Portrayal Of Social Issues Faced By Women

Portrayal Of Social Issues Faced By Women The aim of this extended essay is to analyze how Patience Agbabi portrays the issues women are faced with in her poem cycle Seven Sisters from her poetry collection Transformatrix and examine the different viewpoints of the main themes presented in the seven poems from the perspective of the poet. This is done by first distinguishing three main topics in the seven poems which are: Teenage pregnancy and prostitution Adolescence and fairytale stereotypes Sexuality, sexual abuse and gender expectations These topics were then thoroughly analyzed by detailed investigation of the poems and additional external sources. With the purpose of understanding the message behind the poems more adequately, an interview with the poet, Patience Agbabi, was organized first by contacting her through www.patienceagbabi.wordpress.com and later by email. The correspondence is attached in the appendix. After an in depth research of the main topics, it was possible to conclude that Patience Agbabi portrayed the women and the social issues in a more unconventional manner by highlighting the virtuous as well as the unpleasant characteristics of the main characters. This is different for example from the media which, influenced by society, typically only presents only one point of view and thus disregards the opinions of the people who actually suffer from the social issues discussed in this essay. Introduction Patience Agbabi is a British poet born in London in 1965 to Nigerian parents. She was educated at Oxford Univeristy and published the poetry collection, named Transformatrix, in 2000. This extended essay will analyze seven sestina poems from that collection, suitably called the Seven Sisters, which are a truthful interpretation of the poets view on women and the many challenges they go through. With each of the seven women representing a different time and type of life, Patience Agbabi has given a very interesting depiction of the transformation of women through time. The issues in the poems vary a great deal. The main topics discussed are teenage pregnancy and prostitution, adolescence and fairytale stereotypes, and sexuality, sexual abuse and gender expectations. In her poems Patience Agbabi tries to break the stereotypes of women that have formed from years and years of misunderstanding and lack of interest to know the other side of the story. It is interesting to see that even th ough a feminist, the poet does not depict the women in the seven poems in an extremely positive or ideal manner; the characters are all authentic and with flaws, as it is in real life, which is exactly the reason why they are so intriguing to read. Instead of the worn out depictions of the topics in the poems, Agbabi tries to explore a different viewpoint and widen the understanding of for example transvestites, lesbians or rebellious teenagers. The poet uses one of the most difficult forms of poetry to master, the sestina, to emphasize the most important aspects in each poem. A sestina is a highly structured poem consisting of six six-line stanzas followed by its envoy. The same set of six words ends the lines of each of the stanzas, but in a different order each time  [1]  . The six repetitive word are time, girl, end, child, boy, dark each of these representing the central themes of the poems and combining the Seven Sisters together. In whole the question this essay aims to answer is: How does Patience Agbabi portray the issues women are faced with in her poem cycle Seven Sisters? Teenage pregnancy and prostitution Teenage pregnancy has been a problem throughout history, the only difference being that nowadays it is much more talked about and there are actual measures taken to relieve the situation. During the Second World War however, which is also the time frame for the first poem Martina  [2]  , the situation was much worse and the problem was ignored or denied. As described in the poem, the war had a horrific effect on people as most were living in constant fear, thinking only about the outcome of the confrontation. With the men sent to battle, the women had to provide for themselves and for many it meant getting a job and working long hours for the first time in their lives. It is to no surprise then, that some women resorted to easier ways to keep their previous lifestyle and at the same time help the war-effort. The so called victory girls or khaki-wackies provided respectable companionship for military men: they wrote letters, played cards, danced with them and eventually ended up c arrying their children as a result of imprudence.  [3]  In the poem Martina, the difference between the two manners of behaviour is described by the fact that in the time of fear and despair, when women had to work hard and food was in very short supply, the so called khaki-wackies had a much more glamorous lifestyle, at least on the outside: .. But we were weekend disciples, evacuees scared of dark nights pierced with blitzkrieg pyrotechnics, child- like, clinging to mothers skirt. She found time to party in new nylons, good-time girl growing voluptuous from man and boy, on chocolate and plum brandy. I was tomboy  [4]   In reality they were non-professional prostitutes, girls who resorted to more straight-forward measures to survive the turbulent and uncertain times. In the last three stanzas of the poem, Agbabi describes the very typical outcome of such behaviour, which was pregnancy. As the V-girls were in majority young girls raging from the age of 12 to 17, teenage pregnancy rate was for example in the United States higher in the 1940s than it is now.  [5]   . We all knew she was expecting a child. In those days we all expected the boy to marry her. But it being wartime, too soon his two-month leave came to an end. Her father threw her out into pitch-dark Novembers clutches with words No girl of mine She gave birth to a baby girl, Martina. They wanted to put the child up for adoption. .   [6]   In these lines the poet also explains the misconception people had about the lifestyle of such girls. It was expected that the soldiers would marry the girl they got pregnant, but the reality was quite different. Majority of the men had no intention to take responsibility, and even when they did walk down the aisle, the marriages usually ended when the war was over. The girls were left behind, pregnant and rejected by the society, with no other option than to resort to illegal abortion, give the child up for adoption or try to raise their newborn alone.  [7]  The women could not expect help from their families as it was considered unforgivable to have a child born out of wedlock. The media portrayed them as people who only had themselves to blame for their situation, but the poem Martina evokes rather sympathy than dismay for the character, especially with the last lines: . In time, she got married for the childs sake, a boy- next-door type; and in time I met a girl with sloe-dark eyes and loved her till the end.  [8]   Patience Agbabi herself says that: The conversational first person narrative invites the reader to identify with these women, to enjoy their spirit and wit, to empathise with them in spite of their morals.  [9]  Throughout the poem and especially in the end, the narrator is more intrigued and fascinated by the victory girl, rather than being appalled. In my opinion it reflects that in many ways the V-girls were envied for their seemingly glamorous lifestyle and their free-spirited nature, by other, more conservative, women during that time. The other poem in the collection, that has the central themes of teenage pregnancy, prostitution and also sexual abuse is Samantha  [10]  . Unlike Martina, the life of Samantha takes place at a more modern time. The poem deals mostly with prostitution, but once again it is not from the very typical viewpoint, as the womans positive characteristics are equally emphasized with her short-comings. The poem also gives more insight to one of the reasons behind prostitution and from that also teenage pregnancy. They cant see my bump in the dark. I work Stamford Hill mostly. My first time was 96. We was really broke. Boy from the local estate. Dealer. The girls put me up to it. Once I got over the taste it was childs play. Sucked him like an ice lolly in June. We call it making ends meet.   [11]   In this stanza, the prostitute is talking about why she first got started with her line of work, and as for most girls, it is usually about financial problems and a lack of education or opportunities to find a proper job. According to Claire Sterk: money, history of sexual abuse, having grown up without love from the significant adults in their lives and being enticed by a male of female friend or by peer pressure from a group of friends are the main reasons behind prostitution.  [12]  All of those are also mentioned in the poem Samantha. When comparing Samantha to Martina then their one similarity is pregnancy, what is different, is the two womens perception of the situations. In Martina, the girl is punished for her situation and considers putting the child up for adoption. In Samantha, the prostitute has a much more positive attitude towards the fact that she has a child. ..Id die if anything happened to my kid. A child keeps you sane. ..  [13]   Even though only taking place 20 to 30 years later, the outlook on the situation had transformed, and prostitutes at that time felt like they had the right and freedom of talking about their lives without shame of what others may think. What is interesting about the poem is the fact that Samantha herself does not seem to be too disturbed about the way her life has turned out, she seems foolishly hopeful that things might change for the better. The fact is however, that the reasons that first dragged the woman into prostitution are not likely to just disappear. In an interview with the Guardian journalist, Emine Saner, a long-time sex worker told Saner that she would like to be able to stop working, but does not know how else to manage financially  [14]  . The importance of this poem and also Martina is the fact that even though both women have a distorted sense of morals, the reader can not help but feel somewhat sorry for the characters and therefore enabling them to see teenage pregnancy and prostitution in a different light than usually portrayed by the media. Adolescence and fairytale stereotypes According to Patience Agbabi herself, exploring childhood moving into adolescence is one of her favourite themes. As every person has been a kid in the past and can say that puberty is a very emotional time of a persons life, it is therefore no surprise that adolescence is an interesting topic for all writers and poets. In a life of a usual teenager, adolescence is the time of first love, discovering sexuality and for most girls the realisation of the truth behind fairytale stereotypes. One of my personal favourites, Agbabis poem The Tiger  [15]  is an excellent portrayal of a rebellious teenage girl who is just on her journey of discovering what life as an adult is actually like. Majority of young girls have a huge misconception about adulthood, mainly concerning romance. Tracy loves Darren. It was girl power, 1979. He was my aerosol boy and the swelling inscription, my lifebuoy. We lasted a month.  [16]   In the poem, the young girl gets a tattoo with the name of her first love. It is a very truthful depiction of young people s understanding of love, as they think it will last forever just like the tattoo. The reality of the situation hits youngsters usually when they gain more independence and responsibilities, which also marks the end of their puberty. The Tiger shows the ordeal in an emotional and familiar way, thus making the reader feel the angst of puberty once again. In modern society, adolescence is widely discussed, as parents seem more and more clueless of what to do when their child is behaving in a rebellious matter. By giving the reader an insight to the girls point of view, Agbabi once again enables people to see the problem from a new angle. It takes an hour to obliterate girl meets boy a minute for childhood to end, and for dark blue to fade to grey, a lifetime.   [17]   With the final stanza of the poem, Agbabi emphasizes again the fact that emotions and situations that all seemed so important during years of puberty, mean very little when compared to the rest of a persons life. The second poem in Agbabis collection that also deals with the problems of fairytale stereotyping and more generally, youngsters misconception of the life ahead, is Leila  [18]  . This poem is mostly depicting the usual dream of a little girl, in her early years of adolescence, when she dreams about charming princes and extraordinary weddings. This delusion has been created by entertainment industry, as children are exposed to more and more cartoons, films and toys in a very early age. The idea behind this is to influence the children into wanting all sorts of consumer goods, but in addition these movies and toys give the young children a distorted view of life which in later years may prove to be a major obstacle on their way of living a fulfilled life. Developmental ps ychologists have long identified the fact that playing has a crucial affect on a childs development. During play children communicate with their world and internalize elements of society, such as norms, values, and adult roles. Childrens toys have a huge effect on their development of self-image and their concept of the society one of the fundamental tasks of childhood and adolescence  [19]  . It is to no surprise then, that the poet has chosen this topic as it sheds light and explains another group of women, who are suffering from some kind of social issue. dreaming all night of her shoe-shine boy, their diamond wedding, that happy end- ing. If she were a time shed be midnight, when each child paints the dark with fantasy, when girls become women, boys become men and Once upon a time becomes The End.  [20]   The last stanza of the poem is showing exactly Agbabis point that eventually all people grow up and with that they also have to grow out of fairytales. No fairytale ever shows the life of the protagonists after the happily ever after, and therefore having unrealistic expectations in ones adulthood to, for example, have a relationship that can be compared to a classical fairytale, is a dream that in reality will never come true. The two poems of adolescence and fairytale stereotypes are not only instructive for the young girls and women who are faced with the issue, but also for those who as observers may not have completely understood or recognized it as a social issue before. Sexuality, sexual abuse and gender expectations Sexuality is most definitely the most controversial and most covered topic that the poet has examined in her poem collection Seven Sisters. Patience Agbabi, being a bisexual herself, gives a very interesting and somewhat perceptive portrayal of a vast variety of different women and their sexualities. Not only does she discuss the sexualities of the women themselves, but also gender expectations amongst mothers, who also wish for their child to be of certain sex. According to researchers children are increasingly more aware of their sexuality from an early age, for example according to the research of 2004 by the Guttmacher Institute, 46% of teens in the United States between ages of 15-19 have had sex at least once  [21]  . It is to no surprise then that sexuality is such a talked about topic around the world these days. The problem with young children and their sexuality is briefly discussed in the poems Martina  [22]  and The Tiger  [23]  . In the poem The Tiger, Agbab i writes about the protagonist losing her virginity at a very young age, and thus also losing her childhood. In Martina, the main character is presumably around the age of 16, but has to grow up fast, and therefore get in touch with her sexual side, because of the war. The more controversial part of sexuality in Martina is the fact that even though the character is heterosexual, the narrator is a lesbian, as said by the poet.  [24]  Sexual orientation has a very big part to play in our sense of who we are and exactly where we belong. Even though no-one chooses their sexual orientation, there are still millions of people who are strongly against homosexuality, or bisexuality for that matter. As a close to heart topic for Agbabi, she chooses a very different angle to express her feelings about the social issue concerning sexuality. In her poem Ms de Meanour  [25]  , the narrator who is also the main character in the poem, is a drag queen and in lively fashion talks about her l ife of behaving like a woman, even though actually being a man. Time for boy meets girl in the mirror and wild child bitch with a dick from Crouch End becomes Wild West End diva with dark luscious lashes. .  [26]   In my opinion the poet is trying to draw a comparison between transvestites and gay people, as both are hiding their true personality and sexuality for the benefit and content of others. Drag queens dress and act as women, for the purpose of entertaining or performing. Homosexual people, on the other hand, need to sometimes hide their preferences from other in fear of public condemnation. In the beginning of the 21st century, violence against homosexual population was increasing, even the only wrong they have done is just have the courage to show difference from the majority  [27]  . Fortunately during the last couple of years, the situation has improved, as for example in many countries and in some states in Unites States, same-sex marriages are allowed and recognized by the government. Very closely connected with this topic, is gender expectations which is another theme in Agbabis poems. Centuries ago, it was crucial for a family to have a son, for the very obvious reason that a son is stronger and was more helpful around the house. Not only are there expectations about the gender of the child before it is born, but also after. Parents assume their children to grow up and follow the manner of behaviour that is acceptable by the society. For a heterosexual couple, who have certain expectations for their child, depending on the kids sex, it is probably quite disturbing to accept if the child turns out to be homosexual for example. The poem The Earth Mother  [28]  , is set in a fairytale time of Once upon a time, where an old woman craves for a son and is initially disappointed, when the child she had already named Boy turned out to be a girl. Old Woman named it Boy and dreamt earth, wind and fire, better times And here the tale would end if little girls could truly tame the dark and little boys were really boys, not girls. Old Woman woke and saw her baby Boy was girl and being wise, gave praise and raised this girl-child .  [29]   The poem is a fascinating approach to the subject, as the Old Woman represents most parents who wish their child to grow up a certain way they have imagined. It is also educational, as in the poem even though preliminary shocked to find out that things had not gone as planned, the Old Woman still raised the child without any complaints or regrets. In my opinion, Agbabi is trying to convince the reader that even when a child does not grow up according to certain gender expectations, it is no excuse to repel person s own flesh and blood. A more terrifying theme of sexuality in Agbabis poems is child sexual abuse, which she writes about in the poem Samantha  [30]  , where the character is a young 14 year old girl, who was raped by her step-father and consequently became a prostitute. Sexual abuse between adults and children, and moreover between siblings, is unfortunately not a passing issue in todays society. In 1994, 46% of all rape cases reported, were victims of their family members.  [31]   Pervs. Like my stepdad. I was still a child when he did it. Told her I was sleeping with boys but she walked in on us that lunchtime, and called me a whore. Jealous bitch. I left that weekend. Fourteen, and still scared of the dark.  [32]   One of the most disturbing facts about child sexual abuse is that in some occasions, the parents of the children dont believe when their child tells them about the rape or accuse the child of being seductive and asking for being raped. In those cases, the parent is usually more concerned about the relationship with the abuser than the well-being of their child. Therefore it is no surprise, that after such ordeal, these children end up running away from home and when reaching adulthood suffer from low self-esteem, sexual dysfunction, difficulties with having a healthy relationships, depression, substance abuse and so on.  [33]  The frankness of the main character in the poem, shows the reader the outcome of sexual abuse without any buffers, in its purest form which has proven to be the most efficient way to get people acknowledge the seriousness of the situation and do something about one of the most horrific problems women have to go through in their lives. Conclusion Patience Agbabi is a true-hearted feminist, who in her poem collection Seven Sisters writes about some of the most common social issues women are faced with, without taking sides. In her own words: As a feminist, when I started out as a writer there was a political pressure not to let the side down. Women were seeking equality and you had a duty as a writer to show women in the best possible light. But by this second book, I let art rather than politics lead the way.  [34]  Even though there were many bigger and smaller issues discussed in the poems, the themes that prevailed and seemed to be most close to heart for the poet, were teenage pregnancy and prostitution, adolescences and fairytale stereotypes and lastly sexuality, sexual abuse and gender expectations. The way of portraying issues that are exceedingly talked about, making them sound innovative and interesting, and in addition finding something new to teach in all of the situations is what makes the poems beautiful and absolutely worth reading. Patience Agbabi draws the reader in with writing in first person narrative and therefore lets the reader to identify with these women and the difficulties they face. Teenage pregnancy and prostitution are often discussed from the viewpoint of the general media but what a regular person does not hear often about is the other side of the story, the truth about the situation. As the poet mentioned herself, she is not trying to idealize these women or justify their behaviour and morals, but rather give the reader a change to make up their own decision about the characters. This applies to all of the themes and characters discussed in Seven Sisters. As a whole the collection serves as a quick study book for anyone interested in women their problems, their views on society and how the society views them and most importantly it allows the reader to analyse the information without any outside influence, thus coming to a conclusion that has its bases on the persons own views rather than the views of someone else. Sources Patience Agbabi Transformatrix Edinburgh: Payback Press. 2000. Marilyn Hegarty Victory Girls, Khaki-Wackies and Patriotutes: The regulation of female sexuality during World War II New York: NYU Press. 