This was apparently bottled in 2009. How much variation there has been in their output since, I don't know—there's not a lot of talk of Arran in whisky geek circles.
Nose: Citrus (lime) and malt and a bit of honey—not a whole lot of any of them but a nice, fresh nose. Gets muskier as it sits and the malty note turns more cereally; a bit of salt too. Water pulls more sweetness out.
Palate: Very much as on the nose at first, but sans the honeyed sweetness. The lime expands as I work it around my mouth and swallow—very fresh indeed. Chalkier on the second and third sips but not astringent. With more time the wood is a little more apparent, or at least that's what I think the slight tannic grip is. The pepper starts showing up earlier too. With a lot more time the chalkiness abates a little, or at least it's joined finally by the sweetness indicated by the nose. Water knocks the chalkiness back and integrates the other notes.
Finish: Medium-long. The lime gets zestier as it goes, and the lime-peel bitterness mixes with an increasing pepperiness. Not much change on the finish with water.
Comments: Nothing complex or special but very pleasant and gets better as it sits. Is the current version similar? If so, this is an ideal summer whisky. Good value for money below $40, and in some areas it seems to be available closer to $30.
This entry was posted in -Whisky by Rating, 80-84 points, Arran, Distillery and tagged *Whisky, Arran, Scotch, Single Malt. Bookmark the permalink.
They do have an NAS single malt, but I don't think it's made it to the States yet.
Aha! The only Lochranzas I've seen in the US are the various Blackadder releases. I figured that was the brand name they used for their Arran releases.
As a meta-comment, it's nice to see your own sample bottle (the generally hated square + big-mouth design) returned to you. Soon we'll start tracking these, like the dollar bills.
On a completely unrelated topic: when is your birthday? I want to buy you a funnel set.
Why are these sample bottles hated? I've been looking to buy some sample bottles. What are the favorites? I found some round and tinted brown 4oz bottles with the polycone cap. Are there other caps or liners that are preferred? Any particular vendors you prefer?
I don't know why these are hated. They're my favorite design as the wide mouths make it very easy to fill them directly from bottles without fear of spillage or the need for a funnel. It's funnels I find painful when filling 12 bottles for a swap (as you have to clean the funnel between fills).
Easy to fill, easy to spill. Payback is when you pour out of them. Even worse are the 6oz bottles with even bigger mouth – it's like pouring whisky out of a pickle jar. Anything less than 50% whisky spill is deemed a success. MAO is the only one who procures these square bottles, he probably blows them himself in his backyard shack.
Alex, those funnels are the ones I have – they are perfect. Yes, one should wash them between pours, but if you're careful not to start with the Laphroaigs and Ardbegs you don't have to be a stickler – it's more important to wash & drain the sample bottles carefully. (And then drain them some more.) Boston round with polycone cap (clear or brown) is industry standard; 2oz are for sample exchanges (some 1oz come handy too), I use the 4oz for my archive and 4oz + 8oz for pouring out bottle heels in order to prevent excessive bottle oxidation, or for bottle shares.
Well, now we know why all my reviews of samples from Florin are all over the place….
Thanks for all the detail! I had come to many of those same conclusions on my own, but wasn't sure what the general consensus was among the sample sharing crowd since I haven't done that yet. I was also planning to get a few sizes for the same reason you mention.
MAO, it's called "sample batch variation".
It's called laziness, is what it's called. In a small sample, especially of delicate malts, even tiny bits of some other whisky borne over in a funnel can have an impact.
Alex, if you're going to use funnels to pour samples into round bottles you should buy a whole bunch of funnels as well. Me, I've not had any problems with French square bottles. Yes, they sometimes leak in transit, but I've received far more leaky Boston rounds. And I don't mean to suggest that Florin gets blind drunk before pouring from 6 or 8 oz square bottles but I've never had a spill worth mentioning. Pouring out whisky from 6 or 8 oz French squares is only messy if you fill them all the way; and if you do, you can just use a small spoon or pipette to draw enough out into your glass before pouring the rest—once the level is below the mouth it's no different than pouring from a regular wide-mouthed 750 ml bottle (in fact, better than pouring from those Signatory decanters with the wide lips).
As a secondary note, it's interesting that the 10 Year is made entirely from ex-sherry cask whisky, but the sherry has a pretty light touch on the spirit. I think they must use all refill casks for this.
This is from all sherry casks? I'd never have guessed that. Must be nth-fill American oak casks.
I was surprised as well, but that's what I was told at the distillery when I asked about it.


text:
Pasilaid est une île d'Estonie.

Notes et références

Voir aussi
 Liste des îles d'Estonie

Île en Estonie

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


To'ul'hian worlds are an unusual variety of world named after the most famous of them, the homeworld of the To'ul'h. They might be regarded as a cool and wet version of the Cytherean type, or as very hot high-pressure Gaian worlds. Common imagination seems to prefer the first alternative, and in popular accounts To'ul'h worlds are often compared to the archetypical Cytherean world, Venus. Superficially they are indeed similar to true Cythereans. Their atmospheres consist primarily of carbon dioxide and their surfaces are concealed beneath layers of cloud and are subject to what most Terragens would regard as crushing pressures and intense heat (something in the region of 10 to100 bars, and 100 to 200 degrees Celsius). From a planetologist's or a xenobiologist's point of view, however, To'ul'hian worlds are much more similar to a standard Gaian world such as Old Earth. The fundamental similarity is liquid water at the planet's surface, and all that it implies — a carbon cycle, a geology involving plate tectonics and the possibility of life. As an early planetologist expressed it when the first To'ul'h type worlds were discovered, the result is not a hot dry oven world, but a moist and life-filled pressure cooker world. To'ul'h worlds represent a unique and meta-stable point in planetary development, and are perhaps best seen as being in a class of their own, though they are far outnumbered by standard Cytherean or Gaian worlds because of the relatively narrow set of initial conditions that allow them.
Like Cytherean or standard Gaian worlds, To'ul'hian worlds are geologically active over a sufficiently large span of time not to evolve into an Arean type. Like Cytherean worlds, and unlike typical Gaians, they typically receive strong insolation. Unlike the case for a Cytherean world such as Venus, however, they do not experience an early runaway greenhouse effect and a subsequent loss of their hydrosphere. On a typical Cytherean the heated oceans release volumes of water vapour into the air, increasing the greenhouse effect and resulting in the release of yet more water vapour. Water vapour in the upper atmosphere is split into its components by solar ultraviolet radiation and the hydrogen lost to interstellar space, so that over the course of a few hundred million years most of the planet's water is destroyed. Once there are no longer bodies of water on the surface the carbon cycle breaks down. Normally, as on a Gaian planet such as earth, carbon dioxide released by geological processes is incorporated into the crust again in the form of carbonates, but this process requires liquid water. Without water on the surface carbon dioxide is not recycled but instead builds up in the atmosphere. The result is an extremely dry and hot world, inimical to any Terragen-like biont life that might have evolved early in the planet's history.
