Thursday, October 24, 2019
Kite Runner – Chapter 9
ENGLISH LITERATURE COMMENTARY THE KITE RUNNER The paragraph shows the moment of epiphany as it is the moment where Amir realizes that Hassan know that Amir had hide behind the alley when the incident happened. Amir discovers Hassan’s love for him is endless and accepts his flaws despite after everything that has happened shows in the phrase â€Å"led to another understanding: Hassan knew†. Hassan proves that his love for Amir is so great that he forgives Amir and willing to cover up for Amir once again.Hassan knows that Amir has betrayed him and yet he still takes the blame. â€Å"My heart sank†shows that Amir is shock that Hassan is willing to sacrifice again and take the blow. However it will be â€Å"Hassan’s final sacrifice†as it will be the ultimate sacrifice of Hassan and break the pain they both are undergoing. The situation isn’t the same anymore after the incident happened as their friendship is broken already and with Hassanâ€⠄¢s final sacrifice it puts down the curtain down to what happened in the alley.The connotation of the ‘snake’ shows that it is Amir who is responsible for everything and the sneaky evil. The simile also interjects the fact Amir is not loyal. â€Å"The monster in the lake†refers the dream that Hassan had before the kite competition but in this reference Amir is telling that monster do exist and he compares himself to a monster in which he is cruel and a wicked person who is liable for the whole event. â€Å"I wasn’t worthy of this sacrifice. I was a liar, a cheat, and a thief.And I would have told, except that a part of me was glad†shows that Amir realizes all his drawbacks and that he wasn’t worthy of Hassan’s sacrifice but at the same time he is glad that everything will be over. He is glad that maybe he would be able to move on and continue to his normal life again without having to think about his mischief because so far everythi ng reminds him of the incident. â€Å"I wanted that, to move on, to forget to start with a clean state.I wanted to be able to breathe again†conveys a message that after the incident he is not able to breathe properly because he always recall the bad memories and how he feels so desolate. He believes the only way to start a new clean state is for one of them to leave and with the presence of Hassan it is harder for Amir to erase the guilt and memory from his mind and he wants the memory to stop haunting him like a ghost. He wants to be able to breathe again and with the fact that Hassan is leaving he thinks that the pain would at least be over, his guilt will lessen, he wont be haunted anymore.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
“Demon in the Freezer†A Book Report Essay
â€Å"Demon in the Freezer†by popular virus expert Richard Preston is the third book in his ‘trilogy of death.’ After zooming in on the dangers of Ebola virus in his best-selling book â€Å"The Hot Zone,†and bioengineered monkey pox in â€Å"The Cobra Event,†Preston shifts the focus to the lurking threat posed by the deadly smallpox virus in the event that it becomes the new weapon of choice among terrorists dabbling in chemical warfare.            The book is premised on an alarming but very real possibility – the vulnerability of America and the rest of the world to biological weapons at the hands of terrorists.            It all begins on the events of September 27, 2001, a Thursday, nearly three weeks after the terror attacks on the Twin Towers of the New York World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Photo retoucher Robert Stevens begins to feel unwell and suffers from flu-like symptoms after he takes his family hiking in North Carolina. He starts to vomit profusely and soon develops a high fever, convulsions, and slips into a coma before succumbing to a fatal breathing arrest. Medical experts diagnose the cause of death as inhalation anthrax, alerting Army officials into action. More poisoned letters are discovered and the victims are rushed into bivouac units, forcing authorities to confront the worst – could the anthrax, non-communicable and treatable with early diagnosis, be laced with something far more deadly – the fatal smallpox virus?            After narrating the anthrax attacks on Sen. Tom Deschle’s office in October 2001, Preston makes a temporal jump (one of several in fact) to cover a smallpox outbreak in Germany back in 1970, courtesy of the man Peter Los, who in his youth has gone traipsing halfway around the world in Afghanistan, India and Pakistan in pursuit of the hippie ideals of the ‘60s. Preston then proceeds to describe the prehistoric origins of smallpox as far as the early river valley civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia.            Then he propels back to the ‘70s as he retells the smallpox eradication campaign led by medical doctor Donald Ainslie (DA) Henderson, then director of the World Health Organization’s Smallpox Eradication Unit from its inception (1966) to 1977, just before the last known reported case occurred.            