Elon Senior Aly Hignight has a dance-off during Knife Party’s set at Ultra Music Festival 2012 in Miami, Florida.
While commercialized, mainstream music continues to flood popular radio, some Elon University students have decided to break away from conventional music and have ultimately formed an ‘underground’ rave culture. These students are all extremely passionate about electronic dance music (EDM) and view the music and the culture that surrounds it as a platform for expressing themselves in an environment free from judgment. This generation of ravers truly believes that EDM is a genre unlike any other because the fans make unique connections with others who share a mutual love for the music, continually finding themselves enlightened and inspired, show after show.
Several Elon students who consider themselves a part of the EDM movement view raves as rituals of togetherness where everyone collectively surrenders themselves to the music. Sophomore Sandra Grigis has been attending EDM shows throughout her entire college career and feels a strong connection to the EDM community. “You see people doing what they want to do – everyone is smiling at each other – and no one feels judged,” she says. “You can just lose it without feeling like you’re crazy. People come up to you and tell you you’re beautiful. You don’t get that anywhere else. It’s like a community and there’s just vibes of love everywhere. It’s like your soul is dancing.”
Elon junior Tyler Marenyi has been producing his own electronic beats for a few years and has watched the EDM movement explode from its beginnings. He acknowledges that there are several aspects of the rave generation that set it apart from other genres of music. “The whole EDM community is what makes it different,” he says.
Elon junior Tyler Marenyi produces his own electronic music and DJs local events on and off campus. He will be opening for Styles & Complete at Taphouse on May 8.
“It’s completely different from any other genre of music. Every time you go to a show there’s always just awesome people there. You feel like you can trust people. Everyone is open to new things and they’re all so friendly. As someone who makes music, there’s so many different production forms. Everyone is down to share their music and do shows together. It’s a lot less cutthroat than the industry surrounding bigger music labels. EDM is about making good music, it’s not about making money.”
Elon junior Edge Fernandez discovered EDM the summer before college after attending a warehouse rave in Brooklyn, which gave him a new perspective on the culture behind this genre of music. “Everyone was just letting go and expressing themselves, he says. “It was the first time I really learned to do that. And no one cares because you look around and everyone else is doing the same thing.” As far as what this underground explosion of music means for our generation, Fernandez shares his thoughts. “I’m excited for it,” he says. I think it speaks a lot about how our values are changing. We kind of just want to do what we want to do and not live stereotypical lives. It’s going to define us.”
Below is a video from Ultra Music Festival 2012, one of the biggest EDM festivals in the world, which grew to 200,000 attendees this year. Some Elon students who attended include Aly Hignight, Sam Wright, Will Jones, Rachel Vargyai, Margaux Loree, Ning Yuan and Sandra Grigis.
Twenty-two year-old Ross Ashley shot and killed Virginia Tech police officer Deriek Crouse Dec. 8, leading to widespread panic in the area following the 2007 Virginia Tech disaster. Not long after Ashley’s fatal shot was fired on Crouse, the Radford University student turned the gun on himself. This tragedy has forced university leaders to re-evaluate their security systems and emergency procedures.
Officer Deriek Crouse was shot and killed by Radford University student Ross Ashley, the second major Virginia Tech incident in four years.
Universities all over the globe, such as Elon, are doing whatever it takes to insure safety within the student body when it comes to security measures. “We gave it a lot more significant thought after the last Virginia Tech incident,” says Dan Anderson, vice president of university communications. He believes Elon’s campus is “way more prepared” than it was in previous years. “Every emergency situation brings along with it some level of chaos,” he says. “You have to plan for things you didn’t expect. There are always things that you should have planned for but didn’t.”
Anderson points out that having the most immediate response to an incident is essential when it comes to informing members of the university. He feels as though Elon has the proper tools in place to “manage the uncertainty.” One way that Elon keeps students constantly updated about incidents is through the “E-Alert” system, which sends a text message to everyone signed up for the service in any case of minor or major emergency.
