James Meredith and the University of Mississippi’s Integration Essay

James Meredith and the University of Mississippi’s Integration When a person presently looks at university school systems, one never imagines the struggle to obtain such diverse campuses. With Caucasians, Asians, Latinos, and African Americans all willing and able to attend any institution, it is difficult now to envision a world where, because of one’s skin color, a person is denied university acceptance. In actuality, this world existed only fifty years ago. In a time of extreme racial discrimination, African Americans fought and struggled toward one of many goals: to integrate schools. As a pioneer in the South, a man named James Meredith took a courageous step by applying to the University of Mississippi, an all white university. After overcoming many legal and social obstacles, the University of Mississippi’s integration sent positive effects rippling among universities across the nation. As a native Mississippian, James Meredith honestly lived and worked all of his life. After serving nine years in the United States Air Force, Meredith wholeheartedly absorbed John F. Kennedy’s ideals on â€Å"civil rights† and decided to apply to the University of Mississippi (Howard 1060). Upon applying, Meredith knew that if accepted, he would be the first African American student to attend the University of Mississippi. Deep in the heart of the South, the state of Mississippi prided itself on its all white campuses and resistence toward integration. Little did they know that James Meredith, an uprising civil rights activist, would pull a racial chord in the university that would change it for lifetimes to come. From past observations, acceptance into â€Å"Ole Miss† appeared impossible for an African American. With â€Å"[f]our known... ...Sept. 1962: 1. Buckley, Thomas. â€Å"Tear Gas and Sticks Repel Wild Student Charges.† New York Times 1 Oct. 1962: 23. Cohodas, Nadine. â€Å"James Meredith and the Integration of Ole Miss.† The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education 16 (Summer, 1997): 112-22. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=1077-3711%28199722%290%3A16%3C112%3AJMATIO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-W Howard, William L.. â€Å"Meredith, James Howard.† The African American Encyclopedia. 1993. â€Å"Meredith’s Fight for Admission to University Spans 16 Months.† New York Times 1 Oct. 1962: 25. â€Å"Mississippi Rejoins the Union.† New York Times 1 Oct 1962: 30. Sitton, Claude. â€Å"Negro At Mississippi U. As Barnett Yields; 3 Dead In Campus Riot, 6 Marshals Shot; Guardsmen Move In; Kennedy Makes Plea.† New York Times 1 Oct. 1962: 1. Smith, Hendrick. â€Å"Johnson Is Fined.† New York Times 30 Sept. 1962: 1.

