 2013.
Malugani, Megan. ―Battling Burnout in Nursing.‖ Nursinglink.monster.com. NursingLink, 2013.
Web. 22 June 2013.
Potter, Patricia, et al. ―Compassion Fatigue and Burnout: Prevalence Among Oncology Nurses.‖
Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing 14.5 (2010): 59-60. Web. 22 June 2013.
Potter, Patricia A., et al. Fundamentals of Nursing. St. Louis: Elsevier, 2009. Print.
Sawatzky, Jo-Ann V., and Carol L. Enns. ―Exploring The Key Predictors Of Retention In Emergency
Nurses.‖ Journal of Nursing Management 20.5 (2012): 696-699. CINAHL. Web. 21 July
2013.
Walton, Ann Marie Lee, and Mimi Alvarez. "Imagine: Compassion Fatigue Training For Nurses."
Clinical Journal Of Oncology Nursing 14.4 (2010): 400. Health Source: Nursing/Academic
Edition. Web. 22 June 2013.
18
An Analysis of the Perennial Big-Screen Representations of the Famed Detective, Sherlock Holmes
by Brody Challinor
(English 1154)
n the 1939 movie, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle‘s famous detective [Basil
Rathbone] finds himself up against his greatest nemesis, Professor Moriarty, [George Zucco]
whom he must fight on two different fronts; protecting a young lady and her brother from the
deadly implications of a series of cryptic notes, while simultaneously protecting the Crown Jewels.
This portrayal of the character was released to a backdrop of a world in tension, hitting theaters on
the first official day of World War II, once Nazi Germany invaded Poland. In sharp contrast to its
predecessor, however, the 1979 Murder by Decree pitted Holmes [Christopher Plummer] against
what some might call the ‗phantom‘ menace of a fictionalized Jack the Ripper, following hot on the
heels of both the Watergate scandal as well as the American feminist movement. Finally, known to
most if not all people today, we have the Guy Ritchie directed 2009 edition, starring none other than
the Iron Man himself, Mr. Robert Downey Jr. In it, Holmes [Robert Downey Jr.] sends the evil cultist
Lord Blackwood [Mark Strong] to the gallows, only to have him seemingly come back from the
grave – all whilst having to deal with the loss of Watson, [Jude Law] who has found the woman of
his dreams, and shall soon be moving on. Each movie paints its own picture of the culture of the time
through their depictions of Holmes‘s relationships with the people and socio-political landscape that
surround him.
Something that hasn‘t changed much over the years is the relationships Holmes has had both
with Scotland Yard, as well as with the governing class. In The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,
Holmes is portrayed as smarter than the police by far – while simultaneously, Professor Moriarty‘s
‗ultimate crime‘ is to steal the Crown Jewels – meaning that Holmes is needed to protect the
Crown!... Jewels, that is. Yet, in Murder by Decree, the police and government are linked through the
sinister character of Sir Charles Warren, [Anthony Quayle] who bars and blocks Holmes‘s progress
several times throughout the movie, until the conspiracy eventually reaches as high up as not just the
Home Secretary, not just the Prime Minister, but the Duke of Wales. In Sherlock Holmes,
Blackwood‘s cult has its tendrils spread throughout the government, with, among their ranks, another
corrupted Home Secretary. However, even as Lord Coward [Hans Matheson] issues the warrant for
Holmes‘s arrest, the police trust Holmes enough to warn him of the warrant in advance, and, when
they do capture him, give him the tools to carry out his plan, - namely, the key to escape his
handcuffs. There is one line from Mr. Rathbone‘s incarnation that stands out in particular which can
describe Holmes‘s general view of the police and government officials throughout all three films:
―The nose of the police dog, although long and efficient, points in only one direction at a time‖. (The
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes). In 1939, the police were chasing up the wrong tree in suspecting
Jerrold Hunter [Alan Marshal] – while government, on the other hand, as I will soon explain, seems
to have been relegated to a sole, symbolic role: that of the Crown Jewels. In 1979, the antagonistic
government officials worry themselves into their single-minded frenzy which causes them to
indirectly cause the murders; and in 2009, the metaphorical nose was harnessed to the leash of
Blackwood‘s corrupt followers, who attempted to jerk it in Holmes‘s direction.
As one might guess, however, there is a reason for all the differences in the Holmes-togovernment relations, be they subtle or not so much. In Murder by Decree, during a post-Nixon
world, where would a good mystery movie be without some government conspiracy? Nowhere –
which is why Holmes is set against the British officials in the way that he is. Sherlock Holmes, on the
I
19
other hand, is a different animal altogether. Conceived in the waning years of the Bush
administration – when much of Cheney and co.‘s dirty deeds were coming to light – many people
were worrying that the American government was characterized by corrupt and partisan biases;1 in
recognition of the modern-day events and political environment, this Holmes merely operates just
beyond the boundaries of common law, ejecting the corrupt officials from power instead of
ferociously attacking them, as Holmes‘s previous incarnation did.
A little more dynamic than his relations with the government and police, is Sherlock‘s
relationship with the villainous figures of each movie. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes clearly
highlights how much Holmes admires Moriarty‘s intellect – once having Holmes idly muse about
how much he‘d love to get the chance to dissect Moriarty‘s brain. Murder by Decree, sets Holmes
eventually against a subset of government officials, as well as the movie‘s fictionalization of ‗Jack
the Ripper‘. Alfred Hitchcock had proven with his own 1960 and 1972 movies, Psycho and Frenzy,
respectively, that having a serial killer antagonist could have a lot of resonance in that day and age.
However, he is not given satisfactory moments of triumph against either foe. The character who
committed the crimes that got attributed to Jack the Ripper dies before he can stand trial for his
horrible crimes, and even before the audience knows his name(?); also, in the end, the government
officials get off the hook merely because Holmes stays true to his word. Sherlock Holmes, similarly
to its predecessor, repeats themes stated in previous paragraphs – a large part of the Holmes-tovillain relationship has to do with veins of corruption running through the government. However –
Blackwood wasn‘t Holmes‘s only problem in the film; in the background, always lurking in the
shadows, was… Moriarty. [Jared Harris… sort of.2]
One could argue that the Holmes from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes symbolizes the
actions that the filmmakers thought the United States should take in terms of WWII going forward;
after all, once Moriarty is freed at the beginning, Holmes lets him make the first move. From that
point on, Moriarty makes for a fairly good symbolic representation of Nazi Germany. After all, his
whole plan revolves around engaging Holmes on multiple fronts at once; not to mention that
Moriarty‘s plot to take one of Britain‘s most symbolic physical possessions could easily represent
fears of Germany eventually trying to take over Britain. In Murder by Decree, the physical
confrontation with the pseudo-Jack-the-Ripper, and Holmes‘s verbal confrontation with the
government officials were both very apt metaphors for the events surroundings Nixon‘s exit from
power; after all, none of those villains faced trial for the crimes that they committed. In Sherlock
Holmes, though, while Blackwood himself doesn‘t exactly seem to have quite as potent a parallel, it
is, in fact, Moriarty who seems to represent a underlying public fear of the time; his ‗dark
malevolence lurking in the shadows just out of sight,‘ seems oddly reminiscent of America‘s fears
regarding Osama bin Laden prior to his death.
One relationship of Holmes‘s that has changed radically over the years is his treatment of
women – along with their entire portrayal, as a gender, throughout all three movies. The Adventures
1
Ironically, not that long after the film‘s release, the idea of a radical group of zealously religious political
representatives rearing their heads all at once to exert their influence wouldn‘t be an enormous leap of the
imagination anymore. Tea Party, anyone?
2
Before the release of the 2011 sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, the voice of Moriarty in the
2009 predecessor went uncredited. After the sequel‘s release, all copies of the film from then on have the
character‘s lines dubbed by Jared Harris, who plays Moriarty in the sequel; yet to this day, it has never been
revealed who actually played Moriarty the first time.
20
of Sherlock Holmes, for example, had Holmes caring for Ann Brandon, [Ida Lupino] who, in the face
of danger, did the following: fainted twice, screamed at least three times, and twice or more, told
Holmes she was willing to do, and I quote: ―Anything you say.‖(The Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes.) Not exactly a woman who is filled to the brim with agency. In Murder by Decree, women
are victimized, but usually to forces that, on a case-by-case basis, do seem plausibly out of their
individual leagues. However, it is the mistreatment of Mary Kelly [Susan Clark] that galvanizes
Holmes to take his accusations as far as he does; and it is certainly quite interesting to note how the
intensity of the horror caused by ―Jack the Ripper‘s‖ beastly murders would match up, compared to
the grotesque serial killings and domestic violence that was coming to light both in the time that the
movie was set, and at the time during which the movie was made. Sherlock Holmes, though, goes
above and beyond in terms of strong female characters. Irene, while she did require one moment of
aid along the way, she still outsmarted Sherlock near beginning and end, most obviously in how she
drugs him and leaves him handcuffed to a hotel bed, covered by naught but a pillow. Then again,
near the climax, she draws Holmes away from the radio device so that Moriarty could get his hands
on it. Truth be told, Irene Adler [Rachel McAdams] isn‘t the only woman who outsmarts Holmes in
the movie. Mary Morstan, [Kelly Reilly] Watson‘s bride-to-be, pulls several power plays on Holmes
– asserting that Watson is her man, and that nothing Holmes can do is about to change that. Some out
there might say that because Mary and Irene were not original characters made by the movie‘s
writers, they therefore do not elevate the film‘s level of feminism. I believe this to be an error in
judgment – for the movie‘s creative team was not bound towards those characters or their portrayals.
They didn‘t have to portray Mary or Irene the way that they did, nor did they have to portray them at
all. Mary‘s portrayal is a distinct modernization – meaning that at some point, someone, somewhere
along the chain of command made a conscious decision for her to appear that way. (The 2011 sequel
ups the ante even more, where it is Mary that works with Scotland Yard to bring down Moriarty‘s
empire while the boys are off trying to catch the man himself.) The reasons for the differences
between these works are pretty simple, seeing as how, on the whole, they merely correspond to the
trending enfranchisement of women today.
The one thing that has changed the most radically over the years is the portrayal of Holmes‘s
‗bedside manner,‘ and most specifically, his relationship with Watson. Holmes, over the years, has
evolved from a usually-kind, eccentric-yet-insightful professorial figure, to a slightly-odd but
intensely-caring gentleman, to a compulsive and egocentric savant. Watson, over the years, has
evolved from being a good-natured, bumbling idiot – who, oftentimes, has more pudge than
personality – to being a only-slightly-bumbling sidekick, with a bit more backbone than before, to, at
last, being Holmes‘s equal. Their relationship, over the years, has evolved as well; in 1939, Watson
[Nigel Bruce] most often just stood in for the audience so that Holmes would be made to explain his
plans to ‗us‘ – in ‗79, we can easily tell that Holmes cares deeply for Watson, [James Mason] and
vice versa, but Watson hasn‘t quite come to terms with some of Holmes‘s quirks, especially his
social ineptitude. In the Downey Jr. & Law edition, however, the duo is brought into the era of the
‗buddy cop‘ movie which has become such a successful trope.
…And so it is that we have ourselves an analysis of the perennial big-screen representations
of the famed detective, Sherlock Holmes. Between his relations with the government and police, the
relationships he shares with each movie‘s villain[s], his treatment of women, and his relationship
with Dr. John Watson, there‘s almost never a single element that stays quite the same; and this isn‘t
even getting into the TV representations, like the BBC Sherlock, or CBS‘s new Elementary. But, in
answer to the question being asked – how and why are each iteration of the hero so different?
It‘s elementary, my dear readers.
21
Works Cited
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Dir. Alfred L. Werker. By Edwin Blum and William A. Drake.
Perf. Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Ida Lupino and George Zucco. 20th Century Fox / MPI
Home Video, 1939. DVD.
"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 29 July 2013.
Eisenhower, John, Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, Richard Overy, David Stone, Wim Coleman, Martin F.
Graham, James H. Hallas, Mark Johnston, Christy Nadalin, Pat Perrin, and Peter Stanley.
"The Start of WWII: Sep. 1939 - Mar. 1940." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks, Inc., n.d.
Web. 29 July 2013.
"Frenzy." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 29 July 2013.
Murder by Decree. Dir. Bob Clark. Screenplay by John Hopkins. Perf. Christopher Plummer, James
Mason, David Hemmings, Susan Clark, Anthony Quayle, and John Gielgud. AVCO Embassy
Pictures / Lionsgate Home Entertainment, 1979. DVD.
"Psycho" IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 29 July 2013.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Dir. Guy Ritchie. By Michele Mulroney and Kieran
Mulroney. Prod. Bruce Berman, Steve Clark-Hall, Ethan Erwin, Lauren Meek, Peter
Eskelsen, Dan Lin, Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, and Susan Downey. Perf. Robert Downey Jr.,
Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Jared Harris, Stephen Fry, and Kelly Reilly. Warner Bros., 2011.
Film.
Sherlock Holmes. Dir. Guy Ritchie. Prod. Bruce Berman, Michael Tadross, Dana Goldberg, Steve
Clark-Hall, Peter Eskelsen, Lauren Meek, Dan Lin, Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, and Susan
Downey. Screenplay by Michael R. Johnson, Anthony Peckham, Simon Kinberg, and Lionel
Wigram. Perf. Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Kelly Reilly, Rachel McAdams, Eddie Marsan,
and Mark Strong. Warner Bros., 2009. DVD.
22
An Examination of Gender Roles in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
by Lauren Challinor
(English 1154)
T
he Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, a 1994 film directed by Stephan Elliott, is a
campy movie-musical with a poignant plot, following two transvestites and a trans-woman on
a journey through the Australian outback in a tour-bus they christened Priscilla, travelling
from cosmopolitan Sydney to the remote outpost of Alice Springs in the heart of the continent. My
focus in this essay shall be to explore the personal journey of each of the three main characters, as
well as their interactions with each other and other characters throughout the film, through the lens of
shifting gender roles and gender role behaviors. As a source, I refer to an article published in 1998,
authored under the name Holly Devor, and entitled ―Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes‖.
1. Character Overview
The character played by Terrence Stamp is an aging transgender woman, having forgone her
previous life as Ralph, and now fully committed to her female gender identity as Bernadette. She has
had more than her share of hostile receptions, and has little patience for prejudiced or bullying
behavior, having fought her way to hard-earned acceptance from the Sydney community.
Hugo Weaving plays the conflicted character of Anthony Belrose, a married man who spends
his time performing as a drag queen named Mitzi; for the purpose of this discussion, I will refer to
him by the gender-neutral name Tick, which he uses throughout the film and emphasizes the
uncertainty regarding his gender identity. In comparison to Bernadette, Tick is a more ambiguous
character possessed of a dualistic nature. Tick is caught between the life of a drag queen and his life
as husband and father, and his personal journey centers on self-discovery and the resolution of his
inner doubts.
Guy Pearce takes on the role of Adam Whitely, a young, gay drag queen who makes his way
through life by manipulating his mother into giving him money, antagonizing other people, and
making a spectacle of himself. Adam holds the dominant status within the group, having establishing
himself over the others mainly as a defense against his own insecurities and conflicted emotions
about his identity. While Adam joins the group in a search for adventure and entertainment, the trip
ultimately gives Adam much more than he expected- both good and bad.
One additional character of singular importance is that of Bob Spart, performed by Bill
Hunter. At first blush, Bob plays a fairly typical male role: an aging mechanic who rescues Priscilla,
the stranded tour-bus and her motley crew. Bob is very down to earth upon encountering our unlikely
trio and responds to them with nonchalant respect. As unexpected as this may be, his reaction to
Bernadette is even more surprising. When he learns that she was the pre-imminent performer of ‗Les
Girls‘, his glowing admiration for her appears in sharp contrast to with the derision they receive from
the townies at the local pub. Despite his appearance of a typical outback bloke, Bob‘s response
reflects his well travelled and worldly experience.
2. Bernadette
Bernadette‘s relationship with Tick can best be described as one of mutual respect and
empathy. Both Bernadette and Tick have dealt with the challenge of gaining acceptance from peers,
family and society; each seeks and receives reassurance and support from the other throughout their
travels. Tick turns to Bernadette as a mentor-figure as he struggles with his uncertainty over taking
23
on the role of a husband once more, and Bernadette consistently finds comfort in Tick as a
sympathetic ear and a shoulder to lean on. Bernadette‘s relationship with Adam, on the other hand,
could be aptly reduced to two words: fragile tolerance. Adam‘s irrepressible love of the dramatic, his
juvenile attitude, and his obnoxious behavior regularly push the limits of Bernadette‘s patience.
Where Tick and Bernadette bond over their shared struggle for acceptance from society, Adam
thrives on creating conflict, shocking the public, and upsetting the balance of society.
In many ways, Bernadette is a classic example of demure femininity, casting a shadow of
irony over the more conventional women in the film, as her femininity is derived from affectation.
These affectations—Bernadette‘s frequent and methodical application of lipstick, the way she carries
her purse, the expressive yet dainty hand gestures, and the carefully controlled softness and lilt of her
voice—have been painstakingly cultivated over the years.
Perhaps it is because Bernadette has had to fight so hard and for so long to secure her female
gender identity, both physiologically and in the eyes of society, that she appears the height of
composed femininity. Most certainly, Bernadette‘s battle to secure her gender identity as a female
has toughened her resolve and shaped her into the strong fighter that lies behind the feminine
delicacy she projects. Indeed, this hardened side of Bernadette shows through in times of conflict; her
voice deepens and takes on a harsher tone, she doses out acidic, intellectual jabs and, occasionally,
threats of physical violence, while maintaining her feminine dignity.
For example, upon trying to order drinks at a bar in the town of Broken Hill, Bernadette is
verbally accosted by a grimy, hostile woman, known as Shirl. After enduring a slew of vulgar insults
and the woman‘s insistence that the trio leave town, Bernadette responds to her comments in kind,
drawing laughter from the crowd of locals. Embarrassed but determined, Shirl slams her dirt-crusted
hand down on top of Bernadette‘s, which rests on the bar. Again, Bernadette rises to the occasion,
prying back Shirl‘s meaty fingers with her own larger, but delicately manicured hand; she leaves the
woman stunned at her show of strength. In one final effort to disgrace her opponent, Shirl attempts to
best Bernadette in a drinking challenge. She fails, leaving Bernadette the drunk, but dignified victor.
3. Tick
Just as in the straight community, we make assumptions about the gender identity and sexual
preferences of others, projecting our own socially constructed views onto them, so too apparently
does the LGBT community have their own projections of gender identity and sexual orientation. This
pattern of community behavior is exemplified by Bernadette‘s and Adam‘s assumption that Tick is
fully committed to a female gender identity and homosexual orientation, on the basis of his choice to
be a drag queen. However, as it happens, Tick‘s previous role as a husband and his potential role as a
father challenge this notion. When it is revealed that Tick is married—and married to a woman, no
less—this socially projected female gender identity is actively threatened. This causes a shift in the
gender dynamic of the three main characters.
Adam interprets this shift in group dynamics as a direct threat to his status. Viewing Tick as a
married man alters the image of his feminine role, and thus, it appears to Adam that Tick is
encroaching on his territory as the dominant member of the trio. In response to this threat, Adam
ridicules and mockingly objectifies Tick‘s marriage, personifying both Tick and his wife in female
roles. In doing so, Adam undercuts Tick‘s masculinity, and openly trivializes his capacity to take on
the role of a husband.
Throughout the film, Tick displays both strength and weakness. When confronted by
conflicts with a source outside the LGBT community, — the beer can thrown by an audience
member in the first scene of the film, or the offensive graffiti emblazoned on the tour bus in Broken
Hill— Tick struggles to conceal his distress, appearing vulnerable. When Adam repeatedly mocks
Tick‘s marriage, Tick shows real strength and defends himself, even demanding Adam stop his
ridiculing.
24
Throughout their journey, much of Tick‘s anxiety and uncertainty focus on the impending
reunion with his wife and son. He struggles to conceive of how he can possibly reconcile his wish
and need to be a good father with his life as a drag queen and active member of the LGBT
community. The surprise for Tick is that his son, Benji, is completely untroubled by his father‘s
lifestyle. The compassion and uncompromising acceptance from his son reassures Tick that he can be
a father, without having to give up his lifestyle or hide who he is.
4. Adam
Our knowledge of Adam‘s past is a relatively vague. One flashback scene between Adam and
his lecherous uncle is the only glimpse of his childhood. It reveals a degree of malevolence surprising
in a boy so young. Adam exhibits a certain level of self-loathing, tied up in a deep reluctance to
appear feminine or assume a female gender role, despite his lifestyle as a drag queen. Adam‘s
negative conception of femininity leads him to unleash the violent force of his conflicted emotions on
the person he perceives to be the most feminine, and therefore stereotypically vulnerable, of their
trio: Bernadette. Adam pointedly antagonizes her from the very start of their expedition, and
blatantly threatens her gender identity by calling her ―Ralph‖. Bernadette‘s ultimate reaction to this
direct threat to her identity is pure rage and fury; the resulting fight is one of only two instances in
the entire film where Bernadette engages in a physical confrontation.
Adam‘s inner conflict and self-hatred manifest themselves in his dominant personality,
egomaniacal attitude, and pathological need for attention; when combined, all these actually
supercede the relevance of his gender identity. Although Adam‘s aggressively dominant personality
might seem like a clear display of masculinity and power (as described by Devor on page 484), much
of his behavior is deeply childish and immature, particularly that which is bullying or manipulative,
or which attracts negative attention. Adam routinely lashes out by insulting or humiliating others.
Motivated by his inner anger and conflict, he gains pleasure from their anger, and engages in risktaking behaviors.
A perfect example of this occurs during their overnight stay in the remote mining town of
Coober Pedy. Bernadette recognizes the potential danger Adam‘s reckless nature poses and insists
that Adam remain in the hotel room for his own safety and theirs. In direct opposition, Adam chooses
to take illicit drugs, and go out looking for trouble. After he unsuccessfully masquerades as a thrillseeking woman in front of a gang of brutish townsmen, Adam is seriously shaken by the ensuing
mob that threatens to, at the very least, castrate him. The social construct that ―ideal maleness
(masculinity) must remain untainted by female (feminine) pollutants‖ serves as a clear illustration for
the genesis of the violent mob mentality (Devor 487). Shortly after Adam approached the group, he
notices Bob in their midst and calls out to him, but Bob turns away, choosing not to acknowledge
their familiarity or reveal that he has any association with the interloper. Bob‘s attempt to ―eliminate
any similarities to feminine people from [his] own personalit[y]‖reveals his desire to protect his
masculinity—a status which he later jeopardizes in his attempt to defend Adam against the mob
(Devor 487). Once the mob turns on Adam, Bob tries to do the right thing and steps up to protect
him, at great personal risk. But ultimately, it is Bernadette, rather than Bob, who succeeds in rescuing
Adam. This is a turning point for Adam‘s character. Although Bernadette confronts the mob as a
woman, the power she brings to bear draws on the hardened strength she gained throughout a lifetime
of fighting the prejudice of a heteronormative society. The strength of Bernadette‘s compassion and
nurturing instincts, which are revealed through her tender, motherly role with Adam just after the
Coober Pedy incident, contain a naturalness and authenticity which reinforce Bernadette‘s innate
femininity, despite being born in a male body. Adam‘s reckless behavior forces him to accept his
own vulnerability and he comes to see Bernadette (a trans-gender woman) in a different light and
treats her with newfound respect.
25
The incident in Coober Pedy once again alters the group dynamic. The simple fact that
Adam‘s jaw was dislocated in the attack silences him both physically and metaphorically. Tick is
then in a position to claim a more dominant role, raising his status over Adam. This reversal is
visually underscored by the scene in which Tick literally stands over Adam as he lays in the gravelike tanning chamber.
In spite of Adam‘s fall down the hierarchical ladder, his relentless need to assert his
dominance over others resurfaces when he interacts with Tick‘s son, Benji. Perceiving the young boy
as a target for his poisonous anger, Adam attempts to bait Benji about his father‘s life as a drag
queen. Benji‘s earnest acceptance and appreciation of his father‘s lifestyle serve to neutralize Adam‘s
redirected self-loathing, and reveals to him that not everyone subscribes to a gender schema that
values masculine roles over feminine ones, as laid out by Devor‘s article (485).
Conclusion
The Adventures of Priscilla is a lens through which to examine the traditional views of
masculine and feminine gender roles. The viewer is encouraged to reflect upon these roles, their
origins, and how they are portrayed in the context of our three main characters. In spite of the many
conflicts and consistent competition within the trio, there are moments of real camaraderie and unity
within the group. Primarily, these moments are their drag performances; together, they put
themselves and the creative expression of their otherness at risk, becoming exposed and vulnerable
before their audiences. Despite their conflicts, they depend upon one another. An amusing example is
the scene where the trio gives a quite theatrical and exuberant performance for the aboriginals, which
leads to much merriment by all. In contrast, the performance Bob arranges in his hometown leaves
the audience thoroughly unimpressed and unamused, soon to be overshadowed by the vulgar display
by Bob‘s wife, leaving the trio humiliated and stunned. Both scenes bring the group closer together,
whether through enthusiastic self-expression or disappointment and shame.
Ultimately, the scene where they climb King‘s Canyon is the most impactful depiction of the
uniting force which acts upon the trio. The idea of three drag queens climbing up the rocky slopes of
the most remote Australian desert, in full drag makeup and costume seems ludicrous at first, but their
stubborn determination to reach the top together, setting aside their differences, presents a different
picture. One might think that they would appear completely out of place, yet somehow, when they
reach the summit and face the vastness and rugged beauty of the Australian wild, they seem to
become part of this glorious display of natural beauty, leaving the competition and constant bickering
of the tour-bus far behind.
Works Cited
Devor, Holly. "Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes." Signs of Life in the U.S.A.: Readings on
Popular Culture for Writers. 3rd ed. New York: Bedford, 1999. 484-88. Print.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Dir. Stephan Elliott. Perf. Guy Pearce, Terence
Stamp, and Hugo Weaving. Polygram, 1994. DVD.
26
Living the Dream: Making it as a Classical Musician
by Steven Franklin
(English 1102)
was sitting in the back row of a one hundred and twenty piece orchestra in Chicago‘s famous
Orchestra Hall with a trumpet in my hands. My fellow musicians and I were performing Claude
Debussy‘s La Mer, perhaps the greatest French orchestral tone poem ever written. And from the
back row of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra I saw everything that was going on and I
listened to all the excellent music making that was going on around me as I performed on the same
stage as the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra. After 40 minutes of intense
concentration, we had finally arrived at the final brass chorale at the end of the piece. When that last
fortissimo came, the rich chords and wild excitement of the ending sent a thrill running down my
spine. It was moments like these that made the all the long hours of practice worth it and made me
sure that I wanted to become a professional musician. Anyone who wishes to find a career as a
classical instrumentalist or composer can relate.
However, it‘s not quite that simple when it comes to making this dream a reality. Not
everyone will be fortunate enough to secure a consistent, lucrative job playing in an orchestra or
composing new music. Even if they are, it often takes months or years of waiting before these types
of jobs are available. However, the good news is that these are not the only ways for a classical
musician to be successful. There are many options available to young musicians that may easily be
overlooked. Young musicians must become savvy in the business if they are going to make it. While
maintaining the quality and originality of their art is very important, they must also look past the art
in order to find a way to make a practical living from music making. A complete musician finds a
way to balance aesthetic and artistic values with practical business savvy.
Most musicians enter music school with inspiration, a great work ethic, and absolutely no
idea how to make a living after they graduate. While the market is extremely competitive, the smart
musician can still find ample opportunities to make a decent living doing what they love by playing
music. The Savvy Musician by David Cutler provides wisdom for the college graduate that wants to
begin a career in music. Cutler speaks from his own experience and his successful career as a jazz
and classical composer, pianist and conductor. He insists that to be a musician you need to love what
you do first and foremost. Classical music is a competitive and stressful field, with little job security
and comparatively low pay; however, it is a very fulfilling job and nothing can be more satisfying
than pursuing ones passion for a living. He also states the great importance for musicians to be savvy
to the current needs and demands of the music industry. He states, ―In order to sustain a career, as
opposed to hobby, you must find ways to earn income from your talents. This is where so many
musicians draw a blank. They have the passion, cross their fingers and pray that life hands them the
magical potion. If things don‘t work out neatly – and they rarely do-they have little idea where to
turn‖ (4).
This is why marketing oneself well is so crucial. Musicians also need excellent people skills
and communication abilities to be able to do this effectively. The majority of gigs that I have played
came from a friend or a friend of a friend. A savvy musician, even if not the most talented musician,
will be able thrive in any market. This is important for all of today‘s musicians, whether classical or
not. And there are many ways to put this savvy to use.
A number of potential career options are available for the young musician. One common way
for a classical instrumentalist to begin a career is by freelancing and gigging locally; while it can be
I
27
difficult for a musician to make this start, it is paramount that musicians build as many contacts as
possible in order to begin to secure consistent and lucrative gigging opportunities. In the article
―How To Make Money and Find Gigs‖ by Cesar Aviles, some ideas are presented on how to build
contacts and expand one‘s freelance career. Aviles suggests creating a website and always having
business cards ready to hand out to potential customers, a typical strategy for any business whether it
is musical or not. Aviles stresses the fact that the music industry isn‘t any different from any other
business; he insists that networking is the only way to establish a stable and successful freelance
career. He also mentions that being professional in the way one deals with clients is one of the best
ways to open up opportunities for future gigs. Communication, punctuality and professionalism
generate a positive reputation that will support one‘s career.
In the end, however, the most important quality is flexibility. One can hardly expect to get
the exact gig one wanted in the first few tries. Some methods of promoting oneself may not work;
every situation is unique. Aviles states, ―Different businesses, different strategies. You must find
your own. This takes a long time but it will determine your success as a promoter…. [Y]ou cannot be
a musician only. If Facebook brings lots of gigs then you do that. A blog? Website? Fliers? Word of
mouth? Emails? Try everything and always keep looking for more‖ (2). In order to be a successful
freelance musician, these are the things that one must consider. Making contacts from local gigs also
lays the groundwork for advancing toward a permanent ensemble position.
The job of an orchestral instrumentalist is one of the most competitive and most coveted jobs
in the music business. In addition to being lucrative, it is among the steadiest occupations that a
classical musician can find today. Many musicians, who have grown up playing and listening to
masterpieces by Beethoven and Mahler, dream of obtaining a job with a professional orchestra and
playing some of the greatest music in existence for a living. Although this job can be stressful, it is
perhaps the most fulfilling and enjoyable for classical instrumentalists. Because of this, it is an
exceedingly competitive market and there are already only a handful of positions available each year.
Professional orchestral clarinetist George Seltzer noted this in his article ―It‘s Supply and
Demand Stupid!‖ He makes it abundantly clear how thousands of music students are graduating from
conservatories all across the nation each year with the hope of playing professionally in an orchestra,
while the reality is that only about 250 vacancies in professional orchestras are available and not all
of those pay adequately enough to make a living. In addition to the small number of jobs, today‘s
students are getting extremely good. The quality of student musicians now has reached a nearly
unheard of level and hundreds of near-perfect musicians are all auditioning for the same jobs. Music
schools need money to keep their programs going so they make promises to students about job
placement after graduation, while the reality is actually quite different.
And, on the other side of the equation, audiences are becoming increasingly disinterested in
classical music. An entire generation is growing up now that has had little to no music education
whatsoever and has no desire to listen to live classical music. Although the orchestral market is very
tough, Seltzer doesn‘t lose hope for classical musicians. He states, ―We need fewer performers and
more audiences…. There are possible solutions. Courses targeted for the non-music major are
important. Not only the usual music appreciation courses, but also classes in music theory and music
history as part of various eras of Western culture could be developed for and taken by any and all
interested students‖ (28). He also advises classical musicians to, while pursuing their music degree,
also take courses in outside fields such as business, math, or science. This will give music majors a
more standard college education and provide extra-music opportunities should one have difficulty in
securing an orchestral job, as could well be the case.
However, an orchestral job is hardly the only option for classical instrumentalists. A plethora
of opportunities are available in other musical mediums. Concert band is one example of this. As a
trumpet player myself, there are far more available positions playing in concert or military bands
28
than there are in the orchestral track. In addition to this, there are simply more bands in existence,
particularly in the United States, than orchestras.
An International Trumpet Guild Journal article ―Why Band?‖ by Marc Reed and Andrew
Trachsel addresses this point. Reed and Trachsel discuss many of advantages of playing
professionally in a wind ensemble or concert band. Though band is often considered a ―lesser‖
ensemble when compared to the orchestra, this is only due to the fact that for years concert band
lacked quality repertoire to perform. However, today new quality band music is being created at
breakneck pace. Many of the most prominent names in classical music also wrote selections for wind
ensembles, such as Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, and Stravinsky. Wind band now has a large
repertoire of quality music and every day more pieces are being introduced. There are also a large
number of positions available for all types of musicians in concert band. Reed and Trachsel note,
The dream of many aspiring trumpet players is to perform in a professional orchestra,
as a classical soloist, or in a professional jazz ensemble. However, these select
positions represent a small fraction of the world‘s trumpets…. [C]ommunity and
military bands involve a much larger number of trumpet players. This is in part due to
the size of the modern wind band trumpet section, which may range from four to
twenty-four players. There are over seventy active-duty professional concert bands in
the five branches of the United States Armed Forces, with many more opportunities
for part-time playing in the Army Reserves, Army National Guard, and Air National
Guard. Band is also part of many public school curricula, providing music for
athletic, academic, and public events. (76)
This is true of all instrumentalists, not only trumpet players. Opportunities for playing professionally
in wind bands abound. This is yet another viable career for a classical instrumentalist looking for
playing opportunities.
Another occupation that is available to musicians is that of a composer or arranger. This is a
very broad field. It includes arranging popular music for a local band to producing commissioned
large-scale works for orchestra or wind ensemble and everything in between. Composing can be done
either as a full-time profession or as a side job to enhance your earnings. Many classical
instrumentalists are part-time composers, experimenting in their spare time with ideas to create some
new music that might appeal to an audience. This music can either be published by a music company
or simply produced on your own.
The ambition of most young composers is to become published by a major music company
and therefore begin their career of writing music for a living; however, self-publishing one‘s own
works is an option that few composers consider and it may be far more lucrative than the tiny
percentage of royalties that composers collect from big music publishers. Composer John Mackey
illustrates the stark differences in royalty collection between self-publishing and being published by
an already established music company. Mackey describes the business aspect of this in detail. When
a performance is licensed by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
as most ―classical‖ performances are, the composer can collect royalties for that performance.
However, only 50 percent of the proceeds go to the composer and the other 50 percent goes to the
publisher. Moreover, 90 percent of all sheet music sales go to the publisher and the music store,
while the hapless composer is left with only 10 percent of the gross profit. In addition to this, the
publisher holds the copyright to any piece of music published through that company.
On the other hand, self-publishing allows the composer to keep the copyright to the work and
to collect all of the money generated from the performance of the piece. This is the option that
Mackey chose. In his words, ―I didn‘t want 50% of the performance earnings to go into the ether
since I wasn‘t published, so I registered a publishing company with ASCAP –Osti Music….
29
Eventually I got an ACAP check for the performance of [one of my pieces] – my writer royalty
check. Then, a few weeks later, I got another (equally tiny) check, for the same amount - my
publisher check‖ (Mackey 1). As great as this may seem, the only downside is that the composer
must process and print all his or her own music, which can be costly and time-consuming. If a
composer is working other jobs such as teaching it can be difficult to find the time and resources to
manage that aspect of self-publishing. Mackey states,
All of this takes a lot of time, and a lot of composers, understandably, would rather
just compose and not worry about the business aspect of it. They just want to write
the music, give it to a publisher, and not think about it anymore, and whatever
income they collect, no matter the amount, is just a nice bonus. Most of those
composers probably have other jobs — like teaching — or wealthy families to make
that possible. I like to think of it like I also have a ‗day job‘, and my day job is
publishing my own music. (2)
For young composers looking to make a living writing music, self-publishing is a favorable option to
consider.
This useful option for composers has actually been present for centuries. Steven Zohn, in his
article ―Telemann in the Marketplace: The Composer as Self-publisher,‖ discusses the state of music
publishing in Hamburg in the early 1700‘s. Famous baroque composer, Johann Philippe Telemann,
after many frustrations with the music publishing industry began to self-publish and process all his
own music. This proved to be very successful for him and for other contemporary composers who
followed his example. Zohn writes that ―[w]ith composers receiving little or no remuneration from
booksellers, it is understandable that some chose to act as their own publishers. Self-publication
seems to have been least common during periods when the music-publishing industry was
flourishing‖ (4). This is true even today, as published composers are receiving record-low royalties
from music publishing companies. The self-publishing route is a viable option for composers today,
just as it was in the 18th century for Telemann.
The need for new music to be written is decreasing and many musical mediums, particularly
the symphony orchestra, are very difficult for living composers to successfully write for. This is
mainly due to the wealth of quality music already available for performance that has been written
over the last four or five centuries by composers who are no longer alive. The Cleveland Orchestra,
for example, does not need to perform new music written by a living composer, whom it would have
to pay royalties to. Not to mention that an unknown, living composer would be far less likely to sell
tickets than Beethoven or Brahms.
