Amy Winehouse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Amy Winehouse - Essay Example She was later expelled for piercing her nose and not applying herself. She ventured into the music career at the age of sixteen after her classmate, Tyler James a pop singer, passed her demo tape to A&R recording label. After signing her first recording deal as a jazz vocalist; her music developed into an eclectic mixture of pop, jazz, R&B and soul. After her 2003 album, Frank, hit double platinum status Amy Winehouse began showing up to club and TV performances while too drunk to perform for the whole set and ruined her reputation. She also got into on and off relationship with Blake Fielder, Music video assistant, who introduced her to hard drugs. The couple often fought in public, and their private life involved doing drugs, alcohol and causing self-harm. Her 2006 album Back to Black won her five Grammy awards and earned commendation for her songs including Rehab, Back to Black and Valerie. She passed away at the age of twenty-seven after an accidental poisoning from alcohol. In 2006, she dumped her management company, after the company suggested that she should enter rehab for alcohol abuse. She turned the experience into the song Rehab in her second album, Back to Black. She expressed her refusal to accept treatment for substance abuse. The song remained in top ten list in United Kingdom for some time and earned her an Ivor Novello award for the best contemporary song. The album also won her two BRIT awards for the best female solo artist and the best British album in 2007. The album also hit platinum levels in America in less than a month after winning the BRIT award. In April 2007, she got engaged to Blake Fielder and married in May 2007. She returned to her old habits of substance abuse and on Agust8, 2007 she went into a coma after an overdose of several drugs. Her health began to deteriorate despite her success in music and at a concert in London in June 2008, she punched

Crime Rates Essay Example for Free

Crime Rates Essay What we usually have in mind when we talk about the crime rates is a well known fact that crime rates are increasing. So,people who are related to this issue should try to find a solution so as to solve the problem .Up to now many countries have tried to decrease crime rates. However,many of them have failed .Everybody has a significant roles so as to decrease the crime rates such as parents and governments. First of all, it is worth bearing in mind that parents should train their children so children will not change the crime rates . Thus,crime rates will not increase . Parents should raise awareness their children because according to research conducted children who are conscious about crime do not commit a crime besides parents should not leave unattended their children because generally rambling children have amount of influence on the crime rates.Also parents should be interested in their children .Experts said that slummy person involve in a crime easily .Therefore parents take care of their children. Read more:Â  Increasing Crime Rate in Todays Society in India It is last but not least governments should make provision as fight with crimes because researchers believe that only if governments attach importance to crime rates , can they decrease the crime rates .Governments should provide equipments so as to overcome to crimes.Thanks to more equipments , governments can reduce the crime rates .Governments should be in contact with other governments because increasing of the crime rates are not seem just one government.So, they can help each other about this situation. To sum up Ä ±t should be noted that parents have a considerable amount of effect as decrease the crime rates .Nowadays every segment of society is looking for a way to solve as decrease the crime rates.

Thinking Outside the Box Essay -- Biography, Albert Einstein

Thinking Outside the Box Imagine all the things one encounters during everyday life. Try to also imagine being a person who cannot stand not knowing how those things work. This was the kind of unique person that Albert Einstein was. His obsession with how things worked began when his father, Hermann Einstein, gave him a compass. The fact that the magnetic needle behaved as if influenced by some hidden force field, rather than through the more familiar mechanical method involving touch or contact, produced a sense of wonder that motivated him throughout his life (Isaacson 13). Einstein’s different way of thinking is one explanation for his vast knowledge. Albert Einstein’s accomplishments during his lifetime have greatly influenced today’s science world. Albert Einstein had a considerably normal childhood. He was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, Germany. He had a younger sister named Maria but the family called her Maja. She was born in November 1881. When Einstein met his baby sister for the first time he had mistaken her as his new toy. His response was to look at her and exclaim, â€Å"Yes but where are the wheels?† (Isaacson 11). His father, Hermann Einstein, was a Jewish businessman who had a knack for math and whose job required him and his family to move frequently. Since Hermann was a businessman, Albert’s parents were considered middle-class Jews (Brita. Einstein’s mother, Pauline, was a homemaker and an accomplished pianist. Since Pauline had a love for music, naturally she wanted her son to have one as well. She arranged for Albert to take violin lessons. He was hesitant at first, but that quickly changed when he first heard Mozart’s sonatas. Music became both magical and emotional to him (Is aacson 14). When Einstei... .... He continued to exam the brain and came to the conclusion that Einstein had more brain cells than the considered normal amount (Bragg 156). It is still not definite if that is the cause for Einstein’s excessive knowledge. Albert Einstein was a man of many traits. He was wacky, eccentric, and sometimes a loner. He felt no desire to dress the part of a scientific genius. Sweatpants and a hooded jacket always sufficed. His accomplishments and achievements inspired many scientists to venture off into the unknown with hope of finding new information. Although some considered his nontraditional lifestyle a hindrance, he pushed through the inevitable and continued on with his life. There is no question that Albert Einstein is still the most influential scientist of the twentieth century or that his accomplishments have greatly influenced today’s science world.

A learning Machine

It is quite difficult to see the author’s main point in the sense that he simply discussed the findings of the five psychological scientists regarding their research on the neural plasticity of the brain. It appears that the author adapted the findings of the scientists which have served as the main point of the article.That is, based on the scientists’ findings the author depicted that the brain is â€Å"a learning machine† that it is capable to bend, stretched, expand, and specialize it self in order to respond to challenges. The author apparently believed that the topic was a breakthrough in scientific research regarding the human brain.The author made this clear citing the remark of one of the presenter; Nelson states, â€Å"Psychological sciences are on the point that it should become a big science. We should think about the way that chemistry became great sciences.The time of each person in his own lab may be over.†[1] As stated earlier, the authorâ €™s main point is to show that the human brain is capable of adjusting to the current challenges. The brain can be trained in order to become capable to cope up with the present challenges. It is true that the author described other people’s argument and he does have his own opinion. He simply cited the opinions of the five presenters and supports his main point by citing the remarks of the presenters regarding the topic.The information presented by the author is that the neural plasticity in able the brain to adapt to sort and interpret a huge variety of incoming data from the world. This finding was derived from an experiment on the adult monkey’s brain which concludes that human brain can be train to adapt new skills. The author says it is a breakthrough in scientific research of the human brain.What are the strong features of the author’s argument?Indeed, the author does not have his own argument, but the strong feature of the article is that it tells th e reader of what more the human brain is capable of.On the part of the writer, he simply presented the findings of the five scientists. However, the argument is definitely supported by solid data because they are based on actual experiment. Yes, the research appears to have been conducted properly because obviously, the writer validated all his information through the statement of the scientists which conducted the actual experiments regarding the topic. Regarding information, I do not think the author provided more than one side of the issue.The author simply presented what is necessary to give fair information. In my opinion, the weak feature of the article is its humanist notion. The article is not based on anecdote nor does it rely on isolated case study but on evolutionary principle. But generally, the author research is adequate as it is informative. The data presented was not misinterpreted nor the author tried to infer a causal connection from co-relational data.Comparison w as not possible rather the author corroborated the findings the scientists. Regarding other possible interpretations, this seems not possible as even the writer simply presented the opinion of the presenters. Nelson was careful not to make any unsubstantiated claims or has ignored other explanations as there was not such thing in the article.What have you learned in the course that supports arguments made by the author?I have learned from the course that the brain carries various cognitive activities and that it is a very complex information processor which process input information in many different levels of consciousness and unconsciousness. While this is a common knowledge, it clearly connects to the author’s argument that the brain is a learning machine.That is the brain is capable of adjusting, bending and acquiring skills. This argument is specifically noted by the author citing Michael Rutter of King’s college observation of the cognitive capability of Roman ch ildren form an adopted by UK families from an orphanage. Rutter noted the progress of the children who were all tested as mentally retarded upon their arrival, but after some years of living in above average environment, â€Å"they were nearly normal†[2].The thing that I have learned from the course that goes against the author’s argument is that the human brain distinctly set apart human’s from animals because of its capacity to adopt, to develop new skills, and bend stretched in order to respond to challenges. This kind of capability is so distinct from that of animals which attest that human beings are a special creation and not a product of evolution.This runs counter to the author’s argument which clearly adheres on the theory of evolution. Citing Gopnic, the author stated, â€Å"evolution requires that we discover new things about the works and use this knowledge to imagine new things, to change the world based on imaginings†[3] I could apply what I have leaned from this events first, locally by telling people who are struggling to cope with new challenge that they are capable of imagining a better situation and of turning it to reality.Second, nationally, I can write article which discussed on the capacity of human brain to cope and to adjust with new challenges which I will seek to publish on a national level. I understand that this is easier said than done but if this will help people to overcome their current difficult situation, then I will be willing to pursue it. Globally, this may sound impossible, but publishing an article of international circulation may be possibleSelect a concept from the article and connect it to or relate it to events happening in the world today.The concept I selected from the article is the concept that brain can be trained. The human brain can be trained to be skilled, can be trained to become sensitive and can be trained to adjust or stretched.   Today, the world is witnessing the ri se of new technology and the world is fast becoming technology drive.The need of new skills, new knowledge, and visions requires human being to respond by adapting to the new situation. In this new development, the ability of the brain to acquire new skills, to adapt to new situation, to cope with challenges, and the capability of the mind to be trained relates highly because the new knowledge demands new skills. In other words, training people for this type of knowledge is possible because of brains capability to adjust and to adopt.

