Cuyamaca If Americans Love Moms Why Do We Let Them Die Article Discussion Instructions
For this final exam, you will have 2 hours to complete a rhetorical analysis of a single argumentative essay. This exam is based on the Writing Placement Assessment (WPA) at San Diego State University, which we reviewed earlier in the course, Unit 4.5. It is not close to the challenge Tompkins’ essay gave you.
To be more specific (hint, hint): You will be expected to do the following:
Explain the author’s argument by identifying his purpose and audience (rhetorical situation) and briefly summarizing the content and form of the text (tip: don’t forget your “Academic Meaty Sentence” that includes his major claim);
identify and describe two persuasive strategies the author uses to support his argument and analyze how those strategies might persuade the reader to support the claim;
discuss any assumption/s on which the argument is based;
evaluate the extent to which his audience would find the argument convincing.
Once you start the essay, you cannot close it and come back, so make sure you are in a quiet place and have set aside three full hours. Do not wait till the last minute.
I. READING SELECTION
If Americans Love Moms, Why Do We Let Them Die?
Editorial by Nicholas Kristof, published in the New York Times, July 29 2017
We love mothers, or at least we say we do, and we claim that motherhood is as American as apple pie.
We’re lying. In fact, we’ve structured health care so that motherhood is far more deadly in the United States than in other advanced countries. An American woman is about five times as likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth as a British woman — partly because Britain makes a determined effort to save mothers’ lives, and we don’t.
Here in Texas, women die from pregnancy at a rate almost unrivaled in the industrialized world. A woman in Texas is about 10 times as likely to die from pregnancy as one in Spain or Sweden, and by all accounts, the health care plans proposed so far by Republicans would make maternal mortality even worse in Texas and across America.
Women die unnecessarily in Texas for many reasons, but it doesn’t help that some women’s health clinics have closed and that access to Medicaid is difficult.
I spent a day in Houston shadowing Dr. Lisa Hollier, the president-elect of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in her Center for Children and Women. Dr. Hollier is on a mission to make motherhood safer, because of an experience she had as a young medical resident many years ago.
Amy, 23, had arrived at the hospital with a headache near the end of an uncomplicated pregnancy, her first. Her husband was there, and everything seemed normal — and then Amy collapsed and lost consciousness.
Doctors performed an emergency C-section and saved the baby, a daughter, and Dr. Hollier struggled to keep Amy alive. She failed. Amy had suffered a preventable massive stroke, related to severe high blood pressure.
“I remember her husband,” Dr. Hollier said, and she wiped her eyes at the memory. “Here’s this dad, and it’s supposed to be the happiest day of his life, and there’s this look on his face. He’s just so lost.”
That happens somewhere in the United States on average twice a day.
My day with Dr. Hollier underscored that there’s one very simple and inexpensive starting point: Help women and girls avoid pregnancies they don’t want. “You can’t die from a pregnancy when you’re not pregnant,” Dr. Hollier noted.
Almost half of pregnancies in America are unintended. And almost one-third of American girls will become pregnant as teenagers. (Meanwhile, President Trump slashed $213 million in funding for teenage pregnancy prevention programs.)
One patient, Monica Leija, told Dr. Hollier that she had been on the pill but switched jobs, and her new position didn’t offer insurance for the first three months. That meant she would have had to pay the $40-a-month cost herself, and she figured the odds were against her becoming pregnant during that window.
“I just didn’t think it would happen,” she said. Now she’s bulging with a pregnancy at almost full term.
I heard a lot of comments like that. Derrion Harris, 21, has a year-old child who was not planned, and now Harris is sexually active again. Dr. Hollier asked if she uses birth control.
“I use condoms,” she said, then corrected herself: “I use condoms sometimes.”
Some of you readers are thinking this is outrageous irresponsibility. But we should also look at society’s irresponsibility in failing to help all women and girls get access to long-acting reversible contraceptives, or LARCs.
The U.S. failure on maternal mortality is particularly striking because around the world, maternal mortality has plunged by almost half since 1990; the U.S. is a rare country in which maternal deaths have become more common in recent years.
Granted, saving lives in childbirth is often complicated. Dr. Hollier examined one pregnant patient, Sarvia Alonzo, who had had three previous C-sections, increasing the risk of a condition called placenta accreta that can lead women to bleed to death very rapidly. Alonzo is due for a C-section again and will have two surgeons perform it so that if there is a crisis, it will be easier to manage.
Saving lives also requires better prenatal care, yet more than a third of women in Texas don’t have a single prenatal visit in the first trimester. One factor is that Texas politicians, on a rampage against Planned Parenthood, have in effect closed a number of women’s health clinics.
