Kidney Stones

I chose kidney stones to discuss because I have a family history of stones. My grandfather had a very large stag horn and my mom has had several stones that she was able to pass over the years. Kidney stones are one of the most common disorders of the urinary tract. Most kidney stones pass out of the body without any intervention by a physician. Research advances have led to a better understanding of the many factors that promote stone formation and there are better treatments for preventing stones. A kidney stone is a hard mass that is developed from crystals. Kidney stones contain various combinations of chemicals. The most common type of stone contains calcium. Doctors are not sure what cause a stone to form but certain foods may promote stone formation in people who are more susceptible such as a person with a family history of kidney stones. Urinary tract infections and certain kidney disorders like cystic kidney diseases, and hyperparathyroidism are linked to stone formation. In addition, more than 70 percent of people with a rare hereditary disease called renal tubular acidosis develop kidney stones. Sometimes a stone can be found on x-ray, ultrasound or cat scan. Kidney stones often do not cause any symptoms until the stone begins to move within the kidney system. Usually, the first symptom of a kidney stone is extreme pain sharp, cramping pain in the back or side in the area of the kidney or in the lower abdomen accompanied with nausea and vomiting. If the stone is too large to pass easily, pain occurs as the muscles in the ureters continue to contract in hopes of expelling the foreign object. As the stone moves through muscles contractions, blood may appear in the urine and urination may increase with a burning sensation. Sometimes physicians recommend changing the diet such as less calcium and definitely increase of fluids

http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/stonesadults/

Unfaithful

Critique 2

The second counseling session I think went ok, but it was harder this time even though I maintained good soler skills. I showed interest in what my client was saying while maintaining fantastic eye contact without appearing too intense and I was somewhat relaxed. In the beginning of the session I greeted the client and attempted to make him feel welcome. I felt this would make me less threatening to him and show to him that I am a person with interests. I then asked very casually “what would you like to talk about?” This was an attempt to end chit chat, get down to the business at hand and give control of the conversation to him.

I used direct leading by saying “what do you want to talk about today?” I asked closed ended questions to gather information such as “are you in college and do you have a family?” I used indirect leading by asking “tell me more about the relationship before you found out about the affair?” During the session I kept thinking how I can relate to the client’s situation. I used an empathetic voice toned statement when I said “you feel scared because he threatened you.” I used open ended questions “do you think you could survive on your own without your husband”? I am not really sure and I did take accountability for this by stating that I was not sure and that I did not have the answer to everything. I have never experienced anything in my personal life like this situation so I felt that I had no bias, but on the other hand was not really prepared for the situation because I had never given such an issue any thought. I feel that this message of no bias to his situation was indicated when I showed no facial expression that would convey negativism. I did not try to out talk or over talk my client and gave him sufficient time to express himself. In the interview I noted that by doing this technique he sometimes would hesitate and then go on and elaborate without any further encouragement. I do know there were a couple of times during the session that I hesitated too long with a period of silence that could cause feelings of awkwardness. I realize that timing and keeping pace in the session is important.

I tried to be empathetic toward the client but I found it difficult because I have never been married nor had a partner that was unfaithful. I have had some experience through my sister who was married for seven years and found out that her husband was cheating. She made the decision to file for divorce and now is very happy with a new partner. Divorce in my family is acceptable, if necessary, but for my client and her family, divorce is not to be considered. I can somewhat relate to this client’s issues because of my sister’s experience, but otherwise I can only offer support and empathy because I wasn’t sure what was the true root of the problem.

The presenting problem was my client being cheated on by her husband of nine years. The working problem is that she was scared, threatened and she wanted out of the relationship, but didn’t want to disappoint her family by getting a divorce. I used minimal encouragers by nodding my head and saying ok to encourage her to continue and I summarized the main themes. My plan of action was to find out what the problem was and help the client sort out the issues. I had difficulty initiating the flow of the session a few times and I was aware that my pauses were too long while I searched for what action to take next. I used silence hoping that the pause would probe the client to go further into the discussion.

I provided no feedback and was unable to indicate how the client was progressing because I had met the client for the first time and felt that I did not know her well enough. I felt the client’s behavior did not affect me because I stayed neutral with the issues presented and I was able to accept her viewpoints. I did not provide immediacy which is a type of feedback that refers to the present, outside of the session, that is not directly related to the session. I did not explore with the client outside situations that surround the current issue. I felt the session maintained momentum and had direction, there was no physical distance between myself and the client, trust was not an issue, there was no power struggle and I felt no sexual tension. I did not offer information or confront the client because it was our first meeting and the details she shared seemed consistent. Because she did not show inconsistencies during the session I did not probe deeper into the issues that she presented, but would plan to do so in a future session.

I did not set any goals with my client. I never really got under the surface to determine the reason for the problem. She led me to believe that the marriage was great and there were no other issues except her husband cheating with multiple women. I never determined the cause for the infinity and it was obvious that she wanted to leave the relationship, but felt constraints due to her family values and children. I was frustrated as a counselor because I did not know how to help her figure out what to do because I did not know. I hope that talking it through with me helped her organize some of her own thoughts.

I feel more comfortable doing the counseling sessions but I really do not like to role play. I feel I do a better job being the counselor than when I am being the client. Even though I was the counselor during this role play I found this session was difficult for me. I really felt that I did not know what to ask or how to go deeper into the issues. I wanted to give her advice but I should not offer my opinion and I found it hard to hold back. I was confused about what to say because she had conflicting values. I felt a little more comfortable with the role play, but I feel that I have not demonstrated improvement in my techniques and by watching this session I realize how much improvement I need. I have gained a lot of skills from both video tapes. I have learned about myself and what I am good at.

