Causes and Prevention of Obesity in College Students Essay

Causes and Prevention of Obesity in College Students - Essay Example This essay "Causes and Prevention of Obesity in College Students" outlines the reasons for the obesity among students, its danger, and the methods how to stop the growing number of obese college students. Many countries are seeking solutions and creating awareness on the fact that obesity is becoming an issue of national concern. There have been numerous studies focusing on obesity in children and teenagers as well as adults. In many of the studies, college students have been included in the adult group (Archer, 2013). Therefore, there are different factors that trigger the development of obesity among college students. These reasons are unique and are different from those increasing the susceptibility of other groups to obesity this necessitates a study, which focuses on the causes of obesity among college students and the potential solutions that can help them address the issue. This study seeks to understand the unique factors that contribute to increasing obesity rates among coll ege students. College students have a unique lifestyle, tastes, and prevalence, which may make them more vulnerable to developing obesity. Moreover, it is possible that factors that contribute to the increasing rates of obesity among college students are different from those associated with obesity in teenagers and children. Notably, college students are adults who can make their own decisions with minimal influence of others especially their parents. Moreover, most of the college students stay away from home and have to make decisions about their diets and lifestyle.

Has the death penalty in the United States run its course Research Paper

Has the death penalty in the United States run its course - Research Paper Example History of Death Penalty Death penalty law was first established way back in eighteenth century B.C. in the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon. In Britain, hanging became the most common method of executing death sentence in the tenth century A.D. However, in the following century, William the conqueror banned all method of capital punishment for any crime. Again, in the sixteenth century some 72,000 people were executed for capital offences like conducting wedding with a Jew, not admitting to a crime, and treason. Since death penalty is a severe form of punishment, the juries did not convict many defendants if the offense was not grave and this called for reforms in the death penalty in Britain. America was influenced mostly by Britain in the methods of death penalty. When the Europeans settled in the newly found land of America, they continued with their practice of capital punishment. In America, the first ever execution that took place was of Captain George Kendall in the Jamesto wn colony of Virginia in 1608. His crime was that he was a spy for Spain. All colonies did not have the same laws of death penalty. The first implementation held in Massachusetts Bay Colony was in 1630 although Capital Laws of New England were not established until years later. Duke’s Laws of 1665 were put into effect in the New York colony and under these laws capital crimes included striking one’s parents or atheism. Attempts to reform the death penalty occurred for the first time in America when Thomas Jefferson initiated a bill to review Virginia's death penalty laws. According to this law crimes that were to be punishable by death penalty were murder and treason. This law was defeated by one vote. In the nineteenth century many states of America brought down the incidence of their capital crimes. Many states like Rhode Island and Wisconsin abolished the death penalty, although most states continued with their practice of capital punishment. Some states increased t he number of offences to be liable to be punished by death penalty, mainly those committed by the slaves. During the civil war, anti slavery movement began more prominent and as such opposition to the death penalty declined. "Progressive Period" of reform began in the twentieth century in America. During the period 1907-17, death penalty was completely withdrawn in six states. Three states kept treason and first-degree murder of a law enforcement official as the only capital crimes. However, this reform did not last for long due to the chaotic atmosphere in America in the wake of the Russian revolution. In addition to that, America participated in World War I and during this period there were severe class conflicts and the socialists became a threat to capitalism. Due to this reason five of the six states which abolished death penalty again established the law of death penalty. In the 1950s, the number of death penalties made a steep drop as many allied nations either abolished or l imited the death penalty. (â€Å"History of the Death Penalty†) Cost of Execution From economic standpoint it is debatable whether death penalty is sufficiently effective for prevention of criminal activities. There are methods that have been proved to be effective for prevention of crime, but resources that are used for the implementation of death penalty are not available for establishing those methods. Costs involved in death penalty cases are much higher