2007. Claire Sterk Tricking And Tripping, Prostitution In The Era Of AIDS New York: Social Change Press. 2000. Ken Moore Anti-lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual Violence in 2000 New York: National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs.2001. Kluft Incest-Related Syndromes of Adult Psychopathology Washington: American Psyhiatric Press.1990. Penelope Maza Adoption Trends: 1944-1975 US Childrens Bureau.1984. Emine Saner Youre consenting to being raped for money Guardian.11th December 2007. http://www.eduqna.com/Words-Wordplay/841-1-words-4.html http://www.public.asu.edu/~kleong/adolescents%20barbie.pdf http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-ATSRH.html http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/main.aspx?dbName=DocumentViewerDocumentID=32315 Seven Sisters Unveiled FORM DICTATING CONTENT I discovered the sestina quite by accident. I was well known for being a Janis Joplin fan, the 60s rock star who lived fast and died young of a heroin overdose. I was particularly mesmerised by her rendition of Ball and Chain, a blues number she performed at the Monteray pop festival in 1967. The friend gave me a copy of a poem called You Cant Rhumboogie in a Ball and Chain (for Janis Joplin). It was written by Alice Fulton, a poet Id never heard of. The poem really captured Janis spirit and I loved it. I also loved the way the words seemed to dance around each other. Of course, what I was responding to subliminally was the form of the poem, the form known as the sestina. So what is a sestina? Like many poetic forms it has musical roots. It was invented by Arnaud Daniel (whom Dante considered the best wordsmith). The form was originally sung by the top class troubadours, those who could master the intricate form. The sestina is still seen as the most difficult form to master in modern How to Write Poetry books. Basically, you have six words which appear in a set order at the end of each line. You have six stanzas of six lines each and a final stanza of three lines. It makes more sense when you see it on the page so heres one I prepared earlier, the first one I wrote: WRITING THE SEQUENCE A poet friend from the US, Samantha Coerbell, reintroduced me to the sestina by giving me the six end words, time, girl, end, child, boy, dark. They immediately suggested to me a poem about the passing of time, adolescence, coming of age with dark undertones. I didnt analyse it too closely. One day I went to the Poetry Library in London with a couple of hours to spare. I decided to write a sestina. It was supposed to be difficult but I believed it couldnt be that hard. I managed to write something I was reasonably pleased with in that two hours. It made sense and it has a story line. I knew it was a first draft that needed more work but it was a pretty good first draft as first drafts go. Like the Alice Fulton poem, I also adhered to 10-syllable lines. Traditional English sestinas are written in iambic pentameter. I enjoyed the writing experience, using the word repetitions as a form of rhyme and thought: WHAT IF 100 people got given the same six end words. Imagine the difference in the poems theyd produce. Yet each poem would have a relationship to the next due the set repetition of the end words. Each poem would perform the same dance to a different tune. I then decided to embark on the Seven Sisters project. I gave myself a year but eventually found myself writing one sestina a month. I wanted sufficient gaps between poems so theyd be very different.

Problems Facing University Students

Financial Challenges Facing University Students FA120-Skills to succeed Group Creative problem solving assignment By Megan Sweeney (12522637) Anna Heffernan (12743239) And Ross Swords (12344681) Word Count: two thousand two hundred and eight. Contents Page Section 1: Summary | Pages 3 and 4| Section II: Details of the students challenge| Pages 4 and 5| Section III: Findings| Pages 5 and 6| Section IV: Possible solutions and recommendations| Page 6| Section V: Recommendations| Page 6| References | Page 7| Section I: Summary. IntroductionAfter discussing our assignment as a group we recognised what problems and challenges may be relevant to university students. We felt the topic most relevant to ourselves as a group and the majority of university students, was the financial challenges faced by university students. For most students as they start university it is their first time living away from home which can create problems for both the student and their families financially with bot h the high costs involved in sending a student to university and the difficulties the student faces themselves in budgeting their weekly allowance.Many students struggle to prioritise their money correctly and often spend more money on socialising weekly than on the essentials such as food, and often there is little or no money left to put towards books and curriculum based activities. For the purpose of this assignment and to help ourselves as students manage our money in a more economical manner we have researched the problems and solutions which occur in the everyday life of an Irish university student. Statement of the student challengeThe financial difficulties faced by a university scholar are brought about by the high cost of tuition fees which are constantly increasing as a result of poor management by our previous governments, the high cost of student accommodation for those students who have to move away from home to attend university. Students living away from home also h ave to have a weekly allowance for essentials, heating and electricity bills, and college equipment such as books, calculators, laptops and stationary.Many students that don’t move away from home face high travelling expenses each week with the cost of public transport constantly increasing as the government hike up