Teaching Morals and Ethics in Public Schools Essay -- Religion in Publ

Teaching Morals and Ethics in Public Schools I find myself disagreeing with Kozol and his statement that schools should be an institution where morals can be taught and developed. It is my belief that schools should not be held responsible for instilling morals and ethics into the minds of America's children. Of course, it is true that schools should instill and reinforce morals that are part of our everyday existence. Those of the Golden Rule, as well as the wrongs of death and destruction can be, not so much taught, rather restated in institutions of learning. It is my opinion, however, those morals should be taught in the home. Most classrooms are made up of people of various religious and ethnic backgrounds. I t is impossible, therefore, to instill one set of beliefs into such a diverse group. Many people would argue that parents are away too much to raise their children to be moral beings. However, it is my belief that parents should be able to make time for instilling such beliefs. If you want to have a moral and ethical child, then you must work for it. Rather than sitting in front of the TV for 4 hours and then going to bed, parents must find time to speak to children about such issues. I personally do not ever remember being introduced to the concept of God and of heaven. It wasn't as if my parents sat me down one day and explained these theological ideas to me. Merely by spending time with my parents, I was able to gain much perspective into their own morals and ethical patterns. It was, in fact, through schooling, and the facts that I was taught there, that I was able to expand on the ideals that I wished to achieve and model them more towards the world in which I was now living. If one were to ask a grown ... ...with the fact that many people are unwilling to allow their children to be taught such things in a place that should be focusing on the classic three R's. The government made its stand on this issue through the separation of church and state. Not only were theological teachings left out of the school curriculum, but also, so were the morals that went along with these teachings. This is how I feel the issue of teaching morals and ethics to today's children should be dealt with in America. There must be a complete overhaul of the school system we have in place, or a remarkable change of heart of many people whom have been fighting for centuries over minor differences in religious teachings. Otherwise, there will be no other way to ensure that children in America are growing up with a sense of values, which will allow them to make a difference in tomorrow's world.

History of the Oil Industry :: essays research papers

Oil The oil industry has been around for many millennia now. In the Middle East oil seeped through the ground and it was used in many ways. It was used to waterproof their ships, painting, and even for light. But the rest of the world, for some time, had relied on another oil produced by whales. But overtime the modern world had slowly reverted back to using oil from the ground. As the industry of refining crude oil arose, many people started small firms. But one man had a much greater vision, John D. Rockefeller, as his strength in the oil world grew to unheard of proportions, many of the smaller Businesses were dying off. Manny people and companies started to protest Rockefeller’s enormous control of the market. Eventually, his company was forced to brake up by the United States Supreme Court. In the present, there are many oil companies and there isn’t one monopoly. These companies are finding new ways to drill for oil and also refine it more efficiently to ensure that the oil industry will stretch much further into the future. As humanity slowly started to grow into the modern civilization that it is today there were many things it needed to master. For a long time fire was the primary tool of choice, but as people grew more intelligent they began to seek new ways of lighting and energy. At first oil was used to waterproof ships, pots, and crate paintings. The Greeks had also mastered oil to create and awesome weapon from it. It was called "Greek Fire" they would compress the oil and shoot it out of a tube onto enemy ships, as it was being shoot out it was lit on fire. This caused great damage to enemy ships, but also made the Greeks seems immensely powerful. But over time, the use of oil was overshadowed by the use of whale oil. At the time it was fairly inexpensive and extremely plentiful. But over time, the demand for oil grew so large, that the wails were being over killed and the supply began to dwindle driving prices to raise immensely. As the old way of fueling their energy needs ran out, there was a search for a new way. This is where crude oil was re-introduced. To light there lamps whale oil was no longer needed, but kerosene was now being used widely.

