Conference Management

Abstract This project aims to create a common platform for organizing activities of conference. The conference management system will manage the abstracts and research papers submitted by scholars, reviewing them, and accepting or rejecting them. This will greatly reduce the costs and efforts of the conference managers and authors where they can directly interact through internet. Currently there is a need for such a conference management system, where research conferences relating to different fields can be managed by single application. This application can host any number of conferences and large number of paper can be submitted.The environment created would enhance the usability of conference’s thereby facilitating the researcher’s to submit their papers easily and making organizers to manage the research’s by forwarding it to the jury and taking their reviews. This would reduce a lot of effort. It would also eliminate the need to have expertise on employing people for managing all such activities. It would smooth the progress of conference management and all the activities will take place in well-defined manner. Table of Contents Page No. RecommendationI Dissertation Approval Sheet II Candidate DeclarationIIIAcknowledgementIV AbstractV Chapter 1 Introduction 1. 1 Overview and issues involved01 1. 2 Problem definition 01 1. 3Problem Solution 01 Chapter-2 Literature Survey 2. 1 Methodology 03 2. 2 Technologies and tools 04 Chapter-3 Requirements gathering 3. 1 Software requirements 08 3. 2 Hardware requirements 98 3. 3 Use case model 10 Chapter-4 Analysis 4. 1 Sequence diagrams 18 4. 2 Activity diagrams 22 Chapter-5 Design 5. 1 Technology selection 25 5. 2 Database design 28 5. 3 Implementation details Chapter-6 Testing 6. 1Test case and design30 6. 2Testing methods and strategies31Conclusion 37 Bibliography38 Chapter-1 Introduction This conference management tool aims at improving the conference management practices and reduces the burd en on the part of organizers, and provides the technical solution for the research paper submission and reviews. 1. 1 Overview and Issues Involved There are large numbers of conferences being taking place at different locations all over the world, we have seen researchers and eminent educationist submit their research papers at these conferences, they generally have to send the research paper through post and it takes a lot of time.This project is focused towards developing a management system that will cater to the needs of the conference organizers. 1. 2 Problem Definition In the present scenario, the conference organizers face a lot of problems in coordinating various activities that are associated with conference. This increases a lot of effort and needs a lot of expertise and large numbers of people are required to manage all the process. This definitely is not an easy task. There is a lot of trouble involved in submitting a research paper to a conference and then sending it to a jury, for review and their comments.To speed up this process of conference management was our main focus in this project. 1. 3 Problem Solution This project will be a fine demonstration of efficient use of technology and engineering in the web- application development field. This will cut down the organizing and maintenance cost of conference’s and will also reduce the efforts of author to send their research papers through post. This is done through creation of a conference management application that would assist the organizers to run their conference effectively.Our software product ‘conference management system’ is designed and developed to provide the rigid solution for the handling of conferences. We have designed an interface that will provide the platform for the researchers and educationist to submit their research papers online and it will be forwarded to jury for their review and comments. The system will help the user’s to create new confere nce by providing the information of the conference and the request will be forwarded to the administrator for validation.The administrator can accept or reject the conference request and he will have to authority to delete the author if he is found doing illegal activity on the system. The chair of the conference will add the program committee members to review the papers submitted in that conference. The chair can check the details of the paper submitted in the conference installed by him. The program committee member will be reviewing the conference for which he is selected by the chair to review the conference. The program committee can download the research paper for reading it so it can be reviewed in a better manner. . 1 Methodology To operate this software in a best possible way, the user should have some knowledge of accessing internet and navigating the internet through any browser. He should be aware of how conferences are hosted and the working of organization that hostâ €™s the conference i. e. from submitting of paper, forwarding it to the jury, and then finalizing selected research papers. 1 System Interfaces As our system is completely an independent system in itself thus it does not require any external API or any interface for interaction with any other system.It only interacts with the administrator and author’s, but not with any other software component. 2 Interfaces Our system will interact with the user only through the well defined graphical user interface. Client server architecture will be required for supporting the application. Client Server Architecture A server is anything that has some resource that can be shared. There are Computer servers, which provide computing power; print servers, which manage a collection of printers; disk servers, which provide networked disk space; and web servers, which store web pages.A client is simply any other entity that wants to gain access to a particular server. The interaction between client and server is just like the interaction between a lamp and an electrical socket. The power grid of the house is the server, and the lamp is a power client. The server is a permanently available resource, while the client is free to â€Å"unplug† after it is has been served. [pic] Fig 2. 1 Client-Server Architecture 2. 2 Technologies and Tools NetBeans NetBeans refer to both a platform framework for java desktop applications,and an integrated development environment(IDE).The NetBeans IDE is written in Java and can run anywhere a compatible JVM is installed, including Windows, Mac OS, Linux, etc. The NetBeans platform allows application to be developed from a set of modular software components called modules. The NetBeans Platform is a reusable framework for simplifying the development of Java Swing desktop applications. Among the features of the platform are: †¢ User interface management (e. g. menus, toolbars) †¢ User settings management †¢ Storage manag ement (saving and loading any kind of data) †¢ Window management Wizard framework (supports step-by-step dialogs) †¢ NetBeans Visual Library †¢ Integrated development Tools Adobe Dreamweaver Adobe Dreamweaver is the industry-leading web authoring and editing software that provides both visual and code-level capabilities for creating standards-based websites and designs for the desktop, smart phones, tablets, and other devices. It is a site building and publishing tool appropriate for intermediate to advanced users that allows you to create graphical interface and built-in advanced design and coding features.It enables use of basic JavaScript without any coding knowledge. Integrating features of Adobe Dreamweaver are amazing; it integrates with Adobe’s Spry Ajax framework and that makes an easy access to dynamically-generated content and interfaces. Adobe Dreamweaver is also integrated with Adobe Flash Professional, Fireworks, Photoshop Extended; this lessens th e amount of stages for making projects. Adobe Dreamweaver supports leading web development technologies such as HTML, XHTML, CSS, XML, JavaScript, Ajax, PHP, Adobe ColdFusion software, which make designing and development really magical.Powerful CSS tools do not need separate utilities, and reduce the need to manually edit CSS code in designing and developing websites. Adobe Dreamweaver is the best application for extension developers and web designers who design and put up websites. MySQL Mysql is a relational database management system (RDBMS) that runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. The SQL phrase stands for Structured Query Language. Free-software-open source projects that require a full-featured database management system often use MySQL.For commercial use, several paid editions are available, and offer additional functionality. Uses MySQL is a popular choice of database for use in web applications, and is a central component of the widely use d LAMP web application software stack—LAMP is an acronym for â€Å"Linux, Apache, MySQL and Perl/PHP/Python†. MySQL is used in some of the most frequently visited web sites on the Internet, including Flickr. com, Nokia. com, YouTube and as previously mentioned, Wikipedia, Google and Facebook. Glass Fish Server: Glassfish is an open source application server project led by Sun Microsystems for the Java EE platform.The proprietary version is called Sun GlassFish Enterprise Server. Glassfish is free software. The latest version of GlassFish released is v3. 1. Other Java EE application servers: †¢ JBoss AS †¢ WebSphere AS †¢ WebLogic Server †¢ Apache Geronimo MODULE-2 †¢ JDBC/ODBC: ODBC  (Open Database Connectivity) is a standard software interface for accessing database management systems (DBMS). The designers of ODBC aimed to make it independent of  programming languages, database systems, and  operating systems. Thus, any application can u se ODBC to query data from a database, regardless of the platform it is on or DBMS it uses.ODBC accomplishes platform and language independence by using an  ODBC driver  as a translation layer between the application and the DBMS. The application thus only needs to know ODBC syntax, and the driver can then pass the query to the DBMS in its native format, returning the data in a format the application can understand. Java DataBase Connectivity, commonly referred to as  JDBC, is an  API  for the  Java programming language  that defines how a client may access a  database. It provides methods for querying and updating data in a database. JDBC is oriented towards relational databases.A JDBC-to-ODBC  bridge enables connections to any ODBC-accessible data source in the  JVM  host environment. JDBC allows multiple implementations to exist and be used by the same application. The API provides a mechanism for dynamically loading the correct Java packages and registering them with the JDBC Driver Manager. The Driver Manager is used as a connection factory for creating JDBC connections. JDBC connections support creating and executing statements. These may be update statements such as  SQL’s CREATE, INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE, or they may be query statements such as SELECT. †¢ MySql †¢ Tomcat Server.Rational Rose Model Rational rose is an object oriented Unified Modeling Language (UML) software design tool intended for visual modeling and component construction of enterprise level software applications. Rose facilitates object-oriented analysis design, better known for OOAD. In fact, Rose is an acronym for Rational Object Oriented Software Engineering. The great things about Rose is that it allows analysts, engineers, writers and project managers to create, view, manipulate modeling elements in a Unified Modeling Language (UML) across the entire enterprise, using one tool and one language.The tool’s true value is that it expo ses software development problems early on in the development life cycle, helping you manage everything from straight forward projects to more complex software solutions. Basically, Rose supports use-case driven object modeling. Chapter-3 Requirement Gathering 3. 1 Software Requirements Functional Requirements |SRS 001 |Add new author |This system shall be able to add new users with valid email-id. | |SRS 002 |Install Conference |Conference management system shall provide users to add new conferences. |SRS 003 |Submit a paper |Authors can submit their papers in already existing validated conferences. | |SRS 004 |Conference validation by administrator |All the conferences are validated by administrators so as to avoid any unauthorized| | | |researches. | |SRS 005 |Program committee selection by Chair |Eminent program committee is selected by chair so as to provide best expertise and | | | |best research papers are selected. |SRS 006 |Paper selection by Program committee |The program committee can select the papers which he wants to review. | |SRS 007 |Upload review |The program committee member can upload his review for selected papers. | |SRS 008 |Mail to Authors and PC member |The chair can send mail from time to time to program committee member and author. | |SRS 009 |Paper download |The program committee can download the paper for further reading. |SRS 009 |Review form download |The program committee can download the review form for making reviews. | |SRS 011 |User feedback |User’s valuable feedback provides us a constant motivation of improvement. | Table 3. 1 Showing Functional Requirements Non-functional Requirements |SRS012 |Access Permission |The conference management system shall have several types of access permissions. For instance, | | | |the administrator is shall be able to validate conference requests and delete the author.At | | | |the same time, authors shall have restricted access to already submitted research papers. | |SRS013 |Mainta inability |The system shall provide the capability to backup the database and it is very easy to maintain | | | |and work on. | |SRS014 |Reliability |The system shall be available all the time, only a internet connectivity is required. |SRS015 |Flexibility |The conference management system shall be flexible and adaptable due to future plans of | | | |expanding the system. | Table 3. 