Z for Zachariah Essays

Z for Zachariah Essays Z for Zachariah Paper Z for Zachariah Paper The book I have been reading was called Z for Zachariah by Robert C. OBrien. The two elements that contributed to my understanding and pleasure in this novel were the structure of the novel and the power struggle the main characters had to survive. The novel was about a sixteen year old girl called Ann who kept a diary after a nuclear attack devastated the country in which she lived. In the diary Ann spoke about being the only person to survivor. This soon changed though as a man with a safe suit called Mr Loomis arrived in her valley, who was privileged enough to posses a safe suit. Ann had always hoped that someone else had survived, to help to repopulate the world but her initial joy was then replaced with the fear that he could be a murderer or he could take full control of the valley and her life. He soon fell ill, and Ann nursed him to health. However their relationship started to deteriorate and by the end Ann managed to escape from him. She had the safe suit in her possession, and was heading off to face an uncertain future. One interesting feature of the novel was that it concentrated on a tense power struggle between Ann and Loomis, and I felt great sympathy for Ann. One reason for feeling sympathy for Ann was due to the fact that the novel was written in the style of a diary. A diary is very personal and I felt that I understood Anns point of view. She wrote it in the first person I am afraid I think someone is coming. The whole novel seemed to be long extracts from her diary over around two and a half months. This period of time meant that I knew her very well and I supported her in her actions. Power struggles soon began Ann and Mr Loomis. The fights were over several things including their equipment and food, but especially about their own personal power struggles. The valley where Ann had spent all of her life became crucial in this novel. The valley was a power symbol used by both Ann and Loomis. Without the valley Ann would be dead and Mr Loomis would still be searching for safe land. As most of the valley was safe from radiation, except for a small section of the river. Crops could be grown and it was also the place where the abandoned shop and the house were located. Anns knowledge of the area was vital. This knowledge would also let her know where the best places to grow the crops were, but Ann feared losing them along with the valley, home, dog, shop and the potential mate in Loomis. She gained the chance to leave the valley with the safe suit and the chance of finding other survivors. After Loomis had lost the company of Ann and the precious suit. Mr Loomis had gained a home, his equipment and food from the shop that would last in the short term. But as he had lost Anns knowledge, he would face a lonely and difficult future. Other symbols of power that were used in the novel to great effect were the dog, the suit and the valley. Eventually the dog was used as a tool by Loomis to track down Ann. The dog thought it was a game and he was always eager to find Ann. He was following my trail again, but this time leading Mr Loomis behind him. Mr Loomis held onto this symbol of power as he kept the dog tied up beside him all of the time, which worried her and made her think Loomis was trying to trap her. The suit was the only way out of the valley and it was the only safe way to find out if there was life beyond. The suit was the only thing that could keep out radiation and it was the only one in existence. Mr Loomis also had the worlds only radiation-proof suit. Mr Loomis and Ann got on well until Ann heard him talking in his dreams about a man trying to take the safe suit from him. The suit, he said, his voice hardly above a whisper. Hell steal the suit. Ann became anxious and felt that maybe he could become a danger to her. If Edward was inside the suit when they were fired then he had certainly been killed. If he had killed someone before, he could quite easily kill again. Ann became particularly afraid one night when Mr Loomis got very aggressive and tried to force himself on her against her will. Ann had to flee back to the cave where she stayed until she was forced to leave the valley. Ultimately Ann had to give up the security of her home and the valley that had belonged to her family because she could not live with Mr Loomis. They were possibly the only two people alive and it was sad that they couldnt live together. This could have been the last chance that mankind had to repopulate the world. The novel was very enjoyable mainly due to the fact it was written in diary form and the tension that was created by the power struggle.