Police Report

Police Report Tomas Gonzalez, University of Phoenix CJA/304 February 26, 2013 Oscar N. Ruiz Police Report There are various types of communication used through the criminal justice process, considering the witness, prosecution, judge, and defense they all have their own element of communication to get their message across effectively and to prove their point. Communication for Prosecution and Defense The type of communication used by the prosecution or defense is typically more formal than informal and consists mainly of verbal communication.Non-verbal communication becomes more prevalent when arguing points in front of a jury. The prosecution may offer a deal or plea bargain to the defense in an effort to avoid the expense and time involved with a trial. If a deal is not offered or reached, it is likely that the case will go to trial. At trial, the judge governs the communication by either the prosecution or the defense. Each party may object to something said by the other and the j udge will rule on if the information is acceptable. The two parties will argue their case to the jury and in doing say may make use of non-verbal communication to try and sway the jury.I like to view it as the difference between an actor acting as though they have tripped (verbal communication) and someone such as Jerry Lewis or Jim Carey using their physical humor to exaggerate or enhance the trip (non-verbal communication). Communication for the Witness and Judge The Judge uses both oral and written forms of communication, written forms usually go to the juries which include instructional sheets on how to be a proper juror and written paper work between both prosecution and defense attorney which can be anything from a warrant to a bail amount.A judge also listens to the oral statements during the case to ensure the case is handled proper and asks questions or controls the prosecution or defense when needed. A judge may also give instructions to the jury during the case, such as a cknowledging a piece of evidence or dismissing one, or dismissing a statement that may contaminate the case and jury. The judge may also hold a person in contempt for acting out in a courtroom or delaying the case, the judge will also make opening and closing statements addressing all those in the courtroom.The Witness will be using oral forms of communication. A witness is a person that has knowledge of the case they are involved in. Their testimony can either help or hurt a defendant. Both the prosecution and defense have witnesses. Written and oral communications are used within the courtroom in the Minnesota v. Riff case. In this case the prosecution has many witnesses that have information implementing Riff for the crime. Once the prosecution asks their questions the defense then has their turn.The defense attorney asks the witnesses questions in regards to what they said when the prosecution asked them questions and they also ask the witnesses their own questions. The defense attorney tries to pick apart the witnesses stories to help his client. The witnesses for the defense team usually tell a different story from the prosecution witnesses. The prosecution then has their time to cross examine. The written communications that are usually presented are the statements that are gathered at the time of the incident.When witnesses are first questioned at the scene they give information such as; the time of the incident, exact details of what happened, and where it happened. Police Report S-3839410 BURGLARY ASSIGNMENT/ARRIVAL At 00:30, Officer Terry Schield was dispatched to investigate a burglary call at Marquette’s Market, which is on the corner of Main Street and First Street in Midtown, Minnesota. INVESTIGATION Officer Terry Schield began his investigation of the burglary and discovered the following: The rear door lock of Marquette’s Market had been smashed open with a heavy blunt object.The cash register drawer had been similarly smashed op en and was empty except for $7. 83 in coin and two checks (one for $10. 00 and the second for $5. 80) In the alley next to the store, Officer Terry Schield found a heavy hammer with fingerprints wiped clean. COMPLAINTANT’S STATEMENT Speedy Marquette the storeowner said that $910. 00 had allegedly been taken from the cash drawer of the register. The money had been placed in a tan cash bag labeled â€Å"Midtown State Bank†. The alleged burglary would have had to occur between 00:00 and 00:25. In the $910. 0 was a Canadian five-dollar bill. WITNESS’S STATEMENT Outside of the Marquette Market Officer Terry Schield found Soapy Waters, the janitor at Mickey’s Diner and Otis Ripple, the baker at Midtown Bakery. Mr. Waters stated that he had seen Ronnie Riff in the area at about 00:20. That Riff had been carrying a tan moneybag and had dropped two dollars from the bag. Riff was wearing blue jeans and a blue band jacket. Mr. Ripple the nightshift baker at Midtown Bakery stated that around 00:15 he had seen someone exit the market by the rear door.The person threw something into the side alley east of the store. Officer Terry Schield took Mr. Ripple to the location and Mr. Ripple found the hammer. When Officer Terry Schield asked to identify who was at the rear door of Marquette Market Mr. Ripple refused to identify the person he saw. Rusty Fender owner of Rusty’s Auto Body had to close his shop at 00:30 because he misplaced his hammer. He stated that at 00:00 he had seen Riff behind the Fenders Body Shop. Mr. Fender identified the hammer found in the side alley east of market as his.Melvin Strongarm stated he played poker with Riff the night of the alleged burglary and stated that Riff won $200. 00 that night. At 00:25, Betty Biddy nurse at Midtown Memorial Hospital and neighbor of Ronnie Riff stated she saw Riff toss away a tan bag. She stated the bag was labeled â€Å"Midtown State Bank. † The bag has not yet been found. C. S harp owner of Sharp’s Music Store stated Ronnie had purchased a guitar for $875. 00 from Sharp’s Music city. Riff paid cash and tried to include a Canadian five-dollar bill in the payment.Guido Concertino owner of the Midtown Dance Magic stated Riff practiced on the guitar worth $900. 00 at the â€Å"Midtown Dance Magic†. References: Rights of the Accused Minnesota v. Ronald Rif: A Criminal Mock Trial. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://sharepdf. net/view/59954/minnesota-v-ronald-riff-a-criminal-mock-trial Wallace, H. & Roberson, C. (2009). Written and interpersonal communication: Methods for law enforcement (4th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Identity and Belonging: Witness

