Texas History Voting Essay Example

Texas History Voting Essay In 2012 President Obama spoke to a group of people at a fund raiser event in Texas and seemed optimistic that Texas would soon be a battleground for the Democratic Party (Parker, 2013). Unless Democrats possess an extraordinary strategic plan this could prove to be a challenging task to accomplish. Recent voting in Texas has faithfully been favorable toward the Republican ticket for over 30 years (Parker, 2013). There has been a widespread margin in the percentage of votes between Republican and Democratic candidates in the last four presidential elections. Currently Republicans occupy all elected statewide offices, both state and federal houses of Legislature, and both U. S. Senate seats (Secretary of State TX, 2013). Republicans U. S. Senator John Cornyn and U. S. House Representative Ralph Hall both have won each of their re-elections. If these two elected officials accurately represent Texas then hard-hitting conservatives seem to be what wins the hearts of Texans. Texas Congressional District 4 (TX-04) has proven their steadfast loyalty to Republican candidates (Texas Political Almanac, 2013) and it does not seem plausible that the Democratic Party will be able to overcome TX-04 or Texas as a state any time soon. Liberal democrats may have to stock up on political artillery if they intend to be a recognizable force on the political battleground of Texas. Texas Voting History The Lone Star State: Reliably Republican â€Å"You’re not one of the battleground states, although that’s going to be changing soon†. We will write a custom essay sample on Texas History Voting specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Texas History Voting specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Texas History Voting specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer These words were spoken by President Obama, a Democrat, while addressing Texans at a fund-raising event in July 2012 (Parker, 2013). It has been over 30 years since the Democrats conquered Texas in a presidential election (Parker, 2013). If past poll results in Texas are an indication of future election results, President Obama’s prediction may prove inaccurate. In the last four presidential elections, Texas has not wavered in its support of Republican candidates with one to zero margins between Republican wins and Democrat losses. In recent years the Lone Star State has proven itself to be reliably republican. Texas History: Political Parties Democrats were the leading party up until the 1960’s (Political Parties, 2013). Texas began to take a turn toward the Republican Party when John G Tower, former Democrat (D) turned Republican (R), took the senate seat in 1961. He was the first Republican senator for Texas since Reconstruction in 1870. Another significant change took place 17 years later when Williams P. Clements became the first Republican Governor of Texas also since 1870. Clements lost his seat four years later in 1982 to a Democrat but ran and won again in 1986 (Texas Politics, 2013). Prior to 1980 there were a limited number of Republican wins. The few wins were mostly in presidential elections. Texans supported Republican candidates in 1952, 1956, and 1972; however after 1980 Republicans successfully won every presidential election in Texas (Texas Politics, 2013). The Republican Party steadily grew stronger throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. In 1994 both senator seats were held by republicans (Political Parties, 2013). The Republican Party continually kept rising and presently could claim Texas as its own. Republicans currently occupy all elected statewide offices, both state and federal houses of Legislature, and both U. S. Senate seats (Secretary of State TX, 2013). Politico’s presidential election data for Texas shows a narrow margin in 1996 with 49% of the votes for Dole (R) and 44 % for Clinton (D) (Election Central, 2012). The margin widened when Republican candidate George W. Bush, a native Texan, was on the ticket. In 2000 Bush received 59. 3% of the votes while the Democrat candidate Gore received 38%. In 2004 Bush’s victory in Texas was won with 61. % of the votes cast in Texas, compared to that of Kerry (D) with 38. 3 %. In 2008 the Republican victory in Texas narrowed slightly with the McCain (R) Obama (D) ticket when 55. 5 % of the ballots were cast for McCain in contrast to 43. 8% for Obama. In the most recent 2012 presidential election; Romney (R) received 57. 2 % while Obama (D) received 41. 