90-something days of summer (Part 1)

90-something days of summer (Part 1) Hello! Sorry for the recent lack of post! After an epic trip around Europe (which I WILL DEFINITELY blog about later!), I have to go straight to exam revision (yes, over here people say revision, not review :)). Anyway, as you can tell from my post tittle, I wanna talk a little bit about what MIT peeps do during the summer since the holiday is fast approaching (of couse, after the horrifying super intense final week for people at MIT and my crazyfrightenthelivingdaylightsoutofme 9-paper exam at Cambridge.) SIGH. I will look like a zombie for 2 months ? But it’s okay though, because I love what I am studying! My life:     Anyway back to the summer experience. Usually MIT people do epic stuff so I am super excited to share with you all! This post will be split into 2 parts because apart from talking about my summer experience, I have also invited two awesome MIT people to write about theirs! First say hello to Saba Mohsin, class of 2011. Both of us are members of Sigma Kappa sorority and that’s how I got to know her!! Since the first time I talked to her, I have always thought that she is an incredibly intelligent, motivated and inspiring individual but when I heard her describing her summer experience during her four years at MIT, my response was “WOW”. Currently, she is doing her Masters in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University.  Anyway, here are Sabah’s epic summer experiences! “Some of my fondest memories of MIT life took place during the summertime. I was lucky enough to find three programs that allowed me to travel for 1-3 months and I can say with conviction that I am who I am today because of those opportunities. I lived in Paris for about 10 weeks during the summer of 2009 through the MISTI program. I worked in an experimental fluids lab at ESPCI and lived smack dab in the middle of one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. I spent my days capturing the effect of surface tension on submerged jet deflection and my nights strolling through the Bastille, munching on macarons. The following summer I obtained a PSC Fellowship to spend 3 months working on a portable water project in the small community of Santa Ana in the Amazon region of Ecuador. During these three months, I was challenged in more ways that I could even imagine. It was both a humbling and strengthening experience and I left there with such strong bonds with my host family and friends that I have since returned to see them again. I am so thankful that MIT gave me this part of my life. My twin host sisters (Shirley and Samira, 6 years old) who always made me laugh with the older Sacha (11), who is someone I admire very much. Collaborators from Santa Ana who helped us develop the community water system Our three team members (right to left: Mauricio, Israel and the late Antonio) who helped us with our water project and taught us more than we taught them. They were colleagues, bodyguards, jokesters, and dear friends. In 2011, two weeks after my graduation, I traveled to Costa Rica where I spent 8 weeks working alongside the Ministry of Science and Technology launching a nationwide high school science camp series as a part of Talento Joven. MIT students collaborated with Costa Rican university students, with the Costa Rican Institute of Technology, and even with HP Costa Rica to run some of the most well-received science camps ever. I was so proud to see my students finding their love of engineering and later to see them going on to college and pursue that love. Its the MIT spirit and Im glad it has infected others. Me as coordinator with the students of Costa Ricas first science camp. The most hardworking and brilliant group of counselors I could have asked for. What great people! Coordinators and counselors at the inauguration of Talento Joven. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ The second person I would love for you all to meet is Qing Li, Class of 2012. Again, we met at Sigma Kappa and I adore her wonderful personality, always cheerful, friendly and optimistic. I have always known she is a great swimmer but when she told me “I am going to swim the English Channel”, I believe my response was “WHAT? Pause. AGAIN WHAT?” This is an extremely difficult feat even for highly athletic people, but at the same time, it’s an incredible thing to do. So yes, I can’t wait to share with you all Qing’s summer training and swimming the English Channel! “Last summer, I set out to accomplish my dream of swimming the English Channel (EC). This had been my dream since junior year of high school, when my history teacher gave out end of year awards. Some people got Most-likely to cure cancer or Most-likely to be senator or even Most-likely to be arrested at a peaceful protest.Mine was Most-likely to swim the English Channel.because I was the only swimmer in my year. Swimming the EC is 20% mental, 40% physical, 20% luck, and another 20% mental. Though, retrospectively, I really wish I had brought MITs weather machine with me, seeing as I had to swim through a lighting storm and 20ft waves. I prepared physically by biking, ellipticaling, and swimming about 4-5 hrs a day as well as getting open water and night time swimming experience on the weekends. I built my swimming yardage up to about 25-30 thousand meters a week. This was the fun and easy part. (Warning: the next sentence is my public endorsement of MIT, Boston, UROPs, and LAI) Having a UROP position at MITs Lean Advancement Initiative allowed me to pursue my research in systems and lean engineering, in collaboration with Boston Medical Center Diabetes Services. I also allowed me to have access to MITs great athletic facilities and open water spots such as Walden Pond, Nahant beach, Cape Cod, Marthas Vineyard, Portsmouth NH, and other fun places in the greater Boston area. I trained with a friend from the varsity team, Anna Kokensparger, as well as two girls from