Boiling Point Elevation Example Problem

Boiling Point Elevation Example Problem This example problem demonstrates how to calculate boiling point elevation caused by adding salt to water. When salt is added to water, the sodium chloride separates into sodium ions and chloride ions. The premise of boiling point elevation is that the added particles raise the temperature needed to bring water to its boiling point. The extra particles interfere with the interactions between solvent molecules (water, in this case). Boiling Point Elevation Problem 31.65 g of sodium chloride is added to 220.0 mL of water at 34  °C. How will this affect the boiling point of the water?Assume the sodium chloride completely dissociates in the water.Given: density of water at 35  °C 0.994 g/mLKb water 0.51  °C kg/molSolution:To find the temperature change elevation of a solvent by a solute, use the equation:ΔT iKbmwhereΔT Change in temperature in  °Ci van t Hoff factorKb molal boiling point elevation constant in  °C kg/molm molality of the solute in mol solute/kg solvent.Step 1 Calculate the molality of the NaClmolality (m) of NaCl moles of NaCl/kg waterFrom the periodic tableatomic mass Na 22.99atomic mass Cl 35.45moles of NaCl 31.65 g x 1 mol/(22.99 35.45)moles of NaCl 31.65 g x 1 mol/58.44 gmoles of NaCl 0.542 molkg water density x volumekg water 0.994 g/mL x 220 mL x 1 kg/1000 gkg water 0.219 kgmNaCl moles of NaCl/kg watermNaCl 0.542 mol/0.219 kgmNaCl 2.477 mol/kgStep 2 Determine the van t Hoff factorThe van t Hoff factor, i, is a constant associated with the amount of dissociation of the solute in the solvent. For substances which do not dissociate in water, such as sugar, i 1. For solutes that completely dissociate into two ions, i 2. For this example NaCl completely dissociates into the two ions, Na and Cl-. Therefore, i 2 for this example.Step 3 Find ΔTΔT iKbmΔT 2 x 0.51  °C kg/mol x 2.477 mol/kgΔT 2.53  °CAnswer:Adding 31.65 g of NaCl to 220.0 mL of water will raise the boiling point 2.53  °C. Boiling point elevation is a colligative property of matter. That is, it depends on the number of particles in a solution and not their chemical identity. Another important colligative property is freezing point depression.

Maternal problem in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Maternal problem in Australia - Essay Example Only Sweden (4.6) and Italy (3.9) are ahead of Australia in maternal care (Rogers, 2010). At the same time, the Department of health Australia (2015) says that smoking, alcoholism and drug use during pregnancy is common in Australia. It should be noted that smoking, alcoholism and drug use during pregnancy would cause immense harm to the physical and mental health of the mother and the child before and after its birth even though these habits may cause fewer threats to the life of the mother. In short, even though the death rates among the pregnant mothers due to maternal problems in Australia is less, crazy behaviors during pregnancy are causing problems to the newly born children in Australia As per the views of the Australian government: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2013), Australia helps and advices developing and underdeveloped countries such as Asian and African countries in saving the lives of children, mother and pregnant women. In other words, Australia is currently giving tips to save the life of mothers and infants in the developing world. In fact they have the rights to do so since maternal problems in Australia is comparatively less and Australia has developed several innovative mechanisms to counter the problems during maternal life. At the same time, Perlen et al. (2013) conducted a study in Australia and concluded that many of the pregnant women in Australia are facing physical as well as mental problems. Perlen et al found that nine per cent of pregnant women (131/1500) had clinical depression in early pregnancy. As per their findings, the most commonly occurring problems during pregnancy are: exhaustion (86.9%) followed by morning sickness (64 .3%), back pain (45.6%), constipation (43.5%) and severe headaches or migraines (29.5%) The above findings are not much surprising considering the fact that a lot of pregnant women in Australia are smokers, alcohol users and drugs users.

Bacterial transformation and gene expression Lab Report

Bacterial transformation and gene expression - Lab Report Example This study looks into DNA as the blueprint of our life. Life without these molecules is not possible. DNA are transcribed into RNA and translated into proteins. These proteins are important for the biochemical functions of the cell. In bacteria, apart from DNA, there is extrachromosomal DNA called as plasmids. They are double stranded DNA which forms circles with size ranging from 1 kb to 200kb (kilobase). Plasmids are very advantageous for the genetic engineering. Plasmids code for many antibiotic regions and they have the ability to accept the gene of interest. The transformation of our gene of interest into the plasmid is called recombination and the bacteria are called recombinant bacteria. Thus plasmids can be used as cloning vehicles or vectors. These plasmids are not essential for the survival of bacteria, but in some instances, for survival in the different environments, they can provide some extra advantage. The best example is the survival of the bacterial cell in the prese nce of an antibiotic drug. Antibiotic resistant bacteria like Escherichia coli are used for the transformation of the gene of interest into the host cell. Transformation and cloning are the two important genetic engineering tools used for the expression of the foreign gene of interest in the given bacterial cell. Three conditions required for the transformation are: 1) the host into which the foreign DNA is inserted, 2) a method for the insertion of the DNA into the host cell, and 3) methods to identify the transformed cells and select them.

