Stem cell research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Stem cell research - Essay Example The usability of stem cell therapy is wide but for this the destruction of young life cannot be allowed on ethical grounds. Stem cell research could pave way to a medical world where solution can be sort out for many fatal diseases but the brutality involved in it cannot be disregarded. Human embryo in any way cannot be suggested to be employed for the research or for the treatment purpose. The consequences and medical ethical point of view to stem cell research is important to study as it is connected with the destruction of a budding life. Stem cells are living from of human and it contains DNA and destruction of one life should never be a ladder to the life of another. The information and facts for this study has been in qualitative form as it is obtained from internet sources, books and journals. A thorough study of literature has been conducted and analysis and assessments are drawn accordingly. The Stem cell research Stem cells are undifferentiated cells of dualistic nature fou nd in human embryos and animal’s .The stem cells while remaining undifferentiated has the capability to expand or can differentiate and contribute to the development or repair of tissues of the body. In the website (Deem,2009)writes that â€Å"According to many stem cell researchers, embryonic stem cells are the preferred stem cells for cell-based therapies. Although they tend be more versatile than adult stem cells, other sources (including umbilical cord stem cells) have proven to be just as versatile†. The remarkable potentiality of the stem cells to develop in to different cell type is the advantage many scientists want to make use in future. Recently scientist has used only two types of stems cells namely: embryonic stem cells and non – embryonic stem cells. The stem cells present in the embryos have the unique capability of regenerating when introduced in the body of diseased or injured person. Stem cells have the potentiality in treating people suffering from heart diseases and diabetes. Stem cells are different from other cells present in the body. Unlike blood cells, nerve cells or muscle cells which do not replicate stem cells have the ability to replicate. Presently the scientist is under the process of studying the signaling pattern inside and outside each stem cell with their differentiating process. The majority of research and laboratory activities regarding the advantages of stem cells on human health are still yet to begin. Stem cell research also throws light upon the specific properties of stem cells and their contribution to attain new drugs and treatment. Pros and Cons of stem cell research The pros and cons of stem cell research related to embryonic cells can be described as follows. Pros Most people and scientists think that with the help of stem cells from embryo many diseases suffered by the people can be minimized Many people think that stem cells can help scientist in studying and observing the diffentiating proc ess it undergoes through replicating. Some people assume that ,stem cells can help in reproducing major organs of people who are diseased hence prolonging their life expectancy There is argument in scientific world that the excess embryo generated for the in vitro fertilization should be destroyed or utilized for research purpose. The embryo has many vital stem cells than adult cells and cord cells and is

Article Review (human resource management) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Review (human resource management) - Article Example e, the best performing companies are in a league of organizations that have shifted their focus from development and expansion of facilities to personal development. These include McDonald’s, General Electric, American Express, among others. In a survey carried out by Chief Executive Magazine involving more than 300 global firms, almost all respondents ranked identifying and finding the right leaders as the biggest challenge, with prospects of demand for leadership increasing to the future (Maxwell, 2006). This implies that companies in addition to experiencing challenges in creating a pipeline of leaders within their operations have also to develop new skills and capabilities in accordance with business transformations, investing in leading technologies, and globalizing their operations, in addition to entering into new challenging partnerships. Sam Palmisano, President and CEO of IBM explained that the biggest challenge for companies in embracing globalization, and the main aspect that drives businesses in the