Fundamentals of Mice Management Essay Example for Free

Fundamentals of Mice Management Essay National Community Leadership Institute: The first trip was to the National Community Leadership Institute (NACLI), which is located at 70 South Buona Vista Road, Singapore 118176. Its location, situated in the midst of Kent Ridge Park, is fairly close to the Haw Par Villa MRT station, and some distance away from Buona Vista MRT station and Harbourfront station. However, there is only one bus stop with only one bus service near it. This makes the place relatively inaccessible as one may not know where to take the bus from. One would have to take a bus from either Harbourfront or Buona Vista station, and change to another bus to get there and if he or she is not familiar with the place, it would the journey much more difficult for them. Moreover, Haw Par Villa MRT station is still situated quite a distance away from NACLI itself, making it hard for people to actually get there. Barring that, NACLI would still be reachable by people all over Singapore as there are 3 MRT lines serving nearby with several bus services available, though travelling time would be rather long. NACLI provides its clients with a variety of facilities to be used for various purposes. There are training rooms, together with a conference room, available, which can hold up till either 25 or 50-60 people. There are facilities such as an auditorium and a learning lounge, several gazebos, a multi-purpose hall, a dining hall and numerous accommodation facilities available for their clients’ use. The auditorium can hold up to 300 people. Its accommodation facilities are divided into 5 categories, which can hold as little as 2 people to as much as 7 people for overnight stays. There is lso an activity hub and an obstacle course area whereby clients can make use of for more physical activities. With so many facilities available, NACLI is a good place for holding training seminars and corporate events such as meetings as they would be able to meet their clients’ needs when organizing such events. The auditorium and training rooms would suffice for companies to hold their t raining workshops in, and NACLI would even provide courses such as teambuilding for its clients. Thus, its facilities can be considered to be quite good as they cater to a lot of the clients’ needs. However, NACLI may be lacking in terms of food, since it has only one dining hall without much food choices. Clients would have to engage catering if they want more choices for their meals, as there are no nearby food outlets available. The unique selling point of NACLI would include the lush greenery that surrounds the institute. It would provide an extremely conducive environment for events to be held at, what with its soothing effect on people. Green events can be easily conducted as it would fit very much into the theme of the event. Moreover, with accommodations available at cheap rates, events can be held without a hitch. Training courses are also available, which would make NACLI an attractive event space for corporate companies to hold their workshops and training seminars in as they would not have to look for their own trainers from external companies. Some of the events held at NACLI would include the following: Community LEAD Champion Awards 2009, an award ceremony to recognize outstanding grassroots leaders; Law for Community Leaders Programme 2011, a programme aimed to equip grassroots leader with basic law knowledge; PAYM Service Learning Festival 2009. Other events include the GMC (Grace Methodist Church) Youth Alpha Weekend Camp, induction programmes for new community leaders and various talks. SUNTEC CITY CONVENTION CENTRE: The second trip was to Suntec City Convention Centre, where we attended a talk about Suntec Singapore’s experience as an events company. Suntec City, situated at 1 Raffles Boulevard Singapore 039593, is conveniently located next to the Central Business District (CBD) and a mere 20 minutes’ ride from Singapore’s one and only international airport, Changi Airport. Suntec City Convention Centre is also very accessible via public transport. Several MRT stations, namely City Hall, Esplanade and Promenade, are serving nearby. A bus stop just right in front of the Convention Centre also has numerous bus services serving it. The Convention Centre is also accessible via 2 expressways, namely the East Coast Expressway (ECP) and Central Expressway (CTE). Thus, with so many ways in which one can use to travel to Suntec City Convention Centre, the place can be considered to be very accessible. Its relatively close distance to the airport would allow foreign guests travelling from overseas to be able to get to the event as soon as they arrive in Singapore. People from all over Singapore would able to access easily due to the large number of roads and transport available. Moreover, there are numerous hotels nearby, such as the Pan Pacific Singapore, Swissotel the Stamford and the Ritz-Carlton Millennia Singapore. This would allow easy access for all foreign guests staying over in Singapore for the various events that could be held in Suntec City Convention Centre. Therefore, it can be said that Suntec City Convention Centre, being in a prime location, is very accessible, even for foreign guests. Suntec City Convention Centre has one of the finest facilities for MICE events. With a convention hall that can fit up to 10,000 people in theatre style seating and an exhibition hall that is of over 12000 square metres, many events can held concurrently by partitioning the halls. This would allow the organizer to be able meet their many needs for the type of space that they need for the event. The Convention Centre has over 31 meeting rooms, which can accommodate 10 to over 400 