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Old comedy known through

Differences between Old Comedy and New Comedy

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Old comedy known through the works of Aristophanes represents the initial phase of the ancient Greek comedy. It began after the contest was initiated in 486 BC at Dionysia city and ended when Aristophanes wrote his last play in 388 BC. There are about 25 known authors of this phase. The structure of old comedy was in five sections namely, prologue, parados, agon, parabasis, and episodes. On the other hand, new comedy began after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and ended in 260 BC. It is best compared to the comedy of manner and situation comedy. New comedy provided a mildly satiric outlook of contemporary Athenian society. This essay demonstrates how new comedy differs from old comedy in which Aristophanes wrote. Further, it uses How I met your Mother, a current television sitcom to explain the difference.

Old comedy is characterized by the high-spirited and exuberant satire of affairs and public persons. The plays were composed of dance, song, buffoonery, and personal invective and also included sections on outspoken philosophical topics and political criticism. During Aristophanes’ time, old comedy began to shit. Ordinary human beings took the role of the most heroic characters. Heroes and Gods played the role of buffoons. Additionally, the actors put on masks and had padding back and front. The costumes also included giant phalluses. Noteworthy, Aristophanes employed the use of cranes and ekkylkema, also known as platforms. At times Aristophanes would make up long, compound and complicated words such as cloudcuckooland where appropriate (Reckford, 2017). Old comedy plays that consisted of loosely related episodes were first performed for a religious festival in Athens. Gradually, old comedy adopted a six-part structure as opposed to the previous five structures.

On the other hand, New Comedy which came after old comedy was filled with characters of all manners. New comedy employed satire in its domestic and familiar aspects. Unlike Old comedy which made parodies about public figures and events, New Comedy featured average and fictional citizens and did not have heroic and supernatural overtones. New comedy deals with conventionalized situations of thwarted lovers. Further, it had stock characters such as the wily merchant, cunning slave, cruel father, and boastful soldier. Although new comedy does not depict contemporary life, it is an accurate reflection of the disillusioned spirit. An example of a modern-day sitcom that falls under this category is How I Met your Mother. The series revolves around Ted who narrates to his daughter and son how he met their mother in the year 2030. The narrative also involves his circle of best friends including eccentric womanizer Barney, news anchor robin, and long-lasting couple Marshal and Lily. The script explores several storylines including a love triangle between Barney, Ted, and Robin and Marshall and Lily’s relationship through the use of flashbacks from the future. In essence, How I Met Your Mother is about the day-to-day world and did not employ political criticism just like the New Comedy did in 323 BC.

Old comedy was a satire of public persons and events while new comedy provided a mildly satiric outlook of contemporary Athenian society. Old comedy had five sections on outspoken philosophical topics and political criticism. New Comedy featured average and fictional citizens and did not have heroic and supernatural overtones. It dealt with conventionalized situations of thwarted lovers. How I Met Your Mother is an example of a new comedy and is about the day-to-day world and did not employ political criticism.

References

Reckford, K. J. (2017). Aristophanes’ Old-and-New Comedy: Volume I: Six Essays in Perspective. UNC Press Books.

Introduction (20)

Competencies Practiced by Generalists Social Workers

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Introduction

Social work is a profession that promotes social change, liberation, and empowerment of people and solving problems in human relationships to enhance well-being. It utilizes social systems theories and human behavior to intervene in people’s interactions with their environments. Principles of social justice and human rights are at the core of social work. The generalist approach to social work offers a multileveled and integrated approach to meeting the social work purpose. Generalist social workers work with client at all levels and connects them to available resources and ensures responsiveness of resource systems. This essay discusses a variety of social work competencies employed by the generalist social worker when working with clients.

Engaging in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice

First generalist social workers are expected to conduct research-informed research and practice when dealing with clients. Social workers should understand the role of qualitative and quantitative research methods in evaluating the practice and advancing social work as a science. It is essential for social workers to understand the principles of systematic inquiry, logic, ethical approaches and culturally informed in building knowledge. Social workers know that their practice is derived from multiple ways of knowing and disciplinary sources hence the need to familiarize themselves with processes used to translate research findings.

Engaging in Policy Practice

Another competency employed by generalists’ social worker is the ability to engage in policy practice. This is because social justice, social welfare services are affected by policy implementation at the local, federal, and state levels. Social workers need to take note of the current structures and history of social services and policies and the role that practice plays in policy development as well as the hand of policy in the delivery of services. Additionally, social workers know that they have a role to play in the development and implementation of policies in settings at the mezzo, macro, and micro levels. Moreover, they are knowledgeable in policy analysis, formulation, implementation, and evaluation.

Advancing Human Rights and Economic, Social and Environmental Justice.

Another competency has to do with the advancement of human rights and economic, environmental and social justice. Social workers recognize that all members of society have fundamental rights including safety, privacy, freedom, healthcare, education, and adequate standards of living regardless of their position in society (Suppes & Wells, 2012). Moreover, they remain cognizant of the global interconnections of human rights violation and oppression and are aware of human needs theories as well as viable strategies for promoting economic justice, human rights and social justice. Social workers are familiar with strategies employed to do away with oppressive structural barriers and ensuring social rights, responsibilities and goods are equitably distributed.

Demonstrate Professional and Ethical Behavior

Furthermore, competent social workers demonstrate professional and ethical behavior while engaging with clients. This is vital as it forms the foundation for the social work profession and relevant laws that can impact the practice at the mezzo, macro, and micro levels. They take note of the frameworks of critical thinking and ethical decision making application to frameworks in policy arenas, practice and research. Additionally, social workers know the distinction between personal and professional values. They also recognize the emergence of new technology and its the ethical employment in social practice. Social workers are acquainted with the need for continuous learning and remain committed to improving their skills regularly to ensure they remain effective and relevant.

Conclusion

While social work is all about social change problem solving and empowering people, the generalist approach to social work offers a multileveled and integrated approach to meeting the purpose of social work. Some of the competencies applied by workers have to do with demonstrating ethical behavior, engaging in policy practice, and engaging in the research-informed practice. Further, social workers recognize that all members of the society have fundamental rights including safety, privacy, freedom, healthcare, education, and adequate standards of living regardless of their position in society.

References

Suppes, M. A., & Wells, C. C. (2012). The social work experience: An introduction to social work and social welfare. Pearson Higher Ed.

Thank you for allowing

Community Health Project Permission Form

Thank you for allowing: (student’s name) enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Aspen University to complete their Community Health Nursing Project experience at your organization.  The project experiences the student will obtain in your organization are of critical importance to a successful learning experience in this course. Students need the “real life” experience to demonstrate competency in the successful implementation of a community health nursing educational project. 

This project experience provides opportunities where the student can acquire knowledge, advance skills, and observe the modeling of professional behaviors.  Without your willingness to participate, it would be impossible to replicate the experiences the student needs to be successful. The project setting is where synthesis of concepts and application of principles of epidemiology, research and critical thinking occur.

Please sign this form below, as acknowledgement and acceptance that our student can complete their teaching project at your organization or facility.

Again, many thanks to you!

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Organizational Teamwork

BUSINESS LDT: ORGANIZATIONAL TEAMWORK

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Organizational Teamwork

Teamwork is one of the most important elements that determine the success of an organization. Driskel et al. (2018) define teamwork as a process in which members of a team work together in unison towards the achievement of organizational common goals. It involves the activities in which team input translates into team output such as team satisfaction and effectiveness. Organizations that practice teamwork create unity and collaboration which helps in solving complex problems within the workplace. In other words, effective teamwork helps retain motivation, save money, and increase efficiency and effectiveness within the organization. However, it is also important to note that ineffective teamwork within the organization creates a toxic working environment which leads to extreme problems such as communication breakdowns, time and resource wastage, and unwillingness to share workloads with others.

