Saturday, September 7, 2019
The Drawing of Nation State Boundaries in Rwanda Essay Example for Free
The Drawing of Nation State Boundaries in Rwanda Essay The drawing of Nation State boundaries in Sub-Saharan Africa didnt take tribes, religious or regional groups into account. This consequently led to the mistreatment of some groups by others, which eventually led to the majority of reasons causing civil war and strife. These drastic events stopped economic growth and perpetuated 3rd world poverty. The European powers didnââ¬â¢t start laying claim on Africa until the second half of the nineteenth century, when they nearly laid claim on the whole continent. Because competition was so aggressive amongst the European powers, a conference was held in Berlin in 1884 to divide up Africa. The major countries that participated were Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, and Portugal. When the conference was in progress, a majority of Africa was still under traditional African rule. Eventually (after 1900) the colonial powers managed to gain control of all areas of Africa. In his article on colonialism in Rwanda, Troy Riemer states ââ¬Å"A new kind of racism was brought to Rwanda upon the arrival of Europeans in the 20th century. Colonists assumed their own superiority and valued those physically and geographically close to themselvesâ⬠(Riemer 2011). Before the European powers colonized Rwanda the elite group was the Tutsi cattle herders. The majority of the colony was made up of peasant farmers, known as the Hutuââ¬â¢s. In pre-colonial times, the division between Hutu and Tutsi was sometimes blurred. Some Hutu bought cattle and were accepted into the upper classes, while some Tutsis became poor peasants. Rwanda was first colonized and governed by Germany, but was later taken over and newly ruled by Belgium. Belgium was quick to discriminate between the Hutuââ¬â¢s and Tutsis. ââ¬Å"In 1933 Belgian rulers introduced ethnic ID cards and favored the Tutsis. Later they quickly switched sides and effortlessly supported the Hutu majorityâ⬠(Riemer 2011). ââ¬Å"Vengeful Hutu elements murdered about 15,000 Tutsis between 1959 and 1962, and more than 100,000 Tutsis fled to neighbouring countriesâ⬠(Jones 2002). This favoritism that before colonization was not really recognized or argued with was becoming an issue between the Hutus and Tutsis. Little did anyone know, this new since of entitlement brought about by the Belgian government would cause massive amount of turmoil, hatred, heartbreak, and war in the years to come. After the Tutsi kingââ¬â¢s passing in 1959, Rwanda has gone through a series of heartbreaking civil wars that eventually lead up to the genocide in 1994. ââ¬Å"According to Gerard Prunier, Because of the chaotic nature of the genocide and the events leading up to it, the total number of people killed has never been systematically assessed, but most experts believe the total was around 800,000 people. This includes about 750,000 Tutsis and approximately 50,000 politically moderate Hutus who did not support the genocide. Only about 130,000 Tutsis survived the massacres (Jones 2002). Rwanda today is still continuing to rebuild economically and heal as a whole, slowly but surely. It has taken this country years after the last genocide to even consider being called ââ¬Ëback on their feetââ¬â¢. An article was written in 2010 by the New York Times on the genocideââ¬â¢s 16th anniversary, discussing Rwandaââ¬â¢s progress since all the violence. ââ¬Å"This country has certainly come farther in the past 16 years than even the most optimistic observers would have predicted. All of this development is important to recognize because it has been the governmentââ¬â¢s express policy to deliver basic services and economic growth to its people in order to mitigate genocide ideologyâ⬠(Ruxin 2010). ââ¬Å"Five years ago, traveling anywhere in the country was bound to be a bumpy ride, if the way was even passable. Today, east-to-west and north-to-south, the road infrastructure is impressive and continues to expand. Five years ago, the country struggled to get tourists in for $375 permits to visit Rwandaââ¬â¢s mountain gorillas. Today, during high season, there are not enough $500 tickets to meet the demand. Five years ago, there were no supermarkets or ATMs, and the cheapest cell phones cost $50. Today there are multiple supermarkets, over a dozen international ATMs, and cell phones that cost $14 are plentifulâ⬠(Ruxin 2010). ââ¬Å"Against this impressive backdrop, crushing poverty still affects about 40% of the population. Millions live on tiny plots of land scarcely capable of producing adequate food for families in which the average woman gives birth to six children. Itââ¬â¢s this latter issue ââ¬âraging population growth ââ¬â that continues to perplex the policy and development wonks in Rwandaâ⬠(Ruxin 2010).
