Chapter 4 of ‘The Turn of the Screw’ Essay

How does Chapter 4 of ‘The Turn of the Screw’ establish the character’s/narrator’s point of view? How does it encourage the reader to judge the character/narrator? Use evidence of diction, tone and symbolism to substantiate your reading. Chapter 4 of the novel begins after the governess has apparently seen for the first time, a strange man standing on the rooftop of Bly. She has described the figure in great detail, leading us to lend at least some small credence to her belief that it is a real person; how could she have described him in such detail if she hadn’t actually seen something? The chapter, however, begins with the governess in a state of paranoia about the incident and her situation. The governess compares her situation to two very popular gothic romances, which is the first instance in which we as readers begin to question her sanity. Was there a ‘secret’ at Bly – a mystery of Udolpho†¦? Udolpho, Radcliffe’s novel, she does directly, however she also mirrors the plot of Jane Eyre in her wishing to marry her master. Likening her world to the worlds of two pieces of fiction, rather than add clarity to her situation, instead have the opposite effect in leading us to question her perception of the lines between reality and fantasy. Ironically she mentions an â€Å"insane relative† and â€Å"confinement† when in fact she is the one starting to become ‘insane’ and is indeed the one confined to this large country house, away from the man that she loves, the one man she cannot get to. Further to this view of the governess’ fascination with the master bringing up questions of her sanity, the very vision of Quint himself could help us to understand this. With no outlet for her feelings for the master, it can be said that the vision of the man she sees is indeed a manifestation of her feelings for the master. She experiences â€Å"curiosity† and â€Å"dread† at the vision, she finds Quint attractive yet also aggressive and terrifying, as handsome as the master yet different as in the manifestation of a dream. It can be said that she has created for herself a sexual substitute onto which she projects her fears and her desires, she fears his sexuality. Small turns of phrase used by the governess also lead us, at least subconsciously to doubt the account of the governess. She â€Å"can’t say how long† she remained rooted to the spot after the vision, in a dream-like daze perhaps? She is writing this account well after the events after all, meaning that her own views of events and time are distorted. There is a vagueness and ambiguity to the whole account and of course her personal feelings could have coloured her view of actual events; it is incredibly difficult to remember something so long after with total recall. She finds herself â€Å"hesitate to mention† the events to Mrs Grose. Why is this? Could she doubt her own ideas already or is she as she says trying to â€Å"spare† her companion? What is this â€Å"inward revolution† that she experiences? This idea of the governess seeing herself as a hero and saviour is prevalent throughout the chapter and the novel. The innocence of the children is possibly the central theme of the novel and perhaps this manifestation of Quint happens because she feels threatened. Indeed the apparitions always seem to take place after a happy session with the children. Whether Quint is a ghost or not, the idea of evil approaching innocence is important to consider as a symbol. James has taken great pains to highlight the innocence of the children and the governess gives us her own views on the evilness of this character. Every scene and action seems to further illuminate the question to us of the children’s innocence. The governess sees Miles as â€Å"quite unpunishable† and sees his actions as a â€Å"direct disproof† to his guilt, but we as readers know that Miles has been expelled from many schools. The governess freely admits that she is â€Å"under the spell† of the children of whom she has only known for a relatively short time. She becomes incredibly critical of the headmaster and school, â€Å"little horrid unclean school-world† and â€Å"stupid sordid headmasters† show us that she is becoming very defensive, almost irrationally so, of this one thing – the children – that is almost keeping her going. There is an altogether unwholesome purity to Miles and Flora, as if they are ‘too’ innocent and it creates ideas in our own heads about how they could be playing with the governess. Could Quint be the manifestation of a sense of her feeling that this happiness with the children is threatened? The governess’ own ideas about Quint also lead us to question her because they are entirely subjective views and they get more and more subjective throughout the novel. Originally there was some credibility to her account as she described the physical aspects of the ‘ghost’. We don’t know that it’s Quint, just a man, and this makes her account seem more trustworthy. On the second occasion she gives her thoughts and the account begins to unravel a little. How can she possibly know that he was looking for the children? She can not possibly. She makes claims that can’t be proven such as the â€Å"monstrous liberty† that this ‘traveller’ has taken by coming into the grounds and taking a look form the tower. She speaks of her â€Å"duty and courage†, again referencing herself as the hero. She is beginning to fit her ideas around the vision and more and more doubt is being cast upon her all the time. The fact that she sees him a second time disproves her original view of him being a wayfarer. The fact that it appears to be the same handsome man could be a mistake, and this in fact could be a stranger who exists in reality outside of her fantasies. She mentions the children as being an â€Å"antidote to any pain.† Could she be speaking of the master here as well as her problems at home? She recognises the man â€Å"one step into the room†¦instantaneous† as though she’s almost expecting it. It is very difficult to recognise someone you have seen only once from very far away immediately. The â€Å"forward stride† he has taken is symbolic of her approaching madness perhaps? She has â€Å"known him always†, is he a part of her, some part of her mind? We also have the symbolism, â€Å"the darkness had quite closed in†, of madness fairly early in the chapter. Many people recall insanity or madness to be like a great cloud or darkness, and of course this is echoed in the greyness of the day and poor weather, which incidentally is very evocative of the gothic mood leading us to reconsider the possibility of a supernatural event actually taking place as well I believe. Both times that she sees the man, she spends days wandering about, losing track of time and this could be a reaction of intense shock to seeing a ghost, but she doesn’t yet know that this is a ghost. â€Å"There were hours, from day to day†¦when I had to shut myself up to think† She is almost obsessing over the vision. He has to decide whether or not she has been â€Å"made the object of any game,† another instance of her paranoia. She â€Å"repeatedly dipped into† her room again and again by her own admission and we are beginning to wonder now at the state of her mind and the nature of the shock she had undergone. After the first time she describes her reaction as â€Å"the shock I had suffered.†, and all of these wanderings, loss of time and bouts of shock lead me personally to believe she has had a bout of hysteria and could possibly be imagining the whole thing. â€Å"The good thing after all, was that we should surely see no more of him.† – although she is trying to convince the reader and herself, she doesn’t seem very sure, although we again have to remember that she is writing this after the events. She is withholding information from us deliberately, and when we find out that she does see him again, it affects our trust of her once more. She even loses all sense of â€Å"duration† again. She speaks of losing him and outside being â€Å"empty with a great emptiness†, sounding almost disappointed at not finding the man, or manifestation of the master. She has feelings for her absent master, similar in appearance to this vision, sexual desires, and this on top of the bad news that she has been receiving from home and the paranoia she has been experiencing builds up and up until it manifests itself on a dark night/grey day and she thinks that she sees something. On both occasions she has even been the instigator of her placement; she decides to go for a walk and she was the one who left the gloves where she had on the second occasion. Was it mere coincidence that the apparitions happened on both of these occasions? We are left, as usual in the novel, unsure by the ambiguity and to decide for ourselves. Ironically at the end of the chapter, the governess is juxtaposed with the position of the stranger, and she becomes the source of terror for everybody else rather than the heroine as she presses herself against the window and Mrs Grose enters the room.

