...they were charged with feeding, rearing and caring for their children. Theirs is an American story that is rarely told on any grand, meaningful scale—not one, at least, that defies stereotype and caricature. But recently, “The Help,” a film based on Kathryn Stockett’s bestselling book of the same name, became a cultural touchstone when two of its lead characters, both African-American maids in the then-staunchly segregated Mississippi, challenged viewers to walk their journey—to see, as lead protagonist, Abileen Clark, said, “what it felt like to be me.” To me, ‘The Help’ is this year’s most outstanding and socially relevant motion picture; Viola Davis’ quiet but powerful portrayal of Abileen made us all take notice of a historically invisible class of women and Abileen’s story, along with those of the other maids who rallied with her to tell it, remind us that when we speak, if only in a whisper, momentous things can happen. Of course, the movie, does not come without its controversy: while so many, myself included, questioned then embraced Stockett’s story and actresses Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer earned Academy Award nominations for their roles as the maids who conspired with a young white woman to canonize their life stories, others question why, 70 years after Hattie McDaniel won an Oscar for her portrayal as the affable, sassy slave maid Mammy in Gone With the Wind, Hollywood ushered to the screen a movie feting the Jim Crow subjugation of black women. What is lost...
Words: 857 - Pages: 4
...In the 1960s, Jackson, Mississippi, was essentially operating with black maids raised white children, but weren't allowed to use the same supermarket, library, or toilet - and certainly weren't trusted around the good silver. ‘The Help’ is an amazing story told from the viewpoints of three unforgettable women: Aibileen, raising her seventeenth white child; Minny, always losing jobs due to her sassy tongue; and Miss Skeeter, a budding writer who has been raised by black maids all her life. When Miss Skeeter gets the opportunity of a lifetime to become a published author, she of course takes it but in order for this to happen, she has to write about things that people need to read about. In a time when even talking to a black person was shunned, these three women team up on a project that will put them all at risk in an attempt to change the minds of the Jackson residents. What follows was, for me an emotionally compelling story, as we hear stories of cruelty and humiliation but also those of sensitivity. The Help is a beautiful story about friendship between women who were willing to cross lines and take risks in a time when it was dangerous to make waves or call for change that could result in violence. These women demonstrated a courage that is inspiring and that is what I think makes this book worth sharing others. This book has characters in it that I was able to empathies with and those, of course, who I disliked. The way in which Kathryn Stockett has written about her...
Words: 339 - Pages: 2
...today. A true guardian is someone who wants to make you safe from the harm of the world when they can be there for you and simultaneously make you strong enough to fight for yourself. A guardian teaches you to live happily. Those are the lessons I learned from my guardian personally. It is because of Aibileen that I am proud to be myself today and it is because of her that I feel I am able to be so active in the world around me. As a child my mother and I were not very close to say the least. I was not a "perfect little lady" and so my mother scorned me for this constantly and she generally didn't throw me into the eyes of society. That is where Aibileen came into my life. Aibileen was appropriately called the help around my house. As a child I needed her help even though I can't say I knew it at the time. Aibileen instilled a sense of self pride in me that would carry me throughout my life. After a barrage of verbal abuse from my mother about my lack of worth, Aibileen was always there for me. I remember her saying to me "you is kind, you is smart, you is important". Those words, said to me as a toddler, have echoed through me for my entire life. Without the love that Aibileen gave me and the reminder that I do have a self-worth I don't know where I'd be. It scares me to even speculate what...
Words: 614 - Pages: 3
...Sidney Umude Mar 25 14 CST Period 6 The liturgy of the Church, the celebration of the sacraments, and the seasons of Lent and Easter are particular times when we pay attention to what Jesus Christ has done for us through his passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension. Yet these are not the only times when we experience the Paschal Mystery. It is a part of our everyday life; it is the undercurrent of all that we do and all that we are. What does this mean? How do I experience the Paschal Mystery? How does it affect me on a daytoday basis? How do I become aware of its presence in my life in a real way and not just something I know about? First, let's look at the Paschal Mystery in general terms, without any religious lingo. The Paschal Mystery is basically the process of dying and rising, death and new life. We see this all around us and in our own lives. For example, we experience the process of dying and rising each year as we go through the different seasons. Summer is a time of vibrancy and life, which then gives way to fall, when leaves on the trees die and fall away and many plants seem to die. Winter comes and with it the frost and chill that seem to halt all growth and life. But after winter, when it seemed as if everything had died away, spring arrives. New life surrounds us. Daffodils and crocuses begin to push through the oncefrozen ground. The bare branches of trees begin to show signs of new leaves. Another example within nature is a process that many park rangers use—a controlled ...