current sophisticated market is and has been obtaining and retaining a supply of â€Å"high value skills† (Palmisano, 2006). This explains the strategic decisions by leading companies such as MacDonald’s to review development of the leading 200 managers in ensuring their talents are in tandem with the current market dynamics, and finding ways of imparting more skills to make them more competitive; this puts them in line with the current management demands in a highly dynamic global market. On the other hand, maintaining a high degree of strategic, cultural, and internal fit within an organization ensures such an organization has a perfect system of practices; an organization must not only focus on talent management, but has also to take interests in â€Å"organization learning and knowledge management† (Evans, Pucik & Barsoux, 2002). Therefore, companies will always attain a competitive advantage not only in designing best pr actices, but because

The Lucifer Effect: How Good People Turn Evil

The Lucifer Effect: How Good People Turn Evil In Lucifer Effect Dr Zimbardo discusses his Stanford Prison Experiment conducted in 1971 in relevance to the prison abuses in Abu Ghraib in 2003. It is a shocking book presenting the transformation from an average good person into a bad brutal individual; the metamorphosis from Lucifer into Satan. At the same time Dr Zimbardo explains how this transformation is possible, how group dynamics and situational factors, maintained by the system influence human behaviour to create monsters even of normal good people. Moreover, Zimbardo discusses how to defend ourselves from becoming an evil. At the end he presents the victory of heroism and give a hope everyone is also able to do the most heroic acts. Body: What makes good people do bad things? This is a disturbing question which occupies our mind remembering the mass murders such as those of Cambodia, Darfur, Rwanda, Holocaust or May Lai. Would Holocaust occur again, Askenasy asks in his book Are we all Nazis? (in Blass, 1992). Milgram answers that if a system of death camps were set up in the United States of the sort we had seen in Nazi Germany, one would be able to find sufficient personnel for those camps in any medium-sized American town (CBS News, 1979, p. 7-8 cited in Blass, 1999, p. 956). Although most people would deny it claiming they could never be like them. (Blass, 2004, p. 35-36; Meyer, p. 71) surprisingly the examples from history and research studies have shown that everyone is capable of acting even in the most horrifying ways depending on the situational circumstances. People often underestimate the impact of the external factors because they cannot admit how easily they could be manipulated by situational forces, the concept known as fundamental attribution error (Jones Harris, 1967; Gilbert and Malone, 1995; Gilbert, 1998; Zimbardo, 1990). The studies on obedience (Baumrind, 1964; Burger, 2007; Burley McGuiness, 1977; Glasser, 1971; Halberstam, 1965; Kaufmann, 1967; Kilham Mann, 1974; Meeus Raaijmakers, 1987; Mantell, 1971; Milgram, 1963; 1965; 1974, p. 195; Ring, Wallston, Corey, 1970; Shanab Yahya, 1977, 1978; Sullivan, 1963; Taylor, 1970;), institutional aggression (Johnson, 1986; 1998), mass killings and genocides (Browing, 1993, Katz, 2004; Staub 1989; Waller, 2002) have indicated that violence is not determined by dispositional factors but it is a product of a situation. What social psychology has given to an understanding of human nature is the discovery that forces larger than ourselves determine our mental life and our actions chief among these forces is the power of the social situation (Banaji, 2001, p. 15). We dont have to look far to find an example of a blind authority follower. The Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann was an ordinary citizen who was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Nuremberg Trial in 1961 while he was just doing his job (Arendt, 1963, p. 135), only following orders (Zimbardo 2007, p. 218). Hanna Arendt helps us to understand that the Holocaust was not executed by fanatics but by normal people who accepted the state rules and therefore perceived their actions as normal. (Waxman, 2009). Anyone can be seduced to act wrong (Zimbardo 2004, p. 25). The Eichmann was not an exception; the manpower of Nazis in Final Solution was supported even by average elderly German citizens (Browning, 1993, p.16). The question what makes people act in the destructive ways has been long answered blaming the defective genes, the bad seeds responsible for pathological behaviour (Haney, Banks, Zimbardo, 1973b; Zimbardo, 2004, p. 21, 24). Starting