Writing College Entrance Essays

Writing College Entrance Essays For most students, the first essay they write as a college requirement is also the most important one. The college entrance essay is a daunting task that requires as much candor as it does nuance, and the formula-driven essay assignments in high school language arts classes are a far cry from what admissions committees typically expect. In addition, competition for admission into the nations top universities is steadily tightening. As students, parents, and guidance counselors recognize the necessity of obtaining a respected degree in todays job market, applicants wisely vie for the slots that will give them the greatest chances in competing for the best career opportunities.So is it possible for the average student to stand out when writing college entrance essays? And how important is it to focus a great deal of time and effort on this endeavor? The answer to these questions is… very! In many cases, a students college entrance essay overshadows his or her grades, extracurricular activities, and academic achievements. Admissions committees want to know who a student is as a person; all the impressive numbers and name-dropping do not necessarily reveal that. The college entrance essay is most often the only chance that committees have to see students for who they really are, know their individual struggles and intent, and connect on a personal level with them.Often students ask, How do I know what to write? A 500-word limit doesnt allow a lot of room for ineffective and unnecessary information, and the process of weeding out what is important and what isnt can be overwhelming. That word cap is placed for a reason: committees dont want to read your life story, they simply want a type of written snapshot of your past, present, and future. Think of it as a first impressionâ€"the kind of introduction that does not come with a lot of detailed information. With this in mind, the easiest way to begin a college admissions essay is to ask yourself: What first impressi on do I want to make?When you introduce yourself to a stranger, do you divulge a lot of information about your childhood experiences? Do you get on a soapbox about politics and world peace? Do you make a lot of excuses or offer lengthy explanations about possible faults on your academic record? Or, do you use clear and straightforward tactics to show that you are professional, to demonstrate that you have a sense of humor and self-worth, and to clearly outline what you hope to achieve from the meeting? Hopefully, you choose the latter, and this is exactly what you should do when writing a college entrance essay.The most common mistake that students make when writing college entrance essays is saying too much about what is unimportant and not enough about what is most important. When a student uses two paragraphs of a 500-word count essay discussing his or her academic achievements, it is a waste of opportunity. Such achievements are generally noted on your application and reference letters, and do not need excessive reiteration. A sentence or two highlighting the greatest of your achievements is sufficient; any more, and you run the risk of being repetitive.Academic achievements, classes taken, grades, and community service are typically included in your transcripts and application itself, and should be given limited space in a college entrance essay. However, there are pieces of information that are not always shown in the actual application or transcripts. Such information could include why you chose a particular college or career path, who influenced you the most and why, and positive qualities about yourself that will make you a successful college student. These are all questions that the admissions committee will have about you, and questions that will reveal a lot to them about your goals, your motivation, your personality, and your intent.Admissions committees also like to know how serious you are about becoming a part of their school. They like to thin k that if they are turning down another student in order to give you an open slot, it is because you really want the opportunity to attend their school. This is why it is key to include clear reasons why you chose a particular school, and how it stands apart from the rest in your search. Never let an admissions committee know that you have applied to several schools, and that they are simply one of the many on your list. A vast majority of universities still embrace exclusivity, tradition, and loyalty in their decision-making process, and seek students who will be proud of being a part of the campus body.Finallyâ€"and most importantlyâ€"you should seek to show personality and human-ness in your writing. Often, students assume that the admissions essay should reflect their scholastic ability, and make the mistake of being overly pretentious and academic in their approach to writing. While a college entrance essay should certainly be free of grammatical and structural problems, it is never advisable to talk down to your audience, or write as if you are preparing a dissertation before you even begin your university studies. Humor, in small doses, is an excellent approach to counter the tendency to be excessively academicâ€"as is carefully considered candor. Such writing will create a personal bond between the essay writer and audience, keeping him or her in the position of being a memorable applicant.

Final - Project and Program Risk Management - 4139 Words

FINAL EXAM MGT 5088 Project and Program Risk Management Susan H. Davenport August 6, 2009 1. Discuss Risk Process and Practices. Why do professionals mandate Risk Management? a) Discuss Risk Process and Practices. Project Managers must determine the success criteria for managing a project to identify risks that could possibly impede customer requirements. Risk Management is a disciplined, systematic process to obtain the maximum benefits associated with such a management channel. Every project needs some type of documentation related to risk management activity. This type of management may take on an informal or formal approach, but risk management is essential for every project.†¦show more content†¦The following six (6) major steps will increase the chances of a successful technique application: 1) Identify experts and ensure their participation 2) Create the Delphi instrument 3) Have the experts respond on the instrument 4) Review and restate the responses 5) Gather the experts’ opinions and repeat 6) Distribute and apply the data The Delphi technique is a time-consuming process, but this technique is promising in extracting information from experts who might not otherwis e contribute to a project’s body of knowledge. 3. Explain the Crawford Slip Method (CSM). The Crawford Slip Method (CSM) is a classic tool used to combat the negativism inherent in team members while attempting to identify risk and risk information-gathering for a particular product or process. CSM offers a variety of advantages over other information-gathering techniques, in particular, the ability to aggregate large volumes of information in a very short time period and the complete avoidance of groupthink. CSM is not the hardest risk management technique to apply when properly facilitated. A clearly established question is defined by the facilitator and provided to all qualified participants. The participants then document their response to the clearly established question on a slip of paper. Providing the same clearly established question to the participantsShow MoreRelatedBoeing Case Essay1109 Words   |  5 PagesBoeing 767 Case Study Questions 1. How would you describe Boeing’s approach to project management? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Boeing adopts a very thorough, well planned out process to manage the project. The stages are defined clearly and tasks involved in each stage are carried out sequentially. 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Communications is by far the most important driver in project management and more often than not it is the least adequately planned part of the project and least effectively carried out. Within our program, planning of communication involves a brainstorming with the project team to identify who our stakeholders areRead MoreCollaborative Technical And Comprehensive ( Ctch ) Security1700 Words   |  7 PagesCollaborative Technical and Comprehensive (CTCH) Security Business Consulting LLC is very grateful for the opportunity to provide a proposal for the ______ project. CTCH is a Security Consulting Firm that was founded by Calvin James Daniels in 2016 and is located in Lompoc, California. The firm’s motto is to â€Å"Bridge the gaps in security that exists between Industry Standards, Site Requirements and Client Expectations.† This industry approach enables CTCH to identify the individual needs of clients

Enron Case Study - 4789 Words

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report will analyse the groupthink’s concerns in the collapse of Enron. The collapse of Enron is less than three months, which Enron from a very prosperous company to a bankrupt enterprise. The collapse of Enron is one of the most grievous business failures in United States. This disastrous business failure had causes a large number of employees lost their jobs and retirement savings. Groupthink leads groups to make faulty judgments. Groupthink occurs when a group make wrong decisions as the pressures of group lead to deterioration of â€Å"mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment†. There are several symptoms of groupthink. The issues to be resolved for Enron are collective rationalization, stereotypes†¦show more content†¦The dramatic transformation of the Enron collapse is one of the striking features, which is in less than three months, Enron from a very prosperous company to a bankrupt enterprise. Janis (1972) claimed that group members unconsciously create the illusions of superiority to share and hinder the reality testing and critical reflection is caused by groupthink. Thus, groupthink leads groups to make faulty judgments. 1.1 Purpose of the report The purpose of this report is to analyse the groupthink’s concerns in the collapse of Enron. The faulty decision that made by Enron directors, which will cause the collapse of Enron. In this report, these writers also have to analyse the symptoms, causes and solutions of the Enron collapse. 1.2 Company Background Kenneth Lay is the founder of Enron. Enron founded in 1968 at Omaha, Nebraska.Show MoreRelatedENRON Case Study1572 Words   |  7 Pages1. The Enron debacle created what one public official reported was a â€Å"crisis of confidence† on the part of the public in the accounting profession. List the parties who you believe are most responsible for that crisis. Briefly justify each of your choices. 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A Midsummer Night’s Dream an Ecological Interpretation Free Essays

string(202) " already written by the present researcher and published in the Research Spectrum \(August-2012 Issue\) contains some hints of the Eco-criticism in Shakespeare’s plays as seen by Rabindranath Tagore\." A Midsummer Night’s Dream: An Ecocritical Interpretation Lieutenant Asit Biswas Bio-Notes: Lieut. Asit Biswas is an Assistant Professor, Dept. of English, and Associate NCC Officer, Acharya B. We will write a custom essay sample on A Midsummer Night’s Dream: an Ecological Interpretation or any similar topic only for you Order Now N. Seal (Govt. ) College, Cooch Behar, W. B. ABSTRACT: Shakespeare studies in India started as early as in the early decades of the 19th century when the Indians seldom engaged in Shakespeare interpretation and so the term ‘ecocriticism’ was unheard of. What we mean by the phrase ‘Critical studies of Shakespeare’ started in India in 1917 when Hindu College (later on Presidency College and now Presidency University) was founded. Then Shakespeare began to be evaluated from an oriental point of view. Some of those interpretations may be considered ecocriticism. The same thing was done by Purna Chandra Basu (in his article â€Å"Sahitye Khoon†, D. L. Roy (in his book, Kalidas O Bhababhuti) etc. Eco-criticism as a literary movement, as Yogesh K. Tiwari and N. D. R. Chandra say, began in the 1990s. But ecocritical evaluation of Shakespeare’s plays from Indian point of view is yet to flourish well. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream one can find plethora of materials relevant not only for the students of literature but of environmental studies also. The aim of the present play is to reinterpret Shakespeare’ play A Midsummer Night’s Dream from ecocritical point of view and thereby justify the contemporaneity of the Bard. Now-a-days many in many universities in India the students have to read English and Environmental Studies as compulsory subjects, Shakespeare being a part of the former. As the students of literature they would be keen to trace out the aesthetic aspects of the dramas of Shakespeare while belonging to various disciplines they would naturally seek for the relevance of Shakespeare in the present context. So the paper is an attempt to bring out Shakespeare’s anticipation of the environmental problems and thereby prove Shakespeare as a topic of both literature and environmental studies. Modern environmentalism began with ‘A Fable for Tomorrow’, in Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962). Mrs. Frederick Boas edited the Cambridge collection of Tempest Essays; Richard Kerridge N. Shammells published Writing the Environment, Eco-criticism and Literature (Zed Books-1998); J. Bate L. Coupe published The Green Studies Reader from Romanticism to Eco-Criticism (by New York, Routeledge-2000);but the most outstanding book in this field is Green Shakespeare by Gabriel Egan who says, Crossing he boundaries of literary and cultural studies to draw in politics, philosophy and ecology, this volume not only introduces one of the most lively areas of contemporary Shakespeare studies, but also  puts forward  a convincing case for Shakespeare’s continuing relevance to contemporary theory. There is a significant school named as the Association for the study of Literature and Environment which was started in America and now has its branches in Japan and UK. I t is mainly an association of the eco-critics. The Role of Literature in Placing a Value on the Environment: As Daniel B. Botkin and Edward A. Keller say in their book Environmental Science (5th edition, Page No. 11) the value of the environment is based on the following justifications: aesthetic, creative, recreational, inspirational, moral, cultural and utilitarian (materialistic). Aesthetic justification has to do with our appreciation of beauty of nature. Many people prefer living in the world of wilderness to one without it. Rabindranath Tagore created an instance by leaving the clutter of Calcutta settling down in the lap of Nature in Santiniketan. In Shakespeare the Forest of Arden minimizes the bereavement of the Duke in As You Like It. But in the Duke’s bemoaning for the subordination of the forest we hear the voice of an ecologist. It would not be a digression to say that Tagore’s ecocentrism is again found in Siksha: Tapoban in his comment on