The Debate Over Reparations for Slavery

The Debate Over Reparations for Slavery The effects of both the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism continue to reverberate today, leading activists, human rights groups and the descendants of victims to demand reparations. The debate over reparations for slavery in the United States dates back  generations, in fact, all the way to the Civil War. Then, Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman recommended that all freedmen should receive 40 acres and a mule. The idea came after talks with African American themselves. However, President Andrew Johnson and the U.S. Congress did not approve of the plan. In the 21st century, not much has changed. The U.S. government and other nations where slavery thrived have yet to compensate the descendants of people in bondage. Still, the call for governments to take action has recently grown louder. In September 2016, a United Nations panel wrote a report that concluded African Americans deserve reparations for enduring centuries of â€Å"racial terrorism.† Made up of human rights lawyers and other experts, the U.N.’s Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent shared its findings with the U.N. Human Rights Council. â€Å"In particular, the legacy of colonial history, enslavement, racial subordination and segregation, racial terrorism and racial inequality in the United States remains a serious challenge, as there has been no real commitment to reparations and to truth and reconciliation for people of African descent,† the report determined. â€Å"Contemporary police killings and the trauma that they create are reminiscent of the past racial terror of lynching.† The panel does not have authority to legislate its findings, but its conclusions certainly give weight to the reparations movement. With this review, get a better idea of what reparations are, why supporters believe they’re needed  and why opponents object to them. Learn how private institutions, such as colleges and corporations, are owning up to their role in slavery, even as the federal government remains silent on the issue. What Are Reparations? When some people hear the term â€Å"reparations,† they think it means that descendants of slaves will receive a large cash payout. While reparations can be distributed in the form of cash, that’s hardly the only form in which they come. The U.N. panel said that reparations can amount to â€Å"a formal apology, health initiatives, educational opportunities ... psychological rehabilitation, technology transfer and financial support, and debt cancellation.† The human rights organization Redress defines reparations as a centuries-long principle of international law â€Å"referring to the obligation of a wrongdoing party to redress the damage caused to the injured party.† In other words, the guilty party must work to eradicate the effects of the wrongdoing as much as possible. In doing so, the party aims to restore a situation to how it likely would have played out had no wrongdoing occurred. Germany has provided restitution to Holocaust victims, but there’s simply no way to compensate for the lives of the six million Jews slaughtering during the genocide. Redress points out that in 2005, the U.N. General Assembly adopted the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Violations of International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. These principles serve as a guideline for how reparations can be distributed.  One can also look to history for  examples. Although the descendants of enslaved African Americans have not received reparations, Japanese Americans forced into internment camps by the federal government during World War II have. The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 allowed the U.S. government to pay former internees $20,000. More than 82,000 survivors received restitution. President Ronald Reagan formally apologized to the internees as well. People who oppose reparations for slave descendants argue that African Americans and Japanese American internees differ. While actual survivors of internment were still alive to receive restitution, enslaved blacks are not.    Proponents and Opponents of Reparations The African American community includes both opponents and proponents of reparations. Ta-Nehisi Coates, a journalist for The Atlantic, has surfaced as one of the leading advocates for redress for African Americans. In 2014, he wrote a compelling argument in favor of reparations that catapulted him to international stardom. Walter Williams, an economic professor at George Mason University, is one of the leading foes of reparations. Both men are black. Williams argues that reparations are unnecessary because he contends that African Americans actually benefitted from slavery. Almost every black American’s income is higher as a result of being born in the United States than any country in Africa, Williams told ABC News. Most black Americans are middle-class. But this statement overlooks the fact that African Americans have higher poverty, unemployment and health disparities than other groups. It also overlooks that blacks have far less wealth on average than whites, a disparity that has continued over generations. Moreover, Williams ignores the psychological scars left by slavery and racism, which researchers have linked to higher rates of hypertension and infant mortality for blacks than whites. Reparations advocates argue that redress goes beyond a check. The government can compensate African Americans by investing in their schooling, training and economic empowerment. But Williams asserts that the federal government has already invested trillions to fight poverty. â€Å"We’ve had all kinds of programs trying to address the problems of discrimination,† he said. â€Å"America has gone a long way.† Coates, in contrast, argues that reparations are needed because after the Civil War, African Americans endured a second slavery due to debt peonage, predatory housing practices, Jim Crow and state-sanctioned violence. He also cited an Associated Press investigation about how racism resulted in blacks systematically losing their land since the antebellum period. â€Å"The series documented some 406 victims and 24,000 acres of land valued at tens of millions of dollars,† Coates explained of the investigation. â€Å"The land was taken through means ranging from legal chicanery to terrorism. ‘Some of the land taken from black families has become a country club in Virginia,’ the AP reported, as well as ‘oil fields in Mississippi’ and ‘a baseball spring training facility in Florida.’† Coates also pointed out how those who owned the land black tenant farmers worked often proved unscrupulous and refused to give sharecroppers the money owed to them. To boot, the federal government deprived African Americans of a chance to build up wealth by homeownership due to racist practices.    â€Å"Redlining went beyond FHA-backed loans and spread to the entire mortgage industry, which was already rife with racism, excluding black people from most legitimate means of obtaining a mortgage,† Coates wrote. Most compellingly, Coates notes how enslaved blacks and slavers themselves thought reparations necessary. He describes how in 1783, freedwoman Belinda Royall successfully petitioned the commonwealth of Massachusetts for reparations. In addition, Quakers demanded new converts to make reparations to slaves, and Thomas Jefferson protà ©gà © Edward Coles granted his slaves a plot of land after inheriting them. Similarly, Jefferson’s cousin John Randolph wrote in his will that his older slaves be freed and given 10 acres of land. The reparations blacks received then paled in comparison to how much the South, and by extension  the United States, profited from human trafficking. According to Coates, a third of all white income in the seven cotton states stemmed from slavery. Cotton became one of the country’s top exports, and by 1860, more millionaires per capita called the Mississippi Valley home than any other region in the nation. While Coates is the American most associated with the reparations movement today, he certainly did not start it. In the 20th century, a hodgepodge of Americans backed reparations. They include veteran Walter R. Vaughan, black-nationalist Audley Moore, civil rights activist James Forman and black activist Callie House. In 1987, the group National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America formed. And since 1989, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) has repeatedly introduced a bill, HR 40, known as the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act. But the bill has never cleared the House, just as Harvard Law School Professor Charles J. Ogletree Jr. has not won any of the reparations claims he’s pursued in court. Aetna, Lehman Brothers, J.P. Morgan Chase, FleetBoston Financial and Brown Williamson Tobacco are among the companies that have been sued for their ties to slavery. But Walter Williams said that corporations aren’t culpable. â€Å"Do corporations have social responsibility?† Williams asked in an opinion column. â€Å"Yes. Nobel laureate professor Milton Friedman put it best in 1970 when he said that in a free society ‘there is one and only one social responsibility of business- to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud.’† Some corporations have a different take. How Institutions Have Addressed Slavery Ties Companies such as Aetna have acknowledged profiting from slavery. In 2000, the company apologized for reimbursing slaveholders for the financial losses incurred when their chattel, enslaved men and women, died. Aetna has long acknowledged that for several years shortly after its founding in 1853 that the company may have insured the lives of slaves, the company said in a statement. We express our deep regret over any participation at all in this deplorable practice. Aetna admitted to writing up to a dozen policies insuring the lives of the enslaved. But it said it would not offer reparations. The insurance industry and slavery were extensively entangled. After Aetna apologized for its role in the institution, the California State Legislature required all insurance companies doing business there to search their archives for policies that reimbursed slaveholders. Not long afterward, eight companies provided such records, with three submitting records of having insured slave ships. In 1781, slavers on the ship Zong  threw more than  130 sick slaves overboard to collect insurance money. But Tom Baker, then director of the Insurance Law Center at the University of Connecticut School of Law, told the New York Times in 2002 that he disagreed that insurance companies should be sued for their slavery ties. â€Å"I just have a sense that it’s unfair that a few companies have been singled out when the slave economy was something that the whole society bears some responsibility for,† he said. â€Å"My concern is more that to the extent that there is some moral responsibility, it should not be targeted to just a few people.† Some institutions with ties to the slave trade have tried to make amends for their past. A number of the nation’s oldest universities, among them Princeton, Brown, Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Dartmouth, the University of Pennsylvania and the College of William and Mary, had ties to slavery. Brown University’s Committee on Slavery and Justice found that the school’s founders, the Brown family, owned slaves and participated in the slave trade. Additionally, 30 members of Brown’s governing board owned slaves or helmed slave ships. In response to this finding, Brown said it would expand its Africana studies program, continue to provide technical assistance to historically black colleges and universities, support local public schools and more. Georgetown University is also taking action. The university owned slaves and announced plans to offer reparations. In 1838, the university sold 272 enslaved blacks to eliminate its debt. As a result, it is offering admissions preference to the descendants of those it sold. â€Å"Having this opportunity would be amazing but I also feel as if it’s owed to me and to my family and to others that want that opportunity,† Elizabeth Thomas, a slave descendant, told NPR in 2017. Her mother, Sandra Thomas, said she didn’t think Georgetown’s reparations plan goes far enough, as not every descendant is in a position to attend university. â€Å"What about me?† she asked. â€Å"I dont want to go to school. Im an old lady. What if you don’t have the capacity? You have one student lucky enough to have decent family support system, got the foundation. He can go to Georgetown and he can thrive. He has that ambition. You’ve got this kid over here. He’ll never go to Georgetown or any other school on this planet beyond a certain level. Now, what you going to do for him? Did his ancestors suffer any less? No.† Thomas raises a point on which  both supporters and foes of reparations can agree. No amount of restitution can make up for the injustices suffered.