Alexander Hamilton’s Electoral College and the Modern

Alexander Hamilton’s Electoral College and the Modern Election Alexander Hamilton’s Electoral College and the Modern Election Colin Campbell Prof. R Hurl TA: Matthew Lesch Tutorial: Thursday, 4:00 PM, UC 67) U. S. Government and Politics (POL 208 Y1Y) 1 November 2012 Alexander Hamilton’s Electoral College and the Modern Election When American's leaders assembled in Philadelphia in 1787, they originally had the goal of solving issues that had arisen from the Articles of Confederation, which had governed the young nation since separating from Britain.Instead, they drafted a completely new document that established a more permanent and effective central government. With it, they established the office of President of the United States. Rather than being directly elected by the people or selected by the legislature – as described by Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist Papers – the head of state was to be elected by an independent institution that exist ed solely for the purpose of finding a man who was up to the job: a group that would become known as the Electoral College.However, as the political nature of the country evolved in an unanticipated and partisan way, the independence of this body became increasingly irrelevant, resulting in a system which fails to meet the standards of a true modern democracy. Although the Electoral College system has never substantially been reformed, it is now a mere formality which leads to the types of campaigns which it was designed to prevent. In The Federalist, Number 68, Hamilton argues that the president should be elected by individuals selected exclusively for that purpose, rather than by an existing body or by national popular vote. Hamilton, par. 8) Although never named as such in this or any other constitutional document, this would be the basis for the institution now known as the Electoral College. Rather than submitting the national leaders-in-waiting to the rigors of campaigning, wh ich would lead to what amounts to a popularity contest, the Founding Fathers believed that â€Å"a small number of persons, selected by their fellow-citizens from the general mass, will be most likely to possess the information and discernment requisite to such complicated investigations. † (par. 3) Unlike the Congress, however, the ElectoralCollege would never meet as a single body. Each state's electors would convene in their respective capitals, then send notice to Washington of their votes. Hamilton believed that keeping the electors apart would reduce corruption by making it more difficult for any one political faction to manipulate the contenders, allowing them to focus exclusively on serving the interests of their state. (par. 4) Furthermore, selecting the president through this independent body would mean that he is accountable solely to the people and not to a legislative body which could depose of him if the two branches were not in agreement.His re-election would n ot be controlled by legislative enemies and allies. (par. 6) Each state would be granted as many electors has they had seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate combined, effectively compromising between the preferred plans of either all states having equal weight (as they do in the Senate) or distributing power based on population (as it is in the House). If no candidate were to receive a majority of the votes, the House would convene to select the President from the top five candidates. par. 7) Hamilton wished for the vice-president to be elected by the same body and through the same method, except that the Senate would select the winner for this office if no candidate won a majority. (par. 9) He notes that this is one of the few aspects of the new constitution that received little dissent, and the final system was ultimately very similar to the one he described. The vice-presidency was, until the passage of the twelfth amendment in 1804, awarded to the second place-can didate.However, this inherently resulted in a rival with opposing political views being first in line to the presidency, and therefore the system was changed to allow the electors to vote for both positions separately. (Nardulli 23) Each state is free to determine how its electors are selected, and various models have been used in the past. At the time of enactment, however, several assumptions about the system were made that would quickly prove to be untrue. It was generally believed that electors would selected from individual districts in a manner similar to congressmen, would exercise personal judgement when voting.It was also believed that they would frequently endorse candidates from their home state, ultimately meaning that no candidate would win a majority and that Congress would determine the victors from a short list of candidates. (41) Some states appointed their electors legislatively rather than through election, meaning that voters did not cast a ballot for either the president or the Electoral College. The emergence of organized political parties by the third election in 1796 led to nationally coordinated campaigns that severely reduced the number of expected candidates, and thus the likelihood that no one would achieve a majority. 44) The results of the 2000 election between George Bush and Al Gore – in which Gore won the popular vote but narrowly lost the Electoral College after a controversial recount in Florida – highlight what is the largest criticism of the Electoral College: it is possible for a candidate to win the Presidency without winning the popular vote. Because less populous states have more electoral votes per capita than larger states, individual votes are disproportionately stronger. (Bennett 9) Detractors of the College claim that this is inherently undemocratic, as all votes should be considered equal in a true democracy.Final victors have only lost the popular vote on two other occasions (in 1876 and 1888), and there has therefore never been substantial support for re-examining the system until 2000. Although the disproportionate power of smaller states has been commonly criticized, it is in fact the winner-take-all method in which states pledge their electoral votes that is responsible for discrepancies with the popular vote. It is currently possible a candidate to win the presidency by only winning as little as eleven states.He could win by a single vote in each of these states, but lose by a significant margin in every other state, yet his electoral count would still indicate him as the majority winner. Five of the seven elections between 1964 and 1988 were won by significant margins in the Electoral College. On each occasion, the winning candidate took at least forty states while barely winning more than 60% of the popular vote. This was most pronounced in the 1984 race between Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale. The latter received 40% of the popular vote, yet received the electoral vot es from Minnesota and D.C. Furthermore, in 1968 (when some states were won by independent candidate George Wallace) Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey both won approximately 43% of the popular vote, yet Nixon won the election outright with 56% of the Electoral College. (Bennett 37-42) While none of these instances resulted in the popular vote being overruled, they do demonstrate that elections are not a matter of getting the most people to vote for you, but rather the importance of getting the most people in the right places. Analysts have suggested that his year's race between President Obama and Governor Romney could produce a first for the Electoral College: a tie. Although unlikely, this cycle's set of swing states, along with the states that each candidate is presumed to win, allows for a specific combination of votes wherein each candidate would receive 269 electoral votes. While the college has failed to produce a winner in the past, it has always been due to the presence of a third-party candidate. It is also predicted that Republicans will retain control of the House, while the Democrats will continue to hold the Senate.Should the electoral votes come to a tie, these two chambers would be responsible for selecting the President and Vice-President, respectively. Assuming each party would support its nominee, the result would be a Romney-Biden government. (Hamby) Not since the twelfth amendment was passed have opponents been simultaneously elected to the lead the executive. While such a scenario is mathematically rare, it is absurd that a system of government would allow for such a possibility. Despite the counterintuitive relationship that the Electoral College has with the popular vote, there are some key benefits to keeping the system.It emphasizes the federal nature of the United States; that it is not just a monolithic country, but rather a federation of sovereign governments. Indeed, the fact this is found in the fact that each state is free to sel ect their electors any way they choose (through legislative appointment, districts, or winner-take-all). Most states (the exceptions being Maine and Nebraska) use the winner-take-all model to maximize their influence. If they were to be allocating their electors proportionally in a close race, opposing electors would essentially cancel each other out. Nardulli 28) Furthermore, guaranteeing a certain amount of power to each region ensures that it's power will not be reduced based on local factors such as bad weather. For example, even if New Jersey experiences very low voter turn-out because of Hurricane Sandy, those that do manage to get to the polls will still be able to exercise its fourteen electoral votes on behalf of the state. The real problems with the Electoral College do not stem from the mathematic anomalies and misrepresentations, but rather because it serves a political culture that Alexander Hamilton had not envisioned.He explicitly states that it is meant to find the b est man for the job, rather than subjecting the country to tumultuous elections. In modern times, however, electors are designated by their political parties, usually legally bound to vote for a particular candidate, and not even named on the ballot. It is no longer independent individuals who actually consider all possible candidates, but instead a mere rubber-stamp for the will of the electorate. Bennett 55) The Electoral College system envisioned by Alexander Hamilton was designed to be independent of the usual partisanship, with the principle goal of finding an individual who would best be suited as the country's chief administrator and head of state. While it still has the arguable benefit of forcing candidates to pay attention to less populous states, its members are effectively bound to follow the will of their constituents and are therefore unable to fulfill the intended mandate of their position. Works Cited Bennett, Robert.Taming the Electoral College. Palo Alto CA: Stanfo rd University Press, 2006. Hamby, Peter. â€Å"Electoral College Tie Possible in Obama-Romney Race. † CNN. com. Cable News Network, 30 July 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2012. Hamilton, Alexander. The Federalist Papers: Number 68. 1788. Retrieved 29 October 2012. Nardulli, Peter. Popular Efficacy in the Democratic Era. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 2007.

Criminal Law 5.3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criminal Law 5.3 - Essay Example er; the determination includes the twin issues of obscenity and pornography which are two different matters altogether although there is a very fine line distinguishing these two concepts. Moreover, it is also natural for a culture to change over time and this includes ideas on what are obscene and pornographic. In particular, the concept of what is obscene can change over time, depending on the values that prevail at a particular period in time; certain books were thought to be obscene but today are now classics. This paper briefly examines and discusses the many issues surrounding the two ideas. The concept of obscenity has evolved over time and literary works of famous authors like Henry Miller, James Joyce, and D. H. Lawrence were once banned for being obscene and yet today are considered as literary classics (Wallace & Roberson, 2012, p. 247). However, there is a difference of material that is considered obscene as it is not protected by First Amendment while pornography is allowed and protected within certain limits under the First Amendment. It is of little comfort that some materials can be allowed while some are not allowed and illegal. In earlier times, pornography was not bad as it was part of erotica or the highly artistic and refined reproduction or depiction of human sexuality in acceptable works of art (Lynn, 1996. p. 13). a. The statute against obscenity applies to computer-generated materials like some of the new manga (Japanese comics) series which depict obscene acts and likewise applies to computer transmissions of the same materials in the same way that the MPC (Model Penal Code) applies to undeveloped photographs, molds, printing plates, etc. (Wallace & Roberson, 2012, p. 249). But these computer-related materials must still be subject to and pass the so-called Miller Test. b. Ordinary jury members are usually aware of â€Å"community standards† based on what are the prevailing views on morality and public decency so they would be able to

Developing Interdisciplinary curriculum materials Essay

Developing Interdisciplinary curriculum materials - Essay Example guage has resulted in efforts to expand and improve second language education, since knowing only English is as much a disadvantage as is knowing no English at all.2 This must be the basis upon which lessons are designed so that students are convinced of the need to learn a second language within the framework of rapid globalization. Gough has especially highlighted the importance of critical thinking skills in the new era of globalization : â€Å"If students are to function successfully in a highly technical society, then they must be equipped with life long learning and thinking skills necessary to acquire and process information in an ever changing world.†3 The Year level for this test that comprises a written and an oral component is Level 6 – year level of 9 or 10 and will also test cognitive thinking skills. These are group based tasks with three members in each group. The topic for this lesson is â€Å"Tourism and Culture†. Interdisciplinary links will be history, technology, science and environment. The students will see pictures of tourist spots in Sumatra, which will be shown to them through a series of power point slides. The slides will include shots of the volcanic crater, Lake Toba and the island that sits at its centre. Also included will be some slides of the beaches, and the tsunami destroyed area in the north province of Aceh. There are several wildlife reserves in Sumatra such as Bengkulu and Gedung Wani and the students will be shot pictures of tapir and other animals that may be viewed on safari in these parks. The slide show may consist of about 12 slides in total which will be shown three times with appropriate music and sound effects. This aspect will form the written part of the assignment. Once the slides have been viewed, the students will write a short essay listing the things that they have seen in the slide show. They will list the items and provide a brief description of what they have seen, while also relating it to the