Shakespeare’s plays. While ecology is a mother branch of science, ecocriticism is comparatively a new branch which attempts to establish a relationship between literature and the physical environment. As Greg Garrard quotes in his book Eco-criticism from Glotfelty’s book The Eco-criticism Reader: Landmark in Literary Ecology: Simply put, eco-criticism is the study of the relationship between literature and physical environment. Just as feminist criticism examines language and literature from a gender conscious perspective, and Marxist criticism brings an awareness of modes of production and economic class to its reading of texts, eco-criticism takes an earth-centred approach to literary study. Garrard also adds that eco-criticism is closely related to environmentally oriented developments in philosophy and political theory. So eco-criticism may be interpreted as the analysis of a literary text from the point of view of an ecologist. Another epoch making writing that has relevance in our interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is Simon C. Estok’s research paper titled Shakespeare and Ecocriticism: An Analysis of â€Å"Home† and â€Å"Power† in King Lear in which the author explains the key terms â€Å"Anthropocentrism†, â€Å"Biocentrism/ Ecocentrism† and â€Å"Ecophobia†. Agreeing with Greg Garrard, Estok says that ecocriticism is not simply the study of nature or natural things in literature; rather it is any theory that is committed to effecting change by analysing the function – thematic, artistic, social, historical, ideological, theoretical, or otherwise— the natural environment, or aspects of it, represents in documents that contribute to material practices in material world. The explanation of the term ‘ecophobia’ is also very much necessary in our revaluation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Estok thinks that â€Å"ecophobia is the fear of loss of agency and control to Nature†. This ecophobia, found in both Oberon and Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, gives birth to various conflicts, both inner and outer, or, to say more explicitly, psychological and social (which includes ecological aspects also) and this sociological aspects of the play justify the contemporaneity of the bard. Some minor research works have been done on this particular topic on national and international levels. Some research papers have been published on eco-criticism in Shakespeare’s dramas in some journals; mention may be made of the one written by Dr. Subh Brat Sarkar, Rishi Bankim Chandra College, Naihati, W. B. The paper already written by the present researcher and published in the Research Spectrum (August-2012 Issue) contains some hints of the Eco-criticism in Shakespeare’s plays as seen by Rabindranath Tagore. You read "A Midsummer Night’s Dream: an Ecological Interpretation" in category "Essay examples" Tagore considered it to be a kind of colonialism. According to him colonialism is not only the subordination of a weaker nation by a powerful one but the subordination of nature by human beings. Tagore also probably finds the ‘ecologist Shakespeare’ as in As You Like It, The Tempest etc. According to Nirmal Selvamony, the humans have introduced a hierarchy in nature. In that the humans have placed the domesticated animals higher than the wild animals. â€Å"Even animals were ranged in hierarchic order, the domestic and the wild† (Selvamony 4). But in A Midsummer Night’s Dream the role of the dominating power is taken by the fairies and the inferior race is the human beings. The fairies have occupied the topmost position in the hierarchy of Nature and they subordinate man and they quarrel in order to decide who will ‘domesticate’ the Indian boy who is the representative of the colonized people. This kind of colonialism found in Nature may be termed ‘Ecocolonialism’ or ‘Eco-imperialism’. In a supernatural drama like the present one the imperialists are the fairies but in reality they are the mighty people and the colonized ones may be the flora and fauna or even linguistically, culturally, racially, socially, politically, religiously or financially weaker section of the people. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream an ecologist easily finds plenty of materials relevant not only to the students of literature but of science, especially ecology also. The human beings in the person of the Indian boy or the European lovers are merely playthings to the mighty fairies. The fairies play with the humans for their own pleasure and showing their might and not for the amusement of the humans and they do it from anthropocentric point of view. In his Master’s Degree dissertation paper, (University of South Florida) Roy Patricia points out the environmental issues in MND by referring to â€Å"Folk Medicine and the Four Fairies of A Midsummer Night’s Dream,† by Lou Agnes Reynolds and Paul Sawyer who have recovered the fairies from evil associations by casting them as herbal doctors. The article points to the strong early modern interest in the medicinal use of plants and finds that, by the use of this imagery, Shakespeare imbues his fairy characters and their natural remedies with beneficial, medicinal properties. Reynolds and Sawyer’s points are well taken, but we can develop them even further. Not only do the four attendant fairies – Cobweb, Mustardseed, Peascod and Mote – represent fairy medicine but all the actions in the forest also act therapeutically upon the lovers. The inversion of love-roles and the dreams of the lovers depend upon Oberon’s extensive knowledge of the herbal lore of his world. As Oberon himself states: â€Å"Fare thee well, nymph [Helena]. Ere he do leave this grove / Thou shalt fly him, and he shall seek thy love. (2. 1. 245-6). In Act-1I, scene-i of from the speech of Puck we come to know that the king, Oberon is angry with the queen, Titania as she has seized away a boy from India and made him her servant. â€Å"For Oberon is passing fell and wrath, / Because she as her attendant hath / A lovely boy, stolen from an Indian king†. But the king wants to roam about the forests (Nature), along with the boy. As a result whenever they meet, they quarrel. Titania also alleges him of emptying of the venom of jealousy. She says that whenever they meet they quarrel and as a result the wind cannot sing the song of peace and is sucking the fog from the surface of the seas and the water level of the seas has been raised up; the natural system has been disrupted, resulting in untimely flood and thereby destruction of vast area of crops and extinct of a number of species. The ever smiling spring, the scorching summer, the frowning autumn and the cruel winter have changed their plight and so people cannot identify them. Titania confesses that they are responsible for this unholy variation of the cycle of seasons. The people cannot endure the change of the cycle of seasons; suffer from untimely winter and also various kinds of diseases due to the change and endangered bio-diversity. In reply to the allegation of the queen, the king urges her to correct the ecological imbalance as she has the power to remedy. The reason of their quarrel is also clear to the readers—possession of the boy kidnapped from India. Here the quarrel is between a power that has deprived the creature of his natural habitat and made him her servant and the eco-friendly power that is keen to roam about the forests, along with the innocent creature. But none is ready to provide the boy with absolute freedom and so their quarrel does not come to an end here. The king requests the queen to hand the boy over to him but she is too obstinate to nod. She frankly