Productivity in the Roanoke Branch Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Productivity in the Roanoke Branch - Coursework Example As I follow up, I am writing to provide details of how the executive team can help in reversing the downward spiral of employee morale and productivity. Background. As you will recall, we lost two of our most experienced technical employees at Roanoke and other have disclosed their intention to leave Phoenix. A vacuum will be created, which will be very difficult to fill. This is capable of reducing the number of a client by half in the next six months. Our overall annual revenue will consequently decrease by 37%. This will further aggravate the effect of the economic crunch which has reduced advertisement expenses by 41% nationwide, and 53% in North Carolina. Proposal. Given the above, I am proposing a new approach to managing employee relations. This approach comprises three major components: securing employee commitment, dispute resolution, and welfare. The commitment of employee especially the top management employees can be secured by establishing a two-way communication process which will help managers understand Phoenix vision, mission, objectives, and values and allow the executive team at the headquarters. This can be achieved during meetings, frequent briefings, newsletters, and circulars. Recreational and sports activities can also be used for informal communications. The commitment of employees can also be enhanced by appropriate recognition of individual employees and teams’ achievements and efforts. This will help in promoting the right attitude to work and bringing out the best in employees. Adequate recognition can be given to employees through commendation letters, honors and merit awards, and management suggestion scheme. Given the inevitability of conflicts among employees at different categories, the executive team should establish clear channels for lodging complaints, expeditiously deal with complaints and the actions taken communicated to employees in order to resolve disputes.  

The Muslims lives in recent Anglophone fiction since 1973 Essay

The Muslims lives in recent Anglophone fiction since 1973 - Essay Example Therefore, novels have a great advantage over didactic models of disseminating information. Unlike textbooks that tend to teach by preaching, novels teach the reader by showing. Georg Lukacs, a philosopher and literary critic argued that novels can depict history more fully than "factual reporting" because in novels, Historical necessity is no otherworldly fate divorced fiom man; it is the complex interaction of concrete historical circumstances in their process of transformation, in their interaction with concrete human beings, who have grown up in these circumstances, have been variously influenced by them, and who act in an individual way according to their personal passions. (qtd. in Zuckert 687) Thus, a novel has the capacity to discuss its topic in the context of human experience not in an abstract and detached form. Moreover, it can transcend artificial boundaries that divide people of different backgrounds and civilizations by addressing every aspect of the humanity of the character. This interacts with the humanity of the reader on many levels, thereby magnifying the similarities and diminishing the differences between the reader and the character. A novel can allow an individual from a vastly different cultural background to deeply understand the cultural reality of the characters. ... Like Plato's divided line, which attempts to direct us towards true knowledge and the discovery of reality, novelists take us out of the cave and put us on the path to knowledge by stimulating our imagination, hoping that at the end of the novel, the reader will reach the highest level of the divided line. Roger Spegele, author of "Fiction and Political Theory" argued that there is no difference between political novels and political theory (114-127). Thus, one can say that novelists resemble political thinkers. They choose a distinctive medium to study social and political phenomena. Edward Said, a Palestinian-American literary theorist, said: The one place in which there's been some interesting and innovative work done in Arab intellectual life is in literary production generally, that never finds its way into studies of the Middle East. You're dealing with the raw material of Politics.. . You can deal with a novelist as a kind of witness to something. (Middle East Report 33) Here, Said hints that Arab intellectual life has been less than innovative except in literary production where it is relatively free from external influences. As such, it is uncontaminated raw material that can be utilized to study politics. In keeping with Said's notion that literary production provides the raw material of politics, this study will use novels written by Arabs and Moslems to examine orientalism, colonialism, the search for home and the quest for identity. More specifically, eight Arab and Moslem novels and three Occidental ones will be used to examine Edward Said's thesis on orientalism and the validity of his statement about literature and politics. They will also be used to reveal the historical impact of colonialism