The Effect of Management Style on Employee Behavior Essay

The Effect of Management Style on Employee Behavior - Essay Example Moreover, such theories and styles have been classified into distinct areas depending upon the time of evolution and the line of thought followed. For example, the theories pertaining to scientific management is now considered as traditional theories and is not taken seriously now. Other theories have been classified as motivational, while still others have been classified on the basis of style. The important and influential ones are discussed here briefly. Traditional theories of leadership were the ones that evolved during the beginning of the twentieth century and practically came about to increase productivity of labourers during the industrial revolution. What is to be noted that such theories were considered to be too inhuman and were replaced to a large extent by those that are attuned towards the needs and feelings of employees. The two influential theorists at that time were Frederick Winslow Taylor and Max Weber. 1.1.1.1 Taylor’s scientific management theory: Taylor’s observations about management and work practices made huge impression during the time his theory of scientific management was published. He changed the arbitrary or rule of thumb practices (lack of standardization or scientific approach) adopted by organizations of the time. Each organization had their own ways of management and production which was very wasteful by modern day standards and Taylor could bring about a great change in this regard. Taylor brought in some rules that are even followed today. His approach required a strong hierarchy of command, responsibility, compensation based on productivity, separation of planning and other processes, and specialization of labour. He also brought in the concept of management by exception where routine matters were left to low and middle level management and only exceptional matters be brought to the attention of the top management. Many of his concepts are still in use today thought not necessarily in its original

Marketing Management - Sustainable marketing campaign for Virginia Essay

Marketing Management - Sustainable marketing campaign for Virginia Community Capital Inc - Essay Example The organization aims at fully aiding the weaker faction of the community by offering the housing loans and investments solutions for housing and community projects. This is a marginalized population and Virginia Community Capital Inc. is offering a solution to their economic woes. Through its numerous positions of jobs, VCC intends to create employment to the people of Virginia to reduce unemployment and social vices (VCC, 2014 p 24). VCC offers a financial solution to the people around and intend to change the face of Virginia through its diverse activities. Virginia Community Capital Inc as an organization intends to help the people of Virginia. As an organization, its primarily objective is to help the people within the boundaries of Virginia. It thus does not intend to reap from a community that host it but fully support them for the empowerment and growth of Virginia. Virginia as a state is large and hugely populated and VCC has identified this. To reach its targeted market, the organization has stratified its customers into groups. The groups that are highly prioritized are the most targeted customers of the organization (VCC, 2014 p 23). Virginia like any other metropolitan and urban society is divided into economic classes. The lower class is the most targeted one. Like in any other society, the lower class constitutes the greater part of the society. This is true of Virginia. The low class dominates Virginia and thus contributes to the GDP of Virginia negatively (Kotler, 2009 p.65). Most of these people are living in poverty. They hardly afford proper health care, proper education, better foods and other basic necessities of living. This factor has driven Virginia Community Capital Inc. towards them. Its major target is these people as it aims to empower them for their own development. Through the loans provided, such population is able to invest into housing, business

Self Evaluation-Educational Objective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Self Evaluation-Educational Objective - Essay Example I personally believe that time management will be the biggest challenge during this course. The balance between family life, work and academic area will be a difficult thing to do. Proper planning and following those plans are helpful in maintaining good balance between these 3 crucial areas of a person's life. I intend to properly distribute time and following my plans to achieve my goal of attaining this degree. The concept of diversity and globalization are not new for anyone today. I have faced diversity in the workplaces and I am familiar with the barriers that people face. I have always been a rational person and avoid discrimination at all instances. I will contribute to the diversified learning environment by keeping my decisions, work and relationships balanced with everyone and by encouraging teamwork. I work as a leader to a group of 8 employees. I personally believe that I lack management skills and leadership traits which are important for my job. Education undoubtedly h elps us in gaining better designation. This MBA program will be helpful in gaining reputation in the work field, promotion by application of modern concepts and better job performance. I have a goal to become the head of the department in my workplace. I lacked the master's degree which is the requirement of that position.

Opinion on 2 Students Discussion Board Response Assignment

Opinion on 2 Students Discussion Board Response - Assignment Example Overall, the responses identified that teaching strategies would effectively address the need to develop study skills, depending on what is required by different subjects. The responses that were provided were clearly and accurately structured in a straightforward and effective manner. All the concerns were answered through the support of valid concepts about learning styles, study skills, and through the provision of comparative analysis of subjects, as required. One definitely agrees with all the responses made, especially in terms of establishing that knowledge of learning styles would enable content teachers to design appropriate learning materials which would be consistent with the learning styles and distinct academic needs of the students. A rundown of the learning styles were likewise presented to confirm understanding of the concept. The comparative analysis of subjects and the respective instructional strategies was likewise presented in a clear manner and effectively linked to appropriate study skills deemed crucial to enhance the potentials to

Landslide Limousine Performance management plan Essay Example for Free

Landslide Limousine Performance management plan Essay Stonefield is starting up a new limousine business with 25 employee, located in Austin, Texas. The performance management plan is the starting point or a map for the company to identify and achieve the desire outcome they want for their employees and their customer. The company wants to maximize its goal through its performance management plan. the performance framework alone with the strategies of the business will developed an organizational performance philosophy, performed job analyses to identify necessary skills needed by employees, identified methods for measuring employee’s skills, developed a process for addressing skill gaps, and developed an approach for delivering effective performance feedback to employees. Performance management plan should always be use as a tool for a business to run smooth. The performance management framework with the strategies of the business According to Cascio (2013), at a general level, the broad process of performance management requires that you do three things well: define performance, facilitate performance, and encourage performance. The managers at Landslide must ensure that each and every employee know what is expected of them. They must have goals that are sustainable. The goals that are set must â€Å"make the company successful† (Cascio 2013). Managers must facilitate performance by eliminating roadblocks. They must provide all the right resources, tools and training. With that being said they must also hire the right employees in other words hire the right fit. You can’t have an employee with a bad driving record driving for a limo service, so you have do a background check just one example. Every employee like the last one, encourage performance, managers should always encourage employees in some kind of way, show them how they are appreciated. According to Cascio (2013), don’t bother offering rewards that nobody cares about, like a gift certificate to see a fortune teller. If  you are good to your employees they will be good to you. Show them you care. Organizational performance philosophy The philosophy of Landslide Limousine will be to utilize the max efficiency and the effectiveness of each employee’s performance; and furthermore to facilitate communication between the employees and their supervisors, according to University of California, Berkeley (2014), employees at all levels are responsible for actively communicating with their supervisors about their performance, taking an active role in planning their development, being accountable for their actions, and continually striving for excellence in their performance. Supervisors are responsible for training and making sure that the employees have the right tools to carry out the mission or job. They have to make sure the job is done right. They have to make sure the customer are taking care of. The job analysis process to identify necessary skills needed by employees According to Cascio (2013), Performance standards translate job requirements into levels of acceptable or unacceptable employee behavior. Job analysis identifies what is to be done. Job analysis information can be gathered in a variety of ways, Landslide Limousine will be using all combinations of method. The observation is one method which is limited to only so many jobs. The interview method is gathering information which requires an interview with every employee. This should be easy to do since he is starting off with only 25 employees. The interview method should focus on how the employees is performing each job. The major duties of the position. Are there is job’s physical demands. This method can be time very consuming but it will help Landslide Limousine identify necessary skills needed by employees. The last method is the Questionnaires. This method is widely used it tells management where training is needed, what is going right, what is wrong and what need improving. It can be a very detail long and complicated process. Methods used for measuring the employees skills I would recommend Landslide use the Behavior-oriented rating methods and results-oriented rating method for measuring the employee’s skills. Managers should conduct ride-a-long with each driver to observe their behavior and to rate their skills against others. The manager should document the  observation. Mangers should always provide feedback in a timely manner. It should be taken to improve employee performance. According to Cascio (2013), behavior-oriented rating methods focus on employee behaviors, either by comparing the performance of employees to that of other employees or by evaluating each employee in terms of performance standards without reference to others. The results-oriented rating method is another great method to use. The company needs to have a way to do customer survey. Customer service is one of the most important skills that should be measured constantly. According to Cascio (2013), results-oriented rating methods place primary emphasis on what an employee produces; dollar volume of sales, number of units produced, and number of wins during a baseball season are examples. In other word a limo driver will be rated on how well his/her skills are with customer service. They are being rating and measured at all times. Process for addressing skill gaps When addressing skill gaps it should be communicated on a daily basic but in a more formal way during the Performance evaluation. It should identify the areas that need improvement, a performance improvement plan (PIP) can be put in place. This is the opportunity for an employee that do not have all the skill to succeed to receive the appropriate training that he/she did or didn’t have. When addressing area for improvement communication is the key between managers and employees. Approach for delivering effective performance feedback According to Cascio (2013), before giving feedback, getting training in performance appraisal interviewing, planning to use a problem-solving approach rather than â€Å"tell -and-sell,† and encouraging subordinates to prepare for performance-feedback interviews, is important. Also, while giving feedback, each manager should be encouraging subordinates to participate by being specific, being an active listener, setting mutually agreeable goals for future improvements, avoiding destructive criticism, and judging performance and not personality and mannerisms. Lastly, after the feedback is communicated, each manager should periodically assess progress toward goals and make organizational rewards contingent on performance. If Landslide Limousine needs to make sure they that provide these before,  during, and after feedback activities, these activities can help better the performance of each and every person that Landslide employ. Conclusion Having a good Performance plan before starting business is always a great beginning. You need a stepping stone to hire the right employee and to put the right people in the place. Providing them with the right tools make for a successfully business and satisfied customer. References Cascio, W. F. (2013). Managing Human Resources (9th Ed.). New York, NY: The McGraw- Hill Companies, Inc. University of Berkley. (2014). Berkley HR. Retrieved from http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/about/philosophy/performance-management What is Human Resource? (2015). Retrieved from http://www.whatishumanresource.com/job-analysis-methods

The Benefits of Obtaining High School Education Essay Example for Free

The Benefits of Obtaining High School Education Essay Attaining a high school is extremely valuable for various reasons. The most important reason for attaining high school education is to earn oneself a job. This is because employers need to be sure that the jobseeker has acquired as indicated in their certificate. Further, attaining a high school diploma is crucial in that it represents the qualifications and skills acquired by the student. By attaining this knowledge, the student is also prepared for various life situations. Students attain high school education because it is the channel by which they can achieve their personal and career goals. For most students who have passed high school, they find it relatively easy to get admission into university and college. By pursuing high school, students a diploma which serves as proof that the student has passed in the relevant subjects. As such, institutions of higher learning seek to admit students who have been well prepared through high school education. In the case of careers, most employers seek to hire students who have passed through high school. After passing through high school, students are made aware of work habits and job skills necessary for them to join the workforce. Of the many advantages gained for passing through high school, this qualification enables the former students to find and maintain jobs. Besides the basic education in reading, writing and education, vocational training is also provided to enable students gain skills necessary for performing various tasks. Through an analysis of the relationship between high school education and work experience in future, it has been established that passing through high school prepares one to have a better labor market experience.

