Modern Technology Effects Essay Example for Free

Modern Technology Effects Essay With advances in technology, student study habits have dramatically changed. Its affected the way classes are taught, students learn theories and the way information is presented. Gone are the days of slaving over books in the library and scribbling down notes on paper. Technology is changing the way kids learn in schools and at home. Students are now able to bring their work with them wherever they go because of laptop computers and handheld tablets, like the iPad. Having these electronic tools seems essential to all of us, including kids, nowadays and we wonder how we ever survived without them. Not too long ago, students were lucky to have one computer in their classrooms and the teacher wrote the lessons on a chalkboard. Now it is much more common to see each student with their own laptop or iPad and the teachers writing on smart-whiteboards that connect to these computers. With the way the world is becoming dependent on the use of technology in day-to-day life, it is good for the younger generation to learn a basic understanding of these tools, even though the software systems will most likely change by the time they enter the work force. Students are also able to do more complex tasks earlier on because of the capabilities of technology. However, this does present the problem of becoming dependent on these devices to solve these challenges, especially those above their learning level. Don’t you remember having to learn how to do math in your head before you were given a calculator to solve an equation? If students don’t learn how to problem-solve on their own, it may present challenges for them down the road because they expect to have the answer right at their fingertips. Recently psychologists at Columbia University released an article on the effect search engines and the Internet are having on our ability to memorize. which concluded that we are less likely to remember discrete information than we are where we found it, and that we only commit something to memory if we think we won’t be able to access it later, when we need it. While students are becoming more digitally advanced than the prior generation, it is good to learn the basics as well. Having a child read a book, write out a math problem, or do research in a library may not appeal to them as much as â€Å"playing† on an iPad, but it can only add to their education. Scope and Limitations Modern technology has always been considered as a gauge for an awareness of how developed a society is. With the influx of technological gadgets, modern technology is definitely beneficial to mankind. But, as with other scientific and technological discoveries, these gadgets have also taken its toll on those who are the main users of thee discoveries – the students. Twenty or so years ago, students would have to spend hours, and even days in the library, if they are to complete a research work. Answering assignments means that one will have to read chapter after chapter in their textbooks. Nowadays, vital information may be obtained by merely a click of the mouse. Everything is readily available at their fingertips, so to speak. Oftentimes, students say, â€Å"Thank God for the internet†. While this may be true, there are also harmful effects on students which may fall under the physical, psychological, emotional, mental and social aspect. Basically, students make use of the internet in answering assignments and doing research work. However, students would often be making use of social networking sites while simultaneously doing their assigned tasks. This means that the student is not a hundred percent focused on accomplishing what is required. It also takes them a longer time in completing the assigned task. As a result, the student therefore, is more physically exhausted, often spending the wee hours in the morning due to the fact that he or she is actually multi-tasking. It has been observed that almost every week, more updated gadgets are being introduced in the market. For the adolescent, who is in the third plane of development, there is this need to belong to a certain group. More often than not, social cliques mean dressing alike, thinking alike, and even having similar gadgets are some of the basis in order to be part of a specific group. Hence, the adolescent is psychologically, emotionally and even mentally affected if and when an updated version of these gadgets is out in the market. There is this need to have these gadgets in the hope of being â€Å"in† with the group. It is one way of satisfying the need to belong to a social group which means that it also affects the social aspect of the student. Having seen both sides of the coin, are modern gadgets beneficial or harmful to students? I would say both – there are beneficial and harmful effects not only to students but to anyone for that matter. The key is still in our hands. Remember that anything in excess could have negative results. Modern technology – including modern gadgets – has been invented for mankind’s convenience. Let us show gratitude to the men of the past who have painstakingly invented and devised ways to make life easier. Let us make use of modern technology effectively, wisely and responsibly.

