WOMEN AND LAW Oral presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

WOMEN AND LAW Oral presentation - Essay Example wever, section 1(1) of the Street Offences Act, 1959 (as amended by Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 56, schedule 1, paragraph 2) states that â€Å"it shall be an offence for a common prostitute whether male or female to loiter or solicit in a street or public place for the purpose of prostitution†. To understand whether Topaz’s activities qualify as an offence under Section 1(1) of the Street Offences Act, 1959 it is first essential to analyse whether Topaz qualifies as a â€Å"common prostitute†. The term â€Å"common prostitute† has not been defined by statute though it has been part of statute law since 1824. The term â€Å"common† was criticised during the debates on the Street Offences Bill, which became the Street Offences Act 1959. The Criminal Law Revision Committee Working Paper on â€Å"Offences relating to Prostitution and allied offences† published in December 1982 stated, inter alia, â€Å"the word ‘common’ should be removed from the expression, ‘common prostitute’†. In R. v. De Munck (1918) 82 J.P.160 CCA, the Court held that, â€Å"the term ‘common prostitute’ is not limited so as to mean only one who permits acts of lewdness with all and sundry, or with such as have her, when such acts are in the nature of ordinary sexual connection. We are of the opinion that prostitution is proved if it is shown that a woman offers her body commonly for lewdness for payment in return.† The decision was cited with approval by the same court in R. v. Webb [1964] 1 QB 357 where the proprietor of a massage establishment was found guilty of procuring and attempting to procure masseuses to become common prostitutes. The court followed De Munck and dismissed a contention that the definition should be confined to cases where a woman takes a passive rather than an active role in the lewd activities. In R. v. Morris-Lowe [1985] 1 ALL.E.R. 400, the court held that a â€Å"common prostitute was any woman who offered herself commonly for lewdness for reward. The

Social Media And Rational Social Conversations Essay

Social Media And Rational Social Conversations - Essay Example The rapid spread of such trending hashtags as #Gamergate portrays the extent of the damage potential of the various social media. The use of social media has therefore made it impossible for people to have rational conversations, especially on controversial matters as the discussion below portrays. Unlike the traditional media, social media lack gatekeepers. Gatekeeping is a vital aspect of media, which often serves to minimize harms caused by media contents. Televisions, radios and newspapers have professional editors and sub-editors who eliminate any form of errors thus enhancing rational communication of any form of the social issue including those that may elicit emotions (Hoffmeister 77). In case of live discussion on such media, the existence of a moderator ensures that the guests maintain rational conversations on air. Social media, on the other hand, lack moderators. This implies that they provide everyone in the entire society with an equal opportunity to share their views on a social issue. Maintaining rational thought on such emotional issues as sexism and racism among other forms of social discrimination is always difficult. The aggrieved persons will always feel the urge to retaliate. The social media provide effective platforms for such retaliation. The social media, for example, enables people to maintain a degree of anonymity while contributing to such vital social issues (Willard 54). Numerous users of the various social media use pseudonyms. This way, they can easily trade abusive words and even threaten others with actual violence without revealing their actual identity. Lack of actual identity on the social media, for example, enhances the development of irrational conversations on the numerous social media. Key among the functions of the media is agenda setting and information of the public opinion. The success of an opinion relies on the influence that the originators of such opinions enjoy. The  mainstream media enjoys immense influence on their audiences since they have systematic ways of censuring their conversations.  

