Increasing Student Achievement through Preventing School Violence Essay

Increasing Student Achievement through Preventing School Violence Introduction School violence is any type of violence, whether it is a simple threat on another student or a school shooting, that happens in the school environment. Student achievement is the efforts made by the student to work hard in the classroom. The purpose of this research paper is to examine how school violence impacts student achievement. It would seem that school violence would have a negative impact on student achievement. If this is the case then we need to do what we can to prevent violence in schools. Technology can be used to help control school violence. Information on School Violence Violence in our schools has become an increasing problem. Within the United States alone, there have been approximately twenty-two school shootings since 1978 (Cruz, 2002, p. 53-54). Eighteen of the twenty-two occurred during the 1990’s. It has been approximated that â€Å"a school crime occurs every six seconds† (Day, 1996, p. 9). We must ask ourselves why school violence has flourished. When we try to answer this question, we tend to blame society. Violence in the media seems to be the number one cause for violence in the school. However, society and media are not the only things to blame. There are so many reasons for why school violence has become increasingly more popular, but there is one thing that can be said for sure is that our students need to be able to learn and work in a safe environment. The need to create â€Å"a school environment that is free of violence and drugs has become a public priority† (Flannery, 2000). People need to pull together as a community and help in the fight against school violence. We need to give students... ...zine/vault/A2857.cfm 24. The site describes how we can use technology to help prevent school violence. The article discusses some of the technologies being used to prevent violence in the school system. Also, the site gives a list of ways to assess the technologies being used as a solution to prevent violence. 25. Thompson, R. (2000). Promoting Academic Achievement and Safe Schools. Retrieved April 24, 2004 from http://www.nationalcenter.org/P21NVThompsonViolence600.html 26. The author discusses ways of trying to promote academic achievement and safer schools. 27. The author also realizes that the only way to make sure that students succeed is to make sure that their schools are safe. 28. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2002). School Violence Prevention. Retrieved April 25, 2004 from http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/schoolviolence/

