Yo Quiero Taco Bell free essay sample

UC Prompt: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are? Common App: Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you. â€Å"What are you?† a girl asks me. â€Å"What do you mean?† It should be obvious. I’m a person, a living, breathing, human being. I’m a girl who likes to read and play beach volleyball. I have lived in four different places, enjoy public speaking and learned to skimboard in only one day. â€Å"Like I’m half Italian and half Portuguese.† It’s nice to meet you half Italian and half Portuguese. â€Å"Oh! I’m Mexican.† â€Å"Wow†¦ really? You don’t seem very Mexican†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I can’t blame the poor girl; she’s not the first and will not be the last to doubt my Hispanic descent. We will write a custom essay sample on Yo Quiero Taco Bell or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page On the outside I don’t appear as your stereotypical Latin-American teenager; my skin is pale during the winter and fall, my eyes change color but have never been brown, and I have both of my eyebrows without the need to pencil them on. I can’t roll my R’s, and have a low tolerance for spicy food. I enjoy Taco Bell and my name isn’t Maria. For these reasons I’ve been told by society that I’m not â€Å"a real Mexican,† and as a result, I believed it. I shunned my Hispanic family culture, from openly declaring that I did not like Mexican food despite my weakness for tamales and enchiladas to avoiding my own Grandmother, a first generation American from Mexico who speaks only Spanish because I was embarrassed to speak the language of the culture I wished to disown. However, as I’ve grown older and learn to be more critical of the statements of society I’ve realized that my family’s Hispanic tradition has molded me to become more â€Å"Mexican† than my phenotype ever could have. From an early age I’ve learned that those who can endure the pain of work shall reap the rewards, from cramming for an AP test, running the last stretch of a 400m to picking strawberries in a field. I’ve also been taught that no matter what, family comes first. At Christmas time, regardless of relation, everyone becomes my Tia or Tio and I become Mija, daughter of everyone. I’ve learned our culture’s perseverance from my father, he managed to pay his own way through medical school, becoming one of the first in his family to go to college, setting an example for my siblings and me. From my Mother I’ve learned not only to embrace my heritage, but also to be proud of it. Even though I don’t parade around school with the flag of Mexico on my backpack, I will gladly tilt my head back and let loose the deafening laugh my family is famous for despite the occasional glare from my peers. I am thankful for the way I look. It has taught me that even though being Mexican does not define me, it has helped shape and become a part of the person I am. My name is Carina Bianca and though my skin is pale and my eyes are not brown, I am a full-blooded Mexican and will not be told otherwise.

Free Essays on Mattel

12 June 2001 1) What was Jill Barad’s primary goal for Mattel in 1996? What strategy did she choose in order to pursue these goals? Answer: The primary goal of Jill Barad for Mattel was to increase earning per shares by 15% per annum compounded before the effects of any acquisitions. The following are the 4 elements of her strategies: 1. Continue with the highly profitable practice of extending the company’s existing brands (e.g. she had plans to further develop a line of collectible Barbie dolls); 2. Develop new product categories, particular in boy’s toys and board games where Mattel had traditional been weak. It could be accomplished through internal product development or by acquiring an emerging company and then growing its business through further investments. 3. Expanding overseas market sales to more than 50% of Mattel’s total; 4. Cost reductions by outsourcing production to low-cost foreign factories in places such as China. 2) Why did Barad’s strategies fail to generate the profit growth she had planned? Could better planning have helped Barad anticipate market trends? Answer: The following are the number of problems that had stymied Barad’s strategies: l Parents were buying fewer toys and shifting their spending to computer software and video games for their children; l Parents were shifting the spending to competing dolls such as Pleasant Company’s highly successful line of American Girl dolls; l As Disney’s most recent animated movies had been less successful than expected, the related toy sales had suffered accordingly; l The popularity of the Barbie brand had declined, partly because of changing fashions. If Barad had awareness of external threat that computer were becoming more popular to families, which parents might use it to entertain and educate their children and the lack of creativity of recent toys, her planning might have more consideration on innovative products. The same situat... Free Essays on Mattel Free Essays on Mattel 12 June 2001 1) What was Jill Barad’s primary goal for Mattel in 1996? What strategy did she choose in order to pursue these goals? Answer: The primary goal of Jill Barad for Mattel was to increase earning per shares by 15% per annum compounded before the effects of any acquisitions. The following are the 4 elements of her strategies: 1. Continue with the highly profitable practice of extending the company’s existing brands (e.g. she had plans to further develop a line of collectible Barbie dolls); 2. Develop new product categories, particular in boy’s toys and board games where Mattel had traditional been weak. It could be accomplished through internal product development or by acquiring an emerging company and then growing its business through further investments. 3. Expanding overseas market sales to more than 50% of Mattel’s total; 4. Cost reductions by outsourcing production to low-cost foreign factories in places such as China. 2) Why did Barad’s strategies fail to generate the profit growth she had planned? Could better planning have helped Barad anticipate market trends? Answer: The following are the number of problems that had stymied Barad’s strategies: l Parents were buying fewer toys and shifting their spending to computer software and video games for their children; l Parents were shifting the spending to competing dolls such as Pleasant Company’s highly successful line of American Girl dolls; l As Disney’s most recent animated movies had been less successful than expected, the related toy sales had suffered accordingly; l The popularity of the Barbie brand had declined, partly because of changing fashions. If Barad had awareness of external threat that computer were becoming more popular to families, which parents might use it to entertain and educate their children and the lack of creativity of recent toys, her planning might have more consideration on innovative products. The same situat...

