The final mother-daughter relationship Essay Example

The final mother The final mother-daughter relationship Essay The final mother-daughter relationship Essay Essay Topic: The Winters Tale Jeanettes mother is a powerful woman in her home and church and forcibly puts forward her views. She is selfish and ruthless and sulks if God does not concur with her will for destruction making her an outside target for mockery. Jeanette is a pawn in her mothers tag match against the rest of the world (p. 3) She does not let her maternal role hinder her career in the church. It is only with Jeanettes shock revelation of Lesbianism that her mother seems to change a little nearer the end of the novel: Her awareness that oranges are not the only fruit seems to suggest she has changed her one mindedness, especially as she becomes more like Elsie in the end and is able to express love and acceptance to Jeanette; However she will always be at war with the world and homosexuality with always be demonised and could never be accepted in the eyes of the lord I love you almost as much as I love the Lord. We see the constraints in Jeanette and her mothers relationship when Miss Jewesbury has forced Jeanettes mother to get medical attention for Jeanettes deafness. Her mother has little comfort and simply writes her a letter prods (p. 27) and leaves her alone. Her mothers devotion and infatuation with the missionary has forced Jeanette to originally believe she was filled with the Holy Spirit however, when medical authority overrules this Jeanette feels her mothers abandonment. Jeanettes mother offers little maternal care and brings oranges as a substitute for the maternal longing Jeanette wants and the short, bluntness of So I was alone. emphasises the isolation Jeanette feels. The lack of involvement and emotional distance in this familys personal relationship is iterated by the fact that Jeanettes mother could not attend and would send her husband usually with a letter and a couple of oranges (p. 29) The use of the word husband also could be an expression of Jeanettes sense of her fathers insignificance in terms of his influence in the family, or source of support. The final mother-daughter relationship we are made slightly aware of is that of Rubys and her little nut-brown girls (p. 381) Ruby as a mother in present generation is able to rule her individual life, the expectance of womens roles through the generations are all contrasted here as Ruby gains her own confidence to be the mother figure she always aspired to be, and has the courage to, when she realises shes leading the wrong life (p. 360) completely start again and thus not become the foolish mother (p. 381) bringing the whole cyclic focus of the book to an end the endless repetitive cycle of family history is finalised with the notion that women now have the chance to change roles from a martyred wife (p. 170) to ending the novel on a strong confirmation of personal identity; I am alive. I am a precious jewel. I am a drop of blood. I am Ruby Lennox. (p. 382). In OANTOF the main character, Jeanette, and her mother are engaged in a quest to attain a sense of identity beyond the limitations placed on them as relatively poor women in a male dominated, class prejudiced society. Both women are put in a place of lesser importance and unaware segregation Jeanette for her sexuality and her mother because of her faith. This indifference from society causes them to be almost in exile also seen in BTSATM but their sense of being called to be apart (p. 42) simultaneously enables them to forge an identity for themselves in defiance of the culturally, compulsory prescribed roles for women of the time. Jeanette and her mother could be said to be orphaned as her mother was abandoned by her middle class family when she marries Jack, and Jeanette is given up for adoption. This seems the opportunity for self-creation, as it does for many of the orphaned characters of nineteenth century fiction, among them Jane Eyre, whose life story seems to echo that of the real and imagined stories of Jeanette and her mother. The tale of Jane Eyre is essential in understanding the key themes and meaning of OANTOF as Jeanettes mother is able to revise the plot to perfection, it seems, however we later learn how this account is a flawed perception in order to shelter Jeanette from the realities of sin outside the missionary Jane Eyre (in Jeanettes mothers version) marries the ambitious missionary St John Rivers rather than the passionate almost Byronic hero Rochester, this could be interpreted as Jeanettes mothers plan for a devoted life to the missionary for Jeanette. The opening of the book immediately engages the reader and makes us aware of the strong sense of Jeanettes mothers personality and outlook on life; my mother liked to wrestle; it didnt matter what. She was in the white corner and that was that (p. 3) this quote suggests that the novel will deal with typical issues of growing up in a nuclear family. The dual narrative Winterson uses here mocks Jeanettes mothers doctrinaire, narrow minded views and is expressed through a typically childlike list of friends an enemies reducing Jeanettes mothers status and importance. Jeanettes mothers confrontational attitude is demonstrated by the fact she wanted the Mormons to knock on the door (p. 3) so that she could wrestle with them. Automatically we realise Jeanettes mothers struggle with the Rest of the World to assert her devout convictions. We see the difficulty in Jeanette and her mothers relationship in that we are, significantly, not only told that Jeanette was on her mothers list of friends only at first, but the layout of the text reinforces Jeanettes relegation of me predictably to the enemies list; It is this anticipation of the plot that prepares the reader for mother-daughter conflict. Jeanette will only stay on the friends list if she conforms to her mothers plan for her to become a missionary. Her mothers desire for power and influence is mocked here as she aspired to be the first virginal pregnancy; she was very bitter about the Virgin Mary getting there first (p. 3). There is much irony directed against Jeanettes mother due to the comparison between her bitterness and selfishness against the sympathetic qualities of the Virgin Mary. Winterson uses the Bible to undermine its authority and her mothers views; We had no wise men because she didnt believe there were any wise men, but we had sheep (p. 4). Both novels employ an immediacy structurally to highlight the nuclear dysfunctionality for example both books start the central theme on their first pages, even by a Foetal Ruby. Ruby in BTSATM illustrates her fathers drunkard like qualities and unloving routine like quality to the act of making love with her mother as he rolls off her mother and plunges into a dreamless sleep thanks to the five pints (p. 1). This structural immediacy is seen in OANTOF also as the first page sets out the tone for the rest of the novel and includes humorous narrative in order to mock her mother and her innate combative nature. Jeanettes father, Jack, contrasts his wife strongly in that he is the Joseph to her Virgin Mary. He occasionally will rebel against his wifes authority, for example watching the wrestling on a Sunday however he is still presented as a passive figure to her mother. Jeanette feels sympathy for her poor dad (p. 11) and realises his dissatisfaction and inferiority to her mother, he was never quite good enough (p. 11) and did not push himself (p. 8). His absence from the majority of the novel illustrates the unimportance of him as a source of paternity. Both fathers are rarely mentioned in both novels, representing the authors feelings as fathers being the lacking role, the two books can almost be seen as feminist in this respect. In conclusion both texts have obvious similarities in relation to the representation of family relationships, as both Atkinson and Winterson use two mothers struggles with society to exaggerate their dysfunctionality within their family and both mothers also suffer from the yearning for another man, with Jeanettes mother wanting Pastor Spratt and Bunty wanting the life she was about to have before being deserted by her fianci. However there are differences also in that Jeanette learns from her mothers authoritative confidence in qualities to help herself with her lesbianism whereas Ruby learns from her mothers mistakes, and vows to change her life unlike her mother did.