Romeo and Juliet Movie versus Play :: Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

One of the most celebrated plays in history, â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†, was written by William Shakespeare in the late 16th century. It is a story about two lovers that have to meet in secret because of an ongoing family feud. Tragically, because of their forbidden love Romeo and Juliet take their lives so they can be together. In 1997, a movie was adapted from the play â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†, directed by Baz Lurhmann. However, as alike as the movie and the play are, they are also relatively different. Paramount aspect of the movie and the play, the theme, were the same, and the overall messages in both were the same. For example, one main message in the stories was that love conquers all. This was demonstrated in both the play and the film when Romeo and Juliet kept secretly meeting each other even though they knew it was against their families’ wishes. In one scene of both the movie and the play Romeo and Juliet even got married and died together so that even if they could not be together on earth they would be together in death. Another message you learn from watching the movie and the play was that fighting solves nothing. In the play, when the two feuding families, the Montague’s and the Caplets, find their children dead they resolve their differences and agree to build a gold statue of Romeo and Juliet made out of gold after they state that their fighting only brought suffering. In the movie, although the families didn’t make up, you can infer that it wa s if the families and not been fighting that Romeo and Juliet would not have killed themselves, because they would not have to meet in secret and have Friar Lawrence devise a complicated plan so they could be together without their parents knowledge . Even though the themes were similar, the plot of the movie and the play were rather different. In the movie, Mercutio, Romeo’s friend, got an invitation to Lord Caplet’s ball where Romeo and Juliet meet, but in the movie Romeo and this friends go to Lord Capulet’s party uninvited. What's more, is that when Romeo was at the ball he was recognized by Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, from the sound of his voice in the play, but in the movie Tybalt sees him. In addition to that one scene where Juliet was hysterical because she thought Romeo was dead was completely absent in the movie.

It Is Difficult to Remain a Strong Sense of Identity in Our Society

English Speech Hi I'm Maddy and I'm here today to explain why I think that it IS difficult to maintain a strong sense of individual identity in our society. It’s quite often very difficult to maintain a strong sense of your individual identity in this society, it’s a natural instinct for most people to want to feel acceptance into society. We all feel the need to change and leave the parts of us that make us who we are to conform to people’s expectations. Society has become a crucial influence on who we are and how we are perceived.We can never truly be our selves because of the constant fear criticism and judgement that comes with it. Everyone has something about them that makes them who they are but they feel they need to hide it from people because they fear of rejection and embarrassment. This fear can sometimes make us change how we act around certain people and we can end up forgetting who we are. In the book growing up Asian in Australia there is a story i n there about a young boy named Sunil. He tried to change his to Neil because it’s a more westernized name and he thinks it would make him fit in better.This is not the case. Changing your name won’t change who you are as a person and personally I actually like the name Sunil better than Neil anyway. Sure changing your name might stop some of the teasing but sooner or later you will realise that you don’t have to change who you are to gain friends. As Gandhi once said â€Å"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. † I think this relates to Sunil’s’ story because he ends up realising that he doesn’t need to change his name to be accepted.In the song ‘This is who I am† by Vanessa Amorosi it says â€Å"Well it's alright to be myself Now I've Learned To Stand, Well it’s OK to be just who I am I've spent years really hating me longing to be friends Now I hope that you can understand, t his Is Who I Am†. I think these lyrics are really powerful and help explain the topic that I’ve chosen to talk about. She explains that it took her years to realise who she was and that she was now okay to show everyone who she really is. I know from personal experience how hard it is to be yourself in this world.We get judged on every little thing we do, how we dress, what we say, how we present ourselves; absolutely everything. Sometimes we speak differently or dress differently to impress the people that shouldn’t matter to us, because if we have to spend hours in front of the mirror trying to change our appearance and who we usually are then these people aren’t worth our time. It’s so common in this day and age to marry someone for their looks or their wealth when really that shouldn’t matter. They should fall in love with their personality, that’s what matters the most.I think this is what makes us confused about who we are becaus e we change so often around different people that it’s so hard to maintain our own identity. This isn’t always a bad thing; sometimes losing our identity is actually good for us. It can make us open our eyes and see who our true friends are. It can make you see things from a different perspective and make you realise that life’s not about trying to impress people, it’s about accepting yourself and being whoever you want to be. In conclusion I believe that it IS hard to maintain our identity with today’s society but when we learn to accept ourselves, hopefully others will too.