from the landmark study, Stanf ord Prison Experiment (SPE) (Haney et al.,1973; Zimbardo, 1989; Zimbardo, Maslach, Haney, 2000) Lucifer Effect challenges this notion and argues that people act in the inhumane ways because they get poisoned by external factors, by a moment of a situation (Lewin, 1951) which is often supported by the bad system giving permission for a pathological behavior (Zimbardo, 2007). Stanford Prison Study shows the power of institution to influence the individual. It describes the transformation of normal, average students into aggressive, sadistic guards or passive, helpless and emotionally devastated prisoners playing the roles in the mock prison created in the dungeon of Stanford University. The study predicted for two weeks had to be terminated just only in 6 days because of the emotional breakdown of 5 of the students (Zimbardo, 1971; Zimbardo et al., 2000; 2004, p. 40). Dr Zimbardo saw the SPE as the parallel to the controversial abuses in Abu Ghraib (AG), which shaken the morality of the world in 2004 (p. 324; A Human Rights Watch Report [HRW], 2004; 2005; Stannard, 2004; Kersten Sidky, 2005; Dorf 2010; Zimbardo). The unbelievable humiliations of Iraqi detainees by American soldiers, who abused them in a number of horrifying ways (p. 357; Schlesinger et al., 2004; Taguba, 2004; Fay, 2004, p. 4) was not a surprise for Dr Zimbardo who saw it in SPE where prisoners became numbers inducing their powerless and dependence, were dehumanized and involved in humiliating tasks (p. 219; Haney et al, 1973b; Zimbardo et al., 2009). President Bush described the AG events as the incidents of few bad apples (Landford, 2009; Associated Press, 2005; Childs, 2005; Fox News, 2004; HRW, 2004; 2005) who were punished in the names of justice (HRW, 2005). Zimbardo, an expert witness for one of the guards, argues that there were not rotten apples, which should have been f ound guilty but it was the fault of the bad barrel which corrupted everything inside it (Zimbardo, 2008). Like in SPE good people were put in a bad, psychologically unhealthy situation, which had a dramatic impact on their behaviour and produced deviant deeds. (Zimbardo et al., 2000, p. 17). The soldiers in Abu Ghraib were just US Military Police Army Reservists (p. 335; Schlesinger et al., p. 12; Taguba, 2004) without any preparation to run the prison (p. 346, 377; Hersh, 2004; Schlesinger et al., 2004, p. 16; Taguba, 2004), exactly like the students role- playing the guards in the prison-like stimulated environment or just like the elderly men who joined the crimes of the Nazis. When placed in a novel unfamiliar situation, their learnt reaction patterns stopped working and their morale disengaged (Zimbardo, 2008) leading to the immoral behaviour. Soldiers, in the middle of the interrogation center, experienced a lot of pressure from Central Intelligence Agency to break the enemy (p. 336-37, 349, 382; Schlesinger et al., 2004, p.8; CBS News , ). Labelling the Iraqi the enemy (Allen Priest, 2004; CNN, 2001; Landford, 2009), enouncing the war with terrorism (p. 377, 430; HRW, 2004; 2005; Miles, 2006),) and the recent change in country attitude toward torture after 9/11 maintained by worldwide media and American administration (Zimbardo, 2004, p.35) gave the guards the permission to dehumanize the prisoners (Strozier as cited in Schwartz, 2004;) and treating them like dogs (Zimbardo, 2007, p. 337, 414). The powerful systemic forces created a fear across the country Zimbardo 2004, p. 35) and induced systematic propaganda under the cover of national security exactly as described in the novel 1984 (George Orwell, 1981) or Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury, 2007), in which societys enslavement to conformity was generated. It was enough to justify the horrific behaviour and made even killing acceptable and rationalized (p. 430; Zimbardo, 2004, p. 28, 35; Stratman, 2004). Additionally, there was no discipline in the Abu Ghraib and the unit was understaffed (p.336; Danner, 2004, p. 17; Gray Zielinski, 2006; Schlesinger, 2004; Stannard, 2004; Taguba, 2004). The place was kept in a secret (HRW, 2005), constantly under attack (Fay, 2004; Schlesinger 2004, p.11) without sufficient control (p. 348; Fay 2004, ; Schlesinger, 2004, p. 13; HRW, 2004; 2005) and strong leadership (Fay, 2004. ; Schlesinger, 2004, p.16). The situation was far from normal. Additionally, no formal policies or procedures to follow (p. 347) and confusion regarding the Geneva Convention (HRW, 2004; 2005; Schlesinger, p. 6-7, 14, 29, 37-38) gave the guards permission to do unthinkable crimes and torture like the superintendent