Words: 586 - Pages: 3
...Jasmine 3/07/13 2nd hour- Vandy “The Help” Essay (Film Version) The Help is a novel and a film based on the difficulties of the African American community, primarily the women, and the struggles they faced during the 1960s in Mississippi. During this decade, African American people faced the problem of social prejudice or racism. As children, the girls were predestined to be help to the white families when they were of age. Their duties were to tend to the needs of the babies and children, clean the house, clean and fold the clothes, cook the food, and do the dishes. I believe that the themes brought out in this movie are courage, what the past can teach us or warn us of, and freedom. The past is an excellent representation of what the future may hold. The past is here for but a brief second to teach us valuable life lessons that we should never forget. The past informs the future in many ways. It shows us that the things that happened in the past are likely to reoccur, maybe not in the same shape and form, but in the same manner. The past can also lead by example to help us learn from our past mistakes, so that we can alter our futures for the better. The past may also simply be a reminder of things that may come in the future. In any case, the past will inform the future, whether it is in a negative or positive way. Freedom is something that every one of all races struggle to achieve in some way. Freedom can mean different things to different people depending on...
Words: 535 - Pages: 3
...The Help: Chapter 1 Set in Mississippi in the early 1960′s, “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett is told from three alternating viewpoints. One narrator is Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, a progressive young college graduate from an upper middle-class, white family who dreams of becoming a writer. Another narrator is Aibileen, a middle-aged African American woman who has been a maid her whole life and who has raised no less than 17 white children in the process. The last narrator is Minny, another African American maid in her thirties. Minny is Aibileen’s best friend, despite the fact that the two women could not be more different. All three women narrate around the same event: the publishing of Skeeter’s novel about working for white women. The story commences in August of 1962 in the kitchen of Elizabeth Leefolt. Aibileen is caring for Leefolt’s plump, two-year-old, Mae Mobley Leefolt, whom she calls Baby Girl. Aibileen's own son, Treelore, was killed months before she began working at the Leefolt residence. Treelore fell from a loading dock and was crushed under a tractor trailer. When the story opens it is the fourth Wednesday of the month, bridge club day, and Aibileen straightens up the house, manages Baby Girl, serves the women food, and overhears their conversation. The women discuss the upcoming Junior League Benefit, and Miss Hilly tells the women present, Elizabeth, Skeeter, and Hilly's mother, Miss Walter, about the Home Help Sanitation Initiative, a bill that requires a separate...
Words: 293 - Pages: 2
...The Help is a film set during the Civil Rights era in 1963 Jackson, Mississippi, depicting a young white woman who convinces two black maids to aid her in creating a book about the treatment Negro maids endure in white homes, from their own perspective. When they embark on this journey together, they overcome numerous obstacles which ultimately changes social life for women in general. When the book "The Help" is released, not only is Jackson's High Society shown the error of their ways, but they recognize a few personal secrets as well. Needless to say, their community of glass houses come crashing down around them and nothing will ever be the same! The labeling of people into individual races and the succeeding discrimination...
Words: 972 - Pages: 4
...The Help is a novel and a film taking into account the troubles of the African American group, basically the ladies, and the battles they confronted amid the 1960s in Mississippi. Amid this decade, African American individuals confronted the issue of social partiality or prejudice. As kids, the young ladies were foreordained to be help to the white families when they were of age. Their obligations were to tend to the requirements of the infants and youngsters, clean the house, clean and crease the garments, cook the sustenance, and do the dishes. I trust that the subjects got out this film are valor, what the past can show us or caution us of, and flexibility. The past is a magnificent representation of what the future may hold. The past is here for yet a brief second to show us important life lessons that we ought to always remember. The past advises the future from multiple points of view. It demonstrates to us that the things that happened in the past are prone to reoccur, perhaps not fit as a fiddle and frame, but rather in the same way. The past can likewise show others how its done to help us gain from our past errors, with the goal that we...