4% (Texas Political Almanac, 2013). It is important to note that â€Å"Although the two major national parties have dominated electoral politics in the state; Texas also has spawned significant third parties that have affected national politics† (Texas Politics, 2013). The Reform party, founded by billionaire Ross Perot in the 1990’s, has gained support with a small number of Texas voters. The Libertarian and Green Parties have experienced growth in Texas (Texas Politics, 2013). The candidates from these parties have affected races statewide by almost 20%. In the 2012 presidential election both the Libertarian and Green Party qualified for the 2012 ballot and resulted in receiving almost 2% of the Texas vote (Texas Politics, 2013). However, in the 2012 elections, Republicans reigned in victory with the Democrats only able to gain a few seats. In the 2013 legislative session, Democrats sit in 55 seats in relation to the 95 seats held by Republicans (Texas Politics, 2013). United States Senator John Cornyn Senator John Cornyn has been in public office for 28 years. Cornyn is described as a â€Å"powerful voice for conservative values in Washington† (Biography:John Cornyn , n. d. ). Cornyn’s liberal and conservative voting scores seem to prove this statement to be true. Political Biography John Cornyn is a graduate of Trinity University and St. Mary’s School of Law, both in San Antonio, Texas. Cornyn earned a Masters of Law from the University of Virginia Law School in 1995. Cornyn began his public office career as a District Court Judge for Bexar County, Texas from 1984-1990. He served as a member of the Texas Supreme Court from 1991-1997. Cornyn was elected to the office of Texas Attorney General in 1998 and held that office until 2002 when he was elected to the Senate (Project Vote Smart, 2013). Cornyn was elected to his second term with 67. 1 percent of the votes in 2008 (Texas Political Almanac, 2013) and is currently still serving out his term. Cornyn served as a member of the Deputy Whip team after just one year in office, and is currently a member of the Republican Senate leadership and has been since 2006. Cornyn was elected in 2012 to serve as Minority Whip for the 113th Congress by Senate Republicans (Biography:John Cornyn , n. d. ). Cornyn co-sponsored and initiated the reform of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) known as the OPEN Government Act of 2007 (National Security Archive , 2008). Cornyn has won numerous awards during his term in office and currently sits on the Senate Finance and Judiciary Committees. Cornyn is also a member of several other committees, both legislative and non-legislative (Project Vote Smart, 2013). Conservative Champion Cornyn was ranked as 2012’s second-most conservative member of the Senate with a score of 93. 8 percent by the National Journal (Terris, 2013). There is a vast contrast in Cornyn’s liberal and conservative voting scores. That’s My Congress gives him a Liberal Action Score of 0/100 and a Conservative Action Score of 40/100 (2013). The top liberal and conservative interest group ratings for Cornyn hold nearly as wide a margin. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) gave Cornyn a score of 25% for 2010-2011. Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) scored the senator at 10% for 2011. In 2012 American Conservative Union (ACU) rated Cornyn with a lifetime score of 93 % with a 2012 score of 88%. Christian Coalition of America (CC) has given Cornyn a 100% rating from 2003-2010 (Project Vote Smart, 2013). These conservative voting scores clearly indicate that Senator John Cornyn holds a conservative political ideology. U. S. House Representative Ralph Hall Congressman Ralph Hall has been in public office for 63 years, serving Texas Congressional District 4 as their U. S. House Representative for 23 years. Congressman Hall is described as a life-long conservative (Ralph Hall, 2013). Hall’s voting scores and awards are more than sufficient in backing up this claim. Hall’s constituents of TX-04 seem to be satisfied with his representation of them in Washington and Congressman Hall has seemed to make their respect for him, as their representative, a priority. Political Biography Ralph M. Hall joined the U. S. Navy in 1942, serving in World War II until 1945. Hall then attended Texas Christian University in 1943 as well as the University of Texas, Austin from 1946-1947. Hall graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Law degree in 1951 and went on to practice private law in his hometown of Rockwall, (Ralph Hall, 2013). Congressman Hall began his public office career serving as County Judge of Rockwall County, Texas until 1962. From 1958- 1959 he served as President of the State Judges and Commissioners Association. Hall was elected in 1962 as a Texas State Senator and served in that office until 1972, serving as President Pro Tempore during1968-1969 (Project Vote Smart, 2013). Congressman Hall was first elected to serve the 4th District of Texas in the U. S. House of Representatives in 1980 and has been re-elected in every election since. Ralph Hall is currently 90 years old, and is the oldest-serving Member of the U. S. House of Representatives in recorded history. In November of 2012, Hall became the oldest member in the U. S. House of Representatives to ever cast a vote (Ralph Hall, 2013). Conservative to the Core There is little room for doubt that Congressman Hall has maintained a conservative view throughout his political career. That’s My Congress gives Hall a Liberal Action Score of 0/100 and a Conservative Action Score of 71/100 (2013). Liberal and conservative interest group ratings for Hall score his voting record in accordance with a conservative view. The liberal interest groups ACLU and ADA both scored the congressman at 0% for 2011-2012. Conservative group ACU rated Hall with a score of 85 % for 2011 -2012 