Environment Of The Events And Exhibitions Industry

Environment Of The Events And Exhibitions Industry This report will focus on the environment in which GL events is currently operating. GL events started as a small company based in Lyon in 1978 providing furniture and stands for exhibitors. Through mergers and acquisitions, they have progressively evolved to become an important player in todays exhibiting and event world with 34 venues around the world, an event and exhibition full-organising service and a portfolio of 250 trade-shows in various industries (food beverage, sport leisure, health, etc.). Influencing all trends and being influenced by all trends, the exhibition and events industry is in the centre of it all. No company can succeed without being aware of the environment it is evolving in. In the exhibition and events industry, companies need to pay particular attention to details impacting not only its industry directly but also every other sector of activity as it would soon have repercussions on future events, exhibitions, product launches, etc. For this reason, a good PESTEL analysis for the industry needs to cover a broad range of issues and analyse many trends which may not influence events yet but could soon be a threat if companies do not react and stay in the times. This report will focus on a PESTEL analysis (Political, Economic, Social, Technology, Environment, Legal) of the exhibition and events industry conclude by establishing which factors GL events should most take into account going forward as they could be potential threats or areas of opportunities in the years to come. Political: There are two main political factors influencing the industry today. One is the increasing political pressures to make regulations and policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We will see in the environmental section that this trend started with consumer awareness but it is no longer just something the clients want to know more about, it has become an obligation. This has greatly impacted the transport industry, in particular airlines which found their image hit as people all around the world pointed to airplanes being a major source of pollution. This impacts the event and exhibition industry, especially at a time when various green technologies are evolving to permit meetings, conferences and even exhibitions to take place online (Long, 2009). This will be developed further in Environmental and Technology sections. The second is the increased globalisation and liberalisation of trade and deregulation (Dwyer, L and Edwards, D 2009). This is very important in terms of number of potential competitors and number of potential clients. Companies need to learn to evolve in a globalised economy, taking advantage of it by going to find new markets, possibly entering into partnerships with similar companies to widen market share and visibility. With this liberalisation of trade comes political pressure to have global higher standards of living. If you do not see your neighbours yard, you do not know that it is greener, when you break the fence, you find that it is. It is this situation that developing countries are finding themselves in today. Citizens all around the world can use internet to gain knowledge about how others are living and become envious. Because of this, countries want to attract foreign investment to boost local economies and gain wealth and higher standards of living. This creates oppo rtunities for countries not only to establish new and cheaper production lines but also to display their products in emerging markets. Last week for example, Apple launched the Iphone4 in China (AFP, 2010). Economy This last point brings us to analysing the economic trends and pressures impacting on the exhibition and events industry. Although the UNWTO 2002 forecasted world tourism to grow at a rate of 4.1% annually until 2020 (Dwyer L, Edwards D., 2009) due to rising wealth internationally, the exhibition and event industry has seen a slow in growth since 2005 but a rise in exhibition and event attendance (Biba E, 2008). This puts the industry in a rather awkward position. There are people coming to exhibitions but exhibitors have switched their approach towards events and exhibition. Indeed, especially with the recent crisis, the first expenses cut by organisations worldwide were advertising and travel. Exhibitions and events being in the centre of this, the industry was hit and forced to react. The expectations from exhibitors will be looked into more fully when we look at the social aspects of the trend but the main ideas are that companies are looking to maximise their ROI (return on investment) (Kovaleski D, 2009) and minimise the perception of frivolous spending (trips, events, etc.) (Events Managers, 2010). In order to do this, companies are squeezing suppliers to get more value for money and investigating the return on investment of their events much more closely and looking at alternatives more then they did before. Companies are not so much cutting their exhibition and event spending so much as allocating it more carefully and with conditions of an assured return (Biba E, 2007). This has changed to job of the event organiser who needs to think of more in novative ways that the company can use to introduce their product. A leaflet handout at the exhibition is no longer sufficient, people want to be amused, entertained, really involved in the product (Furness V., 2007). Because of this, the industry is moving away from major events in favour of smaller, more intimate events where companies can really interact with potential clients (Biba E, 2007). Another aspect companies are putting under the microscope is how to measure ROI generated from social networking and e-marketing. Indeed, if an event is posted on Facebook, LinkedIn, various industry blogs and online magazines this all takes resources in terms of man-hours put into promoting the event on these new channels but how can a company measure that this was efficient? How can the event planner know that the Facebook invitation attracted the client and not some Email they receive every year which pushed them to look for a Facebook event? (Terrero R, 2009). Today, there is little way of knowing exactly what path a client took and what really convinced them to attend your particular event. Social Indeed, the main goals of events and exhibitions are brand awareness, brand preference and networking. Although brand awareness can be achieved through various communication mediums (advertising online, billboards, TV, etc.), it is not the way to create brand preference. Brand preference is achieved through interaction, experience of the brand with the client (Kovaleski D, 2009) and leads to better ROI for the company. This means that exhibition halls and event organisers are not expected to provide a massive attendance so much as a good promotional space and real, targeted potential buyers (Biba E, 2007). From the buyers perspective, they want to experience and know the brand as a whole. With globalisation came increased competition and consumers now have the possibility to buy from anyone anywhere around the world. The quality and price are no longer the only issues, people and therefore companies look at the triple bottom line. Its no longer