Strengths In The Weight Bearing Ankles Of Young Women Essays

Strengths In The Weight Bearing Ankles Of Young Women Ottaviani, Robert A. (2001) Inversion and Eversion Strengths in the Weight bearing Ankles of Young Women. American Journal of Sports Medicine. Ankle injuries rank as the most common injury in athletics today, and compared to men, women basketball players are 25 % to 60% more susceptible to spraining their ankles. The article began by hypothesizing that this rate is so high in women, because ankle-strength is due to an inversion-eversion muscle strength ratio that is associated with ankle injuries. And past experiments have proven that women, on average, have less muscle strength at the ankle than men. It was stated that this experiment was conducted for three reasons; Nonweight bearing studies tend to underestimate inversion and eversion strengths, no studies of inversion or eversion strengths have been reported in womens ankles bearing full body weight, and there are no sex comparisons of inversion and eversion strength in the ankle. Also, they wanted to see if there was a relation between ankle strength and shoe type. The experimenters tested the strength in the degree of the inward and outward motion of the ankle, and i f shoe height would affect ankle strength development. They took twenty young women that were relatively the same height and weight and normally wore a size 8 shoe. The women were then scaled from 0 to10, based on self-reported habitual physical activity. Zero denoted inactivity and ten denoted sports at the Division I collegiate level. The data shows that the womens active range was measured with a goniometer. Their ankle strength in dorsiflexion-plantarflexion and inversion-eversion was tested by using an isokenetic dyanometer, and other strength tests. The results showed that both shoe height and ankle plantar flexion did not affect eversion movement development. Which meant that eversion strength was not affected by shoe type. This data was then compared to another experiment that used the same methods but was tested on males and found that there are no significant sex differences, and found that in young healthy adults that ankle strength is proportional to body size. When I went over all the information in the article, I found that the experiment was conducted very well, and that the results found are dependable. For example, the control group was constant, and the variables were defined to what the experimenters were looking for, such as the degree of dorsiflexion in the ankle. Also, the experimenters found women that have not had an ankle injury for prior to six months before the experiment. Therefore, they can cut down on any factors that can alter the results of their testing. I found only one problem with the experiment. The volunteers had to report their own habits of physical activity. I believe this is a problem, because the experiment depends on if the volunteers tell the truth. This article is relevant to the field of athletic training because it has to do with the effects of flexion and muscle strength to perform an activity. An athletic trainer must know what his/her athletes are susceptible to when the athletes are playing a sport. If a certain athlete has sprained his/ her ankle before then the athletic trainer must keep a watchful eye because that athlete would be more prone to injuring his self/ herself again. Also, if a basketball player is wear the wrong kind of shoes it causes stress on the lateral ligament of the ankle that results in inversion of the foot and a sprained ankle. So the athletic trainer must be aware of what is the cause and result of ankle injuries. I chose this article because I used to play basketball in high school and sprained my ankle really bad, because I had weak ankles. I ended up with a second-degree sprain that took forever to recover from. And when I did, my balance was off and I was uncoordinated. So I thought this article would help me understand how that happened to me, and what could have cause it. Sports and Games

Intonation Phrases in Phonetics

Intonation Phrases in Phonetics In phonetics, an intonation phrase is a stretch (or chunk) of spoken material that has its own intonation pattern (or tune). Also called an  intonation group, phonological phrase, tone unit, or tone group. The intonation phrase (IP) is the basic unit of intonation. In a phonetic analysis, the vertical bar symbol (|) is used to represent the boundary between two intonation phrases. Examples and Observations When speakers produce words in a row, we can usually observe that they are structured: individual words are grouped together to form an intonation phrase... Intonation phrases can coincide with breath groups..., but they do not have to. Often a breath group contains more than one intonation phrase. As with all other phonological units, it is assumed that speakers have a mental representation of intonation phrases, i.e. they know how to produce speech structured into intonation phrases and they rely on this knowledge when listening to the speech of others. Within an intonation phrase, there is typically one word that is most prominent... Some utterances might contain just one