‘Where we come from and our attitude to it are powerful forces in our lives. ’ â€Å"This gun of the hand is for the taking of human life. We believe it is wrong to take a life. That is only for God. † The conflicting notions and difference between cultures is thoroughly represented throughout Peter Weir’s stunning and thematically moving film ‘Witness’ in which two different worlds with two different value systems are profoundly presented to its viewers. Having a sense of belonging is essential to identity; it is a basic human instinct to belong and to have faith in certain beliefs, the preoccupations meaningfully explored within Weir’s creations. Moreover, through the use of film techniques and representation, Weir has managed to captivate and compel his audience to indulge into the hardships and strategic traditions in which the Amish community follow and also allows the audience to gain a further understanding to the extreme disciplinary law of the ‘Ordnung. The protagonist, John Book, faces a tedious journey to bring justice to contemptible crime and must undergo an ultimate sacrifice of ‘changing his ways,’ which would cause a crucial disregard to all his life lessons that have shaped and guided him, in order to gain the acceptance he subsequently strives for from his ‘former carers’ and unique counterparts of the Amish community. Book also faces the riveting dilemma to assert or deny his d isreputable love with Rachel as well as apprehend where he truly belongs. Weir’s film is positioned between two worlds; the good and the evil, decency and corruption, head and heart, the Amish and the ‘English’. Throughout the film, the complexities of parallel worlds are explored where the different worlds begin to sporadically intertwine. ‘We want nothing to do with your laws,’ at the beginning of the film when Rachel first becomes subject to Detective John Book’s questioning and police procedures, she is taken out of her comfort zone and is presented with a world she knows not of. Rachel is more so driven by the forceful nature of her own predecessors and ‘elders’ which intuitively leads to her attitude of not wanting to abide by the laws of a different world from her own. The passiveness of the Amish is explored as they are depicted as being self-cast as outsiders, basing their lives solely on natural things due to their own stringent belief that it will bring them closer to God. Furthermore, the audience is able to gain an insight to the cultural restrictions in which the Amish live by; living in a rural society where there are no radios, telephones, or televisions, where the only means of transportation is a horse and buggy, and where one dresses to look â€Å"plain. † The depiction of the Amish community in the film is extraordinarily contrasted with the modern contemporary society of the Americans, otherwise known as ‘the English’ by the Amish people. Book’s world is portrayed as being the human function of corruption where ‘somewhere along the way [cops] lose their meaning. ’ Book is inevitably accustomed to deceit, brutality and violence that it consumes him and is the very essence in which drives him forward and acts accountable for his actions. He is inescapably surrounded by it, so much so that he is not completely oblivious to the corruption occurring within the very organisation that is meant to oppose it, his own police department. Book’s duty to investigate corruption within his police department leaves him shot. This violence from Book’s own world and place of belonging is what ironically leads to him going into hiding amongst the Amish people in order for him to protect Rachel and Samuel. He is significantly driven by his job of policing that it acts as a powerful force in his life in which he is suited to, ‘[Elaine] thinks you like policing because you think you are right about everything and you're the only one who can do anything†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Evidently, Book is quite complacent living his own life in his contemporary society as it composes of his identity and sense of belonging. At a further contrast, the contemporary society of the Americans deem to be utterly dependant on technology, not just as helpful tools but also for ones own sense of luxury. In the film, when Book is in town with Eli accompanied by other Amish they are ambushed by tourists who simply treat them as though they are placed there for their own amusement, the Amish are not acknowledged as being actual human beings. The tourists bombard them with taking photos and Book does not follow the placid way of the Amish, ‘Lady, you take my picture with that thing and I'm gonna rip your brassiere off†¦ nd strangle you with it! You got that? ’ Though Book attempts to conform to the ways of the Amish he is still so accustomed to his old ways that where he comes from is his own sense of belonging. Furthermore, Book’s trial of ‘fitting in’ with the Amish is ultimately tested when he cannot rid himself of his urban assertiveness and simply