Organizational Behavior – Jean Lewis at Staples Case Study

LDP1 July 17, 2007 The interchange between task behavior, relationship behavior, and follower readiness is the foundation of situational leadership. Different focus on relationship or task behavior is applied to followers on different readiness levels. Task behavior is the degree of detailed direction given by a leader to a follower or a group for them to perform a task. Included in these directions are specifics of the methodology to perform the task as well as the place and the parties involved.Relationship behavior is the grade of interaction between the leader and the follower or group. Readiness is the degree of willingness and capability that a follower demonstrates. â€Å"The two major components of readiness are ability and willingness† (Hersey, Blanchard, & Johnson, 2001) Ability is composed of the follower’s qualifications for a particular task. Hersey (2001) catalogs these qualifications as knowledge, skill and experience. Willingness is the level of confiden ce, commitment and motivation that someone shows.Willingness is not a personal attribute as it varies from a task to another. Confidence is the expressed belief that one is able to perform a task. The fact that an individual is confident does not necessarily make him capable of completing an assignment, as it is a mental state rather than a measure of skills. Commitment is an established dedication to undertake a responsibility, and motivation is the expressed desire to do it. Based on the degree of ability and willingness an individual can be classified into four levels of readiness as follows: R1 – Unable and UnwillingR2 – Unable but Willing R3 – Able but Unwilling R4 – Able and Willing R1 individuals do not have either the necessary level of skill or the commitment to perform a task. R2 individuals are not qualified, yet have the willingness to undertake the responsibility. R3 individuals have the ability to perform the task but are reluctant to execut e it. Finally, R4 individuals have the ability and the willingness to complete a task. The situational leadership model institutes four different leadership styles to pair with each of the four readiness levels.These styles are characterized by the different combinations of relationship and task behavior and are defined as follows: Style 1 or S1 – This style of leadership characterized by a high amount of task and low amount of relationship behavior should be used on individuals on the first level of readiness. It is also known as crisis leadership as it is a good practice on a critical situation when the leader doesn’t have the time to explain the â€Å"whys† of the objectives to the followers or research the readiness level of the group.For instance during a fire the fire department personnel is likely to use this type of leadership to evacuate a building. Style 2 or S2 – Typified by high levels of both, task and relationship behaviors, this style shoul d be used in individuals on the second level of readiness. These individuals lack the skills to complete a task, therefore a great deal of direction (task behavior) is needed. Since they are trying, it is important to encourage them to continue their progress (relationship behavior).Style 3 or S3 – Low task and high relationship behavior set this leadership style apart, and should be used on followers on readiness level 3. These individuals have the skill level necessary to complete a task, therefore high amounts of direction are unnecessary. However, since they are unwilling the leader must spend time participating in bilateral communication to encourage them and facilitate decision making. Style 4 or S4 – Characterized by low levels of both relationship and task behaviors. Hersey (2001) describes this leadership style as delegating.R4 individuals are able and willing to undertake a task, reducing the leader’s participation to monitoring progress. As we can see in this model, the readiness level of an individual is what determines the leadership style to be applied. Consequently, it is the follower and not the leader that establishes the leadership style. In her time at Staples, Jeanne Lewis applied different leadership styles to accommodate the different readiness levels of her employees. Until she started working in the marketing department she experienced different levels of rejection from her staff that translated into unwillingness.Jeanne describes her experience in operations as â€Å"managing a group of people who had ‘been there, done that’ for years. † And yet, she continues, â€Å"we had a situation where the stores weren’t performing well, and I had to tell them to make money and grow sales. †(Jeanne Lewis at Staples, Inc, 2001) From her words we can perceive that her staff was in a R1 readiness level. Unwilling because they did not think Jeanne had the experience necessary to run the departmen t, and unable at some level because the stores were not performing well.Jeanne used a S1 leadership style to match the readiness level of her staff. This leadership style, characterized by high task and relationship behavior, has been described as crisis leadership. Jeanne made many changes in the department in a short period of time, so abundant clear and concise direction was necessary. Also due to the reluctance of the operations staff, high levels of multi-way communication were needed. This leadership style is used to help followers advance in their readiness levels, and should only be used in times of crisis.We can presume from her direct report’s description of Jeanne’s management style that she did exactly that. â€Å"She tended to manage tightly at first,† he said, â€Å"then loosened the reins† I think it is safe to assume that her â€Å"loosening the reins†(Jeanne Lewis at Staples, Inc, 2001) was caused by an upwards variation of her sta ff’s readiness level which in turn we can attribute to her management style, and personal charm, and hard-working attitude to elevate follower’s willingness, and clear direction and new training programs to raise ability.A similar situation happened in merchandising. We can learn much of Lewis’ progression of management style by her report’s statement that â€Å"at first impression he worried that Lewis might be a micro-manager, but he soon realized that she liked to inspire dialog and debate to ensure that they dug deeply in their decision making† (Jeanne Lewis at Staples, Inc, 2001). We cannot discard that his first impression was correct, and it is not his erception of Jeanne’s personality that changed, but her management style. When Jeanne was transferred to the marketing department, she found a different situation. She found a talented staff, able and willing to do the job that was requested of them, so she took the passenger sit and le aded them using low task and low relationship behavior (S4). Much to her surprise the followers started experiencing a regressing in their readiness level, going from an able-and-willing group to an able-but-insecure state.Perhaps the distress of the failed merger caused the insecurity. Jeanne needed to adjust her leadership style to include more participation and multi-directional communication (relationship behavior), but running between floors and â€Å"changing hats† all the time did not leave her enough time thus she insisted that her replacement in merchandising be appointed in order to free her schedule. I think Jeanne Lewis is a perfect example of a situational manager.During the whole time I spent reading the case study I could not help but see how she adjusted her management style precisely as the situation required it. Works Cited: Hersey, P. , Blanchard, K. H. , & Johnson, D. E. (2001). Management of organizational behavior: Leading human resources (8th ed. ). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Pp. 171-203. Suesse, J. M. (2000). Jeanne Lewis at Staples, Inc. (A) (Abridged). Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing. Pp. 1-14 (78-91).

