Carroway Clothing Essay Example for Free

Carroway Clothing Essay Re: Current accounting issues, employment benefits and financing options. Thank you for the opportunity to address the current accounting issues, employment benefits and financing options facing Carroway Clothing Limited (CCL) 1. SR ED and Development costs treatment: In reviewing the financial statements it appears that the development costs and SRED treatment may not have been recorded appropriately. The SRED are tax credits to be used towards taxable income and should not have been recorded as government grants. Since CCL may not have needed them in the initial years, it can use SRED tax credits against taxable income in the future. It is necessary to identify all SR$ERD activities for proper recording practices so that the credits generated by the SRED can be used against future income. The $975,000 development costs can be expensed or capitalized depending on if the following criteria are met The project is technically feasible CCL intends of complete the project CCL has the ability to use or sell the product There is probability of future economic benefit will be generated Availability of adequate technical and financial recourses CCL has the ability to measure reliably the expenditures attribute to it. Since the Walton Work Wear line is in the production stage, its accumulated development costs should be capitalized. The Carroway Cool Top has not started it commercial production which would allow the development costs not to be amortized yet. Also interest costs on loans to generate financing for the RD activates of a product can be capitalized rather than expensed. The capitalization of interest would allow CCL to reduce taxable income in the future when it is more profitable. I would recommend that CCL make the above changes immediately so that the financail statements are not incorrect. These changes would help CCL reduce its future taxable income when it may be more profitable. 2. Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. CCL currently has no allowance for bad debts. Even though CCL does not have issue with uncollectible, having an allowance account will provide CCL with the ability to write off debts such as the disputed shipment. Without being able to write off the shipment, will leave the Accounts Receivables overstated, which in turn leads to misstated financial statements. Having an AFDA would allow CCL to record the sale but also recognise that they do not expect payment from the client. Leaving this account on the accounts receivable would be misleading to CCLs stakeholders as it would lead them to believe that CCL is expecting to receive the cash in the near future. IF in the future, the dispute is resolved and the payment is received, CCL can recover the bad debt at that time. I would recommend that CCL create a policy regarding Accounts Receivables immediately. The method for determining the bad debt amount should be determined by CCL management. Methods such a percentage of sales or a percentage of Account Receivables can be used. Whichever method is chosen, it should be consistent from year to year and the amount should be reasonable. 3. Long Term Debt or Initial Public offering. CCL is currently looking at an initial public offering (IPO) and long term debt as two options to help finance the new research and development (RD) of new products. The bank loan can provided financial stability but will have the interest repaid over a longer time is higher and would be tax deductible. Banks may require financial statements that are audited. CCL will need to be able to prove that it can repay the loan as well as the interest. It may also be required to maintain a debt to equity ratio that may prevent it from taking advantage of other opportunities in the future. An IPO offering has the potential to increase capital which would improve financial rations such as the debt to equity. The increased cash flow will help CCL pay it current payables and reduce debt by negotiating better interest rates in the future. The disadvantage to an IPO would be the potential to lose control over the company and having to be more accountable to other investors. The IPO would also require the financial statement and note disclosure to conform to more stringent requirements, which increase the cost of producing the financial statements. Financial statements will need to follow IFRS and securities regulators generally require 3 years of annual audited financials. It should also be noted that there is a significant cost to offering an IPO and it can be difficult to evaluate the stock price of the shares. I would recommend that CCL consider the IPO as a viable on to its financing issue as it will be more beneficial in the long term. The change from ASPE to IFRS will be a short term challenge but can be overcome with appropriate professional assistance. I would highly recommend that CCL seek the opinion and assistance of a professional who deals with IPOs. 4. Employee Stock Options. CCL is considering providing employees stock options as a way to reward its employees. As a CCPC, CCL will have no tax consequence for the employees receiving the stock options until they dispose of the shares. The