declares that she cannot lose her control over the boy even if she is given the whole fairy land. So Oberon decides to use tricks. He advises Puck to extract the juice of a certain flower which would act like black magic and leave its evil influence on Titania’s eyes, if administered properly. It would also be able to invert the usual behaviour and natural instinct of a person as in the modern age we see the evil influence of narcotics especially in the third world countries. The harmful effect of the use of drugs on eco system is mainly felt in the developing countries. Again Titania, admits that their quarrel has destroyed the usual course of the natural phenomena and nature has undergone vast changes, creating ocean of troubles for human beings. In Act-1, Scene-ii (Lines 81-117) Titania, the Queen of the fairies alleges that their quarrel has destroyed the usual habits of the natural phenomena and Nature has undergone vast changes, creating ocean of troubles for human beings. It may be considered Shakespeare’s anticipation of what McKibben says in his book The End of Nature (1990): We have changed the atmosphere, and thus we are changing the weather. By changing the weather we make every spot on earth man-made or artificial. We have deprived nature of its independence, and that is fatal to its meaning. Nature’s independence is its meaning; ithout it there is nothing but us. (McKibben 1990: 54) In this connection it may be recalled that India was a favourite commercial place to the Western countries form the time of ancient history. And for the sole possession of India several wars were for between the English and the French and others. The Indian boy in the play is symbolically a colony, an ideal place for busi ness. Now-a-day it may be a typical Indian plant for whose patent the economic colonialists are ever fighting among themselves and in order to supersede one another destroying the eco system of the whole globe. Recently we witnessed the war between Iraq and U. S. A. Various reasons may be found out but the naked truth is that the sole reason of the notorious war is nothing but the shameless effort of control over the petroleum mines of the Arabian countries. When the two â€Å"do square, that all their elves for fear/ Creep into acorn cups and hide them there†. The peaceful people whenever get frightened, seek refuge in nature and it may be kept in mind that the best remedy of various pollutions including noise pollution is plantation. Nature is the man’s ultimate refuge because only nature can provide the human beings with eternal pleasure, both physical and mental. Puck also confesses that he, in order to make a fun and to show his prowess, perturbs the natural habits of an object both animate and inanimate. In modern age the modern Pucks very often destroy the Nature and subordinate the creatures of Nature very often out of fun. Examples may be given of the tortured animals in the circus shows, poachers’ activities etc; moreover, we torture the animals in the zoo. Keeping bird cages is a favourite but cruel hobby of a kind of people even after the passage of law against it. It is not only inhuman and unlawful but harmful to bio-diversity also. Recently a television channel telecast a live show of beating thousands of innocent seals to death in Antarctica by a community as it is the annual festival of the community. The pain of the poor seals, especially the half dead ones, the fear of the eco system to be disturbed, the melting of the glaciers and thereby upheaval of the sea level cannot render them anxious of the future of the earth. In this post-Modern age MND is quite relevant and significant since we witness the ecological imbalance, extinction of a large number of species, climatic change, global warming, uprising of the sea level, earth quake, tsunami, El Nino etc. The reason behind such troubles may be, along with the others, the wars (Gulf war, the long war between Iran and Iraq and of course the two World Wars), nuclear bomb testing and above all merciless deforestation. Here in the speech of Titania we seem to hear the voice of an environment scientist or of an ecologist. It may be noted that the more mighty the power, the more strong a destroyer is he in this post-Modern Age. Probably Shakespeare anticipated the natural problems created by the super-human power. The Titanias now-a-days are the war-mongers greedy of absolute power, who seldom think of the future of the globe. So in this age of science and technology the revaluation of the plays of Shakespeare is very much significant. In the same Act and scene the speech of Oberon (L-176–185) is also significant. He speaks of the juice of a flower that is able to hypnotize any man or woman and make him/her fall in love with any creature seen first. But the remedy is known to Oberon only. So it may be supposed that he wants to administer the cunning trick only to destroy the natural habit of a creature and to apply his remedy and thereby to prove his power. In the post-Modern age of economic colonialism this cunning theory is felt to have come back, but with a new dimension. For example the parthenium plant has allegedly come from U. S. A. As found in an e-article (http://www. streetdirectory. om) It appears that Parthenium is not native to India, but it came with the imported wheat as a mixture, when the US sent wheat to India under PL 480 (Public Law 480 passed in 1954 to give food grains to developing countries) in 1956. However this concept was contradicted by some as not the real story because Parthenium was present in India even in 1951 itself. Some people allege that this plant causes a sthma whose medicine would be made in USA and so in order to sell the medicine and to prevail over the subcontinent, the Americans sent the parthenium seeds as adulteration with wheat seeds. So the purpose is to make the Indians asthma patients and then to sell to them asthma medicine. But we should not engage ourselves in this controversy, since we are not talking of international politics but of literary criticism. Here, in the drama the role of Oberon is like that of a modern capitalist who uses his cunning method in order to prove his supremacy and thereby dominate over the comparatively weaker sections and he is doing this out of ecophobia. Ultimately Oberon, the king realizes the harmful effect of his sports and then he feels sorry and takes the responsibility and so urges his assistant to correct the mistakes. He also pacifies his quarrel with Titania, once again with the help of the same narcotics. Here we see the constructive use of the herbs. Thus the play ends with an optimistic note and indirectly upholds the banner of Nature which is the best remedy for the revival of the impaired eco system. It also opines that man cannot remain happy by subordinating nature. Now in the age of global warming the plays of Shakespeare deserve a re-reading. One may recall the peaceful atmosphere in the Forest of Arden (As You Like It) and realize that subordination of nature cannot bring us mental peace as Tagore realized. He establishes his opinion by citing examples from As You Like It, Sakuntala etc. In the concluding song Puck urges the audience to consider the play to be a dream. We may do but it would not be an overstatement to consider it to be a dream of an ecologist because in the play we see what an ecologist would think of the vast change taken place in environment due to the modern leaders of the planet. Reference 1. Arumugam, E. (2008) Principles of Environmental Ethics, Sarup Book Publishers Pvt. Ltd. , New Delhi-2, India. 