Native American Indians

Part 1 Arrival to the U.S

Native Americans have a history of struggling for survival primarily against nature and later in their history with mankind. Their heritage is steeped in tradition, but ends in the containment and loss of their native way of life. It is theorized that the Native Americans migrated to the Northern Hemisphere about 12,000 years ago through a land bridge connecting Eastern Siberia and the Northern Hemisphere called the Beringia. This is a narrow land mass that links the Arctic Ocean with the Bering Sea. The Bering land bridge is significant because it is believed to have existed during the last Ice Age when the sea level was lower due to glacier activity. This land bridge enabled human migration to the Americas from Asia. After the Native Americans migrated into Alaska and Canada they continued southward into North America (Vecoli, 1995).  Native Americans settled with their families into the new world in small tribes. Some continued to migrate further south, but many stayed in North America and prospered. They had a slight nomadic lifestyle to obtain better water and/or hunting, lived in teepees, wore animal skins and used natural herbs. They were peace-loving people who had a simple way of living. They enjoyed being with their family and tribe, spending time in prayer and creativity (Ganguly). They believed that nature was the supreme origin of life and life preserving forces. They treated the natural endowments as gifts from God to the human race therefore they treated all natural things with reverence and care (Ganguly). They lived quite harmoniously with each other but when explorers began to invade their lands, wars for property began. In 1513 and 1521 the Indians fought against the Spanish led by Ponce de Leon. The Spanish also introduced sheep and horses to the area. In 1607, Jamestown, Virginia was founded and in 1620, pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Indians helped these new settlers survive harsh living conditions, but had to deal with harsh treatment from colonists who barged into their peaceful lives; onto their land and experienced the constant push to relocate (Ganguly). They were exposed to many life threatening conditions such as enslavement and wars, but also diseases such as small pox, measles, influenza, and lung infections. By 1638 the first reservations were formed in Connecticut by English authority and the Quinnipiac Indian tribe was contained to 1200 acres of land. For nearly the next 200 years, laws were passed to banish the English people that had married Native Americans and missions were started to seize Indians for labor, where they were converted to Christianity and forbidden to leave. During this time a rift between the various tribes of American Indians came to the forefront during the American Revolutionary War. Settlers who formed the New America struggled with the British for the support of Native American people and the nations east of the Mississippi River. Most of the tribes joined the struggle to support the settlers with the hope that they would stop the colonial expansion (Ganguly).  Native Americans have been continuously in opposition with the U.S government. In 1830 The Indian Removal Act took away the remnants of sovereignty and freedom, and forced them to leave their land. This culminated with the “Trail of Tears”, a forced relocation of the American Indians where many died from disease or exposure to the environment. The whites separated the Indians from their land because the new settlers wanted the land that was rich in resources like natural gas, oil, coal, uranium and gold (Ganguly). In 1887, the Dawes Act was adopted by Congress and this law allowed President Cleveland to survey and distribute tribal lands into individual Indian allotments with the excess being sold to settlers (Our Documents). In the 1890’s a large quantity of Indians were sent to reservations. They were poor, controlled, had minimal food sources, and were far away from industrialized America. The Native Americans were forced to “Americanize” and they were considered powerless. Their culture was attacked, their language and religion were forbidden, and their institutions were defeated and weakened (Healey, 2012). The Indian children were separated from their families and sent to boarding schools. They were required to speak English, convert to Christianity, and were educated in the western ways. When school was not in session they were not allowed to visit their families and they were sent to live with white families (Healey, 2012). Very few Indians gained the knowledge or the skills to compete for a place in urban, industrialized American society. Since that time the Native Americans have experienced some improvement with discrimination. In 1924, all Native Americans were granted United States citizenship. In 1934, the Indian Reorganization Act was adopted into law. This law expanded land holdings, increased self-governance, reduced the paternal roll of federal agencies in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and financial aid was made available. There were new rights for women in elections, running for office, and leadership roles. More education was made available so they could obtain jobs in nursing and the clergy ship. However, financial poverty was continually enhanced by the U.S. government’s assistance programs (Healey, 2012). Some improvements were introduced in the 1960’s under President Nixon’s administration by fulfilling treaty obligations and rights were granted for the tribes to self-govern. Indian men were able to obtain jobs in construction of skyscrapers and bridges, the ironworks, factory work, education, farming, stock raising, coal lease, saw mills, forts, and in federal and tribal government (Healey, 2012). Since that time some progress has occurred for Indians. Very few can afford to go to college, but there are now 37 tribal colleges that offer associate, bachelor and master degrees and approximately 20% have four years or more of college education (Healey, 2012). Navajo Community College in Arizona offers programs for Native Americans in medicine, bilingual education, publishing and broadcasting (Avitablile & Kleiner, 2001). Many Indians continue to live a duel life of native and western life styles, but continue historical traditions live and work on and off reservations.   Part 2 Contribution to Cultural Diversity in the U.S.   In 1800 a member of the Shoshones named Sacagawea was a famous Native American woman that was kidnapped at 12 years of age by a war party of Hidatsa Indians who were enemies of her people. She was taken from her homeland and relocated to today’s Idaho. Then she was sold as a slave to Charbonneau, a French-Canadian fur trader, who married her and another Shoshone (Sacagawea Biography, 2012). In November 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led an expedition that traveled through Shoshone territory, often called the Corps of Discovery. The expedition was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson who planned to explore newly acquired western lands and to find a route to the Pacific Ocean. The group built Fort Mandan and elected to stay there for the winter. Lewis and Clark met Charbonneau and Sacagawea, and even though she was pregnant with their first child, both were chosen to accompany them on the exploration of the western territory, later named the Louisiana Purchase. Lewis and Clark believed that her knowledge of the Shoshone language would help them in their journey (Sacagawea Biography, 2012). In Fort Mandan on February 11, 1805 Sacagawea gave birth to her son Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau, who became America’s youngest explorer. The Shoshones owned horses that the expedition needed to cross the Bitterroot Mountains. The captains felt that because of her Shoshone heritage, Sacagawea could be important in trading for horses when the Corps reached the western mountains and the Shoshones (Sacagawea Biography, 2012). Sacagawea, with the infant, was the only woman to accompany the 33 members of the permanent party to and from the Pacific Ocean. Her various roles included digging for roots, collecting edible plants, and picking berries that were used for food and medicine (Sacagawea Biography, 2012). Sacagawea turned out to be incredibly valuable to the Corps as it traveled westward through the territories of many new tribes. Some of these Indians, never having seen white men before prepared to defend their land. As Clark noted on October 19, 1805, the Indians were inclined to believe that the whites were friendly when they saw Sacagawea. A war party never traveled with a woman especially a woman with a baby. As the expedition’s return journey passed through her homeland, she proved to be a valuable guide (Sacagawea Biography, 2012). She remembered Shoshone trails from her childhood, and Clark praised her as his “pilot.” The Corps returned to the Hidatsa-Mandan villages on August 14, 1806, marking the end of the trip for Sacagawea, Charbonneau, and their son, Jean Baptiste (Sacagawea Biography, 2012). Six years after the expedition, Sacagawea gave birth to a daughter, Lisette. On December 22, 1812, Sacagawea died at age 25 due to what later medical researchers believed was a serious illness she had suffered most of her adult life. Eight months after her death, Clark legally adopted Sacagawea’s two children. Baptiste was educated by Clark in St. Louis, and then, at age 18, was sent to Europe with a German prince. It is not known if Lisette lived past infancy (Sacagawea Biography, 2012). Historical records indicate that Sacagawea contributed to the success of a vital part of U.S. history and she managed to assist the white man to literally expand territories. If Lewis and Clark had not taken her on their expedition the history books probably would have been very different. When Native Americans arrived to North America from Asia 12,000 years ago they started a new way of life. Traveling in tribes, they migrated throughout North America and settled into small villages and territories where they lived in teepees and lived off the land. When the Spanish arrived in 1513, the Indians’ way of life drastically changed. They were forced to relocate to reservations, convert to Christianity, and abandon their traditional values and life styles. Many died from disease and wars. Sacagawea, a member of the Shoshone tribe proved to be a valuable asset to the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore western territories. With the acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase, the United States was doubled in size and led to western expansion and cultural diversity throughout the U.S. Without the contributions and sacrifice of Native Americans like Sacagawea and others, the U.S. would not be as culturally diverse as we know it today.