Physical Activity Recommendations for the Elderly

Physical Activity Recommendations for the Elderly Introduction Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO, 1946). There are many factors which have an impact on health and quality of life, including lifestyle choices of each individual. Diets high in fruits and vegetables and participation in regular physical activity are associated with a lower risk for several chronic diseases and conditions (US department of health and human services, 2005). Physical inactivity is very common globally with 31% of adults over 15 years old being insufficiently active. Insufficient physical inactivity results in about 3.2 million deaths per year (WHO, 2008). Elder adults are generally more vulnerable to malnutrition. This is because both lean body mass and basal metabolic rate decrease with increasing age. It has been found that many diseases suffered by the older people are diet- related. Other factors contributing to malnutrition include dietary, psychosocial, physiological and economic changes (DiMaria-Ghalili, R. A., Amella, E., 2005). Global Recommendations on physical activity for 65 years and above according to the WHO Older adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or do at least 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity. Aerobic activity should be performed in bouts of at least 10 minutes duration. For additional health benefits, older adults should increase their moderate intensity aerobic physical activity to 300 minutes per week, or engage in 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, or an equivalent combination of moderate-and vigorous-intensity activity. Older adults, with poor mobility, should perform physical activity to enhance balance and prevent falls on 3 or more days per week. Muscle-strengthening activities, involving major muscle groups, should be done on 2 or more days a week. When older adults cannot do the recommended amounts of physical activity due to health conditions, they should be as physically active as their abilities and conditions allow. Inactive people should start with small amounts of physical activity and gradually increase duration, frequency and intensity over time. Inactive adults and those with disease limitations will have added health benefits when they become more active. (WHO, 2011) Physical activity and bone loss Exercise plays an important role in building and maintaining bone and muscle strength. Physical activity positively influences most structural components of the musculoskeletal system that are related to functional capabilities and the risk of degenerative diseases. Physical activity also has the potential to postpone or prevent prevalent musculoskeletal disorders, such as mechanical low back pain, neck and shoulder pain, and osteoporosis and related fractures. Exercise can contribute to the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders and recovery from orthopedic surgery. Muscles and bones respond and strengthen when they are stressed. This can be achieved by weight bearing or impact exercises which make the bones denser. Physical activity helps prevent weak bones and falls in the elderly. One-third of people over 65 have a fall each year and the risk of falling increases as age rises. People who have suffered fractures can benefit from special exercises and training (under medical supervision) to improve muscle strength and muscle function for greater mobility and improved quality of life. Balance training and Tai chi have been shown to decrease falls by 47% and reduce the risk of hip fracture by approximately 25%. Physical activity and hypertension Hypertension is defined as the constant pumping of blood through blood vessels with excessive force (WHO, 2011). Hypertension prevalence increases with advancing age and is higher in men than in women until the age of 55 years, but is slightly higher in postmenopausal women (Kannel WB, 2003). According to the 2009 NCD report, 38.1% of Mauritian people aged 65 and older were considered as hypertensive but were not on medications. 45.5% were being treated for hypertension. Hypertension is the major risk factor for stroke, heart failure, and coronary artery disease in older adults, while all of these disorders are important contributors to mortality and functional disability. Primary hypertension is the result of multiple conditions, such as genetic, nutritional, psychosocial, and life style factors. One of the life style factors leading to hypertension is obesity, which is usually related to a sedentary life style and inadequate physical activity. Since most elderly people have an inactive routine, they are at a much higher risk of developing high blood pressure. Therapeutic lifestyle changes, such as reduced dietary sodium intake, weight loss, regular aerobic activity, and moderation of alcohol consumption, have been shown to benefit elderly patients with hypertension. Regular aerobic exercise, consisting of a minimum of 30 min of interval training on a treadmill done three times a week, has been shown to be well tolerated and beneficial (Westhoff TH et al., 2007). The physiological effects of exercise on hypertension are complex and not fully understood. Specific mechanisms have been found to be relevant. An immediate (acute) reduction in BP following exercise has been termed ‘post-exercise hypotension’ and is agreed to be caused by reductions in vascular resistance. (Hamer, 2006). The chronic benefits can be partially explained by a decreased systemic vascular resistance in which the autonomic nervous system and renin-angiotensin system are most likely the underlying regulatory mechanisms (Cornelissen and Fagard, 2005). Another factor contributing to this decrease in vascular resistance is the increase of nitric oxide production (from different sites in the body) causing a vasodilation in response to regular aerobic exercise. Physical exercise and diabetes Diabetes is a chronic disease, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. This leads to an increased concentration of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia). Diabetes is classified in three main categories: Type 1 diabetes (also known as insulin-dependent) Type 2 diabetes (also called non-insulin-dependent) Gestational diabetes 347 million people worldwide have diabetes (Danaei G et al., 2011). The prevalence of diabetes in adults aged 20-74 years was 21.3%: 21.9% in men and 20.6% in women (NCD report, 2009). Physical activity plays an important role in the management of type 2 diabetes, particularly glycemic control (Canadian Diabetes Association Clinical Practice Guidelines Expert Committee, 2003., Zinman B, et al., 2004., Boule NG et al., 2001., Ronnemaa T et al., 1986) and improvements in cardiovascular risk profile such as decreased hyperinsulinemia, increased insulin sensitivity, reduced body fat, decreased blood pressure and better lipid profiles (Lehmann R et al.,1997., Schneider SH et al.,1992). Regular moderate physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness are also associated with reductions in mortality of approximately 45 to 70% in type 2 diabetes populations (Wei M, Gibbons, et al., 2000) Moreover, regular moderate physical activity can decrease glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) to a level associated with reduced risk of diabetic complications (Boule NG et al., 2001) and is therefore favorably delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes in high-risk groups (Knowler WC et al., 2002., Lindstrom AM et al., 2003). The decline in insulin sensitivity with aging is relatively due to a lack of physical activity. It is likely that maintaining better levels of fitness in the older population will lead to less chronic vascular disease and an improved quality of life (ADA, 2004). Physical activity and obesity Obesity is defined as an unhealthy excess accumulation of fat in the body, which increases the risk if medical illness and premature mortality. It is due to an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Physical activity contributes to the creation of an energy deficit by increasing total energy expenditure, and this can promote weight loss. Aging is associated with a decrease in all major components of total energy expenditure (TEE) including resting metabolic rate (RMR; which accounts for ≈70% of TEE), thermic effect of food (which accounts for ≈10% of TEE), and physical activity (which accounts for ≈20% of TEE). Physical activity decreases with increasing age, and it has been estimated that decreased physical activity accounts for about one-half of the decrease in TEE that occurs with aging (Elia M, Ritz P, Stubbs RJ., 2000). Hormonal changes such as reduced responsiveness to thyroid hormone, decreased secretion of growth hormone, decrease in serum testosterone and resistance to leptin that occur during aging can also enhance the accumulation of fat ( American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2005). Obesity is associated with a number of complications as decreased survival metabolic abnormalities high blood pressure insulin resistance dyslipidemia pulmonary abnormalities arthritis urinary incontinence cataracts cancer Moderate weight loss in conjunction with physical activity improves physical function and health-related quality of life in obese older persons. Physical activity and cardiovascular health A higher rate of cardiovascular events and a higher death rate have been observed in those individuals with low levels of physical fitness (Pate RR et al., 1995., US Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General, 1996). Even midlife increases in physical activity, through change in occupation or recreational activities, are associated with a decrease in mortality (Paffenbarger RS et al., 1993). Despite this evidence, however, the vast majority of adults remain effectively inactive. According to AHA, a sedentary lifestyle is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Evidence from many scientific studies shows that regular exercise decreases the chance of having a heart attack or experiencing another cardiac event, such as a stroke, and reduces the possibility of needing a coronary revascularization procedure (bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty). Benefits of regular exercise on cardiovascular risk factors include: Increase in exercise tolerance Reduction in body weight Reduction in blood pressure Reduction in bad (LDL and total) cholesterol Increase in good (HDL) cholesterol Increase in insulin sensitivity In addition, exercise training positively impacts the above risk factors even in patients older than 75 years (American Family Physician, 2005). There is also evidence that exercise training improves the capacity of the blood vessels to dilate in response to exercise or hormones, consistent with better vascular wall function and an improved ability to provide oxygen to the muscles during exercise. As one’s ability to transport and use oxygen improves, regular daily activities can be performed with less fatigue. This is particularly important for patients with cardiovascular disease, whose exercise capacity is typically lower than that of healthy individuals. Patients with newly diagnosed heart disease who participate in an exercise program report a more positive outlook in terms of quality of life, such as more self-confidence, lower stress, and less anxiety. Importantly, researchers have found that for heart attack patients who participated in a formal exercise program, the death rate is reduced by 20% to 25%. This is strong evidence in support of physical activity for patients with heart disease (Circulation, 2003). Physical activity and cancer The International Agency for Research on Cancer estimates that 25% of cancer cases worldwide are caused by obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. These factors may increase cancer risk by several mechanisms such as increased estrogens and testosterone, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, increased inflammation, and depressed immune function. Several studies have shown that physical activity and diet changes can alter biomarkers of cancer risk (Journal of Nutrition, 2007). There is strong epidemiologic evidence for reduced risk of some cancers with increasing physical activity. The strongest evidence exists for colorectal and postmenopausal breast cancer, with possible associations for prostate, endometrial, and lung cancer (Friedenreich CM, Orenstein MR., 2002). Types of physical activities There are 4 main types of physical activities namely aerobic, muscle strengthening, bone strengthening, and stretching and balance activities. (Dairy Council of California, 2014) (National heart, blood and lung institute, 2011). Aerobic activities also called cardiovascular exercises help improve the condition of lungs and heart, increase stamina, improve blood circulation and burn body fat. Such activities might include walking, jogging, bicycling, climbing stairs, walking on a treadmill, dancing, swimming or jumping rope. These types of activities help to raise your heart rate and increase your breathing for an extended period of time as well as decrease the blood pressure. Muscle strengthening increases the body metabolism by burning more calories after having stopped exercising. This is achieved by an increase in muscle mass. Muscle-strengthening activities improve the strength, power, and endurance of muscles. Doing pushups and sit-ups, lifting weights, climbing stairs, and digging in the garden are some examples. Strength training helps make bones stronger, improves balance and increases muscle strength. All of this helps prevent osteoporosis and lowers the risk of hip fractures from falls. Strength training has also been shown to lessen arthritis pain. Stretching helps to ease movement, improve flexibility and prevent muscle strain and injury. Stretching also helps to warm up the body and prepare for exercise. Balance activities help you maintain posture and balance to keep from falling. This is particularly important for the elderly who are at risk for bone fractures. Levels of physical activities by intensities Intensity refers to the rate at which the activity is being performed or the magnitude of the effort required to perform an activity or exercise (WHO, 2014). The levels of intensities of physical activities are usually expressed in METs, Metabolic Equivalents. MET is the ratio of a persons working metabolic rate relative to their resting metabolic rate. One MET is defined as the energy cost of sitting quietly and is equivalent to a caloric consumption of 1kcal/kg/hour. It is estimated that compared with sitting quietly, a persons caloric consumption is three to six times higher when being moderately active (3-6 METs) and more than six times higher when being vigorously active (>6 METs). One limitation to this way of measuring exercise intensity is that it does not consider the fact that some people have a higher level of fitness than others. Thus, walking at 3 to 4 miles-per-hour is considered to require 4 METs and to be a moderate-intensity activity, regardless of who is doing the activity whether a young marathon runner or a 90-year-old adult. Light-intensity activities require the least amount of effort, compared to moderate and vigorous activities. Light intensity activity is related to energy expenditure of less than 3 METs. It does not increase the heart rate. Moderate-intensity physical activity raises the heart rate, breathing rate and body temperature. During such type of activity, one can talk but not sing. The caloric consumption is from 3 to 6 METS. Vigorous intensity physical activity causes the greatest amount of oxygen consumption. It burns more than 6 METS. A person cannot utter more than a few words without gasping for breath. Examples of physical activities based on intensity Light Activity less than 3.0 METS* (less than 3.5 calories per minute) Moderate Activity less 3.0-6.0 METS* (3.5 – 7 calories per minute) Vigorous Activity greater than 6.0 METS* (more than 7 calories per minute) Casual Walking Bicycling less than 5 mph Stretching Sitting Light weight training Dancing slowly Leisurely sports (table tennis, playing catch) Floating Boating Fishing Golf—using cart Light yard/house work Occupations requiring extended periods of sitting Brisk walking (3 4.5 mph) Walking uphill Hiking Roller skating at leisurely pace Bicycling 5-9 mph Low impact aerobics Aqua aerobics Light calisthenics Yoga Gymnastics Jumping on a trampoline Weight training Moderate dancing Boxing—punching bag Most aerobic machines (e.g., stair climber, elliptical, stationary bike)—moderate pace Competitive tennis, volleyball, badminton, diving Recreational swimming Canoeing Horseback riding Golf—carrying clubs Housework that involves intense scrubbing/cleaning Shoveling snow Carrying a child weighing more than 50 pounds Occupations that require an extended amount of time standing or walking Race walking (more than 4.5 mph) Jogging/Running Wheeling a wheelchair Mountain climbing Backpacking Fast pace in-line skating Bicycling more than 10 mph High impact aerobics Step aerobics Vigorous calisthenics Karate, judo, tae kwon do, jujitsu Jumping rope, jumping jacks Circuit weight training Vigorous dancing Boxing—sparring Most aerobic machines (e.g., stair climber, elliptical, stationary bike)—vigorous pace Competitive basketball, soccer, football, rugby, kickball, hockey, lacrosse Swimming laps or synchronized swimming Treading water Water jogging Water polo Downhill or cross country skiing Pushing non-motorized lawnmower Occupations that require heavy lifting or rapid movement Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1999). Promoting physical activity. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Essay --