intonation phrase, others might contain several of them. Moreover, speakers can put utterances together to form larger stretches of speech or discourse... Intonational phrasing in English can have a meaning-distinguishing function. Consider utterances 11a and 11b: (11a) He washed and fed the dog. (11b) He washed | and fed the dog. If the intonation phrase He washed and fed the dog is produced as one intonation phrase, its meaning is that a person both washed and fed a dog. Conversely, if the same utterance is produced as a sequence of two intonation phrases with an intonation boundary after washed (indicated by the symbol |), the meaning of the utterance changes into someone who washed himself and fed a dog. (Ulrike Gut, Introduction to English Phonetics and Phonology. Peter Lang, 2009) Intonation Contours Intonation often does serve to convey information of a broadly meaningful nature . . .. For example, the falling pitch we hear at the end of a statement in English such as Fred parked the car signals that the utterance is complete. For this reason, falling intonation at the end of an utterance is called a terminal (intonation) contour. Conversely, a rising or level intonation, called a nonterminal (intonation) contour, often signals incompleteness. Nonterminal contours are often heard in the nonfinal forms found in lists and telephone numbers. (William OGrady et al., Contemporary Linguistics: An Introduction, 4th ed. Bedford/St. Martins, 2001) Tonality (Chunking) The speaker does not necessarily have to follow the rule of an IP for each clause. There are many cases where different kinds of chunking are possible. For example, if a speaker wants to say We dont know who she is, it is possible to say the whole utterance as a single IP ( one intonation pattern): We dont know who she is. But it is also possible to divide the material up, in at least the following possible ways: We dont know | who she is. We | dont know who she is. We dont | know who she is. We | dont know | who she is. Thus the speaker may present the material as two, or three, pieces of information rather than a single piece. This is tonality (or chunking). (J. C. Wells, English Intonation: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press, 2006) The Position of Intonation Phrase Boundaries The position of intonation phrase boundaries shows a good amount of variability. These have been studied in English on the basis of positions of possible pauses within clauses (Selkirk 1984b, Taglicht 1998 and references there) and positions of obligatory pauses (Downing 1970). . . . The core result is that root clauses, and only these, are bounded by obligatory intonation phrase breaks. (Root clauses are clauses [CPs] not imbedded inside of a higher clause that has a subject and a predicate.) (Hubert Truckenbrodt, The Syntax-Phonology Interface. The Cambridge Handbook of Phonology, ed. by Paul de Lacy. Cambridge University Press, 2007)

Communication Development Plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication Development Plan - Case Study Example Alex's communication skills are widely affected by his AS. In his zeal to make friends, he injects himself into the games and conversations of his classmates without regard to the extent of his welcome. He tends to try to take over and dominate games, frequently imposing his own rules that favor him and/or are inconsistent with the rules that are already established. He becomes easily frustrated when he is unable to perform an action that is required during an activity, and will have a meltdown as a result. He sometimes makes comments to his playmates that he means to be playful but which are actually offensive, without understanding the potential effects of his words. Alex also frequently misinterprets the meaning of statements that are made to him, becoming upset or otherwise reacting inappropriately to the nature of others' comments. He also fails to detect the non-verbal cues of others that indicate how they would like him to interact with them. For example, if someone consistent ly walks away from Alex he may tend to pursue them until they interact with him. In formulating intervention strategies, it is important to identify the goals that need to be achieved to make Alex's communication skills as functional as possible. ... Essentially, Alex will learn to market himself to potential playmates and encourage others to want him to play with them, as opposed to simply injecting himself into their play. A second goal for Alex's communication skills is to listen and adapt to the preferences of others once they have accepted him into their play group. He must transition from being dominant and imposing to being flexible and collaborative. Alex should be able to work effectively as a part of a team and be considerate of the ideas and insights that others bring to the table. Alex should also be able to detect the non-verbal cues of others that indicate when they are becoming displeased with his behavior, whether or not the sentiment is warranted. Third, Alex must be able to keep his emotional meltdowns in check. This requires knowing the triggers and avoiding them well before they become an issue. Ultimately, Alex will have