Jonathan Edwards - Colonial Clergyman of the Great Awakening

Jonathan Edwards - Colonial Clergyman of the Great Awakening   Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was an extremely important and influential clergyman in the New England colonial America. He has been given credit for beginning the Great Awakening and his writings provide insights into colonial thought.   Early Years Jonathan Edwards was born on October 5, 1703 in East Windsor, Connecticut. His father was Reverend Timothy Edwards and his mother, Esther, was the daughter of another Puritan clergyman, Solomon Stoddard. He was sent to Yale College at the age of 13 where he was extremely interested in natural science while there and also read widely including works by John Locke and Sir Isaac Newton. John Lockes philosophy had a huge impact on his personal philosophy. After graduating from Yale at 17, he studied theology for two more years before becoming a licensed preacher in the Prsbyterian Church. In 1723, he earned his Master of Theology Degree. He served a New York congregation for two years before returning to Yale to serve as a tutor.   Personal Life In 1727, Edwards married Sarah Pierpoint. She was the granddaughter of the influential Puritan minister Thomas Hooker. He was the founder of the  Connecticut Colony following a dissent with the Puritan leaders in Massachusetts.Together they had eleven children.   Heading His First Congregation   In 1727, Edwards was given a position as the assistant minister under his grandfather on his mothers side, Solomon Stoddard in Northampton, Massachusetts. When Stoddard passed away in 1729, Edwards took over as the minister in charge of a congregation that included important political leaders and merchants. He was much more conservative than his grandfather.   Edwardseanism Lockes Essay Concerning Human Understanding had a huge impact on Edwards theology as he tried to grapple with mans free will combined with his own beliefs in predestination. He believed in the need for a personal experience of God. He believed that only after a personal conversion instituted by God could free will be turned away from human needs and towards morality. In other words, only Gods grace could give someone the ability to follow God.   In addition, Edwards also believed that the end times were near. He believed that with the coming of Christ, each person would have to give account of their lives on earth. His goal was a pure church filled with true believers. As such, he felt that it was his responsibility to ensure that his church members lived according to strict personal standards. He would only allow those he felt truly accepted Gods grace could partake of the sacrament of the Lords Supper in the church.   The Great Awakening As previously stated, Edwards believed in a personal religious experience. From 1734-1735, Edwards preached a number of sermons about justification of faith. This series led to a number of conversions among his congregation. Rumors about his preaching and sermons spread to surrounding areas of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Word spread even as far as Long Island Sound.   During this same period, traveling preachers had begun a series of evangelist meetings calling on individuals to turn away from sin throughout the New England colonies. This form of evangelism focused on personal salvation and a correct relationship with God. This era has been called the Great Awakening. The evangelists produced huge emotions. Many churches were disapproving of itinerant preachers. They felt that the charismatic preachers were often not sincere. They didnt like the lack of propriety in the meetings. In fact, there were laws passed in some communities to ban preachers the right to hold revivals unless they had been invited by a licensed minister. Edwards agreed with much of this but did not believe that the results of revivals should be discounted.   Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God   Probably Edwards most well-known sermon is called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. He not only delivered this at his home parish but also in Enfield, Connecticut on July 8, 1741. This fiery sermon discusses the pains of hell and the importance of devoting ones life to Christ to avoid this fiery pit. According to Edwards, There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any one moment, out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God. As Edwards says, All wicked mens  pains  and  contrivance  they use to escape  hell, while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, dont secure em from hell one moment. Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own security....  But the foolish children of men do miserably delude themselves in their own schemes, and in their confidence in their own strength and wisdom; they trust to nothing but a shadow.   However, as Edward says, there is hope for all men. And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has flung the door of mercy wide open, and stands in the door calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners... As he summed up, Therefore let everyone that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come... [L]et everyone fly out of Sodom. Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed [Genesis 19:17].   Edwards sermon had a huge effect at the time in Enfield, Connecticut. In fact, an eyewitness named Stephen Davis wrote that people were crying out throughout the congregation during his sermon, asking how to avoid hell and be saved. In his today, reaction to Edwards was mixed. However, there is no denying his impact. His sermons are still read and referred to by theologians to this day.   Later Years Some members of Edwards church congregation were not happy with Edwards conservative orthodoxy. As previously stated, he enforced strict rules for his congregation to be considered part of those who could partake in the Lords Supper. In 1750, Edwards attempted to institute discipline on some of the children of prominent families who were caught looking at a midwives manual that was considered a bad book. Over 90% of the members of congregation voted to remove Edwards from his position as minister. He was 47 at the time and was assigned to minister to a mission church on the frontier in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He preached to this small group of Native Americans and at the same time spent the years writing many theological works including Freedom of the Will (1754), The Life of David Brainerd (1759), Original Sin (1758), and The Nature of True Virtue (1765). You can currently read any of Edwards works through the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University. Further, one of the resid ential colleges at Yale University, Jonathan Edwards College, was named after him.    In 1758, Edwards was hired as the president of the College of New Jersey which is now called Princeton University. Unfortunately, he only served for two years in that position before he died after he had an adverse reaction to a smallpox vaccination. He died on March 22, 1758 and is buried in Princeton Cemetery.   Legacy Edwards is seen today as an example of revival preachers and an initiator of the Great Awakening. Many evangelists today still look to his example as a way to preach and create conversions. In addition, many descendants of Edwards went on to be prominent citizens. He was the grandfather of Aaron Burr and an ancestor of  Edith Kermit Carow who was Theodore Roosevelts second wife. In fact, according to George Marsden in Jonathan Edwards: A Life, his progeny included thirteen presidents of colleges and sixty-five professors.   Further Reference Ciment, James. Colonial America: An Encyclopedia of Social, Political, Cultural, and Economic History. M. E. Sharpe: New York. 2006.

Fed May Cut Rate Below Inflation, Risking Bubbles Essay

Fed May Cut Rate Below Inflation, Risking Bubbles - Essay Example As noted by Mishkin (2006), the interdependence of international monetary systems has created a situation which no economy can be considered an island on its own insulated from developing situations in other economic regions of the world. The interest rate reduction by the Federal Reserve has caused shockwaves across the oceans and financial markets around the world have been forced to reduce their interest rates as well (Torres and Kennedy, 2008). Additionally, as interest rates are reduced, investors can consider it more feasible to invest in securities which carry more risk since the rewards for investing in banks seems less attractive (Mishkin, 2006). This means that stocks become more desirable due to the higher returns on investment provided by them. The interest rate cuts has helped the stock markets as reported by the article where Standard and Poor’s 500 Index rose almost a full percentage point and even the global stock markets showed a positive turn as the MSCI World Index also displayed an increase of 0.8 percent (Torres and Kennedy, 2008). However, there does appear to be some conflict between what is happening in the economy as compared to what the Federal Reserve is doing since the steps being taken by them are usually taken during a recession. While some signs in the economy are recessionary, it is difficult to say that alarm bells should start ringing so quickly in the offices of the Federal Reserve (Torres and Kennedy, 2008). Perhaps a more cautionary approach would be more justifiable since such levels of interest rates could create economic bubbles where many investors could lose billions. Such a warning is given quite clearly in the article itself which warns that credit seekers would get a very good bargain at the moment but this could lead to over lending by the banks in effect leading the country towards another stream of consumer credit problems (Torres and Kennedy, 2008). With rising levels of unemployment and increasing costs

Modern Political Ideologies Seminar Journal Essay

Modern Political Ideologies Seminar Journal - Essay Example During the interwar period, which is considered to be a not so positive time for Conservatism in Britain, the ideology has been seen as inclined towards the defense of class privileges and of the status quo, a negative opposition to Socialism, and a interest centers commercialist approach to the rising Nazi menace in the 1030s (Fair, 1987, p. 549). The difference between conservative ideology and ideational ideologies has led to non conservatives to deny any intellectual content to conservatism which led to conservatives attacking all the other ideologies. In Huntington’s view, both parties are wrong because they have minimized its intellectual significance. He explained that the conservative ideology as an intellectual rationale of the permanent prerequisites of human existence (Huntington, 1957, p. 168). It has a high and necessary function. As a case in point, when a society is under threat, the conservatism acts as a reminder to men of the necessity of some institutions and the desirability of the existing ones. As he had said, conservative ideology is not the absence of change; rather, it is the articulate, systematic, theoretical resistance to change (Huntington, 1957, p. 168). The term conservative ideology is different from one society to the other. For one, the aristocrats are the conservatives in Prussia in the 1820s; slave-owners are the conservatives in the South in the early 1850s while the liberals are considered the conservatives in America and other parts of the world. As seen in history, American liberals have been idealist, lobbying goals of greater freedom, social equality, and more meaningful democracy. Conservatism can also be seen as shaping mechanism of events rather than merely reactionary as can be seen in Disraeli’s foreign policy wherein it focused on the necessity for Britain to act constructively as a moderating and mediating power and to maintain its interest in the whole empire (Rayner 1995, p.

Theory Nike Essay Example for Free

Theory Nike Essay Moreover , decentralization is a matter of degree, since all organizations are decentralized to some extent out of necessity. At one extreme, a strongly decentralized organization is one in which even the lowest-level managers and employees are empowered to make decisions. At the other extreme, in a strongly decentralized organization, lower-level managers have little freedom to make decisions. On the other hand, in a centralized organization, the decisions are made by top executives or on the basis of pre-set policies. These decisions or policies are then enforced through several tiers of the organization after gradually broadening the span of control until it reaches the bottom tier. Centralization is said to be a process where the concentration of decision making is in a few hands. All the important decision and actions at the lower level, all subjects and actions at the lower level are subject to the approval of top management. According to John R. Schermerhorn(2002) , â€Å"Centralization† is the systematic and consistent reservation of authority at central points in the organization. The difference between a centralized and a decentralized system of organization is that in a centralized structure all the decision making and authority are focused on the top tier of management. These few people are the ones that dictate company policy and make all the crucial decisions. A decentralized system, on the other hand, delegates authority throughout the organization and to all levels of management. Advantages of centralization include an organization’s ability to be able to keep a tight grip on all aspects of the business.