Romeo & Juliet Theme Essay

Romeo and Juliet is a classic play by William Shakespeare about a pair of star-crossed lovers whose passion eventually drives them to their unfortunate deaths. Since the theme in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is Love as a Cause of Violence, it is easy to see why Shakespeare uses that thematic focus to show how Romeo and Juliet’s love for one another affected the outcome of their relationship. Most of the time, being in love makes people very over dramatic. When they lose someone they love, certain people tend to think that their lives are over and they can’t go on. This happens a lot in Romeo and Juliet.For example, when Romeo is exiled from Verona, he overreacts completely and goes to complain to the Friar. He says that being banished is just saying death by another name. He whines and utters that he would rather die than be away from his dear Juliet. Also, after Romeo is rejected by his first love Rosaline, he thinks that there is no one else in the world that can e ver compare to her, even though he falls in love with Juliet shortly after. Another example of this over dramatic behavior was when Juliet heard news of Romeo’s banishment. She considered Romeo’s banishment even worse than her own cousin’s death!Over dramatic behavior is just one of the things that makes love turn into violence. This play also demonstrates the effect love can have on decision making. Love can be very blinding especially in Romeo and Juliet’s case. They both made many rash and dangerous choices because their love clouded their ability to think wisely. An example of one of these rash, terrible decisions was when Romeo bought the poison from a pharmacist/apothecary. He should have considered all of his options before immediately jumping to the conclusion that he had to kill himself.This theme also came up when Juliet stated, â€Å"I long to die if what thou speak’st speak not of remedy. † (Shakespeare, Act IIII Scene I) She sai d this to Friar Lawrence complaining that if he can’t find her a way out of marrying Paris, she will kill herself. This is significant because it shows how her love for Romeo made her think violently, even though she didn’t follow through with what she said she would do. Lastly, Juliet stabbing herself with Romeo’s dagger at the end of the play showed how being without Romeo was unthinkable for her.Finally, the reoccurring theme of Love as a Cause of Violence is mainly in this play because without it, the audience underestimates the true power of Romeo and Juliet’s love for one another. The theme is what caused the dramatic, tragic ending to the play Romeo and Juliet. The double suicide was what ended the conflict between the two feuding families and showed how love is the source of all or most of the violence that occurs in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet aren’t the only ones who died because of love either.Lady Montague died of grieving for her banished son whom she loved exceedingly, and Tybalt died because Romeo killed him out of rage from losing his beloved best friend Mercutio. As you can see, the main theme of Love as a Cause of Violence is prevalent throughout the entire play of Romeo and Juliet. The power that love contains works in many different ways. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, love causes overly dramatic behavior, lack of quality judgment, and most of all, particularly violent actions and thoughts by the main and minor characters. Romeo & Juliet Theme Essay Romeo and Juliet is a classic play by William Shakespeare about a pair of star-crossed lovers whose passion eventually drives them to their unfortunate deaths. Since the theme in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is Love as a Cause of Violence, it is easy to see why Shakespeare uses that thematic focus to show how Romeo and Juliet’s love for one another affected the outcome of their relationship. Most of the time, being in love makes people very over dramatic. When they lose someone they love, certain people tend to think that their lives are over and they can’t go on. This happens a lot in Romeo and Juliet.For example, when Romeo is exiled from Verona, he overreacts completely and goes to complain to the Friar. He says that being banished is just saying death by another name. He whines and utters that he would rather die than be away from his dear Juliet. Also, after Romeo is rejected by his first love Rosaline, he thinks that there is no one else in the world that can e ver compare to her, even though he falls in love with Juliet shortly after. Another example of this over dramatic behavior was when Juliet heard news of Romeo’s banishment. She considered Romeo’s banishment even worse than her own cousin’s death!Over dramatic behavior is just one of the things that makes love turn into violence. This play also demonstrates the effect love can have on decision making. Love can be very blinding especially in Romeo and Juliet’s case. They both made many rash and dangerous choices because their love clouded their ability to think wisely. An example of one of these rash, terrible decisions was when Romeo bought the poison from a pharmacist/apothecary. He should have considered all of his options before immediately jumping to the conclusion that he had to kill himself.This theme also came up when Juliet stated, â€Å"I long to die if what thou speak’st speak not of remedy. † (Shakespeare, Act IIII Scene I) She sai d this to Friar Lawrence complaining that if he can’t find her a way out of marrying Paris, she will kill herself. This is significant because it shows how her love for Romeo made her think violently, even though she didn’t follow through with what she said she would do. Lastly, Juliet stabbing herself with Romeo’s dagger at the end of the play showed how being without Romeo was unthinkable for her.Finally, the reoccurring theme of Love as a Cause of Violence is mainly in this play because without it, the audience underestimates the true power of Romeo and Juliet’s love for one another. The theme is what caused the dramatic, tragic ending to the play Romeo and Juliet. The double suicide was what ended the conflict between the two feuding families and showed how love is the source of all or most of the violence that occurs in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet aren’t the only ones who died because of love either.Lady Montague died of grieving for her banished son whom she loved exceedingly, and Tybalt died because Romeo killed him out of rage from losing his beloved best friend Mercutio. As you can see, the main theme of Love as a Cause of Violence is prevalent throughout the entire play of Romeo and Juliet. The power that love contains works in many different ways. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, love causes overly dramatic behavior, lack of quality judgment, and most of all, particularly violent actions and thoughts by the main and minor characters.

Healthcare Issues/ Importance of Issues Essay

For a patient returning home after total hip replacement surgery, there is a need for the case manager to address any issues that may hinder proper healing or safety issues. In the case of Mr. Trosack, there are several issues that the case manager must address prior to discharge. First, Mr. Trosack is a newly diagnosed diabetic. He was prescribed Glucophage to help control his blood sugar and has demonstrated that he is able to perform his own blood glucose check using a glucometer. He has verbalized that he is not happy about having to take the â€Å"darn† medications and his family seems to be in denial about his diabetes. They believe that diet alone will control his blood sugar. Mr. Trosack’s unhappiness about taking medication and his family’s lack of concern about continuing the medication will put Mr. Trosack at risk for non-compliance with his medication regimen. It is important that Mr. Trosack receive ongoing education about controlling his diabetes including proper diet and taking his medications at specific times. This also needs to be addressed with his family so they are supportive in providing a healthy atmosphere for Mr. Trosack. Mr. Trosack is at a risk for falls given his age and history of falling down the stairs. His home is cluttered and there are many throw rugs which can interfere with safe ambulation. He is reliant on a walker for balance and lives on the second floor of his apartment building. It is important that any clutter and tripping hazards are cleared before Mr. Trosack can return home to decrease his chance of falling. It is also important that a physical therapist evaluate Mr. Trosack’s ability to climb 2 flights of stairs safely. Being newly diagnosed with hypertension, Mr. Trosack must be educated on the importance of rising slowly to prevent dizziness which may lead to falls. He also may become tired or dizzy from his Percocet. Any educational materials should be in larger print to compensate for his impaired vision and any verbal education must be done to his right to compensate for the hearing loss in his left ear. Mr. Trosack is at a risk for social isolation due to his inability to navigate two flights of stairs which lead to the outside of his apartment. His brother helps him manage the family bakery and will have to work extra hours since Mr. Trosack is unable to work. His son and daughter-in-law both work 60 hours a week and are trying to conceive a child. They were hoping to assist Mr.  Trosack but admit that they have little spare time. They were intending to investigate whether there was a local grocery store that could deliver food. This social isolation could lead to depression or force Mr. Trosack to attempt risky behaviors to fend for himself. If he has a fall at home, there is no telling how long it would take for someone to come to his aid. Interdisciplinary Team Members and Roles Several disciplines should be involved in the discharge planning for Mr. Trosack. The nurse case manager will oversee the patient’s care to ensure that they have access to the resources they need to recover. They help coordinate the patient’s care and make sure all aspects of care are covered. Case managers communicate with other specialists and ensure that the care is delivered in a timely manner. The physician will assess Mr. Trosack and clear him medically for discharge to home. The physician will monitor the healing process and prescribe any medications necessary. Any referrals to specialists will originate from the physician. The physical therapist will work with Mr. Trosack to set up an exercise regimen to improve strength and stamina. He can assess whether or not Mr.  Trosack is able to safely navigate the stairs leading to his home. Educating the patient about total hip precautions and safety is important. The physical therapist will teach the patient how to use the walker, safely get up from a seated or lying position, climb stairs and use the toilet while maintaining total hip precautions. He may recommend a raised commode or grab bars in the bathroom for safety. The social worker can assess the patient’s support system and recommend resources that can make life a little easier for the patient. She may recommend an aide to assist Mr.  Trosack with bathing, dressing, shopping or light housekeeping. The social worker could set up the delivery of meals from Meals on Wheels or other service. She could help find a grocery store that delivers food to the patient’s home. Since Mr. Trosack will be alone most of the time and he has an increased risk for falls, the social worker could help set up a medical alert system, like Lifeline, that will allow Mr. Trosack to call for immediate medical assistance in the event of an emergency. Safety Assessment The entry to Mr. Trosack’s apartment requires walking up 2 flights of stairs. There is no elevator in the building. Mr. Trosack will not be able to safely navigate the stairs without the assistance of another person. He will not be able to carry his walker and safely descend the steps. If he does have the assistance of someone who will carry his walker, there must be a handrail available for extra stability. The physical therapist needs to educate Mr. Trosack on the safe way to ascend and descend stairs. When going up, Mr. Trosack should lead with his â€Å"good† leg, and then bring his operative leg to the same step. When descending the stairs, he should lead with his â€Å"bad† leg and then bring down his â€Å"good† leg. Mr.  