Elon University junior Adriana Miano is signed up for the text message alerts and finds them, along with the emergency response emails, very helpful. “Getting Smith Jackson emails freaks me out sometimes,” she says. “I think the text messages are really effective. We have a pretty efficient program – the ‘E-Alert’ system keeps people informed.”
Elon University Campus Security Officer John Miles feels as though incidents such as the most recent Virginia Tech shooting are cause for amped up security. “If you see anything out of the ordinary, you want to pay more attention now,” he says. Having seven years of experience as an officer at Elon, Miles has seen substantial improvements over the years when it comes to campus security measures. “We don’t mess around,” he says. “You have to really be on your game. You have to give it 110 percent.”
Erin O’Shea, a senior at Elon, says she feels secure on campus thanks to the emergency response systems. “I think they do a pretty good job of alerting students,” she says. “I feel safe here.” In reference to the most recent shooting at Virginia Tech, O’Shea acknowledges that sometimes there is only so much that can be done in preparation of something so heinous and unexpected. “You don’t know how to react until something like that actually happens,” she says.
Some brochures on security available at the Campus Security and Police office, located in the Oaks.
Elon senior Dan Layman agrees with the fact that even the highest degree of preparation does not always prevent an incident from happening. “Security is a reactionary thing,” he says. Layman says he never really feels in danger on campus, saying Elon has a “private school feel” and a “different atmosphere of students” that make him feel at ease. “I trust that the system works,” he says.
Although it’s impossible to be prepared for everything, some believe there are vital steps Elon can take in creating a safer campus for the future. Anderson thinks the “E-Alert” system is one of Elon’s most effective emergency tools, but says not nearly enough students are signed up. “We have to keep getting the word out,” he says.
Jacquie Adams, a senior at Elon, trusts the emergency response system, but agrees with Anderson when it comes to the “E-Alert” issue. “I think we have a good system in place,” she says, “but students need to be reminded more often about signing up for text alerts.”
Here, Vice President of University Communications, Dan Anderson, talks about the various security alerts that are currently in place at Elon University.
Elon’s coed acapella group Twisted Measure performed their annual two-night fall concert last weekend. The shows were Friday and Saturday night in Whitley Auditorium and Yeager Hall with doors opening at 7 p.m. and the show starting at 7:30 p.m.
Twisted Measure performs one two-night concert in the fall each year, and one in the spring as well.
The set list for the fall concert included some classics from previous years, such as Queen’s “Somebody to love,” sung by Katie Middleton, as well as new songs such as Mike Posner’s “Please don’t go,” sung by Kelvin Walker.
Twisted Measure held tryouts in the beginning of the year, in which they acquired five new members, four freshmen and one junior. Numerous friends and family members attended the concert, some traveling quite a distance just to see the performance.
Some other artists that were featured in the performance included Jesse Palmer, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Adele.
“Mari Nelson amazed me with her performance of Katy Perry’s ‘Thinking of you,'” says junior Kate Gorman.”It’s amazing to know that people sing that well who are in your presence every day.”
“Once again Twisted Measure blew me away,” says junior Roger Gant. “This is the best performance I’ve heard from them. I especially enjoyed ‘Somebody to love’ by Queen as well as ‘All these things that I’ve done’ by The Killers.”
The talented acapella group surprised the crowd with a huge encore performance of Jill Scott’s “Hate on me,” one of their favorite songs to sing that is always a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Here, junior Edge Fernandez sings “Slumber” by Needtobreathe:
With the current state of the economy and the holidays right around the corner, Americans are scraping together whatever money they have to purchase the perfect gifts for friends and loved ones. Last year, the pre-Christmas sales increase was the biggest in five years, with spending reaching approximately $584.3 billion, a rise of 2.8 percent, according to MasterCard Advisors’ SpendingPulse.
Holiday shoppers can rest assured this year knowing that the economy has improved over the past few years. In 2010, U.S. retailers' holiday sales in the 50 days before Christmas jumped 5.2 percent for the best performance in five years.
Though every organization that analyzes retail sales has a different formula, they all expect a rise of 2 to 3 percent in sales during the holidays in 2011.