Works Cited

Avitabile, L., & Kleiner, B. (2001). New Developments Concerning the Discrimination

Against American Indians . The International Journal of Sociology and Social
Policy, 21(8/9/10), 74-82. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from the Pro Quest

database.

Ganguly, P. (n.d.). History of Native American Indians. Buzzle. Retrieved September 30, 2012,

from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/history-of-native-american-indians.html

Healey, J. (2012). Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class The Sociology of Group Conflict and

Change (6 ed.). Canada: Sage Publications, Inc.

Land Bridge Theory | Open Websites. (n.d.). Home | Open Websites. Retrieved September 26,

2012, from http://ows.edb.utexas.edu/site/hight-kreitman/land-bridge-theory

Our Documents - Dawes Act (1887). (n.d.). Welcome to OurDocuments.gov. Retrieved

September 16, 2012, from http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=50

 Sacagawea Biography Sacagawea Biography - Facts, Birthday, Life Story - Biography.com .

 

(n.d.). Biography.com Famous Biographies & TV Shows - Biography.com . Retrieved

October 18, 2012, from http://biography.com/people/sacagawea-9468731

Taylor, T. (1972). The States and Their Indian Citizens (Original ed.). Washington, DC : Brookings, Inc.

Vecoli, R. (1995). Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America . Detroit: Gale Research Inc. 

 

Smoking Cessation

Smoking cessation is one of the best health improvement actions anyone can do, but quitting is very hard. Usually people make 5 to 7 attempts or more before they are finally able to quit. Anyone can quit smoking if they are motivated enough. It does not matter about age, health, or lifestyle.

Having a quit plan is important and the support of others is also an important ingredient. One common way to try and quit smoking is to try it “cold turkey”. Quitting smoking using the cold turkey method is the first choice of the majority of smokers. The cold turkey is usually understood to mean to quit smoking abruptly, often without forethought, preparation or a gradual reduction in amount smoked. While going cold turkey is the most popular method it is probably the hardest and most uncomfortable method. Craving and withdrawal symptoms can include irritability, tiredness, headache, coughing, sore throat, sleeplessness, sweating, and lack of concentration, depression, increased appetite, and cravings for tobacco. When they are suffering the normal withdrawal symptoms associated with cold turkey that can be difficult and that is why the majority give in and begin smoking again. 95 % of smokers who try to stop smoking without the help of therapy or medication end up relapsing. The main obstacle to stopping smoking using the cold turkey method is the willpower.

Another method used by smokers is the nicotine replacement therapy. The nicotine withdrawal is the most difficult part in quitting smoking. Nicotine replacement therapy involves the use of products that provide low doses of nicotine but do not contain the toxins found in smoke. The goal of therapy is to reduce cravings for nicotine and ease the symptoms when someone stops using cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. Nicotine supplements come in gum, inhalers, lozenges, nasal spray and skin patches. You can buy nicotine gum or lozenges without a prescription. Some people prefer lozenges to the patch, because they can control the nicotine dosage. The nicotine inhaler looks like a plastic cigarette holder, but requires a prescription. People who use the inhaler can puff up to 16 times a day. The inhaler is quick acting and about the same as the gum. The nasal spray satisfies the immediate cravings by providing quick doses of nicotine and it may be used along with the patch. The levels of nicotine peak within 5 - 10 minutes after using the spray. The spray can irritate the nose, eyes, and throat and the side effects often go away within the first few days. The main pitfalls to these methods are body discomfort, cost and availability of the products.

Another technique is prescription pills. These pills help to reduce the cravings by affecting the chemicals in the brain makes smoking less satisfying. Varenicline is an oral prescription medication that is used to help people quit smoking. Varenicline works by binding to nicotine receptors in the brain preventing the nicotine in cigarettes from producing its pleasurable effects on the smoker. Side effects of varenicline are usually transient and may include headache, insomnia, abnormal dreams, nausea, fatigue and flatulence. Bupropion is an oral prescription medication that can help you stop smoking. You may continue smoking during the first week of treatment, but you should stop sometime during the second week. You should be aware that your blood pressure may increase while you are on bupropion, blurred vision and headaches. Other side effects of bupropion include agitation, anxiety, abdominal pain, and decrease in appetite, dizziness and dry mouth. Many people do not have access to a health insurance that will help support the cost of such a therapy.

There are pitfalls to all methods in quitting smoking. Willpower, lack of support from others, addiction, habit patterns of use, cost of products or replacement activities are just a few. Considering that smoking is an addiction that chemically changes has occurred in the brain and makes it very difficult to quit.

Community Structure

 Addison Central School Addison, NY (High School focus)

A hierarchy can link entities vertically directly or indirectly. This means that there is a triangle pattern of power from the top down with each employee having an immediate superior. A public school system is organized and managed by a hierarchy of power.

Formal Power:

School Board: Ms. Sutton –President. She obtained her power by getting elected by people in the community. She carries out her power in the bi-monthly community meetings.

Mr. Peoples, Jr. - Vice President- He obtained his power by getting elected by people in the community. He carries out his powers in the bi-monthly community meetings.

Mr. Herrington, Mr. Crane, Mr. Knapp, Mrs. Stuart and Mrs. Terwilliger: Each obtains their power by being elected by the people in the community who live within the school district. They carry out their power during the bi-monthly meetings. They all have power over every decision and action taken within the school district.

Mr. DioGuardi- Superintendent. The Superintendent obtains his power based upon his qualifications that fit with the school systems criteria. He has a master’s degree in business administration and education. He carries out the educational policies and rules of the state board and the local school board; administers and supervises the school district; hires people, sets the salaries of all staff based upon union agreements, terminates or discharges all employees; and prepares the school district budget. He carries out his powers in the school district office.

Ms.Berkan-Secretary of the Board of Education and Superintendent. She assists the Superintendent with all communication from state level to local community level. She carries out her duties in the school district office.

Mr. Howe- Director of Curriculum and Instruction. He has a master’s degree in education and administration. A curriculum director develops classroom curriculum and selects textbooks to go with classes. A curriculum director acts as a personnel development specialist and training teacher. He mentors teachers as they learn about new educational programs. He keeps up on technology and related software and understands how it can apply to students from kindergarten through high school. He must assess if a program is effective and makes sure it conforms to New York State Education’s high standards. If the school district is not reaching desired goals in a specific area based on standards, he must observe teachers in the classroom and complete teacher surveys. He carries out his power in the school district office.

Ms.Hadlock-Secretary of the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. She assists the Director of Curriculum with all communication from state level to local community level. She carries out her duties in the school district office.

Mr. Prutsman-Director of Building and Grounds. He is the supervisor for all the maintenance workers and custodial staff. He makes sure that the buildings are safe and in good working condition. He coordinates work duties daily and ensures that the district is meeting NYS Department of Education and NYS Health Department codes and regulations. He carries out his duties throughout the school district and his direct supervisor is the Superintendent.

Mr. Lewis-Director of Transportation. He coordinates all the school district’s travel arrangements for students and supervises bus maintenance, meeting NYS Motor of Vehicle Department regulations. He carries out his power in the school bus garage area and he answers directly to the Superintendent.

