The Political Ideology Of Social Democracy - 1394 Words

The political ideology that I identify with the most would be social democracy. The course textbook, We the People, defines a socialist as â€Å"someone who generally believes in social ownership, strong government, free markets, and reducing economic inequality† (Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir, Tolbert, 2017, 206). This means that socialism encourages government intervention in industry so that people can be better protected and more equal to one another. This political ideology revolves around the idea of helping those who are not socially and economically well off so that our society as a whole may greatly improve. The textbook, We the People, also states that socialist support ideas such as free public college and policies that protect worker’s†¦show more content†¦While economic inequality isn’t something we necessarily discriminate against here it is so in Mexico. Visiting my family in Mexico made me very aware of my family s financial status and how well o ff we were compared to how my parents had been growing up. My parents were always very money conscious and it is probably because of how they had grown up. They lived on small ranches with big families and because of they they weren’t able to afford much growing up. Because their families had ranches my parents had to help out from a young age. I know they don t want my brother and I to ever worry about money but it s hard not to. I never liked the idea of being able to afford something my friends couldn’t. Another thing that greatly influenced my point of view would be my religion. I strongly believe in helping others and standing up for what you believe in. Because of this I do greatly support unions. They were essential in our past and fought for the rights we have today. While there are not as many big issues to fight for today I still believe that people should be allowed to unite and meet with their employers to discuss certain issues without the fear of becoming unemployed. The fact of the matter is that big businesses can often place profit over people and we have to be able to confront them about this. I feel that the government has allowed businesses to have too much power and they need to play a great role in the well being of it’s people. Maybe thereShow MoreRelatedLiberalism, Communism, And Social Democracy736 Words   |  3 PagesThe three political ideologies I will discuss in this paper are Liberalism, Communism, and Social Democracy. These ideologies emerged in the 19th century and are views on society and the way in which it is governed. Liberalism, Communism, and Social Democracy are social, political, and economic doctrines. They share many differences, big and small, but these differences contribute to their overall objective of the betterment of society. How they choose to implement and lead towards that goal is whatRead MoreSummary of Primacy of Culture by Francis Fukuyama Essay1463 Words   |  6 PagesÂâ€" Francis Fukuyama argues that for any new ideology or political trend to emerge that rival those of liberal democracy, it requires the precursor of developments at the level of civic society and culture. Accordingly, he sees the only civic society, and culture that seems poised to do so is Asia. Fukuyama bases his judgment on the claim that for the consolidation of democracy, there must exist four levels of change: On the first level is Ideology, followed by Institutions, then Civil SocietyRead MoreEssay about Summary of Primacy of Culture by Francis Fukuyama1443 Words   |  6 Pages– Francis Fukuyama argues that for any new ideology or political trend to emerge that rival those of liberal democracy, it requires the precursor of developments at the level of civic society and culture. Accordingly, he sees the only civic society, and culture that seems poised to do so is Asia. Fukuyama bases his judgment on the claim that for the consolidation of democracy, there must exist four levels of change: On the first level is Ideology, followed by Institutions, then Civil Society,Read MorePolitical Ideology Essay1274 Words   |  6 PagesPolitical Ideology Essay Through out the past there have been many different forms of political ideology. With all theses different types of government you have to wonder sometimes which one of theses forms of government would be the best to run the ideal society. In this paper I will compare and contrast; liberalism, social democracy, fascism, communism, and anarchy. Also I will give my opinion on which one of these forms of government would be the most ideal to run a modern day county or societyRead MoreThe Current Chinese Government Fits Into The Category Of Authoritarian Regimes856 Words   |  4 Pages The current Chinese government fits into the category of Authoritarian Regimes because Chinese government just use the coercion to limit political pluralism in order to maintain their power, but allows some social pluralism and does not use ideology or coercive mobilization to shape citizen’s interests, or support for the regime. However, China had been in a category of totalitarian regimes once a fter the World War 2 ended. After the world war 2, under the Mao’s control, China’s sovereignty imposedRead MoreNz Ideology Essay1419 Words   |  6 PagesQuestion - Do political parties in New Zealand follow this Ideology? Choose three specific policy commitments each from different New Zealand political parties and discuss the extent to which the policies reflect a clear ideology. It is important for New Zealand parties to have a clear ideology and policies since the 2014 election is coming up. Ideology typically refers to a series of political beliefs, ethical ideals or principles. Do these New Zealand parties follow these ideologies through theirRead MoreWhat ´s an Ideology?1412 Words   |  6 PagesAn ideology is a set of ideas that embodies ones goals, expectations and actions. An ideology can also be defined as a set of ideas that are introduced by the ruling class of society to all the other members of the public. Therefore every political activity or idea embodies an ideology. Ideology. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:03, May 11, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org. Many political parties base their style of governance and political programs on an ideology and this helpsRead MorePolitical Ideologies Are The Best Way Of Governing A Country1734 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction: Political ideologies are the beliefs, morals and ethics held on what is the optimum way of governing a country (Jost, Federico, Napier, 2009). They have long guided the elected governments behaviour, particularly in effect to Social Policy decisions; determining what policy initiatives will be elected and what is the best way of implementing such policies. New Zealand has had various political ideologies brought in by different governments; such as Social Democracy, Social LiberalismRead MoreThe Popularization Of The Radical Right Emerges From The1554 Words   |  7 Pagesdomination of social, economic and political institutions that produces knowledge and information throughout the United Kingdom. This enables the elite class to obtain the power to systematically erase various narratives that challenge the suppression and structural control by the state. The rise of thatcherism originated from the political and economic control propelled by the elite class who imposed a dominant ideology that sustained the movement of the radical right, in the time of severe political instabilityRead MoreSandion, Nicaragua Conflict1100 Words   |  4 Pagesliberation and democracy in their country, in addition to being a hero to the entire population. As time and watch the victories of Sandino, Nicaragua was formed within the Sandinista National Liberation Front, which greatly confused many people because taking as reference to Sandino in its ideology. Thats why today’s confused society between Sandino and the FSLN. In this paper we analyze the existent relationship between the pure ideology of Sandino and the FSLN as a movement of social regeneration

Essay On Freedom - 936 Words

Were you born with freedom? History has shown us that people had to demand their freedom, so in a way they achieved or earned it. â€Å"Is freedom granted only if it is demanded†, is a question that people ask when they see our country or other nations’ history. When we are born, we don’t really think how we received our freedom, but we got it by the help of people from the past. The following stories are examples of the fight for freedom in our country and others: â€Å"March on Washington†, â€Å"Cairo†, and also â€Å"Reading Lolita in Tehran†. People had to protest for days maybe even more, just so the government would take them serious. People didn’t give up so easily, at some point they did win and receive their freedom. As history shown us, people†¦show more content†¦Another part of the diary that caught my eye was that they sang the national anthem like if it was doing harm to their government, but it was â€Å"Eight months ago some young protesters from the 6 April Group had been arrested in Alexandria for singing the national anthem; it was ‘instigatory’ the prosecution said†. The last words the author writes were very sad â€Å"Some of us died†. I’m shocked how violent protests can get, just so the people could gain their freedom. â€Å"Reading Lolita in Tehran† is a memoir written by Azar Nafisi, That uses your imagination even more than the other stories because the author tells the reader to do so. â€Å"I have no choice but to appeal once again to your imagination†, she would ask you to think about a young lady named Sanaz. Inside her home she’s a very happy and colorful lady, but when she goes outside she has to cover her entire body with dull and black clothing. â€Å"She says her goodbyes and puts on her black robe and scarf over her orange shirt and jeans, coiling her scarf around her neck†, and â€Å"put on thin lacy black gloves†. Even after doing all of that she still has to roam the streets like a dog scared of being arrested or even worst punished for not dressing or acting properly. On the streets, there’s multiply militia troops searching for people that are disobeying the laws or doing something that shows rebellion. † Women of her mother’s generation could walk the streets freely, enjoy the company of the opposite sex, join the policeShow MoreRelatedFreedom Of Freedom Essay753 Words   |  4 PagesFreedom of speech, press, and religion is like a traffic light. The by-laws are always changing and everyone must obey them. What is freedom? Freedom is the act of doing what one pleases without the fear of government intervening or restraining the action. So, if our freedoms are restricted, are we really free? Personally, I do consider the freedoms of the Bill of Rights counts as freedom. It is however, an opinionated topic and just like the by-laws of the amendments, everyone’s backing case willRead MoreEssay on Freedom1067 Words   |  5 Pages Freedom is defined as the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action. In An Indian’s View of Indian Affairs, Chief Joseph petitions for freedom. Martin Luther King’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech is a call for freedom. The text s written by Chief Joseph and King share many similar philosophies because the situations faced by two cultures, which are embodied