The Story as Told in The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

The Story as Told in The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn Essay Mark Twains Legendary story of Huckleberry Finn is the tale of a young little-minded orphan boy named Huck, who is the narrator, and tells his story in which he is accompanied by a runaway slave named Jim who both embark on various mischievous adventures down the Mississippi River, Jim who is owned by Hucks care takers Ms. Watson and Widow Douglass is faced with the most challenges in the novel. Throughout the novel Huck Jim are faced with many obstacles on there adventures up and down the Mississippi River seeking the free state of Illinois, where Jims Plan is to gain his freedom and live his dream of reuniting with his wife and children whom were also sold into slavery. Eventhough the novel is touching and compelling in many ways over the last 120 years Twains novel has been attacked by various groups for being a racist novel, while others strongly believe that his novel is the greatest statement in American culture against racism. Twain began writing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn currently after his first novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) which wasnt as much of a controversial novel compared to his best seller. Twain later re-wrote and re-wrote Huck Finn multiple times later finishing it in December 1883. During his writings Twain had a hard time within himself towards his novel due to his character Huck helping Jim runaway to a free state and there strong bond they both shared, which Twain knew wasnt a right thing to do during his time for the fact in the eyes of the average slave owners or racist go-getters. As years passed and many different versions of Twains writings evolved from language to language but still with-held the same context as his original writings. After Twains passing, and Huckleberry Finn having a slight shed under the limelight for some of its vulgar language, and more than many racial slurs toward Jim other characters portrayed as slaves in his novel, real criticism began. Many different types of various groups regardless whether they have there share of pros and cons, on the novel shared there own opinions regarding the use of the N word being used in the novel to be dignified as if it was Jims name. Those who do not approve of Twains writings are those who see the book as a racist novel, which when reading the novel you can see many different clusters of its racism. As you continue to read the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn you tend to notice that Huck is faced with many challenges dealing with the fact Jim is a runaway slave,and Huck is giving his share as being a accomplice in his crime, and that is where many people who see the negative side of the novel try to look passed the helpings of Huck and Jims freedom and just focus on that bubble of racial slurs and the hardships for African Americans of that time who were mistreated and who died trying to live a positive life style passed the mistreatment. Thats in all of the history itself Twain lived in the era where slaves were a household appliance or necessity and in todays days its unethical to own a slave, which many Americans today will all agree on. Many issues the groups who withheld opposition of Twains writings in our decade are trying to shed light on the fact that this novel is being taught in schools all across America, and the use of the racial slurs once again should be censored throughout the novel. Yet once you re-arrange a book to have the slightest bit of change, you create a gap or some type of a road block where you miss the true meanings Twain is trying to approach to his audience, to feel the feelings Jim and Huck felt on there voyage across the Mississippi, and thats when other groups who approve of the message Twain is trying to achieve in his purpose feel as if this is one of the novels in American History that cultivates one of the greatest statements of the true meaning on unity, faith, and the growth of a boy becoming a man all within a time where racism was a huge whirlwind of negativity. Choosing a side to say weather Twains novel is a racist book, or one of the greatest statements in American culture against racism. I would have to choose that, Twain was always giving a positive outlook when writing this story,due to many helpings between the friendship of Huck Jim. Regardless if it was Jim helping Huck or Huck Helping Jim it was an integrated friendship that would of not have been accepted in the society of the late 1800s when racism wasnt at its peak as it would be 50-80 years later in the time of the Civil Rights Movement. Some can and will always argue with the vulgarity scripted page by page in the story but that is what makes it such an interesting story, Twain wanted his reader to experience the feelings he captivated within each character and how hard it really was in his decade for two unlike pairs to help eachother gain more than moral values in life and to take chances in doing whats right than whats expected. Seeing passed the racism issues various groups attack Twains writings on, he tries to give a self point-of-view on what unity should really be like, such as Huck helping Jim be free than later throughout chapters recover Jim from a slave auction where he was forced to stay when the King and the Duke turned him in for ransom. Regardless of his skin color and the crime he committed Huck knew what was right from wrong and did the unexpected and helped out a colored man , at the time where it was not excepted to do so in that specific time frame in American History. You can say the novel shares its negatives and its positives on the opinions of racism, yet many can share there own opinions within eachother when reading the book. Mark Twain had every bit of intention to make his book have many controversies in his present and our future. People need to see the true meanings of Twains work past all of the negativity and a real autobiographical look at his point of view on racism itself, he had every reason for Huck and Jim to be best buddies in his novel because at that time he knew what was right from wrong. So people can his story is wrapped around tightly with words or racism some can say its simply work of great meanings but as I would say its a story of unity of two unlike pairs to be united as one into helping eachother find themselves and the true meaning of life, and becoming there own men, In Conclusion Mark Twains Legendary story of Huckleberry Finn the tale of the young little-minded orphan boy Huck, and a runaway slave Jim who both embarked on a mischievous adventure down the Mississippi River, and faced with many challenges seeking the free state of Illinois. Was really a tale of two unlike cultures coming together and helping one another no matter what color you are friendship is stronger than a racial barrier, eventhough the last 120 years the book has been attacked by various groups for being a racist novel, while others strongly believe that it is the greatest statement in American culture against racism. I strongly believe it is definitely the greatest statement in American culture against racism. Word Count:1266

