Free Essays on Prayer In School

Prayer in Public Schools? With the state that the nation is currently in, prayer in today’s schools has once again become a controversial topic. Many believe that schools exist to educate. While children in public schools remain a captive audience, some perceive prayer to be coercive and invasive. While religion is considered private and schools public some argue that it is not appropriate that the two should mix. Some would also argue that prayer and religion are a necessary part of human life, which often helps fulfill the â€Å"total† human experience. Is it detrimental to strip these parts of life from the schools? I pose the question, â€Å"How can prayer be harmful?† I agree that mandating a special time for prayer may offend some. Does it have to be designated as prayer time? Does prayer have to be specific to any one religion? Or would it just be better if schools adopted a â€Å"quiet time† at the beginning of each day? Each student could decide if they choose to use that time for prayer. This was a suggestion made by Secretary of State Colin Powell. His opinion is that a moment of silence would allow students with different religious beliefs to participate. Some would pray, while others would reflect on the upcoming day. A moment of silence could contribute to acceptance of diversity within the student body. It goes without saying that public schools are responsible for the academic education of its students. I do believe the moral and spiritual education of the students must be addressed as well. I understand that public schools cannot promote religion, because of the division of church and state. However, many students have taken this issue into their own hands. Contrary to the belief of what many would like to think, prayer is widely practiced in many U.S. public schools. Students have been known to pray at athletic events, in school busses, at the flagpole and during student religious clubs. In 1962,... Free Essays on Prayer In School Free Essays on Prayer In School Prayer in Public Schools? With the state that the nation is currently in, prayer in today’s schools has once again become a controversial topic. Many believe that schools exist to educate. While children in public schools remain a captive audience, some perceive prayer to be coercive and invasive. While religion is considered private and schools public some argue that it is not appropriate that the two should mix. Some would also argue that prayer and religion are a necessary part of human life, which often helps fulfill the â€Å"total† human experience. Is it detrimental to strip these parts of life from the schools? I pose the question, â€Å"How can prayer be harmful?† I agree that mandating a special time for prayer may offend some. Does it have to be designated as prayer time? Does prayer have to be specific to any one religion? Or would it just be better if schools adopted a â€Å"quiet time† at the beginning of each day? Each student could decide if they choose to use that time for prayer. This was a suggestion made by Secretary of State Colin Powell. His opinion is that a moment of silence would allow students with different religious beliefs to participate. Some would pray, while others would reflect on the upcoming day. A moment of silence could contribute to acceptance of diversity within the student body. It goes without saying that public schools are responsible for the academic education of its students. I do believe the moral and spiritual education of the students must be addressed as well. I understand that public schools cannot promote religion, because of the division of church and state. However, many students have taken this issue into their own hands. Contrary to the belief of what many would like to think, prayer is widely practiced in many U.S. public schools. Students have been known to pray at athletic events, in school busses, at the flagpole and during student religious clubs. In 1962,...

Composite Materials in Aerospace

Composite Materials in Aerospace Weight is everything when it comes to heavier-than-air machines, and designers have striven continuously to improve lift to weight ratios since man first took to the air. Composite materials have played a major part in weight reduction, and today there are three main types in use: carbon fiber-, glass-, and aramid- reinforced epoxy.; there are others, such as boron-reinforced (itself a composite formed on a tungsten core). Since 1987, the use of composites in aerospace has doubled every five years, and new composites regularly appear. Uses Composites are versatile, used for both structural applications and components, in all aircraft and spacecraft, from hot air balloon gondolas and gliders to passenger airliners, fighter planes, and the Space Shuttle. Applications range from complete airplanes such as the Beech Starship to wing assemblies, helicopter rotor blades, propellers, seats, and instrument enclosures. The types have different mechanical properties and are used in different areas of aircraft construction. Carbon fiber, for example, has unique fatigue  behavior  and is brittle, as Rolls-Royce discovered in the 1960s when the innovative RB211 jet engine with carbon fiber compressor blades failed catastrophically due to bird strikes. Whereas an aluminum wing has a known metal fatigue lifetime, carbon fiber is much less predictable (but dramatically improving every day), but boron works well (such as in the wing of the Advanced Tactical Fighter). Aramid fibers (Kevlar is a well-known proprietary brand owned by DuPont) are widely used in honeycomb sheet form to construct very stiff, very light bulkhead, fuel tanks, and floors. They are also used in leading- and trailing-edge wing components. In an experimental program, Boeing successfully used 1,500 composite parts to replace 11,000 metal components in a helicopter. The use of composite-based components in place of metal as part of maintenance cycles is growing rapidly in commercial and leisure aviation. Overall, carbon fiber is the most widely used composite fiber in aerospace applications. Advantages We have already touched on a few, such as weight saving, but here is a full list: Weight reduction - savings in the range of 20%-50% are often quoted.It is easy to assemble complex components using automated layup machinery and rotational molding processes.Monocoque (single-shell) molded structures deliver higher strength at a much lower weight.Mechanical properties can be tailored by lay-up design, with tapering thicknesses of reinforcing cloth and cloth orientation.Thermal stability of composites means they dont expand/contract excessively with a change in temperature (for example a 90 °F runway to -67 °F at 35,000 feet in a matter of minutes).High impact resistance - Kevlar (aramid) armor shields planes, too - for example, reducing accidental damage to the engine pylons which carry engine controls and fuel lines.High damage tolerance improves accident survivability.Galvanic - electrical - corrosion problems which would occur when two dissimilar metals are in contact (particularly in humid marine environments) are avoided. (Here non-conductive fiberglass pla ys a role.) Combination fatigue/corrosion problems are virtually eliminated. Future Outlook With ever-increasing fuel costs and environmental lobbying, commercial flying is under sustained pressure to improve performance, and weight reduction is a key factor in the equation. Beyond the day-to-day operating costs, the aircraft maintenance programs can be simplified by component count reduction and corrosion reduction. The competitive nature of the aircraft construction business ensures that any opportunity to reduce operating costs is explored and exploited wherever possible. Competition exists in the military too, with continuous pressure to increase payload and range, flight performance characteristics, and survivability, not only of airplanes but of missiles, too. Composite technology continues to advance, and the advent of new types such as basalt and carbon nanotube forms is certain to accelerate and extend composite usage. When it comes to aerospace, composite materials are here to stay.