and CC has given Hall a 100% rating from 2007-2010 (Project Vote Smart, 2013). In February of 2013 Ralph Hall received the American Conservative Union Ratings Award. Congressman Hall has won this award 32 times. In Hall’s acceptance speech he stated My constituents believe in America’s founding principles and upholding our Constitution, and I will continue to fight for the priorities and conservative values important to those I represent† (Ralph Hall, 2013). Congressman Hall has a reputation of staying in tune with the needs of his District and their views on relevant issues. Hall is known as a man that â€Å"would rather be respected at home than liked in Washington. (Ralph Hall, 2013). Being elected to serve as the U. S. Representative for Congressional District 4 for the past 23 years seems to indicate that he has earned TX-04 respect. Texas Congressional District 4 According to Texas Political Almanac (2013), the total population in 2012 for Texas Congressional District 4 (TX-04) was 698,488, which makes up 2. 7 percent of the entire population of Texas (U. S. Census Bureau, 2013). The voting history in District 4 of Texas echoes the same loyalty to the Republican candidates as Texas has as a state. However, voting in TX-04 reflects a higher margin of votes for Presidential Republican candidates in comparison to total votes cast statewide. In the 2012 presidential election, polling results statewide were Romney(R) 57. % Obama (D) 41. 4%; however, TX-04 results were Romney 74%, Obama 24. 8% (Nir, n. d. ). Margins for the 2008 and 2004 presidential election mirror near the same percentage ratio. In 2008 TX-04 votes were McCain (R) 68. 9%, Obama 30. 1% and in 2004 the final tally was Bush (R) 70. 4 % ,Kerry (D) 29. 6 % (Texas Political Almanac, 2013). It is difficult to ignore TX-04 loyalty to its Republican candidat es. TX-04 has persistently voted a straight republican ticket since 2002. Election results from 2002 – 2010 for all elected statewide offices has been in favor of republicans. Each individual republican candidate has routinely won in District 4 with an average of 65 % of the votes (Texas Political Almanac, 2013). TX-04 and its recent voting history have consistently proven Congressional District 4 to be overwhelmingly in favor of Republican candidates. Conclusion Texas has discernibly proven to be reliably republican at the polls for over 30 years. If Senator Cornyn and Congressman Hall accurately represent Texas and their constituents then one can safely assume that Texas is fundamentally a conservative state. If these two elected officials and their ratings with interest groups correctly reflect the Republican Party then one can believe that the principles of the Republican Party are based upon conservative values. Therefore recent voting results of Texas and especially District 4’s voting analysis’ seem to imply that Texas wants to place conservatives in Washington. If this is an accurate conclusion then the liberal Democratic Party will have to sharpen their political swords if they hope to advance to the frontlines of the battleground of Texas. References 012 Election Central. (2012). Retrieved July 12, 2013, from Politico: http://www. politico. com/2012-election/map/#/President/2012/ Biography:John Cornyn, (n. d. ). Retrieved July 12, 2013, from John Cornyn United States Senator for Texas: http://www. cornyn. senate. gov/public/index. cfm? p=Biography National Security Archive . (2008, January 2). Retrieved July 19, 2013, from National Security Achive George Washington U niversity: http://www. gwu. edu/~nsarchiv/news/20071218/ Nir, D. (n. d. ). Daily KOS Elections. Retrieved from Daily KOS: http://www. dailykos. om/story/2012/11/19/1163009/-Daily-Kos-Elections-presidential-results-by-congressional-district-for-the-2012-2008-elections Parker, R. (2013, February 19). Lone Star Blues. New York Times. Retrieved July 11, 2013, from New York Times: http://http://www. nytimes. com/2013/02/20/opinion/getting-texas-to-go-democratic. html? _r=0 Political Parties. (2013). Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved July 10, 2013, from Texas State Historical Association: http://www. tshaonline. org Project Vote Smart. (2013, July 13). Retrieved July 13, 2013, from Project Vote Smart: http://www. otesmart. org Ralph Hall. (2013, February 23). Retrieved July 15, 2013, from Congressman Ralph Hall: http://ralphhall. house. gov/index. cfm? sectionid=26amp;itemid=450 Secretary of State TX. (2013). Retrieved from Texas Secretary of State: h ttp://www. sos. state. tx. us/elections/voter/elected. shtml Texas Political Almanac. (2013, February 7). Retrieved July 11, 2013, from Texas Political Almanac: http://txpoliticalalmanac. com/index. php? title=CD4 Texas Politics. (2013). Retrieved July 13, 2013, from Liberal Arts Institute Technology Services University of Texas : http://texaspolitics. aits. utexas. edu/4_1_0. html Thats My Congress. (2013, July 11). Retrieved July 19, 2013, from Thats My Congress: http://thatsmycongress. com/senate/senCornynTX113. html Terris, B. (2013, February 13). The Senates Most Conservative Member: Ever Heard of Him? Retrieved July 13, 2013, from National Journal: http://www. nationaljournal. com/2012-voting-ratings/the-senate-s-most-conservative-member-ever-heard-of-him-20130220 U. S. Census Bureau. (2013, June 27). Retrieved from U. S. Census Bureau: http://quickfacts. census. gov/qfd/states/48000. html