devices and "safe places" he can utilize to keep himself focused and together during frustrating or overly stimulating events. He will learn to notice the signs of an impending meltdown, be able to call upon the appropriate refocusing action, and be able to independently bring himself back to a functional mental and emotional state, without needing to rely on the intervention of others. Finally, Alex will grasp the importance of being subtle, polite and diplomatic when it comes to choosing when and how to state his observations. He will grasp that it is not always appropriate to state what he sees, especially when doing so could be hurtful to another's feelings. On the flip side, Alex will be able to discern sarcasm and innuendo in the statements of others, as opposed to the literal interpretations of statements that mark his current

Aviation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Aviation - Essay Example This paper will discuss the design of Eurocopter x3, comparing it to conventional designs with reference to aerodynamics. Conventional helicopters have a rotor that is supported above the body/fuselage of the craft. The rotor rotates at high speed to provide the lift required for vertical take off and landing (Watkinson, 2004). In addition, the rotor provides the thrust to make the craft move horizontally and laterally. In addition to the main rotor, the conventional helicopter has a tail rotor to develop thrust in addition to countering the torque produced by the main rotor (Watkinson, 2004). Alternatively helicopters may be fitted with ducted fans or NOTAR systems to perform the same functions. This however, is not the case with Eurocopter’s x3. The Eurocopter x3 Demonstrator is a machine that has been designed as a foundation for the Hybrid Helicopter. What this basically means is that the machine integrates the principles of the helicopter with those of fixed wing crafts with the result being optimized performance. The x3 is based on the design and features of existing models with the main additions being two short wings and the lack of a tail rotor (Vion-Lanctuit, 2010). In addition, each of the two short wings bears a propeller. The x3 has objectively been designed to have the main rotor to provide lift and thrust like other helicopters. The main rotor has five blades which means it has the capacity to provide higher lift and thrust compared to those that have two blades, other factors held constant. The two propellers supported by the short-span fixed wings provide additional thrust thus allowing the machine to achieve speeds that conventional helicopters cannot. Owing to these additional features, the helicopter can reach speeds beyond 230 knots or 267 mph (Whittle, 2012). This speed far exceeds the speed achievable by conventional helicopters which stands at about 140 knots or 160mph at the

Criminal Justice 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Criminal Justice 2 - Essay Example   The elite in the society are treated well despite their involvement in crimes this because they have money and hence can afford good lawyers who will defend them. The police will not tort the elite, in the fear of law, but the non-elite are treated unfair and nobody worries about them because they do not have the capability. In Texas, crimes are classified into felonies and misdemeanors. According to the Texas penal code-section 12.03 misdeamor are classified into three categories  in relation to their seriousness. While felonies are classified into   five categories, capital felonies, felonies of first degree, of the second degree, felonies of the third degree and lastly the state jail felonies. An individual found guilty of a class A misdemeanor is fined not more than $4000, confinement in jail not for more than a year or both. A person guilty of class B misdemeanor is fined not to beyond $2000, confinement in jail for not more than 180 days or both. While class C misdemeanor, can be fined but not to exceed $500. A person found guilty of capital felony is punished by life imprisonment without parole or death. First degree felony one is subjected to life imprisonment or a jail term not less than 5years and not more than 99years. In addition, he can be fined not to exceed $10000. Second degree felonies can be imprisoned for not more than 20years or less than 2 years. In addition a fine not to exceed $10000. A third degree felony is imprisoned for not more than 10 years and a minimum of 2 years and an addition fine of not more than $10000. A state jail felony   can be punished by a jail sentence of approximately two years and not less than 180 days. A juvenile gang is an association of peers that has a name, recognizable symbols, identifiable leadership, a territory, a regular meeting pattern and collective actions of illegal activities. Mainly the gangs are youths aged 12 to 24. Many of the youths may involve in aging when they are

The Topic Of Brain Fingerprinting Criminology Essay