“Retailers are optimistic that a combination of strong promotions and lean inventory levels will help them address consumer caution this holiday season,” says Matthew Shay, NRF’s president and CEO. “While businesses remain concerned over the viability of the economic recovery, there is no doubt that the retail industry is in a better position this year to handle consumer uncertainty than it was in 2008 and 2009.”
In reaction to the instability of the economy, many people are switching over to online shopping. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over $30 billion of holiday sales come from electronic purchases via the Internet.
“Free shipping deals, convenience and more variety are just a few reasons why more consumers are opting to shop with their mouse this year,” says Charles Tran, founder of CreditDonkey. “Not to mention, there is no need to worry about traffic or the cost of gas and dining out when you shop online.”
U.S. online holiday shopping is becoming extremely popular, and is expected in crease 15 percent to nearly $60 billion this year according to Forrester Research Inc. The report claims about 58 percent of Americans are more price-conscious now than they were last year.
According to a recent study by the NRF, online holiday shopping has increased 15.2 percent in 2010 compared to 2009, with popular discount days being Thanksgiving and Black Friday. More than 40 percent of retailers said they plan to offer free shipping during the holidays, and FedEx expects to hit a record of more than 260 million shipments over the holiday season.
With price being the number one factor when it comes to consumers making holiday purchases, it is important for companies to recognize their competition and make their products affordable and appealing at the same time.
“Price is paramount during any recession, but when the economy begins to recover other factors take on greater importance,” said Phil Rist, executive vice president of Strategic Initiatives, BIGresearch. “When shoppers consider other factors like customer service and quality in buying decisions, retailers have the ability to highlight a variety of other features to help their company stand out from the competition.”
“I think shoppers are always looking for a deal,” said Lord & Taylor CEO Brendan Hoffman. “But I don’t think you’ll see super-deep discounts as compared to the last couple of years. The world’s gotten promotional over the last few years and will continue to be so this year, but probably not noticeably more than over the last few years.”
“We’re very encouraged and very confident about the holiday season,” said Macy’s spokesman Jim Sluzewski. “We’ve told Wall Street to expect our sales to be up 4 percent to 4.5 percent in the fourth quarter. That’s relatively consistent with the sales increase we’ve seen all year.”
This chart illustrates the average holiday spending by year, which shows a drastic decline from 2007 to 2009, and a gradual increase from 2010 to the current calendar year.
Not only are Americans changing where they shop, they are also changing how they shop, thanks to the popularity of smartphones such as iPhones and Androids. Many consumers are using their mobile devices to research gift ideas, compare prices and find items in nearby stores. According to the NRF, over one-forth of American adults with a smartphone will use these devices to research or make holiday purchases. Mobile phone retailers are planning to use this to their advantage by offering mobile apps with features such as mobile reviews.
With the holidays fast approaching, the NRF reports that over 37.2 percent of Americans had already begun their shopping by Halloween. The declining recession is certainly providing a glimmer of hope for shoppers as they plan out their gifts for friends and loved ones.
This video shows a glimpse of what is to be expected during the 2011 holiday shopping season.
Chapter nine– Chapter nine is about directional measurements. It is important for journalists to understand directional measurements because they are present in many news stories. Basic math is involved when it comes to checking the numbers in time, rate and distance – it’s crucial to be good at this because reporters can’t always rely on numbers provided by people in stories. One of the main things to keep in mind when working with time, rate and distance problems is to keep the units of measurement the same. For instance, if the rate is in miles per hour, the time must be in hours and and distance must be in miles. Speed is the measurement of how fast an object is moving, and velocity is a measurement of the direction of the object. Acceleration is another measurement that be a little more complex, dependent on other circumstances such as an object moving uphill, or not accelerating at a steady rate. Momentum can be described as the force necessary to stop an object from moving – every moving object has momentum. It can be calculated by multiplying the object’s mass by its velocity.