2 Showing Non-Functional Requirements Development End †¢ Operating System (Windows, Mac OS, Linux) †¢ Java Development Kit (JDK) 5 or above †¢ HTML editor (Macromedia Dreamweaver 8) Client End †¢ Internet connection. †¢ A java enabled browser. 3. 2 Hardware Requirements Development End †¢ 500Mhz Intel Pentium-III or higher processor †¢ An Internet connection †¢ 512 MB RAM 600 MB of free hard-drive space, for each platform downloaded into the SDK, an additional 100MB is needed. Client End †¢ 500 MHz Pentium III processor above. †¢ 2 GB hard disk and 256 MB of RAM. †¢ An internet enabled device. †¢ Web Browser installed operating system. 3. 3 Use Case Model In this project, the analysis and design is used as a technique to conduct a research into conference management system. Design is completely based on definition of problem and the knowledge based construct. The use-case diagram which clearly depicts how this system behaves is constructed. End users can easily circumspect the operations carried out.Also the relationship between various elements is visible and the constraints are easily identified. [pic] Fig 1. 1 Use case for Author. [pic] Fig 1. 2 Use case diagram for Program committee member. [pic] Fig 1. 3 Use case diagram for Editor [pic] Fig 1. 4 Use case diagram for Administrator Use Case Description 3. 3. 1 UC01: Login 3. 3. 1. 1 Description:The user logs in the web site. 3. 3. 1. 2 Flow of events:User opens the login page; enter his id and password, and clicks on login button. 3. 3. 1. 2. 1 Alternative Flows: N. A. 3. 3. 1. 3 Special requirements:N. A. 3. 3. 1. Preconditions:The user must have registered him before with the web site and should hold a valid account. 3. 3. 1. 5 Post conditions: The user gets access to the site. 3. 3. 1. 6 Extension point:N. A. 3. 3. 2 UC02: Sign Up 3. 3. 2. 1 Description:The user registers him by entering his details. An account is made where his profile information is maintained. 3. 3. 2. 2 Flow of events Entering all the fields and then clicking on submit button. 3. 3. 2. 2. 1 Alternative Flows: N. A. 3. 3. 2. 3 Special requirements: N. A. 3. 3. 2. 4 Preconditions: The user should have a valid email account.The mandatory fields should not be left empty. 3. 3. 2. 5 Post conditions:The user has a valid account on the website. 3. 3. 2. 6 Extension point:N. A. 3. 3. 3 UC03: Install a Conference 3. 3. 3. 1 Description: The author can create a new conference. 3. 3. 3. 2 Flow of events: Users logs in, and then go to chooses create conference option and enters the co nference details and submits his request. 3. 3. 3. 2. 1 Alternative Flows: N. A. 3. 3. 3. 3 Special requirements:N. A. 3. 3. 3. 4 Preconditions: The user must have a valid account on the web site. 3. 3. 3. Post conditions: The request for a new conference is submitted. 3. 3. 3. 6 Extension point: N. A. 3. 3. 4 UC04: Submit Paper 3. 3. 4. 1 Description: The author can submit his research paper on the existing conferences. 3. 3. 4. 2 Flow of events: Author logs in, and then goes to chooses submit conference option and enters the research paper details and submits his paper. 3. 3. 4. 2. 1 Alternative Flows: N. A. 3. 3. 4. 3 Special requirements:The author must have a valid research paper. 3. 3. 4. 4 Preconditions: The author must have a valid account on the web site. . 3. 4. 5 Post conditions: The author’s research paper is submitted and will be forwarded to jury for review. 3. 3. 4. 6 Extension point: N. A. 3. 3. 5 UC05: Edit Profile 3. 3. 5. 1 Description:The user can access h is own profile information. He can either view or edit the profile. 3. 3. 5. 2 Flow of events: Users logs in, and then goes to My-Account section to view and edit his profile information. 3. 3. 5. 2. 1 Alternative Flows: N. A. 3. 3. 5. 3 Special requirements: 3. 3. 5. 4 Preconditions: The user must have a valid account on the website. 3. 3. . 5 Post conditions: The profile information is updated. 3. 3. 5. 6 Extension point:N. A. 3. 3. 6 UC06: Validate Conference 3. 3. 6. 1 Description: The administrator can validate the conference requests. 3. 3. 6. 2 Flow of events The administrator logs in and then goes to selects the validate conference option, then selects the conference requests which is to be validated. 3. 3. 6. 2. 1 Alternative Flows: N. A. 3. 3. 6. 3 Special requirements: N. A. 3. 3. 6. 4 Preconditions:The administrator must hold a valid account and must be properly logged in. . 3. 6. 5 Post condition: The selected conferences are validated. 3. 3. 6. 6 Extension point:N. A. 3. 3. 7 UC07: Add PC member 3. 3. 7. 1 Description: The chair has the right to invite the PC member to review the paper for a particular conference. 3. 3. 7. 2 Flow of events The author has to change his role from author to chair, then select the conference for which he wants to invite the PC member. 3. 3. 7. 2. 1 Alternative Flows: N. A. 3. 3. 7. 3 Special requirements: The author has to change his role from author to chair to be able to add 3. 3. . 4 Preconditions:The author is properly logged in and changes his role from author to editor. 3. 3. 7. 5 Post condition: The PC member is invited to review the paper for a particular conference. 3. 3. 7. 6 Extension point:N. A. 3. 3. 8 UC08: Review the paper 3. 3. 8. 1 Description: The PC member can review the paper for which chair has invited him. 3. 3. 8. 2 Flow of events The author will have to first change his role to PC member, then select the conference which he wants to review and then select the research paper for which he wants to write review.The PC member posts his review for that paper. 3. 3. 8. 2. 1 Alternative Flows: N. A. 3. 3. 8. 3 Special requirements: The author must be added by chair as a PC member for that conference. 3. 3. 8. 4 Preconditions:The PC member should be added by program chair to review that conference, and he should have changed his role from author to PC member. 3. 3. 8. 5 Post condition: The author posts the review of the paper. 3. 3. 8. 6 Extension point:N. A. 3. 3. 9 UC09: Download Paper 3. 3. 9. 1 Description: The PC member can download the research paper. 3. 3. 9. Flow of events The author changes his role from author to PC member, selects the conference and particular research paper, then downloads the paper. 3. 3. 9. 2. 1 Alternative Flows: N. A. 3. 3. 9. 3 Special requirements: The author must be added by chair as a PC member for that conference. 3. 3. 9. 4 Preconditions:The PC member should be added by program chair to review that conference, and he should have changed his role from author to PC member. 3. 3. 9. 5 Post condition: The PC member downloads the paper. 3. 3. 9. 6 Extension point:N. A. 3. 3. 10 UC010: View Paper Details 3. 3. 10. Description: The PC member can check the details of the research paper. 3. 3. 10. 2 Flow of events The author changes his role from author to PC member, selects the conference and particular research paper, then views the detail of paper. 3. 3. 10. 2. 1 Alternative Flows: N. A. 3. 3. 10. 3 Special requirements: The author must be added by chair as a PC member for that conference. 3. 3. 10. 4 Preconditions:The PC member should be added by program chair to review that conference, and he should have changed his role from author to PC member. 3. 3. 10. 5 Post condition: The PC member check the details of paper. 3. 3. 0. 6 Extension point:N. A. 3. 3. 8 UC11: Delete Author 3. 3. 11. 1 Description: The administrator can delete any author if he does any illegal activity. 3. 3. 11. 2 Flow of events The administrator logs i n and selects the author to be deleted. 3. 3. 11. 2. 1 Alternative Flows: N. A. 3. 3. 11. 3 Special requirements: N. A. 3. 3. 11. 4 Preconditions:The administrator must hold a valid account and must be properly logged in. 3. 3. 11. 5 Post condition: The author is deleted from the system. 3. 3. 11. 6 Extension point:N. A. 3. 3. 12 UC12: Logout 3. 3. 12. 1 Description: The administrator can delete the author. . 3. 12. 2 Flow of events The administrator logs in and selects the logout option and administrator is logged out. 3. 3. 12. 2. 1 Alternative Flows: N. A. 3. 3. 12. 3 Special requirements: N. A. 3. 3. 12. 4 Preconditions:The administrator must hold a valid account and must be properly logged in. 3. 3. 12. 5 Post condition: The author is logged out from administrator page. 3. 3. 12. 6 Extension point:N. A. Chapter-4 Analysis 4. 1 Sequence Diagram A sequence diagram is an interaction diagram in UML that emphasizes the time ordering of the messages. It shows how processes operate on e with another and in what order.It shows parallel vertical lines as different processes or objects that live simultaneously, and horizontal arrows as the messages exchanged between them, in the order in which they occur. The boxes across the top of the diagram represent the use cases, objects, classes, or actors. The dashed lines hanging from the boxes are called object lifelines, representing the life span of the object during the scenario being modeled. The long, thin boxes on the lifelines are activation boxes, also called method-invocation boxes, which indicate processing is being performed by the target object/class to fulfill a message.Messages are indicated on UML sequence diagrams as labeled arrows, when the source and target of a message is an object or class the label is the signature of the method invoked in response to the message. Return values are optionally indicated using a dashed arrow with a label indicating the return value. [pic] Fig 4. 1 Sequence Diagram for Lo gin [pic] Fig 4. 2 Sequence Diagram for Sign Up [pic] Fig 4. 3 Sequence Diagram for My-Account Section [pic] Fig 4. 4 Sequence Diagram for Paper Submission [pic] Fig 4. 5 Sequence Diagram for Conference validation [pic] Fig 4. 6 Sequence Diagram to add PC member. [pic] Fig 4. Sequence Diagram to write review for a paper. [pic] Fig 4. 8 Sequence Diagram to check submission details of a conference. 4. 2 Activity Diagram An Activity Diagram is essentially a flow chart showing flow of control from activity to activity. They are used to model the dynamic aspects of as system. They can also be used to model the flow of an object as it moves from state to state at different points in the flow of control. Activity diagrams commonly contain fork start & end symbol. [pic] Fig 4. 7 Activity diagram for Author [pic] Fig. 4. 8 Activity diagram for administrator Chapter-5 Design 5. 1 Technology SelectionWe are a part of a rapidly changing software industry. New and better software’s are cr eated every day. The main purpose of the software is to provide comfort to its users and also to the other developers. Java Java Platform, Standard Edition or Java SE is a widely used platform for programming in the Java language. It is the Java Platform used to deploy portable applications for general use. In practical terms, Java SE consists of a virtual machine, which must be used to run Java programs, together with a set of libraries needed to allow the use of file systems, networks, graphical interfaces, and so on, from within those programs.Java Development Kit jdk 1_5_0 it has been by far the most widely used Java SDK Sun contributed the source code to the OpenJDK. The Java Development Kit (JDK) is a Sun Microsystems product aimed at Java developers. Since the introduction of Java, it has been by far the most widely used Java Software Development Kit. A Java Development Kit (JDK) is a program development environment for writing Java applets and applications.It consists of a r untime environment that â€Å"sits on top† of the operating system layer as well as the tools and programming that developers need to compile, debug, and run applets and applications written in the Java language. A JVM can also execute byte code compiled from programming languages other than Java. Java was conceived with the concept of WORA: â€Å"write once, run anywhere†. This is done using the Java Virtual Machine. The JVM is the environment in which Java programs execute. It is software that is implemented on non-virtual hardware and on standard operating systems.JVM is a crucial component of the Java platform, and because JVMs are available for many hardware and software platforms, Java can be both middleware and a platform in its own right, hence the trademark write once, run anywhere. The use of the same byte code for all platforms allows Java to be described as â€Å"compile once, run anywhere†, as opposed to â€Å"write once, compile anywhere†, w hich describes cross-platform compiled languages. A JVM also enables such features as automated exception handling, which provides â€Å"root-cause† debugging information for every software error (exception), independent of the source code.A JVM is distributed along with a set of standard class libraries that implement the Java application programming interface (API). Appropriate APIs bundled together form the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Java's execution environment is termed the Java Runtime Environment, or JRE. Programs intended to run on a JVM must be compiled into a standardized portable binary format, which typically comes in the form of . class files. A program may consist of many classes in different files. For easier distribution of large programs, multiple class files may be packaged together in a . jar file. JSP and ServletsA servlet is a Java programming language class used to extend the capabilities of servers that host applications accessed via a request-resp onse programming model. Although servlets can respond to any type of request, they are commonly used to extend the applications hosted by Web servers. To deploy and run, the Apache Tomcat Server may be used. It is an open source servlet container developed by the Apache Software Foundation (ASF). Tomcat implements the Java Servlet and the Java Server Pages (JSP) specifications from Sun Microsystems, and provides a â€Å"pure Java† HTTP web server environment for Java code to run.Java Server Pages  (JSP) is a  Java  technology that helps  software developers  serve  dynamically generated web pages  based on HTML,  XML, or other document types. JSP may be viewed as a high-level abstraction of  Java servlets. JSP pages are loaded in the server and are operated from a structured special installed Java server packet called a Java EE Web Application, often packaged as a  . war  or  . ear  file archive. JSP allows Java code and certain pre-defined actions t o be interleaved with static web markup content, with the resulting page being compiled and executed on the server to deliver an HTML or XML document.The compiled pages and any dependent Java libraries use Java byte code rather than a native software format, and must therefore be executed within a  Java virtual machine  (JVM) that integrates with the host  operating system  to provide an abstract platform-neutral environment. MySQL as a backend Features of MySQL 1. Speed: Of course, the speed at which a server side program runs depends primarily on the server hardware. Given that the server hardware is optimal, MySQL runs very fast. It supports clustered servers for demanding applications. 