Mrs. Loomis-Supervisor of Special Education. She obtains her power by having a certified teacher certificate from an accredited institution. She oversees hiring, training, discipline, and other concerns involving special education personnel. She is responsible for developing policies, programs, and other standards within the special education program, as well as representing the program to the community and to the institution's upper-level administration. She carries out her power in the high school building. She answers directly to the Superintendent.

Mrs. Bulkley-Secretary to the Supervisor of Special Education. She assists the Supervisor of Special Education with all communication from administration to local community level. She carries out her duties in the high school district building.

Ms. Crane-High School Principal. She obtains her power by having a bachelor’s degree in education from an accredited institution and a master’s degree in administration. She ensures learning and accountability. She is a leader and motivates employees and serves as a role model to both teachers and students. Excellent communication skills are important. She must develop yearly campus improvement plans and work with campus and community members to implement them. She is responsible for setting high standards and meeting state requirements on state standardized tests. She interprets the budgets and prioritizes fiscal needs. Principals must be familiar with all district, state and federal requirements and ensure that schools are in compliance with the requirements at all times. Principals must create a positive school environment and maintain or implement effective discipline plan to create a safe environment for students and staff. She is responsible for hiring qualified teachers and staff members and evaluating them in a fair and unbiased manner. Principals promote staff development initiatives that are designed to improve student performance. She carries out her duties in the high school building. She answers directly to the Superintendent.

Mrs. Mayo-Secretary to the High School Principal. She assists the Principal with all communication from administration to local community level. She carries out her duties in the high school district building.

Mr. Bielski-Athletic Director. He obtains his power by having a teacher’s certification from an accredited institution and a great interest in athletics. He oversees all athletic activities and coordinates with the school nurse to ensure that all the players have up to date physicals and meet regulation. He carries out his power in the district office building and sport fields. He answers directly to the Superintendent.

Informal Power:

Mr. Lawrence-Dean of Students. He obtains his power by having a bachelor’s degree in education from an accredited institution and a master’s degree in administration. He is responsible for all discipline with the high school environment and works very closely with administration to determine student behavioral management.

Mrs. Bills-Secretary to the High School Dean. She assists the Dean with all communication from state level to local community level. She carries out her duties in the high school district building.

Teachers: They obtain their power by having a teacher’s certification from an accredited institution. Each teacher belongs to a union, ATA. This is a powerful group but must negotiate all job functions with the Superintendent/Board of Education. They are responsible to provide a quality education for each student, regardless of their special needs, meeting NYS Department of Education criteria.

Mr. Vang – Director of Technology. He gets his power by receiving a degree in Information Technology from an accredited institution. He plays a key role in various decision-making capacities related to the technology and (IT) management of the school district. He is responsible for ensuring the smooth and effective running of computers. He works closely with his team and often with top management to help IT deliver the expected strategic benefits to the business side of the organization. He carries out his functions in the high school building.

Ms. Prior-School Psychologist. She obtains her power by having a degree in psychology from an accredited institution. She helps students develop 504 plans for disabilities, does disability assessments and attends Committee of Special Education meetings. She carries out her power in the high school building.

Mrs. Clark and Mr. Marks-Guidance Counselors. They obtained their power by having a master’s degree in school counseling. A guidance counselor is responsible for overseeing standardized tests, and administering aptitude and vocational tests. They prepare students for graduation, checking to make sure that each student has met all the required credits. The counselor also helps students prepare for college or other continuing education by making information available to and assisting them with the application process. High school counselors may be responsible for class scheduling as well as other administrative duties. They carry out their power in the high school building.

Mrs. Bloor-Social Worker. She obtained her power by receiving a bachelor in social work and a license from an accredited institution. She helps people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. She carries out her powers in the high school building.

Mrs. Lockwood- School Nurse. She is responsible for administration of medication and assessment of illnesses of all staff and students including assaults and drug use. She obtained her power by getting her registered nurse license from an accredited institution, Nurse Practice Act and the NYS Department of Education. She carries out her power by being an advocate for students and by making decisions to prevent harm to others and to protect the school district from potential lawsuits. She carries out her powers in the high school building.

Gatekeepers:

Mrs. Sutton President, Mr. Peoples, Jr. Vice President, Mr. Herrington, Mr. Crane,Mr. Knapp, Mrs. Stuart, and Mrs. Terwilliger carry out their power in the bi-monthly meetings. Other gatekeepers are Mrs. Berkan, Ms. Hadlock, Mrs. Bulkley, Mrs. Mayo, Mrs. Bills the secretaries that work with all the department heads. The control content and flow of communication.

Power Brokers/King Pins:

Mrs. Sutton President, Mr. Peoples, Jr. Vice President, Mr. Herrington, Mr. Crane, Mr. Knapp, Mrs. Stuart, and Mrs. Terwilliger carry out their power in the bi-monthly meetings.

The ATA Union.

Curriculum Coordinators: Teachers that teach a particular subject matter and in addition directly supervise other teachers that are teaching within their discipline. They help ensure that each teacher is following the state criteria and they report directly to the high school principal.

Communicators:

All members of the public school system need to be good quality communicators. Some have more specific jobs than others in the expectation to communicate on a variety of levels. All members are expected to be willing and able to communicate to the students as well as the community that they are employed with the common cause of quality education. If members from the media are seeking information, all employees have been instructed to not interact with the media and refer all questions or concerns to the Superintendent.

Mrs.Berkan-Secretary of the Board of Education and the Superintendent. She assists the Superintendent with all communication from state level to the local community level.

Ms. Hadlock: Secretary for the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. She assists the director with communications from the state level to teachers and the local community. She assists him in collecting data to study school programs for effectiveness. She seeks to improve the education quality and coordinates training programs for teachers.

Ms. Holmes-Secretary for Human Resources. She oversees all human resources to communicate job openings and to ensure that qualified candidates are considered for employment positions. She seeks to improve the education quality by coordinating qualified people for the appropriate job position.

Mrs. Mayo-Direct Secretary to the High School Principal. In order to obtain her position, she had to take a civil service examination and score in the top three positions. She obtained her power by applying for the job and having the appropriate educational requirements. She maintains office files, manages schedules, answers correspondence and conducts projects such as research for management staff. She also orders supplies for the office, which may include hiring vendors and services. She does routine clerical work that includes account-keeping tasks in maintaining and checking financial accounts and records. She carries out her powers in the high school main office.

Mrs. Bills-Direct Secretary to the High School Dean of Students. She is required to take a civil service examination and must score at typist level to be considered for the position. She collects and tabulates discipline reports and manages the dean’s appointment book. She coordinates district wide tutoring services for students. She does routine clerical work that includes account-keeping tasks in maintaining and checking financial accounts and records. She carries out her powers in the high school main office.

Mrs. Perkins-Attendance Clerk. She keeps track of student numbers, absences, attendance and maintains record keeping to eventually releasing her data to the NYS Education. She has a high school diploma. She carries out her powers in the high school main office.

Custodial Staff- they gather information within the school district on a daily basis and then share that information with the outside community.