The Topic Of Brain Fingerprinting Criminology Essay Brain fingerprinting is based on finding that the brain generates a unique brain wave pattern when a person encounters a familiar stimulus Use of functional magnetic resonance imagingin lie detection derives from studies suggesting that personsasked to lie show different patterns of brain activity thanthey do when being truthful. Issues related to the use of suchevidence in courts are discussed. The author concludes thatneither approach is currently supported by enough data regardingits accuracy in detecting deception to warrant use in court. In the field of criminology, a new lie detector has been developed in the United States of America. This is called brain fingerprinting. This invention is supposed to be the best lie detector available as on date and is said to detect even smooth criminals who pass the polygraph test (the conventional lie detector test) with ease. The new method employs brain waves, which are useful in detecting whether the person subjected to the test, remembers finer details of the crime. Even if the person willingly suppresses the necessary information, the brain wave is sure to trap him. Introduction: Brain Fingerprinting is a controversial proposed investigative technique that measures recognition of familiar stimuli by measuring electrical brain wave responses to words, phrases, or pictures that are presented on a computer screen. Brain fingerprinting was invented by Lawrence Farwell. The theory is that the suspects reaction to the details of an event or activity will reflect if the suspect had prior knowledge of the event or activity. This test uses what Farwell calls the MERMER (Memory and Encoding Related Multifaceted Electroencephalographic Response) response to detect familiarity reaction. One of the applications is lie detection. Dr. Lawrence A. Farwell has invented, developed, proven, and patented the technique of Farwell Brain Fingerprinting, a new computer-based technology to identify the perpetrator of a crime accurately and scientifically by measuring brain-wave responses to crime-relevant words or pictures presented on a computer screen. Farwell Brain Fingerprinting has proven 100% accurate in over 120 tests, including tests on FBI agents, tests for a US intelligence agency and for the US Navy, and tests on real-life situations including actual crimes. What is Brain Fingerprinting? Brain Fingerprinting is designed to determine whether an individual recognizes specific information related to an event or activity by measuring electrical brain wave responses to words, phrases, or pictures presented on a computer screen.   The technique can be applied only in situations where investigators have a sufficient amount of specific information about an event or activity that would be known only to the perpetrator and investigator.   In this respect, Brain Fingerprinting is considered a type of Guilty Knowledge Test, where the guilty party is expected to react strongly to the relevant detail Existing (polygraph) procedures for assessing the validity of a suspects guilty knowledge rely on measurement of autonomic arousal (e.g., palm sweating and heart rate), while Brain Fingerprinting measures electrical brain activity via a fitted headband containing special sensors.   Brain Fingerprinting is said to be more accurate in detecting guilty knowledge distinct from the f alse positives of traditional polygraph methods, but this is hotly disputed by specialized researchers. Technique: The person to be tested wears a special headband with electronic sensors that measure the electroencephalography from several locations on the scalp. In order to calibrate the brain fingerprinting system, the testee is presented with a series of irrelevant stimuli, words, and pictures, and a series of relevant stimuli, words, and pictures. The test subjects brain response to these two different types of stimuli allow the testor to determine if the measured brain responses to test stimuli, called probes, are more similar to the relevant or irrelevant responses. The technique uses the well known fact that an electrical signal known as P300 is emitted from an individuals brain approximately 300 milliseconds after it is confronted with a stimulus of special significance, e.g. a rare vs. a common stimuls or a stimulas the prOband is asked to count. The novel interpretation in brain fingerprinting is to look for P300 as response to stimuli related to the crime in question e.g., a murder weapon or a victims face. Because it is based on EEG signals, the system does not require the testee to issue verbal responses to questions or stimuli. Brain fingerprinting uses cognitive brain responses, brain fingerprinting does not depend on the emotions of the subject, nor is it affected by emotional responses. Brain fingerprinting is fundamentally different from the polygraph (lie-detector), which measures emotion-based physiological signals such as heart rate, sweating, and blood pressure. Also, unlike polygraph testing, it does not attempt to determine whether or not the subject is lying or telling the truth. Four phases of Farwell Brain Fingerprinting: In fingerprinting and DNA fingerprinting, evidence recognized and collected at the crime scene, and preserved properly until a suspect is apprehended, is scientifically compared with evidence on the person of the suspect to detect a match that would place the suspect at the crime scene. Farwell Brain