2. Bookchin, Murray, Anthropocentrism versus biocentrism – a false dichotomy http://climateandcapitalism. om. 3. Botkin, Daniel B. ; Keller , Edward A. , (2005), Environmental Science, John Wiley ; Sons, Inc, U. S. A. 4. Estok, Simon C. , Shakespeare and Ecocriticism: An Analysis of â€Å"Home† and â€Å"Power† in King Lear, http://simonestok. com. 5. Garrard, G. (2007) Ecocriticism, Routledge, London and New York. 6. Gifford, Terry: (1999) Pastoral , Routeledge, London and New York. 7. Glotfelty, C. and Fromm, H. (ed) (1996) The Eco-criticism Reader: Landmark in Literary Ecology, University of Georgia Press, London. 8. McKibben, B. (1990), The End of Nature, Penguin, London, 9. Patricia, Roy, (2004), â€Å"Shakespeare’s Midsummer Fairies: Shadows and Shamen of the Forest†, http://scholarcommons. usf. edu/etd/1226 10. Purohit , S. S. ; Ranjan, Rajiv (2003), Ecology, Environment and Pollution, Agrobios (India), Jodhpur, India. 11. Sarkar, Subh Brat, (2005), â€Å"Ecological Theatre: Performance and Ecological Issues† (in Prakashkal) Unique; Panshila, Sodepur, W. B. , India. 12. Selvamony, Nirmal, (2001): â€Å"Persons for Alternative Social Order†, Chennai, India. 13. Shakespeare, William, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, New Delhi: Oxford ; IBH Publishing Co. Pvt Ltd. , 1980. 14. Tagore, R. , (1932) The Religion of Man, George Allen and Unwin, London. 15. Thompson, Jr. , E. , (1926), Rabindranath Tagore: Poet and Dramatist, Read, p. 12, http://en. wikipedia. org. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 1. Dr. Amit Bhattacharya, Associate Professor ; Head, Dept. of English, University of Gour Banga, Malda, W. B. , India. 2. UGC (India) for MRP (No: F. PHW-131/09-10 (ERO) Date: Sept. 07, 2009) 3. The Essay was published in the International Journal of Innovative Research and Development (ISSN 2278-0211), Vol-1, Issue-6 September, 2012. www. ijird. com. How to cite A Midsummer Night’s Dream: an Ecological Interpretation, Essay examples

Esoteric and Exoteric Christianity free essay sample

Esoteric and Exoteric Christianity Recently, someone asked, â€Å"Did Judas leave the Last Supper early? † She was repeating a question that she heard from people who criticize Christianity. There are two major types knowledge that is used to evaluate Christianity. She had probably heard this question from someone who depended on exoteric knowledge. To bear fruit within the church, we need to know about exoteric knowledge and esoteric knowledge. Exoteric knowledge is knowledge that is publicly available. Esoteric knowledge is kept from everyone except the initiated. Among educated people, the word esoteric is widely known and used frequently. On the other hand, the word exoteric is known only to few people. Thus, the word exoteric is esoteric, and the word esoteric is exoteric. The word exoteric traces to Greek roots meaning outer. The cross is an outer or exoteric symbol. The dove is an exoteric symbol. The inner emotional meaning of these two symbols is esoteric knowledge. Some people look at a cross and see metal and perhaps history. Those are people who depend on exoteric knowledge. Other people see a cross and feel the presence of Christ even to the extent of having an ecstatic experience. For example, there are people in this room who speak in tongues. A person in this room has seen a vision of the Virgin Mary. There are people who publicly weep when they pray. Those are people with contemplative, mystical or meditative transpersonal perspectives who have told me this and have asked that I never reveal this side of them to anyone else, because people who depend on exoteric knowledge would publicly say mean and cruel and hurtful things to their faces and behind their backs. As an example, I base part of my faith experience on esoteric Christianity found through exoteric symbols found through Freemasonry. Last week, I heard a member of our church talking to someone, saying mean spirited, hateful things about my esoteric experiences with Freemasonry, and I was hurt deeply. Some esoteric knowledge can be impossible for other people to understand. A person who depends on exoteric knowledge may not even know that they have hurt someone who has esoteric knowledge because people who depend on exoteric knowledge may not recognize emotions, or understand that a person with esoteric knowledge is unable to explain esoteric knowledge to someone who uses exoteric knowledge. As a further example, in music, to some, Mozart’s The Magic Flute includes a simply describable study in coloratura aria that reaches high F6. To others, that section of The Magic Flute is an analogy to the zeitgeist of enlightened absolutism where the Queen of the Night represents the irrational-diabolic obscurantism, and that is an example of esotericism that I can not explain to someone who is not a student of esotericism. Discussions over whether Judas completed the Last Supper can be examples of these problems between exoteric and esoteric knowledge. For example, Father Roger J. Landry writes that: Through Moses, God gave the Jews in generations subsequent to the exodus a rite by which they could enter into the dramatic event of the Passover of their forefathers. The celebrated it each year with great attention to detail: what they were to wear, what they were to say, how they were to clean their houses, prepare and cook the food were all prescribed by God. It was within that rite of that old covenant that Jesus instituted the new. Scripture scholars, in looking at the Gospel narratives from the point of view of the Jewish seder, however, have noted with curiosity and a certain astonishment that Jesus did not finish the rite. There are supposed to be four cups of wine, consumed at different times. Jesus and his disciples only drank three before they went out toward the Garden of Gethsemane. The question is: What happened to the fourth cup? Most believe the fourth cup was the â€Å"cup of suffering† foretold by the prophets that Christ would drink on the Cross. That the fourth cup was consumed on the Cross seems likely, because of what Jesus himself did immediately before pronouncing that â€Å"it is finished. † Jesus first said, â€Å"I thirst. † St. John tells us what happened next: â€Å"A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When he had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished. ’† (Jn 19:28-30). Jesus had said during the Last Supper, â€Å"Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God† (Mk 14:25). If Jesus were drinking wine now, it must be that he was fully inaugurating that kingdom, which was the culmination of his work. It was his â€Å"it. † Looking at this passage by Father Landry requires recognizing the distinction between Esoteric and Exoteric is that of states of consciousness. An esoteric person might never consider Father Landry’s points, because that person might be weeping over Christ’s passion. And in the opposite is an Exoteric philosophy or religion as one which is based on the normal waking state of consciousness, or a modified state of consciousness which is still pretty close to the normal waking state. Any aspiration beyond the ordinary state of existence is discouraged. For example, according to the religious person, God created/loves you just as you are, so who are you to question what God has ordained for you by striving for some higher state of consciousness? While according to someone who depends on exoteric knowldge, there is no higher state beyond the rational mind anyway (all non-rational states of consciousness being delusionary). In contrast, all true Esotericism is based on Higher Knowledge, or Gnosis, to use the Greek term. Gnosis is a much superior way of understanding than Reason.