Saving Private Ryan Analysis

Saving Private Ryan Analysis Saving Private Ryan by Steven Spielberg. Introduction Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed 1998 war film Saving Private Ryan tells the story of the search for Private James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon), an American soldier missing in Normandy, France, during the Second World War. Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) receives orders to assemble a group of soldiers to find the fourth son of the Ryan family, who have received notification on the same day of the death of three of their sons while in action. The film opens with an aged veteran visiting the American Cemetery in Normandy with his wife, children and grandchildren. He falls to his knees and breaks down in tears at the graveside of a fallen comrade. The film then cuts to a twenty-five minute sequence which has become the focus of much close analysis and critical commentary. The reconstruction of the US landings on Omaha Beach on the 6 June 1944, at the beginning of the Normandy invasion, places the viewer at the centre of the bloody onslaught, as machine-guns fire mercilessly into the bodies of the soldiers as they make they way forward into German defences. Bodies are ripped apart (a soldier holds his exposed intestines), limbs fly in the air (a soldier bends down to pick up his lost arm), bodies catch fire, and the ceaseless unnerving rattle of gun fire, represent a stunningly powerful and vivid experience for the film’s viewers. â€Å"The intense and fearful exhilaration created by a freely and rapidly moving camer a is central.† The graphic realism of the sequence; with the continuous jerky movement of hand-held cameras, capturing the madness and confusion of the battle; and the painstaking attention to gory detail, with blood and water splashing the camera lens, was to be heralded by many as one of Spielberg’s defining cinematic achievements. Hendrik Hertzberg wrote on the film’s release in ‘The New Yorker’: â€Å"What makes â€Å"Saving Private Ryan† utterly distinctive is the sense that it has no agenda other than to capture the experience of being a combat soldier in the last global war.† The vivid depiction of death and injury experienced by Captain Miller, as he succeeds in leading his company of Rangers at Omaha Beach, sets the tone for the remaining two hours of the film, as the viewer follows him in his next mission to find and return James Ryan to his mother. Captain Miller assembles seven men for the task, and the soldiers move into Normandy’s neighbouring Neuville. Private Carpazo (Vin Diesel) is the group’s first victim, when he is shot dead by a German sniper. With tempers fraying and internal mistrust building, the locating of James Frederick Ryan, the wrong soldier, leads to further dissent. However Captain Miller finally discovered Ryan’s whereabouts, in Ramelle, following a chance meeting with one of his friends. On the way to Ryan the soldiers loose their second victim, Wade (Giovanni Ribisi), and Miller’s leadership is again questioned when he prevents a surrendered German being shot by one of his men, named Reiben, (Edward Burns), and sets him free. Captain Miller succeeds in reasserting trust, confidence and comradeship in the group by revealing personal details about his past and origins, including his position as an English teacher. Susan Hayward writes: â€Å"the gore of war is matched by the unheralded heroism of an individual who stands for humanity.†   When the group of remaining soldier finally reach Ramelle they find American paratroopers, including Ryan, defending the town from advancing German troops with very few soldiers. When told of their mission, and the death of his brothers, Ryan refuses to stand down, instead courageously heading for the bridge which will need to be held, asking Miller and his men to join him. As the German tanks arrive, Miller reluctantly agrees and takes command of the few soldiers. Heavily outnumbered, malnourished and exhausted, most of Captain Miller’s men are fatally injured. Spielberg again graphically visualises the horror of war as one man is stabbed, another shot in the throat, and another shot down with repeated unrelenting gun fire. Spielberg uses camera distancing and focal points as a means to involve the viewer within the frantic action of this batt le sequence. The knowledge that somewhere above snipers prey on the men is constantly drawn upon. Captain Miller himself is eventually shot down and soon dies in the arms of Ryan as backup arrives too late from another American infantry. The town is saved, but only three men, including Ryan, survive. As the film ends the veteran at the graveside of Captain Miller is revealed to be James Ryan. He stands to attention and salutes the American flag, which lies on the grave, acknowledging his comrade’s sacrifice and honour in his own and his country’s name. Saving Private Ryan received much critical acclaim, including eleven Academy Award nominations. Steven Spielberg achieved the Best Director award, Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski and film editor Michael Kahn’s contribution to the film’s brutal realism was also acknowledged by the Academy. Produced with an estimated budget