Market Analysis of Leasing Industry in Sri Lanka Essay Example

Market Analysis of Leasing Industry in Sri Lanka Essay This situation has changed drastically during the latter part of 2012. With these changes many banks and leasing companies experienced a slowdown in their leasing business activities Also Neffs have faced a fears competition from the Laces due to the rate differences In the assignment the author will analyze the current market situation and identify current issues and challenges faced by the Industry as a whole and by he selected entity Citizen Development Financial Services Pl COB. PESTLE analysis is conducted to analyze the environment and total market situation and SOOT was carried out to identify the strengths and opportunities to eliminate weaknesses. By application of marketing models, tool theories the author has arrived at a marketing strategy to go forward in next two years and also remedies for the challenges and problems. An actual Marketing budget is proposed along with actions and time lines for the implementation of the above. 1. Situation Analysis 1. 1 Sir Lankan Financial Industry Overview Characteristic of this island nation which has always surprised economists with its resilience and dynamic kinetics despite challenges that have impacted not only the region and the world, but the country itself, Sir Lankan once again posted strong economic growth, posted at 6. 5% at end 2012. This is remarkable given that this growth, though slightly reduced from the original projection still remains above both regional and global growth paradigms. The Sir Lankan banking and financial services industry is vibrant and market driven and hence as a consumer you are at an advantage. We will write a custom essay sample on Market Analysis of Leasing Industry in Sri Lanka specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Market Analysis of Leasing Industry in Sri Lanka specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Market Analysis of Leasing Industry in Sri Lanka specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer There are around 0 institutions, including commercial banks, licensed specialized banks (savings banks and development banks) and licensed finance companies. When we look at the statistics of the Central Bank we can clearly see the trend of increasing revenue and asset bases of non banking financial Institutes. Our target company which is Citizen Development Financial Services hereinafter refer as CDC , belongs to the Non Banking Financial Institutes and offers Leasing as their main product in product portfolio. Though there were some hiccup and fluctuation in global and Sir Lankan economy what we can e it Financial industry as a whole is not affected very much. Collapse of Ceylon group and its financial institutes made an effect but couldnt withhold the progress of the sector. 1. 2 Company Overview Citizen Development Business Finance CDC one of the Sir Lands fastest growing financial institution ( Sixth place in the NAB sector) , offering wide range of financial solutions to its customers through their Island wide branch network. . 2. 1 Vision of the company To be the financial power house that will foster entrepreneurial innovation and workmanship towards building up our nations economy to make sustained gains in living standards of Sir Lankan For the last few years after coming out of the Ceylon group umbrella as an Independent financial institute they have grown faster than the industry in terms of top line and bottom line. Branch network has expanded to 55 and also north and east aft er the end of ethnic conflict in Sir Lankan. Also for the past few years company is achieving its key performance indicators through Also they have come up in the corporate arena in Sir Lankan and recognized as one of the most valued brand in Sir Lankan for consecutive years. ( By LAM ) Source : Lankan Monthly Digest ( LAM ) Courtesy : Media Services (Pit) Ltd 1. 2. 2 External Environment- PESTLE Analysis It gives a birds eye view of the whole environment from many different angles that one wants to check and keep a track of while contemplating on a marketing plan. During the PESTLE analysis we are considering the macro environment in terms of Political, Economical, Social, Technical, Legal Environmental frameworks. Economical Interest rate movement, inflation rate movement and exchange rate movement have a considerable impact Central Bank tightened its monetary logic stance by raising policy interest rates ( raise of market interest rates due to this ) and imposing a ceiling on rupee lending. Possibility of further monetary-policy tightening will be heightened by CBS. Inflation has continued to remain at single digit levels for over 3 years declining on a on-year basis to a very low level of 2. Per cent in February 201 2 due to cautious monetary and fiscal policy CBS had largely ceased its intervention in the foreign-exchange market. This had allowed the rupee a certain degree of flexibility to flow. The relaxation of exchange-rate controls had led to appreciation for the rupee in recent past stabilization afterwards. The volatile global econ omic landscape Political Nobles, faced changes in taxation policy and some inconsistencies The increase in tariffs on imported vehicles impacted consumer purchasing behavior considerably, led to an emergence of difficulties