The Perfect Blend free essay sample

Banana. Spinach. Greek yogurt. Honey. Soy milk. Separate, these ingredients are just average- but blend them together and they form the perfect combination for a smoothie. Like every individual, we all have our own distinctive elements that make up who we are. Success depends on how each is utilized. Banana. Endurance. Four seasons of tennis, twenty-five mile Ride for the Arts, Tosa Fest 5K run. These challenges have encouraged me to persevere and work harder than I ever thought possible. Spinach. Strength. Becoming an only child after my brother went to school meant stepping up my academics. By raising the bar and putting more time and effort in my education, I was able to fill the gap he left behind. Greek yogurt. Bold. Whereas regular classes would suffice for most people, AP classes were challenges I dared to take. The rigor of normal high school courses was never enough; I preferred going above and beyond of what was considered average. We will write a custom essay sample on The Perfect Blend or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Honey. Sweet. â€Å"Kristen, you are the sweetest grandchild.† Although she shouldn’t, Grandma always tells me this. Not only do I mow their lawn each week, but I take the time to sit and catch up with them afterwards. Soy milk. Unique. Being the only vegetarian in my immediate family, I’m the one who has to step out of the box to figure out a complete and nutritious meal without the meat. Just like the ingredients in a smoothie, each separate trait in a person makes up for whom that individual is. However, having the right blend positions me for even greater achievements.

Reverse Racism Definition

Reverse Racism Definition Acts of racism make newspaper headlines daily. Theres no shortage of media coverage about racial discrimination or racially motivated violence, be it plots by white supremacists to kill  President Barack Obama  or police killings of unarmed black men. But what about reverse racism? Is reverse racism even real and, if so, whats the best way to define it? Defining Reverse Racism Reverse racism refers to discrimination against whites, usually in the form of programs meant to advance ethnic minorities such as affirmative action. Anti-racist activists in the U.S. have largely deemed reverse racism to be impossible, as the power structure of the United States has historically benefited whites and continues to do so today, despite the election of a black president. Such activists argue that the definition of racism isnt just one individuals belief that a certain race is superior to others but also includes institutional oppression. Explains white anti-racist activist Tim Wise in A Look at the Myth of Reverse Racism: When a group of people has little or no power over you institutionally, they dont get to define the terms of your existence, they cant limit your opportunities, and you neednt worry much about the use of a slur to describe you and yours, since, in all likelihood, the slur is as far as its going to go. What are they going to do next: deny you a bank loan? Yeah, right. In the Jim Crow South, for example, police officers, bus drivers, educators and other agents of the state worked in tandem to maintain segregation and, thus, racism against people of color. While ethnic minorities during this time may have harbored ill will towards Caucasians, they lacked the power to adversely affect whites lives. On the other hand, the very fate of people of color is determined by institutions that have traditionally discriminated against them. This explains, in part, why an African American who has committed a certain crime is likely to receive a stiffer sentence than a white person who committed an identical crime. What Makes White Racism Distinct? Because American institutions havent traditionally been anti-white, the argument that whites can be truly victimized by reverse racism is difficult to make. Still, the assertion that reverse racism exists has persisted since the late 20th century when the government implemented widespread programs to make up for historic discrimination against ethnic minorities. In 1994, Time magazine ran an article about a small minority of Afro-centrists known as melanists who posit that those with an abundance of dark skin pigment, or melanin, are more humane and superior to lighter-skinned people, not to mention prone to having paranormal powers such as ESP and psychokinesis. The idea that one group of people is superior to another based on skin color certainly fits the dictionary definition of racism. Yet, the melanists had no institutional power to spread their message or subjugate lighter-skinned people based on their racist beliefs. Moreover, because the melanists spread their message in pred ominantly black settings, its likely that few whites even heard their racist message, let alone suffered because of it. Melanists lacked the institutional influence to oppress whites with their ideology. What separates white racism from any other form †¦is [its] ability†¦to become lodged in the minds of and perceptions of the citizenry, Wise explains. White perceptions are what end up counting in a white-dominated society. If whites say Indians are savages, then by God, theyll be seen as savages. If Indians say whites are mayonnaise-eating Amway salespeople, who the hell is going to care? And such was the case with the melanists. No one cared what they had to say about the melanin-deprived because this fringe group of Afro-centrists lacked power and influence. When Institutions Favor Ethnic Minorities Over Whites If we include institutional power in the definition of racism, it’s virtually impossible to argue that reverse racism exists. But as institutions attempt to compensate ethnic minorities for the racism of the past via affirmative action programs and similar policies, the government has found that whites have experienced discrimination. In June 2009, white firefighters from New Haven, Conn., won a â€Å"reverse discrimination† Supreme Court case. The suit stemmed from the fact that white firefighters who excelled on a qualifying test to receive promotions were prevented from moving up because their colleagues of color had not performed so well. Rather than allow the white firefighters to promote, the city of New Haven dismissed the test results for fear that minority firefighters would sue if they weren’t also promoted. Chief Justice John Roberts argued that the events in New Haven amounted to racial discrimination against whites because the city would not have refused to promote black firefighters if their white counterparts had performed poorly on the qualifying exam. The Case for Diversity Initiatives Not all whites who find themselves excluded as institutions try to right past wrongs feel victimized. In a piece for The Atlantic called â€Å"Reverse Racism, or How the Pot Got to Call the Kettle Black,† legal scholar Stanley Fish described being ruled out of an administrative position at a university when the powers-that-be decided that a woman or ethnic minority would be a better candidate for the job. Fish explained: Although I was disappointed, I did not conclude that the situation was ‘unfair,’ because the policy was obviously†¦ not intended to disenfranchise white males. Rather, the policy was driven by other considerations, and it was only as a by-product of those considerations- not as the main goal- that white males like me were rejected. Given that the institution in question has a high percentage of minority students, a very low percentage of minority faculty, and an even lower percentage of minority administrators, it made perfect sense to focus on women and minority candidates, and within that sense, not as the result of prejudice, my whiteness and maleness became disqualifications. Fish argues that whites who find themselves excluded when white institutions try to diversify mustn’t protest. Exclusion when the goal is not racism but an attempt to level the playing field can’t compare to the centuries of racial subjugation that people of color experienced in U.S. society. Ultimately, this kind of exclusion serves the greater good of eradicating racism and its legacy, Fish points out. Wrapping Up Does reverse racism exist? Not according to the antiracist definition of racism. This definition includes institutional power and not just the prejudices of a lone individual. As institutions which have historically benefited whites attempt to diversify, however, they sometimes favor ethnic minorities over whites. Their purpose in doing so is to right the wrongs of the past and the present against minority groups. But as institutions embrace multiculturalism, they are still forbidden by the 14th Amendment from directly discriminating against any racial group, including whites. Thus, while institutions engage in minority outreach, they must do so in a way that doesn’t unjustly penalize whites for their skin color alone.

