Bless Me Ultima Research Paper - 1487 Words

1 Roxana Perez AP Literature Composition Period 1 Topic #4 A star’s purpose is to illuminate the sky’s darkness as it serves to be the guide when someone’s lost in the darkness. But as it dies, it explodes with its remains being scattered, leading to one losing direction. In a religious aspect, people follow the â€Å"light† of the star but once it dies, they’re left wondering which path to follow. In the novel â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† by Rudolfo Anaya, Tony experiences the deaths of Lupito, Narciso, and Florence. His religious ambivalence further increases because as these stars die one by one, he’s left wondering which light he should actually seek. Throughout his life, Tony had been following the â€Å"light† of the star that guided him in the†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Would God listen? Would he hear?† (Anaya 23) The faith he had in God slowly left his heart as it started to be filled with sin. Viewing Lupito’s death left a huge impact because he grew up thinking there’d always be light in his life, but realized the light is just an illusion he’s been made to believe in. When he starts heading home, his body starts hurting from all the running but as soon as he hears Ultima s owl, he realizes it looked over him the whole time. As he arrived home with only Ultima knowing he had escaped, he starts questioning her about what he viewed, why the men killed Lupito and w hy Lupito wasn t saved. Even though she had dismissed his questions, she had assured him that he would start to learn more. As he started to become mature, he started feeling protected by Ultima as the light in his sky slowly disappeared. With Tony walking through his life with no sense of direction, he tried to find answers from God yet that star was nowhere to be found. He noticed that when his uncle had been cursed by one of the Trementino sisters, Ultima was able to heal him, yet God couldn’t. â€Å"In my mind I could not understand how the power of God could fail. But it had.† (Anaya 106) As Ultima fully healed Tony’s uncle it caused said Trementino sister to die, infuriating her father Tenorio. Narciso took note of this asShow MoreRelated Bless Me, Ultima: The Cultural Distress Of A Young Society Essay example3164 Words   |  13 Pages Bless Me, Ultima: The Cultural Distress of a Young Society An answer to the discussion question of whether or not there is a defined border culture would need a great number of years in field research, but we can also observe a few of the characteristics of such border culture just by looking at scholastic essays and books related to the topic. Within the research that I did, I found a number of scholars who, while defining the border, mention all the specific or special characteristics of thisRead MoreRomantic Essay, The Streetcar Named Desire: The Catcher In The Juliet1899 Words   |  8 Pagesdirection and loneliness†. Though I had some scattered ideas present in my thesis, it overall showed my understanding of the ducks and its symbolism. The piece of writing that showcased my ability to write about nonfiction topics and my ability to put research that I found on the internet into my own words is the American Rebel presentation. Along with a powerpoint presentation, I also wrote an essay about Ida B. Wells that in my opinion showed my ability to also be able to write about true life insteadRead MoreFeasibility Study on Eco-Smart Dish Washing Liquid12973 Words   |  52 PagesInvestment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.125 Chapter VI: Socio-Economic Aspect A. Objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦127 B. Social Implication†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦128 Bibliography Appendices Acknowledgement This research study would not have been possible without the persons who extended their support and guidance. With this, the proponents would like to express their sincerest gratitude to the following: To our families, relatives and friends for the moral andRead MoreLiterary Criticism : The Free Encyclopedia 7351 Words   |  30 PagesKnowles (1959) To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee (1960)[30] Dune, by Frank Herbert (1965)[33] The Outsiders, by S. E. Hinton (1967)[34] A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin (1968)[35] I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou (1969) Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya (1972) The World According to Garp, by John Irving (1978) The Discovery of Slowness, by Sten Nadolny (1983) Bright Lights, Big City, by Jay McInerney (1984)[36] Ender s Game, by Orson Scott Card (1985)[34] The Cider House Rules

Civil War and Reconstruction Free Essays

The America we know today is a very different place than the America this country once knew during the Reconstruction period. In today’s society everybody has equal rights and opportunities to do as they please. People today have a right to do basically anything there heart desires, but years ago it was a different story. We will write a custom essay sample on Civil War and Reconstruction or any similar topic only for you Order Now African Americans didn’t have many rights at all. The people and groups involved in Reconstruction had many different ideas for freedom and equality. In 1861 the Civil War broke out and became and on going battle for the next four years. At the end of the war 600,000 people were dead and four million slaves were freed. After the war Abraham Lincoln’s plan for Reconstruction began. With this plan Lincoln’s main goal was to bring the North and South together and bring the South back into the Union. The Civil War ended in 1865 and that same year on April 15th Lincoln was assassinated. After Lincoln’s death the 13th amendment was ratified on December 6th 1865. This amendment abolished slavery in the United States, but at the same time it still didn’t make it easy for African Americans to succeed in America. This struggle for African Americans was told in an interview of Felix Haywood a former slave from San Antonio, Texas. The slaves at that time believed that when they became free that they would become wealthier than the white people and all their worries would disappear. â€Å"We thought we was going to be richer than the white folks, ‘cause we was stronger and knowed how to work, and the whites didn’t, and they didn’t have us to work with them anymore. But it didn’t turn out that way. We soon found out that freedom could make folks proud, but it didn’t make ‘em rich. 1 Another interview with Warren McKinney a former slave from Hazen, Arkansas McKinney explains how tough it was for his people to cope with freedom. â€Å"The government gave out rations there. My ma washed and ironed. People died in piles. I don’t know till yet what was the matter. They said it was the change of living. †2 African Americans were now free from slave ry, but in a sense it was even tougher for them to survive because they were on there own. They had no money for food or a house, no education, and there were many restrictions on what African Americans could do. Many White people during Reconstruction had intentions of controlling and restricting African Americans. In many southern states â€Å"black codes† were enforced. These codes did just that. The Louisiana black codes Section 8 â€Å"No freedman shall sell, barter, or exchange any articles of merchandise or traffic within the limits of Opelousas without special permission of his employer, in writing, and approved by the mayor or president of the board. †3 It was almost like Louisiana and several other southern states with black codes treated African American people like children. Another example of a black code, Section 3 â€Å"No negro or freedman shall be permitted to rent or keep a house within the limits of the town under any circumstances, and any one thus offending shall be ejected and compelled to find an employer or leave the town within twenty four hours. †4 Anytime African Americans wanted to do something they always needed permission from the mayor or president of the board. The White people wanted to seclude them from white society, but at the same time still wanted to control there every move. Whether it was the location of where they wanted to buy a house, or the time and reason in which they were in the local town, there were always restrictions and severe punishments. After Lincoln’s assassination Andrew Johnson was appointed president. Johnson was a former democrat turned republican. He was born in the northern part of Tennessee. Growing up he was poor and didn’t get a great education so he could barley read or write. He was a racist tailor who hated rich people. While in office Johnson’s main intention was to keep black people oppressed. His Restoration plan pardons restored property, granted pardons to rich and confederate officials, gave no provisions or protections for freedmen, and the southern whites started voting again and gained control of local governments. Johnson would do anything to keep the blacks down, he vetoed the Civil Rights Act which gave African Americans citizenship and guarantee of equal rights. He then vetoed the Freemen’s Bureau which wanted to provide aid to African Americans who needed medicine, food, housing, and a right to an education. At this time the Radical Republicans had enough and in 1866 became the majority in Congress. The Congress eventually overrides Johnson’s vetos. The Radicals wanted equality for the black people and in 1867 Radical Reconstruction began. Congressman Thaddeus Stevens states â€Å"everyman, no matter what his race or color; every earthly being who has an immortal soul, has an equal right to justice, honesty, and fair play with every other man; and the law should secure him those rights. †1 Stevens is basically saying all men are created equally, but at the same time he also suggests that it is up to the white man to decide for himself whether or not to associate himself with African Americans and it isn’t in the hands of the law. After Steven’s doctrine in 1867 the Radicals had control of Congress and they were soon able to impeach President Johnson. Being that Johnson was impeached and the Radical Republicans were the majority in Congress it still didn’t seem like the future was any brighter for African Americans. Wide spread Anti-Black violence began. Groups like the Ku Klux Klan formed. They began lynching blacks, raping their women, burning down there schools and churches. Elias Hill, an African American man, recounts a nighttime visit from the Ku Klux Klan in 1871. â€Å"He had a horsewhip, and he told me to pull up my shirt, and he hit me. He told me at every lick, â€Å"Hold up your shirt. † I made a moan every time he cut with the horsewhip. I reckon he struck me eight cuts right on the hip bone. †1 For Elias the KKK was always a threat to him and his family, just as they were to all African Americans. The people and groups involved in Reconstruction had many different ideas for freedom and equality. There were presidents like Lincoln who wanted to help African Americans and on the other hand there was Johnson who wanted nothing more then to keep them as slaves and did everything in his power to keep it that way. Then there were political parties like the Radical Republicans who also wanted to see threw with slavery and lend aid to African Americans and then you had organizations like the KKK causing extreme violent acts towards African Americans. There is no question that the Reconstruction period was a chaotic time where people had to struggle with freedom and equality and today in the United States of America people might be free, but I still think that there are some forms of inequality. How to cite Civil War and Reconstruction, Essay examples

