For my humanities class at Salt Lake Community College I had to research national parks. What I found was interesting. I know that Utah has 5 national parks, but I have only visit 2 of them: Bryce Canyon and Zion's. I had learned about them, but I thought it would be cool to research them online, and here is what I found.
National parks and national monuments in the United States were originally individually managed under the auspices of the Department of the Interior. The movement for an independent agency to oversee these federal lands was spearheaded by business magnate and conservationist Stephen Mather, as well as J. Horace McFarland. With the help of journalist Robert Sterling Yard, Mather ran a publicity campaign for the Department of the Interior. They wrote numerous articles that praised the scenic qualities of the parks and their possibilities for educational, inspirational, and recreational benefits. This campaign resulted in the creation of a National Park Service. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill that mandated the agency "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Mather became the first director of the newly formed NPS.
On March 3, 1933, President Herbert Hoover signed the Reorganization Act of 1933. The act would allow the President to reorganize the executive branch of the United States government. It wasn't until later that summer when the new President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, made use of this power. Deputy Director Horace M. Albright had suggested to President Roosevelt that the historic sites from the American Civil War should be managed by the National Park Service, rather than the War Department. President Roosevelt agreed and issued two Executive orders to make it happen. These two executive orders not only transferred to the National Park Service all the War Department historic sites, but also the national monuments managed by the Department of Agriculture and the parks in and around the capital, which had been run by an independent office.
In 1951, Conrad Wirth became director of the National Park Service and went to work on bringing park facilities up to the standards that the public expected. The demand for parks after the end of the World War II had left the parks overburdened with demands that could not be met. In 1952, with the support of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, he began Mission 66, a ten-year effort to upgrade and expand park facilities for the 50th anniversary of the Park Service. New parks were added to preserve unique resources and existing park facilities were upgraded and expanded.
In 1966, as the Park Service turned 50 years old, emphasis began to turn from just saving great and wonderful scenery and unique natural features to making parks accessible to the public. Director George Hartzog began the process with the creation of the National Lakeshores and then National Recreation Areas. By the end of the Twentieth Century, numerous National Heritage Areas were spread across the nation, preserving local parks for local people.
(Source: Wikipedia)
I know Yellowstone was one of the first, if not the first, national park established. These parks were meant to preserve and protect the land. The parks limit human contact with the environment and allow people to have the chance to experience what the land was once like.
I am a student at USU, love to read, cook and be with my beautiful wife and daughters, and I love to write.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
What is my purpose for reading a novel?
What is my purpose of reading a novel? I was recently thinking of this when reading an article in my humanities textbook, entitled Reading in a Digital Age. It is a fantastic article, one I would highly recommend you read.
In the article, Sven Birkerts, talks about how Google and computers are changing the way we as Americans read. He shows how the more we use computers, the shorter our attention spans. I personally have spent quite a bit of time on a computer. I had the same thought. He says that we expect our books to be like Google; to the point in a short amount of time.
He says that many people are unable to concentrate long enough to read the classics. This has led to the rise of the novel. A novel is typically about 200-400 pages, easy to read and follow. I have noticed that the past few years the books I enjoy the most are novels. I have read many classics, but they are written in a way I am not familiar with. They are just harder to read.
Birkets talks about how he loves reading novels. He does not remember the sequences of events after a few weeks of any particular novel, but he does remember themes and lessons. He says that he has learned a lot about human nature in his readings.
There are some reasons I have reading novels. I love novels because they allow me to live another life. Not literally, but in my imagination. I absolutely love Harry Potter because in those books, you see the transformation of a child into a man. Yes, the books are written about evil, but there is truth in it. I believe that truth is found everywhere, among all peoples.
I love fiction because of the life lessons learned. In the book, Hanging by the Thread, I learned the importance of economic freedom. I learned out if we lose this freedom, we are no longer free. In the book The Alliance, I have learned the importance of self-growth. I saw how hard it is to fight evil. I learned that evil does need to be resisted, no matter the cost. In Alas, Babylon, I have learned the importance of leadership. Leadership is important, especially when traditional leadership breaks down. We need people who are willing to make a stand for what is right.
