Holiday Inn Strategic Management

Holiday Inn Strategic Management Management can be generally defined as a art and science of getting the things done from others. The previous definition explains that a manager plans and guides a particular work which is done by other people. In this assignment I will be discussing about different strategic management process. Strategic management process is one of the very important management process which are been used by different organisations. Strategy :- Strategy are the resources used by the managers to achieve long term objectives. In simple term, strategies are the ideas which are been used by the management. Strategic management : Strategic management is a conduct of drafting, implementing and evaluating cross functional decisions in enabling to achieve its long term objectives. There are different types of process involved in strategic management :- Marketing is accepted globally as a life blood of any organisation. In this analysis I felt that strategic management is at the same level as marketing which decides the future and prosperity of an organisation. Practicing the management of strategies is very crucial in the competitive world. Successful managers will have to know their business market situation and position and to implement the strategies when required. I kept these objectives in mind and invented some management qualities in myself while doing a research on this topic. I feel that I need more knowledge of the management practices. So in my research on strategic management I had a good understanding of strategic management and practices. Basically the concept of strategic management closely resembles elements of foresights; this means planning a head is a major element in the business. Strategic management is considered as a life blood of any organisation. This assignment on strategic management covers the change and development in the organisation. I have also understood that having a clear idea of strategic management is crucial in todays competitive business world. Companys now a days seek ways to achieve a competitive advantage with other players in the industry that they operate. The environment in which a company operates can provide circumstances where the outcomes may be positive or negative. Many organisational studies have presented numerous theories that help companies in taking new ways in dealing with their operations. Strategic management is one of those important management theories and process that has been employed constantly by any business to address their management and decision making needs. I have chosen Holiday Inn as an example to illustrate the adaptation of strategic management and its process. In this assignment I have written about how holiday inn hotels analyse and critically evaluate the organisation practice to solve the problem connected with implementing their strategies. Main body :- Now I will be giving a short history on Holiday Inn hotel. Kemmons Wilson initially came up with the idea after a family road trip to Washington, D.C., during which he was disappointed by the quality and consistency provided by the roadside motels of that era. The name Holiday Inn was given to the original hotel by his architect Eddie Bluestein as a joke, in reference to the Bing Crosby movie. In 1957, Wilson franchised the chain as Holiday Inn of America and it grew dramatically, following Wilsons original tenet that the properties should be standardized, clean, predictable, family-friendly and readily accessible to road travellers. By 1958, there were 50 locations across the country, 100 by 1959, 500 by 1964, and the 1000th Holiday Inn opened in San Antonio, Texas, in 1968. The chain dominated the motel market, leveraged its innovative Holidex reservation system, put considerable financial pressure on traditional hotels and set the standard for its competitors, like Ramada Inns, Quality Inn, Howard Johnsons, and Best Western. By June 1972, when Wilson was featured on the cover of Time magazine, there were over 1,400 Holiday Inn hotels worldwide. Innovations like the companys Holidome indoor pools turned many hotels into roadside resorts. The company later branched into other related enterprises, including Medi-Center nursing homes, Continental Trailways, Delta Queen and various related enterprises. Wilson also later developed the Orange Lake Resort and Country Club near Orlando and a chain called Wilson World Hotels. The family of founder Kemmons Wilson still operates hotels as part of the Kemmons Wilson Companies of Memphis. Wilson retired from Holiday Inn in 1979. Although still a healthy company, changing business conditions and demographics saw Holiday Inn lose its market dominance in the 1980s. Holiday Inns, Inc. was renamed Holiday Corporation in 1985 to reflect the growth of the companys brands, including Harrahs Entertainment, Embassy Suites Hotels, Crowne Plaza, Homewood Suites by Hilton and Hampton Inn. In 1988, Holiday Corporation was purchased by UK-based Bass PLC (the owners of the Bass beer brand), followed by the remaining domestic Holiday Inn hotels in 1990, when founder Wilson sold his interest, after which the hotel group was known as Holiday Inn Worldwide. The remainder of Holiday Corporation (including the Embassy Suites Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton and Hampton Inn brands) was spun off to shareholders as Promus Companies Incorporated. In 1991, Bass launched Holiday Inn Express, a complementary brand in the limited service segment. In 1994, Bass launched Crowne Plaza, a move into the upscale hotel market. In 1997, Bass cr eated and launched a new hotel brand, Staybridge Suites by Holiday Inn, entering the North American upscale extended stay market. In March 1998, Bass acquired the InterContinental brand, expanding into the luxury hotel market. In 2000, Bass sold its brewing assets (and the rights to the Bass name) and changed its name to Six Continents PLC. InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) was created in 2003 after Six Continents split into two daughter companies: Mitchells Butlers PLC to handle restaurant assets, and IHG to focus on soft drinks and hotels, including the Holiday Inn brand. Business relationship with Gulf Oil In 1963, Holiday Inn signed a long-term deal with Gulf Oil Corporation in which the lodging chain would accept Gulf credit cards to charge food and lodging at all of its hotels (in the United States and Canada). In return, Gulf would build service stations on the premises of many Holiday Inn properties, particularly those along or near major U.S. and Interstate highways. Many older Holiday Inns locations (including some no longer part of the chain) still have the service station properties intact today, either still in operation or closed down. With the exception of a few locations in the eastern U.S., hardly any of the still-open stations are now Gulf outlets. The portion of the agreement which permitted Gulf credit cards to be used for payment of food and lodging at Holiday Inns was copied by competing lodging chains and major oil companies during the mid-to-late 1960s. Most of those agreements fizzled out with the 1973 oil crisis. The Gulf/Holiday Inn arrangement ended around 1982 . The brand name Holiday Inn is now owned by IHG, which in turn licenses the name to franchisees and third parties who operate hotels under management agreements. In January 2002, The Wall Street Journal reported that the company, led by Ravi Saligram, was producing a new 130-room Next Generation prototype hotel to rebuild the brand. It would include a bistro-like restaurant and an indoor pool. The first of these prototype hotels, the Holiday Inn Gwinnett Center, was built in Duluth, Georgia, in 2003. On 24 October 2007, IHG announced a worldwide relaunch of the Holiday