Jean Piaget Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jean Piaget - Essay Example The main role in the process of cognition belongs to mental abilities of person: infants are born with certain schemes operating at birth (reflexes), but while in animals these schemes control behavior throughout life human beings use them to adapt to the environment and develop their cognitive abilities. Piaget identifies four periods of cognitive development: sensory-motor, pre-operational, concrete-operational, and formal-operational. Each of these periods is associated with mastering certain skills and abilities such as use of symbols, abstract thinking, etc: Pre-operational stage (toddler and early childhood): intelligence is demonstrated through the use of symbols, improvements in the use of language, development of memory and imagination. However, thinking remains illogical and nonreversible; egocentric thinking dominates during this stage; Concrete operational stage (elementary and early adolescence): intelligence is demonstrated through logical and systematic manipulation of symbols related to concrete objects. Operational thinking develops (mental actions that are reversible) while egocentric thinking diminishes. Formal operational stage (adolescence and adulthood): intelligence is demonstrated through the logical use of symbols related to abstract concepts.

Structural design for serviceability Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Structural design for serviceability - Thesis Example As standards advance toward probability-based limit state design methods, serviceability issues are expected to become an integral part of design consideration. Whether a structure has passed a limit state is really a matter of perception. As far as the ultimate limit state is concerned, the perception is technical, and there are sets of rules and regulations which are established by building codes. However, in the case of serviceability limit the perception is often non-technical, as they involve the judgments and anticipations of occupants. As a consequence, serviceability limits in general have not been codified since desirable limits frequently alter from application to application. Hence, they remain a matter of contractual agreement between the owner and designer, and thus are not specified in the building codes. The purpose of the current project will be to explore and gather the history of serviceability criteria used for various types of structures. Design deflection and vibration criteria will be relaxed by increasing the floor span and reducing the member size, and the likely effects will be perceived. The paper will later look into possible techniques used for improving structural stiffness without incurring additional cost and materials. The objectives of this study are: to gain better understanding of structural serviceability performance needs of each country, to exchange data on structural serviceability and to develop performance-based design procedures for structural serviceability. The object of serviceability design is acceptable performance during expected service conditions for the design life. The objective maybe is to prevent damage to ceiling plaster or wall glazing elements to maintain a pleasing appearance or to prevent uncomfortable movement. Deflection is typically limited to some proportion of the span. Building construction may be such that there is a wall located near the

