Simbio Essay - 3616 Words

[ 1 ] Before you start playing with the simulation model, you should read the introductory section of the workbook. The background information will help you understand the simulation model and answer questions correctly. [ 2 ] Start the program by double-clicking the SIMBIO VIRTUAL LABS icon on your computer or by selecting it from the Start Menu on your computer. [ 3 ] When SIMBIO VIRTUAL LABS opens, select NUTRIENT POLLUTION from the EcoBeaker suite. You will see a number of different panels on the screen: – The upper left panel shows a (virtual) lake in the early 1950s that is not yet heavily impacted by people and their pollution; this is where you will begin your investigations by learning a bit†¦show more content†¦[ 7 ] Click the MICROSCOPE (â€Å"View organism†) tool button at the bottom of the screen to activate your mobile â€Å"Gut-o-Scope† (patent pending). Then click on individuals in the lake to see what they last consumed. (NOTE: this only works for organisms with guts!) [ 7.1 ] Based on your sampling, what do Bosmina in the lake eat? Green Algae [7.2 ] Based on your sampling, what do Daphnia in the lake eat? Cyanobacteria [7.3 ] Based on your sampling, what do Trout in the lake eat? Daphnia [ 8 ] When there are not very many individuals of a particular species present, just by chance it is less likely that they will show up in gut content samples. In this lake, Bosmina only eat green algae whereas Daphnia eat both green algae and cyanobacteria. Trout eat BOTH of the primary consumers. [ 8.1 ] After reading the above statement, did you miss any species in your gut content sampling? If so, which ones? I missed both the green algae being eaten by the Daphnia and the Bosmina being eaten by the Trout. Exercise 2: P in the Water A research station has a set of small experimental lakes you can alter as you need and a research boat that is outfitted with monitoring equipment. As you recall from reading the Introduction, you are concerned about the risk of algal blooms that might occur with increased phosphorus added to the lake as the town grows.Show MoreRelatedSimbio Nichewars792 Words   |  4 PagesNiche Wars David Scott Smith-3/27/2013 Introduction: This report discusses an experiment to study the relationship between the ecological niche and competition. The hypothesis formulated states that if competition traits are identical and resources are abundant than multiple species will be able to coexist, and if one species has an advantage over the others than this species will be more likely to out compete another species for resources. The objective of this experiment is to use a simulationRead MoreDarwinian Snails Lab5934 Words   |  24 Pagesyou do not have time to complete this lab in class, you may come and use the software in SC 209 at other times. Contact Fr. Braverman if you need access. Exercise 1: A Model of Evolution by Natural Selection [ 1 ] Launch the SIMBIO VIRTUAL LABS program. Select DARWINIAN SNAILS from the EvoBeaker Labs option. [ 2 ] You will see a population of snails scattered around the Rocky Coastline on the left. Take a closer look at these snails by double-clicking on one of the snails

General Mills A Brand That Is Known All Around The World

General Mills is a brand that is known all around the world. They are the creators of fourteen different brands which include baking products such as Pillsbury, meals such as Betty Crocker, vegetables such as green giants, and yogurt such as Yoplait. As one can see, General Mills is one of the top companies that produce food in the U.S and in 70 other countries which include Australia, and Canada. They strive on their brands being known for the quality which goes back to 1880 when they first received the Gold Medal Flour award. Still to this day General Mills Gold Medal Flour has remained number 1 in selling their brand flour in the United States. Altogether General Mills has made an exceptional name for themselves and all of their products. One product in particular is â€Å"the leader in the mulit- billion dollar U.S. yogurt category.† This spectacular product is Yoplait Yogurt. In fact, one can go into any grocery store and chances are you will see Yoplait in their dairy section. Yoplait has over 25 different types of yogurt for one to choose from. For example they have original, lactose free, light, and Greek 100 yogurts to offer. A considerable amount of time and effort goes into ensuring that all of Yoplait’s products are exceptional and making food safety the core of everything they do. This research for their products takes place at their Minneapolis, Minnesota headquarters. They currently have an HACCP process with NASA that overlooks the production and was started 30Show MoreRelatedMarketing Plan For Kelloggs Cereal1340 Words   |  6 PagesCereal Brands in Our Culture Cereal in America has become a completely different product from cereal in other countries. America’s top cereal brands don’t aim for consumers to just have a delicious breakfast, they aim for much more and each at specific targets. The focus of this report will be revolved around three specific brands of cereal sold in America. Kellogg’s brand cereal will be covered first. Following, General Mills will be covered. Finally, a brand not so much known though advertisementRead MoreThe Cereal Industry Essay1429 Words   |  6 PagesSummary: The cereal market is a booming industry. It has been around for over one hundred years and continues to attract millions of customers’ everyday. The market structure of the cereal industry is an Oligopoly. This is because there are four large firms, Kellogg, General Mills, Post, and Quaker Oats, which dominate the industry. There are also a few small firms who are involved in the cereal industry as well. The cereal industry targets all different age groups from young kids to adults. They alsoRead MoreGeneral Mills : An Organization2086 Words   |  9 PagesGeneral Mills is one of the major producers in consumer foods and it started off in 1866 