in achieving lending targets. Prolific increase in the importation of motor vehicles, coupled with high demand for fuel, rising carbon dioxide emissions and traffic congestion, saw the Government strategies to reduce the encumbrances on its import payments, infrastructure and carbon footprint. This led to a revision on the excise duty on motor vehicles to lessen the burden. Legal The supervisory and regulatory framework continued to strengthen with several diktats issued for both banks and Elfs. Sells were subjected to assessment of fitness and propriety of Directors and key management personnel, as well as changes to definitions in the compilation of key indicators A panel of external auditors was appointed to conduct external audits of Nobles. Financial reporting is slated to improve further with the entirety of the financial sector becoming FIRS compliant, believed to be a mounding step in promoting greater harmonistic with international regulatory standards, which in turn prompts increased resilience. Environmental COBs prime business segment is in leasing and in that, being in vehicles. With vehicles being a primary source of carbon dioxide emissions, Companys responsibility therefore is to reduce these emissions and work toward minimizing the harmful impacts. Green initiatives by customers, business partners communities resulted better management practices via paper recycling, saving of electricity and water and even appreciation of Sir Lands unique wetlands. Technological Given the long term partnership we mooted with Commercial Bank Of Sir Lankan where the Command ATM network can be accessed by CDC customers First N.B. to have a fully operational Core Banking Solution networking entire operations Social Pressure from the socio-cultural variables prevalent in a multi-dimensional country like Sir Lankan, CDC has to focused on social variables . One such is the diversification into Islamic Finance which functions according to Shari ah law, based on parameters prescribed by internationally accepted Shari ah scholars. 2. Product Category Review Total leasing category in the country is growing at a steady rate and two major sectors Licensed Banking N.B.. As a total the whole industry has grown significantly over the past years. The following graph show the growth in industry, When you consider the total credit and loan facilities leasing plays a significant portion of that as a whole ( Including Banks Nabs ) 2. 1 CDC Leasing COBs prime business segment is in leasing and in majority is comprised with the vehicle leasing. Throughout the 1 7 years journey of the company their main product officer is being Leasing. Product portfolio of COB The above graph show the significance in the leasing products for the company which the revenue contribution is more than 50%. 2. Distribution profile CDC Distribution Chain Nell mainly comprises of four components a. Branches b. Area development offices c. Dealer Network d. Service Center above channels are catering to customers and their requirement and we have seen a rapid growth in distribution channels in last few years 2. Pricing overview , Offering Packaging Segmental Pricing Approach is being deployed through the product line. Even though the main product being CDC leasing there are sub products and rand for different segments have offered. Following table shows the offering portfolio. Product Category Key Brands Offering Leasing CDC Leasing This is the main brand of CDC when it comes to Leasing COB Batty Lease COB Mini Truck Lease These two brands to focus on providing lending to small truck segment Small Car Lease Brand which facilitate small cars below 1 000 C engine capacity CDC -AWE Lease This brand is focusing on attracting three wheeler 3. Competitive Analysis The leasing products were dominated by the Nabs in early year and then Commercial Banks started leasing as a product offer in their portfolio with increase of demand for motor vehicle leasing sector in the country. Imports of the vehicles have grown significantly year by year in each segments personal, Transportation, Trade land vehicles, motor Cycles T-Wheelers. Bank have a competitive advantage over the leasing rates since they can offer l ow rates compared to Neffs . The reason behind this is cost of funds for the banks are low where as Nabs cost of funds high since its mainly depending on the fixed deposits. 3. 1 Major Competitors in Leasing Sector in Sir Lankan Commercial Banks Non Banking financial Institutions Commercial Bank Pl Bank Of Ceylon Peoples Bank Wheaton National Bank Sympathy Bank Sealant bank Peoples Leasing Financial Services ( PL ) nana Iris Leasing Company Limited ( LOC) LB finance COB Commercial Credit Leasing Within the Nabs , CDC share a 4% of market share in leasing category where there is a huge potential for expansion and intrude in to competitor markets. . 1. 1 Competitor Pricing Overall pricing range of N.B. remains same and but different types of strategies used to attract customers a. Extended Durations Initially almost all institutions offered a duration of 4-5 years leasing term has increased up to 7 years to reduce the monthly installment payment. B. Structured Leasing Leasing is structured by SSH fitting the bulk paying amount to different stages Of the payment structure. E. G. Initial payment of 1 Million to be pay after end of the second year .