amount taxed as employment income in the year of disposal is the difference between the option price and the FMV of the shares at the time of the option was exercised. The employee may be able to claim a deduction from taxable income equal to half this amount if the shares were worth less than the exercise price when the option was issued or the employee hold the shares for at least two years before selling the shares. There are many alternatives to rewarding employees besides cash bonuses and stock options. Options can range from published recognition to merchandise such as shirts that the company makes. Time off with pay can also work to  motivate employees for hard work. I would recommend that CCL consider alternatives such as free products and time off as these will be less costly to provide than the stock options. Doing an employee survey would provide feedback to the rewards that the employees would value most. 5. Legal issues CCL is currently facing a pending lawsuit regarding a chemical leak and the non-compliance with environmental regulations. When both of the following conditions are met the amount of the contingent loss must be accrued. Disclosure will be need if the following conditions are met: The likely hood that the verdict will be against CCL A reasonable estimate of the amount o f the lawsuit can be made. The lawsuit may also lead customers and the public to believe that CCL acted negligently. This will reflect poorly on CCL and may lead to decreased sales and a damaged reputation If there is no accrual, there should be disclosure in the financial notes, stating the nature of the contingency, estimate of the amount or that an estimate cannot be made and exposure to loss in excess of the amount accrued. If CCL does not disclose, it would be misleading to the financial statement user. I would recommend that CCL consult with their legal advisors immediately to determine the likelihood of a lawsuit and the potential liabilities. Also, CCL should be prepared to address the negative publicity that the lawsuit may create. Should you require further clarification on any matters, please do not hesitate to contact me.

The Impeachment Of President Bill Clinton

The Impeachment Of President Bill Clinton In 1992, Bill Clinton became the 42nd president of the United States, defeating George Bush. Bill Clinton was the first President born after World War II and the youngest since John F. Kennedy. He is the second president in United States history to be impeached. His impeachment was the consequence of his indiscretions. The impeachment hearing and all the evidence was publicized and often imitated to make fun, but his impeachment was no laughing matter. President Clinton had serious allegations against him that were continuously denied until the evidence was too incriminating that he could no longer cover the truth. Bill Clinton was born in Hope, Arkansas in 1946. While attending high school he traveled to Washington D.C. with the Boys Nation to attend a leadership conference. He and others in the group were invited to White House. During his visit he shook hands with President John F. Kennedy, an event that became one of the most memorable of his youth and which sparked an early interest in entering politics. Clinton attended Georgetown University, earning a degree in International Affairs. He then attended Oxford University to study Government and later onto Yale Law School. He met his wife, Hillary, during this time. In 1972, they both worked for presidential candidate, George McGovern. After completing law school he returned to his home, Arkansas, to teach law at the University of Arkansas. During this time he was contemplating his political career. In 1974, he ran for U.S. Congress but lost in a close race. In 1976, he became the Attorney General of Arkansas. He proceeded to become the youngest Governor in the U.S. and then served as the Chairman of the National Governors Association. Clinton continued his political career and in the 1991-1992 presidential election he became President of the United States. He defeated the allegations of marital infidelity, pot smoking, and draft dodging but the turmoil was just beginning. Widely considered the most investigated President ever, the Clinton administration had been dogged by controversy from the very beginning. Shortly after Clinton was elected president, more allegations began to surface. The first major Clinton scandal involved the White House travel office and came to be popularly known as Travelgate. Whitewater began back in 1978 when Bill and Hillary Clinton along with two Arkansas acquaintances, James B. and Susan McDougal, borrowed $203,000 to purchase 220 acres of riverfront land in Arkansas Ozark Mountains, then formed the Whitewater Development Corporation with the intention of building vacation homes (History Place, 2000). In 1982, McDougal purchased Madison Guaranty, a small saving and loan company that was shut down in 1989 after several failed loans. In 1992, the Federal Resolution Trust Corporation, during its investigation into the causes of its failure, named both Bill and Hillary Clinton as potential beneficiaries of alleged illegal activities at Madison Guaranty. A referral was then sent