However, many professional ensembles are creating programs dedicated to the performance
of new music. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has a concert series entitled ―MusicNow‖ in which
the orchestra performs five or six concerts each year that are entirely made up of new music by
current composers. It is programs like these that provide the best opportunities for young composers
to make their name known and get their music promoted by prestigious ensembles. Composers are
also turning to relatively new kinds of ensembles, such as the wind symphony or the brass quintet,
for support and to commission new works for young composers to write. The repertoire that such
ensembles have to draw from is far less extensive then the symphony orchestra and new music for
these ensembles is important to both the composer and the instrumentalists. Although the job market
for young composers of new music is not large, young composers who are willing to engage in the
business side of music can survive and find consistent work in the field. Composers must always be
looking for new ways to create unique music and make it appealing to a variety of audiences,
whether this includes self-publishing or being published by an already established music company.
30
For any of these career options, the most important thing is to apply the skills that you
possess to the current job market. While it is important to possess talent and cultivate your musical
abilities to the highest degree attainable, if your skills aren‘t marketable, they aren‘t useful; skills
must be applied to the job market in a way that is relevant to current needs and trends. Freelance
keyboardist James Gibson has worked as a full-time musician in Atlanta, Georgia, for more than
twelve years. His book, Playing For Pay, is a practical guide for musicians looking to make a start in
a freelance career or expand their influence. He created a system for developing your own marketing
strategy and expounds on this in his book. This system involves a three-step process in which the
musician takes inventory of his or her skills and practical abilities, then looks to see what jobs match
these personal and practical skills, and finally builds the contacts necessary to develop opportunities
in those particular areas. Gibson emphasizes the importance of creating one‘s own opportunities,
rather than waiting for the opportunities to come to you. He asserts that ―[n]o matter how good a
musician you are, you still have to create your own career, step by step, job by job. No one will be
standing by to tell you what to do next…. You create your career as you go, and you‘re always
searching for people who‘ll pay to hear you perform‖ (1). Because opportunities for paid
performance usually don‘t abound for classical musicians, they must learn to create their own.
Another very helpful guide for those looking to make a career out of music was written by
Shelly Field. Field is a career expert and author of over 45 books on various subjects relating to
practical careers. Her book, Career Opportunities in the Music Industry, was the first authoritative
exposition of all of the potential careers that exist for one seeking to work in the music industry.
Since the initial publication of this book in 1985, it has been revised twice to stay relevant with the
current job market. This book not only covers the job opportunities for classical instrumentalists and
composers but all jobs that are applicable to individuals who desire to work in the music business,
regardless of whether they are musicians or not. This is the most thorough and comprehensive guide
to the music industry available. Field lists every current job in the business along with their
respective salaries, prerequisites, duties, and employment prospects. Field continues to stress the
importance of making and capitalizing on contacts throughout her book. She advises, ―Use every
contact you have. Don‘t get hung up on the idea that you want to get a job by yourself. If you are
lucky enough to know someone who can help you obtain a job you want, take him or her up on it….
Ask for help. Find a mentor‖ (14). Field is realistic but optimistic in her view on the subject. There
are jobs available for everyone who has a desire to have a career in music.
One of the best ways to build contacts is by joining a professional organization. As a
composer, one of the most helpful organizations is the National Association of Composers/USA or
NACUSA. This organization publishes a journal with useful and current information for today‘s
composers. They also hold annual conferences and sponsor many composition competitions.
Membership is only $30 dollars and with membership comes access to a vast network of composers
and musicians that could help one get his or her name out and secure performances of pieces. By
joining an association it becomes far easier to build the contacts that are necessary for any successful
career in music.
Despite the fact that classical music has declined in popularity, the resourceful, flexible and
hard-working musician will be able to maintain a successful career. Julie Lee goes into detail on this
point in her article ―A Requiem for Classical Music.‖ Despite the lugubrious title, Lee still holds
hope for classical music. Though the market is tough and many musicians are struggling, there is not
only bad news to be found here. Though classical concertgoers aren‘t bountiful, the numbers have
been gradually increasing. Over the last 15 years, the number of people that attend orchestra concerts
has increased by 3 percent. This is in part due to the fact that orchestras and other music
organizations, realizing the decline in popularity of classical music, have greatly improved the way
that they market and promote their music. Lee states,
31
Both artists and business people need to think hard about who their future audience is
going to be and how to make classical music exiting and relevant to that audience.
Whether by delivering neglected repertory, or offering fresh interpretations of old
favorites to a small but dedicated audience, or by shedding antiquated conventions
and trying to expand into new territory, in the end, successful strategies will need to
make people care about the music. These experiments may mean the death of the
classical music business as we know it, but also may provide an opportunity for
rebirth and renewal (8).
Lee is honest in her article about what she sees as the downfall of classical music, but is equally
optimistic about the future possibilities of the profession. Willingness to accept unconventionality
and new ideas is crucial to the success of classical music in the future. Musicians that can adapt to
the changing times will be able to carry on a career without suffering unnecessarily from lack of
public interest.
A career in classical music can exist as both a wonderfully fulfilling pursuit and a practical
profession. For those that have a passion for music, playing or writing music professionally is a
dream come true. And this dream is attainable with passion, hard work and a little practical
knowledge of the business. One cannot simply be an artist; one must be an artist as well as an
entrepreneur. Although the classical music industry isn‘t considered one of the most lucrative
professions, it is still very possible to make a successful career in music. For many like me who have
a passion and a desire to make music, pursuing music as a profession is a promising and satisfying
way to make a living doing what one enjoys.
Works Cited
Aviles, Cesar. ―How To Make Money and Find Gigs.‖ Tipsforclassicalmusicians.com. Cesar Aviles,
22 Jun. 2012. Web. 7 Mar. 2012.
Cutler, David. The Savvy Musician: Building a Career, Earning a Living, and Making a Difference.
Pittsburgh: Helius Press, 2010. Print.
Cso.org. Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, 2013. Web. 16 April 2013.
Field, Shelly. Career Opportunities in the Music Industry. New York: Facts On File, 1995. Print.
Gibson, James. Playing For Pay: How To Be a Working Musician. Cincinnati: Writer‘s Digest
Books, 1990. Print.
Lee, Julie. ―A Requiem for Classical Music.‖ Regional Review. 13.2 (2003): 14. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 16 April 2013.
Mackey, John. ―Music Publishing.‖ Ostimusic.com. Osti Music, 26 July 2009. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.
Music-usa.org. National Association for Composers/USA, n.d. Web. 16 April 2013.
Reed, Marc and Andrew Trachsel. ―Why Band?‖ International Trumpet Guild Journal 36.1 (2011):
76-77. Print.
Seltzer, George. ―It‘s Supply and Demand Stupid!‖ Music Teachers National Association 51.3
(2001): 28. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 April 2013.
Zohn, Steven. ―Telemann in the Marketplace: The Composer as Self-publisher.‖ Journal of the
American Musicological Society 58.2 (Summer 2005): p275. Academic OneFile. Web. 7
Mar. 2013.
32
A Critique of William K. Clifford‘s ―The Ethics of Belief‖
by Tony Frontuto
(Philosophy 1100)
I
n 1877, an Oxford mathematician and philosopher by the name of William K. Clifford authored
an essay entitled, ―The Ethics of Belief,‖ in which he famously argued that ―it is wrong always,
everywhere, and for anyone to believe anything upon insufficient evidence‖ (139). His
contention, that we have a moral obligation to examine our beliefs and find sufficient cause for
holding them to be true, is supported by the story of a ship owner who, despite knowing his ship is
old and not well built at the start, sends it to sea on an emigrant voyage. The ship owner stifles
doubts that his ship is unseaworthy, even though it has been suggested to him that it is not. His ship
has made many voyages and weathered many storms; it had always come home in the past, and so he
believes, on faith alone, that it will do so again. When the ship sinks, killing everyone aboard,
Clifford holds the ship owner as responsible for those deaths. He charges that the ship owner‘s
sincere belief in the soundness of his ship is no defense, ―because [the ship owner] had no right to
believe on such evidence as was before him‖ (Clifford 135).
Clifford further contends that, even if the ship owner had believed correctly, and that his ship
had made the voyage safely, that his decision to send it to sea in the first place would still have been
immoral, seeing as how it was grounded in a flawed epistemological judgment. Clifford states that
―the question of right or wrong has to do with the origin of [the ship owner‘s] belief, not the matter of
it; not what it was, but how he got it; not whether it turned out to be true or false, but whether he had
a right to believe on such evidence as was before him‖ (136). Clifford therefore takes the position
that it is unethical to accept as true any belief which has not been objectively verified, and in doing
so he directly contradicts his own epistemological and moral arguments. The central tenet of
Clifford‘s philosophy, ―that it is wrong always, everywhere, and for everyone, to believe anything
upon insufficient evidence‖ (139), is itself reducible to mere belief, and as such it cannot be
objectively verified. Thus, it remains at the level of the subjective, which means, in epistemological
terms, his position holds the potential to devolve into subjectivism. Clifford provides no evidence to
support the truth of his position, yet he expects us to believe it, and beyond, to structure our entire
existence around it.
Clifford‘s essay is intended to be an epistemological and moral rejection of subjectivism, a
philosophical concept which holds that knowledge, and therefore truth, is limited to self-experience.
Subjectivism supposes that truth can be found within oneself, through one‘s own experiences, such
as when a religious person sincerely believes to have discovered a divine truth through prayer,
meditation, reasoning, or some other means internal to oneself. Clifford instead argues in favor of
objectivism, a philosophical concept which holds that truth can be gained only through objective
verification, such as a mathematical proof. Clifford argues strongly in favor of objectivist ethics,
going so far as to say that anything less is immoral, and yet he grounds his entire argument in favor
of those ethics upon a subjective claim.
How, then, can we trust it? How can Clifford expect us to lead our lives in adherence to his
precepts? Would we not be immoral to accept his beliefs as true, given that Clifford has not provided
us with any necessary or sufficient proof of their verity? Is Clifford himself not acting immorally by
claiming the truth of his positions when they are not objectively verifiable? Clifford‘s failure to
reconcile these contradictions causes his entire argument to come unraveled, because if we are to
follow the ethical standards that Clifford demands of us, then we must immediately reject their
33
foundation. If we did not, according to Clifford‘s own philosophy, we would be acting immorally,
just like the ship owner in his story.
William K. Clifford‘s ―The Ethics of Belief‖ ultimately fails to convince the astute reader of
the verity of its claims that subjectivist ethics (those based upon the idea that truth is limited to selfexperience) are immoral. While it advocates strongly in favor of objectivist ethics (those based upon
the idea that truth can only be learned through objective verification), the fact that the very basis of
the argument is rooted in a subjective claim – that it is wrong for anyone to believe anything upon
insufficient evidence – causes the argument to at once become completely unraveled. We cannot
therefore embrace Clifford‘s position without immediately throwing out his premise, lest we become
immoral by not doing so.
Works Cited
Clifford, William K. ―The Ethics of Belief.‖ Philosophy: The Quest for Truth. Ed. Louis Pojman
and Lewis Vaughn. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. 134-138. Print.
34
Evaluation of the effects of composition on thermophysical properties of non-stoichiometric uranium
dioxide by classical molecular dynamics simulations
Nuclear Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
by Erna Gevondyan
(Physics)
Abstract
hermophysical properties such as thermal expansion, heat capacity, oxygen diffusion, and
thermal conductivity of uranium dioxide at different stoichiometry compositions were
evaluated in the temperature range of 300 – 3000 K by molecular dynamics simulation, using
Arima‘s potential. The negative effect of oxygen non-stoichiometry in uranium dioxide UO2±x on the
thermal expansion and the heat capacity has been discussed. The calculated oxygen diffusion
coefficient demonstrates more favorable results in terms of defective structures when compared to
perfect lattice structures. The negative effect of the increase in temperature and the change in
composition on thermal conductivity of uranium dioxide agrees with the previous observations.
T
1. Introduction
The study of nuclear fuels has played an important role in the energy resources research. In
particular, a lot of research has been conducted on the thermophysical properties of uranium dioxide
(UO2) in the past. [1] [2] A profound understanding of these properties is needed in order to
correctly assess certain aspects in the development and maintenance of nuclear reactor systems, as
well as the effective utilization of the material. Many properties of nuclear materials have been
evaluated through experimental studies, however there are often limitations associated with effective
conduction of these experiments. Such limitations may include rules and regulations, equipment
limitation, overall safety in terms of radiation, and so on. Therefore, computational techniques have
proven to be an effective tool in the prediction and evaluation of certain properties of nuclear
materials at extreme conditions. [1] [2] The objective of this study is to assess the effects of nonstoichiometry and temperature on the thermophysical properties of uranium dioxide by performing
equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations (EMD).
2. Computational setup
2.1. Molecular dynamics simulation
The thermophysical properties studied in this paper were calculated and evaluated using the
LAMMPS Molecular Dynamics Simulator software. [3] The fluorite structured cells of uranium
dioxide (face centered cubic (FCC) lattice of uranium, and simple cubic lattice of oxygen) were
constructed using a Python™ script. Each stoichiometric conventional unit cell contains four U 4+ and
eight O2- lattice ions. The construction consists of creating uranium and oxygen ions, and placing
them into their lattice and interstitial sites. The atomic positions establish the initial condition of the
simulation cell. The assembly created for the calculation of thermophysical properties consisted of a
6×6×6 construction of fluorite unit cells (864 cations and 1728 anions), and a 5×5×5 assembly for the
calculation of thermal conductivity (500 cations and 1000 anions). The data was then extracted and
implemented into a LAMMPS input file. The input file accepts potential parameter values into a
preset function (―born-coul-long‖, in this case), and uses them along with the implemented data of
35
the created block of unit cells, in order to run the simulation. The MD simulations results were
evaluated based on a 100 ps. evaluation, and a 50 ps. equilibration time. The temperature range for
the thermophysical properties was 300K to 3000K, using an NPT ensemble, and 300K to 2000K for
thermal conductivity, using the NVE ensemble.
2.2. Non-stoichiometry
The defect structure of hyper-stoichiometric uranium dioxide has been studied in detail by
Willis. [4] In the present study, different compositions of UO2±x were analyzed, where the values of
x ranged from -0.04 to 0.10, which meant extraction of oxygen ions from their lattice sites (hypostoichiometry), or addition of oxygen ions into interstitial sites (hyper-stoichiometry). The interstitial
sites for additional oxygen ions follow octahedral symmetry. The chosen algorithm for the
arrangement of ions in the defective cells involved a random sampling module in Python. Since the
extraction or the addition of the oxygen ions, causes a misbalance of charge in the simulation cell, the
charge of some uranium atoms was changed to ensure neutrality. In the case of hypo-stoichiometry,
where the extraction of oxygen ions created excess positive charge, some of the U4+ ions were
randomly replaced with U3+ ions. On the other hand, in the case of hyper-stoichiometry, excess
negative charge created by the added interstitial oxygen ions was compensated by a random
replacement of U4+ ions with U5+ ions. In both cases, the ratio of replaced uranium to added/extracted
oxygen is 2:1.
2.3. Potential parameters
The interatomic potential parameters for U4+, U5+, and O2- atoms used for this simulation
were extracted from the literature by Arima et al. [1] The parameters used for the U3+ ion were
obtained from the literature by Nichenko et al. [2] These parameters were then utilized by the
simulation software in the order of the following equation:
(1)
Equation (1) portrays a classical BMH type potential with a partially ionic model of 67.5%
iconicity. [1] Therefore, zi and zj are the effective ionic charges of ions i and j respectively (e.g. the
effective charge of U4+ becomes +4 × .675 = +2.7); r is the distance between the ions i and j; f0 is the
adjustable force parameter; a, b, and c are potential parameters given to ions i and j. The author‘s
choice to use 67.5% ionicity was influenced by a study done by Inaba et al. [5]
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Lattice parameters and linear thermal expansion of uranium dioxide
The lattice constant of stoichiometric uranium dioxide was calculated and evaluated as a
function of temperature. Considering the geometry of the fluorite structure, the easiest way to
compute the lattice constant at each temperature was to take the cube root of the average volume of
the entire simulation cell at a certain temperature, and divide it by 6 (i.e. 6×6×6 cell). The results
obtained by calculating the stoichiometric composition of UO2 closely matched the experimental
data, [6] and are depicted in Fig.1 (a). A similar method was then used in order to calculate the lattice
constants of non-stoichiometric compositions of uranium dioxide. When the results were compared
to each other, a general pattern of similarity in the growth of the lattice constant was observed in each
composition. These results also confirmed a previously made observation by Yakub et al., [7] which
stated that the lattice parameter of hyper-stoichiometric UO2+x generally decreases with the addition
of interstitial oxygen ions (increase the value of x) at a given temperature. This observation held
36
consistent with the one made in this work for the temperature range of 300K < T < 1600K. However,
at T > 1600K, a slight increase in the lattice parameter is observed (Fig.1 (b)).
Fig. 1 (a). Lattice constant of stoichiometric UO2
as a function of temperature
Fig. 1 (b). Lattice constant at several different
temperatures as a function of composition
Once all of the lattice parameter data was retrieved and plotted against temperature, a thirdorder polynomial was then fitted to each curve. The choice of the order of the polynomials was
influenced by the work of Martin et al. [8] The interpolation function used to represent the lattice
constant change with respect to temperature had the general form of:
,
(2)
where L is the lattice constant at T, and a, b, c, and d are the coefficients of T at each non-
Fig. 2 (a). Linear thermal expansion of different
compositions of non-stoichiometric UO2±x as a
function of temperature
Fig. 2 (b). Linear thermal expansion at different
temperatures of UO2±x as a function of
composition
stoichiometric composition. The corresponding instantaneous linear thermal expansion, defined as
(1/L300)(L/T) can then be readily evaluated from eq. (2) for each composition of UO2±x. Figures 2
(a) and (b) depict the values of thermal expansion obtained from these calculations as functions of
temperature and composition respectively. The results demonstrate a pattern of increase of the lattice
37
parameters with the increase of temperature, and their decrease with the increase in composition of
oxygen, which agrees with Yakub‘s observation.
3.2. Enthalpy and heat capacity of uranium dioxide
As mentioned in the introduction, the enthalpy of the system in this MD simulation was
calculated using the NPT ensemble, which means that the pressure was kept constant. Average
enthalpy values for each temperature run of the stoichiometric uranium dioxide were extracted and
plotted against temperature. The data values in this plot closely matched those described by Fink et
al., [9] which is considered a good synthesis of data from literature. A similar method was then used
in order to calculate the average enthalpy.
Fig. 3. Enthalpy of the simulated system of
different compositions of UO2±x as a function of temperature of the non-stoichiometric
compositions, although the enthalpy had to be normalized by multiples of (3 + x)/3 and (3 – x)/3 for
hyper- and hypo-stoichiometric compositions respectively.
Fig. 3 depicts the enthalpy of several compositions of UO2±x as a function of temperature.
Similarly to the results for the lattice constant calculation, the enthalpy values for each composition
have a common general trend of growth with the increase of temperature. In the temperature range of
300 < T < 1000 the enthalpy function for each composition represents rather a linear function,
however at T > 1000, it acquires a more exponential behavior.
Fig. 4 (a). Heat capacity of different nonstoichiometric compositions of UO2±x as a
function of temperature
Fig. 4 (b). Heat capacity at different temperatures
of UO2±x as a function of composition
38
Fig. 5. Mean square displacement of the oxygen
and uranium ions in the stoichiometric UO2 structurein agreement with Fink‘s.
The choice of the NPT ensemble was partially influenced by the simplicity of the calculation
of the instantaneous heat capacity with the change of temperature of every composition of UO2±x. In
order to do this, a second order polynomial was fitted to each enthalpy function curve for every
composition. The polynomials had a general form of:
H(T) = a + bT + cT2,
(3)
where H(T) is the average enthalpy value at a given temperature, and a, b, and c are the coefficients
of T at each non-stoichiometric composition. The heat capacity at constant pressure, Cp, as a
temperature derivative of enthalpy (H(T)/T) can be readily calculated using eq. (3). The values of
Cp were then plotted against temperature. Fig. 4(a) demonstrates a general increasing pattern of the
heat capacity with the increase in temperature. However, it is also obvious that the stoichiometric
structure holds the highest heat capacity at any temperature, in comparison with both hypo- and
hyper-stoichiometric structures. In order to better illustrate this behavior, the values of heat capacity
at several different temperatures were plotted against composition. Fig. 4 (b) clearly illustrates the
predominance of the perfect composition at any temperature in terms of heat capacity.
3.3. Oxygen Diffusion in uranium dioxide
The method for calculation of diffusion of oxygen was adopted from the work of Basak et al.,
[10] who began by calculating the mean square displacement (MSD) of oxygen and uranium ions.
Following Basak‘s method, the calculations were first performed for the stoichiometric composition
of uranium dioxide.
39
Fig. 6 (a). Diffusion coefficient of oxygen of
different non-stoichiometric compositions of
UO2±x as a function of temperature
Fig. 6 (b). Diffusion coefficient of oxygen at 2000K
as a function of composition
In this simulation, MSD values at each time step were extracted directly from the calculation
performed by LAMMPS. MSD was plotted against time for each temperature run. These plots
showed that the Bredig [11] transition began in the range of 2500 – 2800K. Our results slightly
disagree with Basak‘s, who reported a 2300 – 2700K range. This can be explained by the fact that,
unlike this work, Basak used a 3×3×3 simulation cell, which means a larger surface/core ion ratio
than that of this work. However, the general trends in the behavior agreed otherwise, as demonstrated
in Fig. 5. The diffusion coefficients were then calculated by using the Einstein relation:
,
(4)
where Di is the diffusivity of the ion i, and r is the location of i at the time t.
Subsequently, the calculation of oxygen diffusivity of the different non-stoichiometric
uranium dioxide compositions was performed following the same principle. The calculated values
were once again extracted from the software and evaluated using the Einstein relation to determine
the diffusion coefficients of each composition at different temperatures.
Fig. 6 (a) shows a plot of the diffusion coefficient of oxygen ions at different compositions as a
function of temperature. The diagram clearly demonstrates that the defect compositions of uranium
dioxide have a higher rate of oxygen diffusion within a significantly lower temperature range. For
example, the diffusion coefficients of oxygen in a hyper-stoichiometric composition UO2.1 are 1.24 ×
10-3 and 4.03 × 10-3 at 1600K and 2000K respectively, which is roughly a difference of a multiple of
3. In order to emphasize this behavior, the diffusion of oxygen was plotted as a function of
composition in Fig. 6 (b). This finding agrees with our hypothesis, which states that defects in the
composition actually mitigate diffusion at a lower temperature, which means a lower cost of
activation energy. As we can see, the oxygen is easily diffusible through the vacancies formed in the
hypo-stoichiometric structures. By comparison, the effect of the composition with interstitial oxygen
ions is slightly weaker; however it still maintains a favorable rate, as opposed to the stoichiometric
structure.
In order to confirm the validity of these results, the natural log of the diffusion coefficients at
each composition was plotted against the inverse of temperature.
40
Fig. 7 (a). Sample plot of the natural log of the
diffusion coefficient of hypo-stoichiometric
UO1.97 as a function of the inverse of
temperature
Fig. 7 (b). The temperature ranges at which the
displayed compositions of non-stoichiometric
UO2±x demonstrate Arrhenius behavior within
the constraints of the areas of stability of the FCC
structure according to the phase diagram [12]
Fig. 8 (a). Thermal conductivity of different nonstoichiometric compositions of UO2±x as a
function of temperature
Fig. 8 (b). Thermal conductivity at 1000K as a
function of composition
Hypothetically, such plots are assumed to determine the Arrhenius behavior of the temperaturediffusion correlation. Fig. 7 (a) demonstrates a sample plot of ln(D) as a function of 1/T of hypostoichiometric UO1.97. It is obvious from this plot that Arrhenius behavior is only observed within
high temperatures. The temperature ranges at which the plots of different compositions demonstrated
a linear decay were then compared with the phase diagram of UO2±x. [12] The U-O phase diagram
depicts the temperatures and compositions at which uranium dioxide maintains its FCC structure.
The results obtained from the calculations performed in this work consistently contoured the
constraints of the FCC structure phase, as described by the diagram (Fig. 7 (b)).
3.4. Thermal conductivity of uranium dioxide
In the present work, the Green-Kubo [13] approach was applied for the investigation of the
effects of change in composition on thermal conductivity of uranium dioxide. This method was
adopted from Nichenko‘s [2] evaluation of thermal conductivity through an equilibrium molecular
dynamics simulation. This approach assumes that the thermal conductivity can be calculated as a
41
time function of the auto- correlation of the energy current, as shown in the following equation:



1

dt
J
(
t
)

J
(0)
2
3k BT V 0
(5)
The values of the energy current, J(t) and J(0), were extracted directly from a calculation performed
in LAMMPS. Then, in order to calculate the integral, the trapezoidal rule approximation was used.
The calculated values were investigated as functions of temperature and composition. Fig. 8 (a)
shows the calculated thermal conductivity plotted against temperature, at several different
compositions. This plot clearly demonstrates that the increase in the temperature along with the
change in composition have a negative effect on thermal conductivity of uranium dioxide at different
compositions. The values obtained from the present calculation closely follow those described in
Nichenko‘s work. In order to emphasize this effect, thermal conductivity of uranium dioxide at
1000K was plotted as a function of composition. To reiterate the previous results, Fig. 8 (b)
demonstrates the behavior of thermal conductivity, which agrees with our hypothesis and the
previous studies of the effect of composition change on thermal conductivity.
4. Conclusions
For uranium dioxide at its stable fluorite structure, molecular dynamics simulations were
performed in order to evaluate the thermal expansion, heat capacity, diffusivity, and thermal
conductivity in terms of temperature and the non-stoichiometry of oxygen. The calculations of
thermal expansion in terms of the lattice constants show that the lattice constants generally increase
with the increase in temperature for any composition, but when different compositions are evaluated
at the same temperature, a decrease in the lattice constant caused by the increase in the nonstoichiometric oxygen parameter (x) is observed. The observation of the effect of temperature
increase on the heat capacity of uranium dioxide demonstrated an increasing pattern with the increase
in temperature, regardless of composition. However, when the behavior of different compositions
was examined at a fixed temperature, a negative effect on the heat capacity was observed which can
be attributed to the change in composition (for both hypo- and hyper-stoichiometric cases). In
contrast with the conclusions regarding the analysis of the previous two properties, a rather favorable
effect of the change in composition on the diffusion of oxygen was observed. Namely, the selfdiffusion of oxygen occurs at a much lower temperature in the defective structures (both hypo- and
hyper-stoichiometric) than it does in the perfect one. The calculations demonstrated that oxygen
diffusivity exhibits an Arrhenius behavior in the stability region of the fluorite phase. The
calculations also show the effect of temperature increase and the variation in composition on thermal
conductivity of the fuel, where both demonstrated a negative effect on the thermal conductivity of the
fuel.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office
of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) under the Science Undergraduate
Laboratory Internships Program (SULI). The author would like to thank Dr. Marius Stan and Dr.
Zhi-Gang Mei for their invaluable help and advice throughout the process. The author is also
indebted to the mentorship and support of College of DuPage faculty and staff members.
42
References
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T. Arima, S. Yamasaki, Y. Inagaki and K. Idemitsu, "Evaluation of thermal properties of UO2
and PuO2 by equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations from 300 to 2000K," Journal of
Alloys and Compounds, vol. 400, no. 1-2, pp. 43-50, September 2005.
S. Nichenko and S. Dragos, "Molecular Dynamics study of the effects of non-stoichiometry
and oxygen Frenkel pairs on the thermal conductivity of uranium dioxide," Journal of Nuclear
Materials, vol. 433, no. 1-3, pp. 297-304, February 2013.
S. Plimpton, A. Thompson and P. Crozier, "Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively parallel
Simulator," Sandia National Laboratory, 2013.
B. Willis, Acta Cryst., vol. 34, pp. 88-90, 1997.
H. Inaba, R. Sagawa, H. Hayashi and K. Kawamura, "Molecular dynamics simulation of
gadolinia-doped ceria," Solid State Ionics, vol. 122, no. 1-4, pp. 95-103, July 1999.
T. Yamashita, N. Nitani, T. Tsuji and H. Inagaki, "Thermal expansions of NpO2 and some
other actinide dioxides," Journal of Nuclear Materials, vol. 245, no. 1, pp. 72-78, May 1997.
E. Yakub, C. Ronchi and D. Staicu, "Computer simulation of defects formation and
equilibrium in non-stoichiometric uranium dioxide," Journal of Nuclear Materials, vol. 389,
no. 1, pp. 119-126, 15 May 2009.
D. Martin, "The thermal expansion of solid UO2 and (U, Pu) mixed oxides — a review and
recommendations," Journal of Nuclear Materials, vol. 152, no. 2-3, pp. 94-101, May 1988.
J. Fink, "Thermophysical properties of uranium dioxide," Journal of Nuclear Materials, vol.
279, no. 1, pp. 1-18, March 2000.
C. Basak, A. Sengupta and H. Kamath, "Classical molecular dynamics simulation of UO2 to
predict thermophysical properties," Journal of Alloys and Compounds, vol. 360, no. 1-2, pp.
210-216, 6 October 2003.
M. Bredig, in Colloq. Int. C. N. R. S., 1971.
E. Moore, C. Geuneau and J. Crocombette, "Diffusion model of the non-stoichiometric
uranium dioxide," Journal of Solid State Chemistry, vol. 203, pp. 145-153, July 2013.
M. Green, "Markoff Random Processes and the Statistical Mechanics of Time‐Dependent
Phenomena. II. Irreversible Processes in Fluids," Journal of Chemical Physics, vol. 22, no. 3,
p. 398, March 1954.
43
Skeleton found in a Rhode Island cave, Possibility of Lyme Disease
by Tooba Ghafoor
(Honors Biology 1152)
A
skeleton of a member of the Wampanoag tribe was recently found in a cave near the eastern
shore of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Examination of the skeleton revealed the
individual was most likely a male in his late 40s. Six Amblyomma americanum and nine
Xodes scapalaris ticks were found in the fur cloth of the individual. These ticks, as well as
abnormalities of the skeleton, including a missing arm and broken rib, raise the possibility of the
individual suffering and dying from Lyme disease. Carbon-14 dated the remains and ticks to the year
1600.
INTRODUCTION
A skeleton belonging to a member of the Wampanoag tribe was recently found in a cave near
the shores of Rhode Island. The Wampanoag were a Native American tribe that inhabited the area
from Narragansett Bay to Cape Cod in the northeastern United States until the arrival of Europeans
in the mid-1500s lead to the decline of the tribe (DeKeyser 2005). By 1677 the population had
dwindled down from over 12,000 to less than 400 members of the tribe due to disease and warring
with the Europeans (Dulik et al., 2012; Cray 2009).
Diseases affecting the Wampanoag are of interest in this study, particularly tick-borne
illnesses, since the deer tick, Ixodes scapalaris, and the Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma americanum,
were found on the fur cloth of the human. I. scapalaris is a known carrier for the Lyme disease
spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (Esposito et al. 2013). Amblyomma americanum is known to carry
Rickettsia rickettsii, which can cause Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF), and Ehrlichia
chaffeensis, which causes Human monocytic ehrlichiosis (Goodard and Varela-Stokes 2009).
Lyme disease is a multi-systematic tick-borne illness. Its early symptoms include the ―bullseye‖ rash erythema migrans, as well as flu-like symptoms including fever and lymph node swelling.
Later symptoms are more severe, such as neurological problems, including aseptic meningitis and
facial palsy, long-term joint pain and skin rash, as well as cognitive problems (Jensenius et al. 2006).
RMSF is more common in children than adults, and initial symptoms include fever, nausea, and rash
(Buckingham et al. 2007). Later symptoms are more severe, such as vasculitis, an inflammation of
the blood vessels, cardiac arrhymthia, confusion, coma, and others. Death can occur in as early as
eight days if left untreated (Weinberg 2007). Lyme disease appears to have been present in North
America many thousands of years before European settlement, having originated and radiated from
the northeast United States (Hoen et al. 2009). The Wampanoag were at more risk for exposure to
the Lyme disease and RMSF spirochete due to the abundance of animals, such as white-tailed deer,
that are host to the deer tick and lone star tick (Esposito et al. 2013).
In this study, the skeleton and ticks were analyzed to determine the health of the individual,
as well as the age, gender, and possible cause of death of the human whose remains were found.
METHODS
The skeleton was examined and measured to determine age, gender, and possible health
conditions. The age was determined by examining the ossification of the bones, particularly in the
skull and clavicle. For the gender, two measurements were taken: the pelvic ratio and the subpubic
angle. The overall health of the individual was evident through the skeleton by examining the joints
44
for lesions or arthritis, and any broken bones. Ten samples from the human remains, lone star ticks,
and deer ticks were used in carbon-14 dating to determine the age of the material, and two-tailed ttests were used to test for differences in ages between the human remains and tick samples.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The individual‘s clavicle was fused completely at the center of his chest, which happens
between the ages of twenty-four and thirty years old, and the cranial sutures were almost fully closed
up. The ossification of the clavicle indicates that the individual was an definitely at least in his midtwenties, and the closed cranial sutures indicate the individual was most likely in his late 40s, due to
the fact that this fusing of the skull does not happen until middle age (Libal 2006). The pubic angle
was measured to be 60°, and the pubic ratio was 0.8, which indicates the remains were that of a male.
All of the teeth were present and whole. The individual had one broken rib and was missing an arm.
From the carbon-14 dating, the skeletal remains and ticks were found to be 413 years old, so
the individual lived to about the year 1600. The age of the skeletal remains did not vary from those
of the ticks (Table 1).
The missing arm, broken rib and slight erosion of the pelvic bone could have happened postmortem. The erosion of the pelvic bone could be due to rheumatoid arthritis or a similar condition.
The presence of the ticks does not rule out that the human suffered, and perhaps died from, a
tick borne disease. The complaints of the people of that time include rashes, shooting pain, fever,
joint aches, and malaise. These symptoms can be attributed to many diseases, but are also symptoms
of Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Modern medicine involves using antibiotics to
treat these diseases, but if they are left untreated they can be fatal (Weinberg 2007).
LITERATURE CITED
Cray, R. 2009. Weltering in their own blood: Puritan casualties in King Phillip‘s war. Historical
Journal of Massachusetts 37: 106-123.
Buckingham, S., G. Marshall, G. Shutze, C. Woods, M. Jackson, L. Patterson, and R. Jacobs. 2007.
Clinical and laboratory features, hospital Course, and outcome of Rocky Mountain Spotted
Fever in children. The Journal of Pediatrics 150: 180-184.
DeKeyser, S. 2005. The Wampanoag. Scholastic, New York, NY.
Dulik, M., G. Elias, J. Gaieski , G. Jennings , M. Markley, and T. G. Schurr. 2010. Genetic heritage
and native identity of the Seaconke Wampanoag tribe of Massachusetts. American Journal of
Physical Anthropology 142: 579-589.
Esposito, S., S. Bosis, C. Sabatini, L. Tagliaferri, and N. Principi. 2013. Borrelia burgdorferi
infection and Lyme disease in children. International Journal of Infectious Diseases 17: 153158.
Goodard, J., A.S. Varela-Stokes. 2009. Role of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.), in
human and animal diseases. Veterinary Parasitology 160: 1-12.
Hoen, A., G. Margos, S. J. Benta, M. A. Diuk-Wassera, A. Barbour, K. Kurtenbach, and D. Fish.
2009. Phylogeography of Borrelia burgdorferi in the eastern United States reflects multiple
independent Lyme disease emergence events. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences of the United States of America 106: 15013-15018.
45
Jensenius M., P. Parolab, and D. Raoult. 2006. Threats to international travelers posed by tick-borne
diseases. Travel Medicine and Infectious Diseases 4: 4-13.
Libal, A. 2006. Forensic Anthropology. Harding House, Philadelphia, MA.
Weinberg, G. 2007. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Pediatric Clinical Advisor 2: 502-503.
46
Table 1. Summary (mean + standard deviation, all n=10) of carbon-14 samples taken from skeletal
remains and ticks. Provided are two-tailed t-statistics and probability from comparisons to the
skeletal remains.
______________________________________________________________________________
Remain type
x + SE(all n = 10)
t
P
______________________________________________________________________________
Skeleton
413.2 + 2.5
Dear Tick
413.0 + 3.4
0.047
0.963
Lone Star Tick
412.4 + 2.9
0.209
0.837
______________________________________________________________________________
47
Testing for Relationships between Size Variables of Select Organisms
by Ruth Groza
(Honors Biology 1151)
ABSTRACT
his study used mathematical scaling to determine if universal allometric relationships exist
among organisms. Size variables in various species of hardwood trees, an individual Bur Oak
tree (Quercus macrocarpa), North American pine trees, diurnal North American raptors, and
the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) were investigated for allometric significance. Statistically
significant findings indicated the presence of universal scaling principles. Biomechanical constraints
may serve to regulate those universal principles.
T
INTRODUCTION
Knowledge of the relationships between size variables in organisms is significant to
biologists for it can provide a greater understanding of underlying laws governing the diversification
of life (Agrawal 2004). An organism‘s size is a primary factor in determining how its biological
structures and processes covary with each other (Price et al. 2007). Scaling relationships are of
particular relevance within an evolutionary framework, as they may aid in the prediction of
evolutionary trends and in determining how selection influences specific traits (Agrawal 2004, Price
et al. 2007). Unless they scale isometrically, an allometric relationship will occur between an
organism‘s morphological and physiological traits (Marroig 2007). Thus, revealing mechanisms that
influence allometric variation is integral to the study of biological scaling (Shingleton 2010).
