Private School Vs. Public School Essays - Youth, Educational Stages

Private School Vs. Public School Persuasive Speech Formal Outline Title: PRIVATE SCHOOLING IS THE OBVIOUS WAY TO GO Topic: Private Schooling Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that private schools offer a better education to children and better prepare them for college. Thesis Statement: Private school children are more involved in community service, are generally provided with a better education, and are more likely to apply and succeed in college. INTRODUCTION Attention material: For many of us, as scary as it may seem, the pitter-patter of little feet is not too far off. In fact, some of you may already hear it. But along with it, comes many big decisions that will affect the future of your children. Education is a big example. Now you may say, ?Of course I'm going to educate my children.? But the big question is ?Where For many parents today, it is a hard to decide where to send their children - Public or Private school? Credibility material: I myself went to public schools, and even though I graduated Valedictorian of my class, when I came to college, I did not feel I was prepared in many area of education. The classes in my high school were not challenging enough, the tests were not hard enough, and the teachers were not strict enough. Now it seemed pretty cool at the time, but it just caused me more trouble in the long run than it was worth. If I were to choose today where to send my kids to school, I would definitely choose private schooling. Thesis statement: Private school students are more involved in community service, are generally provided with a better education, and are more likely to apply and succeed in college. Preview: 11% of all US Students are enrolled in private schools this school year (CAPE). (Transition: I feel these children are at a big advantage over children in public schools in all aspects of the educational experience.) BODY Getting involved in one's community is definitely important and beneficial to students today. A report issued by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) notes a significant difference in levels of community service between public schools and private schools. According to the report, in 1999, 42% of private schools require and arrange community service. This is significantly different than the 17% of public schools who do (CAPE). (Transition: Getting involved outside of the classroom can be just as important as inside the classroom.) Private schools generally provide their students with a better education. In 1999, a report released by Public Agenda, a NY City research organiztion, supported this claim. 1. When they asked 1,200 citizens how they felt on the issue, 52% believed private schooling provides a better education, as opposed to the 19% that though public schooling does (CAPE). Private schools also provide more rigorous core curriculums. The NCES report showed that 45% of private schools, compared to 20% of public schools, met the high school graduation recommendations of the National Commission on Excellence in Education. The recommendations are: 4 years of English, 3 Years of Mathematics, 3 years of Science, and 3 years of Social Studies. Furthermore, the majority of private schools require a college preparatory program, 1-2 years of a foreign language. They are also urged to take advantage of the AP courses. (Transition: In a NAIS poll (National Association of Independent Schools), by a margin of 2 to 1, the public thinks private schools do a better job preparing students for college (CAPE).) Private school students are more likely to apply and attend college. The NCES report showed 88% of private high school students apply to college, whereas, only 57% of public high school student do (CAPE). More private school students take the SAT test, and their scores are well above the national average for every ethnicity, race, and income group. (Transition: Though the advantages of private schooling outweighs the disadvantages, there are the obvious drawbacks.) I know some of you may raise the issue of $$, and financial aspect of private schooling can be the ultimate deciding factor. However, there are ways around the sometimes pricey tuition. Many private schools offer scholarships. And just as in college, there is financial aid available for most schools. Furthermore, the idea of private school vouchers is currently being discussed politically. These vouchers give parents funding to send their children to private schools if their public schools are failing. CONCLUSION Summary statement: Overall, private school students excel in almost all areas, especially in producing more well-rounded, intelligent students. Concluding remarks: Don't get me wrong, I'm not

Romania Turism essays

Romania Turism essays At the eastern edge of Europe, Romania is perhaps best known for its Black Sea resorts, such as Mamaia and the Greco-Byzantine port of Constanta, and the Danube delta, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its rich wetlands and abundant bird-life. The Transylvanian Alps occupy much of the northern half of the country, the waters of their many spa resorts having been appreciated for their healing properties since Roman times. Romania offers a rich tapestry tourist attractions and vacation experiences unique in Central-Eastern Europe: medieval towns in Transylvania, the world-famous Painted Monasteries in Bucovina, traditional villages in Maramures, the magnificent architecture of Bucharest, the romantic Danube Delta, fairy-tale castles, the Black Sea resorts, the majestic Carpathian Mountains, spas and much more. Transylvania is also the legendary home of Bram Stoker's Dracula, based on an infamous medieval king 'Vlad the Impaler' whose spooky abode at Bran Castle may be visited. The northern half of the country is bisected by the great Carpathian Mountains, most of which are covered by pristine mountain forests which shelter one of Europe's last strongholds for large carnivore populations. Romania is a country with rich biodiversity (ecosystems, species and genetic diversity) and a high percentage of natural ecosystems 47% of the land area of the country is covered with natural and semi-natural ecosystems. The natural integrity of forest ecosystems is indicated by the presence of the full range of European forest fauna, including 60% and 40% of all European brown bears and wolves, respectively. Europes largest wetland, the Danube Delta, also lies predominantly in Romania. Major grasslands, caves, and an extensive network of rivers, add to the ecosystem richness. Important for Romania as well as for all Europe, is that the territory of Romania is a confluence point between biogeographic regions between arctic, ...