of â€Å"$70 000 000† Saving Private Ryan was theatrically released by Paramount Pictures, and distributed by Spielberg’s Production Company DreamWorks, andmade â€Å"$30, 576, 104† on its opening weekend alone. The continued popularity of the film, by audiences and critics, and what has led many to label the film as the best War film ever made, is attributable to the timelessness of the visual effects and memorable scenes (most notably the opening Omaha sequence, and the final battle for the bridge). The historical accuracy and artistic license of the film has been invariably considered in the decade following the release of Savin g Private Ryan, but the consensus is that the style and form of the film ensure a powerful and captivating, if harrowing, experience for any viewer. It is a film which places audiences at the centre of the narrative; viewers are â€Å"encouraged to review and consider what they see- and, if point-of-view matters, to contemplate why.† As with his earlier graphic Holocaust film Schindler’s List (1993), Steven Spielberg ambition is to exceed visual entertainment, using reconstructive dramatisation as a means to ‘experience’ the unimaginable in a wholly believable way. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Hayward, Susan. Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts. London: Routledge, 2000. Morris, Nigel. The Cinema of Steven Spielberg. London: Wallflower Press, 2007. Tasker, Yvonne. Fifty Contemporary Filmmakers. London: Routledge, 2002. http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1998/07/27/1998_07_27_030_TNY_LIBRY_000016012 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120815/business

A Trip To Egypt :: English Literature Essays

A Trip To Egypt My name is Morgause, but you can call me Morgan. My family and I come from Egypt. An ancient land filled with mysteries and great ancient history of faros, tombs and buried treasure. I love Egypt, and mostly I miss it a lot. Now I live in Germany. My parents wanted to move here and they wanted me to study German. They never ever told me why, all they said was that that was their wish and I shouldn’t question it, and I didn’t, even though I wanted to know so badly. My family was really close; we never kept secrets from each other. So the only thing on my mind was if they were keeping a something from me. Why would we ever move away from Egypt? Why did we have to move to Germany? Why did we have to move at all? Germany is a great place, but for the Germans. My mom loved Egypt too, so why did she sacrifice it to move here? It just couldn’t get off my mind. I’ve been thinking about it for weeks and weeks, but it seemed that I would never be able to figure it out. This wasn’t my only problem. I don’t really like Germany; it’s a whole lot different from what I’m used to. Something keeps my heart and mind in Egypt- the ancient civilization. The Great Pyramid. It reminded me of the hard work the ancient Egyptians had to face on a daily bases, to build amazing things like that. I’ve always been interested in ancient history, Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece; I just enjoy studying ancient times. I would like to visit Rome someday. I also love to travel. New and exciting places, and again, I love ancient cities and countries like Italy and Greece. It’s my second year here in Germany. I have no idea how fast those 2 years passed by. Germany is a pretty good place to live if you get used to it, but I can’t. I had a really hard time learning the language. German didn’t make any sense for me and my parents said that’ normal, but again I don’t think so. I know this Egyptian girl at school; at least I think she’s Egyptian. She never talks to me, and when she’s with her friends, she ignores me completely. She’s a few years younger than me, but I never saw a 10 year old acting so snobby and mean.

Chapter 7 The Boggart in the Wardrobe

Malfoy didn't reappear in classes until late on Thursday morning, when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions. He swaggered into the dungeon, his right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling, acting, in Harry's opinion, as though he were the heroic survivor of some dreadful battle. â€Å"How is it, Draco?† simpered Pansy Parkinson. â€Å"Does it hurt much?† â€Å"Yeah,† said Malfoy, putting on a brave sort of grimace. But Harry saw him wink at Crabbe and Goyle when Pansy had looked away. â€Å"Settle down, settle down,† said Professor Snape idly. Harry and Ron scowled at each other; Snape wouldn't have said ‘settle down' if they'd walked in late, he'd have given them detention. But Malfoy had always been able to get away with anything in Snape's classes; Snape was head of Slytherin House, and generally favored his own students above all others. They were making a new potion today, a Shrinking Solution. Malfoy set up his cauldron right next to Harry and Ron, so that they were preparing their ingredients on the same table. â€Å"Sir,† Malfoy called, â€Å"sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm –â€Å" â€Å"Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him,† said Snape without looking up. Ron went brick red. â€Å"There's nothing wrong with your arm,† he hissed at Malfoy. Malfoy smirked across the table. â€Å"Weasley, you heard Professor Snape; cut up these roots.