Fingerprinting works similarly, except that the evidence collected both at the crime scene and on the person of the suspect (i.e., in the brain as revealed by electrical brain responses) is informational evidence rather than physical evidence. There are four stages to Farwell Brain Fingerprinting, which are similar to the steps in fingerprinting and DNA fingerprinting: 1. Brain Fingerprinting Crime Scene Evidence Collection; 2. Brain Fingerprinting Brain Evidence Collection; 3. Brain Fingerprinting Computer Evidence Analysis; and 4. Brain Fingerprinting Scientific Result. In the Crime Scene Evidence Collection, an expert in Farwell Brain Fingerprinting examines the crime scene and other evidence connected with the crime to identify details of the crime that would be known only to the perpetrator. The expert then conducts the Brain Evidence Collection in order to determine whether or not the evidence from the crime scene matches evidence stored in the brain of the suspect. In the Computer Evidence Analysis, the Farwell Brain Fingerprinting system makes a mathematical determination as to whether or not this specific evidence is stored in the brain, and computes a statistical confidence for that determination. This determination and statistical confidence constitute the Scientific Result of Farwell Brain Fingerprinting: either information present the details of the crime are stored in the brain of the suspect or information absent the details of the crime are not stored in the brain of the suspect. Applications: Counter terrorism: Brain fingerprinting can help address the following critical elements in the fight against terrorism: 1: Aid in determining who has participated in terrorist acts, directly or indirectly. 2: Aid in identifying trained terrorists with the potential  to commit future terrorist acts, even if they are in a sleeper cell and have not been active for years. 3: Help to identify people who have knowledge or training in banking, finance or communications and who are associated with terrorist teams and acts. 4: Help to determine if an individual is in a leadership role within a terrorist organization. Brain fingerprinting technology is based on the principle that the brain is central to all human acts. In a terrorist act, there may or may not be peripheral evidence such as fingerprints or DNA, but the brain of the perpetrator is always there, planning, executing, and recording the crime. The terrorist has knowledge of organizations, training and plans that an innocent person does not have. Until the invention of Brain Fingerprinting testing, there was no scientific way to detect this fundamental difference. Brain Fingerprinting testing provides an accurate, economical and timely solution to the central problem in the fight against terrorism. It is now possible to determine scientifically whether or not a person has terrorist training and knowledge of terrorist activities. With the Brain Fingerprinting system, a significant scientific breakthrough has now become a practical applied technology. A new era in security and intelligence gathering has begun. Now, terrorists and those supporting terrorism can be identified quickly and accurately. No longer should any terrorist be able to evade justice for lack of evidence. And there is no reason why an innocent individual should be falsely imprisoned or convicted of terrorist activity. A Brain Fingerprinting test can determine with an extremely high degree of accuracy those who are involved with terrorist activity and those who are not. Criminal justice: A critical task of the criminal justice system is to determine who has committed a crime. The key difference between a guilty party and an innocent suspect is that the perpetrator of the crime has a record of the crime stored in their brain, and the innocent suspect does not. Until the invention of Brain Fingerprintingtesting, there was no scientifically valid way to detect this fundamental difference. Brain Fingerprinting testing does not prove guilt or innocence. That is the role of a judge and jury. This exciting technology gives the judge and jury new, scientifically valid evidence to help them arrive at their decision. DNA evidence and fingerprints are available in only about 1% of major crimes. It is estimated that Brain Fingerprinting testing will apply in approximately 60 to 70% of these major crimes. The impacts on the criminal justice system will be profound. The potential now exists to significantly improve the speed and accuracy of the entire system, from investigations to parole hearings. Brain Fingerprinting testing will be able to dramatically reduce the costs associated with investigating and prosecuting innocent people and allow law enforcement professionals to concentrate on suspects who have verifiable, detailed knowledge of the crimes. Medical: Brain Fingerprinting is the patented technology that can measure objectively, for the first time, how memory and cognitive functioning of Alzheimer sufferers are affected by medications. First generation tests have proven to be more accurate than other routinely used tests, and could be commercially available in 18-24 months. The 30 minute test involves wearing a headband