turns to violence when a g roup of ‘townies’ harass Daniel Hochleitner, of the Amish, to which Book violently punches one of them in the face though ‘it’s not our way [of the Amish]. Book is fundamentally fixed in his ways, ‘it’s my way,’ and initially disregards his attempts to fit in with the Amish and gain their acceptance. Consequently, Book’s violent actions lead to Schaeffer and his despicable partners being able to locate and track down where Book is staying in hiding. Though Book has sufficiently failed in his attempts to conform to the ways of the Amish, it is evident that he finally makes a connection with the Amish community during the traditional barn-raising scene in the film where Book helps out and realises that for the Amish, community is more important than any other modern necessity. Despite Book’s connection with the Amish he is still mildly branded as an outsider to their community and is only truly accepted through the eyes of Rachel. During the course of the film, Book and Rachel begin to grow affectionate for one another. The attraction between the two only grows stronger as the film progresses and Weir uses intended camera angles and film techniques to represent a change in the status quo. When Book and Rachel are together, they are always filmed through doorways. Book is depicted as always being in the doorway, symbolising that he cannot get past it whereas Rachel is always in through it. However, as the attraction grows stronger, specifically after they kiss, Book talks to Rachel through the door of chicken wire, the holes in the wire imply that Book can now get through to the Amish community yet some of his own identity and predispositions will always remain behind the chicken wire. More so the attraction is shown within the scene in the barn in which Book is fixing his car with his radio on, an ultimate defiance of the ways of the Amish, to which Rachel responds positively. They begin to dance and although Book appreciates the moment, he does not fully understand that he is breaching the wishes of the elders in the community and ominously causes Rachel to act in such a manner which is stupendously frowned upon by her peers. Despite Eli's warning that she will be â€Å"shunned† if she becomes too close to John, Rachel defiantly gives in to her feelings for the outsider. Though they come from two different worlds, hold different values, nd live different lives, their emotions and feelings towards one another prove to be the same. Eventually Book comes to terms with his limitations and realises that he does not belong in Lancaster County with Rachel despite his utmost attempts to try and change himself in order to belong. Book remains too dependant on things from his world and his reliance on technology bounds him. The life lessons and fixed ways in which Book continuously holds onto prove to a big part of his identity that to completely disregard t hem would be a vital sacrifice. His attempts to try and belong with the Amish are boldly thwarted by his own understanding of his significant influence on young Samuel, ‘I would only kill the bad man. ’ His very presence brings danger and the aspect of life in which the Amish try to avoid, that is, murder. The place in which one comes from, one’s home and upbringing, proves to be a powerful force in one’s life. Having a place to belong is essential to identity and life lessons taught prove to be guidance throughout life. It is essential to belong and people will try and change themselves in order to feel as though they fit in. However, to merge two completely different worlds together would be controversial and ultimately unprincipled. The love shared between Book and Rachel would never work because they were two different, they were bestowed with different values, different upbringings and essentially different morals. Book could never stay with the Amish, â€Å"He's going back to his world, where he belongs. He knows it, and you know it, too. †

Midterm Essay Essay

Briefly identify and explain the key differences and similarities regarding the UCR, NIBRS, and NCVS programs. The Uniformed Crime Reporting (UCR) Program displays crime data for the United States, as well as for states, cities, counties and colleges. This allows for a comparison among neighboring jurisdictions and among those with similar populations and other common characteristics. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) collects information on the frequency and of crimes such as rape, sexual assault, aggravated and simple assault, household burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft. Both systems report different types of information and different details. The UCR program displays statistics for law enforcement administration, operation, and management. The UCR program utilizes what is called the hierarchy rule. If more than one crime was committed by the same person and the time separating the crimes was minor, then the crime highest in the hierarchy is the only crime reported. This seems like a very inaccurate method of recording data, one would assume that all records of offenses were taken into consideration for reporting purposes. The NCVS program collects information on crimes by individuals and households while also providing information on victims such as age, sex, race, marital status. The difference in the two programs is that each serves a different purpose in reporting. The UCR reports information for law enforcement, operations and management. The NCVS provides information about each crime, its victims and the offenders. Summarize the evolution of the criminal justice system in America. Identify and discuss at least three (3) key U.S Supreme Court cases that have had a significant impact on the issue of individual rights versus public order, with respect to arrest, search, and