Green Marketing - 3851 Words

Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION 2 2.0 OBJECTIVE OF GREEN MARKETING 3 3.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 3 3.1 Introduction 3 3.2 Green Marketing legislation 4 3.3 Evolution of Green Marketing 5 3.4 Benefits of Green Marketing 6 3.5 Reason Firms Use Green Marketing 7 3.5.1 Opportunities 7 3.5.2 Social responsibility 8 3.5.3 Governmental pressure 9 3.5.4 Competitive Pressure 10 3.5.5 Cost or profit Issues 10 3.6 Problems with green Marketing 11 3.7 Keys to Successful Green Marketing 12 3.7.1 Being genuine 12 3.7.2 Educating customers 12 3.7.3 Giving your customers an opportunity to participate 12 4.0 GREEN MARKETING CASE STUDY: 13 4.1 Family farm not Factory farmed (Santa Fe farmers Markets) 13 5.0 CONCLUSION AND†¦show more content†¦Some evidence of this is development of journals such as business Strategy and the Environment and Greener management international which are specifically designed to disseminate research relating to business environmental behavior One business area where environmental issues have received a great deal of discussion I the popular and professional press is marketing. Terms like Green Marketing and Environmental Marketing appear frequently in the popular press. Many governments around the world have become so concerned about green marketing activities that they have attempted to regulate them(Polonsky 1994a) .For example united States(US) the Federal Trade Commission and the National Association of Attorneys-General have developed extensive documents examining green marketing issues(FTC 1991,NAAG 1990)one of the biggest problem with the green marketing area is that there has been little attempt to academically examine environmental or green marketing. 3.2 Green Marketing legislation Multinational corporations also face a growing variety of legislations designed to address environmental issues. Global concern for the environment extends beyond industrial; pollution, hazardous waste disposal, and rampant deforestation to include issues that focus directly on consumer products. Green marketing laws focus on environmentally friendly products and on product packaging and its effectShow MoreRelatedGreen Marketing764 Words   |  4 PagesGreen marketing can be defined as promotional strategy designed to promote product or services based on environmental factors or awareness. Green marketing is different from the â€Å"marketing.† Organisation involved in green marketing take decisions relating to the systems, policies and processes of the organisation`s products (Brueckner 2010). In simple words, green marketing promote sustainable consumption. It emphases consumer needs with an effort to improve the environmental attributes of productsRead MoreGreen Marketing8 98 Words   |  4 PagesThere are seven key green marketing principles that will help green companies sustain. Why are green marketing principles so important? There are several reasons. One of them being that businesses can avoid accusations of greenwashing which is a term meaning to promote a companys products deceptively. Another reason is that ethically it is the right thing to do. Businesses should be promoting green and protecting and preserving the environments resources because we all use them. Finally, companiesRead MoreGreen Marketing5158 Words   |  21 PagesGREEN MARKETING Abstract: This report analyses the integration of environmental issues into the marketing planning by marketers and the strategies adopted by them to market their products and services. This study emphasises that â€Å"Proactive green marketers† adopting a free market system in their values are the most genuine group in implementing green marketing voluntarily and seeking competitive advantage through environmental friendliness. The study further delves in to the green consumer segmentRead MoreMarketing Strategy For Green Marketing915 