Irony In The Story “The Eighty-Yard Run” Essay

Mr. Christian Darling, a well-respected high school athlete and handsome man, had an interesting – rather ironic – change in his life from the beginning of the story to the end. In The Eighty-Yard Run, a story by Irwin Shaw, the focus is on Mr. Christian Darling and his high school sweetheart, Louise. In high school, they were always together, and Louise always bought Christian Darling many nice gifts. As time passed and high school ended, Christian and Louise got married and moved to New York City. In New York City, both of them worked for Louise’s dad as managers of a New York office. They were very wealthy and happy. However, this did not last very long, with Louise’s father killing himself when the profits turned into debts. After this, Christian started doing nothing, sitting at home day after day drinking himself to death, complaining about how horrible life was. On the other hand, Louise got a job with a woman’s fashion magazine where she quickly rose through the ranks. She became very sophisticated, and she and her husband quickly became two very different people. Christian started being the one always trying to please Louise – as opposed to before where she tried to please him – and eventually gave up. As fate would have it, Christian Darling ended up working for. Rosenberg. This is ironic because Mr. Rosenberg wants Christian to tour colleges as a tour representative because of his â€Å"broad shoulders and well-kept waist †¦his carefully brushed hair and his honest, wrinkleless face.† as well as the fact that he was favorably known. This is ironic because his life was nothing like his appearance. He wasn’t a loyal boyfriend, and ended up becoming a boozed-out loser. Not the type of person a company wants to portray as the ideal college student. This is ironic because although his outer appearance is nice, his actual life has not been that way at all. From him not being loyal to his wife to his wife being bored with him and ignoring him, he has not had an ideal life. The last ironic bit here is that the football player who he envied so much got his neck broken playing professional football.

A Dolls House Essays - Films, British Films, A Dolls House

A Doll's House Essays - Films, British Films, A Dolls House A Doll's House Becoming Independent Throughout A Dolls House, Henrik Ibsen illustrates through an intriguing story how a once infantile-like woman gains independence and a life of her own. Ibsen creates a naturalistic drama that demonstrates how on the outside Nora and Torvald seam to have it all, but in reality their life together is empty. Instead of meaningful discussions, Torvald uses degrading pet names and meaningless talk to relate to Nora. Continuing to treat Nora like a pampered yet unimportant pet, Torvald thoroughly demonstrates how men of his era treat women as insignificant items to be possessed and shown off. While the Helmer household may have the appearance of being sociably acceptable, the marriage of Torvald and Nora was falling apart because of the lack of identity, love, and communication. Nora Helmer was a delicate character and she relied on Torvald for her identity. This dependence that she had kept her from having her own personality. Yet when it is discovered that Nora only plays the part of the good typical housewife who stays at home to please her husband, it is then understandable that she is living not for herself but to please others. From early childhood Nora has always held the opinions of either her father or Torvald, hoping to please them. This mentality makes her act infantile, showing that she has no ambitions of her own. Because she had been pampered all of her life, first by her father and now by Torvald, Nora would only have to make a cute animal sound to get what she wanted from Torvald, If your little squirrel were to ask you for something very, very, prettily (Ibsen 34) she said. Through their everyday conversation, Nora and Torvald reveal that they have a relationship full of meaningless talk and games. Is that my little squirrel bustling about? (2), Torvald questions Nora. Yes! (2) She answers, running up to Torvald like a puppy. Because of her whimsical attitude, Torvald had assumed that Nora was always happy and carefree, so what reason would there be for meaningful conversation? Their relationship consisted of nothing truly real. Everything was fun and games and for show. Torvald scolded Nora like he would a child, Hasnt Mrs. Sweet Tooth been breaking rules today in town (4). Then, Nora would respond as a young child would facing punishment, I should not think of going against your wishes (4). This type of communications cannot be healthy in any relationship, and greatly hindered the relationship between the two. Finally, when Nora realized that they needed to seriously converse the timing was too late, We have been married eight years now. Does this not occur to you that this is the first time that we two, you and I, husband and wife, have had a serious conversation? (66) The Helmers didnt communicate feeling through their relationship nor did they communicate love. Torvald did give Nora gifts of money but he did not give her the respect and devotion she, as well as any wife, needs. Torvald did love the idea of having a wife, but he did not sincerely love Nora. Yet Nora did believe that he loved her, and showed through her feelings of expectance of Torvald to sacrifice himself, when she would be accused of her crime. Yet, when she discovered that Torvald really didnt love her she stated, You have never love me. You have only thought it to be pleasant to be in love with me (66). She then knew that he only viewed her as a problem, and that her marriage was meaningless. You have destroyed all of my happiness. You have ruined all my future. It is horribleI must sink to such miserable depths because of a thoughtless woman! (62). The ending of Nora and Torvalds marriage was inevitable. A true couple cannot connect when love and communication are absent, and without these vital necessities a marriage is empty. Nora and Torvald had to learn this before they could commit themselves to any human being. Nora had to understand that she could not rely on Torvald for her identity the rest of her life, and Torvald too had to understand that Nora was a person and he had

Free Essays on Stress

Stress Stress is the combination of psychological, physiological, and behavioral reactions that people have in response to events that threaten or challenge themselves. It is an invisible enemy that can overtake a life. This topic is important because it affects lives of many college students and can happen to anyone, even a pet. When treated in the correct way stress can be eliminated and overcome. Stress is often not helpful and can even be harmful when not managed effectively. Moreover, stress can increase the risk of developing health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and anxiety disorders. Stress responses are psychological, physiological, and behavioral reactions to stressors. Anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and muscle tension are all examples of stress responses. Stress includes many types of stressors, referred to as emotional, family, and psychological. Stressors are events that threaten or challenge people. Specific types of stressors occur within certain situations in life, such as family, work, and school. Specific types of stressors that family members are exposed to through their family include a lack of parent-child emotional bonding, misbehavior of children, teenage pregnancy, divorce, and remarriage. Marital conflict is a good example of a daily hassle that is specifically related to the family. Marital conflict tends to occur when spouses come from different social and economic backgrounds, and the spouse of higher status emphasizes his or her superiority (Charlesworth, 20-21). Students in college often feel overwhelmed from having too many assignments or assignments that are too difficult. They sometimes experience role ambiguity in poorly designed courses or from poor instructors, and sometimes experience role conflict from instructors who seem to believe that the students in their classes are not taking any other classes. The following stressors are particularly relevant for college stu... Free Essays on Stress Free Essays on Stress Stress Stress is the combination of psychological, physiological, and behavioral reactions that people have in response to events that threaten or challenge themselves. It is an invisible enemy that can overtake a life. This topic is important because it affects lives of many college students and can happen to anyone, even a pet. When treated in the correct way stress can be eliminated and overcome. Stress is often not helpful and can even be harmful when not managed effectively. Moreover, stress can increase the risk of developing health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and anxiety disorders. Stress responses are psychological, physiological, and behavioral reactions to stressors. Anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and muscle tension are all examples of stress responses. Stress includes many types of stressors, referred to as emotional, family, and psychological. Stressors are events that threaten or challenge people. Specific types of stressors occur within certain situations in life, such as family, work, and school. Specific types of stressors that family members are exposed to through their family include a lack of parent-child emotional bonding, misbehavior of children, teenage pregnancy, divorce, and remarriage. Marital conflict is a good example of a daily hassle that is specifically related to the family. Marital conflict tends to occur when spouses come from different social and economic backgrounds, and the spouse of higher status emphasizes his or her superiority (Charlesworth, 20-21). Students in college often feel overwhelmed from having too many assignments or assignments that are too difficult. They sometimes experience role ambiguity in poorly designed courses or from poor instructors, and sometimes experience role conflict from instructors who seem to believe that the students in their classes are not taking any other classes. The following stressors are particularly relevant for college stu... Free Essays on Stress By: ryan Stress in the Work Place. How to Create a Productive and Healthy Work Environment. Under the author’s perspective, the justification of studying stress in organizations is due to its effect, positive or negative, on the efficiency and vitality of employees and organizations as a whole. Stress is a common denominator in organizations all over the world. Furthermore, some developed countries have indeed increased its levels of stress among employees in alarming rates. Under this perspective, the author seeks to find the elements needed to reduce stress in the organization, and also to maintain the health and vitality of workers in the organization. To answer these, the following five suggestions are introduced: a) If in a leadership position, carefully determine whether organization restructuring is in the best interests of your company – and the employees. To explain this point, the author claims that most of corporate America’s restructuring in the way of layoffs , brings poor productivity results and in most cases low impact on earnings or stock performance. On the other hand, layoffs produce serious moral problems caused by restructuring. The first to be directly affected are obviously the employees who are laid off. For these people, the author suggests close contact with the dismissed employees in the form of counseling and instruments focused at helping them to obtain new positions at other organization. The author continues by commenting that not only the employees that are leaving are the ones affected but also the ones that stay. The reason for this is the degree of uncertainty that lay offs produce on the employees and management that stay in the organization. To upset this problem, the author suggests a thorough explanation of the financial and operational reason for â€Å"right-sizing† the organization.... Free Essays on Stress Introduction Throughout the eighties and into the nineties, work stress have continued to rise dramatically in organisations across North America. The eighties saw employees stressing out from working in a rapidly growing economy. During the nineties, beginning from the recession of 1992 till present day, employees are stressed by their own job insecurities in the face of massive downsizing and restructuring of organisations in order to be competitive on the global stage. Work stress is a very extensive topic ranging from research on the sources of stress, the effects of stress, to ways on managing and reducing stress. This report will focus first on the evidence for the harmful effects of stress at work, both mentally and physically. The last section will briefly explain why management should be concerned with rising employee stress and will describe some actions management can take to alleviate work stress. 2.0 Harmful Effects of Stress Most research studies indicate a high correla tion between stress and illness. According to authorities in the United States and Great Britain, as much as 70% of patients that are treated by general practitioners are suffering from symptoms originating from stress . Everyone experiences stress, however, each person responds to stress very differently. Their response is dependent on how each person reacts to stress emotionally, mentally, and physically. There are, however, common effects of stress for most people on the physical and mental body. 2.1 Physical Effects The researcher Blyth in 1973 identified a list of diseases which have a fairly high causal relationships with stress. The World Health Organisation and consultations with the J.R. Geigy Pharmaceutical Company obtained his evidence through interviews with medical experts, review of reports. The following is a list of some of the illnesses Blyth had identified : 1. Hypertension2. Coronary thrombosis3. Hay fever and other allergies4. Migraine he...