Social Science Journals and Impact Factor Essay Example for Free

Social Science Journals and Impact Factor Essay There is a proper way to deal with journalists that commit misconducts in their research publications in social sciences journals. Policies and procedures have been put into place to assist in the proper handling of researchers when they behave unethically. Editors must protect the integrity of the journals and the research, when allegations of research misconduct arise. This can pose a difficult task. Journals have had to rethink how to deal with such allegations and misconduct. â€Å"Editors must also think about the potential legal liability if the innocent scientists reputation has become damaged† (Resnik, Patrone, Peddada, 2010). Scientists need to remain credible and reputable, so accusations of unethical misconduct involved in their research can cause an uproar. The Committee on Publication Ethics, also know as COPE, issues an agreement that stated journals must develop misconduct policies, in 1999, and in 2006, issued standard procedures for handling with the misconduct in scientific journals. It is not yet a requirement, but a guidance of how situations should be handled when misconduct is brought to the attention of the editors of the publications. Research was done regarding the number of scientific journals had, in place, a policy detailing the use and reporting of unethical research practices. According to the article, â€Å"A misconduct policy is defined as statements about the definition of misconduct or procedures for responding to misconduct† (Resnik, Patrone, Peddada, 2010). For example, the policy described â€Å"how to report allegations of misconduct† (Resnik, Patrone, Peddada, 2010), and â€Å"how to correct the scientific literature in response to misconduct† (Resnik, Patrone, Peddada, 2010). The definitions of misconduct would not be limited to the U.S. Federal governments definition of misconduct: fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism. Other types of misconduct must be recognized as well, such as animal abuse or misuse of human subjects. The research shows that â€Å"less than half of the journals in the combined data set had formal misconduct policies† (Resnik, Patrone, Peddad a, 2010), although it is recommended by COPE. It is thought that since editors have been made conscious of the misconduct in the scientific research, that more misconduct policies would be in place by now. It is thought that maybe many journals have not developed these policies yet,  because journal editors do not view misconduct as a common problem when they should. Many editors view the misconduct as a something that happens on a rare occasion and are not motivated to develop the policies that are needed to properly handle it. If this issue was properly handled, accusations could not be made, as long as proper protocols were in place and followed appropriately. These kinds of policies have more benefits and a sort of security, but when writing for journals that do not have them in place can be dangerous to the reputations of the researchers and the publishers. Less than half of the reported journals have policies in place, and it would be beneficial to the rest of them to follow suit. The people effected by the misconduct of unethical journals are the participants in the research, as well as the publication the journal is referenced in. If it became a requirement of the social science journals to have policies in place, less accusations would be made about the behavior of the editors and journalists. It is important to remain completely ethical and avoid tarnishing the reputation of the scientists and journalists involved in the publications. This will help aim the publications to remain full of integrity and regarded as highly ethical. More support will come from journals that are deemed ethical, than those that are not, especially in the social science department. It is hopeful that in the near future more editors around the globe will obtain policies that require ethical research to be conducted in order for the research to become published. This would effect not only the reputations of the editors and journals, it would improve the reliability of the information that is provided in the research. It is the opinion of many in the field of social science research, that policies and procedures for handling unethical research practices are put in place, so that their years of hard work and dedication does not become undeniable. One accusation to a scientist could lead to many accusations of past and all future research. So if the guidelines were presently in place, this could be avoided. Until that happens, though, there will remain a certain percent of scientific research that is deemed unethical, and most likely will not be published. References Resnik, D. B., Patrone, D., Peddada, S. (2010). Research Misconduct Policies of Social Science Journals and Impact Factor. Accountability In Research: Policies Quality Assurance, 17(2), 79-84. doi:10.1080/08989621003641181