just about economics but also the socia l and environmental benefits of a product or company. Clients dont want a coupon or a price comparison when they come to a product launch, they want to feel and experience the product for themselves (Dwyer L, Edwards D., 2009 and Furness V., 2007). There needs to be a real interaction between companies and clients. Companies want to build a rapport with their clients, want to become part of their lives. This has forced exhibition halls and event managers to re-think space use and create sections that are dedicated to sitting down in a relaxing atmosphere with a drink to discuss business more casually. The bottom line is still to get the client but the approach is much friendlier then boxed up in a meeting room (Kovaleski D, 2009). This also has an impact on stand design. Exhibitors are encouraged to pay more attention to details such as carpet colour as it has been shown that if the carpet colour of the stand is different from that of the exhibition hall, it may create a barrier and deter clients from approaching (Kovaleski D, 2009). Technology With the development of various technologies, companies have the opportunity to have a virtual event run along-side of the live event. This allows them more time to prepare the client for the interaction and pursue the relationship after the event (Furness V., 2007 and Kovaleski D, 2009). This phenomenon of virtual event is not only to accompany live events, there are now events using only virtual platforms, simulating a physical event on the online world. Platforms such as Second Life are being used by companies to reach potential clients without having to create an event in one physical place. This has the advantage, if not necessarily of price reduction, but to be able to reach clients who may not be prepared to travel to meet you. You can meet them where they are all at once (Biba E, 2008). Using 3D technologies, your virtual exhibition can be as simple as visitors being able to look around at the different stands and as complex as re-creating the event in a completely online wor ld (web chatter, 2010). This is not to say that virtual events will completely replace live events because, as we have seen, people still want to interact and know who they are dealing with but it certainly does replace certain live events already (Biba E, 2007). Another important aspect of the new technologies that the exhibition and event industry should be aware of is the democratization of the internet. This means two things. First, even small firms can bring competition to the large, well-established event organizers if they have good SEO (search engine optimization) and general web-marketing skills as they have equal visibility (Dwyer L, Edwards D., 2009). Second, through UGC (user generated content) anyone can post their feedback about their experience with a certain organizer and make it available to the world (Papathanassis A, Buhalis D, 2007). This is good news for companies who have good relations with their clients and suppliers but will be difficult for companies who were focusing on one-shot clients and therefore not paying much attention to details. The final aspect of technology refers to the traditional definition of technology, ie: the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry (Oxford Compact dictionary). Here we are referring to how to build ecologically friendly stands? What technologies can we use to handle the new products that now need to be used in order to create a green stand? Environmental We are now obviously diverging to the environmental issues around the exhibition and event industry. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to be perceived as environmentally aware (Biba E, 2008). This presents a good opportunity in term of cost reductions as decisions such as travelling less can be explained as an environmentally gesture rather then cost-cutting in a bad economy (Events Managers, 2010). However, it presents a challenge for events and exhibition companies who now need to develop green stands made with ecologically friendly materials and production techniques and purchased from local suppliers to avoid pollution from transport (Biba E, 2008). Another aspect the exhibition and event industry will need to look at closely is the impact that global warming will have on their choice of venue and the viability of these choices with respect to client attendance and attractiveness (Dwyer L, Edwards D., 2009). Indeed, sunny destinations which are very pleasant to hold events at may be changed for the worse in the next 30-50 years while new destinations will establish themselves as more favourable climate-wise. Legal The final point we will view is the legal aspects that the industry needs to pay attention to. The policies regarding the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the liberalisation of trade have lead way to many legal documents and laws by countries around the world which need to be followed by event and exhibition organisers and by venues to make sure they are acting within the limits and scope of the law. However, an important legal issue is the terms and conditions put forward by events and exhibition planners and venues. First, with regards to particular cancellation fees, they need to protect themselves without being outrageously unfair to the potential client which is looking at cancellation fees and possibilities more closely since the crisis. Second, with respect to the inflexibility of minimum numbers, if venues hope to attract client, they need to consider the advantage of having one definite client with a contract who may not bring exactly 1000 participants versus one potential client who is still shopping around and may never sign (Event Manager, 2010). From this PESTEL analysis, we can draw several conclusions for GL events next step. First, it is clear that the new technologies, though they will not fully replace live events, are certainly complementing them and they are here to stay. GL events could take advantage of this by creating a network with all its venues. When one event is organised in Nice for example, they could offer the possibility of extending it via 3D conferencing tools to other of their venues around the world. This would increase the potential number of attendees who would not have to sit in front of a computer to enjoy the virtual event but would benefit also from meeting with others who are also in their geographical areas and enjoying the event virtually. People in China could enjoy the conference of the event taking place in Nice and have the opportunity to network with other people afterwards via video-conferencing and face-to-face with people who were also unable to attend the meeting. A second opportunity GL events could take advantage of is the growing importance of the perception of being environmentally friendly which pushes companies to invest in Green stands. Through their event organising service, GL events should try to develop the competencies to offer this possibility to their clients, if possible at a similar cost, to make sure they are in keeping (and even a little ahead) of their times. In these fast changing times, the opportunities are still up for grabs but will soon become threats if venues and organisers do not react quickly.

