Rituals of the Umuofian Culture essays

Rituals of the Umuofian Culture essays In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, many cultural values are demonstrated through special ceremonies. The Ibo inhabitants of the land Umuofia perform ceremonies of many different sorts. Today, in modern America, we brush our teeth, take showers and go to school, but in this text, the Umuofian villagers break kola nuts, have bride-prices, and sacrifice living organisms. These rituals are not just done for any reason, but they have special importance towards each clan. We may think the rituals to be odd, but in a peculiar way, it relates to many customs we do today. He who brings kola nut brings life. But I think you ought to break it, replied Okoye, passing back the disc. No, its for you... (pg. 6) One must be wondering what a kola nut is and why it is so important. The breaking of the kola nut (somewhat like a coconut) shows status, respect and honor. As we have the custom of unscrewing the cork in a wine bottle, they break a kola nut. Normally, the oldest in the family would unscrew the cork, like how the eldest or higher status one in the feast would break the nut. He then broke the kola nut and threw one of the lobes on the ground for the ancestors. (pg. 165) The villagers of Umuofia always seem to sacrifice to their ancestors. Ancestors are well respected, but in some cases they go a little overboard with what they are willing to give up. Not so far away, lay the Evil Forest, which entrusted in it are all of the bodies of the ill-fated men and women who died from evil causes. Twins were also thrown into the Evil Forest because of the clans superstition. The story did not mention a particular reason, but one would think it to be another interesting custom they used. It is more difficult and more bitter when a man falls alone. (pg. 25) Unoka, Okonkwos father was also laid in the Evil Forest to rest because he had...

