Production of a Database of Styles and Guidelines for the Mountain Collegian Essay Example for Free

Production of a Database of Styles and Guidelines for the Mountain Collegian Essay This study was conducted primarily to produce a database of styles and guidelines for Mountain Collegian (MC) that would aid the publication in making its own stylebook. In the realization of this study, first, a survey questionnaire was floated to identify the areas needed by the publication. Based on the data gathered through the said survey questionnaire, the 10 areas identified by the respondents, the current members of the publication, were capitalization, abbreviation, acronyms, bylines and credits, names and titles, italicization, numerals, dimensions, punctuation, and reported speech. After the ten areas of style needed by the publication were identified, issues of MC from 2000 to 2010 were analyzed for the determination of consistent and inconsistent styles practiced by the publication. Two issues for each editor-in-chief were used. Thus, a total of 20 issues and 340 articles were used for the analysis. The analysis showed that many consistent styles are practiced by MC in areas of capitalization, abbreviation, acronyms, and punctuation. The consistent styles identified were automatically included in the database as these are manifestations of the practice and journalism culture that MC has. However, despite the many identified consistencies in styles, many inconsistent styles were also noted. With these inconsistencies, a survey questionnaire was created to determine the preference of MC on styles that are inconsistent. It is recommended that the other areas of journalism styles of Mountain Collegian be looked into and analyzed for consistency. The Mountain Collegian (MC), the official student publication of Benguet State University, believes in the virtues of clear and effective communication. Thus, it constantly strives to uphold accuracy, precision and consistency in writing for it believes that these are stamps of professionalism in the practice of campus journalism. Existing under this principle and guided by the importance of sharpening the meaning of facts and news stories, MC relentlessly reminds its student journalists not to be casual about language usage, English for that matter, and to exercise precision of language. However, there are strong oppositions regarding this matter. Writers and even some academicians themselves claim that the constant stress on proper English is merely a form of snobbery and has no place in the fast-paced world of journalism. Also, adhering to rules of a constantly evolving language in the practice of journalism is deemed irrelevant as many writers- particularly the young blood of journalists- think of these rules and styles as suppressive forces obstructing their creativity. However, Stovall (2002) said that style is not a rigid set of rules established to restrict the creative forces in the writer. Style imposes a discipline in writing that should run through all the activities of a communicator. It implies then that the communicator is precise not only with writing but also with facts and with thought. Paying attention to the details of writing – and getting those right – means that a writer is likely to be paying attentions to facts, context, and meaning. Style, as pointed by the United Press International Stylebook, is the intangible ingredient that distinguishes outstanding writing from mediocrity. In addition, Stovall said that adherence to a constant style is vital to the society. He quoted Thomas W. Lippman in the preface of The Washington Post Deskbook on Style saying, â€Å"A newspaper is part of a society’s record of itself. Each edition lives on in libraries and electronic archives to be consulted again and again by the scholars and journalists of the future. The newspaper is thus the repository of the language, and we have a responsibility to treat the language with respect. The rules of grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and usage set down here are our way of trying to meet that responsibility. Thus, clear story-telling and language is at the heart of good journalism. Theodore M. Bernstein said that writing should be treated like a precision instrument; it should be sharpened and it should not be used carelessly. Since consistency and precise word usage are also utterly important in communication, perceived misuse of English, which is the language of international journalism, and inconsistencies in style then shall not cause readers to veer away and be distracted from what is more important – the creative and focused aspects of the message. Furthermore, according to the BBC News Styleguide (2010), the best journalists appreciate that writing well is not a tiresome duty but a necessity. Consistency. Precision. Accuracy. These therefore are the fundamental reasons why it is vital for a publication, for MC for that matter, to have a set of rules, styles, and guidelines. Since its establishment in 1965, MC has not produced its official style book yet although attempts were made to do so. The style book, though, just what it is – is merely a guide. It is not a collection of rules and regulations. It is not a dictionary and it is not a list of what is acceptable and what is not. In a world that’s awash with poor usage, a stylebook sensitizes the writer to the use of language toward achieving the nobility of the practice of journalism. For The Mountain Collegian, a stylebook will serve not only as the brick and lumber of its house but also most importantly as an archive of decades of not only responsible but also language sensitive practice of journalism. This shall serve as a record of MC’s editorial practice handed down by generations of student journalists that have shaped MC to what it is today.