Homer :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, women play an integral role in the life of Odysseus, the story’s protagonist. Odysseus is forced to leave the comforts of Ithaca because of a woman, Helen, and he longs to return to his home largely for a woman, his wife Penelope. Throughout his journey, however, it is Circe who has a heavy influence on Odysseus because she is a major distraction and thus an obstacle for the renowned hero. Indeed, Circe’s comeliness coupled with her sorcery, and her kindness along with lavish hospitality all distract Odysseus and impede him from swiftly returning home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With her otherworldly beauty and enchantments, Circe is a distraction for Odysseus and therefore an obstacle on his road to Ithaca. With her sensuality and magic potions, Circe is able to get that which she desires from men. After Odysseus, guided and forewarned by Hermes, drinks Circe’s potion and is not bewitched, Circe is â€Å"amazed† for â€Å"no other man has ever resisted† her magic (X, 348-350). Although Circe is probably used to fulfilling her sexual desires with men she has enchanted, she nevertheless tries to go to bed with Odysseus. She tells him, â€Å"Climb into my bed and tangle in love there, so we may come to trust each other† (X, 356-357). Odysseus tries to resist the charming goddess and tells her that she must promise no more â€Å"trouble† for him, but as soon as she does that which he asks he â€Å"[climbs] into Circe’s beautiful bed† (X, 366-369). After ten years of fighting, Odyssey has grown quite lonely. He has been away from Penelope, his wife and the only other woman who most likely fulfilled his needs and desires, and Circe is putting forth very tempting offers. Although her potion did not have an effect on him, Circe’s physical beauty definitely appealed to Odysseus; otherwise, he would have cunningly found something to do other than engaging in an intimate act with Circe. The goddess-nymph has many a trick up her sleeve, and she could have also found another way to get Odysseus to go to bed with her. She had no need to do such a thing because Odysseus was in a vulnerable state. Months at sea and at war can be quite trying on anyone, so Odysseus was susceptible to falling for someone--especially someone as seductive as Circe. With physical beauty and magical powers, Circe distracts Odysseus and hampers his return to Ithaca.

AS/RS and conveyors

Racks are â€Å"flow-through† racks In which the unit load Is stored from one side of the rack by a dedicated SIR machine, and Is retrieved by another machine from the pick did of the rack. 3. Monomial AS/RSI: is a system designed to handle small loads that are contained in bins or drawers in the storage system. A. Generally smaller than a unit load AS/RSI and is often enclosed for security of the items stored. B. Uses special SIR machines to retrieve and transport the bins to the P&D station at the end of the aisle in order to be able to withdraw individual items from the bin. C.P&D station is manually operated by a worker. D. The bin or drawer must then be returned to its location in the system. 4. Man-on-board AS/RSI: this system is dedicated for retrieving single items from outrage. A. Human worker drives a carriage of the SIR machine. B. Permits individual item that he picked directly at their storage locations. 5. Automated item retrieval system: a storage systems design ed for retrieval of individual items or small product cartons. A. Items are stored in lanes. B. In retrieval process item is pushed from its lane and dropped onto a conveyor for delivery to the pickup station. . The supply of items in each lane is periodically replenished, allowing first-in. First-out Inventory rotation 6. Vertical' lift storage modules (EVILS): These are also called vertical lift automated outrage/retrieval systems. A. Uses a center aisle or more. B. Capable of holding large Inventories while saving valuable floor space In the factory. Three application areas can be distinguished for automated storage/retrieval systems: 1 . Unit load storage and handling. Commonly found in: Warehousing for finished goods. Manufacturing facilities e. G. Deep-lane systems are mostly used in food industry. 2.Order picking. As order picking involves retrieving materials in less than full unit load quantities, monomial, man-an-board, and item retrieval systems are used for this applicat ion area. 3. Work-in-process storage systems. It's a new application recently developed of automated storage technology. The following ways are ways to manage unavoidable WIPE: a. Buffer storage in production. Used between two processes which production rates differ significantly. An in-process buffer is needed between these operations to temporarily store the output of the first process as the input for the second process. . Support of Just-in-time delivery. Just-in-time TIT) is a manufacturing strategy that follows the pull strategy in which parts required in production are received immediately prior they are needed in the plant. As this strategy is very risky in terms f stock outs that occurs due to late supplier deliveries, usually plants install automated storage systems as storage buffers for incoming materials. C. Kitting of parts for assembly. When an order is received, the required components are retrieved, collected into kits, and delivered to the production floor for asse mbly. . Compatible with automatic identification systems. Uses automatic identification devices; bar code readers which allows loads to be stored and retrieved without human interaction to identify the loads. E. Computer control and tracking of materials. Used to identify the location and tutus of work-in-process in the facility. F. Support of factory wide automation. Part 2: Prepare a report about manual and automated conveyors. CONVEYOR SYSTEMS Conveyors are used when material must be moved in relatively large quantities between specific locations over a fixed path.Conveyors divided into two basic categories: 1 . Powered conveyors The power mechanism is contained in the fixed path, using chains, belts, rotating rolls, or other devices to force loads along the path. They are usually used in automated material transport systems in manufacturing plants, warehouses, and distribution centers. 