to the U.S. Justice Department (History Place, 2000). There was said to be illegal dealings and but by late 1997, the Whitewater investigation came to a close. The Office of Independent Counsel failed to produce the necessary substantial and credible evidence of an impeachable offense that would justify referring the matter to Congress for further action (Linder, 2005). After this investigation, Clinton personal affairs were being watched closely by Kenneth W. Starr, a former Justice Department official in the Reagan administration, and federal appeals court judge and solicitor general in the Bush administration. He began investigating the Clintons to matters that were personal unrelated to the Whitehouse-Travelgate case. The second allegation began to surface, the Paula Jones case. Paula was a former Arkansas state employee. In 1994, Paula alleged that in 1991, she was summoned by Clintons bodyguard to go his hotel room. She claimed that Clinton committed sexual harassment by dropping his trousers in a Little Rock hotel room and asking her to perform a sex act. She filed a civil lawsuit against the President in federal district court in Arkansas, seeking $700,000 in damages along with a personal apology from Clinton (History Place, 2000). When the alleged event occurred Clinton was not yet the president but when the allegations were made his lawyers advised him to postpone the case. Clintons plan to postpone the case didnt last long before the case reached the United States Supreme Court. For the first time in U.S. history, a sitting President was subjected to a civil lawsuit for actions that occurred before he became President (History Place, 2000). During the Paula Jones controversy Clinton gets involved with Monica Lewinsky. Monica Lewinsky was an intern that came to work at the White house in 1995. During her internship she was assigned to the West Wing of the White House and met Clinton. This was the start of there sexual encounters and secret meetings. She was transferred to the Pentagon and became friends with Linda Tripp. Linda Tripp, a Defense Department employee and friend of Monica Lewinsky. Lewinsky confided in Tripp and began telling her stories about the affair that she had with Clinton. Tripp began secretly tape-recording her conversations with Lewinsky, which included discussions of Lewinskys affair with Clinton. Tripp began to share information with Joness lawyers, and Starr. These findings were building a strong case against Clinton. The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 on May, 27 1997 for the Jones case and it proceeded. Joness legal team was in search of more dirt on Clinton. The information from Tripp was just the break that they needed to proceed towards the impeachment of Clinton. Clinton found out that Lewinsky was on the list of witnesses in the Jones case. A close friend on Clintons, Vernon Jordan, assisted Lewinsky in finding another job and also found her a lawyer. The lawyer provided help with an affidavit in the Jones case in which she would deny having a sexual relationship with the President. In 1998, Clinton testified in the Jones case. He was caught off guard because for the first time he was questioned about his sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky. Clinton denied under oath having any sexual relations with Lewinsky. Clintons denials would be used as the basis of an article of impeachment. Internet sites, news reporters, and magazines began to publically reveal the Lewinsky affair for the first time. Clinton continued to deny the allegations. He made a televised appearance to attempt to end the speculation. Clinton stated, But I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. Im going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people (History Place, 2000). This was his first speech but not his last he continued to deny the existence of the relationship. In April 1998, the Paula Jones sexual harassment case was dismissed. It was dismissed on the grounds that the alleged act was not considered sexual harassment under federal law. Starr and his team were still in pursuit of Clinton. Lewinsky declined to testify against Clinton until July. She hired lawyers and met with Starrs staff for the first time. She presented the details of her relationship with Clinton. Starr granted her immunity. Lewinsky also turned over a dress that was stained with semen, the DNA from which proved that Clinton and Lewinsky had been intimate. The next day, Clinton, whom Starr had subpoenaed to come before the grand jury, agreed to appear (Greenburg, 2003). She testified before Starrs federal grand jury. She gave explicit details about the sexual encounters but also told the jury that no one told her to lie or offered her a job in lieu of not telling. In August 1998, Clinton testified and admitted the affair with Lewinsky but continued to deny the Joness allegations. He also gave a televised apology for the relationship with Lewinsky that he described as, wrong. Clinton thus became the first President ever to testify in a grand jury criminal investigation concerning his own actions. Some thought his apology was enough but others thought it was inadequate. Clintons testimony would later be used as the