Media’s Role In Body Images Essay -- Media Advertisements Advertising

Media’s Role In Body Images Authors can effectively get their point across by using different rhetorical techniques. In the two articles that I will examine, the authors mainly used a pathos appeal. Authors use pathos to get a social and emotional application across to the reader. Another rhetorical technique that is used by many authors is ethos. Ethos is a technique that can be used by an author saying that since they are perhaps a doctor or may have belonged to a certain organization for a long time, then they know more about a topic than somebody who may not have had the same moral values or interests. Logos, or the logic that the reader may conclude from the author, is an additional rhetorical technique that is commonly used by authors. These three appeals are the best way for an author to get his point of view across to the reader. Authors that are writing about the same topic might not use the same appeals, nor may they use identical appeals in the same way. Consequently, Colleen Thompso n author of Society and Eating Disorders and David Butler author of Slim Pickings are both getting the idea that society and the media play a role in the behavior of how people feel about their bodies, but they use different appeals to get their points across. The two articles, written by Thompson and Butler, deal with the issue of how people, especially females, deal with the media’s role concerning weight issues. As the year 2000 rolled in, actresses’ and models’ body weight decreased, and their waiflike bodies became more noticeable in the public’s eyes. Many little girls grow up idealizing the people in the public eye, giving them the idea that they must look a certain way, which is not a healthy way.... ...ns where you can find out about weight loss & fitness. Thompson has links that can help out people. She has a bunch of icons to click on; for example, if you want to know signs of problems you can click on signs, or if you want to get help you can click on either getting help or therapists. Even though Thompson’s article is less appealing to the eye, she has more icons that can help someone better understand problems that are associated with media and weight loss. Butler and Thompson’s article’s are very informative, and help people to better understand the problem’s people are faced with today. Even though both authors use different techniques to get the reader to better understand how they feel about their topic, the reader can learn from both papers. I feel that these two authors used very good techniques, and they are both respectable papers.