The result seems to be more pregnancies as well as more Medicaid births. And, after the number of abortions declined for several years, the loss of clinics also apparently led to a slight increase in abortions in 2015, the most recent year with reported figures. Texas also has high rates of deaths from cervical cancer.
Within the U.S., California has done an outstanding job cutting maternal deaths and showing what is possible. A crucial step is careful counting of maternal deaths and the investigation of each one to learn what could have been done differently.
Obstetrics & Gynecology, a medical journal, says that the U.S. ranks below every member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development industrialized club in maternal mortality, except for Mexico.
Obamacare helped tackle maternal mortality by expanding insurance coverage and by making contraception free. The Republican health care plans would instead follow the path of Texas, making motherhood more dangerous across America.
And this is pro-life? No, it’s immoral and we should be ashamed.
II. WRITING PROMPT
Write an essay, using MLA Format and Style, in which you respond to each of the following for Nicholas Kristof’s editorial:
Explain the author’s argument by identifying his purpose and audience (rhetorical situation) and briefly summarizing the content and form of the text (tip: don’t forget your “Academic Meaty Sentence” that includes his major claim);
identify and describe two persuasive strategies the author uses to support his argument and analyze how those strategies might persuade the reader to support the claim;
discuss any assumption/s on which the argument is based;
evaluate the extent to which his audience would find the argument convincing. Discussion week 7 project financial management
Please answer each discussion with 250 -300 words, APA style. DO NOT FORGET THE
CITATION!!!! Then write a response to 2 students for each discussion week with 100 words
min, and directed at them in a positive manner not in 3rd person! The other students
discussion posts can also be used as an example on how your initial post should be done.
So by the end of this assignment your should have done 1 discussions and 2 responses!!!
Discussion question
After reviewing week 6 and 7 lecture materials, please explain why EVM fails in some projects and discuss
the key items for integrated project plans that must be in place before using earned value analysis.
Please cite at least 2 reliable sources (e.g., scholarly articles and textbooks). Post your original response by
Wednesday and at least two responses to peers by Sunday
Student 1 Sabrina ( needs a response directly at him not in a 3rd person, what u
like about his post or agree with or disagree with, stay positive) ill post it once
someone posts
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Earned Value Management (EVM) is a way to integrate scope, schedule, and resources
as a tool to measure project progress (Taylor, 2008). Earned value analysis (EVA) is a
way to measure the amount of work actually performed on a project. EVA uses three
relevant pieces of project information: the planned value, actual cost, and earned value.
EVM can fail in some projects if the three earned value terms (PV, AC, and EV) are not
understood properly before using EVA. If people incorrectly use the earned value terms
interchangeably it can cause confusion and mistakes later down the process.
The most common fails in some projects are (Taylor, 2008):
Estimating errors – Inaccurately estimating the schedule or cost is probably the biggest
reason for project variances.
Technical problems – As more is learned about the project requirements it entails
technical solutions to be revised or changed creating rework to occur.
Management problems – Personnel have an impact on whether a project stays on track.
If personnel does not have the skill level or experience needed to help a project it can
put the project at risk. Constant changes in the organization such as the stakeholders
can create an impact as well. As organizations change the C-suite stakeholders can
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have their own perspective and preference of what type of data they would like to
review.
Economics and market fluctuations – The project scope and baseline will need to be
redefined if changes in cost and changes in the market demand for a product occur.
Acts of nature – Unknown or unexpected events can completely throw a project off track,
even to the point of stopping a project altogether. Events such as tornadoes, fires, and
floods cause large variance spikes.
Subcontractors and vendors – The project schedule and cost variances will suffer if
there is no subcontract management system to keep subcontractors and vendors on
track. Status reports should be communicated on a frequent basis to ensure schedule
and cost are being work according to plan.
Lead times – Component and material lead times have to be planned for early in a
project. Some projects can require unique material requirements or technology or some
sort of component that requires extra time to design, build, or ship. If the project
manager is aware of this unique material requirement it is best to plan ahead for the
lead times from suppliers that way the schedule is not impacted or disrupted.
Being able to effectively communicate EVM is as important as being able to calculate it
(Ray, 2018).
References:
Ray, S. (2018, July 18). Using Earned Value Management to Measure Project
Performance. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from
https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/using-earned-value-management-to-measureproject-performance.
Taylor, James C. (2008).Project scheduling and cost control: planning, monitoring and
controlling the baseline. [Skillsoft version] Available from
https://login.proxy.cityu.edu/sso/skillport?context=30324
.
Student 2 Lynn ( needs a response directly at him not in a 3rd person, what u like
about his post or agree with or disagree with, stay positive) ill post it once
someone posts
You should always monitor your project and performance development. Earned Value is
utilized to calculate the work completed on a project and to understand if a project is
successful and performing to plan. Earned Value is also critical to forecast cost, the date it
will complete, and future performance of the project (Alleman, 2010).