Data Protection Act Essay Example for Free

Data Protection Act Essay Evaluate ways in which concerns about poor practice can be reported whilst ensuring whistle blowers and those who practice or behaviour being questioned are protected. The whistle blowing policy states that it is committed to openness, probity and accountability. The policy gives a voice to employees and others who have concerns about malpractice or feel that someone is not doing their job in school. In policies provide help and support if a member of staff for others need to speak up and feel that they are been supported. The school will take any concerns seriously and deal with them following procedures. The purpose of the policy is to make people feel that they are someone to talk to voice their concerns. How to raise the concern, you need to speak to a member of the SLT or write to the chair the governors. You will get a response within five working days. You will be asked to attend a meeting to voice your concerns and discuss them, they ask you write the problem down and give the names dates and places. After the meeting within 10 days you will receive a letter of your concern has been received and it outlined the issues and then tell you how they will deal with the matter if needed. If the SLT or chair a governor decides that an investigation is needed they will advise local authority, procedures for safeguarding of children will be followed. The investigation will not be carried out by anyone in your line management. If an investigation is carried out you will be informed of what is happening. The information that will be given to you may not be all the data involved because of the data protection act. If there is an anonymous allegation it can often be difficult to investigate it is better to raise concern in person. Anonymous allegations are investigated if the issue is a serious, the credibility of the allegation, being able to confirm the allegation (enough evidence). How the school trees whistleblowers. If you make an allegations in good faith no action will be taken against you if you make malicious allegations then disciplinary action can be taken against you. Disciplinary action can also be taken against other members of staff who try and stop employees raising concerns. Anybody who raises a concern has the opportunity to give feedback about any problems that you may have received this is so employees who raise a concern in good faith does not suffer.

A Case Study Of Benetton Marketing Essay

A Case Study Of Benetton Marketing Essay Promotion techniques have developed greatly over the years, but nothing has had a greater impact on the tools, methods or ways of developing the promotion strategies than the influence of the new technologies and of new communication tools. We live in an age of speed; communication has become faster and faster especially using Internet tools like: email, online social networks, web banners, web page advertising etc. In the digital age, the organizations should take advantage more and more of the power and the edge offered by the information technology, in order to inform the present or potential clients or consumers in a better and faster way. Marketers have been using electronic tools for many years, but the Internet and other new technologies created a flood of interesting and innovative ways to provide customer value. This new way of reaching the costumers has captured the imagination of marketing scholars and practitioners (Fuciu and Gorski, 2009). In this time and age, companies must proceed with care in choosing the most appropriate methods of reaching their clients or consumers from a financial or ethical perspective. But that does not mean that they can not shock the clients / consumers or use tools and ways of communications that mostly unusual and different from the common methods of promoting products or services. One of these unusual promotion / advertising techniques is the concept of unconventional advertising. In our paper we present the concept of this tool, a brief history as well as several important advantages and disadvantages, and a case study of social marketing advertising campaigns that were developed by the Benetton group which are meant to shock. 