Chapter 10– Chapter 10 is all about area measurements. News stories are often filled with measurement statistics, which is why it’s important for journalists to understand how to express them accurately. One way to illustrate measurements is through analogies. This can be effective when trying to portray how large the area or size of something is; for instance, telling someone that a tree is 40 feet tall may be hard for them to visualize. Telling them the tree is as tall as a four-story building will likely give them a much more accurate perception of the actual size of the tree. Another method of conveying measurements is simply to use accurate numbers. For instance, if a new park is being constructed, people will probably want to know the actual dimensions of the park, and not an analogy. Four important measurements to be aware of are perimeter, area, square feet and circumference.
Chapter 11– Chapter 11 is about volume measurements, which come up in many news articles. All kinds of goods are sold based on volume, which can vary based on the market. Liquid measurements come up in recipes and bodies of water. The volume of rectangular solids can be calculated by multiplying the length by the width by the height. Another measurement, the cord, is the unit that applies to selling firewood. There are 128 cubic feet in a cord when the firewood is neatly stacked in a row. Another volume measurement is the ton, which there are three types of. A short ton is equivalent to 2,000 pounds, a long ton is equivalent to 2,240 pounds and a metric ton is equivalent to 2,204.62 pounds.
Chapter 12– Chapter 12 is a detailed chapter about the metric system, which can often be a daunting concept to Americans. However, because it i used all over the world in situations such as international commerce, it is important for journalists to have a decent grasp on the metric system and how it works. The metric system is used frequently in America, actually, in sports, soda, medicine and other products. “The meter is the basic unit for length,” Wickham says. “It is based on a measure that equals one 10-millionth of the distance from the North Pole to the equator along the meridian running near Dunkirk in France and Barcelona in Spain” The metric unit of force is the Newton. The metric system is based on the decimal system which allows users to change from one unit to another by either multiplying or dividing by multiples of 10. The units used in the metric system are meters, grams and liters. There are some style rules that go along with the metric system. When it comes to capitalization, the names of all units should start with a lowercase letter unless it’s at the beginning of a sentence. Also, unit symbols should be written in lowercase letters with the exception of liters and Newtons. Spaces should be used between the number and the symbol to which it refers, and when a hyphen is used, the name of the metric quantity should be written out.
Examples
1. Jane Doe is a reporter covering the annual 100-mile run in her hometown. How long will it take her friend, Jim, to cross the finish line if he is running at an average speed of 7 mph?
Formulas:
Distance= rate x time
Rate = distance/time
Time= distance/rate
100 miles/7 mph= 14.3 hours
2. The driveway outside McEwen is rectangular, and has a length of 50 feet and a width of 20 feet. What is the perimeter?
Formula:
Perimeter= (2 x length) + (2 x width)
(2 x 50) + (2 x 20) = 140 ft.
3. Mary is building a mansion and wants to know the total square footage of her soon-to-be-built house, which has a base of 240 feet and a height of 50 feet. What is the area of her house?
Formula:
Area = .5 base x height
.5 x 240 x 50 = 6,000 square feet
4. Suzie is trying to figure out how many servings of milk are in a half gallon so she can drink it all before it spoils. She knows that each serving is 8 ounces.
One crucial promise: To protect and serve. After six months of brutal training, police academy trainees are proud to hold onto that oath. It isn’t easy to get in, and without extreme dedication, it isn’t easy to make it out either. Requirements at the police academy are becoming more challenging by the year. Applicants are scrutinized and those with troubled backgrounds are being weeded out in favor of those with squeaky-clean records. In addition, those who possess undergraduate and graduate degrees have a competitive edge upon graduation. These new officers will be expected to work closely with their communities, striving to improve the quality of life for each and every citizen through proactively preventing crime and maintaining the standards of the law.
On what cadets should expect at the Academy
The satisfaction is what cadets say they strive for; first the satisfaction of graduating, and then that of making a difference. They say that finding the dedication necessary to succeed first at the police academy and then as a sworn officer is no easy task.
It is a universal requirement that incoming cadets have a high school diploma. In addition, any kind of criminal record is generally unacceptable. This means no drug charges, no arrests and certainly no jail time. A speeding ticket or two does not necessarily speak volumes about someone’s character, but anything more serious likely does.
Cadets must be in top physical condition, as they will be expected to pass a physical agility test during training at the academy. Mental stability is just as important as physical fitness. Anyone who has a history of mental illness or depression is automatically disqualified from the application process; law enforcement offers endure a great deal of stress, which requires strong mental stability.
Cadets endure all kinds of experiences at the academy. Some live there for the duration, while others live at home and commute. Each day at the academy consists of rigorous physical drills and work in the classroom.
Once these requirements are met, a rigorous background check is performed. It includes a criminal history check, a driving record review and interviews with significant others, employers and neighbors. Applicants must also submit to a polygraph examination in which questions are asked about the applicant including drug use history and moral codes.
Once this test is passed, along with the physical test, the applicant is eligible to be hired. The requirements may seem harsh, but it is crucial to keep in mind the fact that these are the people each community trusts to ensure and promote justice and safety among everyone.
“The biggest challenge I faced was understanding the mental conditioning that we were forced to learn,” recalls Senior Corporal Any Kevis of the New Castle County (Del.) Police Department. “It was hard for me to realize that people were going to be so nasty and rude to police officers. All the mental training was so important – we are mentally pushed almost every day by those we work to protect.”
Sergeant Crystal Sharpe of the Graham (N.C) Police Department sprained her ankle during Basic Law Enforcement Training. “I pushed myself and with the help of my instructors and my classmates, I passed the final physical test,” she says. “I really learned the value of focus and getting my ‘mind right’ – it wasn’t just a physical problem. If I had felt sorry for myself and stopped training, I would have failed.”
“My biggest challenge was managing the physical demands with the academic demands,” says Sergeant Weldon Powell of the New Jersey State Police. “I learned how to incorporate a physical regimen with everyday work activity.”
Basic Law Enforcement Training is a five-to-six-month program depending on the region of the U.S., but the standards are all based on the same ideas in an attempt to prepare soon-to-be officers for the situations they will face post-graduation.
On having a degree in the 21st Century
Today, there are approximately 678,000 police officers in the United States. Of these officers, 22.6 percent possess four-year degrees. The number of cadets with college degrees has been steadily increasing by two percent each year since the 1990s.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, between 1990 and 2000, the number of departments requiring associate’s degrees increased by more than 100 percent, and the number of departments requiring bachelor’s degrees also increased 100 percent. In fact, in the 1984 federal court case Davis v. Dallas, a college education was judged to be a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ).
While having an Associates or Bachelors degree wasn't always a requirement to be admitted into the Police Academy, it is quickly becoming a national requirement among all departments.
In Davis v. Dallas, it was determined that, “Police officers are left with their more essential task which includes social control in a period of increasing social turmoil, preservation of our constitutional guarantees, and exercise of the broadest discretion – sometimes involving life and death decisions – of any government service. The need for police officers who are intelligent, articulate, mature and knowledgeable about social and political conditions is apparent. A college education develops and imparts the requisite level of knowledge.”
With so many academies now requiring either two-year or four-year degrees, prospective applicants who have only completed high school are no longer being accepted. They are weeded out in favor of those who have taken the step to obtain a higher education.
Sharpe attended both college and graduate school. She says it gave her an edge when it came to promotions within her department. “I did and still do get some ‘lip’ about my degrees,” she says. “One experienced vice detective used to come to me and say, ‘What are you doing here?’ He suggested I should get a better job because I was overqualified. Whenever I was moved or promoted, I heard that people were assuming that I would come out on top because of my education.”
Despite the fact that higher-education degrees are becoming the norm, several officers said their degrees seem to have had no effect on their treatment at the academy or within their departments currently.
“I attended college prior to the academy and it did not affect that way I was treated,” says Lieutenant Frederick Moore of the New Jersey State Police. “My division requires a college degree unless you have the work experience.”
On the unpredictable experiences of an officer
There is nothing ordinary about being a police officer. Trained officers hold the tenth most dangerous job in the country, often risking their lives responding to calls on a daily basis. Officers must innately expect the unexpected and take the rewards as they come.