Percentage Complete x Budget = Earned Value
There are three areas of Earned Value:
1) The Plan which is the Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled (BCWS) or Planned Value
(PV)
2) The Performance includes the Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWP) or Earned
Value (EV)
3) The Cost of Performance contains the Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP) or
Actual Costs (AC)
Earned Value Management (EVM) is helpful in monitoring a project, but does not guarantee
success. EVM can change quickly and does not always ensure accurate progress. EVM
“impacts people, processes and technology as well as company’s revenue system” (Six,
2019).
Some of the reasons why EVM fails (Six, 2019):
– Management is not committed to Earned Value initiatives
– The wrong resources/performers are assigned to Earned Value creation
– Responsibility for cost, schedule, and technical performance is not taken by the
control account manager
– Management does not hold control account manager accountable for cost, schedule,
and technical performance
– Processes are poorly documented
– Team is poorly trained
– Tools are ineffective
– Bad performance is justified by excuses
– Current systems provide inaccurate information/data
There are numerous elements that must be in place before implementing Earned Value
(Lukas, 2012):
– Integrated project plan
– Project requirements
– Management support
– Correct schedule and budget
– Schedule and budget contingency
– Contingency management
– Support from management
– Work breakdown structure
– Change management process
– Accurate reported progress
References:
Alleman, G. (2010, July 7). A gentle introduction to earned value management systems
(neutral). Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/galleman/a-gentle-introduction-toearned-value-management-systems-neutral
Lukas, J. A. (2012, October 23). Learning. Retrieved from
https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/make-earned-value-work-project-6001
Six, T. (2019, January 29). The Top 10 Reasons Why Earned Value Fails. Retrieved from
https://tensix.com/2012/05/the-top-10-reasons-why-earned-value-fails/
Discussion week 8 project financial management
Please answer each discussion with 250 -300 words, APA style. DO NOT FORGET THE
CITATION!!!! Then write a response to 2 students for each discussion week with 100 words
min, and directed at them in a positive manner not in 3rd person! The other students
discussion posts can also be used as an example on how your initial post should be done.
So by the end of this assignment your should have done 1 discussions and 2 responses!!!
Discussion question
Please explain the importance of project baselines in measuring project performance and
discuss how EVM and a good change management plan can support project managers to
prioritize and adjust the baselines throughout the life of the projects and why do you think
this is important.
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Please cite at least 2 reliable sources (e.g., scholarly articles and textbooks). Post your
original response by Wednesday and at least two responses to peers by Sunday
Student 1 Sabrina ( needs a response directly at him not in a 3rd person, what u
like about his post or agree with or disagree with, stay positive) ill post it once
someone posts
. Without project baselines there would be no performance measurement and no earned
value analysis for the project. The baselines help measure a project’s performance
because it defines the original objectives, scope and resources required to finish the
project, cost and schedule. The baseline acts as a benchmark that helps compare
future measurements. Measuring and comparing your project’s progress provides the
information you need to know if your project is over or under performing.
Baselines should be documented and controlled. This is where good change
management plays an important role. Project baselines should not be changed without
following formal change control procedures such as a change request form. There
should also be an approval process for change requests. Changing a baseline
frequently will make it difficult to use as a measurement for progress (Wrike, n.d.).
Approved project baselines help improve estimates. The EVM of the project helps
compare actual performance against plan. The combination of using EVM and a good
change management plan can support project managers to prioritize and adjust the
baselines throughout the life of the project because the baselines would have gone
through a meaningful change control policy. Only practical and legit baselines would
have been approved for project managers to pay closer attention to especially for those
deviating against the plan. EVM is easy to set up, is already a part of project
management software, and provides such an accurate measure of performance
progress that one really cannot afford not to use it (Taylor, 2008).
The project team must be able to identify, evaluate, and track change in accordance
with the change management process. This will consist of the appropriate signature
approvals as well as required systems in place. Active and effective communication is
the key to a successful change management plan. It is important for project managers
to adjust their baselines to see the budget and schedule progress. Adjusting baselines
also helps maintaining the planned projections.
-Sabrina
References:
Taylor, James C. (2008).Project scheduling and cost control: planning, monitoring and
controlling the baseline. [Skillsoft version] Available from
https://login.proxy.cityu.edu/sso/skillport?context=30324
Wrike. (n.d.). What is a Baseline in Project Management (Project Baseline)? Retrieved
November 24, 2019, from https://www.wrike.com/project-managementguide/faq/what-is-a-baseline-in-project-management-project-baseline/.