Brief Analysis Report of Rio Tinto

Brief analysis report of Rio Tinto Rio Tinto is a British multinational metals and mining corporation with headquarters in London and a management office in Melbourne, Australia. The corporation was founded in 1873 and it ranked at the number 263 in Global 500 of largest worldwide companies in 2008. (Wikipedia, 2012) Rio Tinto’s net earning has decreased in the year 2011 mainly because of the financial crisis and global economic uncertainty (Annual report of Rio Tinto, 2011). Meanwhile, the leadership claimed that they believe the long-term outlook is strong. Figure 1: Key Financial Data of Rio Tinto (from 2010 and 2011) YearItem | 2010 / US$ million| 2011 / US$ million| Net profit before tax| 20,491| 13,214| Net profit after tax| 15,098| 6,765| Total comprehensive income| 16,492| 4,365| Sales| 55,171| 60,537| Total assets| 112,773| 119,545| Current assets| 21,459| 21,898| Current liabilities| 12,876| 14,966| Cash flow from operating activities| 23,530| 27,388| (Annual report of Rio Tinto, 2011) According to figure 1 the net profit margin of Rio Tinto in the year 2010 fell from27. 4% to 11. 2% in the year 2011. (net profit margin is equal to net profit after tax divided by sales revenue) The profit rate to net worth of this company in the year is 5. %. (profit rate to net worth is net profit after tax divided by average total assets) The investors should use comprehensive income figure rather than net profit because comprehensive income includes all changes in equity during a period. (comprehensive income is equal to net profit plus other comprehensive income) The operating cash flow increased by $US3,858 million from $US23,530 million in the year 2010 to $US27,388 million in the year 2011 meanwhile, the sales raised by $US5,366 million from $US55,171 millionin the year 2010 to 60,537 million US$ in the year 2011.This matter of fact indicates Rio Tinto expended $US1,580 million on operating the company. The current assets increased smoothly from $US21,45 9 million in the year 2010 to $US21,898 million in the year 2011. At the same period the current liabilities raised up dramatically from $US12,876 million in the year 2010 to $US14,966 million in the year 2011. This data shows the company did not work well in this period. (Figure 1) Rio Tinto will cutting office jobs in Melbourne and Sydney in Australia and the board of the company will cut support and service costs by 10 per cent around the world (Greg, 2012).Because they said they need to build resilience and controlling costs during a difficult time, which includes product price decreases and Europe’s debt crisis (Greg, 2012). Greg’s report (2012) also showed that the Rio Tinto’s first half net profit dropped dramatically to $US4. 9 billion ($A4. 69 billion) from $US7. 78 billion ($A7. 44 billion) last year. Not only Rio Tinto’s earnings has dropped but BHP Billiton’s earnings are forecast to drop at the same time the world’s biggest iron ore miner Vale also posted lower than expected second quarter earnings at two year lows(Greg,2012).In the group statement of financial position the goodwill of Rio Tinto has dropped almost half of that in the year 2010 which is from $US15,316 million to $US8,187 million(Annual report of Rio Tinto, 2011). This matter of fact indicates that the company Rio Tinto appears to be done not well. The inventories of this company increase by $US551 million from $US4,756 million in the year 2010 to $US5,307 million in the year 2011(Annual report of Rio Tinto, 2011). The inventories rise up means the product of Rio Tinto cannot be sold mainly because the economy is uncertain and the demand of the ore is weak.The current and non-current liabilities all raise heavily and the net assets decreases from $US64,512 million in the year 2010 to $US59,208 million in the year 2011(Annual report of Rio Tinto, 2011). The liabilities rise up means the Rio Tinto tried to borrow money to pass the difficult ti me which lasting time is still uncertain. The net profit of Rio Tinto and other mining company decrease mainly because the commodity prices drop seriously. Commodity prices are formed by the interaction of global economic growth and costs of expanding supply of ommodities (Garnaut,n. d). According to Gurnaut’s article ‘the contemporary China resources boom’ China have been the main reason of high energy and metals prices since the year 2003. The article also claimed that Chinese growth has been the consequence of high investment rates and rapid increases in fringe population and the export share of production. The author believed that developing countries like China and India will still keep the commodity prices of ore in high level.In brief, although the financial and operating situation of the Rio Tinto is not well, the future of Rio Tinto will still be great because the demand of developing will be strong. Hence, it will be a good choice to invest Rio Tinto. R eference list Garnaut, R 2012, ‘The contemporary China resources boom’, The Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, vol. 56, no. 2, pp. 222–243 Rio Tinto Ltd, 2011, Annual Report viewed 5 August 2012 http://www. riotinto. com/annualreport2011/pdf/rio_tinto_2011_annual_report. pdf Wikipedia2012, Rio Tinto Group, viewed 26 October 2012, < http://de. wikipedia. org/wiki/Rio_Tinto_Group>