Henderson is passionate about getting rid of the virus: â€Å"What we need to do is create a general moral climate where smallpox is considered too morally reprehensible to be used as a weapon. That would make the possession of smallpox in a laboratory, anywhere, effectively a crime against humanity. The likelihood that it would be used as a weapon is diminished by a global commitment to destroy it. How much it is diminished I don’t know. But it adds a level of safety (Preston, 2002, p. 54).â€Å"            A Soviet epidemiologist also deserves credit for jump-starting the modern effort to eradicate smallpox – Viktor Zhdanov – who called for its global eradication at the 1958 World Health Assembly annual meeting. This was subsequently endorsed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 in a political move to improve American-Soviet relations, and D.A. Henderson found himself heading the World Health Organization’s new Smallpox Eradication Unit. And the rest of the eradication campaign became one of the greatest feats in public health history.            Preston now turns to an examination of the Soviet biological weapons program in 1989, after Soviet biologist Vladimir Pasechnik defected to Britain and confirmed that the USSR had biological missiles targeted at the United States. This infuriated then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and US President George Bush, who confronted Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. In response, Gorbachev allowed a small, secret team of weapons inspectors to tour the Soviet’s bio-warfare facilities for their Biopreparat program. These American and British inspectors were alarmed by what they discovered: Russian scientists were testing and experimenting with smallpox at their bioweapons facility at the Vector virology complex in Siberia, in violation of the WHO rules. This was denied by Soviet authorities.            For top UDAMRIID scientist Peter Jahrling, the demon in the freezer has been set loose, with illegal stocks of the smallpox virus in possession of rogue states like Iraq and North Korea almost a certainty. The thought of biologists in secret labs creating new strains of the virus into a ‘superpox’ variant resistant to all vaccines is enough to sent chills down virologists’ spines. Jahrling is leading a team of scientists in controversial experiments with live smallpox to develop vaccines and help counter what the bioterrorists might be cooking up.            The author views the subject of bioterrorism as a very real, urgent and alarming threat to national security, and the fate of humanity on the whole, given today’s mobile world where a smallpox outbreak could spread as fast as wildfire across countries all over the globe.            Following the events after 9/11 and the anthrax terror, Preston highlights the new world order: the urgency to safeguard civilization from these new menaces. Smallpox is recognized as the new supreme bioterror menace, given the disease’s potential to cause human agony, its capability for fast and easy transmission, and ultimately its lethal character. Anthrax pales in comparison as direct contact is unnecessary for smallpox to spread – all it takes is for the virus to travel through a ventilation system. Immunity from the disease through vaccines introduced decades ago effectively vanishes, and if released in today’s very mobile world, it would easily overwhelm mankind in dreadful waves. Preston succinctly captures the menace of smallpox, without resorting to hyperbole: â€Å"Smallpox is explosively contagious, and it travels through the air. Virus particles in the mouth become airborne when the host talks. If you inhale a single particle of smallpox, you can come down with the disease†¦ Then the illness hits with a spike of fever, a backache, and vomiting, and a bit later tiny red spots appear all over the body. The spots turn into blisters, called pustules, and the pustules enlarge, filling with pressurized opalescent pus. The eruption of pustules is sometimes called the splitting of the dermis. The skin doesn’t break, but splits horizontally, tearing away from its underlayers. The pustules become hard, bloated sacs the size of peas, encasing the body with pus, and the skin resembles a cobbled stone street. †¦The pain of the splitting is extraordinary. People lose the ability to speak, and their eyes can squeeze shut with pustules, but they remain alert. Death comes with a breathing arrest or a heart attack or shock or an immune-system storm, though exactly how smallpox kills a person is not known (Preston, 2002, p. 44).†             The sociological consequences on account of the issue of bioterrorism are manifold and far-reaching. There is of course the issue of power relations among nations, particularly in the case of the arms race between the United States and the USSR during the Cold War which brought to the fore the threat of nuclear annihilation and bio-chemical warfare. Though the Soviet bloc has crumbled, other rogue states, e.g. North Korea, Cuba and Iran, are more than ready to threaten and challenge the United States for military supremacy, and might even be developing new weapons of mass destruction no longer limited to nuclear warheads but utilizing as well deadly pathogens and viral strains.            