people, which would allow any amount of guests to hold their corporate meetings in them. There is also a theatre which can hold up to 596 people, and a ballroom which can hold up to 1800 people, and is also divisible. With so many facilities available, Suntec City Convention Centre is a good place for holding exhibitions and corporate events such as meetings as they would be able to meet their clients’ needs when organizing such events. The numerous meeting rooms of various sizes, convention hall and theatre would suffice for companies to hold their corporate meetings in, while the ballrooms can be used for other unctions. The exhibition and convention hall would also allow many both and foreign companies to set up booths during events for showcasing themselves. Thus, its facilities can be considered to be quite good as they are able to cater to a lot of their clients’ needs. Visitors need not worry about their meals either, as there is an in-house catering service available, and in the event of where the visitors do not want the service, there are numerous restaurants and eateries available in the Convention Centre. The unique selling point of Suntec City Convention Centre would be its location and services. Situated in a superb location, event organisers would look to Suntec Singapore for event space as it can be accessed easily, as mentioned above. Moreover, various services such as catering and delivery are also available for the use by event organisers. For example, Ta-Q-Bin, a well-known delivery company, has an office just for them and several lorries on standby for emergency use, situated right in Suntec City Convention Centre itself. Event organisers would have no worries even if something were to go wrong – Suntec Singapore will have a Plan B just for them. Some of the events held at Suntec City Convention Centre would include the following: the Youth Olympic Games 2010; WTO Ministerial Conference of 1994; the World Economic Forums East Asia Economic Summit, which has been held there several times; IT Show; NATAS Travel Fair; the International Food Festival, the World Down Syndrome Congress, Anime Festival Asia; the 61st Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. Singapore Expo: The Singapore Expo is located at 1 Expo Drive, #02-10 Singapore 486150, and it is only a few minutes’ drive from Changi International Airport, therefore allowing foreign visitors to be able to visit as soon as they arrive in Singapore. Located in the east of Singapore, Singapore Expo has its own MRT station, the Expo MRT station, serving it, together with several bus stops that only has a very small number of bus services stopping there. major expressways link the Expo to the rest of Singapore, allowing many people to be able to access it relatively easily, and they are the East Coast Parkway (ECP), Pan Island Expressway (PIE). Tampines Expressway (TPE). Visitors can also drive there as there are 2,200 car park lots reserved for them. 2 hotels are situated only a mere 15 minutes’ drive away from the Expo, and they are Crowne Plaza Changi Airport and Grand Mercure Roxy Singapore, allowing foreign visitors to be able to visit it easily from their accommoda tions. Thus, it can be said that the Singapore Expo is relatively accessible, as visitors in the CBD certainly have many ways in which they can use to visit the Expo. However, that being said, the Expo is not situated in a prime location, and while it has many transport services serving it, it may still be inconvenient for some to travel there due to its proximity from the city centre. Moreover, local visitors staying the other side of Singapore may find it a hassle to travel to it. The Singapore Expo has facilities that are made especially for holding MICE events in. With 10 exhibition halls of 10,000 square metres, exhibitors and various organisers would have no problems holding their events at the Expo. 6 of them, which are the indoor halls, also have a meeting room on the second level that can be used as the organiser’s office or even a VIP room. There is also the MAX Pavilion which is equipped with a top-end sound system, allowing it to be used for large scale events such as concerts. With state-of-art lightings and video systems, the theatre style seating allows up to over 7000 people at one go. The V-rooms also allows for events such as board meetings, conferences (break-out sessions), in-hall meetings to be held in it. A new convention centre, the MAX Aria, would also be opening this year, and it promises to bring organising such MICE events to new heights with its new 32 additional meeting spaces. Thus, with such facilities, organisers would be able to find the suitable space for their events to be held in. As the Expo is built for MICE purposes, organisers would find that most of their event needs would easily be met if they were to be held at the Expo. There are numerous halls to choose from with various rooms available for use. The option of having either an indoor or outdoor event leaves space for the organisers to be able to manipulate and plan their event the way they want it to be. Its proximity to business parks also makes it easier for companies to hold their corporate meetings in it, and with over 2200 car park lots, visitors would be able to drive there as well, or their own convenience. The new convention centre that is to be opened this year would also allow events to be held at a totally new space, and with it being an eco-friendly event space, organisers who are concerned about being environmentally friendly would be assured that they would be able to hold their events in an eco-friendly space. Moreover, with over 14 eateries and restaurants, visitors would be spoilt for choice when it’s time for their meals. The unique selling point of Singapore