Fall 2016 New Student Series Part 2 Manali Purohit COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Fall 2016 New Student Series Part 2 Manali Purohit COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Today is our second edition of this years e-introduction series. Say hello to Manali Purohit. Manali is from Mumbai, India and studied business administration and international relations at the University of Southern California.   Full Name: Manali Purohit Age: 26 Degree Program: Master of International Affairs Concentration: Economic and Political Development Anticipated Graduation Year: Spring 2018 Hometown: Mumbai, Maharashtra,  India Undergraduate University: Univ Southern California Undergraduate Major: Business Administration International Relations Undergraduate Graduation Year: 2011 What’s your professional background? After graduating from USC in 2011, I interned with a micro-finance start-up InVenture based out of Santa Monica. I learned that micro-credit was not doing enough to help existing micro-businesses in developing countries (such as India) become scalable enough to expand beyond sole proprietorships. I grew more passionate about helping small businesses access financial, social and intellectual capital necessary to scale up and drive local growth. Upon returning to India in 2012, I joined CRISIL (a subsidiary of Standard Poors) as an associate in their Institutional SME Department. Here, I prepared extensive due diligence and credit rating reports for small and medium enterprises to help them access formal credit facilities. Since 2014, I have been working with Teach For India in their National Alumni Team where Ive had the opportunity to prepare case studies on Alumni, several of whom are trying to address socio-economic challenges faced by those in low-income communities. Did you apply to SIPA to change careers or to gain experience in a career path you already have experience in? A little bit of both. My undergraduate degree and professional experience so far have helped build my understanding of several challenges (cultural and financial) encountered by small and medium enterprises. Most of my work rested on providing existing ways to access flexible capital to help micro-small businesses grow; capital that they could not currently access. I haven’t really thought about the system as a whole, finding newer and more innovative solutions to provide such capital and learn more about why this kind of capital didn’t exist. Through my education at SIPA, I will be able to delve deeper into some of these questions, understand more about the system from a global perspective, look for more innovative ways to support small business entrepreneurs (especially women) and eventually work with an organization such as Womens World Banking. What was your reaction when you found out you were accepted to SIPA? My only regret is that I didnt know how to cartwheel because I absolutely would have. I read the word accepted and started making frantic calls to all my close friends and family members. The confetti blast on my computer screen was such a nice touch! Why did you say yes to SIPA? One of the main highlights for me is the school’s location in New York City, which is not only one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world but also a hub of international development organizations. Plus, I had the opportunity to interact with several of SIPAs Alumni during my application process and they all had great things to say about the school, the program, the city and their classmates. One of them sent me a beautiful, hand-written post card too! [Photo credit: Manali Purohit | My first time in New York City. In 2010, I visited my friend in New York City for the first time and also took a tour of the Columbia campus because I dreamt of applying to SIPA someday. 5 years later, Ive realized that some dreams do come true.] What do you most look forward to as a graduate student at SIPA? Making new friends from all over the world and being in a learning environment where the class sizes are small. I learned that there are about 42 SIPA student groups, and they host 12-15 events each week which is quite exciting. Im also looking forward to living in NYC. Do you have any apprehensions about starting graduate school? Not so much with regard to the school and the program, per se but I havent experienced an east coast winter before and I definitely havent encountered snowfall. Ive heard that winters in New York can be quite challenging so thats one of my biggest apprehensions right now. In fact, the biggest tip one of my close friends gave me was around selecting an apartment building that has laundry facilities because walking a few blocks in the winter just to do laundry can be frustrating. What are your goals after SIPA? My career goal is to find ways to counter barriers to women’s greater participation in the financial sector and focus on building opportunities for women in the developing world. Id really like to work with Womens World Banking upon graduation. If you could change one small thing about your community, country or the world, what would it be? One of the most gut-wrenching books Ive read this year is called Ash in the Belly which describes Indias hunger problem. I learned that the real challenge isnt lack of food but making food consistently available to everyone who needs it. So if I could change one thing about the world, it would be towards the efficient allocation of surplus food (from restaurants and homes, for instance) to the lesser fortunate sections of society. Tell us something interesting about yourself: I am a self-taught baker and have been one of the top 25 food reviewers on Zomato (Indias equivalent of Yelp). My love of writing aside, this can be attributed to two reasons: One, I grew up watching a lot of travel living TV shows. Two, I spent most of my life living in metropolises like Mumbai and Los Angeles and had the good fortune of sampling foods from around the world. One of my latent desires is to own and operate a dessert food truck someday. [Main photo credit: Manali Purohit | The Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul. It bridges Asian Turkey with European Turkey, making Istanbul the only city in the world to be situated on two continents.] Share your story by completing  the New Student Self-Interview Form  today!