A Critical Look at the Sambia essays

A Critical Look at the Sambia essays In order to become a man in Sambia culture, one must rid themselves of the pollutants associated with womanhood and take in the fluids that are necessary to becoming a man (Herdt). This rite of passage is based on the idea that women are pollution to men and when a boy becomes a man he must rid himself of the womanhood that has polluted his life so thoroughly (Herdt). Elders take him violently from his mother at age seven or eight and force bloodletting from the nose with sugar cane rid him of the female pollution because blood symbolizes womanhood (Herdt). Bloodletting is viewed as essential to "male growth" (Herdt 368) in Sambia culture. He bleeds out the female pollution he has received from his mother (Herdt). He then must ingest the fluids, which will make him a man. He does this by performing fellatio on the elders of the tribe and swallowing their semen (Herdt). By doing this, the boy gains semen himself and over time and repeated fellatios becomes a man (Herdt). He is also taught to be a warrior and to be disgusted by women, distrustful of them and remain as distant as possible from them (Herdt). This very anti-female ritual exemplifies how women are treated in the Sambia culture. They are considered inferior and subordinate to men, victims of domestic violence, seen as pollution to avoid, be cleansed of on a regular basis, and be disgusted by continually (Herdt). Through the ideas of Sherry Ortner, Mary Douglas, and Victor Turner this rite of passage and the beliefs it is based on concerning the inferiority and fear of women can be critically analyzed and explained. Sherry Ortner argues that it is the association of females with nature and males with a culture that explains the inferior treatment of women and the male's need to cleanse himself of women upon the passage to manhood and the separation from female society. Through Mary Douglas's "Abominations of Leviticus," the case can be made for the symbolic association's me...

They, their, them, eggs and freckles!

They, their, them, eggs and freckles! They, their, them, eggs and freckles! They, their, them, eggs and freckles! By Maeve Maddox Sharons post The Scandinavian Connection lists fifteen words, all nouns, that have come into English from Swedish and Norwegian. The earliest word in her list, flounder, came into English in 1592. The most recent, quisling, was coined as recently as 1940. As interesting as these words are, theyre only the tip of the iceberg. Our debt to the language of the Northmen goes back to the days when King Alfred and his successors persuaded the Vikings to stop bashing heads and settle down in the north of England. Because Old English and Old Norse were kindred languages, the co-existence of the races had some interesting linguistic results. Borrowed words are usually nouns, verbs, and adjectives, but Scandinavian borrowings in English extend to pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions and adverbs. We even owe the plural form are to the influence of the Vikings. Here are just a few of the words we borrowed from the Northmen way back in time: nouns birth, booth, egg, fellow, freckle, leg, skin, skirt, window adjectives awkward, flat, ill, loose, low, meek, odd, rotten, sly, tight, weak verbs call, crawl, die, droop, gasp, get, give, lift, raise, scowl, take prepositions till, fro (as in to and fro) conjunction though adverbs aloft, athwart, seemly (so theyre a little old-fashioned) pronouns they, their, them both, same (these can also be used as adjectives) Some of my favorite factoids about Norse words in English: OE had a word scyrte (sc in OE is pronounced /sh/) meaning a tunic one wore with a belt ON had the word skyrta for the same garment. Both words survived into modern English as shirt (garment above the belt) and skirt (garment below the belt). The word greyhound does not refer to the dogs color. The Old Norse word for a female dog was grey. The ON and OE words for dog or hound were very similar: ON hundr; OE hund. Greyhound, therefore, is literally bitchhound or dogdog. Some of the Scandinavian words drove out the English ones, such as sky for wolcen and anger for grama (although some writers still use OE ire), but in some cases both the English and Norse words survive as pairs with similar meanings: no/nay (The nays have it.) whole/hale (Hes feeling hale and hearty.) rear/raise (We raise pigs, but rear children.) craft/skill (It takes skill to practice a craft.) hide/skin (Generally speaking, people have skin; animals have hides.) sick/ill (In England if youre sick, someone has to clean it up. Otherwise youre ill.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a SentenceGrammar Quiz #21: Restrictive and Nonrestrictive ClausesDozen: Singular or Plural?