Team and Leadership Recommendations Research Paper

Team and Leadership Recommendations - Research Paper Example Nando’s Restaurant has devised the method of improving its leadership and performance as the staff motivation (Hambley & Kline 2007, p. 142). The first team to be considered in the strategy is HR team. This is because they are the immediate people who will influence and change the attitude of the entire employees, as they are the immediate people dealing with other employees direct. HR team should be motivated in various ways. They should be given time to attend frequent leadership seminars and training (Harris, Hopkins & Chapman 2013, p. 63). This will enable them to acquire more skills, which will enable them to lead by example and motivate the other employees. The HR team should be given chance to give their new ideas on how the services can be improved or solve certain problems. This will make the HR team feel comfortable when delivering their duties as they feel they are part of the organization. The shareholders should consult the team before taking any step or making an y decision concerning employees’ performances. (Lumby & Coleman 2007, p. 61). This is a kind of motivation on the HR team, as they feel recognized before any decision is made in the company.HR team should employ the theory of team formation when trying to meet the targets of the organization. HR team together with other managers and supervisors should convince the other employees to form teams. When the employees work in teams it will be easy as they will work together aiming the same target.

Presenting for the Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Presenting for the Future - Essay Example Immigration accountability requires earnest action beyond executive orders unleashed by President Obama. The remedy will stabilize immigration procedures, boost tax, and offer fight illegal crossing at national borders. Organizational influences immigration through the structure in place. An organization structure for example within United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will influence ethical behavior of the staff working in various departments. An immigration system that has rigid and hierarchical structure will limit the capacity of employees towards implementing reforms in the documentation process. An autonomous decision-making process will result in a department that offers employees relevant experience and moral development in handling immigration dilemmas. Flexible structure allows immigration departments to make high-level decisions irrespective of their level to realize the sound and ethical practices; hence, the need for such a structure. An organization that handles immigration should hire employees legally. The human resource department will be charged with implementing immigration policies and reforms if it adopts a legal process to acquire employee fit for the job. Compliance in a public office is essential as opposed to labor costs that will be saved after hiring unqualified employees. Decentralization and ad hoc structure defines the human resource department of USCIS. The structure has hampered efforts to modernize immigration procedures and match the economic and national security agendas. The department has shielded efficient transformation initiatives that have the potential to heal the immigration wound. Restructuring of USCIS human resource department has paved way for critical immigration practices entrusted with the organization. Structure does not foster anti-fraud and homeland security measures as required by state and federal governments. Department of Homeland

Organization and Structure of Japanese Government Essay