120 College Essay Examples for 14 Schools + Expert Analysis

120 College Essay Examples for 14 Schools + Expert Analysis SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The personal statement might just be the hardest part of your college application. Mostly this is because it has the least guidance and is the most open-ended. One way to understand what colleges are looking for when they ask you to write an essay is to check out the essays of students who already got in- college essays that actually worked. After all, they must be among the most successful of this weird literary genre. In this article, I'll go through general guidelines for what makes great college essays great. I've also compiled an enormous list of 100+ actual sample college essays from 14 different schools. Finally, I'll break down two of these published college essay examples and explain why and how they work. With links to 120 full essays and essay excerpts, this article will be a great resource for learning how to craft your own personal college admissions essay! What Excellent College Essays Have in Common Even though in many ways these sample college essays are very different from one other, they do share some traits you should try to emulate as you write your own essay. Visible Signs of Planning Building out from a narrow, concrete focus. You'll see a similar structure in many of the essays. The author starts with a very detailed story of an event or description of a person or place. After this sense-heavy imagery, the essay expands out to make a broader point about the author, and connects this very memorable experience to the author's present situation, state of mind, newfound understanding, or maturity level. Knowing how to tell a story. Some of the experiences in these essays are one-of-a-kind. But most deal with the stuff of everyday life. What sets them apart is the way the author approaches the topic: analyzing it for drama and humor, for its moving qualities, for what it says about the author's world, and for how it connects to the author's emotional life. Stellar Execution A killer first sentence. You've heard it before, and you'll hear it again: you have to suck the reader in, and the best place to do that is the first sentence. Great first sentences are punchy. They are like cliffhangers, setting up an exciting scene or an unusual situation with an unclear conclusion, in order to make the reader want to know more. Don't take my word for it- check out these 22 first sentences from Stanford applicants and tell me you don't want to read the rest of those essays to find out what happens! A lively, individual voice. Writing is for readers. In this case, your reader is an admissions officer who has read thousands of essays before yours and will read thousands after. Your goal? Don't bore your reader. Use interesting descriptions, stay away from clichà ©s, include your own offbeat observations- anything that makes this essay sounds like you and not like anyone else. Enchanted Prince Stan decided to stay away from any frog-kissing princesses to retain his unique perspective on ruling as an amphibian. Technical correctness. No spelling mistakes, no grammar weirdness, no syntax issues, no punctuation snafus- each of these sample college essays has been formatted and proofread perfectly. If this kind of exactness is not your strong suit, you're in luck! All colleges advise applicants to have their essays looked over several times by parents, teachers, mentors, and anyone else who can spot a comma splice. Your essay must be your own work, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help polishing it. Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now: Links to Full College Essay Examples Some colleges publish a selection of their favorite accepted college essays that worked, and I've put together a selection of over 100 of these (plus some essay excerpts!). Common App Essay Samples Please note that some of these college essay examples may be responding to prompts that are no longer in use. The current Common App prompts are as follows: 1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma- anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.6. Descri be a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? 7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. Connecticut College 15 Common Application essays from the classes of 2019-2022 Hamilton College 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2022 8 Common Application essays from the class of 2018 8 Common Application essays from the class of 2012 8 Common Application essays from the class of 2007 Johns Hopkins These essays are answers to past prompts from either the Common Application or the Universal Application, both of which Johns Hopkins accepts. 7 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2022 5 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2021 7 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2020 8 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2019 6 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2018 Tufts University 4 Common Application essays Essay Examples Published by Other Websites 7 Common Application essays from applicants admitted to Stanford, Duke, Connecticut College, NYU, Carleton College, Washington University, and the University of Pennsylvania 2 Common Application essays (1st essay, 2nd essay) from applicants admitted to Columbia Other Sample College Essays Here is a smaller collection of essays that are college-specific, plus 22 essay excerpts that will add fuel to your essay-writing fire. Smith College Each year, Smith asks its applicants to answer a different prompt with a 200-word essay. Here are six of these short essays answering the 2014 prompt: "Tell us about the best gift you've ever given or received." 6 "best gift" essays from the class of 2018 Tufts University On top of the Common Application essays students submit, Tufts asks applicants to answer three short essay questions: two mandatory, and one chosen from six prompts. 8 "Why Tufts?" short essays 6 "Let Your Life Speak" essays 8 chosen prompt essays Books of College Essays If you're looking for even more sample college essays, consider purchasing a college essay book. The best of these include dozens of essays that worked and feedback from real admissions officers. College Essays That Made a Difference- This detailed guide from Princeton Review includes not only successful essays, but also interviews with admissions officers and full student profiles. 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson- A must for anyone aspiring to Harvard. 50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays and 50 Successful Stanford Application Essays by Gen and Kelly Tanabe- For essays from other top schools, check out this venerated series, which is regularly updated with new essays. Heavenly Essays by Janine W. Robinson- This collection from the popular blogger behind Essay Hell includes a wider range of schools, as well as helpful tips on honing your own essay. Analyzing Great Common App Essays That Worked I've picked two essays from the examples collected above to examine in more depth so that you can see exactly what makes a successful college essay work. Full credit for these essays goes to the original authors and the schools that published them. Example 1: "Breaking Into Cars," by Stephen, Johns Hopkins Class of '19 (Common App Essay, 636 words long) I had never broken into a car before. We were in Laredo, having just finished our first day at a Habitat for Humanity work site. The Hotchkiss volunteers had already left, off to enjoy some Texas BBQ, leaving me behind with the college kids to clean up. Not until we were stranded did we realize we were locked out of the van. Someone picked a coat hanger out of the dumpster, handed it to me, and took a few steps back. "Can you do that thing with a coat hanger to unlock it?" "Why me?" I thought. More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window's seal like I'd seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame. Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation. My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing- all meant my house was functioning normally. My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill- you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed. "The water's on fire! Clear a hole!" he shouted, tossing me in the lake without warning. While I'm still unconvinced about that particular lesson's practicality, my Dad's overarching message is unequivocally true: much of life is unexpected, and you have to deal with the twists and turns. Living in my family, days rarely unfolded as planned. A bit overlooked, a little pushed around, I learned to roll with reality, negotiate a quick deal, and give the improbable a try. I don't sweat the small stuff, and I definitely don't expect perfect fairness. So what if our dining room table only has six chairs for seven people? Someone learns the importance of punctuality every night. But more than punctuality and a special affinity for musical chairs, my family life has taught me to thrive in situations over which I have no power. Growing up, I never controlled my older siblings, but I learned how to thwart their attempts to control me. I forged alliances, and realigned them as necessary. Sometimes, I was the poor, defenseless little brother; sometimes I was the omniscient elder. Different things to different people, as the situation demanded. I learned to adapt. Back then, these techniques were merely reactions undertaken to ensure my survival. But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?" The question caught me off guard, much like the question posed to me in Laredo. Then, I realized I knew the answer. I knew why the coat hanger had been handed to me. Growing up as the middle child in my family, I was a vital participant in a thing I did not govern, in the company of people I did not choose. It's family. It's society. And often, it's chaos. You participate by letting go of the small stuff, not expecting order and perfection, and facing the unexpected with confidence, optimism, and preparedness. My family experience taught me to face a serendipitous world with confidence. What Makes This Essay Tick? It's very helpful to take writing apart in order to see just how it accomplishes its objectives. Stephen's essay is very effective. Let's find out why! An Opening Line That Draws You In I had never broken into a car before. In just eight words, we get: scene-setting (he is standing next to a car about to break in), the idea of crossing a boundary (he is maybe about to do an illegal thing for the first time), and a cliffhanger (we are thinking: is he going to get caught? Is he headed for a life of crime? Is he about to be scared straight?). Great, Detailed Opening Story We were in Laredo, having just finished our first day at a Habitat for Humanity work site. The Hotchkiss volunteers had already left, off to enjoy some Texas BBQ, leaving me behind with the college kids to clean up. Not until we were stranded did we realize we were locked out of the van. Someone picked a coat hanger out of the dumpster, handed it to me, and took a few steps back. "Can you do that thing with a coat hanger to unlock it?" "Why me?" I thought. More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window's seal like I'd seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame. It's the details that really make this small experience come alive. Notice how whenever he can, Stephen uses a more specific, descriptive word in place of a more generic one. The volunteers aren't going to get food or dinner; they're going for "Texas BBQ." The coat hanger comes from "a dumpster." Stephen doesn't just move the coat hanger- he "jiggles" it. Details also help us visualize the emotions of the people in the scene. The person who hands Stephen the coat hanger isn't just uncomfortable or nervous; he "takes a few steps back"- a description of movement that conveys feelings. Finally, the detail of actual speech makes the scene pop. Instead of writing that the other guy asked him to unlock the van, Stephen has the guy actually say his own words in a way that sounds like a teenager talking. Coat hangers: not just for crows' nests anymore! (Gà ¶tz/Wikimedia) Turning a Specific Incident Into a Deeper Insight Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation. Stephen makes the locked car experience a meaningful illustration of how he has learned to be resourceful and ready for anything, and he also makes this turn from the specific to the broad through an elegant play on the two meanings of the word "click." Using Concrete Examples When Making Abstract Claims My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing- all meant my house was functioning normally. "Unpredictability and chaos" are very abstract, not easily visualized concepts. They could also mean any number of things- violence, abandonment, poverty, mental instability. By instantly following up with highly finite and unambiguous illustrations like "family of seven" and "siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing," Stephen grounds the abstraction in something that is easy to picture: a large, noisy family. Using Small Bits of Humor and Casual Word Choice My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill- you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed. Obviously, knowing how to clean burning oil is not high on the list of things every 9-year-old needs to know. To emphasize this, Stephen uses sarcasm by bringing up a situation that is clearly over-the-top: "in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed." The humor also feels relaxed. Part of this is because he introduces it with the colloquial phrase "you know," so it sounds like he is talking to us in person. This approach also diffuses the potential discomfort of the reader with his father's strictness- since he is making jokes about it, clearly he is OK. Notice, though, that this doesn't occur very much in the essay. This helps keep the tone meaningful and serious rather than flippant. "Mr. President? There's been an oil spill!" "Then I want our best elementary school students on it, STAT." An Ending That Stretches the Insight Into the Future But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?" The question caught me off guard, much like the question posed to me in Laredo. Then, I realized I knew the answer. I knew why the coat hanger had been handed to me. Growing up as the middle child in my family, I was a vital participant in a thing I did not govern, in the company of people I did not choose. It's family. It's society. And often, it's chaos. You participate by letting go of the small stuff, not expecting order and perfection, and facing the unexpected with confidence, optimism, and preparedness. My family experience taught me to face a serendipitous world with confidence. The ending of the essay reveals that Stephen's life has been one long preparation for the future. He has emerged from chaos and his dad's approach to parenting as a person who can thrive in a world that he can't control. This connection of past experience to current maturity and self-knowledge is a key element in all successful personal essays. Colleges are very much looking for mature, self-aware applicants. These are the qualities of successful college students, who will be able to navigate the independence college classes require and the responsibility and quasi-adulthood of college life. What Could This Essay Do Even Better? Even the best essays aren't perfect, and even the world's greatest writers will tell you that writing is never "finished"- just "due." So what would we tweak in this essay if we could? Replace some of the clichà ©d language. Stephen uses handy phrases like "twists and turns" and "don't sweat the small stuff" as a kind of shorthand for explaining his relationship to chaos and unpredictability. But using too many of these ready-made expressions runs the risk of clouding out your own voice and replacing it with something expected and boring. Use another example from recent life. Stephen's first example (breaking into the van in Laredo) is a great illustration of being resourceful in an unexpected situation. But his essay also emphasizes that he "learned to adapt" by being "different things to different people." It would be great to see how this plays out outside his family, either in the situation in Laredo or another context. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Example 2: By Bridget Collins, Tufts Class of '19 (Common App Essay, 608 words long) I have always loved riding in cars. After a long day in first grade, I used to fall asleep to the engine purring in my mother's Honda Odyssey, even though it was only a 5-minute drive home. As I grew, and graduated into the shotgun seat, it became natural and enjoyable to look out the window. Seeing my world passing by through that smudged glass, I would daydream what I could do with it. In elementary school, I already knew my career path: I was going to be Emperor of the World. While I sat in the car and watched the miles pass by, I developed the plan for my empire. I reasoned that, for the world to run smoothly, it would have to look presentable. I would assign people, aptly named Fixer-Uppers, to fix everything that needed fixing. That old man down the street with chipping paint on his house would have a fresh coat in no time. The boy who accidentally tossed his Frisbee onto the roof of the school would get it back. The big pothole on Elm Street that my mother managed to hit every single day on the way to school would be filled-in. It made perfect sense! All the people that didn't have a job could be Fixer-Uppers. I was like a ten-year-old FDR. Seven years down the road, I still take a second glance at the sidewalk cracks and think of my Fixer-Uppers, but now I'm doing so from the driver's seat. As much as I would enjoy it, I now accept that I won't become Emperor of the World, and that the Fixer-Uppers will have to remain in my car ride imaginings. Or do they? I always pictured a Fixer-Upper as a smiling man in an orange T-Shirt. Maybe instead, a Fixer-Upper could be a tall girl with a deep love for Yankee Candles. Maybe it could be me. Bridget the Fixer-Upper will be slightly different than the imaginary one who paints houses and fetches Frisbees. I was lucky enough to discover what I am passionate about when I was a freshman in high school. A self-admitted Phys. Ed. addict, I volunteered to help out with the Adapted PE class. On my first day, I learned that it was for developmentally-disabled students. To be honest, I was really nervous. I hadn't had too much interaction with special needs students before, and wasn't sure how to handle myself around them. Long story short, I got hooked. Three years have passed helping out in APE and eventually becoming a teacher in the Applied Behavior Analysis summer program. I love working with the students and watching them progress. When senior year arrived, college meetings began, and my counselor asked me what I wanted to do for a career, I didn't say Emperor of the World. Instead, I told him I wanted to become a board-certified behavior analyst. A BCBA helps develop learning plans for students with autism and other disabilities. Basically, I would get to do what I love for the rest of my life. He laughed and told me that it was a nice change that a seventeen-year-old knew so specifically what she wanted to do. I smiled, thanked him, and left. But it occurred to me that, while my desired occupation was decided, my true goal in life was still to become a Fixer-Upper. So, maybe I'll be like Sue Storm and her alter-ego, the Invisible Woman. I'll do one thing during the day, then spend my off-hours helping people where I can. Instead of flying like Sue, though, I'll opt for a nice performance automobile. My childhood self would appreciate that. What Makes This Essay Tick? Bridget takes a somewhat different approach than Stephen, but her essay is just as detailed and engaging. Let's go through some of the strengths of her essay. A Structure That's Easy to Follow and Understand The essay is arranged chronologically. Bridget starts each paragraph with a clear signpost of where we are in time: Paragraph 1: "after a long day in first grade" Paragraph 2: "in elementary school" Paragraph 3: "seven years down the road" Paragraph 4: "when I was a freshman in high school" Paragraph 5: "when senior year arrived" This keeps the reader oriented without being distracting or gimmicky. One Clear Governing Metaphor I would assign people, aptly named Fixer-Uppers, to fix everything that needed fixing. That old man down the street with chipping paint on his house would have a fresh coat in no time. The boy who accidentally tossed his Frisbee onto the roof of the school would get it back. †¦ Seven years down the road, I still take a second glance at the sidewalk cracks and think of my Fixer-Uppers, but now I'm doing so from the driver's seat. As much as I would enjoy it, I now accept that I won't become Emperor of the World, and that the Fixer-Uppers will have to remain in my car ride imaginings. Or do they? I always pictured a Fixer-Upper as a smiling man in an orange T-Shirt. Maybe instead, a Fixer-Upper could be a tall girl with a deep love for Yankee Candles. Maybe it could be me. †¦ I wanted to become a board-certified behavior analyst. A BCBA helps develop learning plans for students with autism and other disabilities. Basically, I would get to do what I love for the rest of my life. †¦But it occurred to me that, while my desired occupation was decided, my true goal in life was still to become a Fixer-Upper. What makes this essay fun to read is that Bridget takes a child's idea of a world made better through quasi-magical helpers and turns it into a metaphor for the author's future aspirations. It helps that the metaphor is a very clear one: people who work with students with disabilities are making the world better one abstract fix at a time, just like imaginary Fixer-Uppers would make the world better one concrete physical fix at a time. Every childhood Fixer-Upper ever. Ask your parents to explain the back row to you. (JD Hancock/Flickr) An Engaging, Individual Voice This essay uses many techniques that make Bridget sound genuine and make the reader feel like we already know her. Technique #1: humor. Notice Bridget's gentle and relaxed humor that lightly mocks her younger self's grand ambitions (this is different from the more sarcastic kind of humor used by Stephen in the first essay- you could never mistake one writer for the other). In elementary school, I already knew my career path: I was going to be Emperor of the World. I was like a ten-year-old FDR. Technique #2: invented terminology. The second technique is the way Bridget coins her own terms, carrying them through the whole essay. It would be easy enough to simply describe the people she imagined in childhood as helpers or assistants, and to simply say that as a child she wanted to rule the world. Instead, she invents the capitalized (and thus official-sounding) titles "Fixer-Upper" and "Emperor of the World," making these childish conceits at once charming and iconic. What's also key is that the titles feed into the central metaphor of the essay, which keeps them from sounding like strange quirks that don't go anywhere. Technique #3: playing with syntax. The third technique is to use sentences of varying length, syntax, and structure. Most of the essay's written in standard English and uses grammatically correct sentences. However, at key moments, Bridget emphasizes that the reader needs to sit up and pay attention by switching to short, colloquial, differently punctuated, and sometimes fragmented sentences. The big pothole on Elm Street that my mother managed to hit every single day on the way to school would be filled-in. It made perfect sense! All the people that didn't have a job could be Fixer-Uppers. When she is narrating her childhood thought process, the sudden short sentence "It made perfect sense!" (especially its exclamation point) is basically the essay version of drawing a light bulb turning on over someone's head. As much as I would enjoy it, I now accept that I won't become Emperor of the World, and that the Fixer-Uppers will have to remain in my car ride imaginings. Or do they? Similarly, when the essay turns from her childhood imagination to her present-day aspirations, the turn is marked with "Or do they?"- a tiny and arresting half-sentence question. Maybe instead, a Fixer-Upper could be a tall girl with a deep love for Yankee Candles. Maybe it could be me. The first time when the comparison between magical fixer-upper's and the future disability specialist is made is when Bridget turns her metaphor onto herself. The essay emphasizes the importance of the moment through repetition (two sentences structured similarly, both starting with the word "maybe") and the use of a very short sentence: "Maybe it could be me." To be honest, I was really nervous. I hadn't had too much interaction with special needs students before, and wasn't sure how to handle myself around them. Long story short, I got hooked. The last key moment that gets the small-sentence treatment is the emotional crux of the essay. As we watch Bridget go from nervously trying to help disabled students to falling in love with this specialty field, she undercuts the potential sappiness of the moment by relying on changed-up sentence length and slang: "Long story short, I got hooked." The best essays convey emotions just as clearly as this image. What Could This Essay Do Even Better? Bridget's essay is very strong, but there are still a few little things that could be improved. Explain the car connection better. The essay begins and ends with Bridget's enjoying a car ride, but this doesn't seem to be related either to the Fixer-Upper idea or to her passion for working with special-needs students. It would be great to either connect this into the essay more, or to take it out altogether and create more space for something else. Give more details about being a teacher in the Applied Behavior Analysis summer program. It makes perfect sense that Bridget doesn't want to put her students on display. It would take the focus off of her and possibly read as offensive or condescending. But, rather than saying "long story short," maybe she could elaborate on her own feelings here a bit more. What is it about this kind of teaching that she loves? What is she hoping to bring to the lives of her future clients? Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now: 3 Essential Tips for Writing Your Own Essay How can you use this discussion to better your own college essay? Here are some suggestions for ways to use this resource effectively. #1: Read Other Essays to Get Ideas for Your Own As you go through the essays we've compiled for you above, ask yourself the following questions: Can you explain to yourself (or someone else!) why the opening sentence works well? Look for the essay's detailed personal anecdote. What senses is the author describing? Can you easily picture the scene in your mind's eye? Find the place where this anecdote bridges into a larger insight about the author. How does the essay connect the two? How does the anecdote work as an example of the author's characteristic, trait, or skill? Check out the essay's tone. If it's funny, can you find the places where the humor comes from? If it's sad and moving, can you find the imagery and description of feelings that make you moved? If it's serious, can you see how word choice adds to this tone? Make a note whenever you find an essay or part of an essay that you think was particularly well-written, and think about what you like about it. Is it funny? Does it help you really get to know the writer? Does it show what makes the writer unique? Once you have your list, keep it next to you while writing your essay to remind yourself to try and use those same techniques in your own essay. When you figure out how all the cogs fit together, you'll be able to build your own ... um ... whatever this is. #2: Find Your "A-Ha!" Moment All of these essays rely on connecting with the reader through a heartfelt, highly descriptive scene from the author's life. It can either be very dramatic (did you survive a plane crash?) or it can be completely mundane (did you finally beat your dad at Scrabble?). Either way, it should be personal and revealing about you, your personality, and the way you are now that you are entering the adult world. Check out essays by authors like John Jeremiah Sullivan, Leslie Jamison, Hanif Abdurraqib, and Esmà © Weijun Wang to get more example of how to craft a compelling personal narrative. #3: Start Early, Revise Often Let me level with you: the best writing isn't writing at all. It's rewriting. And in order to have time to rewrite, you have to start way before the application deadline. My advice is to write your first draft at least two months before your applications are due. Let it sit for a few days untouched. Then come back to it with fresh eyes and think critically about what you've written. What's extra? What's missing? What is in the wrong place? What doesn't make sense? Don't be afraid to take it apart and rearrange sections. Do this several times over, and your essay will be much better for it! For more editing tips, check out a style guide like Dreyer's English or Eats, Shoots Leaves. What's Next? Interested in learning more about college essays? Check out our detailed breakdown of exactly how personal statements work in an application, some suggestions on what to avoid when writing your essay, and our guide to writing about your extracurricular activities. Working on the rest of your application? Read what admissions officers wish applicants knew before applying. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: The recommendations in this post are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links PrepScholar may receive a commission. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Dr. Anna Wulick About the Author Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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DISCUSS THE CONCEPT OF HEALTH PROMOTION AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO Essay