Complete Guide Writing a Strong Letter of Recommendation

Complete Guide Writing a Strong Letter of Recommendation SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips As an English teacher and college counselor working with high school students, I've had the privilege and responsibility of writing letters of recommendation. Starting out, I had a strong urge to help, but no clear sense of what exactly should go into a reference letter. If they all speak to students' impressive qualities and accomplishments, what makes some letters stand out among the rest? To answer this question, I researched recommendation letters from both sides of the college process, drawing on the advice of high school counselors and teachers and the perspective of college admissions officers. I also read dozens of recommendation letters, from the ones that admissions committees loved to the ones that were cast aside as mediocre, useless, or straight up negative about a student. This article compiles the most important lessons I learned through this research and my own work supporting students through the college process. Read on for a discussion ofwhat exactly needs to go into the kind of rec letter that effectively advocates for a student and boosts her admissions chances. First, let's take a deeper look at what purpose recommendation letters serve when they arrive before an admissions committee. The Goal: What's the Purpose of Letters of Recommendation? Admissions officers put a lot of weight on recommendation letters. Especially in selective admissions, when thousands of qualified students are competing for a limited number of spots, reference letters can go a long way toward differentiating one student from another. According to Harvard dean of admissions William Fitzsimmons, recommendation letters are "extremely important" and are read "with great care" (often projected onto large screens in front of the whole committee!). So what are all these carefully reading admissions officers looking for? Two main features. The first is an insightful, in-depth story of the student that reveals both her academic skills and personal qualities. As a teacher, you're in a great position to comment on a student's intellectual curiosity, creativity, and attitude towards learning. Additionally, you can speak to a student's admirable personal qualities, like her sense of integrity, compassion, and leadership skills, to name a few. This in-depth look gives an admissions committee a holistic view of your student beyond the grades and clubs listed on their application. It helps the student come to life. The second main feature that admissions committees typically look for is a student's potential to contribute positively to the college community, as well as to succeed after graduation. In your recommendation, you can state your confidence about a student's success on campus and future achievement. Certain qualities are especially impressive to admissions officers and hint at success in college, though this might vary somewhat by individual. Some of these qualities include love of learning, academic commitment, communication skills, commitment to mastery of a specific skill or area, and leadership capacity. Since these personal qualities may not be apparent on the rest of the application (apart from the student's own personal essay), the letters of recommendation can go a long way toward describing a student's best traits. Plus, they show that a student has teachers who are motivated to advocate for her. Of course, hopefully no one would agree to recommend a student and then write bad, sabotaging things in the recommendation letter. It's generally safe to assume that all recommenders want to support students in continuing their education. But mediocre letters can often be just as bad as ones that are outright critical, and merely "good letters" pale in comparison to excellent ones. So what must go into a letter of recommendation to make it particularly strong and effective? How to Write a Strong Letter of Recommendation The strongest letters of recommendation take time and thought to craft. They're individualized to each student and are thoughtfully revised for word choice and flow of ideas. First and foremost, what content is essential for a strong letter of recommendation? Include Key Content Perhaps the best way to describe what a letter of rec should include is to start out by describing what it shouldn't include. A rec letter should not simply be a restatement of a student's grades, clubs, and awards. All of these facts and figures should already be stated on the student's application. The most ineffective rec letters just repeat a student's resume. Admissions officers are hoping for deep insights into a student's character, rather than a list of data points that could apply to any number of students. This is not to say that recommenders shouldn't mention what a student has achieved or been involved in, but they shouldn't feel compelled to list every single accomplishment. Instead, writers can point to a specific involvement or story that demonstrates something meaningful about the student. For instance, you might be writing about Michael, whose powerful commitment to equality and education led him to establish a Gay-Straight Alliance at the school. In this way, you're discussing something a student has done to illuminate something significant and admirable about his character and motivations. Speaking about his establishment of the GSA is more illustrative than simply stating that he's committed to equality and social justice. So if reiterating the student's grades and activities (ie, resume points) shouldn't go into the rec letter, what should? MIT offers an insightful breakdown of the questions its admissions officers would like answers to in a letter. These questions are a useful guide for recommenders writing to any college. What is the context of your relationship with the applicant? Has the student demonstrated a willingness to take intellectual risks and go beyond the normal classroom experience? Does the applicant have any unusual competence, talent, or leadership abilities? What motivates this person? What excites him/her? How does the applicant interact with teachers? With peers? Describe his/her personality and social skills. What will you remember most about this person? Has the applicant ever experienced disappointment or failure? If so, how did he/she react? Are there any unusual family or community circumstances of which we should be aware? Source: MIT Admissions A recommender doesn't necessarily have to answer all of these questions, but they're great starting points for brainstorming. They shift the focus from what a student does to what a student is like, in terms of her intellectual curiosity, specific skills or talents, passions, and personality. Some other impressive qualities include communication skills, resourcefulness, and innovative problem-solving. Admissions committees often also look for demonstrated leadership and the ability to collaborate with others in an interactive and diverse environment. Beyond these personal qualities, letter writers might speak to unusual circumstances or challenges that the student has faced or survived. These can be especially meaningful to explain a dip in academic performance or to show how a student has overcome hardship. I would advise getting the student's permission before including personal family information, just to make sure she's comfortable with you sharing it. Finally, a recommender may want to demonstrate her own familiarity with the school to which the student is applying. If the school is particularly competitive, then you might express your confidence in the student's ability to thrive in an academically rigorous environment. If you're an alum of the school, then you can believably assert your confidence that the student would be a strong cultural fit. The strongest recommendation letters give insight into a student's intellectual orientation, motivations, and personal qualities. As a writer, how can you rave about your student in a sincere, genuine, and convincing way? One of the best ways to accomplish this is to focus your recommendation on the student's best assets. Highlight your student's most important strengths. Highlight the Most Important Themes Just as you don't have to feel compelled to repeat every grade, club, and award on the student's resume, you also don't have to speak about every quality that makes the student great. In fact, well-rounded students aren't necessarily what the most competitive schools are looking for. While selective schools look for academic excellence in most subjects, what they really appreciate is a student's singular commitment to a specific and distinct area. Developing a "big spike" in a certain area shows passion, dedication, and the ability to sustain long-term focus. As PrepScholar co-founder and Harvard alum Allen Cheng writes, top colleges are looking for students who are going to change the world. They're expecting deep achievement, and the best predictor of that is deep achievement in high school. Therefore admissions committees are especially impressed by a "huge spike" in science, writing, athletics, or whatever your commitment might be. Of course, not all or even the majority of students are applying to Ivy League schools, but the takeaway message still applies. Recommendation letters don't have to present the student as well-rounded and good at everything they do. Instead, they can paint a specific picture and highlight the qualities that are most important to understanding who the student is and what drives her actions. Some letters may highlight that a student is a top scholar, while others may speak to a student's leadership skills. Some may focus in on the student's passion for volunteer work, or her talent in acting, art, music, or athletics. For students with extensive international experience, recommenders may rave about their multicultural, global perspective or unusual maturity and sophistication. Other students may have had to overcome hardships in their life, and the recommender could speak to their resilience and strength as a survivor. As mentioned above, I would suggest discussing this kind of content with the student to make sure she's comfortable sharing it with admissions commitees.All in all, a recommender can brainstorm a list of the student's best assets (with the aid of the student's resume and "brag sheet"), and zero in on the most important themes. What if the student hasn't demonstrated interest in a particular area, but you're excited to see her further explore her interests in college? In this case, you could write earnestly about the student's room to grow and the potential you see in her. At the same time, be careful with this kind of wording, as it may suggest different things to different admissions officers. If you really feel not able or qualified to provide the student with a recommendation that will help her admission chances, then you shouldrespectfully decline or suggest someone else better able to write her letter. Once you've chosen the most important themes to highlight about a student, you can think about specific stories, experiences, or observations that demonstrate those strengths. The best recommendation letters "show," rather than just "tell." Bring your letter to life with meaningful stories and examples. Give Specific Examples Which sentence paints a better picture in the mind of the reader? a) Kate is a strong writer. b) Due to Kate's superlative writing and analytical skills, I'll be using her year-long thesis on representations of gender inJane Eyre as an example of the highest quality work to students in my future AP English classes. The second uses more powerful words, but more importantly it gives a specific example, thereby proving that Kate has strong writing skills. It explains the grounds on which the teacher draws her conclusion that Kate is a good writer. It additionally suggests that Kate can sustain focus in a long-term project and impressed the teacher so much that her thesis became