2. Ease of use: MySQL is a high-performance, relatively simple database system.From the beginning, MySQL has typically been configured, monitored, and managed from the command line. However, several MySQL graphical interfaces are available as described below: †¢ MySQL Administrator: T his tool makes it possible for administrators to set up, evaluate, and tune their MySQL database server. This is intended as a replacement for mysqladmin. †¢ MySQL Query Browser: Provides database developers and operators with a graphical database operation interface. It is especially useful for seeing multiple query plans and result sets in a single user interface. Configuration Wizard: Administrators can choose from a predefined list of optimal settings, or create their own. †¢ MySQL System Tray: Provides Windows-based administrators a single view of their MySQL instance, including the ability to start and stop their database servers. 3. Cost: MySQL is available free of cost. MySQL is a â€Å"Open Source† database. MySQL is part of LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP / Perl / Python) environemtn, a fast growing open source enterprise software stack. More and more companies are using LAMP as an alternative to expensive proprietary oftware stacks because of its lower co st, reliability, and documentation. 4. Query Language Support: MySQL understands standards based SQL (Structured Query Language). 5. Capability: Many clients can connect to the server at the same time. Clients can use multiple database simultaneously. You can access MySQL using several interfaces such as command-line clients, Web browsers. 6. Connectivity and security: MySQL is fully networked, and database can be accessed from anywhere on the Internet, so you can share your data with anyone, anywhere.The connectivity could be achieved with Windows programs by using ODBC drivers. By using the ODBC connector to MySQL, any ODBC-aware client application (for example, Microsoft Office, report writers, Visual Basic) can connect to MySQL. 7. Portability: MySQL runs on many varieties of UNIX, as well as on other non-UNIX systems, such as Windows and OS/2. MySQL runs on hardware from home PCs to high-end server. MySQL can be installed on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Red Hat Fedora Linux , Debian Linux, and others. We have maintained our database in MySQL that involves maintenance of information. 5. Database Design It is defined as â€Å"centralized repository of information about data such as meaning, relationships to other data, origin, usage, and format†. Our data dictionary is designed in order to fulfill: †¢ A document describing a database or collection of databases †¢ An integral component of a DBMS that is required to determine its structure †¢ A piece of middleware that extends or supplants the native data dictionary of a DBMS. The most challenging phase of the system life cycle is system design. The term design describes a final system and the process by which it is developed.It refers to the technical specifications that will be applied in implementing the candidate system. It also includes the construction of programs and program testing. System design is a solution, a â€Å"how to† approach the creation of a new system. This important phase is composed of several steps. It provides understanding and procedural details necessary for implementing the system recommended in the feasibility study. Emphasis is on translating the performance requirements into design specifications. The first step is to determine how the output is to be produced and in what format.Samples of the output and input are also presented. Second, input data and master files (database) have to be designed to meet the requirements of the proposed output. The operational (processing) phases are handled through program construction and testing, including a list of programs needed to meet the systems objectives and to complete documentation. Finally, details related to justification of the system and an estimate of the impact of the candidate system on the user and the organization are documented and evaluated by management as a step toward implementation.The design approach that was suited for the project turned out to be object-oriented design. It creates a representation of the real world problem domain & maps it into a solution domain that is software. Unlike other methods, object-oriented design results in a design that interconnects data objects(data items) & processing operations in a way that modularizes information & processing , rather than processing alone. E-R diagrams represent the schemas or the overall organization of the system. In order to begin constructing the basic model, the modeler must analyze the information gathered during the requirement analysis for the purpose of: classifying data objects as either entities or attributes, ? identifying and defining relationships between entities, ? naming and defining identified entities, attributes, and relationships, ? documenting this information in the data document. ? Finally draw its ER diagram. To accomplish these goals the modeler must analyze narratives from users, notes from meeting, policy and procedure documents, and, if lucky, design document s from the current information system. [pic] Fig 5. 1 Enhanced Entity-Relationship diagram. Chapter 6 Testing 6. Test Case and Design Software testing is a critical element of software quality assurance and the ultimate review of specification, design and code generation . Testing of the software leads to uncovering of errors in the software and reveal that whether software is functional and performance requirement are met. Testing also provides a good indication of software reliability as software quality as a whole. The result of different phases are evaluated and then compared with the expected results. If the errors are uncovered they are debugged and corrected.A strategy approach to software testing has the generic characteristics: †¢ Testing begins at the module level and works outwards towards the integration of the entire computer based system. †¢ Different testing techniques are appropriate at different point of time. †¢ Testing and debugging are different ac tivities, but debugging must be accommodating in the testing strategy. †¢ A strategy for the software testing must be accommodate low level tests that are necessary to verify that a small source code segment is performing correctly according to the customers requirement and that of developers expectations.Testing Objectives †¢ Testing is a process of executing a program with the intent of finding an error. †¢ A good test case is one which has a high probability of finding an as yet undiscovered error. †¢ A successful test is one that uncovers an as yet undiscovered error. †¢ Our objective is to design tests that systematically uncover different classes of errors and to do so with minimum amount of time and effort. Testing Principles: †¢ All tests should be traceable to customer requirements. †¢ Tests should be planned long before testing begins. The Pareto principle applies to software testing. †¢ Testing should begin â€Å"in the small† and progress towards testing â€Å"in the large†. †¢ Exhaustive testing is not possible. †¢ To be most effective, testing should be conducted by an independent third party. 6. 2 Testing Methods and Strategies: Any engineered product can be tested in one of two ways: White-Box Testing: Knowing the internal workings of a product, tests can be conducted to ensure that the internal operation performs according to specification and all internal components have been adequately exercised.For testing our project, we have used the Black-Box testing methods, and a short description of this testing method follows: Black-Box Testing: Black box testing, also called â€Å"Behavioral testing†, focuses on the functional Requirements of the software. It enables the software engineer to derive sets of input conditions that will fully exercise all functional requirements for a program. It is a complementary approach to â€Å"White-Box testing† that is likely to uncover a different class of errors. Black Box testing attempts to find errors in the following categories: †¢ Incorrect or missing functions Interface errors †¢ Errors in data structures †¢ Behavior or performance errors †¢ Initialization and termination errors. Snapshots for Test cases: [pic] Fig 6. 2. 1 Snapshot for login Test Cases Description: following testing checks the authenticity of the end-user. Test 01 : Test case for successful Login Login ID: pushpendra Password: blackboard System Output: Successful Login Test 02 : Test case for incorrect password Login ID: pushpendra Password: chalk System Output: Incorrect user-id or Password [pic] Fig 6. 2. 2 Snapshot for conference installation Test CasesDescription: this lets you install a new conference. Test 01 Conference name: International conference on environmental studies Conference acronym: ICES Email: [email  protected] com City: Indore Country: India Your role: chair Research area: environmental Any other information: Send request System output: conference successfully installed. [pic] Fig 6. 2. 3 Snapshot for paper submission Test Cases Description: this lets you submit your research paper in your desired conference. Test 01: Name: mohit maheshwari E-mail: mohit. [email  protected] om Country: India Organization: Accenture India Title: cloud computing Abstract: benefits of new cloud computing Keyword: ACC Paper: paper1. pdf Browse System output: new paper successfully submitted. [pic] Fig 6. 2. 4 Snapshot for changing role Test Cases Description: this lets you change the role as per as requirement. Test 01: Present role: Author Change role New role: Chair System output: Your role successfully changed. [pic] Fig 6. 2. 5 Snapshot for updating profile Test Cases Description: this lets you update your personal information.Test 01: Name : ankit jain Contact number: 9407217505 E mail: [email  protected] com Organization: Microsoft India Country: India Password: anjtdf Change password: fhdfioh Submit System output: your profile successfully updated. [pic] Fig 6. 2. 6 Snapshot for review of the paper Test Cases Description: this lets you review the form previously submitted by you. Test 01: ID : 412 Author: mohit jain Review rating: 4. 5 Comment: it was very innovative. Submit System output: your form has been successfully reviewed. Conclusion Software’s are making everyday life of humans being easier & faster.This type web-application shows â€Å"How we can solve management problem? † Hence, software is managing the record & database in behalf of humans. After completion of this website, authors and administrator can now access the conference’s and can submit the research paper of their interest field. It is aimed at improving the infrastructure of the conference organizer’s by providing authors an opportunity to submit their papers. Thus it can manage the entire conference process related to paper submission, jury selection, and paper review, under the complete control of the administrator.In our project, we have used Mysql RDBMS for the creation, maintenance and use of the database. The user interface is designed using Java servlets, JSP using Netbeans IDE. We have defined two users for this system, author and administrator, each with their own access and rights and activities. This project allowed us to interact with JSP and servlets. We explored java database connectivity and also became familiar with requirements of a conference management system. BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFRENCES 7. 1 BOOKS REFERED The following books were used extensively for the project development and implementation. . â€Å"The Complete Reference Java2† Tata McGraw-Hill publishing Company Limited. By- Herbert Schildt. 2. The Complete Reference to JAVA SERVER PAGES 3. Head First – Java Servlets 4. Software Engineering Pearson edition By Ian SommerVille 5. Database Management System by Ivan Bayross 7. 2 WEBSITES REFERED †¢ http:// www. google. com †¢ http://www. wikipedia. com †¢ http://www. w3schools. com/css/css_examples. asp †¢ http://www. w3schools. com/js/default. asp †¢ http://www. jsptut. com/ †¢ http://www. roseindia. net/jsp/jsp. htm