Interconnecting Networks:

Within the high school hierarchy there are limited numbers of people that serve in multiple power positions. Most positions are a separate entity with employees reporting directly to a designated supervisor. Flow of information is basically one direction up to the administration and limited amounts of information flow back from administration to the employees. There is a considerable amount of grass root activity from the stand point that many lower paid employees (such as secretaries & custodial staff) have a considerable amount of power. They are the main communicators and control what an employee can or cannot accomplish within their job. There are husband and wife teams as well as sibling teams within the system, but they all work at direct jobs and interface very little during the actual work day.

Bibliography

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Dutta, Pallab. "Director of Technology Job Description." EHow. Demand Media, 26 Sept. 2009. Web. 22 Sept. 2013. http://www.ehow.com/about_5465417_director-technology-job-description.html

Kelchner, Luanne. Ehow. N.p., 2012. Web. 11 Sept. 2013. http://www.ehow.com/facts_6798607_assistant-superintendent-job-description.html

Kelchner, Luanne. EHow. N.p., 23 May 2009. Web. 11 Sept. 2013. http://www.ehow.com/info_7758739_secretary-qualifications.html#ixzz2etaIFfFt.

MacKenzie, Matthew. "Qualifications to Becoming a Social Worker” EHow." EHow. Demand Media, 08 Oct. 2009. Web. 11 Sept. 2013. http://www.ehow.com/facts_5508888_qualifications-becoming-social-worker.html

Sullivan, Cody. "Special Education Director Job Description | EHow." EHow. Demand Media, 19 Feb. 2010. Web. 11 Sept. 2013. http://www.ehow.com/facts_6185075_special-education-director-job-description.html.

School Principal: Educational Requirements to Become a Principal." Education Portal. N.p., 2009. Web. 11 Sept. 2013. http://educationportal.com/articles/School_Principal_Educational_Requirements_to_Become_a_Principal.html.

Wile, Elise. "High School Guidance Counselor Job Description." EHow. Demand Media, 30 June 2010. Web. 11 Sept. 2013. http://www.ehow.com/about_6684525_high-guidance-counselor-job-description.html.

Writing, Alexis. "Curriculum Director Job Description." EHow. Demand Media, 23 Sept. 2009. Web. 11 Sept. 2013. http://www.ehow.com/about_5448077_curriculum-director-job-description.html.

INTERNAL		EXTERNAL
Strengths	Weaknesses	Opportunities	Threats
Working together Everyone completes job CSE Accredited technology Want to help students	Solving problems quickly Poor math skills Low college ready students Low standardized test scores	High School Diploma Receiving grants ACE courses for students	Potential lawsuits Many students are remedial and college may not be an option

 

Under Armour

1)      Complete legal name of the company: Under Armour

2)      Why this company interests you?

 

This company interests me because I have purchased a few items of Under Armour apparel. I understand that certain clothing apparel becomes a “social fad” and one believes that they can feel more like main stream America if they purchase and wear the apparel. Under Armour apparel has their logo written out in obvious areas of their hoodies, pants and other clothing products. I realize that when I wear their products I am literally advertising for that company. I wanted to learn more about this company that I was representing. I was curious about how popular the products are that they are selling and the company’s proceeds for each year of sales. All of the Under Armour apparel is expensive for an average family income. I wondered what variety of clothing that they offered and why these products were so very different. I have realized that the clothing is attractively designed, comes in a variety of colors and styles, is comfortable to wear and is durable.

I do not consider myself to be an athletic person, but I am very interested in fitness and exercise. Healthy eating and portion size control is an important factor within my everyday life. I chose this company because they design and sell clothing that is targeted at athletics, exercise and fitness.

 

3)      Provide a brief history of the company

 

The Under Armour Company was established in 1996 by Kevin Plank. He attended the University of Maryland and was an athlete for the University’s football team. While playing football with his teammates he observed that the t-shirts worn underneath their protective gear were always soaked in sweat. Plank realized that he was just a mediocre academic student, majoring in business administration, but wanted to make a difference in sport apparel. He desired a product that would cool the body down under extremely hot situations and absorb body sweat (Lyster, 2011).

After graduation in 1990 he set out to create a better line of sport wear. He began working in a tailor shop testing fabrics for the qualities of sturdiness, water repellent qualities, and comfort. Through multiple tests he created a t-shirt that helped absorb body sweat into the fabric and cooled the body in situations of intense heat. After he created the first prototype he gave samples of his t-shirts to his past alma mater’s football team to wear and asked them to test his product. After their feedback was extremely positive, he quickly designed a shirt made from microfiber that absorbed moisture, kept the athletes cool, dry, was light-weight, reduced production of body sweat, regulated temperature and was comfortable to wear. Plank worked from his grandmother’s basement in Baltimore, Maryland, and within 12 months he made his first sale to the Falcons and Giants NFL teams. He felt that if he could make a sale of the product to a nationally recognized professional team his product would be widely visible, advertised extensively, and consequently, his business would grow (Lyster, 2011).

Plank’s goal for his company was to assist athletes to perform at a higher level. His focus with the production of the product was the moisture control feature. In 1996, Plank accomplished $17,000 in sales. The following year, sales increased to $110,000. In 2009 sales hit $1 billion, and the Under Armour brand has become a household name. Under Armour has placed a mark on the performance apparel industry and increased the standards requested by customers, but constantly striving to hit higher quality of products and sales. Working with a team of apparel consultants, Plank created a product line targeting a range of activity levels from every-day wear to extreme environmental conditions while appealing to a variety of consumers. New products additionally designed include: Coldgear, Heatgear, and Allseasonsgear with a goal of attracting another 5% or 6% customers to reach a $1.3 billion market in the United States (Under Armour’s Kevin Plank, 2011).

Today, Under Armour is one of the biggest industries in the world. They make the most innovative performance footwear, apparel and accessories for athletes and are available worldwide. Under Armour footwear was added to the clothing apparel line in 2006 introducing football cleats, running shoes in 2009, and basketball shoes in 2011. The company team works to build and design the most innovative performance products, having the athlete in mind, to ensure the very best quality and performance. Plank’s goal is to have customers feel that when they put on an Under Armour product, they feel like a new person capable of doing anything (Under Armour’s Kevin Plank, 2011).

The Under Armour Company is guided by three principles which include: passion, vision and people. The company is founded on Four Pillars of Greatness: building a great product, telling a great story, serving the business, and building a great team. Under Armour’s advertising uses Plank’s motto or mantra, “We must protect this house” and “we will.” Under Armour’s goal includes inspiring athletes to believe that they can do anything. Plank believes that a company must embrace what makes it feel important and work hard to make it happen which are both necessary strategies to build a viable company (Under Armour’s Kevin Plank, 2011).