Preston spends much time in the book discussing current efforts of the American scientific community to research smallpox in the hope of better combating bioterrorism. It is important to note, as Preston does, that the people leading the fight to destroy smallpox, though well-trained, was still mostly a ragtag group of scientists and medical doctors with the firm conviction that smallpox could indeed, and should be annihilated from the face of the planet.            Perhaps his discussion of the current research on smallpox would prove more relevant as he provides a detailed description and analysis of the conflicts and controversies surrounding the project – from securing approval and the go-ahead signal from top government officials to the personal conflicts and issues the personalities involved in the research have had to face. The primary concern centers on the perceived lax security at the two worldwide biomedical installations, one in Atlanta and the other at Siberia, and their conviction on the very real threat of bioterrorism which could strike anytime and claim so many lives, given the state of unpreparedness to counter such an attack.            Preston successfully connects the past (the impetus for eradication of the disease) to the future (current concerns on how to counter the virus). As situated within the new-world context of post 9/11, there is a pressing need for vaccine stockpiling, long advocated by top government virologist Peter Jahrling who had initially feared the lacing of the mailed anthrax spores with smallpox. He comes into conflict with D. A. Henderson, the current head of the Office of Public Health Preparedness, as he argues for the development of an antiviral agent for those who cannot receive the smallpox vaccine. Henderson thinks that Jahrling’s experimentation with smallpox in laboratory monkeys is a largely futile step in the wrong direction. The dean of John Hopkins School of Public Health Al Sommer has joined the fray, believing that Jahrling’s work provides an impetus for other countries to conduct their on experiments on smallpox, thereby â€Å"We could start an arms race over smallpox†¦ (Sommers as quoted by Preston, 2002).†           More disturbing is the revelation of the creation of a genetically engineered mousepox virus to which mousepox-resistant rodents are highly susceptible, intensifying the fear that unscrupulous scientists might have already created a ‘smallpox supervirus’ immune to current vaccines. Preston (2002) leaves us with this dire warning: â€Å"The main thing that stands between the human species and the creation of a supervirus is a sense of responsibility among individual biologists†¦The international community of physicists came of age in a burst of light over the sand of Trinity in New Mexico. The biologists have not yet experienced their Trinity.†           The book’s main strength is that is a well-researched piece, and Richard Preston has proven himself a skillful writer with his vivid narration and matter-of-fact style allowing him to dispense with hyperbole.  The book succeeds in frightening its readers as it covers many interesting episodes. Although some may find the message of â€Å"Demon in the Freezer†grim and uncomfortable it nonetheless awakens readers to the true significance of chillingly real concepts, i.e. â€Å"weapons of mass destruction†and â€Å"bioterrorism.†           On the weak side, the temporal jumps in the narration give one the feeling of a disjointed read, as the two stories on anthrax and smallpox do not quite flow as smoothly and coherently as one might wish – the author fails to weave the story in such a way that there is an effectively riveting and seamless momentum – though each part is fascinating. At some point, there is also too much details to grasp and absorb, and to that extent the reader have to grapple with information overload, halting the usually rapid fire story-telling.            The main bias of the author is that he is of course writing from the American perspective, as the USA proves to be the eminent target of terror attacks. Thus, â€Å"Demon in the Freezer†appears to be an attempt to inform and warn Americans of the dangers they are currently facing from the threat of bioterrorism, and to some extent to influence authorities and make them realize the horrors – a global viral epidemic which could wipe out the world’s population – which might arise from inaction on the part of government and the scientific community:            â€Å"A vaccine-resistant smallpox would be everyone’s worst nightmare come true†¦ We could be left trying to fight a genetically engineered virus with a vaccine that had been invented in 1796 (Preston, 2002).†           General Russell had this to add: â€Å"If smallpox really got going, people should be most concerned about a lack of effective leadership on the part of their government (quoted by Preston, 2002, p. 60).â€Å"            On a happy note, â€Å"Demon in the Freezer†provided the timely opportunity for me to get acquainted with the issue of bioterrorism and its related concepts – biological warfare, weapons of mass destruction, etc., which are obviously pressing concerns for humanity burdened with the threat of nuclear destruction and annihilation in a not-so-distant future. However, this remains to be the only experience I have so far with the issue of bioterrorism and specifically smallpox and anthrax, for that matter.            