† Ron seized his knife, pulled Malfoy's roots toward him, and began to chop them roughly, so that they were all different sizes. â€Å"Professor,† drawled Malfoy, â€Å"Weasley's mutilating my roots, sir.† Snape approached their table, stared down his hooked nose at the roots, then gave Ron an unpleasant smile from beneath his long, greasy black hair. â€Å"Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley.† â€Å"But, sir –!† Ron had spent the last quarter of an hour carefully shredding his own roots into exactly equal pieces. â€Å"Now,† said Snape in his most dangerous voice. Ron shoved his own beautifully cut roots across the table at Malfoy, then took up the knife again. â€Å"And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned,† said Malfoy, his voice full of malicious laughter. â€Å"Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig,† said Snape, giving Harry the look of loathing he always reserved just for him. Harry took Malfoy's shrivelfig as Ron began trying to repair the damage to the roots he now had to use. Harry skinned the shrivelfig as fast as he could and flung it back across the table at Malfoy without speaking. Malfoy was smirking more broadly than ever. â€Å"Seen your pal Hagrid lately?† he asked them quietly. â€Å"None of your business,† said Ron jerkily, without looking up. â€Å"I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer,† said Malfoy in a tone of mock sorrow. â€Å"Father's not very happy about my injury –â€Å" â€Å"Keep talking, Malfoy, and I'll give you a real injury,† snarled Ron. â€Å"?C he's complained to the school governors. And to the Ministry of Magic. Father's got a lot of influence, you know. And a lasting injury like this† — he gave a huge, fake sigh — â€Å"who knows if my arm'll ever be the same again?† â€Å"So that's why you're putting it on,† said Harry, accidentally beheading a dead caterpillar because his hand was shaking in anger, â€Å"To try to get Hagrid fired.† â€Å"Well,† said Malfoy, lowering his voice to a whisper, â€Å"partly, Potter. But there are other benefits too. Weasley, slice my caterpillars for me.† A few cauldrons away, Neville was in trouble. Neville regularly went to pieces in Potions lessons; it was his worst subject, and his great fear of Professor Snape made things ten times worse. His potion, which was supposed to be a bright, acid green, had turned — â€Å"Orange, Longbottom,† said Snape, ladling some up and allowing to splash back into the cauldron, so that everyone could see. â€Å"Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one cat spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?† Neville was pink and trembling. He looked as though he was on the verge of tears. â€Å"Please, sir,† said Hermione, â€Å"please, I could help Neville put it right –â€Å" â€Å"I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger,† said Snape coldly, and Hermione went as pink as Neville. â€Å"Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly.† Snape moved away, leaving Neville breathless with fear. â€Å"Help me!† he moaned to Hermione. â€Å"Hey, Harry,† said Seamus Finnigan, leaning over to borrow Harry's brass scales, â€Å"have you heard? Daily Prophet this morning — they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted.† â€Å"Where?† said Harry and Ron quickly. On the other side of the table, Malfoy looked up, listening closely. â€Å"Not too far from here,† said Seamus, who looked excited. â€Å"It was a Muggle who saw him. ‘Course, she didn't really understand. The Muggles think he's just an ordinary criminal, don't they? So she phoned the telephone hot line. By the time the Ministry of Magic got there, he was gone.† â€Å"Not too far from here †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ron repeated, looking significantly at Harry. He turned around and saw Malfoy watching closely. â€Å"What, Malfoy? Need something else skinned?† But Malfoy's eyes were shining malevolently, and they were fixed Harry. He leaned across the table. â€Å"Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?† â€Å"Yeah, that's right,† said Harry offhandedly. Malfoy's thin mouth was curving in a mean smile. â€Å"Of course, if it was me,† he said quietly, â€Å"I'd have done something before now. I wouldn't be staying in school like a good boy, I'd be out there looking for him.† â€Å"What are you talking about, Malfoy?† said Ron roughly. â€Å"Don't you know, Potter?† breathed Malfoy, his pale eyes narrowed. â€Å"Know what?† Malfoy let out a low, sneering laugh. â€Å"Maybe you'd rather not risk your neck,† he said. â€Å"Want to leave it to the Dementors, do you? But if it was me, I'd want revenge. I'd hunt him down myself.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† said Harry angrily, but at that moment Snape called, â€Å"You should have finished adding your ingredients by now; this potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Crabbe and Goyle laughed openly, watching Neville sweat as he stirred his potion feverishly. Hermione was muttering instructions to him out of the corner of her mouth, so that Snape wouldn't see. Harry and Ron packed away their unused ingredients and went to wash their hands and ladles in the stone basin in the corner. â€Å"What did Malfoy mean?