Youth and gang violence Essay Example

Youth and gang violence Essay Gang violence refers to all activities that result to psychological, emotional, physical and cultural harm to individuals, public or damage to property. Youth gangs refer to a group of at least two individuals between the age of 12 and 24 years who have a common character, use the same clothing, symbols, and even colors. They come from the same area, and form a very strong membership that performs various illegal activities together. Gang names and membership involve initiatory rituals that comprise of â€Å"beating in† or â€Å"sexing in†. Members endure the beating by all the gang members; girls are sexed in by having intercourse with all the members of the gang. The gang members have a sense of devotion to each other and have a new language they use to communicate. The devotion to the gang membership is revealed in some of their documents known as the constitution. Failure to follow their laws has serious consequences like death penalty (Spergel, 1995). Youth gang activities began the first decade of the twentieth century. The writers during that period observed gangs as mischievous and gentle although they carried out criminal activities. The gangs during that period were ethnic and not financially stable. Gang activities continued and developed throughout the twentieth century until today (Siegel Welsh, 2009). A rise in gang membership by the youth in the last few decades has called for attention from the government, social organizations and even the public. Gangs are involving themselves with illegal activities, including drug deals, sexual offenses, and even more serious crimes like murder; the more the gangs, the more the cases of crimes. They are endangering the security of the community and broadening the resources and skills of law enforcement workforce, social organizations and professionals in the court. One of the most key challenges has been the rise of crime activities by and among gang members (Spergel, 2007). We will write a custom essay sample on Youth and gang violence specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Youth and gang violence specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Youth and gang violence specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Schools are also factors in youth and gang violence, studies have revealed that 18.3% of students carried a weapon to school and 7.4% of students were injured in a period of one year. There are various factors that result to violence in school: crime rate, presence of gangs, availability of weapons, drug activity and hate crimes (Siegel Welsh, 2009). One of the major causes of gang violence is linked to drug trafficking. Youth gangs are influential in the drug sales and this involvement lead to youth violence. Today, many researchers agree that the youth involvement in drug trafficking is bounded by street-level distribution, involving gang members working on their own. It is observed that most drug operations are conducted by former youth gangs. Indirect connections between murder, drug activities and gang deals have been observed. Majority of gang-linked homicides might not have happened, if drug stores were not there to bring groups of opposing gangs into get in touch with each other. A connection between drug dealing and violence is common in prison gangs, and this relationship to the streets (Chaskin, 2010). The more serious a youth participates in illegal behaviors the higher the chances of his/her involvement in drugs. Adjustments in drug use have indicated changes in illegal activities, while changes in illegal activities have little effect on drug use. Illegal activities are higher for those who sell drugs compared to those who consume drugs (Howell, 2003). Drugs and weapons are also linked in a number of ways. The drug promotes criminal activities through modifications in cognitive function. The drug dealers have to use violence in order to source funding to finance drug use. Since drug activities are illegal, violence has to be used when transporting them to their destinations. Studies have revealed that youths that have taken drugs often get into fights; this is because of the impact of the alcohol and stimulants in the body. Parents who take alcohol and drugs may fail to give attention to their children and may involve themselves in violence. Youths who have grown in violent families have a likelihood of being violent in future and may use alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism (Howell, 2003). Gang involvement is not encouraged by the need to be involved in violence, but rather to be involved in a strong social group. They look forward to receiving things like friendship, security, loyalty and power. But, it is the reason that these social elements are sustained through violence that makes the gang a potentially damaging group. Because youth gangs are the centre of increasing violence, it is important to discuss the continuum of social, economic, political and organization challenges that led to the violence, and to outline why youth gangs have come up as the key reasons for this violence. One of the famous trials to uncover the cause of this violence is the ‘ecological model ‘based on Bronfenbrenner. He explains that no cause or level verify violence. This model illustrates violence at several levels within which they are conditions that causes it while others shape and perpetuate it (Siegel Welsh, 2009). Briceno-Leon for example outlines conditions that create violence, for instance social inequality and breakdown of family; those that encourage violence such as the structure for solving conflicts; and finally those that facilitate violence such as availability of weapons, drugs and alcohol and media impact. In particular, youth gangs flourish where it is believed that a number of conditions all serve to destroy the purpose of the family unit: unstable living standards, long working hours of parents, and the lack of basic needs .The short time that parents have to spend with their children, is viewed as the cause of gang involvement; the shortage of social resources in the family was found in the gang (Siegel Welsh, 2009). Researchers also found that family violence can result to gang membership. The youth may have the urge to join the gang so that they can feel great and overcome the experiences of violence in their homes. Therefore, it is right to say the family is no longer able to give the youth a meaningful social personality. If the youth does not get the support and love from their families, they tend to get it from other groups such as, youth gangs (Paglicci, Roberts Wodarski, 2002). Furthermore, lack of jobs, and low levels of education, imply that many youths experience economic elimination. Gangs become a substitute, because they are financially, socially sufficient.   Gangs give their members a sense of ownership, as well as chances for financial stability, gaining a feeling of power, approval and worth. The advancement in gang membership has taken place in cycles with various other trends. The presence of automobiles and their accessibility has promoted the mobility of gangs by permitting invasions to various communities. Easy access to weapons has changed streets into shootouts. Rise in accessing illegal drugs has motivated some gangs to become distribution centers. Migration and acculturation procedures have gone beyond the racial obstacles that were present. In some communities where financial stability was thought to protect youths from gang membership, parents and guardians now observe symbols and clothing that link their children to gang involvement (Spergel, 1995). The schools, families and communities function as protective measures for youths who might be involved in gang activities. They decrease the effect of risks accompanied in gang involvement. Protective aspects enhance optimistic behavior, health, welfare and individual achievement. Schools, families and peer groups form good relationships that enhance close bonds among the youth. Therefore the youth cannot think of joining gangs because they feel loved. Various