Poor communication between employees is one of the major problems that result from ineffective teamwork within the organization. In every organization communication is one of the most important factors towards the achievement of both short and long goals. Through effective communication, organizations are able to promote employee motivation by clarifying and informing employees within different organizational departments about the tasks to be done and the manner in which those should be achieved. However, problematic communication that results from ineffective teamwork usually result to lack of coordination between employees hence leading to the problem of low productivity within the organization (Driskel et al.,2018). Therefore, in order to ensure improved productivity, it is imperative that organizations should adopt strategies that ensure effective teamwork which results to proper communication and coordination within the organization.

Apart from poor communication, ineffective teamwork also causes separation of employees which leads to unwillingness to share workloads (Dinh and Salas, 2017). Normally, this results from lack of trust among the team members which leads to withholding of information and poor communication. As a result, this leads to lack of cohesion which causes poor division of labor among the employees. In general, the lack of cohesion and willingness to share workloads results to delays in completion of task, production, and delivery of goods and services leading to customer dissatisfaction. Bearing this mind, it is therefore important to note that in order to ensure customer satisfaction and proper time management organizations should focus more on teamwork as it is an essential element for the success of the business.

According to Dinh and Salas (2017), lack of self-analysis is another major problem that occurs as result of ineffective teamwork. In many organizations, effective teams routinely analyze systems and processes that are put in place to identify areas of improvement due to the fact that self-analysis plays a major role in helping teams become more self-reliant and strong, requiring less supervision from managers and supervisors. On the other hand, ineffective teams do not monitor their processes and systems for efficiency and hence may not be able to realize how unproductive or inefficient their systems and products are. As a result, this results to poor quality production systems which affect customer’s loyalty to the organization.

Lack of trust among members of the organization is another major factor associated with ineffective teamwork. Dinh and Salas (2017) identify trust as one of the most important factors towards the attainment of organizational goals. It involves the willingness of individual members of the organization to share their ideas with others with an aim of working in unison to improve the success of the organization. In other words, trust is the building block of many relationships, especially in teams. However, a lack of trust between employees within the organization is considered a major problem that results in the creation of a toxic working environment. It threatens productivity, shut downs communication and de-motivates team members, impacting the bottom line of the business. Additionally, it also causes individuals to become protective and guarded on their own interest causing minimum idea sharing which affect areas involving invention and innovation within the organization which depend on the shared ideas of individuals. Availability of effective teamwork results to shared trust among individuals which results to sharing of ideas that leads to increased invention and innovation hence proving that effective teamwork is essential for business success.

Dinh and Salas (2017) suggest that conflict among individuals is a major problem caused by ineffective teamwork within the organization. In every organization, individuals portray different insights and opinions towards the business operations. These differences in ideas are normally healthy due to the fact that they can be used to make useful debates that will help expand the knowledge of team members. However, ineffective teams usually view differences in opinions as arguments that they take personally. This results to conflict and tension between organizational employees which in turn increases employee anxiety, damaged relationship, and decreased job satisfaction. In addition, the conflict and tension also affects team performance which also affect the productivity of the organization.

In order to ensure effective teamwork that is essential for business success, it is imperative for business entities to adopt various strategies that provides for solutions against ineffective team problems such as poor communication, lack of trust, and conflicts. Driskel et al. (2018) identify team training as one of the major approaches to effective teamwork and a solution to ineffective teamwork. It involves a set of tools and strategies that are aimed at enhancing skills performance, teamwork knowledge, and processes. Team training has enabled the achievement of team performance, enhancing cognitive, affective, and performance outcomes. According to Driskel et al. (2018), some of the interventions used to enhance and improve teamwork performance include cross-training which normally focuses on providing members of a team with the exposure to the responsibilities and roles of the positions in the team.

Thompson (2014) also suggests that reassessing and reassigning the roles and responsibilities of team members is one of the major ways of ensuring effective teamwork that is essential for business success. In so doing, leaders are able to doing away with ineffective teamwork problem such as poor communication that are responsible for factors such as time wastage and toxic working atmosphere. Once roles and responsibilities are reassigned, individuals become more proactive, positive and productive contributors and hence Thompson’s saying “It’s not always just one black sheep who needs fixing”.

In conclusion, teamwork is one of the key elements in the success of every business. It is essential in increasing efficiency, saving time and resources while retaining employee motivation within an organization. Therefore, in order to avoid ineffective team problem such as poor communication, lack of trusts, and conflict that lead to time wastage and low productivity in the organization, it imperative that organization adopt various strategies and solutions such team training and reassigning of roles and responsibilities which help rectify these problems.

References

Dinh, J. V., & Salas, E. (2017). Factors that influence teamwork. The Wiley Blackwell handbook

of the psychology of team working and collaborative processes, 13-41.

Driskell, J. E., Salas, E., & Driskell, T. (2018). Foundations of teamwork and

collaboration. American Psychologist, 73(4), 334.

Thompson, L. (2014). News and events: What to do with your problem team member.

Northwestern Kellogg. https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/news_articles/2014/11072014-bad-team-member.aspx

Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion Theory

Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion Theory

VSEPR Theory is one method that chemists use to predict the shapes of molecules. This theory predicts that electron pairs, whether involved in bonds or as non-bonding pairs, will adopt a geometry in which they maximize the distance from one another in order to minimize repulsions. This will result in a geometry with the lowest possible energy.

Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion theory (VSEPR) is a set of rules whereby the chemist may predict the shape of an isolated molecule. It is based on the premise that groups of electrons surrounding a central atom repel each other, and that to minimize the overall energy of the molecule, these groups of electrons try to get as far apart as possible. Groups of electrons can refer to electrons that participate in a bond (single, double, or triple) to another atom, or to non-bonding electrons (e.g. lone pair electrons).

The ideal electronic symmetry of a molecule consisting of a central atom surrounded by a number of substituents (bonded atoms and non-bonding electrons) is characteristic of the total number of substituents, and is determined solely by geometric considerations — the substituents are arranged so as to maximize the distances amongst them. VSEPR is useful for predicting the shape of a molecule when there are between 2 and 6 substituents around the central atom (the case of one substituent is not discussed because it is trivial — the only possible shape for such a molecule is linear). That means that there are only five unique electronic geometries to remember. For each electronic geometry, there may be a number of different molecular geometries (the shape of the molecule when only bonded atoms, not non-bonding electrons are considered). Molecular geometries are really just special cases of the parent electronic geometry — this will hopefully be evident from the models shown on the pages linked to this one.

Since the molecular geometry is determined by how many bonding and non-bonding electron groups surround the central atom, the first thing one needs to do is count how many of each there are. There is a notation that simplifies this bookkeeping:

Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion theory, VSEPR theory, starts with the simple axiom that electrons repel each other. Since a bond is a concentration of electron density between two nuclei, they will repel each other also. Bonds and unshared pairs all involve these regions of electron density called domains. If you have a central atom and a set of bonds or unshared electron pairs around it, you would expect them to get as far as possible away from each other to minimize the repulsion. That means the angle between say any two bonds needs to be as large as practical to minimize the energy of the molecule.

The steps to applying VSEPR theory to a molecule are:

Draw a Lewis structure for the molecule.

Determine the number of domains around the central atom.

Determine the geometry and hybridization around the central atom.

Determine the bond angles and shape of the molecule.

Consider the molecule BeCl2. Figure 1 is the Lewis structure. Note that there are no unshared pairs on be and only two single bonds. Therefore there are two domains around be. The best geometry for two domains is shown in figure 2. In order for the two domains to be as far as possible from each other, they must be on opposite sides in a line. This is called the linear geometry. The bond angle is 180o.

How is this linear geometry achieved? The beryllium atom has two valence electrons in a 2s orbital. To form two bonds we need two orbitals with one electron each. We can promote one of the 2s electrons to a 2p orbital to get that. However if we form sigma bonds to chlorine using two different kinds of orbitals on the beryllium we will get two different bonds. Beryllium chloride has two equivalent bonds. That requires two equivalent orbitals. How can we use the existing orbitals to get that? Also how do we insure the linear geometry?

Since we need to convert two different orbitals into two equivalent orbitals, and since the orbitals are just mathematical functions, we should mathematically average the functions. Averaging a 2s function and a 2p function gets us two hybrid functions. These hybrid orbitals are called sp orbitals, 2s + 2p = 2 sp. When the two sp orbitals on beryllium are plotted in 3D space we see that they have two lobes pointing in opposite directions, perfect for linear geometry.

Consider BF3. Figure 3 shows the Lewis structure. It has only three bonds to the boron which makes three electron domains. The best geometry for three repulsive domains is shown in figure 4. The three bonds are in a plane and oriented 120o from each other. This is called trigonal planar geometry.

Boron has two valence electrons in a 2s orbital and one in a 2p. Promotion of one 2s to a 2p gives three singly occupied orbitals but with the wrong geometry. Hybridizing the 2s and the two 2p’s give three sp2 hybrid orbitals and one empty 2p left over. The sp2 orbitals have the required trigonal planar geometry as shown in figure 5.

Consider CH4. The Lewis structure for methane is shown in figure 6. It has four bonds to the central carbon which is four domains. The best geometry for four domains in 3D space is oriented toward the vertices of a tetrahedron. Thus methane has tetrahedral geometry. The tetrahedral bond angle is about 109.5o.

Carbon has two valence electrons in a 2s orbital and one each in two 2p orbitals. Promotion of one’s electron to the 2p gives four singly occupied orbitals for bonding. Hybridizing the 2s and three 2p’s gives four sp3 hybrid orbitals (figure 7). These sp3 orbitals are arranged in a tetrahedral geometry.

Consider phosphorus pentachloride, PCl5. Figure 8 is the Lewis structure and shows five domains around phosphorus. The best geometry for five repulsive centers is called trigonal bypyramidal, i. e. three in a planar trigonal orientation at 120o and two more at 90o to those to form two pyramids base-to-base (figure 9).

Phosphorus has five valence electrons, two in a 2s orbital and three in 2p’s. Promotion of a 2s to 3d gives five singly occupied orbitals for bonding. Hybridization gives five sp3d hybrid orbitals and four empty 3d’s left over. The sp3d orbitals have the required trigonal bipyramidal geometry.

Consider sulfur hexafluoride, SF6. The Lewis structure (figure 11) has six domains around the sulfur. This gives it an octahedral geometry with all six bonds at 90o from each other (figure 12).

The six valence electrons on sulfur occupy 2s and 2p orbitals. Promotion of 2 electrons to 3d orbitals gives six singly occupied orbitals. A 2s, three 2p’s, and two 3d’s give six sp3d2 hybrid orbitals. These have the required octahedral geometry.

5 Trigonal Bipyramidal 90o, 120o SP3D

Consider the water molecule. The Lewis structure has two bonds and two unshared pairs. That makes four repulsive centers. That requires a tetrahedral geometry. However unshared electron pairs are not visible in terms of molecule shape. Remember that the electrons really have only a high probability in that particular region not a real presence as localized particles. Thus only the nuclei of the atoms count in terms of shape. The water molecule is therefore a bent or angular molecule with a bond angle of about 109.5o. Since unshared pairs represent a higher electron density than bonding pairs, they are more repulsive. Thus we can expect that the bond angle would be compressed slightly less than 109.5o. In water the actual bond angle is about 104.5o.

The Lewis structure for ethylene is shown in figure 14. Each carbon has two single bonds and a double bond attached. Note that since a double bond is two electron pairs localized in the same region, they count as one domain. Therefore each carbon has three domains around it.

Three domains means that the carbons are trigonal planar sp2 hybridized. One sp2 orbital from each carbon can be used to form a sigma bond between them. Sigma overlap between the other four sp2 orbitals and the 1s orbitals on the hydrogens completes the sigma framework of the molecule (figure 15). Due to trigonal planar geometry all six atoms of the molecule lie in the same plane and the H-C-H bond angle is about 120o.

Three sp2 hybrid orbitals on each carbon accounts for three valence electrons used in bonding. However there are four valence electrons on a carbon. Where did the fourth one go?

Remember that when the three sp2 orbitals were formed it left one p orbital remaining. The fourth electron in each carbon will be found there. If one looks at the sigma framework from the side, one sees that the 2p’s on carbon are perpendicular to the plane of the molecule. The two 2p orbitals on the carbons can overlap to form a pi bond (Figure 16). Thus we see that the double bond between the carbons consists of one sigma bond due to sp2 overlap and one pi bond due to orbital overlap.

The VSEPR Theory of Molecular Geometry

VSEPR stands for Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion. That’s a real mouthful for what is really a rather simple idea.

The whole concept revolves around the idea that the electrons in a molecule repel each other and will try and get as far away from each other as possible. VSEPR explains a lot about molecular geometry and structure, BUT NOT EVERYTHING!!

The electrons (both in pairs and singles as you will see) are “attached” to a central atom in the molecule and can “pivot” freely on the atom’s surface to move away from the other electrons.

Electrons will come in several flavors:

a) Bonding pairs – this set of two electrons is involved in a bond, so we will write the two dots BETWEEN two atoms. This applies to single, double, and triple bonds.

b) Nonbonding pairs – this should be rather obvious.

c) Single electrons – in almost every case, this single electron will be nonbonding.

Almost 100% of the examples will involve pairs, but there are a significant number of examples that involve a lone electron.

VSEPR uses a set of letters to represent general formulas of compounds. These are:

a) A – this is the central atom of the molecule (or portion of a large molecule being focused on).

b) X – this letter represents the ligands or atoms attached to the central atom. No distinction is made between atoms of different elements. For example, AX4 can refer to CH4 or to CCl4.

c) E – this stands for nonbonding electron pairs.

d) E – this stands for lone nonbonding electrons.

Each area where electrons exist is called an “electron domain” or simply “domain.” It does not matter how many electrons are present, from one to six, it is still just one domain. Now a domain with six electrons in it (a triple bond) is bigger (and more repulsive) than a lone-electron domain. However, it is still just one domain.

This is an IMPORTANT point to remember in VSEPR. The more electrons in a domain, the more repulsive it is and it will push other domains farther away than if all domins were equal in strength. Keep in mind that the domains are all attached to the central atom and will pivot so as to maximize the distance between domains.

Another important point to mention in this introduction is that an element’s electronegativity will play an important role is determining its role in the molecule.

For example, the least electronegative element will be the central atom in the molecule. The more electronegative the element, the more attractive it is to its bonding electrons this will play a very important role, especially in five domains.

The most important domain numbers at the introductory level are 3, 4, 5, and 6. Domains of 1 and 2 exist, but are simple to figure out. Domains up to 9 exists, but become progressively more complex. If you decide you MUST study those domains, seek out this book:

The VSEPR Model of Molecular Geometry (1991) by Ronald J. Gillespie and Istvàn Hargittai. Published by Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 0-205-12369-4.

Gillespie coined the term VSEPR and has been active in this field since it was established in the early 1940’s. Except where noted, all bond angles and bond lengths have been taken from this book.

Bibliography:

Telstra x The Great Wheelbarrow Race Sponsorship Proposal

Telstra x The Great Wheelbarrow Race Sponsorship Proposal

Student Name and NumberDate 2315THS Event Marketing and Sponsorship

Table of Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u Cover Letter PAGEREF _Toc73599723 h 3Executive Summary PAGEREF _Toc73599724 h 51. Event Details PAGEREF _Toc73599725 h 62. Target Markets PAGEREF _Toc73599726 h 63. Marketing / Promotion Plan PAGEREF _Toc73599727 h 74. Sponsorship Benefits PAGEREF _Toc73599728 h 85. Creative Leverage Ideas PAGEREF _Toc73599729 h 8Leverage Idea 1 PAGEREF _Toc73599730 h 9Leverage Ideas 2 PAGEREF _Toc73599731 h 96. Investment PAGEREF _Toc73599732 h 97. Value of Sponsorship PAGEREF _Toc73599733 h 97.1 Monetary PAGEREF _Toc73599734 h 97.2 Non-monetary PAGEREF _Toc73599735 h 9References PAGEREF _Toc73599736 h 10

Cover LetterDate

Recipient Name

Title / Position

Address

Email

Dear Managing Director,

The following sponsorship proposal is for a possible deal between your brand, Telstra and our event the Great Wheelbarrow Race. The event features a 3-stage team relay action where the competitors will race from Dimbulah to Chillageo while pushing wheelbarrows along a designated highway (Great Wheelbarrow Race, 2021). The event is set to happen on Saturday, 15 May and will follow the safety protocols against the prevention of COVID-19. This year, the event will be a 0ne-day event for safety reasons, away from the usual 3 day-event. Our events team has developed this Gold package specifically for Telstra, to showcase and integrate your company throughout our event.

The endurance style event is set to see competitors tackle more than 95 kilometers challenge. On the morning of 15 May, the event will kick off in Dimbulah and be complete the same day in the afternoon in Chillagoe. To ensure the safety of every participant, competitors who intend to finish the race will need to meet a schedule deadline. Every team will be allowed a maximum of ten members but will need to fit in one vehicle along with the designated race marshals (Great Wheelbarrow Race, 2021). The event will also feature a category for solo runners. The distance between the events is as follows:

Dimbulah 65K Almaden 35k Chillagoe (Great Wheelbarrow Race, 2021).

The main benefits of partnering with our event include the fact that the event, according to the Mareeba Shire Council (2021) and the Tourism and Events Queensland (2021), is its uniqueness in terms of the connection with the core parts of the Australian community, the historical value, active participation, and how it intimately connects the main social life of a number of small towns to the economic aspect of much-needed growth in a way that allows the local community as well as participating individuals to enjoy partaking in nation building. It is a critical component of the local community and this is a huge opportunity for Telstra to become a core part of the event. It will provide a unique space to market and advertise the brand. Another notable benefit is the value of our event to the local community. By partnering in sponsorship, the same value will be placed on your brand. Lastly, the presence of people from other cultures and areas is a chance for Telstra to appeal to other markets, to gain an understanding of how local dynamics could be applied elsewhere, and to create a network for future interactions.

It is expected that your participation will cost an estimated at around $25,000. The value of the event is estimated to be $37,000. The event will be broadcasted live on all of our social media platforms. This will create an amazing avenue to interact with millions of people across Australia. It is an opportunity for your brand to reach millions, connecting you with other similar events and creating a network with other like-minded events. Social media will also be used to create social photo booths, and a hashtag that will enable viral reach through sharing of the event. The activity will also feature different swag bags, both traditional and digital, allowing your brand to sponsor and be noticed beyond the race.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude for your time and welcome any ideas you may have to make this event a success, for your brand and for our event. I am looking forward to an interaction with your team so that we can come up with a workable plan for your company and our event. Thank you

Regards,

Name

Your name

Title

Address

Phone

Email

Executive SummaryThe event features a 3-stage team relay action where the competitors will race from Dimbulah to Chillageo while pushing wheelbarrows along a designated highway (Great Wheelbarrow Race, 2021), set to happen on Saturday, 15 May. The event targets young people aged between 18 and 30. The promotion plan will feature events shared on social media with different categories and rewards for different classes of participation. Key benefits include connection with the core parts of the Australian community, the historical value, active participation, and how it intimately connects the main social life of a number of small towns to the economic aspect of much-needed growth in a way that allows the local community as well as participating individuals to enjoy partaking in nation building. The event will be broadcasted live on all of our social media platforms. A total of $25,000 will be needed for the gold package and a 3-year $65,000 deal for sponsorship.

1. Event DetailsThe Great Wheelbarrow Race is a charity event looking to pull resources together, bring people together, and offer some release after a very tough 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing regulations. The event features a 3-stage team relay action where the competitors will race from Dimbulah to Chillageo while pushing wheelbarrows along a designated highway (Great Wheelbarrow Race, 2021). The event is set to happen on Saturday, 15 May and will follow the safety protocols against the prevention of COVID-19. This year, the event will be a one-day event for safety reasons, away from the usual 3 day-event. The race will feature a race from Dimbulah, to Almaden, to Chillagoe. The distance between these stops are 65 kilometers, and 35 kilometers respectively (Great Wheelbarrow Race, 2021). The event is a much-needed economic and social boost for the smaller communities. Apart from keeping the race spirit alive, the event is meant to attract local participation in similar events as a way to revive the economy of local communities (Great Wheelbarrow Race, 2021). The event has been running since 2004 as a tribute to the hardworking men and women of the 19th century who used the route to for transportation. Therefore, the event is a way to showcase the spirit of the people and the historical significance of their past.

2. Target MarketsThe primary target market for the Great Wheelbarrow Race is young people aged between 18 and 30. While the race was originally meant to bring together the local communities in Dimbulah, Almaden, and Chillagoe, the event has expanded the reach due to its social media presence. Currently, the event also targets the same target market outside of the local area. Every gender is targeted in this event including people from different income groups including college attending students, to newly employed individuals, and full time workers. The race is also marketed as a team-building event bringing together student groups, workers, union groups, and so on. The target market include people with interests in networking, live events, social media presence and following, music, art, fashion, and trending events. The market that the event is looking to attract also include people who love adventures, outdoor events, sponsored events, team building initiatives, being sociable, interacting, networking, and generally outgoing individuals.

The primary target market for Telstra right now include individuals in the 17 and 35 year bracket, made up of millennials and the Gen Z categories. The groups are very unique in their tastes and preferences, including a separate desire for various social and networking goals. However, they are all united by the desire to be noticed. They are representative of change. They desire a society where everyone is equal and unique at the same time. They are proud of achievements and gladly share thoughts and opinions on social media. Their self-expression is unique to their generations and are believed to be different.

Telstra fits right into this event. The similarity in the target markets regarding the age, gender, occupation, social and economic class, and social and economic goals makes the partnership workable. Telstra is right in there with the event.

3. Marketing / Promotion PlanThere are 3 major promotion strategies that our event will implement in order to boost the engagement with our target market, therefore increasing interest in the event. The primary objective of the promotional plan is to achieve an 80% attendance for local communities’ friends and families group in the next event in May, 2022. The objective is to increase attendance in order to meet the social and economic goals of the charitable event. n the friends and family category, the promotional strategy will include a fully paid VIP experience for a family or a group of five. To be eligible for the price, friends and family will be required to participate in an online challenge announcing their participation, while holding a mini-wheelbarrow race at their preferred venue, and asking their online followers for support and contributions towards the charities to be announced later. The social media post with the highest number of reactions will earn participants a place in the special VIP race to determine the group that will receive the prize of a fully paid trip within an Australian destination. The friends and family category is what has kept this event active since 2004. Therefore, it is important that the culture is maintained through focusing on them as part of the intention to keep the social aspect of the community active. The use of social media as a promotional tool will help to increase following of the event and attract other people for the same or other target groups. The second objective of the promotional plan is to increase the participation of special interest groups and corporate participation by 50% including al locally operated businesses and organizations and groups such as the LGBTQ and people living with disabilities within the next year of operation. In the special interest groups, the inclusion criteria for a VIP special-interest race will include having a course signed by 2500 online participants with the mention of the Great Wheelbarrow Race and all other hashtags. Those representing people with disabilities, for example, will mention their intent to participate and then ask their followers to share their posts and retweet. Winners will get a spa day for 2. The third objective is to attract and include a new participatory category of tourist groups comprised of people who are not residents of the local community in the next event in 2022. For people outside of the local communities, participation into a special race for prizes will include elimination based on who takes the best photo or video with a caption explaining why they should participate in a prized category on their favorite social media. Winners will get a free tour at the local museum.