Immigration Reform: Impacts at the State and Federal Levels Essay

Texas has a reputation throughout history of differing views from the federal government in laws and politics pertaining to social, fiscal, and educational issues. On the whole, Texas operates as a largely conservative state. Because of this, policy-making is often right wing. With the institution of a Democratic, liberal president, the State’s dissent from the Federal government has only increased over certain issues. One hot topic of the 2012 Presidential election was immigration. With the major increase in immigration, it is no surprise that the issue was so emphasized. Between 2000 and 2011 there was a 30 percent increase in the foreign-born population. The immigrant population grew from 31.1 million to 40.04 million. (americanprogress.org) Texas has a special interest in this subject due to the fact that they have a population of over 4 million immigrants. Texas is among the top three states with foreign born individuals living within its borders, giving the state a veste d interest in the nation’s immigration policy. (Orrenius et al., 1) Historically, Texas has differentiated from the National government in regards to immigration. One example is the Supreme Court case Plyer v. Doe. In 1975, the Texas Legislature allowed public schools to deny enrollment to children who could not provide documentation that they were â€Å"legally-admitted† to the United States. In 1977, the Tyler independent school district adopted a policy that required foreign-born students who were not â€Å"legally-admitted† to pay tuition to attend. A group of students from Mexico who could not establish their â€Å"legal-admittance† filed a class action suit which challenged the policy. The Supreme Court ruled that the policy violated the Equal Protection Clause, stating, â€Å"If states provide a free public education to U.S. citizens and lawfully present foreign-born children, they cannot deny such an education to undocumented children without ‘showing that it furthers  some substantial state interest.’â₠¬  (immigrationpolicy.org) Being a right-wing state, Texas has a strong belief in state autonomy in policy making, therefore the decision in this case was not well-received by the majority of individuals in the state—despite it being the morally and legally correct decision. Texas has also long supported an increase in border security. In 2006, Gov. Rick Perry announced a plan that assigned Department of Public Safety personnel as well as other resources to the border to assist in law enforcement. He also added an additional $3.8 million in grant funding for state criminal justice planning funds to the Texas Border Sheriff’s Coalition. (Texas House of Representatives) The state’s legislative policy has been one of strict anti-immigration. In Texas’s 81st Legislative session, the issue of Voter ID arose. The Voter ID bill would require photo identification or two forms of other identification in order to vote. During the 81st session, Democrats filibustered to prevent the issue from being voted upon, it is very likely this is the only reason the bill did not pass and it likely will pass should it reappear in the 82nd session. Despite its history of harsh policies towards foreign born immigrants, two bills have been introduced into the Texas Legislature which provide some leniency toward immigrants. The first is a proposal would grant undocumented immigrants the ability to legally drive and obtain insurance if they pass a background check and a driving test. Texas Rep. Byron Cook said about the subject, â€Å"That’s much better policy than what we have right now, where we have undocumented workers that are driving without a license and without insurance, and we don’t know who they are or where they live.† (Harper) Despite the reason behind it, the policy definitely shows an unprecedented favor towards illegal aliens within Texas borders. The second bill would prohibit law enforcement from asking the immigration status of witnesses and victims of crimes. Though neither of these bills has made it to debate, they do demonstrate a shift from previous anti-immigration sentiment. In June of this year, the Senate passed immigration reform bill S.744, containing several provisions including: increased border security, a feasible path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, creates a new category of merit-based green cards for individuals who meet certain criteria which might benefit the national interest, and mandates that all employers in the country use E-Verify—a government work-authorization  system—within five years of employment (americanprogress.org). While the provisions of this bill are largely in line with the beliefs of the Texas Legislature and policies of the state, they do bring certain issues to light. Although the idea of stricter Federal immigration policies seems to be beneficial for the states, often the federal government passes legislation and leaves the states to handle the cost. For example, from October 2011 to September 2013 Texas county jails spent $156.6 million on incarceration of undocumented immigrants. (Su, 23) Ultimately, immigration policy on both the state and federal level will continue to be a dynamic topic. While certain aspects of immigration reform will likely have major benefits for the nation such as boosts to the economy with an estimated 121,000 jobs being added yearly and an increase in the GDP over 10 years, others are fundamentally flawed. For instance, the E-Verify system is viewed by some as the first step towards a national identification system for all US citizens. This is viewed by many as an invasion of privacy. In addition to this, according to research the system misidentifies about 1% of applicants as undocumented. (Against The Current) Forcing employers to use E-Verify could also lead to a decrease in State and Federal payroll taxes because it could cause employers to move their undocumented employees â€Å"off the books† to avoid having to incur the cost of training new employees and offering more competitive wages. Although both state and federal governments have good intentions with their immigration policies, both have serious issues to consider. Solving the immigration problem will require Federal and Local governments to work hand in hand. Border security is something both sides advocate heavily, spending millions on walls, electronic equipment, and increased border patrol. The cost has not just been limited to dollars, however, as increase border security leads to an increase in casualties. Immigration reform has the potential to boost the economy as well as increase the relations between the United States and foreign countries. By continuing to advocate for a path to citizenship and work towards getting the 11 million undocumented immigrants citizenship, the government can achieve these goals. In addition, continued movement towards bipartisanism on both the state and federal levels can create an overall better, more effective nation. Works Cited: â€Å"Facts on Immigration Today.† Center for American Progess. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2013. . Orrenius, Pia M., Madeline Zavodny, and Melissa LoPalo. Pia M. Orrenius Madeline Zavodny Melissa LoPalo Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Agnes Scott College Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas DALLAS FED Immigration and the Transformation of the Texas Economy. Nov. 2013. Print. â€Å"Public Education for Immigrant Students: States Challenge Supreme Court’s Decision in Plyler v. Doe.† Immigration Policy Center. American Immigration Council, n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2013. . Texas House of Representatives. House Research Organization. The Role of States in Immigration Enforcement. Feb. 2006. Print. Harper, Karen Brooks. â€Å"Immigrant Driving Permit Bill in Legislature Raises Tough Issue for GOP.† Dallas Morning News [Dallas] 2 May 2013: Print. SU, RICK. â€Å"The States Of Immigration.† William & Mary Law Review 54.4 (2013): 1339-1407. Academic Search Complete. Web. 8 Dec. 2013. â€Å"Organizations and Leaders’ Critique of S.744.† Against The Current 28.4 (2013): 11-12. Academic Search Complete. Web. 8 Dec. 2013.