basis of an article of impeachment. In September, Starr charged Clinton with impeachable offenses including perjury, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering. Starr disclosed the information to the public and America was flooded with explicit details. President Clinton was in jeopardy of loosing his position in office, something that he worked so hard for. The public began to make mockery of the acts, especially Clinton. The press had called on Clinton to resign and others were deeply concerned about the impact on the nation. In October 1998, the impeachment hearing began. The Democrats, in defense of Clinton, produced an array of scholars asserting that the charges against Clinton did not rise to the level of high Crimes and Misdemeanors mentioned, but not specifically defined, in the U.S. Constitution as grounds for impeachment, and therefore did not warrant removal of the President from office (History Place, 2000). Clinton was given 81 written questions that asked him to admit or deny allegations in Starrs report. His answers to the questions will be basis of an article of impeachment. In December 1998, the Judiciary Committee voted mainly along party lines to approve the first three articles of impeachment, accusing Clinton of committing perjury before Starrs grand jury and in the Jones case, and with obstruction of justice in the Jones case. The next day, the fourth article was approved, accusing Clinton of making false statements in his answers to the 81 written questions (History Place, 2000). Most people in America did not approve of an impeachment. Democrats wanted an alternative or a possibly reprimand but the majority wanted him to stay in the office. During this time Clinton had ordered military strike against Iraq because Iraqi leader did not comply with U.N. weapons inspection. Some say that his action was an attempt to prolong the impeachment but others say such allegations are absurd. The impeachment proceedings were delayed twenty-four hours. On December 19, 1998, President Clinton fate was decided before the full House of Representatives. They voted on the four articles on impeachment: Article 1- perjury before Independent Counsel Ken Starrs grand jury, Article 2- perjury in the Paula Jones civil case, Article 3- obstruction of justice related to the Jones case, Article 4- abuse of power by making perjurious statements to Congress in his answers to the 81 questions posed by the Judiciary Committee. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives brought two articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, charging him with perjury and obstruction of justice (Greenburg, 2003). The impeachment trial began January 7, 1999. Although this was the second impeachment trial in U.S. history, it would possible be the first for a president to be removed from office. On February 12, 1999, as the whole world watched as Senate voted. On Article 1, the charge of perjury, 55 senators, including 10 Republicans and all 45 Democrats voted not guilty. On Article 3, obstruction of justice, the Senate split evenly, 50 for and 50 against the President (History Place, 2000). A two-thirds majority was needed as stated by the Constitution. President Clinton was found not guilty on both charges and was allowed to serve the reminder of his term in office. President Clinton concludes by saying, Now that the Senate has fulfilled its constitutional responsibility, bringing this process to a conclusion, I want to say again to the American people how profoundly sorry I am for what I said and did to trigger these events and the great burden they have imposed on the Congress and on the American people (History Place, 2000). The allegations that led to the impeachment hearing were indeed immoral actions but did they warrant grounds for impeachment. Many will argue that Clinton was trying to protect his privacy by not disclosing all the facts before the court and others would say that he outright lied to cover the truth. He persuaded Lewinsky and other key witnesses into giving false testimony about the affair. In the case of the court when you swear under oath you are entitled to tell the truth but Clinton did not. In doing this, William Jefferson Clinton has undermined the integrity of his office, has brought disrepute on the Presidency, has betrayed his trust as President, and has acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States (Hall, Finkelman Ely, 2005). Was justice served? I will say, yes it was. Clinton was wrong for a lot of different reasons but no one other than our God is void of making mistakes. He was humiliated in the public eye and humbly admitted his untrue nature. It is often hard to disclose your own wrong doings to one person but to the whole world that is big. In realizing that he did not have much choice or look like a complete fool he still did the right thing. The trial was needed because there was wrongdoing but the judicial system did not fail the American people. Despite the whole ordeal, I feel that Clinton was one of the best Presidents during my time. Do we judge a person from there wrongdoings or do we look at the bigger picture? I look at the big picture and I stand behind my view, justice was served.