Student 2 Lynn ( needs a response directly at him not in a 3rd person, what u like
about his post or agree with or disagree with, stay positive) ill post it once
someone posts
“A project’s baseline is defined as the original scope, cost and schedule” (The Project
Baseline – A Project Management Definition, 2018). You must have a precise baseline in
order to understand if your project is on plan and to understand performance. It is
essential that all changes that are approved are integrated into your baseline. Project
baselines are important for they help assess performance, calculate Earned Value, and
improve your estimating accuracy going forward (3 Main Benefits of Project Baselining,
2019). Comparing actuals to your original plan is crucial in order to understand if you are
on track to be successful. If you are constantly monitoring your project and tasks, you can
gauge whether you need more time or less, to complete your project. Without a baseline
you will not be able to keep control over a project and employee performance. Earned
Value Management and a good change management plan can support with prioritization of
baselines for it puts into perspective what areas and tasks need help. I do not see the
possibility of a successful project without a baseline that is up to date, and includes all
approved revisions (but keep all revisions of the original baseline). I think this is important
so you do not lose any of your changes or history of activities which are needed for an
accurate performance measurement baseline. Your future projects depend on accurate
information and if you lose your original baseline you can’t understand your actual
performance to plan.
References:
Project-Management.com. (2018, October 16). The Project Baseline – A Project
Management Definition. Retrieved from https://project-management.com/the-projectbaseline-a-project-management-definition/.
3 Main Benefits of Project Baselining. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/3-main-benefits-of-project-baselining.php.
Roberg, O. (n.d.). Why Your Baseline is Essential in Project Management. Retrieved from
https://www.safran.com/blog/why-baseline-is-essential-in-project-management.
Discussion week 9 project financial management
Please answer each discussion with 250 -300 words, APA style. DO NOT FORGET THE
CITATION!!!! Then write a response to 2 students for each discussion week with 100 words
min, and directed at them in a positive manner not in 3rd person! The other students
discussion posts can also be used as an example on how your initial post should be done.
So by the end of this assignment your should have done 1 discussions and 2 responses!!!
Discussion question
Tell us about when you led or were a part of a project closing phase. Explain the situation,
what happened during the project closure and the outcome. This can also be from a case
study or article. USE AMAZON AS EXAMPLE BECAUE THAT IS WHERE I USED TO WORK
AT, FULFILLMENT CENTER
•
Please cite at least 2 reliable sources (e.g., scholarly articles and textbooks). Post your
original response by Wednesday and at least two responses to peers by Sunday
Student 1 Sabrina ( needs a response directly at him not in a 3rd person, what u
like about his post or agree with or disagree with, stay positive) ill post it once
someone posts
Project close out is the last stage of the process and it indicates the formal completion
of the work. Jennifer Bridges (2015) describes the different steps of how to close out a
project:
1. Review Lessons Learned
2. Obtain Approvals
3. Get Signatures
4. Close Contracts
5. Compute Final Costs
6. Make Payments
7. Finalize Reports
8. Transition Support
9. Release Resources
10. Archive Documentation
11. Celebrate Success
I led a project closing phase earlier this year at work.
Situation: I had to get a bulletin publicized so that way the supply chain
community was aware of a new process that was being taken place. This
new process was to standardize release agreements (SRA’s) for 787
schedules by reviewing memorandum of agreements (MoA’s) that entailed
part numbers, lead times, and suppliers. It was a way to inform
procurement agents (PA’s) and supply chain analysts (SCA’s) that MoA’s
will be used during the audit of 787 SRA’s.
In order for me to fulfill the project goal I used the project lifecycle (initiation, planning,
execution, and closure) to help breakdown the project in phases:
Student 2 Lynn ( needs a response directly at him not in a 3rd person, what u like
about his post or agree with or disagree with, stay positive) ill post it once
someone posts
I was involved in all five stages of a project when I worked for the City of Lynnwood Parks and
Recreation Department as a Special Events Assistant. My manager and I were responsible for the
annual Egg Hunt, 4th of July Celebration, and the Christmas Festival. We were responsible for
everything – the signage and advertising, coordination of volunteers, donations and vendors,
budget, shopping for supplies, implementation of the events, and clean up. The Closing Phase of the
events included walking around monitoring the events, making sure everyone had what they
needed (vendors, employees volunteers) and that everything was running smoothly and safely. We
double checked that we had contracts signed from all vendors and made sure the fireworks
company was paid for on the 4th of July. After the event we helped participants and vendors safely
exit the venue, cleaned up the grounds, put away signage and lights, etc. The next workday we
signed off on all the paperwork and documents regarding the event, met and discussed lessons
learned and entered notes as to what should be changed or added for the next year’s event. We
sent all this information to our Director, and archived copies. I also would ask employees that were
at the event what they think worked and what needed to be changed and added their ideas to our
event notes.
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