Organization and Structure of Japanese Government - Essay Example He also appoints the Prime Minister and the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court as designated by the Diet and the Cabinet respectively. In this respect, the position of the Emperor in postwar Japan differs from that in the prewar days when the Emperor was the source of sovereign power. Sovereignty is now is the people's domain. The Imperial Throne is dynastic and descendant from father to son. According to the data in Wikipedia.org, Emperor Akihito (born December 23, 1933) is the current Emperor of Japan and the 125th according to the traditional order of succession. He is the world's only reigning emperor. In Japan the reigning emperor is never referred to by his first name, but rather is referred to simply as tenn heika ("His Majesty the Emperor"). The era of Emperor Akihito's reign bears the name "Heisei" and by custom, after his death, he will be renamed "Emperor Heisei". The Diet, composed of two Houses, na... The citizens of Japan over 20 years of age are eligible to vote. The House of Representatives is composed of 500 members. The minimum eligible age to be elected to it is 25.The term of office of members of the House of Representatives is generally four years. The representatives are elected directly by the people. They go on to complete their term of office unless the House itself is dissolved. The House of Councilors is composed of 252 members who are also elected directly by the people. Their minimum age requirement is 30 years. Their term of office is six years, and a half of them is elected every three years. Both Houses have more or less the same power but in some exceptional cases the decision of the House of Representatives takes precedence of that of the House of Councilors. Each House has the Secretariat and the Legislation Bureau. The Diet begins its 150-day ordinary session from January each year. The Prime Minister is chosen by the Diet from among its members. The Prime Minister then forms a Cabinet, and the Cabinet controls the executive branch of government. Although Japan is still considered a very Conservative nation, there is no discrimination because of race, creed, sex, social status, family origin, education, property or income. The Cabinet The cabinet is the Executive part of the State. It is headed by the Prime Minister and comprises of a maximum of 20 Ministers of State. This would include the Cabinet Secretary and some Ministers without a portfolio as well. They are held responsible to the Diet. The Cabinet has to resign en masse when the post of Prime Minister becomes vacant. If the House of Representatives passes a no confidence resolution or rejects

Patients With and Without Varicocele: Biochemical Markers

Patients With and Without Varicocele: Biochemical Markers Differences in Biochemical Markers and Body Mass Index Between Patients With and Without Varicocele Background: Varicocele is characterized by abnormal tortuosity and dilatation of the veins of the pampiniform plexus within the spermatic cord and is one of the causes of male infertility. This study aimed to evaluate the differences in bio- chemical markers and body mass index (BMI) between patients with and without varicocele. Methods: Between January 2004 and June 2009, 102 patients with varicocele (Group A) were evaluated. Ninety-five age-matched male patients who did not have varicocele were selected as controls (Group B). Varicocele was diagnosed by physical examination and confirmed by Doppler ultrasonography. The range of ages was between 18 and 50 years old. BMI, testosterone, serum alkaline phosphatase, calcium, lactic dehydrogenase, inorganic phosphate, ÃŽ ³-glutamine transpeptidase, uric acid, albumin, iron, cholesterol, triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotrans- ferase levels were measured for all the subjects. Results: The mean age was 35.4 years in group A and 36.5 years in group B. Of the 102 patients in group A, 20 were grade 1 varicocele, 55 were grade 2 and 27 were grade 3. The BMI (mean  ± SD) of patients with varicocele (22.8  ± 3.2) was significantly lower than that of patients without varicocele (24.9  ± 4.1). Patients with varicocele had significantly lower serum levels of cholesterol than patients without varicocele (176.5  ± 31.1 vs. 187.7  ± 42.1 mg/dL). There were no significant differences for the other biochemical markers between the groups. Patients with grade 3 varicocele had a lower BMI than patients with grades 1 and 2 varicocele, but this was not significant. No significant differences were found for the other biochemical markers among the patients with grade 1, 2 or 3 varicocele. Conclusion: Patients with varicocele had significantly lower serum levels of cholesterol than those without varicocele. In addition, the prevalence of varicocele was higher in patients with a lower BMI. Our findings suggest that patients with