The Pursuit of Social & Religious Justice :: Essays Papers

The Pursuit of Social & Religious Justice The pursuit of social and religious justice has been part of our societal structure since the beginning of time. The most recent, large scale, attempt at the â€Å"purification† of the human race, in the ‘name’ of social/religious justice, was put into motion by Osama bin Laden, who caught the eyes of the world by having some of his followers kill thousands of American civilians. This event was a life changing experience for me. Watching an airplane crash into the second twin tower, before anyone had any idea what was happening on September 11, 2001 opened my eyes, and many others’ eyes, to the outside world; it made me wonder, â€Å"why?† It made me think about how the world sees America. This paper will not delineate why there are lunatics intent on the extermination of certain races, religious followers, or any other group of people; what it will do is explore the basic teachings of the most influential prophets of the three main mo notheistic religions, as well as discuss historical â€Å"Holy† wars, in an attempt to show that these proclaimed â€Å"Holy† wars are in fact political wars – and not within the practices of the basic religious beliefs. It will then offer some suggestions as to implementing positive future strategies for social/religious justice. In the very beginning, men did not worship any God, but merely envisioned some higher force, which influenced much of their life. As Karen Armstrong puts it,â€Å"...he is strangely absent from their daily lives: he has no special cult and is never depicted in effigy† [1]. As man evolved, so did his belief system. Before monotheism entered their lives, they worshipped idols, demi-gods and many gods who were believed to be a part of a unity shared among the gods, nature and mankind. The development of the three monotheist religions occurred in a sequential order. The first believed prophet was Moses, born around 800BC. Moses had lived a privileged life as the son of a royal Egyptian family. He was not originally accustomed to the worship of one God, known to some as Yahweh, but that changed one day as he herded his father-in-law’s sheep.