To what extent can a measure of national income (GDP) Essay

To what extent can a measure of national income (GDP) - Essay Example Keywords: GDP, welfare, happiness, economy, wealth. GDP as a Measure of Happiness and Welfare Gross Domestic Product is a value of all the final goods and services that are produced in domestic territory of an economy, within a single accounting year. This is used as a measurement for finding out the different levels of growth in an economy. Not only that, but the GDP is used to compare the growth and development of one economy with another as well. However, with time, many economists have begun trying to find out the happiness index faced by the citizens of a country, with the help of the GDP. However, they fail to pose the following questions; what is the relationship between GDP and welfare? Can GDP be regarded as a good index of welfare among the people of a country? Or is it simply a measure for finding out the kind of growth and development the economy has undergone, not taking into account the actual distribution of wealth? While looking at the figures of per capita income and national income of a country on the whole, one may find that the country is prospering very well and has achieved growing levels of independency when it comes to its market segments and trade related areas. The country might be doing really well in almost all fields – right from the primary to the tertiary sector. But just because something looks good from the outside, it cannot be judged inside as well, can it? In simple terms, the capacity to purchase goods and services is what makes people feel satisfied. However, this capacity or purchasing power is available to the people of a nation on the basis of their incomes. If they have low incomes, then they are able to afford lesser and vice versa. The happiness index of a person thus, depends on the kind of satisfaction he is able to achieve, which in turn, as discussed above, is a direct reaction to the level of income earned by him. In this case, the GDP cannot be measured in terms of the number of goods and services sold in an economy in a year, but by the level of distribution of income within the country which in turn affects the number of goods and services purchased by different sections of society within a year. Therefore, the use of goods and services by different people in an economy is what contributes to their well being, and not just the GDP alone. The greater the magnitude of the GDP, the greater the welfare of the people, was what was earlier believed by most economists. However, with more development and consumerism all around the world, with people having higher power and choices in order to utilize resources to satisfy their needs and wants, the GDP itself poses very stark limitations to the kind of measurement it can hope to provide to measuring an index of welfare of the nation. (Osberg, Lars and Sharpe, Andrew) In order to understand this argument better, one needs to delve into the levels of distribution of income within a nation or an economy. The distribution of wealth is not unif orm in most economies, may they be developed or developing ones. There is always a clear demarcation between the haves and the have not’

Living Waters for Thirsty Souls Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Living Waters for Thirsty Souls - Essay Example Living water for thirsty souls: unleashing the power of exegetical preaching is comprehensive with example sermons to demonstrate every stride of this method (McMickle 46). Interaction and Dialog with these Concerns from Individual Experience I have attended sermons more than a few times when I visit a chapel. I have listened to sermons that were sometimes distorted and proposed something impractical at some instances. As I read â€Å"Living Water for Thirsty Souls: Unleashing the Power of Exegetical Preaching† I found out that these preachers did not use a line of attack that could make whatever they were preaching as practical and realistic as possible. They tried too hard to make things fit into some contexts that made people wonder whether the examples that were provided really applied to what was in the scripture. After reading the book, I learnt that almost all the sermons that I had attended did not utilize even a quarter of what McMickle come up with in his approach (M cMickle 65). The sermons had no type of limitations. This made the preachers to go out of context and confuse the individuals attending the sermon, me included. The preachers sometimes totally lost the audience's attention to the sermon by going out of topic and confusing it even further by not going back to what they had been initially preaching. This hindered me personally from getting any type of lesson from the sermon, which, I felt, was quite unfair to me, as well as to the congregation. I believe that â€Å"Living Water for Thirsty Souls: Unleashing the Power of Exegetical Preaching† is valuable when it uses the strategy of putting limits to the sermon, so that they can fit well with whatever the scriptures say. A lesson can be learnt from the sermon effectively, and at the same time without struggles to learn something from the sermons offered by priests (McMickle 76). In most of the sermons that I attended, sometimes I would find myself lost among the literature that was being presented for a particular sermon. This is because the preacher would read from the literature that was not related to the sermon at all. This is not good for any sermon because I felt that literature presented toward the congregation ought to be relevant and related to the sermon as a whole. I felt at most of the sermons I attended that I had not learnt anything because of the literature ignorance and the lack of its proper presentation. The literature should be totally in line with the sermon being presented to the congregation. For the better comprehension and easier understanding of the literature it must be explained in depth (McMickle 87). During sermons, a number of preachers utilize a number of expressions and words that have different meanings; sometimes I felt that sermons were misinterpreted. I attended sermons and found it hard sometimes to follow it because of the language that was utilized in the sermons, or the manner the preacher interpreted the scriptures to us. The interpretations would not fit the context of the literature of the scriptures. This made me spend time on trying to figure out why the preacher had come to such an interpretation instead of concentrating on the message that was being passed on by the preacher. I believe that preachers ought to utilize good interpretations and even