with two flour mills (General Mills). In 1928 the company merged several smaller milling companies together to create packaged food and began to form the company that it is today (General Mills, Inc.). General Mills has not shied away from selling, acquiring and establishing new brands to stay competitive in the global markets (*). In the past, General Mills has tried selling not just food but toys, jewelryRead MoreThe Pearl River Valley1481 Words   |  6 PagesBOGALUSA is located in southeastern Louisiana, approximately 45 miles north of New Orleans, in what is known as the Pearl River Valley. Its name is taken from the Choctaw people who inhabited the regi on before white people entered the area at the turn of the twentieth century. In Choctaw language the words bogue lusa means dark or smoky waters, which describes the flowing creek that runs through the middle of the city. During the 1960s, Bogalusa was, and remains, the largest municipality in WashingtonRead Moreready to eat breakfast industry6266 Words   |  26 PagesReady-to-Eat Breakfast Cereal Industry in 1994 (A) 1 All is not well in the land of Tony the Tiger. In early 1994, the ready-to-eat (RTE) breakfast cereal industry had reached a critical turning point in its evolution. In an industry historically characterized by stability and above average profitability, slowing demand growth and a surge in private label sales threatened to undermine the dominant positions of the Big Three: Kellogg, General Mills, and Philip Morris. The 1993 year-end statisticsRead MoreTaking a Look at Nike Inc.974 Words   |  4 Pagessporting brand in the world, netting in revenue of $25.3 billion in 2013. Nike, Inc. wholly-owns the following seven footwear and apparel companies that specialize in different sports: Nike Brand, Cole Haan, Converse, Hurley International LLC, Umbro, Nike Golf, and Jordan Brand. The company has expanded into nearly 600 factories with 800,000 workers in 46 countries. Nike aims to deliver value to their shareholders by establishing several key profitable products. They focus on the Nike Brand and BrandRead MoreGeneral Mills and Yoplait Analysis3473 Words   |  14 PagesProposal In 1860, General Mills entered the market as a flour producer that revolutionized the industry by producing flour that had superior baking properties. Great customer satisfaction coupled with their ability to maintain quality enabled them to develop other products that were not considered agricultural commodities. By the 1960s, they were marketing beloved childrens products that included Play-Doh, Easy Bake Ovens, Spirograph, Monopoly and Nerf balls (General Mills, website). The popularityRead MoreKraft Foods Essays3103 Words   |  13 Pagesbeverage industry. Kraft Foods has a strong brand image and product innovation. The company also shows a strong distribution network. However, the company’s shows a decline in profitability. Nevertheless, Kraft foods would benefit greatly by reconstructing products for consumers interested in health benefits. Going further with their beverage products will also increase revenue. Competition Kraft Foods competes with companies such as Nestle, General Mills, Coca Cola, and Pepsi Co. Since Kraft providesRead MoreCase Study-General Mills Inc.3110 Words   |  13 PagesGenera2013 Case Study 1: General Mills Inc. Understanding Financial Statements Group 5 Summary This case overall probes into 3 basic financial statements of the company and management’s view as well as auditors comments on it. It teaches about how business ethics and corporate governance works. Case study encouraged us to closely probe into each statements and line items and make us understand it. Few highlighted learning’s are preparation of common-size financial statements, understandingRead MorePorters 5 on Kraft Foods1703 Words   |  7 PagesRevenue 49 billion Second largest company behind nestle Employs 125,000 Its five brands are divided into 5 main sectors snacks,beverages,grocery,and convient meals Sanja khosia is the president of kraft His 7 step bussiness model is to drive growth is DISCOVERY: find out what works STRATEGY: focus through lenses VISION: find a simple hook EXECUTION: clarify and deligate ORGANIZATION: build collaborative networks METRICS: manage numbers and tell stories Headquartered in Northfield,

Perfect Man Free Essays

There lies a man with no motor or sensory function, who can no longer breathe, eat, drink, or move on his own. He lies there as his life is slowly draining away and you know as a medical professional that the only thing keeping him alive are the â€Å"machines† such as: the ventilator, feeding tubes, intravenous fluids, defibrillation equipment etc. You stand there deciphering the end results if he were to be taken off the machine and a conflict comes to mind. We will write a custom essay sample on Perfect Man or any similar topic only for you Order Now Your thoughts begin to race around in your head about whether it is wrong or right to let him lie there constantly being pumped to stay alive or whether you should take away the support and let him go to rest. There is no one simple answer to the conflict of whether it is right or wrong because the decision does not lie in your hands. As a state law, if the patient is not coherent to decide whether they want to withdrawal or stay on life support it goes to their designated person, and if one was not appointed it automatically goes to next of kin (Murrow). As a medical professional your requirements are to adhere to the patients wishes and if they are not available then the wishes of the family are to be met, even if the family chooses against artificial nutrition and hydration. The family may ask to be educated on exactly what the artificial nutrition and hydration does for the individual. One author writes, in a clinical judgment paper that, â€Å"†¦Most patients and families do not have the medical knowledge and clinical experience to make medical decisions by themselves and therefore need the physician’s guidance. In