DISCUSS THE CONCEPT OF HEALTH PROMOTION AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO POSITIVE HEALTH - Essay Example In some cases, the drivers of such actions are individuals; whereas, in other cases, such as alcoholism and smoking, a collective mindset and use of force is necessary. Such cases may require use of coercion to enforce the corrective action. A significant aspect of health promotion is health education which aims at creating learning experiences for people by imparting knowledge related to the various elements of health and demonstrating what actions are needed to maintain good health (Green & Kreuter, 1999). Health education maybe an individual or a collective effort; it may result in direct benefit (to the person who is suffering from health problems) or indirect benefit/ positive externality (to people other than the person being educated) (Bandura, 1977). What distinguishes health education from secondary learning is that health education is a methodical, planned learning exercise which is proactively undertaken in order to make people aware of the various risks associated with he alth and their possible solutions (Ottoson & Green, 1987). The concept of health promotion; however, extends beyond that of health education in that the former attempts to facilitate the high quality of life outcomes proposed by health education . It provides the necessary organizational, political, social and economic mechanisms needed to achieve the objectives proposed by health education. In other words, one may infer that health education is a pre requisite to health promotion; without self-awareness regarding health-related issues health promotion is futile. Without health education, health promotion would be limited to a politically manipulated activity marked by death of the â€Å"social† aspect of health promotion needed to avoid the manipulation. Over the years, there has been a growing shift of responsibility associated with positive health outcomes from the government and environmental agencies to individuals (Bunton, 1993). Thus the balance has tilted from environ mental activists, medical agencies and public service institutions to individuals, schools, and households (Bunton, 1993). This has been made possible by the rapid influx and falling prices of technology, greater awareness through media as well as high levels of community support for such health promotion programs. Schools are not volunteering in educating students about healthy diet and issues such as obesity, AIDS, as well as preventing the use of drugs and alcohol (Tonin, 1980). Community organizations have sprung up in order to promote better standards of living for its members. Such action involves greater co ordination and communication across various sectors of the society (Thorogood, 1992). However, in order to achieve the intended outcomes and attain maximum efficiency, health promotion must be simultaneously achieved at both levels (the individual and collective) (Thorogood, 1992). Thus, all groups pursuing health promotion ought to decide their share of contribution to th e overall effort in the context of local culture and lifestyle (Thorogood, 1992). Victims of poor health are a vital component of this decision-making process and their views on which group should attain maximum responsibility ought to be taken into account (Green, 1986) (Flynn et al.,