† Harry muttered to Ron as he stuck his hands under the icy jet that poured from the gargoyle's mouth â€Å"Why would I want revenge on Black? He hasn't done anything to me — yet.† â€Å"He's making it up,† said Ron savagely. â€Å"He's trying to make you do something stupid†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The end of the lesson in sight, Snape strode over to Neville, who was cowering by his cauldron. â€Å"Everyone gather 'round,† said Snape, his black eyes glittering, â€Å"and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned.† The Gryffindors watched fearfully. The Slytherins looked excited. Snape picked up Trevor the toad in his left hand and dipped a small spoon into Neville's potion, which was now green. He trickled a few drops down Trevor's throat. There was a moment of hushed silence, in which Trevor gulped; then there was a small pop, and Trevor the tadpole was wriggling in Snape's palm. The Gryffindors burst into applause. Snape, looking sour, pulled a small bottle from the pocket of his robe, poured a few drops on top of Trevor, and he reappeared suddenly, fully grown. â€Å"Five points from Gryffindor,† said Snape, which wiped the smiles from every face. â€Å"I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed.† Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed the steps to the entrance hall. Harry was still thinking about what Malfoy had said, while Ron was seething about Snape. â€Å"Five points from Gryffindor because the potion was all right! Why didn't you lie, Hermione? You should've said Neville did it all by himself!† Hermione didn't answer. Ron looked around. â€Å"Where is she?† Harry turned too. They were at the top of the steps now, watching the rest of the class pass them, heading for the Great Hall and lunch. â€Å"She was right behind us,† said Ron, frowning. Malfoy passed them, walking between Crabbe and Goyle. He smirked at Harry and disappeared. â€Å"There she is,† said Harry. Hermione was panting slightly, hurrying up the stairs; one hand clutched her bag, the other seemed to be tucking something down the front of her robes. â€Å"How did you do that?† said Ron. â€Å"What?† said Hermione, joining them. â€Å"One minute you were right behind us, the next moment, you were back at the bottom of the stairs again.† â€Å"What?† Hermione looked slightly confused. â€Å"Oh — I had to go back for something. Oh no –â€Å" A seam had split on Hermione's bag. Harry wasn't surprised; he could see that it was crammed with at least a dozen large and heavy books. â€Å"Why are you carrying all these around with you?† Ron asked her. â€Å"You know how many subjects I'm taking,† said Hermione breathlessly. â€Å"Couldn't hold these for me, could you?† â€Å"But –† Ron was turning over the books she had handed him, looking at the covers. â€Å"You haven't got any of these subjects today. It's only Defense Against the Dark Arts this afternoon.† â€Å"Oh yes,† said Hermione vaguely, but she packed all the books back into her bag just the same. â€Å"I hope there's something good for lunch, I'm starving,† she added, and she marched off toward the Great Hall. â€Å"D'you get the feeling Hermione's not telling us something?† Ron asked Harry. ****** Professor Lupin wasn't there when they arrived at his first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. They all sat down, took out their books, quills, and parchment, and were talking when he finally entered the room. Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had had a few square meals. â€Å"Good afternoon,† he said. â€Å"Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands.† A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books. They had never had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts class before, unless you counted the memorable class last year when their old teacher had brought a cageful of pixies to class and set them loose. â€Å"Right then,† said Professor Lupin, when everyone was ready. â€Å"If you'd follow me.† Puzzled but interested, the class got to its feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing they saw was Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum. Peeves didn't look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away; then he wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song. â€Å"Loony, loopy Lupin,† Peeves sang. â€Å"Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin –â€Å" Rude and unmanageable as he almost always was, Peeves usually showed some respect toward the teachers. Everyone looked quickly at Professor Lupin to see how he would take this; to their surprise, he was still smiling. â€Å"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves,† he said pleasantly. â€Å"Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms.† Filch was the Hogwarts caretaker, a bad-tempered, failed wizard who waged a constant war against the students and, indeed, Peeves. However, Peeves paid no attention to Professor Lupin's words, except to blow a loud wet raspberry. Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand. â€Å"This is a useful little spell,† he told the class over his shoulder. â€Å"Please watch closely.† He raised the wand to shoulder height, said, â€Å"Waddiwasi!† and pointed it at Peeves. With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves's left nostril; he whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing. â€Å"Cool, sir!