Words: 550 - Pages: 3
...Active Secret Security Clearance Vacancy Announcement # Position Title: Help Desk Support/Analyst Core Competencies Communications, computer system theory, Cultural Advising, Cyber security, Network+ Cisco,CCNA, Linux, COMP TIA Network+ ,Help Desk Analyst, Hardware software support , IT Help Desk DOD level Interpretation, information security , foreign language tutoring, Media analyst, Foreign Relations, Government, Military, Defense, Security, Counter-Terrorism, Intelligence, Special Operations, proficient Arabic and Kurdish Employment History August 2009 to Present Texas National Guard/Army (Subject matter expert /Communication specialist), E-5 • Maintain radio and data distribution systems. • Perform signal support functions and technical assistance for computer systems. • Provide technical assistance and training for local area networks. • Maintenance for equipment, terminal devices, assigned vehicles and power generators. • Providing quality translation/interpretation Texas National Guard as needed. . February 2012 to March 2013 Time warner San Antonio, Tx area Help Desk Support • Perform setup and configuration of desktop/laptop/server equipment. • Troubleshoot virus and software issues. • Manage installs, moves, adds and changes of desktop/laptop/server hardware, software & cabling Troubleshoot, resolve, and document end user help requests for server, desktop, laptop, and • Installation of outlets, pulling...
Words: 774 - Pages: 4
...Building an IT help desk that can actually help!. Running a successful and efficient help desk can be a matter of thinking outside the box and taking advantage of initiatives elsewhere in your firm, said Greg Davis, information technology director and principal at Salina, Kan.-based CPA and business advisory firm Kennedy and Coe. Running such a desk, however, requires forethought, especially in hiring the right people, standardization of procedures, clarifying objectives and measurement systems, understanding clients, and securing the support of a firm's management, Davis said. Davis delivered his remarks to session attendees at the recent Tech 2006: The AICPA Information Technology Conference, held here. Davis led a session titled "Best Practices for a Corporate Help Desk." Responding to such audience suggestions as paying attention to security and trends, an over-reliance on a help desk to provide staff training that should be coming from elsewhere, and better matching of caller sophistication to help desk personnel, Davis noted that a good help desk can increase the productivity of clients, improve overall revenue and profits, and produce more knowledgeable clients, among other benefits. * Hiring: Davis said that firms must determine exactly how many staffers they need on their help desk, considering as well the need for a desk manager, front-line staff to gather information and log calls, and the location of the help desk. He recommended one location - as close...
Words: 461 - Pages: 2
...customers help-desk interaction * Prepared reports and stayed up to date regarding system information * Strategically install and upgrade network computer applications, upgrade and maintain computer hardware, and perform critical backups * Enhance database performance, perform restores, implement recovery procedure, handle performance tuning, and conducted regular system backups * Provided networking desktop support and perform mainframe and account maintenance tasks * Handled technical troubleshooting within an enterprise environment, including system crashes, slowdowns and data recovery * Ability to perform task independently under pressure * Provided installation support and services to setup, install, move, add and change for PC hardware and software. * Provided IT support at local and remote audio and video conferences when needed. * Provided detailed descriptions of issues in trouble ticket system and followed up diligently to ensure swift resolutions. * Provided technical help desk support for AAIC’s hardware/software infrastructure * Provided Point of Sale technical support for our Independent Agency channel to issue New Business to enable AAIC profitable growth. * Provided computer help desk support via telephone communications with end-users * Provided computer help desk support and technical training on hardware/software to end-users * Performed diagnostics and troubleshooting of system issues, documented help desk...