strategies can be used to reduce violence in schools. Parents play a significant role with their involvement in the child’s school life. The parent should monitor their children to ensure that they don’t carry any weapons when going to schools. The students should also be open to their parents to share their experiences in school, for example when they are bullied or forced to enter into gangs. The school administration should be involved and coordinate with outside agencies including the police. This is important when violence in school have gone beyond the control of school administration, and so the need for outsiders. While at school, teachers play the role of a parent because they are very close to the students. Therefore, it is possible for teachers to prevent their students in joining gangs, they should closely monitor their students, and in case of disruptive students the teacher should invite the parents to school in order to discuss the students’ behavior and what can be done to help the student (Siegel Welsh, 2009). As gang involvement and violence continue to rise, the leaders are faced by a dilemma: Identify and tackle the problem, or assume the problem does not exist. Those who have identified the problem have tried preventing gang rise. Those who have assumed it does not exist have seen the gang crimes spread across the communities and have felt the effects (Howell, 2003). Another issue has dealt with the efficiency of law enforcement as opposed to social services reactions. Some people think that a tough reaction from police, prosecutors and the courts give the only valuable solution. Others have argued that gang issues are caused by individual and social conditions and therefore can be solved through intervention and treatment. Connected to this issue is the question of prosecutorial reaction. Some jurisdiction allows adult trial for any youth accused of a gang illegal activity. Others have incorporated new strategies like vertical trial; this is where a prosecutor is given particular members of a gang and follows them through each prosecution (Howell, 2003). Heated arguments have also risen concerning officials who try to control gang activities at the expense of individual rights. An example is school dress codes. The school authority has come up with rules that prohibit certain clothing that can symbolize any gang. By prohibiting gang members from wearing certain attire that identify them, officials hope that they can prevent gang crimes and activities. Civil democrats oppose that this policy violate the right of students to wear as they desire and should not be implemented school systems (Spergel, 1995). Several researchers have observed the danger, need, and preventive conditions linked particularly to gang involvement. They have argued that preventive and intervention activities should concentrate more on all youths rather than only those who are involved in the illegal activities. Effective prevention measures should tackle every social system, deal with every danger and protective measure, and should cover every level from the family system to the government (Spergel, 2007). Prevention can also be observed as a range that has various levels: primary, secondary and tertiary stages. Primary intervention involves dealing with actions taken to prevent the youths who are at risk of membership from joining the gang. Secondary prevention involves lessons that are targeted to the youth that have already joined the gang. Tertiary prevention is for those youth who are involved in illegal activities of the gang (Paglicci, Roberts Wodarski, 2002). Many programs have been formulated for primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. The Gang Resistance Education and Training Program (GREAT) is a good example of primary prevention. Students in school are given advice concerning the negative side of gang involvement, taught how to tackle conflicts and cultural sensitivity. These classes are taught by police officers, analysis have shown that there is a small increase of students’ capacity to oppose peer pressure and gang involvement (Howell, 2003). The Boys and Girls Clubs of America give gang prevention through targeted outreach. This prevention is secondary, it comprises of recreational, informative, and life motivation skills. Case managers are given specific youths, with relevant information on program involvement, school progress, legal system involvement, and other life aspects. This information helps case managers observe the youth’s performance and become aware of behaviors that link to gang involvement like failing grades. Tertiary prevention actions involve law enforcements that aim at containing gang activities. Many police officers have created gang units and formed policy strategies. This strategies arm the police and the public with information concerning gang activities, this has increased the presence of police officers in areas with gang problems. Solutions to helping youths abandon gang activities can handle both individual traits and several social factors. They may play a crucial role in advising other youths not to join gangs. Many youth do not know what they are involving themselves with when they join gangs, therefore a youth who has joined a gang before can give advice on the implications involved with it. Peer advice is also crucial in instructing youths to abandon gangs. Such plans form part of a way of breaking the conception that gang membership is a right of passage. Outreach plans of local youth organizations are viewed as the major system for forming the counseling networks (Paglicci, Roberts Wodarski, 2002). It is important to give young people the resources and support they require, instead of modifying the managerial capital of gangs in more positive directions. This has significant effects in terms of policy, because it focuses on the purpose of youth in the attainment of community goals. The role of youth organizations gives both instructions and gives alternative social groups. Such groups give the advantages of joining a gang where in this case, there are no crimes or dangers associated with it. Organizations are therefore seen as the proper place for emotional and mental motivation. Furthermore, organizations can give advice to parents so that they can know what promotes gang membership, and thus are in a better position to help their children not join the gang. Organizations can therefore sustain the youth indirectly by increasing the supportive ability of the family (Howell, 2003). The church also plays a significant role by rehabilitating gang members; therefore it has contributed to reduction in gang membership. This is true for two major reasons. First, gangs agree to go to church as a sign of moving out of the gang. Secondly, the church gives a social system that is similar to a gang in several ways. Just as gangs have strong social bonds among their followers and follow certain conducts of behavior, the church also offers such a supportive system and functions according to its own social aspects (Paglicci, Roberts Wodarski, 2002). Gang membership can also be reduced by advancing the wellbeing of the youth by introducing youth projects. The purpose of the project is to produce source of information that improves the quality of life of the youth, both socially and financially and strengthens family, community and cultural bonds. This project is based on teamwork, participation, and ownership. The youth centers give the youth a secure, optimistic and relaxed environment (Spergel, 2007). The youths are trained to be voluntary teachers, and other several technical trainings programs. A major element of the programs is the direct employment of the youths that complete the training. Also, the sense of belonging brought crucial emotional advantages; youths feel they are in a place where they are trusted and honored and they could share their opinions freely with others. The group enhances the ability of young people to be a means of change, and motivate them to know their function in the community. The instruction they get, increase their ability to guide and help others (Chaskin, 2010).