a model for future students. The best recommendation letters support their praise of a student with specific anecdotes and observations. These stories accomplish a few things. One, they support the writer's claims. Rather than just listing adjectives, the writer backs up her description with examples. Secondly, they make the letter more interesting and help the student come to life in the eyes of admissions officers. Officers may be up all night reading through applications. The last thing they want is a generic, boring recommendation letter that blends into all the others. Interesting stories make both the letter and the student pop. Finally, the use of specific stories proves that the recommender is, in fact, qualified to assess the student. The best letters come from teachers who know a student well. Sharing anecdotes and observations prove that you've gotten to know the student thoroughly and your evaluation of her is trustworthy and reliable. In addition to sharing examples, you should take the time to be intentional with your word choice. Consider which phrases and adjectives will present the clearest and strongest endorsement of the student. Dance, words, dance! Use Powerful Words As with any piece of writing, the best recommendation letters are eloquent, clear, and don't fall into the trap of cliches. Calling someone a go-getter with a heart of gold who leaves no stone unturned and is a friend to all may elicit a yawn or eye roll from the admissions officer. Often finding just the right word happens in the revision stage. Check if you wrote interesting when creative or innovative would work better. Keep an eye out for nice when you meant to dive into a student's unique empathy or compassion for others. Perhaps you wrote hard worker when intellectual risk-taker would more accurately describe the student. Some words and phrases that can be used to described a student's academic strengths includeinsightful, analytical, curious, observant, innovative, or mastery of a specific subject area.Others that fall more in the arena of personal and professional strengths includemature, flexible, generous, empathetic, leader, versatile, ethical, motivated, ambitious, resourceful, and strong communication skills. Admissions officers have read hundreds, if not thousands, of recommendation letters, and they're used to reading between the lines. Be intentional with your wording so you don't accidentally communicate something negative about the student. For instance, a phrase like "leads by example" or "excels at working independently" could indicate that the student keeps to herself and has trouble working with others. While it's more important to be authentic and not worry too much about what an admissions officer may or may not think, this mindset can help you be purposeful with what you say and how you say it in your letter. You can also keep an eye out for sounding over the top with your phrase. While the best letters rave about their students, they have the examples to back up their praise. Simply listing superlative adjectives could come off as overblown and insincere. A second technique that may impress admissions officers is the use of a high ranking. Rank the Student Highly, When Appropriate Consider these ranking statements: Carla is the most talented and driven math student I have taught in my twenty years at High School High. James is one of the top three students I have ever had the pleasure of teaching. An impressive ranking, like the two above, certainly communicates a strong vote of confidence in a student, especially if it comes from a teacher with hundreds of students to compare her recommendee to. If your student is applying to a selective or Ivy League school, then a powerful ranking can go a long way toward testifying to a student's outstanding achievement and qualities. On the other hand, a ranking like "above average" or "relatively strong effort compared to her peers" may do more harm than good. If you can genuinely provide a statement of high ranking, then you can help the student by including it. If not, then it's probably advisable to leave that kind of statement out of your letter. Apart from a statement of ranking, there are a few other key components to include in your letter of recommendation. While you can be creative and customize your letters to each student, there are a few essential pieces of information that you should include in all your letters. Include all essential elements. State All Essential Information There are a few necessary pieces of information to include in all recommendation letters that I touched on briefly at the beginning of this article. The first is an explicit statement of who you're recommending. If you can customize your letter for each college, all the better. Second, you should state who you are, your position at the school, and the contexts in which you've gotten to know the applicant. If you've gotten to know the student both in class for a year and as editor of the school newspaper, then this shows you've taught and supervised her in different contexts and are especially qualified to evaluate her. Admissions officers usually prefer recommendations from junior year teachers, as they had the student recently and for a whole year. A senior year teacher probably doesn't know the student very well yet, and sophomore and freshman year was too far in the past. Exceptions to this general rule include having the student for more than one year or supervising her in other capacities, like clubs or sports. You can begin the letter with a creative or catchy hook, or a more straightforward statement of endorsement, as long as you include these key components in the introduction. Here are a few examples. It is my great pleasure to provide this recommendation for Kate, who I enjoyed teaching and getting to know as her th grade AP U.S. History teacher. I have known Joe since 2012 in my position as Lincoln High School's Biology teacher. I am delighted to write this recommendation for Rosa, whom I have known for two years as her Psychology teacher and academic advisor. Please accept this letter as my enthusiastic endorsement of Chris, the top student in my th grade AP Chemistry class. After introducing the student, your relationship with her, and your statement of recommendation, you can go on to provide your evaluation, while keeping in mind the above mentioned suggestions, like focusing on important themes and using specific stories, powerful language, and a statement of ranking. If you want to balance out your recommendation by presenting a weakness, I would suggest doing so in a mild way, perhaps with an explanation of how that weakness could be turned into a strength. In your letter's conclusion, it's a good idea to restate your support for the student, while also talking about how you envision the student being successful at college. Admissions officers want to build a strong, dynamic, and diverse class with a range of abilities and interests. By attesting to the student's potential for future success and contributions at campus, you can reassure admissions officers that she is a student they want at their school. Finally, you can conclude your letter with your contact information and an invitation to call or email you with any further questions. Use an official letterhead, and welcome them to get in touch for any further discussion of the student. To sum up, let's go over the do's and don't's of writing recommendation letters for students applying to college. Key Points to Remember Do: Include key content, like who you're recommending, who you are, how you know the student, and what makes you qualified to evaluate her. Be enthusiastic in your recommendation, discussing both a student's academic ability and potential and her character and personality. Highlight a few key qualities that you think are essential for admissions officers to understand who the student is and what she can accomplish. Use specific stories, examples, and anecdotes to support your evaluation. Be intentional in your word choice, making sure to powerful words and phrases and to avoid cliches. Provide a high and impressive ranking, when applicable. Conclude with a strong statement of support, vision of the student's future success, and invitation to the admissions committee to follow up with you if need be. Don't: Simply repeat resume points or quantitative data that are already listed on other parts of the application. Cast too wide a net and end up saying very little, because you tried to say too much. List adjectives without having examples to back them up. Use generic, bland, unenthusiastic language or cliche statements. Use similar letters for more than one student, especially if the students are applying to the same schools (the same admissions officers will see this!) Agree to provide a letter of recommendation unless you can honestly recommend a student. Finally, not all students develop strong connections with their teachers, perhaps because they have trouble participating in class or their school has a large teacher to student ratio. To help you write your recommendation, students may provide a "brag sheet," where they talk about their goals and what's important to them, as well as a resume. If you need more information or time to talk to the student, it can help to meet with her and have a conversation or two. I always found the easiest letters to write were for students who were open and eager to share their plans and personality. If you feel you haven't gotten to know a student as well as you need to to write a compelling and insightful letter, then it may help to elicit her thoughts and feelings, as well as make time to get to know her better. As long as you have the raw materials, in terms of a good relationship, stories, and observations, then you can use these suggestions and examples to craft a thoughtful, customized letter of recommendation that will help her get into college. As you write, remember your mission: to differentiate the student as a unique and impressive candidate, to shed light on both her intellectual and personal qualities, and to give admissions officers a holistic view of the person that will show up on campus in next year's class. What's Next? One of the most helpful resources for me as I wrote recommendation letters for students were examples of great and bad letters. Check back soon for our articles with great letters, bad letters, and a suggested recommendation letter template. While recommendation letters are important for all schools, they must be especially outstanding to help a student get into the Ivy League. Check out our complete guide to Harvard recommendation letters (coming soon). Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Bioethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Bioethics - Essay Example The core point is that human life is a primary value in itself and that must be protected at all times. The basis of this reasoning can be derived from diverse grounds that include religion and ethics. Existence of human life is not a making of any other human being and this outrightly fails to justify artificial intervention meant to eliminate life (Paterson 44). The uniqueness that constitute each individual’s life makes it difficult to assign value and this means that no circumstance justify interference with human existence whether unborn, unconscious, sick or physically deformed. Use of concepts like relativism, skepticism, consequentialism, and utilitarianism tend to leave moral loopholes which at some point still lead to messing up with individual rights to life. The religious premise emphasizes the sanctity of life and that means the only moral duty assigned to humanity is to protect the life unless supernatural circumstances effects death or any form of infringement into the right to life(Paterson 57). Ethics has to do with doing what one would wish to be done against him. In regard to the Kant theory, the right thing is to give way to ones right to life irrespective of any utilitarian prospect and this sums up to stand for absolute respect of human