Friday, September 6, 2019
An Analysis of the Kite Runner Essay Example for Free
An Analysis of the Kite Runner Essay An analysis of The Kite Runner ââ¬Å"For you, a thousand times overâ⬠Made by Hasnen Ali Introduction The Kite Runner is an extraordinary book, which reminds us how long the Afghani people have been struggling to triumph over the forces of violence. Because of the books strong story, we get an insight in how people might have experienced the crisis in Kabul, even though itââ¬â¢s been shown through a book. The author Khaled Hosseini was a practicing physician until after the bookââ¬â¢s release. This was also his first novel, which was released in 2003 and turned out to be an international bestseller. Even though the story of The Kite Runner is fictional, itââ¬â¢s based on a true story and also on Hosseiniââ¬â¢s memories of growing up in Kabul. This also means that the genre of the book is not a fictional novel (many look at it that way), but an historical novel. According to an article in USA Today, The Kite Runner has sold over 1. 4 million copies, which is a phenomenal sale for a first time author. The story tells of a friendship between two boys growing up in Kabul. Even though they were raised in the same household, Amir and Hassan are from two ââ¬Å"different worldsâ⬠. While Amir is the son of a wealthy and respected man (Baba), Hassan is the son of the family servant (Ali). The most important factor in the story is the relationship between Amir and Hassan. Their intertwined lives and fate, shows that throughout the story even though, when their relationship was inseparable in the start. They still manage to become separated through jealousy. Five years later, during the Soviet occupation, Amir and Baba are forced to flee. They spend their new lives in California, and Amir starts a career as an author. Even though Amir thinks that he has escaped his past. He still cannot leave the memory of Hassan behind him. Setting The story uses two main settings. One is Afghanistan and the other is California. We could also say that the story is divided into three sections: the memories of pre-conflict Afghanistan, adjusting to life in America, and returning to Taliban controlled Afghanistan. There is big difference between these places. While Afghanistan used to be a safe and peaceful nation, their reputation completely changed after Taliban started controlling the country. The country is also portrayed as a demolished and deserted place, while California is shown as a way to escape their problems in Afghanistan. California will always be a much safer place to live, for both Amir and Baba, but Baba still misses Afghanistan, since he used to be wealthy and respected. He misses Kabul because in California, he is completely the opposite. He works at a gas station for many hours, and through the book we can feel that he misses almost everything about his previous home. Itââ¬â¢s important to understand their struggle to adapt to their new home, because it shows how different Afghanistan is from California, and we also get a better understanding of the story. Structure and characters The Kite Runner starts with a nameless narrator, talking about his past and how itââ¬â¢s been affecting him for the last twenty-six years. The narrator also gives us clues to what might happen, and the troubles that will arise. After going through a few chapters, we get to know the main characters better and their problems. The characters that we first meet are Amir and Hassan. Amir is the narrator and the main character throughout the story. He is an Afghan man with a special childhood. Through most of his life Amir tries to redeem his reputation in the eyes of his father as he felt he was responsible for his motherââ¬â¢s death. He also wants to prove to his father that he isnââ¬â¢t a weakling, and want to become more like Hassan. Hassan is Amirââ¬â¢s best friend during his childhood and he is also his servant. Hassan is known for his loyalty and strong attachment to Amir. Later in the story, itââ¬â¢s revealed that Hassan is Amirââ¬â¢s brother. This means that Amirââ¬â¢s father had an affair with Aliââ¬â¢s wife, and that Hassan is actually his son. Hassan was also known for begin the best kite runner in Kabul. Baba is a wealthy and respected man, but becomes poor after he flees to America. His relationship with Amir is very turbulent, and he wants Amir to become like Hassan, strong and brave. Ali is Hassanââ¬â¢s father and Babaââ¬â¢s best friend. He is a Hazara, but he got the same characteristics as his son. Ali grew up together with Baba, just as Hassan and Amir did. He