The Benefits of Self-Awareness-Free-Samples -Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Benefits of Self-Awareness. Answer: Introduction The following paper focuses on developing a learning journal for the self analysis. It is indeed very useful for the future managers and the leaders to develop certain leadership skills out of their self assessment. This is because the leaders are the faces of an organization and they have to represent themselves on behalf of the company. The leaders in the organizations of the present era needs to develop many skills because they belong to a certain group of persons who have the decision making powers and the leadership skills they choose to run the organization (Northouse, 2015). Their own motives and point of views have a lot of significance in the path the organization will thrive to move. The leadership skills are different for the different leaders and the managers. However, the common motive or purpose behind all of them is to build up a good reputation for the organizations. In order to do this, the leaders have to assess themselves and identify what kinds of skills they are lacking at that moment. Then they have to improve on that and thus develop for themselves a better skilled person to guide the organizations for its success. The benefits of self-awareness There are many critical leadership skills in the present era fitting to different types of leaders (Duval, Silvia Lalwani, 2012). This enhances the fact that the leaders need to upgrade themselves as per the requirements of the organizations. As the business environment in the present time is much volatile in context, the leaders may have to face difficult situations at many times. This will lead to the betterment of their skill improvements. The self-awareness is one of the most important but least focused competencies for leadership (Thorn, 2012). Self-awareness is the process by which the leaders learn in what conditions they are good at managing and which things they have to still learn. It is always better for the future leaders and managers to go through certain self-assessment programs because if they dont, the other people in the workplace will surely be able to see those weaknesses. There are some interpersonal activities that the future leaders must undertake to improve th eir activities. If the leaders do not indulge in such matters, their leadership skills may degrade and it might lead the organization to an utter failure (Mendenhall, 2012).On the contrary, if the organizational leaders undertake the responsibilities to identify their faults and strengthen them, the result will automatically be on the positive side. The organization will get many added benefits for this. The most important and common trait for all the organizations is to learn through the process. This organizational learning is a very useful process for maintaining the core competencies for the organization (Argote, 2012). The organizations have to be pass through constant changing periods that influence them to change and improve incessantly. This also works in case for the leaders as well as they are the drivers for success of the organization. The innovation process in the organizations is one of learning and changing. The hallmark of the high performing organizations is to continuously learn and make amends after they commit some mistakes. There are many leadership traits that can be followed by them in order to be a successful organizational leader (Nahavandi, 2016). The leadership skills for the future managers Some of the important traits or the features that must be present in the future leaders have to be discussed in this segment. These features or the traits are empathy, poise, his outgoing nature, attention to details of any case, ambition and most importantly to be optimistic about the success. Empathy The first feature that is required to be the top leaders in the organizations is the ability to apply the emotional intelligence in the workplace (Goleman, Boyatzis McKee, 2013). This is led by the empathy that the concerned candidate has for the situation. Leadership is considered mostly to be a situational issue so the decisions have to be taken according to the decisions. The future leaders must be able to perceive, understand and manage all the emotional feelings so that they can handle any situation in the workplace. The leaders or the future managers must be able to relate all the circumstances they face in the real time. They should be able to link them for gaining the organizational success. The leaders must develop the emotional intelligence so that they can relate the situation. (Goleman, Boyatzis McKee, 2013). The earlier form of empathy relies on empathy. It is of utmost importance for the managers to care for the employees who are working in their organization. They must develop some emotional bonding with them and relate themselves to their lives. The manager or the future leader must be able to adjust with other co-workers in different difficult situations. If they cannot relate themselves to the workers, the workers will not feel any reason to be on the same page. The approach of the managers has to be seen when difficult situations arise in the personal or familial lives for the employees (De Waal, 2013). They should act to be friendly and caring and motivate them to overcome or sort out those problems. Poise It is very significant that the leaders must have sheer confidence in themselves. This is because confidence is one thing that helps the individuals to stay in the race for supremacy. When the leaders decides to undertake some new things and apply them in their organizations, at the very first point, they should try to convince the employees. It is because the employees will perform the tasks. If the employees do not have the confidence on the leaders or the managers, it means that the managers themselves do not have that much of confidence in the works that they are looking to undertake. This situation may cause some confusion among the employees. This may result in complete ruining of the work (Lorentz Hilmola, 2012). The need for confidence in the future leaders or managers is very important form another aspect. Very often it has been noticed that the employees get indulged in conflicts between themselves. It may be because of some unwanted reasons that have arisen in the workplaces. The leaders or the managers need to consider the different facts and they have to take the employees under their confidence. The leaders must be able to motivate the employees to go in line with the organizational adjectives and command them with full confidence (Lorentz Hilmola, 2012). Ambition Ambition is one very important trait among the leaders because it helps them to move forward with the organization by applying certain development strategies (Block, 2016). The leaders who thrive for development of the organization must be very ambitious. The future leaders must have a great deal of ambition in themselves that will drive them to innovate. The employees should be completely dedicated to the leaders as the leaders will motivate them to chase the organizational success (Kaufman Guerra-Lopez, 2013). The ambition of the leaders will make them try new things in the organizations. These innovation techniques will be applied by the employees. The leaders must be ambitious enough to dream about a sustainable future about his organization (Thomas, Lamm, 2012). Optimism Optimism is another thing that has to be one of the most important factors in determining the success of the organizations in the future (Carver Scheier, 2014). The organizational leaders should be full of optimism because their optimism and confidence in achieving the desired success will lead the organizations towards a grand success. It is the duty of the leaders to generate the optimism skills within their nature and characteristics. If the leaders are not optimist about the operations they indulge in, automatically their leadership will be affected and the employees will feel the impact (Carver Scheier, 2014). A feeling of negativity will be spread in them as well. This will be very problematic for the growth of the organization. Professionally humble and 360-degree thinking power Some of the other traits that the future leaders or managers in an organization must develop are to be professionally humble and helpful and to have possessed a 360-degree thinking capacity (Rue, Byars Ibrahim, 2012). This is to say that the organizational leaders must be soft spoken and humble to his subordinates. However, this does not mean that they will not be strict. They must present themselves in such a manner that the employees and the customers will feel safe and reliable to make business with. This has to be integrated within the nature of the leaders because very often they have to deal with the customers verbally (Arnstrong et al., 2015). If they are rude in their behavior and they always seem to be very annoyed with everything going around them, the customers may not like them at all (Best, 2012). The leaders must be a 360-degree thinker because they have to think about the overall success of the organization from all the angles (Rue, Byars Ibrahim, 2012). The leaders have to understand the purpose and motives of the organization, be versatile and deal with every difficult situation in a calm head and he has to understand and compare his organization with other organizations as well. Self-assessment I have chosen these four criterions for the self-analysis of the leadership skills for the leaders to develop. I think I have to build these traits within myself so as to drive my company towards growth and success. I think I have to be versatile, critically aware of the things that are happening around me, I have to be humble when I meet with my companys customers and other big names in the industry. Besides that, I have to be very much optimistic about everything that are around me and I must face all the challenges bravely and bring out positive things. I should have the confidence so that I can deal with almost any matter presented before me. Learning journal In this part of the paper, I will have to summarize the results that I have assessed about myself in the quest to be a successful organizational leader. I had the good fortune of sharing thoughts with my friend Mr. Wilson about these things I have come through while assessing my own nature and what things I have to develop to become a proper leader. I have found that I lack the feature of motivating my employees as I myself am very introvert. I am prone to be rude sometimes when I am under pressure. I do not like to make mistakes and I get very angry when I see someone making in mistake in their works. I like to face new challenges and solve those challenges. I am always optimistic about any given situation. I only consider the fact that these situations have to be tackled by me in good ways. I like to be 360-degree thinker because I want to utilize every opportunity that is in front of me. My friend Mr. Wilson has been an ardent listener when I consulted and shared these things with him. He listened to what I had assessed about myself and opined his valuable remarks to me. He said that I would have to be extrovert and aggressive if I want to be a successful leader of an organization. He also said that it was quite difficult for me to control the workforce if I was not able to motivate them. My tendency of getting rude sometimes could destroy the purpose of the work as well. These negative points I have to get rid of very soon. He also opined that my liking of facing new challenges is very good because it would help me to grow in confidence and my optimism would drive me to attain success for the organization. The fact that I like to utilize every available opportunity would surely drive me to personal success. Conclusion This paper can be concluded by saying that I have discussed the various factors behind a proper leadership of an organization and the things that drives to a successful leadership. I have assessed my nature in this paper in regards to the fact if I want to be the leader of an organization. I have discussed about some of the traits to be a critically successful leader in the real time organizations. I have assessed myself critically looking at both my pros and cons so that the person I have consulted with can provide and guide me with the best advices. This will help me to prosper in life by growing the best opportunities to utilize my strengths and put more focus on my weaknesses. References Argote, L. (2012).Organizational learning: Creating, retaining and transferring knowledge. Springer Science Business Media. Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., Brennan, R. (2015).Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Education. Best, R. (2012).Market-based management. Pearson Higher Ed. Block, P. (2016).The empowered manager: Positive political skills at work. John Wiley Sons. Carver, C. S., Scheier, M. F. (2014). Dispositional optimism.Trends in cognitive sciences,18(6), 293-299. De Waal, A. (2013).Strategic Performance Management: A managerial and behavioral approach. Palgrave Macmillan. Duval, T. S., Silvia, P. J., Lalwani, N. (2012).Self-awareness causal attribution: A dual systems theory. Springer Science Business Media. Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. E., McKee, A. (2013).Primal leadership: Unleashing the power of emotional intelligence. Harvard Business Press. Kaufman, R., Guerra-Lopez, I. (2013).Needs assessment for organizational success. American Society for Training and Development. Lorentz, H., Hilmola, O. P. (2012). Confidence and supply chain disruptions: Insights into managerial decision-making from the perspective of policy.Journal of modelling in management,7(3), 328-356. Mendenhall, M. E. (Ed.). (2012).Global leadership: Research, practice, and development. Routledge. Nahavandi, A. (2016).The Art and Science of Leadership -Global Edition. Pearson. Northouse, P. G. (2015).Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications. Rue, L., Byars, L., Ibrahim, N. (2012).Management: Skills Application. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Thomas, T. E., Lamm, E. (2012). Legitimacy and organizational sustainability.Journal of business ethics,110(2), 191-203. Thorn, I. M. (2012). Leadership in international organizations: Global leadership competencies.The Psychologist-Manager Journal,15(3), 158.