which case, explanation on why ANH should be given and the benefits of it may be expressed but with minimal, if not none, of your personal persuasion. There is controversy over this entire debate of whether providing artificial nutrition is beneficial or not that it has actually prompted the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine to recommend that research be done and assessed in clinics so that clinical judgment and skill can be used to determine when it is appropriate (Slomka). In one study, a man named, Bozetti and his colleagues decided to examine patient’s quality of life who had advanced cancer and who was on home parenteral nutrition (Fuhrman). In their study they noted that these patients were severely malnourished, could barely swallow, if at all, and were no longer receiving the curative therapy (Fuhrman). Their findings were reported back that the quality of life overall was much better for the patients who received HPN for a minimum of 3 months into their final stages of life (Fuhrman). This study is one of many more that show that using nutrition and hydration in the end stages of life can be beneficial in fulfilling the patient’s needs to sustain life. There has been studies shown were artificial nutrition and hydration is beneficial in a case such as: â€Å"†¦A person who has a temporary bout of severe nausea and vomiting or has diarrhea causing serious dehydration can often benefit from a short course of intravenous fluids to rest the bowel† (Arenella). Since this topic is so controversial the opposing side states that there are more, if not just as many, reasons why a person should not be held on life support. Many reasons include: â€Å"†¦Tubes can damage and erode the lining of the nasal passage, esophagus, stomach, or intestine† other complaints of infections, irritations, edema and many more medical problems are stated as bad outcomes of artificial nutrition and hydration (WebMD). Although these issues can arise it is still important to note that if the wish of the patient is to stay alive, ANH is what is actually allowing them to sustain their life. How to cite Perfect Man, Papers

SOP for engineering free essay sample

I am interested to apply for a Masters Degree Program in {name od the programme} starting in 2013. I graduated in 2011, from the University of {name od the University}, USA and hold a Bachelors degree in {name od the programme}. The four year undergraduate program in {name od the programme} formed the basis of my perseverance towards achieving an in-depth knowledge in the field of As a part of my degree course I studied various subjects relating to diverse aspects of {specify} which includes {specify}. During my bachelor studies, I underwent the experience of developing a {specify}. Under the supervision of Prof {name} along with my colleague I have prepared the {specify}. While submitting the assignment, our lecturer observed {specify} and recommended our product for {specify}-. Upon receiving this acknowledgment of my work I would like to carry on my penchant for {specify}, as this {methodology, issue} is gaining increasing importance, in all aspects and is having significant impact on almost all industries and all areas of society. We will write a custom essay sample on SOP for engineering or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There is an ample scope to prove ones ability, competence and intelligence in this revolutionary and potentially very beneficial {methodology, issue, theory}. Besides the college academics I was actively involved in the extra-curricular activities. The driving force behind all this was my aim to develop all the facets of my personality. In this process I could not achieve the grades I wanted to, in the first and second year. But soon I garnered the skill of Judicious allocation of time and energy. I do not feel that the marks I scored are the sole indicators of my understanding of the subject. A cogent reason to augment my belief is the final year of my studies, where with strong focus and hard work, I excelled in my graduation with distinction. Considering my excellent record, my college offered me for a Job as a lecturer. Also for the past twenty months I have been working as a {specify}- in -{specify} department of -{specify}. My work has helped me develop a thorough insight into return to the academic world for further growth. It has given me the confidence to pursue a Masters degree and also kindled a desire to do research. This career with open prospects has given me constant incentive to improve myself and to gain more knowledge. Today I perceive that life for me has been a process of conscious evolution. An integral part of this growth has been the value system imbibed in me by my parents, teachers and mentors and an immense liking for science. As I embark upon a new stage of my life, I believe that a postgraduate study will provide a milestone in my career along with invaluable experiences that will allow me to become a successful, innovative professional and assist in accomplishing my goals. Ten years from now, I envisage myself as a full- fledged research professional in an organization, or a faculty member at some leading university. My decision to pursue graduate studies in the United Kingdom is nderscored by my desire to be a part of the graduate program at your institution. The pioneering works going on at the -{specify}-department , which include the development of {specify}, perfectly match with the field of my interest. The interdisciplinary nature of {specify programme, field} has convinced me in taking this decision as it is the ideal choice for an exciting research career. At the same time, I am confident of contributing originally to the ongoing work at your department. By exploit my potential to the fullest. The department web site revealed very strong faculty like Prof. NAME} involved in extensive research in the area of {specify}. This has strengthened my resolve to study at University of {NAME}. I am confident