Scholarship Application Essay Writing

Scholarship Application Essay Writing Scholarship Application Essay Writing Scholarship Application Essay Writing: Secrets Scholarship application essay is one of the most exciting and one of the most difficult assignments to cope with at one and the same time. You have already struggled with your college admission essay and probably remember how it was difficult, panic striking, and brainstorming to write it. Now you are a student, our congratulations to you. That is why it is high time to think about getting scholarship for your study. The price for education is too high nowadays, and far not everyone is able to cover it. If you want to help yourself and your family to cover at least the expenses of your study, you can do nothing but win your college scholarship. Scholarship Application Essay Writing Pieces of Advice To receive the scholarship, you have to write scholarship application essay; this is not a secret: However, the question arises: how is it possible to write the successful scholarship application essays in order to win the scholarship? At this point, there are several secrets of the successful scholarship application essay writing and we are going to share them with you. The first secret is to look through several successful scholarship application essays in order you could understand what you have to write, which style you have to use, and how you have to advertise yourself in order to get your scholarship. The second secret is to spend a little time thinking before starting your scholarship application essay. You have to think over all the details you are going to write in your scholarship application essay in order to receive logically connected and coherent text. The third secret lies in the content of your scholarship application essay. Remember that the aim of your scholarship application essay is to get the scholarship. That is why you have to demonstrate all your strengths and to persuade the committee to award you with it. That is why you have to make them liking you and taking care of you. Final Tip: Use Custom Writing Service! The last but not the least secret in writing your successful scholarship application essay is to use custom essay writing service. With the help of our custom essay writing service, you will receive the professional consultation on the subject how to write the successful scholarship application essay. You can also order your scholarship application essay within the convenience of our site if you are not sure whether you can cope with such a task. Moreover, if you feel like writing scholarship application essays on your own, you can appeal to our site to edit your scholarship application essay. Read more: Editing Paper Term Term Paper Editing Free Literature Review Full Text Process Analysis Case Study Problem and Solution Essay

Cilia and Flagella Function

Cilia and Flagella Function What Are Cilia and Flagella? Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells contain structures known as cilia and flagella. These extensions from the cell surface aid in cell movement. They also help to move substances around cells and direct the flow of substances along tracts. Cilia and flagella are formed from specialized groupings of microtubules called basal bodies. If the protrusions are short and numerous they are termed cilia. If they are longer and less numerous (usually only one or two) they are termed flagella. What Are Their Distinguishing Characteristics? Cilia and flagella have a core composed of microtubules that are connected to the plasma membrane and arranged in what is known as a 9 2 pattern. The pattern is so named because it consists of a ring of nine microtubule paired sets (doublets) that encircle two singular microtubules. This microtubule bundle in a 9 2 arrangement is called an axoneme. The base of cilia and flagella is connected to the cell by modified centriole structures called basal bodies. Movement is produced when the nine paired microtubule sets of the axoneme slide against one another causing cilia and flagella to bend. The motor protein dynein is responsible for generating the force required for movement. This type of organization is found in most eukaryotic cilia and flagella. What Is Their Function? The primary function of cilia and flagella is movement. They are the means by which many microscopic unicellular and multicellular organisms move from place to place. Many of these organisms are found in aqueous environments, where they are propelled along by the beating of cilia or the whip-like action of flagella. Protists and bacteria, for example, use these structures to move toward a stimulus (food, light), away from a stimulus (toxin), or to maintain their position in a general location. In higher organisms, cilia is often used to propel substances in a desired direction. Some cilia, however, do not function in movement but in sensing. Primary cilia, found in some organs and vessels, can sense changes in environmental conditions. Cells