Zimbardo let the abuses happen in SPE. As Lt. Col. Thomas Kolditz argued when the power is given to people without oversight it is a pure formula for violence (Donn, 2004). Human Rights Watch Report agrees with Dr Zimbardo that not few individuals should have be en blamed for brutality on site but the extraordinary pressures of the system which contributed to the abuses (Zimbardo, 2004, p. 47; HRW, 2004; 2005), the architects of the policies were responsible for creating the situation where abuses became a part of normality (HRW, 2004; 2005). The normality of the soldiers was the crime for us watching it from distance. If the guards had understood the mechanism of powerful situational forces maybe they could have been able to resist acting immorally. One of the factors contributing to the immoral deeds is deindividuation (Deiner, 1980; Festinger, Pepitone, Newcomb, 1952; Zimbardo 1970)) which fosters anonymity and violence, shutting down rational thinking about the consequences (p. 219; Festinger et al., 1952; Zimbardo, 1969; 1970; 2004, p. 33). What is the most frightening is the fact that deindividuation can be achieved simply by changing external appearance (Golding, 1954, p. 58, 63; John Watson; Zimbardo, 2007, ch. 3, 10. Another factor is moral disengagement from negative actions by justifying the conduct, diffusing responsibility for own actions (Kelman Hamilton, 1989; Milgram, 1963, 1965, 1974, 1992), blaming the accountability on the role played (p. 218; Freedman, 1969; Haney, Zimbardo, 1973c), while blindly following authority (Bandura, Underwood, Fromson, 1975; Darley Latane, 1968), conforming to the group norms seeking acceptance (Moore, 1978, p. 36), discriminating those from different groups (Baumeister, 1997; Bernard, Ottenberg Redl, 1968; Johnson, 1986, 1998; Staub, 1989;; Tajfel, Flament, Billig, Bundy, 1971; Waller, 2002), ignoring the consequences of the action and blaming the victims for the outcome while dehumanizing them (Bandura, 1975; 1988; 1996; 1999; Bandura, Fromson, Underwood, 1975; Bandura et al. 1996; Bandura, Osofsky, Zimbardo, 1999; 2005; 1998, 2003, str 511; Darley Latane, 1968 ). An individual has to be perceived as inhuman in order to make an unethical conduct com fortable for the perpetrator (p. 402; Kelman, 1973; Leyens et al., 2003),. Dehumanization process includes putting people into the roles (Haney Zimbardo, 1973) e.g. giving them the same uniforms and assigning numbers. As discrepancy between the immoral actions and personal beliefs occurs cognitive dissonance is created (p. 219; Aronson , Carlsmith, 1968 ; Festinger, 1957). The bigger the discrepancy between ones values and actions the more motivated the individual is to attain harmony (Janis and King, 1954; King and Janis,1956; Culbertson, 1957; Zimbardo, 1965).What is more, when people cannot deny their actions they tend to rationalize them persuading themselves and others that they followed the rational guidelines when making the decision (Zimbardo, 2007, p. 220). Grossman argues further that with the proper conditioning and the proper circumstances, it appears that almost anyone can and will kill (Grossman , 1995, p.4). It supports the notion that systematisation in creating the enemy which threaten the safety of people play an important role in inducing antisocial behaviour (Zimbardo, 2004, p. 43-45). When a pathological behaviour is additionally supported by authorities such as state or an institution it opens the doors for serious abuses. As it is the responsibility of government is to establish and maintain ethical guidelines across a state, country or world Lucifer Effect offers an advice for the authorities to prevent situations which set up conditions for individuals to behave immorally. Zimbardo emphasises that understanding the socio-psychological process of situational transformation is not an excuse for individual to commit crimes. It is just an explanation how people can be corrupted to do inhumane deeds and indeed it should be wisely used to resist the evil. (Wang and Zimbardo, 2006-2008). Dr Zimbardo also gives a hope that as much as people are capable of wrongdoing the creative mastermind of human beings can also generate terrific actions (p. 444, Zimbardo, 1996, p. 621, str. 504, Zimbardo, 2008). Eventually, Lucifer Effect teaches how to be a hero in waiting (see p. 330-331, 457-458, 471, 474-475, Lankford, 2009; Zimbardo et al., 1999; Zimbardo, 2004, p. 40, Zimbardo, 2008 Conclusion: The Lucifer Effect presents how good people turn evil. It involves understanding what powerful dynamic factors come into play during the human character metamorphosis within different