that the erudite faculty will make my learning experience extraordinary. If I get the opportunity to be a part of that intellectually stimulating environment, I am sure my talents will be put to optimal use. I am confident that overall opportunity to study in Europe will broaden my horizons and give me an opportunity to gain world class education and help me become an excellent world citizen. I would therefore, feel obliged to be able to secure admission in your prestigious university with full inancial assistance and pursue my M. S. program. I am sure that I will match all the credentials and will be able to maintain high standards at your university. Most of the people perceive motivation letter a formality during application process. Therefore there are not investing strong efforts to write a personal statement that will ensure their placement for a Job/scholarship. However, this often perceived pure formality called motivation letter can win you a Job interview and future Job placement. Below we provided you a list of key elements that have to be included in our letter of motivation, in order to write a good one: 1 . Do not forget to mention why you have decided for the concrete company to apply for a Job. Be clear, concise and express your unbiased motivation. 2. Try to reflect personal approach as much as possible. For example if you know the name of HR person, address the letter to this person. 3. Do not mention your weak point in the letter, since they will be probably discussed during your Job interview. However dont be to much vainglorious since this will make wrong impression. Be realistic about yourself and try to point out your strong points. 4. Your letter should reflect positive spirit and orientation on future. For example you can use following phrase: l am eager to improve my skills and fully prepared to adapt myself to the new working , instead of l am not experienced in the relevant field. 5. Quote and environment describe concrete facts and situations to articulate your motivation for specific company/placement. 6.

Abortion Essays (386 words) - Abortion Debate, Abortion, Fertility

Abortion I am against because, I think abortion is the wrong thing to do. It is considered murder in my opinion and this should result in some kind of penalty or something should happen. Abortion should've never been introduced in this world. I think that it is another way of killing someone. At that stage of killing a newborn child, is not giving the baby a chance to live their life and to live in this world. The baby doesn't even get a chance to open its eyes and to live long enough to know and understand the meaning of life. I think abortion I really uncalled for. In my opinion the definition of abortion is murder and death for no reason. An is what is basically happening in this world today. As I speak there are young women and men making this decision to have an abortion. Abortion shouldn't be occur because, you never know what kind of potential your son or daughter might have. Anyone's baby could be the next Michael Jordan, Whitney Houston, or any other athletes or famous stars. An most of the time when a baby is born they are born with some kind of talent. An some people have the potential to do something real good with their lives. So people shouldn't throw talent, human being, and some gifted babies in the trash. I think that if any girl or boy can't handle raising a child, then the best thing for them to do is to not have sex at all or wait intil they are married. Then the next best thing to do is to talk to Someone that you feel comfortable with about the situation. An I think the last thing to do is to give the baby up for adoption. An that would still be making a good decision because the baby is still going to have a better life then it would with the real parants or parent. An sometimes that is the best thing to do, because some mothers in this world don't have enough money to support They're own selves. So there are times when adoption works a lot better then just keeping the baby. The worst thing to do is to kill the poor, innocent, baby, who has no chance to live. Psychology Essays

What are Fan Behaviors towards Sports Officials at the Middle School Level

What are Fan Behaviors towards Sports Officials at the Middle School Level Abstract The objective of this project was to discuss fan behaviors towards sports officials at middle school level. In order to achieve this objective, qualitative research method was used to collect and to analyze data from different secondary sources. The results of the data analysis and literature review indicate that incidences of misbehavior among middle school students during sports events are on the rise.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on What are Fan Behaviors towards Sports Officials at the Middle School Level? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In particular, most students tend to show disrespect to sports officials by harassing them verbally and physically. The main factors that influence students’ behavior during sports events include frustration, high expectation, crowd demographics, performance of sports officials, and socialization. In order to improve middle school students’ behavior tow ards sports officials, parents, and teachers should collaborate and help students to internalize the principles of good sportsmanship. Introduction A sports event refers to â€Å"any interscholastic or intramural athletic activity organized and sponsored by any learning institution, the community, or a business†. Sports events are important because they promote the development of students’ leadership skills and physical wellbeing. Furthermore, they help students to identify their talents in various games such as football and basketball. Consequently, most schools promote sportsmanship among their students. Sportsmanship refers to â€Å"the values of fair play, adherence to the rules of the game, respect for opponents, and acceptance of official and