The Key Concepts of Diversity Essay Example for Free

The Key Concepts of Diversity Essay 1. What are some of the ways groups of people are identified? I would say that there are four types of minority or subordinate groups. The classifying of the four criteria in minority groups are the race, ethnicity, religion, and the gender. Then the groups are racial groups, ethnic groups, religious groups, gender and other groups. The last you have is the subordinate groups that could be any groups they want. The racial group is a group that is a socially set apart because of the obvious physical differences in each other. The ethnic group is a group that can or set apart from others because of its national origin or cultural patterns that can be distinctive. The religion groups is just apart what it can say in its group made up with people that are in the same religion. Gender groups are made up of the male or all female. Now you have the subordinate group that can have a whole different set of criteria such as age, disability status, physical appearance, and the sexual orientation. Then I would say that you have groups that are made up of two or more groups put together, such as religion and color, or another combination that might be gender or sexual orientation, and it could be race. It can or it is usually the people that meet more than one of the groups into this that have the way of hardest times of dealing with things in the country or something that comes to mind. I would say that in this country that people are always placing people in groups that is hard enough to be just one group but when you add other groups into it there are even bigger problems or issues. Then to be a female in this country in these days it can be very hard but if you are one then you can add the race into it. The last part is religion to it and the people are more likely to feel something totally different about you. When we said this is all done we the people put too much importance on what groups that we belong to. None of this should even matter at all and we should all be put into one group or that is the human race and that can be all. 2. Why do people label and group other people? I do believe and think that people put labels on the people because they are down deep what they want to feel the superior to all others. The best part in some subconscious ways we put people in these groups and place labels on them to help other boost their egos and make them feel better about themselves. The labeling and the grouping people for hundreds of years and this is not a new thing by any means at all. This has been all the way for people to keep other down were they thought they belonged to. By this way in which people try and make themselves feel better about themselves for the simple fact that can do so many to the people that would have low self-esteem, and it is the way of boosting their own confidence. It is said realty of the way of life that if the people are the type to place people in groups they will not have anything to do with anyone else but for those that are in the same groups as they are in. I would say that a lot of people only have friends from people in which are inside their own group of people. But I do also think if we stop grouping people and putting labels on them we would have such better world. Look at all the problems down through our history that all that happened because of the labeling people. I might have an example of this such as Hitler he place people in groups and also label them and put them into separate camps. Then he thought unless you were a blonde hair and blue eyed you were not good enough to live in his world. Plus he thought the only way to deal with any problems that this could cause so he had an ethnic cleansing by killing those people and we all know how it turn out in that time and day. But he was is far from the only one that has done that. During that same time when the World War 2 was going own and look at what happened in our very own country we placed Japanese American’s in camps for the fact they were Japanese And still to this day and time we separate people into so many groups and keep thinking that are we all not just part of the human race or do we try to something else all the time.

