Sunday, December 29, 2019

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot Essay

T.S. Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† draws attention to the idea that time is of the essence. On the surface, Prufrock is portrayed as a man who is incapable of making decisions and lacks self-confidence. This is evident through his passive nature, where he continuously delays having to talk to women because he believes there is enough time. Written in the era of modernism, the reader is capable of unraveling that the poem’s true purpose was not only to show Prufrock’s inability to make decisions when it comes to love, but to show the desolation that one faces in times of a modernistic transition. Eliot depicts Prufrock’s transition phase through a gloomy and solemn tone, incorporating imagery, metaphor and synecdoche to†¦show more content†¦Prufrock is described as a man who was not only detached from women but to his surroundings too. Prufrocks loneliness is emphasized when â€Å"In the room the women come and go/Talki ng of Michelangelo,† (35-36) where women would talk amongst themselves and completely ignore Prufrock’s existence. The purpose of referencing Michelangelo serves to emphasize how self-conscious Prufrock feels being as Michelangelo is recognized for his masterpieces that express the beauty of the human form. It is clear that Prufrock thinks otherwise of himself as he has to question his actions, such as when he say’s â€Å"‘Do I dare?’ and, â€Å"Do I dare?,† insinuating his inability to make a decision. Prufrock uses Hamlet to symbolize his indecisive nature through Shakespeare’s famous soliloquy â€Å"To Be Or Not To Be,† which is a reference that he, just like Hamlet, does not know what to do. Further, the reader is capable of understanding just how insecure Prufrock is when he say’s: â€Å"With a bald spot in the middle of my hair— [They will say: How his hair is growing thin!] My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin, My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin— [They will say: But how his arms and legs are thin!] (40-44). Lines 40-44 suggest that not only is Prufrock lacking confidence and unable to approach women, but he is getting older too, as time continues to pass. A bald spot in the middle of a man’s head, theShow MoreRelated The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot Essay example1535 Words   |  7 PagesThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot The poetry of the modernist movement is characterized by an emphasis on the alienation of the individual from the broader community in which he or she exists. In the works of T. S. Eliot, this alienation is expressed as a symptom of spiritual and moral decay within communities, societies, and entire civilizations. Eliot’s modernism, which was strongly influenced by his conversion to Anglo-Catholicism, is a harsh critique of the pervasive self-obsessionRead MoreThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot Essay1156 Words   |  5 Pages S. Eliot was the dominant force in twentieth-century British and American poetry. With poems such as The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, he introduced an edgy, disenchanted, utterly contemporary version of French Symbolism to the English-speaking world. Most poets recognize that in producing a sensational poetic work, many concerns arise with the use of various literary tools to convey ideas, opinions or simply an observation. Through v ivid imagery and metaphors, TS Elliot in his â€Å"The Love SongRead Moreâ€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† by T.S. Eliot is a widely studied and analyzed modernist1300 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† by T.S. Eliot is a widely studied and analyzed modernist poem. This poem is one that many high school students are subjected to, leading to an overall displeasure for â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.† However, those that revisit the poem are more inclined to enjoy and analyze the poem, finding an interest in the character of J. Alfred Prufrock. Charles C. Walcutt is one of the many individuals fueled to provide a deeper analysis of this text and in his contributionRead MoreT.S. Eliot - the Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and Preludes - Modernism1143 Words   |  5 PagesHow has Eliot used both conventional and Modernist poetic techniques to represent his Modernist concerns? The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and Preludes expresses Eliot’s Modernist concerns about the lack of morals and values in modern society through the use of personas within the urban landscape and the urban society. Modern man’s lifestyle of repetition of trivial tasks and the lack of meaningful things in life is represented and emphasised through the use of alliteration, metaphor, fragmentationRead MoreA Competitive Analysis of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1014 Words   |  4 Pageswere T.S. Eliot who wrote his very well-known poem, â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† (1915), and F. Scott Fitzgerald who wrote his famous novel, The Great Gatsby (1925). Both Eliot and Fitzgerald criticized the spiritual emptiness in their society by revealing their characters inability to communicate, to love, and to see the truth about their own lives. Eliot and Fitzgeralds characters are unable to communicate because of their spiritual emptiness. In T.S. Eliots â€Å"The Love Song of J. AlfredRead MoreAnalysis Of The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1386 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The Love Song of T.S Eliot† In â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† the reader can clearly understand that T.S Eliot is straightforward as one can get within a poem. In the beginning of the poem, one can infer that Prufrock is being used as a facade to convey Eliot’s inner self who is an introvert that doesn’t quite fit in with the modern day society. â€Å"Prufrock† sees his personal life as a burden that he cannot mend while he tries to conform into the middle class society that everyone views asRead More T.S Eliot’s Preludes and The Love Song of J.Alfred. Prufrock, are examples1059 Words   |  5 PagesT.S Eliot’s Preludes and The Love Song of J.Alfred. Prufrock, are examples of modernist poetry which illustrate the concerns of modernist poets. Explain how the poetry you have studied reflects some of the major concerns of its context? In your answer refer closely to two poems by T.S. Eliot. T.S Eliot’s Preludes and The Love Song of J.Alfred. Prufrock, are examples of modernist poetry which illustrate the concerns of modernist poets. The modern era, which lasted between 1885 to 1940Read MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1647 Words   |  7 Pagescan be seen in T.S. Eliot’s work The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. The main character, Prufrock, plans to ask the woman he loves the overwhelming question of marriage, but due to his pessimistic outlook, he became hesitant and self conscious. Surges of insecurity arise, and instead of proposing his love, Prufrock delays the question and spends the night talking nonsense to avoid the situation. In the end, Prufrock’s insecurities and fear of rejection alter his feelings of love into a sense ofRead MoreThe Long Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot822 Words   |  3 PagesT.S. Eliot characterizes his speaker in â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† based on his own personal experiences. In 1915, Eliot wrote one of his most famous poems as a skeptic (Schneider 1103). He constantly questioned the meaning of human life an d the reasons why human beings were created at all. In the same way, Prufrock also has a difficult time in finding the purpose of his long life. The speaker of this poem takes the reader on a journey so that maybe the listener can aid him in findingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1371 Words   |  6 PagesThe dramatic monologue, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, is a short poem written by the Nobel Prize winner, and scholar T.S. Eliot. He wrote this poem and published it in the Poetry Magazine in 1915, while he was still in college at Washington University in St. Louis. Eliot is one of the most important English- language writers of the 20th century, and he lived in St Louis at an early age being raised by his mother. His mother was both loving and manipulative, and from that, a lonely and strict