Court History and Purpose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Court History and Purpose - Essay Example In the United States of America, courts are organized into two systems; the state and federal court systems. In this respect, the U.S. court system is organized in dual or has a two-tier structure as noted by Siegel, Schmalleger and Worrall (2011). The state courts have the responsibility of hearing cases that do not involve the federal government or several states. The two tier system historically came about as original colonies surrendered their independence to the central government while maintaining jurisdictional distinction. The development of courts in the U.S. is a result of several factors. Some of the elements that have played a role in court development in this respect include common law, early legal codes, and precedent (Siegel, Schmalleger & Worrall, 2011). Common law tradition that is applicable in the U.S. today originated in England (law.berkeley.edu., 2012). This tradition was applied in British colonies in the middle ages. On the other hand, civil law tradition orig inated in the same period in continental Europe. The tradition was applied in European colonies including Portugal and Spain and later was adopted by numerous countries including Japan and Russia. Civil law systems have legal codes that are comprehensive and that are constantly updated. Civil law outlines the framework within which judges work and make rulings with legal scholars and legislators playing the more critical roles in the system. Civil law originated in Latin and was applicable to all citizens of Rome. In time, ancient Roman law principles were adopted by Europeans in an effort to meet modern needs (Stein, 2009). With the practice of civil law in Europe became common practice, local customs found a significant role as a basis for the development of law. The U.S. legal system is firmly grounded on common law tradition as practiced in England in the early days (law.berkeley.edu., 2012). In as much as common law relies on a few statutes, most decisions made in this respect are based on precedent. This means that the courts today make decisions on issues based on similar cases that have been decided in the past. Generally uncodified, common law has been practiced in courts based on court records, and year books. As an example, Louisiana state law is founded on civil law (codified law) owing to the fact that the state was previously a territory for the Spanish and French (law.berkeley.edu., 2012). California on the other hand has a state civil code that is based on traditional Roman civil law although the law as practiced is mostly common law. The state’s current community property law, for example, is based on the legal customs of ancient Spain as opposed to English common law (law.berkeley.edu., 2012). As can be seen from the examples given above, the common and civil law traditions as applied in the U.S. courts have a rich history and are associated with ancient foundations of modern law. Role of courts in criminal justice Criminal justice enc ompasses the set of government institutions and practices that are dedicated to the maintenance of social order, crime prevention, and sanctioning of those who contravene the law. While several organizations and government agencies form part of the criminal justice system, one of the main players in this respect is the court. The court plays a major function in criminal justice system. The separation of the roles of elements of the criminal

Vulnerable Population and Healthcare Research Paper

Vulnerable Population and Healthcare - Research Paper Example Health care is therefore one of the most growing industries now. Institutes in the field have realized that the only way they can deliver effective services to those in needs is through first singling out the needy from the general sample and then personally taking the aid to them. This paper examines drug addicts as a vulnerable group and sees how the personal biases and attitudes of the healthcare professionals affect the delivery of the services. Drug addicts are one of the most vulnerable groups of individuals in dire need of help in all stages of their susceptibility (Chesnay, 2006). Many people view drug addiction as a lowly, self-harming habit with no hopes of recovery. However, nothing can be further from truth. Drug- addiction is more of an ailment, a chronic disease in which a patient keeps relapsing into the pursuit and in-take of harmful drugs that, to him, soothe his nerves and calm his body. It is true that the first doze is more of an outside-in process and depends on the will of the person completely, the subsequent changes in the physiology of brain makes it very difficult for the addict to quit and urges him to impulsively continue with the menace. However, treatments are now available to help these addicts recover from their addiction gradually and more successfully. As modern researches reveal, a good combination of medicinal and behavioral therapy can lead to a much better and quicker treatment of the problem. In addition, personalized treatments, which are, customized to the needs and attitudes of individual patients, make the recovery process quicker and less painful than it normally is. The demographics of drug addicts is rather interesting and at some instances, surprising. For instance, â€Å"in 2003, the rate of dependence on substance for youths between the ages of 12 and 17 years was 8.9% and that between the people of ages between 18 and 25 is 21% â€Å"(Wolf, 1998). In particular, â€Å"58.1% of the young drug addicts depend on illicit drugs while the ratio in adults is 37.2%. In 2003 only, males were twice as prone to substance-dependency as women† (Wheeler, 2006). However, in youths below 18 years of age, the substance abuse in both the genders was almost the same. Ethnically speaking, the dependency on substance is highest amongst â€Å"Native Americans and the Natives of Alaska, i.e. around 17.2%† (Wheeler, 2006). Second to this are â€Å"Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders with 12.9%. Asian Americans come last with 6.3%† (Wheeler, 2006). Contrary to popular belief, blacks have lower substance dependency rates than â€Å"Hispanics and whites, 8.1 percent as compared to 9.8 and 9.2 percent, respectively†. The dependency on drugs also differs in various age brackets. In 2003 only, there were â€Å"3.8% drug addicts in the range of 12-13 years, 10.9% drug addicts in the range of 14 to 15 years and 19.2% drug addicts† (Wheeler, 2006) in the range of 16 to 17 years of a ge. The illicit drug use also follow the same graph with ascending slope in the teens, peak at 20 years of age and then a gradual decline after that. Personally speaking, this research opened up some new dimensions of thinking. Earlier, drug addicts came around just as another marginalized group of people whom one should never be friends with. They usually confront stereotypes of being dangerous and unfriendly or homeless. Drug addiction is also paired with assault,

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 197

Essay Example The blacks wanted the power and freedom to determine their own destiny. They believed that the black community was not free until they had the power to determine their own destiny. The party leaders also pushed for full employment of the black people. They believed that it was the duty and responsibility of the federal government to ensure that each man gets employment and is guaranteed a reasonable income. They did not believe in working for the white American businessmen since they believed that doing so would lead to oppression and discrimination. The Black Panther advocates also pushed for restitution for slave labor. They believed that the government has been robbing the blacks by exercising unfair treatment and as a result they were demanding an overdue debt as restitution for slave labor and mass murder of the black community. They also pushed for proper and adequate housing. They believed that the white landlords would not give proper housing and so there was a need for the government to build decent housing for its people. Education was also key in this party. The blacks believed that a man without real knowledge of the society, has little chance of survival. They therefore advocated for education that teaches black history. Blacks also demanded that they should be excluded from military service. They believed that they should not be forced to fight for a racist government that is not protective. Besides, they demanded an instantaneous end of police brutality and murder of the black fraternity. They believed that they could organize and form self-defense troops that would enable them to protect the blacks against violent racist police. Consequently, they also demanded that when brought to trial, blacks should be tried by a jury of their own race as defined by the constitution. Finally, they demanded freedom for all black prisoners held in American prisons and jails. This is because

International and Comparative Employment Relations Assignment

International and Comparative Employment Relations - Assignment Example The major purpose of the discussion is to compare different employment relation systems in different countries taking into the account similarities and differences along with implication for the management of employees within organisations. There is no doubt that different countries have different set of policies, rules, and protocols while managing varied kind of relationships. In the global business environment, American Model pertaining to the industrial relations is majorly followed However, this discussion will develop a European Model for industrial relations. The discussion will majorly focus on employment relation as function and system and applying it in the context of Foxconn with particular reference to the labour standards. The discussion will focus on the importance of maintaining labour standards along with analysing the benefits and challenges in a critical manner. Additionally, the discussion also revolves around examining the extent to which national patterns of employment relations exist and whether there is a shift towards a European Model of managing employee relations (Katz and Kochan, 2002). For this purpose, a critical analysis will be conducted on analysing employment relations systems in different countries along with discussing labour standards in general and in the context of Foxconn. The reason for conducting comparative analysis and discussing labour standards is based on deriving key conclusion by comparing and contrasting the existing results. In the preamble of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, it is clearly mentioned that, relations among countries in the context of trade and commerce should be conducted with a view of raising living standards along with ensuring full term employment (Harvey, et al, 2000). In the context of business organisation operating in developed and developing countries, it was found that liberalisation offered both challenges and opportunities to MNCs

Compare and Contrast Buddhism and Daoism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Compare and Contrast Buddhism and Daoism - Essay Example ine being; it does not have worship, praying to, or praising of a divine being (although some sects do.) It offers no form of redemption, forgiveness, no heavenly hope, or a final judgment to those practicing its system. Buddhism is a moral philosophy, an ethical way to live for the here and now of this world to gain the ultimate state. It has more in common with humanism and atheism than its original religion Hinduism it separated from. But Buddhism is not atheism just because they don’t believe in a personal God. It is more like pantheism, there is an impersonal force the void which is the ultimate. For centuries, Buddhism has been the dominant religion of the Eastern world and still remains the predominant religion in China, Japan, Korea, as well as Southeast Asia. In Japan alone there are approximately 200 sects. This makes it difficult to address this religion as a whole since it can be so diversified.1 Gautama, whose personal name according to later sources was Siddhartha, was born in ancient India. It is believed that he was born in the city of Lumbini and raised in Kapilavastu, near the modern town of Taulihawa, Nepal. The traditional story of his life is as follows; little of this can be regarded as established historical fact. Born a prince, his father, King Suddhodana, was supposedly visited by a wise man shortly after Siddhartha was born and told that Siddhartha would either become a great king (chakravartin) or a holy man (Sadhu). Determined to make Siddhartha a king, the father tried to shield his son from the unpleasant realities of daily life. Despite his fathers efforts, at the age of 29, he discovered the suffering of his people, first through an encounter with an elderly man. On subsequent trips outside the palace, he encountered various sufferings such as a diseased man, a decaying corpse, and an ascetic. These are often termed The Four Sights.† After abandoning asceticism and concentrating instead upon meditation and Anapanasati