Six Flags

Confidential For Internal Use Only Team __ TEAM __ – Marketing Plan (Sample) MKTG 649, Fall 2009 Prepared for: Professor Mahmood Hussain Prepared By: Your Name Your Name Your Name Your Name Your Name 1 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 Executive Summary Six Flags has had great success over a number of years through providing a one-stop entertainment destination complete with thrilling roller coaster rides and an exciting atmosphere. In recent years, however, Six Flags has been struggling and is now in dire need of a boost to help regain its success in the Theme park industry.We focused our secondary research on past and current articles on Six Flags as well as the theme park industry as a whole. Databases and websites were utilized in gathering this information. In addition, we delved into previously conducted research regarding the theme park industry and Six Flags. This further allowed us to gather exactly how Six Flags arrived at its success, and ultimately to its f ailure over the past few years. This is information that could have been obtained through interviewing Six Flags employees; however, we chose to proceed with the more efficient choice of secondary research.The biggest issue Six Flags faces is its huge debt of over $2 billion dollars. The firm is on the verge of bankruptcy and has been pulled from the NYSE due to their shares falling below the $1 requirement. The firm needs to pay $300 million dollars to preferred stockholders, and lacks the capital to do so. Another key issue they face is their narrow target market. Six Flags has decreased their focus down to the youth, or teen market with less emphasis placed on appealing to families. This represents a huge loss of potential customers for Six Flags.Furthermore, there is a demand for thrill rides and rollercoaster’s that Six Flags can continue to benefit from. In order to meet both of these issues head on, Six Flags must not only expand their demographic target, but also thei r product offerings. Revenue must be generated as quickly as possible through increased traffic to the parks and product diversification. The marketing objectives we aim to address, execute and accomplish are to increase revenue through diversification and pricing methodologies, and to increase the target market to include families, teens, and young adults.Increased guest spending is a major component of what target markets we are trying to reach. We want to move away from the teen market, which does not spend much if any money in the park beyond admission. The two new target markets Six Flags is going to cater to are families and 21+ young adults. Six Flags will differentiate itself by providing both of these sources of entertainment in one location. We want Six Flags to be a place like no other in the country. In order for Six Flags to stay competitive, we need to diversify our means of revenue.That will be done with the introduction to two new ventures, Motion Simulators and Boul evard Six. Six Flags’ current pricing strategy for their online daily tickets is proving to be successful in terms of attracting more visitor attendance. Extended hours for special events can also deliver an extra added value to 21 and over patrons who are willing to pay a 25 percent increase on top of regular one-day admission. Being open until 12 midnight for such events would grant exclusivity to a smaller crowd with less falling in line.Another feature would be to have hard liquor and beer priced at a premium to further maximize profits. The first sales promotion will be a yearly engagement, every Fourth of July where all guests get in for free. We will call this promotion â€Å"FREEdom Day†. Another frequent promotion will be called Fun in the Sun. We anticipate an increase in Six Flags performance through the execution of our Marketing Plan. 2 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team __ Table of Contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Research Methodology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1 Situation Analysis SWOT Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 Competitor Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 Customer Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 Company Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 Marketing Problems and Opportunities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Managerial Recommendations Market Focus Marketing Objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Target Market†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Differentiation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Positioning†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 Marketing Programs Product Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9 Pricing Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 0 Promotion Strategy†¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 10 Distribution Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11 Implementation and Control Financial Data†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11 Financial Projection†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 Financial Control†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 Appendix†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14 3 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team __ Introduction Six Flags has had great success over a number of years through providing a one-stop entertainment destination complete with thrilling roller coaster rides and an exciting atmosphere.In recent years, however, Six Flags has been struggling and is now in dire need of a boost to help regain its success in the Theme park industry. The amusement park industry offers a variety of attractions to a very large and diverse market. With everything from high-flying roller coasters to cartoon and movie character based offerings, theme parks have created a very successful market that has been on the rise for many years. However, like everything else, companies have seen their good times as well as their bad. It seems as though Six Flags may be on the decline in an exhausted market.Notwithstanding increased attendance on an annual basis, inclu ding the sharp decline of their teen market, the amusement park industry has been affected greatly by harsh economic times. Six Flags, Inc. specifically has become the epitome of this trying industry. Despite an increasing attendance rate over the years, Six Flags has seemed to dig itself into a hole that it cannot seem to get out of. Their debt-load has handcuffed them to the verge of bankruptcy. Their inability to increase attendance to the point of improved profitability and debt-reduction has helped lead this company toward potential failure.The significance of an increased attendance rate in 2008, (up to 25. 3 million from 24. 9 in 2007) yet still reporting a net loss of $207 million for the fourth quarter of 2008 is very big. 1 This signifies the tremendous amount of trouble Six Flags is currently in as their biggest point of profitability, attendance, has not been enough to dig this company out. This indicates that a drastic change of direction is in need for Six Flags, Inc. Although the numbers are bad for Six Flags, a marketing initiative may help bring this dying company back to life. Research MethodologyDue to lack of resources and low participant count, we have decided to focus our research on secondary research only. While we do believe it may be beneficial to gather information and suggestions through primary research, there are many resources available through secondary research that will sufficient. As the theme park industry is large, a vast amount of literature and information is available. Through researching readily available information, we are able to gather both positive and negative options and research from very credible sources. Although the utilization and execution f primary research is ideal and extremely beneficial, particularly for marketing initiatives, its overall implementation is not a simple task. The type of primary research required to make sound marketing decisions, especially for a depressed company like Six Flags, would need to be on a much larger scale than we are capable of handling in such a short period of time. We focused our secondary research on past and current articles on Six Flags as well as the theme park industry as a whole. Databases and websites were utilized in gathering this information.In addition, we delved into previously conducted research regarding the theme park industry and Six Flags. This further allowed us to gather exactly how Six Flags arrived at its success, and ultimately to its failure over the past few years. This is information that could have been obtained through interviewing Six Flags employees; however, we chose to proceed with the more efficient choice of secondary research. 1 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team __ Situation Analysis SWOT Analysis Strengths Six Flags’ main strength in the present state of the U. S. economy seems to be its â€Å"free falling† prices.For instance, everyone who buys a daily ticket online for Six Flags Discovery K ingdom (Vallejo, CA) pays the kids’ price of $29. 99. This has directly increased attendance. Next to its attractive prices is Six Flags’ internationally recognized brand name. The name, along with its wide array of entertainment products and experiences, has built enduring equity for 48 years. To refocus and re-energize its brand, Six Flags CEO Mark Shapiro and his marketing and entertainment teams have worked to make the theme park more family-friendly while still maintaining its ignature reputation for record-breaking thrill rides. The parks are cleaner, there is more broad-based entertainment, an enforced code of conduct for guests, and better trained employees who can deliver more quality service. As a result, key satisfaction scores were at or above all time highs for the company. Six Flags advocates special causes by holding annual walk-a-thons in the park, joining the fight to help cure childrens cancer. They further support the â€Å"green movement† by using biodegradable commercial trash bags throughout the company’s 20 locations in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.Location is another strength of Six Flags. The theme park is located in major metropolitan areas making it a probable, convenient drive away from home. Weaknesses Although Six Flags is now showing an increase in visitor attendance due to advertisements showcasing low ticket prices and an increased value offering, its number one weakness seems to be leveraging their massive debt load of over $2 billion dollars. It must also pay $300 million dollars to preferred stockholders in which it has no way of paying.The creation of new thrill rides can cost up to $20 million dollars each while consumer spending remains low. This debt will continue to stifle Six Flags’ growth and may lead them to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Since admission is up, the lines for each major attraction will also increase. This may make impatient patrons waiting in the hot summer sun to go elsewhere for entertainment. Another weakness is the retention rate of teenagers and young adults has continued to lessen because they claim â€Å"there’s nothing new for us. Disappointingly, a major weakness that the theme park is also trying to control is its fatal freak accidents. In June 2008, a 17-year-old was decapitated by the Batman roller coaster when he scaled two six-foot fences and entered a restricted area at Six Flags Over Georgia. The year before, a girl’s feet were cut off when a freefall thrill ride malfunctioned at the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. A cable had snapped and wrapped around the 16-year-old’s feet, severing them at her ankles. Opportunities Six Flags is limited in opportunities as they have no cash on hand and an overwhelming debt load.However, to attract back the decreasing retention rate of its young adult market which as a result can leverage the debt, perhaps Six Flags can open a 21 and over nightclub. The club can hav e different elaborate themes each night, such as a â€Å"Batman† or â€Å"Terminator† party. A sports bar and restaurant can attract a new demographic of sports fanatics. Guest appearances by sports icons in these restaurants can also drive traffic through the park. Ride simulators in malls, introducing new and upcoming thrill rides, may also convince prospects to try the â€Å"real thing† at a 2 Confidential For Internal Use OnlyTeam 8 theme park. Six Flags can also try to sell some of its land that it owns surrounding its parks to help lessen their debt. It can even hold more events ranging from special causes to entertainment and extend its operational hours to the 21 and over crowd so as to increase ticket sales. Joining more strategic alliances internationally such as Dubai Holding to build a Six Flags in Dubailand can also prove to be profitable. Most importantly, Six Flags needs to get to the root of the problem and come up with a restructuring agreement that will satisfy both its stockholders and the company.Filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy may inadvertently decrease attendance as visitors may perceive that operations, including safety on rides and the cleanliness of the premises could be affected (although Six Flags confirms that these will not be affected if they do file). Thus, bankruptcy could ruin Six Flags’ image and limit more of their opportunities to expand. Threats Threats mainly include other major theme park competitors such as Disneyland and Universal Studios and indirect competition with more affordable fun activities such as miniature golfing or watching a movie.Other threats include the current swine flu that has spread rapidly throughout several states in the U. S. from its origin in Mexico. Some families may think twice before going to a theme park with hundreds or thousands of other persons in which any may be infected with the deadly virus. Severe weather conditions can even temporarily close down the par k. In 2005, it was necessary for Six Flags New Orleans to close down in preparation for Hurricane Katrina. Katrina’s heavy winds and floods left an estimated $32. 5 million worth of damages. The park has since been closed. Competitor AnalysisThe major competitor of Six Flags Inc. is the Walt Disney Company. In comparison, the Disney Company focuses on attracting visitors from across the world to visit its parks while Six Flags targets its local demographic and does not seek to advertise internationally. Although Disneyland offers the magical experience that families have grown up to know and love through its flagship characters and movies, Six Flags is seeking to be the alternative getaway in a downward economy. First off, Six Flags is just a drive away for those who live in close radius to metropolitan areas.At Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, CA), as mentioned earlier, everyone can pay the online daily kid’s price of $29. 99. Disneyland and Disney World mainly r equire a whole vacation package, including airplane flights and a hotel stay. To visit Disneyland’s entire theme park in one day, a patron will have to shell out as much as $94 per day. In 2008, Six Flags even reported a 5 percent increase in revenue with reduced costs from the previous year while Disneyland recently reported an 8. 2 percent drop in revenue and increased costs for this year’s first quarter.Universal Studios movie-theme park, known for simulating their top rated movies into rides and other experiences, is another competitor that also requires a vacation package. Its general admission is $67. 99 a day. Last year, the park underwent attendance downturns due to construction and visitors holding off on vacations until the new rides were complete. However, even in a troubling economy families are willing to pay a premium to visit such parks as Disneyland and Universal Studios to go to a place â€Å"where dreams come true† and to get the ultimate Holly wood experience as seen through television and movies respectively.These are deemed to be more affordable when comparing it to a family trip to Europe or Asia. Six Flags’ other competition includes the experience of shopping at a mall, going out to the movies, or even staying home and obtaining thrills through Sony Playstation or Nintendo’s Wii. Consumers feel like â€Å"getting away† once in a while and if they are restricted to a budget, they may consider the cheaper activity that they can repeat more than once during closer periods of time. 3 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 Customer Analysis Approximately 25 million guests attend Six Flags annually.The park appeals to a broad demographic in which seventy-five percent of its customers live within 100 miles. Its main customer focus is its family unit. Most of its parks are limited to being open during the spring and summer seasons and only on weekends during off-seasons (due to weather factors). In th is case, generating revenue from the family unit is crucial while still trying to retain its core audience of teens and young adults who are drawn to extreme rides. Thus, Six Flags is providing a wider product offering to increase its overall visitor attendance.It is also remaking its image into a wholesome, highly-branded, family-friendly place similar to that of Disney. There are more rides and attractions not only for a young demographic, but also for families. Six Flags has also given these customers more to do and spend money on by bringing in brands such as Johnny Rockets, Papa John’s, Cold Stone Creamery, and Kodak. The park’s attendance has gradually declined in recent years but started to pick up again in 2008 and is showing great promise this spring season. For instance, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom had its largest attendance since 2003 during their two-week spring break period.The family unit is price sensitive; therefore with daily ticket prices being fairly low along with current low gas prices, Six Flags seems like an affordable trip. The company is projecting 55 percent of its total revenues to come during the months of July and August. More families and higher disposable income families are expected to contribute to these revenues. Also, seventy-five percent of Six Flags consumers claim that their primary reason for attending the park is to spend time with friends and family. Company Analysis Six Flags, Inc. is the largest regional theme park company in the world providing a national brand with regional focus.The firm has 20 parks total, 18 of which are in the United States, with the other 2 located in Mexico and Canada. The entertainment destinations in the U. S. comprise theme, water and zoological parks with over 900 rides, including 130 rollercoaster’s. Six Flags, Inc. is headed by CEO Mark Shapiro and is a publicly-traded corporation headquartered in New York City. The first Six Flags theme park, Six Flags Over Texas, w as opened in 1961 by Angus Wynn. The parks name came from the six themed sections, modeled after the culture of the six countries whose flags flew over Texas during the state's colorful history. Today’s parks offer a complete one-stop diversified entertainment destination for all ages. 3 Thrill rides, restaurants, games, themed areas, children’s areas, parades, concerts, shows and much more are available for the customers’ enjoyment. Business Model Six Flags operates as a seasonal business – over 85% of park attendance and revenues are generated between the second and third quarters of the calendar year. 4 Its business model is comprised primarily of making money through ticket sales, in-park food and merchandise sales, and sponsorship revenue. 5 4 ConfidentialTicket Pricing For Internal Use Only Team 8 Ticket pricing covers a broad range, with tickets available for a single day park visit to season passes. There are 3 types of tickets available: †¢ †¢ †¢ Single day 1 park (general and children admission) Single day 2 park pass (general and children admission) Season Pass Single day 2 park passes are for locations that have both a Six Flags theme park and water park located next to each other. Please note that some theme parks have a water park inside of them, but do not require a 2 park pass. General admission prices range from $29. 9 – $69. 99. Children admission prices range from $20. 99 – $29. 99. These ranges cover Single Day 1 and 2 park passes for theme, water, and animal parks. Season Pass prices range from $39. 99 – $125. Season Passes may be purchased for single park admission or dual park admission. Season Passes include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Unlimited visits Free tickets for guests Over $300 in park savings Access to Rise and Scream early openings and private Season Passholder Day Accepted at 15 Six Flags locations including La Ronde, Montreal Season passes are Six F lags core value offering.Passes cost little more than a day’s regular admission ticket price, and provide Six Flags visitors with added benefits and savings. Six Flags also offers a premium pass – the FLASH Pass – that serves as a ride reservation system. A limited number of FLASH Passes are available each day of operation and are valid the day of purchase only. There are 2 tiers for the FLASH Pass, Regular and Gold, with different stipulations for each. Regular FLASH Pass †¢ Avoid lines by making a reservation †¢ Wait as long as everyone else is waiting, but not in line †¢ Prices: $27. 9 for 1 person to $117. 99 for 6 people Gold FLASH Pass †¢ Enjoy discounted wait time of up to 75% †¢ Prices: $37. 99 for 1 person to $177. 99 for 6 people In-park Merchandise and Food Six Flags has various licensing and partnership agreements with other firms. Six Flags has held a licensing agreement with DC Comics and Warner Bros. Consumer Products enab ling Six Flags to utilize the rights to the cartoon characters. Six Flags has used the licensing agreement to create character programs including meet and greets, meals, photograph and autograph opportunities. 6 5 ConfidentialFor Internal Use Only Team 8 Six Flags has further utilized the characters’ likeness for merchandise sales including toys, souvenir items, apparel, and more. In addition, cartoon themed rides have been constructed after both DC Comic and Warner Bros characters. Six Flags employs in-park and out-park alliances with restaurants and food manufacturers. Past and current out-of-park alliances have included promotions with Coca Cola, Kraft’s Lunchables product line, and Papa Johns Pizza. 7 In-park alliances have included the implementation of restaurant chains within Six Flags parks.Johnny Rockets, Papa Johns Pizza, and Cold Stone Creamery can be found within the parks, and Tyson chicken has become the official chicken supplier to all parks. 8 Additiona l Partnerships Other promotional alliances have been implemented as well. One such example is the sale and availability of Kodak products in Six Flags paks. Moreover, Six Flags and Nintendo have collaborated by offering free Wii game plays to the Six Flags visitors standing in-line, thus allowing them the opportunity to sample the Nintendo DS games.Six Flags also promotes its brand through American Express, Chase, Blue Green, Panda Express, and The United States Army. 9 American Express and Six Flags have a promotional offering for park visitors in the form of a VIP tours. Patrons may book their Six Flags VIP Tour Presented by American Express for participating theme parks. Please note that the VIP Tour is for theme parks only and does not include water slides and other waterpark attractions. Tours are given to groups or families by an experienced tour guide and can be customized.Tours are priced at $299 and include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ â € ¢ †¢ Private guided tour for your family or group Front-of-the-line ride privileges Preferred parking Theme park admission Reserved show seating Private autograph session with select LOONEY TUNES or The Justice League characters Lunch and dinner with reserved seating at restaurants Unlimited snacks Souvenir ride or character photo Expedited access to most rides in the park American Express cardholders gain an additional offer by receiving 20% off each VIP tour booked when they pay with any American Express card. Six Flag ParksCalifornia Six Flags Magic Mountain, Los Angeles – theme park Six Flags Hurrican Harbor, Los Angeles – water park Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Vallejo – theme and animal park 6 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 Georgia Six Flags Over Georgia, Atlanta – theme park Six Flags White Water, Atlanta – water park Illinois Six Flags Great America and Hurricane Harbor, Chicago – theme and water park Kentucky Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, Lousiville – theme and water park Maryland Six Flags America, Baltimore/Washington DC – theme and water park Massachusetts Six Flags New England, Springfield – theme and water park Missouri Six Flags St.Louis – theme and water park New Jersey Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson – theme park Six Flags Hurrican Harbor, Jackson – water park Six Flags Wild Safari, Jackson – animal park New York The Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom, Lake George – theme and water park Six Flags Great Escape Lodge and IndoorWaterpark, Lake George – lodge and water park Texas Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington – theme park Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio – theme and water park Canada La Ronde, Montreal – theme park Mexico Six Flags Mexico, Mexico City – theme park Six Flags will be opening a third international location in the United Arab Emirates, Dubailand, which will open its doors to c ustomers in 2011. Marketing Problems and Opportunities The biggest issue Six Flags faces is its huge debt of over $2 billion dollars. The firm is on the verge of bankruptcy and has been pulled from the NYSE due to their shares falling below the $1 requirement.The firm needs to pay $300 million dollars to preferred stockholders, and lacks the capital to do so. Another key issue they face is their narrow target market. Six Flags has decreased their focus down to the youth, or teen market with less emphasis placed on appealing to families. This represents a huge loss of potential customers for Six Flags. Furthermore, there is a demand for thrill rides and rollercoaster’s that Six Flags can continue to benefit from. In order to meet both of 7 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 these issues head on, Six Flags must not only expand their demographic target, but also their product offerings.Revenue must be generated as quickly as possible through increased traffic to the parks and product diversification. Managerial Recommendations Market Focus Marketing Objectives The marketing objectives we aim to address, execute and accomplish are to increase revenue through diversification and pricing methodologies, and to increase the target market to include families, teens, and young adults. We seek to create promotional offers that affect price and new product offerings, and to re-position Six Flags theme parks as an entertainment destination that appeals to all ages, and more importantly families.Value communication is extremely important in the current economic situation we are experiencing. Six Flags is a one-stop entertainment destination that offers very low admission prices along with numerous attractions and activities. It is a park that price-sensitive consumers can enjoy and afford. Six Flags needs to increase its revenue to become viable. These additional revenue streams are to include diversification and promotions. The largest project to create more revenue is the creation of Boulevard Six.It will create the opportunity to have in review stream all year long, rather than just the summer months. It will have a diverse collection of food and entertainment to please the target markets of families and young adults. This will include well known restaurants and entertainment companies, as well as new and excited ventures. Next would be the introduction of Motion Simulator rides located in malls around the nation. These would bring in additional revenue as well as bring awareness of Six Flags. At these locations, the rides would be of the most popular attractions from across all the Six Flags.Promotions could also increase traffic to the parks and increase the revenue during these times. Boulevard Bash is a Saturday night event for those 21 years and older with live entertainment. Six Dollar Sundays would increase visitors to the parks and would bring in more repeat customers. Too Hot to Resist Days would entice people to come to park s on days when it is warm out. They could partake in the water rides to stay cool during these times. And â€Å"Free†dom Day would increase traffic to the park, however there would be revenue from ticket sales there would be from parking, food, and Boulevard Six.Target Market Increased guest spending is a major component of what target markets we are trying to reach. We want to