Life Without Televisions free essay sample

When my family’s only television set went to the repair shop the other day, my parents, my sister, and I thought we would have a terrible week. How could we get through the long evenings in such a quiet house? What would it be like without all the shows to keep us company? We soon realized, though, that living without television for a while was a stroke of good fortune. It became easy for each of us to enjoy some activities alone, to complete some postponed chores, and to spend rewarding time with each other and friends. First of all, with no television to compete for our time, we found plenty of hours for personal interests. We all read more that week than we had read during the six months before. For instance, I was able to finish â€Å"The Scarlet Letter†, a novel assigned in my English class. Also my younger sister read 300 pages of the last book of the â€Å"Twilight† series. We will write a custom essay sample on Life Without Televisions or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page We each also enjoyed some hobbies we had ignored for ages. My dad’s old enthusiasm for gardening returned, and he started planting vegetables in his garden. My mom had time to open her bakery book and bake Italian desserts such as Profiterole and tiramisu. My sister and I played volleyball in the back yard, a sport that we loved since we were younger. In addition, my sister and I both stopped procrastinating with our homework. We both found out that it was really helpful to work on homework ahead of time; therefore I worked on chapter three and four of my Algebra homework for next week. I also finished my study guide for my English test. My sister as well worked on her French and Government assignments. Second we did chores that had been hanging over our heads for too long. There were many jobs around the house that had needed attention for some time. Cleaning our rooms was the first chore we did; my sister and I cleaned our entire room and vacuumed the carpet. Then my mom cleaned the counter tops and all the shelves of the kitchen. Finally my dad managed to clean his garage and put all of his tools back on the shelves. We also had a chance to do some long- postponed shopping. My father went to SEARS to buy a sofa that was needed in his room. My mom went to LOWES to buy accessories for her bathroom. My sister and I went to the mall to buy her prom dress and I was able to buy two pairs of jeans and two shirts that I wanted. And each of us also caught up with e-mails and did paperwork that was long overdue. My mom had some office work done, such as sales reports for the committee of her company. My dad finally wrote an e-mail to my grandma that is living in Spain with my aunt Susan. My sister also replied to e-mails from her friends that live in Italy. And I was able to complete my FASFA application for the fall semester. Finally, and probably most important, we spent time with each other. Instead of just being in the same room together while we stared at a screen, we actually talked for many pleasant hours. My parents and I never had long conversations before, and during that week, we got to know each other more than we did for the past five years. My sister and I talked more about each other and we found out that we have a lot of interests in common. Moreover, for the first time in years, my family played some games together. My sister enjoys playing Monopoly; therefore, we played almost every night. We also played chest, one of my dad’s favorite games. My mom’s favorite game is dominos; although my sister ended up winning every game. And because we didn’t have to worry about missing this or that show, we had some family friends over on a couple of evenings and spent enjoyable time with them. We would play volleyball in the back yard. After several games we would have dinner in the back patio enjoying the lovely weather while listening to classical music. And finally after dinner we would make a bonfire and sit around it and remember memories with our friends. Once our television returned, we were not prepared to put it in the attic. But we had a sense of how it can take over our lives if we are not careful. We are now more selective. We turn on the set for our favorite shows, certain sports events, and the news, but we don’t leave it running all evening. As a result, we find we can enjoy television and still have time left over for other activities and interests.

Nitrate Contamination of Groundwater Poses a Serio Essays

Nitrate Contamination of Groundwater Poses a Serio Essays Nitrate Contamination of Groundwater Poses a Serious Health Threat Nitrates contamination of the world's underground water supply poses as a potentially serious health hazard to the human inhabitants on earth. High nitrate levels found in well water has been proven to be the cause for numerous health conditions across the globe. If we intend to provide for the future survival of man, and life on planet earth, we must take action now to assure the quality of one of our most precious resources, our underground water supply. Ground water can be defined as the water stored in the open spaces within underground rocks and unconsolidated material (Monroe and Wicander 420). Ground water is one of the numerous parts that make up the hydrologic cycle. The primary source of water in underground aquifers is precipitation that infiltrates the ground and moves through the soil and pore spaces of rocks (Monroe and Wicander 420). There are also other sources that add water to the underground aquifer that include: water infiltrating from lakes and streams, recharge ponds, and wastewater treatment systems. As groundwater moves through the soil, sediment, and rocks, many of its impurities are filtered out. Take note, however, that some, not all, soils and rocks are good filters. Some are better than others and in some cases, serious pollutants are not removed from the water before it reaches the underground supply. Now that we have a good working definition of what groundwater is, and where it comes from, just how important is it? Groundwater makes up about 22% of the worlds supply of fresh water. Right now, groundwater accounts for 20% of all the water used annually in the United States. On a national average, a little more than 65% of the groundwater in the United States each year goes to irrigation, with industrial use second, and third is domestic use (Monroe and Wicander 420). Some states are more dependent on groundwater for drinking than others. Nebraska and the corn belt states rely on underground water for 85% of their drinking needs, and in Florida 90% of all drinking water comes from underground aquifers (Funk and Wagnall 2). People on the average in the United States require more than 50 gallons of water each day for personal and household uses. These include drinking, washing, preparing meals and removing waste. A bath in a bathtub uses approximately 25 gallons of water and a shower uses about l5 gallons per minute of water flow while the shower runs. Just to sustain human tissue requires about 2.5 quarts of water per day. Most people drink about a quart of water per day, getting the rest of the water they need from food content. Most of the foods we eat are comprised mostly of water: for example, eggs, are about 74% water, watermelon 92%, and a piece of lean meat about 70%. Most of the beverages we drink are also mostly comprised of water, like milk, coffee, tea and soft drinks. And the single largest consumer of water in the United States, is agriculture. In dry areas, farmers must irrigate their lands to grow crops. It is estimated that in the United States, more than 100 billion gallons of fresh water are used each day for the irrigation of croplands (Funk and Wagnall 2). Since agriculture is the leading user of our groundwater, perhaps it is fitting, that it is also the biggest contributor of contaminating nitrates that work into our water supply each year. Agriculture and livestock production account for 80% of all nitrogen added to the environment ( Terry, et al. 1996). Industrial fertilizers make up 53%, animal manure 27%, atmosphere 14%, and point source 6% (Puckett, 1994). Just how do these nitrates get from the field into our water supply? There are two primary reasons that nitrate contaminates reach our underground water supply and make it unsafe. Number one reason is farmer's bad habits of consistently over- fertilizing and applying too much nitrogen to the soil. In 1995 America's agricultural producers added 36 billion pounds of nitrogen into the environment, 23 billion pounds of supplemental industrial nitrogen, and 13 billion pounds of extra nitrogen in the form of animal manure. Twenty percent of this nitrogen was not used by the crops it was intended. This accounts for about 7-8 billion pounds of excess nitrogen remaining in the environment where much of it has eventually entered the reservoirs, rivers, and groundwater that supply us with our drinking water (NAS 1995). The number two reason these contaminants reach our groundwater supply runs parallel

How to Write a Strong Dissertation Introduction

How to Write a Strong Dissertation Introduction Learn How to Create a Powerful Introduction for Your Dissertation The introduction to a dissertation may not be the first part of your dissertation a reader encounters, but it’s still one of the essential parts of the work. An introduction sets the tone of your work, allowing the reader to get a better idea about the kind of things they will get out of the dissertation. That is why a sloppily written dissertation introduction can spoil the success of even the most brilliant piece of writing. A strong dissertation introduction needs to be concise and clear. Even more importantly, it should completely match the topic of your work, so that the readers get a logical picture while reading your dissertation chapter by chapter. What Is a Dissertation Introduction? If you’ve come to the point where you need to write a dissertation, it means you’ve created a fair share of other written assignments and are already familiar with the concept of an introduction as a piece of writing. The introduction of the dissertation is the opening chapter of the work that describes the subject of the dissertation, introduces a thesis statement, and gives the readers an idea of what they will find in work. The Purpose of the Introduction in a Dissertation Any dissertation introduction has several clear objectives: To demonstrate the value of your dissertation and the practical relevance of the work; To get the readers acquainted with the fascinating topic of your dissertation; To explore the idea behind the subject with relevant examples. The Content of a Dissertation Introduction So what exactly should the introduction of your dissertation contain? The answer to that question largely depends on the specifics of your work, but there are also certain elements that should be present in every dissertation introduction, regardless of the subject: The indication of the problem; The scope of the work; The relevance of the research in the theoretical and practical field; The objective of the research; The current state of the problem; A description of the research design; Now let’s take a closer look at each of those elements. Indication of the Problem In this part of the introduction you need to explain what caused you to research this particular topic. The topic should stem from your own interests to be equally fascinating to your readers. Scope Using the indication of the problem, define the subject of your dissertation and how it is represented in scientific sources. Don’t include too much research in this part analyze the literature to find a new angle to look at the problem. Relevance Use this part of your dissertation introduction to explain how your work will have both theoretical and practical value. You can use the discussion parts of scientific sources to better formulate the relevance of your research for the scientific community. Current State of the Problem Using relevant scientific literature, let the readers know whether the subject of your dissertation is widely discussed in the scientific field or there has been very little research on the subject. Objective Formulate a brief and concise research objective and the problem statement of your work, which are two separate parts of the introduction. Designing research questions and hypothesis will help you create a more convincing problem statement. If you’re struggling at this stage, consider reviewing the literature first and then returning to the problem statement. Research Design The description of the research design is essential for a successful dissertation introduction, but don’t make it too detailed, as you’ll describe the research design later in the paper. Just state the primary conditions of the research. Outline Introduce briefly the structure of your dissertation here. Use one sentence to describe each chapter. Make sure you word your outline description in an academic and engaging manner. Writing a Research Proposal A dissertation introduction may be one of the first instances where the reader is acquainted with your work, but you are not required to write every chapter of the dissertation in the same order. Writing a research proposal before the introduction will give you more ideas on what to include in your introduction. Plus, as your work progresses, you can always come back to the introduction and improve it. Verb Tenses It’s an unwritten rule of scientific work that when describing your research plans, intentions, and actions, it’s better to use the present simple tense. Indicating previous research or background information calls for the past simple or present perfect tense. Introduction Length There are no rules on how long the introduction of your dissertation should be; the length of this chapter of the dissertation should be dictated by common sense and the nature of your work. Trying to fit the introduction into a single page may result in omitting some important information, but you also shouldn’t use the introduction to describe your work to the smallest detail there will be plenty of opportunities to do it throughout the dissertation. Editing and Proofreading One of the reasons why you should spare enough time for writing a dissertation introduction and shouldn’t leave it to the last minute is that you should be able to revise it before submitting the work. Editing and proofreading your work helps you not only eliminate possible spelling and grammar mistakes but can also give you some ideas on how to make your introduction even better. How to Write a Strong Dissertation Introduction Here are some universal tips on how to make the introduction for your dissertation stronger: Try not to make any claims that you will not be able to substantiate later; Use straightforward academic language to write your introduction; Avoid cramming too much information in the limited space of the introduction you’ll get a chance to describe everything in details later; Pay special attention to the first sentence of the introduction use it to grab attention of the readers. Potential Struggles Most students face some problems while writing the introduction for their dissertation, and here are three most common ones: The introduction is too long; The student tries to get into details, making the reader less interested in continuing reading; The introduction was written according to some formula without any consideration for the specifics of the particular work. Steps to Writing an Effective Introduction Since the job of the dissertation introduction is to attract the attention of the reader, you need to focus on making the introduction engaging and effective, and these are the steps you need to take: Let the readers know about previous researches done in this area; Introduce the topic to the readers in a way that instantly convinces them of its worthiness; Find gaps in previous researches or new aspects of the problem to locate your own niche in the study. To occupy the niche, you’ve found during the research, you’ll need to establish the importance of the work you’re doing and describe the value of your dissertation. Get Professional Writing Help If for any reason, you feel like you won’t complete the dissertation introduction the way you want to, you have one last option order the introduction for your dissertation from our experienced writers and get an introduction that meets each of your goals. Enjoy reasonably priced writing services from the most competent authors on the internet and improve your academic record!