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Meaning of Saikou in Japanese

Saikou is a Japanese word meaning the highest, or supreme. Learn more about its pronunciation and usage in the Japanese language below. Pronunciation Click here to listen to the audio file. Meaning the highest; supreme; maximum Japanese Characters æÅ"ێ «Ëœ (㠁•ã â€žÃ£ â€œÃ£ â€ ) Example Translation Kyou no saikoukion wa sanjuu-do datta.ä »Å Ã¦â€" ¥Ã£  ®Ã¦Å"ێ «ËœÃ¦ °â€"æ ¸ ©Ã£  ¯Ã¤ ¸â€°Ã¥  Ã¥ º ¦Ã£   Ã£  £Ã£ Å¸Ã£â‚¬â€š or in English: Todays highest temperature was thirty degree.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Economics - Crude Oil Market Analysis - 3070 Words

A PROJECT REPORT ON DEMAND, SUPPLY amp; ELASTICITY OF CRUDE OIL SUBMITTED BY Group -5 Karan Chopra (2012137) Manik Grover (2012155) Manish (2012156) Nancy Pande (2012178) Nayan Sharma (2012182) Nitya Agarwal (2012188) Introduction Crude oil is a naturally occurring substance (i.e., â€Å"Fossil Fuel†, formed from organic remains over a period of millions of years) found in certain rock formations in the earth. It is a dark, sticky liquid which, scientifically speaking, is classified as a hydrocarbon. Crude oil is highly flammable and can be burned to create energy. Derivatives from crude oil make an excellent fuel. Measuring Crude Oil Crude oil is measured in barrels. When crude oil first came into large-scale commercial use in the United†¦show more content†¦The dollar lost approximately 14% of its value against the Euro from May 2007 to May 2008, and the price of oil rose 96% in the same time period. Demand pressures on oil have been strong. Global consumption of oil rose from 30 billion barrels (4.8Ãâ€"109 m3) in 2004 to 31 billion in 2005. These consumption rates are far above new discoveries for the period, which had fallen to only eight billion barrels of new oil reserves in new accumulations in 2004. In 2005, consumption was within 2 million barrels per day (320Ãâ€"103 m3/d) of production, and at any one time there are about 54 days of stock in the OECD system plus 37 days in emergency stockpiles. Besides supply and demand pressures, at times security related factors may have contributed to increases in prices, including the War on Terror, missile launches in North Korea, the Crisis between Israel and Lebanon. Nuclear brinkmanship between the US and Iran, and reports from the U.S. Department of Energy and others showing a decline in petroleum reserves. Another factor in oil price is the cost of extracting crude. As the extraction of oil has become more difficult, oil’s historically high ratio of Energy Returned on Energy Invested has seen a significant decline. The increased price of oil makes non-conventional sources of oil retrieval more attractive. Effects of rising oil prices World consumption of primary energy by energy type in terawatts (TW), In the past, the price of oil has led to economicShow MoreRelatedThe Core Concepts Of Economics1241 Words   |  5 Pagesthe core concepts of economics. Demand states the quantity of a product one requires to fulfill his needs at particular price stand. On the other hand supply refers market offering of a product at specific price level. There are numerous constituents that affect the Demand of a product. For example Price, availability of alternative products in market, price of the alternative products, buyers’ income, buyers’ purchasing power parity, number of buyers available in the market, changes in buyers’ tasteRead MoreThe Implications Of Oil Trade909 Words   |  4 PagesEven the important contribution of Chapter 2, the proposed analysis requires a deeper study to understand the implications related to oil trade and how the expected oil production will be consumed by the demand. Considering only Canada for all the expected oil production from the West ern provinces doesn’t seem enough. To achieve the forecasted production levels, producers of Western Canadian oil must find a market that values their oil at reasonable price. Without access to seaports, Alberta andRead MoreThe Critical Value Of Crude Oil1681 Words   |  7 Pages Final Project: Forecasting – Crude Oil The Critical Value of Crude Oil Prices Oil is the world economy’s most important source of energy and is therefore critical to economic growth. At its most basic level, the supply of crude oil is determined by the ability of oil companies to extract reserves from the ground and distribute them around the world. Its value is driven by demand for refined petroleum products, particularly in the transportation sector. Petroleum products power virtuallyRead MoreFactors Affecting Price of Crude Oil and Natural Gas1355 Words   |  5 Pages    Factors Affecting Price of Crude Oil and Natural Gas Introduction Over the last few years, the prices of crude oil and natural gas have depicted turbulent rising and falling trend. Changes in these prices are largely determined by supply and demand factors in the global market. The recent financial crisis that occurred in 2008 and 2009 displays poor economic conditions that have led to reduced demand of oil due to poor economic activities among many countries. Presently, the world economy isRead MoreArticle Analysis Paper1275 Words   |  6 PagesArticle Analysis Paper The United States consumes more than 25% of the world’s petroleum products which is a large percentage, considering only 3% of the world’s oil reserves are produced by the United States. Given the demand for petroleum products such as gasoline, understanding why Crude oil prices have skyrocketed in recent years, is not hard. According to the article â€Å"Ending America’s Oil Addiction,† the surge in crude oil prices can be reduced in large part to the simple concepts of supplyRead MoreThe Oil Sands Of Alberta1194 Words   |  5 Pages Alberta Oil Industry EC239 section C Instructor: Sharif Khan GROUP MEMBERS Jiayu Weng 133004040 Liang Zhang 114161410 Jingsong Sun 114161870 Brent Bogdon 130177700 Thurairajah Thilakxshan 130937440â€Æ' I. INTRODUCTION The Oil Sands of Alberta have been a scene of controversy since the commercial production of oil began there in 1967. The Oil Sands are underground deposits made up of a mixture of sand, water, clay, and bitumen (1). The oil extracted from these reserves in Alberta is an integral sourceRead MoreSwot Analysis Of Gazprom784 Words   |  4 Pagesplayers in the oil market. It is engaged in all the activities: exploration, production, transportation, storage, processing, and marketing. Gazprom generally operates in Russian market and delivers its products to Central Asia and Europe. Gazprom operates in the next segments: production of gas and crude oil; transportation; storage; distribution; refining; electric and heat energy generation and sales; and other (Market Line). The activities related to the improvement of the company s oil reserves areRead MoreExportation Of United States Crude Oil Embargo Act ( Worstall )1401 Words   |  6 PagesExportation of United States’ crude o il has recently become a major topic of debate due to enhanced oil discovering techniques. These new production and extraction methods have been developed to fully produce reservoirs across the country. Since 1973, the United States’ government has placed rigid restrictions on the exportation of crude oil produced within the country (Johnson). These restrictions have prohibited the sale of U.S. crude oil to foreign markets (with some exceptions). President RichardRead MoreSupply And Demand Of Gasoline849 Words   |  4 PagesGasoline is produced by a distillation process where crude oil is heated and fumes are captured and converted into many products such as kerosene, jet fuel, and gasoline to name a few. Therefore the price of crude oil, which is extracted from oil wells beneath the earths surface, is a major factor in gas prices. The five leading oil-producing countries and their approximate shares of the world supply of oil are: Soviet Union 21%, Saudi Arabia 17%, The Un ited States 15%, Venezuela 4%, and Mexico 4%Read MoreOil Gas Price Evolution1625 Words   |  7 PagesWhat Moves the Oil and Gas Price? Why are oil prices and gas prices so dramatically increased in the last view years? Oil and gas price will maintain the current level or rise in the next years because of the world economy, an increased demand on oil and its production costs, the gas demand, and the investment in developing alternative energy sources. How long will the oil reserves last? It is currently estimated that the oil reserves in the United States will last for 20 to 30 years