a greater BMI may have advantages in relieving the nutcracker phenomenon, which causes significant varicoceles. [J Chin Med Assoc 2010;73(4):194–198] Key Words: biochemical markers, body mass index, testosterone, varicocele Introduction Varicocele is characterized by abnormal tortuosity and dilatation of the veins of the pampiniform plexus within the spermatic cord and is one of the causes of male infertility. The prevalence of varicocele is approxi- mately 15–20% in the general population and 30–40% in infertile men.1 Furthermore, approximately 69–81% of men with secondary infertility have varicocele.2,3 Levinger et al proposed that varicocele prevalence is increased over time and the risk of incidence is approx- imately 10% for each decade of life.4 The definite eti- ology of varicocele is still unknown. Kumanov et al suggested that weight and body mass index (BMI) have a protective role, and height, penile length and penile circumference were negative factors in the *Correspondence to: Dr William J. Huang, Division of Urology, Depar tment of Surger y, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Section 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei 112, Taiwan, R.O.C. E-mail: [emailprotected] à ¢-  Received: October 16, 2009 à ¢-  Accepted: Januar y 21, 2010 194 J Chin Med Assoc †¢ April 2010 †¢ Vol 73 †¢ No 4  © 2010 Elsevier Taiwan LLC and the Chinese Medical Association. All rights reserved. development of varicocele in 6,200 boys aged 0–19 years.5 Delaney et al demonstrated that patients with varicocele are significantly taller and heavier than age- matched controls.6 Nielsen et al reported that varico- celes are less likely to be diagnosed among obese men.7 The role of testosterone in the pathophysiology of varicocele is not established and testosterone might induce relaxation of the human internal spermatic vein.8 Sheriff showed that there was increased choles- terol and glyceride in the testes of patients with bilateral varicocele compared with those in controls.9 Odabas et al suggested that the levels of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were higher in the spermatic vein than those in the peripheral vein.10 Other than findings on age, BMI and testosterone levels, there is limited information about the correla- tion between biochemical markers and varicocele. Therefore, we conducted this prospective study to evaluate differences between patients with and with- out varicocele with regard to BMI, testosterone levels and serum biochemical markers including hemoglo- bin, alkaline phosphatase (Alk-p), calcium, LDH, inor- ganic phosphate, ÃŽ ³-glutamine transpeptidase, uric acid, albumin, iron, cholesterol (Cho), triglyceride (TG), alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotrans- ferase levels. We also wished to determine possible risk factors in the pathogenesis of varicocele. Methods Patients From January 2004 to June 2009, 102 patients with varicocele (Group A) were included for evaluation for this study. Ninety-five male patients who did not have varicocele were selected as controls (Group B). All of the 197 patients were normal, healthy young to middle-aged males. They were from the outpatient Department of Urology or had received a regular physi- cal check-up at the hospital. Varicocele was diagnosed by physical examination and confirmed by Doppler ultra- sonography. Varicocele grades were defined as: grade 1, palpable only with the Valsalva maneuver; grade 2, palpable without the Valsalva maneuver; and grade 3, visible from a distance.11 Patients with subclinical vari- cocele were excluded from the study. The range of ages was between 18 and 50 years old. BMI, and testos- terone, Alk-p, calcium, LDH, inorganic phosphate, glu- tamine transpeptidase, uric acid, albumin, iron, Cho, TG, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotrans- ferase and hemoglobin levels were mea sured in all of the patients (normal ranges: BMI testosterone, 241–827 ng/dL; Alk-p, 100–280 U/L; calcium, 8.1–10.7 mg/dL; LDH, 95–213 U/L; inor- ganic phosphate, 2.1–4.7 mg/dL; glutamine transpepti- dase, 8–60 U/L; uric acid, 2.5–7.2 mg/dL; albumin, 3.7– 5.3 g/dL; iron, 35–200 ÃŽ ¼g/dL; Cho, 125–240 mg/dL; TG, 20–200 mg/dL; alanine aminotransferase, 0–40 U/L; aspartate aminotransferase, 5–45 U/L; hemo- globin, 12–16 