lining the walls of blood vessels exemplify this function. The primary cilia in blood vessel endothelial cells monitor the force of blood flow through the vessels. Where Can Cilia and Flagella Be Found? Both cilia and flagella are found in numerous types of cells. For instance, the sperm of many animals, algae, and even ferns have flagella. Prokaryotic organisms may also possess a single flagellum or more. A bacterium, for example, may have: one flagellum located at one end of the cell (montrichous), one or more flagella located at both ends of the cell (amphitrichous), several flagella at one end of the cell (lophotrichous), or flagella distributed all around the cell (peritrichous). Cilia can be found in areas such as the respiratory tract and female reproductive tract. In the respiratory tract, cilia helps to sweep mucus containing dust, germs, pollen, and other debris away from the lungs. In the female reproductive tract, cilia helps to sweep sperm in the direction of the uterus. More Cell Structures Cilia and flagella are two of the many types of internal and external cell structures. Other cell structures and organelles include: Cell Membrane: This outer membrane of eukaryotic cells protects the integrity of the interior of the cell.Cytoskeleton: The cytoskeleton is a network of fibers that forms the internal infrastructure of the cell.Nucleus: Cell growth and reproduction are controlled by the nucleus.Ribosomes: Ribosomes are RNA and protein complexes that are responsible for protein production via translation.Mitochondria: These organelles provide energy for the cell.Endoplasmic Reticulum: Formed by the infolding of the plasma membrane, the endoplasmic reticulum synthesizes carbohydrates and lipids.Golgi Complex: This organelle manufactures, stores, and ships certain cellular products.Lysosomes: Lysosomes are sacs of enzymes that digest cellular macromolecules.Peroxisomes: These organelles help to detoxify alcohol, form bile acid, and use oxygen to break down fats. Sources: Boselli, Francesco, et al. â€Å"A quantitative approach to study endothelial cilia bending stiffness during blood flow mechanodetection in vivo.† Methods in Cell Biology, Vol. 127, Elsevier Academic Press, 7 Mar. 2015, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091679X15000072.Lodish, H, et al. â€Å"Cilia and Flagella: Structure and Movement.† Molecular Cell Biology, 4th ed., W. H. Freeman, 2000, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21698/.

African Caribbean Community Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

African Caribbean Community - Assignment Example The colonial era of the United Kingdom essentially made the country a focal point for immigration by people from all over the world seeking entry into the western world. While the earliest black settlers in the UK were entertainers to the Royal families. Later the slave trade swelled their numbers that reached 14000 by the 1700s.In 1945 the minority population numbered in the low thousands and rose to 1.4 million in the 70's.The census report published in 2003, claims that minority ethnic groups account for 6.7% of the British population. Of the 4 million ethnic minority people living in Britain, African Caribbeans number 500,00 and are the second largest population among the minorities.(http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/uk/2002/race/short_history_of_immigration.stm; Peach C)While on the one hand Britain needed the labour for industry and people were lured in by employment in the land, "they were been brought up to revere," social, political and economic discrimination was an unexpected tragedy for the immigrants.African Caribbeans in Britain have found to be underachievers in the field of education in Britain. While statistics to prove these facts are methodically taken, scientific and sociological studies prove that this disturbing trend is not due to any innate faulty biological mechanism rather the inability of the British system to offer this ethnic group the optimal conditions for cognitive growth. Statistical facts African Caribbean children are found to exhibit a skewed learning behaviour. "Baseline'" testing of five year olds show their performance to be at par with other groups. However, by secondary school stage, "African-Caribbean pupils are between three and six times more likely to be expelled from school." The success rate in the GCSE examinations (2000) for black students was 37% compared to 50% for white students and 49% for Asians. "Out of over 22,000 British students who achieved AAA at A-Level in 2002 and entered higher education, only 37 were black." "For every young black Caribbean male at university in Britain, there are two in prison." While the black community in Britain did show upward trends in qualification levels (38.8 in 2001 compared to the national average of 19.8%), Caribbeans by contrast continue to be the least qualified ethnic group.(Anjool. 