Under Armour began with a vision to make athletes better and every product is not just about fashion, but designed to enhance the athletic experience. For example, the Under Amour mouth guard has a back-bite that levels the head and improves the athlete’s posture. Plank states if “You do something so you can get a quick buck that may look good on the revenue chart, but only for a little while. What you do must protect your brand or you will ultimately fail. If you slap a logo on it, it might sell right away, but the brands that will endure are the ones that respect the consumer”. He clearly believes that he has not yet created a defining product at Under Armour and wants to continue to create products that help meet athlete’s needs. He recognizes that his company’s major competitors are currently 20 times larger than Under Armour and supports the idea that there is room for all companies within the marketplace of apparel and athletics. Today there are 8,000 Under Armour retail locations across the world in 85 countries (Under Armour’s Kevin Plank, 2011).

 

4)      The trading symbol of Under Amour: NYSE: UA

 (Under Armour 10K Report 2012. www.MSN.com).

 

5)      Trends within the apparel industry

There are several major trends in the clothing industry. The first trend in the clothing industry is it is valued at more than $310 billion a year and accounts for the more than 80% of all exports worldwide. Some 98% of the clothing purchased in the United States is imported from abroad. Just two % of clothing bought in this country is manufactured in the U.S. (Blackburn, 2011).

In 2011, 98 % of the apparel and 99 % of the footwear sold in the United States was produced internationally. Over the past ten years this buying trend has allowed families to spend less of their family budgets on clothing and obtain more clothing for their money (Burke, 2012).
The top five apparel supply countries to the US in 2013 are China (up 6.0% to 5.48 billion small medium enterprise (SME), Vietnam (up 13.0% to 1.4 billion SME), Bangladesh (up 10.8% to 1 billion SME), Indonesia (up 4.6% to 807 million SME), and Honduras (-1.9% to 622 million SME). Making significant headway is Cambodia, which comes in sixth with a rise of 6.30% to 608 million (U.S. Textile, 2013).

The second trend is China has become the world leader in developing textiles and clothing. Whole towns are dedicated to manufacturing of specific apparel. For example the Town of Datang makes one-third of the world's socks. In addition a worker at the Chinese sock factory makes just $14 a day or $270 in month. In America, a clothing worker makes $88 a day, or $1,760 a month (Burke, 2012).

The third trend is that developing countries continue to expand their textile industry. These developing countries include: Taiwan, India, Ethiopia and Mexico (U.S. Textile, 2013).

The fourth trend is India is the most preferred country after China for apparel. India has shown a rise of exports due to several factors: vast sources of raw materials, low labor costs, entrepreneurship and design skills of Indian traders, and changes in policies to open up the Indian economy to the outside world (Landes, et al, 2005).

Bangladesh is the fifth trend that has emerged as a key player of rapid growth management (RGM) sector. Low wages in the textile industry is causing relocating of textile productions to places like Bangladesh. Bangladesh wages have recently decreased by 2%, as well as Mexico wages that are down 30%. China has been a leader in textiles, but has recently experienced an increase of wages up to 125%. Such an increase in China’s wages will cause relocation to other countries due to the increase in overhead production costs (Schneider, 2013).

The sixth trend is Turkey is becoming the market for investing in the apparel industry. Turkey racks the 6^thlargest cotton producer in the world after China, U.S.A., India, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, the 8^th exporter in the world, and the 4^th apparel exporter for ready-made garments (Turkey Cotton, 2007).

The seventh trend is textile and clothing exports to the U.S. is one of the main avenues to obtain duty income that boosts the U.S. economy. In 2012 the U.S. received over 30 billion dollars to the economy because of imports of textile goods. Last year, every single man, woman and child in the United States purchased an average of 68 garments and seven pairs of shoes. In all, American families spent more than $360 billion at retail on new clothes and shoes in 2011. However, at Round House Workwear in Oklahoma, employees have been manufacturing durable work clothes for 108 years. Currently, the company is thriving mostly because there are customers who want to buy clothing that is 100 % “Made in America” (Burke, 2012). 

 The apparel industry is larger than the U.S. video game industry, fast food industry, beverage industry and even the auto industry. The apparel industry employs four million U.S. workers which is three million more than the car manufacturers. These four million U.S. workers design shoes and clothes, perform research and development, cut and sew, supervise production, handle customs and logistics, ensure product safety compliance, market and merchandise products, outfit U.S. troops and work on the sales floor. Additionally workers assist in the apparel industry through U.S. transportation, distribution, warehousing, and logistics workers (Burke, 2012). According to Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institute the U.S. should not attempt to complete with other countries for the overall apparel industry, but rather production of advanced goods (U.S. Textile, 2013). In the case of clothing, that means focusing on the design of high-technology gear like the waterproof and windproof jackets from outdoor clothing giant The North Face (Burke, 2013).

The eighth trend is that Cambodia is attracting new investors and is increasing its garment exports. Cambodian workers start at 7 am and sew until 9 pm six days a week. Their sewing quota is 950 shirts a day and for every 100 shirts above the quota they are paid an additional 25 cents making their potential total earnings for the month $130. All Cambodians work under a short-term contract that can be as short as three months. The value of Cambodian’s clothing manufacturing exceeded 80% of the country’s $5.5 billion (U.S.) in exports last year and if footwear such as Nike, Adidas and Puma are added the amount would exceed 90% (Wells, 2013).

Fashion changes season by season and year to year. Currently the focus for women is bright colored t-shirts, thin and breathable materials, running skirts, capris and racer back tank tops. For the men the trend is colors of grey and black, shorts, bright muscle shirts and light-weight jackets (U.S. Textiles, 2013).

 

6)      The name of the independent auditing /accounting firm by GAAP standards

 

Under Armour, like all companies within the United States, must be compliant with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The Board of Directors of the Under Armour Company has publically released that Mr. Krongard, Mr. Deering and Mr. Coltharp are “audit committee financial experts” under SEC rules. The Board of Directors determined that all committee members are independent under NYSE listing standards and SEC rules. All stock holders as well are able to view the annual report to monitor financial activities (www.sec.gov).

 

7)      Describe their products or services

Under Armour has a variety of products in the market which includes: apparel, footwear, and accessories. The apparel features a variety of styles that are designed to enhance comfort and mobility, regulate body temperature, and improve performance in all weather conditions known as HEATGEAR, COLDGEAR, and ALLSEASONGEAR.

      HEATGEAR is intended to be worn in hot temperatures. This helps the body remain cool, dry, and is light to wear.

     COLDGEAR is designed to be worn in cold temperatures. This helps remove moisture, circulate body heat, and maintain body temperature.

     ALLSEASONGEAR is designed to be worn during extreme heat or cold. The apparel keeps the body dry in the heat and prevents chill in the cold.

     Footwear made by Under Armour is made for sport teams and fitness people designed to provide stabilization, top cushioning, and moisture management.

      HEATGEAR and COLDGEAR features are included in all accessories such as: headwear, duffel bags, baby apparel, socks, team uniforms, eyewear, sport team balls, and gloves (Under Armour’s Kevin Plank, 2011).

 

8)       Company size

 

Total amount of sales =$1,834.921, net income = $128.778, total number of employees = 5,900, assets (million) = $1,157.083, and sales growth % = 24.6%. There are 8000 retail locations all over the world with 109 stores in the United States. There are stores in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Japan. Under Armour sales went from up to $1,834.9 million in 2012 from $725.2 million in 2008. The growth in net revenue has been driven by interest in the actual products and the strength of the brand and Under Armour plans to increase their profits. There continues to be an increasing demand for athletic products that possess comfort (Under Armour 10K Report 2012. www.MSN.com).