Confessions of an Application Reader Essay

A HIGHLY qualified student, with a 3. 95 unweighted grade point average and 2300 on the SAT, was not among the top-ranked engineering applicants to the University of California, Berkeley. He had perfect 800s on his subject tests in math and chemistry, a score of 5 on five Advanced Placement exams, musical talent and, in one of two personal statements, had written a loving tribute to his parents, who had emigrated from India. Enlarge This Image Brian Cronin for The New York Times Related Go to Education Life  » Enlarge This Image Peg Skorpinski Sather Gate, a literal and symbolic portal on Berkeley’s campus. Readers’ Comments Readers shared their thoughts on this article. Read All Comments (250)  » Why was he not top-ranked by the â€Å"world’s premier public university,† as Berkeley calls itself? Perhaps others had perfect grades and scores? They did indeed. Were they ranked higher? Not necessarily. What kind of student was ranked higher? Every case is different. The reason our budding engineer was a 2 on a 1-to-5 scale (1 being highest) has to do with Berkeley’s holistic, or comprehensive, review, an admissions policy adopted by most selective colleges and universities. In holistic review, institutions look beyond grades and scores to determine academic potential, drive and leadership abilities. Apparently, our Indian-American student needed more extracurricular activities and engineering awards to be ranked a 1. Now consider a second engineering applicant, a Mexican-American student with a moving, well-written essay but a 3. 4 G. P. A. and SATs below 1800. His school offered no A. P. He competed in track when not at his after-school job, working the fields with his parents. His score? 2. 5. Both students were among â€Å"typical† applicants used as norms to train application readers like myself. And their different credentials yet remarkably close rankings illustrate the challenges, the ambiguities and the agenda of admissions at a major public research university in a post-affirmative-action world. WHILE teaching ethics at the University of San Francisco, I signed on as an â€Å"external reader† at Berkeley for the fall 2011 admissions cycle. I was one of about 70 outside readers — some high school counselors, some private admissions consultants — who helped rank the nearly 53,000 applications that year, giving each about eight minutes of attention. An applicant scoring a 4 or 5 was probably going to be disappointed; a 3 might be deferred to a January entry; students with a 1, 2 or 2. 5 went to the top of the pile, but that didn’t mean they were in. Berkeley might accept 21 percent of freshman applicants over all but only 12 percent in engineering. My job was to help sort the pool. We were to assess each piece of information — grades, courses, standardized test scores, activities, leadership potential and character — in an additive fashion, looking for ways to advance the student to the next level, as opposed to counting any factor as a negative. External readers are only the first read. Every one of our applications was scored by an experienced lead reader before being passed on to an inner committee of admissions officers for the selection phase. My new position required two days of intensive training at the Berkeley Alumni House as well as eight three-hour norming sessions. There, we practiced ranking under the supervision of lead readers and admissions officers to ensure our decisions conformed to the criteria outlined by the admissions office, with the intent of giving applicants as close to equal treatment as possible. The process, however, turned out very differently. In principle, a broader examination of candidates is a great idea; some might say it is an ethical imperative to look at the â€Å"bigger picture† of an applicant’s life, as our mission was described. Considering the bigger picture has aided Berkeley’s pursuit of diversity after Proposition 209, which in 1996 amended California’s constitution to prohibit consideration of race, ethnicity or gender in admissions to public institutions. In Fisher v.  the University of Texas, the Supreme Court, too, endorsed race-neutral processes aimed at promoting educational diversity and, on throwing the case back to lower courts, challenged public institutions to justify race as a factor in the holistic process. In practice, holistic admissions raises many questions about who gets selected, how and why. I could see the fundamental unevenness in this process both in the norming Webinars and when alone in a dark room at home with my Berkeley-issued netbook, reading assigned applications away from enormously curious family members. First and foremost, the process is confusingly subjective, despite all the objective criteria I was trained to examine. In norming sessions, I remember how lead readers would raise a candidate’s ranking because he or she â€Å"helped build the class. † I never quite grasped how to build a class of freshmen from California — the priority, it was explained in the first day’s pep talk — while seeming to prize the high-paying out-of-state students who are so attractive during times of a growing budget gap. (A special team handled international applications. ) In one norming session, puzzled readers questioned why a student who resembled a throng of applicants and had only a 3. 5 G. P. A. should rank so highly. Could it be because he was a nonresident and had wealthy parents? (He had taken one of the expensive volunteer trips to Africa that we were told should not impress us. ) Income, an optional item on the application, would appear on the very first screen we saw, along with applicant name, address and family information. We also saw the high school’s state performance ranking. All this can be revealing. Admissions officials were careful not to mention gender, ethnicity and race during our training sessions. Norming examples were our guide. Privately, I asked an officer point-blank: â€Å"What are we doing about race? † She nodded sympathetically at my confusion but warned that it would be illegal to consider: we’re looking at — again, that phrase — the â€Å"bigger picture† of the applicant’s life. After the next training session, when I asked about an Asian student who I thought was a 2 but had only received a 3, the officer noted: â€Å"Oh, you’ll get a lot of them. † She said the same when I asked why a low-income student with top grades and scores, and who had served in the Israeli army, was a 3. Which them? I had wondered. Did she mean I’d see a lot of 4. 0 G. P. A. ’s, or a lot of applicants whose bigger picture would fail to advance them, or a lot of Jewish and Asian applicants (Berkeley is 43 percent Asian, 11 percent Latino and 3 percent black)? The idea behind multiple readers is to prevent any single reader from making an outlier decision. And some of the rankings I gave actual applicants were overturned up the reading hierarchy. I received an e-mail from the assistant director suggesting I was not with the program: â€Å"You’ve got 15 outlier, which is quite a lot. Mainly you gave 4’s and the final scores were 2’s and 2. 5’s. † As I continued reading, I should keep an eye on the â€Å"percentile report on the e-viewer† and adjust my rankings accordingly. In a second e-mail, I was told I needed more 1’s and referrals. A referral is a flag that a student’s grades and scores do not make the cut but the application merits a special read because of â€Å"stressors† — socioeconomic disadvantages that admissions offices can use to increase diversity. Officially, like all readers, I was to exclude minority background from my consideration. I was simply to notice whether the student came from a non-English-speaking household. I was not told what to do with this information — except that it may be a stressor if the personal statement revealed the student was having trouble adjusting to coursework in English. In such a case, I could refer the applicant for a special read. Why did I hear so many times from the assistant director? I think I got lost in the unspoken directives. Some things can’t be spelled out, but they have to be known. Application readers must simply pick it up by osmosis, so that the process of detecting objective factors of disadvantage becomes tricky. It’s an extreme version of the American non-conversation about race. I scoured applications for stressors. To better understand stressors, I was trained to look for the â€Å"helpful† personal statement that elevates a candidate. Here I encountered through-the-looking-glass moments: an inspiring account of achievements may be less â€Å"helpful† than a report of the hardships that prevented the student from achieving better grades, test scores and honors. Should I value consistent excellence or better results at the end of a personal struggle? I applied both, depending on race. An underrepresented minority could be the phoenix, I decided. We were not to hold a lack of Advanced Placement courses against applicants. Highest attention was to be paid to the unweighted G. P. A. , as schools in low-income neighborhoods may not offer A. P. courses, which are given more weight in G. P. A. calculation. Yet readers also want to know if a student has taken challenging courses, and will consider A. P. ’s along with key college-prep subjects, known as a-g courses, required by the U. C. system. Even such objective information was open to interpretation. During training Webinars, we argued over transcripts. I scribbled this exchange in my notes: A reader ranks an applicant low because she sees an â€Å"overcount† in the student’s a-g courses. She thinks the courses were miscounted or perhaps counted higher than they should have been. Another reader sees an undercount and charges the first reader with â€Å"trying to cut this girl down. † The lead reader corrects: â€Å"We’re not here to cut down a student. † We’re here to find factors that advance the student to a higher ranking. Another reader thinks the student is â€Å"good† but we have so many of â€Å"these kids. † She doesn’t see any leadership beyond the student’s own projects. Listening to these conversations, I had to wonder exactly how elite institutions define leadership. I was supposed to find this major criterion holistically in the application. Some students took leadership courses. Most often, it was demonstrated in extracurricular activities.