Words   |  4 Pages Marketing is not only about advertising, but it also covers the firm objectives and goal since the beginning before the product launched until the product is delivered to the customers. In addition, social marketing has become an essential consideration in a marketing perspective, as consumers are increasingly concerned about the environment, they tend to favor green brands and the environmental practices of the firm. Ther efore, creating green marketing and branding is very significant for the firmRead MoreMarketing: Arizona Green Tea958 Words   |  4 Pagesflashy fonts or colors for packaging, Arizona Green Tea maintains its oriental look, providing a contrast that attracts the eye of the consumer and sells itself. The tea comes in a bottle with a light green opaque film around it. The film is illustrated and the top to the bottle is secured with a paper seal colored with an intricate and geometric design. The two other main ingredients follow the Green Tea wording on the label. The wording Green Tea itself is written in both English and ChineseRead MoreThe Marketing Of Green Marketing Theory Essay1660 Words   |  7 PagesGreen Marketing Theory Since the 1970s, non-mainstream marketing concepts have started challenging traditional mainstream marketing concepts. For example, traditional marketing strategies resulted in over-exploitation, waste of resources and enterprises ignored environment deterioration. Under such strategies, enterprises only concern profit but ignores harms to consumers’ health and destroys the balance of environment. Because of these, the marketing theoretical circle started a serious discussionRead MoreGreen Marketing in China1731 Words   |  7 PagesCurrent Situation and Movement of Green Marketing in China – Analyze its Resources and Performance Li Hai-e School of Management, South-Central University for Nationalities; WuHan 430074, China Abstract: Green marketing is very important in 21 century. From the main strength of implementation, to analyze why our green marketing is backward, thinking the government should be the leading strength. On the base, the paper brings forward the principal measures government should strengthen and how toRead MoreGreen Marketing Examples2497 Words   |  10 PagesGREEN MARKETING PRACTICES OF INDIAN FIRMS Introduction According to the American Marketing Association, green marketing is the marketing of products that are presumed to be environmentally safe. Thus green marketing incorporates a broad range of activities, including product modification, changes to the production process, packaging changes, as well as modifying advertising. Yet defining green marketing is not a simple task where several meanings intersect and contradict each other; an example ofRead MoreGreen Marketing, Environmental Marketing And Ecological Marketing1289 Words   |  6 PagesNumerous individuals trust that green marketing alludes exclusively to the advancement or publicizing of items with ecological qualities. Accordingly green promoting consolidates an expansive scope of exercises, including bundling changes, changes to the generation process, item adjustment and in addition changing or altering publicizing. Almost all the governing institutes and regimes around the world have concerned about green marketing activities that they have endeavored to regulate them. ForRead MoreGreen Marketing Essay1966 Words   |  8 PagesGreen Marketing There is a student walking on the street on a chilly and raining night. She feels like to hold a cup of hot coffee in her hands to fight the chilliness. She walks directly toward Starbucks whenever an advertisement comes up to her mind. The advertisement says that the customers who bring their own cups will save ten dollars per cup at Starbucks. After a while, she holds a cup of coffee with satisfaction since she not only saved money but also did something good for the environment