Smith College who were also attempting to swim the EC last summer (and who had also succeeded). My training buddies Even though swimming the English Channel was physically challenging, the biggest obstacle for me was the mental aspect. I worked hard by talking with my varsity swim coach, MIT masters swim coach, and other EC swimmers to find out what I should expect from the swim and how to define the swim to make it my own. The mental preparation beforehand really helped me deal with my doubts about not finishing, the nausea, the physical pain, and the cold. My preparation with Coach Bill of MIT Masters swimming helped me greatly. He had told me about the idea of treeing. This is the technique triathletes use to forget about small things that go wrong during their race by channeling all the negative thoughts into a tree. After passing that tree, they would forget about those thoughts and, instead, focus on what comes ahead. I counted a forest by the end of the swim. My thoughts of giving started with the first hour of the 17 hour swim. I already had motion sickness from the boat before I got into the water causing me to vomit eight time during my swim. And as I swam into the night, brought a darkness that blinded my senses and cooled the air and water to the low 60s. I shivered uncontrollably. Despite this, the lowing sun behind the white cliffs of Dover flooded my eyes with the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen. I was swimming in a National Geography foldout!! Beautiful sunset! The most challenging part of the swim came when I was just 5 miles from shore, which I knew it would. As we headed towards the eleventh hour, my head spun and my spirits were bruised from battling sea-sickness, cold, and storm. Light appeared and I began to see sea-birds, but still no land. As I swam on, the swells grew and fatigue set in and I struggled to stay along side my boat to take my feed. When I finally decided to as where I was, the answer I got was Three and a half miles away. How long do you think it will take you? Ha! Ha! Haha!! 3.5 mile? Thats 6,106 yards! Or 5,632.704 meters! Or 5.6 kilometers! Thats just a two hour practice! Well, long story short, it actually took me five hours instead of the two hours I was hoping for. However, hearing I was so close was enough to renew my energy. I thought of everyones support and the journey I had taken that summer. I knew I could not have even thought about attempting the swim, let alone getting that close to shore, without so many supporters. My goggles filled to the brim with tears (and it wasnt because my face got thrown into the edge of the boat right after my feed). Though my shoulders hurt, my stomach churned, and the waves sloshed over me, it was the support of everyone that allowed me to find the courage and energy to continue to swim. Looking back, it wasnt the pain or the time and resources needed that ever detracted me from my goal. Nor was it the pure feat of swimming the English Channel that drove me to finish. What I gained from this experience was the opportunity to learn about myself, meet new people, and gain great friendships. Some say that the finish is almost anticlimactic. As you reach the red shores of France, the is a daunting question of Great, Im finished. What now? For me, even before I swam, I knew I had gained so much already through that summer. The opportunity to swim and the ability to finish the English Channel was the cherry, the whipped cream, and chocolate frosting of an amazing journey. After I reached France, with my parents.   While this challenge was tremendous, I cant say it has proven me worthy of accomplishing everything I want to in the future. I probably will not cure cancer, nor will I become senator. However, I believe this experience as well as four years at MIT has prepared me to face the future with the best tools available and probably, most-importantly, gain the capacity to learn. Thanks Saba and Qing for sharing with me and MIT admissions blog readers their incredible summers. I hope you all are inspired by them and plan great things for your 2012 summer. Next post: my summer fun! Love Linh

AP English Language and Composition Classes - 1650 Words

Ms. Czapski’s 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 6th Hour Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Classes Name: __________________________________________ Hour: ________ Date: _____________________ Introduction to Writing the Precis DIRECTIONS: Please thoughtfully answer each of the following questions about Geoffrey Nunberg’s The –Ism Schism; How Much Wallop Can a Simple Word Pack, Ellen Goodman’s In Praise of a Snail’s Pace, and Ronald J. Glasser’s We are not Immune: Influenza, SARS, and the Collapse of Public Health. You may write directly on this worksheet. For Geoffrey Nunberg’s The Ism Schism; How Much Wallop Can a Simple Word Pack: 1.) What is the complete name of the author of this article? _____________________†¦show more content†¦Ask yourself how the language of the work excludes certain audiences (non-specialists would not understand the terminology; children would not understand the irony) in order to see that the author did make certain assumptions about the pre-existing knowledge of the audience. You may also report the author s tone. ____________________________________________________________ ________________ ____________________________________________________________ _________________________ For Ellen Goodman’s In Praise of a Snail’s Pace: 1.) What is the complete name of the author of this article? __________________________________________ 2.) Who is this author? What are his/her expertise in relation to this topic? What is his/her experience with this topic? How did he/she gain his/her knowledge to compose this article? 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Assessment of Teen Pregnancy Prevention Interventions