circumstances. Lucifer Effect explains that personality variables contribute just a bit to produce certain behaviour, alleviating or escalating the impact of the situational forces, which are lying at the base of the psycho-sociological interactions (Banaji, 2001, p. 15; Mischel, 1968; Mischel, Shoda, Rodriguez, 1989; Mischel, Shoda, Wright, 1993; Mischel Shoda, 1995; Mischel, 2004; Staub, 1898, p. 126, 127). The argument in the book is indeed a convincing demonstration that evil deeds are attributable to the power of the bad situation (Zimbardo, 1989; Asch, 1952; Sherif, 1966; Tajfel, 1978) which is often maintained by the bad system (Zimbardo, 2008). Nevertheless, Dr Zimbardo also emphasises that understanding evil is not excusing it and everyone should be responsible for their own actions because t he individual can learn how to resist immoral actions (Zimbardo, 2008). The account Dr Zimbardo takes agrees with Hanna Arendts (1977) statement that unless people are insane they have ability to tell right from wrong then we must be able to demand its exercise from every sane person, no matter how erudite or ignorant, intelligent or stupid, he may happen to be ( p. 13).

Sensuality, Sexuality, and Fertility in Kubla Khan Essay -- Samuel Tay

Sensuality, Sexuality, and Fertility in â€Å"Kubla Khan† In â€Å"Kubla Khan,† Coleridge imagines a land where sensuality, sexuality, and fertility abound and share inextricable links. Any threats to the fecundity of the land exist outside of its magnificent walls. Coleridge uses this image of an impenetrable fortress of sexual creativity in considering his own mind, desiring the same productivity in his poetic imagination. By creating this connection, Coleridge finds both a source of inspiration and blurs the lines between the poet and the poem. Coleridge describes Xanadu as a land where pleasure is a virtue, by both direct statement and appealing to the senses. The most direct insight into the luxury of Xanadu is given in Coleridge’s description of the land as a â€Å"pleasure dome† (2, 36). Besides stating it outright, Coleridge emphasizes the hedonistic nature of the land by appealing to the senses. A description of the hills mentions their â€Å"enfolding sunny spots of greenery† (11). These sunny patches both illuminate the vision of flourishing vegetation, while giving a tangible warmth in the same breath. Nearby, a garden is filled with â€Å"many an incense-bearing tree† (9), perfuming the air of the dome. In his consideration of the Abyssinian maid, Coleridge continues his representation of sensual pleasure. Although unable to remember â€Å"her symphony and song† (43), Coleridge knows that any recollection â€Å"to such a deep delight ‘twould win me† (44). This later recollection demonstrates that Coleridge’s vision includes the pleasure of sound, as well as the presence of sights and sounds. Coleridge continues to emphasize the hedonism of this vision, as he purposefully equips the musical maid with a dulcimer. The Oxford... ...nd overflowing with life: the product of sensuality and sexuality. Coleridge emphasizes the interconnection of these elements by weaving them seamlessly into the same lines. In a metaphor in which he consumes the fruit of this flourishing land, Coleridge can internalize the fertility of this land and utilize it for his poetic imagination. Just as Xanadu remains safely distanced from threats against its proliferation, near the end of his poem Coleridge draws a metaphorical line around himself to discourage creative invasions. The supposed history of the poem’s composition lends some irony to this suggestion, as Coleridge claims to have ceased his transcription to answer the door. Works Cited Abrams, M. H, ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York, NY. Norton and Company, 2000. The Oxford English Dictionary Online. 27 February 2008. Sensuality, Sexuality, and Fertility in Kubla Khan Essay -- Samuel Tay Sensuality, Sexuality, and Fertility in â€Å"Kubla Khan† In â€Å"Kubla Khan,† Coleridge imagines a land where sensuality, sexuality, and fertility abound and share inextricable links. Any threats to the fecundity of the land exist outside of its magnificent walls. Coleridge uses this image of an impenetrable fortress of sexual creativity in considering his own mind, desiring the same productivity in his poetic imagination. By creating this connection, Coleridge finds both a source of inspiration and blurs the lines between the poet and the poem. Coleridge describes Xanadu as a land where pleasure is a virtue, by both direct statement and appealing to the senses. The most direct insight into the luxury of Xanadu is given