Aggressive Behavior of Marine Fishes

The notion of â€Å"survival of the fittest† of Charles Darwin denotes competition in the available life resources among living organisms. Biologists typically classify competition as exploitative or scramble competition and interference or defense competition (Reebs, 2008). In exploitative competition, the species explore every nook in the environment to search for the best niche, ample food supply or even the best mate.On the other hand, defense competition results when a particular species defend their niche, food stuffs, offspring, and mate against invading animals (Reebs, 2008). With these, animals show aggressive behaviors to warn other species or to defend themselves.Hierarchical Social Structure Among FishesChasing and biting are commonly observed among fishes especially when a new one was placed in the group of fishes in a tank or an aquarium. Aggressive behaviors are shown by dominant fishes in the group until such time that a certain order was attained within the gr oup where specific place for every fish has been defined (Reebs, 2008).This is called as hierarchy among fishes for a single fish dominates other fishes in the group. Since fishes not only spend high energy in fighting but also suffer injuries (Reebs, 2008), the attainment of harmony within their group through hierarchical social structure benefits them all.This phenomenon is observed among the school of salmonids, eels, centrarchids, catfishes, poeciliids, and other species (Reebs, 2008).In the hierarchy, the dominant fish tends to limit the access of subordinate fishes to available life resources such as food. As commonly observed in brown bullhead, salmon, cichlids, and medaka, the dominant fish chases subordinate fishes away from food resources (Reebs, 2008).Thus, they are forced to occupy the barren part of the habitat. As a consequence, fishes in the lower ranks are prone to stress due to annoyance and bullies of dominant fishes.This stress induces them to release metabolic ho rmones, as revealed by blood analysis of subordinate fishes (Reebs, 2008), that may affect then their physiological processes including growth and reproduction.The stability of the dominant status depends on the type of fish species. For instance, rainbow trout can remember their hierarchical place. Even if there will be a reduction in the physical strength of the dominant fish, lower rank fished would not attempt to take advantage and stage a coup (Reebs, 2008).On the contrary, catfishes in lower rank often look for an opportunity to dethrone the dominant fish as it shows weakness (Reebs, 2008). In the same manner, as the dominant males of cichlid guard the breeding areas, subordinate males always look for an opportunity of entreating females. These experimental observations proved the social dynamics among fishes.Territorial Defense and Aggressive BehaviorsIt was observed among Cottus bairdii and Rhinichthysvcataractae that adults used to occupy the deeper part of their habitat wh ile the young forages on the shallow part (Reebs, 2008). This condition not only exposes the young to the threat of predation but also limits their food access.Meanwhile, in Betta splendens, the nest-holding males tend to display more aggressive behavior during the female laying of eggs and even more after the hatching of eggs (Jaroensutasinee and Jaroensutasinee, 2003). Also, black-belt cichlids, Cichlasoma maculicauda, assault egg predators more ferociously than non-egg predators (Reebs, 2008). They usually fry the enemy at a particular distance before launching an attack.This territoriality in terms of food resources defense is effectively done over fairly small habitat. If food resources are in a vast area, the dominant fish can hardly provide efficient protection, hence, leading to non-display of aggressive behaviour (Reebs, 2008).Trout and salmon have been observed to occupy and protect vast areas when food resources are limited. This means that territorial defense is absent i f the ecological needs are distributed in vast areas and if the number of intruders is great as compared with the inhabitant fishes (Reebs, 2008).Mating and Aggressive BehaviorsFish may acquire aggressive behavior by merely just observing aggression between conspecifics (Clotfelter and Paolino, 2003). The presence of audience during fish fight may reason out for the increased behavioral display between fighting fishes (Doutrelant and McGregor, 2000).In B. splendens, male-fight losers used gill cover to attract non-witness female while the winner displayed to both witness and non-witness females (Herb, Biron, and Kidd, 20030). After witnessing the two-male wrestle, the female fighting fish, B. splendens, spent time more often with the winner while failure to witness the event, the female visited more often the loser (Doutrelant and McGregor, 2000).Conversely, although size-advantage males of B. splendens species have more chance of winning male-fight but the winning does not affect f emale preferences of mate (Jaroensutasinee and Jaroensutasinee, 2001).Dominant males of swordtails and guppies delve on the larger part of their habitat including the dwelling place of the females (Reebs, 2008). Due to dominant exclusion, the sexual activities of subordinate fishes tend to be suppressed.This process of exclusion paves the ways for the subordinate male guppies to spontaneously develop a more robust body color that is more attractive for female guppies, thus, regaining the chance for mating (Reebs, 2008).Biological Bases of AggressionAggressive behaviors among animals are typically attributed to the biochemical function of the androgens. Researches revealed that by androgen decrease in a number of animal male species through castration lessened aggression while injection of hormones to castrated males caused regained aggressions (Desjardins, Hazelden, Van der Kraak, and Balshinea, 2005).Based on the findings of the group of John Wingfield, aggression can also be ascri bed to physiological causes. They postulated through Challenge Hypothesis that aggressive encounters among males of the same species lead to production of androgens (Desjardins, Hazelden, Van der Kraak, and Balshinea, 2005).Their notion resulted to the emersion of several studies relating aggressive behaviors with increase in androgen, urinary, plasma, and fecal level.