Assessment of Teen Pregnancy Prevention Interventions How is the literature review used in this research study? Using one (1) previous study cited by the authors, discuss how the findings of this past study is relevant to the current study. (2 pts) The literature review in this study was used to demonstrate the problem and occurrence of adolescent pregnancy and birth rates in the United States. Furthermore, the concern about this phenomenon as it pertains to Florida is addressed. A correlation between teenagers who live in poverty and a greater risk of teenage pregnancy was asserted through the literature. The authors cite a 2001 report by the Florida Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics that estimates the birthrate was 35.3 per 1,000 females aged 15-19 in the state and 41.7 in Hillsborough County, where this current study takes place. What are the ethical considerations in this study for the data collection process? (1.5 pts) This study compared students who participated in one of programs designed to mitigate adolescent pregnancy with a control group. Participants were chosen randomly in order to assure the integrity of the research. Data was collected anonymously on each research protocol. No indication is given as to whether or not parental consent to participate in the survey was sought. State the statistical tests or data analysis methods/procedures used in the study. (1 pt) Statistical analyses for this study consisted of chi-square tests ofShow MoreRelatedTeenage Moms That Are Still In High School Get Pregnant1391 Words   |  6 Pagesare still in high school get pregnant at a young age, and are not able to support themselves or their child. There were just under a quarter million pregnancies in women ages fifteen to nineteen in 2014. About eighty-five percent of these pregnancies are unplanned, which in any population can increase the risk for problems. 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The Board of Directors †Roles and Responsibilities Free Essays

The Board of Directors – roles and responsibilities The board’s key purpose is to ensure the company’s prosperity by collectively directing the company’s affairs, whilst meeting the appropriate interests of its shareholders and stakeholders. The objects of the company are defined in the Memorandum of Association and regulations are laid out in the Articles of Association. Appointment of directors The ultimate control as to the composition of the board of directors rests with the shareholders, who can always appoint, and – more importantly, sometimes – dismiss a director. We will write a custom essay sample on The Board of Directors – Roles and Responsibilities or any similar topic only for you Order Now The shareholders can also fix the minimum and maximum number of directors. However, the board can usually appoint (but not dismiss) a director to his office as well. A director may be dismissed from office by a majority vote of the shareholders, provided that a special procedure is followed. The procedure is complex, and legal advice will always be required. Role of the board of directors Boards can be helped greatly by focusing on four key areas: Establish vision, mission and values †¢ Determine the company’s vision and mission to guide and set the pace for its current operations and future development. †¢ †¢ Determine the values to be promoted throughout the company. Determine and review company goals. Determine company policies Set strategy and structure †¢ Review and evaluate present and future opportunities, threats and risks in the external environment and current and future strengths, weaknesses and risks relating to the company. †¢ †¢ â₠¬ ¢ Determine strategic options, select those to be pursued, and decide the means to implement and support them. Determine the business strategies and plans that underpin the corporate strategy. Ensure that the company’s organisational structure and capability are appropriate for implementing the chosen strategies. Delegate to management †¢ Delegate authority to management, and monitor and evaluate the implementation of policies, strategies and business plans. †¢ †¢ †¢ Determine monitoring criteria to be used by the board. Ensure that internal controls are effective. Communicate with senior management. Exercise accountability to shareholders and be responsible to relevant stakeholders †¢ Ensure that communications both to and from shareholders and relevant stakeholders are effective. †¢ †¢ Understand and take into account the interests of shareholders and relevant stakeholders. Monitor relations with shareholders and relevant stakeholders by gathering and evaluation of appropriate information. Promote the goodwill and support of shareholders and relevant stakeholders. Responsibilities of directors Directors look after the affairs of the company, and are in a position of trust. They might abuse their position in order to profit at the expense of their company, and, therefore, at the expense of the shareholders of the company. Consequently, the law imposes a number of duties, burdens and responsibilities upon directors, to prevent abuse. Much of company law can be seen as a balance between allowing directors to manage the company’s business so as to make a profit, and preventing them from abusing this freedom. Directors are responsible for ensuring that proper books of account are kept. In some circumstances, a director can be required to help pay the debts of his company, even though it is a separate legal person. For example, directors of a company who try to ‘trade out of difficulty’ and fail may be found guilty of ‘wrongful trading’ and can be made personally liable. Directors are particularly vulnerable if they have acted in a way which benefits themselves. †¢ The directors must always exercise their powers for a ‘proper purpose’ – that is, in furtherance of the reason for which they were given those powers by the shareholders. Directors must act in good faith in what they honestly believe to be the best interests of the company, and not for