I Am Forty-seven and I Wish to Study Law Essay -- Law College Admissio

I Am Forty-seven and I Wish to Study Law "If I had it to do over again, I would go to law school." That has been my response for the last fifteen years whenever I was asked if I felt fulfillment in my chosen profession. The truth is, I never felt fulfilled because I never really chose a profession. As did many working-class people with no advanced education, my parents believed that the road to success was through education. Hence I was encouraged to pursue an academic education in high school and to attend college. Beyond that point, there was no plan. My career planning process resembled the path that a pin-ball experiences during its descent through a maze of bumpers, obstacles and flippers. Considering my financial status (I had no money for college) and my vocational preference or suitability (I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I was mechanically-oriented and "good with my hands") my guidance counselor, using all the diagnostic skills and insights he could muster, advised that I consider either engineering or dentistry. His list of candidate institutions included Drexel Institute of Technology and Temple University, each of which was local and had arranged a program so that a student could work full-time to earn tuition while attending college. Upon receiving letters of acceptance from both schools, a flip of a coin at the counselor's desk cemented the lifetime decision: engineering it was! Almost immediately after starting Drexel, I was certain that I had chosen incorrectly. My father was of the strong opinion that one completed what one had started, however, and being a reasonably obedient son, I completed five years of arduous undergraduate engineering school. ... ...ssful real estate development and management firm. I never had a business or project repossessed by lenders or creditors, and I never experienced any bankruptcy or debtor's action against me. Along the way, I found time to fit in twenty five years of active Barbershop Quartet and Chorus singing which allowed me to serve in every major chapter officer's position, make enough significant administrative contributions to be elected to the honorary fraternity within our singing society (100 out of 6000 men), earn medals in several international competitions and appear on the stage at Carnegie Hall. So I guess in today's world I would be considered successful; however, something has been missing. If I had it to do over again, I would go to law school. Now that my children are grown and my family's finances are secure, I have the opportunity to do it over again.

How accurate is the film Gladiator Essay

Gladiator is a wonderful story and won Best Picture in 2000. Even though the movie is so well done it does not mean that the story is historically accurate. The movie includes many historically accurate facts ranging from some of the characters to the society of Rome. However, Gladiator is for pure entertainment, and just like the real gladiator battles, it is for the enjoyment of the viewers. The film added to the cinematic categories such romance and intrigue but at the same time took away from many historical aspects. Even though the movie is on the whole historically inaccurate there are a few historically accurate details. In Gladiator, the hugeness of the Coliseum is very well and accurately portrayed. The Coliseum is larger then Shea Stadium, and that greatness and grandeur is shown correctly in the film. Also, the movie correctly portrayed the armory of the times. The breastplates were correct and so too were the facemasks and other such battle suits.( http://www.online-shrine.com) The movie shows these true details in order for the viewer to think that the other more amazing parts of the plot are true. Also, by adding the truths it makes sure that the movie will not seem neither phony nor cartoonish. The reason Gladiator can not be considered historically accurate is because of the glaring errors in the characters and the emotions and actions of the characters. Firstly, Crowe’s General Maximus Decimus Meridus is a total fake. He is not a real person nor is he very similar to any one else in history. Maximus is instead a hodgepodge of many other people. The one true person who is totally shown incorrectly is Commodus. Commodus is shown as a grownup that never outgrows his childhood. However, he in fact was not like that at all. In the film Commodus is shown killed is father because his father believed he wasn’t fit to rule. In truth Commodus did not kill his. Historians generally agree that, Marcus Aurelius died of the plague in Vienna on March 17, 180 CE (www.nmia.com). It is also untrue that Marcus found his son unfit to rule. He had Commodus named Caesar when he was 5 years old, and named Commodus as his successor when he was seventeen. As a Roman father he undoubtedly loved and spoiled his son terribly. Gladiator is not a historically accurate film and is filled with hogwash. The film can not be used to study that time period and can only be used as a great Hollywood film but nothing more. Gladiator deserved all of its accolades because of the film in its own right but not because of the history it used to tell the story. Gladiator 28 Feb. 2004 < http://www.online-shrine.com/reviews/gladiator.php> Is Gladiator true 28 Feb. 2004 < www.nmia.com/~pslock/r_glad.htm>

Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Company Financial Report Free Essay Example, 1500 words

It is essential to state that the assets entail plastic bottle equipment, closure line machines, filler line machines, computers, furniture, office equipment, delivery trucks, and bottling machinery. FAS Report Writer is an option that provides the user with batch, drill down, and graphical reporting capabilities. It saves time on reporting and lets the user get information about things such as detailed asset analysis, acquisitions, accumulated decreases, and depreciation for any period of time. Assets in Pepsi-Cola Jamaica is recorded in Jamaican dollars and then converted into United States dollars when the data is moved to the headquarters (SAGE FAS, 2008). FAS Asset Inventory offers Pepsi-Cola Jamaica an automated fixed asset tracking system. The tracking system is composed of a state-of-the-art bar code technology. FAS Asset Accounting is integrated within the system, and it allows modified or new physical inventory data to be simply reconciled with the present asset data. FAS Asset Accounting is utilized at the main office in Pepsi-Cola Jamaica and in other seven distribution channels across the island (SAGE FAS, 2008). The methods of costing products in Pepsi-Cola are divided into two, and they include manufacturing costs and non-manufacturing costs. We will write a custom essay sample on Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Company Financial Report or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page Direct materials used in the production of Lay s include potato, oil, seasoning (flavor), film (packet), and carton. Direct labor is reserved for labor cost that can be traced back to the distinct units of products.