2005) The OFSTED report 1991 warns that the gaps between academic performance between African Caribbeans and the white population would widen in the next 20 years. While describing the group's potential the guardian asserts that "Black Caribbean children have an equal, if not higher, ability than white children, yet Black Caribbean boys make the least progress through school." This is attributed to the fact that Caribbeans live in the most deprived 10% wards in England. Discrimination: General prejudice Indirect evidence from the British Social Attitude survey suggests that Britons show equal discriminate against all ethnic minorities. However, Personal surveys indicate that Caribbeans perceive a higher level of discrimination especially in the job market. This may be because there is a general prejudice in the manual labour market and African Caribbeans being normally less qualified are usually a part of the manual labour force. African Caribbeans were also found by British Crime surveys to be having a greater risk of becoming victims to crime.(Heath F A, Mcmohan D.2000-01) The

Unethical Business Practices of McDonald's Essay

Unethical Business Practices of McDonald's - Essay Example The empirical study of Gibison (2006), the fast-food items offered by McDonald’s to its global consumers have major contribution towards extensive form of health issues irrespective of their age groups. In this regard, major obesity, heart diseases along with asthma and higher possibility of mad-cow diseases are the major cases that are evident to be caused directly and indirectly from the food items offered by the company to its consumers (Gibison, 2006). Correspondingly, Stony Brook University (1998) has critically explored the diet contents in each McDonald’s products includes major health issues for the consumers especially the young adults. In this regard, the research report states that the meals offered by the restaurant chains of McDonald’s contribute major amount of fat and the level of sodium that can negatively affect the consumers’ health (Gagnon & Freudenberg, 2012). For instance, the report has illustrated the example of its new Spanish omele tte bagel, which deliberately contains 40 grams of fat along with 710 calories and 275mg of cholesterol that can severely deteriorate the health condition of consumers. In addition, the presence of 1,520 mg of sodium in the product can severely make the consumer face a critical health issue (Stony Brook University, 1998).  In addition, the article published by Jourdan & Baertlein (2014) in Thompson Reuters critically illustrates about the scandals in the company’s food safety process. According to the issues identified in the article, the local meat suppliers of the company.

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Gay Teenagers and the Internet Essay

Gay Teenagers Need the Internet      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Internet serves as a platform for gay teens to express their feelings and concerns about being gay. Beyond the pornography on the Net there are also valuable and useful resources that gay teens can take advantage of. But why are these teens t using to the Internet for support? Most of the teenagers questionned for this discussion indicated that parents are not supportive of a homosexual way of life.    Most people would agree that adolescent years are some of the toughest in a persons' life. Teens are getting to know themselves sexually and learning about the world around them. While participating in a gay teen chat room, it was obvious that many g ays teens felt isolated and confused about their sexuality and turned to the Internet for advice. Unfortunately, most of the information on the Net pertaining to the gay community consists of pornographic pictures and chat rooms with dialogue full of gra phic sexual detail. Just type the word "gay" in any search on the Net it hundreds of links to x-rated sites will appear. This, of course, is not suitable for a young gay teenager in need of support. Fortunately, amongst all the porn there are wonderful sites that provide support, answer questions, and provide links to other helpful resources.    Many organizations and support groups use the Internet as their main source for posting information about gay and lesbian issues. Organizations like PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesb ians and Gays) provide education and support for gay teens, as well as gay adults. Branches of PFLAG can be found all over the United States. Each of these branches can be accessed through the PFLAG Web site. The site is full helpful links ... ...y to turn to for support.    Works Cited Bell, A.P. and Weinberg, M.S. "Homosexualities: A Study of Human Diversity". New York: Simon & Schuster, 1978. Conroy, Theresa. "Gay Teen Fights to Educate Tormenters." Philadelphia Daily News. 2 Jan. 1996. http://www.critpath.org/rhea/bmurray.htm (23 Apr. 1998). Gibson, P. "Gay Male and Lesbian Youth Suicide, Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Youth Suicide", U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1989. Parents, Families, and Freinds of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). Home page. http://www.pflag.org/ (22 Apr. 1998). Remafedi G. "Male Homosexuality: The Adolescent's Perspective." Pediatrics, 79: 326-330, 1987. We Are Family (WAF). Home Page. http://www.waf.org/ (22 Apr. 1998). Youth Assistance Organization (YAO). Home page. http://www.youth.org/ (27 Nov. 1996).         