the prices in order to attempt to get the country out of recession. The significance of the challenge We chose this topic as there is currently so much hype being created in regard to the economic crisis and the effect it is having on the cost of attending university which is creating huge financial problems for students and their families attending university.The government has majorly reduced the amount of financial aid available for undergraduates, many students no longer receive the grant payment which has resulted in many young people not being able to finish their degrees. Due to the current economic climate students are rarely able to secure a stable job so that they can support themselves, which forces many students to be dependent on government allowances. Again this causes financial problems for the students as the allowances available to third level students are minimal.We wanted to explore the different supports available to university students to help students overcome their financial problem’s. Section II: Details of the student challenge. For each student attending university the average cost can vary significantly depending on whether they have to move away from home, travel a long distance to college daily or travel a short distance from their home to college each day. The following table gives an indication of the monthly cost of living in Galway as a student. These costs are an approximation only as monthly costs will depend on each person’s individual needs (NUIG Student-Life 2012).Accommodation| 340 euro| Food| 260 euro| Books/academic requisites| 60 euro| Clothes, laundry| 60 euro| Recreation| 180 euro| Ot her| 100 euro| Monthly Total| 1,000 euro| Nine month academic year| 9,000 euro| As the average Irish yearly income is â‚ ¬24,316 (Irishexaminer. ie), the cost of sending a student to university is over one third of the average Irish yearly wage and this is before the tuition fees have to be paid for which in itself presents a huge challenge for a family to be able to support both the student and the rest of the family.With this in mind most students need as much help as possible to budget, manage their money and make use of the discount and financial schemes available through the university. The university provides a range of support systems to help students overcome financial challenges they may face. For students living away from home medical expenses can be a huge challenge as unfamiliar doctors can overcharge students, students can also be faced with the difficulty of budgeting for medical expenses as students can’t predict when they will become ill.The National Univer sity of Ireland Galway has relived thousands of students from the worries and challenges they face in regard to medical fees as they provide a full medical centre with Doctors, Nurses and physiatrist free of charge to all students in the university. â€Å"Only 10% of the student body is entitled to a medical card (GMS). A medical card entitles the holder to free consultation, free prescriptions and free hospitalisation. Students are not entitled to a medical card unless their parents have such a card or unless they are on a grant. Mature students i. e. ver 24 years of age could be entitled to a card in their own right depending on income. † (NUIG Student-Life 2012). This is a brilliant support service available to all NUI Galway students no matter what financial background the student comes from. The monthly food expense for a university student is two hundred and sixty euro, this can vary hugely depending on whether the student is economical about where they shop and what th ey buy. Students can greatly reduce their shopping expenses by shopping in the cheaper supermarkets such as Lidl, Aldi and Tesco rather than smaller convenience stores which tend be much more expensive. And the key to good shopping is lists – lists you stick to. Never shop hungry and don’t rely on the big name retailers that your folks have shopped in for years, turn your back on brand names and only buy own-brand foods – you will save yourself a packet. A litre of milk from Avonmore costs â‚ ¬1. 14, a litre of Tesco milk costs 75 cents. † (The Irish Times, September 2012). The University also provides hot meals daily at only â‚ ¬5 in the university restaurant which can be very helpful to student who do not have time to return home to eat during the day.As well as the academic side to college students also have to have a social life, which can become very costly and makes it harder for students to budget their money. The titanium ents company put a d iscount card scheme in place to help students save money while socialising. â€Å"Galway Student Discount Card is estimated to save an average student â‚ ¬400 per semester / an average of â‚ ¬5 per night out ( â‚ ¬2 off a taxi, â‚ ¬2 off club admin & â‚ ¬1 off food after). On sale for only â‚ ¬4† (Titaniuments. ie). This is a huge help to students in budgeting for the social side to their time in university.A huge financial problem faced by students is the price of textbooks required for the curriculum many of these books can cost up to â‚ ¬100 each and have to be bought brand new as they all contain individual access codes for course work that has to be completed online. Many students have to buy up to five books per semester which is a huge expense and creates a serious financial problem for students. Bank of Ireland is currently putting schemes in place to allow students to take out loans to pay for books. Section III: Findings Currently at NUI Galway there are several procedures in place to help students live off a small budget and save money.Loyalty cards such as the student union card can get students various discounts at numerous shops and restaurants run by the students union throughout the college. The student union card can also earn students money, by purchasing