Competencies Job Analysis

Background to the study Organizations continuously change their processes and structures due to the dynamic forces In the environment (Beer, 1980). Such forces Include; divestiture, changes in technology, working practices, employment legislation, and culture (Appear & Gondola, 1998). This transition often means change in employees' roles and relationships thus the need for systematic Job analysis procedures such as competence analysis to remove ambiguity and Improve role clarity In order to ensure consistency with the new environment.Competence analysis is that part of job analysis that is concerned with functional and behavioral analysis to determine work-based competencies and establish behavioral dimensions that affect Job performance (Armstrong and Baron, 1995). It Is a human resource tool that generates competence profiles that provide human resource baseline data which is utilized to design human resource instruments such as competence based Job descriptions that enhance role clarity in organizations.The success of competence analysis depends on the role incumbents' capacity to uncover acid knowledge and role complexities and the analyst's experience to gulled role incumbents in the process. This removes ambiguity, improves role clarity and enhances reflective learning leading to improved individual and organizational performance (Immune, boss & Buoy, 2003). Many organizations in Uganda and most Sub-Sahara Africa lack this vital human resource tool to produce generic role definitions.This has resulted Into role ambiguity consequently leading took related stress, Job dissatisfaction that reduces organizational commitment and productivity abstinently undermining the overall individual and organizational performance (Immune et a/. , 2003). 1 The importance of Involving role Incumbents In profiling competencies was neglected In the Job analysis exercise carried out In 2003 by Uganda Telecoms Limited (TTL), this culminated into role ambiguity that has persist ed to date.

Philosophy of Zhuangzi is a form of Skepticism Essay

Philosophy of Zhuangzi is a form of Skepticism - Essay Example Zhuangzi is a Chinese philosopher, though there is no much information about him apart from what is contained in books named after him and his way of thinking and analyzing situations. In his philosophies, he does not organize his ideas systematically and fails to define his terms too. Skepticism is a complicated epistemological position, which any philosopher or researcher can distinguish among its varieties through focusing on the strength and scope of themes. Skepticism entails doubtfulness of a specific individual in a given aspect of nature while relativism explains the point of views without validity or absolute truth. Zhuangzi’s philosophy is relativistic in the sense that, he tries to hide from the fact that man cannot do without relying on some given aspects, hence, nature is inevitable. Although the interpretation of Zhuangzi’s philosophy is but a scandal, his philosophy carries all the above aspects, that is, skepticism, relativism, radicalism, and therapy, in that, there are various views in which one can examine it through. His works are philosophical, and they have a grip of a strict Chinese philosophy of language. This Chinese Philosopher uses skeptic language in his writings, which are difficult to get the meaning from because of their unsystematic nature. It is viable to defend the philosophy as relative skepticism if one can highlight guiding wisdom from the text. Examining its skeptic nature, various componen ts can act as guiding principles in making this stand a reality. When analyzing Zhuangzi’s philosophy, we can see that he did not commit to what his passages entail. Refraining from commitments and/or judgments, we can treat his philosophies as a recommendation of how people should use their brain to create spiritual or personal transformation. Zhuangzi’s philosophies address many issues including politics and the way a human mind should think. He does play a political role, in his works, of skepticism that is relativistic, in a way that justifies Daoism as a system of the political liberalism of the Chinese. In my view, it is factual that his philosophies are skeptic and relativistic (Ivanhoe & Norden 55). He lacks conviction in his philosophies, though one can deduce the fact that knowledge and truth exist, from his philosophical works. Several writers draw Zhuangzi’s philosophy as non-epistemic because they feel like his apparent skepticism is not an out righ tly negative thesis about our achievements, but a recommendation about an approach we need to embrace. Most versions approve that the Zhuangzi’s philosophical- skeptical passages propose a relatively comprehensive scope. While the skepticism takes the shape of ethical skepticism in orbiting about the lapse of norms, it indirectly embraces all linguistic organization (Ivanhoe & Norden 254). For instance, in the northern darkness, he is talking about a fish called Minnow that change into a bird named Breeze. It is not easy to derive the exact meaning of the name of the bird, hence creating this philosophical nature that is not systematic, of Zhuangzi’s works. The second example is the Tales of Q3; he states that little wisdom cannot much knowledge, or fewer years measuring up to many years. There is no much knowledge about the writing, but its name can easily drive us to a conclusion that it is a work of fiction (Ivanhoe & Norden 208). Zhuangzi’s way of naming cha racters in his works leaves the reader with room to think and come up with their own understanding of what exactly he meant. Some, like heaven in the Tales of Q3, have more than one connotation; hence, the reader has an open ground to analyze, think and make a judgment. This idea addresses the therapeutic part of his philosophy because it is examining a radical issue, in an artistic manner. Zhuangzi’s highly metaphoric kind of criticism suggests that he did not accept the condition of the world in its form, and tries to come up with imaginary theories instead of simply

The Capital Asset Pricing Model is a very useful model and it is used Essay

The Capital Asset Pricing Model is a very useful model and it is used widely in the industry even though it is based on very strong assumptions. Discuss in the light of recent developments in the area - Essay Example recent developments to see if it can be considered a credible and reliable model for asset pricing and forecasting for today’s dynamic business environment. The CAPM is seen as an asset pricing method which gives a theoretical determination of the required rate of return of an asset, given the condition that the asset is being added to an existing well-diversified portfolio (Berk, 1995). This means that estimating the rate of return of an asset based on the CAPM requires that the asset in question will not be an independent asset being invested but part of a portfolio considered to be well-diversified. Again, Fama & French (2002) stressed that the use of CAPM in asset pricing must be based on the use of assets which are considered non-sensitive to non-diversified risks which come as either systematic risk or market risk. In short, the asset must be a risk-free asset which guarantees the repayment of interest and principal with absolute certainty (Banz, 1981). There are several determinants and variables used in the calculation of CAPM and hence the CAPM formula. There are generally traditional and modified formulas for CAPM but this pap er is limited to the use of the traditional formula. Fama & French (1992) stressed that for CAPM usage, it is important that the expected return on the capital asset E(Ri), which can only be known when the risk-free rate of interest Rf, sensitivity of the expected excess asset or beta ßi, expected return of the market E(Rm), and market premium E(Rm) – Rf are all known. With these known, it is possible to obtain the CAPM given as For the actual applicability of the equation and SML to function, there are very important assumptions that must hold. In all, CAPM makes use of nine assumptions which are briefly analysed as follows. The first is that investors aim to maximise economic utilities. Based on this assumption, investors would only want to go into investments that have asset quantities that are known and fixed so that the

Delegating Responsibilities Is the Key to Effective Management Assignment - 1

Delegating Responsibilities Is the Key to Effective Management - Assignment Example This study outlines that delegating ensures that the manager has adequate time for other responsibilities such as monitoring progress, supervision, and decision-making. According to Dubrin, delegation helps the manager to delegate tasks that are low priority and not urgent, which give the manager adequate time to accomplish high priority projects that have short deadlines. The delegation also assists the manager in completing tasks at a faster pace. For example, if the manager is undertaking a project that requires research, he can delegate portions of the research topic to the employees. The employees can perform the research while he concentrates on analyzing the findings, drawing conclusions and making the decisions. Similarly, when undertaking a project, the group is able to complete the project swiftly because the manager breaks down the work and assigns it to different people ensuring that the project gets done quickly and the team can move on to another project. From this paper, it is clear that delegation ensures that the team undertakes more projects which increases productivity. During the delegation process, the manager must pair a task to the individual that can perform it best. For instance, the task to analyze media content about the company cannot be assigned to an individual that hardly has an online presence. Similarly, it would be a waste of time to ask the head of the IT department to complete that task. However, a young intern would be enthusiastic about spending their day online analyze the citing or media appearances of the company online. Matching an individual with the correct skills for the correct task increases the productivity level because everyone produces the best results for the assigned task.

PDA SIM Strategies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PDA SIM Strategies - Assignment Example Also, there should be a target of assigning the necessary resources to the segments that are being profitable. This strategy might not be immediately very profitable, as there will probably be some more inherent costs, even though some profit is expected, which will help in the company's actual financial situation. It is essential to start thinking about producing and marketing new products with the same characteristics which the actual consumers need. The products that the customers want to be on the market should be concentrated on, rather than continuing to offer the same customized products. I have learned from this simulation that in order to create demand, there has to be adequate investment in hiring of sales offices, web centers, customer service, promotions and advertising. I feel that for better profitability, there must be good relations with suppliers and customers. According to Kreitner and Kinicki, "Effective change requires reinforcing new behaviors, attitudes and organizational practices" (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2004). Also, having the right products, in the exact moment seems to require quite some time, and I think this is another important issue to be considered. When an organisation has produced the right product or services, they would want to deliver it according to other current products and happenings in the actual market, and also according to what the competition is doing. I think it is important for the company to examine what the priorities are, and to review the currently established brand service prices.Since the X7 handheld is in its growth phase, there are many potential X7 customers in the market. So, most of the customers for the X7 will be new customers. 1. How you did on this round (Better or worse What was your score). Better 2. Why do you think you did better (or worse) I was able to appreciate the nature of the pda marketing strategies better. 3. What changes in strategy will you make for the final round The performance of the X7 is holding steady, as compared with the competition, so I will increase its production and sales Works cited Kreitner, R., Kinicki, A. (2003). Organizational behavior New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved February 12, 2007 from University of PhoenixResource, MBA520 Resource optimization website http://forio.com/pdasim.htm

Historical leaders (Harold Washington Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Historical leaders (Harold Washington - Essay Example Harold Washington, who was the first black mayor Of Chicago, was one such leader. His election was one of the single most important events in the Chicago's long and illustrious history (Preston, 1983). Born on April 15, 1922, Washington ascended the throne of the Mayor in 1983, and served until his death in 1987. Harold Lee Washington grew in the Bronzeville neighbourhood of Chicago, which at that time, was a major black residential area. In 1942, when Washington was 19, he was sent to the war as an Air Force Engineer. Originally he volunteered to be a part of the combat unit, but blacks were not considered qualified for that job. He served the Air Force for three years, and it was during these years that he understood the intricacies of racial discriminations and prejudices. This treatment also helped shape Washington's views on racial injustice and democracy. In 1946, Washington joined the Roosevelt College, which proved to be the brooding ground for his political activities. Immediately after joining the college, he became intensely involved with the activities and societies in college. He chaired a fund-raising drive by students, and then was named to a committee that supported citywide efforts to outlaw restrictive covenants, which were the legal means by which minorities were prohibited from leaving their ghettos. (Levinsohn 1983). It was here that he truly developed his leadership skills. His cool and composed character was revered by his colleagues, one of them once said that he had a "remarkable ability to keep cool, reason carefully and walk a middle line". He always declared his political boundaries, and never indulged in extreme activities. He treated his opponents with mutual respect, and never insulted their ideology. With the opportunities found only at Roosevelt College in the late 1940s, Washington's time at Roosevelt prov ed to be a pivotal point in his life and the city's history. (Levinsohn 1983). Thus one can see that he resourcefully utilised every opportunity that Roosevelt offered to him. At a relatively young age, he had already equipped himself with the tricks of the political game, and this knowledge assisted him greatly in his future political career. After earning his Bachelor's degree from Roosevelt College, Washington studied law at Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. He continued his political engagements here, and was soon elected the treasurer of the Junior Bar Association, in spite of being the only black in his class. (Miller 1989). Soon after completing his professional education, Washington began working for Olympic athlete, Ralph Metclaffe in the offices of the third ward. While working under his ward boss, Washington began organising the 3rd Ward's Young Democrats Organisation on the sidelines. The Young Democrats pushed for various black centric resolutions and eventually gained popularity. Once again, Washington succeeded in walking the middle line, thus avoiding any sort of radicalism. Simultaneously, he also managed to make his and the YD's voice heard. Thus, by employing the tactics he had learned at Roosevelt, Washington continued to tread the political ladder slowly but steadily. One must also remember that these were the 1960's, when The Civil Rights Movement was at its very peak. The African

Assess the moral arguments and political actions of those who opposed Essay

Assess the moral arguments and political actions of those who opposed to the spread of slavery in the context of the mexican war and the Kansas-Nebraska act - Essay Example The Kansas-Nebraska act also pushed the country into civil war and divided the nation into two factions. The act also gave rise to a new Republican Party arguing abolishment of slavery. The arguments of Republicans against slavery were based on morality. Republicans treated everyone equally and considered freedom the most basic right. Lincoln said in his famous Lincoln-Douglas Debate â€Å"I agree with Judge Douglas he is not my equal in many respects—certainly not in color, perhaps not in moral or intellectual endowment. But in the right to eat the bread, without the leave of anybody else, which his own hand earns, he is my equal and the equal of Judge Douglas, and the equal of every living man† (Lincoln). It is important to note that those who opposed slavery were not in favor of total social equality between people of all races. However they believed that blacks were also humans and they should be treated with respect. Lincoln was actually afraid that popular sentiment would be in favor of slavery and then it would be impossible to demolish the institution of slavery from America for ever. The moral arguments of Republicans were not ideal but still they provided room for some sort of acceptance of blacks. They were saying that blacks were not equal but this does not mean that their freedom should be taken away. Social equality was not argued but practicality and humanity was made basis for abolishment of slavery. The famous poet James Russell Lowell called those people slaves who did not dare to speak for the weak (344). He was a poet who was strongly against slavery and his poems reflected his passion towards abolishment of slavery. He considered slavery immoral and devoted his poetry against it. Wilmot Proviso can be seen as an attempt to curb the spread of slavery and mitigate differences between pro and anti slavery politicians. It was presented by a Democrat David Wilmot and the

Fanon's Fact of Blackness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fanon's Fact of Blackness - Essay Example The black man has been given two frames of reference within which he has placed himself, these are: his metaphysics and his customs. The black man does not know the moment that his inferiority appears, it is part of him. The black man has an overbearing burden of being always conscious of his body. This reaction is almost automatic as noted in the text. Several laboratories have for years tried to produce a serum for â€Å"degenerification†; â€Å"with all the earnestness in the world, laboratories have sterilized their test tubes, checked their scales, and embarked on researches that might make it possible for the miserable Negro to whiten himself and thus to throw off the burden of that corporel malediction† (Fanon 111). When he passes and hears â€Å"Look, a Negro!† he is a bit disturbed but only manages a forced smile to hide his humiliation. He hears â€Å"Look, a Negro!† again; he becomes angry but does not show it. When he hears it again, he no long er can hide his indignation and all his efforts to laugh himself to tears are fruitless since he cannot do so. His anger wells up inside him more (Fanon 112). The black man can not continue laughing because he has learnt from legends, stories, history and historicity that, this is the reality. In the train, no one wants to sit near him. They sit two or three spaces away from him. When he moves towards the other person, the other moves away and â€Å"disappears.† The white man feels â€Å"nausea† when he is in the proximity of the black man. Since the black man feels responsibility for his body, race and ancestors, he subjects himself to an objective examination, this is when he discovers his â€Å"blackness† and ethnic characteristic; he is weighed down by what he discovered and among them are cannibalism, fetichism, intellectual deficiency and above all; â€Å"Sho good eatin’† (Fanon 112). Having been completely â€Å"dislocated† and unable to cope with the white man, he forces himself to move away from his own presence and turns himself into an object. Having rejected his conscience and emotions from being seered with a hot rod, he accepts his fate as it comes since he wants to be a man and nothing else. This helps him to be at peace with himself by accepting himself for who he is; â€Å"I was the grandson of slaves in exactly the same way in which president Lebrun was the grandson of tax-paying, hard-working peasants. In the main, the panic soon vanished† (Fanon 113). Everyone pretends to be friendly while pointing out the fact that they are not racist, nor do they approve of color segregation. The black man has noticed with great discomfort that they always mention his color when they say that they shall not treat him differently because of his color, or that it is not because of his color that the black man is less intelligent than the white folks! When they find fault in the black man, they always try to h ide behind the phrase â€Å"it is not because you are black.† In reality, it is the only reason. It is not surprising that the black man is utterly misunderstood because when he shivers with cold, the white boy thinks that the black man is â€Å"quivering with rage† (114). In this racist society, the black man experiences his being through others. Despite his efforts to forget and forgive the hostility of the white man, and to live in peace and harmony with the other, his â€Å"message† is flung back to him (115). He then decides to fight back with

Statistic project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Statistic project - Assignment Example If the null hypothesis is rejected, we would recommend Yoplait’s Research and Development department to start developing new flavors and products utilizing Greek yogurt. If the null hypothesis is not rejected, we would recommend Yoplait to focus instead on creating a better marketing campaign so as to create a demand for its present line up of Greek products. All data gathered in this survey are interval measures. The respondents were asked the question: What factors do you consider in purchasing Greek yogurt? They were then asked to rate three factors: variety of flavors, amount of calories in each product and the price of the product, where 1 is the least important factor and 5 is the most important factor. Based on table 1 above, we can see that the average age of respondents is 27 years old. Standard deviation is pretty high at 7.7, which meant that some of the respondents were much younger and much older than the average age. In the case of the factors considered by customers in purchasing Greek yogurt, the average rating for the variety of flavors is 4.4, amount of calories is 3.7 and price of product is at 4.0. From these rating we can already see that most respondents consider the variety of flavors the most in deciding which yogurt brand to choose. Standard deviation was 0.115475 for variety of flavor responses, 0.17266 for amount of calories responses and 0.175345 for price of product responses. 3. For the purpose of this study, we will use a single factor ANOVA because the responses of the respondents were numerical, but they were in fact categories of responses. We cannot use the t-test or z-test because we are not looking for actual increases in sales. For this study, we will use ÃŽ ±=.05, and we will test at 95% confidence level. We are also using a one-tailed test because we only want to know if adding more flavors will increase sales for Greek yogurt. One tailed tests are always directional

The Night of the Iguana Essay Example for Free

The Night of the Iguana Essay The lines stated above are the famous words from a well known composer â€Å"Jonathan Coffin†. He wrote these lines when he was at the age of 97 and was considered to the oldest living writer who was still into practice of writing. These lines more or less portray the idea of the play â€Å"The night of the Iguana†. A large amount of The Night of the Iguana is summarized in these little crumbs of poetry. At the time when Peter Judd, who represents Coffin in T. Schreiber Studios astonishing creation of this surprising and unexpected production eventually, explodes into the world with it in the center of the expressively concerning chronicles that take part in and out around his personality, an uncommon type of catharsis took origin for me. This creation, directed by Terry Schreiber, formulates a well-built argument that Iguana may possibly be the most influential and dominant of all of Tennessee Williamss show business. It is unquestionably must-see theatre. Analysis: The Night of the Iguana maintains and improves the subjects of the plays of Tennessee Williams. To be certain, it has origins in Tennessee Williams invention—which comprises poetry, small chronicles and in any case one work of fiction; but at this point it is usual to come across for those roots in the type which has made him world-famous, in the stage show. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is similarly fraction of the woods which environs The Night of the Iguana. Williams basic matter is unkindness in three variations: The unkindness of human beings, the group’s brutality to the person, the unkindness of natural world, in the animal unrefined procedures themselves, and the unkindness of God, as the individual liable for the entire cosmic-metaphysical structure of unkindness, lack of food, decomposition and bereavement. That his dramas to a somewhat high level are filled of tense, broke and supersensitive individuals is a rational consequence of the reality that Tennessee Williams possesses gathering with truth, as seen in the course of his writings, has been one large fail. And as realism looks nowadays—a humanity blanket with a fatal gab of hatred and fear, and with the alimentation from Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Hitlers bereavement site as our times most significant looks—it is barely at all overstatement to declare that this crash has excellent causes. The human being who hikes around nowadays with excellent nerves, vigorous and optimistic, experiences not only a blunted perceptive, but from what is bad: a rounded spirit. In his script, in his everlasting protection of those who believe in a different way, who have dissimilar habits of being, Tennessee Williams symbolizes an extremely high ethics, a far higher and further extended civilization, than do those who blame him of wickedness and need of confidence in sympathy. Tennessee Williamss The Night of the Iguana is the very last of the illustrious American dramatist’s most important creative, significant, and box office accomplishments. Initially presented on December 28, 1961, on Broadway in the Royale Theatre, The Night of the Iguana made Williams the winner for his fourth New York Drama Critics Award. Similar to other dramas by Williams, The Night of the Iguana spotlights on sexual interactions and unusual characters, as well as one crippled by his requirements, the Reverend Shannon. Without a doubt, in retrospect, a lot of opponents observe The Night of the Iguana as the association among stylistic times, near the beginning/center to late for Williams. They disagree that Williams discloses more of himself in this drama other than his earlier efforts. Certainly, not like a lot of of Williamss plays The Night of the Iguana concludes on an optimistic, encouraged message. Nevertheless, a number of present-day reviewers of the unique Broadway production discover the play deficient outline and lacking in originality of Williamss previous accomplishments. There has as well been a lasting argument over what the iguana, stated in the title, symbolizes. The iguana, which uses most of the script joined up on the border of the veranda, is seen as a sign for a number of objects, Containing freedom, what it signifies to be a human being, and Shannon. It can be said that The Night of the Iguana does not go anyplace. In the sincere logic, it does not require to. It is by now there, at the touching, beleaguered heart of the human being condition (Anonymous, pp. 1). Analysis of the Characters: Schreibers direction in no way demonstrates; its as usual as walking. But hes afforded with his designers to carry the Costa Verde to astounding existence, with George Allisons verdant, attractive location, whole with palm trees, operational water propeller, and even a thunderstorm, setting the sight completely; and Karen Ann Ledgers set of clothes, Andrea Boccanfusos lights, and Chris Rummels jingles all contributory powerfully to the ambience. Schreiber has conveyed into view outstanding work from all of his performers as well. Even the group of actors with the negligible roles—like Peter Aguero as one of Shannons competitor expedition guides or Alecia Medley as the inexperienced present bright, unforgettable performances. The four keys do a lot more, getting intensely into the spirits and wits and moods of their characters and allowing us appreciate what creating every one of them marks. Janet Saia is a strong, bodily Maxine, but she constantly permits us to observe the displeasure and solitude that troubles this woman. Denise Fiore provides us a beached, moderately than delicate, Hannah, a woman who has been taught how to stay alive and cultured how to take out crumbs of contentment from a less-than-ideal living circumstances; she senses at one time transient and very weary, so that the trip she narrates and the expedition she takes throughout the play both seem very persuasive (Tennessee Williams, 150). Conclusion: So you actually dont feel like to miss an exceptional opportunity to witness one of the less-frequently done Williams works of art as it was destined to be seen. Certainly, Im not sure that anyone has ever left a creation of Williams additional dignified or stimulated by the wealthy acceptance of humankind that our supreme American spectacular writer infatuated. The Night of the Iguana is considered to be the best play of Williams. The way he has given a positive message at the end of his play has made the play very effective and influential. This play in no doubt different than whatever work he has done till date. References: Williams, Tennessee. 1961. The Night of the Iguana: A Play. Published by New Directions Anonymous. 1964. The Night of the Iguana . Retrieved on 5th March ’09 from http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0058404/