Music Essay - America Needs Rap and Hip Hop -- Expository Exemplificat

America Needs Rap and Hip Hop Ever since it became popular in the late eighties, hip-hop music has been a target of moral disapproval. Many critics have labeled the music as an offensive, vulgar, misogynist form of expression, which negatively influences its listeners, particularly children. Early in rap music's' development "concerned citizens" and various government officials held protests against the release of certain rap albums. Rap music's opponents demanded strict censorship. But hip-hop was increasingly attracting large audiences and its supporters were ready to fight the censors who they believed were taking away their constitutional right of freedom of speech, and the freedom of the urban black culture to express itself. What critics of rap music don't comprehend is that rap music is a part of our culture, which is impossible to ignore. Although it may be untraditional, it is a very eloquent form of expression that illustrates the conditions and feeling of a vibrant African -American young c ulture Hip-hop is constantly attacked in the music world. Many music critics argue that rap is not a valid form of music. This attack on rap music isn't only restricted to critics, many people of older generations have similar attitudes regarding this style of music. Those who stick to the conventional definition of music argue that Hip-hop has no melody, and that since there is no singing it isn't true music. Rap music is also criticized for its lack of originality, because rap artists are constantly "sampling" beats from pre-existing songs. . In response to the argument that hip-hop isn't a "true" form of music, one would ask: who and what defines music? Is there a canon which all contemporary m... ...eve I'm in the right place/ showed her my boarding pass/ then she short of gasped/ If white boys doing it , well, it success/ If I start doing it, well, it's suspect/ ( for rest of song see appendix 2) In spite of the controversy the hip-hop culture encounters, its' significance cannot be overlooked. Rap music is an important cultural phenomenon that represents a part of society that, after many years, has found a voice. It would be a mistake to think of all hip-hop as monolithic in fact it could be seen as a continuous dialogue within a community. Despite some of the controversial elements of hip-hop, rap music is an essential tool for the African- American community's search for identity. Be a native/ get creative/ original and designated -A tribe called quest( youthful expression) 1 The eloquent essay, Leo Marx. P.88

Personal Accountability

PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY Being accountable for yourself is important due to the fact that if you do not know where you are supposed to be, you won’t be able to perform your job and perform it well. In the military you are only required to do three things; be at the right place, be there at the right time, and be in the right uniform. But as a military Police officer, you are also required one more thing to do, which is, check the DA Form 6 every day for changes.If you don’t check the DA Form 6, you won’t just be in the wrong place, you will also letting those around you down while you are late and having them wait on you. Also being accountable for yourself and letting others know where you are is important because if no body knows where you are and you get hurt or lost then it falls on your leadership that they aren’t doing their job. And you will be considered AWOL (absent with out leave) under article 86 in the UCMJ. Making changes on the DA Form 6 are n ot made on the lower level, but the higher chain of command can approve it.You will be in the wrong if you jump the chain of command, so that is when you let your team leader know so they can push it up. If you are unsure if your team leader pushed it up, or if the change had ever gotten approved, check multiple times until you are satisfied that the top is tracking the change. When the chain of command is unaware of the changes, it falls on the soldiers that wanted to make the change. And if no one is tracking it, and you conduct the change, then that is a direct violation of a direct order and can have UCMJ consequences.If one issue is that you cannot do it yourself, you can always ask your peers for help. There is no shame in accepting help from others who are willing to help. When you constantly show up late and are not at the appointed place of duty, you build yourself a negative legacy. People will eventually start seeing you as incompetent and that you won’t be able to perform any tasks you are given. In turn it could lower your moral and lower the moral of your peers.The trust of you being able to conduct your job is vital in the military and for the unity of the unit. Ways on helping with being accountable for youself are; checking and rechecking, showing up on time, not bein too afraid to ask for help. Writing down your schedule is another way to help. But the military isn’t for some people and its not easy to adapt with the lifestyle and the way of living that comes with the burden of being a soldier. So take this as my way of letting you know that you can go ahead and process the chapter paperwork.