Inn brand. The relaunch is focused on delivering consistently best in class service and physical quality levels, including a redesigned welcome experience and signature bedding and bathroom products The first relaunched Holiday Inn is expected to open in the USA in the spring of 2008. The whole relaunch process is planned to be complete by the end of 2010. In September 2008, IHG announced the creation of a new timeshare brand, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, a strategic alliance with The Family of Orange Lake Resorts. As told before strategic management is a set of activities undertaken in the order of time. One of the first tasks in strategic management is environmental analysis. Environmental analysis is the study of an organisations environment to pin point the environmental factors that can significantly influence the organisational operations. It provides a frame work for understanding an organisations environment with the aim of helping to find the key issues and different ways of coping up with the complexity and change. A business organisation operates in an external and internal environment. The factors which influencing the external environment is known as PESTEL. PESTEL stands for political factors, economical factors, social factors, technological factors, ecological factors and legal factors. Analysis:- The political, economical and social context stood as a big challenge for the organisation of Holiday Inn when they entered the market. the holiday inn operations are highly influenced by the policies set by the government in which ever territory or country they operate. Most of the Holiday Inn are controlled by regulations of operations and policies of individual properties. The Holiday Inn group will also focus on concerns such as health and safety employment, laws , worker protection and environment. From my studies I think all these elements are seen in the control of government that authorises licensing of hotels in different states. Being in a business environment they have to abide by the employment procedures and tax obligations where they operate. As the company is widely expanded and well developed they must co-operate with the practices set by political body. After my research I think this company should get full co-operation from the political power to succeed in local an d international market. as many private enterprise when holiday inn was opened the management had very informal sense of direction setting up a few long time goals without implementing proper strategy. How ever by implementing a new scenario in their strategy with set an international competitive advantage in hotel industry as tourist increased every where and the hotel accommodation was in demand after this the management of Holiday Inn realised the need and development of planning strategies. The management achieved a competitive advantage position and enhanced the holiday inn groups performance in relation to its competitor. Company have taken a very good advantage of this point and served this market segment all the time. They have given market what they want according to the expectations. I think by going through company history the Holiday Inn is spread all over the world. This vast expansion is because of its good economical stability. The company has its own concerns involving economic factors. The branches and franchise like Holiday Inn has the tendencies to experience the hard ships in instances where the economy of the respective countries is hit by inflation and changes in exchange rates. Because of the disposable income of the citizens in developed countries the holiday inn group gave prior importance in marketing their business because of the economic stability of these countries. Holiday Inn is a world wide chain and its international functional strategies will always yield profitable returns. The potential customers are from all over the world. It is been noted that the holiday inn company has given the market such as Europe, Asia, America with regards to their social-cultural needs. Holiday Inn, like all other hotels has established a good system in determining the needs of the market. The company uses the concept of product, personality, behaviour of the customer and purchasing to its advantage. Now I am going to talk about the technical factors influencing the company. This is because of the technical advancement due to which the company could reach in a very short span to many people about their various products and service information. Customers can contact Holiday Inn by many means such as emails, telephone, travel agents, website etc. holiday inn is providing their guests with all modern amenities and facilities to their rooms to provide the best accommodation experience. Their hotels all over are fully equipped with modern amenities and technical advancement. The above mentioned study helped me a lot to determine how much the elements of PESTEL were helpful and positive for the development of the company After the analysis of PESTEL and depending upon that outcome I have also carried out SWOT analysis of the company Holiday Inn which gives me exact position of the company in the market. SWOT stands for strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. These are the factors influencing the internal environment. SWOT analysis is extremely useful for understanding and decision making for all source of situation in business and organisation. It also provides a frame work for reviewing strategy position and direction of the company. I think it is therefore important to evaluate the environment opportunities in relation to the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation resources. Strengths: as mentioned in the history of the company it clearly states that the Holiday Inn Corporation is a well established organisation and industry leader in hospitality. Holiday Inn is well diversified hotels in the high end, business and mid priced classes in their product mix. Holiday Inn also poses a solid integration features such as owning the companies that manufacture its furniture and has invested in online reservation travel enterprises. It also has easy access to all its customers to get information and also has a excellent reservation system. Weaknesses: according to my research Holiday Inn may be narrowly focused making it susceptible to the down turn in the global economy and other world wide catastrophes that could limit global travel. Holiday inn hotels may also be venerable to employees strikes and crack down on undocumented workers. I think the aggressive expansion policies may put the company in trouble during the global down turn. Some of the branches or franchises do not follow the holiday inn set standards, recruitment process efficient accounting systems. Opportunities:- Holiday Inn corporation is a global pioneer in hospitality industry. Their position is strong financially and they are widely expanding all over the world. They offer an array of distinctive and specialised services to their guests. They also have an opportunity to expand or acquire a cruise line company. The holiday inn corporation should take advantage of emerging markets especially with business clients and mid priced markets. The holiday inn corporation has a strong affiliation with REIT (real estate investment trust) or similar organisation that provides a strong back up for hotels. It has a strong skilled work force all over. Threats: Like all other business, the major threat for holiday inn will be an emergence of a new competitor. The competitors will be more active in promoting the concept of global brand name. Holiday Inn has its own resources to sustain their global brand name. In general the hotel industry faces a threat from internet reservation channels which represents