got a handicap as well; even though it doesnââ¬â¢t stop him from begin a loyal servant. Rahim Khan is Babaââ¬â¢s closest friend and one of the few people who know that Hassan is Amirââ¬â¢s brother. He is the one that calls Amir to go back to Afghanistan. Assef is a bully and is responsible for the rape of Hassan. This guy is also a fan of Hitler, which clearly makes him a sociopath. When he becomes an adult, he also joins the Taliban. He also has hatred towards the Hazara people, and likes to discriminate them. Soraya is Amirââ¬â¢s wife and has troublesome past. She also takes care of Baba, when he is sick and adopts Shorab without doubts. Sohrab is Hassanââ¬â¢s son. He also plays a major part in the book. Assef enslaves him after he is taken from the orphanage. Since Amir is the main character in the book, he also develops most of all the characters. We notice first that he slowly turns against Hassan, his anger and jealousy grows in one direction, even though Hassan doesnââ¬â¢t do anything wrong. The rape of Hassan is really an event that further separates their relationship. Since there is so much drama in this book, it doesnââ¬â¢t end yet. When the Soviet invades Afghanistan, Amirââ¬â¢s family flees to another country, unaware that they lose most of their wealth. For the first time they get a taste of how it is to be poor. Later in the book Amir gets a call from Rahim Khan and returns to Afghanistan. He finds out about Hassanââ¬â¢s son Sohrab, and is determined to bring him back home to America. Before he could save Sohrab, he had to face Assef. Getting beaten by Assef and saving Sohrab could be seen as a final way to redeem himself. This also made his guilt disappear. Themes and tones In this story, there are a lot of different themes we could discuss like example: bullying, friendship, guilt, betrayal, kite, honor, redemption, father and son relationship, manââ¬â¢s inhumanity to man, discrimination and loyalty. There is a lot of ethnic discrimination in Afghanistan and especially the conflict between the Pashtuns and the Hazara. The relationship between Pashtuns and Hazaras has never been stable; because Pashtuns are mostly Sunni Muslims and the Hazara are Shia Muslim. The Hazara has been discriminated mostly because of their faith, language and facial appearance. In the book Ali is loyal to Baba, because Babaââ¬â¢s father adopted Ali after his parents died. Since then Baba has always followed his fatherââ¬â¢s example and always been kind to the Hazara people. Guilt is also another theme that is brought up. After the rape of Hassan, Amir cannot bear to be around Hassan, because it reminds him of that day. He even lies to Ali, and says that nothing happened. The problem with Hassan is that he takes the blame for everything and he doesnââ¬â¢t want to hurt Amir. Even when Amir tells Hassan to hit him with the pomegranate, he refuses. When Hassan smashes the pomegranate on his own forehead, Amirââ¬â¢s guilt becomes even worse. In the end Amir makes Hassan and his father leave, and Hassan still considers Amir his best friend. The story is written in a way that it still affects you after your done reading. Even though itââ¬â¢s a dark story with a lot of hopelessness for the people in Afghanistan, there still is some hope and happiness. Honor is expressed in many different ways, but the quote ââ¬Å"for you, a thousand times overâ⬠is a great example of how they express theirself. Conclusion The kite is a theme in the book that represents freedom, even though youââ¬â¢re not in fully in control of the kiteââ¬â¢s fate. I think the theme describes the fate of Amir and how he develops throughout the book To me the story as said earlier is a historical novel, and not a fictional novel. This is because itââ¬â¢s based on a true story and experiences Hosseini had when he was growing up in Kabul. I as writer of this analysis is a Hazara, and I know what kind of suffering the Hazara people have went through. Sometimes I think that Hosseini might be Amir, but they sure do have some similarities. Links: * http://www. usatoday. com/life/books/news/2005-04-18-kite-runner_x. htm * http://www. gradesaver. com/the-kite-runner/study-guide/ * http://www. wikisummaries. org/The_Kite_Runner * http://polsci167. blogspot. com/2011/09/kite-runner-redemption-within-tentative. html
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Geographic Profiling of Serial Offenders