The War I And World War II - 1660 Words

Two of the most significant events in thehistory of the world were World War I and World War II. World War I occurred from 1914 to 1918. World War I was caused by militarism, alliances, nationalism, imperialism and assassination (MANIA). The first four causations were more of a build-up to it. Then, once the Arch-Duke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, the buildup was sparked. This can be compared to pouring gasoline on the ground and then lighting it on fire. World War II occurred from 1939 to 1945.World War II was caused by the discontent of Germany towards the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles assigned Germany blame for the war, and forced them to pay reparations, reduce their army and relinquish their territory. Also, Japan had discontent about the treaty as well. This is because they felt as if they should receive some of Germany’s land because of Japan’s assistance to the Allies during the war. Then, some years after the war, Britain and France invaded Germany because of Germany’s actions during the time. Germany rolled through Poland and France while destroying everything in their path. The respective wars had differing degrees of involvement from the United States. The First World War had limited involvement from the United States. However, The Second World War had involvement from the United States due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. The similarities between the causes of the two wars were the involvement of Germany andShow MoreRelatedWar I And World War II919 Words   |  4 Pageshistorians debate rather World War I and World War II were two different parts to the same war or if they are separate and distinct wars. Even though World War I and World War II were very different wars, and there were many years in between the two, the outcomes of World War I caused for World War II to happen because of unresolved issues. World War II is a continuation of World War I. World War I lasted four years and was the first total war in history. Before World War I Europe was doing well theyRead MoreWar I And World War II1517 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout history the United States has been involved in many different wars. Their involvement has brought forth many significant events and changes that have affected the American way of life. I will briefly discuss the events and the United States involvement in World War I and World War II. I will give a brief overview of both wars and explain exactly how and why the United States joined in each. The term First World War was first used in 1914 by Ernst Haeckel, who stated that, there is noRead MoreThe War I And World War II944 Words   |  4 PagesFrom piles of bodies in no man’s land to Jewish death camps, the level of violence found within World War I and World War II was extreme even for wartime standards. These experiences shaped generations to come through the memories passed on by those who lived through such atrocities. Both Ernst Junger and Art Spiegelman carry on these memories through the book Storm of Steel and graphic novel Maus. Their pieces both give glimpses into the lives of the past and the violence in which those individualsRead MoreThe War I And World War II1191 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction During World War I and World War II life back home changed excessively. When the soldiers went to fight in World War 1 and World War 2, women and children had to replace men in the workforce. There was an increase in those affected by the trauma of the wars, and the birth-rates dropped during this time. Family Families were affected by the trauma and exposure of the war, causing mental illnesses such as depression. Young children had been exposed to the trauma of war. A great deal of pressureRead MoreWorld War I And The War II1518 Words   |  7 PagesWorld War II was a war that ended in much tragedy. There were over 60 million casualties. Throughout World War II there was how it started, the Nazi Regime, and some of the major battles. Much of the war was about the Germans bringing together a group of people called the Nazis. They were under the rule of Adolf Hitler. There were two groups fighting against each other: the Axis powers and the Allied powers. The Axis powers consisted of Japan, Italy, and Germany. The Allied powers were GreatRead MoreWar I And World War II1264 Words   |  6 Pages During any war, there will alwaAys be alliances made which stick even after the war has been dissolved. Postwar foreign policy after wars such as World War I and World War II was complicated and both had their similarities and differences from each other. World War I (WWI) strengthened our international relations with many countries, It also deteriorated some relations as well and set the stage for America becoming a great power. World War II (WWII) had some of the same effects, solidating ourRead MoreWar I And World War II771 Words   |  4 Pagessought to stay out of both World War I and World War II only to be pulled in by intense happenings that inflicted chaos on the nations people. World War II would be a time in American history that would bring many fresh war tactics and developments, that helped to pull a depraved nation from the depths of a depression as well as pled ge the freedom and prosperity of its opposing nations. Dangerous discoveries will be made in the world would be left to be governed by two world powers. Hoping to remainRead MoreWorld War I and World War II700 Words   |  3 PagesMany people know about World War I and World War II seeing that they are a couple of the world’s most famous wars. Have you ever wondered how much you really know? This paper is here to inform you of all of the propaganda used to persuade people to follow Hitler, the Nazi party, and Stalin, terms that were used during this time period, and some of the very important people involved in World War I and in World War II. In the heat of World War I there were two groups, the Allies and the Central PowersRead MoreThe War I And World War II911 Words   |  4 Pages There are many countries in the world that have a great history. Their antiquity benefited them in one way or another. One of these nations is France, which is known to have glorious events in the past. These events have made France the way it is now. For example, World War I, and World War II. However, these events were not the only thing that had a major role in France’s history some people are involved as well, such as Napoleon Bonaparte I and Louis Napoleon III. Those two men controlled FranceRead MoreThe War I And World War II881 Words   |  4 PagesCOMPARISONS The second half of the twentieth century was very troubled for many countries. Immediately after World War II, another war would start; the Cold War. Fortunately the Cold War was not near as bloody as World War I and World War II, but it was also harmful to multiple countries. At the time, Democracy and Communism were fighting against each other to be the most dominant ideology in the world and consequently the most influential one. Africa was colonized by many European countries and Democracy

The Theory of Alienation Proven Wrong People are more...