a growing share of hotel room booking. To overcome these threats Holiday Inn has its own centralised reservations system. Looking at strategic direction of the company the mission statement says GREAT HOTELS GUEST LOVE shows that holiday inn makes all efforts to exceed their customer expectation. This statement covers all aspects on hospitality firm in a brief manner. The vision statement and the values of the company states that year after year holiday inn (IHG) and the management will be regarded as the best and most sought hospitality group. From my personal experience while working with holiday inn group I can say that they are following their vision and mission statements. By observing their strategic formulation they have adopted cost leadership strategies. They are one of the lowest cost providers for their product. This makes many customers to become potential and loyal. They have targeted very broad market from high and society to middle and the lower one. While offering this wide variety of offers to the customers they have developed and achieved best value strategy. During my analysis on holiday inn I discovered the difficulties faced by them or in other words we can say their weakness. They faced great difficulties while entering the Asian markets. The reason behind this was they were not familiar with Asian market. To overcome this problem they had to take a strong action plan by signing a joint partnership with Asian hotel firms. This provided them a base to learn about the Asian environment and their establishment. Holiday Inns vision for the future was a property that delivers new levels of customer convenience by extending hotel systems for guest and employee access using the hotels wireless infrastructure. RECOMMENDATIONS :- From my analysis since holiday inn is expanding it is wise to deal with proper authorities in the respective markets where they intend to operate. The company has to accomplish and satisfy all the prerequisites for doing business. The company should also carry out a well conducted market research before penetrating the new segments of market. the company should always obtain relevant information from the target market in addition to the individual customers of organisation. A comprehensive market research is a must before granting a franchise. I think similar research should be made in areas like consumer behaviour and purchasing patterns of the market. Holiday Inn Corporation has to re-evaluate its internal environmental factors like Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and threats to overcome with a strategic direction adjusting its mission and vision and at the same time maintaining its values. These are the few strategies that holiday inn must adopt to attract more diversified clie ntele. Therefore in order to survive and maintain the brand name holiday inn corporation should be consistent with their excellent service being always innovative. They should also create the role of middle managers and let them to be more innovative. I think the biggest challenge for Holiday Inn is expansion and franchises. The main features of Holiday Inn Corporation should be put as a standard one for the franchisers to follow. Will the franchisers really set the standards followed by Holiday Inn Corporation? What are the efforts that are to be put for the franchisers to follow the standards set by Holiday Inn Corporation? Holiday Inn is also using its technology to its advantage. The interactivity and the real time effects of communication is a good way to find suppliers. CONCLUSION :- Successful strategies always demand a company to choose the market in which their unique capabilities will gain competitive advantage. However the adoptive and incremental context of strategic management means that the company starting point leads the firm to a stable position. Corporate strategies of Holiday Inn have been able to use strategic management to stay in the competition in the global market. I believe that the strategies as well as the leadership styles used by the management of Holiday inn have been the major cause of their competitive position in the hotel market. Though Holiday Inn is considered as a leader in hospitality sector there is a need of flexibility. Slight changes in the market can effect their operations of the business. They should not rely on their past success but instead they should innovative and ready for any future uncertainties. Holiday Inn Corporation focuses on services rather than accommodation itself. I truly agree that the true asset of the organisation is the staff. The staff are the one who represent Holiday Inn hotels through their excellent services. So there is a need to make sure that the staff is always happy with the behavioural integrity of work place. The corporate strategy of Holiday Inn has been able to guide the company from challengers and opportunities that appears in the market environment in order to sustain the competitive advantage. Therefore I think the leaders of the company should continue their style to motivate their employees and become a major asset for the success of the company.

Inadequate Social Change of Booker T. Washington Essay -- African Amer

There has been much debate over Booker T. Washington and the effectiveness of his work at Tuskegee Institute. Some believe that he was a pioneer for black education in a time when few had the opportunity. Others believe that his conformity to the white ideal of what a black man should be hindered his ability to create real social change for his race. In his autobiography, Up From Slavery, Washington maps out his life from its humble beginnings as a slave up through the success of his school, Tuskegee Institute. He is quick to drop names of the important white businessmen and prominent citizens to ensure their support for his school. However, he is also quick to push his students to be productive members of their society. Through closer examination, can Washington's true views shine through? Did he win victories for his race through playing by the rules of white society or did he give in to their demands in pursuit of his own glory and "savior" status? Perhaps no one will ever know what was truly in his heart, but his public actions did not incite severe, complete, lasting social revelations for his African American brothers. In his Tuskegee school, he promoted the value of labor and hard work. The students built every building on the campus and took pride in their labor. They learned to read and write and many other industrial skills while working around the campus. Washington stated in his autobiography, My plan was to have them, while performing this service, taught the latest and best methods of labor, so that the school would not only get the benefit of their efforts, but the students themselves would be taught to see not only utility of labor, but beauty and dignity (Washington 103). Washington restricted t... ...ar that his intentions might have been good but his execution came out weak as he allowed himself to get consumed with desires for power and recognition. In the end, he became known in history as an "Uncle Tom" figure and unable to create any lasting change. But perhaps, his failure was essential to the development of the 1960's Civil Rights Movement. Leaders of that time saw his weaknesses and this time they would not make the same mistakes. They learned through Booker T. Washington's experience that playing by the white man's rules and moving up the ladder of their system would not give them the freedom they sought. Washington provided the experience needed to allow leaders that followed him to be successful in their fight for freedom. Works Cited Washington, Booker. Up From Slavery: The Autobiography Of Booker T. Washington: Aun Autobiography. Citadel, 2001.