in Coleridge’s description of the land as a â€Å"pleasure dome† (2, 36). Besides stating it outright, Coleridge emphasizes the hedonistic nature of the land by appealing to the senses. A description of the hills mentions their â€Å"enfolding sunny spots of greenery† (11). These sunny patches both illuminate the vision of flourishing vegetation, while giving a tangible warmth in the same breath. Nearby, a garden is filled with â€Å"many an incense-bearing tree† (9), perfuming the air of the dome. In his consideration of the Abyssinian maid, Coleridge continues his representation of sensual pleasure. Although unable to remember â€Å"her symphony and song† (43), Coleridge knows that any recollection â€Å"to such a deep delight ‘twould win me† (44). This later recollection demonstrates that Coleridge’s vision includes the pleasure of sound, as well as the presence of sights and sounds. Coleridge continues to emphasize the hedonism of this vision, as he purposefully equips the musical maid with a dulcimer. The Oxford... ...nd overflowing with life: the product of sensuality and sexuality. Coleridge emphasizes the interconnection of these elements by weaving them seamlessly into the same lines. In a metaphor in which he consumes the fruit of this flourishing land, Coleridge can internalize the fertility of this land and utilize it for his poetic imagination. Just as Xanadu remains safely distanced from threats against its proliferation, near the end of his poem Coleridge draws a metaphorical line around himself to discourage creative invasions. The supposed history of the poem’s composition lends some irony to this suggestion, as Coleridge claims to have ceased his transcription to answer the door. Works Cited Abrams, M. H, ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York, NY. Norton and Company, 2000. The Oxford English Dictionary Online. 27 February 2008.

My Life in Five Years

My Life in Five Years Salvador Dali once said: â€Å"Do not fear perfection, you will never achieve it. † Of course, I don’t expect to find perfection during the next five years, but I do imagine a positive and brilliant future life. I am self-confident, composed, self-controlled, cheerful and full of energy, and even humble. I don’t waste time; I can define a goal and know how to reach it, and I never leave things half done. While I don’t claim to be able to predict where I will end up, there are a few things that I know for certain that I want to accomplish: I would like to improve my education and therefore career opportunities, where I can help solve other people’s problems, explore new places and meet new friends, and finally, build the house of my dreams and find someone in my life to share all that with. The family is the foundation of human society and my number one priority. It is very important that a man’s family provides understanding and gives him moral support. Before any professional or financial success, a man must achieve family success—only then can he achieve something in his life. Therefore, I would be most grateful if I found someone to share my life with and start a family. The experience and pleasure that travel provides is a very important thing for any person. In my opinion, traveling is a source of emotional and personal inspiration; therefore, I will visit such countries as USA, Canada, France, Italy and others. Traveling will help me make new friends around the world and be able to get out and about the people from diverse background, which I'm certain will enrich my own life, to be sure, but also the lives of those to whom I come in contact. Last but not least is my education and career. I have asked myself many times what I wanted to be. A few years ago it was difficult to give a definite answer. I had changed my mind several times. During this past year I finally discovered what it was that I most wanted to pursue. I realized that my strongest desires were to continue specializing in innovative technologies, learn foreign languages, and most importantly, complete an MBA. Working with passion had always been my aim. I plan to do the work I love and hopefully earn good money as a bonus. I will make it a habit of helping people solve their problems by means of finding opportunities to create products and services. According to Nikolay Ostrovskiy, â€Å"life is given to us but once and we must live it so as to feel no torturing regrets for wasted years. † I realize that I won't achieve perfection when it comes to all my dreams, but I recognize that life and time are both precious. I am committed to doing everything possible to make these goals become part of my five-year reality.