In order to identify underlying mechanisms of allometric scaling, relationships between size
variables in relevant organisms must first be established. Mathematical scaling may be utilized in
determining if an allometric relationship exists between a given trait and an organism‘s mass or
height (Price et al. 2007). In this study the relationship between size variables of varying species of
hardwood tree, an individual Bur Oak, North American pine trees, diurnal North American raptors,
and the domestic dog are examined for allometric significance. The objective is to investigate the
universal nature of allometric relationships among life forms.
METHODS
Stem basal diameter and weight were measured for comparison in selected species of
hardwood trees and in an individual Bur Oak. All trees were located on the College of DuPage
campus in Illinois. Stems from fourteen species of hardwood trees were oven dried at 70° C and
measured for basal diameter and weight. Fourteen stems of varying sizes from a single Bur Oak tree
were measured similarly. Morphological data comparing the maximum heights and basal diameters
of North American trees in the genus Pinus were obtained from Little (1980).
Morphological data comparing the wingspans and weights of diurnal North American raptors
were obtained from Sibley (2000). Shoulder height and weight were measured from a random sample
of fourteen domestic dogs. Only adult dogs were selected for comparison.
Linear regression was used to test for significant relationships between the pairs of
morphological characteristics selected for analysis.
48
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In the combined comparisons of selected morphological characteristics all regression
coefficients were significant (p<0.05) (Table 1). Thus, there is evidence that biological scaling is
occurring in diverse species of animals and plants. Although further study is needed, this finding is
important because it indicates that universal underlying allometric scaling principals are governing
life forms.
Several constraining factors play a fundamental role in regulating these allometric
relationships. Maintenance of biomechanical integrity is one such factor. If an organism is to survive,
increases in body mass must correspond to viable changes in underlying skeletal structure (Sorkin
2008). The allometric scaling of trees is limited by the hydrodynamic demands of their vascular
systems and by factors associated with maintenance of vertical growth (Enquist 2003). In the case of
raptors, skeletal structure, wingspan and body mass must scale in a way that does not inhibit flight
(Sato et al. 2009). Canine weight and limb length must scale in a way that does not inhibit
locomotion or produce undue stress upon limb bones (Doube et al. 2009). Thus, animal and plant
morphology is functionally dependent upon allometric scaling principles. Further study could
determine how scaling principles influence the evolution of morphological characteristics.
LITERATURE CITED
Agrawal, A.A. 2004. The metabolic theory of ecology. Ecology 85: 1790-1791.
Coomes, D.A. and R. B. Allen. 2009. Testing the metabolic scaling theory of tree growth. Journal of
Ecology 97:1369-1373.
Doube, M., C.A.Wiktorowicz, P. Christiansen, J.R. Hutchinson, and S. Shefelbine. 2009. Threedimensional geometric analysis of felid limb bone allometry. PLoS ONE 4:4742-4752.
Enquist, B.J. 2003. Cope‘s Rule and the evolution of long-distance transport in vascular plants:
allometric scaling, biomass partitioning, and optimization. Plant, Cell and Environment 26:
151-161.
Little, E. L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees. Alfred A. Knopf Inc,
New York, NY, USA.
Marroig, G. 2007. When size makes a difference: allometry, life-history and morphological evolution
of caphuchins (Cebus) and squirrels (Saimiri) monkeys (Cebinae, Platyrrhini).
Evolutionary Biology 7:20-46.
Price, C. A., B.J. Enquist, and V.M. Savage. 2007. A general model in botanical form for allometric
covariation and function. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United
States of America 104: 13204-13209.
Sato, K., K.Q. Sakamoto, Y. Watanuki, A. Takahashi, N. Katsumata, C. Bost, and H. Weimerskirch.
2009. Scaling of soaring seabirds and implications for flight abilities of giant pterosaurs.
PLoS ONE 4:5400-5406.
Shingleton, A. 2010. Allometry: The study of biological scaling. Nature Education Knowledge 3:2.
Sibley, D. A. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Chantileer Press, Inc, New York, NY, USA.
Sorkin, B. 2008. A biomechanical constraint on body mass in terrestrial mammalian predators.
Lethaia 41:333-347.
Stegen, J.C., B.J. Enquist, and Regis Ferriere. 2009. Advancing the metabolic theory of biodiversity.
Ecology Letters 12:1001-1015.
49
Table 1. Regression equations, coefficients of regression statistics, and significance between selected morphological parameters among
plants and animals.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Description of organism(s)
Regression equation
Regression
Significance
coefficient
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bur oak
Stem weight (g) = -0.8676 + 0.8188(Basal diameter(mm))
0.52
P < 0.05
Varying species of hardwood trees
Stem weight (g) = -0.9144 + 0.8376(Basal diameter(mm))
0.55
P < 0.05
Height (m) = 11.725 + 16.626(Basal diameter(m)
0.41
P < 0.05
Shoulder height (cm) = 19.956 + 1.212(Weight (kg))
0.86
P < 0.05
0.79
P < 0.05
Pine trees
Domestic dog
Diurnal North American raptors
Wingspan (cm) = 92.731 + 0.0208(Weight(g))
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
50
Energy Costs and the Consumer
by Ian Haseltine
(Honors Chemistry 1551)
T
here are many factors to consider when analyzing energy consumption. In terms of cost, the
factors may be quantified both in terms of monetary costs and environmental costs. These
overall costs can be measured by the consumption of the individual, a region, an industry, a
nation, and the entire planet. It is also clear that these costs are related. They may not be directly
proportional to one-another, but they unequivocally impact each other and also influence energy
consumption. However, it may be argued that monetary costs of energy usage have a greater impact
upon energy consumption than the environmental costs. Whether the consumer of energy is the
individual, region or industry, their willingness to use energy in large quantities will decrease as the
monetary cost of energy increases. Thus, the most effective approach to lowering the environmental
costs of energy consumption may be through manipulation of the monetary costs of energy, but the
consequences of energy cost manipulation must be weighed against the immediate economic affects
of such tactics.
Ultimately, the environmental costs associated with energy usage are a global problem that
impacts the world today, and will surely affect the health of the planet and all of its inhabitants in the
future. These environmental costs are the result of pollution in forms of air pollution due to carbon
dioxide output from burning fossil fuels, water contamination from the retrieval and transportation of
fossil fuels, and a global depletion of resources because traditional sources of energy are not
renewable. According to Jennifer Weeks, author of article ―Energy Policy: Should the U.S. Use More
Clean-Energy Sources?‖, ―[American] Democrats say a failure to pursue alternative energy sources
will heighten global damage from climate change, make the nation increasingly beholden to unstable
foreign oil producers and hurt the economy‖ (Weeks). Undeniably, clean renewable energy is the
desirable, and arguably necessary, energy alternative to the use of fossil fuels. However, there are
political and philosophical differences that may be impeding the development of renewable sources
of energy in the U.S.
Today, renewable energy may not be promising enough to fully replace fossil fuels, but
instead should be the focus of research and development for governments and industries.
Furthermore, ―renewable and other new technologies, which together supply only about 8 percent of
the nation's energy demand, can't begin to substitute for oil and coal in handling the nation's energy
needs‖ (Weeks). Incentive appears to be the largest obstacle preventing the development of clean
alternative energies.
If today‘s energy sources are affordable and the environmental impacts do not seem large
enough to force consumers to make a change, will there be enough incentive to quickly develop clean
energy? Bracken Hendricks, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, claims,
―Renewable energy projects often are seen as more risky ventures, so they have higher costs. Also,
fossil fuels don't pay for the environmental harms they cause. We underestimate risk and
overestimate benefits of fossil fuels, and do the opposite for renewables‖ (Weeks). Ultimately, it is
Hendricks‘ claim that supports the philosophical perspective of the common consumer who would
prefer to pay less today for the fuel they consume, rather than pay more to develop a cleaner fuel for
tomorrow.
Forcing energy consumers to care through manipulating the price of energy may be one
solution to this problem, but it may also have devastating economic effects. Those who support this
51
philosophy for the U.S. ―argue that only the government's artificially raising the price of gasoline—
as some countries in Europe have done—will make people finally cut back on oil use for good,
requiring that governments around the world commit major resources to researching newer means of
energy production‖ (Price of Gasoline). Conversely, this may also impact the economy in devastating
ways. If the American economy struggles, there will ultimately be less financial resources available
for both governmental and commercial research and development in renewable energies. President
Obama addressed the impact of high gas prices in a speech on America‘s energy security at
Georgetown University on March 30, 2011:
In an economy that relies so heavily on oil, rising prices at the pump affect everybody
-– workers, farmers, truck drivers, restaurant owners, students who are lucky enough
to have a car. Businesses see rising prices at the pump hurt their bottom line.
Families feel the pinch when they fill up their tank. And for Americans that are
already struggling to get by, a hike in gas prices really makes their lives that much
harder. It hurts. (Whitehouse.gov)
The economic impact of artificially inflating the gas price will surely raise prices on all consumer
items, including food. It might be practical for those who have the financial means to pay extra for
energy to do so, but it will hurt Americans at or below the poverty line much more. It might seem
like a simple solution to raise energy prices through taxation, but there might be a more devastating
effect upon the quality of life for average Americans today.
On the other hand, not forcing change today through the means of price manipulation may
endanger the quality of life for everyone in the future. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham argues,
―I think $5 a gallon gasoline is the best incentive I know to find a rational energy plan that would
create jobs, make us more energy independent, [and] clean up the air‖ (Weeks). The Senator is not
alone in his thoughts. In fact, ―many politicians see the need for higher gasoline taxes, but avoid
calling for them because to do so would be politically unpopular‖ (Gasoline Taxes). Furthermore,
any form of price manipulation would have to establish a dramatic impact to force a change in
consumer behavior. Dramatic changes are not likely to be welcomed by the American public, and
such efforts may result in a negative public sentiment towards the clean energy agenda.
Ultimately, the government‘s role in furthering clean energy production might be most
effective through subsidies to the private sector and an increased investment in research and
development in the public sector with minimal price manipulation. The challenge for the U.S.
government will be to convince the American tax payers, the energy consumers, that this is a valid
use of tax dollars. An overall bipartisan effort to embrace the scientific data stating that renewable
energy is essential to the health of the planet and the U.S. economy will be necessary for the nation to
progress into an era of clean renewable energy.
Works Cited
"Gasoline Taxes." Issues & Controversies. Facts on File News Services (25 June 2004): Issues &
Controversies. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.
Office of the Press Secretary. ―Remarks by the President on America‘s Energy Security.‖
Whitehouse.gov. The White House, 30 Mar. 2011. Web. 24 Nov. 2012.
52
"Price of Gasoline." Issues & Controversies. Facts on File News Services (5 July 2011): Issues &
Controversies. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.
Weeks, Jennifer. ―Energy Policy: Should the U.S. Use More Clean-Energy Sources?‖ CQ
Researcher 21.20 (2011): 457-480 CQ Researcher. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.
53
Popular Impact of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution
by Martin Hayford
(History 2225)
T
he Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 was extolled as a revolution of the people. But how much
did the actual people of Russia have to do with the revolution? To what degree were they
manipulated? Vladimir Lenin and the other inner-circle Bolsheviks may have considered
themselves the ―common man,‖ but this was true only in theory. In practice, the common man‘s
Russian Revolution was entirely removed from that of the Bolsheviks‘.
In her memoir, Marooned in Moscow: The Story of an American Woman Imprisoned in
Soviet Russia, Marguerite Harrison illuminated a rarely seen view of common Russian people
directly following the Bolshevik Revolution. In doing so she revealed how the revolution influenced
the common people—an influence of tainted gifts and unchecked repression.
The earliest Bolshevik-instituted changes that affected the common people were great,
sweeping reforms. However, these reforms manifested themselves locally as a very personal
intrusion into people‘s daily lives. One example was the push for education, a value that was
stressed heavily by the communist party. The education contained elements of indoctrination as well
as Russification, yet as a new phenomenon was an exciting prospect for many Russians. Marguerite
Harrison discovers this early into her journey, just after crossing into Russia: ―I found that there had
formerly been one primary school in Lochnitsa, with sixty-five pupils. At that time, four hundred
pupils were registered in the primary schools and the gymnasium or secondary school‖ (Harrison 39).
This fact surprises her greatly, as does the location of the aforementioned schools; they were on the
frontier and in the war zone. But this was no exception in the Bolshevik push. To balance out this
cost of widespread higher education, the Bolsheviks benefitted from the opportunity for political
indoctrination. Lenin clearly had no qualms with regard to politicizing education; in fact, he
conveniently found the issue unavoidable: ―‗The very term ―apolitical‖ or ―nonpolitical‖ education,‘
said Lenin in November 1920, ‗is a piece of bourgeois hypocrisy, nothing but a deception of the
masses.... We must put the matter frankly, and openly declare, despite all the old lies, that education
cannot help but be connected with politics‘‖ (McClelland 820). This explosion of education coupled
with the Bolshevik views of politics in schools created a wholly different kind of intrusion into the
life of the Russian people.
In one way, the opportunity for education was accepted gratefully—if also a bit warily. This
wariness proved to be justified as the schools became less about actual education, and more about
social manipulation. Lenin‘s main goal was for ―…the ‗bad‘ and ‗unskilled‘ Russian workers to be
‗schooled in the culture of capitalism‘—to become skilled and disciplined workers and to send their
sons to engineering college—so that the country could overcome its backwardness in the transition
towards socialism‖ (Figes 743). Although the intent seemed pure, the implementation of such a
system was seen as little more than meddling. Not only that, but it was also a decidedly deceitful
system. Under the guise of furthering education, Lenin and the Bolsheviks instituted what amounted
to a secret agenda. Whether or not this was successful is not entirely clear. It was easy for Lenin to
say he would like to change the way people thought, but actually changing people‘s thoughts was
met with subdued and whispered resistance. This kind of intrusion—one where millions of people
were not only newly enrolled as students, but then involuntarily indoctrinated—was drastic, and in
many cases, unwelcome. However, because of other intrusions that initially benefitted the
commoners, the indoctrination tended to be overlooked.
54
Perhaps the most pleasing change implemented by the Bolsheviks was the redistribution of
land. One of the first decisions the revolutionaries made was to return the land to the people who
worked on it. Although they were neither convinced by the legitimacy of this action nor understood
the complex social and political implications, they were certainly not going to complain. When
explaining this socialization in her book, Harrison wrote that the people may have complained about
the specifics of the situation, ―but they will never rise en masse against any government which leaves
them in possession of the land‖ (Harrison 37). This was a very calculated move by the Bolsheviks
and, indeed, it worked to their advantage in placating their people. In reality, the idea for the
nationalization and subsequent socialization of the land was a Socialist-Revolutionary movement,
initially unaligned with the communist ideals of the Bolsheviks. These Socialist-Revolutionaries had
the popular support of the peasants, necessitating the Bolsheviks to collaborate with the intent to
absorb the other movement.
In explanation of these actions, Trotsky said, ―‗The political expropriation of the SocialistRevolutionary party was a necessary prerequisite to the economic expropriation of the landlords and
the bourgeoisie‖ (Lissner 147). This statement reveals the true intent of the Bolsheviks that would
not manifest itself to the Russian people until Stalin‘s collectivization. The system created with the
peasant landowners was never meant to be permanent, but was indeed a stepping stone similar to the
New Economic Policy (NEP). This stepping stone, however, was less concerned with the ideology
of communism and more to do with garnering political support. As mentioned by Harrison, these
newly land-wealthy people would have no desire to raise arms against their seemingly generous
government; furthermore, they would be all the more likely to support them in political matters. In
this way, it seemed to be a successful strategy for both sides—at least for the time being.
It was in the infancy of this program that Harrison observed the effects. Even then she
mentions that while clearly happy about owning their own land, the people were yet suspicious of the
implications: ―Many [peasants] of them are often dubious about this free gift from the government,
and officials are often approached by the peasants with offers to pay for their newly acquired
interests‖ (Harrison 37). Once again, the people recognized the taint that was associated with this
gift—just as they had with their education. It was unfortunate that their material gain coupled with a
perceived improvement over their old autocratic government masked any objection that might be
had; it was rare to find a common man who would rather be a serf than own his land.
The issues of education and land socialization were underhanded and contrived on the part of
the Bolsheviks, yet they both allowed for major gains in the peasant classes. The morality of these
intrusions is unclear, but the impression is that any benefit to the common man was incidental.
There were plenty of Bolshevik activities where morality was thrown out the window and
there were no benefits for the common people—incidental or otherwise. Harrison‘s clearest
experience with this is her imprisonment in Moscow. It was not necessarily the treatment—which
was by her accounts civil—but the act of imprisonment itself which was unjust. Ironically,
Marguerite Harrison‘s arrest was one of the few that held any legitimacy; she was an American spy.
But the Russians with whom she was detained had a different story to share. None of them seemed
to be guilty of anything of importance. Indeed many of them were deemed counter-revolutionaries, a
catch-all term that was used by the Bolsheviks to describe anyone they wanted to imprison. The
most disturbing case was that of Elizaveta Eduardovna who at the time, ―had been arrested some
weeks before, and up to that time had no knowledge of the charges against her‖ (Harrison 253). It is
important to note that the occupants of this prison and many others were not only former peasants; a
great many prisoners were formerly of the aristocracy. In a way, though, these people were newly
relegated to the same social class as the peasants, with the Bolsheviks replacing them as the ruling
class.
What all of these prisoners had in common was a question: Why am I here? Even those who
were formally charged did not understand what their crime was. These ―counter-revolutionaries,‖
55
more often than not, were nothing of the sort, but that did not worry the Bolsheviks. They willingly
drew up ―…omnibus clauses that gave courts arbitrary powers to sentence undesirables for alleged
counterrevolutionary activity…For the first time in legal history, the function of legal proceedings
was defined to be not dispensing justice but terrorizing the population‖ (Pipes 401). The effect of
this system was profound. When it was impossible to trust the courts to have even a shred of
morality—not to mention legality—the Russian people had nowhere to turn. Now it became possible
to unintentionally be opposed to the government; it was at the discretion of the Bolsheviks to
imprison their people as they saw fit. It was upon this realization that the earlier wariness and
discontent became horror to those who realized what their nation had become.
The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 was a successful revolution...for the Bolsheviks. With the
Tsar ousted and the Provisional Government under Alexander Kerensky overpowered, the
Bolsheviks faced little political opposition. What really ensured their success, however, was the
support of the people. These people were bribed, indoctrinated, and, if they still resisted, imprisoned.
The inevitable conclusion of these facts is that the revolution‘s success did not extend to the people.
Although the revolution was intended to be ―of the people,‖ it ended up being against them.
Harrison‘s firsthand account is one of only a few that truly revealed the very different revolution of
the people.
Works Cited
Figes, Orlando. "Defeat in Victory." A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution, 1891-1924.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1996. 721-72. Print.
Harrison, Marguerite. Marooned in Moscow : [the Story of an American Woman Imprisoned in
Soviet Russia]. Ed. William Benton. Whisenhunt. Montpelier, VT: Russian Life, 2011. Print.
Lissner, Will. "Land Socialization in Soviet Agriculture, 1917-1949." American Journal of
Economics and Sociology 9.1 (1998): 145-59. JSTOR. Web. 13 Nov. 2012.
McClelland, James C. "Bolshevik Approaches to Higher Education, 1917-1921." Slavic Review 4th
ser. 30.December (1971): 818-31. JSTOR. Web. 13 Nov. 2012.
Pipes, Richard. "NEP: The False Thermidor." Russia under the Bolshevik Regime: 1919-1924.
London: Harvill, 1994. 369-435. Print.
56
Arrows and Traps in Much Ado About Nothing
by Grace Horn
(English 1102)
n the play, Much Ado about Nothing, by William Shakespeare, Beatrice and Benedick‘s
relationship is not as strong as Hero and Claudio‘s relationship. Most of the characters in the play
are in romantic relationships and some seem destined to fail. A good relationship is based on
mutual respect for differences, kindness, and forgiveness. However, a relationship based on passion
soon burns itself out.
Beatrice is a strong-willed woman. In the beginning of the play, she is happy being single and
would never consider being a married woman. At the beginning of Act I, Beatrice has been arguing
with Benedick about love. Benedick argues to Beatrice that he is not simply looking to woo a lady,
and that he does not have as hard a heart as she insists. In reply to Benedick, Beatrice says, ―A dear
happiness to women. They would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank God and
my cold blood I am of your humor for that. I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear
he loves me‖ (Shakespeare 15). This quote shows that Beatrice has no interest in Benedick, and is
quite content where she is. She is enjoying being single and no matter how hard Benedick tries to
court her, he is not going to win over her heart. Beatrice does not see herself being committed to
anyone else in her lifetime, and she is happy to admit that. In Much Ado about Nothing: A Modern
Perspective, Gail Kern Paster says, ―If betrayal is the universal fate of the married, it is no wonder
that Beatrice regards marriage as a form of repentance‖ (216). Paster points out the fact that Beatrice
is afraid of marrying and thinks of it as a problem. She is one of the only women that is not married.
She refuses to get married until the very end of the play and is uncompromising towards the thought
of getting married because she is afraid of commitment; she thinks it will lead to unfaithfulness as
demonstrated by the set up of Hero and how it ruined her marriage relationship with Claudio.
Beatrice‘s relationship with Benedick is very rocky throughout the play, they don‘t seem to
agree on anything with regards to relationships or marriage, and they even have differing opinions on
the other characters in the play. When Benedick sees Beatrice, the tension stirs and an argument
almost always erupts. The two fight at every chance that occurs, and they hold disagreeing opinions.
This doesn‘t make for a particularly healthy relationship because that only adds to the tension. This
tension can be seen in their actions towards each other throughout most of the play. Paster agrees and
does not believe that Beatrice and Benedick are a compatible match. Paster says, ―Beatrice and
Benedick are given the function in this play of wittily enacting for our benefit the conventional
postures of mutual antagonism so that their eventual union will seem both to ratify the irrational
force of desire (no matter how it is brought into being) and to dissolve the larger social tensions
exemplified by their mutual mistrust‖ (220). Throughout the play, they continually point out each
other‘s faults and pick fights with each other. When they ultimately marry, their future relationship is
sure to be full of tension.
In contrast, Claudio is able to win over Hero‘s heart at first sight. After Claudio first comes to
Leonato‘s home and lays eyes on Hero, they instantly fall in love. Claudio says, ―In mine eye she is
the sweetest lady that ever I looked on‖ (Shakespeare 17). Claudio is instantly awestruck by Hero,
which is contradictory to how Benedick feels for Beatrice. Although Benedick and Beatrice seem to
be somewhat ―friendly‖ towards each other throughout the play, as they talk and spend time together,
they do not have the instant spark that Hero and Claudio feel. They do not realize their true love for
each other until they overhear conversations between other groups of people and finally Benedick
I
57
proposes at Hero and Claudio‘s second wedding. B. K. Lewalski says, ―Claudio fits the pattern of
Bembo‘s typical ‗young‘ lover who acts primarily in terms of sense knowledge…and is moved by
desire and passion…‖ (246). This quote by Lewalski is showing that Claudio acts on his emotions.
This demonstrates that Hero and Claudio‘s relationship is more stable, because he is not naïve and he
knows what he wants in a relationship. He knows what he is looking for in a woman and when he
finds Hero, he is passionate about her and pursues the relationship with her.
Every relationship is going to have its bumps in the road, but the relationship between Hero
and Claudio seems to be much healthier than the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick
because Hero and Claudio fall in love on their own. Beatrice and Benedick are tricked into falling in
love by many different characters in the play at different times. An example of this is after Beatrice
overhears a conversation by Hero and Ursula. The two women leave to get ready for supper and Hero
whispers to Ursula, ―If it prove so, then loving goes by haps; Some Cupid kills with arrows, some
with traps‖ (Shakespeare 91). Hero and Ursula are setting Beatrice and Benedick up, trapping them,
into falling in love. Beatrice and Benedick do love each other, but it takes overhearing other people‘s
conversations about how much the other loves them to admit their true feelings. If two people need to
overhear someone else talking about them to realize how they really feel, then are those feelings
really genuine? In The Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard,
Norrie Epstein says, "Tricked by friends into admitting their love, Beatrice and Benedick at last
reluctantly do so, with Benedick's grudging offer to marry Beatrice ‗out of pity‘" (89). Epstein is
noting how Benedick courts Beatrice the whole play, and then decides to marry her because he feels
bad that all the other women are married and she isn‘t. Also, he overhears conversations and realizes
that she truly loves him, even if his feelings aren‘t as strong as his might be for her, he decides to
make the commitment to marry her. They weren‘t truly in love until they are tricked into falling in
love with each other; this is no way to have a true relationship because it doesn‘t show that the real
feelings are there.
Being tricked into falling in love isn‘t going to build a strong relationship. Love is meant to
happen naturally and considering how much Beatrice and Benedick argue, their relationship in the
future won‘t be as strong as Hero and Claudio‘s is. David Bevington makes a good point and states
that "Beatrice and Benedick have been playing the game of verbal abuse for so long that they
scarcely remember how it started -- perhaps as a squaring off between the two intelligences worthy
of contending with each other, perhaps as a more profoundly defensive reaction of two sensitive
persons not willing to part lightly with their independence. They seem to have had a prior
relationship with each other that ended unhappily" (217). This is a good point: if Beatrice and
Benedick possibly had a relationship in the past and ended for any reason, then this doesn‘t predict a
healthy relationship in the future. However, the relationship between Hero and Claudio is a lot more
stable because they haven‘t had that period of being together and ending their relationship. Beatrice
and Benedick argue a lot and that doesn‘t indicate a stable relationship. Hero and Claudio know their
love is true because they weather many storms, including the framing of Hero by Don John, a fake
death of Hero, and Benedick‘s disapproval of their love at the beginning of the play. They still end
up getting married and love each other as deeply as they did before Hero‘s staged death. This is seen
when Hero unmasks at their second wedding and Claudio is overjoyed at the sight of her. He can‘t
believe that it is ―another Hero‖ and they get married right away (193). This illustrates that their love
is still as strong for each other as it was before.
Beatrice and Benedick, however, do have strong feelings for each other and Benedick would
do anything for Beatrice. In Act 4, Beatrice makes a harsh request of Benedick. Beatrice asks
Benedick to ―kill Claudio‖ (Shakespeare 143). With Benedick and Claudio being friends, this is not a
simple task for Benedick to accomplish. However, he loves Beatrice so much that he says he will
―challenge him‖ despite how much it will hurt him to do so (144). Norrie Epstein says, "Throughout
the play…it's obvious to everyone but themselves that they are drawn to each other" (89). Other
58
people in Messina see that Beatrice and Benedick will make a good couple and that despite their
arguing, they would be really good for each other. Beatrice and Benedick obviously don‘t see this
because they keep arguing and purposely picking fights with each other. From the outside it appears
to be a strong love; however, the two argue frequently and Beatrice seems to be using Benedick to
get her revenge for the ―death‖ of her cousin.
At the end of Act V, a wedding for a different Hero and for Claudio is taking place. Once
Hero‘s veil is removed and Claudio realizes that his bride really is Hero, they are both overjoyed that
they can be together at last. Right after they are wed, Benedick finds Beatrice and asks her if she
loves him. Beatrice replies, ―Why no, no more than reason‖ (Shakespeare 193). Why would Beatrice
lie? One reason for this might be the fact that that many people in Beatrice‘s position might feel it to
be imprudent to confess that she really does love someone after she denies over and over that she
―could not endure a husband…‖ and wants to remain single (39). Yet the truth is Beatrice and
Benedick both refuse to admit their love for each other because they are afraid. If they truly love each
other enough, they would want to be together so badly that they would profess it right away. They
are so stubborn it takes others to bring evidence in the form of written papers with their love
confessions to show that they really do have feelings for the other. Lewalski, in Love, Appearance
and Reality: Much Ado about Something, says, ―Beatrice and Benedick endeavor to come to terms
with the world through wit, intellect, reason: both are frequently described by their friends as wits,
and they engage in constant skirmishes of wit between themselves. As witty, sophisticated
rationalists both consider that love produces foolish, mad, fantastical behavior which is quite
unworthy of them‖ (242). Lewalski describes Beatrice and Benedick as ―witty,‖ and this doesn‘t
make for a good relationship because they will continually be making humorous remarks back at
each other, which will turn into arguments as they have shown earlier when Beatrice was rejecting
Benedick at the altar.
The future relationship between Beatrice and Benedick won‘t be as strong as the future
relationship between Hero and Claudio not only because of their stubbornness, but also because they
were tricked into falling in love. Passion will soon burn itself out. By human interference in nature‘s
job of matchmaking, people‘s relationships can be eternally ruined.
Works Cited
Bevington, David. "Much Ado About Nothing." The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. New
York: Longman, 1997. 216-18. Print.
Epstein, Norrie. The Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard.
New York: Penguin Books, 1994. Print.
Lewalski, B.K. ―Love, Appearance, and Reality: Much Ado about Something.‖ Studies in English
Literature, 1500-1900. 8.2 (Spring 1968): 235-251. Print.
Myhill, Nova. ―Spectatorship in/of ‗Much Ado About Nothing.‘‖ Studies in English Literature,
1500-1900. 39.2 (Spring 1999): 291-311. JSTOR. Web. 14 Feb. 2013.
Paster, Gail Kearns. ―Much Ado about Nothing: A Modern Perspective.‖ Much Ado about Nothing.
Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square, 1995. 213-230.
Print.
Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New
York: Washington Square, 1995. Print.
59
The Battle for Chicago‘s Schools
by Caleb Jenkins
(English 1102)
A
school is significantly more than just a mere institution of learning. Any place where
someone would spend the vast majority of their developmental years would have a profound
effect on their life. A school is where children grow, make friends, and develop skills that
will stay with them for the rest of their lives. For the children, this is truly a home away from home.
These ‗homes‘ even benefit the parents of students because a school is the glue that holds a
neighborhood together.
However, these homes are being ‗foreclosed‘. On March 21, 2013, Chicago Public Schools
officials announced that they would close 54 schools and 61 school buildings before the next school
year (Resmovits and Bellware). Children, in some instances, will have to walk over 27 minutes,
across gang lines through dangerous neighborhoods, to their new ‗home‘ (Resmovits and Bellware).
CPS (Chicago Public Schools) claims that they need to close these underperforming, underutilized
schools in order to use their limited resources wisely. However, the schools designated for closing
are predominantly located in poorer neighborhoods. The shutting down of these schools will only
perpetuate the economic inequality between races and social classes, and the solution is investing in,
not closing, these struggling schools because children from poor families need quality education to
break cyclical poverty.
To understand the magnitude of this current dilemma facing Chicago, one has to understand
the history of the city‘s neighborhood formation. The different neighborhoods of Chicago have
always been ethnically and racially divided. In the mid-1800s, when Irish and other European
immigrants came to Chicago as poor workers, they lived in neighborhoods with those of their similar
ethnic group. They were pushed out of the city center after the Great Chicago Fire since they could
not afford to build new homes in accordance with the new building codes. However, during the great
migration of African-Americans looking for jobs and an equal opportunity toward the end of the 19th
and beginning of the 20th century, the white ethnic neighborhoods joined together. They instituted
ordinances that restricted neighborhoods in which African-Americans were allowed to rent or buy
houses (Manning).
These few neighborhoods that would allow African-Americans to live in them were known
as the Black Belt, and they bred poverty and crime. Poor African-Americans were crowded together
in places where crime was rampant. Even to this day, the south and west sides of Chicago, where the
Black Belt was concentrated, remain some of the most crime ridden neighborhoods in the country
(Manning). This is because the African-American people who live there are stuck in cyclical poverty.
The segregated schools that existed gave African-Americans a poor quality education. Without a
proper education, coupled with racism, many of them could not get well-paying jobs and would sink
into poverty. Their poverty would affect their children‘s education, and the cycle would repeat itself.
When segregation eventually ended and became illegal, CPS tried different initiatives to
integrate schools in the 1970s. This was met with much backlash from white parents, and the number
of white children in the system fell dramatically. From 1970 to 1980 the number of white children in
Chicago Public Schools dropped 60%, and it even halved again by 1990 (Rury). The massive
withdrawal of whites from public schools has led some to conclude that the schools are still not fully
integrated. This withdrawal has hurt the public schools. When the system lost its white children to
Catholic schools, it also lost their rich, influential parents. The system lost people who were
60
personally invested in the wellbeing of the schools and who also had the social and monetary capital
to advocate for them. This has left CPS in shambles today.
Today, Chicago Public Schools face a slew of problems. Although graduation rates have
improved dramatically, from 53% in 2000 to 65% in 2009, high school test scores have risen, and all
this without a decline in average academic performance standards, problems still remain (Luppescu
5). Racial gaps in achievement have increased steadily. White students are making slightly more
progress than Latino students, and African American students are falling behind all other groups
(Luppescu 5). The graduation rate for white students is 10% higher than Latinos, and 20% higher
than African-Americans, compared to 5% and 14% respectively in 1997 (Luppescu 57). Despite
some progress in standardized testing, the vast majority of CPS students still have academic
achievement levels that are far below where they should be to graduate and be ready for college
(Luppescu 5). Crime, gangs, and drugs affect a large portion of public school students (Moser).
Many students get involved in these problems, largely due to the poverty in their own homes, the
lack of quality role models, and the inevitable lack of interest in school, causing them to not
graduate.
Lack of funding creates another problem, as after school activities and elective programs get
canceled due to budget shortcomings, student involvement and interest drops. As recently as 2011,
only a fourth of Chicago‘s schools had a full-time art teacher and a full-time music teacher, and
mindboggling 42% had neither (Featherstone). Budget shortcomings also lead to huge classroom
sizes, with one kindergarten teacher reporting she had 42 children in her classroom (Featherstone).
These problems combine to create the most staggering dropout rate in the country. Chicago‘s school
district has only 15% of the nation‘s schools, yet it has nearly half of the country‘s dropouts each
year (Luppescu 51). It is clear that CPS is a struggling school district with numerous problems, but
the solution is ever evasive.
Facing these problems and a nearly billion dollar deficit, CPS announced plans to shut 54
schools and 61 school buildings (Resmovits and Bellware). The solution to low student achievement
and involvement proposed by CPS is cutting back on schools that have low test scores and
attendance, to better use those resources to make the current schools more effective. It is essentially
downsizing one of the largest school districts in the country to make it more manageable. In many
predominantly black neighborhoods in the South Side the population has dwindled due to the poor
state of those neighborhoods. In order to avoid an "underutilization crisis," CPS is closing the
underused schools. They claim that this better allocation of funds could save on average $500,000 to
$800,000 per school (Resmovits and Bellware). The money saved from closed schools will go into
funding 13 new special science programs, five International Baccalaureate programs, and putting air
conditioning and fine arts classes in 19 of the schools to where children with be relocated (Resmovits
and Bellware). However, this tentative ‗solution‘ only overly simplifies the problem and, in the long
run, has a very little chance of turning around this failing district into a thriving one because it creates
a mediocre system to turn a profit and continues a system of injustice.
This ‗solution‘ only perpetuates the current problems of racial and economic inequality in
Chicago. The century old racial and economic divisions in this city have festered problems. They
have made Chicago the nation‘s most dangerous city with 506 murders each year (Murders Fall 42
Percent in America's Deadliest City: Chicago). When the city neglects struggling neighborhoods by
denying them a quality education, breeding grounds for violence and poverty are created.
Unfortunately, the school closings are concentrated in neighborhoods on the west and south side that
were the same ones that made up the Black Belt. It is not surprising that not a single school with be
closed in Lincoln Park or in any other northern, white, affluent neighborhood (Lutton and Vevea).
Shutting down these schools and squishing hordes of disinterested children in one classroom creates
a mediocre system of education for already struggling neighborhoods and will only continue the
cycle of inequality in this city.
61
Shutting down and giving up on struggling schools and students is being complacent with
mediocrity. The logic behind the closings claims that we should not waste money in schools that are
struggling. However, this capitulates that the poor, crime-ridden neighborhoods in the west and south
sides will always be that way. It essentially condemns them by creating desolation and calling it
peace. It offers no solution, only a way to avoid the problem by sweeping it under the rug. The
problem is a rug can only hold so much before the lumps of dust overflow and create a disheveled
room. Society will pay eventually for not properly, and equally, educating its youth.
Moreover, research and case studies have shown that school closings ultimately have no
positive effects on the quality of education. When DCPS (District of Columbia Public Schools)
closed 23 "low-performing" and "under-enrolled" schools, there was little to no academic progress.
On average, the students' new schools had even lower odds of making the Annual Yearly Progress
under No Child Left Behind than the schools out of which they were moved (Weiss). Even in
Chicago, where in 2010, dozens of schools were closed, there was no progress. An astonishing 8 out
of every 10 students that were displaced scored lower on standardized tests the next school year
(Weiss). The reason for this failure is that student involvement and interest in school dipped, since
they are forced out of their comfort zone. How can it be expected of children, who are already
disinterested and struggling, to suddenly care more when they are thrown into a larger class at a
school farther away? The obvious can only be expected; dropout rates and crime will rise, and test
scores and student achievement will fall.