2. Non-powered conveyors. Tat or by using gravity from one height to a lower height. Types of Conveyors 1. Roller and Skate Wheel Conveyors. Roller conveyor: The pathway consists of a series of rollers that are perpendicular to the direction of travel.The fixed frame contains rollers that lifts the pathway above floor level from several inches to several feet. Flat pallets carrying unit loads are moved forward as the roller rotate. Applications: manufacturing, assembly, and packaging. Skate-wheel conveyors are similar to roller conveyors but skate wheels rotating on shaft connected to a frame to roll pallets along the path way instead of rollers. Applications of skate wheel conveyors are similar to those of roller conveyors, except that the loads must generally be lighter. 2.Belt Conveyors. Belt conveyors consist of a continuous loop: Half its length is used for delivering materials, and the other half is the return run. Belt conveyors are typically available in two types; Flat belts for pallets, individual parts, or even certain types of bulk materials; Thorough belts for b ulk materials. Conveyors Driven by Chains and Cables. Uses chains that forms endless loop on which loads are carried directly. The loop forms a straight line with a pulley at each end. This is usually in an over-and-under configuration.These conveyors are categorized as the following: 1. Chain: a. Used to transport heavy unit loads. B. Parallel chain configuration used to transport pallets. 2. Slat conveyor: a) Uses discretely spaced slats connected to a chain b) Unit being transported retains its position c) Orientation and placement of the load is controlled d) Used for heavy loads or loads that might damage a belt e) Bottling and canning plants use flat chain or slat conveyors because of wet conditions, temperature, and cleanliness requirements f) Tilt slat conveyor used for serration 3.In floor towline conveyors: . Uses towline to provide power to wheeled carriers such as trucks, dollies, or carts that move along the floor b. Used for fixed-path travel of carriers (each of which has variable path capabilities when disengaged from the towline) c. Towline can be located either overhead, flush with the floor, or in the floor a. Uses a series of trolleys supported from or within an overhead track b. Trolleys are equally spaced in a closed loop path and are suspended from a chain c.Carriers are used to carry multiple units of product d. Does not provide for accumulation e. Commonly used in processing, assembly, packaging, and storage operations 5. A power-and-free overhead trolley conveyor: a. Similar to trolley conveyor due to use of discretely spaced carriers transported by an overhead chain; however, the power-and-free conveyor uses two tracks: one powered and the other non-powered. B. Carriers can be disengaged from the power chain and accumulated or switched onto spurs c.Termed an Inverted Power-and- Free Conveyor when tracks are located on the floor 6. Cart-on-track conveyors: a. Used to transport carts along a track b. Carts are transported by a rotating tube c. Connected to each cart is a drive wheel that rests on the tube and that is used to array the speed of the cart (by varying the angle of contact between the drive wheel and the tube) d. Carts are independently controlled e. Accumulation can be achieved by maintaining the drive wheel parallel to the tube 7.Screw conveyors: a. Consists of a tube or U-shaped stationary trough through which a shaft-mounted helix revolves to push loose material forward in a horizontal or inclined direction b. One of the most widely used conveyors in the processing industry c. Many applications in agricultural and chemical processing 8. Vibration-based conveyors: a. Consists of a trough, bed, or tube b. Vibrates at a relatively high frequency and small amplitude in order to convey individual units of products or bulk material c.Can be used to convey almost all granular, free-flowing materials 9. Vertical lift conveyors: is a power-based conveyer that moves products automatically from one level to another. A. Carrier used to raise or lower a load to different levels of a facility (e. G. , different floors and/or mezzanines) b. Differs from a freight elevator in that it is not designed or certified to carry people c. Can be manually or automatically loaded and/or controlled and can interface with horizontal conveyors

1972 Title IX: An Enormous Boost for Women’s Athletics