Decision Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Decision Analysis - Essay Example In the United Kingdom it is sometimes awarded for an undergraduate student whose final year consists of higher-level courses and a major research project. This means that the college graduate will be a student for another 2-3 years with higher demands of learning and concentration. Thus, he shall be a step behind all his other supposed colleagues. There is an edge that he could play and it is that he is able to deduce a lot more information on the field but in terms of application, these could be very minimal as well. Statistics show that because of the global economic crisis, more and more students are putting off a College education. In the United States, at least 56% of the High School graduates prefer to seek for white-collared jobs to be able to pay off their living expenses rather than go to school and apply for a financial loan. They choose to begin their careers and working experiences so they could get a head start in their lives in terms of financial stability. If this much of the students do not make it to College, then it is but fair to conclude that employers do limit their requirements on the job description and settle for an Associate's degree when speaking of managerial positions. But as one progresses in his career, he shall realize even more the competition that he is facing and how much he has to strive to be someone companies are actually looking for. As for the second alternative, this fresh college graduate immediately decides not to go for any Master's Degree and just merely concentrate on his work experience and technically this will be his competitive tool. This would be a stronger tool if the graduate is able to maintain a good and reputable track record in his first company that shall enable him to rise above the ranks for either expand his horizons within or outside the company. He could also make sure that before he puts off the idea of getting a Master's degree, he has already focused on specific companies that he will be applying for and clearly know whether they put weight on Master's Degrees. The third alternative could be the most plausible idealism in this decision, however it could be the most time-consuming and most difficult one as well. Time management is off great essence in this particular alternative and sometimes there are companies who are very sensitive to this idea. There are job descriptions who require more than office hours to deliver expected results. Sales positions for instance do not have a working timeframe but they are on-call all week and sometimes all-night. Schedules are eratic for some most especially if you work for the boss directly since it is mandatory that you go by the schedule of your superiors. However, it is like hitting two birds with one stone but most likely there would come a time when he is to make his priorities straight and there would be instances when he will need to do one thing before the other or sometimes, he shall do his work over his school demands. This goes by saying that it is a human reaction to give priority to his work rather than his studies where he does not get immediate results. Unlike a job where one is required to deliver results in a month's time to be able to get his salary, most especially true for those on commission basis. Being able to deliver his utmost best in any of the departments will be most unlikely possible, therefore he will not be able to maximize his