seizure. In modern day America, the public’s view on the typical criminal has shifted from seeing him or her as a victim of social and personal unfortunate circumstances to seeing him  or her as a dangerous predator who takes advantage of the rights and privileges of citizens (Schmalleger, 2014). An example of a Supreme Court case that had an impact on the issue of individual rights versus public order is McCullen v. Coakley. Individuals claimed that a â€Å"buffer zone† around an abortion clinic infringed upon their First Amendment rights to free speech by communication with patients less effective (Takeway). This relates to the possibility of an arrest if the protestors are blocking the entrance to an abortion clinic or physically harassing a patient. In 1995, the Supreme Court ruled that officers must knock and announce their identity before entering a dwelling even if they hold a search warrant (Schmalleger, 2014). In January 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that the FBI needed a warrant to attach a GPS device to s suspected drug dealer’s car. This ties into the search and seizure topics and preserves the individual rights of the suspected drug dealer. After all, the individual is just suspected of being a dealer, there is no hard evidence. In general, outline the police mission, operational strategies, styles and the legal and ethical aspects of policing today. The police officer mission consists of five components, enforcing the law, apprehending offenders, preventing crime, preserving the peace, and providing the community with needed enforcement related services. Law enforcement has a chain of command just like the military with three policing styles that vary by department and region. The watchman style attempts to achieve â€Å"order maintenance†. The legalistic style attempts to enforce the letter of the law. The service style attempts to meet the needs of the community and serve its members. In general, police officers are mandated to stay within the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments. All law enforcement officials regardless of status or rank should be held accountable for their actions however, this is not always the case. There are three methods that guide American policing. Strategic policing retains the goal of professional crime fighting but enlarges the target to include serial offenders, gangs and criminal associations. It makes use of technology, intelligence operations and undercover stings (Schmalleger, 2014). Problem solving policing assumes that crimes are caused by social conditions within the community and that they can be controlled by addressing social problems (Schmalleger, 2014).  Lastly, community policing supports the use of partnerships and problem solving techniques to address the issues that cause crime. (Schmalleger, 2014). Ethical issues that plague law enforcement vary. Racially biased policing in which police officers are viewed as biased for example, taking that a predominately African American neighborhood is full of criminals. The use of excessive and deadly force is another issue in which police officers either use too much force in the apprehension of a suspect or cause death or great bodily harm (Schmalleger, 2014). What is the dual-court system? Identify and explain the three levels of characteristic of the federal judiciary. The dual court system is the result of general agreement among the founding fathers about the need for individual states to retain significant legislative authority and judicial autonomy separate from federal control (Schmalleger, 2014). The three levels of characteristics of the federal judiciary are the district courts, the courts of appeal and the Supreme Court. The district courts are composed of 94 judicial districts . Federal district courts have jurisdiction over all cases involved alleged violations of federal statutes. The 94 judicial districts are organized into 12 regional circuits each with a court of appeals. The court of appeals hears appeals from district courts within its circuit (Schmalleger, 2014). These courts are also known as circuit courts. The U.S. Supreme Court is the top federal court system in the U.S. It is comprised of nine justices with eight being associates and the ninth being the chief justice (Schmalleger, 2014). The Supreme Courts’ decisions affect the United States by deciding what laws and lower court decisions are in line with the Constitution. Identify and describe the various pre-trial stages of criminal trial. There are various pre-trial stages in a criminal trial. It begins with an arrest when the person is taken into custody. The first appearance is when the defendant appears before a judge. The legality of his or her arrest is contemplated and the defendant is told what he or she is being charged with. The accused will either be kept incarcerated without bail or with bail, the latter being money paid by the arrested in exchange for release. The next stage is the pretrial release in which the accused person is released from custody before or during prosecution. However, there is a condition; the  accused person is required to appear in court when told to do so. Plea bargains are also negotiated. The defendant can agree to plea guilty to a lesser charge than the one he or she is being accused with. A lesser punishment may be in order if they are being accused with multiple offenses. A plea bargain is a debate or negotiation between the defense counsel, defendant and the prosecution. Normally criminal cases end at this stage in order to reduce time and money. References Schmalleger, F. (2014). Criminal Justice: a brief introduction, (10th ed) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Takeaways From Supreme Court Rulings On Buffer Zones, Recess Picks. (2014). National Public Radio.

