User Behavior at Pinnacle Peak Essay Example for Free

User Behavior at Pinnacle Peak Essay Pinnacle Peak Hiking Area is a multipurpose, exercise trail used for both hiking and equestrians. It is a 1. 75 mile one-way trail in Rio Verde, Arizona with breathtaking views of the Sonoran Desert from every direction. Because the trail is not a loop, there is a lot of traffic on the trail, especially during the fall and winter seasons and on weekends. Families specifically enjoy this trail because there is no way for their children to get lost; there is one way in and one way out, no confusing side trails for anyone to take. There are a few areas where people are tempted to cut corners when there is a lot of traffic on the trail. This is quite dangerous as the entire trail is up a mountain and someone could very easily slip and fall. To help prevent people from cutting corners, the management has strategically laid rocks and logs along certain corners so it is a lot harder for people to step outside these boundaries. Parking for Pinnacle Peak is a disaster. There is very little parking in the designated parking lot, and so people have to park on the street and walk a fairly far distance before they even reach the trailhead. Like the trail, there is only one way in and one way out; there is no going around the busy street full of cars. On weekends when the trail is extremely busy, the parking situation is chaotic. People are out of breath walking uphill before they even reach the trailhead. At the trail head there is a large shaded area, decorated to match its desert surroundings, for people to stretch, rest, drink water, and have snacks both before and after their hikes. I found this extremely inviting and welcoming to users of all ages and hiking abilities. However, the trail itself is quite uninviting. The trail is unsuitable for both hikers and equestrians to be using at the same time. It is very rare that you will see horses on the trail; even without the horses, the trail is not nearly wide enough for the amount of hikers it sees each day. Several people would rather run than walk Pinnacle Peak, and some like to enjoy their time in nature while slowly strolling the trail. As mentioned before, families love this hike, and enjoy brining their children out to enjoy it with them. Unfortunately, with the amount of people Pinnacle Peak attracts, there are often times when people will have to either step aside, or stop and wait for other hikers/runners to pass by. The waiting is annoying and inconvenient, especially for those fully dedicated to their workout, and needing to complete their hike without a single stop. Pam Carothers (2001) states in the article â€Å"Social Values Versus Interpersonal Conflict among Hikers and Mountain Bikers† that recreation conflict is a major issue, whether it is on a hiking trail or on a lake. Interpersonal conflict between hikers and mountain bikers may be related to speed, lack of courtesy, crowding, or safety concerns. Safety issues, for example, have been linked to trail design (blind corners) and the behaviors of some mountain bikers who ride too fast for existing conditions† (page 48). The same idea may apply to runners versus hikers, and those who are on the trail to exercise, versus those on the trail to en joy the scenery. The only possibility to helping with the â€Å"waiting† situation would be a wider trail, however that process would be very long and tedious, as well as expensive. Management has provided two rest areas throughout the trail in which people can step aside, let people pass, grab a drink of water, and enjoy the scenery, all while staying out of other hikers ways. A few more rest stops/pull out areas could help out with the congestion and waiting, as well as people cutting corners and possibly injuring them selves. Before you reach the trailhead, there is an information center with brochures, safety packets, and attentive volunteers wanting to answer any questions you may have about the trail, scenery or surrounding wildlife. John Loleit, Recreation Coordinator at Pinnacle Peak says, â€Å"Year round, you have a good chance of spotting wildlife, especially in the early morning and at dusk†. The information center also has bright, detailed pictures of harmful insects, animals, and plants to keep an eye out for on the trail. Next to the information center are bathrooms, very well kept all year long with accessible stalls and water fountains. Because the trail is technically used for equestrians, too, some sort of horse facilities would be appropriate. Water troughs, large areas to park trailers, and hitching posts would all be extremely helpful for those with horses. Maybe with these extra facilities, the trail would attract more equestrians. As mentioned earlier, this site is very popular to families. Children are always playing on the rocks and benches at the beginning of the trail and rest area. In most cases this would be dangerous and unacceptable, however Pinnacle Peak is very â€Å"kid friendly†, and everything is set up for the safety of the hikers. Several runners cut across the trail on busy days when there are packs of people crowding certain areas. Even with the logs and rocks blocking off the corners, it is difficult to avoid this situation. Large groups of hikers love to stop and take pictures together with the beautiful desert scenery in the background. And who could blame them? Pinnacle Peak does an amazing job in taking advantage of its many views. No matter where you are on the trail, you will have a breath taking view of either Four Peaks or Tom’s Thumb, and at the right time of day, the mixture of pinks and reds of the setting sun. I noticed right away that Pinnacle Peak’s trail is not â€Å"horse friendly†, even though it is supposed to cater to equestrian needs as well as pedestrians. The trail has several stairways made of logs and rocks, both very difficult for horses to climb. The trail, along with the lack of horse facilities, probably discourages many equestrians from attending Pinnacle Peak. Many horse owners live in the area around Pinnacle Peak; if they built a few facilities and fixed the trail to work with horses, they would be seeing a large increase of attendees. I also noticed that the trail was built in such a way that it works perfectly with the contours of the mountain. There are stretches of both smooth surfaces and uphill climbs, tight curves and long straightaways. They definitely used the area to the best of their ability when planning out how the trail would run. By completing this project I learnt the importance of planning ahead and taking into consideration how people interact with their environment. I think that when it comes time to plan an event, facility, or specific environment, researching other competitors is crucial, to see what works, what doesn’t work, and what you are going to do to be proactive against certain issues. I expect to use this information professionally to help plan ahead for any event or facility in my future. The more knowledge and little tips I build now, the more prepared I will be for my professional career.