4. Sponsorship BenefitsThe main benefits of partnering with our event in the Gold package include the fact that the event, according to the Mareeba Shire Council (2021) and the Tourism and Events Queensland (2021), is its uniqueness in terms of the connection with the core parts of the Australian community, the historical value, active participation, and how it intimately connects the main social life of a number of small towns to the economic aspect of much-needed growth in a way that allows the local community as well as participating individuals to enjoy partaking in nation building. It is a critical component of the local community and this is a huge opportunity for Telstra to become a core part of the event. It will provide a unique space to market and advertise the brand. Another notable benefit is the value of our event to the local community. By partnering in sponsorship, the same value will be placed on your brand. Lastly, the presence of people from other cultures and areas is a chance for Telstra to appeal to other markets, to gain an understanding of how local dynamics could be applied elsewhere, and to create a network for future interactions.

5. Creative Leverage IdeasThese creative leverage ideas will showcase Telstra as our celebrated sponsor, as a part of the gold sponsorship package. The following are a few examples of what how you brand will be showcased creatively and innovatively at our event.

Leverage Idea 1The event will be broadcasted live on all of our social media platforms. This will create an amazing avenue to interact with millions of people across Australia. It is an opportunity for your brand to reach millions, connecting you with other similar events and creating a network with other like-minded events.

Leverage Ideas 2Social media will also be used to create social photo booths, and a hashtag that will enable viral reach through sharing of the event. The activity will also feature different swag bags, both traditional and digital, allowing your brand to sponsor and be noticed beyond the race.

6. InvestmentThe sponsorship deal that is being offered in this proposal is the Gold Package. All of the costs and values are an estimate based upon extensive research and contact with different companies to ensure the best quality was obtained. To become our Gold sponsor we are asking for an investment of $25,000. This is great value as the total value of the package is $35,000.

If this proposal is to be accepted the following payment conditions will need to be met. The amount will be deposited 2 weeks prior to the event. Additionally, as we are seeking to partner with you long term we are offering a three-year sponsorship deal for the reduced cost of $65,000.

7. Value of Sponsorship7.1 MonetaryThe total estimated value of this sponsorship deal is $35,000. This is a good deal because it will provide marketing for your brand in a way that the same monetary value cannot attain via any other method of marketing.

7.2 Non-monetaryAs well as value associated with monetary expenses, other valuable aspects include an opportunity to be a key part of an Australian tradition. It would ensure that your brand is synonymous to the event. The event could be changed to be “Tesltra’s Great Wheelbarrow Race”, giving your organization more benefits and an opportunity to reach a wider audience. If this proposal was accepted, Telstra would have had the opportunity to be one of the top sponsors of one of Australia’s most popular social events.

ReferencesFisher, J. R., Tran, T. D., Hammarberg, K., Sastry, J., Nguyen, H., Rowe, H., … & Kirkman, M.

(2020). Mental health of people in Australia in the first month of COVID‐19 restrictions: a national survey. Medical journal of Australia, 213(10), 458-464.

Mareeba Shire Council. (March 22, 2021). Nominate Now for Wheelbarrow Race. Mareeba

Shire Council. https://msc.qld.gov.au/alerts-notifications/nominate-now-for-wheelbarrow-race/

Preuss, H. (2007). The conceptualisation and measurement of mega sport event legacies. Journal

of sport & tourism, 12(3-4), 207-228.

The Great Wheelbarrow Race 2021. (2021). Available at

https://www.greatwheelbarrowrace.com/

Thomas, R. (13 May, 2020). Ready to Race. The Express Newspaper. Available at

https://www.theexpressnewspaper.com.au/latest-news/ready-to-race

Weber, I. & Larsen, A. (February, 2021). The Best Five Star Hotels in Sydney. Travel Guide.

Available at https://small-luxury-hotels.net/

Teaching Plan Scenario

Teaching Plan Scenario

Francisco Quintero

3/12/2021

Teaching Plan Scenario

Situation

K.N. is a 66-year-old woman with a history of type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and migraine headaches. Nine years earlier, when she had moderate polyuria and polydipsia, she was positively diagnosed with diabetes. K.N. is 5′4′′ on the broadside and often weighs from 165 lb to 185 lb. Oral sulfonylurea with quick metformin was initially used for her diabetes. Besides, her diabetes was somewhat regulated, with 7.4% of the latest red blood cells A1C.

Additionally, her blood pressure was detected five years ago when the range of 160/90 mmHg was raised continuously three times. K.N. was initially treated with lisinopril from 10 mg daily to 20 mg. Still, the regulation of her blood pressure fluctuated. Microalbuminuria was found on a yearly urine examination one year ago, and a spot urinalysis of 1,943 mg/dl microalbumin was found. For her regular follow-up appointment for diabetes, K.N. arrives at the office today. The physical test shows an obese woman with 154/86 mmHg B.P. and 78 bpm pulse.

Background

K.N. is an obese, diabetic, and high blood pressure patient. Nonetheless, her B.P. power can be controlled. Ideally, for the B.P. target of < 130/80 mmHg, maximizing the ACE blocker dose and adding a second and perhaps a third agent may be appropriate. Diuretics showed cytotoxic activity with beta-blockers, and one could be added. Because K.N. has migraine headaches and diabetic nephropathy, her care will have to be personalized. A β-blocking agent to the ACE inhibitor would lower its B.P. and are correlated with strong cardiovascular disease evidence.

Moreover, the β-blocker also can contribute to reducing the burden of its migraine headaches. Microalbuminuria can also be used to minimize B.P. and delay the development of diabetic nephropathy by combining ARBs and ACE inhibitors. Thus, more intensive therapy is required to manage hypertension of L.N. Latest trials and potential new drug agents now facilitate B.P. regulation goals.

Needs Assessment

K.N will need information collected through several mediums on pathophysiology and care of diabetes and hypertension. When asked how she learned from her illness, many people suggest that they get it from their families. People are often defined as essential sources of knowledge by family, friends, and colleagues with diabetes or hypertension (De Boer et al., 2017). Furthermore, others also explained that only a doctor, nurse, or community health worker in the health facility has learned about diabetes and hypertension when diagnosed. In this case, K.N can get more insights into her condition through medical manuals, radio programs, or television. Similarly, just like other people with diabetes have learned more about their condition through seminars organized by the Health Ministry, she can do the same.

Learning Styles

As age progresses, the sensory ability, including vision, hearing, and feeling, decreases accordingly. In this case, K.N reveals that she has some sight and hearing loss. Furthermore, physical agility and stamina are typically reduced. Indeed, 80% of people over the age of 65 have some chronic illness. The effects and natural change with the aging of chronic conditions will inhibit learning (Rizvi, 2017). A patient’s willingness to obey a prescribed care plan may also be provided with valuable details.

In this case, the consideration of using particular methods of teaching in providing older adults with health education. Some older people have more difficulties in comprehension, have less skill in drawing lessons, and have motor activities problems than younger generations. Therefore, K.N reveals that she prefers new knowledge to be conveyed slowly and with a low voice tone. It gives her some time to assimilate and integrate concepts. 

Goal Development

The risk of sedentary lifestyles and deconditioning for elderly individuals is increasing. Recent acute diseases, coexisting medical problems, chronic pain, lack of access to a healthy physical setting, history of falls, and cravings are all contributing factors. Before implementing a physical activity schedule, these considerations must be evaluated. Ideally, regular exercise greatly benefits older adults (Solini et al., 2019). Besides, exercise also improves cardiopulmonary ability, muscle strength, gait and balance, and general quality of life and enhances blood glucose, systolic and diastolic blood pressure lipid regulation. Before administering a drilling scheme, it is crucial to evaluate the patient’s functional ability and adjust the system for specific needs and social environments.

Additionally, weight loss and malnutrition should also be assessed for older people because the unintended weight loss in aging diabetes patients increases morbidity and death. After actual disease and hospital stays, the risk for calorie restriction and catabolic status in this patient population is increasing. In older adults who wish to lose weight, diet modification and exercising regularly should be promoted instead of rigid calorie restriction (De Boer et al., 2017). Therefore, the individual diet plan aims to minimize nutritional barriers and facilitate improvements in eating behavior, leading to better health results, expanded function, and better quality of life.

Learning Outcomes

Treatment regimens must be reasonably straightforward. Besides, new skills may be longer to learn, and a visiting infant will be needed to ensure that the job is wholly incorporated into the patient self-care scheme. Physical therapy or local psychosocial support may be required to assess the home environment and avoid possible injuries from falling or incidents.

Teaching Content

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Instructional Methods

Non-pharmacological interventions should be promoted when obese patients with diabetes have moderate hypertension. These include decreasing body weight, increased physical activity, and reduced salt intake in food, quitting smoking, and alcohol consumption. Moreover, reducing body weight and increasing physical activity by lowering insulin resistance can improve glucose control (Solini et al., 2019). Despite all of the obvious cardiovascular benefits of decreased weight in obese patients, including reduced blood pressure, falls in left ventricular weight, and improvements in lipid profile, there is no evidence for the associated decrease in death.

Times and Resources

The treatment of hypertension is critical for R.N., both for preventing cardiovascular and minimizing the development of nephropathy and retinopathy illness, as a cornerstone in early and ongoing lifestyle interventions. Hence, non-pharmacological approaches include weight reduction and dietary changes that improve fresh fruits, vegetables, fatty milk products, and physical activities (Rizvi, 2017). Besides, it also encompasses avoidance of sodium-high processed foods of preventing excessive consumption and alcohol. The ADA directives recommend that lifestyle changes and primarily non-drug modalities be adopted to minimize B.P. in patients like K.N with high blood pressure.

Evaluation

Obese people like K.N also hope to lose more weight than is realistically accomplished. When enrolled in a non-chirurgical fitness program, she is expected to lose 38% of body weight, but she would be satisfied with a 31% – 25% decline. She was frustrated that her initial weight loss was 17% less. Besides, she lost an average of 16% of her initial weight following 48 weeks of nutrition and lifestyle treatment. Hence, patients seeking bariatric intervention also have lofty aspirations of unrealistic weight loss. Thus, a practical and clinically positive weight loss response to the treatment and a predicted patient’s predicted weight loss often differ significantly.

References

De Boer, I. H., Bangalore, S., Benetos, A., Davis, A. M., Michos, E. D., Muntner, P., … & Bakris, G. (2017). Diabetes and hypertension: A position statement by the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care, 40(9), 1273-1284. https://doi.org/10.2337/dci17-0026Rizvi, A. A. (2017). Addressing hypertension in the patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus: pathogenesis, goals, and therapeutic approach. European Medical Journal. Diabetes, 5(1), 84. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5679430/Solini, A., Penno, G., Orsi, E., Bonora, E., Fondelli, C., Trevisan, R., Vedovato, M., Cavalot, F., Lamacchia, O., Baroni, M. G., Nicolucci, A., & Pugliese, G. (2019). Is resistant hypertension an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes? A prospective cohort study. BMC Medicine, 17 http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12916-019-1313-x

Response to Looking for the Lie

Response to Looking for the Lie

Author

ESL 111, 01

Professor: Loretta L. Clemente

Date: 7, 4, 2021

Lying is a key area of human life that defines social interactions and how people relate with one another. Lying is an intelligent process that forms the foundation of any civilization and it allows people to shape situations, opinions, rhetoric, and other social constructs that are important for human to human life (Henig, 2006). Social manipulation, the main foundation of lying and deception, means that people are attempting to make the best outcome for themselves or those around them. In this regard, I concur with Henig’s (2006) conclusion that lying is an important element of civilization and that there would be chaos if everyone was to speak the truth at all times. Lying is a way to survive, to protect the dignity of others and oneself, and to ensure that social interactions are protected through manipulation of information and facts.

Lying does not undermine the kind of trust that a society needs but instead ensures that relationships are protected, especially where positive deceptive motives are involved. Henig asserts that lying is a hallmark of maturation, meaning that it certifies one to be cognizant of the consequences of information and a need to manipulate facts to reduce unwanted outcomes (2006). For example, a simple lie such as responding I am doing fine to greetings reduces the need to get personal or to start explaining why one is not okay. In such a deceptive response, a balance is maintained, where formalities are kept without the unnecessary invasion to one’s private life or thoughts. The same applies to telling someone that they look happy just to cheer them up. In such instances, lying actually maintains the kind of trust a society needs to remain functional.

Deception should not be equaled to trust because sometimes people manipulate information so as to retain trust. As such we can expect all social institutions such as schools, hospitals, political institutions and businesses to operate without worrying about deception. For example, in a school setting, an instructor cannot just tell a student that they are poor in a certain field, instead, it is expected that they would manipulate information in order to motivate them to be better. The same applies to a hospital setting where medical practitioners cannot bombard a patient with negative information. At the end of the day, positive intentions are all that matter in human interactions and positive manipulation of information only means that one cares enough to protect the feelings of the next person.

References:

Henig, R. M. (2006). Looking for the lie. New York Times Magazine, 47-53.

Redistricting in Texas

Redistricting in Texas

Name:

Institution:

Politicians in Texas have used improper means of redistricting, so that their parties can attain unfair advantages. Redistricting entails the creation of district boundaries by legislatures. The thirty-six state representatives and state legislatures are elected from various districts in Texas; they make up the Texas legislature. The district boundaries are subjected to review after every ten years, after the completion of the census. The federal government mandates that each district, should have near equal population, and prejudice should not exist(Fraga,2016). Redistricting in Texas has been marred by various controversies. Politicians have adopted gerrymandering, which is improper redistricting to divide voting areas, giving their parties unfair advantages. Gerrymandering has disadvantaged many Texan voters, this is because their votes are rendered meaningless given that they do not count into who will be their representative. This policy report will aid in identifying the drive for partisan gerrymandering and its effect on Texans.

Some people have termed redistricting as anti-democratic process, given that politicians basically decide who their voters will be. Redistricting when done properly, can be used in effecting fair and effective representation. The resulting map from after redistricting affects the election and ultimately the political landscape. Therefore, redistricting has been regarded as a political exercise; that is guided by state legislatures. When one party is in control of the state legislative bodies and the office of the governor it is easier to facilitate gerrymandering. Redistricting has been used by politicians to propel their own agenda. Gerrymandering is undertaken to gain control of either state legislation or congressional representation. This also enables political parties to potentially maintain control over several decades, even if there is a shift in state population. In the U.S gerrymandering is mostly partisan, where it is geared to favour one political party and weaken another (McKee, Teigen &Turgeon,2006).

There are also cases of racial gerrymandering, that aims to weaken the votes of the minority. Gerrymandering a district map has been made possible with advanced computing powers. The geographical information and census data can be used as inputs; mapmakers use computers to process this data to achieve potential map configuration. The computers can distinguish the voter’s preference, this enables the packing and cracking of voters. Packing voter’s entails grouping like-minded voters in one district to limit their influence in other districts. This ensures that the group is given representation in one district and yet denying them representation in other districts. While cracking entails spreading likeminded people in different districts thus diluting their influence.

redistricting should actually not be left to the politicians because it is an important democratic process that influences a lot of things. It is unfair for politicians to choose their voters although indirectly as eventually it may have an effect on the election. In ;2012, a research indicated that states where Democratic legislatures had controlled redistricting, their candidates were able to win the election by about 56 percent of the votes and they acquired 71% of the seats. The Republicans too were guilty of this as states where they controlled the process, they were able to bag 53% of the votes and 72% of the seats (McKee, pg. 308-317). Instead of race there are other factors that can be used to control redistricting including community interest. Communities of interest describes a group that share common cultural, racial, economic or geographic concerns. Communities of interest are more likely to have similar legislative interest. For example, if there is a district that was redrawn and is now composed of more farmers while the other is more composed of city dwellers these two groups are likely to elect representatives that may reflect different aspirations or priorities.