Sexual Healthcare on Campus :: Medicine Medical College Essays

Sexual Healthcare on Campus missing works cited Forking over $40 for a consultation plus another $20 for the Plan B pill at Planned Parenthood was a small price to pay for the peace of mind it afforded her once the whole ordeal was behind her. â€Å"After a night of bad decision making, I knew it was time to make some good ones,† Lisa said. â€Å"I knew I had to get tested for STD’s and HIV, and I also wanted to take emergency contraception, just in case. I knew it would make me feel better and as they say ‘better safe than sorry.’† After the trek to the closest Planned Parenthood facility for the emergency contraception pill, Lisa, an undergrad at Northeastern University, then made her way cross town to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) for the walk-in hours of the Sexually Transmitted Disease Unit. This is the free infectious diseases clinic MGH offers to the public. There, she was able to get tested for all STDs plus HIV for free. Had she chosen to get tested at Planned Parenthood, she would have to pay about $20 for each test. What Lisa did not know was that she could have gotten all of these services for free from the health center at her university. Most college students know they are among the highest sexually active age group in the nation. What they may not know is that this age range (18-24) also has the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. They also, like Lisa, may not know exactly where to go for sexual health care. Universities, colleges and clinics around Boston have a wide, yet differing range of sexual health care options available to students. â€Å"There is so much misinformation, it just boggles the mind,† said Pamela Harris, public relations spokesperson for Northeastern University’s Lane Health Center. â€Å"It is so important that students know what is available to them.† Planned Parenthood, located at 1055 Commonwealth Ave., near the Boston University campus, is perhaps the biggest sexual health care provider in the area. However, their services do not come cheap and for college students on a budget, other options need to be explored. Many students must rely on their college’s health center for sexual health care services, and depending on which university you attend, health center services vary. â€Å"I would imagine that my school, one of the most expensive in the country, would provide everything I needed, from sexually transmitted disease testing to abortive pills in case of pregnancy,† said Alexis Eskenazi, communications major at Boston University.

Cival Rights Act 1964 :: essays research papers fc

When the Government Stood Up For Civil Rights "All my life I've been sick and tired, and now I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. No one can honestly say Negroes are satisfied. We've only been patient, but how much more patience can we have?" Mrs. Hamer said these words in 1964, a month and a day before the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964 would be signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. She speaks for the mood of a race, a race that for centuries has built the nation of America, literally, with blood, sweat, and passive acceptance. She speaks for black Americans who have been second class citizens in their own home too long. She speaks for the race that would be patient no longer that would be accepting no more. Mrs. Hamer speaks for the African Americans who stood up in the 1950's and refused to sit down. They were the people who led the greatest movement in modern American history - the civil rights movement. It was a movement that would be more than a fragment of history, it was a movement that would become a measure of our lives (Shipler 12). When Martin Luther King Jr. stirred up the conscience of a nation, he gave voice to a long lain dormant morality in America, a voice that the government could no longer ignore. The government finally answered on July 2nd with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is historically significant because it stands as a defining piece of civil rights legislation, being the first time the national government had declared equality for blacks. The civil rights movement was a campaign led by a number of organizations, supported by many individuals, to end discrimination and achieve equality for American Blacks (Mooney 776). The forefront of the struggle came during the 1950's and the 1960's when the feeling of oppression intensified and efforts increased to gain access to public accommodations, increased voting rights, and better educational opportunities (Mooney). Civil rights in America began with the adoption of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the Constitution, which ended slavery and freed blacks in theory. The Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1875 were passed, guaranteeing the rights of blacks in the courts and access to public accommodation. These were, however, declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, who decided that the fourteenth did not protect blacks from violation of civil rights, by individuals.