2. THE CONCEPT OF UNCONVENTIONAL ADVERTISING The idea of advertising is along as the history of mankind. Archeological finds have dated the early types of advertising, like inscription tablets, discovered in the basin of the Mediterranean Sea. There is evidence that the Romans would paint the announcements of gladiator combats on walls or stones at the crossroads (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008, p. 635) Before we can start to discuss the concept of unconventional advertising we must underline the concept of classical advertising. Over the years this concept has greatly developed and evolved due to the usage and evolution of promotion techniques. One of the most important definitions for the classical advertising is offered by the American Marketing Association (AMA, 2012) which states that advertising is the placement of announcements and persuasive messages in time or space purchased in any of the mass media by business firms, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and individuals who seek to inform and/ or persuade members of a particular target market or audience about their products, services, organizations, or ideas. According to Philip Kotler (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008, p.1014), advertising is any type of paid presentation and non personal promotion of certain ideas, goods or services by an identified sponsor. The advertising is considered to be any activity developed by an organization that has the role of preparing the general public to respond in an positive way to the organizations offer (Petrescu, 2008, p. 113). A group of authors (Balaure, 2002, p. 487) mentions that advertising is means by which the organization intents to offer the a large array of information to the public with regard to its activity, products, services brand or company by any identifiable supporter (identified buyer). Advertising (Zyman and Brott, 2008, pp. 11-12).is more than the TV commercials, it includes brand positioning, the package, choosing a certain celebrity as a product image, donations, customer relationship management, the way the organization treats its employees or even the way a secretary answers the telephone As we can see from the above mentioned definitions, it is possible to underline several common aspects of these authors like: (1) the placement of information in a persuasive manner; (2) the need to inform the clients / consumers or the general public; (3) there is always an object (product, service, event etc.) of the communication between the organizations and the market; (4) advertising is always paid by a certain individual or organization. Over the years the forms of advertising have evolved greatly. Probably the first recognized advertising forms that we can relate to were those of the 19th Century when in 1936 a French newspaper La Presse was the first daily paper that allowed to print inside its pages a paid advertising (Eskilson, 2007, p.58). Due to the development of new communication techniques since the beginning of the 20th Century like: (1) radio, in the early 20s; (2) commercial television advertising in the middle of the last century; (3) cable TV advertising in the 1960s; (4) Internet advertising since the early 90. All these forms of advertising have had a large number of variations over the years. Among these variations one is considered a bit different than the other ones: the concept of unconventional advertising. In the past years, more and more companies have allocated a bigger part of their marketing budgets for the unconventional strategies. There are several factors that have contributed to the growth of the importance of the unconventional advertising: (1) the lack of credibility and the inefficiency of traditional advertising; (2) customers reluctance to the advertising message; (3) the need to reduce the costs of promotion; (4) the need for differentiation of the products and brands; (5) consumers better understanding of marketing and selling techniques which makes them immune to commercial messages; (6) the need for a better targeting of the audience which has become more and more fragmented (Jurca, 2010, pp. 323 333). The new and innovative manners of the advertising companies and marketing specialists of gaining the attention of the clients has developed and evolved greatly in the last decades. In order to reach the clients differently then their competitors, companies have created new, inventive and unconventional tactics, strategies used for the promotion activities of products, services or events. The concept of unconventional advertising is not very different from the definition that was offered by the American Marketing Association but it is difficult to pin down because it is strictly related to the perception of the people and the frequency of use. The unconventional advertising is permanently changing that is why is virtually impossible to give a comprehensive definition of it. Nevertheless, it can be stated that unconventional advertising comprises all those unusual, non-traditional, innovative and inventive means, methods and strategies of promoting a product, service or brand (Jurca, 2010, pp. 323 333) Several important types of unconventional advertising have developed and it is important to underline certain aspects: (1) Viral marketing refer