Florida Merid Award Program evaluation Term Paper

Florida Merid Award Program evaluation - Term Paper Example Eligibility and requirements of renewal are also very clear. It enhances and promotes improved performance in colleges. The program pressurizes teachers to achieve highly so as they can continuously get their awards (Buddin et al, 2007). The program also motivates teachers. Research indicates that an increase of one percent of salary may increase the performance of a teacher by about two percent. However, providing bonuses for good performance is more effective as compared to automatic pay rise since it can elevate the performance of a teacher to as much as nineteen percent. Merit award program attracts qualified applicants or candidates to the profession of teaching, since incomes vary largely and have a basis on the strength of local teachers unions and local tax revenue. The results received are positive. The program enhances high productivity or increased work quality as result of teachers working harder than expected. If teachers work consistently in strives to acquire merit pay increases, then the cumulative impact for the schools would be healthier than before (PEPC Report, 1999). School boards and superintendents are engaged in debates about the program. Instructional personnel who are part of teaching fraternity but not really teachers, or a group of teachers who tirelessly provide necessary instructions for students are also co-operated in the program. The program provides pay for teams or groups of teachers. The state now awards teachers’ salary on the basis of district’s average instead of individual teacher salary. It puts consideration on a variety of teacher performance measures. A combination of benefits gained by the student and the evaluations of the principal are used to assess the performance of the teacher. It increased the size of the award for teachers with less experience and low income. This was to motivate them to work harder than before. The district experiences a lot of flexibility to identify the section of teachers wh o should be awarded. The program offers enough time for the districts’ analysis of achievement data. For instance, teacher performance awards in the academic 2007-2008 were given as from 1st of July, 2008. This gave the districts enough time to analyze the students the achievement data for students, make a list of teachers to be awarded and distribute the awards. Weaknesses of the program The prospects for the Florida merit award program are not promising regardless of the anticipation through theoretical and empirical reasons that the program would generate positive results students which are to be used to measure teacher performance. Since the implementation of education reforms is done in a political setting, the potential of teacher merit award is not a reality. Whatever gains that may be generated from this program; those gains might not be realized due to the same implementation challenge that results in many other reforms. That is, when a reform in education possesses the theoretical potential for achievement, for that very reason, it will be alleged to be threatening to the established interests. The outcome is the very interests will give their resources, time and energy to diluting or blocking the reform, instead of enhancing its implementation on an extensive and exact basis. If the educational reform fails to deal with the

The Position of Japanese Women Employees In Post-bubble Era Essay

The Position of Japanese Women Employees In Post-bubble Era - Essay Example The author of the essay "The position of Japanese women employees in the post bubble era" assumes that globalization and bubble phase led to more integration of Japanese economy with the world economy facilitating higher growth rate in education, health and infrastructure industries. Women also have higher prospects to utilize this conducive environment for better representation in employment. However, their traditional factors slowed down the growth rate as Japanese society gives higher emphasis to marriage system and women have to devote much time for their family which led to higher proportion of resignations to jobs during marriage and child birth time. The basic challenges to prospects of women employment in Japan include child care issue, lack of encouragement to enter top management, higher proportion if unorganized sector and lack of strict implementation of equal employment laws. The representation of women at top management level is quite unsatisfactory and some strong meas ures have to be taken to enhance this. Moreover, the child care leave has to be provided to women employees for a long duration and it should be delinked to the employment and promotional prospects. Similarly, the education level of women in Japan have to be improved for making them well represented at senior management level. Lastly, some of the employment laws for women have to be strictly implemented for their better representation in employment and they should look in to the problems of women in part time jobs and unorganized sector.

Impact of the Affordable Care Act Essay Example for Free

Impact of the Affordable Care Act Essay Impact of the Affordable Care Act on North Carolinas Uninsured Health insurance is one of the most important benefits a citizen can have in America. Some Americans who work acquire health insurance through their employers. But then, there are Americas who do not work and therefore, are unable to have health insurance. The Affordable Care Act was signed into law on March 23, 2010 by President Obama and the United States Congress, (North Carolina’s Institute of Medicine, 2012). This paper will focus on the impact of the Affordable Care Act on North Carolina’s uninsured. With the rising cost in health care and high co-payments pertaining to medical conditions, some people cannot afford health insurance. With the loss of jobs and losing their livelihood, some people cannot afford insurance. Individuals who work with small businesses do not have health insurance because these small businesses cannot afford to provide health insurance benefits for their employees. Some people just do not work and therefore, do not have health insurance. This whole uninsured population is the ones who do not seek health care when they have health issues or have chronic medical conditions, and also do not practice preventative care. According to the North Carolina’s Institute of Medicine (2012), there was 1.6 million (19%) uninsured people living in North Carolina in 2010 and According to Milstead (4th edition, 2013), this group of uninsured whose income was below federal poverty level included pregnant women, children 18 years old and under, parents who were employed or unemployed, adults without children, disabled and the elderly population. By 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) offered much new coverage for the uninsured population. It required states to offer Medicaid insurance to working families whose income was below the federal poverty level of 138%, that is $30,429 for a family of four ( Milstead, 2013). According to North Carolina’s Institute of Medicine (NCIOM), For a family making above the federal poverty level, but not enough to afford  health insurance, the ACA provided subsidies to help them purchase private insurance through new insurances that was created by the ACA. Before ACA, Medicaid only covered children, parents, pregnant women, disabled people and the elderly. Now in 2014, it is available to all adults making below the federal income level (NICOM, 2012). This population of insured people will now receive health services, preventative services, and prescription drugs and so on. By 2014, with the Affordable Care Act in effect, according to (NCIOM, 2012), almost 800,000 of people living in North Carolina that were not insured will be insured. 41% of this population will obtain insurance through private insurances and 59% through Medicaid. With this amount of surplus in insured patients, health care workers and professionals will be in greater demand, especially primary care providers. This may cause a longer wait period to see ones’ primary provider or a specialist. There will also be a decrease in treating preventative care. North Carolina is aware that there will be a shortage of medical personnel’s with this demand. They have to find the funds to educate and have enough health care providers to ensure that the workforce is available to meet the state’s demand of insured people. The health care workforce, who are the primary workers, include doctors, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, physicians’ assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists , medical assistants, nurse midwives, and licensed practical nurses. This workforce, in a broad spectrum, ensures that patients receive optimal quality care, treat and teach preventative care, manage chronic illnesses, both physically and mentally. To be able to increase the medical workforce in order to meet the health care needs of the population, North Carolina’s schools and universities have increased their students’ class capacities. Some of these schools including Duke University School of Medicine, The UNC Chapel Hill Department of Pediatrics/ UNC Hospitals, the nursing programs at UNC Wilmington, Western Carolina University and many others have received funding from the ACA and other agencies. Other groups are responsible to offer loans and scholarships in the effort to attract students into the medical field. Rural training is also available to students as well. (NICOM, 2012). North Carolina is also  encouraging a diversified form of teaching and is encouraging minorities to be a part of the medical workforce. They believe that patients will adhere to practicing better health and lifestyle changes if they are told to do so from someone of their own race. North Carolina is taking appropriate steps to be able to meet the health care needs of its insured people. The State has taken steps to expand the medical team workforce through offering scholarships and grants to different universities. This is to enable patients to receive access to good quality health care, both in the urban and rural areas. Community centers infrastructures are been redesigned to meet the needs of the insured population. Health insurance companies are responsible to provide health benefits such as low co-payments according to the plan an individual or family signs up for (NICOM, 2012). Health insurance companies are also responsible to be able to help pay for prescriptions drugs, outpatient care, emergency care, hospitalization, and preventative care practices. According to( NICOM, 2012), North Carolina is not a healthy state, but with the introduction of the ACA, they are planning to become a healthy state in the year 2020. The ethical implications of the Affordable Care Act are giving the citizens of North Carolina a right to have health insurance. No one should avoid going to the doctor when they are sick because they cannot afford it. Everyone should have a choice to practice preventative care medicine. According to the Whitehouse.gov, pre-existing conditions will no longer be a barrier to obtaining health insurance. Individuals and families will receive tax credit support to pay for their coverage. All in all, the Affordable Care Act has given all Americans the right to have health insurance. References North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM). Examining the Impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in North Carolina, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.nciom.org The Affordable Care Act: Immediate Benefits for North Carolina. Retrieved www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/healthcare-facts Milstead, J. Health Policy and Politics, 2013.