Not only does interest dipping cause schools closings to fail, but also in many cases students
are sent from one low-performing to school to another in a similar situation. This happened before in
Chicago and many other school districts across the country, and it is happening again this time
around. One stellar elementary school that is set out for closing, Garvey, has a pre-school, air
conditioning and a computer lab. The school it is moving to has all of those benefits, but it does have
lower test scores than Garvey (Editorial: Up to 47,500 kids in school shake-ups). A predominantly
African-American elementary school, Lafayette, is being absorbed into Chopin Elementary School.
The schools are fairly similar in features and test scores, yet Lafayette has an outstanding music
system, a rarity for a Chicago Public School (Editorial: Up to 47,500 kids in school shake-ups).
Academic progress is not the only problem with the school shakeups; student safety is also a
major concern. Many young students will cross gang lines to attend their new school. The long
distance that many students will have to travel is also concerning. For example, the walk from Libby
Elementary, a school being closed, to Sherman Elementary, the school the students are relocating to,
will take 27 minutes through a dangerous part of the South Side (Resmovits and Bellware). The route
also passes seven abandoned buildings. With many poor parents unable to walk their children to
school, passing through such areas will undoubtedly increase the rate of child abductions (Resmovits
and Bellware).
There have been many other effective alternatives to closing schools that have been shown to
increase the success of inner-city schools. Keeping schools in struggling neighborhoods open and
investing in their programs is the best way to revolutionize this school district. By not merging
schools together, the class sizes can be kept at a reasonable amount, less than 20 students in a
classroom. Children in small classes always do better than those in crowded ones (Featherstone). If
these struggling schools are combined, then a teacher who is already struggling to keep a mediumsize class engaged will have to figure out how to get a crowded classroom involved. This would be
setting up the teachers for failure.
Another way to improve these schools in poor neighborhoods and thus improve the quality of
the neighborhood is to change the way funds are distributed between schools Even though Chicago
does spend nearly $13,000 a year per student on average, that money is not divided equally (Moser).
Currently, schools are given more money if they achieve higher standardized test scores
(Featherstone). Although this may seem like a good incentive to motivate schools to work harder, it
62
actually punishes poor children and increases the gap between the rich and the poor. For example,
children from rich families in Lincoln Park will inevitably score higher than children from Austin.
The rich children in Lincoln Park will get more funds, better teachers, more programs and the next
year will have even higher test scores. Thus, the cycle continues and the poor children get an even
poorer quality education. Schools should allocate resources according to need, thus lowering the gap
in education between the rich and poor.
These better allocated resources can be used to fund programs that will benefit the struggling
students. Only a fourth of Chicago‘s Public Schools have a fulltime music and art teacher and there
are 160 schools without a library (Featherstone). Without these extra programs and learning aids,
students lose interest in school. The lack of interest and effort will result in poor performance and a
poor education. A school having the basic necessity of a library is critical in children developing their
reading, writing, and communication skills, some of the most important things that are taught at
school. Denying children these fundamental parts of a quality education denies them a fair chance at
life.
A school that has been a model of what a quality urban school should look like is Harper
High School. This school had a turnaround in 2008 where it was given no shortage of funds.
Including the many extracurricular activities created to raise student interest and involvement in
school, was the Becoming a Man program. This mentorship program was extremely effective.
Students who partook in the program "experienced a 44 percent drop in arrests for violent crime and
an up to 23 percent increase in graduation rates" (Moser). Those kinds of results show the
effectiveness of investing in, not neglecting public schools.
Although these plans are require a sizable investment, when considering the future of our
society‘s children, the price tag should not be our greatest concern. In his book, Savage Inequalities,
Jonathan Kozol makes the argument that when we under fund schools in poor neighborhoods, we
cause innocent children to lose their future (Kozol 1-6). They grow up with a poor education and thus
get a low-paying job, if any job at all. Many fall into poverty and become criminals, and then our
society has to deal with the cyclical problems it created. The choice is to either invest in their quality
educations now or live with the financial burdens of their economic futility and crime for years to
come. Specifically, although the Becoming a Man program, effectively used at Harper, costs $1,100
per student, it can save society anywhere from $3,600 to $34,000 per participant, depending on how
one measures the costs of crime (Moser).
Ironically enough, CPS‘s plan to shut schools has no guarantee to save money. Schools
closings in the Washington, DC, school district did not save the system its estimated $23 million. It
actually cost them nearly $40 million in unforeseen expenses (Weiss). The moving and closing fees,
coupled with parents moving their children to charter schools and the unanticipated cost of
transporting children even farther to school, destroyed the only faint benefits the inevitably failing
policy decision had (Weiss). Since it will cost millions of dollars either way, then heavily investing
in struggling schools will prove to be the most economic choice in the long run.
Today CPS is faced with a huge problem with its underperforming and underutilized schools.
However, closing them is not a quality solution. It is only a tentative one that accepts a mediocre
system and perpetuates cyclical poverty and inequality. The only way to alleviate the tensions from
racial and economic inequality and reduce the poverty that makes Chicago the nation‘s deadliest city
is to invest in these impoverished neighborhood‘s schools by lowering class sizes, adding afterschool
and extracurricular programs like art and music, equipping each school with a functional library, and
instituting mentorship programs. Although the price tag may be hefty, it is still much less than the
one society will inevitably have to pay for having numerous adults with a poor quality education. It is
necessary to protect the ‗glue‘ that holds neighborhoods together and give children a safe ‗home,‘ so
that Chicago can be a revitalized city.
63
Works Cited
"Editorial: Up to 47,500 Kids in School Shake-ups." Chicago Sun Times. N.p., 10 Apr. 2013. N. pag.
Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
Featherstone, Liz. "Saving the Chicago Public School System: Who's Hurting the Kids?" Aljazeera.
N.p., 12 Sept. 2012. N. pag. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
Kozol, Jonathan. Savage Inequalities. New York: Crown, 1991. Print.
Luppescu, Stuart, et al. Trends in Chicago’s Schools across Three Eras of Reform. Chicago: U of
Chicago, 2011. Print.
Lutton, Linda, and Becky Vevea. "Chicago Proposes Closing 53 Elementary Schools, Firing Staff at
Another 6." WEBZ 91.5. N.p., 21 Mar. 2013. N. pag. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
Manning, Christopher. "African Americans." The Electornic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago:
Chicago Historical Society, 2004. N. pag. Web.
Moser, Whet. "What‘s Wrong with Chicago‘s Public Schools?" Chicago Mag.com. N.p., 26 Mar.
2013. N. pag. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
"Murders Fall 42 Percent in America's Deadliest City: Chicago." NBC News. N.p., 1 Apr. 2011. N.
pag. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
Resmovits, Joy, and Kim Bellware. "Chicago School Closings: District Plans to Shutter 54 Schools."
Huff Post Chicago. Huffington Post, 21 Mar. 2013. N. pag. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
Rury, John L. "Schools and Education." The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago: Chicago
Historical Society, 2005. N. pag. Web.
Weiss, Elaine. "Closing Schools despite Data." Huff Post Chicago. Huffington Post, 27 Mar. 2013.
N. pag. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
64
Greening of Cotton Clothing
by Roberta Johnson
(Chemistry 1105)
W
hen shopping for a pair of blue jeans or a t-shirt, have you ever considered the impact the
article of clothing has on our environment, let alone our own body? Traditionally, raising
cotton, ginning, spinning, weaving, knitting, dying and wet processing uses harmful
chemicals, as well as a huge amount of water. The Green Movement has helped spotlight these
issues, causing both consumers and people in the cotton industry to take notice and make changes.
Conventional cotton growers all over the world use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides that
adversely effect the environment and water supply. Also, conventional cotton processors use
chemicals that can be harmful to the environment as well as the wearer. A call for more green
products, have changed some cotton growers farming methods to organic processes. Organic cotton
growers use methods that do not involve harmful chemicals to grow a successful crop. They use
crop rotation and cover cropping (the planting of an early crop to be dug in the soil before maturity)
to manage soil fertility (nitrogen content), soil quality, water conservation, weed and pest control. In
addition, the use of manure to further raise the nitrogen levels of the soil and the use of beneficial
insects as well as bacteria and viral pathogens to fight pests. [1] Using organic farming methods not
only are better for the environment around the farms but better for the health of the farm workers.
According to Ethical Fashion Forum:
―Between 1 and 3% of agricultural workers worldwide suffer from acute
pesticide poisoning with at least 1 million requiring hospitalization each year,
according to a report prepared jointly for the FAO, UNEP and WHO. These
figures equate to between 25 million and 77 million agricultural workers
worldwide. Some of the symptoms of pesticide poisoning include headaches,
vomiting, tremors, lack of coordination, difficulty breathing or respiratory
depression, loss of consciousness, seizures and death.‖ [2]
What a crime to continue to expose farmworkers to this type of harm when alternative methods that
are both safe and effective are available. Cotton Today is a company that helps. Their mission
statement states ―The cotton industry envisions a future where environmentally sustainable
production and manufacturing will thrive along with businesses that depend on cotton as a source of
income.‖ They help growers conserve water, soil and energy while still being profitable. More
framers need to be willing to receive this type of help and change the way they are doing business.
[3]
After the cotton is harvested and ginned (seeds removed) it needs to be further processed.
This processing also traditionally involves the use of unsafe chemicals and uses water. Whitening of
the cotton is conventionally done with chlorine bleach that has toxic byproducts such as dioxin that is
released into the environment. A change to a greener whitening process of hydrogen peroxide that
decomposes into oxygen and water (2 H2O2 → 2 H2O + O2) is much safer. In nature H2O2 is
produced by both plants and animals is formed naturally in the environment. [4]
65
The finishing and dying process also uses energy, water and chemicals. In conventional
finishing, water at high temperatures, with chemicals such as formaldehyde (a known carcinogen) are
used and dyes that contain heavy metals as well as sulfur. Alterative methods for finishing use warm
water with soda. Beautiful dyes made from organic materials that are water based have low impact
on the environment and the people who are manufacturing and wearing the clothing.[5] All the
changes in the cotton industry towards a greener product support the Paul Anastas and John Wamer‘s
third ―Principal of Green Chemistry‖ use of chemicals that are less toxic to people‘s health and the
enviornment.[6]
The case study Greening a Cotton Textile Tupply Chain by Beatrice Kogg shows the
difficulty of obtaining cotton that has been handled in a green method, from growing to the end
processing. The company Verner Fang AB, who the study was focused on, found that if they wanted
green products all the way down the supply chain, they needed to influence the change by offering
premiums to their vendors as incentives for going green. The vendors reported that the cost of going
green was negligible after the initial change over. More demand for organic cotton and ―greener‖
processing has also offset any cost and been an incentive for more farmers and processors to change.
The premiums paid account for a 10-15% up charge on products made as ―eco-labeled‖ products.[7]
In the past consumers were only able to find ―eco-labeled‖ apparel at specialty stores such as
Whole Foods and on line at specialty stores such as Natural Clothing Company. The price of a
―sustainable organic cotton‖ t-shirt at Whole Foods is $10.00 and at Wal-Mart a comparable
―regular‖ cotton t-shirt sells for $11.98. It seems that the prices for more eco friendly products are no
longer being passed on to the customer. Large companies like Levi‘s are coming out with new lines
reflecting the trend to be more eco-friendly. Levi joined the Better Cotton Initiative that helps reduce
water use in cotton growing and is using less water in manufacturing of jeans. It seems that it
doesn‘t have to take a bite out of the consumer‘s wallet to purchase eco-friendly clothing. We just
need to show that is important to us by purchasing it over the conventionally made clothing. The end
product when using green methods quality is just as good, or better than conventional. In the case of
cotton, the consumer does not have to sacrifice quality or pay more money for being eco conscious.
If there is a greater demand, more framers and processors will have the incentive to change. We as
consumers can make a difference by choosing to purchase products that are green.
References
1. "Organic Cotton vs Conventional What‘s the-Difference." Green Cotton. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr.
2013.
2. "The-issues: Pesticides." The Ethical Fashion Forum. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
3. "Cotton & Natural Resources." Natural Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
4. "Hydrogen Peroxide - a Greener Alternative to Chlorine Bleach." The Healing and Wellness
Center of Kent Island. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
5. "Organic Cotton vs Conventional What‘s the-Difference." Green Cotton. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr.
2013.
6. Anastas, Paul T. and Wamer John. Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice. N.p.: Oxford UP New
York, 1998. Print
66
7. Greening a cotton-textile supply chain: a case study of the transition towards organic production
without a powerful focal company. Beatrice Kogg. Greener Management International. 43
(Autumn 2003) p53. Word Count: 5500.
8. "Levi's Has a New Color For Blue Jeans: Green." Bloomberg Businessweek Issue 4301 (2012):
p26-28, 3p. Print.
67
Unethical Can Be Good in Messina
by Akbar Khan
(English 1102)
n Shakespeare‘s Much Ado About Nothing, there is literally much fuss about nothing, all because
of one deviant character that felt jealous and wanted to ruin everyone‘s happiness. But many
underlying meanings and themes do exist, and each carries a significant purpose. Among them
are shifts in loyalty, usage of words as weapons, and miscommunication. One motif that can be
clearly seen in the play is the overhearing of conversations. Shakespeare critic David Bevington says,
"The word Nothing in the play's title, pronounced rather like noting in Elizabethan English, suggests
a pun on the idea of overhearing..." (216). Although eavesdropping is commonly thought to be
unethical, this action committed by Benedick, Beatrice, and the watchmen leads to positive
outcomes.
Many overheard conversations can be found throughout the play. One of these instances was
when Benedick overhears Claudio, Don Pedro, and Leonato talking loudly about how Beatrice
―loves‖ Benedick in an attempt to make Benedick feel that Beatrice loves him and make him fall for
her. Shakespeare critic Nova Myhill says, ―Benedick's access to Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato's
conversation in the orchard is based not on his success in ‗hid[ing] me in the arbour,‘ but his failure
(II.iii.28). Three lines after Benedick conceals himself, Don Pedro asks Claudio, ‗See you where
Benedick hath hid himself?‘ (II.iii.32), and Claudio has, ‗very well, my lord‘ (II.iii.33)‖ (295).
Benedick believes that he is actually listening to a private conversation but is in fact a victim of a
teasing plot. In Act 2 Scene 3, Leonato says, ―By my troth, my lord, I cannot tell what to think of it,
but that she loves him with an enraged affection, it is past the infinite of thought‖ (Shakespeare 69).
Leonato is saying that Beatrice loves Benedick with such a passion that it is beyond understanding.
Benedick upon hearing this refuses to believe such silliness but eventually gives in to loving Beatrice
after arguing with himself. Benedick says, ―I should think this a gull but that the white-bearded
fellow speaks it. Knavery cannot, sure, hide himself in such reverence‖ (71). He‘s trying to think of
this as a prank being played on him but then rationalizes that Leonato is a well-respected wise man
and can‘t possibly be a jester. Benedick then falls in love with Beatrice and later on confesses his
love for her, which brings about celebration. It is because of this instance that Benedick is filled with
joy and expresses his feelings for Beatrice. If he hadn‘t found out what Beatrice felt about him, he
would have continued on with his childlike attitude towards her, and any thoughts of marrying
Beatrice would have never sprung into his mind.
Another instance where a person overhears a conversation is with Beatrice. Hero and Ursula
are in on the plan to talk loudly about Benedick loving Beatrice so that Beatrice can fall for
Benedick. Critic Myhill says, ―In the parallel scene involving Beatrice, Hero tells Ursula to ‗look
where Beatrice like a lapwing runs /Close by the ground, to hear our conference‘ (III.i.24-5)...‖
(295). So they know that Beatrice is listening to their conversation and go on talking about how
much Benedick loves her. In Act 3 Scene 1, Ursula says, ―But are you sure that Benedick loves
Beatrice so entirely?‖ (Shakespeare 85). And then Hero replies, ―So says the Prince and my newtrothèd lord‖ (85). Ursula asks Hero if Benedick really loves Beatrice and Hero says that the Prince
and her fiancé say so. Beatrice feels bad and argues with herself, like Benedick, and falls for
Benedick. She says, ―And Benedick, love on; I will requite thee…‖ (91). She wants Benedick to
continue to love her and she will love him back. This furthermore reinforced their love for one
another, which was a joyous outcome for them and the people of Messina. If Beatrice hadn‘t heard
I
68
this conversation, she would have continued to hold the same somewhat pitiful feelings for Benedick.
More importantly, Benedick and Beatrice would have never gotten together and Beatrice would have
lived on longing for a companion.
A third occurrence of an overheard conversation is where the watchmen overhear Borachio
and another associate of Don John talking about how they framed Margaret and deceived Claudio
and Don Pedro at the same time. Critic Bevington says, ―Overhearings are constant and are essential
to the process of…clarification as in the discovery by the night watch of the slander done to Hero's
reputation…‖ (216). In Act 3 Scene 3, Borachio says, ―But know that I have tonight wooed
Margaret, the Lady Hero‘s gentlewoman, by the name of Hero…‖ (107). Borachio is telling Conrade
that he was with Margaret in Hero‘s bedroom and he kept calling her ―Hero‖ while Don Pedro and
Claudio were spying from outside the bedroom window. He wanted to deceive Claudio and Don
Pedro into thinking that Margaret was Hero so that Claudio can call off the marriage after feeling
betrayed. The watchmen, after overhearing the slandering by the villains, capture them. They are
then later on confirmed guilty of committing deception and framing Margaret, and Claudio and Hero
happily reunite since she was proven innocent. The watchmen in this instance are a big factor in
shaping the ending of the play. Claudio and Hero would have ended up separated and the other
characters would have held negative feelings towards each other if it weren‘t for the watchmen.
There is an instance where the actions of eavesdropping and spying can be confused with one
another and one might think that the action of ―eavesdropping‖ leads to an undesirable or negative
outcome, but this is false. Critic Bevington says, "Once again, the villainous Don John first implants
the insidious suggestion in Claudio's mind, then creates an illusion entirely plausible to the senses,
and finally confirms it with Borachio's testimony. What Claudio and Don Pedro have actually seen is
Margaret wooed at Hero's window, shrouded in the dark of night and seen from ‗afar off in the
orchard‘‖ (218). In this instance, one might think that this is an act of overhearing, but actually it is
spying. Spying is secretly watching another person‘s actions. Eavesdropping or overhearing, on the
other hand, is listening to a private conversation without permission. Bevington clearly states that
Claudio and Don Pedro have "seen" what they think to be Hero, but is actually Margaret, at Hero's
window. The key word used by Bevington is "seen," which is referring to watching secretly or
spying and implies that Claudio and Don Pedro were spying. So this instance can be excluded from
the list of overhearing instances leading to good outcomes.
For both couples, all ends well due to the overhearing of conversations. What would have
ended bitterly for the couples, ended perfectly. Even though eavesdropping is wrong, it aided in
uniting newfound love and reuniting resisting love after all the catastrophe. Claudio and Hero finally
get married after the villains are proved guilty. And Benedick and Beatrice get back together with the
help of their friends throughout the play. Their friends help them out up until the end when love
poems written to one another are revealed. This is another form of overhearing because these love
poems are someone else‘s private thoughts. So this brings about the conclusion of Beatrice‘s and
Benedick‘s fate, which is a long-awaited marriage. Shakespeare critic Norrie Epstein says, "Tricked
by friends into admitting their love, Beatrice and Benedick at last reluctantly do so, with Benedick's
grudging offer to marry Beatrice‘‖ (89). Although eavesdropping is commonly thought to be
unethical, this action committed by Benedick, Beatrice, and the watchmen leads to positive
outcomes.
69
Works Cited
Bevington, David. "Much Ado About Nothing." The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. New
York: Longman, 1997. 216-18. Print.
Daalder, Joost. ―The ‗Pre-History‘ of Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado about Nothing.” English
Studies 85.6 (2004): 520-527. Print.
Epstein, Norrie. The Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard.
New York: Penguin Books, 1994. Print.
Myhill, Nova. ―Spectatorship in/of ‗Much Ado About Nothing.‘‖ Studies in English Literature,
1500-1900, Vol. 39, No. 2 (Spring 1999): 291-311.
Paster, Gail Kearns. ―Much Ado about Nothing: A Modern Perspective.‖ Much Ado about Nothing.
Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square, 1995. 213-230.
Print.
Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New
York: Washington Square, 1995. Print.
70
Nonviolent Action in the Civil Rights Movement
As Seen Through Anne Moody‘s Coming of Age in Mississippi
by Larry Lambert
(History 1140)
A
time of sweeping change in American society, the civil rights movement, is the backdrop for
Anne Moody‘s Coming of Age in Mississippi. One area of focus in the book is Moody‘s
personal involvement in many aspects of the movement in Mississippi. A common thread
among the events Moody takes part in is the nonviolent nature of the events. This nonviolent civil
disobedience formed the basis for many of the civil rights campaigns throughout the country. Moody
briefly describes the educational process of protesters prior to taking part in events. Many of the
events Moody describes throughout the book, such as public sit-ins, protest marches, and voter
registration drives, were common vehicles for nonviolent protests. Legal battles and financial
boycotts, though not directly mentioned by Moody, also play a large part in nonviolent efforts by
civil rights activists.
An important phase of the nonviolent civil disobedience approach to the civil rights
movement only briefly mentioned in Moody‘s book was the education of protesters in nonviolent
methods. Moody does briefly mention the training of protesters on how to protect themselves from
physical attacks and workshops conducted for protesters; however, she does not detail how vital this
training was to the movement. Prior to a sit-in movement in Nashville, Tennessee, protesters
attended workshops taught by James Lawson. Lawson had spent time in India studying nonviolent
action. The protesters learned how to take physical and verbal abuse without striking back, and how
to protect their bodies when attacked (Ackerman and Duvall 307). Lawson also travelled throughout
the South providing training and advice on nonviolent action (Ackerman and Duvall 313). In
Birmingham, Alabama hundreds of black citizens were trained in nonviolent confrontation before a
series of sit-ins and boycotts (Oppenheimer 119). In many protests lists of acceptable actions were
given to the protesters in advance. These lists included instructions such as do not strike back, curse,
or laugh and always present yourself in a friendly and courteous manner (Ackerman and Duvall 321).
About one of the first sit-ins in Wichita, Kansas, one protester later stated, ―In response to their
taunts, we would be well dressed and courteous, but determined, and we would give the proprietors
no reason to refuse us service, except that we were black‖ (Walters 111). This training was
especially vital due to the growth of television. Many of the events were widely publicized, and by
following their training protesters allowed the public to see well-dressed, well-mannered individuals
being verbally berated and physically abused for no other reason than the color of their skin instead
of what would have only been construed as blacks assaulting whites had they fought back.
One common form of nonviolent protest used throughout the country during the movement
was the sit-in. In her book Moody describes her participation in a number of sit-ins. In each case a
number of well-dressed, well-mannered individuals occupy an area of a public establishment which
was designated for whites only. The sit-ins in the book quickly turn violent as white onlookers begin
to verbally berate and physically abuse the protesters. The sit-ins mentioned in the book also only
continue for a short period time such as several hours. While physical violence did occur at many
sit-in protests, there were also many sit-in campaigns which encountered little to no violence. This is
evident in one of the first sit-in campaigns which occurred in Wichita in 1958. During this sit-in a
group of local college students occupied the seats in the white‘s only section of a segregated lunch
counter at a Dockum‘s drugstore. The drugstore was chosen, as most locations sit-ins were, because
71
it was a high profile location that would quickly draw the attention of the media. The sit-in
continued several days a week for four weeks with little violence. During these times the lunch
counter was closed so as to refuse service to the protesters. After the fourth week, the drugstore
decided it was losing too much money and informed its manager to serve the students. After
Dockum‘s changed its segregation policy for its lunch counter the students began targeting other
lunch counters in the city. The sit-ins at these locations did not last as long before their segregation
policies were changed (Walters 111-115). This model of sit-ins continuing for an extended period of
time was much more typical, and more effective, than the short sit-ins described by Moody in her
book. This is evident in the series of sit-ins in Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Chicago, and Greensboro
which followed the Wichita sit-ins (Walters 115-116).
Organized marches were another popular means of nonviolent protest during the movement.
Moody describes several marches in her book in which protesters are stopped almost immediately
and told to disperse. Those that did not were beaten and arrested. The picture painted by Moody was
often the case for many of the protest marches around the country. In a march in Birmingham, led by
Martin Luther King Jr., protesters walked in pairs along the sidewalk in an attempt to reach City Hall
to protest segregation and lack of employment opportunities for blacks in local businesses. ―They
walked about 40 inches apart, carried no signs or placards and observed all traffic lights. At times
they sang… the walk proceeded about four blocks- to the 1700 block of Fifth Avenue- where all the
participants were arrested‖ (Oppenheimer 121). Many of these marches were designed to end this
way. The goal was to overwhelm the local jails to draw national attention to the issues of the
movement. However, many times when protesters succeeded in overwhelming the jails, local law
enforcement turned to more violent means to disperse the protesters. This was evident when the jails
in Birmingham filled and police used dogs and water cannons to disperse the protesters. ―As the
scenes of that violence reached the American public on national television and the front pages of
many newspapers, the civil rights movement entered a new era‖ (Oppenheimer 123). One march,
which succeeded in drawing national attention without arrests and violence, was the 1963 march on
Washington, D.C. in support of President Kennedy‘s civil rights legislation. The march was partially
organized with President Kennedy‘s help, allowing protesters to participate peacefully without fear
of arrest or violence. Approximately 250,000 people, both black and white, participated in the march
(Kempton 126-127).
Voter registration drives were another important aspect of the nonviolent civil rights
movement. As Moody describes in her book, much of her work with the movement revolved around
voter registration and education. Although the Fifteenth Amendment gave blacks the right to vote,
many states established laws and procedures for registering to vote which excluded blacks. They
used literacy tests, poll taxes, and residency requirements which most blacks could not meet in order
to ensure they could not register to vote. Many of these drives were met with harsh resistance from
local law enforcement and politicians. In Ruleville, Mississippi in 1962 Charles McLaurin was
ordered arrested by the mayor simply for talking with local residents about the importance of
registering to vote (Estes 61). Many blacks were afraid to even try to register for fear they would be
fired from their jobs, evicted from their homes, or jailed (Estes 61). In Mississippi, a mock election
was held in an attempt to show that if given the chance black citizens would participate in politics in
large numbers. ―The freedom vote proved a success, tallying more than 80,000 ballots from black
citizens across the state‖ (Estes 69).
Financial boycotts were a method of nonviolent protest not mentioned by Moody in her book.
Boycotts targeted local businesses which participated in segregation. The bus boycotts in Baton
Rouge, Montgomery, and Tallahassee were some of the most visible of these demonstrations. Black
passengers on the buses were required to sit at the back of the buses in a segregated section. If there
were no seats in the back they were required to stand even if there were open seats in the front of the
bus. The buses were chosen as targets because they were dependent on their fares. During the
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boycotts entire black communities refused to use the buses. Carpools were established in order to get
people to and from work (Ackerman and Duvall 309-311). The boycott in Baton Rouge ended
quickly with an agreement to first come first serve seating with blacks starting from the back of the
bus; however, the boycotts in Montgomery and Tallahassee ended only due to court injunctions
(Ackerman and Duvall 311). In Birmingham a 1962 boycott of downtown businesses reduced black
patronage by and estimated ninety percent. ―It ended in a negotiated settlement to remove the ―white
only‖ signs from dressing rooms and drinking fountains‖ (Oppenheimer 119). The boycotts were
often combined measures, such as sit-ins and picketing, to increase their effectiveness (Oppenheimer
123).
Another important phase of the civil rights movement not mentioned in Moody‘s book were
the numerous legal and legislative battles being fought throughout the country. At the foreground of
these battles was the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Of the
notable legal battles won by the NAACP was 1954s Brown V. Board of Education in which the
Supreme Court ruled segregation in public schooling to be a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment
(Ackerman and Duvall 309). Legislation also passed as a result on long legal maneuvering. The
Civil Rights Act of 1964 expedited voting suits and stated literacy tests must be applied fairly. The
Voting Rights Act of 1965 Mandated that any state in which fifty percent of its voting age citizens
failed to vote in the 1964 presidential election had to ―suspend the use of any and all literacy tests
and other, similarly abusable registration devices‖ (Garrow 181-183).
Moody‘s book offers insight into many of the tactics of nonviolent resistance used during the
civil rights movement. Tactics such as nonviolent action education for protesters, public sit-ins,
protest marches, and voter registration drives. At the same though Moody‘s book fails to mention
several key phases of the movement such as financial boycotts and legal and legislative battles, while
also not emphasizing the vital importance of the tactics she does mention. In an age of increasing
media influence the nonviolent aspects of the civil rights movement proved to be a powerful force. It
succeeded in influencing the attitudes of many American citizens through its widespread publicity
when violence would have damaged its progressed, while also achieving legal and legislative change
throughout the country.
Works Cited
Ackerman, Peter, and Jack Duvall. ―The American South: Campaign for Civil Rights.‖ A Force
More Powerful: A Century of Nonviolent Conflict. New York: St. Martin‘s, 2000. 305-334.
Print.
Estes, Steve. ―Freedom Summer and the Mississippi Movement.‖ I am Man: Race, Manhood, and
the Civil Rights Movement. Chapel Hill and London: University of North Carolina Press,
2005. 61-86. Print.
Garrow, David F. ―The Voting Rights Act of 1965.‖ The Civil Rights Movement. Ed. Paul A.
Winters. San Diego: Greenhaven, 2000. 175-184. Print.
Kempton, Murray. ―The March on Washington.‖ The Civil Rights Movement. Ed. Paul A. Winters.
San Diego: Greenhaven, 2000. 126-130. Print.
Moody, Anne. Coming of Age in Mississippi. New York: Bantam Dell, 2004. Print.
Oppenheimer, David B. ―Civil Disobedience in Birmingham.‖ The Civil Rights Movement. Ed. Paul
A. Winters. San Diego: Greenhaven, 2000. 117-125. Print.
Walters, Ronald. ―The Student Sit-In Campaign.‖ The Civil Rights Movement. Ed. Paul A. Winters.
San Diego: Greenhaven, 2000. 108-116. Print.
73
Dr. King: Another Failure in Chicago
by Sara Liesman
(English 1102)
S
ocial activist and iconic leader for the African-American community, Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr., publically stated in his book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?, that
―we are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today‖ (King 191). Racial tensions have
lingered around the world for as long as many can even remember, whether it is the color of one‘s
skin or the sound of their native tongue. However, many, such as Vincent Parrillo, a well-known
professor of sociology, will argue that humans are not born with this hate, and that instead this angst
develops through one‘s community and family values (Parrillo 393). Often, the source of this hatred
stems from another imbalance that is not always evident on the surface. This frustration, be it from
economic inequality or family troubles, frequently results in ―scapegoating,‖ the act of placing blame
on others when it is not their fault usually to avoid the larger problem at hand (Parrillo 391).
Prejudices have spawned in America from the moment new settlers arrived in the colonies. In the
seventeenth century, Jamestown put up walls in order to keep Native Americans out without ever
truly understanding them (Buchanan 466). Throughout time humans have become more and more
aware of this injustice and how it results in racial tension, and many have fought and even died in
efforts to bring about equal rights. Nonetheless, there are a few that have tried and have succeeded in
some ways, but have failed and taken steps back for society in other ways. Martin Luther King Jr., a
well-known African American civil rights leader, discovers problems of racial inequality while living
in the slums of Chicago for 8 months during the year 1966 (King 113-114). However, as he attempts
to help, Chicago riots break out. Martin Luther King Jr. has been known as the great leader, peace
trailblazer, and racism terminator, but what really happened in Chicago during the 1960s? A
champion of human tensions meets his match as he faces the riots of the 2nd largest city in America
("The Chicago Riots"). Social unrest in Chicago is not merely a factor of racism and prejudices that
are caused by the color of one‘s skin that were often found in the south, but instead they stem from
deeper roots in society, and it is clear that Martin Luther King Jr. underestimated these issues while
he was marching in Chicago, Illinois.
Racism is not the real source of riots in Chicago, instead, the real problems stem from
inequality in housing, education, employment, and rights. Dr. King addresses these problems in his
final book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? King makes it clear that education
is the key pathway to rising out of poverty, but ―the sad truth is that American schools… do not
know how to teach‖ (King 193). He points out that it is not necessarily the inability of teachers, but
the unwillingness of them as he states that ―American educators… have not dedicated themselves to
the rapid improvement of the education of the poor,‖ who, in Chicago, are predominately the
minorities (King 195). Without proper education, many African Americans are unable to obtain
employment (King 196) further adding to the injustices that African Americans face in Chicago that
lead to scapegoats and eventually riots. Similarly, the rights of African Americans in Chicago are
often overlooked as authority abuses their power, victimizing those in poorer conditions simply
because they hold little political power (King 199). The final challenge that King mentions in his
book is housing, which is also one of the main problems he faces in Chicago as he experienced the
poor conditions that plagued the slums of African American neighborhoods (King 113). Fassil
Demissie, a professor at DePaul University, is also aware of the inequalities in housing in Chicago.
In Demissie‘s review of ―High-rise Ghettos as an American Project in Chicago,‖ Demissie states that
74
the ―towering ghettos sometimes referred to as ‗federal prisons‘ have remained ‗a testament of failed
public housing policy‖ (Demissie 689). Not only is the housing poor in the slums of Chicago, but in
Dr. Ami M. Shah‘s article ―Variations in the Health Conditions of 6 Chicago Community Areas: A
Case for Local-Level Data,‖ it is revealed that communities with poorer housing conditions are also
subject to more diseases (Shah 1485). Evidence shows that the African Americans‘ lack of power
does not entirely stem from the color of their skin, but more so from the institutions that are supposed
to hold together society. In order to see any form of change, not only would King have to help
improve the morals of citizens, but he would also have to piece together Chicago‘s failing social
structures.
Compared to the north, the southern victories were unparalleled due to a few major
differences that King failed to take into consideration. In the south King‘s operations were
successful, but in Chicago Martin Luther King Jr. falls short of a victory, merely smearing a thin
layer of hope over the real problems. Operation Breadbasket increased Negroes‘ earning power by
more than $20 million annually for three years in Atlanta, Georgia, however it only rose $7 million in
Chicago (King 145). The second largest city in America ("The Chicago Riots") should have been
able to raise more money than the southern city, Atlanta, but instead Chicago raised less than half,
revealing deeper problems in the campaign of Dr. King. Mike Royko addresses one of the main
weaknesses of King‘s campaign in his book, Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago: ―King‘s southern
tactics—the peaceful march, the soul-stirring speech—could blow the minds of southern white
rustics, but they were old stuff to Chicagoans‖ (Royko 147). James R. Ralph Jr. builds upon this idea
and states that the lack of new ideas led to ―black apathy‖ (Ralph 30). Not only did old tactics lead to
a different outcome than the south, but American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley—His Battle for
Chicago and the Nation, the most recent book about Daley, reveals that ―although the civil rights
movement had prevailed in the South by choosing narrow goals… the Chicago Campaign would
have to pursue a broader agenda‖ (Cohen and Taylor 356). King would have to change his whole
agenda and method of marching if he wanted to make any transformations in Chicago. Without
tackling larger problems than the usual southern sit-ins, there would be no improvements in Illinois.
Martin Luther King Jr. bit off more than he could chew when he tackled Chicago as the first city of
the north to lead marches as the ―problem [of Chicago] is simply a matter of economic exploitation,‖
(Cohen and Taylor 356) which calls for a ―reconstruction of the entire society‖ as expressed by King
one year after Chicago (Sturm 101). Although many of the complications in the north were created
by King and his advisors, there is also evidence that Daley made it more difficult for an outsider,
such as King, to succeed in his city. Mayor Richard J. Daley welcomed King into his city and started
his own civil rights agenda before King arrived. Cohen and Taylor provide insight into this situation
in their book: ―with all the headlines about civil rights, it was hard to get excited about yet another
[headline]‖ (Cohen and Taylor 353-354). By exhausting the topic of civil rights, Daley and the
Chicago media hindered the hype and motivation that King expected to instill in Illinois. Supporters
of King will claim that he was doomed before he even entered Chicago, but the real tragedies
occurred when he began to leave his mark on the lives of those within the city.
In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s attempt to bring peace to the city of Chicago, King ended up
slowing down the progress of social change and causing more havoc than harmony. Although Kind is
credited for being a peaceful demonstrator, the Chicago Tribune, exposes that ―time and time again,
the effects of ‗peaceful‘ demonstrations here and in other cities have been to arouse false hopes
among the Negroes and animosities between the white and Negro people… and the civil rights
leaders… know that false hopes and animosities will lead to violence‖ (―Preventing Riots‖). One of
King‘s activists noted ―We march, we return home emotionally drained,… replenish our strength,
and go back‖ (Ralph 30). There are only so many times people can be pushed down before they start
to become angry, violent, and revengeful and it was the hidden agenda of King to push these bitter
feelings into the people of Chicago. On the record King condemns violence, however, he also said,
75
―It would be foolhardy for me to condemn them without condemning the conditions which lead to
them‖ (―Dr. King Castigates Black Power Rioters‖). In this way, King points the blame at the
conditions that the blacks are in, when there is evidence that he is one that put African Americans in
the position of being a victim. King‘s ―peaceful‖ protests often resulted in injured marchers: King
was amazed as he saw their noses broken without retaliation (Ralph 30). Even on a smaller level, it
is evident that Dr. King is the problem in the city of Chicago.