items at any shop or restaurant run by the SU. Students can build up credit over-time on their purchases and eventually this credit can be turned into cash. NUI Galway also promote the titanium ents card which promotes social discounts for students such as free entry into nightclubs, discounts on taxis, and discounts on fast-food take aways.In University College Dublin they offer many scholarships to students which can be found on www. smurfitschool. ie which is the business school in UCD. An example of one is ‘GMAT MBA Scholarship’ ‘Open to all applicants scoring above 700 on the GMAT. All scholarship applicants must already have been admitted to (have applied for, been interviewed and offered a place on) the full-time MBA Programme before they can be considered for any of the above scholarships. Open to Irish residents and international applicants. ( UCD-2012) in a university aboard such as Harvard, the offer financial aid also such as ‘Harvard College has provided assistance to students who need help in meeting their education expenses for over 350 years, enabling us to seek out the most outstanding scholars in the world and open our doors to students of exceptional ability and promise, regardless of their financial circumstances. Over 60% of undergraduates will receive an estimated $172 million in need-based Harvard Scholarship aid in 2012-13.Just in the past five years we have increased our financial aid by over 70 percent, enhancing our program to ensure the affordability of a Harvard education even in these challenging economic times. We understand that the thought of financing four years of college can be a d aunting prospect for anyone, and we are eager to help you and your family understand our financial aid programs and assist you in finding ways to meet your college costs’ (Harvard-2012) Section IV: Possible solutions and recommendations.After applying the creative problem solving process we as a group began to look at the different ways a problem such as this can be solved. While looking for solutions to the problem we researched numerous websites that offered advice on how students can budget and save money. (Schweitzer 2010) suggests numerous ways for students to save money such as avoiding impulse buying, hiding the credit card and finding bargains. While undertaking more xtensive research into the problem and after reading several articles, another common suggestion on how to budget efficiently was to invest in a student travel card; which can give up to a third off the price of all rail prices (Warnes 2012). Another area that may affect a student budget is clothes shoppi ng. Many students can be fooled into buying expensive brand name clothes that they can’t afford. (Waldron 2012) suggests students should shop at local charity shops such as Oxfam where they can buy a lot of these brand name clothes second hand for a fraction of the price.Although many students may not have been accustomed to shopping in charity shops previously Waldron insists the value for students in this market is a â€Å"no brainer†. Section 5: Recommendations After investigating the possible solutions we as a group discussed the various methods NUIG could undertake to help students tackle their budgeting issues. We looked at the offers that are already available to help students save money such as the SU loyalty card, the titanium ents card, the second hand book scheme etc. We then held numerous brain storming session where we thought of ideas that might help solve the problem.We considered various ideas such as opening a second hand clothes shop in the college or a grocery store where students could buy their weekly shopping at a discount price. We then concluded that projects such as this would incur too much of an expense that may not be affordable for the college. Another idea that we came up with was a student discount guide that could be published by the students union on a weekly basis containing information on where students could find the best discounts in Galway on a weekly basis.The leaflet could advise students on what supermarkets have the best food discounts on this week, what nightclubs are offering discounts, how students could save money on travel etc. Referencing nui galway. (2012). financial matters. Available: http://www. nuigalway. ie/student-life/financial-matters/. Last accessed 14th nov 2012. Titanium Ents and subsidiary groups. (2012). Galway Student Discount Card. Available: http://www. titaniuments. com/galway-student-discount-card/. Last accessed 14th nov 2012 . C O'Doherty. (2012). Dublin â‚ ¬3k ahead of avera ge income. Available: http://www. rishexaminer. com/ireland/dublin-3k-ahead-of-average-income-181644. html. Last accessed 14th nov 2012. nui galway. (2012). medical services. Available: http://www. nuigalway. ie/student-life/student-support/medical-services. html. Last accessed 14th nov 2012 . C Pope. (2012). Cheap and cheerful way through college. Available: http://www. irishtimes. com/newspaper/finance/2012/0911/1224323839157. html. Last accessed 14th nov 2012 . UCD. (2012). Scolarships. Available: http://www. smurfitschool. ie/scholarships/gmatmbascholarships/. Last accessed 14th nov 2012 . Harvard University. (2012).WELCOME TO THE HARVARD COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE. Available: http://www. fao. fas. harvard. edu/icb/icb. do. Last accessed 14th nov 2012. Schweitzer. (2010). 10 Easy Ways for Students to Save Money. About. com Guide. 10 (4), 33-34. Warnes, S. (2012). Top 10 brilliant student money saving tips. Available: http://www. neilstoolbox. com/bibliography-creator/reference -website. htm. Last accessed 10/Nov/2012. Waldron,C. (2012). Charity shops: getting too big for their Pradas?. Available: http://campus. ie/college-life/money-matters/charity-shops-getting-too-big-for-their-pradas. Last accessed 12/nov/2012.