International and Comparative Employment Relations Assignment

International and Comparative Employment Relations - Assignment Example The major purpose of the discussion is to compare different employment relation systems in different countries taking into the account similarities and differences along with implication for the management of employees within organisations. There is no doubt that different countries have different set of policies, rules, and protocols while managing varied kind of relationships. In the global business environment, American Model pertaining to the industrial relations is majorly followed However, this discussion will develop a European Model for industrial relations. The discussion will majorly focus on employment relation as function and system and applying it in the context of Foxconn with particular reference to the labour standards. The discussion will focus on the importance of maintaining labour standards along with analysing the benefits and challenges in a critical manner. Additionally, the discussion also revolves around examining the extent to which national patterns of employment relations exist and whether there is a shift towards a European Model of managing employee relations (Katz and Kochan, 2002). For this purpose, a critical analysis will be conducted on analysing employment relations systems in different countries along with discussing labour standards in general and in the context of Foxconn. The reason for conducting comparative analysis and discussing labour standards is based on deriving key conclusion by comparing and contrasting the existing results. In the preamble of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, it is clearly mentioned that, relations among countries in the context of trade and commerce should be conducted with a view of raising living standards along with ensuring full term employment (Harvey, et al, 2000). In the context of business organisation operating in developed and developing countries, it was found that liberalisation offered both challenges and opportunities to MNCs

Social And Natural Sciences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Social And Natural Sciences - Essay Example A great contribution of positivism into philosophical and methodological explorative methods is considered further on the example of social and natural sciences. In sociology, positivism is the core paradigmatic methodology. Science and inquiry are two basic pillars of positivism. Still, it is very important to solve the major problem of social sciences, which concerns results finding on the basis of complex species research and study. The roots of Positivism can be traced in the French Enlightenment. The philosopher suggested combining natural sciences principles with social sciences. Comte claimed that religion was conquered by science. It was much important those times to refer to facts and laws, than to suppositions and considerations. Scientific knowledge is outlined by Comte in the following way: the stage of fictitious, metaphysical and scientific knowledge. The last stage of knowledge, scientific knowledge, is preferential for Comte. The development of all other stages, if su ccessfully implemented, would result in scientific knowledge emergence. These stages of knowledge can be also sought in Empiricism. This science is based on observable facts, claiming that logical and mathematical roots are in the background of the facts. The main principle of positivism should be also found in â€Å"positive† information, which can be obtained from a positive experience. A methodological paradigm of positivism consists of science and inquiry. An empirical exploration is of crucial importance for any science.  ... These stages of knowledge can be also sought in Empiricism. This science is based on observable facts, claiming that logical and mathematical roots are on the background of the facts. The main principle of positivism should be also found in â€Å"positive† information, which can be obtained from a positive experience. Therefore, a methodological paradigm of positivism consists of science and inquiry. An empirical exploration is of crucial importance for any science. Thus, from positivist perspective it can be claimed that social phenomena are not distributed in accordance with certain or specific types, where the members of these types are homogenous (Cassell, 2002). In other words, positivist vision or methodology implemented in social sciences is not relevant to the fullest extent. Sociological phenomena are of inhomogeneous nature. For example, a structure of any sociological object or phenomena cannot be considered in accordance with specific features or characteristics, w hich are relevant at all times. Moreover, social processes and generalizations cannot be characterized simultaneously in accordance with homogenous characteristics. For sociological sciences it is of crucial importance to formulate specific hypotheses focused on special sociological events or imagination. A development of sociological theory is one possible way to develop explanations concerning sociological events or objects. Therefore, positivism is often criticized as irrelevant methodology applied for social inquiry. Social science requires development of special approaches focused on â€Å"contingency, heterogeneity, path-dependence, and particularity corresponding to the plasticity of

The College Years Essay Example for Free

The College Years Essay College is a place where the students have a big experience. They can learn about specific subject, acquire knowledge and skills. Although, different students have difference reason to study in a college. College years have also coined personal moments. There are many friends however the relationships in the college might be much closer and warmer. Before we begin to study in college, our life often arranged by our parents and our study often arranged by our teachers, it is very different for us to live and study in college, because students studying in college have to arrange their life. The best time in a college often have comfortable and uncomfortable feeling to live with stranger, because we don’t know each other and perhaps our habits and personality are different. We have cooperate to solve a lot of problems, don’t care about economic problems or situations related with money. Gradually, we can improve our life, share groceries with classmates, books, and notes and sometimes study together when the subject required do it. Consequently the college years are the best moments in our personal life. We go to college to prepare and enjoy. In this part of our life has a very good feeling in our professional life, this part that we never forgot and always remember in our social talk. When recently left from the college all classmate contact to me by phone or by e-mail, after a few months the phones were more random and less frequent. But 5 years latter, every body has new nostalgic moments and organizes a party to share our experience and remember college’s moments. In general the college years are the best time. Never heard that somebody don’t wants to repeat the experience about the college years. We go to college because we like to learn. We go to college for personal fulfillment. We go to college because going to college is an interesting social experience.