“You have to be prepared for anything,” says Sergeant Kevin Garcia, of the Illinois State Police.
With police academies all over the county, there are prospective candidates from all walks of life who feel they are cut out for the job, cut out for the risk, the experience, the thrill.
Police officers have a variety of responsibilities, from enforcing road safety to responding to routine to serious calls. 160 officers were killed in the line of duty last year, and 59 of these deaths were a result of gunfire.
“Put your preconceived notions aside,” says Kevis. “It is a job that shows you the best and worst sides of people, but when you go out there and uphold the oath you took, you feel exhilarated – an adrenaline rush every day and thankfulness for what you have every day. I would do it all again.”
Many cadets enter the academy straight out of high school, or, due to newly instated requirements, out of a four-year institution. However, some applicants are often in their late twenties and thirties, many with families.
“Being a police officer changes your life and changes what kind of person you are,” says Master Sergeant Bill Backus, of the Illinois State Police. “It is extremely hard on your family and children. I still believe it can be a very rewarding profession. I see now, looking back over the last 17 years that it comes with a very significant cost. And it is your family that pays that cost.”
Backus attended the Illinois State Police Academy at age 24. He describes it as a “quasi-military environment; a cross between boot camp and college.” He began working in narcotics investigations in 1998 and was promoted to Master Sergeant a decade later as a squad leader in his task force.
“Being the director of a drug unit was a career goal for me and something I worked very hard to achieve” Backus says. “After getting the position, I even skipped taking the Lieutenant’s exam for promotional consideration because I was so happy to be here.”
Cops have a reputation for loving their jobs. They say there is a sense of reward felt at the end of the day after helping someone solve a domestic issue, after finding a lead on a cold case, after saving a life at the scene of an accident.
“I worked a case where several bank robbers conducted a home invasion on an elderly couple,” says Lieutenant Dave Cornman, acting chief of Salem County detectives. “During the home invasion, one of the subjects sexually assaulted the elderly woman. My partner and I worked the case for three months with Philadelphia PD and ended up capturing the three guys and later they were convicted and sent to prison for a long time. The satisfaction of being able to tell the victims afterwards that these three guys were caught really made me feel great.”
Being constantly faced with the unknown and the risks that come along with the lifestyle is something officers say they must adapt to. Police officers never know when even a simple vehicle stop is going to turn deadly, which is why they must be prepared for any situation when responding to a call. Protecting the public and social order from danger is what police officers strive for, and never quite knowing the outcome of a situation is what sets this profession apart from the average.
“I wouldn’t suggest anybody pursue becoming a police officer unless they truly want to do something good in society and are willing to work long and hard,” says Backus. “You can’t be a police officer for the money or pension or public recognition. You have to do it because you believe in the honor of being a police officer and what that represents in today’s society. It isn’t a job; it is a calling.”
Below is a video of some LAPD cadets explaining the physical challenges they face at the academy:
Chapter five is about polls and surveys. Polls and surveys are used for a variety of reasons, including the views of people on a particular political issue or their views on a certain product. It is important to keep in mind that the results of polls and surveys do not always exemplify the complete truth – they are often skewed on way or another. This is why it is important that reporters understand when a poll is valid versus one that is skewed. Polls can be defined as an estimate of public opinion on a single topic or question. When evaluating a poll, journalists must keep in mind the fact that the results should have been obtained by a random selection of people, which means the participants should have had an equal opportunity as everyone else in the population to be selected. In order to achieve this, pollsters should aim for at least 400 interviews – this way the margin of error will fall under acceptable limits. There are several formulas for selecting samples. Some of these are census, cluster, multistage, systematic, quota and probability sampling.
Chapter six is all about business. This is an important chapter because it is the beat most likely to contain a great deal of math. Businesses are responsible for reporting all kinds of facts and statistics to the general population. Large corporations are known to report earnings results on a quarterly basis. Other reports, such as annual reports, can be found online. A crucial document issued by a company is called the profit and loss statement, also known as P&L. This statement shows whether or not a company is making money. The profit that a business earns is calculated by subtracting expenses from income. The difference between the “cost of goods sold” and the selling price is called the “gross margin.” This can be calculated by subtracting the cost of goods sold from the selling price. Current ratios are also important to keep in mind because they are a liquidity ratio that measure the ability of a company to meet its liabilities, which makes it very common. This can be calculated by dividing the current assets by the current liabilities.