move away from the teen market, which does not spend much if any money in the park beyond admission. The two new target markets Six Flags is going to cater to are families and 21+ young adults. Six Flags current target market is â€Å"mass-market blue-collar, with average income $50,000 per year, and probably split between teens and young adults on the one hand, and families on the 8 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 ther. â€Å"10 These families are not the type that are/were taking international family vacations. These families are â€Å"trading from a three-day, four-figure trip to Disney to a one-day, three-figure trip to Six Flags. †11 A trip to Six Flags is not cheap, but it is cheaper than. â€Å"A typical Six Flags visitor in 2007 spent $36 for the day, including parking, the price of a ticket, and meals. So, the company says, a day at Six Flags for a family of four costs less than $175. †12 Young adults are another target market Six Flags is looking into.They are a segment that had more disposable income than teens do, possible even more than families. â€Å"Young adults in the U. S. spend 52% of their money on clothing, 22% on food, and 13% on music. †13 With the addition of Boulevard Six, there is the opportunity to bring in more of the young adults, who would normally go to the local mall. Differentiation Six Flags has a lot going for it right now and with our marketing strategy, it may have the ability to differentiate itself from all the competitors. We aim to focus our differentiation based on the style of entertainment it offers.Six Flags will be a place people can go to have a day of excitement like no other theme park can offer. Without having to spend lots of money, people can have a great deal of fun during the day at an exciting theme park, and at night can cruise the Boulevard (Discussed below). There are obviously many places where one can go and enjoy a day at a theme park, however, they may have to travel a great distance if they desire to cap off the day with a night on the town. Six Flags will differentiate itself by providing both of these sources of entertainment in one location.Positioning We want Six Flags to be a place like no other in the country. In order to do this, we seek to position Six Flags in two ways. Due to the different offerings from Six Flags we don’t want to position ourselves in just one way. First, we aim to position ourselves as safe, family-friendly, lowcost form of entertainment. This position will be targeted to families and younger guests. We will advertise through d ay-time television and kid’s programming. Second, we will position ourselves as cool, fun, energetic and young-hearted.This position will be targeted to teens and younger adults (over 21) who would be interested in the Night of Fun as described below. We will hope to utilize different types of social media to target this demographic and project this type of positioning for Six Flags. Marketing Programs Product Strategy Six Flags has been providing their visitors products through their main channel, theme parks, during their existence. In order for Six Flags to stay competitive, we need to diversify our means of revenue. That will be done with the introduction to two new ventures, Motion Simulators and Boulevard Six.The motion simulators will be distributed throughout all major metropolitan malls that will be in close proximity to a Six Flags park. Malls are a choice location as they allow us to reach the broad demographics we target – families, teens, and young adults. The rides will have a selection of popular rides from Six Flags 19 parks. After the ride is over, it will â€Å"spit out† a 50% off admission coupon good for any Six Flags park, and must be redeemed within one month. This tactic is expected to drive sales up dramatically. 9 Confidential For Internal Use OnlyTeam 8 Boulevard Six will be an outdoor shopping district located outside of Six Flags larger parks. Its intention is to help produce revenue all year long, even while the parks are closed for the season. Boulevard Six will have a mix of food, shopping and entertainment for all ages. Restaurants will include California Pizza Kitchen, P. F. Changs, Johnny Rockets and more. Shopping will include Fossil, Gap, Abercrombie and more. Entertainment will come from the Comcast Sports Bar, nightclubs, live concert stages, Lucky Strike Bowling and movie theaters.Boulevard Six will also be the location of Boulevard Bash. Pricing Strategy Six Flags’ current pricing strategy for their online daily tickets is proving to be successful in terms of attracting more visitor attendance. A great example is Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, CA). As a price bundle, the theme park can also offer online daily tickets with one-day discounted parking at 20 percent to further raise attendance. For its Discovery Kingdom park, visitors will pay $29. 99 plus $12 for one-day parking totaling $41. 99.If paid separately, parking would cost $15. For its season pass holders, Six Flags can give an automatic 10 percent on all meals and merchandise simply by presenting their season passes at point-of-sale. Vouchers and coupons do not need to be redeemed for the sake of customers’ convenience. In addition to perks such as free tickets for your friends on select days, and free special events, season pass holders who are 21 and over will also pay a discounted price of $15 to get into Six Flags’ exclusive nightclub in Boulevard Six (mentioned under â€Å"Promotionâ⠂¬ ).Season parking passes also purchased online can be reduced by 20 percent and bundled with their appropriate season passes to increase the affordability and convenience of visiting Six Flags respectively. The V. I. P. tour requires a 4-person minimum and can cost up to $299 per person. This may seem like an extravagant and an unnecessary option. However, American Express cardholders with more discretionary income can enjoy this option at a 20 percent discount. To appeal towards more price-sensitive families who still want to get the ultimate V.I. P. experience, online specials should include a 20 percent discount on select days regardless of what credit card is being used. Extended hours for special events can also deliver an extra added value to 21 and over patrons who are willing to pay a 25 percent increase on top of regular one-day admission. Being open until 12 midnight for such events would grant exclusivity to a smaller crowd with less falling in line. Another feature wo uld be to have hard liquor and beer priced at a premium to further maximize profits.Ride simulators (mentioned in opportunities under â€Å"SWOT analysis†) will cost the consumer $9 for a four-minute edge-of-your-seat excursion! (These will be located in all major metropolitan malls that will be in close proximity to a Six Flags park. ) After the ride is over, it will â€Å"spit out† a 50% off admission coupon good for any Six Flags park, and must be redeemed within one month. This tactic is expected to drive sales up dramatically. Promotion In order for our marketing efforts to be successful, we need to attract customers to the previously discussed new park and activities.This is where the use of promotions will come into play. With exciting new attractions offered by Six Flags, we will need to engage more people through various type of promotions. We suggest by starting with sales promotions. The first sales promotion will be a yearly engagement, every Fourth of July where all guests get in for free. We will call this promotion â€Å"FREEdom Day†. By incorporating the Independence Day 10 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 theme, every Six Flags park will be the most enjoyable place to be on the Fourth of July.This will be a day where families can come to experience the rides and attractions, all themed accordingly, and can end the day with a 45 minute long firework display coordinated to a serious of popular current music hits. We want this promotion to help Six Flags become the leading place to be during the Fourth of July. Due to capacity constraints in each of the parks, attendance will be limited to the maximum capacity the park can handle. We will let more people in as other leave, and while everyone waits, we will have activities and entertainment out in the waiting area.Even though the guests are not in the park yet, they should still be able to have an enjoyable time while they wait. Since one of our main goals is to impro ve loyalty among our guests, we also want to have promotions on a more frequent level. One of these frequent promotions will be Six Dollar Sundays. We will offer admission to all Six-Flags for only $6 every Sunday. Another frequent promotion will be called Fun in the Sun. Anytime the temperature hits above a certain temperature (depending on the location of the park) admission will be half-price.This will help entice the people that are reluctant to come to the park if it is too hot outside. This next promotion will give free admission to people on their Birthday. We will call this our Birthday Club and promote keep records of every person’s Birthday so every year we can send them reminders to entice them to come back. Our final promotion will be called Boulevard Bash. This will be for the 21 and older crowd and will be priced at $25 per person. We will block off our Boulevard Six (described below) and admit only persons of age.We will provide alcohol and bring in musical tal ent to perform every Saturday night. Distribution The main channel of distribution will continue to be Six Flags parks. The majority of our marketing plan is focused around promotional and pricing methodologies, with the promos taking place in Six Flags. Through the price promos we execute, we anticipate an increase in sales of in-park merchandise as consumers will have more disposable income due to their savings on park admission. There will be one other channel of distribution, however, for the thrill Motion Ride simulators.The ride simulators will be distributed throughout all major metropolitan malls that will be in close proximity to a Six Flags park. Malls are a choice location as they allow us to reach the broad demographics we target – families, teens, and young adults. Implementation and Control Financial Data Six Flags is in financial distress, which might lead Six Flags to file chapter-eleven for bankruptcy. Furthermore, in October of 2008, the New York Stock Excha nge penalized Six Flags since its stockholder equity had fallen below $75-million, and the stock price had fallen below one-dollar violating the New York Stock Exchange standards. 4 If Six Flags does not increase its stock price 11 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 and market capitalization, it risks being removed from the NYSE. 15 Six Flags will not be able to continue operating without finding a plan to restructure the debt. Six Flags lost $113 million in 2008, which is compared to $253 million in 2007. However, the most recent forth quarter its reported loss is $201 million, which is compared to 2007 forth quarter $127 million. 16 The projections for Six Flags are concerning. First, by August 15th of 2009, Six Flags must pay $287. million in Preferred Income Equity Redeemable Shares to the shareholders. However, if Six Flags failed, the amount would reach in excess of $318 million. 17 Second, the financial situation is very critical further complicating Six Flags ability to continue operating. Due to major banks being in financial trouble, there is no access to adequate capital resources and lending procedures are more stringent. In order to obtain capital, our group is projecting the possibility of Busch Entertainment Corporation, a competing theme park operator in the United States, to acquire Six Flags.Busch Entertainment Corporation is a subsidiary of Anheuser- Busch. Busch Entertainment Corporation operates nine-theme parks across the nation including the Sea World and Busch Garden Parks. The company’s financial performance has been generating revenue of $1. 3 Billion and a positive earned income on the revenue. 18 Therefore, by reaching such a deal, Six Flags can have access to capital to meet the financial obligations and payoff the creditors. On the other hand, it will diversify its risk portfolio, and the advantages to share assets of both Six Flags and Busch Entertainment Corporation.Financial Projection Financial Control Six Flags CEO has been proactive in restructuring the Six Flags itself, and not only the debt. For instance, by making some major changes, Six Flags can survive these crucial economic circumstances. Therefore, CEO Mark Shapiro has used his private equity firm, Red Zone Capital, for purchasing the restaurant chain Johnny Rockets in order to integrate the chain into all parks. In addition, Red Zone Capital bought Dick Clark Productions, television home of the Golden Globe Awards, and the Academy of Country Music Awards.This was done with the intention of featuring celebrity and music events in the parks to generate revenue and stimulate and increase foot traffic. 19 Financial control over the Six Flags situation is still valid, by both restructuring the debt, and the theme parks. In addition, to potential of gaining access to some financial resources from a possible merger or consolidation with the Busch Entertainment Corporation is valid as the firms have similar revenue models and Busch has e xperienced more successful financial performance than Six Flags. ConclusionSix Flags financial situation is extremely dire and the firm is currently floundering to stay afloat. We believe that with our Marketing Plan, we may enable them to greatly increase foot traffic and sales revenue. The pricing promotions will bring people to the park and cause them to spend the money they save on ticket sales, on in-park food or merchandise. The promotions for young adults featuring 21+ nights will provide a great source of income through food and alcoholic beverage sales. The Boulevard will further create a diversified source of revenue.The re-positioning of Six Flags as a fun, low-cost entertainment destination for the family will further increase their target market and communicate value to price-sensitive consumers. Six Flags is an enjoyable theme park where all of your family entertaining needs may be met. We anticipate an increase in Six Flags performance through the execution of our Mar keting Plan. 12 Confidential For Internal Use Only Team 8 McCann, Kyle. â€Å"Rough Year Recorded at Six Flags. † ABC2News. com. 12 March 2009. 7 May 2009 . 2 â€Å"Six Flags – Investor Relations. † Six Flags. 10 May 2009