Geographic Profiling of Serial Offenders As psychological profiling seems to garner all the attention with television shows that feature FBI profilers, one should be reminded that there is another method of criminal profiling that, while less glamorous, seems to provide a very high degree of reliability. The ââ¬Ëotherââ¬â¢ method is geographic profiling that had it beginnings in a London crime spree involving a serial rapist. In these cases occurring in the mid-1990ââ¬â¢s, stumped police called in David Canter, Professor of Psychology at the University of Surrey to assist. After analyzing crime data superimposed over a map, Professor Canter made the suggestion that the perpetrator was to be found in a very specific geographic area based upon these furloughs of crime (Wilson 2002, pp. 14-16). Subsequent retroactive studies have confirmed a number of precepts regarding the proposition that one can predict the ââ¬Å"baseâ⬠of criminals from computerized algorithms that use generally one of two validated heuristic methods. In fact, of the area defined by a ââ¬Å"searchâ⬠algorithm that states that is inclusive of a circle defined by the two furthermost crime scenes, fully 51% of the serial rapist offenders lived within the first 5% of the defined area and an overwhelming lived within 87% of the first 25% of the defined search area (Canter, Coffey, Huntley, Missen 2000, p. 457). This algorithm holds regardless of the crime as indicated by the table below (Canter, et al 2000, p. 458): In addition to the ââ¬Å"circleâ⬠algorithm described above, another method utilized is the ââ¬Å"Decayâ⬠method with analyzes data from the assumption that perpetrators commit crimes near where they live. This method is based upon the idea that crimes ââ¬Ëdecayââ¬â¢ as the distance to the criminalââ¬â¢s residence decrease, in effect, creating something of a ââ¬Ëbuffer zoneââ¬â¢ immediately surrounding their house (Snook, Taylor, Bennell 2004, p. 107; Canter, Coffey, Huntley, Missen 2000, pp. 459-460). Somewhat against these two algorithms are the approximately 10% of perpetrators that are labeled as ââ¬Å"commutersâ⬠and do not live near the crime scene (Snook, Taylor, Bennell 2004, p. 117). Nevertheless, in these cases as in the easier to classify ââ¬Å"marauderâ⬠-type crimes, there is the idea that criminals operate from a base of familiarity such as a home or workplace or other personally significant locale or the route that connects them. While focusing on geography, this brings into the consideration the important psychological construct of ââ¬Å"mental mapsâ⬠in that the location must have significance from the perspective of the perpetratorâ⬠¦ it need not be an actual geographic landmark to have psychological significance that plays out geo-centrically (Holmes Holmes 1996, p. 152). As such it is no surprise that both methods are reliable and that there is a significant degree of overlap in the two model predictions. Of greater interests to both researchers and law enforcement are ââ¬Å"seriousâ⬠crimes such as murder, rape, arson and burglary. While there is likely a logical high correlation between other ââ¬Ëpettyââ¬â¢ crimes such as speeding tickets or parking violations due to the correlates of where one most spends time is of course most likely a location where there is a high likelihood of violation. With regards to the applicability of the model with regards to even serious crimes, the model is based upon serial crimes, that is, a perpetrator who does so multiple times. Research suggests that as criminals gain ââ¬Å"experienceâ⬠there is a statistically significant correlation with the distance from home the criminal is (Snook 2004, p. 53). Further, in regards to burglary, there is the additional significant correlation of the value of the crime with the distance traveled to commit the crime (Snook 2004, p. 55). While difficult to put a value on personal crimes, this find ing may extend to crimes such as murder, arson or rape in which it is conceivable that victims could have some relative value to the criminal, similar to the monetary value gained from burglary. Such a concept may partially explain that, as these types of criminal gain experience, they tend to venture out further from their base as they commit additional predatory crimes. In terms of geographical profiling and the case in which an investigator believes that a number of crimes have been committed by a single person, this has special significance as it can serve to focus the hunt for the offender in the vicinity of the first few crimes (Holmes Holmes 1996, p. 155). Of particular interest is that these methods can be utilized without the computer or complex mathematical algorithms. Studies indicated that, in lieu of years or experience or ââ¬Ëgut feelingsââ¬â¢, incorporating these methods simply as heuristic models whose