Chinas Population Problem essays

China's Population Problem essays The Chinese government has taken the enforcement of family planning and birthrate laws to an extreme by violating the civil rights of its citizens, which has had bad effects on the morale of its people (Whyte 161). China's population has grown to such an enormous size that it has become a problem to both the people and government. China, the most populous country in the world, has an estimated population of about one thousand-one hundred-thirty three point six million (Hsu 1). Ninety-four percent of the population thrives in the eastern half of China, which composes about forty-three percent of China's total area (Hsu 1). The eastern half of China contains its most populous cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin. However these cities have a low fertility rate due to recent bandwagons of birth control. The average density in the eastern half of China averages around two-hundred and thirty-six people per square kilometer, whereas the density in the west half averages around ten poi nt six people per square kilometer (Hsu 1). Current enforcement of Chinese laws prevents migration between provinces without proper authorization, as the citizens in the west half of China have a desire to live in a more urban life where jobs can be found easier, and the citizens in the more populous eastern half have a stronger desire to live in the more rural western China (Hsu 4). The Chinese have always had a large population (Hsu 1). Even in ancient times where the population would never fall below sixty million (Hsu 1). Later, in the eighteenth century the population rose exceedingly and China became the strongest and most economically wealthy (Hsu 1). By the time the Qing Dynasty ruled, the fertile people of China had reached a population of three-hundred million (Hsu 1). The birthrate in China did decline in the nineteen-fifties due to campaigning by the government on birth control (Hsu 1). However, after the population decreased the government t...