referee judgements†. All stakeholders in sports events are expected to internalize all the values associated with sportsmanship. However, most students at middle school level have failed to uphold the spirit of sports manship. This can be illustrated by the rising number of incidences in which middle school students harass sports officials during or after sports events. A sports official refers to a person who is responsible for enforcing the rules of a game or supervising participants during a sports event. Statement of the Problem In the last two decades, middle school students have increasingly exhibited high levels of cynicism and negativity towards their opponents and sports officials. Deviant behaviors such as verbal abuse and physical harassment have become the norm in most middle school sports events across the country. This trend is explained in part by the fact that students want their teams to win at all costs. However, considering winning as the most important element of interscholastic sports denies students the chance to develop desirable values such as respect for others, self-discipline and responsibility. Poor character development among middle school students has led to an incre ase in the number of complaints by sports officials, especial, referees concerning various forms of harassment. Additionally, the number of referees and other sports officials who are resigning from their duties for fear of being harmed by students is on the rise.Advertising Looking for proposal on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Undoubtedly, sports officials are very important since they determine the success of any sports event. The officials are tasked with the responsibility of making judgements within a very short time in order to regulate players’ actions. In this regard, sports officials are bound to make mistakes, especially, in games such as football that are rule-oriented. Nonetheless, sports officials do not deserve harassment from middle school fans due to the mistakes they make on the playfield. If more sports officials resign from their duties, the quality of sports in most scho ols will significantly decline. It is against this backdrop that this paper seeks to shed light on the behavior of middle school students towards sports officials. Significance of the Project Previous studies have shown that the behavior of middle school students towards sports officials is deteriorating despite the efforts made by parents and teachers to promote good sportsmanship among students. Although the patterns of students’ behavior towards sports officials have been extensively documented, few studies have explained the causes of the observed students’ behaviors. Thus, this project contributes to the existing literature by identifying the behaviors of middle school students towards sports officials and the causes of such behaviors. Understanding students’ behavior towards sports officials has the following benefits. First, understanding the causes of poor sportsmanship among middle school students will help teachers and parents to develop appropriate st rategies to improve students’ behavior. Consequently, sports events will become a source of enjoyable entertainment and an opportunity to nurture the talents of students who intend to pursue careers in sports. Second, the participation of sports officials in sports events will improve if teachers are able to understand students’ behaviors and to take appropriate actions to improve sportsmanship among middle school students. This will boost the development of sports at middle school level. Review of Literature Organized sports events cannot take place without sports officials. However, sports officials’ dropout rate in various sports in the country is alarming. One of the major factors that contribute to the high dropout rate is player and fan abuse. According to Balch and Scott (2007, pp. 3-20), the personality of sports officials is similar to that of the normal population. However, middle school students tend to perceive sports officials as people with very di fferent personalities.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on What are Fan Behaviors towards Sports Officials at the Middle School Level? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Most middle school students believe that sports officials lack charisma and are excessively neurotic. This can be illustrated by the fact that any decision made by a referee in a game such as football upsets nearly half the players and viewers. The fans and players who are not able to handle their disappointments often attack referees physically or verbally. However, not every referee is able to handle wild fans and uncooperative players. This partly explains the increase in the rate of sports officials’ dropout in various games. A successful sports official must possess a unique kind of personality. The official has to be levelheaded, confident, and able to handle the pressure from fans. The decisions made in any game or sports event involves s ome form of communication between the sports official and other participants such as coaches and fans. The decision of the official must be based on the interpretation of the rules that govern the sports event that is taking place. However, most contest decisions are followed with ridicule from middle school fans and coaches whose expectations about the outcome of the contest is often very high. According to Wolfson and Neave (2007, pp. 232-247), a good official should be able to ignore the negative feedback from the unsatisfied fans and stay focused on the game. Contrary to this perspective, most officials find it difficult to concentrate on officiating games such as football without worrying about being attacked by fans. Godsdon (2001, p. 89) opine that sports officials can reduce the possibility of being attacked by unruly students if they exercise values such as honesty and objectivity when officiating games. In this regard, sports officials should avoid communicating