† said Dean Thomas in amazement. â€Å"Thank you, Dean,† said Professor Lupin, putting his wand away again. â€Å"Shall we proceed?† They set off again, the class looking at shabby Professor Lupin with increased respect. He led them down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staffroom door. â€Å"Inside, please,† said Professor Lupin, opening it and standing back. The staffroom, a long, paneled room full of old, mismatched chairs, was empty except for one teacher. Professor Snape was sitting in a low armchair, and he looked around as the class filed in. His eyes were glittering and there was a nasty sneer playing around his mouth. As Professor Lupin came in and made to close the door behind him, Snape said, â€Å"Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this.† He got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him. At the doorway he turned on his heel and said, â€Å"Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear.† Neville went scarlet. Harry glared at Snape; it was bad enough that he bullied Neville in his own classes, let alone doing it in front of other teachers. Professor Lupin had raised his eyebrows. â€Å"I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation,† he said, â€Å"and I am sure he will perform it admirably.† Neville's face went, if possible, even redder. Snape's lip curled, but he left, shutting the door with a snap. â€Å"Now, then,† said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class toward the end of the room, where there was nothing but an old wardrobe where the teachers kept their spare robes. As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall. â€Å"Nothing to worry about,† said Professor Lupin calmly because a few people had jumped backward in alarm. â€Å"There's a Boggart in there.† Most people seemed to feel that this was something to worry about. Neville gave Professor Lupin a look of pure terror, and Seamus Finnigan eyed the now rattling doorknob apprehensively. â€Å"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces,† said Professor Lupin. â€Å"Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks — I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice.† â€Å"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a Boggart?† Hermione put up her hand. â€Å"It's a shape-shifter,† she said. â€Å"It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most.† â€Å"Couldn't have put it better myself,† said Professor Lupin, and Hermione glowed. â€Å"So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. â€Å"This means,† said Professor Lupin, choosing to ignore Neville's small sputter of terror, â€Å"that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?† Trying to answer a question with Hermione next to him, bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet with her hand in the air, was very off-putting, but Harry had a go. â€Å"Er — because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?† â€Å"Precisely,† said Professor Lupin, and Hermione put her hand down, looking a little disappointed. â€Å"It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a Boggart make that very mistake — tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening. ‘The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. â€Å"We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please†¦riddikulus!† â€Å"Riddikulus!† said the class together. â€Å"Good,† said Professor Lupin. â€Å"Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville.† The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville, who walked forward as though he were heading for the gallows. â€Å"Right, Neville,† said Professor Lupin. â€Å"First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?† Neville's lips moved, but no noise came out. â€Å"I didn't catch that, Neville, sorry,† said Professor Lupin cheerfully. Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, â€Å"Professor Snape.† Nearly everyone laughed. Even Neville grinned apologetically. Professor Lupin, however, looked thoughtful. â€Å"Professor Snape†¦hmmm†¦Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?† â€Å"Er — yes,† said Neville nervously. â€Å"But — I don't want the Boggart to turn into her either.† â€Å"No, no, you misunderstand me,† said Professor Lupin, now smiling. â€Å"I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?† Neville looked startled, but said, â€Å"Well†¦always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress†¦green, normally†¦and sometimes a fox-fur scarf.† â€Å"And a handbag?† prompted Professor Lupin. â€Å"A big red one,† said Neville. â€Å"Right then,† said Professor Lupin. â€Å"Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?† â€Å"Yes,† said Neville uncertainty, plainly wondering what was coming next. â€Å"When the Boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape,† said Lupin. â€Å"And you will raise your wand — thus — and cry â€Å"Riddikulus† — and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag.† There was a great shout of laughter. The wardrobe wobbled more violently. â€Å"If Neville is successful, the Boggart is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn,† said Professor Lupin. â€Å"I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The room went quiet. Harry thought†¦What scared him most in the world? His first thought was Lord Voldemort — a Voldemort returned to full strength. But before he had even started to plan a possible counterattack on a Boggart-Voldemort, a horrible image came floating to the surface of his mind†¦. A rotting, glistening hand, slithering back beneath a black cloak†¦a long, rattling breath from an unseen mouth†¦then a cold so penetrating it felt like drowning†¦ Harry shivered, then looked around, hoping no one had noticed. Many people had their eyes shut tight. Ron was muttering to himself, â€Å"Take its legs off.† Harry was sure he knew what that was about. Ron's greatest fear was spiders. â€Å"Everyone ready?† said Professor Lupin. Harry felt a lurch of fear. He wasn't ready. How could you make a Dementor less frightening? But he didn't want to ask for more time; everyone else was nodding and rolling up their sleeves. â€Å"Neville, we're going to back away,† said Professor Lupin. â€Å"Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward†¦Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot –â€Å" They all retreated, backed against the walls, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe. He looked pale and frightened, but he had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready. â€Å"On the count of three, Neville,† said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. â€Å"One — two — three — now!† A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville. Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snape was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes. â€Å"R — r — riddikulus! † squeaked Neville. There was a noise like a whip crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag. There was a roar of laughter; the Boggart paused, confused, and Professor Lupin shouted, â€Å"Parvati! Forward!† Parvati walked forward, her face set. Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he had stood was a bloodstained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned to Parvati and it began to walk toward her very slowly, dragging its feet, its stiff arms rising — â€Å"Riddikulus!† cried Parvati. A bandage unraveled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled, fell face forward, and its head rolled off. â€Å"Seamus!† roared Professor Lupin. Seamus darted past Parvati. Crack! Where the mummy had been was a woman with floorlength black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face — a banshee. She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek that made the hair on Harry's head stand on end — â€Å"Riddikulus!† shouted Seamus. The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone. Crack! The banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle, then — crack!- became a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before — crack! — becoming a single, bloody eyeball. â€Å"It's confused!† shouted Lupin. â€Å"We're getting there! Dean!† Dean hurried forward. Crack! The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over and began to creep along the floor like a crab. â€Å"Riddikulus!† yelled Dean. There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap. â€Å"Excellent! Ron, you next!† Ron leapt forward. Crack! Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly. For a moment, Harry thought Ron had frozen. Then — â€Å"Riddikulus!† bellowed Ron, and the spider's legs vanished; it rolled over and over; Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way and it came to a halt at Harry's feet. He raised his wand, ready, but — â€Å"Here!† shouted Professor Lupin suddenly, hurrying forward. Crack! The legless spider had vanished. For a second, everyone looked wildly around to see where it was. Then they saw a silvery-white orb hanging in the air in front of Lupin, who said, â€Å"Riddikulus!† almost lazily. Crack! â€Å"Forward, Neville, and finish him off!† said Lupin as the Boggart landed on the floor as a cockroach. Crack! Snape was back. This time Neville charged forward looking determined. â€Å"Riddikulus!† he shouted, and they had a split second's view of Snape in his lacy dress before Neville let out a great â€Å"Ha!† of laughter, and the Boggart exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke, and was gone. â€Å"Excellent!† cried Professor Lupin as the class broke into applause. â€Å"Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone†¦Let me see†¦five points to Gryffindor for every person to tackle the Boggart — ten for Neville because he did it twice†¦and five each to Hermione and Harry.† â€Å"But I didn't do anything,† said Harry. â€Å"You and Hermione answered my questions correctly at the start of the class, Harry,† Lupin said lightly. â€Å"Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on Boggarts and summarize it for me†¦to be handed in on Monday. That will be all.† Talking excitedly, the class left the staffroom. Harry, however, wasn't feeling cheerful. Professor Lupin had deliberately stopped him from tackling the Boggart. Why? Was it because he'd seen Harry collapse on the train, and thought he wasn't up to much? Had he thought Harry would pass out again? But no one else seemed to have noticed anything. â€Å"Did you see me take that banshee?† shouted Seamus. â€Å"And the hand!† said Dean, waving his own around. â€Å"And Snape in that hat!† â€Å"And my mummy!† â€Å"I wonder why Professor Lupin's frightened of crystal balls?† said Lavender thoughtfully. â€Å"That was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson we've ever had, wasn't it?† said Ron excitedly as they made their way back to the classroom to get their bags. â€Å"He seems like a very good teacher,† said Hermione approvingly. â€Å"But I wish I could have had a turn with the Boggart –â€Å" â€Å"What would it have been for you?† said Ron, sniggering. â€Å"A piece of homework that only got nine out of ten?†