Words: 557 - Pages: 3
...The Help by Kathryn Stockett shows the change happening in Jackson, Mississippi during an influential time for U.S. history. People are changing the way they view the African American population and how they should be treated. Along with how times and beliefs are changing, relationships are changing as well. When Minny becomes Celia’s maid after a tragic job loss, she makes an unlikely friendship that will continue on for years. Minny Jackson is a stubborn, big-mouthed maid, leaving finding a job very difficult. What didn’t help was when she got on the wrong side of Hilly Holbrook. When Minny just couldn’t take it anymore, she took some literal sweet revenge. This, of course, led to an unfortunate outcome. Minny was fired with seemingly no...
Words: 539 - Pages: 3
...Implementation of Packaged Software for Complaint Registration System Submitted by Arun Kabra Roll No: 11BM60046 Vinod Gupta School of Management IIT Kharagpur Problem statement: The main focus of any business is its customers. Any business issue raised by the customer needs to be addressed and resolved with the top most priority. The customer should be able to raise issues comfortably on the site. With this focus at hand the CEO of an online DVD rental organization wants to implement a complaint management system which can be used by both existing customers and new customers who would register on site before raising a ticket. These complaints needs to be created for different departments or business units and would be resolved by dedicated staff from each department. The staff should be able to create, update, track and close an issue based on privilege level granted. All the registered customers should be able to see announcements and messages regarding changes after they login to helpdesk. Along with these provide FAQ to generally asked question by customers so that they can refer to common issues and their resolution before raising a ticket. Evaluation of Software options: Following 3 software were considered for the above mentioned business problem 1) Exo PHP Desk 2) osTicket 3) Trellis Desk Features | ExoPHP Desk | osTicket | Tresllis desk | Web Hosting | | | | DB | MySQL | MySQL | Propriety | SSL security configuration | |...
Words: 570 - Pages: 3
...and security phase Describe the different system maintenance types and their importance Critique different backup and disaster recovery options Identify factors that signal the end of the useful life of an information system Discuss future challenges for IT professionals as technology reshapes the workplace Assignment Instructions: IT460:1-Compare various types of information systems. Please complete the following assignments using MS Word. Save the assignment as Unit 9 Assignment.doc and place it into the Unit 9 Assignment Drop Box. Click here to access the “SCR-TIMS Work Session Link”. Jesse wants a recommendation about an SCR help desk. She said that I can get more information on the Internet. She wants any input by early next week. She said there's lots of information out there on this topic. She wants me suggest a plan for creating an SCR help desk (SCR –TIMS Worksession, Session 12, To Do List, #1). Assignment requirements: Plan submitted that discusses what a helpdesk offers Discusses internal support options Discusses external support options and shows sample vendors and their options Makes recommendation that details which option is being recommended and why 40 point assignment grading rubric Assignment Requirements Maximum points Points earned 1. Detailed Plan submitted that discusses what a helpdesk offers 2. Discusses internal support Copyright Kaplan University 0-10 0-10 Assignment Grading Rubric Course: IT460 Unit: 9 Points: 40 options...
Words: 328 - Pages: 2
...Functional Requirements: 1. Incident Identification and Incident Logging Incidents can be any failure or interruption to an IT service. A service call can be created from - Web Interface - User Phone Call - Email Technician Staff 2. Incident Categorization Incidents can be organized with three levels of categorization - Category, Subcategory and Item. The incidents can be assigned to these categories depending upon the failure that is reported and can be automatically routed to the appropriate support engineer. 3. Automatic Dispatch of Incidents. Business rule criteria can be created based on the pattern of failure. The incidents will be automatically assigned to technicians, categories and levels. 4. Incident Prioritization - Predefined Prioritization Define the priority based on the impact and urgency of the incident. System can then automatically assign the priorities based on Predefined prioritization. - Dynamic Prioritization Allow technician to assign the priority manually or to override the values set by the priority matrix. 5. Incident Diagnosis Searching the existing workarounds or solution from the KnowledgeBase and getting back to the users immediately with the resolution. 6. Incident Escalations When the first-level support is unable to resolve the incident, the incident can be assigned to the second-level support. The incident will be escalated to the third-level support when the second-level support is not able to resolve it within the...
Words: 435 - Pages: 2