In terms of the need for further research, I think it should focus more on determining and mapping out the states which really have illegal strains of smallpox virus in their possession, in order to effectively prepare for any possible worse-case scenarios in the advent of a smallpox terror attack. Aside from smallpox, it might prove helpful in the long-run if scientists also map out other possible biological agents which might pose future threats to human security, and to explore the possibility of developing vaccines and other counter-measures. All of these proposed researches need to be conducted in the most stringent, up-to-standard manner possible, with adequate empirical grounding and in the most morally and ethically acceptable ways.            I think in many ways (though it might be indirect), the reviewed work does relate to Sociology, with the latter in turn covering a wide array of fields involving human interaction and dynamics in the context of groups and societies. Political institutions and the ensuing dynamics and power relations governing these are discussed by Preston in the book, together with the issue of ethics in research, i.e. the controversy surrounding experiments with smallpox and other viral agents.            Perhaps it would prove useful if material from the book would be incorporated into class lectures, particularly the ethical aspects of research and experimentation with life –threatening organisms, the actual existence and lingering threat of biological warfare and terrorism, and how it is being met by existing social institutions.            Overall, I did found â€Å"Demon in the Freezer†an interesting read, though at times I had to really struggle with understanding all the concepts and trains of thought Preston had introduced in his narratives. It was informative at the same time, though at some point you would really realize how frighteningly real is the scenario the author is trying to relay to his audience. Reference: Preston, Richard (2002). â€Å"Demon in the Freezer.†New York: Random House.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
St. Patricks Day Creative Writing Prompts and Other March Ideas
St. Patricks Day Creative Writing Prompts and Other March Ideas Even though the first day of Spring occurs in March, it often still feels like winter in many parts of the country. The following writing prompts for each day of the month can be a great way to incorporate writing in the form of warm-ups or journal entries. Feel free to use and modify these as you see fit. March Holidays Womens History MonthNational Craft MonthAmerican Red Cross MonthNational Nutrition MonthIrish-American Heritage Month Writing Prompt Ideas for March March 1 - Theme: Peanut Butter Lovers DayChunky or smooth? With or without jelly? How do you like your peanut butter, if you like it at all? In a few sentences, describe the experience of eating peanut butter without an accompanying drink. If you have never tasted peanut butter, then instead describe the experience of eating saltines without the benefit of a drink.March 2 - Theme: Dr. SeussWhich is your favorite Dr. Seuss book? Why?March 3 - Theme: Alexander Graham Bells BirthdayHow would your life be different without the invention of the telephone?March 4 - Theme: Womens History MonthDescribe the most courageous woman you know. This can either be someone you have met or someone you have read about.March 5 - Theme: Boston Massacre and PropagandaPaul Reveres engraving of the Boston Massacre was an extraordinary piece of propaganda. Explain why should we be wary of eyewitness accounts of major news stories?March 6 - Theme: Oreo CookiesWhat is your favorite way to eat an Or eo cookie? Do you separate them, dunk them, pop them whole in your mouth, or avoid them altogether? Explain why you answered as you did. March 7 - Theme: World Maths DayWorld Maths Day is the first Wednesday in March. What is your opinion about math? Do you like the subject or is it one you struggle with? Explain your answer.March 8 - Theme: National Craft MonthDo you consider yourself a crafty or artistic person? If so, whats your favorite type of craft? If not, why?March 9 - Theme: Barbies BirthdayIs Barbie a good role model for girls? Why or why not?March 10 - Theme: Genealogy DayDo you have an interest in learning about your familys heritage? Why or why not?March 11 - Theme: First Basketball GameWhat are your thoughts on basketball as a sport? Is it one you follow or one you dont care about at all? Explain your answer.March 12 - Theme: Role of the US President (Date of FDRs first fireside chat)During the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt took to giving fireside chats as a way to help Americans connect with the presidency and the government. Today, whenever a national disaster or event of great significance o ccurs, the president makes a statement or gives a speech. In your opinion, how important is this for you as an American citizen? Explain your answer. March 13 - Theme: Uncle SamWhat do you think of Uncle Sam as a symbol of the United States? Do you think it serves a purpose to have a fictional character such as this as a symbol? Explain your answer.March 14 - Theme: Albert Einsteins Birthday and Pi DayAlbert Einstein said, We cant solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. What