As an illustrious poet, writer, activist, and educator, Nikki Giovanni conjoins her life experiences and tenacity for a brighter future and intertwines them to create her astonishing work. Giovanni is an African American proponent for civil rights and equality which is illuminated in her poem â€Å"Woman.† The girl in the poem possesses pertinacious qualities that are similar to Giovanni’s. The piece itself highlights the worth of women and their equality to men since women are not required to be submissive to them, the process of searching for true identity, and the power one has to make a difference in oneself. The first stanza begins with the metaphor â€Å"she wanted to be a blade / of grass amid the fields† (1-2) which compares the girl’s desire to grow as a person to the growth of grass but also introduces her longing for individuality. It becomes apparent that the boy in her life is not supportive and â€Å"he wouldn’t agree to be the dandelion† (3-4) or provide a stable foundation for their relationship like a dandelion lacking coherence with grass. The second stanza opens with t...

Faith in Fear and Trembling by Kierkegaard Essay -- Faith Literary Ana

Kierkegaard believes that true faith can only be attained through a double movement of giving up rationality or logic, while at the same time believing one can understand logically. In â€Å"Fear and Trembling† Kierkegaard relates true faith to the Knight of infinite resignation and the Knight of faith; in this paper, I will examine this claim and show why Kierkegaard’s analogy is an excellent metaphor for the double movement which is required in one’s quest to attain faith and why. Kierkegaard’s position on faith is represented with the Knight of infinite resignation and the Knight of faith. The Knight of faith is regarded as the one who believes in that which is absurd. For, he is the knight that is able to believe in the things that are paradoxical. The Knight of faith is aware of the contradiction that occurs and rationally understands it, but believes despite this. Kierkegaard gives a description of this after relating the knight to one in love with a princess he will never have the chance to be with. He describes the knight in this situation claiming, â€Å"I nevertheless believe that I shall get her, namely on the strength of the absurd, on the strength of the face that for God all things are possible† (75). Kierkegaard gives insight into this knight by stating that, â€Å"On this Knight of faith is just as clear: all that can save him is the absurd: and this he grasps by faith. Accordingly he admits the impossibility and at the same time a ccepts the absurd† (76). The other knight Kierkegaard refers to is the Knight of infinite resignation. This is the knight who works within reason and is able to recognize the contradiction or logical impossibility when faced with a situation; such as the situation where Abraham is commanded by God t... ...at Kierkegaard expresses his honest feelings by stating, â€Å"but I do not have faith; this courage I lack† (63). Kierkegaard makes a valid point by stating that a leap of faith requires a double movement. Believing something is not possible before believing it is possible. Faith is not just something that comes and goes for some people. Attaining faith requires a growth through certain stages, the first one being accepting that something cannot and will not be. The two knights that Kierkegaard describes is one the most excellent metaphors to describe the stages a person must go through to make a true leap of faith. Works Cited Huxley, T.H. â€Å"Agnosticism.† Introduction to Philosophy of Religion. Ed. James Kellenger. Pearson, 2007. 144-150. Kierkegaard, Sà ¸ren, and Alastair Hannay. Fear and Trembling. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin, 1985. Print.