Expo would be its large event space that is accompanied with facilities that event organisers may need. As it was built for MICE purposes, event organisers would be drawn to it as they can find everything they would need for organising an event. Its proximity to areas such as the airport and the large car park available would also attract event organisers since there would be less worry for traffic congestion and foreign guests arriving in Singapore would find travelling to the Expo an easy feat due to its proximity. With the new eco-friendly convention centre slated to be opened this year, more event organisers would be attracted especially if they are holding green events. Some of the events held at Singapore Expo would include the following: Food ;amp; Hotel Asia 2010; International Furniture Fair 2010; Asia Pacific Maritime 2010; SITEX 2010; Natas Travel Fair 2010; National Library Book Sale 2010. Suitable events to be held would include corporate events such as meetings, talks, seminars, exhibits. Marina Bay Sands: Marina Bay Sands (MBS) has its own convention centre, the Sands Expo and Convention Centre and is located at 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956, is a mere 4 minutes’ walk from Marina Bay MRT station and 10 minutes away from Promenade MRT station. Its nearest MRT station, Bayfront, is situated a few minutes away too. There are 2 bus stops serving it, with several bus services from around Singapore. Aside from such public transport, other modes are also readily available for all guests. One would be the water taxi which one could hop on from Clarke Quay, Boat Quay and Merlion Park, and the HiPPO River Cruise Water Taxi, from any kiosks. A 20 minute drive away from Singapore Changi International Airport, there is also an airport shuttle bus where foreign guests flying in could take to arrive at MBS. It is also only a couple of minutes’ drive away central areas such as Orchard Road. Therefore, it can be said that while there are modes of transport available for guests to take to arrive at MBS, they are certainly not easy to find. For example, although there are several bus services serving it, they are not extensive enough to reach out to most of Singapore. Most of them serve mainly the city area. Many guests would either have to drive there or take a taxi instead, unless they are staying at the MBS hotel. However, with services such as the airport shuttle bus and various other transport services provided by external organisations as such the Singapore Airlines Hop-On bus and international coaches. Thus, it is still relatively accessible. Marina Bay Sands’ MICE facilities, spanning over 120,000 square metres with over 5 levels of it, are able to accommodate up to 45,000 delegates, 2,000 exhibition booths, with over 250 meeting rooms and its ballroom is considered to be Southeast Asia’s largest. It can also hold up to 6,000 guests for banquet style seating, 7,000 people in stage style seating or even an astounding 11,000 people in theatre style seating. A VIP lounge is also available for use for VIP guests. Thus, with such a huge space for MICE events, organisers would not have a problem with event space. There is also a large kitchen of 2833 square metres which serves over 100 menus appealing to most tastes and preferences, thus guests would have no qualms about the food. Its facilities are also of reputable quality since it is operated by Las Vegas MICE business pioneer, Las Vegas Sands Corp. Awards won by MBS would include â€Å"Best of the Best Top 5: from Robb Report China in October 2010, â€Å"Asias Best MICE Hotel† and 2nd place for â€Å"Asias Best Convention and Exhibition Centre† from CEI Asia Industry Awards 2011. Therefore, with such assurance, organisers would be able to hold successful events in MBS. MBS had also confirmed more than 1100 events in its first year of operations. With a nearby hotel, guests can easily access the event location easily. Services such as valet parking are also available for all guests, and shopping can also be done at the Shoppes, which offers over 300 stores and food outlets. With dining choices ranging from quick eats to fine dining, guests would have no problems with their meal choices at MBS. The unique selling point of MBS would be its facilities and support services. With over 5 levels of MICE space, event organisers would be spoilt for choices when it comes to selecting the best event space for them due to the flexibility of space at MBS. Coupled with stunning architecture and its good location, MBS would certainly be attractive to event organisers. The numerous support services, such as the shopping amenities and food and beverage outlets, would allow guests to enjoy themselves while they are here for the event. Event organisers would not need to worry about providing entertainment for the guests if needed. With everything under one roof, ranging from accommodations to event spaces, event organisers would be attracted to MBS, and thus, this makes it MBS’ unique selling point. Some of the events held at MBS would include the following: Cruise Shipping Asia 2011; 20th World Orchid Conference; ITB Asia 2011; Art Stage Singapore 2011; Pavilion of Art ;amp; Design 2011 (PAD Singapore 2011); Chem Asia International Expo 2010;  Offshore Asia 2011. Suitable events to be held would include corporate events such as meetings, talks, seminars, exhibits. Resorts World Sentosa: Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) is located off the southern coast of Singapore, at 39 Artillery Avenue, Singapore 099958. In a strategic location, Changi International Airport is just a 25 minutes’ drive away from RWS. Foreign guests could hire a taxi from the airport and arrive at the resort in less than half an hour’s time. It is also located just 