Teaching Philosophy Essay -- Education Educating Philosophy Essays

Teaching Philosophy God I love music. I love everything about music. I love playing music, singing music, dancing to music. Most of all, I love listening to music. Have you ever listened to music? I mean really, really listened? I love when you hear a song for the first time and it sends chills up your spine. I love even more when you hear a song for the hundredth time and it suddenly gives you chills like never before. But there are two ways of listening to music. You can hear a song as one whole entity and have it make you feel so good that you want to repeat it thousands of times. Or you can hear each part of a song for what it’s worth; the lyrics, the melody, the solo, the bass line, etc., and appreciate the integration of each one for the purpose of creating one final product. Teaching is like music. It’s made up of all these intricate pieces that merge together to create a final product; the learning experience of a student. When a child learns something new, he feels great; he wants to repeat it thousands of times. As a teacher, you can step back and appreciate everything you did to help that child learn: the lesson plans, the activities, the rules of the classroom, the parent meetings, the grading, the workshops, etc. The list is endless because teachers are constantly adding on to it, discovering new ways to reach their students and to create the best atmosphere for learning. That’s what teaching is all about; creating the most conducive environment for all students to be able to learn. When students receive great teaching, they sing, dance, play and listen to the music of the teacher. My life has kind of set me up for the teaching profession in ways I never realized... ...thing new, and in doing so, feel great about themselves and what they have accomplished. My classroom will be a safe and comfortable place for all students, no matter the race, gender, social class or disability. The students I teach will learn to respect their teacher, themselves, and each other and will learn to help strengthen the learning experience of their peers whenever possible. As I said before, my objective is to teach students how to learn subject matter, therefore their successes will extend much further than my classroom. As teachers we must realize our influence exceeds the boundaries of our class and we must take on roles that aren’t generally defined in our job description. Teaching is like music, consisting of a combination of various parts that in the end should put smiles on the faces or send chills up the spines of those who experience it.

The Night Of The Hunter: The Preacher Essay -- essays research papers

The Night of the Hunter: The Preacher   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When describing the preacher, John says, â€Å"His name is Harry Powell. But the names of his fingers are E and V and O and L and E and T and A and H and that story he tells about one hand being Hate and the other hand being Love is a lie because they are both hate and to watch them moving scares me worse than shadows, worse than the wind.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This description shows the absolute essence of the preacher's character in Davis Grubb's The Night of the Hunter. The preacher's real intentions are the hate of the left hand, and he rationalizes his evil through the false facade of the love of the right hand. Even though he may appear good and holy to some people, throughout the novel, he still has evil motives towards virtually everyone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In one of the preacher's dreams while he is in prison, he recalls an incident in which he rationalized an evil act by claiming it was God's will. After being solicited by a prostitute in Charleston, West Virginia, with the intention of killing her because of her â€Å"unholy† vocation, he takes her up to a room to murder her. Just as he is about to whip out the switchblade and fulfill his holy mission, he suddenly hears â€Å"God's† voice telling him not to bother because â€Å"there were too many of them.† At the moment when this revelation takes place, the woman of the night sees the preacher in the midst of taking out the knife, and she screa...

College Admissions Essay: The Experience that Changed My Life :: College Admissions Essays

The Experience that Changed My Life    I volunteered with Outreach Kenya Development Volunteers for three months in Bungoma, Kenya. As a team of six volunteers, we lived with a traditional Kenya family and shared in their daily experiences. Our primary focus this summer was AIDS education. We reached over 7,000 Kenyans about the potential dangers of HIV/AIDS. We used a secondhand vehicle bought by OKDV during the summer of 2000 and an old TV and generator to educate Kenyans. We traveled throughout rural western Kenya and reached people of all age groups and backgrounds. One day, we would teach a group of two hundred high school students whereas on another day, we educated a women's group of ten members. As well, using funds collected from private donors throughout the academic year, we built the first public library in Western Province, Kenya as well as a preschool in Kabula village (the village we lived in this summer). OKDV also worked with several women's groups to set them up with capital so that they could start up t heir own sewing shops and schools. By providing them with initial capital, they were left to their own creative and business skills to make efficient use of resources.    I don't think there are enough words to describe the amazing experience I had this summer. I believe my whole perspective on life has changed for the better. After living in a developing country for three months, I have realized just how most of the world lives. It was as though I got a true glimpse of the human condition. There are so many poignant images that appear in my mind when I think of Africa; street children begging for money, AIDS patients wasting away in the darkness of a tiny room, stacked skulls at genocide sites in Rwanda and many more. But what gives me hope and keeps my spirits optimistic are the positive images; people welcoming me into their homes, laughing and playing with children who don't even speak the same language as I do and many more. Even though Africa is a continent of contrasts, my summer experience helped me shatter my own stereotypes of the land and offered me an honest glimpse into the lives of ordinary Africans. Not only did I get a glimpse at their lives but also got to make a difference in their lives.