with fans throughout a sports event in order to prevent any provocation from degenerating into a physical attack. Moreover, every school is expected to provide an administrator to control students during sports events. Crowds of fans that show enduring team involvement consist of both good and bad students. The students who lack good behavior tend to exhibit their character in terms of excessive complaints and confrontations, which are often channeled to sports officials or the opponent teams. Enduring team involvement is not the problem since the degree of association with a particular team does not vary significantly between dysfunctional and well-behaved fans (Kreager, 2007, pp. 705-724). Dysfunctional fans usually take advantage of forums such as radio talk shows and websites to attack sports officials through negative and abusive comments. Although fans are expected to question the decisions made by officials during a game, their actions often contravene the principles of good sportsmans hip. Thus, most officials expect deviant behaviors such as excessive yelling from fans in nearly every game. Given that verbal attacks are expected in every game, what matters is how sports officials deal with them. According to Kellett and Shilbury (2007, pp. 209-229), the level of unruly behavior among fans vary with the type of game or sports event that is taking place.Advertising Looking for proposal on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Middle school students are likely to misbehave in sports events such as basketball, baseball, and football because most of them hold these games in high esteem. In addition, the stakes are usually very high when a game such as football is being played since students often bet with their colleagues on the expected outcome of the game. This leads to the development of the win-at-all-costs attitude among students, which in turn causes misbehavior towards sports officials. The misbehavior of fans in middle schools and other levels of learning have led to adoption of laws that protect sports officials in some states in the United States. The laws often protect registered sports officials from being attacked physically or verbally in the course of performing their duties such as officiating sports events or immediately after officiating the events. The penalties associated with attacking a sports official varies from â€Å"a first-degree misdemeanor to a first-degree felony†. Gener ally, the need to enact laws that protect sports officials arose from a culture that promotes indecent behavior among students and coaches during interscholastic sports events. Most trained officials often turn down the offer to participate in various games if they expect to be assaulted due to trivial reasons such as fans’ dissatisfaction with a contest decision. The stress experienced by sports officials as they officiate various games is mainly explained by the â€Å"fear of failure, fear of physical harm, and time pressure†. These fears arise as students put pressure on sports officials to take actions that satisfy their needs even though such actions might not be appropriate. Players in various sports events often receive emotional support from their team managers and coaches. They are often trained to cope with failure and to ignore the negative feedback that they may receive from fans. By contrast, sports officials hardly receive any emotional support during spo rts events. The officials are often â€Å"left alone during times of harassment, with no support from fans, coaches, or school administrators†. This leads to isolation during times of stress. As a result, most officials experience high levels of mental and physical tiredness as they perform their duties. Ultimately, most officials terminate their commitment to serve middle school students as referees or umpires. Previous studies indicate that middle school students’ propensity to misbehave during sports events is influenced by personal and environmental factors. Deindividuation is one of the factors that lead to misbehavior towards sports officials. Deindividuation refers to â€Å"immersion to a group to the point that one loses a sense of self-awareness and feels lessened responsibility for one’s actions†. Deindividuation weakens self-control, thereby increasing the ease with which fans are influenced by their surroundings. As a result, spectators may mo b, insult, or threaten sports officials. Most fans take advantage of the anonymity provided by a group setting to misbehave. Personal accountability declines and responsibility diffuses as fans increase their involvement in group activities. Consequently, even the well-behaved fans may be encouraged to imitate bad behaviors such as yelling at officials in order to conform to the groups that they identify with. Disinhibition is a common characteristic of passionate fans of various sports events. Disinhibition is a state in which an individual’s ability to control his or her behavior, emotions, and impulses are greatly reduced. It leads to a situation in which fans are less concerned about the consequences of their behaviors or what others think about them. Disinhibition eliminates the normal constraints on behavior â€Å"such as long-term norms, self-monitoring, and self-awareness†. In this context, fans’ behaviors are mainly influenced by their immediate emotion s rather than rationality and self-control. Consequently, fans may express themselves in a manner that contravenes the principles of good sportsmanship. For example, a very passionate fan may cheer his team by shouting too much or insulting a sports official whose decision he disagrees with. Frustration is a major determinant of students’ participation in violent acts during sports events. Frustration leads to aggression under circumstances in which fans believe that their chance to win in a particular contest was thwarted by a decision made by a sports official. Students can respond to their frustrations by attacking sports officials as a means of