Overhead costs for Under Armour consists primarily of product costs, inbound freight and duty costs, outbound freight, handling costs to make products, and royalty payments to endorsers. The general expenses include innovation, supply chain and corporate services, salaries, benefits, incentives and stock-based compensation, commercials, print ads, league, team, player and event sponsorships, commissions paid to third parties cost of factory house and specialty store leases, apparel, footwear and accessories product innovation, sourcing and development costs, and distribution facility operating costs (Under Armour 10K Report 2012. www.MSN.com).

Net sales increased from $1,790.1 million in 2012 from $1,436.1 million the year before, an increase by $354,000. The license revenues increased from $44.8 million in 2012 from $36.6 million the year before, an increase by $800,000. The Gross profit increased $879.3 million in 2012 from $712.8 million the year before an increase of $1,670,000. The selling and general expenses increased to $670.6 million in 2012 from$550.1 million the year before an increase by 1,200,000. Operations income increased to $208.7 million in 2012 from $162.8 million the year before an increase by $460,000. Interest increased to $5.2 million in 2012 from $3.8 million the year before an increase by $2,000,000. Other expenses decreased from $0.1 million in 2012 from $2.1 million the year before. Taxes increased to $74.7 million in 2012 from $59.9 million the year before an increase by $1,500,000. Figures indicate that 2013 has been a great year for the company (Under Armour 10K Report 2012. www.MSN.com).

 

9. Under Armour’s most recent 10-K report

 

Risk factors in the company depend on changes in general economic or market conditions that affect consumer spending. Financial health of retail customers, the ability to effectively manage the growth of a more complex business expanding domestically and internationally is important. The ability to effectively develop and launch new, innovative products is a must. The risks may go up if the ability to forecast consumer demand and manage inventory is not done accurately. Increased competition can cause the company to reduce the price of their products or the need to increase marketing efforts which will increase costs. Fluctuations in the cost of the products, loss of key suppliers or manufacturers, or failure of the suppliers or manufacturers to produce or deliver products in a timely or cost-effective manner are important variables. The company needs to be able to further expand the business globally and to increase brand awareness and consumer acceptance of the products in other countries. There is a need for the ability to accurately anticipate and respond to seasonal or quarterly fluctuations in operating costs. Maintenance of a positive brand image and effective information system are critical. Attracting and maintaining effective employees and managing labor disputes are vital. Future growth depends on expansion outside of North America because in 2012, Under Armour manufactured 53% in Asia, 19% in South America, 18% Middle East and 8% in Mexico. Just a few of the risks associated with international manufacturing include political or labor unrest, terrorism, economic instability, and delays in shipping. Financing for additional capital to promote growth of the business domestically or internationally may not be available or offered at an unacceptable level. The company originated through a promotion in the National Football League and as the company has grown these sport leagues are mandating higher payoffs to wear Under Armour apparel directly threatening the livelihood of the company (Under Armour 10K Report 2012. www.MSN.com).

Competitive issues include other aggressive sports apparel companies such as Nike and Adidas. Nike is Under Armour’s biggest competitor. Nike is the number one manufacturer of sports shoes in the world. The company has shoes for all sports: basketball, baseball, golf, hiking, tennis, and football among others. Under Armour seems to be more focused on the athletic apparel market, but Nike does go beyond athletic shoes which includes a line of sports related clothes, equipment and accessories. Under Armour is attempting to expand into the shoe market. Under Armour competes with Nike in a variety of sports products, but Under Armour does not produce shoes for lacrosse, softball, golf, track & field. Under Armour’s has high numbers of profit for having been in business for only a relatively short period of time, however Under Armour is capitalized at $1.28 billion which Nike gets $26.38 billion. These figures indicate that Under Armour is at a strict disadvantage compared to the sportswear giant, Nike. Recent market performance of Under Armour indicates that the company can come out strong in years to come (Under Armour 10K Report 2012.www.MSN.com).

Irregularity in regulations and potential litigation can occur at any time domestically or internationally due to the constant changing of laws, statues, and regulations within the apparel manufacturing process. These regulations are particularly difficult to anticipate or respond to when much of Under Armour apparel is produced and sold internationally where there is unstable markets with limited regulations (Under Armour 10K Report 2012. www.MSN.com).

 

10)  3 interesting articles about the company

 1)      "Under Armour to Acquire Map My Fitness"

 

Recently Under Armour joined forces with Map My Fitness, a fast emerging fitness technology based in Austin, Texas. Under Armour’s goal is to outdo Nike’s fitness technology. Currently, there are more than 20 million registered users of Map My Fitness who map, record, and share their workouts using GPS and other technology. Nike already coordinates with Map My Fitness and has 18 of the 20 million followers.

Map My Fitness was started in 2007 by Thurston and Callahan. Callahan created his website to help him map and record his runs while training for his first marathon. Plank from Under Armour and Callahan and Thurston from Map My Fitness joined together to develop a technology team with the idea of creating a great product for the consumer that assists them in their daily lives with health and fitness while creating a social environment to share their progress.

The chief performance officer for Under Armour stated, “The digital monitoring of performance and fitness is the next major wave in making athletes perform better.” This free fitness technology is very applicable for competitive sports as well as regular fitness (Mirabella & Sherman, 2014).

The overall analysis of this article indicates that the Under Armour Company in the past has attracted men with form fitting, sweat absorbing apparel. The company has a major goal of increasing sales to $10 billion. To be able to accomplish this goal the plan is to have women’s apparel, international growth, and footwear products increase in production and availability by joining forces with Map My Fitness, Under Armour combines technology with fitness and social media. Their overall goal is not to absorb already existing athletic apparel companies such as Nike and Adidas, but rather perform at a higher, more desirable level of performance.

 

Works Cited

             Mirabella, L., & Sherman, N. (2014, November 14th). Under Armour to acquire MapMyFitness. Retrieved from Baltimore Sun: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-11-14/business/bs-bz-under-armour-mapmyfitness-20131114_1_armour-shares-ceo-kevin-plank-armour39

 

 

2) “Under Armour Finds Feminine Side to Go Beyond $2 Billion”

This article discusses Under Armour’s deficits when it comes to appealing to female consumers. Last year, in 2012, $400 million dollars in sales were for women’s athletic apparel. Even though this is a large figure, this was less than half the sales of men’s. According to Michael Baron, vice president with Baron Capital, Inc., the fifth largest Under Armour holder, “the problem is distribution.” Under Armour is having difficulties selling to women because women’s apparel is not featured in Under Armour stores across the country. In order for women to buy Under Armour clothing, they oftentimes have to go to Dick’s Sporting Goods or Sports Authority Inc., where many women do not frequently shop (Townsend, 2013).