Mcdonald s Corporate Social Responsibility And...

McDonald’s Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability: Raising the Standards Higher I. Introduction, background, situation, problem and method Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability are the emerging bottom lines in corporate governance today (Fontaine 2013). There is actually a triple bottom line: people, planet and profit (Fontaine 2013). It is no longer possible for corporations and businesses to ignore that as they pursue business objectives, they affect society and the environment. As transport, communications, computerization and the internet accelerate their speeds of progress, the information circulates in a matter of seconds. Those who fail to be good businesses or corporate citizens can die from bad publicity as multimedia and social networking sites condemn and deprive them customers. It is important to be ethical not only because it is the correct but also modern businesses will only continue to live if they do not offend their customers and the public at large. Some from the public may not be customers but their opinion can also shape the opinion and attitudes of customers. Thus, according to Fontaine (2013, p. 111), â€Å"the goal of the CSR is to embrace responsibility for the company action and to encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders, and all the other members of the public sphere.† Although it is possible to define sustainability in terms of profit,Show MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Corporate Social Responsibility Development1196 Words   |  5 Pages Introduction Recent decades have witnessed the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility development in business landscapeï ¼Å'which is defined as be responsibility to all corporation activities with environment sustainable. 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This includes the factor of obesity, animal cruelty, social media impact, and manipulative characterRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility Of A Fast Food Industry1488 Words   |  6 PagesThe QSR (Quick Service Restaurants) or the Fast Food Industry, has been burgeoning in the past few decades with the emergence of global brands like McDonald s, Domino s, Wendy s, KFC, Subway, etc. The success of these brands can be attributed to the continuous differentiation strategy they follow to ensure their brand stands out from the remaining. The popularity of these restaurants is due to the quick service of quality fast-food and minimal table service, everything of which is customer-centricRead MoreControl Mechanisms in Management1269 Words   |  6 Pagesmeeting or exceeding company goals. Companies should reward employees who meet or exceed the goals of the company. Compare and Contrast McDonald’s main goal is to develop sustainability. The leaders of McDonald’s have set standards of financial growth, customer service, product quality and safety, and corporate responsibility and conduct to achieve this main goal. Considering McDonald’s dominance in the fast-food industry, it is safe to say they have been successful at achieving their performanceRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility : Mcdonald s The World s Largest Chain Of Hamburger Fast Food Restaurants1014 Words   |  5 PagesTherefore, I partly agree with this statement. CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is a form of self-regulation integrated into a business model whereby companies and enterprises consider the interest of society by taking responsibility of many objects such as employees, shareholders, customers, even communities and environment. President CEO of McDonald s corporation Mr.Don Thompson has stated : â€Å"We realise that our business and responsibilities to society are inextricably linked.† In fact, this

The Health Of A Nonprofit Health Care Clinic - 1281 Words

For this assignment I chose the Health Care topic because I currently work for a nonprofit health care clinic. I have been with the clinic for only two years, but I have seen things happening to McDonaldize healthcare in that short time period. I personally witnessed in the late 1990s the types of changes Ritzer discusses in his book. Our son, Trevor, was born in 1990. Our health insurance was with an HMO, Kaiser Permanente, which was the least expensive option for our family at the time. Trevor had reoccurring ear infections and we were forced to continue seeing the same pediatrician, who kept increasing the strength of the antibiotic he was taking. Nothing was working. We were not allowed to go to a specialist without the†¦show more content†¦My current employer is the Kansas City CARE Clinic. It is one of many safety net clinics within the Kansas City area that will not turn away patients because they cannot pay. The clinic was founded in 1971 by medical students and concerned citizens to provide quality health care to the homeless and indigent people within the Kansas City metro area. The clinic was originally known as the Westport Free Health Clinic, later the name was changed to Kansas City Free Health Clinic and then when the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, the clinic became the Kansas City CARE Clinic. The clinic can now take all medical insurances, which has helped treat more uninsured and underinsured patients than ever before. I agree with Ritzer that the for-profit health care organizations are increasingly using the rational medical systems with their focus on lowering costs and increasing profits, which could reduce the quality of health care, especially for the poorest members of society. However, the KC CARE Clinic have been partnering with some of the for-profit organizations from the beginning to assist the poorest members of society. The Community Health Worker (CHW) program is a large program with workers in em ergency rooms of most of the hospitals within the metro area to help those who use the emergency room as their primary care facility. The CHWs help these patients by finding a non-emergency facility to become their primary care

The Twilight Saga 4 Breaking Dawn 26. Shiny Free Essays

string(424) " could hear raiding the refrigerator in the kitchen; Alice was lounging on the bottom step of the staircase with Jasper’s head in her lap; Carlisle had his head bent over a fat book in his lap; Esme was humming to herself, sketching on a notepad, while Rosalie and Emmett laid out the foundation for a monumental house of cards under the stairs; Edward had drifted to his piano and was playing very softly to himself\." â€Å"I don’t know how much we should tell Renee about this,† Charlie said, hesitating with one foot out the door. He stretched, and then his stomach growled. I nodded. We will write a custom essay sample on The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 26. Shiny or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"I know, i don’t want to freak her out. Better to protect her. This stuff isn’t for the fainthearted.† His lips twisted up to the side ruefully. â€Å"I would have tried to protect you, too, if I’d known how. But I guess you’ve never fit into the fainthearted category, have you?† I smiled back, pulling a blazing breath in through my teeth. Charlie patted his stomach absently. â€Å"I’ll think of something. We’ve got time to discuss this, right?† â€Å"Right,† I promised him. It had been a long day in some ways, and so short in others. Charlie was late for dinner – Sue Clearwater was cooking for him and Billy. That was going to be an awkward evening, but at least he’d be eating real food; I was glad someone was trying to keep him from starving due to his lack of cooking ability. All day the tension had made the minutes pass slowly; Charlie had never relaxed the stiff set of his shoulders. But he’d been in no hurry to leave, either. He’d watched two whole games – thankfully so absorbed in his thoughts that he was totally oblivious to Emmett’s suggestive jokes that got more pointed and less football-related with each aside – and the after-game commentaries, and then the news, not moving until Seth had reminded him of the time. â€Å"You gonna stand Billy and my mom up, Charlie? C’mon. Bella and Nessie’ll be here tomorrow. Let’s get some grub, eh?† It had been clear in Charlie’s eyes that he hadn’t trusted Seth’s assessment, but he’d let Seth lead the way out. The doubt was still there as he paused now. The clouds were thinning, the rain gone. The sun might even make an appearance just in time to set. â€Å"Jake says you guys were going to take off on me,† he muttered to me now. â€Å"I didn’t want to do that if there was any way at all around it. That’s why we’re still here.† â€Å"He said you could stay for a while, but only if I’m tough enough, and if I can keep my mouth shut.† â€Å"Yes†¦ but I can’t promise that we’ll never leave, Dad. It’s pretty complicated___† â€Å"Need to know,† he reminded me. â€Å"Right.† â€Å"You’ll visit, though, if you have to go?† â€Å"I promise, Dad. Now that you know/usf enough, I think this can work. I’ll keep as close as you want.† He chewed on his lip for half a second, then leaned slowly toward me with his arms cautiously extended. I shifted Renesmee – napping now – to my left arm, locked my teeth, held my breath, and wrapped my right arm very lightly around his warm, soft waist. â€Å"Keep real close, Bells,† he mumbled. â€Å"Real close.† â€Å"Love you, Dad,† I whispered through my teeth. He shivered and pulled away. I dropped my arm. â€Å"Love you, too, kid. Whatever else has changed, that hasn’t.† He touched one finger to Renesmee’s pink cheek. â€Å"She sure looks a lot like you.† I kept my expression casual, though I felt anything but. â€Å"More like Edward, I think.† I hesitated, and then added, â€Å"She has your curls.† Charlie started, then snorted. â€Å"Huh. Guess she does. Huh. Grandpa.† He shook his head doubtfully. â€Å"Do I ever get to hold her?† I blinked in shock and then composed myself. After considering for a half second and judging Renesmee’s appearance – she looked completely out – I decided that I might as well push my luck to the limit, since things were going so well today___ â€Å"Here,† I said, holding her out to him. He automatically made an awkward cradle with his arms, and I tucked Renesmee into it. His skin wasn’t quite as hot as hers, but it made my throat tickle to feel the warmth flowing under the thin membrane. Where my white skin brushed him it left goose bumps. I wasn’t sure if this was a reaction to my new temperature or totally psychological. Charlie grunted quietly as he felt her weight. â€Å"She’s†¦ sturdy.† I frowned. She felt feather-light to me. Maybe my measure was off. â€Å"Sturdy is good,† Charlie said, seeing my expression. Then he muttered to himself, â€Å"She’ll need to be tough, surrounded by all this craziness.† He bounced his arms gently, swaying a little from side to side. â€Å"Prettiest baby I ever saw, including you, kid. Sorry, but it’s true.† â€Å"I know it is.† â€Å"Pretty baby,† he said again, but it was closer to a coo this time. I could see it in his face – I could watch it growing there. Charlie was just as helpless against her magic as the rest of us. Two seconds in his arms, and already she owned him. â€Å"Can I come back tomorrow?† â€Å"Sure, Dad. Of course. We’ll be here.† â€Å"You’d better be,† he said sternly, but his face was soft, still gazing at Renesmee. â€Å"See you tomorrow, Nessie.† â€Å"Not you, too!† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Her name is Renesmee. Like Renee and Esme, put together. No variations.† I struggled to calm myself without the deep breath this time. â€Å"Do you want to hear her middle name?† â€Å"Sure.† â€Å"Carlie. With a C. Like Carlisle and Charlie put together.† Charlie’s eye-creasing grin lit up his face, taking me off guard. â€Å"Thanks, Bells.† â€Å"Thank you, Dad. So much has changed so quickly. My head hasn’t stopped spinning. If I didn’t have you now, I don’t know how I’d keep my grip on – on reality.† I’d been about to say my grip on who I was. That was probably more than he needed. Charlie’s stomach growled. â€Å"Go eat, Dad. We will be here.† I remembered how it felt, that first uncomfortable immersion in fantasy – the sensation that everything would disappear in the light of the rising sun. Charlie nodded and then reluctantly returned Renesmee to me. He glanced past me into the house; his eyes were a little wild for a minute as he stared around the big bright room. Everyone was still there, besides Jacob, who I could hear raiding the refrigerator in the kitchen; Alice was lounging on the bottom step of the staircase with Jasper’s head in her lap; Carlisle had his head bent over a fat book in his lap; Esme was humming to herself, sketching on a notepad, while Rosalie and Emmett laid out the foundation for a monumental house of cards under the stairs; Edward had drifted to his piano and was playing very softly to himself. You read "The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 26. Shiny" in category "Essay examples" There was no evidence that the day was coming to a close, that it might be time to eat or shift activities in preparation for evening. Something intangible had changed in the atmosphere. The Cullens weren’t trying as hard as they usually did – the hu man charade had slipped ever so slightly, enough for Charlie to feel the difference. He shuddered, shook his head, and sighed. â€Å"See you tomorrow, Bella.† He frowned and then added, â€Å"I mean, it’s not like you don’t look†¦ good. I’ll get used to it.† â€Å"Thanks, Dad.† Charlie nodded and walked thoughtfully toward his car. I watched him drive away; it wasn’t until I heard his tires hit the freeway that I realized I’d done it. I’d actually made it through the whole day without hurting Charlie. All by myself. I must have a superpower! It seemed too good to be true. Could I really have both my new family and some of my old as well? And I’d thought that yesterday had been perfect. â€Å"Wow,† I whispered. I blinked and felt the third set of contact lenses disintegrate. The sound of the piano cut off, and Edward’s arms were around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder. â€Å"You took the word right out of my mouth.† â€Å"Edward, i did it!† â€Å"You did. You were unbelievable. All that worrying over being a newborn, and then you skip it altogether.’7He laughed quietly. â€Å"I’m not even sure she’s really a vampire, let alone a newborn,† Emmett called from under the stairs. â€Å"She’s too tame.† All the embarrassing comments he’d made in front of my father sounded in my ears again, and it was probably a good thing I was holding Renesmee. Unable to help my reaction entirely, I snarled under my breath. â€Å"Oooo, scary,† Emmett laughed. I hissed, and Renesmee stirred in my arms. She blinked a few times, then looked around, her expression confused. She sniffed, then reached for my face. â€Å"Charlie will be back tomorrow,† I assured her. â€Å"Excellent,† Emmett said. Rosalie laughed with him this time. â€Å"Not brilliant, Emmett,† Edward said scornfully, holding out his hands to take Renesmee from me. He winked when I hesitated, and so, a little confused, I gave her to him. â€Å"What do you mean?† Emmett demanded. â€Å"It’s a little dense, don’t you think, to antagonize the strongest vampire in the house?† Emmett threw his head back and snorted. â€Å"Please!† â€Å"Bella,† Edward murmured to me while Emmett listened closely, â€Å"do you remember a few months ago, I asked you to do me a favor once you were immortal?† That rang a dim bell. I sifted through the blurry human conversations. After a moment, I remembered and I gasped, â€Å"Oh!† Alice trilled a long, pealing laugh. Jacob poked his head around the corner, his mouth stuffed with food. â€Å"What?† Emmett growled. â€Å"Really?† I asked Edward. â€Å"Trust me,† he said. I took a deep breath. â€Å"Emmett, how do you feel about a little bet?† He was on his feet at once. â€Å"Awesome. Bring it.† I bit my lip for a second. He was just so huge. â€Å"Unless you’re too afraid†¦ ?† Emmett suggested. I squared my shoulders. â€Å"You. Me. Arm-wrestling. Dining room table. Now.† Emmett’s grin stretched across his face. â€Å"Er, Bella,† Alice said quickly, â€Å"I think Esme is fairly fond of that table. It’s an antique.† â€Å"Thanks,† Esme mouthed at her. â€Å"No problem,† Emmett said with a gleaming smile. â€Å"Right this way, Bella.† I followed him out the back, toward the garage; I could hear all the others trailing behind. There was a largish granite boulder standing up out of a tumble of rocks near the river, obviously Emmett’s goal. Though the big rock was a little rounded and irregular, it would do the job. Emmett placed his elbow on the rock and waved me forward. I was nervous again as I watched the thick muscles in Emmett’s arm roll, but I kept my face smooth. Edward had promised I would be stronger than anyone for a while. He seemed very confident about this, and I felt strong. That strong? I wondered, looking at Emmett’s biceps. I wasn’t even two days old, though, and that ought to count for something. Unless nothing was normal about me. Maybe I wasn’t as strong as a normal newborn. Maybe that’s why control was so easy for me. I tried to look unconcerned as I set my elbow against the stone. â€Å"Okay, Emmett. I win, and you cannot say one more word about my sex life to anyone, not even Rose. No allusions, no innuendos – no nothing.† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"Deal. I win, and it’s going to get a lot worse.† He heard my breath stop and grinned evilly. There was no hint of bluff in his eyes. â€Å"You gonna back down so easy, little sister?† Emmett taunted. â€Å"Not much wild about you, is there? I bet that cottage doesn’t have a scratch.† He laughed. â€Å"Did Edward tell you how many houses Rose and I smashed?† I gritted my teeth and grabbed his big hand. â€Å"One, two – â€Å" â€Å"Three,† he grunted, and shoved against my hand. Nothing happened. Oh, I could feel the force he was exerting. My new mind seemed pretty good at all kinds of calculations, and so I could tell that if he wasn’t meeting any resistance, his hand would have pounded right through the rock without difficulty. The pressure increased, and I wondered randomly if a cement truck doing forty miles an hour down a sharp decline would have similar power. Fifty miles an hour? Sixty? Probably more. It wasn’t enough to move me. His hand shoved against mine with crushing force, but it wasn’t unpleasant. It felt kind of good in a weird way. I’d been so very careful since the last time I woke up, trying so hard not to break things. It was a strange relief to use my muscles. To let the strength flow rather than struggling to restrain it. Emmett grunted; his forehead creased and his whole body strained in one rigid line toward the obstacle of my unmoving hand. I let him sweat – figuratively – for a moment while I enjoyed the sensation of the crazy force running through my arm. A few seconds, though, and I was a little bored with it. I flexed; Emmett lost an inch. I laughed. Emmett snarled harshly through his teeth. â€Å"Just keep your mouth shut,† I reminded him, and then I smashed his hand into the boulder. A deafening crack echoed off the trees. The rock shuddered, and a piece – about an eighth of the mass – broke off at an invisible fault line and crashed to the ground. It fell on Emmett’s foot, and I snickered. I could hear Jacob’s and Edward’s muffled laughter. Emmett kicked the rock fragment across the river. It sliced a young maple in half before thudding into the base of a big fir, which swayed and then fell into another tree. â€Å"Rematch. Tomorrow.† â€Å"It’s not going to wear off that fast,† I told him. â€Å"Maybe you ought to give it a month.† Emmett growled, flashing his teeth. â€Å"Tomorrow.† â€Å"Hey, whatever makes you happy, big brother.† As he turned to stalk away, Emmett punched the granite, shattering off an avalanche of shards and powder. It was kind of neat, in a childish way. Fascinated by the undeniable proof that I was stronger than the strongest vampire I’d ever known, I placed my hand, fingers spread wide, against the rock. Then I dug my fingers slowly into the stone, crushing rather than digging; the consistency reminded me of hard cheese. I ended up with a handful of gravel. â€Å"Cool,† I mumbled. With a grin stretching my face, I whirled in a sudden circle and karate-chopped the rock with the side of my hand. The stone shrieked and groaned and – with a big poof of dust – split in two. I started giggling. I didn’t pay much attention to the chuckles behind me while I punched and kicked the rest of the boulder into fragments. I was having too much fun, snickering away the whole time. It wasn’t until I heard a new little giggle, a high-pitched peal of bells, that I turned away from my silly game. â€Å"Did she just laugh?† Everyone was staring at Renesmee with the same dumbstruck expression that must have been on my face. â€Å"Yes,† Edward said. â€Å"Who wasnt laughing?† Jake muttered, rolling his eyes. â€Å"Tell me you didn’t let go a bit on your first run, dog,† Edward teased, no antagonism in his voice at all. â€Å"That’s different,† Jacob said, and I watched in surprise as he mock-punched Edward’s shoulder. â€Å"Bella’s supposed to be a grown-up. Married and a mom and all that. Shouldn’t there be more dignity?† Renesmee frowned, and touched Edward’s face. â€Å"What does she want?† I asked. â€Å"Less dignity,† Edward said with a grin. â€Å"She was having almost as much fun watching you enjoy yourself as I was.† â€Å"Am I funny?† I asked Renesmee, darting back and reaching for her at the same time that she reached for me. I took her out of Edward’s arms and offered her the shard of rock in my hand. â€Å"You want to try?† She smiled her glittering smile and took the stone in both hands. She squeezed, a little dent forming between her eyebrows as she concentrated. There was a tiny grinding sound, and a bit of dust. She frowned, and held the chunk up to me. Til get it,† I said, pinching the stone into sand. She clapped and laughed; the delicious sound of it made us all join in. The sun suddenly burst through the clouds, shooting long beams of ruby and gold across the ten of us, and I was immediately lost in the beauty of my skin in the light of the sunset. Dazed by it. Renesmee stroked the smooth diamond-bright facets, then laid her arm next to mine. Her skin had just a faint luminosity, subtle and mysterious. Nothing that would keep her inside on a sunny day like my glowing sparkle. She touched my face, thinking of the difference and feeling disgruntled. â€Å"You’re the prettiest,† I assured her. Tm not sure I can agree to that,† Edward said, and when I turned to answer him, the sunlight on his face stunned me into silence. Jacob had his hand in front of his face, pretending to shield his eyes from the glare. â€Å"Freaky Bella,† he commented. â€Å"What an amazing creature she is,† Edward murmured, almost in agreement, as if Jacob’s comment was meant as a compliment. He was both dazzling and dazzled. It was a strange feeling – not surprising, I supposed, since everything felt strange now – this being a natural at something. As a human, I’d never been best at anything. I was okay at dealing with Renee, but probably lots of people could have done better; Phil seemed to be holding his own. I was a good student, but never the top of the class. Obviously, I could be counted out of anything athletic. Not artistic or musical, no particular talents to brag of. Nobody ever gave away a trophy for reading books. After eighteen years of mediocrity, I was pretty used to being average. I realized now that I’d long ago given up any aspirations of shining at anything. I just did the best with what I had, never quite fitting into my world. So this was really different. I was amazing now – to them and to myself. It was like I had been born to be a vampire. The idea made me want to laugh, but it also made me want to sing. I had found my true place in the world, the place I fit, the place I shined. How to cite The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 26. Shiny, Essay examples

Queen Elizabeths Lasting Effect On Theater Essays -

Queen Elizabeths Lasting Effect On Theater Queen Elizabeth came to be known as one of the greatest rulers of the English empire. Under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, a more efficient government was created. The church was unified, the English empire was expanded, and language, literature, and theater flourished to a greatness that would be impossible for almost any other period of English history, or any other European empire, for that matter, to match. Although there was a great rise in literature,it was theater that catapulted to greatness during Elizabeth's reign. Out of Elizabeth's era came Elizabethan theater. Elizabethan theater has such a variety of topics, that would make it virtually impossible to talk about in ten pages. The focal point of this paper will be on Queen Elizabeth's contributions to theater as well as her favor to Children of Paul's, or Paul's Boys (a Boy Company) and the Queen's Men and Lord Chamberlain's Men (two Adult Companies). Prior to Elizabeth's reign, those members of the Tutor family enjoyed entertainment consisting mainly of court tournaments. Within these court tournaments bear baiting was the most popular event. Although Elizabeth found this hugely diverting, theater was her entertainment of choice, for Elizabeth found such cruel spectacles...an unattractive feature of the age (Somerset 367). However, regardless of her opinion, countrymen saw nothing wrong with bear baiting, and continued the event. Even though Elizabeth was a great lover of theater, that does not mean that theater, was not put down routinely. The Puritans found Elizabeth's interest in theater to be utterly reprehensible, actors to be a contemptible breed, and the theaters that they performed in nothing more than brothels (Somerset 368). But throughout Elizabeth's forty-five year reign, she protected and uplifted the adult and boy companies, when enemies from the clergy and sometimes the council sought to put them down (Clunes 27). To the Queen's interest, some six to ten plays were given every winter at court and she saw many others when in progress throughout the country or while attending weddings or banquets in London.(Clunes 27) Within time, Elizabeth was awarding more performances in court. That is one of the ways Elizabeth helped the theater arts to florish. The more performances that were given, the more theater became popular, and the more the people of England wanted to see it. The Companies During the Elizabethan Era many things emerged. Amongst them was the creation of Adult Companies. Approximately twenty-four Adult Companies were developed. (The Count Intruders, The Earl of Leicester's men, Lord Rich's Men, Lord Abergavenny's Men, The Earl of Sussex's Men, Sir Robert Lane's Men, The Earl of Lincoln's (Lord Clinton's) Men, The Earl of Warwick's Men, The Earl of Oxford's Men, The Earl of Essex's Men, Lord Vaux's Men Lord Berkeley's Men, the Earl of Arundel's Men, The earl of Hertford's Men, Mr. Evelyn's Men, The Earl of Derby's Men (Lord Strange's) Men, The Earl of Pembroke's Men, The Lord Admiral's (Lord Howard's, Earl of Nottingham's), Prince Henry's, and Elector Palatine's Men, The Lord Chamberlain's Men (Lord Hunsdon's) and King's Men, The Earl of Wosterster's and Queen Anne's Men, The Duke of Lennox's Men, The Duke of York's (Prince Charles's) Men, and The Lady Elizabeth's Men) But even before Adult companies, there were approximately eleven Boy companies. ( Child ren of Paul's, Children of the Chapel and the Queen's Revels, Children of Windsor, Children of the King's Revels, Children of Bristol, Westminister School, Eton College, Merchant Taylors School, The Earl of Leicester's Boys, The Earl of Oxford's Boys, Mr. Stanley's Boys) These two umbrella catagories would be the main source of theatrical entertainment. When Elizabeth took the throne, boy companies were very much in existance. The boy companies had a very recognized place in the theatrical world, since the middle ages (Hillebrand 9). Watching the boy companies perform became her favored pastime during the first ten years of her reign. The majority of performances awarded by the queen were given by the boy companies; between 1558 and 1576 the queen awarded seventy-eight performances. Out of those seventy-eight performances forty-six went to boy companies and only 32 went to adult companies. Out of those forty-six performances, twenty-one of those were given by Elizabeth's favored boy company, the Children

Starting a Historical Fiction Series †A Reedsy Success Story

Starting a Historical Fiction Series – A Reedsy Success Story Starting a Historical Fiction Series – A Reedsy Success Story Author R.P. Wollbaum is another example of the tremendous opportunity that indie-publishing represents for writers. He self-published his first book in 2015 and is now working on book 5 of his Bears and Eagles series. He has found his editor and cover designer through Reedsy and has been working with them ever since. His story is quite nice, so we thought we'd let him share it on our blog.I have always been interested in history. As a young lad, I used to listen to the old-timers talk about the old country. There were still a few around that had been born in what they called Russia, now called Ukraine, and they talked about life there. They also talked about life in their new home, Canada and how there had been literally nothing but open sky and prairie when they had arrived. They even told stories they had heard from  their grandfather about life in the ‘Old Country’, and the struggles they faced to make a life for themselves.I had always had an interest in writing. B ut writing things in longhand - my handwriting is terrible- then transcribing them by typewriter was a pain and any hope of finding someone to publish your work was almost impossible. So it was just an infrequent hobby for me.Then life in Canada changed and our young men and women were once again losing their lives in war. This time in Afghanistan and a young man serving as a member of the King’s Own Calgary Regiment lost his life. Most of us in Canada know of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) Battalion. Albertans know about the Lord Strathcona Horse (an armored brigade), and Calgarians know about the Calgary Highlanders. They are all famous Canadian regiments. But the King’s Own Calgary Regiment? Who were they?So I researched this little-known cavalry brigade and thought to myself, what led this young man from a country not known for its military history, to join a reserve reconnaissance battalion? A plotline developed and I worked backwa rd in time to come to a starting point in the late nineteenth century when things were much like they are today, but I definitely still needed to do some worldbuilding. Huge Imperial Empires were dueling over land and prestige. Islamic fundamentalists were fighting to expand their territories and Christians were fighting them.I placed a young educated man, Russian born to German emigrants and his younger brother in a Cossack battalion along with other younger sons of other German families and progressed from there. Each book of the Bears and Eagles series follows the next generation of this family and I place them in times and events that did occur, but perhaps not exactly how or when.The explosion of indie-produced writers made the decision to publish easy, and I made a choice early on to obtain professional help for editing and book cover design. I had enough budget to edit two novels and one book cover. So I published Bears and Eagles, the first book in the series. It was well re ceived for a first effort by an unknown author.My original cover was eye-catching, but its retro art was not particularly suited to my theme. That is when I discovered Reedsy and the services they provided. I chose Dane Low to be my cover artist. Not only was he easy to work with, but I thought his addition of a battle scene into the background of the design was masterful. He is my choice as cover artist for the rest of the series.The original editor I had hired did a good job, but there were mistakes. So I again looked to Reedsy for help. I am a guy. I write for guys, but I have many powerful female characters in my novels, and I made the decision to find a female editor to work with. Kate O’Donnell and I came to an agreement for an editorial assessment of Eagles Claw and right away we had a connection. I take most of what she wants me to do to heart. Although we speak the same language, we have different cultures and usages of language that have to be ironed out at times. S he is Australian, I’m not, and my target market is North American males; but we are able to compromise, both of us being a little quirky and offbeat in our own ways.She was my sole choice for Eagles Talon, the third release of the series. She performed the whole editing process for me and did fantastic work. My work is now being noticed, even though I only first published last June. Kobo has recently asked me to participate in a pilot project they are putting together that may see my hard copies distributed with the Indigo chain. Kate is about to do an editorial assessment of the fifth novel in the series, and I am about to begin rewrites on book four, for which she did everything - from an editorial assessment to a full and substantial copy edit.I have expanded my distribution beyond Amazon and Kobo and have found that other sales channels, for me, sell as well or better than Amazon.  My Reedsy experience has been fantastic. Soon I will be searching for a marketing profess ional to join my team and will be looking to Reedsy once again.My journey continues.You can check out R.P. Wollbaum's Bears and Eagles series on Amazon here.  As always, feel free to leave any questions for R.P. Wollbaum in the comments below. And if you're ready to follow his example and looking for an editor, designer, or marketer, take a look at Reedsy here!

The Stick-Built House (In Situ)

The Stick-Built House (In Situ) A stick-built home is a wooden framed house constructed on a building site piece by piece (or stick by stick). It describes the process or how a home is built. Manufactured, modular, and prefabricated homes are not classified as stick-built, because they are made mostly in the factory, transported to the site, and then assembled. A custom home and a home made according to stock building plans may both be stick-built, provided that they are constructed board-by-board on the land where they will remain. Stick-built describes the construction method and not the design. Other names for stick-built homes include site built, hard construction, and in situ. What Is In Situ? In situ is Latin for in place or in position. It can be pronounced a number of ways, including  in-SIT-oo, in-SITCH-oo, and most correctly in-SEYE-too. Because commercial architecture is not generally made out of sticks of wood, the Latin in situ is often used to describe a process of building commercial properties or, more often, producing construction materials on site. For example, in situ concrete means cast-in-place concrete. That is, the concrete is molded and cured (i.e., cast) on the construction site, as opposed to pre-cast concrete (e.g., columns or beams made in a factory and transported to the construction site). One of the green methods used for the London 2012 summer Olympic Games was to provide a batching plant onsite, a one-source supplier of low-carbon concrete for all of the builders of Olympic Park. Concrete was mixed and poured in situ. In situ construction methods are thought to be more environmentally friendly. The main reason behind this belief is reducing the harmful effects of transporting beam after beam and pier after pier. Pros and Cons of Stick-Built Homes A common perception is that stick-built homes are better constructed, last longer, and have a better resale value than prefabricated or modular homes. This perception may or may not be true. Comparisons depend on the quality of the manufactured product versus the workmanship of a builder or carpenter. The major advantage for the home builder is in control. The contractor is in command of the materials and how they are assembled. Likewise, home owners also have certain administrative rights as they can oversee the piece-by-piece construction of their investment when its built in situ. Disadvantages: Common perceptions against stick-built homes involve time and money - that is, stick-built homes take more time to build and they cost more than house pieces built off-site and simply assembled onsite. Competitors also claim that continuous construction traffic to and from the building site makes the stick-built process less than a green building environment. These perceptions may or may not be true. Pushback From Prefabricators Stick-building is a traditional method being challenged by the marketers of modular and prefabricated methods. American Custom Builders, an independent modular home builder in Defiance, Ohio, describes why a system of prefabrication is better than stick built for these reasons: Stick built home have no controlled environment like a factory does - building outdoors in humidity and water can damage wood and cause delays. They say: A stick builder cannot control the weather....Our homes are all built indoors under a temperature controlled environment.Frame carpenters can take short-cuts youll never know about. They say: With An All American Home they use jigs to make sure the walls are straight and square.Stick-built homes take three times longer to build than prefabricated homes. They say: When the house is delivered, we will have it up in aprox. 9 hours.Homes built off-site are less expensive. They say: Will match our prices against his, any day! In Situ Architecture In situ architecture is a structure designed for a particular place, a specific environment, and a known site. Stick-built houses may be constructed onsite, but that doesnt mean that the building was designed architecturally for that land. Portland, Oregon architect Jeff Stern seeks to create architecture that is site specific....to capture the experience of a particular place; how the sunlight falls, and the rise and fall of the land....maintain and create strong views, maximize daylight and natural ventilation, and generally create a place better than when we began. The name of his architectural firm is In Situ Architecture. Resources and Further Reading BOCA Built, American Custom Builders, americancustombuilder.com/bocabuilt.htm [accessed September 8, 2015]About In Situ Architecture, insituarchitecture.net/about/ [accessed September 8, 2015]