Multiracial Students - 1044 Words

Multiracial Students At first glance, freshman Angela Corbett’s room might seem a bit bewildering. On one wall sits a Black Panthers poster, on the other, a Nicaraguan flag, and glimpsing around, one might even see a stuffed leprechaun. During lunch, she might be found enjoying some soul food, or eating a meal from south of the border. Around her could also be people from various cultural backgrounds, who she has no problem calling her friends. As perplexing as it seems, this is not an example of an identity crisis, but merely a reflection of the various cultures that can lie within one individual. â€Å"I love the fact that I’m of mixed heritage,† Corbett said. â€Å"I feel like I can relate to so many people, and not have to care about†¦show more content†¦The MOSAIC Multicultural Center exists to nurture the cultural variety that lies throughout the campus. Its colorful room on the upper level of the Student Union is filled with comfortable couches and serves as a place for students to congregate and discuss culture in an open and relaxed environment. â€Å"Most of the issues that our programs deal with touch on specific issues of diversity,† Megan Anderson, MOSAIC’s administrative support coordinator said. Although Rooks is skeptical about what constitutes true equality, he said he does agree to a certain extent that multiracials challenge constructed racial concepts in the eye of the beholder. According to Rooks, if a multiracial person can influence the mind of another person because they share a similar background, it may eventually open that person to the possibility of being more accepting to other races. â€Å"If implemented correctly, the multiracial can possess the potential to shape opinions on an individual level,† he said. 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Indi The World s Most Culturally And Culturally Diverse...

I was born and raised in India one of the world’s most culturally and religiously diverse nations. India has 29 states, with people who follow six major religions and speak more than hundred languages. India is a country that is not only culturally diverse, but also has diversity in the socio-economic status of the people. There are people who reside in the world s largest slum and barely make their financial ends meet, and then there are people who have helipads on the roof of their homes and maintain a status of the worlds wealthiest persons. I spent my pre-teen and early teenage years in Amritsar, a medium sized city along the India-Pakistan border in the state of Punjab. Amritsar is considered to be the holy place for the Sikhs who visit Golden Temple the Vatican for Sikhs. Punjab use to be a state that boasted freedom fighters, healthy and strong people and a rich heritage, but after 2000 the state fell in the trap of drug addiction. According NY Times, 60% drugs seized in entire India are seized from the state of Punjab. Being neighboring state to Pakistan the state has become a major route for drug trafficking. A small, impoverished neighborhood in Amritsar, Maqboolpura, is often referred as the village of Widows because of the number of men who have lost their lives to drug addiction. The burgeoning of drugs has led to an upsurge in H.I.V positive people. Just to obviate the spread of H.I.V some NGO’s distribute clean syringes to addicts. This problem has not beenShow MoreRelatedNeophyte Essay11176 Words    |  45 PagesThe Emerging Issue of Crystal Methamphetamine Use in First Nations Communities A Discussion Paper First Nations Centre May 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PART I CRYSTAL METHAMPHETAMINE: WHAT IS IT? WHO USES CRYSTAL METH HOW CRYSTAL METH IS USED HOW CRYSTAL METH IS MADE HOW CRYSTAL METH AFFECTS THE BODY, MIND, RELATIONSHIPS AND THE ENVIRONMENT PART II GOVERNMENT, ORGANIZEDRead MoreA Passage Of India And The Relations Of Power10531 Words   |  43 Pageshave the urge to defend it’ Étienne De La Boà ©tie Take up the White Man s burden– Ye dare not stoop to less– Nor call too loud on Freedom To cloke yourRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesFeigenbaum−Feigenbaum: The Power of Management Capitol 1. New Management for Business Growth in a Demanding Economy Text  © The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2004 3 the strong business growth of pacesetter companies in the United States and throughout the world? How can companies renew and sustain those factors in the face of the business slowdowns and major fluctuations that challenge the longterm continuation of profitable earnings? As we continue to experience the twenty-first century’s economic, socialRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 PagesCongress Subject Headings: Principles and Application, Fourth Edition Lois Mai Chan Developing Library and Information Center Collections, Fifth Edition G. Edward Evans and Margaret Zarnosky Saponaro Metadata and Its Impact on Libraries Sheila S. Intner, Susan S. Lazinger, and Jean Weihs Organizing Audiovisual and Electronic Resources for Access: A Cataloging Guide, Second Edition Ingrid Hsieh-Yee Introduction to Cataloging and Classification, Tenth Edition Arlene G. Taylor LIbRaRy and InfoRMaTIon