do you think he meant by this statement? Do you agree with it?March 15 - Theme: Ides of March The tale of Julius Caesars warning to beware the ides of March and his impending assassination was dramatized by William Shakespeare. What is your opinion of Shakespeares plays? Do you find them entertaining, confusing, or something else altogether? Explain why you have this opinion.March 16 - Theme: Freedom of Information DayDo you think that the government should share more information, even if it is possibly damaging to the presidency and Congress? Explain your answer.March 17 - Theme: St. Patricks DayWhat do you think of St. Patricks Day? Do you celebrate St. Patricks Day by wearing green? Do you have any ancestors from Ireland? If you dont celebrate it, why not? March 18 s of tall tales include Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill, and Paul Bunyan.March 19 - Theme: National Nutrition MonthWhat is your opinion of vegetables? Do you like eating them? What are your favorite vegetables? Why?March 20 - Theme: First Day of SpringWrite a short piece of prose or poetry about spring. Make sure to appeal to all five senses in your writing.March 21 - Theme: World Poetry DayGive your thoughts about poetry. Do you like to read it, write it or avoid it? Explain your answer.March 22 - Theme: Artifical IntelligenceTechnology moves rapidly. We must consider the impact of artificial intelligence. What do you think are the benefits or concerns of artificial intelligence (AI) for the future of the world?March 23 - Theme: Patrick Henry and Liberty SpeechOn March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry made his famous speech that included the line, Give me liberty or give me death. Which of the freedoms that the US Constitution and Bill of Rights provide for do you feel is the most i mportant for preserving personal liberty? March 24 - Theme: Harry Houdinis BirthdayWhat do you think of magicians? Have you ever seen one perform? Describe that experience. If not, explain why you think people are so fascinated by magic shows.March 25 - Theme: National Waffle DayWhat is your favorite breakfast food? What do you like about it?March 26 - Theme: Make Up Your Own Holiday DayIf you were to create a holiday celebrating anything, what would it be? How would the celebrations include? Have fun and provide details.March 27 - Theme: Volunteering (American Red Cross Month)Explain what you believe the benefits of volunteering your time and talents would be to an organization of your choice.March 28 - Theme: Respect Your Cat DayWhich is the better pet? A cat or a dog? Maybe another pet? Or maybe no pet at all?March 29 - Theme: Coca-Cola InventedSome cities have tried to regulate the size of sodas sold for consumption. Do you think there should be laws to tell you what you can and cannot drink or eat in this manner? Defend your answer. March 30 - Theme: Game Shows (Jeopardy Premiered on NBC)If you were to appear on a television game show, which would it be? Why?March 31 - Theme: Summer PlansWrite a poem or a short piece of prose about your summer plans. Bonus: St. Patricks Themed Creative Writing Topics Here is a list of teacher-tested creative writing topics to use with your St. Patricks Day theme. I found a pot of gold. What would you do if you came across a pot of gold?I found a four-leaf clover. What would you do if you found a found a four-leaf clover?Dear Leprechaun†¦ Write a letter to a leprechaun, tell him about yourself, and ask him any questions you may have.Do you have a good luck charm? Describe your lucky keepsake and how it brings you luck.The legend of the lucky leprechaun. Create a story about the lucky leprechaun.At the end of the rainbow, I found a†¦ Describe what you saw when you got to the end of the rainbow.What is your favorite lucky number? Why do you feel this number is lucky for you?A leprechaun visits your school and gives you a magical item. What is it? What happens to you when you touch it? What does your family do for St. Patricks Day? Do you eat anything special? Describe your family traditions.What would you do if you woke up and found that everything that you touched turned to green? Describe how you would feel and what everyone would say when they saw what you could do.If you could trap a leprechaun, how would you catch him? What would you do with him once you caught him? Would you let him go? Would you keep him? I feel lucky because†¦ Describe why you feel lucky.If a leprechaun gave you three wishes, what would they be?Once I gave a four leaf clover to my friend and they†¦ Describe what happened after your friend received a four leaf clover.I once had shamrock shoes and†¦ Describe what happened to you. Where did you get them? Were they magical shoes?Describe a typical day as a leprechaun. Pretend you are a leprechaun and describe all the things that you encounter.On your way to school, you see a rainbow and its close enough for you to touch. Describe what happens when you touch it. Do you go to another world? What happens?On your way to school, you see a leprechaun and he gives you a magical shamrock shake to drink. What happens to you when you drink it?Leaping Leprechauns  My leprechaun lost his magical powers! Describe how it happened and what you did about it.How to catch a leprechaun. Describe step-by-step how you plan to catch a leprechaun.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Fate in Romeo and Juliet