any collateral purpose. This means that, particularly in the event of a conflict of interest between the company’s interests and their own, the directors must always favour the company. Directors must act with due skill and care. Directors must consider the interests of employees of the company. †¢ †¢ †¢ Calling a directors’ meeting A director, or the secretary at the request of a director, may call a directors’ meeting. A secretary may not call a meeting unless requested to do so by a director or the directors. Each director must be given reasonable notice of the meeting, stating its date, time and place. Commonly, seven days is given but what is ‘reasonable’ depends in the last resort on the circumstances Non-executive directors Legally speaking, there is no distinction between an executive and non-executive director. Yet there is inescapably a sense that the non-executive’s role can be seen as balancing that of the executive director, so as to ensure the board as a whole functions effectively. Where the executive director has an intimate knowledge of the company, the non-executive director may be expected to have a wider perspective of the world at large. 2 The chairman of the board The articles usually provide for the election of a chairman of the board. They empower the directors to appoint one of their own number as chairman and to determine the period for which he is to hold office. If no chairman is elected, or the elected chairman is not present within five minutes of the time fixed for the meeting or is unwilling to preside, those directors in attendance may usually elect one of their number as chairman of the meeting. The chairman will usually have a second of casting vote in the case of equality of votes. Unless the articles confer such a vote upon him, however, a chairman has no casting vote merely by virtue of his office. Since the chairman’s position is of great importance, it is vital that his election is clearly in accordance with any special procedure laid down by the articles and that it is unambiguously minuted; this is especially important to avoid disputes as to his period in office. Usually there is no special procedure for resignation. As for removal, articles usually empower the board to remove the chairman from office at any time. Proper and clear minutes are important in order to avoid disputes. Role of the chairman The chairman’s role includes managing the board’s business and acting as its facilitator and guide. This can include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Determining board composition and organisation; Clarifying board and management responsibilities; Planning and managing board and board committee meetings; Developing the effectiveness of the board. Shadow directors In many circumstances, the law applies not only to a director, but to a ‘shadow director’. A shadow director is a person in accordance with whose directions or instructions the directors of a company are accustomed to act. Under this definition, it is possible that a director, or the whole board, of a holding company, and the holding company itself, could be treated as a shadow director of a subsidiary. Professional advisers giving advice in their professional capacity are specifically excluded from the definition of a shadow director in the companies legislation. RCW 5/11/2000 Sources: Standards for the Board, Institute of Directors The Independent Director, IoD/Ernst ; Young Running a limited company, David Impney ; Nicholas Montague, Jordans  © 2000 Brefi Group Limited http://www. corporatecoach. co. uk/ How to cite The Board of Directors – Roles and Responsibilities, Papers

Volkswagen of America Managing It Priorities free essay sample

Background In 2002, Volkswagen of America (VWoA) together with other organizational entities of the Volkswagen enterprise created a high-level business architecture called a blueprint. This blueprint of the business was primarily developed to formalize the new IT governance and prioritization processes linked to the corporate strategy. Each business unit categorized its IT projects for funding based on their business impact and their alignment with the business goals. Several entities within the organization ere involved in the process of categorizing similar projects under enterprise portfolios, and select the most viable current business projects. Problem The main problem with the new process of managing IT priorities was the lack of a global perspective and a holistic approach in prioritizing IT projects. This was apparent as a critical project of global Supply Flow management was left partially funded even though the project required full funding to stay on track. It was realized that the some business units were incorrectly aligning their projects to enterprise oals in the lieu of funding opportunities, leading important projects sidelined or unfunded. We will write a custom essay sample on Volkswagen of America: Managing It Priorities or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Recommendations and Alternatives Priority should be given to the projects that are aligned with business goals of the enterprise. The parent group and partner companies of Volkswagen of America should consider funding critical global projects, like the Supply Flow project. Although the recommendation would garner opposition from managers of the various business units, an understanding of long term benefits has to be clearly specified. Funds from other entities of Volkswagen will also Justify the allocation of funds to the other higher ranked projects. Volkswagen could also create strategy relationship between IT and other business units and try to involve other business leaders with IT selection. While the process would include higher cost, it would result in effective project selection. Alternately, the entire process may be reviewed and assessed thoroughly. This could prevent all the critical projects in the organization from being deprived of funds.