What has reading novels done for me? I feel like I am a better human being because I have seen how normal human emotions can make or break people. I have seen, without really seeing, how people have a choice in every moment; they choose to be happy or sad; they can choose evil or good. Just because someone chooses good one day does not mean they will the next. In novels, I have seen people change for the better, and also for the worst.
There is nothing wrong with reading novels. A good novel can teach you much about human nature. I thought it was interesting that the popularity of the novel has risen with the rise of the internet. I love the classics and believe that people should read them. Basically, I think the more people read the better.
In the article, Sven Birkerts, talks about how Google and computers are changing the way we as Americans read. He shows how the more we use computers, the shorter our attention spans. I personally have spent quite a bit of time on a computer. I had the same thought. He says that we expect our books to be like Google; to the point in a short amount of time.
He says that many people are unable to concentrate long enough to read the classics. This has led to the rise of the novel. A novel is typically about 200-400 pages, easy to read and follow. I have noticed that the past few years the books I enjoy the most are novels. I have read many classics, but they are written in a way I am not familiar with. They are just harder to read.
Birkets talks about how he loves reading novels. He does not remember the sequences of events after a few weeks of any particular novel, but he does remember themes and lessons. He says that he has learned a lot about human nature in his readings.
There are some reasons I have reading novels. I love novels because they allow me to live another life. Not literally, but in my imagination. I absolutely love Harry Potter because in those books, you see the transformation of a child into a man. Yes, the books are written about evil, but there is truth in it. I believe that truth is found everywhere, among all peoples.
I love fiction because of the life lessons learned. In the book, Hanging by the Thread, I learned the importance of economic freedom. I learned out if we lose this freedom, we are no longer free. In the book The Alliance, I have learned the importance of self-growth. I saw how hard it is to fight evil. I learned that evil does need to be resisted, no matter the cost. In Alas, Babylon, I have learned the importance of leadership. Leadership is important, especially when traditional leadership breaks down. We need people who are willing to make a stand for what is right.
What has reading novels done for me? I feel like I am a better human being because I have seen how normal human emotions can make or break people. I have seen, without really seeing, how people have a choice in every moment; they choose to be happy or sad; they can choose evil or good. Just because someone chooses good one day does not mean they will the next. In novels, I have seen people change for the better, and also for the worst.
There is nothing wrong with reading novels. A good novel can teach you much about human nature. I thought it was interesting that the popularity of the novel has risen with the rise of the internet. I love the classics and believe that people should read them. Basically, I think the more people read the better.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Morality vs Ethics
What is morality? What is ethics? These are some of the questions I think much of society in America today is struggling with, especially the youth. As a young man in my 20's, I have a long life ahead of me. I don't know what others my age are dealing with, but I believe that the answer to these questions will go a long way in determining our nation's future.
Morals are personal principles. They are things that we live by. Morals are often thought of as personal truth. Many have a religion that teaches a certain moral code to live by. Others do not. We all have them, whether we know it or not. Morals govern our every day choices.
Ethics are influenced by society. Ethics are also a code that we live by. Certain cultures and countries have different ethics. Ethics change form generation to generation. There are profession ethics, a code a doctor or lawyer lives by. There are certain things they are not allowed to do.
Both ethics and morals influence the way we act. When arguing with someone, we may believe they are wrong and we know the truth. But because of our cultural ethics we do not scream in their face. We listen and then make our case. We take turns because that is what is polite.
Unfortunately, some of those who make the news today do so because they do not have high moral standards or ethics. They do things that are immoral and unethical. One such person was the former attorney general in Utah. While he was in the AG's office as an assistant, he did some things that were unethcial, but not illegal. Because the actions were not against the law, he was allowed to stay in office.
I believe that any public official, whether elected or appointed, should be held to high moral and ethical standards. If they do things that are unethical, they should have the decency to leave office. They may not be doing anything technically illegal, but if they don't have high moral standards I think they have no business leading our town, county, state or nation.
Whether you are religiouss or not you have a code of morals. I believe if we all raised our moral, we could raise the ethics of our nation. U
Morals are personal principles. They are things that we live by. Morals are often thought of as personal truth. Many have a religion that teaches a certain moral code to live by. Others do not. We all have them, whether we know it or not. Morals govern our every day choices.
Ethics are influenced by society. Ethics are also a code that we live by. Certain cultures and countries have different ethics. Ethics change form generation to generation. There are profession ethics, a code a doctor or lawyer lives by. There are certain things they are not allowed to do.