to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives (such as product sales) through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of pathological and computer viruses. Viral marketing is spreading as a popular, efficient marketing tool, as consumers increasingly pick and choose what ads they watch and when. Viral is todays electronic equivalent of old-fashioned word of mouth. Its a marketing strategy that involves creating an online message thats novel or entertaining enough to prompt consumers to pass it on to others spreading the message across the Web like a virus at no cost to the advertiser (Howard, 2005); (2) Marketing in video games corporate marketers have for decades vied to embed their respective brands in movies and television shows, some are beginning to focus on subtler efforts by embedding brands and logos in electronic games. The advergaming industry allows corporate sponsors to connect with young consumers lifestyles (Kaikati and Kaikati, 2004, pp. 6-22). (3) Bait-and-Tease Marketing to the situation where a celebrity uses or talks about a product or a brand without it appearing conspicuous (Kaikati and Kaikati, 2004, pp. 6-22); (4) Bait-and-tease marketing is the strategy of getting people interested in something that later is revealed to be something quite different (Huba, 2005, in Jurca, 2010, pp. 323 333); (5) Ambient advertising is one of the most important forms of unconventional advertising. It is an outdoor form of promotion that uses alternative and unconventional media, called ambient media (Pavel and Cătoiu, 2009) in order to transmit the message; (6) Elevator advertising is another form of unconventional advertising that has been frequently used in the past years. The walls and even the floors of the elevator units can be used to promote products, services and brands either by placing stickers, posters or even products inside the units or by running commercial movies and ads if the elevators are equipped with screen displays (Pavel, Cătoiu, 2009); (7) Aerial advertising is a form of outdoor advertising, but it is not included in the above-the-line category and in this category includes airplanes pulled banners, skywriting, and blimps (Jurca, 2010, pp. 323 333) etc. As we can see there are several important and interesting methods of developing unconventional advertising, however there are several other elements that can be mentioned and are worth studying in a future paper like: body advertising; graffiti advertising; transit advertising; affiliate marketing; bathroom advertising etc. 3. FIGURES AND TABLES As an introduction to this case study it is necessary to explain, in a few words, what represents the Benetton Group to all of us. Benetton Group was established for the first time in a small Italian town in 1955 by the Benetton family. During the years, Luciano Benetton (one of the three brothers an a sister of the family) developed the company, engaging it in the manufacturing and distribution of clothing, shoes, cosmetics and accessories. The groups principal brands include United Colors of Benetton, Sisley, PlayLife, Nordica, Prince, Rollerblade and Killer Loop. In the advertising field, the genius whos name stand for himself in the branch is Oliviero Toscani, Benetton Art Director and Photographer hired by Luciano Benetton in 1982. He is the man who developed the idea that the products must be separate from advertisement. He is well-know around the world for his unusual advertising techniques and themes. Using these images in this unconventional way is an effort by Benetton to break through the complacency that exists in our society (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). By removing these images from their familiar contexts and putting them in a new context they are more likely to be noticed and given the attention they deserve as the viewer becomes involved in the process of answering the questions: What does this image mean? Why does this image appear with a Benetton logo? How do I feel about the subject of the image? What can I do? Luciano BenettonBefore the Toscani Age, the Benetton Group used a traditional way of advertising, focused on its products and logo the Benetton word with a stylized knot of yarn above, contained within a dark green rectangle. Then, Luciano and Toscani realized that they have to stand apart from the rest of the competition and the standard practices of the advertising industry. So, they decided to use the idea of life style accessory and not a clothing brand according to Benetton. Disturbing, revolting, stunning, horrifying, shockingly graphic those are the words that define the Benetton Group advertising campaign. Its gritty, to real and so unglamorous everything fashion is not. And yet its an advertisement for a high end clothing company. All this started with the first theme of Toscani: teenagers and kids from culturally diverse nations who, dressed very colorfull in Benetton attire, were engaged in a variety