Positive and Negative Publicity Strategies

Positive and Negative Publicity Strategies In todays world, image and reputation of a business is critically significant than past due to increased market competition and also, with developed technologies, the consumers can be more easily evaluate to particular brand of product or organization. Therefore, it is essential that businesses and organizations have understanding of the effective and strategy public relation for healthy and positive new development. Successful public relation can be give to organization as a good image, and thus publicity is significant role in terms of successful public relation. Because, publicity can be helps gain public awareness and build relationship between products and consumers. The publicity can be defined in many interpretations. Yet, according to Yale (1991:2), publicity involves supplying information that is factual, interesting, and newsworthy to media not controlled by you, such as radio, television, magazines, newspapers, and trade journals. It can be both positive and negative to ones business or organization and thus, it is significant to be aware of what strategies can support to either improve as a positive or reduce a negative way, rather than just simply analysis how they are addressed. Due to organization crises frequently result in negative publicity, threatening the image of the company, the company should have an effective tactics for reduce the impact (Dean, 2004). Furthermore, organization need to try achieve positive publicity for enhance their healthy image and reputation for a successful within market competition. As a result, crisis management is mostly important tactic, which could be positive publicity or an overcome in a negative wa y, and once overcome in a negative way; publicity has essentially support public relation endeavors. In this essay will look at both in positive and negative publicity and explain the strategies which can assist both. Also, it will examine two cases (Johnson Johnson and Toyota) of negative publicity, how they reacted to reduce impacts and which crises management can be support. Strategic positive publicity tips Positive publicity is a main issue when organizing new event or product because it allows to company send a message out to wider audience in effective way, rather than reach the message personally. In a further extend, it is normally acknowledged to be more credible and more influential than company-controlled communications (Wragg, 1981). In this sense, therefore, it is vital to know which strategies can be support to maintain positive publicity. Firstly, organization has to become familiar with the wide range of publicity tools available with them (Wragg, 1981). It can be feature articles, news releases, interviews, press conferences and special events. Besides, these days people more familiar with online sources such as online news reports, blog posts, Facebook updates, YouTube videos and Twitter entries. For instance, good news may spread to wider audience via online sources and its may potentially create healthy public image (Lawrence, 2010). Therefore, select effective publicity tool is most important point that can be achieve positive publicity. In addition, the media can be an effective publicity tool if it is used correct for building healthy image between an organization and the community. As noted by Wragg (1981:17), the media is one of the main avenuesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦value of the media in influencing or bringing a message to the notice of the greatest number of people in the shortest time. With developed technologies, most of consumers are able to interact with at least one source of media tool and thus, using effective media is opportunities organization to communicate with consumers. For instance, consumer may evaluate what the organization say and what they do via growth of media. Secondly, organization needs to develop making a publicity plan for presenting their message to the public via the media. As mentioned by Yale (1991:13), with a good publicity planning will help the organizations come out ahead in the competition for space in publications and air time. In a further extend, the organizations can get a lot of coverage for free if it is done correctly and sent to targeted media (Yale, 1991). Effective publicity plan can be including as determine goal of event or product and also decide what message send to public. It may create public awareness that the event or product, build a stronger reputation within ones community or simply to introduce organization to the media and public (Hashemi, 2008). After knowing organizations goal, it enables to determine right target audiences which deliver the message to people who will be interest the message (Hashemi, 2008). Therefore, effective publicity plan is most important strategic for maintain positive publicity , and its lead to good image of ones business. As a result positive publicity can be establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between organization and its publics (Hasek, 2001). In other words, effective publicity supports public relation as successfully. Make lower and prevent negative publicity Look at the reality; it is really obvious, that one little mistake, rumor or gossip can make a serious damage ones business image even though the company is a market leader. This can be regarded as negative publicity. According to Parvesh (2007), negative publicity is the adverse publicity that an organization may incur due to a particular reason, which may lead to potentially disastrous consequences. Like this, negative publicity has the possible to injury corporate image and reputation. this is due to its high credibility as well as the negativity effect, a tendency for negative information to be weighted more than positive information in the evaluation of people, objects, and ideas (Mizerski, 1982 cited by Dean, 2004:193. Because the media has a preference for reporting bad news (Dennis Merrill, 1996), thus companies are more likely to receive bad press rather than positive press. Furthermore, blog, online forum and talk radio and uncontrolled media, it is easier than past, to da mage organization image and reputation (Jenness, 2002). Therefore, It is compulsory know that how to organization can diminish the negative publicity, and get better their image in the public. According to Jenness (2002),negative publicity can be the result of a mishandled crisis. In a further extend, negative publicity is often occurs due to wrong response from the crisis. Perrier, for example, Perrier was unable to overcome negative publicity when top management hesitated in the crisis-solved process. Traces of benzene were found in the companys bottled water in 1990, however top management reassured the public that it was necessary to recall contaminated bottles only in North America. The crisis continued when scientists found benzene in bottled water being sold in Europe (Broom, Center Cutlip, 2000:128). Finally, media discovered, and reported, that benzene-tainted product had been sold all over the world for months. The media questioned Perriers integrity and concern for public safety, and the company lost its dominant position in the market place; it has been unable to rebuild its reputation due to mishandled the crisis (Jenness,2002). This may suggest that effectiv e crisis management is necessary for a reduce damage organization image or reputation. Effective crisis management can be regarded as careful planning, research and training, which can be overcome negative publicity. As Perrier crisis publicity suggests that, consumers need honest answer and they need them fast. Therefore, the company should have good crisis planning for deal with negative publicity. The plan can be include recall the all the products and make an apology to public. Moreover, Berger, Sorensen and Rasmussen (2003:23) suggest that dedicate a team to keep a sharp eye on all fronts, including the Internet which involves blog, online forum and search engine ranking. This can be excellent strategy for prevent from negative publicity. For instance, negative movie review on the magazine or online forum, it may badly influence to the movie itself and also production company, because it leads to lose consumers attention and also possibly to decrease sale a movie ticket. Like this, company need keep look at any comments or developments that might turn ugly. Although it can never be all-encompassing, its better to be aware of possibilities than being caught unawares (Berger et al, 2003:32). Develop Optimal Communication Plan In addition, it is necessary develop optimal communication strategy for reduce negative publicity. For reduce negative publicity, the company may training about how to communicate with the media press and the public about the crisis that is happening. As noted by Dean (2004) has developed a classification of communication strategies that can be employed during a crisis event to manage the image of the affected organization. The company need well prepared communication plan for interview or presentation that open communicate with public in order to protect organization image by negative publicity. In addition, communicate in web-site or informal networking can be useful tool for present information as effectively. Word-of-mouth, for example, it can be powerful tool for positive publicity or negative publicity, yet generally assumes that negative word-of-mouth should hurt product success (Berger et al, 2003:26). Therefore, the company need develop word-of mouth communication in order t o quash rumor or gossip and make consumers more aware or encourage the product or event. As a result, careful planning, research, and training can lessen negative publicity and can assist companies control crises. Is Negative Publicity Can being a Good Thing? On the other side, according to Berger et al (2003:33), though negative publicity can definitely hurt sales in some cases, in others, negative may actually be positive. In a further extend, even though negative publicity can be damage organization image or reputation, it may occurs positive effect in some case if the negative image can assist to increase public attention, overwhelming the negative influences . It suggests that, because negative publicity can increase product awareness and accessibility; it can sometimes have a positive influence on product choice and sales (Berger et al, 2007:3). Due to number of brands are in market place, it is important that get a consumers awareness in order to successful business. Informal media or word-of-mouth, for instance, even though they are presents the products or event as badly, consumers may more inform of their particular product or event. Moreover, Berge (1990:25) mentioned that a wine described as redolent of stinky socks, saw its s ales increase by five percentages after it was reviewed by a prominent wine website. Also, indirect negative publicity can be positive in terms of sales. For example, when Britney Spears represented as issue maker via media, such as hit to paparazzi, over binge problem, her new album Circus actually more increased sales, because the articles also mentioned her new album, and thus direct positive publicity (Berger et al, 2007:15). Like this, these examples show that negative publicity can be a good thing in some case. In addition, after effectively overcome and control the negative organization image and reputation, the organization can regain the consumers trust. In other words, after found lots of problems from the public, as negative publicity, the organization may use them as feedback in order to rebuild their positive image. It may take a long time, however, with resolved negative image, the organization potentially get a public attention. Two cases of organization crisis As a mentioned above, when organization crisis and its damage by negative publicity, It is important figure out what actually happened, how the negative publicity that affect the organization and how to manage in order to solve the crisis. In this part will look at two different examples, Johnson Johnson of Tylenol and Toyota Recall, which used different ways to manage the emergency situations and have different public opinions. Johnson Johnson of Tylenol Scandal In 1981, Chicago, U.S.A, seven customers who took Tylenol died of injected poison. In this tragedy, Johnson Johnson lost their image as market leader and also huge damage corporate reputation. This suggests that they might have had no choice without to give up the brand of Tylenol. Tylenol was the top-selling product by Johnson Johnson. Yet, after the crisis, according to Kaplan (1998), the publicity about the cyanide laced capsules directly caused a nationwide panic and also the company found itself in a real dilemma. Also, many people said that Tylenol as a brand could no longer survive in market place. Moreover, the media interpreted the issue as badly. Therefore, these poisonings made it compulsory for Johnson Johnson to launch a public relations strategy immediately, in order to save the reliability of both their product and corporation as a whole (Kaplan,1998). Toyota Recall Crisis Toyota was play a dominant role in the developing automatic in the world, with high-quality and high technology lead to Toyotas high credit in market place. They are reached the best seller between within all vehicles company, and also build good reputation during last 40 years (Edmund, 2010). It suggests that Toyota be covered in media as positively, and its lead to maintain their good image for a long period. Though, recently the negative publicity around the Toyota company as fast and quick due to acceleration problem. Toyota got a lot of complains about the acceleration and they eventually has recalled eight million vehicles worldwide, including a total of six million in the U.S., because of acceleration problems. Consumers may keep away from Toyota brand because they might be thinking that Toyota is not safe and reliable anymore. Like this, the company suffers from the very serious credit crisis, as noted by Horrel (2010), the long-term loss of reputation could be the real knock out punch for Toyota. After that, it seriously damaged Toyotas high-quality image in the public. Different reaction between Johnson Johnson and Toyota The first different between two companies is how honestly they react from the crisis. According to Dean (2004), Johnson Johnson handled a disastrous crisis amazingly well in 1982 and the companys reaction remains as a model for effective media relations. They let customers know about this awful incident via the media instead of concealing the fact. Contrary, even though Toyota already found the problem early time, they denial for the reputation and conceal the problem, which do not take any responsibility of the issue. Therefore, the public view began to turn away from Toyota (Horrel, 2010). In addition, another different point between two companies is that how actively the take action toward the crisis. After cyanide was discovered in some capsules of Tylenol, a product used by an estimated 100 million people, Johnson Johnson decided to cooperate fully with the media. It immediately announced a recall of all Tylenol packages in both U.S. and foreign markets. They decide not use the all the recalled products even though after results proved that there was no problem in the manufacturing procedure (Kaplan, 1998). However, even Toyota recalled a mounts of vehicles in 2009, the problem still existing and recall increased occurs. Eventually, on January, 2010, Toyota decide stop to producing the recalled model. Their reputation gets serious damage at the same time. The last thing which different between two companies is that lack of sincerity to customers. Tylenol put lots of endeavor into regain trust of the public. The companys decisions, which were based on the business principle of being socially responsible, earned Johnson Johnson praise from the media. According to Dean (2004:197) the company received additional positive press coverage when it subsequently introduced its new tamper-resistant packaging. Although not being able to control media coverage of the situation, Johnson Johnson was able to gain positive publicity because the company had an open communication plan and knew what to do during a crisis (Kaplan, 1998). Therefore, Johnson Johnson got a good image, which involves the company considers customers safety, and quickly recovered their reputation in an effective way. On the other side, Toyota still struggling with the crisis and respond to lessen impact with the CEOs apologies to the public, the purpose is reducing the negat ive publicity as much as possible. Yet, it seems to be hard to rebuild their reputation as before. As like, determination that a firms actions or inactions are directly responsible for a tragic event is likely to severely affect consumer regard for the organization (Dean, 2004:201). As a result, two cases show that crisis can be huge damage to organization image, yet, with well-organized strategy, the crisis could be solved and rebuild the positive reputation. To conclude, publicity can be assist organization image and reputation either as positively or as negatively. Therefore, it is important to understand the strategies that can be employed to assist both. By understanding of them, the organization can be maintain positive publicity for develop their healthy image, on the other side; they also enable to make lower negative publicity in order to reduce and prevent organization image. As mentioned above, two cases (Johnson Johnson and Toyota) shows that how the negative publicity has affected the organization in terms of image and reputation. Especially, when organization is in a crisis, it would be help to rebuild good image if they using publicity as effectively. As a result, publicity has essentially supported public relations endeavors, because publicity allows achieving public awareness and building relationship between products and consumers. Therefore, once organization uses positive strategies in order to gain a good image, it ca n be actually supported public relation in effective way.