King brought his own children to the ghettos of Chicago and within days he noticed their
tempers flaring and a change in attitudes (King 114), yet he says that ―the amazing thing about the
ghetto is that so few Negroes have rioted‖ (King 113). This reveals that the source of growing
tensions stems for Dr. King himself. In the past King has mediated tensions and brought about social
movements peacefully, but King‘s lack of hope for Chicago drags down the peace morals of the
citizens. In King‘s book he admits how ―[it is amazing that] many ghetto inhabitants have maintained
hope in the midst of hopeless conditions‖ (King 113). King‘s false-hope is evident to the poor in
Chicago and makes it clear to the people that peace and logic will not bring about change in the eyes
of Dr. King. Despite advocating for peace, King was so determined to have a victory ("The Chicago
Riots") that he was willing to secretly turn towards violence. During King‘s time in Chicago, blacks
were turning ―away from the Gandhian precepts of King toward the black nationalism of Malcolm
X‖ (Carson). However, King‘s arrogance would not allow him to leave the city until he obtained a
victory, and his tactics were evident to many great leaders.
Due to King‘s ignorance and pride, many officials did not appreciate King‘s stay in Chicago,
and believed that he lead to more problems than solutions. Reverend Joseph H. Jackson, also an
African American, blamed King for the violence in the city and in an interview with Mike Wallace
Jackson states that ―it is not a normal procedure to expect young people to rise up against a city, it
has to be outside interference, somebody who should not be doing it‖ ("The Chicago Riots). Jackson
blames King for the riots and violence that came about with King‘s arrival. The reverend doubts
―whether…a continuous dramatization… of the city‘s failings would ‗help us solve‘ its problems‖
(Ralph 30). The constant reminder or the problems that the Africans were facing, with no new
solutions would have created a negative atmosphere among the blacks and potentially prohibited a
process that required everyone to be on the same page. Even Ralph Metcalfe, a leading black
alderman, said: ―We have competent leadership in Chicago and all things necessary to work out our
own city‘s destiny‖ (Ralph 30). Chicago had plans to reform and Daley was well aware of the
problems that blacks faced, but without sacrifices from both sides, no changes could be made. ―Daley
himself had praised King for his successes in the South, but he saw no reason for the Nobel Peace
Prize winner to ally himself with Chicago civil rights agitators who for months now had displayed no
respect for the efforts of his regime to make Chicago a better home for its citizens‖ (Ralph 30).
Whites such as Daley, and Blacks, such as Metcalfe and Jackson, both wanted Dr. King to leave
Chicago. Although there were some that supported him, such as Jonathan Alter, just an eight year
old boy when his family invited King into their home (Alter 42), the opposition from powerful men
such as Daley should have lead King away from the city. Instead of King‘s arrival bringing forth
more change, his presence hindered progress because the leaders of the city were unable to work
together and so much of the alliances were split. Chicago would have been able to solve the problems
that it faced on its own, but after King arrived, many actions took much longer to complete than they
would have before, and even today we are still burdened with the same problems that existed in the
1960‘s.
Instead of having a positive effect in Chicago, King actually prolonged processes and took
steps back instead of forward. Although King is celebrated as a hero today, there is clear evidence
that he did more harm in Chicago than good. ―Since 1986, [Chicago] has invested more than $4.5
billion in local, state, federal, and private funds to create, improve and maintain more than 215,000
units of affordable housing for people of modest means‖ (―Mayor Daley Takes Part in Ribbon76
Cutting for Dr. King Legacy Apartments‖). At first glance this reform may seem like a victory for
King, but a closer look at the evidence reveals that they only started raising the money over twenty
years after King was in Chicago. To say that this monetary fund was a victory would be inaccurate
due to the large gap in time between 1966 and 1989. More evidence reveals that even today housing
in Chicago is prejudiced and the struggle for equality continues (Demissie 689). However, despite all
the harm that King has done to Chicago when it comes to progress, he still left behind his legacy
throughout America.
Every year we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day without really comprehending all that he
has done. Most of us jump to the conclusion that he died a martyr, who only brought about peace
during civil rights movements, and many are quick to turn a blind eye to his actions in Chicago. In
fact, a biography about King mentions every year of his life between 1959 and 1968 except for 1966,
the year that he is in Chicago (Carson). Dr. King underestimated the deeply rooted problems of
Chicago and struggled to find victories during his stay, however, King‘s actions and ideas in Chicago
changed the city forever. Despite his efforts, Chicago continues to heal from the touch of Reverend
Martin Luther King Jr. and in time the city shall be able to solve its own problems and it will soon
build a legacy similar to King‘s, one that forgets its downfalls.
Works Cited
Alter, Jonathan. ―King‘s Final Years.‖ Newsweek January 9 2006: 42. Academic OneFile. Web. April
15 2013.
Buchanan, Patrick. ―Deconstructing America.‖ Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical
Thinking and Writing. Eds. Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen and Bonnie Lisle. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin‘s, 2010. 462-472. Print.
Carson, Clayborne. ―King, Martin Luther, Jr.‖ American National Biography Online. Oxford
University Press, 2000. Web. April 10 2013.
Cohen, Adam and Elizabeth Taylor. American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley – His Battle for
Chicago and the Nation. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2000. Print.
Demissie, Fassil. ―Review Article: High-Rise Ghettos as an American Project in Chicago.‖ Social
Identities. Vol. 10. Carfax Publishing, 2004. Academic Search Premier. Web. April 15 2013.
―Dr. King Castigates Black Power Rioters.‖ Chicago Tribune Sep 10 1966: 3. ProQuest Historical
Newspapers: Chicago Tribune (1849-1989).Web. April 10 2013.
King, Martin Luther Jr.. Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? New York: Harper &
Row, 1967. Print.
―Mayor Daley Takes Part in Ribbon-Cutting For Dr. King Legacy Apartments.‖ States News Service
April 4 2011: N.P. Academic OneFile. Web. April 15 2013.
Parrillo, Vincent N. ―Causes of Prejudice.‖ Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical
Thinking and Writing. Eds. Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen and Bonnie Lisle. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin‘s, 2010. 384-397. Print.
―Preventing Riots.‖ Chicago Tribune Aug 10 1966: 22. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago
Tribune (1849-1989).Web. April 10 2013.
Ralph, James R., Jr. "Home truths: Dr. King and the Chicago Freedom Movement." American
Visions 9.4 (1994): 30. Academic OneFile. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
77
Royko, Mike. Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1971. Print.
Shah, Ami M. and Steven Whitman and Abigail Silva. ―Variations in the Health Conditions of 6
Chicago Community Areas: A Case for Local-Level Data.‖ American Journal of Public
Health. Vol. 96. Research and Practice, 2006. Academic Search Premier. Web. April 15
2013.
Sturm, Douglas. ―Martin Luther King, Jr., As Democratic Socialist.‖ Journal of Religious Ethics.
Vol. 18. Blackwell Publishing, 2001. Academic Search Premier. Web. April 15 2013.
"The Chicago Riots." Revolution: America on the Brink in the ‘60s. Host Mike Wallace. CBS
Television Network. CBS, Chicago, July 15 1966. Videocassette.
78
Mechanical Engineering: The Driveshaft of Humanity
by James Maguire
(English 1102)
M
ost of the technologies used today come either directly or indirectly from mechanical
engineering. Beginning with the industrial revolution, mechanical engineering has
increased much of what humanity can do by creating machines that allow for more to be
produced for less work. From old machines now in museums to new technologies to make everyday
life easier, mechanical engineering is an exciting field with growing prospects.
The use of mechanical engineering spans throughout history and became a major field with
the industrial revolution. The need for people to design machinery that could stand up to the rigors of
production, created the need for engineers to develop the factory floors and any machines on them.
Using the developments and creations from these factories, mechanical engineers also served a major
role in designing the locomotives for trains, and the development of cars and their continued
improvement.
One of the most important innovations for these technologies was the engine itself. The first
steam engine was developed by Thomas Newcomen in 1710 and later improved upon by James Watt
50 years later. As discussed in the article ―Harnessing the void: how the industrial revolution began
in a vacuum--or, a pull is as good as a push‖ by Robert O. Woods, the engine works off of a
difference in air pressure. Woods describes the pumping process used in steam engines as ―[a]ctual
work was performed by atmospheric pressure, forcing the piston into the partial vacuum left by
condensing steam. Later measurements found that the cycle produced a mean effective pressure of 9
1/2 psi at best.‖ Despite having a less than optimal pressure difference, the engine was still able to
pump water up from increasingly deeper mine shafts.
The second innovation made by Newcomen was the ability for pistons to be fully automated.
Pistons always need to reset after contracting so that there is a chamber to be compressed again.
Newcomen first did this with several valves that had to be adjusted frequently so there was no loss in
pressure (Woods). Today‘s engines achieve this by the use of the crankshaft and other pistons that
trigger at separate times. This keeps the engine in motion and the pistons constantly alternating,
resulting in engines being in idle.
In the 1760s, James Watt made innovations on the engine by adding the connecting rod and
crankshaft so that the motion it generated could be transferred into a rotary force (Woods). This
addition increased the uses of the engine substantially. While the original engine could be used to
pump water to turn a water wheel, the addition of a crankshaft allowed it to take up a much smaller
space. With later improvements in the efficiency of the engine, it was able to power trains and all
other kinds of vehicles.
The problem with these early steam engines was that ―[l]arger cylinders had to be hand
ground and lapped... There would be horrendously inefficient ratios between the boiler and piston
causing an extreme loss in efficiency‖ (Woods). This further reduced the use of these engines
because they were very expensive to operate. At the time horses provided a comparable amount of
work done. A secondary factor to the inefficiency of these engines was ―Newcomen's belief that the
volume of steam being produced was proportional to the volume of water in the boiler, rather than to
the heat input‖ (Woods). By using such a large volume of water in the boiler, Newcomen increased
the volume of water in the container so much so that for water to start boiling the temperature would
have to be above 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
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It was not until another man, named John Smeaton, started working on steam engines in the
1770‘s that the engines were able to run more profitably than horse power. He streamlined the ratios
of the piston length, diameter, and pressure until they ran as efficiently as horse power. After the
streamlining process of the engine was completed, a study was done to check this claim with the
following results, ―An engine … was seen to pump 250,560 gallons of water a day at a cost of 20
shillings. Two horses… were able to pump 67,200 gallons in the same time at a slightly higher cost‖
(Woods). This gave the engine an obvious advantage over the horses and soon led to the propagation
of the engines throughout the industrial era.
Another major contributor to the field of Engineering was Nikola Tesla. He was the inventor
of most of the things used in today‘s technology. The PBS special ―Tesla, Master of Lightning‖ is a
documentary on Tesla‘s life written by Robert Uth. The first of his major inventions discussed in the
documentary was his induction motor which turns alternating current (AC) to mechanical power
without any exposed wires like that of a direct current (DC) motor. He also revolutionized how
power was transported with AC current. Before he came to America, New York and other cities were
running on Thomas Edison‘s DC current, which could only travel short distances through cables
thicker than a man‘s arm. Soon after Tesla, with the help of industrial tycoon George Westinghouse,
a dam at Niagara Falls was made that delivered power all the way to New York.
More recent innovations in engineering have led to a resurgence in an old technology, the
blimp. With new advances in the use of helium, a stable gas, instead of hydrogen, an extremely
flammable gas, the technology is being used again. In the article ―Blimps are Back, Elevated by New
Roles, Materials ; Airships are Flying High in Military Capacities and Communications Possibilities,
and Even Greater Heights are in the Works,‖ Noah Shachtman talks about how blimps are starting to
see a rise in use after the 70 year slump from failures in the past. As the materials needed for blimps
get lighter and stronger, new blimp designs are able to fly much higher than before. One such use is
replacing satellites. As said in the article, ―It currently costs $25 million or so to put a satellite with a
1,000- pound payload into space. Sending a dirigible up a few miles into the air should cost a fraction
of that‖ (Shachtman, 2). This fact makes the idea of using airships extremely enticing because it
would be extremely cheap to provide these services.
Another type of blimp being funded by the U.S. military is discussed in ―A Blimp or a
Plane?‖ by Michael Abrams. The article discusses the newest blimp made by Northrop Grumman
funded by the U.S. Military. The blimp is a revolutionary design that can stay in the air for twentyone days without any servicing required, while every other aircraft can stay in the air for at most a
day. It also can fly at a top speed of 92 miles per hour, compared to the Goodyear blimp which has a
top speed of 53 miles per hour. The funding for this project comes from the military, because they
are focused on its potential in war and disaster relief. This aircraft is great for aid because it can fly
and land in areas that fixed wing aircrafts cannot and bring necessary aid to those in need.
The article ―Military Airship: Return of the Blimp‖ also talks about this airship and how it
can take off and land without the use of any ballast. Originally, ballast was necessary for airships to
be able to take off, and as the fuel started burning off, it got significantly harder to land. With this
new design, the blimp does not need any form of ballast for taking off or landing. Another amazing
thing about it is its flexibility in carrying capacity. As said by Metzger, an engineer for the ship,
―Some of the characteristics of our vehicle allow you to make trades between how long you'd like to
stay in the air and how much cargo you'd like to carry. We have the ability to trade 23 days, to go
1,000 miles and carry 15, 20 or 30,000 pounds.‖ The ship itself is an amazing feat of technology that
should see a significant rise in use over the years.
Blimps are also being developed for unmanned operations, as discussed in the article
―Robotic Airship Mission Path-following Control Based on ANN and Human Operator‘s Skill.‖
Jinjun Rao and the rest of his team discuss how they created a robotic airship by having the software
analyze the inputs of a human pilot and the responses made to adjust onto course. This article is
80
interesting because it discusses the math behind creating the autonomous system, called the ANN.
For the system to work it needs several inputs from a GPS, compass and gyros. The computing is
done on ground because the system is still new and will need to be lightened so the airship can carry
it. When that happens, and we do have more autonomous air vehicles, there can be a world of
possibilities open for what they can do.
Another new technology being created by engineers for engineers is a tool able to create
prototypes straight from a computer drafting program. The book Rapid Tooling Guidelines for Sand
Casting, by Wanlong Wang, Henry Stoll, and James Conley, discusses fast fabrication, which is the
process where an engineer sends the machine a Computer Assisted Design (CAD) file and it will
print it out as a 3D model. One chapter in particular discusses the methods used to print out the
object. As it is still a new technology it is extremely expensive to use, with prices for the machines at
thousands of dollars, which only increases the larger the printer is. Another problem with most of
these printers is a required support for the object because the material used is very malleable until it
is cured. Probably the best design is the Sander‘s Prototype Method where it has ―the droplets adhere
to each other during the liquid-to-solid phase transition to form a uniform mass‖ (Wang, Stoll,
Conley, 47). It also has a second dropper for a support material made mostly from wax that will melt
away with low heat. This technology speeds up the time it takes to test a design substantially so
engineers can spend their time more effectively.
A major issue in the engineering world is hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking. As
discussed in ―Oil and Gas Rush‖ by Eva Kaplan-Leiserson, Fracking has immense environmental
issues. It also has led to a massive increase in demand in the job market for engineers, so much so
that companies are hiring engineers at a starting salary of one-hundred thousand dollars. The jobs
related to fracking for engineers range from researching the environmental impact it has, trying to
make the process more efficient, or maintaining facilities being used for fracking. Fracking itself has
increased the ―U.S. natural gas production [by] 25% over the last five years.‖ With this dramatic
improvement in the production of natural gas, the U.S. is moving to become self reliant with no need
to import any natural gas. This massive increase in natural gas has also led to the lowering of
industrial costs making it cheaper to produce items in the U.S.
Mechanical Engineering is an extremely broad field with many different applications for the
degree. As stated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a mechanical engineer does things
ranging from designing breaks to implementing factory equipment (United States). The average
income of a Mechanical Engineer is $78,000 and it requires a Bachelor‘s degree.
Much of what is done in this job requires creativity and a firm understanding of math and
physics (United States). An understanding of programming is also necessary because many of the
calculations needed are long and can be done quickly with a simple program. An understanding of
how to read and draft blueprints is also necessary; some of this can be done using drafting software.
For schooling, a student has several options one of which is going to a four year college
straight out of high school. The second is to go to another four year college or a community college
and later transfer to another school to finish the degree. The main difference between these two
options is the cost. Going straight to a four year college is more expensive than transferring at a later
date.
In general, an engineering student will usually find a paid internship after their junior year in
college. Then they can choose to either graduate college in one year or go through a co-op program
with the company they interned with and graduate in two year (BLS).
After schooling and any internships, there are many different jobs available for a mechanical
engineer, one of which is working in a factory. Terry Pollman has spent a lot of his time in a factory
as an engineer, starting with a General Mills in Gortens as a maintenance manager where he managed
twelve mechanics. When the plant closed in 1988, he moved to the General Mills in West Chicago
where he started working with cereal systems, and then moved to bulk unloading. He has been
81
working at that General Mills plant for twenty-five years and is in charge of installing new
equipment and disposing of the out dated equipment.
Much of what Mr. Pollman does involves expensive equipment and engineers working on
that equipment. A natural question to ask is what happens when an engineer does his job incorrectly;
his response was,
If… a mechanical engineer [messes up], you get platforms that can‘t hold any weight,
too much stress on a machine, or an inefficient machine. Generally, our equipment is
assembled from parts from third party vendors, the engineer will take the parts and
put them together in the most efficient design. If he fails to, either the parts don‘t fit
together or the machine will fail easily.
When an engineer fails at his job, whatever firm he works for has to pay for it. The firm will make
sure that everywhere he goes to find work will know what he did. Depending on how badly he failed,
he may never find work as an engineer again. A byproduct of this is that most engineering
internships are paid. Firms do this because they are putting a large amount of trust into an engineer,
and they want to make sure that he will have an investment in his quality of work.
One last hurdle an engineer needs to pass is to get their Professional Engineer (PE) license
for their state (United States). He can get this after getting a BS in Mechanical Engineering at a
school accredited by the ABET, formerly called Accreditation Board for Engineering and
Technology, and completing two tests. One is the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam that is
taken after graduation. Engineers who have passed this exam are called either Engineers In Training
(EIT) or Engineer Interns (EI). An EIT will work for two years gaining experience as an intern and
then take the Principles and Practice Engineering Exam. After passing the exam, he will finally get
his PE license (ABET).
The new engineer may then choose to increase their professional involvement and join a
profession association. One professional association in the field is the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The publications from ASME are all about the codes for different
engineering aspects such as boilers, escalators, cranes, etc. ASME has a free membership for College
Freshmen and there is a paid membership with a discount for students. They have several
conferences, such as a nano-engineering conference for medical biology, and they sponsor several
competitions, like a human powered vehicle competition. Additional benefits for members include
access to an online library maintained by ASME, the ability to mentor or to be mentored through
ASME, invitations to local engineering events, and more.
Another is the National Society of Professional Engineers. The membership cost for Illinois
is $135 for a licensed member and free for students. The national dues are $100 for a licensed
member or a member and free for a student as well. To qualify for a student membership, a student
needs to be enrolled in an ABET-approved engineering program or pre-engineering program with a
transfer agreement to another ABET-approved engineering program. The benefits from NSPE are
that it has 15 free professional development hours to maintain a PE certification. It also has a forum
dedicated to finding jobs and posting resumes, a job outlook site independent of the BLS, and several
free journals.
The job outlook for mechanical engineers is expected to grow nine percent from 2010 to
2020 according the BLS, which is slower than the average for other occupations (United States). If
an engineer is having difficulty finding a job for salary, some companies will employ engineers
temporarily, as a cost cutting measure instead of keeping them on staff. While on the job mechanical
engineers can expect to be working on new hybrid vehicle designs trying to make the vehicles more
efficient, or they will be working on factory equipment. Engineers working in factories will probably
either be designing new robots for production or working on installing new systems into the factory.
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Mechanical engineers generally work on the newest industrial pursuits, like in the field of
alternate energies such as solar panels or wind turbines. Another pursuit is remanufacturing, where
an engineer will take a piece of machinery already designed and try to reuse part or all of the
machine to cut down on waste disposal costs. A final field is nanotechnology, where mechanical
engineers would work in this field by creating the production aspect for creating the technology
(United States).
The past of mechanical engineering was filled with technologies that spurred the industrial
revolution and kept the revolution going. Now mechanical engineering is leading to even more
interesting new technologies like blimps and 3D printing. With the field still expanding there are
many career options available, from working in a factory, to designing the newest car. There are
many options for mechanical engineers, they just need to find their calling.
Works Cited
ABET. ABET, 2011. Web. 2 Apr. 2013.
Abrams, Michael. "A Blimp or Plane?" American Society of Mechanical Engineers. American
Society of Engineers, Dec. 2012. Web. 09 Mar. 2013.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers. American Society of Engineers, 2013. Web. 2 Apr.
2013.
Kaplan-Leirson, Eva. "Oil and Gas Rush." PE Magazine. National Society of Professional Engineers,
Apr. 2013. Web. 2 April 2013.
March, Robert H. "The Life & Times of Nikola Telsa: Biography of a Genius." Physics Today 50.9
(1996): 65. EBSCO. Web. 2 Apr. 2013.
"Military Airship: Return of the blimp." The Engineer 12 July 2010: 24. Academic OneFile.
Web. 9 Mar. 2013.
National Society of Professional Engineers. National Society of Professional Engineers, 2013. Web.
2 Apr. 2013.
Roa, Jinjun, et al. "Robotic Airship Mission Path-following Control Based on ANN and Human
Operator‘s Skill." Transactions of the Institute of Measurement & Control 29.1 (2007): 5-15.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.
Shachtman, Noah. "Blimps Are Back, Elevated by New Roles, Materials; Airships Are Flying High
in Military Capacities and Communications Possibilities, and Even Greater Heights Are in
the Works." Chicago Tribune 17 Apr. 2004: 2-3. Web.
―Tesla Master of Lightning.‖ Nova. Public Broadcasting System. Narr. Elizabeth Noone, Chicago,
Dec. 2000. Television.
United States. Dept. of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. ―Mechanical Engineers.‖ Occupational
Outlook Handbook. 2012-13 ed. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 29 Mar. 2012. Web. 2 Apr.
2013.
Wang, Wanlong, Henry W. Stoll, and James G. Conley. Rapid Tooling Guidelines for Sand Casting.
N.p.: Springer US, 2010. Springer. Web. 2 Apr. 2013.
Woods, Robert O. "Harnessing the void: how the industrial revolution began in a vacuum--or, a pull
is as good as a push." Mechanical Engineering-CIME Dec. 2003: 38+. Academic OneFile.
Web. 2 Apr. 2013.
83
Rx Green Tea
by Danielle Meyer
(Biology 1152)
T
he subjects that were investigated revolved around the effects of green tea upon health after
consumption. In the first referenced experiment, Khan, S., et al. (2007) analyzed the
―Influence of green tea on enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism, antioxidant defense, and
plasma membrane in rat tissues‖ (pp. 687). The additional study by Ostrowska, J., et al. (2004)
―Green tea protects against ethanol-induced lipid peroxidation in rat organs‖ studied to find if green
tea protected cell membranes from the peroxidation of lipids associated with ethanol consumption
(pp. 25). The relationship between these two experiments studied to find the potential health benefits
promoted by green tea. More specifically, green tea‘s effect upon the lipid membrane organization of
organs. Each experiment reminded the reader that green tea contains polyphenols, known as
catechins. Catechins are a type of antioxidant. This component of polyphenolic antioxidants
(catechins) has been shown through research to have cancer chemopreventive effects (Ahmad, 1999).
While both studies by Ostrowska et al. and Khan et al. investigated the effects of green tea on rat
tissues and their potential health benefits, the study conducted by Ostrowska was more thorough.
The experiment by Khan et al. (2007) hypothesized that green tea, because of its antioxidant
properties, would increase antioxidant defenses and specific metabolic activities of rat intestine, liver,
and kidney. If proved effective, this in all would lead to an increased efficiency of rat organs. The
experiment used three groups of Wistar rats, with six to eight rats per group. Before the experiment
was conducted, all rats were conditioned in the same environment as to not let any outside factors
affect the experiment. The rats in the first group were the control group. These rats were given a
standard pellet diet and water for twenty five days. The rats within group two were given the same
pellet diet, however; green tea extract was added to their drinking water for twenty five days, which
supplied a more concentrated amount of antioxidants to their diet. The last group, group three, was
given green tea within the pellet diet, and water for twenty five days.
The experiment conducted by Ostrowska et al. (2004) evaluated the influence of green tea as
a source of antioxidants in defense against lipid peroxidation promoted by ethanol in the liver, brain,
and blood of rats. Peroxidation is a step in pathogenesis of many disease states, and results in the
attacking of cell membrane lipids (Mylonas and Kouretas, 1999). Pathogenesis is the origination and
development of a disease (Merriam-Webster, 2013). Hence, peroxidation is a stepping stone to the
attacking of organs and inhibition of their proper functions. This experiment specifically used two
month old Wistar rats. The rats were divided into four groups with six rats per group. The first
group, the control group, received a control liquid Lieber diet for five weeks. The second group was
fed the Lieber diet that also contained green tea for five weeks. The third group was fed the Lieber
diet for one week, then for the next four weeks received the same diet containing ethanol. Lastly, rats
in the fourth group were fed the Lieber diet with green tea for one week then a Lieber-green teaethanol diet for the remaining four weeks. This organization of feeding was vital to do comparative
results of the peroxidative process within the different treated tissues. Ostrowska et al.‘s experiment
explained that chronic ethanol feeding leads to a decrease in antioxidant factors in the liver and of
many enzymes, which enhances lipid peroxidation. So, the use of ethanol was used in order to study
if the catechins could combat this process.
It is important to note that each experiment utilized Wistar rats for their studies. Rats are the
best subject to use in these experiments. For one, their lives are shorter and can be observed in a
84
smaller amount of time if not to be euthanized such as these rats were. Most importantly, however;
are the similarities between human and rat anatomy and metabolism of catechins as well as ethanol.
The metabolism of catechins and ethanol is the same in rats and humans (Ostrowska pp. 31). This
goes on to show the significance that the results found in these experiments may be universal for
humans.
Although both experiments were designed to investigate primarily the antioxidant defenses
brought on by green tea, Khan et al.‘s group had no variables within their experiment to exhibit the
progress of defense. Rather, they focused on the change within enzymes after green tea consumption.
On the other hand, in Ostrowska et al.‘s experiment, ethanol was combated by the catechins and
antioxidants in green tea. The use of the ethanol was vital in order to induce the like effects of
peroxidation and decomposition of cell membranes. Then the catechins in green tea could be studied
of how well they do or do not supply a defense against the physical treats. Of which shows the
enhanced antioxidant defenses that Khan wanted to investigate themselves, however went about it in
a more assuming manner of data collection based on the production of enzymes.
The control groups within each experiment were very similar in that the Wistar rats were
only fed a liquid Lieber diet for four or five weeks. Khan et al.‘s experiment had an upper hand in
that they conditioned all the rats before the experiment to avoid random radicals in their rats‘
systems. This process was not stated to be done in the Ostrowska et al.‘s experiment. Therefore, it is
left unclear what condition the rats were in when they began the experiment. Because of this, the
results may have swayed slightly.
The number of subjects used in Khan et al.‘s experiment was considerably unclear. The
groups were stated to have six to eight rats, and did not state the physical age of the rats. Whereas in
Ostrowska et al.‘s experiment, six rats were in each group, all being about two months old. The equal
age of the rats is vital to the data in order to avoid variables of metabolism that can be presented
through age. If rats of different ages were to be used, this would require a different experiment that
takes into consideration the effect of age upon green tea metabolism.
Within Khan et al.‘s experiment, after the Wistar rats were conditioned after twenty-five days
with either the controlled, green tea extract, or green tea diets, the rats were killed under light
anesthesia. Then samples were taken from the intestine, liver, and kidneys and created into serums.
The serums were created from compiling a couple of rats‘ tissues of the same experimental groups, in
order to investigate effects of green tea on various serum parameters. They did not investigate any
tissues under microscopes to make comparisons to any possible changes of brush boarders, which I
found surprising. This could have been something worth observing even though they were mainly
focusing on enzyme activities.
Similarly, after the five weeks of conditioning the Wistar rats, Ostrowska et al.‘s experiment
killed all the rats under anesthesia. Blood samples were drawn quickly afterward. In addition, livers
and brains were removed and sectioned for transmission electron microscope investigation.
Homogenates were also created, within the same experimental groups, with extra chemical
preservatives to prevent further peroxidation. This experiment used more visual comparisons of the
tissues rather than the investigation of enzymes. In my opinion, this is a better way of investigation of
the protection exhibited rather than drawing conclusions based on the enzyme concentrations.
Khan et al.‘s experiment analyzed the separate serums created from the rat intestine, liver,
and kidney to investigate the activities of carbohydrate metabolism, antioxidant defense system and
brush boarder membrane of all the organs. They proposed that green tea polyphenols (catechins)
cause specific adaptive alterations in cellular metabolism of certain tissues which would improve
their functioning. Their data was presented through extensive tables that exhibited the numerical
value and percentage of the enzymes found in each serum. Through examining the concentration of
enzymes amongst the organs, they found that the green tea consumption led to a significant increase
in the activities of certain enzymes of glucose reduction, and the synthesis of glucose enzyme in the
85
intestine, liver, and kidney. From these results, they concluded that green tea catechins have
antioxidant scavenging properties that lower oxidative damage to tissues.
Ostrowska et al.‘s experiment investigated the liver and brain tissues and the homogenates
created from them to find if the green tea protected the cell phospholipid membranes from
peroxidation by the ethanol. They proposed that the green tea would protect against such
peroxidation. The data in this experiment was demonstrated through easy to understand comparative
bar charts, brief tables of enzyme concentrations and transmission electron microscope pictures that
demonstrated the differences between tissues of the experimental groups. In all, they found that
giving the green tea with ethanol to the rats resulted in the normalization of lipid peroxidation
process. In addition, they found that glutathione concentration and glutathione peroxidase activity in
the liver and brain were normalized. They drew from this that catechins in green tea scavenge free
radicals, including the hydroxyl radical, which was predicted through other studies to initiate lipid
peroxidation itself. They supported this by stating that catechins can penetrate the lipid bilayer, thus
decreasing free radical concentration. Also, catechins can interact with phospholipids such as
hydroxyl groups to decrease the fluidity in the polar surface of the lipid bilayer. This breakdown of
their results and why they had concluded the way they had was very helpful to understanding what
exactly happened at the molecular level. This depth was not reached in the experiment by Khan et al.,
which left for a shallow understanding of their results in comparison. Ostrowska et al.‘s experiment
concluded that green tea may decrease lipid peroxidation and the disruption of cell membranes. In
this way, green tea can prevent metabolic changes in the liver and brain.
Both Khan et al. and Ostrowska et al. hypothesized and were correct that the antioxidant
properties of green tea would improve specific rat organ functions. However, the overall design of
the experiment ―Green tea protects against ethanol-induces lipid peroxidation in rat organs‖ by
Ostrowska et al. was more thorough in demonstration and explanation of the defensive actions of
catechins on oxidative processes within their report. The variable of ethanol that they used in their
experiment which Khan et al. did not use was vital to demonstrate the improved functioning of
membranes and organs when combated with oxidative processes. Being that Khan et al. did not use
this, the data collected was more assumed to its benefits rather than visibly shown with electron
microscope images. After the experiment was conducted, Ostrowska et al. went on to explain in
depth in their discussion what and why the conclusions were what they were. On the other hand,
Khan et al. had a very brief discussion section in comparison that did not go into such explanation
and left the reader with questions unanswered. Conclusively, the experiment by Ostrowska et al.
answered their hypothesis thoroughly while Khan et al. did not establish theirs as well.
References
Ahmad, N., Mukhtar, H., (March 1999) Green tea polyphenols and cancer: biological mechanisms
and practical implications, Nutrition Reviews, Volume 57, Pages 78-83
Khan, S.A., Priyamvada, S., Arivarasu, N.A., Khan, S., Yusufi, A.N.K, (September 2007) Influence
of green tea on enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism, antioxidant defense, and plasma
membrane in rat tissues, Nutrition, Volume 23, Issue 9, Pages 687-695
Mylonas, C., Kouretas, D., (May-June 1999) Lipid peroxidation and tissue damage, In Vivo, Pages
295-309, Retrieved from: National Center for Biotechnology Information
86
Ostrowska, J., Łuczaj, W., Kasacka, I., Różański, A., Skrzydlewska, E., (January 2004) Green tea
protects against ethanol-induced lipid peroxidation in rat organs, Alcohol, Volume 32, Issue
1, Pages25-32, Retrieved from: http://0-www.sciencedirect.com.
Pathogenesis. 2013. Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved March 29, 2013, from http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/pathogenesis
87
Brains Vs… Something Shiny?
by Kevin Midlash
(English 1102)
Misoverestimated Leaders
oredom sometimes leads us to do strange things. Perhaps that is why a younger version of
myself sat in front of the television watching a presidential speech that night. ―You teach a
child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test‖ the President said as he
explained his new bill (―The Misunderestimated President‖). My jaw dropped. Here was someone
who didn‘t seem to have a strong grasp of the English language, and he was going to fix the
educational system? I watched for a little longer, but when I heard, "Rarely is the question asked: Is
our children learning?" the mind-numbing nature of his speech forced me to change the channel
(―The Misunderestimated President‖).
To his credit, Bush was probably much more intelligent than he appeared. After all,
convincing a nation that a double Ivy League graduate born in Connecticut was no more than a dull,
slow-speaking southerner is an impressive feat. While the failure of many of his policies does
indicate that he might not have been the most knowledgeable on the areas he chose to reform, he was
certainly a skilled showman.
As I look around the global stage and throughout history, I notice that Bush is not alone in
this. Almost all of the world leaders are also focused mainly on putting on a show for their people.
The very existence of political science seems to prove this. By busying themselves with studies in
winning peoples‘ hearts, these future politicians are much too busy to learn about the professions
they will eventually come to regulate. For better or for worse, this just seems to be the way things
are.
Still, when I see the shortcomings of these charismatic leaders, I can‘t help but wonder
whether we might be better off with someone else at the wheel. Would not a Professor of Education
know how best to reform education? Who else would hold the secrets to fixing healthcare if not a
doctor? All in all, would it be better to have intellectuals leading us rather than the usual showmen?
B
Thinking Small
Since I could not find the answer to this question elsewhere, the burden of its solution fell to
me. While it seems that the obvious choice would be for me to pick a country with a charismatic
leader and compare it to a country with an intellectual leader, doing so wouldn‘t give me very good
results. So many things; from geography, to economy, to the culture within a country all change the
way it operates. Distinguishing the leader‘s impact from these extraneous variables would be a
headache that I would rather avoid. No, for me to get clear, reliable results, I would have to think
smaller. As I ponder where I might find these two types of leaders piloting two similar groups, my
inner nerd shouts out my answer. It has to be Apple and Microsoft.
While I‘m sure that everyone knows of these technology giants with their iconic leaders;
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, the reason why they are such a perfect choice might not be entirely clear.
So as not to bore you, my valued reader, with a history lesson, I‘ll go through the important parts
quickly. The truncated history according to me goes something like this…
In the 70s, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computer. Shortly after, Bill Gates
and Paul Allen founded Microsoft. They both started their companies in small garage based
operations and expanded them into big multinational corporations. Once they made it big, Steve
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Wozniak, who was the computer expert of the Apple duo, resigned. An eerily similar thing occurred
when businessman Paul Allen, walked away from Microsoft. From then on, Apple would be led by
the Charismatic Steve Jobs, and Microsoft by the Programmer Bill Gates.
Let’s Have a Good, Clean Fight.
To determine which style is ultimately more effective, I have to somehow compare these two
companies. Contrary to the entire premise behind Mac V Pc, two complex things cannot be compared
outright with a single result; they need to be weighed based upon important factors. With this in
mind, I decide to grade the companies on a set of traits that are indicative of good leadership. Just
like boxing, the side with the most points at the end of the match will be crowned the winner. There
will be no participation prize in this contest; the loser will just have to be content with their multibillion dollar corporation and inferior style of leading. I‘m getting ahead of myself. First, I wonder,
what are the important factors for determining leader quality? For an answer to this, I turn to the
biggest book that that I could find with leadership in its name; the Encyclopedia of Leadership.
After searching through several volumes, I finally find what I‘m looking for... or rather, I find
that what I was looking for didn‘t exist. In an enclosed section on what helps to create a good leader I
was dismayed to learn that, even amongst field experts, there was no clear set of qualities that good
leaders possessed (Day 842). Unwilling to give up on my quest for the truth, I decide to set my own
criteria. I think long and hard about what makes countries and companies great. Finally, I arrive upon
the conclusion that, in the business world, three criteria that reign supreme; net worth, employee
happiness, and innovation. Let the games begin.
Apple: 0 Microsoft: 0
Round 1: Cold Hard Ca$h
As far as Wall Street is concerned, the little red and green numbers that they see are the only
important part of a company. While this may not be entirely true, the monetary success of a company
is rather important. As such, a good leader should strive to increase their company‘s value as much as
possible.