in the texts, are similar. Chief Joseph represents a group of Native Americans who are restricted to land that they do not covetRead MoreEssay on Freedom1303 Words   |  6 PagesFreedom remains the sole basis for American society as we know it. Without freedom the great nation of America would have never been founded. To understand the true principles of freedom, one must understand the scope of the word. Philosophical freedom encompasses the ability to make choices without restraints, while political freedom is the state of being free rather than in physical confinement. Despite the importance of these ideas to our founding fathers, freedom has lost much of its importanceRead More Freedom Essay942 Words   |  4 Pagesquot;To assure ones own happiness is a dutyquot;3 Here I like what Kant says but with different meaning. I believe duty is freedo m and happiness is indicative of irrationality. In fact I will go to the extent of saying that happiness is freedom. Freedom is a duty, so we need irrationality and must just simply do it by any means. Everyone needs different degrees of freedom, hence different degrees of irrationality. Our duty is to free ourselves from the jails of rational society. I also believe thisRead MoreFreedom Essay1037 Words   |  5 PagesFreedom does not mean license, but the wisdom to choose what is right for oneself ‘Freedom’, be it from fellow humans, prevalent customs, way of life or society, is a word that symbolises man’s intrinsic nature and individuality. It is a feeling that has been experienced and expounded differently by different people: freedom- the ultimate goal of thousands of revolutions, the ideal that inflamed the minds of myriads of nameless, faceless people and their illustrious leaders. Battles for freedomRead MorePersuasive Essay On Freedom744 Words   |  3 PagesConstitution states that we have freedom, then why are we continually fight for it? In this essay, I will argue that our freedom has been repeatedly fought for. For example The Revolutionary War was fought to gain our freedom to self govern; we fought a Civil War to end slavery, which is the complete opposite of freedom; and we are currently in a war with the radical Islamic group known as ISIS to gain our freedom from terrorism. I have listed claims to support that freedom is not guaranteed. To maintainRead MoreCry Freedom Essay1466 Words   |  6 PagesThis essay examines the film â€Å"Cry Freedom†, set in the late 1970s, which was directed by Sir Richard Attenborough in 1987. The film was based on the true story written by Donald Wood, also one of the main characters in the film. The analysis will focus on the way the movie critically evaluates the political ideology that dominates the aparth eid in South Africa. The essay will discuss the character’s and films attitude towards the white people and black people and how certain characters respond toRead MoreThe Freedom Riders Essay1553 Words   |  7 Pagesthe South. At this time, segregation was legal. In 1892, the Supreme Court had ruled that a state could separate whites and blacks as long as the services were equal. On May 4, 1961, a diverse group of thirteen courageous individuals known as the Freedom Riders embarked on a bus journey into the South in order to challenge segregation in bus terminals. Although many individuals believed that segregation was wrong, many southern states continued to practice racial segregation. Racial segregationRead MoreEssay On Freedom Of Speech1146 Words   |  5 Pages Synthesis Essay: Freedom of Speech The first amendment is one of the most controversial in all of the constitution. This is mainly due to the fact that its limits are open to interpretation. Freedom of speech, which is given under this amendment, is one of those that can be very easily infringed upon. The amendment protects what people say yet it has its boundaries; you can’t make terrorist threats, yell fire in a crowded theater, solicit bribes, intentionally inflict emotional distress on othersRead More Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Thought, Freedom of Pot Essay1776 Words   |  8 Pages Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Thought, Freedom of Pot! nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;There is a war going on; it keeps thousands in pain every night, a war that if were to end, could save thousands of people’s lives. This is the war on marijuana. You could say that marijuana has a bad reputation in the eyes of many people, but in reality it is a drug which has the ability of saving lives and curing diseases in which have plagued us for too long. People need to be informed on the good that marijuana

Project Executions Planning and Management †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Project Executions Planning and Management. Answer: Introduction The existing Sydney motorway network project is undertaken by APIC CONSULT, which is an organization that works as a general contractor and project consultant for both the government and the private agencies. The project deals with the widening of the existing M4 Motorway as the current roads are insufficient for the growing demands. The new and the improved highway system that is proposed is expected to enhance the traffic management system by removing an estimated 4000 trucks a day from Parramatta road. These trucks will be routed underground that will in turn trigger the opportunity for the neighbourhood revitalization. As a consultant, EPIC CONSULT has taken up the project to advise the client about the best project delivery method and the financial contract type that will be suitable for this project. Since the project size is particularly huge, the project was undertaken by a joint venture company of all