Intergrating Special needs students Essay

Integrating students with disabilities into the every day classroom is highly important. It gives students with and without disabilities the opportunity to be apart of an inclusive and accepting community. Students who have severe disabilities are those students who have a physical, emotional, mental problems which require extra educational, psychological or medical assistance beyond traditionally offered education. In past years, special needs students have been over looked or their needs neglected, so they have had to move to schools that cater specifically to their needs. Many parents and school administrators thought that these kids needed to be cared for in a special location, outside neighborhood schooling. Studies have shown and from personal experience, students with disabilities who are integrated into regular classrooms, benefit from the structured and well organized activities that all students can participate in. This is not only good for the students with disabilities, b ut those who do not have disabilities, learn about real world differences. They are exposed to proper interaction with someone with a severe disability. This also gives non ­disabled students the opportunity to not fear students with disabilities and like ­wise. There are times throughout the school day that may not be suitable for SSN students to be interacting with other students. There are times that are great for integration (with assistance from an aid) , such as gym, music, art, passing periods, library, etc. This gives students the ability to not only interact with non ­disabled students but also learn what the day to day expectations are. Students with disabilities are often not given goals to accomplish or expectations. Students with disabilities should have a goal and expectations just as any other student, they just may need assistance along the way. If the student has a mild disability they should have the same expectations as non ­disabled kids, again they just need assistance reaching those goals. This requires teachers who are willing to help SSN or mild needs students, if they are not accompanied by an aid. A huge thing teachers and aids need to be on the look out for is bullying amongst the students. If a student with no disabilities was to pick on a disabled student that could be harmful on many levels. First off, it’s hurtful for anyone to be picked on. Second, if the disabled student feels negative vibes and is feeling bullied, the integration will no longer work. Students with disabilities usually pick up on negativity, and do not want to participate when they feel threatened. So it is imperative that teacher and aids be enforcing positive interactions amongst the students. Teachers need to help the aids in assisting the student. Many times teachers do not want the burden of a disabled student. It is extremely important that teachers are a helping hand in creating this environment. This means the classroom needs to be safe, positive and welcoming, for all kids. A good way to insure this is the â€Å"open ­door ­policy.† That means that teachers invite any onlookers to come in and observe the integrated activities. It also means that they welcome onlookers to observe an instruction in progress and to interact with the disabled students. A lesson plan that should be put into place in every classroom, at a lower grade, should be information on disabilities. Students who are taught and have explained the integration process are more likely to be positively responsive. There are many ways that integrating student with severe disabilities or special needs can benefit all students. Students can learn proper interaction with one another. Students with disabilities can learn what their day to day process is, and what is expected of them. This can only work if teachers are responsive to needs to SSN or mild needs students, not only the student will benefit, this also helps the teacher grow. All schools should switch to an integrated curriculum, to insure equality amongst all students, disability or not.

Dario Fos Political Theatre

Dario Fos Political Theatre Dario Fo's Political Theatre Dario Fo's plays were written in Italy during the 60's and 70's. During this time there was widespread dissatisfaction throughout Italy towards the government and various factions within the country , the nation seethed with discontent.Dario Fo was born in 1926 in the Italian state of Lombardy. During the fifties , Fo , along with his wife Franca Rame , had a succesful career as an actor , director and writer of comedies in conventional theatre. During the sixties , they abondened conventional theatre and chose the working classes as the target audience for their new, left wing plays. Fo's new productions were based upon the Commedia dell'arte of renaissance times. His main influence is the old guillari, wandering performers who would perform for the masses using their own style of satire , a ambiguous disrespect for the authorities (particularly the church).Fo , a dissatisfied citizen of Italy , used theatre to attack and ridicule Italy's governing syste m.Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo in Milan