basic precepts can be taught in a class, students can nearly equal the computerized version (Snook, Canter, Bennel 2002, pp. 116-117). Though all law enforcement operates with the goal of catching the perpetrator, authorities do not have unlimited resources of time or finances to investigate all leads thoroughly. Geographical profiling also serves to focus the attention and other resources of an investigative department into the area in which validated statistics indicate there is is a pay-off. By using these methods, search costs can be minimized and offender can be apprehended faster, ideally prior to the accumulation of an additional victim that shows up as a simply data point on a geographic profile (Canter, Coffey, Huntley, Missen 2000, pp. 459-460). Works Consulted Canter, D., T. Coffey, M. Huntley, C. Missen. (2000). ââ¬Å"Predicting Serial Killersââ¬â¢ Home Base Using a Decision Support Systemâ⬠. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, (16), 4, pp. 457-478. Holmes, R. S. Holmes. (1996). Profiling Violent Crimes: An Investigative Tool, 2nd Edition. Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks, California. Snook, B., P. Taylor, C. Bennell. (2004). ââ¬Å"Geographic Profiling: The Fast, Frugal and Accurate Wayâ⬠. Applied Cognitive Psychology, (18), pp. 105-121. Snook, B., D. Canter, C. Bennel. (2002). Predicting the Home Location of Serial Offenders: A Preliminary Comparison of the Accuracy of Human Judges with a Geographic Profiling Systemâ⬠. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, (20), pp. 109-118. Snook, B. (2004). ââ¬Å"Individual Differences in Distance Traveled by Serial Burglarsâ⬠. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, (1), pp. 53-66. Wilson, J. (2002, November). ââ¬Å"Mapping Murderâ⬠. Geographical, (74), pp. 14-17.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Humanism and Its Effects on Renaissance Art Essay examples -- European
Beginning roughly around the year 1400 an era in Europe began; one that would shape the ideas and the lives of men. This era of rebirth or renaissance came within the fifteenth century through the revival of classical texts. One central effect of the Renaissance was the production of a new intellectual idea: humanism. Humanism being defined as a, ââ¬Å"[t]erm invented in the 19th century. . . [regarding] developments relating to the revival of Classical literature and learning in European culture from roughly 1300 to 1600â⬠left its mark on all of Europe leaving nothing untouched not even the artist. Both northern and southern art would be affected by humanism but in different ways ranging from changes in the human form, new choices of topic and new religious purpose. Southern art refers to the art created in what is today Italy however, at the time Italy consisted of many separate and often warring nations. This peninsula held two important advantages which affected the way Italy did art: Rome and Venice. Italy began to produce a kind of art very literally affected by humanism. Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries both the human form and the subject itself moved from two-dimensional religious settings to ideal depictions of mythology. It is in Italy that names such as Brunelleschi and Donatello went to Rome to study the lessons of antiquity concerning architecture and the human form; this directly resulting in Brunelleschi's dome and arches even Donatelloââ¬â¢s Equestrian Monument of Gattamelata and his David. All are examples to the revival of antiquitiesââ¬â¢ ways. These lessons from the ancients developed a new type of beauty. Haughton describes this affect, ââ¬Å"The idealized figures of Florentine art are a composite of perf ... ... welcome a new style: Mannerism defined as a being bridge between the Renaissance and Baroque periods . As time propelled Europeans forward there is no doubt that the ancientsââ¬â¢ influence was not finished, it would continue to affect the art and the culture of Europe for many generations to come. Works Cited Duke, James O. "Humanism." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. http://0-www.oxfordartonline.com.library.acaweb.org/subscriber/article/grove/art/T039396 (accessed February 12, 2011). Haughton, Neil. 2004. "Perceptions of beauty in Renaissance art." Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 3, no. 4: 229-233. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 12, 2011). Wundram, Manfred. "Mannerism." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. http://0-www.oxfordartonline.com.library.acaweb.org/subscriber/article/grove/art/T053829 (accessed February 12, 2011).