buy custom Dreams of Trespass essay

buy custom Dreams of Trespass essay This novel has been written by Fatima Mernissi, and is considered to be one of the most significant books in explaining the social position of Arab and Muslim women. This novel is an autobiography of Fatima herself as she had spent her childhood in Morocco during the 1940s. Fatima presents the ideas, thoughts and dreams of the local people in a very effective way. She weaves in and out of these features putting forward her life in a very appealing manner. Fatima does ensure that she puts forward the religious aspects and the cultural importance of various things, and how they tend to change with the changes in technology. These changes in technology had caused people to travel more and as a result people of different cultures and backgrounds had come together. The author uses the book as a medium to explain things which she once did not understand and did not expect the people to understand them as well. Collectively the book has a very long lasting effect on the reader as they face the world through the eyes of Fatima and how she tries to make snse of the world around herself. She is faced by many rules and laws which she does not understand fully but has to follow because of living in the society in which she was born. One of the major themes of this book is the covering of the women. Women were required to stay inside harem in the house and were not allowed to leave the house until they received consent of the male authority of the house. Even then they were allowed to leave being completely covered and their attire included a veil. The world was progressing swiftly and there was a shift towards protecting the rights of women and granting them freedom. This was also affecting the Muslim world. Even within Fatimas household there was a consistent shift towards the women rights. Some opposed to deviate from the traditional customs and principles and others were pushing hard for liberation and freedom. With all the conflict going on inside the household relating to the rights of women, the eight year old Fatima tries to understand the essence behind these problems. She beggins to search answers for essential questions that what was a harem and why were Muslim women forced to inhabit it. A large portion of the book has this theme and how the females of the society feel about it. The authors recalling of her childhood memories may seem to many as criticism of the lives of the women. However, what the author is aiming to highlight that there are some instances when a person is bound by the culture of the society which they live in. But, the essence is that how they are able to face it and how the women in her community were able to channel their thoughts and live in the society. Therefore, by using the innocence of an eight year old child Fatima puts forward many themes which and eight year old child is unlikely to understand. These themes in fact help the other people in the society and the readers to realize that there is always a clash between cultures and within them as well. This may not be easy to understand always but it exists and shapes the way of our lives. The women in the childhood of the author are faced by a similar situation. Buy custom Dreams of Trespass essay