â€Å"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.† – Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 Title IX has had a profound impact on the American athletic culture since it was included in the Educational Amendments of 1972. In fact, according to the â€Å"Save Title IX† group (www.savetitleix.com/coalition), an alliance of sixty organizations spearheaded by the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education (NCWGE), in 1971 there were 32,000 women in varsity intercollegiate sports in U.S, colleges and universities; but by 1997, thanks to Title IX, there were 160,000 women participating in interscholastic athletics on university and college campuses. On high school campuses the rate of growth of girls playing sports was even more dramatic – based on athletically-inclined girls† knowledge that they would be able to participate in intercollegiate sports in college: in 1971, the year prior to Title IX, there were 294,000 girls playing interscholastic sports, and by the 2002-2003 school year, over 2.8 million high school girls were playing interscholastic sports. According to the American Association of University Women (AAAUW) Title IX, when enacted by Congress thirty-five years ago, specifically prohibited discrimination based on gender and marital or parental status in: admissions; housing and facilities; college and university courses; career guidance and counselling services; student financial aid; student health and insurance benefits; and â€Å"scholastic, intercollegiate, club, or intramural athletics.† And there is a three-part test to determine of a university or college is in compliance, the AAAUW Web page explains: the first prong is based on the proportion of female students attending the institution compared with females participating in intercollegiate sports; prong #2 examines whether the school has a track record of expanding sports opportunities for women; the third prong: is the school adequately accommodating women†s athletic interests and abilities? Main Body of Literature and Assessment of Challenges to Title IX Meantime, studies show that today, one out of three high school girls are playing sports on a school team. That is a very good thing, according to an article in the Journal of Gender, Social Policy & The Law (Brake, 2004): â€Å"Studies show that girls who compete in sports not only receive a physical benefit, but also benefit academically and socially,† Brake explains. Girls playing sports have â€Å"higher self-esteem, less risk of depression,† less likelihood of â€Å"engaging in high-risk behaviors,† and also, those young women â€Å"perform better in school than girls who do not play sports,† Blake†s article continues. Moreover, engaging in vigorous athletic activities on a sports team – at the interscholastic and intercollegiate levels – gives girls and women â€Å"the opportunity to develop new relationships with their bodies, as a source of strength and learning.† Meantime, the many positives listed above notwithstanding, all is not well in the world of Title IX. â€Å"Like other social institutions, sport has been resilient in preserving male privilege in its deepest structures,† Brake†s piece continues. Borrowing a phrase from Professor Reva Siegel called â€Å"preservation through transformation† – which means avoiding direct conflict with institutional shifts in ideology while maintaining â€Å"the underlying structure of inequality† by regrouping, according to Brake, â€Å"to preserve the central features of male privilege in sport.† Brake†s example of â€Å"preservation through transformation† in university sports is â€Å"the devastating loss†¦of positions for women coaches and athletic administrators.† To wit: the percentage of women coaching female athletes in college â€Å"has dropped from ninety percent in 1972 to forty-four percent in 2002, the lowest level on record.† And though 361 new coaching positions were created in women†s athletics between 2000 and 2002, Brake explains, â€Å"more than ninety percent of them were filled by men.† Brake†s second example is that prior to Title IX, women†s athletic departments were managed separately from men†s, and women held â€Å"virtually all of the administrative positions for women†s sports†; today, in the Title IX era, the two departments have merged, and women â€Å"remain tokens in leadership positions† in intercollegiate athletics. â€Å"By linking leadership and competence in sports with maleness,† Brake continues, â€Å"sport†s leadership structure reinforces women†s marginal place in sports and reinserts a risk that the empowering potential of sports will be thwarted by gender dynamics that reinforce male dominance,† according to Brake†s article. Beyond that, there exists â€Å"a massive divide in salaries for coaches of men†s sports and coaches of women†s sports,† Brake concludes, and Title IX does â€Å"next to nothing† about those disparities. Meanwhile, a challenge to the intent and policies of Title IX was established under the administration of George W. Bush, in 2002: called â€Å"The Commission on Opportunities in Athletics,† it was administered by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), and clearly, from the outset, the intention was to address the problem at universities where some minor men†s sports were pushed out by emerging women†s sports, vis-à  -vis the law that is Title IX. In a Chronicle of Higher Education article (Staurowsky, 2003), the writer – chair of the department of sports management and media at Ithaca College – asserts that the strategy the panel followed lacked â€Å"coherency† and that the process â€Å"was seriously flawed.