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
The Evil Mistriss Hibbins of The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays
The Evil Mistriss Hibbins of The Scarlet Letter Evil can be defined as, "That which is the reverse of good, physically or morally; whatever is censurable painful, disastrous, or undesirable." In the novel "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mistriss Hibbins can also be defined in those terms. She is believed to be evil by many of the characters. Henry Louis Mencken once said, "It is a sin to believe evil of others, but is seldom a mistake." In this novel he was right, Mistriss Hibbins is evil. However, she is an important character who appears more often than most people realize and her evilness has a serious impact on most of the characters. Mistriss Hibbins represents evil in the novel. She was accused of being a witch. This is a very evil thing in the eyes of the Puritans. Mistriss Hibbins can also be said to be evil simply because she is always in the forest, which is an evil place. She is said to go on "night rides" and attend witch meetings there. "And Mistriss Hibbins, with some twigs of the forest clinging to her skirts, and looking sourer than ever, as having hardly got a wink of sleep after her night ride." The people in town are scared to even be near Mistriss Hibbins. At the last scaffold scene, "The crowd gave way before her, and seemed to fear the touch of her garment, as if it carried the plague among its gorgeous folds." Here, it says that the townspeople were so scared, that they thought her evil was contagious. Mistriss Hibbins also effects the way some of the characters think in the novel. In one part of the novel, Mistriss Hibbins tells Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne, that Dimmesdale, who is her father, is the "Prince of Air". "They say, child, though art of the lineage of the Prince of Air!" In this quote she was telling Pearl that Dimmesdale is the devil. Pearl gets influenced by her and believes her father is the devil. In one scaffold scene, Pearl yells out, "Mistriss Hibbins says my father is the Prince of Air. If though callest me that ill-name, I shall tell him of thee, and he will chase thy ship with a tempest.
Monday, September 2, 2019
Basilica San Zeno Maggiore: Vernona, Italy Essay -- Italy Monuments Ge
Basilica San Zeno Maggiore: Vernona, Italy ?On the west side of Verona Italy stands one of the city?s two beautiful basilicas, the Basilica San Zeno Maggiore.? The older of the two basilicas, San Zeno dates back to the year 1030.? Notable for her Romanesque style, San Zeno is equally fascinating to the modern viewer as she is historically significant.? There are two regional forms of Italian basilicas of the Medieval period: Tuscan and southern.? San Zeon is considered to be the most Romanesque basilica in Northern Italy. ? Origin and Contributors ?The basilica was first constructed in honor of the city of Verona?s patron saint, San Zeno.? Paleo-Christian in origin, the church is commonly stated to have been constructed from 1120 to 1138.? However, some of the oldest parts of the building are assumed to have been worked on as early as the 4th century.? Several reconstructions were done from the 4th to the 14th centuries (at least three that are known of) because of damage by natural disasters.? The building underwent reconstruction after the earthquake of 1137 and was finished in 1386 with the addition of the nave ceiling.? It is unclear who the original architect was, but it is known that Andrea Mantegna was the constructor responsible for the altarpiece, on account of writing on it that would signify his work.? However, many historians suggest that Mantegna played a larger role in the development of the building than just the altarpiece.? The Bronze door panels on the West entrance are said to reflect the work of three separ ate craftsmen from the 11th and 12th centuries. ?Several structures of the church are worth mentioning and make San Zeno unique for her time period.? The main plan of the church was modeled aft... ...zes with beauty the Italian fervor for highly developed, highly detailed art and craftsmanship.? ?Today, the church of San Zeno attracts tourists from all areas.? However, it seems that this particular basilica is greatly overlooked by the broad interest in Roman architecture and culture.? Though Rome certainly contains the richest heritage of the Catholic faith, San Zeno Maggiore should be considered an important site for both Romanesque architecture and religious history.? [1] Smith, G. E. Kiddler.? Looking at Architecture, p. 48. [2] Porter, Darwin & Prince, Danforth (2000).? Frommer?s 2000 Italy.? MacMillan: USA. [3] Italy: Eyewitness Travel Guides.? DK Publishing. [4] Leyerle, John (1997).? The Rose-Wheel Design and Dante?s Paradiso.? UTQ, 156 [5]Kain, Evelyn (1981).? The Marble Reliefs on the Faà »ze of S. Zeno, Verona.? The Art Bulletin,63.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Nanogene Case
