Monday, April 13, 2020

10 Fun Facts About the College of William and Mary

If you thought the College of William and Mary was just a small college in the suburbs of Virginia, you couldnt be more wrong. The College of William and Mary has over 300 years of history and fun facts you probably never knew! Whether youre considering applying or are already enrolled, here are 10 fun facts about WM you wont want to miss!1. Founded in 1693, the College of William and Mary is the second oldest institution of higher education in the United States after Harvard University.2. Comedian Jon Stewart graduated from WM in 1984. Surprisingly, he actually started off as a chemistry major before transitioning to psychology. Bonus fun fact: He also played soccer for William Mary! 3. Every couple at College of William and Mary will have gone to the crest of the Crim Dell bridge and shared a kiss! Legend has it that those that do will be together forever. 4. Though an unofficial tradition, students of WM partake in their own style of a â€Å"triathlon†, which includes streaking, jumping over a wall, and swimming across a pond. Many students do it in parts, and also do it while naked. 5. Completed in 1700, The Wren Building is the oldest academic building in the U.S. that is still be used today. 6. Three U.S. Presidents attended College of William and Mary: Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, John Tyler. 7. As one of oldest higher education institutions, the College of William and Mary was the first to do many of the things, such as establishing the honor system (1779), teaching political economy (1784), and having the elective system of study (1779). 8. College of William and Mary is one of the8 Public Ivies, which also includesUC Berkeley, Miami University OH, Michigan, UNC - Chapel Hill, UT - Austin, UVA and University of Vermont.9. Mike Tomlin, head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, played college football at William and Mary. When the Steelers own the Super Bowl in 2009, Tomlin became the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl, and still holds that record.10. Founded in 1776 in College of William Mary, Phi Beta Kappa was the first Greek letter collegiate fraternity. It still remains as the oldest academic honor society. Are you looking to apply toCollege of William Mary? Make sure to search through profiles of students accepted to see essays, stats, and advice. See how they got in, and how you can too!