Multicultural Art

The three artists, David Bradley, Richard Ray Whitman and Nikki S. Lee, produce images that depict traditional minorities in situations that somehow draw them into the main stream culture created primarily by Americans of European descent. In their respective works Native American Gothic, States of Pervasive Indifference, and The Hispanic Project, they do this through several means. These range from placing their subjects in universal contexts to comparing them with subjects of traditional European American art. However each artist chooses to depict the persons represented in his or her art, the effect is a complex blend of tension and harmony, as representatives of races that have sometimes in the past had uneasy relations seek unity and resolution. The traditional racial tensions are represented most strongly in the strategies of Bradley and Whitman, who both depict Native American Indians. In fact, both painters place these Native Americans as the sole subject of the paintings, yet each manages subtly to allude to their conflict with the white race through symbolism—that is, by using a symbol that represents the entire European American race. Bradley’s American Indian Gothic identifies a Native American couple wearing the clothes of the European American. Bradley uses this strategy to show an attempt by the Indians to conform to a society that has been imposed upon them. Yet the Natives retain their spears and their tepee, implying an unwillingness to let go of their lifestyle. Likewise, Whitman’s States of Pervasive Indifference shows a Native American wrapped in an American Flag. This underlines (or perhaps mocks) the idea of the melting pot as the Native American often finds himself marginalized by society—an idea which is in direct contrast to the picture of the American flag cradling this Indian. Despite the notes of tension, David Bradley’s American Indian Gothic also shows a strong reference to the similarities of the European and Native Americans through his parody of Grant Wood’s American Gothic (Hughes, 2005). The similarities between the two paintings identify fundamental similarities in humans regardless of their cultural origins. They all have need of food, protection, and shelter—as shown by the house/tepee and the spear/fork. This too is identified in Whitman’s photograph States of Pervasive Indifference on which is clearly printed the words, â€Å"earth, air, water, fire†Ã¢â‚¬â€elements on which all people depend. Nikki S. Lee’s work can also be brought in here, as in her work The Hispanic Project a group of teenage girls is seen experiencing and doing (it would seem) the things that are typical of their age. The girls’ attitudes are universal and they could easily have been a group of European Americans. Yet they are Hispanic—except, one Asian girl (Lee herself) is in the mix, and blends so well that her cultural and ethnic difference from the rest of the group is almost obscured (Sagrans). In this way The Hispanic Project, like American Indian Gothic and States of Pervasive Indifference, identifies the common traits of the members of the human race, highlighting the multicultural harmony of the United States. In an interview, Whitman speaks about his project States of Pervasive Indifference: â€Å"In indigenous cultures we're not only concerned with human to human relationships, but also our relationship with the environment† (Abbott). Interest in one’s relationship to the environment has been sparked across the United States in recent decades, and this identifies a ground on which the several cultures of the United States have merged. The â€Å"human to human† relationships of which Whitman speaks is also evident in the strategies of The Hispanic Project, in which teenagers are having fun with each other, and their racial and cultural differences melt into the background. Human relationships that exist across racial and cultural lines are also depicted in the strategies of American Indian Gothic, as the love and marriage between the man and his wife are clearly identified to exist within the Native American society independently of influence of the Europeans. The similarity of humans despite their difference in culture is highlighted in these works. Works Cited Abbott, Larry. â€Å"Richard Ray Whitman.† A Time of Visions: Interviews by Larry Abbott.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.britesites.com/native_artist_interviews/rwhitman.htm Hughes, Collin. â€Å"Crossing Boundaries.† Washington State University. WSU. 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.wsu.edu/~hughesc/crossing_boundaries.html Sagrans, Erica. â€Å"Portrait of an Assimilitarist.† UTNE: A Different Read on Life.    