† Staurowsky writes that the members of the panel revealed â€Å"skewed power dynamics†: they all were educated in or worked for, the Division I institutions â€Å"that have been most visible and vocal† in challenging Title IX compliance regulations. The panel, for example, â€Å"almost unanimously† supported a proposal encouraging the DOE to â€Å"explore an antitrust exemption† for college sports, â€Å"which would trade institutional promises to cease discriminating against students on the basis of sex for a government promise to protect the financial interests of football and men†s basketball†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That proposal â€Å"defies logic,† Staurowsky asserted. At the conclusion of the panel†s research, only minor changes in Title IX were initially proposed by DOE; however, according to an Education Week article (Davis, 2005), the DOE has recently given universities a way to meet Title IX guidelines by having female students email their response to questions like, â€Å"Do you believe that you have the ability to participate (in a particular sport) at the level at which you indicated interest?† And apparently, if sufficient positive answers are received by the DOE, a school passes muster regarding Title IX. â€Å"We think†¦this allows schools to skirt the law,† said Neena Chaudhry, an attorney with the National Women†s Law Center. Miles Brand, the NCAA president, was also interviewed in the Education Week article, saying the email survey â€Å"will not provide an adequate indicator of interest among young women in college sports, nor does it encourage young women to participate – a failure that will li kely stymie the growth of women†s athletics.† There will be more challenges for Title IX, and certainly there is a good chance that the Bush Administration will continue to attempt to â€Å"water down† the three prongs, to give a nod to those minor men†s programs (wrestling, water polo, among others) that have been cut due to the expansion of women†s sports programs. But for those who wish to see Title IX remain as a solid, well-enforced, gender-friendly law, the best strategy is to stay informed. How many American women (or men) who believe in Title IX know that the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled (5-4) that â€Å"whistleblowers† who point out gender discrimination in violation of Title IX are protected from retaliation? Also, how many know that in two cases brought before the Supreme Court (Gebser v. Lago Independent School District, 1998; and Davis v. Monroe County board of Education, 1999) where sexual harassment was alleged (a violation of Title IX), the Court â€Å"imposed a â€Å"high burden† on students who seek damages? The Court ruled, according to Human Rights: Journal of the Section of Individual Rights & Responsibilities (Lassow, 2004), that those seeking damages under Title IX â€Å"must show that school officials had ‘actual knowledge† of the harassment and responded to it with ‘deliberate indifference,†Ã¢â‚¬  a very difficult assignment even for a highly skilled attorney. 1972 Title IX: An Enormous Boost for Women’s Athletics â€Å"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.† – Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 Title IX has had a profound impact on the American athletic culture since it was included in the Educational Amendments of 1972. In fact, according to the â€Å"Save Title IX† group (www.savetitleix.com/coalition), an alliance of sixty organizations spearheaded by the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education (NCWGE), in 1971 there were 32,000 women in varsity intercollegiate sports in U.S, colleges and universities; but by 1997, thanks to Title IX, there were 160,000 women participating in interscholastic athletics on university and college campuses. On high school campuses the rate of growth of girls playing sports was even more dramatic – based on athletically-inclined girls† knowledge that they would be able to participate in intercollegiate sports in college: in 1971, the year prior to Title IX, there were 294,000 girls playing interscholastic sports, and by the 2002-2003 school year, over 2.8 million high school girls were playing interscholastic sports. According to the American Association of University Women (AAAUW) Title IX, when enacted by Congress thirty-five years ago, specifically prohibited discrimination based on gender and marital or parental status in: admissions; housing and facilities; college and university courses; career guidance and counselling services; student financial aid; student health and insurance benefits; and â€Å"scholastic, intercollegiate, club, or intramural athletics.† And there is a three-part test to determine of a university or college is in compliance, the AAAUW Web page explains: the first prong is based on the proportion of female students attending the institution compared with females participating in intercollegiate sports; prong #2 examines whether the school has a track record of expanding sports opportunities for women; the third prong: is the school adequately accommodating women†s athletic interests and abilities? Main Body of Literature and Assessment of Challenges to Title IX Meantime, studies show that today, one out of three high school girls are playing sports on a school team. That is a very good thing, according to an article in the Journal of Gender, Social Policy & The Law (Brake, 2004): â€Å"Studies show that girls who compete in sports not only receive a physical benefit, but also benefit academically and socially,† Brake explains. Girls playing sports have â€Å"higher self-esteem, less risk of depression,† less likelihood of â€Å"engaging in high-risk behaviors,† and also, those young women â€Å"perform better in school than girls who do not play sports,† Blake†s article continues. Moreover, engaging in vigorous athletic activities on a sports team – at the interscholastic and intercollegiate levels – gives girls and women â€Å"the opportunity to develop new relationships with their bodies, as a source of strength and learning.