with built-in electrodes; technicians then present words, phrases and images that are both known and unknown to the patient to determine whether information that should be in the brain is still there. When presented with familiar information, the brain responds by producing MERMERs, specific increases in neuron activity. The technician can use this response to measure how quickly information is disappearing from the brain and whether the drugs they are taking are slowing down the process. Additional Applications: In advertising, Brain Fingerprinting Laboratories will offer significant advances in measuring campaign and media effectiveness. Most advertising programs today are evaluated subjectively using focus groups. We will be able to offer significantly more advanced, scientific methods to help determine the effectiveness of campaigns and be very cost competitive with current methodologies. This technology will be able to help determine what information is actually retained in memory by individuals. For example, in a branding campaign do people remember the brand, the product, etc. and how do the results vary with demographics? We will also be able to measure the comparative effectiveness of multiple media types. In the insurance industry, Brain Fingerprinting Laboratories will be able to help reduce the incidence of insurance fraud by determining if an individual has knowledge of fraudulent or criminal acts. The same type of testing can help to determine if an individual has specific knowl edge related to computer crimes where there is typically no witness or physical evidence. Case studies: The biggest breakthrough, according to Farwell, was its role in freeing convicted murderer Terry Harrington, who had been serving a life sentence in Iowa State Penitentiary for killing a night watchman in 1977. In 2001, Harrington requested a new trial on several grounds, including conflicting testimony in the original trial. Farwell was faced with an immediate and obvious problem: 24 years had passed since the trial. Evidence had been presented and transcripts published long ago; the details of the crime had long since come to light. What memories of the crime were left to probe? But Farwell combed the transcripts and came up with obscure details about which to test Harrington. Harrington was granted a new trial when it was discovered that some of the original police reports in the case had been missing at his initial trial. By 2001, however, most of the witnesses against Harrington had either died or had been discredited. Finally, when a key witness heard that Harrington had passed his brain fingerprinting test, he recanted his testimony and the prosecution threw up its hands. Harrington was set free. In Macon County, Mo., Sheriff Robert Dawson learned about the method from his secretary, who had also seen it featured on television. In 1999, Dawson ordered a test on J. B. Grinder, accused of raping and murdering a 25-year-old woman. Grinder had admitted and denied the allegations so many times that, according to Dawson, We didnt know what to believe anymore. Confronted with the test results, which seemed to confirm one of Grinders many confessions, Grinder pled guilty to the charges and also admitted to killing three other girls in Arkansas. When another murder investigation ran into problems earlier this year, Dawson turned again to brain fingerprinting. He refrained from discussing the details of the case with the suspect and with the media so that the P300 probes would be valid. While the suspect denied knowing anything about the case, Farwells test suggested otherwise. Comparison with other technologies: Conventional fingerprinting and DNA match physical evidence from a crime scene with evidence on the person of the perpetrator. Similarly, Brain Fingerprinting matches informational evidence from the crime scene with evidence stored in the brain. Fingerprints and DNA are available in only 1% of crimes. The brain is always there, planning, executing, and recording the suspects actions. Brain Fingerprinting has nothing to do with lie detection. Rather, it is a scientific way to determine if someone has committed a specific crime or other act. No questions are asked and no answers are given during Farwell Brain Fingerprinting. As with DNA and fingerprints, the results are the same whether the person has lied or told the truth at any time. Admissibility of Brain Fingerprinting in court: The admissibility of Brain Fingerprinting in court has not yet been established. The following well established features of Brain Fingerprinting, however, will be relevant when the question of admissibility is tested in court. 1) Brain Fingerprinting has been thoroughly and scientifically tested. 2) The theory and application of Brain Fingerprinting have been subject to peer review and publication. 3) The rate of error is extremely low virtually nonexistent and clear standards governing scientific techniques of operation of the technology have been established and published. 4) The theory and practice of Brain Fingerprinting have gained general acceptance in the relevant scientific community. 