Free Speech in Schools Essay

The right to publish material on one’s My Space internet page is a constitutional right contained in the Bill of Rights. The right to free speech is contained within the first Amendment to the US Constitution one of the main Amendments contained in the Bill of Rights. The first Amendment provides as follows: ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Freedom of speech is married to freedom of expression and recognizes the right to publicly express one’s thoughts, ideas and opinions without fear of censorship and/or punishment. The right to free speech however is not all encompassing and does have its restrictions such as obscenity and defamation within the public broadcast arena. An early test for restrictions on free speech was formulated in the case of Schenck v. United States. Although the circumstances of the right to freedom of speech arose during World War 1, the formulated test is applicable in an appropriate case. In the Schenck case, the appellant mailed flyers out to draftees urging that they ‘do not submit to intimidation’. The missive was taken to mean a direct attempt by Schenck to discourage and obstruct recruitment. Sir Oliver Wendall Holmes, in delivering the unanimous decision of the US Supreme Court held that ‘the question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent. It is against this background that freedom of speech in relation to restrictions on a student’s display of drug or gang related material on his or her My Space website. Generally, a restriction of a student’s right to publish material such as the school’s policy against publishing drug or gang related material on his or her My Space website is a violation of their First Amendment free speech rights. However, as will be discussed, private schools have no legal obligation to comply with the First Amendment and are at liberty to implement policies such as the ‘no drug, no gang related’ online publications by the student body. Challenging Free Speech Restrictions/Plan Ordinarily, a challenge to an infringement of constitutional rights can be pursued through the Federal Court system which has jurisdiction over all matters relating to the constitution. For reasons that will be discussed later, this might not be the appropriate avenue to pursue in respect of private schools since they do not come under the Federal Government and are not bound as the Government is in respect of preserving the integrity of the US Constitution. Students wishing to challenge the school’s ‘no drugs, no gang’ publications may pursue a number of alternative courses of action. They can secure the assistance of the media and various Civil Rights groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union. The general idea is to promote the contention that a school as a place for learning and maturity has a duty to teach students to respect the provisions of the US Constitution and any policy within a school system that contravenes a student’s constitutional rights contradicts the school’s duty. However, this can be countered by the school arguing that it has a right to promote a certain image of its moral code and that a student’s publication of what amounts to base principles is inconsistent with the school’s image Certainly students can make a case challenging the school’s hard stance against online publications containing drug and gang-related material. However, whether or not they will be successful is another matter entirely. It is therefore important to examine what constitutes infringement of freedom of speech with a view to identifying which school policies and practices constitute a violation of the First Amendment before pursuing media attention. At the end of the day, a private school has a right to set policies and principles for its students and can enforce them. The question of fairness within the private school system is not a matter for the courts as will be borne out in the following passages. Freedom of Speech in High Schools Whether or not the proposed restrictions on My Space websites constitutes a violation of the student’s right to free speech has already been indirectly determined by the Federal Courts. The US Federal Court system has decided on issues of freedom of speech within the public school system. There have been three cases of significance to the first amendment and its application to public schools. They are Tinker v Des Moines Independent Community School District, Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser, and Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier. In Tinker v Des Moines Independent Community School District 393 U. S. 503, 89 S. Ct. 733 (1969) determined the issue of freedom of expression which is closely tied in with the principle of free speech. In this case, students in an expression of disenchantment with the Vietnamese war wore certain armbands to school. When they were asked to remove the armbands and refused to do so they were suspended. They were not permitted to return to school unless and until they removed their armbands. The students refused to subscribe to the demands and as a result were suspended for an indefinite period. In an action brought by some of the students involved, the court of first instance ruled in favor of the school’s authorities. On appeal to the Eight Circuit Court of Appeal the lower court’s ruling was affirmed. The students appealed to the US Supreme Court which held that ‘it can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate. ’ Moreover, the US Supreme Court added that ‘In our system, state-operated chools may not be enclaves of totalitarianism. School officials do not possess absolute authority over their students. Students in school as well as out of school are . persons under our Constitution. They possess fundamental rights which the State must respect, just as they themselves must respect their obligations to the State’. Be that as it may, the US Supreme Court set boundaries which have subsequently been upheld. The US Supreme Court set forth guidelines pertaining to a student’s right to freedom of speech in the following terms:- ‘If he does so without . aterially and substantially interfer[ing] with the requirements of appropriate discipline in the operation of the school and without colliding with the rights of others. . . . [C]onduct by the student, in class or out of it, which for any reason–whether it stems from time, place, or type of behavior– materially disrupts classwork or involves substantial disorder or invasion of the rights of others is, of course, not immunized by the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech. ’ The US Supreme Court therefore held that the conduct of the students involved was proper in all the circumstances. The court would only recognize and indorse restrictions on freedom of speech when the conduct was ‘potentially disruptive†¦ by those participating in it. ’ In Bethel v. Fraser however, the US Supreme Court held that rules and regulations prohibiting the use of obscene language would not prohibit a student’s First Amendment right to free speech. The US Supreme Court ruled that ‘the schools, as instruments of the state, may determine that the essential lessons of civil, mature conduct cannot be conveyed in a school that tolerates lewd, indecent, or offensive speech and conduct such as that indulged in by this confused boy . . . A high school assembly or classroom is no place for a sexually explicit monologue directed towards an unsuspecting audience of teenage students. Accordingly, it was perfectly appropriate for the school to disassociate itself to make the point to the pupils that vulgar speech and lewd conduct is wholly inconsistent with the fundamental values of public school education. ’ In Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier 484 U. S. 260, 108 S. Ct. 62 (1988) the US Supreme Court ruled that a school was at liberty to edit the content of a student’s speech appearing in a school sponsored publication, to wit; a newspaper. In distinguishing this case from the Tinker decision, the US Supreme Court explained that the Tinker case was decided on the propriety of muting a student in his freedom of expression so to speak. Whereas, in the Hazelwood case, the Court was dealing with a school-sponsored newspaper which presupposes that it is published with the school’s approval. The court explained its position as follows:- ‘[T]he standard articulated in Tinker for determining when a school may punish student expression need not also be the standard for determining when a school may refuse to lend its name and resources to the dissemination of student expression. Instead, we hold that educators do not offend the First Amendment by exercising editorial control over the style and content of student speech in school-sponsored expressive activities so long as their actions are reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns. In making a decision in Poling v. Murphy 872 F. 2d 757 (6th Cir. 1989) the 6th Circuit Court of Appeal reconciled the rationale behind the three US Supreme Court decisions cited above. In this case, Poling, a student at Unicoi County High School in Tennessee delivered a campaign speech in support of his attempt to be elected president of the school’s student council. The speech was given at the school’s assembly at which student attendance was mandatory unless an excused absence was previously obtained. Prior to delivering the speech, Poling was required to submit the speech to faculty members for approval. The faculty members reviewing the speech said that they would approve the speech provided Poling removed a sentence which referred to the school’s ‘iron grip. ’ Poling did not do as advised and in fact he revised the sentence in question in such a way that he added to it making comments in reference to an assistant principal that was described by the principal as ‘inappropriate, disruptive of school discipline, and in bad taste. As a result the school removed Poling from the electorate slate of candidates and he took the matter to court. The court at first instance ruled in favor of the school district and Poling appealed to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeal. The appellate court in referring to ruling in Tinker’s case said that ‘tt is true, to be sure, that students do not . shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate,. and . [s]chool officials do not possess absolute authority over their students.. . . It also remains true, however, that the Federal Constitution does not compel . teachers, parents, and elected school officials to surrender control of the American public school system to public school students.. . . . Limitations on speech that would be unconstitutional outside the schoolhouse are not necessarily unconstitutional within it. ’ The 6th Circuit Appeals Court went on to state that had Poling been permitted to make his speech in the manner that he would have liked to it would have given rise to ‘legitimate pedagogical concerns. ecause . [t]he art of stating one’s views without indulging in personalities and without unnecessarily hurting the feelings of others surely has a legitimate place in any high school curriculum. . . ’ The general position here is that although the First Amendment is directly applicable in the public school system, the Federal Court System does permit public schools to restrict free speech among the student body when free speech threatens to undermine disciplinary and educational principles. Therefore private to whom the First Amendment do not apply will have even more leeway in restricting a student’s online publications. A Student’s First Amendment Right to Free Speech and Online Publications Generally speaking a student’s off campus conduct is not a matter for school officials provided it does not fail the Tinker ‘material disruption’ test. The publication must also be able to stand up to the Hazelwood test which will permit censorship if the material appears on a school sponsored website. However, in a private boarding school, students are rarely ‘off campus’ and drawing the line can be difficult. As long as the student is in the care of the school he is subject to the school’s regulations. In American Public School Law by Alexander and Alexander reference is made to the case of Beussink v. Woodland R-IV School district. In this case, Beussink, a student published a personal webpage on his own computer where he referred to the school’s authorities in vulgar terms. The webpage was somehow brought to the attention of the school’s authorities and Beussink was subsequently suspended. He challenged his suspension via the US District Court. It was held that the suspension was unconstitutional and contravened the student’s right to free speech. The presiding judge went on to say that the high school’s authorities failed to demonstrate that the suspension ‘was caused by something more than a mere desire to avoid the discomfort and unpleasantness that always accompany an unpopular viewpoint. ’ It has been held that off-campus communications via the internet that constituted a true threat can be disciplined by the school district. However, in order for the ‘true threat’ to come under the school’s jurisdiction it must have a nexus with the school itself. When an off campus communication does not contain a threat but nevertheless has a nexus with the school, whether or not the school can restrict that communication will have to examined in the context of the Tinker decision namely the communication will have to be ‘materially and substantially interferes with the requirements of appropriate discipline in the operation of the school. ’

Reflection Paper on Anthem (by Ayn Rand)

University of the Philippines Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Pampanga Reflection Paper Anthem by: Ayn Rand Jemima Micah T. Sadsad 2012-20252 BS Business Management Submitted to: Sir Aoux Santos It’s a sin to not write this. For finishing this will allow me to acquire one fourth of my grade on the most-anticipated subject—A subject that is hard, yet easy; A subject able to be both loved and despised; A subject whose aim is to know thy self, yet, when thoroughly studied, you would end up losing what you think is yours.This subject I am babbling about is not just a subject; It is the subject: Philosophy. ~ Well, at first look, this is how I comprehended the novella â€Å"Anthem†. Simple message relayed through tough words, when really that’s not the point of it. Anthem is about a boy who was born with the curse of knowing things more superior than most of his society—a society that does not accept progress unle ss approved by everyone. This boy then meets a girl with qualities like her, and later falls in love with her. Even though their society forbids a love like theirs, they didn’t mind and kept it a secret.He tried to help their society through his discoveries, though ended up escaping it, and trying to create a new one of his own. It has a typical story line with a dystopian theme. Aside from that there’s nothing really more from it. Or is there? *** *** Having read the book again (while trying hard to read between the lines; picking up every lesson I could make use of), I have reflected on a few new things which I did not find during my first read. I have reflected on individuals present in the story and how they relate to me, the society howed in â€Å"Anthem† and how it could be reflected to my country, and my general motion and conclusion on what the story is all about. One very prominent element that I could reflect on are the main characters in the story. Th e