Experiment for Cancer Risk Factors

Experiment for Cancer Risk Factors Curiouser and Curiouser The case-control method used to identify risk factors for cancers relies on prior knowledge about the possible link between the cancer and the risk factors. It is a powerful method as the following two cases show. Asbestos In the 1970s, a series of studies identified the risk factor for a rare form of lung cancer called mesothelioma. Case-control studies pinpointed the risk to certain professions: insulation installers, shipyard workers, etc. The statistical analysis pinpointed the risk factor to be exposure to asbestos. Subsequent tort litigation and government oversight precipitated a reduction in occupational exposures to asbestos, reducing the risk of mesothelioma. Diethylstilbestrol (DES) Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a synthetic hormone prescribed to pregnant women in the 1950s to prevent premature deliveries. In 1971, case-control studies found that women with vaginal and uterine cancer had not been exposed to estrogen directly, but their mothers had been. DES, the carcinogen, did not cause cancers to women treated with the drug, but it caused cancers to their daughter who were exposed to the drug in the womb. *** But what if the exposure responsible for the disease is unknown? A Test for Chemical Carcinogens Normally, a strain of Salmonella, a bacterial genus, cannot grow on galactose. But when exposed to certain chemicals, it could acquire a gene mutation that enables it to grow on galactose. By counting the number of growth-enabled colonies form, one can quantify the mutation rate in any experiment. In the late 1960s, Bruce Ames, a bacteriologist at Berkeley, used this technique to test thousands of chemicals on their capacity to create mutations in Salmonella, and created a catalog of mutagens chemicals that increased the mutation rate. He observed that chemicals that scored as mutagens tended to be carcinogens. Ames didnt know why mutagens could induce cancer. But he had demonstrated a practical way to find carcinogens. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) In the early 1970s, Baruch Blumberg, a biologist in Philadelphia, discovered that a human hepatitis virus can cause chronic inflammation that leads to cancer. In 1966, Blumberg discovered that individuals carrying the Au antigen (a blood antigen present in several Australian aboriginals) often suffered from chronic hepatitis. Upon further analysis, he found out that au was not a blood antigen but a viral protein floating in the blood. Blumbergs lab isolated the virus in the early 1970s, and called the virus hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV infection caused a broad spectrum of diseases, ranging from acute hepatitis, to chronic cirrhosis in the liver, and to hepatocellular cancer. HBV is a live carcinogen capable of being transmitted from one host to another. By 1979, Blumberg and his team had found a vaccine for HBV. The vaccine cannot cure the cancer, but it can reduce the incidence of HBV infection. Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori) In 1979, at the Royal Perth Hospital in Australia, Barry Marshall and Robin Warren wanted to investigate the cause of gastritis. Patients with gastritis are   predispose to peptic ulcers and stomach cancer. Warren believed that gastritis was caused by a yet unknown species of bacteria. But he was ridiculed by mainstream doctors who did not believe any bacteria could live in the stomach. To prove his point, Marshall and Warren set out to culture the bacteria using brushings from patients with ulcers. But no bacteria grew out. Over a busy Easter weekend in 1982, Marshall had forgotten to examine the culture dish for bacteria for a few days. When he remembered and went to examine them, he found bacteria colonies growing out in the dish. Warren and Marshall called it Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). To prove H. Pylori caused gastritis, they inoculated pigs with the bacteria. But the pigs did not get ulcers. In 1984, after failed attempts to infect piglets, Marshall fasted until 10 am and then drank a Petri dish containing cultured H. Pylori, expecting to develop an ulcer. Within a few days, Marshall was violently ill, and diagnosed with gastritis. H. pylori was indisputably the cause of gastritis. By the late 1980s, several epidemiological studies had linked H. pylori-induced gastritis with stomach cancer. Randomized trials run on the western coast of Japan showed that antibiotic treatment reduced gastritis and gastric ulcers, and reduced the incidence of gastric cancer. But the it would not cure the cancer once manifested. A Spiders Web If cancer truly transitioned from a precursor lesion precancer to its full-blown form slowly, and methodically, then perhaps one could intervene by attacking its precancer, thwarting the progression of the cancer at its earlier stages. There are two forms of prevention. In primary prevention, you prevent a disease by attacking its cause. For example, stop smoking for lung cancer, or a vaccine against HBV for liver cancer. In secondary prevention, you prevent a disease by screening for its early presymptomatic stage. Pap smear and mammography (discussed below) are examples of secondary preventions. The Pap Smear Secondary Prevention for Cervical Cancer George Papanicolaou, a Greek physician, arrived in New York in 1913. After a few months selling carpets, he found a research position at Cornell University studying the menstrual cycle of guinea pigs. He found that cells shed by the guinea pig cervix could foretell the stages of the menstrual cycle. By the late 1920s, Papanicolaou had extended his technique to human patients.   In 1928, he reported that uterine cancer could be diagnosed by means of a vaginal smear. But the importance of his work was not recognized. Between 1928 and 1950, Papanicolaou delved into his smears ferociously. He became known for his invention of the Papanicolaou test, commonly known as the Pap smear or Pap test. He knew normal cervix cells change in step-wise fashion in time. Might cancer cells also change in a slow stepwise way from normal to malignant? Could he identify intermediate stages of cancer? A thought occurred to him at a Christmas party in 1950. The real use of the vaginal smear was not to find cancer, but to detect its precursor. In 1952, Papanicolaou convinced the NCI to launch a clinical trial of secondary prevention using his smearing technique. In the cohort of about 150,000, 555 women had invasive cervical cancer, while 557 had preinvasive lesions. Early stage preinvasive lesions were curable by a simple surgery. The women with preinvasive lesions had no symptoms. Had they not been tested, they would never have suspected they would develop cervical cancer. The average age of diagnosis of women with preinvasive lesions was about 20 years younger than women with invasive lesions. The Pap smear would detect cervical cancers at an early stage while it is still curable 20 years before they become invasive, giving women a chance to treat it before it evolves into cancer. Mammograms Secondary Prevention for Breast Cancer In 1913, Albert Salomon, a German surgeon, performed a study on 3,000 mastectomies. He studied the X-rays of the amputated breasts after mastectomies to detect the shadowy outline of cancer. Salomon called his technique mammography. He was able to establish the difference as seen on an X-ray image between cancerous and non-cancerous tumors in the breast. But his studies were interrupted by the Nazis in the mid-1930s. He lived in a concentration camp until 1939 when escaped the camps to Amsterdam and vanished underground. Mammography, as he called his technique, languished in neglect. By mid-1960s, with radical surgery being challenged, mammography re-enter X-ray clinics, championed by radiographers such as Robert Egan. Egans mammograms could now detect tumors as small as a grain of barley. But would screening women to detect such early tumors save lives? HIP Trial In 1963, three men set out to investigate whether screening asymptomatic women using mammography would improve mortality from breast cancer. The three men were Louis Venet, a surgeon; Sam Shapiro, a statistician; and Philip Strax, an internist. They wanted a randomized, prospective trial using mortality as an end point to test mammography. The trial, launched in December 1963, was kept simple. Women enrollees in the New York Health Insurance Plan (HIP) between 40 and 64 years old were divided into two groups. One group was screened with mammography, and the other not. If a tumor was detected by mammography, the women would be treated according to the conventional treatment available at that time. In 1971, the initial findings of the trial were remarkable. 62,000 women participated; about half had been screened by mammography. There had been 31 deaths in the mammography group and 52 deaths in the control group. The percentage reduction in mortality from screening was about 40 percent. Breast Cancer Detection and Demonstration Project The positive results of the HIP trial prompted the American Cancer Society to launch a called the Breast Cancer Detection and Demonstration Project (BCDDP). The project, backed by Mary Lasker and virtually every cancer organization in America, intended to screen 250,000 women in a single year. Problems with the HIP study As the BCDDP forged ahead, people were casting doubts over the HIP study. The study had a potential flaw. They had decided to exclude women with prior breast cancer. So they dropped women who had had cancer from each group. But they may have over-corrected: more patients with prior cancer were dropped from the screened group. Critics now charged that the excess mortality in the control group was due to the fact that it was mistakenly overloaded with patients with prior breast cancer. The Canadian Trial In Canada, researchers launched their own mammography trial in 1980. But there was a flaw with the study: a woman was randomized after her medical history and examination. The allocations that emerged after the nurse interviews were no longer random. Women with abnormal breast were disproportionately assigned to the screened group. That explains why the results of the CNBSS were markedly negative: The breast cancer mortality of women in the screened group was higher than the unscreened group. Malmà ¶ Mammographic Study In 1976, 42,000 women enrolled in the Malmà ¶ Mammographic Study. Half of the cohort was screened yearly, and the two groups have been followed closely ever since. In 1988, the study reported its results. Women older than 55 had benefited from screening, with a reduction in breast cancer mortality by 20 percent. Younger women had no benefit from screening. In 2002, an analysis combining the experience over fifteen years was published in the Lancet. In aggregate, for women aged 55 to 70, mammography screening had resulted in 20 to 30 percent reductions in breast cancer mortality. But for women under 55, the benefit was negligible.