Both ethics and morals influence the way we act. When arguing with someone, we may believe they are wrong and we know the truth. But because of our cultural ethics we do not scream in their face. We listen and then make our case. We take turns because that is what is polite.
Unfortunately, some of those who make the news today do so because they do not have high moral standards or ethics. They do things that are immoral and unethical. One such person was the former attorney general in Utah. While he was in the AG's office as an assistant, he did some things that were unethcial, but not illegal. Because the actions were not against the law, he was allowed to stay in office.
I believe that any public official, whether elected or appointed, should be held to high moral and ethical standards. If they do things that are unethical, they should have the decency to leave office. They may not be doing anything technically illegal, but if they don't have high moral standards I think they have no business leading our town, county, state or nation.
Whether you are religiouss or not you have a code of morals. I believe if we all raised our moral, we could raise the ethics of our nation. U
Work Ethic
The Work Ethic, in a Modern Guise
AFTER the last of the college graduates hug teary parents and toss their tasseled caps into the air, universities pass their charges on to employers, who then face the challenge of transforming students into employees.
I often wonder how some of my students will fare in the world of work. After 32 years of teaching, I still delight in hearing that a former student who made careless mistakes on exams and could not turn anything in on time has become exceptionally good at his or her job. Each cohort of college students comes with annoying and admirable attitudes that present challenges and opportunities for their first full-time employers.
You know you are getting old when you find yourself complaining about the way young people work. Every generation does this, so it is doubtful that there ever was a golden age of work when people of all ages shared the same attitudes.
The Protestant work ethic said that people should work hard and do the best job possible, regardless of the reward. Martin Luther told us, “All men, whatever their calling, ought to seek perfection in their work.” Luther believed that doing quality work helped make you a better person. The traditional work ethic has always been a tall order, especially for those who are more interested in earning enough money to eat than in attaining perfection.
For young adults who have grown up in a society that celebrates consumerism and status, the old work ethic seems hopelessly old-fashioned. Even in college, students seem to value the external rewards of work over learning for its own sake.
A 2006 survey of college freshman at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that about 74 percent of men and 70 percent of women say that the primary reason they attend college is to make more money. Students reflect this attitude in they way they approach their schoolwork. Most college professors have probably observed at least one of these traits in today’s students:
ENTITLED TO A DO-OVER It has become common for students to ask to retake tests or to rewrite papers in order to get a better grade. Usually the students who make this request are not failing the course but want to push their grade to an A- from a B+.
While the apparent desire for self-improvement is admirable, usually the higher grade is what really matters. Sometimes a student’s second try is not much better than the first, but he or she still expects a better grade for the effort. This attitude leads to the second problem.
CLOCK PUNCHING Students tend to take an industrial view of work. They commonly contest a grade by saying they deserve a higher one because they put so much time into studying or writing a paper. Such students see grades as pay for the time spent on the job, not the quality of the product.
THE LAKE EFFECT Like the children in Garrison Keillor’s fictitious town of Lake Wobegon, many college students believe that they are above average. This is not entirely their fault, as grade inflation runs rampant in many universities. When professors inflate grades, they give students a misleading picture of how their work stacks up against others, and they deprive students of the feedback they need to improve.
These three qualities have positive and negative implications for employers. This year, they plan to hire 17.4 percent more entry-level employees than last year. Recruiting and retaining the best of these graduates will be a challenge.
In response, some employers are trying to Google-ize the workplace. Google lures talented college graduates by creating a perk-filled work environment that looks and feels like a college campus. By getting rid of restrictions like structured office spaces, time clocks and dress codes, a Google-ized workplace eases the transition from college to work.
Even so, workers at a company like Google are in a highly competitive environment. Managers probably limit the number of do-overs. The quality of the work is as important as the quantity, if not more so. And some people are clearly better at their jobs than others. Recent graduates soon discover that a high grade-point average may help land them a good job, but it won’t help them keep it.
Most companies cannot Google-ize their offices because their business takes place at a certain time, in a certain place, and the culture has no tolerance for flip-flops and Frisbees. Young people have to adjust to the constraints of work.