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Biography of Nikola Tesla Why He Is So Importance to...

There was once a man. He was relatively misunderstood by almost everyone he ever came in contact with. People thought him to be insane and overly hungry for knowledge of the future. He did have a thirst for knowledge involving electricity, physics, and other related sciences, but all of the information he learned helped in the creation of multiple scientific inventions that changed the world. Without Nikola Tesla the world would not be quite as technologically advanced as it is today. Nikola Tesla was born on July 10, 1856 in the European country of Croatia to Mulutin and Djuka Tesla. His father, Mulutin, was a Serbian Orthodox Priest. His mother, Djuka, was an inventor of various household appliances. Growing up under the influence of his†¦show more content†¦It was located on the land mass in the middle of Niagara Falls called Goat Island. The only remaining power plant house, Adams Station, which once housed ten 5,000 horsepower generators, has since became a national landmark and a museum. Teslas induction motor is described by the Franklin Institute. In the two-phase motor, two sets of coils are set perpendicular to each other surrounding the core. When alternating current is sent to the coils, they become electromagnets where polarity rapidly changes with each reversal of current flow. As the first coils are supplied with current, they create a magnetic field which starts the core turning. When the first coils current supply reverses, the second coil set is at its maximum supply point and creates its own magnetic field; the core spins on. In effect the magnetization amount never varies and a rotating magnetic field is created. The result is a smooth-running, cummutator-free motor with the rotor as its only moving part (The Franklin Institute). If done properly, the rotating magnetic field will rotate the permanent magnet. This leads to the conductive disk inducing a voltage and a current flow. Tesla was also sincerely involved in studying electrical currents. Thomas Edison had invented direct current (DC). Direct current is an electrical flow with only one direction, and everything is connected. Anything that uses a battery like flashlights and remote controls for televisions is considered directShow MoreRelatedSwami Vivekananda14669 Words   |  59 Pagesone of the most famous and influential spiritual leaders of the Hindu religion. He was the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and was the founder of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. He is considered by many as an icon for his fearless courage, his positive exhortations to the youth, his broad outlook to social problems, and countless lectures and discourses on Vedanta philosophy. Contents | 1 Biography of Swami Vivekananda | 1.1 Birth and Early life | | 1.2 With Ramakrishna

Friday, December 13, 2019

Krispy Kreme Free Essays

INTRODUCTION First, I will discuss the environment of Krispy Kreme and my analysis as to what led to the company’s position in 2004. Second, I will discuss the financial health and current condition based upon the historical income statements and balance sheets. Third, I will discuss the financial ratios in relation to the financial statements. We will write a custom essay sample on Krispy Kreme or any similar topic only for you Order Now Fourth, I will discuss if Krispy Kreme was financially healthy at the end of 2004. Fifth, I will discuss my assessment of Krispy Kreme’s health and why I think the stock price dropped by 80% between 2003 and 2004. Sixth, I will discuss why I think the market reacted so negatively to the disclosures about adverse results and the revelations in the Wall Street Journal regarding the firm’s accounting methods for the franchise rights. Lastly, I will provide my recommendations for turning around Krispy Kreme Doughnuts’ business. COMPANY POSITION Krispy Kreme Doughnuts started small by selling directly to grocery stores. Their doughnuts became so popular they began selling directly to customers. They sold a delicious doughnut and a viewing experience. When Beatrice Foods bought the company, her business model did not succeed because it expanded the product line in the opposite direction of what consumers wanted and she inputted cheap ingredients into a popular recipe which sacrificed taste. When she sold the company to the group of franchisees, it pushed the company back into a positive direction by bringing back the original recipe. Krispy Kreme was debt-free by 1989 and their IPO left them with a market capitalization of nearly $500 million in 2000. They appeared to be on the right track but, it seemed they were expanding too rapidly. They allowed franchisees to place their stores in locations that were not favorable, resulting in the franchises not doing well enough and owing Krispy Kreme Doughnuts millions. Krispy Kreme relied on the income from franchised stores purchases of equipment and mixes too much. They also had their product in too many locations, creating an increase of supply and a decrease in demand. HISTORICAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS On further analysis of the historical income statement, it seems that Krispy Kreme Doughnuts’ operating expenses are increasing gradually every year and are over 75% of total revenues for each year. The only income statement item that has decreased significantly was interest income from 2002 through 2004. Everything else seemed to point towards a profitably company because both gross profit and net income were increasing by at least 2% every year. On further analysis of the historical balance sheet there we some large red flag items. Property and equipment, net of depreciation was a significant portion of total assets each year. Most of the equipment they created was sold to franchisees and used in each company owned or franchisee owned factory stores. The significant amount on their balance sheet could have meant that they were manufacturing equipment faster than they were selling it to their franchises or due to the fact that they were expecting to expand, but were not able to expand to the extent they wanted to. As a percent of total assets, accounts receivable declined from 17% in 2000 to 7 % in 2004. Inventories were significantly increasing each year, but one would assume that some of their inventory would have to be written of due to the items expiration date (doughnuts can only last so long, so they appear to not be selling as much). Reacquired franchise rights, goodwill and other intangibles significantly increased starting in 2002, and every year after that. It rose in those years to be close to one third (30%) of total assets, which was the biggest item percentage wise other than property and equipment. The most significant item on the liabilities and shareholders’ equity section of the balance sheet is common stock. Every year common stock was close to 50% of total liabilities and shareholders’ equity. In my opinion, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, recognized they were in trouble with the increasing failures of franchises and kept issuing more stock in hopes to bail themselves out. FINANCIAL RATIO ANALYSIS In exhibit seven the time series of the ratios raise one specific question. The inventory turnover raises the question as to why it was taking longer for their inventory to sell. When converted to days, the ratio determined that their inventory took over twenty-three days to turnover in 2003. It seems that Krispy Kreme Doughnuts’ inventory was over saturated in the market. With an abundance in supply, it seems that their doughnuts were not as in demand. When comparing Krispy Kreme Doughnuts’ financial ratios to others in the industry, I determined that Krispy Kreme was doing better in some areas than those in the industry such as with their liquidity ratios. Krispy Kreme’s liquidity ratios were significantly higher than any company in its industry. In other areas, such as profitability ratios, Krispy Kreme was about average compared to other companies. Krispy Kreme’s activity ratios were significantly lower than any other company in its industry, meaning their assets are not turning over as much as other companies. In such an industry, product seems to move fast, which further supports my notion that their product was becoming less popular due to the saturated market. It seems a lot more companies in this industry support operations with debt rather than capital, Krispy Kreme was doing the opposite. Exhibit nine supports this position because no other company had a significant amount of shareholders’ equity like Krispy Kreme. Other companies were better able to handle their operating expenses keeping them closer to 50% of net sales, unlike Krispy Kreme who kept theirs closer to 75%, but Krispy Kreme also had a higher percent of net sales in relation to operating profit and profit before taxes. FINANCIALLY HEALTHY AT YEAR END 2004? In my opinion, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is not completely healthy at the financial year end of 2004. Their income statement shows an increased net income from the year before, but I believe that increase can only last so long. With the inability to expand further, and current operations decreasing more than they are making, I do not expect their net income to increase by year end 2005. Everything on their balance sheet is increasing, including their inventory. They need to realize that they are simply not selling product. Although their debt is low, that is from the increasing stockholders’ equity in the form of stocks. With the outlook of the company not good, they cannot expect to support their operations with the issuance of new stock. They need to find a new way to finance their operations and ecrease their operating costs. STOCK PRICE DECREASE AND NEGATIVE MARKET REACTION In my opinion investors recognized the same warning signs that I did when analyzing Krispy Kreme Doughnuts’ financial statements and decided to drop their losses while they could still make some kind of profit selling off the stock. When Krispy Kreme announced to investors to expect earnings to be â€Å"10% lower than anticipated, claiming that the recent low-carbohydrate diet trend in the US had hurt wholesale and retail sales,† I think they further expected that something was not right with the picture they were portraying. The Wall Street Journal article, revealed an accounting practice that was not commonly followed by others in Krispy Kreme’s industry. When the SEC launched an informal investigation into the â€Å"franchise reacquisitions,† investors jumped ship as fast as they could. The significant decrease in stock from 2003 to 2004, was investors getting nervous and protecting themselves from their stock being worth near nothing. RECOMMENDATIONS In my opinion Krispy Kreme Doughnuts needs to make radical changes to the way it conducts business. I think they should completely stop off-premise sales, making their product only available in factory stores. This would hopefully decrease their inventory and decrease operating expenses related to the fleet of trucks that deliver product to grocery stores. Selling their product in factory stores only will hopefully recreate the demand for the doughnuts that there once was. I also believe that they should decrease the amount of franchises and refocus to company owned stores. Franchisees might not properly know how to pick a location or be properly trained, as seen with the increase of failing franchises. This would decrease the large amount on their balance sheet from reacquiring franchises. Focusing their business to one or two types of primary sources of income and reducing expenses would be a way to help lower market saturation of their product. Having more company owned factory stores, provides Krispy Kreme a chance to have more control over their operations and not depend on franchisees to make a profit for them. How to cite Krispy Kreme, Papers Krispy Kreme Free Essays Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. FIN Professor XXX XXXX Month xx, xxxx History Krispy Kreme was founded by Vernon Rudolph after he purchased the famous secret recipe of yeast-raised doughnuts in 1937 from a French chef in New Orleans. Rudolph began to sell these doughnuts wholesale to supermarkets. We will write a custom essay sample on Krispy Kreme or any similar topic only for you Order Now The demand for his doughnuts grew quickly, and by cutting a hole in the wall of the factory to sell directly to customers the concept of Krispy Kreme retail stores was born. The retail concept for Krispy Kreme doughnuts allowed Rudolph to grow his factory stores to 29 shops in 12 states by the late 1950’s. When Rudolph died in 973 Beatrice Foods bought his company and expanded it to more than 100 locations and expanded the menu to include soups and sandwiches. Beatrice tried to reduce costs by changing the appearance of the stores and using cheaper ingredients. This negatively affected the company and Beatrice sold the company to a group of franchise owners. This group of owners was led by Joseph McAleer, who was the first Krispy Kreme franchisee. The leveraged buyout was completed for $24 million in 1982. The new group brought back the original recipe and logo. By 1989 the group was almost debt free and they were beginning to expand. The company CEO, Scott Livengood, took the company public in April of 2000. The share price after the first day was $40. 63. Holes in Doughnut Accounting Practices In May of 2004 Krispy Kreme announced to its investors that they should expect earnings to be 10% lower than predicted. It was at this time that the low-carb diet had taken the U. S by storm, and Krispy Kreme blamed this low-carb diet for their low wholesale and retail sales. They also announced the sales of a the Montana Mills bakery chain of 28 bakery cafe’s that had been acquired in January of 2003 for $40 million in stock. Krispy Kreme also announced that the Hot Doughnut and Coffee Shops were falling short of expectations and three of them were closing at a cost of $7 to $8 million. Krispy Kreme (KKD) stock price closed down 30% that day. Shortly after on May 25th, 2004 when the Wall Street Journal published a story about how Krispy Kreme handled is accounting for franchise acquisitions. According to the article Krispy Kreme recorded the interest paid by the franchisee as interest income for immediate profit, except that Krispy Kreme booked the purchase cost of the franchise as an intangible asset and did not amortize it. In the repurchase agreement of the 7 stores in Michigan, they allowed one of the franchises top executives to stay on with the company after the repurchase. This executive left the company shortly after closing the deal, and had to pay him $5 million in severance which Krispy Kreme also rolled into the unamortized-asset category. Krispy Kreme claimed it followed GAAP standards and had done nothing wrong. The final shoe to drop as on July 29th, 2004 when Krispy Kreme announced that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had launched an informal investigation related to â€Å"franchise reacquisitions and the company’s previously announced reduction in earning guidance†. Krispy Kreme (KK) shares fell another 15%. The revelations about the companies accounting practices and showing interest as immediate income and not amortizing the repurchased franchises but rather showing them as intangible assets alone could justify the devaluation of their stock price by approx. 45%. Couple their earnings decline and the announcement of store closings and it easily can be justified. Couple that with the fear of the unknown. If Krispy Kreme was treating their interest and reacquired franchises as they were which seems to be blatantly wrong, what else might the SEC find during their investigation? This fear would certainly drive investors away and their share price down. The facts along with its ratings being dropped by 50% of analysts to â€Å"Hold† from â€Å"buy† a few months earlier. Krispy Kreme Deep Fried and Possible Deeper Issues Krispy Kreme grew incredibly quickly in the years leading up to the nvestigation (as shown in the chart below) and then may have tried to meet Wall Street expectations through some questionable practices such as shipping more product or pulling ahead product orders, then allowing the orders to be returned shortly after for credit. â€Å"Testimony by a former sales manager at a Krispy Kreme outlet in Ohio, said a regi onal manager ordered that retail store customers be sent double orders on the last Friday and Saturday of the 2004 fiscal year, explaining â€Å"that Krispy Kreme wanted to boost the sales for the fiscal year in order to meet Wall Street projections. The witness said the manager explained that the doughnuts would be returned for credit the following week – once fiscal 2005 was under way† (Chin, 2005). It seems pretty clear that Krispy Kreme was using questionable methods to inflate profits. Investors also later found out that Scott Livengood (CEO), the former COO John W. Tate, and the former CFO Randy Casstevens, â€Å"unloaded more than 475,000 shares of Krispy Kreme stock for proceeds of $19. 8 Million†, (Chin, 2005) while they were fully aware sales were declining since January of 2003. During this investigation, Scott Livengood, Krispy Kreme’s CEO announced his retirement. It would seem to me that there may be some deeper issues with Krispy Kreme and if I were a shareholder I would want out, or to be certain that Krispy Kreme’s accounting mess was cleaned up. The chart below shows Krispy Kreme’s performance during the years leading up to the investigation. Krispy Kreme Re-made Fresh Today Krispy Kreme’s stock has not fully recovered, (see chart below), but as of the end of 2012 Krispy Kreme seems to have made a comeback. â€Å"Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. Krispy Kreme) is a retailer and wholesaler of doughnuts complementary beverages and treats and packaged sweets. The Company’s principal business is owning and franchising Krispy Kreme stores, at which a variety of doughnuts, including the Company’s Original Glazed doughnut, are sold and distributed together with complementary products, and where a broad array of coffees a nd other beverages are offered. As of January 29, 2012, there were 234 Krispy Kreme stores operated domestically in 38 states and in the District of Columbia, and there were 460 shops in 20 other countries around the world. Of the 694 total stores, 292 were factory stores and 402 were satellites. The Company operates in four segments: Company Stores, domestic franchise stores, international franchise stores, and the KK Supply Chain† (â€Å"Krispy Kreme Doughnuts†). As of close of business on Friday last week KKD traded at $14. 80, way below its heyday when the stock traded in the $40’s but it is double its all-time low. Krispy Kreme doughnuts (KKD as of March 22, 2013 When compared to its competitors Krispy Kreme’s P/E is 49. 33. This is much higher than the others but its P/S is in the middle. Krispy Kreme’s competitors are listed as Dunkin’ Brands Group, Einstein Noah restaurant Group, and Starbuck Corporation. Below is the direct competitor comparison. Direct Competitor Comparison| | | KKD| DNKN| BAGL| SBUX| Industry| Market Cap:| 989. 57M| 3. 94B| 253. 09M| 42. 99B| 384. 28M| Employees:| N/A| 1,104| 6,912| 160,000| 10. 87K| Qtrly Rev Growth (yoy):| 0. 16| -0. 04| -0. 04| 0. 11| 0. 30| Revenue (ttm): | 435. 84M| 658. 18M| 427. 01M| 13. 66B| 453. 84M| Gross Margin (ttm):| 0. 17| 0. 79| 0. 21| 0. 57| 0. 31| EBITDA (ttm):| 47. 93M| 304. 86M| 48. 46M| 2. 46B| 47. 5M| Operating Margin (ttm): | 0. 09| 0. 38| 0. 07| 0. 14| 0. 07| Net Income (ttm):| 20. 78M| 108. 18M| 12. 74M| 1. 43B| N/A| EPS (ttm):| 0. 30| 0. 93| 0. 74| 1. 86| 0. 78| P/E (ttm):| 49. 33| 39. 95| 20. 01| 30. 87| 29. 99| PEG (5 yr expected):| 1. 02| 1. 58| 0. 98| 1. 43| 1. 50| P/S (ttm):| 2. 24| 5. 96| 0. 59| 3. 13| 1. 04| | | | | Suggestions for a Krisp/Klean Future Making Doughnuts I three things I might suggest if I were the CFO for Krispy Kreme doughnuts would be to insure open communication with investors and insure them that internal auditing systems are in place. I’m sure that investors lost all trust in the previous management because of the questionable practices that were followed. Krispy Kreme needs to rebuild that trust by having open lines of communication with its investors. I would take a serious look at closing unprofitable stores, and research other markets to open more stores. Some areas may still be underperforming while others are booming. Concentrate on the areas that show better potential and take advantage of that market while it is supporting growth. Because their competitors seem to offer expanded menus I would concentrate on healthy choices for the lunchtime crowd. Everyone is aware of Krispy Kreme’s doughnuts, but I’m not so sure their other menu items are well known as an option for lunch/brunch. Other than the morning rush for doughnuts, they could make their stores more profitable with being the †go toâ€Å" spot for lunch also. References Chin, N. (2005). Krispy Kreme Dougnuts: Empty calories or empty profits? Retrieved from http://www. corporateconflicts. com/index-sb-cases-kk. html Krispy kreme doughnuts. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. google. com/finance? client=obq=NYSE:KKD How to cite Krispy Kreme, Papers Krispy Kreme Free Essays Executive Sumary Matthew Introduction -Lets work on this at 730 Hieu- Analysis: what is the company is about: how is about the industry†¦ environment, consumers Mark -Concept Development: background, what is the problems Recommendation Krispy Kreme opened as a thriving business that truly passed all expectations. MArk- Proposal 1: New product by looking at the consumers wants and by monitoring the competitors – buy or acquire well-known coffee, The problem that Krispy Kreme had was not the ability to not create a new product, but the incorrect timing of the products they made. Krispy Kreme already has twenty five different types of doughnuts which means they have nowhere to expand from there. We will write a custom essay sample on Krispy Kreme or any similar topic only for you Order Now This proves why they were so successful in the beginning years and made them believe that were capable of opening hundreds of more stores because of their early success. If Krispy Kreme was smart they would have limited their product line to at most ten different doughnuts to ensure greater variety later on. They provided too many choices to begin with and when sales started to decrease they had no other offers to show customers which made their products bland and eventually unoriginal. Also it says that they were able to advertise to all major demographics including age and income, but doughnuts are not capable of being advertised to an age group. This would be the equivalent of advertising something such as ice cream to different age groups and income, it just cannot be done because everyone has different tastes so there is no specific market for it. The best thing they could have done was have a limited amount of doughnuts to initially start up their business to make a name for themselves and find their demographics to advertise to from there. Once they made a name for themselves they could then release a new doughnut or two each year to increase their uniqueness with their customers. This could have easily given them an extra seven years or so to separate themselves from other traditional doughnut stores. It would also give them time to find more products to create and other factors that they may not have considered to increase overall quality of their business. Lastly, it says that customers would come in and make large orders to bring to work or parties. What they had lacked with this was an accompanying substitute of some sort of bulk coffee product. An example of this would be dunkin’ donuts and their box of joe that enables customers large amounts of coffee to accompany their large order of doughnuts. This is a new aspect that could be easily incorporated into Krispy Kremes product line. It is at this point that they should have been looking into other products such as coffee. Now I know they have partnered up with Digital Java, Inc. but I believe this was too early of a decision to make. Digital Java, Inc. s a small Chicago-based coffee company which means it does not have national brand recognition. Because coffee is not what made Krispy Kreme what it was, it means they provided too much in too short of a time. This is related to their sudden increase of stores through franchises, which increased overall recognition but unfortunately took away from uniqueness. This too should have been a gradual build up for as they incre ased their overall recognition as a great doughnut shop, they too could have found better coffee companies to pair up with to further increase popularity for their business. If they paired up with a company such as Starbucks they would be able to entice more customers to come to their stores as well as sell more products because those who come for the coffee will be enticed to buy their doughnuts and vise versa. As of 2003, only 10 percent of their sales were from coffee. This means just because you pair up with an unknown coffee shop and will take a greater percentage of the sales you will not make nearly the same if u split coffee sales with a greater known coffee chain such as Starbucks. In the end pairing with the best coffee shop ensures customers will come into your store and will continue to be loyal. Hieu- Proposal 2: brand recognition, hierachy effects for develop marketing strategy, executing the strategy and evaluating process, marketing: spend too little on ads to introduce product Matthew- Proposal 3: marketing research about to satisfy different styles and wants of customers (low calories ) After reading the Case â€Å"Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in 2005: Are the Glory Days Over? † it is evident that Krispy Kreme has a limited understanding of the type of customers they attract. The issue could be that while they were spending all their time and money expanding into new stores they neglected their obligations to understand the people they were serving to. With the great success they had experienced, they certainly reached their customers but as the sales started to decrease market research could’ve helped them to design products made for their customers. The Doughnut business is fairly simple and the consumers could essentially be anyone who doesn’t mind treating themselves to a doughnut every once in a while. The sale of doughnuts has proven successful in other companies and the need to learn more about the type of people who eat doughnuts is irrelevant. This could’ve been Krispy Kreme’s misconception; there are multiple benefits that could be derived from investing in market research. In the case study, Krispy Kreme said that company research revealed that the appeal of Krispy Kreme had extended across all major demographics, including age and income[1]. A lot of mail from happy customers was received by the company and messages would be something like this, â€Å"We got up at 3 o’clock in this morning. I told them I would be late for work. I was going to the grand opening† (pg. 763). This is a sure sign of success but after the initial buzz created by the openings they started to face trouble with consistently low numbers. Using a 5 step marketing research approach we believe that the number of sales wouldn’t have dropped so significantly and they would’ve been able to sell to their customers better. They would first need to use different methods of research to discover the objectives that would help them develop new products that their customers would want. After considering that, they would assess the constraints and limitations and then decide the best way to collect the most relevant data. Krispy Kreme could then obtain secondary data from their financial statements and they could observe the purchase behavior of the consumer and see which doughnut they purchase more frequently. For primary data, they could send out questionnaires that may offer a free doughnut to customers that fill it out or through social networking. After the data has been collected, Krispy Kreme would then nalyze the data and from those findings we would be looking for trends or a common interest that is shared among the Krispy Kreme market. With the new information Krispy Kreme has obtained they can now say they have a better understanding of their markets and either a new marketing campaign or new product development will increase their sales and return them back to their glory days. This case study shows that they are phenomenal at attracting customers to ope nings but the issue is that Krispy Kreme struggles to keep the numbers consistent. The best way to keep these numbers high would be to develop a better understanding of who they are selling to. This way they will create better products and marketing promotions that tend to the needs of the multiple markets they are in. Krispy Kreme has phenominal potential and proven sucess but their are some key changes that can be made to change that and we believe that is marketing research. [1] â€Å"Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in 2005: Are the Glory Days Over? † by Arthur Thompson Jr. and Amit Shah Jordan- Proposal 4: expansion, U. S then global scale by offering: – expansion – distribution How to cite Krispy Kreme, Essay examples

Monday, December 9, 2019

Mother Tongue Essay Example For Students

Mother Tongue Essay Outline1 Introduction2 Is it difficult for children to speak the native language?3 The main essence of the essay about mother tongue4 The main concepts of the author Introduction The native language is a very important part of human culture. The mother tongue is an integral part of human consciousness.  It is not only a tool of communication but a sociological tool of measuring individual worth. The theme of cultural encounters and intercultural communication is not new in fiction. We live in a globalized world where different cultures are in constant interaction. The process of assimilation of immigrants in a new culture is quite difficult. It especially influences on children, who grow at the junction of two cultures and cannot identify themselves with any of them. Amy Tan, an American novelist, presented this topic in her analytical essay Mother Tongue. This essay is strong evidence that language influences on our life. Is it difficult for children to speak the native language? The children of immigrants are the link between parents and the new culture in which they live. This function of children is due to the fact that children understand the traditions and values inherent in the culture of their parents, but they share the foundations and customs of the new cultural community, the new society. The essay â€Å"Mother tongue† is devoted to the problem of linguistic identity and self-awareness. Amy Tan grew up in two greatly different worlds, speaking in different Englishes. In the essay two types of language are contrasted: dialect English, she also calls it â€Å"broken† or â€Å"limited† English and standard or official English, the language of business. The author pictures and explains how the ignorance of her mother influences her. The first part of the work is dedicated to Amy’s warm feelings about learning languages. Moreover, the girl highlights strong superpower of the language as it is the main tool of verbal communication. It is interesting to read how she illustrates how they communicated within the family as their languages were different. The main essence of the essay about mother tongue Then Amy describes how other people perceive and characterize the language of her mother, that someone understand 50 percent of her speech, someone even none of it, and she tries to defend it by the fact that her mother is Chinese immigrant and that the â€Å"limited† English spoken in her family â€Å"has become a language of intimacy, a different sort of English that relates to family talk†.   This citation shows that for Amy, this speech is filled with meaning, color and expressiveness. Despite the fact, that she clearly understands that this language is grammatically and structurally incorrect, Amy understands her mother because her voice helped the daughter to learn this world. Amy Tan uses various rhetorical devices such as anecdote and oxymoron to convey her confused and fault, but the loving attitude toward the limited English of her mother. Amy  also explains how she gives her mother the possibility  to learn and experience  how language is used as a to ol within the social and cultural facets of society. So, â€Å"Mother tongue† is a play of words based on direct and contextual values. Polysemy is peculiar to the words â€Å"mother† and â€Å"tongue†, their meaning can only be installed in a specific context by Amy Tan answers. As part of this â€Å"Mother Tongue† essay is understood as both a mother tongue and a mother’s language (there are all the properties and characteristics inherent in the speech of the mother of the author). The importance of mother tongue for Amy Tan is more intimate in a sense that her mother tongue is unique to her, and that the variation of English she speaks to her mother is her mother tongue. The Notre Dame Legend EssayMother tongue essay example 3 â€Å"Mother tongue† by Amy Tan is a good example of how much your language skills mean in your everyday life. As Chinese immigrants, Amy and her mother can support this idea with a bunch of real-life stories as examples. It can be hard to believe how difficult it is for her mother sometimes to get a good quality customer service or receive a patient and nice treatment from somebody. Indeed the writer truly believes her mothers English is perfect in its own way as it has become one of the many Englishes she uses in her books. We can take one very important lesson from this stories: Not to judge people by their language or appearance but by their actions. Mother tongue   Summary I am an English writer who is deeply in love with the English language. In my daily life, I am always fascinated by importance and the power of the language, how it can evoke pictures in your head and make you feel good or bad, make you cry or yell. This is why I adore language which is the tool I work with during the writing process, and I use all of the English I grew up with. Just a few days ago I was giving a speech to my readers about my book named â€Å"The Joy Luck Club† which was already given by me a lot of times before but this time it was different. My mother was present in the hall and was listening to the sentences I pronounced in the English I have never used at home with her. All the talk was composed of well-thought sentences with correctly used English grammar. So it was far away from the English I used at home with my mother and even more different from the English my mother used with me. Most of my friends used to say they understand only 50 percent of what she says and others said they understand nothing at all. Usually, I would get ashamed of the way my mother spoke her so-called â€Å"broken English† and tried to help her as much as I could in the communication with other people. It goes without saying that my mother ´s English has influenced me a lot in the school years. It was hard for me to do well in literature tests where I could barely understand simple semantic structures like â€Å"sunset is to nightfall† which simply means â€Å"sunset precedes nightfall.† My teachers used to enroll me in Mathematics more that in creative activities. Yet this did not stop me from trying, and I worked hard on my English skills as I wanted to write books so much. There were a few bad attempts of writing where I used sophisticated words introduced into grammatically complex sentences until I understood what a privilege I had of knowing so many Englishes, from the correct written form to my mothers â€Å"broken English†, and managed to mix all of them into a simple and convenient writing style which can now express a lot more than I could even imagine.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Domination Of Black By Wallace Stevens Essay free essay sample

? Domination Of Black? By Wallace Stevens Essay, Research Paper # 8220 ; Domination of Black # 8221 ; The verse form # 8220 ; Domination of Black # 8221 ; by Wallace Stevens takes topographic point on an early fall dark, concentrating at one point on a individual in a room believing about darkness, while a fire is traveling in a hearth nearby. A few images appear repetitively, which tie the verse form together more clearly. The verse form begins by depicting the scene: dark clip, by a fire indoors. Then explicating that the colourss of the fallen foliages and bushed nearby outside have changed colour. This is seeable to the individual inside by the hearth. From a deeper significance, this may be explained by the manner leaves and subdivisions appear different as they are looked at while pulled upward or about in the air current. Here a different visual aspect is achieved before falling back into topographic point as normal. From here a mention is made to the colour of the big hemlocks. We will write a custom essay sample on Domination Of Black By Wallace Stevens Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Their colour is said to be striding, in other words walking, about as if they are acquiring closer to the indoors. # 8220 ; Yes: but the colour of the heavy hemlocks came striding. # 8221 ; ( Stevens 68 ) From here an image of a call of Inachis ios is heard. Their call is unsure at this point, while much is left unfastened for reading. Next the colourss of the Inachis io # 8217 ; s dress suits are being explained in footings of the foliages that have fallen and are turning in the air current. A specific mention to the dusk air current is made. # 8220 ; Turning in the air current, In the dusk wind. # 8221 ; ( Stevens 68 ) This # 8220 ; twilight # 8221 ; puting may turn out to be a negative consequence on the state of affairs overall. Following this the foliages are being described as sweeping across the room. The scene is made clearer by being compared to the manner the foliages flew from the subdivisions of the hemlocks of above, rapidly down to the land below. # 8220 ; Just as they flew from the boughs of the hemlocks.† ( Stevens 68 ) Once once more a call by the Inachis ios is heard. This clip the ground for it is given. Their call being caused by either the foliages, or a call against the dusk. At this point is seems as though the ground would lie more within the dusk than merely the foliages falling and traveling approximately. At this point it may get down to be considered as a period of uncertainness, or diminution in some signifier, before the undermentioned twenty-four hours is on its manner. Following this a period of turning is introduced. The subdivisions and therefore foliages were said to be turning in the air current, as the fires were traveling approximately in the hearth. Once once more the Inachis ios are brought in, this clip their call is related to what seems to be the noise made by the fire combustion. Possibly due to the sound and snap and splitting of the logs due to the utmost heat of the fire. Their call could nevertheless be toward the hemlock trees, which in some manner could be considered toxicant. Following, planets out the window are being described as being in a form similar to the foliages that have fallen on the land below. A mention between the foliages turning and the planets traveling is used to depict how dark has come, due to the planets go arounding. # 8220 ; Out of the window, I saw how the planets gathered like the foliages themselves. # 8221 ; ( Stevens 69 ) Night is so said to be walking, striding like the big hemlocks, where the individual shows some kind of fright. From here the individual remembers the call of the Inachis ios, which seems to move as an portent of warning toward the toxicant hemlock trees while it is dusky. Stevens, Wallace. # 8220 ; Domination of Black # 8221 ; Scholes, Robert, Nancy R. Comley, and Gregory L. Ulmer, eds. Text Book: An Introduction to Literacy Language. New York: St. Martin # 8217 ; s Press, 1995. 68-69.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Title of the Paper Essays (648 words) - Nationality, South Africa

Title of the Paper (African-American History Month ) Submitted By ( Kadeejah Johnson, [emailprotected] ) Number and Name of Course (Oral Communication - COMM 101) Class Meeting Time/Day (M/W/F: 9:00 A.M. - 9:50 A . M. ) Professor (Dr. Ephraim Okoro) Semester (Fall 2016) Today's Date (Monday December 5 , 2016) Bowie State University Department of Communications Bowie, Maryland Today's society should not only celebrate the African-American heroes in the month of February, but they should also remember them year around. Black History Month gives people the chance to reflect on African- American inventors, activists, slaves and even athletes, but to me it is a month to recognize the brilliance of the African-American race, and makes me proud to be an African-American woman. Black History Month covers three main topics: motivation, determination and destination. Martin Luther King Jr. proved to be a zealous motivational speaker for African-Americans, and even though he has passed, his message still lives on. Every February, people are realizing what I have known all along: that the promotion of African-Americans is highly important, and our ancestors have made a terrific difference in this country. With the strong will of the African-American people, conquering feats such as coming out of slavery, earning the right to vote and fighting for civil rights have created solid foundations to build an ongoing legacy for the future. Today, Dr. King is praised for the series of peaceful marches, boycotts and other feats to gain civil rights for African-Americans, motivating the new generation to look at trials from a peaceful standpoint. To me, he symbolizes the struggle of a Christian trying to follow what is right by refusing to conform to the world around him. Without this boost of motivation, there is no telling what would have become of African-Americans during this period. With motivation comes the determination to finish out what one has started, and Nelson Mandela is the perfect depiction of a determined leader for the African-American people. "I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death." This famous quote by Nelson Mandela shows the determined attitude he had about changing the world. Mandela showed the world that patience and determination are required for many situations in life. Without determination, nothing would get done efficiently, and the effectiveness that determination has had on the African-American population is shown through our current President Barack Obama. The destination for success ends with fulfilling one's true purpose in life. President Barack Obama is the opening chapter of the destination. He went into the presidential race with the motivation to change the way America was operating, determination to win the race and improve the American way of life, and his destination is to get everyone to see the boundless opportunities waiting to be taken by expanding the knowledge, health and sensitivity of all Americans. "Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential." This quote by Obama proves once again that involving oneself in something that affects numerous people shows one's true zeal for life and purpose. Black History month can mean a lot for people, but for me it means everything that I've seen people fight for, and that's freedom.