Texas witnesses a seven-year legal battle over their legislative maps. However, the supreme court made a ruling rejecting claims of that they had intentionally drawn out boundaries, to dilute minority voters. The Abbot versus Perez rounds out a string of defeats; this ruling vindicates the Texas republican legislatures strategy of shielding an electoral map deemed discriminative, from judicial correction. After the 2010 census, Texas lawmakers redrew the state legislative and congressional districts in 2011. Some of the minorities; African Americans and Hispanic mounted a legal challenge, intending to challenge the new map. The argument established was that republican lawmakers had participated in racial gerrymandering, that favoured the white Texans voting influence(Lo,2013). The alterations were made, given that the 2012 election were imminent, and it would play a decisive role in that year’s election; this was made possible by the federal court making minor alterations to the 2011 map. The Texas republican adopted the court interim maps, making few alterations in 2013. However, the courts later on ruled that the 2011 map, had been drawn with clear discriminatory intent. However, the state argued that the maps had largely been drawn by the courts(Payne,2013). This shows how the republicans were able to legalise a gerrymandered map through the judiciary.

The democratic process was established to ensure that the community choose their own representatives. However, redistricting has weakened the electoral power of voter. This is because of racial redistricting, whereby minority communities are disadvantaged. Given that minority voters are concentrated in a few districts or are spread among themselves, these explains how the Texan republicans are able to maintain an artificial majority. The diminishing of an individual’s vote poses a threat to democracy. Hillary Clinton was able to garner 43 percent of the votes in Texas; however, the republican party dominates holding 25 whereas Democrats hold 11 seats in the house. Democrats hold 30 percent share of the delegation; this is in direct contrast with the state-wide voting pattern. This argument can hold weight, highlighting how the Republicans might have obtained the majority undemocratically and unfairly. The 2010 census clearly highlighted that 90 percent of new Texan population were minorities. Traditionally these communities have supported Democratic leaders. The ruling by the three judge panel ruled in march citing that the republican law makers were guilty of packing and cracking voters over several districts. The ruling pointed out the congressional districts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. They cited this as prime examples of gerrymandering. Whereby packing and cracking diluted the minority communities electoral influence. Redistricting has affected the voter turnout in the state.

Various policies can be championed, to bring out redistricting reforms in Texas. Therefore, the state of Texas has decided to hold public input hearings, conducted by the House Redistricting Committee. This exercise will be undertaken in various parts of the state. The aim is to garner feedback from the community on what the next redistricting map should look like. This is because the drawn up maps affect the daily lives of the community. Therefore, boundary lines should be drawn for the benefit of the community rather than the legislatures. The state should invest in public awareness, where they inform the public on the importance of participating in the redistricting process. This can be done through informing the public on tentative hearing schedules and venues. The state of Texas can adopt measures taken up by other states such as California. California has tasked its citizen with the entire process of mapping out boundaries. This is aimed at putting power in the hands of more-independent bodies; this was aimed at taking pure politics out of it. Tactics such as racial gerrymandering should be done away with during redistricting; this will ensure that people will have fair representation.

The next redistricting which is supposed to take place in 2021 is being looked at to see if there will be gerrymandering by the parties. The history of fighting for fair redistricting process in Texas can be accredited to Jose Garza who brought a case to the U.S Supreme court on how Texas lawmakers were drawing maps that seemed to be undermining the people of colour. Gerrymanders in Texas politics is not new and Garzas aim was dismantling the political structures that were undermining people of colour. The most affected are people of colour the Hispanics and Blacks. Although the court has seemed to ruled that the process is fair, people are keen to see what will happen in 2021 now that Redistricting committee has been having dozens of hearings on what to do on new political boundaries. With the mounting pressure for equity and fairness people of colour are hopeful that the new boundaries will not discriminate against them

Every system has its flaws; it would be pretentious to assume that adopting methods taken up by other states will be effective. However drastic steps and measures need to be taken, the outcomes can be re-evaluated. However, reforms around the country have shown that, it is possible for states to make the redistricting process more transparent and involving the necessary stakeholders. Redistricting reform should focus less on partisan control, rather the process should focus more on it making sense to voters. However, while coming up with reforms, it is important to note that, it is a process that is vulnerable to distortion. If done well redistricting can provide an opportunity for the minorities, to elect leaders of their choice; who will be able to represent them in their respective districts.References

Fraga, B. L. (2016). Redistricting and the causal impact of race on voter turnout. The Journal of Politics, 78(1), 19-34.

Lo, J. (2013). Legislative responsiveness to gerrymandering: Evidence from the 2003 Texas redistricting. Quarterly Journal of Political Science, 8(1), 75-92.

McKee, S. C., Teigen, J. M., & Turgeon, M. (2006). The partisan impact of congressional redistricting: the case of Texas, 2001–2003. Social Science Quarterly, 87(2), 308-317.

Payne, M. M. (2013). Redistricting and reapportionment: Reforming Texas district courts. The University of Texas at Dallas.

Nuclear Waste Where does it belong

Nuclear Waste: Where does it belong?

Nuclear waste is best defined as the leftovers from nuclear power. It is very radioactive and unstable and can cause severe, permanent damage to all those in constant contact with it. It is even linked to lung cancer and leukemia. Is this something you want in your neighborhood and around your children? Probably not. Well, the Western Shoshone tribe has to deal with this in their neighborhood. Congress recently passed legislation to dump a lot of the waste from the US on their reservation. I believe that this is not the right thing to do because it endangers lives and I think there has to be another way.

For the most part, nuclear power is one of the cleanest, most efficient forms of energy with the exception of one thing. At a nuclear power plant, heat is generated due to fission. This heat creates steam that turns turbines and makes electricity. The fission occurs due to the nuclear fuel. Nuclear fuel is made of very small pellets of enriched uranium, about the size of a pencil eraser. The fuel will continue to be used until it is spent, meaning it has no effect in generating heat. The spent fuel is the one exception. Once it is spent, it becomes the nuclear waste. This kind of waste is called High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) (United States DOE 11). HLW basically consists of the following elements: Krypton-85, Cesium-137, Plutonium-241, and Americium-241 (“Selected” sec. 1-4). I’ll go into more detail about those later, but basically, they all make a very radioactive substance.

Currently, the HLW from all the nuclear power plants are stored on site in giant pools of water. However, these only serve as a temporary spot. The pools are getting full and there’s no other place to put it on site. It has to go somewhere away from people.

As of right now, there is approximately 45,000 metric tons of the spent nuclear fuel on 72 sites across the US. In addition, another 2,000 tons are added every year. By the year 2010, there will be around 60,000 tons total (United States Congress 2). That’s a lot of waste. So where will it all go?

The government says quite simply: Yucca Mountain in Nevada, about 50 miles outside Las Vegas. They believe that Yucca Mountain is the perfect place for all the nuclear waste to go. They plan on digging a giant hole into the mountain and a tunnel system inside. The waste will be kept in a series of containers that will aid in shielding radiation. It will be brought in starting in about 2010. After the site is full, it will be kept open for close monitoring for 100 years. After which, the mountain will be sealed for 10,000 more years and continue to be monitored (Zapler 19).

Yucca Mountain has many characteristics that make it a good place to store the HLW. It is said to be environmentally stable and not prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and volcanoes. Putting the waste in the mountain shields everyone from some of the radiation. It seemed like the best place to do this.

Well, it’s not the best place. By putting the waste in Yucca Mountain, it might affect the health of those living around the area. This is not a good plan. One of the reasons why is because its right smack dab on an Indian Reservation, but you would never know that by reading about it. The government considers that land theirs in all of their writing, but they know it belongs to the Western Shoshone tribe under the Treaty of Ruby Valley (“House” par. 6). Because of that, they have sent people to that reservation, as well as some other reservations, to try and convince the tribes that the government can dump radioactive material on their land.

The tribes were offered $100,000 just to consider the proposal, with the promise of multi-millions of dollars more if they agreed. David Leroy, the head of the federal Office of the Nuclear Waste Negotiator, was the man in charge of convincing the tribes. He relied heavily on Indian oratory to get his point across. Honestly, I think this is fairly amusing that a white person would try and use Indian phrases to get them to listen. My favorite quote of his was when he promised that the federal government would be “as flexible as the wind and the sea (Hernandez par. 2+).” However, history has proven otherwise when it comes to most Indian affairs.