House Price Analysis

House Price Analysis Median sale price for houses The graph below will show the trend of median sale prices for the houses for from 1993 to 2012. The data is presented in quarters.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on House Price Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From the graph above, it is evident that there is an upward trend of median sale prices in all the cities. The trend is upward from year to year in all the quarters. It is an indication of increasing prices of housing over the years. The growth can be attributed partly to increase in the inflation level and partly to increase in the level of economic activity in the regions. Inflation increased from 65.7 in the first quarter of review 104.5 in the last quarter (Rabinowitz 2004) Estimation of the mean The graph below shows the trend of the mean value of sale prices. The mean value of sale prices was increasing over time. It is shown by the upward trend of values over time. T his could be an indication of the structural increase in the long run and the equilibrium. This could also be as a result of an increase in interest rates. Increase in interest rates increases the cost housing thus increasing the sale price of houses. Simple linear time regression Regression analysis is a statistical tool that is used to develop and approximate linear relationships among various variables. Regression analysis formulates an association between several variables. When coming up with the model, it is necessary to separate between dependent and independent variables.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Regression models are used to predict trends of future variables. The section carries out a simple linear regression between the mean sale price of houses and time. The mean sale price will be the explained variable while the explanatory variable will be tim e (Arnott McMillen 2006) The regression line will take the form Y = b0 + b1X Y = Mean prices X = Time The theoretical expectations are b0 can take any value and b1 0. Regression Results The table below summarizes the results of the regression. Coefficients Standard Error t calculated Intercept -74738.9 1873.306 -39.8968 Time (X) 37.59659 0.93548 40.18962 R2 95.50% From the above table, the regression equation can be written as Y = -74738.9 + 37.59659 X. The intercept value is not dependent on the area of the house but on other factors such as the location of the house. The value captures all other factors that were not included when modelling the regression line. The coefficient value 37.59569 implies there is a positive relationship between mean sale price and time. The value of the coefficient of determination is high and it shows a strong positive relationship between the two variables.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on House Price Analys is specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Real median prices Converting the nominal median sale prices to real median sale prices eliminates the effect of inflation. The real values are arrived at by using base year as a reference point and taking into account the consumer price index. Once the effect of inflation has been eliminated, one can now evaluate the real change in the median sale prices. From the calculations done, the real values are lower than the nominal values of median sale prices. However, the mean values still has the same trend as those for nominal median values as shown in the graph below. The graph above shows that there is an increase in the values for real sale prices over time. The results of the regression line are shown below. The regression line will take the form Y = b0 + b1X Y = Mean prices (real) X = TimeAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The theoretical expectations are b0 can take any value and b1 0. Regression Results The table below summarizes the results of the regression. Coefficients Standard Error t calculated Intercept -59995.3 2805.289 -21.3865 Time (X) 30.27972 1.400888 21.61466 R2 86.00% From the above table, the regression equation can be written as Y = -59995.3 + 30.27972 X. The intercept value is not dependent on the area of the house but on other factors such as the location of the house. The value captures all other factors that were not included when modelling the regression line. The coefficient value 30.27972 implies there is a positive relationship between mean sale price and time. The value of the coefficient of determination declined from 95.50% to 86%. The value is still high and it shows a strong positive relationship between the two variables. The growth in real sale prices between September 1993 and September 2003 is 157.08% while the growth between December 2003 and Septem ber 2012 is (7.16%). It can be deduced that there was a rapid growth in real sale prices between 1993 and 2003 thereafter the prices increased at a declining rate and thereafter started to decline. (Evans 2008). This could be an indication that the government is putting up measures to ensure that there are no serious fluctuations in the sale prices of houses every year (Edwards 2007). Rent The