To'ul'hian worlds avoid the fate of Cytherean worlds by refusing to dry out. A number of factors must combine to allow this, but the chief of them are a larger initial charge of volatiles in the planet's formation, a heavier gravity due to a large planet size, a star that is relatively poor in ultraviolet radiation and the early evolution or arrival of oxygen-producing life. All of these prevent or delay the progressive dehydration of a typical Cytherean world. A larger initial load of volatiles not only delays the eventual loss of oceans by providing a larger initial mass of water, but also slows the rate of water loss by diluting the water vapour in the atmosphere. Heavier gravity helps to retain some of the hydrogen so that its loss in the upper atmosphere is slowed. A lower flux of ultraviolet light means that water can survive for longer in the upper atmosphere before it is split into its component elements. The most important factor, however, is oxygen in the atmosphere. Oxygen leads to the formation of ozone, which has two important effects. Firstly, it absorbs ultraviolet light and therefore protects water vapour to a degree. Secondly, it is heated by its absorption of UV light, resulting in the formation of a thermosphere. This thermosphere helps form a "vapour trap" in the upper atmosphere and tends to prevent water from reaching such heights in the first place. Without such an effect no To'ul'hian worlds would be possible at all around any of the G type stars, and even those around the cooler and redder K stars would eventually become Cytherians. Of course all of these factors merely delay the inevitable. To'ul'hian worlds, just like standard Gaian worlds, are only meta-stable. Given sufficient time they become progressively drier and eventually evolve into the Cytherean state after all, or if they are small enough geological activity ceases, their thick carbon dioxide atmospheres are incorporated into carbonates, and they become warm Arean worlds.
The early development of oxygen is so critical to the development of To'ul'hian worlds that some have suggested that all are due to xenosophont interventions, either by early seeding of the world in its wet greenhouse stage or by later introduction of volatiles and To'ul'hian style life forms to an existing dry Cytherean. Seniis-2 and eir followers are the most ardent proponents of this idea. However, unlike the case of the Halogenics, in which a common biological origin and clear signs of sophont interference are evident, the evidence for such a hypothesis in the case of the To'ul'h worlds is rather weak. To'ul'h life forms are as diverse as more standard Gaian style life forms in their biochemistry and genetics, and like them seem to have several independent origins. There is some evidence that an extinct "seeder" xenosophont culture To'ul'hformed a dozen or more planets along the spinward marches of the Terragen expanse, but evidence of activity on the scale of the Halogenics is lacking.
The hydrosphere of To'ul'hian worlds varies considerably, from entire world-oceans to scattered seas barely sufficient to maintain a carbon cycle. Whatever their extent, such waters are acidic by Terragen standards. This is due to the high proportion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the resulting formation of carbonic acid, as well as to small quantities of sulphuric acid. Wet or dry, the surface is poorly lit due to water clouds and to the "cloud forests" and "airplankton." Surface temperatures are high, usually in the 100° to 250° Celsius range, but the strong atmospheric pressure (10 to as many as 150 or more bars) is sufficient to keep water liquid. In the upper atmosphere there may be significant daily, seasonal or latitudinal differences, but the thick carbon dioxide atmosphere redistributes heat so efficiently that on the surface there is little temperature difference according to latitude, season or time of day. Altitude is far more important than latitude; local mountaintops are significantly colder than sea level temperatures, and cloud tops may be well below the freezing point of water. The atmosphere consists primarily of carbon dioxide and water vapour. Exclusive of its water content, which varies considerably, the remaining fraction consists of nitrogen and oxygen. The To'ul'h home world atmosphere, for instance, is 38% nitrogen and 9% oxygen by dry weight. Sulphur, tin and mercury compounds are all present in trace amounts due to the geochemistry of the surface, which concentrates these elements. Airborne dust, chiefly in the form of organic matter, is a large constituent. Weather patterns vary strongly according to the planet's spin and orbit; many such worlds that orbit close to a relatively dim star are either "one face" tidally locked worlds or else have some simple ratio of rotation to revolution that gives extremely long days. In such cases circulation in the upper atmosphere is strongly driven by heating of the subsolar point.
Winds in the depths of these worlds are extremely powerful due to atmospheric density. Even a moderate 10 kilometre per hour wind on a typical To'ul'h world is like a 100 to 1000 kilometre per hour gale on a Gaian world, so even the most sluggish surface wind can have tremendous effect. The infamous and misnamed "steam hurricanes" of the To'ul'h home world are one such example. Although the "steam hurricanes" do not cause the local pressure to drop below the local boiling point and cause all the local life forms to burst into steam, as sometimes misreported in the popular media, they do have tremendous power. Some of the air-dwelling life forms simply ride along in the storm as long as they have enough "sky room" and are not caught in a downdraft and cooked. Life forms adapted to the depths, if they are not battered beyond recognition as they are tumbled along the ground, may be cast into the upper regions by updrafts. There they may die of bitter cold or decompression effects (many have internal flotation bladders that explode if they rise too rapidly). On rare occasions, if they are raised very quickly and do not first die of the cold, their hot blood and other body fluids may indeed boil away just as depicted in the popular virchdramas.
To'ul'h life forms are broadly similar to those that have evolved on Gaian worlds, but the range of temperatures in the atmosphere between the surface and the cloud tops is such that an organism adapted to one of these environments is an "extremophile" by the standards of the other. The initial microbial life commonly evolves into several radically different macroscopic forms. Unlike the situation on a Gaian world, in which only one relatively narrow temperature regime prevails on the surface and all other life forms are necessarily subterranean and microscopic, there are ecological niches for complex macroscopic life at several levels in the To'ul'h biosphere. Thermophilic microbial life forms, freed from the constraints of a subterranean life, develop beyond the prokaryotic stage. There are several radically different eukaryote equivalents, each with a variety of multicellular forms. A typical To'ul'h biosphere contains not merely the five or so kingdoms of life typical of a Gaian world, but dozens. Although some rare types of To'ul'h life are able to travel between zones, or at least survive exposure to what are for them extraordinary conditions, most die quite quickly if removed to a deeper or shallower part of the biosphere. Some organisms near the cloud tops operate at temperatures and pressures that Terragens would find quite unexceptional, and aside from their adaptations to an atmosphere that is much richer in carbon dioxide and poorer in oxygen their biochemistry is not particularly unusual by Gaian standards. Surface life, on the other hand, is typically adapted to thrive in temperatures as high as 150° Celsius and to survive exposure to much higher temperatures in dormant or spore form.
All types of To'ul'h life incorporate elements such as tin or mercury that typical Gaian life would find toxic. The use of sulphur compounds is also much more common. These elements are more widely available than they would be on most Gaian worlds due to the high To'ul'hian surface temperatures. In other ways, however, To'ul'h biochemistry is fundamentally very similar to that of life found on Gaian worlds if one counts the full range of Gaian life forms such as the bacteria that live deep within the planet's crust, in the vicinity of black smokers or at hot springs.
Some To'ul'h worlds have a "dead zone" at the surface that is too hot even for the most thermophilic of water-based organisms, even though high pressure still maintains water in fluid form. At such temperatures too many key biomolecules are thermolabile and cellular processes cannot operate without becoming damaged, though inactive spores may persist until they reach cooler temperatures again. The archetypical To'ul'h homeworld is habitable over its entire surface and has no such dead regions, but there are some worlds in which life is found only on mountaintops and in the clouds, or only in the middle and upper parts of the atmosphere. Life on such worlds is not as rich as on those that permit a full To'ul'h biosphere because water and key nutrients tend to become trapped in the deep abiotic layers.
Because the nutrients and water are at the bottom of the atmosphere but the energy sources are at the top, To'ul'h ecosystems can be relatively unproductive unless there are strong vertical currents. Upwellings of nutrients due to atmospheric circulation patterns (most typically at the equator and at about 60 degrees poleward if the planet does not have a locked rotation) are very important, and there can be the equivalent of algal blooms after a strong storm. Airborne life forms of one sort or another are an important part of this nutrient cycling as well. This includes spores released by surface life and animal-like forms that forage on the surface but nest in the cloud forests. Most of the equivalents of algae and plants in the atmosphere must either descend to the depths for sustenance, receive nutrients from the droppings and bodies of surface foragers or somehow scavenge them from the dust, rain and mist in the atmosphere. The various "mat" symbionts as described below are an exception to the general rule.
The airborne life of a To'ul'h world is extensive. Plants usually make themselves neutrally buoyant by concentrating nitrogen in flotation bladders. The nitrogen is safely inert and less dense than the predominant carbon dioxide, so it is the most common method. Some other floating photosynthetic life forms simply retain the oxygen generated in photosynthesis, but this has the disadvantage of making them flammable. Lightning strikes in the cloud forests can be spectacular if the predominant species use oxygen. Others, usually fungus-like or animal-like organisms, generate methane gas with similar results. Many plants, especially the smaller species, simply use downy or sheet-like structures to remain aloft for the course of their lifetimes. Flying animals of various kinds are numerous, as in such dense atmospheres it is possible for extremely large creatures to remain aloft even with relatively small wings. Other animals are dirigible-like and either generate flotation gas themselves or pluck the gas bladders of the plant-like life forms to remain aloft. Some of these animals, especially the floating "skywhales" that browse on "airplankton" or on the cloud forests can reach tremendous size. The cloud forests, the various kinds of photosynthetic "airplankton" and their associated animal life extend from the thinnest parts of the upper atmosphere down to the surface, each adapted to a particular regime of temperature, pressure and light. Material from the upper layers constantly rains down on the surface below. The air of the lower atmosphere is dusty, and rain at those levels is typically muddy.
The foundation of the trophic pyramid at the surface consists of various fungus-like and bacteria-like decomposers, sessile animal-like filter feeders and various slow-moving detritivores. There are also many motile species, the equivalents of Old Earth animals, which feed on those or on each other. The omnivorous To'ul'h themselves are a typical example. Unlike the species of the atmosphere, many of which use vision and many of which may be brightly coloured, the creatures of the depths are black or colourless in ambient light. They may have huge eyes or none at all. In some cases parts of them are phosphorescent. Some depend primarily on sonar or on an electrical sense.
A common development in advanced To'ul'h ecosystems is a mat of two, three or even dozens or hundreds of symbiotic organisms with different temperature tolerances. The closest equivalents of such mats from Gaian worlds are lichen, corals with symbiotic algae and the multi-species colonies that form stromatolites. Such mats begin their life cycle on the surface where its hyperthermophilic life forms are active. At this stage they resemble a mass of fungal hyphae together with various sponge-like animals. These gather nutrients and generate flotation gases. Eventually the mat detaches from the surface, carrying with it a large volume of soil. As the mat rises species that are adapted to cooler temperatures come to the fore and the hot temperature surface life becomes dormant or produces spores. Decomposers and detritivores become less common, and various photosynthesizers become more common. Somewhere in the mid-to-upper layers photosynthesis becomes the primary source of energy and the mat becomes a variety of cloud forest with various plant-like species dominant. Filter feeders continue to gather nutrients from the dust in the atmosphere and saprophytes continue to recycle the available nutrients within the mass of the forest. The size and mass of the colony increases during this time as the plants fix more and more carbon dioxide and nitrogen, and the entire mat may fission as it grows. Each kind of association has a distinctive appearance and size (anything from a few square centimetres to many hectares in extent) beyond which the community has a tendency to fission. Finally, as micronutrients are gradually lost and the "soil" of the cloud forest becomes less and less fertile, the mat begins to break up. The pieces, carrying spores of all the various life forms, fall back to the surface to grow and sprout again in the detritus there. Such composite life forms are an important element in the nutrient recycling of To'ul'h world ecologies, and it is likely that the evolution of especially numerous and sophisticated mats of this kind accounts for the extraordinary fertility and diversity of the To'ul'h homeworld itself.
To'ul'hian worlds are most often brilliant white as seen from space, sometimes with tinges from the photosynthetic pigments of the cloud forests (green from a chlorophyll analogue is a common colour, though it is by no means universal). It is usually possible to distinguish the relative "deserts" where wind patterns tend towards the surface by their purer, whiter colour, while the regions of upwelling are stained with life. The cloud banks include entire islands and continents of growth adapted to the temperatures, light levels and nutrient availability of the different zones. As one proceeds downward the black of space gives way first to blue, then to various greenish hues, then to yellows and reds and finally to the dim reddish half-light of the depths, and the air becomes progressively smokier and dustier with organic and inorganic debris. The temperature gradually rises from a typical shirt-sleeve Terragen climate to that of a steam bath and finally to that of a pressure cooker. Finally, at the surface, the fungus-forests are crawling with benthic life. To human eyes the darkness is nearly complete except where the landscape is lit by lightning from some storm in the cloud decks above or by the natural phosphorescence of the fungi, the airplankton or local animals. Sounds, once high and thin, become increasingly and eerily loud as the pressure increases.


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Allie DeRosa teaches Spanish to eighth grade students at KIPP Ujima Village Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, a charter school whose mission is to lead students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and a diversity of skill levels to attend and succeed in four-year colleges. Allie is responsible for bridging the gap between middle and high school foreign language and is charged with creating and implementing a curriculum that will allow students to receive high school foreign language credits while still in middle school. For the past three years, Allie taught Spanish levels I, II and Honors Spanish III at Patterson High School, a public high school in Baltimore City. While working at Patterson, she also co-chaired the School Family Council in an effort to further link the school community with the community beyond Patterson. Allie aspires to become a leader of a community school that meets all of the needs of its students while its students give back to the community.
Jonathan Dionisio Peña teaches 5th grade Dual-Language at Seminary Hills Park Elementary School, a school that serves a population that is 85% Hispanic and 93% of the students receive free or reduced lunch. Mr. Peña has led his students to an average 2.5 years growth in English reading levels and has had 90% of his students apply and gain admission into highly selective magnet schools. He also serves on the district-employee relations committee, site-based decision making team, and parent-teacher association. Previously, Mr. Peña worked in Washington D.C at the Latin American Youth Center, teaching G.E.D. and English as a Second Language courses in the evening and prepared briefs as an assistant at the United States Department of State, Department of Western Hemisphere Affairs during the day. As a member of the 2014 SPA cohort, Mr. Peña hopes to gain the tools necessary to continue to empower students, teachers, and entire communities to overcome all obstacles and become successful.
Philip Dong Woo Kang teaches 6th grade English at Downtown College Prep, a school that serves the community of East San Jose, California. Phil has served as the chairperson of the School Site Council and is currently the lead for independent study projects. He is also the cross-country, basketball, and soccer coach. He looks forward to collaborating with like-minded and passionate educators and aspires to be a school leader that empowers the community he serves.
Kiara Drummond currently works as a Manager of Teacher Leadership Development for Teach For America Jacksonville. Her work expands into four schools throughout the North side of the Jacksonville community. In this position she has the opportunity to work with over 30 first and second year teachers in various content areas to assist in their development both in and outside of the classroom. Previously, she taught 6th grade English Language Arts at DuPont Middle School in Jacksonville, FL. She aspires to gain a plethora of professional development with the SPA program this summer and to continue to sharpen her leadership skills in order to continue shaping the young minds of our youth.
Brian Ellis teaches Math at First Coast High School, a 9-12 school which serves a largely low-income community of 2400 students in Jacksonville, Florida. As the Algebra I Team Leader, he has played an active role in the creation and execution of lessons designed for remediation while maintaining grade level rigor and has been observed as a model teacher for both the school and district. He is active in the schools National Honor Society, and has been a Basketball coach at the school for the past three years. Brian aspires to become a principal in a Duval County public school in Jacksonville.
Christina Estrada is an Assistant Principal at IDEA College Preparatory in Donna, Texas, an open enrollment charter school that is rewriting the story of underprivileged communities in South Texas. Christina oversees culture and discipline for the middle school and manages the Humanities and Art departments. Before she was an Assistant Principal, Christina taught 8th grade U.S. History at IDEA College Preparatory, where she led her district in the percentage of students passing their state exam. Although she may have several roles as an Assistant Principal, Christina's main goal is to ensure that 100% of IDEA College Preparatory students matriculate into a four-year college or university. Christina aspires to become a principal in South Texas and help Latinos not only obtain college degrees, but also give back to their communities and become leaders in society.
Nicola Evans teaches all subjects in an ICT 5th grade classroom at PS41 in the Bronx, NY. PS 41 is an elementary school that serves a multicultural community whose mantra is "Believe and Achieve". In this position Nicola has served in multiple leadership roles such as Advance teacher leader, Data Core leader, and Professional Learning community leader, serving as a liaison to schools aides and teachers alike. As a member of the 2014 SPA NYC cohort, Nicola aspires to work collaboratively with others of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints to grow into the servant-leader she knows will be necessary to lead teachers and students into the future.
Joanna Fuller is presently working as a Coordinator at Colegio Bilingue Amilat, a K-9 school in San Salvador, El Salvador. The school is associated with a non-profit orphanage housing over 60 Salvadorian children without parents or capable parents, who receive more than just academics from Ms. Fuller; she lives with, eats with, cooks with, mentors the children after school and on weekends. Previously, Ms. Fuller taught Algebra 1 and Geometry teacher at Audubon Middle School in Los Angeles, California and after two years, she became the Mathematics department chair and support teacher for new educators at her site. Ms. Fuller aspires to become a principal who can lead a team of professionals holistically, setting data-driven goals, developing a culturally-responsive program that produces student success.
Ryan Gassaway is Dean of Student Culture at Coney Island Prep, a wonderfully diverse school in Brooklyn that reaches a population of 23% students with special needs and 75% recipients of free or reduced lunch. As a founding staff member at Coney Island Prep, Ryan has helped drive the evolution of instruction and overall school culture. He's coached the school to increase consistency and fairness in the management of student culture and pushed the development of strong writing skills through his leadership of the social studies team. He aims to become the principal of an excellent public school that prepares students from low-income backgrounds to succeed in the college and career of their choice.
Theodosia Goddard is an 8th grade teacher at Thurgood Marshall Middle School, a priority school, in Temple Hills, MD. In addition to her classroom teaching, Theodosia serves on the Leadership Team, she leads the Teachers Union Faculty Advisory Council, she serves as 8th grade team lead, and heads the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) program at her school. Theodosia looks forward to leading a school in a low-income community that not only achieves academically but serves at a catalyst for transforming the trajectory of what is possible for students and families.
Nicole Grandinetti is a founding 3rd grade teacher at Achievement First Bridgeport Academy, a public charter school in Bridgeport, CT. In this position, Nicole works as the 3rd grade Lead Writing Planner to create rigorous lesson plans and conduct student data analysis. She also works as a Writing Course Lead for the Achievement First network to develop curriculum and instructional materials. Before coming to Achievement First, Nicole was a Teach For America Corps Member at Carver Elementary School in Indianola, Mississippi. Nicole is thrilled to learn from and with her SPA cohort to become a strong school leader.
Rachel serves as a Reading Specialist and member of the Instructional Leadership Team at Emmerich Manual High School, a Title I turnaround academy in Indianapolis, Indiana. In this position she teaches reading intervention classes, coaches teachers on classroom culture and instruction, provides regular professional development, and supports the creation and implementation of school-wide academic initiatives. Prior to this role, Rachel served as the Manager of Curriculum for a charter school network in Dallas, Texas serving primarily low-income students where she oversaw implementation of the International Baccalaureate program in grades K-12 and drove the creation of common assessments. One day Rachel hopes to lead a school in Indianapolis that provides all students with an excellent education regardless of background and creates engaged and informed citizens of our global community.
Jovana Hackman teaches the 6th Grade SOS Transition Course at Northwestern Middle School that serves urban youth. In this position she teaches a character education pilot course that instructs students in life skills, decision making, and how to make a successful transition from elementary to middle school. She was also the team lead for Duval County Public School Curriculum and Assessment Writing Team for two years, where she helped develop the curriculum for the 6th Grade SOS Transition Course that she is currently teaching. Previously she taught 3rd grade ELA, at Carter G. Woodson elementary school and served as the team lead. Jovana aspires to become a school leader in an urban environment that has a student-centered culture with high expectations, accountability, and professional development.
Kara Hafner is a 6th Grade ELA/History Teacher and team leader at Allen at Steinbeck K-8, a diverse Title 1 school community of over 900 students. In addition to her classroom teaching, Kara serves on the revision team for the Common Core Standards units within the district, as PTA Secretary, and as a Teach for America collaborative leader. She's looking forward to engaging with a likeminded, passionate group of educators and continuing to examine her craft on a deep, intellectual level. She looks forward to becoming a consulting teacher before moving directly into school leadership.
Blake Hammond teaches 4th grade at Harrington Elementary School in Denver Public Schools, a district that serves over 87,000 students and is the fastest growing urban district in terms of enrollment. He also serves in a Differentiated Teacher Leader role that provides fellow teachers with the opportunity to receive more feedback to support their ongoing instructional development. Blake joined Teach For America in 2009 as a corps member in Greenwood, Miss., where he helped lead the transformational change of an elementary school. Following his Teach For America experience, Blake returned to his alma mater, Colorado College, to work as an Assistant Director of Admissions with an emphasis on American ethnic minority recruitment. Blake aspires to be a school leader because he believes that all students can succeed, regardless of their background or circumstance. For him, it all comes down to giving them the opportunity to receive a quality education by educators who believe in the values of "students first", "high expectations" and "accountability."
John Heneghan teaches 12th grade science at Frederick Douglass Academy III, a college preparatory school serving high needs students in the Bronx. In this position he teaches AP Biology and Environmental Science while also serving as the Science Department Chairperson. Through this role, he leads a collaborative team in the analysis of student work and sharing of best practices to meet a wide range of student needs. He aspires to blend innovation with proven strategies alongside a group of dedicated educators at SPA en route to becoming a Principal in a New York City school.
Ashley Holden teaches agriculture and animal science at John Bowne High School in Flushing, Queens. As a lead teacher in the department, Ashley instructs students at varying levels in experiential, hands-on learning. As an FFA Advisor, Ashley engages students in leadership skills development opportunities and service-learning events. Working closely with her colleagues, Ashley has promoted college readiness in her students, connecting them with the premier agricultural colleges in the Northeast. In the future, Ashley plans to lead an agricultural high school program and continue connecting urban youth with agricultural experiences.
Hope Hollenhead teaches 4th Grade Math at IDEA Academy San Juan, a charter school that prepares students from underserved communities for success in college and citizenship in deep South Texas. Hope has held a variety of instructional and leadership roles including Reading Content Leader and Curriculum Writer for the IDEA Summer Curriculum Writing Team. She is currently Grade Team Leader and District Content Area Leader (Math 4th Grade) in which she provides instructional support for teachers in the Rio Grande Valley and Central Texas. Previously she worked for the La Joya Independent School district as a self-contained 4th grade teacher. She aspires to use the leadership skills that she develops to positively impact her community by becoming a school leader.
Stephanie Hubley teaches 4th grade at Piñon Elementary School, a K-6 public school that serves a largely Hispanic, low-income community of 600 students in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In her current placement, Stephanie has tutored English Language Learners, implemented service-learning initiatives for students, led staff development, worked to map out ELA curriculum for the district, and partnered with the non-profit the Academy for the Love of Learning to explore transformative methodology. Previously, Stephanie earned her Master's Degree in Education through the New York City Teaching Fellows Program, while teaching at C.S. 134 in the South Bronx; Stephanie also worked for four years at a public magnet school in Connecticut as a classroom teacher and a Gifted and Talented teacher. Stephanie aspires to hone her leadership skills at SPA so that she may become a visionary and progressive leader in her field.
Kathryn Hyde has enjoyed teaching first and third grade for the past 5 years. She currently teaches at Rowe Elementary School, an independent charter school in Chicago. For most of the 2013-2014 school year, Kathryn has served as an Interim Dean of Academics for grades 3-5. She will leave the classroom in the 2014-2015 school year to pursue this administration role full time, which includes coaching teachers, monitoring academic data, providing professional development, and coordinating the administration of all district assessments. In the past, Kathryn has held leadership roles including grade level chair and summer school principal. She looks forward to learning new leadership skills during SPA and hopes to one day run her own school.
Patrick Kennison served as AVID coordinator and science teacher at Warren G. Harding Middle School in Philadelphia. As AVID coordinator he has worked to build the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program in his building over the past four years to the largest in the city of Philadelphia. AVID, both a system of school-wide instructional strategies and an elective course to support a college going culture, has been a great agent of change within Harding. As Patrick transitions to his new role in Indianapolis, IN he aspires to use his SPA experience to build and work within a school community with an intentional culture of success and respect.
Tina-Marie is an Academic Dean at Achievement First Brownsville , a K-4 public charter school that serves a largely low income community and strives to rigorously prepare scholars for college and beyond. As a founding teacher and (then) dean at AF Brownsville, Tina-Marie has played a major role in building the school, particularly grades one through four. In her current role, Tina-Marie has actively led teachers through the shift to the Common Core standards via coaching, professional development and curriculum development. Tina-Marie aspires to become a founding principal at an urban school.
Rodolpho Loureiro teaches 7th Grade Math at North Star Academy, West Side Park Middle School, a national Blue Ribbon award-winning charter school that is a part of the Uncommon Schools network in Newark, NJ. In this position he is an Instructional Leader, coaching a portfolio of teachers in his school and a Lead Lesson Planner, responsible for creating a rigorous curriculum aligned to the Common Core State Standards, that will be used by the entire network. Previously, he served as a 2010 Teach for America Corps Member in Delaware, teaching 6th Grade Math. Rodolpho aspires to collaborate with some of the most intelligent minds in education to develop an urban school model that is rigorous and intellectually engaging for all students and staff.
Chelsea, a Teach for America alumnus, teaches 8th grade English at Northwestern Middle School; a poverty-stricken community in Jacksonville, FL. In this role, she leads as content and grade level chair as well as supervises Northwestern's after school TEAM-UP program. Prior to teaching, Chelsea earned an undergraduate degree in Journalism from Florida A&M University. She aspires to become a Principal that creates sustainable solutions to increase teacher retention and to provide a culture that develops successful students in urban areas.
Laura Maurer teaches third grade in an ICT class at P.S. 163 Alfred E. Smith, which is a school that serves a richly diverse student population. Laura holds a variety of leadership roles at P.S. 163: she is a member of the Literacy and Math Teams as well as the Behavior Committee, and she serves as the Grade Leader for the third grade. She previously worked as a part of an AmeriCorps program which brought conflict resolution strategies to at-risk students in a school in inner-city East Baltimore. Laura aspires to become a public school principal who solicits and considers the voices and strengths of the school's entire staff and student body.
Lucía Rocha Nestler is a Spanish immersion kindergarten teacher at Laurel School in Menlo Park, California, a community of educators working together to inspire high academic achievement among all students, serve their needs, challenge their minds, and enrich their lives. She has been part of the district English language arts goal team, leads Professional Learning Communities and grade level studies in the area of literacy and brings a strong understanding of curriculum planning and sustains energy among her peers. She was previously an instructional coach working alongside teachers in kindergarten through grade 3. Her 10-year career has been spent in Dual Language and second language immersion classrooms and schools. As an SPA student, she looks forward to growing her thinking and leadership skills to continue to support teachers and student achievement.
Rabin Nickens is a Teacher Ambassador with the New York City Department of Education. In this role, she supports the professional development and retention of teachers in schools throughout the city, and builds the capacity of school-based teacher leaders in order to enhance student outcomes. For over a decade prior to this, she cultivated her expertise in roles such as lead teacher, grade leader, and dramatic arts/literacy specialist, where she successfully drove the achievement of diverse early childhood, elementary, and middle school scholars in high-need public schools, including children with special needs, English language learners, and gifted and talented children. Rabin looks forward to utilizing her SPA experience to develop and share replicable models of school culture that nurture both teachers and students in order to ensure a quality education for every child throughout the nation.
Janice Nolan supports teachers and English language learners (ELLs) in grades PreK-12th for an urban public charter school that serves 900+ students in Washington, DC. In this position, she directs the ELL Department and serves on the senior leadership/administrative team to help create, develop, and inform on policies related to global learning, college readiness, and character development. Previously, Ms. Nolan served as an ESL/Bilingual Teacher and University Lecturer--developing students of all academic levels, demographics, and ages (from pre-schoolers to post-graduate students). She aspires to become a transformational school leader who successfully develops educators, fuels student achievement, and invests stakeholders in matters that benefit all learners.
Kate Oldre is currently a Freshman & Sophomore Coordinator and Advisor at The Beacon School in Manhattan. Beacon is an inquiry based arts and technology high school that admits students from every borough through a portfolio-based application process. In her role, Kate develops and implements student academic support systems; collaborates with the math and science departments to advance and align curricula; and works closely with the administration as a Professional Learning Group leader and teacher portfolio developer. Previous to this position she taught freshman science and technology. Kate aspires to join the administration to help further serve the needs of the school as it transitions to a larger space and builds a greater community in 2015.
Miguel Ortega is a 3rd grade, self-contained, dual-language teacher at Uplift Heights Preparatory in Dallas, Texas. He also serves as a grade- level chair and as an instructional coach for new teachers. Prior to joining Heights Preparatory, Miguel began his educational career as a Teach For America corps member in Fort Worth, Texas. While serving as a corps member, he taught in 3rd and 5th grade bilingual classrooms for three years at T.A. Sims Elementary. During these experiences, Miguel developed a passion and true understanding of the importance of leadership in public education. Miguel is now committed to leading a school where students, teachers and administrators can build a joyous and collaborative environment in an effort to maximize student achievement.
Nick Perry serves as an Assistant School Leader at KIPP Indianapolis College Preparatory, a middle school which serves students in grades 5-8. In this position, he is responsible for culture and academic achievement in the 7th and 8th grades and leads a variety of school-wide initiatives and parent communication efforts. Previously, he served as the 8th grade math teacher at KIPP Indianapolis for three years. He aspires to leverage his experience at SPA to develop the skills, knowledge, and mindsets necessary to be an effective school leader, and he is committed to urban education in Indianapolis and the growth of the KIPP Indy regional network.
Alyssa Rigg is as an instructional coach for special education teachers at The Coy L. Cox School in Brooklyn, one of the largest District 75 schools in NYC. She currently serves vulnerable and exceptional student populations from high poverty communities in kindergarten through 12th grade. She also facilitates various inquiry-based team meetings that empower teachers to set common instructional outcomes and helps them to analyze student data to strengthen their instructional practices. Prior to her current role, Alyssa served as the Alternate Assessment Coordinator for a unit of The Coy L. Cox School that services k-8th grade students diagnosed with Autism. Alyssa feels extremely privileged to be a part of SPA's commitment to understanding concrete ways to build the best school system possible and she hopes to create a future school that is a catalyst for social change.
Melanie Rosenberger teaches first grade at a Success Academy charter school in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Melanie currently provides instructional support to other first grade teachers in her role as Grade Team Lead. Prior to teaching first grade, Melanie taught science for kindergarten, first, and second graders. She looks forward to learning from administrators who value teacher development and retention in preparation of becoming a principal at a New York City public school.
Lauren Ryan is a first grade teacher at Lincoln Center Elementary, an International Baccalaureate (IB) School in South Saint Paul, MN. In addition to teaching, she serves as her team's PLC leader, sits on the district Professional Development Committee and is a member of a task force working to redesign South St. Paul's mentoring and induction program for new teachers. Previously, Lauren taught at PS6X in the Bronx for three years and served as a Corps Member Advisor and School Director at Teach for America's Summer Institute in New York City. Through her varied roles in education she is constantly inspired by teachers and students working together to learn and think globally and to raise expectations. Her passion and goal is to someday lead a school that provides an equitable and empowering education for all students regardless of background.
Jeffrey B. Sagor teaches Mathematics at Shiprock High School, a Title 1 school based on the Navajo Reservation that serves an exclusively Native American Population of around 600 students. In addition to his classroom teaching responsibilities, Jeffrey is an adjunct professor at Diné College and has had a range of leadership roles, including yearbook sponsor, a member of the hiring committee, a member of the district curriculum alignment team, and Mathematics Department Chair. As a student at SPA he is looking forward to building his leadership skills so that he may one day transform a school into one that supports a community-centered culture, with high levels of instructional support for teachers, and exceptional academic outcomes for students.
Marissa Schoenfeld is Special Education Coordinator for PS/MS 29, The Melrose School, a traditional K-8 public school in the South Bronx that works to education a diverse student body and create an environment in which students learn to take ownership of their learning. Marissa has worked diligently to insure that all special education students are afforded a fair and equal education within their community school. She has coordinated with teachers and administrators to spearhead the NYC DOE special education reforms to offer special education students more opportunities to be successful in academic and social settings. Marissa was chosen to be part of the NYC DOE Teacher Leadership Program. She looks forward to working as a school leader and creating a supportive and inspiring community for both students and staff.
Heather Schwartz is an Instructional Coach at Omar Torres Charter School on the southwest side of Chicago. In this position she works directly with teachers to help them create intellectually active and engaging learning experiences for students. Additionally, she works with leadership team to conceive of and implement improvements to school culture. This year, Heather helped pioneer Torres Tutors and the middle school advisory program, along with the use of Document-Based Questions in the middle grades. Previously, she taught seventh grade Language Arts. Heather aspires to contribute to a more just society as part of a school leadership team. She believes that building successful schools involves unique and complex adults working to meet the needs of equally unique and complex students. She hopes to continuously nurture a growth mindset for teachers, students and herself as a leader.
Arielle Starkman teaches Special Education at the New Open World Academy, a K-12, Title 1, Pilot School in the Los Angeles Unified School District. In this position, she has been both a teacher of a self-contained elementary special education class, as well as a high school inclusion teacher. Arielle has served as a member of her school's Governance Council for the past two years, and this year holds the position of the council's President. She also serves as the Special Education Department Chair and a member of the School Wide Leadership Team. Arielle aspires to become a leader in reforming special education practices in Los Angeles, through the implementation of fully inclusive educational programs for students with special needs.
Brett Stidham teaches 5th-8th grade mathematics at KIPP DC: WILL Academy in Washington, D.C. that supports a thriving community of nearly 400 scholars who are on the path to and through college under the direction of skilled faculty. In this position he has had the opportunity to support students with special needs through targeted interventions and a variety of academic supports that enable scholars to access and excel in math. Previously he taught 9th grade Algebra 1 in Prince George's County Public Schools, where he led the 9th grade and Algebra teams, as well as coached varsity and jv swimming. Through his studies, Brett aspires to attain the competencies necessary to successfully lead within an academically rigorous environment, while creating a culture conducive to collaboration and growth for students and staff.
Cody Stipes is the 7th grade team leader and math teacher at KIPP Indianapolis College Prep Middle School. KIPP Indy provides a college preparatory curriculum to middle school students in the under-served communities of Indianapolis, Indiana. Before joining the team at KIPP Indy, Cody served as an instructional coach with Teach For America – Indianapolis where he managed and developed 24 first and second year teachers in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. He aspires to become a highly effective urban school leader as he develops a culture with an absolute bar of academic achievement for students and a supportive, collaborative, and innovative environment for both students and staff.
Lou Tanyu teaches 7th & 8th grade English Language Arts at Betsy Ross Arts Magnet in New Haven, Connecticut, a school with a diverse student population that promotes both academic rigor and individual creativity. Lou has held a variety of leadership roles including Data Team Leader and Teacher Facilitator, and currently serves on several committees including PBIS (the school's positive culture program) and PTSO. Through SPA, Lou hopes to gain valuable insight and skills to set a vision for, effectively lead, and dramatically improve an urban public school.
Arthytiya Thebprasith teaches Science at Walter Crowley I.S. 5 in Queens, a middle school that serves over 1600 low-income immigrant and first generation students of Asian and Latino descent. Arthytiya plays an active role in her Inquiry and Department Teams by introducing and integrating technology to improve pedagogical and administrative strategies. As a Curriculum Writer, she incorporates and aligns the National Common Core Standards and Next Generation Science Standards in revising IS 5's Science Curriculum. Arthytiya aspires to become a motivating middle school leader who promotes responsibility and citizenship by establishing nurturing administrative-staff relationships that parallels similar staff-student relationships.
Sophia is a founding teacher at New Bridges Elementary PS 532, an elementary school that integrates the arts with an academically rigorous education. She teaches 1st grade in an ICT class and, as the leader of the Learning Support Team, aims to meet the needs of all students. Previously she taught as a 2008 TFA corps member in Denver, CO and was chosen as a Mile High Teacher. She looks forward to learning the skills necessary to become an agent of change in the fight to provide a quality education to all children.
Dave is the Assistant Director at Leonardo da Vinci Health Sciences Charter School in Chula Vista, California. Prior to his transition to Southern California, Dave taught kindergarten, 2nd, and 3rd grade in San Jose and Oakland, CA. In addition to his teaching roles, he worked in various capacities at the school and district level to support teachers with data analysis and classroom technology. For his M.A. thesis, Dave investigated the intersections of race, class, and gender in decision-making at a small, alternative school in southern Mexico. He aspires to become a system-level school leader in an urban community in California.
Michelle Turnbull is a Special Education teacher who teaches 8th grade ELA at Riverdale Middle School, a Title 1 school, that serves close to 800 students in Clayton County, GA. In this position, she has raised test scores at least 25%, prepared students for the Georgia 8th Grade Writing Assessment, and became ELA Department Chair. As department chair, she has pioneered a collaborative movement to include all academic departments in reading and writing across content areas. Previously, she was the director of Melrose Community School, a private school in the Bronx, which serviced students in a low-income area. She aspires to lead a school that makes tremendous gains on improving the educational advancement and life trajectory of the students in her care.
Priscilla Pan Walton is currently a 5th grade English Language Arts teacher at a new secondary charter school called Central Queens Academy. It is located in one of the most ethnically diverse communities in the world, Elmhurst, Queens. She is currently the main curriculum writer for the fifth grade ELA team. She develops and implements a rigorous and engaging curriculum tailored to Emergent Bilinguals. Previously, Priscilla served in different capacities at urban schools in Baltimore, Harlem and the Bronx. She taught grades two through five, acting as grade team leader and a member of the professional staff development team for a large charter network. Additionally, she is a skilled curriculum writer and has experience as a leadership resident. As a strong, capable leader, Priscilla aspires to create a school culture of community, longevity with rigor and joy.
Ashlee is a Special Education teacher at Drew Elementary in Northeast, Washington D.C. She began her teaching career as a D.C. Teaching Fellow and has taught students in grades 2nd – 5th as a resource, inclusion and self-contained teacher. She serves on her schools the local school advisory team and as a teacher lead. After school, she also works as a writing and soccer coach. Her educational interests include teacher retention at Title I schools, urban school leadership, and educational equity. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and Black Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara and plans to one day lead an urban elementary school that focuses on building a strong collaborative culture that results in high levels of achievement for all.
Debbie Weinerman teaches 11th and 12th grade math at Urban Assembly Media High School, a small college preparatory public school that serves students from across NYC. She has held a variety of leadership roles, including 12th Grade Team Leader, Math Vertical Team Leader, and Performance Assessment Coordinator. She also provides instructional support as a cooperating teacher and new teacher mentor. Debbie helped establish more advanced courses at her school, and teaches the first AP Calculus class. She began her teaching career through NYC Teaching Fellows and is currently a Math for America Master Teacher. She aspires to lead an innovative school that raises the expectations for underprivileged students in New York City.
Abbey teaches 8th grade mathematics at Fannie Lou Hamer Middle School that serves students and families in the South Bronx. In this position she has mentored new teachers, collaborated on projects to improve school communication, started a technology initiative to connect students and teachers, and taught many middle schoolers math, scoial studies, and science. Previously she worked as the Service Director at City Year Rhode Island. She's excited to discuss and develop new ideas for making education work for all students in urban areas.
Stephanie Witt is an Instructional Coach at Fort Scott Middle School, in a southeast Kansas school district with 65% free and reduced lunch. She works closely with teachers to align curriculum to the Common Core Standards as well as helping to model and implement instructional strategies based on the school-wide adoption of Literacy First. Stephanie has previously taught in both public and independent schools in Connecticut and New York City. Stephanie aspires to help struggling schools create a vision for education that values curiosity, creativity and collaboration as vital to learning.
Shira Wrightman is an ESL & Global History teacher and instructional coach at the High School of Language and Innovation in the Bronx. HSLI serves a population consisting of 80% English Language Learners and is committed to self-initiated learning in which students pursue their own interests and learn cooperatively so that they become resourceful, independent learners. Shira was a member of the founding teacher team at HSLI and in her current position she mentors new teachers, facilitates department teams, runs professional development for the faculty, and coaches the girls' lacrosse team at Columbus Campus, which she founded. Previously, she taught K-5 ESL at P.S. 230, an elementary school in the South Bronx. Shira aspires to open a new New York City public school.
Anne teaches 8th grade physical science and chairs the science department at Southeast Middle School in South Gate, California. With an educational pedagogy deeply rooted in the belief that all students are primed for greatness, Anne serves as a marathon coach and peer-tutoring lead teacher at SEMS with hopes of guiding low-achieving and at-risk students toward realizing their potential for academic success and social development. Drawing from her experience in Project-Based Learning through UCLA's Teacher-Initiated Inquiry Project grant program and evaluating Common Core ELA in Science initiatives through The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), Anne aspires to equip pre-service science teachers with solid instructional practice and know-how in making science palatable and interesting to students of all ages.


6.5 ounce, 100% cotton material, with the convenience of an anti-curl collar and resists pilling, fading, wrinkling and shrinking. Flat Knit collar and side vents.
Double mesh poly construction wicks moisture better for superior comfort and breathability. 100% polyester double mesh and 3.8 ounce. Taped neck and set in, open hemmed seams.
4.4-ounce, 60/40 cotton/poly pique polo, designed for everyday wear. Flat knit collar and cuffs, 3-button placket with dyed-to-match buttons and side vents.


Aria enables service providers to reduce annual equipment expenditure by as much as 20%.
Service providers and data center operators commonly over-provision infrastructure to allow for future expansion of services. While this once seemed prudent, it now represents wasteful expenditure and extra maintenance overhead.
And in the digital economy, service providers and their customers need the end-to-end supply chain to run much faster. Which means moving from a "just-in-case" to a "just-in-time" approach.
When, where and how will the network be impacted by changes in traffic and growth?
What is the best way to route services or reconfigure the network?
Where are the hot spots and where are the service provision bottlenecks?
How could I deliver the same services, in a more optimal way?
As a result, budgeting and planning processes that previously took several months can be automated and completed in hours. Aria enables service providers to plan capital expenditure precisely, with significantly less need to build in contingent capacity, helping to reduce annual equipment expenditure by up to 20%.
For examples of how Aria helps service providers, check out our customer stories.
Dynamic optimization: real-time analysis and design, fed directly back into orchestration, activation or provisioning systems for complete, closed-loop automation.
Aria models the network topology, existing services and future demand. A sophisticated routing engine uses Machine Learning to establish the optimum routes for traffic, based around key criteria and multiple constraints.
Aria is uniquely capable of modeling multi-technology networks, service policies, cost models and traffic forecasts to produce plans for optimized, profitable network upgrades.
Aria provides comprehensive insight in to the impact of service demand growth on assets deployed in the network, producing asset utilization reports, cost reports and optimal bill-of-materials for timely network upgrades.
Each node in the network has its logical and physical capacity captured in a template language, which also defines the current availability of chassis, devices, cards and ports, as well as the scope for adding new 'in-fill' equipment and the resultant need for space, power, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
Each template also includes a sophisticated cost model enabling calculation of the capital and operational cost of a particular network architecture, build plan or service design.
Aria also reveals what each asset consumes, not just in terms of bandwidth, but also ports, physical links, internal switching capacity and lower-layer services.
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With Okta and OpenID Connect (OIDC), you can easily integrate authentication into a React Native application and never have to build it yourself again. OIDC allows you to authenticate directly against the Okta API, and this article shows you how to do just that in a React Native application. Today you'll see how to log a user into your React Native application using an OIDC redirect via the AppAuth library.
If you look at Google Trends, you can see that React Native is even more popular than Android and iOS for native development!
Today I'm going to show you how to develop a React Native app with the latest and greatest releases. At the time of this writing, that's React 16.2.0 and React Native 0.54.0. You'll create a new app, add AppAuth for authentication, authenticate with Okta, and see it running on both iOS and Android.
If you're on a Mac, press i to open iOS emulator. You will be prompted to install/open with Expo, then presented with the rendered App.js.
If you're on Windows or Linux, I'd suggest trying the Android emulator or your Android device (if you have one). If it doesn't work, don't worry, I'll show you how to make that work later on.
In this example, I'll use React Native App Auth, a library created by Formidable. The reason I'm using this library is three-fold: 1) they provide an excellent example that I was able to make work in just a few minutes, 2) it uses AppAuth (a mature OAuth client implementation), and 3) I was unable to get anything else working.
I tried react-native-oauth but discovered it required using an existing provider before adding a new one. I only wanted to have Okta as a provider. Also, it's high number of issues and pull requests served as a warning sign.
Before you add AppAuth to your React Native application, you'll need an app to authorize against. If you don't have a free-forever Okta Developer account, get one today!
Log in to your Okta Developer account and navigate to Applications > Add Application. Click Native and click Next. Give the app a name you'll remember (e.g., React Native), select Refresh Token as a grant type, in addition to the default Authorization Code. Copy the Login redirect URI (e.g., com.oktapreview.dev-158606:/callback) and save it somewhere. You'll need this value when configuring your app.
You'll need to "eject" the native configuration for your app, which is normally hidden by create-react-native-app.
After running these commands, you have to configure the native iOS projects. I've copied the steps below for your convenience.
This property holds the authorization flow information that started before you redirect to Okta. After Okta authorizes you, it redirects to the redirect_uri that's passed in.
This code uses styled-components, so you'll need to install that as a dependency.
Then copy the components directory into your project's root directory from Formidable's example.
Grab the background image that's referenced in the Page.js component too.
You should see a screen that says "Hello, stranger." Click on Authorize, and you'll be prompted to continue or cancel.
Click Continue and you should see an Okta sign-in form. Enter your credentials, and you'll be redirected back to the application.
To fix this, open Android Studio, choose open existing project, and select the android directory in your project. If you're prompted to update anything, approve it.
If you'd like to get an ID token in addition to an access token, add idToken as a property of type State and the state variable in App.js.
Then update the authorize() method to set the property from authState. You'll want to add similar logic in the refresh() and revoke() methods.
To see what's in your ID token, install buffer.
I wrote about how to create a "Good Beers" API in Bootiful Development with Spring Boot and React. You can use the backend of that application to prove it works.
NOTE: You'll need to have Java 8 installed to run this Spring Boot application.
TIP: For this to work in the Android emulator (and on a real phone), you'll need to change localhost to your IP address.
In the <ButtonContainer> at the bottom, add a "Good Beers" button that allows you to call the API, as well as press it again to view the ID Token.
I hope you've enjoyed this whirlwind tour of how to do authentication with Okta and React Native. You can learn more about React Native on its official site. You can also add to its ~60K stars on GitHub.