High School and School Valedictorian Competition Essay

In the essay, â€Å"The Joy of Graduating† by Kate Stone Lombardi, describes the traditional high school valedictorian competition with the most prestigious students. The fight for the position of valedictorian has intensified over the years. Danielle Gorman, an elected valedictorian at Moorestown High School in New Jersey, was quoted by Lombardi of the qualifications and standards it took to become valedictorian. The traits Gorman describes common to valedictorians were taking on too much and are unwilling to fail. I think that Gorman’s assessment is reasonable because many people who strive to become valedictorian take on â€Å"more than they can chew† by taking multiple advanced placement classes to extracurricular activities in and outside of school. My senior class in high school had very competitive students when it came down to ASB or any student elections. Each student who participated was usually the overachiever; they took multiple AP classes, team captains of the sports’ teams, and public speakers for all school events. Each student tried to work harder and prove that he or she could attempt to accomplish more than one another. The students knew that having the title in high school would set them apart from everyone else so that they could have a higher ranking along with using their popularity to their advantage in gaining that title. The idea of getting this title would overwhelm students so much that it would cause more stress on themselves on top of the classes they were already taking. Because of our school’s competitiveness it was difficult to decide one individual for valedictorian. When it was time to decide who would become the valedictorian, there were two top students whom our class thought would fit the winning spot. One of the students was a girl named Asal, who was elected senior class president for ASB. The other student was a boy named Henock, who was also elected in ASB but for the school president. Both students had superb grades close to a 5. 0 gpa and they both participated in every on and off campus school event. Each of them had many responsibilities. They each would do their part to help the school community when it came to any projects or tutoring. They set a great example for the student body to look up to. They wounded up the crowds during athletic games and pep rallies with incredible school spirit. They each would help come up with ideas and themes for dances, along with helping our school clubs with fundraisers and events such as blood drives. They would help put up flyers and make announcements to make the students aware of fundraisers and activities that were constantly going on at school. They would try to help get the whole school more involved by creating fun games and contests going on during lunch to make sure that everyone felt like they were a part of something no matter what grade level they were in. They had all this pressure coming down on them with all these school activities, along with their school work. They felt the need to accomplish these tasks in order to get into their dream college so this would help them feel a little more secure that they would be accepted. It was incredible that they were able to complete these tasks as full time students and it must have been mentally and physically exhausting. Our student body recognized their hard work and accomplishments so we naturally put them on a pedestal. The senior class knew that one of these remarkable scholars could be elected valedictorian. I personally encountered experiences with them both on how stressful it was for them to undertake so many duties. I had a couple of classes with each of the presidents, and I started to witness each of them become more stressed out as more and more talk went around the school about who would become the valedictorian. They took the initiative to work ten times harder in class and pushed to receive perfect scores on tests and projects to raise their overall grade, so their percentage would help raise their gpa. They took on so many extracurricular activities that they had no social life outside of school and struggled to keep up with everything going on. They were pushing themselves to the limit to be the best they could be. This soon turned into a chaotic competition between the two most prestigious students in our senior class. Once graduation day had finally arrived, we were anxious to see whose hard work and commitment had paid off. Everyone was sitting in their assigned seats, clothed in their cap and gown anxiously waiting for the speeches to be presented. I was looking around the stage to see who was chosen for the class valedictorian, but I couldn’t seem to spot out Henock or Asal anywhere. The principal was the first to give out the welcome speech. He presented a few awards and gave out some words of wisdom to the present senior class. Finally, at the end