I sift through pages upon pages of stock and trade records to no avail. Looking at trade
volume, stock price, and dividend records may not have given me a straightforward answer as to
which company was more valuable, but it did teach me an important lesson; I am not cut out to be a
trader. I was about to give up when I stumbled across a news story from 2010. This one story was run
in multiple newspapers at the time, but USA Today captured the essence in the very first sentence;
―Apple's share price hit a milestone on Wednesday -- pushing the company's market capitalization
higher than Microsoft's for the first time‖ (Byron). While this would appear to point in Apple‘s favor
here, it does quite the opposite. By 2010, Jobs and Gates had already been leading their companies
for more than 30 years and for that whole time, Apple had never managed to come out on top. It was
only in Jobs‘ last year of life, at which point he had already begun to appoint others to assist and
eventually take over his company that they finally managed to out value Microsoft.
Putting aside the little spike towards the end, Microsoft got its lead quickly and held it for a
long while. The bell rings to end the first round. After little deliberation, it is clear; when it comes to
profits, Microsoft is the winner.
Apple: 0 Microsoft: 1
Round 2: Where do You See Yourself in 10 Years?
The next topic came to me amidst a daydream about two fictional shoe companies. The first
was a little-old shop in the middle of a little-old Dutch town where a little-old man carves wooden
shoes with a smile on his face. The second is my impression of an overseas sweatshop, where a large
half-man half-daemon with fire in his eyes cracks a whip over scarred little child workers as they sew
89
together cheap sneakers. While this may show just what falling asleep in front of the television can
do to your imagination, it does raise another important point. Worker happiness makes a huge
difference.
Being that I‘m a straightforward sort of guy, I decide that the best way to find out what the
employees think of their jobs is to ask them. This is met with no success. Due to the fear of corporate
espionage, all employees of these companies are forced to sign strict Non-Disclosure Agreements.
These agreements essentially say that speaking about any internal working of the company will result
in a swift and painful flogging by their legal departments. To make matters worse, these agreements
are usually effective for a period of at least 5 years. Needless to say I don‘t imagine I‘ll be able to
find a legitimate interview.
I then broaden my search to see if I can find a more anonymous method of obtaining
employee opinions. My search lands me on a job review website called Glassdoor. When I turn to
Apple and Microsoft‘s pages, I see thousands of reviews of the companies and an overall rating to go
with them. Going strictly from the numbers, Apple won with a rating of 3.9 to Microsoft‘s 3.6 on the
5 point scale that was used (Glassdoor). As I scan through the reviews, I get a pretty good idea why.
The Microsoft reviews mention things like great benefits, cool technology, ect… but almost every
review has one big complaint; Microsoft is too machine like. Working these leaves many of them
feeling like nameless cogs in a big machine. On Apple‘s review board, a user going by the alias
Senior Technical Advisor summarizes what the other Apple employees rave about, ―Apple treats its
employees like human beings‖ (Glassdoor).
Such a simple courtesy, but to Apple employees, it makes all the difference. The round ends
and Apple comes out on top.
Apple: 1 Microsoft: 1
Round 3: Can They be as Creative as this Title?
With the scores ties up, we head to the final category. While very few people remember the
name of the man who invented Penicillin, there is no doubt that the world was made better by its
existence. Granted neither of these companies has created anything truly life-saving, at least not yet,
but novel new ideas that revolutionize the world we live in and change the course of history itself are
worth recognition. As such, the company that is the most innovative shall win the final point.
Though they began as computer companies, Apple and Microsoft have expanded into so
much more. Their product lines now stretch from computers out into entertainment and much even
telephones. Both companies have expanded in this way but alas, Apple is constantly one step ahead.
Sorry Microsoft, your Zune and Windows Phone were just too late.
Just as I am about to declare Apple the winner, a point made in an issue of Engineering &
Technology catches my eye. ―Very few of [Apple‘s] successful products have been the first-tomarket. The iPod was by no means the first MP3 player‖ (Furfli 34). This makes me stop dead and
think. Did Apple really create anything that had never been done before? The graphical user
interface, which created the personal computer genre, was made by Xerox before the first Apple
computer… and the PalmPilot was a ―smartphone‖ long before the term ―smartphone‖ existed. Come
to think of it, even the iPad was nothing more than a tablet computer with a touch screen, and neither
of these was new.
So the most innovative is… neither of them. I‘m surprised that, with all this hype around
these companies, they don‘t appear to have a truly original creation between the two of them. The
final round comes to an end without either side making a solid hit in the realm of creativity. The
score remains tied.
Apple: 1 Microsoft: 1
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Bonus Round
I scan the internet again in an effort to break the tie. What I find is an article by the
excessively well-credentialed Harvard Law Professor Jonathan Zittrain. He makes the case that,
though Jobs is hailed as a great visionary, Apple is actually an enemy of innovation. After many
pages condemning Apple‘s app review process, he gives this coup de grâce; ―if Wikipedia required
an incumbent gatekeeper‘s approval or permission to get started, it might have failed to receive it‖
(20). I‘m shocked. Wikipedia is one of the biggest things in free information, so the thought that it
could have never existed if it needed to pass Apple‘s review process was mind boggling. This makes
me wonder just how many brilliant startups have met there end at the hands of Apple. I shudder to
think. While Microsoft may not be exceptionally creative in itself, at least it doesn‘t go to such
lengths to stifle the creativity of others.
The final bell rings and this match comes to an end. In a bizarre twist of events, Apple dealt
itself a knockout punch in the battle for creativity. Microsoft has won.
Apple: 1 Microsoft: 2
We Have Our Winner… What Now?
In the end, Microsoft beats out Apple 2 to 1. Microsoft‘s victory here shows that, by my
criteria, Bill Gates‘ intellectual approach outperformed Steve Jobs‘ charisma. Winner aside, the final
score isn‘t entirely one-sided. This means that neither style is entirely without a benefit. Likewise,
neither of them is completely flawless.
By extrapolating these ideas to the world as a whole, we begin to see things in a different
light. Yes, most politicians are clearly charismatic instead of intellectual, no, this might not be bad.
Even if the intellectual approach could solve some of our country‘s problems, would it really be
worth sacrificing the quality of life that charismatic leadership brings? When you look towards your
stern old math teacher, will you still wish he was more fun? Or do you appreciate the efficiency his
style brings? What about you? The next time you are given a position of power; will you stop to
consider which style you wish to embrace? If you choose wisely, you may find that events unfold in
your favor.
Works Cited
Byron, Acohido. "Apple market cap tops Microsoft." USA Today. USA Today, 27. May 2010:
Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 July 2013.
Day, David V. ―Leader Development.‖ Encyclopedia of Leadership. George R. Goethals, Georgia J.
Sorenson, James MacGregor Burns. Vol 2. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2004. Print.
Furfie, Ben. "Is The Ipad A Game Changer? [Tablet Computer From Apple]." Engineering &
Technology 5.4 (2010): 34-35. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 July 2013.
Glassdoor.com. Glassdoor. 16 July 2013. Web. 17 July 2013.
―The Misunderestimated President‖ BBC.co.uk. BBC. 7 January 2009. Web. 17 July 2013.
Zittrain, Jonathan. "Law And Technology: The End Of The Generative Internet." Communications
Of The ACM 52.1 (2009): 18-20. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 July 2013.
91
My Sanctuary
by Erin Miller
(English 1101)
W
ithin my two story house, up on the top floor, is the room I once dreamed of. Ever since I
was a young child, books have fascinated me. As I grew older, my bedroom in my parent's
home steadily became cluttered with my collection. The thick wood of the closet shelves
sagged under the weight of the books, which were stacked all the way to the ceiling, and next the
closet floor held piles of books precariously balanced on the thick carpet. Once it became too
difficult to enter the closet due to limited floor space, my collection spilled out into the bedroom.
Mountains of books leaned against the walls in the four corners of my room and were scattered
across every available surface of my nightstand, dresser and desk. I dearly cherished every book I
owned, such as Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Despite the lack of living space, every time I visited a book store I usually walked up to the
register with a stack of novels held in my arms as high as my chin. Even with the discomfort of
dwelling in such an incommodious bedroom, I considered it a crime when my younger sister
attempted to sell a portion of my books during a garage sale one summer. As a young girl, I yearned
for the day when I could comfortably accommodate my precious collection. Then that day came.
Nearly three years ago, in the early autumn, my husband and I became home owners, which provided
a unique opportunity. I was able to design one of the spare bedrooms as a reflection of myself, and I
transformed a wish into reality.
Now, it is often after sunset when I have the chance to retire to this fantasy-become-fact. As I
cross the threshold, my bare feet leave the smooth hardwood floor of the hallway and sink into the
lush, speckled beige carpet of the darkened room. The light switch on the wall to the left has never
functioned, so initially there is no sight as I step further into the room. The light from the dim street
lamp outside reaches no further than the curtains from the two windows which face to the north and
west. So, physical sensation is always the first to greet me. The soft carpet beneath my toes
complements the cool breeze across my skin. The quiet twirling hum of the overhead fan reaches my
ears. I draw a deep breath as the tension from the day eases away, and there is a subtle scent upon the
air. It is a hint of the past because the room is infused with the smell of aged paper.
I need no light to safely guide me into the room, for the path has long been imprinted upon
my memory. When my feet come to a halt near the center of the room, I raise one arm towards the
source of the breeze, the ceiling fan. My fingertips find the thin metal chain above me in the
darkness. With a gentle tug, electricity courses through the four lights attached to the fan. The room
becomes illuminated, and vibrant colors dance across my vision as my eyes adjust to the hues of the
room. Olive green and burgundy red dominate the decor, complimented by accents of copper, bronze
and gold. The four walls are painted a pale grass green, and an ivory trim borders the floor and two
windows.
This is a room of far away lands, just as I had intended. It possesses the exotic quality of an
Arabian night. The curtains are dark green, yet the thin material is sheer. Long, beaded strings hang
before the curtains, their tiny pale gold beads occasionally sparkling in the light as they sway in the
fan's gentle breeze. Instead of a valance over the two windows, I have draped long silk scarves with
patterns of red and gold over each ornate curtain rod. Thick, handmade tablecloths, which cover two
small wood tables, come from across the ocean. The cloth has delicate stitches of colorful thread, in
hues of red, green, orange and yellow, which swirl and loop into floral patterns. Tiny square mirror
92
beads sewn onto the tablecloths reflect miniature pictures of the room. These elements of the room
bring to mind the collection of folk tales titled One Thousand and One Nights, wherein the newest
bride Scheherazade of the sultan Schahriar weaves imaginative tales to captivate the attention of her
husband, who has been struck by a madness. Each day he takes a new wife and each morning, under
the wrongful impression that all women are wicked, he murders his wife so that none have the
opportunity to betray him. With Scheherazade's masterful storytelling, each morning he is so
enthralled by his newest wife that he spares her life so that she may continue the tale the next night.
After one thousand and one nights, the day finally comes when his trust in women and sanity have
been restored. From this book comes many classic stories, such as The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the
Sailor, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.
Hanging from the wall, near the smaller window which faces to the west, is a narrow Oriental
wall scroll. This white, paneled scroll has a red border which matches the color of the kimono of the
noble woman in the painting. Thin bamboo trees with green leaves form the background behind her.
The serene beauty of the woman reminds me of the character Lady Maruyama Naomi, from the novel
Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn. Hers is a tragic tale in a land akin to feudal Japan, for
she is a woman of high birth who struggles against the restrictions of a rigid society, where a harsh
man, Iida Sadamu, holds her daughter as hostage and the prospect of marriage to her true love, Otori
Shigeru, is denied to her as a result. The name of the novel is in reference to a floor built in the
household of the enemy Iida Sadamu which chirps like the song of the nightingale when the pressure
from footsteps is applied to each panel, a protection against the quiet tread of assassins, and the effort
of Otori Takeo, the heir of Otori Shigeru, to silently cross the floor in order to end the terrible reign
of the warlord.
Despite the cultural differences, the wall scroll blends in well with the other decor, as does a
collection of Scottish heritage, heirlooms from my husband's family, which are displayed upon the
wall near the open door. Three framed Scottish landscape paintings of Edinburgh Castle surround a
plaque bearing a crest of arms. Above these cherished items, mounted higher upon the wall, is a
claymore, a double edged broad sword once used by Scottish Highlanders, brought back by my
husband from Edinburgh, Scotland, slightly more than fifteen years ago. The surface upon which
these treasures are hung is the only wall in the room where no furniture rests, but three chairs cluster
together in the far corners of the room. Two are a matched pair, burgundy red chairs with high backs
and thick cushions, a cozy place to sit for any guest who enters here. Opposite the doorway, tucked
into the corner, is my little throne. This is where I read. It is a low, single-seater sofa of ivory cloth
with a floral design. A dusty rose and dark wood footrest rescued from an antique shop takes up the
space on the floor in front of it.
Yet while all of these elements are pleasing, none are the true essence of the room. Between
the chairs and side tables, grand bookcases line the walls, the source of the musky scent that greets
me whenever I enter my room. The shelves, which range in size from three to five tiers, are
brimming with novels, a vast variety of hard cover and paperback, and a significant improvement
over my childhood bedroom chaos. The room is filled with the smell of hundreds of books, some
quite old yet tenderly cared for. Though I still enjoy the genres I read as a child, I have expanded my
literature preferences to all forms of fiction. Once I lift the cover of any book to reveal the first pages,
I become lured into the land of dark horror of Firestarter by Stephen King, enticed into the realm of
epic fantasy of Wit'ch Fire by James Clemens, or flung into the future of science fiction of Ender's
Game by Orson Scott Card. Each book is a gateway into another world. This is my sanctuary, a place
of quiet joy and relaxation. This is my library.
93
Green Chemistry Project
by William Jasen Mummert
(Chemistry 1105)
n today‘s fast paced, get it now world, where everything is done out of convenience and cost
efficiency, it seems that most of us just believe that the world will continue to rotate and give us
whatever we need with little thought as to how our actions affect the planet that we live on. This
planet is, even by astronomical or cosmic terms, extremely unique. The fact we even exist is almost
an anomaly in itself, considering our sun‘s prime location in the Milky Way and Earth‘s proximity to
that sun, a combination that famous physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson calls ―The Goldilocks Zone.‖ 1
Earth also benefits from an abnormally large moon which stabilizes its rotation and thus gives
stability to our weather patterns and seasonal changes. Add to that the noble chemical content and
pressure of our atmosphere, tectonic plating, a strong magnetic field, and of course the water that is
so vital to every living thing on the planet. Water itself is so incredibly unique, acting as an acid to
bases, as a base to acids, having appropriate polarity and the very unique property of losing density
as it becomes a frozen solid, enabling it to float on its liquid form, which keeps all of the usable fresh
water on the planet from eventually sinking below the liquid, which then would freeze, and so on.
Because of the delicacy of this circle of life, it is important that we be responsible with what we have
been charged with, while still being able to fulfill our human desire to live in a civilized and modern
world and reach our personal and sociological goals. This relatively new line of thinking is called
―The Green Initiative‖ or ―going green,‖ which basically means consuming products and living a
lifestyle that uses as many renewable and sustainable sources as possible and lowering the carbonfootprint that is raging out of control, especially in modern Western society. 2
The problem with ―being green‖ is the cost associated with organic or clean processes when
compared with more engrained and traditional methods of production which end up causing
unwanted effects on our planet. People in modern society are, by nature, extremely selfish and don‘t
always think about how things end up affecting future generations, so long as they ―look out for
Number One.‖ However, one company that has been relatively successful despite an economic
disadvantage is Seventh Generation, Inc., a manufacturer and supplier of green products ranging
from dish soap to diapers to facial cloths.3 Founded in 1988 in Burlington, Virginia, Seventh
Generation‘s corporate goal is to reduce the amount of natural resources that they consume in the
manufacturing process and to strive to keep the products themselves organic, so that they break down
more easily and release less harmful chemicals into nature, most notably phosphates and chlorine.4
Seventh Generation, gets its name from an old American Indian proverb, namely the Great
Law of the Haudenosaunee (the Iroquois Confederacy), which says that ―In our every deliberation,
I
1
Albo M. An Environmental Cleanup in Every Aisle. New York Times [serial online]. April 9, 2009:4.
Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich MA. Accessed May 4, 2013.
2
http://www.happi.com/articles/2010/07/42-seventh-generation
3
Wong E. Seventh Generation Asks Bloggers to Lay It on the Line. Brandweek [serial online]. June 28, 2010;
51(26):26. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed May 4, 2013.
4
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/responsibility
94
we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.‖5 7G has been awarded
for its efforts many times over the years, generally by organizations that promote such Earth Friendly
ideas. For example, in 2007 7G was awarded with The Association for Sustainability‘s top award,
and also was names one of the Top 10 Responsible Brands in America 2004, where they finished as
the 7th most responsible brand in America by the College Explorer study sponsored by Alloy Media
& Marketing.6 According to the corporate website, in 2011 7G use by consumers saved 77,000 full
growth trees, 28,000,000 gallons of water, and 203,000 cubic feet of landfill while preventing 35,000
pounds of chlorine being released into our water supply.
As is customary with most Earth-friendly products, Seventh Generations products cost more
than their traditional rivals. For example, at Target as of May 2013, a 252 count box of 7G‘s Free &
Clear Baby Wipes cost $9.99, while the long trusted Pampers Hypoallergenic Perfume Free wipes
cost $199 for a 440 count box, over 40% less per wipe, and Up & Up, Target‘s house/generic brand,
cost only $12.99 for 792 wipes, well under half the cost.7 Despite this, they remain one of the most
profitable companies around today, in fact in 2010, the company claimed to have $150 Million in
annual revenue and in 2009 they were Vermont‘s second most profitable company.8
But how green are they? For this paper, we will look at two of the company‘s top products,
their laundry soaps and diapers. According to the eco-friendly site SmartKlean, 7G uses chemicals
such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in many of their products including dish-washing liquids, hand soaps,
disinfectants and laundry detergents, including their baby laundry detergent.
SLS, which is used as a foaming agent, penetrates the skin and its health hazards include
reproductive and developmental toxicity, tissue damage that could result in chronic liver, brain, heart,
lung damage and may include cancer. SLS has been found in the tissue of these organs so we know it
accumulates in the body. SLS also can cause eye damage, affect the immune system and irritate the
skin. It has also been shown to cause eczema, and if ingested can lead to damage to tissues in the
mouth, ulcers in the mouth and gum disease. Using shampoo with SLS can cause dandruff and hair
loss. In fact, the Environment Canada Domestic Substance List classifies SLS as expected to be
toxic or harmful, and as a medium human health priority. Not exactly what one would expect from a
company that cloaks itself as being environmentally safe.9
As far as diapers, 7G‘s Free & Clear diapers are marketed as being chlorine free and
biodegradable. However, the corporate website says that the light brown texture is not due to the
―natural‖ color, but rather they use brown pigments to help distinguish Seventh Generation Chlorine
Free Diapers from others in the marketplace that are bleached with chlorine-containing substances as
we aim to offer an alternative that is not bleached with chemicals containing chlorine, and are
working hard to further improve the sustainability of our diaper products.‖ According to the USDA,
the brown coloring is made with pigments that cause no known harm or effects.
It also may be surprising that 7G‘s diapers are not biodegradable, but the process of making them has
significantly less of an impact on the earth than ordinary disposables. 10 It has been shown that the
materials used in 7G‘s Free & Clear Diapers is far better for infants in avoiding diaper rash and other
skin irritations because of its lack of chlorine and use of cleaner virgin fibers which have not been
5
http://www.gobehindthebrand.com/Behind-the-Brand-Seventh-Generation-Jeffrey-HollenderFounder/.UYWQW7WsiSo
6
Alliance for Sustainability - Previous Events: First Annual Sustainability Awards
7
Target.com/baby_wipes_sales_circular
8
fastcompany.com, "Profits with Purpose: Seventh Generation". Accessed May 4, 2013.
9
http://smartklean.wordpress.com/2011/04/29/seventh-generation-method-and-ecover-not-so-safe-after-all/
10
http://www.hormonal-imbalances.com/2010/08/seventh-generation-diaperswipes-review/
95
processed thru traditional means. This makes sense when you think about it, for example when one
leaves a pool, they wash off the chlorine. Add to that when a diaper is treated in chlorine to make it
white, and a child later urinates into the diaper, it can release the chlorine and often times react with
it. When a diaper is left on for a number of hours, it can lead to diaper rash or other skin irritations
much quicker than 7G‘s diapers which do not have any chlorine treatment and are made with postconsumer recycled paper and fibers which are cleaned and treated naturally. 11
While the diapers seem to make the grade, the question remains whether or not the soap does.
One may have the thought that just because something is eco-friendly does not directly correlate to
being safe for human beings. However when compared to Tide or Cheer, the Center for Disease
Control released a statement in 2012 after analyzing 1,000 reported cases in which children were
exposed to any kind of laundry detergent and found those who got their hands (and often their
mouths) on the concentrated packets were more likely to vomit, choke, cough and become lethargic
than those exposed to other kinds of detergent. The cases were first reported in the spring but experts
still don't know why the detergent packets make kids so sick, although carcinogens and phosphates
which are not used in 7G‘s product are thought to be the primary cause.12
In closing, it is clear that Seventh Generation is trying, and that they are steadily although
slowly earning the trust of the American consumer. That being said, they still have a long way to go,
as is also true with much of the relatively new ‗green chemistry,‘ ‗green science‘ and ‗green
engineering‘ methods that are beginning to inundate us day to day due to their being supported by
agenda-seeking political lobbyists as well as other organizations. For now, the best advice is to read
the labels, do the research and to make the best decision and most responsible decision not only for
our planet, but for our human health, for now, as well as, as Seventh Generations‘ motto says, ‖…for
the next seven generations.‖ As science and chemistry will most certainly continue to test and try to
improve in a number of different areas that are necessary to make the switch to affordable sustainable
resources, time will tell if we as stewards of our planet are taking the appropriate actions on its behalf
and to gradually as a society make a needed change our ‖me first‖ psychological behavior.
11
Start 'Em Young. Sierra [serial online]. May 2009; 94(3):14. Available from: Academic Search Premier,
Ipswich, MA. Accessed May 4, 2013.
12
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/10/19/cdc-warns-laundry-detergent-pods-uncrustablerecall/1643467/
96
Conquering the Achievement Gap and Shaping Our Children‘s Future
by Carlos S. Ortega-Guerrero
(Education 1100)
Abstract
his paper explores the book, Toward Excellence with Equity, by Ronald F. Ferguson. It
discusses the achievement gap, a disparity in the educational levels of minority, Hispanic, and
black students. By analyzing the history of the gap starting with the National Longitudinal
Survey of Youth in 1990 and its use of the Armed Forces Qualifications Test, researchers were able
to prove a direct relationship between the black and white participants‘ test scores and their wages.
The reasons for which the gap persists are explored thoroughly including the influence of peers and
the effect that parent and teacher perceptions have on the educational success of the student. Finally,
possible solutions that resolve the persistence of the gap are discussed. The paper highlights the
urgency in achieving educational equality.
T
Keywords: achievement gap, inequality, educational disparity
The United States of America is a country that has gone through so many radical societal
changes throughout its short history; it is country that went from slavery to making it illegal to
discriminate against any ethnic group all in a little longer than 200 years. Unfortunately, we have not
gone far enough; it is time to shape history again so that we can create a better future for all of our
children. Our current educational system is hurting the children that make up the majority of the
minority ethnic groups, Hispanics and blacks. The disparity in education levels between this group
and white Americans has stayed at a very high, dangerous level. Being that this sector of the
population is growing at the fastest rate, if we cannot heal the system in the near future, the future of
the entire country is at stake. This disparity has taken on the name ―achievement gap‖ describing just
that, a gap between what Caucasian children learn and these minorities. Fortunately, it is not too late
to resolve the problem, by exploring its history, examining the persistence of the problem, and by
finding remedies that will lead to social equity, we will begin to mend the gap and begin the path to
recovery.
Understanding where the achievement gap originated is the first step in understanding how to
resolve the dilemma. The first credible proof of the gap was discovered was through the National
Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) in 1990. The survey studied large discrepancies in earnings
between blacks and whites from the mid 1970s to the late 1980s. The main hypothesis for this
incidence was because the advancements in the field of technology required having the ability to use
reading and math; this gave some employees more value than others. This was confirmed by the
NLSY because this survey kept a record of the math and reading scores of the entire participant pool.
They received these scores after taking the Armed Forces Qualifications Test (AFQT). The test
nearly proved the hypothesis because the discrepancy between blacks and whites on their test scores
―predicted at least fifty percent of the black-white hourly earning gap among young adults (p. 2).‖
This NLSY study became the first time in history anyone had found a reason to study the large
inconsistencies between blacks and whites in terms of wages earned. Once this idea was linked to the
AFQT scores, it that sparked a movement to understand why this achievement gap existed. This is
not to say that educational disparities were not acknowledged before this point, but it gave those that
were voicing their opinions a better set of statistics that proved what they were trying to argue
(Ferguson, 2007).
97
There were two distinct instances prior to the NLSY survey that tried to face the achievement
problem before it had been studied thoroughly were the Tennessee Star Experiment and the
publication of A Nation at Risk. The Tennessee Star Experiment, which was conducted in the 1980s,
tested the impact that small class sizes had on black and white nine year olds. It was estimated that
small classes (13-17 students) compared to large classes (22-25 students) benefited the black students
more than the white students. This was seen as a possible explanation of the reductions in test-score
discrepancies from 1970 through the late 1980s. Evidence on the effectiveness of small class sizes
was deemed inconclusive after the study. This displays the importance of analyzing previous studies
like the Tennessee Star Experiment, we can avoid running into the same troubles that researchers
from that time fell into. This can then lead to real solutions which are desperately needed today. The
other instance that demonstrates the test-score disparity being addressed pre-NLSY is the publication,
A Nation at Risk. During the time that this article was published, in the 1980s, there was a push for
teacher accountability. It was a summary of why a lack of educated citizens would threaten the future
of the entire nation. This article gave importance in advancing the education in of all of the
demographics. Although the publication was very controversial when it was first released, it was a
huge a reason why there is discussion about the achievement gap at all. We need more publications
like this so that we can influence the people of this generation to resolve a gap that has not been
narrowed in over three decades (Ferguson, 2007).
After discovering the origins of the achievement gap, we can begin to analyze why it persists.
A couple of the most influential factors in the continuance of the gap include peer pressure to remain
authentic and the standards that parents and teachers set for the child. Students that come from
Hispanic and black communities have a very real fear that they will lose their authenticity if they
come off as intelligent. This fear stems from being ridiculed, for ―acting white,‖ by their friends for
using high vocabulary words that are not used with frequency in their respective communities. The
fear of acting white seems almost comical as a cause that allows achievement gap to thrive, but the
social isolation that these children would have to otherwise face is very real. There are many
examples of students that struggle with this issue from day to day. In one of the examples that
Ferguson (2007) used, a child refused to raise his hand to answer one of the questions being asked by
the teacher, yet he whispered the correct answer under his breath. Upon noticing this, the middle
school‘s principal asked the child why he had not raised his hand to give the answer. The child‘s
response was that he feared losing his friends by ―acting white (p. 67).‖ This shows a reluctance to
participate because of peer pressure at a very young age. If this student continued with same
mentality throughout high school, which is often the case, it becomes easier to understand why
children coming from Hispanic and black households have a difficult time retaining information.
Through avoidance, not only do they miss short term opportunities to participate in class, but they
begin to withdraw entirely at a steady rate which has a very negative long term consequence that may
include dropping out. The other powerful example given by the author was that of a black student
leader. When he attempts to explain the difference between college preparatory (CP) courses, where
most of the students are black, and honors courses, where most of the white students are, he tries to
make both courses look like viable forms of education, yet he basically explains how the honors
courses create a better ―atmosphere‖ for learning (p. 68). In this example, by admitting that the
honors courses create a better learning experience, the student leader is faced with what he perceives
as rejecting his black peers. His only option out was to try and balance both viewpoints by trying to
validate both environments; this was he can give his true opinion while remaining authentic to his
ethnic group. The social problems that Hispanic and black students face, by trying to excel in their
studies, give a strong indication for why the achievement gap is relentless amongst these minority
groups. A way to reform this way of thinking is necessary (Ferguson, 2007).
A large factor that dictates how students achieve in school is the standards that parents and
teachers set for the students. Parental expectations of their children‘s grades vary by race and by
98
levels of education, relative to the parents, as illustrated by the author (p. 71). On average, Hispanic
and black parents allow their children to get much lower grades than what Asian and white parents
allow of their children. These numbers are very significant because these expectations are another
illustration of the achievement gap. Those that have parents that have higher expectations end up
achieving more than those with parents who have lower expectations. These parental expectations
also influence other areas of the students‘ academics. For example, blacks are less likely to
participate in class, but when the family background and the parental education variables are
controlled, black males reportedly have more interest in their studies than whites. On top of this,
blacks students report spending as much if not more time on homework than whites when taking the
same classes (p. 189). The causes of this is not because black students are less intelligent than white
students, but because black students usually have less foundational knowledge and receive less help
at home; this all relates back to the levels of education of the parents. Parents that have less education
do not give their children as many skills and cannot help their children with homework as often. This
is not an excuse for the parents, but a fact. We will explore later how these parents can continue to
help their children through school even when not formally educated. These previous examples
demonstrate the importance of parental standards for children. The involvement of parents is crucial
in closing the achievement gap (Ferguson, 2007).
The perceptions that teachers have of students are imperative as well. Study after study has
proven that educators, on average, have higher expectations of their white students than their black
students; in most cases it is not due to the fact that they are discriminating students due to ethnicity,
but because they look for previous indicators of achievement, for example grades. This means that
for some students, teachers are satisfied with an average grade, while other students a reprimanded
for that same grade because more is expected from them (p. 69). The power that teachers have
through their expectations is larger than what is normally perceived. In the way that the school
system is currently structured, a student has no purpose for achieving more than is expected of them.
Without having the necessary support system to encourage the students to reach college, it is
impossible for them to envision this for their future. As explained by Ferguson (2007), this problem
is exacerbated by the tracking programs that are in currently in effect (p. 96). Students that are in low
track courses receive a lower quality of instruction which is fueled by the teachers‘ perceptions of
what the students can achieve in these courses. In other words, by trying to remediate the problems of
the students who already disadvantaged, placing them in low track courses, students are put in
environments that are less conducive of a positive learning experience. Inhibiting the progress of
already disadvantaged students should not be tolerated. All of these examples of low teacher
expectations are best combined through the concept of ―self-fulfilling prophecies (p. 146).‖ If an
educator makes the mistake of creating an inaccurate perception of what a student can achieve, it can
actually begin to influence the students‘ performance. Although these perceptions are not racially
biased, teachers still have higher expectations of white students, again, because of previous grades.
The earlier that the teacher stigmatizes student, the more difficult that it makes it for the student to
accomplish their full potential this can really harm their future. This theory of a self-fulfilling
prophecy should be taken advantage of in a positive way and not in a way that condemns the future
of the children (Ferguson, 2007).
After discussing the reason why this achievement gap continues to plague our American
education system, we can now begin to discuss the possible solutions. As mentioned previously, one
of the reasons for the persistence of this problem was constant peer pressure on minority Hispanic
and black students not to lose their ethnic identities by ―acting white.‖ A resolution for this was
addressed by Ferguson (2007); when students who are more fluent in black English than in formal
English, they are more likely to have constructive participation if allowed to use their regular speech
patterns (p. 287). Educator must begin to remove the negative stigma associated with students that
speak different forms of the English language. The highest priority for teachers is to teach their
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students high vocabulary words that are more common in the formal English context; before this can
be done, students need to be engaged in the class discussions. This is critical to increasing and
maintaining their attention levels for longer periods of time. If students decide to continue to use the
informal English forms with peers it should be their choice completely. As long as their heightened
vocabulary allows them to communicate properly with teachers, employers, and everyone else
outside of their societal network, the work of the educator succeeded. Being able to implement this
step will require teachers to embrace the way that different students‘ use English. Once this step is
enacted across all of the classrooms that minority Hispanic and black students attend, they will not
feel as if they are inauthentic, or ―white.‖ This could eventually lead to a shift in the way that these
populations use the English language. If all of the students learn a similar level of formal English,
there will be no reason to ridicule one another.
Now, to address the negative perceptions that parents and teachers have of Hispanic and
black students, we must reassess the current way in which these groups interact. The first most
important viewpoint to change is the perception that parents have of their children because it will
have the largest impact and can yield immediate results. Currently, Hispanic and black parents allow
their children to receive lower grades than any of the other demographic groups. This means that the
expectations that these parents are much lower than the rest of the population. Before any significant
progress on the achievement gap, parents must consistently enforce: ―daily leisure reading,
discussions in which children explain their homework answers to parents, and appropriate bed times
(p. 279).‖ Reading is one of the most important activities that children engage in, and getting them
into the habit of reading on their free time can really enhance their critical thinking skills and develop
their vocabulary. Having these skills will prepare them for college and for the professional world;
although these goals seem to be distant, the earlier that the process is started, the more opportunities
that they will have to develop and refine their abilities. It is also central for the parents to ask their
children to explain their homework to them. Even if Hispanic and black parents do not fully
understand the assignment due to a lack of education, this demographic of parents have lower levels
of education on average, it assigns importance to the child‘s studies. It makes the children understand
that the parents will be involved in the educational process. In turn, this influences the children to set
higher expectations for them since they understand that they will be under constant supervision. Not
only does this keep tabs on the child, but in order to explain their assignments to their parents, the
children must have a very good understanding of what is required of their work. This also means that
parents must be in constant communication with their children‘s teachers to ensure that the students
are doing what is required and that they are up to speed with the rest of the class. Setting appropriate
bedtimes and enforcing the time repeatedly also helps create a good habit for the future. When
children learn to abide by the time that parents set, they are more likely to respect their future
restrictions, for example curfew or maintaining appropriate behaviors. Not only this, but they will
also learn to respect deadlines set by future teachers and employers. By ensuring that all of the
measures previously mentioned are implemented, the parents would succeed in raising their
perceptions for their children which would create successful students. All of these skills have an
immediate effect on the performance of children.
Now, addressing the perceptions that the teachers have of the students requires a different set
of strategies. A way to help teachers attain better perceptions of the students is by creating a good
environment which facilitates the learning process for students. As Ferguson (2007) explains,
―student performance can be depressed when fear of confirming a negative stereotype interferes with
concentration and distracts students from doing their best (p. 286).‖ When students are placed in an
environment in which they feel comfortable and safe, they are more likely to participate and become
more receptive to the information that they are being given in the classroom from day to day. This is
not a process that can be enacted from one day to the next, but ensuring that all of our educators are
trained intensively to be sensitive of the cultural differences from one student to the next. This
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positive environment is very difficult to create at later ages because of the amount of the social
experiences that the children have through by that time; this is why it is critical to also address this
while children are still in the early stages of elementary school. If we can create a more positive view
of children who come from minority groups, it will not only help the teachers to believe in their
abilities, but it will help the students to believe in themselves. This takes advantage of the theory
behind a self-fulfilling prophecy. When the students begin to believe in themselves because their
teachers prove to them that they can accomplish their goals, they are more likely to create higher
expectations for themselves. They will have a more positive outlook on life that will lead them to
more prosperous futures through which they could become role models for the students to continue to
struggle.
In conclusion, not only is the future of minority communities highly at risk because of the
achievement gap, a substantial difference between the performance of minority Hispanic and black
students versus Caucasian students, but the future of the entire nation is at risk. We must pull
together and overcome these educational inequalities. The achievement gap can be conquered by
understanding the history of the gap, the reason for which the problem persists, and the methods
through which we can solve the problem. Although the problem was first proven in the 1990s, it
existed before this time. Solutions were attempted before the 1990s, but none of the studies yielded
good results. The problem persists because of the pressure that minority student‘s face when trying to
remain ―authentic‖ to their ethnic groups and exert a lot of effort to avoid ―acting white.‖ This
problem coupled with the low expectations that parents and teachers have of them only fuels the fire
by creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Through this prophecy, the children learn to believe in their
failure. Parents must learn to give their children a good example at home and have them follow a
healthy regiment that exposes them to the importance of their education. Teachers must create an
environment in the classroom where the children thrive intellectually and where they will not be
ashamed of the way that they communicate whether formally or informally. This way, they can open
their minds to new vocabulary that will help change the rest of their lives. It is time that we mobilize
to shape our children‘s future. It is time to equalize the educational opportunities no matter ethnicity
so that we can succeed as entire nation. It is time to ensure that this country remains a beacon of hope
and prosperity for all demographic groups.
References
Ferguson, R. F. (2007). Toward excellence with equity: an emerging vision for closing the
achievement gap. Cambridge: Harvard Education Press.
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Biocatalysis and green chemistry
by Agnieszka Poznanska
(Chemistry 1105)
onsumers worldwide are developing preferences for ―natural‖ or ―organic‖ products and,
because of that, the market for biotechnologically derived products is fast developing. People
worldwide believe that organic or natural ―green‖ products are better for their health in
comparison to the nonorganic products, because they contain less or none of the potentially
hazardous chemicals which are harmful for human health. This is also one of the most important
features that in my opinion qualify a product as green. As well as the fact that green products should
also contain fewer pesticides, antibiotics, artificial fertilizer, and genetically modified organisms. In
general, it should be a safer product. As far as the process that could be considered green, it should
reduce the use of energy and resources, as well as waste. It should eliminate costly treatments, and in
general produce safer products that I mentioned before and improve competition in the marketplace.
The philosophy is that it is better to be proactive in the prevention of waste than to react after its
development. The principles and framework for this approach should include using benign
substances instead of toxic ones, using fewer materials and natural resources whenever possible,
using renewable materials, designing for energy efficiency, and planning for end of product life by
using recyclable or biodegradable materials.