of playful acts. These is the picture that created the pathway of the Benetton advertising campaign: racial harmony and world peace. https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSsC4360tpwa46frL2-MMHG-vcZA1Ni7-q1QU2sFYye8UUeYQSXJQhttps://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSyQbygZHTYc4a7jUxQV1Il73zbaek3Kaoq-77_OQYUn0ejR38YXQ Fig. 1 Benetton All the colors of the World campaign 1982 1984 In a year in witch Ronald Reagan is in the White House and Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie are writing We Are The World, The Benetton Group launch United Colors of Benetton a phrase thrown into pop culture not only referencing the companys colorful clothing but also the idea that cultural diversity is good. https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSlpvCgu6ewKjLgYARfXfgChEk0P5wLxkNh2s-LtgkSiWgtjWveZA Fig. 2 All colors are equal, just as all men are equal Benetton 1985 Then, in 1988, the company started to mix the people, ideas, legends and culture. So was born the new advertisements featured Joan of Arc and Marilyn Monroe, Leonardo da Vinci and Julius Caesar or Adam and Eve. https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRmcH6UtYDV0v2wu_APlI9Yz2kr8E0cUPPUhIpp-GL4tperPNYsoA https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQBEmCoY5XczTw1HfNEKFy-JOoXZDQuwI-dHGaieR05F8PTAKCOhg Fig. 3 Mixing ideas Benetton 1985 Those mixed ideas and, most of all, the presence of black and white people in the same photo received severe criticism because many thought that was reminding the time when, bought in UK and USA, the black women breast-fed white babies in the times of slavery. Despite all the negative points of view, Benetton maintained that such photos were only symbols of brotherhood and not exploitation of the particular race. The next stept for Luciano Benetton and Oliviero Toscani was discussing other issues: social problems, war deaths, AIDS crisis, environmental disaster, political violence, war exile, etc. Unlike traditional adverts, our images usually have no copy and no product, only our logo. They do not show you a fictitious reality in which you will be irresistible if you make use of our products. They do not tell anyone to buy our clothes, they do not even imply it. All they attempt to do is promote a discussion about issues which people would normally glide over if they approached them from other channels, issues we feel should be more widely discussed. Luciano Benetton So, by switching the focus of the viewer to relevant issues of the time which they believe need attention, Benetton support a cause. Their posters and all advertising ads show aspects of life, unadulterated and uncensored. That shouldnt impact people negatively unless those people want to close themselves off from the world. And, the most important aspect of all, when people have a reaction, whether positive or negative, to an advertisement, that advertisement stays in their minds for longer. https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQxufkmLOi3qRB9yD4YndGUlkoss5gOjjxqTBy2ob5ME5gFUq_Ahttps://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSCMrMFaGcKTLCdaxbe6tkIhrXqQ1TiUJG0kGKhEsqfh7t-zJ7x https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR4zZ-vZbqg8WY3FOUYbm0LexU2FMyekrwjYqfIljegrEdX10L7 https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTge6woiEToiStvqlyMeaXUILtAoTCQNXzyc-cb0uhCr3xbueB2 https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRdDjTxxo2PwL33syPaSFmvDLRrG87Np9VhFhKLH1X6LKcTzvZ9cg Fig. 4 Mixing ideas Benetton 1992 and so These advertising offended Nearly every advertisement today is in some way promoting a certain lifestyle, or seems to include the message that without the product in question, happiness is unattainable. By choosing the skinniest and prettiest models to wear the clothes that they produce, many companies lead the viewer to believe that, by wearing those clothes, they can look just like the models. But when this doesnt happen, especially the young women are affected by depress because, despite the effort and money that they pay to buy the clothes advertised, the look will never be the same. So, by switching the focus of the viewer to relevant issues of the time which they believe need attention, Benetton support a cause. Their posters and all advertising ads show aspects of life, unadulterated and uncensored. That shouldnt impact people negatively unless those people want to close themselves off from the world. Benettons policy of social responsibility 5. CONCLUSIONS By submitting your paper, you agree and accept the commitment that at least one of the co-authors will present the paper in person at the 2012 International Scientific Conference of the Romanian-German University of Sibiu conference. Accepted and presented papers will be published in the CD Conference Proceedings with ISBN, as well as in written format edited in partnership with Lambert Academic Publishing from Germany.

Gender Roles in Medea by Euripides Essay -- Gender Roles in Greek Soci

Centuries of traditions has enabled men and women to define gender roles in society. Although some critics declare gender roles do not exist today, others believe they do. In society, men and women are defined by gender roles throughout their activities and emotions. A doctor is typically portrayed by a male while women rear the children and cook for the men. However, although still in existence, today these roles are less obvious but tend to have similar meaning when compared to the past. In ancient Greece, women suffered great hardships. Currently, females work, vote, and run for office. In comparison to ancient Greece, these activities are a phenomenal leap from being under the direct supervision of a male husband. In Greek society, the role of women was considered to be insignificant compared to the Greek men. The women had very few rights, no room to voice personal opinions, and a very bleak future with few options for a better life. According to Moses Hades, professor of Greek studies, women in ancient Greek plays are known to be the main characters and take the role of the villain, victim, or the heroine. In Euripides’ play Medea, Medea, the main character, plays all these roles. She represents the heroine by helping her husband secure the Golden Fleece prior to their marriage, and then portrays the victim by being betrayed by her husband, and finally the villain by murdering her loved ones. Therefore, Euripides follows the standard format for a Greek tragedy. Ironically, Medea’s actions are similar to a man when she takes charge of her marriage, living situation, and family life when she devices a plan to engulf her husband with grief. With this in mind, Medea had accepts her place in a man’s world unti... ...leaving moves Medea into a beggar status. She understands that she does not have authority, money, or power over anyone in the land. This leaves her powerless and desperate. Thereofore, she forms a crafty plan that revolves around herself and reestablishes power and authority. Even in today’s society, gender roles play a part in how people view the world. Although more important than the gender roles are the emotions that antagonize the psyche of the human. Medea shows how jealousy can lead to revenge and influence bad decisions and ruin or even end lives. Ironically, the decisions she makes to kill her children, leaves Jason helpless much like a Greek wife during this time. She removes the opportunity for him to voice his opinions, needs, and desires. This flip of traditional gender roles shows how gender roles are not a reliable way to view a society.

Christian Teens :: essays research papers fc

Teens reflect a culture all of their own within American society. The language that they speak, music that they listen to, and many aspects of their lives differ from that of past generations (Linehan 3). Therefore, many people of older generations tend to make judgments and assumptions about teenagers. These assumptions are typically based on the manner in which teenagers speak, dress, and present themselves. Because of these generalizations, faith of many teens is commonly overlooked. In a society where violence seems to be accepted and many teens are lost about who they are, faith can be the one bond interlinking a group of many. Despite occurrences such as the shootings April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School, and other negative aspects surrounding teenagers’ lives, there are still many young people involved and/or seeking a life with faith in Christ. Although there are many instances of violence and hate in society today, one that shocked the nation more than most was the massacre at Columbine High School. Some people say that the boys’ families caused them to kill, some say it was other students, however there was also another ingredient... a lack of faith in their lives (Grace and Mitchell 58). In a world where many teenagers are surrounded by things such as materialism and discrimination many have the strength to maintain a spiritual life. However Klebold and Harris, the shooters at Columbine High School, had a loss of a sense of sin. They killed innocent people, one of whom was Cassie Bernall, a devout Christian. When a Columbine gunman asked Cassie Bernall if she believed in God, she allegedly replied, â€Å"Yes, and you should too.† Moments after hearing this reply, one of the gunmen put the gun to he head and took her life. Such a strong testament of her faith in Christ cost young Bernall her life (58). Because of this strong commitment, many consider Bernall a martyr of sorts, and say that she is a testament to their own faith (Grace and Mitchell 58). Many teens and younger youth have been greatly influenced by Bernall’s decision to stand up for her beliefs, this is a large encouragement to teens everywhere, especially because we live in a society where teens’ identifies are greatly challenged (59). Susan Teran is one student to whom Bernall’s act spoke out to. â€Å"If there were a shooter in my school,† says Teran, â€Å"I’d volunteer to sacrifice my life.