Outline the Main Principles of Utilitarianism

Outline the main principles of utilitarianism Utilitarianism is a teleological theory. Three main philosophers have come up with different types of utilitarianism these being: Bentham, Mill and Singer. Bentham introducing the idea of Act Utilitarianism, Mill adapting the ideas of Bentham and trying improve the flaws he saw with his Rule utilitarianism and Singer with his preference utilitarianism theory. Bentham was hedonist, meaning he was a pleasure seeker. Bentham portrayed two main features of utilitarianism, one being the consequentialist principle.The consequentialist principle states that the rightness or wrongness of an act is determined by the goodness or badness of the results that flow from it this shows the teleological side of the theory. The second feature portrayed is the Utility principle this is â€Å"the greatest good for the greatest number. † But Bentham being a hedonist devised his own twist on this and stated that his principle would be â€Å"the greates t pleasure for the greatest number. † As he believed â€Å"nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters’ pain and pleasure.It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as what we shall do. † Bentham said if an event brought more pleasure and avoided pain then it was seen as good. Bentham devised a way of measuring pleasure and this was known as the hedonic calculus it was based on a quantitative scale and the seven aspects to help you calculate whether something was painful or pleasurable were: Duration, Remoteness, Purity, Richness, Intensity, Certainty and Extent. These factors all made up the Hedonic calculus. Bentham’s utilitarian theories and ideas are usually linked with the idea of Act utilitarianism.Act Utilitarianism says that the principle of utility should be applied to every individual situation. It states that a person should act when the anticipated result brings the most pleasure. One of the main principles of Utilitarianism is Act utilitarianism and Bentham idealism of this. Mill was Bentham’s godson, Mill adopted he godfathers ideas of utilitarianism but he saw flaws in his definition of the utility principle as Bentham viewed pleasure as being the main point of utility instead of good. Mill challenged his theory by trying to distinguish happiness from mere pleasure.Mill’s version of the theory is often referred to as â€Å"Eudaimonistic utilitarianism†. He defines happiness with his idea of higher and lower pleasures; higher pleasures usually linked with expanded your capacity for knowledge for example a higher pleasure would be reading Shakespeare as it’s increasing your knowledge. A lower pleasure would be seen as eating a McDonalds as it’s not seen to benefit your knowledge in any way. Mill’s utilitarian theory is linked with Rule-utilitarianism. Rule utilitarianism being one of the two classical types of utilitarianism, the ot her being act seen in Bentham’s theory.Act utilitarianism is the idea that an act is only right if it follows set rules to bring out the greater good for society. Act Utilitarianism is then broke down into â€Å"Weak rule† and â€Å"Strong rule†. Weak rule is the idea that you can actually break that rule if you believe it is going to bring the greater good. Strong Rule is the idea that once the rule has been agreed upon as being the best for society. You cannot break it, no matter what. It is believed that Mill is more a â€Å"Weak rule† utilitarian as the â€Å"strong rule† is moving towards a more absolutist approach.The last well known theory of utilitarianism is the most recent which was devised by a man named Peter Singer. Singer came up with a type of utilitarianism known as â€Å"preference utilitarianism†. Preference utilitarianism promotes actions that fulfil the interests of those beings involved. Singer believes you should have y our best interest at heart to minimise any sort of pain. An interesting point to Singer’s theory is that he believed everyone was equal. He believed in animal rights that every conscious creature should have equal rights and be taken into consideration.

Diary Of Internship Essay

My first day at work, on practice, to be more accurate, was mainly about getting familiar with the staff I will be working with. When I first got contacted from the UniCredit bank, I was told to go to business office of this bank that was located in street Zelenih beretki 24, and to talk with the person that was in charge of this business office, Mrs. Suzana Krajina Jusupović. I spoke with her, and she immediately introduced me to the staff, first with the people that have been working in section Payment operations, and then with other staff. People from the Payment operations section were my co-workers for that week. I taught were highly of these people, because I could see how much business are they doing. Monday was usually a day when a lot of business was done, since people accumulated their bills and obligations on weekends. I used this day to see how are the things done, since they gave me no responsibilities. Tuesday was the day in which I was introduced to the business of Payment operations and I have immediately begun to clarify the credit transfers, bills and to make stamps, because they couldn’t give me more authorities and power. I was in some way disappointed with this, because I wanted to prove that I can do more and help them in more ways than this. The thing I liked is that I had a contact with the people that were coming in the bank, and I could see how does it look to be on the other side. Day after that, I continued doing the same thing, and I was getting pretty good at communicating with people that were coming. My co-workers also explained me the division between the bills that we were getting. We were dividing them into the inner ones- the ones that had the sender account and the receiver account from UniCredit, the ones that were going from UniCredit bank to other banks, and the ones that had a connection with income. My job was to divide the accounts into these three categories, and then to give them to the next office, where these accounts were sent to further arrangement. Thursday was the day that I changed my workplace. They have sent