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

J.C. Penney slashing prices on all merchandise essayEssay Writing Service

J.C. Penney slashing prices on all merchandise essayEssay Writing Service J.C. Penney slashing prices on all merchandise essay J.C. Penney slashing prices on all merchandise essayJC Penny is one of the largest retailers in the US but at the moment the company is facing the tight competition from the part of such behemoths of the industry as Target, Wal-Mart and others. In such a situation, the effective marketing strategy, accurate and adequate positioning of the company in the market and successful pricing policies are essential for the overall marketing success of JC Penny in the contemporary highly competitive environment. At the moment, the company has shifted to the traditional daily low pricing strategy that the company traditionally used in the past. This decision is apparently successful since it allows the company to clearly position itself as a low cost retailer, where customers can always find products at low price without any coupons or special discounts that will also contribute to the formation of the positive brand image to enhance the competitive position of the company in the global business environment.Background of the company and industryJC Penny is one of the largest retailers in the US. The company operated successfully focusing on the low cost segment of the market. However, rivals of the company grew stronger, especially Wal-Mart, which had started to challenge the position of the company in the market. In response to the growing pressure of competitors, JC Penny attempted to change its pricing policy offering customers coupons that allowed them to obtain discounts and buy products from JC Penny’s stores at lower price. In such a way, the company attempted to breed the customer loyalty since coupons triggered the customer loyalty as customers were willing to save money and used coupons to buy products from JC Penny. In this regard, the company faced the problem of the steady deterioration of its marketing performance.However, the deterioration of the marketing performance of JC Penny was also the result of the downturn in the retail industry caused by the economic recession in the US in 2008. The economic recession has had the negative impact on the US economy, buying power of customers and their behavior. Customers preferred saving to spending. As a result, the competition between JC Penny and its major rivals has grown stronger. At the moment, the company is looking for options to enhance its competitive position as the retail industry starts to recover.Current pricing strategy of JC Penny  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   EconomyShift from coupons to traditional low cost daily price is the key strategy used by the company to enhance its marketing position because the economic situation is unfavorable and the company has to attract customers (Mattioli, 2012). JC Penny has decided to offer low prices instead of coupons to reach this goal.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CompetitionAt the same time, the focus on low pricing strategy is determined by the policy of its rivals, which also use low pricing strategy to take the competitive advantage (DInnocenzio, 2012). H ence, the return of JC Penny to its traditional pricing strategy is effective today.Changing consumer behaviorToday, customers are looking for low price products because often they cannot afford buying expensive products. As a result, customers buy products from retailers offering the lower price. Hence, the quality often becomes secondary to the price of products and retailers that are capable to decrease the price more turn out to be in an advantageous position attracting customers.JC Penny’s segmentation, positioning, and branding  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   JC Penny’s segmentationThe company focuses on the low-cost segment of the retail market. In such a way, the company attempts to attract mass customers, who are looking for low price products. The current economic situation forces customers to buy products at possibly lower price.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   JC Penny’s positioningThe company positions its products as available, low price products that aim at mass customers. Such positioning of the company contributes to the enhancement of its marketing position due to the higher opportunities to attract more customers. On the other hand, this strategy shifts the company to the highly competitive business environment and segment of the market (Reingold, 2012). In this regard, the company needs to back up the low pricing strategy with the focus on the quality control to ensure that its products are of a good quality that will attract more customers and increase the customer satisfaction.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   JC Penny’s brandingThe company’s branding strategy needs consistent enhancement since the company needs a stable and solid brand. Its policies should be predictable and attractive for consumers. For instance, the company should not shift from daily discounts to coupons and back. Instead, the company should conduct clear and comprehensible policy. In fact, the brand of JC Penny should evoke strong associations with low price and discounts customer s can count on, while attending company’s stores.Forecast of the future pricing strategy and marketing performance of the company  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Future pricing policy of JC PennyThe company is likely to stick to its traditional everyday low pricing strategy which allows the company to conduct flexible pricing policies decreasing the price of some products to accelerate their sales, when customers cannot afford buying those products at higher price, and increasing prices of products, customers are looking for and which have the high demand.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   JC Penny’s marketing performance in the futureThe company can enhance its marketing performance in the future but the company needs to conduct the aggressive promotional campaign to enhance its brand image and evoke strong associations between low pricing strategy of the company and the customers’ high satisfaction.At the same time, expanding business internationally will enhance the competitive position of JC Penny, even though the company will have to confront the tight competition from the part of new rivals, such as Carrefour, Tesco and others. In such a way, the company can expand its business and enhance its competitive position through entering new markets, where JC Penny can take a leading position. For instance, the company may focus on markets of emerging economies, where the company can count on the stable growth and where the competition is not as tight as in the US or the EU, for example.ConclusionThus, JC Penny has good marketing prospects as it maintains its position as a low cost retailer operating not only in the US but also internationally. In this regard, the company should stick to its daily low pricing strategy but, at the same time, the company needs to enhance its brand image in the public eye. The enhancement of the brand of the company will contribute to the development of the customer loyalty and, thus, enhance the competitive position of JC Penny in the market.

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Company analysis needs to be on is HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY Essay