g/dL). Patients with poor control of diabetes mellitus, hypertension or other systemic dis- ease or BMI 40 were excluded from the study. Patients were examined in a warm room while standing up and the scrotum was inspected and pal- pated. All the patients received Doppler ultrasonogra- phy of the scrotum. All the patients signed informed consent, and the study was approved by the Institu- tional Review Board of Taipei City Hospital. Statistical analysis The Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for statistical analysis, with p Results The mean age was 35.4 years in group A and 36.5 years old in group B. Data for age, BMI, testosterone levels and biochemical markers for patients in both groups, and different grades of varicocele are shown in Tables 1 and 2. There were no significant differences in age between the patients of groups A and B and among the patients with different grades of varicocele (grades 1, 2 and 3). Of the 102 patients in group A, 19.6% were grade 1, 53.9% were grade 2 and 26.5% were grade 3. The BMI of patients with varicocele was significantly lower (p = 0.03) than that in patients without varicocele (Table 1). Patients with varicocele had lower serum levels of Cho, TG and testosterone and higher serum levels of LDH and Alk-p than patients without varicocele, but only Cho was significantly dif- ferent (p = 0.03, Table 1). There were no significant differences in the other biochemical markers between the patients of groups A and B (Table 1). Patients with grade 3 varicocele had a lower BMI than patients with grades 1 and 2 varicocele, but this was not significantly different (Table 2). Patients with grade 3 varicocele had lower serum levels of Cho and testosterone and higher serum levels of LDH and Alk-p than patients with low grade varicocele (grades 1 and 2), but this was not significant. There were no signifi- cant differences in any of the other biochemical markers among the patients with grades 1, 2, and 3 varicocele (Table 2). Table 1. Age, serum biochemical markers, testosterone and BMI in groups A and B* A (n = 102) B (n = 95) p†  *Data presented as mean  ± standard deviation; † statistical analysis by Mann-Whitney U test. A = group A, with varicocele; B = group B, without varicocele; Alk-p = alkaline phosphatase; LDH = lactic dehydrogenase; IP = inorganic phosphate; g-GT = g-glutamine transpeptidase; ALT = alanine aminotransferase; AST = aspartate aminotransferase; BMI = body mass index. Table 2. Age, serum biochemical markers, testosterone and BMI according to different grades of varicocele* Grade 1 (n = 20) Grade 2 (n = 55) Grade 3 (n = 27) p†  *Data presented as mean  ± standard deviation; † statistical analysis by Kruskal-Wallis test. Alk-p = alkaline phosphatase; LDH = lactic dehydrogenase; IP = inorganic phosphate; g-GT = g-glutamine transpeptidase; ALT = alanine aminotransferase; AST = aspartate aminotransferase; BMI = body mass index. Discussion Tsao et al showed that the prevalence and severity of varicoceles is inversely correlated with obesity, which indicates that obesity may result in a decreased nut- cracker effect.12 Handel et al reported that the preva- lence of varicocele decreases with increasing BMI, and the reason for this is that increased adipose tissue decreases compression of the left renal vein and pre- vents detection due to adipose tissue in the spermatic cord.13 In the present study, patients with varicocele had a lower BMI than normal age-matched controls, but patients with grade 3 varicocele did not have a sig- nificantly lower BMI than patients with lower-grade varicocele. The different etiology between our study and that of Tsao et al may be because patients in the previous study were young males serving in the army, which was different from our patients, but the etiol- ogy needs further evaluation. We found that obese or overweight (BMI ≠¥ 25) patients might have higher serum levels of Cho and TG than normal subjects (BMI Kumanov et al demonstrated that gynecomastia is negatively correlated with BMI.15 Low serum follicle- stimulating hormone and high testosterone are good prognostic factors for varicocelectomy.16 Ishikawa and Fujisawa showed that the vasodilatory effect of testosterone is decreased in high grade varicocele and they suggested that serum free testosterone will be