Online Gaming and Academic Performance Essay

Students love to play computer games, and the West Virginia Department of Education is tapping into that love through a website called Learn21. The site offers all kinds of games that help students in every grade level brush up on their studies. Fifth grade students in Dottie Pownall’s classroom at Orchard View Elementary in Martinsburg have played Probability Pond, a math game offered on the Learn21 website that features a big green frog. The frog can eat fireflies in colors of blue, yellow, purple, and red. The students have to determine what the probability is that the frog will eat a particular color. The students take turns guessing the answer and entering it on a large smart board in front of the room. Special education teacher Sharon Collins led some lessons this year, incorporating as much technology as possible. â€Å"Almost every day, we find something online through Learn21 or other resources and incorporate it into our classroom,† Collins says. â€Å"With having an inclusion classroom, we have students who have vision problems. We have students who have speech problems, learning problems. We have an autistic student in our class, and then we also have regular ed. students, and it really appeals to their different types of learning styles.† The state education department started Learn21 two years ago. The website offers online games that go along with the curriculum. Teachers can use the games in class, and students can access the website from home if they want to practice some more. Donna Landin, the department’s e-learning coordinator, says Learn21 is meant to help students in a variety of ways. â€Å"They could find content on the website, go into that content, complete a game or an interactivity that went right along with what they were learning in their classroom, so it was either supplemental, or it helped them get at areas where they were having some problems, or it could accelerate their learning,† Landin says. Learn21 also offers the opportunity to review material. â€Å"They can go back and pick up concepts that they had gone over formerly, maybe in previous grades or earlier in the year,† Landin says. Vol. 05, Issue 03, Page 11 (www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2012/06/13/03bits_games.h05.html) Can first-person shooter skills really be taught? A development studio in Scotland thinks they can – and it has the browser-based instructional game to prove it FPS Trainer †¦ you too can shoot people with ease Some gamers are just naturally good at killing people. They have the fast responses, the pinpoint hand-eye coordination, the Rain man-like ability to memorize maps and power-up locations. Meanwhile, the rest of us bumble around in the darkness hoping to achieve a kills-to-deaths ratio that doesn’t utterly shame our entire ancestral line. Now Play2Improve, a fresh-faced development studio based in Scotland’s games industry capital Dundee, thinks it can help players in the latter camp. Launched recently as a free-to-play browser game, FPS Trainer is essentially a coaching aid for would-be virtual assassins. With simplified visuals that separate maps into different strategic zones, the idea is to help players develop the tactical base necessary to start dishing out effective slaughter. â€Å"FPS Trainer provides you with the necessary knowledge for playing online,† says designer Paul â€Å"acts!† McGarrity, himself a professional gamer who has triumphed in several major LAN and online events over the past decade. â€Å"It cuts out months of laborious practice time in FPS games by teaching the core skills and methods which experienced and professional players use when competing at the highest levels. â€Å"We do this by introducing the strategies for managing resources, controlling your opponents, positioning yourself, using the terrain or level features and setting up shots to maximize damage – all in a highly visual and intuitive manner. There are many levels of strategy in competitive FPS titles that can take years to even become aware of; FPS Trainer will introduce these at an early stage to take you up the ladder more easily.† With its stylized visuals and emphasis on quickly picking up weapons and health packs, the game most closely resembles twitchy arena shooters such as Quake and Unreal Tournament, but the studio, Play2Improve, reckons the strategies it teaches will help with all kinds of FPS title. â€Å"We don’t really see a distinction between an arena-based FPS and more ranged, free-roaming combat – with the exception of vehicles to traverse larger maps,† says founder Matt Sweeney. â€Å"Our premise is that first-person shooters are fundamentally strategic in nature, rather than purely twitch-based; therefore, we are focusing on the mental side of the game; including timing, positioning and appropriate weapon selection. This is what differentiates a good player from a bad one – not just blindly rushing in and shooting, but making sure you are fully prepared and taking a far more measured approach.† Set up in 2009 and based within the University of Alberta, Play2Improve has an interesting background. Although several of its staff has traditional games industry experience, Sweeney comes from the serious games sector, where simulations are developed to train workers in various professions. With his previous company, TPLD set up when he was a student at Alberta, he created games for the Scottish schools system and for corporations looking for assessed cooperation exercises – it’s probably a natural progression from Apprentice-style team challenges to the dog-frog-dog world of the first-person shooter. One of the key elements of FPS Trainer is the monitoring of player behaviors and the provision of post-game feedback – and apparently this extends to more than just hit percentages. â€Å"Basic accuracy stats can be misleading,† says McGarrity. â€Å"We will be providing information not just on whether you scored a hit or not, but on whether you maximized the damage with each shot. Along with this there will be information about which areas of a level you are most active in, which areas you have neglected and also indicators to show where you should ideally be positioned in key situations, along with your actual location at the time. The stats will also cover things such as item pickups, including the amount and frequency. They will show how long items have been left unclaimed, which will tie in with the positioning tips.