A Speech of Health Essay

Hello students, faculty, members of the school board, Superintendent, and parents. When I was first told that I was going to be the speaker for graduation, I was overcome. I was overcome with pride and excitement, as I’m sure we all are today as we close this chapter on our lives, but most of all, I was overcome with a feeling. A feeling that I have fooled you all into electing a Canadian to speak on this very important occasion. (Canadian Accent) I bet about now, you are all finally realizing just what it is you’ve done, eh? But it’s too late, eh? I can’t be stopped†¦. (Drape Canadian flag over top of podium) The rich history of Canada is a very long and interesting one. One that begins in the early years of. †¦ (Trail off and give a moment of thought)† **remove flag† or better yet have someone do it for you. ) Seriously though, after I got over my initial reaction, I realized that this was going to be a very difficult undertaking. So I did what any teen-age boy would do in a similar situation. I turn to my friends! see more:welcome speech for sports day I received two pieces of advice that not only helped me with the situation at hand, but I feel will be the predominant source of motivation for the next big step in my life and everything that follows thereafter. These two pieces of advice were. (Hold up palms with numbers inked on them) No. 1: Don’t Screw up! No. 2: Be Funny! Obviously after these two gems of advice, I was prepared to write a stunning and powerful speech that will remain with every one of us till the day we die. Or at least until one of the real speakers come up here and says something meaningful. It’s hard to believe that we’ll all be leaving this place finally. It is even harder to believe that from now on, we’re going to pretty much have to fend for ourselves. I think that whether we know it or not, we’ve gained a lot of the tools that we’ll need to make it out there, right here at Welch. Personally, I’ve learned some of the most important messages of my life within these hallowed halls. I’ve learned that it’s important to walk the road less traveled, because after a while, running down freshman in the packed hallways just loses some of its appeal. I’ve learned that no matter how good an idea may seem at the time, sometimes a giant metal dollar sundial that never sees the sun, could possibly be a bad idea! I’ve learned the importance of sticking strong to your ideals and not giving in to peer pressure, because we have to be ourselves, we have to think with our own mind! (look over at Mr.  Quinn) Is that good Quinn? Is, is that all right? Oh, ok. And no matter who’s doing it! Dammit! We will NOT CHEER! Finally, and probably most importantly, from the ever vigilant and all knowing administration, I’ve learned that a girl’s belly button is a dangerous and powerful thing that should be covered, feared, contained, kept from the world, for the good of all people everywhere. If you are able to decipher any sort of message out of what I’m saying today at all, it should be that life shouldn’t be taken so seriously. When we’re all off in college, or working at our jobs, or still living off of our parents, and we look back on our lives here at E-W, we’re not going to remember the tests we aced, or the classes we took, or the endless nights in front of a computer screen. But instead we’re going to remember the good times we had, the parties, the laughs we shared, but most of all, we’ll remember the people we knew. I was once told that you’re only as good as the people that you surround yourself with. Well, there is not a higher caliber of people that I would rather surround myself with then you all sitting in front of me today. I am proud to say that I was a part of the Welch Class of 2006. Don’t ever forget where you came from, and always remember all of the great and unique people that you shared your four years with, and when we all come back and see each other again for our 20-year reunion, there are going to be all sorts of surprises. By that time Charlie Guo will probably be ruling the world with an iron fist, Katherine Piercy will be the new reigning arm wrestling champion of the world. Jon Goodwin will have his very own morning talk show called â€Å"Wake up with a cup of Jon†, Kamiya Woodard will be the new host of â€Å"The Weakest Link† and rename it â€Å"Man! You don’t know what you talking about! † Eunice Song will be†¦ well, let’s be honest, there really isn’t much hope for Eunice, (turn to Eunice) Eunice I guess you should have just tried a little harder. The entire cheerleading squad will find a permanent role on the â€Å"Young and The Restless†, when the director is surprised to find that intense daytime drama comes surprisingly easy to them. Finally, as I’ve been saying for four years now, we’ll all be shaking the hand of our President of the United States†¦. Steve Brown. If you don’t remember a single word of what I’ve said up here today, just remember this: Jobs, houses, money, and success will all come and go, but the one thing that nobody can ever take away from you are the good times and good friends you have had here at E-W. So in closing, I only have one more thing to say, on request from Blair Hanberg, I leave you all with â€Å"MEOW! â€Å"