compensating for their loss. This perspective is supported by the fact that dysfunctional fans consider their violent behaviors as a product of hard work rather than an intention to hurt sports officials. In particular, violent fans tend to believe that engaging in violent behaviors is an effective means of fighting for a win that they deserve. Frustration increases arousal when students are disappointed with the outcome of a sports event. Moreover, socialization greatly influences students’ behavior towards sports officials. Students who often watch violent movies are likely to engage in violent behaviors during sports events. Moreover, they are likely to use weapons to attack sports officials and their opponents or teammates. Crowd demographic is also a determinant of middle school students’ behavior towards sports officials during and after a sports event. Several studies indicate that male students are more likely to engage in violent behaviors than females students are. Similarly, sports events that involve teams from different schools are usually characterized with violence because stakes are often vary high. Students from each school usually focus on winning at all costs in order to show their superiority. In this case, sports officials can be on the receiving end if they make any mistake that causes one team to lose. Methods and Procedures Qualitative research method was used to collect and to analyze the data used to discuss the behavior of middle school students towards sports officials. Qualitative research method was suitable for this project since it focuses on meanings, perspectives, and understandings. In particular, it focuses on determining the meanings that people attach to their behavior, as well as, how they interpret various situations. Additionally, qualitative research focuses on determining people’s perspectives on various issues in their surroundings. Thus, the qualitative research method facilitated the analysis of the perspectives of various researchers concerning the behavior of middle school students towards sports officials. The data used in this project was collected through a thorough review of the literature on the behavior of middle school students towards sports officials. This involved reading and analyzing the findings of previou s studies and the theories that have been developed to explain fans’ behavior during sports events. Generally, the data was collected from secondary sources such as academic textbooks, peer reviewed journals, and reports of previous studies. The advantages of using secondary sources of data include the following. First, secondary sources of data on students’ behavior during sports events are readily available through various platforms such as online libraries and e-books. This reduced the time required to collect and to analyze the data needed to complete the project. Second, secondary sources of data present the views of different researchers and scholars. Thus, it was easy to understand students’ behavior and to analyze the factors that influence it in an objective manner. Despite these benefits, some secondary sources of data are likely to have unreliable information. Consequently, only academic textbooks and peer reviewed journals were used to ensure that th e conclusions of the project are based on reliable information. Hermeneutic analysis was used to analyze the data collected for the project. Hermeneutic analysis involves gaining an â€Å"in-depth understanding of the meanings of human practices, culture, works of art and text†. In this project, data analysis involved reviewing and interpreting existing literature on middle school students’ behavior towards sports officials. The interpretations were used to make conclusions about the project’s topic. Conclusion Results and Analysis The literature reviewed indicates that cases of misbehavior towards sports officials are on the rise in middle schools. This has led to adoption of laws that protect sports officials from harassment as they perform their duties. Students usually respond to the decisions made by sports officials through deviant behaviors such as verbal and physical harassment. The main factors that determine students’ behavior during sports even ts include frustration, crowd demographics, the performance of sports officials, and students’ socialization. The misbehavior of middle school students during sports events can be explained by three theories namely, the social learning theory, instinct theory, and frustration-aggression hypothesis. According to the social learning theory, an individual acquires a new behavior by watching and imitating others. In this context, well-behaved students can gradually learn bad behaviors from their colleagues and begin to practice them. Thus, students’ behavior towards sports officials illustrates what they learn from their colleagues and the society in general. According to the instinct theory, aggression is an inborn drive. In particular, aggression is an intrinsic drive that can be discharged or fulfilled. This suggests that students can use sports events to discharge pent-up aggression. For example, the celebrations that follow a win in a particular game can help in reduc ing stress and aggression among students. By contrast, a sports event can increase aggression if students fail to achieve their objectives or goals. This leads to deviant behaviors such as harassing sports officials. The frustration-aggression hypothesis posits that frustration only prepares an individual for an aggressive reaction. Thus, an individual may or may not express aggression when frustrated. This perspective is illustrated by the fact that responsible students often avoid engaging in deviant behaviors during sports events even if they are frustrated. However, an increase in frustration is likely to result into expression of aggression. Discussion and Reflection Sports events play a key role in the development process of students at the middle school level. Teachers and parents value good