Essay on The Great Gatsby -- English Literature

Essay on The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby is a novel about a man who tries to win over a woman he had lost many years ago. Jay Gatsby is the hero in this novel because he stands out amongst the rich. Unlike the rest of the rich people in this novel Gatsby has moral values, and the rest of them can only grasp things of material value. Gatsby spends his whole life trying to hide the fact that he wasn’t like the others. Gatsby never fits in among them because what he perceives of them is all wrong, they were as uncivil as anyone else. Through being less primitive than the rich, determination for love, being ruled by his emotions that erase any doubt, he is quiet tempered; which upholds his greatness, and he is protected by others that tell us of his importance. Gatsby is not as primitive as the rest of the rich humans, he is more mannered and civil. The people at his parties are all wild and not civil, what you would not expect from people of this stature. Gatsby is this way because he has had to earn his money and has not just inherited it like the lazy lot of them. The only other person that comes close to Gatsby is Nick, but we don’t get to see what he would be like with wealth. Throughout the novel Gatsby looks out upon the crowd, when he comes down to greet Nick he is very polite to everyone surrounding him, knowing they spread rumors and lies about him. He doesn’t think anything of it because he knows it’s natural for people to gossip, he can’t judge them on it because it is the crowd he wishes to become. Nick tells Gatsby he is better than the whole rotten bunch of them, Nick realizes this because he knows what it is like to be poor and he knows Gatsby still acts like a poor man, but he has all t... ...new him. He always wants Nick to come with him on things he is unsure of, like when meeting daisy for the first time in eight years (p.83). He needs others to fulfill his confidence in himself, it is how he got as far he did in the novel (money wise). He only meets new people through association with someone else in the novel, he meets Nick through Jordan and Daisy through Nick. He is like this because he expects things to come to him like they have in the past like his job from Meyer Wolfshiem. James Gatsby is the hero in the novel through: his modern acts, determination for love, his conquering emotions, his quiet temperament, and his protected state. A hero is someone unlike the others and Gatsby fills this character perfectly in the novel. Therefore Gatsby is the character and no one else should even be considered for his place in The Great Gatsby.