ESL Phrases for Performing Well in Business Meetings

ESL Phrases for Performing Well in Business Meetings One of the most common requirements of business English is holding meetings in English. The following sections provide useful language and phrases for conducting meetings and making contributions to a meeting. Conducting a Meeting These phrases are useful if you need to run  a meeting. Opening Good morning/afternoon, everyone.If we are all here, lets get started / start the meeting / start. Welcoming and Introducing Please join me in welcoming (name of participant)Were pleased to welcome (name of participant)Id like to extend a warm welcome to (name of participant)Its a pleasure to welcome (name of participant)Id like to introduce (name of participant) Stating the Principal Objectives Were here today to ...Id like to make sure that we ...Our main aim today is to ...Ive called this meeting in order to ... Giving Apologies for Someone Who is Absent Im afraid.., (name of participant) cant be with us today. She is in...Unfortunately, (name of participant) ... will not be with us to day because he ...I have received apologies for absence from (name of participant), who is in (place). Reading the Minutes (notes) of the Last Meeting To begin with Id like to quickly go through the minutes of our last meeting.First, lets go over the report from the last meeting, which was held on (date)Here are the minutes from our last meeting, which was on (date) Dealing with Recent Developments Jack, can you tell us how the XYZ project is progressing?Jack, how is the XYZ project coming along?John, have you completed the report on the new accounting package?Has everyone received a copy of the Tate Foundation report on current marketing trends? Moving Forward So, if there is nothing else we need to discuss, lets move on to todays agenda.Shall we get down to business?Is there Any Other Business?If there are no further developments, Id like to move on to todays topic. Introducing the Agenda Have you all received a copy of the agenda?There are X items on the agenda. First, ... second, ... third, ... lastly, ...Shall we take the points in this order?If you dont mind, Id like to go in order today.skip item 1 and move on to item 3I suggest we take item 2 last. Allocating Roles (secretary, participants) (name of participant) has agreed to take the minutes.(name of participant), would you mind  taking the minutes?(name of participant) has kindly agreed to give us a report on ...(name of participant) will lead point 1, (name of participant) point 2, and (name of participant) point 3.(name of participant), would you mind taking notes today? Agreeing on the Ground Rules for the Meeting (contributions, timing, decision-making, etc.) We will first hear a short report on each point first, followed by a discussion of ...I suggest we go round the table first.Lets make sure we finish by ...Id suggest we ...There will be five minutes for each item.Well have to keep each item to 15 minutes. Otherwise well never get through. Introducing the First Item on the Agenda So, lets start with ...Id suggest we start with...Why dont we start with...So, the first item on the agenda isPete, would you like to kick off?Shall we start with ...(name of participant), would you like to introduce this item? Closing an Item I think that takes care of the first item.Shall we leave that item?Why dont we move on to...If nobody has anything else to add, lets ... Next Item Lets move onto the next itemNow that weve discussed X, lets now ...The next item on todays agenda is...Now we come to the question of. Giving Control to the Next Participant Id like to hand over to (name of participant), who is going to lead the next point.Next, (name of participant) is going to take us through ...Now, Id like to introduce (name of participant) who is going to ... Summarizing Before we close todays meeting, let me just summarize the main points.Let me quickly go over todays main points.To sum up, ...,.OK, why dont we quickly summarize what weve done today.In brief, ...Shall I go over the main points? Keeping the Meeting On Target (time, relevance, decisions) Were running short of time.Well, that seems to be all the time we have today.Please be brief.Im afraid weve run out of time.Im afraid thats outside the scope of this meeting.Lets get back on track, why dont we?Thats not really why were here today.Why dont we return to the main focus of todays meeting.Well have to leave that to another time.Were beginning to lose sight of the main point.Keep to the point, please.I think wed better leave that for another meeting.Are we ready to make a decision? Finishing Up Right, it looks as though weve covered the main items.If there are no other comments, Id like to wrap this meeting up.Lets bring this to a close for today.Is there Any Other Business? Suggesting and Agreeing on Time, Date and Place for the Next Meeting Can we set the date for the next meeting, please?So, the next meeting will be on ... (day), the . . . (date) of.. . (month) at ...Lets next meet on ... (day), the . . . (date) of.. . (month) at ... What about the following Wednesday? How is that? Thanking Participants for Attending Id like to thank Marianne and Jeremy for coming over from London.Thank you all for attending.Thanks for your participation. Closing the Meeting The meeting is finished, well see each other next ...The meeting is closed.I declare the meeting closed. Meeting Participation Vocabulary The following phrases are used to participate in a meeting. These phrases are useful for expressing your ideas and giving input during  a meeting. Getting the Chairpersons Attention (Mister/Madam) chairman.May I have a word?If I may, I think...Excuse me for interrupting.May I come in here? Giving Opinions Im positive that...I (really) feel that...In my opinion...The way I see things...If you ask me,... I tend to think that... Asking for Opinions Are you positive that...Do you (really) think that...(name of participant) can we get your input?How do you feel about...? Commenting Thats interesting.I never thought about it that way before.Good point!I get your point.I see what you mean. Agreeing I totally agree with you.Exactly!Thats (exactly) the way I feel.I have to agree with (name of participant). Disagreeing Unfortunately, I see it differently.Up to a point I agree with you, but...(Im afraid) I cant agree Advising and Suggesting Lets...We should...Why dont you....How/What about...I suggest/recommend that... Clarifying Let me spell out...Have I made that clear?Do you see what Im getting at?Let me put this another way...Id just like to repeat that... Requesting Information Please, could you...Id like you to...Would you mind...I wonder if you could... Asking for Repetition Im afraid I didnt understand that. Could you repeat what you just said?I didnt catch that. Could you repeat that, please?I missed that. Could you say it again, please?Could you run that by me one more time? Asking for Clarification I dont quite follow you. What exactly do you mean?Im afraid I dont quite understand what your are getting at.Could you explain to me how that is going to work?I dont see what you mean. Could we have some more details, please? Asking for Verification You did say next week, didnt you? (did is stressed)Do you mean that...?Is it true that...? Asking for Spelling Could you spell that, please?Would you mind spelling that for me, please? Asking for Contributions We havent heard from you yet, (name of participant).What do you think about this proposal?Would you like to add anything, (name of participant)?Has anyone else got anything to contribute?Are there any more comments? Correcting Information Sorry, I think you misunderstood what I said.Sorry, thats not quite right.Im afraid you dont understand what Im saying.Thats not quite what I had in mind.Thats not what I meant. Meeting Format Meetings generally follow a more or less similar structure and can be divided into the following parts: I - Introductions Opening the MeetingWelcoming and Introducing ParticipantsStating the Principal Objectives of a MeetingGiving Apologies for Someone Who is Absent II - Reviewing Past Business Reading the Minutes (notes) of the Last MeetingDealing with Recent Developments III - Beginning the Meeting Introducing the AgendaAllocating Roles (secretary, participants)Agreeing on the Ground Rules for the Meeting (contributions, timing, decision-making, etc.) IV - Discussing Items Introducing the First Item on the AgendaClosing an ItemNext ItemGiving Control to the Next Participant V - Finishing the Meeting SummarizingFinishing UpSuggesting and Agreeing  on Time, Date and Place for the Next MeetingThanking Participants for AttendingClosing the Meeting

Towards a Virtuous Surveillance Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Towards a Virtuous Surveillance Society - Essay Example The present government will, for example, be interested in the impact on social exclusion and on the modernizing government agenda. They may also question the potential offered for addressing the 'wicked issues' that transcend departmental boundaries. They will almost certainly be interested in costs and the potential for savings. They will be aware of the issues surrounding openness and security. They should have regard for the impact of the electronic services on democratic structures. In spite of potential benefits of information availability and easy access, it allows the state and military agencies to control society and introduce effective surveillance methods to monitor social processes and maintain social order Surveillance is achieved through different channels including business information and personal information. Companies are increasingly finding that, if they combine their information assets with those of other companies, the combined information resource is considerably more useful to all sides: two and two, in this instance, can make a lot more than four. Put together a social security or tax database with another database of people who owe debts and you have a means of tracking individual debtors over long periods of time and collecting the debt from them when they finally have the money to repay it (a process known as debt surveillance and already being offered by some companies) (Lister 2003). This is the virtual equivalent of the synergies that merging companies have traditionally sought, and its compelling economics mean that companies in the future are more probably going to be looking for ways to combine their information with others than looking to maintain the conventiona l barriers between industries (Green 1999). It is inconceivable that the government would launch electronic services in anything other than a partnership with the private sector. It is, therefore, necessary to take the perspective of the IT supply industry into account. This is an industry looking at a big prospective market. They will be making comparisons with other market sectors and, given the multinational nature of the players in the industry, with developments in other countries (Lievrouw and Livingstone 2005). For the industry, the issues will be associated with the speed of market growth, their likely market share, the level of initial pump-priming investment they will be expected to make, and with their ability to deliver the agenda set by government. For electronic government, as for most other services, it is possible to identify three main groups of player: the users or recipients of the service, the providers, and the wider society or community within which the service is offered. Each of these, however, may have important sub-groups that need to be taken into account. Before attempting to measure the impact of electronic government, it would, therefore, be necessary to identify the different players, to establish what they will use as benchmarks and points of comparison and to explore what, for them, are the important issues that need to be considered in any assessment of impact (Lister 2003). Surveillance is achieved through control of circulation of information and news available in the internet and in mass media. Sales of national, regional and local newspapers have been falling in the many countries for a number of years. They were falling before the Internet and the World

Newman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Newman - Essay Example According to Newman faith is about assenting to a doctrine as veritable, even when faced with lack of sensory evidence to back up its claims. Since God cannot lie, what is revealed will have to be true. At the centre of Divine faith is the total lack of doubt in the heart and mind of the believer. This is so because â€Å"God is true, because God has spoken, not because he sees its truth or can prove its truth.† (p.2) What Newman deems necessary is conviction in belief. It simply would not do to claim to believe and also think rationally at the same time. If one part of the scriptures were believed it, the entirety is to be believed in. In the example of the Apostles, the fact of one being true, made the others true too, as they all derived from the infallible authority of god. The world had â€Å"either to become Christian, or to let it alone; there was no room for private tastes and fancies, no room for private Judgment.† (p.3) Hence, Newman makes his stance clear on the dichotomies of faith and reason. The crucial difference between the time of the Apostles and now is that there is only recorded message presently. People back then would have found it more credible to hear the divine word from the Apostles firsthand. There is a key difference â€Å"between the act of submitting to a living oracle, and to his written words; in the former case there is no appeal from the speaker, in the latter the final decision remains with the reader.† (p.4) Hence in contemporary Christianity, which is centered on written scripture, a degree of application of rationality is warranted. Such being the case, Newman qualifies by stating that they have not in them the principle of faith. It is nothing to the purpose â€Å"to urge that at least they firmly believe Scripture to be the Word of God. In truth, it is much to be feared that their acceptance of Scripture itself is nothing better than a

Roman Influence on Byzantine Empire and Islamic Societies Essay Example for Free

Roman Influence on Byzantine Empire and Islamic Societies Essay The mother of the world has been killed,† stated a 5th century historian, bereft and appalled when the news of Rome’s fall had reached ear. Certainly his words hold truth, for Rome the dauntingly colossal Empire engulfing the Mediterranean and all territories around it; the source of artistic, intellectual, and cultural ascendancy; the influential factor of brilliance in so many of the coexisting societies of the western world was truly the predecessor and creator of all Western Civilization to come. However, what no one knew, was that the lasting impression this powerful and astonishing civilization would make upon the world, even if only through the works of fleeting memory or written text. As always, with loss comes a chance for gain an opportunity for rebirth and renewal that could previously have only been a dream. And so, with the collapse of one great empire, opportunities arose for the numbers of new kingdoms and societies to follow. The Byzantine Empire and Islamic societies were two especially prominent societies that gained primacy, arising from the fourth to sixth century. Although both Byzantine and Islamic societies created their own empires, with separate rulers and individuals, the Roman Empire heavily influenced their cultural aspects, as demonstrated in their religion, art, and law. The Byzantine Empire was a highly prosperous society centered around the city of Constantinople. This society, dating back to around 330 AD, consecutively arising after the fall of the Roman Empire, and managed to remain in power for more than 1000 years. It was the most powerful economic and military force in all of Europe at the height of it’s power. Constantinople, located at present day Istanbul, was the capital city of the Byzantine Empire, and played a key role in the hegemony of the empire. By cause of the city’s prime positioning with access to east-west and north-south trade routes, trade became an important institution and base of economy in the Byzantine Empire. Silk was originally bought from China for the grand empire, until silk-worms were illegally obtained by Byzantine monks, and factories were established in the Empireto create this rare product. Silk soon became an imperial monopoly, and through this way, the trade of luxury items became the Byzantine’s main source of income. The location of Constantinople also aided in military conquest and defence, for the empire’s naval headquarters were located along the shores, and had access to the Black Sea and Mediterranean. Because of the Empire’s location, all but overlapping the fallen Roman’s territory, the Byzantine Empire was greatly affected by these Roman’s past traditions and ways of life. The Roman Empire influenced the Byzantine Empire’s culture, mainly through the religion of Christianity. Christianity first appeared in the Roman Empire, with the birth, teachings, and supposed resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the beginning years of it’s arrival, Christianity was not tolerated and Christians were mainly, and most often brutally prosecuted. However, with Constantine’s Edict of Milan, Christianity was officially tolerated, and under Theodosius, it became the official religion of the Roman Empire. The Byzantine Empire inherited this relatively new religion, continuing to follow the beliefs and traditions of the church, as well as spreading the word of Jesus Christ and the message of god. Churches sprung up in the empire, such as the mighty Hagia Sophia. Located in Constantinople and built by Justinian, this church especially exemplified Roman influence through its divine architecture. â€Å"Above the arches is raised a circular building of a curved form through which the light of day first shines,† (document 2) boasts Procopius, a Byzantine scholar from Palestine. He became the principal historian of the 6th century, documenting the works and wars of Justinian I. Procopius describes the church’s magnificent domed ceiling, which, along with columns and a concrete skeleton, can hardly be castigated, nor denied of it’s uncanny resemblance to Rome’s Pantheon. Justinian was the Christian Emperor of the Byzantine Empire who is famous for his building projects, battle tactics, and his codification of Roman law. â€Å"We have attempted the most thorough amendment of the entire law, to collect and revise the whole body of Roman jurisprudence, and to assemble in one book the scattered treatises of so many authors,† Justinian writes, reflecting upon his work. The Justinian code was essentially a collection of scattered Roman documents on law, treaties, and other diverse legal matters. This codification was used as the basic system of law in the Byzantine Empire, and successfully governed an Empire of citizens for roughly 1000 years. In conclusion, if not for the influence and impact of lingering hints of Roman Christianity, architecture , and law, the Byzantine Empire would have evolved into a profoundly variant society than the one established so many years ago. Islamic Societies were very militaristic, religious, and politically based on the teaching of Muhammad. Although small when first founded in the sixth century, at it’s height of power, regions conquered and maintained by the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties included Egypt, Arabia, lands of the Persian Empire and Asia Minor, regions of North Africa snaking along the Mediterranean, and territories of present day Spain in the west. Comprised of brilliant generals and thousands of well-motivated men striving for eternal paradise in the after-life, the army was immensely dynamic, efficacious, and cardinal to the prodigious power of the Islamic Kingdom. Religion influenced much of the population’s way of life, dictating family practices, working hours, diet, public ceremonies, and many other aspects of everyday life. To maintain the promise of eternal paradise after death, a Muslim was expected to follow the ruler and faith with honor and loyalty, as well as the Five Pillars of Islam. Stated in the Qur’an, these pillars are thought of as the hindmost commitment to Islam, and obedience to the laws is key. One must accept monotheism and Muhammad as God’s holy messenger (Shahada), pray five times a day and attend communal prayer on friday (Salat), give alms to the poor and less fortunate (Zakat), fast during the holy month of Ramadan (Sawm), and make a pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) at least once in a life-time. The rulers of Islamic Society, entitled as caliphs, were expected to follow these pillars, as well as the practice of Jihad striving in the way of the Lord. However, although the Islamic culture and government had many newly created aspects, the motif of previous Roman society was still predominantly clear. Roman influence on Islamic Societies was mainly displayed in its art, specifically architecture and language. The multitude of Roman architects, hired by kings to institute the design and production of churches, were frequently extremely bright, talented, and passionate. The innovative building models established were graced with stability, natural impregnability, and beauty. Islamic societies gained much of their knowledge on contemporary architecture from the Romans, and in effect, produced constructions very similar to those erected in the bygone days of the Roman Empire. For example, the Islamic Dome of the Rock, constructed in Jerusalem 690 AC, possesses aspects similar to those of the Roman Pantheon. The Dome of the Rock’s ceiling, to no extent of surprise, is in fact in the shape of a dome, such as the ceiling of the Pantheon. Furthermore, the Islamic structure contains many columns that are conjointly displayed in the Roman temple. The Mosque at Cordoba contains arches and columns resembling those built by Romans in water canals and at the gates of cities. The Islamic religions also continued to carry on the most spoken language of Rome Latin. Caliphs and libraries collected texts from all around the world, while scholars translated the sterling works into Arabic and Latin. Although Islamic some celebrations show congruency with celebrations of Christians,Roman influence on the Muslim people was mainly cultural. News of Rome’s fall spread quickly throughout lands of the Mediterranean, Africa, Persia, and Arabia. All were astonished at the supposed failure of the once mighty empire, considering it’s previous success and military conquest. Acting as predecessor and nurturer, Rome had affected countless bordering societies, all across the western world. However, the historian pronouncing Rome’s title as â€Å"mother of the world† had been ludicrously incorrect in concern to one aspect of the Empire’s demise. Rome went on influence future cultures in the Mediterranean regain for centuries, especially those of the Byzantine Empire and ancient Islamic Societies. By means of the Empire’s culture, religion, and law, Rome continues to influence American society today, even hundreds of year’s after the empire’s fall. In Washington D. C. , the use of columns, arches, and domes is a common motif in most political buildings, as well as domestic dwellings. Christianity is now a widely adopted religion, practiced by approximately thirty-three percent of the entire world’s population. Justinian’s codification of Roman law can still be compared with legal and justice systems from around the world, especially in western civilization. The 6th century historian was terribly mistaken in the fact that Rome had been killed, for today as vividly as yesterday; as true as the promise of tomorrow’s rising sun Rome lives on. In the subtle curve of an elegant column, in the chromatic dazzle of a church’s stained glass window, and in the crack of a judge’s mallet, bringing justice to all those our mighty nation gives promise to protect and serve, Rome survives. Chin to the sky, arms open, Rome stands tall and illustrious, ready to embrace all those who walk the earth all whom she deems children.

Minorities in Congress Essay -- Congress Racism Politics Essays

Minorities in Congress In forming a government for the people, by the people, and of the people, our Founding Fathers developed the idea a bi-cameral legislature. This Congress, composed of the House of Representatives and Senate, thus became known as the people’s branch of government. American children are taught in schools that anyone can be elected to Congress, so long as they meet the qualifications of the Constitution. So long as you meet the age and residency requirements you are indeed qualified to be a candidate for Congress.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If we take a more in-depth look at the composition of Congress we see a body disproportionate with its Nation. Congress has maintained a fairly homogenous make-up since its founding even into the year 2001. This conclusion raises no eye brows as both the executive and judicial branches of government have also maintained a very white, male, Protestant resemblance. However, Congress was formed for a distinct purpose: to represent the people of the United States of America. The melting pot of America’s huddled masses has been slow in placing leaders that truly represent its demographics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are a number of simple and complex reasons as to why this under-representation of minorities has occurred. Who is the real minority in Congress? This is not a simple partisan question, though it seems partisanship is a factor. An examination of the composition of the current, 107th Congress will lend greater light on where Congress stands as a representative body. A quick laundry list of the minorities in the United States being under-represented might read as such: African-Americans, Women, Black Women, Hispanics, Gays and Lesbians, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, Indians (Native Americans). All of the above groups have a unique history in struggling for greater representation. We now examine some of those histories in trying to answer why America’s Congress does not look like America’s people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While Voting Rights legislation had a great impact on changing the composition of Congress, other factors exist as barriers to minority representation in Congress. One of these is the use of single-member districts. Of great debate as to whether it is helping or hindering minority candidates is the establishment of minority districting and the use of racial gerrymandering. The question of constitutionality and these dist... ...tion has focused attention on the problems of our current system of voting. With the disproportionate amount of minorities being represented in Congress today, a change in the voting system is inevitable unless the two parties make a concerted effort to draw larger minority support and offer up minority candidates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Political reforms other than proportional representation may prove to favor minority candidates. Those looking to narrow the gap in Congress have looked at term limits and campaign finance reform. The idea that term limits would aid minorities comes from the fact that incumbents are so much more successful in elections. While there is always a call by reformers of government to implement term limits, the probability of this occurring seems quite slim. However, campaign finance reform is making headway this year in Congress. Supporters of reform argue that it would open access to greater candidates seeking election and not just those supported by the â€Å"big money† interests or soft money backing of parties. This augmentation of viability for a candidate would enhance the chances of minorities becoming candidates, thus enabling their representation in Congress.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

The Welfare State

HISTORY OF THE WELFARE STATE: The role and significance of the Beveridge Report in establishing the Welfare State in Britain. The purpose of this essay is to look at the long history of the Welfare State in Britain and the evolving social, economic and political changes in society today, as well as the birth of the Welfare State after the Second World War which was the turning point (watershed) in British History.The freshly appointed Labour government by then took on the job of setting up a ‘welfare state’ that would systematically deal with the ‘five giant evils’ proposed by William Beveridge in a report, which later became known as the Beveridge report. The British welfare state, if it is to be defined, it is generally incorporated with Sir William Beveridge and the after war period.Welfare State is the concept in which government plays a key role in protecting and promoting the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based on the principles of eq ual opportunity in the distribution of wealth and public responsibility for those who lack the minimal provisions for a good life, for example good health, education and basic income (Abercrombie and Warde 2000). Is it the responsibility of a government to provide for its citizen, what about the cost, because it can lead to ever-increasing public spending that the government may find difficult to sustain.According to Abercrombie and Warde (2000) the term ‘welfare state’ was invented, following the Second World War when Social policy was developing. During the Second World War, the coalition government headed by Winston Churchill, the conservative party torch bearer deliberately planned the creation of a better Britain than the one in which many people have lived in the poverty-stricken 1930s.Plans were drafted and policies were generated which were to ensure that, in peacetime, there would be a family support system, good health care for all, more jobs will be made avai lable as well as creating new towns and adequate housing (Walsh et al, 2000). However, in 1941, during the Second World War, Sir William Beveridge was given a task by Winston Churchill (wartime prime minister of the coalition government) to head an interdepartmental committee of civil servants in an nvestigation and evaluate the national insurance policies as well as suggestions of ways to improve them (Addison, 2005). But, according to Walsh et al (2000) Beveridge went further than the original terms of references given him. In the final statement know as the ‘Beveridge report’ ( ), it was introduced by its architect, Sir William Beveridge, to the British parliament in 1942. Throughout this report, Beveridge kept mentioning the abolition of ‘want’ which was believed to be the major problem at the time.He predicted major reforms in health, housing, and education; because the policies needed to attack the five giant evils were set out in detail in his report . The five giant evils were want, disease, ignorance, idleness and squalor by which he meant poverty, unemployment, poor housing and lack of access to decent education and health care. This report was radical and became popular partly because of its promise of social security for all, and partly because it brings to mind the vision of the peacetime life promised by Winston Churchill at that time for which million were longing (Abercrombie and Warde 2000).Winston Churchill was not happy because the Beveridge report brought up issues which distracted people’s attention from the Second World War as well as threatening to produce controversy between the coalition governments. He also disapproved of the Beveridge report on the ground that no government could commit in advance the expenditure involved, thus, confusions between the Conservative and the Labour members and this affected his election champagne during the post war (Addison, 2005).William Beveridge recommendations based on social survey, were designed to tackle poverty primarily through the development of a national social security system, providing income security ‘from the cradle to the grave’( life -long) that will for the first time allowed the British people to have real income security that would be available to everyone regardless of means testing.As much as the ‘five giant’ differs from each other, there is a connection between the five of them, for example, unemployment in society causes people to lack financially and this can lead to lack of good medical care, want, poor housing and etc. The Five giant evils; Want, essentially this refers to poverty or lack, during the post war a lot of the British people were in need, they had no basic financial support and health care to keep them alive as well as keeping them above the poverty line by which income does not cover necessities.Due to lack of financial support people could not afford education and this resulted in lack of knowledge which is referred to as Ignorance, this was due to poor education. To make matter worst there was no national health care because, this had to be paid for, but there was no money and medical care was not free and this led to the outbreak of many diseases such as cholera, this was also linked to want, no money no medical care.Nevertheless, there were hospitals and only the rich in society could afford medical treatment, however, today the welfare state had made medical treatment available for all regardless of employment status. People were living in slums because there was poor housing and this was referred to as squalors, there is no difference today even though the welfare state has made provision for housing and some of these houses have been turned into slums by their occupant.Occupant of these houses don’t care to keep these houses clean because it cost them nothing, this giant is called Squalor, it is still with us today. The last giant was referred t o as Idleness, this was due to the hangover from depressions from the time of unemployment, today some people have chosen to stay idle, because the state will feed and house them. As much as the welfare state is good, the Victorian ‘workhouses’ would have been helpful in dealing with idleness in society, because one would need to work at the workhouse in order to get help from the state.The Beveridge report was an important document because it set out detailed policies for the attack needed to destroy the five giant evils, though the five giant evils were not destroyed completely, however, the Beveridge report left a legacy, the NHS and now there is nothing like absolute poverty in Britain as compare to the years before the Second World War when people use to actually sleep in slum, therefore the Beveridge report was a blueprint on which the welfare state was emerged because it helped shape Britain’s social policies. (Naidoo and Wills, 2008). The publication of t he Beveridge report was a great success.Majority of the British public welcomed the report’s finding and wished to see them implemented as quickly as possible according to an opinion poll (national archives, 2003). This shows the extent to which the population had shifted to the left wing (representing the Labour party) during the course of the Second World War. The post war election, in June 1945 resulted in a landslide victory for the Labour Party led by Clement Attlee , who promised in their election campaign that they will tackle Beveridge’s five giant evils and established ‘New Jerusalem’ which was reluctantly rejected by Winston Churchill.To implement the Beveridge’s report, the Labour party attacked the ‘five giant evil’ by passing legislations, though they were not completely destroyed, however, one of the giant called disease, the most famous tackled by the Labour government left the state with a legacy, the 1946 National Healt h Service Act which meant free accessible health care system for all beginning in 1948, though it was hugely expensive. In 1946 the national insurance act was passed to tackled the giant called ‘want’ making provisions for the unemployed and pregnant women, pension for the retired and etc.The education Act 1944, a conservative idea to tackle ‘ignorance’ so education was made free, the school leaving age was moved to 16 years previously 15. In 1947 Labour passed the education act into law. In 1948 the employment and training act was passed to tackle both ‘ignorance’ and ‘idleness’ making provision for school leavers , demobbed service men to train and established a skilled workforce. In addition, council house buildings and full employment was made possible by a better economy after the war. The five giants were tackled, but were not destroyed, because poverty has always lived with society.Comparably, there is nothing like absolute poverty in Britain today unlike before the welfare state when people had to make their homes in slums. Welfare states vary temporally as well as geographically. Like time welfare states do not stand still. Their evolution depends on choices made within restrictions (Powell, 1999). According to Marx (1999) welfare states make their own histories, but not within circumstances of their own choosing (cited in Powell, 1999). Today, the recommendations and policies that were detailed in the Beveridge eport to tackle poverty primarily through the development of a national social security system are still considered to provide the foundation of the modern welfare state References Lambert, T (2010). A Brief History of Poverty [online]. Available from: http://www. localhistories. org/povhist. html. [Accessed on 25th January 2011] National Archive (2003). The Welfare State [online]. Available from: http://www. nationalarchives. gov. uk/pathways/citizenship/brave_new_world/welfare. htm. [Access ed on 30th January 2011] Addison, P. 2005) Churchill The Unexpected Hero. New York: Oxford University Press. Abercrombie, N. And Warde, A. (2000) Contemporary British Society. Third Edition. Cambridge: Polity Press. Naidoo, J. and Wills, J. (2008) Health Studies An Introduction. Second Edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Lowe, R. (1999) The Welfare State In Britain Since 1945. Second Edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Powell, M. (1999) New Labour, New Welfare State? Bristol: Policy Press. Osborne, R. and Loon, B. V. (2004) Introducing Sociology. Cambridge: Icon Books Limited.

John Berger Essay Essay

While in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, I traveled through the different galleries and their various cultures; discovering all sorts of arts from Contemporary art, to American art, Japanese art, and even the Egyptian art where I could appreciate the complexity of mummies. Throughout all these diverse cultures of art, I was questioning myself and started to wonder how I could understand art beyond others’ opinion about them. Moreover, I realized that it was a question John Berger, critic of art and author of the Ways of Seeing, raised in his essay, and it is a question that will always be raised while demanding how to understand a certain art. Walking through a room where various French artists had their paintings exposed, I fell in front of the artwork (see above) painted by Paul Gauguin. I did not choose a French artist to make me remember the French culture that I am missing here in Boston, nor to pretend that the French are advanced in art, but a way to analyze and understand, with the experience of a famous art critic, an artwork from an artist who astonished me in my previous art classes. D’ou venons-nous, Qui sommes-nous, Ou allons-nous? By Paul Gauguin I chose a painting that had a warm expression, and complex story emanating from it. As the title of my essay indicates, the title of the painting translated in English is â€Å"Where are we from? Who are we? Where are we going? So many questions in the title and the painting, but there were as much coming through my mind while studying this image. This artwork is very ambiguous because I do not know how to start looking at it. I can observe people appearing half naked in the foreground, but we cannot really tell why they appear there. The statue in the back makes the questioning more obscure. It seems lik e an Oracle that gives people their destiny, and that is maybe why they all look so sad. Truly, I felt that this image was a representation of my origin country, West Indies, by the color Gauguin used. He used the blue to symbolize the ocean surrounding the island, and the mixed race of the habitants by the warm and beige color or the characters. I felt as if I was in the center of the painting, more precisely in the position of the child being observed in the right corner, and waiting to be reassured. I also felt like the person in the middle of the painting, standing up and waiting for answers while traveling through this painting. Gauguin’s artworks are extremely complicated to decipher, so are they to analyze. Gauguin is an artist I studied back in France in my art classes. Consequently, I had seen many of his works, and even the painting I chose; However, I had never asked myself how knowing about his life could help me study his paintings. I was taught in my art classes how to analyze art in a more technical way than in an analytical way like Berger supported. Indeed, when we were looking at the entire structure of the painting with my art class method, we were focusing on the brush strokes, the color, the tone, lines and forms, and the composition of the painting. If I had to describe the work of art I chose based on technical features, I would examine the painting saying that the brush strokes could express many emotions at the same time, and describe the painter style and art movement. Gauguin was also part of the post-impressionist painters with artists such as Paul Cezanne or Van Gogh. Post impressionist art was more focused on color, lines, outlines and perspective. Concerning Gauguin, the complexity of shapes is very important in his paintings due to their abstract significations. In fact, the lines were not straight; they were round and suggesting bodies that we did not see in art before. Moreover, the color had its importance. Post impressionist artists like Gauguin used color and color combination in order to create ‘vulgar’, ‘calm’ or ‘bold’ impressions (Robert Hughes). The analysis of the painting I just did was very technical and structural, but in no sense relevant for understanding the thought process as Berger explained. I was subject to mystification as John Berger explained in his essay as â€Å"the process of explaining away what might otherwise be evident† (103). Indeed, mystification appeared while I was looking at the painting. I could sense a certain limit of my understanding due to the previous art classes I had. In other terms, it meant for me that words were coming before seeing whereas seeing should come before words as Berger deciphered in his essay. My mind was already set for a certain critic about the painting based on the knowledge I had; Consequently, I could not have another point of view vis-a-vis the painting I was staring at. Although I learned a lot from my art classes, especially how to describe an artwork contextually, the observations and point of view of Berger about art gave me enough elements o have a complete analysis of an image, both contextually and historically. Using Berger as a guide for art description helped me to learn more about the painting historically, and much more about the painter himself to have a complete understanding of the artwork. Prior to this assignment, it had never occurred to me to use the biography and the background of the painter in order to facilitate my understanding of the painting. When Berger quoted â€Å"When we see a landscape, we situate ourselves in the it. If we saw the art of the past, we would situate ourselves in history. † (100) in the essay led me to start the analysis of Gauguin’s painting in a very different way. Actually, when I focused more on the painter’s life, and follow Berger’s analysis, I learned that Gauguin wanted to commit suicide after he painted this image. Plus, even though there was a caption under the image saying that it was his last painting, I would not have noticed that it was his last painting, which refers to what Berger described when he talked about Van Gogh’s last painting. Berger cited â€Å"The way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe† (97). Clearly, it means that the details you know about a certain painting will prevent you from analyzing it innocently. Based on the art experience I acquired in class, I would have said that the image implies sadness because of the choice of colors, which were darker than his previous works. However, I think that the title gives us more details about his thoughts while he was painting. Through reading of artistic reviews or even my art book, named Shock of the New by Robert Hughes, I discovered that this work of art should be read from right to left, with the three main groups of people illustrating the questions that are asked in the title. The first group with the three women looking at the child represents the beginning of Gauguin’s life, making a reference to his parents, then there is the group in the middle which symbolizes all the experiences he went through while being a young adult. The last group shows an old lady close to death because of the darker color he used, moreover, there is an odd white bird at her feet, which could represent the guide to heaven. In the background of the painting, there is a blue statute, which represents what Gauguin described as the hereafter. This painting seems like a flash back of his life, and these three questions lead us to comprehend him better. Gauguin left a lot of non-answered questions about this painting, considered as a testimony to his life by many critics of art. Indeed, this painting is very complex. I learned by reading my previous art book, that Gauguin wrote a letter to his friend stipulating the reasons of the painting. In this letter, Gauguin said that he had decided to commit suicide in December; therefore, he wanted to paint on a huge canvas all the things he had on his mind for so long. Things he absolutely wanted to paint before his death. In this letter, Gauguin also confessed that the value of this painting is so much ahead of his precedents, and that it was a one of a kind that he could not nor would not try to produce a better painting. This sentence clearly explains that he reached the height of his life, and that now he drew this painting, there was nothing else he could do better or similar except terminate his life. Gauguin was wondering a lot about the existence of the world, and this perpetual questioning led him to the entitlement of this painting. As I said earlier in my essay, each group of people appearing in this painting is applied to a specific question of the title. Those questions made me think about my own life. Indeed, the questions he used are somehow important to everyone to really understand the meaning of their lives. Berger said â€Å"The way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe† (97). While looking at this painting, I could recognize some events of my life, for instance, I could recall where I am from and what are my origins, as well as how I did to accomplish such academic success and arrive in the United States. Furthermore, due to my art background, I could understand better the expression and feelings Gauguin was trying to deliver in this painting with his powerful colors and thick traits. Approaching art is not easy at first glance, thus approaching it with different methods makes it more difficult to understand. Throughout my life, I have been able to view art in many different context, either artistically speaking when I was in art classes in France, or analytically this year when I had to analyze art with the support of an art critic opinions. For me, both ways were complementary to each other and drastically improved my understanding of art. Complementary in the sense that I could rely on my technical knowledge of art to understand the structure of a painting, and also analyze the story of the painting as Berger mentioned to fully understand the underlying message of an artwork.

What Is GPA What Does GPA Mean

What Is GPA What Does GPA Mean SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Many students get very hung up on GPA in high school - is it high enough? Will it pass muster in college admissions? What does your GPA even mean? In this article, I’ll go through what GPA is, what GPA means, and how it can help or hurt you in the college admissions process. What Is GPA? Let’s start with the basics!Your GPA is just a way of converting your grades into a numerical scale.The grades that you receive in your high school classes are all averaged together to arrive at one cumulative grade, which is then converted into your GPA.The traditional GPA scale ranges from 0.0 to 4.0. Here’s a conversion chart that shows all the possible GPAs and their corresponding letter grades and percentiles: Letter Grade Percentile GPA A+ 97-100 4.0 A 93-96 4.0 A- 90-92 3.7 B+ 87-89 3.3 B 83-86 3.0 B- 80-82 2.7 C+ 77-79 2.3 C 73-76 2.0 C- 70-72 1.7 D+ 67-69 1.3 D 65-66 1.0 F Below 65 0.0 This 4.0 scale is for unweighted GPAs.Some schools may get even more specific with GPAs if grades are given on a scale of 0-100 and not just as letters. For example, a student with a 90 average in all of her classes would have a 3.5 GPA and a student with a 92 average would have a 3.7 GPA. At many schools, GPAs go up higher than 4.0 because they use a weighted scale.A weighted GPA takes into account the difficulty of a student’s coursework, not just their grades.For example, a student who gets all As in lower level classes will earn a 4.0, while a student who gets all As in the most challenging classes will earn a 5.0. Different high schools have different standards for what counts as a "challenging" course, but this usually means AP classes if your school offers them or Honors classes if not. Colleges use GPA as a measure of your engagement in learning and willingness to work hard to meet academic standards and expand your knowledge.GPA is very important because it provides a comprehensive look at your academic strengths and weaknesses and ability to challenge yourself.GPA and standardized test scores are given relatively equal consideration in the application processes for most schools.At schools that don’t require standardized test scores, GPA takes on an even more critical role in your application. How Much Can GPA Help or Hurt You? High school GPA is one of the most important factors considered in the college admissions process. A high GPA (in the 3.5 to 4.0 or A range) can really help you, but it depends on the circumstances. Your High GPA Will Be a Big Asset If: You Earned It in High-Level Classes Above all, colleges want to see that you're willing to challenge yourself intellectually.If you managed to earn a high GPA while taking difficult courses, this will show them that you’re both intelligent and driven.Even if you took easier classes at the beginning of high school and then went on to take more challenging ones later,your course record will demonstrate that you're engaged in learning and willing to push yourself. Your Standardized Test Scores are Just OK If you aren't a great test taker and didn’t get awesome scores on the SAT or ACT, your GPA will help you to rise above the crowd despite this.More and more schools are starting to see GPA is a more reliable metric than standardized tests for judging academic potential.A high GPA shows determination over time and is the most reliable indicator of a student’s ability to ultimately graduate college. Your GPA Stands out from Other Students in Your Class If very few other students at your school achieved a GPA similar to yours, this indicates that you were willing to go above and beyond to get high grades in difficult classes. Your High GPA Won't Matter As Much If: You Earned It in Easy Classes You may have a 4.0, but if you took the easiest classes available to get it, colleges won’t look as favorably upon your application.If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense - colleges are looking for students who are willing to apply themselves and make full use of the resources they're given.If you just go for the easy A, you won't make a good impression. Your Standardized Test Scores Are Very Low Even if you earn a very high GPA, if your standardized test scores are average or below average, you might have problems.This is still one of the most important factors colleges consider besides GPA, so you shouldn't take these tests lightly.If you study diligently, you should be able to boost your scoreseven if you don’t consider yourself a great test taker. Many Other Students Have Similar GPAs If your GPA doesn’t stand out from the pack, this points to grade inflation at your high school (high grades for work that might not fully deserve them).This is a problem at many schools, and is really frustrating for students who are high-achieving but can’t stand out because of low standards.This might not be as much as a problem as the other factors because admissions officers will know whether or not your school has this issue and will take it into account when looking at your record.It may mean an increased emphasis on standardized test scores, so you should work on improving your scores if you grade inflation is a concern. "YOU get a 4.0 GPA! And YOU get a 4.0 GPA! You all get 4.0 GPAs!!!!" Now let's look at the other side of things. With a low GPA (anywhere below the national average of a 3.0), you might think you’re out of luck, but that’s not necessarily true. Though it may be difficult to get into very selective schools, colleges will consider other factors in their admissions decisions as well. Your Low GPA Might Not Be a Huge Problem If: It’s Above a 2.0 As long as your GPA is higher than a 2.0, there will be some colleges where you have a good chance of acceptance. If it's below a 2.0 it will be very hard to get into most schools. You Did Well on Standardized Tests As I mentioned earlier, standardized tests are the most important thing colleges will consider apart from your GPA.If you do extremely well, they will be more likely to give you a chance despite your low GPA.Studying for standardized tests and improving your scores is much easier than improving your GPA, so if your GPA isn’t where you want it to be, try to focus on score improvement to get the most bang for your buck in the college admissions process. You Challenged Yourself If your GPA is on the lower side, but you earned it in difficult classes or challenged yourself more and more over the course of high school, colleges will take this into account.Your GPA itself is less important than the road you took to get there. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Can GPA Be Improved? It's difficult to improve your GPA because it's the average of all your grades over the course of high school. If you end up with a C average your freshman year, for example, you could technically bring it up to a B+ average by the end of your junior year if you earned A averages during your sophomore and junior years. If you have a C average for both your freshman and sophomore years, the best you'll be able to do is a B- because the Cs from the first two years of high school will bring down your average so much. That's not to mention that going from a C average to an A average in all classes is not something that most people can manage since it requires such a drastic change in study habits and motivation. That being said,if you’re only in the first half of high school, you still have a fair amount of time to make some changes and show colleges a trend towards better grades. You Can Improve Your GPA By: Asking for Extra Help This is always a smart choice if you feel yourself falling behind in a class.As soon as you start to struggle, ask for clarification so you don’t end up getting totally lost.You might just need things to be explained a different way! Reassessing Your Study Habits Your problems may also be related to procrastination of lack of studying.These bad habits are difficult to change, but it’s really important to step back and fix fundamental problems like this that are holding you back before they get out of hand. Challenging Yourself More This may seem paradoxical, and I would only advocate it if you have a very good GPA in low level classes.Your GPA will look better to colleges if you work harder for it, so you should be proactive about pursuing more challenging coursework.Even if your grades end up slightly lower, moving up a level shows that you were willing to push yourself outside your comfort zone for a more productive learning experience. On the flip side of this, if you're in a situation where a class is extremely difficult for you and your grades are unsalvageable, you should consider dropping it so that you don't end up with an F on your transcript. If it’s already your junior year and you don’t have much time left to make improvements, you should focus more on standardized testing. With a few months of dedicated studying, you can significantly raise your scores and increase your chances of college admission.The main thing for GPA is to start out strong and finish up stronger; with the way averages work, it’s hard to make significant changes later on. Earning a good GPA is like running a cross country race. It's pretty painful and you have to maintain a strong pace throughout, but in the end it's worth it because of the sense of accomplishment. Yes, I used to run cross country, and yes, it was the worst. Conclusion A regular unweighted GPA is measured on a scale of 0 to 4.0.Your GPA may be weighted, which means it goes up higher (usually up to a 5.0 but some schools have an even bigger scale).Weighted GPAs take course difficulty into account apart from grades so that students in high level classes earn GPAs that reflect the difficulty of the courses they take.College admissions officers will use your GPA to judge whether you are prepared for college coursework and are truly engaged in learning. Your GPA can help you a lot in college admissions if it’s in the A range, or above a 3.5, but that often depends on the difficulty of your coursework, your class rank, and the quality of your standardized test scores.If your GPA is especially low, focus on improving your standardized test scores and make an effort to bring up your grades by asking for help and fixing any bad habits you’ve fallen into.Your GPA is one of the most crucial aspects of your college application, so if you feel like things aren’t going well in your classes, speak up! What's Next? Working on raising your standardized test scores alongside your GPA? Take a look at some of our best tips for the SAT and the ACT. Your GPA is one of the most important components of your college application, but there are also a lot of other things you should consider if you're aiming for the best schools in the country. Find out how you can increase your chances of acceptance at very selective schools. If you're starting to look at colleges, check out this guide on how to choose schools that are right for you! 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:

The Aufbau Principleâ€Definition, Rules and Exceptions

The Aufbau Principle- Definition, Rules and Exceptions The Aufbau principle, simply put, means electrons are added to orbitals as protons are added to an atom. The term comes from the German word aufbau, which means built up or construction. Lower electron orbitals fill before higher orbitals do, building up the electron shell. The end result is that the atom, ion, or molecule forms the most stable electron configuration. The Aufbau principle outlines the rules used to determine how electrons organize into shells and subshells around the atomic nucleus. Electrons go into the subshell having the lowest possible energy.An orbital can hold at most 2 electrons obeying the Pauli exclusion principle.Electrons obey Hunds rule, which states that electrons spread out before they pair up if there are two or more energetically equivalent orbitals (e.g., p, d). Aufbau Principle Exceptions Like most rules, there are exceptions.  Half-filled and completely filled d and f subshells add stability to atoms, so the d and f block elements dont always follow the principle. For example, the predicted Aufbau configuration for Cr is 4s23d4, but the observed configuration is actually 4s13d5. This actually reduces electron-electron repulsion in the atom, since each electron has its own seat in the subshell. Aufbau Rule Definition A related term is the Aufbau Rule, which states that the filling of different electron subshells is by order of increasing energy following the (n 1) rule. The nuclear shell model is a similar model that predicts the configuration of protons and neutrons in an atomic nucleus.

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 5

Human Resource Management - Essay Example This essay stresses that motivation of employees is crucial for an organization to succeed, since they are the driving factor behind the employees’ commitment to their work and their endeavors towards obtaining the desired results. As the needs vary from individual to individual, it is necessary to make the motivational packages flexible enough to meet the needs of the maximum number of employees. This paper makes a conclusion that the Human Resource Management holds a key position in the progress towards the attainment of organizational objectives, and since the macro and micro environment in which a business operates undergo incessant fluctuations, it is necessary to ensure that the organization is flexible enough to be molded in accordance with these environmental changes, which could be done through the help of the Human Resource Department because they are responsible for managing the most valuable asset of any organization, that is people. When the employees of an organization are motivated and committed towards achieving a certain common target, then the company could withstand all forms of pressures from the environmental changes. The HR Department could manage the workforce diversity and help the workers of an organization adapt to rapid changes, technological advancements, increased globalization and other environmental changes. Furthermore, with the aid of the HR pr actices of managing workforce diversity through different programs and motivational approaches, an organization could gain sustainable competitive advantage and lead the firm into the future on stable grounds.

Executive Summary - Xtreme Gymnastics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Executive Summary - Xtreme Gymnastics - Essay Example There are also programs catering to mature enthusiasts and former gymnasts. The goal is to come up with a sustainable path for Xtreme Gymnastics moving forward with this differentiation positioning, alongside a credible business plan focused on sustainable and profitable growth (Taylor, 2003). The situational analysis reveals, meanwhile, that the overall macroeconomic and macro demographic indicators point to the continued potential of the American market overall to sustain and nurture business concerns such as Xtreme Gymnastics, offering the kinds of programs that it has outlined (Amadeo, 2012a; Kotkin, 2012; Moffatt, 2012; Newman, 2012). The wisdom of segmenting the market by gender and age is validated meanwhile, by data showing that female children and young people dominate the enrollment in gymnastics programs nationally and in almost all geographies. Combining insights from the external market analysis and the characteristics of the most active market segments, it is clear that long-term prospects continue to support a healthy growth for successful players in the market for differentiated, private gymnastics programs. The target market has been identified as young females aged 6-16 years, with emphasis on the market segment defined by females aged 11-12, historically the single largest demographic by degree of participation (US Gymnastics, 2007). The marketing objective shall be to grow the business with the target markets using high staff qualification and safe, friendly, high quality programs and facilities as points of differentiation (usagym,org, 2012). Marketing strategies and tactics shall be aligned with this quality and differentiation-driven marketing objective, and shall include information campaigns to heighten brand awareness and awareness of the programs on offer at Xtreme Gymnastics; promotional activities leveraging social media to do the same; complementing the programs offerings with