5) Brain Fingerprinting is non-invasive and non-testimonial. Record of 100% Accuracy: At the time of this first field application, Dr. Farwells successes in the scientific laboratory with his invention were already well known. In collaboration with FBI scientist Dr. Drew Richardson, Dr. Farwell achieved 100% accuracy in using Farwell Brain Fingerprinting to identify FBI agents based on their brain responses to words and phrases only an FBI agent would recognize. Tests conducted by Dr. Farwell for the US Navy in collaboration with Navy LCDR Rene S. Hernandez, Ph.D., also resulted in 100% accurate results. In research on contract with a US government intelligence agency, Farwell Brain Fingerprinting achieved 100% accuracy in proving the presence or absence of a wide variety of evidence stored in the brains of individuals involved in over 120 cases. Dr. Farwell has published extensively in the scientific literature and presented his research to many scientific and technical audiences throughout the world . Farwell Brain Fingerprinting has been subjected to rigorous peer review under US government sponsorship, and has been found scientifically viable as well as revolutionary in its implications. Conclusion: Brain Fingerprinting is a revolutionary new scientific technology for solving crimes, identifying perpetrators, and exonerating innocent suspects, with a record of 100% accuracy in research with US government agencies, actual criminal cases, and other applications. The technology fulfills an urgent need for governments, law enforcement agencies, corporations, investigators, crime victims, and falsely accused, innocent suspects.

Collin Powell Essay -- essays research papers

Secretary of State Colin Luther Powell served as national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan, and under President George Bush became the first African American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-1993). In 2001 the U.S. Senate confirmed him as the Secretary of State. Colin Luther Powell was born in Harlem, New York City on April 5, 1937, the son of a shipping clerk and a seamstress, both of whom were immigrants from Jamaica. Powell spent most of his childhood in the South Bronx, then regarded as a step up from Harlem. Despite the urgings of his parents that he should "strive for a good education" in order to "make something" of his life, Powell remained an ordinary student throughout high school. At City College of New York, Powell discovered himself; his retentive mind and leadership abilities made him a conspicuous success in the Army's Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). He graduated from the program in 1958 with the rank of cadet colonel, the highest awarded, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He was then assigned to duty in West Germany. In 1962, while stationed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, Powell met and married Alma Vivian Johnson. The couple had three children. Powell's next overseas assignment was in South Vietnam, where he was wounded in action. He then studied at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, finishing second in a class of more than twelve hundred officers. During a second tour in Vietnam he received the Soldier's Medal for pulling several men from a burning helicopter. The army then provided Powell the time to study for a Master's degree in business administration at George Washington University. He received the degree in 1971, after which he worked as an analyst at the Pentagon before securing what he called a "dream job": an appointment as a prestigious White House fellow in the Office of Management and Budget under the director, Caspar Weinberger, and his deputy, Frank Carlucci, two men of rising influence in Washington who perceived Powell's uncommon abilities and who would help shape his career. A man of commanding presence at six feet one inch and 200 pounds, Powell was assigned to South Korea in 1973 to command a battalion troubled by racial animosities. "I threw the bums out of the army and put the drug u... ...gure in government. During the 1996 presidential race, it was announced that Powell would run. He declined, citing various reasons. The withdrawal was disappointing to many Americans. In April 1997 Powell chaired a Volunteer Summit in Philadelphia. Powell, President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, former presidents, and other big names, including Oprah Winfrey, proposed the advent of a new volunteerism that would include people from all walks of life, place, and age. Powell's next step was to chair America's Promise, the Alliance for Youth. This organization is "dedicated to mobilizing individuals, groups and organizations from every part of American life, to build and strengthen the character and competence of our youth." Although the organization experienced some difficulties initially, Powell's commitment did not waver. Evaluations conducted in the spring of 1999 indicate that the organization has touched the lives of over 10 million children since its inceptio n. On December 16, 2000, President-elect George W. Bush nominated Powell to become the 65th Secretary of State. Following a unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate, he was sworn in on January 20, 2001.