growth in real rent between September 1993 and September 2003 is 88% while the growth between December 2003 and September 2012 is 120%. It can be deduced that there was a rapid growth in real rent between Dec 2003 and 2012. The growth rate for the first nine years was 88%. Thus, it can be deduced that there is a general increase in the rent level in Sydney and its regions. The ratio of house prices to income increased over the period. In 1993, the ratio was 0.00883 in 1993. The value increased to 0.010211 in 2012. This can be attributed to an increase in rent over the years. There was an incre ase in the rental yield over the years. The rental yield in 1993 was 74.78%. The value declined to bout 43% in 2003 thereafter it started to raise. The rental yield in 2012 was 81.43%. The graph below shows the relationship between rental yield and the ratio of house prices to income (O’Sullivan 2011; O’Sullivan Gibb 2008) The graph above shows that there is a negative relationship between rental yield and the ratio of house prices and rent. This can be seen in the downward trend that can be seen in the points in the diagram above. Prices and rent series tend to move in the same direction (McMillen McDonald 2011; Arnott McMillen 2006). Explaining the relative movement of prices There has been rapid growth in the property prices in the regions. The growth between 1993 and 2003 was more rapid than the growth rate between 2003 and 2012. This can be attributed to government interventions to stabilize the price of housing (Riley 2009). References Arnold, R 2011, Economi cs, Cengage Learning, USA. Arnott, R McMillen, D 2006, A companion to urban economics, Blackwell Publishing Ltd., USA. Edwards, M 2007, Regional and urban economics and economic development: Theory and methods, Auerbach Publications, New Delhi. Evans, A 2008, Economics and land use planning, John Wiley Sons USA. Mankiw, G 2011, Principles of economics, Cengage Learning, USA. McMillen, D McDonald, J 2011, Urban economics and real estate: Theory and policy, Hamilton Printing Company, USA. O’Sullivan, A Gibb, K 2008, Housing economics and public policy, John Wiley Sons USA. O’Sullivan, A 2011, Urban economics, McGraw-Hill Education, USA. Rabinowitz, A 2004, Urban economics and land use in America: The transformation of cities in the twentieth century, M.E. Sharpe, USA. Riley, G 2009, Housing market economics digital textbook, Tutor2u Limited, USA.

Finnish Culture of Michigans Upper Peninsula

Finnish Culture of Michigan's Upper Peninsula Tourists to the remote towns of the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan may be puzzled by the many Finnish flags adorning local businesses and homes. Evidence of Finnish culture and ancestral pride is ubiquitous in Michigan, which is less surprising when taking into account that Michigan is home to more Finnish Americans than any other state, with the majority of these calling the remote Upper Peninsula home (Loukinen, 1996). In fact, this region has more than fifty times the proportion of Finnish Americans than the rest of the United States (Loukinen, 1996). The Great Finnish Emigration   Most of these Finnish settlers arrived on American soil during the â€Å"Great Finnish Immigration.† Between 1870 and 1929 an estimated 350,000 Finnish immigrants arrived in the United States, many of them settling in an area that would be come to known as the â€Å"Sauna Belt,† a region of especially high population density of Finnish Americans encompassing the northern counties of Wisconsin, the northwestern counties of Minnesota, and the central and northern counties of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Loukinen, 1996).   But why did so many Finns choose to settle half a world away? The answer lies in the many economic opportunities available in the â€Å"Sauna Belt† that were extremely scarce in Finland, a common dream to earn enough money to buy a farm, a need to escape from Russian oppression, and the Finn’s deep cultural connection to the land. Finding Home Half a World Away Like Finland, Michigan’s many lakes are the modern day remnants of glacial activity from thousands of years ago. In addition, due to Finland and Michigan’s similar latitude and climate, these two regions have very similar ecosystems. Both areas are home to seemingly ubiquitous pine-dominated mixed forests, aspens, maples, and picturesque birches. For those living off the land, both regions are located on beautiful peninsulas with a rich fish stock and woods full of delicious berries. The forests of both Michigan and Finland are home to a plethora of birds, bears, wolves, moose, elk, and reindeer. Like Finland, Michigan experiences bitterly cold winters and mild summers. As a result of their common high latitude, both experience very long days in the summer and significantly shortened daylight hours in the winter. It is easy to imagine that many of the Finnish immigrants arriving in Michigan after such a long sea voyage must have felt like they had found a piece of home half a world away. Economic Opportunities The primary reason Finnish immigrants chose to immigrate to the US was for the job opportunities