PM Profitel Inc. Case

As a formerly government-owned telephone monopoly, Profitel enjoyed many decades of minimal competition. Even today as a publicly traded enterprise, the company’s almost exclusive control over telephone copper wiring across the country keeps its profit mar- gins above 40 percent. Competitors in telephone and DSL broadband continue to rely on Profitel’s wholesale business, which generates substantially more profit than similar wholesale services in many other countries.However, Profitel has stiff competition in the cellular (mobile) telephone business, and other emerging technologies (voice- over-Internet) threaten Profitel’s dominance. Based on these threats, Profitel’s board of directors decided to hire an outsider as the new chief executive. Although several qualified candidates expressed an interest in Profitel’s top job, the board selected Lars Peeters, who had been CEO for six years of a publicly traded Euro- pean telephone company, followed by a brief stint as CEO of a cellular telephone company in the United States until it was acquired by a larger firm.Profitel’s board couldn’t believe its good fortune; Peeters brought extensive industry knowledge and global experience, a high-octane energy level, self-confidence, decisiveness, and congenial yet strongly persuasive interpersonal style. He also had a unique â€Å"presence,† which caused people to pay attention and respect his leadership. The board was also impressed with Peeters strategy to bolster Profitel’s profit margins.This included heavy investment in the latest wireless broadband technology (for both cellular telephone and computer Internet) before competitors could gain a foothold, cutting costs through layoffs and reduction of peripheral services, and putting pressure on government to deregulate its traditional and emerging businesses. When Peeters described his strategy to the board, one board member commented that this was the same strategy Peeters used in his previous two CEO postings. Peeters dismissed the comment, saying that each situation is unique. Peeters lived up to his reputation as a decisive executive.Almost immediately after taking the CEO job at Profitel, he hired two executives from the European company where he previously worked. Together over the next two years they cut the workforce by 5 percent and rolled out the new wireless broadband technology for cellphones and Internet. Costs increased somewhat due to downsizing expenses and the wireless technology rollout. Profitel’s wireless broadband subscriber list grew quickly because, in spite of its very high prices, the technology faced limited competition and Profitel was pushing customers off the older technology to the new network.Profitel’s customer sat- isfaction ratings fell, however. A national consumer research group reported that Profitel’s broadband offered the country’s worst value. Employee morale also dec lined due to layoffs and the company’s public image problems. Some industry experts also noted that Profitel selected its wireless technology without evaluating the alternative emerging wireless technology, which had been gaining ground in other countries. Peeters’ aggressive campaign against government regulation also had unintended consequences.Rather than achieving less regulation, criticizing government and its telecommunications regulator made Profitel look even more arrogant in the eyes of both customers and government leaders. Profitel’s board was troubled by the company’s lacklustre share price, which had declined 20 percent since Peeters was hired. Some board members also worried that the company had bet on the wrong wireless technology and that subscription levels would stall far below the number necessary to achieve the profits stated in Peeters’ strategic plan.This concern came closer to reality when a foreign-owned competitor won a $1 billion government contract to improve broadband services in regional areas of the country. Profitel’s proposal for that regional broadband upgrade specified high prices and limited corporate investment, but Peeters was confident Profitel would be awarded the contract because of its market dominance and existing infrastructure with the new wireless network.When the government decided otherwise, Profitel’s board fired Peeters along with two executives he had hired from the European company where he previously worked. Now, the board had to figure out what went wrong and how to avoid this problem in the future. Questions: 1. Which perspective of leadership best explains the problems experienced in this case? Analyze the case using concepts discussed in that leadership perspective. 2. What can organizations do to minimize the leadership problems discussed above?