† What’s really interesting is the way the game sounds like one of the fitness titles currently dominating the kindest software line-up. As Sweeney says: â€Å"There are detailed stats for debriefing, with intuitive graphs and visualizations to identify strengths and weaknesses; you can track your performance over time and compare stats with your friends and peers, and everything can be easily shared with friends via Face book.† It’s the same approach as Your Shape or EA Sports Active 2, but it’s about shooting at people; it represents the appropriation of mainstream coaching techniques for a hardcore gaming genre. I like that. At the moment, the game can only be played on PC and Mac (it runs on Unity so you’ll need the correct plug-in), and the next step will be the addition of premium paid-for features. But Play2Improve is also planning to create Xbox Live and PSN versions once they’ve achieved a benchmark of 100,000 users online. If it does make it too console, I’ll be near the front of the queue – though I’ll probably be shot in the back of the head by a sniper I failed to spot on my way in. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/dec/23/first-person-shooter-skills-training.) China’s Shanda Games takes majority ownership of eFusion MMOG By James Bright man The online games publisher is looking to boost its overseas strategy Eschborn, Germany-based eFusion MMOG GmbH announced today that Chinese online games publisher Shanda Games has purchased a majority stake in the company (financial terms were not disclosed). At the same time, eFusion just announced that its entered into an agreement with Eyed entity Games, a Korean online game development studio for the exclusive license to operate its action MMORPG Dragon Nest in Europe. Shanda views the move as an important step in shoring up its overseas business. The company said it â€Å"has a strong intention to enhance its presence in the European market, where its influence remains relatively modest compared to other regions of the world.† With the Shanda investment, eFusion noted that it will now â€Å"have all of the capital it needs in order to level up its position in the MMO games market.† The next step for the publisher will be to launch Dragon Nest across Europe. Michael Lim, founder and CEO of eFusion MMOG GmbH, commented, â€Å"We are really delighted to become part of Shanda Games and are also excited about the tremendous opportunity to offer Dragon Nest, a skill based high-quality MMORPG, to European gamers. Launching Dragon Nest in Europe will be a huge milestone for us, but most of all, we’re looking forward to Dragon Nest attracting lots of fans among European gamers. The online game market in Europe is growing very fast but the competition is becoming tougher. We are ready to face the challenge and to build on eFusion MMOG’s success in this market.† (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-07-25-chinas-shanda-games-takes-m ajority-ownership-of-efusion-mmog-gmbh.) Definition of terms 1. MMOG- refers to role-playing games where thousands of gamers play online in a virtual and persistent environment on the Internet. (http://geekdictionary.computing.net/define/mmog.) 2. First Person Shooter Game- A first person shooter, commonly called FPS in the gaming arena, is a game in which the player sees the action on the screen as if he or she were looking through the eyes of the main character he or she is playing. (http://vgstrategies.about.com/od/basicgamingtipstricks/g/fps.htm.) 3. Simulation game- By definition a simulation is an imitation. So computer simulation games are games that imitate a real-life situation. Another way to think about it is that sim games attempt to recreate a past event. (http://compsimgames.about.com/cs/gamingtips/g/simulation.htm.) 4. Educational game- An educational game is a game designed to teach humans about a specific subject and to teach them a skill. As educators, governments, and parents realize the psychological need and benefits of gaming have on learning, this educational tool has become mainstream. (http://teachinglearningresources.pbworks.com/w/page/35130965/Educational%20Games.) 5. DOTA- is an action real-time strategy mod for the video game War craft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion, War craft III: The Frozen Throne, based on the â€Å"Aeon of Strife† map for Star Craft. The objective of the scenario is for each team to destroy the opponents’ Ancients, heavily guarded structures at opposing corners of the map. (http://dictionary.babylon.com/dota/.) 6. Diablo- is a word in Spanish meaning â€Å"devil†. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diablo.) 7. Dragon nest- A free-to-play Korean MMORPG playable in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, North America, SEA, Australia, and New Zealand. In North America, Nexon runs and operates the game on their servers. (http://www.soslang.com/term/dragon-nest.) 8. Ran online- is a free to play, 3D MMORPG developed by Min Communications, Inc. located in Daegu, Republic of Korea. The game is set in the modern world built around 3 schools. Players will belong one of these three distinctive schools and enjoy the game. Plus, one of the six special clubs in each school can be selected as the class of a character.