available in the mines prevalent in the Great Lakes area. Many of these Finnish immigrants were young, uneducated, unskilled men who had grown up on small rural farms but did not own land themselves (Heikkil Uschanov, 2004). By Finnish rural tradition, the eldest son inherits the family farm. As the family plot of land is generally only large enough to support one family unit; splitting the land among siblings just was not an option. Instead, the oldest son inherited the farm and paid the younger siblings a cash compensation who were then forced to find work elsewhere (Heikkil Uschanov, 2004). The Finnish people have a very deep cultural connection to the land, so many of these younger sons who were unable to inherit land were looking for some way to earn enough money to buy land to operate their own farm. Now, in this point in history, Finland was experiencing rapid population growth. This rapid population growth was not accompanied by a rapid increase in industrialization, as seen in other European countries during this time, so a widespread job shortage occurred. At the same time, American employers were actually experiencing a labor shortage. In fact, recruiters were known to come to Finland to encourage frustrated Finns to immigrate to America for work. After some of the more adventurous Finns took the leap to emigrate and sailed to America, many wrote back home describing all of the opportunities they had found there (Loukinen, 1996). Some of these letters were actually published in local newspapers, encouraging many other Finns to follow them. â€Å"Amerika Fever† was spreading like wildfire. For the young, landless sons of Finland, immigration began to seem like the most viable option. Escaping Russification The Finns met these efforts to effectively eradicate their culture and political autonomy with widespread backlash, especially when Russia mandated a conscription law that forcibly drafted Finnish men to serve in the Russian Imperial Army. Many young Finnish men of conscription age saw serving in the Russian Imperial Army as unjust, unlawful, and immoral, and chose instead to emigrate to America illegally without passports or other travel papers. Like those who ventured to America seeking work, most if not all of these Finnish draft-dodgers had intentions to eventually return to Finland.   The Mines The Finns were wholly unprepared for the work that awaited them in the iron and copper mines. Many had come from rural farming families and were inexperienced laborers. Some immigrants report being ordered to begin work the same day that they arrived in Michigan from Finland. In the mines, most of the Finns worked as â€Å"trammers,† the equivalent of a human pack mule, responsible for filling and operating wagons with the broken ore. Miners were horrendously overworked and were subjected to extremely dangerous working conditions in an era where labor laws either didn’t properly exist or were largely unenforced. In addition to being completely ill-equipped for the manual component of mining work, they were equally unprepared for the transition from the completely culturally homogenous rural Finland to a high stress working environment working side by side with other immigrants from many different cultures speaking many different languages. The Finns responded to the massive influx of other cultures by shrinking back into their own community and interacting with other racial groups with great hesitation. Finns in the Upper Peninsula Today With such a high proportion of Finnish Americans in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, it is no wonder that even today Finnish culture is so intricately intertwined with the UP. The word â€Å"Yooper† means several things to the people of Michigan. For one, a Yooper is a colloquial name for someone the Upper Peninsula (derived the acronym â€Å"UP†). Yooper is also a linguistic dialect found in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that is heavily influenced by Finnish due to the masses of Finnish immigrants who settled in Copper Country. In the UP of Michigan it is also possible to order a â€Å"Yooper† from Little Caesars Pizza, which comes with pepperoni, sausage, and mushrooms. Another signature UP dish is the pasty, a meat turnover that kept the miners satisfied through a hard day’s work in the mine. Yet another modern reminder of the UP’s Finnish immigrant past lies in Finlandia University, a small private liberal arts college established in 1896 in the thick of Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula of the UP. This University boasts a strong Finnish identity and is the only remaining university established by Finnish immigrants in North America. Whether it was for economic opportunities, an escape from political oppression, or a strong cultural connection to the land, Finnish immigrants arrived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in droves, with most, if not all, believing that they would soon return to Finland. Generations later many of their descendants remain in this peninsula that looks eerily like their motherland; Finnish culture is still a very strong influence in the UP.