Under Armour is having a difficult time with other two markets trying to “crack” are cities and footwear. This company does relatively well selling footwear and apparel in the suburbs but not so well in the cities. Under Armour also needs to become more competitive internationally. “Under Armour generates 94% of its revenue from North America, compared with 37 % for Nike, which is the world’s largest athletic brand” (Townsend, 2013).

Analysis of this article is in order for Under Armour to become a more national and international brand, many things need to change. Some progress is being made in expanding the market and appealing to women consumers. In order for the brand to be successful, men’s and women’s apparel and footwear sales need to be somewhat equivalent. There needs to be more Under Armour stores located throughout the United States that feature men’s and women’s clothing and prices need to be comparable. Under Armour needs to expand their footwear business similar to what Nike and Adidas have done because if they do not become successful in the footwear business similar to the caliber of Nike and Adidas, Under Armour’s revenue will be limited (Townsend, 2013).

Works Cited

              Townsend, M. (2013, February 13). Under Armour Finds Feminine Side to Go Beyond Billion. Retrieved from Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2013-02-15/under-armour-finds-feminine-side-to-go-beyond-2-billion.html

 

3)       “Under Armour CEO Aims at Nike, Adidas, and $10 Billion”

This article questions whether Plank the CEO of Under Amour will be able to reach a $10 billion dollar goal that he has set for his company. The company is currently generating about $2 billion. Under Armour sales growth dipped by 20% in the Great Recession year of 2009, but has shown steady growth by approximate 18% gains each year since. At this current pace the company projects a $10 billion in sales by 2020. Under Armour needs to keep in mind that it has taken the company over 17 years to reach its current level of growth (Stock, 2013).

Under Armour does not intend to buy out other sport companies, but to increase women’s wear, expand abroad, expand footwear production and increase direct-to-consumer businesses through outlets sales. Currently the company reports that approximately 30% of all sales occur through outlet purchases (Stock, 2013).

The company has put over $250 million into marketing just towards women in 2013 and they have recently hired an experienced former employee from Adidas to promote Under Armour products in foreign markets, especially Brazil (Stock, 2013).

Analysis of this article indicates that Under Armour has conducted a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threat (SWOT) analysis.They have shown successful sales, have assessed their weak areas and are taking aggressive steps to promote opportunities to correct their slumping areas of sales while considering their threats and competitors (Stock, 2013). 

Works Cited

           Stock, K. (2013, September 11). Under Armour CEO Aims at Nike, Adidas, and $10 Billion. Retrieved from Businessweek: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-09-11/under-armour-ceo-aims-at-nike-adidas-and-10-billion

 

 

11) Working Capital Ratio

 The current ratio for the company is 3.40. This means that the company has $3.40 of current assets which they pay to every dollar of liabilities. Nike’s current ratio is $4.00 in assets which they pay for every dollar to liabilities. Cabella’s Sport Store current ratio is $4.02 in assets which they pay to every dollar of liabilities. Columbia Sportswear current ratio is $4.49 in assets which they pay to every dollar in liabilities. According to all these numbers I would choose Under Armour because it has the lowest current ratio to invest in(Under Armour 10K Report 2012. www.MSN.com).

 

12) Cash Flow Statement:

 Operating Activities total=$199.8 million

 

Investing Activities total=$46.9 million

Financial Activities total=$12.3 million

(Under Armour 10K Report 2012. www.MSN.com).

 

 Works Cited

 

"Apparel, Clothing & Garments Industry Overview." Textile Apparel Clothing & Garments Industry Overview. N.p., 16 Aug. 2012. http://www.teonline.com/apparel-garments/industry-overview.html.

 Blackburn, Bradley (2011). “Clothing 'Made in America': Should U.S. Manufacture More Clothes?” Retrieved from abcnews.go.com/Business/MadeInAmerica/made-america

Burke, Kevin (2012). “Apparel Imports Boost U.S. Jobs.” Retrieved fromhttp://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78779.html#ixzz2mcUuDb7Z

 Landes et. al (2005). “Growth Prospects for India’s Cotton and Textile Industries.” Electronic Outlook Report from the Economic Research Service. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved From https://www.google.com/#q=growth+prospects+for+india's+cotton+and+textile+industries

Lombard, Cherish. "Trends in Workout Clothes." Fox10tv.com. N.p., 21 Mar. 2013.http://www.fox10tv.com/news/trends-in-workout-clothing.

 Lyster, Stephanie. "The History of Under Armour - A Mastermind for Performance Apparel."Ezinearticles. N.p., 4 Feb. 2011.http://ezinearticles.com/?The-History-of-Under-Armour A Mastermind-for-Performance-Apparel&id=127493.

 Mirabella, Lorraine, and Natalie Sherman. "Under Armour to Acquire Map My Fitness". Baltimore Sun. N.p., 14 Nov. 2013. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-11-14/business/bs-bz-under-armour-mapmyfitness-20131114_1_armour-shares-ceo-kevin-plank-armour39/2.

 "Nike vs. Under Armour: Which Is Better?" ReComparison RSS. N.p., 30 July 2012.http://recomparison.com/comparisons/100549/nike-vs-under-armour-which-is-better/.

Schneider, Howard (2013). “This is why the textile industry is relocating to places like Bangladesh.” Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/07/12/this-is-why-the-textile-industry-is-relocating-to-places-like-bangladesh/

Stock, Kevin (2013). Under Armour CEO Aims at Nike, Adidas, and $10 Billion. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-09-11/under-armour-ceo-aims-at-nike-adidas-and-10-billion

Townsend, Matt (2013). “Under Armour Finds Feminine Side to Go Beyond $2 Billion.” Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2013-02-15/under-armour-finds-feminine-side-to-go-beyond-2-billion.html

 

“Turkey Cotton Fabric Industry” (2007). Retrieved from http://www.turkishdenim.com/index.php?inframe=81939389352424969696239394918482928177788782862376888624748774238981894082877686748287388276789182842482767891828472777893749815847493827738261574859384749382773830158276789182848277383134

"Under Armour Performance Sports Company History." Under Armour Performance Sports Company History. Under Armour, 6 Nov. 2011. http://www.underarmour.jobs/our-history.asp.

“Under Armour’s Kevin Plank: Creating ‘the Biggest, Baddest Brand on the Planet’."KnowledgeWharton Under Armours Kevin Plank Creating the Biggest Baddest Brand on the Planet Comments. N.p., 5 Jan. 2011. http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/under-armours-kevin-plank-creating-the-biggest-baddest-brand-on-the-planet/.

 

Under Armour 10K Report 2012. www.MSN.com

“U.S. Textile and Apparel Imports Continue to Climb” (2013). Retrieved from http://www.mrketplace.com/56358/u-s-textile-and-apparel-imports-continue-to-climb/www.sec.gov

Wells, Jennifer (2013). “Clothes on your back: Inside Cambodia's garment industry.” Retrieved fromhttp://www.thestar.com/news/world/clothesonyourback/2013/10/20/clothes_on_your_back_inside_cambodias_garment_industry.html.

(2013, June 5). “Under Armour Taking Playbook Worldwide: CEO” [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/videos/2013-06-05/under-armour-an-american-success-story