Government 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Government 2 - Assignment Example They are called standing panels for they handle specific subjects e.g. Agriculture or Armed Services. Woodrow Wilson was right since when the committees of Congress are on, all members are involved in giving full attention to a specific issue and this carries the highest chance of giving better result. The majority party manages to control all the committees of the house by having more numbers in the house and in the committees. The party does so as to ensure that the party fulfils the goals it had for the administration. The policies that are practice by the United States include: treaties and alliances, the United Nations, nuclear weapons testing international trade, the defense budget and also foreign economic and military aid. The right of legation has always been respected as diplomats act as the proxies of their countries and respecting and ensuring their welfare maintains the important relations that exist between nations. This country will never be fully protected from terrorism as America hoses most of these terrorists who have infiltrated the country. However, if more vigilance and surveillance is done, terrorists might be kept at

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapters 22-31 Questions Essay Example for Free

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapters 22-31 Questions Essay 1.Atticus is extremely disappointed and walks out of the courtroom after the verdict is announced. 2. When Miss Maudie is explaining that they had people like Atticus, she was telling Jem that there were people in this world who do not fall into mob mentality. She tries to explain that even though Atticus did not win, he had got the town thinking for themselves for a change, rather than act on prejudice alone. He has created respect for the individual. 3.Miss Maudie says they have at least made a baby step in the right direction because she knows that the jury actually contemplated weather or not they were going to convict Tom which means the towns were looking past prejudices for once. 4. Dill says he wants to be a clown that laughs at people instead of people laughing at him. This means that Dill wants to laugh at people (society) because they are being so dumb in the Tom Robinson court case. Chapter 23: 1. Atticus doesn’t take Bob Ewells threat seriously because he thinks that Mr. Ewells just taking his anger on Atticus. 2. a)In a courtroom, if a defendant is put on a stand with only circumstantial evidence, that person is entitled to reasonable doubt. Circumstantial evidence means the acquitted person was there at the time of the offense, but theres no actual proof like DNA and things like that. b)People always believe white men before black because of prejudices. c)People have already made up there minds before even hearing a word of the case because of racism and prejudices. d)Sooner of later people are going to realize how wrong they treated people of different race and they are going to pay for it. 3. a) Atticus believes the Cunninghams are honest hard working people. b)Alexandra believes the Cunninghams are lower class, trash. 4. Jem can’t accept Scout’s opinion because Jem knows its not because in the mostly to kinds of people, the good and the bad. Chapter 24: 1.The missionary ladies seem to be rather negative, self righteous and hypocritical. Yes it’s typical for these ladies to act like this because I think these characteristics are what brings them together. 2. The irony is that Mrs. Merriweather admires J Grimes Everett and the work he is doing for tribes in Africa while she pays little attention and thinks nothing of the African Americans in her own town. 3. Scout prefers men to women because so in her life the people closest to her are men and she doesn’t seem to like to many of the women. 4. When Ms. Maudie says, Were paying the highest tribute we can pay a man, that out of everyone in Maycomb Atticus was the only one who would try his hardest to give Tom Robinson a fair trial. To represent him the way he deserved, with all the rights. That no matter what he is faced with; the town trusts him to do right. 5. True ladies know how to but their lip and fake a smile for the sake of others. Chapter 25: 1. Most of the town believe’s that Tom’s death just shows how dumb black people are(from the perspective of a white person). 2. Although Mr. Underwood holds racist vies himself, his editorial can be likened to Atticuss prior words. In his editorial Underwood writes, it was a sin to kill cripples, be they sitting, standing, or escaping. He writes that Toms death was tantamount to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children. Atticus had also discussed that killing a Mockingbird is a sin. The bird tries to bring a little relief in a very harsh world. Toms actions were no different. Chapter 26: 1. a) Scout feels bad about all the things she had done just to see Boo. b)Scout still wants to see him but now respects his privacy. c)She’s is glad that Atticus never said anything about their previous activity. d)Scout doesnt seem to express any feelings about the â€Å"Current Events† she does pay attention to them, which shows that she is growing up. 2.The irony is that Miss Gate’s hates Hitler because of his racism toward Jews yet, she shows just as much racism towards african americans. 3. Jem reacts violently because he is still upset for what happened to Tom Robinson, the man who got accused for doing a crime he didnt do and who got killed for trying to escape. Since Miss Gates said that its horrible for Hitler to do horrible things to the Jews Jem agreed. But remember what she said about Tom and his trial.. Since he was black, he should have been guilty.. She is a hypocrite and is racist against black people. She says that Jews are people just like her, but Jews are white. Jem hates what happened to Tom; thats why he acted so violently towards Scout. Chapter 27: 1.Bob Ewell lost a job from the WPA and blamed Atticus for it. Judge Taylor thought his dog was making noises and opened the screen door and actually saw a shadow figure and kept a shotgun at his side; and Helen Robinson, Tom Robinsons widow got a job from Link Deas, who Tom used to work for, and was being harassed by Bob Ewell and his children. Bob Ewell is the type of man that holds a grudge. 2. Atticus had to work in Montgomery and was too tired to go. Alexandra feels tired and needs to go to sleep early because she helped with the stage for the play that Scout is in. Chapter 28: 1. Cecil Jacobs scares Jem and Scout by jumping out from behind a tree on there way to the school. 2. They think the noise might be Cecil Jacobs or the rustling of the leaves in the trees. 3. 4 people- Scout, Jem, Arthur Radley and Mr. Ewell Chapter 29: 1. Arthur Radley saved Jem and Scout from Mr. Radley. 2. I agree with Atticus, as I dont think Bob Ewell is worth anything because he tried to kill innocent mockingbirds (Jem and Scout). Additionally, he also holds grudges in the wrong ways for the wrong things , causing him to do crazy things. 3. It’s nothing like she’d imagined it would be and all she can say is â€Å"hey, Boo,† then she starts to cry. Chapter 30: 1.Scout is childish and has a curious nature, while Boo has somewhat of a childish curiosity about him. 2. I don’t think either of them believe either story. They both know who really killed Bob Ewell but they would never admit to it. 3. She said something like, well, it would be like shooting a mockingbird, wouldnt it? to Atticus. I dont know the actual quote. Chapter 31: 1. She understands how Boo feels. The entire part about her standing in Boos shoes and seeing all the things happening from his point of view. I guess Scout has matured a lot and realizes the rumors about Boo Radley were not true. 2. After reading the closing scene I was mostly wondering if Jem was going to be okay, if they would ever see Boo Radley again and what would happen to the Ewells.

Ethan Frome Hidden Meanings :: essays papers

Ethan Frome Hidden Meanings Ethan Frome: Hidden Meanings Ethan Frome is the story of a family caught in a deep-rooted domestic struggle. Ethan Frome is married to his first love Zeena, who becomes chronically ill over their long marriage. Due to his wife’s condition, they took the services of Zeena’s cousin, Mattie Silver. Mattie seems to be everything that Zeena is not, youthful, energetic, and healthy. Over time Ethan believes that he loves Mattie and wants to leave his wife for her. He struggles with his obligations toward Zeena and his growing love for Mattie. After Zeena discovers their feelings toward each other, she tries to send Mattie away. In an effort to stay together, Ethan and Mattie try to kill themselves by crashing into the elm that they talked about so many times. Instead, Mattie becomes severely injured and paralyzed. The woman that was everything that Zeena was not became the exactly the same as her. In Ethan Frome, the author communicates meanings in this story through various symbols. One of the m ost significant symbols used in this story is the very setting itself. A symbol is a person, object, or event that suggests more than its literal meaning. Symbols can be very useful in shedding light on a story, clarifying meaning that can’t be expressed with words. It may be hard to notice symbols at first, but while reflecting on the story or reading it a second time, the symbol is like a key that fits perfectly into a lock. The reason that symbols work so well is that we can associate something with a particular object. For example, a red rose symbolizes love and passion, and if there were red roses in a story we may associate that part of the story with love. Although many symbols can have simple meanings, such as a red rose, many have more complex meanings and require a careful reading to figure out its meaning. The first symbol that I noticed in Ethan Frome is the setting. It plays an important role in this story. The author spends much of the first few chapters describing the scene in a New England town Starkfield. When I think of a town called Starkfield, a gloomy, barren place with nothing that can grow comes to mind. As the author continues to describe this town, it just reinforces what I had originally thought.

Meditation on Yellow by Olive Senior Essay

Olive Senior is a Jamaican poet who explores Caribbean history. Her poetry often conveys her displeasure of colonization and the suffering Caribbean people endured. Meditation on Yellow explores the colonization and exploitation process carried out by the Europeans. This poem strong conveys Senior discontentment as it relates to the exploitation of the land and the Amerindian tribe. It through the use of symbolism, language and repetition the brutality of colonization is conveyed. Symbolism is used to portray the harsh reality of colonization. In Meditation on Yellow â€Å"yellow† is symbolic of the innocence of the Amerindians and the purity in their mind and soul upon encountering the Whites. This is noted in the phrase † but we were peaceful then child-like in the yellow dawn of our innocence.† The fact that these Amerindians had no idea of what was to come their way and that they offered the best of what they had to the Europeans makes this encounter even more sad and advantageous. Furthermore, yellow is symbolic of sickness and infection. This is reflect in the minds of the Europeans as it was infected with the yearning for wealth and power. Due to this â€Å"infection† the Amerindian we turned into slaves, the land was exploited and the Europeans began colonization. The use of symbolism conveys the extremes which these two set of people existed, the Amerindian being kind and pure and the Europeans being cold-hearted and greedy. Senior’s use of language is certainly a powerful tool in expressing her displeasure as it relates to the enslavement of the Amerindians. Throughout the poem she uses sarcasm and humor which highlights her mocking and belittling of the Europeans. The phrase † had I known I would have brewed up some yellow fever grass and arsenic† is an example of sarcasm. In this phrase there is a contrast between the gesture of hospitality of ethnic which is the â€Å"fever grass† and the bitter sinister intentions of k illing the Europeans with the † arsenic poison.† The sarcasm continues in the phrase † despite the differences in our skins, our piss was exactly the same shade of yellow.† This highlights that regardless of ethnic and racial differences we are all the same. The striking, crude comparison stresses the need for equality and for readers to take note. Furthermore Olive Senior educates us that these Amerindian displayed passive resistance as they deliberately burnt the bread of the Europeans since they we treated badly. The phrase † for which management apologizes† certainly indicates they there was no remorse or sorry for these actions. The use of sarcasm highlight Senior’s hatred towards the colonization process and her view on the Europeans. Repetition is also used to place emphasis on the greedy and materialistic nature of the Europeans. This type of repetition is known as anaphora. The line † but it was gold in your mind gold in your eyes gold in the crown .. gold the prize † highlights the obsession these Europeans had with gold and their gluttonous nature. Moreover, their unreasonable wants and desires are also highlighted through repetition. This is noted in the line † want it strong wan it long want it black want it black want it green want it dread.† Additionally there was repetition in the in line † silver was you armor silver the cross of your Lord †¦ silver the bullet I bite†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This repetition emphasizes the many different forms of silver and the destruction that the silver symbolizes . The silver was representative of Iron Age Technology and represents the European’s military superiority over the stone age Amerindians. Collectively the repetition of these lines alerts readers of the suffering these Amerindians endured to please the cold hearted Europeans. The use of these techniques clearly depicts Senior’s displeasure and the unfortunate struggles of colonization.