Chapter seven is a look into stocks and bonds. Both of these are important because they are common ways for businesses to raise money. Therefore, reporters must understand the basic numbers when it comes to how, why and how often these cash-raising instruments fluctuate. By purchasing a share of stock, you directly become a part owner of the company that you bought the stock from. This means you possess a small portion of ownership. Sometimes certain stocks are in high demand, while some struggle and this varies often. The demand goes up and down depending on how a business is doing, and often how well-known it is also. A bond, on the other hand, is essentially a loan from an investor to the government or another organization. The value of bonds can also fluctuate like stocks, thanks to supply and demand. The current yield is the return on the investment, which can go up and down as well as the value of the bond fluctuates. The current yield can be calculated by multiplying the interest rate by the face value and dividing the sum by the price.
Chapter eight is an introduction to property taxes. Property taxes are “the largest single source of income for local government, school districts and other municipal organizations.” These taxes pay all kinds of day-to-day expenses such as supplies, salaries and maintenance costs. The property tax rate is determined by taking the total amount of money the governing body needs and dividing that among the property owners in that taxing district. Property taxes are measured in units called mills, which is 1/10 of a cent. Property taxes are not applied to the actual price a home would sell for on the open market, but to assessed valuations. In addition, property is often taxed by more than a single governing body.
Practice Problems:
Gross Margin
Formula: Gross margin = Selling price – cost of goods sold
1. The direct cost of Suzie’s new couch is $200. This is the amount that it cost for the factory to manufacture and produce the couch. The couch sells at her local furniture store for $600. Therefore, the gross margin is $400.
$600 – $200 = $400
Current Ratio
Formula: Current ratio = current assets/current liabilities
2. McDonalds has $850 million in current assets and $625 million in current liabilities. To find the current ratio:
$850,000,000/$625,000,000 = 1.36
Current Yield
Formula: Current yield = interest rate x face value / price
3. If Bob paid $1,200 for a $1,500 bond with a 5 percent interest rate, to find the current yield:
5% x $1,500 = 75
75/$1,200 = 6.25%
Assessed Value
Formula: Assessed value = Appraisal value x rate
4. If a company assesses residential property at 35 percent of the appraised value and a house on East Haggard Avenue is appraised at $85,000, to find the assessed value:
Dr. Anderson Schwartz, a brilliant professor at the University of Pittsburgh, is a neurophysiologist who does scientific investigations in order to develop prosthetics. In his appearance at Elon Monday evening, Schwartz explained how he studies complex patterns in which neurons fire, and how understanding what this means helps him and other scientists to develop life-changing prosthetics. Through his work, he attempts to validate scientific theories by testing various types of prosthetics on both humans and animals, such as monkeys
In comparing a human brain to a brain of a monkey, Schwartz suggests that there is a relation between spots in the motor cortex and muscle contraction. He explains that the firing of neurons is a very complicated activity to grasp, and a large population of neurons act simultaneously for every movement.
Thanks to prosthetics, this man's life was changed radically. A quadriplegic, he hadn't been able to move his arm in 7 years. After a receiving a surgically implanted mechanism, he was able to move his arm after just 30 days, and gives his girlfriend a high-five, which was the first time they were ever able to touch.
Schwartz says movement should be considered a behavioral output, as opposed to viewing it in terms of mechanics. In addition, he says, behavior is linked to cognition; thus, the brain is embedded in the body, which senses the world through sensors and is used to act on the environment.
Schwartz describes conscious experience as a derivation through the collective use of the brain and the body. Therefore, by showing a target to an animal, such as a monkey, scientists assume that it will reach for it to get the reward, which is usually some sort of food.
“Even if he’s not moving, he thinks about moving,” says Schwartz.