Fate in Romeo and Juliet A definition of fate would be the power that is supposed to settle ahead of time how things will happen. Romeo and Juliet, the two young lovers in William Shakespeare' s Romeo and Juliet, ended up becoming a large part of what could be called fate. Fate seemed to control their lives and force them together, becoming a large part of their love, and the ending of their parent's hatred. Fate became the ultimate control power in this play, and plays a large part in modern everyday life, even if we don't recognize it. Maybe we don't recognize it because we choose not to, or don't have faith like we used to, but the fact remains that fate controls what we do throughout all of our lives. A large part of the beliefs for both Romeo and Juliet involve fate. They believed in the stars, and that their actions weren't always their own.Romeo and Juliet, Act I-Scene_3. Lady Capulet and ...Romeo, for example, 1.4.115-120, he says, Some consequence yet hanging in the stars...by some vile forfeit of u ntimely death. But he that hath the steerage over my course Direct my sail. He's basically saying to his friends that he had a dream which leads him to believe that he will die young because of something in the stars, something that will happen. He ends with ...he that hath steerage over my course... which implies that he does not have control over his life if he looks to another power above himself to direct him. He does not feel that he is the one who makes decisions, it is all a higher purpose, a different power. We're all sort of like the puppets below the puppeteer. He's asking for that puppeteer to direct his sail, or his life, in the right direction. Fate directs us all...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Pre-College Summer Programs Should You Go
Pre-College Summer Programs Should You Go SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're contemplating your summer plans, you may want to consider pre-college summer programs. These programs offerhigh school students the opportunity to live and learn on a college campus. In this article, I'll explain the different types of programs and let you know the benefits and drawbacks of attending them. Furthermore, I'll let you know if doing one of these programs can help you get into college. What Is a Pre-College Summer Program? A pre-college summer program offers high school students the opportunity to take classes at a college and experience college life during the summer. Many programs offer a residential and commuter option. Students can stay in dorms with their peers, or they can commute from home if they live close to the college. Typically, these programs range anywhere from one to eight weeks. During these programs, not only are students able to take classes from college professors or visiting scholars, but they’re also able to listen to lectures from alumni and participate in social activities. Many selective private colleges, including Stanford, Harvard, and Columbia, offer pre-college summer programs for high school students. Some of theseprograms are open enrollment (anyone can attend), and others require admission through an application process. The selective programs typically require teacher recommendations, application essays, and standardized test scores. Check a specific program’s website for its admissions requirements. Possible Benefits of Pre-College Summer Programs Spending part of your summer studying at college or a university may not sounds like the most fun, but it canoffer a number of potential benefits. Prepare for College Life For many students, adjusting to college life can be very difficult. A pre-college summer program enables you to spend time on a college campus and take classes from college professors. These programs can help ease the transition to college life when you go to college. You’ll be more familiar with the expectations of a college class, and you’ll be more comfortable navigating a college campus. Explore Your Academic Interests Pre-college programs allow you to take classes in subjects you’re interested in, or you can discover new interests. You can take courses in a wide variety of subjects like computer science, theater, economics, and philosophy. Enhance Your College Resume Colleges do like to see that you’re taking advantage of your summers to participate in meaningful activities. By attending a pre-college summer program, you can demonstrate your interest in academics and show that you’re motivated to do more than what’s required to pursue your academic passions. Exposure to a Specific College If you're strongly considering attending a certain college, going to its summer program can help you figure out if it's the right place for you. You'll get a feel for the campus and its location, and you may get the opportunity to interact with current students and professors. You'll come away with a better sense of whether you can see yourself thriving in that environment. Make New Friends You shouldn’t discount the social benefits of attending these programs. You can meet people from around the world and form meaningful relationships that will last beyond the program. Keep in mind that there are potential costs of attending these programs. Possible Drawbacksof Pre-College Summer Programs Though many students really enjoy attending these programs, there are some issues to consider. Cost Pre-college summer programs are expensive. For example, an 8-credit course at Harvard’s seven-week secondary school summer program costs $5,900 for tuition and $5,400 for housing. That doesn’t even include transportation costs if you don’t live near Harvard. However, Harvard does offer some financial aid that covers partof the tuition forstudents with outstanding academic records who demonstrate financial need. The all-inclusive cost for the three-week Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes is $6,300. That includes room and board and transportation between Stanford and San Francisco International Airport. These Programs May Not Help You Get Into College Many college experts believe that going to a pre-college summer program may in fact hurt your chances of getting into a selective college. If you go to a summer program at Brown and you apply to Cornell, Cornell may assume that you’re more interested in Brown. Also, due to the cost of pre-college programs, some admissions counselors believe that these programs are basically summer camp for wealthy students. Many advise students tofind more creative and low-cost ways to explore their passions. For example, you can volunteer to do research with a local college professor or work at an art museum. However, there are summer programs that will undoubtedly impress college admissions officers. Free, highly selective summer programs like Research Science Institute and the Young Engineering and Science Scholars will greatly enhance your college application because they only admit a limited number of exceptional students. Perfect Zero/Flickr Is a Pre-College Summer Program Right for You? I won't advise you whether or not you should do a pre-college summer program. That's your decision. However, if you can afford to attend one of these programs and feel like it would be a good option for you, I recommend tailoring it to your interests. Take courses that are related to your intended college major, or go to a program at a college that you may want to attend. Also, I don't think that doing a costly program will substantially hurt or help your college applications. However, it can be helpful if you excel in the program and get an outstanding recommendation from a professor. Additionally, if the program stimulates an academic interest or prepares you to do well in school, it can indirectly help your chances of gaining admission to the most selective colleges. What Are Some Well-Known Pre-College Summer Programs? If you do decide attending one of these programs is a good choice for you, here are some popularoptions to check out: Duke TIP Duke TIP serves students as young as 4th grade. It's meant to provide opportunities for academically gifted students. We've written articles on Duke TIP 7th grade Talent Search and Duke TIP SAT requirements. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes and High School Summer College These are two different summer programs at Stanford. At the High School Summer College, you can take a quarter of Stanford classes with Stanford students. The Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes offer a three-week residential program for students to live in Stanford housing and take a class not often given at the high school level. Summer Institute for the Gifted This program is conducted at colleges across the country. It is designed for gifted and talented students from 5-17 years of age. There are residential and commuter programs. Summer@Brown Summer@Brown offers nearly 200 courses that range from 1-4 weeks. They are designed to reflect Brown's liberal arts curriculum, and they're taughtat the level of first-year college courses. To find the right program for you, there are a number of factors to consider: your budget, the length of the program, the available courses and credit options (some programs offer courses for college credit), and the location of the program. If there's a college that really intrigues you, check the school's website to see if it offers a summer program. You can use the Summer Program Finder to identify a program that fits your needs and interests. You can spend your summer at the beach or college. Or both. Recap Pre-college summer programs provide you with an opportunity to experience college life, explore your academic interests, and make friends. Even though these programs can help prepare you for college, just going to one won’t significantly impact your chances of getting into a selective college. If you’re interested in a pre-college summer program, you can find one at colleges across the country. You’ll be able to take classes in many subjects that aren’t usually offered at the high school level. What's Next? Find out what you need to get into Ivy League schools and the most selective colleges. Are you still uncertain if a pre-college program is right for you? Get some more ideas onhow you can spend your summer. If you're going into your senior year of high school, maybe your summer plan should include preparing for the SAT/ACT. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Human Resource Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words