Pride and Prejudice Essay

Successful Marriage l: Biography Looked upon as being one of the most influential and popular writers during the romantic period, Jane Austen published many romance novels, such as her most famous, Pride and Prejudice. Austen focused her writings on the importance of â€Å"romantic love as a true happiness to marriage† (Olsen 426). Having not experienced marriage, Jane often based her stories off of her familys romance. Jane was born into a middle class family with very little income; Jane used her lack of money to inspire new novels. She mainly focused her novels over social standings and how love is haracterized as true happiness. Her focus on love began when her siblings married for money rather than love. Austen strived to fix the many family issues by creating â€Å"fairy tale stories† ending â€Å"happily with the heroines marrying the men they loved† (Ruth 50). Jane Austen wrote her novels around the controversy of whether love should be based upon increasing one’s â€Å"social status† or â€Å"falling in love† (Bernard 34). Jane creates romance novels to replace the love that’s missing in her life. From growing up in a poor family Jane rarely received the opportunity to find love and arry a suitable husband, giving her thoughts and dreams of what her life would be like if she found marriage through love. Austen’s novels portray that marriage shouldn’t be based upon personal wishes such as money or class, but for one to be happy one should find love. In the novel, Pride and Prejudice, the author shows that despite social pressure, for a marriage to be successful it must be based upon love. II: Pride and Prejudice The novel Pride and Prejudice is surrounded with young couples and the issue of marriage through social class and public opinion. Many critics follow Jane Austen’s heme that love builds to create a happy successful marriage. The critic Bilal Hasan follows Austen’s theme and supports the theory that one shouldn’t marry for money if they plan on being happy. Also, he believes that â€Å"through their relationship Jane Austen shows that a hasty marriage based on superficial qualities looks and leads to unhappiness† (Hasan). Both supporting Jane’s theme over happy marriage, the critic Rachel Davies uses the qualities of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth’s love to show a successful marriage. â€Å"Darcy and Elizabeth’s love is genuine, existing despite social arriers† (Davies). Davies relates Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage to the marriage of Charlotte and Mr. Collins, comparing that due to the burden Charlotte held on her family, she created a limit to finding love. Charlotte became a â€Å"burden to her family’ when she became the age not very few men adored to marry; she hadn’t found love and caused her to marry for money (Olsen 425). Austen chooses to influence all the characters to show their struggles between them, providing that they all come to the reality that â€Å"without money, it is probable marriage will not happen† (Disney). Many focus on the differences in financial status when finding marriage. A woman who is a burden would more like to marry a man of wealthy class without caring whether she was in love. The character Elizabeth Bennet money. Jane Austen writes that for a man to best show his love for a woman, he would ask for her hand in the next dance at the ball. Money divides real love and incites false love initially in Pride and Prejudice. Love is shown to demolish the seeming impossibility of Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage† (Davies). She does believe that there is a relation between love and money in marriage. Money to some she believes, can buy happiness, but love overpowers money and creates a strong everlasting bond in a marriage, while money can be lost. An example would be â€Å"when Darcy pays Wickham to marry Lydia, thus giving Elizabeth feelings towards Darcy for caring for her family’ (Davies). Austen herself faced the issues of money on marriage, creating a similar character named Charlotte. Despite that Austen never was forced to choose to marry for money instead of love; Jane created Charlotte in comparison how they both became a burden to their families. Charlotte later in Pride and Prejudice marries Mr. Collins, only to simply please her parents and â€Å"secure herself financially’, creating an unhappy marriage and making them â€Å"the darkest note in the novel† (Paris 34). By choosing to marry Mr. Collins, Charlotte increased her social status by removing herself from a burden to her family any longer. People cannot always fall in love where they choose, but their choice of a marriage partner should not be governed primarily by concerns for money or status† (Paris 34). Both critics Davies and Hasan support Jane’s theme, that love is the key to a successful happy marriage. Hasty marriages acting on impulse and based on superficial qualitie s will not survive and will lead to unhappiness† (Hasan). Davies continues to discuss the importance of marriage based upon love, yet also follows that money contributes to creating a happy marriage. There are very few critics who can argue that Austen doesn’t show that love creates a bond for successful marriage. Yet at the same time, arguing with her opinion, Jane states that money is also important in finding marriage. â€Å"Neither Elizabeth nor Colonel Fitzwilliam would marry for money, but they must hope to fall n love with someone who has money’ (Paris 34). Many women during the eighteenth century didn’t receive any of their familys money or dowries after the death of their father. Having no money caused many to search for a suitable wealthy husband, with the small hope of finding love in the process. The critic Katie Disney argues that Austen does not suggest the theme that love is the most important, but â€Å"shows her obvious unhappiness with the way marriages work† (Disney). The conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet shows their desire to quickly marry their five daughters to rich well-known men. With higher class came the responsibility to find a wife similar to their class and share the wealth among their families. â€Å"It is truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife† (Austen 1). Jane makes clear that wealthy men of a higher class sought to find a bride similar to them. Yet, Jane contradicts her belief by making Mr. Darcy fall in love with Elizabeth Bennet, a lower middle class woman: â€Å"He is so much in love, however, that he decides to make a social sacrifice for the sake of personal satisfaction† (Paris 35). To most, money is seen as a necessary possession, but also is used to secure ones financial future: â€Å"Money in Pride and Prejudice is used to buy one’s way, or marry one’s way, to a higher social rank† (Copeland 74). There is no ruling that marriage should be solely founded either on love or money. Women are seen as the main audience of Pride and Prejudice, and as we grow up, we become planted with the notion of â€Å"ending happily ever after. † Love is always a major theme in every fairy tale; either a prince rescues the princess and they fall madly in love or the girl finds her true love and is destined to live a happy life. The novel Pride and Prejudice is seen by many as one of the most famous fairy tales. Jane Austen creates the novel based upon her dreams of what her life could be. A fairy tale doesn’t always consist of witches and dragons, yet Austen creates characters who share similar characteristics. The character Lady Catherine shares the qualities of an evil witch who wishes happiness for none but herself. Austen creates Lady Catherine as a wealthy woman of high society who looks down to everyone, believing that marriage should remain within the family and love is unimportant. Pride and Prejudice can be related to a fairy tale not only for its characters but for its happy ending. The novel can be compared to one of the most known fairy tales, Cinderella. Mr. Darcy is the wealthy sophisticated prince who falls in love with the maiden, Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth fantasizes of one day finding the man of her dreams. Another comparison to Cinderella would be that Elizabeth as well as Cinderella is first introduced to her future husband at a ball. Also, both female characters at first play hard to get. In the beginning Elizabeth is disgusted by Mr. Darcy and his arrogance towards those of lower class. Social status was important in the eighteenth century; many women were born into lower class but were not accepted into society unless they married a wealthy man. Yet, in the end Elizabeth falls madly in love with Darcy and of course they live â€Å"happily ever after† Just like in a fairy tale. Even in animated movies today such as Shrek, the fairy tale romance of living happily ever after exists. The main character Shrek, in this movie is in much relation to Elizabeth due to their social standings. Both have little to offer for those of higher class such as Darcy or Fiona. Despite the fact that she is also an ogre, Fiona is the daughter of the King and Queen. Even though their social standards are very different they are able to overcome this because of their strong love they have for each other. In the end of the movie, Shrek leaves the audience with the allusion of this couple living happily ever after. Not everyone searches for love and many don’t believe they will every fall in love. Often we wonder if love can truly be the answer to one’s happiness. In many ways love is unknown, but we must open our heart to possible opportunities. Yes fairy tales can be thought of as make believe, but they also provide a base for a life e can all hope and dream about. Like Pride and Prejudice all of Jane Austen’s novels follow the theme of love conquering all. Austen created her novels based upon the dreams and life she never had. Much like her characters, Austen dreamed of falling madly in love and living happily ever after. All of Austen’s books leave female readers with the hope of finding their true soul mate. Reading a Jane Austen novel is a way to escape everyday pressures and explore a world of love and passion. Many couples today must overcome the obstacles of social pressure and money; however successful marriages are based upon love.