Company analysis needs to be on is HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY AUSTRALIA Pty Ltd risk management - Essay Example Scope To be efficient and effective the unit provides the range of machinery best known to miners of Australia as the best. Mining takes turns from extracting underground resources to the point of processing. The unit provides and caters for lumbering trucks, excavators, bulldozers, and drilling in the manual and electric version. The company also ensures that all spare parts are availed at the stores, a factor that ensures that the customers business does not alt because of mechanical breakdowns (Thakur et al, 1997). With the technological revolution in the mining sector taking tremendous advances, the unit provides upto date equipment and customer support on the use of such. Pricing and negotiation deals within the unit stimulate the competitiveness in the market. Hitachi ensures communication in the various channels, which entirely stimulates performance on output, realization of change in the dynamic environment and customer satisfaction via direct responses. Risks are borne by a ssumptions that the prevailing factors are not crucial. The company understands clearly that different people have different perceptions. Demographically, age separates tastes and thus the approach in construction to cater for their needs takes a deeper dimension. Hitachi meets competition from Denver, Caterpillar, Center Rock, Komatsu, P&H Mining, and Joy Mining machineries among others. However, these companies may pose threats; Hitachi strategically frames a proper layout and execution exercise that secures its bid in reaching the market. (Thakur, (2007:04). The plan of availing the equipment on time drives other competitors away bearing that the selective channel of distribution and scrutiny enables the company to determine the performing and non-performing ones. Tailored communication among all the subsidiary outlets enables it to note changes and advances in industry before matters get out of hand. Holistic approach In the present marketing environment, competition takes charg e on every market and failure to retaliate often steers loss of the market share, lesser profits, and exit from the market. Hitachi Company limited ensures fast adaptation to changes in the industry. In the event of competition from other key players in the market, for example, Caterpillar, Denver, Robinson Thwaites, and Bucyrus international, Hitachi resolves to higher advances that include technological advances, customer satisfaction through efficiency and closer supervision. Since Hitachi Construction Company is mainly concerned with improving and delivering services in the mining industry, it builds the best and conducive machinery for both customers the entire ecology. The company’s advancements in the provision of electric trains and steam drilling equipment among others steers economic growth to all users. The production and delivery unit ensures that all output suits the needs of the various markets and that environmental destruction is least expected. Each market se gment adopt distinctive cultures, beliefs and norms which affect the business widely, thus the company should poses an outlook on factors of the kind as ignorance may pave way for competitors.(Desheng, (2010:03). As a strong strategy, holistic approach, and entirely a definite tool to production, the company appreciates all of the key players in its market, understanding fully that they are equally

Friday, February 7, 2020

Jodi Picoult Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jodi Picoult - Research Paper Example Her first novel titled ‘Songs of the Humpback whale’ was written when she was pregnant with her first child and she found it quite difficult to strike a balance between work and motherhood. It was all these experiences that influenced her second novel titled ‘Harvesting the Heart.’ The basis for this book comprised partly of her balancing act between her career and her life as a mother. As Picoult states - "It took me a while to find the balance," Picoult says, "but I'm a better mother because I have my writing†¦ and I'm a better writer because of the experiences I've had as a parent that continually remind me how far we are willing to go for the people we love the most."  (Jodi Picoult, 2007) ‘Nineteen Minutes’ by Jodi Picoult, is a rather shocking story that is very much relevant in today’s contemporary society. This very interesting story revolves around a young boy named Peter Houghton, who was a victim of bullying right from h is kindergarten up to his High School. The bullying included slamming him into the school lockers, snatching away his lunch and breaking his spectacles to smithereens. (Nann Blaine Hilyard, 2007) Hate builds up over the years and one fine morning in March, Peter goes to school with a gun and shoots down a teacher and nine students within 19 minutes. The author has given a very apt title for this story and with her keen sense of analyzing the current scenario of today’s society, she has the ability to trigger feelings and emotions of people involved in different relationships. Her fictional stories such as ‘Nineteen Minutes’ seems almost lifelike because we see it happening in our lives even today. Her philosophy of life goes beyond sensationalism and creates an awareness not only among parents but also among students, of some of the social issues that face us today. ‘My Sister’s Keeper’ is another enlightening story by Picoult who makes use of multiple narrators to drive home the message of social awareness in contemporary society. The central theme in this story is dependency, that is clearly brought out by 13 year old Anna Fitzgerald who has an older sister Kate. It is rather unfortunate that Kate was afflicted with a rare kind of leukemia and depended on her sister Anna for a variety of blood products. Anna being an allogeneic donor was a fitting sibling match for Kate. (Dignan Jennifer, 2005) Picoult pulls at the heart strings of her audience by making use of different narrators who express their feelings and emotions regarding the happenings in the Fitzgerald household. She involves the readers by shedding light on what life would mean to the donor, the recipient, parents and other children in the family and comes out with the moral, ethical and legal issues that can confront them at every stage of their lives. Though Anna’s parents show a lot of love and concern for her, in the bigger picture Anna understand s that she is there for a purpose and the purpose was to save her sister Kate. (Dignan Jennifer, 2005) Anna feels used and does no quite believe her mother when she says that she and her father love her a lot. This point clearly expresses Anna’s doubt when she states that her mother ‘made sure to say’ that her parents loved her. The bond and respect between both the sisters is very strong even though they quarrel sometimes. Jodi Picoult’s ‘A Change of Heart’ is the gripping tale of a murderer who was on the death row