The Concept of Kairos

In the midst of the ordinary time (kronos), extraordinary time (kairos) happens. A cultural word morphed by Christianity Introduction In a scene from Dead Poets Society, Professor John Keating challenges his boarding school English class. They sheepishly stand in front of the trophy case peering inquisitively into the photographs of alumna. The professor speaks with a deliberate tone about the boys in the faded black and white photographs: They're not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you.Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster. They believe they're destined for great things, just like many of you; their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? Carpe! Hear it? Carpe! Carpe diem! Seize the day boys. Make your lives extraordinary.Why does the call to live extraordinary lives ring so loudly for some they are compelled to follow it with a zealous passion? What causes the same call for others to become merely a drone to ignore amidst all the other noises of life? No matter where one falls on this continuum the call remains the same for every human being. Carpe diem! [Literally, pluck the day] Choose to live in such a way that reflects the extraordinariness of your life. Position yourself to get caught up in the great drama. You have been destined to make an impact. LifetimeThe span of time that measures a person’s life is referred to as a lifetime. Each person has a limited span of time to live. Yet each person is given the opportunity to leave a legacy which is about contribution, significance, and things that really matter. Could there be two spans of time, whether recognized or not, which actually intersect? Kronos (k ronos) is the ancient Greek word which refers to sequential or linear time. In Greek mythology, the god Chronos, pictured as elderly, gray-haired and bearded, was the personification of time.Kronos is symbolized by the newborn baby that ushers in the New Year and ends the year as a bent-over old man: Father Time. We know kronos time as chronology; tick-tock time. It is measured, or chronicled, by clocks, hours, minutes and seconds. It is the time in which we make appointments and face deadlines. It tends to be more of a nemesis or taskmaster than a friend. We schedule our lives by it. Most people speak of never having enough of it as we race around the clock to make sure we maximize the time. Some even refer to much of life as â€Å"putting in the time. †Jonathan Larsen’s Broadway Musical Rent questions the measure of time, and parenthetically, the quality of kronos time with the lyrics of â€Å"Seasons of Love†: Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Min utes How Do You Measure – Measure A Year? In Daylights – In Sunsets In Midnights – In Cups Of Coffee In Inches – In Miles In Laughter – In Strife In – Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes How Do You Measure a Year In The Life? How About Love? Larsen’s lyrics, while suggesting the continuum of life, carry angst for something more than tick-tock time.In the journey of kronos time is there, could there be something more significant, something of value, something legacy-driven that gives lasting impact to kronos time? The ancient Greeks would answer in the affirmative. Opportune Time Kairos (kairos), even though the Greek meanings are complex and culturally dependent, refers to the right time, opportune time or seasonable time. It cannot be measured. It is the perfect time, the qualitative time, the perfect moment, the â€Å"now. † Kairos brings transcending value to kronos time.Eric Charles White, in Kaironomia: O n the Will-to-Invent, defines kairos with this imagery: 2 Archery – an opening, or opportunity or, more precisely, a long tunnel-like aperture through which the archer's arrow has to pass. Successful passage of a kairos requires, therefore, that the archer's arrow be fired not only accurately but with enough power for it to penetrate. Weaving – the critical time when the weaver must draw the yarn through a gap that momentarily opens in the warp of the cloth being woven. Kairos is the right moment of opportunity which requires proactivity to achieve success.It is significant and decisive. These moments transcend kronos, stirring emotions and realities to cause decisive action. It is not an understatement to say that kairos moments alter destiny. To miscalculate kronos is inconvenient. To miscalculate kairos is lamentable. The Background of Kairos Kairos was known in Greek mythology as the youngest child of the god Zeus. Quite close to the entrance to the stadium [at Oly mpia] are two altars; one they call the altar of Hermes of the Games, the other the altar of Kairos (Opportunity).Pausanias, Guide to Greece 5. 14. 9 His bronze statute was known as the most beautiful of statutes. Eye witnesses describe the statute as youthful, â€Å"beautiful to look upon as he waved his downy beard and left his hair unconfined for the south wind to toss wherever it would; and he had a blooming complexion, showing by its brilliancy the bloom of his body†¦he stood poised on the tips of his toes on a sphere, and his feet were winged. † The statue was so magnetic people â€Å"stood speechless at the sight. † The artist sought to capture the very essence of kairos:The wings on his feet, he told us, suggested his swiftness, and that, borne by the seasons, he goes rolling on through all eternity; and as to his youthful beauty, that beauty is always opportune and that Kairos (Opportunity) is the only artificer of beauty, whereas that of which the beauty has withered has no part in the nature of Kairos (Opportunity); he also explained that the lock of hair on his forehead indicated that while he is easy to catch as he approaches, yet, when he has passed by, the moment of action has likewise expired, and that, if opportunity (kairos) is neglected, it cannot be recovered. † Callistratus, Descriptions 6The Ancient Greeks, the seedbed of existential thinkers, sought to understand kairos at multiple levels. They applied kairos thinking in arenas of legal, political, and epideitic (the artfully skilled and heightened rhetorical expression of praise). In legal rhetoric, kairos was related to justice beyond the written law, that is, law applied at specific times and circumstances unforeseen by legislators. Political rhetoric concerns the elements of usefulness, suitability, and honor. Kairos was also central to the Sophists, who saw kairos as the ability to understand the subtleties of a rhetorical situation.Kairos is seen as the ora tor’s ability to adapt to and take advantage of the contingent circumstances. One element of speech rhetoric is The Audience, the psychological and emotional makeup of the hearers. The other is Decorum, the principle of apt speech. Aristotle identifies kairos as intrinsically 3 related to the time and space when proof must be delivered to the hearers. Therefore, speakers are to be aware of their words AND be able to choose opportune moments to re-awaken the hearers. That moment, recognized, chosen and acted upon, is kairotic or interchangeably, kairos.Kairos was not only dependent upon the appropriate timing and purpose, but also the appropriate nature of the situation, the approach, and the implications of what is being presented. [These concepts are explained in detail in the book Rhetoric and Kairos: Essays in History, Theory and Praxis, Phillip Sipiora and James S. Baumlin. ] Modern day students of rhetoric are baffled by the word. S. H. Butcher who translated much of Ari stotle noted that â€Å"kairos is a Greek word ‘with no single precise equivalent in any other language. ’† (Encyclopedia of Rhetoric, 118).They believe that grasping the spirit of kairos IS their area of study because the spirit of kairos is essential to the practice of rhetoric. Even though kairos is a bit illusive, it is at the same time, alluring. The Greeks knew kairos intersected kronos time. Yet, what was the impact of kairos? For whom was kairos available? Did kairos opportunities reside for only a few? In Panathenaicus, Isocrates writes that educated people are those â€Å"who manage well the circumstances which they encounter day by day, and who possess a judgment which is accurate in meeting occasions as they arise and rarely misses the expedient course of action. It was into this setting where the Apostle Paul engaged in kairotic interchanges in Athens on the Areopagus (also known as Mars Hill). Can you picture a well-educated man, known and respecte d for his zealousness in seeking to destroy the followers of a new sect out of Jerusalem called â€Å"The Way† (Christ-followers), and who had the ability to stand toe-to-toe with philosophers, now directing his tenacity toward sharing the real meaning of â€Å"opportunity? † Here’s one example: [Paul] also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers.When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, â€Å"This babbler has picked up some strange ideas. † Others said, â€Å"He's pushing some foreign religion. † Then they took him to the Council of Philosophers. â€Å"Come and tell us more about this new religion,† they said. â€Å"You are saying some rather startling things, and we want to know what it's all about. † (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas. Acts 17:18-21 Just a few short decades before th is interchange, the Divine intersected the world’s kronos time with His reality of kairos. A unique kairos has dawned. It came in the flesh, Jesus, the Christ. Time – even kairos itself – was ready to be redeemed. The Redefining of Kairos The New Testament writers reflect the evolution of the word by referring to kairos time as the present moment, the defining moment, and even the God-ordained moments. Kairos is the time-frame for divine interaction and occurrences. 4 Mark 1:14-15 â€Å"the time† (is fulfilled)Kairos is a time which requires a change or reorienting. Luke 12:54-56 â€Å"the present time† Kairos is extraordinary time, requiring interpretation. The capacity to read the signs of the times—the kairos—and respond is an issue of faith. Luke 19:44 â€Å"the time† (of your visitation from God) Kairos is a dangerous time. It is critical to recognize it, for if you allow it to pass the loss will be immeasurable. There is a burden or responsibility tied up in the recognition of the kairos. Romans 13:11-13 â€Å"the time . . . the moment† Kairos time is here.It calls for action and transformation—a change of life. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 â€Å"the acceptable time† Kairos is not just crisis but opportunity and favor. God assists us in discerning the kairos—a moment of grace. Scripture writers accepted and leaned into the multiple dimensions of kairos: The divine reality of God and His kingdom that is available in each moment. Signifies a decisive moment of history when an old world would die and a new age would be born Moments which transcend time (kronos), stirring emotions and realities to cause decisive action.These are moments that alter destiny; seizing upon the crucial moment to perform accurately and skillfully in order to achieve a goal. A divine opportunity – season or moment – that one dare not miss. The apostle Paul knew the importance of reorienting the whole concept of kairos to the perspective of the Kingdom of God. (Kairos is used 85 times in the New Testament and 30 of these are by Paul. ) The Greek and Roman gods and goddesses were capricious and dispensed good or ill arbitrarily. The pagan deities were constantly at odds. Who would bring clarity?As clearly as John Keating passionately urged, â€Å"Carpe diem,† Paul traveled throughout the Asia Minor teaching, and more importantly, living out the message: exagorazesqai ton kairon literally, â€Å"buy up the opportunity. † The word â€Å"buy up† has its roots in the image of going to the marketplace and seeking to buy back, â€Å"to take it off the market†; to redeem. The admonition seems to be clear: people who live 5 in kronos time need to intersect with the Divine in order to grasp the full power of kairos. Go and buy back opportunities! Redeem them for good!Every person needs to know the real kairos: God-appointed time. Paul used the exact same Greek words as he wrote to two different churches: Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Colossian 4:5 [NAS] Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16 [NAS] Paul wanted people to understand that kairos did not come in the form of a peering at a statute but in letting the eternal kairos, Christ, form more of your mind and subsequently your behavior. St.Ignatius Loyola wrote, â€Å"There are very few people who realize what God would make of them if they abandoned themselves into His hands and let themselves be formed by His grace. † Our world needs to know the depth of the Heavenly Father’s love and the dream He has for every human being to be eternally changed by His power and grace. In an effort to capture kairos for church-goers in the centuries that followed Paul, the Eastern Orthodox Church Liturgy begins with this exclam ation, â€Å"Kairos tou poiesai to Kurio† (â€Å"It is time [kairos] for the Lord to act†), indicating that the time of the Liturgy is an intersection with Eternity.It is difficult to measure kairos time. It flows; allowing us to be in the moment. Erwin McManus, while never using the term kairos, speaks of a flow of time; movements which move in a timely manner and waits for no one. Describing or capturing a kairos moment is fluid and beyond expression. McManus suggests: I think we need to spend a day with Monet. He had a clear sense of what was hidden in a moment. Most of us think of a movement as something that’s stationary, stagnant, and unchanging. We want to capture the moment and stand in the moment.If there’s a moment you want to preserve or remember you must take a snapshot. The genius of Monet is that he saw the moment for what it really was. It was as if he read the dictionary and realized that the essence of the words moment and motion are the same. Monet was a master of light and movement. His paintings were blurred and obscure and yet beautiful and full of insight. If we could someone see life through his eyes, we would begin to see life as it really is. (An Unstoppable Force) Grasping the Depth of KairosOne doesn’t catch up with kairos time rather one participates in it. Kairos time can occur during activity or stillness. It simply intersects with kronos time. Newbery-Award winning author Madeleine L'Engle, best known for her children's books, writes of kronos and kairos. She suggest that kairos can sometimes enter, penetrate, and break through kronos: the child at play, the painter at an easel, the 6 saint at prayer, friends around the dinner table, the mother reaching out for the newborn are in what she calls kairos.Taking kairos a step further Jean Shinoda Bolen suggests, â€Å"When we participate in time and therefore lose our sense of time passing we are in kairos; here we are totally absorbed in the prese nt moment, which may actually stretch out over hours. † (Close to the Bone: Life Threatening Illness and the Search for Meaning, p 86) T. S. Eliot (Four Quartets) ruminates in â€Å"The Dry Salvages† Number 3: For most of us, there is only the unattended Moment, the moment in and out of time, The distraction fit, lost in a shaft of sunlight,The wild thyme unseen, or the winter lightning Or the waterfall, or music heard so deeply That it is not heard at all, but you are the music While the music lasts. Could it be that one could get so caught up in kairos that kronos is truly transcended? At those moments one is at soul-level. The Kairos Call The notion of kairos is characterized by what Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who survived years of imprisonment and exile in the Gulag Archipelago, calls â€Å"knots,† those decisive historic moments in which everything is rolled up and tied in a knot.In The Interpretation of History, Lutheran Theologian Paul Tillich made prominent use of the term, referring to kairos as those moments of crisis in history which create an opportunity for, and even demand, an existential decision. William Wilberforce forged the way for the abolition of slavery in England. George Washington accepted many kairos opportunities as general and president of a fledgling nation. Abraham Lincoln, the once uneducated country-boy, delivered one of the shortest, yet memorable addresses in American History on the Gettysburg Battlefield. As a determined leader of a war-torn country he concluded with this kairos challenge:It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for t he people, shall not perish from the earth. 