main characters present in the story are Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000. Equality 7-2521 (also known as â€Å"The Unconquered† or â€Å"Prometheus†) – The main character is a brave, curious, strong, and intelligent street sweeper who thinks of himself as cursed. He knows that he is cursed, yet knows not how to resist it. He believes in individualism and rejects the collectivist society around him.Learning was too easy for him because of his quick head. He asks too many questions that his teachers forbade him from asking. â€Å"He only wishes to know. Equality 7-2521 represents the superiority of a singular intellect to the homogeneity of the masses, who cannot think for themselves—the society of shapeless people who are indistinguishable from one another. At first read, I thought to myself, he (Equality) is too self-centered, thinking that he is far superior than his society, and that his only flaw is the society’s disapproval of him.Also, I don’t like how he came up with his conclusion of his ego being the center of his universe (though, I’m not saying that the conclusion is wrong). It’s just so unthinkable how without knowing what the word â€Å"I† really means, he suddenly knows what it is and how to use it. On the other hand, I like how his curiosity always gets the better of him. I like how he is eager to know and discover things even though he knows that it is forbidden to do so. I love how Equality 7-2521 takes risks to justify his thirst of knowing more.These character traits of Equality 702521 made me reflect more on the adventures of learning, rather than the concept of individualism. I like how his quest full of myriad mischief turned out to be an amazing discovery of the light bulb (which for me symbolizes progress and/or change). I love how he soon realizes that his learning is not really for the society, but rather for him and him alone. One thing I also admire about Equality 7 -2521 is his love for Liberty 5-3000, that even though it is forbidden, they still chose to continue their love. Selfish indeed, but selfishness is not always a bad thing.Another main character on the book that I have reflected on is Liberty 5-3000 (also known as â€Å"The Golden One† or â€Å"Gaea†) – This character is a peasant that has eyes with no signs of fear in it, whom Equality 7-25521 falls in love with. She is Beautiful, proud, and strong like Equality 7-2521. She loves Equality 7-2521 because he is different from everyone around him. And Equality 7-2521 loves her back for the same reason. For me, Liberty 5-3000 is a little bit too submissive. Her mix of independent pride and devoted submission to Equality 7-2521 seems contradictory.Prometheus’ universe may have his own ego as its center, but for Liberty 5-3000? I don’t think so. Liberty 5-3000’s character is a perfect counter-example of Ayn Rand’s main thought of: â€Å"I is my god†. Gaea is more of a: â€Å"Equality 7-2521 is my god†. (Liberty 5300 to Equality 7-2521: â€Å"Your will be done†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Although I hate how she submits herself too much to Equality 7-2521, I like her for standing out of the crowd. I like how fierce she can be trying to put what she loves first before what others dictate her to. I also like her show of courage by following the one she loves even though it might place her in great danger.However, I think the author somehow just took a shot of presenting a true epitome of a perfect woman with great courage and confidence, but only with the weakness of her beloved. Unfortunately, Ayn Rand failed trying, for instead she just created a weak and submissive leading lady. Gaea apparently became just an object of Prometheus’ with no say on things at all. These two main characters made me reflect on how not all people are alike (which was the point of the whole story: Individualism). Not everyone is as s trong or as smart as Prometheus. Neither are they all of beauty and devotion as Liberty 5-3000.The story also made me reflect on the concept of solitude, and how not all people find happiness in solitude. In fact, even in the story itself, Equality 7-2521 is not alone, for he finds happiness in the presence of Liberty 5-3000. Absolute solitude is inconceivable. Different people have different purposes. They might find their purposes with others, or they might find their purposes of for themselves alone. And even if they find their purposes for themselves, still, it will influence their society, because one cannot live without another. No man is an island.As for me, I find happiness in having loved ones beside me; I’m not saying that I let them think for me though. I am currently a conformist and non-conformist. I am a conformist in that I conform to my God and with His teachings. A non-conformist in that, like Liberty, I submit myself to my beliefs and resist things of its op posite (although at times, they may overlap with each other). I conform to my God, and so try not to conform to the world. I conform to my government, yet reject on them trying to take over me. I succumb to, yet I resist. Also, I could consider myself to have hints of Equality 7-2521 in my personality.I love learning as much as I love taking risks. I remember the story of my 4 yr old self. My mom used to tell this story every time she remembers it and every single time we would laugh at it. So here’s how it goes: It was an ordinary day, we were travelling by a car. My mom was driving and her sister (my aunt) was in the front seat. I, my 2 sisters, and my cousin were at the back seat. I was the closest to the door handle, and that was when the inner curiosity of me sparked! â€Å"Now, what is this thing for? † and voila, I was playing with the car door handle and suddenly I found myself rolling on the ground of an uphill highway.While the action was happening, my mom an d aunt were also caught in an intense activity: Gossiping. Yup, they were there chit-chatting while I was outside, rip rolling. Since my two sisters and my cousin saw my fall, they panicked and then started shouting, â€Å"Ma! Si Ima, nahulog! †, but since my mom’s activity was more interesting than mine, they had to shut the kids up, â€Å"Kids, quiet! †. Then my sisters started crying. That’s when my mom and aunt started to notice my absence. And at last, they panicked too. They went chasing for me, trying to save me from the rushing cars. But wait!They forgot to turn on the brakes! Oh no, our car is sliding down the hill! What to do? Oh my— ~ Well, I’m here now so you know I was saved. It was a very long day, indeed. One day my mom would never ever forget. But hey, I learned. (I now know what that ‘thing’ is for! And I now know when to and when not to use those car locks, thank you. ) Anyway, I find myself having a little bit of Equality 7-2521 also because I often find pride in things I know I have done well in. Passing the UPCAT is one of the perfect examples. Having my family congratulate me, I find pride in myself.I know that I have done well, and I know that I could do more, and so the learning continues. Moving on from the main characters, another prominent concept in the novella was the society. The society presented on Anthem is so wrong. The people there are under so much fear and are dehumanized. Their society promotes absolute collectivism where they are all one and one is all. They accept few, if not none at all, changes. Everyone is of equal importance as everyone. Freedom of speech is cut off. Men can’t speak to women, they were not able to show their emotions to them, and they can’t even have houses of their own!Though it could be classified as a utopian society on other perspectives, description from Equality 7-2521 made it totally a dystopian society. â€Å"We are nothing . Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist through, by, and for our brothers who are the state. Amen. † –Palace of the World Council Their society reminded me of how North Korea is today. Although I may not know what their actual situation is at the moment, description from the media around the world truly rings the bell. It brings fear deep down my bones.Society of no social stratification, no freedom of speech, everything and nothing is owned by everyone and no one. A society completely isolated from the rest of the world, North Korea could well focus on itself and not worry on how other countries are doing, and since they focus on themselves, no one would be left starving, everybody will be of equal rights with everyone. I think this is what North Korea claims itself to be though I’m pretty sure ‘country without social stratification’ is pretty far from what they are now. The government and society in Anthem also made me think of the government and the society of our own country.As for the Philippines, I don’t think the concept of Anthem’s society might be applicable because of the fact that freedom of speech is already presented and is of practice today in the Philippines. Also, the presence of a free and nationwide media in our country made it more liberal than that of Anthem’s. The fact that Philippines is a democracy, too, can be of great evidence that our country is not with the like of that of Anthem’s. Everyone of the right mind is free to vote and free to speak. Take this reflection paper for example; I have every right to say what I want to, though I know I would suffer the consequences of my actions.Everyone is allowed to think otherwise. Everyone has the right to choose for themselves what their â€Å"rights† and â€Å"wrongs† are. Men are allowed to merry another and have kids of their own. Families are able to build houses they can live in and start a new life. Filipinos, along with other people of other countries, could study whenever they want to and work whenever as long as time and money permits. They have the free will of choosing their school, acquiring their jobs, and retiring after they do. Everyone is allowed to choose their religion. Everyone is allowed to love without being asked why.Chickens could cross the street without their motives being questioned. However, I may not completely forget the fact that, somehow, there might be some resemblances from Anthem’s society with the Philippines’. â€Å"The Home of the Useless†, â€Å"The Palace of Corrective Detention†, â€Å"The Palace of Mating†, â€Å"The Home of the Students†Ã¢â‚¬â€ All of which symbolizes branches of our system, though might be different in intensity than Anthem’s. Also, the home of the scholars could be of comparison with our senate system. We could be compared to them in terms of pr ogress and how slow our system could be.Although I know that we are still on the verge of growing and improving more, I have not lost my hopes for the Philippines. As for whether or not this society is possible on earth in the future, I don’t think so. I don’t think such absolute collectivism/communism is possible to be achieved. I believe that in achieving this society, first we’ll be in need of restarting; restarting everything from Adam and Eve. No one should know anything. Every book must be burned and every data on the internet must be erased. The whole world should go back to zero, or else absolute collectivism (like with the story Anthem) would be inconceivable. ———————————————— ————————————————- Anthem, in general, taught me how colle ctivism could be of destruction to a society. I reflected on few things about concepts such as collectivism, individualism, finding your true self, and finding your true purpose. I have made use of my new learnings about these things, and I know that would use them at one point in my life where I could be searching for answers on whether or not, why or why nots. These concepts could be of new references that I know I could consider whenever I am learning. ———————————————— ————————————————- I have a general feel of gloom and depression through-out the story. With how Equality 7-2521 dictates his society to us, I felt sorry for him and also for the society. In a nutshell, I liked the story. I enjoyed it and have reflected a lot of things from it. Although, what I d id not like about the book was not the story but the author’s philosophy itself. By the end of the novella, Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000 have run away from their society to discover their own truth and start a new society of their own.This truth leads to self-worshipping and calling themselves gods, and further stating that they have no obligation to other men. I have to strongly disagree with this idea. I am sorry to say Ayn Rand started with a great idea of individualism and ended in a train wreck of selfish isolation. *I would like to recommend this book to anyone who would want to reflect and re-evaluate their existences on certain aspects. This book presented a different outlook of the concept â€Å"I†, which you could reflect on greatly. Though, I’m not saying that this is the best book possible, it is still worth the read.

The Beautiful Country

Most people who live in the country dream of someday moving to the city and living a different life. Upon weighing the options, one may find that although sometimes boring, country life has much more to offer than city life such as better opportunities, better environment, and fresher food. The first advantage the country has over the city is greater oppurtunity. Although the city is filled with opportunities such as better education. The Country offers more of hands on experience while learning.The city is highly Populated, which makes it a lot harder to have any teacher to student bonding. However, in the country, less students are in each classroom, so it is easier for the teacher and student to interact. The jobs in the city are considered to be more mental than physical, which can cause mental strain on a person's mind. Although, in the country the jobs are more physical than mental. Physical work can cause pain in the long run, but mental strain has a higher risk to cause life threatening issues.When it comes down to making friends in the city a person has a low chance. The city has enough people to make friends, but most of the people in the city are too busy to take time out of their lifr to even introduce theirselves to one another. However, the country is filled with nice, friendly people that are looking forward to making new friends daily. A better environment is a huge benefit to living in the country. Living in the city, the view is usually the same no matter where you go. The buildings in the city seem never ending.The tallness of the buildings and the graffiti that usually cover them eliminate any chance of a good view outside your window. Because the city is lit up twenty-four hours a day, the chance of catching a glimpse of the stars is also very rare. The constant sound of sirens and car horns eliminate any possibility of a good night’s sleep as well. Pollution is also greater in the city than in the country. Because there are a lot mo re people in the city, there are many more cars on the road. There are also more factories for these people to work which also aids in the pollution in the city.In the country, there are hardly any tall buildings. Residents of the country can usually step outside of their home and see a long stretch of green grass. The stars are almost always shining at night and the only sounds one may here while trying to go to sleep are the crickets chirping. Pollution is a lesser issue in the country as well. There are fewer people in the country which means fewer cars on the road. Because many people have their own farmland and make money that way, the need for factories for jobs is not as great in the country.