10 minutes away from the CBD, and a mere 15 minutes away from Orchard Road. Guests can easily travel to Sentosa through the tram service that is located at the top floor of Vivo City. Guests who had travelled to Singapore through cruises or ferries can also access the resort easily as the Singapore Cruise Centre is just located opposite of Sentosa, situated at the basement of Harbourfront shopping mall. Public transport is also readily available. Buses do go into the island, and guests can also take a stroll along the bridge. The Harbourfront MRT station is located below the Harbourfront shopping mall. Thus, it can be said the RWS is relative accessible. However, despite the modes of transport available, it can still be difficult to access RWS since it is still located off Singapore. RWS’s own convention centre, Resorts World Convention Centre, has a variety of facilities available for MICE events. The Compass Ballroom is the region’s largest column-less ballroom with over 6,000 square metres of column-less. It is able to hold more than 6,500 people in theatre-style seating and with retractable walls, the ballroom can be divided into 3 for more event space. There are 30 function rooms available amounting to over of 3,300 square metres. The Coliseum, located outdoors, gives guests a view of the gorgeous pool of Hard Rock Hotel and a space for unconfined events to be held at. Various support amenities such as business and media centres, luxurious VIP rooms, built-in audio visual facilities are available for the use for event organizers. When holding an event at RWS, all the organisers’ needs would be promptly met with such facilities available. The column-less ballroom would allow all guests, no matter where they are in the ballroom, a clear view of the event happenings. Moreover, with such unobstructed space, numerous exhibition booths can be set up without problems. There are 6 hotels of different themes which would be sufficient to meet foreign guests’ expectations for accommodations when they visit Singapore to attend an event. With over 60 food and beverage outlets ranging from casual to fine dining, and over 45 retail outlets including Coach and Victoria’s Secret, guests have no problems filling their time between events and when it comes to their meals. The unique selling point of RWS’s Convention Centre would be the column-less ballroom. There are not many places in Singapore which have such large event space that is column-less. Thus, it provides a strong selling point for RWS in order to attract event organisers. Moreover, although RWS is not a fully-fledged MICE events space, the facilities are certainly sufficient for most of the organisers’ needs to be met. There are many support services such as the various hotels available as accommodation and the Universal Studios Singapore theme park that would be able to attract event organisers due to the entertainment available for attendees. Some of the events held at RWS would include the following: Asian Attractions Expo 2011; 11th World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention; Asia’s Ultimate Mixed Martial Arts Fighting Championship 2011; South Asian Diaspora Convention 2011 Opening Ceremony; Intellectual Property Office of Singapore 10th Anniversary Event.

Lynching and Women: Ida B. Wells Essay -- History Historical Essays

Lynching and Women: Ida B. Wells Emancipated blacks, after the Civil War, continued to live in fear of lynching, a practice of vigilantism that was often based on false accusations. Lynching was not only a way for southern white men to exert racist â€Å"justice,† it was also a means of keeping women, white and black, under the control of a violent white male ideology. In response to the injustices of lynching, the anti-lynching movement was established—a campaign in which women played a key role. Ida B. Wells, a black teacher and journalist was at the forefront and early development of this movement. In 1892 Wells was one of the first news reporters to bring the truths of lynching to proper media attention. Her first articles appeared in The Free Speech and Headlight, a Memphis newspaper that she co-edited. She urged the black townspeople of Memphis to move west and to resist the coercive violence of lynching. [1] Her early articles were collected in Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phas es, a widely distributed pamphlet that exposed the innocence of many victims of lynching and attacked the leaders of white southern communities for allowing such atrocities. [2] In 1895 Wells published a larger investigative report, A Red Record, which exposed how false or contrived accusations of rape accompanied less than one third of the cases documented around 1892. [3] The statistics and literature of A Red Record denounced the dominant white male ideology behind lynching – the thought that white womanhood was in need of protection against black men. Wells challenged this notion as a concealed racist agenda that functioned to keep white men in power over blacks as well as white women. Jacqueline Jones Royster documents the... ...english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/g_l/lynching/lynching.htm>. [3] Tabulating the statistics for lynchings in 1893, [in A Red Record] Wells demonstrated that less than a third of the victims were even accused of rape or attempted rape. [4] Royster. Southern Horrors and Other Writings (30). [5] Brown states, â€Å"Southern white men [had a compelling urge] to avenge even a hint of impropriety that encroached on their ownership of white women’s virtue† (21). [6] From Royster’s explanation of white men’s justification for lynching (32). [7] Women in History. [8] From George Washington University’s webpage on Anna Julia Cooper, under the â€Å"Social Activism† section.