The Occupy Wall Street Movement Moral and Economic Issues

The Occupy Wall Street Movement Moral and Economic Issues Introduction One of the critical socioeconomic developments in the United States in this decade is the Occupy Wall Street Movement (OWM). The main question that is posed by people at the mention of the Occupy Wall Street Movement is the course that was being pursued by theAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Occupy Wall Street Movement: Moral and Economic Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Movement and the nature of activities that marked the pursuance of social and economic issues. The Movement sought to streamline the social and economic state of affairs in the United States. In this paper, it is argued that the Occupy Wall Street Movement was a purely socioeconomic movement that sought to advance the moral and ethical issues that were imminent in the US economic environment. This paper explores the Occupy Wall Street Movement. The paper brings out the critical moral issues of the Movement and its implications on the economy. This is followed by a theoretical analysis of the implications of the Movement using ethical models like utilitarianism, virtue ethics and the Kantian ethics. Moral and economic implications of the OWM It is critical to bring out the reason that led to the birth of the Movement to understand the moral issues that informed the Movement. The OWM refers to the protest that began in the year 2011, on the 17th of September. The protest took place in Zuccotti Park in the Wall Street Financial Street in New York. The protest was initiated by Adbusters, A Canadian Group and magazine, together with the public relations Workhouse based in Manhattan. The protest later spilt to other cities, thereby attracting more protesters. The protest came after the period of financial uncertainty in the United States, where numerous people had been subjected to the impacts of the financial crisis. According to the protesters, the financial and the economic crisis in the country had resulte d from the exploitation of the economic systems by the profiteers, who failed to pay attention to the broader needs of all the citizens. Instead, they focused on expanding their profits at the expense of the economy of the United States. The Occupy Wall Street Movement carries a similar moral message, just like other movements in the world (Moore, 2011). Among the potent implications of the protest was that it resulted in the end of a decade of economic depletion in the United States. It is argued that the misfortunes of the United States economy began in the same street in which the protest movement began.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Among the misfortunes entail the two failed wars: the United States war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq. Others are the unsustainable management of corporate firms in the country and the worst economic recession since the 1930s recession, and the deficit in the US budget and unsustainable tax cuts. Corporate firms had grown in influence and had a lot of influence on the political institutions in the United States. An example that can be given at this point in time is the ‘too big to fail syndrome’, where large corporations were being cautioned from collapsing amidst the global financial crisis. All these issues pointed to the existence of economic injustices in the country. Most Americans felt that the economic system of the country was proving to be unfair and oppressive to them. The economic oppression was highly witnessed by the low income earners in the United States. Monetary insolvency and the growth in wealth disparity was the order of the day, which caused the protesters to occupy the Wall Street (Occupy Wall Street, 2012). The Wall Street Movement was financed by donors; people with incomes that ranged from 50,000 dollars to 100,000 dollars. The increased cost of sustaining the movem ent was one of the main problems with the Movement since sustaining the stay of the protesters in the Wall Street was an extremely expensive affair. As the financing became problematic, the protesters were forced to do away with some basic needs. In the protest camp, a substantial number of crime incidences were reported. Among the incidences included sexual assault and theft. There were also cases of police arrests and lack of protection of the protesters by the police (Occupy Wall Street, 2012). Analysis of the Implications of the OW: Utilitarian, Kantian and Virtue Ethics Terrall (2007) observed that one of the philosophies that are used in the explanation of ethics in movements is Utilitarianism. In weighing the OWM against the utilitarian philosophy, it is critical to look at both the actions and the impacts of the actions. One of the main arguments in the utilitarian philosophy is that the rightness of an action is determined by the amount of pleasure that is derived from enga ging in that action. The opposite of this statement is, therefore, true according to the proponents of utilitarianism. The OWM was a large movement that had a lot of challenges.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Occupy Wall Street Movement: Moral and Economic Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Movement began well, with more people joining the movement as the days progressed. The most critical thing about the Movement is that it was sustained for several weeks. However, there are other questions that are raised over the problems that were encountered by the protesters and whether the Movement can be termed as a success. As noted in the preceding part of this paper, the protesters in the Movement encountered a lot of challenges, something that denotes the loss of pleasure. There are a number of economic reforms that have been made as a result of the Movement. Nonetheless, the main question here concerns the possibility of sustaining the reforms in order to address all the demands of the protesters. The protestors also embraced economic equality, which denotes the greatest good for the population (Hinman, 2012). According to Terrall (2007), the Kantian philosophy propagates the principle of morality, thus the moral duty of the person engaging in an action is quite critical. The worthiness of an action, therefore, does not depend on the results of the action, but it relies on the level at which the moral obligation bestowed upon the doer of the action is fulfilled. The OWM can be likened to the Kantian philosophy by basing on the fact that the Movement was well organized. The protesters did not largely engage in heinous acts, which could have implied the loss of morality. The protesters were highly organized and highly embraced the course for which they were pursuing, in spite of facing numerous challenges. However, there were a number of reported cases like sexual defilement and theft in the protest camps, which denotes a lack of morality. Nonetheless, the scale of such problems was quite low given that the number of people who participated in the protest was quite high. Conclusively, this movement can be highly attributed to the Kantian philosophy, especially deontology ethics (Hinman, 2012). The virtual ethics theory focuses on shaping of characters of individuals in order to encourage individuals to do the right things rightly. Among the traits that ought to be embraced by individuals include generosity, love and courage to pursue the course. Individuals ought to be moulded in time so that they can do the right things (Terrall, 2007). A look into the movement denotes a high level of discipline among the protesters, which implies the articulation of virtue ethics. Income inequality and the distribution of wealth in the United States The income disparity in the United States has been the subject of a substantial number of economic commentators. The income dispar ity has been increasing with time. The financial crisis that was faced in the US is to a larger extent likened to the income inequality in the country.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Several reasons are attributed to income inequality in the US. Among the reasons is the absence of mechanisms of social mobility. This implies that the class issue cannot be done away with easily. Most of the people in the country, therefore, fall in the middle wage category. The stagnation in the middle class wage has persisted, thereby widening the income disparity (Ryscavage, 1998). According to Ryscavage (1998), most of the wealth in the country lies in the hands of a few individuals. Amassing of wealth by the few individuals prevents people from the middle and lower classes from climbing up the socioeconomic ladder. The few rich, therefore, get richer, while people in the middle and lower class slide down the social ladder. The other issue that has compounded the income disparity in the United States is the increase in the number of immigrants. Most of the immigrants have low skills; therefore, they work for lower wages than the set minimum wage. Income inequality and the distr ibution of wealth have been growing gradually. The problem has been speeded up by the growth in the population, which denotes a reduction in the number of job opportunities. Most of immigrants are, therefore, forced to take up low wage jobs for sustenance purposes. Monetary policies such as a rise in the rate of savings have encouraged the broadening of the income gap (Coibion, Gorodnichenko, Kueng Silvia, 2012). Way Forward A number of suggestions have been put forward to explain how the OWM can acquire an equitable outcome. One of the suggestions points to the fact that it is critical to pay attention to the underlying causes of inequality in the US. Among the underlying issues that ought to be checked is the improvement of the education system so that the young population can be more creative and craft their own jobs. Creative thought is vital to innovation in the economy and the improvement of earnings in the economy (Norton, 2011). There is also need to pay attention to the vi ces in the society, like corruption and greed. These vices are an impediment to the stabilization of the social system. Extreme capitalism should be discouraged. Future of OWM The momentum with which the OWM started has significantly gone down. However, it is important to note that the Movement has had significant impacts beyond the United States. The United Kingdom and Canada are examples of countries in which the Movement is taking place. As long as the inequalities are still prevalent in the economy, the Movement will keep having significant influence (Hinman, 2012). Conclusion The Wall Street Movement is one of the forces that have necessitated alertness in terms of the issues of economic inequality. If the government pays less attention to the movement, the magnitude of the movement is bound to rise, just as the recent uprisings in the Arab world. The demands of the movement point to the need for radical reforms in the economic system to attain a balance in the economic system. References Coibion, O., Gorodnichenko, Y., Kueng, L., Silvia, J. (2012). Innocent bystanders? Monetary policy and inequality in the U.S. NBER Working Paper No. 18170. Web. Hinman, L. (2012). Ethics. Australia: Cengage Learning. Moore, K. (2011). Occupy Wall Street’s moral ground. Web. Occupy Wall Street. (2012). Occupy Wall Street: The revolution continues worldwide! Web. Ryscavage, P. (1998). Income inequality in America: An analysis of trends. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe. Terrall, E. (2007). The ends or the means? Kantian ethics vs. utilitarianism. Web.