7 Winston Churchill, on June 18, 1940, gave a fiery-impassioned speech to the House of Commons that historians believe turned the tide of the war by winning a victory for human freedom.Seemingly defeated on every front, Churchill knew that he was the one to make the clarion call: Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science.Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, â€Å"This was their finest hour. † (www. winstonchurchill. o rg) The impeccable reality of kairos moments is that they are special, cosmic, and whether recognized or not, even divine. â€Å"The hour is the God-given moment of destiny not to be shrunk from but seized with decisiveness, the floodtide of opportunity and demand in which the unseen waters of the future surge down to the present. (Os Guinness, Character Counts) Nothing is more critical than to recognize and respond to such a moment. Kairos Possibilities and Potential It is the very nature of God to give every human being multiple opportunities to seize high impact moments. These kairos moments are rich with potential and pregnant with possibilities. â€Å"Whatever we may become, wherever we go, whatever we do, we should always be aware of what once was, what might have been, and what could well be again. † (Os Guinness, God in the Dark: The Assurance of Faith Beyond a Shadow of Doubt)Yet, with every opportunity comes a price tag. One cannot seize the day (or time) without c hoosing to not seize something else, which will undoubtedly have consequences. Jesus would speak frequently of counting the costs. People who choose to seize the moments are less concerned about the sacrifices they are making than they are about the significance of their decision. The encouragement is to make decisions wisely. Think of the Old Testament story of Esther. Would she be open to seizing the day? Would she let her divine moment pass her by?She was a lone Jew in a Gentile king’s harem at the precipice of watching the potential genocide of her race when she was given this challenge by fellow-countryman Mordecai: If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. What's more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for just such a time as this? (Esther 4:14) She stood face-to-face with her God-given moment of destiny: a kairos moment. James Emery White confidently exc laims, â€Å"Kairos moments are never pragmatic moves to ensure a blessed life during our short tenure on earth.They are moments to be seized for the sake of eternity and the Lord of eternity. † (Life-Defining Moments: Daily Choices with the Power to Transform Your Life, p 97) 8 In J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring), an elderly Bilbo Baggins offers to carry The Ring of Power into the Dark Lord Sauron’s domain. His intention is to return it to the Land of Mordor, into the fires of Mount Doom from which it was forged. Yet he knew the temptation of the ring. So he said to himself, â€Å"Bilbo the silly hobbit started this affair, and Bilbo had better finish it, or himself. His old friend Gandalf the wizard releases him from the task, â€Å"If you had really started this affair you might be expected to finish it. But you know well enough that starting is too great a claim for any, and that only a small part is played in great dee ds by any hero. † The great starter of events, of course, is God Himself. And while the great deeds are not done by a few, but by many, the heroes are bound by their choice to take a stand. Through this decision they assume a role in the great contest between good and evil; between the movement of God and rebellion of the Evil One.Each succeeding generation carries on playing its part in the great cosmic battle that will eventually be brought to a finish at the end of history. The question is whether we will choose to walk in the footsteps of the heroes who went before us. It’s a daunting choice indeed. (James Emery White, Life-Defining Moments: Daily Choices with the Power to Transform Your Life, p 85) Tolkien provides some clarity about kairos decisions throughout his epic. The hobbits, the elves, Gandalf, the Fellowship are all part of a metanarrative; a story that provides framework upon which other’s experiences can be built.Each of us is afforded moments to take a stand, regardless of appearance (Frodo, the Hobbit) to position (Aragon, the king in waiting). Kairos moments can catapult a person into the very essence of life, which often comes with great consequences. Yet, it is there, in kairos moments, where we live the great drama of life. Maybe it is in those times when we feel most alive, most in touch with our eternal purpose. Make no doubt about it, these moments are not just discerned, they must be seized. Bilbo’s young nephew, Frodo, knew when the kairos moment was calling him. That’s the way kairos moments often present themselves.Challenges, calls, â€Å"leaps of faith† into the great unknown! Though sometimes unexplainable, the call is unmistakable. Could there be a cosmic gong? At last with an effort he spoke, and wondered to hear his own words, as if some other will was using his small voice. â€Å"I will take the Ring,† Frodo said, â€Å"though I do not know the way. † Elrond raised his eyes and looked at him, and Frodo felt his heart pierced by the sudden keenness of the glance. â€Å"If I understand aright all that I have heard,† he said, â€Å"I think that this task is appointed for you, Frodo; and that if you do not find a way, no one will.This is the hour of the Shire-folk, when they arise from their quiet fields to shake the towers and counsels of the great. Who of all the Wise could have foreseen it? Or, if they are wise, why should they expect to know it, until the hour has struck? But it is a heavy burden. So heavy that none could lay it on another. I do not lay it on you. But if you take it freely, I will say that your choice is right. † 9 Let’s be very clear, the kairos call is sometimes very challenging. The responsibility of the Ring came upon Frodo unwanted, what seems to happen with kairos calls. Yet, the power lies in what we do with the kairos moment.Reflect on some interchanges between Frodo and Gandalf: Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened. Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought. Frodo: I am not made for perilous quests. I wish I had never seen the Ring! Why did it come to me? Why was I chosen? Gandalf: Such questions cannot be answered.You may be sure that it was not for any merit that others do not possess. (He was just a simple hobbit, after all. ) But you have been chosen, and you must therefore use such strength and heart, and wits as you have. The weight of kairos opportunities can bring consternation. They call us out of our comfort zones. Oh to have wise people, like Gandalf, who listen to our doubts and then remind us of the importance of seizing kair os moments and staying the course! Kairos moments are well worth it. The Challenge Let’s tweak John Keating’s Latin urge to a kairos admonition: Tempus Occasio! Seize the kairos moment!Every human being is loved by God and eternally valued. Every human being exists for only a certain amount of kronos time. Thousands of years before The Byrds’ popular, â€Å"Turn! (To Everything There is a Season), King Solomon wrote: There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. (Ecclesiastes) The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, uses the word kairos to capture the writer’s intent. The question is, â€Å"What will we do with our kronos moments? † There is something beyond kronos. There is a time that impacts kronos with such intensity that it can alter the very kronos of a person’s life.Every human being is wired with gifts and passions which afford opportunities to make unique impacts. While each of us wri tes the script of our life, we have been given extraordinary potential to make a difference. Tempus Occasio! James W. Moore boldly writes, â€Å"Kairos time is full time, vital time, crucial time, decisive time, God’s time – those rich special moments that break into the humdrum and change your life; those powerful dramatic moments when things seem to fall into place; a new perspective comes, and God seems to be speaking loud and clear.That is kairos! † (Seizing the Moments: Making the Most of Life’s Opportunities, p 16) Kairos and the Present Moment 10 The young struggling diabetic Shelby, in the movie Steel Magnolias (1989) muses, â€Å"I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special. † Kairos moments are waiting to be grasped. There is no better time to apprehend kairos then the exact moment in time in which a person lives: the present moment. Simply put, the past is over; the future has yet to be written. We h ave the gift of the present moment in which to live.Will we seize the present moment or passively watch time tick by? The question is far from cavalier. It carries with it the tenderness of a care-giver blended with the challenge of a coach. The options are simple but the consequences can lead to great complexities. Either we proactively seize kairos time or we, by choice, choose only to live in kronos time, which tempts us to reshape the past or lures us to bring unwarranted assurances to our future. The later is a tenuous place to live. It leads to limited satisfaction, feeds our control issues, and breeds a lack of contentment.Can you think of a moment in your life which brought great joy to you? Fulfilling a dream, falling in love, the birth of a child? If only that moment could be frozen in time. It cannot. That moment is in the past, a memory to which we add other memories which will form the legacy of our lives. That moment is to be remembered and celebrated. It becomes anoth er stitch in the fabric of our lives. It dare not become the entire garment. Recently three Detroit baseball players from an era long gone by were featured guests at a local expo.These once stellar athletes, now plump old men, limped down the stairs to their booth for signing autographs. There seemed to be two types of autograph seekers that day: those who wanted a symbol of some of the good ‘ole years and those who were living as if the ’84 Tigers just clinched the pennant. They donned jerseys and hats; taking the concept of â€Å"fan† to another level. There was a difference from remembering the past and choosing to live in the past. Conversely, can you think of a moment in your life which brought pain or sadness? Was it a poor decision? Someone who hurt you?The loss of someone you love? If only that moment had not happened. It did. That moment is also in the past, and added to our memory. It too, becomes another stitch in the fabric of our lives. It dare not b ecome the entire garment. How many people do you know who live in the past with such intensity that it drives their very decision-making? Rather than choosing to observe the past as a scar, they see it as a festering wound. Some even choose to regularly keep the wound open. That way they can actually use the wound as leverage for manipulation or exacting some revenge.Others peel back the scar when it is convenient giving them a good excuse for not taking responsibility for their decisions. The old saying is true, â€Å"He who ignores history is bound to repeat it. † However, there is a great distance between knowing our past and choosing to live in the past. Philosophy majors spar over this concept. Therapists earn a living helping people understand it. It is the crux of how human beings, young and old, choose to live. Will we choose the present moment? This is very practical. Take for instance, Brady Quinn, quarterback (2002-2006), The University of Notre Dame: 1 Before coac h Charlie Weis came to Notre Dame, Brady Quinn's development was like a slow, steady drip. Quinn had arrived at Notre Dame as a highly touted quarterback †¦However, he wasn't able to live up to the high expectations during his first two years in South Bend, IN. With one season of eligibility remaining, Quinn holds almost every major Notre Dame single-season and career passing record. His improved play has much to do with the Irish's return to a place among the nation's elite programs. (Michael Rothstein, ESPN. om, January 2, 2006) Charlie Weiss came to Notre Dame’s storied program as suburb playing-calling genius with three Super Bowl rings. His pedigree is helping young quarterbacks succeed to monumental levels. In an interview, Quinn was asked to describe the zenith of his turnaround, he simply reflected, â€Å"It all began when I started to believe the coach. † What was the coach’s oft-repeated mantra to Quinn? Forget the past. I’ll worry about yo ur future. Your job is to live in the present moment. If it’s true for a twenty-something sports phenom imagine the stakes from an eternal perspective.What if a person would simply choose to live, just live, in the present moment? Imagine a life of present moment living where authentic behavior is honed by the self-disciple, practice, and self-control of the martial artist. Imagine what it would be like to make conscience efforts to let go of all our baggage – childhood problems, prejudices, assumptions, interpretations, and projections – and being responsive to the moment, appreciating â€Å"the power of now. † Present moment living is both spontaneous and responsible. (Spiritually Intelligent Leadership, Danah Zohar, Leader to Leader, No. 8 Fall 2005) The Bible has specific words for past moments, they are redeemable. I have redeemed you! I have called you by name! You are mine! Our Heavenly Father, through the power of Christ, offers a life of no-regre ts. The slate is wiped clean and He restores â€Å"in spades† that which was lost. That leaves an ominous choice. Either a person can choose to live in the past, listening to all the loud voices which scream of rejection, failure, and unforgiveness or a person can choose to accept the truth: which is, each person is eternally loved and God wants all people redeemed.Because Christ bought us back, we are offered a life of kairos, a way of life which is about â€Å"buying back† (making the most of) opportunities; seizing these moments for the Kingdom of God. Tempus Occasio! Kairos Opportunities People who choose kairos living as a way of life not only accept redemption; they bask in all that it has to offer. They believe the past is really bought back and they are given a new lease at life. The past is a scar. Kairos people look at the scar and remember how much healing distance there is between the present moment and that scar.They believe with more and more faith each d ay that God does indeed, make all things new. Therefore to seize kairos is to â€Å"pluck† all the grace the Heavenly Father offers and accept it through faith. Kairos people accept faith as a gift and deliver increasing amounts of faith to people they meet. 12 People who choose kairos living as a way of life believe the future is really in good hands; God’s hands. Jesus wasn’t stretching the truth when he said, Don’t worry about tomorrow. It is God’s design that we seek to trust Him with our future.Therefore, kairos people are people of hope. They actually believe the Heavenly Father wants to give them good things and do good things through them. Kairos people put their hope in the One who controls the future and in turn, seeks to deliver increasing amounts of hope to people they meet. People who choose kairos living as a way of life know the Heavenly Father loves them first and in turn, respond by loving God with all their heart, soul, and mind. They know the depth of love they receive and want to give it away to others, thereby, living out the Great Commandments of Jesus.Kairos people love God and love people; believing that loving others is directly proportional to how much we love ourselves. Kairos people are people who love, radically and relentlessly and seek to deliver increasing amounts of love to people they meet. Tempus Occasio! Conclusion In the span of every human being’s life there are kairos opportunities. You may not be standing in the hallway of a boarding school with John Keating whispering, â€Å"Carpe Diem! † But you are standing on the precipice of other kairos opportunities. Tempus occasio! You may not be a teenager who is seeking to understand the meaning of life.But you are invited to find purpose and power as you gaze into the face of the One who created you and calls you â€Å"Beloved,† offering you destiny-changing opportunities. Tempus occasio! You may not be gazing into the pi ctures of those who lived a century ago. But you are invited to study the lives of those who have taken their kairos moments and transformed their world. Tempus occasio! Are you ready for an adventure? If you listen real close, you can hear opportunity calling. Your legacy is ready to be written. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? Tempus! Hear it? Tempus! Tempus occasio! Seize kairos! Make your lives extraordinary. 13