Understanding the Next Evolution, 2002. Multicultural Art The three artists, David Bradley, Richard Ray Whitman and Nikki S. Lee, produce images that depict traditional minorities in situations that somehow draw them into the main stream culture created primarily by Americans of European descent. In their respective works Native American Gothic, States of Pervasive Indifference, and The Hispanic Project, they do this through several means. These range from placing their subjects in universal contexts to comparing them with subjects of traditional European American art. However each artist chooses to depict the persons represented in his or her art, the effect is a complex blend of tension and harmony, as representatives of races that have sometimes in the past had uneasy relations seek unity and resolution. The traditional racial tensions are represented most strongly in the strategies of Bradley and Whitman, who both depict Native American Indians. In fact, both painters place these Native Americans as the sole subject of the paintings, yet each manages subtly to allude to their conflict with the white race through symbolism—that is, by using a symbol that represents the entire European American race. Bradley’s American Indian Gothic identifies a Native American couple wearing the clothes of the European American. Bradley uses this strategy to show an attempt by the Indians to conform to a society that has been imposed upon them. Yet the Natives retain their spears and their tepee, implying an unwillingness to let go of their lifestyle. Likewise, Whitman’s States of Pervasive Indifference shows a Native American wrapped in an American Flag. This underlines (or perhaps mocks) the idea of the melting pot as the Native American often finds himself marginalized by society—an idea which is in direct contrast to the picture of the American flag cradling this Indian. Despite the notes of tension, David Bradley’s American Indian Gothic also shows a strong reference to the similarities of the European and Native Americans through his parody of Grant Wood’s American Gothic (Hughes, 2005). The similarities between the two paintings identify fundamental similarities in humans regardless of their cultural origins. They all have need of food, protection, and shelter—as shown by the house/tepee and the spear/fork. This too is identified in Whitman’s photograph States of Pervasive Indifference on which is clearly printed the words, â€Å"earth, air, water, fire†Ã¢â‚¬â€elements on which all people depend. Nikki S. Lee’s work can also be brought in here, as in her work The Hispanic Project a group of teenage girls is seen experiencing and doing (it would seem) the things that are typical of their age. The girls’ attitudes are universal and they could easily have been a group of European Americans. Yet they are Hispanic—except, one Asian girl (Lee herself) is in the mix, and blends so well that her cultural and ethnic difference from the rest of the group is almost obscured (Sagrans). In this way The Hispanic Project, like American Indian Gothic and States of Pervasive Indifference, identifies the common traits of the members of the human race, highlighting the multicultural harmony of the United States. In an interview, Whitman speaks about his project States of Pervasive Indifference: â€Å"In indigenous cultures we're not only concerned with human to human relationships, but also our relationship with the environment† (Abbott). Interest in one’s relationship to the environment has been sparked across the United States in recent decades, and this identifies a ground on which the several cultures of the United States have merged. The â€Å"human to human† relationships of which Whitman speaks is also evident in the strategies of The Hispanic Project, in which teenagers are having fun with each other, and their racial and cultural differences melt into the background. Human relationships that exist across racial and cultural lines are also depicted in the strategies of American Indian Gothic, as the love and marriage between the man and his wife are clearly identified to exist within the Native American society independently of influence of the Europeans. The similarity of humans despite their difference in culture is highlighted in these works. Works Cited Abbott, Larry. â€Å"Richard Ray Whitman.† A Time of Visions: Interviews by Larry Abbott.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.britesites.com/native_artist_interviews/rwhitman.htm Hughes, Collin. â€Å"Crossing Boundaries.† Washington State University. WSU. 2005.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.wsu.edu/~hughesc/crossing_boundaries.html Sagrans, Erica. â€Å"Portrait of an Assimilitarist.† UTNE: A Different Read on Life.    Understanding the Next Evolution, 2002.