sportsmanship and expect students to engage actively in sports events. Unfortunately, the level of sportsmanship among students in middle schools is deteriorating. This failure can be att ributed to the permissiveness of the society and school administrators towards aggression in sports events. Parents and teachers alike engage in deviant behaviors during sports events within and outside schools, thereby setting bad precedence for students. Students, on the other hand, have over time developed the culture of winning at all costs, which leads to misbehavior during sports events. Therefore, parents and teachers must collaborate to help students to internalize the principles of sportsmanship. Parents must help their children to understand that losing in a sports event is not the end of everything. They should encourage their children to learn to cope with failure and appreciate the contributions of sports officials in every game. Teachers and school administrators should focus on promoting discipline among students. Moreover, they should establish a conflict resolution mechanism to address any disagreements that may arise between sports officials and students in order t o avoid violence. Students are also expected to act responsibly and to respect sports officials in order to benefit from sports events. References Atkinson, M., Young, K. (2008). Deviance and social control in sports. New York, New York: John Wiley and Sons. Balch, C., Scott, D. (2007). Contrary to popular belief, refs are people too! Personality and perception of officials. Journal of Sport Behavior 30(1), 3-20. Banning, S., Wells, S., Baker, L. (2009). Parents behaving badly? The relationship between the sportsmanship behavior of adults and athletes in youth basketball games. Journal of Sport Behavior 32(1), 3-18. Coakley, J. (2011). What counts as positive development? Journal of Sport and Social issues, 35(3), 306-324. Courtney, J., Wann, D. (2010). The relationship between sport fan dysfunction and bullying behaviors. North American Journal of Psychology, 12(1), 1-20. Godsdon, S. (2001). Psychology and sport. London, England: Butterworth-Heinneman. Jamieson, L., Orr, T. (2 012). Sport and violence. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons. Jarvis, M. (2006). Sport Psychology: A students handbook. New York, NY: Routledge. Kellett, P., Shilbury, D. (2007). Umpire participation: Is abuse really the issue? Sport Management Review 10(3), 209-229. Kreager, D. (2007). Unnecessary roughness? School sports, peer networks, and male adolescent violence. American Sociological Review, 72(5), 705-724. Lewis, J. (2007). Sports fan violence in North America. New York, NY: Rowman and Littlefield. Light, D., Lavoi, N., Power, C. (2005). The sport behavior of youth, parents, and coaches: The good, the bad, and the ugly. Journal of Research in Character Education, 3(1), 43-59. Nixon, H. (1997). Gender, sport, and aggressive behavior outside sport. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 21(4), 379-391. Oproiu, I. (2012). A study on the relationship between sports and aggression. Sport Science Review, 22(2), 33-48. Stornes, T. (2001). Sportspersonship in elite sports: On the effec ts of personal and environmental factors on the display of sportspersonship among elite male handball players. European Physical Education Review 7(1), 283-304. Thornton, P., Champion, W., Ruddell, L. (2011). Sports ethics for sports management professionals. London, England: Butterworth-Heinneman. Tracy, S. (2012). Qualitative research methods. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Wakefield, S., Wann, D. (2006). An examination of dysfunctional sport fans: Method of classification and relationships with problem behaviors. Journal of Leisure Research 38(2), 168-186. Wingate, B. (2008). Violence at sports events. London, England: Sage. Wolfson, S., Neave, N. (2007). Coping under pressure: Cognitive strategies for maintaining confidence among soccer referees. Journal of Sport Behavior 30(2), 232-247. Young, K. (2012). Sport, Violence and Society. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 25

English - Essay Example People like multi-billionaire Richard Branson got his start in the world because he knew he wanted to do something to do with music. He started up a small company that sold mail-order albums and eventually built up enough capital to open up his first record store. From there, he was able to build his record label with new artists and his fortune started rolling in (Lorenz, 2006). People who are motivated and dedicated can teach themselves whatever it is that they need to know in order to follow the profession they’ve selected. If this isn’t possible, then there are also the possibilities of internships or apprenticeships, where the individual is taught the skills they need in order to perform the job they’re trying to get without having to shell out their own money to learn (Forbes staff, 2006). Then there is the question of money. We’ve all heard it said that you can make more money if you have a college education, but this premise is called into question by a number of studies. Relatively hostile to the idea that non-college educated individuals can earn close to or the same as college-educated, Michael Robertson (2008) was forced to admit there may be some truth to the statement after examining the results of a 45 year survey. Forbes staff (2006) indicates those who opt not to attend college are able to gain 4-5 years of work experience while their peers are in class, they do not acquire the tremendous college loan debt that frequently haunts college grads well into their adult lives and, if they invest their college money rather than spending it on education, they may end up making money there, too. Finally, there are several examples of very wealthy people who have managed to make their fortunes at young ages because they weren’t wasting their energies in the classroom and were out there waiting to take advantage of any opportunity that came