My choice as an example of a process that I think follows the principles of green chemistry is
biocatalysis. Biocatalysis represent a useful tool in the field of biotechnological processes. It
basically involves catalyzing a large number of stereo and regioselective chemical manipulations that
are not suitably obtained by less selective classical synthetic procedures. The increasing ecological
sensitivity supports the choice of environmentally friendly processes.
Let‘s start from, ―why do I think that biocatalysis is a ―green‖ process?‖
First of all biocatalysis helps to reduce the use and/or generation of hazardous compounds
and it provides the use of renewable starting materials, as well as the employment of safer chemical
transform materials and, because of that, biocatalytic processes are much ―greener‖ than the
corresponding classical chemical syntheses. The big down side of it is that it is still much more
expensive. That is why sometimes this method is use in industrial production in combination with
classical chemical synthesis. Despite the greater expense, biocatalysis is gaining popularity over
chemical synthesis, which is a very good sign because a biocatalytic process redefines efficiency and
environmental responsibility.
For now, this process is typically used in the pharmaceutical industry, which can afford
processes that are more expensive. The biocatalytic method allows the manufacture of novel
ingredients. Companies like Eastman have been using it to manufacture anti-aging ingredients. The
company applied the 12 principles of green chemistry from the EPA to refine its operation. Now,
Eastman expects to be commercializing products from this process. "‘We spent the past year and a
half refining the process so that we could produce affordable green chemicals,‘ says Natale. ‗Green
chemicals are in demand, but they come with a cost, a premium. The right thing to do is to be able to
provide the most green materials that consumers can afford.‘"(Mason)
Increasing demand for natural products can have a negative impact on the environment.
Concerned about biopiracy and species extinction, the industry is striving to source its raw material
in the best way in order to protect the environment--using certified channels, fair trades and, now,
plant cell cultures. As an example, I would like to use an Arch Personal Care Products, which
launched its Regenistem line at the 2011 in-cosmetics show in Milan. The Regenistem process allows
C
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the company to take only small quantities of plant cells from seeds or leaves, grow them in culture
plates and then into bioreactors. The controlled environment allows the company to push the
potential of the plants to the limit and manufacture very interesting ingredients.
"‘The process allows us to harvest rare or old plants and isolate unique actives or enhance the
production of them, all while controlling the biomass in the laboratory,‘ says Vince Gruber, PhD,
director of research for Arch Personal Care Ingredients. The process minimizes requirements for
harvest and cultivation, which wastes resources and opens the world of opportunity for the industry.
The first in this line, ‗Regenistem Rice‘, is an extract from a particular red rice species that is more
than 1,000 years old and comes from a high elevation in Nepal.‖ (Mason)
―Brand owners are interested in a unique label claim as well as in the active ingredients and
what they can do for the skin. They want to take advantage of such biotechnological processes.
‗Brands are driven by unique ideas,‘ explains Gruber. ‘Plants that are unique or that grow in unique
environments and offer benefits to the skin allow brands to build stories around them.‘" (Mason)
―Driven by the already existing innovative companies that are looking to carve out a niche
for all-natural products, the brand is trying to advertise this process. This process is renewable and
it‘s not based on petroleum.‖ (Mason) The name of it is ReGeniStem™ Red Rice and this is what the
exact description of this product that you can find on the company website says:
―ReGeniStem™ Red Rice is a botanically sourced product that is made via a
sustainable process of cultivating state-of-the-art plant cell cultures in bioreactors,
which reduces the residual biomass waste and environmental impact. ReGeniStem™
Red Rice allows for increased secondary metabolite production through the use of
natural plant elicitors, restores cellular epigenetic patterns of old cells to that of young
cells and reverses the age-related increase in DNA methylation, leading to an increase
in collagen production.‖
The cost for those facial skin products is a little higher but I personally am willing to pay that
price because I think it is worth the extra cost. I think that the fact that I‘m using organic, chemicalfree products that are safer for me and my skin is worth the higher price. You cannot put a price tag
on good health. What comes to my mind is the expression‖ to feel good in your own skin‖ and how
important this is to our better well-being (especially as women).
References
Title: ―Opportunities and advantages in green: finding innovative approaches to make the same
products with fewer resources is best for consumers, companies and the environment‖.
Global Cosmetic Industry Jan- Feb 2011
Author: Mason Sara 46 Academic OneFile, web, 27 Nov 2012
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A Secret Society
by Hayley Reagin
(English 1102)
S
hin Dong-hyuk is a North Korean refugee who travels the world telling his story. After twentythree years of eating grass, bark, rats, bugs and whatever little amounts of food the guards
would reward him with, Dong-hyuk barely escaped from one of North Korea‘s largest and
most brutal reform prison camps where he was born. Watching his amazing story made me wonder
about the internal clock work of North Korean society that has sent so many families like Shin's into
prison in the first place. Kim Il Sung‘s idea of 'Juche' defines society, citizens‘ rights, and how it
makes up the education of North Korean‘s people. Understanding this concept explains how North
Korean life is influenced and shaped by the Juche ideology.
Civic duties are first and foremost to the citizens of North Korea. Jiyoung Song, a published
author in European Journal of East Asian Studies and who has studied North Korea before, explained
that Juche is the national ideology developed by the very first dictator of North Korea Kim Il Sung
(88). The basic premise of Juche is the citizens of North Korea should have complete loyalty to their
leader and his ideals. Kim Il Sung explained that ―Human rights can never be realized without the
defense of sovereignty‖ (Song 96). In other words, a North Korean citizen must show absolute
loyalty to their leader and in return, basic rights and security are granted. The second dictator of
North Korea Kim Jung Il, adopted the same set of ideals from his father. According to Kim Jong Il,
his political ideals reflect that ―Each individual must address his or her own social obligations before
enjoying the respective rights and freedoms‖ (Song 109). The duties of the North Korean citizens are
to first and foremost protect the nation and the leadership of the Kim Regime. Kim Jung Un, the
current dictator of North Korea, uses the same ideology as his father and grandfather to keep a
sovereign state.
Loyalty to the great leader and strong sovereignty to the state are taught to North Korean
children at a very early age as the foundation of education is based upon the principles of Juche. In
order to teach children the ideals of socialist society the fundamentals of education are shaped around
the principles of Juche. Gay Reed, an educator herself who conducted intensive studies on North
Korean education from actual North Korean textbooks, found that throughout their schooling North
Korean children learn the principal of ‗Juche‘, a North Korean ideology that is a diluted practice of
Marxism and Leninism (4). For many years the North Korean dictator, Kim Il Sung, would review
and edit textbooks that didn‘t idolize his status. He would remove information about the outside
world and add mystified stories about himself as a heroic figure or as a fatherly figure which in turn,
would make him seem powerful (Lee 350). Unfortunately since the death of Kim Il Sung and under
Kim Jung Un‘s rule, not much has changed.
Even today in the 21st century, stories and lessons within the North Korean textbooks still
demonize other cultures as an extreme form of nationalism. As the world becomes more connected
through technology, North Korean children are being left in the dark. Dong-Bae Lee, a University of
Queensland professor, conducted a study in South Korea with a board of professors from all over the
world that studied how Non-North Koreans are portrayed in textbooks. He found that ―…the text
books emphasize the superiority of North Korean-style of socialism. The stories ‗Swallows at our
House‘ and…depict North Koreans living in paradise, whereas South Koreans live in hopeless
conditions, oppressed by the Americans…‖ (Lee 366). There are a plethora of examples within his
article that show how children‘s stories and other educational articles demonize other religions.
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Americans are often depicted as violent or as Christian believers and the Japanese and South Koreans
are shown in stories where they are being raped or discriminated against by U.S citizens (Lee 357;
Song 102). At an early age children are being heavily influenced by learning about one ideology
only, Juche. If that‘s the only lesson they learn growing up, then it‘s the only way of life that they‘ll
ever know. And as Song explains in his article, ―militarizing society prevents people from
developing individual and liberal concepts of human rights‖ so growing up and Juche being the only
principal taught in school really diminishes the chance of a revolution from happening (94).
However, such an education is only for the few lucky children within North Korea that can afford to
go to school or better, even have a school in their town.
Furthermore, National unity and military are the highest priorities in Kim Jung Un‘s socialist
society and is the citizens‘ constitutional duty to protect them. Survival is the main theme in the
North Korean Socialist Constitution. Gay Reed explains that ―…all education in North Korea is
designed to serve the socialist cause and all aspects of the revolution-ideological, technical and
cultural-are dependent upon the North Korean ‗cradle the grave‘ education system‖ (Reed 3). This
means that at a young age, children‘s education is heavily swayed by the nationalistic belief of
claiming allegiance to North Korea and Kim Jung Un. According the Kim Jung Il‘s political policy
‗Military-first politics‘, the Korean People‘s Army comes first in state affairs and reserves all
national resources for the army first rather than going to the public (Song 93). Propaganda is
extensively used to promote loyalty to North Korea and pictures depicting Kim Jung Un and his
father in ―family like settings‖ are often seen everywhere. This serves the purpose of promoting the
Kim regime and serve as a reminder of how the ―Great Leaders‖ are the ones in charge. Breaking the
law, like Dong-hyuk‘s family did, will get a citizen sent to one of the many prison camps in North
Korea.
The idea of Juche is that citizens keep close to North Korean ideals and tradition, and if
someone betrays the culture, then severe punishment is used to reprimand their behavior. Robert
Park, a published author in World Affairs and who has conducted many studies on North Korea,
reported that ―Previous UN reports…have concentrated on nine human rights violations: violation of
the right to food; torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment; arbitrary detention as a
form of persecution;…discrimination particularly targeting women, children, people living with
disabilities,…‖ and so on (Park 65). Being a war criminal, committing crimes such as treason against
North Korea or attempting to escape to a different country is how a citizen can end up in a prison
camp. When Kim Il Sung, the first dictator of North Korea, created these camps he put into motion
the 3 Generation of Punishment Law which was designed to kill off families (Park 69). In other
words, if a member of a North Korean family was to commit a crime against North Korea, not only
himself but his entire family plus 2 generations would be sent to a prison camp as punishment. This
ideology is based off the belief of Juche that if say the grandfather of a family was a revolutionary,
then his son and grandson would be likely to commit the same crime (Cooper 3). Their children and
grandchildren will only know life inside of a prison camp, that is if they even live that long. I believe
this type of ruling is designed so families keep an eye on each other and police each other. It‘s a way
to keep North Korean citizens from revolting against the regime.
Shin Dong-hyuk was lucky enough to be able to escape Camp 14, something that only a
select few have ever successfully attempted. It was never defined what law Shin Dong-hyuk‘s family
broke that sent Dong-hyuk‘s family to prison. He was interviewed by 60 Minutes in 2012 and was
asked to tell his story. Anderson Cooper, the interviewer and a correspondent for CBS, asked Shin
Dong-hyuk ―Did you know America was real?‖ To which Dong-hyuk replied ―Not at all‖ (CBS).
Dong-hyuk was born and raised in Camp 14 by his mother, who was only allowed to get married as a
reward from the guards. He was tortured, forced to watch his brother and mother get executed at the
―execution site‖ at the age of 13, and was starved nearly to death from the lack of food. According to
Park, ―…an estimated quarter of a million political prisoners, one-third of them children, are
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currently being forced to perform slave labor and are routinely subjected to systematic torture and
rape,…‖ (Park 68). Rebelling against the laws that were created around the ideology of Juche will
result in severe punishment and be an example to the rest of the country of what their fate would be if
they acted in the same way.
Look on Google Earth; one will see Camp 14 as a large barren compound surrounded by
barbed wire. Shin Don-hyuk climbed over the body of his dead friend who had been electrocuted by
the barbed wire fence and escaped to China. Today he still lives in fear of being sent back home and
executed. The breaking of laws (and therefore breaking the laws of Juche) sentence thousands in the
nation each year to prison camps as punishment. Shin Don-hyuk‘s story of escape is rare but not
unique. After extensive research of such a repressive culture, suddenly I find myself a little more
grateful to live in the country that I do.
Works Cited
Lee, Dong-bae. "Portrayals Of Non-North Koreans In North Korean Textbooks And The Formation
Of National Identity." Asian Studies Review 34.3 (2010): 349-369. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 17 July 2013.
Liang-Fenton, Debra. "Failing To Protect: Food Shortages And Prison Camps In North Korea."
Asian Perspective 31.2 (2007): 47-74. Oscine with Full Text. Web. 17 July 2013.
―North Korean prisoner escaped after 23 brutal years.‖ 60 Minutes. CBS. WCBS, New York. 2 Dec.
2012. Television.
Park, Robert. "The Forgotten Genocide." World Affairs 176.2 (2013): 64-71. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 17 July 2013.
Reed, Gay Garland. "Globalisation And Education: The Case Of North Korea." Compare: A Journal
Of Comparative Education 27.2 (1997): 167. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 July 2013.
Song, Jiyoung. "The Right To Survival In The Democratic People's Republic Of Korea." European
Journal Of East Asian Studies 9.1 (2010): 87-117.Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 July
2013.
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Make Them Grovel For Your Novel: A Guide to Publishing and Being an Author
by Sarah Rochford
(English 1102)
I
never realized I was alive until one book pointed it out to me. I will never forget it; the book was
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury and it changed my life. I sat in my room reading what was, at
the time, just an ordinary book. My eyes focused on a page where the main character rambles on
about how he is alive, and the first thought that came into my head was, ―Well, duh.‖ Then it hit me.
If a person is not dead, they are obviously living, but if a person is living they are not necessarily
alive. Being alive involves much more than having a functioning brain and a beating heart. Being
alive means waking up every morning, appreciating the fact that God gave you another day, and
going out and making the most of everything that day has to offer. If you do this each and every day,
then you are truly alive. The pages of this book motivated me to take a more active role in life, to set
goals, and to be proud of everything I work hard to accomplish, big and small. One of the goals I
have set for myself is to be the kind of writer that Ray Bradbury was for me. I want to open the eyes
of a person and change their life for the better. Being a life-changing author is what I want to do and
getting my work properly published is how I am going to do it. But with the growing popularity of
the Internet and the difficulties of the publishing world, becoming a published author is a more
daunting and complex task now than ever.
Step One: Becoming An Author And All It Entails
One of the most fantastic things about being a writer is that most anybody can become one. It
is not like fields such as medicine or law, where a great amount of schooling, money, and training
barely scratches the surface of everything one must do to even consider taking on one of those
professions. Technically, no formal education is needed in order to become a writer. In fact, beloved
author Mark Twain left school when he was eleven years old, and received no further formal
education past the fifth grade (The Mark Twain House & Museum). If you are willing to work hard
and you have dedication, you can become a writer.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, writers and authors of all kind make an average
of $55,420 per year (―Writers and Authors). Considering there is no required formal education, dress
code, or working environment in the occupation of writing this is quite reasonable. Without student
loans, expensive business attire, or any kind of commute there is nothing an author needs to pay for
in order to officially become an author. However, with a growth rate of 6% when the average growth
rate of most occupations is 14%, competition to become a successful novelist is fierce (―Writers and
Authors‖). An all-consuming drive for the art is essential in setting oneself apart from the other
millions of people who are striving for the exact same thing. One might say that this requirement is
even harder to fulfill than the many years of medical school it takes in order to become a doctor.
Anybody can memorize facts and concepts, but it takes a very special kind of author to create a story
that changes a life using only their words.
There are ways one can educate themselves on their own, though. Reading books is one of
the best ways to do this. Brad Isaac, founder of the website PersistenceUnlimited.com, a site
dedicated to helping people set goals and achieve them through online support, agrees with this. In
Isaac‘s article, ―26 Major Advantages to Reading More Books,‖ he explains that reading books goes
far beyond just exploring different worlds created by the authors; reading can benefit one in life even
when they have left the page. For example, since reading is a mental process, unlike watching TV,
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one uses his or her brain more. The more they use it, the stronger it becomes. The article describes
reading as a ―fundamental skill builder‖ (Isaac). The more different kinds of books one reads, the
larger variety of vocabulary, grammar, and other writing components he or she will be exposed to,
and therefore he or she are educating his or herself. But this education goes far beyond the rules and
restrictions of spelling, vocabulary, and grammar. Through reading an assortment of literature, one
can expose their minds to and learn about different cultures and places in a very unique way. For
example, with personal biographies, a reader can learn about and connect to different cultures and
kinds of people in an intimate way they never could have without the portal the author provided. A
proper education does not stop with facts and statistics, it goes beyond that and extends all the way to
understanding different points of view, cultures, and ideas. All of these understandings can be
achieved through the reading of a variety of books.
Another way one can educate themselves in order to become a successful author is
surrounding themselves with knowledgeable people in the business. Chicago Women in Publishing
(CWP) is a fantastic organization that does just that. The goal of the members of CWP is ―…[t]o
explore and improve the status of publishing professionals, to assist members in greater professional
achievement, and to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas‖ (Chicago Women in Publishing).
Through networking and exchanging opinions with people who share similar goals, throw away
uninspired ideas, rework and improve old ones, or even create something completely new. Many
concepts and ideas go stale and become impossible to work with when one is dealing with them on
his or her own. When throwing a new perspective into the mix, points of view that the original author
would have never thought of can be easily brought up and incorporated into whatever they are
working on. This can be an essential stepping-stone into making one‘s writing the best possible thing
it could be. Chicago Women in Publishing‘s Mentoring Program for Members is an excellent way to
start doing this. The Mentoring Program for Members provides inexperienced members of Chicago
Women in Publishing with a mentor familiar with publishing, such as published authors, that will
help them build a resume, and that can even help the member find permanent or freelance work
(Chicago Women in Publishing). The organization provides aspiring writers with the tools and
opportunities they need in order to become successful at what they want to do.
From Someone Who Has Been There…
In an interview with Candace Vickers, a high school English teacher who decided to add
writing children‘s books to her list of skills not too long ago, she explained that although technical
and business components of being a novelist are very important, it is the passion and drive that the
writer feels to tell his or her story and have his or her message be heard that really makes or breaks a
career. Vickers explains, ―… [M]ost of all, you need a passion for what you write.‖ Vickers has not
been writing for long, but she‘s been in the game long enough to pass on some wisdom. It wasn‘t the
astronomical paychecks or the fancy author lifestyle that drew Vickers to wanting to become an
author, hopefully that wouldn‘t be a drive for anybody. What really drove Vickers to become an
author; were the memories she shared with her children, reading them stories that they enjoyed so
much, and her desire to make sure other parents have the opportunity to make similar memories with
their children. There was such enthusiasm in her voice when she talked about how she feels when she
writes, ―… [W]hen I start writing and thinking I go to a place inside myself that I love visiting. A
place of creativity and thoughtfulness, it‘s beautiful.‖ But realistically, passion and drive is not the
sole component of having a successful novel writing career. Vickers suggests networking as another
one of the best ways to get ones career rolling. Her advice is, ―You need to get out and find writer
friends and have little writing parties. Not only can they help you get the creative juices flowing, they
can become important contacts when you publish, market, or sign and kind of contract.‖ I could
imagine thinking of working with friends as distracting, and working in my home alone was the best
option. I‘m sure that‘s what Candace Vickers felt in the beginning when she made the mistake of not
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networking and working with other writers: ―…that is something I wish I would have done from the
get-go, it would have made things a lot smoother in the beginning‖ (Vickers). But now I won‘t make
the same error due to Vickers‘ wisdom that she passed onto a fellow writer.
Step Two: Publishing One‘s Work
There are two different paths one can take on the journey to publication: publishing
independently or publishing through a professional publishing company. Publishing independently is
more work on the part of the author, but in my opinion it definitely outweighs the potential
consequences of publishing through a professional publishing company.
Hoyt Hilsman, in his article ―Mystery Solved! Artificially Raising E-Book Prices to Preserve
Outdated Business Model is Bad for Publishers, Readers‖ printed in the Chicago Tribune, discusses
the issue of publishers raising the prices of not only e-books, but hardcover and soft cover books as
well and giving authors the same royalties they would get if the books were just regular price. This
resulted in professional publishing companies crediting 10-50% of their income from Internet sales
(Kremer). This obviously makes the publishers more money, but it is extremely unfair to the authors
and to the readers as well. Publishing companies claim they offer ―editorial, production, marketing
and distribution services that no small publisher or independent author can provide‖ (Hilsman).
When in reality, authors can make over three times more money if they publish and distribute books
themselves without the help of publishers. For example, when using a publisher, an author usually
gets about 10 percent of the net price of a hardcover book. If a hardcover book were $30, the author
would get about $2 or $3 per book. If the authors distributed the book themselves, they would have
to pay about $5 to $10 to produce the book, but then if they sold it for the $30 they would be making
about a $15 profit. So why bother using a publisher at all? In my opinion, it is much more beneficial
as an author to produce and distribute books independently. Yes, it is a little more work on the
authors‘ part, but the rewards of this hard work will be far greater than those of working with a
professional publishing company.
The reading experience is something to consider when publishing. Publishing on the Internet
and publishing through print are two unique opportunities to tell a story in very different ways. The
Internet and e-books opens the door to include interactive components in an authors writing. This can
include audio that can read special words in certain ways and bring emphasis to them, videos that can
complement the writing and bring it to life in a more visual way, or graphical features such as
pictures, maps, or diagrams that can help the reader visualize and understand the literature in a
clearer way. However, traditional print books hold a more historically significant, or nostalgic,
meaning that some people prefer over the interactive components of an e-book. The population
seems to hold onto this nostalgia and doesn‘t want to let it go. A survey conducted by the Pew
Research Center Project for Excellence in Journalism shows that 60% of people under 40 prefer a
traditional print-like experience when reading, while 40% prefer interactive components such as
audio, video, or other graphical features (―The Reading Experience‖). When referring to people who
are 40 and over, 57% of them prefer the print-like experience while 41% favor interactive
components (―The Reading Experience‖). I found it extremely interesting that both generations, the
one over 40 and the one under 40 are holding onto traditional print-like reading experiences. As a
part of the younger generation, and an aspiring author, I am grateful for this love of traditional
reading. Not only do authors make more money in royalties off of conventional print books over ebooks with a number of interactive components, But I really enjoy the tradition and feeling one gets
when they crack open a new book. You cannot hear the crack of a spine or smell the must of the
pages on a Kindle or iPad. It is certainly a comfort to know that if my generation continues to favor
print like they already do, physical books in all their musty-paged, cracking-spine glory aren‘t going
anywhere.
The format and design in which a book is published actually affects reviews and sales of the
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book. Author Quinn Dalton, in his article ―How Format Affects Reviews and Sales,‖ writes of his
own experience as an author publishing his books. He went the traditional route of publishing his
first book in hardcover, then a year later having it come out in paperback. Dalton noticed that his
book in its paperback form was less successful than his book in its hardcover format. After
consulting with reviewers, agents, editors, and other fellow authors, Dalton discovered that it is not
only the words within a book that help it sell, it is the packaging and design of the book as well.
Author Raymond Carver is proof of this. In 2005, his first novel sold solidly, but it was nothing
extraordinary and the book was not going into any more additional printings (Dalton). Carver was
not a renowned author so his books were harder to sell. His publisher then tried printing the book
with ―a different size and cover treatment, and a [cover designing format] that people would
recognize‖ (Dalton). The novel sold out and required additional printings. Although all of the credit
cannot be attributed to the new styling of the printing, the literature itself must have had something to
do with a novel being sold out, but the attractive formatting of the novel certainly must have been a
major contributing factor to what drew the readers to the book in the first place. It is a frightening
thought as an aspiring author to think that the cover of your book can be more important than the
words inside it, but a quote by Amber Qureshi, Senior Editor at the Free Press, reassured me: ―…Any
format, when published with passion and when the material is of high quality, can be made into a
success‖ (Dalton).
While I love my printed books and read outdoors with much ease, I have to admit that when
an author is first beginning self-publishing, the form of an e-book is by far the most efficient way to
start. In her article that appeared in Writer Magazine, ―Do-it-Yourself Publishing‖ Moira Allen
explains how simple it is to publish an e-book. She points out that the author only needs a simple
word-processing program in order to construct the basic format of an e-book. Most computers
already have a word-processing already installed on them, but if this is not the case, one can be easily
downloaded for free. However, Allen suggests that if a more sophisticated format for the e-book is
desired, Adobe Acrobat should be downloaded. The cost is $250 but Allen describes it as ―…[w]ell
worth the price, especially if you expect to create more than one e-book.‖ Adobe Acrobat only needs
to be downloaded at the end of the formatting procedure on the word-processing program in order to
convert the word document into a PDF file. When it comes to formatting work on the wordprocessing program, Allen tells the reader everything he or she needs to do in order to make the
document look exactly like a book format. She tells the reader to change the page size from the
standard word-processing size to 5 by 7 inches, which is the usual size that e-books can be found in.
She gives reminders and instructions on how to format margins, headers and footers, and even a front
and back matter. Front matter would include common book features such as a title page, copyright
page, acknowledgements, and table of contents. Back matter would include things like an index,
author biography, author contact information, and Allen also notes that back matter is a ―good place
to include ads for any other books you are selling.‖ The step-by-step instruction Allen gives in her
article makes for a wonderful guide on how to self-publish an e-book.
It is true that there are many success stories from the growing number of authors who are
deciding to self publish. Leslie Kaufman in her article, ―New Publisher Authors Trust: Themselves,‖
she discusses how Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and author David Mamet took advantage of a
new opportunity being offered at his literacy agency, ICM Partners, in order to play a more active
role in how his work was published. Mamet compares the publishing world to Hollywood, a place
commonly known for producers not giving their clients what they promised. Since Mamet is a
renowned writer, this program is bound to attract not only Mamet‘s already loyal readers but many of
his well-known author colleagues as well. If ICM Partners becomes popular it will completely
change the world of publishing. If an increasing number of authors have a way to take a more active
role in how their work is published, they will gain more knowledge of publishing. With this
knowledge of how to publish their own work, and with the success popular authors, such as Mamet,
110
will hopefully bring to ICM Partners, professional publishing companies may become obsolete. This
would mean more authors would recieve more royalties for their published work because they
wouldn‘t have a professional publishing company expecting some of the share. David Mamet and his
involvement with ICM Partners is bound to aid in the rise of authors who are going to successfully
self-publish.
Just as David Mamet encouraged authors to take a more active role in their publishing
through independent publishing, Ray Bradbury taught me to take a more active role in my life
through setting goals. Becoming a published author is my goal and I truly believe I have the passion
and drive that I know it takes in order to achieve my dream. Through the knowledge I have gained
about publishing and becoming an author and all it has to offer, I can think of no other profession
that is more fit for me. The written word is one of the most powerful things on the planet. Words
have the power to open our thoughts and change our minds. They have the ability to expose us to
new worlds, worlds that are just an ocean apart and worlds that are in different dimensions. Being
able to harness this power to transform a collection of words into something that is beautiful and
positively changes someone‘s life is an ability that only the most unique and special of writers have,
and I will not stop until I become one of them.
Works Cited
Allen, Moira. ―Do-it-Yourself Publishing.‖ Writer Jan 2003: 17. Academic Search Premiere. Web.
12. Feb. 2013.
Chicago Women in Publishing. Chicago Women in Publishing, 2013. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
Dalton, Quinn. ―How Format Affects Reviews and Sales.‖ Poets & Writers Magazine Oct. 2005:
34+. Academic Search Premiere. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.
Hilsman, Hoyt. ―Mystery Solved! Artificially Raising E-Book Prices to Preserve Outdated Business
Model is Bad for Publishers, Readers.‖ Chicago Tribune 26 Apr 2012, 1.21. ProQuest. Web.
3 Mar. 2013.
Isaac, Brad. ―26 Major Advantages to Reading More Books.‖ Persistence Unlimited. Persistence
Unlimited, Dec. 2007. Web. 3 Mar. 2013
Kaufman, Leslie. ―New Publisher Authors Trust: Themselves.‖ New York Times 16 Apr. 2013, 7.
New York Times. Web. 17 Apr. 2013
Kremer, John. 1001 Ways to Market Your Books: For Authors and Publishers. New York: Open
Horizons, 1998. Print.
The Mark Twain House & Museum, The Mark Twain Foundation, 2013. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
―The Reading Experience.‖ Journalism.org. Pew Research Center Project for Excellence in
Journalism, 2013. Web. 3 Mar. 2013.
Vickers, Candace. Personal Interview. 3 Mar. 2013.
―Writers and Authors‖ Occupational Outlook Handbook, ed. United States Department of Labor Novelists, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013
111
Marguerite Harrison and Hannah Arendt:
The Notion of Strength within the Early Totalitarian Soviet Prison Experience
by Rebecca M. Samson
(History 2225)
wentieth century western philosopher Johanna ―Hannah‖ Arendt (1906-75) dissected the
effects of the individual on totalitarianism and vice versa. A secular German-Jewish student
and intellectual within the Third Reich, she experienced firsthand the early phases of a victim
of totalitarianism; later, when she wrote The Origins of Totalitarianism and On Violence, she
analyzed her former position of victim and delved into the mindset of the targeted individual.
Conversely, Marguerite Harrison endured the role of a privileged victim, an outsider, even, who,
unlike Arendt, existed outside of the goal of an early totalitarian state. As an outside entity, the
Soviets had little to gain by eliminating her by show trial or otherwise unless they could prove that
she had gathered extremely valuable information as a spy. Even then, the Soviets had more to lose
than to gain on an international stage by killing a seemingly innocent foreigner. Therefore,
Harrison‘s account of the events exposed the lives of more legitimate threats to the totalitarian state
in the moment and Arendt‘s intellectual analysis completed the bigger picture of the social
mechanisms employed by any totalitarian state and the effects of totalitarian culture on human
beings; Harrison observed the casualties of early Soviet totalitarianism and her international Strength
saved her life whereas the Strength of each dangerous element, formerly considered a human being,
usually lead to its demise.
Arendt defined words commonly overused in sociopolitical discourse in her book/essay On
Violence. Central to the Soviets' idea of an enemy was the Strength of each individual, as Arendt
contended that,
T
―Strength unequivocally designates something in the singular, an individual entity; it
is the property inherent in an object or person and belongs to its character which may
prove itself in relation to other things or persons, but is essentially independent of
them. The strength of even the strongest individual can always be overpowered by
the many...‖ (On Violence 44).
The Soviets, who wanted to become the ideological many and turn those who they wanted to oppose
them into the few, regardless of individual reality, feared becoming the few- or having their influence
and ideology demoted to the status of a few. Within the mindset of ideological expansionism, every
individual in the Soviet Union gained Strength. With Strength came volatility; Strength, in the eyes
of the most zealous, powerful Soviet officials, existed mainly to be taken away in the form of
millions of prison sentences, show trials, executions, and deportations to various concentration and
work camps. Undoubtedly, Harrison did not fit that profile because she came from elsewhere and
did not intend to permanently reside in the Soviet Union as a citizen or even a long-term guest who
could have dangerously indoctrinated others with Strength to counterrevolutionary mindsets like an
evangelist or proponent of a democratic youth group. Instead, she got lost in the fray, though she did
go through the process of arrest, interrogation, detainment, and imprisonment. Her status as a
foreigner put the state in an ambiguous position: as a foreigner not looking to become a citizen, the
state did not have the obligation to accommodate her for the rest of her life if she was not found
guilty to the degree of a life sentence or execution in the state‘s eyes. If word traveled across the
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world that the Soviets killed a fairly innocent foreigner, then the Soviets would have spent time and
resources just to damage their own reputation and begin to make more enemies instead of alliances
on their clean slate.
Consequentially, Harrison got to observe the process of punishment of those the Soviets
believed had done something deserving of severe punishment. Whether or not the prisoners or
arrestees were legitimately guilty regardless of evidence did not matter; only what the state believedor wanted to believe- mattered because the state had the power to inflict punishment on an individual,
nullify the individual‘s Strength. In observing these individuals, she observed a certain objectivity
within the prison system to insiders. Many, as Harrison noted, did not receive interviews for weeks
or months or have any information on the grounds of their arrests; she admitted the others‘ notice of
her special treatment, which put her outside the norm (Harrison 231). She was treated rather mildly
by those in power, as were some of those around her. What she did not see was how the state was
not objective at all, that it was quite discriminatory in its treatment of criminals. The state had all
sorts of standards for reasons for arresting people and guidelines to fit the crime and the reasons grew
throughout the Soviet era, more and more of them for different crimes but there were always reasons
given, justified or not, even with such diversity of prisoners (The Origins of Totalitarianism 423-26).
There were so many different categories of prisoners because each category estimated the quantity of
potential Strength within a central idea deemed dangerous to society: thieves, for example, obviously
posed a danger to society where as kulaks, in their different forms, did not always, for example, if
they happened to possess too much livestock beyond a standard set arbitrarily low by the state. The
state made so many categories so it could eliminate the Strength of the many and the guards did not
reflect the state‘s intentions in its somewhat mild treatment of well-behaved prisoners like Harrison.
Otherwise, the guards functioned more realistically than the state itself by punishing prisoners who
behaved erratically or posed a legitimately extreme danger- or prisoners senseless enough to provoke
their keepers.
Harrison and the Soviet prison experience were examples that fit Arendt‘s description of
Strength. Arendt‘s notion of the Strength of each individual exemplified the function of each
totalitarian state, especially in the infancy of each totalitarian state. Harrison‘s mild experience as a
foreigner supported the grounds for the demise of the individual within totalitarianism. Arendt‘s
writings completed Harrison‘s account so well because Arendt knew without a doubt that she was
guilty of being a Jew, knowledge that gave her the mind of the sentenced rather than the observant
outsider with more than a chance to survive. Harrison‘s rosy picture of her experience furthered the
harsh reality of the situation and the true mindset of the Soviet regime because it exposed the
circumstances under which the Soviets had reason to treat an individual humanely: the Soviets
treated individuals humanely when they knew those individuals had the power to alter outside
Strength like Harrison could have if they needlessly killed her and the word traveled far enough to
negatively impact the Soviets‘ reputation. Both women exemplified the ramifications of Strength on
totalitarianism. Arendt‘s Strength was how she developed her experience and other accounts of
victims into world-renowned philosophy; she demonstrated that each individual was a potential
threat to totalitarianism because she herself understood her own threat as a Jewish intellectual to her
former society and Harrison‘s account as an individual who could hope her guilt was not severe
exposed the enduring weakness of the Soviets and their consciousness of the potential Strength
wielded by each individual.
113
Works Cited
Arendt, Hannah. "II." On Violence. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1970. 43-56. Print.
Arendt, Hannah. "Part Three: Totalitarianism: Twelve: Totalitarianism in Power: The Secret Police."
The Origins of Totalitarianism. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1973. 419-37. Print.
Harrison, Marguerite. Marooned in Moscow : the Story of an American Woman Imprisoned in Soviet
Russia. Ed. William Benton Whisenhunt. Montpelier, VT: Russian Life, 2011. Print.
114
Nuclear Fallout of a Japanese Disaster: The State vs. Fujin (God of Wind)
by Vesal Stoakley
(English 1102)
adies and gentlemen of the jury. We‘ve heard what the State‘s defense has to say, and no
doubt they will close their argument shortly saying they‘ve learned their lesson once and for
all. They will tell you we should all return back to a relative business as usual, with only a few
minor reforms put in place. However, now that, in the course of this trial, all the facts have been laid
out as to why we are facing unprecedented danger in this age of anger-fueled - no, nuclear-fueled debate, we must ask ourselves, what are our responsibilities? Where will our conscience lie in the
weeks, months, and years ahead before the next great calamity strikes (And we know it will)? Will
we go forward blindly or, instead, can these so called anomalies of circumstance be completely
averted? Is the future of our society greater than our past, or is it only a faint shadow, an obscure and
ominous representation, of the greatness we once possessed? These are the questions before us.
On the morning of March 11, 2011, Tokyo Electric Power Company‘s (TEPCO) ten nuclear
reactors in the north of Japan, in Fukushima Prefecture, ran as normal. Workers ate their lunch that
afternoon, same as any other day, and returned to the routine operations at assigned stations. The rest
of the day would be anything but normal. At 2:46PM a magnitude nine earthquake struck Japan
(McDonagh 12), and knocked out power to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (Fukushima
Daiichi), causing it to shut down. Cooling from backup generators began to occur to compensate for
the damage to the facility. Just a few hours later, a tsunami twenty meters high formed and plowed
down on the plant and its surrounding territories, destroying the generator‘s fuel tanks. This led to an
explosion at the Unit One Reactor, blowing off its roof, which released contaminants, and cracked
the pressure containment apparatus of the facility. This allowed radioactive material to begin to seep
into the Pacific Ocean.
The State would have you believe that such disasters are preventable going forward, and that
they have learned the lessons necessary to keep such events from reoccurring. They, however, are
wrong. Their closing argument will surely try to show that the costs of closing nuclear energy
facilities outweigh the costs of operating them. But that is why the conscience is so important in
reasoning through the details of this case. Nuclear power must be abandoned in Japan. We can ill
afford the human toll it takes, and not enough has been done to scientifically guarantee the safety of
our populations, despite previous assertions.