How to Play Chinese Liars Dice

How to Play Chinese Liars Dice Throughout China, Liar’s Dice (è ª ªÃ¨ ¬Å Ã¨â‚¬â€¦Ã§Å¡â€žÃ© ª °Ã¥ ­ , shuÃ… huÇŽng zhÄ› de shÇŽizi) is played during holidays, especially Chinese New Year. The fast-paced game can be played by two or more players and the number of rounds is limitless. Players usually agree to a predetermined number of rounds or set a time limit but none of that is set in stone; new players and additional rounds can be added as the game goes along. While the number of players and rounds may be casual, Liar’s Dice can also be quite intense as its traditionally a drinking game. In China, in addition to holiday celebrations, its also common to see it being played at bars, in clubs, and even outdoors at sidewalk restaurants. What Youll Need to Play Liars Dice One cup for each playerFive dice for each playerOne table How to Play the Game The first player, Player One, is determined by rolling the dice to see who has the highest number. Once play has started, the winner from the previous round goes first. If there are more than two players, decide in advance if the play will move clockwise or counterclockwise around the table. Each player has their own set of five dice. In some places, the dice you have is known as your stash. The total number of dice (five per player) is known as the pool. All of the players: Place the dice in the cup.All of the players: Cover the cup with your hand.All of the players: Shake the cup with the dice inside.All of the players: Place (or slam) your cup upside down on the table, keeping your stash hidden from view.All of the players: Lift the cup and look at the dice, being careful not to reveal what youve rolled to anyone else.Player One calls how many dice of a certain value are on the table. This number is based on the entire pool, including his or her own stash. For example, Player One could call out, â€Å"two fives.† At this point, the remaining players can either accept the call and move on to the next player, or they have the option of calling Player One a liar. (It doesnt matter whether Player One has a five or not. Bluffing is not only allowed- its actually encouraged. What matters is if the next player believes Player One is bluffing and calls him or her out on it.)If Player One is believed, the next person becomes Player T wo. Player Two must now call out a number that is of greater value than the previous call. For example, if Player One called out â€Å"two fives,† Player Two must call out a minimum of â€Å"three fives.† â€Å"Three fours† or four twos† would also be unacceptable. However, even if the numerical face value is higher, Player Two cannot call out anything less than three of something. (For example, two sixes is not a legitimate call.) Again, if the Player Two is believed, the play moves on to the next player. When a players call is not believed, he or she is called out as a liar. At this point, everyone must reveal their dice. If the player who made the call is correct, the player who called him or her out must pay the forfeit. If he or she is incorrect, the forfeit is theirs. Once the forfeit is paid, the round is over and the winner begins the next round. If its drinking game, the forfeit usually involves doing a shot of whatever the player is drinking. Of course, you dont have to drink to play Liars Dice. Forfeits can also be money or some form of token.Subsequent rounds simply repeat the actions of the first until the predetermined number of rounds or the time limit is reached- or the players simply decide to call it quits. Tips for Players of Liars Dice In some versions of the game, the one is considered a wild number, which means it can be played as any number between two and six.Beware of cheaters who use the edge of their cup to turn their dice as they return it to the table after seeing what theyve rolled.When the venue becomes too noisy, players often use hand signals to indicate their calls rather than shouting them out. The first number is the how many, the second number is the value of the dice. The hand signals are as follows: One: Hold up your hand and extend the pointer finger upward.Two: Hold up your hand and extend the pointer and middle fingers upward into a V-shape (like a peace sign).Three: Hold up your hand and extend the pointer, middle, and ring fingers upward.Four: Hold up your hand and extend the pointer, middle, ring and pinky fingers upward.Five: Hold up your hand with all five fingers extended upward (like a stop sign) or pinch all five fingers together.Six: Fold the pointer, middle, and ring fingers into a fist and extend the thumb and pinky fingers outward.Seven: Make a fist and extend the thumb outward and pointer finger downward.Eight: Make a first and extend the thumb upward and the pointer finger forward (like a gun).Nine: Make a fist, extend the pointer finger and curve it (like making a C).Ten: Make a fist or using two hands, extend the pointer finger of the right hand upward and with the left hand extend the pointer finger to the right and cross it with the right hand forming a sig n.