Macbeth Charachter Essay Essay Example

Macbeth Charachter Essay Essay Example Macbeth Charachter Essay Essay Macbeth Charachter Essay Essay Macbeth Character Essay In Act 1, Macbeth is described by Duncan as â€Å"O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman! † By the end of the play, Malcolm calls him a â€Å"dead butcher†. Trace the changes in Macbeths’ character, analysing the reasons behind them. Macbeth’s ruthless seeking journey for power, urged on by his wife, becomes his tragic flaw which leads to his downfall in all ways. The tragic hero is used by Shakespeare to show how the tragedy lies in the greatness that could so easily have been Macbeth’s. Inevitably, his conversion in character all results in his ambition which causes him to act in such brutal ways. We note how an idealised individual such as Macbeth’s changes into a despised one. We observe Macbeth’s greatness and bravery in combat through the Captain’s account of the battle. Macbeth is described as â€Å"Valour’s minion† who â€Å"carved out his passage till he faced the slave†. One examines the respect enclosed in his companion soldiers who give him the name â€Å"brave Macbeth†. This is followed by a line of reassurance which is â€Å"well he deserves that name†. Macbeth’s honour and excellence in battle is demonstrated in Duncan’s words â€Å"O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman! †. His lack of fear displays his courage and heroism presented in the line â€Å"As cannons over-charged with double-cracks†. Shakespeare uses this to highlight the greatness he once had. We immediately suspect the thought of Duncan’s murder in Macbeth’s mind through the line â€Å"Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear things that sound so fair? . Macbeth’s ambition seems to take control of him as he continuously orders the witches to inform him of the prophecies in the lines â€Å"Stay, you imperfect speakers! Tell me more† and â€Å"Speak, I charge you! †. One can imagine Macbeth’s subsequent actions in the line â€Å"nothing is but what is not† as through it we realise that the only values t hat exists for Macbeth are those which he does not yet have, the Kingship. This continues to demonstrate how his ambition takes full control over him. Macbeth realises that he must act quickly as â€Å"The Prince of Cumberland† is â€Å"a step on which he must fall down, or else o’erleap†, which continues to indicate how his ambition is taking over him and triggers his thought of Duncan’s murder which will soon become a reality. Macbeth recognizes the various reasons of why he should not kill Duncan and is tormented about these doubts, however he resolves to his â€Å"Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other†. However the loyalty shown to King Duncan in previous scenes is forgotten completely and his true colours are really being shown. We can see how Macbeth deceives Banquo by replying: â€Å"i think not of them† when Banquo says he dreamt of the witches. This is linked to the theme of â€Å"appearance vs. reality† as we see the â€Å"false face† Macbeth has put on. Macbeth’s guilty, overwrought brain induces him to see visions before he does the murder. His guilt becomes outwardly visible to his own eyes, which he calls â€Å"a dagger of the mind†. This is a sign of the great turmoil in his mind where this fearless soldier is now tormented by images of blood and fear of the unknown. After Duncan’s murder Macbeth realizes that because of the deed he has just committed he has lost the possibility of ever receiving blessing. He appears to be conscience stricken as he struggles to say â€Å"Amen†. He realises perfectly well the extent of his guilt as we see in the lines â€Å"Will all great Neptune’s Ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No† and â€Å"The pluck out mine eyes†. Macbeth’s guilt induces loss of sleep and, since he has lost his peace of mind, his innocence and guilt will torture him. His guilt becomes clearly evident in the line â€Å"Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst† and this shows how he will be scarred and damned for eternity. Macbeth’s mind is tormented by the witches’ prophecy that Banquo’s descendants will be kings of Scotland and convinces murderers that Banquo has always been their enemy while forcing them to kill him. This imposes the reprehensive position with which he has become, even worse than the murderers. Macbeth’s guilt and wickedness is also embodied in the ghost of Banquo which appears to torture Macbeth at the banquet he has organised for the succession of the throne. As soon as Macbeth hypocritically mentions Banquo, he sees his ghost however Macbeth attributes his hallucination of the ghost to being a result of him being a beginner in murder. In later murders Macbeth appears to be quite hardened to the horrors of murder. He does feel guilt but this is not enough to keep him from committing further murders as he says that he is â€Å"in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more returning were as tedious as going o’er†. Macbeth derives security from the witches as he typically interprets the apparitions in his favour, rejecting what is unfavourable to him. We remember Hecate’s words: â€Å"security is mortals’ chiefest enemy†. By the end of the play Macbeth becomes completely ruthless and irrational and decides that â€Å"The very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand†. He therefore resolves to attack Macduff’s castle and kill his family. This accentuates Macbeth’s evil even more while showing the degeneration in his character as he murders a defenceless woman and her children. Macbeth no longer has any soul searching as he does not justify himself anymore with soliloquies before doing his deeds. This causes him to become completely ruthless and unscrupulous, making him an outright villain. Although throughout the book Macbeth seems to be influenced by his wife and the witches, it is Macbeth and his will to become king that performs each and every deed. Macbeth could so easily have been a righteous and respectable person however it is his ambition and will that induces him to become a â€Å"hell hound† and a â€Å"dead butcher†. Although Macbeth has become a changed man his only kingly characteristic was his courage to fight until he, the lonely saddened yet ruthless character, died in battle.