Challenges in the Business Environment Essay

There has been no change to Apple Code of Conduct policy since 2014 when Apple started taking previous audit scores into consideration and conduct detailed risk assessments with suppliers who had not been audited in the past before awarding the new business. In 2014, we reviewed 459 suppliers, and factored their responsibility performance into our decisions. This engagement has allowed Apple to address over 700 findings related to labor standards, worker safety, permits, environmental hazards, and chemical management before production began (Apple – 2014 Supplier Code of Conduct). Apple has made significant progress, gaps still exist, and there is more work to do. Apple knows that workers are counting on them and they will not stop until every person in their supply chain is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve (Apple – Supplier Responsibility 2015 Progress Report). Apple believes that it is not enough to just set high standards they must work every day to make sure they’re upheld. Apple Supplier Code of Conduct is among the toughest in the industry. To track working conditions at suppliers’ facilities, we conduct regular, in-person audits deep into the supply chain. Audits remain essential to Apple work, but they’re only the beginning. Apple reports monthly on working hours for over one million workers with hopes that their openness will inspire other companies. But more important, Apple believe the feedback that transparency invites makes us even better (Apple – Supplier Responsibility 2015 Progress Report). Apple’s suppliers are required to provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, act fairly and ethically, and use environmentally responsible practices wherever they make products or perform services for Apple. Apple requires its suppliers to operate in accordance with the principles in this Apple Supplier Code of  Conduct (â€Å"Code†) and in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. This Code goes beyond mere compliance with the law by drawing upon internationally recognized standards to advance social and environmental responsibility. This Code outlines Apple’s expectations for Supplier conduct regarding labor and human rights, health and safety, environmental protection, ethics, and management practices. Apple assesses its suppliers’ compliance with this Code, and any violations of this Code may jeopardize the supplier’s business relationship with Apple, up to and including termination. This Code applies to Apple suppliers and their subsidiaries, affiliates, and subcontractors (each a â€Å"Supplier†) providing goods or services to Apple, or for use in or with Apple products (Apple – 2014 Supplier Code of Conduct). To show that Apple believes that it is not enough to just set high standards and that they must work every day to make sure they’re upheld. In 2014, over 2.3 million workers were trained on Apple’s Co de and their rights. Apple invested millions of dollars to expand our Supplier Employee Education and Development (SEED) program since it began. SEED now totals 48 classrooms in 23 facilities equipped with iMac computers, iPad devices, education software, video conferencing systems, and more. To make sure the standards were upheld Apple performed 633 audits covering over 1.6 million workers in 2014. Apple also audited suppliers in 19 countries and calls were made to 30,000 workers to make sure their rights were being upheld (Apple – 2014 Supplier Code of Conduct). Apple Suppliers Understanding of Their Standards, Responsibilities, and Company Relationship Apple is proud of the strong relationships they have built with their suppliers, many of whom have been working with them for years. Apple periodically reviews their relationships and adds new suppliers as needed. Apple requires each of its suppliers to meet the highest standards for all goods and services. Our requirements include a commitment to rigorous quality assurance. In addition, suppliers must be committed, as we are, to ensuring the highest standards of soci al responsibility. The ideal suppliers are those who understand our culture and expectations. We value suppliers who take the time to learn about and understand our business and who look for ways to add value. These suppliers know the importance of making and meeting commitments and delivering the highest quality goods and services (Apple – Apple and Procurement). Apple business environment is  competitive and fast-paced. Apple suppliers must understand this dynamic and be agile and flexible in responding to changing business conditions. All over the world, people are building Apple products and Apple has a responsibility to make sure that each person is treated with dignity and respect. It’s a massive challenge where Apple work is never done, but each year they implement meaningful, lasting changes across their supply chain. Because of this around the globe, Apple employees are united in bringing equality, human rights, and respect for the environment to the deepest layers of their supply chain. Apple goes deep into their supply chain to enforce their social and environmental standards by empowering workers through education, demanding that suppliers treat workers fairly and ethically at all times, having safe and healthy facilities, and hold their products and processes to the highest environmental standards (Apple – Supplier Responsibility 2015 Progress Report). Apple believes that in order to make impactful changes across their supply chain, it’s important to understand firsthand what’s happening inside their suppliers’ facilities. That’s why they don’t simply employ and review audits from behind a desk in Cupertino. Instead, they directly gauge how their supplier facilities are doing by regularly visiting and partnering with their suppliers around the world, so when they discover a problem, they can work together to get it fixed (Apple – Accountability). To make sure the standards are understood and upheld Apple performed 633 audits covering over 1.6 million workers. Apple also audited suppliers in 19 countries and calls 30,000 workers to make sure their rights are being upheld. Every audit is led by an Apple auditor and supported by local third-party auditors. These third parties are experts in their fields and all have been trained to use our detailed auditing protocols. During each audit, Apple grade suppliers on more than 100 data points corresponding to each category of our Supplier Code of Conduct (Apple – Accountability). Apple auditors are highly skilled at identifying when suppliers are covering up information. Apple audits are proven to improve supplier compliance. Each year we review and raise our already strict requirements, and suppliers continue to meet our increasingly stringent standards. In 2014, facilities audited two times scored 25 percent higher than those facilities with first-time audits. Facilities audited three times or more scored 31 percent higher than facilities audited  for the first time (Apple – Accountability). In addition to these regular, prescheduled audits, Apple randomly select facilities to audit unannoun ced. These surprise audits help ensure that our suppliers continue to meet our standards at all times not just during scheduled visits. Apple conducted 40 surprise audits in 2014, where their team visited suppliers on the spot and inspected the facility within hours. After the audit Apple conducts physical inspections, reviews documents, and interviews workers in their native languages, without their managers present. Afterward, workers are given a phone number, so they have the opportunity to securely and confidentially provide additional feedback about a facility to our team, including anything they consider to be unethical behavior. Apple encourages workers to report any retaliation to us, and we follow up with all suppliers to address each reported issue (Apple – Accountability). Inclusion these audits, code of conduct, and standards give Apple suppliers the understanding of what it means to be part of the company. Reference Apple – Accountability. (2015, January 1). Retrieved March 7, 2015, from http://www.apple.com/supplier-responsibility/accountability/ Apple – Apple and Procurement. (2015, January 1). Retrieved March 7, 2015, from http://www.apple.com/procurement/ Apple – 2014 Supplier Code of Conduct. (2014, January). Retrieved March 3, 2015 from https://www.apple.com/ca/supplierresponsibility/pdf/Apple_Supplier_Code_of_Conduct.pdf Apple – Supplier Responsibility Progress Report. (2015, January). Retrieved March 3, 2015 from https://www.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/pdf/Apple_Progress_Report_2015.pdf