Christianity and Democracy in America Term Paper

Christianity and Democracy in America - Term Paper Example In democratic countries, society is controlled in a lesser degree than the government. Consequently, democracy leads to the creation of opinions, sentiments, suggests ordinary practices of life, and modifies what it does not produce (Tocqueville 5). â€Å"The more I advanced in the study of American society, the more I perceived that the equality of conditions was the fundamental fact from which all others seemed to be derived, and the central point at which all my observations constantly terminated. I then turned my thoughts to our own hemisphere, and imagined that I discerned there also something analogous to the spectacle which the new world presented to me. I observed that the equality of conditions, though it has not yet reached, as in the United States, its extreme limits, is daily progressing towards them; and that the democracy which governs the American communities appears to be rapidly rising into power in Europe. From that moment I conceived the idea of the book which is now before the reader.† (Tocqueville 6). According to Tocqueville, American democracy is the best example that should be followed by other countries. He considers democracy to be the greatest and the most important issue of his time. However, America was seen by both democrats and aristocrats as a force that tries to divide Europe. Democrats argued that democratic principles should be exercised in the society while aristocrats tried to withstand the democratic spirit. Jacques Maritain Maritain, who was a Frenchman, majorly reflected on the church and the state. The state, according to Maritain, is political and is concerned with the common welfare of the people, the public order, and administration of public affairs. Further, he states that the state is a part of a society that protects and promotes the interests of the people. The state is not a person or a group of persons but rather an institution or institutions working together (Dougherty 13). Maritain further explains th e importance of a spirituality or Christianity in the state. From a religious point of view, the common good of the politics in the state is in direct ordination of something which transcends it. The state is controlled and is under the order of a supreme being. From a secular perspective, the church is an organization or a set of instructions concerned with the spiritual well being of an individual or of a believer. In political perspective, the good activities done by the citizens have an impact on the lives of the members of a community. Therefore, the church is necessary for the common good of the state and to the society. He further states that the church and the state cannot work in isolation or the ignorance of one another. In the body of a person, there is a part which is a member of the church and another part which is political. An absolute division of the church and the state cannot occur. The state and the church must cooperate (Maritain 15). Further, Maritain says that the state owes its political authority to the people. Citizens must be given a right to self government. The right of self governance is foreseen in the constitution, whether written or not written. The citizens are the group of persons who unite under just laws to achieve their common goal. However, the citizens are concerned not only with politics. Every individual has a spiritual soul; therefore, the people are above the state, the sate works for them not the citizens working for

The legend of silverheels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The legend of silverheels - Essay Example The miners who survived the epidemic proceeded to raise 5,000 dollars for her as an expression of gratitude. Upon reaching the abandoned cabin to hand over this token of gratefulness, the survivors became convinced that Silverheels had hidden herself since the plague had thoroughly scarred her. Many years after Buckskin Joe was pummeled down, there were multiple accounts of a woman in black veil gracing the graves of these who had perished in the 1861 epidemic being seen. Thus, the nearby mountain’s name was changed to Silverheels. Even today, there are still claims of a dark veiled woman walking about the Buckskin Joe cemetery. Conclusion The story remains speaks of events that took place during Colorado’s gold rush. Specifically, the legend explains how Mount Silverheels got its name and also corroborates with other accounts that divulge on the outbreak of leprosy in Colorado, in 1861. The legend also remains sacrosanct to career development since it underscores the importance of commitment to work ethics, especially in the field of nursing. If Silverheels though not a nurse could sacrifice her safety and person for the lepers, then nurses ought to emulate her, if not outdo her. The story is of great personal interest because of its immense contribution to the most important socio-cultural value which is selfless