Human Resource Management - Assignment Example nvolved (A Managers Responsibility and Liability in Health and Safety, 2008) Having an effective leadership team and effective workforce management will help the organization in protecting and safeguarding the interest of the employees. The indispensable and critical principles are- An effective leadership management team who play an active role towards assimilating strong health and safety management. Workforce involvement in promoting and achieving high safety conditions in work environment Frequent follow-ups, monitoring, and reviewing the performance of the safety measures (Health safety executive, n.d) Effects of poor health and safety measures- In 2006, approximately 30 million working days were lost due to poor health conditions and physical injuries to the employees. Approximately 200 employees are killed each year due to poor and negligent health and safety measures at work places in companies Many employees reported each year with respiratory diseases and cancers due to occ upational illness (Health safety executive, n.d) Benefits of good health measures: Reduced cost and reduced risks Low employee turnover and employee absence which improves productivity indirectly Corporate responsibility among clients, partners Do you think managers should be held liable for health and safety violations? Protecting the health and safety of the employees should be one of the main focuses of the risk management team in any organization. Health and Safety plays an integral and fundamental part of the organization’s success. Management, board members and the leadership team who do not show any focus in this area would never be able to achieve the highest achievement of health and safety management and should be penalized. Failure on the part of the management to incorporate... This essay focuses on the analysis of the Human Resources department, that usually helps in organizing and deals with any issues related to compensation, safety, policies, wellness settlement, general administration, training and development. The researcher mentiones that they are also expected to add value to the employees. Health and safety law basically safeguard the welfare of employees and the general public. This law holds the person, company or organization liable for any employee injured through accident at work or death of any employee. The Health and safety team can execute a criminal prosecution against the company, which may result in penalty or imprisonment against the company management and human resources department. The affected employee can also seek for damages in the civil court. The role of the human resource team should have a health and safety program clearly defined and stated. Some of the areas that human resources should examine and supervise are management a nd employee training on health and Safety measures to prevent work related injuries and illnesses and ensuring workplace safety culture is being driven to ensure safety of the employees working onsite. The researcher then concludes that having an effective Health and Safety department has become very important from a commercial and a governmental viewpoint of the company. Many high profile safety negligence cases over the last few years have been mostly caused by bad management team in the company.
Friday, October 18, 2019
Comparison of Governmental Policies of India and China Regarding Essay
Comparison of Governmental Policies of India and China Regarding Economic Progress and Social Wellbeing - Essay Example This essay is one of the best examples of comparative economic analysis of the government involvement in promoting economic growth in China and India from 1950s to 2010s. Efforts to improve the social, economic and political systems in the countries around the world lies on the hands of the political leaders representing these sovereign states. However, this responsibility does not lie solely on one specific regime of leadership. Instead, it depends on the historical context of issues and policies that a series of governments in the countries put into place. The most successful economies around the globe affiliate their economic stability with the strategic devoted participation of the past government institutions in the countries’ history. Perfect examples of countries with improved economic status are China and India. However, the extents and strategies employed in these states differ. Similarly, the social well-being of the citizens of each of the named countries differ substantially. China and India have long economic histories. A series of challenges posed by the international economic forces may have played a paramount role in the development of counter-strategies in the two countries. Chinese government has been very active in ensuring that the social welfare of the citizens becomes a priority. For instance, the Indian government facilitated the slow progress of the economy despite increased propositions by renowned economies. The rate at which two governments facilitated industrial development differs substantially.
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