There term alienation is a phenomenon when people feeling isolated. This could be due to the environment they live in or as a result of other factors. Most people believe that there is a tendency to become alienated when they live their communities but in most cases it is the other way around, people can still be alienated even more than an outsider in their own communities. According to Karl Marx’s Manuscripts of 1844, alienation is defined as: the separation of things that naturally belong together, or to put antagonism between things that are properly in harmony. In the concepts most important use, it refers to the social alienation of people from aspects of their human nature (Gattungswesen, usually translated as species-essence†¦show more content†¦Alienation occurs as a result of people feeling different or abnormal from other members of their class, group, organization, or society. The kinds of alienation are: self-imposed alienation, racial, social, political, economic, forced alienation, alienation due to physical traits, alienation within a family, isolation, paranoid alienation. People become alienated whenever they feel different from the environment in which they live in. The Internationals or foreigners are the most common people to become alienated. Most of them experience culture shocks and find it difficult to adapt to the culture and the habitat of the foreign country. In colleges, International students experience more alienation than the American students. Studies have shown that due to difficulty inShow MoreRelated Socialism Essay1751 Words   |  8 Pagesdifference between socialist and capitalist ideas. The question becomes not so much as what is socialism, but how does it differ from capitalism, and what is wrong with capitalistic ideas to where we would need socialism. The problem becomes where do you draw the line between capitalism and socialism to where we have trust, sense of community and also competition? If the answer were that simple we would live in a perfect society. A problem that is happening in our society is that intellectual conversationsRead MoreEssay on The Goal of Functionalism in Religion1748 Words   |  7 Pagessociety. Sigmund Freud, Emile Durkheim, and Karl Marx were all functionalist who developed theories as to why religion was such a major part of their society. Their views are very different from the two theorists E.B. Tylor and James Frazer, as they believed humans were using religion to try and explain the unknowns in the world. Though all three of the men took a fundamentalist approach to religion, their theories to explain religion have some major differences between them. Sigmund Freud, who is predominatelyRead More2074 Final Notes Essay6510 Words   |  27 Pagesgoods if for the benefit of both parties, without no ethics involved in the exchange. / Though competition, comes social harmony and utility. The market is a self correcting mechanism because it forces us to be truthful and honest, we should not scam people because this is not beneficial to us in the future. Sen-Trust: Smith’s point is not entirely true. / Trust is what ultimately makes exchange works, if we do not trust others, nothing would ever het done. We may be self interested, but we should alsoRead MorePolice Subculture : Ethics And Ethics3966 Words   |  16 Pagesprocess, which ultimately leads to misconduct. Police, like most professions, have a secretive yet unique type subculture because the lifestyles of its members are significantly different. Law enforcement officers tend to befriend other officers or people with similar roles within the criminal justice system. Many times, friendships extend to firefighters and other civil service personnel to include military members. Law enforcement officers are inducted into the police subculture early in their careerRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pagesrecognize when regular audits of quality compliance will not guarantee customer loyalty Businesses are growing more intricate and at warp speed. For example, consider the effects of venture capital financing, multiple marketing channel distribution, and entirely new patterns of employee recruiting, development, and training. In addition, product and services launches increasingly require more effective development initiatives. Rapidly increasing numbers of new offerings—from Web-oriented modules toRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesBehavior that helps you actively study and prepare material for class. Chapter-by-chapter activities, including built-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Prentice Hall Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town DubaiRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pagesgeneration of entrepreneurs. A fair number of the older cases have faced significant changes in the last few years, for better or for worse, and these we have captured to add to learning insights. After so many years of investigating mistakes, and more recently successes also, it might seem a challenge to keep these new editions fresh and interesting. The joy of the chase has made this an intriguing endeavor through the decades. Still, it is always difficult to abandon interesting cases that have

A Difference in Opinion free essay sample

The loose gravel of the hiking path crunched underneath our feet as our group from my paper-flat hometown gradually scaled a tall hill in the Marin Headlands Institute. Led by a camp counselor, we were an odd assortment of tired parents assisting their bedraggled children and bedraggled children assisting their tired parents. Despite the fatigue most of us felt in our untrained legs, we all continued. We’d been promised a beautiful view of the Headlands at a mysterious locale known as â€Å"Plateau of the Gods†. We were reminded of the Institute’s appreciation for nature when the hike stopped so we could watch the way light refracted through a hummingbird’s iridescent feathers and admire how rapidly its tiny wings beat the air. Eventually, the gravel path faded and was replaced by lush, slightly damp growth. We made a few small leaps and found ourselves standing on the peak, what I determined was paradise. We will write a custom essay sample on A Difference in Opinion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The other green hills spread out below us like a rippling blanket until they vanished seamlessly into the blue-gray water of the Pacific Ocean, gleaming in the late-morning sunlight. The peak we stood on, about the width of a large bedroom, was just as breathtaking. Plush grasses carpeted the open area in the center. Small tufts of violet flowers framed the edges and laced the roots of a small but elegant tree. The visual effect was so perfect that it might have been choreographed. Surely, this was the Plateau of the Gods. At that moment, the counselor crossed the peak and pointed downward, â€Å"Here is the Plateau of the Gods.† Looking in the direction she indicated, I saw a large rectangle of concrete, a helicopter pad built during World War II when America used the Headlands as a military base. The unexpected disparity between the Institute’s views of what deserved the distinction of a name and mine highlighted a change in my thinking brought on by the visit. Seeing the untouched natural beauty of the Headlands replaced my relative indifference toward ideas like pollution and global warming with an environmental mind I’d never known before. That day our group ate lunch on the military relic. However, the next time I visited the Headlands, with my parents in tow, I rested on soft grasses, on the true Plateau of the Gods.