Graciela Rodarte FIN 425 Professor: Stephan Cutler November 8, 2012 NanoGene Technologies, Inc. In November 2001, the team of Tompkins Mark Masterson, Ravi Rhoota, and Gary Gary Garfield met to formally incorporate NanoGene. They discussed a number of important issues including equity splits, salaries, funding strategies, and naming Tompkins CEO. The founders decided a salary of $120,000 and split the equity equally. NanoGene closed a deal with an angel for $600,000, and their own stock would be 20% immediately, 20% at the end of the first year and the remaining 60% at the rate of 2% per month.In September 2002, Tompkins met with VCs seeking $10 million in series A financing. After doing several due diligences on the company, the VCs had serious issues with the decisions the founders had made. First, it was the large founding team, the fact that split the equity equally, the salary, and none of them had experience as a Chief Scientific Officer of an established firm. According to the VCs CEOs usually have 7 to10% equity and makes about $250,000 salary, and senior scientist $95,000.Another issue that the founders had was that they wanted to hire Miller as VP but they were not agree with the salary she was asking. Mean while she agreed to do some consulting projects for NanoGene. Miller did help the team do some hiring process and with the compensation policy. Evaluate the foundersââ¬â¢ decisions regarding the split of equity and compensation level. The decision of the split equity, and compensation seemed fair when NanoGene was founded. As the case stated, Will Tompkins did not see himself more important than his co-founders, and because they all started together and were agreed about it.But once the founders started working, things changed as they performed different duties and responsibilities. I t is logic that salaries and compensation should go according to their performance in the company. There exist guidelines to follow on how NanoGene should go with the market salary for the some jobs. In terms of the compensation level, it can be considering as a no dynamic. It would be better to consider multiple options for compensations that would be a dynamic workforce. As a potential investor, these decisions would be a concern for me.When doing evaluation of the potential company the distribution of salaries among the founders is important because as an investor I would see the CEO as not aggressive enough to run the company and who is not ready or willing to take appropriate salary. Also would see the CEO as not being confident with his ability, which it would be important for the business to be successful. Evaluation of the size and composition of the founding team. It is a problem when the founding team at NanoGene is larger than the average team.Also it is relevant that when trying to negotiate with a big group of founders brings disagreements between founders and investors. It is clear and easy to deal with one or two people than wi th a group of people that would have different opinions and points of views. Furthermore, there could negative results as none of the founders have any business experience. It would be logic that when creating a company at least one of the founders has some experience. In terms of the composition of the founding team, it would be better if the founders own different amounts to make the correct decision control.There is a big difference between being a founder and early employees. A founder owns percentage of equity, has more ties to the company, does the job by directing, works harder, has to be involved with meetings of the company, and it is uncertainly the time in terms of getting pay. While the early employee just has opinions, does the work, have less risk, and get pay from day one. Evaluate Paige Miller as an addition to the team, the addition of Paige Miller to team would be a great value to the company since she had the experience in management and operations field that none of the founders would have to manage NanoGene.As Will said, Paige would contribute a lot the company doing the job of management while the founders can focus on the science. In terms of her compensation demands, salary and equity are reasonable since she asked and knew what her market value is. She had ample knowledge of her work and how much she worth. As such, her compensation demands are logic, and I would hire her if she would contribute and bring value to the company and need her. I would not be hesitating paying what she asked. But since NanoGene is a developing company, hiring Paige would be not necessary, and also would be loss of fund at this time.Consequently I would probably hire her to do some consulting projects for NanoGene. Assess the companyââ¬â¢s progress on each of the specific issues discussed in the last section of the case: In the hiring process, first of all it would be better that each senior scientist identifies the position and skills needed for his or h er department. This way the scientist can have an idea and the vision of the person they need. In order to recruit the potential employee, NanoGene needs the process of doing advertising through news paper, web-site or/and job fairs. In the process of interviewing is the decision to select the most qualified candidate.The compensation policy provides a set of basic principles and guidelines that are designed to enforce end direct the company. NanoGene should comprise with more options basing on the potential candidatesââ¬â¢ backgrounds and experience. Also it is very important to set clear goals for each department, and give some freedom which would be the successful of each employee as well as for the companyââ¬â¢s future. Also the companyââ¬â¢s culture is very important to maximize its ability and achieve its strategic objectives as NanoGene must understand its ideal culture. This would be helpful when doing interviews to better accomplish its needs.As culture encourages employees to work hard but also to have fun while doing so. Furthermore its culture entails respect for others employees in terms of understanding the companyââ¬â¢s culture works reciprocal with strategic NanoGene was founded with a large group of members, salaries and split were unusual way, and they were pure scientists but none of them had experience as CEO. The team should reduce the number of the members, and hire someone who has ample experience as Chief Scientific Officer. Also change the salary and split based on the guides in order to be performance oriented and be successful business.
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