The Many Uses of Carbon Fiber

The Many Uses of Carbon Fiber In fiber reinforced composites, fiberglass is the workhorse of the industry. It is used in many applications and is very  competitive  with traditional materials such as wood, metal, and concrete. ​Fiberglass products are strong, lightweight, non-conductive, and the raw material costs of fiberglass are very low. In applications where there is a premium for increased strength, lower weight, or for cosmetics, then other more expensive reinforcing fibers are used in the FRP composite. Aramid fiber, such as DuPonts Kevlar, is used in an application that requires the high tensile strength which aramid provides. An example of this is body and vehicle armor, where layers of aramid reinforced composite can stop high powered rifle rounds, due in part to the high tensile strength of the fibers. Carbon fibers are used where low weight, high stiffness, high conductivity, or where the look of the carbon fiber weave desired. Carbon Fiber In Aerospace Aerospace and space were some of the first industries to adopt carbon fiber. The high modulus of carbon fiber makes it  suitable  structurally to replace alloys such as aluminum and titanium. The weight savings carbon fiber provides is the primary reason carbon fiber has been adopted by the aerospace industry. Every pound of weight savings can make a serious difference in fuel consumption, which is why Boeings new 787 Dreamliner has been the best-selling  passenger  plane in history. The majority of this planes structure is carbon fiber reinforced composites. Sporting Goods Recreational sports is another market segment which is more than willing to pay more for higher performance. Tennis rackets, golf clubs, softball bats, hockey sticks, and archery arrows and bows are all products commonly manufactured with carbon fiber reinforced composites. Lighter weight equipment without compromising strength is a distinct advantage in sports. For example, with a lighter weight tennis racket, one can get much faster racket speed, and ultimately, hit the ball harder and faster. Athletes continue to push for an advantage in equipment. This is why serious  bicyclists ride all carbon fiber bikes and use bicycle shoes that use carbon fiber. Wind Turbine Blades Although the majority of wind turbine blades uses fiberglass, on large blades (often over 150 ft in length) include a spare, which is a stiffening rib that runs the length of the blade. These components are often 100% carbon, and as thick as a few inches at the root of the blade. Carbon fiber is used to provide the  necessary  stiffness, without adding a tremendous amount of weight. This is important because the lighter a wind turbine blade is, the more efficient it is at creating  electricity. Automotive Mass-produced automobiles are not yet adopting carbon fiber; this is because of the increased raw material cost and  necessary  changes in tooling, still, outweighs the benefits. However, Formula 1, NASCAR, and high-end cars are using carbon fiber. In many cases, it is not because of the benefits of properties or weight, but because of the look. There are many aftermarket automotive parts being made out of carbon fiber, and instead of being painted, they are clear-coated. The distinct carbon fiber weave has become a symbol of hi-tech and hi-performance. In fact, it is common to see an aftermarket automotive component that is a single layer of carbon fiber but has multiple layers of fiberglass below to lower costs. This would be an example where the look of the carbon fiber is actually the deciding factor. Although these are some of the common uses of carbon fiber, many new applications are seen almost daily. The growth of carbon fiber is fast, and in just 5 years, this list will be much longer.

Educational Opportunities for Minorities in the United States Essay

Educational Opportunities for Minorities in the United States - Essay Example In the field of education, there have been changes in the curriculum as well. There are vigorously expressed doubts against many conventionally educated faculty members as well as public officials. Numerous colleges and universities are nowadays finding ways to change course content as well as requirements in order that the myriad forms of American diversity will be included in the curriculum (14:2). Today, the scenery of education system in the United States can be characterized by diversity in the socio-economic profiles of students, curricula, kind of programs, and also the resources obtainable to the schools. However, it has obviously been noticed that the undergraduates in United States are going away from enrolling studies in the areas of science and engineering (Paldy, 2008; par 2). They prefer to be engrossed in social websites like Youtube and Facebook instead of demonstrating hard work by attaining a degree for a good job in the future (par 4). Hence, the country is now relying on the enrolment of overseas students. In actual fact, there are about 40% of scientists in the U.S. who are born in other countries and the problem that is foreseen is, as soon as foreign University graduates depart the country for the reason that they no longer find needed to stay (par 3). Recently, public schools in quite several cities are struggling and are underfinanced in terms of satisfy ing the needs of their students. As an offshoot to the above stated problem, experts (Summers and Hrabowski, 2006, par 1) felt the necessitate to stimulate students more effectively through student recruitment programs from underrepresented minorities. This paper aims to highlight how government and non-government institutions opened the doors of opportunities to ethnic minorities of United States in the field of Education. It will also present the status of some educational programs, its major activities.West (2007) in his book, "Inequality: Social class and Its Consequences", explained that, inequality is not unwell, since there are several factors which determine a person's opportunities and some of these are social class, race, and gender. The manner by which youth are educated, how their learning process went and how they perform in schools leave a remarkable score on their visions at an early stage of life. United States may have reach milestones in education, but issues about social class, low quality of health by the people and also psychosocial strains among individuals and groups harms the country in indirect and direct ways.It is therefore overwhelming to underscore that, several states in US have visited communities of ethnic minorities to recruite the people to study specifically science and engineering. Distinguished Scholar Symposium was conducted for the scholars and they allowed them to visit Universities to get hold of ideas concerning advance degree programs. The minority undergraduates are also offered with opportunity to interact with other scientists (Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement