No Pay ? Many Interns Say, "No Problem"

                                                 - Jennifer Halperin

Summary

In this essay, Jennifer Halperin writes about internships and how they help an education. She explains why internships are hard work, yet all who have interned seem to find it very useful. It is thought that since the intern is not being paid, he or she will not enjoy the work. Yet, Halperin shows how most interns are grateful for the opportunities they had during the internship. "Lack of pay doesn't seem to dissuade students from applying to many of these internships, particularly ones that offer the chance to gain useful professional skills and experiences" (Halperin). Students find internships helpful and a great experience for their future career.

An internship is when a college student chooses to work at any company in their field of study while still attending school. This internship can either be paid or unpaid. Studies show that many interns enjoy working hands-on and countless hours for the experience, not the money. Others agree that an internship company should pay their interns for the time they worked. In this article, Halperin interviews several interns to contrast their opinions and views of the industry.

In the short story, "No Pay? Many Interns Say, "No Problem" by Jennifer Halperin, this very issue is discussed. Halperin uses strong examples to convince the reader that many interns don't care about the money. Halperin states that, "a lack of pay doesn't seem to dissuade students from applying to many of these internships" (Halperin).

Question Answers

A. Comprehensive :

Q.1. According to Halperin, what factors make internships attractive to college students and recent graduates? Why is she surprised by the results of her survey?

ANSWER : Halperin says that the appeal of internships lies in the chance they provide to gather professional skills and experience that students can't get in the classroom. Halperin was surprised by the results of her survey because she thought students would be more frustrated by lack of financial compensation.

Q.2. Halperin notices a "common theme" in her discussions with "recent and about-to-be graduates" (3). What attitudes about Internships do they seem to share?

ANSWER : Halperin notices that many students would prefer an internship to be paid, but that they value the opportunity to gain real-world experience and connections over monetary compensation.

Q.3. According to this essay, what can limit access to internships?

ANSWER : Halperin says that internship accessibility can be limited by location as well as whether or not the intern has someone else who can financially support them through working in an unpaid position.

Q.4. This essay presents the results of an informal survey of attitudes toward internships. Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of internships that were revealed in the survey.

ANSWER : The survey revealed that even unpaid internships tend to be worth it for interns because of the real-world experience and connections they can gain through an internship. Some internships eventually lead to promising jobs.

On the other hand, internships are often inaccessible to those who cannot afford to work for free. Some employers may fail to give their interns the guidance they were hoping to receive and instead pass on menial tasks for them to complete.

B. Purpose and Audience :

Q.1. Why do you think Halperin wrote this essay? In what sense is it part of a larger discussion?

ANSWER : Halperin wrote this essay to argue that internships are more beneficial than many believe. She wrote this in response to the debate she noticed happening around her regarding internships, and went into her study expecting more negative results. She wants to convince the reader that there is still value in internships, even those that don't provide monetary compensation, and that it is up to the intern to determine what they get out of an internship.

Q.2. For the most part, Halperin quotes or summarizes the statements of others. However, she does take a position on the value of internships. How would you express this position?

ANSWER : Halperin's position is that even though there are circumstances under which an internship can be a waste of time, it is up to the intern to find worthwhile internships and to make the most of their time in these positions.

Q.3. Who is the intended audience for this essay? How can you tell?

ANSWER : This essay is directed at readers who are skeptical of the value of internships (particularly unpaid ones), which is evident through the way she addresses opposing arguments. She acknowledges that not all of them are necessarily worthwhile, but emphasizes that it is up to the intern to do their research. She also shows that she herself was skeptical before and shows her surprise in finding such positive opinions on internships.

C. Style and structure :

Q.1. Halperin's evidence consists almost entirely of the results of an informal survey. Do you think this evidence is sufficient? Is all of it relevant?

ANSWER : This evidence is not quite sufficient, especially since it is unclear how Halperin obtained it. Considering her position as an internship coordinator, it's not unlikely that she just reached out to past students she worked with. Her sample size seems too small to make a real generalization about internships as a whole. The evidence she does use is relevant, but there is just not enough of it to feel completely convincing.

Q.2. In paragraph 3, Halperin writes the following about those she surveyed: "I thought many would express frustration over having done work for which they weren't compensated monetarily." How could you revise this sentence to make it clearer and more concise? What other sentences could you revise? Give specific examples.

ANSWER : This sentence could be reworded as: "I thought many would express frustration over having done unpaid labor."

Other sentences that be reworded include
‌ "After reading the Times piece, I took an informal survey of several recent and about-to-be-graduates, some of whom are still looking for jobs, on whether they thought unpaid internships were worthwhile or fair, or should be illegal." (paragraph 5,)

‌Reword as: "After reading the Times piece, I took an informal survey of several recent and about-to-be-graduates, asking them whether they thought unpaid internships were fair."

‌"And unpaid interns go a long way toward breaking the stereotype that today's youth are emotionally spoiled, demanding of praise and tangible reward at every turn." (paragraph 12.)

‌Reword as: "And unpaid interns go a long way in breaking the stereotype that today's youth are spoiled, demanding instant gratification."

Q.3. Is Halperin's essay structured inductively or deductively? Explain.

ANSWER : Halperin's essay is structured inductively; she does not start with a hypothesis that she seeks to prove, but rather comes to her conclusion after looking over the data she has gathered.

Q.4. How would you characterize Halperin's tone? Is this tone appropriate in light of her overall purpose?

ANSWER : Halperin's tone is quite formal throughout most of her essay, yet also hopeful. She seems to be hesitant to fully endorse internships, she admits that it would be nice if they all provided compensation. She ultimately seems determined to paint them in a positive light, however. Her cautiously hopeful tone is appropriate for the points she is making

Q.5. How does Halperin use her personal experience and opinions? Why do you think she places this material where she does?

ANSWER : Halperin includes her personal experiences and views primarily in the essay's introduction and conclusion. The placement of her personal information in the introduction helps the viewer to understand why she decided to write this essay; they are able to see that what she is talking about is a debate she deals with in her daily life. The body of the article is devoted to sharing the information she's gathered, and at the end, Halperin reflects on what she takes from this information. Placing these insights at the beginning and at the end gives Halperin the opportunity to show where she stood both before and after she gathered the information she discusses.

 

Let Them Drink Water - Daniel Engber Summary Question and Answer

 Let Them Drink Water 

                                                 - Daniel Engber

Summary

In "Let Them Drink Water!", the author Daniel Engber writes that in 1942 Carlson suggested that they should impose a fee about overweight. Now it's mentioned again. Though it's not accepted by the public, it has an impact on people's life already. Then Daniel uses some facts to support it. He gives an example that junk food tax will be natural like cigarettes. After that, he talks about the disadvantages of junk food by experts' ideas. He says that junk food should be regarded as drugs and he tries to make a difference between junk food and healthy food for people to choose. He also shows that imposing fat tax is benefit to the poor because some people think that it's unfair to poor people. So it's a way which can reduce obesity problems and increase the government's income so that it can be used to solve other problems. Finally, Daniel writes about the limitations of imposing the tax.

In Daniel Engber's, "Let Them Drink Water! What a Fat Tax Really Means for America", is an article trying to tie people into the idea of "fat tax." Since we are about to spend about $1 trillion on health care on our second-most expensive war, Engber's explains to us how commentators want to put tax on fat people and the junky foods and soft drinks that we eat and drink every day. They are thinking of adding tax on junk foods and soft drinks so that consumers will soon decrease their spending amounts on these items and even make the people in America with "health, wealth, and obesity." Obesity is a big problem in America and think that if they add taxes to these junky items, people will not buy them as much and overeating and diabetes rates will decline. Engber states that junk food is like cigarettes and we can get addicted to them. We sometimes just eat for pleasure and this is what makes us fat. Companies are trying to persuade the consumers to eat and buy the products and design and make the foods look good for us to want it. Engber thinks that these "sugar sweetened beverages are not necessary for survival" and we could always just drink water which is free or little cost and is not destructive like these other products we put into our bodies. Raising taxes to these things will make people not want them and will help people and their health. Daniel Engber explains that "fat tax" will mostly affect "mostly the nonwhite people who drink a lot of soft drinks and most sensitive to prices".

 

Question Answers

A. Comprehension :

Q.1. According to Engber, what is the public's attitude toward taxing junk food and soda? How does he support this generalization?

ANSWER : Engber says that people generally are wary of the "fat fax". He says that legislation that has been implemented on the state level has not yet resulted in reducing obesity, and that efforts to make such legislation effective on a wider scale has received too much pushback to be implemented.

Q.2. Policymakers and public health experts who support taxing junk food draw an analogy between junk food and cigarettes. According to Engber, what redefinition does the analogy require?

ANSWER : Engber says that for this analogy to work, junk food needs to be framed like a drug. Junk food's ability to rewire the brain and to become truly addictive needs to be emphasized.

Q.3. What does Engber find "ironic" about "so many advocates for healthy eating"? In paragraph 10, Engber discusses the organic food movement. How does he define its "central dogma"?

ANSWER : Engber says that the "central dogma" of the organic food movement is that it's possible to be a "foodie" and to be healthy at the same time; you just must eat real and natural foods.

B. Purpose and Audience :

Q.1. What is Engber's purpose? Is he writing to change his readers' minds, to propose a course of action, to influence public policy, to inform his readers - or to provoke them? Explain.

ANSWER : Engber's main purpose seems to be to change the way his readers think about the idea of taxing soft drinks. He does not believe that there is a problem in regulating potentially dangerous chemicals/behaviors, but wants his readers to recognize the class issue at play with such regulations.

Q.2. Where does Engber think his audience stands on the issues he discusses? Does he see them as knowledgeable or uninformed? Does he think they are more likely to eat junk food or pain au levain? How can you tell?

ANSWER : Engber seems to assume that his audience is familiar with the "fat tax" proposals on a basic level, but that they have not thought about the intricacies of the proposal in the same way that he has. He begins his essay mostly neutral and informative, coming across as lightly skeptical of the proposals he discusses; he shows that he understands the intentions of such ideas. He continues to slowly bring up problems with such solutions, then begins to discuss the problem with the double standard to which we hold foods. He likely believes that some of his audience might fall into the "pain au levain"-eaters he describes. He is quite focused on challenging the commonly-held beliefs of this group, and likely does so because he believes that he is writing to some of them.

Q.3. In paragraph 14, Engber notes a lack of clarity about the effects of "sin taxes on behavior. How does this lack of clarity strengthen his argument?

ANSWER : This strengthen's Engber's point that such a tax might have little effect on obesity rates and public health and serve only as a burden on the poor:

C. Style and structure :

Q.1. What is the purpose of paragraphs 2 and 3? Why are they important to Engber's argument?

ANSWER : Paragraphs 2 and 3 serve to demonstrate how the proposals Engber discusses are being generally received. This helps give the reader an idea of the scale and relevance of the ideas he writes about.

Q.2. In paragraph 6, Eighner states his purpose: to record what he has learned as a Dumpster diver. What additional purposes do you think he had in setting his Ideas down on paper?

ANSWER : Eighner likely wrote this essay largely as a form of self-expression; it serves as an outlet for his creativity and his feelings during his homelessness. He also may have written with the intention of lessening the stigmatization of "dumpster divers" and to provoke empathy and understanding in the reader.

Q.3. Engber ends his essay with a surprising analogy. What two things is he comparing? Is this comparison logical? What point does it make?

ANSWER : Engber compares taxing some addictive foods and not others has parallels to the government giving significantly lighter prison sentences to cocaine dealers when compared to crack dealers. This comparison makes sense. Both pomegranate juice and soda contain enough sugar to be addictive in similar ways, but one is more associated with the white and wealthy than the other. The same could be said about cocaine and crack. He is pointing out how the law tends to punish the poor for things that the wealthy are not punished equally for.

 

BBS Second Year : English / (Business Communication) Syllabus

 

BBS Second Year : English
Business Communication
Syllabus

I.                   Business Communication Skills

a.     The Communication Process

                                                             i.      Elements of Communication Process

                                                           ii.      Methods of Communication

                                                        iii.      The Writing Process

                                                        iv.      Oral Communication Process

                                                           v.      Group Work and Collaboration Process

                                                        vi.      Communication Structures and Systems

                                                      vii.      Management Style and Communication

                                                   viii.      Barriers of Business Communication

b.     Business Communication

                                                             i.      Defining Business Communication

                                                           ii.      Nature of Communication

                                                        iii.      Historical Perspective

                                                        iv.      Purpose of Business Communication

                                                           v.      Functions of  Business Communication

                                                        vi.      Importance of Business Communication

                                                      vii.      Components of Business Communication

                                                   viii.      Types of Business Communication

                                                        ix.      Principles of Effective Business Communication

                                                           x.      Challenges for Business Communication

c.      Skills and Values in Business Communication

                                                             i.      The Importance of Communication Skills

                                                           ii.      Identifying Communication Skill Sets

                                                        iii.      Organizational Communication Skills

                                                        iv.      Interpersonal Communication Skills

                                                           v.      Leadership Communication Skills

                                                        vi.      Professionalism in Business Communication

                                                      vii.      Elements of Professionalism

                                                   viii.      Ethical Values

                                                        ix.      Intercultural Sensitivities

d.     Electronic and Other Messages

                                                             i.      Memos

                                                           ii.      Notices

                                                        iii.      Letters

                                                        iv.      Using email

                                                           v.      Blogs

                                                        vi.      Advertisements

                                                      vii.      Press Release

e.      Reports and Proposals

                                                             i.      Business Plan

                                                           ii.      Reports

                                                        iii.      Proposals

f.       Oral Communication

                                                             i.      Presentations and Speeches

                                                           ii.      Telephone Calls

                                                        iii.      Other Oral Communication Situations

                                                        iv.      Enhancing Oral Communication

                                                           v.      Using Visual aids

                                                        vi.      Using Nonverbal Communication

g.     Visual Communication

                                                             i.      Pictures

                                                           ii.      Charts

                                                        iii.      Graphs

h.     Employment Communication

                                                             i.      Planning and Conducting a Job Search

                                                           ii.      Resumes and Cover Letters

                                                        iii.      Job Interviews

 

 

II.               Discourse of Disciplines

a.     Culture and society

                                                             i.      New Nepal

                                                           ii.      Looking for a Rain God

                                                        iii.      Dover Beach

                                                        iv.      Shooting an Elephant

                                                           v.      The Unknown Citizen

                                                        vi.      The Parrot in the Cage

b.    Money and Management

                                                             i.      Advertise Your Business

                                                           ii.      Eveline

                                                        iii.      The Company man

                                                        iv.      Light My Lucky

                                                           v.      The Ideal of Craftsmanship

c.      Science and Environment

                                                             i.      Religion and Science

                                                           ii.      The New Physics

                                                        iii.      Root Cellar

                                                        iv.      On Warts

                                                           v.      The Etiquette of Freedom

                                                        vi.      The Rights of Animals

d.    Gender and Woman

                                                             i.      Professions for Women

                                                           ii.      The Use of Force

                                                        iii.      The Stronger

                                                        iv.      Here I love You

                                                           v.      The Kiss

                                                        vi.      Girl

                                                      vii.      Farewell

                                                   viii.      Popular Mechanics

e.      Life, Death and Beyond

                                                             i.      The Fly

                                                           ii.      Jest and Earnest

                                                        iii.      The Old Man at the Bridge

                                                        iv.      Once More to the Lake

                                                           v.      The Hundredth Dove

                                                        vi.      The Lunatic

f.      Art and Philosophy

                                                             i.      An Essay in Aesthetics

                                                           ii.      The Clock Tower

                                                        iii.      Beauty

                                                        iv.      From the Fountainhead to the Future

                                                           v.      What I, Think I Am

                                                        vi.      All-Pervading Poetry

                                                      vii.      The Allegory of the Cave

                                                   viii.      Her First Ball

                                                        ix.      Not the Non-Existent