Race and Diversity Issues at The Grammys

Race and Diversity Issues at The Grammys Diversity in The Grammys: The Absence of African-American Winners Abstract The Grammys are an award show that was created by The Recording Academy, which is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other recording professionals. The awards provide a Grammy, or originally called Gramophone Award that recognizes outstanding achievement in mainly English-language music industry. The very first Grammys held its first ceremony on May 4, 1959. The annual presentation features live performances by some of the most noticeable artists, and the presenting of the awards that have even more of a popular interest. The Grammys shares recognition of the music industry alongside other performance award shows such as the Academy Awards, the Tony Awards, and the Emmy Awards. The representation of minorities in The Grammys, mainly African-Americans has stayed at a certain level of portrayal since the Award show’s debut in 1959. The Grammys have attempted to add some diversity to them by adding more minorities to their nominations lists and giving awards to artist that deserve them. The purpose of this study is to discuss whether or not the representation of minorities is being undermined by The Grammys trying to feed into the masses and upkeep their reputation. The time span of this focus is from 2014 to 2017, but I will also include background research to further support my findings. Previous winners of Grammy awards will be quoted in order to show the disconnection from what people think a Grammy is and what actual artists see them as. In 1958, rock ‘n’ roll made a big explosion onto the scene of music, alarming a group of executives along the way. The executives were conflicted as to whether to recognize â€Å"good† music or to recognize rock ‘n’ roll for its eruption into the music industry. The higher ups took it upon themselves to set a standard in the music industry. Since the very beginning, The Grammys have been at a difference with not only rock but almost every other genre of music. From R&B to street-bred music, and rap. The first ever award for rock music was not given out until 1961. Some of the best recordings have often failed to win a Grammy in the first forty years of Grammy history. Over the years, The Grammys have been criticized by many artists and music journalists because the musicians feel that the Grammys generally award or nominate more commercialized albums rather than those that are critically successful. In 1996, when American rock band Pearl Jam won a Grammy for â€Å"Best Hard Rock Performance†, the band’s lead singer Eddie Vedder went on stage to say â€Å"I don’t know what this means. I don’t think it means anything.† (Vedder, 2008). This goes to show how little some artist think of being awarded a Grammy for their accomplishments. Glen Hansard, leader of the Irish rock group The Frames, commented in 2008 that he believes the Grammys represent nothing inside of the real world of music (Hansard, 2008). Instead, it is completely industry based. Another quotable statement that can be applied to this situation comes from lead singer of metal band â€Å"Tool†, James Keenan. He says â€Å"I think the Grammys are nothing more than some gigantic promotional machine for the music industry. They cater to a low intellect and they feed the masses. They don’t honor the arts or the artist for what he created. It’s the music business celebrating itself. That’s basically what it’s all about (Maynard, 2012). Artists such as Frank Ocean, Drake and Kanye West spoke out about skipping this year’s Grammy Awards to protest their lack of diversity amongst it’s nominees. Drake was reported saying The Grammys do not fairly represent black or younger artists. From less of a statistical side, Kanye West has received 21 Grammys but has never won one while up against a white singer. American singer and songwriter Frank Ocean did not even bother to submit his albums from the following year because to him â€Å"It [The Grammys] just doesn’t seem to be representing very well for people who come from where I come from, and hold down what I hold down (Ocean, 2017). Another case of a diversity issue with The Grammys concerns the likes of Macklemore. In 2014, Macklemore swept a Grammy from Hip-Hop artist Kendrick Lamar. Rolling Stone believes the music industry went as far to recruit Kidz Bop to boost Macklemore exposure to as a plan to dethrone Hip-Hop artist of the year, Kendrick Lamar. Both â€Å"The Heist† and â€Å"Good Kid, M.A.A.D City† were nominated for Best Album of the Year in 2014. Both albums received positive reviews from critics, but Kendrick Lamar received a 91 on Metacritic whereas Macklemore only received a 74. Once again, both albums debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, with Macklemore selling seventy-eight thousand copies and Kendrick Lamar selling two hundred and forty-two thousand copies. By the RIAA’s standards â€Å"The Heist† was recognized as reaching Gold status, with over five hundred thousand copies sold on April 3, 2013. On August 21, 2013, â€Å"Good Kid, M.A.A.D City† was certified Platinum by shipping and selling one million copies in the United States. On December 9th, 2014, American rapper J. Cole released his third studio album â€Å"2014 Forest Hills Drive†. On this album, he has a song called â€Å"Fire Squad† where he talks about the popularity or mainstream music and white privilege. On the record, J. Cole says â€Å"History repeats itself and that’s just how it goesSame way that these rappers always bite each others flowsSame thing that my n**** Elvis dd=id with Rock ‘n’ RollJustin Timberlake, Eminem and thenMacklemoreWhile silly n**** argue over who gon’ snatch the crownLook around, my n****, white people have snatched the soundThis year I’ll prolly go to the awards dappered downWatch Iggy win a Grammy as I try to crack a smile† This song is his attempt to restore the balance in Hip-Hop as he talks about white privilege and white appropriation of the culture. More specifically the Macklemore-Kendrick Lamar Grammy snub and Iggy Azalea’s new found popularity. The longstanding exclusion of black talent from award shows such as the Oscars and the Grammys forces the age-old question: Why? Both of these organizations are handled on a voting system made up of a certain team of members. Knowing this information makes the average person interested in music or even the Grammys want to know who the real culprit is pulling all the strings. With ongoing backlash, the Grammys have attempted to straighten up their acts with â€Å"dramatic steps† to diversify its nominations and present a more accurate reflection of the industry itself. Earlier this year, at the 59th Grammy Awards there was an outcry concerning who should have won Album of the year. This outcry sparked the big debacle as to if The Grammys have an issue in diversity with the winners of their awards. The nominees list consisted of Adele, Beyoncà ©, Justin Bieber, Drake, and Sturgill Simpson. The winner of the award turned out to be Adele for her album â€Å"25†. This was a shock to everyone, including Adele herself. This rubbed some of the fans the wrong way considering this was the eighth year since a non-white artist took home the event’s biggest award. The very next day the new hashtag on Twitter was titled â€Å"#grammyssowhite†. At soon as this hashtag got out, storied were popping up questioning the diversity of the voters for the awards. In 2017, Adele winning over Beyoncà © was not the only Grammy snub. It was just the biggest one of the night. Barbadian singer Rihanna was nominated for eight awards off of the strength of her eighth album â€Å"ANTI†. â€Å"ANTI† at the time was certified 2x platinum by the RIAA, it peaked at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and spent 33 weeks in the top 10.   Sadly, she walked away not winning a single one out of eight nominations. Rihanna’s biggest upset was not winning the award for Best Pop Duo/group with their smash hit â€Å"Work†, which sold more than 1.7 million copies in the United States alone. She lost out to 21 Pilots for their song â€Å"Stressed Out†. Fuse wrote an article saying that they believe The Committee for The Grammys are just continuing to use black women in pop to raise their own ratings without giving them the recognitions or respect they deserve within the mainly white categories. Works Cited (n.d.). Retrieved September 08, 2017, from https://web.archive.org/web/20070123082736/http://www.nyrock.com/interviews/2002/tool_int.asp Travers, P. (2008, February 08). Grammy & The Movies. Retrieved September 08, 2017, from https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/videos/grammy-the-movies-20080208 Times, L. A. (2008, February 06). Glen Hansard, Eddie Vedder crash Grammy Awards. Retrieved September 08, 2017, from https://web.archive.org/web.20130221000127/http://theenvelope.latimes.com/columnists/contenderqa/env-en-songs6feb06%2C0%2C4879961.story History of Grammy Awards. (n.d.). Retrieved September 08, 2017, from http://www.awardsandshows.com/features/history-of-grammy-awards-247.html Llopis, G. (2017, February 21). 3 Uncomfortable Truths From The Grammys About Diversity And Inclusion. Retrieved September 08, 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2017/02/21/3-uncomfortable-truths-from-the-grammys-about-diversity-and-inclusion/#1cba45f939c7 Geslani, M., Kaye, B., Colburn, R., Fu, E., Farley, D., Young, A., . . . Weiss, D. (2017, January 30). Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Drake to protest Grammy Awards over lack of diversity. Retrieved September 09, 2017, from https://consequenceofsound.net/2017/01/kanye-west-frank-ocean-drake-to-protest-grammy-awards-over-lack-of-diversity/ Cepeda, R. (2015, February 05). Do the Grammys Have a Race Problem? Retrieved September 10, 2017, from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/do-the-grammys-have-a-race-problem-20150205 GRAMMYs 2017: Rihanna & ‘ANTI’ Suffered the Biggest Snubs of the Night. (2017, February 13.). Retrieved September 10, 2017, from http://www.fuse.tv/2017/02/rihanna -anti-grammys-2017-snubs