Many tribal members who are against this have supposedly been subjected to harassment, physical attacks, and some death threats. “There is so much fear in the community now you could cut it with a cake knife,” said Donalyn Torres from the Mescalero Apache tribe whose tribal council wants to consider waste storage. “If nuclear storage is so safe, the people should consider putting it in their own backyards (Hernandez par. 9).”

Chief Raymond Yowell is very concerned about the waste dumping saying that he and his people have already been subjected to too much radiation because the reservation is just a few short miles away from the Nevada Test Site. Here, over 900 different kinds of atomic bombs have been tested. “…It affected our people, the land, our traditional foods and medicines. Many of those underground tests contaminated the water, the blood of our Mother Earth. A lot of our people are suffering from cancer now. Yucca Mountain will only further contaminate us (“Tribes” par. 11).” Concerning Yucca Mountain, he said, “Yucca Mountain is a sacred site with spiritual and cultural significance in our sovereign territory…” (“House” par. 7).

Tom Goldtooth, the coordinator of the Indigenous Environmental Network, said, “The nuclear industry has waged an undeclared war against indigenous peoples that has poisoned our communities…through…nuclear testing…and even experiments involving Native peoples. We’ve already made countless sacrifices for this country’s nuclear programs (“House” par. 3).”

Currently, the closest community in the nation to a nuclear waste storage site is the Prairie Island Indian Community. The Tribal Council President, Audrey Kohnen, released a statement saying that the community is in favor of the Yucca Mountain site. However, this won’t rid the community of the waste. Every nuclear waste cask that is sent away will be replaced shortly with another (“House” par. 14-15). Even with the Yucca site, they won’t be rid of it all.

The government also told the tribes that the new dumpsite would increase jobs. Donalyn Torres (quoted earlier) said, “…they said it would provide a lot of new positions for jobs, but since this is high-level waste, only robots and highly educated people qualify for those jobs (Hernandez par. 33).”

And it’s not as simple as saying that the Indians can just move off the land. This is their land. The government has taken away the Indians land once, so why should they do it again? Yucca Mountain is also one of the Indians most sacred places. It is where most of their beliefs center. So by them moving off, they are forced to leave the sacred land. Also, in moving off, it won’t be easy for families to stay together. They are used to living close to one another, but if they move, they may not get that chance. It isn’t right to think that the Indians should move because we need to dump our radioactive wastes there.

As if all that wasn’t bad enough, there’s more. Indians aren’t the only ones that will be affected by the HLW dumpsite. There will be highways and railroads constructed across the country leading to Yucca Mountain for the waste to be dropped off. These will go past several cities on an almost daily basis with tons of waste on board, affecting everything in the path. Each shipment by rail might have as much as 240 times the radiation released by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima (Zapler 20).

The government says that the transportation method is very safe and it is a very unlikely that a major accident will happen. They did drop tests on the casks that transport the waste to see if they will break open in a crash. However, it is reported that the crash speed was only 35 miles per hour when most of the trucks carrying them would be going 65-70 mph (United States Congress 11-12). Senator Harry Reid, D-Nev., said regarding the transportation trucks, “The President has created 100,000 targets of opportunity for terrorists who have proven their capability of hitting targets far less vulnerable than a truck on an open highway (“Tribes” par. 13).”

If there was such an accident from the transportation, so much could go wrong. I mentioned earlier the four main parts of HLW. In a major accident, these will become quite a problem. Krypton-85 is a radioactive gas. In an accident, it would be released into the atmosphere and inhaled by those under the plume. Cesium-137 is a metal that burns immediately in the air and will explode in water. In an accident, it would cause a plume of radioactive particles that would be inhaled and ingested by those in the vicinity. Within about 30 seconds, a mixture of Krypton and Cesium would cause people in a building ¼ mile away to inhale 14,500 millirem of radiation. That’s 1450 times the amount received during a normal x-ray. Both of these will cause lung cancer if inhaled (“Selected” sec. 1-2).

Plutonium-241 and Americium-241 have about the same affects. In an accident involving an explosion, particles of each would be released in the air and be inhaled by nearby people. This will cause leukemia and lung cancer (“Selected” sec. 3-4).

There are several other government officials that are against the Yucca Mountain site. Several representatives brought up their reasons why they disagree. They said that originally, in 1982, the Department of Energy was supposed to look at five geologically different sites and to select two of them; one east of the Mississippi and one west. However, in 1987, they claimed that the original act was amended for political, not scientific, reasons so that the only site that could be studied was Yucca Mountain. This was also known by Nevadans as the “Screw Nevada” bill. They also said that the Department of Energy failed to do certain tests, or did them incorrectly so as to get the site approved quicker (United States Congress 10).

Another thought to consider is that Yucca Mountain has the possibility for volcanic action and is directly on a fault line that could lead to earthquakes. The Department of Energy says that this won’t be a problem, but I want to know how they can see 10,000 years into the future. The world will change so much in that many years, but we may not be there to see it because all of humanity will be killed by radiation. Well, maybe it’s not that extreme.

If something does go horribly wrong with the mountain site, nearby communities will have to be evacuated, meaning Indians may have to move out of their land. Families might be separated, but what may be more important, they will be forced to leave their sacred ground.

The Indians and other Americans are wondering if there is any other way to store the waste. There are a few different ways. One is that the waste can stay in the power plants, like it is now. It is a risky option because it is not entirely safe. Many accidents have already happened in the plants, and more will come, especially if there will be more and more waste stored there.

There is a way to recycle the spent fuel using a procedure called reprocessing. In this, uranium and plutonium are removed from the spent fuel. However, this method is much more expensive than mining the uranium, so it is an uneconomical way of doing it (United States DOE 12).

There is also talk about researching a method called transmutation. This is a process that lowers the toxicity levels of the waste. This reduces the storage time from 10,000 years to a simple three hundred (Zapler 21).

The best solution possible is to get rid of nuclear power altogether. We have a great source of energy called the sun, yet we haven’t been doing anything about that. It’s a renewable source and very clean. There’s no waste left at all. And the sun isn’t due to die out in the next few millennia.

Right now, the $58 billion Yucca Mountain project is under way. Don’t worry, the money isn’t coming out of your taxes, it comes from your electric bill (United States DOE 5). There are huge tunnels being drilled into the side of the mountain as you are reading this. In about seven years, it will be ready for the first shipment and storage. So for seven years, the Western Shoshone Indians can live fairly radiation free. However, one of their most sacred sites is being destroyed, but right now, they don’t have much choice.

Only time will tell what happens with the waste; whether an earthquake occurs and breaks the casks open and exposes the HLW to the water, or if a truck tips over near a residential area. Both will be terrible for the air and quality of life, especially for the Indians. “The Navajo language doesn’t even have a word for ‘hazardous,’ the closest word is ‘scary.’ It’s like describing a light bulb to a blind person. It’s a whole different concept (Hernandez par. 35).”

Bibliography:

Works Cited

Hernandez, Juan Avila. “How the Feds Are Pushing Nuclear Waste on Reservations.” The Circle Sept. 1999: 8

Selected Elements of High-Level Radioactive Waste. 2003. The MapScience Center. 24 Apr. 2003

Taliman, Valerie. “House Approves Yucca Mountain.” Indian Country Today 15 May 2002: A1

Taliman, Valerie. “Tribes, States Will Fight Nuke Waste Dump.” Indian Country Today 6 Mar. 2002: A1

United States. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Approval of Yucca Mountain Site: report together with dissenting views. Washington: US GPO, 2002

United States. Dept. of Energy. Yucca Mountain Project Office. Why are Scientists Studying Yucca Mountain?. Washington: US GPO, 1995

Zapler, Mike. “Yucca Mountain.” Planning. Vol. 69 Issue 2: 19