Trosack’s apartment is described as small and cluttered. The area will need to be cleared so there is a safe pathway for him to walk through that includes enough room for his walker. Any throw rugs should be removed to prevent tripping. The bathroom should be equipped with grab bars to give Mr. Trosack extra stability. A bath seat should be placed in the tub so Mr. Trosack does not have to stand while bathing, thus reducing the chance for a slip and fall. A raised seat commode would be useful to prevent breaking total hip precautions. Any old medication in the medicine cabinet should be thrown away to prevent confusion. The kitchen is small and cannot accommodate the walker. Mr. Trosack will have to be taught to safely navigate the kitchen using the counters for support. An occupational therapist could assess the situation and make recommendations for kitchen safety. The stove seems to be accessible with the controls on the front in easy reach. Old food in the refrigerator should be thrown away to prevent food borne illness. If an aide is involved in Mr. Trosack’s care, she could help with food shopping, throw away all old food each week and take the trash out. Discharge Plan Needs Mr. Trosack will require an environment that is safe and supportive during is recovery. His home will need to be cleaned and all tripping hazards taken away. He will need supervision in activities of daily living (ADLs) like bathing, cooking and ambulation. His groceries will need to be delivered and his trash will need to be taken down the stairs. He will need some form of communication to alert emergency services if he falls. His family is extremely busy working 60 hours a week and they have little spare time to help. The family needs to decide if they can take on this responsibility alone. Mr. Trosack needs to realize that he will not be able to help in the bakery until he is healed. The stairs to his apartment are a huge barrier to him leaving the home for any reason and he cannot do it safely without help. Social Isolation Mr. Trosack is at risk for social isolation due to living alone, lack of family support and inability to leave his house due to surgery. According to the World Health Organization, social isolation is associated with â€Å"increased rates of premature death, lower general well-being, more depression, and a higher level of disability from chronic diseases† (Children’s, Women’s and Seniors Health Branch, British Columbia Ministry of Health [BC Ministry of Health], 2004, p. ). The isolated tend to have a higher incidence of depression and stress-related conditions. People who feel alone are at an increased risk of early death. A British study found that the most socially isolated were 26% more likely to die than those who were active (Szalavitz, 2013). Some of this is due to delayed medical care caused by medical conditions going unnoticed until the condition has become advanced. Some is due to the lack of health benefits of social, physical contact like holding hands. Physical contact can help reduce pain and blood pressure while decreasing stress hormones and inflammation. The stress caused by social isolation generates the production of cortisol in the body. This has a deleterious effect on wound healing. On the other hand, during social contact and bonding, the body produces oxytocin. This hormone blocks the effects of cortisol and helps promote healing (Detillion, Kraft, Glasper, Prendergast, & DeVries, 2003). Psychological Factors Mr. Trosack will be alone most of the time. He is a widower and his family is busy with work. He is unable to leave his home due to mobility issues. He will not be able to function at the bakery as he wishes. This may lead to loneliness and frustration which will negatively impact his well being. He may become depressed and lack the motivation to continue with his therapy program. His sleep patterns may be affected and he may lose track of time which may make it difficult for him to maintain proper medication administration times. Recommendations It should be recommended that Mr. Trosack be discharged to home with several services in place to assist him. A visiting nurse will provide additional education about medications and monitor Mr. Trosack’s medication compliance. She can also reinforce teaching about diet and total hip precautions. A nurse aide can help with ADLs and some light housework to make sure the home remains uncluttered. The aide can help with shopping, cooking and taking out the trash. A physical therapist can visit and help with mobility and exercises. The therapist can determine when Mr. Trosack can advance to use of a can instead of a walker. The case manager can provide outside resources like transportation and Meals on Wheels. An occupational therapist can teach Mr. Trosack how to safely dress and bathe himself to promote independence. Visits from these professionals will also decrease the feeling of loneliness and social isolation.