An immediate moratorium is in order, not only to ensure the safety of the Japanese people,
but to also set an example that the continuance of nuclear energy production is detrimental to the
entire world, and all its peoples. Nuclear technology is not up to the task of keeping us safe. At
Fukushima, the reactor‘s pressure reached double its capacity, after being hit by the tsunami
(McDonagh 12). Let‘s consider that for a moment. If you were to prepare an unfamiliar food in the
microwave, heat it up for ten minutes per the directions, then took it out, ate it, and it damaged your
tongue, mouth, and esophagus to a point where you would need to see health professionals on-going
for many years to come, for care and rehabilitation, and then found you would never recover, would
you continue preparing it the same way? Even if it saturated the room with the fragrance and aroma
of the freshest chrysanthemums imaginable, would you risk such discomfort and trepidation? Of
course not! So why would we, after coming face to face with nuclear Armageddon, continue to walk
this same treacherous path?
Fukushima Daiichi unleashed some of the most harmful toxic elements, of the greatest
L
115
possible hazard, into our environment. Radionuclide atoms (radioisotopes), which come with a large
degree of volatility because of the unsteady nucleus they contain, are now roaming free amongst our
fellow citizens of Japan (Fukuda et al. 1). The process these atoms undergo causes the release of
gamma rays and radioactive material. Under controlled administration, these atoms can have
beneficial applications. But do we want such particles of instability, which influence and meddle
with the fundamental functions of the body, permeating the fabric of the environment we and our
families live in indiscriminately? Currently, that is what‘s occurring.
The nuclear disaster has contaminated not just the Pacific and the sea life we eat, but the
heart of Japan itself, Tokyo (Pullen, Chang, and Hanna 2-3). ―In the atmosphere, there were multiple
release events in the first several weeks that delivered the bulk of the radioisotopes to regions
downwind. During those several weeks venting ("feed and bleed"), explosions, and fires plagued the
various reactors…and deposited radionuclides via atmospheric transport and
dispersion…Radioactive elements spread toward the outer regions of Tokyo and some deposition
occurred with rainfall‖ (Pullen, Chang, and Hanna 2-3). There was no control of where these
radioisotopes were delivered, and consistent testing only identifies the outcomes of where they‘ve
reached. There is no means of prevention when it comes to their distribution during nuclear power
plant failure. We can implement all the modeling and statistical analysis we want but, in the end,
they‘re only as reliable as our nightly weather forecasts. Worse still, alternatively, they consist of
heightened, aggressively advancing consequences, joined with prolonged effects which resist
dissipation over a more contained course of time, unlike inclement weather.
Are you starting to grasp the full scope of this disaster? This is the storm of our century. Each
disaster is like an undiscriminating, tornadic cyclone, growing to eviscerate a residing population up
to the size of an entire Japanese prefecture. No one can say with certainty where precisely they‘ll
strike, what they‘ll suck up inside and destroy, but we, with the minds to discern between right and
wrong, must refute the use of any technology with the already demonstrated potential for such
destruction. For every day that passes without a complete stand-still of production of nuclear energy,
the potentiality for further instability of our well-being grows.
My client Fujin, God of Wind, has tried to bring us evidence first-hand of the dangers of
nuclear energy. He shook the earth and whirred up the seas, and still we do not listen. It‘s as though
we were already submerged, deep beneath the sea, long before the tsunami came, oblivious to the
realities on the surface, too busy trying to survive the numbing isolation of its treacherous waters.
But, sooner or later, we must come back to the surface for a deep, chastening breathe – the fresh air
which my client Fujin brings.
The costs associated with producing nuclear energy are outside the bounds of all reason. A
lawsuit is being pursued by U.S. military personnel, against TEPCO, who say that when they
provided emergency assistance, they were lied to about the levels of radiation present at Fukushima
Daiichi. As a result, they state, they‘ve contracted testicular cancer, gynecological bleeding, and
leukemia (―Radiation Lawsuits‖ 1). Also, pulling uranium from the ground has harmful, lasting
effects on the soil and vegetation it is mined from, not to mention there are very limited amounts of
uranium available long-term (Flasbarth 2), so the costs of energy infrastructure development begin to
diminish once the uranium supply becomes exhausted. And let‘s not forget the greatest threat of our
time, the war on terror. If one terrorist group were able to mount a credible attack on one nuclear
facility in the world, the consequences would be unheralded catastrophe.
There are mitigated risks and then there‘s the nuclear industry‘s campaign of negligence.
Even Hollywood‘s blockbusting budgets are put forward within the realm of caution. If the costs
begin to outweigh the gains, then such enterprises are abandoned. Godzilla may be able to barrel
through Tokyo, destroying life-like sets and all its visual effects wizardry on display for two hours,
only for audiences to return calmly to the safety and security of home, but the same cannot be said
when we come under attack from each imminent, unintended nuclear disaster.
116
What did the State do after Chernobyl? They made us their expert guarantees and promises,
their enchantment into lethargy, and Fukushima Daiichi followed. The financial gains of nuclear
power are clouding the moral and ethical judgment of the most advanced of nations, including our
own. Put mildly, this State and others have shared in the coziest of relationships with the industry of
nuclear energy, massaging data and statistics into morose and morbid deformation. Chernobyl, in the
intervening years to the present, has been under-reported in the number of causalities and deaths by a
ratio as possibly large as 196,000:1. According to a World Health Organization Report in 2005
(McDonagh 103), approximately fifty people died as a result from Chernobyl. However, a New York
Academy of Sciences article, the oldest peer-reviewed scientific journal in the United States, cited by
McDonagh, says instead there were as many as 980,000 deaths related to the effects of the Chernobyl
meltdown, calling sharply into question the credibility of the World Health Organization (McDonagh
103).
We have seen this same undervaluing of those truly affected here as well. Nearly 100,000
residents surrounding the site of disaster at Fukushima Daiichi are displaced (McDonagh 161) and
forty percent of children living in Japan‘s Fukushima prefecture have seen thyroid abnormalities
(Harpers Index, Feb 2013). In their recent letter on nuclear energy, Japan‘s Catholic Pastoral
Ministry of Bishops dispel the ―safety myth‖ (McDonagh 106) and state ―In the message ‗Reverence
for Life‘, we, Japanese bishops could not go so far as to urge the immediate abolishment of nuclear
plants. However, after facing the tragic nuclear disaster in Fukushima, we regretted and reconsidered
such attitude. And now, we would like to call for the immediate abolishment of all the power plants
in Japan.‖
They most certainly should. What has become of the value for human life in our culture? Do
we only see value now in the yen, U.S. dollars, and exchange rates? Why is no one afraid of the
realer inflations of ego, greed, and self-congratulation, literally permeating into the people, places
and things we interact with in our daily lives? Even the most advanced economy in the world, the
United States, could not escape nuclear disaster, Three Mile Island, whose impact has largely been
covered up by ―soft studies‖ done by the TMI Public Health Fund setup by the nuclear industry who
provided them ample funding (McDonagh 106), devastated land and no doubt countless lives, which
were purposely unreported as the surrounding population was never consulted or tested. We are
foolhardy to think that as Japanese we have the means to fully control such awesome power. We
once lived in sobering fear as a people of the consequences of our actions, but now live in comforting
delusion.
How many of us remember the era of nuclear cinema? Akira Kurosawa was one of the
filmmakers who gave us goose bumps exploring the further consequences of the radiation of nuclear
war (Kaplan 1) in his film ―I Live In Fear,‖ alternately titled ―What the Birds Knew.‖ We as a nation
once looked onward and upward toward the noble sky with prayer for answers. When they came, we
would accept them, as they filled us with the new breathe of knowledge, unabated. Today, instead,
we look to our neighbor, to the television screen, and to the internet, awash in misinformation, and
forget our most credible of sources which have never failed us throughout our long, tumultuous
history. People like Fujin. Disasters like Hiroshima and Fukushima. The key difference today is,
unlike the title industrialist character of Nakajima in Kurosawa‘s film, whom flees to Brazil, there are
few if any places left for us to escape to for safety. ―The International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) states that 88 of the current 442 nuclear installations worldwide are located in areas of high
seismic activity‖ (McDonagh 113).
Disaster and tragedy are the tools we must use to grow. We must leverage them for good
instead of self-interest. My client Fujin has tried to show us a better path, a more sound way, to
conduct ourselves in a civilized society globalizing at a frenetic pace. We must look at our neighbors
around the globe and acknowledge that their well-being is in our own best interest also. Fujin
entrusted the Japanese people to heed the lessons of this triple-threat disaster, and to sew the seeds of
117
change before disaster reaches its point of reclamation once more. We must begin a strategic,
systematic winding down of our nuclear power capability, in the fullest pursuit of compassion and
reason, and more fully assess the purpose and costs of such a program destroying the irreplaceable
components of our environment and national heritage. We must look squarely in the face of the
dangerous dragon of governance, its hot breathe full with rhetorical equivocation, and without fear
say: No more!
At every turn in this trial, the State has repeatedly shown a willingness to justify the
consequences of this disaster, as well as distance itself from the reality of what should be the final
nail in the coffin of nuclear energy. Our Japanese tribe is drowning in the turmoil of Fukushima
Daiichi, suffering once more the wages of complacency. Some will tell you the danger has passed.
Ladies and gentlemen. We are a long way from taming this fathomless beast, and we would be
foolish to think otherwise. Nuclear energy is the black cat in the bamboo grove, a dangerous entity
shadowed over and lurking beneath this crop of tall, looming promises laid bare, and we must all find
our way out safely, before it finds us once more.
Works Cited
Eisler, Ronald. The Fukushima 2011 Disaster. Boca Raton: Columba Press, 2013. Print.
Flasbarth, Jochen. ―Fission Is Not the Future.‖ New Scientist. 218.2917 (2013): 24-25. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 13 July 2013.
Fukuda, Tomokazu, Kino, Yasushi, Abe, Yasuyuki, Yamashiro, Hideaki, Kuwahara, Yoshikazu,
Nihei, Hidekazu, Sano, Yosuke, Irisawa, Ayumi, Shimura, Tsutomu, Fukumoto, Motoi,
Shinoda, Hisashi, Obata, Yuichi, Saigusa, Shin, Sekine, Tsutomu, Isogai, Emiko, and
Fukumoto, Manabu. ―Distribution of Artificial Radionuclides in Abandoned Cattle in the
Evacuation Zone of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.‖ PLoS 1 8.1 (2013): 1-7.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 July. 2013.
Kaplan, Fred. Slate.com. Washington Post Company. 29 Jan 2008. Web. 15 July 2013.
McDonagh, Sean. Fukushima: The Death Knell For Nuclear Energy. Dublin: The Columba Press,
2012. Print.
Pullen, Julie, Chang, Joseph, and Hanna, Steven. ―Air-Sea Transport, Dispersion, and Fate Modeling
In the Vicinity of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.‖ Bulletin of the American
Meteorological Society 94.1 (2013): 31-39. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 July. 2013.
―Radiation Lawsuits‖ New Scientist. 216.2910 (2013): 7. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 July
2013.
Rosenbush, Ellen. Harpers.org. John R. Macarthur, Feb 2013. Web. 15 July 2013.
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Photojournalism: Art with a Purpose
by Thomas Struett
(English 1102)
T
he purpose of journalism is to inform the public about the world around them. This can be
done through many mediums, but nothing quite compares to a photograph that can take a
moment in time and convey a message and inform the reader. Images like the photo taken by
Malcolm W. Brown of a Buddhist monk using self-immolation to protest persecution by the South
Vietnamese government in 1963 convey more emotion and a more clear idea of the subject than any
other form of journalism. Because of what photojournalism provides for the viewer, photojournalism
is a service to the public. Even though photojournalism may have many controversies and a poor job
outlook, it is an important and powerful career that is worth studying.
Photojournalism has been in use for over 150 years. The first known use of a photograph for
journalism use was during the Crimean war in 1855 when Roger Fenton traveled from America to
the Crimea to take photos of the war (309). In the early 1900s Lewis Hines was one of the first
photographers to use photos for social change in an effort to end child labor (336). And In 1935 the
Associated Press started sending photographs by wire, which helped photojournalism cover current
news because photos could now be sent just as fast as written news. Finally, by 1999 the digital
camera began being widely used by most journalists. With the digital camera, technological barriers
of entry into the career have been lowered and now more emphasis is put on education and
experience to stand out as an exceptional photojournalist.
Although education is not necessary to succeed in the career of photojournalism, education
and training are highly recommended. Greg Lewis, author of the book Photojournalism, says a
college degree is a requirement for most jobs at newspapers and studying photojournalism will give
someone a good background in the field. With this, Lewis also recommends studying liberal arts and
giving "serious thought to a second or even third language" (278). Lewis believes that writing skills
are just as necessary as camera skills so schooling is highly recommended before trying to go into the
career. In contrast, John Starks, a photographer for the Daily Herald, who has a bachelors degree in
journalism explains, "Most of my time in classes was a waste. I learned by working for as many
newspapers as I could get an assignment from during college. I didn't sleep much, asked a lot of
questions, bothered a lot of photo editors, and drove a lot of miles." Starks does not think his
education was worth as much as the experience he gained working. So, education can be beneficial to
an aspiring photojournalist, but experience will help a photojournalist understand his or her career
and become better at it.
Experience can be seen through a photographer's portfolio and this is why many employers
believe a portfolio is the best way to judge whether or not to hire a new photojournalist. Lewis
stresses that a portfolio is what is most likely to either get a photojournalist a job or not. Lewis insists
a portfolio is really all an employer is interested in and that is why a photographer‘s portfolio should
be revised and worked on so it will be the best it can be. He suggests that to make a strong portfolio,
the portfolio should have diverse pictures to show that the photographer can cover all types of news.
Also, only strong photos should be kept and weak ones should be cut out even if that makes the
portfolio small.
An internship can be a great way to build up a portfolio and get a foot in the door. In the
journalism world, Lewis explains, many job openings are not advertised but are filled through word
of mouth. This is why Lewis believes getting an internship, going to conventions, and joining
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organizations is important. He also emphasizes not to get hopes up because starting at the bottom is
not necessarily a bad thing and many part-time positions lead to full-time job offers.
Other than working full-time for an employer, a photojournalist can become a freelance
photographer. However, Lewis explains freelance photojournalism is very hard and a person "must
be a business person as well as a photographer" to succeed (283). He explains that a freelance
photojournalist will probably be doing more business than taking pictures. This is why he emphasizes
taking business classes.
As a freelance photographer it is important to know who owns the rights to the photos taken.
Lewis warns to not give away rights to photos because if they are great photos they can make a
photographer money long after the news is over. This is because truly great photos of historical
events can be published in history books and photography books. He says the key is to have good
and new ideas that will be picked up by a paper or magazine because there are plenty of
photographers that can take a good picture, so ideas are what set people apart.
Because photojournalists can earn a living through many different ways like freelance work,
working full-time for one company, and doing studio photography, earnings can greatly vary
between photographers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in May 2011, the 25th
percentile of Photographer's earnings in media-related occupations was $20,270 (United States). The
median pay for photographers was $28,860 and the upper 75th percentile made $44,340. John Starks
says he made $16,000 his first year as a newspaper journalist and now the starting pay in the
newspaper business is $24,000-$35,000. Starks also explains that photographers often have to supply
their own photo gear, editing software, and car, which can cost a lot. He often puts over 20,000 miles
on his car due to traveling to take photographs, and car maintenance and gas has become a major
expense for him. Starks says, "Money doesn't necessarily come to you, even if you have a great
passion for what you do. You must be a good businessman and look for opportunities outside of you
full-time job as a newspaper photojournalist." He suggests doing studio photography or photography
for weddings to make more money on the side.
To become more credible and learn more about photojournalism some professionals and
students join organizations like the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA). The NPPA,
which started in 1946 and is the largest and most popular association of photojournalists in America
today. The association now has around 10,000 members. Membership costs $65 for students and
$110 for professionals per year. With this fee members receive a monthly magazine called News
Photographer that gives tips on journalism and photography. Members can also attend monthly
workshops around the country run by top professionals teaching techniques on photographing and
journalism.
Many states have their own photojournalism association. Illinois' Association is the Illinois
Press Photographers Association (IPPA), which was started in 1946. It is much smaller than the
NPPA and membership costs $27.50 per year. By joining the IPPA, a member can go to the annual
Midwest Photo Summit in Evanston. Association members can also join the directory of
photographers, which then allows people looking for a photographer to search the directory and find
a photographer near them. The directory can help a photographer gain a larger clientele and help
become more known.
After getting a job in photojournalism, a photojournalist has to face many controversies in the
field. One major controversy of photojournalism is the manipulation of photos that are then published
without notifying the reader of the manipulation. The goal of journalism is to be as truthful as
possible, and to inform an audience about something in the world, but through image manipulation
the truth can be distorted. Some reasons that a photographer may manipulate a photograph is so that
they will have a more awe inspiring photo that will have a greater chance of being published and may
then evoke a stronger emotional response in the audience. With the large number of photojournalists,
there is competition to take the best photograph and sometimes that competition leads to
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photographers manipulating their photos so they can get the stronger emotional response and have
their photo published instead of someone else‘s. On the other hand, a photographer may manipulate a
photograph so they can deceive their audience on purpose and make them believe in something false.
The issue of image manipulation has become very prominent in the age of digital photography and
has taken a toll on the photojournalism industry because it has caused people to doubt the
truthfulness of the photographs they see.
Making sure that people do not doubt the truthfulness of photographs is very important to
publishers. In the article "Digital Deception. (Photo Journalism Ethics)" by Cheryl Johnston in the
American Journalism Review, Clyde Mueller, past president of the NPPA, explains how important it
is for photojournalists to be truthful because "the newspaper industry as a whole cannot sustain this
type of exposure." Mueller believes exposure of image manipulations in publications is very
detrimental to the industry because all publications have to offer to the public is their credibility, so
image manipulation is something that needs to be stopped to keep trust in the industry. Without the
public trust in the truthfulness of photographs, people will turn to other forms of media that are more
reliable and can convey the truth better leaving photojournalists without a job. Johnston asks whether
photojournalists break their ethical duty to be truthful because of pressure from the company they
work for or pressure from themselves to get the best possible photograph. Walski, who manipulated a
war photo in Kuwait and was fired because of it, says, "There are many great images coming out of
Iraq so the pressure is high to get the best photos so you can be published" (qtd in Johnson). He also
believes because of artistic photography and movies that make people believe all visual media looks
perfect, the pressure for journalists to get a perfect photo is also high even though their duty is to
convey the truth through their photograph and not beauty. Some photojournalists say that
publications should more clearly state their code of ethics to the photojournalists they hire before
they go out in to the field so they know what is expected of them.
Sometimes photographing a war can be just as dangerous as being a soldier in war. That is
why photographers that choose to become war correspondents can easily be hurt or suffer from
PTSD. Many of these photographers do not get proper help because of their relationship with the
company they are working for and because there is a belief only soldiers can get PTSD. In the article
"Overexposed: A photographer's War With PTSD" from The Atlantic, Adam Mccauley explains how
photographers in war zones can suffer from PTSD and their position as a photographer (and not a
soldier) can hinder them from getting the proper help they need. It has been found that "a 'third of
war' journalists are at risk of developing PTSD" because of what they cover and where they go in a
war zone. Dr. Elena Newman, a trauma psychologist at the University of Tulsa, conducted a study on
photojournalists and says, "Amongst these elite [war journalists] you see high levels of PTSD,
depression and alcohol abuse.... Nearly 28 or 29 percent of these journalists suffer from PTSD, and
21 percent suffer depression." Like soldiers, journalists are often afraid to reveal they are suffering
mental effects from war because they feel they must be tough and that it was their choice to go to a
war zone so they should not complain. A well respected war photographer, Gary Knight says, "My
view may sound harsh, but if you go to war because you want to, don't moan if it hurts you." Some
news agencies are now trying to prevent journalists from hiding their symptoms so they can get
proper help. Mccauley explains that both CNN and the BBC have hired physiologist Dr. Feinstein,
who developed a simple questionnaire that can be taken at any time by war correspondents to see if
they are suffering from PTSD. Even though improvements like this are taking place many costly fulltime war correspondents are being replaced by freelance journalists who provide their own medical
insurance and travel at their own expense. Freelance journalists can be dropped from payroll at any
time so freelance journalists are more pressured to hide mental illnesses like PTSD out of fear of
being dropped.
Some photographs taken by photojournalists provoke people to wonder why the journalist
was taking photos instead of helping the subject that was in need, and whether the journalist had a
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moral responsibility to intervene in what they are documenting or not. A now famous photo of a man
moments away from being hit and killed by a New York City subway train by R. Umar Abbasi was
condemned by the public because the photographer was taking photos instead of helping the man and
then capitalizing off of it by putting it on the cover of the New York Post. Another famous photo of a
13-year-old girl, Omayra Sánchez, who was trapped under debris from a mudslide taken by Frank
Fournier, and won World Press Photo of the Year in 1985, was attacked by the public because the
girl was never saved and died after being stuck for 60 hours. And in another controversial photo, a
starving child in the Sudan is crouched over with a vulture nearby waiting for him to die was taken
by Kevin Carter who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for the photograph. The photographer, Carter,
killed himself three months after being awarded his Pulitzer Prize because he could no longer take
the public hate and grief from not helping the child more. In the article "Killing the Messenger" from
Massachusetts Review, Sean Dougherty believes Carter's photo was a great photo and deserves
praise. He believes this because it makes the viewer want to act. He states, "People felt—horror,
empathy, anger. But without the ability to act, without the necessary political apparatus to do
something, so many turned, as in ancient Greece, and attacked the messenger" (610). Whether a
photographer stands as someone who is there just to document what is going on or someone who
should be interacting with the environment, they are documenting is an important question to ask.
And a photographer should know where they stand before they go out to document the world.
Out of moral responsibility, a photojournalist should try their hardest to avoid being
untruthful as much as they can. In Photojournalism: An Introduction, Fred S. Parrish says that the
more knowledge a photojournalist has, the more truthful they can be. He believes that knowledge that
allows for more truthfulness can be gained by taking "courses in college other than journalism skills"
and that a person must "learn as much about [their] subject as reasonably possible" (293). He also
stresses that time is important and that in a fast-paced job like journalism, one must use their time
effectively so they can learn as much about what they are reporting on so they can be as truthful as
possible.
The low barrier of entry into photojournalism and the low profitability for a publication to
send a person to an event to take photographs is cause lower full-time positions for photojournalists
and a rise in freelance photojournalists. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states, "Over the
2010–2020 period, the number of photographers is projected to increase by 17,500, the largest
increase among media-related occupations" (United States). With this large increase in demand for
photographers over the next decade, the BLS explains there will be a large increase in photographers
trying to take these jobs because of the low barriers of entry into the career and, therefore,
competition will be high for most jobs. Employment of freelance photographers is expected to grow
15% between 2010 and 2020 and employment of photographers in newspaper publishing is expected
to decline 30% between 2010 and 2020, according to the BLS. It appears that overall employment of
photographers is expected to grow, but the possibility of making a living being a photojournalist is
declining due to the larger use of social media sites and higher quality cell phone cameras.
In today‘s world where people can access the news from anywhere and at any time with the
internet, people expect newspapers to provide up-to-the-minute on news. Newspapers compete with
each other to bring the public the news first. Because of this, some news agencies are turning to
social media sites instead of professional photojournalists because it is cheaper and faster than
sending someone to a region to take photographs. Also, the possibility of getting the best image is
higher because they can use the large general population that uses these social media sites instead of
one or two professional photographers. Last October, Time magazine hired five users of the popular
social media site Instagram who were living in the northeast to cover the approaching Hurricane
Sandy with their iPhones. According to Forbes' article "Why Time Magazine Used Instagram To
Cover Hurricane Sandy" by Jeff Bercovici, Time's director of photography, Kira Pollack says, ―We
just thought this is going to be the fastest way we can cover this and it‘s the most dirct [sic] route.... It
122
was about how quickly can we get pictures to our readers.‖ By not using professional
photojournalists, but users of a popular social media sites, Time magazine was able to attract 12,000
new followers to their Instagram in the first 48-hours of the storm. Plus, 13% of Time magazine's
main site's traffic during the storm was due to the five iPhone users they hired for the storm.
Benjamin Lowy, one of the five photographers, even had one of his photos used on the cover of
Time's magazine. This new phenomenon of using social media sites for photographs could have
major consequences for photojournalists. With the low cost, faster access, and broader range of
photographs from social media sites, many news agencies may be tempted to do away with costly
salaried photojournalists rendering the career extinct.
News agencies are realizing that it does not pay to send a photojournalist off to remote places
to report in-depth stories, but it is cheaper and more profitable to do shorter reports in less remote
places. In James Estrin's article "Financing Photojournalism by Subscription," he reports that many
photojournalists are looking into new ways to still do in-depth reporting in remote places of the
world since publishers are starting to stop funding this type of reporting due to its high costs. Estrin
examines a new company called Emphas.is that gets regular people to finance photojournalists to do
more daring and long-term reporting all over the globe. Emphas.is was started by Karim Ben Khellifa
and Tina Ahrens after they realized agility and finding your own financing were just as important in
today‘s photojournalism community as the ability to take pictures. Emphasis.is works by connecting
"photographers with stories to tell and those interested enough to help finance them." Those who
help finance the projects are then able to ask the photographer questions while they are working and
see previews of the project. One possible downside to this form of financing is that people may use
the ability to only pay for work they want to see as a tool to get photojournalists to produce biased
and untruthful work for money. Emphas.is employs a review board that judges photographer's work
to see if they are worthy and then reviews the "logistical feasibility of the project" to ensure only the
best quality of work. One other company like this already exists called Kickstarter, but Khelifa's
company gives "a more active and intimate relationship between viewers and photographers."
Companies like this give a promising future to photojournalism where journalists will have a simple
way to find financing for their journalism and they might have more freedom to pursue what they
want.
Photojournalism has always been a powerful tool. Ansel Adams used the camera to show the
beauty of the wilderness and that national parks were a necessity in order to preserve the landscapes
shown through his pictures. Lewis Hines used the camera to end the suffering of hundreds of
thousands of children in America forced to work in factories. Many others have used the camera to
document and change the world. Although this form of journalism now appears to be shrinking
because of the cost associated with it, it is important to keep photojournalism alive both for its beauty
and its power to inform the world.
Works Cited
Bercovici, Jeff. "Why Time Magazine Used Instagram to Cover hurricane Sandy." Forbes, 1 Nov.
2012. Web. 8 Apr. 2013.
Dougherty, Sean Thomas. "Killing the Messenger." Massachusetts Review. Vol. 47.4 (2006): 608616. Web. 8 Apr. 2013.
Estrin, James. "Financing Photojournalism by subscription." The New York Times 7 Mar. 2011: n.
pag. Campus Research. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.
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IPPA. Illinois Photographer Association. 2012. Web. 8 Apr. 2013.
Johnston, Cheryl. "Digital deception. (Photo Journalism Ethics)." American Journalism Review 25.4
(2003): 10+. Academic OneFile. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.
Lewis, Greg. Photojournalism. Dubuque: Wm. C. Brown, 1991. Print.
McCauley, Adam. "Overexposed: A Photographer's War With PTSD." The Atlantic. The Atlantic
Monthly Group, 20 Dec. 2012. Web. 8 Apr. 2013.
NPPA. National Press Photographers Association, 2012. Web. 8 Apr. 2013.
Parrish, Fred S. Photojournalism: An Introduction. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2002. Print.
Starks, John. "RE: Photojournalism." Message to Thomas Streutt. 18 Mar. 2013. E-mail.
United States. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Photographer." Occupational Outlook Handbook. 201213 ed. 11 Jul. 2012. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.
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Tribute to Faculty
We warmly pay tribute to all submitting instructors, past and present.
Their dedicated and inspired teaching has contributed to
the successful publication of their students’ work
in ESSAI Volume I through Volume XI.
Deborah Adelman
Scott Albert
Jim Allen
Kathleen Altman
E. Bates
Patty Benson
Brian Blevins
Scott Boyd
Franz Burnier
Allan Carter
Tom Carter
Nancy Conradt
Sue Dreghorn
Barbara Eaton
Linda Elaine
Helen Feng
Bob Georgalas
Julie Gibbs
Gloria Golec
Ida Hagman
Naheed Hasan
Lisa Higgins
Connie C. Howard
Bill Hussong
Richard Jarman
Ellen C. K. Johnson
Daniel Kies
Dennis Korneff
Keith Krasemann
Chikako D. Kumamoto
Deb Lantermo
David Leary
Freyda Libman
Lynn Mackenzie
James M. Magrini
Heather Maher
Anne C. Malone
Nicole Matos
Jackie McGrath
Christine Monnier
Katie Nagel
Nick Obradovich
Karen Persky
Chris Petersen
Kamelia Popova
Loretta Pyrdek
Eva Maria Raepple
Lynda Randa
Kent Richter
Carol Riphenburg
Shamili Sandiford
John Santiago
Steve Schroeder
Hema Shende
Dale Simpson
Jason Snart
Alice Snelgrove
Susan Stamler
Lois Stanciak
Jodi Stapleton
Carol Strelczyk
Kathleen Szeszol
Beth Vlad
Diane Wawrejko
Ben Whisenhunt
Liz Whiteacre
James Wies
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Cumulative Index of Student Authors
Volume I – (2002-2003)
Kristyn Bales
Virginia Bateman
Barbara Bergschicker
Hillary J. Brown
Tess Cole
Dean Costello
Joi Cuartero
Ryan Fowler
Susanne K. Frens
Alexa Greer
Thomas Hemmingsen
Karen Hess
Jennifer Hixon
Lauren Hovis
Natalie A. Howes
Beth Bednarz
Roger Darringrand
Lynn Dehlinger
Natallia Ervin
Brittany Gross
Brandi Halle
Allison Hamad
Chris Harvey
Anna Hendrey
Jennifer Hixon
Marsella Jorgolli
Michael Kundert
Sarah Magin
Daniel McCullum
Mary Meir
Andy Morris
Sarah Huber
Dara Huff
Stephanie McMahan
Rachel Meek
Andrew Morris
Stacy Nalley
Mary E. Norton
Lindsay Olsen
Ginny Pace
Megan Posch
Jason Schramm
Dan Swindle
Abe Whiting
Chin Yang
Volume II – (2003-2004)
Noorjabeen Naseer
My Nguyen
Kristopher O‘Dell
Aaron Olson
Chris Orlock
Richard Payton
Nadia Qazi
Cara Raimon
Frank Redmond
Jonathan Scherer
Maya Strahl
Jasmine Thorne
Bonnie White
Michelle Ziehn
Volume III – (2004-2005)
Tanya Basu
Mary Bodine
Wendy Carpenter
Meredith Carey
Thomas Ferguson
Michael Graczyk
Victoria Graham
Sara Heppner
Benjamin Hooper
Brian Kinsman
Valentine Kopjo
Kathy Kozak
Sean Labbé
Rebecca Lunev
Karen L. Arneson
Lisa Bonomo
Steve Braun
Brian Casario
Patrick Caulfield
Joseph Cholewa
Joe Cinquegrani
Janet Crawford
Andy Dameron
Dodi Dolendi
Laura Dubberke
Heather A. Duncan
Christine Dyslin
Rebecca Eineke
Shannon Grilli
Kristina Grudem
Emily N. Hansen
Jason Hernandez
Julie McKee
Matt Naglewski
Stacy Nalley
Allan Norgaard
Jason Nosek
Richard Payton
Megan Posch
Nadia Qazi
David Rojas
Maggie Smith
Ruth Valentine
Anthony Wilder
Roberta Williams
Sharon Wussow
Volume IV – (2005-2006)
William Hodges
Benjamin Hooper
Janelle A. Jenkins
Hannah Kim
Ruslan Kochemirovskiy
Emily Krauspe
Maren Ann McKee
Tabitha Metreger
Jason Morrow
Keiko Narisako
Jeremy Shier
Jason Smith
Joan Tett
Jennifer Vail
Alicia Voss
Weien Wang
Justin Wedekind
Volume V – (2006-2007)
Karen L. Arneson
David Beck
Natalie Berent
Leslie A. Bertram
Angela Cibich
Peter Cohen
Joseph A. Deardurff
Lauren Del Carlo
Camille Diebold
Kennerly Diebold
Melissa Donahue
Christine Dyslin
Travis Farrington
Jessica Gibbs
Victoria Graham
Lucy A. Hawke
Matt Horan
Natalie Hustead
Shaina Hutson
Jenna L. Keefe
Anna Kinsella
Alison Lederer
Keelin Lord
Tracy Noeske
Zachary Peschke
126
Carey Raupp
Daniel Smith
Nicholas Treff
Ashley Urban
Alice Wieduwilt
Rutger Wolfgang Stache
Fariah Zainuddin
Ava Zandieh
Volume VI – (2007-2008)
Kristin Arita
Krystal N. Arrate
Cristina Baica
William Berkhout
Julie Bertacchi
Kavita Bhavsar
Michael Butler
Leah Cameron
Victoria Canaday
Howard
Joanna Ciesielski
Katherine Ciesla
Michael Davis
Christine Dyslin
Jessica Eller
Carrie Fenwick
Joel Griswell
Shan Haq
Jennifer Horst
Mo Ismail
Lyndon Kacick
Nick Kogos
Matthew Kos
Jenny Letourneau
Heather Lydon
Melissa Maida
Ali Malik
Margaret McNulty
Nathan Meno
Katherine Morales
Sylvia Morales
Lydia Newby
Agnes Mary Reband
Jennifer Rodriguez
Matt Sauter
Robert Schletz
Christina Scott
Tom Serb
Samantha Sferas
Judy Staiano
Kara Stevenson
Adrienne Tam
Christina Villa
Cynthia L. Witt
Volume VII – (2008-2009)
Jacob Albaugh
Ashley Aller
Kyle Berthel
Courtney Bobko
Ellen Briggs
Dave Broche
Mary Beth Broda
Patrick Buranicz
Brittany Burkes
Katherine Ciesla
Ryan Corrigan
Jonathon Drews
Bethany Ester
Aly Gentile
Tiffany Gray
Scott Hixson
Edward Hren
Grant L. Iler
Graham Johnson
Casey Jones
Susan Kareska
Sunya Kashan
Nick Kontos
Laurel Kunath
Chris Lemke
Emily Lombardi
Melissa
Mastrogiovanni
Sean McGowan
Mateja Mircic
Phuong Nguyen
Connie Padera
Harry Podschwit
Zach Porlier
Nick Rascia
Olivia Schultz
Brandon Slate
Richards Walker
Michael Wendt
Anum Zafar
Volume VIII – (2009-2010)
Kelsey Barron
Geneva Beles
Christine Berta
Lauren Blanford
Chelsey Boutan
Sarah Burgess
Stephanie Christian
Eileen Corley
Sally Jo Detloff
Justin Eberhart
Nathan Samuel Ellingsen
Danny Hankes
Max Hermann
Christopher Hunton
Charise Joy Javonillo
Tim Kamin
Breanne Kanak
Julie Kelsey
Sarah Lichtenwalter
Daniel Lowder
Mandie McGlynn
Matthew Murray
Bekah Myroup
Lily Nicholson
Sean O'Leary
Tina Osornio
Sarah Oxley
M. Lisa Parenti
Zach Porlier
James T. Ricker
Shannon Rohn
Susan Schumacher
Alana Shuma
Emily Stephen
Lauren Stull
Jennifer Wendt
Amanda Woolum
Michael K. O'Malley
Jessica Otto-Rosario
Kimberly Overby
Michele Roberts
Annette Sanchez
Brittany Schweik
Alana Shuma
David Skorusa
Kasie-Marie Smith
Jeff Tosch
Allison Watts
Beth Wegner
Frederick Wennlund
Annie Werly
Erik Wright
Kari Zapletal
Patrick Noonan
Kevin Prchal
Vicki Price
Laura Romaine
Sana Shafiuddin
Sophie Shukin
John Skarha
Jessica Steslow
Marcus Tolson
Ethan Woodward
Sarah Yockey
Volume IX – (2010-2011)
Nicole Anderson
Sofia Bermudez
Matt Brousil
Najah Burks-Pittman
Alicia M. Chapman
Robert de Lara
Dodi Dolendi
Tyler Eickelmann
Jennifer Elsman
Michael Halla
Chad Hochstatter
Kevin Kienitz
Michael Kintz
Theresa Kolodziej
Sasha Nicole Kruger
Jessica LaPlante
Kristin Liewald
Daniel Lowder
Matt MacDougall
Erin Massoni
Zuzanna Mierzejewska
Bekah Myroup
Volume X – (2011-2012)
Anna Albrecht
Lynn Altman
Karen Arneson
Dan Barclay
Matthew Brousil
Chris Burkett
Jordan Colbert
Christine Dahlson-Rutherford
Samantha De Carlo
Alec Dorner
Christina Duski
John Eed
Charles Hall
Patrick Hanes
Ian Haseltine
Ernie Koh
Nina Kokayeff
Jeff Kort
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Volume XI – (2012-2013)
Jim Alop
Virginia Anderson
Angelo Andriopoulos
Heidi Braunschneider
Brody Challinor
Lauren Challinor
Steven Franklin
Tony Frontuto
Erna Gevondyan
Tooba Ghafoor
Ruth Groza
Ian Haseltine
Martin Hayford
Grace Horn
Caleb Jenkins
Roberta Johnson
Akbar Khan
Larry Lambert
128
Sara Liesman
James Maguire
Danielle Meyer
Kevin Midlash
Erin Miller
William Jasen Mummert
Carlos S. Ortega-Guerrero
Agnieszka Poznanska
Hayley Reagin
Sarah Rochford
Rebecca M. Samson
Vesal Stoakley
Thomas Struett