me to the next office where I could see the next part of the process of the Payment operations. This was the part in which we were to scan all the accounts and then send them, in groups that are called batches, to Mostar, because the main UniCredit bank is located there. Then the people from Mostar would send us via mail the announcement if any of these batches had a mistake in it or were bad in any way. Batches were sent through very complex but yet easy to use application, that has been made by the IT support in Split. Batches were also divided in the same manner as accounts. In Friday, they have allowed me to work with scanner and I have pretty much enjoyed in this area, because all business was done with the computer, and I like this, because the possibility of error is minimal, and doing business is easier and faster. This was a very interesting job, although I had a feeling that I would be annoyed doing the same thing all over again. That is the thing I didn’t like in this job. I spend only a week in this section, and I could immediately know almost everything there is to know, and the job was the same from day to day, with a little possibility that something different will happen. Second week 19.-23. March When I came to a job on 19th March, I was immediately informed that I will be working on cashier that week. This branch of UniCredit bank was consisted of four cashiers, and one of them was in some way special, since it was a cashier for legal persons. Other three were regular cashiers. This special cashier had a special office, and the person working here, Sanjin, was separated from other cashiers and he was in contact with legal persons only. He was in contact with other cashiers though, since they were all connected in a case of, for example, lack of money. I was sent in this office, and since it was separate, I could do some things and make mistakes without of risk of being seen by other staff or by the clients. All the employees were working with the same software, and they called it Core. Basically, the persons with the bigger knowledge and skills had access to more applications in this program. Sanjin gave me a big responsibility from day one. My first assignment for that day was to input and register the transactions of one big client that was operating with the bank on daily basis. I couldn’t make a mistake, since I had a supervisor, and I wasn’t in a direct contact with the client, everything was done electronically. At the end of the day, we had to check if our balance of payments was zero, and to check if we have as much money in our cashier, as we have in our computer database. Tuesday was also very exciting day. I had a lot of job, and I was getting to know more about the cashier and the business related to it. Then, one big client came, and we had to give him a lot of money that we didn’t have in the cashier. I wasn’t aware of the fact that the money was sent to the vault that was in the building. I was given that privilege to go there, and I was very pleased with this, since they have told me that I was a first student that has been given this chance. I was impressed by the amount of money there- I thought that I have to go to a movie theatre to see that. The vault had about eight men employed there, and they were counting the money. The whole sight was impressive. After all this, I came back to office and continued with regular activities. The next day, nothing excited happened really, I was just given some more responsibilities since I was allowed to do transactions with clients that came in (this also had to be done electronically). I could also count the money on those awesome machines, and I was pretty satisfied because I always had a desire to do that . Thursday was the day I found out that Sanjin was in charge of cash dispenser machines, and he was ought to keep them full of money. He would send an e-mail to persons that could check the status of these machines with the computer, and they would say if there is a need for a refill. I was very pleased when I found out that we have to go and place the money in those machines, because I was interested to see how it works. We first put the money in boxes that were made to be placed in the machines. We went to those machines, locked the door so nobody could come in, and replaced those boxes full of money with the empty ones. It wasn’t complex machine at all, inside of it there was a keyboard similar to the one that you can see on the computer, and with the keyboard we could insert the amount of money that we have put there in the computer memory. Friday was the day when I continued doing business with regular clients, and I felt so natural in doing this, I could almost see myself doing this for the rest of my life. This job was very unpredictable and full of action, and that is what attracted me. Third week 26.-30. March Since there was obviously my goal to find out more about this job, because I can really see myself doing some of this work, Suzana wanted me to go to the retailing sector for two remaining weeks. As I knew from before, banks have a problem of tangibility of their business, since all the services have that problem. Banks decided to represent some of their services as products, so the people could see these tangible parts, such are credit cards or cash machines. They also represent their credit loans as products, and I was sent to the retailing sector to see how are credit loans actually sold. These credits can be divided into mortgage credit, cash/money credit, bilateral credit etc. During my work in UniCredit I have only been introduced to cash credits. This branch, its retailing sector to be more precise, was segmented into two parts: in one part family bankers were employed, and in other part these bankers were called personal bankers. The difference was not actually in the number of the people who were operating with bankers, but in the income of the people. If someone had an income of 2000 KM or more, he would be assigned to the personal banker. If not, they would be assigned to family banker. There are four family bankers, and two personal bankers employed in that branch currently. I was given the freedom of choice to go where ever I want, and to