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Shakespeare presents the concept Essay Example for Free

Shakespeare presents the concept Essay The plays main characters are two of the most powerful people in the world, Antony being a member of the triumvirate, a coalition controlling the majority of the globe, and Cleopatra the Queen of Egypt, a feisty lady with a strong will who in the past has been linked with many other world leaders, a point which is often referred to throughout the play; Cleopatra: Did I, Charmian, / Ever love Caesar so? . Due to their status, the authority they hold and the power they have over people is clearly going to be a main theme as it affects many of their actions, decisions and feelings as the play progresses, to great consequence. There are a number of strong characters all trying to gain the upper hand at every opportunity. This is shown even in petty matters such as who gives in and sits down first in the falsely courteous power exchange between Antony and Caesar on Antonys visit to Rome in Act 2, Scene 2. Caesar: Welcome to Rome. Antony: Thank you. Caesar: Sit. Antony: Sit, sir. Caesar: Nay then. [Caesar sits, then Antony] This is comic moment from Shakespeare, but it does also outline the ongoing power struggle within the triumvirate. The scene can be looked at from two angles: it could be argued that, as it is Antony who wins this small exchange, the event aims to highlight the strength he possesses at the height of his career in order to provide a contrast for his lack of authority at the closing stages of the play; on the other hand it could also perhaps be seen as an early sign of his decline, as he is so desperate to gain authority he has reduced himself to pettiness, contrasting with the behaviour of Caesar who acts the bigger man without the need to win this small battle as he believes he can win the real thing, an inner confidence not present within Antony. The contrast between the characters behaviour is shown again more clearly in Act 3, Scene 13 where in a desperate struggle to maintain some authority Antony has Caesars messenger, Thidias, whipped for no good reason other than to prove he does still have some control. Antony: I am / Antony yet. Take hence the jack and whip him! This is an interesting juxtaposition to the previous scene where Caesar has received Antonys ambassador most courteously, even ensuring he returns safely back to his master, Caesar: Bring him through the bands. The difference in approach is most probably because Antony realises whilst his life and leadership is on a steady decline, the younger boy Caesar is gaining experience, power and control with each day that passes. Shakespeare has shown Antonys frustration at this through his actions and poor decision making, both on a personal and professional level. The power relationship between the lovers is also a main focus of the play and is a very interesting one displayed by Shakespeare in many ways. Enobarbuss description of the pairs first meeting at the river Cydnus, Act 2, Scene 2 is not only a beautiful story with wonderful language and imagery, it also gives an interesting insight into the direction the relationship will take. Antony invites the Queen to dine with him, but instead of complying she decides the night will be on her terms and changes the arrangements so he became her guest. This is a shocking response as Antony, Whom neer the word of No woman heard speak, is not used to being rejected. It makes him immediately interested in and intrigued by her. It also gives her the power in the relationship; right from the start she is the one calling the shots. Another interesting technique used by Shakespeare is the idea of gender reversal; Antonys manhood being transferred to Cleopatra. This is shown in many instances throughout the play the first of which comes in Act 1 Scene 2 where Enobarbus mistakes the footsteps of Cleopatra for those of Antony: Enobarbus: Hush, here comes Antony. Charmian: Not he, the Queen. This can either be seen as a genuine mistake in which case the audience can only assume the walk of Cleopatra is actually very similar to that of Antony; alternatively, it could be read that Enobarbus is being a bit cheeky and inferring the gender reversal he believes is taking place between the two of them. Either way it is an interesting comment which, although can not be reflected on at the time by the audience as Cleopatra starts talking, it does introduce the idea which re-emerges on many occasions later on in the play. A physical representation of this comes in Act 2, Scene 5 where a description of a night in which the couple got very drunk and exchanged clothes is given Cleopatra: Then put my tires and mantles on him, whilst I wore his sword Philippian. This displays the exchange which has occurred very clearly and depending on the director it could even be shown visually to the audience. The sword mentioned is just one of many phallic symbols used by Shakespeare and it is used on many occasions often representing Antonys fading masculinity, Antony: My sword, made weak by my affection. One recurring quality in the play is how perceptive the other characters are to the events going on around them; nothing seems to go unnoticed. The gender reversal I have been referring to is also picked up on by the Romans and is described here in Act 1, Scene 4 by Caesar; (Antony) is not more manlike Than Cleopatra, nor the Queen of Ptolemy More womanly than he; This is clearly seen as a weakness and is one way Antony is losing his authority as a world power; he is losing the respect of his contemporaries, an example of the route the relationship takes, finally becoming more destructive than creative and leading to the couples eventual downfall. The gender issues are not the only ones to be noticed by the other characters. Antonys constant struggle for power does not go unnoticed by the soldiers, especially Ventidius who, in Act 3, Scene 1 describes how he restrained from being too impressive in battle so as not to threaten Antonys authority: Better to leave undone than, by our deed, Acquire too high a fame when him we serves away.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Victorian Gothic Literature: Scientific vs. Medieval Thinking Essay

Victorian Gothic Literature: Scientific vs. Medieval Thinking      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Creatures of the night have always held a fascination and horror for people in all cultures. The English fascination with sensational and gothic literature came to a peak, after slacking slightly following the Romantic period, in the late Victorian period with such works as Dracula, The Strange Adventures of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. The literate populace avidly devoured this type of literature. While most publishers merely churned out serial horror stories en masse, such as Varney the Vampyre, many serious writers used this genre as a means to force their audience to think about their beliefs. Serious Victorian Gothic literature plays on the fears and emotions of the era, an era that was especially fearful since their beliefs had been ripped out from under them, largely by contrasting modern science with medieval superstition and belief.    The Victorian era was similar to our own in that it was a time when people weren't really sure what was true or what they believed. As this prayer, believed to have come from the Victorians shows, " 'O God - if there is a God - save my soul - if I have a soul' " (Houghton 22). New theories about the age of the earth had demonstrated that something was out of kilter with the bible, since the earth seemed to be older than the biblical account would show. Darwin had gone one step further and shown that man hadn't been created but evolved through natural selection. A generation was growing up in a culture that had had the rug of its beliefs pulled out from under its feet. The main difference between the Victorian sense of doubt and our post-modern doubt is, "faith in the existence of u... ...completely destroyed by his dabbling in alchemic science.    Much of Victorian Gothic literature plays to the Victorian doubt in what they believe, especially as concerns science and what is largely assumed to be medieval superstition. By playing on these fears, authors are able to create stories that are horrifying on several levels. First of all, the action that goes on in the book is enough to make the readers skin crawl. However, the authors go farther and use their audiences natural fears and doubts to create a story that is sensational on all levels.    Works Cited Davenport-Hines, Richard. Gothic: Four Hundred years of Excess, Horror, Evil and Ruin. North Point Press: New York, 1998. Houghton, Walter E. The Victorian Frame of Mind. Yale University Press: New Haven, Conn, 1957. Stoker, Bram. Dracula. Penguin Group: New York, 1992.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Kung-Fu Panda 2 Belonging