How to Prepare with GED Classes Online

How to Prepare with GED Classes Online Basics of Preparing with GED Classes Online: If you want to increase your eligibility for jobs and college entrance, consider preparing for the GED online. Many GED classes online offer exam guide books, practice tests, and other material to help students study for the GED. Can I Take the GED Online?: No. It is important to remember that the GED exam cannot be taken through the internet. Although you may prepare for the GED online, you will need to go to a physical testing center to take the actual exam and earn your certificate. Websites that tell you otherwise are scams. Preparing for the GED Online via the American Council on Education: The American Council on Education facilitates the GED exam. Check out their website for GED online study material including the official practice test and sample questions. The website also lists your local testing center. Preparing for the GED Online with Regional Resources: Many adult education resource centers offer students a way to study for the GED online. They may offer you access to virtual video instruction or help you prepare for the GED online with practice programs. Because these centers are designed to help local students, you’ll need to find one in your area. Preparing for the GED Online with Other Websites: When choosing material to help you study for the GED online, avoid websites that promise to send you a GED without the need for testing.Some reputable GED online practice sites include GEDforFree.com and GED Academy.

Designing a balance scorecard for the american university in the Essay - 1

Designing a balance scorecard for the american university in the emirates - Essay Example An American University aims to open an affiliate in the United Arab Emirates. However, in order to ensure effective establishment and development of this University, the management needs to develop a comprehensive strategic framework such as Balanced Scorecard. However, there is limited knowledge and understanding of how to apply this framework to educational sector as Balanced scorecard model is mainly applied in commercial sector (Karathanos & Karathanos, 2005). The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of how the framework of a balanced scorecard can be applied to the education sector. Based on the research findings it will be possible to design a balanced scorecard for educational institutions at University level. Furthermore, this paper aims to develop some recommendations in relation to the American University in the United Arab Emirates. The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is a framework used for tracking and measuring performance. Robert Kaplan and David Norton have introduced the BSC in the early 1990s as a new way for organisations to measure their performance in a comprehensive and integral way. Before, organisations relied only on financial indicators in order to monitor their achievements (Bakhtiari, et al. 2012). However, Kaplan and Norton have expanded this approach, offering a more balanced system. This system is comprised of four major perspectives: financial perspective, customer perspective, internal processes perspective, and learning and growth perspective (Bakhtiari, et al. 2014). All these perspectives have causal relationship among performance indicators and performance measures should be linked to the results (Sudirmann, 2012). The financial perspective is viewed to be the primary perspective of any commercial activity. The primary goal of any commercial activity is to generate revenue and create wealth for its shareholders. The companies set financial goals and develop strategies how to achieve

Topic Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Topic Critique - Essay Example t "to the extent that an individual can learn to perform some mental skills without conscious attention, the conscious part of the brain is freed to attend to other mental activities, thus enlarging its cognitive scope (Dickinson). For example, a person who is interested in music will learn the lyrics and tunes of a song easily without giving much conscious attention to learn it. On the other hand, same person may struggle to learn mathematics in the absence of interest, even if he performs some conscious efforts. From the above examples it is clear that certain brain activities are controlling the learning capabilities of a person unknowingly. Herman Epstein suggested that periods of rapid brain growth are the times for intellectually challenging curriculum, and that plateau periods, such as in adolescence, are the times for more concrete, experiential learning rather than pushing students too soon into abstract thinking (Dickinson) The analysing powers of a person varies differently during his life span. Alcohol or drug usages may not be considered as a sin by some youths. But the same youths may regret for their activities after ten or fifteen years. In other words, same thing may be perceived differently by the same person during different stages of his life because of differences in brain activities at different periods. Music is an entity which can control and comfort the brain activities. Even distressed persons will get a soothing effect when they hear music. A calm and peaceful mind is essential for proper learning. A learner’s mind will always be under tension because of some external parameters which may have nothing to do with learning. Music can eliminate all such negative parameters of learning and can keep the learner’s mind fully focussed on the learning activity alone. All the people hate noise, but most of them like music because of its smooth rhythm and feeling it create. â€Å"The intentional use of music in the classroom will set the scene