The Body, Meaning and Symbols in Medical Anthropology Essay examples --

In the course of the study of medicine from an anthropological perspective, there are several themes which are repeatedly encountered. These include the body and its representation, meaning and a person’s response to that meaning, and finally, the symbolic images which construct and shape both meaning and the bodily representation. Each of these themes are addressed throughout medical anthropological texts, and are connected to and build on each other in a variety of ways. The body is the site of medicine, because the body is the site of all cultural practices. As Byron Good states, â€Å"medicine formulates the human body and disease in a culturally distinctive fashion†. (Good, 65) It is the cultural fashion of western medicine to objectify the body by constructing it in purely biochemical and molecular terms. As Shiehisa Kuriyama shows us in his work, this is the result of the historical development of Greek medicine and its intersection with the western scientific sentiment. Kuriyama says, â€Å"conceptions of the body owe as much to particular uses of the senses as to particular ‘ways of thinking.’† (Kuriyama, 12) He goes on to explain how a tradition of empiricism and a belief that â€Å"only [literal speech] can insure limpid understanding; [figurative speech] is profoundly unreliable† (Kuriyama, 75), informed the development of the western medical culture. With the obsession with clear and unambiguous language came a set of presuppositions, which, among other things, created a hierarchy of bodily representation. Kuriyama describes this in terms of western obsessions with musculature or the Chinese emphasis on how the skin looks. When the West undertook its various imperialistic projects across the globe this hierarchy of the... ...sm for a lack of modernity. Villagers were keenly aware of what the shaman meant not only to their own culture, but also what it meant to those in the transnational space, and their conception changes because of this. Thus we see how medical anthropology studies and provides analysis on the issues of the body, bodily perception, and the representation of the body, as well as meaning and symbolism. Also we see how medical anthropology takes these interpretations and uses them to critique the system’s practices. The biomedical system largely ignores the social aspects of illness, and this does a disservice to the suffering individual it seeks to restore. It emphasizes a biological reductionism which limits the care it can bring to the person it reconstructs as a patient, and in doing so, it discounts the multiple meanings medical symbols can hold for the patient.

Gap Years: Are They Worth The Risk? Essay

Every year, students fresh out of high school re locate to a new temporary home for college, ready to start the next chapter of life. While eager to do so, many students do not have a clue to what they want to pursue or pick majors that they are unsure of. A recent study released by ACT, College Choice Report Part 1: Preferences and Prospects, stated that nearly 80% of high school students taking the ACT selected a major they intended to select in college. However, 64% of those students choose a major that did not fit with their academic strengths and interests. This could have the possibility of increasing the number of students who change their majors which is never a bad thing, but time is money in the economy, and money is something that should not be wasted. Many students will not admit such a secret, but most are not ready to start college and are still slightly burned out from the work of high school. A solution to this problematic situation is an old trend, yet still commonly popular around the world, called a â€Å"Gap Year†. Taking time off may seem like a dangerous thought, but it is important to take time to dedicate yourself to finding out who you are, that’s why a gap year can help you save money in the long run, expand your knowledge of the world around you and even help your grades. One of the most difficult periods of life for a young adult, is college. Studying for classes, commuting, new expectations, and the list could go on for a long time, but one thing that tops it all is student debt. It is important to pick the right school and the right major, because if not, a lot of valuable time and money is wasted that could have gone into something that was a much better fit. This is where a â€Å"gap year† could be a helpful solution in the long run. It may not seem like a great idea at first and can even seem ludicrous that this idea could even save money, but if done correctly it can. The idea is that by taking a couple of months or a year off, the student should get a job, something that is new and can tech he or  she a new set of skills, volunteer for a charity or help around the community. â€Å"I’ve had parents tell me their child would probably have dropped out after first semester or year because they were so turned off by their classes in the academic experience, but a gap year helped them get excited and gave them a focus.† (Bull). Doing these activities can help one work through the process of finding their true calling and could possibly help them decide what major is right for them. Instead of diving head first off the highest cliff and into the cold, murky water below, the student has instead decided to take the scenic route and dip their feet into the clear water of the beaches. However, this can also be a bad idea for the irresponsible or lazy people who decide to take a year off. If instead of working they decide to slack off, they have wasted time and money that could be put towards their future and discovering more about the world and themselves. With so much around to explore, there is only a limited amount of time to do so while being young. While being young, our wallets are either empty from not working or full from working too much, and with school and curfews, these limits present a barricade to going far and exploring. College is a time to break these limits and explore, but there are still those barricades to a certain degree, which in life there will always be. But taking a gap year lessens the limits by extreme lengths, even promoting travelling and getting outside the usual comfort zone. By taking time off you learn a horizon of new things and get to explore uncharted areas of life that can be helpful to know for the future. Colleges, like Princeton and the University of North Carolina, are even supportive of this trend and even offer scholarships to scholars who decide to embark on such a journey (Hoder). There are a range of programs that offer to help youth during this time, and these organizations like the American Gap Association and USA Gap Fairs, are expanding very quickly to help young adults travel or with advice on how to tackle their own gap year. One issue with this however, is that there needs to be research and a plan before anything. Many students wait last minute and eagerly just don’t sign up for classes. They then realize that they have no clue what they want to do or that they may have chosen the wrong activity. Choosing the wrong program is similar to choosing the wrong major,  and while it may not be that expensive, it is still money going down the drain. That is why it is a good idea to brainstorm in advance what programs and places to travel may be a better fit and could possibly benefit the student’s future. Grades in high school are very important, but if there is one thing that makes that statement look like a soft teddy bear, it is grades in college, the flaming pits of hell. College is the key to anyone’s future and can make it or break it in certain cases. If pursuing a degree or major that the student is not interested in, there is a higher chance of that student letting their grade slip into turmoil. Robert Clagett, a senior admissions officer from Harvard has found that students who have taken a gap year, before rushing into college life, have GPAs that, on a 4.0 scale, are 0.15 to 0.2 higher than otherwise would be expected. In Randye Hoder’s article, â€Å"Why Your High School Senior Should Take a Gap Year†, she interviews A young woman, Corrine Monaco, who had gone to an academically rigorous school in New York, and by her second semester of her senior year, she was burned out from the hard work. She knew she couldn’t go diving back into school. She decided to then spend a few months traveling across the country. When she finally got to college, she was genuinely excited to be back in the classroom again. â€Å"Taking a gap year was the best decision I ever made.† Monaco said about her experience. It is common sense that someone who is overly worked will, overtime, begin to fatigue, which will show in their work academically or professionally. However, taking time off should be used to focus on the future or beneficial activities, and the main goal should be to return to school. If sight of that is lost, then a gap year could have been for nothing if wasted and nothing was learned. But not going to school doesn’t mean a gap year was also a waste. Some people could cross paths with a great opportunity that would not present itself again if they decided to stay on track and go to school. That is what a gap year is all about, finding ones path outside of the pressure from the world. A gap year can be the greatest experience or a complete waste of time, depending on how one looks at it. A negative stigma follows the trend, with many believing that once you take time off, you will not want to return.  Many people will deny this, but deep down, does anyone? When we take time off and spend it relaxing and exploring life, why would anyone want to return to the monotonous routine of school and work. But a gap year is supposed to solve that and help you find, not a job or something to make money, but a passion or a career that you want to do, not need to do. With society’s strong emphasis on money, which is a necessity of life in our time and era, many students zoom through their youth with their nose to the grindstone, missing out on life and lessons that may only present themselves once. It may not be for everyone, but a gap year is definitely something to consider if one is unsure of life and what direction they would like to take and can be very helpful if done right and with a positive outlook the journey and life itself. Sources 1. Blakmon, Olivia. â€Å"Just the Stats: Majority of College-Bound Students Select Wrong Majors.† – Higher Education. N.p., 5 Dec. 2013. Web. 04 Nov. 2014. 2. Driscoll, Emily. â€Å"Taking a Gap Year: What Students Should Consider.† Fox Business. N.p., 20 Sept. 2013. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. 3. Hoder, Randye. â€Å"Why Your High School Senior Should Take a Gap Year.† Time. Time, 14 May 2014. Web. 01 Oct. 2014. 4. Strutner, Suzy. â€Å"10 Reasons You Should Take A Gap Year.† The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Nov. 2013. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.