Psychology in Modern Drama and Buchners Woyzeck Essay -- Psychology B

Psychology in Modern Drama and Buchner's Woyzeck When reading the play Woyzeck by Georg Buchner, one must be willing to delve deep into the surreal as well as the confusing and even uncomfortable. The play hinges upon psychology and the fact (one of the few facts found in the play, even) that the main character of the play (Woyzeck) has obvious psychological problems that none of the other characters seem to pay attention to. Psychology is a constant theme in modern drama, and Buchner seems to bring that to the forefront in Woyzeck, especially. But why is psychology so pertinent to modern drama? Modern drama, specifically, seems to focus on the more dark and twisted things in human nature, and what can be the darkest and most twisted creations besides the mind? C. Bigsby, in his article titled, Drama As Cultural Sign states, â€Å"drama has always had the power to engage the present in a way that is less true of other genres.† Again, modern drama especially seems to focus on psychology. It is engaging to the audience, and an interesting new subject to explore in drama. There are far too many examples of psychology used in modern drama to focus on in this essay, but a few to name have been read in class, such as Machinal, A Doll’s House, The Birthday Party and even Angels in America. It is true that every play in existence incorporates psychology into it, but modern plays, and these specifically, make it much more obvious and almost seem to take it upon themselves to purposely make the audience uncomfort able and push the audience into a position where they are forced to recognize some sense of surrealism in life and a basic sense of â€Å"screwed-up†ness, as it were, that exists in life. If there are so many examples... ...himself and the doctor (the conversations that Buchner provides for the play are creations of his own mind, as his research did not state specifically what Woyzeck said to people). Were it not for the development of modern psychology, modern drama would no doubt be unable to explore the darker side of human nature as thoroughly as it does with plays such as Woyzeck. Works Cited Bigsby, C. W. E. Drama as Cultural Sign: American Dramatic Criticism, 1945-1978. American Quarterly. Vol. 30 (1978), pp. 331-357. Buchner, Georg. Woyzeck. The Longman Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Drama. pp 16-28. Hauser, Ronald. â€Å"Georg Buchner†. 1963. McCarthy, John. Some Aspects of Imagery in Buchner’s Woyzeck. MLN. Vol. 91. April 1976. pp 543-551. Somerville, John. The Strange Case of Modern Psychology. The Journal of Philosophy. Vol. 31. October 1934. pp. 571-577.

An Analysis of Advertisement Essay

In the Hunter/Gatherer section of Omnivore’s Dilemma, Pollan talks about what it takes to accomplish the task of developing a meal on his own; consequently, the people of today’s society are so used to the abundance of food that they have no idea what all is involved in establishing a full meal. Americans take this great abundance of food for granted, which causes an increased craving for more. This is where the world of advertisement has been the strongest. One of the easiest ways to reach people is through their food; therefore, major food industries try to lure people in at all costs just to buy their products. The Fast food industry is the ringleader of all this trickery. They try their best to make people believe that their food is the best on the market, and in this process they hide several of their flaws with a beautiful or very appealing advertisement. The creation of an advertisement has been broken down into a specific science where the creator of the advertisement can specifically pinpoint the targeted audience’s interests. The advertisement of industrial foods has become a major weakness in the American culture; consequently, the factors of this weakness come from the inability for omnivores to make the right decision on what to eat, whether or not the food is good for them, the lack of courtesy for others and themselves, and the failure to see through the pretty colors and the attractive facade advertisements display. One example of this corruption of food culture can be viewed in a simple Carl’s Jr. ad. In this advertisement, there is depicted a hamburger and few lines of text, but the simplicity of this ad is what makes it all the more deceiving. The creator of this ad uses several pictorial techniques in order to captivate anyone that may see it. First of all, the colors in the hamburger are brilliant and eye-catching such as: the perfect golden color of the sesame seed bun; the bright yellow of the cheese between two layers of perfectly charbroiled beef patties; the vibrant red of the ketchup; and the perfectly fresh look of the tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. This ad rives its viewers to believe that this hamburger is ideal and seems almost tangible. As though the brilliant colors of the hamburger was not enough, the creator of this ad uses a black background in order to illuminate all the hamburger’s superlative attributes. As the ad is further examined, the three line of white, bolded text is inescapable, especially on the black background. Another way the advertiser att racts the viewer is through the positioning of the ad on the poster, billboard, etc. Here in this particular ad, the picture has almost perfect axial balance. This means that the main focus of the ad, the burger, is the central item of the whole ad, and this is definitely the first thing the advertiser wants his viewers to see. Another thing about the orientation of the picture is almost looks three-dimensional. The advertiser does this so that the viewer can get as close to the burger without smelling it or tasting it as possible. The next biggest thing on the advertisement is the catchy phrase that is in a special font and size that is the next thing that catches the eye. The ambience in the Carl’s Jr. dvertisement is that of a bold hunger and also casually crude. This mood is set not only by the picture but also by what the words imply. The phrase printed on the ad, â€Å" She’ll tell you size doesn’t matter. She’s lying† is an old joke that is crude and degrading for women. Here, in an underlying way, women are itemized and they are seen as some kind of prize instead of a human being. Not only does th e text degrade women but also men. It degrades men in that the creator of this advertisement thinks that all men walk around thinking about sex all the time. Unfortunately, this is probably true, and it is a pretty â€Å"low blow† to take advantage of such a serious weakness. Pollan states that one of the omnivore’s frequently asked question is â€Å"What should we do for dinner† (1). When searching for the answer, people will seek it anywhere, and sadly, many fall into the vulgarity of this ad. Pollan explains this notion when he says, â€Å"When you can eat just about anything nature has to offer, deciding what you should eat will inevitably stir anxiety, especially when some of the potential foods on offer are liable to kill you† (3). Although a hamburger may not kill someone, the insinuation of sex in the ad can drag people down to the nasty greasy level of the burger. Although this ad is crude and misleading, the creator of it uses pathos, ethos and logos very well in order to reach a future consumer. The pathos, or emotion, that the advertiser sets through his ad is that of sex and pride. Both of these are not actually stated in the ad, but these are the emotions that take place when the ad is comprehended. The creator of this ad has a certain target, and that target is any man over the age of thirteen. He uses their greatest weakness, their sex drive, to lure them I to wanting one of those burgers. This use of sexual reference is a very good example of logos because the creator uses the tactic of testing men’s pride. A great amount of a man’s pride comes from his sexual endowments. Here in this article those endowments are being tested from the standpoint of almost saying, â€Å"Are you man enough to eat this burger? † The ethos of this ad though is low. Usually it is not right to take advantage of someone’s greatest weakness, which is done here to men. But, because of the ongoing battle between fast food chains today, it is important to take advantage of any weakness the consumer may have in order to win their business. The role of this Carl’s Jr. advertisement is an excellent example of how the world views food and the lack of respect for it. The statement made in the text is a crude, humorous, cliche joke that has been a little over used. The advertiser shows not only his level of maturity, but also the maturity of the consumers that fall for this trick. It is not just what the words say on the ad that makes it wrong, but what the words imply. This underlying reference towards sex is probably the lowest advertisers could reach to appeal to their targeted consumers. Where in a hamburger does someone get sexual aspirations? There is nothing sexy or in any way appealing of someone eating a giant, messy hamburger. For people to be satisfied in their food because it is advertised in this way is absurd and disrespectful not only to the food itself, but also the people who prepared it. In this particular Carl’s Jr. ad, all that is shown is the glorious end product of a long line of â€Å"dirty work†, and the middleman who did that work is forgotten. If people had to go back to the days when the meal had to provided without the help industry, there would be a whole new level of respect for those who work to produce those foods. The hunter/ gatherer group was allowed to see a small portion of what steps it takes to get a meal on the table from the very beginning. The greatest dilemma that they faced was finding enough food, and in the beginning, having food at all. Although this was a great obstacle, it also gave the group a sense of accomplishment when they had conquered the task producing a complete meal without the help of anything but nature. This way of life is how people had to do it before there were any industrial food chains. It has almost become a lost art. Pollan explains this when he says, â€Å"Now there are some people (though not all that many of them anymore) for whom such a radically self-made meal exists firmly in the realm of possibility. I am not one of them† (277). He uses himself as an example of this loss of culture and heritage. In this advertisement of the Carl’s Jr. Super Star with cheese, many things can be taken from the simple picture of the burger and the text. The fast food industry has ruined people because they have all the food they need at a quick cheap price, and unfortunately this has caused people to take the life necessity of food for granted. People have perverted the food industry with their lack of respect for food and themselves through the food they eat and the way that food is sometimes advertised. Industrial food chains make their ads look so perfect and tasty, but unfortunately, the real thing is nowhere near what is advertised. Fast food is a trick that everyone is falling for. This quick food blinds people to the hard work it takes to get the meal from the field to the table.