watch who ever I want while doing business. Monday was the day when I was introduced with the meaning of the credits and with the way in which these bankers were communicating with people. I immediately saw that this part of work is a lot harder that all the others I have seen so far, since these people had enormous amount of work. They had to prepare the credits, to form a map and a plan of credit, to validate it, to send it to approval, and in the same time, they had to communicate and encourage other people to „buyâ€Å" credits. I didn’t have much to do, since I was asked just to watch and listen them doing work. Next day was a little bit more interesting. I had an opportunity to see software designed for credits. This application was pretty complex, but just like everything based on computer, it had a possibility of correcting any possible mistakes. The thing is that this application had numerous steps and fields you need to fill in order to make a credit map. This map is a foundation of credit, and the map is sent to the Board of Credit Risks, when finished, and this Board then makes the decision whether to approve this credit or not, based on information from the map. In Wednesday I was getting some more information about credit. For the first time, I’ve watched credit development from the start. When client came, he wanted to know if he can get a cash credit in 10,000 KM amount. First thing that had to be done was that the banker had to check if he had any other credits and debits in other banks. Banker could automatically see whether or not the client has some credits and debits in UniCredit bank from the database. Only way in which the banker could find out about the full list of obligations of the client was to send an e-mail to Central bank register, and to get this information from the people employed in Central bank. Then, when given this information, the employee could see if the client is in a possibility to get a loan. After this step, the banker needs some additional information, such as if the person needs a guarantor or not, his ID number, his credit card status etc. After this, the banker is making credit map. I also learned how to scan all the files necessary for the credit, how to separate them, and how to index those files. I was asked the same day when I have learned this to track this new scanning program, and to inform the IT support if I had any problems. Thursday was very interesting because I could speak to the clients now, since I already had some knowledge about credits. I was, of course, constantly mentored by other bankers, and I have tried to prove myself as much as possible. I have soon realized that it is not easy communicating with people on a daily basis, since they sometimes don’t have patience and understanding of delays and possible mistakes. I have continued scanning all the credits, and then sending them to further editing. These credits were then sent to a segment that is called Credit administration, and then to Board of Credit Risks. Next day I have been granted with more opportunities of proving myself since they let me input client information and data in the computer. I was a little bit scared, since I knew how big responsibility this was and how one wrong click can slow things down, but I did just fine. It was the end of the month, and all of the credits were ought to be send in order to be approved, so everybody was pretty nervous. I had a lot of obligations and tasks, since they all needed help to catch up and to finish their business. I continued with scanning the files, and with sending them to Credit administration. Deadline and its influence could be seen on these employees, and I felt a need to help them as much as I could. Fourth week 2.-6. April My final week of the practice started at the same place as the third one. First day of this week was regular one, since I continued doing my job with the credits. I was spending more time with personal bankers, who were doing the business with the clients who had income of 2000 KM or more. They, of course, had a smaller number of clients, but these clients were very rich and they were bringing more money to the bank, so the bankers that are in contact with these clients need to have a good communication skills. Tuesday was the day when I was assigned with the most boring job I’ve done there. I had to go to the archive and find some old credits and database. This wasn’t the thing I was hoping to do, but I realized that this is also the way in which I can contribute. I’ve looked through these old files, and I had opportunity to compare old and new way of making credit maps. Next day, when I came, I was told that I have already done on every job they have planned me to work on, so I had a full freedom of doing whatever I want. I have decided to stay in the retail sector that day, since it was the place in which I had the best connection and communication with the people, and it was the most dynamic place. I have also been asked to help with the cash dispenser machines, and I did that again. I have given my report to the IT sector regarding the scanning software, and they were pretty satisfied with my results. In Thursday I have decided to go back to the cashier, since I have enjoyed there very much. I counted the money again, and got the opportunity to see all the foreign currencies, like Canadian dollar, Australian dollars, and others, which was great. I’ve met a lot of interesting people that day, and since we finished with all legal persons, we could invite and do transactions for other people as well. My last day at work was 6th April. I was disappointed by this, since I had really liked spending time here and learning new things. I spend the whole day in retail sector, and I was once again looking at credits and loans. At the end of the day, I’ve gave my evaluation sheets to Suzana and asked her to fill it. I finished with all the best marks, and she told me I left a strong impression on her. She also wished me to be her co-worker one day. I was very happy about this, since I had a desire to satisfy all the expectations and to do my practice in a fine manner. Before leaving, I’ve said goodbyes to everyone and thanked them for their faith in me.