Shortage And Degradation In Developing Countries Environmental Sciences Essay

Presently, people are paying a batch of attending to the world-wide H2O crises which include H2O deficit and H2O debasement. Harmonizing to Kumar and Puri, over one billion people in the universe do non have plenty safe H2O for endurance. There are many grounds for and effects of H2O deficit and H2O debasement in developing states. In some states, people face H2O deficit where the sum of H2O can non fulfill the demand ; and in other states people encounter H2O debasement where the quality of H2O is non suited for homo ‘s ingestion. One cause of H2O deficit is the increasing demand for H2O due to population growing. One ground for H2O debasement is pollution. Water debasement causes diseases and H2O deficit can do intercountry struggles or wars. This essay will first discourse the causes of H2O deficit and H2O debasement, and will so explicate their effects on people and international security. Increasing demand for H2O due to population growing can take to H2O deficit. Peoples need H2O to last, but more people mean more demands for H2O. For case, 1.5 to 2.5 litres of H2O per individual per twenty-four hours should be taken in to stay wellness ( NAS, 1968 cited in Pimentel et Al, 2004 ) . Today the universe population is about 6 billion ; nevertheless, within 2050, the universe population will make 9.4 billion ( UN, 2001, cited in Pimentel et Al, 2004 ) . The entire sum of H2O needed per twenty-four hours to keep the wellness of 9.4 billion people will be about about 14.1 to 23.5 billion litres. This big demand will set a immense force per unit area on H2O supply and will do H2O deficit, in some states. For illustration, due to the continuously turning population, Pakistan will confront H2O deficit within 2035 ( Sabir, 2011 ) . Compared with 31 million people when Pakistan became independency, the population of Pakistan, in 2011, grew six times to 180 million ( Sabir, 2011 ) . Correspondingly, Pakistan possessed excess H2O in the 1950s and so possessed abundant H2O in the1980s ( Sabir, 2011 ) . However, in 2010, Pakistan faced H2O emphasis, and will confront H2O deficit within 2035 ( Sabir, 2011 ) . Therefore, turning demands for H2O, owing to the continuously increasing population is one cause of H2O deficit. One chief ground for H2O debasement is pollution from agribusiness and industry. First, the fertilisers, which are used in agribusiness and contain P to enrich the dirt, cause H2O pollution. The P applied to the dirt can be washed to H2O ways and so foul the H2O. For illustration, in Turkey, the quality of Lake Uluabat has deteriorated and fish deceases have been found due to missing of O ( Yersiz et al, 2001, cited in Bulut and Aksoy, 2008 ) . One chief beginning of P that polluted Lake Uluabat came from fertilisers used in agribusiness throughout the drainage basin ( Bulut and Aksoy, 2008 ) . The heavy metals in waste H2O from industry can besides do H2O debasement. Industries frequently generate a big sum of waste H2O which frequently contained many harmful pollutants. If the waste H2O is discharged straight into rivers or lakes without proper intervention, it will foul H2O and do the quality of H2O unsuitable for human ingestion. For illustration, in Thailand, the Pattani River has been polluted by lead taint from waste H2O which came from Sn excavation at the upper basin, and boat-repair activities at the oral cavity of the river ( Simachaya, Navickaphum, and Leelapanang, 2003, cited in Sowana et Al, 2010 ) . A high concentration of lead degraded the quality of the Pattani River. Pollution from fertilisers used in agribusiness and heavy metals in waste H2O from industry can do H2O debasement. Having discussed the causes of H2O deficit and H2O debasement, this essay will now depict their effects on persons and on international security in developing states. Water debasement frequently causes diseases in developing states, because the quality of H2O is non suited for imbibing and irrigation. Contaminants in H2O have harmful effects on persons ‘ heath, and so cause diseases. For illustration, many â€Å" malignant neoplastic disease small towns † , where big Numberss of villagers become sick with malignant neoplastic disease, have been founded due to H2O debasement in China ( Liu, 2010 ) . One badly affected malignant neoplastic disease small town is Shangba small town, which is located in the Mountain countries of Wongyuan County ( Liu, 2010 ) . Harmonizing to Liu ( 2010 ) , the development of Fe and Cu in the upper watercourse of this small town resulted in dispatching waste H2O incorporating heavy metals, such as lead and Cd. More than 250 people died because of malignant neoplastic disease in this small town, between 1978 and 2005 ( Liu, 2010 ) . Another illustration of disease caused by H2O debasement is the Itai-itai disease in Japan between 1939 and 1955. The upper steam of the Jintsu River was celebrated for mining Zn, lead, and Cd, but the mine company dumped waste H2O incorporating these metals straight into the river ( â€Å" Cadmium Pollution and Itai-itai Disease † , 1971 ) . However, people, who lived along the Bankss, used the contaminated H2O as drinking-water and irrigation H2O, so 200 individuals became sick with the Itai-itai disease ( â€Å" Cadmium Pollution and Itai-itai Disease † , 1971 ) . Water debasement has posed a negative consequence on people ‘s wellness as evidenced by China and Japan. Water deficit can do intercountry struggles or wars in developing states. Sufficient H2O is of import for the development of an independent and comfortable state around the universe ( Solomon, 2010, cited in Bigas, 2012 ) . The state of affairs, where one state ‘s H2O supply is affected by another state, due to geographical grounds, is frequently found worldwide. The unjust distribution of H2O can take to H2O deficit in one state, and can so do intercountry struggles or wars. Harmonizing to Barnaby ( 2009 ) , 87 per centum of the Nile ‘s H2O was allocated to Egypt, in the 1959 Nile Waters Agreement, but Ethiopia, whose Highlandss provided 86 per centum of the Nile H2O, did non have rights to the Nile H2O. The unjust entree to cherished H2O became a possible cause of struggles between these states. In1991, the Ethiopian authorities planned to build dikes in the upland and the Egyptian authoritiess considered that this program threatened its right to the Nile H2O ( Haftendo rn, 2000 ) . Therefore, Egypt protested against this program and even declared get downing a war with Ethiopia ( Haftendorn, 2000 ) . Another illustration of struggle caused by H2O deficit is the difference over the H2O resources between Israel and Palestine. Israel and Palestine, particularly the West Bank part, portion the same H2O resource which comes from the Jordan River, but the sum of H2O that Israeli colonists consume per twenty-four hours is three times more than the sum of H2O consumed by Palestinians life in the West Bank ( Orme, 2000, cited in Malone, 2004 ) .Such unjust allotment of H2O causes H2O deficit which threatens the Palestinian households ‘ day-to-day lives and triggers struggles between Palestinians and Israelis. As it is proved by states in North Africa and the Middle East, intercountry struggles or wars can be caused by H2O deficit. To reason, H2O deficit and H2O debasement can be found in developing states around the universe. Water deficit and H2O debasement have many causes, and affect persons and international security. The increasing demand for H2O owing to the turning population can take to H2O deficit, and pollution from agribusiness and industry can do H2O debasement. Due to the debasement of H2O, some diseases occur. Because of deficit of H2O, struggles or wars can be triggered between states. In the hereafter, an organisation needs to be set up to work out the jobs caused by H2O deficit and H2O debasement.

Free Essays on Paradise Lost And Free Will

It has been said many times over the history of religion that God’s greatest gift to man kind is that of free will. In Paradise Lost we hear the story of the beginning of man kind’s journey with free will. It can be said that all human beings have free will to choose what they want to. If there is free will yet no temptation, is that truley free will? In the story we see many examples of man, women, Satan, and god having to choose between options that lay before them. Satan chooses to fight God and to be banished, as well as his choice to act his revenge out on human kind. Human kind has many free will choices to make trough out the story. We can even go as far as to look at God as having free will to allow many of these events to happen. The choices that are made bring us to the root of the topic free will and temptation. The fact remains that if there is no choice of temptation, then the idea of free will does not exist. Satan does have free will to choose what he wishes. He chooses to rage war against God because God did not choose him for a promotion of sorts â€Å"Lifted up so high I’sdeigned subjection and thought one step higher Would set me high’st and in a moment quit The debt immense of endless gratitude So burdensome-still paying! Still to owe!†(4.49-56.p.79). After being cast down to hell Satan and his fallen comrades choose to wreak havoc on human kind to get their revenge on God â€Å",this place may lie exposed, The utmost border of His kingdom left To their defense who hold it. Here perhaps Some advantageous act may be achieved By sudden onset, either with Hell fire To waste His whole creation or possess All as our own and drive, as we were driven, The puny habitants, or if not drive Seduce them to our party that their God May prove their foe and with repenting hand Abolish His own works. This would surpass Common revenge and interrupt His joy† (2.362-371.P.... Free Essays on Paradise Lost And Free Will Free Essays on Paradise Lost And Free Will It has been said many times over the history of religion that God’s greatest gift to man kind is that of free will. In Paradise Lost we hear the story of the beginning of man kind’s journey with free will. It can be said that all human beings have free will to choose what they want to. If there is free will yet no temptation, is that truley free will? In the story we see many examples of man, women, Satan, and god having to choose between options that lay before them. Satan chooses to fight God and to be banished, as well as his choice to act his revenge out on human kind. Human kind has many free will choices to make trough out the story. We can even go as far as to look at God as having free will to allow many of these events to happen. The choices that are made bring us to the root of the topic free will and temptation. The fact remains that if there is no choice of temptation, then the idea of free will does not exist. Satan does have free will to choose what he wishes. He chooses to rage war against God because God did not choose him for a promotion of sorts â€Å"Lifted up so high I’sdeigned subjection and thought one step higher Would set me high’st and in a moment quit The debt immense of endless gratitude So burdensome-still paying! Still to owe!†(4.49-56.p.79). After being cast down to hell Satan and his fallen comrades choose to wreak havoc on human kind to get their revenge on God â€Å",this place may lie exposed, The utmost border of His kingdom left To their defense who hold it. Here perhaps Some advantageous act may be achieved By sudden onset, either with Hell fire To waste His whole creation or possess All as our own and drive, as we were driven, The puny habitants, or if not drive Seduce them to our party that their God May prove their foe and with repenting hand Abolish His own works. This would surpass Common revenge and interrupt His joy† (2.362-371.P....

Analysis Assignment- Stairway to Heaven

Stairway to Heaven develops depth and emotion throughout the entire song, starting very simply and gradually delivering ore complexity and Intensity from 2:14 onwards. There Is a clear build up as the piece progresses with the addition of new Instruments (2:14), an Increase In tempo (6:44), and change in rhythm regularly from quavers in 4/4 time to semi-quavers (2:02). Although Led Zeppelin follow no particular genre of music, this spectacular piece begins as a significant contrast to their usual hard rock, blues rock, heavy metal style with an almost folk, acoustic introduction.The introduction holds one main folk riff that forms the theme of many variations to underpin the musically Ingenious entrants as the guitar solo begins at 5:55, bringing back Led Zeppelins usual heavy rock reputation. Within Victor Loppers variation of Stairway to Heaven, there is no evidence of development or emerging energy and emotion. The arrangement does however change tempo many times from = 120 to -72, yet the changes fail to match the original song in the slightest and appear stilted, almost disjointed, as they seem separated at times by a number of awkward pauses (egg 2:30). Contrasting the entire structure of the original piece, this Lopez arrangement starts heavier, with very Instrument playing, and continues on lightly only from 0:17. A more upbeat heavier variation is introduced again at 1 and then the arrangement ends the same as the beginning from 2:30. These changes differ only very slightly and are unsuccessful in involving as much variety in the different parts as the original as it engages in the overuse of repetition. Although this is understood to be an arrangement, it fails to allow the different sections of the original piece to be properly determined.At one point It even Includes a feature trumpet part at 1 (see Figure ) that does not resemble any section of the original, Figure 1: Bars 33 36 of Stairway to Heaven arranged by Victor Lopez In the writing and arranging of this piece, Victor Lopez completely disregards the genre under which the original was written by turning this version into a big brass band song with no evidence of develo pment or sensitivity to the original structure of Stairway to melody, or riff, on lead guitar. This riff repeats for the first two minutes then continues at 2:16 into a variation, swapping between this and strummed chords based around G/B, AMA and D). The guitar solo at 5:55 begins with an A minor pentatonic scale then continues in A minor diatonic. The effect of having two melodies Mommy Page on guitar and Robert Plant with voice) creates a dynamic sound Ninth some clashes adding to the unique style of the song. Within the re-creation however, Victor Lopez makes no attempt at replicating the classic opening guitar melody which is the main and most iconic part of the song. This oversight alone, takes away from the original as this riff has become the trade mark and most well known part of the original Stairway to Heaven.The introduction starts with every instrument playing and an attempted take off of the chorus, contrasting the idea of one melody growing in Led Zeppelins version. The arranged variation begins in E flat major and modulates to D major. There is no clear melody evident at all throughout the piece, as the number of instruments playing at similar volumes, makes it hard to determine. Ornamentation is also a key musical flourish in the original, that lacks in Victor Loppers version, as there is no guitar and therefore none of the brilliant guitar techniques mentioned above, to make the music come alive and become more than just notes on a page. He timbre or characteristic quality of sound displays a great difference when comparing the Jazz arrangement of Stairway to Heaven to the original. Jimmy Page manipulates his guitar as the main sound source with such brilliance, using a variety of methods such as pull offs, vibrato, hammer-ones, bends and slides (see Figure 2). Ere guitar is the central instrument and is held responsible for the individuality and lividness of the piece as it holds the majority of the melody, and in particular brings out the contrast during the bridge and solo (5:35).The entire piece depends on the guitar as it continues to play throughout the whole song and is accountable for the most complex part, portraying the creativity and ingeniousne ss of Stairway to Heaven. The use of the Maelstrom (an electronic keyboard controlling pre-recorded musical sounds) to imitate the flute, creates the darker more eerie mood and adds timbre contrast to the guitar melody. Throughout the song, to assist the development, instruments are added to the guitar at each section change, such as the Maelstrom flute (0:13), voice (0:53), bass guitar (2:14) and drums (4:18). These imbrue changes during this piece, add to the musical complexity and impressiveness Ninth the way it begins very lightly and gets gradually darker throughout, until it ends ere lightly at 7:45. Figure 2: Example pull off, vibrato, bend, hammer on and slide- Led Zeppelins Stairway to Heaven Victor Lopez arrangement includes too many instruments to portray the mood in Inch the original depicts. As it is written for darker sounding instruments such as tenor and alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone and bass, it takes away from the lighter sounding parts in the original, and so lacks contrast.This version hardly changes trumpets stop playing and the other instruments hold long notes as opposed to collectively playing the melody resulting in a lighter timbre. This section is the closest Lopez comes to conveying to the listener, the original mood and contrasts of Led Zeppelins Stairway to Heaven. There is no modification of instrumental playing evident as the manipulation of this piece la cks variety in notes or rhythm which leaves no room for individual variations of the notes or instrument playing. The original was written mainly for guitar and voice, resulting in the option for light or ark timbre. This variation however consists of lower brass instruments inevitably leading to a consistent dark timbre, revealing this pieces inability to live up to the original. hen comparing the original to the arrangement by Lopez, it is apparent that the manipulation of certain musical elements such as the structure, melody and timbre results in this piece being an entirely ineffective and unsuccessful adaptation. Robert Plant once said Its sort of a feeling of power onstage. Its really the ability to make people smile, or Just to turn them one way or another for that duration of time, ND for it to have some effect later on.

Sand and gravel operators in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Essay

Sand and gravel operators in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario - Essay Example The availability of sand and gravel facilitated trade for the operators since this era. In this case, the operators’ trade took a unique course within the locality. There was a vivid observation that the operators would sell most of the products within Sault Ste. Marie vicinity. This trend has prevailed for a long duration since the onset of the sand and gravel trade within the locality. Definitely it was attributable to specific facts that involved city policies and regulations. Ontario had been subject to a rugged terrain since history. The city authorities had the zeal to reform the land and propagate agriculture (Mackintosh, 16). In this case, agriculture required a fine terrain with ideal edaphic factors. Agriculture was to become a complement of the pit business and mining in this region. The interests of the authorities were to enhance both sectors in Ontario. In this plan, southern Ontario was engaged in agricultural activities as the northern part was to retain aggreg ate resources (Mackintosh, 16). This led to the production of a policy that credited Sault Ste. Marie to retain the aggregate resources. This was an ideal decision from the authorities. However, it surfaced intricate issues and hardships amongst inhabitants who practiced the different economic initiatives. Conflict arose in places where the agrarian and aggregate land would coincide. After the implementation of the dual economy, agriculture took a rampant growth. This is evident in the production of fruits like cherries, grapes as well as peaches (Mackintosh, 16). As denoted previously, Sault Ste. Marie was dominant in aggregate resources. During its aggregate activities, Sault Ste. Marie was responsible of the blockage and deposits in Root River. It was also responsible for depositing materials in Cannon Creek. These were paramount resources towards the enhancement of agriculture. Therefore, the aggregate deposits were significantly detrimental to the thriving of agriculture. Conse quently, the authorities charged Sault Ste. Marie due to the blockages it had brought. According to the policy, any individual that would make deposits in rivers or at the banks would be charged. A five or ten thousand dollars fine would be imposed to the offender (Laskin, 10). The crime could also lead to both a fine and one year imprisonment. This policy has been existent from the 1970s to date. This is a key reason towards the dismal trade to Ontario for the aggregate resources. Any form of deposit that would deprive the quality of water in this municipality would attribute to legal charges. Evidently, this policy was a key factor towards the decreased trade of aggregate materials to Ontario. The traders of aggregate materials would prefer not to incur a risk in the transportation process. In this case, they preferred to trade with the local buyers of aggregate materials. Their preference of trade remained intact inspire of the low profit margins in Sault Ste. Marie. Therefore, t he Ontario policy was a key factor towards the local preference by aggregate traders in Sault Ste. Marie. Southern Ontario is entirely vulnerable to aggregate pollution (Laskin, 9). Poverty has been a sensitive issue in the confines of Sault Ste. Marie. There has been a major concern to eradicate poverty in this locality (Coulter, 9). Poverty eradication would bring a new phase in diverse sectors of this vicinity. For example, it would enhance education attainment, healthcare amongst others. The eradication would also bring a positive economic impact on the vicinity. In this locality, poverty is in a rampant state to a large populace. Due to this fact, majority of the individuals do not hold professional qualifications for ideal careers. This is a trend in the sand

Methodology Review Form Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Methodology Review Form - Research Paper Example This is a defining trait of a crisis for other authors (Hoff, 2001; Boi, 2005; Laws, Prideaux & Chon, 2007), but apparently not for Fink, whose definition focuses on the impacts rather than the causes of the crisis situation. In many instances, crises are so characterised not because they are unforeseen, but that they are foreseen (or at least foreseeable) and are historically and statistically deemed so unlikely to happen that precautionary and preventive measures against them are overlooked (Loveridge, 2009; Daft & Marcic, 2011). In defining the research problem, it became apparent that the threat of impending crises (i.e., crises that are unlikely but may eventually happen) face all organisations, whatever their objectives or scope of operations, in varied ways as to threaten their continue existence. Consequently, some form of crisis management is needed by all organisations in order to contain the effects of crisis incidents. In defining a manageable research problem, therefore, it become necessary to delimit the particular crises and the organisations whose crisis management responses are to be assessed, in order for this research to arrive at meaningful, properly contextualised, findings. In the course of the literature review, the necessity for the enhancement of crisis planning, prevention, assessment, and mitigation for the oil and gas industry

Simon Schama's Jacques-Louis David and Delacroix's Coursework

Simon Schama's Jacques-Louis David and Delacroix's "Liberty Leading the People" - Coursework Example The presenter pointed out that in the later historical events political and social life in France really resembled one in Ancient Rome so life really caught up with art of Jacques-Louis David. The second video clip presented the viewers with interesting facts about Delacroix’s â€Å"Liberty Leading the People†. It was pointed out that this picture is not only valuable from aesthetic point of view, but is historically important as well. There are numerous symbols that are depicted in the painting such as the allegorical figure of the liberty, the intense violence that happened on the streets. Some details are too small to be recognized at once. For example, one of the people who are killed is in his night gown, suggesting that the government oppressed the opposition in order to make sure that people will not riot, this way reinforcing the

Impact of Socialization on Academic Performance

Impact of Socialization on Academic Performance CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION This chapter identifies and states the problem which this study seeks to probe. It also presents the significance and objectives of the study. It is therefore important to note that although considerable efforts have been made to improve Lower sixth form students’ academic performance and retention, students’ success in the Unit 1 CAPE examination continues to vary. The inability to connect the socialization effective domain in student academic performance has resulted in poorly prepared students in society. Secondary education in Trinidad and Tobago has been significantly expanded in the Post-Independence era. This was articulated in the 1968-1983 Education Plan. As a consequence, there was large-scale construction of junior, senior secondary and senior comprehensive schools. In addition, there are five-years, seven-years and private secondary schools. In the these five and seven years secondary schools, measures of academic performance at the school and individual level have always been calculated using grades in examinations such as CXC at Form Five Level and CAPE at Sixth Form Level across the country. The CAPE examinations, which replaced the Cambridge Advanced level examination, is today used as the main basis for judging a student’s ability and also as a means of selection for educational advancement and employment. Annually, hundreds of secondary school students write the Caribbean Proficiency Examination (CAPE). All students admitted to sixth forms have on an average a good CXC certificate of five or more subjects which is an indication of their ability and performance. To be admitted into sixth form at all secondary schools, the Ministry of Education in Trinidad and Tobago has stipulated the following: A student must not be become 20 years old during the calendar year of entry; A student must have obtained a minimum of Grade C in English Language â€Å"O† level or Grade I in C.X.C. General Proficiency exam; and A student must have obtained 4 other â€Å"O† level passes or Grade II in the C.X.C. General Proficiency will be accepted if there is at least one A in the grade profile. Lower sixth form students write an examination at the end of their first year. The results of this examination have revealed that some students are more successful than others at this level. Although students may have comparable abilities, been schooled in the same environment and follow the same syllabus, there still exists variation in their educational performance. A student who performs poorly will not be able to gain admission into University, since matriculation policy stipulates higher grades. For the purpose of this study, the word teenager will be used interchangeably with adolescent. A sixth form student is a teenager who is experiencing changes in their social and psychological life. This period is referred to as the adolescence period. Adolescence is a time of transformation in many areas of an individual’s life. In the midst of these rapid physical, emotional, and social changes, the young adult begins to question adult standards and their need for parental guidance. It is also a time for individuals to make important decisions about their commitment to education, family, and perhaps religion. Students begin to ask questions such as, â€Å"Is school important to me?† and â€Å"How do I want to spend my time?† According to Ryan (2000), the choices that adolescents make regarding their motivation, engagement, and achievement in school and the satisfaction they obtain from their choice depend, in part, on the context in which they make such choices. It is fair to say that school-aged children are assured of equality of access to secondary school. In society the agents of socialization have had differential impacts on the lives of young children and teenagers. If this is the case, there is a need therefore to examine very closely the educational performance and life chances of individual students. The interest of this research therefore, focuses on how socialization variables can be associated with the variations in the educational performance of Lower Six Form students who are 17- 20 years old. These students are assumed to be self-motivated when it comes to succeeding at the CAPE Unit 1 examination. The situation is debateable and can have serious social ramifications for the society as a whole. 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY The variation in academic performance has its genesis in students’ early educational socialization. Research has shown that early years of exposure to Mathematics and English Language creates the foundation for later academic performance. If students enter kindergarten at a disadvantage, early gaps in understandings of literacy or mathematics tend to be sustained or widened over time (Aunola et al 2004). Research further shows this phenomenon is particularly true for children from lower income households (McLoyd and Purtell 2008). What parents can do with their children at home has far greater significance than any other factor open to educational influence (Tucker 2010). Similarly, Wood and Attfield (2005) argued that early years were particularly important for developing children’s ability and enthusiasm in mathematics. In Trinidad and Tobago, Mathematics and English Language are considered to be the two main prerequisite subjects that are common to all schools and to all students from various ethnic backgrounds. Table 1 shows a CSEC Mathematics grade distribution of the four schools in the study while Table 2 shows a CSEC English grade distribution. CSEC Mathematics and English Language are subjects, which all secondary students must pass in order to secure a place in the A-level class. These subjects covered the whole curriculum at the secondary schools. TABLE 1: VARIATIONS IN CSEC MATH GRADES FROM EACH SCHOOL 2011. SCHOOL GRADE 1 GRADE 2 GRADE 3 GRADE 4 GRADE 5 TOTAL SCHOOL D 52 90% 6 10% NIL NIL NIL 58 SCHOOL C 25 63% 10 25% 5 12% NIL NIL 40 SCHOOL B 15 50% 9 30% 4 13% 2 7% NIL 30 SCHOOL A NIL 0% 3 14% 9 41% 6 27% 4 18% 22 TOTAL 92 28 18 8 4 150 SOURCE: CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL HEADQUARTERS 2011 TABLE 2: VARIATIONS IN CSCE ENGLISH GRADES FROM EACH SCHOOL. 2011 SCHOOL GRADE 1 GRADE 2 GRADE 3 GRADE 4 GRADE 5 TOTAL SCHOOL D 57 98% 1 2% NIL 0% NIL 0% NIL 0% 58 SCHOOL C 36 90% 4 10% NIL 0% NIL 0% NIL 0% 40 SCHOOL B 21 70% 8 27% 1 3% NIL 0% NIL 0% 30 SCHOOL A 5 23% 9 41% 7 32% 1 4% NIL 0% 22 TOTAL 119 22 8 1 NIL 150 SOURCE: CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL HEADQUARTERS 2011 The results of the CAPE Unit 1 examinations (see Figure 1) can therefore be assumed to be indicators of early childhood socialization to the above subject matter. It can therefore be further hypothesized that students who did well at CSEC examinations would do well at the CAPE Unit 1 examinations based on their early socialization which will include the involvement of the independent variables of the study. FIGURE: 1 SOURCE: CARIBBEAN EXAMINATION COUNCIL HEADQUARTERS 2012 The data in Figure (1) revealed that the type of secondary school that students attend has a significant part to play in their academic performance. In other words, the home is the primary socializing agent where the desire for an education is internalized while the school, as the the secondary socializing agent (Parsons 1951) is where the students fulfilled that internalized desire with the help of the family and teachers. This dissertation will argue that the variation in Lower sixth form students’ academic performance is dependent on their individual socialization. 1.2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Educational data in Trinidad and Tobago has revealed that some students are performing better than others at the Lower sixth form CAPE Unit 1 examination (See Figure 2, which represents a distribution of; grades one, two and three from 2005 to 2011). The percentage pass rates for Unit 1 ranged from between 57% and 63.5%. The pass rates for these same students at Caribbean Examination Council level (CXC) Examination was higher. This paradox reveals a disparity in academic performance of these students between the CAPE Unit I level and the CXC level. This results in a variation in the grades’ distribution within and among these secondary schools. The existence of a variation in educational performance for this examination has become a serious social phenomenon which can later create adverse educational imbalances among and between the different groups within the society. If, left unchecked, one can imagine the ramification this problem can have for the social stability of the so ciety. This examines how specific socializing variables can be implicated in the socialization of lower sixth form students. Psychology has shown that everyone is born with some potential, or abilities which could be utilized to the optimum for the development of their personal life. Therefore, all lower sixth form students may be exposed to the same teachers and the same conditions in the school, yet, there are remarkable differences in their academic performance at the Unit 1 examination of CAPE. Lower sixth form students, because of their age (17-20 years old) are older adolescents who are assumed to be more responsible and more independent than the younger students. What, therefore, are some of the reasons that are responsible for the variations in educational performance? As noted by the researcher before, the interconnectedness of many variables maybe the cause. Some of these variables have been identified as major contributors for the variations in academic performance. The researcher has identified the most likely socializing variables that will guide the thesis statement. They are as followed; the socio-economic status (SES), race/ethnicity, sex/gender, peer group and parental involvement. The aim, therefore of the study is to investigate socialization with its inherent social, cultural, and psychological learning processes as the main contributing factor for the existing variation in academic performance of lower sixth form students at the Unit 1 of the Caribbean Prof iciency Examination (CAPE) examination. FIGURE 2. Units I and II: Grades I-III ranged between 52.1% and 65.5% SOURCE: CARIBBEAN EXAMINATION COUNCIL HEADQUARTERS 2011 1.3. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This research is significant for both practical and scientific reasons. From the practical significant point of view, the study will help explain the behaviour associated with the variation in academic performance at the Lower sixth form Unit 1 level Caribbean Proficiency Examination (CAPE) in terms of the socializing variables in the form of parents’ socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, sex/gender, peer group’s influence and parental involvement in students’ academic performance. Each is believed to play a major role in the socialization of Lower sixth form students and ultimately, the education process. Each of us proceeds through life in a manner we often believe is under our immediate control and influence. It seems logical that the actions we take and the impact of those actions is based upon a series of logical, rational, and emotionally loaded decisions influenced by choice and chance. Although this seems a reasonable manner in which to assess one’ s lot in life, it is far from reality, particularly in the area of education. Children have equal opportunities to do the same subjects and extra-curricular activities. They have similarly qualified teachers and they study these subjects for the same length of time (i.e. five years for CXC). The idea that each child enters school with the same opportunities that foster success is not a valid assumption. This is particularly true of the formative years from preschool through secondary school where the impact of these socializing forces can vary dramatically from person to person, depending on their life circumstances and social class status. 1.4. Objective of the Study As indicated in the introduction, there are many factors which can influence the academic performance of Lower sixth form students at the CAPE Unit I examination. However the researcher has confined this study within certain limits, concentrating on the examination of variables which have also been highlighted as important by other studies. These variables are; socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, sex/gender, peer group, and parental involvement. The objectives are as followed: To investigate the socializing relationships, between academic performance of Lower sixth form students and socio-economic status, race/ethnicity, sex/gender, peer group, and parental involvement? To what extent are these research variables; academic performance, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, sex/gender, peer group, and parental involvement are mutally influential in the socializing of Lower sixth form students. 1.5. Definition of Important Terms Academic performance: refers to the overall excellence in all academic disciplines; represented in this study as an average of 50% pass mark in each subject. Academics: refer to student dispositions on school and grades and can be influenced by adult expectations Adolescence: refers to the period that begins with the onset of puberty and ends somewhere around age 18 or 20. In this research, adolescent is used interchangeabley with teenager and young adult. The study’s main focus will be on adolescents between 17 and 20 years of age. Achievement motivation: refers to the striving to increase or to keep as high as possible, one’s own capabilities in all activities in which a standard of excellence is thought to apply and where the execution of such activities can, therefore either succeed or fail (Heckhausen 1967). Parental involvement is very crucial for achievement motivation. Race/Ethnicity: in this study will be used interchangeably. However ethnicity which is assumed to share common cultural practices and history will also include religion. Extreme cases: In this study refer to those lower sixth form students who have acquired grade four and under in the Unit 1 CAPE examination. Gender: the significance a society attaches to biological categories of female and male. In this study it will be used interchangeably with sex. Mass media: impersonal communication directed toward a vast audience. In this case, the internet and the games associated with it. Parental involvement: in this research refers to the things that parents do to form behaviours that are directed toward children’s academic performance. Peer group: a social group whose members have interests, social positions and ages in common. In this study, peer group will include all individuals with similar demographic characteristics. Religion: a social institution involving beliefs and practices based upon the conception of the sacred. It will also be included in the definition for ethnicity. Sex: refers to the biological distinction between females and males. In this study it will be used interchangeably with gender. Socialization: refers to the lifelong social experience by which individuals develop human potential and learn patterns of their culture. Socio-economic status: refers to a composite ranking based on education, and occupation Social class: In Trinidad and Tobago, the upper class refers to the highest socioeconomic bracket in the social hierarchy and is defined by its members’ great wealth and power. Members of the upper class accumulate wealth through investments and capital gains, rather than through annual salaries. Households with net worths of $1 million or more may be identified as members of the upper-most socioeconomic demographic. The middle class is divided into the upper middle class and the middle middle class. The upper middle class consists of highly educated salaried professionals whose occupations are held in high esteem, such as attorneys, engineers, and professors. The middle middle class is generally thought to include people in the mid-level managerial positions or relatively low status professional positions, such as school teachers, nurses, policemen, and small business owners. The working class generally refers to those without university degrees, who perform low income servic e work, such as sales clerk, domestic worker and include most people whose income falls below the poverty line. Variation: the extent to which the Unit 1 examination results vary as it relates to each student’s academic performance.