Essay on This Is Water a speech by David Foster Wallace

In David Foster Wallace’s graduation speech, This Is Water, he uses logical and emotional appeals to discuss the importance of critical thinking. Wallace uses the term â€Å"conscious† to signal critical thinkers, while those who do not think critically are referred to as â€Å"unconscious.† Wallace’s main argument is that a person has the choice to think critically and should do so every day. Wallace’s analysis of consciousness and unconsciousness focusses too heavily on the logical and emotional appeals and ignores the possible ethical arguments that support the development of conscious societies, such as activism. In doing so, Wallace favours the self-interested members of the audience and alienates those who favour altruism, limiting the†¦show more content†¦Through proving that we are not always correct, and reminding the audience that different people can have different views of reality, Wallace is able to use logical reasoning to show that humans have the ability to change their perspectives. Wallace’s use of negative emotional words and the parable of the college graduate who goes grocery shopping evoke negative emotional responses to unconscious thinking, resulting in a strong, convincing emotional appeal. Throughout the speech, Wallace stresses the tediousness of everyday life, dwelling on negative emotions such as â€Å"tired, hurried,† â€Å"somewhat stressed,† and â€Å"pissed and miserable.† Through these negative words and more, Wallace shows how awful life is for unconscious people. In addition to the negative emotions, Wallace implicitly refers to suicide in phrases such as: â€Å"†¦[living] in the day to day trenches of adult existence, banal platitudes can have a life or death importance.† By this statement, Wallace is arguing that unconscious thinking can lead to death. He also claims that consciousness is a way â€Å"†¦to keep from going through your [†¦] adult life dead, unconscious, a slave to your he ad,† and that â€Å"most of these suicides are actually dead long before they pull the trigger.† This selection reinforces the negativity of unconsciousness (through the words â€Å"dead† and â€Å"slave†) and Wallace’s claim that a person can become aShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Speech This Is Water By David Foster Wallace1298 Words   |  6 PagesStudy Finds Most Students Vulnerable to Fake News† where Kelly McEvers talks to Professor Sam Wineburg about his study on the ability of students to differentiate between fake and real news. 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Wallace reveals his topic through a series of anecdotes, each highlightingRead MoreIn the words attributed to Socrates in Plato’s Apology, â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living.†1000 Words   |  4 PagesIn the words attributed to Socrates in Plato’s Apology, â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living.† David Foster Wallace expands on this idea in his â€Å"Kenyon College 2005 Commencement Address,† pointing out the importance of awareness and escaping the natural, default-setting of an unconscious, self-centred life. While commencement speeches are typically epideictic—celebratory—in nature, Wallace takes a deliberative rhetorical stance. According to Fahnestock, deliberative discourse is used in orderRead MoreAnalysis Of Commencement Speech By David Foster Wallace1134 Words   |  5 PagesOne of the finest commencement speeches was given by David Foster Wallace at Kenyon College. Wallace’s speech can be viewed as enlightening to those who are often blindly single-minded. It forces the audience to take a look at the way they approach everyday situations, rather than being self-centered, consider others before yourself. However, many overlook Wallace’s impeccable rhetorical maneuvers, focusing on the constant clichà ©s and fictional anecdote s used. What people don’t realize is these clichà ©sRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of `` What The Hell Is Water `` By David Foster Wallace909 Words   |  4 PagesFamed American author David Foster Wallace gave a commencement speech to Kenyon College’s graduating class of 2005. Most commencement speeches focus on graduates’ accomplishments as well as give general life advice. Wallace’s presentation follows this pattern at first, congratulating the students on getting their diplomas. However, most of his speech is dedicated to the idea of thinking beyond ourselves. Throughout the speech, Wallace argues we should live with empathy through his use of humor andRead MoreDavid Foster Wallaces Speech : This Is Water883 Words   |  4 Pages In David Foster Wallace’s speech, â€Å"This is Water,† he informed the audience of the importance for everyone to know they have a natural default setting, which is the automatic way that a person feels they a re the center of the universe and that negative situations are other people’s fault. He also discussed the importance of trying not to act in this natural default setting, and try to think of problems that other people have to go through in their lives. The main purpose of Wallace’s speech wasRead MoreChanging The World One Human At A Time1366 Words   |  6 Pagesa Time David Foster Wallace’s style of writing evokes human emotions that are often repressed or simply over looked. While emailing his editor Wallace once wrote, â€Å"I want to author things that both restructure worlds and make living people feel stuff† (Max qtd. Wallace). His ability to tie readers and characters together creates a relationship with the reader that does just that; Wallace makes his readers â€Å"feel stuff†. In Larry McCaffery’s â€Å"An Interview with David Foster Wallace†, Wallace explains