the three prime contractors associated with the project. The project is ex pected to be delivered by 2023. Since the size of the project is particularly huge, there are certain challenges associated with the project as well. . The following paragraphs discusses in detail, financial contract type, procurement method, the delivery method for the project (Akintoye, Goulding Zawdie, 2012). Since M4 widening is a construction project and is particularly complex, it is necessary to choose the proper project delivery system in order to ensure that the project is not delayed further. Choosing an accurate project delivery method is crucial as this method is used by the project or the contractor manager to organize and manage the different operations and services associated with the delivery of a project. The proposed project delivery method for the M$ widening projects includes Design Bid Built delivery system, Design build delivery system and CM at Risk project delivery system (Bilbo et al., 2015). In order understand which project delivery method will be suitable for the M4 Motorway Widening project, the characteristics of all the three project delivery methods and the evaluation criteria of the three project delivery method is represented in the following matrix. The project Delivery System Matrix Criteria/ Goals Criteria Weight Project delivery system Method 1: Design Build Method 2: Design bid Build Method 3: CM at Risk Score Weighted Score Score Weighted Score Score Weighted Score 1. The Project is needed to be completed within 2023 20 3 60 4 80 8 160 2. More than 140000 vehicles should be kept moving through the project corridor during project implementation 30 5 150 6 240 3 180 3. A first track schedule is to be maintained 20 4 80 6 120 8 160 4. The project is to be implemented in a controlling cost environment 30 7 210 8 240 4 120 100 --- 500 ----- 680 -- 620 Table 1: Representing the Project delivery matrix By analysing the results of the project delivery matrix mentioned above, it is found out that the design bid build method will be appropriate for successful implementation of the project within the allocated time. The assumptions associated with the selection of the design bid contract are as follows- Assumptions: In design bid build project delivery system, different entities are responsible for designing and building the project, which is similar to the case of M4 motorway development. Therefore, it is assumed that this contract will be appropriate to consider for the project (Xia et al., 2014). It is assumed that the separate phase of designing and bidding will not take more than the expected time. It is assumed that the project progress report will be regularly communicated to the two consulting companies, which are Larson and Sons and McCartney Inc (Porwal Hewage, 2013). Since WestLINK has somehow became fairly detached from the project and is responsible for performing only the brief reviews associated with the project, it is assumed that the separate designer and the builder in the design bid build project delivery method will look after the quality of the project. In order to evaluate the best project delivery method for M4 Motorway Widening project, a project delivery matrix is prepared, where each of the three project delivery methods is evaluated on basis of certain criteria (Pishdad-Bozorgi de la Garza, 2012). The importance and the significance of each of the project delivery methods is analysed on basis of the weight and importance of the criteria on basis of which is judged. There are certain challenges associated with the project, which needs to be eliminated in order to successfully implement the project. The criteria for choosing the best project delivery method have been set on basis of the challenges that the project might encounter (Minchin Jr et al., 2013). The project delivery method that will be able to eliminate those risk and limitation associated with the project will be chosen. The first criterion of choosing the best project delivery method is that the Project is needed to be completed within 2023. This criterion is assigned a weight of 20 as it is fairly important to finish the project in the given time and the motorway cannot be kept engaed for long time. The second criterion of choosing the best project delivery method is that More than 140000 vehicles should be kept moving through the project corridor during project implementation. This is one of the most important criteria for selection of the project delivery method and is assigned a weight of 30. This criterion is important and has been assigned a higher weight since the project cannot disrupt the normal operation of the motorway. In the table the design bid build contract gets a score of 6 against this criterion as in the bid phase, WestLink can easily choose the builder who will assure normal operation of the motorway in the project implementation stage (Kerzner Kerzner, 2017). The third Criterion of choosing the best project delivery method is that a first track schedule is to be maintained. This is again a major criterion of evaluation of the project as the project work will be performed in one of the vital parts of the city and is therefore expected to disrupt the normal operation of the project site to a great extent (Ilozor Kelly, 2012). Therefore, this criterion is allocated a weight of 20 and the design bid build project delivery method gets a score of 6 in this as in this project delivery method, the builder aims at finishing the project in the time allocated for a particular project. The last criterion, on basis of which the project delivery method is evaluated is that the project is to be implemented in a controlling cost environment. This is one of