Auditing and Ethics Independent Operation

The major responsibility of the auditors is to find out that if there is any materials misstatement in the accounting operations of the audited organization. There are some responsibilities of the auditors. They need to be ethical and honest at the time of audit operation (Louwers et al., 2013). In this regard, Accounting Professional & Ethical Standards Board Limited (APESB) has issued the APES 110 article that states the responsibility of the auditors. On the other hand, this article also includes the details of threats that an auditor can face and its safeguards (apesb.org.au 2016). The second situation indicates that Fellowes and Associates have valued the intellectual properties of HCHG on 1 March 2014 that is worth 30 million. Another important factor is that the intellectual properties are shown as material to HCHG. On 30 June 2014, the consolidated balance sheet of HCHG includes that same amount of intellectual property. This act of Fellowes and Associates has created a possible threat for Fellowes and Associates. As per the rules and regulations of Fellowes and Associates, an auditor needs to appropriately evaluate the results of previous judgment made by another audit partner. This process demands the revaluation of various assets of the audit client. When the auditors fail to do this, it creates the Self- Review Threat (Ojo, 2015). In the case of second situation, the auditors of Fellowes and Associates have taken the same amount of the intellectual properties on 30 June 2014. However, as per the rules of APES 110, the auditors need to revaluate the inte llectual properties. Hence, this act of Fellowes and Associates has created the Self-Review Threat for the audit firm. This threat is considered as a major offence in audit profession (Dobler, 2014). According to the first situation, the activity of one of the audit associates of Fellowes and Associates has created the threat of Self-interest. This type of threat is occurred when any member of the audit team has financial interest in the property of the audit client. In this particular incident, the corrective action will be to replace that particular account associate with another one. This only corrective action can be taken. However, some safeguards can be adopted to avoid this kind of situations. First, some policies and procedures need to be implemented that will help the organization to identify the staffs having financial interest in the properties of the audit client. Second, the non-audit services to the audit clients need to be minimized in order to prevent this. Last but not the least, there needs to be effective policies and principle that will prohibit the audit employees to establish financial relationship with the audit clients (Tahir, Idris & Ariffin, 2014). The second situation indicates that there is a Self-review threat by the wrong evaluation of the intellectual properties of HCHG. The rule states that other auditors must evaluate the valuation of assets. In the case of Fellowes and Associates, the only safeguards available are that the valuation of the intellectual properties needs to be evaluated by another audit team. There are some safeguards available to prevent this kind of incidents. First, it is necessary to minimize to provide non audit services to audit clients. Second, it needs to be made sure that the audit client takes decisions based on non-audit services on their own responsibility. Third, there should be a cooling off-period time before a senior auditor takes the responsibility of the audit operations. These safeguards can be taken to avoid these kinds of situation (Lawson, Spencer & Turek, 2016). As per the above discussion, it can be seen that the auditors need to maintain the rules and regulations of APES 110 at the time of audit operation. The above report states that there are major two kinds of threats in the audit operation. They are self-interest threat and self-review threat. These two are the major threats that have minimum number of safeguards. However, corrective measures are available to reduce these threats. On the other hand, APES 110 provides some safeguards that can be used to reduce the chance of the occurrence of these threats. APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants. (2016).  apesb.org.au. Retrieved 29 December 2016, from https://www.apesb.org.au/uploads/standards/apesb_standards/standard1.pdf Bosse, D. A., & Phillips, R. A. (2016). Agency theory and bounded self-interest.  Academy of Management Review,  41(2), 276-297. Dobler, M. (2014). Auditor-provided non-audit services in listed and private family firms.  Managerial Auditing Journal,  29(5), 427-454. Lawson, B. P., Spencer, A. W., & Turek, M. (2016). Developments in Ethics Guidelines for CPAs.  Journal of Corporate Accounting & Finance,  27(6), 63-71. Louwers, T. J., Ramsay, R. J., Sinason, D. H., Strawser, J. R., & Thibodeau, J. C. (2013).  Auditing and assurance services. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Ojo, M. (2015). Audits, audit quality and signalling mechanisms: concentrated ownership structures.  American Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences,  1(2). Svanberg, J., & Ãâ€"hman, P. (2013). Auditors' time pressure: does ethical culture support audit quality?.  Managerial Auditing Journal,  28(7), 572-591. Tahir, F. A., Idris, K. M., & Ariffin, Z. Z. (2014). Dimensions of Auditor Independence: A Pilot Study.  International Journal of Business and Management,  9(6), 72.

Market Reseach Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Market Reseach - Research Proposal Example The latter issue has attracted the attention of this company to consumers representing the personal segment or ordinary consumer segment. It is expected that this group may be concerned about the issue of price and the latter proposal will ascertain whether this is a true fact or not. The client has set a period of eight weeks for the completion of the project. Consequently, all the tasks in the research will be distributed evenly within this period. Allocations will be done depending on the weight of the task and how many parties will need to be involved in the process. The focus group will be essential in determining the factors that consumers consider when making decisions about the purchase of notebook computers. Besides this, they will also reveal information about sources of information that they rely on before choosing to buy a notebook computer. Information about the kind of features that make competitors more successful within the market will be sought. This is especially because the market has become relatively competitive today. Special emphasis will be given to price offerings in this particular industry segment as it was a serious concern by CB A budget of two thousand pounds a... 3.2) Notebook computer information This part will dwell on how the notebook computer is regarded by clients in terms of its appearance. Information such as the computer's exteriors design will be looked into. For example colour, design and thickness Information about the interior features of the computer will also be imperative. Things such as display cards, memory, CPU, mainboard and other features will be examined 3.3) Competitor's information Information about the kind of features that make competitors more successful within the market will be sought. This is especially because the market has become relatively competitive today. Special emphasis will be given to price offerings in this particular industry segment as it was a serious concern by CB 4.0 Methodology A budget of two thousand pounds allows one to do more secondary than primary research. (Aaker & Day, 1990) The information sought during the research will represent both quantitative and qualitative portions of the paper. Quantitative aspects will cover the numerical elements of the research such as price. Additionally, qualitative aspects of the research will be reflected by looking into consumer experiences especially with regard to the decision making process. These two aspects govern exactly how the kind of 4.1 Desk research This part of the research will entail an examination of data sources that may have contained information about related topics to the one under consideration. Here, their methods or processes and their results will be thoroughly be examined in order to ascertain that the right procedure is being followed. Additionally, related computer websites will be consulted so as to seek information