Thomas Pynchons Mason & Dixon and Gravitys Rainbow :: Mason Dixon

Thomas Pynchon's Mason & Dixon and Gravity's Rainbow ....."Snow-Balls have flown their Arcs..." These words begin the wondrous passage that introduces us to the world of Thomas Pynchon's latest masterpiece, Mason & Dixon. In an obvious parody of "A screaming comes across the sky," the opening of Gravity's Rainbow, Pynchon sets the mood and pace for the rest of the novel. In contrast to the mindless pleasures, hopeless desperation, and ubiquitous death that dominate virtually every page of his apocalyptic earlier work, this novel begins with a joyful snowball fight between children on the streets of eighteenth-century Philadelphia. Indeed, the rest of the novel generally maintains this playful and happy tone. Unlike the sexually disturbed and socially displaced isolates that make up Pynchon's cast of prior heroes (or more aptly "anti-heroes"), the book focuses on the relationship of two normal men, Jeremiah Dixon and Charles Mason, who form an incredible bond of friendship. Needless to say, this has lead critics to wonder precisely what has happened to Pynchon in the last twenty years. Has marriage softened the author? Is this a "kinder, gentler" Pynchon for the nineties? To some extent, the fact that critics are still scrambling to explain the extreme differences between his previous work and Mason & Dixon may explain the relative paucity of literary criticism available on the new book to date. .....I would like to take a small first step towards a better understanding of Mason & Dixon by considering Pynchon's conception of history, a theme which is crucial to both it and Gravity's Rainbow. In spite of all the differences, Mason & Dixon remains a scathing indictment of conventional history as true to Pynchon as any of his other works. Furthermore, beyond setting the mood and providing self-parody, the opening is the first of many passages which both link the book to Gravity's Rainbow, and suggest that beneath the happy surface of the novel lie omens of a bleak future. In this context, Mason & Dixon can be read as a meditation on the era in which the technology, philosophy, politics, and economics that plague the twentieth century were just being conceived. For Pynchon, modern history has a destructive trajectory like that of a rocket, a path that begins around the time Mason and Dixon are working on their line, and ends in the nightmarish world of Gravity's Rainbow. .....Despite the fact that most of Pynchon's views remain a matter of constant debate in literary circles, scholars of Gravity's Rainbow seem to agree that Pynchon views history with a harshly skeptical postmodern eye. Thomas Pynchon's Mason & Dixon and Gravity's Rainbow :: Mason Dixon Thomas Pynchon's Mason & Dixon and Gravity's Rainbow ....."Snow-Balls have flown their Arcs..." These words begin the wondrous passage that introduces us to the world of Thomas Pynchon's latest masterpiece, Mason & Dixon. In an obvious parody of "A screaming comes across the sky," the opening of Gravity's Rainbow, Pynchon sets the mood and pace for the rest of the novel. In contrast to the mindless pleasures, hopeless desperation, and ubiquitous death that dominate virtually every page of his apocalyptic earlier work, this novel begins with a joyful snowball fight between children on the streets of eighteenth-century Philadelphia. Indeed, the rest of the novel generally maintains this playful and happy tone. Unlike the sexually disturbed and socially displaced isolates that make up Pynchon's cast of prior heroes (or more aptly "anti-heroes"), the book focuses on the relationship of two normal men, Jeremiah Dixon and Charles Mason, who form an incredible bond of friendship. Needless to say, this has lead critics to wonder precisely what has happened to Pynchon in the last twenty years. Has marriage softened the author? Is this a "kinder, gentler" Pynchon for the nineties? To some extent, the fact that critics are still scrambling to explain the extreme differences between his previous work and Mason & Dixon may explain the relative paucity of literary criticism available on the new book to date. .....I would like to take a small first step towards a better understanding of Mason & Dixon by considering Pynchon's conception of history, a theme which is crucial to both it and Gravity's Rainbow. In spite of all the differences, Mason & Dixon remains a scathing indictment of conventional history as true to Pynchon as any of his other works. Furthermore, beyond setting the mood and providing self-parody, the opening is the first of many passages which both link the book to Gravity's Rainbow, and suggest that beneath the happy surface of the novel lie omens of a bleak future. In this context, Mason & Dixon can be read as a meditation on the era in which the technology, philosophy, politics, and economics that plague the twentieth century were just being conceived. For Pynchon, modern history has a destructive trajectory like that of a rocket, a path that begins around the time Mason and Dixon are working on their line, and ends in the nightmarish world of Gravity's Rainbow. .....Despite the fact that most of Pynchon's views remain a matter of constant debate in literary circles, scholars of Gravity's Rainbow seem to agree that Pynchon views history with a harshly skeptical postmodern eye.

Ancient Africa and the Present Slavery Essay

The book â€Å"Segu† is a novel written by Maryse Conde. Set in 1797, the novel a story of the Africans during that era. Interestingly, Conde was able to create a novel that makes the lives of her characters as the most evident proof of the life experienced by people who lived in Mali during the ancient times. Clearly, the issue of religion, norms, and traditions are depicted as important aspects of society that affected the people of Old Mali. Due to the astounding narration of Conde, I was attracted to the characters as well as the history of Mali. I specifically became interested in the detailed narration of the African culture as well as the slavery experienced by the black Africans at the hands of the colonizers. It is interesting to note that, although the Africans were subjected to slavery over 300 years ago, the controversies and issues surrounding slavery still persist. It seems like the wounds caused by slavery are still engraved in the minds and personal history of every individual. Hence, I can only assume that there is still inequality happening not only in Africa but also in the world. Noting that the current African nations are one of the poorest in the world, I have come to conclude that Africans are still subjected to slavery today; only this time, they are now slaves of the current world, as most of the resources mined or produced within the African nations are not utilized and enjoyed by the Africans themselves but acquired by foreigners to serve their own self-interests. Hence, Africans are not given what they deserve to attain and enjoy. It is saddening that after more than 300 years, the African nations in general are still experiencing various conflicts in terms of religion, norms, and traditions. During an era of globalization and international cooperation, one must bear in mind that there is a need for change and development not just in the economic or political aspects but also in the social and cultural outlook. Work Cited Conde, Maryse. Segu. New York: Viking Penguin Inc. , 1987.