FOR these employers, there is some good news. First, young people are willing to work long hours — if it pays off. Second, the Googles of the world face the same challenges as everyone else: how to instill in young people the desire and skill to do a job well. This aspect of the old work ethic doesn’t benefit just the employer. Teaching young employees how to find personal gratification in a job well done may also help them become better people and live happier lives.
I admire many things about my students — their idealism, creativity, energy, technological competence, hard work and dizzying sociability — but working with them can be trying.
For those times, I offer a bit of advice to today’s baby-boomer managers. When you are frustrated with a young employee, imagine the pictures of students in your college yearbook and ask yourself this question: Do these people look like they could someday run the world?
I often wonder how some of my students will fare in the world of work. After 32 years of teaching, I still delight in hearing that a former student who made careless mistakes on exams and could not turn anything in on time has become exceptionally good at his or her job. Each cohort of college students comes with annoying and admirable attitudes that present challenges and opportunities for their first full-time employers.
You know you are getting old when you find yourself complaining about the way young people work. Every generation does this, so it is doubtful that there ever was a golden age of work when people of all ages shared the same attitudes.
The Protestant work ethic said that people should work hard and do the best job possible, regardless of the reward. Martin Luther told us, “All men, whatever their calling, ought to seek perfection in their work.” Luther believed that doing quality work helped make you a better person. The traditional work ethic has always been a tall order, especially for those who are more interested in earning enough money to eat than in attaining perfection.
For young adults who have grown up in a society that celebrates consumerism and status, the old work ethic seems hopelessly old-fashioned. Even in college, students seem to value the external rewards of work over learning for its own sake.
A 2006 survey of college freshman at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that about 74 percent of men and 70 percent of women say that the primary reason they attend college is to make more money. Students reflect this attitude in they way they approach their schoolwork. Most college professors have probably observed at least one of these traits in today’s students:
ENTITLED TO A DO-OVER It has become common for students to ask to retake tests or to rewrite papers in order to get a better grade. Usually the students who make this request are not failing the course but want to push their grade to an A- from a B+.
While the apparent desire for self-improvement is admirable, usually the higher grade is what really matters. Sometimes a student’s second try is not much better than the first, but he or she still expects a better grade for the effort. This attitude leads to the second problem.
CLOCK PUNCHING Students tend to take an industrial view of work. They commonly contest a grade by saying they deserve a higher one because they put so much time into studying or writing a paper. Such students see grades as pay for the time spent on the job, not the quality of the product.
THE LAKE EFFECT Like the children in Garrison Keillor’s fictitious town of Lake Wobegon, many college students believe that they are above average. This is not entirely their fault, as grade inflation runs rampant in many universities. When professors inflate grades, they give students a misleading picture of how their work stacks up against others, and they deprive students of the feedback they need to improve.
These three qualities have positive and negative implications for employers. This year, they plan to hire 17.4 percent more entry-level employees than last year. Recruiting and retaining the best of these graduates will be a challenge.
In response, some employers are trying to Google-ize the workplace. Google lures talented college graduates by creating a perk-filled work environment that looks and feels like a college campus. By getting rid of restrictions like structured office spaces, time clocks and dress codes, a Google-ized workplace eases the transition from college to work.
Even so, workers at a company like Google are in a highly competitive environment. Managers probably limit the number of do-overs. The quality of the work is as important as the quantity, if not more so. And some people are clearly better at their jobs than others. Recent graduates soon discover that a high grade-point average may help land them a good job, but it won’t help them keep it.
Most companies cannot Google-ize their offices because their business takes place at a certain time, in a certain place, and the culture has no tolerance for flip-flops and Frisbees. Young people have to adjust to the constraints of work.
FOR these employers, there is some good news. First, young people are willing to work long hours — if it pays off. Second, the Googles of the world face the same challenges as everyone else: how to instill in young people the desire and skill to do a job well. This aspect of the old work ethic doesn’t benefit just the employer. Teaching young employees how to find personal gratification in a job well done may also help them become better people and live happier lives.
I admire many things about my students — their idealism, creativity, energy, technological competence, hard work and dizzying sociability — but working with them can be trying.
For those times, I offer a bit of advice to today’s baby-boomer managers. When you are frustrated with a young employee, imagine the pictures of students in your college yearbook and ask yourself this question: Do these people look like they could someday run the world?
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