Social and Physical Benefits of Parks and Recreation Space Research Paper

Social and Physical Benefits of Parks and Recreation Space - Research Paper Example r, is not always the case in the country because many parks continue to suffer from lack of essential recreational facilities or over-emphasis on the natural environment at the expense of modern park facilities for sports and other modern forms of recreation (Godbey et al., 2008). The major problem is that irrespective of the relative development of many other public facilities in urban areas in the country, recreational parks still remain largely underdeveloped and traditional. The lack of modern facilities and other incentives in parks is keeping many people especially of the young generation from sufficiently utilizing these essential public spaces. 1.2 Research Questions This study was aimed at answering the following questions; 1) What is the role of recreational parks in urban neighborhoods in the area of study? 2) Is there optimum utilization of recreational parks in the area? 3) What are the challenges facing recreational parks in the study area? 4) What steps can be taken to modernize recreational parks for optimum value to the communities they serve? 1.3 Purpose of Study The purpose of this paper is to investigate the social and physical benefits of parks and urban green recreation spaces in the United States. The study involves comparative investigation of a number of public parks in residential neighborhoods of Los Angeles whereby various essential parameters of the parks are studied. This includes space allocated for the parks, facilities within the parks and the space allocated to each of the facilities, the number of people utilizing the parks and their mix in terms of age and race. The study also includes other characteristics related to the parks including issues such as crime and health. 2.0 Literature Review In view of the importance of parks as... The purpose of this paper is to investigate the social and physical benefits of parks and urban green recreation spaces in the United States. The study involves comparative investigation of a number of public parks in residential neighborhoods of Los Angeles whereby various essential parameters of the parks are studied. This includes space allocated for the parks, facilities within the parks and the space allocated to each of the facilities, the number of people utilizing the parks and their mix in terms of age and race. The study also includes other characteristics related to the parks including issues such as crime and health.In view of the importance of parks as areas for recreation and environmental conservation, many studies are increasingly being carried out to highlight their physical and social benefits to the society as well as improve their management.Urban nature in the form of parks, forests, and green belts, and its components such as trees and water, positively impacts the environment and ecology of a region. It accomplishes â€Å"important environmental services such as air and water purification, the wind and noise filtering, and microclimate stabilization†. Thus, parks promote physical health by providing green spaces and fresh air for exercising and walking and increase social well-being through opportunities for interacting with neighbors and peers at a shared, common location. The social and psychological services of parks and recreation are vital for the livability of modern cities.

The movie ( the station Agent) Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The ( the station Agent) - Movie Review Example Rather, it explores the possibility and feasibility of strange equations between newly acquainted humans. For example, when Fin moves to the old building left behind by Henry (upon the latter’s death), he suddenly finds himself forming an intricate network of social interactions. In this newfound social atmosphere there are opportunities for creative exploration as well as for personal bonding. The former is attested by the joy Fin derives through observing and studying trains and the latter is borne by the close personal bonds he develops with Joe and Olivia. The most distinct character of this independent film is the lack of sexual interest in any of these relationships. This is a far cry from conventional Hollywood fare whose plots are woven around sexual/romantic interest of the lead characters. The Station Agent is simultaneously inspiring and thought-provoking. For example, the film shows the transformation of a physically disadvantage person’s attitude toward life and other humans. This way it poses key questions to the viewer as to how they view their own predicaments in life. Fin’s near-death experience on the rail tracks is an imploration to the audience to seize everyday moments and make the maximum out of them. This subtle and implicit dialogue that the director Thomas McCarthy strikes with the viewer makes The Station Agent a truly one-of-its-kind independent