the most significant criteria for evaluating the best project delivery method and therefore is allocated a weight of 30. The design bid build contract gets a score of 8 against this criterion as separate contractors are responsible for managing the designing and the building phase of the project, which indicates that a proper control and monitoring procedure of the project will be implemented during the project execution. Table 1 represents the allocated score of design bid build contract against the criteria selected for evaluation of the best project delivery method. The design bid build project delivery system on an average gets a higher score in all the categories in comparison to design build and CM at risk Contract type and therefore, design bid build contract is chosen for the project. In criterion 1, the design bid built contract gets a considerably lower score than CM at risk since CM at risk type of project delivery system has the highest rate of timely completion of the project (Park et al., 2015). In criterion two, the design bid build type of project delivery system gets a greater score in comparison to the other two methods as in the bidding phase, the project owner can easily choose the builder that satisfies this project criteria. Similar is the case of the last two criteria since in the design bid build project delivery system, the project owner has the option to choose the best build er and project implementation technique for the project. The Financial Contract type Criteria/ Goals Criteria Weight Financial Contract Type Method 1: Lump Sum Contract Method 2: Guaranteed Maximum Price Contract Method 3: Cost Plus Free Contract Score Weighted Score Score Weighted Score Score Weighted Score 1. The project needs to be completed within the allocated budget. There should be no or very little scope of budget revision or cost revision in the implementation of the project. 30 8 240 7 210 4 120 2. Ensuring proper safety is included in the budget 20 5 100 6 120 7 140 3. A concessional funding is committed to the project so that WestLINK can deliver the project in 2 stages. This funding cannot be revised in the later stage of the project 20 6 120 7 140 4 80 4. The project is to be implemented in a cost controlled environment 30 6 180 8 240 5 150 100 ---- 640 ----- 710 490 Table 2: Representing Financial Contract Type By analysing the data obtained from the financial contract type matrix, it is found out that the guaranteed maximum price contract will be best financial contract type for the Widening of the M4 Motorway project. The assumptions for choosing this type of financial contract is represented below- The financial contract type aligns with the chosen project delivery method. The financial contract chosen at the beginning of the project cannot be change in the later stages of the project. The project is expected to undergo no budget revision. Justification for the Criteria Chosen and the criterion weight allocated: The best financial contract type chosen for the M4 Motorway widening project is based on the certain criteria that are identified for the project (Gransberg, 2013). The first criterion that is chosen for evaluating the best financial contract type associated with the project is that the project needs to be completed within the allocated budget. There should be no or very little scope of budget revision or cost revision in the implementation of the project. This is an important criterion associated with the project and is therefore allocated a weight of 30. The second criterion that is chosen for evaluating the best financial contract type associated with the project is that workers safety is to be ensured and the safety requirements should be an important criterion for the contract. Therefore, this criterion is allocated a weight of 20 for identifying the best financial contract for the project. The third criterion, criterion that is chosen for evaluating the best financial contract type associated with the project is that the funding cannot be revised in the later stage of the project. This criterion is allocated a weight of 20 as financial contract to be chosen largely depends on the budget allocated. The last criterion is equally important and therefore allocated a weight of 30. In table 2, the guaranteed maximum price contract on an average gets higher score than the other two contract methods as in guaranteed maximum price contract; a contractor is responsible for the actual cost incurred for the project. Therefore, the contractor while taking the contract can be made to abide by the important criteria that are set for the project (Brook, 2012). Therefore, the guaranteed maximum price contract will be the accurate financial contract for the M4 motorway widening project. Conclusion Therefore, from the above the discussion it can be concluded that the M4 motorway widening project can be implemented within the time allocated by following a design bid build project delivery system. The delivery system is chosen for the project by evaluating certain important criteria for selection of the project delivery method. In order to choose the adequate financial contract type, certain important project criteria are evaluated. Use of a proper project delivery system and financial contract type is essential in order to ensure project success. References Akintoye, A., Goulding, J. S., Zawdie, G. (2012).Construction innovation and process improvement(pp. 1-17). Wiley?Blackwell. Bilbo, D., Bigelow, B., Escamilla, E., Lockwood, C. (2015). Comparison of construction manager at risk and integrated project delivery performance on healthcare projects: A comparative case study. International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 11(1), 40-53. Brook, M. (2012).Estimating and tendering for construction work. Routledge. Gransberg, D. (2013). Early Contractor Design Involvement to Expedite Delivery of Emergency Highway Projects: Case Studies from Six States.Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, (2347), 19-26. Ilozor, B. D., Kelly, D. J. (2012). Building information modeling and integrated project delivery in the commercial construction industry: A conceptual study.Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management,2(1), 23. Kerzner, H., Kerzner, H. R. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Minchin Jr, R. E., Li, X., Issa, R. R., Vargas, G. G. (2013). Comparison of cost and time performance of design-build and design-bid-build delivery systems in Florida.Journal of Construction Engineering and Management,139(10), 04013007. Park, H. S., Lee, D., Kim, S., Kim, J. L. (2015). Comparing project performance of design-build and design-bid-build methods for large-sized public apartment housing projects in Korea.Journal of Chen, Q., Jin, Z., Xia, B., Wu, P., Skitmore, M. (2015). Time and cost performance of designbuild projects.Journal of Construction Engineering and Management,142(2), 04015074.Architecture and Building Engineering,14(2), 323-330. Pishdad-Bozorgi, P., de la Garza, J. M. (2012). Comparative analysis of design-bid-build and design-build from the standpoint of claims. InConstruction Research Congress 2012: Construction Challenges in a Flat World(pp. 21-30). Porwal, A., Hewage, K. N. (2013). Building Information Modeling (BIM) partnering framework for public construction projects.Automation in Construction,31, 204-214. Xia, B., Chen, Q., Xu, Y., Li, M., Jin, X. (2014). Design-build contractor selection for public sustainable buildings.Journal of Management in Engineering,31(5), 04014070.

Remembering All Essays - Sandra, The Liver Birds,

Remembering All I once jumped off a two-story building just to prove how much I adored a girl. At the early age of eight, I have to admit that I was already a kid full of hormones. I have always known that I am attracted to the opposite sex. I love being around them, but I was always too shy to express my feelings towards them. Sandra was the kind of girl that any guy would fall in love with the minut he laid his eyes on her. Like a goddess, she had long silky hair, big sparkling eyes, and the most luscious lips. The first time I saw Sandra was on the first day of my first grade. I was immediately attracted to her. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen at that point of my life. I knew right at that moment that I had to do something or anything to let her notice me. I wanted to talk to her but I was too shy. I drew my courage together and finally went up to her to introduce myself. She responded with a cute giggle and told me her name. As I was walking away from her, she gave me a dazzling smile that stuck with me to the present. As soonas we walked into the classroom, the teacher announced that she had already assigned a seating position for each person. I immediately called for God and I begged the Almighty to have Sandra sit next to me. When I heard Sandra and my name in the same sentence, I knew in that moment that God answered my prayer. Sandra and I were both voted to be the class president by popular votes. I am very shy. Yet, I have this personality or look that just attracts people to their liking. Sandra was also very popular mainly due to her beauty. Because it was a close race, the teacher decided that Sandra and I should both be the class president. The class presidents duty was to keep the class in an orderly manner whenever the teacher was not around. We would hear students complaints about other students and help keep the peace in the class. Because of the seating situation and our shared responsibilities as peace officers, Sandra and I got to be very close. However, we were only best friend and nothing more. I never told Sandra how I felt about her but I think she figured it out somehow. I also had a friend named Nick who was also attracted to Sandra. Nick and I never had a problem both liking the same girl. We often goofed around and told each other what we would do if Sandra were to be with one of us. Although Nick was better looking than I was, that did not stop me from giving up. I knew I had to find a way to tell Sandra how I felt about her even if she already sensed it. One day while playing on the roof of our classroom as we often did, Sandra commented that a boy was brave enough to jump off from the two-story building that we were on, she would like him even more. I immediately jumped off the building before Sandra finished her sentence. Everybody just screamed. Sandra let out the loudest scream and then ran away in terror. When I finally stood up from the devastating fall, I looked up to find not even one single person. Apparently, everyone thought I was a freak, including Sandra. I ended up limping six months for that foolish attemp to win Sandras heart. My relationship with Sandra was never the same after that incident. Sandra would only speak to me when it was necessary. Three months after the jumping incident, the school year was over. We both went our separate ways during the summer break. Sandra and I were still in the same class that following fall, but we never spoke to each other again. To this day, I still think about her. After all, ahe was my first love. I often wonder if the result would have been different if I had not made that jump. That was only the beginning of what I have done to impress girls. Most of the time, it would backfire on me just like the jumping incident. Neverthless, that does not mean I am going to stop trying even harder next time.