How Should Teachers Respond to the Ebonics Debate? Essay

What are teachers to do when our students respond to a question saying â€Å"It don’t make no difference† or â€Å"It ain’t good. † What about students write: â€Å"All the mens and womens was forced to go† in a research paper? On one hand teachers want to respect and honor our students’ heritage and culture, but on the other hand, we want to prepare them for the best chance of success. Ebonics refers to a form of language that many African-American students speak. The issue came to public attention in 1997 when the Oakland school board proposed to teach African American students by incorporating Ebonics into the curriculum. This began a heated national debate. Lisa Delpit (2002) explains the issue in a very poignant and insightful way: I have been asked often enough recently: â€Å"What do you think about Ebonics? Are you for it or against it? † My answer must be neither. I can be neither for Ebonics or against Ebonics any more that I can be for or against air. It exists. It is the language that is spoken by many of our African-American children. It is the language many African-American children heard as their mothers nursed them and changed their diapers and played peek-a-boo with them. It is the language through which they first encountered love, nurturance, and joy (p 93). Lisa Delpit’s article entitled â€Å"What should teachers do? Ebonics and culturally responsive instruction† goes on to explain how Ebonics is a reality, and that teachers must develop sound methodology to help students learn to code switch between the two languages. While some critics such as Christopher Todd (1997) fervently believe that if teachers are to acknowledge Ebonics as an acceptable form of language, then they in turn will only further handicap African-American students. Todd argues that this pedagogy will not give non-standard English speakers sufficient skills in Standard English, and in doing so teachers will help to perpetuate cycles of poverty that these very teachers purport to end. Catherine Compton-Lilly’s (2005) â€Å"Nuances of Error: Considerations Relevant to African American Vernacular English and Learning to Read† addresses the issue of how teachers should respond to students who did not grow up in homes where Standard English is spoken. She goes on to establish that African American Vernacular is a well documented form of spoken English, complete with its own syntax and intonation, and that it has been deemed inferior to standard English. Compton-Lilly suggests that until recently there has been very little awareness among teachers that by correcting student’s language, they also undermine their cultures and families. Compton-Lilly then sites research documenting the specific linguistic differences between standard and African American Vernacular. The bulk of the article’s original research is a case study of Lashanda, a first-grader who had fallen behind her peers in reading and had grown up in a house where African American Vernacular was used. Catherine Compton-Lilly tutored Lashanda individually over the course of several weeks and meticulously documented when and how her home language emerged to cause a miscue in her reading. Lashanda made typical â€Å"errors† such as reading aloud â€Å"the roses was broken† instead of â€Å"were† broken.