† Meantime, the many positives listed above notwithstanding, all is not well in the world of Title IX. â€Å"Like other social institutions, sport has been resilient in preserving male privilege in its deepest structures,† Brake†s piece continues. Borrowing a phrase from Professor Reva Siegel called â€Å"preservation through transformation† – which means avoiding direct conflict with institutional shifts in ideology while maintaining â€Å"the underlying structure of inequality† by regrouping, according to Brake, â€Å"to preserve the central features of male privilege in sport.† Brake†s example of â€Å"preservation through transformation† in university sports is â€Å"the devastating loss†¦of positions for women coaches and athletic administrators.† To wit: the percentage of women coaching female athletes in college â€Å"has dropped from ninety percent in 1972 to forty-four percent in 2002, the lowest level on record.† And though 361 new coaching positions were created in women†s athletics between 2000 and 2002, Brake explains, â€Å"more than ninety percent of them were filled by men.† Brake†s second example is that prior to Title IX, women†s athletic departments were managed separately from men†s, and women held â€Å"virtually all of the administrative positions for women†s sports†; today, in the Title IX era, the two departments have merged, and women â€Å"remain tokens in leadership positions† in intercollegiate athletics. â€Å"By linking leadership and competence in sports with maleness,† Brake continues, â€Å"sport†s leadership structure reinforces women†s marginal place in sports and reinserts a risk that the empowering potential of sports will be thwarted by gender dynamics that reinforce male dominance,† according to Brake†s article. Beyond that, there exists â€Å"a massive divide in salaries for coaches of men†s sports and coaches of women†s sports,† Brake concludes, and Title IX does â€Å"next to nothing† about those disparities. Meanwhile, a challenge to the intent and policies of Title IX was established under the administration of George W. Bush, in 2002: called â€Å"The Commission on Opportunities in Athletics,† it was administered by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), and clearly, from the outset, the intention was to address the problem at universities where some minor men†s sports were pushed out by emerging women†s sports, vis-à  -vis the law that is Title IX. In a Chronicle of Higher Education article (Staurowsky, 2003), the writer – chair of the department of sports management and media at Ithaca College – asserts that the strategy the panel followed lacked â€Å"coherency† and that the process â€Å"was seriously flawed.† Staurowsky writes that the members of the panel revealed â€Å"skewed power dynamics†: they all were educated in or worked for, the Division I institutions â€Å"that have been most visible and vocal† in challenging Title IX compliance regulations. The panel, for example, â€Å"almost unanimously† supported a proposal encouraging the DOE to â€Å"explore an antitrust exemption† for college sports, â€Å"which would trade institutional promises to cease discriminating against students on the basis of sex for a government promise to protect the financial interests of football and men†s basketball†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That proposal â€Å"defies logic,† Staurowsky asserted. At the conclusion of the panel†s research, only minor changes in Title IX were initially proposed by DOE; however, according to an Education Week article (Davis, 2005), the DOE has recently given universities a way to meet Title IX guidelines by having female students email their response to questions like, â€Å"Do you believe that you have the ability to participate (in a particular sport) at the level at which you indicated interest?† And apparently, if sufficient positive answers are received by the DOE, a school passes muster regarding Title IX. â€Å"We think†¦this allows schools to skirt the law,† said Neena Chaudhry, an attorney with the National Women†s Law Center. Miles Brand, the NCAA president, was also interviewed in the Education Week article, saying the email survey â€Å"will not provide an adequate indicator of interest among young women in college sports, nor does it encourage young women to participate – a failure that will li kely stymie the growth of women†s athletics.† There will be more challenges for Title IX, and certainly there is a good chance that the Bush Administration will continue to attempt to â€Å"water down† the three prongs, to give a nod to those minor men†s programs (wrestling, water polo, among others) that have been cut due to the expansion of women†s sports programs. But for those who wish to see Title IX remain as a solid, well-enforced, gender-friendly law, the best strategy is to stay informed. How many American women (or men) who believe in Title IX know that the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled (5-4) that â€Å"whistleblowers† who point out gender discrimination in violation of Title IX are protected from retaliation? Also, how many know that in two cases brought before the Supreme Court (Gebser v. Lago Independent School District, 1998; and Davis v. Monroe County board of Education, 1999) where sexual harassment was alleged (a violation of Title IX), the Court â€Å"imposed a â€Å"high burden† on students who seek damages? The Court ruled, according to Human Rights: Journal of the Section of Individual Rights & Responsibilities (Lassow, 2004), that those seeking damages under Title IX â€Å"must show that school officials had ‘actual knowledge† of the harassment and responded to it with ‘deliberate indifference,†Ã¢â‚¬  a very difficult assignment even for a highly skilled attorney.