Greg Lynn, Binary Large Objects, and Blob Architecture

Greg Lynn, Binary Large Objects, and Blob Architecture Blob architecture is a type of wavy, curvy building design without traditional edges or traditional symmetric form. It is made possible by computer-aided-design (CAD) software. American-born architect and philosopher Greg Lynn (b. 1964) is credited with coining the phrase, although Lynn himself claims the name comes from a software feature that creates Binary Large Objects. The name has stuck, often disparagingly, in various forms, including blobism, blobismus, and blobitecture. Examples of Blob Architecture These buildings have been called early examples of blobitecture: Selfridges Department Store (pictured on this page) in Birmingham, United KingdomGuggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain (designed by Frank Gehry)Xanadu Houses in Kissimmee, FloridaThe Sage Gateshead in Newcastle, UK (designed by Norman Foster)Admirant Entrance Building in Eindhoven, Netherlands (designed by Massimiliano Fuksas)Galaxy SOHO in Beijing, China (designed by Zaha Hadid)The Experience Music Project (EMP) in Seattle, Washington (designed by Frank Gehry) CAD Design on Steroids Mechanical drawing and drafting changed radically with the advent of desktop computing. CAD software was one of the very first applications to be used in offices transitioning to personal computer workstations in the early 1980s. Wavefront Technologies developed the OBJ file (with the .obj file extension) to geometrically define three-dimensional models. Greg Lynn and Blob Modeling Ohio-born Greg Lynn came of age during the digital revolution. The term Blob modelling was a module in Wavefront software at the time, says Lynn, and it was an acronym for Binary Large Object - spheres that could be collected to form larger composite forms. At the level of geometry and mathematics, I was excited by the tool as it was great for making large-scale single surfaces out of many small components as well as adding detailed elements to larger areas. Other architects who were the first to experiment with and use blob modeling include the American Peter Eisenman, British architect Norman Foster, Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas, Frank Gehry,   Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher, and Jan Kaplickà ½ and Amanda Levete. Architectural movements, such as the 1960s Archigram led by architect Peter Cook or the convictions of the deconstructionists, are often associated with blob architecture. Movements, however, are about ideas and philosophy. Blob architecture is about a digital process - using mathematics and computer technologies to design. Mathematics and Architecture Ancient Greek and Roman designs were based on geometry and architecture. Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius observed relationships of human body parts - the nose to the face, the ears to the head - and documented the symmetry and proportion. Todays architecture is more calculus-based using digital tools. Calculus is the mathematical study of changes. Greg Lynn argues that since the Middle Ages architects have used calculus - the Gothic moment in architecture was the first time that force and motion was thought of in terms of form. In Gothic details such as ribbed vaulting you can see that the structural forces of the vaulting get articulated as lines, so youre really actually seeing the expression of structural force and form. Calculus is also a mathematics of curves. So, even a straight line, defined with calculus, is a curve. Its just a curve without inflection. So, a new vocabulary of form is now pervading all design fields: whether its automobiles, architecture, products, etc., its really being affected by this digital medium of curvature. The intricacies of scale that come out of that - you know, in the example of the nose to the face, theres a fractional part-to-whole idea. With calculus, the whole idea of subdivision is more complex, because the whole and the parts are one continuous series. -    Greg Lynn, 2005 Todays CAD has enabled the building of designs that were once theoretical and philosophical movements. Powerful BIM software now allows designers to visually manipulate parameters, knowing that Computer Aided Manufacturing software will keep track of the building components and how they are to be assembled. Perhaps because of the unfortunate acronym used by Greg Lynn, other architects such as  Patrik Schumacher have coined a new word for new software - parametricism. Books by and About Greg Lynn Folds, Bodies Blobs: Collected Essays by Greg Lynn, 1998Animate Form by Greg Lynn, 1999Composites, Surfaces, and Software: High Performance Architecture, Greg Lynn at the Yale School of Architecture, 2011Visual Catalog: Greg Lynns Studio at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, 2010IOA Studios. Zaha Hadid, Greg Lynn, Wolf D. Prix: Selected Student Works 2009, Architecture is PornographyOther Space Odysseys: Greg Lynn, Michael Maltzan and Alessandro Poli, 2010Greg Lynn FORM by Greg Lynn, Rizzoli, 2008 Sources Greg Lynn - Biography, European Graduate School website at www.egs.edu/faculty/greg-lynn/biography/ [accessed March 29, 2013]Greg Lynn on calculus in architecture, TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design), February 2005, https://www.ted.com/talks/greg_lynn_on_organic_designPhoto of The Sage by Paul Thompson/Photolibrary Collection/Getty Images

When I was Puerto Rican, by Esmeralda Santiago Essay

When I was Puerto Rican, by Esmeralda Santiago - Essay Example It is clear why the book When I was Puerto Rican has made it onto the bestseller list. Esmeralda Santiago opens up places in our minds by using descriptive narration. It is also a book that reaches out to all cultures as people from different cultures can find something to associate with. The eldest of 11 children Esmeralda Santiago (nicknamed: Negi) grew up in Puerto Rico. At age 13 her single mother moved the family to Brooklyn. Esmeralda was accepted in New York High School of Performing Arts after having only learnt English for two years. She studied in Harvard University and graduated with honors. She received her Masters' Degree from Sarah Lawrence College. She and her husband founded the award wining film and production company Contomedia. Her prestige also lies in the vast amount of dedication she has shown by working with victims of domestic violence. In this same spirit of giving she is also prided for her assistance in founding the Massachusetts based shelter for women and a Youth Service Center. When I Was Puerto Rican is a personal recollection of growing up and having to live in the ever-changing world due to hopes and dreams that need to be fulfilled. It highlights the issues that were important in the author's life, especially in her childhood.