My experience Essay

Over the summer, I took a trip to Mission Beach with my family and friends as we do every summer and Christmas break. Each year we always take a night to go to our favorite restaurant, Tower 21. The refreshing atmosphere, top-notch service, and mouth watering food is what we come back for and they never fail to meet our expectations. This last experience, however, was different than what we were expecting. My family and I were all very ecstatic about getting dressed up and eating delicious food after our long week of burgers and hotdogs by the campfire. When we pulled up to the valet for the restaurant we were greeted with a smile and a quick valet parking process. This was not something out of the ordinary, more of something expected. As we entered the entrance of the restaurant, again, we were greeted with friendly faces that immediately sat us at our reserved table. Our waitress then came to our table and introduced herself very nicely, just as we expected. The beginning of our meal went exceptionally well. Our waitress and bus boy even had a few personal conversations with my family making us feel even more comfortable at the restaurant. But once again, this was something that we always had the pleasure of enjoying when it came to the guest service. After our appetizers were finished, that was when the whole experience changed. Around the corner we could all see our entrees coming our way. The entrees were served with happy faces all around the table. After our waitress made sure everything had come to the table, she went back to her other tables. Each of us began to cut into our steaks in front of us. Immediately you could see disappointment on a few of my family members faces. What they expected to be a perfectly medium rare steak ended up being a medium well steak. At this moment our â€Å"experience† turned to a downward slope. My father called over the waitress to tell her about our complaint. She apologized for the over cooked steaks and had them sent back to the kitchen for new ones. The manager of the restaurant along with our waitress brought over the brand new steaks to make sure they were properly cooked. Of course, this time they were even better than perfect.

Biography of Ernesto Che Guevara, Revolutionary Leader

Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (June 14, 1928–October 9, 1967) was an Argentine physician and revolutionary who played a key role in the Cuban Revolution. He also served in the government of Cuba after the communist takeover before leaving Cuba to try to stir up rebellions in Africa and South America. He was captured and executed by Bolivian security forces in 1967. Today, he is considered by many to be a symbol of rebellion and idealism, while others see him as a murderer. Fast Facts: Ernesto Guevara de la Serna Known For: Key figure in the Cuban RevolutionAlso Known As: CheBorn: June 14, 1928 in Rosario,  Santa Fe province,  ArgentinaParents: Ernesto Guevara Lynch, Celia de la Serna y LlosaDied: October 9, 1967  in La Higuera,  Vallegrande,  BoliviaEducation: University of Buenos AiresPublished Works: The Motorcycle Diaries, Guerrilla Warfare, The African Dream, The Bolivian DiaryAwards and Honors:  Knight Grand Cross of the  Order of the Southern CrossSpouse(s): Hilda Gadea, Aleida March  Children: Hilda, Aleida, Camilo, Celia, ErnestoNotable Quote: If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine. Early Life Ernesto was born into a middle-class family in Rosario, Argentina. His family was somewhat aristocratic and could trace their lineage to the early days of Argentine settlement. The family moved around a great deal while Ernesto was young. He developed severe asthma early in life; the attacks were so bad that witnesses were occasionally scared for his life. He was determined to overcome his ailment, however, and was very active in his youth, playing rugby, swimming, and doing other physical activities. He also received an excellent education. Medicine In 1947, Ernesto moved to Buenos Aires to care for his elderly grandmother. She died shortly thereafter and he began medical school. Some believe he was driven to study medicine because of his inability to save his grandmother. He was a believer in the idea that a patients state of mind is as important as the medicine he or she is given. He remained very close to his mother and stayed fit through exercise, although his asthma continued to plague him. He decided to take a vacation and put his studies on hold. The Motorcycle Diaries At the end of 1951, Ernesto set off with his good friend Alberto Granado on a trip north through South America. For the first part of the trip, they had a Norton motorcycle, but it was in poor repair and had to be abandoned in Santiago. They traveled through Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela, where they parted ways. Ernesto continued to Miami and returned to Argentina from there. Ernesto kept notes during his trip, which he subsequently