This is what he called observation-based activity. By studying input and output, scientists can see what’s going on in the brain that is responsible for generating behavior and choosing a response. When a movement is generated, it is observed, and is therefore feedback. This means the person or animal can analyze whether the movement was the one that had been intended on or not, which is considered learning.
Chapter one, The Language of Numbers, talks about the importance of journalists committing themselves to be accurate in their reporting when it comes to numbers. For instance, journalists can’t just be good at weeding out bad grammar and punctuation – they have to look for math errors as well. You can never assume that the person who initially prepared the document you are working on has superior math skills; you also can’t assume the numbers weren’t manipulated to strengthen an argument. “Numerical illiteracy is not acceptable in the newsroom, or even in society,” Wichkam says. “It is unattractive, slovenly and an unacceptable excuse for poor writing, weak reporting and faulty editing.” Other tips from chapter one include knowing when to use exact figures as opposed to rounding off (the number dead in an accident versus the amount of salt poured on the interstate last year). Journalists should spell out fractions less than one, use the word and not the figure if a sentence begins with a number and the number of figures used in each paragraph should be limited to two or three, while aiming to include only one number in the lead.
Chapter two talks about four common usages of percentages: percentage increase, percentage decrease, percentage of the whole and percentage points. To calculate the percentage of a whole, you divide the number that represents the subgroup by the number that represents the whole group. Percentages can also be used to calculate sports stats, such as batting averages. To calculate interest, you take the principal times the rate (as a decimal) and multiply this number by the amount of time (in years). The chapter then goes into loans, compounding and interest. It then explains how borrowers go about paying back their loans according to the interest rate and the term of the loan.
Chapter three is all about statistics. The most common types of statistics we see in print are often those related to crime and the average cost of food. Journalists are also often required to evaluate surveys and studies, which makes it essential that they understand how the numbers were used in reports like this. Statistics are very often manipulated in order to “serve someone’s goal,” so it’s important to stay alert when numbers look like they are off. Mean, median and mode are important to understand when it comes to statistics. The mean is essentially the average, or the sum of all figures combined with the total number. The median is the middle number when a grouping of numbers is lined up. The mode is the number that appears the most frequently in a distribution. The final part of the chapter explains percentiles and probability. Percentiles represent the percentage of scores that fall at or below the designated score. For instance, someone who takes a test and scores in the 60th percentile means he performed better than 60 percent of those who took the test. Probability is essentially a ratio that comes from calculating the odds of a certain outcome.
Chapter four is about federal statistics. The public always has the ability to look for information, provided by the federal government, on figures related to inflation, unemployment and many other national figures. It is crucial that reporters not only know how to access these numbers, but how to use them as well. Unemployment statistics are updated every month by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, which provides the current standings on the national unemployment situation. The unemployment rate can be calculated by dividing the unemployed by the labor force and multiplying that figure by 100. Next, the chapter mentions inflation, which is an issue commonly faced by journalists. The monthly inflation rate can be calculated by subtracting the CPI of the previous month from the current CPI, dividing by the prior month CPI and multiplying that figure by 100. Finally, gross domestic product is discussed. GDP is the value of goods and services produced by a nation’s economy. It can be calculated by adding the consumer spending on goods and services, investment spending, government spending and net exports.
Examples:
Roman numerals
D+C+X+L=
500+100+10+50 = 660
Percentage increase
Jane Doe’s salary increased this year from $65,000 to $75,000. What percentage increase was Jane’s raise?
Percentage inc./dec = (new figure – old figure) / old figure
75,000-65,000= 10,000
10,000/65,000= .154 = 15.4%
Sports Stats
Total number of at-bats – walks, sacrifices and number of times batter was hit by a pitch. Divide number of hits batter made by the whole for the batting average.
37 hits/100 at-bats= .370 batting average
Median
The median is the midpoint in a grouping of numbers.
10,000, 15,000, 20,000, 25,000, 30,000, 35,000, 40,000 – in this case, the median would be 25,000, because it is the middle number.
rachel vargyai 