of his speech he announced that it was time to name our senior class’ valedictorian. Everyone moved around their seats anxiously trying to see who would be honored with this great achievement. The principal then surprised us with a statement none of us expected. There were to be two valedictorians honored this year because of their outstanding gpa and wide variety of extracurricular activities. Henock and Asal both gained the winning spot that they were each competing for. These two candidates spent their high school career taking various AP courses and being active participants in the school community in order to set themselves apart from the crowd and gained the honorable title of valedictorian. Little did they know that apparently their gpa’s were only a hundredth of a point apart. The principal explained that Henock actually had the overall higher gpa, but he felt that because of Asal’s hard work and effort she should deserve the same recognition. Needless to say our whole senior class was pretty shocked. We noticed how hard working and competitive these two had gotten to try to be valedictorian and yet both of them received the winning spot. Our school traditionally only had one valedictorian chosen each year so it caught us off guard that there were two valedictorians. It was ironic that they were both competing so hard against one another when all this hard work they accomplished still got them the credit they deserved. When the speeches were to be given out by our two valedictorians, I was expecting for Henock and Asal to compete for a better speech as well because I thought that since there is traditionally one valedictorian, they would still try to go head to head at who could give a better and more inspiring speech. But to my surprise they each gave out their congratulatory response to one another within their speech. In Henock’s speech, he acknowledged that Asal was a great inspiration and motivation for him to try harder in his classes and to exceed even his own expectations because that was how he perceived how she was in her classes. He admitted that he looked up to her with great respect and that she definitely deserved to be valedictorian whether or not he was chosen with her. Asal was very grateful and said a few great admiring words about him to show her appreciation towards him and his hard work. The fact that my high  school had two valedictorians did seem to be out of the ordinary for my senior class, but it certainly was deserved to the right people. Danielle Gorman describes the traits of a valedictorian to take one more tasks and harder classes with the drive to not fail. My classmates Henock and Asal indeed had that drive and it paid off well for the both of them and they each were appreciative that they got to share that number one spot with each other. Although they went head to head with each other trying to achieve the same goal, they were in it to win it and they did.

prokaryotes essays

prokaryotes essays The prokaryotes are the oldest and most abundant group of organisms on earth, and are the smallest unicellular organisms. There are certain factors that account for the success of prokaryotes such that they are able to withstand harsh environments and they are able to adapt to face the conditions that they are in. One factor that accounts for the success of the prokaryotes is their way to survive. When environmental conditions are unfavorable, the bacterium becomes inactive. Some species of bacteria form endospores. An endospore is a thick wall that surrounds the genetic material while the rest of the cell disintegrates. The endospore does not reproduce or show any signs of life. It is similar to a seed. What is important about these endospores is that they can withstand harsh environmental conditions, such as boiling, freezing, and drying out. When the existing conditions then become favorable, the endospore germinates and in turn forms an active cell. This method of survival allows prokaryotes to last longer and allow them to germinate. Another factor that accounts for the success of prokaryotes is their ability to metabolize most nitrogenous compounds. Nitrogen is essential in the synthesis of proteins and nucleic acids. Prokaryotes are successful because they can convert ammonia to nitrates. Others can convert atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia. This is known as nitrogen fixation. Some bacteria can even survive on light, carbon dioxide, atmospheric nitrogen, water, and minerals to survive. This means they are self-sufficient, and that is why prokaryotes are successful. Three hostile environments in which prokaryotes survive are swamps, salt ponds, and hot springs. The classifications of the prokaryotes that live in these environments are archaebacteria. Methanogens are able to survive in swamps, extreme halophiles are able to survive in salt ponds, and thermoacidophiles are able to live in Hot Spr ...