Reflective essy

Self-reflection essay I remember first arriving in Haiti. The blast of heat stepping off the plane, cramming onto a mini school bus, and staring out the windows at the outskirts of Cap Haitian and the rural road to Milot. â€Å"I'm in Haiti†¦ † , I kept telling myself, trying to absorb all that I was seeing. The landscape, the way people live here, the norms of this culture were so different from anything I had seen before. We walked the streets of Milot that first day and I strongly recall the uncomfortable feeling of all eyes on us, the trash and the pigs in the rivers, and the children crying, â€Å"Blan!Blan! † as we walked past. It's funny what happens after youVe been in a place for a while. It ceases to be constantly foreign and overwhelming. I no longer see only abject poverty out the windows or while we walk through villages. I notice the details, walls painted bright blue, yellow, red, the heart design carved out of brick that make up the windows of every home, the bright red hibiscus flowers and cacti that form walls around each familys plot of land. When I walk through Milot now I expect people to stare, why wouldn't they?I say â€Å"bonjou† to them and smile, and get a â€Å"bonjou† and a smile ack. I look for the goat babies we pass on our runs, and am always comforted by the mountains surrounding this little town. Haiti is poor, yes, and I am reminded of that every day, but there is so much more to it than that. I wrote the above two paragraphs in my blog a little over a month into my trip to Haiti this summer. They sum up my feeling of becoming part of a place, as much as an American medical student can become part of a small Haitian town in 7 weeks. I had a truly amazing, fulfilling, and personally enriching experience.My first learning objective was, â€Å"to ain confidence in applying the clinical skills I have learned thus far, through working with patients every day. † I became very comfortable workin g through an interpreter, as this was the only way to communicate with every patient I interacted with. I had a lot of practice in conducting patient interviews, performing a targeted physical exam, and taking vitals. This opportunity was an amazing way to remember and fine tune all the skills I learned in medical interviewing, physical diagnosis, and CAP.Interviewing patients who speak English will seem a lot easier in comparison. My second learning objective was, â€Å"to learn how to ask public health questions and carry out meaningful research to improve the health of a population. † About half of our time in Haiti was dedicated to conducting a public health project. This was an incredible learning experience even before leaving the US. Three of us and our physician mentor applied for three IRB approvals as a group. That required a lot of research, teamwork, and delegation.We were able to get approval before leaving for Haiti, which let us hit the ground running. We spent about 2 days a week in small illages around Milot, working with translators and going door to door to interview women, or meeting large groups of midwives in village clinics. This experience was a true test of my patience and ability to put my type A, â€Å"get things done now' personality aside. Vans were always late to pick us up, the translators weren't high quality, and there were myriad miscommunications between us and the volunteer coordinator.Nevertheless, we managed to ge interviews conducted. I strongly believe that as a result of our research, positive developments will happen in Milot. This was a rewarding and challenging experience and even more ducational than I thought it would be going into it. My third learning objective was, â€Å"to strengthen my teamwork skills by working closely and effectively with other medical professionals. † I think my teamwork skills were honed best through working with two other students on our public health project.We all learned how to compromise, how to put our opinions forward effectively, and how to cede to other's opinions. We spent a lot of time and mental energy with each other without ever getting angry. There were times when we'd get frustrated with each other, but we were able to talk about it and move on. All seven of us students spent 2417 with each other for seven weeks and our collective ability to work together, to pick each other up when we were down, and to have fun together was like nothing IVe ever experienced.My final learning objective was, â€Å"to improve my communication skills and cultural competence while working with patients and other health care professionals with varied backgrounds and beliefs. † Of all my learning questions, this was perhaps the most important and the most difficult to successfully achieve. It will be a work in progress for my entire career, which is something I didn't really nderstand until this trip. It's not easy to put oneself, with one's own backgr ound, beliefs, and culturally created personality into another's shoes completely.It's also difficult to understand a culture so far removed from your own. Although I say it's difficult, I spent every single day in Haiti trying to improve my ability to do so. From working with doctors who often worked at a pace that made it seem as though they didn't care about their patients, to waiting for 3 hours for a late ride to a village, to the miscommunications that occurred frequently, every day was a conscious effort to nderstand the culture in which I found myself.Finally, I always heard about how hard it is to deal with the dysfunctional systems in third world countries, and I thought I understood. It's a whole different level of understanding when you see what that means on an individual human level in the eyes of the patients in front of you. And you are helpless to change the system. My time in Haiti I will remember, learn from, and be glad I did for the rest of my life. The things I learned, the relationships I made, and the experiences I had in those seven weeks would take a book to write down and do Justice to.