made into a book, The Motorcycle Diaries, which was made into an award-winning movie in 2004. The trip showed him the poverty and misery all throughout Latin America and he wanted to do something about it, even if he did not know what. Guatemala Ernesto returned to Argentina in 1953 and finished medical school. He left again almost immediately, however, heading up the western Andes and traveling through Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia before reaching Central America. He eventually settled for a while in Guatemala, at the time experimenting with significant land reform under President Jacobo Arbenz. It was about this time that he acquired his nickname Che, an Argentine expression meaning (more or less) hey there. When the CIA overthrew Arbenz, Che tried to join a brigade and fight, but it was over too quickly. Che took refuge in the Argentine Embassy before securing safe passage to Mexico. Mexico and Fidel In Mexico, Che met and befriended Raà ºl Castro, one of the leaders in the assault on the Moncada Barracks in Cuba in 1953. Raà ºl soon introduced his new friend to his brother Fidel, leader of the 26th of July movement which sought to remove Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista from power. Che had been looking for a way to strike a blow against the imperialism of the United States that he had seen firsthand in Guatemala and elsewhere in Latin America; he eagerly signed on for the revolution, and Fidel was delighted to have a doctor. At this time, Che also became close friends with fellow revolutionary Camilo Cienfuegos. Transition to Cuba Che was one of 82 men who piled onto the yacht Granma in November 1956. The Granma, designed for only 12 passengers and loaded with supplies, gas, and weapons, barely made it to Cuba, arriving on December 2. Che and the others made for the mountains but were tracked down and attacked by security forces. Fewer than 20 of the original Granma soldiers made it into the mountains; the two Castros, Che, and Camilo were among them. Che had been wounded, shot during the skirmish. In the mountains, they settled in for a long guerrilla war, attacking government posts, releasing propaganda, and attracting new recruits. Che in the Revolution Che was an important player in the  Cuban Revolution, perhaps second only to Fidel Castro himself. Che was clever, dedicated, determined, and tough, though his asthma was a constant torture for him. He was promoted to  comandante  and given his own command. He saw to their training himself and indoctrinated his soldiers with communist beliefs. He was organized and demanded discipline and hard work from his men. He occasionally allowed foreign journalists to visit his camps and write about the revolution. Ches column was very active, participating in several engagements with the Cuban army in 1957 and 1958. Batistas Offensive In the summer of 1958, Batista sent large forces of soldiers into the mountains, seeking to round up and destroy the rebels once and for all. This strategy was a huge mistake and backfired badly. The rebels knew the mountains well and ran circles around the army. Many of the soldiers, demoralized, deserted or even switched sides. At the end of 1958, Castro decided it was time for the knockout punch. He sent three columns, one of which was Ches, into the heart of the country. Santa Clara Che was assigned to capture the strategic city of Santa Clara. On paper, it looked like suicide. There were some 2,500 federal troops there, with tanks and fortifications. Che himself only had roughly 300 ragged men, poorly armed and hungry. Morale was low among the Cuban soldiers, however, and the populace of Santa Clara mostly supported the rebels. Che arrived on December 28 and the fighting began. By December 31, the rebels controlled the police headquarters and the city but not the fortified barracks. The soldiers inside refused to fight or come out, and when Batista heard of Ches victory he decided the time had come to leave.  Santa Clara was the largest single battle of the Cuban Revolution  and the last straw for Batista. After the Revolution Che and the other rebels rode into Havana in triumph and began setting up a new government. Che, who had ordered the execution of several traitors during his days in the mountains, was assigned (along with Raà ºl) to round up, bring to trial, and execute former Batista officials. Che organized hundreds of trials of Batista cronies, most of them in the army or police forces. Most of these trials ended in a conviction and execution. The international community was outraged, but Che didnt care: he was a true believer in the Revolution and in communism. He felt that an example needed to be made of those who had supported tyranny. Government Posts As one of the few men truly trusted by  Fidel Castro, Che was kept very busy in post-Revolution Cuba. He was made the head of the Ministry of Industry and head of the Cuban Bank. Che was restless, however, and he took long trips abroad as a sort of ambassador of the revolution to improve Cubas international standing. During Ches time in governmental office, he oversaw the conversion of much of Cubas economy to communism. He was instrumental in cultivating the relationship between the  Soviet Union  and Cuba and had played a part in trying to bring Soviet missiles to Cuba. This, of course, was a major factor in the  Cuban Missile Crisis. Chà © the Revolutionary In 1965, Che decided he was not meant to be a government worker, even one in a high post. His calling was revolution, and he would go and spread it around the world. He disappeared from public life (leading to incorrect rumors about a strained relationship with Fidel) and began plans for bringing about revolutions in other nations. The communists believed that Africa was the weak link in the western capitalist/imperialist stranglehold on the world, so Che decided to head to the Congo to support a revolution there led by Laurent Dà ©sirà © Kabila. Congo When Che had left, Fidel read a letter to all of Cuba in which Che declared his intention to spread revolution, fighting imperialism wherever he could find it. Despite Ches revolutionary credentials and idealism, the Congo venture was a total fiasco. Kabila proved unreliable, Che and the other Cubans failed to duplicate the conditions of the Cuban Revolution, and a massive mercenary force led by South African Mad Mike Hoare was sent to root them out. Che wanted to remain and die fighting as a martyr, but his Cuban companions convinced him to escape. All in all, Che was in Congo for about nine months and he considered it one of his greatest failures. Bolivia Back in Cuba, Che wanted to try again for another communist revolution, this time in Argentina. Fidel and the others convinced him that he was more likely to succeed in Bolivia. Che went to Bolivia in 1966. From the start, this effort was also a fiasco. Che and the 50 or so Cubans who accompanied him were supposed to get support from clandestine communists in Bolivia, but they proved unreliable and possibly were the ones who betrayed him. He was also up against the CIA, which was in Bolivia training Bolivian officers in counterinsurgency techniques. It wasnt long before the CIA knew Che was in the country and began monitoring his communications. The End Che and his ragged band scored some early victories against the Bolivian army in mid-1967. In August, his men were caught by surprise and one-third of his force was wiped out in a firefight; by October, he was down to only about 20 men and had little in the way of food or supplies. By now, the Bolivian government had posted a $4,000 reward for information leading to Che. That was a lot of money in those days in rural Bolivia. By the first week of October, Bolivian security forces were closing in on Che and his rebels. Death On October 7, Che and his men stopped to rest in the Yuro ravine. Local peasants alerted the army, who moved in. A firefight broke out, killing some rebels, and Che himself was injured in the leg. On October 8, he was captured alive, allegedly shouting out to his captors I am Che Guevara and worth more to you alive than dead. The army and CIA officers interrogated him that night, but he did not have much information to give out. With his capture, the rebel movement he headed was essentially over. On October 9, the order was given, and Che was executed, shot by Sergeant Mario Terà ¡n of the Bolivian Army. Legacy Che Guevara had a huge impact on his world, not only as a major player in the Cuban Revolution but also afterward, when he tried to export the revolution to other nations. He achieved the martyrdom that he so desired, and in doing so he became a larger-than-life figure. Che is one of the most controversial figures of the 20th century. Many revere him, especially in Cuba, where his face is on the 3-peso note and every day schoolchildren vow to be like Che as part of a daily chant. Around the world, people wear t-shirts with his image on them, usually portraying a famous photo taken of Che in Cuba by photographer Alberto Korda (more than one person has noted the irony of hundreds of capitalists making money selling a famous image of a communist). His fans believe that he stood for freedom from imperialism, idealism, and a love for the common man and that he died for his beliefs. Many despise Che, however. They see him as a murderer for his time presiding over the execution of Batista supporters, criticize him as the representative of a failed communist ideology and deplore his handling of the Cuban economy. Around the world, people love or hate Che Guevara. Either way, they will not soon forget him. Sources Castaà ±eda, Jorge C.  Compaà ±ero: the Life and Death of Che Guevara. New York: Vintage Books, 1997.Coltman, Leycester.  The Real Fidel Castro.  New Haven and London: the Yale University Press, 2003.Sabsay, Fernando.  Protagonistas de Amà ©rica Latina, Vol. 2.  Buenos Aires: Editorial El Ateneo, 2006.