in- creased after varicocele repair.17 Ghosh and York have reported that testosterone levels are lower and Alk-p levels are higher in the testis of varicocele-created rats.18 In our study, patients with varicocele had lower serum levels of testosterone and higher serum levels of Alk-p than patients without varicocele. In addition, patients with grade 3 varicocele had lower serum levels of testosterone and higher serum levels of Alk-p than patients with low grade varicocele. Both parameters did not reach statistical significance, and the reason might be due to a large standard deviation for testo- sterone and Alk-p levels. Therefore, the role of testo- sterone and Alk-p in patients with varicocele needs further evaluation; however, we did not measure folli- cle-stimulating hormone in this study. Our previous study showed that more free radicals might be gener- ated in varicocele veins than in the corresponding peripheral veins in patients with varicocele, because 8-hydroxy-2 -deoxyguanosine levels of leukocyte DNA in spermatic veins are higher than in the correspond- ing peripheral veins in these patients.19 Yesilli et al showed that LDH and malondialdehyde levels are greater in the sperm of infertile men with varicocele, but the levels of LDH and malondialdehyde does not decrease after varicocelectomy.20 In the present study, serum levels of LDH were higher in patients with varic- ocele than in patients without varicocele. Further- more, higher serum levels of LDH were found in patients with high-grade varicocele than in patients with lower-grade varicocele. Neither of these findings was statistically significant. Therefore, the effect of LDH in patients with varicocele needs further evaluation. Our findings suggest that an increase in body fat might be associated with relieving the nutcracker phe- nomenon of the superior mesenteric artery to the left renal vein. However, this study had some limitations. First, we did not compare the change in severity of varicocele in the same individual as BMI changed over time. Second, we did not use other imaging studies, such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, to demonstrate the relationship between vis- ceral fat and the region of the superior mesenteric artery, left renal vein and aorta. Third, the case numbers were small from an epidemiological view, because all of the subjects needed to have data for biochemical mark- ers, which restricted the patient numbers. Therefore, we need to include more cases in future studies. In conclusion, patients with varicocele might have significantly lower serum levels of cholesterol than patients without varicocele. In addition, our findings support the hypothesis that patients with a greater BMI may have advantages in relieving the nutcracker phe- nomenon causing significant varicoceles, but further studies are required to clarify this issue. References 1. Jarrow JP. Effects of varicocele on male infertility. Hum Reprod Update 2001;7:59–64. 2. Witt MA, Lipshultz LI. Varicocele: a progressive or static lesion? Urology 1993;42:541–3. 3. Gorelick JI, Goldstein M. Loss of fertility in men with varicocele. Fertil Steril 1993;59:613–6. 4. Levinger U, Gornish M, Gat Y, Bachar GN. Is varicocele preva- lence increasing with age? Andrologia 2007;39:77–80. 5. Kumanov P, Robeva RN, Tomova A. Adolescent varicocele: who is at risk? Pediatrics 2008;121:53–7. 6. Delaney DP, Carr MC, Kolon TF, Snyder HM, Zderic SA. The physical characteristics of young males with varicocele. BJU Int 2004;94:624–6. 7. Nielsen ME, Zderic S, Freedland SJ, Jarrow JP. Insight on patho- genesis of varicocele: relationship of varicocele and body mass index. Urology 2006;68:392–6. 8. Irkilata HC, Yildiz O, Yildirim I, Seyrek M, Basal S, Dayanc M, Ulku C. The vasodilator effect of testosterone on the human internal spermatic vein and its relation to varicocele grade. J Urol 2008;180:772–6. 9. Sheriff DS. The lipid composition of human testis in patients with bilateral varicocele as cause of infertility. Andrologia 1982;14: 150–3. 10. Odabas O, Yilmaz Y, Atilla MK, Tarakcioglu M, Aydin S. Can LDH activity in spermatic vein indicate testicular damage? A preliminary report. Int Urol Nephrol 1998;30:599–601. 11. Dubin L, Amelar RD. Varicocelectomy: 986 cases in a twelve- year study. Urology 1977;10:446–9. 