In the film Kung-Fu Panda 2, the extended metaphor of â€Å"Inner Peace† in the film symbolizes the need for a person to acknowledge their own weaknesses, their past and their faults, which conveys the importance of finding and accepting one’s identity. Furthermore throughout the film, there are various scenes where water droplets are dropping and flowing in slow motion, combined with flashbacks of the past, demonstrates the power of spiritual connections and nature. The importance of belonging and loving your family is also emphasised in Kung-Fu Panda 2.Through the protagonist, Po’s, exploration of his true parentage, the power of common memories to influence the bonds between people is displayed. It is important to accept who yo9u are as it can affect where you belong and how you feel. When he questions his dad about his true parentage, saying he had a dream about his mother, his adoptive father, Mr. Ping, freezes and looks agitated, showing that he is scared t hat he will lose Po if the truth is revealed. Whenever Po questions his lineage, sad music is played, making the audience feel sympathy for Po’s turmoils.Even after all the events that happens throughout the film, Po comes home back to Mr. Ping he says to him â€Å"I know who I am now, I am your son, I love you dad. † While this is happening, there is soft and happy music playing in the background, showing that even though they aren’t blood related, they are still happy together. This is true belonging. Even though they have no blood relations, they are truly happy together and value each other’s company, showing that they belong together. This relates to belonging and accepting yourself.The importance of individuality in finding a role in society is emphasised heavily throughout the film. The film follows the growth of Po in his journey of achieving â€Å"Inner Peace†. In the film you see Po’s idolization of other Kung Fu legends displays h is own inner emotional insecurity and spiritual turmoil. This is also reinforced through the technique juxtaposition, shown through Po’s fatness and Tigress’s hardened self. The need for you to accept your true self in forming meaningful relationships is shown through this.It is shown through the dramatic irony of Po’s insensitive comment â€Å"I have to know, the hard-core wouldn’t understand† directed at Tigress, saying that she is unable to feel both physically and emotionally. The close-up shot of Tigress’s saddened and hurt face combined with the sad; non-diegetic music further incites the audience’s sympathy of Po trying to find out about his own individuality with Tigress stopping him. Throughout the film you also hear the metaphor of â€Å"Inner Peace† used excessively.The phrase â€Å"Inner Peace† means to be spiritually and mentally at peace, with enough knowledge to keep oneself strong when under great hardshi p and stress. Throughout the film, Po is plagued by nightmares of his past and his own insecurity compared to Tigress and the others. In the beginning, Po witnesses Master Shifu moving a droplet of water all over his body without it splashing or breaking its form. When Po inquires how he did this, Shifu responds by saying â€Å"Inner Peace†. It is implying that having inner peace allows you to do things that are impossible, which is also shown when Po catches a cannon ball and throws it back.In the film, having inner peace symbolises that you have accepted yourself for who you are, complete with strengths and weaknesses. By having inner peace, it is saying that you can achieve things that you couldn’t achieve before & to be able to find out where you truly belong. The director of this movie positions the audience to sympathise with Po through the demonstration of the fallibility of one’s memory, which is shown through the flashbacks and dramatic devices used as Po lies to himself. Po couldn’t accept his own self throughout the film, which draws in the audience to feel sorry and sympathise for him.The differing perspectives of Po and his companions are comically shown through his fights with them. However, the audience is positioned to support Po though the uses of Mise-en-scene, as screen elements’ visual size are diminished whenever Po is in the screen. As Po zooms towards the audience and takes the centre of the screen, it enables the audience to see things through Po’s perspective. At the end of the film, Po is hailed as a hero & feels that he has finally found that he has been accepted by Tigress and the others. He finally feels that he belongs.