How Effective Is Police Stop and Search Essay

This assessment will focus on Section 1 of The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Stop and Search powers). I will look at the use of stop and search before the Macpherson report and after the Macpherson report and compare how it has changed. The use of stop and search powers allow the police to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, and to prevent more serious crimes occurring generally in public places like a Football match. A police officer can ask what you are doing, why you’re in an area and/or where you’re going. They also have the power to stop and search you if they have ‘reasonable grounds’ to suspect you’re carrying; illegal drugs, a weapon, stolen property or something which could be used to commit a crime, such as a dangerous weapon. You can only be stopped and searched without reasonable grounds if it has been approved by a senior police officer. This can happen if it is suspected that; serious violence could take place, you are carrying a weapon or have used one or you are in a specific location or area. However, you don’t have to answer any questions the police officer asks you. The Police officer will note down seven details these include; Ethnicity, Objective of search, Grounds for search, Identity of the officer carrying out the stop and search, Date, Time and Place. However being searched does not mean you have been arrested, unless any of these factors apply. Sir William McPherson carried out an inquiry in 1999 following an investigation of the murder of Stephen Lawrence. The 18-year-old A-Level student was fatally stabbed in an unprovoked attack as he waited for a bus in Eltham, south London, in April 1993. Nobody, at the time was convicted of his murder. However in 2006 the Metropolitan Police’s Acting Deputy Commissioner, ordered a cold case review that led to the convictions of Gary Dobson and David Norris in 2011 they were found guilty by an Old Bailey jury after a trial based on forensic evidence. Scientists found a tiny bloodstain on Dobson’s jacket that could only have come from Mr Lawrence. They also found a single hair belonging to the teenager on Norris’s jeans. Both men have had previous run-ins with the law; Dobson was jailed for five years in 2010 for drugs trafficking. He is among a small number of men to have been tried twice for the same crime (double jeopardy) after the Court of Appeal quashed his 1996 acquittal for the murder. Norris was convicted in 2002 of a separate allegation of racially threatening behaviour. Allegations of incompetence and racism against Metropolitan police officers that were in charge of the case sparked the original inquiry as did two internal police inquiries which acquitted the Metropolitan itself. In relation to the stop and search there is no actual change in the stop and search powers for the police. However records of all stop and search operation have to be published, and a copy of the record can also be given to the person involved if requested therefore there can be no discriminative reason to stop someone as the police have to provide written reason to the suspect and the police force. The 1981 Brixton riots and the subsequent Scarman report were key factors in the passage of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). It provides the core framework of police powers and safeguards around stop and search, arrest, detention, investigation, identification and interviewing detainees. The aim of PACE has always been to establish a balance between the powers of the police in England and Wales and the rights of members of the public. Literature Review The immediate effect of Macpherson saw a decline in the use of stop and search. In London, stop and searches fell from 180,000 in 1999/00 to 169,000 the following year. Nationally, the number of stop and searches fell by 21% and then a further 16% from 1998 to 2000. By December 2000, representatives of rank and file officers were saying that Macpherson had damaged morale. Officers, they said, were unprepared to use stop and search out of fear of being labelled racist. So William Hague called for there to be a rise in the use of Stop and Search. This was evident in 2001 when Mr Hague linked a rise in violent street crime in some areas to a drop in stop and searches of black people because police officers feared being called racist. However, this can be argued as many black and Asian people – including Stephen Lawrence’s father, Neville, who filed a complaint after being stopped last year – said they were still being unfairly targeted. And in January figures from the Home Office showed that the fall in searches was greatest for white suspects with black people still ive times more likely to be stopped in London than white people. The Equality Act 2010 makes it prohibited for police officers to discriminate against, harass or victimise any person in relation to ‘age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation, marriage, civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity when using their po wers on the ground of ‘protected characteristics’ (Home Office 2011). This shows they have tried to control the situation of racism in the force and tried to put a stop to it. However racism within the force goes back decades as before 1984 police were allowed to stop and search whoever they wanted therefore it became easier and more of a habit to target people who fit ‘criminal persona’. This laid back approach to stop and search caused problems because police became discriminative to the public which can be shown in the Home office statistics (Police and Criminal Evidence Act, The 1984). Research shows this is still happening today even though the Equality Act 2010 was put forward this is evident in (justice 2010). Black people are 8 per cent more likely than whites to face stop and search’. In relation to the McPherson report the Committee said that since the introduction of the report the police have made â€Å"tremendous strides† in the service they provide to ethnic minority communities and in countering racism amongst its own workforce. This is evident in the fact that sixty-seven of Macpherson’s 70 recommendations have been implemented fully or in part in the ten years since his report was published. However the statistics show that there is still racism in the force therefore were McPhersons recommendations needed or could he have focused more on the problem in hand? Many people see that that racist persona of the forces comes from the idea that police officers are hard, tough, and will not tolerate unacceptable behaviour. This is called cop culture which is hard to define as it has moved from discussing about one culture to discussing different cultures such as ‘subculture’, ‘street culture’, ‘patrol culture’, ‘canteen culture’ (It can be defined as where the police share the same sense of identity which evolves around work, hard play and hard drinking), ‘headquarters culture’ and the ‘cardigan squad’ (the soft and fluffy culture). Cop culture can be seen as many different things depending on how you view the police themselves. In Britain the Scarman report in 1981 riots in Brixton was influential and raised the importance of stop and search on young black men who felt they had been unfairly targeted due to their colour. Rowe argues that while not all findings were the ‘militaristic style of policing, with poor public engagement†¦ t established recommendations relating to policing for example on training, the role of community policing, lay visitors at police stations, discipline and stop and search’. Rowe also mentions that the recommendations mentioned in the Scarman report were reiterated in the McPherson report almost 20 years later suggests that the recommendations were not effectively implemented in the Scarman report (Rowe 2007:155). However McPherson was more forthright using the term ‘institutional racism’ that Scarman shied away from, making the problem more visible to the public. This is evident when the metropolitan police mishandled the Stephen Lawrence case due to a combination of professional incompetence, institutional racism and a failure of leadership by senior officers’ (McPherson 1999). In terms of police culture, institutional racism was said to incorporate racist stereotyping of black people as potential criminals or troublemakers (McPherson 1999). Taking this into account a racist officer can be seen as an incompetent officer as it is finding a lack of understanding of cultural diversity illustrated in the existence of cultural crisis in the metropolitan police therefore they should be retrained or dismissed. Many people of been very critical of the McPherson report one main criticism is that although McPherson made 70 much needed recommendations for the force he did little to bring justice for the family of Stephen Lawrence which was the reason he originally conducted the inquiry. However 11 years after the inquiry was completed justice was in fact served for the Lawrence family but not due to McPherson’s recommendations. This shows the failings of which the Macpherson Report draws attention too, is in relation to the police investigation into the murder of Stephen Lawrence which is important, but the explanation as to how and why the problems occurred is somewhat limited which needed to be noted as well. This means that he noted the problem of racism but didn’t recommend to put the case back on retrial. The problems identified by McPherson are not only unique to this case or other racial murders; but rather they are related to the social, legal and organisational environments in which this sort of police work should be undertaken at all times. The stop and search has been proven to be a success for the police, the power to stop and search people who they suspect of being involved in crime is an important tactic. It provides a means to confirm or allay suspicions about individuals without exercising their power of arrest. Where the stop and search is employed appropriately and proportionately, it could increase community confidence in the police force and make a positive contribution to reducing the fear of crime. Stop and search has been very successful in relation to knife crime. For example October 2009, more than 380,000 stops and searches have been conducted; 14,700 people have been arrested; and more than 7,500 knives have been recovered. However the stop and search has seen negative attitudes in relation to law-abiding people who feel they have been unjustifiably targeted. These people are less likely to trust the police and co-operate with them when they have a problem, therefore conducting effective policing, becomes much more difficult. There are still concerns in relation to stop and search and through this the equality and human right commissioners are continuing to monitor how the police are using their stop and search powers. They want to see: a reduction in the national figures for race disproportionality in the use of stop and search powers. A reduction in the number of excess stops and searches carried out on black and Asian people. Also forces with high excesses, in particular the Metropolitan Police, taking action to ensure that the powers are being used in a non-discriminatory and lawful manner. They are also monitoring and concentrating on forces that currently have particularly high rates of disproportionality, in particular some southern rural forces, taking action to reduce their race disproportionality ratios. And finally the forces with race disproportionality collaborating and sharing good practice with their neighbours. The lack of ethnic contact outside law enforcement and in the law enforcement needs a clear transformation. The criminal justice system can in no way be prejudice, discriminative, racist or sexist. They are there to keep the public safe and the public has to trust them otherwise the system would fail, the public have to be extremely open-minded. One way to do this is to focus on race awareness training for all police officers in and joining the force. However this strategy has been used before and after the Scarman report and unfortunately made little impact over the decades since. Macpherson is aware of this but fails to adopt a more radical policy agenda directed at the structure and organisation of policing and the relationship between police and ethnic minorities in the law-enforcement situation itself therefore the race problem is still occurring. To conclude many will argue that not much is different before the McPherson report during and after. The statistics show that being of ethnic origin walking the streets you are more likely to be stopped then if you are white, this stereotype needs to be changed and then the force will be less inclined to stop people of this description with little or lack of reason. However there has been a decline in the amount of black and Asian people stopped but also a decline in the amount of officers that use stop and search on regular basis in fear that they will be labelled a racist. The police need to find a balance between being labelled and doing their job to maximise the trust from the public and minimise fear of crime. Therefore the public and force can come together to make the community the safest place possible.

JWU Providence - Costs and Admissions Data

JWU Providence - Costs and Admissions Data With an acceptance rate of 88%, Johnson and Wales University in Providence is a largely accessible school. Students interested in applying to the school will need to submit an application and high school transcriptscheck out the schools website for more information. SAT and ACT scores are not required. Will You Get In? Calculate Your Chances of Getting In  with this free tool from Cappex Admissions Data (2016): JW Acceptance Rate: 88%Johnson Wales has test-optional admissionsGPA, SAT and ACT data for JWU (from Cappex.com)Test Scores 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: - / -SAT Math: - / -SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanSAT score comparison for Rhode IslandACT Composite: - / -ACT English: - / -ACT Math: - / -What these ACT numbers meanACT score comparison for Rhode Island Johnson Wales University Providence Description: Johnson Wales has four campuses in the United states the original campus in Providence, Rhode Island, and other campuses in Miami, Denver, and Charlotte. The Providence campus is the largest with students coming from all 50 states and 71 countries. JWU is a career-focused university with a focus on business, culinary arts, hospitality, technology and education. The curriculum includes hands-on training, leadership opportunities, and other forms of experiential learning. Students in many of the programs can expect to gain real-life experiences working in several hotels operated by the university. The JWU faculty brings to class lots of industry experience. Academics are supported by a 20 to 1 student / faculty ratio. Johnson Wales is not the best choice for students who are unsure of their career plans, for a defining feature of the university is that students take courses in their majors from day one (at a  liberal arts college, in contrast, students explore a wide range of fiel ds during their first year or two). Campus life at Johnson Wales is active with over 90 clubs and organizations, and the school has numerous fraternities and sororities. On the athletic front, the JWU Wildcats compete in the NCAA Division III Great Northeast Athletic Conference for most sports. The university fields ten mens and seven womens intercollegiate sports. Enrollment (2016): Total Enrollment: 9,324 (8,459 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 40% Male / 60% Female93% Full-time Costs (2016  - 17): Tuition and Fees: $30,746Books: $1,500 (why so much?)Room and Board: $12,672Other Expenses: $2,000Total Cost: $46,918 Johnson Wales University Providence Financial Aid (2015  - 16): Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 99%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 99%Loans: 91%Average Amount of AidGrants: $17,185Loans: $9,187 Academic Programs: Most Popular Majors:  Business Administration, Food Service Management, Hospitality ManagementWhat major is right for you?  Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Transfer, Graduation and Retention Rates: First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 78%Transfer-out Rate: 2%4-Year Graduation Rate: 48%6-Year Graduation Rate: 58% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs: Mens Sports:  Lacrosse, Wrestling, Soccer, Volleyball, Ice Hockey, Baseball, Track and Field, Basketball, Tennis, GolfWomens Sports:  Field Hockey, Basketball, Soccer, Softball, Lacrosse, Tennis, Volleyball, Track and Field, Cross Country Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics If You Like Johnson Wales University, You May Also Like These Schools: University of Massachusetts - Amherst: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSuffolk University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBryant University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Connecticut: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphNew York University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphRoger Williams University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphDrexel University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphNewbury College: Profile  Temple University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphRhode Island College: Profile  Bridgewater State University: Profile  University of New Haven: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph

Independent Genitive †Definition and Examples

Independent Genitive s The independent genitive is a construction in which the noun following the possessive form is omitted (such as We stopped at Sams), usually because the context makes the meaning clear without it. English also has independent genitive pronouns  (also called strong  or  absolute  possessive pronouns):  mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours,  and  theirs. Unlike dependent genitive pronouns (or weak possessives), which serve as determiners in front of nouns, the independent genitive pronouns take the place of phrases. For example, in the sentence Thats her book, her is dependent on the noun book, while in the sentence Thats hers, hers is independent. Scholarly Examples and Observations Eternal blue neon, were never closed.When the world is asleep,Darling, come take a seat.You can always eat at Joes,Eat at Joes.(Gary Harrison and Matraca Maria Berg, Eat at Joes. Performed by Suzy Bogguss on Voices in the Wind, 1992)My mother learned that she was carrying me at about the same time the Second World War was declared; with the family talent for magic realism, she once told me she had been to the doctors on the very day.(Angela Carter, The Mother Lode. Shaking a Leg. Penguin, 1998)I like the dry cleaners. I like the sense of refreshment and renewal. I like the way dirty old torn clothes are dumped, to be returned clean and wholesome in their slippery plastic cases.(Fay Weldon, The Heart of the Country. Viking Penguin, 1988)Apples market share is bigger than BMWs or Mercedess or Porsches in the automotive market. Whats wrong with being BMW or Mercedes?(Steve Jobs, quoted by Jason D. OGrady  in Apple Inc. Greenwood, 2009)He crossed Fifth Avenue  at St. Patricks and   recalled walking through the church once - such a tourist thing to do - and watching Lois light a candle.(Rick Hamlin, Reading Between the Lines. Howard Books, 2006) Independent and Dependent Genitives An independent genitive is not followed by a noun: An independent genitive is often used in referring to relationships between people, as in these examples. Notice that this construction has a very specific meaning. The independent genitive a friend of Carolines does not mean the same as the dependent genitive Carolines friend: Independent: We met a friend of Carolines in Spain. Dependent: We met Carolines friend in Spain. The independent genitive means one of Carolines friends, who may or may not be known to the hearer. In contrast, the dependent genitive means one specific friend, who is assumed to be known to the hearer. Independent genitives are also used in reference to places and businesses: (Gerald Nelson, English: An Essential Grammar, 2nd ed.  Routledge, 2011) A friend of CarolinesA colleague of FranksAn old army pal of JimsShe stayed at Rebeccas Rebeccas houseI ran into Jim in Sainsburys Sainsburys supermarketI left my wallet in the barbers the barbers shop Independent Genitive Pronouns Note that most of the independent forms are distinguished from the dependent forms simply by the presence of a word-final -s. The exceptions are the 1st-person independent genitive (mine rather than *mys), and the masculine and neutral forms of the 3rd-person independent genitive (his, its), which are identical to the 3rd-person dependent genitive forms. These pronouns are often described as possessive forms. This is not the most useful label, since the meaning of these forms is not restricted to expressing possession. This is shown in the examples in (27), only the first of which can be said to involve the semantic relation of possession: (27a) I must clean my car. (27b) The professors were not surprised by his failure. (27c) Their hometown is Cambridge. (Martin J. Endley, Linguistic Perspectives on English Grammar. Information Age, 2010) There are four sorts of people. (1) He who says What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is yoursthis is the average sort. (And some say, This is the sort of Sodom.) (2) Whats mine is yours and whats yours is minethis is a boor. (3) Whats mine is yours and whats yours is yoursthis is a truly pious man. (4) Whats mine is mine and whats yours is minethis is a truly wicked man. (Tractate  Abot 5:10.  The Book of Jewish Wisdom: The Talmud of the Well-Considered Life, ed. by Jacob Neusner and Noam M. M. Neusner. Continuum, 1996)

DQ1_WK5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DQ1_WK5 - Essay Example This report provides marketing strategies recommendation for three different products each of which is at a different stage in its life cycle. The first product showcased is Apple’s iPhone. This product is currently introductory or birth stage of its life cycle. The iPhone was the first smart phone with full multimedia capabilities such as internet connectivity that came out in the marketplace. Its touch screen functionality made it very unique. When it was introduced the company took a good first step which was signing as exclusivity contract with A&TT to test the marketplace. A prestigious mobile carrier with 3G infrastructure provided the company with a good partner to introduce the product. The pricing for this product was pretty steep when it came out which limited the demand for the product. The product needs an aggressive marketing campaign in multiple media channels in which the price of the item is deeply discounted to cost $99 or lower. The purpose of this strategy is to penetrate the marketplace and increase market share. Other competitors came out with smart phones which are as good as the iPhone, thus t he luxury price of $500 that apple charged for the product in its inception is no longer viable The second product to be analyzed is Panasonic’s HDTV. The HDTV is currently in the growth phase of its life cycle. Digital televisions sets currently have favorable regulatory market conditions. In February 2009 all the entire television industry is going digital and the analog signal will be gone forever in the United States marketplace (Dtv, 2009). The demand for this product is going to increase. A good marketing strategy for Panasonic is to increase its distribution channels by adding the product to the shelves of more retailers nationwide. The pricing can be lowered a bit to take advantage of the holiday season boost, but there is no need for deep discounting as in the case of the iPhone