12. Tsao CW, Hsu CY, Chou YC, Wu ST, Sun GH, Yu DS, Fan PL, et al. The relationship between varicoceles and obesity in a young adult population. Int J Androl 2009;32:385–90. 13. Handel LN, Shetty R, Sigman M. The relationship between varicoceles and obesity. J Urol 2006;176:2138–40. 14. Sultan Sheriff D. Further studies on testicular lipids and glyco- gen in human patients with unilateral varicocele. Andrologia 1984;16:442–5. 15. Kumanov P, Deepinder F, Robeva R, Tomova A, Li J, Agarwal A. Relationship of adolescent gynecomastia with varicocele and somatometric parameters: a cross-sectional study in 6200 healthy boys. J Adolesc Health 2007;41:126–31. 16. Kondo Y, Ishikawa T, Yamaguchi K, Fujisawa M. Predictors of improved seminal characteristics by varicocele repair. Andrologia 2009;41:20–3. 17. Ishikawa T, Fujisawa M. Varicocele ligation on free testosterone levels in infertile men with varicocele. Arch Androl 2004;50:443–8. 18. Ghosh PK, York JP. Changes in testicular testosterone and acid and alkaline phosphatase activity in testis and accessory sex organs after induction of varicocele in Noble rats. J Surg Res 1994;56:271–6. 19. Chen SS, Huang WJ, Chang LS, Wei YH. 8-Hydroxy-2 deoxyguanosine in leukocyte DNA of spermatic vein as a bio- marker of oxidative stress in patients with varicocele. J Urol 2004;172:1418–21. 20. Yesilli C, Mungan G, Seckiner I, Akduman B, Acikgoz S, Altan K, Mungan A. Effect of varicocelectomy on sperm creatine kinase, HspA2 chaperone protein, LDH, LDH-X, and lipid peroxidation product levels in infertile men with varicocele. Urology 2005;66:610–5.

Pilgrimages to Sacred Sites as Tourism Essay -- Tourism

In discussing the viewpoint that pilgrimage to sacred site is a form of tourism there are certain terms that require definition: pilgrimage, sacred and tourism. The Oxford English Dictionary, (OED, 2012) defines pilgrimage as ‘a journey undertaken to a place of particular significance or interest’. It is usually as an act of religious devotion, homage and respect and those on a pilgrimage are referred to as Pilgrims. Waterhouse (2009, p199) defines religion as ‘a system of practices, institutions and beliefs that provide meaning to life and death’. Waterhouse’s definition not only encompasses the five main religions but also the various sub divisions and alternative religions. Tourism is defined by OED (2012) as ‘the theory and practice of touring, travelling for pleasure’ and thus a person on tour is defined as a tourist. The OED (2012) defines sacred as ‘dedicated, set apart, exclusively appropriated to some person or some special purpose’. This essay will discuss the view that pilgrimage to sacred sites is a form of tourism by outlining the debates surrounding sacred sites and between different factions. The essay will then apply these arguments and ideas to Stonehenge and Avebury. It will also look at the associations of Pilgrimage and Tourism within the ideologies surrounding leisure and their application to Glastonbury. The definition of sacred as a place separate from the secular world has different connotations and meaning for different individuals and groups. The main academic argument is between the ideas that the site is inherently sacred or is the product of human effort. Eliade (1961) argues that the ‘manifestation of something of a wholly different order, a reality that does not belong to our world in objects tha... ...ity, pp.10-34 Pike, J. (2008), ‘Leisure, Laziness and feeling good’, in Brunton, D. (ed), Place and Leisure AA100 Book 4, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp.3-10 Reader, I. (2012), ‘Pilgrims and Pilgrimage: place and Journey in Cultures and Faiths Worldwide’, available from http://www.york.ac.uk/projects/pilgrimage/content/faiths.html accessed on the 11/5/12 ‘Sacred Space and Landscape’ (2008) (aa100DVD Video), Milton Keynes, The Open University The Open University (2008), AA100 Illustration Book (Plates for Books 3 and 4), Milton Keynes, The Open University. Waterhouse , H. (2009), ‘The Dalai Lama’, in Moohan, E (ed), Reputations AA100 Book 1, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp.197-229 Wolffe, J. (2008), ‘Tradition and Dissent in English Christianity’ in Price, C (ed), Tradition and Dissent AA100 Book 2, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp71-106